Firefox shortcuts

Image via Wikipedia

I know browsing online is usually a one handed activity with most people blissfully unaware that there are more than a few ways to hasten processes. Granted browsing faster isn't the goal here, it's browsing more efficiently. We all know how draining it can be in most cases, especially when the time frame extends to more than an hour or so. 

Here are some shortcuts that I stumbled upon and thought i'd make it into a limited, non-exhaustive, compendium and add to it from other sources and my own trials in the future. **** I've only tried these out on Firefox 3.6.13 so don't know if they are valid on other versions or browsers. ****

In the address bar, which is where you type in the website's address or URL (pronounced Earl) you can just type the name of the site without the prefix and suffix and press the following for a few different domain extensions:

• Control + Enter - inserts the site name within www and .com
• Shift + Enter - inserts the site name within www and .net
• Control + Shift + Enter - inserts the site name within www and .org

If there are multiple tabs open, then holding down the Control key and pressing the Tab key will successively cycle through the open tabs. Control + 'T' will open a new tab.

To navigate between web pages, Control + Left arrow will take you the previous page you were one and Control + Right arrow will take you to the next latest page opened.

Happy [efficient] browsing folks. And happy holidays.

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• FireFox and the Back button (edugeek.net)

RED, a personal review

RED was unexpectedly delightful and entertaining. A movie about retired agency veterans who are now deemed liabilities and targeted. The retirees however prove that they're stalwart as ever. The scenarios are somewhat whimsical but stay within the bounds of reality, somewhat.
Bar one certain scene which seemed a bit surreal and unmistakeably CGI-like, the action sequences were explosive and enthralling without being over the top. The scene in question is where Bruce Willis non-nonchalantly steps out of a skidding car; it looks more realistic in the movie than in the trailers.
The plot isn't too complex, but sufficient. RED is one of the few pleasant surprises of fall 2010.

 R.E.D. the movie

And the winner is: Amazon's Kindle Wifi

So without blogging further details about other e-readers (first), I decided to go ahead with the Kindle Wifi.

For a variety of reasons I chose the Kindle over the others, primarily because of value. Even though being in Ireland means I had to put up with ridiculous shipping and import charges (estimated) from the US Amazon site,

                [ note: It's not possible to purchase from Amazon.co.uk if you're in Ireland or other countries; 

                       it is a good deal for UK residents though. ]

it still only cost me around € 147 in total. Comparing that to other top brands with 6 inch screens, it's a bargain. ****The only comparable pricing (€ 100-150) I could get was with the Sony PRS - 600 touch and pocket models available at Hughes & Hughes in the Stephen's Green Shopping Center in Dublin. But that's last year's model with glare issues.****

On a side note, I did have use for my laws of purchasing in deciding. The first one was completely fulfilled since it's been a good few years since I came across the [my] first ever e-reader. I'm assuming it was the Sony PRS 300 from youtube videos. It looked like a novel idea but the price was inhibitive and the refresh rate for pages was painful. The second rule was hard to follow at first, but, eventually, international shipping and duties made it a hell of a lot easier. I had wanted (still do) the Kindle DX, which is more suitable for textbooks and content with diagrams, reference material etc. but factoring in the extra costs drove it to the upper limits of € 300 mark. Not to mention that with upcoming technological advances such colour e-readers, simliar to e-ink technology, virtue of companies like mirasol (Anticipated to enter the fray and with larger screens with more features inevitably becoming cheaper within the next year or so) the Wifi only model seems a very prudent purchase.

The Kindle's built-in Wifi was a strong selling point. Even though the primary use isn't web-browsing, it does enable searching for books and getting more information possible on the go and without being tethered to a computer.The only difference between the Wifi and 3G models is the 3G and that isn't very compelling to pay a higher price. A larger screen on the other hand would've warranted it. Now I just have to wait to get my hands on it to review and read like a mad scientist, or some other person who likes reading, madly.