Internet Explorer is often decried as the worst browser for web developers, but IE8 actually offers a very nice set of developer tools.? Here we’ll look at a unique way to use them to edit the text on any webpage.

How to edit text in a webpage

IE8’s developer tools make it easy to make changes to a webpage and view them directly.? Simply browse to the webpage of your choice, and press the F12 key on your keyboard.? Alternately, you can click the Tools button, and select Developer tools from the list.

This opens the developer tools.? To do our editing, we want to select the mouse button on the toolbar “Select Element by Click” tool.

Now, click on any spot of the webpage in IE8 that you want to edit.? Here, let’s edit the footer of Google.com.? Notice it places a blue box around any element you hover over to make it easy to choose exactly what you want to edit.

In the developer tools window, the element you selected before is now highlighted.? Click the plus button beside that entry if the text you want to edit is not visible.

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Now, click the text you wish to change, and enter what you wish in the box.? For fun, we changed the copyright to say “©2010 Microsoft”.

Go back to IE to see the changes on the page!

You can also change a link on a page this way:

Or you can even change the text on a button:

Here’s our edited Google.com:

This may be fun for playing a trick on someone or simply for a funny screenshot, but it can be very useful, too.? You could test how changes in fontsize would change how a website looks, or see how a button would look with a different label.? It can also be useful when taking screenshots.? For instance, if I want to show a friend how to do something in Gmail but don’t want to reveal my email address, I could edit the text on the top right before I took the screenshot.? Here I changed my Gmail address to test@yahoo.com.

Please note that the changes will disappear when you reload the page.? You can save your changes from the developer tools window, though, and reopen the page from your computer if you wish.

We have found this trick very helpful at times, and it can be very fun too!? Enjoy it, and let us know how you used it to help you!

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One of the cool features in Windows 7 is XP Mode. However, it’s only available for Windows 7 Professional and above, leaving Home Edition and Vista users out of luck. Today we’ll show you how to create your own XP Mode to run on Vista or Windows 7 Home Premium.

How does this work?

Windows 7 Home Premium and Windows Vista are not licensed to run the free XP Mode download from Microsoft.? In fact, if you select Home Premium on the XP Mode download site, you will see the following message:

Last week we showed you how VMware Player could help you run XP Mode without hardware virtualization. Even VMware Player doesn’t have a link to import XP Mode if you’re computer is running 7 Home Premium or Vista.

However, if you have a legal copy of Windows XP, then you can easily recreate XP Mode with the free VMware Player.? This article will show you how quick and easy it is to get a virtual copy of XP running on any computer, even if it’s running 7 Home Premium or Windows Vista.

Getting Started

First, download and install VMware Player (link below).? It is a free download, but requires registration.

You may see some prompts about installing drivers; simply approve them.? We didn’t see them on our latest test, but have in the past.? When you are finished installing VMware Player, you will have to restart your computer.

Create your own XP Mode

Once your computer is rebooted, start up VMware Player and insert your Windows XP CD in your CD drive.? In this example we used a copy of Windows XP Professional, but it would work the same with any edition of XP.

In VMware Player, click the link at the top that says “Create a New Virtual Machine.”

VMware automatically detects your Windows XP CD, and says it will install it with Easy install.? This will let you install XP with only 5 clicks!? Click Next to continue.

Now enter your XP product key, and name and password of your choice.? We named it XP Mode to make it obvious what this virtual machine is for!

Here VMware will automatically enter your operating system’s name and the default location to save the files.? Simply press next to accept the defaults, or change them if you wish.

You can choose how large you want your virtual hard drive to be; the default is 40Gb, but you can choose a different size if you wish.? Please note that the entire 40Gb will not be taken up on your hard drive.? Our clean install only took up 1.4Gb on the computer.

That’s all the settings.? You can review and make changes here, or simply press Finish to start installing XP.

From here on, VMware will take over.? You do not need to click anything else until XP is fully installed!? It will automatically run the installer, format the virtual hard drive,

Copies XP files to the hard drive,

And finishes the install.

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Everything will work automatically, so you can literally leave it unattended while it’s installing.? In our tests it took about 20 minutes to install.? When it’s done, you’ll be presented with the Windows XP desktop ready for use!

