Holy Cow! Holy!

My Outlook Addresses.

Last night there was a mess in my Contact and Calendar. Somehow those were not synced at my iPad from Microsoft Outlook 2010 and there were lots of duplicate entries. The scenario was really brutal for me who sometimes forget his family members birthday without a calendar. Plaxo fixed my problem.

I found the problem. My iPad was set to default in my Gmail exchange. As it was synced on air outlook couldn’t over write it. Each syncing return a error of duplicate item. My outlook had the updated data so I deleted all content from iPad. Then stopped sync my calendar with outlook because calendar sync with Google exchange is not a problem. But before this step I simply re-sync my entire outlook with Plaxo. As a premium customer I have this facility.

Plaxo has everything of mine (except email). I simply run the Plaxo de-duper as there were lots of conflict during iPad-Exchange mess up. Within a minute I got my contact list and calendar simplified by Plaxo. Plaxo outlook connector fixed them in my outlook within some seconds. So I got my fresh and corrected date. Then I deleted all contacts and calendar from my Gmail account. And re-synced Gmail with Plaxo and my Gmail account got all the latest data. And my iPad updated its calendar from Gmail Exchange. Then I simply synced iPad with outlook locally. Problem resolved. Now I am more than happy.

In last quarter of 2003 my friend Iftekhar Anam was visiting me. The found that I have huge list of contacts. That time he suggested me to use Plaxo so that my contact will be updated all the time. How? That time Plaxo outlook express/Outlook sync was free. And from computer for a particular contact (if that contact has an email) users could send update detail request (still can). I found this tool handy and useful and my journey began with Plaxo. After 2003 I have changed my computer for more than 9times. Formatted them for more than 20times. Never cared for my contacts, notes, calendar again. Each time after my workstation ready I simply ran Plaxo sync. That time it was really important because Hotmail offered 1000contact sync and there was go Gmail sync service.

Plaxo is a multi platform and multi workstation supported tool. This feature was a freedom for me. In my office, home, notebook, other offices my contacts and calendar were the same. Each time I have modified or changed any information in my outlook Plaxo updated that information in all nodes. Sweet! right?

Plaxo is more social now.

Now this Plaxo is more powerful and more socio-business focused. Now it can share information with Facebook, twitter. It can import contact from almost everywhere and I always wanted to centralized my contacts. Because from web I can access my address book from anywhere. Plaxo is my address book for life. I completely agree with their slogan.

Scenario: Once I was mugged and lost everything including cell phone. I couldn’t remember a phone number for help. Was far from home and really needed someone around. I went to a cyber café and logged on Plaxo and called my friend. Within next ten minutes helped came out. I am talking about the time when there was no facebook!

Few days ago I wrote an article (Microsoft is not ready for x64 operations!) where I was bothered about the support for x64 Outlook. Microsoft even don’t care for it. And that was the first bad impression about Plaxo too. Plaxo still doesn’t have support for 64bit version of Outlook. I would love to have this feature. Also will love to have geo tagging for my contacts.

After all those years I must say I love plaxo! It made my life easy. I don’t care what other says about it. I am the user. I know this from my practical life. Go ahead Plaxo. I will recommend this to everyone.

Here is the feature: Plaxo Free version

• Unified Address Book (import contacts from email, webmail, phones, social networks, and more)
• Auto-updates From Your Connections
• iPhone Sync (download FREE app)
• Secure, Online Access
• Groups & Favorites
• Birthday Reminders
• Web Calendar

Plaxo Premium (Subscription)

• Plaxo’s Free Features Plus…
• Outlook Sync (includes Outlook Express)
• Mac Sync (includes Outlook & Entourage)
• Google/Gmail Sync
• iPhone Sync
• Blackberry Sync
• Windows Mobile Sync
• Automated Backup
• Unlimited eCards ($19.95 value)
• Contact De-Duper
• VIP Customer Support
• Plus Plaxo’s Free Features

or have a look at blog.plaxo.com for more interesting upcoming features.

Dear Google,

Facebook is not Phishing site. Please update your database. Is this a cause of search deal?

Screen clipping taken: 12/3/2008, 4:44 PM

What is the hell! Google Chrome is saying Facebook.com is a phishing site! Can anyone facing the same problem? Please let me know.

Another problem found in Google Chrome. I can scroll down in my laptop touch pad scroll but can’t do the up scrolling. I can’t understand the problem. This is really very pathetic. I need this scrolling support.

Dear facebook friends,

The issue I reported in my last post is resolved. Now I can use facebook and its great functionality smoothly. So happy facebooking.

Those who are still not using Google Chrome please download it from http://www.google.com/chrome. You’ll have my personal support!

Best of luck!

Dear Facebook friends,

There are several things of facebook (new) are not working in Google Chrome. JavaScript of facebook are not working. So you can’t delete a message from inbox or you can’t add a friend from friend suggestion sidebar.

I hope Chrome/facebook team will fix this. I’ll be waiting.

At last I have installed it. It is really great. You can download it from http://www.google.com/chrome.  It is light and fast. I have tried this with 78tabs. It wasn’t crushed! Thanks Google. It is really a great relief to me. Please make sure to bye bye Firefox and IE.

Thanks for great support in Bangla. Ii is perfect. I can see my www.nijrhar.com smoothly. I’ll use this browser for the next 96hours (it is already my default browser). I am really impressed by the beauty of grabbing my favorite (other browser).

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

It’ll be my pleasure if you start using it! I can assure you, this is a great browser!

I can read my beloved Bangla smoothly. Here is the current market shares between browsers. This report is based on TechCrunch. Thanks goes to Mike. I am his great fan!

