Posted on 11 March 2012 by Tea Server
Google just announced something that every webmaster wants, the ability to share insights through Google Analytics with a few custom features. Google has upgraded the existing custom report sharing, plus added the ability for you to share advanced segments and dashboards with other Analytics users. To try this out, look for the Share button in any of these sections: Custom Report: In the Actions menu on the table that lists your reports. Dashboard: In the top-left Continue Reading
Posted on 11 March 2012 by Tea Server
As the internet grows many people are becoming the victims of social online scams be it on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ etc. Spammers and hackers try to scam you to give confidential data. Lets look at the top 10 scams of the year 2011 which you should be aware of.
Leave us your comments… Continue Reading
Posted on 02 March 2012 by Tea Server
You type a web address – say www.youtube.com – in the web browser, your computer queries a DNS server to find the corresponding IP address where that site is located and once it has that information, it routes your browser to the correct website.
That is a simplified definition of DNS but, behind the scenes, several parties could get involved as soon as your computer asks for the IP address of a domain name. There’s the Resolving Name Server, the Root Name Server, the TLD Name Server and finally the Authoritative Name Server.
Confused? You don’t have to be as here’s an informative short video that explains the entire DNS workflow in simple English.
Even if you know the basics of DNS, do watch this video and you might end up learning a couple of new concepts around DNS and how it works. The video is courtesy learnDNS.com.
Speaking of DNS, do check our previous tutorials on setting up OpenDNS, Google DNS, learn how to compare two DNS services and know about scenarios when you should not change your DNS server and let it point to your ISP’s default DNS server.
If you would like to know about the Authoritative Name Server of any web domain, the one that will most definitely know the location of the IP address of that domain, follow these steps.
set querytype=soa without the quotes and hit Enter. Sentence case matters and there should be no extra spaces.Also see: HTTPS and VPN Explained in Simple English
This story, What is DNS in Simple English?, was originally published at Digital Inspiration on 02/03/2012 under Google Dns, Opendns, Internet.
Posted on 02 March 2012 by Tea Server
The first is the report of gruesome violence in the north west today, following two other major attacks in Peshawar this past week:
PESHAWAR: At least 55 people were killed Friday in violence in Pakistan’s troubled northwestern tribal region of Kyhber, which borders Afghanistan, local officials said.
Twenty-two people were killed in a suicide attack targeting a mosque after Friday prayers in the Tirah valley, while at least 10 soldiers and 23 militants died in an earlier clash around 10 kilometres away (six miles).
Fifteen militants were also killed when Pakistan fighter jets blitzed various suspected militant hideouts in the Orakzai Agency.
The second is the report on Ahmedis not being allowed to enter a mosque because local residents would rather have them not do so:
RAWALPINDI: Complying with the demands of the locals, the police on Friday barred Ahmadis from entering their worship centre in Satellite Town, Rawalpindi.
Leading the locals, businessman Sharjeel Mir told The Express Tribune that three days back on a consensus, it was decided to prevent any sort of worship in the centre.
Mir said that at a meeting called by the locals which was attended by DCO Saqib Zafar, Superintendent of Police Matloob Hussain, ulemas and other officials, it was decided that the worship centre will now be used only as a residence and if their demands are not met, then they will launch a protest.
The third is the report on the PTA’s efforts to ban the internet, owing to, amongst other things, national security:
The government published a public tender last month for the “development, deployment and operation of a national-level URL filtering and blocking System.” Technology companies, academic institutions and other interested parties have until March 16 to submit proposals for the $10 million project — but anger about it has been growing both inside and outside Pakistan.
Censorship of the Web is nothing new in Pakistan, which, like other countries in the region, says it wants to uphold public morality, protect national security or prevent blasphemy. The government has blocked access to pornographic sites as well as, from time to time, mainstream services like Facebook and YouTube, Google’s video site.
