MrinTech » Browser

[Extension] Read QR Codes using Google Chrome Browser

Mrinmay Bhattacharjee — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 18:59:44 +0000

Need may arise, when you want to read a QR Code for extracting/getting information/visiting certain websites/Read Phone Numbers and SMSs.

Reading a QR Code is now very very simple using a simple Google Chrome Browser Extension.

All you need is to install QRreader Extension for Google Chrome Browser. Once, QRreader extension is successfully installed in the browser >> Right Click on a valid QR Code >> Click Read QR Code from Image:

If the Extension is able to read a valid QR Code, you will get following dialog box with the message contained in the QR Code:

In case, the QR Code is invalid/can’t be read by the Extension, you will get following prompt:

Want to test? Install QRreader for your Google Chrome Web Browser and try to read the following 2 QR Codes and see what happens:

Really QRreader is a great and useful Google Chrome Extension by Unlogic, which enables anyone to read QR Codes without the need of any additional Applications (Apps)/Online Utilities and Services.

* Above Test QR Codes have been generated using Kaywa QR Code Generator

This Post: [Extension] Read QR Codes using Google Chrome Browser was originally made on MrinTech

Check your StumbleUpon Stumbling History about Everything!

Mrinmay Bhattacharjee — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 07:58:12 +0000

No doubt, StumbleUpon is a great tool for discovering new/random content on the web, based on your various topics of interest.

If you are not using StumbleUpon, we suggest you to use StumbleUpon with FireFox Web Browser OR use the StumbleUpon Toolbar Virtually with any Browser installed on your system.

How to check/view your StumbleUpon Browsing/Stumbling History?

Make sure, you are logged in to your StumbleUpon Account (in your browser with Toolbar installed) whose Browsing/Stumbling History you want to check:

All Stumbles History

Using THIS LINK you can see a list of ALL your past Stumbles – No matter whether you have liked or disliked a particular page. The All Stumbles Page will show everything you stumbled till now!

Reviews History

Using THIS LINK you can see a list of ALL those Websites/Web Pages for which you posted a review. This page includes reviews about your both LIKED (Thumbs Up) and DISLIKED (THUMBS DOWN) Pages

Photos History

Using THIS LINK you can check all those Photo Pages you Liked/Disliked in the Past – Only Photo Pages (like Photo Pages from Flickr etc.), Nothing else!

Videos History

Using THIS LINK you can check all those Videos you Liked/Disliked in the Past – Only Video Pages (like Video Pages from YouTube! etc.), Nothing else!

Discoveries

Using THIS LINK you can check all your Discoveries. Discoveries means, Websites/Web Pages you discovered first for the StumbleUpon Community

Tag Cloud

Using THIS LINK, you can check out the Tag Cloud of your favorite/preferred topics

Make sure you also check out Top Stumblers Page and StumbleUpon Forum. Indeed a very useful utility to get information/updates on all topics of your interest.

Also See: Fake StumbleUpon Warning Page

This Post: Check your StumbleUpon Stumbling History about Everything! was originally made on MrinTech

Create HD Screencasts Online for FREE without any Software!

Mrinmay Bhattacharjee — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 08:59:29 +0000

Screencasting is the process of digital recording your computer screen output – This means whatever you do on your computer screen, can be easily recorded in digital format! These screencasts can also include Audio Narration, Music etc.

There are many paid/free softwares like Cam Studio, Camtasia Studio etc. available for creating High Definition [HD] Screencasts, but do you know you can also create High Definition [HD] Screencast/Record your Computer Screen Output online, without the need of any screencasting software and all within your browser?

Screencast-O-Matic allows you to create high definition screencasts/record your computer screen online. This software only requires JAVA applet to be installed on your system.

When this online application runs for the first time on your PC, you need to authorize the application in JAVA applet, when an authorization window pops-up. Without authorization, the application will not run, as it’s completely dependent on JAVA, so that it can run easily on any computer running Windows, MAC or Linux based Operating Systems (OS).

Note: We highly recommend you to use FireFox Web Browser, if you are using Internet Explorer (Any Version) or older version of any other Browser!

How to use Screencast-O-Matic?

1. Just go to Homepage of Screencast-O-Matic and look for Start Recording Button:

2. Click on Start Recording Button and you will be redirected to Screen Recording Page, after Java applet is successfully running and you have authorized Screencast-O-Matic to make use of Java applet on your PC.

3. Now wait for the Recorder Interface to load. Once it’s loaded, you will see following options on your screen:

Here you will see:

Start/Stop Recording Button
Volume Control Button
Screen size options, which enables you to choose the size of your Computer Screen which you want to record/capture using Screencast-O-Matic Online Screen Recorder. The screen size options also includes options for creating Small HD (High Definition), Medium HD (High Definition) and Full HD (High Definition) Videos.
Webcam On/Off Button – With this you can also start using your PC/Laptop Webcam instantly. Webcam recording will also be integrated to your Screencast
Close Button

You can also Toggle Record/Pause using ALT+P button combination.

