NetNewsWire now Syncs with Google Reader

NetNewsWire now Syncs with Google

Years ago, before Google Reader was as mature as it is today, Doc used NetNewsWire on his Mac to read, manage and sync his RSS feeds with the Newsgator service. This syncing option allowed for online viewing when he wasn't around his Mac. Today it was announced that NetNewsWire 3.2 is dropping Newsgator syncing (on August 31st) in favor of Google Reader syncing.

Doc had removed NetNewsWire a couple of years ago, but will most definitely be installing the app on his Mac again and recommends that anyone using Google Reader to review their RSS feeds give this app a shot. Why shouldn't you. It's a freebie!

NetNewsWire is very simple to setup:

• Download the 3.2 beta version. 
• Install NetNewsWire
• Fire up the application - you will be prompted for your Google account information
• Enter your Google login and password - before you know it, all of your feeds appear within NetNewsWire

You are now ready to browse all of your Google Reader feeds in this very fast and spiffy native Mac app. Very slick. So give it a shot and let Doc know what you think by posting a comment.

How to obtain free wifi with your $7 coffee

Ok, Doc will admit this is kind of a lame post, but I was just giddy when I heard the news. Barnes and Noble, the mega brick and mortar bookstore, is now offering FREE wifi at all locations.

I spend many hours at Barnes and Noble browsing, drinking coffee and blogging so it was great to hear that AT$T wifi will be free on my Mac as it has been with my iPhone. This is sure to bring more traffic into their stores and I wonder if Starbuck’s will soon follow suite. My only concern? Not enough tables and chairs. On a busy day it can be quite difficult to find a nice quiet location. Anyone else excited about this news?

Save three finger taps when composing an e-mail on the iPhone

Here’s a handy feature I discovered while using the new iPhone 3.0 Firmware on my first generation iPhone this evening. Here’s the scenario. Using the mail application, you are composing the To: address. At the end of the address you need either a .net, .edu, .org or .com suffix. Here’s how you can save three finger taps.

• Using the keyboard at the bottom of the iPhone screen, place your finger on the . key and hold it down -  the .suffix keypad (I have no idea what it’s really called) appears as highlighted in the image to the right
• Slide your finger to the suffix required
• Lift your finger - the suffix will be added to the end of the e-mail address being entered

That’s all there is to it. Next time you compose a message give it a shot. Give it a shot now. Send me a message and let me know what you think about Doc’s Tech Notes. You’ll find my e-mail address in the image at the right. You can click on the image for a larger view. Found another cool new iPhone 3.0 feature? Leave a comment.

Have you seen (er...heard) AudioBoo?

audioBoo is a service that allows you to record up to three minutes of (not sure how long as I've found several files by others over three minutes) audio on your iPhone and then upload it to a personalized audioBoo page. The result is a very quick way to create a podcast on the go. You can visit my audioBoo page by clicking here. Or you can listen to my first audioBoo recording using the embedded player found after the click.

Doc‘s Tech Notes 3.0

Well readers, that last design didn't work for me. My design had several problems including: column display, image display, a broken Blogger Dashboard and several administration nightmares. So I decided to give the site ANOTHER face lift. That means the site has had more face lifts this year than Joan Rivers.

Here are some of the new features with this design:

• Wider design for wide-screens
• Double columns on the right for additional information (recent posts and comments)
  
• New site search where results appear directly on the page being viewed (try it out)
• Menus for static pages
  
• More opportunities for ad support (one can dream...can't he?)

So those are the new features. I still have some tweaking to perform, especially with the header and logo, so expect some further changes to those areas in the near future. What do you think of the new design? Leave comment and let me know.

Install Arduino on Ubuntu Netbook Remix 9.04

I've found my Acer Aspire One netbook is the perfect platform for Arduino development. Not because the keyboard is great (it's not)...but because you can take your programming platform with you anywhere. Here's how to install the Arduino software on an Ubuntu Netbook Remix 9.04 netbook, connect an Arduino board, and upload a program.