Ubuntu 10.04 Lucid Lynx has been officially released on 29 April 2010. If you are planning to install the latest version of the popular Linux distribution, here's a comprehensive survival guide to Ubuntu Lucid Lynx.

What's Ubuntu?

Ubuntu is an open source Linux operating system offered by Mark shuttleworth's Canonical Ltd. It is one of the most user-friendly and popular Linux distro.

Is Ubuntu for me?

If you think you will have to use codes for working with Ubuntu, you are mistaken. Ubuntu is simple and intuitive for an average Joe and  reliable workhorse for expert computer coder. After the launch of software Center in Ubuntu, one doesn't need to use any geeky commands for installing softwares or media codecs. Just open the tool, search for an appropriate application from a vast repository of open source and free programs and install it with a single click. It's as user-friendly as Windows, but far more stable and error-free.

If I use Ubuntu, I won't be able to open Windows files or music!

Ubuntu gives you the freedom to switch seamlessly between Windows or other Operating system and Ubuntu. You can listen to you Windows music collection in Ubuntu, watch videos and also work on Microsoft Word documents sent by your colleagues. One can also install 9dual-boot) Ubuntu and Windows side by side on the same computer and use the a drive partition on both the operating systems. This means you can work on some presentation in Ubuntu, then save it on the disk, and then work on the same file after booting Windows.

What can I do with Ubuntu?

1. Create and edit on documents, presentations and spreadsheets with OpenOffice.
2. Browse the Internet with Firefox Web browser.
3. Use Evolution Mail for easy, intuitive email.
4. Chat with Empathy by integrating your chat accounts from Yahoo, Gmail, MSN, Jabber and many more.
5. Access your Facebook and Twitter accounts in Menu Me panel.
6. Download pictures from phones and cameras and organize them with F-Spot. Use popular tools such as Picasa, Facebook and Flickr instantly. Edit the pictures by installing GIMP.
7. Watch videos from YouTube or DVDs. Edit your videos with Pitivi.
8. Install hundreds of games from Software Center and have fun.
9. Organize your work using the four work space or desktops available. 
10. And a lot more.

What's the recommended system requirement for Lucid Lynx?

You computer should meet the following requirements (though not necessary) for installing Ubuntu 10.04 Lucid Lynx:

• 1.0 GHz or more processor
• 256 MB RAM
• 10GB hard drive space

How to get Ubuntu Lucid Lynx?

Easiest way to get Ubuntu Lucid Lynx is to download it for free.
If you have a slow Internet connection, you can purchase Ubuntu discs.
You can also request for free CDs of Ubuntu from Ubuntu ship It.

I downloaded the stuff. What next?

Ubuntu is offered for download as a disc image or ISO file. ISO files are created by copying a disc in totality, creating an exact duplicated when burned on another disc. If you are using Windows, download and install ImgBurn. Now use it to burn the Ubuntu ISO image on a blank CD. Now, you have got a Ubuntu bootable CD that can be used for installing the Linux on any computer or testing it by running it as a Live CD (the operating system is started from the disc itself, without affecting the existing settings of the computer).

Got Ubuntu CD. Now what?

If you intend to install Ubuntu Lucid Lynx as the sole operating system on your computer, just pop-in the CD in the drive and restart the computer. You will get a screen asking you to "Press any key to boot from CD". Press any key to start the process.

If you don't see the message, your computer's BIOS setting needs to changed so that the computer tries to boot from CD before hard drive. Restart computer and press F2 or what ever is the setup key mentioned in the start-up screen for entering BIOS settings. Navigate between the tabs using arrow keys and make the appropriate change in "Boot device order" or similar setting. Save and exit.

Let your computer boots using Lucid Lynx CD. Don't choose to install right now. Make sure that your Internet connection works with the Ubuntu system. If not, seek help from your service provider to set it up for Ubuntu. An active Internet connection is vital for proper customization of Ubuntu and also for installing other applications.

Installing Ubuntu Lucid Lynx

After you have satisfied your self by exploring Ubuntu, click on the "Install" icon on the desktop. It will start a graphical interface for installing the latest version of Ubuntu. Keep selecting the appropriate options (language, location, etc.) from the lists till you reach  "Prepare disk space" section. 

Prepare the disk: partitioning the hard drive in Ubuntu

In "Preparing disk space", Ubuntu installer gives you the option to organize your hard disk in more manageable way. It's always better to partition your hard disk into as many manageable partitions required for keeping the operating system on one partition of the hard drive and files and folders on the rest.

If you do not see any option in the partition window, don't panic! It's because you have some of the drives mounted to the Live CD boot. Cancel installation and go to “Places” in the top panel (menu) and then “Computer”. To unmount the disks, right-click on the pyramid icons next to mounted partitions and choose unmount. Start installing afresh.

