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Google Buzz Desktop Apps

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We have been constantly writing about Google Buzz ever since it was announced last week.

We had mentioned how to test it before starting to use it in Gmail, we had written about the Google Chrome extension for Buzz that displays your buzz notifications without needing to open Gmail in new browser windows or tab.

And most recently we have come up with the tip to How to Completely disable Google Buzz from Gmail,

Tip #1.And today we are covering one more tip about Google Buzz, not actually a tip but we are talking about a desktop application for Google Buzz called “Google Buzz Desktop” (GBD).

GBD is based on Adobe AIR platform, installs and works smoothly.

Buzz Desktop Application Adobe airFeatures:

* Updates every 2 minutes
* Emulates iPhone version of Buzz on desktop (Like mentioned here)
* Works on any platform/browser.

DOWNLOAD

Tip #2 You can also create your own desktop application as a Site-Specific Browser (SSB) app for Google Buzz.There’s a guide at mashable (using Prism) on how to do it.But actually it’ creates SSB web app for Gmail not Buzz alone.This tutorial isn’t just for Buzz alone, you can create SSB apps for any website that uses cookies for login info and you want to simultaneously use multiple accounts at the same time.

google-buzz-fluid

Google Responds Again Over Google Buzz Privacy Concerns

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Google Buzz official Logo

Well, Google has responded for the second time in the week of the launch of Buzz over the continuous increase in concerns regarding the privacy of the users using Google Buzz .

Google has taken some steps to address these main concerns (if not all), over the Buzz, adding some settings to it.

It’s very rare that see hear the word “sorry” from Google, like this one:

We quickly realized that we didn’t get everything quite right. We’re very sorry for the concern we’ve caused and have been working hard ever since to improve things based on your feedback.

There have been mainly 3 updates in Google Buzz settings from Google based on the user feedback.

#1 No auto-following only auto-suggesting: Google has disabled auto-following in Buzz, you will see auto-suggestions suggesting people to follow instead.

Google Buzz follow suggestions techrena.net

#2 Buzz will not connect your public Picasa Web Albums and Google reader shared items automatically.

#3 Disable Buzz completely:  Google has added a link under settings in Gmail tthat allows you to hide, or completely disable Buzz from Gmail

Hide Or Completely Disable Google Buzz In Your Gmail

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Well, it seems Google is hearing all those privacy concerns raised all over the web by the users that made Google to respond quickly and yesterday they have updated Google Buzz with an option to completely  disable or turnoff it from your Gmail account.

Just follow these steps to know how to do this:

  1. Go to the bottom of your Gmail page, i.e navigate to the region that is located below your email messages appears.
  2. You’ll find options like “Last account activity”, “Gmail view” etc.
  3. Under “Gmail view”, locate “turn off buzz” link and clicking on that one will relaod your Gmail but without Buzz

Turnoff Google Buzz

There’s another way you can do it (I doubt that this setting is not available to all users right now)

  • Go to seetings

Gmail settings link

  • Locate “Buzz” tab under settings, under this tab you will find an option “Disable Google Buzz Completely” also you have option to “Hide Google Buzz in Gmail”

Disable Google Buzz Or in some accounts, this show/hide option may be located here:

Hide Google Buzz

New Comodo Dragon Internet Browser Based On Chromium

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Comodo Dragon Internet Browser: One More Chromium Browser

comodo browser logo

Comodo Dragon is a Chromium technology based free browser set to offer fast and safer browsing experience to the internet users.

Comodo Dragon, of course has similarity with Google Chrome as it’s also based on Chromium technology.But it doesn’t support Chore extensions, make a note of it.

