Roba di Lavoro

Why Google can have a much better Social Networking Site than Facebook

2011-05-05T15:35:00.013+05:30

To me, Social Networking is all about knowing whats happening with my friends and how the application engages me into more socially active activities. Going through this PDF, we come to know of how complex is the world behind social networking sites, all because of privacy & security. Let me not dwell into that. That article does too good a research of it. Let me try to attempt why a social networking site from Google can be more appealing and engaging than what we see today in Facebook. Let me call Google's Social Networking Site as GSN. And ya, it is for the Strong Ties. Weak and Temporary Ties may accordingly have these features or not.

1. Search by photograph
We have FB suggesting friends depending on the number of mutual friends and by an email id. But Google can give us a friend by face. If I have a friend's photograph, I can upload & Google will search for me all the people who match to that photograph. How is this possible and how can I say this? I can say this because of the superb Face Recognition implementation in Picasa Web. It automatically recognizes similar faces and suggests who that person may be, depending on the name tags which were provided earlier.

2. Travelling for work/vacation
If I were to use Google Latitude in GNS and say that I am travelling to so and so place, GNS would tell me

What is the current climatic conditions of that place (Google Weather)
What is the current time and timezone changes needed (Google Time)
Currency conversion that would be required and what is the current conversion rate going on (Google Currency Conversions)
What are the local businesses which I may be interested in (Google Local Business Search)
What are the noted and well known restaurants / theme parks which are famous in that location alongwith their ratings (Google SideWiki / Google Places)
Latest news about that place (Google News)
What are the routes to go to these places, how much time it will take (Google Maps)
Who are my friends who are currently located in that place (Simple search / Google Location)
How many are my colleagues, how many are college-mates (Simple search aggregation over friend's profiles), their phones numbers with an option to call them immediately and talk or send an SMS (Google Voice / Google Voice & Video Chat). This would also provide a parameterized radius to include nearby friends and other friends who visited it earlier and the videos which they have uploaded of that place.
Following this update, automatically my Vacation Responder gets created for those dates (like the one in Gmail), Google Chat status gets set (Google Talk) and event gets created in my Calendar so that I can invite friends. Also, these dates get blocked for others to know that I am out of station (Google Calendar).
This data can also get created as a status update with an option for me to post.
An option to view the demographics of the place from Google Public Data.
In recent past, which all friends of mine visited that place, how they spent their time, where all they went, what all they did (Status updates), what they highlighted as a must watch, must do, etc.
Similarly, who are the renowned artists/celebrities from that place? When they last visited and any other news.
What is the local language and any translation that may be required (Google Translation).
When flight number is stored as part of the travel details, it will keep track of the flight (Google Flight Tracker).
Movies which are shown in that location on my dates of visit with their timings (Google Movie Times).
Any sports which are undertaken in that location or within a radius (parametrized) and the current scores, depending on the sports interests that I have listed in my Google Profile (Google Sports Scores)
All related Videos (from Youtube) for the above activities at relevant locations.

3. Info about my profile
I will know people from which part of the world, with what operating systems, through which browsers are viewing my profile and many more. Yes, integrated Google Analytics and Webmaster Tools to my Profile! Must be fun :)

4. Trends
What is the latest trend among my friends and their activities, category-wise. The feel of it.
Yup! Its Google Trends that would do this job

5. Profile Links

From the profile, Google Books will be linked to the books that I have read or planning to read, which are part of my library, etc.
Movies will be linked to Google Movie Times to give any updates on those movies, etc.
Sports info will be linked to Google Sports Scores & Schedules (from Google Calendar) for my current location & other locations, to update on any upcoming matches, etc.
Plus, features like favourites teams & settings on when to alert me (Google Alerts comes in!) with parameters of which teams, what place, what timings, etc. will help the person know if any relevant activity is around. Updates from friends on these set parameters will add to the interest of the user.
Bookmark interesting profiles, links, events, etc. (an extension to Google Bookmarks).

6. Health
Though information regarding health is a very sensitive issue, GSN can give one an option to fill up the details & get to know a lot of related things - from within friends, from medical fraternity, from news, from standards practised, diet needed, personalized advice, etc. All this can straight come up from Google Health, but this time socialized.

GSN can provide all the above information in a clean & a pleasing interface.

Thus, with the existing services that Google provides and the engineering outlook it has, it can create a Social Networking experience which no Facebook has provided yet. I do understand that this is not the comprehensive and exhaustive listing but is surely a good starting point to build on.

You think you have some more/better ideas that can contribute to this list? Have your say ...

Storage Area Network (SAN)

2009-12-18T14:42:00.003+05:30

This is simple jot down of things related to Storage Area Network, some specific to HP's EVA 4400.

Components:

EVA – Enterprise Virtual Array
LUN – Logical Unit Number
HSV Controllers – Hierarchial Storage Virtualization Controllers (like VCS & XCS)
LS – Loop Switches
DAE – Disk Array Enclosures (Chassis)
DDE – Disk Drive Enclosures
EPB – Enhanced Port Bypass mode
PDU – Power Distribution Unit
PDM – Power Distribution Models
EAB – Enclosure Address Bus
EMU – Environmental Monitoring Unit
SMS – Storage Management Server
SSSU – Storage System Scripting Utility
EVA Perf – EVA Perfromance Monitoring
42U Rack – is a usual Rack with length of 42 RU. One RU (Rack Unit) or “U-Space” is unit for measuring length of a Server Rack. 1 U = 1.75inches (4.45 cm)

iLO – integrated Lights Out.
Controller contains – Control cache, Read cache, Write cache, Mirror cache

Softwares:

CA EVA – Continuous Access Enterprise Virtual Array (remote replication)
BC – Business Copy (local replication)
RSM – Replication Solution Manager (has GUI to manage CA, BC & features)
VCS – Virtual Controller Software
XCS – Xtensible Controller Software
Code Load – Controller Firmware

Concepts:

Has a pair of HSV Controllers to maintain redundancy at Controller level
Minimum of 8 physical disks are required for creating LUNs (constitutes one Disk Group)
SAN is called of configuration nCmD – n controllers, m Disks. eg. 2C4D = A SAN of 2 Controllers & 4 Disks
1 EMU for each DAE
SNS gives WWN to hosts
Snapshot – point-in-time backup, not continuous I/O. It is always delta data.
Snapclone – Continuous I/O. So, overhead. But is a exact replica. Can be presented as Vdisk.
Mirrorclone – It is at Container level. HP is getting rid of it.
Container – Space has to be specified while creating. This is not used for categorization
Folder – Space need not be specified while creating. This is used for categorization
Data replication is done at Container-level or Vdisk level.
For Mirrorclone, Container is a mandatory. But this concept is slowly going away from market.
Snapclone is a better solution.
EVA Backup is not possible with Command View EVA. Need to use SSSU.
Max LUN size is 2TB, min is 1GB.
Failover – Switches from A to B controller.
Failback – Switches back from B to A once A is alive again.

Options in LUN configuration:

Write Back – Acknowledges after writing to Controller Cache
Write Through – Acknowledges only after writing to hard disk
LUN Mapping – Visible, presented to Host
LUN Masking – Hidden, not presented to Host

Facts:

Battery life – 4 yrs expectancy
Customer cannot Code Load. It has to be with HP's support only.

Features:

One can install OS on one of the LUNs & boot all servers from SAN
Applications can be installed on SAN and servers can start applications from SAN

FC Switch:

Topologies: FC – AL (Arbitrated Loop), FC – SW, FC – P2P
Port types: N_port – on the host
F_port – on the FC Switch
E_port – port for linking to FC-Switches
EX_port – on the FC-Router
U_port – Universal Port

HBA – Host Bus Adapters
WWN – World Wide Network
WWNN – World Wide Node Number (This is the FC Switch number)
WWPN – World Wide Port Number (Port numbers on the FC Switch)

FC – Fibre Channel
FCP – Fibre Channel Protocol
FCIP – Fibre Channel Over IP
iFCP – internet Fibre Channel Protocol

Misc:

MPR – Multi-Protocol Router

IB – InfiniBand (faster speeds than FC)

Binary Prefixes

2009-11-20T15:33:00.001+05:30

We know of kilobytes, megabytes, gigabytes, terabytes, etc.
In SI units, kilo represents 1000 (=10 power 3), whereas in computer world, it represents 1024, mega represents 1000000 (= 10 power 6) whereas in computer world it represents 1048567. This created ambiguity in their usage and practices. To get rid of this ambiguity, Binary prefixes, were created.

kilobinary = kibi
megabinary = mebi
gigabinary = gibi
terabinary = tebi and so on.

So, with this adoption these units were rewritten as kibibytes, mebibytes, gibibytes, tebibytes, etc. Similarly, the new representation exists for bits viz., kibibits, mebibits, gibibits, tebibits, etc.
This way, kilobytes, megabytes are supposed to be used as their SI counterparts representing 1000 bytes and 1000000 bytes.

Google SideWiki

2009-11-09T13:17:00.002+05:30

Its one more 'provide-your-comments' application from Google. Sounds interesting but as pointed out by many, it may be another way of adding stuff about stuff on web.

Webmasters do NOT have an option to enable / disable this feature for their website, as of now. So, people can misuse to generate spam or write nonsense about a website and give a wrong impression. This becomes more dangerous because if you have a SideWiki enabled browser, comments are available right-away (if any, ofcourse) when you visit a webpage. One consolation is claiming a website on Google Webmasters Tools and projecting comments on SideWiki as Owner. This way, owners' comments will always appear at the top of others' comments on SideWiki.

As of now, it does not provide feeds which can be trapped and fed. But its possible to publish on Blogger and also to Share (after commenting) on Twitter, Facebook, etc. People are using round-about-way to create its feeds by publishing on a new invisible blog and taking feeds from that blog.

A con for its usage is, every webpage takes longer time to show up. The browser (I was using FF3.5.5 GTB6. GTB stands for Google Toolbar) hangs for good 3-5 secs. I disabled SideWiki, and it works fine.

SEO Tips & Techniques

2009-11-05T15:21:00.008+05:30

I remember long back reading something about SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and brushing it aside as something BIG. But as I see it now, after spending considerable amount of time on it, its all common sense.

Trouble with it was, when I searched about it, there was no one location to give all the information regarding it. And I landed up making a consolidated list for myself. So, below is the compilation of same.

Title: Title of the page must be unique, indicative of page's content. This appears as the main link in Google Search
Meta tags: Keywords - no use, can be ignored. Description - must exist briefly describing page's content. Googlebot - if you are biased towards Google :P
Forward slash: While specifying homepage, do not explicitly state home.htm or default.htm or index.htm. Instead leave a trailing forward slash. Eg. http://domain.com/ instead of http://domain.com/index.htm
WWW: site with www and without www are perceived as different sites. WWW is used when there are more than one services provided by a particular domain. Else, not preferred. Eg. http://www.domain.com/, http://service1.domain.com/, http://service2.domain.com/
Canonical URLs: Clearly specify which is your home page so that there is a consistent single homepage url. Since, http://www.domain.com/, http://domain.com/, http://domain.com/index.htm, http://www.domain.com/index.htm - all point to same page. If clearly specified, search engine will take care of showing one single reference giving consolidated pagerank.
URL Structures: It is very important that there is a structure to the way pages are stored and rendered. It makes site management easier and makes sense to the end-user while using it.
Page name: If a page name has more than one word then

separate them with a hyphen (best choice). Eg. http://domain.com/word1-word2-word3.htm
separate them with a underscore (next best choice only if above is not possible). Eg. http://domain.com/word1_word2_word3.htm
no space (worst choice) since searching with any of the individual words will never yield this page

Alt tags: Alt tags must be given for images for only this text helps search engines know what a particular image is all about. When searched, these tags come into picture.
Sitemap.xml: One must have a sitemap.xml in root directory. This sitemap can be submitted to search engines like Google (know more) or Yahoo (know more). (How to create one in Dreamweaver). This helps search engine know the complete structure of a website even if their automated crawlers fail to function and index accurately.
Robots.txt: This is another kind of a file which must be present in root directory. This file talks to crawlers / bots which come for indexing our site. So, any specific instruction to the bots like 'do not index http://domain.htm/private.htm' can be given. A standard search engine listens to the instructions provided in this file. One can create this file using Google Webmasters Tools.
.httaccess (for apache web server): This is next important file in root directory. It does not have any name, but the extension .htaccess. This is required for all 301 permanent redirects, 302 temporary redirects, Custom page for 404 not found, etc. and can be set up here. For IIS, these options exist in 'Right click -> Properties'. .htaccess is a very powerful tool in apache. Unfortunately, its cumbersome to manage the same in IIS.
Proper HTML tags: When its a header, give h1 tag so that search engine, while indexing, knows it is the header. If custom heading style is required, one can create h1 css and apply. Another example can be code tag for programming codes
RSS feeds: RSS feeds, when provided, must be full. Partial feeds are not that appreciated.
Favicon: Its nice to have it. (Also read Site Identity Button)
Google's tips on SEO starter guide (pdf)

Tools to analyse, monitor and enhance:

Google Analytics
Google Webmasters tools
Google Translate
Google Custom Search (because search can be analyzed too!)
Google Maps
Page Speed

I went through lots and lots of websites for this "short note on SEO". My references are all available on the public shared page of Google Reader ofcourse interspersed with many other reads of mine. Otherwise, my sources are ... rather my source is Internet :-). So, thanks to it!
My SEO subscriptions for further reading, if any useful.

