Make Greasemonkey Scripts Work in Opera

We've long been fans of using user scripts to change the way the web works, but since Greasemonkey only runs on Firefox, Opera users are usually left out in the cold.

The Kabatology blog explains that even Opera users can use scripts designed only for Greasemonkey, by adding the Emulate GM Functions user script that provides the missing functions used by most of the popular user scripts. The process is fairly simple, starting with heading into the Advanced -> Content -> Javascript Options section of the preferences and assigning a folder to hold your user scripts. Once you've created the folder, add the Emulate GM Functions user script to it, and then start downloading some of your favorite scripts and saving them into your new user scripts folder.

You might not be able to use every single Greasemonkey script under Opera, but it's a great addition to the impressive-but-less-popular browser, and should work on any platform that Opera runs under. If you aren't sure what user scripts to use, make sure to check out our top 10 Greasemonkey scripts for 2009.

Thanks LifeHacker

Working Less Means Working Better, Says Study

It's no surprise that cutting back on work and taking regular breaks is beneficial for workers, but a four-year study from the Harvard Business School found that less work also benefits workers—and workplace productivity—in less obvious ways.

Photo by Bhagath (Makka).

The experiment enforced predictable time off to help its subjects get rid of the feeling that they've got no truly free time from work—what they called "bad intensity"—taking steps as small as requiring that each consultant got at least one night a week when they wouldn't be called or pinged on their BlackBerrys after 6pm. The results:

Working together to make sure each consultant got some time off forced teams to communicate better, share more personal information and forge closer relationships. They also had to do a better job at planning ahead and streamlining work, which in some cases resulted in improved client service, based on interviews with clients.

I'd hope that most of you are already getting at least one such day a week if not five, but maybe I'm out of touch. Let's hear how your schedule compares—and whether you feel like you've got enough predictable, uninterrupted time away from work—in the comments.

Selectively Block Flash Animations in Google Chrome [Annoyances]

Firefox users have Flashblock and other extensions to cut down on memory-hogging, browser-destabilizing Flash animations thrown haphazardly around the web. If you're a Google Chrome convert, BlockFlash2 can offer much the same protection against random moving objects.

At the How-To Geek's home away from Lifehacker, Lifehacker intern alumnus Asian Angel details how to install, activate, and use the BlockFlash2 user script to replace Adobe Flash elements on a page with yellowed links. Those links can be clicked if the Flash element turns out to be important—like, say, on a YouTube page—or left to sit and never auto-play for faster, less crash-y browsing.

Got another Chrome-friendly script (besides the previously mentioned AdSweep) that streamlines the web? Tell us about it in the comments.

Gmail was down yesterday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yesterday around 11 o clock i have checked my mail and surprised to see a message saying "Gmail unable to access your contacts."

I was wondered and i thought there will be some problem with the gtalk and i have reinstalled it.
After that when i went to gmail then only i noticed this issue.

Anyhow it seems to be resolved now.

But i have learnt one thing from my yesterday's instant BackUp your contact and important mail.

And i have done it today.

Epix to roll out 3,000 HD movies online: You'll probably never see them

Epix is a new premium TV channel that's a partnership between Viacom, Paramount, MGM, and Lionsgate. Today the company is announcing that Verizon is the first distributor to sign the channel, which means that Verizon customers will be able to watch thousands of movies in the channel's library. Now here's where it gets interesting: Epix isn't just a TV channel. As part of its offering, the group is also beta testing a web-based video service where users can stream thousands of titles. And today Epix announced it would be adding 3,000 HD videos to the lineup.

The problem is that Epix Megaplex (the web component) won't be open to the general public. It'll only be available to payng subscribers of the TV channel. And in fact Verizon hasn't even committed to making Megaplex available to FiOS TV customers yet, which means that not a single TV distributor is currently promising to make use of the Epix web video offering.

There are two problems with Epix Megaplex as a I see it. First, the company is using old paradigm thinking and making the web component available as a value added feature for TV subscribers when Epix could probably convince a fair number of domestic and international users to sign up as web-only subscribers or pay-per-view users.

Second, as TechCrunch's MG Siegler points out, why is it that you can walk into a video store and grab virtually any new release the day it's available, but you might have to visit a dozen web sites to find the same content available for download or streaming online -- if it's available at all? Wouldn't it be nice if Viacom, Paramount, MGM, Lionsgate, Hulu, Netflix, Amazon, and all the other companies offering online video would come to some sort of agreement that would let you find all of the videos you want in one place while making sure that the appropriate rights holders get paid?

Courtesy: Download Squad

KUninstall is a fast, portable uninstaller app for Windows

There are plenty of utilities for uninstalling Windows applications. I'm particularly fond of Absolute Uninstaller, Revo Uninstaller, and CCleaner. Heck, Windows even has a built in uninstaller, but it tends to be slow and has a habit of leaving files and registry settings behind after you uninstall a program.

KUninstall is a fast new uninstaller that has a few nifty features. First, it's portable, which means you can run the uninstaller without first installing it to your hard drive. Just unzip KUninstall to any folder and then click the executable. It will find a list of installed applications that you can sort by name, version, publisher, or installation date. You can use KUninstall to initiate a program's built in uninstaller, but you can also explorer the program folder and scan for leftover items.

As an added bonus, KUninstall has a process finder/killer. Just click the Finder icon and drag it to any running program. KUninstall will tell you which running process is associated with that program and offer you the option to close the window, kill the process, or uninstall the application.

The KUninstall download server seems to be getting hammered at the moment, but the program is also available for download from Softpedia.

Courtesy: Download Squad

Paint.NET 3.5 Beta 1 released - now with added shiny

The widely acclaimed image editor Paint.NET has been updated to version 3.5 Beta 1.

The Windows application, developed using version 3.5 of the .net framework, was originally developed by a Microsoft-mentored student as a replacement for the basic Microsoft Paint application that ships with Windows. Since it's inception it has grown hugely in features to the extent that many now consider it a viable free alternative to applications such as Photoshop and The GIMP.

Paint.NET includes powerful features including layers, unlimited undo, numerous filters, magic wand, cloning and also offers a plugin architecture for third party extensibility.

The new 3.5 Beta 1 release - the first to require version 3.5 of the .net framework - adds a refreshed UI designed to look great on Windows Vista and Windows 7 Aero / Glass together with new filters, initial Windows 7 taskbar integration (recent items are listed in the jumplist), reduced memory usage and a host of fixes and updates.

