Google Experimenting With New Toolbar Menu

A black toolbar is displayed on almost every Google property. The bar displays links to popular Google services as well as options to sign in and to open the settings configuration menu. The black bar is part of a global redesign of core Google services, and has been only recently added to those web pages (see New Google Sign-In Page and Change Google’s Black Navbar Back To White as starting points).

François Beaufort discovered (likely via Motou Xiao) that Google is already experimenting with a new toolbar layout that changes the display significantly (again). Francois posted instructions on how to display the new menu right now.

The two commands show what’s inside. They do not trigger the new menu, and are probably only interesting to developers or coders who know they way around JavaScript.

Go to www.google.com/ncr, open your console, and enter dir(window.google.Toolbelt) and dir(window.google.kennedy) to see what’s inside.

I tried to run the commands but could not get them to work. The menu looks like this.

The new toolbar, or toolbelt as Google calls is, is a dropdown menu that appears when a user clicks on the arrow next to the Google icon on a page where it is enabled. The dropdown menu displays the very same links that are displayed in the black navigational toolbar at the moment.

The black navbar has been completely removed and most of its elements have been moved into the header of the Google page itself. The unread messages count and share button on Google+ for instance have been moved to the header on that page.

It is not clear if Google will remove the black toolbar on all of its properties to replace it with the new menu layout, if it is a Google+ only change or if project Kennedy won’t make it to a public release.

The benefit of the new layout should be obvious: More screen estate for the site’s contents.

What’s your take on the new layout? Do you think that Google will go ahead and make it the new default design for their pages?

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© Martin Brinkmann for gHacks Technology News | Latest Tech News, Software And Tutorials, 2011. | Permalink |
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Use WebSiteSniffer To Download Internet Files Automatically

All web browsers save website files automatically to a temporary folder whenever a website is loaded (unless it is a secure website) Html files, images, other media files and CSS files are just some of the files that get saved automatically. The browser cache is actually a great place to find interesting files, images or videos for instance that you viewed in the browser. While it is possible to do that manually, it is often a better idea to automate the process. And that’s where WebSitesniffer comes into play.

The portable software monitors a network adapter for Internet traffic. It automatically saves select Internet file types to a custom storage location so that those files remain on the system even if the browser cache itself is deleted.

It is necessary to configure the capturing on the first start of the program.

You can define the base folder where all downloaded Internet files are stored in and the file types that you want to capture. Available for selection are among others image, video, audio and text file types.

The capture method supports three different methods. First raw sockets which is not as reliable as the others, and then WinPcap Packet Capture Driver or the Network Monitor Driver, both available for free on the Internet. All network adapters of the computer system are displayed in the same configuration menu. If multiple are installed it is up to the user to select the one that needs to be monitored.

WebSiteSniffer from that moment on monitors the Internet traffic on the system. It displays all host names, the number of files and file types, the transferred size and the storage location in the interface. It is possible to stop the capturing at any time with the F6 key or a click on the stop button in the toolbar.

Selected items can be saved as text, xml or csv files on the system. The reporting options hint at other uses, like creating reports or logs for specific websites or projects.

Users who want to download Internet files can configure the program to only specific file types like image formats. There is unfortunately no filter available to restrict the downloads to files of a certain size or resolution.

Windows users can download the monitoring software WebSiteSniffer from the Nirsoft website. The program is compatible with all recent 32-bit and 64-bit editions of the Windows operating system. Please note that some Windows users may need to run the program with elevated privileges if they want to select the Raw Sockets capturing method.

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© Martin Brinkmann for gHacks Technology News | Latest Tech News, Software And Tutorials, 2011. | Permalink |
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Post tags: download files, internet filter, monitoring software, nirsoft, portable software, windows software

Free Fake Antivirus Removal Software Updated

Fake antivirus software has been on the rise in the past years. The term refers to malware that disguises itself as system protection software. Some of those programs fake malware infections to lure the user into buying an upgrade to remove the non-existing threats on the system. Others are plain malicious in nature or are disguised as official antivirus solutions from well known companies such as AVG, Microsoft or BitDefender.

The biggest advantage for attackers when it comes to fake antivirus software is that users install the software by themselves on their systems. There is no need to exploit a security vulnerability or hack a PC, all that is needed is a legitimately looking website that offers the fake security software for download.

