Installing multiple versions of Internet explorer

I am a developer and I need to test my application sometimes on different browsers. As part of it when I installed Internet Explorer 8 and wanted to return back to earlier versions it was a time wasting journey. Generally if you have installed a higher version of IE, then you cannnot install any lower versions directly. You need to uninstall it first. With IE 6 on your PC if you install IE 8 , it over rides IE 6 .If you want to go back to IE 6 again just uninstall the current version IE8 . Your pC will be poiting to IE6 . But say with IE 6 on your PC ,you installed IE 8 and then you wanted IE 5.Then it will be hell of a task to unisnatll evrything and then install IE5 . There's solution to this problem .

Internet Explorer Collection is a nice free bundle which allows us to use different versions of Internet Explorer.
While running this Internet Explorer Collection installable it prompts for all versions of explorer to be installed .

Internet Explorer Collection allows us to install every version of Internet Explorer right from IE 1.0 to IE 8.0 Beta. Good news is that it even works on Windows Vista . While installing IE Collection, certain versions of IE which are incompatible with your operating system will be automatically disabled. They regularly update their application adding newer versions of IE as and when they are released.

Apple's new talking iPod- Apple comes with an effective innovation

Apple's Ipod shuffle now has become smaller and more interestingly it can talk .
A new feature called VoiceOver has been added to the new version of iPod shuffle
and the controls have been from iPod shuffle to the earbud cord.

Say you’re listening to a song and want to know the title or the artist. With the press of a button, VoiceOver tells you as the music dips down. It even announces the names of your playlists. And when your battery needs charging, VoiceOver tells you that, too.



Controls are re-located

The controls of the new iPod shuffle are located on the right earbud cord. With command central now
strategically placed in this more convenient location, you can navigate your music — and activate the
VoiceOver feature — without taking your eyes off your run, your ride, or whatever you’re doing.

Navigating through Playlists is easier

You’ve probably made multiple playlists in iTunes. One for your commute. One for the gym. One for just chilling out.
With the new iPod shuffle, you can sync your playlists and always find the perfect mix for your activity or mood.
VoiceOver tells you the name of each playlist, so it’s easy to switch between them and find the one you want
without looking.

Can Speak 14 different languages

A French love song. A Spanish bolero. An Italian cantata. Your music library has songs from all over the world.
That’s why VoiceOver speaks 14 different languages. So it can tell you song titles and artists in the correct
languages.

Whats Livelink? How and where to start ...?

Basic tutorial on Livelink
Livelink is a Enterprise Content Management (ECM) tool which is basically used for storing and sharing files on web-based platform.

But whats ECM ?
Enterprise Content Management refers to the creation, management, personalization, and distribution of content, including documents, recorded discussions, e-mail, Web pages, and so-called rich media, or multimedia. ECM has become an important and complex element of software infrastructure. Not only has the sheer volume of content created and retained by organisations grown significantly with the advent of e-mail and the Internet but also new regulations affect the storing and accessing of certain types of content .ECM addresses structured and unstructured content. The former can be managed by a "relational database" and fits into such a database's typical rows and columns. Unstructured content includes everything else, such as text files, presentations, Web sites, XML files, e-mail, graphics, and audio and sound. Analyst studies have shown that more than 80% of all content is unstructured.

More about Livelink
Livelink is a Web-based application for storing, sharing, and distributing information. It provides a collaborative work environment that helps your organization manage documents and project information, improve business processes, and share information. It makes collaboration a part of every business process, even across organizational and geographic barriers. Livelink brings together employees across your organization, as well as partners and customers throughout your business community.

Whats OpenText ?
LiveLink, an electronic document management system, is a 3 rd party product from and is used for storing and sharing files on a web based platform. LiveLink offers functionality like applying metadata to documents, auditing all document events and managing version history.

Some of the main benefits of using LiveLink:

• Central repository. Share data files globally, all file types
• Manage access privileges
• Anonymous (open content) access allowed
• Allow 3rd party access via the Internet. Controlled by content owners
• Version control for file updates between team members
• Ability to "lock" documents while editing
• Content auditing (who and when viewed)
• Assign tasks and monitor progress
• Conduct on-line discussions
• Automatic notification of content changes
• Content indexed and searchable
• View and edit content offline Avoid attachments in email. Use direct web link to the content in LiveLink.

How Livelink works?

