Web's top 10 weirdest social networks who clicked

The Web's 10 Weirdest Social Networks

© Fast Company

Trying to meet people on MySpace or Facebook is like participating in one of those office gift exchanges: you have no idea what you're going to get. Witness the rise of niche social networks, where hamster enthusiasts, mustache lovers, even lonely farmers can find kindred spirits to commune with (and sometimes sleep with). New virtual cliques form every day, thanks to platforms like Ning that enable anyone to create an online network around any topic. Check out our list of the 10 weirdest social networks.

By Ellen Gibson, Fast Company

Hamsterster

This smelly corner of the Web is devoted to over-parented domestic rodents. The proud owners of Fiona McNibbles, Hammin McSquish, and thousands of other hamsters compare notes -- on how Hammy Heit always tries to escape, Fatty likes lying in bed with the fan blowing on his face, and Nutmeg enjoys dance music with a good beat. A FAQ page addresses such puzzlers as "How do I make another hamster friends with mine?"

FarmersOnly

It seems that raking manure and breeding alpacas aren't the best ways to meet hot singles. Enter Farmers Only, a thriving online community of eligible farmers, ranchers, and livestock owners. The site bills itself as online dating for country folk -- people whose lives revolve around blue skies, not $4 cups of coffee. FarmersOnly is just one of thousands of specialized dating networks -- for Trekkies, the overweight, celibates, and even married people.

ZiiTrend

Members post questions and predictions ("Which country will win the most gold medals at the Beijing Olympics?" or "When will Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie break up?") and other users vote on the likely outcome. Inspired by James Surowiecki's pop business tome "The Wisdom of Crowds" and the belief that if you average the uninformed opinions of a bunch of Average Joes, the collective judgment is remarkably accurate.

Lost Zombies

This network boasts some 1,700 members with overactive imaginations, posing as zombie-hunting vigilantes, survivalists, and the undead themselves. Everyone's an amateur George A. Romero on this site, where the exalted art form is a perfectly staged photo or mock radio broadcast documenting a zombie "outbreak."

Myrl

This is a simulated community for the avatars who inhabit virtual worlds like "Second Life" and "Google Lively" -- because why not get one more degree removed from the real world. Human users will be able to post profiles for their avatars and recommend cool places they've stumbled upon in metaverses. The creepiest part: Users build up karma points, and thus a more visible profile on the site, the longer they stay logged on.

My Free Implants

The icky factor on this "plastic surgery financing" site is high. Under-endowed women post sexy photos and profiles to solicit cash from silicone sugar daddies. Why would anyone give a stranger money for breast implants? It's a pay-to-play format, where the men have to shell out cash to send the women messages. My Free Implants is surprisingly legit: It raised over a million dollars for surgical procedures last year.

Social Anxiety Friends

Yup, this is a social network for people with social anxiety disorder. The goal of this virtual support group is to help its members overcome their disorder, but it actually seems like more incentive to stay inside. The huge virtual arcade is especially popular, but the activities -- barbwire jump rope, "Ant Burner," "Cubicle Warfare," and one in which you feed babies to alligators -- are decidedly antisocial.

Stache Passions

Do you idolize Rollie Fingers or fantasize about Magnum P.I.? This is the place to be for mustache wearers and the men and women who love them. The mustachioed members divide themselves according the type of stache preferred (Pornstar, Fu Manchu, Dali), and post stache-related videos. The company behind this site, Passions Network Inc., also hosts the popular Goth Passions and the yet-to-catch-on Mime Passions.

Beautiful People

Only applicants deemed beautiful enough by existing members are welcome. To gain access, you need to post self-portraits (including a full-body shot) and leave them up for three days while those on the inside size you up. The tone of the site is Darwinian smug, proudly "separating the hippos from the cheetahs" in the online dating jungle; just one out of 10 applicants makes the cut.

Spot a Potty

Like many networks on Ning, this one might be too specialized. Members post photographs of the toilets found in their homes and in public places -- for no discernible reason. The site should take a page from MizPee.com, the useful public restroom-locating site, and focus less on bathroom décor and more on practical considerations like cleanliness.

2 latest Games for the Nintendo Wii

In-Depth and Hands-On: Nintendo 'Wii Sports Resort' and 'Wii Music'

By Danny Allen, PC World

Here's a detailed look at Nintendo's next two powerhouse casual gaming titles.

LOS ANGELES -- Here at the E3 2008 games expo, I got the chance to spend some quality time with early builds of Nintendo's latest 'Wii Series' games: 'Wii Sports Resort' (a sequel to 'Wii Sports') and 'Wii Music' (once planned as a Wii console launch title). The early verdict: Both deliver the irreverent fun you'd expect, coupled with some crafty control methods that you perhaps wouldn't. Both are sure to be popular -- even 'Wii Music' -- though I'm still not 100 percent sold on it.

Wii Sports Resort

'Wii Sports Resort' will require the Wii MotionPlus add-on that Nintendo unveiled recently. The small accessory connects to the tail of the Wii remote to deliver dramatically better arm-motion sensing. Nintendo claims it delivers 1:1 precision and having tried it, I'd have to say it goes pretty close, tracking movement even when you're pointing away from the screen/sensor bar.

That kind of response opens the floodgates to all manner of new game-play styles, and Nintendo let me play three mini-games: "Power Cruising"' (Jet Ski), "Disc Dog" (Frisbee) and "Sword Play" (because who doesn't fence at the beach?).

