It’s only been a couple weeks since the newest version of Mozilla Thunderbird–Thunderbird 3–was officially released.

This new version of Thunderbird includes several new features.

Let’s look at 4 features in Thunderbird 3 that can help you stay more organized and work more efficiently:

1. Sync all your email accounts
2. Better Gmail integration
3. Better Email Search
4. Manage tasks, calendars, Google Wave, webmail and more within Thunderbird 3 with content tabs

1. Sync All Your Email Accounts

The ability to keep all your mail in all your accounts synced is not a new feature in Thunderbird 3. However, it is awful handy and makes keeping up on all your correspondence a breeze.

The easiest way to do this is to make sure all your email accounts use IMAP instead of POP.

Incoming email, sent emails, drafts, spam, and folders within your account all get synced (assuming your mail server supports this) when you use IMAP.

If you haven’t moved your email accounts from POP to IMAP, do yourself a favor and take a day and just do it. You’ll be glad you did.

Thunderbird 3 also has a new migration feature that will make moving your emails easier.

2. Better Gmail Integration

While you could setup your Gmail accounts in previous versions of Thunderbird, Gmail setup was more complicated than it should’ve been.

Now, Thunderbird 3 detects and sets up Gmail accounts with a super-fast wizard.

Just choose the Gmail option, enter your name, email address and password. Thunderbird 3 finds all the right settings and creates your account. The whole process took me about 15 seconds.

If you’re a Google Apps user, you’ll still need to use Google’s IMAP instructions and settings to set up your email.

3. Better Email Search

Thunderbird 3 has a new mail search which includes filtering and timeline tools. This makes it easy to search emails from all your accounts–including webmail accounts.

Search results open in a new tab so you can work back and forth between your results and regular emails.

Thunderbird 3’s search also seems to have been sped up as well–delivering results much faster than TB2.

Search also searches Gmail emails just fine.

4. Embed Webpages In Their Own Tabs Within Thunderbird

Content Tabs (or Content Browsing) is by far the simplest and yet most exciting feature in Thunderbird 3.

Content Tabs enable Thunderbird to display remote content in a tab, which users can browse in (mostly) the same way as with a browser.

Content Tabs – Mozilla Developer Center

This makes it easy to access Twitter, tasks apps, online calendars, or whatever web-based services you want right through Thunderbird.

How Do Content Tabs Work?

Using the Error Console found in the Tools menu, you can add just about any site to Thunderbird and have it in its own tab.

Want Google Wave within a tab in Thunderbird? How about Google Voice, or your favorite online calendar or tasks web app? You can add them to their own tabs in Thunderbird.

For example:

Components.classes['@mozilla.org/appshell/window-mediator;1'].getService(Components.interfaces.nsIWindowMediator).getMostRecentWindow("mail:3pane").document.getElementById("tabmail").openTab("contentTab", {contentPage: "http://www.mozillamessaging.com/en-US/thunderbird/nightly/whatsnew/"});

Pasting this line of code into the Error Console and clicking Evaluate would create a new tab in Thunderbird containing the webpage:

http://www.mozillamessaging.com/en-US/thunderbird/nightly/whatsnew/

Lifehacker has a great article showing how to add Google Wave to its own tab in Thunderbird 3.

You can also add Google Voice in its own tab like this:

Components.classes['@mozilla.org/appshell/window-mediator;1'].getService(Components.interfaces.nsIWindowMediator).getMostRecentWindow("mail:3pane").document.getElementById("tabmail").openTab("contentTab", {contentPage: "https://voice.google.com/voice/?"});

You can add any page to Thunderbird easily this way.

More Control Over Content Tabs

Some have reported that when you close Thunderbird, any content tabs that are open will close and you have to paste the code back into the Error Console.

Personally, I haven’t run into this with TB3 on Ubuntu 9.10.

But if this is an issue, you might try installing the Custom Buttons² extension. The extension also lets you add custom buttons to Thunderbird’s toolbar that will let you open tabs for individual sites as needed.

Staying More Organized

There are several new features added to Thunderbird 3 that will speed up the way you work with your email and access information.

Look for more ‘Stay More Organized’ articles coming soon.

You should also follow us on Twitter.

• Handles AI, EPS, PDF, SVG and a slew of other vector and raster formats
• It’s open source and free
• Runs on all major operating systems–Windows, Mac OS X and Linux

Last week, Inkscape’s newest version, 0.47, was released.

What’s new in Inkscapes latest version? Lots.

What’s New in Inkscape 0.47?

Improved UI and Desktop Integration

So you want to know what the new version of Inkscape looks like?

It’s not a radical departure from the previous version, but it has some streamlining and small tweaks that’s been given it. Mainly, it seems to integrate better with whatever OS it’s installed.

