Deck Out Your Blog With These 10+ Hacks

For Google Blogger/Blogspot users only:

I've been getting a bunch of emails asking me how i added certain elements to my blog that didn't come standard with blogger, so i've decided to address them in this post. Note: Alway to backup your blog before attempting to change the code. Learn from my mistakes, i once had to recreate my blog since i completely destroyed the code without backing it up.

So Here are my favorite addons/widgets/hacks for google blogger.


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1. Tag Cloud
See that cloud of different labels at the top of my page? Well if you don't already know, thats a tag cloud. I find it really adds to my blog, it not only look better than bloggers standard label widget, but makes your blog easier to navigate. There's two great sites out there that teach you how to make one yourself.

Difficulty: Easy
How to Make and Awesome Tag Cloud [via FrivolousMotion]

Difficulty: Hard (more functionality)
Beta Blogger Label Cloud [via phydeaux3]


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2. Popular Post Widget
Refer to the left column of my blog where it says popular posts. Yet again this widget doesn't come standard (which it should). This is where many of my viewers immediately go to find what's the best on Intellimind and i couldn't live without it (almost). i got this one from affiliatebrand.com

Popular Post Widget [via affliatebrand]

1. Create Account
2. Once logged in follow this link and enter blog URL
3. Customize Apperance and follow directions on site about implemantion (by the way its simple)



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3. Recent Comments Widget
Located on the right sidebar of my blog, this widget is must for two reasons. First it fuels conversations, second, commenter's now get recognized on every page of my blog for commenting. Many that own blogs comment on my blog and now this little widget gives them a chance to get recognized. Also this is by far the simplest of widgets to install.

Difficulty: Super Easy
Recent Comments Widget [via blogger-templates]


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4. Social Bookmarking Widgets
Notice under everyone of my posts i have those little squares, 9 to be exact. If you click one of those squares, your taken to a page where you can bookmark or add that post to your social network. They're big they look good and people use them. And believe it or not its pretty easy to implement your own onto your blog.

Difficulty: Medium
Social Bookmarking Widget [via Beautiful Beta]


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5. Table of Contents Widget
As a blogger you've probably posted many many posts. These often get lost in history as you write new posts. Table of Contents helps your readers discover all of your blog posts.

Difficulity: Medium
Table of Contents Widget [via Beautiful Beta]


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6. Random Post Widget
Everyone likes the unknown maybe this why this widget has been sweeping the web. Placed near the top of my right sidebar, you'll notice an a little square image saying random post. Click on it and your taken to a random post on Intellimind. Do you feel lucky? , maybe you'll find something you like by clicking this button.

Difficulty: Easy
Blogger Feeling Lucky Widget [via phydeaux3]


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7. Recent Post Widget
Now you won't see this one on my blog at the moment (but perhaps in the future). Regardless this is a great widget which i have used on other blogs to add increased navigation around my blog.

Difficulty: Easy
Recent Posts Widget [via Beautiful Beta and Hackospere]


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8. Search Widget
Now the search widget is a must, if you don't have on you need one. Nothing wards off visitors like the lack of a search button (and ads). How will people find what they're looking for if they cant search your site. Now that we established this is necessity, lets go about getting one. Good news for you, theres many ways. Here are my favorite.

Difficulty: Easy

Lijit Search Engine

Incredible Simple, Functional and Highly Recommended. The search page looks like its part of your site, no ads.

Difficulty: Medium
Google Custom Search
Get Paid via adsense for searches but not exactly the greatest looking.
Once you sign up and create the custom search engine go to your blog and hit layout > page elements > Add a Page Element > Copy and Paste code from google custom search site > Drag widget where you want it and your finished.


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9. Add a Favicon
You probably don't know what this one is, so let me explain. Look to the top of your browser, do you see that mini image next to the URL, well thats a favicon. Believe it or not that can be changed on blogger. Having your own icon distances people from thinking your part of blogger and establishes your own identity, every blog owner at blogspot has the same favicon, how unoriginal. So heres how to do it.

Difficulty: Easy
Adding a Favicon [via Blogger University]


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10. Remove the NavBar
Every Blogger Blog has a small top bar at the top of their account, i know i still have one, personally i like the little search function on the top left. But many of you out there probably don't want one. Note: The legality of this is debatable, i'm just providing the directions on how to take it away.

Difficulty: Easy
Remove the Navbar [via Blogger-Templates]



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11. I'll be Updating this Post with every new widget/hack i find so be sure to bookmark this and check back.


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I hope you all enjoy this handy toolkit of my favorite hacks for blogger. Feel free to bookmark this post and refer back to it when you'd like to implement one if these hacks into your blog. Remember those little squares at the bottom of my posts? Try them out by bookmarking this post! Also ill be updating this post every time i find a new blogger tool so be sure to check back!

If you have any more recommendations or you'd like to ask for additional help on these hacks, comment below or email me and I'll try my best to assist you.

PingMe + Jott = GTD Love

Ping Me is a new and may i say very clever way for keeping track of your tasks/ideas/events. Create a message via gopingme.com, set the date and you'll receive an email or TXT straight to your phone reminding you. Creating pings are super simple and there's a few ways to make them. Create them from gopingme.com or straight from your cell.


Jott is the the ultimate mobile note taker. Basically Jott is a mobile transcription service that converts your voice notes into text to be sent to your email or a TXT message.

Together Ping Me and Jott create the ultimate 'never forget your stuff' team.

How it works together
Anyone who owns a cell phone knows how tedious it can be to type out full TXT messages. Jott and PingMe gives your thumbs a break. Rather than text PingMe, call Jott and record a message to PingMe. But this isn't like any message you know of. Using Jott's service your pings will be converted to text so they can be sent as a TXT message and an email.

