I’ve watched this video a few time now, and each time I get more intrigued. BumpTop Prototype is a new desktop user interface that allows us to organize the documents on our desktop more efficiently. The details are still sketchy, but the video is cool nonetheless. In fact maybe the reason I am so intrigued is that my computer desktops are always cluttered with stuff I collect during my work. I think BumpTop would be perfect for me (or maybe I should just start using sub-folders more often!)

Sync2S3 allows you to synchronize and backup your files online easily and securely with the Amazon S3 storage service. Amazon rates are quite inexpensive and you only pay for what you use.

The Blog is the New Resume - I’ve seen a few posts like this one lately, and I couldn’t agree more!  Resumes are usually simple one or two page summaries of your life experience, where a blog shows your ability to communicate, engage and reveal your passion.

In fact my last three opportunities have come directly from this blog and I was amazed at how much the potential employer/client knew about me from my blog.  If you’re looking for work or for new and exciting opportunities, I would highly recommend blogging - even if it doesn’t help you land a job, it will certainly help you build a great network and you’ll have fun doing it!

Microsoft has just announce a cool new product called Microsoft Surface that appears to be a table-top computer with an interactive touch screen surface. The surface will respond to user gestures to manipulate items on the device. One cool demo has a child using paint brushes and “finger paints” to create cool pieces of art.

Microsoft Surface is much like an offering from Perceptive Pixel whose founder, Jeff Han presented a prototype at the March TED (Technology, Entertainment and Design) conference.

If you are interested in seeing more, Popular Mechanics also has some additional video.

As a web developer I have found that everytime I get to work, I always open up the same combination of applications.  This workspace usually includes a web browser, and email client, my graphics program and code editors.  Adam Pash has a great tutorial that will show you how to create Quick launch workspaces that will open your most commonly used applications with a single mouse click.  Note - the tutorial is Windows only.

How many times have you taken a group photograph only to find out somebody had their eyes closed or were not smiling?  A great new product from Microsoft Research is Group Shot, a simple tool that lets you take the best parts out of a series of pictures.  So when taking your next group shot take 5 or more pictures, then ’stitch’ the best parts together for an amazing photograph!

IBM developerWorks has a nice article that answers the question of What’s the secret sauce in Ruby on Rails?  Although almost a year old, I think the article does a nice job of explaining why Rails has become so popular in such a short period of time.  Having recently jumped back into Rails, many of the author’s points hit close to home.

Frequent My Computer users will like this tip to add some useful icons to My Computer. With the hack you can add Administrative Tools, Printers and Fax Devices, Scheduled Tasks, Network Connections, Recycle Bin, and My Network Places to the My Computer window. Download squad adds a few other hacks that will get you Portable Media Devices, Scanners and Cameras, Folder Options, Fonts, Taskbar and Start Menu icons.

Feeling inspired to begin your own freelance career?  Check out this article titled - A Comprehensive Guide to Starting your Freelance Career - that covers a whole range of subjects from branding yourself to suggestions on where to look for work.  The source of this article is Freelance Switch - a site that has become a must read for me as I begin my freelance journey.  It a very new blog but it already has tonnes of great content.

Here is a pick-me up for your Monday morning…

Shave Everywhere