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Microsoft's SkyDrive offers 5GB Free Storage

noreply@blogger.com (CentaQue) — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 02:23:00 +0000

Microsoft on Friday quietly took the wraps off a free online storage service that it says is the final piece of its Windows Live Internet services portfolio.. The service provides users with free, password-protected online file storage with an option for it to be shared with other people. Prior to today, Windows Live SkyDrive was available in Beta with a 1 GB storage cap -- only in the US, the UK, and India.

Starting today, you will be able to access all your personal files wherever you are and share them effortlessly with family, friends and colleagues.

Jonathan Hulse, group director of Windows Live

It allows users to upload 5 GB of data, with a 50 MB limit on each file. Illustrating the 5GB data-holding capacity of SkyDrive, Microsoft cites that the service will enable users to store approximately 1,000 songs, over 30,000 Microsoft Office documents of average size, or 30,000 digital photos at a resolution of 1200 x 1200.

SkyDrive offers users three ways to store and share files by means of Personal, Shared, and Public folders. Personal folder lets users password-protect their data and keep it to be accessed only by them; Shared folder allows them to share files with people they choose; while the third option of Public folder allows anyone on the Internet to access the data.

To access the SkyDrive service, one needs a Windows Live ID. In order to share folders, people who need to access the files also need to have a Windows Live ID.

From today, the service has also now become available in 35 new countries and regions.

Microsoft has offered to purchase Yahoo for about $41 billion. Yahoo's board has thus far rejected the overture.

Windows Live also reflects Microsoft's recognition that many of the software products that are today sold in boxes on store shelves are migrating to the Web. As a result, the company needs to figure out how to enhance its Web offerings without undercutting sales of its packaged applications, from which it derives the bulk of its revenue.

Grab and convert YouTube videos

noreply@blogger.com (CentaQue) — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 21:31:00 +0000

A look at five apps that download and convert YouTube videos in one fell swoop.

There are tons of YouTube video-grabbing downloads out there, but relatively few also convert those FLV files for later viewing on a cell phone, iPhone, or other flavor of mobile device. Since we don't like using two apps when we can use one, here's a hand-picked collection of apps containing the packaged set.

(Credit: CNET Networks)

1. Out of all the downloader/converters I tried, nothing felt more honest than CinemaForge, with its homegrown UFO-shaped interface. The freeware app lays down a simple 6-step downloading and conversion trajectory that includes finding a video's "real" URL, as opposed to the "mangled" (shortened) link displayed on most sites. The conversion is quick and accompanied by an optional report, and it's easy to choose from multiple file types and drop videos into a preferred file path. Skip that step, if you prefer, because CinemaForge also lets you publish your newly acquired video to the Web, although if that's your goal, dropping the video's embed code onto a personal profile or Web site is a more straightforward option.

(Credit: CNET Networks)

2. With tabs for searching, downloading, and converting video, Free FLV Converter is a fairly beefy app. Unlike most competitors, it finds videos through search rather than by a pasted URL. Other apps download videos from Google, DailyMotion, and MetaCafe in addition to YouTube, but this rarity also serves up content from several adult sites. Parents better keep an eye on this one.

Free FLV Converter saves the video locally as an FLV file, and requires a second step to convert the video to one of five other formats. The two-step process barely qualifies the app for this roundup, but you can do it without closing the app. Free FLV Converter also gets a cheery thumbs up for the in-app preview and PSP conversion option, and an emphatic thumbs down for dragging on board the Dealio toolbar. What's the dealio with that bundling? Though irritating, Dealio is removed easily enough.

(Credit: CNET Networks)

3. YouTube Downloader is another freebie with a two-part conversion process that saves a Flash video just so you can dig it up again and convert it. Of course, you can convert all other previously downloaded videos, too. Paste the video URL into the app to save the stream, and when that's done, select "convert video" to make any FLV compatible with iPods, iPhones, cell phones, PSPs, and then some. The choice to add manual parameters catches other formats that YouTube Downloader didn't optimize for.

