Napping Boosts Sophisticated Memory, Study Shows [Sleep]
Neuroscientist William Fishbein says that deep, "slow-wave" sleep can help us commit information to memory, learn new skills, and extrapolate information. Science news site Physorg reports that Fishbein and a graduate student studied English-speaking students' ability to remember Chinese characters they were taught just before a nap (and some without a nap):
Upon awakening, they took a multiple-choice test of Chinese words they'd never seen before. The nappers did much better at automatically learning that the first of the two-pair characters in the words they'd memorized earlier always meant the same thing—female, for example. So they also were more likely than non-nappers to choose that a new word containing that character meant "princess" and not "ape."
Add this latest study fuel to the fire of our unabashed pro-nap agenda; and while you're here see our top 10 ways to sleep smarter and better. Photo by Tina Keller.
Foxit Reader Updates, Supports Inline Viewing in Firefox [Featured Windows Download]
Windows only: Foxit Reader—the PDF viewer that introduced most of us to the good life sans Adobe's bloated Acrobat Reader—has just updated to version 3.0. Among the handful of new and improved features, the most notable update for Firefox users is support for inline viewing of PDFs using Foxit Reader's new Firefox plug-in. That means that you can quickly view any PDF directly in a Firefox tab when you don't feel like opening a separate app to view a linked PDF (a feature common to Reader but not to Foxit). Beyond that, the full list of new features includes:
- Enticing Multimedia Design
Now users can not only play multimedia in Foxit Reader, but also are empowered to add, edit or delete multimedia files with the incredible Movie Tool and Sound Tool.- Attachment Panel
Lists all the attached files in the PDF document, and provides a number of common options that helps users manage the attachments, such as opening, deleting and adding description to the attachments. Users can also change the security settings when opening an attachment in this panel.- Thumbnail Panel
Shows thumbnail images for each PDF page and allows users to quickly view relevant portions of a PDF file. Now users can navigate through PDFs with page thumbnails.- Layout Panel
Lists PDF layers in the document, allows users to control the display of some certain content areas.- Metric Unit Support
Within the preferences dialog box it gives users the option to set the unit of page dimension in either metric system or imperial system.- Auto-scrolling with Middle Mouse Button
In the Hand Tool reading mode, users can perform auto-scrolling by holding the middle mouse button/wheel mouse button down.- Awe-Inspiring Foxit OnDemand Content Management
This new add-on enables users to organize, share and collaborate on documents and forms online. Users can upload from Foxit Reader or send documents with ease. Advanced features include workflow driven document sharing, revisions of documents, CollabRoom for group collaboration.- Firefox Support
With Firefox Plugin, users can view and work with PDF files loaded in Foxit Reader with Firefox web browser.
As always, the fast-loading Foxit Reader also works from your thumb drive so you can enjoy quick PDF viewing no matter where you are. Foxit Reader is a free download (with a Pro version available if you need more advanced features), Windows only.
Keyboardr Is Lightning Fast Search Mashup with Keyboard Shortcuts [Search Engines]
Web site keyboardr is an as-you-type search mashup of Google (including blog and image search), Wikipedia, and YouTube with blazing speed. Once you see a result you like, just use your arrow keys to navigate to the result, then hit Enter to open it. The speed of keyboardr is perhaps the most impressive feature, and if you're a big fan of keyboard navigation, it's got a lot to offer. Then again, I still prefer the experimental Google search with keyboard shortcuts that work like Gmail's built-in shortcuts (e.g., j/k navigate up/down, '/' returns you to the search box). That said, keyboardr's integration with YouTube, Wikipedia, and multiple Google search types brings a nice feature-set to a simple but well thought-out webapp. Keyboardr has plans for more features and search service integration in the future, so it's worth keeping an eye on. Keep reading for a look at how keyboardr works in action.
Ask MetaFilter Roundup [Hive Mind]
- How can I get a voicemail from my cell to my PC?
- How does having kids affect the salary gap between men and women?
- Where can I find good and free stock sounds online?
- What's causing my laptop's battery to act up?
- Anyone have tips for getting college right the second time around?