Data Liberation Front

2009-10-27T09:12:00.000+05:30

Google is centralizing (or starting as a concentrated effort) in Importing and Exporting data from Google Products. Their motto

Users should be able to control the data they store in any of Google's products. Our team's goal is to make it easier to move data in and out.

Site: http://www.dataliberation.org/

They have listed import/export options against each google product on that website and are adding better options like the recent addition the "Convert, Zip and Download" feature in Google Docs

Add GBookmarks, GTranslate, etc. in GReader's Send-to option

2009-09-25T12:09:00.000+05:30

Google Reader has got an option to Send to under a feed, in August, 2009. With this, one can share a particular post on any of the popular sites which many of the Sharing buttons give. A good thing is that they have provided an option to add custom Send-to options under Settings.

One can add Google Bookmarks to these sets of options by adding the following code:
Name: Google Bookmarks (or anything of your choice)
URL: http://www.google.com/bookmarks/mark?op=edit&output=popup&b
Icon URL: http://www.google.com/favicon.ico

To add Google Translate:
Name: Autotranslate
URL: http://translate.google.com/translate?u=${url}
Icon URL: http://translate.google.com/favicon.ico

To add Add-to-any:
Name: Add to any
URL: http://www.addtoany.com/share_save?linkurl=${url}&linkname=${title}
Icon URL: http://www.addtoany.com/favicon.ico

It would be fun to get / add as many links to Send-to as needed.

Auto System Log Manager

2009-09-24T12:50:00.003+05:30

We all know how our bosses keep on asking us to log our activities for the day. There are days when you are so occupied with activities that logging our activities itself becomes a huge over-head. Plus, we do feel at the back of our mind that our precious time is getting wasted in doing something which is undoubtedly good, but if only we had someone to log our activities!

Well, if not every activity of ours, atleast there should be a way to auto-log the activities which we do on system, right? Atleast some things which are very generic in nature. Fascinated I am to have found one such app on this website. This person is amazing, gets one (new) app a day and they are all simple ones. One of them is this Time Management app. One can download the app and also the Source Code!!! So that way one can customize it to their needs. What it does? From the website,

Time Management allows you to keep track of what you are doing on your PC. I plan on using it to help me fill out my timesheet at the office. The application resides in the systray, and writes to a CSV file each time you switch applications, or the title bar of the current app changes.

File format:
[date],[time],[process name],[window title],[duration used]

Find the total list of Apps Download page here.

I am sure, many of us would like it. Currently, using it on my system. I am damn impressed! :) Thanks Dana.

List of connected users in Oracle

2009-09-08T12:23:00.000+05:30

To know the list of connected users to the Oracle Database, run the below sql

select distinct username, osuser, terminal, utl_inaddr.get_host_address(terminal) ip_address, status, logon_time
from v$session
where username is not null
order by username, osuser;

GChat tips

2009-09-04T09:37:00.000+05:30

A word in GChat can be emphasized in many ways, most common being Bold, Italics & Underline.
Knew that adding * on either side of the word (eg. *word* = word) would make it bold, but learnt from the 10tip of Gmail NInja tips page that we can even italicize by adding _ on either side of the word (eg. _word_ = word) and with - on either side, it strikes the word (eg. -word- = ~~word~~).[SOURCE]

Site Identity Button

2009-09-03T11:28:00.003+05:30

We observe favicon for a site and with new firefox, even some text next to it. Firefox calls it Site Identity Button. It has three levels each with a different color:

Grey: No information from site
Blue: The connection is secure
Green: Not only the connection is secure but it also comes with the owners information

Creating Sitemap in Dreamweaver

2009-09-02T16:49:00.001+05:30

There was a need to create a Sitemap and submit it to Google Webmaster Tools. Surprisingly, I did not find an option of creating Sitemap in Dreamweaver 8. So, downloaded an extension Google Sitemap Generator and added it to Dreamweaver which created Sitemap very easily.

Update: I did get to see a way to view Sitemap in DMW. Can save it as an image. But, yet to know if Dreamweaver has an option inbuilt, to save it as .xml

META tags for improved search

2009-09-02T11:57:00.002+05:30

Came across this webpage on why we need not use META Tags in our Webpages. Truly, no search engine will completely depend on META Tags for their indexing else, by now Search Results would have shown only spammed results.

Never use META tag in html, syntax.

Surprisingly, Google claims to be considering META tags (a bit strongly too!) for a webpage. Google talks about it here.

Update 25th Sept, 2009: Thanks to the comment posted by Vitaly, came to know of the latest blogspot made by Google on their Google Webmaster Central blog on 21st Sept, 2009 where they very clearly mention that Google does not use "keywords" meta tag for their Web search. Occasionally, when needed, they use "description" meta tag. Their Custom Search Engine does consider meta tags though.

Thin Clients

2009-08-28T11:27:00.002+05:30

My new fascination is Thin Client Systems. Read about it only today and tell you, the number and kind of advantages it gives are numerous, specifically so in the area of maintenance. The below pps gives very precise and to-the-point FAQs.

Need to study the traffic that it will generate on the network. If that goes fine and 1GBps of network bandwidth safices the need, then we are on a go! :)

If you wish to download this pps as ppt or pdf, click on the Open in a new window icon in the menubar of the presentation. It will open up in a new window where you will be able to do multiple things with the presentation. In any case, this is the direct link to new window

Tasks with Contacts

2009-07-17T11:03:00.001+05:30

I dont know whether this feature was ever considered by mobile phone companies and their R & D teams.

Can tasks be linked to Contacts in mobile phones? Atleast in PDAs? What do I mean? I mean this. All mobile phones have an option to maintain a To-do list, or Tasks list. Some of our tasks are related to asking, informing or in some way requires communication with some person(s). If that person exists in our Contact List, then, can we have an option to link this particular task with that contact(s).

Functionality:
Say, I have Task T which involves persons X & Y. Then, I add this Task A to the To-do list or my Tasks list and link it up with contacts X & Y. Then, I forget about it (Thats the reason for Tasks list to exist :) ). Next, whenever I get a call from say X, then a link or a small icon appears showing existence of some task with that contact. When we click on that link, even before picking up the call, I get a list of all tasks related with that person. In this case, Task T appears on the screen. Similar can be the scenario when I call up the person X & Y so that apart from the tasks for which I called up, I get a list of tasks which I wanted to finish with that person and had fed into system sometime back.

This same concept can be extended to Gmail and GTasks. It has got one very useful feature of linking a mail with Tasks. So, in a round-a-about way, we can link contacts with the tasks. But what we should get is a link to Tasks if there is a task linked with any of the mail id which is entered in To box, while Composing. Currently, there is a Labs feature of Suggested Contacts. Similar to it, can be the Tasks list for the earlier said advantages.

Can something be done about it? Suggestions to Mobile phone companies may be difficult. But suggesting to Google is easier :). Google gives its users an option to voice out their opinions and suggestions to improve their products. It is called Google Product Ideas (as I link this page, it is displaying blank page :( ). One can give their ideas which will be voted FAQs Google Product Ideas Blog Google Product Ideas for Blogger. If ideas are popular, they will get implemented.

Though implementation in Google side is possible, this is most effective and useful in cell phones. Hope to see it soon... Atleast because of Android! :)

Screens of Death

2009-07-17T09:19:00.000+05:30

Screens of death are of different color, like Yellow, Red, Black, Green, Purple, Blue, etc.

Some of the applications have improved. They display images like Sad Mac, Google Chrome Sad tab, etc.

OpenID

2009-06-25T19:08:00.016+05:30

Now a days, we see OpenID on so many websites. Wanted to know what this concept was about.

In simple terms, OpenID is a Universal ID (specifically a URL) which once created, can be used on an OpenID complaint website for a specific activity. For eg. on Blogger (OpenID compliant website), one can comment (specific activity) using an OpenID. One need not create a separate OpenID if one already has a Gmail id (or Google Accounts ID), Yahoo id, a blog on Blogger, etc. Best part about OpenID is that it is not dependent on any single OpenID provider. One can switch to any OpenID provider as one wishes, without monopoly of any specific company. It is an open standard with decentralized server.

So, next thing to know is which all are the OpenID providers. The list is here as well as here.

I wanted to use Gmail as an OpenID. To create an OpenID URL for Google Account ID or Gmail ID go here [SOURCE]. To use your Blog URL as an OpenID, details are given here.

Know how to run your own OpenID here.

Go here to get to know about having your own OpenID.

Information on Diseases

2009-06-23T10:30:00.008+05:30

Google Health, happens to be a place where one can enter medical health care data so that it can be accessed across the globe, avoiding our carrying health records physically alongwith us during our journeys.

With added features like Import Medical Records (from selected hospitals, as yet), Graph test results, Share profile, Upload images, print wallet-size Health Profile, etc. it is doing more than just giving us an option to enter data like what Excel gives :). One thing among all these that is striking is the More Info option next to each Diagnosis Condition which one can link to their profile.

Here is one example on Acne

Very impressive. It contains all the information that one (as a patient) needs to know on Acne. They are adding for other conditions too! The complete list appears here. I doubt anywhere else it is given in such a complete fashion. I checked on Wiki for information on Acne. The info given on Google's Reference page is more comprehensive, clean and informative.

Interestingly, there is a post on Google blog saying SNOMED-CT is a better way of coding diseases than International Classificaton of Diseases (ICD-9) (New versions: ICD-10 CM / PCS). When Google makes such statement, its implications can be huge especially when whole of USA uses ICD coding!

Lets wait and see, if in any way, this influences the type of diseases coding system adopted by the hospitals across the globe.

Chrome Malware detection

2009-06-21T21:43:00.006+05:30

I had clicked to go to http://www.gmail-backup.com/gmail-backup-0-105 to download a freeware for Gmail backup. Chrome threw this screen up warning against malware from site my-dom.info on this webpage

It provides one link to know more about my-dom.info. On clicking Google gives this information

Cool! I mean, I am impressed by the amount of useful information they are providing.

I tried the same site with Firefox and it took me straight to the webpage without any warning :)

Dumb Microsoft!

2009-06-20T14:26:00.004+05:30

Cant imagine that Microsoft can go so dumb. [Source]

QR Code & Microsoft Tags

2009-06-20T12:47:00.010+05:30

Heard about QR codes (QR stands for Quick Response) today at this post on Google Docs Blog. QR Code is another way of storing information, like Bar Code, through 2-D images developed and popularly used in Japan.

One can create an image like the one shown aside. This image is for this very blog.There are QR Readers available (most of the phones now a days are coming with QR Reader embedded). When the reader scans this QR Code on their cell phone (with GPRS enabled), it will get one to this blog.

The fields & patterns correspond and convey a particular information. The image beside gives some insight into it.

Wiki has got all the information in short and crisp fashion, worth a read.

One can create this code by using Google API.

URL for creating code for this blog was: http://chart.apis.google.com/chart?chs=250x250&cht=qr&chl=http://robadilavoro.blogspot.com/

Change the url and have yours! :)

This template is the QR Code Gadget template available in Google docs. They say

Make a QR code of your data. Just put in the data and instantly a QR code is created matching a comma separated list of your data.

Surely worth a try.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Microsoft has got a similar one called Microsoft Tags

Signup, Create Tags and share them. Need not worry if you dont have a Windows Live login id. One can Signup with Gmail Id as Windows Live ID and use it for all future purposes.

