foxytunes

Featured Freeware: FoxyTunes

FoxyTunes inserts a music player control panel into the Status Bar of Firefox and Internet Explorer, eliminating the scramble to switch windows so you can skip that Barry Manilow ditty you forgot to delete from your collection. The interface is easy to use and is highly customizable.

When opened, it shows a navigation array with buttons for Play, Pause, Mute, Next Track, Last Track, Volume, and the useful Show Player, which brings your music player to the front. There's also a Hide Player button, as well as a music Search tool, keyboard shortcuts, skins, and a mini player that … Read more

Buzz Out Loud 653: The Wii hates smokers

EPISODE 653

Power Downloader rounds up back-to-school software

With the school year quickly approaching for Kitty Kilobyte, Power Downloader wanted to make sure she had everything she needed. Along with Kitty's personalized laptop and other back-to-school necessities, Power knew that sending her off with the right software could make all the difference when faced with the stress of classes, homework, papers, and exams.… Read more

Killer Download: Conveniently control your music on Mac and PC

I've often said no matter how good a piece of software is, there's someone out there who can make it better. Sometimes a third-party add-on can be so simple that I can't figure out why the developer didn't think of it in the original program. Then, of course, I wonder why I didn't think of it myself. As the great inventor Thomas Edison once said, "Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work." Well, here's to an idea for which I should have donned the proverbial overalls.… Read more

Signature of the times

How long does it take you to type, "Now Playing"? And how can FoxyTunes, the popular browser extension, help?

Switching windows to your desktop's MP3 player takes up precious nanoseconds, too. Even worse, you might have to physically move and actually get up and look at your stereo. In the average e-mailer's day, that could add up to hundreds of thousands or even millions of seconds.

… Read more

Signatunes: Add music tracks to your e-mail signature

Last week FoxyTunes rolled out a cool new feature called Signatunes that lets users add whatever music they're listening to as their e-mail signature. Users with the latest version of Foxytunes get access to a button that integrates into supported e-mail and blogging services. Clicking it inserts a small link that lists artist and song information. This link goes straight to the song's FoxyTunes Planet page--a helpful service that aggregates artist information from various music reference sources on the net, and in many cases includes a preview, or free streamed version of the track.

I had a go … Read more

Give your surfing a soundtrack

Although Power Downloader spends a considerable amount of time in the field chasing down bad guys, part of his job is not quite so glamorous. For all the time traveling around the globe, he still ends up putting more time into research on the Web, hoping he'll find the leads he needs to capture sneaky criminals. To make the job of Web research a little less tedious, Power listens to his favorite music.

To help him stay focused on the research at hand while listening to music, Power Downloader uses FoxyTunes. With this Firefox extension installed, Power can switch … Read more

Extend the wings of Mozilla Thunderbird

Mozilla Thunderbird is chock full of potential. Though it's as extensible as Mozilla's more famous browser, Firefox, Thunderbird lacks the same fanatical user support. A year from now, Thunderbird could be the emerging standard for e-mail software or just another fringe e-mail client.

Part of Thunderbird's eventual success will depend on the quality of third-party add-ons that enhance features and allow users more functionality and customization options. Though there's not nearly as many add-ons for Thunderbird as there are for Firefox, here's a quick guide to seven of my favorites so far.

Lightning--Thunderbird without … Read more

News Roundup: UPS Delivery Intercept, YouTube Mobile, McCain's MySpace punk'd

UPS re-direct service goes live. Ever missed a package because it got delivered to your house or apartment while you were at work? UPS has introduced a new service called Delivery Intercept that lets you redirect, hold, and return a package en route, avoiding such mishaps. ( CNET News.com)

YouTube to launch mobile site. The popular video-sharing site is readying a version of its site optimized for mobile viewers. The only reason there hasn't been one sooner is an exclusivity clause with Verizon, from a deal inked last November for Verizon's V Cast service. (via GigaOm)

Google Pack expanded. … Read more