Why Should We Use Google Docs or Office Web Apps - Instead of Microsoft Office!

Why Should We Use Google Docs or Office Web Apps - Instead of Microsoft Office!

What is Google Docs? It's a freeware and web based office suite offered by Google within its Google Drive service. It allows the users to create and edit documents online while collaborating in real time with other users. Google docs can be viewed on many devices such as smartphones, tablets by adding appropriate Apps.
Microsoft also offers their own free Office Web Apps that compete  with Google Docs. Microsoft, often, releases new versions, and recently they launched Office 365 and Office 2013, a subscription service. 

Office 365 costs $9.99 per month and $99.99 a whole year while Office 2013 will cost you $219.99 for the Home and Business editions, which can only be used on single PC at a time.

So, before open your wallet you've to consider whether you really need Microsoft Office, a subscription service or Google Docs, which is totally a free service! 

Please keep also in your mind that a full desktop version of Microsoft Office will be packed with lot of features and most of those you wouldn't found in Google Docs or even on Web Apps of Microsoft Office. But, through Google Docs you can exported your documents to Microsoft Office formats and PDF files. 

Advantages of Web Based Office Suite: Both suites of Web Based Office are available anywhere with collaborative features to allow the users to work on any document and as well over Internet on the same document. To work on Web Based Office is not required to install office suite software on your PC; just log into your browser then started to work on any PC. The documents, you're working, will always be sync across desktops and laptop whatever you're using, and even you can access them on smartphones or tablets. In fact, they're stored online as a master copy and nothing to worry even your system's hard drive is corrupted.

During Offline Mode: Microsoft Office Suites would not be working to access the online stored documents during offline mode such as facing problems with your Internet Service Provider (ISP) or driving on a subway tunnel or on an airplane. But Google Docs offer offline supports through Google Chrome only. Using Google Chrome, you can enable offline access of Google Drive and able to view, edit, create documents or spread sheets, presentations and even the drawings in offline mode. The changes you made, in offline mode, will be synchronized when you connect to the Internet. The Web Apps of Microsoft Office doesn't offer any offline functionality; unless you should have a full suite of Microsoft Office on your desktop to edit offline documents. So, Google Docs can be accessed from Google Drive that supporting offline mode, auto saving and with other features while Office Web Apps integrates through SkyDrive of Microsoft that still not support offline and other features.

FREE Alternatives: Most of us, obviously, thinking that Google Docs or Office Web Apps are the only sources for Web Based Office Suites in computer's technology. But, there were also plenty of alternatives available and I'd like to prefer two free office suites.  

Abiword  is a free word processing program similar to Microsoft Word. Allows you to collaborate with multiple people on one document at the same time and lets you store documents online, allows easy document sharing with your friends, and performs format conversions on the fly.             

LibreOffice: is a free stable version of office suite with wide variety of new features for its users as well as several important changes and improvements under the hood.   

Windows: Freeing Up Hard Disk Space

Windows: Freeing Up Hard Disk Space 

Nowadays the Hard Drives are going larger and larger in capacity, because they always need to filled up with data, software applications, photos, video clips and etc., 

Here I'd like to share some tricks (or tips) to free up more space by removing unimportant junks and cluttering up the hard disk. 

Run Disk Cleanup: Windows, by default, has a built-in Tool, which deletes the temporary files and other unimportant data. To access the Tool, right-click one of your hard drives in the Computer window then select Properties.   

Now click Disk Cleanup button from Properties window. 

Select the files that you wish to delete then click OK. This includes Downloaded Program Files, Temporary Internet Files, Offline webpages and so on. You may also clean the system files by click the button of Clean up system files.

After click Clean up system files button, a tab More Options, will be added in the same Disk Cleanup window. From More Options tab, use Clean up button under System Restore and Shadow Copies to delete system restore data.

This process will delete all the restore points except the most recent one. Before using this option, make sure your computer is working properly because you would not able to use older system restore points. 

Uninstalling Programs will also be freeing up Hard Disk's space even some programs occupying little space. The process of uninstalling programs could be accessed from Start>Control Panel>Programs. All the installed programs will be displayed with details of Name, Publisher, Installed date, Size and Version of Program. 

To uninstall a program, move the mouse pointer over the program to highlight then right click. A label Uninstall will be displayed then click on it and do the rest as system is asking you to uninstall the particular program.      
 

Actually some programs may not showing accurate amount of space they occupied. Using analyzing disk space process will reveal you what exactly using space on your hard drive. This process will scan the hard drive then display which files and folders are taking up the most space. 

There were some best tools for analyzing hard disk space.

• WinDirStat reads the whole directory tree once and then presents it in three useful views:

1. The directory list, which resembles the tree view of the Windows Explorer but is sorted by file/subtree size,
2. The treemap, which shows the whole contents of the directory tree straight away,
3. The extension list, which serves as a legend and shows statistics about the file types.

• SpaceSniffer is a freeware and portable tool application that lets you understand how folders and files are structured on your disks.