In "Preparing disk space" segment, you will have three options:

1. Use the entire disk
2. Guided partitioning
3. Manual partitioning

Use the entire disk: As the name suggests, this option will use the entire disk for installing Ubuntu. It will erase any previous data or operating system such as Windows installed on the computer. It's not advisable to use this partition even if you want the entire computer for Ubuntu. Partitioning the hard disk allows you to easily reinstall the operating system or change to another one without disturbing your data.

Guided partitioning: This option helps create partitions of the hard disk by detecting the installed operating system and installs Ubuuntu along side the existing operating system. It allows you to retain the installed operating system along with a fresh Ubuntu install. This option fails if you need to install several operating systems.

Manual partitioning: Everyone should opt for this option as it allows the user to set up the computer in a more organized way and also have as many operating systems as desired (two, three, four, any number).

If you aren't installing Ubuntu on a fresh system, you will see some partitions listed in the partition manager window. Delete existing partitions to start afresh. If you are already had Windows or any other operating system installed on one partition on the computer, and data saved on other, you can save all your data. Just delete the partition that contains Windows, usually the first one is the C drive. If your computer was shipped with a rescue partition with pre-installed operating system, do not tamper with it unless you are too sure that you don't need it in future.

Create a swap partition: We need to create a Linux swap that Ubuntu will use as additional memory. Choose the unpartitioned space from the list and create new partition by entering a partition size of 2048MB (2GB, or 1024MB if you need to save space), set "use as" option to "swap area".

Create the Ubuntu partition: Next we need space for installing Ubuntu Lucid Lynx. Select the unpartitioned space and create a new partition by entering the size of the partition (ideally 10GB or 10000MB or more) and select the "use as" as "Ext3 journaling file system" and "mount point" as "/".

Create the Ubuntu Home partition: If you want to save lots of data in default Ubuntu folders, consider creating a "Home" partition of appropriate size. Set  "use as" as "Ext3 journaling system" and "mount point" as "/home". Ubuntu will use this partition as "Home" folder, the default location for saving documents, music, videos and pictures in Ubuntu. Creating a separate "Home" partition also comes handy when reinstalling Ubuntu. You don't have to create any backup of the files as only the main Ubuntu folder is tampered with.

Create storage partitions: Now that we have the partitions ready for use by Ubuntu, we need to create at least one partition from the remaining space for use as our storage drive.  Select NTFS or Fat32 format from "use as" list.

Problem creating partition? In case you have trouble partitioning the disk, create them before beginning Ubuntu installation. Booted using the Ubuntu Live CD. Go to System > Administration > Partition Editor. Create the required partitions (a Linux swap, one Ubuntu partition, a Home partition (optional) and storage partitions). Start installing again. When you reach the "Preparing disk space" segment, choose "Manual partitioning" and then just select the Ubuntu partition for installing Lucid Lynx.

Complete the installation process.

Get Ubuntu manual

Getting Started with Ubuntu 10.04 is a beginners guide for the operating system. The manual will come handy in setting the Internet connection and also seeking help from you Internet provider. Apart from this, it will help you get familiar with Ubuntu. Download Ubuntu Manual.

Additional Ubuntu guides

Six must-have applications for Ubuntu Lucid Lynx
Dual-boot Ubuntu and Windows with common storage drives
Make Ubuntu mount partitions and drives automatically at startup

Ubuntu 10.04 Lucid Lynx is on its way for a public release. Here's a list of 6 applications that you must have on your Ubuntu system if you are installing the  operating system afresh or if you don't have them already. But before that the basic.

How to install an application in Ubuntu?

a) From Ubuntu Software Center: Go to Applications > Ubuntu Software Center and search for the application or tool in the list. Click install. Can't get any easier. If it's not available in the software center, download a .deb package of the application and run. (Deb packages are Ubuntu or Debian Linux equivalent of .exe installation files in Windows.)

b) Using the Terminal and command line: If you want to be geeky, you can use the command line for installation. Go to Applications > Accessories > Terminal.

Type the command: sudo apt-get install application-name.

If you want to uninstall, replace install with remove: sudo apt-get remove application-name.

Ubuntu restricted extras/Gstreamer plugins

Ubuntu does not ship with in-built support for various media formats such s .mp3, .mp4, flash and Java files. Ubuntu restricted extras will add codec and file to support them and enable you to enjoy your music collection without any hassle.

