New Firefox 3.5 Browser Released

Mozilla released their major browser upgrade Firefox 3.5 today. Till now it was available only in beta version after the kinks were removed it is available for public now.



The new (improved) features available in Firefox 3.5 are:

1.) Private Browsing

You can surface the web in private mode like the ones in Google Chrome and Safari browsers.

2.) Password Manager

Easy and improved password management without a pop-up.

3.) Awesome Bar

It was first available in 3.0 versions now it is even better in this version, just start typing your favorite sites, Firefox will fill the large URLs in seconds.

4.) Super Speed

Web pages loads faster in Firefox 3.5 compared to previous versions. Mozilla claims Firefox 3.5 is twice as fast as Firefox 3.0 and 10 times faster than Firefox 2.0.


Speed Comparison of Firefox Browsers.

5.) Anti-Phishing & Anti-Malware

Firefox will notify and warn you whenever you visit bad sites that host anti-malware and anti-phishing software.

6.) Session Restore

If it crashes when you have multiple tabs, then you can restart at the same place without having to retype or open all the sites again.

7.) One-Click Bookmarking

Bookmark, search and organize Web sites quickly and easily.

8.) Easy Customization

More add-ons to make your Firefox browser the most versatile one in the web.

9.) Tabs

Improved Tabs management with the new version, you can move the tabs easily without an add-on.

10.) Instant Web Site ID

Avoid online scams, unsafe transactions and forgeries with simple site identity.

You can download it here at http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/firefox.html.

Let me know your experiences with Firefox 3.5.

It Happens When No One Is Watching

It is a nice ad to promote "Saying no to domestic violence".

Amnesty International put this interactive ad poster "It Happens When Nobody is Watching" to discuss the "domestic violence" issue. The poster has an eye tracking camera, when the passerby watches the poster it shows an image of a happy couple. But as soon as they look away, the poster shifts to a different image showing the man punching the woman.



Click the image to see a larger picture image.

The ad was produced by advertising agency Jung von Matt.

This poster was installed at a bus stop in Hamburg, Germany.

Gmail Increases File Attachment Size to 25 MB Maximum

Google has increased the maximum attachment size from 20MB to 25MB. Now you can send larger files to your friends and contacts.

Google said about this increase:

"With Gmail, you can send and receive messages up to 25 megabytes (MB) in size. Please note that you may not be able to send larger attachments to contacts, when they use other email services with allow only smaller file sizes. If your attachment bounces, you should invite them to Gmail,"

Before you send bigger files to your friends, make sure their email provider will accept large file sizes up to 25MB.

When you upload a file, Gmail shows a flash uploading status message like the one below. To activate this feature go to "Settings" --> "General" --> "Attachments" --> Enable "Advanced attachment features".

Before you compose a message attach the file first, so by the time you finish your email message your file will be downloaded. Otherwise you have to wait a longer time for the download to complete.



Ref: Google Operating System.

Recover Your Google Account With Mobile Phone

Previously if you want to recover your Google account you will be provided with recovery options from Google to your secondary email account. But in some cases you may no longer use that secondary email account, for example if you had used your college email account, then it will become difficult for you to recover your main Google account.

Google has added a new password recovery option by which you can connect your main account with your mobile phone.

Google said the following about this new password recovery option:

"Since most people use cell phones these days, we decided text messaging would be an easy, convenient addition to our password recovery options. To set up password recovery via your mobile phone, just sign in to your account and click Change Password Recovery Options. Enter your mobile phone number and current password and then click Save. If you lose access to your account for any reason, you'll be able to regain access by entering a code we'll send in a text message."

How to add the password recovery option via your mobile phone?

To enable this option perform the following steps:

1. Sign in to your account. https://www.google.com/accounts/ManageAccount
2. Click the "Change password recovery options".
3. Select your country from the drop-down menu and enter your mobile phone number.
4. Click Save.

Use your mobile phone to recover your Google password.


This option is available in most countries and most carriers.

Once you set this option and later if you try to recover your password for your main account, do the following:

How to recover the password via SMS?

1. Enter your username on the password-assistance page. Google will ask for some details about your account, keep this page open until you receive the recover code from Google via SMS text message.
   
2. Check your phone for a text message from Google.
3. Enter your recovery code in the Google page you are in and click "Submit recovery code".
4. Type your new password.

