Xobni Incorporates with Your Facebook Profile, Yahoo Mail, and Skype [Featured Windows Download]
Windows only: Previously mentioned free Microsoft Outlook plug-in Xobni is a must-have for anyone looking to get more from Outlook, and today the plug-in gets even better. That's because Xobni now integrates Facebook, Yahoo Mail, Skype, and Hoover company profiles directly in the Xobni sidebar (you can see each new feature in action in the video above). If you use even one of these services, the new integration is very convenient. If you've given the new tool a try, share your thoughts in the comments.
Linux Theme Gets Scarily Close to XP [Themes]
One clever/obsessive Linux theme crafter has released a XpGnome script that adds custom icons, controls, backgrounds, colors, and makes many other tweaks to make a GNOME desktop look almost exactly like Windows XP. The drawback is that there's no easy uninstall/undo, so creating a dummy account to try this out on is definitely recommended.
Ultimate Windows Tweaker is Like Tweak UI for Vista [Featured Windows Download]
Windows Vista only: Ultimate Windows Tweaker makes no bones about its source of inspiration—the uber-specific, XP-customizing Microsoft tool TweakUI—and does pretty well by it. There's more than 130 changes to make from this stand-alone, no-install utility, including some seriously helpful User Account Control hacks and sliding timers for application killing, along with all the other tweaks for menus, Explorer, and shortcuts TweakUI users will find familiar. Another great feature: A big, prominent "Create System Restore Point" button to hit before you get to tweaking, which is always a good idea. Ultimate Windows Tweaker is a free download for Windows Vista systems (32- and 64-bit) only. Thanks, How-To Geek!
And Now For Something Completely Different on YouTube [YouTube]
Claiming to be tired of seeing poor-quality "rip-offs" of their ridiculously acclaimed TV series and films, the Monty Python troupe has created an official YouTube channel to post free, high-quality clips from their vaults, with only Amazon merchandise links for advertising. Their official, tongue-in-cheek video proclamation is below. [via]
Get Account Balances by SMS [Personal Finance]
Mint.com, our readers' favorite personal finance tool, now offers users instant balances on all their registered accounts via SMS. Text "bal" or "balance" to "MyMint" (696468), and you'll get a text detailing your finances the last time Mint took a look. Quicken Online already had a nearly identical service, Quicken Beam, that also adds the five most recent transactions to each account. Still, having a choice in who you give your financial account data to is a good thing, and knowing whether you've got space for plane tickets on your credit card can be a serious mind-easer.
Zapr Makes File Sharing Painless [Featured Windows Download]
Windows only: Zapr is a new file-sharing application that promises to make remote file sharing extremely simple. Users download the Zapr application, set up a free account, and can immediately begin sharing files with friends. Only the person doing the sharing needs to have the application installed, all others simply need the URL the file sharer gives them. The files are hosted locally, with the Zapr server only providing directions between the file sharer and the people seeking the file. Files can be shared unprotected or with passwords. There is no restriction on file type or file size. For another simply way to share files without FTP, check out GBridge. Zapr is freeware, Windows only.
Get $25 Restaurant Gift Cards for $1.50 [Deals]
Thanks to some sweet, sweet discount serendipity, $25 gift cards to restaurants around the country from Restaurant.com can be had through tomorrow, for $1.50 using a coupon code and a FatWallet link code. It's pretty much the same offer as we previously posted, just a bit cheaper and, well, back again. The details: Head to Restaurant.com, see what restaurants are participating near your ZIP code (and what caveats a gift card might entail, such as a minimum purchase amount or menu restrictions). Use FatWallet's 25 percent off discount link to actually buy the gift card, and enter the coupon code SURPRISE at checkout. You'll need a FatWallet account to claim your 50 cent savings, and the coupon code is only good through Nov. 20, 2008. If you're stuck for gift ideas for a food-loving friend, this is a pretty cheap way to knock one off the list. Tell us any catches or successes you find in the comments.
TouchTerm Puts a Terminal Client on Your iPhone [Featured IPhone Download]
iPhone/iPod touch only: With Mocha VNC Lite, iPhone and iPod touch users already have a tool for connecting remotely to their desktops, but what about those who like to get things done over a command line? Free iPhone app TouchTerm provides SSH-encrypted terminal access to any Linux, OS X, or even Windows system running a server, making mobile rebooting or service starting over Wi-Fi or EDGE/3G connections possible. The app supports landscape mode, a must for serious two-thumb typing, can save connections for easy access. The $11.99 pro version adds advanced gesture and copy/paste support, amongst other features, but the basic free edition can get the job done. TouchTerm is a free download for iPhones and iPod touch models running the 2.0 firmware only.