Gstreamer plugins for adding media support is available in Software Center channel, so it's more convenient to install.

sudo apt-get install ubuntu-restricted-extras

VLC Media Player

VLC is undisputedly one of the most versatile multimedia player. It will play almost everything: mp3s, videos, flash, CDs and DVDs.

sudo apt-get install vlc

GIMP Image Editor

If you have a digital camera or a phone camera, you should install GIMP. Earlier, it came pre-loaded with Ubuntu, but now it has been categorized as a geeky application that's used by medium to advanced users. That's why it has been kept out of the default applications. GIMP is a Photoshop alternative that comes handy when you need to process your images or makes some interesting collage.

sudo apt-get install gimp

Gnome Do

Starting a new application can sometimes be a pain. You need to first go to the Applications menu, then to the appropriate segment and search for the entry. Launchy or Gnome Do application launchers will ease the pain.

Gnome Do makes the process of launching new applications a breeze. Just start typing the name of the application and hit enter when you get the desired one in the Gnome Do's eye-candy suggestion window. Or else type the first letter and then use down arrow key to choose from the available options. Gnome Do can also be used for searching your files and folders, chatting with friends or sending a tweets, thanks to plug-ins that come with it.

Gnome Do can be dowloaded from the Ubuntu Software Center. Once installed, you will have to configure it on its first run. Click on the small down arrow to choose Settings from the menu. Check "Start Gnome Do at login", "Hide window on first launch" and "Show notification icon" in the General tab.

In the Keyboard tab, you will see that the hot key for calling and hiding Gnome do is set as <Super> <Space>. What's <Super> key? It's the Window or Command key. If you want to change the shortcut to, say, <Ctrl> <Space>, double click on the shortcut and press the two keys of your choice simultaneously.

In the Plugins tab, choose the ones that you want to activate. In the Appearance tab, you can check "Always show results window". Now your Gnome Do is ready to serve at your slightest hint.

Launchy is another application launcher, but it's lacks some features of Gnome do. The default hot key for calling Launchy is <Ctrl> <Space>. If you want to be able to use Launchy on top of other applications, click on the configuration icon (looks like a gear) and tick the "Always on top" option.

Launchy is not available in Ubuntu software channel and will have to be downloaded from its website. If you are using a computer with Inter processor, download Launchy_xx.xx_i386.deb file. If your's is an AMD computer, download Launchy_xx.xx_AMD64.deb. After downloading, run the installer. You will find Launchy in the Applications > Accessories channel after successful installation.

Google Chrome

Google's new web browser is making its place among users with its speed and its growing list of add-ons. Even if you are more comfortable with the default Firefox Web browser, installing Google Chrome will only do good as an alternative browser. Google Chrome is also not available in the Ubuntu software channel, and will have to be downloaded from its website.

Opera is also a good alternative Web browser, with focus on bells and whistles.

Ubuntu Tweak

Though I have listed Ubuntu Tweak at the end, it's the one which you should install first. Ubuntu Tweak comes handy in easily managing and tweaking the settings of an Ubuntu system. It allows you to install and uninstall applications, choose display settings and manage your desktop settings, among others. It can also be used too install a large number of application (including some of the above listed ones) easily using the graphical interface. It also includes Compiz Settings Manager.

Go to Ubuntu Tweak's download page and use any one of the listed methods for installing the tool. I would suggest you follow the link to download the latest .deb package and run it on your system.

Do you miss spell-check feature in any Windows application? tinySpell is a small, free tool that adds spell-check in any Windows application, even if it was not shipped with a spelling checker.

While one is typing, tinySpell keeps a tab in the background and whenever it detects a misspelled word, it beeps and shows a spelling tip, and the tinySpell icon in the system tray turns from white to yellow. The tool also check the text copied in clipboard.

When a misspelled word is detected, click the tinySpell icon or press the hot-key to get a of suggested words. If the misspelled word is detected in copied text, one can select a correction from the list. The selected word is inserted into the document, or is copied to the clipboard so that you can paste it in your document, or both (depending on your settings).

This small application installs itself in the system tray for easy access, thus not cluttering your desktop. tinySpell is a totally free tool, though there's a paid version as well.

Image: tinySpell

In scorching summer, what's better than enjoying cool, watery melons? If you can't enjoy watermelons for real, this melon-shaped China-made USB drive should help pacify your desire. Take a bite of this watermelon and then use it for storing data.



This 8GB pen drive isn't as tempting as it looks, thanks to the exorbitant retail pricing ($36.58 apiece) on the Chinese manufacturer's website. Also, you cannot be sure of its quality. Still, it can be fun to possess in scorching summers.