(Credit: CNET Networks)

4. With My Video Downloader ($29.99), what you pay for is breadth--apparent compatibility with over 50 video-streaming sites. Paste the URL into the big blue app to kick off downloading. Be forewarned: the trial exacts some personal data (name, gender, e-mail, and ZIP code) before granting access, but converts to Zune video and DVD formats from among the 10 optional formats.

(Credit: CNET Networks)

5. For the same price, Alive YouTube Video Converter ($29.95) offers a wealth of device-specific conversions from a drab XP-inspired interface. This is ideal for you Archos, Sansa, and Zen mavericks. Alive YouTube Video Converter does a fine conversion job, but pins you in the trial by processing only 60 percent of the video.

Other video-grabbing software:
*Free YouTube to iPod Converter 2.8 makes videos iPod-ready.
*Orbit Downloader accelerates download speeds and manages files.
*Ook? Video Ook! is a popular Firefox plug-in.
*TubeSucker seeks out YouTube downloads.

Microsoft updates Vista SP1 test build

noreply@blogger.com (CentaQue) — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 21:18:00 +0000

Software maker says it is still on track to wrap up work on the service pack this quarter, with Windows XP Service Pack 3 planned before the end of June.

Microsoft said on Thursday that it has released another updated test version of Windows Vista Service Pack 1.

The company said that the new version, dubbed "Windows Vista SP1 RC Refresh 2," has been released to about 15,000 beta testers. The code is not being made available publicly, Microsoft said.

The product is still on track to be finalized this quarter, Microsoft said, while offering its standard caveat. "The final release date is based on quality, so we will continue to track customer and partner feedback from the beta program before setting a final date," the company said.

Earlier this month, Microsoft released the first refresh to the release candidate of Vista SP1, first to about 15,000 testers and later to the public.

As for XP, Microsoft said it released (get ready for another mouthful) "Windows XP SP3 RC Refresh 2" to beta testers on Wednesday. Microsoft said it is aiming for a release sometime in the first half of this year, but added: "our timing will always be based on customer feedback as a first priority."

How to turn off the sound of UPS?

noreply@blogger.com (CentaQue) — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 19:48:00 +0000

How to turn off the sound of my UPS?

A typical UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) is a box that sits between the mains power supply and essential equipment such as your PC. It contains a battery which will provide a few minutes of mains power to either tide you over a brief power interruption or give you time to safely shut down the PC. Normally a UPS makes a noise such as a beep whenever it has to turn on to the battery power. This beep is simply meant to alert you so that you can take some action.

What's the noise that you want to stop? If it's this warning beep - why do you want to stop it?

You have to refer to the handbook that came with the UPS or ask the manufacturer. Each UPS will have its own unique controls. It's probably something you can set from the front panel switches. It's also possible that your UPS has a serial port or USB connection which will allow the PC to communicate with it, and therefore set up this sort of thing.

It's also possible that there's NO way to turn off the sound on your UPS.

Or is the sound always there? In that case there may simply be a fault condition in the UPS or the way you have it arranged. Remember, these things aren't capable of infinite power output and some devices will simply draw too much current. For instance, it's sheer madness to run a laser printer through a UPS as the power load is very high at times. Even a CRT monitor draws much more current than an LCD monitor. Think carefully about what you connect.

What is a 'duty cycle'?

noreply@blogger.com (CentaQue) — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 06:06:00 +0000

[Q]I'm currently knee deep in network printer/digital photocopier brochures and wanted to ask a question about the specifications.What do they mean by 'duty-cycle'?

[A]The duty cycle of machine refers to how long it can keep operating before it needs a rest,or what percentage of the time it's designed to be in use.For instance,a machine gun might only be able to fire continuously for 100 rounds before it needs to be allowed to cool off.

For some machines,you could wear out the mechanism well before it came to the end of the warranty period if you left it printing continuously .For example,a printer that is capable of producing 30 copies of a text document per minutes would probably wear out in weeks if it always used in this way.Therefore,printer manufactures usually quote a duty cycle for all their products,such as '10 000 copies per month'.

When it comes to specifications like this,it pays to be on the safe side.You should probably look for printer with a duty cycle around double what you expect to use.

