22 February 2013

How to Fake your Location in Google Chrome



Sometimes websites may request access to your location so that they can serve more relevant information. For instance, if you are looking for a gas station, a maps website may use your current geographic location to display stations that are near your place.


Share Location in Chrome

Google Chrome will only share your location if you click Allow.



How Browsers Determine your Location


Earlier, websites would use the IP address to determine your approximate location but with the HTML5 Geolocation API, web browsers can more accurately detect your location using data from GPS, Wi-Fi networks, cell towers, Bluetooth and of course the IP address.


To give you an example, open the Where am I app in your browser, allow it to use your location information and the app should be able to display your latitude and longitude coordinates (it is more accurate on mobile browsers as those devices have built-in GPS).


Fake your Geolocation Coordinates


When you happen to visit a location-aware website, the browser will always ask for a confirmation before sharing your location. If you aren’t keen to share your geographic coordinates, you can always deny that request or, if you are using Google Chrome, you can even send a fake location to the website.


Here’s how. Press F12 (or Ctrl + Shift + I) in Google Chrome to open the Developer Tools. Click the Settings icon in the lower right corner and switch to the Overrides tab (see the next screenshot). Now you can specify the exact latitude and longitude coordinates* that you want to share with that website.


[*] You can use the Postal Address finder to know the latitude and location of a place.

Make sure that the “Override Geolocation” setting is checked and then refresh the page to send that fake location. And this is obviously a useful feature for web developers who would like to test their geolocation-enabled apps from the same location.


Related tip: Geotag your Tweets with any Location


Override Geolocation in Chrome

Manually set you geolocation in Chrome



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Digital Inspiration @labnol This story, How to Fake your Location in Google Chrome, was originally published at Digital Inspiration on 22/02/2013 under Google Chrome, Location, Internet.



Build Up Your Google+ Community With These Great Tips



Though there was a lot of hype surrounding Google+, a lot of people who tried it out ended up returning to their usual social networks, like Facebook. However, if you thought that Google+ was dead, gone, and buried for good, you may be pleasantly surprised. It’s still kicking and some communities are actually flourishing on the platform.


Never heard of Google+? That’s okay! You may want to check out Maggie’s Google+ guide for a great introduction to the platform. But for those of you that want to start a community on Google+ (or maybe you already have one that isn’t taking off), I have a few tips and pieces of advice to give you that might just propel your group to a whole new level.


Define Your Target Audience


When starting any kind of community, whether it’s on Google+ or not, you need to keep a single thought in mind at all times: which niche am I going to fill?


People flock to a community because that community fills a void that no other community can fill. After all, if you’re starting a new community for chefs, why are people going to join your community when there are dozens of other chef-based communities out there already? You can create a community of chefs, but you’ll need to target a specific type of chef to which no other community caters.


If you aim your community at a niche that has no coverage, those kinds of people will want to join you. They’ll have no choice but to join you since there’s nowhere else to go. So instead of targeting chefs, you can try to target chefs on a budget or self-taught chefs or anything else.


Set Up the Community



Once you’ve created a Google+ community (which is as easy as click on “Communities” in the sidebar and typing in a name for your community), you’ll want to set it up so that all of the details are informative. That way, whenever someone stumbles upon your community, they’ll know all they need to know to make their decision: “Do I want to join this community or not?”


Use a catchy name. If you want people to remember your community, pick a name that is: short, easy to say, easy to spell, and unique. If you’re really creative, try to create a pun or double meaning with your community name. Also, use a catchy tagline that describes your community in a dozen words or less.


Set a community picture. When you see the profile of a person or community and see the default blank photo, what is your first thought? “This community is brand new OR the manager doesn’t update it.” To prevent others from thinking that same thought about your community, make sure you use a community picture. It can be anything as long as it’s not the default!


Description and location. Google+ lets you set a description and location for your community. The description is crucial for anyone who passes by and sees your page: it’s the one chance you have to hook the user and intrigue them. The location is more for localized communities centered in a specific area.


Categories. Like forums, you’ll want to create different “categories” for different types of discussions within your community. Be careful that you don’t create too many, though, otherwise you’ll spread your discussions too thin and your community will seem barren or abandoned.


To do any of the above, just click on the “Actions” button on your community dashboard and select “Edit Community.”


Moderate and Prune



Depending on the size of your community, you may want to promote some of your members to moderator status. A moderator can add and edit categories, delete posts, kick or ban members from the community, and promote others to moderator status.


Why are moderators important? As any avid forum user can attest, there are always bad apples in a community, no matter what kind of community you’re talking about. These bad apples will instigate fights, insult other users, post illegal or inappropriate material, and just cause mayhem. Moderators are there to keep order amidst the chaos.


