InformationWeek Stories by Steve Krause

InformationWeek Stories by Steve Krausehttp://www.informationweek.comInformationWeeken-usCopyright 2012, UBM LLC.2011-09-21T15:45:00ZHow To Create Your Own URL Shortening ServiceHow To Create Your Own Private Short-URL Servicehttp://www.informationweek.com/byte/news/231601635?cid=RSSfeed_IWK_Authors If you've ever tried to chop down a 160-character tweet, you know how handy a URL-shortening service can be. With only 160 characters, every character counts. Public URL-shortening services like bit.ly and is.gd are great for the average Twitter user. But if you're a serious blogger or company seeking to manage your brand online, you should definitely think about creating your own shortening service. That way you'll be able to protect your brand and better analyze traffic. It only takes about 15 minutes to set up your own URL shortener. Here's how to do it. First, come up with a short but similar domain name. For this, I use the website <a href="http://domai.nr">http://domai.nr</a>. Domain.nr lets you type in a word or name and do everything you need to register your new, shorter domain name. <img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/howto/PrivateShort-URLService/01.png"> Once you have that new short domain, <a href="http://yourls.org">download the latest copy of YOURLS</a>. <img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/howto/PrivateShort-URLService/02.png"> Extract the downloaded file to a new subdirectory. <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /> <img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/howto/PrivateShort-URLService/03.png"> Now, navigate to the /includes folder and copy the file sample-config.php to /user/config.php. Open the config.php with your favorite text editor. You'll need to edit a few files before you upload it to your hosting provider. <img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/howto/PrivateShort-URLService/04.png"> Configure the database settings. Fill in the MySQL settings you will be using with your hosting provider. I highlighted the most critical of the settings you need to configure. Fortunately, the config file has some great comments that will make it easy for you to get through the process. <img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/howto/PrivateShort-URLService/05.png"> Now scroll to the bottom of the file to complete the configuration, including the site name, cookie key, and user password to log in. Be sure to create a password that's long and stronger than the one I use in the example below. That means a combination of numerals and uppercase and lowercase letters. <img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/howto/PrivateShort-URLService/06.png"> YOURLS is a simple .php /MySQL application; pretty much any hosting provider will work with it. Just grab your folder and upload it to the root of your new domain you purchased. In my example I'm uploading YOURLS to a subfolder off the root of my domain. <img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/howto/PrivateShort-URLService/07.png"> Now it's time to create the MySQL database YOURLS will use to store all the data in. Using the MySQL settings from the config.php file you created earlier, create your MySQL database on your host. On my host, this step is fairly easy. It will vary depending on your hosting provider. Check with your provider if you need help with this step. <img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/howto/PrivateShort-URLService/08.png"> Once your files are all uploaded and your MySQL data is configured, navigate to your new site and click the Install YOURLS button on that page. <img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/howto/PrivateShort-URLService/09.png"> If you did everything correctly, you should get a screen full of green check boxes. <img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/howto/PrivateShort-URLService/10.png"> Enter the Username and Password you configured earlier in your config.php file. <img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/howto/PrivateShort-URLService/11.png"> Optional: Once logged in, I recommend you enable hyphens. Under Allow Hyphens in Short URLs, click Tools and Activate. <img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/howto/PrivateShort-URLService/12.png"> Now it's time to test out your new service! Click the Admin Interface Link at the top of the page and then type in a URL and Custom short URL. <img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/howto/PrivateShort-URLService/13.png"> One of the great things about YOURLS is its reporting capability. Once you have created your short URL, just click the Report button at right to view everything from traffic stats to traffic sources. <img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/howto/PrivateShort-URLService/14.png"> Another way to get stats is to navigate directly to the page and add a + at the end of it. <img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/howto/PrivateShort-URLService/15.png"> YOURLS also comes with several different bookmarklets that let you easily shorten any webpage you visit. Just head over to the Tools page. Click and drag the bookmarklets to your browser's