- LycTV -

10 best mobile phones in the world today - Part II

noreply@blogger.com (lycantic) — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 09:57:00 +0000

Part II

5. Nokia N900

Not necessarily something we agree with, but Nokia is adamant this isn't a phone. Instead, it's saying that it's a small computer/slimmed-down netbook (depending on who you talk to) thanks to the new Maemo 5 operating system (OS), which is based on Linux.

Essentially, it's a unit with a 3G chip in it for voice and data with a similar form factor to a phone, so it's really just semantics what you want to call it.

As mentioned above, the N900 comes with the brand new new Maemo 5 operating system which is designed to offer powerful new options that we haven't seen on Symbian-powered devices before.

While Maemo has been seen on previous internet tablets from Nokia, this release is important as it makes the OS more finger friendly than ever before. It also allows a high level of customisation, a wider web browser and more location based services too.

The N900 is a brilliant phone. We're currently in the middle of writing a full, indepth review of the N900 - we'll have it for you later this week.

4. HTC HD2

It's not out in the shops for another couple of weeks, but that's not going to stop the brand-spanking new HTC HD2 - codenamed Leo - from making our top 10.

It's enormous 4.3-inch touchscreen is hugely impressive. And the HD2 is the first Windows Phone to come packing the HTC Sense overlay interface, as well as a capacitive multi-touch screen.

3. BlackBerry Bold 9700

Featuring an improved processor and latest UI, the Bold 9700 certainly has the specs but can it stop the iPhone and Android onslaught?

Well it's certainly a very good device, building on everything we've come to expect from the Canadian firm.

It's a little bit squished in comparison to the older device, but we don't think that's too much of an issue given the well designed chassis.

The sheer speed of the Bold 2 9700 is to be commended, as it's clearly a big effort from RIM to get that up to speed, and although App World isn't working for us yet thanks (probably) to the T-Mobile, we're sure once that's up and running the Bold 2 9700 will be a very compelling business phone indeed.

Like the HD2, whether it's something the consumer will want/need, we don't know – it depends on the importance of easy to sync web mail we guess, as well as a stylish device to boot.

It's lightning fast, and designed by HTC to compete directly with the Apple iPhone 3GS and Palm Pre for those big-spending business power users. It should be available for purchase on or around 11 November.

2. Apple iPhone 3GS

What? What's this? The Apple iPhone in at number 2? That's right, folks – the iPhone has been beaten into second place.

There's no denying the quality of the iPhone, and really it could just as easily have come out on top. Still though, we'll get to that on the next page.

The iPhone 3GS is a stunning handset. It's faster than the iPhone 3G and also has a better camera, so if you're thinking of getting an iPhone for the first time, we reckon opting for the 3GS is a no-brainer, even if the 3G is slightly cheaper.

1. HTC Hero

There's a reason why the HTC Hero has received so much praise this year – it's brilliant. End-of-year award ceremonies aplenty are naming the Hero as best gadget, best mobile phone and so on, and rightly so.

It's the most complete Android handset to date, and as such it's the only phone out there that can really claim to compete with the iPhone.

In truth, it's probably not better than the iPhone. But it's certainly no worse either, so we thought it only fair to give it the top spot – not least because of the huge potential that Android is bringing to the table.

The iPhone is no longer the out-and-out best touchscreen consumer phone on the market, and for that we can be grateful because competition brings with it innovation, which for us can only be a good thing.

10 best mobile phones in the world today - Part I

noreply@blogger.com (lycantic) — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 09:46:00 +0000

Part I

10. Nokia 5530 XpressMusic

While the Nokia N97 and 5800 XpressMusic phones are clambering over each other to gain attention at the more expensive range of the market, the 5530 offers something refreshingly different.

It offers a 2.9-inch touchscreen with a music-orientated interface and all for just £130. Probably the best budget touchscreen phone available today.

9. Motorola DEXT

Once a giant in the world of mobile phones, Motorola went quiet for quite a while. It made almost 10,000 people redundant in 2008 and the end looked in sight. However, the end has not arrived, and Moto has come back with a vengeance in 2009 with the much-mooted Motorola DEXT phone.

Free on contracts from around £30 a month, the DEXT is a Google Android-powered handset with a slide-out QWERTY keyboard.

What's more, Motorola has supercharged Android with its own customised overlay, called MotoBlur. It's similar in function to HTC's Sense UI although maybe not quite as likeable.

The trump card is that the DEXT is one of the best media phone available at the moment – which says a lot.

8. LG BL40 Chocolate

Probably the most striking of all the phones on display here, the latest LG Chocolate is the world's first full-widescreen 21:9 phone.

The chassis is a combination of metal and glass, with vibrant red plastic at either end, with the top housing the 3.5mm headphone port and the power/lock key.

It's designed from the ground up to be a media phone, and indeed, watching movies is a pleasure, as is navigating large music collections.

7. Samsung i8910 HD

If size matters to you, the i8910 HD is probably the largest handset in this group.

It's got a 3.7-inch AMOLED touchscreen, and it's as buff as they come, too, with the solid metal and plastic chassis contributing to the 148g weight (the iPhone 3GS weighs 135g).

The range of applications and features on the phone is staggering, and the touchscreen interface and response is Samsung's best yet.

You just have to work out if you want to be carrying such a large phone around with you everywhere you go...

6. Palm Pre

The Palm Pre was probably the most hyped phone of 2009. Hailed as the saviour of Palm, it initially promised to at least threaten the iPhone at the top of the touchscreen pile.

One thing's for sure, it's more suited for business users because of its slide-out QWERTY keyboard.

In fact, if you peek under the hood, you'll find a quick Texas Instruments OMAP 3430 processor, 8GB of internal memory, 802.11g Wi-Fi and Bluetooth with A2DP stereo.

This is a capable mobile computer that supports multi-tasking, contact sync across multiple web services, and push email that could lead to swift adoption at companies both large and small, filling the void left by the popular Palm Treo from years ago.

In truth though, it's no iPhone-beater. But that's not in any way a criticism, more of a back-handed compliment to Apple in fact, because the Pre is still a seriously nice piece of kit.

Arch Enemy - Ravenous (Live)

noreply@blogger.com (lycantic) — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 23:04:00 +0000

Quality: 480P
Filetype: .VOB
Album: Arch Enemy - Wages Of Sin(2001)
Download: Click and save the files part01, part02
Official Site: http://www.archenemy.net/
Unrar the file using the password: http://lyctv.blogspot.com

Group Biography:

After causing a significant amount of damage throughout the world over the past two years with their doomsday machine, the mighty ARCH ENEMY triumphantly returns with the definitive offering of their already heralded career. This new masterpiece, Rise of The Tyrant, is the follow-up to 2005's Doomsday Machine, the band's most successful album to date. They have once again enlisted the duties of acclaimed producer Fredrik Nordström (Dimmu Borgir, In Flames) at Sweden's Studio Fredman, where the band recorded all of their albums through Wages Of Sin (2001).

ARCH ENEMY mastermind Michael Amott (guitars) states: “Rise of The Tyrant, is the ultimate ARCH ENEMY album! To me, it sounds like the perfect mix of melody and brutality. This disc is an organic and honest statement from the band - it's pure fucking metal at its absolute best, the ARCH ENEMY way.

In the summer of 2005, the highly anticipated Doomsday Machine, mixed by the acclaimed Andy Sneap (Killswitch Engage, Nevermore, Opeth), debuted at #87 on the Billboard Top 200 chart and recently surpassed the 90,000 U.S. SoundScan plateau. This is ARCH ENEMY’s highest-charting effort yet and most acclaimed after being hailed by such mainstream publications as Billboard and Revolver as their best record yet. The Doomsday Machine U.S. touring campaign kicked off with a high profile slot on Ozzfest 2005, where the band stunned thousands of people daily with their proficient musicianship and live intensity. The group quickly became one of the most talked about artists of the tour, as they continually outsold all of their peers each week. The buzz on ARCH ENEMY grew stronger after Ozzfest wrapped up, and the group made their much-anticipated return to the U.S. on a headlining tour with All That Remains that fall. In the spring of 2006, ARCH ENEMY embarked on a massive Jagermeister sponsored co-headlining bill with Chimaira, God Forbid and Hate Eternal. The group closed out the year with a high profile spot on Gigantour, which marked their fourth and final U.S. run for the Doomsday Machine campaign.

Featuring the all-star lineup of Mike Amott (guitars), Chris Amott (guitars), Sharlee D’Angelo (bass) and Daniel Erlandsson (drums), the group first garnered praise with the metal milestones Black Earth (1997), Stigmata (1998) and Burning Bridges (1999). These albums were fueled by flawless dual guitar technical execution and a previously unheard of mixture of melody and aggression, which helped them quickly solidify their reputation as one of the genre’s elite.

However, ARCH ENEMY really began to develop their true potential once vocalist Angela Gossow joined the fold on 2001’s critically acclaimed Wages of Sin album (produced by Nordström and mixed by Sneap), marking the first time a band of this caliber and ferocity was fronted by a woman. The album was bathed in unending universal praise – from worldwide front-cover press in national magazines to daily newspapers – with Wages Of Sin proudly claiming stake in end-of-the-year “Best Of... lists. The metal underground also demonstrated a faithful display of allegiance to the new line-up, as Metal Maniacs hailed the album as “a relentless, eclectic and wholly charged album to keep even those with the shortest musical attention spans entertained. Further accolades soon followed as North America’s Alternative Press quickly identified ARCH ENEMY as one of the five bands who exemplify “the sound of things to come in 2002. This claim would soon prove itself prophetic during the band’s performances at Japan’s Beast Feast, the Milwaukee Metalfest, the New England Metal & Hardcore Festival, a North American tour supporting Nile, their own headlining North American tour and six sold-out dates in Japan.