Also, try to change your password and security settings once or twice a year and make sure you use the secure Gmail page https://mail.google.com.

Hungarian Student Wins the Google Photography Prize

More than 3,600 students worldwide participated in the Google Photography Prize to create themes for iGoogle and Google has chosen Daniel Halasz from Hungary as the winner.

Huge congratulations to Daniel Halasz from Hungary, who was awarded the Google Photography Prize this week... The six finalists who got the most public votes were Amelia Ortúzar (Chile), Fahad AlDaajani (Saudi Arabia), Matjaz Tancic (U.K.), Mikhail Simin (U.S.) and Vesna Stojakovic (Serbia) — congratulations to all of them! From that group, a jury of respected art critics and artists chose Daniel as the winner. They also gave a special commendation prize to Aliyah Hussain from the U.K.

Nicely done by the students.


Official Google Blog: We have a winner for the Google Photography Prize

Watch HD Movie Trailers In YouTube

Google has added a separate section for movie trailers. Now you can watch the latest movie trailers at this YouTube link here.



2012 movie trailer.


You can watch the "Popular" movie trailers as well as "Latest", "In Theaters" and "Coming Soon".



The Proposal movie trailer.

Plan Your Travel With Google City Tours

If you want to arrange a tour itinerary in the city you are planning to visit soon then go to Google City Tours, a Google Labs project. This will provide the landmarks to visit and will map out a recommended tour itinerary.

This feature has been introduced in Google Labs but soon it will be available in Google Maps according to Google Operating System.

Google said about this labs project:

"...helps you identify points of interest and plan multi-day trips to most major cities. You just specify the location of your hotel and the length of your trip and City Tours will map out an itinerary for you,"

In the Google City Tours, you can view the schedule once you input the date you are visiting the city and the number of days you are planning to stay.


Schedule your trip with Google City Tours. (Click the image for a detailed view).

Once the schedule is given, you can either add or delete the sights Google has recommended and also you can change the dates.

Currently they are available only in a few cities such as

• San Francisco, USA
• New York, USA
• London, England
• Dublin, Ireland

As you see the features and cities are limited for now but hopefully Google will add more features and incorporate it into Google Maps.

This will become a great travel tool along with Google Earth and get more information ahead of time about the cities you plan to visit.

HTC Hero a New Google Android Phone

HTC will launch its new Google Android Phone "HTC Hero" later today. It looks awesome. I wish it was available in Sprint, otherwise have to pay transfer fees and charges. HTC Hero boasts the following:

Inside you'll find Qualcomm's MSM7200A proc running Android at 528MHz, 512MB/288MB ROM/RAM, 3.2-inch TFT-LCD with 320 x 480 pixel rez, 900/2100MHz HSPA and Quad-band GSM, trackball, GPS, 802.11b/g WiFi, 3.5mm audio jack, G-sensor, compass, and 5 megapixel auto-focus cam with microSD expansion. It's all there baby. The White version of the device has an industry-first Teflon coating (right, just like your pans) to keep things clean and grime free. Multi-touch and anti-fingerprint coating too. Hero arrives in Europe in July with T-Mobile and Orange, Asia later in the summer, and North America even later in 2009.

HP Launches Touch-screen Printers That Don’t Need Computers

Hewlett Packard (HP) launched their new touch-screen printers that don't need computers.

It is web-connected, wireless and Ethernet based printer. With websites like Google, Coupons.com and others users can print stuff directly from those sites such as maps, coupons in the printer itself through the LCD screen.

I think this technology is available in their ink-jet printers only but hopefully they will extend it to Laser Jet printers.

For more information click here.

Amazing Basketball Shot By An Eighth Grader

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Amazing basketball shot by an eighth grader. You have to watch it to believe it.

Google Maps Adds "What's Here" Feature

When you are planning for a trip or visiting a new place and want to see what other important spots are there, Google Maps has added a new feature called "What's here?".

By clicking the "What's here?" one can find important businesses, areas around that particular place.

To see how it works, click this link and right click your mouse and click "What's here?" as shown below:

It will pinpoint other spots near that area. It will also add some important businesses in the left hand side for you to explore.

If you zoom out, you will see other important geographical spots around the area you are searching.

E.g. Galapagos Archipelago - You will see, Isla Fernandina, Isla Isabela, Isla Marchena, and Isla Guy Fawkes, around this area

This feature technically is also called as "reverse geocoding".