toolbar. <img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/howto/PrivateShort-URLService/16.png"> Now visit any website and click the bookmarklet to automatically create a short URL for that page. Remember you need to be logged into the YOURLS site for the bookmarklets to work. <img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/howto/PrivateShort-URLService/17.png"> If you're a blogger who uses Wordpress, you also should install a free plugin that will automatically create a shortened URL for each post you publish. It's possible to configure that plugin to automatically publish each post with the short URL to Twitter, too. Because YOURLS is based on PHP and CSS, it's super easy to configure. <img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/howto/PrivateShort-URLService/18.png"> Based in Seattle, Steve Krause is a senior contributor at BYTE. Follow him <a href="http://twitter.com/krausesteve" target="_blank">@krausesteve</a> and email him at <a href="mailto:Steve.Krause@BYTE.com" target="_blank">Steve.Krause@BYTE.com</a>. 2011-09-21T12:51:00ZHow To See Your Google+ Profile As Others DoHere's how to double-check your Google+ settings to ensure privacy.http://www.informationweek.com/byte/news/231601633?cid=RSSfeed_IWK_Authors Recently I explained <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/byte/howto/231600778">how to adjust the privacy settings of your Google+ profile</a>. Here’s a quick way to test out the updates and view how your profile will look to a specific person or everyone on the Internet. Go to your Google+ Profile About page. Click on View profile as… <img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/howto/TestYourGoogle+ProfilePrivacySettings/1.png"> Type in a name or select Anyone on the Web. <img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/howto/TestYourGoogle+ProfilePrivacySettings/2.png"> Your About Profile page will change depending on your selection, giving you a nice preview of how your profile looks to others. Based in Seattle, Steve Krause is a senior editor at BYTE. A veteran and intrepid tech blogger, he is the founder of groovyPost.com. Follow him <a href="http://twitter.com/krausesteve" target="_blank">@krausesteve</a> and email him at <a href="mailto:Steve.Krause@BYTE.com" target="_blank">Steve.Krause@BYTE.com</a>. 2011-09-19T16:10:00ZHow To Track Usage On iPhones And iPadsHere's how to zero out the usage stats on your Apple iPhone or iPad.http://www.informationweek.com/byte/news/231601636?cid=RSSfeed_IWK_Authors Recently I took a trip to Europe. I needed a simple way to track the data usage on my iPhone and iPad. As you probably know, 3G roaming costs add up quickly if you're not paying attention. What to do? Easy. Just reset the usage statistics on your iOS devices when you arrive in foreign lands. Here's how to do that with your Apple iPhone and iPad. On the iPhone, tap Settings. <img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/howto/ResetiPhoneiPadUsageStats/iphone-1.png"> Tap General. <img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/howto/ResetiPhoneiPadUsageStats/iphone-2.png"> Tap Usage. <img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/howto/ResetiPhoneiPadUsageStats/iphone-3.png"> On the Usage screen, notice all the stats. Tap Reset Statistics to reset Call Time and Cellular Network Data. <img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/howto/ResetiPhoneiPadUsageStats/iphone-4.png"> To confirm, tap Reset Statistics. <img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/howto/ResetiPhoneiPadUsageStats/iphone-5.png"> Notice that after the reset, the stats for Call Time and Cellular Network Data are clear. <img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/howto/ResetiPhoneiPadUsageStats/iphone-6.png"> The steps are similar on the iPad. First, tap Settings. <img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/howto/ResetiPhoneiPadUsageStats/iPad-1.png"> Now, tap General, Usage, and Reset Statistics. <img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/howto/ResetiPhoneiPadUsageStats/iPad-2.png"> Confirm by tapping Reset. <img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/howto/ResetiPhoneiPadUsageStats/iPad-3.png"> With your statistics all reset, it's easy to monitor call time and data time. If you don't have an unlimited data plan, you'd better get one. Based in Seattle, Steve is a senior contributor at BYTE. A veteran and intrepid tech blogger, he is the founder of groovyPost.com. Follow him <a href="http://twitter.com/krausesteve" target="_blank">@krausesteve</a> and email him at <a href="mailto:Steve.Krause@BYTE.com" target="_blank">Steve.Krause@BYTE.com</a>. 