Technology Links Daily

Tech Q&A site Simplehelp has a walkthrough for using MacScan. MacScan is security software for Apple computers with OS X — it looks for malware such as trojan horses, and zaps privacy threats like tracking cookies.

I just noticed that the Google Calendar team has rolled out a slight design change to the way the names of calendars are displayed in the sidebar. Your own calendars still appear in a colored box, while others’ shared calendars are simple underlined links.

Between personal and work scheduling, I am using 17 different calendars in one way or another, and have always thought my “manage calendars” sidebar widget was a bit overwhelming. It is amazing how a slight design tweak can make things a little easier to manage.

Apiring photojournalists may be interested in Digital Inspiration’s tutorial for composing photo essays. The article shows you the ropes with a free 30-day demo of Camtasia… and if you really enjoy the results, you can drop $299 on the full version.

Seth Godin’s e-mail checklist is good advice for anyone writing business-related e-mail. One of my favorite points is #31:

If this email is to someone like Seth, did I check to make sure I know the difference between its and it’s? Just wondering.

‘Net shorthand is not legitimate for professional communication, and knowing the difference between common nuances like “its” and “it’s” lets the recipient know that you are an intelligent being. And while you’re at it, be sure you are making proper use of “their”, “there”, and “they’re”.

Link via Ma.tt.

Wondering whether you have some faulty RAM? Online Tech Tips has a rundown of a few you can check for bad memory.

TechCrunch points out that Time-Warner will begin testing its metered-bandwidth business plan this week. Unfortunate new customers of Time-Warner who reside in Beaumont, TX will be forced to pay per-gigabyte for their Internet access.

Metered bandwidth plans charge customers for Internet access based on how much they use the service, and employ overage fees to punish heavy users. Currently most broadband customers in the United States enjoy unlimited access plans.

ISPs try to quell resistance by claiming that their limits only target abusers who download massive quantities of media and software. But with the rate at which Internet media is expanding, particularly video and gaming as TechCrunch notes, metered bandwidth access plans will quash innovation and directly affect everyone who uses the Internet.

ISPs such as Time-Warner and Comcast who are working on rolling out these limited access plans often enjoy monopolies on local markets — one cannot use their wallet to cast a vote against these kinds of business practices because there is no other Internet Service Provider in town.

Not only is moving in such a backwards and anti-customer manner begging for anti-trust action on the part of the federal government, but it is also setting the stage for other players looking to enter the ISP business to swoop into these markets and pick up customers in droves by offering unlimited access plans. Nobody enjoyed paying per-minute for America Online 12 years ago … and when AOL switched to an unlimited monthly plan in 1996, their subscriber base grew by 10 million within the next three years [source].

OffBeat Guides is a new company that will produce personalized travel guides using data collected from various sources online. Bored with typical travel guides that all talk about the same points of interest? Offbeat guides is looking to get your business.

Offbeat Guides aggregates data from two main sources: various Web 2.0 sites that track events, photos, and other location-based data, and private data sources with whom Offbeat Guides is working. All of this gets pulled together into your own personalized, up-to-date travel guide that can be downloaded in PDF format ($10), or professionally printed and delivered to your door ($25).

Offbeat Guides is currently in closed beta, so I will post a full walk-through on the mothership once access is available.

The release of Firefox 3 — the open source web browser giving Internet Explorer a run for its money — is approaching fast. But were you aware that you can help break a Guinness World Record by downloading the browser on a specific day?

The Mozilla Foundation is attempting to break the world record for the most software downloads in 24 hours by encouraging Internet users to all download the much-anticipated release of Firefox 3 on the same day. You can participate by keeping tabs on the Firefox 3 Download Day 2008 website, and downloading the browser on the date they announce.

One of Gmail’s killer features is its “conversation” view that takes the sting out of managing high volumes of e-mail. Tech support site Tech Recipes has a quick tip for forwarding an entire Gmail conversation to someone else. It’s not really a tutorial since it’s dead simple, but potentially useful nonetheless.

Facebook offers an “Export” button that allows you to save an .ics file containing a Facebook event’s details. You can download that .ics file, then use these instructions to import the information into iCal or Entourage.