Google LatLong: How to find out "What's here"

Free Malware And Blacklist Monitoring Service For Your Website

In the second half of 2008, 77 percent of websites spread malicious codes were legal sites that had been hacked according to Websense Security Labs.

These sites are most often unaware that they host and spread malware. Once Google, Firefox and others finds they are spreading malware codes they blacklist the sites.

The sites that get blacklisted take a long time to recover and they lose thousands of customers in the process. In order to prepare the site from getting malware from hackers and prevent themselves from getting blacklisted, Dasient a new web security setup, monitors the sites periodically and warns the website owners if necessary.

Dasient was founded by ex-Google employees, Neil Daswani and Shariq Rizvi along with Ameet Ranadive from McKinsey.

You can visit Dasient.com to see whether your site is blacklisted by Google, Firefox, and others. You can either register for free or sign up to their premium service, which costs $49 a month.

The differences between the two services are as follows:



Differences between Free and Premium Malware and Blacklist Monitoring Services.

Dasient monitors frequently and checks to see whether your site is blacklisted and warns you accordingly, so you can take corrective actions immediately and keep the blacklist time to a minimum.

The premium service goes one step further and notifies the website owners if they find any malware in their website application. It also offers a quarantine service, by which it prevents the web application from spreading malware while keeping other pages open to visitors.

Check and monitor your website with Dasient to see whether it hosts malware without your knowledge and help prevent getting blacklisted.

Gmail Adds New Fields, Website and Birthday in Contacts

Gmail has been very good in terms of synchronizing with Outlook, Outlook Express, Hotmail and Yahoo but lacked certain fields such as "website" name and "birthday". So, when we synchronized between different email platforms the data was incomplete. Without these two fields, Gmail put the website name and birthday in notes instead of keeping it separately.

Gmail added two new fields, "Website" and "Birthday" in "Contacts" today as shown below.


Add Website names and Birthday of Contacts in Gmail.

With this addition, the synchronization between various email formats is made easy without loss of fields.

Now you can synchronize your Gmail contacts data with other email clients such as Outlook, Outlook Express, Hotmail and Yahoo in CSV format and OS X Address book in vCard format.

You can also manage your contacts (import or export the data) online with this link: http://www.google.com/contacts

How to Set Gmail as Default Email Client in Firefox?

When you click an email link in a website using Firefox 3 browser, you are either prompted to install an email client such as Microsoft Outlook or others. In order to have Gmail as your default email client, do following:

1. Go to "Tools" in the menu bar --> Click "Options".
2. From "Options" click the "Applications" tab.
3. In the "Applications", go to "mailto" Content Type and choose "Use Gmail" in the "Actions" drop-down menu.
4. If you don't want to use Gmail, then you can also use either "Outlook" or Yahoo Mail" or your default email client in the computer from the "Actions".
5. Click "OK" to save these settings.

Go to Tools --> Applications --> Mailto --> Select "Use Gmail" in Firefox 3.

Once you save the settings, when you click any email link in a website, your Gmail window will open, from which you can send the email.

If you want to use Gmail as your default mail client for the computer also download and install either Gmail Notifier for Windows or Google Notifier for Mac.



Official Gmail Blog: Tip: Set Gmail as your default email client in Firefox 3

Google Is My Rommate (Video)

The video shows what happens if Google becomes your roommate. It is extremely funny.

Add Custom Google Search Engine To Any Website in Minutes

Previously creating a custom search engine for a specific website required lots of web design knowledge, now Google has made it easier for us to create it in just a few minutes.

Google recently introduced "Web Elements" by which users can add gadgets to their sites such as map links, chat box, document sharing, calendar tool etc. There is also a "Custom Search Engine" option, which will help to create a specific search engine for the particular website.
Customers can easily find products, articles, pictures or videos from a particular blog or website with this new custom search engine.

How to create a "Custom Search Engine" for a website?

1. Go to "Custom Search Element"
2. You have three options to choose, A.) Automatically search my site, B.) Search my site and use Adsense for search, C.) Use an existing custom search engine (if you are already using it via your Google Adsense account).
3. If you choose option "A" then copy the code shown below and paste it in your website or blog. In blog usually you have "Add a Gadget" option, you can paste the HTML code in the new gadget. If you use WordPress, then read this Matt Cutts' article how to add a custom search engine.
   
