Monday, July 19, 2010

Customizing Google's Chrome

Chrome

Customizing Google's Chrome

A great deal of customization can be done to a browser, using extensions, and if you know basic HTML programming then you can do it on your own for Chrome


Tuesday, April 13, 2010

BANGALOE, INDIA: Browsers serve as our primary interface to the Internet. For enhanced efficiency and to do work quickly, a browser should provide customized functionality besides basic browsing capabilities. This can be achieved in two ways, either add functionality to a browser natively or let users decide his own features using extensions. Adding lot of functionality natively to browser would obviously make browser heavy plus most of the features would not be used by all users, therefore the extension-based approach is the best among the two. At this point, Google's Chrome seems to be fast becoming popular among users, and one can In this article we talk about creating extensions and show how to create a  simple one.

Chrome extensions
The most important issue about extensions in Chrome is that they are web pages, therefore creating them is as simple as creating a web page. Extensions add UI to Chrome and can also programmatically interact with web pages or server or browser features like tabs etc. There are different types of extensions like browser actions which would add button to browser that acts like a short cut to your favorite site and also display recent information or update like Google Mail Checker that displays unread messages. Other type of extensions are Page actions that detect certain pages and prompt user to take action by clicking on the displayed icon. Content scripts, the third kind of extensions, can directly interact with web page you are visiting. It detects language of the visited page and prompts user to click on a button to translate content of a page. Now that we have a fair idea about different types of extensions, lets talk about the structure of Google Chrome extensions. Most extensions have a 'background page' which is an invisible page that holds the main logic of the extension.

Adding extensions
Chrome extension is specially packaged file (with .crx extension) that contains manifest file (most important), few HTML files, optional JavaScript and other ( like images) files. In this implementation we are use the latest version (4.0.249.89) of Chrome on a Windows machine. To start, create a folder on your machine that would contain all the required files for Chrome extension. Inside this folder create a file name 'manifest.jason'. This file contains information like files and capabilities used by extension. Here are the contents of manefest.jason we created:

{
  "name": "PCQuest Extension",
  "version": "1.0",
  "description": "The is the first extension that we made for PCQuest.",
  "browser_action": {
  "default_icon": "pcquest.png",
  "popup": "tool_pcquest.html"
}

}

Extensiom

We created a browser action extension that uses 'pcquest.png' and 'tool_pcquest.html' files that need to be created in the same folder. On the other hand, initial lines include name, version, and description of the extension. Here is the simple .html file we have created (tool_pcquest.html):
Extension


This is a TEST extension by PCQuest

Now that we have created the required files let's install these extensions. To do this, open Chrome browser and click on Tools icon and go to 'Extensions.' This will open the extensions page. The other way is to go to 'chrome://extensions/ ' page. On this page, click on the '+' sign in front of 'Developer mode' and then click on 'Load unpacked extension' button. Browse to the folder where you have created the extension and you are done. You can find all the loaded extensions from this page plus installation and un installation of extensions do not need a browser restart. This extension would show a 'PCQuest' logo and clicking on this logo would show a message created in 'tool_pcquest.html' page.
To package and update an extension visit 'chrome://extensions' in your browser and click on 'Pack Extension.'

The distribution of created extensions can be done by going to the extensions management page (chrome://extensions) and clicking on 'Pack Extension' button. In 'Pack Extension' window specify the path to the folder where you have created your extension, and click 'OK.' This will create two files (Chrome.crx and Chrome.pem). Here the file with '.crx' is the extension that can be installed while '.pem' file is private key. To update your extension make changes to the 'manifest.jason' file and again repeat the above steps. Specify the path to the private key and click on 'OK'. On the other hand, if you want to make your extension available on extension gallery then simply visit https://chrome.google.com/extensions and click on 'publish your extension' link. Here one needs to add ZIP file of the created extension along with information about the extension in form of screen shots or YouTube video.