Via Chinavision

The Internet has a huge number of websites but still there might be scope for a successful local news website or a site about the local cinema or theatre. If your website idea is stuck due to lack of adequate technical know-how and funds, here's how you can create one with just hosting space on a PHP-enabled Web server. Doing away with the need for a database such as MySQL will help you reduce cost by more than half as a few hundred MB of space (that should be sufficient for a start-up website) is far cheaper than that with a database.

What is a CMS?

Any regularly updated website such as a news site uses a Content Management System, or CMS, for creating and managing content. A CMS makes the process of creating and managing content on a website simple by automating the process. It is a must for any website that wants to add conetent frequently.

There is a huge number of CMSes, both open source and free as well as paid, available on the Web, almost all of them rely on PHP and MySQL database. Some good free CMSes include Joomla, Expression Engine and Text Pattern.

What is PHP and MySQL?

PHP, or Hypertext Preprocessor, is a server side scripting language that is used for processing requests and serving websites. Every Web hosting provider shoould have PHP enabled on your web space by default.

My SQL is a database for storing content, of course. Web hosting providers will charge you extra for a database.

If all CMSes require both PHP and MySQL, how can we have a CMS-enabled website without a MySQL database?

GetSimple CMS

Yeah! GetSimple, a CMS that can be installed on any Unix/Linux-based Web server with Apache and PHP. (Don't worry about the terms. All Linux Web server will have both of them.) It requires just a few minutes to get your CMS ready for your website.

How to install GetSimple CMS

Before installing the CMS, you will need to buy a domain name (Web address such as www.mydomain.com) and hosting space. You will also need to point your domain name to your Web space. If you buy both domain name and web space from one provider, you will not have to worry about pointing your domain to your web server. There are plenty of options for buying domain names and web hosting. Choose a reliable local hosting provider or any international host of repute. After you have got your domain and web space ready, follow these steps:

1. Download GetSimple.
2. Unzip the content to find a GetSimple_x.xx folder.
3. Now use an FTP client such as FileZilla to upload the contents of this folder to the root (main or top) folder of your web space (or to a subfolder where you you want to locate the CMS website). (Your web host will provide you with the details and password for FTP access to your website space.)
4. Make sure that you have read and write permissions for your folders, particularly the folder /data/ which will store and serve the content of your website. Use the tools or ask your web hosting provider to set the folder CHMOD to 775 or a+rw. CHMOD
5. 775 or a+rw allows you to read as well as save files in the folder.
6. Now use a Web browser to type the URL of your website if you have uploaded the content in the main folder. If you have uploaded the content to a subfolder, type http://mydomain.com/subfolder in the web browser.
7. An installation screen will appear. Fill it to claim your website.
8. Change the password after you sign in with the system generated password.
9. Go to Support > Website Health check to know the status of your CMS website.
10. Now go to Settings page and set your time zone. Also, tick the "Use Fancy URLs" option to get pretty URLs like http://mydomain.com/my-popular-article instead of something like http://mydomain.com/index.php?get=my-popular-article. If mod_rewrite has not been enabled for your web space, you will have to get that done for using pretty URLs.

How to create content in GetSimple?

For creating new content, go to Pages > Create New Page. You will get an HTML editor for adding content.

The HTML page editor does not have functionality to add images and other media. For this you need to go to Files > Add Files and/or Images. Copy the URL to the image or a thumbnail or the file for use while creating content in pages tab.



Use Page Options at the top of page HTML editor to set the URL/Slug of the post, add tags, add meta descriptions to be used by search engines such as Yahoo! and Goolge, make it a child page of some main page, use a particular template for the page and to add the page to the website navigation bar.

If you want to publish the content later, check the Keep Private option.

How to customize GetSimple website design?

GetSimple has a few themes made available by GetSimple as well as on its support forum by its community. Download the themes, unzip them and upload them to the theme folder in your GetSimple installation on the Web. Now go to the Themes page and activate the desired theme. If you have some understanding of PHP and CSS, you can use the GetSimple Documentation page to learn how to create GetSimple template.

Limitations of GetSimple

GetSimple does not have a dynamic sidebar where you can show latest posts, comments, etc. All of it will have to be inserted manually using plain text and or HTML. Though it lacks sophistication, but that shouldn't be counted as a drawback since it has been created to be that way, simple.

Download GetSimple CMS

Facebook has introduced Like button for websites and blogs. People can Like or Recommend the webpage or website or blog to their friend by clicking this button, thereby increasing the reach of your blog or website.

How to add Facebook Like button below every Blogger post?

1. Log in to Blogger. Go to Layout > Edit HTML option of your blog and tick the checkbox that says "Expand Widget Templates".
2. Look for ‹data:post.body/› and post the following code below it:


3. If you want the Like button to appear below all posts even on homepage, use the following code instead:


4. Save the template.

How to customize the Like button?