Similarly, moderators guide and prune your community. If you want your community to be about a certain local sporting phenomenon, then your moderators can steer your members whenever they go off topic. Therefore, it’s important that you pick the right people as your moderators.


To promote a member to moderator status, simply click on “Members” under your community’s profile photo. Find the member that you want to promote and click the drop-down arrow next to their name, then select “Promote from member to moderator.” That’s it!


Get the Word Out There



Once you have a proper idea of what you want your community to be, once you’ve set up your community details, and once you have a proper moderating force, you’ll want to advertise your community to those who haven’t heard of it. There are a couple of ways to do this.


Personal invitations. If you click on “Actions” on your community dashboard and go to “Invite People,” you’ll be able to invite specific people directly by entering their Google+ names or email addresses. This is great if you already know people who would have an interest in your community.


Public announcements. Visit other communities that are similar to yours but not exactly the same. Find different interests that might overlap with your own. For example, a forum for new college students might be a good place to find users that are interested in your chefs on a budget community. Announce that you’re open to members and people will gradually trickle in.


Word of mouth. The best way to grow your community is to be so great that your members advertise on your behalf. Word of mouth is probably the most potent form of marketing so take advantage of it. Work hard, amaze your members, and they’ll tell everyone about your awesome community.


Engage With Members


Once you’ve invited people to your community and you start seeing some growth, don’t stop! You need to keep interacting with your members, keep discussions going, and keep the momentum rolling. There’s a point when the community will be self-sustaining, but you won’t reach that point for a while.


Engaging with your community members is the best way to keep them interested. If they’re interested, they’ll keep coming back. The more they come back, the better the chance that they’ll post and reply to other members. If people keep posting and replying to each other, the community seems active, which entices new users to stick around. It’s a vicious cycle.


On the other hand, if you disappear, the users will wonder where you went. Did you abandon the community? If so, then why should the members stick around? They’ll begin to leave one by one until your community is a ghost town. Stay engaged, create a hardcore group of diehard members, and build on that with more engagement.


Conclusion


Again, Google+ isn’t dead. Will it still be here tomorrow? That’s something for the experts to ponder and predict. Just know that right now Google+ is definitely a valid platform for building and growing a community. If you don’t like using the other social networks, give Google+ a shot.


In case you weren’t aware, MakeUseOf has our own community area on Google+ so go check it out and engage with us! As for your own community, take the above advice to heart and you’ll build it up, slowly but surely.


The post Build Up Your Google+ Community With These Great Tips appeared first on MakeUseOf.



The End For Windows Live Messenger: What Are The Alternatives?



alternatives to windows live messengerIt’s hard to believe, but the end of days for Windows Live Messenger are finally here. The service has been popular since the 90s when it was named MSN Messenger, so many people are quite unprepared to see the service finally head into retirement.


If you’ve been a dedicated user of Windows Live Messenger, it’s time to start considering your options for future messaging. Today we’ll talk about how you can migrate to Skype, what alternative chat options are out there and how you can make the whole transition easier for yourself. You have until the 15th of March 2013 to make your decision, then the Windows Live Messenger service will be closed for good.


Why The Move?


Microsoft bought Skype back in May 2011, so many people have been expecting a mass migration since then. It really doesn’t make sense for Microsoft to maintain the two services independently, and Skype does have a lot going for it. For starters, Skype already has more users than Windows Live Messenger, especially since it allowed Facebook chat integration.


alternatives to windows live messenger


Skype has also developed great mobile applications for most popular devices and operating systems. This means the service is well and truly ready for large-scale VoIP and video usage across many platforms, which seems to be the direction chat is heading in. So, for everywhere in the world except mainland China, Windows Live Messenger will be retired and users will be migrated to Skype.


Migrating To Skype


To migrate to Skype, start by downloading the latest version of Skype. It’s available for multiple platforms, including Windows, Mac, Linux and iOS, Android and Windows Phone. If you already have a Skype account, log in using this account and then merge your account with your Windows Live Messenger account. If you don’t yet have a Skype account, you can simply log in using your Windows Live Messenger account. All of your Windows Live Messenger contacts will then be waiting for you on Skype.


windows live messenger alternative


Please note that your Windows Live Messenger details are also known as your Microsoft account. A Microsoft account is the email address and password that you use to sign in to services like Windows 8, Hotmail, Messenger, SkyDrive, Windows Phone, Xbox LIVE, and Outlook.com. If you have more than one Microsoft account, you may wish to merge a different account with your Skype account. It’s your choice, but if you choose an account that isn’t your Messenger account, then your Messenger contacts will not be imported. If this is the case, you may want to manually add your contacts before the Messenger service is closed for good.