Heres how it goes. Call jott's 800 number (toll free)

Jott: Who'd you want to Jott
You: Go Ping Me
Jott: Beeeeeeep
You: Get Ninja Suit washed by thursday

And wait a few minutes later you've got a new ping to be sent to your cell phone and email. Easy Simple Done.

Opinion: Many a times ive been out and about and an incredible idea has popped into my head. Previously if i lacked a pen i would rely on my brain, which seems to instantly forget the idea as fast as it popped up. Rarely do i got out without my cell phone, so when i heard about Jott i knew this would be very very useful. Ive now been able to record my ideas which doesn't have a track record of forgetting.
So naturally i'm a huge fan of Jott, and the integration with Ping Me only makes it better.

Learn More at ......
Ping Me via Gopingme.com
Jott via Jott.com

60 Advanced Adobe Photoshop Tutorials

From around the web, Website Designer, dennisplucinik has assembled a list of the best 60 Advanced Adobe Photoshop Tutorials. I was in the process of creating something along these lines but it looks as though i've been beat, so now i cede you over to Dennis.

Most of these techniques arnt for the recreational photoshop user. In his own words, "they actually require talent and knowledge of design, layout, balance, color theory, subtlety, etc."



This is a great mega list to bookmark and reference back to for future use


60 Advanced Adobe Photoshop Tutorials [via dennisplucinik.com]

The Stylish Way to Delete Your Files

Normally i wouldn't mention such a product, it seems kind of useless, an external hard drive for your deleted files. Why would you want to waste your money on saving files you know longer want?

Well there are some reasons for purchasing this product. First, I, like many other people have accidentally deleted important files, this will save you for that fate.

But what really stands out about this hard drive in particular is the incredible design, it just looks so good. And not only does it have that mini trash can design, but it requires no cords, it's bluetooth technology.


I would just use it as an external hard drive (250gb) to save my all files, but its probaly pretty expensive. O well if you've got money to toss aroundm after donating the greater part of your bank to intellimind, go out and purchase one of these.

The Tempo [via cagninadesign.com]

What am I ? - Riddle

It's been a while since i've posted any sort of brain teasers. So to flex your minds here's not one but two good riddles for everyone.

Difficulty (Medium)

Only one color, but not one size,
Stuck at the bottom, yet easily flies.
Present in sun, but not in rain,
Doing no harm, and feeling no pain.
What is it.

Difficulty (Hard)

Short was my life, and brilliant my career;
Behead me, I in lovely green appear;
Behead again, I once was made to save
My chosen inmates from a watery grave.
It would be very impressive if you could get these

I don't expect many too get the second, if you do that would be very impressive. You deserve a medal of recognition, but unfortunately i have nothing to give out.

Since giving the answer away below would tempt to many people to just look at it, i'll post the answer in the comments box tomorrow.

Feel Free to post the answer if you think you've got it!

Other Brain Teasers
Can You Figure Out the Pattern?
The Happy People Logic Puzzle
The Missing Square

Insane Martial Arts [Video]

I wish i could claim to be able to do such feats. But i fear that may be impossible.

Get Your Site Rated

This tool is for anyone with a website/blog . While browsing the web i came across a very useful site for all website owners/bloggers. The site is Website Grader, and just as the name says, it grades your site, completely unbiased.

How it works

Everything you can imagine is gathered from your site. Your technorati rank, Alexa rank, google pagerank, your inbound/outbound links, your indexed pages on google. Seriously, it takes everything you can image and then rates it out of 100.


Some other cool tid bits about website grader

- shows your website's domain info
- image and heading summary

Ive used this on all my sites, yes i not only am the proud author of intellimind. Also it's a great time waster, i've entered in all the sites i go on frequently too.

via Website Grader

Evolution Of Apple

The Mac as we know have evolved quite a bit since 1976, much like my previous post, "Scroll through Every Mac Homepage Since 1997", this post dates a bit farther back, quite a bit farther. You're probaly wondering right about now, what is that thing on the left? It's the first Mac (Apple) dating back to 1976, and as you can most likely tell its lacks the sleek stylish look of my mac pro.


Find out how your mac evolved into what it is today via tofslie. This site not only has the evolution of the classic Mac computer, but all sorts of apples products, ie. accessories, ipods and more.




Evolution of the Apple [via tofslie]


Related Posts
Scroll through Every Mac Homepage Since 1997

The Latest Buzz via Popurls

Apart from the clever name, Popurls is a truly an amazing product of web 2.0. Popurls takes the best of social community's to bring you the most popular links from the most popular social networks.

Name a social community site, and they have the top 15 most popular content for that site . Sites included are Digg, Del.iciou.us, reddit, flicker, youtube, newsvine, metafilter, netscape, ifilm, slashdot, wired, stumbleupon, and the list can go on and on. Hopefully you get the idea now.



So rather than go to digg. com to check out their popular content and then go to slashdot and then the next site. Popurl's easy interface allows to check it all at a glance.
In fact i made it my homepage. Check it out at the link below.

Go to Popurls.com

Similar Posts
Find Free Wifi Outside the House
Transparent Wallpapers! Eye Candy
Must Have to Digg Tool

Feeling Lucky?

Because of my posting frequency, many great and useful posts get unnoticed in the barrage of new posts. This is why i've unrolled a new feature, "generate a random post" . If your a particularly courageous and perhaps a lucky person then you'll surely enjoy this feature.

Much like stumbleupon, click the little square in the right sidebar and your sent to a completely random page from intellimind. Over 100 different posts so far.

If your not sure what your looking try out random post.