How in the TECH » How in the Tech

Syncing Your Contacts from Gmail to Thunderbird

Adam Myers — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 22:29:03 +0000

At the office I’m forced to use Outlook as my main communication and scheduling tool. Outlook gets a lot of bad raps and while at one time I’m sure most of it was justified, nowadays it really isn’t that bad of a product - at least Outlook 2007. However, that doesn’t mean I use it outside of my main profession. Technically, I’m a Gmail user. Having your entire email spool in the cloud, accessible from anywhere, is a huge win for me. Obviously webmail existed long before Google got in the game but it was their unobtrusive interface and quick searching that converted. Still, there is something to be said for your traditional desktop email client. While I try a lot of new products and technology, I’m a very slow converted and suffer from attachment issues with the tried and true, irregardless of whether newer is in fact better. Because of this, I have my main Thunderbird install configure to pull mail from Gmail. It works for me, but that isn’t the summary for this article.

I am also an iPhone user, though just recently. Much to my chagrin, iTunes does not sync your iPhone contacts to and from Thunderbird - where all my contact information is stored throughout the years. A quick Google uncovered a few ways of linking the two, but I have to admit it all seemed a bit click and pray and not something I’d like to rely on. Knowing that iTunes can pull contact information from Gmail and coupled with the fact that I do use Gmail, even indirectly, I set out to use Gmail as my exclusive contacts database. Exporting and importing the addressbook is straightforward and perhaps a topic for a later date. That being said, I wasn’t particularly warm to the idea of managing my contacts with just the iPhone or in Gmail - I still wanted the flexibility of Thunderbird.

Today I found Zindus, a free Thunderbird extension that allows you to manage your Gmail contacts from within Thunderbird. Installation and configure is simple.

Download the extension and save it locally.
From within Thunderbird click on Tools->Add-ons.
Click Install and point it to the Zindus extension you just downloaded.

Still in Thunderbird, provide your Gmail credentials to the add-on from Tools->Zindus.

Click Sync Now.

Have Some Privacy with the Firefox Referrer Control

Adam Myers — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 23:40:54 +0000

Every visit of yours to every website includes a whole whack of extraneous information. Most of us are aware that our IP address is one of those bits if information. As a webmaster, that information is handy but the more useful information is the referrer. The referrer variable is actually the URL or website that a user clicked on in order to get to the destination site. This can be explained more simply with a specific example. A user runs a Google search on the term firefox referrer control and comes across this article. If they click on the search result page, in my server logs I will see that the visit came to this website via Google, and even what search terms they used to find my article. Even if you aren’t a webmaster, you can probably see how valuable this information is. To be thorough, the referrer variable can even be blank which usually signifies that the visitor typed in the URL address directly, rather than following a link.

Firefox RefControl is an extension that does just as the name applies; it controls the referrer information that Firefox passes to websites. Why would you care about this? Well, everyone likes to take stance on privacy on the Internet and this is another tool to help you remain anonymous. I’ve long since given up on Internet privacy; my life has been sold to Google years back. Those that still fight the good fight, this extension could be handy. More practically, some websites check the referrer and serve out different content in response. A real life example of this is the Wall Street Journal who generally serve our partial articles unless you are a subscribed user, that is unless you are referred by digg.com, the social news website. At which point, the articles are available in their entirety.

This is a niche extension but it does serve that niche well.

Update your Windows Experience Index in Vista

Adam Myers — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 23:25:53 +0000

Microsoft introduced a new metric in Vista titled the Windows Experience Index (WEI), a numerical representation for performance of the hardware in your computer. The WEI encompasses five sub-scores for processor, memory, 2D graphics, 3D graphics, and disk subsystem. Confusingly enough, the WEI is not an average of the five scores but rather the floor, or the lowest score of the five. The WEI ranges from a low of 1.0 to a high of 5.9 for Vista but we can assume that the high will continue to increase in future iterations of Vista or Windows in general - we hope hardware continues to advance after all.

But what is the purpose of WEI? It can be summarized in a simple sentence. WEI allows users to match software requirements, typically games, to the hardware in their computer. The idea was to simplify the complexity of the answer to the question will this software work on my computer? I think it’s a pretty good goal but we aren’t quite there yet because many users aren’t even aware of it. So here is how to see your Windows Experience Index and re-run the test should your hardware change.

Right-click on Computer from your Vista Start Menu and select Properties.

You will see a numeric value next to Rating. This is your current WEI and to re-run the test click on the Windows Experience Index link.

After the UAC prompt, Windows will begin to run a series of tests for each of your components. Don’t be alarmed if your system jumps in and out of Aero or if the screen flickers!

