URLXray: X-ray vision for short-urls for Twitter

Many Twitter users had to deal with mouseover issue with Twitter. This was created because of a security vulnerability on Twitter. That vulnerability has been fixed for now but one of the most basic vulnerable part of Twitter are the short URL’s. The reason is mainly that we do not know where we are being directed. This makes it a little dangerous. URLXray is a nice online tool to quick look up a short URL and display the complete URL. This usually is very useful if you are using Twitter through the browser and not a desktop application.

Many Twitter users had to deal with onMouseOver issue with Twitter. This was created because of a security vulnerability on Twitter. That vulnerability has been fixed for now but one of the most basic vulnerable part of Twitter are the short URL’s. The reason is mainly that we do not know where we are being directed. This makes it a little dangerous.

URLXray is a nice online tool to quick look up a short URL and display the complete URL. This usually is very useful if you are using Twitter through the browser and not a desktop application.

Features of URLXray

  • Just enter the short url in and click on X Ray button. This shows the original URL where you are being directed.
  • Visiting the URLXray website every time to unravel a short-url is not really practical. This is why URLXray has a nice clean bookmarklet which works with most browsers out there.
  • I liked URLXray because it has a simple and clean interface. Also it has a bookmarlet and add-on or extension which works with one browser only.

I use Twitter and Facebook extensively. As a blogger I do end up clicking on a lot of short-urls. I do not recommend looking at all the links with URLXray but only the tweets or updates which are suspect. This is usually when there is a generic message or no message accompanying the short-url.

Do you know about similar web tools that unravel where a short-url takes you? Do drop in your comments with your views.

Links: URLXRay website | URLXray Bookmarklet

2 Comments

WiserBuddy October 7, 2010

Hi,

This is out of topic, but I really admire yout blog. If you don’t i would ask a few question.

First, How can I add that nice featured box like yours here.
Second, How do you add adsense on every post but not on the homepage.

Hope you’ll grant my request. Thanks and more power!

Harsh October 7, 2010

Bookmarklet prevents the independence on browser like addons.