Tech Tips » google chrome

How to Become a Tab Pro

admin — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 15:17:32 +0000

All my friends used to make fun of my tab usage. I don’t blame them either; at any given moment in a browsing section, I would have anywhere from 20 to 40 tabs opened in one window. Everyone would tell me to stop middle-clicking every link to open in a new tab, but to me, having that original Google search really helps if the tabs I open at first aren’t as helpful as I would like. Then, I just delete the unhelpful tabs, and go back to the Google results page that I left open.

My Evolution of Tab Usage

First, let me explain my current ideal setup of tab management. In a perfect world, I could select multiple tabs from a browsing session (perhaps through holding shift and clicking the tabs I’d like to select) and create a group from the tabs selected or move them into an existing group. I could nest these tab groups like folders, and they would not take up any system memory until I need to access them to continue browsing the topic of that group. Not only would I be able to save browsing sessions, I could save tab groups as well, and I could recall any session or tab group at any time of my choosing. There is still no browser out that can do what I just described, even with a plethora of extensions added in.

There are various tab management tools out there, and there have been for a while, but I’ve never found one that has quite managed to do what I want. To my knowledge as a fledgling web-crawler, Firefox offered the earliest tab management extensions that I found useful. However, to get the most optimal tab management setup, I ended up having to install several (like 3 to 5) tab extensions to really get a browser with the capabilities I wanted. Even with all the extensions installed, Firefox would start to act a little funky, with tab extensions behaving unusually and the browser itself being quite prone to crashing.

After a good year or so of trying to get Firefox to work to my liking, I switched to Google Chrome – which at the time didn’t have any extensions or tab management (beyond saving the tabs open when you close the browser) – and decided to just use a browser that didn’t crash and not worry about tab groups and session saves.

Session Buddy for Chrome

After a while, Chrome finally offered extensions, and I started using Session Buddy. Session Buddy is a nice but limited tab management extension. You can save any session you have open, deleting any open tabs you’d like from the save. However, you can’t group tabs unless they are open in separate windows.

I tried out this browsing technique, having separate windows open for each topic. It works well if you go through the trouble of remembering to create a new window for every new topic you browse. This task can be more challenging and tedious than it appears. Often times, I will start to open a couple tabs with a slight tangent to the topic that I’m researching, and pretty soon I will have a window that is half one topic, half another. Separating these topics into separate windows is not as easy as it should be; you have to pick out each tab individually from the original window and place them into the new one.

Tab Groups Manager for Firefox

After getting tired of having 10 windows open at a time to control my tab count, I figured maybe I should go back to Firefox and see if things have changed (it helps the Firefox 4 had just released). I remember Tab Groups Manager from my early days of using Firefox, but its features are much improved.

First off, I did not need to install any other tab management addon. I have a very meticulous level of tab management at my fingertips just from installing this one extension, which is amazing. The addon is quite simple: On top of your regular tab bar of the browser is the Tab Groups Manager bar, which allows you to create new groups for your tabs and “hibernate” (essentially save for later) any tab groups that you aren’t currently using and don’t want to take your system memory.

As you can see in the picture above, your tab groups are labeled by “name(number of tabs).” You can drop and drag any tab into any other group or you can drag a whole group out of the current window into a new one. The only feature I would like to see added to this addon would be a multiple tab selection function session (perhaps through holding shift and clicking the tabs I’d like to select) that allows me to send those select tabs to any existing or new group. At the moment, I still have to drop and drag each tab individually. Still, I find this easier than having to drop and drag tabs to whole other windows (as the windows often overlap). So, at the moment, I am using Firefox solely for its Tab Groups Manager.

An all in one Chrome extension for Google+

admin — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 14:42:12 +0000

With the introduction of Google+ in the social networking scenario, a lot of browser addons and extensions have already been developed. Extensions for having Google+ notifications, quick view etc. are already available for Google Chrome. If you are a power user, you must be seeking something that makes using Google Plus on Google Chrome an extravagant experience. GTools+ is an extension that may be the perfect tool for Google Plus you’re looking for.

With GTools+, users can have a unified Google bar i.e. all your personalized menus appear on all the Google services. GTools+ lets you make the Google+ bar appear always at the top while scrolling on Google Plus.

