Google Labs has released a nice tool for evaluating what is visibile on the page at different browser sizes. The tool is useful for positioning of the key elements, such as logins, search boxes, forms etc.
Many have noted, at the Google Code Blog, that this tool doesn't work fully with liquid or centered layouts as well as requesting that similar features would be provided through browser extensions. These requests can already be answered with a multitude of browser extensions and hence I personally welcome this new tool as it is.
Links
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Google Contacts evolves with single button duplicate contact removal
There's a neat new feature in Gmail - Contacts, a "Find duplicates" -button. Pressing the button lists people that appear like duplicates, they can be un-selected, and offers to merge the information in each duplicate.
Upon testing the results were fast and accurate, as we've come to expect from Google. Excellent new feature.
News-source: Official Gmail Blog
Upon testing the results were fast and accurate, as we've come to expect from Google. Excellent new feature.
News-source: Official Gmail Blog
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Weird layout breaks in high-volume sites, Google Chrome 4.0.266.0 Ubuntu
Curiously the layout breaks only on Twitter Search page and Technorati main page, in the blog navigation.
The green horisontal list of blogs
Twitter Search, the repeating RT tags
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Google Chrome Extensions pave the way for Google OS
I love the new Google Chrome extensions for my Chrome on Ubuntu as it has been my favourite browser all along.
The even greater significance of this lies not with Google Chrome, which will gain market share and loyal users, but with Google Chrome OS.
My basis for this claim is the simple fact that the browser is the user interface for the operating system, you aren't allowed to install any programs, instead the system is aimed at the users of the web-services and pages. If you can't install programs, the significance of the browser's extensions is increased manifold, they are the mini-applications that you can install.
I'm still wondering how will I stream video without VLC player but I'm expecting that Google will have movie rentals available through YouTube by then.
The even greater significance of this lies not with Google Chrome, which will gain market share and loyal users, but with Google Chrome OS.
My basis for this claim is the simple fact that the browser is the user interface for the operating system, you aren't allowed to install any programs, instead the system is aimed at the users of the web-services and pages. If you can't install programs, the significance of the browser's extensions is increased manifold, they are the mini-applications that you can install.
I'm still wondering how will I stream video without VLC player but I'm expecting that Google will have movie rentals available through YouTube by then.
Testing the new Google Chrome Extensions on Linux
Finally they were released! On a brief tour of the listings I already found 30 extensions that I'll take for a test-drive. These extensions installed successfully on Ubuntu 8.04 LTS, Google Chrome 4.0.249.30, unlike for example a Calendar extension developed by Google.
- Bit.ly (shorten, share, and track your links) - Version: 0.8
Shorten and share links with bit.ly. Preview the full URLs short urls point to.
- Blog This! (by Google) - Version: 0.0.7
Add a BlogThis! button to the browser toolbar, which lets you post to your Blogger blog from any webpage with just one click. - Chrome SEO - Version: 0.4
The Google Chrome SEO Extension. Make you daily Search Engine Optimization tasks easier in Chrome. - Chromed Bird - Version: 1.0.1
Chromed Bird is a Twitter extension that allows you to follow your timelines and interact with your Twitter account. - Chromepad - Version: 1.0.3
A small extension that lets you to take quick notes and save them for later. - Chromey Calculator - Version: 2.1
A scrolling calculator for Chrome. Results are generated using Google's calculator web search feature. - Chromium Delicious plugin - Version: 1.0.1
Extension to work with delicious.com - Docs PDF/PowerPoint Viewer (by Google) - Version: 1.5.2
Automatically previews pdfs, powerpoint presentations, and other documents in Google Docs Viewer. - Expand - Version: 0.25
Expands short links, such as those from bit.ly - Facebook Chat for Google Chrome/Chromium - Version: 1.2
Quick Facebook Chat functionality while browsing. Must be signed in to Facebook! - Facebook for Google Chrome - Version: 1.3
Extension which lets you read your Facebook news feed and wall. You can also post status updates. - Force Feed - Version: 1.0
Follow changes on any page, even if it doesn't have a feed - Google Apps Shortcuts - Version: 1.3
