ComStories : The Stories of Computer

Change My Blog

2008-04-28T00:48:00.001+07:00

To visit my new blog go to http://wsc.siamfreehost.com

Portable ASCII Generator dotNET 0.9.6

2008-04-10T06:20:00.001+07:00

Ascii Generator dotNET (ascgen2) is an application to convert images into high quality ASCII art - text that accurately represents the original image. The first program of its kind to support variable width fonts, and real-time output adjustment.

Download

Run Downloads in Firefox Instead of Saving Them

2008-04-09T19:57:00.004+07:00

One of the things that has always bugged me about Firefox is that when you go to download a file it will only let you save it to your computer. Some other browsers, such as Internet Explorer, also give you an option to “run” the file. The difference is that a file you run is downloaded and stored in a temporary folder that is periodically emptied by the operating system as opposed to being placed in a directory of your choosing.

It’s nice being able to run a file immediately because as soon as it is done downloading I know that it will be opened in the default application. Often times I only want to use a file just once, and so I don’t really need it cluttering up one of my other folders.

If you feel the same way as me you’ll want to checkout the OpenDownload extension for Firefox. All it does is add a Run option to the dialog that appears when you go to download a file (as seen in the screenshot above). Who would have thought that something so simple could make me so darn happy!

Note: This does work fine in Firefox 3 even though it is not shown to be compatible.

Reinstall Ubuntu Grub Bootloader After Windows Wipes it Out

2008-04-09T19:34:00.003+07:00

If you run a dual-boot system with Linux and Windows, this has happened to you. You had to do your monthly reinstall of Windows, and now you don't see the linux bootloader anymore, so you can't boot into Ubuntu or whatever flavor of linux you prefer.

Here's the quick and easy way to re-enable Grub.

1) Boot off the LiveCD

2) Open a Terminal and type in the following commands, noting that the first command will put you into the grub "prompt", and the next 3 commands will be executed there. Also note that hd0,0 implies the first hard drive and the first partition on that drive, which is where you probably installed grub to during installation. If not, then adjust accordingly.

sudo grub

> root (hd0,0)

> setup (hd0)

> exit

Reboot (removing the livecd), and your boot menu should be back.

Only read below if Windows is now missing from the boot menu

If you installed Ubuntu before you installed Windows, then Ubuntu will not have anything in the grub configuration for Windows. This is where you'll have to do a bit of manual editing to the grub boot menu file.

If you open the file /boot/grub/menu.lst with the following command:

sudo gedit /boot/grub/menu.lst

You'll see a sample section for Windows, which you'll want to uncomment and add to the boot menu list in whatever position you want it in. (uncomment by removing the #'s)

# title Windows 95/98/NT/2000
# root (hd0,0)
# makeactive
# chainloader +1

Note that you should also verify that hd0,0 is the correct location for Windows. If you had installed Windows on the 4th partition on the drive, then you should change it to (hd0,3)

Portable Reshade 1.41

2008-04-09T18:03:00.004+07:00

Need more control and better quality from your image resizer? Now you can have both. Reshade offers its innovative image enlargement technology in a new stand-alone application. Easy to use automatic settings make Reshade the perfect choise for beginners and experts alike. This allows accurate, high quality and realistic enlargements at any zoom factor.

Download

Fix Problems With Copying Large Files in Windows Vista

2008-04-09T11:22:00.002+07:00

If you've been having problems copying large files over mapped drives, network disconnects, or having to reboot your router a lot more often than normal, then you can try out this fix to solve the problem.

The problem stems from the new auto-tuning network, which changes the receive window on the fly. Thankfully we can easily turn it off from an administrative mode command prompt.

Open Administrative Mode Command Prompt

Either type cmd into the start menu and use Ctrl+Shift+Enter or right-click the Command Prompt shortcut and choose Run as Administrator.

Turn Off Auto-Tuning

netsh int tcp set global autotuninglevel=disabled

You'll have to reboot your system, but once you do, the problems should be resolved. If they are not you can always turn auto-tuning back on.

Turn On Auto-Tuning

netsh int tcp set global autotuninglevel=normal

Firefox 3.0 Beta 5 faster on Mac OS X than Safari 3.1

2008-04-09T11:12:00.000+07:00

Safari 3.1 was the fastest browser for the Mac OS X but today Firefox 3.0 Beta 5 changes that.

Using the SunSpider JavaScript benchmark test my testing shows that Firefox 3.0 Beta 5 holds a 7% lead over Safari 3.1.

Firefox 3.0 is shaping up to be a fine browser.

What is svchost.exe And Why Is It Running?

2008-04-09T11:10:00.000+07:00

You are no doubt reading this article because you are wondering why on earth there are nearly a dozen processes running with the name svchost.exe. You can't kill them, and you don't remember starting them… so what are they?

So What Is It?

According to Microsoft: "svchost.exe is a generic host process name for services that run from dynamic-link libraries". Could we have that in english please?

Some time ago, Microsoft started moving all of the functionality from internal Windows services into .dll files instead of .exe files. From a programming perspective this makes more sense for reusability… but the problem is that you can't launch a .dll file directly from Windows, it has to be loaded up from a running executable (.exe). Thus the svchost.exe process was born.

Why Are There So Many svchost.exes Running?

If you've ever taken a look at the Services section in control panel you might notice that there are a Lot of services required by Windows. If every single service ran under a single svchost.exe instance, a failure in one might bring down all of Windows… so they are separated out.

Those services are organized into logical groups, and then a single svchost.exe instance is created for each group. For instance, one svchost.exe instance runs the 3 services related to the firewall. Another svchost.exe instance might run all the services related to the user interface, and so on.

So What Can I Do About It?

You can trim down unneeded services by disabling or stopping the services that don't absolutely need to be running. Additionally, if you are noticing very heavy CPU usage on a single svchost.exe instance you can restart the services running under that instance.

The biggest problem is identifying what services are being run on a particular svchost.exe instance… we'll cover that below.

Is Ubuntu becoming the generic Linux distro?

2008-04-09T11:01:00.001+07:00

Has anyone else noticed an increasing number of Linux newbies who seem to think that Ubuntu is Linux and Linux is Ubuntu?

Over the past year or so I’ve noticed an increasing number of newbies (a term which I use affectionately) interested in taking Linux for a spin - for example, the number or emails I’m getting on the subject from zero a year ago to several dozen a week. The reasons for their interest in Linux are many and varied, as is the level of commitment to making the switch from Windows or Mac. However, one thing stands out from all the conversations - the number of people who seem to confuse Ubuntu for Linux. I can tell because they will either use both terms interchangeably or be using the name Ubuntu in a generic sense. Moreover, it seems to be confined to Ubuntu. I’ve not seen the name of another distro used in the same way.

I have to admit that I like Ubuntu. Like it a lot. I’ve handled dozens of Linux distros over the past year to eighteen months and I always come back to Ubuntu. While I don’t put myself into the Linux n00b category, I know that I’m not a million miles away from that camp so Ubuntu’s friendliness and simplicity isn’t lost on me. But another appeal of Ubuntu is the clear development cycle that the developers follow, along with the fact that each version I try turns out to be a significant improvement over the previous release. There’s real momentum in the project. Whether the same level of development will happen once the basics have been nailed down remains to be seen, but for now, development seems to be moving on at a fair pace.

I’m of the opinion that the evolution of Ubuntu into the generic Linux distro isn’t a bad thing. My opinion is that when it comes to a beginner entering the world of Linux, the staggering array of distros available is off-putting (I know that many disagree with me on this point and claim that choice is a good thing, but no one can show me evidence that new users embrace the huge number of distros with ease). A single distro offers those wanting to dabble in Linux a place to start and if Ubuntu is all; they need from Linux, great, otherwise there’s a whole world of Linux distros to experiment and play with.

Ubuntu upcoming release, codenamed Hardy Heron, will be one of the easiest distros for newbies to try out thanks to the addition of the umenu loader and Wubi installer, both of which make installing Ubuntu alongside Windows easy. This will no doubt help make Ubuntu even more popular with Linux newbies.

Thoughts? Do you think that Ubuntu is becoming the generic Linux distro? Is this a good thing? Is Ubuntu the best distro for beginners? If not, what do you suggest?

Tip : Disable Favicons in Firefox

2008-04-09T10:57:00.001+07:00

If you are the type of person that dislikes those little site specific icons, then this tip is for you. Favicons can be disabled completely in Firefox with a simple config change.

Just type about:config into the address bar, and then filter by browser.chrome. You should see something similar to this

Set the value of these two preferences to false by double-clicking on them.

browser.chrome.favicons

browser.chrome.site_icons

You'll have to restart Firefox, but the favicons will be gone entirely.

Personally, I love favicons, but this article was a request.

Portable UltraISO Premium Edition v9.1.2 Build 2463

2008-04-09T08:09:00.000+07:00

UltraISO is an ISO CD/DVD image file creating/editing/converting tool and a bootable CD/DVD maker, it can directly edit the CD/DVD image file and extract files and folders from it, as well as directly make ISO files from your CD/DVD-ROM or hard disk. At the same time, you can maintain the ISO bootable information, thus creating your own bootable CD/DVDs. You now have the power to make and edit your own ISO files, and then burn them to CD/DVD for your own needs.

Download

Yet Another Mac OS X Infection Spotted in the Wild

2008-04-08T21:04:00.000+07:00

Mac OS X has always been regarded as a secure operating system which cannot be attacked by viruses, Trojan horses, malware or other infections since
most of them are focused on compromising Microsoft's Windows. However, it may seem like the rogue security products have evolved a little bit and are now attempting to trick Mac OS X users into buying fake security software which is actually useless.

Just like the Windows-based infections, the Trojan horse identified by Sophos as Troj/MacSwp-B displays fake security warnings, encouraging users to buy the full version of the program. Obviously, acquiring such a product is useless since the alerts are nothing more than fakes...

"Windows users are no stranger to scareware like this, but it is rarer on the Apple Macintosh. Nevertheless MacSwp-B's discovery does follow fast on the heels of other malware that has been identitifed on the Mac OS X platform in recent months," said Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant for Sophos.

"Cybercrime against Mac users may be small in comparison to Windows attacks, but it is growing. Apple Macintosh users need to learn from the mistakes made by their Windows cousins in the past and ensure that they have defenses in place, are up-to-date with patches and exercise caution about what they run on their computer."

What's interesting is that more and more threats are now targeting Mac computers, although most of them are based on users' naivety. Remember that DNS-changer malware spotted some months ago? It was somehow a similar threat because it required users' authorization in order to deploy its files on the affected Mac. Although the damages caused by the malware were quite ignorable (it changed the DNS settings and obviously damaged the network connections), it was a clear sign that extra-care is recommended even when using a Mac.

DeepFreeze Stardard Edition v6.30.020.1875

2008-04-08T17:58:00.000+07:00

Deep Freeze is a "reboot to restore" protection software created by Faronics software company of San Ramon, CA.

Apart from the System Restore function in Windows, there used to be no other way to completely restore a bug free configuration of your PC after a major problem hit. What's more, System Restore only enables you to go back a maximum of a few days to a previous clean configuration. Deep Freeze, on the other hand, enables you to protect and preserve clean computer configurations so that you can always restore your PC in the event of a major crash. No matter what changes you make to your computer, you can simply restart to eradicate all changes and reset the computer to its original state. The program is useful for anyone who has suffered software conflicts, operating system corruption and virus attacks.

After the simple installation procedure, you are asked whether you want to activate Deep Freeze, which will run a quick scan to "freeze" the computer in that state. You can then use the computer as you would normally but every time it is turned off, it will be returned to its original state. If at a later date you decide you want to make a permanent change you can temporarily disable Deep Freeze. The positive side of Deep Freeze is that it doesn't impede the use of your computer in anyway. You can mess around with your PC as much as you want, installing and reinstalling programs and even deleting essential Windows files without worrying about the consequences. The downside is that if you forget to deactivate it, any work you've done or any essential changes you have made will be lost for good. It's therefore advisable to save essential files or documents on an external drive when Deep Freeze is activated. You can also save to a special "thawed" section of your hard drive that is exempt from restoration.

Whilst useful for those who share a computer or administer a network of computers, Deep Freeze is somewhat impractical on a lone PC. However, if you like to save all your data to external sources, it's a pretty solid assurance that your PC won't be rendered useless by a major crash.

Download

The Need To Wipe Windows XP

2008-04-08T14:30:00.000+07:00

A number of PC owners feel the need to wipe Windows XP from their computer units because of the disadvantages they encounter while using this highly popular operating system.

Windows XP is actually a product line of operating systems created by Microsoft for home and business desktop computers, media centers and notebook computers. The letters "XP" stands for eXPerience. The Windows XP Home edition is designed for home users while the Windows XP Professional is created for use by business clients and power users. This operating system is widely recognized as more stable and more efficient compared to the earlier nine versions of Microsoft Windows.

It is also observed to be more user-friendly compared to its previous versions. It is also the first Windows version with product activation feature to circumvent software piracy. Some of the new features introduced with Windows XP that are not available in the earlier Windows versions are faster hibernation and start-up sequence, more user-friendly desktop interface, faster user switch ability, remote desktop functionality as well as its ability to support wireless network connections and modems.

Despite the widespread popularity of this Microsoft product, it is also heavily criticized for its security vulnerability as well as its tendency to succumb to glitches and other time-wasting processes. Some of the Windows XP irritations identified by frustrated PC users are turtle-pace Windows boot process, unavailability of a back-up utility, and inability to get rid of temporary files that may ultimately clog the Temp folder. In addition, some security setbacks are also commonly encountered by Windows XP users such as the need to reinstall software due to a hard drive crash and to made changes in some user account settings. Those who find these snafus bothersome are now switching to Mac and Linux. Moreover, these people are advocating the superiority of these Windows alternatives.

If you want to use an entirely new operating system other than Windows XP, there is a need to reformat the hard drive. This process will prepare the disk storage utility to accept and store new data. In addition, this can be undertaken to remove errors or viruses that compromise overall computer efficiency. However, there might be a need to make use of certain applications like WipeDrive to permanently get rid of unnecessary Windows XP data. A simple hard drive reformat does not guarantee permanent deletion of data. In fact, the deleted files can be recovered even after reformatting.

The need to wipe Windows XP before doing a reformat on a hard drive is also proven to be an effective way for a PC owner to protect himself against identity theft. Reformatting merely erases the address tables of your data. This makes the deleted data and information still prone to serious hacking by the experienced infiltrators all over the web. There are actually a lot of disk wipe programs that you can choose from in the market right now. For the most part, these programs are also available for purchase and download online. This makes access all the more easier for the many computer users who are in need of such programs. By performing a disk wipe before installing a new operating system, you can guarantee complete and efficient deletion of all files and folders that were once in your possession.

Disable Windows Security Center and Remove it from Taskbar (XP)

2008-04-08T13:23:00.006+07:00

The Windows Security Center is a component included with Microsoft's Windows XP Service Pack 2 that provides users with the ability to view the status of computer security settings and services. Windows Security Center also continually monitors these security settings, and informs the user via a pop-up notification balloon if there is a problem but someone don't like it. Today I have the way to disable and remove it from the taskbar.

Way 1
1. Log in Windows as Administrator
2. Click Start > Control Panel > Administrative Tool > Service
3. Find Security Center , Double click it and choose start up type to Disable
4. Restart Your Computer

Way 2 (Use TuneUp Utilities 2008)
1. Open TuneUp Utilities 2008
2. Click Customize Windows
3. Click TuneUp System Coltrol
4. In LeftSidebar you will see Administration Tab, Click on Security
5. Uncheck Activate Windows Security Center
4. Restart Your Computer

Portable TuneUp Utilities 2008 v7.0.8002

2008-04-08T13:17:00.002+07:00

TuneUp Utilities 2008

Solve problems
Increase performance
Free up disk space
Customize Windows

Professional assistance for your Windows PC
Improve your system's performance, thoroughly clean up your hard drives, solve your PC problems with a few clicks, and customize windows to your personal requirements. All in one program, simple and intuitive - TuneUp Utilities 2008.

