Computer repair and info

How to create multiple sub-directories in one command from Windows, Linux

2020-04-05T20:25:00.001+05:30

In Windows we use the following commands to create a single long path directory and multi-long path directory.

Single long path directory

md dir-name\dir-name1\dir-name2\......

for eg:

md 1\2\3\4\5\...

Here single long path directory will be created, which means inside folder "1", folder "2" will be created and inside that folder "3" will be created and goes on...

Multi-long path directory

mkdir -p dir-name\dir-name1 dir-name2\dir-name3 dir-name4\dir-name5

for eg:

mkdir -p 1\2 3\4 5\6

Here multiple long path directory will be created, which means inside folder "1" folder "2" will be created and folder "1" would be the parent folder for this path and inside folder "3" folder "4" will be created and folder "3" would be the parent folder for this path and goes on.

In Linux we use the following command to create multiple folders and sub-folders.

mkdir -p dir-name/dir-name1/dir-name2/dir-name3

for eg:

mkdir -p 1/2/3/4/5/...

Here inside folder "1" folder "2" will be created and inside folder "2" folder "3" will be created and goes on. Only symbol got changed, which means instead of "\" we used "/" here, that's all.

How to create backups of FMWhatsApp

2020-03-17T19:45:00.005+05:30

Whatsapp is one of the most used social media platforms all around the world. The development team of Whatsapp is very active as they keep on adding new features through regular updates. Today, we will let you known about FM Whatsapp, and you can download it from the link below. FMWhatsapp is a modded version of the Whatsapp which allows you to get some new cool features. It usually provides features like – color change, increases the limit of people you are sharing with, any document can be shared. There are plenty of other security, customization and private options in the App. You can know more about it by using it, and we suggest you download FMWhatsapp from the link at the bottom of this article. In case you didn’t recall Whatsapp when launched doesn’t have any features like Voice calling, Stories and so on. Finally, the app is in a state when it has plenty of helpful features like Video chat, Status, etc. Even in 2018, the app is free to download, and there are no subscription fees or ads. Also, today we are unable to modify WhatsApp like its color scheme, font, etc. That’s why we are here with the FM Whatsapp which allows you to mod the Whatsapp. You download it via links at the bottom of the article.

Most of us are happy with the app, however, for those who are not, then another Business version of the app is also available. In today’s write-up we will be sharing a cool fact about it, What if we say that more versions of Whatsapp are in existence which even provides next level customizations.

Fouad Mokdad – Modded Whatsapp Version – FMWhatsapp

Yes, you’ve all heard it right here we are talking about the Modded versions of the Whatsapp. Similar to us many of you are hardly aware of this thing, and this time we came across an app called FM Whatsapp. The name may sound a little ugly, but the app has crazy features that hardly any social media app is offering at present. With this modded app one can achieve everything from hiding status, the message seen, etc. Whatsapp has its stock theme which consists of Green and White-colored panels, however, with FM Whatsapp you can change the color of text, boards, etc.

There are several other modded versions of the app like GBWhatsapp, Whatsapp+ though many users have claimed that they can steal personal information from your Android device. It is worth noting that it is not developed by the Whatsapp official team, it is a third-party app developed by Fouad Mokdad. So data breach issues can happen here as well.

Install this app on your own risk we are not responsible for any mishappening.

In this guide, we will tell you What is FM Whatsapp? what are the features? And how you can download FM WhatsApp apk and install it? So let’s start with

Version Info

Name	FM WhatsApp
Version	8.12
Developer	Fouad Mokdad
Last Update	March 9, 2018
Total Downloads‎	1,000,000+
App Size	51.04MB

Download

The FM Whatsapp v8.12 Download is available from the link below. After installing, you can enjoy the customized Whatsapp.

Download: FM Whatsapp v8.12 (2020)

Download Now

Download: WhatsApp Plus APK

Download Now

Some major features of FM Whatsapp:
1) Two different Whatsapp accounts on the same device without making any special efforts.
2) Privacy and Theme modifications.
3) It Supports Video and Audio calling with new UI.
4) Hide the last seen option.
5) Show “Online/Last Seen” on the main screen.
6) Themes Store with 100+ styles to download.
7) Choose from 30+ Ticks and Bubbles styles.
8) No need for loading for media previews.
9) Send video size up to 1GB.
10) Add up to 250 Characters in the status field.
11) Click and copy anyone’s status.
12) Change app launcher and notifications icon.
13) Big emojis.
14) Bug fixed and improvements.

WhatsApp Plus APK 2019 Features:

1)UPI Payment enabled.
2)DND to disable outgoing and incoming messages.
3)Revoke multiple messages at the same time.
4)Easy backup option to avoid registration the next time
Clipboard option for status.
5)Save, load, and share themes with other contacts.
6)Automated replies to certain contacts.
7)Customize pixels and size of images.
8)Hide double and blue ticks.
9)Filter messages while clearing chat.
10)A log to track online activity of other contacts.
11)Play videos with the app of your choice.

How to Install FM Whatsapp on an Android device without losing any data?

1) Simply take a backup of your chats on the regular Whatsapp.
2) Now jump to File Explorer and there rename the Whatsapp folder as “FM Whatsapp”.
3) Grant unknown sources in the settings menu and install the FM Whatsapp APK.
4) Now when you register your number, it will notify you that a backup is available.
5) Restore that backup, and it’s complete.

There are different FM Whatsapp Mods also which allows you to extend the functionality of the app. Make sure you download the latest version of the app from the download link above.

IOS version 12 Main Issue

2020-03-08T19:11:00.000+05:30

iOS is a mobile operating system, developed by Apple Inc. for iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, and HomePod. Updates for iOS are released through the iTunes software and, since iOS 5, via over-the-air software updates. With the announcement of iOS 5 on June 6, 2011, a USB connection to iTunes was no longer needed to activate iOS devices; data synchronization can happen automatically and wirelessly through Apple's iCloud service. Major new iOS releases are announced yearly during the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), and are usually released in September of the same year, usually coinciding with the release of new iPhone models. On September 24, 2019, Apple rebranded the operating system for the iPad line to iPadOS. iPadOS is similar to iOS but has received a few tablet oriented features. The most recent stable release for iPhone and iPod Touch, iOS 13.3.1, was released on January 28, 2020. The most recent beta release, 13.4 beta 4, was released on March 3, 2020.

iOS 12.4.5 users have discovered problems lurking in the newest version of iOS 12. The latest version of iOS 12 is causing problems for some iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch users. Some of these problems are new, others have carried over from the previous versions of iOS. The current list of iOS 12.4.5 problems includes weird battery drain, issues with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth problems, issues with Touch ID, sound problems, and more.

If you are using an iPhone 6s or newer, and you’re still running iOS 12, think about upgrading to Apple’s iOS 13 update. It could help. In here we’ll take you through fixes for the most common iOS 12 problems. If you’re dealing with battery drain, connectivity issues, or something else entirely, take a look at our list before you get in contact with customer service or take your device into a store.

Issue and Fix for Cellular Data Connection:

After the release of iOS 12 update, a number of users reported that their devices were often cut from mobile data connections. This issue restricted many devices from making or receiving phone calls and even text messages were blocked. Some users also reported that the issue restricted them from connecting to known Wi-Fi network, severely affecting the use of the device. According to 9to5Mac, a temporary fix has been identified which fixes the devices affected by this issue. If you are affected by network issues after iOS 12 update then you can try this temporary fix.

The first fix for the issue involves disabling Wi-Fi calling option from iPhone’s Settings app. This can be changed from Settings -> Phone -> Wi-Fi Calling. By default, the Wi-Fi calling option will be On, you can tap on the toggle to turn it Off. The second fix involves disabling LTE option for voice and data connectivity. This can be done by heading to Settings -> Mobile Data -> Mobile Data Options -> Enable 4G. In this field, change the setting from Voice and Data to Data Only.

Issue and Fix for Installation updates and application:

If your download or installation gets stuck, there’s a simple fix that should take care of the problem.If you aren’t able to download the latest version of iOS 12, you’ll want to hard reset your phone or tablet. To do this, hold down the home button and the power button at the same time until the device reboots.

If you’re experiencing long download times, you’ll either want to wait a few minutes and try again or investigate your internet connection. It could be an issue with your router.

If one or more of your apps are giving your problems after updating to iOS 12, here are a few things you can try on your own before getting in contact with the developer.

Try restarting your device. Power done your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch and power it back on. If that the app’s still acting weird, you’ll want to check the App Store for an update.

Developers are pushing out iOS 12 support updates and the latest version could fix these issues. Make sure you read reviews from iOS 12 users before you install the latest update. You can also try deleting the app and downloading it again. This has worked for us in the past.

If you still can’t figure out how to fix the problem, get in contact with the app’s developer and see if it knows about the issue. If it does, it might have a manual fix or an ETA on an update.

Issue and Fix for Random Reboots:

If your phone or tablet starts randomly rebooting itself (goes black for a second and comes back, goes black and you see the Apple logo, etc) here are a few fixes to try before you take your phone into Apple.

First, restart the device. Power it down for 30 seconds to a minute and then power it back up. If you haven’t turned your device off in awhile, this could help.

If you’re still noticing random reboot issues, update all of your applications. Check the App Store and make sure all of your applications are up-to-date.

Issue and Fix for Sound:

If you’re start noticing sound distortion, fuzziness, or no sound at all, here are a few steps to take. First, restart your device. Power it down, wait 30 seconds or so, and then turn it back on. This has worked for us numerous times.

If that doesn’t help, look at your speaker grille and check for any debris. If you notice something there, carefully remove it and see if your sound improves. If that doesn’t work, try toggling Bluetooth off and on. This sometimes fixes the issue.

If you’re experiencing sound issues in a specific app, try closing the app and restarting it. If that doesn’t work, you should download the latest update.

Issue and Fix for Touch ID:

If your device’s Touch ID fingerprint sensor suddenly stops working you’ll want to first make sure there isn’t any dirt or sweat on the Touch ID sensor. You’ll also want to make sure you don’t have any oil on your hands because this could cause the sensor to misread your fingerprints.

If none of those apply, you’ll want to try retraining your fingerprints on your device. To do that:

1.Go to Settings.

2.Tap Touch ID & Passcode.

3.Enter your Passcode if you have one.

4.On the next screen tap on each print and select Delete Fingerprint.

5.After you do this tap on Add a Fingerprint… to re-train your Touch ID.

Issue and Fix for Landscape stuck:

Our devices occasionally get stuck in landscape when trying to move the screen back into portrait mode. It’s a common iOS problem, but it’s one that you should be able to fix in seconds.

The first thing to try is locking and unlocking the device. Hit your power button once to shut off the screen and then enter your pin/use Touch ID/Face ID to open your device.

If that doesn’t help get the screen out of landscape, try restarting the device. Power it down, leave it off for a few seconds, and then power it back on.

If that doesn’t help you should try turning Reduce Motion off to see if that alleviates the issues. To do that:

1.Go to Settings.

2.Tap General.

3.Tap Accessibility.

4.Toggle Reduce Motion off.

You can always toggle it back on.

These are some of the issues we have discussed here and now the latest update of IOS which is iOS update 13 has addressed all the issues and as of now everything is going good...

My suggestion would be update to 13 from 12 and let us know the review on the comment section. So that the readers would get some update over it. Thanks a lot...

Visual Studio 2008 Download with Key

2020-03-08T17:53:00.001+05:30

Microsoft Visual Studio is an integrated development environment (IDE) from Microsoft. It is used to develop computer programs, as well as websites, web apps, web services and mobile apps. Visual Studio uses Microsoft software development platforms such as Windows API, Windows Forms, Windows Presentation Foundation, Windows Store and Microsoft Silverlight. It can produce both native code and managed code.

Visual Studio includes a code editor supporting IntelliSense (the code completion component) as well as code refactoring. The integrated debugger works both as a source-level debugger and a machine-level debugger. Other built-in tools include a code profiler, designer for building GUI applications, web designer, class designer, and database schema designer. It accepts plug-ins that enhance the functionality at almost every level—including adding support for source control systems (like Subversion and Git) and adding new toolsets like editors and visual designers for domain-specific languages or toolsets for other aspects of the software development lifecycle (like the Azure DevOps client: Team Explorer).

Visual Studio supports 36 different programming languages and allows the code editor and debugger to support (to varying degrees) nearly any programming language, provided a language-specific service exists. Built-in languages include C, C++, C++/CLI, Visual Basic .NET, C#, F#,JavaScript, TypeScript, XML, XSLT, HTML, and CSS. Support for other languages such as Python, Ruby, Node.js, and M among others is available via plug-ins. Java (and J#) were supported in the past.

The most basic edition of Visual Studio, the Community edition, is available free of charge. The slogan for Visual Studio Community edition is "Free, fully-featured IDE for students, open-source and individual developers".

Click here for downloading VS 2008. You can upgrade from 2008 to 2015 and so on directly....

Note: The downloaded version is on trail period for 90 days once that's completed, Please do use this

Serial key : XMQ2Y-4T3V6-XJ48Y-D3K2V-6C4WT

GUI are shown below, we have tried installing windows 10 1903 with all updates. If facing any issues please do let us know in comments section or drop us mail on computerrepairandinfo@gmail.com with the error message's screenshot, we will check the issues out.

Installation Wizard - Welcome page

Selecting the drive where to be installed and feature option

Progress in VS 2008 installation-2

Complete Installation done

Installed, Start Page

Installed VS 2008, About window

Thanks guys ....

