Archive: January 2007
16 January 2007 AdSense coming to Google Apps for Your Domain?
Whilst playing with Google Apps for Your Domain the other night, I was wondering whether any more services were in the pipeline. Since it uses a similar approach to Google Accounts for its service login pages, I thought I’d see what I could find.
If you’ve not already seen my Google Account Service Names page, it contains a list of all known Google Account services along with the code used in the query string of various Google Account addresses. I’ve now added Google Apps for Your Domain service names to this page – and these are what I’ve found so far (using Google.com as the example domain):
Does that mean they’re going to add AdSense to the available services? If so, I’m really not sure how this would be beneficial to users, other than making it easier for anyone hosting their site with Google Apps for Your Domain to include AdSense in their pages. Perhaps that’s the idea...
If you’ve not already seen my Google Account Service Names page, it contains a list of all known Google Account services along with the code used in the query string of various Google Account addresses. I’ve now added Google Apps for Your Domain service names to this page – and these are what I’ve found so far (using Google.com as the example domain):
- AdSense – ads
- Calendar – cl
- Control panel – CPanel
- Start page – ig
- Email – mail
- Domain web pages – pages
- Start page editor – pspc *
- Chat – talk
- Google Spreadsheets – wise **
- Google Writely – writely **
Does that mean they’re going to add AdSense to the available services? If so, I’m really not sure how this would be beneficial to users, other than making it easier for anyone hosting their site with Google Apps for Your Domain to include AdSense in their pages. Perhaps that’s the idea...
Update: 16 January 2007 (14:08)
Actually, this has been metioned before when Google Apps for Your Domain was updated a couple of months ago. Referring to customizing the start page, the instructions said:
Once published, you may sign up for AdSense for search to earn money from your start page.
However, I can’t find any reference to AdSense in my account or in the Google Apps for Your Domain Help pages when searching for [adsense] either.
Update: 19 January 2007 (17:10)
* Added Start page editor – pspc – to the list.
Update: 6 February 2007 (14:07)
** Added Google Spreadsheets (wise) and Google Writely (writely) added to the list. More...
Labels: google
14 January 2007 Details of Google's Latest Security Hole
You can read my full post at Google Blogoscoped. Please post any comments you might have to the forum.I’ve now received confirmation from Google’s Security Team that the latest vulnerability Philipp posted about has been fixed. After carrying out some investigations of my own, I believe this is the case – so I’m going to share with you what the problem was and how I was able to exploit it. In doing so, I hope to educate other developers about the potential flaws that can occur in growingly complex web applications.
In summary, I was able to create a page that was hosted on a google.com domain, which is something that should never be allowed to happen. Because of this vulnerability, I was then able to use a simple bit of code to steal someone else’s Google cookie and access their Google services.
Labels: google
13 January 2007 On Google Account Hijacking
I wasn’t going to post anything about this security vulnerability I discovered yesterday, but then I read this post by Jim Thomson over on the Chron.com TechBlog saying:
So anyway, I figured I should probably acknowledge what happened just in case people are visiting my website expecting to find more details about the exploit. Right now, there’s not much more to add to what Philipp’s already said. However, since Google’s Security Team has confirmed the problem is now fixed, I’ll be making a post over at Google Blogoscoped soon that will shed some more light on the ins-and-outs of this particular vulnerability.
Heh. (I guess they got that ‘Google fame’ bit from my About page.)Tony Ruscoe is a web designer who achieved his 15 minutes of Google fame when he discovered the Google Base domain in October of 2005. There's no mention of the exploit at Ruscoe's blog; the most recent thing there is a recipe for his New Year's Day pie. Apparently he's been too busy breaking into Google to do much blogging.
So anyway, I figured I should probably acknowledge what happened just in case people are visiting my website expecting to find more details about the exploit. Right now, there’s not much more to add to what Philipp’s already said. However, since Google’s Security Team has confirmed the problem is now fixed, I’ll be making a post over at Google Blogoscoped soon that will shed some more light on the ins-and-outs of this particular vulnerability.
And remember, security problems like this are rare at Google – so sleep well and don’t have nightmares.
Labels: google
06 January 2007 Recipe for All Seasons Pie
For the past couple of years, I’ve made a pie at New Year. (Here’s a photo of the one I made on New Year’s Day 2006.) It’s a pie that I remember my mum and auntie making around the festive period, so I figured I’d kind of force it to be a tradition for me as it just reminds me of New Year.
Anyway, Chris asked me for the recipe the other day, so I figured I’d post it here for everyone to enjoy. The recipe is taken from an old magazine, but unfortunately I’ve no idea what the magazine was called, otherwise I’d credit it here. Anything in square brackets [like this] is what I’ve added – including approximate conversions and some tips.
