HTTPS: secure your google search

Facebook is always in news because of user privacy and another concern which keeps users in dilemma is security. We use lots of anti-viruses, Spywares and tips and tricks to keep ourselves secure. But the shortest way to keep secure is by using encrypted connecting like using https connection.

This is one of the reason I love Google and this is one of the reason people love Google products, because they come up with things which users are enjoying. Google encrypted search is something which is a new beta feature added by Google. Now you can search Google over https connection. You can use https://Google.com instead of http://Google.com now. So now sniffer software like Cain and Abel won’t be of much use.

According to official announcement from Google:

“When you search on https://www.google.com, an encrypted connection is created between your browser and Google. This secured channel helps protect your search terms and your search results pages from being intercepted by a third party on your network. The service includes a modified logo to help indicate that you’re searching using SSL and that you may encounter a somewhat different Google search experience, but as always, remember to check the start of the address bar for “https” and your browser lock indicators.”

This feature is enabled for Google web search and not for other features like Google Image search, Google blog search and many more.  Just for the info this feature is in Beta phase.

Is your current DNS slowing u down?, if yes try this

DNS is a naming system for computers, services, or any other kind of resources that are connected to Internet or other networks.

The main purpose of DNS is, it translates the domain names into numeric identifiers associated with networking equipment, so that we can locate and address these devices worldwide.

DNS acts as an Organized phone-book for Internet, by converting the meaningful and human understandable hostnames into the IP addresses.

Here are the Top 5 free DNS service providers.

1.    Google DNS

2.    Open DNS

3.    DNS Advantage

4.    DNS Exit

5.    ScrubIt

For example www.web-address.com will be converted into 192.0.0.1. These free services will enhance your browsing speed.

Google DNS :

Google Public DNS is a free, global Domain Name System (DNS) resolution service, that you can use as an alternative to your current DNS provider. Configure your network settings to use the IP addresses 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4 as your DNS servers.

Open DNS :

OpenDNS makes networks in homes, schools and businesses safer, faster, smarter and more reliable through Web content filtering, security and navigation.

Open DNS free DNS server list :

·        208.67.222.222

·        208.67.220.220

Click to Read more about Open DNS.

DNS Advantage : DNS Advantage provides a FREE, FASTER, SAFER, and More RELIABLE Internet Experience. DNS Advantage resolves all your DNS requests through the UltraDNS Directory Services Platform.

DNS Advantage free DNS server list :

·        156.154.70.1

·        156.154.71.1

DNS Exit : Offer free dynamic DNS and static DNS to any top level domains. DNS supports Dynamic IP that allow you to run websites, ftp, or mail servers or Cable Modem lines with dynamic IP.

ScrubIt :

ScrubIT is a FREE recursive DNS server that regulates what comes into your home or business. ScrubIT offers clean, reliable, and speedy DNS service FREE of charge. It filters the DNS scrubs out the bad stuff and is absolutely simple to setup and use.

ScrubIT free DNS server list :

·        67.138.54.100

·        207.225.209.66

I’m sure you might like to give these free DNS a shot. 

Virtual Desktops on Windows XP

A lot of people prefer multitasking. The best tool for that purpose is virtual desktops. Virtual desktops provide the opportunity to run many desktops at the same time from a desktop computer or laptop. It is very easy to switch among the desktops by just using a button. Every virtual desktop can possess its unique applications as well as a different background.  The feature of virtual desktops is not included in Windows XP by default. However, you can easily get virtual desktops on Windows XP. The means to get virtual desktops on Windows XP is very safe for the computer. All you have to do to get virtual desktops on Windows XP is to use software. This software provides four desktops to use.

  In order to get virtual desktops on Windows XP, you have to use the Microsoft PowerToys download page. Follow these simple steps to get the virtual desktops:
 Go to the “Microsoft PowerToys download page”.
 Choose DeskMan.exe from the list on the right hand side of the window.  
It will allow you to download the file named DeskmanPowertoySetup.exe. Double-click on the file.    

 Choose the option “Complete” for installing.

It will be installed in a very little time. Right click on the taskbar at the bottom of your screen.
Point to Toolbars. You will now see the new option called Desktop Manager.
Click on Desktop Manager.

The desktop manager toolbar will appear:  

Every blue button represents a unique desktop. The green button can be used to preview the four virtual desktops.
Right-click on one of the buttons to see the options for configuration. 

Success! This is the preview of the virtual desktops:

  
You just have to click on any of the desktops in the preview screen in order to get that desktop in the front. Virtual desktops can prove to be very useful if you want to divide your recreational applications and your work applications.  

Convert your text files to mp3, and njoi hearing them rather than reading them

If you are overwhelmed with a large amount of reading, one way to plow through the reading is to have someone, or something, read it to you. Finding someone to read it to you is tricky, though.

Luckily, there is a Web site called CarryoutText that can turn text into MP3 files you can then listen to on your iPod, Zune, or other portable MP3 player, or burn to a CD to listen to in the car.

There are two choices for converting your text to an MP3 file

: You can either upload a Word, PowerPoint, PDF, XML, TXT, CSV or HTML file, or you can paste text directly into the converter.

For testing, I pasted a few lines of text . and left the default reading speed, but you can adjust how fast or slow CarryoutText reads your document if the reader is too fast or too slow for your taste. After you have made your selections, click Submit to Process.

Larger files take a few minutes to convert to MP3 files. For the 30, 971 character file i pasted, i waited about 4 minutes. A Please Wait screen appeared during the wait.

Eventually, a page will appear where you can download your file. Click the big white arrow in the green circle to download it.

my was file read nicely at an easy to understand pace with a mature, but smooth, female voice. The file was a bit robotic sounding, which is probably to be expected.

so enjoy mates!!