Test Your Website On Different OSes and Browsers

Developing a website is not an easy task. No matter how simple it would be or the functionalities it offer, developer has to take lots of care. It’s not all about coding but one has to make sure that site supports maximum operating systems and works properly on most of the browsers.

How to test it on various platforms ? It may be possible to install all web browsers and test on them. However checking on various operating systems would be difficult. Well, there is a solution for those who are seeking to test their website on various OSes as well as on different web browsers. You even don’t have to install anything on your PC. Oh that’s cool… isn’t it ?

There is a website called “Browsershots” that offers a service to test your website on various platforms.

“Browsershots makes screenshots of your web design in different browsers. It is a free open-source online service created by Johann C. Rocholl. When you submit your web address, it will be added to the job queue. A number of distributed computers will open your website in their browser. Then they will make screenshots and upload them to the central server here.” this is what site says.

It can test you site in Linux, Windows, Mac OS and BDS operating systems. Below is a snapshot of browsers supported in each OS.

Below is a test performed for Smashingfeeds.com on default OSes and browsers.

You can even download all the screenshots.

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gDocsBar : Google Docs Companion for Firefox

gDocsBar is a sidebar extension for firefox, a perfect companion for Google® Docs.

With gDocsBar, you can

• Drag & Drop file uploads.
• Search & filter documents right from the sidebar. You can save a  combination of filter and search as a smart folder for easy, and faster access.
• Upload multiple files simultaneously.
• Add your own templates.
• Save content from websites right into Google Docs. Select the content (text, images) and drag it onto the upload panel to upload clips. You can set the extension of webclips saved in the options panel.

 

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Share Files Faster with FREE Dockdrop in Mac OS X

Dockdrop is a Mac OS X application that lets you share files fast.

Drag any file or folder you want to share onto the Dockdrop dock icon then choose how you want to send it. Dockdrop uploads it and puts a URL for your upload on the clipboard, ready for pasting into an Email, chat program or website.

The Dockdrop interface is simple and non-invasive. After you choose an upload method it uses an overlayed transparent window to keep you updated on the file transfer progress while allowing you to continue with other tasks.
Think of it as the Growl of file transfers.

Dockdrop is currently available completely FREE of charge.

It supports following protocols :

• FTP
• Flickr
• WebDAV
• SCP

You can download it from here.

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Organize & Upload hundreds of photos to Flickr Using Photonic, Flickr Client for Mac OS X

Working with a lot of photos to upload can be a pain, especially with any sort of web-based interface. No matter how well-designed the interface is, you're still in a web browser and suffer from the limitations therein. The answer to effectively organizing and uploading tens, or even hundreds, of photos to Flickr is to use Photonic, a desktop application for Mac OS X specifically designed to help you accomplish this task.

In addition to letting you upload your photos in an easy and Mac-like fashion (complete with snappy, snazzy, and non-gratuitous Core Animation feedback), Photonic is also a Flickr browser. Keep track of your contacts, groups, and even the past several days in Explore, all from Photonic. When you care to interact with a photo, right-click on it and you can be taken straight to the page on Flickr where you can read and leave comments as usual. Photonic enhances your already-excellent Flickr experience.

Photonic can search Flickr as well, so you can sort though Flickr for that one photo of what you're thinking of and easily share it with friends.

Photonic requires Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard, 300-500MB disk space (used to keep local copies of images) and of course a free or pro account at Flickr.

Photonic is a Universal Binary and works on both PowerPC and Intel Macs.

This is not a FREE service. You can purchase a license to Photonic for $20 until March 15th.

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Create, Edit and Share Charts Online Anytime, Anywhere using Best4C

Best4c(Best for chart) is a Web-based, online diagram tool that allows you to create, edit and share charts anytime, anywhere.

Features:

• Create and share charts online.
• Desktop application feel in a web-based diagramming solution.
• Provides an interactive drawing and diagramming solution within all popular internet browsers (Firefox,IE,Opera,Safari).
• Exports diagram as a PDF or PNG format,and quick paste to word,excel,PowerPoint.
• Rich social platform for collaboration(Invite others to edit or view your diagrams)
• Creates many types of diagrams such as Flowcharts, Floor plans, Network diagrams, UML diagrams or any other simple drawing or diagram.