Troubleshooting the printer

2020-03-08T13:30:00.002+05:30

Printers are a type of computer peripheral device that fall into two broad categories: 2D printers that print text and graphics onto paper (or other media) and 3D printers that create physical objects. In other words a printer is an external hardware output device that takes the electronic data stored on a computer or other device and generates a hard copy of it.

Two Types of Printers. The two types of printer are impact and non-impact printers. Impact Printers can produce a page, a line, or a character at a time while Non-impact printers can produce both text and graphics.

you can replace "Printer" with the printer you are using.

Troubleshooting the Printer:

Make sure it is not a hardware problem

First and foremost, check if your printer works when connected to another computer. There is always a chance of a hardware issue, so save yourself a lot of time and effort by ruling it out in the very beginning.

Check if your printer is detected

The chances are your Windows 10 cannot actually ‘see’ the printer in question, so you should help it with that:

Open your Start menu and proceed to Settings.
Click on Devices and select Printers & Scanners.
Check if you can see your printer in the list of available devices.
If not, click on Add a printer or scanner.
Wait until your OS locates the desirable printer.
If it fails to do that, select ‘The printer that I want isn’t listed’.
Then select ‘My printer is a little older. Help me find it.’
Windows will search for your device again.

We hope your printer is up and running now.

Disable your antivirus

Many users have reported that their antivirus tools block printers after Windows 10 Version 1803 Update. It is a good idea to check if that is your case. As such, temporarily disable your security solution and see if this has resolved your issue. If it has, configure the software to consider your printer a safe device or switch to another tool to protect your computer.

Run special troubleshooters

Luckily, your Windows 10 has a whole arsenal of troubleshooters aimed at tackling multiple issues that may crop up on your PC. There are two tools that you might find particularly helpful in your case:

Press the Windows logo + I keyboard shortcut.

Once the Settings app is up, click Update & Security.

Navigate to Troubleshoot.

Troubleshooter GUI

There you will find two troubleshooters that you should run one after another: the printer troubleshooter and the one for hardware and devices. We hope they will get your printer back on track.

Update your printer drivers

The point is, they may be too old to work well. You can update them manually: for this, you need to know the exact model of your device and what drivers it needs to function properly. Then you should go to the manufacturer’s website and search for the necessary software yourself. Please keep in mind that there is no room for error: installing the wrong driver can cause your system to malfunction.

You might as well simplify the process by using Device Manager. Here are the instructions for this:

Right-click on the Windows logo icon on the taskbar.
Select Device Manager from the menu.
Locate your problematic Samsung printer.
Right-click on it and select the Update driver option.
Make Device Manager search for the driver you need online.

Printer upgrade

That said, the easiest way to resolve your driver issues is, by far, using dedicated software.

For downloading updated drivers for the concern printers click on below

HP EPSON CANON SAMSUNG FUJITSU

Fix Print Spooler

If all the fixes above have been to no avail, your Print Spooler might be having issues. Therefore, you should try clearing spooler files and restarting the service:

Press the Windows logo key + S shortcut to open Search.
Type Services into the Search area.
Select the relevant result and go to the Services list.
Locate Print Spooler. Double-click it. Select Stop and click OK.
Go to Search again and input %WINDIR%\system32\spool\printers.
Select the folder in question and empty it.
Now go to Services again. Double-click Print Spooler.
Select Start. Set the startup type to automatic and click OK to save the changes.

Now you know how to fix printers problems on Windows 10. If you are still having issues with your device, do not hesitate to leave a comment below – we are here to help you!

How to Disable or Remove Hot Apps and Games from Realme mobiles

2020-03-07T15:33:00.001+05:30

Realme offers great hardware at great prices. However, it’s the software experience that takes a hit, thanks to the pre-loaded bloatware which not only hampers usability but also eats up unnecessary space, resources, and battery life.

Disabling or Removing the Apps's procedure shared below.

Traditional Way:

1. Go to Settings

2. Scroll down and select System Apps

3. Then select App Market ( like wise select what ever Apps to be uninstalled ).

4. Turn off Home screen folder for popular apps and Notifications also.

5. That's it No notifications and Hot Apps & Games Disabled.

Software Way:

1. Enable USB debugging mode

Open Settings on your Realme phone and navigate to the About phone section.

Now, tap on Version subsequently for seven times until you see the toast message saying, “You are now in Developer Mode.”

USB Debugging mode Enabled

Go back to the Settings main page, select Additional Settings, and click on Developer Options.

Flick the toggle and turn on Developer Options. Now scroll down and enable USB debugging.

2. Connect your phone to PC through ADB.

Plugin your smartphone into your PC using the compatible USB cable. Select ‘Transfer Files’ mode from notification pane or when prompted.

You’ll now see the message “Allow USB Debugging?” on your phone. Check the box next to ‘Always allow from this computer’ and tap OK.

Select transfer file mode

Allow USB debugging

Install ADB drivers on your computer if haven’t already (Windows, Mac, Linux).

In the ADB directory, press Shift + Right Click and select “Open PowerShell Window here.”

Now, type “ADB devices” and check if your device’s code name appears with its serial number in the next line.

To be able to use shell commands, type “ADB Shell” and press enter in the command line.

3. Use ADB commands to uninstall the unwanted Apps

ADB Shell

Once the phone is successfully connected over ADB, you can use the commands mentioned below to remove the bloatware of your choice.

Realme App Market
pm uninstall –k ––user 0 com.oppo.market
ColorOS’s Browser
pm uninstall –k ––user 0 com.nearme.browser
Smart Assistant
pm uninstall –k ––user 0 com.coloros.assistantscreen
Weather Services
pm uninstall –k ––user 0 com.coloros.weather.service
pm uninstall –k ––user 0 com.coloros.weather2
Facebook and Services
pm uninstall –k ––user 0 com.facebook.appmanager
pm uninstall –k ––user 0 com.facebook.services
and pm uninstall –k ––user 0 com.facebook.system
Talkback
pm uninstall –k ––user 0 com.google.android.marvin.talkback
Stock Music app
pm uninstall –k ––user 0 com.oppo.music
Calculator
pm uninstall –k ––user 0 com.coloros.calculator
Compass
pm uninstall –k ––user 0 com.coloros.compass2
Recorder
pm uninstall –k ––user 0 com.coloros.soundrecorder
Roaming
pm uninstall –k ––user 0 com.redteamobile.roaming
Screen Recorder
pm uninstall –k ––user 0 com.coloros.screenrecorder
Video
pm uninstall –k ––user 0 com.coloros.video
Gmail
pm uninstall –k ––user 0 com.google.android.gm
Google Calendar
pm uninstall –k ––user 0 com.google.android.calendar
Google Drive
pm uninstall –k ––user 0 com.google.android.apps.docs
Google Keep
pm uninstall –k ––user 0 com.google.android.keep
Google Maps
pm uninstall –k ––user 0 com.google.android.apps.maps
YouTube
pm uninstall –k ––user 0 com.google.android.youtube

To remove any other system apps, simply download and install the App Inspector app from Play Store. Thereafter, look for the package name of the desired application and use it in the ADB command (pm uninstall –k ––user 0 <package name>) for uninstallation.

Kubuntu OS

2020-03-07T13:48:00.001+05:30

Kubuntu is an official flavour of the Ubuntu operating system which uses the KDE Plasma Desktop instead of the GNOME desktop environment. As part of the Ubuntu project, Kubuntu uses the same underlying systems. Every package in Kubuntu shares the same repositories as Ubuntu, and it is released regularly on the same schedule as Ubuntu. Kubuntu was sponsored by Canonical Ltd, which is UK-based company. until 2012, and then directly by Blue Systems, which is German IT company. Now employees of Blue Systems contribute upstream, to KDE and Debian, and Kubuntu development is led by community contributors. During the changeover, Kubuntu retained the use of Ubuntu project servers and existing developers.

"Kubuntu" is a registered trademark held by Canonical. It is derived from the name Ubuntu, prefixing a K to represent the KDE platform that Kubuntu is built upon (following a widespread naming convention of prefixing K to the name of any software released for use on KDE platforms), as well as the KDE community.

Since ubuntu is a Bantu term translating roughly to "humanity", and since Bantu grammar involves prefixes to form noun classes, it turns out that the prefix ku- having the meaning "toward" in Bemba, kubuntu is also a meaningful Bemba word or phrase translating to "toward humanity". Reportedly, the same word, by coincidence, also takes the meaning of "free" (in the sense of "without payment") in Kirundi.

Kubuntu is an operating system built by a worldwide community of developers, testers, supporters and translators. Kubuntu is a free, complete, and open-source alternative to Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X which contains everything you need to work, play, or share.Kubuntu unites Ubuntu with KDE and the fabulous Plasma desktop, bringing you a full set of applications. The installation includes productivity, office, email, graphics, photography, and music applications ready to use at startup. Firefox, Kmail, LibreOffice, Gwenview are just a few installed and ready to use, with thousands more, available in just a click, from the Discover software centre. Built using the Qt toolkit, Kubuntu is fast, slick and beautiful. Kubuntu is mobile-ready, enabling easy integration between your PC desktop and phone or tablet. Simply use the Google Play store to install KDE Connect on your Android device and you can integrate your device with your desktop.

Click here to download Kubuntu latest image.

Latest Version: Kubuntu 19.10

Name: Eoan Ermine

The GUI screenshots are presented below.

Eoan_Ermine_GUI

Eoan_Ermine_Apps_GUI

Please try this once and let us know the experience on the comments section.

How to change default user folders on Windows 10

2020-02-29T23:23:00.002+05:30

1. Create a new folder on any local drive on any name. But at last the name will be changed to the corresponding folder which you are trying to move from user's profile folder. In our case created New folder on E: on the name Desktop.

New folder created on local drive E:

2. Right click on any folder which has to be moved to another location from the user profiles folder. here we have done with the Desktop folder. Go to Properties tab --> Go to Locations tab --> please do enter the location where the New folder is created in our case E: on the Desktop.

desktop folder

After specifying the path where the new folder has been created on the space, click on Move button

3. Again it will prompt you to choose the path, please choose the path where the new folder has been created and click on Apply and click on Yes as shown below.

Selecting the path

confirmation to change

4. Congratulation the default path of Desktop folder is been moved from the User's profile folder.

5. For restoring back to the original path, Right click the moved folder Go to properties tab --> Go to Location tab --> Click on Restore default button that's it, it's done. we are good to go with the default settings itself...

How to Enable God Mode in Windows 10

2020-02-29T22:23:00.001+05:30

What is God Mode ?

GodMode Origin would be from probably from windows 7, from windows 7 onward we started hearing a strange word known as GodMode. what's exactly is GodMode and what will be there inside it, Let's see.

GodMode is a special folder in Windows that gives you quick access to over 200 tools and settings that are normally tucked away in the Control Panel and other windows and menus.

How to create or enable GodMode

The steps are as follows :

1. Create a New folder.

2. Name the folder as GodMode.{ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C} and click enter key, WoW congratulations that's all you have done it.

3. You will be finding out different options and settings, if you want you edit the options. My suggestion would be before editing please make sure in which option you are doing the changes and in what options & also take the OS, data backup.

GodMode Folder

Inside GodMode Folder

Try this and let us know on the comment section. if you want to know some other topic in technical field please put that too in comments section.

How to transfer data from Mobile to PC

2020-02-29T11:55:00.002+05:30

If you're having phones obviously two things will be there

1. Data in mobile

2. Laptop and how to transfer from mobile to Laptop.

Let these things be in one side, in other side technologies are getting improved on seconds basis, so if we are not updated then we are not fit to live in it. So for sharing data from mobile to Pc or Laptop many Apps came, in mobile itself when we plug-in with usb cable it asks for a question "How this device is going to be used" in that we can select the needed options and we can share the data. It's a old technology but still worth it Bluetooth pairing between the devices and the data transfer is very simple. Additional style is through OTG cable and OTG pen drives. It is also a new technology to make the smooth connection between the mobile devices and the Laptops or PCs. If want to buy it click here.

Apps:

1. Airmore

2. Share it

3. Google drive

4. One drive

5. Apower manager

Some of the apps for sharing/ sending the data between devices.

Traditional Method:

1: Bluetooth Pairing

Technology has been evolving so rapidly day by day that it`s become very much difficult to keep track of them. But obviously, Bluetooth being one of the first data sharing technology is still in use.

Feasibility

Being old and compatible this technology is easy to use. Every smartphone holder can use it without much difficulty.

Working

Due to its universality, it can be found in almost all brands of smartphones.

The method of its use is very simple
1.First, open settings of your smartphone.
2.In wireless and network tab look for Bluetooth.
3.In this watch menu on the top right corner.
4.Now tap on visibility to make your device visible.
5.Now for the laptop.
6.Navigate into Devices and Printers. Now click add a device.

Selecting the device

7.The laptop will display verification code so that it is being paired with the correct device.

Pairing the device

8.After verifying it on a smartphone, both devices are paired and are ready to share data.
9.Bingo!!!!!

2. USB Method

In mobile itself when we plug-in with usb cable it asks for a question "How this device is going to be used" in that we can select the needed options and we can share or send the data between the devices.