If you are already a Paint.NET user you can download the updated release from within the application itself using the update feature, or the release can be downloaded directly from GetPaint.

Many people of course will be sceptical as to whether Paint.NET can genuinely offer a Photoshop alternative for $0 - are you already a satisfied user? Share your thoughts on the application in the comments!

Paint.NET 3.5 Beta 1 released - now with added shiny originally appeared on Download Squad

Google Picasa 3.5 released

Google have released version 3.5 of their free image management application, Picasa.

Available for PC and Mac in English only, Picasa 3.5 adds functionality that bring the desktop client features in line with those already offered on Picasa Web Albums. The Linux version of Picasa, which currently stands at version 3.0, has not been updated.

Picasa now offers face recognition with the 'name tags' feature. Similar to iPhoto '09 on the Mac, Picasa analyses your photos, grouping what it deems as similar faces together. You can then apply names to each identified face, allowing you to search photos based on the people that are in them. If you are signed into a Google account, names are handily auto-completed using your contacts database.

A growing trend amongst photographers, driven in part by the increase in GPS enabled mobile devices such as the iPhone, is Geotagging photos. Again, as in iPhoto '09, Picasa allows you to view your photos on a map. This is facilitated either by reading the EXIF location data embedded within the photo or by dragging your photos to the appropriate location on an embedded Google map. This functionality was previously (and optionally still can be) provided externally by the Google Earth application.

Other changes to the application include improved upload, import and sharing functionality, deeper integration with Picasa Web Albums, enhanced picture tagging, the ability to modify date and time on pictures, improved responsiveness in the 'Sharpen' tool and more reliable CD burning in the Windows version.

Google Picasa 3.5 released originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 23 Sep 2009 08:30:00 EST.

Nokia 5800 expressmusic for 13000

Very good news for all mobile lovers.
Especially for nokia mobile lovers.

Nokia best phone in its grade (5800 Expressmusic) has reduced its price from Rs. 16500 to Rs. 13500.
Its a drastic change. Yet to know the details of why they reduced.

All over the world nokia phones prices are reducing.
even N900 is coming for $583.00 online at amazon.

Hope its the best time to upgrade your mobile
Here is the several links to the online mobile stores

http://www.wavetelmobiles.com/wavetel-NOKIA%205800%20XpressMusic-mobile.html

http://www.poorvika.com/MobileDetails.aspx?model=Nokia%205800%20XPRESS%20MUSIC

http://www.srivasavimobiles.com/product.asp?id=Nokia%205800%20%288%20GB%29

Also
Nokia 16GB is coming for Rs.15500
http://www.srivasavimobiles.com/product.asp?id=Nokia%205800%20%2816%20GB%29

Microsoft starts Office Web Apps preview

Microsoft's online efforts against the likes of Zoho and Google Docs has officially kicked off - with Redmond announcing that they're slowly rolling out a Technical Preview of the online applications for your and I to test. Initially, the testing places are limited - and as it's really a Beta, some things will potentially not work (or missing entirely in the case of OneNote).

Keen to ensure we don't write off this (admittedly-late) foray into the online office arena, Microsoft is of course working hard to remind folks why Office Web Apps is different from Google Docs: the ability to seamlessly move from the desktop apps you know to 'The Cloud'. As the desktop integration is something that Google hasn't really focused on (and, let's face it, Google aren't the ones with a pre-eminent office suite to integrate with), the Web Apps are planned to be fully integrated with the forthcoming Office 2010 release.

If you're feeling plucky and want to get using the Office Web Apps preview, Microsoft are now accepting signups via the Office 2010 website - and plan to release Office Web Apps officially early next year. You'll need Windows Live Skydrive to get involved in the Technical Preview, and Microsoft are intending to make OneNote Web App and other services available 'at a later date'.

[via PC World]

Play Contra, Super Mario Bros., Tetris, and more in Google Chrome

Yes, Google, you can proudly herald this one as a major victory for your browser in my books. If other Javascript benchmarks haven't been anything you could get excited about, maybe this one will do it. Ben Firshman's Javascript NES emulator runs best in Google Chrome.

Just head on over to his site (which will likely start bogging down today as this little baby inevitably moves from Reddit to Digg), pick a game, and get ready for some early 90s video gaming excitement.

One downside: you'll have to be cool with a similarly early 90s style screen (think original Gameboy). You'll only get a viewable area of about 256x240. If size isn't a major concern for you, here's a list of the games you can play:

• Contra
• Donkey Kong
• Dr. Mario
• Golf
• Legend of Zelda
• Lemmings
• Mario Bros.
• Pac Man
• Super Mario Bros.
• Tennis
• Tetris
• Tetris 2
• Zelda II
• Super Mario Bros. 3 (partially working)

JSNES works in other browsers, of course, but not quite as well. Firefox frame rates are generally reported to be about 1/10th or less those from Chrome. Safari (and most other Webkit browsers) should be up to the task.

[via Reddit]

Vacuum Places Improved Firefox add-on speeds up Firefox

I have a love/hate relationship with Firefox. I love the functionality it gives me, but I hate how over time it slows down and acts like a bloated pig. Two of the biggest factors that will make Firefox drag are the amount of history it maintains, and defragmentation of the Places database. We've already told you how to fix both of those issues, but it turns out that there is now an extension that takes the place of pasting a command into the error console in Firefox to vacuum the Places database and remove any fragmentation.

Vacuum Places Improved is a very simple Firefox extension that adds a small vacuum cleaner icon to your status bar in Firefox. When clicked, it vacuums your Places database, just like the command that Lee described in his post in August, but with a single click of the mouse. In my case, the results were remarkable - starting Firefox went from taking about a minute and a half to about ten seconds.

[via Lifehacker]

Android 1.6 reaches developers

Watch this video for more info

Maximize Firefox 3.5's Viewing Area for Your Netbook [NetBooks]

Original post from Lifehacker

Your netbook's screen is tiny and processor less than mighty, so you want to maximize the web page viewing area without any performance-killing Firefox extensions. Here's how to consolidate Firefox 3.5's chrome for your Windows or Linux-based netbook.

Even if you don't have a netbook, these modifications still work if you want to consolidate Firefox 3.5's chrome on your regular PC.

