Author: Evan Wondrasek

  • Echofon for Firefox dies after Twitter API changes – Here’s how to get it back

    In case you’ve never heard of it, Echofon for Firefox was an add-on for Firefox that allowed users to interact with Twitter without going to the official Twitter website. Available as a small pop-up window in the browser’s status bar, Echofon was a convenient and minimalist way to compose tweets, replies, and browse Twitter. As…

  • How to uninstall Adobe Acrobat Reader and open PDFs in your browser instead

    Over the last few months, I’ve been aggressively pursuing ways to remove my dependence on 3rd-party plugins. Every time I read about a massive security exploit in software like Java and various Adobe products I think to myself, “Why am I putting myself at risk by keeping this software installed?” PDF documents aren’t going anywhere,…

  • How to create Instagram-style photos without Instagram

    Instagram is a sinking ship. Don’t worry, I don’t mean that Instagram is going anywhere. After their $1 billion acquisition from Facebook (well, it ended up being more like $741 million after Facebook’s stock price tanked), they don’t have much to worry about anymore. Now that Instagram is financially secure and under the protective wing…

  • Review: RHA MA-350 aluminum noise isolating in-ear earphones

    I was recently offered a pair of RHA MA-350 in-ear headphones for review. I brought them with me on a business trip to China, so I had plenty of time on the long flight to try them out and see how they felt after extended wear. Before I get started, I should mention a few things…

  • How to install Microsoft’s FxCop for Visual Studio 2010

    I recently discovered Visual Studio Achievements, which as the name indicates, adds video game-style “achievements” to Microsoft’s premiere IDE while you code. Visual Studio Achievements was even created by Microsoft’s Channel9 team, so you know it’s the real deal. Some of the unlockable achievements include positive awards like “Add 10 regions to a class. Your…

  • How to download a full backup copy of Wikipedia

    I’ve spent plenty of time making jokes about what would happen if Wikipedia went offline in our modern, internet-dependent world – planes dropping out of the sky, no knowledge of any events before 2007, dogs walking their owners – but in all seriousness, any Wikipedia outage will affect millions of students, educators, scientists, and everyday…

  • Hello, 2012

    Happy New Year! From all of us at Techerator, we wish you a happy new year full of the scent of freshly unwrapped gadgets, the gentle hum of CPU fans, and that little unlocking sound iPads make when you open their cover. I would like to extend my sincere personal thanks to all who contributed…

  • Galaxy Nexus: How to prevent newly-installed apps from creating shortcuts on your home screen

    If you’re like me and have recently switched from an Android phone running Froyo (Android 2.2) or Gingerbread (Android 2.3) to the brand-new Ice Cream Sandwich (Android 4.0) on the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, you may have been surprised to find that apps installed from the Android Market automatically have shortcuts placed on the home screen.…

  • A fond farewell to vertical tabs in Google Chrome

    Tabbed browsing is nothing new, but I’ve always felt that something wasn’t quite right with how tabs were displayed. After an enthusiastic web browsing session, I’d often end up with a horizontal disaster of disorganized tabs. With computer displays getting wider and not taller, why were browsers cramming tabs into my precious vertical space? When…

  • Facebook’s Timeline: Life flashing before your eyes has never been so awesome

    Facebook’s new Timeline profiles start rolling out to the public today. Many users were able to preview the new profiles early through Facebook’s Developer program, so I’ve already had a week to play around with Timeline. You’ve probably heard a lot of buzz about its “great design” or “privacy nightmare”, so what’s all the fuss…