How to Enable Extension Syncing in Chrome (AKA: The Holy Grail of Browser Sync Is Here) [Syncing]

Source: http://lifehacker.com/5566352/the-holy-grail-of-browser-sync-how-to-enable-extension-syncing-in-chrome

Long have we searched for an easy way to sync browser extensions across multiple machines, and for Chrome users that day has finally come. If you're running the Dev channel, here's how you can easily enable extension syncing.

Google Chrome has had bookmark, preference, and theme syncing for awhile, but today's Dev channel update introduced the most heavily anticipated syncing feature to the list: extension syncing. Just like your bookmarks or preferences, after enabling extension syncing, any copy of Chrome on which you are logged into your Google Account will have the same extensions as your other machines—so from now on, you only have to download, install, and configure them once. (Or at least in theory; as this is the dev channel, you can expect that you might encounter a bug or three.)

To enable the feature, download the dev build (if you haven't already) and right click on its shortcut. Choose "Properties" and in the target box, add —enable-sync-extensions to the end of the line (outside of the quotes). From now on, using that shortcut to launch Chrome will have extension syncing enabled. (We're especially eager to see it enabled by default down the road.) Launching Chrome with a command line switch is a bit more complicated on Mac, but the folks over at MacOSXHints have created a handy script that will launch Chrome with extra features enabled without having to do it through the Terminal every time. Once you've launched Chrome, you can enable extensions by clicking on the wrench icon and going to "set up sync" in the menu. The new build also includes some bug fixes and other features, so hit the link to see the full changelog.

Dev Channel Update [Google Chrome Releases via #tips]

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Vodburner Records and Edits Skype Video Chats [Downloads]

Source: http://lifehacker.com/5566346/vodburner-records-and-edits-skype-video-chats

Windows only: Vodburner is an application that will record your Skype video chats and conferences, with the capability to edit the recorded video. The program saves those important business teleconferences or personal conversations with friends for future reference.

If the other party of the Skype conversation does not have Vodburner installed, Vodburner will watermark the video when you record the video chat (unless you pay to upgrade the software). If both parties have it installed, Vodburner does not leave a watermark. As a courtesy, upon each call, Vodburner will ask if you want to alert the other person that they are being recorded.

Vodburner also has limited and basic video editing features, including basic transitions, so if that's all you want to do, there's no need to go into a separate video editing program. Either way, these six popular video-editing applications can probably help if you are looking for more editing functionality. Vodburner is a free download for Windows only.

Vodburner [via MakeUseOf]

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Remains of the Day: Share Any Google Doc with a Private Link [For What It's Worth]

Source: http://lifehacker.com/5566479/remains-of-the-day-share-any-google-doc-with-a-private-link

Google Docs adds some extra new sharing and privacy options, in Japan you can search what's for dinner with Google Recipe Search, and Google sneaks a PDF reader into Chrome.

• Sharing in Google Docs just got easier
  Sharing gets easier in Google Docs, as documents get increased privacy options. There's now an option to collaborate via a shareable link, whose URL can be reset. [The Official Google Docs Blog]
• Google Recipe Search
  Google Japan has Google Recipe Search, which searches and filters food recipes, based on search terms, calories, preparation time. Why isn't this feature available here? [Yongfook]
• Huge Security Flaw Makes VPNs Useless for BitTorrent
  Many people choose to hide their IP address through a VPN. Because of a BitTorrent security flaw, the IP addresses of those who use IPv6 in conjunction with a PPTP-based VPN can still be found. [TorrentFreak]
• Google sneaks internal PDF reader into Chrome dev channel release
  An internal PDF plug-in has been found in the Google Chrome developer channel. It's limited in functionality so far, but it's good news for eventually bringing native support for displaying documents seamlessly. [Download Squad]
• Android Still Spread Out Over Three Different Versions
  Even though the Android 2.1 software has been released for half a year, half of all Android devices are still running Android 1.6 and below. [Mashable]
• One Loo or Two? Google Maps Adds Properties in U.K.
  This feature has been available in the United States since last year, but the United Kingdom will now have the ability to search for property listings in Google Maps. [ReadWriteWeb]

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How to Set Up OpenID on Your Own Domain [How To]

Source: http://lifehacker.com/5566470/how-to-set-up-openid-on-your-own-domain

OpenID is an open standard for logging onto various web services with a single digital identity. The tool puts your online identity back in your hands—and as it turns out, OpenID on your own domain is surprisingly easy.

For some reason I was under the mistaken impression that setting up an OpenID on my own domain, ginatrapani.org, would be a big hassle: that I'd have to host my own OpenID server software and that it would take all sorts of installation and maintenance BS to do so. I feel strongly about owning my identity online, mapping it to my nameplate domain, and actively choosing an authorizing party instead of just accepting the sign-in service du jour like Facebook, Twitter, Yahoo, or Google.

Still, I never got set up with OpenID on ginatrapani.org because my perceived hassle factor was daunting. Instead, I used idproxy.net for my OpenID and put the domain setup on my "someday I have to do that" list. It meant that my OpenID was ginatrapani.idproxy.net instead of my own domain. Idproxy is a great service and I thank them for getting me started with OpenID; but still, I want my OpenID URL to be a domain name I own and control.

Turns out I was dead wrong about the hassle. Setting up OpenID capabilities on your own domain name is a two-lines-of-HTML affair, and it's finally done. (Thanks to Chris Messina for bringing me into the year 2006.) If you're interested in doing the same, here's what to know.

First, Google Profiles (and, it turns out, idproxy.net and ClaimID and a bunch of other OpenID providers) can work with your domain name, so all I have to do is add a few <link rel> tags to your HTML to get things working. Second, you can specify multiple OpenID providers, so if idproxy.net was down or Google Profiles was down, you can have a provider fallback. Sweet. Now, in the <head> tags of ginatrapani.org you will find the following:

 <link rel="openid2.provider" href="https://www.google.com/accounts/o8/ud?source=profiles" > <link rel="openid2.local_id" href="http://www.google.com/profiles/ginatrapani" > 

That sets Google Profiles as the authorizing party for my OpenID, but my OpenID URL is ginatrapani.org. You can see my new OpenID in action right here; I signed into this very site with my new OpenID and posted a comment.

I'm not sure yet how to set Idproxy as my "fallback" provider just yet; if you know how to do that, post it up in the comments.

Thanks to the folks in this Stack Overflow thread for clearing up how to use Google Profiles as an OpenID provider and to Chris for a great discussion of OpenID, OAuth, and verifying identity on the web.

Smarterware is Lifehacker editor emeritus Gina Trapani's new home away from 'hacker. To get all of the latest from Smarterware, be sure to subscribe to the Smarterware RSS feed.

How to Set Up OpenID on Your Own Domain [Smarterware]

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Imagine Toshiba's 128GB NAND Flash Memory In Your Next Phone [Memory]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5565944/imagine-toshibas-128gb-nand-flash-memory-in-your-next-phone

They invented flash memory, so it's only fitting that Toshiba has now produced another world first for NAND memory: the first with 128GB of capacity. Just think what media you could store on your phone with that module.

It squishes 16 64Gb of NAND chips together, and should be shipping out to manufacturers this September. Will it be seen in phones anytime soon? iPods, even? [Toshiba via CrunchGear]

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