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Test a geek:
–New Question–
Flexible diskettes were around long before the personal computer. The first flexible diskette was introduced in 1971. Who introduced it?
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Tech news:
Opera goes free, Reaches One Million Downloads in Two Days. More than one million people have downloaded the Opera browser in the two days since Opera announced it was dropping the ad banner and going completely free. The download rate doubles the previous record reached in April when the company released Opera 8. According to server logs, a majority of downloads came from Internet Explorer users. “The success of our free browser proves the world is ready for a fresh option,” said Jon S. von Tetzchner, CEO of Opera Software. “I’m most excited about the hundreds of thousands of new users who have discovered the speed, security and usability of our browser for the first time.”
Vista to make ‘instant on’ a reality. A Windows Vista computer starts and shuts down as quickly and reliably as a television, typically within 2 to 3 seconds. Windows Vista processes login scripts and startup programs and services in the background so you can start working right away. You’ll also shut down and restart your computer less often by using the New Sleep state.
Problems surfacing with iPod Nano screen. Some owners of Apple Computer’s new iPod Nano are starting to wonder if the device is too delicate. The most widespread complaint about the otherwise highly-praised device seems to be that the color display screen gets scratched extremely easily. Nano owners are posting 250 threads in response to a recent post on Apple’s discussion board about screen scratching.
Ask Jeeves To Retire Mascot. The smiling butler that has welcomed visitors to search engine Ask Jeeves for nearly 10 years will soon be laid off. The dapper Jeeves is getting the axe as the result of the takeover of IAC/InterActiveCorp., run by media mogul Barry Diller. It appears that Jeeves is too much of an anchor to the past. Research has shown the well-known character has made it difficult for the search engine to convince people that it is good for all types of searches, and not just for answering questions. “As a result, the character may be phased out as the prominent icon of the brand, although no timeline or details have been determined,” the company said Thursday in a statement.
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How To: Automatically reload pages in Firefox
Sometimes you want to be able to leave a page open and have the most recent information there every time you look at it. It’s a simple problem that Reload Every, an extension for Firefox, solves handily. Just right-click on the page you want to update and choose your interval—from five seconds to a custom setting of your choice—and Reload Every will automatically reload your headlines, message board, stats page, or blog of choice at that frequency. Reload Every is free and is a Firefox must-have. Check it out at http://reloadevery.mozdev.org/
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Ask A Geek: This segment will return on a future episode of The Geekcast.
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Hack: Watch full screen movies in Quicktime for free
I’m sure many of you get annoyed with the fact that you have to pay $30 to upgrade to QuickTime Pro just to get fullscreen capabilities with QuickTime. (QuickTime 7 Player is even better with fullscreen, because it offers transparent controls in fullscreen mode when you move your mouse.) If that’s all you want, don’t bother buying QT Pro. You can use the power of AppleScript to go fullscreen with QuickTime movies whenever you want.
First you open up [Applications --> AppleScript --> Script Editor], and paste the following single line script into a new window:
tell application “QuickTime Player” to present movie 1
Next you save it as a script named “Go Fullscreen” in the Scripts folder located at [your home folder --> Library --> Scripts]. If the “Scripts” folder doesn’t exist, create it.
If you haven’t activated the script menu before, open the [Applications --> AppleScript --> Install Script Menu] application in Panther to activate it. Under Tiger, open [Applications --> AppleScript --> AppleScript Utility], and then check the box next to “Show Script Menu in menu bar”. A little black-and-white icon that looks like an ancient scroll will appear in your menu bar.
Now, whenever you want to play a movie fullscreen in QuickTime Player, all you need to do is open it up in QuickTime, select the Script menu, and choose your “Go Fullscreen” AppleScript. No $30 fee for a simple feature!
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The geek’s view: This segment will return on a future episode of The Geekcast.
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