Lunascape Is Firefox, Chrome, and Internet Explorer Rolled Into One [Featured Windows Early Adopter Download]
Windows only: Free application Lunascape is a web browser capable of running any of the three major web rendering engines—Gecko (Firefox), WebKit (Safari/Chrome), and Trident (Internet Explorer). That means that each time you open a new tab or follow a link, you can tell Lunascape which engine you want to use to render the page. The idea, in theory, is that Lunascape gives you the benefits of each popular browser in one. For example, Lunascape gives you IE support for the few IE-only sites still out there and no-nonsense speed from WebKit or Gecko.
You can switch which engine is rendering the current tab at any time by right-clicking the tab and selecting the engine you want. The browser itself supports plug-ins, but from what I can tell it doesn't support just any Firefox extension, which is unfortunate. Despite the indisputably cool feature set (namely the whole three-browsers-in-one hook), Lunascape is a little unwieldy and very cluttered. To be fair, though, it's currently an alpha release, which means you should expect a lot of rough edges.
If you're a web developer and you want to quickly check how a site will look in each engine Lunascape might be a winner, but I can't picture very broad adoption of this kitchen sink browser as is. Lunascape is a free download, Windows only. If you give it a try, let's hear what you think in the comments.
Mobile Tech Secrets for Getting Things Done On the Go [In Brief]
I (Adam) had the opportunity to round up 15 of my favorite tech secrets for the road warrior this weekend for PC World. Many of the tips may look familiar to Lifehacker readers, like tethering your cell's data plan to your laptop or turning your laptop into a Wi-Fi hotspot, but you may stumble onto a few new gems, too. Got a favorite mobile tech trick of your own? Share it in the comments. Photo by Ed Yourdon.
FoxGLove Standalone Google Apps Portal [Exclusive Lifehacker Download]
Crafty Firefox user Alex customized his own Firefox Portable installation to tightly integrate with Google Apps. He calls his creation "FoxGLove," and uses it as his own Google-powered productivity portal instead of Microsoft Outlook. Along with his pick of add-ons that enhance and integrate Google Apps in Firefox, Alex tricked out this portable Firefox version with a Chrome-like theme, custom homepages (that auto-load in tabs), web site favicons, and even slapped the FoxGLove name and icon onto the whole shebang. Best part? You can download and try it out right now without disturbing your current Firefox setup. Download FoxGLove below to give it a spin on your own desktop, and get the rundown of what comes with it.
First things first: Download FoxGLove (Windows only) right here. Extract the ZIP file and run it by clicking on the shortcut to FoxGLove. Sign into your Google Account to start using the default apps (Gmail, Google Reader, and Google Docs).
As you can see in the screenshot above, FoxGLove looks a whole lot like Chrome, but has Firefox's extensibility. Here's the full list of add-ons that come bundled with FoxGLove.
Here's more from Alex on why and how he compiled FoxGLove.
Why FoxGLove?
Alex explains:
I found myself running Firefox in two windows: One with Gmail, Google Reader and other webapps, and the other for my casual web wanderings. I read about Chrome's feature that lets you can set up a standalone launcher for any webapp, but I wanted all my apps together in tabs, and I wanted access to all the customization and extensibility of Firefox, but without overhauling my current setup. Then I remembered Asian Angel's howto on running multiple copies of Firefox portable. So, I decided to build a second Firefox install specifically around using Google Apps, one that I could run side-by-side with my regular Firefox browser.
How Did FoxGLove come together?
Alex says:
First things first. After setting up Portable Firefox on my thumb drive, I started by adding the Chromifox theme, to set the proper tone. Then I continued as I do when starting any project, by searching Lifehacker for relevant hints. So I loaded up the new Firefox with all those helpful extension that make Google Apps even better:Better Gmail 2
Better GReader
Better Gcal
Better YouTube (for when I'm not quite so productive)Then I added some more Google add-on goodness:
Customize Google
Google Notebook
Google Toolbar (replacing the FF search bar, and added searches for Gmail, Docs, and Wikipedia)I even found a some instructions for making Google Gears portable. (Plug in USB, launch, sync GReader and GDocs, and only pay for two min of web access).
