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Please note that the Google Pack includes my preferred web browser, Chrome, as well as many other free programs which you can choose
January 2010 When discussing browsers, guru Bob Rankin does nhot say anything bad about IE 8 and adds : " In speed tests, IE 8 is slower than Firefox v3.5, most testers agree. Neither is as fast as Opera or Google Chrome, but those second-tier browsers lack many handy features that IE 8 and Firefox v3.5 pack. However, if you are thinking of upgrading your operating system to Windows 7, you will find that IE 8 'renders' significantly faster while Firefox actually runs slower than it does under older versions of Windows.
December 09. Most search engines now have advanced search facilities. In Google click on Advanced to the right of the search box. This allows narrowing down by things such as language, date of the page, where words appear (in title, body etc) exact words, words to be excluded and much more. When entering a word - say a town - you can click on weather, images, websites.
IE 8 ? Quite a discussion going on at our blog site at http://www.quicktopic.com/37/H/cKaWxjgUpCTaW/m1607 Basically I am saying that I, and others have had so much trouble with Internet Explorer 8 that we have uninstalled it. This allows the previous version to automatically reinstall. Some people are not troubled by V 8. One HAS to have at least one version of Internet Explorer on board, even if you use others such as Opera, Firefox or Chrome - which is my preferred browser because it seems much faster.
2nd September 09 Opera is another powerful browser, which has just been updated See HERE (CNET) for the description and Download
11th August 09 YouTube is phasing out support for "older browsers" and is encouraging people to upgrade to Firefox 3.5, Google Chrome or IE8.I will have another go at IE 8 and see if it is still causing me hassle. I notice that my Mcafee Site Advisor no longer works with V 7
August 2009 To see a good article comparing the search facilities of the Bing, Google and Yahoo search engines click HERE
July 09. Google is causing a stir by announcing that it intends to produce a free competitor for Windows (or the Apply Operating system) by next year. It will be based on the Unix free system, will come with free software and will run on low spec. computers, storing much of the data on the Internet. See more about the Google OS HERE
I use Google Chrome for preference. But people don't like the big picturesque tabs showing previously visited pages. Personally I have settled on a basic page with the Google search box showing. So mine looks like this :
If YOU would like Chrome to open with a specific page click the spinner symbol, top right, clickOptions in the drop down menu and make sure that it opens with the website that you prefer e.g.http://www.google.co.uk/
Safari, Apple's contribution to the Browser market is said to be 8 times faster than Internet Explorer 8 and 5 times faster than my current favourite, Chrome.
The latest version of
June 09 Microsoft is fed up with everyone Googling, so have brought out a new Search Engine called Bing. It does include some new features. See HERE for Bob Rankin's expert opinion
7th May 09 A new internet search system, Wolfram Alpha, showcased at Harvard University in the US last week, takes the first step towards what many consider to be the internet's Holy Grail – a global store of information that understands and responds to ordinary language in the same way a person does. It is very much a work in progress and for some questions Google does a better job. But don't underestimate the brilliant British born instigator, Stephen Wolfram. People are saying this could be bigger than Google (and you can't get much bigger than that)
May 09 Internet Explorer 8 is well and truly out, though
I haven't had a go at it. I like the sound of the security
features such as :
The optional SmartScreen Filter, pops up a screen with a warning
when you visit a site that may contain malware or a phishing attack. It will
also notify you if you attempt to download software that may not be safe.
The Cross Site Scripting Filter enables IE8 to detect malicious
code running on rogue or compromised websites. This feature helps to protect
you from attacks which can steal account information, identity theft, and
other hazards.
Data Execution Prevention is an IE8 security feature that can
block viruses and other security threats from running on your machine.
In that Mcafee Site Advisor seems a little suspect or weak on occasions anything that prevents you getting 'Drive-By viruses' can only be a good/
25th March 2009. Microsoft moved fast to correct the insecurity in their new browser (IE8) and it is now getting appreciative comments . To see slideshows on the latest browsers (IE 8 and Firefox) please click on http://download.cnet.com/8301-2007_4-10200277-12.html
19th March 2009. My favourite browser comes out on top ! At the CanSecWest security conference in Vancouver, and just one day in, Firefox, Safari and Internet Explorer (8) have all been hacked, leaving just Google Chrome still standing.