(This whole Firefox consolidation undertaking sound familiar? For longtime readers, it should be. Way before netbooks got hot, we consolidated Firefox 2 back in 2006, and then Firefox 3 with the help of Stylish in 2008. This version addresses a few Firefox 3.5-specific items and clears out the clutter sans add-ons.)

Here's what Firefox 3.5 looks like by default (on my Eee PC running Windows XP). Click to view actual size.

There's quite a bit of whitespace on Firefox's chrome just asking to get utilized more efficiently. You can trim the highlighted areas in the image below from Firefox 3.5's interface:

After a little toolbar rearrangement and interface decluttering, here's what consolidated Firefox 3.5 looks like. You can see that a whole other Lifehacker post fits into the viewport after the consolidation. Click to view actual size.

Here's how to maximize your web page viewing area and declutter Firefox's chrome.

Relocate the navigation toolbar, buttons, and search box to the menu bar. To get this done, right-click on Firefox 3.5's toolbar and choose Customize. From there, drag and drop elements on the lower toolbars to the menu bar, and check off 'Use small icons.' (That will flatten the fat 'keyhole' back button.) Hit play for a 30-second demonstration of the process (featuring old-school Lifehacker design).

Trim unnecessary interface doodads with userChrome.css. Just like you can style web pages with CSS, you can also style Firefox's chrome. In order to modify certain aspects of Firefox's chrome without using an add-on like Stylish, you edit a file called userChrome.css, which is stored in your Firefox profile directory. This file is user-specific and you can easily copy it from one Firefox installation to another. Here's where Windows and Linux netbook users can find userChrome.css.

Windows XP
C:\Documents and Settings\[User Name]\Application Data\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\xxxxxxxx.default\chrome\
where xxxxxxxx is a random string of 8 characters.

Linux
~/.mozilla/firefox/xxxxxxxx.default/chrome/

With Firefox closed, open the userChrome.css file and append whatever CSS bits listed in this article you want to apply. If a userChrome.css file doesn't exist, save userChrome-example.css as userChrome.css.

Got your userChrome.css file open and ready for modifications? Let's declutter.

Remove Firefox 3.5's new tab button. Tab bar space is at a premium on your netbook, and you already use the Ctrl+T keyboard shortcut to open a new tab—so you don't need the new (and kind of annoying) Firefox 3.5 new tab button. Add this bit to userChrome.css to kill that button and make room for more open tabs.


/* remove new tab button next to last tab */
.tabs-newtab-button {display: none !important}

Remove the search box's magnifying glass. You can just hit the Enter key to execute a search from Firefox's search box, so the magnifying glass 'go' button is just unnecessary eye candy. With your address bar up on the same level as the menus, you want as much horizontal space for typing search terms and web site addresses, so it makes sense to kill the magnifying glass. Here's the userChrome.css bit that will do just that.


/* remove magnifying glass from search box */
.search-go-button { display: none !important}


Remove and combine disabled buttons. When there's no page to go back to or forward to, nothing loading to stop, or nothing loaded to refresh, all those buttons—back, forward, stop, and reload—just sit there, greyed out, doing nothing but taking up space. You want as much horizontal space as possible, so you can hide disabled (useless) back and forward buttons, and even combine the stop and reload button to make a dual-use single button. Here's the userChrome.css code that will do just that.


/* combine stop and reload buttons */
#stop-button[disabled] { display: none }
#stop-button:not([disabled]) + #reload-button { display: none }

/* don't show back or forward buttons if there's nothing to go back or forward to */
#back-button[disabled='true'] { display: none }
#forward-button[disabled='true'] { display: none }


Optional: Hide bookmarks bar. A lot of my web work depends on easily-accessible bookmarklets, so I did not hide my bookmarks bar, but others who don't feel the same can gain more vertical space by doing just that. From the View menu, Toolbars, uncheck 'Bookmarks Toolbar.'

All the CSS in one shot

To get all these changes in one fell copy-and-paste swoop, grab them from here and drop them into your userChrome.css, and restart Firefox.


/* remove new tab button next to last tab */
.tabs-newtab-button {display: none !important}

/* remove magnifying glass from search box */
.search-go-button { display: none !important}

/* combine stop and reload buttons */
#stop-button[disabled] { display: none }
#stop-button:not([disabled]) + #reload-button { display: none }

/* don't show back or forward buttons if there's nothing to go back or forward to */
#back-button[disabled='true'] { display: none }
#forward-button[disabled='true'] { display: none }

Important for trekkers - Make an Emergency Band-Aid from Tree Fungus

You're accident prone and out in the wilderness without a first aid kit. Bad idea, but thankfully you can make a band-aid out of birch tree fungus in a pinch.

This trick feels appropriate coming from an Instructables user named 'fallscrape.' He shares that Birch polypore, also known as Piptoporus betulinus, makes a for a good emergency band-aid.

Check out the link for details on how to properly identify the fungus needed and pointers on avoiding additional injuries while making the band-aid. Then let's hear your own first-aid tricks for dealing with everyday ouchies and boo-boos.

The Simple Things Missing in Google Chrome

Google Chrome is a beautiful web browser with some very innovative features. This month, Google also launched a brand new version of the browser (Google Chrome 3) to celebrate the first birthday of their baby.

Interestingly, Google Chrome is the only Google product that shed the beta label just months after the first public release while, for comparison, Google Docs stayed in beta for 3 years and Gmail took 5 years to graduate from the Google Labs.

What’s Missing in Google Chrome

Google Chrome has been around for more than a year with three majors releases but there are few very basic features that should have been there from day one but are still missing in Chrome. I am not talking about extensions or toolbars here, just the very simple stuff:

1. Subscribing to RSS Feeds – If you are reading a blog inside Chrome and wish to subscribe to that blog inside Google Reader, you either have to install bookmarklets or need to manually copy-paste the URL into Google Reader. There should be a simple way.

2. Shortcut to Exit Google Chrome – Like all other Windows applications, Chrome supports the Alt+F4 keyboard shortcut to help you close the current Chrome window. However, if you have two or more instances of Chrome running simultaneously, the only way you can close them all is with your mouse (click the Tools icon and choose Exit). A shortcut key to access that tools icon would be great.

3. Email a Page or Link- The good old email is still the most preferred mode for sharing web pages on the Internet yet Chrome offers no native option for sending pages or hyperlinks by email.