VMware Player will automatically launch the VMware Tools installer to integrate your virtual XP with your computer.? It may have to download or update the tools, so if you see the yellow banner at the bottom of your window simply click Update Tools or Install Tools depending on you situation.

The tools will automatically download and install, though you may have to approve an UAC prompt.

Once the tools are downloaded or updated, they should automatically run in XP. If not, click Start, then My Computer, and finally double-click on the CD drive which should say VMware Tools.

Now, simply run the Tools installer with the Typical setup type, and reboot XP when it’s finished.

Now your XP is fully installed and setup, so you can proceed to integrate with your computer just like XP Mode!

Integrate XP Mode in VMware Player with Windows 7 or Vista

The real advantage of the default XP Mode in Windows 7 is that the XP programs are fully integrated with their Windows 7 counterparts.? You can run them seamlessly with other programs, copy between them, and even open and save files to the same folders.

Let’s set this up in VMware.? Copy and paste from Windows 7 or Vista to XP in VMware is activated by default.? To use your XP programs seamlessly with Windows 7, click VM on the top of the VMware window, and click “Enter Unity.”

You can easily access any program or file in XP mode through a dedicated XP Mode Start Menu.? When you hover over your Windows 7 Start button, a new button called “Windows XP Mode” will above it.? Click there to access a full start menu from XP Mode right in Windows 7.

And it works the exact same in Windows Vista.

Here is an IE 6 window from XP running side-by-side with IE 8 in Windows 7, thanks to VMware Player!

And notice, this is guaranteed to work on any edition of Windows 7 or Vista, including Home versions.

By default, the virtualized windows will have a border and the VMware logo on their edge.

To remove this logo, click VM in the VMware player window, then settings.? Click on the Options tab, and choose Unity on the left.? Now uncheck the boxes that say “Show borders” and “Show badges.”

Without having the VMWare borders and badges give everything a more authentic XP Mode look and feel.

You can even use removable devices, such as flash drives, in XP in VMware Player.? Whenever you connect a new device to your computer, VMware will remind you that you can add it to XP.

Simply click VM, then Removable Devices.? Select your device name, and click Connect.

Save Files in XP Mode to My Documents in Windows 7 or Vista

By default, files created in XP in VMware Player will be saved inside the virtual machine.? It’s more convenient if they’re saved directly to the My Documents folder in Windows 7 (or the Documents folder in Vista), so let’s change this.? Click VM, then Settings.? Click the Options tab, and then choose Shared Folders on the left.? Now click the bullet for “Always enabled” and check the box for “Map as a network drive in Windows guests.”

Now click Add at the bottom of that window.? This will let us add a shared folder.

Let’s add the My Documents folder from Windows 7 (or the Documents folder in Vista).? Click Browse, and then select your My Documents folder.? Click Ok, and then click Next.

Make sure the box is checked that says “Enable this share” and then click Finish.? You can now close the settings window as well.

Back in XP, click Start, then right click on My Documents, and select Properties.

Click Move to find the new My Documents folder.

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Find the folder we just shared from Windows 7 or Vista by clicking My Computer, then the drive that says “Shared Folders on ‘vmware-host’” or something similar.? Now select the folder we shared, Documents, and click Ok.

Click Ok in the main properties window.? It may offer to copy the files from your old My Documents folder to the new one; choose Yes to make sure you have all of your documents in Windows 7.

Now, whenever you go to save a file in XP, it will automatically save in your My Documents folder on Windows 7 or Vista, depending on your circumstance.? You can repeat the same process for any folder you wish, such as your My Pictures and My Music folders.

Conclusion

And that’s all there is to it!? You now have a fully functioning copy of XP running right inside your 7 or Vista computer.? Almost everything works the same as XP Mode in 7 Professional or Ultimate.? The only difference is that you used your own copy of XP, but if you have an old copy already then it doesn’t cost you any more than XP Mode would.? And, even if your computer is running Windows 7 Professional, you may find it easier to use a copy of XP you already own instead of importing XP Mode.? VMware Player does a great job at integrating XP with your computer, and in our tests it worked as good or better than the actual XP Mode.

