ARIA - Accessibility Rich Internet Applications

Accessibility is a key to good design. Ease in which we can access, determines the uniqueness and richness of a web-designer. Accessibility has been taken up as another area to explore, re-invent and improvise as a component of Web 2.0

CSS was the beginning for accessibility (apart from (X)HTML). Then came AJAX (Asynchronous Java-Script and XML), AxsAJAX (this seems to be a term introduced by Google - Access-Enabling AJAX). WAI-ARIA is an evolving standard for enhancing accessibility on Web 2.0.

According to W3C, "The Roadmap for Accessible Rich Internet Applications addresses the accessibility of dynamic Web content for people with disabilities" [W3C on WAI-ARIA]. Google is using AxsAJAX and is on its way to improve all its products to make them ARIA compatible.

ARIA has been introduced in Google Reader with a magnification with '=' and '-' keys. Read this article from Readers' blog.

Adding to this effect, an extension has been creator by Charles Chen, a fellow Googler, called FireVox.

A comprehensive article on Web 2.0 and ARIA has been written here.

Microsoft products - subscription basis?

Microsoft is going to sell its products on subscription basis starting mid-July - Microsoft Office + OneCare for $70 per year. This, they hope, will reduce piracy of their products. At the same, help consumers with easy upgradation of their newer release as well.

Many say, with this move, Microsoft will be improving Google's popularity with GDocs!

Story here.

Worlds' First 16 layer Optical Disc - 400GB

Pioneer Succeeds in Developing World's First 16-Layer Optical Disc with a capacity of 400GB.

Read the complete story from its press release.

Mozilla in Guiness Book of World Records

Mozilla claims to have got maximum number of downloads of FF3 in 24 hours.

Inspiration came from this page of Mozilla with a view to host a party !

Complete details here

Account History available in Gmail

Account History of signing into Gmail including

• IP addresses from where you logged in
• How you logged in, through Browser, Mobile, or POP3
• Whether there is any activity in the current logged-in sessions
• Sign out Remotely from other sessions (on remote systems) sitting at one terminal

Gmail Blog holds all the information in detail. This shows what importance Google gives to Gmail and also its (& users' )content

Useless Services in XP

Some services in XP may not be useful to us at all. Here is a Guide to Useless Services in XP, using which we will get some idea about some services which can be easily disabled.

Snippets of services that can be disabled:

For Any Computer:
Error Reporting Service
Help and Support
Secondary Logon
Security Center
System Restore Service
Uninterruptible Power Supply, more...

For a Standalone Computer alone:
Net Logon
NetMeeting Remote Desktop Sharing
Network Location Awareness (NLA)
Network Provisioning Service
QoS RSVP
Remote Desktop Help Session Manager
Remote Registry
Server
TCP/IP NetBIOS Helper, more...

For complete details, download this short-PDF

PDF to EXE - Save PDF as EXE !

If one wants to read a PDF on any system without installing Adobe Reader or Adobe Acrobat, then  PDF2EXE software is for you.  

PDF2EXE is a freeware program to quickly convert PDF to EXE, making PDF readable on any computer without Adobe Reader or Adobe Acrobat software installed.

Shorter Shortcuts in Windows

Is there any way I can make my shortcuts even faster?

As a matter of fact, there sure is! To begin though, why would you want to? Well, if you usually work with your programs maximized (for example, you can't see your desktop), it's easier to press a shortcut key combination than to minimize the current application and then click a shortcut on the desktop.
For example, I have shortcuts on my desktop to several of my most frequently visited Web sites and I've assigned them each a shortcut key.
Now, if I'm working in MS Word and need to hop over to one of those sites, I simply press its shortcut key. A browser window will open and voila, I'm on the site! It's much easier than minimizing Word, opening up Internet Explorer, hunting through my favorites, clicking on the link and having the page load. But with shortcut keys, I'm only a keystroke (or two) away!
Okay, here's how to set up shortcut keys for yourself:
1.) Right click on the shortcut you wish to have a shortcut key for and then select Properties.

