Friedbeef’s Tech

If you ever need to edit images but either don’t have the software on hand, just do it online for free with Snipshot.

Key features:

• Import pictures from any web site (including Flickr) with a bookmarklet
• Flickr export, or save as GIF, JPG, PDF, PNG, or TIF
• Basic editing tools like crop, rotate, resize—many more are in the works
• Unlimited undo and redo (Ctrl+Z and Ctrl+Y, or ⌘Z and ⌘Y on your Mac)
• Nondestructive scaling, rotating, and cropping— all editing works from the original
• Edit big images—up to 10 MB, or 5000×5000 pixels
• Image adjustments to apply color hues, contrasts, etc. (beta feature)

Friedbeef.com’s Take:

• This service is blazing fast (surprisingly so for an online service)
• Interface was clean, easy to use, and results of editing were good.
• I found the bookmarklet feature useful as it allowed me to select any image on a webpage and bring it to Snipshot with just one click.

Related Links:

Pxn8 Online Picture Editor (Similliar service - but interface was too cluttered for my liking)

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I’ve been using Microsoft Live Beta 8.0 for the last few weeks, and I have to say based on what I’ve experienced so far, this is by far and away, the best upgrade to MSN Messenger to date. Previous MSN upgrades had always been a ho-hum affair, where I couldn’t tell apart new and old versions without looking REALLY hard.This 8.0 version however, finally brings it home.

Obvious upgrade #1 — Offline Messaging :
Yes other IM clients like ICQ had this feature implemented 10 years ago. I can’t help but think that all this while Microsoft was holding back on this feature hoping, and wishing, somehow, someway, we would be convinced to use hotmail in lieu of offline messaging… and with this feature, it looks like they’ve given up (Thank God). You’d think this would be inevitable when MSN was opened to Yahoo and Gmail accounts, I’m just surprised they hung on for so long.

Obvious upgrade #2 — Cleaner,smarter chatting interface :
Type several messages on after the other, and it won’t repeat your nick several times, instead - it displays your messages as a single clean flow. This makes for a much more readable chatting interface.

Not so obvious but fun to have upgrades:

#3. Shared Folders:
The ability to sync across entire folders rather than sending individual across emails, or individual file transfers. Hassle free, and syncs both ways.

#4. Search as you type contacts:
Useful if you have a long list of contacts.

#5. Better Themes and Sounds:
The message ding, is much more elegant, and the new interface has a shiny Web 2.0 feel.

Problems with the beta:
It was slightly disappointing that I could not get application sharing, remote assistance, and the whiteboard to work properly. Would have been interesting if it did work, but I think can live without them (ignorance is bliss)

You can find a list of full features for Windows Live Messenger, and can download it here

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PC World has released a comprehensive list of this year’s best products…

Aside from the usual suspects like Ipods, Firefox, and Tivo’s, there were some interesting inclusions this year worth checking out:

SideStep.com
Travel Site (free) Shopping for bargain flights can be a hassle. But SideStep.com collects air fares from multiple sources; you simply check off boxes to sift the results. It works for rental cars and hotel rooms, too. Review

Windows Live Local
Online Mapping (free) Offering attractive maps, with bird’s-eye views of some locations, Microsoft’s service comes across as almost a hybrid of Google Earth and Yahoo Maps (that’s a good thing). Review

Avvenu
Remote File Access (free) Use this utility to set up your desktop PC as a simple file server that friends and family can access securely over the Internet. Avvenu is great for sharing digital photographs without going to the trouble of e-mailing them. Review

NoScript 1.1.4
Browser Add-On (free) Block hazardous JavaScripts site-by-site in Firefox (the browser itself blocks either all JavaScripts or none). Review

Here’s the Top 10 list in order:

1. Intel Core Duo Notebook/Desktop CPU
2. AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual-Core Desktop CPU
3. Craigslist.org Web Classifieds
4. Apple iPod Nano Digital Audio Player
5. Seagate 160GB Portable Hard Drive Portable Hard Drive
6. Google Earth Satellite Imagery
7. Adobe Premiere Elements 2 Video Editor
8. Canon EOS 30D Digital SLR Camera
9. YouTube.com Video-Sharing Site
10. Apple Boot Camp Mac Dual-Booter

Related Links:

PCWorld’s 100 Best Products of 2006
PC World’s Worst 25 Products Of All Time
PC World’s Companies Of The Year

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