Below what Michael Arington (www.techcrunch.com) says:

There have been a number of timed and anecdotal speed tests performed on Google Chrome over the last couple of days.

My personal testing: Chrome is the fastest browser I have ever used. More structured TechCrunch testing showed similar results: It’s fast. Here are what others came up with:

CNET agrees, but their approach was biased towards Google. Chrome came out way ahead in a suite of Javascript benchmark tests. The only problem is that Google hosts the testsand flat out says they tuned their V8 Javascript engine around them. The test does show Chrome coming out way ahead of other browsers (for me, Chrome had a score of 403 v. IE7’s 18). Try it out for yourself.

And also try the SunSpider Javascript benchmark test as well. Firefox’s new build, which runs the TraceMonkey engine, comes in marginally faster than Chrome there.

Today Yahoo’s Zimbra team also published their own test results based on how well different browsers ran the Javascript-heavy Zimbra web application. No surprise: Chrome beat the pants off of Firefox and (especially) IE8. But…Safari came in slightly ahead of Chrome.

So Is Chrome the fastest browser? Who knows. It clearly runs Javascript, at least, very well. But more important than these speed tests is Google’s build on Mac and Linux. A lot of users are still sitting on the sidelines, waiting to try it out.

Are you running a small business? Are you looking for better mail services for your domain? Do you want to see your team member’s task list or appointments?

If you feel in this way, I have better options for you which are absolutely free. And the services are provided by a giant called Google. Do not wonder. I am not Joking. I am going to talk about Google Application Services.

By using Google Apps you can customize various services like mails, calendar, docs, and sites and start page for your own domain.

In this article I’ll discuss the Setup of Google Apps and use of it. So I’ll separate the article into two parts.

1. Setup Google Applications.

2. Using Google Applications for your domain.

How to setup Google Apps for your domain?

For this implementation, you need a domain. If you already have a domain then make sure your domain management allows full DNS control. If you don’t have the full DNS service then you’ve to host your domain to a DNS hosting service. Don’t worry, there are lots of free DNS hosting in the Internet. If you or your company don’t have a domain name (think you’ve) then register a domain with any good service provider whom are providing full DNS management. I’ll suggest Yahoo or Godaddy for this. Both Yahoo and GoDaddy provide full DNS control. The other usual providers only provide the name server entries.

Remember:

You’ve to verify your domain in Google first. For this you need to upload a file in your web site root folder (public html folder root).

First Step:

1. Go to www.google.com/a

2. Click on Business and Employee (image shown).

3. Click on Get Started (Image Shown)

4. Click on Standard Edition Sign Up (image shown).

5. Check the Administrator radio button (detailed in image) and enter the domain name without www. Example: interlink-bd.com (I am using this domain for this article) and hit get started.

6. Fill the form carefully because this will be the Administrative account for this Application Service under the domain. Remember all * mark fields are mandatory. Just estimate your members’ quantity and put the approximate value in the Number of user’s field. Let’s say 200 that mean your organization has at least 200 of users. After finishing the form hit Continue.

7. Create the Administrative email address of this Domain user group and accept the Agreements.

8. You’re all done. You need to verify this domain. You can that all services are Not Active. Just do the verification. As I told earlier that you need to put a file on the web root folder. That time has come. Click on Verify Domain Ownership.

9. From drop down select Upload HTML method. Now open Notepad application (or any text editor) and copy and paste the text googlefffff***** (it can be vary) on it and save as the file as googlehostedservice.html. Now upload the HTML file to the root director of your website. Now Click on Verify.

10. Wait until the Domain has been verified. Take a snacks break. And come back and hit refresh on the browser.

11. Hopefully you can see your domain has verified. Now have a look on Email section. Click Activate on Email. You have to change the MX entry for your domain. Please select your Domain Service provider from the dropdown menu and see the instruction how to change the MX entries. I am giving you a image for GoDaddy as I am using its service. If your service provider is not listed here just go for the general instruction. Remember, you need the full DNS access for this purpose. If your provider does not providing Full Access ask for it. If they can’t then you’ve to host your DNS to a DNS hosting provider. Don’t worry. You’ll find lots of free DNS hosting services. After changing the MX records hit the ‘I have completed these steps’ button.

12. You can see all services are active except Email and Chat. This’ll take another 25minutes maximum though it has been said 48hours maximum. In the mean time let’s do something more. That is customizing the addressing.

Google provides unique address for each service. In general mail address access link will be mail.google.com/a/domain name but you can customize it by creating a C Name record like mail.yourdomain and point it to Google applications. For this method, you need to login your domain control panel again and give some times in C Name records section.

1. Click on Email link. Then Click on Change URL link. Point to the custom field and change the name to your desired name.domain and hit Continue>>.

2. Now the application system is telling you to create a C Name records called mail (which you input before) and point it to ghs.google.com. Do it. And then hit I’ve completed these steps. In this way customize all your service URL. I am giving you my DNS entries image.

You’re almost ready to use this free service by Google for your domain. Now only one thing left, you’ve to add users in this valuable service.

1. From the Google application control panel Click on Crea te new user’s link.

2. Now Create users entry individually or multiply and set password for each account. (Best practice will be set a password in common and tell them to change it immediately.)

3. You can create mail list. For example your company has a billing department which has 5 employees. Just create a list name ‘billing’ and add all billing people on it. So that if anyone mails to billing@domain all billing personnel will get that mail.

4. Make a Catch All account. If a mail comes to an address which is not created to your domain you can let it to store a particular email address or you can discard it. You can do this thing from the Email options. For this just click on Email link from apps control panel and set it.

This is the first version of this tutorial actually. I’ll modify this upon your feedback. Don’t forget to write to me if you feel anything or facing problem doing this.

lrnirjharATgmailDOTcom <<write here.