FLock - The Amazing browser

Thanks to the comment from i-hater on the Scribefire post, I downloaded the Flock browser. I had heard about FLock before, but hadn't really had the time or inclination to invest in discovering yet another browser.

After hearing such resounding recommendation from him, I downloaded the browser and here I am, making my post from this browser. Not just that, in the process of discovering my browser, I have added my gmail account to send emails from by default, my yahoo account, Facebook, Flickr, ......

I can blog, stay connected across many social networks, drag and drop links to share, read my RSS feeds...... and I haven't yet added a single anything. No add-ons, no nothing - this is what I have "out of the box".

Considering that I use this site to share my learnings about online life, there is no way I can't write about this. For a blogger, the ease of use and the sheer number of things at your finger tips is fabulous.

• Share links across your networks - facebook, twitter etc.
• Make blog posts easily
• Get updates in your sidebar
• Click email links to send emails from your gmail account
• Upload tons of photos (1000 at a go) to Picassa, photobucket...
• Its fancy, its fast.

Curious, go and see the full range of all they offer on their site and while you're there, download the browser. You can't afford to miss it.

The one drawback I see as compared with Scribefire is the lack of labels/categories to select from to add to the post, which (if I know my habits) runs the risk of me not using some suitable tags I already have, and creating some similar ones .... in short, a categorizing mess waiting to happen, unless I leave that blank and then edit them after logging in, which kinda defeats the whole purpose.

Passwords manager

The one thing that makes my life perfect in the online world is the software Roboform. I use a lot of accounts in many places - discussion forums, emails, blogs, websites, webhosting, advertising, social netwroking...... and they only seem to increase.

In a world where stolen passowrds are not impossible, I like to use complex passwords that are unique to each site. However, its not all that easy. Remembering them was a pain. Taking them along while travelling, etc was worse. Remembering them when I change them......

Even keeping a handy text file had its dangers and inconveniences until *drumroll*




Now, I literally go around the web merry as you please, doing my own thing, hardly noticing when I login to sites, because the Roboform toolbar just sits there happily in my browser and shows up any logins I may have to the site I am on. If I don't, I register, login, and save it with literally one click. So the next time I go there, I breeze through with a click or so.

The best part is the whole thing is secure. I can passowrd protect my list of passwords, so anyone using my computer without it can't use my accounts automatically.

I can create safe notes, form details to fill in with a single click and such things that earlier used to end up with me typing the same old stuff over and over.

Tried creating social bookmarking accounts to promote your site? Or multiple emails you have to check for various purposes...... the applications are literally endless, and this one tool is going to change your life.

4 Tips for Getting faster on a computer

Most people I know drive me nuts waiting for them to do something on a computer. Ok, so I am fast, but that really is no excuse for anyone to do things so slowly and painfully that their productivity is changed (or rather unchanged).

I am considered to be a wizard by my offline friends, simply because I am so fast. Of course, I am Nerd in Progress, but hey, what I know, I go all out for, which helps me get into learning the next thing.

Some suggestions I think will halve the time you spend on the computer, or double the things you can do in it.

• Make friends with the "enter" key. Each time you fill in something and then move your hand to the mouse, and then find the button and so on..... you could simply be moving your right pinkie and getting done with it already.
• Make friends with the "tab" key. A job for your left pinkie. fill in one form field, hit tab and the cursor jumps to the next - again, a massive time saving in locating the mouse, clicking, locating the keyboard, etc.
• Use the fingers you have. It takes practice, but honestly, its not all that hard. Chatting is good practice that is fun as well. Pecking away with two fingers and looking at the keyboard, then looking at the screen to see if there are no mistakes is time consuming. With a little practice, you can write as I am writing now - with my fingers spread over the keyboard so that no matter what key I want to hit, there is a finger near to do it. no need for absolutely classic ten finger typing, but more than two would be nice, and if you try, you will find other fingers entering the effort voluntarily.
• This is a progression from the previous one. Once you begin engaging all your fingers, you will find your typing speed going up on its own, as each finger learns its "job" soon, you will stop typing letters and will be typing words - much like speaking. This is a good time to look at the screen and type, only looking down at the keyboard if stuck, or a mistake happens.

It would be interesting to see if someone can time themselves and then track the time needed as these changes take hold.