Don’t get me wrong, I love Windows Vista.  If you’re running Microsoft’s latest OS with enough memory on a fast-enough processor, it’s light-years ahead of Windows XP in terms of functionality and beauty.  That said, there are a few quirks that need to be worked out.  One of these quirks is basic functionality for dual-monitor setups.

In Mac OS X, you can natively choose a different background for each of your monitors if you have more than one.  This seems like a pretty basic concept, does it not?  Windows XP didn’t have it and now Windows Vista is left without it as well.

Now, on Windows XP, you were able to just use the software that came with your graphics card.  NVIDIA’s nView software, as an example, allowed this type of customization.  However, nView has yet to be released on Windows Vista despite the fact that test versions of the operating system have been out for nearly two years. 

I was beta testing Windows Vista in February of 2006 in my den at home so you can’t possibly tell me NVIDIA couldn’t have been testing their own applications as early as I was.  In fact, the nView Desktop Manager for Windows Vista isn’t expected to be released until spring of 2008.  That’s over a year since Windows Vista was first released to the general public - more than shameful, in my own humble opinion.

That said, Lifehacker points out that you can, in fact, run a different wallpaper on each of your monitors using a little application called DisplayFusion from the fine folks at Binary Fortress.  It requires the .Net Framework 2.0 to run (yes, another .Net-based application you’ll be running on Windows startup) and is free.

If I wasn’t afraid to give up absolute power like I have with Windows and was focused on appearances alone, I’d get a Mac.  Sure, why not?

On Monday, the ever-growing meebo launched meebo applications: mini-apps designed to bring advanced voice and video chat options to you and those with whom you chat - all inside the meebo.com Web interface.

The first four applications to be launched present options for voice chat (via Pudding Media,) video/audio calls (via TokBox,) group voice calls (via TalkShoe) and personalized video streaming via Ustream.

These applications are available to you by selecting the rocket ship icon at the top of each message window.  The options appear off to the right-hand side of the chat window and integrate seamlessly during use. 

Using the TalkShoe group voice call application as an example, you initiate the call from within your meebo chat window and the person with whom you’re IMing, despite which IM platform they’re using, will automatically receive a hyperlinked invitation to TalkShoe’s site. 

Once there, they’ll be presented with a number to call, a TalkCast ID and a PIN number with which to join.  Meanwhile, you’re presented with the same information while never leaving the chat window … and the same goes for the recipient if they’re also using meebo.

The rest of the applications also offer seamless integration for you and your friends/family/co-workers using meebo.

The meebo team has also opened up the application platform so you can build your own JavaScript- or flash-based meebo app:

"Why stop there? There are so many cool applications you can dream up to connect people live! Play games? Go shopping? Watch TV? Find restaurants? They’re all coming soon and we know we can’t possibly code all the neat ideas out there, so we thought, why not open it up to all of you?

We’re opening our doors and letting meebo applications be open for anyone to develop! Got an idea? Just visit http://www.meebo.com/platform and you can learn about the meebo platform API, obtain a unique key, and get access to a starter kit to help you build and test your application in meebo.com. JavaScript or Flash, it’s your choice."

Last week, we covered the launch of the exquisite meebo Firefox extension: an add-on for the Mozilla browser that blends your meebo experience and chat options into the browser. 

meebo is growing by leaps and bounds and we’re genuinely looking forward to their next release.  It’s innovative companies like meebo that make us fans of tech.

Related Articles:

Official meebo Blog Entry RE: meebo Applications

Pudding Media Press Release - Pudding Media and meebo Join Forces to Deliver Free Voice Chat to Millions of Instant Messaging Users via the meebo Platform.

Arriving on November 13th, along with the new Zune players, the accessories will be coming from Microsoft themselves, of course, as well as from an increasing list of 3rd-party vendors including Altec Lansing, GPS, Griffin Technologies, Memorex, Monster, Targus and more.

Some of the new accessories Microsoft announced today included new armbands, an Altec Lansing speaker dock, and new leather cases.  Check out some of the new accessories on the official Zune site.

Last week, meebo introduced v1.0 of an extension for the Firefox Web browser.   The extension provides you with numerous features including a dedicated sidebar containing a list of your IM contacts as well as pop-up notifications (similar to new E-mail notifications in Outlook) which alert you as to who’s coming online and/or going offline or to alert you of new IMs you receive.  Other notification options include an icon in the Firefox status bar and a blinking taskbar button for when you’re working in a different application

Overall, it’s an impressive release for the meebo team and it seamlessly integrates into the browser - much better than some other sidebar utilities. 

