Review Of Web

Lucky Number Se7en – Windows 7 Tips

lily — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 07:43:22 +0000

Microsoft has just released their latest installment of Windows operating systems. Windows 7, the latest version to carry the long legacy of this OS, is great. It is faster and more user friendly than Vista, and a lot of critiques predict that it will be the best yet. Still, there are some things you can do to improve the overall user experiences using Windows 7.

Adobe Reader Fix

The first thing you would notice about Windows 7 (and, in this case, Internet Explorer 8 ) is its slight incompatibility with Adobe Reader. Some PDFs just won’t open and an error message will pop up. Of course a fix will be out soon, but you can simply solve this problem by telling Adobe Reader not to display PDFs in the browser. Go to Edit > Preferences > Internet, and under the Web Browser Options box deselect the “Display PDF in Browser”. You will have no problem at all opening PDFs from IE8 now.

Windows 7 Control Panel

Control Panel Applets

By default, Windows 7 displays Control Panel items in categories. You can adjust it to complete view by clicking the “All Control Panel Items” button you find at the bottom of the category list. You will have easier access to options and features without having to figure out which category the control you are looking for falls into.

Aero Snap: Do You Really Need Them?

Yes, you need to figure out whether Aero Snap works for you. I personally think this feature is not helping me — I move windows around a lot and I often find my application window getting snapped — so I decided to disable it. If you think about disabling them as well, go to Control Panel > Ease of Access Center, choose Make the Mouse Easier to Use and tick the “Prevent Windows From Being Automatically Arranged When Moved To The Edge Of The Screen” check box before clicking OK.

User Access Control

Windows 7 UAC

Yes, a lot of you are complaining about the User Access Control pop-ups and choose to disable this feature. I find that selecting the option one step higher than completely disabling it (see the picture) is the best option, because your Windows 7 will still be protected but you will not be annoyed by constant pop-ups.

There are lots of things you can do to tweak and personalize your Windows 7, and we will discuss them further soon.

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Lucky Number Se7en – Windows 7 Tips

Don’t miss this Affiliate theme offer

ROW — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 07:35:10 +0000

We have reviewed affiliate theme in the past and we “ll still highly recommend it to anyone who want to start with the affiliate marketing business.

Unique Blog Designs, the creator of affiliate theme, is about to release an incredible new tool that will help you build your email list and further systemize your online marketing! It is called Squeeze Theme and it is coming out Tuesday, November 24th.

So what is the offer?

You get 50% OFF Squeeze Theme if you purchase Affiliate Theme between NOW and Tuesday, November 17th. So, you only have one week to take advantage of this promotion.

Just for those who are new to affiliate marketing, Affiliate Theme is an affiliate website building tool for WordPress. More than 2,000 people are using Affiliate Theme to quickly build and profit from affiliate websites. You can see what Affiliate Theme is capable by watching the short video here

Don’t miss out on this opportunity. In my experience, UBD guys rarely come out with promo offers like these.

Check out Affiliate theme now . Before buying, you can also test drive the affiliate theme.

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Don’t miss this Affiliate theme offer

How to delete all Google Bookmarks at the click of a button?

ROW — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 15:49:54 +0000

So you have accumulated hundreds (or even thousands?) of Google Toolbar bookmarks over the years and now want to delete them all. Well, Google provides a way but for some reason it is undocumented. A very intuitive option should be the Bookmarks menu option of the Google Toolbar but the delete all option is not available there.

Here is a step-by-step procedure of how you can delete all bookmarks from Google at a click of a button:

Go to Google Bookmarks
Scroll down. On the left hand side you will see Delete all link.

Now you know what to do. Enjoy.

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How to delete all Google Bookmarks at the click of a button?

Synchronize your machines, disk drives, hard disk enabled Ipods with Microsoft SynchToy

ROW — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 18:51:47 +0000

A recent post on DBT made me think about my own ‘disaster recovery plans’. I wanted to do this from a long time and had this running at the back of my mind but never took it seriously, partly because I couldn’t find any good synching utilities. Till today I take backup of computer storage in my Ipod Classic 80GB (at irregular intervals) manually and a monthly back up of my websites files and database in my machine.

