Firefox Screen Space on Netbooks

Got a netbook computer? No doubt you struggle to get more screen real estate while using your web browser. If you are using Firefox in Windows or Ubuntu, here's a small tip to give a little more screen space than the default "full screen mode". Mozilla does not support this on their site.

However, there's an extension called Autohide, that gives you more control over which toolbars to show/hide/autohide when in your browsing sessions. Once you install it go to Tools -> Add-ons -> Extensions -> Autohide -> Options to configure it.

Download - Autohide

The Missing Dropbox iPhone App

Dropbox is one of my most frequently used, hidden tools at home, office and on the road. By hidden I mean, it's seamless and well integrated into my computing lifestyle regardless of platform or hardware. As good as Dropbox is though, in my opinion it's only weakness within my workflow is it's lack of a native iPhone application.

Before I move on, it's important to note, that Dropbox does currently have a mobile web formatted version available to the iPhone and other mobile devices. Indeed, they are also working on a true native iPhone app that will appear in the near future. Could be days or weeks, but it is coming, and promises to address all your iPhone needs and then some.

That said, I set out to mash together some ways to access and manipulate my Dropbox account from my iPhone. I came up with 2 solutions, which may help fill the void for you as well, as we wait for the official iPhone Dropbox app to arrive.

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Testing your IT Security defenses

The best way to make sure your infrastructure is secure, is to test its defenses. Just like with backups, you don't know if your system is fully functional until you've attempted a restore and succeeded. No matter how thorough you may be with your firewalls and network systems, we all make mistakes. Not only could you have missed something, but there are constant exploits & holes being released and tested on systems everywhere.

Hence, we need to try Hacking into your own system(s). This technique is commonly referred to as Pen-Testing (Penetration Testing). This is a deep field to go into, so I will just point you in a direction to start off with, by listing some of the common tools used in this field. That being said, the tools required for Pen-Testing, are the same used by hackers, so use caution.

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Photoshop CS4 Tip - Remove Tabs

So, Photoshop CS4's tabs feature can be both helpful & annoying at the same time, depending on your workflow and needs. Whether they work for you or not, is your preference. Either way, here's how to turn them off in Mac or Windows:

In Mac OSX:

• Go to ‘Photoshop’ –> ‘Preferences’ –> ‘Interface’
• Uncheck the ‘Open Documents as Tabs’ option

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Google Search Tips

Here are some tips for getting better results when using Google. Some of these may be obvious, but you may find others useful as well.

• Use quotes to find an exact phrase: "Your Subject Here"
• filetype: will help you find specific types: security holes filetype:ppt
• Exclude words using the Minus Key (-) : MP3 Players -ipods
• site: & your search term to only get results from a certain site: site:amazon.com nikon
• Include Words that Google ignores by using the Plus sign (+): The + car

More syntax options to use:

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