10 fundamental reasons for using TuneUp Utilities 2008

Powerful hard drive defragmentation
Optimum start-up, Internet, and Windows acceleration
Quick and extensive clean-up for hard drives
Effective elimination of junk data
Fully-automatic clean-up and improvement of your PC
Extensive clean-up of the registry
Effective help in solving standard Windows problems
Secure data recovery and data elimination
Simple custom Windows configuration
Individual Windows styling

Download

Microsoft Windows History

2008-04-08T12:19:00.000+07:00

The Basics of Computer Protection

2008-04-08T11:34:00.002+07:00

How does a computer get a computer virus?

A computer virus can be obtained from the internet; sometimes it is not even intentional. Other ways viruses can be acquired is through removable storage devices such as a CD, USB drive, or a floppy disk. One way viruses can spread to other computers is by infecting files on a system connected to other network files that can be accessed by another computer. Nowadays with the internet spreading, viruses are much easier to catch. Other common places for a computer virus are e-mails, and instant messaging.

What can viruses do to my computer?

Viruses can hurt the computer in many ways. Here are some. Viruses can damage programs, erase files, or even reformat the hard disk. Sometimes the virus does not erase files; in this case they just multiply, which causes memory to shrink, and possibly lead to a computer crash.

This is bad because all passwords or other confidential information can be destroyed, and sometimes the virus might go to far and just obliterate everything before the user can do enough research to stop it. In other words, computer viruses spread fast and are disguised to us that is why software is needed to prevent harm to the computer.

How to get rid of a virus?

Well first if your computer is slow than usual and shows potential symptoms of a virus and you want to know how to get rid of computer virus, you probably need a latest version of some kind of anti-virus software. The most current versions of anti-virus software are capable of detecting, and also getting rid of computer viruses. Unless anti-virus software is updated some viruses like worms or Trojan horses (other more sophisticated viruses) may not be detected and removed. Many new viruses occur each day, ones that can be removed by common anti-virus software sometimes pre-installed on the computer, but updating is definitely the best way to go to stop these program destroyers from hurting our computers. The anti-virus software is made by companies who provide new anti-virus software as soon as a new virus becomes available. Another key to stopping these viruses is to avoid spreading through the virus emails.

Again you can remove a computer virus by regularly updating your anti-virus software and even if the anti-virus software is not able to remove the threat, at least the anti-virus software will detect the virus. In such a case other options available for cleaning the virus should be searched for. Also, if the virus can be determined, a specific anti-virus package available from the company or other website source may be downloaded and have the ability to knock that virus out.

Firefox and Safari gains, Internet Explorer Loses, Opera Remains the Same (March 08)

2008-04-08T11:03:00.003+07:00

Its a new month again and we already have March browsers market share results. So let’s begin. Shall we?

Yet another bad month for Microsoft Internet Explorer, this time its market share decreased by 0.08%, from 74.88% to 74.80%.

Mozilla Firefox is doing really well, this time it managed to increase its market share by 0.56%, from 17.27% to 17.83%.

Apple Safari gained some market share too, from 5.70% to 5.82% (0.12% increase).

Opera (0.69% and Opera Mini (0.04%) market share remains the same.

Here’s a graph of current browsers

Add Background Color To Word 2007 Documents

2008-04-08T10:03:00.000+07:00

Instead of using the standard white background with Word documents, here is how to add some background color to spice up your documents.

Open your word document and choose Page Layout on the Ribbon, then select page color to select the background color you want.

The nice thing about Word 2007 is you just need to hover the mouse over each color to see a preview of how it will look in the document. Select the background color you want and you are done

Is WinRAR better than WinZip?

2008-04-08T08:30:00.000+07:00

Although WinZip is still the most popular compression utility WinRAR is gaining ground and is becoming the archive utility of choice for many users. Which one is better WinZip or WinRAR?
We are going to disappoint you by not providing any clear and definite answer. There is just no answer to which one is better as it really depends on what you are looking for in an archive software utility and which archive file type you are using more often and using as the basis for your comparison.

As their name suggests WinZip is focused on the very popular Zip archive file format while WinRAR is focused on the also very popular RAR archive file format. It is probably a true statement that if you mostly use Zip files you are better off using WinZip while if you are mostly using RAR format you are better off using WinRAR. The exception is that Zip is supported by many other software utilities other than WinZip so if you are using Zip files you have much more choice of choosing the software to use. RAR on the other hand is a closed standard and creating RAR files is only possible using the WinRAR utility. So if you use RAR files and need to create RAR files you have no other choice but to use WinRAR.

WinRAR was created by Eugene Roshal and is distributed on the market by RarLab. WinZip is distributed by WinZip Computing. Both software utilities are commercial in nature and both are not available for free use. You can download and install an evaluation version of each of those software utilities but after that evaluation period expires you have to either uninstall the software or pay for it.

Although WinRAR was developed around its proprietary RAR archive file format it also supports many other formats including the popular Zip format. If you are solely comparing WinRAR and WinZip in their ability to support different popular file formats then WinRAR is a winner. While WinZip can open and create Zip files but only open RAR files WinRAR can open and create both Zip and RAR files.

So it really boils down to the question which is better Zip or RAR archives and which one do you mostly used. Zip is an old and famous format. RAR is a newer archive format and still less popular than Zip but it is gaining ground and very fast. The reason is that the RAR archive file format has many advantages. It is very efficient compression format and in many cases performs better than Zip. It supports unicode and is especially efficient and useful when in need to handle huge archive files over multiple partial volumes.

Although WinRAR is a commercial utility and creating RAR files is not available to anyone else but the WinRAR owners opening RAR files is a commodity and any software vendor can use a freely available software library from RarLab that can open read and extract files from RAR archives.

Portable FastCopy v1.71

2008-04-07T15:04:00.002+07:00

FastCopy is the Fastest Copy/Delete Software on Windows.

It can copy/delete unicode and over MAX_PATH(260byte) pathname files.

Automatically, after whether the copy origin and copy destinations are HDD according to same physical HDD or is judged, it operates as follows.

Download

Facebook Chat begins to roll out

2008-04-07T13:04:00.000+07:00

Facebook on Sunday began a slow roll-out of its new Chat service.

Justin Smith at Inside Facebook has a tour of the new service. Justin's quick review concludes that Facebook Chat is a "very compelling experience that will spell trouble for legacy IM networks that haven't built vibrant social networks around their friend lists (i.e. AIM). By making Facebook more real time/presence oriented, Facebook session length should go up a lot. Facebook will become an important player in IM very soon."

It looks like Facebook is taking a slow approach to make sure that it can handle the increased load and scaling as users start playing with Chat, which is apparently just on a few networks so far.

In mid-March, Facebook gave a preview of the service and said it would be out in about two weeks. "When you log in to the site there is a Chat (user interface) at the bottom of the browser," product manager Peter Deng said at the time. "It's unobtrusive and there when you need it." No download will be required for Chat, which integrates with a user's Facebook friends list, and it works with all browsers, according to Deng.

Return to The Original Windows (XP)

2008-04-07T11:55:00.000+07:00

If you like to modify your windows such as BootScreen, Theme, VisualStyle etc. or like to install newest programs and uninstall if you don't like it until your window is unstable. This post will guild you to return your Windows to the Original

Things you must have
1. Windows XP Original CD
2. Time

Way to do
1. Insert Windows XP Original CD
2. Click Start and go to Run..
3. Type sfc /scannow
4. Windows will search and replace files that are modify to the original
5. Wait until finish and reboot you computer

Adobe AIR for Linux Released

2008-04-07T01:26:00.000+07:00

Finally! Adobe announced last night the first alpha release of Adobe AIR for Linux, a new technology that allows Adobe AIR applications to be deployed on computers and devices powered by the Linux operating system.

Let's overview the features that
can be found in this first alpha version of Adobe AIR:

· Runtime/Application Install/Update and Uninstall;
· HTML Loader with JS support to render HTML within AIR applications;
· Local Database APIs;
· File system support with support for user folders like Desktop/Documents etc.;
· Desktop Integration with Drag and drop, clipboard support;
· Windowing support with System chrome none/standard;
· Basic transparency;
· Menu support with context menu, menu bar, pop up menus and menu events;
· Networking;
· Network change detection (Event.NETWORK_CHANGE);
· System wide idle detection (userIdle Event);
· NativeApplication APIs;
· Capabilities (OS) API;
· Mouse events;
· Detection of running application (InvokeEvent.INVOKE).

Adobe AIR will work on both GNOME and KDE desktop environments and it supports RPM and Debian (DEB) package management systems. However, if you're wondering what are the supported operating systems, look below!

· RedHat Desktop Linux 4
· RedHat Enterprise Linux 5
· Novell Desktop Linux 9
· SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 10
· Ubuntu 6.06

Moreover, Adobe AIR should play very well with compositing window managers, such as Beryl, Compiz or Compiz Fusion and with X Server extensions, like Composite, Render and Shape.

Firefox3 : Make Old Extentions Work

2008-04-07T01:25:00.006+07:00

I you like Firefox3 but don't use it because your favorite extensions are disabled, that's because developers haven't updated them and may not be providing secure updates yet. If you're an impatient risk-taker who needs your extensions back NOW, here's a cheat that may get them to work with easy 4 steps.

1. Type about:config into Firefox's Address Bar and click the "I'll be careful, I promise!" button.

2. Right-click anywhere. Choose New>Boolean. Make the name of your new config value extensions.checkCompatibility and set it to false.

3. Make another new boolean pair called extensions.checkUpdateSecurity and set the value to false.

4. Restart Firefox.

All goes well, and any extensions that aren't yet officially Firefox 3 Beta 5 compatible and don't have secure updates will be enabled.

Final warning : These changes may lead to unexpected wacky behavior. Proceed at your own risk!
Final warning 2 : Don't Click Enable Button in Add-ons page. If you clicked, you will do step 1-4 again

Microsoft tell We Have Not Committed to a Release Date for IE8

2008-04-07T01:07:00.000+07:00

There is very good reason why Microsoft has not announced the availability date of Internet Explorer 8, the next version of its Internet Explorer proprietary browser. And it is connected with the fact that Microsoft has absolutely no clue when it will wrap up with the successor of Internet Explorer 7. The first Beta of IE8 was dropped on March 5, 2008, and
is a release tailored to web content developers and designers. And while the Redmond company has continually refused to deliver clues as to the evolution of IE8's development process, the fact of the matter is that nothing is set yet.

"We have not committed to a release date for Windows Internet Explorer 8. We have released Windows Internet Explorer 8 Beta 1 for Developers to begin the process of getting widespread testing and feedback from the web designer and developer community. We plan to have an additional beta release for end users and IT Professionals later in 2008, when we anticipate receiving feedback on different scenarios. Once we are confident of product quality among all audiences, we will announce a final release date," reads an excerpt of the IE8 Beta 1 FAQ.

But at the same time Microsoft did point out that there would be a subsequent beta for IE8, one aimed at end users, toward the summer of this year. And in April the company is planning the next wave of IE8 Beta 1 releases, this time focused on additional languages.

"In addition to US English, which we are making [as of March 5, 2008], the Windows Internet Explorer 8 Beta 1 for Developers release will be available in German and Simplified Chinese in the coming weeks. We chose these languages to test support for long user interface string lengths and double-byte character sets," Microsoft added.

How to Select a Portable Hard Drive?

2008-04-07T01:01:00.000+07:00

If you are looking to purchase a portable hard drive, you have numerous options to choose from. One of the most important purchasing questions is: "Should I buy a flash drive or a portable hard drive?â€ Some people are generally unaware there is a difference. There are benefits to both products and taking time to learn and understand them will assist you in making the purchase that is right for you.

Price Considerations When Choosing Your Portable Hard Drive

Price is a big advantage of portable hard drives when compared to flash drives (or pen drives, thumb drives, jump drives, and USB sticks). If you are looking for storage space, hard drives offer much more space for less money. When you get into the higher capacity flash drives, like 32GB models, things start getting really expensive. A 32GB flash drive is many times more expensive than a conventional portable hard drive with up to five times the capacity.

With the ever increasing need for storing and securing data, and with the prices of portable hard drives coming down, you have every reason to go with a high capacity pocket hard drive. Pocket hard drives come in 2GB, 4GB, 6GB, 8GB, 12GB, 20GB, 40GB, 60GB, 80GB, 100GB, 120GB, and 160GB capacities. This is a much higher range of capacities than with flash drives which are usually around 2GB and 4GB.

Lifespan of Portable Hard Drives

A portable hard drive offers another big advantage over flash drives: USB flash drives have a limited number of write and erase cycles before failure, and write operations will gradually slow as the device ages. Alternatively, pocket hard dives offer many more write/erase cycles, and last longer. Consider buying a pocket hard drive if you will be using your device frequently and are looking for something that will last a long time.

Software and Capacity With Portable Hard Drives

Many assume that external hard drives are large and expensive and therefore buy lower capacity flash drives, but this is no longer true. 1â€ Microdrives allow manufacturers to make highly compact external data storage devices in capacities up to 12GB. There are also slightly larger, 1.8â€ and 2.5â€ portable hard drives that go up to 160GB. These will soon be available in 320GB capacity. You can currently put a 160GB portable hard drive in your pocket for a very reasonable price. That much data storage space is impossible with flash based thumb drives.

Many hard drive-based portable hard drives have included software, such as, â€œSingle-Touchâ€ data back-up and data encryption. Because flash drives can sustain only a limited number of write and erase cycles before failure, and, lack sufficient capacity for desktop or mobile use, USB Pocket hard drives are the clear choice if you intend to run software from your device.

Final Considerations

Features like USB connections, driver-less data access (plug-and-play), and small size are present in both flash and pocket hard drives. But, with higher capacities, longer lifespan, and more capabilities, buying a hard disk based portable hard drive device is frequently recommended.

Google Docs Goes Offline, Challenging Microsoft Office

2008-04-07T00:34:00.000+07:00

A few days ago, Google released what seems to be one of the most expected features ever issued by the Mountain View-based company: offline support for Google Docs. This means that Google Docs, that powerful document editing technology available for free for
all Google-registered members, is now accessible even without an Internet connection. This obviously makes us think that Microsoft Office, a solution which has always been the leader of office suites, may now have a serious rival for the supremacy of the market. However, there's still a lot of work to do to make Google Docs a powerful product in offline mode, but this is only the beginning.

As you may guess, Google Docs can work in offline mode thanks to Google Gears, a special technology introduced by Google which is currently implemented in several solutions such as Google Reader and Google Calendar.

However, the offline flavor of Google Docs may be a pretty nice addition to your desktop applications because everything you create/edit in offline mode is then uploaded into your Google account as soon as an Internet connection is detected. No need to select the files manually, the synchronization is done automatically without too many clicks.

"It's all pretty seamless: I don't have to remember to save my documents locally before packing my laptop for a trip. I don't have to remember to save my changes as soon as I get back online. And I don't have to switch applications based on network connectivity. With the extra peace of mind, I can more fully rely on this tool for my important documents," Philip Tucker, Software Engineer, Google Docs, explained on the official Google Docs blog.

The function is now available for a limited number of users, but the company promises it will be introduced in all accounts in the next few weeks.

WoW! :-)

MagMyPic - Fake Magazine Covers with your Photo!

2008-04-06T23:46:00.004+07:00

MagMyPic - Fake Magazine Covers with your Photo!

MagMyPic is the only place on the web you can put your own picture on the cover of a magazine! Show off your new cover on your MySpace or other network profile. Impress your friends with a ton of awesome looks. You can browse tons of magazines and pick your favorite, or upload your picture right away!

Try it!

Portable Windows Media Player 11

2008-04-06T23:31:00.002+07:00

Windows Media Player 11 for Windows XP offers great new ways to store and enjoy all your music, video, pictures, and recorded TV. Play it, view it, and sync it to a portable device for enjoying on the go or even share with devices around your home—all from one place.

Download

RarPass : www.portabledd.co.nr

Remove Unwanted Traces from Microsoft Office Documents

2008-04-06T22:37:00.001+07:00

The importance of privacy and security of corporate workflow cannot be overestimated. A leaked document can compromise trade secrets and threaten corporate security. But did you know that even a document that you send to a client or publish on the Internet may also contain sensitive information that may harm your privacy and corporate security?

Every time you create a document in a Microsoft Office application such as MS Word, Excel or PowerPoint, it is automatically and compulsory tagged with extra information. All documents, spreadsheets and presentations are assigned properties that list document's author, organization name, document change and reviewing history, any comments made by the different editors, editing time, and so on. While some of this information can be useful when working with documents in a workgroup and sharing them within the company, it may cause unwanted problems if the document leaks or is sent or published.

