New Windows Live Writer is Here

New Windows Live Writer is Here

Microsoft released a new version of Windows Live Writer 1.0 (beta 2). This WYSIWYG blog editing software is a vast improvement over the previous version and a must-have upgrade.

There's an inline spell checker (so readers will complain less about spelling errors), support for HTML tables and a reminder option that will make sure you don't post stuff without adding appropriate titles and categories / tags.

Blogger users will love the support for labels. Wordpress fans can now compose static pages or add new categories right inside WLW without logging into Wordpress Dashboard.

Like Microsoft Word or Excel, you have a new "Paste Special" function that lets you copy-paste stuff into WLW with or without formatting.

Your old plugins will still work in the new release of Windows Live Writer. The Temporary Post issue now occurs only if you enable Web Preview for your blog posts.

Writer synchronizes drafts on your blog with changes you make when you're offline, so you don't have to worry about reconciling different versions.

There's another useful change - Windows Live Writer now allows you to upload images without applying borders or drop shadows, something which was not possible with the previous version.

The new Vista style look-n-feel of the WLW interface is also very refreshing.

Unfortunately, Blogger users will still have to depend up Picasa or Blogger Web Editor for uploading pictures since the Blogger Picture API is not yet integrated with Windows Live Writer. Expect that to change in the coming release.

Download WL_Writer.exe [5.4 MB]

Most Useful Windows Live Writer Plugins


Wish to enhance your blogging experience with Windows Live Writer ? Here are some very useful plug-ins that will supercharge your copy of Windows Live Writer.

Blog This - This is like the Tumble bookmarklet for quick blogging - select some text on a web page in IE or Firefox and click the Blog This button - it will launch a new blog post prepopulated with the title, text snippet and URL of the current webpage.

Insert Video - Use this to quickly embed video clips from YouTube, Google Video or Myspace Videos into your blog posts. Just type the URL of the video and the plugin will generate the code for you.

Flickr4Writer - If you are a Flickr member, this plugin will help you browse your Flickr photos and insert them into your blog posts.

Social Bookmarks - Add social bookmarking icons (like digg, del.icio.us, furl, yahoo!) in your blog posts that will allow readers to save or share your articles on these social sites.

Screen Captures - This is like an offline version of Picnik Screen Capture. Specify a webpage URL and this plugin will insert a screenshot of that page in your blog post that you can later resize or apply image effects.

Syntax Highlighter - Recommended for geeks and developers who frequently share code on their blogs. This plugin will highlight the code syntax and language specific keywords in various colors.

WebSnapr - Allows you to insert thumbnail images of web pages in your blog posts similar to ones that you see on Alexa or Snap.com

Insert Code - It formats a snippet of text in a number of programming languages such as C#, HTML or JavaScript. Makes the source code more readable.

For additional Windows Live Writer plugins, please visit the Live Gallery and the excellent WLWPlugins.com. Want to write your own Windows Writer Plugin ? Try this useful guide by Keyyan Nayyeri (uses C#).

From labnol.blogspot

Media players more dangerous than Windows

 
Windows users face the greatest security risks today not from flaws in Windows itself but from unpatched media players.

That's because many Windows Secrets readers, according to an online test we sponsored, are running versions of Flash, Java, and QuickTime that are unpatched against the latest security threats


1. Adobe Flash Player 9.x

2. Sun Java JRE 1.6.x/6.x

3. Macromedia Flash Player 6.x

4. Macromedia Flash Player 8.x

5. Macromedia Flash Player 7.x

6. Apple QuickTime 7.x

7. Macromedia Flash Player 5.x

8. Mozilla Firefox 2.0.x

9. Macromedia Flash Player 4.x

10. Adobe Reader 7.x

All of these applications are media players, browser plug-ins that play media files, or a browser itself (i.e., Firefox). All of these programs can be attacked across the Internet — for example, if you play an infected Flash video you find on a Web site or that you received via e-mail. Consequently, using an older version of these program poses a real security risk..