You can actually run Windows Virtual PC on any Windows 7 computer, even ones running Home Premium that aren’t eligible for XP Mode.? You could install XP in it, then install Virtual PC’s integration components, and it will work exactly like the default XP Mode.? However, we’ve found VMware’s solution easier to use and much faster to setup.? If you would like to try this out, download Virtual PC at the link below (be sure to select Professional as your edition of Windows … even though Home Premium is licensed to run Virtual PC and can run it fine, the download isn’t offered by default).

Links

Download VMware Player 3

Download Windows Virtual PC if you wish to run XP in it

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If you install Ubuntu 9.10 the default desktop manager is Gnome. KDE is another desktop manager that you can use on your Ubuntu distro, and we’ll take a look at it here.

I’m pretty happy to use Gnome. However, I thought it would be a good idea to try out KDE 4.4 RC 2 which is the latest beta version of the much awaited KDE 4.4. The following is a step by step guide to install KDE 4.4 RC 2 on Ubuntu 9.10.

Installation

First step in the process is to enable the Kubuntu repositories. In order to do so, bring up a terminal window by hitting ALT+F2 and typing gnome-terminal.

At the terminal, type the following command to add the Kubuntu PPA

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:kubuntu-ppa/beta

Enter your password and you should see something like the one below. This suggests that we have added Kubuntu PPA repositories to the software sources.

Now in order to install KDE 4.4 RC on your machine which already has previous versions of KDE, type the following? command at the terminal:

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get dist-upgrade

However, if you don’t have previous versions of? KDE installed, type the following commands at the terminal.

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get dist-upgrade
sudo apt-get install kubuntu-desktop

This should install KDE 4.4 RC on your Ubuntu machine. All that is left is to log out and login again by choosing KDE under the session option at the login screen.

The following are a couple screenshots of KDE desktop environment.

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KDE has a lot of eye candy, great themes, and wallpaper support. If you are an early adopter and itching to try out the new KDE 4.4 on your Ubuntu machine, this should get you started.

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Are you looking for a distraction-free writing software that lets you choose the background and sounds? Then you will want to take a look at CreaWriter.

CreaWriter in Action

When you start CreaWriter for the first time you will see this background and hear a “running/trickling water” sound file. Definitely a nice start on a peaceful writing environment.

Here is a closer look at the “Tools Sidebar”. If you hover your mouse over each button you will see a tooltip appear showing what that button does. For those who are curious we also have a list right here for you.

• New – Configuration – Exit
• Save As – Save – Open
• Little Font – Medium Font – Big Font
• Font A – Font B – Font C
• Sound On/Off – Background On/Off – Transparent On/Off

This is the “Configuration Window”. You can enable/disable the effects or choose a new background/sound file (just click inside the blank). When you are finished click “Aceptar”.

Here is our sample document with a custom background, the sound and transparency deactivated, and as much scrollable writing space as we need. Going back and forth between CreaWriter and our other apps was as simple as clicking the “Windows Key”.

Note: Having transparency activated will let background apps, etc. be slightly visible through CreaWriter.

One thing stood out when we went to save our sample document…no file-type extensions displayed in the drop-down list. Being curious we decided to choose three common file-type extensions and see what the results were. We were very pleased to see that we could save our sample document in .txt, .rtf, and .doc formats. So if you go to save a file you will need to manually add the extension to the end…

Our sample document saved as a .txt file…

Then saved as a .rtf file…

And finally saved as a .doc file. Not bad at all…

Conclusion

If you have been wanting a distraction-free writing software that allows you to customize the background and/or sounds, then this is the one that you have been waiting for. For another great distraction-free writing software see our article about WriteMonkey.

Links

Download CreaWriter

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If you’re still using Internet Explorer and Windows XP, you might have encountered a problem where you unchecked the box for “Always ask before opening this type of file”, and now you can’t get it back anymore.

Luckily it’s an easy fix. If you aren’t sure what we mean, we’re referring to this dialog:

If you want to do the same thing in Windows Vista, we’ve also got you covered there with a registry hack.

Reset Open/Save Dialog Choice in Windows XP

Open up a file explorer dialog and head towards Tools –> Folder Options.

Then use the File Types tab page to figure out the type of the file that you are trying to reset this for. The person’s PC I was fixing was having issues with zip files, so I went for that extension, but it should work for Excel, Word, etc.

