Orsburn (Static Content)

Each of Bing , DuckDuckGo , and Google provide both a timer and a stopwatch available just by searching for one of those terms. Search for either "timer" or "stopwatch" and a panel for the tool will appear at the top of the results page. DuckDuckGo actually requires a search for something like "set timer," otherwise it will return a search for power outlet timers and stopwatches. Each service supports setting a timer right from the search box.  For example, "2 minute timer," or "set timer for 3 minutes."  Both DuckDuckgo and Google will automatically start the timer.   Bing Has a "Related" link to the opposite tool. Timer has a mutable audible alert when a time is up. Stopwatch has a split/lap time log. Stopwatch measures to the 1,000th a second. DuckDuckGo Requires a separate search for either "set timer" or "stopwatch." Search for "timer" is not sufficient enough to load ti...

April Fools Day always proves to be a favorite of some tech outfits.  Google is usually one that likes to play along .  (See Gmail Blue )  Stack Exchange has done a good one this year though, with its flashback to the nineties theme for Stack Overflow . The company has pulled out all the stops by resurrecting a raft of tired old gimmicks. Gaudy scrolling banners Obnoxious repeating backgrounds Mixed typefaces (Comic Sans and Times) Click counter Under construction Flashing icons (or animated in general) Cursor animation Guestbook There's a lot going on here, to be sure.  As such, this list is not exhaustive. Load a Stack Exchange page and click on any post to be teleported. Stack Overflow ( https://stackoverflow.com/ ) Server Fault ( https://serverfault.com/ ) Super User ( https://superuser.com/ ) Ask Ubuntu ( https://askubuntu.com/ ) Economics ( https://economics.stackexchange.com/ )   Welcome to the 90s. Wonderful t...

There has been a long-standing hope that Atlassian Sourcetree will one day make it to the Linux platform.  The company has flatly refused to create a version for Linux , but that doesn't mean the interest isn't there. A search for the term "sourcetree" in the Atlassian Community renders a results set with an entry titled " SourceTree for Linux ."  Its view count is higher than any other entry in the results listing at more than a quarter of a million views.  That's more than any other entry, and it isn't even close. The listing https://community.atlassian.com/t5/forums/searchpage/tab/message?q=sourcetree Similarly, the Sourcetree Community products page ranks the same entry at the top of that listing with the next most popular entry, " How to update HTTP(S) credentials in sourcetree ," at well under 200,000 views. The listing https://community.atlassian.com/t5/Sourcetree/ct-p/sourcetree Of course, one can't blame the co...

This past April 1st, Cloudflare rolled out a new DNS service that touts both speed and improved privacy. The reasoning for a new DNS service is that the company is on a march to ever improve the Internet by means of security, privacy, and speed. DNS is commonly described as the phone book for the Internet.  It allows users to reach websites by way of a human-readable name that is translated to the series of numbers that the underlying network protocol uses.  In the way that Cool Dude's telephone number might be 123-456-7890, the web address for "cooldude.com" might translate to 123.123.321.321. By default, ISPs expect routers and other devices to be configured to use their DNS service, but there's no technical reason that any DNS server can't be used.  Both Google and OpenDNS offer alternative services as well. Some folks are reporting various issues in the comments of the announcement, but Cloudflare seems to have been expecting some of this for thin...

For the Vue.js developers out there that also still dig using Firefox , you may be pleasantly surprised to learn that Vue.js devtools is now available for Firefox as well as Chrome . The tools extension has only been available for Chrome and the comments on the page for the Firefox add-on indicate that it's been available for a while now.  Each browser is indicating being updated as of January 15th, and they share the same version number (4.0.1). The assumption here is that they are indeed the same toolbox, and the availability of these tools for Firefox users is, no doubt, made possible by Mozilla's move to using its WebExtensions API as its means of extending the browser by third parties.

If a person in the Contacts application on iOS cannot be found in one of Apple 's services, the application will try to use Google Hangouts if the person has a Gmail address.  This can be seen in the Call and Video buttons under the contact's name. Version 16.0.0 of the application saw the ability to use the system's phone application to send and receive calls.  This integration is most certainly the source for this ability. This contact only has a phone number and it's not associated with any Apple services.  But it's known to Hangouts, so the video call button is labeled "Hangouts."

Using Google Maps , a double-tap and hold on the screen allows zooming with a single finger by dragging it across the screen. That's tap once, then again quickly, but continue to touch the screen on the second tap.  Without picking up the finger, drag it across the screen. This was encountered by mistake on an iOS device running iOS 10.2.1 and Google Maps 4.28.91.  It may work on Android devices as well, and with older versions of Maps. Also, it's noted that this feature is probably detailed all over the Web.  But here it is again.