S.Narayanan

AN ORANGE.. A DAY ..

2013-12-02T07:01:00.002+05:30

-- A Repost from a Blog

An orange a day will...

+ Strengthen your immune system. The high content of vitamin C in an orange stimulates the production of white cells in our body, thus improving the immune system. This is why Gerson Therapy patients drink OJ every day.

+ Prevent cancer. Not only does the high vitamin C content in oranges act as an antioxidant, but oranges and other citrus fruits contain a compound called D-limonene which has been found to be effective in preventing cancers such as, skin, breast, lung, mouth and colon. Being low in sodium and high in potassium is also a cancer-preventing asset of oranges.

+ Lower cholesterol. One of the most important flavonoids in oranges is hesperidin. Hesperidin and the pectin in oranges have been shown to lower LDL cholesterol – although it’s best to consume the inner peel of the orange to obtain the highest concentration of hesperidin.

+ Lower inflammation. The oranges anti-inflammatory properties enable it to provide relief from conditions like arthritis and stiffness of muscles and joints.

+ Promote glowing skin. The antioxidants in orange help protect the skin from free radical damage known to cause signs of aging.

+ Power up the brain. Oranges are a good source of folate or folic acid which helps in the proper development of brain. Folate is also an essential nutrient for healthy sperm and protects sperm from genetic damage that may cause birth defects.

+ Relieve constipation. Oranges are full of dietary fibre, which stimulates digestive juices and relieves constipation.

+ Alkalize the body. Although oranges are acidic before you digest them (just like lemons), they contain alkaline minerals that help to tip the acid/alkaline balance in the body in the right direction after they’re digested.

I don’t recommend drinking any more than one glass of orange juice each day. Too much will spike insulin levels. Eating the fruit whole will slow down the release of sugar, but still don’t go crazy consuming tonnes of them daily. I always aim to treat fruit like a treat.

Check out this cool infographic from Citrus Australia’s Go Orange campaign:

Recipes for Project Success free ebook

2013-05-29T00:15:00.000+05:30

A book with Cooking Recipies with Business Perspective

Free Download - Click Here

7 Ancient Keys to Happiness: A 90 Day, Lesson-a-Day Guide to Achieving Inner-Bliss.

2013-05-25T23:04:00.000+05:30

Inside the heart of every person is a desire to reach that ultimate state of inner-happiness. In a quest to achieve the euphoric state of happiness, the 7 Ancient Keys to Happiness have been uncovered. These ancient keys have been used for thousands of years by all different people around the world. For the first time, '7 Ancient Keys to Happiness' has collated all 7 of these keys into one succinct, practical, do-it-yourself guide to happiness.

Free Download - Click Here

Wish U all a very Happy Harvesting & Pongal festival !

2013-01-14T07:27:00.004+05:30

50 Popular Beliefs That People Think Are True

2012-12-23T07:27:00.003+05:30

Maybe you know someone who swears by the reliability of psychics or who is in regular contact with angels. Or perhaps you're trying to find a nice way of dissuading someone from wasting money on a homeopathy cure. Or you met someone at a party who insisted the Holocaust never happened or that no one ever walked on the moon.

How do you find a gently persuasive way of steering people away from unfounded beliefs, bogus cures, conspiracy theories, and the like? Longtime skeptic Guy P. Harrison shows you how in this down-to-earth, entertaining exploration of commonly held extraordinary claims.

Stressing the excitement of scientific discovery and the legitimate mysteries and wonder inherent in reality, Harrison invites readers to share the joys of rational thinking and the skeptical approach to evaluating our extraordinary world.

Free Download -- Click Here

Now You're Thinking!: Change Your Thinking...Transform Your Life

2012-11-20T07:47:00.003+05:30

Want to improve? Want to change? Start inside your own head: You are what you think! Now You’re Thinking will help you build your great life by teaching you breakthrough techniques for thinking far more effectively. Whether you’re considering refinancing your house or trying to become a better parent, some thinking processes are simply proven to work better. Learn them here right now. Discover how to assess your own thinking style, build on your strengths, fix your weaknesses, navigate tough challenges and moral dilemmas… gain new perspective… think your way to balance and security… survive the career game of “ladders and slides”… master strategic thinking, in business, and in life!

