How To Quit Google

Google has been under a lot of fire in the past year or two for their questionable policies regarding privacy. Personal privacy has always been a huge issue for people and the fight takes on a whole new appearance when dealing with the Internet’s openness. To some people, companies like Google have gone too far, leading them to shun the company altogether.

So what can you do when Google encompasses a ton of products and services all around the world and you want to escape their control? When complaints and protests don’t work, the best way to speak your mind is to quit using their products and services. But with a company as pervasive as Google, this can be extremely difficult.

I personally like many of Google’s offerings, but if you’re one who wants to quit, I’ll show you the main steps that you need to take to release yourself from their grip. Beware, though, that some people who have tried to quit Google have ended up loving the company all the more.

Log Out of All Google Services

The first step to not use any of Google’s services is to not use any of their services. The easiest way to do this is to log out of all of your Google accounts and never log back in again. Recently, Google has been consolidating a lot of their services under one account (Google Plus, Gmail, YouTube, etc.) so logging out of one tends to log you out of them all.

If you find yourself tempted to log back into these accounts, then you’ll want to take a more drastic measure: delete your Google accounts. Deletion is always a scary action because it’s so final, but if you’ve certainly made up your mind 100% that you want to quit Google, account deletion may be necessary to keep you on track.

How do you delete your Google account?

• Log into your Google account.


• Navigate to the Account Settings page.


• Click on the “Close account and delete all services…” link.

My recommendation is that you do not delete your Google accounts if you feel any sort of hesitation at all. Google is pretty all-encompassing and you might feel a lot of regret if you ever decide to return to Google one day.

New Search Engine: DuckDuckGo

Now that you’ve freed yourself from Google’s grasp, you’re going to have to find alternate services to use. Since Google’s main service is Google Search, what can you use instead? Well, considering that most people will be leaving Google due to the privacy concerns, you’ll want to use a search engine that doesn’t impede on privacy.

When talking about privacy, the search engine that often comes to mind is DuckDuckGo. It’s not a very good name (certainly not as easy to say as Google) but it has some great policies in place: your searches are never tracked, your data is never stored, and DuckDuckGo never shares any information with any other party ever.

If DuckDuckGo isn’t enough for you, then you may want to try either WolframAlpha for (sheer search power) or Bing (for familiarity). WolframAlpha has a bit of a learning curve, though, so it’ll take some getting used to. Bing on the other hand… well, it’s Bing.

New Email Service: Hotmail or GMX

Gmail is arguably the second most popular Google service in the world. It was the first to pioneer free email storage limits in the gigabytes and it has made impressive strides in the world of web-based mail. However, it’s an unsettling thought knowing that the world’s most powerful information company has access to all of your email exchanges.

If you use Gmail and you want to quit Google, you’ll need to find an alternative. Luckily, both Hotmail and GMX will give Google a run for its money in the realm of free email.

A lot of you will instantly reject the Hotmail recommendation with a disgusted gag, but you really ought to check it out – especially if you haven’t used Hotmail in the last year or so. They’ve overhauled the design, making it extremely user-friendly, pleasant to the eye, and just a flat-out enjoyable experience.

As for GMX, it’s the “free email service you’ve been waiting for.” The web-based interface is rather good, they offer unlimited email storage, attachments can go up to 50 MB, and your privacy is guaranteed with encryption. If you’re still wary about it, just know that over 13 million people already use GMX so obviously they’re doing something right.

New Video Sharing Site: Vimeo

Though YouTube wasn’t originally a Google creation, they did buy the site back in 2006 and have made it into what it is today: the central hub for user-generated videos. Ask any of your friends if they know what YouTube is; I bet you’ll have an impossible time finding even one who doesn’t know!

So if you want to completely quit Google, you’re going to have to quit YouTube, too. Now that’s a daunting idea. Google Search and Gmail are personal services, but YouTube is a worldwide phenomenon. Quitting that is going to be extremely hard.

Unfortunately, there aren’t many video-sharing sites that are as good or popular as YouTube. The closest one, in my opinion, is Vimeo. Other contenders include Blip.TV (mostly focused on webisodes, web shows, and web series) and Veoh (which doesn’t have many restrictions at all).