"Power Cruising" reminds me of "Wave Race 64" but with Mii-character style graphics. You hold the Wii Remote and Nunchuck together to form a handlebar that steers your water scooter through a series of gates, slalom style. The Wii Remote's trigger (B) accelerates and flicking your wrist initiates turbo.

Also straightforward: "Disc Dog" sees you throw a flying disc to your virtual man's best friend -- arm movements -- only no button pressing needed. You receive 100, 50 or 10 points based on your accuracy (and if Fido actually catches the disc). Finally, "Sword Play" looks to be an early contender as the "Wii Tennis" go-to game of "Wii Sports Resort." Not only does it have the highest potential to break any vase and bruise any arm within swinging distance, but it's the only activity I tried where two players could compete via split screen. Literally double the carnage! The Wii MotionPlus' increased controller precision is most apparent here; it makes chopping, hacking and lunging intuitive and accurate.

The big question then: How much will the Wii MotionPlus controller cost? Nintendo would say only that it'll come bundled with a copy of "Wii Sports Resort" in spring 2009. No word on it being sold separately.

"Wii Music"

In the meantime, "Wii Music" (which doesn't require the WiiMotion Plus add-on) is set to launch these holidays; read sometime in November or December 2008. Unlike RockBand, Guitar Hero, Rock Revolution, et al., "Wii Music" more or less provides a jamming playground where it's perfectly fine for players to make mistakes -- almost to a fault.

I like the concept of granting players a taste of the connection created when you play music with another person, but the lack of a discernable goal in what I played did feel slightly aimless, at least in the jam mode. Sure I could see where I was supposed to play, but wasn't really penalized (even in terms of sounding all that bad) if I just rocked out in my own world, arms flailing wildly.

More than 60 instruments will be available: a vast variety of string, woodwind, brass and percussion options; the piano, too. For instance, the Nunchuk and Wii remote let you glide an invisible bow back and forth at your shoulder to play violin, strum invisible space to play guitar, or rattle away when you play tambourine. Various buttons perform a range of flourishes, both visual and musical.

Word is that the game will include about 50 songs, including public-domain folk songs (I played "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star"), and more modern licensed content (I also played the Mario theme song, but expect some real songs you'd hear on the radio, too). Nintendo says it's not really thinking about downloadable content, instead focusing more on letting players use their imagination to change up the style of songs provided. A death metal version of "Yankee Doodle"? You got it!

Four players can jam in your lounge room at once. You can also use WiiConnect24 to save an instrument jam as a video and share it with a friend. He can then record a musical part over it and send the combined piece back to you. Up to eight parts can be layered, six melodic and two percussion.

Speaking of percussion, "Wii Music" has an absolutely rock'n, free-form Drum mode. And you know how most real-life drummers hate being told when to smack skin in "Rock Band"? Well, they're going to absolutely love this, while nondrummers will have to go back to drawing board (or, mercifully, drum-lesson mode in this case). Case in point: I rock out at Hard on drums in "Rock Band". Here, I couldn't even put a basic fill or loop together. That's because "Wii Music" features a full virtual five-piece (eight counting cymbals) drum kit that you control using the Nunchuk, Wii Remote AND -- if you have one -- the Wii Balance Board.

Your left foot on the Wii Balance Board opens and closes the h- hat, while your right foot operates the kick drum. The Nunchuck (in your left hand) and Wii Remote (in your right) essentially operate either side of the kit and the D-Pad or analog stick control which tom you strike. Drum mode is what will sell "Wii Music," particularly what I'm told Nintendo has planned for the drum lessons.

Finally, "Wii Music's" Orchestra mode has also already been demonstrated. You'll be able to control a Mii character orchestra and gain rank as a conductor rated as passionate, graceful or methodical.

But like I said, I think it'll be all about the drums. Isn't it always?

Top 14 Technology Rivalries that shape our world today

Top 14 Technology Rivalries that shape our world today

From Excel to Lotus 1 2 3, from Steve Jobs to Bill Gates, technological rivalries that shape our world today. Without these rivalries the world should look like a boring place to live in.

Nintendo or Sega? Intel or AMD? Laptop eraserhead or touchpad? We present 14 timeless tech face-offs.

The greatest rivalries are fascinating to observe -- and they invite everyone to choose sides and argue the merits of their favorite. Think Athens versus Sparta. Boston Red Sox versus New York Yankees. Coke versus Pepsi. Wile E. Coyote versus the Roadrunner.

Luckily I hadn't committed to either side in that duel. Narrow escape! But the epic struggle got me pondering great technology rivalries of the past. Which are better: Macs or PCs? Netscape Navigator or Internet Explorer? Laptop eraserheads or notebook touchpads? In the instances where a clear winner emerged, did might triumph over right (Lotus 1-2-3 versus Microsoft Office Excel)?

Other rivalries may never achieve a satisfactory resolution, which makes them all the more entertaining -- or frustrating. Accept our apologies if we left out one of your favorites (PC World versus PC Magazine, anyone?). And add a Comment to let us know what we missed.

Mac versus PC

What's so great about a Mac?

Apple products are the computing equivalent of gourmet sausage: We don't want to know what's inside these beautiful, expensive computers -- or what's going on beneath the surface of the sleek Mac OS X. When it works, it works magically. When it doesn't work, we go to yoga class and wait for the next update. Oh, okay. Not only do the current Macintosh computers come equipped with some of the fastest, best-designed hardware available anywhere, but they also carry a stable, powerful, easy-to-use operating system that so far seems to be fairly immune to the security flaws and threats that menace Windows users. Top software developers -- including Adobe and even Microsoft -- continue to develop products for the Macintosh, making Macs competitive with Windows PCs in the workplace. A few key business applications (AutoCAD, for example) still require Windows -- but fortunately, Macs also run Windows quite nicely. Apple's proprietary hardware is expensive compared to PC hardware, but third-party systems running OS X may soon become a reality. And isn't that Mac guy in the "Get a Mac" Apple commercials hip?