2011-09-16T17:00:00ZHow To Sync Evernote With Google+Evernote and Google+ are a good team. Here's how to make them work together.http://www.informationweek.com/byte/news/231601253?cid=RSSfeed_IWK_Authors Google+ is a great tool for collaborating with colleagues and staying up-to-date with your social network. Evernote is my favorite cross-platform note-taking and bookmarking tool. Combine Google+ and Evernote, and you've got something pretty powerful. Here’s how to use Google+ and Evernote together--by sending Google+ conversations into Evernote. Start by updating Evernote to ensure you are using the latest version. Click Help, Check for updates. <img src="http://i.techweb.com/infoweek/byte/howto/gplusevernote/1.png"> If updates are available, hit Download and Install. The Evernote Wizard will walk you through the installation process. <img src="http://i.techweb.com/infoweek/byte/howto/gplusevernote/2.png"> Once the update has finished, it’s time to get the email address you'll use to post updates into your default Evernote notebook. Click Tools, Account Info. <img src="http://i.techweb.com/infoweek/byte/howto/gplusevernote/3.png"> Right click your email address. Hit Copy. Click Close when you're done. <img src="http://i.techweb.com/infoweek/byte/howto/gplusevernote/4.png"> Now that you've copied your Evernote email address, jump over to your Google+ account and open Circles. <img src="http://i.techweb.com/infoweek/byte/howto/gplusevernote/5.png"> Create a new circle by hovering over the blank circle and selecting Create circle. <img src="http://i.techweb.com/infoweek/byte/howto/gplusevernote/6.png"> Name the new circle Evernote. Now click Add a new person. <img src="http://i.techweb.com/infoweek/byte/howto/gplusevernote/7.png"> Paste in the email address from your Evernote account and click the blue "Add" box that pops up. <img src="http://i.techweb.com/infoweek/byte/howto/gplusevernote/8.png"> Give the new address/Google+ contact a name. I recommend you call it something like Evernote or Evernote Drop, as I do in my example below. Hit Save. <img src="http://i.techweb.com/infoweek/byte/howto/gplusevernote/9.png"> Click Create circle with one person. <img src="http://i.techweb.com/infoweek/byte/howto/gplusevernote/10.png"> Looking at your list of circles, notice your new Evernote circle has been created and has one member in it. <img src="http://i.techweb.com/infoweek/byte/howto/gplusevernote/11.png"> Now it's time for the magic. Jump back to your Google+ Stream and click Share on something shared with you. <img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/howto/gplusevernote/12.png"> Add a message. Then click Add circles or people to share with. <img src="http://i.techweb.com/infoweek/byte/howto/gplusevernote/13.png"> Type Evernote and click the Evernote Circle. <img src="http://i.techweb.com/infoweek/byte/howto/gplusevernote/14.png"> Ensure the box is checked. Email one person you know who is not yet using Google+ and click Share. <img src="http://i.techweb.com/infoweek/byte/howto/gplusevernote/15.png"> Because you added the Circle that has your Evernote email address in it, the Google+ share will be posted both to your Google+ account and your Evernote Account. Open Evernote and Click Sync to expedite the sync between Google+ and your Evernote account. <img src="http://i.techweb.com/infoweek/byte/howto/gplusevernote/16.png"> Open your default Evernote Notebook to find the Google+ message you just sent to Evernote. There it is. Fantastic! <img src="http://i.techweb.com/infoweek/byte/howto/gplusevernote/17.png"> Although in my example I demonstrated how to send a friend's interesting Google+ post to my Evernote account, the process works for any Google+ post, including ones you send to yourself, like below. <img src="http://i.techweb.com/infoweek/byte/howto/gplusevernote/18.png"> Do you have a Google+ or Evernote tip? I'd love to hear about it. Email tips@BYTE.com or just comment below. Based in Seattle, Steve Krause is a senior contributor at BYTE. Follow him @krausesteve or email him at Steve.Krause@BYTE.com. 2011-09-15T19:40:00ZMicrosoft BUILD Conference Session VideosBUILD conference sessions are available live on Microsoft's Channel 9 site.http://www.informationweek.com/byte/news/231601543?cid=RSSfeed_IWK_Authors Are you sitting at work or home wishing you could have attended this year's Microsoft BUILD conference for developers? Don't get too worked up about it. Microsoft, through its Channel 9 site, is publishing the sessions live on its site. Even better, for those sessions you've already missed, Microsoft Channel 9 has made the video recordings available as well. All this can be found at the <a href="http://channel9.msdn.com/Events/BUILD/BUILD2011" target="_blank"> Microsoft BUILD 2011 Channel 9 site</a>. <img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/tips/Sept_2011/1.jpg" width="452" height="248" alt="BUILD conference" title="BUILD conference" hspace="0" vspace="0" border="0" />2011-09-12T16:00:00ZGoogle Maps Voice Search for Chrome: First LookVoice searches aren't just for your phone anymore. Now Google Maps works with Chrome, too. http://www.informationweek.com/byte/news/231600306?cid=RSSfeed_IWK_Authors Google Maps Voice Search used to be an app for mobile use only. Now it's a free service for mapping and directions that works with any system running Google Chrome, too. I took a look. <object id="flashObj" width="420" height="236" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=9,0,47,0"><param name="movie" value="http://c.brightcove.com/services/viewer/federated_f9?isVid=1&isUI=1" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><param name="flashVars" value="@videoPlayer=1131926688001&playerID=991561270001&playerKey=AQ~~,AAAAAF14eAc~,GZC-YoxXneipa9bRIkZsgcIk-7WR-zx_&domain=embed&dynamicStreaming=true" /><param name="base" value="http://admin.brightcove.com" /><param name="seamlesstabbing" value="false" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="swLiveConnect" value="true" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><embed