Now that there was someone to remind me, I started my search on the Big G and came across this utility – Microsoft Synch Toy.
It can help you in saving a lot of time synching between different external hard disks and your machine’s hard disk drive. The external hard disk could also be a hard disk enabled Ipod classic. Earlier when I didn’t have such utility I would first delete the old backup folder from Ipod and then transfer the required folder from my machine. This used to consume a lot of time since my folder ranges around 35 GB.

Now with Microsoft Synch Toy, you need not to do the mundane deletion-transfer task. You just need to select the folders to be synched in the machine and disk drive. While synching the first time, it will consume some time but next time onwards it would happen in a jiffy (unless you make some big changes).
Before synching make sure to click on ‘Preview All’ button to check which files Synch toy has recognized for synching. In case you want to exclude a particular file you can simply uncheck it from preview window.

I sometimes wonder, is there any area of software world that Microsoft has left untouched?

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Synchronize your machines, disk drives, hard disk enabled Ipods with Microsoft SynchToy

10 Must have Firefox Add-ons for bloggers

ROW — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 14:24:31 +0000

Passionate bloggers are always seen to be keen to come up with quality content in each of their blog posts. They are known to research for information on the subject of their posts and present them in a format that can be easily understood by their readers. Many of the bloggers are also known to adopt search engine optimization techniques in order to drive internet traffic to their blogs.

Here we would like to present 10 very useful Firefox Addons to such hardworking and passionate bloggers like you:

Windows Live Writer: The live writer is a handy tool which allows bloggers to create blog posts and include multimedia content such as photos, video, maps etc in their blog posts. The add-on supports various blogging platforms such as WordPress, Blogger, Live Journal among others.
Read It Later: This add-on for Firefox allows bloggers to get back to a page which might be of interest to a blogger. This is particularly useful when one comes across interesting content while casually surfing the internet. This add-on allows users to come back to that page of interest and then pursue their interests regarding the same.
InstaBlog Submitter: Professional bloggers would know of the importance of spreading the word about the content on their blog. In accordance with the same, InstaBlog Submitter, is an add-on which allows bloggers to submit their content in just 3 simple steps- Select content by Highlight, Right Click, and Submit. A must have add-on for bloggers.
NoDoFollow: Professional bloggers are aware of the importance of blog commenting as part of Search Engine Optimization techniques. As the name suggests, the NoDoFollow add-on is useful to check a particular page for its nofollow and dofollow link status of by applying appropriate colors transformations.
Tinyurl Creator: The popularity of twitter has also increased the need for presenting long urls in a condensed format. The TinyUrl creator add-on allows bloggers to cut long urls on their posts into smaller and simpler links.
ScribeFire: Formatting the content of a blog post can become a very tricky business. The ScribeFire add-on provides a feature rich editor which integrates with the browser and allows bloggers to drag and drop formatted text and also upload images and take notes etc
Zemanta: This add-on inserts a box on the right hand sidebar of WordPress write panel and enables bloggers to paste images and links into related posts with a single click. The add-on also supports other blogging platforms such as LiveJournal and Blogger.
SearchStatus: This add-on allows bloggers and webmasters alike to keep track of details such as PageRank, Alexa Rank, NoFollow among many other details of web pages. The add-on once installed produces these details for website automatically.
AdSense Notifier: Many bloggers are known to be very keen to check their AdSense earnings ever so frequently and thereby end up spending a lot of time for the same which can be better utilized for their blogging purpose. The AdSense Notifier add-on displays AdSense earnings on a sidebar and thereby saving precious time.
WebMynd Search Assitant: Remembering the pages visited can become a big problem when surfing through a large number of pages related to a particular topic. WebMynd records the web pages that you visit so that the next time you Google Search for the same, it provides you the past sites you visited through the search term.

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10 Must have Firefox Add-ons for bloggers

Two sites to learn English language: Yappr & VerbaLearn

ROW — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 13:51:34 +0000

Knowledge of the English language is essential to extensively tap into various resources on the internet and books etc. For someone who isn’t very well versed with the English language, there are a large number of websites that help reach a comfortable position in the use of the language. Chief among them are Yappr and VerbaLearn. If you are a blogger, having English as a 2nd language, these sites can help you hone your skills.