19th February 2009. Microsoft are still beavering away on their latest version of Internet Explorer (V.8) It seems that there are thousands of web sites which will not comply with it and so will not 'render' correctly i.e. where words of graphics look fuzzy or unreadable. This is mainly because IE8 is assuming sites will comply with a set standard called CSS 2.1. Although Microsoft intend to have a compatibility mode, folks will have to turn it on just to be able to use many popular sites, including the BBC, Barclays, Tesco et al - or move to one of the alternatives such as Firefox , Opera or Chrome. Incidentally, it will be possible to turn IE 8 off when Windows 7 arrives. This has not been possible with earlier versions
In a recent exercise it was found that Google searches got the best results when trying to find answers to certain computer problems. The results looked like this
Chrome gets the thumbs down from Windows Secrets Newsletter. They say: If you use Google Chrome, make sure you update to version 1.0.154.48. Or perhaps you should consider an alternative browser — for now, anyway. Like all new software, Chrome is plagued by dangerous bugs.
Firefox 3.1 is still in the testing stage (Beta3) but this is expected to be the last Beta before issue
Internet Explorer 8 is due out at some time this year but problems with using it to access some sites means that there will be a third beta version before it is put on automatic update. Even then it will be issued with a 'compatibility mode' so people can view sites which have not been made compliant.
16th December 2008 I don't know if it is just my setup but Internet Explorer has been very slow and crashing (not responding). I finally got rid of a host of add-ons and it seems to work better, now.
Once again Internet Explorer is in trouble, being exploited for its vulnerabilities. The Windows Secrets site, from which I get reports, just declared that you should use Mozilla's Firefox wherever possible. The trouble is that Microsoft have made Internet Explorer an essential part of Windows. You delete it at your peril. Sites which rely upon the ActiveX software to work NEED it. This includes the downloads from Microsoft. So, if you want to stay secure you have to access their site having started out with Internet Explorer. I feel sure that Firefox is not totally immune from 'exploits', as they are called, but it seems to fall for far fewer. Another browser, Opera, has just issued a patch for a new vulnerability. The great problem is that the exploits are becoming so sophisticated it requires all the best brains at Microsoft to put in overtime for days to find a fix. Meanwhile computers and websites the world over become infected
2nd September 08 Browser wars ! Internet Explorer 8 is out (and some people have found it doesn't cause problems) and Google have entered the fray with one called Chrome See http://www.google.com/googlebooks/chrome/ I downloaded Chrome. The speed of access to web pages left the other web browsers standing. By mid December Chrome was out of 'beta' and gaining followers at a rapid rate - but you HAVE to be using Vista or XP with SP2. The recent spate of IE patches from Microsoft just play into the hands of Chrome. But Chrome seems to have problems, too.
Firefox 3 from Mozilla makes browsing even easier. See this video http://people.mozilla.com/~beltzner/overview-of-firefox3.swf
Of several browsers currently available, Safari has captured only 48 million users, equaling about 3.4 percent of the market -- as against Firefox's 227 million and IE's 1.1 billion, encompassing 16.1 percent and 78.3 percent of the market respectively. However, a recent study showed that many people are still using comparatively unsafe versions of IE and that Firefox was far more safe overall
If you are partially sighted, and use Firefox as your browser, take a look at http://www.firevox.clcworld.net/about.html, the developer of Fire Vox, the screen reader for Firefox. Mind you it wouldn't work for me.
Apple have developed a cool looking Browser (instead of Internet Explorer, Firefox, Opera , Flock etc) for Windows users called Safari.
Think it is all up to Google ? See a list of (almost) all the search
engines at
http://www.craigball.com/searchcentral.html
Mind you, if you look at
www.simply-google.com you will
se what an innovative bunch they are. No wonder Microsoft is
worried
Five Things You Didn't Know Google Could Do
Google has many hidden functions, and most accessible from the main search
box. This article describes a few of these.
However, Google has several built in functions that help you to make your searches more successful, and to enable you to spend less time searching! The following is a list of 5 functions, all accessible from the main Google search box, which will help you find that snippet of information you are looking for.
1. Removing Unwanted Pages
Ever searched for something before, and had a whole list of completely irrelevant
web pages come up? This is annoying at the best of times, as it takes time
to check and read through the list of sites and find the one you actually
want.
For example, if you were looking for a review of the book "Eragon", and you typed into Google “Eragon review”, many of the links listed are reviews of the movie, not the book. Because you are not looking for a review of the movie, you can remove all pages relevant to the movie by adding “-movie” to the end of your search terms.This will now display all the pages relevant to "eragon review", but not relevant to "movie".
2. Calculator
Google can be used as a calculator, answering anything from the simplest
math to the most complex equation. Just enter your math question, such as
8+7*2 and Google will display the answer. + is used to
add terms, - to subtract terms,
* to multiply terms, and
/ to divide terms. Besides these basic
operators, you can use ^ to work out something to the power of something
(for example, “2^4” would be 2 to the power of 4), and "sqrt" to
calculate the square root of a number (for example, “sqrt 4” would
be the square root of 4).
