Enable additional functions(Google Maps, Internet)

             You want to use Google Maps as an atlas, but to make it more convenient, you want some additional functions.

             Google constantly develops new features – for its online atlas as well. As long as the new features are in the test phase they are not usually available by default although they have been selected and enabled. In addition to a distance measuring device, the various improved zooming options are interesting. Go to Google maps. Click the Options icon to the upper right and then select "Maps Labs". In the following dialog box, select the required feature, click the “Activate" option, and “Save Changes”.
             The “Distance measuring device” can be enabled or disabled only via an icon in the lower left of the path scale. You can define the start and end points of the path measurement by clicking on the marker. The path is retained even in case of other actions till you reset it using the “Reset” button to the left. Since it functions in all measures, you can also plan and measure cycle tours, city tours etc. in addition to travel plans.
             Another practical addition is the “Drag and Zoom” function. It displays a new symbol under the usual zoom bar. After you click it just draw a rectangle around the area you wish to zoom and it will zoom out in the desired field.

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Plan your holiday online(Internet, navigation)

             You want to calculate various routes and variants for optimum travel planning. The problem here is that your navigator often stops functioning because it requires satellite reception.

             Online travel planning via your computer at is simple and easy. Go to routes.tomtom.com. In the fields 'From' and 'To', define the start and end locations, wherein accurate address specifications are possible. It is also possible to search directly on the tab. Here, right click the desired position and follow the “Start here” or “End here” link. You can define a time for starting so that intelligent time-dependent data from IQ routes can be correctly used for calculation. Then click “Plan route”.
              After a little time, you see the result and can list the individual steps with “Display navigation instructions”. You can go through all the individual sections, save the address displayed in the address line of the browser as a bookmark and then call it up later. This address can also be copied and sent via email.
Note: Tomtom.com doesn’t have data for India.

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Search for information about someone on the Internet(Internet)

              You are searching for an old school friend and want to know the options that the you have on the Internet. Your first attempt with Google has not been successful.

              In addition to the general search engines like Google, there are other special person search engines like 123people or Yasni. For research, go to the website 123people.com. Then enter the complete name in the search field, change the country if required and click ‘Find’.
              The service works with a realtime query of various sources thanks to which the search does not take more than a blink. You will then get several columns full of results which are thematically grouped as per telephone directories, e-mail addresses, domains and web links as well as other information like photos, blogs, documents and social network.
              You can always call up more results in each of the columns. Every entry will be preceded with an icon for the source of the information so that you can switch to the relevant website quickly. However do not rely blindly on the results. There is no clear attribution. There are often cases of many persons with the same name due to which it is unclear which blog or which photo belongs to which person. Sometimes random photos from an Internet site are displayed along with the name. But if you are searching for an old school friend, you will obviously know which result is applicable.
NOTE: Try a search request with your own name once. This will help you know what others can find about you on the net or want to know about you. Moreover you can review the obtained results better. If you want to delete any unwanted personal data, you will need to go to the original website since 123people only carries out searches and does not archive any data.

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Making your own website for foreign-language speakers(Homepage)

             As responsible world citizens with numerous acquaintances and friends all around the globe, you want to offer your website to your friends in their language. How dumb though, that you hardly know this language.
            With certain restrictions, a gadget by Google can solve this problem to a large extent. A short code integrates the reference of this tool in its Website. For that, open ‘http://translate.google.com/translate_tools?hl=en&sl=en&tl=en’. Check under point 1 that the language of your website is set to ‘English’. Then click in the display fifield under that, so that the HTML code appears marked in blue. With the Key combination [Ctrl]+[C], copy it to the clipboard.

             Now open the start page of your homepage locally with an HTML-Editor to edit. Insert the one-line script reference in the suitable location for the gadget. Check the display of the gadget in a preview. The script command does not function locally. The changed content must be put online again.
            Now, through the combination field in the gadget, you can select the desired target language. Then Google directs your website to its translation service and delivers the result. On top, there is a note regarding this automatic translation by Google as well as a link leading back to the original version of the website. The viewer is then in a mode, to let all other linked pages run through the tool by Google and be displayed in the previously selected language.
Note: An automatic translation is always flawed with considerable drawbacks. Apart from funny effects, there are also errors, which can easily lead to incomprehensibility or misunderstanding. For a commercial page, this gives a very unprofessional impression. Incidentally, the service can be reached directly through ‘http://translate.google.com’.

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