New Firefox Add-on for searching the Wayback Machine

via What's New at the Internet Archive by internetarchive on 6/8/10

Fellow time travelers,

We have a new Firefox add-on that allows you to search the Wayback Machine from your browser. You can get it at: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/162148/.

For those who have yet to travel back in time, the Internet Archive Wayback Machine allows you to browse through over 150 billion web pages archived from 1996 to a few months ago.

So install the Wayback Machine Firefox add-on and take a trip.

-Jeff Kaplan


Thoughts on Safari 5

The Reader feature is interesting, and it shows great room for improvement. You just have to click the “Reader” button up in the address bar (or press ⇧⌘R) to tell Safari to extract text from an article, and it will display it just fine in a modal window that dims the original page. Like this. You can increase and decrease the font size in this window, email the article and print it. These shortcuts are useful.
via macstories.net

Those who use Instapaper will find the Reader similar. Safari 5 provides HTML5 support and allows extensions. Can't wait to try it myself.

Coda Notes: a Safari Extension

When you install Coda Notes, you’ll get a new button in your toolbar. Click it to see all our annotation tools, built right into Safari. Draw some notes on your favorite website. Communicate changes, ideas, concepts, or problems. Then, when you’re done, hit the Send Notes button and the whole page flips over as a postcard.
via panic.com

Can't wait to try this one out! I use the Coda app for web development and love it so my guess is this will be another delightful app.

iPad Help: Take Control of iPad Basics

Take Control of iPad Basics

Learn key iPad concepts and skills with this free ebook!

Whether you've already used an iPad or you're starting from a blank slate, Take Control editor-in-chief Tonya Engst helps you patch the blank spots in your basic iPad know-how. She walks those who haven't yet made the leap through deciding which iPad and accessories to buy, after which she helps you understand the iPad's buttons and ports, learn multi-touch gestures, download apps, sync data and media, find your stuff, and avoid newbie mistakes. The ebook wraps up with a discussion of how to impress your friends with a great iPad demo!

Why is this ebook free? Two reasons. The iPad is easy to use, but it's also completely unfamiliar for many people, and we wanted to help new users become comfortable more quickly. Also, we have a number of other Take Control ebooks about the iPad, and by collecting all the iPad basics in this ebook, those books can instead focus on the more-subtle details and expert advice that sets Take Control titles apart.

via takecontrolbooks.com

The Take Control of books are always good references and this one has lots of good information for new iPad users.

Looking for some writing help?

You might find Roy Peter Clark's fascinating Writing Tools: 50 Essential Strategies for Every Writer helpful. If you've low on cash, but have iTunes, you'll also find him at iTunes U with a podcast version of Tools. Each podcast discusses one tool and only takes a couple of minutes. This podcast is sponsored by the Poynter Institute so just search iTunes for Poynter and you'll find it. You might find another Poynter course - The Practice of Journalism: Writing and Editing - interesting too.