What's so great about a PC?

More than a computing platform, the PC is a wide-open, mix-and-match hardware and software ecosystem that can accommodate everything from water-cooled, Internet-connected, planet-warming gaming systems, to itty-bitty portable PCs. Instead of choosing from the limited hardware offerings of one company (Apple), you can shop around among hundreds of competitors for the exact configuration you need -- usually for less money than the equivalent Mac would cost. (And you don't have to succumb to the holier-than-thou attitude worn on the sleeves of Macolytes.) You can even dump Windows and use one of the many excellent Linux distributions available for free. What's not to like about choices (or for that matter, about the PC guy in the Apple "Get a Mac" commercials, the embodiment of every PC user's inner geek)?

Sony PlayStation 2 versus Microsoft Xbox

What's so great about the Sony PlayStation 2?

Launched in 2000 and priced at $300 per unit, the PS2 became the fastest-selling console of all time, quickly overshadowed 1999's Sega Dreamcast, and later it outsold two challengers launched in 2001, the Nintendo GameCube and the Microsoft Xbox. Even today, slimmed-down PS2 units sell in greater numbers each month than Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii or PlayStation 3 consoles. Only the Nintendo DS handheld comes close to the PS2 in the size of its user base. Crucial to the PS2's original success were its built-in DVD (foreshadowing the inclusion of the Sony-backed Blu-ray format in the PS3) and its ability to play games designed for the original PlayStation and make them look better. Among the noteworthy add-ons available for the PlayStation 2s were a DVD remote, a hard disk, a mouse, a keyboard, a Linux kit, a headset/microphone, an Eye Toy camera, and game-specific peripherals such as the Singstar microphone and the Guitar Hero guitar. In 2005, PC World ranked the PlayStation 2 in 11th place on our list of the 50 greatest gadgets of the past 50 years.

What's so great about the Microsoft Xbox?

After supplying the operating system for Sega's Dreamcast console, Microsoft ventured directly into the console race -- with the PlayStation 2 squarely in its sights. Unlike the PS2, the $300 Xbox boasted a built-in 8GB hard drive and was broadband-ready out of the box (the Xbox Live Online gaming service launched a year later). The powerful Xbox had a PC-like design and used a modified 733-MHz Pentium III processor. One of its launch titles, "Halo: Combat Evolved," emerged as the best-selling game of 2001. Microsoft slowly gained traction with its original Xbox. The company got quicker off the mark, too: In 2005, the original Xbox's successor, the Xbox 360, reached stores a full year before Sony countered with its PlayStation 3 and Nintendo unveiled its Wii.

Ballmer versus Torvalds

What's so great about Steve Ballmer?

When Steve Ballmer, aka Goliath, sets his sights on something, he gets it. Or he throws a chair (allegedly). Or he just goes crazy. He thinks Linux is for commies. Much of Microsoft's tremendous growth has occurred under Ballmer's watch as CEO, which began in 2000. His tenure has been marked by the acquisition of other companies, including Visio, Great Plains and Groove Networks. Along the way, he became a billionaire. And with a couple of Microsoft compatriots, Ballmer appeared as one of the very few PC World centerfolds. But with software as we know it moving off of PCs and onto the Web, Ballmer desperately needs to acquire something new (like Yahoo or Facebook) to avoid being gnawed to death by Google.

What's so great about Linus Torvalds?

Linus Torvalds, aka David, isn't against Microsoft products; he's just not interested in them. He began tinkering with the free, open-source operating system named after him while working on his master's degree in computer science. He doesn't throw things (even allegedly) or go crazy. Though he has final say over which programmers' contributions gain entry into the Linux operating system kernel, he is essentially a lowly programmer working for the Linux Foundation. Still, thanks to Torvalds, open-source software -- and Linux in particular -- may eventually eat Microsoft's lunch. And remember, David won his battle.

Laptop eraserhead versus notebook touchpad

What's so great about an eraserhead?

No, not the David Lynch movie, but the cursor controller that sticks out of the middle of some laptop keyboards. Lenovo calls its version the TrackPoint. The obvious plus of the eraserhead pointer is that you don't have to move your hands from the touch-typing home row to move the cursor around the screen. Also, it's tactile, but not so easy to maneuver that you can make mistakes just by hitting it. Admittedly, the rubber tip can get slippery or gummy, depending on how sweaty your finger is and/or what you ate for lunch. But why mess with success?

What's so great about a touchpad?

The touchpad has some obvious advantages over the eraserhead pointer. For example, most touchpads let you scroll or perform other tasks by tapping or touching the pad's corners or sides. Apple's Multi-Touch trackpad raises the touchpad to a new level, enabling you to scroll, resize, rotate and otherwise manipulate windows and other on-screen objects by making simple gestures. The obvious disadvantage of the touchpad is that it requires you to move your hands from the keyboard's home row. It also is less precise than a mouse for handling fine work on-screen. On the other hand (or on the same hand), a touchpad wipes clean with a damp cloth if your egg salad sandwich performs impromptu gravity experiments on it at lunchtime.

Lotus 1-2-3 versus Microsoft Office Excel

What's so great about Lotus 1-2-3?

