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Display the full URL in Firefox with this tweak

For most users, Firefox's hiding the "http://" prefix and the trailing slash of Web site addresses in its URL bar falls somewhere between a non-issue and preferred. (By default, for example, Firefox displays howto.cnet.com instead of http://howto.cnet.com/.) These users get a cleaner view of the Web site they are visiting and go about their day.

If you make it a regular practice to enter your own characters after the the trailing slash, however, then you can tell Firefox to stop trimming URLs in such a manner. Here's how:

Step 1: Type … Read more

How to check your Facebook notifications with Google Reader

There are many ways to check your Facebook notifications throughout the day. You might use push notifications from your mobile app or perhaps you simply go to Facebook's Web site and see if you have any new notifications.

Another way to check Facebook notifications is to use an RSS reader, like Google Reader. If you're already in Google Reader for most of the day checking your news updates, adding your Facebook notifications might make sense. Here's how:

Step 1: Go to https://www.facebook.com/notifications and make sure you're logged in to your Facebook account.… Read more

Easily stream radio and podcasts with UberTalk

Perhaps the recent theatrical release of "The Hobbit" will make the following statement sound less dated, but I doubt it. Either way, I'm going to say it: UberTalk is the one audio streaming app (or site) to rule them all. By audio streaming, I mean live radio shows and podcasts. And by all, I mean a great many.

UberTalk lets you listen to 20,000 AM/FM radio shows and podcasts, according to the developer, Michael Robertson of MP3.com fame. Although the selection is large, UberTalk limits radio to terrestrial stations; sorry Stern fans.

On UberTalk.com, … Read more

Meet like-minded music fans with Moosify

Moosify promises to help you "meet new people through music and places," without the actual need to go to any places to listen to music. Available as a Spotify app or for iPhone or for Android, Moosify lets you connect with people with similar tastes in music or near your vicinity. To get a sense of how the app works, I tried out Moosify on Spotify and my iPhone.

On Spotify, the app loads and forces you to log in via Facebook. After logging in, you are greeted with a grid of Moosify users. Clicking the play button … Read more

Get a year of Bitcasa unlimited cloud storage for $69

Running out of space on your hard drive? Hey, even in these days of seemingly endless gigabytes, it happens.

Bitcasa is a new service that aims to supplant your hard drive with unlimited cloud storage. And by supplant I mean replace -- kind of.

I'll circle back on that in a minute. For now, consider this: a year of Bitcasa no-limit storage normally runs $99, but right now you can get a year of Bitcasa Infinite for $69. If that doesn't immediately butter your bacon, how about a 10GB Bitcasa account absolutely free?

Update: As eagle-eyed reader brotherj2k … Read more

Get help choosing a movie on Netflix with a Chrome extension

Would you like to know what lazy looks like? It looks like me and my wife on a Friday night, worn out from a long week, lying on our respective couches in front of the TV after getting the kids in bed and cleaning up the kitchen, too tired to browse Netflix for something to watch. We are terrible at managing our queue, and many nights we don't fire up a movie on Netflix because of the browsing and agreeing process it requires. The following Chrome extension may not help you reach an accord with your significant other during … Read more

Set defaults for home and work addresses in Google Maps

Do you use Google Maps for directions often? How about when you're looking for a new apartment or even school for your children? Almost every time you'll probably wonder how far away the selected place is from your home or work. Luckily, Google Maps allows you to set these addresses so you don't have to type them in each time.

Here's how to get started:

Step 1: Open your Web browser to Google Maps. Make sure you're signed into your account.

Step 2: Click the My places button near the upper left-hand side of … Read more

How to unsend Twitter direct messages

The best thing about old AOL -- which is to say, the best thing about the mid-1990s -- was unsend. If you sent an e-mail to another AOL user, up until the moment that person actually opened it, you had the option of taking it all back. It was like it never happened! Gmail has a lot of optional features that let you create impediments to hasty e-mailing, but in the end, it won't retrieve your message from the recipient's inbox.

Fun fact: Twitter will.

Maybe you were angry, maybe you were love sick, maybe you were drunk. … Read more

Stream media to your iPhone or iPad with Skifta

Perhaps Skifta works better on Android. A universal iOS version of the app was released earlier this month, and I found it to be buggy and prone to crashing. It's worth keeping an eye on, however, because if done right, it could be a useful app for the iPhone and particularly the iPad. Skifta is a free app that lets you stream video, music, and photos from your PC or another networked device in your home. There are also a number of Internet services you can connect to in order to stream media on your iOS device.

If you'… Read more

With which service can you watch that movie?

So many streaming services, so little time. It's no fun starting off an evening by spending more time searching for a movie to watch than actually watching a movie. If you often find yourself paralyzed by choice with the many options available today, Can I Stream.it? can help. Whether using the Can I Stream.it? Web site, iPhone app, or Android app, the service lets you search across multiple platforms to find the movie or TV show you want.

The service tracks subscription streaming services, digital rentals, digital purchases, DVD and Blu-ray purchases and rentals, and online fare … Read more