• Disktective  is a freeware utility (for Windows and Linux) to trace out the used disk space on your system then reports the real size of your directories and the distribution of space inside them. A directory may contain hundreds of subdirectories and each of them containing thousands files. Run this utility and let to create a complete report displaying the real sizes of all directories and their containing subdirectories. This tool doesn’t want to be installed, but you could carry it on a USB drive to analyze the flash drive itself or any Windows computer you come across.  

• DiskSavvy is a fast, easy-to-use tool, which allows to analyze disk usage for your hard disks, network share drives, and NAS storage devices. This tool is available in three versions as freeware, Pro and Ultimate. The freeware version allows for a maximum number of files of 500,000 and a maximum storage capacity of 2 TB. It has support for long filenames, Unicode filenames, and UNC network path names and allows you to copy, move, and delete files directly within the program. 

• GetFoldersize scans unlimited number of files and folders on internal and external hard drives, CD's, DVD's, and shared network drives then displays the total size for all the files in that folder or drive and the number of files and subfolders within the folder or drive. This application is available in portable version; so, carry it with you on a USB flash drive or other external drive. 

• Scanner uses an extended pie chart with concentric rings to display the usage of the space on your hard drive, external drive, network drive, etc. It is a portable program and comes with two text files (one of them in English) that describes the usage of the program.  

• Free Disk Analyzer displays the drives in a tree structure, like Windows Explorer, and allow to drilling deeper folders and files. The right side of the window displays all the subfolders and files to the selected folder or drive. This also displays the usage of disk in a pie chart at the bottom.

• RidNacs is a fast analyzer that scans local drives, network drives, or a single directory and shows the results in a tree view with a bar chart displaying percentages.  

• TreeSize Free is a freeware, which works on  Windows XP / Vista / 7 / 2003 / 2008 (32 or 64 Bit) and users of Windows 2000 can download the last compatible version. It tells  you 'where precious disk space gone!' It can be started from the context menu of a folder or drive and shows you the size of this folder, including its subfolders. Scanning operations run in a thread and all results can be drilled down to the file level. This freeware can be downloaded as a portable or an installable file. To get the option on context menu, you should download the installable file then install the program. 

Cleaning Temporary Files: By default, Windows 'Disk Cleanup Tool' is an useful one to freeing up the spaces; but it does not delete the temporary files that used by other programs such as Chrome or Firefox browsers.  I recommend an aggressive popular application CCleaner that clears the temporary and junk files from a variety of third-party programs and in addition, it cleans the Windows files, where Windows - 'Disk Cleanup Tool' would not reached. To know CCleaner's activities visit: How To Use CCleaner Like A Pro?   

Find and Clean Duplicate Files: Duplicate Files are saved in hard drives and occupying more spaces. These types of files are unnecessary and can be deleted. A free version of tool, dupeGuru, will help to find out the duplicate files on your computer by scanning either file names or contents. This version runs on Windows, Max OS X and Linux. Do whatever you want with your duplicates that dupeGuru finds for you not only to delete, but you can also move or copy them elsewhere! dupeGuru offers multiple ways to filter and sort your results to easily weed out false duplicates.

How to Block Cookies Except The One You Used For Sites

How to Block Cookies Except The One You Used For Sites

Cookies are small piece of data or file, which was sent from a website, then stored in system, while a user is browsing a website. When the user browses the same site in later times, the stored data of cookie(s) has been retrieved and notify the website for the previous activities of the user. Cookies either carrying not viruses, or installing mal-wares. 

Cookies are useful for our browsing experiences such as saving time from the hassles of logging sites every time, storing our shopping cart info and so on. The disadvantage of cookie is they're doing a bad roll as to track and gather the info of the user, without his explicit knowledge, then helping the advertisers to built profiles of user.

Through this article, I'd like to share 'how could we restrain the cookies from its misbehavior, except the one we actually need for our work!' 

Internet Explorer:  When using IE, we've to look two main things that were:

 

1. managing site status i.e., to white-listing a site and 

2. toggling cookies acceptance.

To make white-listed a site, click on Tools>Internet Options>Privacy>Sites. 

Now a dialog box named 'Per Site Privacy Actions' will be opened. From this dialog box you could arrange the website status as to white or block.

Filling of every  white-listed sites, by manual, is an inefficient way unless using semi-automated process will toggle the cookies setting. To use the semi-automated process, go again Tools>Internet Options>Privacy then click Advanced button. A dialog box, 'Advanced Privacy Settings',  will be opened like pictured below.

From 'Advanced Privacy Settings' dialog box, you could toggle the cookies setting, by using the radio buttons of First-party and Third-party cookies. Temporarily, turn on the First-party Cookies to Prompt mode and Block the Third-party Cookies.

Rather remembering every site to be added in whitelist, this process helps to accept the cookies in the basis of need-to-use as they appeared. Few days later of your browsing, you'll come across the sites you used,  regularly, will be added in the white list, which is in the basis of need-to-use. Now, you can toggle the sites to Prompt mode or to Block - if the sites, you found, really nuisance.        