The extra private information may become available to a third party, and can certainly put your company at an embarrassing situation or even cause financial risk.

Did you know that a line or a paragraph of text that contains sensitive information, even if it is cut, deleted or overtyped, may still be stored in the document's metadata under certain circumstances, such as if document change tracking is enabled? Do you want all the commentary made by your workgroup members while editing a presentation become publically available? Probably not!

How can you ensure that no sensitive information leaks with a document you thought doesn't have any?

You could certainly do this by making a new installation of Microsoft Office applications, preferably on a clean PC, creating a new document on that machine, and pasting data from the old one. That would give you a fresh copy that does not contain any unwanted traces. But is this a viable solution of you have multiple documents, or is you need to continue changing those documents as part of your workflow? This solution, while being a working one, is time-consuming and not that reliable if you make changes to these newly created documents.

Thanks to Smart PC Solutions, Inc., a dedicated solution is available to address this issue. Document Trace Remover, available for download at http://www.smartpctools.com/trace_remover, checks your corporate workflow, including Microsoft Word documents, Excel spreadsheets, PowerPoint presentations, and Adobe PDF files for unwanted private information that may infringe your privacy and threaten corporate security.

Document Trace Remover discovers all types of meta-information and offers you an easy way to remove any instances of hidden data from your documents. When it is done with the documents, they contain not a single trace of infringing information in them. Batch mode is available to quickly clean multiple documents.

Make sure you use Document Trace Remover just before sending or publishing a document to ensure maximum privacy and protect integrity of your corporate data.

Make Document Trace Remover part of your routine workflow! Run Document Trace Remover every time before publishing or sending the document outside of your organization to ensure highest level of privacy and security of your corporate workflow.

The End of Vista?

2008-04-06T22:19:00.000+07:00

The blows just keep on coming for Vista. It started with an extension of the life of XP and has continued with Microsoft’s recent announcement that Windows XP’s life will once again be extended, this time for two years and for ULC (ultra-low-cost) PCs, such as the Eee PC. As if that wasn’t enough, Bill Gates has also come out and said that the next version of Windows, Windows 7, is coming “sometime” next year. Considering that Vista hasn’t even been on the market for two years yet, the fact that XP is still so popular and Microsoft is already talking about the release of the next iteration of Windows does not bode well for Vista.

Vista has been plagued with problems and complaints, ranging from a lack of driver support to the controversial UAC or User Account Control. Could Microsoft be attempting to quitely abandon Vista? I hope not (I own Windows Vista Ultimate). As with any new operating system, there will always be a learning curve and those who are hesitant to adapt to the new software. For example, Windows XP had its fair share of complaints when it first came out too. Nevertheless, the criticisms directed at Vista seem to be much more relenting than those that against XP when it was first released and the recent announcements by Microsoft serve only to strengthen those criticisms. Will Microsoft be able to save Vista and make consumers more interested in the problematic operating system? While only time will tell, the fate of Vista seems tenuous at best.

Portable CCleaner 2.6.0.567

2008-04-06T22:06:00.003+07:00

CCleaner is a freeware PC optimization tool.

It combines a system cleaner that removes unused and temporary files from your system and also a fully featured registry cleaner!

CCleaner allows Windows to run faster, more efficiently and gives you more hard disk space.

The best part is that it’s Small, Fast and Free!

Download Now

Fix Windows Registry Errors

2008-04-06T21:59:00.002+07:00

The most important reason your should fix Windows Registry errors as they occur is that this the one single preventative measure can greatly increase the life-expectancy of your Windows system by stabilizing the growth of its Registry.

Prevention is Key!

It is a fact of Windows that trying to fix Registry problems after they occur is much more difficult than preventing their occurrence in the first place. So when it comes to the Windows Registry, the motto should always be "prevention is key!" This is because it is often the most common and abundant types of errors that wind up killing Registries, especially those caused by a system's registered applications, users, and even Windows itself. As new applications are installed and old applications are removed, and as registered applications continue accessing and changing Registry data, they often leave small bits of themselves behind as orphaned registry entries.

By themselves, these errors will probably not reveal themselves in any degradation of speed or normal Windows functions, especially if your system is new. But if these errors are allowed to accumulate for a very long time, they can greatly increase a Registry's size and wreak havoc on the overall structure and stability of its database. And for a fast-growing Registry, even small error accumulations can quickly send your Registry's database structure out of control. If you don't fix these Windows Registry errors often, your system can very easily fall victim to sudden crashes, system stalls, or a severe decrease in operating speed. It is particularly at risk if you frequently install or uninstall applications and hardware, since these actions increase the Registry's rate of growth further by adding more registered components, orphaned Registry entries, and undeleted drivers to your system.

Registry Repair Utilities
Once you have made the decision to fix Windows Registry errors on your system, you will need to know something about how to go about it. Although some versions of Windows provide built-in background system utilities designed to maintain Registry structure and stability, these utilities only address the most basic Registry problems in the most primitive ways, making them insufficient when a Registry becomes very large and complicated. However, there are many third-party Windows Registry repair utilities available on the Internet that are inexpensive and easy to use. For general maintenance and prevention purposes, Combination Repair/Cleaning utilities are perfect. They are effective in finding and removing errors caused by invalid references, viruses, and spyware/tracking programs, and usually have other features, like Registry defragmenting and backup/restore utilities and scanning schedules, that make it very easy to maintain your computer's health and optimize its performance.

My Printer Won't Print - Help!

2008-04-06T21:55:00.002+07:00

No matter how many times you have used your printer without a problem in the world, it is a safe bet that the time when you need it most is the precise moment that the silly machine will start acting up. As you are frantically striking keys and clicking buttons, it just sits over there next to the computer in silent oblivion. But, before you take a baseball bat to the contraption, here are a few ideas to consider that may help you out of your printing jam.

First let's look at your printer driver. No, your driver is not the guy that drives you to a fancy occassion. The printer driver communicates between your software and printer. If this printer driver is missing either due to a power surge or system crash then you need to reinstall it. Or if you have connected a new printer to your computer you need to make sure that the printer driver for the new printer is installed. Otherwise your computer will ignore your new printer.

How often do you use your printer? Perhaps you have run out of printer ink. You can determine whether this is the case if you click on the properties icon for your printer. You must replace your printer ink cartridge with the exact same make and model to ensure that it will print correctly. Take the old cartridge to the office supply store to make sure that you don't buy the wrong ink cartridge. Ask for help from the store staff to make sure you buy the right ink cartridge.

Check the ink level in your print. Is it out? If it is then you need to head to the office supply store for a new ink cartridge. Make sure write down the name or even bring the old ink cartridge to the store so that you buy the correct ink cartridge. This is a good idea because it is easy to purchase the incorrect ink cartridge.

If you find that your printer was out of paper prior to initiating the printing process, simply sticking more paper in fails to do anything. Again, you will probably need to hit the paper feed or reset button before it will function properly. Sometimes, you may just have to print the job over again.

During the course of the day, it is not uncommon for things to get hectic. It is an easy thing to disconnect the connection between the printer and your computer. Without this connection, your computer is no longer telling the printer what to do.

Remember that when you deal with changing the physcial connections on your computer and printer that you should shut down your computer before doing so. This is important because some computer operating systems go haywire or don't work properly if you fiddle with the connections while the computer is on. Restarting your computer after shutdown will help aleviate many computer problems.

Before you plug them back together make sure to turn your computer off. Many systems require you to do this. Make the connection and then restart your computer. This is a safe plan of attack for many computer software and hardware situations.

Dealing with the moodiness of your printer can be avoided if you go through the possible causes listed above. Of course printing problems occur at the worst moment possible, but you can make life better by remaining cool and collected. Try this solutions and if they don't work then maybe your printer is ready for the printing graveyard.

How to Remove a Shared Documents from My Computer?

2008-04-06T21:51:00.000+07:00

Somebody don't use Shared Documents. Today I have the way to remove it with 5 Steps.

1. Click Start > Run

2. Type Regedit

3. Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\MyComputer\NameSpace\DelegateFolders

4. Find the key {59031a47-3f72-44a7-89c5-5595fe6b30ee}

5. Delete it and Restart you computer

What Is The MP4, AKA MPEG-4?

2008-04-06T21:25:00.001+07:00

MP4 is an extension that is used for the MPEG-4 format. Though it may not be as popular as its predecessor, MP3 it is highly valuable and useful when it comes to multimedia formats. MPEG stands for Moving Picture Experts Group, and MPEG4 is used for storing and displaying digital video and audio streams. Some times, MPEG-4 formats can be used for still images and it is commonly the format associated with streaming videos. You can purchase an MP4 player to play MPEG-4 files. An interesting aspect of the MP4 format is that it was designed on Apple's QuickTime format and is essentially the same format as QuickTime's .MOV.

MPEG-4 is known as a container format. A container format is one that can contain many different types of data in one file. The file is compressed through various codecs. These codecs may be both audio as well as video. The MPEG4 container format stores both audio and video streams, data, and files. The MPEG-4 format has led to many accomplishments in the area of improving interactive and streaming media on the Internet, interactive graphics, and has improved digital television. Other popular container formats include Windows AVI, MPEG, OGM, Quicktime Real Media, and Matroska.

The MP4 extension offers users many benefits. First, it offers benefits for those who are authoring content and allows them to create wonderful digital and audio streams as well as helps protect the rights of the author, through coding. In addition, MP4 format allows users to capture both audio and video, stream live through streaming servers, utilize local playback, and exchange and download files.

It is important to realize and understand the nature of MP4 formats since this is the format used for videos on iTunes. There are a number of different software players that are used for playing and viewing MP4 files. These include Nero Show Time, Amorok, I Tunes, Quick Time Player, Real Player, Zune, Winamp, the Xbox Media Center, Songbird, and Media Player Classic. Since Mpeg-4 is compatible with Apple, it is also played on the Apple iPod. Additionally, Playstation Portable, Play Station 3, and the Xbox 360 are all capable of playing MP4 files.

The future of MPEG-4 and the .mp4 format is very exciting. Mp4 is the format and that will bring the various aspects of the Internet and multimedia components together. With the number of various desktop applications that rely on digital audio and video components, MP4 will be the format that is used as the basis for these applications.

How to fix Outlook Express Errors?

2008-04-06T21:01:00.001+07:00

Everyone uses email these days. A large percentage of them use Outlook for their email client.

Just like any other software, Outlook Express can be a pain to use as well. More so when you encounter errors with the software.

Dozens of things can cause errors with Outlook Express. Most of them are failed connections, Address errors, failed email delivery, POP issues, and strange Outlook crashes.

Failed connections are usually the easiest to fix. This is usually caused by not being connected to the Internet or Outlook Express failed to connect to the email server in the proper amount of time.

Opening Outlook Express and getting an error message stating the Address Book failed to load properly can be a pain to fix. Luckily, renaming the .wab file and restarting Outlook Express usually fixes this.

Email errors can be anything form of bad email that Outlook fails to load properly. Most of these are temporary problems like Internet congestion or some times something major like a server being down at the time.

POP errors are tough. Most of the time they are due to server issues or congested Internet traffic like email errors.

Outlook can also crash with any number of weird errors. Usually the only way to fix these kinds of errors is to update Outlook Express or to completely reinstall it.

Fixing Outlook Express is pretty easy most of the time. Unfortunately, sometimes other software is needed to properly fix the error.

Google Search Silently Updated

2008-04-06T20:43:00.000+07:00

Google's search engine, probably the best search engine on the web, is once again updated with quite an important feature, having a look at the relevancy of the results it is able to provide. As you already know, searching Google for a certain expression or phrase
requires you to put it between quotes in order to search the web for the syntax you entered. In case you forget to enter the quotes, Google will provide websites that include all the words you've entered in any order they may exist.

However, it may seem like the Mountain View company decided to make a change to this searching function as it now searches for the entered expression without the quotes in case there's no result for the syntax you've entered between the quotes. Have a look at the adjacent screenshot to get a better picture of the new update. Searching for a query that provides no results automatically looks for the entered phrase without the quotes, Google displaying the following message: "No results found for 'the entered query'. Results for the entered term (without quotes)."

The feature was first reported by Phillip Lenssen from Google Blogoscoped who also explained that "the feature was immediately useful, because I had mistyped a word in my phrase search, and Google still found the page I was looking for." In a comment posted to Phillip's article, Matt Cutts from Google explained how the feature actually works:

"Looks like this behavior only happens in some rare circumstances, namely when the query
- is in quotes
- has no results
- triggers our spelling correction

Which is pretty rare. I talked to someone here and I expect that a new push will change this by the end of next week. Thanks to pfr at Google for the quick analysis and being willing to push the change for this, by the way," he wrote.

Recommend 3 Add-on For Firefox

2008-04-06T20:38:00.004+07:00

I visited New Mozilla Add-on Site and Found 3 cool Add-on that I Believe it cool for you too.

1. searchOnTab 1.0.2
This extension allows users to select where are loaded the results of the search bar:
- In the current page
- In a new tab

Download

2. Tabs Open Relative
Tabs Open Relative makes all new tabs open to the right of the current tab, rather than at the far right of the tab bar.
In the case where several new tabs are opened in a row without switching tabs, each subsequent tab will be opened to the right of the previous one, so as to keep them in order.
For example if you have three tabs open, {A}, {B} and {C}, where the current tab is {B}, and then you open three more tabs, {1}, {2} and {3}, you'll get:
{A} {B} {1} {2} {3} {C}

Download

3. New Tab Homepage 0.3
A very simple tabbed browsing extension that loads your homepage when you open a new tab. If you have multiple homepages, the first is chosen.
This is meant to be a lightweight alternative to using Tab Mix, Tabbrowser Preferences or Tabbrowser Extensions for this single feature.
If you're using one of those, you do not need this extension and it most likely will not work even if you install it! In this case, you should use the in-built options in whichever tabbed browsing extension that you use.

Download

uTorrent 1.8 Beta Build 9363

2008-04-06T20:18:00.003+07:00

µTorrent is a freeware, closed source, BitTorrent client for Microsoft Windows written in C++ and localized for many different languages. It is designed to use minimal computer resources while offering functionality comparable to larger BitTorrent clients such as Azureus or BitComet.

--- 2008-04-04: Version 1.8 beta (build 9363)
- Fix: crash with some RSS settings files
- Fix: DHT processing

Download Now

How to Save Ink and Money?

2008-04-06T20:08:00.002+07:00

The cost of inkjet printer cartridges is on the rise year after year. The printer manufacturers are subsidising the cost of the printer knowing that in the long run they are sure to make more money selling high priced cartridges.

There are several ways that you can save money on the cost of printer cartridges.

The first thing that you can do is to print in draft quality if you are just printing the document for yourself, to proof read or if your kids are just playing. This will print everything in low quality and pictures in black and white. Therefore, this will save you loads of ink in your colour cartridges. This can be done easily enough. All you have to do is go into the printer driver on your pc, select printing preferences, and in there, there will be the draft printing option. There may also be other options in your printer driver set-up that may not be as low quality as draft printing, but that could save ink as well instead of printing in full quality. Printing in draft will also be very fast as there is less ink put onto the paper. Therefore, if you are printing large document on you inkjet printer then this certainly a good option for you.

The next thing you can do is to re-fill your own printer cartridges after they have ran out. There are plenty of shops out there who will sell you refill kits. However, this can be kind of messy. You have to use a syringe to fill up the cartridges. When I tried the ink went all over the desk. It may be worth doing this over a sink or have plenty of paper around to mop up the mess. Another way of getting your cartridges re-filled is to take them to a printer cartridge re-filling outlet. They seem to be in most towns and cities presently, so finding one would not be hard. However, be careful which outlet you choose as some of them can be as dear as buying the originals.

Another option to save money is to buy compatible or re-manufactured printer cartridges. Compatible cartridges are new cartridges that have been made by manufacturers other than the printer manufacturer. These cartridges will fit your printer. All the parts in the cartridges are brand new and the cartridges are filled with high quality ink. This could reduce printing cost of up to 70 percent. Re-manufactured cartridges are original manufacturers printer cartridges that have only been used once then sent away to be dismantled and then cleaned, put back together and professionally re-filled and re-packaged.