Note: This seems to work best when the icon in question lives on your desktop. I've tried it time after time for icons in the Quick Launch toolbar (next to the Start button) and it just doesn't seem to work there.
2.) You'll see a box for the shortcut key. Click it.
3.) You won't be able to delete the "None" label that's currently sitting there, so don't even try (I mean, I guess you could try if you really feel the need to, but it won't get you very far!) Instead, just press the key you would like to use for your shortcut. You can use either letters, numbers or (my favorite) function keys. Finally, click OK when you're done.

Now, if you decide to use letters or numbers, you'll have to use Ctrl + Alt + yourkey to activate the shortcut. Function keys are a single keystroke affair (just be sure to pick ones you don't use in your favorite programs or you may be launching applications when you're really trying to do a function). Other than that, this little trick can save you a lot of time! 

Source: http://www.worldstart.com/ 

Log Management

Log Management is an important activity in any software. This link gives a useful article to know about what we need to care and important activities to be planned.

Real Mode , Protected Mode

Hi,
This is a nice link on protected mode and real mode memory operations..... Click on the title..

Complete list of Google Products

Hmm...everytime to know whether there has been any addition of products or addition of features in any of the products in Google, we go to 'New Features' section under each product or directly to Google Labs (list of all products)

But today, went to a page on Wiki, which lists all products of Google. Found there are quite a few number of products, which I am hearing for the first time. Few of them are listed below:

Google Secure Access (about it on Wiki. Download unavailable)
Google Blogger Web Comments (Again download unavailable. But a good extension to Firefox)
Google Friend Connect, etc. etc.

Cloud Computing

In this earlier post of mine, a wedding was completely planned online using Google Products. Today came to know that this complete use of online resources, instead of local hard disk, to store, plan and execute is called 'Cloud Computing'

What Cloud Computing really means? Someone has tried explaining it here, since there are multiple connotations to this 'phrase du jour', as it has become.


Difference between Grid Computing and Cloud Computing:
Grid computing is a technology approach to managing a cloud. In effect, all clouds are managed by a grid but not all grids manage a cloud. More specifically, a computer grid and a cloud are synonymous, while a data grid and a cloud can be different. [From Wiki]

Some available clouds are here

A set of topics related to Cloud Computing

Google Sites

First time I encountered this addition from Google was at our Google Apps. Did not know then that they introduced it even in their 'usual' products list.

Finally, today I am working on preparing a site. Quite interesting...Google, as expected, lives upto our expectations. Some new features got added recently from the time I first used it (some 'a few' months ago at GApps)...Here is the complete list at its own official Blog.

So, Happy Si(gh)ting! :p

Nice readings on OS related stuff

Hi guys ! One always wonders how the various components in the computers are orchestrated to produce a programming environment.. This site I came across is a good resourse of articles on OS related stuff... Hope it may be useful.. Click on the title to go to the site...

Good day
raghu

Mandatory field added to G-Spreadsheets:Form

Earlier, for any survey which one wanted to conduct online, one had to find a ISP, create a form with HTML coding, and then receive responses through emails (one way of surveying). But now with Google Spreadsheets, one can create Forms as easily as editing a word document. With standard G-feature, one can publish it, share it as collaborators, viewers and even ask people to fill it out. There is a readymade code for embedding onto any website. All the entries through this form, will enter one Google Spreadsheet as a row. Thus, the whole data is readily available for processing...so easy.

One feature which was a basic requirement for filling up a form is making a particular field mandatory or optional. There was now way, earlier, to make a particular field mandatory. But today when I opened it up to create yet another form, noticed their change in layout (More Actions), and addition of 'this field is required'.

Many more improvements expected to better the visual look of the form. Sure its on its way! ;)

Plan your Wedding, Google Way

This had to come here. How multiple Google products were used to plan out a wedding using GDocs, inform people using Gmail, help finding place through GMaps, show the whole schedule using GCalendar, goes on and goes on. Read the complete story here...

Scheduled Posting at Blogger

This got missed out yesterday. Learnt only now. There is a possibility of scheduling a post to a future date and time. Here are the details posted by Bloggers themselves.