Free Download - Click Here ( select Low speed download in the link)

101 More Life Skills Games for Children: Learning, Growing, Getting Along (Ages 9-15) free ebook download

2012-11-04T09:35:00.002+05:30

As children approach adolescence, their social and emotional needs change, and 101 More Life Skills Games for Children contains activities appropriate for these more challenging years that cover movement, concentration, relaxation, combat, cooperation, integration, and more. Written in an accessible style and featuring black-and-white illustrations, this book is organized into three chapters: I-Games, You-Games, and We-Games, and helps preteens and teens address important issues such as the importance of patience, self-confidence, love, and respect in a fun and relaxing way.

Free Download -- Click Here

Be Yourself, Everyone Else is Already Taken: Transform Your Life with the Power of Authenticity

2012-10-23T00:33:00.001+05:30

Be Yourself, Everyone Else is Already Taken

"Mike's book is a wonderful expression of authenticity in action—clear, honest, instructive, and a passionate call to be your true Divine Self."

—Cheryl Richardson, New York Times best-selling author, Take Time for Your Life

Free Download - Click Here

How Does a Touch Screen Phone Work?

2012-09-30T09:21:00.001+05:30

From Mycricket.com

Ever wonder why some touch screen phones cost more than others? Or why you can't seem to get the touch screen on your smartphone to work if you're wearing a glove? Most people don't know that there are three different types of touch screen technologies available: resistive, capacitive, and infrared. Learn about the different benefits and capabilities to make sure you get the touch screen phone you're looking for.

Games for the Brain

2012-09-30T09:15:00.005+05:30

Are you looking for a great collection of fun games to play at work or home?

Then the ‘Games for the Brain’ website is definitely worth bookmarking in your favorite browser! This terrific collection of brain teasers is the perfect way to relax, have fun, and each one only take a few minutes to complete (if you are pressed for time).

Link -- Games for the Brain Game Homepage

Seven Steps To A Successfull Business Plan

2012-09-23T08:26:00.001+05:30

Free Download -Click Here

8 Minute Meditation: Quiet Your Mind. Change Your Life

2012-09-15T20:28:00.002+05:30

In recent years, mainstream Americans have begun to come around to meditation in a big way-and scientific studies are suggesting that the physical and mental benefits are solid and real. But to many, it remains something mystical and inaccessible...and spiritually-oriented tomes on the market don't do much to make it easier.

As interest in meditation continues to grow, this book offers a simple, no-nonsense program to help beginners experience reduced stress and increased focus in only eight minutes a day. Designed by meditation expert and bestselling author Victor Davich, this program teaches the basic principles of meditation while clearing up the misconceptions and myths that too often get in the way.

Free Download - Link

30 best features of Windows 8

2012-08-29T23:02:00.000+05:30

After using Windows 8 in my VM Infrastructure, I would like to share the features of it .

Below article is from PCPRO site. Have a glance on it.

30 best features of Windows 8

We reveal the pick of the hundreds of new features in the Windows 8 Consumer Preview, and a guide to the controversial new Metro UI

1. Interactive tiles

The Metro start screen may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it does have undeniable benefits, chief of which is the interactive tiles.

The Metro start screen may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it does have undeniable benefits

Unlike certain other mobile operating systems – yes, we’re looking at you iOS – the icons in Metro do more than just open the app. They also turn the Start screen into a dashboard teeming with live data.

The interactive tile for the Mail application provides snippets from unread messages in your inbox, the Music tile shows which track is currently playing, and the Calendar app displays forthcoming appointments in your diary.

It’s great for getting an overview of what’s going on when you fire up your PC or tablet first thing in the morning.

There are limitations, however. It’s possible, for example, to create a Metro tile for old-school Windows applications such as Outlook 2010, but the tile won’t be interactive.

Presumably, the forthcoming Metro versions of Office will solve this particular issue, but it isn’t clear whether old, non-Metro applications will ever receive interactive tiles.

There’s also (so far, at least) little scope for users to tailor the data that appears in the interactive tiles; instead, this is determined by the app developers.

2. Task Manager

Nobody really wants to spend any time in Task Manager, but should you be forced to manually terminate a program or a task, the new-look utility makes it much easier to find the guilty, resource-hogging culprits.

Entries in the Task Manager are now heat-mapped, so it’s simple to see at a glance which application is chomping through CPU cycles or memory.

