The 3D scene sure seems to be hopping lately. Spheresite.com offers two beta products: a 3D desktop called SphereXP and a 3D browser called SphereXPlorer.

I tried them both and wasn’t impressed. Yeah, you can rotate windows back into a 3D space, but if you launch a new application it is still 2D. I never did figure out how to spawn new 3D browser windows (didn’t try that hard or that long though). Someday I think we will have a true immersive 3D experience on our desktops and that will be cool, but it’s still too soon. Better off going with a Massive Multiplayer Online world like Second Life than this if you want to spend more time in a 3D space. Working in 3D would have many, many possibilities beyond working in a 2D space. I’m looking forward to that day which I fully expect will be at some point in my lifetime, health willing.

Thanks Web Randomness.

The SiteAdvisor browser plugin for IE and Firefox seeks to answer the question: is this website safe?

It has deployed (or will) a bot to join email programs on the site and see how much email is sent, as well as what the spamassassin score is for the emails.

digg story:

SiteAdvisor is testing all Web sites for spam, spyware, & safety threats. You browse and search as normal and their empirical data (green=good, yellow=caution, red=bad) appears in an icon in IE or Firefox & next to results in Google, Yahoo, & MSN. Every site gets its own site details page w/ in-depth analysis. They launched a slick redesign today.

The screenshot above (#2 and #3) shows what happens when you conduct a Google search with the siteadvisor option setting “display safe search URL highlighting” turned on. After installing in Firefox, I had to manually go in and turn this option on. Interestingly enough it even spiders the Google Adwords URLs and returns siteadvisor listings.

Aside: #1 shows a vanity search for my name now results in 200,000 results, next stop a quarter of a million (thanks for the love, Google!).

Owners of websites can register and leave comments about their sites. Registration allows leaving comments on other sites:

Our volunteer reviewers rate sites for downloads, e-mail practices, shopping experiences and more. (Become a reviewer) Reviewer comments will be posted below and can affect a site’s overall rating.

Other similar programs like Alexa which allows comments/reviews of websites can offer a third party perspective, but I often wonder how many of these reviews are truly unbiased. For example, there were three volunteers that marked google.com as spam? Huh?

The more reviews you write/submit the closer to becoming an advanced reviewer. There is also an option to skip the vetting period and become an advanced reviewer sooner which gives additional weight to those who specialize in spam, phising, fraud and the like. These people need to prove their qualifications by providing relevant links and max 100 words why they should be declared an advanced reviewer. I was tempted to fill this out just to see what it would take, but ultimately passed.

If I’m going to write a review of something it will show up here or on one of our other blogs where I can reference it for years to come and not depend on whether the site goes out of business, decides it is no longer an important feature, etc. If I was able to easily export functions like this, I’d be more likely to use them. I still registered but didn’t try leaving comments on any sites. It took me three tries to get past their hard to read CAPTCHA.

A confirmation email was dispatched which I clicked on and then went to a screen to edit my siteadvisor profile. I didn’t see much in the way of profile, only the ability to add a brief signature (links discouraged). I just put the words “Google me” because if somebody reading did, that would lead to learning more about me.

Overall SiteAdvisor does what it sets out to do pretty well. I found ratings for most of our websites (not all), the plugin design is clean and the integration with search is useful and non-intrusive. For newer netizens especially who are looking for additional information about sites as they surf them before submitting email or downloading this could be real hand.

The primary thing that keeps me from giving this an A grade is how reliable can this information be? Only as good as the bot’s last scan. A site could have a good rating but then change ownership or have some rogue element that still puts the surfer at risk. If they tackle this issue then they’ll really have a winner here. Grade: B+

Bittorrent and private beta testers aside, and please correct me if I’m wrong, but yesterday’s release of the IE7 beta 2 for the general public is the very first opportunity to download and try IE7 with tabbed browsing and RSS support.

Dave Winer, the father of RSS as some refer to him, gave Microsoft’s official entry into RSS space some positive mojo but then left himself an out by saying that these days he was primarily a Mac user “these days” and hadn’t actually downloaded and tried the software. In other words, Dave is glad to see Microsoft join the party, he’s just not sure if what they are wearing is in style.