The band’s 2003 effort, Anthems of Rebellion, was immediately hailed as a metal masterpiece. It was their second offering with Angela, touted by Metal Edge as “one of the most promising talents in years. The record proved to be a landmark release for Century Media, as it delivered the label its then-highest first-week U.S. SoundScan sales ever on the way to becoming one of its 10 best-selling albums of all time. Press raves continued to pour in, as Anthems scored an unprecedented 5/5 in both Alternative Press and Kerrang! while going on to land the #1 album of 2003 in Metal Maniacs Readers’ Poll, earning them staunch recognition and high-profile U.S. tours with such acts as Slayer, Hatebreed, Cradle Of Filth and the legendary Iron Maiden.

ARCH ENEMY will make their much-anticipated return to the U.S. in the fall of 2007 as Rise of The Tyrant ultimately redefines the genre they helped to create.

Arch Enemy - Blood On Your Hands (Live In Japan 2007)

noreply@blogger.com (lycantic) — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 22:54:00 +0000

Quality: 480P
Filetype: .VOB
Album: Arch Enemy - Rise of the Tyrant(2007)
Download: Click and save the files part01, part02
Official Site: http://www.archenemy.net/
Unrar the file using the password: http://lyctv.blogspot.com

Group Biography:

After causing a significant amount of damage throughout the world over the past two years with their doomsday machine, the mighty ARCH ENEMY triumphantly returns with the definitive offering of their already heralded career. This new masterpiece, Rise of The Tyrant, is the follow-up to 2005's Doomsday Machine, the band's most successful album to date. They have once again enlisted the duties of acclaimed producer Fredrik Nordström (Dimmu Borgir, In Flames) at Sweden's Studio Fredman, where the band recorded all of their albums through Wages Of Sin (2001).

ARCH ENEMY mastermind Michael Amott (guitars) states: “Rise of The Tyrant, is the ultimate ARCH ENEMY album! To me, it sounds like the perfect mix of melody and brutality. This disc is an organic and honest statement from the band - it's pure fucking metal at its absolute best, the ARCH ENEMY way.

In the summer of 2005, the highly anticipated Doomsday Machine, mixed by the acclaimed Andy Sneap (Killswitch Engage, Nevermore, Opeth), debuted at #87 on the Billboard Top 200 chart and recently surpassed the 90,000 U.S. SoundScan plateau. This is ARCH ENEMY’s highest-charting effort yet and most acclaimed after being hailed by such mainstream publications as Billboard and Revolver as their best record yet. The Doomsday Machine U.S. touring campaign kicked off with a high profile slot on Ozzfest 2005, where the band stunned thousands of people daily with their proficient musicianship and live intensity. The group quickly became one of the most talked about artists of the tour, as they continually outsold all of their peers each week. The buzz on ARCH ENEMY grew stronger after Ozzfest wrapped up, and the group made their much-anticipated return to the U.S. on a headlining tour with All That Remains that fall. In the spring of 2006, ARCH ENEMY embarked on a massive Jagermeister sponsored co-headlining bill with Chimaira, God Forbid and Hate Eternal. The group closed out the year with a high profile spot on Gigantour, which marked their fourth and final U.S. run for the Doomsday Machine campaign.

Featuring the all-star lineup of Mike Amott (guitars), Chris Amott (guitars), Sharlee D’Angelo (bass) and Daniel Erlandsson (drums), the group first garnered praise with the metal milestones Black Earth (1997), Stigmata (1998) and Burning Bridges (1999). These albums were fueled by flawless dual guitar technical execution and a previously unheard of mixture of melody and aggression, which helped them quickly solidify their reputation as one of the genre’s elite.

However, ARCH ENEMY really began to develop their true potential once vocalist Angela Gossow joined the fold on 2001’s critically acclaimed Wages of Sin album (produced by Nordström and mixed by Sneap), marking the first time a band of this caliber and ferocity was fronted by a woman. The album was bathed in unending universal praise – from worldwide front-cover press in national magazines to daily newspapers – with Wages Of Sin proudly claiming stake in end-of-the-year “Best Of... lists. The metal underground also demonstrated a faithful display of allegiance to the new line-up, as Metal Maniacs hailed the album as “a relentless, eclectic and wholly charged album to keep even those with the shortest musical attention spans entertained. Further accolades soon followed as North America’s Alternative Press quickly identified ARCH ENEMY as one of the five bands who exemplify “the sound of things to come in 2002. This claim would soon prove itself prophetic during the band’s performances at Japan’s Beast Feast, the Milwaukee Metalfest, the New England Metal & Hardcore Festival, a North American tour supporting Nile, their own headlining North American tour and six sold-out dates in Japan.

The band’s 2003 effort, Anthems of Rebellion, was immediately hailed as a metal masterpiece. It was their second offering with Angela, touted by Metal Edge as “one of the most promising talents in years. The record proved to be a landmark release for Century Media, as it delivered the label its then-highest first-week U.S. SoundScan sales ever on the way to becoming one of its 10 best-selling albums of all time. Press raves continued to pour in, as Anthems scored an unprecedented 5/5 in both Alternative Press and Kerrang! while going on to land the #1 album of 2003 in Metal Maniacs Readers’ Poll, earning them staunch recognition and high-profile U.S. tours with such acts as Slayer, Hatebreed, Cradle Of Filth and the legendary Iron Maiden.

ARCH ENEMY will make their much-anticipated return to the U.S. in the fall of 2007 as Rise of The Tyrant ultimately redefines the genre they helped to create.

The Young Victoria (2009) Trailer

noreply@blogger.com (lycantic) — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 20:52:00 +0000

Quality: 480P
Filetype: .MOV
Download: Click here and save the file
IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0962736/

In The Young Victoria, Emily Blunt (The Devil Wears Prada) delivers an incredibly compelling performance as Queen Victoria in the turbulent first years of her reign. Rupert Friend (Pride & Prejudice) portrays Prince Albert, the suitor who wins her heart and becomes her partner in one of history’s greatest romances. This love story, set amongst all the intrigue of the court, also features Paul Bettany (Iron Man, The Da Vinci Code), Miranda Richardson (Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire), Jim Broadbent (The Damned United, The Chronicles of Narnia), Thomas Kretschmann (Valkyrie), and Mark Strong (Sherlock Holmes, Tristan & Isolde).

Wonderful World (2009) Trailer

noreply@blogger.com (lycantic) — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 23:51:00 +0000

Quality: 480P
Filetype: .MOV
Download: Click here and save the file
IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0857275/

Ben Singer (Matthew Broderick) is a failed children’s folk singer, a career proofreader, a compulsive marijuana smoker, and a less-than-extraordinary weekend dad. He’s also the most negative man alive. Floundering in all aspects of his life, Ben’s only comfort comes from regular chess games and friendly debates on game theory with his Senegalese roommate Ibou (Michael Kenneth Williams). When Ibou is suddenly struck ill, and an insensitive municipal employee exacerbates the emergency situation, Ben’s pessimistic worldview seems unequivocally confirmed. His only recourse is to pour his energies into a frivolous lawsuit against the city for depraved indifference. But Ben soon finds that cynicism may be all a matter of perspective. WONDERFUL WORLD is directed by Josh Goldin and also features Sanaa Lathan and Philip Baker Hall.

The Strip (2009) Trailer

noreply@blogger.com (lycantic) — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 23:43:00 +0000

Quality: 480P
Filetype: .MOV
Download: Click here and save the file
IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0843876/

It’s a typical day in the work life of five employees of the low-end electronics chain, Electri-City. Bound by the constraints of suburban life, the ¼ mile of the strip mall and tedium - they, like everybody else, dream of something more. Meet Glenn, the harmlessly deluded store manager who loves his job and believes that his disinterested employees can be motivated with team building exercises. Life is status quo until he becomes intoxicated with the new manager of Sheila’s Fabric making him quickly unravel… Kyle is happy to follow his father’s life as he is being groomed to take over the Electri-City “empire”. But then he is captivated by Melissa and she starts to shake things up… Rick, a former high school basketball star, temporarily works at the store, while he is pursing a career in “acting”. Still living at home, he is not afraid to take dates back to his place, who are then treated to breakfast in the morning with his mother. Avi has come to the U.S. to execute his life plan. He has a great job and is preparing for his arranged marriage. When he discovers that the fiancée that he has never met is drop dead gorgeous - he is filled with self doubt and decides to turn all of his efforts into making a ‘stellar impression’. Then there is Jeff who coasts through life by doing as little as possible. Not the brightest bulb in the box, he gets himself in trouble with electricity experiments and playing around with his friends’ wife… As their stories interweave, egos clash and their tolerance is tested, the crew finds that friendships comes first and some dreams are not just not worth chasing.

Hands on with Sony's 360 Holographic viewer

noreply@blogger.com (lycantic) — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 23:32:00 +0000

Sony has given Home Cinema Choice an exclusive glimpse at one possible evolution in display technology – the 360 degree Holographic Auto-stereoscopic Viewer. A small cylindrical unit, it can display a static image that can be viewed as if it was hanging in three dimensional space.

It's a startling piece of research and development that hints at all kinds of futuristic applications. At an exclusive briefing in Sony's Tokyo HQ I had a hands on with the 360 Viewer and got to meet the engineering team behind the project.

Now don't expect this tech to replace that large flatscreen TV anytime soon. This first generation prototype displays static pictures only. The images it presents are somewhat course and pixelated, but come in full colour, which compensates somewhat.

Entering a 4D world

The kind of content displayed during my time with the unit varied from cartoon characters, to planetary globes and real people. When viewed with one eye shut, these appear two dimensional, but with both eyes open they gained substance and depth.

With a remote control, I could select from an internal library containing hundreds of such images, flicking them up as if though were TV channels. I could also trigger them to either rotate or freeze. It proved mesmerizing entertainment. Not so much 3D as 4D.

