Walker News » Google

New Google Search Response Time Measurement

Walker — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 15:59:27 +0000

Instead of displaying web search response time with a proper SI unit, Google Web Search introduces few fantastic time measurements for search result returning to users in the All Fools’ Day, 2010 :-)

You won’t notice this little change made intentionally for joke if you seldom bother to look at the response time (this proves Google is responsive at all time?).

With reference to list of April Fools’ Shenanigans of TechCrunch, this and the earlier Gmail vowel failure are only two of the many Google official hoaxes for 2010.

Again, Happy All Fools’ Day!

How To Index Google Profile Page To Search Engine?

Walker — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 08:47:32 +0000

Do you know how to create a Google Profile page and index it online so that everyone can view the profile at given URL or search your unique profile via search engine?

Although it is not likely to see your Google Profiles page appears in the first few pages of Google Search result (unless you’re a starlet or celebrity), the Google Profiles page is NOT accessible by anyone except for the owner who login with Google Account IF the profile page is NOT indexed by search engine.

To create your Google Profiles

It is darn easy to create one for free at google.com/profiles

Index Google Profiles to search engine and make it accessible by public

Again, it is free, i.e. not need to pay single cent to Google Inc for indexing your Google Profiles page. Once the Google Profiles page is indexed by search engine, the profile page URL is accessible by the public, e.g. google.com/profiles/walkernewsdotnet

According to the given guideline, a Google Profile will only be indexed to Google Search result if you’ve selected to display your full name. I tried that and confirm it is NOT working.

In my test just now, the Google Profiles page only accessible by public after filling most of the fields in the About Me tab, including the photo of profile, display full name, nick name, other names, the place I live and work, etc. Looks like the statement that read “Adding more information will help you improve your profile’s rank.” meant to be “include more information in order to have your Google Profiles online!”.

Why bother to have your Google Profiles page? Well, you might not need one now but maybe later. It is good to have one for your name as a celebrity, for the company, blog, etc. Best of all, it is free, so why not go to get one before your expected name claimed by others.

Better Way To Enable Gmail Https For Reading Email Securely

Walker — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 16:24:13 +0000

You probably know that Google Gmail offer an option whereby you could access Gmail in HTTPS protocol or secure connection.

However, that option might not be an good idea for all cases. Indeed, there are at least three points highlighted in Gmail Help for this HTTPS option.

First, for Windows users who are using Gmail Notifier must download and apply this patch or this email alerter will not able to “know” there are new emails sent to you.

According to the note, this Gmail Notifier patch is actually a zip file of two Registration Entries (.reg) files (used by Windows Registry Editor to add, modify, or delete registry subkeys and values).

If you opt for “Always use https” option of Browser Connection in the Gmail Settings page, double-click the notifier_https.reg to apply the Registry fix. If you turn HTTPS setting off later, you have to run notifier_https_undo.reg too.

Apparently, if you never configure this HTTPS setting, you don’t have to bother about this at all :-)

Next, accessing Gmail from an Internet-enabled mobile phone might encounter “unexpected error”, caused by Gmail for mobile application older than version 2.0.6.

There are few ways to fix this error. The easier way is to access Gmail with mobile web browser or disable the HTTPS option in Settings page. If possible, just update Gmail for mobile application to version 2.0.6 or later.

For those who are using Gmail for mobile application version 1.5 and 2.0, click here to read tweaking guide for “Always use HTTPS” feature.

Lastly, using the Send To feature of Google Toolbar is likely encounter 404 error after enabling the Gmail HTTPS option. The fix, as suggested by Gmail Help at this time of writing, is to turn off the “Always use https” option.

So, I think the most “easiest” way to secure Gmail is disable the “Always use https” option and manually entering the HTTPS version of Gmail in a web browser (doesn’t matter it’s a Desktop or mobile phone edition):

https://mail.google.com

By using this “secure” Gmail sign in page, the whole Gmail session is protected by HTTPS protocol, exactly the way of “Always use HTTPS” feature works, i.e. writing and sending email in secure mode, as well as chat via GTalk, contacts, etc.

To remind you once again, that this trick is only applicable when you access Gmail from a web browser!

How To Secure Or Encrypt Gmail By Enforcing HTTPS Connection?

Walker — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 15:36:59 +0000

If possible, I would like to have all my web service accounts secured by HTTPS connection. If not all is possible, at least the important web services are secured in this way.

Why HTTPS is important? When you click Login or Sign In button to submit account credential to a web service, a sniffer program (a.k.a. network analyzer) that captures data packets can easily extract the plain text form of login ID and password at no time, if the connection is of HTTP.

By using HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure, a.k.a. Hypertext Transfer Protocol over Secure Socket Layer), all data packets transmitted between server and client are well encrypted.

In other words, HTTPS make it harder for the bad guys to crack the account credential or to tamper the integrity of data packets.

Now, let us back to Gmail case. If I recall correctly, Gmail didn’t provide HTTPS protocol during authentication. However, users could explicitly enforce HTTPS by visiting this address:

https://mail.google.com

Then onwards, the Google Account authentication session as well as email contents, Google Talk, contacts, etc, are all secured or encrypted by HTTPS protocol.

