The Elvidge Family

Pauls Technical Diary

Sychronising Firefox Bookmarks between PCs

Sunday, 08 March 2009 00:00 | Author: Paul |

I use different computers at home, work and have two laptops. Foxmarks is an easy to use firefox addon that will automatically keep all your bookmarks up-to-date. Just google search for 'Foxmarks' and install the plugin on each computer.
For added security (if you decide to also synchronise passwords) make sure you set a master password in Firefox (Tools - Options - Security - and select 'Use Master Password' )

NB: Foxmarks has now been taken over by XMarks which is now compatible with other browsers (Opera & IE) and can also securely synchronise login details.

Multi-Screen Displays from one PC or Laptop

Tuesday, 03 March 2009 00:00 | Author: Paul |

I had always wanted a 3 screen LCD display which I have found invaluable for studying and working as I can have many different sites, files, images and programs open at the same time. Before I used two computers to do it using VGA and DVI outputs. Check out my picture showing the current set-up which all runs from my HP pavilion laptop.
Here's how you do it:
You will need 2 x sewell USB to DVI converters that cost around £100 each. They can be hard to source, I think I found mine on Amazon marketplace being sold direct from Sewell. They come with drivers and software that make managing the two extra screens very simple, and you can also turn screens by 90 degrees for better page reading which I did for a while.
I am running on Win XP Pro with 2GB RAM with the central display running from the laptop's VGA output. The side displays are run from the adaptors and give very good graphics output (run through a powered USB hub. Suitable for video and multimedia, meaning I can comfortably use either screen.

I have also found that UltraMon is a very good utility for working in multiple monitors - easy multiple taskbars & switching between displays.

Last Updated (Thursday, 29 October 2009 10:16)

In-car Hands Free Bluetooth connections

Tuesday, 03 March 2009 00:00 | Author: Paul |

Connecting Windows Mobile Devices to in-car kits is a pain - and has often made me feel I should go back to a Sony Ericsson or Nokia standard phones that just connect without any complications.
I have used Jetware software that manages the Windows Mobile bluetooth gateway and makes the experience a lot more stable. I have especially used it on a number of HTC phones (TyTn, Kaiser, Touch plus, Diamond)
The software can be installed and used free of charge for 30 days - so it is worth trying if you are having issues with your bluetooth connection.

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