coxy's blog

If you're reading this you probably know me, and that I'm a big fan of Opera (the application, not the music). I ramble on all the time about how good Opera is as a company and how I think everyone should use their products - but nobody really listens to me. In fact, considering how much I talk about it, very few of my friends actually have bothered to take my advice... but those that have feel like they've benefited. Mostly.

The other day seen the release of Opera 9.6. Anyone who cares about such a release would've downloaded the latest version already from opera.com/download/ - but if you haven't, read on.

Here's some good reasons why you should download Opera - even if you don't care about web browsers or anything to do with your computer, I bet there's a convincing arguement listed below:

Coxy's Reasons to Download Opera

• Better than Internet Explorer
  If you access the internet using the blue 'e' icon you can be considered a bad, bad person. Internet Explorer is made by Microsoft and comes with your Windows computer - and it's this very reason that most virus/security risks are aimed at Internet Explorer. If you value your security (ie, bank details, passwords, etc) - get a better browser.
• You're using / thinking about Firefox?
  Mozilla Firefox is the browser that most Internet Explorer users are switching to. If you've heard of another web browser, it's probably Firefox. Whilst Firefox is undoubtably better than Internet Explorer, for most users to make the browser do what they want it to, they have to hunt down and install 'Add Ons' making Firefox slower and more cumbersome. Most of Firefox's popular plugins come built-in as standard with Opera. It's well known that most of Firefox's new features are existing features in Opera.
• Speed Dial
  Opening a new tab or window in Opera provides you with shortcuts to your favourite websites. If you're a socialite, you can be a mere click away from Facebook, MySpace, Bebo, Flickr and your other favourite social networks - there'd be no need to type urls!
• Opera Link
  Connect your browser to your free Opera Link account and Opera will back-up and sync your bookmarks, speed dial, notes, personal toolbar, search engine preferences and typed history. When you log in at school, work, on any other computer or mobile phone, you have instant access to all your data - and any changes you make away from your computer will still be there when you get home. Get in sync, get a better browser.
• Zoooooooooom!
  Opera zooms pages like no other browser. Seriously. Where other browsers will only zoom the text on the page, Opera zooms everything with the touch of the plus or minus keys. Save your eyes, zoom when reading long articles or small type.
• Login with Magic
  The keyboard shortcut Ctrl+Return becomes your friend! Pressing it (or the magic wand button) magically logs you into your favourite sites - or fills out long forms for you - so long as you've saved that information previous. Login to pretty much any site and hit 'Save' when prompted and you'll never have to remember your username and password again!
• Find Anything!
  Opera comes suited and booted with the latest search engines; Google, Yahoo!, Ask and more. You can also search your history by typing in the address bar. If you can't remember the name of that lolcats site you were visiting, but remember seeing the word 'kitten' on the page, type away and Opera will find it for you. No other browser searches every word on every page you've visited! What's more - you can add any search box on pretty much any web page into your browser by simply right-clicking on it. Another good reason to get a better browser.
• Ultimate Protection
  Opera comes with Fraud, Malware and Phishing protection built-in as standard. Every site you visit is checked against a list of known phishing or fraudulent site to ensure your computer's not going to get infected with any spyware or viruses and that you're not giving your bank details away to a fake website.

To be honest, I could go on - but I'll stop now. There are so many good reasons to give Opera a try; even if you're happy with Firefox or just don't give a crap about web browsers - at the end of the day it'll ensure you're safe from nasty things on the web, or that you're browsing that little bit faster.

If one person came up to me after reading this and said "I read you blog, I downloaded Opera.", I'd be happy for the rest of the day!

Download and installation is free, quick and easy. Opera works on Windows, Mac and Linux... your mobile, your Nintendo Wii, your Nintendo DS and a handful of other devices. Just click the button:

Opera

Firstly, a quick note to the Opera boys and girls. I have no idea what was going on yesterday - but I submitted posts to here from both my mobile phone using Opera Mini, and also through the computer browser, and they didn't actually appear on my blog until today. How strange.


Bonfire Night

Today, for those that are unaware, is Bonfire Night. Whilst many people across the country will be outside watching fireworks explode upon high - I am indoors.

Personally, I'd like to go to a proper, traditional bonfire night and that would be one that hasn't forgot that it's a celebration of the failure of the Gunpowder Plot - rather than what's on offer today.

The traditional celebrations involve a display of fireworks and the building of a bonfire, upon which is burnt an effigy representing the most famous of the conspirators, Guy Fawkes. But now, all that is lost, and people tend to use the night as an excuse to buy over-priced and under-whelming fireworks alone and set them off.