A simple extension that allows you to quickly create a new Emails, Calendar Events, Document or Spreadsheet with a single click. - Google Bookmarks Label Clouds (hd mod) - Version: 1.2
An extension to access the Google Bookmarks. Original by hippudesu. - Google Calendar Popout - Version: 1.5.3
Adds a Calendar Gadget button to the menu bar. Supports both Google and Google Apps accounts - Google Reader Notifier (by Google) - Version: 1.0.1
Displays the number of unread items in your Google Reader account. Clicking can show a preview popup or open your Reader account. - Google Sidewiki - Version: 1.1
Contribute and read helpful information next to any webpage. - Google Similar Pages beta (by Google) - Version: 0.5.2.10
Discover webpages similar to the page you're currently browsing. - Google Wave Notifier - Version: 2.2
Displays number of unread Waves. - HTML5 markup detector - Version: 1.0
This extention notices that the page you are seeing is marked up using HTML5 - Mini Google Maps - Version: 1.0
Google maps in a click away. Mini Google Maps let you browse Google maps from your browser toolbar - Password Generator - Version: 0.1.3.1
Generates strong, recoverable SHA1 password hashes from a master password - RSS Subscription Extension - Version: 1.6.6
Adds one-click subscription to your toolbar - Select To Get Maps - Version: 1.1.1
Select addresses on any webpage to get useful maps links. - Send from Gmail (by Google) - Version: 1.0
Makes Gmail your default email application and provides a button to compose a Gmail message to quickly share a link via email - Speed Tracer (by Google) - Version: 0.6
Get insight into the performance of your web applications. - SSL Facebook - Version: 1.0
Changes Facebook to use SSL protocols wherever possible - StumbleUpon - Version: 1.0.11208.1
Discover the best of the web! - Web Developer Mini - Version: 0.34
Easy Access Web Development Tools for Google Chrome. - WOT - Version: 0.9.4
Web of trust.
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Solution to Joomla editors freezing in editing mode, on pages with tables
Symptoms: browser freezes upon editing of a page with often modified tables on the backend or front-end of the site. The browser may finish saving the page very slowly or offer to "Kill the script" or "Wait" for the Javascript to finish.
Looking at the page in the Advanced code editor -button of JCE or HTML-button of TinyMCE reveals nothing out of the ordinary.
Cause: invisible Colgroup and Col tags in the page source, on one of our sites there were 100KB of of these tags on a single table, on a page with multiple tables.
Solution: change your preferred editor to no-editor in the user manager and remove the unrequested for html-code between the <colgroup> -tags, just below the <table> -tag and before the <tbody> -tag.
For a full explanation with more detailed step-by-step instructions and an example file of the removed code (100KB), please visit: Pages with tables freezing the browser with graphical editors at the Aktiivi.com website.
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Looking at the page in the Advanced code editor -button of JCE or HTML-button of TinyMCE reveals nothing out of the ordinary.
Cause: invisible Colgroup and Col tags in the page source, on one of our sites there were 100KB of of these tags on a single table, on a page with multiple tables.
Solution: change your preferred editor to no-editor in the user manager and remove the unrequested for html-code between the <colgroup> -tags, just below the <table> -tag and before the <tbody> -tag.
For a full explanation with more detailed step-by-step instructions and an example file of the removed code (100KB), please visit: Pages with tables freezing the browser with graphical editors at the Aktiivi.com website.
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Friday, December 4, 2009
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Joomla 1.5.x Read more ... -button not working
On two different Joomla 1.5.x websites that I manage I've encountered a curious problem with the JCE-editor (component version 157, plugin version 154), namely the fact that the "Read more ..." button is completely unresponsive.
After looking around for a little I tested that the problem is indeed with JCE, as TinyMCE inserts the code as expected. I tested switching my preferred editor to TinyMCE, used the button and voilá the code is neatly visible in JCE to when I reverted back to it.
To avoid this hassle, you can simply copy the code below for use with JCE via the Advanced Code Editor -button;
After looking around for a little I tested that the problem is indeed with JCE, as TinyMCE inserts the code as expected. I tested switching my preferred editor to TinyMCE, used the button and voilá the code is neatly visible in JCE to when I reverted back to it.
To avoid this hassle, you can simply copy the code below for use with JCE via the Advanced Code Editor -button;
<hr id="system-readmore">
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