I reviewed the Remove Fake Antivirus software for the first time back in 2009. Back then it offered to remove 27 different fake antivirus suites and programs from a Windows system.

A new version of Remove Fake Antivirus has been released today, bringing the version of the program to 1.81. More important than that is that the program is now supporting a total of 74 fake antivirus programs.

All that needs to be done is to run the portable software on an infected system to remove any of the supported antivirus programs.

A click on Start scans the system for fake antivirus processes and files. The program cleans everything automatically after scanning system directories (including windows, winsxs and the user profile folders) and known fake antivirus directories thoroughly.

The scan may take some time depending on the speed of the computer and the hard drives. It may be required to reboot the computer if fake antivirus software has been found on the system.

Here is the list of fake antivirus software that the software can remove.

• Data Recovery
• Wolfram Antivirus
• Security Protection
• Windows Antivirus 2011
• Mega Antivirus 2012
• AVG Antivirus 2011
• PC Security 2011
• ThinkPoint
• ThinkSmart
• Antivirus 8
• Security Tool
• My Security Shield
• Antivirus 7
• Antivirus GT
• Defense Center
• Protection Center
• Sysinternals Antivirus
• Security Master AV
• CleanUp Antivirus
• Security Toolbar
• Digital Protection
• XP Smart Security 2010
• Antivirus Suite
• Vista Security Tool 2010
• Total XP Security
• Security Central
• Security Antivirus
• Total PC Defender 2010
• Vista Antivirus Pro 2010
• Your PC Protector
• Vista Internet Security 2010
• XP Guardian
• Vista Guardian 2010
• Antivirus Soft
• XP Internet Security 2010
• Antivir 2010
• Live PC Care
• Malware Defense
• Internet Security 2010
• Desktop Defender 2010
• Antivirus Live
• Personal Security
• Cyber Security
• Alpha Antivirus
• Windows Enterprise Suite
• Security Center
• Control Center
• Braviax
• Windows Police Pro
• Antivirus Pro 2010
• PC Antispyware 2010
• FraudTool.MalwareProtector.d
• Winshield2009.com
• Green AV
• Windows Protection Suite
• Total Security 2009
• Windows System Suite
• Antivirus BEST
• System Security
• Personal Antivirus
• System Security 2009
• Malware Doctor
• Antivirus System Pro
• WinPC Defender
• Anti-Virus-1
• Spyware Guard 2008
• System Guard 2009
• Antivirus 2009
• Antivirus 2010
• Antivirus Pro 2009
• Antivirus 360
• MS Antispyware 2009
• IGuardPC or I Guard PC
• Additional Guard

The portable nature of the application makes it a great addition to a PC technicians toolbox. Have you ever encountered fake antivirus software? How did you resolve the infection?

Windows users can download the latest version of Remove Fake Antivirus from the developer website.

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© Martin Brinkmann for gHacks Technology News | Latest Tech News, Software And Tutorials, 2011. | Permalink |
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Post tags: fake antivirus, fake antivirus removal, portable software, remove fake antivirus, windows software

MetroIE, Run Internet Explorer 10 Metro Under Windows 7

It is only a matter of time until software developers find ways to bring features of new or upcoming Microsoft Windows operating systems to previous versions of said systems. One of the first features to get ported to Windows 7 is the new Metro version of Internet Explorer 10 that Microsoft will ship with the upcoming Windows 8 operating system.

If you have followed Windows 8 news you know that the operating system will ship with two different versions of Internet Explorer. Both use the same core but are different in many regards otherwise. Users can access the standard Internet Explorer 10 browser from the desktop, or the Metro Internet Explorer when they are in the Metro interface of the system. The core difference? Metro Internet Explorer has been optimized for touch based devices like tablets. The browser is started in fullscreen automatically and uses a minimalistic interface with barely any user interface elements.

MetroIE, available in an early beta version, ports that version of Internet Explorer to the Windows 7 operating system. It seems that users need to have the latest version of Internet Explorer 10 which is currently available as a developer preview. IE 10 final will ship with the Windows 8 operating system.

The web browser is only available for Windows 7 and Windows 8, which explains why MetroIE is also only compatible with Windows 7 and not Vista or XP.