src="http://c.brightcove.com/services/viewer/federated_f9?isVid=1&isUI=1" bgcolor="#FFFFFF" flashVars="@videoPlayer=1131926688001&playerID=991561270001&playerKey=AQ~~,AAAAAF14eAc~,GZC-YoxXneipa9bRIkZsgcIk-7WR-zx_&domain=embed&dynamicStreaming=true" base="http://admin.brightcove.com" name="flashObj" width="420" height="236" seamlesstabbing="false" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowFullScreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" swLiveConnect="true" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/shockwave/download/index.cgi?P1_Prod_Version=ShockwaveFlash"></embed></object> Overall, I was pleasantly surprised. The voice recognition worked better than I expected--though I admit I am great material for voice recognition with my flat, clear accent. Southerners, Texans and New Englanders with regional tones might have a tougher time. Watch BYTE for my in-depth comparative review of how Google Voice Search stacks up against other players in the near future. The video below, from Google, shows you how Google is pitching the product. Do you think it lives up to the promise? Try it out and let me know. <iframe width="450" height="345" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Q1c0w5QiryM" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> Based in Seattle, Steve Krause is a senior contributor at <a href="http://www.byte.com" target="_blank">BYTE</a>. Follow him <a href="http://twitter.com/#!/krausesteve" target="_blank">@krausesteve</a> or email him at <a href="mailto:steve.krause@byte.com">Steve.Krause@BYTE.com</a>.2011-09-08T13:00:00ZHow To Use FaceBook's New Selective Privacy FeaturesHere's how to use Facebook's new privacy tools to control who sees every comment you make. http://www.informationweek.com/byte/news/231600975?cid=RSSfeed_IWK_Authors Facebook's new on-the-fly drop-down menu lets you control who sees each and every comment or photo you post. According to Facebook, the new controls are meant to be more "visual and straightforward," making it easier for you to both configure your account's privacy and figure out "who can see this?" I agree 100%; this is a huge improvement. Let's take a look at the new updates and walk through how they work. To start off, you'll want to configure the default settings for the new options. Click Account, Privacy Settings. <img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/howto/fbnewprivacy_krause/new/1.png"> Facebook makes this screen super intuitive. Set your default sharing option by selecting Public, Friends, or Custom. <img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/howto/fbnewprivacy_krause/new/2.png"> If you choose Custom, a box will pop up with another menu for specifying exactly who can view your posts. The options include Friends of Friends, Friends, Specific People, or Only Me. If you choose Specific People, you can type in individual names, or the name of a list of people that you've previously created (say, Book Club Friends). Finally, you can also check a box to include any network you might be in. In my example I selected Friends of Friends as my default. <img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/howto/fbnewprivacy_krause/new/3.png"> Because this is such a large group, however, I'm also going to use the "Hide this from" option to keep my default status updates from appearing to my brother. <img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/howto/fbnewprivacy_krause/new/4.png"> Once you have the settings the way you want them, Click Save Setting. Now it's time to make our first post using our new default privacy setting. Click on Profile. <img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/howto/fbnewprivacy_krause/new/5.png"> After typing something in for your Status Update, you'll see a couple of other new options Facebook has added. One is being able to type in the names of people who are with you at the moment. <img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/howto/fbnewprivacy_krause/new/6.png"> You can also tell people where you are. But both of these are optional. You can ignore them. <img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/howto/fbnewprivacy_krause/new/7.png"> Now, doublecheck who you will be sharing the post with. You will notice that the selections I made earlier when configuring privacy are being used by default, as expected. By default the post is being shared with Friends of Friends except Mysticgeek Brian. Perfect since I owe Brian money! <img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/howto/fbnewprivacy_krause/new/8.png"> But what if I want to override the default? I just click the menu button and select who I want to share the post with instead. Once more, you can choose between Public, Friends, or Custom to configure a specific group of friends, lists, or exclusions. In this example I'm going to narrow the visibility to Friends. <img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/howto/fbnewprivacy_krause/new/9.png"> Sharing photos and videos works exactly the same way as a post. Click Add Photo. <img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/howto/fbnewprivacy_krause/new/10.png"> Choose between uploading a photo or video, using your webcam, or