How to logout from multiple G-Products

Suppose we are having multiple webpages open, each with a different Google Product. If one wants to sign out from all of them, then one signs-out from any of the webpage and you are off from all of them. There is no way, one can sign out of one of Googles' multiple products and be logged in other Google product, unless you are signed in as different mail ids. Again, one cannot sign into multiple accounts of Google in Firefox....overheard someone saying, its possible with IE, but yet to try that out. Another way one can be signed into multiple Google Products through different mail ids will be to log in using different browsers for each mail id.

If now suppose one is using Google Apps For Your Domain. Say, you are logged into Gmail (and/or other Google products through Gmail ID or Google Accounts ID) and are also logged into GApps account. How to sign out simultaneously from both the accounts (extendable to respective multiple G-products) without signing out separately?

Google uses Cookies heavily for its AJAX renderation. Does this blink any hint? Clear cookies from your Browser, O la la, you are signed out of all G-products, including GApps! Its eaiser to log out in Firefox with the Shortcut combination Ctrl+Shift+Del (note its different from Ctrl+Alt+Del - a Shift shifts the gear). With one key combination, logging out becomes easier.

Internet Evolution - the future of Internet

Found this Blog which claims to be analysing, opining, discussing and broadcasting information on Evolution of Internet, its future.

Terminologies talked about:

• Web 2.0
  
• VideoBloggers (vloggers)
• WebSeminars (Webinars)
• Green IT (Environment Friendly)
  
• Virtual World
  
• ThinkNet (for Nets' ThinkTank)
  
• Conduct Surverys like Bloggers should have standards, Email to Fizzle out in five years? 
• etc, etc.
  

Another piece of news read at this Blog: Bill Gates has retired from his position as a full-time Microsoft Executive.

Do explore. Hope to find this site more liberating...

Bloggers' New Avatar

Blogger in Draft - as it is called by Google is the next version of Blogger. At the first glance itself, I selected this as my currect default layout. Many functionalities have been added into Blogger which exist in other Google Products.

Dashboard is much cleaner. This was one drawback earlier.

Layout

• Gadget List for the sidebar have gone up from about 19 to thousands (similar to the Gadgets available for iGoogle). Some of them being BlogSearch, FeedLink, BloggerRoll, TechBlog, etc.

Posting

• The hyperlink edit functionality in Gmail (editing link in Compose mode) plus facility to test the link has been added in Compose mode of the post. 
• Bigger icons in RTF help in easier and clearer access.
• One thing that was shocking was the unavailability of adding Videos within the post, which existed earlier. Though whenever I tried to use it then, it failed. Thought it might be failing because of the large size of the video file. But, removing this functionality was not expected.
• A preview of the post before publishing it; which I so badly wanted, has finally been added (relieved!).

Settings

• Number of mail ids for intimation on publishing a new post have been increased from one mail id to ten mail ids. I remember how we had found a round-about way to inform multiple people (which holds good even now because of restriction on number of mail ids to ten). - Created Google Group, - added interested members to this group, - gave google group mail id for intimation. This way all will get intimated though only one mail id was allowed in Blogger. To reduce the admin work of manually adding interested users to the group, added a javascript provided by google groups as a gadget in the sidebar of the blog, so that any individual can add him/her-self to this group. To avoid one adding another persons' mail id without his/hers' permission, confirmation of the group request was sent.
• Support to Import & Export Blog has been added like Wordpress. But this is limited to blogs on Blogger.com only unlike Wordpress which supports scores of other blogs like b2evolution, Blogger, Blosxom, Dotclear, Drupal, more...
• Now Blogger can be set to Custom Domain aswell. Need to work out details though.

Waiting to see more additions ;)

Update-1: Just discovered Blogger has listed all these features in their Blog. Did not know it existed. (Am I feeling like I wasted time formulating above postulates?!?!). Yet glad that I got most their rolled-out features. Missed few things (rather learnt on going through this post) about Star Ratings and Embedded Comments. On trying to add Star Ratings, one can even change the post layout (restricted). So, Explore and Enjoy Blogging!