There are three different access rights you can select for your diagram with

Private: Only you can see and edit.

Public: Other users can see your diagram in .JPG format, the title for such kind of diagrams is in"green".

Sharing: Your diagrams can be used as template for other users to create new diagram, you still have your original copy under this access right.The titles for such kind of diagrams are in "orange".

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Copy Colors Anywhere From The Screen With Just A Mouse Click With Instant Eyedropper

Identification the color code of an object on the screen is usually an involved, multistep process: You press the Print Screen key to copy a screenshot to the clipboard, load a graphics-editing program, create a new file, paste the screenshot from the clipboard, zoom in on the object, use the "Pick Color" tool, and finally copy the HTML code of the color to the clipboard.

Webmasters may repeat this operation many times a day. Just imagine how much time can be saved by using Instant Eyedropper to do the same thing With a Single Click!

Instant Eyedropper is a free software tool for webmasters that will identify and automatically paste to the clipboard the HTML color code of any pixel on the screen with just a single mouse click.

It's very easy to use this tool and more over this tool is absolutely FREE.

Just follow three basic steps to catch color anywhere from the screen once you install it:

1. Move the mouse pointer to the Instant Eyedropper icon in the system tray.

2. Press and hold the left mouse button and move the mouse pointer to the pixel whose color you want to identify.

3. Release the mouse button.

That's it. The clipboard now contains the color code - in HTML format (or any other format that you have previously specified). It can be pasted and used in any text or HTML editor or the Color Picker tool of Photoshop.

This utility is supported by NT, 2000, 2003, XP only.

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Blogger Play : A Real-Time SlideShow of Bloggers Photo

Blogger Play is a real-time slideshow of photos Blogger users have recently uploaded to their blogs. It's a great snapshot of what people are thinking and posting about, right now!

Blogger Play will show you a never-ending stream of images that were just uploaded to public Blogger blogs. You can click the image to be taken directly to the blog post it was uploaded to, or click “show info” to see an overlay with the post title, a snippet of the body, and some profile information about the blogger who uploaded it.

You might be wondered about the source of the images. Well, images on Blogger Play are from blogs that are public and listed on the web, and also from public Blogger profiles. So chances are there that the image(s) you uploaded to your blog may come to the Blogger Play. If you don't want your images to appear in Blogger Play, you can remove your blog from our listings.

As Blogger Play uses Google SafeSearch algorithms to filter out adult images, there are less chances to have adult images during the show. However, it is still possible that you may be exposed to such images while watching Blogger Play. So its not 100% safe to use in office.

Blogger Play can only show photos as fast as your internet connection can download them. The maximum setting is approximately one photo every 0.7 seconds, but not every connection is able to download photos that quickly.

If you'd like to watch Blogger Play for more than an hour or so, it is recommend to use Firefox 2, Internet Explorer 7, Camino (Mac), or the Safari 3 beta. On a fast setting, Blogger Play can download as much as 200MB an hour, and these browsers can handle this many images much better than Internet Explorer 6 or Safari 2 can.

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Microsoft Lowers Price of Xbox 360 by $50

Microsoft Corp. yesterday kicked off the greatest holiday lineup in video game history by announcing it will reduce the estimated retail price (ERP) of Xbox 360™ by $50 (U.S.) beginning Aug. 8. Soon to follow, Electronic Arts Inc. (EA) will release its blockbuster video game title “Madden NFL 08” on Aug. 14. “Madden NFL Football,” one of the most important mass-appeal franchises in video games, was the top-selling game of 2006 and is the top-selling franchise of the past 10 years. Only Xbox 360 offers a console for all interests and budgets.

“The fact that we have been able to keep our launch price longer than any other console while retaining our leadership position demonstrates that consumers believe in the value of Xbox 360,” said Mitch Koch, corporate vice president, Global Retail Sales and Marketing Group, Entertainment and Devices Division at Microsoft. “On the eve of the best holiday games lineup ever and the launch of ‘Madden NFL 08,’ there has never been a better time to jump into Xbox 360.”