Upon completion it will return to the screen above in step 2, but this time with perhaps a new WEI.

You should make it a habit to keep this score up to date because WEI has an API which allows applications to reference the score and adjust their performance accordingly. The WEI is also a quick way to see any potential bottlenecks in your computer - it’s going to be your lowest sub-score of the five. Upgrade that component and your WEI and computing power will evolve.

Nuke Firefox 3’s Automatic Virus Scanning

Adam Myers — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 22:50:27 +0000

Were you aware that Firefox 3 included a built-in virus scanner? Well, technically it doesn’t I suppose, but it does include hooks that call your installed anti-virus scanner for all files that you download through Firefox’s download manager. You probably don’t see the scanning progress because the message occurs in the download manager that is hidden by default - I know I never did until I had it open at the completion of a download.

This feature sounds great on paper, and I commend Mozilla’s good intentions, but in my situation, and I suspect yours as well, it really isn’t necessary. You see, almost all anti-virus software provide real-time scanning and in turn, would already be scanning the bits that come across your network connection. Worse, the scan tends to cause delays and freezes while it scans large downloads. It is because of these reasons that I sought out a way to disable the feature. It’s commonplace to uncover hidden features and preferences in Firefox’s about:config, so it was no shock to me that this tweak lies there too.

In a new Firefox window/tab, type about:config in the address bar.

From the Filter box, type browser.download.manager.scanWhenDone.

Double click on the result and the value will change from true to false. A setting of false will disable the virus scan that occurs at the completion of a download.

Find Misspelled Deals on eBay

Adam Myers — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 22:07:52 +0000

The Internet auction sensation has long since passed, but pioneer eBay still carries a lot of weight in the market. Buy It Now has replaced the more traditional auction format, if only because we Internet users crave instant gratification - we lack the patience to monitor an ongoing auction for days on end, only to get sniped at the very close and lose out by a dollar. An amazing deal on eBay is becoming harder to come by, at least on the types of product I’m most interested in - electronics. Still, eBay has quite a following and many people are quite content on continuing with what they are most familiar with, even with the screaming deals of just a few years back are gone.

Nonetheless, one way to score a smoking deal on eBay is to take advantage of many sellers kryptonite - the misspelled auction title. Everything is driven by search and eBay is no exception. A buyer looking for a playstation 3 is unlikely to come across a hasty listing for a playtation 3. That’s where a site like Auction Bloopers can help you find those misspelled gems.

Use Auction Bloopers as you would with the normal eBay search; a search for playstation 3 returned over 68,000 listings because it also includes results of a few dozen typical typos. If you come across an auction for a Sony Palystation 3 odds are in your favor that you will get a below market price because typical eBay buyers will never have found the listing. If you are patient, and the truth is most eBayers are, you may be able to save a few bucks and return some of that magic eBay once had for everyone!

Circumvent the Age Verification on Youtube

Adam Myers — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 23:03:04 +0000

I’ve never quite grasped the age verification systems that some websites use. If you aren’t sure what I’m talking about, upon the first visit to certain websites there is drop-down box that you must key in your birth date and year in order to verify that you are of a certain age. Clearly, it is all on the honor system so I can only assume that this fulfills some sort of legal obligation that online media must abide by. It’s a silly concept in all honesty and completely unenforceable. There is that cliche that states rules are made to be broken - well, this rule is broken by design.

Nonetheless, the popular social video content site Youtube utilizes a similar setup. Videos on the site are audited by the users themselves and then flagged if the video is of questionable content. If enough users flag a video, Youtube administrators will inspect the video themselves to determine the appropriate reaction. One of two things generally happen, either the video is removed outright or the video will then require an age verification. The age verification is actually taken from your Youtube account, which means you must login (or register!) if you wish to view the video. All and all, this is highly annoying for those of us that just want to quickly view a video - likely forwarded on by a friend.

You Old Enough? is a Firefox extension that works to remove the bureaucracy surround age verifications, at least as it relates to Youtube. Once installed, the extension looks for Youtube URLs that call the age verification link and grabs the corresponding Youtube video ID. With the video ID, You Old Enough? loads the video in a popup window, by passing the age check. It’s really as simple as that!

Thankfully the “This video or group may contain content that is inappropriate for some users, as flagged by YouTube’s user community. To view this video or group, please verify you are 18 or older by signing in or signing up” are a thing of the past.

Launch Google Search Results by Keyboard

Adam Myers — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 13:23:27 +0000

I’m a keyboarder at heart, those that read the site already know that. For me, it’s just a more efficient manner to interact with the computer. If I’m typing away at something but then have to lift my hands off the keyboard to use the mouse, it just breaks the flow. I’ve written in the past about Windows keyboard shortcuts that I use daily and today I bring you another super handy keyboard shortcut for Firefox.