Then I started really customizing: I set Gmail, Reader and Docs as my home pages so they'd all open when I launched. This makes the FF 'Home' button useless since it opens all three when clicked, so I pulled it out and also added the Copy, Paste, and Print buttons, since this FF is mostly about word processing. That being the case, I got the Dictionary add-on for quick reference when I need a spelling or synonym. As a surrogate 'Home' button, I added the 'New Tab' button and the NewTabURL add-on so the new tabs would load the Google search page. Then I put in Hide Menubar for more screen real estate and to cover any convenient but less-frequently used buttons.
Not happy with the small versions of gadgets in Gmail's sidebar, next I doubled my productivity by using another LH tip to add bookmarks to Chat, Cal, and Notes that would open in FF's Sidebar so I could keep an eye on two apps at once. This also prompted me to install the Favicon Picker 2 add-on in order to pretty-up the new sidebar bookmarks in my toolbar.
Since I wanted to take this to work with me on a thumb drive, I wanted a launching shortcut that would work regardless of the assigned drive letter. After trying the LH bat file laucher tip with limited success, I found some instructions for creating a relative path shortcut to launch from my USB drive. (See Joe's comment on July 28th on this post.)(
Then finally I jumped over to my Macbook to make a customized icon. (Squint close at the screenshots: It's Firefox inside a ring of Google Apps favicons. Editor: See the enlarged icon on the right.) The whole thing is portable, even Google Gears and the favicons I used in Favicon Picker. Right now I have one copy in C://Program Files and one on my USB drive, and I can keep them both in sync (and backed up!!) by just copying the folders over.
Last but not least I wanted to pick a name for my creation. I couldn't figure out how to change it in the code, so I scrounged up one more add-on: FireSomething (specially tweaked for FF3), which let me brand my final creation:
I call it "FoxGLove."
Alex also notes that by default FoxGLove is set to clear private data when Firefox closes, but if you change that, it will log you into your Google Account automatically at launch. He says:
I could make some other suggestions, (like finding better favicons for the sidebar bookmarks) but customizing your own version is half the fun, right?!
If FoxGLove doesn't fit your workflow perfectly, hopefully this project will spark some ideas of your own on how to make Firefox Portable work for you. Got a custom portable Firefox install? Link it in the comments. Nice work, Alex!!
Auto Delete Keeps Your Hard Drive Clean [Featured Windows Download]
Windows only: Free application Auto Delete monitors any user-specified folder and deletes files older than a set amount of time, from 1 day to 1 year. When deleted, files can either be sent to the Recycle Bin or permanently deleted. There isn't much else Auto Delete can do beyond that, but it's one of those dead simple tools that does exactly what it says without much fuss, which we always like. On the other hand, if you're looking for a more robust version of Auto Delete—including options to move, rename, copy, or delete files based on multiple conditions—you might consider giving our very own automated file management tool Belvedere a try. Auto Delete is a free download, Windows only. UPDATE: Our apologies for the dupe.
iPhone 2.2 Jailbreaking Tools Now Available [Featured Download]
iPhone/iPod touch only: If you've been waiting to upgrade your iPhone or touch to the recently released iPhone 2.2 software until you could jailbreak the update and run your must-have jailbreak apps (like, I don't know, the one that let's you use your iPhone's internet connection on your laptop), you're in luck: The iPhone Dev team has already released QuickPwn for both Windows and Mac and the PwnageTool for Mac. Not only will jailbreaking your phone with one of these simple-to-use apps add both Cydia and Installer to your home screen, but it'll also give you access to a few other very cool iPhone 2.2-only hacks.
Enable Google Maps Street View on the iPod touch
For example, if you were one of the many who were upset that the iPod touch update didn't include Google Maps Street View, you can enable Street View on your iPod touch with a few simple edits. (NOTE: Currently the jailbreak only works on first generation iPod touches, so if you've got a second gen touch, you're going to have to wait.)
Enable Emoji Icons
Similarly, if you were disappointed that Emoji icons weren't working on your iPhone after the update, this other simple hack enables a ton of Emoji icons on your iPhone.
Beyond that, jailbreaking means you've got access to the many cool iPhone apps for jailbroken phones that we've covered in the past.
