Gabbly is a browser-based chat client that allows users to connect and collaborate around a shared interest online. The application is initialised by simply adding the prefix “http://www.gabbly.com/” to a URL. For example, to talk with other users at this blog the URL would be http://www.gabbly.com/blog.include-digital.com. If you visit this link you’ll see the Gabbly chat client appear as a floating layer at the top-right of your browser.

This tool opens up a number of interesting possibilities for group working, website debugging or real-time, project review with a client, without having to resort to third-party applications. Of course, the telephone is always the preferred option, but Gabbly might prove useful when dealing with a large number of people.

VisualHub 1.0 is a new video conversion application for Mac OSX. The feature set and apparent ease of use of this application make it an appealing prospect; if it delivers as promised it’ll earn a place on my dock without a doubt.

Key features include:

• Fast conversion from nearly every video format to iPod, PSP, DV, DVD, AVI, MP4, WMV, MPEG and Flash.
• Convert any file in three steps. Click, drag, click.
• DivX/XviD AVIs, all forms of MPEG video, and many other formats QuickTime struggles with are supported.
• Universal Binary for PowerPC and Intel Macs.

The “click, drag, click” approach is a real winner in my book, and the ability to create content for the iPod and PSP without resorting to specialist applications is a fun addition (though it has limited use from a commercial perspective).

Google Trends reveals some interesting statistics on the popularity of the major Linux distributions. (If the aforementioned link fails to work, click the image below to see a screen grab).

Comparing distros in this fashion is an inexact science, but the figures suggest that the popularity of Redhat is in freefall, with no sign of a recovery in sight. In contrast, Fedora (Redhat’s open source little brother) and Debian appear to be thriving, and newcomer Mandriva has made significant gains in a mere 18 months.

So, how can Redhat arrest this apparent decline? The acquisition of JBoss was a smart move, but it’s debatable whether this will encourage a greater interest in Redhat. In contrast, there’s a real buzz around many of the alternatives, and the proliferation of live CDs (an initiative Redhat have yet to implement) will only serve to encourage installations.
For more information on the myriad flavours of Linux available head to DistroWatch.com.

David Greiner has written an interesting article on HTML email for Vitamin.

As a co-founder of Campaign Monitor, there’s little doubt that David knows a thing or two about HTML email. The article contains invaluable information on email clients, image usage and general advice on message content and structure. (Note the lack of discussion on multipart email - Campaign Monitor appear to strongly favour HTML-only messages, which are a big no-no in my book). However, I’m not convinced by his suggestion that CSS is a viable option when creating HTML emails. Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m a real advocate of standards and accessibility, but the same rules don’t apply to HTML email.

Tables are the lowest common denominator - they’ll work pretty much anywhere. CSS HTML emails are sure to be the answer in the future, when consumers and businesses alike have migrated to newer email clients, but for the time being, use tables if you want your email to email campaign to be a success.

Google Labs have posted a “sneak peek” of their forthcoming Google Spreadsheets application. The following functionality has been implemented:

Create basic spreadsheets from scratch.
You can start from scratch and do all the basics, including changing the number format, sorting by columns, and adding formulas.

Upload your spreadsheet files.
Upload spreadsheets or worksheets from CSV or XLS format - all your formulas and formatting will come across intact.

Familiar desktop feel makes editing a breeze.
Just click the toolbar buttons to bold, underline, change the font, change the cell background color and more.

OK, so this is an innovative tool, but is it really of any real-world use? Is there a need for a very basic online version of Excel? OpenOffice Calc is a capable, open source spreadsheet application, so you can’t really argue that there’s no free alternative to Excel.

Google have created a number of winning applications, notably Google Calendar and Gmail, but I very much doubt they’ll find a market for online spreadsheets.

UPDATE - June 13th 2006

It seems I’m not the only one who is unimpressed with Google Spreadsheets. Technology Review question Google’s strategy.

Brazilian designer Adhemas Batista’s updated portfolio is a real visual treat.

http://www.adhemas.com/

This penalty shootout game is from one of the few officially licensed 2006 FIFA World Cup partners, and it’s pretty good to boot! It uses a clever combination of video and pseudo-3D effects in Flash to create what is easily one of the best World Cup virals around.

http://game.fifaworldcup.philips.com/

I’ve been a huge fan of Firefox since the beginning of 2005. I was sceptical initially: after all, Internet Explorer is perfectly adequate, and, as it is still the dominant browser from a market share perspective, there’s value in experiencing the web as the typical person does. However, the impressive core feature-set and burgeoning list of extensions for Firefox won me over.

I’d be lost without the following Mozilla add-ons, each of which has proved invaluable from either a productivity of development perspective:

Furl Tools - access all the key functionality of Furl from a single browser button.

del.icio.us Firefox extension - add a webpage to your del.icio.us bookmarks with a single click.

Foxylicious - a Firefox extension that integrates your del.icio.us bookmarks into your browser bookmarks.

FlashGot - the definitive download manager for Firefox.

Clear Cache Button - adds a button to the toolbar to clear the browser cache. An incredibly useful tool for web development!

Tab Mix Plus - take control of and customise your Firefox tabs; ressurect closed tabs and browser sessions.

ColorZilla - advanced eyedropper, colour picker, page zoomer and measurement tools.

LinkChecker - check the validity of links on any web page.

HTML Validator - a page validator based on the W3C’s Tidy which shows the number of page errors in the status bar when browsing.