I personally shy away from sidebar extensions for two reasons: they take up valuable screen real-estate and they often complicate the browsing experience instead of providing real value.  However, the meebo extension is most definitely one that I’ll be keeping in the Firefox arsenal.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with meebo, it’s a convenient, Web-based alternative to programs like Trillian and Pidgin; applications designed to grant you access to multiple IM protocols (AOL, Yahoo!, MSN Gmail, etc.) without having to download an individual program for each service (e.g., AIM to chat with your buddies using AOL or Live Messenger to chat with friends on Microsoft’s service.)   

meebo further eliminates the confusion by allowing you to access all of your contacts without requiring you to download ANY application.  Instead, just login to the services at meebo.com.  You can not only login to each service individually but you can also create a meebo account which can automatically remember your usernames/passwords for each service meaning that you can login just once on any machine and you’ll be able to chat with ALL of your friends, despite which service they’re on. 

If you’re gonna go that far, you’ll definitely enjoy the new meebo extension.  Download it now or check out some screenshots of some of the features we’ve listed above.

Update: One thing I neglected to mention above is the cost to use meebo’s service: free.  Yes, create an account at meebo.com and you’ll be shelling out $0.00 month after month.  How, you ask, can the company afford to continue to offer the service at no cost to you?  TechCrunch answers that for you in a  new post on their site today.

Nokia, today, released some details on the latest version of their Internet tablet device: the N810.  Sporting a 4.13″ display, 2GB internal flash storage (with expandability options,) WiFi, Bluetooth, a Mozilla-based browser and more, the device is expected to ship in November for about $479.

We’re big fans of mobile PCs here and the N810 seems to offer quite a bit for the price.  In addition to the features listed above, the tablet will offer a plethora of media options in addition to IM and integrated Skype VoIP. 

Unfortunately, the market for mobile PCs has been relatively stagnant and has seen little growth.  However, if competitively-priced devices like the N810 continue to appear, the public will actually embrace them and wall-mounted or coffee-table Internet devices could become commonplace. 

Stay up-to-speed by checking your E-mail or Facebook messages without heading to the office or lugging around your laptop.  Bookmark a link to a product for which you just saw an advertisement - without getting up from the couch and without having to worry about a laptop cinging your thighs.

The device is running on a Linux-based operating system but, unlike many other Linux distributions, the GUI of this OS is near-perfect in its simplicity.

If you’ve been fighting the urge (no pun intended) over the past 365 days to pick up Microsoft’s first iPod competitor, the next month may be a little difficult for you.

First up, we’ve got Woot selling refurbished versions of the first version of the Zune (today only - while supplies last) in black, white, or brown at $99:

Next, Buy.com has a brand-spanking-new brown version of Zune 1.0 priced at $99.99 with free shipping:

If you can pass up those offers, you may be able to just as easily dismiss the 2nd version of the Zune player - due to be released in mid-November.  Sporting a new look and feel, a flash-based brother, a new and improved Marketplace and more, the Zune brand is bound to make some headway.

Dear readers,

For those of you that use Gmail and are unaware, you may be shocked and saddened to know that the E-mails you compose to friends, family, business associates don’t arrive in those individuals’ inboxes as you might intend.

The horrible truth is that your E-mails appear to be composed in 10pt. Arial but, in reality, are composed in and sent as 12pt. Times New Roman.  See for yourself:

In Gmail:

In the Recipient’s Inbox:

Of course, this is nothing new.  This has been the default setting since Gmail began in April of 2004.  Granted, you could always just change the font yourself (which is what I do pretty much each and every time) but what confuses me is why Gmail doesn’t provide an option for the "default font" to be automatically set to your preference for each and every new message composed. 

(Also, despite what others may say, this has nothing to do with the default font in your browser…Gmail intentionally displays 10pt Arial as the composition font and most definitely sends the E-mails as 12pt. TNR.)

So, tell Google you’re sick of sending people ugly E-mails and vote now for a default font setting to be implemented.

Just as a side note we wanted to mention that, in the grand scheme of things, this one bit of lacking functionality pales in comparison to the good that Google’s Gmail application has brought to the Web.  If it wasn’t for Gmail, we’d probably still be using Web mail applications offering a 10mb inbox, POP and SMTP access only available as a paid feature, 1mb allowable attachments and other ghastly options. 