creating a photo album. <img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/howto/fbnewprivacy_krause/new/11.png"> Just like status updates, when uploading a photo or video the same new privacy settings apply. <img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/howto/fbnewprivacy_krause/new/12.png"> To view the settings for old posts, just hover over the right side of the post and Facebook will display who it was shared (or not) with. <img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/howto/fbnewprivacy_krause/new/13.png"> Still need some help? The first time you use your Facebook account with the new privacy controls you can watch a short demo. You can also read more about the new settings at Facebook:<a href="http://www.facebook.com/about/sharing/">http://www.facebook.com/about/sharing</a>. Based in Seattle, Steve Krause is a senior contributor at BYTE. Follow him @krausesteve or email him at Steve.Krause@BYTE.com2011-09-06T12:30:00ZHow To Make Your Google+ Profile More PrivateHere’s how to set a privacy level for every part of your Google+ profile.http://www.informationweek.com/byte/news/231600778?cid=RSSfeed_IWK_Authors Google makes it pretty easy to keep most of the fields in your Google+ profile private. Here's how to do it. First log in to Google+ and visit your Profile About page. <img src="http://i.techweb.com/infoweek/byte/howto/addgplusprivacy/1.png"> Click Edit Profile. <img src="http://i.techweb.com/infoweek/byte/howto/addgplusprivacy/2.png"> Click a field in your profile to edit its visibility. To the left of each field in your profile you'll see an icon that identifies the visibility of that field. Here, I'm selecting the Bragging Rights field to adjust who can view it. <img src="http://i.techweb.com/infoweek/byte/howto/addgplusprivacy/3.png"> Now click the dropdown to adjust the privacy setting. <img src="http://i.techweb.com/infoweek/byte/howto/addgplusprivacy/4.png"> Several options are available. Choose among Anyone on the web, Extended circles, Your circles, Only you, or Custom. I'm going to make mine viewable to anyone on the Web who visits my profile. <img src="http://i.techweb.com/infoweek/byte/howto/addgplusprivacy/5.png"> Hit Save to apply your changes. <img src="http://i.techweb.com/infoweek/byte/howto/addgplusprivacy/6.png"> Notice the icon has now changed to a globe. That signals global visibility--that field is now visible to anyone on the Web. <img src="http://i.techweb.com/infoweek/byte/howto/addgplusprivacy/7.png"> Check each of your Profile fields and select who can view them. Click Done editing. <img src="http://i.techweb.com/infoweek/byte/howto/addgplusprivacy/8.png"> Getting to know all of the privacy settings available in Google+ lets you have a more secure profile. Based in Seattle, Steve Krause is a senior contributor at <a href="http://www.byte.com" target="_blank">BYTE</a>. Follow him <a href="http://twitter.com/#!/krausesteve" target="_blank">@krausesteve</a> or email him at <a href="mailto:steve.krause@byte.com">Steve.Krause@BYTE.com</a>.2011-08-24T17:00:00ZHow To Invite Up To 150 Contacts To Google+ Here's how to invite 150 people to Google+ at once.http://www.informationweek.com/byte/news/231300357?cid=RSSfeed_IWK_Authors As fine-tuning to its social beta project Google+, Google recently changed its invitation feature. Here's how to easily invite multiple friends and contacts at once, even if you don’t have their email addresses. Start by logging into Google+ . Click the Invite Friends button. <img src="http://i.techweb.com/infoweek/byte/howto/googleplusinvites_krause/2.png"> On the screen that comes up, you have the option to invite your friends one at a time. But the easier way is to use the custom link Google provides. Share the link anywhere online and when folks click on it, they'll be able to start their own profiles and accounts in Google+. <img src="http://i.techweb.com/infoweek/byte/howto/googleplusinvites_krause/3.png"> The link Google provides is long and ugly, so I like to shorten it first. There are a lot of URL shortening services out there, but I prefer the <a href="http://goo.gl/">Google URL shortener</a>. Paste the Google+ invite link into the shortening field and click Shorten. Then hit [Ctrl][C] to copy the shortened link. <img src="http://i.techweb.com/infoweek/byte/howto/googleplusinvites_krause/4.png"> After you have the shortened URL, start sharing it. Here's an example of sharing it on Facebook--the Google+ rival. <img src="http://i.techweb.com/infoweek/byte/howto/googleplusinvites_krause/5.png"> Increase the number of visitors to your website or blog by sharing Google+ invites. <img src="http://i.techweb.com/infoweek/byte/howto/googleplusinvites_krause/6.png"> When your friends or readers click on the shortened Google+ invite link, they'll go to the Google+ homepage. <img src="http://i.techweb.com/infoweek/byte/howto/googleplusinvites_krause/7.png"> Invitees sign in using their Google Account credentials. If they don't have a Google account yet, they can create one first. <img src="http://i.techweb.com/infoweek/byte/howto/googleplusinvites_krause/8.png"> Right now you're limited to inviting 150 people, but this new invite function is efficient and much easier than inviting people individually. For more on the recent announcement of the new Google+ invite feature, check out <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/byte/commentary/231300354">Google+ Opens the Invite Flood Gates</a>. Based in Seattle, Steve Krause is a senior contributor at <a href="http://www.byte.com" target="_blank">BYTE</a>. Follow him <a href="http://twitter.com/#!