New Google Toolbar Features
February 15, 2009 by Jason Bean
Filed under Communication, Software & Online Apps
For quite some time now I’ve been using the Google Toolbar and Google Bookmarks to store many of my preferred websites and resources.
I noticed about a week ago that there seemed to be a new feature in Firefox when I opened a new tab. Instead of being a blank tab, Google was presenting me with thumbnails of my most visited websites, recent bookmarks and even my recently closed tabs.
What a great feature and yet another reason to use Firefox and Google Toolbar. Neither of which seem to have the same features in Internet Explorer 7.
Image: Snagit of New Tab in Firefox with Google Toolbar
Google Releases Chrome Browser
September 2, 2008 by Jason Bean
Filed under Software & Online Apps
It’s been a very busy day today but I figure it’s time for me to throw my $.02 into the ring on my thoughts of the new Google browser, Chrome, that was released today. I’ve just now had a chance to download and install it and I’ll share just a few of my initial reactions.
My first thought that came during the setup process was why in the world do I not have the option to import bookmarks from my Google Bookmarks? I could only specify to import them from Mozilla Firefox or Microsoft Internet Explorer. Do what?
Hand-in-hand with that is why there’s no mention or capability to even mirror the use of the Google Toolbar. I can tell you right now, I use the Google Toolbar so much that I can’t imagine using Google Chrome nearly as much as I would if I had access to the toolbar.
Now that I’ve got that behind me, my general thoughts of the browser is that it’s comfortably clean and simple in layout, what I believe we’ve all come to expect. And it’s quick! Web pages seem to load very quickly in the browser, that’s for sure.
Some of the applications and functionality of tabs bring with them some nice improvements. Being able to drag tabs around to a separate window or regroup them to other windows would be helpful in my opinion. Some of the security steps that Google Chrome does to maintain stability in the browser also looks like a great improvement.
Aside from those items, there’s nothing really that blows me away or colors me impressed. It’s a nice, clean, fast browser. But it’s missing far too much that I’ve come to expect from my browser for me to switch it as my default browser.
I’d think higher integration with maps, Google toolbar, search and Gmail just seems like obvious gaps to me. I also think it would be a perfect browser that could have been released for mobile phones.
A comment from one of my friends was that it’s still “in beta” so I shouldn’t expect much. I replied that Gmail is still in beta too, but it’s pretty darn refined and useful for email at this point.
COMPLETE! Custom Icons on Google Toolbar
May 16, 2008 by Jason Bean
Filed under How To, Social Networking, Software & Online Apps
In my previous post I was wondering how in the world to change the icons on my Google Toolbar. Then Greg gave me exactly what I was looking for in the comments!
Before he gave me the solution my Google Toolbar looked like this:
After the solution, it looks like this:
EXACTLY WHAT I WAS LOOKING FOR IN THE SOLUTION!
For anyone that’s interested and has these same icons in their toolbar, here’s the Base64 code you’ll need to paste into the configuration.
Custom twitter icon for Google Toolbar
<icon mode="base64" type="image/x-icon"> AAEAEBAAAAEACABoBQAAFgAAACgAAAAQAAAAIAAAAAEACAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAEA AADw4ikA7d0HAO3cAAD16nwA8+doAP7+/QDz52cA/PrpAPTpdgD9/f0A///+AP39/gD8/PkA APv42QD9/fwA/P3/APv2yADs2gAA+/v4APv2xwD264QA8OI5APPnZgDu3QAA+PGgAPXqgADx 9+6aAO/gGAD164UA9ep+APDiOAD+/foA+fr6APfulADx5VAA7dsAAPz89QD37pMA9up8APz8 +dcA/PjUAPz3zQD79MIA+/r4AP7++AD8/PsA/frnAPr1vgD7+eEA9uyLAP7+/AD9+/AA9eyF 4QD7+/YA7+EjAPr31QD48KUA9ep3APz53gD16n8A/Pv5APjxpgD48akA+/vxAPr7+gDz6GgA AP388gDx5EYA9Ol1APXqdQDu3hkA8uZYAPPnXgD+/v8A/PvzAP7//gDv4AAA/v//APz79AD4 +fO0APbsjAD7+NwA/fvtAPbtkADv4BQA+/jfAPv42gD79soA8+dgAPPmYwD9/PoA/f37APz8 /PkA+fS8APDjOgD8/PcA+/fYAPbuigD69sYA+PGiAPv65gD37pYA/PrxAOzbAAD69s8A/Prq hgD16XYA9elxAPv69QD8+uIA+/jYAPv54wD69tQA7NwAAPjxpAD48Z4A7t4AAP7+/gD///8A AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA gICAgAUibVx2Dg52TwyAgICAgA8JIzoBAQ0NAiBHgICAgAVjTRIYfHx8fHwSMoCAgIAQcW58 AnklSzGAgIB9QwBGUVpoQWoZej6AgICAfXg6AB17EAkLCylQgICAgFJvZUgWaTAKfX01gICA OyRMG2Q2B3AHayGAgICAfWdeBEUEBgQGBl83L4CAgIBXcz0ICElKcgg9FyqAgICAWz8VHh8D AxpYgICAfTM0WVZVXREUFBF1YICAgH13bBwnPkQTEy5AD4CAgIB9B0JUPDgMgICAgICAgICA LSwmBYCAgICAgICAgIBhdFM5YoCAgICAgICAgPADAADgAwAAwAMAAMADAACABwAAgAcAAIAP BwAAgAMAAMADAADAAwAAgAMAAIAHAACA/wAAgP8AAMH/AAA= </icon>
Custom GoDaddy icon for Google Toolbar