Though not the first spreadsheet program written for IBM's fledgling PC, Lotus 1-2-3 was the first great one, thanks to its speed, integrated functions, lack of bugs, and support for opening large spreadsheets in expanded memory. Though other spreadsheet programs written for MS-DOS matched and even improved on 1-2-3's features, none overtook it in popularity. In the late 1980s, though, Microsoft fielded an upstart spreadsheet called Excel for its Windows graphical interface. Lotus waited too long to release a Windows-based competitor (betting instead on IBM OS/2). By the time Windows 3.0 prompted a boom in Windows use, 1-2-3 had lost its lead. Rumors of 1-2-3's demise are premature, however; IBM still sells it as part of its Lotus SmartSuite office suite.

What's so great about Excel?

If 1-2-3 was so great, how did a newcomer manage to usurp its position in just a few years? By the time Microsoft ported its Macintosh-based spreadsheet to the PC in 1987, most spreadsheets offered all the extra goodies that a number cruncher could want, including built-in formulas, macro languages and database features. But Excel offered a couple of things that its competitors lacked: pull-down menus and WYSIWYG formatting that made it dramatically easier to use. Excel's time may be up, though: Today Microsoft's Office Live (which includes an Excel component) falls short of free Web-hosted applications such as Google Docs & Spreadsheets and Zoho Office.

Amazon.com versus your local bookstore

What's so great about Amazon?

On some level, you just want stuff. Never mind supporting local merchants, paying your fair share of sales tax, or even seeing something before buying it. Amazon gets that. The mother of all online stores has a huge array of stuff for sale, including used books, used CDs and other collectibles sold through partner vendors (all the people who used to own used-book and -record stores in your town). The biggest downside to an Amazon transaction is guilt, because every order arrives in a dead-tree cardboard box stowed aboard a carbon-spewing delivery truck.

What's so great about your local bookstore?

My local bookstore is awesome. I love the librarylike ambience, and occasionally I even buy something, especially if Christmas or someone's birthday is looming. Besides selling books, the store has an excellent selection of reading glasses and gourmet chocolates for immediate purchase (and gratification). The friendly staff members sometimes make great recommendations for reading that I would never think of. And I often discover interesting books by using my eyes as a kind of analog browser and the store shelves as a rudimentary site contents listing. Bonus: To go to my local bookstore, I have to leave my computer, if only for a few minutes. There are drawbacks, of course. Inevitably a local bookstore like mine has far fewer books to choose from than Amazon or a site like ABEBooks.com; and on top of that, I am obliged by societal mores to get dressed and brush my teeth before hopping into my carbon-spewing automobile to go shopping.

Intel versus AMD

What's so great about Intel?

Intel engineers created the first microprocessor, the 4004, in 1971. The rest (the part where Intel-powered PCs took over the world) is history. Amazingly, Intel's recent CPUs remain backward-compatible with software designed for the benchmark 80386 processor introduced in 1986. On the green side (ecologically speaking), the company's newer, smaller chips use silicon and other component materials more efficiently, require less power, and support dramatically faster speeds. And the company had the brilliant idea of branding its work: Remember the "Intel Inside" ad campaign, anyone? Competitors, including AMD, have tried to carve a little slice out of the Intel pie by reverse-engineering x86 processors of their own. So far, they're just playing catch-up.

What's so great about AMD?

For much of the early part of this century, Advanced Micro Devices enjoyed great success by producing processors that outperformed comparably priced Intel chips. Its earlier Athlon CPUs were performance champs, and they usually sold for less than comparable Intel products. But AMD stumbled when it tried to produce an immediate competitor to Intel's latest quadruple-core processors, and the company's purchase of graphics hardware maker ATI imposed a serious burden on its finances. AMD's plans to jump to 12-core processors by 2010 are interesting. And the prospect of success in an antitrust lawsuit alleging anti-competitive sales practices by Intel may be a source of optimism at AMD in 2008. Luckily, the company has some of the most loyal customers in the business. In any event, a serious competitor to Intel (especially one willing to go after it in court) is the surest way to guarantee better, less expensive products for consumers.

Gates versus Jobs

What's so great about Bill Gates?

Microsoft's success has earned Bill Gates $58 billion so far. OK, so the prosecutor in the antitrust case United States versus Microsoft would say that some of the business practices that generated that fortune were unethical, but business is business, right? This summer the former evil-software-empire chairman begins his new full-time job with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, giving a big chunk of that money away. Thanks to matching contributions from Gates' even richer card-playing buddy Warren Buffett, the foundation is currently endowed with nearly $40 billion, which it uses for such laudable activities as fostering global agricultural development and financial services for the poor; fighting HIV, malaria, tuberculosis and malnutrition; improving women's and children's health; and promoting literacy in the United States and abroad. Does the end justify the means?

What's so great about Steve Jobs?

Steve Jobs is the rock star of the tech world, and (reportedly) an insufferable egomaniac. He's a billionaire too, though nowhere near as wealthy as Bill Gates. His vision of what a computer or a gadget could be, starting with the Apple I in 1976, has always been way, way out there. He foresaw that a lot of people would pay extra for a phone or a laptop that was not merely functional but a work of art, with the result that now we have engineering marvels like the iPhone and the MacBook Air. For more than 30 years, Jobs has been really excited about this stuff, browbeating and cajoling his people into make cooler devices, and then convincing the buying public of how insanely great these products are. And they are great (he says as he sips his Kool-Aid).

Inkjet printers versus laser printers

What's so great about inkjets?