If you weren’t aware, CTRL+K will move your cursor to the Search box in the upper right of your Firefox window. Logically, this search box is likely your main access point into whichever search engine you use - Google for me. A quick CTRL+T (new tab) then CTRL+K I’ve ran a search in a few seconds, all without lifting my hands off the keyboard. However, my mastery ends with the Google search results return. There just isn’t an efficient way to navigate and click the results links. That is, until now.

Some might think this is cheating as what I’m about to show you requires a Firefox extension and is not in the native build of the browser. Nevertheless, this keyboard shortcut is another notch in my mouse aversion check list. The Firefox add on Search Keys identifies every search result by numbering in sequence. To load the particular search result link, just hit ALT and the number next to the result, such as ALT+3 to load the 3rd search result. Additionally, the comma and period provides navigation between the search result pages.

Search Keys hasn’t been updated in quite awhile - since 2006 actually - but I’m pleased to say that it still works great with Firefox 3.

Changing the Desktop Icon Size in Vista

Adam Myers — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 22:10:22 +0000

Just a quick tip today. Have you noticed that the default install of Vista results in the desktop icons being enormous? Perhaps not, but since I like everything just so, it was immediately noticeable to me. While I don’t understand the rationale behind the decision, it’s extremely simple to fix.

Click your mouse on the desktop. While holding down CTRL, mouse wheel up or down and watch the icons resize accordingly. Easy right?

If you don’t have a mouse with a wheel there is another way, thankfully. Right-click on the desktop and choose View. You’ll see three options to chose the displayed icon size. Classic Icons is actually what you would be most familar with from the XP days. The disadvantage of using this method the lack of a finer control in the resulting size; with the mouse wheel method, you achieve a few more intermediate steps rather than just the three provided.

Label that Thumbdrive with your Contact Information

Adam Myers — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 01:22:11 +0000

I probably own over a dozen USB memory sticks; it’s just such a handy and useful piece of technology that finally allowed us to rid ourselves of the floppy drive. For just a few dollars I can have a 1GB thumbdrive that is more than adequate to transfer files between computers. As I don’t keep my lone copy of anything important I have little qualms in lending them out as needed - it happens quite frequently at the office. While the thumbdrives are cheap, they aren’t quite disposable so it annoys me to no end when the sticks don’t find their way back to me. I’m just as much to blame as the lendee as I could do a better due diligence and keep track of who has what and when. It is also not uncommon for me to just leave them laying around in another person’s office.

Lately though, I’ve taken to labeling the thumbdrive so that when a user plugs it into the computer, my contact information shows up in My Computer. If you have the same problems as me, here’s how I accomplished this; it’s actually pretty simple.

Create a new text document using Notepad and title it autorun.inf. The .inf extension is very important, you may have to change the Save as type to All Files (*.*).

With the autorun.inf file opened in Notepad, edit the content to read like the picture below.
Be sure to supply the appropriate contact information!
Lastly, I like to edit the Properties on the autorun.inf file so that it is Read-only and Hidden. Just right-click on the file and chose Properties. Then place the file in the root of each of your thumbdrives.

Now the next time the thumbdrive is mounted your name and phone number will show up as the drive label in Windows Explorer!

Diagnose Firefox Problems with Safe Mode

Adam Myers — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 13:39:38 +0000

Because of the extensive add-ons, extensions, and other customization available to Firefox it is not uncommon to go full tilt and introduce some instability with your Firefox profile. I’ve spoken before on how to use multiple profiles when testing out new Firefox add-ons and while I still stand by that opinion, I realize it may be a bit too much overhead for us all to bother with. A faulty extension could bring your whole browser down and at times, it can be a tricky thing to track down and fix - even when you know which extension is at fault. A more drastic approach is to just create a new profile but that introduces a lot of work to get back up to speed. A safer approach is to start Firefox in safe mode, not unlike the same feature available in Windows.

Bring up the Windows run dialog with Windows Key + R and type firefox -safe-mode.

The resulting dialog box not only allows Firefox to start in its version of safe mode, it also gives us a few more options to reign in our problems. In safe mode, Firefox will not load any themes, add-ons, and toolbar customizations. Be warned, Disable all add-ons is temporary for the current session of Firefox while the last four options are permanent and more drastic. Once in Firefox you can safely remove or disable the last add-on installed. If you continue to have problems you may have no other choice but to continue with the remaining options available in the Firefox Safe Mode dialog below.

How in the TECH » How in the Tech

Syncing Your Contacts from Gmail to Thunderbird

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