4. View Image Properties – Unless you know how to interpret HTML, it’s hard to find basic properties like the dimensions or the file size of any image that’s displayed on a web page inside Chrome. Google is probably trying to keep the contextual menu in Chrome simple but a menu item like "Image Properties" is extremely essential.

5. Creating Bookmarks – You have a bunch of tabs open in Chrome but have to close the browser so that someone else in the family can use the system. How do you save all your bookmarks to a folder so that you can easily resume work later?

6. Reading Blog Feeds – It’s not uncommon to find search results in Google that point to RSS feeds. Opera is brilliant at rendering raw RSS feeds, Firefox will auto-open the feed in your default RSS reader, IE will show a formatted view of the XML file but raw feeds in Chrome are often difficult to understand.

7. Get the Page Title – In IE or Firefox, if you ever need to copy the title of a page, you can simply do a right click and choose "View Page Info". A similar feature is available in Chrome but it would only tell you about your last visit to that site. How do I get the title of that page without looking at the HTML source?

8. Web History – If you look at your browsing history in Chrome (Ctrl+H), the sites are listed in the reverse chronological order with the most recently visited pages listed at the top. The information is however not grouped by date or domain so how do you determine what pages on the xyz.com domain did you visit last Friday?

9. Download Manager – While Google Chrome removed the status bar to save expensive screen estate, the built-in download manager takes up much more space in the status-bar are. There should be a way to run downloads in the background or the download bar should disappear automatically once the downloads are done.

10. Confusing Tabs – If you are a power user and open too many tabs in Chrome, it becomes extremely difficult to figure out what’s there inside each tab because Chrome will hide the favicons and shrink the existing tab to make space for more tabs.

Originally published at Digital Inspiration

Is it time to say good bye to VOIP??

Just as the Department of Telecom, or DoT, has taken a call to bury IMEI-less handsets that could play into the hands of terrorists, reports suggest that your untraceable Voice over Internet Protocol or VoIP services may not live very long too.

Reportedly, India's Intelligence Bureau (IB) has instructed the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology to block all Internet telephony services in and out of India till DoT can devise a method to track such calls.

According to the report, "In the absence of Caller Line Identification (CLI) parameters of calls landing from abroad, it's next to impossible to identify the country of location of the caller. The calls passing through the VoIP/IP route contain inadequate parameters rendering it impossible to trace the actual callers. As DoT had conveyed that it is not possible to mandate transmission of CLI from abroad, IB has approached DoT to block such calls till a technical solution is found."

Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) recommended the lifting of restrictions on Internet telephony in the country in August 2008.

As per TRAI, there are around 34 companies providing VoIP services in the country. If the block is implemented, it is likely to disrupt the habits and businesses of many.

Google chrome 3 goes stable

Over a year ago, Google surprised us all by announcing its very own browser - the rather oddly named Chrome. Back then, the product was in Beta and has since then received two stable update versions. Now, on the eve of its first anniversary, Google has announced version 3 of Google Chrome.

The latest stable version of Chrome comes with quite a few feature additions. If you were on the stable channel for quite some time the addition of themes and the new start page might come across as a surprise. These features were already available in the "unstable" beta builds of version 3 that was available for download earlier. So, for those who have been used to version 3 for a while, there is nothing much to add - except that there are the bug fixes and the fact that this one is actually a stable version.

New Home/ Tab Page The most noticeable part about Chrome 3 is the homepage. The design of the homepage has been tweaked and users can now rearrange thumbnails of most-visited websites by simple clicking and dragging gestures. Additionally, users can "pin" the thumbnails to where they are so that they are not replaced by others in due course. The homepage is also customizable now, with the user getting options to show and hide what he wants on the homepage.

Themes Support Chrome now also supports themes and it already has quite a few interesting ones available for download. Although these are for pure cosmetic reasons, they are worth a look.

Omnibox Gets Better So, what could they have done with the Omnibox to make it better? Give them contextual icons so that you know beforehand if the term you're looking for is a suggested site, a search result, or even a bookmark! Yes, that's what's new with the Omnibox (that's what they call the smart URL field of the Chrome)

Better HTML5 Support The stable version of Google Chrome now supports HTML5 and will now prove to be a decent competition for Firefox 3.5, which recently added the same. HTML5 enables the browser user to natively play video encoded in the open source Ogg Theora format and Ogg Vorbis audio, which provides for manipulation and editing of video without the use of an external program.

It's Faster You've heard this before we guess. So, according to Google, Chrome is actually faster than its previous stable version. As Google puts it, "This release comes hot on the heels of 51 developer, 21 beta and 15 stable updates and 3,505 bugfixes".

Have you tried the new Chrome yet? If you were on the stable version earlier, the update will be automatically passed on to you in due course. If you happen to be curious, you can "force" an update and try the new version. Get Chrome from here.

For winxp download it HERE

Opera mini 5 beta enables tabbed browsing

Java-enabled phones: Opera Mini, the savior of phones with less-than-awesome pre-installed browsers, is available in in a beta version of its fifth release, with an overhauled look, tabbed browsing, Speed Dial startup links, password management, and more helpful tweaks.

The core features of Opera remain from the current 4.2 version, including the ability to turn on Turbo pre-cached content on slow connections and general speed improvements. New to this version are browser-top tabs, a password manager that asks if you want to save credentials after you successfully log in, and a new look and feel for the address and button toolbars. More of what's new is covered in the Mini 5 beta's video guide:

Small update on the browser. This video is even more intersting

Facebook Introduces Google SMS Like Service in India

Around this time last year, Google introduced SMS Channels in India that allowed mobile phone users to subscribe to information channels like news, weather, stocks, etc. through text messages.

Even bloggers could create SMS channels for their own blog and send updates about new articles to their subscribers through SMS messages. The service is still around and continues to remain free for both publishers and mobile phone users though Google adds advertising in text messages.

Facebook recently introduced something similar in India so you can receive text updates on your mobile phone from the Facebook pages of your favorite brands, celebrities, restaurants or even websites.

As a mobile phone user, you can can join any Facebook page by simply texting fan page_name to 9232232665 (92FACEBOOK) from your mobile phone*.

If you want to receive updates about a page on your cell, you can open that page on the Facebook site and choose “Subscribe via SMS”. To turn off updates, choose the unsubscribe option on the page itself or SMS “stop” to the same Facebook number – 9232232665.