<icon mode="base64" type="image/x-icon"> AAEAICAAAAEACACoCAAAFgAAACgAAAAgAAAAQAAAAAEACAAAAAAAgAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAD/AACA/wCAAP8AgID/gAAA/4AAgP+AgAD/wMDA/8DcwP/wyqb/KUJC/ykpKf8hMTH/ /zExMf8xOTH/ITk5/zk5Of8QQjn/GEI5/ylCQv85QkL/QkJC/0JKQv8YUkL/OUpK/0JKSv9K KVJK/0pSSv8YWkr/MVJS/0pSUv9SUlL/QlJa/0paWv9SWlr/Wlpa/xBjWv8Qa1r/IWNj/2Nj e2P/CIRj/2Nra/9ra2v/EHtr/xhjc/85a3P/a3Nz/3Nzc/9ze3P/CIxz/wiUc/9ze3v/e3t7 e/9re4T/e3uE/3uEhP+EhIT/EKWE/wCthP8Yc4z/MXuM/4yMjP+MjJT/lJSU/wi1lP8AvZT/ /wDGlP8QjJz/jJSc/5ScnP+cnJz/pZyc/wDOnP97jKX/nKWl/6Wlpf8IlK3/pa2t/62trf+t tbW1/7W1vf+1vb3/vb29/wilxv+9xsb/xsbG/87Ozv9rpdb/ztbW/9bW1v/W1t7/3t7e/xiM jOf/MZTn/zmc5/9CnOf/Upzn/3u15//W3uf/3ufn/+fn5/8YjO//IYzv/ymU7/8xlO//MZzv 7/9CnO//Spzv/0ql7/9Spe//Uq3v/1qt7/9jre//a63v/2u17/97te//e73v/4S97/+Mve// /5TG7/+lzu//1ufv/+fv7//v7+//c733/4zG9/+czvf/rc73/63W9/+11vf/vd73/8be9//O zuf3/9bn9//e7/f/5+/3/+/v9//v9/f/9/f3/87n///W5///1u///97v///n7///5/f//+/3 9///9/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// ///////////////////////w+///pKCg/4CAgP8AAP//AP8A/wD/////AAD//wD/////AP// AAAAAAAAAAAAAABrKQcAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAFsbFjJhYVU7NlgA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA9zySQxoaKfdLIUEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAApVZ6e np5rG2sAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAhCFhnp6enp5hQyUOawAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA JZSenp6UQxo8UCEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAFA3np6elDwta54zUAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAMlWenp5TKYSeXCFrAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAgwcWYZ6eayRhnp43SgAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAF8hIRqEnp6UYZ6enjI3XwAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA+EFTMp6enp6enp6e JVUAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAb+DZSnp6enp6enp6enpRQKQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAhBYbC1+e Q1ODnp6UhEP4AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQSUWhJ5hGiYuHiBrYTIZCgotXAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA MQsySyErTU1NJzIkKkRGRjQVhAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABB+FVDFj1NTU01Cw04R01HPg+DAAAA AAAAAAAAWw9cnpRBEjhGOBNXByQTGBwjVwAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABfEVtr+BZLJB8kVpSeaxZT AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAa1AoQDAoQ56UhJSenp5LMgAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABSDT9/WSNrnp6e XxtfAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAkL39REDGUnp6enl8bVQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAhBsd YZ6elGFLG1MAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAXTkNGi34QTclGvhhAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAB6ZzJfVfdJTltpjgAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAk3V4aXiRAIFjioxkggAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAJN5ZI+RboEAAGaAj2OGAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAe2OOnopijACNZI+HYowA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABkaJ6TZWUAAHl1kWR3AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGRonmhijACY Y48AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAfWiRZHkAAJFkfnN7AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA dY8AAIBkaGKOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAJF3dQAAAIyNdI8AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA ////4Af//+AD///gAf//wAH//8AD///AA///wAP//wAH//4AA//+AAD//gAA//wAAP/+AAA/ H/8AAB/+AAA//gAAf/wAA//8AAP//gAH//wAD//+AB///gA///wIH//4DB//+Agf//gYP//4 +DB///8YP///HD// </icon>
Custom TinyURL icon for Google Toolbar
<icon mode="base64" type="image/x-icon"> ODlhEAAQAIAAAP///wAAmSH5BAAAAAAALAAAAAAQABAAQAIpjI9pcAy/Egsu0obrRdNVrYRY SUHlZXasi8byxpJc1krQ5plzUAAAOw== </icon>
Making Custom Icons for Google Toolbar
May 16, 2008 by Jason Bean
Filed under How To, Software & Online Apps
I’m a big fan of Google and one of the products of theirs that I use regularly is the Google Toolbar. I’ve started customizing it more than just accepting the standard set of icons that they recommend, but I’ve run into a bit of a snag.
As you can see from the image above, I’ve got three icons that are all the same, but they’re for three different things.
Does anyone know how in the world I can change the icon that’s being displayed there?
It’s really annoying. I want to achieve something like Facebook uses (the icon next to them) that makes it really easy to see which button I need at a glance. As it stands right now I’ve got to remember,
“Okay was twitter the 2nd icon? Wait, no I added one for GoDaddy, was it the first or 3rd?..No, TinyURL was in there first…..arrggh!”
To help me keep my sanity, will someone please help me with this little problem?