MetroIE is a small portable file that Windows 7 users can run to get the metro style Internet Explorer 10 browser on their system. The browser starts in fullscreen and looks in many regards like the original available in Microsoft’s Windows 8 Developer Preview. Here is a fullscreen screenshot of the browser in action.

Users basically have access to the address bar and a few basic browser controls after the browser is started. It does away with the taskbar and other elements of the Windows desktop. Users who want to exit the fullscreen mode need to right-click the address bar and select exit from the context menu. Pressing the Windows button switches to the desktop where everything is available again.

It happened once that the address bar disappeared and that I had to kill the process using the Windows Task Manager. From a user’s perspective, it is safe to say that most Windows 7 users won’t like the slim web browser as it is time consuming to switch back to the standard desktop. It may have its uses on kiosk PCs or public PCs where users need to be limited though.

Windows 7 users can download the latest beta of MetroIE from the developer’s Deviant Art website. The application is part of the developer’s bigger Origami project which tries to port the Windows 8 start screen in metro style to the Windows 7 desktop. (via)

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© Martin Brinkmann for gHacks Technology News | Latest Tech News, Software And Tutorials, 2011. | Permalink |
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Post tags: internet explorer 10, internet-explorer, portable software, web browser, windows software

Monitor and Troubleshoot Your PC’s Operations in Real Time

One of the most common questions I’m asked when people email me with PC questions is how they can find out exactly what it is that’s causing X disk operation or eating up Y memory or Z processor cycles.  The good news is that this is actually really easy to find out.

In Windows Vista and Windows 7 the new Resource Monitor is able to give you real-time information about just about everything going on inside your copy of Windows.  You can access it by typing the word resource into the Start Menu search box.

The Resource Monitor itself is split into different tabs and panels.  The tabs along the top will give you an Overview of your PC’s and Windows operations, but there are also tabs to give you detailed and in-depth information on your CPU, Memory, Disk and Network.

Each tab is split into collapsible panels that give you detailed information.  Where it comes in especially useful is in the following scenarios.

Scenario A – Your PC suddenly slows down at random moments and you can’t check why.  You have a look in the Task Manager but can’t see what it is that is chewing your processor cycles or memory.  Leaving the Resource Monitor open will give you much more detailed information than you will find the Task manager, including real-time graphs of exactly what’s going on.

Scenario B – Your network connection is slow and you don’t know why?  Using the Resource Manager you can see exactly what is using your network connection and how much bandwidth it’s using, not just overall, but split across your different connections and separating out Internet and local network traffic.

Overall I can’t recommend the Resource Monitor highly enough for helping diagnose and repair problems with slowdowns and bottlenecks on Windows PCs.  The Resource Monitor is very easy to use and understand and give you details of exactly what program or process is eating away at your valuable computer resources.

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© Mike Halsey (MVP) for gHacks Technology News | Latest Tech News, Software And Tutorials, 2011. | Permalink |
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Post tags: resource monitor, vista, Windows, windows 7

How To Outsource Assignments, Tasks To Free Up Time

Time is valuable. For some, it is more valuable than anything else. If you run a business like I do, you will encounter tasks that need to be done but waste lots of precious time. A basic example would be comment moderating, checking for broken links or answering emails. While it is not always possible to outsource those tasks, especially not so if you do not want to provide a third party access to the data, there are other tasks that can be easily outsourced to free up time.

When I say outsource I mean to hire a third party to perform that task for you. And this can be anything that you are comfortable to share. From homework assignments to creating a new website, writing an article or converting documents. Outsourcing on the Internet works best for tasks that are technology related, even though they are not limited to that.

Lets take a look at one of the marketplaces where you can outsource your tasks. Fiverr on first glance does not look like a place where any sane person would outsource tasks on. You pay $5 regardless of the task which, depending on the task, feels awfully low. I’d suggest to use the search first to find suitable providers. Lets say you are looking to get your math assignment done. Enter math, or something more specific like algebra or geometry in the search form and look at the results.

Some providers offer to solve math problems, homework or assignments for the $5 that you pay. Before you click on the first best provider you need to know how to find a suitable provider for the assignment. Click on all providers and check both their gig rating and seller rating. A good provider has a rating of 100% or near that percentage. Make sure you read all user reviews on the gig page as well.

I would suggest to contact the seller prior to ordering to make sure that the provider is currently available and able to complete the task. If time is of an essence you may want to look for express delivery providers who can complete tasks in 24 hours or less.