©PCQuest

God Mode Folder in Windows 7

God Mode Folder in Windows 7

Convert any folder into your Windows Control Panel, quick launch your favorite folders in the Task bar, and much more

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

BANGALORE, INDIA: Windows 7 provides an all task folder which gives access to the functions that are normally buried deep into the Control Panel and provide an Explorer kind of interface to jump straight into specific Windows settings.

The God mode folder (as it is popularly known) converts regular system folders into namespace junctions, and gives access to various configuration panels in a single folder. The folder comes in handy and allows you to tweak with the operating system settings and avoid the hassles of moving from one folder to another. 

The trick to create such a folder is to simple rename a folder with a hex name such {ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C}  and  the folder's icon will change to resemble a control panel and  contain dozens of control options. The folder was created to make the operating system handy for developers. You may also choose to make individual folders for each setting if you want, since each setting has a unique identification code.

These are created in a similar manner but have different codes. The code inside curly braces is called GUID or graphical unique identifiers and is used to provide an internal access point to control panel items. It configures each folder to represent a specific feature. The box shows some codes for important applications. You can also quick launch your favorite folders in the taskbar; just create a new shortcut and enter the location as 'explorer shell:::special code' (without name).

After creating the shortcut, right click on properties, change icon, and type control.exe in the text box and press Enter. Now select the control panel icon. You can drag and drop the shortcut to taskbar. Apart from the God mode folders other shortcuts are also available using shell command. The syntax is again very easy. Just type shell command followed by colon and then shell folder locations. These are useful for people who don't want to move their hands from the keyboard to the mouse. 

Some useful shell-based shortcuts
shell:
Public ? Opens the default collection of shared folders on a computer

shell: Cookies and shell:Cache ? The fastest way to see information saved by Internet Explorer

shell: Personal ? The Documents folder of currently logged user

shell: Administrative Tools ? Launch administrative tools sub folder from start menu

shell: Gadgets ? User installed gadgets that have been removed from the desktop but are still available

This window shows the master control panel that contains all configuration settings.

The image shows a God mode folder for wireless configuration settings.

©PCQuest

Twitter hopes to earn money with special deals

Twitter hopes to earn money with special deals

The deals would be financed by companies that use the Twitter account @earlybird for advertising

Monday, July 19, 2010

NEW YORK, USA: The popular microblogging service Twitter is exploring new business models.

The newest idea is special deals for Twitter users. The deals would be financed by companies that use the Twitter account @earlybird for advertising, reported Twitter on its website.

Deals will initially be almost exclusive to American markets. But, over time, it's possible that the deals could be expanded to other regions or focus on broader categories, like music or fashion.

Twitter, which lets users send messages up to 140 characters long, has grown rapidly to more than 12 million users. But the Californian start-up has had a hard time earning money. Plans for an advertising campaign met with sharp resistance from Twitter users.

The solution for this special way of offering deals is designed to toe the line because it would only focus on users who subscribe to @earlybird. If the idea proves popular, Twitter could grow into a serious competitor for special deal services like Groupon.

©IANS

Tatvasoft offers SW devp for iPhone applications

iPhone

Tatvasoft offers SW devp for iPhone applications

Tatvasoft's software development team provides cutting-edge iPhone application solutions to its clients competently

Monday, July 19, 2010

AHMEDABAD, INDIA: Communication technology is shrinking in size but at same time getting more interactive. This is justified by the iPhone, which can be rightly called a computer in pocket.

People now enjoy array of interactive services like, video games, multimedia, online networking through mobile phone. iPhone allows user the freedom to shop and chat online, conduct business transactions, pay bills and carry out host of other online activities, while on move.

Tatvasoft understands well, the growing importance of the iPhone and hence provides iPhone application development services, custom built to the needs of their business clients. The company is proficient in use of various web development technologies like .Net, Silverlight, Flex and PHP. Tatvasoft provides top notch iPhone application development services in a cost-effective manner.

The development team at the company is well versed in use of various iPhone development tools and technologies like Mac OS, Apple SDK, XCode and objective C. The developers have ample knowledge about the iPhone architecture and utilize the features of the iPhone optimally to get the best possible results said a spokesperson from Tatva.

