Rob’s Personal Aggregator

Windows/Linux only: Google has so many different services these days that installing a notification app for each one gets cumbersome quickly. Free system tray utility Googsystray watches Gmail, Google Voice, Calendar, Reader, and Wave so you can set it and forget it.

After installing Googsystray, you can configure which services you want it to watch and what you want it to do for each—upon receiving a new email, SMS, calendar alert, RSS article, or wave, you can have it play a sound and even run a command. The icon of the given service will also pop up in your system tray. Right clicking on it gives you a Growl-style popup with more detailed information about the notification, such as email subject or SMS content. You also have limited actions you can take depending on the service.

Google Voice is the most feature-filled, allowing you to send SMS messages with a hotkey and read voicemail transcripts. You can have Gmail monitor your inbox or specific labels for new messages, as well as mark messages as read, spam, or delete them. Google Calendar support is limited to alerts on upcoming events, and Google Reader can notify of you of new RSS articles, although you can tell it to stop notifying you when the number of unread articles reaches a certain point. Google Wave support merely notifies you of new and unread waves, along with a preview.

Googsystray is a free download, works on Windows and Linux (Python and pygtk required for Linux). Thanks, Aldeniszen!

Possibly Related posts

• Yoics Gadget Connects to Remote Files and Desktops from Gmail [Downloads] (0)
• Try Out an Unofficial “Chrome OS” Linux Build [Downloads] (0)
• Try Out a Fan-Made “Chrome OS” Linux Build [Downloads] (0)
• To-Dos, Weather, and Twitter on a Linux Desktop [Featured Desktop] (0)
• Make Ubiquity Your Ultimate Firefox Commander [Ubiquity] (0)

In a newspaper, the most important story is featured on the front page. If it’s a really important piece, then it’s placed “above the fold,” which means you can find it on the top half of the first page — the bottom half is folded behind and isn’t readily seen when you first look at the newspaper.

The same concept applies to browsers as well. There’s no clear line for “above the fold” on a browser — there are many different sizes of monitors, browsers are not always full screen and other things like toolbars can take up space. Consider a “Donate” button on a non-profit site. If it’s far down the page, you may not see it when you first view the page. You can of course scroll downwards, but many people don’t scroll and will miss it entirely. For example, on the download page for Google Earth, the install rate increased by 10% when we moved the “Download” button 100 pixels upward. We can attribute that increase to users who wanted to try out Google Earth, but didn’t see the button before.

To help you understand how everyone sees your website, we created a tool called Browser Size in our 20% time. Browser Size is based on a sample of data from visitors to google.com. Special code collects data on the height and width of the browser for a sample of users. For a given point in the browser, the tool will tell you what percentage of users can see it. For example, if an important button is in the 80% region it means that 20% of users have to scroll in order to see it. If you’re a web designer, you can use Browser Size to redesign your page to minimize scrolling and make sure that the important parts of the page are always prominent to your audience. We hope people will use this tool to make their websites better, in turn making the web better for everyone.

If you’re interested in learning more about Browser Size, check out our post on the Google Code Blog.

Posted by Bruno Bowden, Senior Software Engineer

Possibly Related posts

• Your world, your base map (0)
• WWII historical imagery in Google Earth (0)
• Uploading your Picasa Web Albums pictures into Panoramio (0)
• To the Canadian Arctic… and Beyond! (0)
• Taking in the view: Introducing Google's Imagery Partner Program (0)

Leaks have emerged from another secret copyright treaty, this one between the EU and Canada. The EU is really screwing Canada with this one, demanding longer copyright terms, more liability for ISPs (which means that it gets harder and more expensive to host anything from a message board to a video), laws against breaking copyright protection (even for a legal purpose, like getting your own files back), and a royalty on the sale of used copyrighted goods (so you’d have to track down and pay the rightsholder when you resold a painting or other copyrighted work).

And all this while Minister Tony Clement has been conducting a consultation with Canadians on what they think Canada’s copyright laws should be — at the same time, Canada’s government has been sneakily negotiating two secret copyright treaties that would tie Parliament’s hands and throw away Canadians’ own Made-in-Canada copyright rules.

While the leaked document may only represent the European position, there is little doubt that there will enormous pressure on Canadian negotiators to cave on the IP provision in return for “gains” in other areas. The net result is that when combined with the ACTA requirements, Canadian copyright law reform may cease to become Canadian. Instead, the rules will be dictated by secretive agreements as the U.S. and Europe tag team to pressure Canada into dramatic changes far beyond those even proposed in Bills C-60 or C-61.

Beyond ACTA: Proposed EU – Canada Trade Agreement Intellectual Property Chapter Leaks

Possibly Related posts

• Your world, your base map (0)
• Why is the secret copyright treaty a secret? (0)
• Video explains Canada's DMCA (0)
• US record labels starts fake “citizen’s group” to support Canada’s DMCA (0)
• US passports can be read and copied from a moving car using a $250 rig (0)

A new browser, two new Ubuntu releases, and more than one new netbook OS—2009 was a big year for open-source software. Here are the Linux-related posts that caught our readers' attention in 2009.