Unlike Google SMS Channels which can be be used for both push updates and group communication, the SMS feature in Facebook is primarily push (for receiving updates from a page).

As a blogger, you can use this feature to notify readers about your most recently published articles while businesses can use Facebook SMS to communicate deals and offers with their customers (like Pizza Hut sending out discount coupons to all their fans in India via SMS).

*Before you start receiving updates from Facebook page, you need to activate Facebook Mobile. For that, just send a text message containing only the letter “f” (without quotes) to 9232232665 and you are done. I am not sure if your mobile carrier will charge your for any incoming text messages from Facebook but you’ll of course have to pay for sending one.

Did you know? Interesting videos dont miss to watch

All three looks same but there are some points you really need to know..

Version 4


Version 3



Version 2


Version 3

MobaLiveCD Updates and Adds USB Drive Support

Windows: Want to try out a flavor of Linux or other LiveCD-based tool without installation or even having to exit Windows? MobaLiveCD has updated to include support for both LiveCDs and bootable USB devices.

We introduced you to MobaLiveCD around this time last year—then, it only supported LiveCD disc images. Now you can use both LiveCD ISO files and bootable USB devices. In our tests we were able to boot a variety of Live USB installations like Ubuntu, GParted, and BackTrack.

Using MobaLiveCD is significantly slower than actually booting into the LiveCD/USB and notably slower than running the same LiveCD/USB in a virtual machine. Nonetheless, it's free, an absolute breeze to use, and it allows you to rapidly check out a Linux distribution with very minimal hassle.

MobaLiveCD is freeware, Windows only.

MobaLiveCD [via DownloadSquad]

Use a Vacuum to Clean Dust Particles Caught Inside a Camera Lens [Clever Uses]

No matter how talented a shutterbug you are, a dirty lens can detract from even the most amazing shot. DIY compendium WikiHow has drawn up a step-by-step guide on removing specks and other dust particles from your camera lens with a vacuum.

As the post notes, you'll want to proceed with caution before cleaning off your lens with a vacuum (that means use more traditional methods first); the vacuum method should only be used as a last resort, since even the lowest vacuum power could harm your camera.

This trick involves getting rid of [dust particles] with a vacuum cleaner, when all else has failed and the costs of cleaning the inside of the lens are prohibitive compared to the cost of buying a new camera.

If you've run into some stubborn particles that you just can't clean with traditional methods, the six-step cleaning process involves rolling up a plastic wrap ('forming a thin sausage and leaving a section unrolled'), then wrapping it around the opening.

Browse the full post for the remaining instructions, and if you have a safer lens cleaning method, let's hear about it in the comments.

Clean Digital Camera Lens with a Vacuum Cleaner [WikiHow]

YouTube Auto Buffer: how did I ever watch YouTube without it?

YouTube Auto Buffer is a userscript that fixes a lot of the things that annoy me most about YouTube. It's a beefed up version of the barebones one Lee wrote about last December. Instead of autoplaying a couple seconds of video and having to stop and start because nothing's buffered, this script turns autoplay off and clips fully buffer before playing.

I don't know about you, but I was doing that manually whenever I loaded a YouTube vid anyway. On top of that, it also turns HQ/HD on by default, so you're watching the best available version of each video, and hides the in-video ads that YouTube occasionally shows.

You'll need the Greasemonkey add-on to run YouTube Auto Buffer in Firefox, and the equivalent in other browsers (for Safari, it's GreaseKit). If you don't like all three of Auto Buffer's features, you can turn any of them off in the script's preferences. They're hiding in plain sight underneath YouTube's search box -- not in the Greasemonkey menu as you might expect.

[via Lifehacker]

Another new feature on BING search engine

Microsoft has unveiled new Visual Search feature to its search engine Bing at the TechCrunch50 conference in San Francisco. Full-fledged Bing update is expected later this fall. Users can head to bing.com/visualsearch to see the initial 50 image 'classes' or galleries to help search through results quickly. Just like the search engine, Visual Search is currently in the Beta stage. Visual search looks pretty cool and not merely a search feature but an experience.
Bing search engine's new Visual Search feature is powered by Silverlight that helps the glossy thumbnails to fly around in the result area. We couldn't access the Visual search on Bing India page but could use it after changing the region to US-English. On landing on bing.com/visualsearch, a grid of 50 specifically categorized thumbnails is visible.

The 50 specific categories like Digital Cameras, Dog Breeds, Cell phones, HDTVs and so on. Users can click on either of the galleries and Bing will organize the search result images in a grid form. If you choose cell phones, you can further sort the search results by Brand, Contract Price or Bing Popularity in alphabetical order.

Sorting the thumbnails by specific category will show Silverlight fun with icons flying in the result area. This not only gives a rich user experience but also represents the data in structured format.

Last week, at an annual company meeting, some excited Microsoft employees updated through Twitter - "BING 2.0 terrific!! watch out guys ! bing + silverlight in maps = amazing !! goodbye google." A full-fledged update to the 'decision engine' is anticipated in the coming months, albeit not overnight of course.

Microsoft senior vice president Yusuf Mehdi said, "The whole concept is that the world of search will change. There will be more graphic way people will search." Google had also brought some changes in the Image search option that offers searching similar images. But Bing's approach is totally different though currently limited to specific categories and data.

Women and shopping enthusiast will be delighted with the new Visual Search feature from the 'decision engine' and hope that it won't be brand biased.

Watch the video for more details

Create photo effects on microsoft powerpoint

Microsoft Powerpoint tricks:
I have come accross beautiful video which had tricks to edit photos and give different effects to the photos.
I just want to share with my readers

Phones with No or Fake IMEI Code to Die

"If you're still using that Chinese phone sans an International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) number - or worse, a fake IMEI code - expect your phone to become a brick Dec. 1 onwards.

After sufficient time given by the government to telecom service providers to get subscribers to legalize their handsets by acquiring a genuine IMEI number, it's time for headcounts and headshots.

The Department of Telecom (DoT) has instructed Indian telecom operators to disconnect connections of handsets with fake or no IMEI numbers.

To check whether your phone has an IMEI number:
1. Dial *#06#A 15-digit number will be displayed on your handset.

