various ramblings

-- justin kelly

PHOTO: one more reason why google is awesome

How to create a Google Chrome extension from a greasemonkey/user script

1. Create a folder for your extension
 
2. Place the greasmonkey/user script javascript file in this folder
 
3. Create a 128px * 128px icon for your extension and place in this folder
 
4. Create a file calle 'manifest.json' in this folder
 
example is below - replace the pinboard.in content with your details
 
{
  "name": "Pinboard.in clean up",
  "version": "0.1",
  "description": "Clean up the UI of pinboard.in",
  "icons": { "128": "pinboard128.png" },
  "content_scripts": [
    {
      "matches": ["http://www.pinboard.in/*","http://pinboard.in/*"],
      "js": ["pinboardin_clean_up.user.js"]
    }
  ]
}
 
note:
- replace 'pinboardin_clean_up.user.js' with your js file and matches with which pages you want your script to work on
- refer the chrome extensions developers wiki for more details on manifest.json
 
5. Zip up this folder
 
6. Go to the Chrome extensions page: https://chrome.google.com/extensions/ , sign in and click the 'Publish your extension' link on the botton left
 
7. Google will ask you to upload a zip file, just upload the file created in step 5, follow the steps and your extension will be publish on the Chrome extensions page

Google Chrome plugin: showPnx for Exlibris Primo

If you deal with PNX records and ExLibris Primo I've created a Google Chrome pluging to make your life easier.  This plugin allows you to easily display the ExLibris Primo PNX record when in a full display of a record in Primo. 

See the images below for example of this plugin in action


To install:

1 - install Google Chrome as your browser - if you don't already have it
2 - install the XML plugin from: https://chrome.google.com/extensions/detail/gbammbheopgpmaagmckhpjbfgdfkpadb?...
3 - install this plugin from: https://chrome.google.com/extensions/detail/nnibcklgecdkccooecjdoadbkifnmdjc


To use:

1 - open the full display of a record in Primo in Google Chrome
2 - click the new PNX button in the top right of the browser toolbar - next to the url
3 - the PNX will now auto open in a new tab
4 - enjoy :)


Source:

Available via Hg at bitbucket.org: http://bitbucket.org/justin.kelly.org.au/showpnx/src

Google Chrome script to clean up the UI of Pinboard.in

Pinboard.in is a great minimalist bookmarking service.  I moved to Pinboard at the start of the year and have never looked back to Delicious.
 
One issue i have with pinboard though is that in the bookmark listing, minimal though it is is still to bulky and padded out.
 
I've uploaded to userscripts.org a Chrome user script / Firefox greasemonkey script to clean up the UI of Pinboard.in
 
refer:
 
Removed sections of the Pinboard UI:
- star
- when 
- footer
- timer
- pinboard logo
- description 
- line breaks in the bookmark section
 
Changed:
- background of private bookmarksed changed to white - like a normal bookmark
- Padding and margins removed from each bookmark
- Bulk edit margins remove
 
Screenshot of Pinboard pre script
 
Screenshot of Pinboard post script
 
To install:
 
- Firefox: You need to install Greasemonkey: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/748.  Then restart Firefox and click http://userscripts.org/scripts/source/75422.user.js
 
- Chrome: Just click http://userscripts.org/scripts/source/75422.user.js and chrome will install it as en extension
 
Update:
- For chrome uses I have created an extension refer: https://chrome.google.com/extensions/detail/kbdmpfljdnaooidfhpgkmhigfcfomioi
- May 24, 2010 : Version .2 uploaded to google - body now set as display:inline to fix some small display issues
 

Google Calendar with Mozilla Lightning/Sunbird - accepting invites solution

 

There's an isssue with the Mozilla Lightning/Sunbird addon "Provider for Google Calendar Provider" where you can't accept meeting/calendar invitation from others into your calendar - which is a real pain if you work in a corporate office setup.

The mozilla forums are packed with people posting this issue and no decent solution.

The solution is very simple. Stop using the Provider for Google Calendar Provider and just use Google Calendars CalDAV support

To set up CalDAV support for Google Calendar in Mozilla Sunbird, follow these steps:

Open the Sunbird application and select File > New Calendar.
Select On the Network and click Next.
Select the CalDAV format option.
In the Location field, enter [ https://www.google.com/calendar/dav/ [ your Google Calendar ID ] /events ] and click Next.
Your Google Calendar ID for your primary calendar is just your email address, but for all other calendars the Calendar ID will be in the form of [ long string of characters]@group.calendar.google.com. You can get the Calendar ID by clicking the down arrow next to your calendar at calendar.google.com and selecting 'Calendar Settings'. 
Be sure to use https in your URL, as an http address will not work.

Enter a name and select a color for your calendar.
In the pop-up screen, enter the following information:
Username: This is the complete email address you use with Google Calendar (including the part after the @ sign). If you're using Google Apps, be sure to enter your Google Apps email address. 
Password: This is the password you use to sign in to Google Calendar

Click OK.

Your Google Calendar will now appear in the Calendar tab of Mozilla Sunbird/Lighting, and any invites can now be accepted

google testing new search page for AU

just noticed google is doing some ab testing of a new search results
page in google.com.au searchs - refer image below

looks great - very minimal
-- removed or hidden alot of the crap from their standard search results

note the new set your location opion
-- picks up a country victoria as sydney :(
--- close enough i suppose

note: google are doing ab testing so you'll only get the new search
every so often

Hosted by imgur.com

 

 

How to add Google Maps as a Chrome search engine

For a simple way to add Google Maps into Chrome as a search engine follow the below steps:

in Chrome go to Tools menu, then Options, and in the Default Search section click Manage

then click Add and enter the below details in the available fields

Name: Google Maps
Keyword: map

refer image below:

just type map followed by where you want, ie 'map MCG, Melbourne, Australia' in the chrome address box (refer image below) and chrome will now seasrch google maps for that address

note: 
* this is using english as the default language, youchange change this by altering the hl=en section of the url

How to add Google Dictionary as a Chrome search engine

Just noticed that Google now has their own Dictionary site: http://www.google.com/dictionary

looks great but to make it really useful for me (as someone who can't spell) here a simple way to add Google Dictionary into the Chrome web browser as a search engine
- this way i can easily test the spelling or whatever words i want

in Chrome go to Tools menu, then Options, and in the Default Search section click Manage

then click Add and enter the below details in the available fields

Name: Google Dictionary
Keyword: spell

refer image below: 


now just type spell followed by the word your testing ie. 'spell archive' in the chrome address box and it'll auto use Google Dictionary ( refer image below) 


the end result is you'll be auto send to a page like