Alternative Chat Services


These days, there are dozens of great chat services you can use to keep in contact with your friends. If you’re not keen to try Skype, you could choose to find your friends on any or all of the following services: Gmail (and Google Hangouts), Facebook, Yahoo, ICQ or AIM. These services have been around for a while, so there’s a good chance you will find your friends. You will have to manually add the contacts you wish to keep from Windows Live Messenger, so remember to do it before the cut-off date.


alternatives to windows live messenger


Each of these services has a different user base, varying popularity and slightly different functions available to users. These days, it would probably be safe to say Facebook chat and Gmail chat are the most widely used. Yahoo, AIM and ICQ have been around far longer and could have more of your friends signed up already, however that doesn’t mean your friends will still use the service regularly. Facebook chat and Gmail chat are more integrated into daily life as they are often turned on automatically when people visit the respective site.


Multi-Protocol IM Chat Tools


If you have accounts on more than one of the above services, you may be keen to use a multi-protocol instant messaging (IM) tool. These will allow you to log into all of your IM accounts at once, then use the one program to keep track of all of your conversations. Some of these are web-based, while others have downloadable clients for your operating system. There are many pros and cons to consider when choosing between the different multi-protocol IM services.


Here at MakeUseOf, some of our favorite Multi-protocol IM tools include Adium, IM+, eBuddy, imo.im, Pidgin and Trillian. Take a look around and choose either a web-based or downloadable client for your OS. Many people feel that using these multi-protocol applications make chatting a much more pleasant experience as there’s only one login and only one set of notifications to worry about.


Will you migrate your Windows Live Messenger account to Skype or manually add your favorite contacts to your chosen chat client? What is your reasoning for your choice?


The post The End For Windows Live Messenger: What Are The Alternatives? appeared first on MakeUseOf.



Google's First Ultrabook



Chromebook Pixel is the first Chromebook designed by Google and the first premium Chromebook. Until now, Chromebooks used low-end CPUs, average displays and plastic chassis. Google decided to change all that and build "the best laptop possible" to inspire other manufacturers. It's like the first Nexus Chromebook.






But why is it called Pixel? It's the first Chromebook with a retina-like display, 3:2 aspect ratio and 2560x1700 resolution. Much like Apple's Retina MacBook Pro, Chromebook Pixel uses pixel doubling to make everything look sharp and crisp. The display has "the highest pixel density (239 pixels per inch) of any laptop screen on the market today" and it's a 12.85-inch IPS touchscreen with 400 nit brightness and 178° extra-wide viewing angles.






Pixel has an anodized aluminium body, glass touchpad, backlit keyboard, hidden vents, Intel i5 processor and 4GB of RAM. "The touchpad is made from etched glass, analyzed and honed using a laser microscope to ensure precise navigation. The Pixel also has powerful, full-range speakers for crisp sound, a 720p webcam for clear video, and a total of three microphones designed to cancel out surrounding noise," informs Google.



Google also includes 1TB of free Google Drive Storage for 3 years. You can also buy a special model with an integrated LTE modem for Verizon.



The downside is that Google's Chromebook is really expensive: $1300 (WiFi)/$1450 (WiFi+LTE). It's more expensive than Apple's MacBook Air and most ultrabooks. While it has a better display, Chrome OS is more limited than MacOS (or Windows) and it only became popular when Samsung and Acer started to offer $200-$250 Chromebooks. When you can buy tablets with high-resolution displays for $400 (Nexus 10) or $500 (iPad), the $1300 Chromebook Pixel feels out of place. An ARM device would've been a lot cheaper, but less powerful.



"The Pixel will be available for purchase starting today on Google Play in the U.S. and U.K., and soon on BestBuy.com. The WiFi version ($1,299 U.S. and £1,049 U.K.) will start shipping next week and the LTE version ($1,449) will ship in the U.S. in April. If you're interested in a hands-on experience, you can visit select Best Buy (U.S.) and Currys PC World (U.K.) store locations."



Now Google has a good reason to open its own physical stores.



{ via Google Blog }


HabitRPG Makes Improving Yourself Actually Addictive



habitrpg appChange your habits for the better by tying them into challenges in a role playing game. Level up for doing things you know you should and lose hit points for indulging in habits you know you need to give up. If you love role playing games – and traditional to-do lists aren’t working for you – HabitRPG is highly recommended.


Whether’s its grinding through boring Chocobo races to unlock Knights of The Round or delivering masks to obscure corners of Hyrule to earn a freaking bottle, video games make tasks that would otherwise be mundane interesting. The trick: offering rewards. Leveling up and upgrading equipment feels good in a way that few games can describe to non-gamers.