/krausesteve" target="_blank">@krausesteve</a> or email him at <a href="mailto:steve.krause@byte.com">Steve.Krause@BYTE.com</a>. 2011-08-06T08:00:00ZGoogle+ Opens the Invite Flood GatesGoogle+ is rolling out 150 invites to all current users. Here's how to start letting your friends in.http://www.informationweek.com/byte/news/231300354?cid=RSSfeed_IWK_Authors If you were already on Google+ and wanted to invite friends and family, the invite system was limited. Yesterday, Google quietly started rolling out more invitations, with a twist. When I checked my Google+ stream yesterday, I noticed that I had 150 invites to pass out to friends. <img src="http://i.techweb.com/infoweek/byte/BLOGS/Krause_Steve/1.png"> After clicking the Invite friends button, you can still invite an indefinite number of friends to Google+ (this hasn’t changed). But now Google is also providing a link for you to share, with a limitation of 150 invites. You can post the link in email, on forums, on websites -- even on Facebook. It will be interesting to see how Facebook responds. <img src="http://i.techweb.com/infoweek/byte/BLOGS/Krause_Steve/2.png"> Share could be an interesting accelerator. I'm guessing Google would love for people to post this link on their Facebook Wall asking all of their friends to come over to Google+. <img src="http://i.techweb.com/infoweek/byte/BLOGS/Krause_Steve/3.png"> After digging into this story further, I found an update from Google engineer Balaji Srinivasan, who explained the details regarding the new invite system (see video below). According to Balaji, this latest update was implemented in response to user feedback. Apparently users wanted an easier way to invite their friends to the service – more specifically friends whom they didn't have an email address for. <iframe width="420" height="269" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/4IJPOhT4nOU" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> Things are definitely heating as Google+ continues to grow. This latest update to the service is an obvious sign that Google is ready for the next wave of users into its social service and is actively exploring ways to get new defectors from its primary rival. Based in Seattle, Steve is a founding senior contributor at <a href="http://www.byte.com" target="_blank">BYTE</a>. Follow him <a href="http://twitter.com/#!/krausesteve" target="_blank">@krausesteve</a> and email him at <a href="mailto:steve.krause@byte.com">Steve.Krause@BYTE.com</a>.2011-07-29T18:00:00ZHow To Restrict Apps And Other Content On iOS DevicesHere's how to protect certain apps or content from being viewed by young ones.http://www.informationweek.com/byte/news/231002879?cid=RSSfeed_IWK_Authors Whether it's to keep your stuff private from other folks at work or your kids, it's great to know how to keep certain apps and content from showing on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch. Just enable Restrictions on your iOS devices to prevent access. Here's how. Start by tapping the Settings button on your device. <img src="http://i.techweb.com/infoweek/byte/howto/restrictappsios/1.png"> Tap on General. <img src="http://i.techweb.com/infoweek/byte/howto/restrictappsios/2.png"> Scroll down a bit and you will notice Restrictions is disabled by default. Tap it to enable and configure the settings. <img src="http://i.techweb.com/infoweek/byte/howto/restrictappsios/3.png"> Tap Enable Restrictions and select a PIN. Once you choose a PIN, take a look around the options. IMPORTANT: Choose a PIN you won’t forget. If you forget the PIN, you'll need to do a factory reset on your device in order to disable the Restrictions feature. That's a hassle. <img src="http://i.techweb.com/infoweek/byte/howto/restrictappsios/4.png"> <img src="http://i.techweb.com/infoweek/byte/howto/restrictappsios/5.png"> Now that you've enabled the Restrictions feature, toggle the factory-installed apps on or off as you like. This includes Safari, where you can turn off all links in email and Internet browsing from the phone. It also lets you turn off music purchases in iTunes. And, my favorite, you can use this feature to restrict the installation of new apps. <img src="http://i.techweb.com/infoweek/byte/howto/restrictappsios/6.png"> In addition to disabling specific apps, you also are able to configure Allowed Content settings. To do this, tap Apps, select the top age rating and disable any Apps or Game which is rated above 4+. <img src="http://i.techweb.com/infoweek/byte/howto/restrictappsios/11.png"> Once you set the rating, any game or application rated above that setting will no longer display on the device. For a parents, that's a nice touch. Based in Seattle, Steve is a senior editor at <a href="http://www.byte.com" target="_blank">BYTE</a>. Follow him <a href="http://twitter.com/#!/krausesteve" target="_blank">@krausesteve</a> or email him at <a href="mailto:steve.krause@byte.com">Steve.Krause@BYTE.com</a>. 