GTools+ offers a lot of other features as well. You can prevent opening a link in the Google+ bar on another tab or another window. Besides that, you can also change the color of the notification bubble on the Google Bar or change the position of chat on Google+. You can also add a translation link in the right click menu that will translate any update in another language to your language. Besides that, it also lets you have notifications for Gmail and Google Reader right in the Google Bar.

GTools+ can be very handy for users who want to use Google Plus more efficiently.

© Skydweller for Tech Tips, 2011. | Permalink | | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: chrome extension, Google, google chrome, Google Plus
chrome extension, Google, google chrome, Google Plus

Quick view the links shared in Google+ through Chrome

admin — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 05:22:13 +0000

Twitter after its new redesign lets you see shared videos or photos from Youtube, Vimeo, Flickr, Yfrog, Twitpic etc. without leaving the site. Wouldn’t you want a similar functionality on Google+ where you can view a site shared on Google+ without having to leave the page? Quick View for Google Plus is a Chrome Extension that lets you view content shared on Google+ without leaving the website.

Quick View for Google Plus adds a quick view functionality to Google+. For example, if a friend of yours shared a news item on Google+, you can read it without opening the page in another tab. Just install the Chrome Extension for Google Plus and next time you see any link shared on Google+, you should be able to view it right from there. After installing the Quick View for Google Plus extension refresh Google+ and select any update that has a link. Now hit the space bar. The content from the shared link will then be loaded in a popup window on top of Google Plus. To close the popup, press Space Bar again and you will be back on Google+.

Google Plus already has some keyboard shortcuts like the “J” and “K” button for scrolling the page. With extensions like Quick View for Google Plus, using Google+ can be a better experience.

© Skydweller for Tech Tips, 2011. | Permalink | | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: chrome extension, google chrome, Google Plus, website
chrome extension, google chrome, Google Plus, website

The Google Chromebook – a laptop with limited mobility

Audiorent — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 21:41:13 +0000

Google have recently launched their own laptop in an attempt to offer an alternative to the might of Microsoft and Apple. The Chromebook will only run one piece of software – Google’s own web browser Chrome with all email, word processing and other applications being operated via online tools. All data will be stored on secure internet servers which Google claim will increase the level of security as your work will be safe even if the laptop is stolen.

The low-cost laptop is the culmination of a six year development and Google say it will be far easier to use than traditional laptop computers with schools and the Government already expressing an interest in them despite mixed reviews in the US.

A potential major pitfall of the technology is its reliance on having an internet connection which restricts it to use only in locations with 3G or WiFi connectivity available. The Chromebook is available with an inbuilt 3G modem as well as WiFi but this is still no use in locations with no connectivity available.

This issue unfortunately detracts from the machines positive aspects such as its ease of use and long battery life. If you are a Google customer setting up the machine is as easy as logging into your Google Mail account, with all your contacts, bookmarks, email and calendars being instantly imported. In addition to this the main laptop operations for most users of web browsing, email and document editing are particularly straightforward.

Overall the Chromebook will appeal to users who are looking for a highly simple and user friendly platform, but those who require the ability to use their laptop away from an area of internet connectivity will have to stick to a standard laptop for the moment at least.

© Audiorent for Tech Tips, 2011. | Permalink | | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Google, google chrome, Internet, laptop, WiFi
Google, google chrome, Internet, laptop, WiFi

Latest version of Google Dictionary extension for Chrome supports translation

admin — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 16:46:08 +0000

The latest version of Google Chrome Dictionary extension supports translation as well. In the previous version, you could just double click any word and a bubble would pop up showing its meaning. Now you can also translate the word with this latest version.

Now, if you are viewing a page in any other language, you can double click a word and you’ll see its translated meaning in your desired language. Or you can simply select a word and click on the dictionary icon in the address bar. This is handy if you need to translate a whole sentence.

You can change the settings for this extension by right clicking on the extension’s dictionary icon in the address bar. You can choose to hide the icon from the address bar and also configure such as to show meanings only on Ctrl+ double click instead of just Double click. But one interesting thing about this extension is that it doesn’t work on Google chrome’s extensions gallery pages. This Dictionary extension for Google Chrome is currently available for eleven different languages.

Install this extension on Google chrome and you’ll find it easy to look up meanings for words or even translate words from the foreign languages on the fly. You can download the extension from Google’s extension Gallery.

