Gmails top nine hidden features.

Most tech-savvy email users have a Gmail account - but how many of them know its hidden features? Here's a list of the top nine tips. Most email users probably have a Gmail account, unless you're still using aol.com, in which case my first tip for you is to immediately set up a Gmail account.

But for everyone who already uses Gmail, there are a number of handy tips and features that you might not have come across yet. Here are the top nine.

1. Attachments

You know that feeling of sending an email and writing out "I have attached the document below"... and then realising you pressed send before attaching it? Well, with Gmail that feeling is a thing of the past.

It can recognise you have written 'attached' in the body of the text, and before you press send, a reminder message will pop up saying:

Did you mean to attach files? You wrote "I have attached" in your message, but there are no files attached. Send anyway?

All you have to do is press Cancel and you've avoided an embarrassing follow-up email ('Sorry, forgot to attach it. Here it is...'). Thank you Gmail.

2. Stars

Gmail has a star system so you can 'star' your most important emails and come back to them later. The standard star is a yellow one - but you can upgrade to add a selection of stars.

Go to the Gear box > Settings > Stars. You can now add in different coloured stars, for 1*, 2* and so on. If you make 2* red, then when you go back to your inbox and star a message it will still go yellow for 1*. But then, you can click for a second time and it will turn red!

Keep going so you can add in a selection of colours and then search your inbox for coloured stars later. If you want to search for 2* messages that are red, go to the search bar and type in:

has:red-star

This will bring up any emails with red stars on them.

3. Multiple email addresses

If you want to have multiple versions of your email address, you can just add in a full stop to your email address. Google will send the same emails to samjones@gmail.com to sam.jones@gmail.com.

If Sam wanted even more aliases, he could be s.amjones@gmail.com or any other variation.

Handy tip if you want to use multiple email alises to sign up to different web services or newsletters.

4. To-do lists

Why use Gmail just as a mail service when you can take it one step further and use it as a to-do list?!

All you have to do is click on Mail > Tasks and a small task bar will pop up at the bottom. Just fill in your to-do list and add in a due date if you want Gmail to remind you about it.

When you're done, tick the box in the corner to get a satisfactory line strike through your task.

5. Keyboard shortcuts
The most useful shortcuts are here below. Use regularly to save time. For a complete list just press ? whilst on your Gmail inbox and a box will pop up.

Ctrl + Enter means send message

Ctrl + . means advance to next window

Ctrl + Shift + c means add Cc recipients

Ctrl + Shift + b means add Bcc recipients

6. Advanced shortcuts

Gmail caters to the user's basic needs - but it also caters to the sort of user who wants personalised shortcuts. These can range from shortcuts to opening a new window to compose a message, to moving a conversation to the Bin.

To enable these extensive shortcuts, go to the Gear box in the top right corner > Settings > Keyboard Shortcuts > Keyboard shortcuts on > Save changes.

There you have it - your own list of shortcuts that looks something like this.

Top ones:

c - compose a new message

d - compose a message in a new tab

/ - puts a cursor in the search box

r - reply

# - move a conversation to Bin

7. Switching accounts

For those of you who are such big fans of Gmail that you have two accounts - fear not. You can access both on the same browser at the same time.

All you have to do is click on your email address in the top right corner, and select Add account. It will then take you to a separate tab where you can log into your other google account.

If you use Google Chrome it will remember this and save it as a permanent option for to swap to - but if you use any other browser you [may] have to add in the email address each time.

8. Faster loading

If you're loading Gmail on a slow Internet connection, it can take a few minutes. But - you can switch to a basic version of Gmail which will load faster and allow you to carry out basic actions.

To get there, just add ?ui=html to the standard Gmail URL. It should look like this:

https://mail.google.com/mail/?ui=html

9. Backup your messages

You may want to backup your most important messages. The easiest way to do it is to sign up for a backup email account, and then you can set up your Gmail account so it forwards emails into the primary Inbox.

Settings > Forwarding and POP/IMAP.

Once you're there just select 'Forward a copy of incoming mail to' and fill in your email address. Done.

source

TIME Explains: The Deep Web

Published on 1 Nov 2013 | The FBI takedown of the online market Silk Road reveals the challenges of regulating the Deep Web. Here's what you need to know

Apple unveils new iPad Air

Published on 23 Oct 2013 Apple unveils new iPad Air : Apple unveils its latest thinner, faster tablet, the iPad Air, at an event in San Francisco, California. The company's senior vice president, Phil Schiller, describes it as 'the biggest step yet' in delivering their iPad vision. The company also released a new version of the iPad Mini.

Apple TV (3rd Generation) 1080p: Unboxing & Demo

Published on 15 Mar 2012 | Unboxing and review of the new 2012 Apple TV 3rd Generation.

Specs: A5 Single-Core CPU Video: HDMI 1080p

The digital currency revolution

Published on 18 Oct 2013 | Within just a few months, Berlin has become the capital of the digital currency Bitcoin. Invented in 2009 by an anonymous hacker, it has not only become an online hit, but in the trendy district of Kreuzberg, more than twenty businesses now accept payment with the currency. Thousands of online merchants are starting to use it, to the point where banks are considering it a force to be reckoned with.

