Windows Live Messenger 2011: New and improved

The convergence of different technological platforms for communication between network´s users is improving day after day. An example of this is the latest development that this new version of Windows Live Messenger 2011 brings, that as main new feature, offers the possibility of integrating and synchronizing Facebook and Windows Live Messenger 2011 accounts.

The developers of this new version of Windows Live Messenger 2011 have made a total hit in the subject, both esthetic and as in the functionality of this new version. As regards the development of the interface, Windows Live Messenger 2011 definitively changed the old design this classic application has, even changing the aspects of the emoticons, now much modern.

Another change regarding the esthetic aspect is that the chatting window is no longer showed in separate windows, but integrated into different tabs. This allows users to scroll through Windows Live Messenger 2011 conversations in a simple way.

While this esthetic change is important, certainly the most important innovation Windows Live Messenger 2011 brings is the convergence with Facebook. This integration allows user to know in detail and right away the updates of their contacts in Windows Live Messenger 2011 or their friends in Facebook. It also allows us to share data with our contacts or post them on Facebook in a friendly way.

This new functionality of Windows Live Messenger 2011, allows, either, send messages to users who are online in one site or another. Also, this platforms convergence makes easier to interact with users through mobile phone, either in Windows Live Messenger 2011 or in Facebook.

The best extensions created for Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox

The year 2010 was a year in which many extensions for Mozilla Firefox and Google  Chrome browsers were created, making them winning a special place among the preferred by Internet users. Although the developers of these extensions have preferred to make them unique to one or another browser, others have chosen to exploit the growing market presence of Chrome and Firefox and develop extensions for both. Below we have a list of some add-ons for these browsers:

WOT (Web Of Trust): This add-on shows the user the security level of the webs he has searched. This extension was thought to ensure the user if the site he visits is safe or not

Tab Cloud: This extension allows synchronizing in the cloud the tags already opened in either browser, without having to remember the open sites.

SiteLauncher: This is a really useful extension when launching sites, enabling them to create keyboard shortcuts or hotkeys through a custom shortcuts panel where the user can include favorite pages simple and organized. Ideal for a quick access to the sites the user visit frequently when using Firefox or Chrome.

Rapportive: This add-on set us free of Gmail ads and replaces it showing extended information about the e-mail´s senders, with their latest tweets, information on their Google´s profile, Facebook or Linkedin for example. Without a doubt this add-on is the one all Chrome and Firefox users should use.

Interesting Mozilla project to make the Web even more transparent

Nowadays, sales through the Internet are a common thing for most of the people, this transactions have significantly increased these kind of purchases, bringing as a consequence improvement regarding computer security standards to protect users data they provide in each transaction. Although there have been notable progress and this area, many people still have doubts when purchasing on the net, fearing that their data can be stolen, sold or used for any other purpose.

To vanish these fears, the star designer user interface of Mozilla, Aza Raski (creator of the tabs environment in Firefox browsers) has come up with a set of icons that acts as a privacy code, indicating the user the use that web sites does with their data. This coding is composed by thirteen icons that will indicate in Firefox browser whether the information provided will be used for other purposes, this will be sold or offered to private companies or even delivered to some kind of government with any court order.

The idea of Raskin and its Mozilla Firefox team is that these icons are shown clearly on the sites and, besides, linked with their terms of use. Another goal Firefox people have is to display this visual identification system on the browser automatically so that they can be read by computers. That is to say, that Firefox browsers display these icons through its interface, and always having by default the lowest privacy terms.

Although the project is still in its first stages, Mozilla has not been clear about when it will be launched in Firefox browser. If this project goes further by Mozilla people, will help the web to be clear and simple to users, this is so demand today due to the repercussions of the Wikileaks case.

Opera 11: Browser´s revolution

Nowadays, in the browser´s market we are having a big competition between the three major industry players: IE, Chrome and Firefox. However, Opera has been innovating with original alternative that brings it to the same level of mainstream browsers, although this has never been a massive-use browser. Version 11 of Opera, continue innovating since it´s creation.