© Skydweller for Tech Tips, 2010. | Permalink | | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: error, Google, google chrome, plugin, Software, translation
error, Google, google chrome, plugin, Software, translation

Download and save YouTube videos using Google chrome

admin — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 15:32:15 +0000

YouTube these days doesn’t let you download videos via sites like javimoya.com or other such sites. But with this nifty trick, you can download and save YouTube videos right from Google Chrome.

You’ll need to install IE tab plugin for Google chrome. You can download it here. With the plugin installed click on its icon next to the address bar to load a browser interface of Internet Explorer. Now open your YouTube video in this tab. When it is fully loaded, click on the “Settings” button on the right side of the IE Tab address bar. You’ll have a page on a new tab where you’ll see an IE Options button. Not to forget you’ll fully need to load your video before you do this.

Now click on the Settings button on the lower part of the resulting dialog box. Then you’ll see a “view files” button. Click on it to view the temporary files that have been stored in your computer’s temporary folder. Your YouTube video is also one among these. As we all know that video files have relatively larger size than other files used in a webpage. So, right click on the window and Arrange files by size. Now, the video that you just played on YouTube sits right at the top of the list. Just copy it and paste it elsewhere on your hard disk.

This little trick will allow you to save YouTube videos on the fly even though YouTube’s system restricts downloading it. This trick works with just any kind of flash videos you see in websites.

© Skydweller for Tech Tips, 2010. | Permalink | | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Firefox, google chrome, IE, Internet, plugin, Youtube
Firefox, google chrome, IE, Internet, plugin, Youtube

Print previewing and downloading via Manager in Chrome

admin — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 17:21:59 +0000

You might have noticed that some websites explicitly require Internet Explorer. Internet Explorer Tab or IE tab is a very useful plugin for chrome that enables you to view a page as it would look on Internet Explorer. But besides that it is also nifty for some other tasks like print previewing in Google Chrome, downloading via download manager on right-click and so on.

First you’ll need to install IE Tab plugin or addon for Google Chrome. You can download it here. After installing you’ll see a nice little IE tab icon beside the address bar. With your required webpage opened, click on this icon to load the page in an Internet Explorer Tab. Now right click on the page and you’ll see a “Print Preview” option in the context menu. Click on it and see how the page will look on print.

Many of you may like downloading software or any other stuff via download managers for faster downloads. Many download managers do not support Google Chrome but support IE just fine. Open up your page via IE Tab and right click on your download link. If you have your download manager (Orbit Downloader, FlashGet etc.) installed, you’ll see a “Download via Orbit Downloader” or similar option in the context menu. Click on it to download directly from the download manager. You can also download embedded videos or other media via Google chrome.

So, isn’t it easy to use Download Manager Print preview a page on Google Chrome?

© Skydweller for Tech Tips, 2010. | Permalink | | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Downlaod+Manager, Download, google chrome, IE, Print+Preview
Downlaod+Manager, Download, google chrome, IE, Print+Preview

Google Chrome out for Mac and Linux too

admin — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 07:37:16 +0000

Google Chrome, the browser that is gaining much popularity today has built temptation for Linux and Mac users regarding the launch of Chrome for these platforms. Well now Linux and Mac users will be able to use Chrome, or to say a crash prone version of Chrome.

Google just released Chrome for Linux and Mac but its full of bugs. Google itself has acknowledged the instability of this release of Chrome. This is actually a developer channel version of Chrome and Google has discouraged to download this unless one is a developer and can cope with sudden crashes. There are so many misfits in this release like, you cannot use Youtube, change your privacy settings, set your default search provider or even print. Google promises to come with a beta release as soon as possible.

I would suggest not to download it but if you are desperate to try it out, you can download it here.

© Skydweller for Tech Tips, 2009. | Permalink | | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Download, Google, google chrome, Mac, Youtube
Download, Google, google chrome, Mac, Youtube

I just fought a malware on this WordPress blog

admin — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 13:10:29 +0000

My blog was facing a malware issue in the last few days. Well I wasn’t aware of this fact. About 5 days ago, when I tried to open my blog in Google Chrome, it showed a malware warning. I was pretty much surprised to see that, because my blog was running smooth on Chrome just the day before. I thought either there’s something wrong with my computer or Chrome was screwed up.