Last year, we compiled the most popular Linux downloads of 2008 and the most popular Linux posts. The most popular Linux downloads, however, tend to also be released for Windows and Mac systems, and we’d rather not repeat ourselves.

So! This year, we ran through our archives and pulled out the posts most directly related to Linux: informational, how-to, Linux-focused downloads, and the like. For good measure, though, we’ll list the most popular cross-platform downloads at the end, which will look very familiar to those posted in our Most Popular Free Mac Downloads of 2009 and Most Popular Free Windows Downloads of 2009 posts.

Portable Ubuntu Runs Ubuntu Inside Windows

And it really does, too, after a bit of command line tweaking. It’s a close relative of the andLinux system that lets you seamlessly run Linux apps on your Windows desktop. This one doesn’t require any installation, however, and you can even take it with you on a thumb drive. This holiday season, feel free to show Uncle Steve just how open and free Linux can be.

Linux Puts the Lie to WEP “Security”

Using a BackTrack 3 Live CD (which we previously profiled, Gina showed us how easy it was to crack a Wi-Fi network’s WEP password, offering a sound reason to upgrade your age-old router, and providing a kind of last-ditch solution for those in need of emergency connectivity. She also provided more WEP-cracking tools and tips, including some sound reasoning on why anyone would still use a fallible encryption scheme (or use something much stronger).

Looking Ahead to Ubuntu Releases

Every year, at least two versions of Ubuntu are released in six-month lockstep. This year gave us Keir Thomas’ peek at the 9.04 “Jaunty Jackalope” release, and our own screenshot tour. That release was more about subtle changes and improvements. Ubuntu 9.10, Karmic Koala, brought a whole new look to the free OS, along with some major decisions on default applications and immediate improvements like faster, slicker boot-ups and a universal software store. We are, as ever, eager to see what crops up in April.

VirtualBox Makes Linux Life Easier

Sun Microsystems’ free VirtualBox software is free, offers an open-source edition, and is generally easy enough for beginners to get into. Not coincidentally, it solves a big problem for Linux users who just occasionally need access to one or another Windows apps or features. It also keeps adding on new features, like support for Windows’ gaming graphics, and making life generally better for those running one system inside another.

Features We Wanted to See from Ubuntu (and a Response)

“If every Ubuntu developer were assembled at one place, here are five things we’d ask them to accomplish.” That’s the grand daydream that launched our list of five features we want to see in Ubuntu, including strong sticking points like a decent video editor and a design-centric look. Not all of that is under of the Ubuntu team’s purview, but Community Manager Jono Bacon still took the time to respond to our wishlist, noting the progress on many of the fronts we wrote on. That was a very nice moment.

Dual-Boot Windows 7 and Ubuntu in Perfect Harmony

Simply installing Windows 7 and Ubuntu together isn't all that hard—just do Windows before Ubuntu, and leave a little room for the Linux. Fine-tuning it for convenience, access, and general usability, though—that's something we spent a lot of time thinking on. We wrote it all down, step by step, in this post.

Build a Cheap But Powerful Boxee Media Center

Following up on Adam’s guide to building a small, silent XBMC media center on the cheap, Lifehacker’s resident Linux nerd (Howdy!) wrote up an alternative guide to getting a more powerful, Linux-backed, Boxee-centered HTPC running. Seeing as how the upcoming Boxee beta and pre-built Boxee Box will include sped-up support for this very kind of NVIDIA-powered, Linux-based system, this Boxee setup will actually hit its real peak in 2010.

Nine Must-Have Features We Want to See in a Google OS

Now that we’ve actually seen what Chrome OS will look like, and even taken it on an open-source test drive, we can run through our initial wish list for the Linux-based netbook OS and do the tally: Three yays (speed, syncing, and blurred desktop/browser experience), two nays (“All kinds of hardware” and native Linux apps), and four shoulder shrugs (integrated Quicksilver-like app launcher, powerful keyboard shortcuts, user privacy, and enterprise-friendly setup). There’s a lot more bound to come in 2010, though, including the first official release, so stay tuned.

GNOME Do and Docky Are Slick Linux Interfaces

We dig GNOME Do as a Quicksilver-like application launcher that knows your system better than you do. When it rolled in a dock interface, it got a bit more unstable, but even more helpful—and notably more smooth and eye-pleasing than the standard GNOME interface. The two projects have since gone their separate ways, but, installed side by side, they still make for a better Linux experience.

