Firefox Extensions are small add-ons that add new functionality to Firefox, from a simple toolbar button to a completely new feature.
Firefox 2.0 and Internet Explorer 7
The two most popular web browsers were recently updated: Firefox 2.0 and Internet Explorer 7. I’d advise downloading and installing either of them for greater security, faster response and more convenience.
My web stats for October indicate that 62% of the users of lesliewong.us use IE6 and 17% use Firefox 1.5.0.7. Please update your software. If you need help, let me know.
Unfortunately, IE7 can only be installed on Windows XP Service Pack 2 systems (plus XP Pro x64 and three Windows Server 2003 editions), so if you’re using Windows 98, Windows NT or Windows 2000, you’re SOL (1) with Internet Explorer.
Firefox 2.0 will run on Windows operating systems (Windows 98, 98SE, ME, NT (2), 2000, XP, Server 2003), Macintosh (G3 or later and OS X 10.2.x or later), and Linux (at least Kernel 2.2.14).
You can find Firefox in other languages and builds for uncommon platforms, e.g., PowerPC Linux. Internet Explorer 7.0 is available in Finnish, German, Japanese, and Spanish and Release Candidates for other languages.
(1) SOL in this case does not refer to any of these definitions
(2) The Windows installer will not work on Windows NT 4.0 without version 5.80 of the Comctl32.dll library installed
Windows Vista RC2
I downloaded Windows Vista Release Candidate 2 (Build 5744) from the Microsoft Customer Preview Program and just finished installing it on my Shuttle. I did a clean install without any problems. So far, Vista has only crashed once when I was using the Macintrash version (1.0.3 040913) of Remote Desktop Connection.
The processor in my 3 year old Shuttle XPC SB51G is 2.2 GHz P4 with 512 KB L2 cache and 400 MHz system bus. I’m surprised with the speed and responsive feel of RC2. I know that the Vista installation isn’t crapped up with a bunch of apps yet, but it does seem to be as fast or faster than XP on the same machine.
I also downloaded and installed 2007 Microsoft Office Beta 2 and the Technical Refresh. There are many collaboration features in the new Office suite, too bad I don’t have anyone to collaborate with. The new interface takes some getting used to – I still have Word 4.0 (the DOS version) from 1992 on one of my computers.
Mac OS X 10.4.8 and SMB
I downloaded and installed the Mac OS X 10.4.8 Combo Update (PPC) for my Macintrash the day it came out.
I always look for improvements in SMB performance with OS X updates. My Macintrash is a member of a Windows domain and I have a mobile user profile stored locally. When I’m logged on to the Macintrash with my domain credentials, for some reason, getting a directory listing is very slow when I use SMB to connect to a network share. If I’m logged in as a local user, and connect to a SMB share using my domain credentials, the directory listing is instantaneous.
I use AppleScripts to log in to shares. Each script has an alias with a unique icon in my DragThing dock for each share. I just click on the alias in the dock and the share mounts:
tell application “Finder”
mount volume “smb://domain;username:password@computer/share”
end tell
I have used Group Logic’s ExtremeZ-IP, and it works great. I used Integrating Macs and Microsoft Active Directory at macwindows.com active directory page for help but there was no mention of this problem.
I, Robot, Scooba
We got our first robot last week (if you don’t count the Lego Mindstorms RCX).
Woot! had the iRobot Scooba Floor Washing Robot 5900 on sale for $229 (+ $5 shipping). Chris never liked mopping the floor, so she put in an order (I patiently wait while the floor gets dirty until she can’t stand it and then she Swiffers it).
When FedEx delivered a heavy box a few days later, it was like Christmas for Chris. She was excited when she opened the box and she immediately put the battery on the charger.
After a few hours, the charging light went off and Chris was anxious to start cleaning the kitchen floor. She seemed disappointed when I told her it was supposed to charge overnight.
The next day, after clearing the kitchen floor of major items (e.g., bicycles), we filled the Scooba with water and 2 oz. of the proprietary Clorox Scooba cleaning solution (We didn’t do any vacuuming). Chris put the Scooba on the kitchen floor, pushed two buttons and it took off.
We watched it, mesmerized, for the first 15 minutes. I wondered why it was so fascinating. Watching it so intently didn’t seem right – but we wanted to see how it would learn, where it would go and how it would clean – it’s a robot, after all.
Forty-five minutes later, the floor was sparkling clean. It was sparkling because the floor was still a little wet but ten minutes later it was dry and clean. Chris cleaned the tank, filter and brush, refilled and started the Scooba on the bathroom (tile) floor. About 30 minutes later, the bathroom floor was done. It looked clean.