I saw IE7 downstairs from Rob Greenlee’s Webtalk Radio studio but didn’t actually play around with it. Tonight, you bet I was all over the opportunity to finally download that 11.2MB of bits and put it through the paces despite the somewhat ominous message:

Evaluation of Internet Explorer 7 should start now, but the software should not be used on production systems in mission-critical environments. Internet Explorer 7 Beta 2 Preview will only run on Windows® XP Service Pack 2 (SP2) systems, but will ultimately be available for Windows Vista, Windows XP Professional x64 Edition, and Windows Server 2003.

These days installing beta software sometimes feels like jumping out of an airplane and checking and rechecking that you’re wearing a parachute. After downloading the IE7B2P-WindowsXP-x76-enu.exe it was time to click “Run” and hope for the best.

As the installation did its thing I wondered about if and when I’d soon need to restart the system. The opening screen (pictured above) not only suggested that, but backups too. Fortunately the machine being used didn’t have much in the way of important files on it. On our network all important files are sent to a shared drive and/or uploaded offsite. This machine could crash and burn and it would suck in the sense that we’d have to reinstall some programs, but little to no data would be lost.

The perfect guinea pig. Time to click “next.”

STEP 1. Validate your copy of Windows.
STEP 2. (default checked) Install the latest updates for Internet Explorer, and download and run the Microsoft Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool (recommended). This is some sort of anti-virus tool which scans the system and protects “your computer against security threats.”

STEP 3. Time to reboot.

STEP 4. The IE 7 experience begins …

Subscribing to an RSS feed is as easy as clicking on the orange feed icon that automatically illuminates when on a page that contains an RSS feed. A separate “Feed Center” exists inside the Favorites area.

The dysfunctional list
- The tabbed area on my test machine was a mess (see screenshot above) with sizable black blobs surrounding the tab area. The IE7 blog clearly indicates that there are still issues with IE7B2 as far as client user interface and this beta is more about seeing how sites look and allowing developers to test if their toolbars work.
- The Google Toolbar installed a few days ago seemed to be functional, as well as the older Alexa and MSN toolbar with the tabs which seemed to degrade without offering me two sets of tabs.
- Synergy would run, but could no longer connect to other machines.

I stayed with IE7 on this test machine all of a couple hours before hitting the add/remove section. This looks like it will have some possibly useful features but as the IE7 blog warns, this isn’t really ready for users yet. Accordingly, I will wait for Vista before making any hard fast determinations, but errors and buggy UI aside I was only marginally impressed with what’s there so far. Guess I’m taking Winer’s wait and see stance. It really is way too early.

How about the uninstall?
This was one part of the experience I was very curious about testing. Would I be able to go back to my IE 6 Service Pack 2 environment without problems? Would the issues experienced with Synergy be resolved? That was the only third party program running on the test machine that I noticed problems with, by the way.

STEP 5. The uninstall. Navigate to START -> Control Panel -> Add or Remove Programs. Strangely, you won’t find Internet Explorer among the list of remove programs. This seemed like a real uh oh moment, but if you check the box for “Show Updates” you’ll see under the Windows section: Internet Explorer 7 Beta 2 Preview. and can click and then remove.

STEP 6. Software Update Removal Wizard springs into action. As I watched it delete and copy files, update the registry and more I wondered again what the state of this machine would be after rebooting. As a Windows user it’s a mixed bag with OS changes. I remember struggles I had getting ActiveSync functional and some past Windows OS upgrades have been less than pleasant (driver problems), so I’m a bit of a battered upgrade customer.

Turns out this removal was completely painless. The original environment was restored, Synergy worked again and the only noticeable traces were I had to reset the toolbar area layout in IE6. Nice work on this part, IE7 team.

Summary of findings
Install and uninstall were hassle-free. Overall operation of IE7 beta 2 on the test machine was mixed. The toolbar/UI section was crunched and disrupted to the point of being pretty much unusable. Websites I visited seemed to render OK. I would need to see a future beta or use a different test machine to better test this scenario further. The IE7 built-in phising tool is a nice plus, though I didn’t really get to see this in action. I didn’t test any other features or functions.