Indeed, it isn't hard to find reports of security holes for any of these applications. Numerous public advisories describe serious flaws in Adobe Flash Player, Sun Java, Apple QuickTime, Mozilla Firefox, and Adobe Reader — all of which should be updated at least monthly by users.


Keep your Web tools up to date

Fortunately, all of the applications mentioned above support automatic updating. In addition, they allow you to choose to update them manually, if you prefer to run monthly updates on your own. Here are the steps to take to update each program:

To update Adobe Flash Player:

The update settings for Adobe Flash Player are stored on your computer but are accessed via the Web.

Step 1. Launch a Web browser and navigate to the Global Notification panel of the Settings Manager using this Macromedia link.

Step 2. Use the checkbox to turn automatic updating on (checked) or off (unchecked). Configure the drop-down list to determine how frequently the program will check for updates.

If you prefer to update the Flash Player manually, you'll need to visit Adobe's download page periodically.

To update Sun Java:

Step 1. In the Windows Control Panel, launch the Java applet. You can also right-click the Java icon in the Taskbar tray and choose Open Control Panel.

Step 2. Click the Update tab. Use the controls there to customize the update notification. Click OK.

If you prefer to update Java manually, uncheck the box for automatic updating. Then return to this dialog box periodically and click Update Now at the bottom of the Update tab.

To update Apple QuickTime:

Step 1. In the Windows Control Panel, launch the QuickTime applet. You can also right-click the QuickTime icon in the Taskbar tray and choose QuickTime Preferences or Check for QuickTime Updates.

Step 2. If necessary, click the Update tab. Use the checkbox to determine whether the software checks for updates automatically. Click OK.

If you prefer to update QuickTime manually, uncheck the box for automatic updating. Then return to this dialog box periodically and click the Update button. If an update is found, click OK to proceed.

To update Mozilla Firefox:

Step 1. In Firefox, choose Tools, Options.

Step 2. Click the Update tab. Use the Firefox checkbox to set your preference for automatic updating. When checked, it enables additional options for customizing how updates occur. Click OK.

If you prefer to update Firefox manually, uncheck the Firefox box in this dialog box. Then periodically choose Help, Check for Updates.

To update Adobe Reader:

Step 1. In Adobe Reader, choose Help, Check for Updates.

Step 2. If the dialog title reads simply "Adobe Updater," click Preferences.

Step 3. Use the controls in the Adobe Updater Preferences dialog box to customize update notification. Click OK.

Use the Software Inspector on your own PC

Now it's time to check your own system using the free Software Inspector at Secunia.com. This online utility requires Java to run, so you should use the Java update procedure described above to make sure you have the latest version of Java before proceeding.



Keep your Web tools up to date

Fortunately, all of the applications mentioned above support automatic updating. In addition, they allow you to choose to update them manually, if you prefer to run monthly updates on your own. Here are the steps to take to update each program:

To update Adobe Flash Player:

The update settings for Adobe Flash Player are stored on your computer but are accessed via the Web.

Step 1. Launch a Web browser and navigate to the Global Notification panel of the Settings Manager using this Macromedia link.

Step 2. Use the checkbox to turn automatic updating on (checked) or off (unchecked). Configure the drop-down list to determine how frequently the program will check for updates.

If you prefer to update the Flash Player manually, you'll need to visit Adobe's download page periodically.

To update Sun Java:

Step 1. In the Windows Control Panel, launch the Java applet. You can also right-click the Java icon in the Taskbar tray and choose Open Control Panel.

Step 2. Click the Update tab. Use the controls there to customize the update notification. Click OK.

If you prefer to update Java manually, uncheck the box for automatic updating. Then return to this dialog box periodically and click Update Now at the bottom of the Update tab.

To update Apple QuickTime:

Step 1. In the Windows Control Panel, launch the QuickTime applet. You can also right-click the QuickTime icon in the Taskbar tray and choose QuickTime Preferences or Check for QuickTime Updates.