Tatvasoft offers a supple iPhone application development service, in which client can select a fixed cost model or hire a dedicated iPhone developer on the basis of their requirements. This flexible hiring option allows the client reduce iPhone application development cost and thus increase their ROI.

The iPhone application software development team at Tatvasoft thoroughly analyzes the client needs, budget and time constraints. The team takes care of the iPhone application development, through proper business analysis, followed by development, testing and deployment. The after-sale-services, takes care of any problems that might unexpectedly creep up in product and thus ensure complete customer satisfaction, added the release.

©CIOL Bureau

Location-based social network apps boom: Webroot

Geolocation applications

Location-based social network apps boom: Webroot

39 percent of mobile device users use location-tracking applications on their mobile devices and 55 percent people worry over loss of privacy incurred from using geolocation

Monday, July 19, 2010  BRACKNELL, UK:

More and more people are revealing their exact location on the Internet or being tracked via geolocation applications installed onto their mobile devices, increasing their chances of being targeted by Internet security attacks, according to new research commissioned by Webroot, provider of Internet security software. Surveying more than 1,500 social network users who own geolocation-ready mobile devices, Webroot found that 39 percent indicated to using geolocation on their mobile devices and 73 percent of those use a geo-tracking application to do so.

Among those, more than a quarter used location-based services to share their whereabouts with strangers, and 14 percent use one to meet new people said a press release. Of the UK respondents, Google Latitude (32 percent) was the most commonly used geo-location tool, followed by Yahoo’s Flickr (25 percent), Google Buzz (20 percent) and Twitter Location (18 percent).

Jeff Horne, director of Threat Research, Webroot, said “as location-based applications continue to gain popularity, we should all be increasingly aware of what cyber-criminals can do with the huge amount of personal data hat is being shared by everyone on the Web. People often get excited about the new features available on social networks and forget about the power of the Internet and the amount of valuable information they give away through the simple act of updating their status and ‘checking-in’ at their current location.”

Other rapidly growing location-based services such as Foursquare and Gowalla encourage users to share their current locations by ’checking-in’, and in return they are rewarded by earning points or they receive discounts offered by nearby retailers. Tips for safer social networking: Be aware of your Smartphone settings:


To keep your personal whereabouts private, turn off the “locate me” feature on your iPhone, or the GPS photo-tagging feature found on most Smartphones. When enabled, this feature allows your phone to store GPS data within your pictures. Thus every time you take a picture and upload it to a social network or other Web site, the photo contains GPS data that can pinpoint your location. Never post anything you wouldn't want the world to see:


Even with privacy settings enabled, social network sites themselves make mistakes and sometimes accidentally make information marked private available to anyone. As a rule of thumb, only post photos or messages that you wouldn't mind your boss, parent, or any stranger to see or read. Make personal information private:
Protect yourself by updating privacy settings on your profile to restrict or omit access to any personal data.

Users of popular geolocation services that allow you to share where you are should be especially careful to disclose your location only to specific people, and to nobody else.


When a friend posts a link to a Web site on their profile or wall, and you've never been to that Web site before, wait a few hours before you click. Being the first to follow a link can lead to being the next victim of a social network worm. Familiarize yourself with the social networks’ privacy options to ensure you’re taking advantage of any enhanced security features.

Only accept friend requests, emails and site links from people you know. Even then, be selective about who you "friend" and what you open or click, especially from people you don't know.

©CIOL Bureau

Majority of app developers on Win 7 bandwagon

Application developers

Majority of app developers on Win 7 bandwagon

Popularity of touch technologies is greatest driver, according to an industry survey by Embarcadero
Monday, July 19, 2010
SAN FRANCISCO, USA: Spurred in part by the rising popularity of Windows 7 features like Touch and Multi-Touch technology, more software developers are developing applications for Windows 7, according to a recent survey conducted by Embarcadero Technologies.
More than half of the software developers surveyed (54 percent) indicated that they are currently developing applications for Windows 7 and another 25 percent said they plan to start developing Windows 7 applications in the next year.