2011-07-23T18:43:00ZKeep Others From Sharing Your Circle Posts on Google+Here's how to disable sharing private conversations on Google+.http://www.informationweek.com/byte/news/231002502?cid=RSSfeed_IWK_Authors At least so far, Google+ in beta defaults to a setting you probably don't want for your posts. Currently, if you post something to a specific person or Circle, anyone who sees the post is able to share it in his or her own Circles. So change that default setting. Here's how./p> After you write your message, decide which users or Circles to share it with. Click Share. <img src="http://i.techweb.com/infoweek/byte/tips/disgplusshare_krause/1.png"> After you share, click the dropdown menu at right and select Disable Reshare. <img src="http://i.techweb.com/infoweek/byte/tips/disgplusshare_krause/2.png"> This way, your contacts won't be able to reshare the message you sent to them. A wise thing, for sure.2011-07-21T15:21:00ZGoogle+ Headaches: What You Need to KnowBYTE’s Steve Krause tracked down Google+ pain points--so you can avoid headaches with the new social service.http://www.informationweek.com/byte/news/231002335?cid=RSSfeed_IWK_AuthorsGoogle's latest--and many say greatest--attempt at social is the buzz of the summer. But the large-scale beta release of Google+ is not without issues. I haven't been conducting a field test, exactly, but I've been using Google+ with vigor recently and tracking the glitches I found. Consider it a service, Google. You don't even have to pay me for this! I’ve been trying hard to push the new social network to its limits. I haven’t succeeded in breaking it, but here’s a rundown of issues I’ve noticed. Some of them are already widely-reported, and others have flown below the radar. BYTE also let Google take a look at the following list. The company's response to each of the issues is posted below as well. Soon after the product's initial beta release on July 10th, Google+ chief Vic Gundotra came out to apologize for some of its funky behavior. Turns out Google let its servers run out of hard drive space. Really? Google manages all that mail and all those docs, but it ran out of space for Google+. Imagine. I fully expected issues with this beta preview, but I never thought Google would get hit with something so basic. Letting servers run out of space is like letting a jet run out of fuel. <img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/news/July_2011/GooglePlus_Issues/2.png"/> I appreciate the transparency of the Google+ team. But before it goes prime time, it should probably make sure it enables server monitoring. BYTE is in beta, too, and not everything here is working perfectly yet, either. We have plenty of disk space, though. Google's response: A Google rep tells BYTE that this is just one of those technical snafus that comes with a field test. To be fair, this was only a momentary blip in the brief life of Google+. It didn't affect the vast majority of users and was fixed immediately. Then there's the issue of invitations. Google has been using an invite system to slow the stampede--same as it did with Gmail, Google Voice and Wave. When I received my Google+ invite, I was pretty excited. That excitement died quickly when I clicked on the link and learned Google was only kidding. The system was "temporarily over capacity." <img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/news/July_2011/GooglePlus_Issues/3.png"/> Receiving an invite for Gmail, Google Voice, and even Google Wave felt, to many folks, like getting a golden ticket for a candy factory. Google+ should've duplicated that experience. Instead, it left me feeling rejected. I had to wait days to get on. There's no workaround for this one other than just waiting a few days, which I did. Google's response: Google reminds BYTE, and we agree, that this is par for the course in a field trial. Why are no Google Apps customers allowed? Google requires that you create a free Google Account first (meaning Gmail). There might have been technical or strategic reasons why Google Apps accounts cannot be used with Google+. But the brief and cryptic error message Google+ sent me provided little insight. This left me confused and disappointed. I had to create a new Gmail account--the horror!--and use the invite link in that inbox. I was able to work through it, but Google needs to do a better job at making sure paying customers like me aren't left out. Here's the message I received: <img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/news/July_2011/GooglePlus_Issues/4.png"/> Google's response: The company tells BYTE that when it came down to crunch time before the planned launch of Google+, not everything was ready to go, but they forged ahead under the field test banner anyhow. Google assures us that new features and support for Apps users and others are on the way.Privacy is an area where Google could have really pounded on Facebook. But after I first logged in, I noticed a Google request to use some of my information to personalize content and ads on non-Google websites. Data aggregation is big business, but Google, please. Just say no! <img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/news/July_2011/GooglePlus_Issues/5.png"/> Google's response: The Googler BYTE spoke with pointed us to a <a href="http://www.google.com/support/+/bin/static.py?hl=en&guide=1364508&page=guide.cs&answer=1152622&rd=1">help