Category: Computing

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Computing

Psyched for Google Calendar Sync [Organized Everywhere]

My life just got simpler today. My work life also grew closer to my personal life, but there’s fortunately a benefit there – when the work schedule is easier to access and maintain it makes my personal life easier to manage too. No more missed meetings. No more missed rugby matches!! No more missed public holidays.

Google Calendar and Outlook Synced

In just a few minutes, Google Calendar Sync has changed my life. My Microsoft Outlook is synchronized with Google Calendar.

All is well with the world.

[Update: This SO rocks! Using Lightning Calendar extension for Mozilla Thunderbird and the Provider for Google Calendar Add On, I now have THREE WAY SYNC between Microsoft Outlook, Google Calendar and Mozilla Thunderbird/Lightning Calendar. Woohoo!]

Technorati Tags: google, calendar, sync, outlook, synchronized, schedule, awesome, thunderbird

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Computing

Learn a Language Online with Babbel [Failed New Years Resolutions Dept]

Babbel Logo

I came across Babbel.com today, which looks like an awesome language learning site that is also pseudo community/social network driven. So you can learn a new language from native speakers over the interwebz! They’ve currently got English, Spanish, French, German and Italian training modules on the site, and from my first six French words learned, it seems the learning interface is simple, intuitive and comfortable.

I’m not sure how deep the modules go into sentence formation and conjugation of verbs, but if you need to brush up on that foreign vocab, this might be just the site for you.

Oh, and it’s free too.

Link to Babbel.com.

Technorati Tags: language, vocabulary, learning, english, french, german, spanish, italian, cool

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Computing

FreeWifi: Steal my Bytes

I tend to get a a fair number of puzzled and paranoid stares when I let people know that I provide an open, free-for-all, uninhibited wireless network at home. This is usually followed by the “stealing of bandwidth” or “security” queries, which I brush over with an “I don’t care, maybe I’m a communist” comment because I’ve never bothered to build a justified argument. I simply believe that bandwidth should be as free as possible for everyone.

Fortunately Bruce Schneier has hit the nail on the head and put some juice behind my arguments with his Wired column “Steal This Wi-Fi”. I’m pretty sure I was aware of Mr Schneier’s sentiments in this regard before this column was published – I suspect it is mentioned in one of his books – and this was probably the inspiration for me to emulate this behaviour in my own home setup. Well worth the read – make no mistake, Bruce is a really smart guy.

Unlike me, living in a country with a scarcity of bandwidth is something Bruce probably does not have to contend with very much. This can dramatically increase the cost of the “theft” of bandwidth, but at the same time this is strongly contested by arguing for the increased value of providing free access in a bandwidth-poor country.

Link to article.

Technorati Tags: schneier, bruceschneier, security, wifi, open, free, wired

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Computing Security Technology

How Vodacom, MTN and iBurst punch (gaping) holes in your corporate security

This week in MyDigitalLife: The hidden risks of mobile data card usage at the office.

Technorati Tags: security, network, 3g, data, access, CEO, vodacom, mtn, iburst, internet, mobile

Categories
Computing

Synching Google Calendar To Thunderbird – This Rocks!

I can’t take any credit, all I can do is point you at this link:
Stay in Sync with GCal and Thunderbird
and say “If you use these tools, go do this now!”

Awesome stuff – now I’m slowly getting closer to that GTD goal.

Technorati Tags: google, calendar, thunderbird, sync, gcal, gtd, productivity, scheduling