2. To validate the IMEI, sms IMEI <15> to 53232 (Rs. 3 per SMS)For eg; IMEI 351869910223340 to 53232

Message displayed for correct IMEI - Success!!
Message displayed for incorrect IMEI - Alert!!! Invalid IMEI

3. In case of an invalid IMEI, you can either buy a handset with a genuine IMEI number or can follow the below mentioned instructions:

• Visit only authorized GII (Genuine IMEI Implant) centers, set up on Government approved process, which can implant new genuine IMEI on the handset.
• Pay a nominal charge of Rs. 199 (all inclusive) and obtain a receipt.
• Carry your handset with a valid identity proof for identification purposes while visiting these centers.

The DoT has asked operators to submit their compliance report by Dec. 15.

Keep your razor sharp with Jeans

With a pair of jeans you can extend life of your razor. Checkout video for more information

Apple Slashes iPod Prices, Adds More Storage

At the much awaited Rock and Roll event, Apple's CEO Steve Job came up with a big bang. He announced:

• iPod Nano to get Camera n in more colors
• Slashed prices of iPod
• OS 3.1 for iPhone n iTouch
• iTunes 9

Few old models were quietly dropped and new ones with more storage replaced them. In the new iPod Touch lineup, the legendary iPod Classic gets highest capacity and iPod Shuffle gets more colorful.

Also, there's a price cut as always since September is meant to be Apple's annual product life cycle for iPods. New Faster iPod Touch Two new third generation iPod Touch models in 32GB and 64GB capacities join in the iPod Touch lineup and the 16GB iPod Touch model quietly slips out. Both new iPod Touch models support OpenGL ES 2.0 graphics for accelerated 3D graphics and are boasted to be 50 percent faster. Hence, it s believed that both new iPod Touch models have the same 600MHz Samsung S5PC100 mobile application CPU based on ARM's CORTEX A8's design.If iPod Touch carries the same PowerVR SGX chip as in the iPhone 3GS, it is still capable of running 720p HD video natively. Also, the OpenGL ES 2.0 support will allow game developers for iPhone Platform to make games with better graphics.Big bully iPod Touch 64GB can store up to 14,000 songs, 90,000 photos or 80 hours of video. That's seriously a massive storage for a handheld touchscreen device. Apart from storage bump, the new third generation iPod Touch models have new Genius Mixes feature that is capable of making up to 12 playlists automatically, based on the existing tracks on the device.Third generation iPod Touch also has voice control. So, earphones from Apple or any third party earphones with remote can be used for Voice Control on Music playback. A slew of new features would be added with the iPhone OS 3.1 software update that is available for download from the official Apple site.
Apple sells the new 64GB iPod Touch for $399 (Rs. 19,200 approx.) which is the old price 32GB second generation iPod Touch model. While the new 32GB third generation iPod Touch is now priced at $299 (Rs. 14,400 approx.). Price of 8GB second generation iPod Touch model is slashed by $30 (Rs. 1,440 approx) to $199 (Rs. 9,600 approx.) from $229 (Rs. 11,000 approx.).Unfortunately, rumors that the third generation iPod Touch will get a camera did not materialize and it's like that recent reports of camera module failure might just be true. So, it's likely that the images of iPod Touch with camera that surfaced last month might be of the fourth generation iPod Touch model.

Seven Easy Ways to Integrate Your Google Apps

The information you keep in Google apps like Gmail, GCal, Reader, and Voice doesn't just live in one place. Check out a few easy but non-obvious ways to plug different Google apps together and share their data and features.

Get Your Calendar in Gmail

One of the most useful integrations available for Gmail and GCal users, the Google Calendar gadget puts upcoming events on your email sidebar. To turn it on, just enable the Google Calendar gadget in Gmail Labs. Click on the Options link to configure which calendars you want to display events from, and schedule events directly from Gmail using the gadget's Add link. (Gmail Labs offers lots of other app integrations, like YouTube previews in Gmail, the ability to create a Google Doc from an email conversation, Picasa image previews, Google Docs as well as a Google web search gadget.)

Put Your Gmail Messages on Your Calendar

Gmail Tasks' killer feature is how it can act as a bridge between your email inbox and your calendar. If you add a Gmail message to your Tasks list (just choose 'Add to Tasks' from the 'More Actions' drop-down) and add a due date, that task shows up on your Google Calendar on that date. Even if Gmail's Tasks module isn't your primary to-do list app, this is an easy way to 'schedule' email you don't need to deal with right now but does have a deadline in the future.

Get Google Docs in Your Calendar and Gmail

Courtesy of Google Calendar Labs, you can easily attach Google Docs to any event—like the batting lineup for the company softball game next week. In GCal's Labs area (in Settings), just enable the "Attach Google Docs" feature.

Gmail has had built-in integration with GDocs since back in 2006; any time you have a Word document or spreadsheet email attachment in a message, Gmail gives you an 'Open as a Google Document' link next to it. You can also convert an entire Gmail conversation to a Google Doc by enabling the Gmail Labs' 'Create a Document' feature.

Get Google Profile Feeds in Google Reader

Google's newish Profiles tool offers an interesting integration into Google Reader: the ability to associate people with the feeds they create. When you configure your Google Profile and enter the web sites where you've set up shop, the feeds available for those sites appear on your profile—as well as in Google Reader. When you're following someone in Google Reader, you can easily see their blog and social network feeds alongside their photo and bio thanks to Google Profiles. From the ever-so-specifically-labeled "Browse for Stuff" section in Google Reader, click on the "People You Follow" tab to browse the folks you care about and subscribe to feeds they're creating.

Get Your Google Voice Text Messages via Gmail

Just this morning the Google Voice team added email integration with your text messages. As Kevin reported, you can now get your GV text messages forwarded to your email (Gmail or not) and respond to them from there, without ever touching your Google Voice tab or your phone.

Get All Your Google Apps on iGoogle

You can't mention integrating Google apps without giving iGoogle a nod. GApps addicts' homepage of choice, iGoogle offers Gmail, Google Talk, Google Calendar, Google Docs, Gmail Tasks, and Google Voice gadgets for the ultimate, all-in-one, Google apps jumping-off spot. (In fact, last week during the Gmail outage, iGoogle's Gmail gadget was still working—even when the proper Gmail webapp was down.)

...Not to Mention Integration Add-ons and Your Browser Sidebar

Beyond in-webapp ways to access Google apps data across products, you can also hook up browser extensions like Integrated Gmail or iGoogleBar for Firefox. Alternately, for easy Google apps access no matter what web site you're on, put your browser's sidebar to good use.