4. If you choose option "B" then you have to add your Adsense ID, which you can find it in your Google Adsense account with the following notation "pub-xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx".
   
5. Click "Save" after you added the HTML codes for the new custom search engine.
6. Now users and customers can easily search files in your blog or website from the new custom search tool. The search results appear in the sidebar.

Previously we have to write the site or blog name and several other details to create a custom search engine, whereas with Google's Web Elements it just takes minutes.

Learn How People Find Your Business With Google Local Business Center

Use Google Local Business Center (LBC) to get more exposure for your business.

Customers locate your business mostly via search up to 82 percent according to Google. When they do find the business it is better to have more details about the business so the customers will have enough options to decide such as operating hours, any specials available, location and direction information.

With LBC, it makes it easy for business to have relevant information about them.

LBC helps provide the following information for the local business:

• Impressions: The number of times the business listing appeared as a search result on Google.com search or Google Maps search in a given period.
• Actions: How many times users interacted with the listing; for example, the number of times users clicked through to the business' website or requested driving directions to the business.
• Top search queries: Which queries led users to the business listing; for example, whether more customers are finding the listing for a cafe by searching for "tea" or "coffee".
• Zip codes where driving directions come from: Lists and maps of the zip codes users are coming from when they request directions to a listing.

All the above information helps the business to tailor their marketing strategies accordingly.





LBC provides a dashboard where the business can identify their customer trends (seasonal or daily).

This LBC is available for free for all local businesses. It is available in 38 countries but the dashboard is available only for the U.S. businesses but will be extended to other countries soon.

Google Celebrates Tetris 25th Birthday With Special Logo

Today is the 25th birthday for the popular game Tetris. Google celebrates it with a special logo. Check it out here.

Use Google Squared To Get Organized Results

Google has launched "Google Squared" by which you can collect the facts about your query from the web in a structured tabular form for easy analysis.

Suppose you are looking to buy a dog and not sure what type of dog to buy, a search for "dogs" in Google Squared provides information about a number of dog varieties.


Click Image to see Full Size.


Google Squared provides the following:

• Facts about your topic are organized as a table of items and attributes (we call them "Squares" for fun).
• Customize these Squares to see just the items and attributes you're interested in.
• See the websites that served as sources for the information in your Square.
• Save and share Squares with others.

After you see the results, if you are not satisfied with the attributes (columns) shown, then you can add your own attributes. In the dog example, I didn't see the lifespan of dogs to see how long each dog will live approximately. Many owners would like to know about it, so I added that attribute. After I added it, Google searches for "lifespan" in web and gets the results and puts that in the table.


Click Image to see Full Size.

Once you get the results, you can click the "Squares" as Google calls it for later use. You can share it with others as Google provides a unique link for it.

Google Squared is very flexible. You can start off with an empty square and expand the search results. I searched for "Current Hollywood Actress" then I added their "Place of Birth", "Husband" etc.

However, Google Squared is not perfect, some of the results are wrong, so you have to do more research to find the actual answers. In the above example the results showed the husband for Nicole Kidman was her ex-husband Tom Cruise not her current husband Keith Urban.

But for comparison purposes, Google Squared is an excellent starting point.

For more about Google Squared click here.

Turn iPhone Photos into Postcards with Postino App

AnguriaLab has launched its latest iPhone app, Postino, by which you can send postcards to your family and friends with photos taken in iPhone.

You can either send virtual e-cards free or physical postcards for a small fee.

There are other similar applications for iPhone such as Go Postal and Tap Tap Cards, but both the applications are limited to U.S. addresses only according to ReadWriteWeb.com.

When you travel, this will be a great option to have in iPhone, so you can send great postcards to your friends.

Once you have Postino app, you can either take new photos or use existing photos in your iPhone and use them to send postcards.

You can modify the photo to fit your postcard in the application. Once you enter the message, signature and the address of the person to whom you want to send the post card, Postino prints the card and sends it to them anywhere in the world for $1.99 a postcard, which you pay by PayPal.

Postino app is available now in iTunes for free.

Watch YouTube On The Big Screen With YouTube XL

Now you can watch your favorite YouTube videos on a larger screen with YouTube XL.

The new YouTube XL is optimized to be viewed in larger screen Televisions and computer monitors.

Previously in January of this year, YouTube created a mobile website to let the mobile users watch the videos in their small screen cell phones, Sony PS3, Nintendo and Wii game consoles. Now YouTube has created a special website so users can watch the videos in a bigger screen.