Yappr.com focuses on providing an effective learning atmosphere online by using multimedia for their tutoring purposes. Tutorial videos available on Yappr are sorted into categories based on the most popular videos, highest rated videos etc. Subtitles are included in the videos to ensure that a person learning English understands the exact words being spoken in the video. Such a method of simultaneous listening and reading text, one can easily understand the context in which certain words have to be used.

Yappr also includes videos which have subtitles in Spanish, French and Korean etc. This provides for an inclusive approach towards learning English. A dedicated bulletin board where users can easily log in and chat with fellow learners and share information and also help each other is also provided. Watch the guided tour to learn more about Yappr.

Along the lines of Yappr, VerbaLearn.com too offers help to non native English speakers to learn the English language. The approach however is slightly different. While the former makes use of videos and subtitles, the latter takes an exercise based approach where there are a large number of interesting features such as games, quizzes etc that make learning a new language a lot more fun.

VerbaLearn offers a personalized StudyList wherein people learning English can streamline their efforts by making a record of their shortcomings. The mistakes made while attempting any of the exercises are automatically added to the StudyList and thus the person learning the language can focus a lot more on the mistakes made rather than having to track back manually to analyze the same.

VerbaLearn also offers an option to save the StudyList in an MP3 format. This way, one can easily keep track and pay a lot more attention to the mistakes made. Since all the items on the StudyList are automatically synchronized, one can even view the words on their homepage for a quick revision. Such a facility also helps people in their efforts to crack tests such as SAT or GRE. Check this demo video from VerbaLearn.

Yappr , VerbaLearn

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Two sites to learn English language: Yappr & VerbaLearn

Manage your passwords with RoboForm – Enhance your productivity

ROW — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 13:33:03 +0000

It is ever so common for users to forget their password of any of their important accounts and thereby suffer the tedious process of having to recover them. Roboform, small yet powerful software, aims to make such woes a thing of the past.

As evident, RoboForm is a password management system which allows you to sign in to your online bank account or email or any other password protected services with ease.

Roboform is available in two flavors: the free basic version and the paid Pro version. Both these versions allow you to log in to any of your accounts automatically by remembering your password for that particular website. Also, with a single click, you can fill forms such as registration forms on web forums etc. All the passwords recorded in the software are stored in an encrypted form and therefore the users do not need to be concerned about the security and integrity of passwords.

Roboform saves the password information related to a particular site in a passcard. Whenever a user clicks on the link to that site, he can get logged in automatically. Users can also categorize the created passwords into specific categories and place them into their separate folders.

The free version of Roboform allows users to create only 10 such passcards and are thereby encouraged to upgrade to Pro version by paying $29.99 which allows users to create unlimited passcards and thereby allowing users to manage passwords more effectively.

Premium (Pro) users can also create multiple user profiles which can be very useful if a particular computer is used by more than one individual and with multiple profiles, password information of one user can be protected from being shared with the other.

My Experience:

I have been using Roboform Pro for more than a year now and can’t tell you how many hours I have gained by using this cool product. If you are a blogger who has to manage lots of advertising networks or an affiliate who has to manage affiliate networks, this is an ideal tool for you and for $29.99 it’s a bargain. You can now do away with the need for remembering passwords or putting them in some chit under your desk or opening a file every time you need a password. Do this investment, I am sure you won’t regret.

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Manage your passwords with RoboForm – Enhance your productivity

Secure your electronic gadgets with ClipHanger

ROW — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 13:31:11 +0000

We have often been culprits of handling our electronic devices without the necessary amount of care. Some of us despite being careful end up dropping or manage to land a scratch or two on our favorite device. It is to save our devices from such undesired events a product called Cliphanger is widely in use.

Cliphanger offers a line of products which allow electronic devices such as cell phones, Handhelds, PDA’s etc to be held securely by attaching these to other objects. Cliphanger binds itself with the electronic device by means of an industrial adhesive affixed to the device or by a screw and nut procedure. Even though, it may seem to be cumbersome, it is absolutely easy to use. The device can be easily detached from Cliphanger with the slightest of efforts.

Cliphanger also be used to hang the device on a peg or a hook. Since the free end of the product is rather flexible, it can be used to attach onto straps or loops also. Thus in effect, Cliphanger is a simple unit which manages to stay with the device for convenience without any bulk.