Livelink sits on IIS Web Server which receives the HTTP requests from clients (Browsers) and forwards the request to Livelink server.Livelink actually has 2 services running :

1) llServer which handles core Livelink functionality
2) Admin Server which handles Indexing and other Java based processes.

When a request comes from IIS server, Livelink processes the request .If required Livelink server interacts with database , retrieves or dates data and sends the response to IIS server which in turn forwards the formatted response in HTTP form to the client.The simplest of Livelink systems is a single-host architecture where everything is installed on the same host machine as shown in the figure.Generally at organisational level Livelink is implementated in Cluster architecture where Database , Admin servers (referred as back end) and LLServer, IIS (front end) are all installed on different server machines.

What are Livelink Modules?
Livelink’s functionality is organized into core modules, which are pre-installed with the
base Livelink software, and optional modules, which are installed separately. So any changes or enhancements to livelink should be wrapped as modules and installed on the system. These modules can be developed using Livelink builder. Oscript is used as the programming language for coding.

Livelink Explorer
Livelink Explorer is a supplemental tool for Livelink account holders. Instead of using the LiveLink web interface through Internet Explorer to manage LiveLink content, LLE provides a more seamless Windows destop integration to work with LiveLink content directly from Microsoft Office and Windows Explorer.
Users can access LiveLink repositories using Windows Explorer's familiar tree and list views. From Windows Explorer, standard operations such as drag-and-drop can be performed to move or copy files and folders to and from Livelink. From Windows Explorer, users can also access all of the Livelink functions (e.g. delete, copy, add version, download, permissions) associated with an item by simply right-clicking over the item to access the LiveLink functions menu list.
With LLE, users can open, edit, and save Livelink content directly from their desktop applications including Word, PowerPoint, and Excel. In Microsoft Outlook, LiveLink folders appear as Outlook folders, allowing users to drag-and-drop email into LiveLink.
LLE also makes it easier for mobile users to mark documents in LiveLink for offline use. With the offline utility, users can access and edit their LiveLink content when not connected to the Shell network. When users reconnect after working offline, LiveLink Explorer ensures that the offline changes remain synchronized with changes to items in the LiveLink repository and vice-versa.

Google's nightmare - Minor blunder by a Major Software Giant

On Jan 31 st between 6:30 and 7:30 am (PST) all google search results were accompanied with a warning message "This site may harm your Computer".Its a malicious software alert which was supposed to be shown only with dangerous links, but unfortunatley it showed up for search results and links.If I was visitng a website for first time and if I happen to get the malware alert,would I ever visit it again . So this alert is not a small error or just a blunder , its lots more. But after hearing the response from Google's authority you will forgive them.Its a human error it seems.But how could such a big organisation, thousands of big heads and large servers commit such a blunder???Lets read what the Google's VC of Search Products and User Experience,Marissa Mayer had to say on this..........
"Google flags search results with the message "This site may harm your computer" if the site is known to install malicious software in the background or otherwise surreptitiously. We do this to protect our users against visiting sites that could harm their computers. We work with a non-profit called StopBadware.org to get our list of URLs. StopBadware carefully researches each consumer complaint to decide fairly whether that URL belongs on the list. Since each case needs to be individually researched, this list is maintained by humans, not algorithms.

We periodically receive updates to that list and received one such update to release on the site this morning. Unfortunately (and here’s the human error), the URL of ‘/’ was mistakenly checked in as a value to the file and ‘/’ expands to all URLs. Fortunately, our on-call site reliability team found the problem quickly and reverted the file. Since we push these updates in a staggered and rolling fashion, the errors began appearing between 6:27 a.m. and 6:40 a.m. and began disappearing between 7:10 and 7:25 a.m., so the duration of the problem for any particular user was approximately 40 minutes."

Very funny indeed.Now atleast whenever I do such blunders at my work or in my blog I can co-relate with Google.

KeyBoard Shortcuts

Its always good to have shortcuts in ur hand. Shortcuts make life easy .It applies to all aspects of life .Some times its frustrating while typing , suddenly u need to switch to mouse and again to keyboard . So I have gathered some shortcut keys which make life easy while using a PC on Windows.

