Google Chrome for browsing surfing

The latest kid on the block (latest browser) is Google Chrome . It loads into the computer very fast. My daily habit every morning is to switch on the computer, then open Mozilla FireFox, then Flock and then Google Chrome. Invariably, it will be Google Chrome that gets loaded first even though it was opened last.

The thing I liked about Google Chrome is that the address bar (the long box at the top of every browser in which you type in the URL of the web page you want to go to) also acts as a search box. This means one doesn't need to install a separate search box to search the Web. The best thing about this address bar cum search box is auto suggestion. It is almost like the Chrome browser is a mind reader. Type an alphabet or two into the address bar, and the most likely website you want to visit is automatically entered into the address bar. Press the ENTER key and you are on the way to viewing the web page you want to view.

This auto suggestion doesn't only work for websites you have already visited before, it can also auto suggest websites which are popular that you have never visited before. Because of this auto suggestion feature, when using Google Chrome for surfing, I only need to enter 1 or 2 alphabets and then click ENTER key to get to that web page I want to view.

Now some of you may say that this feature is already available in many browsers. May I point out that for browsers like Internet Explorer and Mozilla FireFox, one have to move the mouse cursor to highlight the URL we want, and then right-click on the mouse to get to that web page.

To explain more clearly, I will upload 2 screen shots. First FireFox:



Note that in the above address bar in FireFox, the suggested web page http://gmail.com is not yet in the address bar and you will have to move mouse cursor down to click on it to bring it into the address bar.



Note that in the address bar in Google Chrome above, just by typing a single alphabet g, the URL of gmail - http://gmail.com is automatically already added into the address bar and all you need to get there is to press the ENTER key.

I know Safari also has this auto suggestion, but for Google Chrome, it is much better.

Google Chrome Advisory Safe Browsing Citizen Think Tank

I have previously written about Google Chrome malware protection. I received a security warning for the link "Citizen Think Tank" in Haris Ibrahim's People's Parliament's blogroll. I decided to investigate further by clicking on the link to learn about safe browsing and obtained an Advisory provided by Safe Browsing Diagnostic page for citizenthinktank.com which I reproduce in full below:

---

Advisory provided by
Safe Browsing
Diagnostic page for citizenthinktank.com/

What is the current listing status for citizenthinktank.com/?
Site is listed as suspicious - visiting this web site may harm your computer.

Part of this site was listed for suspicious activity 7 time(s) over the past 90 days.

What happened when Google visited this site?
Of the 209 pages we tested on the site over the past 90 days, 55 page(s) resulted in malicious software being downloaded and installed without user consent. The last time Google visited this site was on 09/09/2008, and the last time suspicious content was found on this site was on 09/09/2008.
Malicious software includes 112 trojan(s). Successful infection resulted in an average of 3 new processes on the target machine.

Malicious software is hosted on 1 domain(s), including 61.155.8.0.

Has this site acted as an intermediary resulting in further distribution of malware?
Over the past 90 days, citizenthinktank.com/ did not appear to function as an intermediary for the infection of any sites.

Has this site hosted malware?
No, this site has not hosted malicious software over the past 90 days.

How did this happen?
In some cases, third parties can add malicious code to legitimate sites, which would cause us to show the warning message.

Next steps:
Return to the previous page.
If you are the owner of this web site, you can request a review of your site using Google Webmaster Tools. More information about the review process is available in Google's Webmaster Help Center.

Google Chrome malware protection

Google recently released a new web browser - Google Chrome, with some very interesting new feature. I had the privilege to benefit from one of them - protection from Malware. I visited Haris Ibrahim's People's Parliament with the Google Chrome just a short while ago, and clicked on a link to Citizen Think Tank and received a warning:



Warning: Visiting this site may harm your computer!

This website at
harismibrahim.wordpress.com
contains elements from the site
www.citizenthinktank.com
which appears to host malware - software that can hurt your computer or otherwise operate without your consent. Just visiting a site that contains malware can infect your computer.
For detailed information about the problems with these elements, visit the Google Safe Browsing diagnostic page for www.citizenthinktank.com
Learn more about how to protect yourself from harmful software online

[ ] I understand that visiting this site may harm my computer.
[Proceed anyway]
[Back to safety]

New Opera 9.5 fastest Web browser, run Web applications and Javascript faster

Opera now has a new browser engine with the introduction of Opera 9.50. Opera now claims to the the fastest web browser in the world. It claims to start fast, download Web pages run Web applications and third party plug-ins faster. It is also claimed to have superior support for Web standard and render Javascript and HTML two times faster than the older Opera 9.2.

Blogger Poll blank space problem

I had earlier complained about creating a poll and observing a blank space below it. Unfortunately, I did not take a screen shot nor noted other details like what browser I was using then. Someone asked, "anyone also see that blank space?"

When I saw that response, I immediately checked, and there were no blank space, and had to sheepishly responded that there were none before others begin other responses like I was in the twilight zone (which could also mean my age and could also mean senility, etc.) That happened while using the FireFox 2.0 browser.