How to recover Ubuntu System from suspend mode

2020-02-27T22:21:00.002+05:30

Types of Suspend

standby – Standby offers little power savings, but restoring to a running system is very quick. This is the default mode if you omit the -m switch.
mem – Suspend to RAM. ...
disk – Suspend to disk. ...
off – Turn the computer off completely. ...
no – Don't suspend the computer immediately, just set the wakeup time.

What is suspend mode in Ubuntu?

Suspend mode is a special low-power mode, often used on laptops, that preserves the contents of RAM while conserving power. There are two main forms of suspend - suspend-to-RAM and suspend-to-disk (also known as "software suspend" or "hibernation"). Suspend-to-RAM uses more power, but is almost instant

How do I turn off auto suspend in Ubuntu?

Install gnome-tweak-tool: sudo apt install gnome-tweak-tool.
Run gnome-tweaks .
Change the option under "Power" for "Suspend when laptop lid is closed" to "off".

How to Enable Hibernate in Ubuntu

Test if hibernate works on your machine.
To re-enable hibernate, run the command to edit the configuration file: sudo nano /var/lib/polkit-1/localauthority/10-vendor.d/com.ubuntu.desktop.pkla.
“[Disable hibernate by default in upower]” and “[Disable hibernate by default in logind]”

How to automatically wake up Linux system

The rtcwake command requires root permissions, so it must be run with sudo on Ubuntu and other Ubuntu-derived distributions. On Linux distributions that don’t use sudo, you’ll have to log in as root with the su command first.

Here’s the basic syntax of the command:

sudo rtcwake -m [type of suspend] -s [number of seconds]

For example, the following command suspends your system to disk (hibernates it) and wakes it up 60 seconds later:

sudo rtcwake -m disk -s 60

Seconds vs. Specific Time

The -s option takes a number of seconds in the future. For example, -s 60 wakes your computer up in 60 seconds, while -s 3600 wakes your computer up in an hour.

The -t option allows you to wake your computer up at a specific time. This switch wants a number of seconds since the Unix epoch (00:00:00 UTC on January 1, 1970). To easily provide the correct number of seconds, combine the date command with the rtcwake command.

The -l switch tells rtcwake that the hardware clock is set to local time, while the -u switch tells rtcwake that the hardware clock (in your computer’s BIOS) is set to UTC time. Linux distributions often set your hardware clock to UTC time and translate that to your local time.

For example, to have your computer wake up at 6:30am tomorrow but not suspend immediately (assuming your hardware clock is set to local time), run the following command:

sudo rtcwake -m no -l -t $(date +%s -d ‘tomorrow 06:30’)

My computer is suspended and is not resuming

If you suspend your computer and then press a key or click the mouse, it should wake up and display a screen asking for your password. If this does not happen, try pressing the power button (do not hold it in, just press it once).

If this still does not help, make sure that your computer’s monitor is switched on and try pressing a key on the keyboard again.

As a last resort, turn off the computer by holding in the power button for 5-10 seconds, although you will lose any unsaved work by doing this. You should then be able to turn on the computer again.

If this happens every time you suspend your computer, the suspend feature may not work with your hardware.

If your computer loses power and does not have an alternative power supply (such as a working battery), it will switch off.

What is Omnet

2020-02-27T13:29:00.001+05:30

Generally OMNeT++ is an extensible, modular, component-based C++ simulation library and framework, primarily for building network simulators. “Network” is meant in a broader sense that includes wired and wireless communication networks, on-chip networks, queuing networks, and so on. OMNeT++ can be used for free for non-commercial simulations like at academic institutions and for teaching. OMNEST is an extended version of OMNeT++ for commercial use cases. Domain-specific functionality such as support for sensor networks, wireless ad-hoc networks, Internet protocols, performance modeling, photonic networks, etc., is provided by model frameworks, developed as independent projects. OMNeT++ offers an Eclipse-based IDE, a graphical runtime environment, and a host of other tools. There are extensions for real-time simulation, network emulation, database integration, SystemC integration, and several other functions. OMNeT++ is distributed under the Academic Public License.

Although OMNeT++ is not a network simulator itself, it has gained widespread popularity as a network simulation platform in the scientific community as well as in industrial settings, and building up a large user community. OMNeT++ provides a component architecture for models. Components (modules) are programmed in C++, then assembled into larger components and models using a high-level language (NED). Reusability of models comes for free. OMNeT++ has extensive GUI support, and due to its modular architecture, the simulation kernel (and models) can be embedded easily into your applications.

Components

The main ingredients of OMNeT++ are:

Simulation kernel library (C++)
The NED topology description language
Simulation IDE based on the Eclipse platform
Interactive simulation runtime GUI (Qtenv)
Command-line interface for simulation execution (Cmdenv)
Utilities (makefile creation tool, etc.)
Documentation, sample simulations, etc.

Models

During the years OMNeT++ has been available, countless simulation models and model frameworks have been written for it by researchers in diverse areas: queuing, resource modeling, internet protocols, wireless networks, switched LANs, peer-to-peer networks, media streaming, mobile ad-hoc networks, mesh networks, wireless sensor networks, vehicular networks, NoCs, optical networks, HPC systems, cloud computing, SANs, and more. Most of these model frameworks are open source, developed as independent projects, and follow their own release cycles.

The INET Framework can be considered the standard protocol model library of OMNeT++. INET contains models for the Internet stack and many other protocols and components. The INET Framework is maintained by the OMNeT++ team for the community, utilizing patches and new models contributed by members of the community. Several other simulation frameworks take INET as a base, and extend it into specific directions, such as vehicular networks (Veins, CoRE), overlay/peer-to-peer networks (OverSim), or LTE (SimuLTE).

It maintain a list of selected OMNeT++ models and model frameworks here.

Platforms

The OMNeT++ simulation kernel is standard C++, and runs basically on all platforms where a modern C++ compiler is available. The Simulation IDE requires Windows, Linux, or macOS.

we have installed this software on Windows 7 32 bit, which includes the Java 1.8 and the OMNet app.

Installation Procedure

STEP 1: CHECK YOUR OS VERSION HELP THE COMMAND IS “DXDIAG”

CLICK “OK” BUTTON

OS IS WINDOWS 7 ULTIMATE 32-BIT SYSTEM

STEP 2: DOWNLOAD THE OMNET 4.6 WIN32 VERSION FROM ONLINE HELP THE LINK IS https://omnetpp.org/omnetpp/summary/30-omnet-releases/2291-omnet-4-6-win32-source-ide-mingw-zip

CLICK DOWNLOAD BUTTON

STEP 3: DOWNLOAD COMPLETED AFTER EXTRACT THE FILE INTO C:\\

EXTRACT THE FILE INTO C:\

EXTRACTING THE FILE……

STEP 4: EXTRACTING PROCESS COMPLETED AFTER GO TO OMNET INSTALL LOCATION (C:\omnetpp-4.6) TO SELECT AND DOUBLE CLICK “mingwenv.cmd” FILE

DOUBLE CLICK “MINGWENV.CMD” FILE

ASK SECURITY WARNING SO CLICK “RUN” TO PROCEED

CLICK “RUN” TO PROCEED

STEP 5: NEXT TYPE 3 COMMANDS TO INSTALL OMNETPP INTO YOUR SYSTEM, THERE ARE

1) . setenv

2) ./configure

3) make

OMNET++ INSTALLATION

STEP 6: COMMAND 1 IS “. SETENV”

YOUR PATH CONTAINS IS “GOOD” MEANS PROCEED THE NEXT STEP ELSE FIX THE ERROR

STEP 8: THE FINAL COMMAND IS “MAKE”

INSTALL OMNET 4.6 IS COMPLETED AFTER START THE OMNET IDE TYPE THE COMMAND “OMNETPP”

STARTING OMNET IDE..

Shortcuts of Windows, Word, Excel, Outlook & PowerPoint

2020-02-26T23:25:00.000+05:30

Here is a list of commonly used shortcut keys that can provide an easier and quicker method of using computer programs. If you are frequent computer user then you must know about the keyboard shortcut keys. Basically, a computer shortcut is a set of one or more keys that invoke a command in software or an operating system. So, you can increase your productivity by invoking commands with a few keystrokes, otherwise, it will be accessible only through a menu, a mouse, or through any other aspect.

List of basic computer shortcut keys:

Alt + F--File menu options in the current program.

Alt + E--Edits options in the current program.

F1--Universal help (for any sort of program).

Ctrl + A--Selects all text.

Ctrl + X--Cuts the selected item.

Ctrl + Del--Cut selected item.

Ctrl + C--Copy the selected item.

Ctrl + Ins-- Copy the selected item.

Ctrl + V--Paste the selected item.

Shift + Ins -- Paste the selected item.

Home -- Takes the user to the beginning of the current line.

Ctrl + Home--Go to the beginning of the document.

End -- Go to the end of the current line.

Ctrl + End -- Go to the end of a document.

Shift + Home -- Highlight from current position to beginning of the line.

Shift + End -- Highlight from current position to end of the line.

Ctrl + (Left arrow) -- Move one word to the left at a time.

Ctrl + (Right arrow) -- Move one word to the right at a time.

Microsoft Windows shortcut keys list

Alt + Tab -- Switch between open applications.

Alt + Shift + Tab -- Switch backward between open applications.

Alt + Print Screen -- Create screenshot for the current program.

Ctrl + Alt + Del -- Reboot/Windows task manager.

Ctrl + Esc -- Bring up the start menu.

Alt + Esc -- Switch between applications on the taskbar.

F2 -- Rename selected icon.

F3 -- Start find from the desktop.

F4 -- Open the drive selection when browsing.

F5 -- Refresh contents.

Alt + F4 -- Close current open program.

Ctrl + F4 -- Close window in program.

Ctrl + Plus Key-- Automatically adjust widths of all columns in Windows Explorer.

Alt + Enter -- Open properties window of selected icon or program.

Shift + F10 -- Simulate right-click on selected item.

Shift + Del -- Delete programs/files permanently.

Holding Shift During Boot up -- Boot safe mode or bypass system files.

Holding Shift During Boot up -- When putting in an audio CD, will prevent CD Player from playing.

Word shortcut keys

Ctrl + A -- Select all contents of the page.

Ctrl + B -- Bold highlighted selection.

Ctrl + C -- Copy selected text.

Ctrl + X -- Cut selected text.

Ctrl + N -- Open new/blank document.

Ctrl + O -- Open options.

Ctrl + P -- Open the print window.

Ctrl + F -- Open find box.

Ctrl + I -- Italicise highlighted selection.

Ctrl + K -- Insert link.

Ctrl + U -- Underline highlighted selection.

Ctrl + V -- Paste.

Ctrl + Y -- Redo the last action performed.

Ctrl + Z -- Undo last action.

Ctrl + G -- Find and replace options.

Ctrl + H -- Find and replace options.

Ctrl + J -- Justify paragraph alignment.

Ctrl + L -- Align selected text or line to the left.

Ctrl + Q -- Align selected paragraph to the left.

Ctrl + E -- Align selected text or line to the center.

Ctrl + R -- Align selected text or line to the right.

Ctrl + M -- Indent the paragraph.

Ctrl + T -- Hanging indent.

Ctrl + D -- Font options.

Ctrl + Shift + F -- Change the font.

Ctrl + Shift + > -- Increase selected font +1.

Ctrl + ] -- Increase selected font +1.

Ctrl + [ -- Decrease selected font -1.

Ctrl + Shift + * -- View or hide non printing characters.

Ctrl + (Left arrow) -- Move one word to the left.

Ctrl + (Right arrow) -- Move one word to the right.

Ctrl + (Up arrow) -- Move to the beginning of the line or paragraph.

Ctrl + (Down arrow) -- Move to the end of the paragraph.

Ctrl + Del -- Delete word to the right of the cursor.

Ctrl + Backspace -- Delete word to the left of the cursor.

Ctrl + End -- Move cursor to end of the document.

Ctrl + Home -- Move cursor to the beginning of the document.

Ctrl + Space -- Reset highlighted text to default font.

Ctrl + 1 -- Single-space lines.

Ctrl + 2 -- Double-space lines.

Ctrl + 5 -- 1.5-line spacing.

Ctrl + Alt + 1 Change text to heading 1.

Ctrl + Alt + 2 Change text to heading 2.

Ctrl + Alt + 3 Change text to heading 3.

F1 -- Open help.

Shift + F3 -- Change case of selected text.

Shift + Insert -- Paste.

F4 -- Repeat the last action performed (Word 2000+).

F7 -- Spell check selected text and/or document.

Shift + F7 -- Activate the thesaurus.

F12 -- Save as.

Ctrl + S -- Save.

Shift + F12 -- Save.

Alt + Shift + D -- Insert the current date.

Alt + Shift + T -- Insert the current time.

Ctrl + W -- Close document.

Excel shortcut keys

F2 -- Edit the selected cell.

F5 -- Go to a specific cell.

F7 -- Spell check selected text and/or document.

F11 -- Create chart

Ctrl + Shift + ; -- Enter the current time.

Ctrl + ; -- Enter the current date

Alt + Shift + F1 -- Insert new worksheet.

Shift + F3 -- Open the Excel formula window.

Shift + F5 -- Bring up the search box

Ctrl + A -- Select all contents of a worksheet.

Ctrl + B -- Bold highlighted selection.

Ctrl + I -- Italicize highlighted selection.

Ctrl + C -- Copy selected text.

Ctrl + V -- Paste

Ctrl + D -- Fill

Ctrl + K -- Insert link

Ctrl + F -- Open find and replace options.

Ctrl + G -- Open go-to options.