I wasn’t much bothered that day. The next day, when I was writing my post(the post earlier to this), I noticed that there had been some change in the post editing area. There was a large empty space before the heading area. Well I didn’t give it much attention and went on writing the post. But when I clicked on the “All in one SEO pack”tab at the bottom of the page, it refused to drop down. This had never happened. I thought that Firefox’s Javascript might be turned off but it wasn’t. I opened my blog’s wp-admin in all other browsers including Opera, safari and Internet explorer but it made no difference. I couldn’t think of any other way to insert the imporatant SEO parameters like Meta description and meta keywords without all in one SEO pack so the problem was a big one for me.

Then I looked up in the error console in Mozilla Firefox. It showed an error saying that there was an error in a function in a javascript file located at http://94.247.2.195/jquery.js(Please don’t try to visit this link, this is a malware). I instantly got alerted as this was the same IP address that Chrome was showing when it gave the malware warning. This was not the IP address of my host and I instantly got into believing that there was something wrong. I opened this link and saw a chunk of Javascript code. I now got sure that the malicious script had been installed on my blog. I Googled up about this and found that many other bloggers have been suffering from this.

First I changed the my FTP password. I then replaced all the core WordPress files especially the wp-admin and wp-includes folder. But this didn’t remove my blog’s malware. Then I realised that there was a problem in the wp-content folder. I was right. When I looked first in my theme-files I found Javascript code in a couple of them that looked like this:

This was actually related to nothing regarding my blog. So, I knew that this was the malicious code or the blog malware that was causing troubles in my blog. I then went through all the files in my theme and removed the code where they were present. But this was not the end. The problem still persisted. I then looked into some of the installed plugins and the code was present there as well. I had manually removed the code from the theme because it had some customizations. But the plugins file could be replaced with the fresh copy. So, I replaced all the plugins with the fresh copy of each. This time I thought I had uprooted out the blog malware. But I could still see the script in my blog. Now there was no place to look other than the “public_html” folder. I went through each file and found another chunk of code in the wp-config.php file. You can see it here. This is actually a very vital file for wordpress blogs as it is holds the database information. I removed the javascript code and uploaded it. I then checked my blog and the malware script had vanished. But when I opened my blog in Google Chrome, it showed that my blog had a script from jl.chura.pl which is a malware hosting site. This was present in an iframe in the index.php file of of my theme. I removed this. Finally I did a “View Source” on my blog and saw that the script had been removed.

This kind of blog malware can actually come across any blog if one is doesn’t pay attention. First thing that I’d like to suggest is that, don’t set the write permissions for “group” and “public”. You can set this from FileZilla via the File Attributes option. This will prevent the script from spreading further. And once you think that there is some malicious script or malware in your blog, instantly change your FTP password before attempting to remove it. You should also make sure that your computer is free from viruses and malwares.

I had asked a question on Google Webmasters Help Forum regarding this problem and had got some really good advice. Thanks to all you guys for being so helpful!

© Skydweller for Tech Tips, 2009. | Permalink | | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: blog, files, google chrome, Javascript, malware, wordpress
blog, files, google chrome, Javascript, malware, wordpress

Greasemonkey for Chrome

admin — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 07:10:40 +0000

Google Chrome lacks supports for addons or widgets that are offered by popular browsers like Firefox and Opera. But Google Chrome’s latest beta release has support for popular Greasemonkey scripts. Many people may not be familiar with greasemonkey. Greasemonkey is an extension for Mozilla Firefox that allows users to write scripts that change the functionality of a webpage. A website can be made more interactive with Greasemonkey. For example increasing Twitter’s functionality with Troy’s Twitter Script, modifying favicons etc. One can also interconnect two sites to integrate the information from both sites. You can add the things which the site owner failed to add. The scripts can be written written manually or downloaded from userscripts. Greasemonkey lets you create mashups and themes as well.

But the use of Greasemonkey in Chrome has some restrictions. Google Chrome can read the scripts only from C:\scripts. To use greasemonkey for Chrome, you first need to append –enable-greasemonkey to the shortcut of Chrome. It ignores the @include metadata due to which the script is restricted to one or more websites, i.e. the scripts will only work on pages that are handled by @include metadata.

Greasemonkey support is added in Google Chrome’s build 3499 and later. You can download it from here.

© Skydweller for Tech Tips, 2008. | Permalink | | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: google chrome, greasemonkey, Mozilla addon, scripts, userscripts
google chrome, greasemonkey, Mozilla addon, scripts, userscripts

Tech Tips » google chrome

How to Become a Tab Pro

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