You can view some screenshots of the new Inkscape interface and examples of what’s possible on the Screenshots gallery page.

Above: Obligatory Megan Fox vector illustration

Additions and Improvements

Here’s just a brief list of additions and improvements. You can read the full list of changes on Inkscape.org.

• Autosave with adjustable preferences
• Spiro splines for the Pen, Pencil, and Node tools
• Auto smooth nodes
• New modes in Tweak tool
• Reworked snapping and grid system, plus a Snapping toolbar
• New path effects, including sketch, hatching, envelope deformation; effects can be stacked and assigned to groups
• Tons of filters found in new Filters menu
• Typography–Base support for creating SVG fonts
• New and improved extensions
• New cairo-based PS and EPS export: improved quality, more features supported, fallback rasterization for filters and transparency
• Spell checker for text objects
• Many new extensions: restacking, calendar, printing marks, cartesian and polar grids, interpolating attributes
• Optimized SVG code options
• Better desktop integration. Better Gnome integration (Linux) with improved icons. Also includes themable icons.

New Path Effects

New Sketch path effect in Inkscape 0.47

There are several new path effects in the new version of Inkscape.

• Sketch makes an object or path look like it was rough sketched
• Hatches draws hatch and “scribbles” within a shape
• von Koch creates fractal images
• Knot makes a knot from a flat self-intersecting curve; giving the illusion of a knot
• Spiro Splines is a useful alternative to Bezier curves. This could be handy for those creating type or fonts
• Construct Grid
• Envelope Deformation lets you deform an object or group of objects by deforming any of its principle sides (top, bottom, sides). Can be edited with the Node tool.
• Create ruler marks along a path with Ruler
• Interpolate Subpaths “tweens” (think Flash) shapes along an editable path

If you haven’t tried Inkscape or haven’t tried out the newest version, download Inkscape today.

I just had an unpleasant episode that really reminded me of the need to have some kind of encryption on your thumb drives.

I was leaving a friend’s house, got in my truck and drove home. I unloaded my pockets as usual and discovered–no thumb drive.

I did find the flash drive a few minutes later, by the curb outside my friend’s house. But the whole time I was looking, I was trying to do a mental inventory of what information was on that thumb drive.

Fortunately, I don’t store sensitive client information on my thumb drives. Yet, the idea of someone else finding the drive and being able to freely access the other info on the drive was not a pleasant one.

Lesson: Don’t put personal or client/work passwords or other sensitive data on a thumb drive. If for some reason you do have to have some of that information with you, make sure that information is encrypted.

To keep people from viewing your files if your thumb drive falls into the wrong hands, here are some tools, tutorials and products to help you encrypt your thumb drive.

TrueCrypt

TrueCrypt (Win XP+/Mac OS X/Linux) is a free, open-source software that can encrypt an entire partition or storage device (like a USB drive).

Once encryption is set for a volume and then the volume is mounted, file encryption/decryption is done on-the-fly–meaning it’s automatic and transparent (ie not a pain in the rear).

Note: TrueCrypt does not currently (as of Oct 11, 2009) support Mac OSX 10.6 Snow Leopard. View a full list of TrueCrypt’s limitations.

A Beginner’s Tutorial to TrueCrypt

Adding encryption to your entire USB thumb drive or just a portion (say a directory) is pretty simple.

TrueCrypt Security Precautions

Because of simplicity, the beginner’s tutorial skips some of the more in-depth security details, so it’s a good idea to take a look at the extra things you can do to keep your information even more safe.

What if the System You’re Using Your Thumb Drive With Doesn’t Have TrueCrypt Installed?

Since you’re going to most likely be using your USB with more than one computer, it doesn’t make since to install TrueCrypt on every system.

TrueCrypt fortunately lets you run in ‘portable mode‘–meaning you don’t have to have TrueCrypt installed on the system.

You can read more about portable mode and the various options you have on the TrueCrypt site.

Note: You will need to have admin privileges on the system (OS) you’re running under in order to run TrueCrypt in portable mode.

How to Create the Ultimate Encrypted Flash Drive

A New Morning has a great tutorial that walks you through how to use TrueCrypt specifically with a USB flash drive.

IronKey USB Drive

If you’re serious about security, IronKey is the USB thumb drive for you.

IronKey is a USB thumb drive with built-in 256-bit hardware encryption.

Since encryption is hardware-based, IronKey will also run on pretty much any operating system that will read a USB thumb drive–Windows 2000+, Mac OS 10.4 and Linux (2.6+ kernel).

Also, unlike software-based encryption solutions like TrueCrypt, you don’t have to have administrator rights on the system you’re using IronKey, and there’s no software to install.