1. You can change the button text from "Like" to "Recommend". Look for action=like in the code and replace it with action=recommend.

2. To change the colour scheme of the button, change colorscheme=light to colorscheme=dark or colorscheme=evil.

3. Replace the font=arial parameter with the font of your chhoice:

• font=arial
• font=lucida+grande
• font=segoe+ui
• font=tahoma
• font=trebuchet+ms
• font=verdana

How to add Facebook Like button in Wordpress?

1. Open the Single.php file and look for <?php the_content(); ?>. Paste the following code above or/and below the code, depending on wether you want the Like button to appear above the post or below the post or both.


Customize the button as mentioned above.

If you want a Like button for your blog or website, Facebook has created a tool for it. The tool for generating the Like button code can be found at the bottom of the Like plugin page. Just type your website or blog URL or address in the designated box, make your desired changes and generate the code. Copy the code and paste it on your website or in blog sidebar.

Showing images of those who liked the post: If you want to show images of people who have Liked the post, look for show_faces=false in the code and replace it with show_faces=true.

Everyone has a Gmail account, but how many of them put it to good use? Here are a few tips for making most of your 7GB email account.



Create a filter: By creating a filter, you can manage you mails in a better, automated way. For example, if you want all mails from a particular person to be starred and labelled, click the "Create a new filter" link near the search box or in the Filters tab in Settings page. Now type the email address of the person in the "From" box and on the next page, choose a label and star option for the mails.

Hide spam count: Gmail has a powerful spam filter, but even the count of spams received can annoy some people. Why not delete all spams as soon as they come? Click on "Create a new filter" link next to the search box or in the Filters tabs in Settings page. Now in the "Have the words" option, type "in:spam". Choose next and then choose delete. If you just want to hide them, choose the "Mark as unread" option.



Aggregate multiple mail accounts: If you have multiple mail accounts with POP3 feature, you can send and receive mails from all accounts from any Gmail account.

First, activate POP3 download in all the mail accounts. If your other mail accounts are also with Gmail, you can do this by going to the "Forwarding and POP/IMAP" page in Settings. Now in the main Gmail account, go to "Accounts and Imports" tab in Settings page and add your other emails by clicking on the "Add POP3 email account" button and following the steps.

You will have to activate all of them by clicking on activation mails received in the respective accounts. Now you can send and receive mails from all your accounts from your primary Gmail account.



Access mails offline: If your Internet connection is not very reliable and you are using the Gmail website, you might be left without access to even your previously received mail. You can solve this problem in two ways: a) use an email client such a Thunderbird; b) activate offline access to mails by enabling the "Offline Mail" option in the Offline tab on the Gmail Settings page.

Use email client for Gmail: Using email client such as Thunderbird to access Gmail is more convenient and reliable if you are using it with IMAP. Unlike POP3 method which just fetches the mails from an account, IMAP is a two-way communication. It synchronizes your local mail client with the webmail. Also, IMAP allows you to access your inbox on the website (complete with its last settings) when you leave your laptop home or if its lost.

To use an email client with Gmail, first activate the IMAP access in your Gmail account. This option is available in the "Forwarding and POP/IMAP" tab in the settings page. Now, add the account in your email client. If you are using Thunderbird, setting up a Gmail account is a breeze, thanks to its pre-configured settings. For other email clients, you can follow the instructions on Gmail help website.

Backup your mails: How to create a backup of your Gmail account? Enable IMAP for your Gmail account that you want to backup and set up an account for this address on Thunderbird or other email client on your computer. (Follow above instructions.) If you use the email client for checking mail, your web interface will serve as the backup. In case you use the web interface, just remember to run the email client regularly so that it can download your mails and settings.

Dot or not: Gmail does not recognize dots in your email address or user name. So when you tell someone that your email address is my.name@gmail.com, you don't need to stress on the dot. Even if someone sends an email at myname@gmail.com or m.y.n.a.m.e@gmail.com, you will get it in your inbox. Similarly, you can log into your account even after omitting or adding dots.

Journals, wikis and to-do lists are great way of keeping track and enhancing productivity. What if you could have an application that serves all the three purposes?

Zim is a free desktop wiki application that can serve as a wiki, to-do list as well as your personal journal. It's also a distraction-free tool for writing your next novel or mathematics project. It can handle complex mathematical equations. It can also be used to create simple websites.

Zim has auto-formatting and auto-save options, thus allowing you to focus on writing.

It is an ideal option for both Windows and Linux (Ubuntu, Debian, OpenSuse and many more) users who want to have a personal wiki without having to install and maintain a local server on the computer. It's also available for Mac OS X.