ALL SEASONS PIE
Serves 24 [as part of a buffet or about 8-10 people as a main meal]
For the pastry
1½ lb. [750g] plain flour
A pinch [1 metric pinch] of salt
1¼ lb. [625g] hard margarine (preferably straight for the refrigerator)
½ lb. [250g] Cheddar cheese, grated
A little beaten egg for glaze
For the filling
2 lb. [1kg] carrots
2 lb. [1kg] sausagemeat
1 lb. [500g] cooked meat (we used chicken) [me too]
½ lb. [250g] mushrooms [I always use a few more]
1 lb. 3 oz. [3 x 300g] tin garden peas
10¼ oz. [1 x 290g] tin condensed tomato soup
Salt and pepper
Roasting tin 16 inches by 12 inches and 1 inch deep
[Personally, I use a roasting tin 15 inches by 11 inches and 3 inches deep]
Sift the flour and salt into a large mixing bowl. Using a coarse grater, grate the margarine into the flour and mix it in with a knife. Stir in the grated cheese with enough cold water to make a fairly stiff but pliable dough. Wrap the pastry in a piece of greaseproof paper and leave it in a cold place to “rest” for at least half an hour. [In reality, grating margarine is a bit messy, so you could just cut it into small pieces, providing you rub it into the cheese and flour really well! Also, I’ve never had to add any water to make the dough fairly stiff and pliable.]
Meanwhile prepare the filling. Peel and dice the carrots, put them into a large pan of boiling, salted water and boil for ten minutes. Drain them well. Divide the sausagemeat into two-ounce pieces [that’s 16 pieces to save you working it out, although I tend to divide it into 32] and roll each into a ball. [I also coat them in flour once I’ve done this.] Cut the cooked meat into fairly small pieces and put them into a bowl with the carrots and sausagemeat. [Depending on how large your mixing bowl is, you may need to divide all ingredients between two bowls! I tend not to add the sausagemeat balls at this stage as I find they get in the way and break up when you mix everything together.] Wipe the mushrooms, cut them into quarters and add them to the meat with the peas, their liquor [i.e. juice], and the tomato soup. Mix all the ingredients carefully together—try not to break up the sausagemeat balls too much—and finally check the mixture for seasoning.
Divide the pastry into two and roll one half out into a rectangle about two inches larger than the tin. Lift the pastry over a rolling pin into the tin and press it well into the sides. Turn all the filling into the pastry and level it out. Roll the other piece of pastry to the size of the tin, damp the edges and lift it into position, pressing the edges well together; trim them with a sharp knife and knock them up. Roll the trimmings into a long strip about one-and-a-half inches wide, and cut out six large diamonds for leaves. Using the back of a knife, mark the top of the pie into a trellis pattern and brush the complete surface with egg glaze. Position the leaves in pairs pointing towards the centre, then brush them with egg glaze as well. [I tried that and the pasty base just got soggy and mixed in with the filling, so now I just throw all the mixture into the baking tin, place the sausagemeat balls carefully on top of the mixture and then roll the pastry into one piece the size of the tin, placing it on top of the mixture and glazing it with egg to make a thick crust.]
Bake the pie on the centre shelf of a fairly hot oven, gas mark 6 or 400 degrees [205°C], for twenty minutes, then reduce the heat to gas mark 5 or 275 degrees [135°C] for a further thirty-five minutes, until golden brown. [I found that around 180°C for 50-60 minutes in an electric fan oven was about right.]
And there you go. Please don’t be put off by some of the ingredients – it tastes much better than it sounds!
Anyway, Chris asked me for the recipe the other day, so I figured I’d post it here for everyone to enjoy. The recipe is taken from an old magazine, but unfortunately I’ve no idea what the magazine was called, otherwise I’d credit it here. Anything in square brackets [like this] is what I’ve added – including approximate conversions and some tips.
ALL SEASONS PIE
Serves 24 [as part of a buffet or about 8-10 people as a main meal]
For the pastry
1½ lb. [750g] plain flour
A pinch [1 metric pinch] of salt
1¼ lb. [625g] hard margarine (preferably straight for the refrigerator)
½ lb. [250g] Cheddar cheese, grated
A little beaten egg for glaze
For the filling
2 lb. [1kg] carrots
2 lb. [1kg] sausagemeat
1 lb. [500g] cooked meat (we used chicken) [me too]
½ lb. [250g] mushrooms [I always use a few more]
1 lb. 3 oz. [3 x 300g] tin garden peas
10¼ oz. [1 x 290g] tin condensed tomato soup
Salt and pepper
Roasting tin 16 inches by 12 inches and 1 inch deep
[Personally, I use a roasting tin 15 inches by 11 inches and 3 inches deep]
Sift the flour and salt into a large mixing bowl. Using a coarse grater, grate the margarine into the flour and mix it in with a knife. Stir in the grated cheese with enough cold water to make a fairly stiff but pliable dough. Wrap the pastry in a piece of greaseproof paper and leave it in a cold place to “rest” for at least half an hour. [In reality, grating margarine is a bit messy, so you could just cut it into small pieces, providing you rub it into the cheese and flour really well! Also, I’ve never had to add any water to make the dough fairly stiff and pliable.]