The final way that you could reduce the cost of printing and always use original manufactures cartridges is by selling your used, original cartridges back to be re-manufactured. Cartridge brokers will buy original cartridges and then re-sell them back to companies that will process them and re-manufacture them.

Whatever method of saving money and ink you choose, remember to consider what is the right option for you. What will suit one person, will not always necessarily suit another. Try them out and see if they can benefit you.

(I have program that can save ink and money. The name of this Program is InkSaver Try This!)

Your Computer Security Is the Most Important!

2008-04-06T20:06:00.003+07:00

Although there are several products available in the market that promise your computer’s security but using each of them is not possible. Why not go for just the basic ones like Firewall, Antivirus, and Antispyware software programs? Each holds individual significance and features. But they are utmost important in today’s technological world which is bringing both advantages and external threats.

Next, we will talk about computer errors. Does fixing everyday’s computer problems and issues an easy task? Well! Not really. This is why most computer users are looking forward to computer support resources which serve as one stop shop for all your computer related issues and requirements. These resources boast of having Microsoft Certified technicians and highly experienced computer engineers who are available 24x7 to resolve all your computer woes. Their round the clock availability actually make them more useful as well as attractive.

Some common services available with computer support vendors are: data back up services, Microsoft Windows support, antivirus installation, PC optimization, Internet optimization, virus removal, general computer maintenance, system restoration, installation of computer security products, their configuration and updation. Indeed, there are many tech support companies that have come up a new service called server support services which are highly beneficial for corporate and small offices.

There are the companies and computer users who opt for seasonal and yearly computer support packages. With increasing competition among online computer support providers, the desire to stay ahead has encouraged most of them to improve services at competitive prices. This has again brought benefits for customers in terms of cost and quality. What are you waiting for then? Start searching for your computer tech support vendor now. Try searching with keywords like computer support, computer technical support, PC repair services, onsite computer repair and online tech support. It will help you to get refined search for most appropriate results.

Firefox 3 Beta 5 Released

2008-04-06T20:04:00.003+07:00

Mozilla is moving ahead with the development of Firefox 3.0 toward the official release date planned for June 2008. The last evolution of the browser took it from Beta 4 to Beta 5, and in this manner marked the 13th developer milestone of the product, taking into consideration both the Alpha and the Beta stages. Firefox 3.0 Beta 5 went live on April 2, 2008, and is available for download and even though Vice President of Engineering Mike Schroepfer stated that Firefox 3.0 was ready for prime time as of Beta 4, Beta 5 is still labeled as a developer preview designed for "testing purposes only."

Release Notes

Firefox 3 Beta 5 is a developer preview release of Mozilla's next generation Firefox browser and is being made available for testing purposes only.

These beta releases are targeted to Web developers and our testing community to gain feedback before advancing to the next stage in the release process. The final version of Firefox 3 will be released when we qualify the product as fully ready for our users. Users of the latest released version of Firefox should not expect their add-ons to work properly with this beta.

Please see below for an extensive list of features and enhancements found in Firefox 3 Beta 5, as well as known issues and frequently asked questions. As always, we appreciate your feedback either through this feedback form or by filing a bug in Bugzilla.

What's New in Firefox 3

Firefox 3 is based on the Gecko 1.9 Web rendering platform, which has been under development for the past 32 months. Building on the previous release, Gecko 1.9 has more than 12,000 updates including some major re-architecting to provide improved performance, stability, rendering correctness, and code simplification and sustainability. Firefox 3 has been built on top of this new platform resulting in a more secure, easier to use, more personal product with a lot more under the hood to offer website and Firefox add-on developers.

[Improved in Beta 5!] Firefox 3 Beta 5 includes more than 750 changes from the previous beta, improving stability and web compatibility, providing platform and user interface enhancements, and resulting in the fastest Firefox ever. Many of these improvements were based on community feedback from the previous beta.

More Secure

One-click site info: Click the site favicon in the location bar to see who owns the site and to check if your connection is protected from eavesdropping. Identity verification is prominently displayed and easier to understand. When a site uses Extended Validation (EV) SSL certificates, the site favicon button will turn green and show the name of the company you're connected to. (Try it here!)
Malware Protection: malware protection warns users when they arrive at sites which are known to install viruses, spyware, trojans or other malware. (Try it here!)
New Web Forgery Protection page: the content of pages suspected as web forgeries is no longer shown. (Try it here!)
New SSL error pages: clearer and stricter error pages are used when Firefox encounters an invalid SSL certificate. (Try it here!)
Add-ons and Plugin version check: Firefox now automatically checks add-on and plugin versions and will disable older, insecure versions.
Secure add-on updates: to improve add-on update security, add-ons that provide updates in an insecure manner will be disabled.
Anti-virus integration: Firefox will inform anti-virus software when downloading executables.
Vista Parental Controls: Firefox now respects the Vista system-wide parental control setting for disabling file downloads.
Effective top-level domain (eTLD) service better restricts cookies and other restricted content to a single domain.
Better protection against cross-site JSON data leaks.

Easier to Use

Easier password management: an information bar replaces the old password dialog so you can now save passwords after a successful login.
Simplified add-on installation: the add-ons whitelist has been removed making it possible to install extensions from third-party sites in fewer clicks.
New Download Manager: the revised download manager makes it much easier to locate downloaded files, and you can see and search on the name of the website where a file came from. Your active downloads and time remaining are always shown in the status bar as your files download.
Resumable downloading: users can now resume downloads after restarting the browser or resetting your network connection.
Full page zoom: from the View menu and via keyboard shortcuts, the new zooming feature lets you zoom in and out of entire pages, scaling the layout, text and images, or optionally only the text size. Your settings will be remembered whenever you return to the site.
Podcasts and Videocasts can be associated with your media playback tools.
Tab scrolling and quickmenu: tabs are easier to locate with the new tab scrolling and tab quickmenu.
Save what you were doing: Firefox will prompt users to save tabs on exit.
Optimized Open in Tabs behavior: opening a folder of bookmarks in tabs now appends the new tabs rather than overwriting.
Location and Search bar size can now be customized with a simple resizer item.
Text selection improvements: multiple text selections can be made with Ctrl/Cmd; double-click drag selects in "word-by-word" mode; triple-clicking selects a paragraph.
Find toolbar: the Find toolbar now opens with the current selection.
Plugin management: users can disable individual plugins in the Add-on Manager.
[Improved in Beta 5!] Integration with Windows: Firefox now has improved Windows icons, and uses native user interface widgets in the browser and in web forms.
[Improved in Beta 5!] Integration with the Mac: the new Firefox theme makes toolbars, icons, and other user interface elements look like a native OS X application. Firefox also uses OS X widgets and supports Growl for notifications of completed downloads and available updates. A combined back and forward control make it even easier to move between web pages.
[Improved in Beta 5!] Integration with Linux: Firefox's default icons, buttons, and menu styles now use the native GTK theme.

More Personal

Star button: quickly add bookmarks from the location bar with a single click; a second click lets you file and tag them.
Tags: associate keywords with your bookmarks to sort them by topic.
Location bar & auto-complete: type in all or part of the title, tag or address of a page to see a list of matches from your history and bookmarks; a new display makes it easier to scan through the matching results and find that page you're looking for. Results are returned according to their frecency (a combination of frequency and recency of visits to that page) ensuring that you're seeing the most relevant matches. An adaptive learning algorithm further tunes the results to your patterns!
Smart Bookmarks Folder: quickly access your recently bookmarked and tagged pages, as well as your more frequently visited pages with the new smart bookmarks folder on your bookmark toolbar.
[Improved in Beta 5!] Places Organizer: view, organize and search through all of your bookmarks, tags, and browsing history with multiple views and smart folders to store your frequent searches. Create and restore full backups whenever you want.
Web-based protocol handlers: web applications, such as your favorite webmail provider, can now be used instead of desktop applications for handling mailto: links from other sites. Similar support is available for other protocols (Web applications will have to first enable this by registering as handlers with Firefox).
Download & Install Add-ons: the Add-ons Manager (Tools > Add-ons) can now be used to download and install a Firefox customization from the thousands of Add-ons available from our community add-ons website. When you first open the Add-ons Manager, a list of recommended Add-ons is shown.
Easy to use Download Actions: a new Applications preferences pane provides a better UI for configuring handlers for various file types and protocol schemes.

Improved Platform for Developers

New graphics and font handling: new graphics and text rendering architectures in Gecko 1.9 provides rendering improvements in CSS, SVG as well as improved display of fonts with ligatures and complex scripts.
Color management: (set gfx.color_management.enabled on in about:config and restart the browser to enable.) Firefox can now adjust images with embedded color profiles.
Offline support: enables web applications to provide offline functionality (website authors must add support for offline browsing to their site for this feature to be available to users).
A more complete overview of Firefox 3 for developers is available for website and add-on developers.

Improved Performance

[Improved in Beta 5!] Speed: improvements to our JavaScript engine as well as profile guided optimizations have resulted in continued improvements in performance. Compared to Firefox 2, web applications like Google Mail and Zoho Office run twice as fast in Firefox 3 Beta 5, and the popular SunSpider test from Apple shows improvements over previous releases.
Memory usage: Several new technologies work together to reduce the amount of memory used by Firefox 3 over a web browsing session. Memory cycles are broken and collected by an automated cycle collector, a new memory allocator reduces fragmentation, hundreds of leaks have been fixed, and caching strategies have been tuned.
Reliability: A user's bookmarks, history, cookies, and preferences are now stored in a transactionally secure database format which will prevent data loss even if their system crashes.

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The Complete History Of One Of The Most Popular Computers : The Apple Macintosh

2008-04-06T19:58:00.002+07:00

An employee of Apple Mac, Jef Raskin envisaged an economical and easy-to-use computer for a layperson. The personal computers that were launched by Macintosh initially used images instead of text to correspond. Mac gradually became a brand name and it designed and developed personal computers which were being marketed by Apple Inc. In 1984 Apple Mac were the first to come up with a computer that featured a mouse as well as a graphical user interface.

In the 1990’s when Microsoft acquired monopoly over personal computers. Apple consolidated its hold over consumer-level desktop and succeeded in revitalizing its name. The main objective of Apple Mac is to manufacture systems which are meant to be used at home, by educational institutions and by professionals.

Mac hardware is specially produced by Apple; it also chooses the designs, the internal system and also its price. The current Mac is capable of managing different operating systems like its other counterpart. of Microsoft Windows, FreeBSD and Linux, the former is supposed to be Mac’s main competitor.

In the past special events were held to inaugurate Mac desktop, notebook computers like the iMac and electronic devices like Apple TV, iPhone and iPod. Apple today focuses more on advertising strategies during special events and important conferences such as the Apple Expo and Mac World Expo, since such occasions attract huge gathering of spectators and media delegates.

Apple Mac has always has its share of ups and downs and it has struggled to get its foothold especially in the personal computer market. In 1984-85 lack of obtainable software resulting in unsatisfactory sales. It took approximately two and a half months to sell 50,000 units.
Apple computers enjoy a longer life compare to PC’s of the same era because they make arrangements for their own software and newer model favored more than the older ones. Mac has managed to survive in the cut-throat competition of Personal Computers.

Surveys have indicated that the majority of Apple’s customers are more affluent than those using other mainstream Personal Computers. Affluence indicates more artistic, more literate, qualified people and this probably explains why Apple is more visible among certain affluent youth. Steve Jobs reckons that maybe appr.45 pct of Apple’s customers belong to the Republican ideology-this assessment may not be totally correct-many famous Democrats like Rush Limbaugh are using Mac products-but this perception gets strengthened by the Company’s policies of donating money to political parties, by the fact that Al Gore is on its Board, and of course, by Steve Jobs history.

Since the entry of Mac, apple has endeavored to obtain a prominent share of the PC market. Initially, the Mac 128K suffered from a huge amount of software available as compared to IBM’s Persona Computer, which resulted in poor sales in the period 1984-85.

By the year, 1997, more than 20 million people were using the Mac, as compared to approximately 340 million users of Windows. From the second half of the year 2003, figures indicate that Apple Company had approximately two percent of the PC market share in the U.S and this had increased to nearly 3 percent by the end of 2004.By October 2006, IDC and Garner had found that Apple’s market share in the United States of America had gone up to about six percent. By the end of December 2006, Apple’share had gone up to six percent, with at least 30,000 computers being sold in the one year 2005-2006.It is a little difficult to assess correctly the number of Macs currently installed –estimates range from three to sixteen percent.

There are three common ways of assessing market share:
1. By the number of Browser hits 2.By the actual sales of the product. 3. The installed base.

If one uses the browser method, then we can determine that the Apple market share has increased substantially in the year 2007; however, when we consider the market share measured as a percentage of actual sales this differs significantly when we take into account the installed base. Macintosh computers are more long lasting than Personal Computers of the same age, since Macintosh provides their own in house developed software and newer versions which enable modern software to work more efficiently say for e.g., O.S. 8.1 enables for faster copy speeds .

People often debate whether the actual market share of Mac users and of the installed base is really relevant. Experts have often pointed out to the relatively smaller share of Mac users and have said that because of this it is only a matter of time that Mac finally has to close shop, particularly around the year 1995 when things really looked bleak for Apple. Apple has portrayed the Mac has an expensive, technologically more superior Personal Computer and hence it may not be fair to compare this with a cheaper less efficient Personal Computer.

PowerPoint Tip : Create a drop-down menu

2008-04-06T19:40:00.002+07:00

In the PowerPoint discussion group, in response to a request, Shyam Pillai shared a presentation that has a drop-down menu. Shyam is one of the best PowerPoint programmers around and his "proof of concept" is very elegant.

However, you can create a drop-down menu using animation. It will be less elegant, but doesn't require programming. The main menu button is used as a trigger, so that when you click it, the animation starts. If you want the dropped-down menu to disappear for the next use, the method is a little more complex.

Look at a drop-down menu in PowerPoint 2003 or other program. You'll notice that the drop-down menu just appears under the menu name. If there's some animation involved, it's too fast for me to see. However, I liked the effect of a wipe down animation, so that's what I used. You can use the Appear animation instead.

1. Insert an AutoShape/Shape. Add some appropriate text, such as Main Menu.

2. Then create your submenu items on AutoShapes/Shapes, just below the Main Menu button. Add text for the topics that you want to cover.

3. Select all of the submenu buttons and group them, by choosing Draw on the Drawing toolbar>Group. (In 2007, press Ctrl+G to group the selected buttons.) You do this so that all of the buttons drop down at the same time.

4. Choose Slide Show>Custom Animation. (In 2007, choose Animations tab>Animations group>Custom Animation.)

5. Select the grouped submenu buttons, and choose Add Effect> Entrance> Wipe. Set the Direction to From Top. Set the Speed to Very Fast.

6. You want the menu to wipe down when you click the Main Menu. In the Custom Animation task pane, click the submenu's drop-down arrow and choose Timing.

7. Click Triggers, then choose Start Effect on Click Of. From the drop-down list, choose the Main Menu object. Click OK.

8. It's nice if the submenu buttons disappear so that the next time you display the menu slide, you again have to click the Main Menu button to drop them down. This takes some finagling. (If you don't want the submenu buttons to disappear the next time you display the menu slide, skip to Step 11 and hyperlink to your Main Menu slide.) Select the grouped submenu buttons, and choose Add Effect> Exit> Disappear in the Custom Animation task pane. The new animation should appear above the trigger; if not, drag it up.

Note: If you now create links on the other slides to go back to this slide, you'll find that the submenu doesn't disappear. It may disappear once, but try again, and the Disappear animation won't work any more! that's because PowerPoint disables certain features when a slide is displayed more than once.

9. To make sure that the submenu disappears each time, click the Main Menu Slide in the left Slides pane and press Ctrl+D to duplicate that slide. Then select the first of the two identical slides. On that first slide, delete the submenu so that only the Main Menu button remains.

10. With that first slide still selected, choose Slide Show> Slide Transition. (In 2007, choose the Animations tab.) Uncheck the On Mouse Click check box and check the Automatically After check box, which should say 00:00.