Ctrl + H -- Open find and replace options.

Ctrl + U -- Underline highlighted selection.

Ctrl + Y -- Underline selected text.

Ctrl + 5 -- Strikethrough highlighted selection.

Ctrl + O -- Open options.

Ctrl + N -- Open new document.

Ctrl + P -- Open print dialog box.

Ctrl + S -- Save.

Ctrl + Z -- Undo last action.

Ctrl + F9 -- Minimize current window.

Ctrl + F10 -- Maximize currently selected window.

Ctrl + F6 -- Switch between open workbooks/windows.

Ctrl + Page up & Page Down -- Move between Excel worksheets in the same document.

Ctrl + Tab -- Move between two or more open Excel files

Alt + = -- Create the formula to sum all of the above cells.

Ctrl + -- Insert the value of above cell into the current cell.

Ctrl + Shift + ! -- Format number in comma format.

Ctrl + Shift + $ -- Format number in currency format.

Ctrl + Shift + # -- Format number in date format.

Ctrl + Shift + % -- Format number in percentage format.

Ctrl + Shift + ^ -- Format number in scientific format.

Ctrl + Shift + @ -- Format number in time format.

Ctrl + (Right arrow) -- Move to next section of text.

Ctrl + Space -- Select entire column.

Shift + Space -- Select entire row.

Ctrl + W -- Close document.

Outlook shortcut keys

Alt + S -- Send the email.

Ctrl + C -- Copy selected text.

Ctrl + X -- Cut selected text.

Ctrl + P -- Open print dialog box.

Ctrl + K -- Complete name/email typed in address bar.

Ctrl + B -- Bold highlighted selection.

Ctrl + I -- Italicize highlighted selection.

Ctrl + U -- Underline highlighted selection.

Ctrl + R -- Reply to an email.

Ctrl + F -- Forward an email.

Ctrl + N -- Create a new email.

Ctrl + Shift + A -- Create a new appointment to your calendar.

Ctrl + Shift + O -- Open the outbox.

Ctrl + Shift + I -- Open the inbox.

Ctrl + Shift + K -- Add a new task.

Ctrl + Shift + C -- Create a new contact.

Ctrl + Shift+ J -- Create a new journal entry.

PowerPoint shortcut keys

Ctrl+N: Create a new presentation

Ctrl+O: Open an existing presentation

Ctrl+S: Save a presentation

F12 or Alt+F2: Open the Save As dialog box

Ctrl+W or Ctrl+F4: Close a presentation

Ctrl+Q: Save and close a presentation

Ctrl+Z: Undo an action

Ctrl+Y: Redo an action

Ctrl+F2: Print Preview View

F1: Open the Help pane

Alt+Q: Go to the “Tell me what you want to do” box

F7: Check spelling

Alt or F10: Turn key tips on or off

Ctrl+F1: Show or hide the ribbon

Ctrl+F: Search in a presentation or use Find and Replace

Alt+F: Open the File tab menu

Alt+H: Go to the Home tab

Alt+N: Open the Insert tab

Alt+G: Open the Design tab

Alt+K: Go to the Transitions tab

Alt+A: Go to the Animations tab

Alt+S: Go to the Slide Show tab

Alt+R: Go to the Review tab

Alt+W: Go to View tab

Alt+X: Go to the Add-ins tab

Alt+Y: Go to the Help tab

Ctrl+Tab: Switch between open presentations

WINKEY shortcuts:

WINKEY + D -- Bring desktop to the top of other windows.

WINKEY + M -- Minimize all windows.

WINKEY + SHIFT + M -- Undo the minimize done by WINKEY + M and WINKEY + D.

WINKEY + E -- Open Microsoft Explorer.

WINKEY + Tab -- Cycle through open programs on the taskbar.

WINKEY + F -- Display the Windows Search/Find feature.

WINKEY + CTRL + F -- Display the search for computers window.

WINKEY + F1 -- Display the Microsoft Windows help.

WINKEY + R -- Open the run window.

WINKEY + Pause /Break -- Open the system properties window.

WINKEY + U -- Open utility manager.

WINKEY + L -- Lock the computer (Windows XP & later).

Popular word processors in Linux OS

2020-02-26T16:09:00.001+05:30

Some of the popular word processors in Linux OS are as follows:

But the default and most used word processors are as follows

Libre Office Writer
WPS Office

1. Libre Office Writer :

Libre Office Writer is a forked product of Open Office package, Which means a slight change in code or any update over an exiting product ( in the way of UI, function adding & etc ) is also known as forking sometimes. So in other-words an altered way Open Office is Libre Office. LibreOffice is the most notable software on this list for one reason: it’s the only desktop office suite that can really contend with Microsoft Office these days. New document wizards and templates make the learning curve easy. The interface is straightforward and intuitive yet customizable for advanced users. LibreOffice can open and save to Microsoft file formats, including DOC and DOCX. There are advanced features too, like “master documents” that group multiple documents together, built-in drawing tools, tracking changes and revisions made to documents, the ability to import and edit PDFs, and more.

Everyone's basic question is how to do Mail Merge through this application, it is explained as follows.

Choose File - New - Labels to open the Labels dialog.
On the Labels tab page, select the format of the label sheets you want to print on.
Choose the database and table from which to get the data.
Select a database field of which you want to print the contents. Click the button that shows a left arrow to insert the database field into the Label Text box.

Continue to select and insert database fields if you want more fields on every label. You can press Enter to insert a new line, and you can type any character to insert fixed text.
Optionally, if you want to type more text, apply formatting, or insert images and line art, you should enable Synchronize contents on the Options tab. If you enable this, once you leave the Labels dialog box a small window opens with a Synchronize button. Now you only need to work on the first label on the labels document, then click the Synchronize button to copy your work to every label of the document.
Click New Document.
When you see the label document, you might want to temporarily enable View - Field Names. This displays the fields in a more visible manner, so that you can arrange and edit label contents more easily.
You can save and/or print the label document.When you choose to print the document, you will be asked if you want to print a form letter. Answer Yes to open the Mail Merge dialog. In the Mail Merge dialog, you can select the records for which you want to print labels.

You will need to use the Edit, Exchange databases as described below. I’ve also noticed if I try to print directly as the documentation would leave you to believe, it gives me blank pages in between each sheet! To solve this, set up the labels but instead of hitting print, select Tools, Mail Merge Wizard as proceed as described below. Essentially you are still performing a mail merge, except by starting from New, Labels, it will take care of the otherwise complex formatting of a label.

Step 0 if using Ubuntu – Ubuntu doesn’t include the full LibreOffice suite by default. It includes a minimal version. If you try to use a feature that isn’t installed it will crash or just not work. Lovely. Install the full version of libreoffice in by opening Ubuntu software center, search for Libreoffice, click install. Or via command line sudo apt-get install libreoffice

Ensure you have proper headers on your spreadsheet and save it. Take note where you save it to!

Data
In Writer, Click Edit then Exchange Database… Then click Browse. Select the file you just made
Click view, Data sources ( or press F4 )
On the left is a list of data sources. These should include the file you just made. Select it, then Tables, then Sheet1 (or the name of the sheet you want)

Displaying data
You will see the data from the spreadsheet. Click and drag the column you want into your document. For example if I wanted First Name, I would click and drag the First Name column title and not an individual cell like Bob. You will notice it appears gray in your document. You are free to cut and paste it or change the formatting. These words will be replaced with the data in your spreadsheet. Note that Libreoffice can’t do conditional fields. For example let’s say you have

Address1

Address2

City, State, Zip

Some people have one address but not the other. Libreoffice will insert a blank line no matter what. You can get around this by using the “address block” feature but that’s very limited and won’t work for every use case. You can also try making conditional sections but with such difficulty in doing that, you might as well just make your text document in Python.

Adding needed fields in form
Click Tools, Mail Merge Wizard or click the envelope icon in data sources. This stuff is mostly stupid and deals with Pre-formatted address blocks, etc. I’ve never under any circumstance use them but you will need to disable them all. Work through each step and click next to continue:

Select starting Document: Select current document.
Select document type: In this example we intend to print or save the file so select Letter.
Insert address block: Ensure “This document shall contain an address block” is unchecked.
Create salutation: Ensure “This document should contain salutation” is unchecked.
Edit document: By clicking the left and right arrow we can preview each page.
Personalize document: This screen shows us the finished document which is editable.
Save, print or send: What do you want to do this the finished document? You may save it, print it, or email it (may require additional setup). Save merged document will save the finished multi page document and Save starting document will save your template for later use.

2. WPS Office:

WPS Office is the set of office applications formerly known as Kingsoft Office, which you may recognize as one of the best mobile office suites for Android users. The desktop version is notable because it emulates the look and feel of Microsoft Office. WPS Office is named as such because it contains three applications: Writer, Presentation, and Spreadsheets. All of their developmental efforts are focused on these three only, so rest assured that they aren’t wasting time on other, less important applications.

Note that WPS Office for Linux is a separate community-maintained build that’s free to use on a personal basis.The last time we looked at WPS Writer, we were quite impressed by what it could do — and it has only gotten sharper and better since then. If you prefer the Microsoft’s Ribbon interface, then you’ll like WPS Writer. Once you learn how to use it properly, everything is just significantly easier. And when you combine it with WPS’s ability to open multiple documents with tabs, you’ll fall in love. WPS can do what most word processors do, including format paragraphs, autosave and back up files, create templates, and more. It also supports the main Microsoft file formats, including DOC and DOCX, but does not support the ODT file format.

Everyone's basic question is how to do Mail Merge through this application, it is explained as follows.

1. Create a file you want for mail merge, such as et table, txt format text file, access database file and so on.
2. Go to Reference tab > Mail Merge

Mail Merge

3. In Mailing tab, click Open Data Source button.

Open data source

4. Select the data source you want to open.

Select the source

5. In the Mailing tab, click Insert Merge Field to open Insert Field dialog, as shown below:

Insert the required field

6. Select the data in Fields box you want to insert.

7. Click Insert button to complete the mail merge.

8. Under the Mailing tab, click Mail Merge Recipients. In the dialog box, select the recipients you want to send the document to, and then you can send the merged email.

3. AbiWord:

AbiWord is a simple but effective word processor that’s part of the GNOME Office. It doesn’t come installed by default on Ubuntu, but you can easily install it by using the built-in Software Manager.Do you remember Microsoft Works? It was a smaller, less expensive alternative to Microsoft Word with fewer features. In much the same way, AbiWord can be considered as the lighter, faster alternative to LibreOffice with fewer features. This isn’t to say that AbiWord is worse than LibreOffice. Not at all! In many cases, you don’t actually need the full power of a gargantuan application and can settle for something less resource-intensive. In other words, for most home users, AbiWord is more than good enough. AbiWord supports all industry standard file formats (including Microsoft and WordPerfect), comes with advanced document layout options, and is extensible through separate plugins.

GUI -- ABIWORD

4. Scrivener:

Most people know of Scrivener as a “novel-writing tool”, and while it’s true that Scrivener is mainly used by novelists, it’s also used by researchers, bloggers, and even office workers for non-fiction writing. In short, Scrivener is basically a run-of-the-mill word processor that’s wrapped up in a whole bunch of organizational features. It’s overkill if you’re only working on a single document, but for bigger projects it can be a lifesaver.Scrivener can’t directly open document files, but you can import document files into a Scrivener project. Supported formats include DOC, DOCX, ODT, PDF, RTF, and several others (even Final Draft FDX). Scrivener projects can be exported to these formats as well. In terms of actual word processing, Scrivener can do a lot: format text and paragraphs, insert tables and lists, highlight selections, track revision histories, add annotations and footnotes, and more.

GUI - Scrivener

5. Calligra Words:

Back in 2010, a bit of disagreement led to a split in the KOffice community, resulting in the inception of Calligra Suite. While most KOffice applications were brought on board, KWord was completely replaced by a new program called Words, which launched in 2012. As is always the case with from-scratch applications, Calligra Words is still playing catch-up after all these years. It’s much better now than it was back then, but it still feels primitive and incomplete. The interface is also a bit unusual.My main gripe about the interface is that Calligra insists on a sidebar toolbox and doesn’t provide a way to use the more traditional method of having toolbars — even though Calligra does support toolbars for other stuff. If this doesn’t bother you, great! It bothers me though.

In terms of features, Calligra is very basic. It’s not lacking anything but it doesn’t offer anything interesting beyond what you’d expect from a word processor. And while it does support DOC, DOCX, and ODT, it doesn’t support many others. All in all, I’m happy that Calligra exists — competition is always good — but it doesn’t inspire me with confidence or excitement. I’d only use it if I couldn’t use any of the above options.

GUI - Calligra Word

Browser used in China

2020-02-24T14:48:00.003+05:30

There are no.of browsers used in China for browsing which are as follows.

1. Google Chrome

2. Firefox

3. 360 browser

4. Sogou browser

5. QQ browser

6. UC browser

and goes on.

1. Google Chrome:

Google Chrome is a fast, secure and free web browser that can meet the browser requirements of new websites. It allows you to use the web faster, easier and more securely. Google Chrome is super clean and easy to use.

2. Firefox:

Firefox browser is a free, open-source browser. It is suitable for Windows, Linux and macOS X platforms. Firefox browser is small and fast, and there are other advanced features as well. They include: tabbed browsing; makes internet surfing faster; pop-up windows can be disabled; custom toolbars; extended management; better search features; fast and convenient sidebar. The latest version has come with better code and more powerful features, including improvements to the installer, interface, and download manager.