The Tag created for this blog by Microsoft Tag looks like the one shown aside

If these were not enough, Wiki gives a list of other types of codes existing. The list is as below:

Friend Feed's SSP

2009-06-19T16:17:00.001+05:30

This is what I find today when I log into FriendFeed to add My Library notifications to its feeds.
It is an advertisement of FriendFeed itself amidst feeds that were displaying the latest happenings (Click on the image to see it as it is).
The best part is what is written in light grey to the right-side-top of the advertisement. It reads

Shameless self-promotion

Wow! Atleast someone knows it is! ;)

Google insisted for secure Gmail & Docs

2009-06-18T13:55:00.000+05:30

This piece of article from Security Watch on Google is intriguing. Google has been asked to secure the complete Gmail and GDocs sessions. Though Gmail already has a feature to optionally choose it but not defaulted, these security safeguarders and law makers felt it is not safe to leave it without HTTPS and have urged Google to secure it completely.

These people have not questioned Yahoo, Rediff or for that matter any other mail provider. Gmail was the first one to introduce HTTPS into free mailing environment and they only are questioned for not having it mandatorily put up throughout! Its ridiculous.

Surprisingly, Google is going to work on securing the whole session from next tuesday onwards, on a selected user's base

IEAK

2009-06-18T12:52:00.001+05:30

We needed an option to customize IE on over 160 systems in our institution which has standard settings, to let our applications run. Everytime a system crashes, we re-install WinXP and we have to manually change settings to achieve its compatibility with our application. This becomes tedious as we grow by years, still doing the same stuff.

Thanks to Channa, IEAK - Internet Explorer Administration Kit made its appearance and now we dont struggle manually making custom settings changes in IE.

Firstly, download the package from this site depending on whether you want to deploy on IE6 or IE7 or IE8. We downloaded for IE6 (soon we will for IE7 too!)
Once downloaded, install it.
Go to Internet Explorer Customization Wizard from All Program. It is here that all the settings are changed and profiles are created. Only place where one can get stuck in the process is at Automatic Version Synchronization (AVS) where it shows the current version of IE on system and asks for updating it through Internet. We will need Internet Connection only during this time of the configuration. It stores these downloaded files in \IEAK-Program-Folder\IEAK6\Downloads\EN\
Once, all the components are up-to-date, then one can proceed step-by-step and customize the standard values which one wants on each system in the organization.
In the end, it creates the profile build in the Build folder of the IEAK Program Folder. One has to click on the IE Setup file in the FLAT folder of this Build folder on the client system. On this, it will restart the client system and while startup, it customizes the IE settings.

Quite useful.

ATI Catalyst (CCC)

2009-06-18T12:28:00.000+05:30

ATI Catalyst alias Catalyst Control Center (CCC) is a front end to tweak the hardware functions like monitor settings, 3D settings, etc.
Similarly, Intel too has Intel Graphics Media Accelerator (GMA) Driver [FROM INTEL] which gives options to tweak the settings thru a GUI.

Google Waves Web Elements & Showcases Fusion

2009-06-15T14:23:00.003+05:30

New announcements from Google:

Google Web Elements: http://www.google.com/webelements/
Google Showcase: http://www.google.com/help/ig/showcase/
Google Fusion: http://tables.googlelabs.com/ Manage Online Database with collaborative tools of chatting, sharing, tracking changes, etc. FAQs
Google Translation Toolkit: http://translate.google.com/toolkit/ FAQs
The Next Big Thing from Google - Google Wave: http://wave.google.com/

Password encryption: Salt & Nonce

2009-06-01T16:40:00.000+05:30

Salt Cryptography and Cryptography Nonce (Nonce: number used once) are added layers of security while storing passwords (Salt) and transacting passwords to-&-fro between the client and server (Nonce). A good read at Wiki.

GTasks in GCal

2009-05-18T11:46:00.002+05:30

Google Tasks have been integrated with Google Calendar (finally! Expected this to be the first step than following its integration with Gmail). Features are awesome.

Once a Task is added to GTasks with a due date, it becomes a day's event in GCalendar.
One can create a Tasks from Calendar (only in All Day and Month views only).
Using Sort option in Actions of Tasks, one can finish in the order of due date

Things expected in future:

Assigning Priorities to Tasks (Its available in standalone GTasks app).
Adding Time aspect to the due date. Currently, its only at the Date level and not at Date & Time level
Default Calendar Notifications to get applicable to the Task (as in a Calendar event).

Access Calendar events through SMS:

Similar to SMS events usage in Google SMS Channels, one can create an event, know which is the next event for the day, total agenda for the day, next day's schedule - all through sms! Number: 48368 (GVENT). Its currently available only for US citizens. How to create using SMS? They give an example (Source):

"Send a message with something like "Shopping with Sarah at Monterey Market 5pm Saturday," Google Calendar can figure out what you mean and pop the new event into your calendar."

Horoscope Calendar:

I personally liked the Horoscope Public Calendar. So, if one is interested, just click on the links below and get the respective zodiac sign's calendar added to your list of calendars (Source)

"For some cosmic direction, get your daily horoscope directly in Google Calendar. Just click the icon showing your sign in the upper-left corner of the day to read your overview, courtesy of tarot.com.
To subscribe to your horoscope calendar, click the appropriate link in the following table:

Horoscope Calendars
Aries Libra
Taurus Scorpio
Gemini Sagittarius
Cancer Capricorn
Leo Aquarius
Virgo Pisces
"

Horoscope Calendars
	Aries		Libra
	Taurus		Scorpio
	Gemini		Sagittarius
	Cancer		Capricorn
	Leo		Aquarius
	Virgo		Pisces

Google Contacts

2009-05-14T09:16:00.001+05:30

This thought had been there for quite a while that there should be a Birthday field in GContacts. And when we enter it, it should automatically create an event in GCal [or give a choice whether we want to create or not] with Recurring type, Repeating Annually and stuff like that. Who doesnt have! Even a simple 14 field contacts manager in a Sony Ericsson mobile phone has it [including setting a custom ringtone for each user! :)] which at the end of adding a birthday prompts whether we want to add reminder to the calendar. This reminder in SE automatically reminds every year!

Well, GContacts has come out as a separate service from Google. It does contain the Birthday field, an Anniversary too, plus Other option [good news! :)]. Though integration with GCal is yet a feature to look at [bad news:(]. Now, one can maintain quite good amount of data here. It is better managed than Gmail Contacts. Though some fields here are duplicated from GProfile. The service is available even in GApps [after admin enables it. Steps given here].

Hoping a day comes when we will have to enter our information only once, and it will get reflected in all possible places.

Sharing Content

2009-05-13T09:29:00.002+05:30

RSS feeds is the most common way of sharing content on web. Almost all the blogs and relevant websites have this enabled. With RSS feed agregators, one can subscribe and be upto date.

With the popularization of Socializing websites, one wants to share what one reads or likes with his/her friends on social networks (like facebook, stumble, digg, tweet, etc.) or email it to them. Thats when the concept of sharing using button came up and became popular.

One can give these options to the readers as text (using FeedBurner), or as button (using Tell-A-Friend or Add-this). They add themselves up at the bottom of each post (in blogs) or can be placed according to one's own wish.

These utilities give added features of multiple ways of subscribing, sharing and analysing the traffic/crowd that is visiting the site.

Print Odd and Even pages in Excel

2009-05-02T11:51:00.000+05:30

In Microsoft Word, we have an option of printing Even and Odd pages which helps in saving paper by printing on both sides. But the same option does not exist in Excel.

One can add the following VBScript in Macros of the Excel workboook and print Odd or Even pages.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sub printalterantepages()
    Dim Totalpages As Long
    Dim StartPage As Long
    Dim Page As Integer

    StartPage = 1 '1 = Odd and 2 = Even

    'Or use the InputBox suggestion from Gord Dibben
    'StartPage = InputBox("Enter 1 for Odd, 2 for Even")

    Totalpages = Application.ExecuteExcel4Macro("GET.DOCUMENT(50)")
    For Page = StartPage To Totalpages Step 2
        ActiveSheet.PrintOut from:=Page, To:=Page, _
                             Copies:=1, Collate:=True
    Next
End Sub
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
As stated in the code, one has to change the StartPage value from 1 to 2 to print Odd and then Even pages.

IM commands for FriendFeed

2009-04-17T16:18:00.000+05:30

@me text - post to your feed
@room text - post to room
@room - list entries in room
@N text - comment on entry N
@user - list entries in user's feed
like N - like entry N
pause - Pause notifications
resume - Resume notifications
list - List recent entries

These are some of the commands that we can use in GTalk / GChat to post to FriendFeed.

Here is the complete list

IMEI - International Mobile Equipment Identity

2009-04-16T14:42:00.002+05:30

With announcement against all mobiles carrying invalid or no IMEI numbers (an article by Techtree), there was a need to know if we were owning a cell phone with correct IMEI number or not. So, here is the site where one can verify if a particular IMEI is valid or not: http://www.numberingplans.com/?page=analysis&sub=imeinr

From this page, one can analyse Phone, IMSI, IMEI, SIM, ISPC

More on IMSI

EMR - Electromagnetic Radiation

2009-04-16T14:26:00.004+05:30

We all have heard about the hazards of radiations coming out of cell phones and other electronic devices and that we have to guard ourselves against them by reducing our exposure to them, or completely eliminating them from our life-styles.

Here is a website where they present products, specific to the items that we use in our daily life, which will remove / reduce radiation effects on our body.

http://cogentemr.com/

Price of a Cell phone chip is about $19 on average and of a cell phone pouch ranges from $15 to 65$. Pick your choice!

HTML Signatures in Gmail

2009-04-11T11:58:00.001+05:30

Now one can create HTML signatures in Gmail and insert them using a Greasemonkey script: User Script

In Gmail, it creates a box (shown aside) where one can create a signature.

Firefox Add-on: Black Canvas Gmail Signatures

In their own words,
Automatically inserts HTML signatures into your Gmail messages based on which address you are sending from. Supports up to four signatures for each address you have set up. Works for Compose Message and Reply/Forward.

SMS Notification for a mail in Gmail

2009-04-09T15:46:00.001+05:30

Now one can get an sms notification for

any mail that appears into Gmail / Yahoo
a specific mail that appears into Gmail / Yahoo

How? Answer is Way2SMS.com

Way2SMS has come long way from its preliminary old. Their UI resembles the AJAX technology and has its similarities with Gmail UI. As in 160by2, one will get the 'A message from Recipient's Name' instead of 'A message from WAY2SMS.COM' which is common for all the free web sms websites.

It provides with 110 characters as against 90 of 160by2.com and Indyarocks.com

One can set a mail alerts for Gmail and Yahoo. The funda is: Whenever a mail appears in the inbox of Way2SMS.com, one can activate an alert, which will send an sms for every mail that appears in way2sms.com. So, to get an alert for all mails that appear in Gmail or Yahoo, create a filter (to suit the needs) and say Forward to your Way2SMS.com mail id and Woah! You get an sms whenever a mail meeting those conditions appears in Gmail or Yahoo! Help of Way2SMS for Gmail Configuration and Yahoo Configuration.

Chat with both Yahoo and Gmail users simultaneously.

For other features, sign up for Way2SMS.com and check out.

gaiald in Gmail

2009-04-08T14:38:00.000+05:30

Today, as I was updated contacts in Gmail, there was some value appearing against a legend gaiald. I initially tried finding out from where it was picking, but could not make out. It was part of More Information -> Other -> Drop-down (Home, Work, Custom, gaiald)
Tried googling, nothing worth showed what it was.

Well, for a normal contact, this option does not appear at all. Only Home, Work, Custom appears. But it was appearing for mail ids to which mails were sent for the first time from mobile phone. As I was getting convinced that the mail ids which were sent for the first from mobile phone were getting that particular id added, I checked for one more person for whom a mail was sent through mobile phone. This contact was under Suggested Contacts and that value did not exist! Added this contact to My Contacts group. Yet it did not appear.

Though for most part of it, it seems to be due to automatic addition of mail id when a mail was sent through mobile phone, this one exception is still a mystery.

Greasemonkey

2009-03-26T16:18:00.000+05:30

I am sure many of us heard a lot about the terminology Greasemonkey but did not understand what it is all about.