And yes, you can walk entirely around the image; it appears to be fully three dimensional. I could even look down into the content, or peer upwards, and the illusion remained intact.

Head of Photonics

Hiroki Kikuchi, one of Sony's elite band of Distinguished Engineers, heads up the Photonics Development Department responsible for the R&D. He tells me that the Viewer has been in development for just 18 months. 'It's not so long,' he concedes, but it's already clear that the possible applications for it are many and varied. 'Digital signage is the most obvious, but communications, virtual pets, even medical applications are possible,' he muses.

Predictably Kikuchi would not comment on the technology inside the viewer. I had some wild stabs in the dark, all of which were brushed aside. 'To show such a stereoscopic image I can say that we need to display 360 different images in 360 degrees,' he would only explain. 'Put another way, that means we show a different image every one degree.'

It transpires that adding material to the holographic library is not particularly hi-tech. To capture the 360 degree images Kikuchi's team simply use a camcorder and a rotating platform: 'It's a very simple studio, we shoot our subject and then take 360 frames from the recording.' At this moment image resolution is linted to 128 pixels (vertical) x 96 (horizontal). 'Multiply this by 360 and you have an 3D dimensional image constructed of around 4 million pixels,' says Kikuchi.

Talking heads

The obvious next step he says is to add animation, an advance Kikuchi describes as 'not too tough'. The thought of the floating head image before me suddenly talking is bizarre and not a little disturbing. The Viewer will also be made larger. The Distinguished Engineer says that the ETA on these advances is 'a year or so.'

It's fun to speculate where this all might lead. A larger, fully animated Viewer could be employed as a virtual salesperson in a shopping mall, or find a role as an entirely new type of holographic communications device. Where ever the development leads, I can't help feeling that I've just had an early glimpse at the possible sci-fi future of AV. Beam me up Scotty...

The Lovely Bones (2009) Trailer

noreply@blogger.com (lycantic) — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 09:31:00 +0000

Quality: 480P
Filetype: .MOV
Download: Click here and save the file
IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0380510/

Based on the critically acclaimed best-selling novel by Alice Sebold, and directed by Oscar® winner Peter Jackson from a screenplay by Jackson & Fran Walsh & Philippa Boyens, “The Lovely Bones” centers on a young girl who has been murdered and watches over her family – and her killer – from heaven. She must weigh her desire for vengeance against her desire for her family to heal. Oscar® nominee Mark Wahlberg and Oscar® winners Rachel Weisz and Susan Sarandon star along with Stanley Tucci, Michael Imperioli and Oscar® nominee Saoirse Ronan.

The Twilight Saga: New Moon (2009) Trailer

noreply@blogger.com (lycantic) — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 09:27:00 +0000

Quality: 480P
Filetype: .MOV
Download: Click here and save the file
IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1259571/

In the second installment of Stephenie Meyer’s phenomenally successful TWILIGHT series, the romance between mortal and vampire soars to a new level as BELLA SWAN (Kristen Stewart) delves deeper into the mysteries of the supernatural world she yearns to become part of—only to find herself in greater peril than ever before. Following Bella’s ill-fated 18th birthday party, EDWARD CULLEN (Robert Pattinson) and his family abandon the town of Forks, Washington, in an effort to protect her from the dangers inherent in their world. As the heartbroken Bella sleepwalks through her senior year of high school, numb and alone, she discovers Edward’s image comes to her whenever she puts herself in jeopardy. Her desire to be with him at any cost leads her to take greater and greater risks. With the help of her childhood friend JACOB BLACK (Taylor Lautner), Bella refurbishes an old motorbike to carry her on her adventures. Bella’s frozen heart is gradually thawed by her budding relationship with Jacob, a member of the mysterious Quileute tribe, who has a supernatural secret of his own. When a chance encounter brings Bella face to face with a former nemesis, only the intervention of a pack of supernaturally large wolves saves her from a grisly fate, and the encounter makes it frighteningly clear that Bella is still in grave danger. In a race against the clock, Bella learns the secret of the Quileutes and Edward’s true motivation for leaving her. She also faces the prospect of a potentially deadly reunion with her beloved that is a far cry from the one she’d hoped for. With more of the passion, action and suspense that made TWILIGHT a worldwide phenomenon, THE TWILIGHT SAGA: NEW MOON is a spellbinding follow-up to the box office hit.

Clash of the Titans (2010) Teaser

noreply@blogger.com (lycantic) — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 23:46:00 +0000

Quality: 480P
Filetype: .MOV
Download: Click here and save the file
IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0800320/

In Clash of the Titans, the ultimate struggle for power pits men against kings and kings against gods. But the war between the gods themselves could destroy the world. Born of a god but raised as a man, Perseus (Sam Worthington) is helpless to save his family from Hades (Ralph Fiennes), vengeful god of the underworld. With nothing left to lose, Perseus volunteers to lead a dangerous mission to defeat Hades before he can seize power from Zeus (Liam Neeson) and unleash hell on earth. Leading a daring band of warriors, Perseus sets off on a perilous journey deep into forbidden worlds. Battling unholy demons and fearsome beasts, he will only survive if he can accept his power as a god, defy his fate and create his own destiny.

Arch Enemy - Nemesis

noreply@blogger.com (lycantic) — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 21:48:00 +0000

Quality: 480P
Filetype: .VOB
Album: Arch Enemy - Doomsday Machine(2005)
Download: Click and save the files part01, part02, part03
Official Site: http://www.archenemy.net/
Unrar the file using the password: http://lyctv.blogspot.com

Group Biography:

After causing a significant amount of damage throughout the world over the past two years with their doomsday machine, the mighty ARCH ENEMY triumphantly returns with the definitive offering of their already heralded career. This new masterpiece, Rise of The Tyrant, is the follow-up to 2005's Doomsday Machine, the band's most successful album to date. They have once again enlisted the duties of acclaimed producer Fredrik Nordström (Dimmu Borgir, In Flames) at Sweden's Studio Fredman, where the band recorded all of their albums through Wages Of Sin (2001).

ARCH ENEMY mastermind Michael Amott (guitars) states: “Rise of The Tyrant, is the ultimate ARCH ENEMY album! To me, it sounds like the perfect mix of melody and brutality. This disc is an organic and honest statement from the band - it's pure fucking metal at its absolute best, the ARCH ENEMY way.

In the summer of 2005, the highly anticipated Doomsday Machine, mixed by the acclaimed Andy Sneap (Killswitch Engage, Nevermore, Opeth), debuted at #87 on the Billboard Top 200 chart and recently surpassed the 90,000 U.S. SoundScan plateau. This is ARCH ENEMY’s highest-charting effort yet and most acclaimed after being hailed by such mainstream publications as Billboard and Revolver as their best record yet. The Doomsday Machine U.S. touring campaign kicked off with a high profile slot on Ozzfest 2005, where the band stunned thousands of people daily with their proficient musicianship and live intensity. The group quickly became one of the most talked about artists of the tour, as they continually outsold all of their peers each week. The buzz on ARCH ENEMY grew stronger after Ozzfest wrapped up, and the group made their much-anticipated return to the U.S. on a headlining tour with All That Remains that fall. In the spring of 2006, ARCH ENEMY embarked on a massive Jagermeister sponsored co-headlining bill with Chimaira, God Forbid and Hate Eternal. The group closed out the year with a high profile spot on Gigantour, which marked their fourth and final U.S. run for the Doomsday Machine campaign.

Featuring the all-star lineup of Mike Amott (guitars), Chris Amott (guitars), Sharlee D’Angelo (bass) and Daniel Erlandsson (drums), the group first garnered praise with the metal milestones Black Earth (1997), Stigmata (1998) and Burning Bridges (1999). These albums were fueled by flawless dual guitar technical execution and a previously unheard of mixture of melody and aggression, which helped them quickly solidify their reputation as one of the genre’s elite.

However, ARCH ENEMY really began to develop their true potential once vocalist Angela Gossow joined the fold on 2001’s critically acclaimed Wages of Sin album (produced by Nordström and mixed by Sneap), marking the first time a band of this caliber and ferocity was fronted by a woman. The album was bathed in unending universal praise – from worldwide front-cover press in national magazines to daily newspapers – with Wages Of Sin proudly claiming stake in end-of-the-year “Best Of... lists. The metal underground also demonstrated a faithful display of allegiance to the new line-up, as Metal Maniacs hailed the album as “a relentless, eclectic and wholly charged album to keep even those with the shortest musical attention spans entertained. Further accolades soon followed as North America’s Alternative Press quickly identified ARCH ENEMY as one of the five bands who exemplify “the sound of things to come in 2002. This claim would soon prove itself prophetic during the band’s performances at Japan’s Beast Feast, the Milwaukee Metalfest, the New England Metal & Hardcore Festival, a North American tour supporting Nile, their own headlining North American tour and six sold-out dates in Japan.

The band’s 2003 effort, Anthems of Rebellion, was immediately hailed as a metal masterpiece. It was their second offering with Angela, touted by Metal Edge as “one of the most promising talents in years. The record proved to be a landmark release for Century Media, as it delivered the label its then-highest first-week U.S. SoundScan sales ever on the way to becoming one of its 10 best-selling albums of all time. Press raves continued to pour in, as Anthems scored an unprecedented 5/5 in both Alternative Press and Kerrang! while going on to land the #1 album of 2003 in Metal Maniacs Readers’ Poll, earning them staunch recognition and high-profile U.S. tours with such acts as Slayer, Hatebreed, Cradle Of Filth and the legendary Iron Maiden.

ARCH ENEMY will make their much-anticipated return to the U.S. in the fall of 2007 as Rise of The Tyrant ultimately redefines the genre they helped to create.