Lazarus Form Recovery Saves Web Page Form Data [Featured Firefox Extension]
Firefox only: At one point or another, every power surfer has filled out a long web page form, then lost all the time and effort when Firefox crashed before you could submit it. The Lazarus Form Recovery add-on is out to keep that from ever happening. Each time you fill out a web page form (whether it's name and address or blog comment), the Form Recovery extension auto-saves the information and makes recovering or re-entering it a one-click deal. With Lazarus installed (Lazarus rose from the dead—get it?), after you've filled in a web page form, right-click inside a text box to access the "Recover form" menu item and re-enter lost text. Firefox has gotten a lot better about re-filling in form data after a crash or accidental page departure, but Lazarus offers extra insurance. Lazarus is a free download which works with Firefox. Thanks, Shane!
[Sponsored]
SoundOff Stops Windows Sounds from Interrupting Music [Featured Windows Download]
Windows only: Turn off Windows clinks and clanks while you click around your computer in one shot using the simple SoundOff utility. When you want to listen to music without hearing the sounds of your operating system, click the SoundOff system tray icon to switch Windows' sound scheme or turn Windows sounds on or off. Of course SoundOff's only useful if this is something you do often; otherwise you can hit up Control Panel, go to the Sounds and Multimedia applet, select the Sounds tab, then change to No Sounds. SoundOff is a free download for Windows.
What Free Software are You Most Grateful For? [Ask The Readers]
Ok people, it's time to get thankful—for all the free software you've downloaded, installed, or used online to your benefit this year. We've posted literally thousands of free downloads and webapps over the last four years, both by independent developers doin' it for the love, or big companies doing it for the eyeballs. Either way, the right software can make or break your daily computing life, so let's give the makers some love. In the spirit of Thanksgiving, post the free software that you're most grateful for here in the comments, and we'll round up the entire smorgasbord on Thursday so everyone can feast. What free software are you feeling the most gratitude for? Tell us now. Photo by jakeliefer.
Napsounds Generates Daily Power Nap Soundtracks [Sleep]
Napsounds is a repository of relaxing audio files designed for power napping. Every day a unique 20-minute track is generated in the electronic, classic, and nature sounds category. You can listen directly from the web site, download the track as an MP3, subscribe via RSS, or set iTunes to grab the track as a podcast. The tracks use a combination of neural linguistic programming, binaural beats, and white noise generation layered into the ambient sounds.
Fair warning: the tracks include a very deep Donald LaFontaine'esque male voice that speaks at the beginning and end of the tracks urging you to relax and then gently awake. While I found the voice to be initially disconcerting— the site made absolutely no mention of the fact that a minute or so into my listening experience a dude would start talking to me— it was helpful to have a human voice appear at the end of the track to stimulate wakefulness. Without it I could have easily slept right through the fading cricket chirps. If you're new to the idea of power napping, make sure to check out the power napping cheat sheet and how to reboot your brain with a caffeine nap. If you'd like to generate your own relaxation tracks complete with neural linguistic programming and binaural beats make sure to check out Pzizz.
The Now Playing Dashboard [Featured Desktop]
Music-lover dmosiondz put the currently-playing Winamp track front and center on his/her Windows desktop using one of the most popular desktop customization tools, Samurize. This good-looking "Now Playing" dashboard boasts album art (middle), song lyrics (right), a Winamp controller (bottom left), plus the time, weather forecast, and system information. Dmosiondz explains the complete setup down to the fonts used:
I wanted the album cover to be the main focus. Samurize is displaying cover art for the current track in Winamp. Samurize is also displaying computer stats, time, weather, and calendar.
Also running are EvilLyrics for the lyrics on the right, RocketDock on the bottom center, Launchy, and AutoHotKey.
The wallpaper came from some web site that has various textures available for download.
Icons for Winamp controls, RocketDock, and Hibernate and Restart icon is Albook Extended Sepia. Font for time, date, drive letters, and artist: 321 Impact. Font for current temp/weather conditions, song and album titles, and remaining track time: Monofur. Font for calendar days: Complete in Him
Nice job, dmosiondz! Don't forget to show off your desktop in Lifehacker's Desktop Show and Tell Flickr Group.
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