3. Dictionary Definitions By typing “define:” before a word, Google will retrieve and display a list of dictionary definitions for that word. e.g. define:evolution
4. Search A Single Website
If you type "site:" and then a website after a search term, Google will search
for your term(s) in only the site dictated. For example, the following search
will search Oxford University's Website for the term "prospectus."
Prospectus site: www.ox.ac.uk
5. Search for A Specific File Type
As I am sure you are aware, there are many files hosted on the internet besides
the standard html websites. Therefore, searching for a specific type of file
could make your search a lot easier. For example, if you were looking for
a PDF version of the iPhone manual, you could use the following search, which
would produce more accurate (and less) results. ....iphone manual filetype
: pdf
Here the "filetype:" tool is making Google search the web for PDF files only, therefore eliminating any pages that we didn't want to see.
These are just 5 useful functions that Google can perform, there are many more for you to discover, and they can all be mixed and matched!
****************
See a list of the top 500 sites accessed from the UK Here
www.mysite.gov.uk A very simple search site. Effective, too
The ubiquitous Google is introducing a Universal Search feature which integrates results from news, books, video, local searches and images. So, if you use it to search for a local restaurant it may also display a map and show what other people thought about the menu !
The Firefox (2) alternative to Internet Explorer is said to be less vulnerable and has not come in for the criticisms being levelled at Internet Explorer 7 (IE7). You can use either or both programs. The latest version is out now. Click on the above logo to download it. Computer Active gives the Firefox 2 five stars - (quote " It's hard to improve on a winning product") - Internet Explorer 7 only four. Firefox asks you if you want to make it your default Browser. I use it in preference to Internet Explorer with Vista.
What if you want to return to Internet Explorer ? Open Internet Explorer, Tools, Internet Options, Programs and check " Internet Explorer should check etc. Click Apply and restart Internet Explorer.
Both Firefox and Internet Explorer 7 have 'phishing' controls and will warn you if they think a site is a phishing site (e.g. a spoof bank asking you to fill in your account details. In the case of IE 7 it checks with Microsoft every time you go to a website. This could account for why people complain that their PC has suddenly become slow. Firefox downloads a list of Phishing sites to your computer now and again. Whilst this may cause a slight delay when you are on line it should be quicker than IE because it is retrieving the data locally. You can turn the facility off in either browser if you feel confident that you can spot the 'phishermen'. A third browser, Opera, also provides the facility but, in that case, it has to be turned on.
Tip : Press the space bar to scroll down this page. To Find a specific word on a web page (including this one) press Ctl + F and type in the word. To find the next occurrence on the page use Alt and F.
There are a number of new ways to search the net. Personally, I have Google (www.google.com) as my startup page (right click Internet Explorer, Properties and enter www.google.com as your home page). Google is the premier search engine with 8 billion internet pages indexed, including all of mine. I know that I can find anything through their search engine. If I want to search for more than one word together just put inverted commas round them. That is all there is to searching the web these days. If you think the answer is more likely to be in the UK just click the UK Only spot. Once you have done that you will find a list of sites with links (usually blue underlined words like the ones below), with a note as to how many sites contain what you searched for. If it is very many you may wish to narrow the search down in some way but it is likely that the most relevant sites will be at the top of the list, including some who may have paid for the privilege.
When searching there is no need to bother about capital letters or even
plurals. Keep it simple. You can search on your surname, or even the type
number of a special battery or computer. One of the most common problems
is with an Outlook Express error code
0x800ccc0d. Just put it in Google and see the answers you get.
Google can even be used as a dictionary by typing Define and then a word
e.g. Define megabyte. If it is a phrase then enclose it in inverted
commas e.g. Define "wildcat strike".
Bear in mind that the order of words you enter may give different results with the earlier words given greater importance
You can also use the word OR in a search. So you might enter a search which is say "Dylan Thomas"play OR plays OR Theatre. Note that, whilst the search words can be capitals or lower case the OR must be capitals. For people who remember the use of NOT to exclude specific words it may seem strange that the equivalent in Google is a minus sign. So it might be "Dylan Thomas"play OR plays -"Under Milk Wood".
It is possible in Google searches to restrict the search to a title of an article e.g. intitle:"Dylan Thomas".
Not many people know this but Google also provide specialist searches. Try http://froogle.google.com for price comparisons (mainly USA still); http://images.google.com for pictures; http://groups.google.com for Interest groups and even an additional Toolbar at http://toolbar.google.com. For a small fee they will even do your research for you. Try http://answers.google.com. You may even find a free answer there. And the latest is http://books.google.co.uk, which will search for the text you enter and tell you where it appears in a list of books
The definitive site for search methods is http://www.searchenginewatch.com/facts/powersearch.html. But if you want to take it further you can try MSN Search http://search.msn.com. The new MSN engine is claimed to be better than Google - and that is saying something.