What is Social Media?

Twitter is an excellent example of a social media website. (Image of Twitter)

What are Social Media Sites? | By Daniel Nations

Social media is a phrase being tossed around a lot these days, but it can sometimes be difficult to answer the question of what is social media. If MySpace is a social media site, and Mag.nolia is a social media site, and Wikipedia is a social media site, then just what is social media?

Is it social networking?

Is it social bookmarking?

Is it wiki?

What is Social Media?

The best way to define social media is to break it down. Media is an instrument on communication, like a newspaper or a radio, so social media would be a social instrument of communication.

In Web 2.0 terms, this would be a website that doesn't just give you information, but interacts with you while giving you that information. This interaction can be as simple as asking for your comments or letting you vote on an article, or it can be as complex as Flixster recommending movies to you based on the ratings of other people with similar interests.

Think of regular media as a one-way street where you can read a newspaper or listen to a report on television, but you have very limited ability to give your thoughts on the matter.

Social media, on the other hand, is a two-way street that gives you the ability to communicate too.

30-Second Tech Trick: Search Twitter Back to 2006

Published on 25 Sep 2013

Everyday cybercrime -- and what you can do about it

Published on 16 Sep 2013 | James Lyne

How do you pick up a malicious online virus, the kind of malware that snoops on your data and taps your bank account? Often, it's through simple things you do each day without thinking twice. James Lyne reminds us that it's not only the NSA that's watching us, but ever-more-sophisticated cybercriminals, who exploit both weak code and trusting human nature.

Your secret Wi-Fi password is no secret to Google

September 13, 2013 | You know that home Wi-Fi network you have? The one with the super-complicated password you came up with to keep your neighbors from jacking your connection?

Chances are, Google knows that password.

If you've ever logged on to your network with an Android device, or even if it was just a friend logging on just once, chances are Google has your password stored in their servers. In fact, it's very possible that Google knows just about every Wi-Fi password in the world.

It's not a secret, exactly, as Michael Horowitz at Computer World points out in a recent blog post. The issue has been covered by several prominent blogs, but during the current privacy backlash against tech companies, the collection of millions of Wi-Fi passwords has mostly flown under the radar.

But it's a notable issue. As Horowitz points out, an estimate 748 million Android phones will be sold in 2013 (a figure that does not include tablets). And most of these devices are backing up Wi-Fi passwords as part of their default settings.

"Many (probably most) of these Android phones and tablets are phoning home to Google, backing up Wi-Fi passwords along with other assorted settings," he writes. "And, although they have never said so directly, it is obvious that Google can read the passwords."

This has been the default setting for Wi-Fi passwords since version 2.2 of the Android operation system. It's been presented as a positive feature for users, one that makes it easier to save data and configure a new phone. But for those who don't want the feature, it can be tricky to change. Depending on which version of the Android platform you have, you either have to go to "Backup my Data" or "Backup and Reset" to do the necessary configuration.

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The next big IPO : Twitter

Twitter well-placed to exploit the future

The news of the initial public offering of Twitter Inc. is unsurprisingly doing well on the micro-blogger's platform. It is the most hotly anticipated IPO since that of its predecessor as the hot social networking platform, Facebook, in May 2012. As it stands, the announcement appears to be a clever trial balloon. It enables the pioneering micro-blogging company to test the waters for valuations, without any obligation to actually undertake an IPO in a given timeframe. What Twitter did was to use the "jumpstart our business startups" or JOBS option to file an S-1 declaration to the US Securities and Exchange Commission. The S-1 merely signifies an intention to make an IPO sometime. The financials declared may be kept confidential until 21 days before the first IPO road show. In fact, Twitter was under no obligation to even declare it had filed an S-1. All that's known for sure is that Goldman Sachs is the lead underwriter, and that annual revenues are under $1 billion, since that is the cut-off for S-1 eligibility. Market estimates are that revenues are about $500-600 million. Previous venture capital offerings suggest Twitter is valued at around $11-14 billion; but it reportedly refused a 100 per cent buyout offer for $14 billion earlier this year. Silicon Valley believes that Twitter's revenues more than doubled in the last year and revenues could treble again by 2015. Its CEO, Dick Costolo, claims that Twitter makes more from mobile micro-applications, than from web advertising. This is interesting since mobile is the growth platform of the future, and Twitter appears well-placed to exploit it.

Comparisons with Facebook are inevitable. Twitter has just 200 million accounts compared to Facebook's billion-plus. And Facebook's market value at $110 billion is also many multiples more than that of Twitter. However, Twitter users match Facebook users in terms of sheer volume. People tend to tweet far more often than they update Facebook. The social media search engine, Topsy, has indexed over 425 billion tweets since 2010. The service has evolved from the simple text messages it offered when launched back in 2007. Twitter delivers multimedia content, embedded links and micro-applications. It is the latter that are reportedly generating the major mobile revenue. The platform-agnostic nature of 140-character tweets is of major importance. It means Twitter is similar in looks and functionality on mobile and the big screen, and no more difficult to use than a short messaging service or SMS. Facebook, in contrast, has struggled to generate revenues on mobile, where it offers an attenuated experience compared to the big screen. As more people go mobile, it is difficult not to imagine that the future belongs to Twitter.