Precisely, the Gmail session is secured from the time you open Gmail Sign In page with the https-based URL until the browser window is closed.

Nevertheless, thing has changed recently, as I just notice that Google enforces HTTPS during Google Account authentication.

That’s to say, the browser is automatically redirected to HTTPS-based URL when I enter www.gmail.com or mail.google.com in the Address bar. How nice!

However, the HTTPS only protects login credential. After Google Account authentication, the Gmail session falls back to HTTP connection again, i.e. all data packets are transferred in plain text form where the man-in-the-middle or packet analyzer can easily read your emails without much efforts.

To overcome this, you have to manually set the new option that tells Gmail to always use HTTPS connections, as if you’re entering https://mail.google.com manually as I did.

Therefore, go to Settings page (available on the top-right of window), find the Browser Connection: in General tab, select Always use https option and click Save Change button.

Latest Google Favicon Adds Colour To Bookmark List

Walker — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 18:04:48 +0000

Google official blog announced the latest favicon marks another branding move. If it’s not the 3rd Google favicon in its history, I am sure this is not the last.

Favicon, is a little icon but give a significant difference if it looks outstanding as you open the Bookmark or Favorites list.

After celebrating the 10th birthday, Google Inc embraces another decade, looking forward a teenage-hood with countless excitements and explosive energy.

Andre Resende, a computer science undergraduate student at the University of Campinas in Brazil, who inspired the Internet giant with a design of colourful, vivid “g” that should perfectly iconize Google 10 years vision:

^{A list of user-submitted Google Favicon that highlighted by Google blog}

So, have you made a favicon for your own site/blog? If not, follow my lousy guide to create a simple favicon in no time :-)

Although WalkerNews.net favicon is not updated for a new year, I’ve made tonne of changes in this blog (lousy but serve well for recording my notes for reference) – some changes are visual, some are not (e.g. optimization, security, etc).

Google Adsense Fine-tunes Western Union Payment Option

Walker — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 14:32:21 +0000

Western Union is one of few payment options for Adsense publishers. If you couldn’t receive Google paycheck via EFT (electronic funds transfer), Western Union is second best choice if this alternative cash transfer service available in your country.

Up to now, there are limited number of countries allows EFT from Google. So is true for Western Union, where this cash transfer option for Adsense payment is only available in Argentina, Bulgaria, Chile, China, Colombia, Egypt, Lithuania, Malaysia, Morocco, Pakistan, Panama, Peru, Philippines, Romania, and Taiwan.

Depends on central bank policy in respective country, there is a maximum payment amount a receiver can withdraw from Western Union.

So, what happen if Adsense paycheck amount over the Western Union maximum payment limit?

In the earlier days, Adsense automatically ignore your preferable payment option (in this case, it’s Western Union) and go for secured express delivery check (that comes with fees imposed dearly by banker and/or courier service provider).

Now, Google fine-tune the process by splitting the “oversize” paycheck into multiple payments that each of these is well below or equal to the maximum limit set by central bank. Therefore, Adsense publishers continue to enjoy the Western Union cash transfer benefits (i.e. fast and cheap as compare to other non-EFT options), regardless of the “size” of payment from Google.

Again, it’s depend on respective country central bank policy, receiver might have to withdraw each of the multiple payments in same OR different banking day.

Beside the update on split payment, Adsense also extend the deadline of claiming payment from 35 days to 60 days. If you payment is not picked up within 60 days of issuance, Google automatically credit the payment amount back to your Adsense account and set the payment status to hold.

For more information, follow the link of Adsense payment options or specifically the Western Union payment options.

How To Check Router Modem IP Address That Given By ISP?

Walker — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 17:32:38 +0000

Most of the home broadband Internet packages assign dynamic IP to xDSL modem to access the Internet.

This dynamic IP address, a.k.a. public IP, WAN IP, or Internet IP, is the only IP address that “talks” to the Internet. Needless to say, this public IP is different from private IP address that you can find in the ipconfig command in Windows Vista or ifconfig command in Ubuntu / Linux machines that connecting the Internet via a xDSL router modem.

Suppose I am connecting to Internet via ISP A or you’re connecting to Internet via ISP B, both are using a router modem. I cannot ping or VNC your machine if you give me the private IP address that taken from ipconfig or ifconfig in the computer.

It’s only possible if you give me the router modem IP address, i.e. the real Internet IP address given by ISP B. (Of course, you must also configure the port forwarding in router modem before I can VNC your machine via that WAN IP address).

So, if it’s not the ipconfig in Windows or ifconfig in Ubuntu / Linux, what is the command to check the real WAN IP address of your router modem?

How to check the Internet IP address of router modem?

Here are some of the ways to find out the Internet IP address of a router modem (or the proxy server in your office).

1) Simply open up your favourite web browser and browse to http://who.is. There is your router modem IP address, i.e. the so-called Internet IP address assigned dynamically by the ISP DHCP server (as shown in the following screenshot, highlighted in blue, marked by a red arrow):

^{How to find out what Internet IP address is given by your ISP DHCP server to the router modem?}

2) Login to your router modem and look for the WAN related information page.

3) Login to Gmail and check the Details page of Google Account activities.

4) Ask Google for list of Internet IP checker.