Arch Enemy - I Will Live Again

noreply@blogger.com (lycantic) — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 21:33:00 +0000

Behind the scenes with Sky 3D TV - Part II

noreply@blogger.com (lycantic) — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 09:39:00 +0000

Part II: Three 3D cameras plus 2D support

The setup used to film the tennis included three 3D rigs, which have been greatly improved in the past few months – not least to make them a little more robust and suitable for outside broadcasts rather then the controlled environments of the movie sets where 3D cameras have more usually been used.

These cameras were backed up by 2D cameras – but transitions between the two were perfectly palatable because the flatter pictures could be processed in real time by a computer chip which created the impression of depth.

Perhaps the biggest lesson that has been learned, at least from TechRadar's perspective, is subtlety. As the first 15 minutes of Avatar footage showed, overwhelming camera movement and gimmicks such as having things flying into the camera (and towards the viewer) are not helpful – and Sky's Tennis coverage was a study in restraint.

The majority of the action was kept from the traditional camera position behind one player, and although the line judges occasionally felt a little more imposing than is ideal (they are, of course, positioned at the back of the court nearest the camera) this made it much less tiring to watch.

Some issues

Of course, there are still the age old issues with glasses and the occasional jarring transition or, at this still early stage, malfunction that makes it sometimes difficult to watch – but this was the first extended 3D session on a smaller screen that TechRadar had gone through without ending up with a headache.

One of the most enlightening moments actually occurred in the tennis when there was one of the problems with the main camera (camera one in television parlance).

This left us for a few minutes with all the action coming from a 3D camera that was sat half-way down the court on one side looking diagonally across the net.

It should have been a horrible few minutes, but a wonderful rally and missed drop shot that bounced past the field of vision was genuinely fabulous. Much more visceral than the traditional view and far closer to how it feels watching a tennis match from courtside.

The future

It was a small part of a big day for Sky – but it is becoming increasingly clear that this is not a technology that is going to disappear if the likes of such a major satellite broadcaster are prepared to commit this kind of effort to perfecting it.

With Avatar on the 3D horizon, a dedicated Sky 3D channel on offer in late 2010 and CES in January likely to bring a whole new raft of 3D televisions that will launch through next year – this is a very, very interesting area of entertainment and technology.

Behind the scenes with Sky 3D TV - Part I

noreply@blogger.com (lycantic) — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 09:39:00 +0000

Part I: Changing the TV game

When Sky first showed off its efforts at screening 3D TV back in December, TechRadar was there, feeling impressed but a little concerned that, with no firm commitments, it amounted to little more than a publicity stunt.

3D, after all, has been the 'next big thing' for decades, and although the latest round of polarised stereoscopic 3D is a world away from the anaglyphic coloured lens disappointments of the past, nobody would deny that it's going to take a massive push to convince the public that 3D is more than a gimmick.

But then Sky backed up the sports footage that it had shown that day with a commitment to bring a dedicated 3D channel to its satellite platform by the end of 2010, and continued spending huge amounts of money learning just how to take the lessons learned from the new raft of 3D movies and take them to the sport and arts coverage that has established it in the UK.

Next big step

It is a decision that many would describe as brave, and some as foolhardy, but as we watched the company film the ATP Masters tennis at the O2 with modified 3D rigs, and then beam that footage live through one of its boxes, it's difficult to deny that Sky may just have a point; 3D could well be the next big step for television.

The intent of everyone within Sky to make 3D TV a success is clear; special permission was required from the ATP just in order to allow a television in one of the executive boxes so that the service could be shown to journalists. An entire second outside broadcast (OB) van was present so that the action could be filmed and shown live.

Within that OB van was not only the usual suspects – all bedecked in 3D glasses – but also three convergence experts, people just responsible for manually adjusting the field of vision, backed up by three specialist 'stereographers' that are in place to make sure that it's all working.

Well-rounded personality

Some of the lessons learned in the past 12 months are immediately obvious; in the original footage we were shown a year ago the 3D suffered greatly from feeling like a load of 2D pictures on rails – like flattened sprites in a computer game.

But, this has now been adjusted to allow for a much improved rounded feel; it adds a level of solidity that really helps make the 3D less tiring on the eyes because, we felt, your brain settles down and accepts this much quicker.

When we interviewed Sky's 3D guru Brian Lenz earlier in the year he suggested that filming live sport in 3D changed the game in a way that past improvements never really had.

For instance, when HD first arrived on the scene for Sky, people suggested that it would fundamentally change the way that sport was filmed, but the truth is that – aside from the cameras – much of the expertise and knowledge that had been honed over years was still entirely relevant.

With 3D that is not necessarily the case; new angles, new techniques and the abandoning of old tried-and-tested practice is necessary.

Take something as simple as the DOG (digital on-screen graphic) – the graphic displaying the channel name that traditionally sits in the top right corner on all Sky Sports channels. In two dimensions it is largely unobtrusive, but we happened to witness one of the first tests of the DOG on the tennis and it's, frankly, a little odd because it sits well forward of everything else on the screen; it literally stands out in a way that it shouldn't.

Top 10 best graphics cards in the world today - Part II

noreply@blogger.com (lycantic) — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 21:48:00 +0000

Part II

5. ATI Radeon HD 4870X2

The 4870X2 is a dual-GPU card - essentially packing the processing grunt of two 4870s on one card.

In terms of hardware specs, one of the areas that dual-chip cards have fallen short in the past is memory availability and bandwidth. But not here. The X2 sports the same 3.6GHz (effective data rate) GDDR5 chips as its single-chip 4870 sibling.

Just as important, each GPU has been given fully 1GB to play with. Yup, this is a 2GB monster of a card.

4. Nvidia GeForce GTX285

The 285 is still Nvidia's fastest single-GPU graphics card, and will remain so until Nvidia gets its act together and unleashes the DirectX 11 Fermi chip on us. The 285 is a great card though. Technically, the 285 is actually an updated version of the now-extinct GTX280.

It's a bit on the pricey side - still costing almost £300. But of all the single-GPU Nvidia cards out there, this is definitely the best.

3. ATI Radeon HD 5870

The ATI Radeon 5870 is the fastest single-GPU graphics card in the world. Not only that, It's quite simply the most powerful computer chip we've seen of any kind, thanks to it getting on for three teraflops of raw processing power.

If AMD had hit the same £200 price point as it achieved with the 4870 at launch, we'd be hailing the 5870 as the greatest graphics card of all time.

It's still a very, very good card. But at £300 it's simply much less relevant. The passage of time will no doubt fix the pricing problem, but by then, who knows what magic Nvidia may have worked with its own DX11 monster.

2. Nvidia GeForce GTX295

This dual-GPU graphics card is an absolute monster. At just under £500, it's ludicrously expensive but it's also ridiculously powerful.

It's is a blindingly fast card, and as the price suggests really only belongs in a rig that's already been highly tuned with liquid assistance. If you haven't got a top-notch motherboard, memory kit, CPU and SSD - you're wasting your money. Equally, if you've got a screen less than 26-inches in size, you'll not notice the difference between this and some of the other, cheaper, cards in this group.

1. ATI Radeon HD 5970

And here it is, the dual-GPU ATI Radeon HD 5970, the fastest graphics card in the world. All hail its mighty rendering pathways and the gods of silicon for bringing us this technological wonder.

It's faster than any graphics card we've ever tested, it's bigger than any graphics card we've ever tested and it houses more technology than you could shake Stephen Hawking at.

But at close to £600, is it worth it? Well, like the GTX295, if powering a couple of 30-inch high-res gaming screens is what you're after, and money has never been an object, then you could maybe consider the purchase. Otherwise, you'd be better off going for the 5870.

Top 10 best graphics cards in the world today - Part I

noreply@blogger.com (lycantic) — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 21:36:00 +0000

Part I

10. ATI Radeon HD 4870

This is the card that kick-started the graphics revolution. Offering slightly less performance than the GeForce GTX280 - the fastest card of its time - it cost half the price. It was the most energy efficient and elegant card perhaps of all time.

For normal people, choosing between the 4870 and the 280 was a no brainer, and even today it's still fast enough to make the top 10. And you can now get your hands on it for less than £100.

9. Nvidia GeForce GTX260 AMP! (Zotac)

The original GeForce 260 was pretty fast, but Zotac's souped-up and overclocked AMP2 version was brilliant.

It was Nvidia's budget option - offering almost the same performance as the GTX280 but for a good deal less money - and it's still a mighty contender, packing 896MB of DDR3 memory. You can snap one up now for around £140.

8. ATI Radeon HD 4890

The 4890 was basically a super-charged version of the super-selling 4870. AMD upped the chip's core operating frequency from 750MHz on the 4870 to 850MHz.

Meanwhile, the clockspeed of the board's GDDR5 memory edges up from 900MHz to 975MHz. And for £130, you can't go far wrong with this card.

7. Nvidia GeForce GTX275

All this talk of price/performance ratios can get a little wearing, so lets focus more on the latter part. You cannot get better benchmarks than this for under £160, and in some circumstances it's faster than the £200+ GTX 280.

The only advantage the more expensive card has is its four extra ROPs, which help with high image quality settings.

6. ATI Radeon HD 5850

As its name implies, the 5850 is a slightly cut-down rendition of the 5870, most likely down to the binning of the chips to squeeze more value out of the line.

This core, codenamed the Cypress Pro, has a slower core clockspeed of 725MHz and manages only 1,440 unified shaders (an eyebrow raising 10 per cent less than the 1,600 to be found in the 5870). For around £209, we're starting to get to the expensive end of the market so it's up to you how much extra you want to spend.

