This is why – they are distasteful, and they destroy the usability. Ads should not be larger than the actual post under any circumstance.
As are Facebook ads. I thought Google knew better about ads.
Google, GCalDaemon, and Geekery
I was tired of writing and rewriting and then editing the BSchool essays, and wanted to hit the bed. God knows why I opened up GReader!!
Anyway – I saw this article on how to jazz up the Windows desktop. Pretty useful and fun I would say. 10 minutes later, I had finished downloading and installing RainLendar and RocketDock.
And then I thought how about syncing RainLendar with GCalendar. After some googling GCalDaemon came to rescue. I used the instructions on their website but the damn things wouldn’t work!!
At Step 3 you would need to edit the location of the iCal file. Also, the sync by File method is not enabled by default and you would need to do it manually. Finally, I had a perfect system of syncing my calendars, and combined with an SMS service provided free of cost by Google, I have myself a perfect alert system. Wow!!
Hang on. That’s not all. As I browsed the GCalDaemon website, I saw that I could use it to run a local LDAP server and replicate the Google Contacts within my Thunderbird system. By now I knew what needed to be done [enable LDAP] to get it up and running. At around 2 in the night, I had finished doing all this and was really satisfied with myself. I now have a less cluttered desktop, which not only looks awesome (I use this as my wallpaper), but is extremely useful!!
Gmail spam filter gone nuts!
That’s an email from the Google Alerts not spam!!
Google takes down HuddleChat
After a lot of hue and cry over the blogosphere over the similarity between Campfire and HuddleChat, a sample application for the Google AppEngine, Google team has decided to take down the app.
While I appreciate the quick action over the reaction of a lot bloggers, I find it pretty stupid. The web is full of examples of similar apps, and taking down one because it is similar to other, even though it is simpler and free, is just plain stupid. I have no idea why the bloggers took offense at it in the first place! While I do agree that the similarity was pretty obvious (from screenshots that is – never got a chance to use it), doesn’t the same logic apply to MS Office & OpenOffice??
Come on people, grow up. People are going to develop similar apps, only that they would be easier to use and FREE – not paid. I was looking forward to using it 🙁
Daily Roundup
I have pretty busy over the past many weekends, and this one was no different. Debo was in town and it was nice spending time with him.
Anyways a few interesting nuggets from the web.
- Upgrade to XP from Vista says CodingSanity – I agree. Too many warnings. Let me use it please. I not a effing retard you know. [Link via FSJ]
- Vicky Nanjappa asks Scorpions if they would introduce hip hop into their music. Yes. And they are also thinking of hiring Anu Malik as their composer and Himesh Baba as their lead singer. [Link via India Uncut]
- For the IP Geeks – Espacenet is thinking of allowing download of search results in XML/CSV format. Good going folks. I remember having given a similar suggestion to Google Patents team. But they seem to have gone into hibernation.
- Finally, Apar has great series going on here. Must read.