IE7 progress seems to be going ok overall. Based on my very limited exposure, and thus subject to change after a good sneeze, I’m still not convinced this will be ready for a Vista ship later on this year. I hope the next version comes pretty quickly as it seems like Beta 1 was in the fall 2005 and here we are in February 2006. The clock is ticking. One thing does seem certain:

Microsoft needs some fast exploring in their internet browser to get this thing shipped before year end.

Google has just sucked me back into being their toolbar user. I had long since given up on their toolbar until they did something that got my attention with their newest version: offered up some of the real estate for custom use.

That’s right, you can now add your own custom buttons to the Google toolbar. Here’s all you have to do:

Short Way
1. click here to add custom MakeYouGoHmm Google Toolber button. If you aren’t using the current Google toolbar that supports custom buttons then it will offer to install that version automatically.

Long Way
1. Download and install the upgraded Google Toolbar (beta)
2. Navigate to the makeyougohmm.com home page
3. Right click with your mouse in the search box in the upper right corner
4. Choose “create custom search”

Notes:
- you can substitute makeyougohmm.com with your own blog or site search to make your own custom search button. Most Wordpress blogs pass s={query} so if your blog homepage is index.php you would use: yourdomain.com/index.php?s={query}.

Creating and hosting your own XML button file
The XML file format is pretty straightforward. You can view the code for the MakeYouGoHmm search XML here as an example. Just change the image block to your own and the other fields to match your own site search.

To convert your favicon or other 16×16 image into base64 you can roll your own script or use an online tool like this one which Google recommended in the docs.

Developer Reference
- full Google custom toolbar API specs
- Google Custom Buttons Group
- Submit custom button to Google for listing in the Google Buttons area. I submitted the Hmm search button and it meets all the Editorial Guidelines. The email autoreply I received read:

Thank you for submitting a custom button for the Google Toolbar. This is
an autoreply to let you know we received your custom button. We’ll review
it over the next few days, and if it’s accepted, you should see it up on
our custom button site within a few weeks. Please note that we’re not able
to provide updates on individual buttons.

It’s 6:36am PST, will report back how long it takes to get listed.

Others talking about Google Toolbar v4
Chris Sherman from Search Engine Watch breaks down the various v4 features including bookmarks, sharing features and custom buttons.
Matt Cutts shows how to make a custom WHOIS button
Nathan Weinberg is already on the case: “The new Toolbar is 627k, 76k larger than Toolbar 3. When turning on the translation feature, you are warned that it has privacy implications. You might as well turn off the “Go” button, since it no longer has the handy drop down to choose different services”
Techcrunch: “This is a great bookmarking product, interesting features can be added down the road, and many users will find it useful.”

I’ve had a good 24 hours now to reflect on the Gates CES 2006 Keynote and the most exciting thing for me was the prototypes he showed off. Too bad those are still a “few years away.” There were a couple other bright spots — and no, not Gates shadowboxing at the end — like when the Xbox 360 rep announced that they were adding a third manufacturing plant.

Last night after the keynote we went to the local Best Buy and I talked to one of our clients who works there. He told me no new shipments of Xbox 360 at the Puyallup store since that last well publicized Sunday where they had 18 and sold out to the overnight campers quickly. That’s far and away not the “weekly shipments” that had been promised. Another Best Buy employee told me they have no idea when these Xbox 360s are coming in, they just “show up.”

I’m not sure which is worse: me believing Best Buy employees or the fact that this might actually be true.

And now for Google who takes front and center spotlight at CES 2006 tomorrow.

Inside Google isn’t thrilled about the information coming from the Wall Street Journal alleged leak that Google will be announcing some sort of video rental download deal and a software package consisting of mostly programs not by Google. So unimpressed was Nathan that he resorted to using all caps (Update: he commented saying he always uses all caps, but notes the use of the exclamation point): TELL ME IT’S NOT A SOFTWARE BUNDLE!

