3x3Videos for YouTube

The following 3x3Links feature was suggested by @GarethSimpsonPE - If you got an idea for a useful new feature, send a mail to info@3x3links.com.

3x3Links can be used to create a collection of links to useful YouTube videos, grouped in folders by topic.  Gareth wanted to open those videos without leaving 3x3Links, as YouTube can be quite a distraction. A new tweak makes this now possible.

#1 Go to Options -> Tweaks and check the "Open YouTube..." option. Click the Save button.

#2 Add YouTube videos to your 3x3Links page. The default YouTube logo will be displayed in edit mode. In homepage mode however, the default YouTube video preview picture will be displayed along a blue play button on top, hinting that this is a directly playable video .

#3 Click on a video and it will open in a lightbox inside 3x3Links. Please notice that not all videos from YouTube are embeddable. Each video author may decide this on his own.

Problem with private logos

Due to a data migration, private logos are not shown anymore if served my 3x3Links directly. If the logos are available in the browser cache, those are still displayed.
I contacted Google, the 3x3Links hoster, to help me solve this issue and will keep you updated.

Going the Pinterest way

As you might know, Pinterest is earning money by turning your shared links into affiliate links. So if you share an Amazon product link on Pinterest, an affiliate id is automatically added and Pinterest earns a provision if you click on that link and buy something on Pinterest.
I will try the same for 3x3Links.
If it works and I earn enough to pay the hosting costs of 12$ a month or even more, all special* features of 3x3Links will be unlocked for everybody and I will stop asking for donations resulting in an overall better experience for all.

*3x3Links special features are: Private logos, own CSS and HTML widgets, which are currently restricted as they would increase hosting costs.

Emergency Update: Embedded version needs update

I'm sorry.

I just got to know that the recent changes broke the 3x3Links embedded version. A hotfix solved the issue but introduced also a new mobile 3x3Links version which was in the queue.

If you have embedded 3x3Links into your website, please go to 

Options -> Personal Links -> Embedded 

and copy and paste the new source code into your website.

The large amount of 3x3Links changes and bugs is due to a migration to the jQuery Javascript library. Since 3x3Links has so many features (Mobile, Embedded, Chrome Extension, all the tweaks and options), it was not possible for me to test all possible use-cases. 
JQuery a great foundation for future features and improvements in the current functionality.

Thanks a lot for your understanding and your feedback.
Wish you a year full of fun, fast web navigation and less stress!
Federico of 3x3Links.


PS: If you are on Google Plus, please connect to the 3x3Links page and post some ideas for future features.

3x3Links - Charges under new Google App Engine pricing

Update
3x3Links is now running constantly at $150 per year. If you want  to help me covering this amount, please consider a one-time 3x3Dollar donation.


Bad news.
3x3Links is hosted on the Google App Engine.
The Google App Engine will increase it's prices to a more professional (read: expensive) level.
The hosting costs for 3x3Links will increase from several cents per day to approx. $2 per day, or $700 per year. UPDATE: Hosting costs have peeked at $150 yearly due to the recent redesign.
3x3Links is designed as a free product accepting donations to handle the old, much lower fees (approx. $30 each year).

For trying to keep 3x3Links free, I will apply the following changes:

• Removing of all not required images
• Reducing the 3x3Links start page - stopping all promotion for 3x3Links
• Disabling the logo server for the Speed Dial Folder Android App
• Optimizations in the code
• Asking more visible for donations.

Details of the new hosting costs

Must. Make. Things. Simple.

I started to make the 3x3Links Options menu easier some weeks ago and finally managed it to publish the changes today. Actually, I did not add any features, but removed even some. Don't worry, you won't miss those.

If you have further suggestions how to simplify things even more in the options menu, let me know via info@3x3links.com or comment below.

Expect more changes in the upcoming months in my quest to make things simple.

3x3Links embedded into your website

You can now easily embed your 3x3Page into your personal website. Go to Options -> Personal Links and find the HTML code in the Embedded section below.

The code has some restrictions, but feel free to contact me if something really bugs you.

Kudos to Anne for the request.