There’s also a column of attractive new graphs under the Performance tab, allowing you to see at a glance if the CPU, memory or network connection (either Ethernet or Wi-Fi) is taking an unexpected hit.

The App History tab, meanwhile, allows you to keep an eye on Metro Style apps. Especially handy is the data counter, which shows how many megabytes of data individual apps have swallowed. It’s a shame traditional desktop apps are excluded from this view.

Finally, Task Manager now also plays home to the Startup settings, allowing you to determine which programs are allowed to run automatically on boot, without having to dive into msconfig. The revamped tool also reveals what impact that each app has on startup times; Adobe Reader is, for example, a “high-impact” application.

3. Run ISOs and VHDs natively

Windows 8 throws a meaty bone to power users – namely, the ability to run ISO and virtual hard disk (VHD) images natively. It’s possible, for example, to download the ISO of a Linux distribution or another piece of software to the desktop, double-click to “mount” the file, and run the setup executable without having to physically burn the ISO to disc.

Not only will this save you having to pop to PC World for a fresh supply of blank DVDs, but it also provides the performance of running from a local hard disk/SSD, rather than an optical drive.

ISOs appear as virtual DVD drives, while VHDs are mounted in the same way as a physical hard disk in the new-look Windows Explorer.

4. No new hardware requirements

As with Windows 7, Microsoft isn’t raising the hardware requirements for the latest version. That means – in theory, at least – that any PC capable of running Windows Vista should be able to handle Windows 8.

Certainly, we’ve had no problems running Windows 8 on relatively ancient pieces of kit knocking around the PC Pro office. A touchscreen laptop running an AMD Turion X2 processor with 4GB of RAM coped perfectly with the new OS, as did a Core 2 Duo laptop with a mere 2GB of RAM onboard. Even a touchscreen Dell laptop with a lowly 1.66GHz Atom processor and 2GB of RAM passed with flying colours.

In short, if you’ve bought a PC any time in the past three or four years, it should cope fine with Windows 8.

5. Airplane mode

With Windows 8, there’s no more scrambling around for Wi-Fi or Bluetooth switches.

A new option in the Settings menu enables a tablet or laptop to be put into Airplane mode, just like a smartphone, so there’s no danger that you’ll send your easyJet flight catapulting into the South Terminal at Gatwick. Not that there was much chance of that happening in the first place.

6. SkyDrive integration

Until now, Microsoft’s SkyDrive has lacked a purpose in life. Beaten on features and flexibility by Dropbox and others, its chief benefit was 25GB of free online storage – but that was hard to take advantage of due to stringent file-size limits.

The integration of SkyDrive in Windows 8 could be the making of the service. The Consumer Preview includes a SkyDrive Metro Style app that provides access to any documents, photos and music you’ve uploaded.

It isn’t flawless at this stage; click on a document in the SkyDrive app, for instance, and you’re booted into the desktop version of Internet Explorer and asked to enter your login details again. The arrival of Metro versions of Office apps will hopefully smooth out that particular wrinkle.

Elsewhere, however, the SkyDrive integration works well, allowing documents, videos and photos to be saved through the Share facility (accessed from the Charms on the right-hand side of the screen). When emailing a photo from the Pictures app, the Mail app offers to upload it to SkyDrive instead of attaching it to the email.

What’s more, any Metro Style app that has an Open or Save dialog can access SkyDrive without the app developer having to add a single line of code.

The once crippling file-size limit of 100MB has also been upgraded to a far more generous 2GB. And SkyDrive will appear as a virtual disk in Windows Explorer; you’ll see it in the left-hand navigation bar next to local drives, although this has yet to be enabled in the Consumer Preview.

7. Windows Store

The Windows Store, while sparsely populated for the Consumer Preview, shows tremendous promise. Microsoft has borrowed the best features from other app stores and added a couple of unique features of its own.

The most interesting development is the option to try apps for a limited period, allowing developers to give Windows 8 users a free sample, without having to create a second, feature-stripped free or “lite” version.

As with Android and iOS, applications are sold on a per-customer rather than a per-PC basis, so once purchased, apps will be usable on multiple devices.

The Windows Store is cleanly presented, with the apps sensibly listed by category, but you have to use the Charms to search the Store.

8. Interactive lock screen

The Windows lock screen is no longer a glorified password prompt. The attractive, customisable lock display now includes snippets of information, such as how many unread email messages are waiting in the Metro Mail app inbox, or the charge state of a laptop’s battery.