The immediacy of Twitter contact and the ability to reach total strangers are revolutionary. The hashtag (#) delineating content has proved so popular that other social media companies are trying to emulate it. Twitter also triggered new paradigms in terms of political, bureaucratic and corporate brand-building and feedback since it removed the layers insulating billionaire CEOs, political leaders and bureaucrats from the common man. It has also forced media to accelerate the delivery of breaking news. Everything from the raid that killed Osama bin Laden to the Boston bombings to Tahrir Square, sundry natural disasters and communal riots hits Twitter within minutes. Adoption is growing - fastest, it appears, in the 55-64 age group - the age-cohort with the most money. Monetising any web-based service has always been a headache. Twitter seems to have put together a working business model with its combination of advertising, direct marketing reach and its micro-applications. The IPO strategy, timing, pricing and structuring will presumably depend on the feedback it gets from the S-1 announcement. Well-handled, the IPO could be more successful than Facebook's, which has so far, struggled to justify its IPO valuations.

source >>>

A Security Expert Says Get A 2nd Offline Computer!

Published on 10 Aug 2013 | Most home computers have malware or spyware in them.

Twitter users stage protest in the UK

Published on 4 Aug 2013 : Users of the Social Networking site, Twitter, are staging their own protest in the UK against the online menace of trolling, when abusive and threatening messages are sent to other users. The call to boycott the social networking site for 24 hours follows a series of death threats and abusive messages sent to prominent women on Twitter. Twitter has apologised and attempted to tackle the problem by updating its rules and complaints proceedure, but the attacks have continued.

In the Conservative but permissive society - Cameron: 'One Click' Protection Against Porn

Internet Porn: David Cameron Plans Crackdown

Wanna try this, u may luv it? Meet Gmail's New Inbox

Published on 29 May 2013 : New customizable tabs put you back in control so that you can see what's new at a glance and decide which emails you want to read and when.

http://www.gmail.com/inbox

Copper wired internet connections of 1GB/s on the horizon

The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) is currently developing a new norm enabling 1GB/s internet connectivity through copper telephone wires over distances of up to 250m. 

Dubbed G.fast, the technology would bring fiber-optic level performance to pre-existing network infrastructures, reducing upgrade costs. The norm could go into effect as early as 2014.

For the time being, the ITU has announced that it will begin the examination and approval process for G.fast in early 2014. 

In theory, the new norm would provide a connection speed of 1GB/s over a distance of up to 250m through existing copper telephone wire networks.Customers would be able to install the upgrade to this norm on their own, without the need for exterior technical assistance. For internet service providers, this would also mean a quicker rollout.

If approved, G.fast will give access to ultra high-speed internet connectivity and its numerous applications: HD video streaming, large file transfers over the cloud, and high-def voice and video communication.

According to the ITU, several leading operators, integrated circuit manufacturers and systems providers are collaborating on the development of the G.fast norm. 

source -Relaxnews

Mozilla, Google Bring WebRTC Interoperability To Firefox And Chrome

By Zach Walton

WebRTC is the future of Web communication if the W3C has anything to say about it. It's an HTML5 technology that turns your browser into a video/audio communication tool. The only problem standing in its way was that it would only work if both users were on the same browser, but the folks at Mozilla and Google have found a way around it. 

Google and Mozilla jointly announced the RTCPeerConnection today that brings interoperability to WebRTC clients on both Firefox and Chrome. This will allow users of either browser to engage in video/audio chats by just using the power of the Web instead of relying on third-party plugins. 

RTCPeerConnection is currently available on the Chrome 25 beta and the latest build of Firefox Nightly. Once you download one of those, set the media.peerconnection.enabled to true in about:config and you'll be set. 

For the developers out there, Mozilla has a lengthy tutorial on how to bring RTCPeerConnection to your apps at its blog post. Check it out to get all the details.

source : web pro news

Bangladeshi Hackers Attacked Malaysian Website

KUALA LUMPUR- Several websites with the ‘.com.my’ and ‘.MY’ domains experienced technical issues when it was hacked this morning  by a group known as TiGER-M@TE.

Several major websites that were affected include Google, Dell, Microsoft, MSN Malaysia, Bing, and Kaspersky.

The frontpage of the website was changed with the following text, “Hello Malaysia, you think you are more advanced than us? Respect our workers, we will respect you! Running it since 2007.”

Last month, at least 41 government agencies’ website faced technical difficulties after it was hacked by an international group of hackes known as ‘Anonymous.’

In May, PKR president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail’s blog was allegedly hacked to give an impression that a ‘sex video’ purportedly involving her daughter, Nurul Izzah Anwar, was genuine.

In March, Google experienced a technical glitch after a search for “Sabah” showed a result in which the state was described as “illegitimate”. The incident happened during the Malaysia-Filipino standoff over Sabah’s sovereignty.

Meanwhile Google denied its website was hacked. - MD | source