Presto Loads a Streamlined Desktop in 15 Seconds

Well, we thought Presto looked like a pretty neat quick-boot alternative for Windows users, at least while it was free, and promising boot-ups in mere seconds. Then we tried it out and clocked it at a more human 15 seconds, found it to be kind of a simplified Xfce desktop, and, oh, right, this other operating system from some search company was announced. Not to say Presto is a dead option, but, at this point, it might need an overhaul (Chrome installed, maybe?) to grab much more than a glance.

Install Firefox 3.5 on Ubuntu with One Command

Even released every six months, Ubuntu still manages to make its users wait on some newly-released apps getting official support—like Firefox, most importantly. This little Python script makes short work of bringing your built-in Firefox up to the bleeding edge.

Ubuntu Pocket Guide Available as a Free Download

Author Keir Thomas did the freely-licensed thing with his pocket guide, and we were all very glad to have it.

Elisa is a Simple, Streamlined Media Center

Looking for something that just plays your music, shows your videos and pictures, and doesn’t get in your way or bog you down with flashy features? That’s what Elisa is, and it looks pretty nice while doing so.

Mac4Lin Gives Linux Desktops the Complete Mac Look

It really, really does. If you don’t mind the obvious break in your your free-as-in-speech fidelity, it’s a pretty nice setup.

Jolicloud Netbook OS Is a Bit Like Chrome OS with Awesome Desktop Applications

Adam's headline pretty much says it all—you get most of the benefits of a fast-loading, small-screen-oriented OS, but with far more adaptability and a wide range of awesome Linux apps you can install.

Popular Cross-Platform Apps

Google Chrome, Alpha and Beta Releases

Google Chrome, which just barely turned one, has actually been up and running on many Linux systems since its earliest days, due to the hard work of Chromium open-source hackers. You could grab the alpha in May, try out a CrossOver-built release in September, and grab the official beta last week. Been holding off on your Chromium and just now trying Chrome? Check out our power user’s guide to Google Chrome to get acquainted.

Namebench Helps You Find the Fastest DNS Server for Your Computer

Google came out with a free DNS service, but many folks are learning, with the help of namebench or the also-excellent DNS Name Server Benchmark, that what the big G does isn’t always the best. Test out all the popular, public DNS systems to see what’s your own network’s best bet.

Google Earth 5.0 Released, Looks Incredible

Google Earth 5 is one of those lucky Linux products that Google still intends to keep up to date, unlike its sad cousin Picasa. So being able to put historical imagery, ocean maps, and improved world touring on a Linux desktop is A-OK with many readers.

Firefox (Of Course)

Firefox seemed to have met its first real challenge for the Best Alternative Browser this year, but it kept up with the modern web at its own pace. This year saw a big Firefox 3.5 release and a bunch of Firefox 3.6 betas (1, 2, 3, and 4). It’ll be interesting to see if Linux distributions consider Chrome as their default in 2010, but we expect Firefox to stick around for quite some time.

Thunderbird 3 Officially Released with New Features, Improved Look

A lot has changed since Thunderbird 2.0 release, but 3.0 brought enough savvy features—awesome search, smart syncing, and tabbed content—to make it an ultimate online/offline message hub.

HandBrake Updates to 0.9.4 with Over 1,000 Changes, 64-Bit Support

Yeah, Mac and Windows users probably find HandBrake really helpful. But Linux is where encoding to non-restricted formats can be crucial, so seeing regular development is a very nice thing. On any platform, Handbrake remains a favorite video encoder—even after developers dropped AVI/XviD support.

What Was Your Favorite Linux Post or Download of 2009?(surveys)

Possibly Related posts

• Lifehacker Pack for Linux: Our List of the Best Linux Downloads [Downloads] (0)
• How To: Escape From Google’s Clutches, Once and For All [How To] (0)
• How to Carry Your Office on a Stick (USB Flash Drive) (0)
• Voyage Turns Your Firefox History into a Visual Map [Downloads] (0)
• User Script Disables Google Reader’s “Like” Feature [Downloads] (0)

Geez, Google really wants you to install its toolbar, right? They usually introduce new web features, like their goo.gl URL shortener, into it first, leaving developers to figure out non-toolbar executions. Luckily, a webapp and Chrome extension are on it.

Digital Inspiration points us toward both a webapp that spits out a goo.gl URL in one click, after pasting in a full URL first (don’t forget the http:// bit, or you’ll get an empty result). If that’s a bit too much work for tossed-off links, and you’re a Chrome user, you can install the goo.gl shortener extension and do your link shortening with a toolbar button.

The appeal of goo.gl-shortened links is their theoretical longevity, but, at the moment, they lack the statistics and tracking that makes the de facto standard, bit.ly, widely appealing. We’ll see what improvements come along, but for now, you can grab Google’s server re-direction benefits without having to keep their toolbar installed.

Possibly Related posts

• Your world, your base map (0)
• Your site's performance in Webmaster Tools (0)
• Yahoo CEO Bartz Unveils Major Reorg (0)
• World Bank public data, now in search (0)
• View Google Calendar offline (0)