New Maps and Directions: Bing or MapQuest

With the recent debacle involving Apple and their Maps app, a lot of people have reevaluated the usefulness of Google Maps. As it turns out, Google Maps is one of the best, if not the best, map services in existence today. If you want to quit Google, you’re going to have to give this up, too.

As far as I’m concerned, there are only two map services that can compete: Bing and MapQuest.

For as much slack that Bing receives, their map service is actually pretty good. The satellite images are arguably better than the images in Google Maps: more crisp and at a clearer angle. Their maps are prettier, too. The downside is that Bing’s “Search Nearby” is nowhere near as good as Google’s, but that’s no surprise.

MapQuest used to be really popular before the advent of mobile GPS apps and Google Maps. In recent years, though, they’ve completely revamped their interface into something more modern and fresher. It’s not as feature-rich as Google Maps, but it’s pleasant to use and holds a lot of promise.

New Web Browser: Firefox or Opera

How can we talk about leaving Google without abandoning their web browser? Chrome has become such a household name in the last five years and a lot of users will immediately install it after a fresh format of their computers. However, if you want to be consistent, then yes: you do need to replace Chrome if you want to forever quit Google.

My recommendation is Firefox, which you’ve probably heard of already. Even though I personally prefer Chrome over Firefox, it is a strong alternative. After all, you don’t become an internationally-recognized name without doing something right along the way. If you detest Firefox, then my next recommendation is beautiful and sleek Opera.

One additional note here: If you really want to quit Google, you also need to stop Google from tracking you through their Analytics program. Fortunately, Google provides browser extensions that prevent Analytics data from being collected (it’s called the Opt-out Browser Add-on). However, if you don’t trust Google to block themselves like that, you could always use something like Ghostery.

Conclusion

If you want to quit Google, then these are the main steps that you need to take. Seems impossible, doesn’t it? In the process of writing this article, I had to take a deep breath and process just how much of my daily life revolves around Google’s services. It was quite a shock, I’ll tell you that much.

I couldn’t imagine a world without Google Search, Gmail, YouTube, or Google Maps, but if this is the road that you’ve chosen, I wish you good luck. If you’re already on this road, then please share your experiences with us in the comments.

The post How To Quit Google appeared first on MakeUseOf.

YouTube's Harlem Shake Easter Egg

If you search YouTube for [do the Harlem Shake], the search results page will actually illustrate your query: the Harlem Shake song will start playing, YouTube's logo will start moving and the search results will "dance" chaotically.

It's an Easter Egg based on the Harlem Shake meme. "The Harlem Shake is an Internet meme in the form of a video of various groups of people performing a comedy sketch accompanied by a short excerpt from the song 'Harlem Shake'. As a meme, the video was replicated by many people, using the same concept, and this rapidly led to it becoming viral in early February 2013, with thousands of 'Harlem Shake' videos being made and uploaded to YouTube every day at the height of its popularity."



Gizmodo says that "YouTube puts the final meta nail in the Harlem Shake's coffin," but I think the Easter Egg will make the meme even more popular.

{ Thanks, Sterling. }

Get Start Menu In Windows 8 Without Using Third Party Tools

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A lot has been said and written about the new Start screen introduced with Windows 8. While a section of PC users are satisfied with the new Start screen, most users aren’t exactly happy with the Start menu replacement. Users who don’t like the Start screen have a number of free programs to get back [...]

Get Rid Of Facebook’s New Graph Search With This One Simple Trick

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve heard of Facebook’s new Graph Search. We’ve written about it several times here on MakeUseOf, but just in case you’ve managed to miss it, I’ll briefly explain what it’s all about (feel free to skip this if you already know).

Graph Search is not really revolutionary. Rather, it’s a new way to search for data that’s always been available. Graph Search is just a slicker way to perform an advanced search, and in fact, several sources claim that such a feature was already available on Facebook seven years ago, only to be scrapped. There’s no doubt that the new and improved Graph Search is far easier to use than a regular advanced search, but technically speaking, that’s all it is.

