Google Gears Needs Some WD-40
17-Aug, 2009
I continue to loathe my love-hate relationship with Google. Recently, after several NeoOffice crashes and outbursts of colorful metaphors, I created a Google Docs SSB via Fluid in hopes to create a light-weight, word processing app. Well, my colorful metaphors were running out of colors — and I have the 64-box of Crayolas.
If there was ever a “cloud-based” app that needed offline access it’s Google Docs, IMO, with Gmail coming in a close second. In a nutshell is a nut. Seriously, in a nutshell, I tried enabling Google Gears in three different browsers — all of which gave me errors when trying to enable offline access in Google Docs. How many browsers was that? Three.
- Fluid 0.9.6 – An error occurred while updating software. Failed to update software for the applications: Docs Home page, Google Spreadsheets
- Firefox 3.5.2 – An error occurred while syncing documents. Failed to sync document metadata for the Docs Home page.
- Safari 3.2.1 – An error occurred while updating software. Failed to update software for the applications: Docs Home page, Google Spreadsheets
A Google Docs help search confirmed the issue, but the last time I checked, I had US English set as my default language. So…what now? Squeak, squeak.
I can confirm Google Gears does work for Gmail, Google Calendar and Google Docs with a work-around package built as a courtesy to Mailplane users and the Mac community. It’s a workaround until an official solution is made available. Click on the button that says, “I agree and start download.”
Orange UK Must Use IE6
9-Jul, 2009
The Register slapped up a post informing us that Orange UK exiles Firefox from call centres. You know it’s good journalism when they spell centers “funny” in the title. Dear, Jenny. If I had to use IE6 at work…and nothing else, I would politely ask the support technician sitting next to me to…oh, I don’t know…jam a meat thermometer in my ear! Seriously, IE6 is that bad.
Two words: portableapps.com firefox.
Microsoft Secretly Updates Firefox
6-Jun, 2009
From the WTF? department: the Washington Post recently reported that in true “bury-the-details-in-the-EULA-because-nobody-ever-reads-it” form, Microsoft has installed a Firefox add-on during its last update cycle. Not cool. Windows users who don’t want Microsoft’s .NET Framework Assistant running in their beloved Mozilla web browser can hack the registry [always fun] to disable the add-on.
Why is this a big deal? It’s akin to Wells Fargo adding a new feature to the Bank of America website, because Wells Fargo assumed Bank of America members wanted to have that feature…without anyone knowing about it. Oh, and it’s possible that the new feature makes using Bank of America services less secure.
<sarcasm>Microsoft installing software without your knowledge? Is this even possible?</sarcasm> Reason not to use Windows #437.
Then, a few days later, Microsoft responded to all of the pissed-off users by issuing a patch that allows the nasty add-on to be uninstalled. All is right with the world.