Of those who are currently developing for Windows 7, the majority said they started within the past six months to one year. Meanwhile, 10 percent said they have no plans to develop Windows 7 applications said a press release.

Enthusiasm for Windows 7 development is being driven, in part, by developers’ eagerness to include popular features like Touch, Multi-touch and enhanced graphics into their software. When asked which Windows 7 features they are most excited about integrating into their applications, nearly 40 percent said Touch, Multi-touch and gestures input, while 27 percent said enhanced graphics, animations and Windows Imaging Component and 24 percent said ribbon controls.

Respondents were more lukewarm about multimedia features such as Windows Live Movie Maker and Internet TV.
“The popularity of devices like the iPhone and iPad have helped drive mainstream acceptance of Touch-based technologies. This popularity transcends into the developer community and I doubt we’ll see it abate anytime soon,” said Michael Rozlog, product manager for Delphi Solutions at Embarcadero.
Not surprisingly, 34 percent of respondents indicated that the biggest challenge with developing Windows 7 applications is being able to support users on older versions of Windows.
Microsoft is ending support for Windows XP in April 2014 and many analysts are encouraging enterprises and consumers to switch to Windows 7 by the end of 2012, although their urging has been met with some reluctance. That speaks to the next biggest challenge cited more than 15 percent of developers said they are waiting for more organizations to adopt Windows 7 to make it worth their while.
©CIOL Bureau

What is the first thing that Girls do after accident...?

What is the first thing that Girls do after accident...?

What is the first thing that Girls do after a bad car accident...?


Turn off the  ignition?


NO


Get  away from the car in case it  explodes?


NO


Call  911 on her cell phone?


NO


Call ambulance???

 Huh


CERTAINLY NOT
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
For Girls
What is the first thing that Girls do after accident...?

Deepika adds glamour to British Grand Prix

Deepika adds glamour to British Grand Prix

She had vowed Cannes with her saree, but Bollywood beauty Deepika Padukone was seen in an all-together more glamorous avatar as she cheered on her favourite F1 team, 'Force India' at the British Grand Prix.
Dressed in her team's jersey and black shorts, the former model cut a striking figure as she cheered on from the paddock and posed alongside the pit girls.
Deepika adds glamour to British Grand Prix
Deepika adds glamour to British Grand Prix
Deepika adds glamour to British Grand Prix

Astounding Japanese Highways, Bridges & Interchanges

Astounding Japanese Highways, Bridges & Interchanges

Japan saw most of its infrastructure bombed back to the stone age in the final years of World War II, which makes the country's post-war rejuvenation all the more astounding. Huge, complex public works projects saw a concrete & steel web of highways, bridges and interchanges blossom from the wreckage of war.Today, shaped by the demands of restrictive space and economic boom & bust, Japan's hardened transportation arteries display artistic forms that go far beyond their functions.
Astounding Japanese Highways, Bridges & Interchanges
Astounding Japanese Highways, Bridges & InterchangesAstounding Japanese Highways, Bridges & Interchanges
(images credit: Ken Ohyama)
Above left is the Hakozaki Junction, part of the Metropolitan Expressway in Tokyo, and at right is the Hokko Junction in Osaka... These images illustrate the solution engineers used when building multi-lane highway interchanges in some of the world's most crowded cities in Japan: go vertical!Astounding Japanese Highways, Bridges & Interchanges