Angela has already taken you through preparing your account for Graph Search, telling you everything you should take into account if you’re thinking of enabling it, or if your friends are using it. If it’s already on, and you like it, you can check out several cool things you can search for with Graph Search (haven’t you always wanted to know where Mark Zuckerberg has been too?). I’ve even asked you to share your opinions on Graph Search, and many of you didn’t like it. So what happens is you’ve gone to the trouble, signed up for the feature, enabled it, but now you hate it? Are you stuck with it forever and ever?

The Good News

The good news is that there’s a simple way to disable Graph Search. If you’ve tried it out and your mind is set on hating it, you don’t have to keep staring at that blue bar that keeps telling you to “Search for people, places and things”. So yes, you can get your “old Facebook” (or the newest old Facebook, to be accurate) back, at least until Facebook decides you can’t anymore. What do you have to do?

Sell your SOUL!!!!

Well, no, not this time. Start by accessing your Account Settings from the cog menu. Go to the General tab and find the Language settings. Now change your language from English (US) (no, I’m not assuming you’re American, Graph Search currently works only in this language setting) to anything else you wish. If you only speak English, English (UK) or English (Pirate) should do the trick. If you speak any other language, and don’t mind having the interface in that language, switch to it.

A second after you hit the “Save Changes” button, you’ll be rid of the curse of Graph Search. At least for now.

This is a very simple workaround, but remember that’s all it is – a workaround. Which brings us to…

The Bad News

The bad news is that we’re dealing with Facebook, not a do-it-yourself customizable social network. In the past, you’ve had the chance to opt into new features such as Timeline, but once you’ve done it, there was usually no way to opt back out. Facebook has been through dozens of significant redesigns since its rise to popularity, and every single time there’s an uproar of people who don’t like it. Remember this?

How mad were you when this was taken away from you? How good does it look now? The point is, Facebook is not in the habit of letting you choose your interface, so don’t expect to avoid Graph Search forever. The language workaround will most likely stop working as soon as Graph Search becomes available for other languages.

Don’t Despair!

As with other hated features such as the news ticker and chat sidebar, some Graph Search disabling add-ons might pop up when the feature becomes more widespread. Worst case scenario, you’re stuck with it. But look at the bright side, it actually makes the Facebook toolbar look better, and you don’t have to use Graph Search if you really don’t want to.

Have you had a chance to try Graph Search? Do you love it or hate it? Have you found a brilliant way to get rid of it? Tell us all in the comments!

Image Credit: Devil’s Workshop

The post Get Rid Of Facebook’s New Graph Search With This One Simple Trick appeared first on MakeUseOf.

3 Applications To Supercharge The Character Map In Windows

It wasn’t until I started blogging as a hobby and writing for this fantastic website that I noticed how useful the Windows Character Map actually is. How? Well, the lazy version of an ellipsis is three repeating periods, on a standard keyboard… The real ellipsis is keystroke Alt+0133. And what about dashes? Do you have any idea just how many different dashes exist? There’s a particular use for each of them, too.

When the Character Map becomes a staple of your work routine, you have two options: find some third-party application to more easily bring the characters to your fingertips, or memorize the Alt keystrokes for each character. Although I do know around 25 of those keystrokes off the top of my head, I’m going to show you three solutions to that first suggestion.

CatchChar

CatchChar turns the Character Map into a sort of extension to the Windows clipboard.

The above screenshot is what you’ll see upon first installing the application. CatchChar includes no mention of OS compatibility on its website, but it works well on Windows 8 Pro. You can safely assume that it should work on XP and everything in between.

The default hotkey to activate CatchChar is Alt+Shift+C. If this seems a little awkward to you, it can be easily changed in the application’s settings. The hotkey has to include the Alt+Shift modifiers though.

By default, the menu will include the above characters and options. Clicking on any character in the list will immediately insert it into the field you’ve selected before pressing the hotkey.

Configuring your menu keys is about as extensive as you can make it. You’re able to insert any character, organize them in the list, add separators, and even save or restore your menu lists.

CatchChar literally puts the Character Map at your fingertips. It’s my favorite application for this purpose.

BabelMap

While CatchChar is a great way to get the job done, BabelMap is probably the most extensive. You will definitely see some characters that you’ve never seen before when using this application.