Every page on the Internet has its own unique address, known as a URL. So if you know that address e.g. www.bbc.co.uk all you have to do is type that in the address space at the top of your Web Browser (whether it is Internet Explorer, Firefox or something like AOL) and press the Enter key to get to that address. You can even type something like Go holidays and it will find Holidays.com.
n.b. If you wish to return to a previous site that you have just visited you can always use the back arrow at the top (left) of your browser screen. This will take you back along the trail which you have followed. Sometimes you will get a screen which indicates that a page in not available. Do not take this at face value. Yes, it is possible that a badly constructed site can lead you to a blind alley but frequently it is a problem with the site. It may be overwhelmed with callers or some other reason. When your Browser has tried to find a site for a limited time without success you it is likely to show the Not Available page, which is actually a file on your own machine. Try again later or use the back arrow and go back to the page after a few seconds before you give up on it. In Internet Explorer click on the down arrow to the right of the address bar and use one of the address recorded in the 'history' list of previous entries.
If you can master searching the web it is a wonderful tool. Here are
some of the sites I have found which are really amazing.....
http://whathappenedinmybirthyear.com Try this fascinating program
http://www.romereborn.virginia.edu/ Click on Still images and Video to see ancient Rome brought to life.
Inspirational/Motivational
www.GiveMyLifeMeaning.com You can join in this one
A new Scott Stratten motivator at http://www.TheImagineMovie.com
http://www.TheDolphinMovie.com.
Another nice one from Scott Stratten
Another Scott Stratten :
http://www.SevenWondersOfYourWorldMovie.com
http://gimundo.com/ A site which will send you a daily motivating email and no spam or viruses !
Feel like a lift ? Go to http://greatday.com and its amazing offshoots
And for a whole range of educational virtual tours kind look through
the site
HERE
Just a drop of water :
http://www.flixxy.com/water-drop.htm
Amazing yacht. Recession ? What recession ? Must be
a banker !
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vt6Ok3pVy1E
http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=vOhf3OvRXKg
Sand Art. A young woman tells the story of a couple who go though
the chaos of war and are reunited afterwards. She the won "Ukraine’s
Got Talent" competition.
http://www.dumpert.nl/mediabase/656611/d1dfcfee/live_olifant_geboorte_tv.html.
Incredible video of the birth of a baby elephant and the efforts of the mother
to ensure that it starts breathing and then walking. Not for the squeamish.
.
Rome reborn. There are some videos of the development on the following
page
http://www.romereborn.virginia.edu/gallery.php#images_2_0
The Obama inauguration. Zoom in on any part of the picture
http://gigapan.org/viewGigapanFullscreen.php?auth=033ef14483ee899496648c2b4b06233c
Funny
Animals
http://www.stumbleupon.com/s/#1jiI4T/izismile.com/2009/06/10/these_funny_animals_36_pics.html/
http://producten.hema.nl/
Amazing advertising
Google Earth (4.3) also now has an ancient Rome section at
http://earth.google.com/rome/
http://thankgoodnessitsmonday.com/2008/07/26/the-video-that-made-me-cry/
Big cuddly cat
http://www.maylin.net/CyberGarden.html.
This is an old site but still very clever
http://www.natureofsuccessmovie.com/
Lunar landing panoramas. Move your mouse
http://moonpans.com/vr/index.htm
and
http://moonpans.co.uk/vr/apollo15_sta8.htm
http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
Amazing astronomy picture archive
From outer space to the atoms in a leaf
http://micro.magnet.fsu.edu/primer/java/scienceopticsu/powersof10/index
or
http://www.thetimemovie.com/
and
www.spiritisup.com/colors1.swf
360 degree view of Paris from Notre Dame. Use the lower scroll
bar to see it all
http://framboise781.free.fr/Paris.htm
http://pgoh13.free.fr for computer
tips, news, jokes, inspirational poems, brain teasers, dictionaries etc
Seen your house from satellite or maybe even from the road ? You need
XP and a big download, but stunning. Click
http://www.google.com/downloads/
Just put in your postcode + UK. The site also includes downloads for
Picasa (graphics), Google Talk, Firefox and Ad-aware
http://maps.google.com. Just
type in your postcode and see your house. e.g. XX8 0DQ, UK
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PN_oDdGmKyA&feature=player_embedded
The most amazing model system in the world - in Hamburg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXta6A2Q2FY&NR=1
The Queen Mary. Nostalgia !
Bloopers
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVwePp3hcNA&NR=1
Boat hits bridge
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zoU1HczQJQM&NR=1.
Drop the anchor !
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RR6qgwvmcnI
Drop the boat !
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VPGBEI5orIg&NR=1
More boat launches
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