Greasemonkey is an add-on onto Firefox. There are reports of it working even on Opera, Safari, IE to limited extent though. This is the master add-on which is like a container for all the 'User-scripts' which gets installed into Greasemonkey.
User-scripts are javascripts (extended-AJAX too) created to customize look, feel and functionalities of a webpage.
There are thousands of existing User-scripts available at the official website of User-scripts
Greasespot is Greasemonkey's homepage

Popular list of user-scripts:
by online-tech-tips
by Firefox facts
by Life-hacker

Extract Day, Hour, Time from Date Datatype in Oracle

2009-03-24T18:27:00.001+05:30

There was a need to write a query which would give output for data which took place between two specific hours in a day, in a particular a month, for a set of departments.

Set of departments - group by function
for a month - simple between and to_date conversion

for specific hours, day, time - Extract function

Extract(year from to_timestamp(to_char(column_name,'dd-Mon-yyyy HH:MI:SS AM')))
Extract(month from to_timestamp(to_char(column_name,'dd-Mon-yyyy HH:MI:SS AM')))
Extract(day from to_timestamp(to_char(column_name,'dd-Mon-yyyy HH:MI:SS AM')))

Extract(hour from to_timestamp(to_char(column_name,'dd-Mon-yyyy HH:MI:SS AM')))
Extract(minute from to_timestamp(to_char(column_name,'dd-Mon-yyyy HH:MI:SS AM')))
Extract(sec from to_timestamp(to_char(column_name,'dd-Mon-yyyy HH:MI:SS AM')))

There was some bit of struggle in finding the correct format. If column is of the datatype DATE then, one has to to_char it. Without to_charing it, it invariably returns only 0 (zero)

Download Flash in Firefox, without any software

2009-03-24T18:02:00.001+05:30

One can download Flash or for that matter any media element in a webpage when viewed in Firefox, without any additional tool, or software or add-on to Firefox. How?

Well, say there is a flash file (Shockwave File with extension .swf) on a webpage and you want to download it. Then,

Open that particular webpage
Click on Tools in the top Menu bar
Then, from the list of options, click on Page Info. This option is one of the least explored option in Firefox. It gives all the information about the current web page that is open in Firefox.
Go to the second tab - Media
Under Address heading, it will show the location of the flash media object
Below, on the same screen, there would be an option as Save As..., using which one can save the flash as it is from the webpage!

Ofcourse, this is useful when one wants to download only one Flash file from a webpage. Plus, one has to open the webpage where this Flash would be 'active'. If there are only links to Flash objects on a webpage, one cannot download them. Media info does not show them as part of flash objects, but as image objects.

If one needs to download multiple flash objects from a webpage, then one can download softwares which do this work for us.

P.S: Interestingly, found a site which details multiple ways of tweaking FF and IE to download flash objects.

Firefox Add-ons

2009-03-24T16:28:00.003+05:30

Finally, this post has become a reality. I had mentioned in an earlier post that soon there would be a post on my favourite add-ons from firefox. There would surely be more than these, but currently these Add-ons are actively decorating my Firefox. In Firefox's own words:

"You spend more time online than on the road, but you probably think more about avoiding traffic than enjoying the best of the Web.

So, why not customize your Firefox for the things you really love to do? Take your browser from simple to spectacular.

Firefox add-ons are little extras that allow you to add a personal touch to your browser. Select your favorites from the categories to accessorize your Web!"

So, here is the list of 9 add-ons for firefox:

Lock the Fox - password protect Firefox window
Server Spy - know which brand of HTTP server runs a particular site
Tamper Data - view and modify http/https headers and post parameters
TestGen4Web - Record/Store/Play Firefox sessions
FormFox - Displays the Form action
Event Spy - can watch Javascript events as they occur
Add n Edit Cookies - name conveys all
Cache Status - Easy cache management
Cookie Swap - Swap Cookies to log into multiple Gmail accounts

Hope you would find them useful, as much as I enjoyed in finding them and trying them out.

Update: Forgot to add one more add-on - PDF Convertor - convert any webpage into a pdf then and there.

Card holder travels with me

2009-03-13T13:13:00.001+05:30

Card holder
All cards get held there, at one shot. Other green notes find a corner enough within this holder to exist or go straight to my open pocket. Apart from these, my specs cleaning cloth, bike-pass, a memstick and maybe a to-do list...

Gmail Access & Plinky

2009-03-13T13:05:00.001+05:30

If one forgets Gmail password, one can get it reset either by answering the security question or by requesting a reset password link to the secondary mail id. But, if these do not work. Say, the account has been taken over and security question & secondary mail id are changed to something else, then how to recover? Well Gmail has an Account Recovery Form where they ask for some information so that the account is made available only to the correct person.

Blogger through SMS: Now, one can enable posting through mobile phone, currently available only to USian's

Plinky: Well, its another website where one can add up blogs, or Facebook, Twitter accounts and by answering the prompts, automatically all the linked services would get updated! Its surely good. This is created by one the original blogger team-members - Jason Shellen. Anyone wanna follow me there, here is the URL (First time I got a profile URL without a need for additional numerals or surname initials... that shows no other Rampy has yet signed up there :) )

Doodles for Google

2009-02-28T10:30:00.000+05:30

Google has announced a Doodle competition for US Schools with the theme:

Interesting part of that is the Doodle History. A good simple read.

Animated Favicons

2009-02-27T13:27:00.000+05:30

Now a days, many sites are displaying animated favicons (like this site on Email trace). How do they do that? Its simple. Create an animated gif file but with the size of Favicon (i.e. 16px by 16px). Then rename this favicon.gif to favicon.ico (.ico is the extension for favicons). Firefox renders these animated favicons, but not IE. IE displays only the first frame

Google Language

2009-02-26T16:51:00.001+05:30

Anyone around feeling like they can help Google in translating web pages from regional languages to English, then one can sign in here. (Google Language style guide)

Found this interesting listing of popular blogs, category-wise.

A knol on importing contacts from excel to Gmail / Hotmail Contacts

A security flaw in Google Apps discovered last year, now fixed.

Google's Privacy Policy

2009-02-26T10:26:00.000+05:30

Google has recently updated its privacy policy:

Before (see Google Cache):
When you access Google services, our servers automatically record information that your browser sends whenever you visit a website. These server logs may include information such as your web request, Internet Protocol address, browser type, browser language, the date and time of your request and one or more cookies that may uniquely identify your browser.

After (see current version)
When you access Google services, our servers automatically record information that your browser sends whenever you visit a website. These server logs may include information such as your web request, Internet Protocol address, browser type, browser language, the date and time of your request and one or more cookies that may uniquely identify your browser. Also, in order to protect you from fraud, phishing, and other misconduct, we may collect information about your interaction with our services. Any such information we collect will only be used to detect and prevent fraud or other misconduct.

*The content in italics was added today [SOURCE]

An interesting read on why Google does not want to put up 'Privacy Policy' link on their Google Homepage.
This read is on how to not allow search engines gather the user's information and their online activity.
Data privacy day celebrated on 28th of Jan 2009.

Browsers powered by user choice?

2009-02-25T16:40:00.001+05:30

As one may wonder how does this question exist, there is this interesting post on Google Public Policy Blog: Browsers powered by user choice where they have come out with some interesting statements... Dont miss reading the comments following it... Google got a run for its hypocrisy!

Google Web Servers

2009-02-18T14:34:00.001+05:30

Google has got its own web servers which are currently running the web for Google ranked 3rd by Netcraft Web Server Survey. Heard its a modified version of Apache Web Server. The whole list of web servers running each of the Google product is given below:

(*) - denotes encrypted page

(GWS: Google Web Server)
Main Search: GWS/2.1
Google Accounts: GFE/1.3*
Google AdSense: GFE/1.3*
Google AdWords: GFE/1.3*
Google Hosted(mail for your domain) : GWS/2.1
Google Analytics (Login Page): GWS/2.1
Google Analytics (Auth Page): GFE/1.3*
Google Analytics (Other Pages): ucfe*
Google Analytics (Analysis Image and JS): ucfe
Google Analytics (Images/JS/CSS/Flash): ga-reporting-fe
Google Answers: GFE/1.3
Google Base: asfe
Blogger: Apache
Google Book Search: OFE/0.1
Google Calendar: GFE/1.3
Google Catalogs: OFE/0.1
Google Checkout: GFE/1.3*
Google Code: codesite/2750796
Google Co-Op: pfe
Google Desktop: GFE/1.3
Google Directory: DFE/1.0
Google Downloads: GWS/2.1
Google Finance: SFE/0.8
Google Finance Stock Charts (Images): FTS (C)1997-2006 IS.Teledata AG
Froogle: cffe
Google Groups: GWS-GRFE/0.50
Hello: Apache/2.0.53
Google Help Pages: TrakhelpServer/1.0a
Google Images: GWS/2.1
Google Labs: Apache
Google Local / Maps: mfe
Google Local/Maps (Images): Keyhole Server 2.4
Google Mail: GFE/1.3
Google Mobile: GWS/2.1
Google Moon: mfe
Google Moon (Images): Keyhole Server 2.4
Google Music Search: mws
Google News: NFE/1.0
Google Notebook GFE/1.3
Orkut: GFE/1.3*
Google Pack: COMINST/1.0
Picasa (.com): Apache/2.0.53
Picasa (.google.com): GWS/2.1
Picasa Web Album: GFE/1.3
Picasa Web Album (Static Images): staticfe
Picasa Web Album (Uploaded Images): cachefe:image
Google Page Creator (Sign-up page): GFE/1.3*
Google Page Creator (User pages): GFE/1.3
Google Personalized Homepage: igfe
Google Scholar: GWS/2.1
Google Search History: Search-History HTTP Server
Google Sets: Apache
Google Site-Flavored: GWS/2.1
Google Sitemaps: GFE/1.3
Google SMS: GWS/2.1
Google SMS Search Requests: SMPP server 1.0
Google SMS (GMail Registration): GFE/1.3*
Google SMS (Page Viewer): GFE/1.3
Google Spreadsheet: GFE/1.3
Google Suggest: Auto-Completion Server
Google Transit: mfe
Google Translate: TWS/0.9
Google Trends: Google Trends
Google Video: GFE/1.3
Google Video (Thumbnails): thumbnail_server.cc version 1.0
Google Reader: GFE/1.3
Google Ride Finder: Apache
Google Talk: GWS/2.1
Google Toolbar: GFE/1.3
Google Toolbar (PR Lookup): GWS/2.1
Google Web Accelerator: GFE/1.3
Google Web Alerts: PSFE/4.0
Writely: GFE/1.3

How did I come to know of this? Well. There is a add-on in Firefox which displays the web server that rendered the current web page. Its name is Server Spy. Await for yet another list of useful add-ons to Firefox in the next post.

Source 1

Source 2

Customized Inbox in gmail

2009-02-18T11:44:00.006+05:30

Multiple Inboxes and query strings, together can become a powerful tool for one to have a customized inbox in gmail. For example, one wants the secondary inbox to show all the unread mails from userid xyz@gmail.com, then go to Settings->Multiple Inboxes->Panel 1 (or whichever panel one wants to add it to) type in:

is:unread from:xyz@gmail.com

Whoa! Check your secondary inbox, you have your customized view! If one wants all unread mails from label For Fun, then type in:

is:unread is:For-Fun ('-' is the replacement for a space in label)

and you have all desired results. Go through all the remaining boolean operators and you will be on your way to a better managed gmail power-user.

Reinstall Internet Explorer 6 by using the Ie.inf file

2009-02-18T11:34:00.000+05:30

If you already have Windows XP Service Pack 2 installed, and you do not want to install Internet Explorer 7, you may be able to resolve problems with Internet Explorer 6 by using the Ie.inf file to reinstall Internet Explorer 6.

To do this, follow these steps:

Click Start, click Run, type %systemroot%\inf, and then press Enter.
Find the Ie.inf file that is located in Windows\Inf folder.
Right-click the Ie.inf file, and then click Install.
Restart the computer when the file copy process is complete.

Source

YM Emoticarolers & Power User

2009-01-29T13:50:00.004+05:30

How much ever Google has captured the market in Search, Mail, OnlineDocs, they could never reach Yahoo Messenger in terms of the features, functionalities and grace of emoticons. GTalk could, to some extent, improve one's voice experience, but otherwise, enough are there who still prefer Yahoo Messenger when it comes to standalone client application. Integration of Chat into Gmail is a separate run-away success of Google.