Xbox 360 will enhance the value of its entire family of consoles beginning on Aug. 8. At a new ERP of $349.99 (U.S.), Xbox 360 offers an unsurpassed experience right out of the box with a 20GB hard drive, wireless controller, Xbox 360 headset, and more. For those looking for the ultimate value and the freedom to customize their console as they see fit, Xbox 360 Core System now has an ERP of $279.99 (U.S.). Xbox 360 Core System provides everything needed to start gaming while giving consumers the ability to add new features and accessories they want. Dressed in black and equipped with a 120GB hard drive, Xbox 360 Elite will be priced at an ERP of $449.99 (U.S.) for those who want the premium games and entertainment experience. In anticipation of this year’s largest blockbuster game launch, the Xbox 360 Halo 3 Special Edition Console will hit store shelves in September with an ERP of $399.99 (U.S.). Featuring an authentic Spartan green-and-gold finish, this console will include a matching Xbox 360 Wireless Controller, Xbox 360 20GB hard drive, Xbox 360 Headset, an Xbox 360 Play and Charge Kit, and more.

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AideRSS is going live!

AideRSS Inc is going to launch its innovative RSS filtering solution today and make it publicly available for the first time. There is no cost for the AideRSS service and a free version will always be available.

“Our goal is to make RSS manageable and relevant for every reader” states Ilya Grigorik, AideRSS co-founder and Chief Architect, “the daily number of posts most people receive makes it impossible to stay on top of the news, frequently resulting in the “mark-all-asread” syndrome. In this process, important stories - true information gems are lost. We were determined to solve this dilemma.”

“With the number of blogs growing by millions each month and an ever increasing number of posts each day we figure AideRSS can save hours of reading each month. Think of it as a personal aide, an assistant to filter and manage your RSS Streams!” says Kevin Thomason, co-founder and Chief Marketer at AideRSS.

What is AideRSS ?

AideRSS is an intelligent assistant that saves time and keeps you on top of the latest news. It continuously monitors RSS feeds, finds the good stuff, creates a PostRank, and delivers it to you.

There are over 86 million blogs, and each one has an RSS feed. All it takes is a few subscriptions to the sites that interest you, and your feed reader is overwhelmed with a never-ending stream of hundreds of headlines. Like an aide or a personal assistant, AideRSS helps to filter and rank these feeds based on a number of criteria to help you read what matters, ensure that you find the good stuff, and to help keep things organized and manageable.

Depending on your level of interest in a specific blog or a topic, AideRSS allows you to intelligently pick and filter the incoming news stream. For example, from the diagram above we can see that Dave is professional photographer, hence he likes to read all stories from the ‘Photographer Daily‘. John, on the other hand, who is currently working in the finance industry, is a photo enthusiast and loves to spend his weekends with the camera - he doesn’t want the minute details, but he wants to know what the other photographers are talking about.

In similar fashion, Bob, who is an artist by trade, likes to dabble in photography every once in a while, hence he chooses to read only the great posts. And Dan, who is an engineer, thinks that photography would be a fun hobby, and one he would like to pick up in the future - he just wants to be aware of the community hits.

We all have varying levels of interest in different topics, and AideRSS will allow you to customize your news to match your criteria. Instead of filling up your inbox with hundreds of stories, you will be able to focus your time and energy on the stories that matter. You can still use your favorite RSS reader, simply substitute our custom feed URL and you are ready to go. Alternatively, you can also track the feed on our site, find the authors best content, or flip through the archives.

For a detailed overview on how to use AideRSS please view screencasts.

Features

• Filter any blog or RSS feed
• Customize to your interests
• Live, best posts widgets
• Daily digests of top stories
• Intelligent PostRank filtering
  

Benefits

• Save time, be productive
• Stay on top of the news
• Read what matters
• Find best stories with ease
• Track performance over time
  

About AideRSS, Inc

Founded by three partners in January, 2007, AideRSS is based in Waterloo, Ontario Canada – the heart of Canada’s Technology Triangle. AideRSS, Inc. is focused on delivering personal productivity tools and software that allows people to Tame the RSS Beast, find the good stuff, and read what matters. AideRSS is seeking partners and is always on the lookout for great talent and strategic alliances.