One of the surprises that Opera 11 brings is that it supports extensions, already known by users, although the number of these extensions is nowadays about two hundred, this is not a problem since their development is available to anyone with the know-how. Among the extensions the user finds, we have the most required, such as passwords reminders, downloading videos from YouTube portal, Gmail notifiers, etc. Installation is made in a simple way and user must restart the browser.

While this feature is already owned by Google Chrome, unlike this, Opera has found a new twist to that concept. The innovation proposed by Opera is that extensions can be loaded on demand, that is to say, that while these are not used, browser does not load into memory, improving Opera performance by up to 30 percent compared with other browsers.

Another innovation that this version offers is the concept of pile up windows or Tab Stacking. This is to drag a tab over another, grouping them so that the user can open and close the group created through a double click or using the mouse pointer for a preview.

What´s more, it also brings an improvement in the function of Mouse Gestures, trying to make this function friendly for new users. The main change here is that you no longer need to remember mouse gestures, but holding down the right mouse button.

Finally, it is worth mention the changes made in the address bar with the aim of making it easier; now when surfing through the browser, the address is shown without parameters or the http:// protocol. They have also provided users with icons that show the different status identified in the current page that Opera has loaded. This innovation gives an additional advantage to the user to know the security level that works through the browser.

Undoubtedly, Opera 11 is a great choice between the three major browsers known today, because of their interesting features, good performance and the support offered for the latest web technologies, trying to capture new audiences with this latest version and its new changes.

Adobe has finally released the new version of Reader, X or 10, which solves many security problems that had in the past. Besides this and the usual tools of the PDF reader by downloading Adobe Reader X 10.0 you can also check a new panel that allow to share a document in a few steps.

Adobe Reader X is renewed and offers security and new options to share

Safety new options added to Adobe Reader X are given by using sandboxing technology. This type of programming allows the contents of the PDF document to be loaded into a parceled memory space and under control. This way, risks that come from exploits and are around the internet can be minimized.

Besides the “Protected Mode”, Adobe Reader X includes other new features. As we mentioned before, these are related to the possibility of sending a document via e-mail through its own service, as well as the existing publishing service.

To these remarkable changes, we can add its renewed interface, which makes it easier. With regards to usability, it keeps having the traditional tools of highlighting, zooming, and labeling besides others that allow you to review a PDF document as best as possible. Therefore, if you’re interested in the safety of your computer or you often share documents online, you should download Adobe Reader X on your computer as soon as possible.

Facebook launched its new personalized messaging service

We often publish in the portal news, applications and Facebook launches, and this time, this is not an exception. The so waited Facebook’s e-mail was finally launched by Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO and creator of the social network that has more than 500 million users around the world. Chat, mobile messaging and email all in one?

Yes, indeed. However, it was Mark Zuckerberg, who emphasized the difference between the new “Facebook’s messaging system,” and the traditional, “slow and very formal” e-mail. That´s why, this messaging system is only a “function” among the others that are already offered on Facebook, but this obviously does not overshadow it.

It is expected that this Facebook messaging service makes a huge difference when communicating from a platform where traditional chat, mobile messaging and e-mail can merge.

As we mentioned before, Mark Zuckerberg put in a lot of effort, throughout the presentation, to remember that Facebook communication system “is not an e-mail” and does not intend to compete against Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, etc. In any case, each user can get its own email address as domain@facebook.com associated with the display name used in the profile.

Between the advantages and benefits this messaging service offers we can named: its informality and fluidity (updates and alerts in real time), a complete history of conversations (that only practice will determine whether or not it is useful) and the control of all messages (regardless of their origin-chat, e-mail, etc.), among other functions.

But for those who like old-fashion things, which are the minority in the social networks world, accessing this e-mail account is not mandatory but optional. So if you’re one of the few that still use e-mail for more informal communications nobody will stop you (though, just for remembering, the vast majority of Facebook or Tuenti users only use the internal messaging service provided by social networks).

At the moment is only available in the U.S., but will gradually be extended to other countries, the new messaging service finally arrived and like everything that comes from Mark Zuckerberg, will surely succeed, making users gradually migrate to it.