Business Card With Microsoft Publisher,Pagemaker or Adobe InDesign

noreply@blogger.com (CentaQue) — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 19:55:00 +0000

[Q]What program should I use to make office documents such as business cards and letterheads?I want to produce something more complex than word can handle,and save the design in formats that will print well.Is there any reason to bypass Microsoft Publisher and buy Adobe InDesign or PageMaker instead?I gather that PageMaker is geared more toward multi page documents like pamphlets and books.

[A] If you're familiar with using Microsoft Word,you'll find Publisher has a familiar interface,so you will be up and running more quickly.InDesign,on the other hand,has a look and feel more like Photoshop and Illustrator and is geared towards professional designers,so you may find it a little overpowered for your needs,although it would certainly be suitable.PageMaker is a page layout program,which makes it more suited to complex multi page documents.

For the money,Publisher is very good and probably all most small offices need.Before you make a decision though,talk to your printing house if you intend to have any of the documents you create professionally printed.First,make sure they can handle documents created by the software you use.Most printers can handle Publisher documents(as well as number of other formats).but the document may need to be set up in a specific way to match the printer's needs.

Adobe InDesign

How To Make Access Point Number One and Get Online Faster

noreply@blogger.com (CentaQue) — Sat, 03 Nov 2007 15:39:00 +0000

[Q] How to make my access point number one and get on line faster.

[A] Every time your laptop connects to a Wi-Fi hot spot,whether it's in your home or down at the coffee shop,it logs the name of the access point that you connected to the Windows Preferred Network settings.If you accidentally (or maybe even deliberately) connect to your neighbour's access point, and then find yourself reconnecting again despite your efforts not to,you need to bump that listing down in your connection list and move your router to the top.

To do this,click 'Start' and select 'Connect To', then 'Wireless Network Connection'.On the window that opens, click on the 'Properties' button on the lower left, then the 'Wireless Networks' tab at the top.Under 'Preferred Networks' look for your home, work, or favorite coffee shop's router name.Highlight it and use the 'Move Up' button to move the selection to the top of the list.This will prioritize the connection to your favorite hot spot's access points.You can also use the 'Remove' button to eliminate the auto-connection of networks that are no longer used or those that happen to be at your neighbor's house.Although you wouldn't be alone if you kept it at the bottom for emergency use-just in case your Internet connection goes down.

Wireless Security

noreply@blogger.com (CentaQue) — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 21:09:00 +0000

[Q]What security should I use on wireless network?

[A] The basics for wireless security are:

Enable encryption,Use WPA if your card and access point support it,otherwise use 128-bit WEP;64-bit WEP(sometimes called 48-bit)is pretty easy to break,so go for something better.

Hide the SSID(Service Set Identifier) on the access point.Every access point,including those embedded within a wireless router,has a name called an SSID,which by default is broadcast to make it easy for clients to find access points in the area.Turn off SSID broadcast and set the desired SSID manually in the network cards.

Don't use the default SSID.Many access point have a default SSID often with the name of the manufacturer,and are known to one and all.Use an SSID with a mix of letters and numbers,and avoid any dictionary words.

Use MAC(Media Access Control) address filtering on the access point.Every Ethernet device,including each wireless NIC(network Interface Card),has a unique numeric MAC address.This is printed on the card label.Set the access point to allow connections only from the MAC address of your cards.

This is general advice for all readers.You should consult your manuals for the way to make the settings we've suggested.

Inadequate Cooling Of The Processor

noreply@blogger.com (CentaQue) — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 20:41:00 +0000

[Q]I recently upgraded a few hardware components of my PC and now the chassis is heating.I think my processor is heating up too much.What do I do?

[A] Processors, like all electronic equipment, have a specified safe temperature range that represents their limits for normal operation. If the processor overheats, problems are usually the result. These problems can take many different forms, and can be extremely difficult to diagnose because they often appear to implicate other parts of the system. Since the processor is at the center of everything that happens in your PC, if it is malfunctioning then essentially "all bets are off".Processor problem can vary from incorrect fittings of the cooling fan,to minor problems in the bios settings.Critical problems found is the cooling fan heat dips leading to breakdown of the PC.However, Pentium 4 and even the Athlon,can run only with only a heat sink and no fan, but I wouldn't advice this.The processor can overheat, breakdown, or even drop in performance,if the CPU fan breaks down or is filled with dust.