Free Features/Account of Screencast-O-Matic includes following features:

15 Minutes of HD Recording
Free Hosting for 15 Minutes of Video
Direct Upload to YouTube! in High Definition
Export to MP4, AVI, FLV movie formats instantly
Recording of Web Camera

While the features for Screencast-O-Matic Pro are as follows:

No limit on Maximum Recording/Screencasting Time
No Limit on Hosting
Direct Upload to YouTube! in High Definition
Export to MP4, AVI, FLV movie formats instantly
Recording videos from your PC/Laptop/Netbook Web Camera
NO Watermark on Screencast Video
Password Protected Screencasts
Use Screencast-O-Matic outside browser!
Free Direct Editing Tools for your Screencast/Recorded Screen Videos
Free Scripts
Advanced Recorder Control

While writing this post Screencast-O-Matic Pro costs only $12 per Year – Indeed it’s a steal deal!

No doubt, Screencast-O-Matic is a great online tool for creating High Definition [HD] Screencasts/Recording your PC/Laptop Screen Output instantly! Check out THESE VIDEOS created using Screencast-O-Matic!

This Post: Create HD Screencasts Online for FREE without any Software! was originally made on MrinTech

7 Must Have & Rarely Known Add-ons for your FireFox Browser!

Mani Kumar — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 19:27:36 +0000

Being one of the most preferred browser, FireFox has got tons of Add-ons/Extensions available. In this Post let’s checkout a definitive list of 7 Must Have and Rarely known FireFox Addons, which will prove to be highly useful for your everyday purpose!

If you are still using Internet Explorer (Any Version) or older version of any other Browser, we highly recommend you to Upgrade to Latest Version of FireFox, for better Security, Functionality (by means of suitable Addons), Reliability and Surfing Experience!

1) Omnibar

Have you ever looked at Google Chrome’s Address/URL Bar? In Google Chrome, the functionality of both the Address/URL Bar and Search Bar are combined into one! This bar can be used either to Search for something on a Search Engine, especially on Google, or visit a specific website by means of its appropriate URL.

Luckily, this feature is also available for FireFox Web Browser by means of an Addon known as Omnibar! By Default, the Search Engine in Omnibar is Google, but there’s an option using which you can easily switch between various available Search Engines!

Download Omnibar >>

2) Awesome Screenshot

While browsing the web, you might have found something whose screenshot you want to take instantly and do not wanted to hit Print Screen (PrntScr) Button every time!

Awesome Screenshot allows you to take Screenshot of ANY specific part of Webpage instantly. All you need to do is, hit the Camera Button present at the the Top Right Side Corner of FireFox and select in between Full Page Screenshot (Capture Full Page) or Only the Part Visible to you (Capture Visible Part). Once you have selected your preferred option, you will be redirected to a new page which gives you some Editing (like Cropping, Annotations etc.), Saving and Sharing options!

Download Awesome Screenshot >>

3) Thumbnail Zoom:

You will come across Thumbnail of images in almost all Websites throughout the Internet. With Thumbnail Zoom you can instantly view the Full Size of a photo, just by pointing the cursor over the image, instead of clicking it and being redirected to another page! This Addon works like a charm with Google Image Search, Twitter, Facebook, Flickr and many other Websites!

Download Thumbnail Zoom >>

4) StumbleUpon:

We can’t say that StumbleUpon is a rarely known Addon, but still many users don’t know about it! This FireFox Addon will redirect you to a Random Website based on your Topic of Interest. All you need to do is, Sign Up for a StumbleUpon Account (you can even use your Facebook Account authorization feature for logging in) and Select all the Topics which are of your interest.

Then, hit Stumble Button on the StumbleUpon Toolbar and you will be redirected to a popular but random Website/Page/Post one at a time. Using StumbleUpon You can also Dislike (Thumbs Down) or Like (Thumbs Up) a particular Website/Post/Page and also post a review about the Website/Post/Page you just liked/disliked!

Download StumbleUpon >>

5) Mozilla F1

Mozilla F1 allows you to share any Website/Post/Page with your Friends and Family members instantly, all with a Single Click of a Button! Once you install this Addon, It will automatically appear in the Address/URL Bar as an icon. Click on the icon, Add a Caption and hit Share. This Addon will only share a particular Website/Post/Page to your authorized/already synced accounts like Twitter, Facebook, Gmail etc.

Twitter user don’t need to bother about length of the URL, as this Addon will automatically shorten it with bit.ly
For Facebook users, this Addon will automatically Embed the link into your status.

Download Mozilla F1 >>

6) DownloadThemAll

We already discussed about What DownloadThemAll can do? in full details HERE . It’s just a simple Addon, which allows you to manage your Downloads. It even features an Advanced Accelerator that increases speed up to 4x and also allows you to Pause and Resume downloads any time.

Download DownloadThemAll >>

7) FoxTab

Remember Opera Web Browser’s Speed-Dial? The same Speed Dial is available in FireFox also by means of an Addon known as FoxTab. FoxTab makes it easy to view sites without actually typing them in the Address/URL Bar.

