The easiest VPN set up ever ... (or how to surf anonymously and securely)

There are many reasons why you want to get online and surf incognito using a VPN. Fortunately there is a really easy way to do this in 3 simple steps ...

Setup

1. Install the Opera browser from www.opera.com.

Opera is built on Google Chrome (so it's got bleeding edge support for all the web standards) AND it has a private browsing option with built in VPN support ...

2. Once Installed, open the browser and Click File ... New Private Window

3. Enable VPN by clicking "VPN" next to the search icon in the browser address bar.

That's it - You're all set ! You can now surf anonymously !

Bonus Points...

You don't have to do this - but you can select the region from the Virtual Location drop down...
Why would you want to do this? Perhaps the site you want to access is region locked or you want to test your application experience for users coming from another region for performance and usability.

For example, as I was writing this post, Google popped up this friendly message....

I was curious to see what a user from Germany would see when they visited the site.
Do they see the Cookie alert required by the European Union? How do you test this?

4. With the VPN option enabled, click the 'Virtual Location' drop down

... and select the region.

Now navigate to your site ...

Now you are accessing your site via a server in the region you selected. In my case I selected Germany - Oh - and here's the cookie alert ....

Comments

Host a static website on Google Drive (in 5 easy steps)

You need to host a static website but don't have the time, money or resources to set up a web server. Perhaps you're learning to code or just doing a demo. Here's a way to set up a web site at no cost, in just a few minutes. Step 1. Create a new folder in Google Drive. From Google Drive, Click 'Create', select 'Folder' and enter the folder name. (I chose 'hybrid' for this example, but you can choose anything you want). Step 2. Share the folder. First select the folder you created (displayed in the folder list), then click the sharing icon. In the Sharing Settings popup, go to the 'Who has access' section and click 'Change' The Visibility options pop up will appear. Change the Visibility option to 'Public on the web'. Although set by default, make sure that 'Access' is set to 'Can view'. Click 'Save'. The folder is now shared. Click D...

How to get the BBC iPlayer running when you live outside of the UK

(subtext: Get the World's most famous detective on your favourite browser) The new series of Sherlock has started on the BBC. If you live outside of the UK and you are too impatient to wait for your local TV content provider to host it for you - then fear not !! These simple instructions will get you up and running. In addition to the iPlayer you can access most of the other UK TV channels using the same method. Note: you can use the same method to access content in other countries - such as Hulu in the U.S. How it works: In simple terms, the BBC iPlayer, like other players, perform a check to determine whether your internet access is originating from the UK. So the trick is to ensure that your access to the BBC website will originate from the UK. First you are going to use a free piece of open source software that was designed to keep your internet access anonymous. You will add a setting that will ensure that the software makes use of servers in the UK whenever ...

Skip the grunt work: Use AI to turn raw data into Slides (Part 1)

Scenario You've got to create a presentation using data from multiple CSV files. Typically, this means merging files into a single spreadsheet, generating charts, and copying everything into your presentation—an absolute time sink! Let’s fix that. Here’s a free, no-code approach using Google Workspace tools and a sprinkle of automation. This is Part 1 of a two-part series. The Problem Simplified: Multiple CSV files in a consistent format (I used stock data). The goal: Combine into one Spreadsheet for easy analysis and charting. How: Instead of manual copy-pasting, we’ll automate the process using Google Apps Script and Chat-GPT for code generation. What You'll Need: Google Apps account: A free Gmail account will work perfectly. Access to Google Drive , Google Sheets , and Google Slides. Chat-GPT 's free edition for code snippets. Step-by-Step Solution: 1. Collect your data Upload the CSV files to Google Drive. Copy the Drive folder ID. The folder ID is the part of the URL ...

It's life Jim but not as we know it

Search This Blog