Go back to the old new tab page of Google Chrome

NOTE:
This method isn't available anymore. Try the new way to do so.


I usually use Firefox as my default browser, but I use Google Chrome mainly for Google services like Gmail and Google drive. Therefore, I feel convenience that many online applications can be shown as an app icon in the new tab page of Google Chrome.

Unfortunately, after I've updated Google Chrome to version 29, the new tab page is changed. We could find a search bar in the middle of the page and few recently viewed sites showing below. Notably, the shortcut of applications is gone, instead, an app bookmark is shown on the bookmark tool bar, which links to a page (chrome://apps) that shows the applications we've installed just like the old new tab page.

Some people may feel okay because they don't have many applications and it seems to integrate with Google Now (I don't see Google Now running on my computer, and I don't know why) which could be very useful. However, for me, I prefer the old one. So that's what I do to get my old new tab page back!

1. Enter "chrome://flags/" in location bar of Google Chrome
2. Press "F3" or "Ctrl + F" to search "Enable Instant Extended API "
3. Disable the option and click "Relaunch Now" button 

Finally, we can get our new tab page back!

Using "I'm feeling lucky" as default search engine in Firefox

Firefox is an open source web browser. According to StatCounter Global Stats, the global usage share of Firefox was 26.39% in October 2011. I think most people feel familiar about this software. For me, I am a fan of Firefox, and I have been using it as my default browser since Firefox 2. The most important advantage of Firefox is the variability. Firefox contains a lot of add-ons that improve the using experience, and many settings are variable for users.

The location bar is also a search bar. It can search for history, bookmark, even on web. However, a search box is next to the location bar. I think that the function of search bar is too similar with the location bar so I make a little change of the location bar. The default search engine of the location bar is google, and I changed it to "I'm feeling lucky", and I strongly suggest you to change.

Why should you change the search engine to "I'm feeling lucky"?

"I'm feeling lucky" is a service of google, it suggest one most possible website that you may want to visit when you search a keyword. It makes lots of convenience on searching websites. For example, if I want to visit "www.facebook.com", what I need to do is search "facebook" in the location bar, and then, it will automatically connect to facebook website. Mostly, "I'm feeling lucky" can direct us to the right website. This can save us a lot of time.

How do I change the default search engine to "I'm feeling lucky"?

1. Launch Firefox, first.

2. Type "about:config" in the location bar. Then the browser will ask your permission to change the settings. Click "I'll be careful, I promise!", of course.

3.  Then, search "keyword.url" in the filter, and double click the "keyword.url" in below.

4. After that, enter this URL, and click OK.

http://www.google.com/search?btnI&q=

5. Finally, you have the smartest location bar in Firefox.

Google plus invitation

I'm lucky to join google plus. I have plenty of invitations. I would like to share. :D
Follow me on twitter @tweejoe if you want to know more information.


UPDATE:

There is a good news. Google plus don't need invitation to invite people anymore. All you need is a link only. Luckily, I can share a link with a limit of 150 people register. Here is a link:
https://plus.google.com/i/J7G1z0d6zEI:o4VEic7pfcw

I don't know when will this link be unavailable. If you are interesting in google plus, just click the link.

Finally, hope you guys have a great time with google plus, and if you don't mind, add me into your circle.

Configure the proxy server of google chrome independently

I think many people need to use proxy server form time to time, and it's not bothering to set proxy server once in a while, even though there are different ways in different browsers. Browsers like firefox or opera have indepedent proxy server settings which means that the proxy server we set is limited to the specific browser.

Unfortunately, when we try to congifure the proxy server of google chrome, we will find that google chrome uses the same proxy server setting with IE. In fact, that is not a big deal if we don't need to change proxy setting very often. However, what if we need to use different proxy settings for different websites? Wow, that would be very troublesome! The easy solution is that we can use firefox for A proxy setting, and opera for B setting, and IE for C setting. Well, this solution is good, but not good enough. Here, I'm going to tell a easiest way to solve the problem.