Ah, little inkjet printer, you give us rich colors for our photographs -- as long as we use your specially coated paper. But soon, so soon, the ink wells run dry, the colorful cataracts diminish, and everything comes out all blue or yellow. And since a replacement set of ink cartridges for you may cost as much as the whole printer did originally, we must bid you a sorrowful adieu and move on to a new printer -- which, tragically, too, will find its way to sleep in the local landfill. More prosaically, some of your cartridges contain microchips that block printing after an expiration date or before the cartridge is empty; we can't understand why you won't let us print on our own schedule. We're perplexed that third-party cartridges tend to be far less expensive and often match the quality of the cartridges from the manufacturer, and we harbor horrible suspicions as to why your manufacturer has gone to such great lengths to block their sales. But cheap access to a clean, pretty paper copy of the Google Map to the restaurant where we're going for supper or to a quickie photo of the kid for Grandma makes all that go away.

What's so great about laser printers?

Oh mighty (and inexpensive) monochrome laser printer, for black-and-white documents you are the only way to go, pounding out prints at a cost per page of around 3 cents -- much less than the cost of inkjet printing. And for color elements, such as charts, logos and other graphics, your high-toned siblings, the color laser printers, produce longer-lasting prints faster than inkjets can, at about the same cost per page. True, when your cartridge finally conks out, the bill can really hurt -- and if you're a color laser, the cartridges can set me back more than the printer did. So maybe I should share most of my "prints" via e-mail over my iPhone...

How to Install Firefox 3 and keep Firefox 2 - easy step by step guide

How to Install Firefox 3 and keep Firefox 2 - easy step by step guide

Did you install the latest version of Firefox? Firefox 3? Cool isn't it? But do you still want to keep the old version of Firefox 2 running since Firefox 3 is just out of Beta? well you just come to the right place, first read on with free Screen shots for you to check out!


Download the lastest version of Firefox here --->









Mirror Downloads for your Country Based Firefox 3 apps. --> http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/all-rc.html

The BIG problem with installing and playing around with the new Firefox 3 is by default you can not run both Firefox 2 and Firefox 3 at the same time and Firefox 3 will overwrite Firefox 2 since they both insist on using the same user profile and insist on running only 1 copy of Firefox in your machine at any one time causing a lot of people to lose their bookmarks and customized settings.

We will walk around this with a minor hack. That is proven safe and tested.

First Create a new Profile for Firefox 3.

Step 1
-Do this by going over to your Firefox 2 icon in the desktop or in your startmenu or in your Quicklaunch bar.
Right click on this and go to properties, the highlighted portion is the Target of the application, go copy and paste this to notepad or any other word processor and take away the (" ") quotation marks for now. Cancel the properties box.

Step 2
- Go to Run in your start menu or if in Vista place it in the search bar and paste the target for your Firefox 2 which you copied in the previous instruction, place a space and enter this code next to it

-profilemanager -no-remote

for now the code in the RUN menu is and may look like this without the braces [ path of your firefox folder/firefox.exe -profilemanager -no-remote ]


Step 3

- Now a Profile manager Window will pop up. Here you can add any profile name you want in a simple and self explanatory manner since the GUI is very user friendly. Do take note of the new name of the profile you made because we are going to use it later.



Step 4

- Start Firefox 2 and have it running then install Firefox 3 even when Firefox 2 is running. Don't close Firefox 2 and opt in the installation of Firefox 3 for a custom install and install it in another named directory besides the Firefox 2 installation folder, Make it or name it like Firefox3.
Once the icons or shortcuts of Firefox 3 are created right click on them and go to the properties menu and select target.

You will see the same instance like in step 1, but this time around insert this snippet of code just before the last (") quotation mark and put a space between the last letter of the .exe file.

The code to be inserted with out the braces [ -P NAMEofnewPROFILE -no-remote & ]

Please note that the NAMEofnewPROFILE I inserted is the name of the new profile which you made in step 3. The one you just created.

the full code in the target of Firefox 3 shortcut is now like this without the braces [ path of your firefox 3 folder/firefox.exe -P NAMEofnewPROFILE -no-remote & ]


Click on apply and OK and you can use Firefox 3 now along side Firefox 2 or any other Firefox versions as long as you make a new profile and do the same steps all over again.

Enjoy and leave a comment if you happen to have questions. Thank you and enjoy Firefox!.

Screen Shots of Firefox 2 and Firefox 3 working together!

Top Rated I.T. Products for 08

Top Rated I.T. Products for 08

21. Mozilla Firefox 3 (browser, free)

Firefox 3, in beta, builds on its predecessor's strengths by adding better security and new tools for storing and accessing your bookmarks and your browsing history. Review | Download

22. Safari (mobile browser, free)
This mobile version of the Safari browser may be the true killer app of the iPhone and iPod Touch. United with the iPhone's multitouch gesture support, the spacious Safari browser makes surfing the Web on a 4-inch screen feel like an immersive experience. Site | Download

23. NPR.org (news site, free)
Welcome to the online home of NPR's lauded national news coverage and commentary, special reports and documentaries. NPR's site has done a lot in a short time to convey its rich content in compelling digital formats such as podcasts and live and recorded streams. Site

24. Photoshop CS3 (image-editing software, $650)
A fresh, simplified interface, new editing tools and better integration with Adobe's Creative Suite help Photoshop remain the gold standard in image editing programs. Review | Check prices

25. Google Maps -- Street View (mapping software, free)
Google's Street View brought a new dimension to mapping this year, offering users real-life images from ground level. Site