The YouTube XL has a similar design like their mobile site, with minimum features, larger text and simplified navigation. It doesn't have the comment area, other videos, or advertising in this new site. It is simple and to the point.

YouTube blog says you can control the videos with a blue tooth enabled remote control. If you have a Google Android phone, you can use your phone as a remote with Gmote application.

If you have a HD monitor or HD TV with an internet connection, then give the new YouTube XL a spin, there are plenty of HD videos at the site. It looks fabulous.

More Uses For Coffee Grounds

Coffee Grounds. Photo: Oberazzi.

This is a follow-up to my earlier article "Useful Tips For Used Coffee Grounds". If you are not aware of this topic before, coffee grounds (after we use the filtered coffee) has excellent uses for it instead of just dumping in trash.

We make huge amount of coffee on a daily basis and we threw most of the coffee grounds away. When you dump the coffee grounds into landfills they create methane, an harmful greenhouse gas. If we can use them for gardening and other uses, then we can eliminate the greenhouse gas.

Here are some alternate uses:

1. Coffee grounds are excellent odor repellants. You can put the coffee grounds (either fresh or used) in small cloth bags or socks and put them in refrigerators, trash cans, shelves and more. They remove unwanted odors. I put them in refrigerators and in trash cans, I could see it works right away. In the freezer, you can put coffee grounds in a bowl to remove odors. Some add a few drops of vanilla to the coffee grounds.
2. It can be used to clean grease in homes, will make the cleaning operation easier.
3. Remove garlic and other cooking smells from hand. Just rub the grounds on your hands to get rid of the smell.
4. Before you use coffee grounds as a fertilizer, make a good composite pile around the plant and then mix the coffee grounds evenly to prevent mold formation (See the tips below). Coffee grounds provides nitrogen for plants. Also the worms love coffee grounds, it helps the plants immensely. It helps mix the soil and helps n mineralizing your vegetation. It is good for roses, azaleas, camelia, blueberries and most flowers. I also add them for Jasmine plant, grows well.
5. Another use of coffee grounds in gardening it helps to keep ants, slugs and snails from your favorite plants.
6. You can keep cats away from your garden by spreading the coffee grounds around your plants. You can also use it in conjunction with orange peels around the plants.
7. If you mix the seeds (carrots or radish) with dry coffee grounds, it helps them grow really well.

Tips for Composting Coffee Grounds from Starbucks:

• Mix grounds with soil around acid-loving plants and watch them flourish.
• Add brown leaves and grass clippings to mulch to help balance the pH of the soil.
• Mix grounds into compost to accelerate the composting process.
• Grounds should not be more than 25 percent of any compost pile. To counteract the acidity of coffee grounds, add one teaspoon of lime or wood for each five pounds of coffee grounds in your compost.
• Help a worm bin flourish by feeding worms with coffee grounds combined with brown materials.

If you need more coffee grounds for your garden you can either ask Starbucks or other coffee places, they may provide prepackaged grounds for you.

Source:

• EPA
• Green Daily
• Natural Home

Open Microsoft Office 2007 Files In Google Docs

Now you can open Microsoft 2007 documents (.docx and .xlsx files) in online Google Docs easily.

Google Docs has added this option, which enables you to open Microsoft 2007 Word documents and 2007 Excel spreadsheets. This is useful for those who don't have the latest Microsoft Office 2007 or have only the older versions.

For now only word documents and spreadsheets can be opened in Google Docs, soon it will allow 2007 Power Point .pptx files as well.

Previously Google Docs allowed only the following formats:

.doc, .odt, xls, .ods, .ppt, .csv, .html, .txt, .rtf, and others

Now we can add .docx and .xlsx files to the above list.

Please note the formats may not be the same, Google Docs strips some of the background, font and format information.

But is convenient if you have to open it quickly to see what is in the file with Google Docs, plus you can share it with others online.


How to import a .docx or .xlsx file in Google Docs?

1. To import the Microsoft Word 2007 file or Microsoft Excel 2007 file, click the "upload button" in the menu bar and you will see a download window like the following.
2. Choose the 2007 document or 2007 spreadsheet file from your computer and click the upload file.
3. Save the new file online.

There is another Office suite online Zoho.com by which you can open your Microsoft Office 2007 files and view or edit online.

Both Google Docs and Zoho are free for users.