3. 360 browser:

360 browser is the best and most secure new-generation browser on the Internet. It has become a series of 360 security center products with 360 security guards, 360 anti-virus software and other products. Trojan horses have replaced viruses as the biggest threat on the Internet at present. 90% of Trojan horses use hacked websites to invade through ordinary browsers, and 2 million users visit infected websites every day.

4. Sogou browser:

The Sogou browser is developed by Sogou. Based on Google’s Chrome core, it strives to provide users with a seamless experience across terminals. It’s a browser that makes it easier to surf the web and read web pages more smoothly. Sogou browser is currently the fastest and smoothest new browser on the Internet. It has the first “true dual-core” engine in China and uses a multi-level acceleration mechanism to greatly increase your Internet speed. It perfectly integrates the world’s fastest Webkit kernel. The best IE kernel guarantees good compatibility and greatly improves web browsing speed.

5. QQ browser:

QQ Browser is a new generation of browser launched by Tencent. It uses a dual-browser mode of Webkit and ordinary IE to design a new interface interaction and program framework. The purpose is to create a fast, stable, secure, and high-quality web browser.

6. UC browser:

UC Browser is a web browser developed by the Singapore/China-based mobile Internet company UCWeb, which is in turn owned by the Alibaba Group. It is more popular than Google Chrome in some of Asia's fastest-growing markets like India and Indonesia.

How browser works in mobile

2020-02-24T12:13:00.001+05:30

What is mobile browser?

The stock android app is Google's own Chrome web browser. Your phone may use another web browser app. Common names for that app include Web, Browser, and Internet. The good news is that all web apps work in a similar way and offer comparable features.

How does a Web browser function?

The primary function of a web browser is to render HTML, the code used to design or "mark up" web-pages. Each time a browser loads a web page, it processes the HTML, which may include text, links, and references to images and other items, such as cascading style sheets and JavaScript functions. The mobile browser usually connects via cellular network, or increasingly via Wireless LAN, using standard HTTP over TCP/IP and displays web pages written in HTML, XHTML Mobile Profile (WAP 2.0), or WML (which evolved from HDML).

WML and HDML are stripped-down formats suitable for transmission across limited bandwidth, and wireless data connection called WAP. In Japan, DoCoMo defined the i-mode service based on i-mode HTML, which is an extension of Compact HTML (C-HTML), a simple subset of HTML. WAP 2.0 specifies XHTML Mobile Profile plus WAP CSS, subsets of the W3C's standard XHTML and CSS with minor mobile extensions. Newer mobile browsers are full-featured Web browsers capable of HTML, CSS, ECMAScript, as well as mobile technologies such as WML, i-mode HTML, or cHTML. To accommodate small screens, they use Post-WIMP interfaces.

Some examples of mobile web browsers:

some of the most frequently used mobile web browsers are as follows.

Google Chrome
Tor browser
Internet explorer
UC Browser
Opera Mini
Firefox
Microsoft edge
Yandex Browser
Epic
Andriod browser.

What's new in Microsoft 2020

2020-02-23T21:37:00.002+05:30

Microsoft

Microsoft has newly rolling out new app icons, which is very colorful and they are working very keenly on many things one of the important update and serious update is this. Why because according to me if experience and feels are getting changed in Windows 10 but not icons then it is of no use right.. A product will be considered when their prize, packaging and branding are correct if any one is missing that product will be not be considered as a product if considered also that will not be alive in market. so that's why Microsoft has been rolling out the new modernized app icons which adds further professional look to that Operating System.

Win 10 new icons look

some of icon story

Calculator, Groove Music, Mail, Voice Recorder, Alarms & Clock, Movies & TV, and Calendar are the first built-in apps to get the new icons, with many more to follow. Microsoft is also planning to refresh apps like Photos from the basic white logos that exist today into more colorful options. The new Mail and Calendar icons are also appearing in the Release Preview ring for Windows 10, which means they’re just days away from being available to all Windows 10 users. The new icon push is all part of a broader Fluent Design effort at Microsoft to modernize the company’s software and services. All of these new icons will appear within Windows 10X, an OS variant designed for dual-screen devices. Windows 10 on regular laptops and desktops is still clearly getting a refresh, but it’s not clear if we’ll see the new Windows logo or Start menu design just yet.

Default count of Rows, Columns, Sheets in Ms-Excel

2020-02-22T12:06:00.000+05:30

Default count of Rows, Columns, Sheets depends on the software, data and the memory been used or utilized. As of now I've shared two different screen shots of different software.

1. WPS Spreadsheet 2016.

2. MS-Excel 2019.

Ms-Excel 2019 - Online on one drive

WPS Spread sheets 2016

Some of the default rows, columns count are shared as per the software.

Version	Rows	Columns	Cells	Sheets
Excel 2019	10,48,576	16,384 XFD	17,17,98,69,184	*
Excel 2016	10,48,576	16,384 XFD	17,17,98,69,184	*
Excel 2013	10,48,576	16,384 XFD	17,17,98,69,184	*
Excel 2007	10,48,576	16,384 XFD	17,17,98,69,184	*
Excel 2003 and earlier	65,536	256	1,67,77,216	*
Google Sheets		256	4,00,000	200
OpenOffice Calc 3	10,48,576	16,384	17,17,98,69,184	256
OpenOffice Calc 2	65,536	256	1,67,77,216	256
Gnumeric	65,536	256	1,67,77,216	*
KSpread	32,767	32,767	1,07,36,76,289	*
Lotus 1-2-3	65,536	256	1,67,77,216	256
LibreOffice Calc	10,48,576	1,024	1,07,37,41,824	10,000

The shortcuts to be known in excel to find default row & column counts :

1. Ctrl + down arrow -- row count

2. Ctrl + right arrow -- column count

By default, there are three sheets in a new workbook in all versions of Excel, though users can create as many as their computer memory allows. These three worksheets are named Sheet1, Sheet2, and Sheet3.

The total number of characters a cell can contain is 32,767.

If this software is needed do please click here to buy.

Ways To Determine The Type Of Drive (HDD or SSD) Installed In Your System

2020-02-20T00:14:00.001+05:30

The hard drive is an important component of a computer as it permanently stores all the data that is processed by the CPU. The hard drive is usually the slowest component in the computer but it can be faster if you select the right kind of hard drive. There are different types of hard drives. The old hard drives were hard disk drives (HDD) which are still abundantly used because they are cheaper as compared to other alternatives. The newer kind of hard drives are Solid State Drives (SSD) which are expensive but are a lot more faster than HDD.

SSD

HDD

Today we will discuss about how to detect which type of hard drive has been installed in your computer. There are quite a few ways of determining the drive type in Windows some as follows.

1. Through the command msinfo32

It is an in-built tool in windows xp, windows vista, windows 7, windows 8, windows 8.1 and windows 10 has a simple command to display system summary or system information. Which includes Hardware resources, Components, Software Environment on the system we are using.

Name of the command is msinfo32, Let me share the interface of it and how it will be opened in all versions of windows.

go to Run --> type msinfo32
press enter.
we will be prompted a window on the name System Information

msinfo32 Interface

As mentioned in order to find in our system the present hardware is normal HDD or SSD, by expanding components tab -- Go to Storage tab -- Go to Disks -- in your right hand side window you will get the info as HDD/SSD as shown above.

2. Through the command dfrgui

It is also an in-built tool for disk fragmentation / sometimes also told as the disk optimizer tool. using this dfrgui command opens disk fragmentation tool of your system. which the interface as below and this command has to be executed on Run. In-other words Go to Run -- type dfrgui press enter disk fragmentation tool will be opened as shown below, in that we can get the information which we are searching for.

dfrgui interface

3. Through powershell

Powershell is also an in-built tool in each and every windows system.

In powershell, there is a command know as Get-PhysicalDisk which has to executed only in windows powershell interface. for opening windows powershell Go to Run -- type powershell -- press enter. a blue black window will be appearing on the screen in that window you have to type the Get-PhysicalDisk as shown in the figure below.

Get-PhysicalDisk command

these are some of the ways through which we can identify that the installed storage device is HDD/ SSD.

After identifying it's HDD please click here directly because this will take you to our procurement tab where you can purchase SSD to make your system fast, efficient and smart workers. HDD are slow working device, makes your laptop very slow and the efficiency in reading & writing the data will be poor. we have already shared a post over it please go through that also, then you will get to know why we are suggesting SSD over HDD.

What is Ready Boost ?

2020-02-18T13:50:00.002+05:30

ReadyBoost is a feature that speeds up Windows by storing application files and data as cache in a USB drive. This disk caching is beneficial in case the system is running a slow hard drive. ReadyBoost works with USB drives, SD cards, and CF cards. However, it may not be able to deliver considerable performance in the case of newer hardware. So, if you’re stuck with an older hardware, you can speed up Windows using ReadyBoost and USB drive.

Does ReadyBoost really increase performance?

When you connect a USB drive to your computer and enable ReadyBoost, Windows will store SuperFetch data on your USB drive, freeing up system memory. It's faster to read various small files from your USB stick than it is to read them from your hard drive, so this can theoretically improve your system's performance.

Here SuperFetch is nothing but a technology which allows Windows to manage the amount of random access memory in the machine it runs on more efficiently. SuperFetch is part of Windows' memory manager; a less capable version, called PreFetcher, is included in Windows XP. In otherwords, Superfetch is a Windows service that is intended to make your applications launch faster and improve your system respond speed. It does so by pre-loading programs you frequently use into RAM so that they don't have to be called from the hard drive every time you run them.

USB storage is slower than RAM. It's better to store SuperFetch data in your computer's RAM than on a USB stick. Therefore, ReadyBoost only helps if your computer doesn't have enough RAM. If you have more than enough RAM, ReadyBoost won't really help. This is the point we have disclosed earlier in beginning itself. So use it wisely. For old hardware there is a minimum grantee from our side that everyone can give a shot by enabling ReadyBoost technology. But in new hardware we can't give the minimum grantee that it will work.

More stuff to know about ReadyBoost

The data stored in the ReadyBoost cache is protected using 128-bit AES encryption by default. A hardware manufacturer putting a ReadyBoost supplement in the machine itself can disable the encryption.

The ReadyBoost feature doesn’t work if your computer is running an SSD because it’s already fast enough to outperform the USB drive. So, here, you won’t be able to speed up Windows using ReadyBoost.

It’s not compulsory that you have to sacrifice a complete USB drive for the feature. You can use a part of it to store the cache file and use the rest of the drive normally. However, a minimum amount of free space is required. Windows can use up to 4GB on USB drive formatted as FAT32. The limit expands up to 32 GB in the case of NTFS formatted USB drives. If you’re using an SD card, exFAT can also be a great option. Using a flash drive that’s slower than your hard drive won’t speed up Windows using ReadyBoost. So, you might consider a USB 3.0 flash drive for the ReadyBoost feature. Moreover, if your PC has like some 8 or 16 gigs of RAM, you don’t really need the feature because cache will then be stored in the RAM. There is one considerable disadvantage of using a USB drive to speed your Windows system. However, it doesn’t affect your computer. The USB drives have limited read/write cycles. So, repeated use, as in the case of ReadyBoost, would reduce their life expectancy.

Now that you’ll learned a lot about ReadyBoost, in the steps ahead, I’ll be telling you how to speed up Windows using ReadyBoost.

How to speed up Windows 10 using ReadyBoost?

As mentioned earlier, you can use a USB drive, SD card or a CF card to enhance the performance of your Windows 10 operating system.

In the case of SD cards, please keep in mind that you use the internal SD card reader present on your machine. The external card reader may not be as effective as the internal one. Also, it would be better if you format your USB drive or SD card before setting up ReadyBoost. However, it’s completely optional.

Now, here are the steps to set up ReadyBoost on your USB drive and speed up Windows 10 (for previous versions the options may slightly differ):
1.Connect the USB drive to your Windows 10 PC.
2.Go to My Computer or This PC.
3.Now, right-click your USB drive to open the context menu and select Properties.
4.Under the ReadyBoost tab, you can allocate space for the ReadyBoost feature or use the complete USB drive.

Speed Up Windows 10

5.Select Dedicate this device to ReadyBoost if you won’t be using the USB drive for any other purpose. Otherwise, select Use this device radio button and use the slider to reserve space for the feature.
6.Click OK to finish. Windows will take some time to configure the USB drive.

So, this way you can speed up Windows using ReadyBoost if you’re low on resources. You might observe some benefits of the feature but they largely depend on people’s usage habits and may differ from machine to machine.

How do I stop ReadyBoost?

There are a lot of benefits offered by ReadyBoost, but there could be many reasons you might want to disable it. For instance, you’ve have upgraded your new PC and don’t need ReadyBoost anymore.

Disable ReadyBoost

1.Go to your ReadyBoost drive’s properties and click on

2.Do not use this device radio button.

3.Click Ok to save the changes.

4.Next, you have to manually delete the ReadyBoost file stored on the USB drive.

Through Performance Monitor we can monitor the ReadyBoost cache used ...

If you're coming across any other speeding up technique please leave it on comment section we will check and put a post on it.