26. Apple MacBook Pro (Penryn) (Laptop series, from $1,999)
What a difference a chip makes: With Intel's Penryn processor inside, the new MacBook Pros handily outperform not only older Mac laptops, but also many Windows-based notebooks. Review | Check prices

27. Google Docs & Spreadsheets (Web-based productivity suite, free)
Arguably the best of a new breed of online, collaborative app suites challenging the supremacy of Microsoft Office, Google Docs & Spreadsheets permits users to edit, share and store word processing, spreadsheet and presentation documents from any machine -- fixed or mobile -- that can run a Web browser. Site

28. Apple Final Cut Studio 2 (video production suite, $1,299) Available for Mac OS X only, this package includes Final Cut Pro 6.02, Apple's highly rated, de facto industry-standard application for digital video editing. Site

29. Linksys Dual-Band Wireless-N Gigabit Router WRT600N (wireless router, $200)
Here's the first router that serves both older 2.4-GHz 802.11b/g gear and newer devices that stream over the 5-GHz band. Review | Check prices

30. Flickr (photo-sharing site, 200 photos free, unlimited photos and storage $25/year)
Like most photo sharing sites, Yahoo's Flickr makes organizing, sharing and tagging photos easy. Better, the site's many users translate into a wide array of active user groups -- and you won't have to wait long before someone discovers and comments on your photos. Site

31. Sony KDL-52XBR4 (52-inch LCD HDTV, $3,500)
Sony has a reputation for great design, but what makes this big-screen beauty a real standout is its truly impressive performance. Review | Check prices

32. Intel Penryn (processor line, prices vary)
Starting with its Core 2 Duo design, Intel shrinks its chips to a 45-nanometer core for desktop, server and mobile CPUs. The result: better performance and larger caches, without any increase in power consumption. News and reviews links

33. Apple iChat (instant messaging, $129)
Included in Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard, iChat takes instant messaging to a new level with a slick interface, cool video, custom backdrops and special effects. Review

34. Creative Zen (MP3 player; $130-$300)
Amazingly, the Zen manages to fit all of the functionality of the older Zen Vision M (FM, a built-in microphone, video and more) into a device the size of a business-card case. Review | Check prices

35. Verizon FiOS (high-speed Internet access, $160/month or less)
Verizon's fiber-powered FiOS is the speediest consumer broadband service available in this broadband-challenged part of the world. The fastest FiOS plan in most markets promises 30-mbps downloads and 15-mbps uploads. Site

36. Pandora (streaming music site, free or $36/year subscription)
1. Enter your favorite artist's name. 2. Click Create. 3. Listen as Pandora plays a custom radio station full of well-known and obscure music that's eerily well-matched to your tastes. A paid subscription delivers mobile and home streaming support. Review

37. Canon EOS 40D (digital SLR camera, $1,500 with kit lens)
Excellent image quality and killer features -- such as a burst mode that captures images at up to 6.5 frames per second -- make the EOS 40D the digital SLR to beat for enthusiasts and professionals alike. Review | Check prices

38. LG Electronics L196WTY-BF (19-inch LCD monitor, $220)
LG's flat panel comes with a mechanism that permits almost 360-degree swivel -- a capability that people who use their monitors as presentation tools will welcome. Review | Check prices

39. TiVo HD (digital video recorder, $300; service, $13/month)
With its excellent user interface and its ability to record high-def programs, the TiVo HD box might be all the DVR you need. Review | Check prices

40. Data Robotics Drobo DRO4DU10 (external hard drive, $500 without drives)
This storage device uses disk and storage virtualization algorithms instead of RAID 5 to provide data redundancy. Review | Check prices

41. Google Gmail (e-mail, free)
Google scores another coup by adding IMAP (Internet Message Access Protocol) support to its free e-mail service, enabling users to read Gmail messages on mobile devices and on other desktop mail clients. Site

42. Electronic Arts "Rock Band" Controllers (game controllers, Guitar $60, Drums $80)
Much of "Rock Band's" success involves the accompanying toy musical gear -- a microphone, faux Fender guitar and a (very fun) plastic drum kit -- for playing the game. Electronic Arts manufactures and markets the controllers, which are available both bundled and separately, under a codevelopment agreement between EA and "Rock Band" developer Harmonix (which is owned by MTV Networks). Video review | Check prices

43. Mozilla Thunderbird (e-mail, free)
Thunderbird 2 has a strong feature set, is easy to customize and has solid defenses against spam and phishing. Review | Download

44. Dell XPS 420 (desktop PC, $2,730)
The XPS 420 multimedia computer -- with Intel's 2.83-GHz Penryn Q9550 processor inside -- handles everyday tasks with aplomb and even lets you indulge in some fairly hard-core gaming. Review | Check prices

45. Washington Post (news site, free)
The Post has made the most of its consistently fine coverage of government, policy and politics by posting it on an easily navigable Web site -- and through narrated slide shows and video. Site

46. Yelp.com (online social reviews, free)
At Yelp, customers write critical appraisals of everything from theaters to public restrooms. It's the "wisdom of the crowd" in action. Bravo. Site

47. Nikon D60 (digital SLR camera, $750)
This small, easy-to-use model supports 10.2 megapixels of detail and offers convenient extras such as in-camera editing and stop-motion animation. Review | Check prices

48. The Consumerist (blog, free)
Part news, part activism and part how-to, this site supplies you with the tools you need to be an informed -- and in all likelihood outraged -- consumer. Tagline: "Shoppers Bite Back." Site

