cFos Speed is a unique utility that I stumbled upon while looking for a way to optimize my Internet connection. I was getting frustrated at just simply browsing the Internet while downloading a large file or watching a Internet based video while talking to my wife on Skype.
Basically what this utility does is something called “‘Traffic Shaping”. Traffic Shaping is the process of looking at the data that is flowing in and out of your computer to the Internet and regulating that flow to optimize your experience. So for example, in my first scenario of downloading a large file while trying to browse the Internet, the process of downloading that large file ties up the computer not because the computer can’t handle it, but because the large string of data coming down is so long that the computer cannot send something back out (for instance a browser request to go to google.com) in a timely manner. It may take several seconds for the browser to get a break in the long stream of downloading data to send out the request. What you end up seeing is a very sluggish or even non-responding browser. With cFos speed installed, when the browser requests something, cFos Speed will temporarily stop the download stream, send the request out from the browser, and then resume the download. This all happens very quickly and the end result is that the download doesn’t appear to stop and the browser is very responsive. cFos Speed does this by assigning priorities for programs and protocols giving high priorities to the programs that deal with short sporadic data requests and low priorities for programs that handle large data strings. cFos Speed is easy to install and for basic needs configures itself over the course of a day or so of your normal activity. You will see no loss in download speeds and you will see dramatically decreased ping times and crisp browsing while downloading large files or watching bandwidth-hogging video. For gamers, this utility will reduce or even eliminate lagging in your Internet based games.
cFos Speed is highly configurable and is compatible with all versions of Windows including the new Windows 7 and has native versions for both 32 and 64 bit Windows.
This is probably THE most useful utility I have ever installed and is now my number one install after building a new system, even before I install an anti-virus! (Although I do install the anti-virus RIGHT after cFos Speed) ;o)
Dedicated readers like Kindle or Sony Book will never become ‘big’… They are missing two key features: COLOR and versatility. Why do you need color? This was the same question asked when computer monitors only came in monochrome. This was the same question asked when printers only printed black & white. The answer is the same: HUMANS LIKE COLOR. I’ll stick with my iPhone, arguably the best gadget ever designed. I get a small, yet readable size, COLOR (dark red on parchment is EASY on the eyes), I can read in the dark (it IS very helpful such as on dimly lit subways), AND I can get books from almost anywhere such as eReader.com. Of course, the iPhone is also a phone, browser, media player, scheduling center, entertainment center, database, etc. etc. etc.
eBay to go now includes widgets for displaying by sellers and stores in addition to the previous single item, multiple item, and search.
Hooray! Check out the new widget in My eBay Auctions page…
Speedtest.net is a broadband connection analysis tool with a huge selection of geographically dispersed testing servers. Ookla provides this service free to hundreds of thousands of people every day. If you are experiencing slowness with your Internet connection or are simply interested in testing your speed, Speedtest.net is for you. If you have a web site, please feel free to link to Speedtest.net.
This is a REALLY great photo sharing/storage site that is also innovative and affordable.
I have been using the service for about a month (there is a free 30 day trial) and I’m just blown-away with all of the features and the ease of use of this wonderful service.
Presentation of your photos is far beyond Flickr, Shutterfly, Kodak, and YouTube (yes Phanfare handles videos also… seamlessly). There is monthly, yearly, and a lifetime cost: very affordable.
Store and present your photos and videos with style and class: Phanfare now!
Excerpt from site:
Elegant Online Photo and Video Albums
With Phanfare, your photos and videos are beautifully presented online for your friends and family to enjoy. You get your own web address (yourusername.phanfare.com) for ease of use and unlimited storage so all your photos and videos are preserved for years to come.
Photo and Video Slideshows with Music and Captions
Your Phanfare slideshows fill the whole screen with your photos and videos. You can add your own music and captions. The result is an amazing, professional-looking slideshow.
Share your Albums with Friends and Family
With Phanfare you get a website (yourusername.phanfare.com) to share with your friends and family. If you already own your own web domain, you can host your photos under your personal domain name. You can also set a password for your web albums. Your friends can view slideshows, order prints or download full-size originals directly from your website — and we will NEVER ask them to register at Phanfare to see your albums.
Enhanced Video Support
Upload your video clips to Phanfare and then see them on your albums and even in your slideshows with your photos. Phanfare will convert your video files into Flash for easy viewing by your friends and family.
GrandCentral doesn’t replace your phones; we just link them together and help them do more. How do we do that? We give people One Number…for LifeTM – a number that’s not tied to a phone or a location – but tied to you.
With GrandCentral, you can be reached with a single number, answer a call at any phone you want, seamlessly switch phones in the middle of a call, and even know whether a call is important before you take it.
What else can I do with GrandCentral?
We’re not your typical phone company. And these aren’t your typical features.
Check your messages by phone, email, or online
Keep all your messages online for eternity
Record and store your phone calls (just like voicemail)
Quickly (and secretly) block an annoying caller
Click-to-dial from your address book
Surprise your callers with a custom voicemail greeting
Turn your Mp3s into the ring tones your callers hear
Here is a little trick to enhance the use of eBay’s really nice seller’s widget: append your seller ID on the items description line! Now when you create the Widget for use on your Web site choose the ’search’ mode and then search on your seller ID. eBay plans to add the search on seller’s ID in the future, but this workaround will bring that functionality to you now! Here are my latest items for sale on eBay:
OK… I have a lot of software license keys. I generally keep them with the software as a text file so that if I need to reinstall the software, I will have the key handy. There are many down-sides to that method including the ability for someone to copy the key along with the software and, of course, if I ever lost the media the software is stored on…
KeyFiler is an on-line solution to storing and retrieving your software keys. An account for up to 10 keys is free and if you need to store more, a modest cost is levied. Your keys are stored along with other information about the software they unlock using industrial-strength encryption on the server side and 128 bit SSL transferring the key between your browser. On the server side, the encryption is generated by either a global key (Standard security), where your password can be reset if you forget it, or the encryption can be generated by your logon password (high security) in which case you will lose access to your keys if you forget your logon password (since KeyFiler administrator has no ability to reset your password for high security). Your logon password, unlike a lot of sites, can be a really STRONG one. I’m using 4 words separated by 3 special characters for a total of 26 characters. It would take all the computers ever built millions of years to hack that one. I am using my own logon password as the encryption key (high security) so I feel VERY confident that my data is secure.
Store those keys in KeyFiler and never forget them again!
Like most internet users these days, I do a lot of searching for pretty much everything. Mostly, I ‘google it’ (’google’ is now an official verb in the dictionary). Many times when I search for something I will also look at Wikipedia to see what is there on the subject. Wouldn’t it be nice if you could ‘google’ something and have look it up on Wikipedia at the same time. Well, now you can with this excellent extension from James Hall. The extension will split the browser screen vertically in half on a search from the Google page displaying the Google search results in the left pane and the Wikipedia results in the right.
Googlepedia: It’s like the mouse scroll wheel, how did we ever get along without it?!?!
Recently Rebekka Guðleifsdóttir discovered that a gallery Only-Dreemin was ripping her off. They’d sold thousands of dollars worth of her images. So she did what anyone with a following on the internet might do and she posted about her frustration and plight on her flickrstream. What’s yahoo do? Deletes the image & threatens to terminate account.
If you already own your own web domain, you can host your photos under your personal domain name. You can also set a password for your web albums. Your friends can view slideshows, order prints or download full-size originals directly from your website — and we will NEVER ask them to register at Phanfare to see your albums.