To unlock a Windows 8 PC, simply swipe upwards on a tablet device, or press the spacebar on a laptop or desktop.

9. Split-screen apps

While other mobile OSes boast of multitasking, Windows 8 executes this in a meaningful way. Metro Style apps can be run split-screen, with most of the display devoted to one app and a thin slice down either side to another.

This means, for example, the Music player can be left running on the side – complete with playback controls – with the rest of the display devoted to work.

There’s only a certain type of app that will squeeze comfortably into that secondary slot, however, and on smaller screens it may simply be easier to flick from one full-screen app to the next, but the split-screen arrangement at least means users of large desktop monitors aren’t wasting all those pixels on a solitary Metro Style app.

Traditional Windows desktop apps can be managed in the same way as before. In fact, it’s possible to treat the Windows desktop as a Metro app filling most of the screen, with a thin Metro Style app running alongside.

10. Split touch keyboard

Nobody could accuse Microsoft of failing to put enough thought into its soft keyboard for touchscreen users. There are two types on offer: a keyboard that spans the full width of the screen, and a split keyboard that makes it easier to thumb-type on larger tablet screens.

Usefully, the split keyboard can be zoomed to different sizes, and it cleverly places the number keys between the two banks of letters, leaving them easily accessible – but not in the way.

In addition to the two soft keyboard options, Windows 8 also offers handwriting recognition, allowing stylus users to write in web forms or the browser bar, or jot notes. As our Real World Computing contributing editor Simon Jones noted in a recent column, the handwriting recognition is excellent, which is a boon for professional tablet users in the field.

It isn’t clear whether Microsoft will impose its own keyboard on users or allow third-party alternatives.

11. App contracts

Microsoft has published a set of APIs common to all Metro apps that allow them to freely exchange data. It’s possible, for example, to give a Twitter client access to the Photos app, massively simplifying the process of photo sharing.

Just open the Share charm on the right-hand side of the Photos app screen and select the relevant Twitter client. Likewise, you could select a handful of photos and open them in a Metro photo-editing app.

The number of apps taking advantage of this so-called “Sharing Contract” in the Consumer Preview is limited, but you can see how it works by selecting a handful of pictures in the Photos app, clicking Share and choosing Email. The snaps will be automatically attached to an email message.

Users are given control over which apps are allowed to access certain types of data.

12. Fewer surprise restarts

Desks across the country have fist-sized holes in them, caused solely by Windows’ habit of restarting to implement a security update, often losing unsaved work in the process. Windows 8 doesn’t promise to abandon forced restarts, but it’s much more considerate about them.

Desks across the country have fist-sized holes in them, caused solely by Windows’ habit of restarting to implement a security update

First, Microsoft promises only to restart for the security patches that arrive on Patch Tuesday once a month – unless a “critical security update to fix a worm-like vulnerability” crops up, in which case Microsoft will push out an update that will restart machines.

Second, it will ease off on the nagging: there will be no more pop-ups interrupting presentations or DVD playback. Microsoft will instead place a prominent warning about necessary restarts on the revamped lock screen.

Furthermore, it will give three days’ notice of any restart, as opposed to the 20-minute default countdown that Windows 7 offers; the latter is often missed entirely by people who pop out for lunch and return to find their PC has restarted.

As well as the three-day deadline, Microsoft says Windows 8 won’t restart if there are applications running in the background or if there’s unsaved work open.

Only once work has been saved will Windows force an update to install. How Microsoft defines “unsaved work” is, however, unclear: would data in a web form or CMS that hasn’t been submitted count as unsaved work?

13. Cross-device synchronisation

The Windows 8 installation screen practically forces users to set up a Windows Live account. This not only becomes the PC’s primary login, but it also gives access to the Windows Store and allows settings to be synchronised across different Windows 8 devices.

The lock screen, Windows desktop wallpaper and Metro theme are all synchronised by default, providing visual consistency across all of your PCs, laptops and tablets. Internet Explorer history and bookmarks are also shared, as well as other Windows settings.

Infographic

How to use Windows 8

The Sync menu also allows the synchronisation of “certain settings in your apps”, although frustratingly, it doesn’t reveal any further details. On our test PCs, we saw our social network setting synchronised in the People app, but not much else.