Sometimes, even the power cables inside the chassis touch the fan and stop it, leading to overheating.In this case,open the chassis,check for any cables which have got in the way of the cooling path or the fan.Also regularly keep your PC free from dust inside, as well as the surroundings.Use a blower (something like an AC blower or the blowing end of a vacuum cleaner) to blow away the dust from unreachable corners.be careful whilst doing this as you may damage the delicate components, and even the fan blades.This is a must,if you are situated in a environment prone to dust.Assure that the fans inside the computer are clean and dust free.

If you are really care about your processor,then buy an advanced fans or perhaps water cooling system.

Click here to know how overheating problems.
http://www.pcguide.com/ts/x/ggen02.htm

Sophos recommended privacy settings for Facebook

noreply@blogger.com (CentaQue) — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 21:08:00 +0000

ID fraudsters target Facebook and other social networking sites to harvest information about you. Sophos experts recommend you set the following Facebook privacy options to protect against online identity theft.

Facebook walkthrough - adjust your privacy settings

This guide walks you through Sophos-recommended privacy settings in Facebook, and shows you how to set more secure levels of privacy and reduce the chance of becoming a victim of online identity theft.

Profile
Controls who can see your profile
Search
Allows you to decide who can find you
News feed and mini-feed
Controls what information is published about your activities
Poke, message and friend request
Controls what information you share with people you contact
Applications
Controls what information Facebook applications can access and share about you

General safety tips for Facebook

Adjust Facebook privacy settings to help protect your identity

Unlike some other social networking sites, Facebook has provided some powerful options to protect you online - but it's up to you to use them!

Think carefully about who you allow to become your friend

Once you have accepted someone as your friend they will be able to access any information about you (including photographs) that you have marked as viewable by your friends. You can remove friends at any time should you change your mind about someone.

Show "limited friends" a cut-down version of your profile

You can choose to make people 'limited friends' who only have access to a cut-down version of your profile if you wish. This can be useful if you have associates who you do not wish to give full friend status to, or feel uncomfortable sharing personal information with.

Disable options, then open them one by one

Think about how you want to use Facebook. If it's only to keep in touch with people and be able to contact them then maybe it's better to turn off the bells and whistles. It makes a lot of sense to disable an option until you have decided you do want and need it, rather than start with everything accessible.

Courtesy from Sophos
http://www.sophos.com/security/best-practice/facebook.html

Quick Glance At Yahoo! Answers

noreply@blogger.com (CentaQue) — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 20:19:00 +0000

Increase Broadband Speed

noreply@blogger.com (CentaQue) — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 19:35:00 +0000

DISCLAIMER: Edit the registry at your own risk. If possible use the Group Policy Editor. There is no undo in regedit. If you are inexperienced with regedit, when possible back up the whole registry or the key you are about to change first before modifying or deleting the key. Do not modify more than one key/name/value at a time. Re-logon or reboot and see what happens first.

[Q] Is it posible for me to increase the speed of my Internet connection?

[A] First of all make sure you are logged as 'Administrator'.Then, click on 'Start' | 'Run', and type 'gpedit.msc'.Expand the 'Local Computer Policy' branch.Now, expand the 'Administrative Templates' branch.Highlight the 'QoS Packet Scheduler' in the left windows.In the right window double-click the 'Limit Reserveable Bandwidth' setting. In the setting tab,check the 'Enabled' item.Where it says 'Bandwidth limit %' change it to 0 using the scroll bars on the keyboard.Some systems may need to re-boot. Programs can request up to 20% of the bandwidth to be reserved for them, even with the QoS disabled.