TweetDeck and Twitter news for those who enjoy it in real time

TweetDeck is without a doubt one of the most used and best Twitter clients. A platform where you can see users ‘timeline’, ‘terms’, ‘lists’ and much more in the same window. But the news is that, after being tested for a long time, Twitter finally released the API User Streams so that all customers and applications like TweetDeck can function without restrictions.

From this release made by Twitter, TweetDeck users will be particularly benefited on the tweets display in real time. To do this go to ‘Enable real-time Twitter Streaming’ from “Settings”> ‘Twitter’.

This extension goes along with news that brings the latest update of TweetDeck. Among some of the most interesting we can mention the column of ‘mentions’ in which we can see which of our fans have marked some of our tweets as favorites.

The same happen in ‘followers’ column, from which it is possible to see when someone is included in a new list.
Twitter and TweetDeck are both updated, one releasing an API User Streams and the other taking advantage of this, but both with the clear aim to remain being the most chosen and offering user satisfaction.

Mozilla Rainbow: Record audio and video directly from the browser!

Some time ago, Mozilla’s creators publish the releasing of a new application for Mozilla Firefox browser, released under the name Rainbow.

This new application allows Mozilla Firefox to record audio and video directly from the browser, and after the file creation, to upload the new content on any site user wants. However, the extension of the file created is OGG, but in the near future WebM format is expected to be supported. Rainbow is currently available for the latest Nightly Builds of Mac OS, but they are working so this application has versions for Mozilla Firefox browser and Windows and Linux platforms.

Finally, it is worth mention that Mozilla Firefox developer leaves Rainbow´s open source at this stage of the project with the aim that advance users can review or modify it so it has an optimum performance when installing the application on Mozilla Firefox.

You can now download CCleaner 3

Finally, you can now download CCleaner 3. This new version is probably the most popular application used for cleaning your computer that now offers a series of new tools and functions in this maintenance suite.

One of the main tools added by this new version is the option to clean units. This allows us to physically remove the files from a drive gaining free space, as well as disk fragmentation. On the other hand, another major improvement you will notice after downloading CCleaner 3 is the change in some of the icons and a minor change in its interface.

At the same time, the new version of CCleaner is optimized for it use on 64 bits. While previous versions allowed working on this environment for the first time, CCleaner creates an executable specifically prepared for this task.

To the news already mentioned we can add that CCleaner 3 is ready to work with Internet Explorer 9 and with the new web HTML5 standards, improving the performance of our applications. As in every update of the cleaner program, improvements have been made as well as in managing cookies.

This application is the most original and new when talking about maintenance of our computer. What are you waiting for? Download now CCleaner 3 so you can always enjoy your PC?

Microsoft introduces a strong bet: Internet Explorer 9 Beta

After having the fans and detractors waiting for so long, Microsoft will release the Beta phase of Internet Explorer’s 9th version tomorrow, avoiding the speculations about the different changes as regards the browser’s appearance and performance. Although nothing has been said about the definite release of the final version, which will supposedly be available by 2011, this presentation will cause a lot of activity in the Browsers’ market.

The new version of Internet Explorer 9 promises better results than its predecessors as regards performance when it comes to meeting the support standards for HTML 5 and CSS3 languages. This achievement, according to the team of engineers who have worked on the development of Internet Explorer 9, is a consequence of the improvements on compatibility with hardware acceleration and JavaScript new engine.

As regards aesthetics, Internet Explorer 9 follows the minimalist line, which is imposing conceptually on the concept of browsers’ design introduced by Google Chrome.

With this release, Microsoft is looking forward to changing a structure that has been imposing itself on Microsoft’s ideas and images for years. The release of Internet Explorer 9’s Beta version arrives at a time when Microsoft is regaining its presence in Internet browsers’ market, and has reached a 60% participation, 40% of the business, followed by Mozilla Firefox (22, 39%) and Google Chrome in the third place with 7,52% of the business, according to Net Application’s data.