Astounding Japanese Highways, Bridges & Interchanges(images credit: Ken Ohyama)
Ken Ohyama has made it his mission to chronicle some of the more striking Japanese roadworks in a Flickr series called Interchange and a book of his photos available from Amazon. One of the more outstanding examples is The Hokko Junction shown above - a part of the Hanshin Expressway near Japan's second city, Osaka.
Astounding Japanese Highways, Bridges & Interchanges
Also in Osaka is the Higashiosaka (East Osaka) Loop of the Hanshin Expressway. The photographer's technique gives the sweeping curve of the roadway an almost tubular appearance:
Astounding Japanese Highways, Bridges & Interchanges
(images credit: Ken Ohyama)
When engineers have space to work with, they take full advantage. This wide field view of the Higashiosaka interchange shows the almost organic complexity of a busy cloverleaf, resembling a living creature's circulatory system with the vehicles acting as blood cells.
Astounding Japanese Highways, Bridges & Interchanges(image credit: zvkk)
Highways upon highways... without any end in sight:
Astounding Japanese Highways, Bridges & Interchanges
(images credit: Andrew Yamaguchi, Sergei Mingazhev, Stassia)
One interesting feature of Japanese elevated highways: they often run above rivers or sea channels, using the available space above the water. Here are some of these "highways on the sea" -
Astounding Japanese Highways, Bridges & Interchanges
Astounding Japanese Highways, Bridges & Interchanges(images credit: takasuuuui, kokix)
The incredible Japanese road infrastructure really took off in the 1960s - check out the vintage photo on the right:
Astounding Japanese Highways, Bridges & Interchanges(left image credit: FotoOleg)
Such "Bladerunner" sights are commonplace now, brimming with urban energy -
Astounding Japanese Highways, Bridges & Interchanges
Astounding Japanese Highways, Bridges & Interchanges(images credit: kokix)
By the way, for the tricky "urban density" photography, head over to this page... and see if you can spot something wrong with the image there.Slipping SidewaysSome sections of the Hanshin Expressway suffered severe damage during the 7.2 magnitude Great Hanshin Earthquake which hit the Kobe, Japan area in January of 1995, killing over 5,500 people and costing over $200 billion.
Astounding Japanese Highways, Bridges & Interchanges
(image credit: AFP / Jiji Press)
On the bright side, the affected sections of the highway did not "pancake", as happened in the 1989 Loma Prieta quake, but instead slipped sideways and tumbled over. Either way, one doesn't want to be driving through a highway interchange or junction when a big quake hits!Recession, what recession?Public works spending has long been the Japanese government's preferred way to spend budget surpluses, boost employment, keep the ruling party's supporters in the construction industry loyal, or all of the above. The highway depicted below is one of those projects, steadily overtaking a quiet city street like Godzilla in slow motion.
Astounding Japanese Highways, Bridges & Interchanges(images credit: Cisco's Japan Blog and Snegura)Which came first, the highway or the building? The question is moot as both have learned to accommodate one another. The Hanshin Expressway takes a shortcut through the 5th to 7th floors of Fukushima's Gate Tower building, also known as the Bee Hive.
Astounding Japanese Highways, Bridges & Interchanges
Astounding Japanese Highways, Bridges & Interchanges
(images via)The story goes that the original building's owner wanted to knock it down and rebuild, but was told by city planners that the space was being allocated to a newly planned exit of the expressway. Both sides refused to budge, and the compromise was completed in 1992.
Astounding Japanese Highways, Bridges & Interchanges(image via)
Tokyo residents can easily avoid using the highways and expressways which crisscross the city, thanks to one of the world's largest and most efficient subway systems, but when traffic is light they can be a pleasure to drive. The view can be pretty intense, as in the time-lapse photo below:
Astounding Japanese Highways, Bridges & Interchanges(image credit: Vladimir Zakharov)
Urban density in Tokyo is simply astounding:
Astounding Japanese Highways, Bridges & Interchanges(image credit: Sam Graf)The Rainbow Bridge and the longest suspension bridgeDark Roasted Blend has been covering some rather fascinating bridges before. Here are a few more - a spectacular sample from Japan. The 570 meter (1,870 ft) long Rainbow Bridge spans the northern (inner) part of Tokyo Bay and has been a city landmark since it opened in 1993. Two roadways, a transit line and pedestrian walkways all use the bridge, resulting in a seemingly chaotic tangle from certain angles.Astounding Japanese Highways, Bridges & InterchangesAstounding Japanese Highways, Bridges & InterchangesAstounding Japanese Highways, Bridges & Interchanges(images credit: Uncharted Futures and lmkuzya)It's at night, however, that the Rainbow Bridge comes alive with signature color! Spotlights mounted at strategic locations bathe the bridge's superstructure in prismatic glory. Best of all, the lighting is solar powered with energy stored during the day powering the light show at night:Astounding Japanese Highways, Bridges & Interchanges(image credit: Gussisaurio)Announced in 1969, the massive Kobe-Naruto highway route project stretches 81 kilometers to connect Japan's main island of Honshu with the much smaller island of Shikoku to the south. The jewel in the crown is the 4-kilometer long Akashi Kaikyo Bridge, which cost $3.6 billion to build over the ten year period between 1988 and 1998:Astounding Japanese Highways, Bridges & Interchanges(image credit: Aurelio Asiain)Of course, any discussion of Japanese highways wouldn't be complete without mention of Mount Fuji. The mountain's iconic snowy peak is visible from Tokyo - on clear days, at least - but though it's certainly possible to reach the dormant volcano's doorstep via highway, taking the Shinkansen bullet train is a better bet.Astounding Japanese Highways, Bridges & Interchanges(image credit: fui)