Features:

  • Improved Privacy over Chromium
  • Easy SSL Certificate Identification
  • Fast Website Access
  • Greater Stability and Less Memory Bloat
  • Incognito Mode Stops Cookies, Improves Privacy
  • Very easy to switch from your Browser to the Dragon
  • Has privacy enhancements that surpass those in Chromium’s technology
  • Has Domain Validation technology that identifies and segregates superior SSL certificates from inferior ones
  • Stops cookies and other Web spies
  • Prevents all Browser download tracking to ensure your privacy

We have downloaded and checked the latest version 1.0.0.5.Here are the screen shots of the browser:

Comodo dragon browser screenshot

About Comodo Dragon comodo dragon settings techrena.net

The installation file size (DragonSetup.exe) is larger than most  of the browsers (Opera – 9.5 MB, Firefox – 8 MB, Chrome- 12 MB) except Safari (28.3 MB).

If you are fine with Chrome, it’s ok.But if you want to have one just another browser like Google Chrome, just grab the Comodo browser from the below link.

DOWNLOAD:

Comodo Dragon Internet Browser(version 1.0.0.5)

How To Show ‘Post Excerpts’ Only On Archive Pages In WordPress

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If you use a WordPress you would better know that managing archives is very essential in terms of SEO prospective.

It’s a SEO rule that if you don’t use ‘nofollow’ for archive pages, you should use ‘excerpts’ only in your theme archives rather than showing full posts, as it creates the problem of duplicate content for the search engines.

Even though many WordPress themes in recent are coming with just excerpt only pages for archives by default, there are still come classic themes like (WordPress Classic theme for instance) that will show full posts under archive pages.In this post I’ll cover how to disable full posts for archive pages.

[Fortunately for showing excerpts on homepage, we have Homepage Excerpts plugin, but for archive pages, we need to follow the below procedure]

Steps:

This method is very simple and involves a very minor code editing.

1.First, go to your “Theme editor” page from your WordPress Dashboard.

Theme editor under WordPress dashboard

2.Under the theme files, find and open a template file called archives.php (in some themes, you need to look for tag.php and category.php template files included separately for each type of archives)

In the template file look for something similar to the following line

<?php the_content

Archives php file the_content

3.Replace the above line with, the following line:

<?php the_excerpt(); ?>

After editing:

archives php the excerpt5

Now open your archive pages (tag/category), and you will only see the post excerpts instead of full posts.

Now your archive pages will show first 55 words of the blog post as excerpt.But you can still personalize it.Either you can use ‘Post Excerpt’ field under your WordPress WYSIWYG editor or you use “more” tag present under “HTML” mode in your post editor.

More Tag:

Using ‘more’ tag splits your post into parts, and adds ‘Read More” link

More tag in WordPress Post editorOr use ‘Excerpt’ field under the post editor in WordPress

Excerpt field in WordPress Post editor

Note: If you are using some professional theme, you may not find archives.php or other files in your theme template files.

Opera 10.50 Beta Available For Download

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Opera has released the beta version of their browser Opera 10.50 which Opera claims as the fastest browser on Earth.The new JavaScript engine that they have included in Opera 10.50 beta release makes it faster than the current version of Google Chrome, according to Opera press release.[Scroll down to the page for download link]

List of new features at a glance:

  • # New clean look
  • # Private browsing
  • # Search right from the address bar
  • # Windows 7 & Vista integration (Windows taskbar Aero support)
  • # New menu bar

Opera 10.50 screen shot

Windows 7 integration [Tabs preview Just like in Internet Explorer 8]:

Opera 10.50 tabbed windows on the dock

Opera fastest browser claim

Download link: Download Opera 10.50 Beta for Windows

Verdict: Although Opera 10.50 may not look like ‘the faster browser on earth’ that Opera is claiming, it has really improved in performance, speed, design and lot of other things.Good work, team Opera !!

Extension Focus: Google Buzz Updates in Google Chrome

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Google Buzz was launched a couple of days ago, and many Gmail users all over the world are still in the process of exploring the various features of it.

And the app developers are busy developing Buzz-based applications just like we are flooded with lots of Twitter apps ever since its launch.