When I was younger, the idea was still going that the kids in the neighbourhood took part in building dummies and beg for money with the chant "penny for the guy". Later that night, the "guy" would get burnt atop of the bonfire with the whole neighbourhood attending.

Never-mind, eh?


Today

This morning I woke around 11.45am. I had some breakfast, read my post, filled in some forms to mail off (but more about that later) and then got a call of Ms. Amanda Laila Eid.

For those that aren't in the know, Amanda's my best friend and she lives in Leeds. Today she was coming back to Manchester and we'd agreed to meet up for the day. She told of how she'd be in town at 1.30pm, and I'd have her company until 5.30pm when she was going to meet Graham.

To be honest, I was a bit gutted. Because when I first spoke to her about today, she didn't mention she was seeing her ex-or-is-he-?-boyfriend Graham, or that she was meant to be going to see Metallica tonight - so I presumed I'd be seeing her for the night too, and we could've gone to a bonfire. Ah well. Plans scuppered.

It was nice to see Amanda though. I enjoy her company more than anyone. We went round a few shops, bought some trainers, and then went and grabbed a hot chocolate in Fopp and had time to talk. But not as much as I thought.

Graham turned up earlier than what I expected; probably around 4pm stating "Sorry I'm late". So, when Amanda had told me 5.30pm, she'd probably told him earlier than that. Bah. Well, when he arrived... you know what they say... three's a crowd. And so I felt uncomfortable and wanted to head home. So did.


A Good Cause

As I mentioned at the start of the Today section, I read my post this morning. I get al-sorts of crap through the door from day to day - but amid that crap, there's things I like to read. One of which is the Friends Of The Earth magazine that they send out to regular donation givers.

Well, in with the magazine there were a number of leaflets advertising other 'causes' - and I'm a sucker for giving money away. I like to have money of my own, but I live giving it to other people, and spending it on others. One way of doing this is to give it to charities.

This morning I was feeling generous, and one of these leaflets was from the folks at Viva! and titled 'Like a duck to water...' and was about duck farms and how ducks are factory farmed and badly treated.

Now, I'm a fan of ducks. They're great animals - I love them with their little beaks and feathers and "quack"... so to think of them being treated in a really shit manner isn't appealing. And so, I've ended up donating a monthly subscription to Viva! who will help prevent factory farming of ducks.

I suppose, the controversy on my level is that whilst I think ducks are brilliant animals, I love to eat them. You see the situation here? Factory farming of ducks: Very very bad. Dining on ducks: Mmmm. Very very good.

I guess, though, that now I've sent off the forms and am donating a monthly subscription, I can eat the ducks in the knowledge that they were raised well and had a happy life before being shuffled along to slaughter.

A second of the charities I have set up a monthly subscription with this morning was that of the Woodland Trust. These guys are the UK's leading woodland conservation charity. Hopefully my small monthly contribution will help the Woodland Trust protect natural woodland and forestry in the United Kingdom.


Music

The other day, after buying the Test-Icicles album on both CD and 12" Vinyl from HMV, I decided I need to stop buying music; and download it.

Music I've downloaded since then includes; an EP from Sway entitled 'This Is My Promo - Vol 2', the latest albums from Animal Collective, The Dandy Warhols, Head Automatica, Katie Melua and M.I.A.. And a few older albums from The Mars Volta and Ted Leo And The Pharmacists.

Its great, because I've downloaded albums that I know I wouldn't have picked up in the shops otherwise; like Katie Melua and Animal Collective and should I enjoy the albums... I'll probably go out and buy them.

I'm all for downloading, so long as people buy the music they like. Because that way, sure there will be a bunch of music that people download and don't buy - but there's the opposite effect where people will download music they wouldn't usually buy, enjoy it, and then buy it. I fall into the latter category.


World Wide Web

For those of you that like to surf around a bit, or are just bored, here's some linkage to places around the net.

Lord Mongo's Official Website has just been updated with a new front page and a photo section, and wallpaper download.

Yahoo! Instant Search is a beta test from the Yahoo! boys and girls which gives you your search results as you type. Marvellous.

You'd think the guy at Samsung would be happy as they unveil the world's first 8 megapixel camera phone.

Remember The Hamster Dance? Well, this animated gif is better. Far better. I never liked the stupid hamster thing anyway.


And Finally...

Whilst in town today, Amanda and I stopped on Market Street with a mass of others to watch some old man dance to the one-man-band that was buskin. You can watch it too, because I recorded it on my camera-phone.

That's all for now. Peas out.