Windows 7 Ultimate 64 bit RTM (Software)

noreply@blogger.com (lycantic) — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 22:07:00 +0000

THIS IS THE 64 BIT OFFICIAL VERSION

Improved taskbar and full-screen previews

The taskbar at the bottom of your screen is what you use to launch programs and switch between them when they're open. In Windows 7 you can pin any program to the taskbar so it’s always just a click away, and you can rearrange the icons on the taskbar just by clicking and dragging.

We’ve made the icons considerably bigger, too, so they’re easier to use. Hover over the icons and you’ll see thumbnails of every file or window that open in that program, and if you hover over the thumbnail, you’ll see a full-screen preview of that window. Move the cursor off the thumbnail and the full-screen preview disappears.

Jump Lists

With Windows 7, we focused on keeping the things you use most right in front of you. One example: The new Jump List feature. It's a handy way to quickly reach the files you've been working with. To see the files you've used recently, just right click on the icon on your taskbar. So right-clicking on the Word icon will show your most recent Word documents. Plus, if there are other files you want to keep handy, you can just pin them to the Jump List so they’ll always appear. That way, the documents you’re likely to want are just a couple clicks away.

Some programs, such as Windows Media Player, can pre-populate their Jump Lists with common tasks. For example, on the Jump List for Windows Media Player, you’ll see options to Play All Music or resume your last playlist. On the Jump List for Internet Explorer, you’ll see frequently and recently viewed websites. With some programs, you’ll even have quick access to tasks that, in the past, were only available from within the program, such as composing a new e-mail message.

Desktop enhancements

Windows 7 simplifies how you work with the windows on your desktop. You'll have more intuitive ways to open, close, resize, and arrange them.

With Windows 7, it’s easier to do things you do all of the time. For example, before, when you wanted to compare two open windows, you had to manually resize your open windows to show them side by side. With Snaps, you can simply grab a window and pull it to either side edge of the screen to fill half the screen. Snap windows to both sides, and it’s easier than ever to compare those windows.

Another thing you may want to do is quickly see your gadgets or grab a file from your desktop. To see your desktop just move your mouse to the lower right corner of your desktop. That'll make all the open Windows transparent—so your desktop is immediately visible. Want to get all but one window out of your way? Grab the top of that window, shake it and all the other open windows will minimize to the taskbar. Shake the window again, and they’ll all come back.

Internet Explorer 8

Available now, Internet Explorer 8 helps you do what you want online, faster. With innovations to the address bar, search, tabs, and the Favorites bar, Internet Explorer 8 brings you more information, with less effort.

Instant Search

To start, as you type a search request you'll immediately start seeing relevant suggestions from your chosen search provider, complete with images when available. The twist: search will also use your browsing history to narrow the suggestions. If you see what you're looking for, you can go right to the list without finishing the request.

Better device management

One of the great things about PCs is how they let us use such a wide array of devices. In the past, you had to use several different screens to manage different types of devices. But With Windows 7, you'll use a single Devices and Printers screen to connect, manage, and use whatever printers, phones, and other devices you have on-hand.

HomeGroup

Today, you may have a network in your home that you use to share an internet connection. But it can be hard to share other things, like files and printers. Do you have one or more computers in your home but only one printer? If you’re like most people, when you need to print a file that’s on your laptop in your bedroom on the printer in your den, you probably e-mail the file from one PC to another or transfer it on a USB drive. And if you need to find a file but don’t know which computer it’s stored on, chances are you’re in for a long night as you traipse from PC to PC and search each one.

HomeGroup, a new feature in Windows 7, makes connecting the computers in your home a painless process. HomeGroup is set up automatically when you add the first PC running Windows 7 to your home network. Adding more PCs running Windows 7 to the HomeGroup is an easy process. You can specify exactly what you want to share from each PC with all the PCs in the HomeGroup. Then, sharing files across the various PCs in your home—and many other devices—is as easy as if all your data were on a single hard drive. So you can store digital photos on a computer in your den and easily access them from a laptop anywhere in your home. Similarly, once in a HomeGroup, the printer in your den is shared automatically with all of the PCs in your home.

View Available Network (VAN)

Windows 7 makes viewing and connecting to all of your networks simple and consistent. You'll always have one-click access to available networks, regardless of whether those networks are based on Wi-Fi, mobile broadband, dial-up, or your corporate VPN.

DOWNLOAD:

Click HERE and save the files.

Parts: 31 Total Filesize: 3.00GB

STEP BY STEP GUIDE:

1. Unrar the file and you will have the required .ISO (image file). The password for all files is: http://lyctv.blogspot.com

2. Burn this file to DVD with Nero Burning Rom or other burning software.

3. Insert the DVD in the drive and restart your system.

4. Boot from the DVD (Press a key to boot from CD/DVD...)

5. Click Next and Install Now.

6. Check "I accept the license terms"

7. Select Custom Install.

8. Select the Partition you want to install the operating system to. Then click on Drive Options and press Format.

9. When the formatting finishes, click Next and wait. This might take a while.

10. After restart you will be prompt to type a user name. If you want, you can type a password as well.

11. In the next page DO NOT TYPE any product key and UNCHECK the Automatically Activate option. Click Next.

12. You can Skip the Network Configuration if you like. You have installed Windows 7 Ultimate on your machine!

HOW TO ACTIVATE THIS VERSION OF WINDOWS 7:

1. Click HERE and save the file.

2. Unrar the file using the password: http://lyctv.blogspot.com

3. Go to "Control Panel" - "User Accounts and Family Safety" - "User Accounts" - "Change User Account Control Settings". Move the slider to NEVER NOTIFY. Click OK and Restart your system.

4. Right click on the file you have just downloaded and extracted, and select "Run as Administrator".

5. Click on 1 of the icons that represent your Motherboard model. If you can not find you model, just click on INTEL.

6. Some info will be inserted in your system. In some seconds this will be over and you will be notified. Click OK.

7. Click on the Install 7Loader button. Wait some seconds. If all goes well, you will be notified that the Loader installation was successful. Click OK and your system will restart.

8. After restart, you can right click on "My Computer" and select "Properties". You will see that your Windows 7 system is now activated and genuine. You can run Live Update and everything will work fine!

eNJOY!

Windows 7 Ultimate 32 bit RTM (Software)

noreply@blogger.com (lycantic) — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 21:23:00 +0000

THIS IS THE 32 BIT OFFICIAL VERSION

Improved taskbar and full-screen previews

The taskbar at the bottom of your screen is what you use to launch programs and switch between them when they're open. In Windows 7 you can pin any program to the taskbar so it’s always just a click away, and you can rearrange the icons on the taskbar just by clicking and dragging.

We’ve made the icons considerably bigger, too, so they’re easier to use. Hover over the icons and you’ll see thumbnails of every file or window that open in that program, and if you hover over the thumbnail, you’ll see a full-screen preview of that window. Move the cursor off the thumbnail and the full-screen preview disappears.

Jump Lists

With Windows 7, we focused on keeping the things you use most right in front of you. One example: The new Jump List feature. It's a handy way to quickly reach the files you've been working with. To see the files you've used recently, just right click on the icon on your taskbar. So right-clicking on the Word icon will show your most recent Word documents. Plus, if there are other files you want to keep handy, you can just pin them to the Jump List so they’ll always appear. That way, the documents you’re likely to want are just a couple clicks away.

Some programs, such as Windows Media Player, can pre-populate their Jump Lists with common tasks. For example, on the Jump List for Windows Media Player, you’ll see options to Play All Music or resume your last playlist. On the Jump List for Internet Explorer, you’ll see frequently and recently viewed websites. With some programs, you’ll even have quick access to tasks that, in the past, were only available from within the program, such as composing a new e-mail message.

Desktop enhancements

Windows 7 simplifies how you work with the windows on your desktop. You'll have more intuitive ways to open, close, resize, and arrange them.

With Windows 7, it’s easier to do things you do all of the time. For example, before, when you wanted to compare two open windows, you had to manually resize your open windows to show them side by side. With Snaps, you can simply grab a window and pull it to either side edge of the screen to fill half the screen. Snap windows to both sides, and it’s easier than ever to compare those windows.

Another thing you may want to do is quickly see your gadgets or grab a file from your desktop. To see your desktop just move your mouse to the lower right corner of your desktop. That'll make all the open Windows transparent—so your desktop is immediately visible. Want to get all but one window out of your way? Grab the top of that window, shake it and all the other open windows will minimize to the taskbar. Shake the window again, and they’ll all come back.

Internet Explorer 8

Available now, Internet Explorer 8 helps you do what you want online, faster. With innovations to the address bar, search, tabs, and the Favorites bar, Internet Explorer 8 brings you more information, with less effort.

Instant Search

To start, as you type a search request you'll immediately start seeing relevant suggestions from your chosen search provider, complete with images when available. The twist: search will also use your browsing history to narrow the suggestions. If you see what you're looking for, you can go right to the list without finishing the request.

Better device management

One of the great things about PCs is how they let us use such a wide array of devices. In the past, you had to use several different screens to manage different types of devices. But With Windows 7, you'll use a single Devices and Printers screen to connect, manage, and use whatever printers, phones, and other devices you have on-hand.

HomeGroup

Today, you may have a network in your home that you use to share an internet connection. But it can be hard to share other things, like files and printers. Do you have one or more computers in your home but only one printer? If you’re like most people, when you need to print a file that’s on your laptop in your bedroom on the printer in your den, you probably e-mail the file from one PC to another or transfer it on a USB drive. And if you need to find a file but don’t know which computer it’s stored on, chances are you’re in for a long night as you traipse from PC to PC and search each one.

HomeGroup, a new feature in Windows 7, makes connecting the computers in your home a painless process. HomeGroup is set up automatically when you add the first PC running Windows 7 to your home network. Adding more PCs running Windows 7 to the HomeGroup is an easy process. You can specify exactly what you want to share from each PC with all the PCs in the HomeGroup. Then, sharing files across the various PCs in your home—and many other devices—is as easy as if all your data were on a single hard drive. So you can store digital photos on a computer in your den and easily access them from a laptop anywhere in your home. Similarly, once in a HomeGroup, the printer in your den is shared automatically with all of the PCs in your home.

