Tom Beharrell's Blog

Use Google Search from the Firefox Sidebar

Tom — Mon, 23 Jul 2007 06:17:00 +0000

One of the most frequent ways of navigating the web is to search for something on Google, and navigate through the first few links to find the best match to what you’re looking for. Frequently this means launching the first link, hitting back, trying the next link, etc. Because pages frequenly have redirects, even the step back to Google can take longer than necessary.

I searched for a long time for a way to get a Google search engine running within Firefox’s sidebar (on Ubuntu Linux). This used to be built into IE and Mozilla back a few years ago, but seems to be missing from Firefox. There isn’t even an extension to get this working.

I have finally found a solution. I noticed that bookmarks can be set to open in the side bar. This is a great first step, however Google doesn’t present itself very nicely in the sidebar, it’s way too bloated with all the advertising and requires lots of horizontal scrolling. Then I remembered the Google Mobile version. This is designed for a small screen, however the downside of this is it converts the pages you link to also into Mobile versions for a small screen. I found the perfect version though, at www.google.co.uk/pda – it presents links cleanly in the sidebar and opens them in their original versions in the main page.

So to summarise, create a bookmark (say on your Bookmark Toolbar) to http://www.google.co.uk/pda and hit the checkbox to open it in the sidebar. Then, you can do a Google Search from the sidebar, see all the results and open them one by one into the main window. Perfect!

Pureprofile pay you to have an opinion

Tom — Wed, 20 Jun 2007 23:05:00 +0000

Not really a cashback site, but I kind of like these surveys. And some of them give you cash for your time, this one included. I’ve made £34.30 on this one to date, which isn’t bad going, it’s one of the best for payouts on filling in short surveys, so if you don’t mind telling them the brands you like, car you drive, well worth a shot. Who knows it might even push the big companies into being more ethical, if that’s the feedback they get.

Pureprofile registration

Top 50 Things To Do To Stop Global Warming

Tom — Tue, 27 Feb 2007 23:41:00 +0000

Global warming is a dramatically urgent and serious problem. We don’t need to wait for governments to solve this problem: each one of us can bring an important help adopting a more responsible lifestyle: starting from little, everyday things. It’s the only reasonable way to save our planet, before it is too late.

Here is a list of 50 simple things that everyone can do in order to fight against and reduce the Global Warming phenomenon: some of them are at no cost, some other require a little investment but can help you save a lot of money, in the middle-long term!

Ethnically cleansing the entire middle east?

Tom — Thu, 31 Aug 2006 23:08:00 +0000

In a little-noted article printed in early August in the Armed Forces Journal, a monthly magazine for officers and leaders in the United States military community, retired Major Ralph Peters sets out the latest ideas in current US strategic thinking. And they are extremely disturbing.

US Army Contemplates Redrawing Middle East Map to Stave-off Looming Global Meltdown

Obscene policy on flying

Tom — Mon, 13 Mar 2006 00:09:00 +0000

It really annoys me that the UK government is trying to expand the airline industry as much as they can, hiding the fact that UK Taxpayers are effectively subsidising airlines to the tune of £300 per person every year [1]. The UK airline industry receives an effective subsidy of £9.2 billion a year [2] because airlines pay no tax on fuel used, virtually no VAT and benefit from duty free. Other taxes such as income tax therefore have to be higher to subsidise the aviation industry.

[1] www.foe.co.uk Average calculated thus:- £9.2billion effective subsidy divided by number of UK tax payers, 29million

[2] Aviation Environment Federation report : ‘The Hidden Cost of Flying’,
February 2003.

Microsoft: Competing with Linux

Tom — Sun, 23 Oct 2005 23:20:00 +0000

The company I work for were predominantly a Microsoft house before we started. When I was sorting through rubbish for a big clear out, I found a box of MSDN materials in the server room.I found a booklet for Microsoft partners on how to “compete with Linux” and found the contents highly amusing! Analysis of Microsoft’s ‘Competing with Linux’ Document is an excellent critique of the document, and a must read if you want some insight into the Microsoft marketing machine.

Following the open road to riches

Tom — Wed, 28 Sep 2005 21:20:00 +0000

I’m not trying to ditch Windows just because I think Linux is better. Windows XP is fast, powerful, has stacks of software available for it, and support is available everywhere. Its interface is polished; the way menus work and keyboard commands are assigned is consistent. Practically all hardware is supported no matter how obscure. Why shouldn’t it be successful? It enjoys over 80% of the desktop computer user population’s efforts.

I want to become completely free from Microsoft because of corporate dominance and money orientation in our society. The state of where we are at right now is as sick as anything Hitler has ever dreamed. We ruthlessly kill as many people and are doing our best to the plant and animal kingdoms too. The average consumer doesn’t even realize how they are entirely corporate pawns, and we’re getting closer further down the American line all the time. They eat poison food, live in a carcinogenic world and spend their lives surrounded by asphalt, steel and slick advertising.

A society based on Open Source principles in all areas is what I want. So I started with sacrificing some of the polish, making sure I buy components that are supported in Linux (though few aren’t these days). It’s not that much of a sacrifice. What is there now is impressive. It’s got everything the multi-billion dollar Windows world has. It’s just a little bit less refined, but it’s all there. And there are plenty of benefits, from freedom, to security, practical immunity from computer viruses and it’s all free of charge.

Ditching Windows

Tom — Wed, 27 Jul 2005 23:10:00 +0000

Crazy cars of tomorrow!

Tom — Tue, 07 Jun 2005 23:20:00 +0000

Although people have thought my smart car was electric, unfortunately it’s still powered by an internal combustion engine. When will there be a viable alternative?

Bernard told me about a car that had been demonstrated in Sheffield called the G-wiz, an electric car the size of a smart but battery powered, incredibly cheap to run with no tax/congestion charge. Limitations are a 40mph speed limit and 40 mile range.

I’ve heard a lot in the press recently about electric concept cars that have amazing performance and I though I’d search the net to see what was out there.

My two recommended sites are Moira Govan’s site Electric Vehicles UK and a new Yahoo group: electriccarsUK which says:

Electric vehicles are a more environmentally friendly form of transport than petrol or diesel vehicles, especially if they are recharged from a sustainable electricity source. On joining this forum (for free, of course) you will receive an information pamphlet about EVs in the UK. This provides details about where to buy, running costs, buying costs, enviornmental details, and links to useful sites.

This group is dedicated to finding out what we can do to make more affordable electric vehicles available to buy in the UK. This group’s emphasis is on trying to persuade car manufacturers and the government to do more to make electric vehicles available in the UK. Go and take a look!

Finally, for a look at one of the craziest battery electric cars, although the top model is $85,000, I really want one!!

Gooshing!

Tom — Sat, 28 May 2005 23:22:00 +0000

Most comparison sites get you the cheapest. This one compares the ethical rating of suppliers. See the corporate good, bad and ugly revealed at Gooshing.

You can make a real difference by using GOOSHING – the free ethical shopping tool from The Good Shopping Guide.

GOOSHING makes it easy to buy brands from the most responsible companies at the cheapest price… and boycott those corporates that don’t care about animal welfare, human rights or the environment..

Our price search finds you the lowest prices available – on 250,000 products from over 350 shops.

Saving you Money. Helping your World.

Launch Gooshing