Category: Web Design

For those who don’t know, all three of you that is, Google released a new maps web application.

Much like Yahoo! Maps or MapQuest, Google Maps is what it sounds like, a maps program. However, this is much better than the other two. Though, some of the intuition and documentation could be improved.

I never liked Yahoo Maps!. The reason I never liked them? Their driving directions are absolutely horrid. Ironically, I still use it whenever I want driving directions. It’s like I’m compelled to use it. I get lost or very confused nearly every time I use them. Nothing is simple. Yet, time after time, I still use them.

As for MapQuest, I don’t think I ever got into their way of doing things. Their service is alright, their maps are childish in comparison to Google’s. However, it can still do driving directions decently. Unknown to me, however, is how well they would fare in a real life test.

Finally, for Google Maps. I know it seems like everyone just has to love Google because they’re seemingly un-corporate, but in reality, they are quite corporate now-a-days. I still think of it as a coolcorporation though, but hey, that’s me. Anyways, Their maps application is visually stunning. Their map doesn’t look so horribly jumbled as others do. Also, when doing a search for pizza near X address, I like their way of noting where the location is (it’s a little red spikey thing). When you click on it, it gives you some detailed information about it, which is nice.

Also, who doesn’t like the non-reloading, click and drag feature. As well as the double-click to center feature. I don’t see those on the other applications, hmmm. Makes me wonder, though, if the program is done through javascript xmlHttpRequest. Seems logical doesn’t it? But then again, as we learned from Dave’s post at Mezzoblue, Map.Search.ch doesn’t use xmlHttpRequest and it has basically the same functionality. Though, I will note that double clicking on the map here, zooms and centers. That would be nice. Google, are you listening? 🙂

Now, don’t get me wrong, I like Google’s new application, but I have some problems with it. I can’t seem to get it to do driving directions for me. I am trying to do some lazy directions. Such as 151st to mur-len and santa fe. It can’t seem to do that right. I am guessing that I am putting it in improperly. However, I can’t find any place showing me what the right way is. Meh. It is a Beta product. (But then hasn’t Google News been beta for years now? Hmmmm.)

But other than that stuff, I still love the application and will try it out the next time I need to go somewhere. Which is more often that I usually expect, considering I just moved to a new city where I don’t know where anything is. So, we shall see.

First off, if you use a browser that isn’t Firefox, then you need to change immediately. One of the benefits of using Firefox is the numerous amount of extensions that are out there. This is a list of all the extensions that I use. Quite literally, Firefox is my portal to my computer. I always have Firefox open, it just does too much for me. Anywho, on with the list…

Mozilla Calendar

I’m not sure how many of you folk use a calendar of sorts, but I’ve found it helps me out quite a bit. I tend to have a problem remembering exactly when long term events are coming up. I can usually remember the current week fairly well, but who knows, sometimes I even mess that up. 🙂 Regardless, I find it quite helpful. This extension, isn’t really an extension in the sense that the others are. It’s a separate install, I believe, but I can access the calendar via the Tools menu in Firefox.

All-in-one Gestures

This extension is pretty much explained in the title of the extension. Basically with the right-click of the mouse and then some variety of mouse gesture, the extension will tell Firefox what to do. Most useful for doing things like reloading a page, forward, back, new tab, etc. I tend to only use this extension for the simplest features, as they are the most simple, but if the extension floats your boat, then by all means use it more heavily, still recommended though.

FoxyTunes

Do you listen to music on your computer? Lord knows I do. Regardless of what platform or music player you use, this extension will probably be able to fit your needs. Check out the list of supported music players. Personally, I use Winamp 5 and it stays minimized in the Windows system tray – that means by the clock for those who don’t know 🙂 .

Firefox Bloglines Notifier

As far as I know, AFAIK in nerd-speak, few of my friends – Barrett being the exception, as well as myself – use Bloglines. Bloglines is a centrally managed collection of RSS feeds that you are subscribed to. I highly recommend this plugin for those who do use RSS feeds. I formerly used an at home RSS agregator, but was perturbed that I had to maintain two sets – home and work. A centrally managed set of RSS feeds is the answer. This extension simply tells me when I have updated feeds that I’m subscribed to.

SpellBound

I just recently installed this plugin but have already found it useful. (and will use it again when I’m done writing this entry) Basically it will do spell check for you. Simple. Effective.

Web Developer

Few people outside of the web development realm will care about this extension. However, if you consider yourself within this select group of people, or are considering entering it, this tool is priceless. That’s all I’ll say.

Foxylicious

First off, I’ve never been much for bookmarks. Be it on any browser or platform or whatever. They are locked to one computer and I find that to be useless for me, especially because bookmarks are used so infrequently – at least in my usage of them. Now, Del.icio.us, like Bloglines for RSS feeds, is a centrally managed set of bookmarks. I am slowly but surely finding this resource invaluable. If you know me at all, then you know my infatuation – and if there is a stronger word for infatuation, obsession perhaps?, I’d use it here – for sending random links to random, usually pointless, online websites, then you can probably understand my use of this tool. Foxylicious simply integrates your Del.icio.us bookmarks into the regular bookmarks you have in Firefox. If you change the Del.icio.us bookmarks from some other computer, then you can update them with the click of a button.

And that’s that. Go get Firefox and use some of these extensions why don’t you. I just finished my white russian, so have a good night, folks.

The latest Firefox release came out sometime early this morning. I installed it at my house and had only 1 minor problem. When I first double clicked the executable it just kinda waited at the very first screen for a while, it eventually allowed me to click the “next” button, but I was just a little worrisome initially.

I installed it at work as well and it had no such problem.

Download Firefox 1.0 Preview Release here.

I’ve noticed a few pretty neat inprovements:

• Integrated RSS reader, look in the bottom right of the screen for a red “RSS”
• It seems to be able to check for new mail, too. Perhaps this is because I have Thunderbird open; perhaps because it has the same profile? I’m not really sure the cause. I noticed “Read mail (0 new)…” under my Tools menu. I don’t think I’ll use that option very much, but it still seemed neat.
• I’m not exactly sure if this is an improvemnt or not, but I’ll list it nonetheless. The upgrade process was very easy and quite intuitive. I’ve always done new installs in new directories, so perhaps that’s why it’s always been easy and painless for me, who knows. The point is, it asked me if I wanted to include bookmarks from other browser installations I had, which, if memory serves me, was one of the complaints about previous versions. It also checked my installed extensions and told me which ones wouldn’t work with the new version and then asked if I’d like to check for new versions of said extensions. The only hiccup with this is that my Web Developer Extension, which it said was not compatible, actually was, so who knows. Find out for yourself.

I’ll list other observations of note as they come along.