Indeed, it could be argued that Windows 8’s synchronisation doesn’t go far enough. It would be nice if Microsoft at least offered to synchronise the Metro desktop and any installed apps, provided that both devices had sufficient storage space. Fingers crossed it will be sorted by final release time.

The Windows Store does at least contain a list of apps you’ve previously purchased, making it easier to re-download them onto a new device.

14. Improved 3G support

Windows 8 offers native support for 3G and 4G (the latter of which won’t be of use until we get the next-gen networks found in the US). Given that most high-end tablets have 3G slots in the back, Microsoft could do little else. However, this isn’t the only concession that it’s making to mobile broadband users.

There’s built-in metering to make sure consumers and business users don’t stray beyond their data cap. Hefty device drivers won’t download by default while running on mobile broadband, and the new Task Manager also reveals which apps are hogging your data connection, allowing the most greedy to be summarily despatched.

Windows 8 will also automatically switch to Wi-Fi when in range of a known access point to prevent users incurring unnecessary bills.

15. Built-in antivirus

Microsoft seems reluctant to shout about it – perhaps through fear of attracting unwanted anti-trust attention – but Windows 8 is the first version of Windows to include built-in antivirus protection. And not before time.

Microsoft Security Essentials (MSE), the optional free antivirus package for older versions of Windows, now appears under the Windows Defender umbrella in the Windows 8 Consumer Preview.

As with the Windows 7 version of MSE, it’s light on features, but as an unobtrusive minder to keep an eye out for anything untoward, it should suffice. Microsoft is also vetting Metro Style apps before they appear in the Store, adding another layer of protection.

Those measures, together with Windows 8’s built-in firewall, could convince many people not to bother with extra, paid-for security suites. Whether it will eventually prove a bonus for malware writers – who may only have to worry about worming past Microsoft’s security software instead of an entire field of third-party security suites – remains to be seen.

16. Picture passwords

Tapping in passwords on a tablet, even using Microsoft’s excellent soft keyboard, is hardly ideal. Picture passwords are an inventive alternative.

Select a photo from your library, make three gestures with your finger on the chosen photo – tapping each of your children in alphabetical order, for example, or swiping across three letters in a picture of fridge magnets – and that becomes your Windows login. Picture passwords can be used with both touchscreens and mouse controls.

Should you forget your Picture password, you can switch back to the more conventional methods of logging in with your Windows Live ID or with a simple text password.

17. Instant search

Without doubt, the single biggest criticism of Windows 8 from laptop and desktop PC users is the absence of the Start button on the traditional Windows desktop. That this is a culture shock is beyond dispute, but after a little acclimatisation, the reimagined Windows search compensates for the Start button’s absence – at least in part.

Clicking the mouse in the bottom-left corner of the screen (where the Start button used to be located) or pressing the Windows key returns you to the Metro start screen.

Instead of scrolling through dozens of tiles looking for an app, just start typing its name. In the blink of an eye, the search returns a list of possible matches. It could barely be easier, and adjusting to this new way of doing things isn’t too painful.

Windows 8 Search has much more to offer than that, though. Aside from searching for apps, settings and files stored on your PC can also be tracked down in the same way. It’s also possible to search within individual Metro Style apps, making it a doddle to find songs by a particular artist in the Music app or beef recipes using the Bewise Cookbook app, for example.

18. Windows To Go

Another one in the eye for those who claim that Windows 8 has little to offer businesses is Windows To Go. This allows companies to provide employees with a locked-down installation of Windows 8 on a USB thumb drive.

This means that the IT department could give remote workers an OS image with all the corporate applications preinstalled, which employees could then run on their own hardware. Alternatively, it could be a secure way to give temporary staff, contractors or even schoolchildren access to the company/school network, as Windows To Go doesn’t receive access to storage on the host PC.

The USB disk can be encrypted with BitLocker, ensuring that the data is safe if the drive is lost or stolen. Plus, it can be disconnected from the host PC for up to a minute without causing the system to crash. If the drive isn’t reinserted, the system simply shuts down, leaving no trace of its existence on the host PC.

Windows To Go isn’t built into the Consumer Preview, but there are various methods published online for creating your own drive.

19. Secure Boot

Secure Boot is one of the more controversial new features in Windows 8. This anti-malware measure will prevent any software not signed by a trusted certificate authority from starting before Windows 8 is up and running. It’s designed to head off rootkits and other forms of malware that attempt to hijack the boot process.