But solving math problems is obviously only one task that you can easily outsource on Fiverr. Lets take a look at a random selection of things that people will do for you for $5.

• I will do your Programming and Algorithm Assignments and related work for $5
• I will convert an image or a basic psd template to valid html for $5
• I will create and design your wordpress blog or site for $5
• I will give you my 15 years experience as a talk show, radio voice narrating your script for $5
• I will improve your website with 10 tips for $5
• I will give you full ranking stats for up to 3 websites for any keywords you want in Google, Bing and Yahoo for $5
• I will professionally review YOUR Linkedin Profile and make Recommendations for Success for $5
• I will plan your trip to Vienna, Austria for $5
• I will create an artistic watercolor wallpaper of any person for $5
• I will create a christmas theme LOGO intro for $5

As you can see, there is lots of variety going on. Website owners and administrators for instance find many offers on Fiverr to promote, advertise or improve their websites.

Here are five tips to get the most out of Fiverr:

• If it sounds to good to be true, it usually is.
• Always contact providers first to see if they are available and if they can complete your tasks. Make sure you describe the task thoroughly to the provider.
• Check provider ratings and user comments before ordering.
• If no one is offering what you are looking for, try requesting a gig instead and make sure you describe what you need thoroughly.
• If you are ordering a lot of gigs on Fiverr, think about enabling the DamnQuickPay option for one-click payments (without having to log into PayPal every time).

Some providers offer a lot for the $5 that you pay them. It can happen that you get a lot of value for the money.

Fiverr is not the only place on the Internet where you can outsource to. Sites like Microworkers, Peopleperhour and even the more expensive Elance and Get a Freelancer can be used to outsource your tasks.

The tips above with the exception of the fifth tip are valid for all those sites. Always make sure you read reviews of a provider before you hire them. Have you outsourced before? If so, what was your experience?

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© Martin Brinkmann for gHacks Technology News | Latest Tech News, Software And Tutorials, 2011. | Permalink |
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Post tags: fiverr, freelancer, get a freelancer, Online Services, outsource

Alternative Literature

Tweetfilter, Twitter Filters And Customizations

Twitter users do not have a lot of filtering options on the official site. While it is possible to switch from timeline view to mentions or retweets, there are not a whole lot of other filtering options available. Want to filter for media tweets or replies? Then you have to use a third party Twitter software like Tweetfilter. The userscript is compatible with the majority of modern browsers and adds new filters and other customizations that are easily accessible and usable on the Twitter website.

Once installed it displays an always visible module at the lower right side on the Twitter website. The userscripts filtering options are displayed by default. Available are Twitters own filters plus filters for replies, links and media tweets. A click on one of the filtering options displays only those messages on the Twitter page.

Tweetfilter furthermore supports the creation of custom filters, for instance by keyword, username or hashtags. The system is very flexible and can be disabled or inverted at any time with a single mouse click.

Customizations are the second core feature that Tweetfilter offers. Here it is possible to configure a variety of settings that change Twitter features and what users see when they open their personal Twitter timeline.

This includes basic customizations like hiding advertising or invite friend suggestions but also more advanced features like automatically hiding the top bar, displaying alerts or hiding promoted content on Twitter.

A total of six tabs are available to configure Twitter features and modules like the timeline, dashboard or filters.

• filter independently all retweets (including classic RT-format), media, replies, Tweets with links from timelines with tweets
• custom filters for keywords, full-word (exact) match, username, mentions, hashtags, real name, source (via) with live updated match count
• shortened link expansion
• highlight Tweets mentioning you
• customize timeline layout, add via information, new menu options
• customize dashboard and aspects of the twitter.com layout gaining more space and remove distractions
• show friend status in Tweets (who you follow, who follows you)
• sound and message notification on new mentions and/or direct messages

Twitter users who hang out on Twitter’s homepage most of the time can use the Tweetfilter userscript to improve the site’s functionality significantly. Especially the filtering options come in handy for users who receive a significant amount of messages every day.

Tweetfilter can be installed from the official userscript website. The script is compatible with Firefox 3.6+, Chrome 10+, Opera 11+, Safari 5+ and Internet Explorer 9+.

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© Martin Brinkmann for gHacks Technology News | Latest Tech News, Software And Tutorials, 2011. | Permalink |
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