If you have become a fan of Google Buzz and want to have easy access to it, well here’s some good news for you.If you are using Google Chrome, you can make use of the extension called “Chrome Buzz” from the Google chrome extension gallery.

When you install this, you can see all your buzz notifications right from an icon that’ll be placed next to the address bar in Google Chrome.Well, you can just read the buzz updates, but there’s no way you can comment on the updates, make a note.

Google buzz updates in chrome

Google Chrome Mac Version Gets Extensions, Bookmark Synchronization

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Hello there, Mac OS folks, there’s a good news for you.Google Chrome has just released it’s beta version for Mac OS with the support for Chrome extensions, Bookmarks sync between computers and lots more other features.

Chrome has just announced the release of Google Chrome beta for Mac.

Google Chrome Techrena

With this new version, you’ll be able to install any of over 2,200 extensions currently available in Chrome’s extensions gallery.You can manage your extensions by clicking on the Window menu and choosing "Extensions."

Download Google Chrome Mac Beta [version 5.0.307]

More tips:You can learn how to use Greasemonkey in Chrome, How to download YouTube videos from Chrome, How to remove most visited sites from Google Chrome.

Google To Experiment Fiber Network For Providing High Speed Internet In US

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Google Turns ISP

Google has revealed its plans to setup and test ultra high speed broadband networks in one or more trial locations across the United States.

Google’s fiber-to-the-home connection could offer ultra high speed data transfer up to 1Gbps, 100 times faster than the average access speeds that the Americans currently have.

Initially the service would be offered on a test basis at a competitive price to 50,000 to 500,000 people across the US.

Google will keep collecting responses from various communities over this project till March 26, 2010 and will announce the implementation details of this fiber networking project.

google logo smallgoogle fiber house

Google has listed the following three things as their goals that they are aiming through this project:

  • Next generation apps: Enabling developers to develop bandwidth-intensive killer apps
  • New deployment techniques: Testing new ways to build fiber networks
  • Openness and choice : Operating an “open access” network and let the users have the choice of multiple service providers

I’m jealous of the lucky US people who manage to get Google fiber-to-the-home connection.When India is still struggling with the implementation of 3G services to offer Mbps speeds, Google is thinking of Gbps :(.

[To keep up with 3G rollout in India here’s the latest info: Well, TRAI is considering 4G as well, good news]

What are you planning to doo with a 1Gbps internet connection at home? leave comments..

No Google Buzz Yet? Check How It Works Even Before It Comes To You

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Google Buzz has just been announced and it’s only available to few unlucky [:)] fellows initially.But if you are curious to know more about it or to use it before you could really get it into your Gmail, well there is a way for you, folks.

Trick here is although Google buzz is not available for all users at present, Google buzz layer by default has been activated to all the users.That means when you log in using your iPhone to Google Buzz page, you can actually see the Buzz layer where you can post updates and read updates from your followers and find more people to follow.So we are now going to spoof our User Agent to be as ‘iPhone’ so that we can see the Google Buzz mobile features in our big desktop screen.

STEPS:

Step 1: Go get a copy of Apple Safari browser and install it on your PC.

Step 2: Open Safari, open Settings by clicking on the ‘gear’ icon on the right most corner of the window and click preferences.

Preferences in Apple Safari

Step 3: Preferences window will be opened up.Go the ‘Advacned’ tab in the window and check “Show Develop menu in menu bar” option.Click ok and close the Preferences window.

Show Develop Menu in menu bar Apple SafariStep 4:  Navigate to “Develop” menu bar in your Safari broswer and under ‘User Agent’, select Mobile Safari 3.1.2 (iPhone or iPod touch)

User Agent selection in Apple SafariStep 5: Go to the address bar and type buzz.google.com and you’ll see your Google buzz page similar to the one shown below.

google buzz mobile preview

Please note that “Nearby” in Google Buzz doesn’t work here as it works in an GPS enabled phone.

Via