General keyboard shortcuts
CTRL+C
Copy.
CTRL+X
Cut.
CTRL+V
Paste.
CTRL+Z
Undo.
DELETE
Delete.
SHIFT+DELETE
Delete selected item permanently without placing the item in the Recycle Bin.
CTRL while dragging an item
Copy selected item.
CTRL+SHIFT while dragging an item
Create shortcut to selected item.
F2
Rename selected item.
CTRL+RIGHT ARROW
Move the insertion point to the beginning of the next word.
CTRL+LEFT ARROW
Move the insertion point to the beginning of the previous word.
CTRL+DOWN ARROW
Move the insertion point to the beginning of the next paragraph.
CTRL+UP ARROW
Move the insertion point to the beginning of the previous paragraph.
CTRL+SHIFT with any of the arrow keys
Highlight a block of text.
SHIFT with any of the arrow keys
Select more than one item in a window or on the desktop, or select text within a document.
CTRL+A
Select all.
F3
Search for a file or folder.
ALT+ENTER
View properties for the selected item.
ALT+F4
Close the active item, or quit the active program.
ALT+Enter
Displays the properties of the selected object.
ALT+SPACEBAR
Opens the shortcut menu for the active window.
CTRL+F4
Close the active document in programs that allow you to have multiple documents open simultaneously.
ALT+TAB
Switch between open items.
ALT+ESC
Cycle through items in the order they were opened.
F6
Cycle through screen elements in a window or on the desktop.
F4
Display the Address bar list in My Computer or Windows Explorer.
SHIFT+F10
Display the shortcut menu for the selected item.
ALT+SPACEBAR
Display the System menu for the active window.
CTRL+ESC
Display the Start menu.
ALT+Underlined letter in a menu name
Display the corresponding menu.
Underlined letter in a command name on an open menu
Carry out the corresponding command.
F10
Activate the menu bar in the active program.
RIGHT ARROW
Open the next menu to the right, or open a submenu.
LEFT ARROW
Open the next menu to the left, or close a submenu.
F5
Refresh the active window.
BACKSPACE
View the folder one level up in My Computer or Windows Explorer.
ESC
Cancel the current task.
SHIFT when you insert a CD into the CD-ROM drive
Prevent the CD from automatically playing.
Dialog box keyboard shortcuts
CTRL+TAB
Move forward through tabs.
CTRL+SHIFT+TAB
Move backward through tabs.
TAB
Move forward through options.
SHIFT+TAB
Move backward through options.
ALT+Underlined letter
Carry out the corresponding command or select the corresponding option.
ENTER
Carry out the command for the active option or button.
SPACEBAR
Select or clear the check box if the active option is a check box.
Arrow keys
Select a button if the active option is a group of option buttons.
F1
Display Help.
F4
Display the items in the active list.
BACKSPACE
Open a folder one level up if a folder is selected in the Save As or Open dialog box.

Natural keyboard shortcuts

[Windows Key] Display or hide the Start menu. [Windows Key] +BREAK Display the System Properties dialog box. [Windows Key] +D Show the desktop. [Windows Key] +M Minimize all windows. [Windows Key] +Shift+M Restores minimized windows. [Windows Key] +E Open My Computer. [Windows Key] +F Search for a file or folder. CTRL+ [Windows Key] +F Search for computers. [Windows Key] +F1 Display Windows Help. [Windows Key] + L Lock your computer if you are connected to a network domain, or switch users if you are not connected to a network domain. [Windows Key] +R Open the Run dialog box. [Windows Key] +U Open Utility Manager.

Accessibility keyboard shortcuts

Right SHIFT for eight seconds Switch FilterKeys on and off. Left ALT +left SHIFT +PRINT SCREEN Switch High Contrast on and off. Left ALT +left SHIFT +NUM LOCK Switch MouseKeys on and off. SHIFT five times Switch StickyKeys on and off. NUM LOCK for five seconds Switch ToggleKeys on and off. [Windows Key] +U Open Utility Manager.

Windows Explorer keyboard shortcuts

END
Display the bottom of the active window.
HOME
Display the top of the active window.
NUM LOCK+ASTERISK on numeric keypad (*)
Display all subfolders under the selected folder.
NUM LOCK+PLUS SIGN on numeric keypad (+)
Display the contents of the selected folder.
NUM LOCK+MINUS SIGN on numeric keypad (-)
Collapse the selected folder.
LEFT ARROW
Collapse current selection if it's expanded, or select parent folder.
RIGHT ARROW
Display current selection if it's collapsed, or select first subfolder.