Recently, I had reasons to go to the same blog where the poll had still not been created with Opera 9.27, and somewhat to my "relief", that blank space below the poll was still there. This time, I took a screen shot and you can view that below:



I tested with Internet Explorer 7, Flock 1.1.2, Netscape 9.0.0.6, Avant 11.6, Safari for Windows 3.1.1 and wanted to try xbBrowser (Xero Bank). However, that gave some problem but in anycase, is almost the same as FireFox so I think it is fine to leave out xbBrowser.

In conclusion, this poll with blank space problem is only with Opera, not any other browser I have.

Widen Blogger post editor window with Opera web browser

Update 2.20am 19 April 2008: Please note that the ability to widen the normal pathetically tiny Blogger post editor window is not always repeatable. Sometimes, I can do it, sometimes not. I have seen it a few times but this is the first time I made a post about it with a screen shot and that screen shot is definitely not faked with Adobe Photoshop for this poor Blog*Star only use the free and very good Irfanview plus PC Paint which comes with Windows. This poor Blog*Star cannot afford to buy the expensive Photoshop. Anyone who wants something better than the free Irfanview photo editor can try the open source GIMP. Update posted here to avoid Blog*Star from being called a nut case.

---

This Blogger post editor window is opened with Opera web browser which as you can see is very wide compared with the woefully tiny normal Blogger post editor window. Unfortunately you cannot consistently get this and it is by chance. Under what circumstances you can get this, I do not know. Nor can I tell under what circumstances I can Expand (that is, both widen as well as elongate) this woefully tiny Blogger post editor window with Netscape Navigator. But to make sure other bloggers do not call me a nut case, I am going to do a screen shot of this as I am preparing this post and will upload it any use it as evidence below (you can click on screen shot to enlarge it). (PS got to publish and try to update later as Blogger post editor toolbar with the photo upload icon is missing as I am typing this):



And if you think that this blogger belongs to psychiatry ward, you can view the screen shots of the Expanded Blogger post editor window with Netscape Navigator. However, this also you cannot do consistently. Sometimes, you can only elongate, not widen the Blogger post editor window with Netscape Navigator.

Unfortunately AOL (American Online) has withdrawn support for Netscape Navigator and it looks like no one is going to take AOL's place as the sugar daddy.

Expand (elongate, widen) Blogger post editor window with Netscape Navigator browser

Update 2.20am 19 April 2008: Please note that the ability to widen the normal pathetically tiny Blogger post editor window is not always repeatable. Sometimes, I can do it, sometimes not. I have seen it a few times but this is the first time I made a post about it with a screen shot and that screen shot is definitely not faked with Adobe Photoshop for this poor Blog*Star only use the free and very good Irfanview plus PC Paint which comes with Windows. This poor Blog*Star cannot afford to buy the expensive Photoshop. Anyone who wants something better than the free Irfanview photo editor can try the open source GIMP. Update posted here to avoid Blog*Star from being called a nut case.

---

I previously discovered that one can elongate the Blogger post editor window with Netscape Navigator web browser and uploaded a screen shot to prove it. It is a thing I did because when I announced it, a "renegade Blog*Star" said I was need to be admitted to the psychiatry ward. When he saw the screen shot, he became convinced but said I must have been in the twilight zone. Today, while preparing a post with Netscape Navigator web browser again, I not only can elongate the Blogger post editor window, but also widen it. Now just in case that "renegade Blog*Star" wants to put me in straitjacket, bundle me into an ambulance and lock me up in the psychiatry ward, here is the screen shot to prove it (click on screen shot to enlarge it):



Now just in case the above screen shot is not enough to convince you, let me upload what the normal tiny Blogger post editor window looks like:



Noticed the difference? Just in case it is not obvious to you, compare the brown bars in both screen and look the the field (empty box for you to type your text, etc.) in relation to the brown bars.

Browser cache

What is web browser?

A web browser is a program which helps display pages designed to be displayed by various programming languages, usually HTML (hypertext markup language). You are able to see this page displayed as Blogger together with me planned you to see it with the help of web browser which interpret the page source and translate it into what you see. Examples of web browsers are Internet Explorer, FireFox, Opera, Flock, Safari, Netscape (no longer supported), etc.

What is browser cache?

It is common for web browser to save some of the data from those web pages you visit. This is so that when you next visit the web page, it may load faster, etc. This is what is referred to as browser cache. This can also be the source of a common complaint of bloggers. They cannot see newly published post or see changes in the template they have made.

Now, each browser have its own browser cache and the cache is different for different browser. So if you are having problems like those described above, one way to get around it is to just use a different browser to try to see what you failed to see with the current browser. With this strategy, you get get around your problems cause by a particular web browser cache by using a different web browser which do not have that problem page cached and without resorting to the commonly advocated solution of clearing cache.

Different browser display web pages in different ways: One more reason why Webmaster should have more than one browser

I have previously explained Advantages of having more than one browser and emphasized with another post What to do when you cannot upload photos, download web pages, sign in, get error messages, etc., (not a "cure all").