Yahoo Messenger has got this concept of Power Users who, they say, will be identified depending on the end-users use of YM. More the use, sooner they will be crowned as 'Power User'. The link mentions other benefits like earlier use of new features, exclusive online indicators, enhanced customer care, custom avtaar accessories, etc. Once a Power User (or even otherwise), one can join the Messenger All-Stars group to be up-to-date with the latest in YM.

PingBox: We all know about adding GTalk badge to our websites, blogs. Now even YM gives that option. They call it Pingbox. Not bad.

Emoticarolers: Now this is interesting. With the classy yahoo emoticons (which go on improving with added age), one can send a jingle, carol to their friends!!! The look, feel is awesome. One can add their custom lyrics to the chosen tunes, currently only four. Worth a try and definitely a good way to wish :)

Disable Recent Documents in Windows

2009-01-29T11:42:00.006+05:30

Through Registry tweaking:
(Take a backup of your registry since incorrectly editing it, might damage windows)

Click Start > Run > and type “regedit”
Find and go to HEKY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer
In right panel create a new Binary Value and name it “NoRecentDocsHistory”
Give it value of 00 00 00 01
Close registry editor and restart your computer

Through UI:

Click on Start
Right click on the picture or your name.
Click Customize.
Select the Advanced Tab
UnTick at bottom: List my most recently opened documents

Gears in full winamped gears

2009-01-28T13:55:00.018+05:30

Continuing with its trends, Google has integrated Gears into Gmail. A much expected step with Gmail being their crown service, gears had to come in soon. This thought of existence to ease our work did pass the mind while trying out Gears on GDocs and GReader.

Winamp 5.541:
Tried this new version of Winamp, and its a lot impressive. Its no more a cylinder holding our playlists, its grown massively to hold a lot under the sun. It includes, SHOUTcast, Radio FM, AOL radio, AOL music, impressive Winamp Remote, etc. etc. (complete list of features). One can upload their favourite playlists, songs online and listen to them through Winamp from anywhere in the world. It has got its own toolbar which can be installed in the browser. The personalized data is stored against a free login ID and a password. Worth a try (download from here).

Google Friend Connect with Blogger

2009-01-23T21:18:00.000+05:30

"Google Friend Connect means more people engaging more deeply with your website -- and with each other."
Its like one's own little forum, and in Google's words, these are socializing features which one can add to their websites. If one wants to add these gadgets to their sites, there are clear instructions at Google Friend Connect site. One has to first request for access and then one will be able to add these gadgets and use on their personal websites. When access is given, one is asked to download two files, which have to located at a particular location on your website. Then, copy the gadget code into your website code, and publish it. Your site is ready with Google Friend Connect!

Trouble is there are no clear cut instructions if one wants to add these to a Blogger account. The trick is, Blogger is readymade with these files. So, one need not download these files and try adding it to Blogger. Its already there. Just directly add the Google Friend Connect code to the 'HTML/Javascript' gadget. And your Blogger is ready for use.

Thanks to this site.

This seems to have emerged from Open Social project of Google which was a long-lost dream. They seem to be adding their work here now.

Inside Google's New-Product Process

2009-01-23T09:28:00.003+05:30

"The philosophy is, try a bunch of ideas, refine them, and see what survives, says Marissa Mayer, the search giant's product-launch czar". An interesting article here.

Thanks to Naams, an article on Why Google Employees Quit. These are open thoughts of ex-Google employees on their stance of quitting followed by a plethora of comments.

GVid within GChat

2009-01-23T08:42:00.018+05:30

Google has done it again. Following the trend that we see in the developments of Google services, we can guess the direction in which they are heading. Integration of all services into all of it, is the visible aim of Google. But, auto-generation of video preview within the chat window and an option to view it then and there when one sends a Youtube or Google Video links, is another out-of-the-box, least expected addition. Nevertheless, it is one of the useful addition. Gmail Blogpost.

Just yesterday, I was going through GDocs and was happy to see some of the developments there. Now one can publish a Doc (Excel, Word, Powerpoint) with Google Analytics working on it for tracking the developments. One can enable RSS feeds feature to these Docs which enables a person, who has subscribed to these feeds, know and track changes to the subscribed Doc.

Last night, tried Google Gears on Google Reader, it worked fine and well. When tried with GDocs, it gave an error on interruption. Have to check again.

Blogger seems to have made their pop-up boxes (Preview, Hyperlink) transparent. It creates a distraction since it merges of with the background.

Hacking site

2009-01-22T15:48:00.001+05:30

It happens...Yes, it really happens for all of us. We want to Hack! Hack! Hack! and Hack! But there are no easy resources or its too complex for us to understand. But at the same time, we will never leave the fanciness to believe in ourselves in becoming a hacker one day!. So, here is one site, which under the pretext of 'Education and Knowledge sharing' concept to protect one's system, reveals some of the classic and, in some cases, advanced stuff. Sure, it would be interesting...once you start reading, you will be hooked. Enjoy.

http://www.hungry-hackers.com/

Spreeder

2009-01-22T15:37:00.000+05:30

Wanna learn to read fast and quick? Here is the site which can help one in this endeavor:

http://www.spreeder.com/

One can decide what is the speed at which the reader can be made to read words, like 300wpm, etc. Plus, how many words should appear at a time, one or two. There are a few more basic settings which might be handy.

UnChrome

2009-01-22T14:22:00.001+05:30

All of us have heard about this and this is one of the reasons why Chrome is not popularly used by many - it does not guarantee anonymity. It is known that Chrome collects lot of information from the user system and stores it. But now with the use of a software called UnChrome, this can be avoided. Apparently, Google Chrome identifies its users by their IDs. This is a unique ID generated with every installation of Google Chrome. UnChrome 'Nulls' this value, effectively removing this link. It has to be used only once. Steps are as below:

1. First, click here to download UnChrome (make sure Google Chrome is closed first).

2. Next, click Run (Internet Explorer) or click Save File and run the application by double clicking on it (Firefox).

3. This screen will then pop up:

4. Click Remove Unique ID Now and then click OK to confirm you’ve already closed out the Chrome browser.

5. Success! The screen will then change to look like this:

Tab cloning in Firefox

2009-01-20T14:23:00.001+05:30

Now with Firefox 3.x versions, one can clone the tab. No more copying the URL and pasting them in a new tab. One can just 'center' click on the Refresh button of the Web-browser and it will clone the tab, viz. create one more tab with the same website/webpage.
Ways of do it:

Center click on Refresh button (history is lost)
Ctrl + Refresh (history is lost)
Drag (favicon onto the tab bar) (history is lost)
Ctrl + Drag (tab into the tab bar) (history is not lost :) )

Tab tearing in Firefox 3.1

2009-01-20T14:15:00.000+05:30

Mimicking Google Chrome, one can now drag a tab out of Firefox into a new window. But vice-versa doesnt seem to be existing as of now. It needs its own time to stabilize, nevertheless, finally it has taken shape after multiple earlier attempts.

More here

Imp & Exp between Outlook and Gmail

2008-12-18T14:30:00.002+05:30

Important information

http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/outlook/HA102220481033.aspx

G G G

2008-12-17T09:46:00.000+05:30

Found few things:

Gmail help has improved with a different UI, and better feedback. Every help page trails with

Groups to GApps
Groups, though not full-fledged, but customized for use in organizations by access rights and permissions control, has been added to GApps, starting from free edition. More here

Mailing limits for Gmail and GApps

Known list of issues in Gmail

Centralized TNS names on network

2008-12-16T14:18:00.001+05:30

With Oracle 8.0.6 and 8.1.7 versions running in support services, we had to change the TNS names in individual systems (about 30 of them), every time there was a change in host ip or any other parameter which are globally applicable

C:\Oracle\Ora806\Net80\Admin\TNS Names and
C:\Oracle\Ora817\Network\Admin\TNS Names

But one can have these TNS Names in a centralized location to avoid its change in every client system.

Create an environment variable with name: TNS_ADMIN, value for which would be the centralized location (eg. a mapped drive) containing TNS Names file. So, on the client system, it uses this variable to connect Oracle db. The local TNS Names become redundant!!!

Add Gmail to your RSS Feed Reader

2008-12-16T09:16:00.000+05:30

To get notified of new Gmail messages in your RSS news feed reader:

Launch your RSS feed reader like Google Reader.
Create a new channel.
Type "https://gmail.google.com/gmail/feed/atom" for the URL of the new feed.
Enter your Gmail user name ("sammy.sample") when prompted for a user name.
Use your Gmail password as the feed's password, too.
- If that does not work, try using "https://[your Gmail user name]:[your Gmail password]@gmail.google.com/gmail/feed/atom" (like "https://sammy.sample:passphrase@gmail.google.com/gmail/feed/atom") for the URL.

To get notifications for new messages in a Gmail label in your RSS feed reader:

Append the label to the "https://gmail.google.com/gmail/feed/atom/" URL (note '/' at the end).
- For example, a label called "todo" can be tracked using the URL "https://gmail.google.com/gmail/feed/atom/todo".
Add the URL to your RSS feed reader as above.

Source

Essentials for bloggers

2008-12-15T09:45:00.001+05:30

Found this informative link on few essentials for bloggers

http://www.quickonlinetips.com/archives/2005/04/free-essential-tools-for-blogger/

l337

2008-12-12T12:04:00.007+05:30

We all know the SMS language (you = u, Great = Gr8, are = r, etc.). There is a similar language for internet users which is considered geeky.

"l33t sp34k" is the international internet language coined by script kiddies and trolls who like to clutter up message boards and chat rooms with their claims of being "l33t H4xX0r5".

After going through a ten minutes read, I could interpret the statement: 1337 $|o3/-\|< |=/-\57 3|\|0U9|-| u <'/-\|\| 937 /-\ |0T 0F \/\//-\7 |7 5/-\5, 7|-|3|\| U c/-\|\| F|9uR3 0u7 \/\//-\7 u |\/||553o|.

"Leet speak fast enough u can get a lot of u wat p sas, then U can figure wat u missed" (in Italics - I do not know whether I could interpret it correctly)

How could I understand by just going through that language for 10 mins. Here is the help. Short course, in points, below

Think of the symbols as shapes: a 5 looks a bit like an S, as does a $
Combine two or more symbols and numbers to make single letters, such as |= for F or |3 for B
Pay attention to context. If you can't figure out the meaning of a symbol, try to guess its meaning based on the letters (symbols) around it.
substitute letters for other letters, sounds or words like f = ph, cks = xx, s = z or r = are. Interpretation of 1337$p34|<3r is leetspeaker
Flagrant misspellings: Some, such as "kewl" (for "cool") are phonetic replacements, while others such as "teh" (for "the), or "ownt" and "pwned" (for "owned") are just an inside joke :)
New grammatical structures: the suffix "0rz" can be added to a word to make it plural or to add emphasis, as in "r0xx0rz" for "rocks," where "r0xx" would substitute for "rocks". Another common suffix is "3d," used to indicate the past tense such that "rocked" becomes "r0xx0r3d," as is "7h47 r0xx0r3d" ("that rocked")
l337 includes chat abbreviations too: BTW ("by the way"), TTYL ("talk to you later"), and the ubiquitous LOL (generally meaning "laugh out loud")
Expand your vocabulary. Though most of the "new" words in 1337 are simply misspellings of English words ("taht", for example, or "pwn"), some are actually new coinages, such as "nooblet"--this could be written, for example, as "n008137"--which denotes a "noobie," or the 'newguy' |\|3\/\/|3 (newb) someone new to 1337 or something else. The best way to learn the vocabulary is to read a lot of 1337.
Adapt to inconsistency. Sometimes, you'll see people with 1337 "skillz," sometimes you'll see "5k1||5," and sometimes "$c1llz0r3d."
cApItalizE at random. Random capitalization is arguably an integral part of 1337. Some writers employ a consistent method, such as capitalizing all letters except vowels or only ending letters, but many simply capitalize letters (where they are not replaced by symbols), whenever they want.

l337 Chart:

Note:
- The commas are added to separate symbols
- The symbol | (Example: B = |3 ) is a "down-slash", or "pipe", and not a lower-case "L" or capital "i"
- The symbol ` (Example: T = 7` ) is not a standard apostrophe, but is a "Grave Accent" and is found on the tilde (~) key
- Also keep in mind that the use of /-/ for H for example, aren't used nearly as often as the normal letter in a quick conversation. To write an entire sentence this way would take three times as long, thus the quicker single symbol or letter substitutions are more often used.