Step 2. If necessary, click the Update tab. Use the checkbox to determine whether the software checks for updates automatically. Click OK.

If you prefer to update QuickTime manually, uncheck the box for automatic updating. Then return to this dialog box periodically and click the Update button. If an update is found, click OK to proceed.

To update Mozilla Firefox:

Step 1. In Firefox, choose Tools, Options.

Step 2. Click the Update tab. Use the Firefox checkbox to set your preference for automatic updating. When checked, it enables additional options for customizing how updates occur. Click OK.

If you prefer to update Firefox manually, uncheck the Firefox box in this dialog box. Then periodically choose Help, Check for Updates.

To update Adobe Reader:

Step 1. In Adobe Reader, choose Help, Check for Updates.

Step 2. If the dialog title reads simply "Adobe Updater," click Preferences.

Step 3. Use the controls in the Adobe Updater Preferences dialog box to customize update notification. Click OK.

Use the Software Inspector on your own PC

Now it's time to check your own system using the free Software Inspector at Secunia.com. This online utility requires Java to run, so you should use the Java update procedure described above to make sure you have the latest version of Java before proceeding.



Use this link to test your PC with Software Inspector

What it does: This scan will find software (including the operating system) with known security flaws for which patches exist. The on-screen report lists your updated apps (with a green checkmark) and nonupdated apps (with a red X). If you have multiple copies of a single application installed, the report will list each version. Click the "+" icon to the left of each item for more information, including the specific path to each file.

What it doesn't do: Software Inspector does not flag applications for which no update exists. Consequently, you may still have applications with security holes that aren't mentioned in the report. In addition, the program can't detect any workarounds you may have put in place to avoid security problems with existing applications.

What should you do if the scan finds multiple versions of software? That depends. Sometimes older versions represent a security risk to your system. But in some cases (such as Java), you may need an older version to keep other application software running properly.

Before doing anything, make a backup of your system, or at least create a restore point using System Restore. (To do this in XP and later, choose Start, All Programs, Accessories, System Tools, System Restore, and follow the instructions there.) That gives you a chance to get back to your former state if removing old software causes problems.

Secunia's Software Inspector is especially valuable for those of us who prefer to use manual updating, rather than letting programs check and download patches automatically. The scan not only tells you what updates to look for, but it checks all your software in a single step without having to use each application's update feature one at a time.

Your most difficult task will be remembering to use Software Inspector periodically. To automate that chore, click the reminder service link on the Software Inspector page. This will send you an e-mail notification every time a new update or version is available.



From WindowsSecrets.com

Upload & Send Large Files From Your Computer - Use Yousendit

Upload & Send Large Files From Your Computer - Use Yousendit
YouSendIt is a web-based, temporary file hosting site founded in 2003 . It markets itself as an alternative to sending large e-mail attachments: once a file has been uploaded to the site, an e-mail is sent to the intended recipient with a link to the file.

Sharing large files on the internet just got more convenient. Popular file sharing service YouSendIt now comes with a desktop uploader software that will allow you to upload large files from the desktop without using the web browser.


In addition to a free service, YouSentIt also offers three premium subscription plans for users who want to send larger files to more users. It also offers a branded file dropbox for businesses that want to create an easy way for clients to send large files.

What's exciting about the new YouSendIt software is that it can resume uploads - you know the frustration when you are uploading a 100 MB file from the web uploader when suddenly the internet connection breaks or the browser crashes for some reason.

With the new YouSendIt uploader, that problem may be a thing of the past as it will resume file upload from the exact point where it broke earlier. Once the file is successfully uploaded and sent to the intended recipients, you get an email confirmation automatically.
For free YouSendIt accounts, the download link will expire in 7 days and the file will be available for 100 number of downloads. The max file size that you can upload is 100 MB while the limit is 2 GB for paid accounts.

Web site: www.YouSendIt.com


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