Click the Advanced button, and then check the box for “Confirm open after download”. If it’s already checked, then uncheck it and re-check it again.

At this point your downloads should start prompting you again, and you can finally figure out where you downloaded Firefox to.

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You can’t just put your website on the net with right keywords and all the right touches and expect your traffic and ranking will remain constant. As the web is an ever changing landscape, you have to keep track of your own web results like what is happening with the competition and also the best and highest ranked sites. There are many useful tools to help you find out what exactly is happening.

 

1. A tool which you can use to test your own website links or other websites for broken links:

http://home.snafu.de/tilman/xenulink.html

 

2. With this tool you can check search engines for the number of back links to your URL i.e. other web pages linking to your site:

http://www.digitalpoint.com/tools/backlinks/

 

3. It sometimes becomes important to know where the servers of your hosting company are physically located. Because, some search engines like Google have the ability to filter search results based on their physical location called geotargeting. This could be used to determine why your site is showing in only a certain country. This link can also be used to research the country location of a particular competitor’s website:

http://www.digitalpoint.com/tools/website-country/

 

4. In order to track the location of the visitor or a customer to your website:

http://www.digitalpoint.com/tools/geovisitors/

 

5. In order to check the Yahoo! web ranking of your’s or your competitor’s website use :

http://www.digitalpoint.com/tools/webrank/

 

6. Here is a link to check the web ranking of a website using a Mac or Apple computer:

http://www.digitalpoint.com/tools/pagerank-mac/

 

7. You need a Google AdSense account for using this. This link provides you with charts and reports which will help you analyze traffic, clicks, and results from your AdSense advertising

http://www.digitalpoint.com/tools/adsense-charts/

 

8. If you have an AdSense account, you can analyze your website address or another website address to see what Google ads will be displayed when the customer selects certain website names or keywords:

http://www.digitalpoint.com/tools/adsense-sandbox/

 

9. This link will take you to a cooperative advertising network where you can join to display and

share your ads with other website owners:

http://www.digitalpoint.com/tools/ad-network/

 

 

10. You can add the Search Functionality on your website which uses Google. This works only if your site is listed in the Google Index.

 http://www.digitalpoint.com/tools/search/

 

11. Here are some links to free website counters which you can use on your website to track your traffic and hits:

http://www.digitalpoint.com/tools/counter/

http://www.amazingcounters.com/?ref=gad033

http://www.cyber-counter.com/signup.php

http://www.statcounter.com/free_hit_counter.html

http://www.free-counters.net/

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It is worth cataloguing the basic principles to be enforced to increase website traffic and search engine rankings. 

• Create a site with valuable content, products or services.
• Place primary and secondary keywords within the first 25 words in your page content and spread them evenly throughout the document.
• Research and use the right keywords/phrases to attract your target customers.
• Use your keywords in the right fields and references within your web page. Like Title, META tags, Headers, etc.
• Keep your site design simple so that your customers can navigate easily between web pages, find what they want and buy products and services.
• Submit your web pages i.e. every web page and not just the home page, to the most popular search engines and directory services. Hire someone to do so, if required. Be sure this is a manual submission. Do not engage an automated submission service.
• Keep track of changes in search engine algorithms and processes and accordingly modify your web pages so your search engine ranking remains high. Use online tools and utilities to keep track of how your website is doing.
• Monitor your competitors and the top ranked websites to see what they are doing right in the way of design, navigation, content, keywords, etc.
• Use reports and logs from your web hosting company to see where your traffic is coming from. Analyze your visitor location and their incoming sources whether search engines or links from other sites and the keywords they used to find you.
• Make your customer visit easy and give them plenty of ways to remember you in the form of newsletters, free reports, reduction coupons etc.
• Demonstrate your industry and product or service expertise by writing and submitting articles for your website or for article banks so you are perceived as an expert in your field.
• When selling products online, use simple payment and shipment methods to make your customer’s experience fast and easy.
• When not sure, hire professionals. Though it may seem costly, but it is a lot less expensive than spending your money on a website which no one visits.
• Don’t look at your website as a static brochure. Treat it as a dynamic, ever-changing sales tool and location, just like your real store to which your customers with the same seriousness.

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