It uses internet authentication as well to protect the information and site passwords you exchange when browsing the internet via a portable version of Firefox.

James Bond’s Thumb Drive

I could imagine James Bond using an IronKey–yes, it has self-destruct features built into it.

A stolen or lost drive can be remotely disabled, or a self-destruct can be initiated–erasing all information on the drive and/or physically destroying the drive.

IronKey Personal Demo Video

IronKey Enterprise Demo Video

Keep Your Friends Close and Your Thumb Drive Closer

Remember that if you put sensitive information on a thumb drive that it’s always possible that it’ll get lost or stolen. So make sure your thumb drive (or at least a directory within) is encrypted and secure.

Do you use anything else to secure your USB drives? Share in the comments.

Photo credits: USB Flash Drive by Stephen VanHorn, Abstract View of Data Storage and Abstract View of a Data Sequence by irabbiosi via Shutterstock.

Here’s a list of 30 cheat sheets (most of them printable) for popular graphic design programs, as well as printable photography-related sheets to help when shooting photos.

These cheat sheets contain reference cards for tools, keyboard shortcuts and other important commands to help speed up your work.

Note: Links with ‘(PDF)’ beside them indicate that the link goes directly to the PDF file itself.

Fireworks

• Fireworks CS3 For Mac OS X
• Fireworks CS3 For Windows
• Fireworks MX (Mac)
• Fireworks MX (Windows)

Photoshop

• Adobe Photoshop CS4 Help (PDF)
• Photoshop Secret Shortcuts (WebDesignerWall)
• General Photoshop Tool Shortcuts (With a video ‘manual’)
• Photoshop CS4 (Mac) (PDF)
• Photoshop CS4 (Windows) (PDF)
• Photoshop CS3 For Mac
• Photoshop CS3 For Windows
• Photoshop CS2 Keyboard Shortcuts For Mac
• Photoshop CS2 Keyboard Shortcuts For Windows

Illustrator

• Illustrator Shortcuts (WebDesignerWall)
• Illustrator CS4 Shortcuts (Mac)
• Illustrator CS4 Shortcuts (Windows)
• Illustrator CS

InDesign

• InDesign CS4 Keyboard Shortcuts (Mac)
• InDesign CS4 Keyboard Shortcuts (Windows)
• InDesign Cheat Sheet (PDF)
• InDesign CS

Photography

• Black and White Cheat Sheet For Photoshop (Helps you convert color photos to black and white)
• Portrait Lighting Cheat Sheet (Helps you set up lighting for portraits)
• Reflector Card Cheat Sheet (Shows color bounce and effects of different covers on a 5-in-1 reflector)
• Light Falloff Cheat Sheet (Shows the effects of a large light source will have on light fall off)

Fonts and Typography

• VisiBone Font Cards
• Periodic Table of Typefaces

Other Cheat Sheets

• GIMP Quick Reference Card (PDF)
• GIMP Keyboard Shortcuts (PDF)
• Color Hexagon (GIF)

What cheat sheets did I miss? Share your links in the comments below.

Terragen 2 can create 3D renders of landscape, atmospherics (clouds and sky), lighting, plants and vegetation, as well as animations.

Terragen is not a new program, but has really come a long way over the years and is built on a mature rendering engine. I remember tinkering with it in high school (10+ years ago). It’s just gotten even more impressive.

Terragen 2 Features

Here are just a few of Terragen 2’s great features:

• Hybrid micropolygon renderer optimised for large displacements and very large landscapes.
• Render entire planets, sweeping vistas, tiny rock gardens, or anything in between.
• Export high resolution objects from displaced surfaces.
• Import 3D objects for rendering from third-party apps.
• Render millions of plants and other objects using instancing. Billions of virtual polygons are handled with ease.
• 3D painting of colors and masks that can control almost anything in the scene.
• Photorealistic atmosphere and sunlight.
• and more features…

Landscape Animation Demo

Renderfarm from RenderFarm on Vimeo.

Powerful 3D Renderer

Starting at $299 USD, Terragen 2 is a bit pricey for a hobbyist, but for a professional, this isn’t a bad price for such a powerful app.

In fact, Terragen is so powerful and realistic that it’s been used on the National Geographic Channel (422’s demo reel) and in movies like War of the Worlds, The Incredibles, Time Machine and The Polar Express.

Note: There is a free version (800×600 max image render size) available for download.

3D Landscape Examples

So, what is Terragen 2 capable of producing? Here are some examples of actual images created with Terragen 2.

Official Terragen 2 Gallery

For more examples of the power of Terragen 2, check out Luc Bianco’s Gallery.