Geek News and Musings

GetPersonas.com Adds Instant-Preview Themes to Firefox [Themes]

Firefox only (Windows/Mac/Linux): Firefox launched its Personas theming extension nearly a year ago, but now there’s a big, search-able repository that instantly applies those themes for previewing. Check out what GetPersonas.com offers and how it works.

As we previously noted, skinning Firefox for a new look doesn’t exactly add much productivity to your browsing day, but if you’re going to seek out that complete desktop theme feel, GetPersonas makes it seriously simple. As in, mouse over a theme to have it instantly drawn onto your Firefox window, or click it once to have it applied to your browser chrome.

You’ll need to install the Personas extension from GetPersonas to get started window-shopping and installing themes. Once you do, you’ll get a bemused little fox face in the lower-left corner of your browser. The menu that pops up from clicking the Personas fox automatically updates with the newest and most popular themes, but also remembers the last few themes you grabbed from GetPersonas. As for the site itself, it’s arranged and ordered a lot like Mozilla’s other add-on offerings:

The Mozilla team’s also offered up their own screencast detailing how GetPersonas works:

If nothing else, this easy-peasy Firefox theming should make for some interesting future entries into our Lifehacker Desktop Show and Tell Group. And we’re certainly hoping so, since many of the most popular themes don’t exactly make bookmark toolbar links easy to read.

Share you favorite Personas theme links, or totally expected criticism of how much time this could waste, in the comments.

Hive Five: Five Best Mind Mapping Applications [Hive Five]

Mind mapping is a great way to add structure to brainstorming sessions and visualize your ideas. Check out the applications your fellow readers use to do their best brainstorming.

Earlier this week we asked you to share which mind mapping application helped you brainstorm most effectively. The votes are in and we’re back to share the results and arm you with the tools to make your next think tank meeting that much more productive.

MindMeister (Web Application, Free)

MindMeister is by far the most simplistic mind mapping tool in the top five, but its simplicity is definitely an asset. Once you’re logged into the service, you can create a fully functional mind map using little more than the directional arrows and the Insert key to add new nodes to your map. Additional customizations like font size and node colors are available for when you want to go beyond the basics. In the upper right corner is a navigation window, handy for when your mind maps become larger than the display space. Exporting is also a strong point for MindMeister; you can export your files to a text outline, PDF, JPG, PNG, or GIF. MindMeister’s history function lets you view past versions of your mind map and revert to them if you desire. You can share your maps for public collaboration or hand-select collaborators. Upgrading from the free account to the premium account gives you some handy additional features like map searching, offline editing, and the ability to export your maps to popular software like FreeMind and MindManager.

MindJet MindManager (Windows/Mac, $399)

MindJet MindManager isn't cheap by any means, but you get more than your share of value and sophistication for the hundreds you spend on the program. The interface and feature set of MindManager are very polished, and the primary menus are set up like the Microsoft Office Ribbon. After the initial installation, MindManager walks you through the creation of a sample mind map—helpful both to familiarize you with the interface but also to show you features you may have overlooked. MindManager is definitely oriented towards corporate environments, including extensive integration with the Office suite and support for linking your mind maps directly into common database formats like MySQL and Access. Finding information in large mind maps is easy thanks to topic sorting, filtering, and text search tools. Mind maps can be exported in a variety of formats, but most notably in interactive PDF files and embeddable Flash animations. MindManager is available as a 30 day trial.

XMind (Windows/Mac/Linux, Free)

XMind is the kind of free application that makes you forget you’re not paying for the privilege of using it. The interface is simple and intuitive to use. You can quickly move through your entire mind map with only a handful of keystrokes or jump over to the outline view for even quicker navigation. In addition to a basic mind map you can also create fishbone, organizational, tree, and logic charts. You can export charts as HTML, images, or text, and XMind comes a free account on XMind.net which allows you to share your charts online and embed them into blogs and web sites. There is a professional version of XMind which expands on the functionality of the base application and allows you to create online charts and collaborate with others. XMind Pro is $49 per year, but most people will find the free version more than robust enough for their mind mapping needs. Portable versions available for all three supported platforms.

FreeMind (Java, Free)

One of FreeMind's strongest selling points is a Java-based implementation. Whether you use it on Ubuntu or Windows, the features and user interface remain consistent. FreeMind is keyboard friendly with the core functionality well covered by keyboard shortcuts—I made the sample mind map pictured here without ever touching the mouse. The visual elements of your mind maps are highly customizable, including custom icons for flagging nodes on the map, color coding, grouping, and more. Mind maps created with FreeMind can be exported as HTML, PDF, and PNG files, among others.The support wiki for FreeMind is extensive and goes well beyond simply explaining how the application functions, covering things like how to add your own keyboard shortcuts and how to make the application portable.

iMindMap (Windows/Mac/Linux, $99-295)

iMindMap can claim two distinctions among the top five tools. First, it's the biggest download—weighing in at 135MB. Second it's the only application on the list developed by Tony Buzan—who lays claim to being the inventor of the mind map. iMindMap takes a different approach to mapping than the other applications in the list. Rather than create new nodes off the main idea by adding boxes, nodes are created by clicking in the center or the main idea and drawing away from it with the mouse. Each new idea is a branch off the center. Strangely, many of basic feature available in free mind-mapping software are only found in the more expensive versions of iMindMap, like the ability to expand and collapse branches. Mind maps created in iMindMap can be exported as PDF, JPG, PNG and text outline; a 7 day trial is available.

