Entries Tagged 'Tools' ↓

We all know how important it is to document your business processes, your projects, and your code - but how often do we really do it. No more excuses for us here since I found DokuWiki, a remarkably simple but very powerful Wiki solution.

I have toyed with a ton of information managers for my business, from Backpack to OneNote and I have never really been happy with one, until now. We know how great the Wiki format is for collecting and storing information - and DokuWiki is performing admirably so far. It’s easy to install with no database required, and the syntax is simple once you get used to it. I’ve just begun to scratch the surface with what is possible and I’m already sold. I’ve already got pages for projects, clients, products, and more. It’s also themeable and there are a large number of plug-ins available.

There is no shortage of Wiki solutions out there, but DokuWiki is full featured, has an active development community, and there is even a version that runs off a USB stick. Check out the Feature List, go to the Playground to give it a test run and then give it a Download.

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This handy Firefox add-on works like a virtual bread-crumb trail to get you back to a set starting point while browsing. Click to save a home URL and then browse away and follow links, all the while knowing that with another click you’ll “SnapBack” to where you started.

Very useful for folks like me that are easily led on tangents while browsing, especially at sites like Wikipedia or Pownce, or lately Entrecard.

Currently compatible with Firefox: 1.0 – 3.0b2

The Google Analytics AIR Beta by AboutNico is a pretty slick little desktop application. While I still dive into the website for more extensive analysis, the AIR app provides a quick view of the latest stats. It does much of what the online version offers. Being on the new Adobe AIR Platform, I found it to render as quickly if not quicker than in the browser. Another really nice feature is that the user can navigate quickly from one website report to another, even for sites with different accounts.

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A good Anti-Virus program is an essential part of any computer security arsenal, and yet I meet a surprising number of people that go without. Strong protection involves more than just running software, it also means getting regular updates to stay ahead of new viruses that are being developed. I urge all TechFires readers to take a moment to make sure that you have an Anti-Virus solution that is enabled and receiving updates. If you have a subscription based product like Norton please make sure that it is still active.

If you are a Windows user and in need of a new or updated solution, you can’t go wrong with AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition 7.5 which is free to home, non-commercial users. With automatic daily scans and frequent updates AVG Free Advisor can help keep your PC free from infection, or for a fee you can upgrade to a full suite of Internet Security offerings.

After trying-out a number of virtual desktops for Windows and being disappointed by their instability, I finally landed on a version that seems to be much more stable than other free versions. Virtual Dimension, recommended by my good friend Mike Scott over at Port16.com met my expectations. For all of you Linux users, go ahead and smirk, yeah you’ve had this function for years. Virtual desktops allow you to have multiple desktops running on the same machine. It’s a nifty way to break-up your computing functions into different screens based on purpose without using multiple monitors.

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