Webmasters (professionals who are in charge of a website) especially need many browsers for they should be interested in how the website they are managing is seen by visitors who may be using all kind of web browsers. Bloggers are by default webmasters though their job is made easier as much of what professional webmaster have to do is done by their blogging software/platform. But the necessity of having many web browsers still apply to them.

As an example, I tried to center a Google AdSense site search box in a blog Header. For this, you will need to apply for a Google AdSense account which you can do so via a link in

I use the pair of inline CSS (cascading stylesheet) <span style="text-align:center;"> and </span;"> to surround the script to display the Google AdSense site search box to try to center the search box. But let us look at how the site search box is displayed in different browsers:

Centering Google site search box in Internet Explorer 7.0.5730.131C

Internet Explorer 7

The search box as well as the text that is added below the script in the New Blogger HTML/Javascript Page Element is centered as intended.

Centering Google site search box in FireFox 2.0.0.12

Note that while the text below the site search box is centered, the Google AdSense site search box itself is aligned to the left, and not centered as intended.

Centering Google site search box in Opera 9.26

Note that in Opera web browser, the Google AdSense search box is also not centered while the text is centered.

Centering Google site search box in Flock social web browser

Blogger and Opera web browser: Problem

I have used Opera to publish posts with Google Blogger and till today, had no problem. In fact by having target="_blank">more than one browser, including Opera, I have managed to solve various problems easily.

However, today, when I started a new Blogger post using Opera, I got a pop-up:



What does this mean? I will try to find out.

Flock social web browser searching for real estate bargains while keeping track of Facebook friends

Most people would have heard of the sub-prime crisis, what one blogger described as an unfortunate crisis created by financial alchemist (alchemist are ancient chemist who see ways of turning cheap base metal into precious, expensive gold). For some it is a crisis, for those with cash to invest, it may be an opportunity for grabbing bargain real estate investments while still keeping tract of the latest status of your Facebook friends. Below is a screenshot of how I may do it:



The above shows a foreclosures website as viewed with the Flock social web browser on the right side while in the left sidebar one can see our Face friends with their latest status. So now, while you are seeking real estate bargains, at a glance, you are informed of what your friends are doing, what is their mood, the circumstance there are faced with, or whatever they may want to put in their Facebook status. Note also the numerous tabs at the top of the screenshot showing you can doing many different things with a single window.

Florida is a good place for retirement plus as investment as it is a popular tourist destination with its plentiful theme parks plus a winter migration target for those from colder region. I heard property prices can be pretty high in Florida (do your own research, this information is unverified), so this might be the chance for you to grab the property you always wanted at a price you could never can get before this sub-prime crisis which is flooding the market with foreclosures.

Arizona is where I have a sister-in-law with a Chinese restaurant (Yuma) and although it may get very hot in summer, there is always nearby California to run away to for cooler climate.

Flock social web browser

I am a heavy multi-tasker, and for me Flock is an ideal web browser, especially when I am logged into my Facebook account. Just have a look at what I see in the Flock social web browser in the screenshot below (click on screenshot to enlarge):



On the left of my screen, I can see myself as well as many of my Facebook friends plus their status. With just a click, I can open the profile of my Facebook friend and perform various actions such as sending them a message, etc. Not too long ago, when my son-in-law was in London, while doing my other tasks, I found out that he woke up at 5 am in the morning, then later saw that he had a headache and still later sad to find out he was sore at some of his clients, so obviously having a bit of a problem. Right now, I see Amanda, the wizard (or wizardress?) of www.bloggerbuster.com just updated her profile 38 minutes ago.

Now don't fear invasion of privacy because the more private things that we can see are what Facebook members themselves chose to display, not the really private part of his or her life. But is is a great way of keeping an eye on your friends while doing your normal tasks. If you like social networking, you should definitely get Facebook social web browser.

More on Facebook browser later.

Browsers and computers

There are lots of web browsers out there, great majority (I think all) are free. However, not all are independent of the type of computers you buy or the operating system they use (Windows, Linux, MAC OS, etc. Some web browsers are cross-platform, meaning they work with PC (Personal Computers) and MAC plus different operating systems. Some only work with specific type of computers and/or specific operating system.

Now if you want to use a specific browser, but currently have a specific type of computer or operating system which is not compatible with the web browser you want to use, you will have no choice but to get that type of computer and/or operating system that works with the browser you want to use. A place to start looking may be Coupon Chief. They have merchants which offers discounts and special offers classified according to stores and according to categories, and in the Computers and software category, you might just find what you need, and hopefully, at a deeply discounted price too.

If you are looking for something new, Dell home may be the merchant you want. At time of publishing, I see discounts like "$500 off...." and "50% off....", etc. However, this page offers mainly digital cameras and other computer accessories and related stuff. Can't remember how I found this page Dell Inspiron laptops, but I think it was by clicking on one of the links in the "Dell Home" page. Listed there are, of course, are Dell Inspiron laptops, but what I found interesting is that the sidebar in that page is different. Instead of merchants classified according to stores or merchants, they have computers classified according to price, screen size, weight, plus other sections including "Dell deals", "essential links" (including Windows Vista and Open Source PCs, and the last section, "shipping and returns".