article</a> that sorts this out a bit. The request is all about the "+1" feature and being able to see which non-Google pages -- like BYTE, perhaps -- that your Google+ friends recommend. Here's a little <a href="http://www.google.com/support/+/bin/static.py?page=guide.cs&guide=1364508&answer=1319578">more information</a> on +1 and privacy that largely allayed our concerns. Maybe it's just a matter of making the request for permission sound a little less creepy? Another miss: The Google+ Android app's default configuration uploads ANY photo you take with your phone to Google+. That's disturbing. And I thought these folks were short on server space! <img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/news/July_2011/GooglePlus_Issues/8.png"/> Now, I'm okay with posting some photos to Google's cloud. But posting all my pics--even if I mark them as private--is a bizarre default. If you're using Google+ on Android, remember to disable this feature. Google's response: Google reminded BYTE that when the Android app is installed, one of the first questions setup asks is whether or not the auto-uploading should be turned off. The company also notes that files are automatically uploaded to a private album, making it more like a cloud back-up service than a sharing feature.Speaking of privacy, this next thing I found was especially disturbing. When Google+ first launched, if someone from one of your circles shared something with you privately or to a private circle you're in, anyone in that circle had the ability to share the post with anyone, publicly. Google+ should let users restrict a post to the intended circle. <img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/news/July_2011/GooglePlus_Issues/1.png"/> Google's response: Google points out that the option to disable resharing of posts has been available in Google+ from the start. In response to user concerns over resharing, Google has since added notifications to remind users that commenting and sharing can be disabled to prevent posts from being reshared publicly. Here's another miss I spotted--poor integration between Google+ and Google's own Picasa Web Albums. When signing up for Google+, it asked me if I wanted to link my Google+ account with Picasa Web Albums. <img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/news/July_2011/GooglePlus_Issues/11.png"/> It looks like my options are limited. Either link the accounts--or, guess what? No Google+ for you! After linking my accounts, I looked to see what might have been lost from a privacy standpoint. My ability to block Name Tags through the Google Picasa Web Albums options became nil. Before: <img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/news/July_2011/GooglePlus_Issues/12.png"/> After: <img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/news/July_2011/GooglePlus_Issues/13.png"/> Digging into Google+ help files, I was able to find Tag Visibility and Tag Approval information. <img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/news/July_2011/GooglePlus_Issues/14.png"/> The bad news here is that although I had set up Google+ to block Name Tags on my Google Picasa Web Albums, once I made the link between Picasa with Google+, those settings were cleared. The new default setting automatically allowed anyone in my circles to tag me in photos with my "Auto-Approval." Opting in never felt so bad. <img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/news/July_2011/GooglePlus_Issues/15.png"/> No one warned me about this before I linked my accounts. I actually had to dig and dig hard to find this setting. Fortunately, disabling the Auto-Approval is easy and you can manage it under your Google Profile photos page. That is, if you know it's there. Google's response: The Google+ folks got together with some of the Picasa team members to sort out BYTE's feedback and came back to tell us that because tagging in the original Picasa was static and only viewable to the person that did the tagging, they looked at it as a completely different feature. The rationale is that after Picasa is integrated into Google+, it becomes a social feature, with notifications appearing in friends' streams, a la Facebook. So, new feature, new defaults. Google says they've taken our feedback to heart and will work to make the difference more clear. Finally, in the course of looking at Google+, I've noticed many blank pages, server restarting errors in Hangouts, and 404 errors. <img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/news/July_2011/GooglePlus_Issues/16.png"/> You have to expect this stuff with beta software and maybe it's unfair to hammer a beta product. It's in beta because they want to find errors. And I found plenty. Overall, however, I've been pretty happy with Google+, and Google appears to be <a href="https://plus.google.com/107117483540235115863/posts/22fsbKZ7jcP">listening</a> to feedback from the community and turning that feedback into <a href="https://plus.google.com/106246056177889976095/posts/i528uHb9Pdh">positive changes</a>. Based in Seattle, Steve is a senior contributor at BYTE. A veteran and intrepid tech blogger, he's also the founder of groovyPost.com. Follow him @krausesteve and email him at Steve.Krause@BYTE.com BYTE News Editor Eric Mack contributed reporting to this story.