Reading these reports in conjunction leads to the following propositions:
1. Sometimes suicide bombers have an easier time entering mosques than Ahmedis trying to pray.
2. Our national security is not just threatened by brutal militant groups but also by Facebook.
3. Facebook and porn are blasphemous but forbidding people to pray in their mosques is not.
Posted on 02 March 2012 by Tea Server
Microsoft has made one important change in Windows 8 around user accounts. You can sign into Windows 8 using your online Microsoft Account (the new name for Windows Live ID) instead of creating a local user account. There are two advantages here:
[*] If you have used the Google Chrome browser that is connected to your Google Account, you know how the browser can sync your bookmarks, extensions and installed apps across multiple computers where you have logged in with the same Google Account. Microsoft is taking a similar approach but at the larger OS level.
I encountered a strange issue yesterday. I connected my Windows 8 machine to my Windows Live account but whenever I tried logging into the machine, the system would say that the password is wrong though I was entering the correct password (I could still sign-in to my Hotmail and SkyDrive account using the same Windows Live credentials).
It turned out that the problem was related to the length of the password that I was using with my Windows Live ID.
The password field on the Windows 8 login screen can only accept 15 characters so if you are using a long password, the system won’t let you in. It looks like a UI bug to me or they could have set 15-characters as the new maximum length of passwords in Windows 8.
In either case, if you have the habit of using “really” long passwords, you might have to visit your Windows Live profile and change your password to a shorter less-secure password to get inside Windows 8.
Also see: How to Install Windows 8 – Step by Step Guides
This story, Why Windows 8 says that your Password is Incorrect?, was originally published at Digital Inspiration on 02/03/2012 under Password, Windows 8, Software.
Posted on 02 March 2012 by Tea Server
Every person on Earth spends an average of 26 minutes on YouTube per month.
Do you know that “500 years of YouTube video” are watched on Facebook every single day?
Google has released new statistics around YouTube usage across the world and the world’s favorite video website continues to set new records. Here are some highlights:
The one figure that has however stayed constant for YouTube in the past few months is the number of unique visitors. YouTube, according to the press page, gets around 800 million uniques every month so they still another 50 million to beat Facebook.
[*] Facebook gets around a trillion pageviews every month according to Google’s own data.
The YouTube statistics page also says that 700 YouTube videos are shared on Twitter each minute. Surprisingly, there’s still no mention of Google Plus on that page.
This story, Facebook Users Watch 500 years of YouTube Video Every Day!, was originally published at Digital Inspiration on 01/03/2012 under YouTube, Internet.
Posted on 29 February 2012 by Tea Server
‘Beta* in my day, you could get a house with only one rupee‘ That’s awesome, but something called inflation tells me your argument is invalid. Furthermore, your generations policies caused the inflation! And yet, approximately 25 years from now, the 1980′s generation (otherwise referred to Generation Awesome) will slap their grandchildren with one of the [...]
Top Five Annoying Statements Future Grandparents Will Say is a post from: PakMediaBlog All Rights Reserved.
Posted on 29 February 2012 by Tea Server
Microsoft recently unveiled a new logo for Windows 8 that does away with the colorful flag, first introduced with Windows XP in 2001, and instead uses flat, tile-like shapes done in one solid blue color.
The exact typeface that was used to design the logo is unknown though a quick search did reveal that Windows 8 font is very similar to Freight Sans and the Segoe family of sans-serif fonts.
I am not qualified to dissect the design of the new Windows 8 logo but there’s an active logo-redesign contest happening at 99Designs where over 200 logo designers have submitted several hundred variations of the Windows logo. Some of them are interesting, others not so much but the common theme is that designers want Microsoft to preserve the colors of the original logo in the metro tiles.
On a related note, Web developer Vasiliy Zubach has created a web version of the Windows 8 logo that uses no images and is written in pure CSS and HTML. Vasiliy also using CSS3 animations to add some motion to the Windows tiles and the whole thing looks exactly like the real logo.
