Google Reader for Mobile Phones - A feature request

In continuation to Amit Agarwal's post "Google Labs Gathering Dust, No New Product Since 5 Months" I would like to add another feature request to Google.

Google has made the web version of Google Reader to imitate Gmail. However, Google is yet to come out with a mobile version of Google Reader similar to that of Gmail. Google reader currently does have a mobile-friendly interface that works within a WAP browser but it requires signing in every time you need to browse your reading list.

Alternatively Google can add Reader capabilities to Gmail itself, like Yahoo! Mail Beta so that all the info (email and feeds) can be found in one place. » Continue reading

Read more on Cell Phones, Email, RSS/Feeds/Syndication

Now anyone can sign up for Gmail from anywhere in the world!

I think I am a little late on this due to the long break. But I feel it invites a lot of debate. Especially because Google has changed its policy overnight.

Eighteen months ago Google said that SMS invitation codes were used to prevent SPAM accounts and now Google has opened Gmail to anyone anywhere in the world without the need of any invitation code, either from a friend or through SMS. It's true that any web based service that monetizes from ads needs more users but then how is Google gonna fight spam now? Have they got any alternative arrangements?

It has been reported that the change did not occur simultaneously across all Google data centers and there might still be some places where the link is yet to appear.

Also another speculation doing the rounds is that Google might launch a paid premium service like Yahoo! But before that could happen it needs to be out of Beta, or is it already out of beta? If yes, then the folks at Google need to fix the graphic. » Continue reading

Read more on Email, Internet, Web 2.0

Getting ideas for blog posts and RSS feed posts

After a long break, I was scanning the web for the latest news and discussions in the blogosphere and looking forward to discuss something on hashout when I stumbled upon this article by Sharon Housley. It gives 10 very useful ways to find topics for your blog or RSS feeds.

Sharon emphasizes on writing about unexplored topics and "tackling all of the content that many other publishers find difficult or uncomfortable". But considering the vastness of the internet and the anonymity that it provides, one would find it extremely difficult, if not impossible, to find such topics.

From my experience, I would recommend devoting certain amount of time on a daily basis to read blogs, news, magazines and even watch TV shows in the area of your interest. You might not get an idea to blog about spontaneously, but over a period of time it will surely help. For example, you read a news article about the Cisco-Apple iPhone trademark tussle in the morning and then discuss about it with your peers at work during the day. Now you have not just your own thoughts but also opinions from your pears to blog about. » Continue reading

Read more on Blogging

How to grab the attention of A-list bloggers

I just read a post about the benefits of getting noticed by A-list bloggers over getting to the Front Pages of Digg on Digital Inspiration by Amit Agarwal, a highly successful and popular A-list blogger.

After reading his post one would surely want to grab the attention of some of the A-list bloggers, but how? Read this post by Darren Rowse of Problogger, another A-list blogger.

Interestingly, I just noticed a new innovative way of grabbing attention of A-list bloggers on both the above blogs, i.e. displaying AdSense ads on the A-list bloggers blog congratulating them and wishing them luck or telling them how much you love them. If you need to see how? take a look at the screen-shot of Amit's blog below.



And here is a screenshot from Darren's Problogger.



Although this method might cost you a bit, it could serve two purposes.

1. Grab the attention of the A-list blogger.
   
2. Bring other visitors from the A-list blogger's blog to your website or blog.

I wonder if that really works, but you could give it a try and do let me know about the results! » Continue reading

Read more on Blogging

Key to professional photography with your mobile phone

You might have the latest mobile phone with a 10 mega pixel camera, but do you have the skill to shoot great pictures? Having a good camera phone is just half way to taking good professional photos, the rest depends on how you use it and it's pro features.

Snap It! by Doug Harman will guide you in taking great pictures with your mobile phone, developing an eye for detail and working within the limitations of your camera phone. It does not only cover the basics of photography, but also teaches you to make optimum use of your gadget. Not just that! It easily slips in to your pocket just like your camera phone so that it is handy just when you need it.