Use Vista's Task Manager as a Desktop Monitor [Windows Vista Tip]
The Tech-Recipes blog points out a Windows Vista feature that's great for anyone who wants to monitor how they're computer's running at a glance without installing a dedicated background app. Launch the Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc), choose a panel like Performance or Networking, and double-click anywhere inside the window's blank space. You get a not-easily-closed, always-on-top widget you can keep anywhere on the desktop for a quick read on how your desktop is holding up, and it's a good deal more informative than Task Manager's system tray icon. Double-click inside the gadget to restore that standard task manager.
Battle of the Free Visual Voicemail and Transcription Services [Lifehacker Faceoff]
Both YouMail and MessageSling have long offered free services that let nearly any cell phone user listen to and manage their voicemail online, in the style of the iPhone's "visual voicemail." The stakes were raised this month when both also announced new transcription services, allowing you to read that call you just missed in a text message or online before actually listening or responding to it. One offers a limited free service, while the other is offering one-week trials of its paid transcription plans. We've given both a try and compiled each service's feature package for comparison, so read on to see if it might be worth ditching your plain vanilla voicemail for something a bit more useful.
Note: Both services use a basic voicemail-forwarding trick that works on any major carrier's phone, and both respond fairly quickly to get you MP3-quality recordings of your voicemail.
I tested one of YouMail's free transcription services, which the company says "vary in quality" compared to paid plans, and are limited to one contact or five messages from anybody, against MessageSling's one-week trial of their 20-message-per-month "Basic" plan. I'd have liked to compare a YouMail paid service against MessageSling, but "ordering" a free plan from YouMail somehow blocked my attempts to buy a paid plan. If and when I can try out a paid plan, I'll post the transcription results here.
YouMail
What's free:
- Web-based visual voicemail listings and dial-in voicemail checking
- Caller ID service
- Customized greetings for specific contacts or groups
- Download messages as MP3s
- Folder organizing and archiving of messages
- Unwanted caller blocking (hang-up before voicemail)
- Non-Flash site for iPhone/Blackberry/WinMobile
Message notification: Email with direct link to Flash voicemail player, or text message with caller ID, number, and voicemail stats (left or not, duration), with transcription stub if enabled.
Ads?: Corner ad on notification emails (in-house at the moment), banners and right-side box ads on voicemail page, and text ads at bottom of SMS notifications.
Transcription Plans:
Transcription accuracy (free plan):
What was said (MP3):
Hi Kevin, it's, uh, Kevin. I'm calling to test out transcription. See you in Tallahassee tomorrow. Bye.
What came in the text:
Hi Kevin it s uh Kevin. I m calling 2 test out transcription. See u (cut off).
Online transcription:
Hi Kevin it s uh Kevin. I m calling to test out transcription. See you in Tallahassee tomorrow bye.
Your web-based inbox:
MessageSling
What's free:
- Web-based visual voicemail listings and dial-in voicemail checking
- Customized greetings for specific contacts and groups
- Download messages as MP3s
- Gmail-style message labeling and search
- Can edit transcripts of voicemails and update.
Ads?: None in emails, text alerts, or on site (so far).
Message notification: Email with message MP3 attached and voicemail stats, and/or text message with phone number (and contact, if in book), voicemail stats, and transcription stub if enabled.
Transcription Plans:
Transcription accuracy ("Basic" plan):
What was said (MP3):
Hi Kevin, it's, uh, Kevin. I'm calling to test out transcription. See you in Tallahassee tomorrow. Bye.
What came in the text:
Hi Kevin, it's Kevin. I'm calling to test out transcription. S (cut off).
Online transcription:
Hi Kevin, it's Kevin. I'm calling to test out transcription. See you in Tallahassee tomorrow. Bye.
Your web-based inbox:
That's enough from our side of the screen—let's hear how users of the two services, and those just catching up on them, split the difference in the poll below. If you've got another similar service that does the job for you, choose "Other" and tell us about it in the comments.
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