11. Display the first slide that your first submenu button should link to. Add an AutoShape and choose Insert> Hyperlink. (In 2007, choose Insert tab> Links group> Hyperlink.) In the Hyperlink dialog box, choose Place in this Document, and choose the first of the two duplicate slides. This will ensure that the Disappear animation always works. No one will notice that you're going to a "dummy" first slide because the slide timing moves you immediately to the next slide -- which is your real menu slide.

12. Copy your hyperlinked button onto the other slides that you're linking to. These buttons get you back to the Main Menu.

Keyboard Shortcuts

2008-04-06T19:34:00.002+07:00

Use shortcut keys as an alternative to the mouse when working in Windows. You can open, close, and navigate the Start menu, desktop, menus, dialog boxes, and Web pages using keyboard shortcuts. Keyboard shortcuts may also make it easier for you to interact with your computer.

General keyboard shortcuts

CTRL+C	Copy.
CTRL+X	Cut.
CTRL+V	Paste.
CTRL+Z	Undo.
DELETE	Delete.
SHIFT+DELETE	Delete selected item permanently without placing the item in the Recycle Bin.
CTRL while dragging an item	Copy selected item.
CTRL+SHIFT while dragging an item	Create shortcut to selected item.
F2	Rename selected item.
CTRL+RIGHT ARROW	Move the insertion point to the beginning of the next word.
CTRL+LEFT ARROW	Move the insertion point to the beginning of the previous word.
CTRL+DOWN ARROW	Move the insertion point to the beginning of the next paragraph.
CTRL+UP ARROW	Move the insertion point to the beginning of the previous paragraph.
CTRL+SHIFT with any of the arrow keys	Highlight a block of text.
SHIFT with any of the arrow keys	Select more than one item in a window or on the desktop, or select text within a document.
CTRL+A	Select all.
F3	Search for a file or folder.
ALT+ENTER	View properties for the selected item.
ALT+F4	Close the active item, or quit the active program.
ALT+Enter	Displays the properties of the selected object.
ALT+SPACEBAR	Opens the shortcut menu for the active window.
CTRL+F4	Close the active document in programs that allow you to have multiple documents open simultaneously.
ALT+TAB	Switch between open items.
ALT+ESC	Cycle through items in the order they were opened.
F6	Cycle through screen elements in a window or on the desktop.
F4	Display the Address bar list in My Computer or Windows Explorer.
SHIFT+F10	Display the shortcut menu for the selected item.
ALT+SPACEBAR	Display the System menu for the active window.
CTRL+ESC	Display the Start menu.
ALT+Underlined letter in a menu name	Display the corresponding menu.
Underlined letter in a command name on an open menu	Carry out the corresponding command.
F10	Activate the menu bar in the active program.
RIGHT ARROW	Open the next menu to the right, or open a submenu.
LEFT ARROW	Open the next menu to the left, or close a submenu.
F5	Refresh the active window.
BACKSPACE	View the folder one level up in My Computer or Windows Explorer.
ESC	Cancel the current task.
SHIFT when you insert a CD into the CD-ROM drive	Prevent the CD from automatically playing.

Dialog box keyboard shortcuts

CTRL+TAB	Move forward through tabs.
CTRL+SHIFT+TAB	Move backward through tabs.
TAB	Move forward through options.
SHIFT+TAB	Move backward through options.
ALT+Underlined letter	Carry out the corresponding command or select the corresponding option.
ENTER	Carry out the command for the active option or button.
SPACEBAR	Select or clear the check box if the active option is a check box.
Arrow keys	Select a button if the active option is a group of option buttons.
F1	Display Help.
F4	Display the items in the active list.
BACKSPACE	Open a folder one level up if a folder is selected in the Save As or Open dialog box.

Natural keyboard shortcuts

[Windows Key] Display or hide the Start menu.
[Windows Key] +BREAK Display the System Properties dialog box.
[Windows Key] +D Show the desktop.
[Windows Key] +M Minimize all windows.
[Windows Key] +Shift+M Restores minimized windows.
[Windows Key] +E Open My Computer.
[Windows Key] +F Search for a file or folder.
CTRL+ [Windows Key] +F Search for computers.
[Windows Key] +F1 Display Windows Help.
[Windows Key] + L Lock your computer if you are connected to a network domain, or switch users if you are not connected to a network domain.
[Windows Key] +R Open the Run dialog box.
[Windows Key] +U Open Utility Manager.

Accessibility keyboard shortcuts

Right SHIFT for eight seconds Switch FilterKeys on and off.
Left ALT +left SHIFT +PRINT SCREEN Switch High Contrast on and off.
Left ALT +left SHIFT +NUM LOCK Switch MouseKeys on and off.
SHIFT five times Switch StickyKeys on and off.
NUM LOCK for five seconds Switch ToggleKeys on and off.
[Windows Key] +U Open Utility Manager.

Windows Explorer keyboard shortcuts

END	Display the bottom of the active window.
HOME	Display the top of the active window.
NUM LOCK+ASTERISK on numeric keypad (*)	Display all subfolders under the selected folder.
NUM LOCK+PLUS SIGN on numeric keypad (+)	Display the contents of the selected folder.
NUM LOCK+MINUS SIGN on numeric keypad (-)	Collapse the selected folder.
LEFT ARROW	Collapse current selection if it's expanded, or select parent folder.
RIGHT ARROW	Display current selection if it's collapsed, or select first subfolder.

You cannot open a new Internet Explorer window or nothing occurs after you click a link

2008-04-06T19:33:00.000+07:00

When you click a hyperlink in an e-mail message or on a Web page, or right-click a hyperlink on a Web page and then click Open in New Window, You cannot open a new Internet Explorer window or nothing occurs after you click a link

To resolve this problem in Internet Explorer, follow these steps:

Quit all programs that are running.
Click Start, and then click Run.
Type regsvr32 urlmon.dll, and then click OK.
When you receive the "DllRegisterServer in urlmon.dll succeeded" message, click OK.

If this does not resolve the problem, repeat steps 2 through 4 for each of the following files (in step 3, replace Urlmon.dll with each of the file names below):

Shdocvw.dll
Actxprxy.dll
Oleaut32.dll
Mshtml.dll
Browseui.dll
Shell32.dll

ADSL Autoconnect 2.0.6 F7

2008-04-06T19:32:00.000+07:00

ADSL Autoconnect is a software designed to optimize your ADSL connection.
Using ADSL Autoconnect, your ADSL connection will open automatically when Windows starts-up. The program will automatically reconnect and the connection can be reinitialized at a specified hourly interval. IP address changes can be sent by e-mail or by ftp post . Will display transfer rates when sending and receiving.

Support : Windows 98/SE, Windows Me, Windows NT4/SP6, Windows 2000 all versions, Windows XP all retail versions

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Ubuntu 8.04 - Hardy Heron New Features List

2008-04-06T17:59:00.005+07:00

There are many beta testers of the latest Ubuntu 8.04 out there trying out the new release, but one thing you would want to know is what to expect before you install it.

Here is a list of what you can expect as part of the new features of the Ubuntu 8.04 Hardy Heron.

Easy Installation
Ubuntu adoption on a dual boot is much easier by making it simple for Windows users to install Ubuntu onto their PCs without affecting their Windows installation, preview and try it out first before you commit to it. When run the installation CD within Windows the autoplay will launch the umenu and Wubi which will give you the option to install Ubuntu within windows or not. Wubi allows users to install and uninstall Ubuntu like any other Windows application. The setup wizard will take you step by step in choosing drives, to install, and setting up the windows boot manager and so on.

Uninstalling it all is easy, just click the uninstall option in windows to remove it all.

Desktop GUI and Apps Upgrades
At the time of this article it includes GNOME 2.22 which has an entire new set of features such as:
- "Cheese" tool which lets you take photos and make videos using your computer's webcam.
- "GVFS" a new network-transparent virtual filesystem layer for GTK+. GVFS is designed to overcome the shortcomings of the older GNOME-VFS system. Improvements over GNOME-VFS include remembering login credentials for the entire session and being more resilient to failures
- Built in internationalization into its clock
- Evolution mail improvements on spam filtering , perfrmance and integration with Google Calendars
- "Remote Desktop Viewer" features the ability to discover machines on the local network and bookmark your favorites
-"PolicyKit" is a new cross-desktop security framework. The purpose of PolicyKit is to provide a consistent way for user applications to gain extra privileges, e.g. for administrative applications.
- FireFox 3 comes installed by default.
- Bittorrent is replaced with "Transmission", a fast, easy, and free multi-platform BitTorrent client with a focus on being lightweight yet feature-filled.
- "Vinagre" VNC client is installed by default in Beta, replacing xvnc4viewer
- The "Brasero" CD/DVD burning application, which will complement the CD/DVD burning functions of Nautilus and replace the Serpentine audio CD burning utility, is installed by default
- New System Monitor utility
- Command line controlled firewall called ufw (Uncomplicated Firewall) host-based.

Energy Savings
In todays age we are all about conserving energy right? Well if your not, then your probably at least concerned with reducing overheating of your dual core CPU's? Anyhow, as one would expect with a new release of Ubuntu comes updated kernel software which amongst many things will help the performance of dual core and 64bit processors. It has dynticks support for amd64, bringing the same power savings already available on 32-bit systems to 64-bit laptops and desktops. In other words better power management for 64-bit users and kernel-based virtualization.

This is definitely the best Linux distro so far out there.

Taskbar Shuffle : Rearrange buttons on your Windows

2008-04-06T16:40:00.002+07:00

No hotkeys, no extra steps, just rearrange the buttons on your Windows taskbar by dragging and dropping them. Allows you to rearrange your system tray icons by dragging and dropping as well (but that does require a hotkey).

No need to get all nervous when an application crashes or if you need to reboot; you can reorder your programs exactly as they were anytime by just dragging and dropping them directly within your Windows taskbar!

This program does not contain spyware, ads, toolbars, annoyingware, or malware of any kind, and never will.

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History And Issues Of Notebooks

2008-04-06T16:30:00.000+07:00

A Notebook or commonly referred to as a laptop computer is a smaller version of the desktop computer. But its advantages are that all of its components it comes in one neat mobile notebook shaped digital display box, and is easily portable. It usually weighs around 2 to 17 pounds (1 to 8 kgs) depending on the make, materials and different other factors that come into play such as the parent company etc.

Notebooks run on a singular battery from (usually) an external AC/DC adapter. It charges the battery and in the meanwhile supplies power to the laptop too. Numerous `notebooks` have a 3 volt back-up cell to supply power during power failures and when in places where there is no steady power supply. Notebooks, as personal computers are worthy and capable of doing the same work as of desktop computers. But they are less powerful than their desktop counterparts at the same price. This is because of the fact that most parts used in desktop computers are miniaturized to fit into the slim notebook version of the machine.

Notebooks usually have LCD (liquid crystal displays) and they use separate memory modules for their RAM. Notebooks usually have a touchpad (or trackpad) for a mouse and an in-built keyboard. But external installments of these can also be attached if the user wants to do so.

The first commercially available laptop (the name notebook was not feasible at that time as they were much bigger than the versions available now) was the Osborne I in 1981. Though it was much heavier and had only a tiny CRT monitor, yet it had a revolutionary effect on the business and industrial sectors. The idea of taking back work to home was given a full new meaning. A better installment of the laptop or the `notebook` came in 1983. Compaq Portable was the first tech-product of Compaq and was a notebook version of the then hugely popular IBM Personal Computer. It became a hit as it was more IBM-compatible than portable from its predecessors!

But the first notebook was arguably the GRiD Compass 1101, released in 1982 by Bill Moggridge. The `clamshell` design, or the `notebook` design, where the LCD monitor remains shut against the keypad, was introduced. It was enclosed in a magnesium case, and could run on batteries. The first commercially successful notebooks were from the SupersPort series from Zenith Data Systems (ZDS), which competed with several other companies such as IBM, Toshiba, Compaq and others to notch up a deal with the U.S. Air Force for a contract of supplying 200,000 notebooks in 1987. This made the laptop popular and penetrative to the business and affordable price ranges to the common consumers.

Even though the notebook might seem a powerful and mobile genius of this age, it has its fallacies too. The major ones may be listed below.

Standardizing and weaker parts:

Parts of the notebook are miniaturized parts of desktop computers themselves and hence are weaker in comparison. The miniaturization process also takes a toll on the prices of the notebooks, which are generally higher priced than their desktop counterparts. Also, notebooks count a lot on steady power supply, even though supposed to be mobile, for a decent performance. Though, today technology has improved this negative facet of notebooks.

Durability Issues:

The portability, make, integrated composite structure and design of the notebooks make them more liable to shock, wear and physical damage than desktop computers. And the worst part is that the purchase value of a new LCD screen or motherboard, if damaged, is more than the whole purchasing value of the notebook itself!

Performance Issues:

Desktop computers are generally high performing machines when compared to notebooks of the same price range. This even though is being abolished slowly by improving cutting edge technology, this will not hold true. As energy and portability are prioritized goals for a notebook than absolute performance.

All in all, notebooks are the rage of the new generation today. And slowly but surely, the era of desktop computers is fading into oblivion.

All Internet Explorer Tips

2008-04-06T15:20:00.002+07:00

Create your web Shortcuts
To create a new shortcut to a Webpage, open Notepad and type [InternetShortcut] on the first line, then URL = followed by the address of the page on the second line. Save the file with a .URL extension. If you save it in \Windows\Favorites folder, it will be added to the Favorites list in your browser.

Pick Your Wallpaper
Right click on any image in your browser and select Set as Wallpaper to make it your desktop wallpaper. Internet Explorer will copy the image to the Windows folder and set it as the wallpaper.

Find Sites With AutoComplete
Whenever you begin typing a URL in the address box, it tried to find a recently visited page that matches what you are typing. If IE finds a match, it automatically fills in the rest of the address for you. This is not only convenient, it can also be useful if you remember only a part of on Internet address. You can turn the feature on or off from Tools > Internet Options > Advanced. Scroll down to use inline AutoComplete for Web address. Toggle this on or off.

Temporary files
Clearing the browser cache can retrieve disk space and can also avoid problems on certain Web pages. To clear the files, open Tools > Internet Options. Under the General tab, click on Delete Files to clear the cache.

Offline Web Pages
You can set a page as "offline" so you can read it even when you're not connected. On the Favorites menu, click Add to Favorites. Enable Make available offline. To specify a schedule for updating the page and how much content to download, click Customize. Follow the instructions on screen.

Script errors
You can turn off useless script error messages from popping up. Click on Tools > Internet Options > Advanced. Click the checkbox labeled Disable script debugging. Uncheck the checkbox labeled Display a notification for every script error.

Searching with Style!
With Internet Explorer, you can search with more than one search engine. click search on the toolbar and click Customize. Customize your search form the window that opens.

Never lose an Interesting site like SoftwareTipsandTricks!
If you remember visiting a site a week or two ago that you forgot to add to your favorites list, you can still fine it. the History folder maintains a list of all the sites that you visited for a set number of says. To set the number of days. click Tools > Internet Options. Under the General tab, set the Days to Keep Pages in History. You can enter any number between 0 and 999.

Save or print links
You can save or print the information from linked Web pages without displaying the page on screen. Right-click the link and click Save Target As to save the linked page to your hard disk or Print Target to print the linked page.

WordPress 2.5 Release

2008-04-05T17:49:00.000+07:00

WordPress 2.5, the culmination of six months of work by the WordPress community, people just like you. The improvements in 2.5 are numerous, and almost entirely a result of your feedback: multi-file uploading, one-click plugin upgrades, built-in galleries, customizable dashboard, salted passwords and cookie encryption, media library, a WYSIWYG that doesn’t mess with your code, concurrent post editing protection, full-screen writing, and search that covers posts and pages.

User Features

Cleaner, faster, less cluttered dashboard — we’ve worked hard to take your feedback about what’s most important in the dashboard and organize things to allow you to focus on what’s important — your blog — and get out of your way. In collaboration with Happy Cog and the community we’ve taken the first major step forward in the WordPress interface since version 1.5.

Dashboard Widgets — the dashboard home page is now a series of widgets, including ones to show you fun stats about your posting, latest comments, people linking to you, new and popular plugins, and of course WordPress news. You can customize any of the dashboard widgets to show, for example, news from your local paper instead of WP news. Plugins can also hook in, for example the WordPress.com stats widget adds a handy double-wide stats box.