Unfortunately, it could also intercept other operating systems such as Linux distributions, which has caused uproar in the open source world.

Our own Jon Honeyball has argued that it “isn’t reasonable for the majority of PC users to have to put up with unsecured booting, simply because an alternative OS vendor can’t be bothered to go down the same route”. Linux vendors and computing experts have argued that PCs are unlikely to ship with any secure keys other than Windows’ own, giving Microsoft an effective monopoly on the hardware.

“The extension of Microsoft’s OS monopoly to hardware would be a disaster, with increased lock-in, decreased consumer choice and lack of space to innovate,” argued renowned security researcher Professor Ross Anderson in his Light Blue Touchpaper blog. “It is clearly unlawful and must not succeed.”

20. Revamped Explorer

Although, on the surface, the traditional Windows desktop is very similar to that of Windows 7, changes have been made underneath. The Windows Explorer is now graced with the ribbon interface that first arrived with Office 2007 and has slowly made its way across almost all of Microsoft’s applications.

Although it’s unlikely to improve matters for anyone familiar with Windows’ keyboard shortcuts, the ribbon sports sizeable buttons for common tasks, such as Copy, Paste and Rename. Microsoft claims that it’s relied on years of Windows telemetry to determine which functions deserve greater emphasis.

The Explorer ribbon also hides tabs until they’re relevant. Click on a JPEG in an Explorer menu and the Picture Tools tab appears, for example, allowing a photo to be set as the desktop background or rotated.

Look to the left of the file-path bar and you’ll also notice a significant returnee: the up-level button finally returns to Explorer.

21. Restore PC

We all have those relatives that install every toolbar, utility and Facebook app they can point a mouse at, and then wonder why their PC is slower than the thought process of a nightclub bouncer.

Microsoft is looking to ease some of the pain of a full reinstall with a new feature called Restore PC.

This leaves all files, settings and Metro Style apps downloaded from the Microsoft Store intact, and clears out the rest. Yes, this does mean regular Windows software will need to be reinstalled, but it’s less painful than starting from a completely clean installation.

The process worked fine in our tests, when we downloaded resource hogs such as the Yahoo Toolbar and Apple QuickTime, which were quickly expunged from our test PC. Windows leaves a file on the traditional desktop, listing what has been removed.

22. Thumbnail previews

One of the new tweaks in the Consumer Preview provides a peek at open applications. Push the mouse into the top-left corner, then pull it down: a column of thumbnails appears – Android style – allowing you to click on the app of your choice.

Alternatively, clicking in the top-left corner cycles through open apps one by one. Touchscreen users can flick a finger from the left-hand edge to scroll through.

23. Metro groups

Install a few apps from the Metro store onto the Start screen and things quickly start to look disorganised. In fact, trying to keep your tiles neatly organised in Metro is a bit like a game of Tetris, attempting to tessellate different-sized blocks into a gapless wall.

However, it’s possible to arrange your Metro Style apps in customisable groups – Games, Work, Music and so on – simply by dragging and dropping them into position.

After that, click on the little magnifying glass in the bottom-right corner (or pinch to zoom out on a touchscreen) and Windows zooms out to provide a helicopter view of the entire Metro desktop. A right-click on any group of apps brings up the option to give it a name.

If you want to make a tile smaller or larger, right-click on it and choose the appropriate option from the menu that appears in the light green bar at the foot of the screen.

24. Kinect for Windows

Forgive us for a little crystal-ball gazing, as we’ve yet to see a Windows 8 system running with Microsoft’s gesture-based controller, but the potential marriage of Kinect and the Metro interface is too significant to ignore.

The Metro interface was patently designed for touch controls, and few people will want to sit prodding at a large, vertical touchscreen on their desktops.

However, if it were possible to scroll through the Metro start screen with a casual wave of the hand, rotate a photo with a flick of the wrist, or skip to the next track with the brush of a finger – well, suddenly Windows 8 becomes a much more compelling proposition on the desktop.

Microsoft has already released a Kinect SDK for Windows, and adapted the hardware to make it possible to use gesture control much closer to the screen than before. It’s surely only a matter of time before Kinect cameras are embedded in laptops and desktop monitors – perhaps even as soon as the launch of Windows 8. Watch out for next month’s feature on Kinect for Windows.

