Google Chrome - What is the Extensions?

As I am software engineer, I used to work with Google Chrome on day to day basis. Recently I explained one of my client about Google Chrome extension and make him understand how to work with. This leads me to create this blog post as most of the audience do not know anything about extensions and how to use it.

What is Google Chrome Extensions?

Google chrome is not just browser that can be used to surf the internet but it also supports additional functionalities with Chrome Extension. Chrome Extension is like a plugins or installable programs which is installed in your chrome browser and you can open it with Google Chrome and use the functionalities with it.  It's like small programs that add new features to your browser and personalize your browsing experience. There is market place for it where you can find number extensions that you can install. Check the following link.

https://chrome.google.com/webstore/category/extensions

As you can see here there are number of extensions available here in various categories like, shopping, sports, productivity etc. You can use extensions for various purpose. For example

• Check Live Cricket Score
• Email Updates
• Online Shopping
• Price Comparison
• Live and Breaking News
• Picture Gallery

You can search for the required extension and install it your Google Chrome.

Once the extension is installed you can open it from Apps Menu in Mac OSX and from settings in Windows. Just click on the extension you want to open, and it will open it in separate window where you can use it. 

If you want to disable extension, you can delete it from settings - > Extensions.

Online Shopping - Don't Just See the Website Name, It May Be Fraud

This blog is coming out of a conversation with my father on buying Smartphone online. Father was looking on WhatsApp messages in groups and there was a message of great deal of Redmi Note Phone.

The message was something like this.

Buy Redmi Note on Amazon - 95% off. Price : Only 500 Rs.

Now that is surely a great deal. Redmi Note is good smartphone and as per above message it selling on 95% off. And my father wanted to buy a Smartphone for me as I am using 8 years old Nokia Phone. Why I am using it is another story.

So curiously, father clicked on Link and it opened in browser and it shows decent Amazon website where all the specifications of the phone were displayed with discounted price and great reviews y customers and all. By looking at it anyone will be in impression that it's an Amazon website. So father called me and tell me about this deal and asked me to place order immediately.

I took his phone in my hand and see the deal but as I am aware about frauds like this. I checked the URL in browser and it looked something like this.

http://onlinesale23.smarthphone.com/redmi.html

Now that is suspicious. Why amazon will use this type of domains to sell the stuff. They have their own domain like www.amazon.in for India and www.amazon.com for world wide.

Then I explained father that it's a fraud. It's fake website and it's using layout and display like Amazon to trap the shoppers and steal their information.

All the online shoppers , please note that if you are looking at the great deals from Amazon, eBay or FlipKart or any major online shopping site, please check the link / URL in browser at a top.

These big brands have domains registered in their own name and that's the only genuine place to buy it. Most of the people who shops online remember the website with their colors and layouts and all and these frauds take an advantage of it and create their websites with these colors and layouts and also they use name of big brands like Amazon and then they circulate messages on WhatsApp or SMS or Emails where lots of people can fall on into this trap and place and order.

It may be possible that the order is placed but you will never get your items and also your information can be mis used.

So please don't fall into the TRAP.

Don't Just See the Website Name, Check Link / URL in Browser

3 Major Challenges India Face in Going Cashless - DeMonetisatione

As we all know we are going through DeMonetisation phase where government has taken initiative to ban old notes and introduced new currency and during this phase, Government is peaching for cashless economy by encouraging people to use technology like e wallet, online banking, online shopping.

As an IT professional I really appreciate this move as this will surely benefit us in future. But for the time being there are some challenges we face for going cash less, in this blog I am going to explain what are those challenges and how we can overcome it.

1) Poor Internet Infrastructure and Internet Reach

This is the most common problem we face in India. Our Internet Infrastructure is poor till date. In may parts of the country there are no internet connections. In many part we still have to depend on Wireless connections, which are not reliable. And if there is a connection speed is very slow and not stable. Mobile Internet connections are also working slow. People are still using 2G connections in many part of area which is hard to use.

Take my example, I am leaving in Outer part of Ahmedabad and in my area there is still no reliable broadband connection. I am using wireless connections since last 3 to 4 years. 

To overcome this problem we must improve our internet infrastructure and make it available in all part of the country with decent speed that can be used without any difficulty. We must also increase mobile internet connections and spread it to all the areas.

2) IT Awareness, Awareness about Technology, IT Education

This is I think the biggest challenge we have. Most of the people don't know about technologies. They don't know about mobile / internet banking, online shopping, Paytm etc. Most of the people are also afraid of using technologies or use them in wrong way. That leads to other issues like fraud, cheating etc. 

For example, my cousin started using net banking but he saved username and password in draft SMS. Now that's the biggest mistake. If anyone see this, they can easily access it. This is the problem, people don't know about dangers of online technology.

• They don't know what they should do and should not do while using technology.  
• They don't know what can go wrong. 
• They don't know what's the importance of strong password.
• They don't know how to keep watch on their online activity.
• They don't know what should do in case their accounts are hacked.
• They don't know what is Paytm, what is Freecharge etc.
• They don't know what information they should not keep on web.

To overcome this problem we must educate people about online technology, make them understand what are the benefits of it and what are the drawbacks, what security measures they have to take. 

3) IT Security

As I have mentioned in above that we need security measures to increase confidence in use of IT technology. There are lots of fraud happening in this. For example anyone calls you and claim that they are speaking from bank and ask about your confidential information and you don't know about it and give away your information and then you are doomed, in few minutes your account is empty. Same for online shopping, you order something and you never get it or get something else.

To prevent this and to increase confidence in online technology we must enforce IT security. We must have strict cyber laws to prevent frauds. Educate people about this so they don't get trapped in frauds. We must enforce this and gain use of technology.