Multi-file upload with progress bar — before when you would upload a large file you’d wait forever, never knowing how far along it was. And uploading more than one photo was an exercise in patience, as you could only do one at a time. Now you can select a whole of folder images or music or videos at once and it’ll show you the progress of each upload.

Bonus: EXIF extraction — if you upload JPEG files with EXIF metadata like camera make and model, aperture, shutter speed, ISO, et al. WordPress will extract all the data into custom fields you can use in your template. If you use the EXIF title fields or similar those will be put into their equivalent fields in WP. Most modern digital cameras generate EXIF data.

Search posts and pages — search used to cover just posts, now it includes pages too, a great boon for those using WordPress as a CMS. New themes can style or sort pages differently in results.

Tag management — you can now add, rename, delete, and do whatever else you like to tags from inside WordPress, no plugins needed.

Password strength meter — when you change your password on your profile it’ll tell you how strong your password is to help you pick a good one.

Concurrent editing protection — for those of you on multi-author blogs, have you ever opened a post while someone was already editing it, and your auto-saves kept overwriting each other, irrecoverably losing hours of work? I bet that added a few words to your vocabulary. Now if you open a post that someone else is editing, WordPress magically locks it and prevents you from saving until the other person is done. You’ll see a message like below.

Few-click plugin upgrades — if the plugins you use are part of the plugin directory since 2.3 we’ve told you when they have an update available. Now we take that to the next logical step — downloading and installing the upgrade for you. This is dependent a little bit on your host setup, and it may ask you for your FTP password much like OS X or Windows will ask you for a password, but it works well on majority of hosts we were able to test, your mileage may very, plugins in mirror may be larger than they appear.

Friendlier visual post editor — I’m not sure how to articulate this improvement except to say “it doesn’t mess with your code anymore.” We’re now using version 3.0 of TinyMCE, which means better compatibility with Safari, and we’ve paid particular attention this release to its integration and interaction with complex HTML. It also now has a “no-distractions” mode which is like Writeroom for your browser.

Built-in galleries — when you take advantage of multi-file upload to upload a bunch of photos, we have a new shortcode that lets you to easily embed galleries by just putting [ gallery] (without the space) in your post. It’ll display all your thumbnails and captions and each will link each to a page where people can comment on the individual photos.

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Show Filesize Before Download in Firefox

2008-04-05T14:14:00.000+07:00

Easy 3 Steps to Show Filesize Before Download in Firefox

1. Open File nsHelperAppDlg.js that located in C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\components\nsHelperAppDlg.js with Editor Tool like Notepad2

2. At line 369 you will see

if (suggestedFileName)
fname = suggestedFileName;

put this code after that

// =====================================
// Begin Download File Size by the DtTvB
//
try {

//
// Create an XMLHttpRequest, to get the HEAD response...
//
var xh = new this.mDialog.XMLHttpRequest();
xh.open ("HEAD", url.spec, false);
xh.send (null);

//
// Get the response header.
//
var clen = xh.getResponseHeader('Content-Length');

if (clen) {

//
// Add to the filename for show.
//
clens = clen + ' bytes';
if (clen > 1024)
clens = (Math.round(clen / 102.4) / 10) + ' kilobytes';
if (clen > 1000000)
clens = (Math.round(clen / 104857.6) / 10) + ' megabytes';
fname += ' (' + clens + ')';

}

} catch (e) {
//
// Error handler! :P
//
}
//
// Code finished! ;) the DtTvB
// =====================================

3. Restart Firefox

Credit : the DtTvB @ FirefoxThai.com

7 Must Knows For Windows Vista Newbies

2008-04-05T12:37:00.000+07:00

Not all computer users are tech savvy and attuned to blogs, forum discussions, and reviews of the great new expectation of 2006 the Windows Vista Release. For everyday computer user things like administrator control or enhanced security has little or no meaning. All he or she looks for is a computer that works smoothly, allows them to enjoy the World Wide Web and simple functions like email, photos, and perhaps online shopping.

According to those in the know Windows Vista is all set to open many doors of delight.

1. According to Bill Gates, Microsoft is planning to allow DirectTV subscribers to “move shows from their set top boxes to Windows PCs, or even the Xbox 360 or other mobile devices. This is to be a part of the “Plays for Sure” plan.

2. Vista is all set to have a swanky new Messenger which will steal minds and hearts of users and function smoothly too.

3. Music played on a PC will reach new levels with the swanky new Windows Media Player 11 which is being launched with Windows Vista. This will sort, file, and mix and match music according to the likes of the user. You can view the music according to say genre or even type.

4. The Windows Vista Media Center will allow uninterrupted viewing of high definition digital cable.

5. Vista is designed with futuristic photo editing tools that will change the way photos are viewed or stored or shared. Every Vista user will have enhanced features and will be able to edit and print studio quality photographs. Photos can be sorted by date, keywords, or any other individual system.

6. That Vista graphics will be state of art is well known but inbuilt in Vista is Flip 3D a tool that will allow users to shift among multiple open windows and a side bar that will run in the corner continuously.

7. Vista users will be able to use a new slideshow to mix video images and still photos.

8. As far as gaming is concerned Vista reaches for new heights with enhanced graphics, 3D effects, and real to life projections. Gaming will take on new dimensions with the launch of Windows Vista.

Vista is being promoted by Microsoft as the ultimate OS, what the release will bring will be known only when the actual system is released towards the end of 2006. Fairly advanced Vista users will have to tweak their hardware systems or purchase a new dream machine. The Windows Vista according to promos is all set to bring “clarity to the world” and open new vistas in computing. The program addresses needs at all levels personal and professional and the system is such that it can be tweaked to suit individual needs.

The keys for Vista according to an FAQ constructed by http://www.winsupersite.com/faq/vista.asp are connected, clear, and confident, stating that Windows Vista will take you to new levels of connectivity, give you the user clarity in the interface and the ways in which you organize your work, and ensure that you are confident always that your privacy and data is protected at all times.

Vista is all set to conquer new vistas in computing.

How to set this file extention open with this program everytime?

2008-04-05T12:09:00.000+07:00

Example : Every time when I open file aaa.iso, it will open with Nero Burning Rom and ready to burn. One day when I install UltraISO, the file aaa.iso open with UltraISO instead of Nero. Then I run UltraISO and go to option to setting it for not open with .iso but it not work. Today file .iso is not open for anyprogram or can open but icon don't show correctly.

Example2 : Every time when I open file aaa.mp3, it will open with Winamp but One day when I install RealPlayer, the file aaa.mp3 open with RealPlayer instead of Winamp. Then I run RealPlayer and go to option to setting it for not open with .mp3 but it not work. Today file .mp3 is not open for anyprogram or can open but icon don't show correctly.

This is normal problem that can find in all computer. Today I have the way to solve it.
1. Go to My Computer
2. Click Tool > Folder Option
3. Choose Tab File Types
4. Find the Extention that have problem (.iso, .mp3) and click on it
5. If you want to change program to run with this extention, click Change then choose your program and mask in front of Always use the select program...
6. If icon don't show correctly, click Advance > Change Icon > Browse
Select your icon and click OK > OK > Close

PortableDD : Delivery PortableApps 2 U !

2008-04-05T10:30:00.000+07:00

The new website that make PortableApps

Free PortableApps, Easily, Safe, No Virus 100%
Guarantee by me :-)

Safari Is Bugging Network Administrators

2008-04-05T08:41:00.000+07:00

It looks like Apple isn't off the hook yet, as far as self-aware Safari is concerned. Last month, Apple's standard browser for Leopard and iPhone users has made its way onto Windows-running computers through the same program Apple uses to issue updates for iTunes and QuickTime users, Apple Software Update. Reportedly, big
company administrators are now complaining that their PC operators have installed Safari believing they were updating an existing piece of software on their PCs. What used to just a "wrong" move on behalf of the Cupertino-based corporation has now turned into a security issue.

Cody Wilson, a network administrator with Soy Capital Bank and Trust in Decatur, Illinois, noticed that Safari had popped up as a download option with his Apple Software Update, a few weeks ago. As mentioned above, the program is used by Apple to issue updates for people using iTunes and QuickTime on their Windows PCs.

"This is not good; this is a security risk," he said. "We’re a bank." Wilson said it has taken him more than half a week to get rid of Safari from his network and prevent this from ever happening again.

Emin, a poster to the Patchmanagement discussion list, wrote the following, according to Macworld: "What’s the difference between a malware spreading across a corporate environment and a nagging system tray icon that installs another insecure default browser."

The same source also points out to an e-mail interview with Susan Bradley who agrees that Apple's sneaky update has been giving network administrators a lot of headaches: "It impacts all of us when more potential attack surface is installed in a group of folks that are vulnerable enough as it is," said Susan Bradley, chief technology officer with Tamiyasu, Smith, Horn and Braun, Accountancy Corp.

Oh, Apple. Now you've gone and done it...!

Is VoIP Internet Phone For Me?

2008-04-04T17:49:00.000+07:00

Voice over IP (VoIP), or broadband cable phone telephony, has opened the broadband Internet community to another facet of communication. With companies like Vonage leading the way, computer users with broadband access can now eliminate their traditional landline telephone service and make calls over the Internet.

The savings and flexibility with using this new technology is easily apparent. You are no longer stuck with using a local area code. You can now choose any area code you like.

So Is VoIP for Me?

I often get asked that question during broadband installations. The simple answer is "yes." The broadband will interface with a box that the VoIP provider supplies. This box will have a traditional phone line output that goes to your telephone. That's it. You do not have to make calls over your computer, and you do not have to login to any service before placing calls. So if you're able to use a telephone, then you'll be able to take advantage of Voice over IP.

Our experience with VoIP (Vonage in particular) has been great. The unlimited plan through Vonage allows unlimited local long distance within the United States for under $25 per month. It's easy to take advantage of the call forwarding, Voice Mail and 3-Way calling features. Plus, you have the added flexibility of having a great online interface that allows you to setup and change features with ease.

The only drawbacks are you need to sign up for the 911 calling. This is easy to do and completely free, but it might be something people overlook. Since you have he ability to select any area code you want, there is no way the 911 service can work for you locally if you have a Los Angeles area code but actually live in Idaho. Signing up for the 911 will associate your number with your local emergency service.

A second minor drawback is if you own a fax machine, you'll need to get a special Vonage box that allows you to send and receive faxes. Still, no big deal, but they do charge an additional $9.99 per month for that.

In conclusion, VoIP is still cheaper to use than most local and long distance services. If you have broadband, you might as well take advantage of the additional services broadband can incorporate.

Royale Theme for WinXP - Official

2008-04-04T15:29:00.000+07:00

The Best Theme from Microsoft that I Recommend.

Royale Theme for WinXP description

Royale Theme is a new theme, potentially destined for Windows XP, that has leaked out of Microsoft and onto the web. The theme appears to have come out of a beta version of Media Center 2005 that was in testing.

The theme is not a substantially different incarnation of the existing of Luna, the current default theme for Windows XP. You can see the main changes in the screenshots below; one could describe it as being a 'glass mod' of Luna.

As Microsoft knows, it is very hard to please everyone when it comes to themes. However, I think they can be reasonably certain that most people will like this new version of Luna.

Microsoft New Zealand is making available some free desktop backgrounds for use on your computer. Includes the New Zealand version of Bliss; the world-famous directional sign in Bluff; and the theme pack for Royale. Check back each month as we add more!

Download

Acid3 Test

2008-04-04T12:22:00.000+07:00

What is Acid 3 Test?

Acid3 is a test page from the Web Standards Project that checks how well a web browser follows certain web standards, especially relating to the DOM and JavaScript.

It was in development from April 2007, and released on 3 March 2008. The main developer was Ian Hickson, who also wrote the Acid2 test. Acid2 focused primarily on Cascading Style Sheets, but this third Acid test focuses also on technologies used on modern, highly interactive websites characteristic of Web 2.0, such as ECMAScript and DOM Level 2. A few tests also concern Scalable Vector Graphics, XML and data: URIs. Only elements from specifications as of 2004 are included.[3]

When successful, the Acid3 test displays a gradually increasing percentage counter with colored rectangles in the background. The percentage displayed is based on the number of sub-tests passed. In addition to these the browser also has to render the page exactly like the reference page as rendered in the same browser. Unlike the Acid2 test, the reference rendering is not a bitmap, to allow for certain differences in font rendering.

Today we have 2 Browser that pass Acid3 test in Beta version that is Opera and Safari
How many your browser take the score?

Take The Acid3 Test for Your Browser Now

Solve all problem with Windows Media Player

2008-04-04T10:29:00.000+07:00

How to Install WMP11 with out Validation Crack?

1. Run files

wmp11.exe
wmfdist11.exe
wmdbexport.exe
umdf.exe

(If your OS is Windows Server 2003 , you must change OS compatibility to Windows XP)
2. Restart and Enjoy!

Cannot open my Windows Media Player. (For All Version)

1. Close all programs
2. Click Start > Run... and type " regsvr32 jscript.dll " Press Enter
3. Click Start > Run... and type " regsvr32 vbscript.dll " Press Enter
4. Click Start > Run... and type " regsvr32 vbscript.dll " Press Enter
5. Now, You can open Windows Media Player 555+

Set First run to Now Playing instead of Library in WMP11
1. Right Click on Your WMP11 Shortcut
2. Type /Task:NowPlaying After "C:\Program Files\Windows Media Player\wmplayer.exe" (1 Separate)
3. Make it again for all shortcut and run WMP11 to test.

Force Remove WMP11 If Cannot Uninstall normally
1. Close all programs
2. Go to Run.. and Type %WinDir%\$NtUninstallwmp11$\spuninst\spuninst.exe
3. Follow the wizard, after it finish , You don't Reboot
4. Go to Run.. and Type %WinDir%\$NtUninstallWMFDist11$\spuninst\spuninst.exe
5. Follow the wizard, after it finish , Reboot Your Computer
6. Click on WMP10 icon and Install

Microsoft gives Yahoo three weeks to do a deal

2008-04-04T08:30:00.000+07:00

Microsoft on Saturday issued an ultimatum to Yahoo, giving the Internet search pioneer three weeks to enter formal merger negotiations and conclude a deal.

The software giant threatened to launch a proxy fight to unseat Yahoo's board of directors, as well as take its case straight to Yahoo investors should no deal be reached in that period.

And as a further cattle prod in getting a deal consummated, Microsoft threatened to lower its existing bid, citing how Yahoo's value will be hurt if it needs to resort to such hostile means.

"If we have not concluded an agreement within the next three weeks, we will be compelled to take our case directly to your shareholders, including the initiation of a proxy contest to elect an alternative slate of directors for the Yahoo board," Steve Ballmer, Microsoft chief executive, stated in his letter to Yahoo's board of directors. "The substantial premium reflected in our initial proposal anticipated a friendly transaction with you. If we are forced to take an offer directly to your shareholders, that action will have an undesirable impact on the value of your company from our perspective which will be reflected in the terms of our proposal."

Microsoft initially offered an unsolicited buyout bid of $31 per share for Yahoo back on February 1. Since its initial offer, executives from both companies met four weeks ago for the first time to discuss the merger and once again last week with no results of moving it into formal talks.

Yahoo's board is expected to discuss Ballmer's letter next week, as well as provide a briefing on how talks between the two companies went last week, one source said.

Ballmer's letter is no slam dunk in driving Yahoo to formal talks. Yahoo, which already rejected Microsoft's initial offer as too low and one that undervalues the company, is leery of entering formal talks without assurances Microsoft's bid will be higher.

"We could enter formal talks and they might increase the bid, or they might not," the source said, noting opening their financial books to the software giant may make little difference. "Our books are already open. We're going to report our earnings in a couple weeks."

Yahoo, meanwhile, is cognizant that Microsoft wants to get the deal done and past federal antitrust regulators, otherwise called the Department of Justice (DOJ), while President Bush is still in office, the source said.

One former high-level antitrust attorney with the DOJ, who is now in private practice, said it usually takes six to eight months to move a deal through the DOJ. There is approximately eight months left before Bush's term ends.

Meanwhile, another source noted back in early March that Microsoft has its opposition slate of directors for Yahoo all ready to go.

The opposition slate would move to unseat Yahoo's 10 directors at the next annual shareholders meeting. Should Microsoft take such action and prevail, it's likely the opposition slate would vote to remove Yahoo's "poison pill," which makes it prohibitively expensive to acquire the company. A poison pill floods the market with additional shares of a target company, should a hostile bidder acquire too many shares of a company's stock.