Mozilla Firefox: has built-in controls, by default, to manage the cookies.

We've to go through the built-in controls to manage the cookies. 

Click Tools>Options then click on Privacy Tab. 

Now under History, open the drop down menu of Firefox will .... and choose 'Use custom settings for history'.  

Now remove the tick mark from the box of Accept third-party cookies, then the drop down box of Keep until  be toggled to ask me every time and press OK.

After this process, you will be prompted every time for the cookies, which attempting to lodge into your browser, to be allowed or blocked. As for the prompting method, you may come across to the sites that you've allowed will be in white listed. 

Through Exceptions button you may view the cookies list, which has entered manually. The button Show Cookies will reveal you the detailed reports of cookies and able to delete manually as you wish. 

A Firefox link, cookies manager plus will allow you to explore deeper the cookies such as editing, import / export and etc.,

 

Google Chrome  

Cookie Settings could be accessed from Chrome's Settings (page). Settings (page) then go down for Privacy. Under Privacy, click and open Content settings... button.  

 

Content settings window will be opened, as pictured below, and it has few options under Cookies.

- Allow local data to be set (Recommended) - means, allow all cookies.

- Keep local data only until I quit my browser - means, keep all cookies till browser's exit.  

- Block sites  from setting any data - means, block all cookies.

- Block third-party cookies and site data - means, allow first party cookies to be set and block all third party cookies.

Now you've limitation of abilities over on these four options, and make tick 'Block third-party cookies and site data', which allows first party cookies to be set and block all third party cookies. 

Installing an add-on, Vanilla Cookie Manager, will automatically (or manually - if you prefer) remove unwanted cookies  and allows to select the cookies that you wish to keep as whitelist.

 

Vanilla Cookie Manager will filling up the gaps of Chrome's cookie management toolbox by allowing an easy whitelist management service as you visit the websites will have a small white cookie in the address bar. Click over on the icon to allow as to whitelist or block from the site. In addition, Vanilla Cookie Manager will also delete the unwanted cookies and save the whitelisted cookies from deletion. 

The Great Global Food Gap!

The Great Global Food Gap!

A study with pictures showing what the sharp contrast of eating habits for 24 families living around the world in one week.

In Bhutan, Namgay family from the village of Shingkhey costing around £3.20 for their weekly shop.

A refugee camp in drought-hit Chad, north Africa, six members in Abu Bakar family are forced to last an entire week on a few bags of grain, air-dried mutton and a few jerrycans of water, costing around £37 a week.

Families in Ecuador, South America, such as Aymes, also struggle to survive on their measly provisions. They have just £20 to buy a week's worth of food - usually cabbage and yams for soup - to feed a family of nine.

Germany: The Melander family from Bargteheide who spend around £320 on their weekly shop

Luxembourg: The Kuttan-Kasses of Erpeldange who spend around £298 pounds a week on food

France: The Le Moines of Montreuil who spend around £269 every week on food

Australia: The Browns pictured with a week's worth of food costing £242

Canada: The Melansons of Iqaluit, Nunavut Territory, who spend around £220 a week on food

America: The Revis family from North Carolina spend £220 on the weekly food shop which includes several fast food take-aways

Japan: The Ukita family from Kodaira City with their £200 weekly food shop

Greenland: The Madsens of Cap Hope spend around £177 a week on food

Italy: The Manzos family spend £167 a week on food including fish, pasta, fruit, vegetables and soft drinks

Britain: The Bainton family of Cllingbourne Ducis spend £155 on their weekly food shop. They list their favourite foods as avocado, prawn cocktail and chocolate fudge cake with cream

Kuwait: The Al Haggan family from Kuwait City with their £140 weekly shop

Mexico: The Casales family from Cuernavaca who spend around £115 a week on food

United States: The Caven family from California who spend around £103 a week on food

China: The Dong family from Beijing who spend around £99 on food every week

Poland: The Sobczynscy family from Konstancin-Jeziorna who spend around £99 on their weekly shop 

Turkey: The Celiks of Istanbul who spend around £93 a week on food

Guatemala: The Mendozas of Todos Santos who spend around £48 a week on their weekly food shop

Egypt: The Ahmed family from Cairo who spend around £43 a week on food

Chad, North Africa: The Aboubakar family from Darfur, Sudan, spend £37 a week on food to feed six people

Mongolia: The Batsuuri family of Ulaanbaatar who spend around £25 a week on food

India: The Patkars of Ujjain who spend around £25 a week on food

Ecuador: The Ayme family pictured with a week's worth of food costing £20 at their home in Tingo

Mali: The Natomos of Kouakourou spend around £16 on food

Bhutan: The Namgay family from Shingkhey Village with their weekly shop costing around £3.20

Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2319825/The-great-global-food-gap-Families-world-photographed-weekly-shopping-reveal-cost-ranges-3-20-320.html#ixzz2SUdYIpJ0