View Available Network (VAN)

Windows 7 makes viewing and connecting to all of your networks simple and consistent. You'll always have one-click access to available networks, regardless of whether those networks are based on Wi-Fi, mobile broadband, dial-up, or your corporate VPN.

DOWNLOAD:

Click HERE and save the files.

Parts: 24 Total Filesize: 2.32GB

STEP BY STEP GUIDE:

1. Unrar the file and you will have the required .ISO (image file). The password for all files is: http://lyctv.blogspot.com

2. Burn this file to DVD with Nero Burning Rom or other burning software.

3. Insert the DVD in the drive and restart your system.

4. Boot from the DVD (Press a key to boot from CD/DVD...)

5. Click Next and Install Now.

6. Check "I accept the license terms"

7. Select Custom Install.

8. Select the Partition you want to install the operating system to. Then click on Drive Options and press Format.

9. When the formatting finishes, click Next and wait. This might take a while.

10. After restart you will be prompt to type a user name. If you want, you can type a password as well.

11. In the next page DO NOT TYPE any product key and UNCHECK the Automatically Activate option. Click Next.

12. You can Skip the Network Configuration if you like. You have installed Windows 7 Ultimate on your machine!

HOW TO ACTIVATE THIS VERSION OF WINDOWS 7:

1. Click HERE and save the file.

2. Unrar the file using the password: http://lyctv.blogspot.com

3. Go to "Control Panel" - "User Accounts and Family Safety" - "User Accounts" - "Change User Account Control Settings". Move the slider to NEVER NOTIFY. Click OK and Restart your system.

4. Right click on the file you have just downloaded and extracted, and select "Run as Administrator".

5. Click on 1 of the icons that represent your Motherboard model. If you can not find you model, just click on INTEL.

6. Some info will be inserted in your system. In some seconds this will be over and you will be notified. Click OK.

7. Click on the Install 7Loader button. Wait some seconds. If all goes well, you will be notified that the Loader installation was successful. Click OK and your system will restart.

8. After restart, you can right click on "My Computer" and select "Properties". You will see that your Windows 7 system is now activated and genuine. You can run Live Update and everything will work fine!

eNJOY!

Arch Enemy - My Apocalypse

noreply@blogger.com (lycantic) — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 22:22:00 +0000

Season of the Witch (2010) Trailer

noreply@blogger.com (lycantic) — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 22:10:00 +0000

Quality: 480P
Filetype: .MOV
Download: Click here and save the file
IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0479997/

The church orders a 14th century Crusader to transport an accused witch to a remote abbey, where monks will perform a ritual in hopes of ending the Black Plague.

62 Windows 7 tips, tricks and secrets - Part IV

noreply@blogger.com (lycantic) — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 21:34:00 +0000

Part IV: Windows 7 performance and productivity tips

48. Find bottlenecks From what we've seen so far Windows 7 is already performing better than Vista, but if your PC seems sluggish then it's now much easier to uncover the bottleneck. Click Start, type RESMON and press Enter to launch the Resource Monitor, then click the CPU, Memory, Disk or Network tabs. Windows 7 will immediately show which processes are hogging the most system resources.

The CPU view is particularly useful, and provides something like a more powerful version of Task Manager. If a program has locked up, for example, then right-click its name in the list and select Analyze Process. Windows will then try to tell you why it's hanging - the program might be waiting for another process, perhaps - which could give you the information you need to fix the problem.

FIND BOTTLENECKS: Resource monitor keeps a careful eye on exactly how your PC is being used

49. Keyboard shortcuts Windows 7 supports several useful new keyboard shortcuts.

Alt+P Display/ hide the Explorer preview pane

Windows Logo+G Display gadgets in front of other windows

Windows Logo++ (plus key) Zoom in, where appropriate

Windows Logo+- (minus key) Zoom out, where appropriate

Windows Logo+Up Maximise the current window

Windows Logo+Down Minimise the current window

Windows Logo+Left Snap to the left hand side of the screen

Windows Logo+Right Snap to the right hand side of the screen

Windows Logo+Home Minimise/ restore everything except the current window

50. Faster program launches If you've launched one instance of a program but want to start another, then don't work your way back through the Start menu. It's much quicker to just hold down Shift and click on the program's icon (or middle-click it), and Windows 7 will start a new instance for you.

51. Speedy video access Want faster access to your Videos folder? Windows 7 now lets you add it to the Start menu. Just right-click the Start orb, click Properties > Start Menu > Customize, and set the Videos option to "Display as a link". If you've a TV tuner that works with Windows 7 then you'll appreciate the new option to display the Recorded TV folder on the Start menu, too.

52. Run web searches The Windows 7 search tool can now be easily extended to search online resources, just as long as someone creates an appropriate search connector. To add Flickr support, say, visit http://www.istartedsomething.com/flickrsearch, click Download the Connector, choose the Open option and watch as it's downloaded (the file is tiny, it'll only take a moment). A "Flickr Search" option will be added to your Searches folder, and you'll be able to search images from your desktop.

A multitude of other ready-made searches, such as Google and YouTube, can be downloaded from the windowsclub.com website.

53. Schedule Media Centre downloads You can now tell Windows Media Centre to download data at a specific time, perhaps overnight, a useful way to prevent it sapping your bandwidth for the rest of the day. Launch Media Centre, go to Tasks > Settings > General > Automatic Download Options, and set the download start and stop times that you'd like it to use.

54. Multi-threaded Robocopies Anyone who's ever used the excellent command-line robocopy tool will appreciate the new switches introduced with Windows 7. Our favourite, /MT, can improve speed by carrying out multi-threaded copies with the number of threads you specify (you can have up to 128, though that might be going a little too far). Enter robocopy /? at a command line for the full details.

55. Load IE faster Some Internet Explorer add-ons can take a while to start, dragging down the browser's performance, but at least IE8 can now point a finger at the worst resource hogs. Click Tools > Manage Add-ons, check the Load Time in the right-hand column, and you'll immediately see which browser extensions are slowing you down.

56. An Alt+Tab alternative You want to access one of the five Explorer windows you have open, but there are so many other programs running that Alt+Tab makes it hard to pick out what you need. The solution? Hold down the Ctrl key while you click on the Explorer icon. Windows 7 will then cycle through the Explorer windows only, a much quicker way to locate the right one. And of course this works with any application that has multiple windows open.

57. Block annoying alerts Just like Vista, Windows 7 will display a suitably stern warning if it thinks your antivirus, firewall or other security settings are incorrect.

But unlike Vista, if you disagree then you can now turn off alerts on individual topics. If you no longer want to see warnings just because you've dared to turn off the Windows firewall, say, then click Control Panel > System and Security > Action Centre > Change Action Centre settings, clear the Network Firewall box and click OK.

58. Parallel defrags The standard Windows 7 defragger offers a little more control than we saw in Vista, and the command line version also has some interesting new features. The /r switch will defrag multiple drives in parallel, for instance (they'll obviously need to be physically separate drives for this to be useful). The /h switch runs the defrag at a higher than normal priority, and the /u switch provides regular progress reports so you can see exactly what's going on. Enter the command

defrag /c /h /u /r

in a command window to speedily defrag a system with multiple drives, or enter defrag /? to view the new options for yourself.

59. Fix Explorer The Windows 7 Explorer has a couple of potential annoyances. Launching Computer will no longer display system folders like Control Panel or Recycle Bin, for instance. And if you're drilling down through a complicated folder structure in the right-hand pane of Explorer, the left-hand tree won't always expand to follow what you're doing, which can make it more difficult to see exactly where you are. Fortunately there's a quick fix: click Organize > Folder and Search Options, check "Show all folders" and "Automatically expand to current folder", and click OK.

60. Faster file handing If you hold down Shift while right-clicking a file in Explorer, then you'll find the Send To file now includes all your main user folders: Contacts, Documents, Downloads, Music and more. Choose any of these and your file will be moved there immediately.

61. Create folder favourites If you're regularly working on the same folder in Explorer then select it in the right-hand page, right-click Favourites on the left-hand menu, and select Add to Favourites. It'll then appear at the bottom of the favourites list for easy one-click access later.

62. Disable hibernation By default Windows 7 will permanently consume a chunk of your hard drive with its hibernation file, but if you never use sleep, and always turn your PC off, then this will never actually be used. To disable hibernation and recover a little hard drive space, launch REGEDIT, browse to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Power, then set both HibernateEnabled and HiberFileSizePerfect to zero.

62 Windows 7 tips, tricks and secrets - Part III

noreply@blogger.com (lycantic) — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 21:24:00 +0000

Part III: Useful Windows 7 enhancements

30. Hiding the Windows Live Messenger icon If you use Windows Live Messenger a lot, you'll have noticed that the icon now resides on the taskbar, where you can easily change status and quickly send an IM to someone. If you prefer to keep Windows Live Messenger in the system tray, where it's been for previous releases, just close Windows Live Messenger, edit the shortcut properties and set the application to run in Windows Vista compatibility mode.

31. Customise UAC Windows Vista's User Account Control was a good idea in practice, but poor implementation put many people off - it raised far too many alerts. Fortunately Windows 7 displays less warnings by default, and lets you further fine-tune UAC to suit your preferred balance between security and a pop-up free life (Start > Control Panel > Change User Account Control Settings).

32. Use Sticky Notes The Sticky Notes app is both simpler and more useful in Windows 7. Launch StikyNot.exe and you can type notes at the keyboard; right-click a note to change its colour; click the + sign on the note title bar to add another note; and click a note and press Alt + 4 to close the note windows (your notes are automatically saved).