BabelMap boasts over 110,000 characters in its database. You’re able to search through the list of characters by name or code and characters can be copied to the clipboard to be pasted within any application that supports Unicode characters. BabelMap supports the most recent Unicode Standard of 6.2. It works on any version of Windows from 2000 onward.

For an application of such a simple purpose, the options are huge.

Here are a few features of BabelMap:

• Browse the Unicode Character Grid by plane, block, or page (182 characters)


• Find a character by its hexidecimal value


• Search for characters by full or partial name


• Forward and backward search compatibility


• Select characters to add to a buffer with drag-and-drop editing


• Magnify any character in the grid by right-clicking it

BabelMap is really more than an extension of the Character Map, it’s a complete character and symbol toolbox. I’ve even spent time just glancing through the list of Unicode characters for enjoyment. Who knew there was a character that represented every major traffic sign?

CharMapEx

CharMapEx functions as a bit of a dumbed-down version of BabelMap. CharMapEx support starts at Windows 98 and works fine on my Windows 8 machine.

Like BabelMap, it shows the entire Unicode map in blocks and pages. It includes characters from the BMP (Basic Multilingual Plane), so if one of your big reasons for needing a Character Map replacement is for that then this is probably your best solution.

ChapMapEx will allow you to open multiple maps within the same window and organize them in a multi-pane view. This is great if you’re searching for two or more different kinds of symbols simultaneously. It’s much easier and more efficient than opening two instances of the same application.

Right-clicking on a character will allow you to add it to the clipboard or determine which font offers support for that particular symbol. You’re able to change the application font, among several other viewing options. You can alternate between GetGlyphIndices and cmap, as well as DrawText and Uniscribe (for rendering).

These three applications offer a lot in the realm of preference. For functionality, CatchChar is great. For extensiveness, try BabelMap. For just raw simplicity, CharMapEx is best. Nonetheless, each gets the job done and all of them are worth being appreciated.

What are some of the symbols you rush to your Character Map for? Which of these three do you find most useful? Drop me a line in the comments and let me know.

The post 3 Applications To Supercharge The Character Map In Windows appeared first on MakeUseOf.

The Shortest Google Search URL

What if you want to include a link to a Google search results page and the URL needs to be short? Instead of copying the URL from the address bar and including a lot of unnecessary parameters, you can manually build a simple URL:



http://www.google.com/search?q=test



Obviously, you should replace "test" with your query. If there are multiple keywords, replace space with "+" like this:



http://www.google.com/search?q=test+my+speed



You could drop "www." from the URL:



http://google.com/search?q=test



Google now uses AJAX to load search results, so you can replace "search?" with "#":



http://google.com/#q=test



You can even drop the slash after "google.com" and the URL works in most desktop browsers, but not in mobile browsers. You could also replace "google.com" with "google.ca" or other Google domains, but you'll get different results.



Fortunately, Google owns the googl.com domain and you can use this URL:



http://googl.com/#q=test

Upcoming Google Translate Features

Google Translate has some cool features that aren't yet publicly released. They're disabled, according to the source code of the page.



The text-to-speech feature will allow you to select the dialect for languages like English, Spanish, Portuguese and Chinese. It's nice to compare American English, British English and Australian English.

There's also a phrasebook feature that could help you learn some useful phrases and words in a variety of foreign languages. Another disabled feature is a dictionary view, but it's not clear if it only uses Google's dictionary data. Google could also monetize the service by including contextual ads.

Drag and Drop Links to Google Translate

Google Translate has a quick way to translate pages: just drag and drop links to the Google Translate page. You'll see a big yellow box at the bottom of the page when you're about to drop the link. Instead of copying the URL, pasting the URL and clicking "Translate", you can translate the page using a simple drag and drop.

This feature would be even more useful if you could drag and drop pages that are already loaded in a different tab. I've tried to do that in Firefox, Opera and Chrome, but it only worked well in Chrome. The other browsers added some new characters to the URL and Google had to translate error pages. Chrome is already integrated with Google Translate, so you don't have to use this feature.