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A small aside: Although we didn’t include it because the topic of this Hive Five was mind mapping software, it bears noting that nearly 20% of the votes went to analog methods like pencil and paper and using a whiteboard. For all your geeky ways, many of you have much love for good old fashioned analog brainstorming.

Now that you’ve seen the contenders for the crown of Master of the Mind Map, it’s time to log your vote for your favorite:

Which Mind Mapping Software Is Best?
( polls)

Agree with the spread? Can’t believe your favorite mind mapping tool didn’t make the top five? Sound off with your opinions in the comments below.

This Week’s Top Downloads [Download Roundup]

• Top 10 Tiny & Awesome Windows Utilities (Windows)
  It’s the little things that make a Windows system great-like utilities that use less than 10MB of memory to make your life easier. Here are 10 apps that pack a lot of greatness into very little space.
• Killer Typography Tools and Free Font Downloads
  Whether you’re putting together a resume, flyer, or web page, everyone needs to find and compare fonts some time. Here are some tools that can help you find the perfect font.
• Magnifique Customizes Your OS X Theme (Mac)
  Not keen on Leopard’s default theme, or just prefer to ditch the status quo for something more your style? Free application Mangifique quickly and easily swaps custom themes in OS X.
• Better Gmail for Google Chrome (Windows)
  Better Gmail for Google Chrome is a compilation of user scripts designed to enhance your Gmail experience-and to make it easy, we’ve tested and bundled them together in one easy download.
• Synergy-Plus Controls Multiple Systems from a Single Keyboard & Mouse (Windows)
  We took a strong liking to controlling multiple computers with a single keyboard and mouse nearly two years ago, and the concept’s still cool, but the software hasn’t updated. Synergy-Plus keeps the multi-control party going.
• Boxee Adds Pandora, PBS, New API (and Fixes Hulu) (WIndows/Mac/Linux)
  Open-source media center Boxee debuted a new Alpha release tonight, adding support for Pandora music streaming, PBS video feeds, and changes that open it up to more multimedia goodness (oh, and fix Hulu streaming, too).
• Outlook 2007 Update Boosts Performance and Responsiveness (Windows)
  Microsoft is offering a “cumulative update” for Outlook 2007 users running SP1 that its developers promise will improve hard disk usage, startup and shutdown times, and help those with smaller, cached mailbox storage.
• Display Your Desktop Icons in List View (Windows)
  DesktopListView is an really tiny application that activates a list view of small icons on your destop, giving you more room for an intriguing desktop or custom-sized windows.
• Vuze Converts BitTorrent Downloads to Device-Friendly Formats (Windows/Mac/Linux)
  Vuze-one of the most popular BitTorrent clients around-has just added a killer feature that allows you to easily transcode any download so its playable on your iPhone, iPod, Apple TV, PS3, and Xbox 360.
• Close’n Forget Removes Browser Tracks of the Site You’re On (Firefox)
  Close’n Forget, one of the runners-up for Mozilla’s Best Firefox 3 Extensions, has updated to, well, actually work more often, erasing any site’s cookie/history/AwesomeBar evidence from Firefox with one button click.

Remains of the Day: PCs Are Cheaper Than Macs Edition [For What It's Worth]

Microsoft takes another stab at fighting off the negative connotation of “I’m a PC” by emphasizing that PCs are more affordable than Macs.

• PC to Mac: I’m Cheaper
  See video. [WSJ]
• What Kind of Party Can You Have for $50?
  What would your budget-conscious $50 party consist of? [NYT]
• How To Know When A Project Is Complete (And Avoid Overworking)
  No need to waste your time when the project’s already done. [Freelance Folder]
• Do you tip for haughty service?
  Does the social pressure of tipping outweigh the point of the tip? [SFGate]

First Look at Ubuntu 9.04 “Jaunty Jackalope” Beta [Screenshot Tour]

The name’s ridiculous, but “Jaunty Jackalope,” the next release of the popular Linux distribution Ubuntu, is seriously focused on the user experience. Dig what’s new and improved in the beta of Ubuntu 9.04, due out today.

We’ve covered bits and pieces of what’s coming up for Ubuntu 9.04 in the past few months, such as Mac/Growl-like notifications (that you can grab now, if you want), some stylish community themes, and the speedier ext4 filesystem.

One feature I couldn’t show in the screenshots was the improved boot time in Jaunty. Having lived in it for about a week and installed a few apps, it took 24.9 seconds from choosing my OS to boot in Grub to a login window, and about 19 seconds more to get to a fully-loaded desktop (about 43 total).

What’s below are screenshots taken from the last alpha version before it. If Jaunty’s release schedule holds (and it almost always does), a final release is just a month off. Ubuntu’s beta releases are usually pretty close to the final thing, though, and it’s easy enough to download an ISO file, then live-boot and test it without harm using UNetbootin from Windows or Linux.

Yada yada technical geekery. Here’s how Ubuntu 9.04 looks and works different from before; click on a thumbnail for a bigger view and description:

Ubuntu’s release controllers are having a slow morning (or late night?), so look for the 9.04 beta later today—we'll update the post with a link, and any new changes, when it goes live.

For a thoroughly detailed screenshot tour of the KDE and Xfce-based variants of Ubuntu 9.04, Kubuntu and Xubuntu, check out Softpedia’s review of Ubuntu 9.04 Alpha 6.

What are you liking about the Jaunty Jackalope? What’s still on your must-have list before a Linux switch makes sense? Tell us everything in the comments.