A = 4, /-\, @, ^, /\ , //-\\
B = 8, ]3, ]8, |3, |8, ]]3, 13
C = (, { , [[, <, €
D = ), [}, |), |}, |>, [>, ]]), Ð
E = 3, ii, €
F = |=,(=, ]]=, ph
G = 6, 9, (_>, [[6, &
H = #, |-|, (-), )-(, }{, }-{, {-}, /-/, \-\, |~|, []-[], ]]-[[
I = 1, !, |, ][, []
J = _|, u|, ;_[], ;_[[
K = |<, |{, ][<, ]]<, []<
L = |,1, |_, []_, ][_, £
M = /\/\, |\/|, [\/], (\/), /V\, []V[], \\\, (T), ^^, .\\, //., ][\\//][,
N = /\/, |\|, (\), /|/, [\], {\}, ][\][, []\[], ~
O = 0, (), [], <>, *, [[]]
P = |D, |*, |>, []D, ][D
Q = commas are necessary: (,) or 0, or O, or O\ or []\
R = |2, |?, |-, ]]2 []2 ][2
S = 5, $
T = 7, +, ']', 7`, ~|~, -|-, '][', "|", †
U = (_), |_|, \_\, /_/, \_/, []_[], ]_[, µ
V = \/ , \\//
W = \/\/, |/\|, [/\], (/\), VV, ///, \^/, \\/\//, 1/\/, \/1/, 1/1/
X = ><, }{, )(, }[
Y = '/, %, `/, \j , ``//, ¥, j
Z = 2, z, 7_,`/_

Try an online l337 translator here.

Leet examples [(l337 3><4|\/||*!3$) - This one created using the above suggestions. Looks damn cool!]

In English: Whats up man? I am fine here....are you?

][ /\/ !33+: Wh47$ µp m4n? 1 4m ƒ1n3 h3r3....4r3 ¥0µ?

More on leet
Source

p.s: Had trouble with escape charactering the HTML on this page. l33+ troubles html :P

GCal & GMaps

2008-12-12T09:01:00.000+05:30

GCal has grown more intelligent. Today there was an invitation for a get-together. I went to add into Calendar from Gmail itself with the option provided - Add to Calendar which appears on the right side of mail. The subject contained the date 14th of Dec, 2008. When it reached GCal, it automatically chose the date as: 14th of Dec, 2008!!! If that was not enough, today for the first time found that in the Add a Reminder option, it had chosen my earlier preferences. This was one thing which I felt should be there, and now it is there. Now I dont know whether it is a consolidation of type of all the choices we had chosen so far, or just the last choice we had preferred. Nevertheless, its more intelligent now.

As expected, it has got GMap already part of GCal. Not to be surprised if GThemes push their way into it apart from the much anticipated and wanted GTasks.

Plus, in GMaps, today when I went about marking the place for this event, could see one new option on Add a place to the map. Earlier this option existed in personal maps alone. But, now this option to add is for the global map. All said and done, there is a lot that needs to be improved in GMaps

Create GTalk themes

2008-12-10T16:07:00.002+05:30

Steps to create a Google Talk Theme

1. Navigate to this folder;

C:\Documents and Settings\\Local Settings\
Application Data\Google\Google Talk\themes\system\chat

Here you can see all the pre-installed Chat themes.

2. Select a particular theme and click on the theme folder and navigate to this folder;

C:\Documents and Settings\\Local Settings\
Application Data\Google\Google Talk\themes\system\chat\\Contents\Resources

Here you can see main.css file. This is the file which defines the looks of Google Talk skins. You can edit these CSS and create your own custom theme. You can add your own custom images and colors to Google Talk.

3. Now open your Google Talk and select Settings-> Appearance and you will be able to see your new theme.

You can save these theme under different name and can also make it available for public download.

Source

Google Maps integrated with Blogger

2008-12-10T14:50:00.001+05:30

Continuing with their tradition, culture of integration, Google has integrated GMaps with Blogger after integrating with Picassa-web, Gmail (in contacts) and few other products. I observed it as I was publishing the earlier post. It appears right next to Labels with the legend Location: add location with its cheeky icon. Because of this, the space for labels has expanded length-wise since Location hijacked its earlier territory.

As I tried underlining 'add location' in the earlier statement, there is surprisingly no 'U' icon existing in Blogger's RTF toolbar!

Get rid of alert messages from Taskbar

2008-12-10T14:36:00.003+05:30

1.) Go to your Start menu, Control Panel and look for the Security Center icon. Click on that

Also, keep in mind that you need to be in the category view of your Control Panel for this to work. To get there, open up your Control Panel and at the upper left hand corner, click on "Switch to Category View" (if you're not already there).

2.) After opening the security center, look under the title Resources on the left hand side of the page. Click on "Change the way Security Center alerts me."

3.) From this screen, you can choose which things you want to change under the Alert Settings. Uncheck any that you don't want activated anymore. You probably will only want to change the Automatic Updates setting though, because the others deal with your antivirus and firewall and you should always have those running. When you're done, click OK.

You may want to restart your computer when you're finished just to make sure the changes take effect. Then there won't be any more annoying and frustrating messages!

Threat Expert

2008-12-09T12:18:00.000+05:30

Many a times, we have files on our system, which are genuine yet get black-listed by our favourite Anti-viruses. At the same time, there are files which though infected by viruses do not get detected by our anti-viruses. A simple solution is to update the Anti-virus, and most probably it will work properly.

Yet, there is a online utility called Threat Expert which will detect any virus in a particular file. Can submit a file and get the report! One can even submit the file using a standalone applet in the PC itself!

Google Task List

2008-12-09T11:37:00.002+05:30

It has been known that Google Apps does not have a Task Manager, be it for Project tracking, or for completing tasks on schedule. Google Calendar's daily agenda, was so-so for this work. But Google has got a completely new service called Google Task List.

Living by their nature of integrating each service into every other service of theirs (like getting Google Themes from iGoogle to Orkut, then to Gmail and it might very easily extend to Reader too! Similarly, Google SMS which is part of Google SMS channel, may become part of Gmail filters, where we can set the criteria, for an sms notification), they have integrated Google Tasks List with Gmail. Implying, integrated with Google Apps.

This is what Google Watch had to say about it:

"Click it, then click in an empty part of the list window that pops up on the right and start typing your task list in what is really the familiar Google Chat window. This means they're visible while you're scanning your inbox, reading mail, or searching. You can also pop your list out into a new window to.
The list you create saves automatically and you can hit return to begin entering a new task. There are a number of editing options, including the ability to add, delete, indent, un-indent tasks, move tasks up or down, or switch between task lists.

Here's the best part: You can also convert e-mails into tasks. To do so, select one or more messages and go to "More Actions," then "Add to Tasks." It pops up in the task list. You can read it by selecting it and clicking the related e-mail link. Awesome! More modular e-mail. It's like putting a digital sticky label on your to-do list."

Remove arrow from shortcut icons

2008-12-09T09:35:00.000+05:30

There are some softwares to do this, but manual tweak to Registry is enough to do it. Since following steps involve Registry Tweak, it is suggested that you backup your registry before doing these to undo any changes that you don’t like

Steps:

•    Type regedit in the Run box to open registry editor.
•    Navigate to the following keys
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\lnkfile
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\piffile
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\InternetShortcut
•    Delete the IsShortcut key (if you are facing problems in finding that entry then you can also search them) from each of them.

Reboot to see the deleted arrows from the shortcuts

Google SMS Channels

2008-12-08T12:15:00.010+05:30

Hi all,
This sounds exciting... possibilities are growing manifold

Google has launched a service called Google SMS Channels which lets you receive various types of updates directly to your mobile phone by direct sms to your phone for free. What google has to say about it?

"Google SMS Channels is a service that enables channels/groups on SMS. It's a free service that enables you to get premium content published by Google publishing partners, Google popular products (Google News, Blogger and Google Groups) and websites with RSS/Atom support for free. SMS Channels allows you to create your own channel(s) to publish content that other users can subscribe to. You can also create groups over SMS to communicate with your friends, family, and co-workers."

"You don't pay anything to send or receive messages using Google SMS Channels. When you post a message to your channel, all the members of your channel get the message forwarded for free. SMS tariff charges may apply when you configure the service or publish to a channel using a mobile phone."

Best part is, this has been first implemented in India! They say,

" This service is currently available to users in India and requires an Indian mobile number. We are working towards making this service available to international numbers."

I have already subscribed and created channels. Have you?

Subsribe to my channel by clicking on this link :)

Google search on mobile by SMS

Get results on your mobile phone as an sms by sending sms in the pattern define below to the no: 9773300000

SMS Search features-
1. Cricket Scores: Simply SMS "cri" or "cricket" or "cricket India" to receive latest cricket scores.
2. Indian Railways: Send your PNR number to get latest status of your PNR (confirmed/RAC/current waitlist status). Or send "trains between mumbai to delhi" to know trains and get further details of train schedule.
3. Stock Quotes: SMS "Company name quote" to receive stock quotes from BSE. e.g. "reliance stock".
4. Horoscope: Simply send your sunsign (e.g. Virgo) to receive your day's horoscope
5. Local Business Search: Do local search on SMS (e.g. categories such as "restaurants indira nagar bangalore" or businesses such as "pizza hut koramangala"). This is available across 34 cities - Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Kolkatta, Chennai, Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Pune, Noida,Gurgaon, Faridabad, Vadodara, Surat, Kanpur, Jaipur, Chandigarh, Nagpur, Rajkot, Ernakulam, Cochin, Gaziabad, Bhuwneshwar, Aurangabad, Lucknow, Nashik, Indore, Panaji, Bhopal, Agra, Guntur, Visakhapatnam, Jalandhar, Amritsar, Coimbatore.
6. News: Send "news" or "business news" to receive latest news.
7. Movie Showtimes: Send "movies delhi" or "golmaal returns delhi" and get movie rating and movie showtimes.
8. Flight status: Flight status for Jet, Kingfisher, Indigo & Spicejet. Simply send "9w502", "It 302".
9. Definitions: Send "define " e.g. "define zenith", "define inflation".
10. Weather: e.g. "weather Delhi".
11. Calculator: "1 kilo in pound".
12. Currency Conversion: "5000 inr in usd".
13. Facts: e.g. "GDP of india" or "population of bangalore".
Thanks to Channa for mentioning it earlier and then to Harsha for details :)

Watch Live demo

Ctrl & Shift

2008-12-03T11:39:00.002+05:30

Many times, we see that the files get duplicated on selecting them, with Ctrl key pressed. Below shortcut explains it, two little known shortcuts that can be useful

Select the file. Then, drag it with

Ctrl key pressed, it creates a copy
Ctrl + Shift pressed, it creates a shortcut to that file

Secondly, there is one more very less known shortcut: Shift+ Restart. This will just restart Windows and not the whole computer, holding down the Shift key when clicking the OK button on the shutdown screen. This will save a lot of time.