I really hope Google isn’t doing something as low rent an unimaginative as a software bundle, but I guess anything’s possible. I really hope that if it is a software bundle, they’re hiding something else up their sleeve.

He makes some good points about how anti-climactic this could be for Google. With Microsoft seemingly planning to do everything cool in the second half of 2006 and a serious Xbox 360 supply problem, they are on the ropes. I couldn’t help thinking that instead of Balmer coming out to fight Gates in the final segment it should have been Larry Page or Sergey Brin. Heck, might as well be both of them beating down Gates & company.

Then again, if I was in the Microsoft camp I’d be praying that Google was doing exactly what the WSJ outlined: a video download program and a bunch of open source software packaged with their toolbar.

Meanwhile, some press isn’t too happy that CES didn’t spring for decent free internet and instead was charging $9.95 for 30 minutes access. Andy Ambramson is trying to lead the crusade to get better internet access. Folks aren’t EVDO-enabled there? I remember seeing an EVDO user in the Tablet PC meetup last year.

Have you noticed how many deal Google seems to be trying to do to get that toolbar of theirs planted in our browsers? No thanks, Google. Push harder, and I start to feel like something is amiss. I like you better, Google when you aren’t pushing so hard.

We’ll find out tomorrow what are the real Google announcements. I know one thing for sure: it isn’t nearly as critical for them to have a good showing at CES as it is for Microsoft.

The rumour of the day — already debunked by Opera — is that Microsoft is buying Opera. What I find interesting about this rumour is the chess match with the big M’s arch rival: G. These two guys need a cage match complete with Balmer’s alleged chair antics. I’m talking WWF style with Michael Buffer saying: “Let’s get ready to rummmmmmbbbblleeee!”

Whomever is leaking all these talks in the Redmond camp is smart. If Google wasn’t already that interested, then you just woke up the sleeping Giant to go back to the table. I doubted the Google buying Opera rumor last week and laughed when I saw the Microsoft rumour this morning, but truth be told: Opera makes more sense for Microsoft than Google. Michael Gartenberg explains why Opera’s mobile penetration would be useful to Microsoft.

The problem is these PR tactics are lost on inactivity and a furtive reminder exactly what deals Microsoft has made lately. Just getting the word out isn’t going all the way, the endgame is actually cutting deals and that is where Microsoft seems to have a weak trigger finger.

Man, I wish it was true that Opera was caught in the .NET, but then what would they do? Abort .NET? Run out a competing product without Windows functionality? I’d love the possibility of using my Tablet PC on Opera with full functionality as opposed to IE, but that isn’t likely to ever happen.

The reality is I’ve not been able to stop using Opera every day since I downloaded it. It’s clearly a superior and often overlooked browser except for its million plus dedicated users. I keep using Opera more and more and understand that user passion. Yes, Firefox rocks, but the CPU consumption with all those running extensions doesn’t. Opera is streamlined and gets the job done without the frills. The sessions function is incredibly handy. I could go on. Should go on. If you haven’t downloaded and tried Opera, give it a try now. It’s free. There is no reason not to at least try using it. You could be hooked too.

Readers are probably getting tired of reading me say this but Microsoft needs to get off its ASP and start buying. Make that the New Year’s resolution. They bought Giant antispyware and what else in 2005? Wait, no, that was 2004, not 2005. Meanwhile, you have Yahoo on a major buying spree and Google expanding its reach and stock value. Where is the AdCenter, Microsoft? What are you waiting for? Sign us up, get webmasters on board. The golden web kingdom is blazed by webmasters. Yahoo and Google understand this, Microsoft still doesn’t. Why can’t I run Adcenter on my MSN Spaces blog? Why not? Oh, that’s probably coming in 2006 too.

Wait, wait, wait. Of course Microsoft isn’t going to buy Opera. They’d rather keep us waiting.

I just downloaded the Mac version of Internet Explorer 5.2.3, the last version created since June 2003.

Not because I actually want to use it, no, so far I’ve exclusively used Safari, but for the historical value, I guess (whatever small amount there might be). Other Mac users might want to do the same if they care, as after January 31, 2006 it will disappear forever from Microsoft’s Mactopia site.

