Phonifier: use it like a feed reader in sidebar

So you know PHONifier will clean a website for your mobile browser (with or sans images),

but have you tried it on your laptop? in the sidebar? Bookmark PHONifier.com in your Firefox browser, in properties of the bookmark, select that it should open in sidebar, and done! When you open Phonifier, add a URL in the top of the phonifier sidebar window, and you have a clean, feed-like view in the main browser window. Why does this matter (why not just view the feed)? Lest you forget:

What I like about Phonifier: it strips away much of the busy-ness of many sites, and it stays with you (ie, when you click to the next link, you stay “Phonified”, much like the way Google Reader rendering stays with you on a mobile).

And, speaking of mobile web on your laptop, surely you’ve tried mobile gmail in your sidebar.  Surely.

iPhone: Apple’s overzealous control thwarting its potential

Brian Lam at Gizmodo gives the full scoop (and a “don’t buy” verdict) on just how useful the iPhone can be, just how much Apple is choking-off that potential, and how its buyers rightfully resent being at the mercy of the Apple Overlord. Still want a great phone with tons o’ function? Get the 8525. Desperate for the iPhone look? So, skin your 8525, and save what you would have spent (on the iPhone) for OLPC.

Phonifier: easy mobile access to web content

Having trouble reading pages on your mobile device? (You may not have the best mobile browser.) Try Phonifier … from what I can see, this service strips down the page to a very clean, feed-like quality — just text, links and the key images. What I want. Go to Phonifier, add your target URL…enjoy.

Sample this Phonifier-ized post by the Home Office Lawyer to get an idea of how a post renders via Phonifier.

What I like about Phonifier: it strips away much of the busy-ness of many sites, and it stays with you (ie, when you click to the next link, you stay “Phonified”, much like the way Google Reader rendering stays with you on a mobile).

What I really like about Phonifier: let’s say I was traveling the last two weekends and I convinced Mrs. KansasBusinessAttorney to drive a couple legs of the trips; let’s say I used the data connection on my AT&T 8525 as a modem for my laptop to get connectivity; but suppose I was out where most of the population wasn’t (ie, not the greatest connection) — Phonified was/is the perfect alternative to easily push even your laptop to render only what you want and not what you don’t care to see (or wait for). Who knows … maybe I could get hooked on a clean internet.

Bottom line: Phonifier is for mobile, but rebel, rebel … try it on a desktop/laptop.

Futurelawyer … an attorney ahead of his time

If you love insight to technology (and maybe you’re even an attorney), you’re certainly aware of the Futurelawyer and his penchant for spotting the good stuff. I scan only about 20-30 feeds daily (my faves among my enormous google reader feed subscriptions/search alerts), but his is one of the first I usually find myself viewing.

In any event, he’s posted (yesterday) something that gave me pause –a simple message and it is this: take a step away from your career (it will be there when you return) and spend, invest, value your time with your kid(s).

A snippet:

…No serious blogging today. Just basking in the warmth of victory, and the love of a child.

With that, I’m off to coach 6-year-old soccer. Be fulfilled. Be a parent. And Rick…thanks for the reminder…our kids should all be so lucky.

Posting with 8525

Well. Probably not as fashionable as posting with an iPhone and typepad…pretty unremarkable really. Why didn’t I think of this a long time ago … I guess the 8525 is just so versatile that blogging didn’t seem so exciting.