If you want Zim to close in system tray, there is Tray-Icon Plug-in. It also has a few more plug-ins that increase its functionality.

Ubuntu users can install Zim from the Ubuntu Software Center.

Download Zim

Looking for a Web host? Doteasy is a free Web hosting provider that offers 100MB storage space and 1 GB data transfer free with every .com, .net or .org domain registered with it. With every domain registration with Doteasy, one gets a $0 free Web hosting that offers 10 emails with POP3 access, Web analytics tool, FTP accounts, domain parking, custom DNS panel and 10 sub-domains.

The Doteasy $0 Web hosting also provides a free Website creator that allows you to get your Website or blog ready within a few minutes. All Doteasy members also get the benefits of several applications and tools including hosted blogs, forums, Web image gallery, Web forms, mailing lists, online poll and email forms.

If you are interested in starting a video or music website, the Doteasy free Web hosting's music and video streaming feature will come handy.

How do you get this feature-rich free Web hosting?
Get your desired .com, .net or .org domains registered under a promotional campaign for just $7.95 each using coupon code: 1003BPM. Start enjoying the benefits of $0 free web hosting with Doteasy. As your website grows, switch to even more exciting paid Web hosting offered by Doteasy.

[SPONSORED POST/ADVERTISEMENT]

Google has introduced a government requests app that lists the number of requests it received from governments for information about user profiles and removal of websites, blogs, etc., from its contents.

The tool right now shows the number of government requests for removal of content or information about users received during July 2009-December 2009.



Indian ranks third with 142 requests in the content removal category and stands fourth with 1,061 requests in the data requests category.

Google says: "For Brazil and India, government requests for content removal are high relative to other countries in part because of the popularity of our social networking website, Orkut. The majority of the Brazilian and Indian requests for removal of content from Orkut relate to alleged impersonation or defamation."

Google has started showing a virtual keyboard on search pages in non-Latin languages that require special characters such as Hindi, Arabic and Russian. The virtual keyboard has been introduced to allow users type exact search words independent of the keyboard layout of the computer in use.

To access the on-screen keyboard, click the keyboard icon next to Google search box.

You can Google's virtual keyboard functionality in action on Google India (Hindi), Google Greece, Google Finland, Google Sweden, Google Iceland, Google Poland, Google Russia, Google Ukraine, Google South Arabia, Google Thailand, Google Mongolia and others.

In June 2009, Google had introduced the virtual keyboard API that developers could use on their multilingual web sites. You can also see the API in action on Google Code Playground site.

[Google OS]

A few days ago, I wrote a post about the Google's new design. I happened to see the design while accidentally landing on Google India website in my office. It was a bright design with bigger and more stylish buttons and textbox. In my enthusiasm, I wrote a long post detailing the changes and also assuming some old features as new ones. As soon as I realized my error, I took back the post with an apology on Twitter.

After watching the Google India site closely for a few days, I can say with certainty that Google is serving the new design to some, while showing the old design to the rest. When I visit Google India from ny home, I get to see the old design.


How does the new design look? Have a look at it yourself.



Click on the image for a larger version.

Google has also made some changes to its design. The logo has become a lot more brighter and has shed its dropshadow. The search box has also been increased in size along with the buttons. The basic layout, however, has been left unaltered.On search result pages, the sidebar has icons with the options of searching all of Google (that's the Web), images, blog, books, etc.

Here are some more screenshots of the new design partly introduced by Google. Click on the images for a larger view.


Google search introduces images from webpages in search results.


Google offers page previews in search results.


Google real-time Twitter updates.


Google image search.

NetWorx is a free Windows application for monitoring Internet usage and network activities. It can be used to troubleshoot network problems along with keeping track of data downloads and uploads on all networks or specific networks, say your DSL line. This network monitoring tool also serves as your own data mesuring tool to see that you don't exceed the data limit or the Internet service provider does not charge you incorrectly.

What can you do with NetWorx:

1. Monitor speed of your Internet connection
2. Monitor Internet bandwidth/data download and upload
3. Detect suspicious network activity
4. Perform network tests such as ping and trace route

A portable version of NetWorx is also available for those who don't have the rights to install a program or just want to avoid installation.

NetWorx

Can't stop updating Facebook? Here comes Ping, a wired garment that allows you to stay connected to Facebook wirelessly. This concept hoodie allows you to update your status or poke your friend by using zip, buttons, lifting the hood or moving your arms.

Designed by Jennifer Darmour, the wired garment has sensors for interpreting and delivering data. For example, lifting the hood will send one ping to Facebook and lowering it another. The pings can then be interpreted by a Facebook application customized by you and the message is delivered to the designated group of friends or person. If someone posts on your wall or comments on a post, the garment gently taps on your shoulder. These taps can also be customized based on friend and message, allowing it to become a kind of coded message.

