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Shrink Pic Resizes Images Automagically for Faster Uploads [Downloads]

Posted on December 30, 2009
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Windows only: Image resizing tools are a dime a dozen, but free utility Shrink Pic is actually an extremely clever original: Instead of requiring manual processing, it runs in the background and automatically resizes images whenever you attach or upload them.

A perfect tool for frequent Facebook uploaders, for example, Shrink Pic works with a number of applications (most browsers, Outlook, Thunderbird, Skype, and MSN Messenger, to name just a few) to monitor when you upload, attach, or send pictures via IM. When you do, it automatically resizes the images in the background based on user-defined settings, then uploads the smaller image (so you don’t have to wait several minutes for an upload to complete just to have it severely compressed at its destination anyway). It can even resize multiple photos in the same upload. The speed at which it resizes and the quality of the compression are nothing to sneeze at, either.

Shrink Pic saves the resized images in a temporary directory, so your originals are never touched—just copied. You can use any kind of compression level you want, as well as choose from 5 different photo types to check for. If you want to disable it, all you need to do is uncheck an option in your system tray—and re-enabling it is just as easy. You can even install a portable version to a USB drive, so you never have to resize images again—not even at other computers.

Shrink Pic is a free download, Windows only.






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Digsby Sees the Light, Removes (Some) Bundled Crapware [Downloads]

Posted on September 17, 2009
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It’s been a month since we showed you how Digsby was using your PC to make money, and today they’ve responded with a new version that actually bothers to ask your permission before using your PC.

The Good: Research Module Finally Asks for Permission

Our single biggest complaint about Digsby was that they were using your PC to make money, while burying that fact into the terms of service that (almost) nobody bothers to read. That type of sneaky behavior is, as we pointed out, despicable, and you will now have the option during the installation process to uncheck the box for “Allow Digsby to use idle CPU time for grid computing”, as well as a link to a page that explains more. Much better.

We would prefer if that option was unchecked by default, but at the very least the option is now there, and they’ve added a new tab to the Preferences panel to allow you to configure when it kicks in, the amount of CPU and bandwidth it can use, and there is a very clear definition of exactly what the module is for. This is exactly how they should have introduced it in the first place!

The Bad: Crapware Installer Replaced with the Awful Ask Toolbar

When it comes to (legit) bundled crapware that nobody anywhere wants, the Ask Toolbar is the one you'll see almost everywhere. Digsby isn't alone—loads of mainstream software like Java, Skype, Foxit, DivX, uTorrent, and Winamp all bundle toolbars that nobody wants, in the hopes that they can trick somebody into using their alternative search engine and making them money through ad clicks.

Digsby also offers during the installation process to replace your home page with “Google Powered Digsby Search”, and “Add Amazon and Ebay Search” to your browser, which means every time you use those search engines and buy something or click an ad, you will make them money. Thankfully, all of these items are optional so you can choose whether you want to support them in that way or not. (They’re not the only people who make money this way, and it’s certainly among the less intrusive options.)

The Ugly: Trust Is Hard to Earn, Easy to Lose

Digsby's response to this debacle is a huge step in the right direction, and we're thrilled that they appear to really be making an effort to increase transparency with their users. We put our reputation on the line by recommending Digsby in the first place, only to find out they were abusing their users. Now that they've turned things around—which we're thrilled to see—the decision to reinstall is yours. For my part, I'm going to stick with the open-source Pidgin client.

So what say you, former (or current) Digsby users? Are these changes enough to make you re-install? Voice your opinion in the comments.




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Yahoo Upgrades Mail, Messenger, and Search [Yahoo]

Posted on August 24, 2009
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Yahoo Mail users are getting 25MB attachment limits and easier photo uploading, a new Messenger beta allows for full-screen video chat and social network link-ins, and searchers will get refinement and analytic results as part of Yahoo’s big Monday announcements.

The big thing that everyone will find use for is an increase in Yahoo Mail’s attachment size limits from 10 to 25MB. Multiple photos and images can now be selected for upload, and rotated and previewed before they’re sent. Yahoo’s also allowing Mail users to hook in third-party applications like Flickr, PayPal, Picnik, Xoopit, and ZumoDrive, and adding a consistent header to all its applications. These features, available in “New Yahoo! Mail,” should be rolling out to all users shortly.

Messenger actually has a whole new app out, one that allows for full-screen video chat and a side-panel Updates view that shows what your contacts have been up to on Flickr, Twitter, and other web spaces. The beta, for Windows only, is a free download.

Finally, certain Yahoo searchers will get results that offer both filtering by topic/subject, and contextual follow-ups when you search one term after another. As Yahoo explains it, if you search for “cat” and then “jaguar,” its engine should know that, based on the “cat” search, your “jaguar” is much more likely a creature than a luxury vehicle.

Tell us what you like and don’t about Yahoo’s bushel of new changes in the comments.






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Best Instant Messenger: Trillian Astra* [Hive Five Followup]

Posted on July 28, 2009
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Last week we asked you to share your favorite instant messaging client with us, and then we rounded up the top five contenders and asked you to vote for your favorite. Now we’re back to share the results with you, though we are slightly dubious with how things turned out. Leading the vote by a wide margin was Trillian Astra, followed by Digsby, and then Pidgin. Why are we dubious?

Trillian Astra and Digsby are both packed with features that contributed to their inclusion in the original Call for Contenders fair and square, but we can't help but note—as sharp eyed readers also did—that both Digsby and Trillian sent IM alerts encouraging their entire user base to come vote in the Hive Five poll.

Many developers have written blog posts or notified their users in some way or another about the Hive Five, so neither company crossed any well laid-out lines, and while we don’t have strict rules about it, these IM alerts did seem to have a considerable impact on the direction of the voting. With that in mind, we’d encourage you to go check out the Hive Five and read about each of the five best IM tools to determine which one is the best fit for you.





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AIM for iPhone Updates with Push Notifications [Downloads]

Posted on June 23, 2009
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iPhone only: When we toured iPhone 3.0′s best features, we mentioned we hadn’t yet seen many applications that supported push notifications. Now one of the big ones—AIM—does, delivering instant background messages even when it's not running.

As a refresher, Apple doesn’t allow the iPhone to run background applications. As a workaround, the new iPhone 3.0 supports push notifications that send SMS-like alerts straight to your phone even when an application isn’t running. That means that you get the benefits of background apps with none of the battery drain.

I tested out the new AIM (free version) over the course of the day, and overall the push notifications seem to be working really well. I wasn’t receiving notifications when I was still actively logged into AIM through my desktop client, but once I signed off at my desktop, the push notifications started making their way to my iPhone.

As with all apps supporting push notifications, you have the option to toggle the in-your-face level of the notifications, selectively enabling sounds, alerts, and badges. If you’ve been playing with AIM or other push notification-supporting apps since the 3.0 update, let’s hear how it’s been working for you in the comments.

Note Unfortunately the AIM client only supports, well, AIM. If you’re looking for multi-protocol support and push notifications, the $10 Beejive looks like a great (though expensive) solution.

AIM (Free Edition) [iTunes App Store]





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