What we need is google chrome. Wait! Did I just say google chrome uses the same proxy setting with IE? Yes, definitely yes, but it didn't mean that google chrome can't use its own proxy setting. This function is hidden. To do this, we have to set up a shortcut in the desktop first, and then set the target of the shortcut. Just add:

--proxy-server=proxy server:port

For example, if the proxy server is 1.2.3.4, and the port is 8080, and what I have to do is add "--proxy-server=1.2.3.4:8080" in the end of the target.

After we do so, we will use the 1.2.3.4 proxy sever every time we start up chrome with this shortcut. Is that amazing? I think it is. So, if we use different proxy servers for different websites, we can just set different shortcut for specific website.

Still, good is never good enough. This method only solves the problem of changing different proxy settings every time, but we aren't able to use different proxy servers at the same time. That is a little pity.
 

UPDATE:
There is an easier way to use independent proxy in chrome. Install this extension called "proxy switchy" on google chrome. It can help us switch proxy easily during surfing on the internet with chrome. Honestly, I haven't tried it. This method was provide by anonymous in the comment. Thank you, whoever you are.

Mobile template is available for Blogspot

Blogger have launched a new function of mobile template which makes people much more easier to read articles on blogger. However, this function is still in beta state so anyone who uses blogger and wants to activate this function should sign in from this website: http://draft.blogger.com to make this option show up. After that, you can change the option from "setting" > "Email & mobile". There should be a "Show mobile template" option.

I don't have iphone or android phone or other smartphone so I don't know how it feel to browse my blog in mobile template, even there is a "mobile preview" bottom in the setting. preview could be different with the reality.

Speaking of smartphone, I really want one. Unfortunately, smartphones are too expensive for me to have one. Recently, I think HTC desire Z is pretty good. If I am rich, I will definitely buy one.

Snowing on Chrome

It's almost winter. It should be snowing in some places in high latitude. Unfortunately, Taiwan is located in low latitude so it doesn't snow here usually. There is only a little chance to snow in the high altitude mountains in Taiwan. I have ever seen snow in my life. That is my pathetic life.

Anyway, today I'm introducing a google chome extension which makes chome start snowing. This extension only produce snow effect on the web browser but nothing else.

Google extensions - Snow


After installing this extension, all you have to do is restart the web browser and the effect should be appeared. It should snow on your chome for every pages. It could possibly not work sometimes.

Wow, I found that the snow effect is really fit for my blog's front page. It's really beautiful. You should try it. It make me imagine the scenery that it snowed in Taipei city. Well, it's impossible, I know, I'm just imagine.

Last but not least, I am not sure that if this extension consumes the ram a lot. It's just for fun. I think people who have ever seen snow would like it. If you feel so could when you use chrome, just remove it at chrome://extensions/ and restart the browser again. You will not be able to feel cold anymore.

My Experience in Google Wave

First, I would thank my friend from twitter who share his invitation with me. Otherwise, I have no opportunity to experience google wave.

When I used google wave the first time, it not that easy to use as the demo video. It took me some times to get used to it. However, it is pretty good overall. People said that google wave is like IM software, but I think it is more like a e-mail with a chat room. I think this idea supposed to impress to everyone.

So far, we can use "with:public" command to search public waves, but sometimes the command would be "with:public@a.gwave.com". If you want to search public waves in specific languages such as chinese, you can add "lang:zh" at the end of the command. Unfortunately, it is not always work completely right. You may search some others languages by this method.



The most attractive things of google wave is that there are a lot of robots and extension on google wave like translation robot, emotional icon robot, and google map extension. All of this stuff would add more interesting in google wave.

However, there are still things that I don't like it. For example, the speed of google wave is so slow, and it takes too much resources to run it. I know that it is in preview stage, but I think it would be much better when speed of google wave become faster and faster. And the way of classification is not good, I think. The most way of classification in google is label which is in gmail, document, even favorite list. But I don't know why google wave's classification is folder which makes me not adapted to it.



Besides, I hope there will be a option to open a new wave in new window or new tab. It would be more convenience to talk to many people in different waves, even though there is a wave list on the top of web page. To be honest, it is difficult to use at all.

I think google wave will be easier and more convenience to use, but I hope it can improve very soon.