Friedbeef’s Tech

We’ve previously talked about my favourite web-based IM Meebo as a workaround to IM clients being blocked at work.  Now here’s the thing…Meebo has become so popular that it has become a victim of its own success, with many IT departments now adding this to their list of websites to block.

ChatMaker is the quick and dirty workaround which allows you to instantly create an IM chatroom.

Just…

1. Give your chatroom a name (one as unique as possible to avoid unwanted visitors), and then a URL will be given to you. 
2. Pass that URL to your friends. When they click on the link - They’ll be taken to your chatroom. It’s as simple as that.

Everything is run in AJAX which basically means you don’t have to refresh the page.

The best part - No registration required by you, or your other friends who join the chatroom. 

What other ways do you Instant Message?  Tell us in the comments!

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The cruel fact of website customization, is that websites can look very different to visitors depending on settings they are using.

Everyone’s who’s ever customized their blog theme would know the sinking feeling of viewing it through another browser and realizing that the layout doesn’t really look quite right.

How to test different settings efficiently

In order to ensure the best experience for your site visitors, you have to get the bases covered, and do some testing to make sure everything’s fine.  You could run different browsers, install dual/triple boot operating systems, and play around with your screen resolutions all day.

…or you could try out a simpler solution.

Browsershots is a free service where you can submit your site and it will automatically test it in a variety of settings and give you a screenshot of each one, so you can easily spot any problem settings in a flash.  You can then view the pictures online or download everything for closer examination.  You can change anything from browser type and Operating System to screen size, Javascript and Flash settings and more.

The best part - the entire permutation of tests is done in a single go, so in most cases, you only need to do the test once. 

Bonus Tip #1: A great time to use Browsershots is if you’re even thinking of changing your theme.  If the theme you want to download has a live demo page, simply point Browsershots to it and evaluate the page across multiple systems before finally making your decision.

Do you have any website testing tips?  Tell us in the comments!

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It’s been quite a while since I’ve listened to my favourite music site Pandora.  Ever since they were forced to shut down access outside the US, there have been several solutions floating around - most of them revolving around proxies and anonymous surfing.  All of which I’ve found too much hassle.

globalPandora is the most elegant solution I’ve seen to date.  Nothing fancy - just the familiar Pandora box where you can start listening to your favourite flavor of songs right away… all in the usual fast high quality streaming that we’re used to. 

A note of caution here that globalPandora is probably nothing more than a proxy site dedicated to Pandora.  This also means that security may be a risk, because you type in your login and password in globalPandora.  Well, to rest easy just open an all new Pandora account with a login/password you can afford to compromise.

Enjoy your music!

What are your favourite music sites?  Let us know in the comments!

[tags] music [/tags]

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