What other ways do you use one Google app's data in another? Shout it out in the comments.

Control Where Chrome and Firefox Open Links with Modifier Clicks

The Official Google Chrome Blog highlights three simple but useful shortcuts for controlling exactly what happens when you click a link in Chrome. Incidentally, they also work exactly the same in Firefox, so whichever you prefer, read on for the refresher.

The first, above, opens any link in a new window (not tab) when you hold shift and left-click. (The one modifier click not explicitly mentioned is Ctrl+Click, which opens the link in a new background tab just like middle clicking does.)

Shift+Middle Click (or Shift+Ctrl+Click, since Ctrl+Click is the same as a middle click) will open the link in a new tab, but automatically switch to that tab.

Finally, Alt+Click downloads whatever the link is anchored to directly to your Downloads folder. As I mentioned above, these aren't exactly new—especially if you're a Firefox user (Opera, Safari, and IE all have similar modifier clicks, but they're not all the same)—but it's a good refresher for both the Chrome and Firefox crowd.

Tip: Even more control over opening links [Google Chrome Blog]

Mozilla Releases Firefox 3.5.3 with Security and Stability Fixes

Mozilla pushed Firefox 3.5.3 to servers this afternoon, fixing several security and stability issues. There's nothing terribly exciting in this release, but it's always good to make sure you're using the most stable and secure release, so go to Help -> Check for Updates to upgrade to 3.5.3. If you're really curious, check out the full changelog here. [Mozilla Firefox 3.5.3 Release Notes]

Use a Paper Clip to Power a Remote with One Battery

Easy Remote Control Battery Hack - Funny bloopers are a click away

As commenters at the Metacafe video page point out, using just one battery reduces the range of your remote, and might not work at all with some equipment that requires a certain amount of signal strength to activate. That said, connecting two terminals with an easily-bent paper clip is pretty easy electrical engineering, and it might just save your butt the next time friends are gathered to watch a DVD and your player's remote is one AA short of a full deck.

While you've got your remote open and your DIY cap on, try boosting your remote range with tinfoil, or any of the other remote hacks listed at Wise Bread on the via link.

Google Voice Adds Email Forwarding and Replies to SMS [SMS]

Google Voice's web-based SMS inbox is convenient for frequent texters, but it is, after all, another inbox to tend to. Now, however, you can receive, and even reply to, SMS messages through your email address.

That's convenient on a few different levels. The most obvious is that keeping a Google Voice tab open to track your voice and SMS messages during browsing hours is no longer necessary, as Voice can forward you transcribed voicemail messages with audio attachments and, as of late last night, also forward your SMS messages. The messages arrive from a randomized address at txt.voice.google.com, which makes it nice and easy to set up a new label and filter in Gmail and other mail clients to funnel all your SMS into.

The best part of the SMS emails is that you can reply to them from your email inbox, and they'll appear just as if you'd replied to them from your Google Voice phone number. In Gmail and some other clients, too, that means back-and-forth text messages are wrapped into neat threads, just as they would be on the Google Voice inbox. If you're serious about a single inbox and have regular email access, you could turn off SMS forwarding to your phone and lower, or eliminate, your unlimited texting plan needs.

The one drawback, at least for neatniks, is that the will still sit unarchived in the Google Voice inbox, but if you're devoted to moving your phone messaging life into one inbox, an occasional Select All, Archive isn't too much to ask.

Share some of your clever uses of Voice's SMS-to-email service, or your wishlist for future features (besides, of course, more invites going out) in the comments.

Receive and reply to SMS messages by email [Google Voice Blog]

HTC Hero Unveiled in India

"Android loaded HTC Hero arrives with Sense UI, 5MP camera, digital compass"

HTC has launched its second Android OS-based smartphone, the HTC Hero, in India. This handset will come loaded with intuitive HTC Sense user interface. The phone was first launched in June at an HTC event in London. Airtel customers are offered 100MB free data transfer for six months and pack of Airtel apps like Portfolio Manager, Hello Tune Manager, Weather Channel, Mobshare, In-Mobile search and City Search.

Most importantly, HTC Hero will have Android Market preinstalled. It comes with the support for Google apps like Gmail as well as Google Maps which isn't offered in Airtel exclusive handset. HTC will offer Hero for Rs. 31,990 in India but for Rs. 34,600 in Maharashtra; blame it on the 12.5 percent VAT rates in the city.

HTC Hero has 3.2-inch HVGA (320x280) TFT-LCD touchscreen that will add to HTC's new intuitive mobile interface dubbed HTC Sense. Well, as we noted earlier, HTC sense is the same Android UI that was dubbed as Donut/Rosie when it leaked. Hero packs Qualcomm 528MHz MSM7200A processor with 512MB ROM and 228MB , all together promising a zippier UI navigating experience. Hero supports Adobe Flash which will aid the users for easy mobile web browsing and enjoy Flash-based multimedia content.

The best part is that HTC will integrate HTC Sense UI to the portfolio of its phones and hence, HTC Magic customers can expect new Sense update for their handsets too. HTC will also push firmware updates for Hero since many users had lagging and speed issues.

HTC Sense UI boasts of three major features - gesture control, widgets support and integration of different apps in single view. Gesture control offers features like the phone can be turned over to put into silence mode. Slew of widgets for social networks and productivity can be set to the homescreen - like Nokia and Samsung smartphones now allow. Single view of contact specific interaction is enabled by integrating the history of calls, SMS, and mails with the respective contact photos and Twitter/Facebook updates.

Boasting a 5 megapixel camera, Hero also has a built-in internal GPS antenna which can be used in future for geo-tagging the pictures clicked. HTC has added digital compass and accelerometer in Hero just like Apple had digital compass along with Accelerometer in iPhone 3GS.

Unlike in HTC Magic, music fanatics can hook up any headphones with 3.5mm audio jack in Hero and store more music on media card in microSD memory expansion slot. HTC assures a battery life of 7.8 hours with a 1350mAh lithium-ion battery.