The e-garment is just a concept prototype right now that uses a variety of sensors including flexible sensing and conductive threads that can be used and washed like regular fabric. You can see more images and details of the project on Ping e-textile website.

Via: All Facebook

Facebook is the most popular website at workplace. The social networking site accounted for 6.8% of Web traffic from offices in January-March 2010 period, according to security firm Network Box.
Video-sharing website YouTube consumed 10% of business bandwidth during the period, up 2% from a year ago. Facebook was the second major bandwidth consuming website. The Web traffic data is based on Network Box's analysis of 13 billion URLs during the period.

Top five websites visited from workplace in January-March 2010:

1. Facebook - 6.8%
2. Google - 3.4%
3. Yimg (Yahoo!'s image server) – 2.8%
4. Yahoo! – 2.4%
5. Doubleclick (Advertisements) – 1.7%

Top five bandwidth consuming websites at workplace in January-March 2010:

1. YouTube – 10%
2. Facebook – 4.5%
3. Windows Update – 3.3%
4. Yimg (Yahoo!'s image server) – 2.7%
5. Google – 2.5%

Given that most people like to stay logged in to their Gmail and Facebook accounts, the results are not surprising at all. Facebook's dominance as the most used social networking site at workplace can also be attributed to the multitude of applications and games it offers, apart from chat.

The latest findings will deepen network administrators' concerns about use of social networking and video-sharing websites. Apart from increasing risks for the network, they add up to heavy expense for the firm. But one can hardly deny the fact that apart from giving some break to the employee, these social networking sites often serve as a tool for business communication. Choice is between being stingy and promoting use of social networks and Google services as a business expense or tool.

Via Mashable
Image by Oversocialized/Flickr

Google has launched Google Follow Finder to help you discover new Tweeps to follow on Twitter.

The Google Twitter app, which is based on the recently released @anywhere developer tools, recommends Twitter users to follow based on user's following and followers.

Follow Finder splits recommendations into “Tweeps you might like” and “Tweeps with similar followers”. “Tweeps you might like” includes other Twitter users followed by people who follow the users you do. “Tweeps with similar followers” is includes people being followed by your followers. In simpler words, “Tweeps you might like” suggestions are based on the people you follow on Twitter and “Tweeps with similar followers” suggestions are based on the list of people who follow you.



Google Follow Finder displays the latest tweet of the suggested Tweeps along with a follow button.

Google Follow Finder

YouTube does not allow users to download videos, but sometimes you want to download a video of some music or parody for future viewing. There are several ways of downloading videos from YouTube and other video-sharing sites.

Use DownloadHelper Firefox add-on

Firefox Web browser always comes handy when you need to extend its functionality. The DownloadHelper add-on for Firefox browser is compatible with a large number of video-sharing websites, including YouTube. When you visit a site that has videos, DownloadHelper will give you a small icon on the webpage. You can click this icon or the icon in the Firefox Navigation Toolbar and download the video. If the YouTube video has a High Quality video available, it will also give you the option of downloading the better-quality video.


DownloadHelper Firefox Addon Page

Use Greasemonkey scripts

Greasemonkey is a Firefox add-on that allows users to easily customize the Web browser by creating your own scripts or installing from a huge repository of Greasemonkey scripts on Userscripts.org. If you don't have Greasemonkey installed on your Firefox, get that first.

The scripts on Userscripts.org are also compatible wit several other web browsers such as Google Chrome, Opera and safari. Those using Internet Explorer 7 can install IE7Pro add-on to enable Greasemonkey-like script platform. Safari users can install GreaseKit add-on for enabling a script platform for Userscripts.org scripts.

YouTube Video Download for Greasemonkey

YouTube Video Download for Greasemoneky script adds a Download tab under the video, and allows the user to download the video in several formats: normal FLV video, high-quality MPEG video and other formats for mobile phones. The download tab integrates effortlessly in the YouTube video page, making it had to see it not as part of the website's original plan.


YouTube Video Download for Greasemoneky

Download YouTube Videos as MP4

Download YouTube Videos as MP4 is another Greasemonkey script that allows users to download YouTube videos as low-quality FLV video or better-quality MP4 video. This script, which is licensed under an MIT licence, downloadas videos directly from YouTube.

You must have seen various weather apps that tell you through icons and texts about the weather outside or any place of choice. YoWindoW does it very differently. This real-time weather screensaver acts as your desktop window through which you can look at the weather world over.