Less-known excel shortcuts

2008-12-03T11:25:00.001+05:30

A short list of less know Excel shortcuts

Apply the outline border to the selected cells. [ Ctrl-Shift-& ]
Apply the Date format with the day, month, and year.[ Ctrl-Shift-# ]
Apply the Time format with the hour and minute, and AM or PM. [ Ctrl-Shift-@ ]
Enter the current time. [ Ctrl-Shift-: ]
Enter the current date. [ Ctrl-; ]
Hide the selected rows. [ Ctrl-9 ]
Hide the selected columns. [ Ctrl-0 ]
Alternate between displaying cell values and displaying formulas in the worksheet. [ Ctrl-` ]
Display the Find and Replace dialog box, with the Replace tab selected. [ Ctrl-H ]
Display the Insert Hyperlink dialog box for new hyperlink. [ Ctrl-K ]
Display the Print Preview window. [ Ctrl-F2 ]
Switch to the next workbook window. [ Ctrl-F6 ]
Display the Macro dialog box to create, run, edit, or delete a macro. [ Alt-F8 ]

WinXP cmd commands

2008-12-03T11:03:00.000+05:30

List of few commands for WinXP

ADDUSERS: Add or list users to/from a CSV file
ARP: Address Resolution Protocol
ASSOC: Change file extension associations
ASSOCIAT: One step file association
AT: Schedule a command to run at a later time
ATTRIB: Change file attributes

BOOTCFG: Edit Windows boot settings
BROWSTAT: Get domain, browser and PDC info
CACLS: Change file permissions
CALL: Call one batch program from another
CD: Change Directory - move to a specific Folder
CHANGE: Change Terminal Server Session properties
CHKDSK: Check Disk - check and repair disk problems
CHKNTFS: Check the NTFS file system
CHOICE: Accept keyboard input to a batch file
CIPHER: Encrypt or Decrypt files/folders
CleanMgr: Automated cleanup of Temp files, recycle bin
CLEARMEM: Clear memory leaks
CLIP: Copy STDIN to the Windows clipboard.
CLS: Clear the screen
CLUSTER: Windows Clustering
CMD: Start a new CMD shell
COLOR: Change colors of the CMD window
COMP: Compare the contents of two files or sets of files
COMPACT: Compress files or folders on an NTFS partition
COMPRESS: Compress individual files on an NTFS partition
CON2PRT: Connect or disconnect a Printer
CONVERT: Convert a FAT drive to NTFS.
COPY: Copy one or more files to another location
CSVDE: Import or Export Active Directory data

DATE: Display or set the date
Dcomcnfg: DCOM Configuration Utility
DEFRAG: Defragment hard drive
DEL: Delete one or more files
DELPROF: Delete NT user profiles
DELTREE: Delete a folder and all subfolders
DevCon: Device Manager Command Line Utility
DIR: Display a list of files and folders
DIRUSE: Display disk usage
DISKCOMP: Compare the contents of two floppy disks
DISKCOPY: Copy the contents of one floppy disk to another
DNSSTAT: DNS Statistics
DOSKEY: Edit command line, recall commands, and create macros
DSADD: Add user (computer, group..) to active directory
DSQUERY: List items in active directory
DSMOD: Modify user (computer, group..) in active directory

ECHO: Display message on screen
ENDLOCAL: End localisation of environment changes in a batch file
ERASE: Delete one or more files
EXIT: Quit the CMD shell
EXPAND: Uncompress files
EXTRACT: Uncompress CAB files

FC:: Compare two files
FDISK Disk Format and partition
FIND: Search for a text string in a file
FINDSTR: Search for strings in files
FOR /F Loop command: against a set of files
FOR /F Loop command: against the results of another command
FOR Loop command: all options Files, Directory, List
FORFILES: Batch process multiple files
FORMAT: Format a disk
FREEDISK: Check free disk space (in bytes)
FSUTIL: File and Volume utilities
FTP: File Transfer Protocol
FTYPE: Display or modify file types used in file extension associations

GLOBAL: Display membership of global groups
GOTO: Direct a batch program to jump to a labelled line

HELP: Online Help
HFNETCHK: Network Security Hotfix Checker

IF: Conditionally perform a command
IFMEMBER: Is the current user in an NT Workgroup
IPCONFIG: Configure IP

KILL: Remove a program from memory

LABEL: Edit a disk label
LOCAL: Display membership of local groups
LOGEVENT: Write text to the NT event viewer.
LOGOFF: Log a user off
LOGTIME: Log the date and time in a file

MAPISEND: Send email from the command line
MEM: Display memory usage
MD: Create new folders
MODE: Configure a system device
MORE: Display output, one screen at a time
MOUNTVOL: Manage a volume mount point
MOVE: Move files from one folder to another
MOVEUSER: Move a user from one domain to another
MSG: Send a message
MSIEXEC: Microsoft Windows Installer
MSINFO: Windows NT diagnostics
MSTSC: Terminal Server Connection (Remote Desktop Protocol)
MUNGE: Find and Replace text within file(s)
MV: Copy in-use files

NET: Manage network resources
NETDOM: Domain Manager
NETSH: Configure network protocols
NETSVC: Command-line Service Controller
NBTSTAT: Display networking statistics (NetBIOS over TCP/IP)
NETSTAT: Display networking statistics (TCP/IP)
NOW: Display the current Date and Time
NSLOOKUP: Name server lookup
NTBACKUP: Backup folders to tape
NTRIGHTS: Edit user account rights

PATH: Display or set a search path for executable files
PATHPING: Trace route plus network latency and packet loss
PAUSE: Suspend processing of a batch file and display a message
PERMS: Show permissions for a user
PERFMON: Performance Monitor
PING: Test a network connection
POPD: Restore the previous value of the current directory saved by PUSHD
PORTQRY: Display the status of ports and services
PRINT: Print a text file
PRNCNFG: Display, configure or rename a printer
PRNMNGR: Add, delete, list printers set the default printer
PROMPT Change the command prompt
PsExec: Execute process remotely
PsFile: Show files opened remotely
PsGetSid: Display the SID of a computer or a user
PsInfo: List information about a system
PsKill: Kill processes by name or process ID
PsList: List detailed information about processes
PsLoggedOn: Who's logged on (locally or via resource sharing)
PsLogList: Event log records
PsPasswd: Change account password
PsService: View and control services
PsShutdown: Shutdown or reboot a computer
PsSuspend: Suspend processes
PUSHD: Save and then change the current directory

QGREP: Search file(s) for lines that match a given pattern.

RASDIAL: Manage RAS connections
RASPHONE: Manage RAS connections
RECOVER: Recover a damaged file from a defective disk.
REG: Read, Set or Delete registry keys and values
REGEDIT: Import or export registry settings
REGSVR32: Register or unregister a DLL
REGINI: Change Registry Permissions
REM: Record comments (remarks) in a batch file
REN: Rename a file or files.
REPLACE: Replace or update one file with another
RD: Delete folder(s)
RDISK: Create a Recovery Disk
RMTSHARE: Share a folder or a printer
ROBOCOPY: Robust File and Folder Copy
ROUTE: Manipulate network routing tables
RUNAS: Execute a program under a different user account
RUNDLL32: Run a DLL command (add/remove print connections)

SC: Service Control
SCHTASKS: Create or Edit Scheduled Tasks
SCLIST: Display NT Services
ScriptIt:: Control GUI applications
SET Display, set, or remove environment variables
SETLOCAL: Control the visibility of environment variables
SETX:: Set environment variables permanently
SHARE: List or edit a file share or print share
SHIFT: Shift the position of replaceable parameters in a batch file
SHORTCUT: Create a windows shortcut (.LNK file)
SHOWGRPS: List the NT Workgroups a user has joined
SHOWMBRS: List the Users who are members of a Workgroup
SHUTDOWN: Shutdown the computer
SLEEP: Wait for x seconds
SOON: Schedule a command to run in the near future
SORT: Sort input
START: Start a separate window to run a specified program or command
SU: Switch User
SUBINACL: Edit file and folder Permissions, Ownership and Domain
SUBST: Associate a path with a drive letter
SYSTEMINFO: List system configuration

TASKLIST: List running applications and services
TIME: Display or set the system time
TIMEOUT: Delay processing of a batch file
TITLE: Set the window title for a CMD.EXE session
TOUCH:: Change file timestamps
TRACERT: Trace route to a remote host
TREE Graphical display of folder structure
TYPE: Display the contents of a text file

USRSTAT: List domain usernames and last login

VER: Display version information
VERIFY: Verify that files have been saved
VOL: Display a disk label

WHERE: Locate and display files in a directory tree
WHOAMI: Output the current UserName and domain
WINDIFF: Compare the contents of two files or sets of files
WINMSD: Windows system diagnostics
WINMSDP: Windows system diagnostics II
WMIC: WMI Commands

XCACLS: Change file permissions
XCOPY: Copy files and folders

Few surely might easily become part of our daily use

Facebook loses data!

2008-12-02T13:39:00.000+05:30

Three days back I got a mail from Facebook which read as follows:

Unfortunately, the settings that control which email notifications get sent to you were lost. We're sorry for the inconvenience.

To reset your email notification settings, go to:

http://www.facebook.com/editaccount.php?notifications

Thanks,
The Facebook Team

Facebook loosing data?!?!? Surprising...

Invisible character

2008-11-26T16:14:00.002+05:30

Do you have something that requires a name but you don't want anything in it? You could just throw nonsense in there, but a blank space would be best. Well, guess what? There is an invisible character! This special character is the equivalent of a space:

Hold down Alt then type 0160 (Alt+0160) on the number keypad at the right side of your keyboard.

Application onto desktop shortcuts:

Type in our invisible character code (Alt+0160). There you go—an icon with no label.

Keep in mind that if you want to do this to other shortcuts you can't have the same name, so just type the code more than once. That means that for the first shortcut you type Alt+0160 release the Alt key then type Alt+0160 again. For the third icon do it three times, etc.

Lock Computer Shortcut

2008-11-26T15:35:00.001+05:30

Create Shortcut with following value

rundll32 user32.dll,LockWorkStation for Windows OS.

Clicking on it would lock the computer straight

How can your Gmail get hacked!

2008-11-26T12:03:00.001+05:30

Here is an interesting finding on how a person without knowing your password can hack into your Gmail account and create filters. Creating filters will imply least, deleting mails and forwarding mails to his/her personal accounts.

http://infotech.indiatimes.com/quickiearticleshow/3754807.cms

Google is investigating into the matter.

Name tagging in Picasa - exists, does not exist

2008-11-25T15:15:00.000+05:30

Whenever one goes from Gmail to Picasa web using the photos link present at the top of Gmail, it takes us to the following link:

http://picasaweb.google.co.in/home?tab=mq.

This link would not show option for Tagging faces. The correct link is:

http://picasaweb.google.com/home

This is the new correct link for picasaweb after addition of Name Tags, which is not updated in Gmail. Someone from Gmail listening?

Transition your PDF into a slideshow

2008-11-22T09:39:00.001+05:30

Excerpted from “Adobe Acrobat 7 in the Office.”

Do you have an Adobe® PDF file that you’d like to use as a presentation piece, but you think it needs a little something extra to perk it up? It’s easy to transition your PDF file into a riveting slideshow. Just add page transitions in Adobe Acrobat® 7.0, and then set the PDF file to run as a slideshow.

Get started

You can add transitions in Acrobat and configure them according to how your document is designed. For example, you can specify that the pages turn auto-matically or in response to a mouse click. In our example, the pages will turn in response to a mouse click.

Add transitions

Adding transitions gives you the option of showing the presentation using the Full Screen view, as well as a more interesting way to change pages.
Follow these steps to add the transitions:

Choose Document > Set Page Transitions to open the Page Transition dialog.
Click the Effect pull-down arrow in the Page Transition area and choose an option from the list. For this project, we’ve chosen the Wipe Down effect (Figure 1). If you prefer, you can choose from numerous other effects, including box in/box out options, other wipes, fades, blinds, cover/uncover effects, and so on.

Figure 1: Select the transition you’ll use in the presentation from the pull-down list.
Select the page range to apply the effects to. The default applies the transition to all pages (Figure 2).
Click OK to close the dialog and add the transitions to the page.
You can’t see the transitions in the program window. Use the Full Screen view to test the project’s effects.

Figure 2: Specify the speed of the transition and whether you want the pages to turn automatically in the dialog.

View the slideshow

Now that you’ve added transitions to your slideshow, you should test the results. Acrobat 7.0 includes an option that lets you show just the content of a document against a solid background. Removing the program’s interface allows you (and your viewers) to concentrate on the content rather than being distracted by the sur-rounding toolbars, menus, and other program items.
Follow these steps to view and run the slideshow:

Display the first page of the document in the Document pane.
Click the Full Screen view icon on the Status bar at the bottom left of the program window. The program interface is now removed from the screen, and the page is shown against a black background.
Click the left mouse button to advance through the slides/pages.
Press the Esc key to return to the regular program interface.

Excerpted from “Adobe Acrobat 7 in the Office.”
Here is the site

Themes in Gmail "No posts?"

2008-11-20T10:02:00.000+05:30

After long time uh? yeah...there is a reason.

Before that, Gmail has introduced themes. We can see a trend in what Google is doing. It is getting all its ideas from each different product to every product...This way, there are working in getting each thing into everything, but working separately. It has its own advantages. If one is interested in any one Google service, he is given an option to choose others. Like if one likes GMail, he is given an option to get GDocs, GCalendar, etc. into Gmail without going out of it.