This is the underlying CSS code that does the trick.
<style type="text/css">
.windows_8_logo_container {
padding: 100px 0;
background: #fff;
height: 150px;
-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0,0,0,0.3) 0 1px 2px;
-moz-box-shadow: rgba(0,0,0,0.3) 0 1px 2px;
box-shadow: rgba(0,0,0,0.3) 0 1px 2px;
-webkit-border-radius: 5px;
-moz-border-radius: 5px;
border-radius: 5px;
}
.window {
position: relative;
float: left;
margin-left: 50px;
width: 200px;
height: 150px;
background: #00adef;
-webkit-transform: perspective(400px) rotateY(-25deg);
-moz-transform: perspective(400px) rotateY(-25deg);
-ms-transform: perspective(400px) rotateY(-25deg);
-o-transform: perspective(400px) rotateY(-25deg);
transform: perspective(400px) rotateY(-25deg);
-webkit-animation: windows_animation 3s infinite;
-moz-animation: windows_animation 5s infinite;
-ms-animation: windows_animation 5s infinite;
}
.window::after, .window::before {
content: '';
background: #fff;
height: 100%;
width: 10px;
left: 50%;
margin-left:-5px;
top:0;
position: absolute;
}
.window::before {
left: 0;
top: 50%;
margin-top: -5px;
margin-left: 0;
height: 10px;
width: 100%;
position: absolute;
}
.logo_text {
color: #00adef;
line-height: 150px;
font-size: 130px;
padding-left: 20px;
float: left;
}
</style>
<div class="windows_8_logo_container">
<div class="window"></div>
<div class="logo_text">Windows 8</div>
</div>
This story, Windows 8 Logo Recreated in CSS, was originally published at Digital Inspiration on 29/02/2012 under Css, Windows 8, Internet.
Posted on 29 February 2012 by Tea Server
Everyone running Google AdWords campaigns knows that checking and adjusting keyword bids every day can really be a hassle. Until now, small businesses and startups have had to manage their advertising on top of doing everything else that goes along with owning a business. There just isn’t enough time in a day to do it all on your own and that’s exactly why you need WordWatch.
Posted on 28 February 2012 by Tea Server
The last couple of days of mine were very terrible. Let me tell you all about it from the start. So, I started blogging, soon I found out that you can place ads here on your blog, so I said to myself
“Hey! this is kinda cool! I can write some blogs in my
leisure time and earn a few bucks at the same time. What can be awesom-er than that?”
So I applied for my AdSense account, at that moment I was like super excited and I was just thinking about how cool it would be to earn money this way. But then, I received an e-mail from Google that my account has been disapproved. I got really sad real quick. I applied for it again and again and every time I would apply it would give me the same reply “Your account has been disapproved”. Then I found out that my account had been disabled for “Invalid Activity”? I didn’t even had advertisements on my blog and my account got disabled for invalid activity? So just because of this bad experience with Google AdSense I now hate AdSense.
I’m not the only one who has suffered this type of problem, it turns out that many accounts from my country (Pakistan) have been disabled in the same way. I hope Google takes care of these problems but till then I need to find an alternative to Adsense.
Posted on 27 February 2012 by Tea Server
Goojje Chinese search engine
Say hello to Goojje, a Chinese search engine that looks remarkably
like one we’ve seen before. It launched on January 14, and yes, it’s
filtered for less flavour.
The way the name works is this: Jie Jie (Goojje) is mandarin for
sister, while “ge ge” (Google) means big brother (er, shouldn’t that be
the other way round?) The Web Monster (ie, the
Posted on 27 February 2012 by Tea Server
The hackers behind the attacks on Google Inc and dozens of other
companies operating in China stole valuable computer source code by
breaking into the personal computers of employees with privileged
access, a security firm said on Wednesday.