Since the launch of Cliphanger, the popularity of the product has increased tremendously, so much so that other companies have gone to the extent copying the features of Cliphanger and are selling them under their respective brand names. Needless to say, the quality of the product offered by the original designer and manufacturer far exceeds those of the copied versions available. Apart from these features, the customers of Cliphanger also get dedicated customer service with products tailored to their needs.

In an attempt to reduce the chances of local dealers cheating customers by pushing forward the cheaper, lower quality fake versions of the product, Cliphanger is currently available in only select retail outlets. Customers are also encouraged to order the product via the Cliphanger website or place their orders by calling on the numbers specified on the website.

PS: Use the coupon code PARADE during check-out to get 15% discount.

Go to ClipHanger

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Secure your electronic gadgets with ClipHanger

Finally a free e-Learning authoring system LCDS… from Microsoft

ROW — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 15:23:44 +0000

Learning Content Development System (LCDS) is an e-learning tool from Microsoft Corporation which provides users with a form based environment to create high quality, interactive, online courses. With the LCDS people can create content such as interactive content, quizzes, games etc. LCDS is a free to use product for the Microsoft Learning Community which comprises of Microsoft Certified Trainers(MCTs), Microsoft Certified Partners for Learning Solutions(CPLS), Microsoft Certified Professionals(MCPs) etc.

LCDS allows users to create courses for e-learning by making use of an instructional design model which has been used extensively in developing e-courses by Microsoft. The product includes a preview feature built within it. Such a feature is exclusive to Microsoft LCDS and it can be used by an instructor to experience the course content from the learner’s perspective. This feature also makes it possible for instructors to incorporate changes, such as a change in the course structure or a change in the content of the course, at any point and time.

LCDS provides a template format for easy usage of the system which implies that the instructor need not go through complex steps for designing the course. He can just refer to any of the existing templates and make use of one which suits his needs.

LCDS also provides users with a SCORM tracking system which can be used to keep track of the progress made by the learner or to track assignment performances. The SCORM system can also be used for creating mock tests with multiple choice questions or essay type questions depending on the course and the model of instruction as designed by the instructor. Once the tests are attended to, the instructor can then use the tool to evaluate the performance and share the results of the same in real time.

Another objective of the LCDS is to showcase the prowess of the Microsoft Silverlight technology which can be used to create interactive content for games, animations, simulations etc by making use of simple form filling method.

One major advantage of the LCDS is that the tool is supported by a large online community. Therefore, a user can simply log into one of the online support forums to obtain solutions for his problems.

Some useful links:

Additional recommended reading

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Finally a free e-Learning authoring system LCDS… from Microsoft

Review: RegistryEasy registry cleaner

ROW — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 15:28:28 +0000

Registry Cleaner is a program which is designed with the intention to remove redundant and unwanted entries on the registry of the Windows Operating System. The registry of the windows operating system on its part contains information regarding various programs installed and settings configured on the computer. It acts like a one stop information source for the operating system to know more about the installed programs.

Sometimes though, it so happens that when a user removes a certain program from the computer, the uninstall program which is executed for the purpose does not completely remove all the entries about its existence in the computer system. Some of the details may be left over at the host system, either intentionally or un-intentionally.

The Registry cleaning software removes excessive and unnecessary information from the system’s registry and thereby improves the performance of the system. Registry cleaning software scans the registry and finds the invalid references and broken links within the registry. Once analyzed, the faulty entries in the registry are removed thereby reducing the burden on the operating system. Though there are arguments about the effectiveness of these programs, it is important to note that they do significantly un-clutter the registry and improve the system performance ever so slightly at the very least. For me, it has always resulted in increase of my systems performance whenever I have used it.

Registry Easy is one such registry cleaning software program which can be used to clean up the registry on a system running Microsoft Windows Operating system. The program uses its own algorithm which quickly detects invalid registry entries on the host computer and works towards repairing the same by automatically removing them.

The software is considered to be a significant improvement over other similar programs as a result of its abilities to automatically detect a large number of erroneous instances such as Windows Installer errors, Activex Errors, Errors in the start-up programs etc.

The software improves the performance of the system by removing the duplicate entries in the registry and also optimizes the system by indentifying and removing invalid class keys, DLL errors among many others.

Registry Easy offers a completely free online scanning option and can also be downloaded from its website on a free trial basis. Check it out.

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Review: RegistryEasy registry cleaner