Ballmer, in his letter, indicated that Microsoft would ask Yahoo investors to tender their shares to the software giant, which would park them until it could get its opposition slate elected. While Microsoft would not be able to gain control of Yahoo by taking that measure, it will send a clear message to Yahoo if enough of the Internet company's investors side with Microsoft. Basically, it would show Yahoo how successful Microsoft would be in getting its opposition slate of directors elected, when those investors are asked to vote on Yahoo's new board.

Yahoo should brace itself for an onslaught of investor wrath come Monday.

One large institutional investor is planning to call Yahoo's independent directors and management on Monday.

"I'm not happy with how Yahoo has handled it. I think they've bungled it while Microsoft has played it pretty well," the investor said. "I like that (Microsoft) has put a clock on this. I previously told Yahoo's independent directors that if they didn't move forward with this, I might support a new board."

And while this investor had a brief thought of banning together a group of major Yahoo investors to make a public statement in support of Microsoft's bid, the institutional investor noted that there would be a number of filing hoops to go through with the Securities and Exchange Commission. He noted a more likely scenario will be for institutional investors to make individual statements.

The investor previously advised Yahoo to move forward and fast in doing a deal with Microsoft, given the changes in January with a new administration in the White House and in the European Union. He also advised Yahoo's management to ditch the idea of doing a roadshow with its three-year strategic plan, and instead spend the time getting a deal in place.

"We all think Microsoft should pay more for Yahoo and, if it is handled right, Microsoft will likely pay more," said the major investor, who thought $34 to $35 per share is a good range.

The investor added: "Microsoft has to do this deal. The paradigm is shifting away from their core business to the Internet. They've already spent billions of dollars but haven't gotten it right. This is such a logical deal for them to do."

TuneUp Utilities 2008

2008-04-03T15:52:00.000+07:00

In selecting registry repair software that I would recommend, I reviewed a number of the well known programs. I found very few without some serious negative issues. TuneUp utilities is one of the best of breed.

Overview

The program presents a well organized start screen which divides Windows maintenance into 6 parts;

1. Increase Performance - Speed is provided by defragmenting the hard drive which speeds reading and writing to the disk, removing unnecessary programs which waste your computer power, accelerating surfing, compacting the registry to accelerate access and optimizing memory.

2. Free up disk space - Unnecessary files and Windows function related garbage is removed. A disk space utility shows which directories and files are using the most space in a convenient pie chart format so that the user can quickly remove what he/she doesn't need.

3. Maintain Windows - This set of operations insures trouble free performance by providing for registry repair and removal of unneceary temporary files.

4. Solve Problems - In this section a disk doctor is provided to check the file system. The repair wizard diagnoses and repairs computer and display problems. The undelete utility gets back those files that you might have unintentionally deleted.

5. Customize Windows - Tweak the look and feel of your system to your taste.

6. Additional Tools - File shredding (to make certain files impossible to read by anyone else), system process monitoring (see whats running and using system resources), registry direct editing and uninstall utilities are provided here.

All operations are backed up and a rescue center is provided to restore the system in the event of any problem.

Registry Cleaner

TuneUp Utilities is the most sophisticated and professional system tool set that I have seen to date. The registry cleaner lives up to these high standards.

The registry cleaner is started from start screen in the Maintain Windows section. This section shows a brief summary of the status of all maintenance items. This includes a summary of the last cleanup, the space freed by deleting temporary files etc.

Once you start it, it begins with a brief descriptive screen which summarizes the operations of the cleaner. The cleaner will remove all unnecessary, obsolete and damaged information from the registry. Once this is done, system freezes and bugs will be reduced and performance will be improved. The rescue center is available here if needed.

A screen then appears which offers the choice of complete or selected item repair of the registry. The user can decide to only fix particular issues and has full control of every detail.

If complete is selected, it starts running immediately. A list of the different types of registry checks to be done is displayed. A flashing arrow next to an item in the list shows the type of fix currently being checked.

Once the scan is complete, a summary page with counts of each type of error appears. You can click on any of the types and get the details of the errors found. You will generally not be interested in fine details but if there are certain items that you don't want touched, you can prevent them from being changed here.

Some changes may cause new changes to need to be made so that another run through of the cleaner is needed. The program keeps track of these items and will prompt you when another shorter rerun is needed.

As mentioned before, TuneUp utilities backs up before making any changes. If necessary, the rescue center can be used to restore the system to the original state.

Summary

TuneUp utilities provides a superior set of programs to manage all aspects of Windows maintenance. The registry cleaner is especially elegant and powerful. As they say, the proof of the pudding is in the eating and you will find that running other registry cleaner programs will come up with a new set of errors for each of a series of runs. TuneUp utilities comes up clean with no issues after a cleaning has been done indicating the thoroughness of this operation. This program is highly recommended.

Download Now

6 Ways to Improve Computer Performance

2008-04-03T14:17:00.000+07:00

Have you ever been on your computer and suddenly it froze, crashed or came to a slow crawl? And you had to restart, lost your work, lost time and felt so enraged that if you had an ax...STOP! Donâ€™t kill the computer. Here are 6 ways to improve computer performance.

1. INCREASE VIRTUAL MEMORY: Virtual memory is the space your computer uses when it's short of RAM (Random Access Memory), which is the memory used when running programs like Office Suites. Resetting the virtual memory usage on your computer, also referred to as pagination, is great way to improve computer peformance. To access and reset the Virtual Memory: On the Start menu,click My Computer. The My Computer window is displayed. Click View System Information. The Systems Properties dialog box is displayed. In the Systems Properties dialog box click the Advanced tab. Under Performance, click Settings. The Performance Options dialog box is displayed. In the Performance Options dialog box, click the Advanced tab. Find the Virtual memory area. Click Change. The Virtual Memory dialog box is displayed. There you can make changes to the custom pagination. DO NOT exceed the limit given in the properties box of your windows system.

2. STORING FILES ON THE MAIN DRIVE: Do not store lots of data on the main drive, which is where you install your windows operating system. Storing software like games, finance programs and other software on another drive of your computer is another way to improve computer performance.

3. RESETTING START UP MENU: The speed with which your computer boots depends on the amount of programs that are set to be started automatically at booting. Removing unnecessary and unwanted programs from the start up process can greatly speed up a computer at the start up level.

4. TURN OFF SYSTEM RESTORE: Having the System Restore option on takes a lot of space from the hard drive. Freeing up a lot of physical memory by turning off system restore can significantly improve computer performance. To access and turn off System Restore: Click START, then click ACCESSORIES, then click SYSTEM TOOLS, then click SYSTEM RESTORE. Once there you can edit settings and then turn off the system restore option.

5. CLEANING INTERNET CACHE AND COOKIES: Temporary Internet files affect browser speed. Regularly cleaning the cache and cookies will make your browser and computer perform at a faster speed. To Clean Internet Cache and Cookies: click Tools from your browser toolbar and click on Internet Options to delete and clear cache and cookies. This should be done on a regular basis to ensure ongoing improvement of computer performance and browser speed.

6. DEFRAGMENTING THE DISK: Regularly defragmenting the drive will improve computer performance. This tool can be accessed from the Start Menu then Accessories then System Tools.

WHAT ABOUT SOFTWARE THAT CLAIMS TO IMPROVE COMPUTER PERFORMANCE?: There is software out there that claims to optimize computer speed and improve performance, but these softwares are often costly and do not provide an all-in-one tool necessary to speed up computers to the max. And so you wind up buying several software programs, which ironically take up more space on your computer, in an attempt to fix multiple problems and improve computer performance. Not really the best solution.

There are many more elaborate tools to improve computer performance and maximize computer speed without constant attention. To learn all the important tools for optimal computer performance and speed, without any software, as well as, procedures to automatically set convenient weekly or monthly maintenance, all presented in step-by-step video guides visit: FAST PC SECRETS

Dreamlinux 3.1 Has Landed

2008-04-03T12:52:00.000+07:00

Dreamlinux Desktop Edition 3.1 was launched, as announced by one of its developers. It comes with the Flexiboost technology, based on overlaid modules, that allows the co-existence of two or more different window managers, sharing the same appearance.

The new distro is much more stable, and the working packages
were frozen to the ones from the first Release Candidate, with a few changes, additions and improvements. The hardware detection is much better now (especially when it comes to video card detection), finding almost all normal cards that exist at this moment.

The Dreamlinux Installer (DLI) was simplified so everyone can set up Dreamlinux on their machines. The problems encountered in the Release Candidates, like the one that didn't allow a user to choose an entire disk for the installation, were fixed and seem to work fine. The developers do not recommend xfs filesystem for your root partition because there seems to be a problem related to it and the GRUB bootloader.

A new feature, the Dreamlinux Pen Installer, allows a user to install a Dreamlinux ISO image to a pen drive, letting the user run the distribution Live or installed on the pen drive. The most interesting thing about the Pen Installer is the fact that you could even download a kernel module and simply replace it in your pen-drive installed Dreamlinux. This feature even amazed the developers how it works, thanks to its modularity.

Also, there's some fresh eye-candy included in Dreamlinux 3.1, and improved usability. One of the developers, that uses the 'nelsongs' nickname on Dreamlinux's forums, said: "So, Dreamlinux is starting to become more and more a real Community distro, as I wish. We hope to select some of our forum members to be more involved in DL development. I remember having read one post of someone that wishes to be part of our Development Team. I will try to locate this post again and invite the guy to work with me directly and assess if he can join us in the Development Team (currently only myself, Andre Felipe and some Ruud Kuin's contributions)."

Download

My Documents folder missing in My Computer

2008-04-03T09:46:00.000+07:00

When you open the My Computer screen and your Documents folder is missing but all the other users folders are there try this tweak.

STEP 1:

START > RUN > REGEDIT >

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE / Software / Microsoft / Windows / Current Version / Explorer / DocFolderPaths

Once you click the DocFolderPaths folder you should see all the user's folders.

STEP 2:

Add a new string value

Value Name: your user name

Value Data: the path to your docs folder ( ex. C:\Documents and Settings\your docs folder )

Exit Registry editor and open my computer, your docs folder should now be visable.

I hope this helps those of you stranded with this problem!

Windows XP Is Still Better Than Vista

2008-04-03T08:09:00.000+07:00

Recently, an Apple Computer commercial for the Mac featured a down and out "Windows guy" who sheepishly confessed that he was taking the unlikely step of uninstalling his recent Windows Vista upgrade and returning to the former Windows XP system. While a clever scenario for an advertisement, it seems it was not at all far from the truth. In the course of extensive tests, some independent computer researchers found that XP did much better than Vista in all of the tests they conducted.

Interestingly, these surprising results that came from comparing the performance of XP against the "latest and greatest" Windows Vista were consistent regardless of which versions of the operating systems were used or the amount of RAM memory that was installed on the pc. The tests clearly showed that even when the Vista installation was upgraded to the most recent "Service Pack Beta One" package, Vista still consistently proved to be sluggish.

In order to run comprehensive tests, the researchers installed both patched and unpatched versions of the two systems, namely Windows XP and Vista. They were run on a Dell laptop with a dual-core processor and they used the Microsoft Office application with each version of these operating systems.

The test results showed the time it took for each of the system configurations to complete a number of given tasks in Office. These tasks included creating a complex document and creating a series of presentation slides. The times to complete these tasks under XP and under Vista were then carefully noted and compared against each other.

The results were not at all what the researchers were expecting to report. Not only were all of the tested functions faster with the XP operating system installed, but the testers were surprised to find that XP proved to be approximately twice as fast as the operations performed in Vista, in almost all of the tests.

This is a significant difference in speed and undoubtedly is a difference that will be noticeable to even casual pc users. For power users, such a drastic reduction in speed is not only frustrating but simply unacceptable. Because of this, many people who had "upgraded" to Vista have subsequently gone back and reinstalled XP on their machines.

It is no wonder that the folks at Apple grabbed the opportunity to poke fun at the latest "upgrade" offered to Microsoft Windows users.

On top of the bad news that came out of those speed comparisons of XP versus Vista, the other testing delivered some additional blows. The experiments with the two operating systems also clearly showed that Vista demonstrated a tendency to be "resource-hungry" and gobbled up virtually all of the extra RAM memory that might be added to a computer. When testers doubled the memory in the test machine from one gigabyte to two gigabytes, the result was a measly 4% improvement in performance.

Even if there were not performance issues with Vista, at the moment there have not been any important new programs that have been produced to run only on Vista. But, with these two factors combined, people are not feeling compelled to spend the money and go through the hassle of leaving Windows XP to switch.

Online Virus Scan

2008-04-02T21:41:00.000+07:00

My idea last week of starting a dating agency for virus programmers so that they have something better to do with their lives than annoying normal hardworking people had a very good response however I´m afraid that I´m going to have to put this on hold for the time due to time restraints. First, I´m sorry to bang on for yet another month about viruses; I do promise that this is the last time for a while but it still seems that many of you are becoming infected with viruses which is needless when you consider that protection is available free of charge.

At present I am receiving around 20 (twenty) viruses a day via e-mail and the reason for this is that many customers and readers are infected and as such the virus is picking my e-mail address off of their systems and e-mailing itself to me. Whilst I´m not too bothered as my virus checker picks up the suspect attachments and deletes them immediate it could soon get to the stage where essentially my customers will be e-mailing me every minute with a new virus; thanks a million!

It is for this reason that this week all people reading my article are obliged to take 5 minutes out of their Saturday afternoon to run a completely free, up to date virus check of their system online. If a virus is found then you will be able to thank me as I will have just sped up your computer, avoided you passing it along to others and removed the possibility of the virus causing data loss. If nothing is found then I do apologise for wasting 5 minutes of your time but at least you will know that you´re in the clear for now and that you are virus free. This virus checker involves no software being installed into your computer and as I said is completely free of charge; just head to http://housecall.trendmicro.com and then click on the text that reads `Scan Now. It´s Free!´

It could take a few minutes to download the checker and the latest virus definitions that the site has to teach it and then it will ask you which locations on your computer wish to scan. Simply select your `C´ drive as well as any other hard disks you have in your machine, click on `Auto Clean´ and then click on scan. Now might be a good idea to go off and make a cup of tea or go down the pub as it will take a little while when you consider that Trend Housecall searches every file for the presence of viruses and will clean any that it may find; the process is completely automated so you are not required to sit and watch it. Even if you do have an existing virus checker on your machine then I would still recommend doing this today as the online virus checker couldn´t be more up to date and it may well detect a virus that your current checker doesn´t know of.

Ultimately the checker is free of charge, very easy to use and will only take a few minutes of your time. There is really no reason that you shouldn´t now be turning on your machine and going to the website address I gave above. If we get everyone in Torbay to do it then whoever it is with the infected machine which is sending me the NetSky virus will then know about it, remove the virus and hopefully me in peace to run my business!

Useful Run Commands

2008-04-02T12:25:00.000+07:00

I hope some may find this useful.