The hackers targeted a small number of employees who controlled source
code management systems, which handle the myriad changes that developers
Posted on 27 February 2012 by Tea Server
Saving Face directed by Pakistani investigative documentary filmmaker Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy and Daniel Junge, received the prestigious Academy Award in the category: Best Documentary (Short) at the 84th Annual Academy Awards®. Here is the acceptance speech:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rvRi6skW-M&feature=youtu.be
The category of Best Documentary (Short) was presented by Rose Byrne & Melissa McCarthy to Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy and Daniel Junge. This marks both Sharmeen and Daniel’s first ever Oscar award and was also the first Oscar to be awarded to a Pakistani in the history of the Academy Awards. Upon receiving the award, Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy thanked the Heroes of Pakistan , The Academy, her colleagues, cast and crew, fellow nominees, parents, friends and family and said “I am deeply humbled and blown away by the outpouring of support and well wishes that I have received. It is an indescribable feeling and is a dream come true! This is for all the budding filmmakers who think that their work will not be appreciated or recognized; if I can do it, so can you. Today, Pakistan was in the news for all the right reasons and I am thrilled that we are now recognized as artists and story tellers. Zakia, Rukhsana- this one is for you”
The 84th Academy Awards ceremony was held at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, California and Billy Crystal hosted the ceremony, while Brian Grazer produced it. Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy walked the red carpet with her husband Fahad Chinoy wearing a custom made and quintessentially Pakistani outfit by renowned couturier Bunto Kazmi with jewellery exclusively designed for Sharmeen for the occasion by Kiran Aman of Kiran Fine Jewellery. After the main Academy Awards ceremony, Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy attended post-Oscar events on which she wore an ensemble by leading fashion designers Sana Safinaz with exclusive jewellery by Sherezad Rahimtoola.
Saving Face chronicles the work of acclaimed British Pakistani plastic surgeon, Dr Mohammad Jawad as he travelled to Pakistan and performed reconstructive surgery on survivors of acid violence. Acid violence, an extreme form of physical abuse, is systemically underreported in Pakistan; official figures state that 150 cases of acid violence are filed every year, though it is estimated that the actual figure is far greater. This is caused in part by structural inequalities that make it difficult for women to access the judicial system in addition to longstanding cultural practices that support gender discrimination. Saving Face is an account of such violence told by survivors through their personal journeys of endurance, recovery and reconciliation. Saving Face is equally a story about the ways in which women continue to struggle for justice in Pakistan as it is about their resilience and unwavering strength in overcoming difficult circumstances. The observational documentary was filmed entirely in Pakistan, primarily in the Seraiki belt in addition to Rawalpindi, Karachi and Islamabad.
Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy hopes to screen Saving Face in Pakistan, with special screenings at local schools, colleges, universities and communities in order to spread awareness and promote dialogue within Pakistan.
Renowned for producing hard-hitting, character-driven content, Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy continues to set new standards for documentary films that address cultural and political inequality. With a formidable list of awards under her belt including a coveted Emmy Award for her film ‘Pakistan’s Taliban Generation’, this is Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy’s first ever Oscar award.
Saving Face is set to air on America’s premier television cable network HBO, on March 8, 2012.
Who is Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy?
In 2001 the global view of terrorism and Muslims changed forever – and like the millions of people affected post 9/11, Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy, an aspiring journalist turned to the medium of visual storytelling, with a decision to work as an investigative journalist and documentary filmmaker. Her vision has been to connect global audiences with the everyday lives of alienated and marginalised communities across the world. To date, Sharmeen’s work has taken her to over ten countries around the world where amongst other things she has had the opportunity to connect with refugees, women’s advocate groups and human rights defenders.
Sharmeen started her career in journalism while enrolled at the prestigious Smith College where she read Economics and Government, while freelancing as a writer for newspapers in the United States and Canada. She later completed her post graduate degrees in International Policy Studies in 2003 and Communication (Journalism) in 2004 from Stanford University.