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Skitch - Snap, Draw, Share

Skitch is the Internet age's Camera and it Rocks!

Skitch is a refreshingly simple application that lets you easily resize your photos, jot down a quick sketch, take a lightning fast screen capture and share images online.

Features

• Snap a website
• Capture a chat moment
• Screenshot an application
• iSight snapshot your bad hair day
• Quickly sketch an idea
• Tap into your iPhoto Library
• Re-open images from your Skitch History
  

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Check Pagerank of your Web Pages

Google is the one who introduced the PageRank technology.

What Google says about its pagerank technology is "PageRank reflects Google's view of the importance of web pages by considering more than 500 million variables and 2 billion terms. Pages that Google believes are important pages receive a higher PageRank and are more likely to appear at the top of the search results.

PageRank also considers the importance of each page that casts a vote, as votes from some pages are considered to have greater value, thus giving the linked page greater value. Important pages receive a higher PageRank and appear at the top of the search results. Google's technology uses the collective intelligence of the web to determine a page's importance. There is no human involvement or manipulation of results, which is why users have come to trust Google as a source of objective information untainted by paid placement."

"PageRank relies on the uniquely democratic nature of the web by using its vast link structure as an indicator of an individual page's value. In essence, Google interprets a link from page A to page B as a vote, by page A, for page B. But, Google looks at considerably more than the sheer volume of votes, or links a page receives; for example, it also analyzes the page that casts the vote. Votes cast by pages that are themselves "important" weigh more heavily and help to make other pages "important."

Using these and other factors, Google provides its views on pages' relative importance. Of course, important pages mean nothing to you if they don't match your query. So, Google combines PageRank with sophisticated text-matching techniques to find pages that are both important and relevant to your search. Google goes far beyond the number of times a term appears on a page and examines dozens of aspects of the page's content (and the content of the pages linking to it) to determine if it's a good match for your query."

PageRank feature is available with Google Toolbar. You can enable it or disable it anytime.

PRChecker has introduced a widget that you can add to your blog or website to display the PageRank of your pages.

By adding this Page Rank Checker tool to your site you can check the rank (check PR) of all your web site pages right on your web site. It basically uses the Google PageRank technology to display the importance of your page.

To use our Page Rank Checking tool you just need to add a small piece of HTML code to those pages where you want to check the page rank and this free tool Page Rank Checker will show the small icon that displays the current Google.com PageRank of those web pages.

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Who Linked to your site or Blog ?

You will be definitely interested in knowing the sites linking to your blog. More over if it's in real-time, then ? Wow..... Thats amazing

Now no need to write code for that. This is as simple as copy and past widget code provided by WhoLinked.

WhoLinked shows a realtime display of sites linking to you from all over the Web. The links will update regularly. Simple widget or pluggins for WordPress, Blogger, type pad, etc.
More over, you can edit the code based on your requirement.

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How many users are reading your Website or Blog ?

Want to know how many users are reading your website or blog in real time?

Now this is no more difficult. Whos.amung.us is providing a widget that will display the number of users currently reading your website or blog.

What you all have to do is copy the code provided by whos.amung.us and past it on each of your webpages. This is absolutely free service and more over no registration or setup required!

The basic code will provide a widget with black as a widget color and white font color as below.

But feel free to choose your favorite background and foreground color from their Color Wheel.

There is another utility that you would like to use and that is Graphs. Now, with graphs.amung.us you can conveniently check how many concurrent people were on your website or blog in the past, down to the hour.

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YouTube Remixer

YouTube has officially launched its new service i.e. YouTube Remixer. Using YouTube Remixer application, one can edit videos and create remixes by combining text, video clips, photos and music with graphic effects and transitions.

This application is created with the help of Adobe Premiere Express.

YouTube Remixer lets you assemble your new video in an easy drag-and-drop timeline, and then publish it right back to YouTube. Your original videos will stay exactly the same.

To use this feature is very easy. Follow the simple 3 steps:

1. Drag Video Clips and Photos
2. Add Captions, Borders and Transitions
3. Preview and Publish to share your Remix

You also learn by watching the Demo. Its very well design to start with it.
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