25. AppLocker

Although not strictly a new Windows 8 feature – it was first introduced with Windows Server 2008 R2 – AppLocker gives businesses another reason to stick with Windows tablets rather than the alternatives.

The Group Policy feature allows IT departments to stipulate which software users install on their machines by product name, publisher or even file name.

The IT team can then apply the policy to individual users, specific departments or across the entire company.

26. Reset PC

Unlike the gentler Restore PC, Reset PC provides an automated way to completely wipe a Windows 8 installation and start from scratch – handy, if you’re planning to sell on a PC with the operating system intact.

There are two types of Restore available: a “thorough” clean that removes all applications and data, and makes them unrecoverable by writing over the deleted files several times. There’s also the “quick” clean that simply formats the drive and reinstalls the OS, which is the option to choose if you’re merely wiping your own PC.

Find out more

How to try the Windows 8 Consumer Preview

Note that at the end of the Reset process, the Windows product key needs to be entered again (yes, even on the free Consumer Preview), so make sure you have this to hand before taking the plunge.

27. File copy revamp

It isn’t going to have people queuing up outside Dixons on Windows 8 launch day, but the new file-copy instruction is a small fillip for those of us who frequently shunt large files from drive to drive.

Click on “More details” in the dialog box, and a little graph appears displaying variations in transfer speed and the average speed in megabytes per second, which is pleasingly geeky.

Even the estimated transfer time seems vaguely in touch with reality. Should any file transfer start to bog down the system, it can now be paused and resumed when the PC is under less stress. Sometimes it’s the little things…

28. Faster boot times

Microsoft claims to have made Windows 8 boot times up to 70% faster than those of Windows 7 by making some subtle changes to the way the PC shuts down and resumes.

When a PC is switched off in Windows 7, the operating system closes down both user and kernel sessions. In Windows 8, the user session is closed as before but the kernel session is hibernated.

“We’re effectively saving the system state and memory contents to a file on disk (HIBERFIL.SYS), and then reading that back in on resume and restoring contents back to memory,” wrote Microsoft’s director of program management, Gabe Aul, in a post on the Windows 8 blog. “Using this technique with boot gives us a significant advantage for boot times, since reading the hiberfile in and reinitialising drivers is much faster on most systems.”

What’s more, Windows 8 now takes advantage of all the available processor cores when reading back that hibernation file and decompressing its contents, accelerating boot times on today’s multicore systems. This also improves resumption times from Hibernation mode.

29. Native USB 3 support

Microsoft promises that Windows 8 will provide native support for every USB 3 drive and device on the market, while retaining compatibility with the older USB 2 and 1 devices.

However, there’s been no word as yet on native support for the looming alternative Thunderbolt technology, which Apple has been building into new Macs since the middle of 2011. One to watch for potentially.

30. Panoramic background images

File this one under the heading of “interesting novelty”: Windows 8 allows one panoramic background image to be stretched across two screens.

--- Thanks PCPRO

12 Tasks That Killer Employees Always Finish Before Noon

2012-08-16T08:01:00.000+05:30

A recent study published in an American Psychological Association journal, Emotion, suggests that early birds are generally happier than night owls.

More than 700 respondents, ranging from ages 17 to 79, were surveyed and asked about their emotional state, health, and preferred time of day.

Self-professed "morning people" reported feeling happier and healthier than night owls. Researchers hypothesize that one of the reasons could be because society caters to a morning person's schedule.

It's certainly true that the working world does. Working "9-to-5" is more than an expression, but a standard shift for many Americans. It also stands to reason that those who like rising with the sun are also the most productive employees in the office.

Do you want to be more like them? Then take note of the tasks these high-functioning, productive, and more awake employees have completed before lunch:

1. They make a work to-do list the day before. Many swear by having a written to-do list, but not everyone agrees on when you need to compose it. According to Andrew Jensen, a business efficiency consultant with Sozo Firm in Shrewsbury, Pa., the opportune time to plan a day's tasks is the night before. "Some people like to do the to-do schedule in the morning, but then they might have already lost office time writing it out," he says. "It helps to do that to-do schedule the night before. It also will help you sleep better.

2. They get a full night's rest. Speaking of sleeping better ... lack of sleep affects your concentration level, and therefore, your productivity. Whatever your gold standard is for a "good night's rest," strive to meet it every work night. Most health experts advise getting a minimum eight hours of shut-eye each night.

