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Computing General

Is the scroll button the middle button?!

I recently purchased a really cool Logitech V470 Bluetooth mouse for my new work laptop. It worked well from though I did install the software that came with it just to make sure it did. I have other Logitech mice and they all work the same when you click the scroll dial in the middle of the mouse – it acts as the middle button.

The middle button usually has the functionality of opening a link you click on in your browser in a new tab. Therefore, it is very useful – you get information without losing the current context of what you are reading. As a result, I expected this behavior to be there by default when I loaded the new mouse software on the machine.

Surprisingly, Logitech does not regard the scroll wheel/button by default as the middle button. Instead, it assigns it the behavior of ‘Zoom’. Zoom does nothing in Firefox and I do not really need that. Doubt anyone does. So I started looking around to find out where I can change that setting from within the Logitech SetPoint software which you can see below.

setpoint The middle mouse button functionality was buried deep under the ‘Other’ setting. Once set, your mouse will go back to behaving as it should – or at least as I think it should.

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General

MozBackup – Indispensable tool

Yes, this is an ode to a great piece of software. MozBackup, It allows you to easily move and backup your Firefox and Thunderbird extensions, emails, account settings and bookmarks. All the stuff that takes a ton of time to do. And it is free. And it works really well. In short. I *heart* MozBackup!

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General

Websites that really suck

What do you expect from a site that attempts to sell you something? To make your life easier, right?
In 2008, there is so much usability research out there, so much technology out there – all to make users’ lives a little bit easier, simpler, faster. That is, until you enter the way-back machine, web edition and go to Expedia.com.
Yes, they are a web site. That newfangled ‘channel’. They are going to kick travel agents’ asses. Yup. Until you try to actually buy the travel service. Case in point: had to reserve 3 hotel rooms in NYC for a business trip. You go to Expedia, and instead of doing something challenging like, asking you to put the names of the 3 travelers, you have to go through the following ordeal:
1. Screen one: we need the names of your travelers.
2. Screen two: Enter the name of the first traveler.
3. Screen one: we need the names of your travelers (first traveler reflected).
4. Screen two: Enter the name of the second traveler.
5. Screen one: we need the names of your travelers (first, second travelers reflected).
6. Screen two: Enter the name of the third traveler.
7. Screen one: These are the names of your travelers.

Ajax anyone? Flash? just putting three boxes asking for the names of the travelers *on one page*? too difficult if you are Expedia.

Second case: BestBuy. The site is the online version of the evil malicious moron who tries to upsell you on electronics you have not researched about and do not need. Just that they do not upsell, that clicking the back button pops up the “you just submitted a form by POST method” when all you did is clicked on a link. 2008? Apparently not at the HQ of the #1 electronics retailer in the USA. They have great HR policies, but a crap website. I DO love the Circuit City website because it IS trying to do interesting things, and works much faster, clearer, better, you name it.

So yeah – boo too you Expedia, Best Buy. Your websites just suck.

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