An Alternative

They can create an application, a service with all its features available. When one first logs in, that person is asked to choose what all features he wants, and also choose what is their primary focus. Mind you, its different from iGoogle. Products only from Google's services, not any gadget available. Though adding gadgets can be next stage (like G*Gadgets in Gmail Labs). This way, depending on the preferences given by the user, one will get a different product. Few of the features can be default depending on the focus chosen. If Mail is the primary focus, then Gmail comes up, alongwith the other default features associated with this service. This way, if Blogger is part of the services chosen along with Gmail, then same labels will work for the posts, as well as the mails. A Tab differentiating two can be enough to help us out :)

This way, their addition of any one new feature is automatically available for all the services, than G working separately for each of its service for integration.

Back to topic

Wondering why there have been no new posts here? Its because, most of the search is related to G. So, now I read them in GReader and share on my public page. This way, there is no need to re-enter the data, unless there is something which is not shared on GReader, or discovered newly.

So, any new stuf, find will keep coming here, but G-stuff on GReader please...Thus, I am eagerly awaiting a completely integrated app from G...so that there is no anamoly, discrepancy or duplication of data of one individual user. Integration of Orkut, Reader, Blog, Mail, Groups, V-Talk, Analytics, Gadgets, (better) Calendar, Docs, Picasa, YouTube, Notebook, Web history = GService. Challenge here would be the UI, but with high-end engineers sitting there, I am sure, this would be a challenge worth taking than working with the routine UIs

Conversations & Events

2008-11-08T11:45:00.004+05:30

Following the lead from Facebook, Orkut added a feature called 'View Conversation' within scrapbook. This is equivalent of Wall-to-Wall option in Facebook. 'Conversation' being the patronized word of Google (starting with Gmail), it suited well.

Recently, they added to Orkut a feature called 'Events'. It appears below one's profile picture, in the list of 'opportunities' available. Out of curiosity, went through it. First thought, on seeing that word, was 'Google Calendar' has been integrated with Orkut (as Google Talk has been integrated with Orkut; GDocs, GCal, G*Gadgets have been optionally integrated with Gmail). But, it lead to a disappointment. It is not yet been integrated. Integration being the basis of all Google products, it is a easily guessed future.

Went through this post on a confidential meeting in Google headquarters, where they discussed, in the words of the post, if Facebook is 98% open, Google wants to be 100%. This post makes a very interesting statement, which now looks very very likely. Integration of not just Google services, but also of third party applications, like Beebo, Friendster, Digg, etc. with its social graph data layer from Orkut.

Blogging: a fashion

2008-11-04T12:04:00.005+05:30

Thought Blogging was picking up as a philosophical, intellectual pathway towards sharing data, thoughts freely only among the self-professed gypsies? We now have Bollywood stardom finding no better thing than getting in touch with their 'fans' through this electronic medium, probably they realized acting required more effort than blogging!

Amitabh Bachan (BigAdda)
Aamir Khan (Blogger)
Salman Khan (Blogger)
Karan Johar: This is a website: My name is Karan

They have made it interactive. They promise responding personally, to a large extent. Infact Aamir, based on the response given at the blog, included one song in the movie Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na, which was earlier omitted, inspite of AR suggesting its presence in the film. Thats a good response and gives a reason for one to interact with them, thus keeping it lively.

p.s: Trouble finding these blogs was, there were so many, so many people mentioned these at their blogs, in news reports, but failed giving these links. This lead to popularity of these subsidised blogs, websites, news reports than the actual blog. Infact, I am yet to get the official blog of Shah Rukh Khan, which exists!

ID3 Tags

2008-11-04T11:37:00.002+05:30

As my new system is getting ready for heavy burdening of the space it professes to bear, be it visuals or audio files, there was a need for classification of songs into their respective genres for easier retrieval. This lead to study on ID3 tags, finally.

What are ID3 tags?
ID3 stands for 'IDentify an MP3'. It is associated with MP3 format files to add 'textual / graphical' information. It contains metadata like name of the artist, track title, album, lyrics, year, track number and genre in the file, allowing that information to travel with the file. Here is the official Home page of ID3.

When it first came out, ID3v1, it had multiple limitations, few being, appearance of this data (tags) only at the end of the song, having 128-byte fixed size. Owing to these, there was an immediate need to come out with ID3v2 which became popular, and also was more useful.

Windows gives an option to edit these tags, but it is restricted. It allows certain fields sometimes, and many times not. So, there was a need for exclusive software to help in this front.

If any of you are thinking of adding up 'metadata' to your song's list, which goes into GBs then there are softwares that are available for simultaneous editing of multiple mp3 files. A few listed below:

STamp ID3-Tag Editor
ID3-TagIT

p.s: For all those who are interested in knowing some jargons in the field of audio editing, here is a short glossary.

Google Photos Screensaver

2008-11-03T14:35:00.000+05:30

This is part of Google Pack. Years back, when I first downloaded Google Pack, there was a option to choose products from the pack which one wants to download. But today when I revisit, astonishingly there is no way one can choose which to download and which ones not.

Google Photos Screensaver is one such service which I wanted to download standalone. Here is the link to do so without downloading Google Pack :)

Google Reader Update:

There are few things that are hidden in Google Reader. There is, currently, no interface to view them. Below the links to reveal the insights. Picked up from here.

* All the posts you've emailed to your contacts:

http://www.google.com/reader/view/user/-/state/com.google/tracking-emailed

* All the posts you have marked as unread at some point (to keep a post unread, you need to uncheck "Mark as read" from the options bar; note that "Mark all as unread" will not maintain this state):

http://www.google.com/reader/view/user/-/state/com.google/tracking-kept-unread

* All the posts you have marked as unread and are still unread (Google Reader calls them "saved items"):

http://www.google.com/reader/view/user/-/state/com.google/kept-unread

* Did you click on a post's main link to go to the original location? You'll find it here:

http://www.google.com/reader/view/user/-/state/com.google/tracking-item-link-used

* Did you click on a link from a post's content? The post should be included in this list:

http://www.google.com/reader/view/user/-/state/com.google/tracking-body-link-used

* If you use the list view, you can find the list of posts you've actually read (or at least you have clicked on the title):

http://www.google.com/reader/view/user/-/state/com.google/read

* Are Google's recommended feeds interesting? Check the list of recommended feeds you've subscribed to:

http://www.google.com/reader/view/user/-/state/com.google/recommendations-subscribed

* Did you accidentally dismiss a recommended feed? You'll find it here:

http://www.google.com/reader/view/user/-/state/com.google/recommendations-dismissed

GAndroid & 3d Desktop

2008-11-01T14:17:00.001+05:30

Google Android

A detailed review on Google Android is given here, by an avid iPhone user. His comments sound very honest and unpartial. A very informative read.

3D Desktop

Now this is something which will get one on toes - 3D Desktop, with features to literally stick, hang the sticky notes on walls!!! Bump-top is the name. Its currently only on invitation basis, worth listing our name for a copy. An article here.

MP3 and legality of its distribution

2008-10-31T15:58:00.003+05:30

All of us have heard of MP3 and are its daily users. But when it comes to legally using MP3 format, there is a slight hitch, because of the ignorance on legality of the MP3 format. I know few of my friends, in whose companies, having .mp3 files is a crime! So, they are deleted as soon as they are found. Such being the scenario, it was important to know what exactly it is. Below are few sites that give some information regarding this aspect.

In conclusion, they all aim at saying that MP3 is a format like any other audio format - legal but bound by copyrights. Its distribution is a question mark which is different depending on each country's policies.
Anyone to throw better light into it, always welcome...

SMSing through GChat

2008-10-31T08:47:00.001+05:30

Now one can SMS from GChat!!! The window is the same Chat window, making it very very convenient to send multiple smses in one shot, how much ever long, no restriction on characters!
Currently, it is available only for USians. Hope soon it starts for Asians.
The only shortcoming is, the person who is receiving the sms might get charged by the mobile carrier. That is one thing that needs to be seen. Even in Orkut, one can get alert for every new scrap, or new notifications. But, we might get charged by our mobile carriers. If they can make these too free with some short adds for short messages, it would be worth it.

How to enable this feature? Its part of GLabs, last tab under Settings.

One of the last added Lab feature is Adding any gadget by URL. I wonder, what Google, Gmail Team to be precise, has in mind. Are they planning to make this another iGoogle with a difference of emails taking priority over other stuff?

Mail timings in Gmail

2008-10-30T09:37:00.001+05:30

I was having continuous trouble with different timings appearing against my mails in Gmail. Could not just bear this fault from Google. How could Google not take care of this?

But today, searched and I am back with appreciation for Google. There is a entry in Gmail help. Link is here.

What I am not able to understand is why it does not stick to the Time Zone entered against the Google Account. They have considered two things here: Timezone entered and System date and time. This makes the timings against mails dynamic, calculated every time a mail is open on different systems. I was always under the impression that it considers only the Time Zone entered.

In the Account settings, there is an option to associate another mail id against a gmail id. This helps in integrated services of Google. Like Google Calendar invitations sent to any of the primary or associated mail ids will show in gmail id.

Mail id from Orkut profile

2008-10-30T09:26:00.000+05:30

How to find mail id of a person just by knowing his/her orkut profile? (Of course of the profile who is not a friend in orkut!)

Here are the steps:

By adding as friend :)

1.Add him/her as your friend.
2.Select friends list and seach for him/her,the email address will be listed along with their name

Without adding as friend:

1.Go to the profile of the user.
2.Click on Ignore user tab given on left side
3.Open your GTalk and click on settings link given on the top
4.Click on blocked users
Now you can see the Email ID which was previously invisible to you. i.e. in short

Orkut profile>Ignore user>GTalk settings>Blocked users>Email ID

Why I went for this? I needed it ;)

Storage used & free status for your Google Account

2008-10-27T17:02:00.000+05:30

Following is the link to know the Basic Storage usage by your Google account

https://www.google.com/accounts/ManageStorage?hl=en

I got my storage value using the above link, if you did not get do comment below...

Google Moderator

2008-10-07T09:37:00.007+05:30

Google has come out with a new service - Google Moderator
It is a place where there will be a regulated discussion, talks and responses to queries by Google Users. There are multiple topics (called series here) listed under which one can raise a question. If one feels that this series is not catering to their needs, one can create a new series and post questions under that topic.
After questions are raised, there is simultaneous voting grading which questions one would like to be answered. Depending on the popularity demands, that question will be answered. Interesting? You too can go and add to the adventure.

Project 10 to the 100th
As part of 10th birthday celebration, Google has launched a Project 10100 (that's "ten to the hundredth"), a call for ideas that could help as many people as possible, and a program to bring the best of those ideas to life. Google is committing $10 million to implement these projects, and while money may offer a jump-start, it will really come down to the great ideas that might be out there. They will be accepting submissions until October 20, 2008, and then they will open up voting in January.

Google's 10th Birthday - musings
As part of their 10th birthday celebrations, a list of Blog posts are made from Google about what their journey was like. A laid-back relaxed read...

Source for this info is Google Friends (Monthly) Newsletter.
Subscribe
Google Friends archive
Google Friends archive prior to May 2005

SMS vs EMS vs MMS

2008-10-06T11:08:00.001+05:30

All of us know about SMS - Short Messaging Services & MMS - Multimedia Messaging Services. But then there is one more less-known terminology EMS - Enhanced Messaging Services

EMS stands between SMS and MMS. With EMS one can send picture of a cake, birthday song melody and a text greeting from a EMS capable mobile to another EMS capable phone. With MMS, one can send not only picture of cake, but from a large sized image to a small movie.

More on this:

Messaging Services Fundamentals
About EMS
Google Search on EMS vs MMS

Mobile News:

Sony Ericsson comes out with R-series, T-series phones. Reviews here
Also releases very stylish W980 walkman phone, an edge over W960. A complete look at here.

Reverse Phone Engineering

2008-10-06T09:46:00.000+05:30

Ever wondered, if you could find details like name and address of mobile phone owners by just knowing their mobile number? This is called Reverse Phone number and there are sites which provide these details. This is prevalent and currently present only in the west. Though it is not specified anywhere, it is surely not available for Indian mobile phone users.

Sites:
White Pages
Reverse Phone Detective
Home Detective

Talk about Google Chrome

2008-10-04T10:51:00.001+05:30

Here is an interview with Google group product manager Brian Rakowski in regards to Google's web browser. An informative read. Do not miss the uncommented questions in the end...that shows, what world of possibilities lie in the wake of this browser by Google.