You could also select some text from a page and drag it to the input box (ignore the yellow box this time). If instant translation is enabled, you don't even need to click "Translate".

Google Tests a New Navigation Interface

Google tests a new navigation menu that's more compact and includes fewer services. You need to click or mouse over an icon that's placed next to the "sign in" button and you can access popular services like Google Maps, YouTube, Gmail, Google Drive and Google Calendar.



The interface seems to be inspired by Chrome's app launcher, uses less space, but it's not very obvious. It's like a new version of the hidden navigation menu that was launched back in 2011 and removed after a few weeks.

{ Thanks, Maurice. }

How To Delete Recovery Partition In Windows 8

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Almost all PCs that ship with Windows 8 operating system have a dedicated recovery partition consisting crucial files required to reset or restore Windows 8 to factory condition. This recovery partition usually consumes around 15GB of storage space. Since most of the PCs that are available today offer at least 500GB of storage space users [...]

How To Be a Better Parent In Your Child’s Online World

There’s no question that growing up in today’s world is nothing like growing up over the past few decades. Obviously, computers and technology make a childhood of today nothing at all like a childhood of the last few decades. Instead of radio shows, kids have streaming movies on Netflix. Instead of drive-in theaters, kids have 3D cinema with digital surround-sound. Instead of ham radios, kids have mobile apps.

You’ll find plenty of people lamenting about how wonderful childhood was back then. They’ll talk about memories of playing football or street hockey with neighborhood friends, or making up a make-believe war with friends using sticks as guns and pine-cones as hand-grenades. Maybe in your part of the world, childhood has evolved in similar ways, and most older folks look at the kids of today – with their high-tech gadgetry and conveniences – with disdain.

But is that really fair? I was very much an 80′s and 90′s kid, so my own childhood was sort of in the very beginning of that evolution into a technological society. Most of us 80′s kids knew this – it could be seen in the imagined futures of all of our movies like Back to the Future and Lawnmower Man. The children of my generation played pixelated video games on Atari game consoles, but dreamed of a world with realistic graphics and wireless communications. In fact, those of us of that generation are the parents of today – and we watch our kids enjoying the sort of childhood that many of us could only dream of.

Taking Part In Your Child’s Online World

So why lament the technology and the conveniences? The fact is, these are things that are here to stay. Tweeting, Facebooking and Googling are verbs that are a part of our global culture. Kids are plugged into the net. They’re voice chatting with friends across the world while playing massive online games. They’re instantly sharing photos on services like Instagram, in ways that photographers never would have imagined a couple of decades ago.

It’s a new world that we live in, and parents can either stay in denial and try to fight it, or be a better parent and embrace this new reality and become involved with it alongside your kids. Because in all honesty, there’s a whole lot of joy, fun and relationship-building that can come from actively showing interest int he things that your kids are interested in.

Show Interest In Their Online Success

I have to be honest, I didn’t think up this one on my own. My own father taught me the importance of being involved in the things that your child does online. When I started my own blog and struggled through the first few years of long nights trying to post every day on my own, my first fan was my father. He was there from day one, liking every post on my blog. And then, when I launched the Facebook page to promote my blog, there my father was on Facebook, liking every Facebook post.

So, when I recently learned that my daughter was creating her own digital artwork on the Internet, you can imagine my reaction. Sure, she’s great with a pen and paper, but to see what she’s capable of at such a young age in the digital domain – it makes me very proud as a father, and I want her to know that.

So, like my own dad’s example, I will leave comments on her photos – encouraging her and complimenting her. And of course, I’ll share it on my own Facebook wall, making sure she understands just how proud I am of her creativity.

Sure, this isn’t anything like the world used to be, when kids used to make simple drawings on paper, and hand it to mom or dad with an expectant smile. But, you know what? This new method of sharing creativity is even better. Now, the world can see this young, beautiful mind, and as a parent, you have the opportunity to make sure the world knows just how proud you are of your child.

Challenge Them With Brain Games

When it comes to playing online games, you can fight the losing battle that too many parents try to fight – cutting back on gaming time and constantly nagging your kids to get off the Internet. Or you can suggest doing an online activity with your child. After all, if that’s where they want to be, why not meet them there?

