Rebuilding Firefox and the Bitty Browser

During all the interent issues I've been having, somehow one of my Firefox extensions went south and killed some scripts that allowed me to post images to Blogger as well as the Techblog comments.

I made a backup of my Firefox profile and then deleted it using the handy run command: firefox.exe -profilemanager. For good measure I reinstalled Firefox (and the latest Java application). Then set about reinstalling Firefox and all my extensions.

That would sound like a big thing, but for two things: 1) I restored the bookmarks file from my backed up profile and 2) I keep screenshots of how my Firefox browser window is set up along with the list of all the extensions I load. Took me about 20-30 minutes to put it all back together again. Although I find I am still coming across certain "tweaks" that have to be done as I encounter them.

And the extension that I tripped over? I suspect it was Quick Java. I had used it to disable Java/Java Script as an example to show the cable technician something and forgot to re-enable it. When I finally did, that's when things stopped working. I've used it before on my other systems without problems, so I think it was just an alignment of the planets or something....

Anyway....Alvis is playing Zoo Tycoon. She is a real wonder at it. She was so cute teaching me how to play the game. She has all the the elements down. Customer happiness, firing lazy keepers, building enough restrooms and snack machines. It's a really fun game. She has my pants beat at it. I couldn't even keep a pair of black bears happy and she has a giant zoo up and running. Sheesh.

On to my Linkage pile for the week:

Wallpaper Madness!

Freddie's Wallpaper : Found during a Google search for dual monitor wallpapers. This site has one of the widest collections of the high quality anime/manga desktops I've ever found. There are some other subjects as well. Well worth a look.

Wallpapers Zone : (Warning! Not Safe for Work!) French site. Great desktops and some duals here. One section at the bottom "Erotique" and one at the top "Stars Et Top Models Femmes" might get you some skin. I find foreign wallpaper sites a great source of fresh materials.

KDE-Look.org : KDE is a Linux GUI, but this site has a ton of wallpapers--Linux and not that look spectacular. I usually find Linux wallpaper sites have a lot of custom designed artwork. Very creative stuff.

File Recovery!

When you delete a file (and empty the recycle bin) a file is usually gone for good. Not really. As long as the file hasn't been secure deleted (free), and the section on the hard drive the file was at overwritten with new data, there is a good chance the file can be recovered. My file recovery software of choice is PC Inspector File Recovery (freeware). I have used it many times to recover files off hard-drives that were "fdisked" but not secure wiped. However, a new (free) Open Source offering called PhotoRec looks promising. Don't let the name fool you, it may also recover files from flash memory and hard disk media.

Software!

Flow : A beautiful Flash based game where you guide a little organism to eat stuff and grow bigger. [via: downloadsquad]

Ubuntu is a Linux build that is growing in popularity. They also offer a "Live Linux CD" you can boot most systems with . I was reminded by AMCP Tech Blog that Ubuntu offers to ship you free sets of the cd's. Really Free. A long time ago I ordered 10 cd's from them and sure enough, I got a big mail-pack a few weeks later. No charge. So if you can't download a Live Linux CD and still want to try it out, check out Ubuntu ShipIt.

Speaking of Linux, the folks at AltHack.com show How to Run Linux on a USB stick. Handy and pretty easy guide to follow. If your motherboard supports USB system booting, this is even faster than a Live Linux CD.

Got a SATA drive and want to plug it into an USB port? Ever resourceful, Dan's Data has the product you need: USB 2.0 to SATA converter.

Merijn (of the number one, pro-grade, malware removal tool HiJack This) has just released a new version of his StartupList tool. Very nice addition to your malware whooping bag of tricks.

Koma-Code has a freeware app called USB ToolBox 2. It attempts to be an "all in one" solution for applications. Just download and install the file on your USB stick and all your handy apps are in one place. It isn't my cup of tea, but someone might find it useful.

PowerTips

One of my email accounts has been getting a steady accumulation of phishing spam. I've been doing my net-civic duty and reporting these offenders to the respective banks' anti-fraud departments. SANS has a great article about a new technique financial phishers are trying: Get 'em to take a survey!

Windows Defender error 0x80004003. Invalid Pointer: Fix? Try manually setting your scan drives first. More helpful tips and searches in the Microsoft AntiSpyware Forums.

ProBlogger does a review on Performancing's Metrics tool. This is a statistical tool for bloggers similar to GoogleAnalytics and MeasureMap. I actually was able to enroll in this one (unlike those other two...) and am finding it very nice and easy to use!).

TagCloud. Nice and fun little enhancement for bloggers. Publish to your own website.

Weird but Fun:

The Pi-Seach Page. If you are into Pi then you must see this fun site.

Below you should see the Bitty Browser (embedded) in action! Might be handy for some bloggers. I chose the TechBlog for my homage example, but you can configure it to anything you want! Play around with it below. Scroll, browse, etc.... Neat huh?



Another small form factor (SFF) pc decorated in anime images: Pimp my Cube.

For the Japanese fans:

Elegant Obi's for Summer. These are the cloths that Japanese women use to wrap around their kimonos.

And as they say....That's a wrap!
--Claus