49. AdventNet Zoho (office suite app, free)
Zoho's seemingly endless array of free online office applications has brought sharing and collaboration to business software. Review

50. OpenDNS PhishTank (security site, free)
PhishTank is an information clearinghouse where you can report or find data on phishers, spammers and anybody else who's trying to rip off nice people on the Internet. Site

51. Western Digital VelociRaptor (internal hard drive, $300)
Spinning at 10,000 revolutions per minute, this swift and capacious (300GB) hard drive blew away the competition in our PC World Test Center evaluations. Review | Check prices

52. NYTimes.com (news site, free)
The Gray Lady of print journalism has crafted a strong, user-friendly online presence spiced with engaging interactive graphics and first-rate news video. Site

53. Motorola MotoRokr T505 (car speakerphone, $140)
This Bluetooth gadget not only permits you to dial by voice and to chat hands-free while driving, it also streams music from your music phone to your car's stereo system via its FM transmitter. Nice. Review | Check prices

54. SanDisk Cruzer Titanium Plus (thumb drive, $60; online backup, $30/year)
When you move your files onto the rugged Cruzer thumb drive via a USB slot, the files automatically upload, for backup, to a BeInSync server on the Web. Site | Check prices

55. Dash Navigation Dash Express (GPS navigation system, $400; service, $10-$13/month)
Offering seamless Internet access via its built-in cellular (GPRS) or Wi-Fi connectivity, the Dash Express can provide real-time traffic data; on top of that, it finds area businesses through Yahoo Local search. Review | Check prices

56. Panasonic TH-42PZ700U (42-inch plasma HDTV, $1,400)
The first 1080p, 42-inch plasma TV, this Panasonic model boasts rich colors, deep blacks and superb picture detail. Review | Check prices

57. Netgear ReadyNAS Duo (network-attached storage, $400)
In our tests, the ReadyNAS Duo outperformed even its sibling, the top-of-the line ReadyNAS NV+. Review | Check prices

58. Symantec Norton Internet Security 2008 (security suite, $60)
Symantec's suite offers solid security protection. Features include strong behavior-based defense against unknown threats. Review | Check prices

59. RIM BlackBerry Curve 8300 Series (smart phone, $250 with two-year AT&T wireless contract)
Research in Motion's Curve line delivers both a QWERTY keyboard and RIM's increasingly popular smart-phone operating system -- the best of its kind for handling corporate e-mail -- in a compact and chic handset. Review (8300) | Review (8320) | Check prices (8300) | Check prices (8320)

60. Vimeo (video-sharing site, free)
Vimeo invites you to upload and share your wide-screen HD video (up to 500MB per week) with the world for free. After the sudden departure of Stage6, Vimeo has become a very important site indeed. Review

61. SideStep (travel site, free)
SideStep scans more than 200 other travel-focused Web sites, looking for low-priced flights, hotels, rental cars and cruises. The bottom line: It's surprisingly effective at finding deals. Site

62. Alienware Area-51 m15x (gaming laptop, starts at $1,500)
Beneath the unearthly glow of its facade, this scary-powerful gaming-oriented notebook houses two high-end nVidia GeForce 8800m GTX graphics boards. Site

63. TellMe (mobile search, free)
Mobile search apps with voice recognition have a bright future, and Microsoft's Tellme -- which bases the results it returns (including contact data and maps) on your voice requests and location -- works better than any competing software we've seen so far. Review

64. Amazon MP3 (digital music site, $0.99 per song, most full albums $10)
Amazon's MP3 shop rivals iTunes in the breadth of its music selections -- and Amazon sells its files without the confining DRM wrapper. Site

65. Samsung SyncMaster 305T (30-inch LCD monitor, $1,300)
The wide-screen SyncMaster 305T delivers first-rate image quality and excellent screen resolution (2560 by 1600 pixels) at an appealing price, for its size. Review | Check prices

66. Apple Logic Studio (music production suite, $499)
Apple's OS X-only Logic Studio contains everything you need to record, edit, mix and produce music, along with software, synthesizers, effects and 18,000 loop samples. Site | Check prices

67. Gateway XHD3000 (30-inch LCD monitor, $1,700)
This wide-screen LCD comes with more input options, more screen adjustment controls and more extras (like HDCP support) than most other 30-inch LCDs we've seen. Review | Check prices

68. HP Photosmart C5280 (inkjet multifunction printer, $150)
At a modest price, the all-in-one C5280 offers a nice package of features (such as CD/DVD printing) and outstanding photo quality. Review | Check prices

69. USB Safely Remove 3.3 (utilities, shareware)
This shareware program greatly extends the functionality of your Safely Remove Hardware icon. Download

70. Samsung LN-T4061 (40-inch LCD HDTV, $1,300)
This Samsung model makes our list on the strength of good performance, dual tuners and a nice array of inputs and outputs, including three HDMI and USB 2.0 ports. Review | Check prices

71. nVidia GeForce 8800 GT (graphics board, $250)
The 8800 GT had a big impact on the market, thanks to its moderate price, low power consumption and strong gaming performance. Site | Check prices

72. Cerulean Studios Trillian (instant messaging, free)
A handy, streamlined app for chatting across AIM, ICQ, MSN and Yahoo, Trillian just gets better with age. Download

73. Creative Aurvana X-Fi (headphones, $300
Fueled by two AAA batteries, Creative's noise-canceling Aurvana X-Fi cans rock your dome with deep, rich sound processing. Review | Check prices