Google Search Tips

2020-02-13T15:05:00.001+05:30

Google Search is a learning curve and it's pretty odd. You use it every day, but still all you know is how to search. But the search engine has plenty of tricks up its sleeve. Here’s an overview of some of the most useful Google search tricks, from basic tips to new features just recently released.Want to use Google search more efficiently and get the search results you want quickly? Here are 20 Google search tips and tricks to maximize your search efficiency:

1. Use the tabs

The first tip is to use the tabs in Google search. On the top of every search are a number of tabs. Usually you’ll see Web, Image, News, and More. Using these tabs, you can help define what kind of search you need to do.

f you need images, use the Image tab. If you are looking for a recent news article, use the News tab.

It’s rudimentary and most people use the tabs already. If you are not, then it’s highly recommended to get associated with them. They can cut search times dramatically if utilized properly.

2. Use quotes

When searching for something specific, try using quotes to minimize the guesswork for Google search. When you put your search parameters in quotes, it tells the search engine to search for the whole phrase.

For instance, if you search for Puppy Dog Sweaters, the engine will search for content that contains those three words in any order.

However, if you search “Puppy Dog Sweaters”, it will search for that phrase exactly as you typed it. This can help locate specific information that may be buried under other content if not sorted out correctly.

3. Use a hyphen to exclude words

Sometimes you may find yourself searching for a word with an ambiguous meaning. An example is Mustang. When you Google search for Mustang, you may get results for both the car made by Ford or the horse. If you want to cut one out, use the hyphen to tell the engine to ignore content with one of the other. See the example below.

Mustang -cars

This tells the search engine to search for mustangs but to remove any results that have the word “car” in it. It can be wildly helpful when finding information about something without getting information about something else.

4. Use a colon to search specific sites

There may be an instance where you need to Google search for articles or content on a certain website. The syntax is very simple and we’ll show you below.

Sidney Crosby site:nhl.com

This will search for all content about famous hockey player Sidney Crosby, but only on NHL.com. All other search results will be removed. If you need to find specific content on a particular site, this is the shortcut you can use.

5. Find a page that links to another page

This Google search tip is a little obscure. Instead of searching for a specific page, you’re searching for a page that links to a specific page.

Think about it this way. If you want to see who cited a New York Times article on their site, you would use this trick to find all the sites that link to it. The syntax is below:

link:nytimes.com

That will return all pages that link to the New York Times official website. The URL on the right side can be practically anything.

Be aware, though, that the more specific it is, the fewer results you’ll get. We know not a lot of people will likely use this Google search trick, but it could be very useful for some.

6. Use the asterisk wildcard

The asterisk wildcard is one of the most useful ones on the list. Here’s how it works.

When you use an asterisk in a search term on Google search, it will leave a placeholder that may be automatically filled by the search engine later. This is a brilliant way to find song lyrics if you don’t know all the words. Let’s look at the

syntax:“Come * right now * me”

To you or me, that may look like nonsense. However, Google search will search for that phrase knowing that the asterisks can be any word.

More often than not, you’ll find they are lyrics to The Beatles song “Come Together” and that’s what the search will tell you.

7. Find sites that are similar to other sites

This is a unique one that could be used by practically everyone if they knew it existed.

Let’s say you have a favorite website. It can be anything. However, that website is getting a little bit boring and you want to find other websites like it. You would use this trick.

Below is the syntax:

related:amazon.com

If you search that above, you won’t find a link to Amazon. Instead, you’ll find links to online stores like Amazon. Sites like Barnes & Noble, Best Buy, and others that sell physical items online. It’s a powerful Google search tool that can help you find new sites to browse.

8. Use Google search to do math

Google search can actually do math for you. This is a rather complex one to describe because it can be used in so many ways. You can ask it basic questions or some more difficult ones.

It is important to note that it won’t solve all math problems, but it will solve a good number of them. Here are a couple of examples of the syntax:

8 * 5 + 5

Planck’s Consant

If you search the first one, it’ll return 45. It will also show a calculator that you can use to find answers to more questions.This is handy if you need to do some quick math but don’t want to do it in your head. If you search the second term, it will return the number value of Planck’s Constant.

So it can do math, but it can also help you solve math problems by showing values for known mathematical terms.

9. Search for multiple words at once

Google search is flexible. It knows you may not find what you want by searching only a single word or phrase. Thus, it lets you search for multiples.

By using this trick, you can search for one word or phrase along with a second word or phrase. This can help narrow down your search to help you find exactly what you’re looking for. Here is the syntax:

“Best ways to prepare for a job interview” OR “How to prepare for a job interview”

By searching that, you will search both phrases. Remember the quotes tip above? It’s being used here as well. In this instance, these two exact phrases will be searched. It can be done by word too, like the example below:

chocolate OR white chocolate

This will search for pages that have either chocolate or white chocolate!

10. Search a range of numbers

Searching for a range of numbers is another tip we don’t anticipate a lot of people using. The people that do use it, though, will probably use it quite a bit.

People interested in money or statistics will find this tip particularly useful. Essentially, you use two dots and a number to let Google search know you’re looking for a specific range of numbers. Like the syntax below:

What teams have won the Stanley Cup ..2004

41..43

In the first instance, the search will toss back the team that won the Stanley Cup in 2004. The two dots with only one number will tell the search that you don’t need anything before or after 2004. This can help narrow down searches to a specific number to improve search results.

In the second, Google will search for the numbers 41, 42, and 43. It is obscure, but wildly useful if you happen to need to search for numbers like this.

11. Keep it simple

Now we’re getting into the general tips. Google search knows how to search for a lot of things. What this means is you don’t need to be too specific. If you need a pizza place nearby, use this to search.

Pizza places nearby

Google search will grab your location and deliver a variety of results about pizza places that are near you.

12. Gradually add search terms

There will come a time when Google search doesn’t shovel out the results you expect. In this instance, keeping it simple may not be the best option.

As Google itself suggests, the best method is to start with something simple then gradually get more complicated. See the example below:

First try: job interviews

Second try: prepare for job interviews

Third try: how to prepare for a job interview

This will gradually refine the search to bring you fewer, more targeted terms. The reason you don’t go straight from the first try to the third try is because you may miss what you’re looking for by skipping the second step.

Millions of websites phrase the same information in a number of different ways; using this technique lets you search as many of them as possible to find the best info.

13. Use words that websites would use

This is a very important one. When people use Google search to hunt the web, they generally search for things using the same language that they would use for speaking.

Unfortunately, websites don’t say things the way people do; instead, they try to use language that sounds professional. Let’s look at some examples:

“I have a flat tire” could be replaced by “repair a flat tire.”

“My head hurts” could be replaced by “headache relief.”

The list goes on and on. When searching, try to use terminology you would find on a professional website. This will help you get more reliable results.

14. Use important words only

The way Google search works is to take what you search for and match it with keywords in online content.

When you search for too many words, it may limit your results. That means it may actually take you longer to find what you’re looking for. Thus, it is apropos to use only the important words when searching for something.

Let’s see an example:

Don’t use: Where can I find a Chinese restaurant that delivers.

Instead try: Chinese restaurants nearby.

Or: Chinese restaurants near me.

Doing this can help Google find what you need without all the clutter. So remember, keep it simple and use important words only.

15. Google search has shortcuts

A number of commands can be entered to give you instantaneous results.

Like the math example above, Google can immediately give you the information you need that is displayed right at the top of the search results. This can save time and effort so you don’t have to click a bunch of bothersome links.

Here are a few examples of some commands you can enter into Google:

Weather *zip code* – This will show you the weather in the given zip code. You can also use town and city names instead of area codes, but it may not be as accurate if there are multiple area codes in the city.

What is *celebrity name* Bacon Number – This is a fun little one that will tell you how many connections any given celebrity has to famed actor Kevin Bacon. The popular joke, Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon, is that no actor is more than 6 connections away from Kevin Bacon. Mark Zuckerberg has a Bacon Number of 3.

The math example posted above is another one.

What is the definition of *word* or Define: *word* – This will display the definition of a word.

Time *place* – This will display the time in whatever place you type in.

You can check any stock by typing its ticker name into Google. If you search for GOOG, it will check the stock prices for Google.

These quick commands can take a web search that is usually multiple clicks and condense it into a single search. This is very helpful for information you need repeatedly.

16. Spelling doesn’t necessarily matter

Google search has gotten a lot smarter over the years. These days, you don’t even need to spell words correctly.

As long as it’s pretty close, Google can usually figure out what it means. Here are some examples:

If you search “Nver Gna Gve Yo Up” Google will automatically assume you mean to search for “Never Gonna Give You Up.” If by chance your misspelling was intentional, Google gives you the option to search for the misspelled term instead.

This trick is great if you happen to forget how to spell something or are not altogether sure how something is spelled.

It can also be helpful when searching for obscure words. This applies to capitalization and grammar as well.

17. Use descriptive words

Pretty much everything can be described in multiple ways. Take our namesake, the “life hack.” The terminology “hack” refers to a computer programmer breaking security on a network or system. However, when used in conjunction with the word “life”, it alters the meaning to tips and tricks people can use to improve their lives.

If you have trouble finding what you’re searching for, keep in mind that people may search or define what you need in a different way than you do.

You may search “How to install drivers in Ubunut?”

When you really mean “Troubleshoot driver problems Ubuntu.”

There really isn’t a good specific example for this one. If you search for something and you can’t find an answer, try asking the same question using different words and see if that helps the results.

18. Find a specific file

An often forgotten feature of Google search is the ability to search for a specific file or file type. This can be infinitely useful if you need a specific PDF or PowerPoint file that you previously viewed or need to use for another project. The syntax is quite simple:

*Search term here* filetype:pdf

In the above example, you simply replace the search term with whatever you’re searching for. Then use the filetype command and enter the extension of any file type you can think of.

This can mostly be useful for scholarly purposes, but business presentations and other assorted presentations can benefit from this kind of search as well.

19. Money and unit conversions

Google search can quickly and accurately convert both measurement units and currency value. There are a variety of uses for this, like checking to see the conversion rate between two currencies.

If you happen to be a math student, you can use it to convert from feet to meters or from ounces to liters.

Here’s how to do it:

miles to km – This will convert miles to kilometers. You can put numbers in front to convert a certain number. Like “10 miles to km” will show you how many kilometers are in 10 miles.

USD to British Pound Sterling – This will convert a US dollar to British pounds. Like the measurements above, you can add numbers to find exact conversions for a certain amount of money.

It’s true that this tip is geared toward math students and international business people. However, you’d be surprised how often these tips are used by regular people.

20. Track your packages

Our last trick is to use Google search to find out where your packages are. You can enter any UPS, USPS, or Fedex tracking number directly into the Google search bar, and it’ll show you the tracking information about your package.

This is much easier than going to the specific sites, waiting for them to load, then searching for your packages there.

No examples are really needed for this one. Just type your tracking number in and see where your package is.

Final thoughts

Google search is a very powerful search tool. Using the tips outlined above, you can find anything and everything you could ever need on the World Wide Web.

Whether it’s avoiding Wikipedia for a school essay project, finding the latest stock prices, or even finding song lyrics, there is a way to make Google search work for you.

Top 10 most common types of cyber attack

2020-01-19T14:23:00.001+05:30

A cyber attack is any type of offensive action that targets computer information systems, infrastructures, computer networks or personal computer devices, using various methods to steal, alter or destroy data or information systems.

Today I’ll describe the 10 most common cyber attack types:

1.Denial-of-service (DoS) and distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks

2.Man-in-the-middle (MitM) attack

3.Phishing and spear phishing attacks

4.Drive-by attack

5.Password attack

6.SQL injection attack

7.Cross-site scripting (XSS) attack

8.Eavesdropping attack

9.Birthday attack

10.Malware attack

1. Denial-of-service (DoS) and distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks

A denial-of-service attack overwhelms a system’s resources so that it cannot respond to service requests. A DDoS attack is also an attack on system’s resources, but it is launched from a large number of other host machines that are infected by malicious software controlled by the attacker.

Unlike attacks that are designed to enable the attacker to gain or increase access, denial-of-service doesn’t provide direct benefits for attackers. For some of them, it’s enough to have the satisfaction of service denial. However, if the attacked resource belongs to a business competitor, then the benefit to the attacker may be real enough. Another purpose of a DoS attack can be to take a system offline so that a different kind of attack can be launched. One common example is session hijacking, which I’ll describe later.

There are different types of DoS and DDoS attacks; the most common are TCP SYN flood attack, teardrop attack, smurf attack, ping-of-death attack and botnets.

TCP SYN flood attack

In this attack, an attacker exploits the use of the buffer space during a Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) session initialization handshake. The attacker’s device floods the target system’s small in-process queue with connection requests, but it does not respond when the target system replies to those requests. This causes the target system to time out while waiting for the response from the attacker’s device, which makes the system crash or become unusable when the connection queue fills up.

There are a few countermeasures to a TCP SYN flood attack:

Place servers behind a firewall configured to stop inbound SYN packets.

Increase the size of the connection queue and decrease the timeout on open connections.

Teardrop attack

This attack causes the length and fragmentation offset fields in sequential Internet Protocol (IP) packets to overlap one another on the attacked host; the attacked system attempts to reconstruct packets during the process but fails. The target system then becomes confused and crashes.

If users don’t have patches to protect against this DoS attack, disable SMBv2 and block ports 139 and 445.