YoWindoW displays weather information over a beautiful and serene landscape. It tries to place the sun, the moon and clouds on exact horizons as if they were for real. If it's raining outside, you also get to see it in your YoWindoW weather landscape. Same goes for snow, hail and many more weather phenomenon.

YoWindoW takes the current weather data from METAR stations network, which has around 4,380 active stations across the globe, most of them are located at airports. It downloads the current weather information from the METAR station closest to your location.

YoWindoW currently supports Windows XP, Vista and Windows 7 (2.7MB).

Via: PCWorld

In the 1990s, when computers used large floppy drives, I enjoyed playing games like Pacman and Paratropper in DOS environments. Later on, I became fond of Prince of Persia. I played the game even on Windows 98, by then it had become lot more colourful and rich in visuals. One of the main features of the games were their music.

If you want to play those retro games online or listen to some 8-bit music, head to Woolyss.com. You can play games like Super Mario and Prince of Persia in your Web browser. Apart from this, you can also listen to 8-bit or chipmusic on the website.

For those interested in experiencing the DOS games in the original environment, there are www.dosgames.com, www.dosgamesarchive.com and many more websites.

Canonical has made Ubuntu Lucid Lynx Beta 2 available for download for those who are willing to have a look at the new Ubuntu before it's stable version is released at the end of the month. The latest version of the popular Linux operating system is slated for a release on 29 April, 2010.

What are the new features in Ubuntu Lucid Lynx?

1. Ubuntu 10.04 includes the latest GNOME desktop environment.
2. It includes the 2.6.32-16.25 Linux kernel based on 2.6.32.9, which includes lots of hardware and graphic enhancements. (The latest stable release of the Linux kernel as on 12 April, 2010 is 2.6.33.2.)
3. The Kunbuntu build uses KDE SC4.4.
4. Lucid Lynx has also removed HAL (hardware abstraction layer) from the boot process, thereby reducing the time taken by Ubuntu to boot.
5. The open source Nouveau video driver is now the default for nVidia hardware.
6. The new Ubuntu also has two new themes—Ambiance and Radiance—along with fresh icons and wallpapers.
7. One of the important new features in Ubuntu Lucid Lynx is the built-in integration with Twitter, identi.ca, Facebook, and other social networks. The Gwibber project-based MeMenu in the panel makes using social networking more easy from Ubuntu. Gwibber is the popular microblogging client for Linux.
8. Yahoo! has replace Google as the default search engine in Firefox and its homepage, though there is the option of switching to Google homepage.

A screenshot  of the new MeMenu in the Ubuntu Lucid Lynx. (Image: Ars Technica)

Apple's iPad is the latest buzz in the tech space. Everyone—whether they are interested in the new Apple device with a large touch screen or not—knows about it. There's so much of hype in the media; every blog is talking about it.


After being bombarded with the iPad frenzy, are you considering buying the sleek and sexy buzz of the town. Here's a small list that will help you decide whether the iPad is a right fit for you or not. And, just for your information, many geeks are not impressed by the iPad.

The on-screen keyboard:  Do you type a lot: writing codes or your class project? Will you be comfortable using the on-screen keyboard? It should be something like having just the screen part of your laptop with a virtual keyboard? If you hit your keys hard, be sure that you will scratch your iPad very soon. You can buy an optional $69 keyboard from Apple, if you intend to use the iPad for lots of typing.


No multi-tasking: The iPad has limited multi-tasking for select applications. Any third-party apps available in Apple's app store will not be able to run along with another applicaation. If you are more than often working on two or more applications (who isn't), you will feel the pinch.

Small storage capacity: In the world of information overload, the iPad comes with very limited storage capacity of 16GB, 32GB and 64GB. If you are running out of space on your 320GB hard drive, will you be able to survive with iPad's limited storage?

No USB port: The iPad doesn't have a USB port. So you will have to use an Apple port connector to link to a USB port of your computer and transfer the files. Does that sound like a hassle to you?

iPad is not a computer. So if you want a laptop which allows you to enjoy movies and games along with designing bridges and towers or websites, don't even consider buying an iPad. It's a huge iPhone with better brains and processing power. Go, buy the iPad if you want a new gadget for having fun and browsing the web. Don't expect it to replace your workhorse Mac, Windows or Linux computer.

View technical specifications for the iPad

Is there any geek on earth living without a USB drive? So how do you stand out of the crowd when everyone has the same "fuckin" USB drive? What about a horny dog fornicating your computer's USB port?



Think Geek has two naughty doggies to offer—Harley and Duke. Whenever they see a free USB port, they are ready for "some action". They get turned on by USB power and won't let stop until you forcibly separate them from their source of joy.

Images: Think Geek