If you find yourself sitting in a home where everyone is on their own computer, isolated in their own rooms, why not send them a text chat and invite them to a game of online chess at a site like ChessFriends?

My daughter and I have always loved playing chess together – on a real board – but you know what, when I’m away from home on a business trip, what better way for us to have some fun? Most of these online game sites have a chat area where you can shoot the breeze and talk about the day at school with them during the ongoing game. It’s a wonderful, low-pressure way of building that relationship, even when your kids are online and seemingly “isolated” from the real world.

Another great online activity that I like to play with my younger daughter – who loves to read and likes everything about words – is Words With Friends on Facebook.

Just like the chess game, we can spend time together no matter where I am or where she is – and with the chat window available we can poke fun at each other during the game.

Again – it’s not so much that these are what we would consider the perfect ways to bond with our kids. However, the reality is that the kids of today are Internet kids. They were on the computer playing toddler games at 3 years old. They were reading stories on the laptop nearly as soon as they knew how to read. Since the Internet is such an integral part of their lives, and probably will be into the foreseeable future, why not become an integral part of that online life as their parent?

It will only be good for you once they have to leave home and head off to college, because guess what – that online game of Words With Friends will be a powerful way for you to reconnect, even when they aren’t home anymore.

Playing Console Games

I think that family game-playing is much more mainstream today than it ever was before the advent of consoles like the Wii. The Wii really introduced the idea of bringing family “game night” over to the television set and making it electronic rather than using a game board.

The truth is, there’s nothing wrong with that. Electronic is the way kids like it these days, so if you can join them in a friendly game of Super Mario 3D Land and make it a fun night of bonding and fun – only good can come out of that.

There is nothing as amazing as hearing your kids laugh or watching them smile as you trash talk with them during a high-energy game of Mario Kart. Seriously – give it a try and just see if it doesn’t bring a bit of laughter and strengthen your relationship with your kids. Don’t be a staunchly old anti-tech parent – join your kids and show them you know how to have a great time.

Embrace Their Online Social Life

As your kids get old enough to get on Facebook – making sure that they friend you (and that they don’t block you from seeing their posts) is a great way to monitor their online activity in a non-intrusive way.

Better yet, it gives you the opportunity to interact with them. They may mumble and not tell you what their day was like at school during supper – but I bet you can get them to joke around with you or open up on their Facebook wall!

Of course, do this sparingly. Follow the rules of Facebook etiquette and don’t overwhelm them with your input after every single post. They’ll get sick of you and start blocking you after a while (who could blame them?)

It’s better to post sparingly. Be positive about the things they post and the jokes or pictures they share. Make them look forward to your replies. The fact is, this is what part of a parent-child relationship looks like these days. You can ignore it and never be a part of it – or you can embrace it and be fully a part of their online life. Trust me – you’re better off being involved.

Online Groups & Pages

If they go so far as to actually establish a community online, like their own Facebook group or their own blog, by all means be a catalyst of encouragement. Make the know that you’re proud of their efforts to build the online community and to connect with friends and family in this way. By becoming a part of their community yourself, you’re showing them not only that you care, but that you’re interested in what they’re interested in.

To my surprise, my daughter launched her own “Technology” group on Facebook – to talk about the latest advancements in electronics and computers. You better believe I was one of her first members.

This obviously isn’t everything there is about a parent-child relationship. I would never suggest that any of the above should replace personal, one-on-one, in-person discussions and bonding. However, when the time comes (and in inevitably will), when people gravitate to their own spaces and log onto those computers, wouldn’t it be nice to know that you can still connect with your child even when they do have their eyes glued to the computer screen?

It’s the world we live in today, and there’s nothing wrong with that. As a parent, embracing it and finding the joy in it can go a long way toward building and maintaining a strong relationship with your son or daughter for many years to come.

Are you involved in your child’s online life? If not, are you open to trying it in order to be a better parent? Share your own creative ideas and your opinions in the comments section below!

Image Credit: Father and Daughter Using Laptop via Shutterstock

The post How To Be a Better Parent In Your Child’s Online World appeared first on MakeUseOf.