33. Open folder in new process By default Windows 7 opens folders in the same process. This saves system resources, but means one folder crash can bring down the entire shell. If your system seems unstable, or you're doing something in Explorer that regularly seems to causes crashes, then open Computer, hold down Shift, right-click on your drive and select Open in New Process. The folder will now be launched in a separate process, and so a crash is less likely to affect anything else.

34. Watch more videos Windows Media Player 12 is a powerful program, but it still won't play all the audio and video files you'll find online. Fortunately the first freeware Windows 7 codecs package [shark007.net/win7codecs.html] has been released, and installing it could get your troublesome multimedia files playing again.

35. Preview fonts Open the Fonts window in Windows XP and Vista and you'll see the font names, probably with icons to tell you whether they're TrueType or OpenType, but that's about it. Windows 7 sees some useful font-related improvements.

Open the new fonts window and you'll find a little preview for every font, giving you a quick idea of how they're going to look.

The tedium of scrolling through multiple entries for each family, like Times New Roman, Times New Roman Bold, Times New Roman Bold Italic and so on, has finally ended. There's now just a single entry for each font (though you can still see all other members of the family).

And there's a new OpenType font, Gabriola, added to the mix. It's an attractive script font, well worth a try the next time you need a stylish document that stands out from the crowd.

36. Restore your gadgets Windows 7 has tightened up its security by refusing to run gadgets if UAC has been turned off, so limiting the damage malicious unsigned gadgets can do to your system. If you've disabled UAC, miss your gadgets and are happy to accept the security risk, though, there's an easy Registry way to get everything back to normal. Run REGEDIT, go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Sidebar\Settings, create a new DWORD value called AllowElevatedProcess and set it to 1. Your gadgets should start working again right away.

37. New WordPad formats By default WordPad will save documents in Rich Text Format, just as before. But browse the Save As Format list and you'll see you can also save (or open, actually) files in the Office 2007 .docx or OpenDocument .odt formats.

38. Protect your data USB flash drives are convenient, portable, and very easy to lose. Which is a problem, especially if they're carrying sensitive data. Fortunately Windows 7 has the solution: encrypt your documents with an extension of Microsoft's BitLocker technology, and only someone with the password will be able to access it. Right-click your USB flash drive, select Turn on BitLocker and follow the instructions to protect your private files.

PROTECT YOUR DATA: Your USB flash drives can easily be encrypted with BitLocker

39. Minimise quickly with shake If you have multiple windows open on your desktop and things are getting too cluttered, it used to be a time-consuming process to close them all down. In Windows 7 you can use the Aero Shake feature to minimise everything in seconds, using a cool mouse gesture. Grab the title bar of the window you wish to keep open and give it a shake, and rejoice in a clear desktop area.

40. Configure your favourite music The Windows 7 Media Centre now comes with an option to play your favourite music, which by default creates a changing list of songs based on your ratings, how often you play them, and when they were added (it's assumed you'll prefer songs you've added in the last 30 days). If this doesn't work then you can tweak how Media Centre decides what a "favourite" tune is- click Tasks > Settings > Music > Favourite Music and configure the program to suit your needs.

41. Customise System Restore There was very little you could do to configure System Restore in Vista, but Windows 7 improves the situation with a couple of useful setup options.

Click the Start orb, right-click Computer and select Properties > System Protection > Configure, and set the Max Usage value to a size that suits your needs (larger to hold more restore points, smaller to save disk space).

And if you don't need System Restore to save Windows settings then choose the "Only restore previous versions of files" option. Windows 7 won't back up your Registry, which means you'll squeeze more restore points and file backups into the available disk space. System Restore is much less likely to get an unbootable PC working again, though, so use this trick at your own risk.

42. Run As Hold down Shift, right-click any program shortcut, and you'll see an option to run the program as a different user, handy if you're logged in to the kids' limited account and need to run something with higher privileges. This isn't really a new feature - Windows XP had a Run As option that did the same thing - but Microsoft stripped it out of Vista, so it's good to see it's had a change of heart.

43. Search privacy By default Windows 7 will remember your PC search queries, and display the most recent examples when searching in Windows Explorer. If you're sharing a PC and don't want everyone to see your searches, then launch GPEDIT.MSC, go to User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Explorer, double-click "Turn off display of recent search entries..." and click Enabled > OK.

44. Tweak PC volume By default Windows 7 will now automatically reduce the volume of your PC's sounds whenever it detects you're making or receiving PC-based phone calls. If this proves annoying (or maybe you'd like it to turn off other sounds altogether) then you can easily change the settings accordingly. Just right-click the speaker icon in your taskbar, select Sounds > Communications, and tell Windows what you'd like it to do.

45. Rearrange the system tray With Windows 7 we finally see system tray icons behave in a similar way to everything else on the taskbar. So if you want to rearrange them, then go right ahead, just drag and drop them into the order you like. You can even move important icons outside of the tray, drop them onto the desktop, then put them back when you no longer need to keep an eye on them.

46. Extend your battery life Windows 7 includes new power options that will help to improve your notebook's battery life. To see them, click Start, type Power Options and click the Power Options link, then click Change Plan Settings for your current plan and select Change Advanced Settings. Expand Multimedia Settings, for instance, and you'll see a new "playing video" setting that can be set to optimise power savings rather than performance. Browse through the other settings and ensure they're set up to suit your needs.

47. Write crash dump files Windows 7 won't create memory.dmp crash files if you've less than 25GB of free hard drive space, annoying if you've installed the Windows debugging tools and want to diagnose your crashes. You can turn this feature off, though: browse to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\CrashControl, create a new DWORD value called AlwaysKeepMemoryDump, set it to 1, and the crash dump file will now always be saved.

62 Windows 7 tips, tricks and secrets - Part II

noreply@blogger.com (lycantic) — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 21:15:00 +0000

Part II: Windows 7 interface tweaks

16. Right-click everything At first glance Windows 7 bears a striking resemblance to Vista, but there's an easy way to begin spotting the differences - just right-click things.

Right-click an empty part of the desktop, for instance, and you'll find a menu entry to set your screen resolution. No need to go browsing through the display settings any more.

Right-click the Explorer icon on the taskbar for speedy access to common system folders: Documents, Pictures, the Windows folder, and more.

And if you don't plan on using Internet Explorer then you probably won't want its icon permanently displayed on the taskbar. Right-click the icon, select 'Unpin this program from the taskbar', then go install Firefox, instead.

17. Desktop slideshow Windows 7 comes with some very attractive new wallpapers, and it's not always easy to decide which one you like the best. So why not let choose a few, and let Windows display them all in a desktop slideshow? Right-click an empty part of the desktop, select Personalise > Desktop Background, then hold down Ctrl as you click on the images you like. Choose how often you'd like the images to be changed (anything from daily to once every 10 seconds), select Shuffle if you'd like the backgrounds to appear in a random order, then click Save Changes and enjoy the show.

DESKTOP SLIDESHOW: Select multiple background images and Windows will cycle through them

18. RSS-powered wallpaper And if a slideshow based on your standard wallpaper isn't enough, then you can always create a theme that extracts images from an RSS feed.

19. Customise the log-on screen Changing the Windows log-on screen used to involve some complicated and potentially dangerous hacks, but not any more - Windows 7 makes it easy.

First, browse to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Authentication\LogonUI\Background in REGEDIT, double-click the DWORD key called OEMBackground (not there? Create it) and set its value to 1.

Now find a background image you'd like to use. Make sure it's less than 256KB in size, and matches the aspect ratio of your screen as it'll be stretched to fit.

Next, copy that image into the %windir%\system32\oobe\info\backgrounds folder (create the info\backgrounds folders if they don't exist). Rename the image to backgroundDefault.jpg, reboot, and you should now have a custom log-on image.

Alternatively, use a free tweaking tool to handle everything for you. Logon Changer displays a preview so you can see how the log-on screen will look without rebooting, while the Logon Screen Rotator accepts multiple images and will display a different one every time you log on.

20. Recover screen space The new Windows 7 taskbar acts as one big quick launch toolbar that can hold whatever program shortcuts you like (just right-click one and select Pin To Taskbar). And that's fine, except it does consume a little more screen real estate than we'd like. Shrink it to a more manageable size by right-clicking the Start orb, then Properties > Taskbar > Use small icons > OK.

21. Enjoy a retro taskbar Windows 7 now combines taskbar buttons in a way that saves space, but also makes it more difficult to tell at a glance whether an icon represents a running application or a shortcut. If you prefer a more traditional approach, then right-click the taskbar, select Properties, and set Taskbar Buttons to "Combine when taskbar is full". You'll now get a clear and separate button for each running application, making them much easier to identify.

22. Remove taskbar buttons One problem with the previous tip is the buttons will gobble up valuable taskbar real estate, but you can reduce the impact of this by removing their text captions. Launch REGEDIT, browse to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop\WindowMetrics, add a string called MinWidth, set it to 54, and reboot to see the results.

23. Restore the Quick Launch Toolbar If you're unhappy with the new taskbar, even after shrinking it, then it only takes a moment to restore the old Quick Launch Toolbar.

Right-click the taskbar, choose Toolbars > New Toolbar, type "%UserProfile%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch" (less the quotes) into the Folder box and click Select Folder.

Now right-click the taskbar, clear 'Lock the taskbar', and you should see the Quick Launch toolbar, probably to the right. Right-click its divider, clear Show Text and Show Title to minimise the space it takes up. Complete the job by right-clicking the bar and selecting View > Small Icons for the true retro look.

24. Custom power switch By default, Windows 7 displays a plain text 'Shut down' button on the Start menu, but it only takes a moment to change this action to something else. If you reboot your PC a few times every day then that might make more sense as a default action: right-click the Start orb, select Properties and set the 'Power boot action' to 'Restart' to make it happen.