I mention this because Gmail, despite the fact that it’s in a 3+ year beta stage, has made a significant difference in the Web 2.0 world.  Because of Gmail, we learned in 2004 that new and exciting options, in regards to functionality and expandability, were ready to be used to produce the next generation of Web applications.

Avast!, makers of the immensely-popular anti-virus software, has released the first version of the product to support the Microsoft Windows Home Server operating system.

Currently in beta, avast! WHS Edition provides protection for Microsoft’s latest operating system dedicated to home servers which were designed to deliver peace and tranquility to "administrators" of home networks.

Besides providing the protection of the WHS machine, it also supports simple management of other avast! products on the home network. This is performed directly through the WHS console, by means of a new configuration page.

Again, the product is in beta but is expected to be released in in early November which should be around the same time the first Windows Home Server systems are shipped.

On a related topic, we here at Fans of Tech published an in-depth article on Windows Home Server back in May so be sure and read "Fans of Tech InD: Windows Home Server" for more information on the product.

If you’re a new or existing user to SecondLife, ”an online society within a 3D world, where users can explore, build, socialize and participate in their own economy,” MovableLife may present you with an interesting option to interact with SL without needing to have access to the full application:

SecondLife is MovableLife allows Second Life users to log in to Second Life using only a web browser. MovableLife allows you to chat, IM, search, teleport, manage friends, groups, and much more. If you just want a quick and easy SecondLife experience without all the 3D graphics, then MovableLife is exactly what you are looking for.

We do not store your Second Life account information on our servers, it is transferred directly to the Second Life servers. Please read our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy for more information.

If you check it out, drop a comment and let us know how it works out for you.

Every now and then, we like to introduce you to a new or existing software application that you may not be familiar with.  Today, we’ll be taking a look at the freeware app for Windows by the name of Taskbar Shuffle (currently v2.2.)

Taskbar Shuffle does one thing but it does it very well: it allows you to rearrange the buttons on your taskbar and/or system tray.  For instance, I’ll usually pull up three different applications when I start my PC: Outlook, one Firefox window for browsing and one for Meebo, as well as Remote Desktop.  Now, I typically like to have the “buttons” for these windows next to each other on my taskbar so I’ll always know where they’re at.  Taskbar Shuffle allows me to do just that.

There’s just a little more to it than just that, though…

As many of you know, both Windows XP and Windows Vista automatically cluster your taskbar buttons together based on the application type (i.e., buttons for Internet Explorer windows will be placed side-by-side or buttons for open Microsoft Word documents and so on and so forth.)  If you leave this feature of Windows enabled, Taskbar Shuffle allows you to move those clusters around on the taskbar - thus allowing for taskbar button organization. 

Taskbar Shuffle really shines, however, if you’re one of the many individuals who disable this feature of Windows - allowing you to rearrange any and all buttons to your exact preference.  (Place a Word document button in between two Internet Explorer buttons, etc.)

I recall testing this application when it was first released and after the first few explorer.exe crashes it caused, I abandoned using it.  This version however, available as both an install and stand-alone application was released in June of 2007 and seems to be glitch-free after months of using it.

An added bonus for Windows Vista users…

Another feature of Windows is taskbar grouping (not what we were describing in the last paragraph.)  By default, Windows can join all of an applications taskbar buttons into one thereby simplifying the appearance of the taskbar for those without a lot of screen real estate. 

Clicking on that one taskbar button will bring up a small window, located directly above the button, allowing you to choose and view any window from that application group.  Let’s say Windows has grouped 5 different text documents you have open.  Click on that grouped taskbar button and you can then select the precise document to which you want to switch back:

I personally didn’t mind this feature but I wanted to change the default settings so that grouping would only occur if I had more than 15 windows open of the same type of application.  (Sadly, this happens more often than I’d like.)  Depending on how much space you have available on your taskbar, Windows begins grouping as few as three windows from any given application.  Microsoft’s TweakUI for Windows XP allowed me to change this number to my desired preference: 15.  However, TweakUI doesn’t work for Windows Vista and I wasn’t necessarily inclined to pay for a similar application just for this function alone.  Fortunately, Taskbar Shuffle has this option embedded in its’ preferences and the program works just fine on either Windows XP or Windows Vista.

So, give Taskbar Shuffle a try…we highly recommend it.