Her work as an international documentary producer and correspondent progressed in 2002 when she started working at New York Times Television while she was still enrolled at Stanford. Since then, Sharmeen has worked as a producer, director & reporter at Channel 4 (2004-2009), a director & reporter at PBS Frontline World (2004-2009) and at Al Jazeera International (2006-2007). Indeed Sharmeen was one of the first Muslim women to be broadcast on mainstream Western media.
A multi-faceted entrepreneur, Sharmeen started her eponymous film production company Sharmeen Obaid Films in Toronoto in 2006 and recently opened a sister company in Karachi. Sharmeen has produced sixteen critically acclaimed films, all of which have been aired across international channels to global audiences including networks such as CNN, CBC, Channel 4, PBS, Al Jazeera and HBO. Sharmeen is also the co-founder of Pakistan’s leading non-profit organization dedicated to cultural and historic preservation, The Citizen’s Archive of Pakistan and continues to serve as the company’s President and leading cultural preservationist since its founding in 2007. As a senior fellow at TED 2011 international, Sharmeen has also been one of the driving forces behind the locally organised Tedx Karachi events in both 2010 and 2011 where she reached out to iconic personalities such as Imran Khan and Mukhataran Mai, to share their stories of inspiration .
In September 2011 Sharmeen spoke at Google Zeitgeist in Arizona alongside the likes of Ted Kopple & Ariana Huffington. She was also selected as one of eleven rising young leaders from Asia by the Asia Society in 2011. and participated in the Asia Society’s sixth annual Asia 21 Young Leaders Summit, which was held in New Delhi India in November 2011.
Over her career, Sharmeen has received diverse international and national awards and accolades for her intrepid filmmaking and to this end, she has been the recipient of the esteemed International Emmy Award for her documentary Pakistan’s Taliban Generation (2010) and is still the first non US citizen to have received the coveted Livingston Award for Best International Reporting under the age of 35 in any medium, print and broadcast. She was also the proud recipient of the YWCA Toronto Women of Distinction award for her services in the field of Communication, making documentaries that touch upon the lives of women in extraordinary situations, from the refugee camps of Afghanistan, to the plight of aboriginal women in Western Canada.
Her ongoing projects include: Saving Face, a documentary chronicling the work the work of acclaimed British Pakistani plastic surgeon, Dr Mohammad Jawad as he travels to Pakistan and performs reconstructive surgery on survivors of acid violence.
Pakistani plastic surgeon aiding victims of acid attacks in Pakistan, which she is co-directing with acclaimed international director Daniel Junge. The film will air on HBO on March 8th 2012, Saving Face has won an Academy Award [Oscar] for the Best Documentary, Short Subject as announced by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences; Transgender: Pakistans Open Secret is another more recent film with Sharmeen at the director’s helm – the film was released in the UK in December 2011. The film explores the lives of transsexuals in Pakistan who exist on the fringes of society.
Sharmeen is also producing an animated television series for children in Pakistan for national broadcast which endeavours to explore issues in identity, history and culture in Pakistan.
For more information on Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy Films visit http://sharmeenobaidfilms.com
Posted on 26 February 2012 by Tea Server
Cumin seeds/ Zeera half cup (ground)
Coriander seeds/ Saabat Dhania half cup (ground)
Whole Red Chillies/ Saabat Laal Mirch half cup (ground)
Salt/ Namakk quarter cup, or less
Sour Mango Powder/ Aamchoor one-third cup
Whole Black Pepper/ Saabat Kaali Mirch 1 tablespoon (ground)
Black Salt/ Kaala Namakk 1 tablespoon
Tartic Acid/ Taatri 1 teaspoon (I usually skip this)
Grind whatever needs to be ground (lol) and mix together with all the other spices. Bam, you done.
Easy and tastes really good. Plus, makes about a whole jar. Try it and tell me what you think!
Picture taken from Google. But it looks more or less like this.