Just visit your favorite website once, Right Click anywhere on the Webpage and then click Add To Top Sites. Now whenever you Open a New Tab (Blank Tab), you will see all your favorite/frequently visited websites in 3-Dimensional (3D) View, which just looks like Opera’s Speed Dial. FoxTab also allows you to choose your preferred background color and image!

Download FoxTab >>

Note: Make sure you also check/read the Addon Privacy Policy, which is generally present just after the Download Button, in order to know How a particular Addon is going to use your Computer/Data/Personal Information?, if the Addon is required to collect these in order to perform optimally.

We’ll keep you posted with More Awesome FireFox Addons in upcoming days, make sure you Subscribe to our Blog in order to keep yourself updated!

Also, Feel Free to Share your Favorite FireFox Add-on in the Comment Area Below!

This Post: 7 Must Have & Rarely Known Add-ons for your FireFox Browser! was originally made on MrinTech

Block ANY Website in ALL Browsers using Windows Hosts File!

Mrinmay Bhattacharjee — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 09:22:58 +0000

Do you know you can Completely Block certain Website Address(es) from opening in ANY browser for ALL Windows User Accounts viz. Administrator, Limited (Standard User) and Guest?

No matter, whether you are using Firefox, Google Chrome, Internet Explorer, Opera and Safari OR you are using Windows 95/98/ME, Windows NT/2000, Windows XP (Both Home & Professional Editions), Windows Vista (Home Basic / Home Premium / Business / Ultimate) and Windows 7 (Home Basic / Home Premium / Professional / Enterprise / Ultimate), you can block certain Websites from opening in any Browser in all Windows Operating System by means of suitably editing Windows Hosts File.

Check out the Following Video Tutorial [YouTube! HD Link] on How to Block ANY Website in ALL Browsers using Windows Hosts File? (Watch the Video in Full Screen and in High Definition [HD] for better viewing experience):

* In the above video and in this post we’ve taken Facebook as an example and Blocking it on our PC using Windows 7 Hosts File

Step by Step Procedure as depicted in the above Tutorial Video:

Suppose you want to block facebook.com on your Windows 7 PC, so that NO User, whether he/she is having an Administrator Account, Limited (Standard User) Account OR Guest Account, can access facebook.com in ANY Browser in ANY way (unless he/she knows about Windows Hosts File and how to undo the changes you’ve made).

1. Windows 7 Hosts File is located at: C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc (Assuming C Drive is your Operating System Drive). Copy this location:

* For other Windows Operating System viz. Windows 95/98/ME, Windows NT/2000, Windows XP (Both Home & Professional Editions) and Windows Vista (Home Basic / Home Premium / Business / Ultimate), the Hosts File Location will remain same i.e. C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc

2. Click on Start Button >> All Programs >> Accessories and look for Notepad.

3. Now Right Click on Notepad and Select Run as Administrator:

4. Click Open… (CTRL + O) in Notepad and Paste the Hosts File Address in it >> Press Enter and Select All Files from the Drop Down Menu >> Click Open Button:

As soon as you click on Open Button, the Hosts File will open in Notepad. Now, as shown in the Video above, enter following lines at the bottom of the Hosts File:

127.0.0.1facebook.comwww.facebook.com

For blocking Multiple Websites, enter following lines at the bottom of Windows Hosts File:

127.0.0.1facebook.comwww.facebook.com

127.0.0.1alexa.comwww.alexa.com

127.0.0.1yahoo.comwww.yahoo.com

… And So On …

* Here facebook.com, alexa.com and yahoo.com are taken as an Example.

5. Now, click on File Menu and Hit Save Option to make changes in the Hosts File of Windows 7.

The URL/Website Address(es) you enter after 127.0.0.1 (Loopback IP Address) in Windows Hosts File, will NOT open in any Browser, unless you undo the changes.

Note:

Notepad in Administrator Mode in Windows 7 can ONLY Save the changes you made in Windows Hosts File. You may not be able to Save Windows Hosts File, if you run Notepad in default mode
In Windows Vista, if you get a UAC Prompt click Continue or if you get an Error while modifying Windows Hosts File read THIS Article from Microsoft
Since there’s No Administrator Mode in Windows 95/98/ME, Windows NT/2000 and Windows XP (Both Home & Professional Editions) Operating Systems, you can edit the Hosts File normally using Notepad
There are many softwares available on the Internet (including Firewall) which can easily block access to unwanted websites, although Advance Users can easily end the Process/Process Tree of these Softwares by means of Windows Task Manager or other software available on the internet. Blocking Websites using Windows Hosts File is a lesser known trick
Allot Limited (Standard User) and Guest Accounts to other users who uses your PC, this will prevent them from editing Windows Hosts File (atleast in Windows 7), as it requires Administrator Password
Some Security Softwares may not allow you to change/alter Windows Hosts File. So either Follow their prompts or temporarily disable them.

For Any Query Feel Free to Comment on the YouTube Page of above Video or below

Also See: View Website before DNS Propagation

This Post: Block ANY Website in ALL Browsers using Windows Hosts File! was originally made on MrinTech