QoS by Answers.com:(Quality Of Service) A defined measure of performance in a data communications system. For example, to ensure that realtime voice and video are delivered without annoying blips, a traffic contract is negotiated between the customer and network provider that guarantees a minimum bandwidth along with the maximum delay that can be tolerated in milliseconds.Because dedicated channels are set up between parties, the plain old telephone system (POTS) delivered the highest QoS for years. However, when data are broken into packets that travel through routers in a LAN or WAN, QoS mechanisms are used to give higher priority to realtime data, such as voice over IP (VoIP), than to non-realtime data, such as file downloads. Another option in packet switching is to overbuild the network, ensuring that it will accommodate all traffic fed to it.

Show Hidden Program or System Files

noreply@blogger.com (CentaQue) — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 19:25:00 +0000

[Q] There are some hidden files on my disk which I'd like to erase.How do I view them?

[A] Detecting hidden files can come in handy, for example, in case you've tried to delete everything from a floppy disk and the disk properties still indicate 100K, and you don't seem to understand why.What it really means is that the disk has hidden files.Click 'Tools' menu in Windows Explorer.First, click 'Folder Options'.Within this option window, you have to click on the 'View' tab and under 'Hidden files and folders', click 'Show hidden files and folders' to view them.

Embed Video Or An Audio File in Excel

noreply@blogger.com (CentaQue) — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 13:29:00 +0000

[Q] Can I embed a video or an audio file in an Excel spreadsheet.If so,how do I make sure that the relevent files go with the spreadsheet when I email it?

[A] When you embed one file inside another,by definition it travels inside the file so you don't have to worry about sending it separately.What you do need to be careful of is the size of the file you send: embedding a file within another has a tendancy to bloat the original size file's size.

To embed an audio or video file inside an Excel worksheet,do the following:
1.Click where the file should be embedded - typically by selecting a cell.

2.Choose Insert -> Object and click the 'Create from file' tab.

3.Browse to find the file to insert,select it and click 'Insert' and then 'OK'.

To play the movie,right-click it and choose 'Package object' -> 'Activate contents'.

Finding Encrypted Files

noreply@blogger.com (CentaQue) — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 08:33:00 +0000

[Q]I have a lot of files in my folders which are encrypted.How can I view all of them at one time?

[A] Unless you use a command-line utility like Cipher.exe, it's difficult to see which files are encrypted and which are not, all, at a glance.Right-clicking each file and then choosing 'Properties > General > Advanced' (followed by multiple Cancels) is surely tedious.You can try this tip instead.Open a folder containing the encrypted files.On the 'View' menu, choose 'Details', and then select 'Attributes'. The encrypted files show a letter E in the Attributes column.You can also set an option so that the names of encrypted files appear in different color from other file names.On the 'Tools' menu,choose 'Folder Options',click the 'View' tab,and select 'Show Encrypted or Compressed NTFS files' in color.

Enable the attributes to view all encrypted files at once.

Microsoft Help & Support about Cipher.exe
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/298009

Is there A Way To Disable the starting Windows Boot logo(splash screen)?

noreply@blogger.com (CentaQue) — Sun, 28 Oct 2007 13:53:00 +0000

It is possible to disable the XP splash screen which will speed up the overall boot process slightly.But remember removing the splash screen will also bar you from seeing any boot-up message that might come up(for instance,if there is a system crash,the chkdsk screen will not show up,nor will tools like Convert, etc).But if your system is problem free,it should not matter.

To disable the boot logo,right click on 'My Computer', choose 'Properties' and then select then select the 'Advanced' tab.Under the 'Start-Up and Recovery' section,click 'Settings'.Then again in the 'system startup' section,click the 'Edit' button of the 'Default Operating System' section.Now the boot.ini file will open in Notepad.Edit the boot.ini.Add ' /noguiboot ',right after ' /fastdetect'.Make the necessary changes and save the Boot.ini file.Make sure you create a backup of the file in case you mess it up.Now then you restart,the splash screen won't appear.It can be re-enabled by removing the new switch.

Info by Answer.com
chkdsk = A utility program in Windows that looks for lost clusters on the hard disk. It also reports the current amount of free memory and disk space. Originating with DOS, Chkdsk has remained as a command line utility in Windows.[pop-up]