Meanwhile prepare the filling. Peel and dice the carrots, put them into a large pan of boiling, salted water and boil for ten minutes. Drain them well. Divide the sausagemeat into two-ounce pieces [that’s 16 pieces to save you working it out, although I tend to divide it into 32] and roll each into a ball. [I also coat them in flour once I’ve done this.] Cut the cooked meat into fairly small pieces and put them into a bowl with the carrots and sausagemeat. [Depending on how large your mixing bowl is, you may need to divide all ingredients between two bowls! I tend not to add the sausagemeat balls at this stage as I find they get in the way and break up when you mix everything together.] Wipe the mushrooms, cut them into quarters and add them to the meat with the peas, their liquor [i.e. juice], and the tomato soup. Mix all the ingredients carefully together—try not to break up the sausagemeat balls too much—and finally check the mixture for seasoning.
Divide the pastry into two and roll one half out into a rectangle about two inches larger than the tin. Lift the pastry over a rolling pin into the tin and press it well into the sides. Turn all the filling into the pastry and level it out. Roll the other piece of pastry to the size of the tin, damp the edges and lift it into position, pressing the edges well together; trim them with a sharp knife and knock them up. Roll the trimmings into a long strip about one-and-a-half inches wide, and cut out six large diamonds for leaves. Using the back of a knife, mark the top of the pie into a trellis pattern and brush the complete surface with egg glaze. Position the leaves in pairs pointing towards the centre, then brush them with egg glaze as well. [I tried that and the pasty base just got soggy and mixed in with the filling, so now I just throw all the mixture into the baking tin, place the sausagemeat balls carefully on top of the mixture and then roll the pastry into one piece the size of the tin, placing it on top of the mixture and glazing it with egg to make a thick crust.]
Bake the pie on the centre shelf of a fairly hot oven, gas mark 6 or 400 degrees [205°C], for twenty minutes, then reduce the heat to gas mark 5 or 275 degrees [135°C] for a further thirty-five minutes, until golden brown. [I found that around 180°C for 50-60 minutes in an electric fan oven was about right.]
And there you go. Please don’t be put off by some of the ingredients – it tastes much better than it sounds!
03 January 2007 Resolutions for 2007
Here it is. The first post of the year that everyone expects to see. It’s the post where I check how I did against last year’s New Year resolutions and list my new ones for this year...
Around this time one year ago I said:
Right then. What challenges do I have planned for this year? Here’s my list of resolutions and a rough indication of how likely I am to achieve each one:
Don’t forget to come back in a year to find out how I got on!
Around this time one year ago I said:
So how did I do? Well, as if by magic, I’ve (almost) managed to stop biting my nails and I’ve hardly eaten any kebabs this year. But what about the things I actually said I’d try to do in 2006? Well, I’m sure I chew my food a bit more than I used to, although it’s probably still not good enough. And I’ve definitely posted to my blog more, with 65 posts in 2006 compared to 25 in 2005. Easy peasy!I don't really make New Year's resolutions, mainly because I'm totally incapable of keeping them. Previous years have seen me try to stop biting my nails (several times) and give up kebabs (which is actually impossible). This year, however, I'm going to try and do a couple of things: chew my food more thoroughly and post to my blog more frequently.
Right then. What challenges do I have planned for this year? Here’s my list of resolutions and a rough indication of how likely I am to achieve each one:
- Run the Sheffield Half Marathon (99%)
- Try to look smarter at work – i.e. wear shirts, proper shoes, do something with my hair, etc. (95%)
- Eat evening meals at the table rather than in front of the TV (90%)
- Play guitar for at least one hour every week (85%)
- Give blood more regularly, ideally every 16 weeks (80%)
- Only go on my PC if I’ve got something I actually need to do, rather than sit browsing the Internet moaning about how boring it is (50%)
- Play my trumpet every once in a while (30%)
- Get an allotment to grow my own vegetables (20%)
- Volunteer my services to the local amateur theatrical society (10%)
- Come up with an idea for a website that will make me rich (1%)
Don’t forget to come back in a year to find out how I got on!
Update: 4 January 2007 (13:34)
Just thought of one I’d forgotten:
- Watch more live bands (75%)
Labels: personal