25. Auto arrange your desktop If your Windows 7 desktop has icons scattered everywhere then you could right-click it and select View > Auto arrange, just as in Vista. But a simpler solution is just to press and hold down F5, and Windows will automatically arrange its icons for you.

26. Disable smart window arrangement Windows 7 features interesting new ways to intelligently arrange your windows, so that (for example) if you drag a window to the top of the screen then it will maximise. We like the new system, but if you find it distracting then it's easily disabled. Run REGEDIT, go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop, set WindowArrangementActive to 0, reboot, and your windows will behave just as they always did.

27. Browse your tasks If you prefer the keyboard over the mouse, you will love browsing the taskbar using this nifty shortcut. Press Windows and T, and you move the focus to the left-most icon on the taskbar. Then use your arrow keys to change the focus to other icons, and you get a live preview of every window.

28. Display your drives Click Computer in Windows 7 and you might see a strange lack of drives, but don't panic, it's just Microsoft trying to be helpful: drives like memory card readers are no longer displayed if they're empty. We think it's an improvement, but if you disagree then it's easy to get your empty drives back. Launch Explorer, click Tools > Folder Options > View and clear 'Hide empty drives in the computer folder'.

29. See more detail The new and improved Windows 7 magnifier offers a much easier way to zoom in on any area of the screen. Launch it and you can now define a scale factor and docking position, and once activated it can track your keyboard focus around the screen. Press Tab as you move around a dialog box, say, and it'll automatically zoom in on the currently active control.

62 Windows 7 tips, tricks and secrets - Part I

noreply@blogger.com (lycantic) — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 20:59:00 +0000

Part I: New applets and features in Windows 7

Windows 7 is out and if you've either just installed it or bought a new PC running Windows 7, then we're here to help you get the most from it.

Look beyond the headlines about interface tweaks and you'll find Windows 7 is crammed with lesser known, but still important, new and enhanced features, which taken together deliver improved performance and productivity, better troubleshooting, stronger security and a whole lot more.

To celebrate the launch of Windows 7, we've updated our Windows 7 tips with a bunch of new ones. Read on for 62 ways in which Windows 7 will make a real difference to your PC.

1. Problem Steps Recorder As the local PC guru you're probably very used to friends and family asking for help with their computer problems, yet having no idea how to clearly describe what's going on. It's frustrating, but Microsoft feels your pain, and Windows 7 will include an excellent new solution in the Problem Steps Recorder.

When any app starts misbehaving under Windows 7 then all your friends need do is click Start, type PSR and press Enter, then click Start Record. If they then work through whatever they're doing then the Problem Steps Recorder will record every click and keypress, take screen grabs, and package everything up into a single zipped MHTML file when they're finished, ready for emailing to you. It's quick, easy and effective, and will save you hours of troubleshooting time.

2. Burn images Windows 7 finally introduces a feature that other operating systems have had for years - the ability to burn ISO images to CDs or DVDs. And it couldn't be much easier to use. Just double-click the ISO image, choose the drive with the blank disc, click Burn and watch as your disc is created.

3. Create and mount VHD files Microsoft's Virtual PC creates its virtual machine hard drives in VHD files, and Windows 7 can now mount these directly so you can access them in the host system. Click Start, type diskmgmt.msc and press Enter, then click Action > Attach VHD and choose the file you'd like to mount. It will then appear as a virtual drive in Explorer and can be accessed, copied or written just like any other drive.

Click Action > Create VHD and you can now create a new virtual drive of your own (right-click it, select Initialise Disk, and after it's set up right-click the unallocated space and select New Simple Volume to set this up). Again, you'll be left with a virtual drive that behaves just like any other, where you can drag and drop files, install programs, test partitioning software or do whatever you like. But it's actually just this VHD file on your real hard drive which you can easily back up or share with others. Right-click the disk (that's the left-hand label that says "Disk 2" or whatever) and select Detach VHD to remove it.

The command line DISKPART utility has also been upgraded with tools to detach a VHD file, and an EXPAND command to increase a virtual disk's maximum size. Don't play around with this unless you know what you're doing, though - it's all too easy to trash your system.

4. Troubleshoot problems If some part of Windows 7 is behaving strangely, and you don't know why, then click Control Panel > Find and fix problems (or 'Troubleshooting') to access the new troubleshooting packs. These are simple wizards that will resolve common problems, check your settings, clean up your system and more.

5. Startup repair If you've downloaded Windows 7 (and even if you haven't) it's a good idea to create a system repair disc straight away in case you run into problems booting the OS later on. Click Start > Maintenance > Create a System Repair Disc, and let Windows 7 build a bootable emergency disc. If the worst does happen then it could be the only way to get your PC running again.

6. Take control Tired of the kids installing dubious software or running applications you'd rather they left alone? AppLocker is a new Windows 7 feature that ensures users can only run the programs you specify. Don't worry, that's easier to set up than it sounds: you can create a rule to allow everything signed by a particular publisher, so choose Microsoft, say, and that one rule will let you run all signed Microsoft applications. Launch GPEDIT.MSC and go to Computer Configuration > Windows Settings > Security Settings > Application Control Policies > AppLocker to get a feel for how this works.

7. Calculate more At first glance the Windows 7 calculator looks just like Vista's version, but explore the Mode menu and you'll see powerful new Statistics and Programmer views. And if you're clueless about bitwise manipulation, then try the Options menu instead. This offers many different unit conversions (length, weight, volume and more), date calculations (how many days between two dates?), and spreadsheet-type templates to help you calculate vehicle mileage, mortgage rates and more.

Don't take any Windows 7 applet at face value, then - there are some very powerful new features hidden in the background. Be sure to explore every option in all Windows applets to ensure you don't miss anything important.

CALCULATE MORE: The new Calculator is packed with useful features and functionality

8. Switch to a projector Windows 7 now provides a standard way to switch your display from one monitor to another, or a projector - just press Win+P or run DisplaySwitch.exe and choose your preferred display. (This will have no effect if you've only one display connected.)

9. Get a power efficiency report If you have a laptop, you can use the efficiency calculator to get Windows 7 to generate loads of useful information about its power consumption. Used in the right way, this can help you make huge gains in terms of battery life and performance. To do this you must open a command prompt as an administrator by typing 'cmd' in Start Search, and when the cmd icon appears, right-click it and choose Run as administrator.

Then at the command line, just type in 'powercfg -energy' (without quotes) and hit Return, and Windows 7 will scan your system looking for ways to improve power efficiency. It will then publish the results in an HTML file, usually in the System32 folder. Just follow the path it gives you to find your report.

10. Understanding System Restore Using System Restore in previous versions of Windows has been something of a gamble. There's no way of telling which applications or drivers it might affect - you just have to try it and see.

Windows 7 is different. Right-click Computer, select Properties > System Protection > System Restore > Next, and choose the restore point you'd like to use. Click the new button to 'Scan for affected programs' and Windows will tell you which (if any) programs and drivers will be deleted or recovered by selecting this restore point.

11. Set the time zone System administrators will appreciate the new command line tzutil.exe utility, which lets you set a PC's time zone from scripts. If you wanted to set a PC to Greenwich Mean Time, for instance, you'd use the command

tzutil /s "gmt standard time"

The command "tzutil /g" displays the current time zone, "tzutil /l" lists all possible time zones, and "tzutil /?" displays details on how the command works.

12. Calibrate your screen The colours you see on your screen will vary depending on your monitor, graphics cards settings, lighting and more, yet most people use the same default Windows colour profile. And that means a digital photo you think looks perfect might appear very poor to everybody else. Fortunately Windows 7 now provides a Display Colour Calibration Wizard that helps you properly set up your brightness, contrast and colour settings, and a ClearType tuner to ensure text is crisp and sharp. Click Start, type DCCW and press Enter to give it a try.

13. Clean up Live Essentials

Installing Windows Live Essentials will get you the new versions of Mail, Movie Maker, Photo Gallery and others - great. Unfortunately it also includes other components that may be unnecessary, but if you like to keep a clean system then these can be quickly removed.

If you left the default "Set your search provider" option selected during installation, for instance, Windows Live will install Choice Guard, a tool to set your browser home page and search engine, and prevent other programs from changing them. If this causes problems later, or you just decide you don't need it, then Choice Guard may be removed by clicking Start, typing msiexec /x and pressing [Enter].

Windows Live Essentials also adds an ActiveX Control to help upload your files to Windows Live SkyDrive, as well as the Windows Live Sign-in Assistant, which makes it easier to manage and switch between multiple Windows Live accounts. If you're sure you'll never need either then remove them with the Control Panel "Uninstall a Program" applet.

14. Add network support

By default Windows Live MovieMaker won't let you import files over a network, but a quick Registry tweak will change this. Run REGEDIT, browse to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows Live\Movie Maker, add a DWORD value called AllowNetworkFiles and set it to 1 to add network support.

15. Activate XP mode

If you've old but important software that no longer runs under Windows 7, then you could try using XP Mode, a virtual copy of XP that runs in a window on your Windows 7 desktop. But there's a big potential problem, as XP Mode only works with systems that have hardware virtualisation (AMD-V or Intel VT) built-in and turned on. If you've a compatible CPU then this may just be a matter of enabling the option in your BIOS set-up program, however some high profile brands, including Sony Vaio, disable the setting for "security reasons". And that blocks XP Mode from working, too.

One solution has emerged, but it's a little risky, as essentially you'll have to alter a byte in your laptop firmware and hope this doesn't have any unexpected side-effects.

A safer approach might be to use VirtualBox, a virtualisation tool that doesn't insist on hardware support, but then you will need to find a licensed copy of XP (or whatever other Windows version your software requires) for its virtual machine.