Technical Specifications of HTC Hero:

Processor: 528 MHz Qualcomm MSM7200A -
Memory ROM: 512 MB
RAM: 288 MB
Operating System: Android
Display: 3.2-inch TFT-LCD touch-sensitive screen with 320x480 HVGA resolution
Network HSPA/WCDMA: 900/2100 MHz - Up to 2 Mbps up-link and 7.2 Mbps down-link speeds
Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE: 850/900/1800/1900 MHz
Device Control: Trackball with Enter button
GPS: Internal GPS antenna
Connectivity: Bluetooth 2.0 with Enhanced Data Rate and A2DP for wireless stereo headsets
Wi-Fi: IEEE 802.11 b/g
Data connection interface: HTC ExtUSB (11-pin mini-USB 2.0 and audio jack in one)
Camera: 5.0 megapixel color camera with auto focus
Audio slot: 3.5 mm audio port
Expansion Slot: microSD (SD 2.0 compatible)
Special Features: G-sensor, Digital Compass,
Audio supported formats: MP3, AAC (AAC, AAC+, AAC-LC), AMR-NB, WAV, MIDI and Windows Media" Audio 9
Video supported formats: MPEG-4, H.263, H.264 and Windows Media Video 9
Dimensions (LxWxT): 112 x 56.2 x 14.35 mm (4.41 x 2.21 x 0.57 inches)
Weight: 135 grams (4.76 ounces) with battery
Battery: Rechargeable Lithium-ion battery
Capacity: 1350 mAh
Talk time:
Up to 420 minutes for WCDMA
Up to 470 minutes for GSM
Standby time:
Up to 750 hours for WCDMA
Up to 440 hours for GSM

HTC has smartly priced Hero lower than the iPhone 3G model and offers a number of features that puts the phone head-to-head with it.

Blue audio released on 8th september

The wait for Bollywood’s most ambitious and promising project, the much anticipated India’s first underwater action adventure extravaganza BLUE is over.

The first glimpse of BLUE was unveiled at Cinemax in a grand media event by none other than Music Maestro A.R. Rahman, sound expert Resul Pookuty, Director Anthony D’Souza and Producer Dhilin Mehta as they presented a unique ‘Sound Promo’ of the film.

Audiences too will get a sneak peek of the extravaganza on their television screens and on the big screens too as the theatrical promo opens with the weekend releases. An underwater action thriller BLUE captures the fast paced action, above and below the ocean as never seen before in Indian Cinema!

All set to hit theatres this Diwali on October 16th, Blue is produced by one of the biggest production houses Shree Ashtavinayak Cine Vision Ltd., which has tossed out landmark films like Jab We met, Bhagambhag, Golmaal, etc. And this time, producer Dhilin Mehta has once again defied norms and raised the bar in film-making.

Under the visionary direction of debutant Anthony D’Souza this oceanic spectacle features Bollywood stars like Sanjay Dutt, Akshay Kumar, Lara Dutta, Zayed Khan, Rahul Dev, & Katrina Kaif.

Having an amalgamation of Hollywood and Bollywood, the film boasts of the best technicians from across the world. The wild scenic beauty of the oceans has been captured by the underwater specialist cinematographer Pete Zuccarini, who has worked on Hollywood blockbusters like PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN and DEEP BLUE SEA.

That’s not all; the fast paced racy action has been choreographed by action director James Bomalick who had set our pulses running with THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS – TOKYO DRIFT earlier.

When you’ve got such stellar cast and crew, can the music be far behind? This all-round action packed grandiose has none other than Oscar Winner A. R. Rahman composing the tracks for the film with the winning combination of Resul Pookuty engineering the sound.

And just when you thought you’ve got the best combination, the icing on the cake comes in the form of International pop-sensation Kylie Minogue who has performed a special number in the film along with the leading cast of the film!!!

Looks like the countdown to Bollywood’s most awaited film has begun!

Download Blue (2009) Mp3 Songs

1. Bhoola Tujhe

2. Aaj Dil

3. Chiggy Wiggy

4. Rehnuma

5. Fiqrana

6. Blue

Tata Docomo launches pay-per-character Diet-SMS

You had heard of the pay-per-second module for voice calls from Tata DoCoMo, the GSM brand of Tata Teleservices Limited. Now, the company has announced another innovative offer in the country called 'Diet-SMS'.
Though this, subscribers will be given the option of paying for any SMS they send on a per-character pricing plan. The cost of any 'Diet-SMS' will be 1 paisa per character used for up to 15-character SMS.

The 1 paisa per character charge with no charge for the spaces between words.

To activate the Diet-SMS service:

Type the mobile number followed by a space followed by the message and sms this to the short code 52208.

Or, go to the SIM-based menu on the phone (called Dive-in Now), scroll to the diet-sms option under the English Language menu, open it and send the SMS.

Lastly, you should know that the Diet-SMS service is available to customers on the per-character pricing plan on the Tata DoCoMo network only.

YouTube Auto Buffer Makes the Popular Video Site a Lot Better [Downloads]

Firefox with Greasemonkey: The YouTube Auto Buffer Greasemonkey script tweaks the popular video sharing site to fix some of its most common annoyances. Specifically, it stops videos from automatically playing, turns on HD/HQ playback for all videos, and hides in-video advertisements.

All three of the tweaks YouTube Auto Buffer makes can be toggled, so if you'd really like to get rid of in-video ads but don't want to always watch videos in HD or prefer that videos play automatically, you can just disable the two unwanted features. Or at least they can be toggled in theory. I had trouble getting my preferences to stick, so your mileage may vary.

Either way, it's a nice little script that aims to fix some users' common YouTube annoyances. For some other YouTube-specific tweaks, check out our very own Better YouTube Firefox extension. (With any luck, maybe we can convince Gina to incorporate some of the YouTube Auto Buffer features into said add-on.)

YouTube Auto Buffer is a free download, works with Firefox and the Greasemonkey extension.

YouTube Auto Buffer & Auto HD & Remove Ads [Userscripts via gHacks]

Tata Docomo SMS offer in Kerala

Tata DoCoMo has introduced an 'SMS Offer' for all its existing and new pre-paid customers in Kerala, reports The Hindu Business Line.

With this, Tata DoCoMo pre-paid customers in Kerala can avail100 free local and national SMS everyday for till Nov. 25.

Only the first SMS of the day will be charged at 60p for local and Rs. 1.20 for national text messages. Also, do remember that the first chargeable SMS should be a non-VAS SMS. International messaging will not be included in the free SMS offer.

Will this offer will come to other states also?