Accessibility Controls - access.cpl
Add Hardware Wizard - hdwwiz.cpl
Add/Remove Programs - appwiz.cpl
Administrative Tools - control admintools
Automatic Updates - wuaucpl.cpl
Bluetooth Transfer Wiz - fsquirt
Calculator - calc
Certificate Manager - certmgr.msc
Character Map - charmap
Check Disk Utility - chkdsk
Clipboard Viewer - clipbrd
Command Prompt - cmd
Component Services - dcomcnfg
Computer Management - compmgmt.msc
Date / Time Properties - timedate.cpl
DDE Shares - ddeshare
Device Manager - devmgmt.msc
Direct X Control Panel - directx.cpl
Direct X Troubleshooter - dxdiag
Disk Cleanup Utility - cleanmgr
Disk Defragment - dfrg.msc
Disk Management - diskmgmt.msc
Disk Partition Manager - diskpart
Display Properties - control desktop
Display Properties - desk.cpl
Display Properties - control color (w/Appearance Tab Preselected)
Dr. Watson - drwtsn32
Driver Verifier Utility - verifier
Event Viewer - eventvwr.msc
File Signature Verification Tool - sigverif
Findfast - findfast.cpl
Folders Properties - control folders
Fonts - control fonts
Fonts Folder - fonts
Free Cell Card Game - freecell
Game Controllers - joy.cpl
Group Policy Editor (XP Prof) - gpedit.msc
Hearts Card Game - mshearts
Iexpress Wizard - iexpress
Indexing Service - ciadv.msc
Internet Properties - inetcpl.cpl
IP Configuration (Display Connection Configuration) ipconfig /all
IP Configuration (Display DNS Cache Contents) ipconfig /displaydns
IP Configuration (Delete DNS Cache Contents) ipconfig /flushdns
IP Configuration (Release All Connections) ipconfig /release
IP Configuration (Renew All Connections) ipconfig /renew
IP Configuration (Refreshes DHCP & Re-Registers DNS) ipconfig /registerdns
IP Configuration (Display DHCP Class ID) ipconfig /showclassid
IP Configuration (Modifies DHCP Class ID) ipconfig /setclassid
Java Control Panel - jpicpl32.cpl
(If Installed)
Java Control Panel - javaws
(If Installed)
Keyboard Properties - control keyboard
Local Security Settings - secpol.msc
Local Users and Groups - lusrmgr.msc
Logs You Out Of Windows - logoff
Microsoft Chat - winchat
Minesweeper Game - winmine
Mouse Properties - control mouse
Mouse Properties - main.cpl
Network Connections - control netconnections
Network Connections - ncpa.cpl
Network Setup Wizard - netsetup.cpl
Notepad - notepad
Nview Desktop Manager - nvtuicpl.cpl
(If Installed)
Object Packager - packager
ODBC Data Source Admin - odbccp32.cpl
On Screen Keyboard - osk
Opens AC3 Filter - ac3filter.cpl
(If Installed)
Password Properties - password.cpl
Performance Monitor - perfmon.msc
Performance Monitor - perfmon
Phone and Modem Options - telephon.cpl
Power Configuration - powercfg.cpl
Printers and Faxes - control printers
Printers Folder - printers
Private Character Editor - eudcedit
Quicktime (If Installed) - QuickTime.cpl
Regional Settings - intl.cpl
Registry Editor - regedit
Registry Editor - regedit32
Remote Desktop - mstsc
Removable Storage - ntmsmgr.msc
Removable Storage - ntmsoprq.msc
Operator Requests
Resultant Set of Policy - rsop.msc
(XP Prof)
Scanners and Cameras - sticpl.cpl
Scheduled Tasks - control schedtasks
Security Center - wscui.cpl
Services - services.msc
Shared Folders - fsmgmt.msc
Shuts Down Windows - shutdown
Sounds and Audio - mmsys.cpl
Spider Solitare Card Game - spider
SQL Client Configuration - cliconfg
System Configuration Editor - sysedit
System Configuration Utility - msconfig
System File Checker Utility (Scan Immediately) sfc /scannow
System File Checker Utility (Scan Once At Next Boot) sfc /scanonce
System File Checker Utility (Scan On Every Boot) sfc /scanboot
System File Checker Utility (Return to Default Setting) sfc /revert
System File Checker Utility (Purge File Cache) sfc /purgecache
System File Checker Utility (Set Cache Size to size x) sfc /cachesize=x
System Properties - sysdm.cpl
Task Manager - taskmgr
Telnet Client - telnet
User Account Management - nusrmgr.cpl
Utility Manager - utilman
Windows Firewall - firewall.cpl
Windows Magnifier - magnify
Windows Management - wmimgmt.msc
Infrastructure
Windows System - syskey
Security Tool
Windows Update - wupdmgr
Launches
Windows XP - tourstart
Tour Wizard
Wordpad - write

enjoy...

Opera 9.27 Released

2008-04-02T10:55:00.000+07:00

Here’s an update for Opera 9.2x users. Desktop Team just released Opera 9.27 which mainly fixes some stability issues, also contains improved keyboard handling. Here’s a changelog:

Security
Fixed an issue where newsfeed prompts could cause Opera to execute arbitrary code
Solved an issue where resized canvas patterns could cause Opera to execute arbitrary code
Improved keyboard handling of password inputs

Miscellaneous
Fixed a BitTorrent transfer stability issue
Resolved stability issues with the Acid 3 test
Additional stability fixes

Mac-specific changes
Fixed the print dialog on OS X (Leopard)

To Opera Team:

In “Changelog for Opera 9.27 for Linux” it says “Resolved stablity issues with the Acid 3 test.” I think it should be “stability” instead :-)

Download Opera 9.27

Diino Free Space Online 2GB

2008-04-02T10:15:00.000+07:00

There are lots of places where you can temporarily store files online but Diino is a bit different. Like having a My Documents folder on the internet, you can use it to share your stuff between different computers (like home and work), or give friends and family access to files such as photos, music or documents. The basic service is free but you can pay to increase your storage space if you find yourself running short.

Features
Unlike most online storage facilities, Diino uses a small (2MB) piece of software to connect the PC you're working on to its servers. This gives the service a bit more power and it can be run from a USB memory device, so you can use it anywhere – even on computers that you can't install software onto. This enables a range of extra features including an Explorer-like interface complete with drag-and-drop, the ability to work on documents straight off the server (no need to download them first), and you can even stream music and video for sharing without the need to download.

Performance
This isn't just a depositary for files, it's a powerful tool. Anyone who already carries a USB memory device around, for sharing files between computers, will see an instant benefit. Because your files are on the internet it makes it easy for you to share them with others – just right-click on a folder and you send an email to your chosen person with a special password they can use to log into the specific folder. If the shared folder has music in it, you can also choose whether to let them download or stream it, as if they were listening to your own private radio station.

Ease of use
The software works just like a My Documents folder, so anyone familiar with Windows will find little to get confused about. The ability to drag-and-drop to and from your computer keeps life simple, and you can view things like photos as thumbnails as well as a list of files. It's not quite as powerful as a Windows folder, but it's not far off.

Value for money
If you can get by with less than 20MB of storage then the service is free, and you can't say fairer than that. Start getting greedy for space and you'll have to start paying, depending on how much you need. To rival your average USB memory device of 1GB you'll have to pay £2.99 a month, though you can go up to 100GB for £39.99 a month. Perhaps the best value option is an annual 10GB account, more than enough for most purposes, which you can get for less than £50 for a whole year.

Verdict
If you need to transfer a few files between home and work, want to share your latest digital snaps, or give a mate the chance to stream a great new album you've got, this is a handy service that'll fulfil most of your needs free of charge. Those willing to fork out can get acres of extra space at little extra cost, with a year's worth of 1GB proving cheaper than a USB memory device of the same capacity.

Browser Wars - On the Mac

2008-04-02T09:13:00.000+07:00

The browser battle on the Mac is between Safari and Firefox. Safari dominates, but Firefox has a much larger share on the Mac than Windows. However, Firefox share has been relatively stable, gaining .56% of total market share since November, 2007.

Portable VLC Media Player 0.8.6f

2008-04-02T08:37:00.000+07:00

VLC media player is a highly portable multimedia player for various audio and video formats (MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG-4, DivX, mp3, ogg, …) as well as DVDs, VCDs, and various streaming protocols. It can also be used as a server to stream in unicast or multicast in IPv4 or IPv6 on a high-bandwidth network.

Download Now
RarPass : www.portabledd.co.nr

All Tips in Outlook Express

2008-04-01T15:30:00.000+07:00

Saving Background Sounds
It is possible to save background sounds embedded into email onto your hard disk. Open Tools > Options > Send. Change both Mail sending formats to plain text. Open the message you want to grab the sound from and click on Forward. The sound files will appear attached to the forwarded message. Save the files from here and close the message. you can now reset any HTML settings that you changed.

Import messages and address easily
Outlook Express lets you import messages and addresses from other popular mail clients. Click File > Import and choose the appropriate item to import. Follow the instructions on the Outlook Express Import Wizard.

Beauty in pictures
Instead of sending pictures as attachments, insert the photo directly into the message. this way, the image will not have to be opened separately. Make sure that the recipient can receive HTML messages. To embedded an image into a mail message, while composing a message, click on Insert > Picture and choose the image you wish to insert. The image will be received as part of the message instead of an attachment (depending on the recipient's mail client).

Message Rules
You can instruct Outlook Express on what to do with messages you receive from Tools > Message Rules. For example, if you keep receiving spam from a particular address, you can block all messages from that address. Open Tools > Message Rules > Mail. in the Message Rules dialog box, click on New. Select where from line contains people and click on the contains people link below. Type in the annoying address. For the Actions, select Delete it from server. this way, any mail from that address will never be downloaded. Provide a name for the rule and click OK.

Identities
Outlook Express implements Identities - personal profiles with in Outlook Express that you login into, so that you can keep your e-mail private. Click on File > Identities > Add New Identity to add a new identity. Follow the instructions on screen. From File > Identities > Manage Identities, you can set the default identity to start with and also provide password for each identity.

HTML Source Editing
Message in HTML format are similar to Web pages with Outlook Express 5, you can edit the HTML source for message and even use HTML feature that are not listed within Outlook Express. When composing a message, click on View > Source Edit. Click on the Source tab and edit the source.

Hotmail
You can now add a Hotmail account to Outlook Express and view it as any POP account. To sign up for a new account, open Tools > New Account Signup > Hotmail. Follow the instructions on screen. if you already have an account with Hotmail, click on Tools > Accounts > Add > Mail. Provide the Display name and click Next.

Drag-n-Drop file attachments
With Outlook Express, you can quickly attach a file from your desktop or any folder to any outgoing message. Simple drag the file into the message area of your e-mail. outlook Express automatically inserts it as a file attachment. Similarly, you can drag file attachments from received email to save them to the desktop or a folder.

Internet Explorer 8 Beta 1 Release

2008-04-01T14:10:00.000+07:00

New and exciting features

Activities

Activities are contextual services to quickly access a service from any webpage. Users typically copy and paste from one webpage to another. Internet Explorer 8 Activities make this common pattern easier to do.

Activities typically involve two types of scenarios: "look up" information within a webpage or "send" web content to a web application. For example, a user is interested in a restaurant and wants to see the location of it. This is the form of a "look up" Activity where the user selects the address and views an in-place view of the map using his favorite map service.

An example of a "send" Activity is a user reads an interesting article and wants to blog about a portion of the article. The user can select a portion of the article and uses the blog Activity. This navigates to the user’s blog site with the selection already available in the edit field.

Activities are services that the user can install and manage. Users can install them from the Internet Explorer 8 Service Guide or through any website that advertises Activities.

WebSlices

WebSlices is a new feature for websites to connect to their users by subscribing to content directly within a webpage. WebSlices behave just like feeds where clients can subscribe to get updates and notify the user of changes.

Internet Explorer 8 Users can discover WebSlices within a webpage and add them to the Favorites bar, a dedicated row below the Address bar for easy access to links. Internet Explorer 8 subscribes to the webpage, detects changes in the WebSlice, and notifies the user of updates. Users can preview these updates directly from the Favorites bar and click-through to the website to get more information.

Favorites Bar

In Internet Explorer 7, the Links bar provided users with one-click access to their favorite sites. The Links bar has undergone a complete makeover for Internet Explorer 8. It has been renamed the Favorites bar to enable users to associate this bar as a place to put and easily access all their favorite web content such as links, feeds, WebSlices and even Word, Excel and PowerPoint documents.

A user can easily add a link to the Favorites bar by using the Add to Favorites button and selecting the Add to Favorites Bar option.

Automatic Crash Recovery

Automatic Crash Recovery (ACR) is a feature of Internet Explorer 8 that can help to prevent the loss of work and productivity in the unlikely event of the browser crashing or hanging. The ACR feature takes advantage of the Loosely-Coupled Internet Explorer feature to provide new crash recovery capabilities, such as tab recovery, which will minimize interruptions to users’ browsing sessions.

Improved Phishing Filter

Internet Explorer 7 introduced the Phishing Filter, a feature which helps warn users when they visit a phishing site. Phishing sites spoof a trusted legitimate site, with the goal of stealing the user’s personal or financial information. For Internet Explorer 8, we are building on the success of the Phishing Filter with a more comprehensive feature called the "Safety Filter."

Download Now

Is Your Computer The Cause for Global Warming?

2008-04-01T12:34:00.000+07:00

We all love our computers and right now as you read this you know it is only because of your computer that you are. They give us the news, let us play games online and off, meet a dream partner, manage our investments, research vacations and homes, buy cars, bid for goods, watch home videos, create family photo albums, and so much more. Parting with you computer these days would be asking to part with your head.

The Problem

While we all love our computers and there isn't much debate to the wonders they give us in our everyday lives a problem exists and has existed for some time. The problem is pollution. Yup our handy little buddies are part of a global problem just as much as a solution. What is the extent of the pollution? Try 90 Billion pounds of carbon dioxide a year spewed into our atmosphere in America alone.

Fuel Consuming Computer

Okay, your computer doesn't necessarily run on carbon fuels however the electricity it uses to run daily does and the amount used has been piling up over the past few decades now as more people buy home PC units to enjoy the world of computing. Are we bad for this? My assumption is no, especially when you are probably finding this out right now. Can we help change this global warming trend that our computer's contribute to? The answer is yes.

Saving the World One Computer at a Time

So you are probably wondering what solution there may be to help reduce your contribution to this growing problem. There are many ways to help lessen the burden on our mother earth:

* Turn Off Computer When Not in Use * Adjust Your Hibernate Mode to Idle at a Lesser Time * Install the Free Co2 Saver from Snap Onto Your Computer * Explore Alternative Energy for Your Home (Solar, Wind, etc.) * Try More Outdoor Activities without a Car

Free Energy Saving Program Installs

The Co2 Saver from Snap is a cool install application that is free of spyware that allows you to monitor your computer's usage and the impact it is making on the environment in relation to carbon dioxide. It is a real nifty little tool as it lets you see what you have saved as well as how much you have consumed. It automatically can adjust your computer to the most environmentally friendly settings in your contribution to battle global warming.

Another cool install does about the same thing exact thing except it also shows you what natural resources you have saved and what you have consumed in relation to your computer's energy consumption. The program is offered by a company named UniBlue and is called Local Cooling. Both programs are entirely free, so it might be fun to see just how much of a dent you can put in the global warming trend.

While global warming and pollution may seem like a trendy topic often associated with politics, hippie parades, or MTV the topic is nothing to ignore or just show concern for one day out of a year. The reality of life is that we all have just this one planet for many generations to come. This planet is what gives us life, food, air, and water. We cannot expect to enjoy the luxury of living if we do not protect our human habitat.

Auto Shutdown for Windows (Freeware)

2008-04-01T09:28:00.000+07:00

Very simple program, which will shutdown system after a specified amount of time (automatic shutdown).

Usage of Auto Shutdown:

This will be very complicated, so read it carefully:)

Set the time.
Set the action to be taken.
a. Shutdown means that the computer will be turned off (after logging off, if needed). Force means that the running applications (if any) will be forced to close themselves). This can be dangerous, is some cases you may loose your data, unsaved documents
b. Remind me about means that, when the time will come, a message box will be shown with your message (e.g. "Eggs are ready!", or "the movie has began!").
If you want, minimize the program (the "Auto Shutdown" program dialog).
That's it. When the time will come, auto shutdown will do the specified job.

Of course, if you close the dialog (the "Auto Shutdown" program), then nothing will happen. Auto Shutdown must be running to work.

If you like Auto Shutdown, Download Now

Yahoo and Microsoft Both Lose Market Share to Google

2008-04-01T08:09:00.000+07:00

In March, Yahoo lost 0.17% of total market share, MSN lost 0.26% and Microsoft Live Search lost 0.09%. The losses went primarily to Google, which increased its share in March by 0.43%.

Summary in March
Google 77.70% Yahoo 12.06% MSN 3.25% Live Search 2.40% AOL 2.20% Ask 1.36% Other 1.03%

I can't find My Computer and My Documents in My Desktop (XP)

2008-04-01T06:43:00.000+07:00

If you use New Start Menu
1. Click Start
2. Right Click on My Computer or My Document and choose Show on Desktop

If you use Classic Start Menu
1. Right Click on Your Desktop and Choose Properties
2. In Desktop Tab Click Customize Desktop...
3. New window will open and you will find General Tab
4. Choose item you want to show by mask in front of them
5. Click OK 2 Times