18 June 2017

How to download files or an entire folder from Google Drive?

I've found it very strange that a product of Google didn't have a straightforward way to download files or an entire folder in one shot.

There is a way though:
  • As shown in the image below, click the folder or file you want to download
  • Then click the menu button to open the menu.
  • Then if you don't see a download option in the menu, just click the empty area at the bottom of the menu.

You'll get your folder in zipped format.




I assume it's just a bug that the download icon isn't visible.
Another way to download is to double click the file to open it and on the top right corner of the screen you'll see the download icon.


UPDATE: I wrote to Google support about this issue, and as of August,  the CSS issue with the hidden download button is fixed. There also was another issue of people using Chrome being unable to download files. Google told me they are working on fixing that too. Until then, you could just use incognito mode to download.

14 June 2017

Wear that helmet. It's actually worth it

Few years ago when taking my friend back home on my bike, he noticed me taking my helmet and asked "You wear a helmet for short distances too?".

I couldn't really believe what I was hearing. Still, there is a large number of people who hate helmets because it's claustrophobic, because they think it causes hair loss (it does not), because they actually feel they'd never get into an accident and sometimes simply because they can't afford one.

The safety lectures are not the only reason to wear them:

Stones, insects, tree branches: Even when riding a bike at 40kmph, these objects can hit your face at high speeds. Have a full face helmet with a visor. I've encountered these projectiles at least once a month. The stones that get half under a vehicle tyre and shoot out at you are particularly dangerous. A colleague's car windshield looks like as though a bullet hit against bulletproof glass and left a dent there. It was hit by one such stone.

Wind, dust, sunlight and rain: Very useful to be protected with a helmet.
And of course...safety: The visor protects your nose and the front of your face from getting damaged too much. A full face helmet protects the sides of your face (which are most probable for damage during an accident).


Look at all the pics here.

Get a helmet. Wear it.