Gmail - Default Mail Client in Firefox 3

Many a times we click on a mail id, the ones with mailto: email protocol, and a wizard of the operating system opens up asking you to configure the mail-clients like Thunderbird, Outlook, etc. If you are like me, who does not use any mail-client but only webmail, and are also a fan of Gmail, then you might want to set Gmail as your default mail client for mailto: links. Earlier in Firefox RC1, they had included only Yahoo as a possible link handler. But now with Firefox 3, it can be extended to Gmail too, thanks to Gmail Blog and Lifehacker.

All the settings step-by-step are given at Gmail Blog who in turn picked up from Lifehacker.

MP4 vs MP3

This day I go back knowing about MP4. Had been hearing about it for months together, but finally learnt only today that MP4 is for video files as is MP3 for audio files. Though it gets little complicated than MP3 due to the same distinction.

MP4 is also synonymous to the term MPEG-4 AVC, AVC stands for Advance Video Coding.

MP4 retains the quality of video (DVD quality) as does the MP3 for audio files. MP4 players which are popular in the market can be connected directly to the system or television and be used for viewing MP4 files. Downloading MP4 files is much faster (upto rate of 1Mbps for broadband connection).

High Power System for a cost of better standard PC

The most amazing is that this machine just cost as a better standard PC, but has 24 cores that run each at 2.4 Ghz, a total of 48GB ram, and just need 400W of power!!

I was searching for a Hardware Retail shop and accidentally stumbled upon this site. Amazing stuff. Need an adventure in profession? Here it is, ofcourse if you are in or interested in Computers Hardware section.

A look at editing Comments-look in Excel

Cell comments enable you to place the electronic equivalent of a sticky note to any specified cell in a worksheet. Although many people use cell comments, many don’t know that cell comments are customizable.

When you insert a cell comment via Insert -> Comment, Excel will, by default, also insert the username for the PC being used. You can change this by selecting Tools -> Options -> General. The username will appear at the
bottom of the dialog box that opens, where you can type whatever you want to be shown by default. Although cell comments serve the simple purpose of displaying a message to either yourself or another user, you can customize the cell comment so that it better reflects your intentions.

Ensure that the Drawing toolbar is displayed by selecting View -> Toolbars -> Drawing. Insert a cell comment into a cell by selecting the cell and then selecting Insert -> Comment. This automatically places you in Edit mode, ready to enter text into the comment box. Left-click the outside border of the cell comment so that you are no longer in Edit mode. With the comment selected, select Draw from the Drawing toolbar, then Change AutoShape. You will be presented with a list of options including Basic Shapes, Block Arrow, Flow Chart, Stars and Banners, and Callouts. Choose an option, and the cell comment will change to the shape selected, as shown in Figure 1.

You can take this a step further by applying a shadow style to the comment to give it a more lifelike and three-dimensional look. Ensure that your comment is still selected, but that you are no longer in Edit mode. On the Drawing toolbar, click the Shadow Settings icon shown in Figure 2 and choose a shadow setting for the cell comment.

Another interesting thing you can do with cell comments is use them to display pictures without impeding on any associated data. For instance, you could insert a picture of a chart into a cell comment to better illustrate the data in the chart without having to show the chart all the time. To add a picture, ensure that the cell comment is selected, but that you are not in Edit mode. Left-click and select Format -> Comment, or double-click the Comment border. Select Colors and Lines from the Format Comment dialog box. From the Color options, select Fill Effects, and from the Fill Effects dialog, select Picture. Now browse to the picture you want to insert into the cell comment.





This was picked up today on Excel...Always wanted a way to work around with comments box and contents. This information is handy ...

Yet another Blog...

How did one more blog come up under this same mail id of mine? Here is the inspiration

Hope this does really form into a good collection of my studies, finds and research...as is this blog of mine, collection of my mail stuff; or as its URL suggests, it's an archive of all mails that I liked.

One disadvantage of posting to blog through mails is that embedded images within the mail do not get added to the post. Waiting for Google to rectify (or add) this functionality

Wondering why blog got named Roba di Lavoro? Roba di Lavoro means "work stuff" in Italian language :o) Some Italiano, Puccino...