Dr. Augustine Fou's Online Scrapbook

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Block Text Message Spam on (Almost) Any Cell Phone [Cell Phones]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/313064844/block-text-message-spam-on-almost-any-cell-phone

The New York Times' David Pogue put together a super-helpful list of ways to block text message spam on your cell phone, covering most major wireless carriers. Each involves logging in at your cell provider's web site and heading to often unadvertised blocking features. Some carriers (AT&T, Verizon) offer advanced filtering and even alias creation to avoid deleting legitimate web-to-phone messages sent to your xxxxxxxxxx@whatever.carrier.com address, while others offer more wholesale web/email filtering. Got a nice multi-carrier solution to share? Let's hear about it in the comments. Photo by Kirill.

How to Block Cellphone Spam [Pogue's Posts | NYT]

Search Saved Passwords In Firefox 3 [Firefox 3]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/313034717/search-saved-passwords-in-firefox-3

Trying to recall which username and password you use for which web site, or if you even have a log in to begin with? Firefox 3 includes a built-in search function for the saved passwords.

To check it out, go to Tools, Options and then the Security Tab. Then click on the "Saved Passwords..." button under the Passwords section.

Enter a full or partial search term and find that elusive username and password. (Firefox 3's official release is scheduled for tomorrow, June 17th.)

Search Through Your Saved Passwords [Firefox Facts]

Dia Does Powerful Diagrams and Flowcharts [Featured Download]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/313204283/dia-does-powerful-diagrams-and-flowcharts

Windows/Linux only: Open-source application Dia is a robust flowchart and diagram tool. Like a free version of Microsoft Visio, Dia provides you with all the tools you need to create anything from a simple flowchart to a powerful and complex diagram, and files can be saved in many formats, including a Visio Drawing-compatible VDX filetype. Dia is free, Windows and Linux only. If you'd prefer building your diagrams on the web, check out previously mentioned Gliffy.

Dia [via OStatic]

Sxipper Automatically Fills in Web Forms [Featured Firefox Extension]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/313305926/sxipper-automatically-fills-in-web-forms

Firefox only (Windows/Mac/Linux): Firefox extension Sxipper automates your web logins and form filling through a simple, attractive interface. Once installed, you can create different personas into Sxipper for quick form filling for site registrations, and Sxipper automatically works with Firefox's existing saved logins. The extension can either learn and build personas based on information you've already used in forms, or you can import other form and password data from other programs like Roboform or plain old vCards. Sxipper is free, works wherever Firefox does.

Sxipper [Firefox Add-ons via Nethackz]

DIY Heat Blocking Curtains [Heat Hacks]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/313286948/diy-heat-blocking-curtains

If the sun beating on your windows this summer is baking the place—or just making your air conditioner work harder—you can hang material that blocks the heat in your windows. Do-it-yourselfer thenickboy says:

To save electricity with our super expensive A/C, I constructed reflective curtains to block sunlight from warming our house. Think auto windshield. This is super simple and kind of obvious, but it works well.

Basically he hung foam, reflective material that windshield blockers are made of as curtains. Along similar lines, home blogger Emily Gertz did the same using foam and aluminum foil.

Beat the Heat for Cheap: Reflective panels for your windows [Apartment Ecology via Make]
Heat blocking curtains [Instructables via Make]