The Great Barrier Reef Photos Australia

The Great Barrier Reef Photos Australia

The Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest coral reef. The reef is located in the Coral Sea, off the coast of Queensland in north-east Australia. It stretches over 2000 kilometres in length and can be seen from space.
The Great Barrier Reef is a large system of about 900 islands and over 3000 coral reefs, which mostly lie some distance from the mainland coastline. Due to its vast biodiversity, warm clear waters and its accessibility from the floating guest facilities called 'live aboards', the reef is a very popular destination for tourists, especially scuba divers.
Great Barrier Reef Photos
Great Barrier Reef Photos
Great Barrier Reef Cairns Rainbow
Great Barrier Reef Cairns Rainbow
The Great Barrier Reef is sometimes referred to as the single largest organism in the world. In reality it is made up of many millions of tiny organisms, as are all coral formations.
A large part of the reef is protected by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. The coastline of north eastern Australia has no major rivers, several major urban centres with Cairns, Townsville, Mackay, Rockhampton nd the industrial city of Gladstone.
Great Barrier Reef Beach Chairs
Great Barrier Reef Beach Chairs
Great Barrier Reef Beach Coral Sea
Great Barrier Reef Beach Coral Sea
Great Barrier Reef Fusilee Fish
Great Barrier Reef Fusilee Fish
Great Barrier Reef Sharks
Great Barrier Reef Sharks
Great Barrier Reef Turtle
Great Barrier Reef Turtle
The Whitsunday Islands are a collective of continental islands of various sizes off the coast of Queensland, Australia, situated between Townsville and Mackay and some 900km north of Brisbane.
Great Barrier Reef Whitsunday Islands
Great Barrier Reef Whitsunday Islands
Great Barrier Reef Whitsunday Islands
Great Barrier Reef Whitsunday Islands
Great Barrier Reef Zebra Damselfish
Great Barrier Reef Zebra Damselfish
Great Barrier Reef Sunset

Celebrities and Their Dramatic Hair Transformations

Celebrities and Their Dramatic Hair Transformations


Celebrities and Their Dramatic Hair Transformations

Celebrities and Their Dramatic Hair Transformations

Celebrities and Their Dramatic Hair Transformations

Celebrities and Their Dramatic Hair Transformations

Celebrities and Their Dramatic Hair Transformations

Celebrities and Their Dramatic Hair Transformations

Celebrities and Their Dramatic Hair Transformations

Celebrities and Their Dramatic Hair Transformations

Celebrities and Their Dramatic Hair Transformations

Celebrities and Their Dramatic Hair Transformations

Celebrities and Their Dramatic Hair Transformations

Celebrities and Their Dramatic Hair Transformations

Celebrities and Their Dramatic Hair Transformations

Celebrities and Their Dramatic Hair Transformations

Celebrities and Their Dramatic Hair Transformations

Celebrities and Their Dramatic Hair Transformations

Celebrities and Their Dramatic Hair Transformations

Popular Posts