At the same time most of us spend time doing things we wished we didn’t – browsing the Internet instead of working, for example. And most of us also don’t do things we wish we did – working out, for example, or practicing a musical instrument.


The HabitRPG app tries to capture the wonderfully addictive quality of video games in a way that encourages you to improve your habits. It’s not magic – it only works if you’re honest. But if you can stick to its system you’ll be glad you did.


How It Works


To get started head to HabitRPG.com. You’ll need an account, so create one. When you do you’ll see that the interface consists of experience and HP bars, at the top, and four columns below: Habits, Daily, To Dos and Rewards.


habitrpg app


The basic concept is simple: Do good things and you’ll level up and earn money for rewards. Do bad things and you’ll take damage, lowering your HP score and possibly killing your character. Points lost and gained happen in the first three columns, which all encourage you do to different sorts of things.


The “Habit” column, for example, is simply a list of habits. Reward yourself for doing good things; punish yourself for doing bad. The system adjusts according to how well you’re doing, so the more you engage in a bad habit the more damage doing so will cause; inversely, the more you engage in good behavior the less it will help you level up. The idea is to subtly train you to stay the course, and to punish you for stopping.


This brings us to an interesting point: this game only works if you’re honest with yourself. If you’re not the sort of person who is willing to record your own mistakes, this probably isn’t for you.



The “Daily” column consists of things you want to do every day. Whether it’s practicing another language, writing a journal entry or exercising, this is the place to put things you know you should be doing every day but always manage to forget.


Fail to complete a daily and your character will take damage. Again, the effects of these daily tasks adjusts to you: if you usually manage one forgetting a day, it won’t do much damage, but neglect it daily and the damage will get worse and worse. On the positive side neglected dailies are worth more experience, encouraging you to tackle them.


Finally we have “tasks”, which is essentially a to-do list. Begin each day by filling in the tasks you need to accomplish and check them off throughout the day. You’ll get experience and gold every time you do, and man: does it feel good.


Tasks you take too long to complete will slowly turn red, meaning they are worth more experience and gold if you can complete them. This is intended to encourage you to do your neglected tasks – and it works better than any mere to-do list ever could.


Charts


Curious how well you’re doing? You can check out a chart of your progress for any habit or daily, showing you days you’ve done well and days you’ve done poorly. You can also chart your overall progress:


habitrpg review


Check back regularly and you’ll learn about yourself – and hopefully be able to improve.


Rewards!


In the fourth column we have rewards, the real reason HabitRPG works as well as it does. In this column you can offer yourself rewards for a set price. You could offer yourself a half hour of television during the work day, for example – whatever you think will motivate you to earn more gold.


There are also in-game rewards. You can upgrade your weapons to earn more experience and gold each time you do well or upgrade your armor to take less damage when you do poorly. Doing both will come in handy, because as in most role playing games each level takes longer to achieve than the level before it. Upgrading your equipment regularly helps you keep pace.


Chrome Extension


But wait…there’s more. A Chrome extension that connects to HabitRPG will automatically do damage to your character when you waste time on unproductive sites.


habitrpg app


Set some web sites to damage your character for lingering and some to help. You can set the time of day you’re supposed to be working, so don’t worry about not being able to browse in your free time.


Seeing that your character is taking damage because you don’t want to close Reddit can really motivate you to change your habits, so installing this is a good idea if time sink sites are a problem for you. Go ahead and download the extension from the Chrome Web Store.


You can check out Productivity Owl if you like this concept but aren’t interested in HabitRPG – it’s similar and far more customizable.


Conclusion


I’ve been consistently using this for a couple of weeks now, and I’ve got to say: it’s working. I’m not sure why imaginary experience points and gold motivate me to do tasks I earn actual money for, but they do. Maybe it will work for you.


If you wish your life was more like a role playing game you could try to start turned-based fights in the street, but I don’t recommend it. Other people rarely respect the turn-based sort of fight you’re trying to start. So this is probably the best tool out there for the job.


HabitRPG is an open source project, meaning you can download it yourself and run it on your own computer – assuming you know your way around a web server. The developer is actively looking for contributions – a recently completed Kickstarter campaign went a long way – so donate if you can.


HabitRPG is not the only way to gamify your life. James pointed out gamification tools to make your life better, including a similar (iPhone only) tool to HabitRPG: Epic Win. He also pointed out tactics for making your new years resolutions stick, so check that out if your resolutions have all gone sour.


What do you think of HabitRPG, and apps like it? Are they useful motivation or a time-wasting distraction among many? I know what I think, but want to hear what you do, so let’s discuss this below.


The post HabitRPG Makes Improving Yourself Actually Addictive appeared first on MakeUseOf.