Smurf attack

This attack involves using IP spoofing and the ICMP to saturate a target network with traffic. This attack method uses ICMP echo requests targeted at broadcast IP addresses. These ICMP requests originate from a spoofed “victim” address. For instance, if the intended victim address is 10.0.0.10, the attacker would spoof an ICMP echo request from 10.0.0.10 to the broadcast address 10.255.255.255. This request would go to all IPs in the range, with all the responses going back to 10.0.0.10, overwhelming the network. This process is repeatable, and can be automated to generate huge amounts of network congestion.

To protect your devices from this attack, you need to disable IP-directed broadcasts at the routers. This will prevent the ICMP echo broadcast request at the network devices. Another option would be to configure the end systems to keep them from responding to ICMP packets from broadcast addresses.

Ping of death attack

This type of attack uses IP packets to ‘ping a target system with an IP size over the maximum of 65,535 bytes. IP packets of this size are not allowed, so attacker fragments the IP packet. Once the target system reassembles the packet, it can experience buffer overflows and other crashes.

Ping of death attacks can be blocked by using a firewall that will check fragmented IP packets for maximum size.

Botnets

Botnets are the millions of systems infected with malware under hacker control in order to carry out DDoS attacks. These bots or zombie systems are used to carry out attacks against the target systems, often overwhelming the target system’s bandwidth and processing capabilities. These DDoS attacks are difficult to trace because botnets are located in differing geographic locations.

Botnets can be mitigated by:

RFC3704 filtering, which will deny traffic from spoofed addresses and help ensure that traffic is traceable to its correct source network. For example, RFC3704 filtering will drop packets from bogon list addresses.

Black hole filtering, which drops undesirable traffic before it enters a protected network. When a DDoS attack is detected, the BGP (Border Gateway Protocol) host should send routing updates to ISP routers so that they route all traffic heading to victim servers to a null0 interface at the next hop.

2. Man-in-the-middle (MitM) attack

A MitM attack occurs when a hacker inserts itself between the communications of a client and a server. Here are some common types of man-in-the-middle attacks:

Session hijacking

In this type of MitM attack, an attacker hijacks a session between a trusted client and network server. The attacking computer substitutes its IP address for the trusted client while the server continues the session, believing it is communicating with the client. For instance, the attack might unfold like this:

1.A client connects to a server.

2.The attacker’s computer gains control of the client.

3.The attacker’s computer disconnects the client from the server.

4.The attacker’s computer replaces the client’s IP address with its own IP address and spoofs the client’s sequence numbers.

5.The attacker’s computer continues dialog with the server and the server believes it is still communicating with the client.

Attacker sniffs into a session

Attacker gets inside them

IP Spoofing

IP spoofing is used by an attacker to convince a system that it is communicating with a known, trusted entity and provide the attacker with access to the system. The attacker sends a packet with the IP source address of a known, trusted host instead of its own IP source address to a target host. The target host might accept the packet and act upon it.

Replay

A replay attack occurs when an attacker intercepts and saves old messages and then tries to send them later, impersonating one of the participants. This type can be easily countered with session timestamps or nonce (a random number or a string that changes with time).

Currently, there is no single technology or configuration to prevent all MitM attacks. Generally, encryption and digital certificates provide an effective safeguard against MitM attacks, assuring both the confidentiality and integrity of communications. But a man-in-the-middle attack can be injected into the middle of communications in such a way that encryption will not help — for example, attacker “A” intercepts public key of person “P” and substitute it with his own public key. Then, anyone wanting to send an encrypted message to P using P’s public key is unknowingly using A’s public key. Therefore, A can read the message intended for P and then send the message to P, encrypted in P’s real public key, and P will never notice that the message was compromised. In addition, A could also modify the message before resending it to P. As you can see, P is using encryption and thinks that his information is protected but it is not, because of the MitM attack.

So, how can you make sure that P’s public key belongs to P and not to A? Certificate authorities and hash functions were created to solve this problem. When person 2 (P2) wants to send a message to P, and P wants to be sure that A will not read or modify the message and that the message actually came from P2, the following method must be used:

P2 creates a symmetric key and encrypts it with P’s public key.

P2 sends the encrypted symmetric key to P.

P2 computes a hash function of the message and digitally signs it.

P2 encrypts his message and the message’s signed hash using the symmetric key and sends the entire thing to P.

P is able to receive the symmetric key from P2 because only he has the private key to decrypt the encryption.

P, and only P, can decrypt the symmetrically encrypted message and signed hash because he has the symmetric key.

He is able to verify that the message has not been altered because he can compute the hash of received message and compare it with digitally signed one.

P is also able to prove to himself that P2 was the sender because only P2 can sign the hash so that it is verified with P2 public key.

3. Phishing and spear phishing attacks

Phishing attack is the practice of sending emails that appear to be from trusted sources with the goal of gaining personal information or influencing users to do something. It combines social engineering and technical trickery. It could involve an attachment to an email that loads malware onto your computer. It could also be a link to an illegitimate website that can trick you into downloading malware or handing over your personal information.

Spear phishing is a very targeted type of phishing activity. Attackers take the time to conduct research into targets and create messages that are personal and relevant. Because of this, spear phishing can be very hard to identify and even harder to defend against. One of the simplest ways that a hacker can conduct a spear phishing attack is email spoofing, which is when the information in the “From” section of the email is falsified, making it appear as if it is coming from someone you know, such as your management or your partner company. Another technique that scammers use to add credibility to their story is website cloning — they copy legitimate websites to fool you into entering personally identifiable information (PII) or login credentials.

To reduce the risk of being phished, you can use these techniques:

Critical thinking — Do not accept that an email is the real deal just because you’re busy or stressed or you have 150 other unread messages in your inbox. Stop for a minute and analyze the email.

Hovering over the links — Move your mouse over the link, but do not click it! Just let your mouse cursor h over over the link and see where would actually take you. Apply critical thinking to decipher the URL.

Analyzing email headers — Email headers define how an email got to your address. The “Reply-to” and “Return-Path” parameters should lead to the same domain as is stated in the email.

Sandboxing — You can test email content in a sandbox environment, logging activity from opening the attachment or clicking the links inside the email.

4. Drive-by attack

Drive-by download attacks are a common method of spreading malware. Hackers look for insecure websites and plant a malicious script into HTTP or PHP code on one of the pages. This script might install malware directly onto the computer of someone who visits the site, or it might re-direct the victim to a site controlled by the hackers. Drive-by downloads can happen when visiting a website or viewing an email message or a pop-up window. Unlike many other types of cyber security attacks, a drive-by doesn’t rely on a user to do anything to actively enable the attack — you don’t have to click a download button or open a malicious email attachment to become infected. A drive-by download can take advantage of an app, operating system or web browser that contains security flaws due to unsuccessful updates or lack of updates.

To protect yourself from drive-by attacks, you need to keep your browsers and operating systems up to date and avoid websites that might contain malicious code. Stick to the sites you normally use — although keep in mind that even these sites can be hacked. Don’t keep too many unnecessary programs and apps on your device. The more plug-ins you have, the more vulnerabilities there are that can be exploited by drive-by attacks.

5. Password attack

Because passwords are the most commonly used mechanism to authenticate users to an information system, obtaining passwords is a common and effective attack approach. Access to a person’s password can be obtained by looking around the person’s desk, ‘‘sniffing’’ the connection to the network to acquire unencrypted passwords, using social engineering, gaining access to a password database or outright guessing. The last approach can be done in either a random or systematic manner:

Brute-force password guessing means using a random approach by trying different passwords and hoping that one work Some logic can be applied by trying passwords related to the person’s name, job title, hobbies or similar items.

In a dictionary attack, a dictionary of common passwords is used to attempt to gain access to a user’s computer and network. One approach is to copy an encrypted file that contains the passwords, apply the same encryption to a dictionary of commonly used passwords, and compare the results.

In order to protect yourself from dictionary or brute-force attacks, you need to implement an account lockout policy that will lock the account after a few invalid password attempts. You can follow these account lockout best practices in order to set it up correctly.

6. SQL injection attack

SQL injection has become a common issue with database-driven websites. It occurs when a malefactor executes a SQL query to the database via the input data from the client to server. SQL commands are inserted into data-plane input (for example, instead of the login or password) in order to run predefined SQL commands. A successful SQL injection exploit can read sensitive data from the database, modify (insert, update or delete) database data, execute administration operations (such as shutdown) on the database, recover the content of a given file, and, in some cases, issue commands to the operating system.

For example, a web form on a website might request a user’s account name and then send it to the database in order to pull up the associated account information using dynamic SQL like this:

“SELECT * FROM users WHERE account = ‘“ + userProvidedAccountNumber +”’;”

While this works for users who are properly entering their account number, it leaves a hole for attackers. For example, if someone decided to provide an account number of “‘ or ‘1’ = ‘1’”, that would result in a query string of:

“SELECT * FROM users WHERE account = ‘’ or ‘1’ = ‘1’;”

Because ‘1’ = ‘1’ always evaluates to TRUE, the database will return the data for all users instead of just a single user.

The vulnerability to this type of cyber security attack depends on the fact that SQL makes no real distinction between the control and data planes. Therefore, SQL injections work mostly if a website uses dynamic SQL. Additionally, SQL injection is very common with PHP and ASP applications due to the prevalence of older functional interfaces. J2EE and ASP.NET applications are less likely to have easily exploited SQL injections because of the nature of the programmatic interfaces available.

In order to protect yourself from a SQL injection attacks, apply least0privilege model of permissions in your databases. Stick to stored procedures (make sure that these procedures don’t include any dynamic SQL) and prepared statements (parameterized queries). The code that is executed against the database must be strong enough to prevent injection attacks. In addition, validate input data against a white list at the application level.

7. Cross-site scripting (XSS) attack

XSS attacks use third-party web resources to run scripts in the victim’s web browser or scriptable application. Specifically, the attacker injects a payload with malicious JavaScript into a website’s database. When the victim requests a page from the website, the website transmits the page, with the attacker’s payload as part of the HTML body, to the victim’s browser, which executes the malicious script. For example, it might send the victim’s cookie to the attacker’s server, and the attacker can extract it and use it for session hijacking. The most dangerous consequences occur when XSS is used to exploit additional vulnerabilities. These vulnerabilities can enable an attacker to not only steal cookies, but also log key strokes, capture screenshots, discover and collect network information, and remotely access and control the victim’s machine.

CSS - XSS attack

While XSS can be taken advantage of within VBScript, ActiveX and Flash, the most widely abused is JavaScript — primarily because JavaScript is supported widely on the web. To defend against XSS attacks, developers can sanitize data input by users in an HTTP request before reflecting it back. Make sure all data is validated, filtered or escaped before echoing anything back to the user, such as the values of query parameters during searches. Convert special characters such as ?, &, /, <, > and spaces to their respective HTML or URL encoded equivalents. Give users the option to disable client-side scripts.

8. Eavesdropping attack

Eavesdropping attacks occur through the interception of network traffic. By eavesdropping, an attacker can obtain passwords, credit card numbers and other confidential information that a user might be sending over the network.

Eavesdropping can be passive or active:

Passive eavesdropping — A hacker detects the information by listening to the message transmission in the network.

Active eavesdropping — A hacker actively grabs the information by disguising himself as friendly unit and by sending queries to transmitters. This is called probing, scanning or tampering.

Detecting passive eavesdropping attacks is often more important than spotting active ones, since active attacks requires the attacker to gain knowledge of the friendly units by conducting passive eavesdropping before.

Data encryption is the best countermeasure for eavesdropping.

9. Birthday attack

Birthday attacks are made against hash algorithms that are used to verify the integrity of a message, software or digital signature. A message processed by a hash function produces a message digest (MD) of fixed length, independent of the length of the input message; this MD uniquely characterizes the message. The birthday attack refers to the probability of finding two random messages that generate the same MD when processed by a hash function. If an attacker calculates same MD for his message as the user has, he can safely replace the user’s message with his, and the receiver will not be able to detect the replacement even if he compares MDs.

10. Malware attack

Malicious software can be described as unwanted software that is installed in your system without your consent. It can attach itself to legitimate code and propagate; it can lurk in useful applications or replicate itself across the Internet. Here are some of the most common types of malware:

Macro viruses — These viruses infect applications such as Microsoft Word or Excel. Macro viruses attach to an application’s initialization sequence. When the application is opened, the virus executes instructions before transferring control to the application. The virus replicates itself and attaches to other code in the computer system.

File infectors — File infector viruses usually attach themselves to executable code, such as .exe files. The virus is installed when the code is loaded. Another version of a file infector associates itself with a file by creating a virus file with the same name, but an .exe extension. Therefore, when the file is opened, the virus code will execute.

System or boot-record infectors — A boot-record virus attaches to the master boot record on hard disks. When the system is started, it will look at the boot sector and load the virus into memory, where it can propagate to other disks and computers.

Polymorphic viruses — These viruses conceal themselves through varying cycles of encryption and decryption. The encrypted virus and an associated mutation engine are initially decrypted by a decryption program. The virus proceeds to infect an area of code. The mutation engine then develops a new decryption routine and the virus encrypts the mutation engine and a copy of the virus with an algorithm corresponding to the new decryption routine. The encrypted package of mutation engine and virus is attached to new code, and the process repeats. Such viruses are difficult to detect but have a high level of entropy because of the many modifications of their source code. Anti-virus software or free tools like Process Hacker can use this feature to detect them.

Stealth viruses — Stealth viruses take over system functions to conceal themselves. They do this by compromising malware detection software so that the software will report an infected area as being uninfected. These viruses conceal any increase in the size of an infected file or changes to the file’s date and time of last modification.