74. Olympus SP-570 UZ (advanced digital camera, $500)
The new king of megazoom point-and-shoot cameras, the SP-570 UZ uses a 20x optical zoom lens to take close-ups to the extreme. Site | Check prices

75. Apple iMac (desktop computer, from $1,199)
This model eschews the cheap-looking plastic chassis of earlier entries in the iMac line in favor of a sleek anodized aluminum one. It's a hard worker, too. Review | Check prices

76. Samsung 2263DX (22-inch LCD display, $550)
This unique 22-incher sports a side- or top-mountable 7-inch secondary screen that you can use to view instant messaging clients, music or movie players or photo viewers. Review

77. Canon Vixia HF10 (high-definition camcorder, $1,100)
The tiny-but-mighty Canon Vixia HF10 records high-def video directly to an internal 16GB flash drive or a high-capacity SD card. Site | Check prices

78. Mint (personal finance site, free)
This smart Web tool details exactly where your money is coming from -- and where it's going. Review

79. VMWare Fusion (virtualization software, $80)
VMWare edges out Parallels Desktop as the simplest, easiest way to expand the capabilities of a Mac OS system so that it can run Windows programs. Site | Check prices

80. Apple TV Take 2 (media-streaming device, $229 and up)
A new software update enables Apple's streamer to download movies (standard- and high-def) directly from the Internet. Review | Check prices

81. YouTube (viral video site, free)
Sure, the video quality won't remind you of the Criterion Collection, but the advertising on the site is scarcely noticeable, and the sheer amount and variety of content available for viewing at YouTube are utterly astonishing. Review

82. Chestnut Hill Sound George (iPod speaker dock, $499)
Of the many iPod speaker docks clamoring for consumer attention, this one strikes our ears as the biggest-sounding and best. Site

83. Microsoft Office 2007 (office suite, $150-$680, depending on edition)
Microsoft's workhorse troika of productivity apps (Word, Excel and PowerPoint) won't thrill anyone (and we're still waiting for Microsoft to put some of their power online), but the suite's overhaul last year made creating nice-looking documents far easier. Review | Check prices

84. Intel SkullTrail Dual Socket Extreme Desktop (motherboard, $650)
Run multiple CPUs or graphics cards on this bad mother … board. Review | Check prices

85. Canon Pixma MX700 (inkjet multifunction printer, $160)
The MX700 stuffs a lot of functions into a fairly user-friendly package and offers scads of software to help you along toward MFP proficiency. Review | Check prices

86. AT&T Tilt 8925 by HTC (smart phone, $400 with two-year AT&T wireless contract)
This uber-phone bowls you over with features like a QWERTY keyboard, office apps, Wi-Fi, GPS and stereo Bluetooth for music headphones. Review

87. Canon PowerShot SD1100 IS (digital camera, $250)
This pocketable 8-megapixel camera offers a feature set and a level of image quality that you'd expect of a far more expensive camera. Review | Check prices

88. Vizio GV42LF (42-inch LCD HDTV, $1,200)
This roomy 1080p LCD HDTV beats almost the entire plasma television crowd in picture quality -- and it does so at a far, far lower price. Review | Check prices

89. Apple MacBook Air (ultraportable laptop, $1,799)
No optical drive, no Penryn chip, only one USB port, no Ethernet port and merely average performance. So would you like to own an Air? You bet, because it's cool. Review | Check prices

90. Ubuntu Linux (operating system, free)
Linux isn't just for nerds anymore, thanks to Ubuntu's Microsoft-refugee-friendly distribution. But hard-core (hard-kernel?) Linux devotees will surely note that Ubuntu earns a spot on our list while Windows Vista doesn't. Review | Download

91. Electronic Arts The Orange Box (games, $60 PS3 or Xbox 360, $50 PC)
You get five full games -- "Half-Life 2" and its first two follow-up episodes, plus two other first-person shooters ("Team Fortress 2" and "Portal") -- wrapped up in a pretty orange box. Warning: Extended time off from work not included. Site | Check prices

92. Digg (social news site, free)
Digg continues to serve denizens of the Web as the most reliable barometer of must-read news on the Internet. Site

93. Asus U2E (ultraportable laptop, $2,000)
In its cute/handsome leather shell, this 2.9-pounder bristles with outputs and has more flexibility than most other models in its class. Review | Check prices

94. Meebo (Web-based instant messaging, free)
Ditch your desktop instant messaging client in favor of this sleek Web-based one, which offers access to AIM, Google Talk, MSN Messenger, Yahoo Messenger and more. Review

95. HP Blackbird 002 (desktop PC, $2,300 and up)
The stunningly designed Blackbird simply flies when you throw high-performance tasks at it -- if, that is, you can stop staring at this PC long enough to hit the power button. Review | Check prices

96. Partition Logic (partitioning software, free)
To shrink existing partitions so you'll have room for a new one, just use the third-party partitioning program Partition Logic. Download

97. Palm Centro (smart phone, $150 with two-year Sprint wireless contract)
Sprint's smart phone delivers EvDO mobile broadband in an affordable, contemporary-looking package. Review | Check prices

98. Audacity (audio editor, free)
This all-purpose, open-source multitrack recording application lets you record, play and edit digital files like a pro. Review | Download

99. Lifehacker (blog, free)
Read Lifehacker to glean time-management tricks, internalivity downloads and easier ways to get stuff done. Site

100. Jing Project (image/video production app, free)
Jing Project allows you to create little narrated movies (called "screencasts") of anything that's happening on your PC desktop, and then share them with friends. Site