The book begins with Camera phone features and composition to ensure that you get your basics right. Doug Harman then highlights other essential features such as zoom lenses, sensors, pixel count, etc. that will aid you in achieving professional-looking images. He packs hundreds of simple tricks like shooting indoors & outdoors, composition tips etc., which are explained through sections like Basics. The fun chapters to read are the ideas on capturing parties, people, holidays, pets and arty shots. The information on transferring your photos using Infrared technology, Bluetooth or WiFi proves to be extremely beneficial too.

The book is well balanced in terms of text and visuals. Though at times the text seems to get repetitive, for example in topics like macro photography and beaming. And talking about images, not all do justice to photography. Photos are not at their best, especially while addressing topics like landscape photography, shooting animals and portraits. But the commendable aspect about the book is that every featured photograph has an explanation, which helps gain a better understanding of the subject and the situation it was taken.

Remember, camera phones too can be an equally authentic means of visual documentation. So, whether you are an advanced photographer or a novice, following the simple guidelines in Snap It! will help you take better pictures. You will not get the detail and high quality prints like digital camera, but they will help you capture those candid moments and share them instantly with family or friends. So, grab this book as soon as possible and start experimenting with your camera phones.

Buy Snap It! at Amazon.

Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with Amazon, Doug Harman or his Publisher at the time of writing this article and will not get a penny for the sales of this book. » Continue reading

Read more on Cell Phones, Photography

How much TV do you need?

As new sets become home theaters, you have questions

What is stereo in/out?
It's a must if you plan to hook up the set to your stereo or home-theatre speakers.

What's an S-Video input?
It delivers a better picture than the older "video input." It's key if you plan to plug a DVD player or game console into the set.

What are component-video inputs?
They produce a clearer picture than S-Video -- worth it only if you're going to use a DVD that has a component-video output. Component video splits colour and brightness signals, a process that makes the picture more vivid.

What's a comb filter?
It keeps a picture crisp by separating brightness and colour portions of a video signal. Older sets use glass comb filters. New, pricier models come with 3-D digital comb filters. » Continue reading

Read more on Home

How to check Internet connection speed? Using Bandwidth meters!

Today I was checking out the Airtel Mobile Office GPRS Internet Connection and even though the actual browsing speed seemed to be good on my laptop, I decided to check out the speed at which data was actually transfered (the connection status showed 115.2 Kbps). I usually use CNET Bandwidth meter Speed Test, but today I decided to do a research and find out about other Bandwidth meters to check internet connection speed.

I did a Google search for bandwidth meter and CNET Bandwidth meter appeared on top of the search results (Sponsored Link not included). Others following CNET Bandwidth meter were gambitdesign.com, 2wire.com, Club Polycom, ZDNet Internet Services. While gambitdesign.com and 2wire.com took ages to load the initialmeter page itself, ZDNet uses CNET Internet Services Bandwidth Meter hence not much difference between the two.

I tried the CNET Bandwidth meter speed test from both the US and CNET Asia (Singapore based) site and was shocked to see the difference between the two results. The tests were conducted in immediate succession but showed a difference of almost 60%!

Interestingly I found two Bandwidth meter add-on extensions for Mozilla Firefox from GoToMyHelp.

One of them called "Bandwidth Meter" runs on any operating system whereas the other called "Broadband Speed Test and Diagnostics" runs only on Windows but has advanced diagnostics features. Once you install these add-ons, you can check your public ip, domain, download and upload speeds anytime by selecting Bandwidth Meter or Broadband Speed Test and Diagnostics from the Tools menu.


Broadband Speed Test and Diagnostics additionally provides a couple of diagnostic tests to troubleshoot and isolate problems with the NIC card, local gateway, DHCP server, DNS server or a web site. It also displays information like private IP address, MAC address, default gateway, DNS server, DHCP server, routing table, ARP table and active connections from right within the Mozilla Firefox browser which would otherwise be available only through the command prompt.


There wasn't much difference between the results of CNET Bandwidth meters' speed test and the Firefox add-ons'; however, they were not very similar too. It can actually never be the same over time due to fluctuations in traffic. All you have to do is take the test a few times and average out the speed or just take the test at different times of the day for a few days and analyze your connection speed.

Update: Oookla.com provides a very attractive and user friendly speed test that you can integrate into your website. You can try out the speed test here. » Continue reading

Read more on Internet, ISPs