Trojans — A Trojan or a Trojan horse is a program that hides in a useful program and usually has a malicious function. A major difference between viruses and Trojans is that Trojans do not self-replicate. In addition to launching attacks on a system, a Trojan can establish a back door that can be exploited by attackers. For example, a Trojan can be programmed to open a high-numbered port so the hacker can use it to listen and then perform an attack.

Logic bombs — A logic bomb is a type of malicious software that is appended to an application and is triggered by a specific occurrence, such as a logical condition or a specific date and time.

Worms — Worms differ from viruses in that they do not attach to a host file, but are self-contained programs that propagate across networks and computers. Worms are commonly spread through email attachments; opening the attachment activates the worm program. A typical worm exploit involves the worm sending a copy of itself to every contact in an infected computer’s email address In addition to conducting malicious activities, a worm spreading across the internet and overloading email servers can result in denial-of-service attacks against nodes on the network.

Droppers — A dropper is a program used to install viruses on computers. In many instances, the dropper is not infected with malicious code and, therefore might not be detected by virus-scanning software. A dropper can also connect to the internet and download updates to virus software that is resident on a compromised system.

Ransomware — Ransomware is a type of malware that blocks access to the victim’s data and threatens to publish or delete it unless a ransom is paid. While some simple computer ransomware can lock the system in a way that is not difficult for a knowledgeable person to reverse, more advanced malware uses a technique called cryptoviral extortion, which encrypts the victim’s files in a way that makes them nearly impossible to recover without the decryption key.

Adware — Adware is a software application used by companies for marketing purposes; advertising banners are displayed while any program is running. Adware can be automatically downloaded to your system while browsing any website and can be viewed through pop-up windows or through a bar that appears on the computer screen automatically.

Spyware — Spyware is a type of program that is installed to collect information about users, their computers or their browsing habits. It tracks everything you do without your knowledge and sends the data to a remote user. It also can download and install other malicious programs from the internet. Spyware works like adware but is usually a separate program that is installed unknowingly when you install another freeware application.

Conclusion

Mounting a good defense requires understanding the offense. This article has reviewed the 10 most common cyber-security attacks that hackers use to disrupt and compromise information systems. As you can see, attackers have many options, such as DDoS assaults, malware infection, man-in-the-middle interception, and brute-force password guessing, to trying to gain unauthorized access to critical infrastructures and sensitive data.

Measures to mitigate these threats vary, but security basics stay the same: Keep your systems and anti-virus databases up to date, train your employees, configure your firewall to whitelist only the specific ports and hosts you need, keep your passwords strong, use a least-privilege model in your IT environment, make regular backups, and continuously audit your IT systems for suspicious activity.

What is Mouse hover attack

2020-01-19T13:51:00.002+05:30

'Mouseover' technique relies on users hovering over hyperlinked text and images in Microsoft PowerPoint files to drop Trojan. Researchers have found a new form of attack that abuses the action of hovering over hyperlinked text and images in a Microsoft PowerPoint presentation.Trend Micro researchers discovered the "mouseover" technique, used by a Trojan downloader also found in a spam campaign hitting EMEA businesses in the manufacturing, education, pyrotechnics, logistics, and device fabrication industries. The downloader they analyzed delivers a version of the OTLARD banking Trojan, also known as GootKit.

"This is the first occurrence of malware using the 'hover' method to initiate a download that we know of," says Mark Nunnikhoven, Trend Micro's VP of cloud security. GootKit first appeared in 2012 and grew into an information-stealing Trojan with remote access, persistence, network traffic monitoring, and browser manipulation capabilities. It has traditionally been used to steal banking credentials from European financial businesses. Today's news is less about the capabilities of GootKit and more about its new method of delivery, which is likely to fall under users' radar.

"While GootKit is known malware, businesses should be more concerned about this latest technique as it shows none of the usual indicators of an infected document," he explains. This is novel because it abuses the previously safe user practice of hovering over a link before clicking. The malware arrives as a spam email disguised as a purchase order or invoice with a malicious PowerPoint Open XML Slide Show (PPSX), or PowerPoint Show (PPS) file attached. These two file types differ from PowerPoint presentation files (PPT or PPTX), which can be edited. A PPS or PPSX file directly opens into presentation mode.

Once the file is downloaded and opened, it requires user interaction to work. This involves hovering over text or photo embedded with a malicious link, which triggers a mouseover action. From there, they need to enable the content to run when they see a security alert. The mouseover technique relies heavily on social engineering. Microsoft disables the content of suspicious files by default; a feature part of Protected View in later versions of Office. That's why victims need to open the file and enable malware to run on their machine. "This technique only targets PowerPoint files," says Nunnikhoven. "I would expect it to expand to other Microsoft Office documents shortly since they support similar functionality."

This tactic won't work in Microsoft PowerPoint Online or "Web mode" in Office 365 because neither have the same actions functionality as offline/desktop versions. Office 365 users can still get hit if they access their accounts and open the bad file via locally installed PowerPoint. The mouseover tactic is a more streamlined vector for cyber criminals because it doesn't rely on additional or initial vectors to deliver the payload. Office documents are popular in malware attacks because of how often they are used to send information throughout the enterprise, says Nunnikhoven. PDF files are frequently used by cyber criminals for the same reason. Most malware authors and operators rely on old techniques like banking Trojans, targeted attacks, and malicious macros and shortcut (LNK) files in ransomware. Today's news is a sign that many are experimenting with new techniques. The implications of this discovery are dangerous. Features like macros and mouse hover have legitimate use cases but could be disastrous under control of a threat actor. A socially engineered email and mouse hover, and maybe a click, is all that's necessary to infect a victim.

There are ways businesses can protect themselves. "The most effective technique against this attack is Web filtering," says Nunnikhoven. "Preventing systems from reaching the sites where malware is hosted is the best way to stop this attack." End users should use Protect View, which lets them read content while cutting the chance of infection. IT and system admins can lessen the risk by disabling macros, OLEs, and mouse hovers by disabling these features on machines or employing group policies that block users from running them.

If features like mouse hover and macros are critical to business processes, Trend Micro suggests enabling them only in the applications and software that use them, or only allowing signed or approved macros.

What is Juice Jacking, A new way to steal your data.

2020-01-19T13:29:00.001+05:30

Juice Jacking

You may have the best and the most costly mobile, however it may not prevent your data being stolen with so much ease as never before. What one needs is just a charging station with power connectivity and a cable.

Let me try explaining why I say so….

The power/data cable that we see in public charging stations, provides unauthorized access to attackers during the charging process; leveraging illegitimate access to get our personal information taken away. This is known as Juice Jacking – a type of cyber attack which originates from USB charging port installed at public places such as airports, cafes, bus stands, etc. Once the device is plugged-in and connection is established, it either installs malware or secretively copies sensitive data from a smartphone, tablet, or any other computer device. The attack could be as simple as extracting all your contact details and private pictures or can be an invasive attack of injecting malicious code directly into your device which can then copy all your passwords of financial data. Let me try answering few important questions that may help you to be aware of this menace. The best defense against any such attack is being aware of it first so that you may not a fall prey to it.

Question No. 1

How does juice jacking work?

USB port is often used as a medium for data transfer. A regular USB connector has five pins, where only one is needed to charge the device. Two of the other pins are used for data transfers. As we all often charge our devices via USB ports, it may tend to open up the options to transfer files between devices. The attacker here often uses off-the-shelf hardware that gets installed on the charging port of public charging boards. These are specifically designed to breach security and gain access to connected devices information as soon as the connection is established. And you may lose the data without even knowing about it.

Question No. 2

What harm can it cause to us?

California Los Angeles County District Attorney department has issued alert to local residents and travelers to avoid charging phones at public charging stations, particularly in airports. In Dec 2019, State Bank of India (SBI) also issued warning to its customers about this deadly mobile malware. The two most common harm that juice jacking can do are:

1. Data theft:

Data is stolen from the connected device; there are crawlers that can search your phone for personally identifiable information (PII), account credentials, banking-related or credit card data. These crawlers have the ability to copy all information to their own devices. There are also many malicious apps that can clone all your phones’ data to another phone.

2. Malware installation:

Once the connection is established, malware is automatically installed in the connected device. The malware remains on the device until it is detected and removed by the user. There are many categories of malware that cybercriminals can install through juice jacking, including adware, cryptominers, ransomware, spyware, or Trojans.

Question No. 3

How can I protect my data from Juice Jacking?

Yes, of course! But be sure before you plug in your mobile into any public charging station. Here are five simple tips to help avoid juice jacking. Try them out before it’s too late.

1. Keep your devices fully charged or carry personal charger/power bank with you

This is the most obvious precaution. Make it a practice to charge your phone before you step out. Try and reduce instances of low battery while you are traveling. Charge it full before you step out. Alternatively, always keep your charger and power bank in your bag for charging to maintain control over the data port. You can go longer without needing to tether your phone to a kiosk or wall outlet.

2. Lock Your Phone.

When your phone is locked, I mean truly locked and inaccessible without the input of a PIN or an equivalent pass code, it cannot be paired with any device. Be cautious not to use your face/finger print id for even a second since pairing can happen within a flick of a second. So you have to make sure that the phone is really locked and don’t unlock it while it is in the charging station.

3. Switch off or Power the phone down.

This technique only works on few mobile models as some phones, despite being powered down, still powers on the entire USB circuit and allows access to the flash storage in the device. Hence, this may not be an optimum solution always.

4. Use specialized cables.

You can buy a special USB cable that doesn’t have pinout connections for pins 3 and 2. Therefore it’s impossible to transmit data across the connection. There are companies which make such kind of cables for iPhone, Samsung, HTC, Google, etc. These cables are meant for charging only and prevents data from being transferred anywhere.

5. Use a USB condom.

It is a device that goes between your normal data charging cable and a USB port to block data transfer through the connection. USB condoms are adaptors that allows power transfers but don’t connect the data transfer pins. You can attach them to your charging cable as an “always on” protection.

The best defense against any such attack is awareness. Hope this piece of information may help you safeguard your crucial data. Follow these simple tips, and avoid plugging your mobile into unknown charging stations the same way you avoid opening attachments from unknown senders.

Reasons for multilevel authentication

2020-01-16T14:05:00.001+05:30

In a recent survey of more than 10,000 IT managers, 71 percent said they believe IT must serve as in-house brokers for on-demand services to help business growth. One imagines that, immediately after answering that question, they emitted a collective groan. That's because the IT manager's plate is already heaped with a mountain of priorities. In addition to keeping the network up and running, and fulfilling the many competing requests from departments across the organization, they now need to think strategically about supporting business growth while also keeping security top of mind.

Admins have installed antivirus software, raised the firewall, deployed encryption technology, and periodically run vulnerability tests. But the sobering reality is that if multi-factor authentication (MFA) is not in place, these other security measures can be bypassed. A best practice for IT managers is to categorize their systems to identify the ones that contain access to business-critical data, and then add MFA on top of those. MFA has low complexity, which makes it an easy addition. It can be rolled out quickly without busting the budget.

Streamlined access

IT complexity is a real and ongoing issue. Each change to the network has the potential to set off a chain reaction of tweaks and adjustments, which can irritate users and keep them offline. Since a streamlined authentication process keeps productivity (and morale) high, IT administrators should ensure that each new upgrade or addition affects access to critical programs as little as possible.

Advancements in remote access enable more and more employees to work from any location. The IT department is responsible for facilitating the ability of the remote workforce to perform its functions from outside the office environment, which means its authentication strategy must make it as easy as possible to safely access business applications from anywhere, at any time.

Using MFA, administrators can adapt the level of support needed using contextual information, such as login behavior patterns, geo-location, and type of login system being accessed. For example, if the user is logging in from a trusted location where they have logged in before, they will not be prompted for a one-time passcode in order to authenticate. This allows end users the needed security with greater ease of use while working off-premise.

8 reasons to support use of multi-factor authentication

These data points support the need for MFA.

1.Identity theft is an easy, low-risk, high-reward type of crime and a threat to all businesses. It is the fastest-growing type of crime and is now more profitable than drug-related crimes.

2.Weak or stolen user credentials are hackers' weapon of choice, used in 95 percent of all Web application attacks.

3.From 2013 to 2014, the number of successful breaches went up by 27.5 percent. The malicious actors are winning the war.

4.Headlines tend to belong to the household-name companies, but they are not the only companies being targeted. Of all targeted attacks, 31 percent are aimed at businesses with fewer than 250 employees.

5.Anti-virus systems and advanced firewalls are necessary security elements, as are vulnerability tests. Without user authentication, though, the front door is wide open to intruders.

6.Password theft is constantly evolving as hackers employ methods like keylogging, phishing, and pharming.

7.Cyber criminals do more than merely steal data. Often they destroy data, change programs or services, or use servers to transmit propaganda, spam, or malicious code.

8.Employees are already accustomed to authenticating themselves in their personal lives, as providers of online services like home banking, gaming, social media, and email have all adopted mobile-based tools to effectively authenticate their users when accessing their systems.

Security's sanity-saver

Today's IT administrators deal with pressures and demands from all sides, including the critical need for top-notch security. As cyber criminals morph their methods in ever-more clever and complex ways, admins must protect the network in such a way that access remains easy. Multi-factor authentication enables IT admins to rest a little easier, knowing that they have deployed a security strategy that protects the company's platforms and users alike, thus reducing complexity while ensuring access and boosting the flexibility of remote workers.