The Syndey Morning Herald:

A Macintosh user in Sydney who wished to remain anonymous said it was no big deal. He said IE on the Mac was a poorly made piece of software and now that Safari and Firefox were available to OS X users, he did not think that too many Mac users would miss IE.

Yesterday, I posted elsewhere a link to a brief movie featuring a giant turd thing and ZipIE advertising Mac IE that was a front page digg: “It’s ugly, ooey computer control freak!”

Yesterday Google Labs quietly released two new Firefox extensions: Google Safe Browsing and Blogger Web Comments. Today, there seems to be a lot of talk about them coming up with a specialized music search. Marissa Mayer said they are not building their own music store, just trying to get people to iTunes and other stores (and earn a cut of affiliate revenue, of course see update at bottom).

One thing that drives me batty about some news sites and blogs is when they don’t link to the site/service/product they are talking about (CNET, see above). Please, if you write about something, always link to it for readers. Making them run to Google is not helpful. With that said, here’s how you actually check out the new Google Music. Just do a search for an artist like, well, say Iron Maiden via Google Music search. The word musicsearch? is a new special query after google.com.

Google Safe Browsing
An anti-phising tool that will alert you to sites that are bogus asking for personal or financial details.

Blogger Web Comments
“… makes it easy to see what bloggers are saying about a page you’re viewing in Firefox and even make your own blog post about it, all without leaving the page you’re on.” A little blue window pops up in the lower right of the browser. Check it out below:

When you click on the “leave comments” a window pops up to post to your blogger account. Once you login, it really is like leaving a comment — only you are leaving a comment on your blogger-based blog, not on the blog itself. I also noticed that the information being shown is coming from Google’s own blogsearch, which still is an incomplete listing of our blogs. They seem to be improving, however, and I’m not seeing as many splogs (spam blogs) as I’ve seen in the past.

Google Rumors
Lastly, there’s a Google rumor circulating (big surprise, huh?) that Google might buy the Opera browser. I don’t have any idea if that’s true, but if there is any truth to it, it does seem odd considering they are promoting and paying for Firefox downloads via Adsense. However, Opera has a good foothold in the mobile market and a great reputation among its users which makes them attractive. My personal opinion? Google won’t buy any browsers, they’ll either go the Flock route and do some sort of quasi-Mozialla browser or stay out of the browser market altogether waiting for the next big thing (browserless surfing?). After all, they make more money powering the search then wasting resources and manpower trying to compete with IE, Firefox, Opera and Safari.

Update 7:12pm PST: Hunter in the comments area (thanks) just pointed to a CNN article where a Google is reported as saying they are making no affiliate revenue. I’m not sure I buy this one, but for now will take it at face value. Think about the revenue possibility for directing millions of people directly to online music stores and Google wants none of that pie? Perhaps not a true affiliate agreement but there has to be some money changing hands here. If not now, then wait until the day revenues take a cut and this line of thinking gets changed.

Sometimes when adding or removing toolbars to Internet Explorer the list can get messed up and blank lines with checks next to them will appear.

By editing and removing iTBarLayout from the Windows registry the list can be fixed. Be sure to close all IE windows before editing registry and always be careful. To access the registry navigate to START -> RUN and then type: regedit. Then find the following registry key section:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER \Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer \Toolbar\WebBrowser\

Look for iTBarLayout along the right and delete. Then restart Internet Explorer. You may lose some custom toolbar positions or have to re-enable some toolbars.

Step by step instructions here

Find a post here that you would like to bookmark for future reference? I’ve added Yahoo’s new “Save to MyWeb” button to the bottom of every post and you can save and tag it (see photo).

I don’t use bookmarks much any longer, instead using services like MyWeb and del.icio.us to handle all my bookmarking needs. This way no matter what machine I’m on, managing and updating my bookmarks is a snap. No need for that clumsy import/export stuff.

Update 10/28/05 8:54am PST: Added step-by-step instructions how to add the MyWeb button to various blog systems.