Contacts Sidebar Beefs Up Thunderbird’s Contact Manager

Lifehacker:

“Thunderbird only (all platforms): Thunderbird extension Contacts
Sidebar pulls Thunderbird’s built-in contact management out of
obscurity, making it more usable and accessible. After installing, just
hit F4 at any time to toggle Contacts Sidebar’s visibility in the
Thunderbird sidebar. Once visible, you can easily search, edit, or
email contacts from the main Thunderbird interface. We’d mentioned
Contacts Sidebar once before among our eight killer Thunderbird extensions, but in light of today’s Hive Five contact managers and the ‘bird’s relatively poor showing, it deserves a mention of its own.”

Contacts Sidebar [via OStatic]

Google Earth Integrates Street View

Lifehacker:

“Windows/Mac/Linux: Google Earth has updated and integrated Google Maps Street View,
meaning that not only can you soar over the globe with Google Earth—you
can also hit the streets and look around when you get tired of flying.
In addition to Street View, Google Earth 4.3 promises time-lapse videos
of sunrises and sunsets, improved speed, and better 3D graphics. It’s
also added new first-person controls so using the software feels closer
to what it feels like to play a video game. Google Earth is freeware
for all platforms.”

Google Earth [via CNET]

Create Your Own Cross-Platform Backup Server

Soon we’re all gonna need something like this….

Lifehacker:

“Backing up your data on a regular basis is important, and turning a
spare computer into a backup server is often the best way to make sure
it gets done. But most methods require either a good deal of
command-line learning or serve only one operating system. Not with
Restore, a free, open-source backup system that can install or run from
a live CD, work with any OS, and operate through a simple browser-based
interface. Today I’ll demonstrate backing up a Windows laptop to an
older desktop, but you’ll see how Restore can be easily molded to fit
just about any home backup needs.”

LINK TO FULL ARTICLE

The Job Interview, Starring Your Avatar

Digg: “In a job interview, Sandy Gould’s avatar showed up in a Superman
costume. As we talked about my strengths and weaknesses, crabs
skittered along the sand at our feet. Mr. Gould and I were at computers
on opposite sides of the same room and meeting in Second Life, the
Web-based virtual world that is owned and operated by his employer,
Linden Lab.”

LINK TO ARTICLE

TrueCrypt Now Available for Mac, Too

Lifehacker:

“Windows, Mac and Linux: Our favorite solution for keeping your private
files safe, sound, and hidden—TrueCrypt—is now available for Mac as
well as Windows and Linux. The just-released version 5.0 of TrueCrypt
boasts some impressive features in addition to the Mac version, like a Linux GUI, and the:

Ability
to encrypt a system partition/drive (i.e. a partition/drive where
Windows is installed) with pre-boot authentication. Anyone who wants to
gain access and use the system, read and write files, etc., needs to
enter the correct password each time before the system starts.

Since Mac’s built-in system encryption feature FileVault didn’t impress me much,
TrueCrypt for Mac is very exciting. TrueCrypt is a free download for
all three platforms, and if you haven’t tried it yet, here’s how to encrypt your data with TrueCrypt.“

TrueCrypt

Better YouTube Firefox Extension Updated with New Features

Lifehacker:

“Firefox only: Just uploaded a new release of the Better YouTube Firefox extension,
a compilation of user scripts that enhance YouTube. The update fixes
bugs due to a site redesign, and adds features like an alternate video
player that does not autoplay (but does auto-load video in the
background while it’s paused) and a handy link to download the video
you’re watching. Current users can get the update through Firefox’s
Add-ons dialog; everyone else, hit the link to download.”

Better YouTube Firefox Extension

KDE 4.0 Is Here!

Imagine, if you will, that when Microsoft came out with Vista, a monumental upgrade to the Windows OS, that they gave it to you for free - no strings attached (and more importantly, no WGA attempting to check if your version is pirated or not). Now imagine that after said release they were going to quickly update it with even more features on a regular basis.

Sound crazy? This is what I, as a Linux user, am looking at today with the KDE 4.0 release, a major step forward in the user interface of my Linux desktop. I am thoroughly geeking out today.

KDE.news: “Several years of design, development and testing came together today for the release of KDE 4.0. This is our most significant release in our 11 year history and marks both the end of the long and intensive development cycle leading up to KDE 4.0 and the start of the KDE 4 era. Join us now in #kde4-release-party on Freenode to celebrate or come to the release event in person next week. Packages are available for all the major
distributions with live CDs available currently from Kubuntu and openSUSE. Read on for details or take the KDE 4.0 Visual Guide to find your way around.”

I suggest the Visual Guide mentioned above. Great screens and feature list.

Open Source Video Player Miro Hits 1.0 [Video]

I use this to watch some of my video podcasts, and some TV show RSS feeds…luv it!

Lifehacker:

“Windows/Mac/Linux: Cross-platform, open source video application
Miro is now available in a full-featured, bug-fixed 1.0 version. The
program formerly known as Democracy Player plays almost any kind of
video file, but its real value lies in its content fetching and
organizing features. Miro can subscribe to video podcasts, grab from
YouTube channel feeds or BitTorrents (letting you make your own season pass) and keep video libraries organized, amongst other features. Miro is a free download for Windows, Mac and Linux.”

Miro

My Linux Leopard Desktop

Why use Leopard, when I can customize my Linux desktop any way I want?

(Click for larger size)

Ninjas attack Richard Stallman, reenacting xkcd comic

Boing Boing:

“Yale students dressed as ninjas staged a mock attack on Free Software
Foundation founder Richard Stallman last week, reenacting a great
installment from xkcd, a fantastic webcomic. Stallman came to Yale to
give a talk on DRM at the debating society, and confronted the ninjas
“with good humor and grace.”

Link to Yale Political Union blog

Link to the xkcd comic in question (via /.)