3. They avoid hitting snooze. Petitioning for nine more minutes, then nine more, then another nine is a slippery slope that leads to falling back asleep and falling behind on your morning prep. Ultimately it also leads to lateness. "Anyone can be made into a morning person," Jensen says. "Anyone can make morning their most productive time. It could be that for the entire week, you set your alarm clock a little bit earlier, and you get out of bed on the first alarm. It may be a pain at first, but eventually you'll get to the point where you're getting your seven to eight hours of sleep at night, you're waking up with all your energy, and accomplishing the things around the house you need to before going to the office."

4. They exercise. Schedule your Pilates class for the a.m. instead of after work. "Exercise improves mood and energy levels," Jensen says. Not only that, but "there have been studies done on employees who've exercised before work or during the work day. Those employees have been found to have better time-management skills, and an improved mental sharpness. ... Those same studies found these workers are more patient with their peers."

5. They practice a morning ritual. Jensen also recommends instituting a morning routine aside from your exercise routine. Whether you opt to meditate, read the newspaper, or surf the Web, Jensen says "it's important to have that quiet time with just you."

6. They eat breakfast. Food provides the fuel you'll need to concentrate, and breakfast is particularly important since it recharges you after you've fasted all night. Try munching on something light and healthy in the morning, and avoid processed carbs that could zap your energy.

7. They arrive at the office on time. This one is obvious, right? Getting a full night's rest and keeping your sticky fingers off the snooze button should make No. 7 a cakewalk. If you're not a new employee, then you've already figured out the length of your average commute. Allot a safe amount of time to make it to work on schedule.

8. They check in with their boss and/or employees. We all know the cliche about the whole only being as good as the sum of its parts. In other words, if your closest work associates aren't productive, then neither are you. Good workers set priorities that align with their company's goals, and they're transparent about their progress.

9. They tackle the big projects first. You can dive right into work upon arriving in the office, since you made your to-do list the night before. And Jensen suggests starting with the hardest tasks. "Don't jump into meaningless projects when you're at your mental peak for the day," he says.

10. They avoid morning meetings. If you have any say on meeting times, schedule them in the afternoon. "You should use your prime skills during the prime time of the day. I believe that mornings are the most productive time," Jensen says, also noting that an who schedules morning meetings could rob his or her employees of their peak performance, and ultimately cost the company.

The exception to this, he adds, is if your meeting is the most important task of the day. "Sometimes you have to schedule a crucial meeting, or a client meeting, in which case you'd want to plan for a time when employees are at their peak."

11. They allot time for following up on messages. Discern between mindless email/voicemail checking and conducting important business. Jensen's company, Sozo Firm, advises clients that checking their inbox every couple of minutes takes time away from important tasks. Instead, set a schedule to check and respond to email in increments. Consider doing so at the top of each hour, to ensure that clients and colleagues receive prompt responses from you.

12. They take a mid-morning break. Get up and stretch your legs. Or stay seated and indulge in a little Internet surfing. According to Jensen, it's actually good to zone out on Facebook and Twitter or send a personal text message or two. "You should take 10-minute breaks occasionally," he says. "Companies that ban any kind of Facebook [use], texting, or personal calls can find it will be detrimental. Those practices increase employee satisfaction."

Just be sure not to abuse the privilege. "The best employees will respect their employer's time, and the worst-performing employees will find a way to waste time even if the company forbids personal Internet use," Jensen explains.

-From USNews.com

Between the Moon and the Earth and Our Invisible Bodies

2012-08-14T07:59:00.003+05:30

Modern physics clearly points out that we live in a universe where space and time may be stubborn illusions. The intriguing question is: How did mystics who lived more than 2,000 years ago come to the same conclusions without the aid of scientific instruments or advanced mathematics? Is there really a timeless and spaceless sphere that we can access here and now by merely altering processes in the human brain? This book aims to answer this question.

Download Link - http://www.dapla.org/pdf/bme.pdf (Right click and save)

Seven Wonders of Architecture

2012-07-19T23:06:00.002+05:30

In every age, science and technology have played an important role in advancing human civilization. From architecture to engineering, communication to transportation, humans have invented and developed extraordinary wonders. Architecture is a key element of every culture. From the earliest huts, humans have been building a variety of structures in which to live, work, and play. Sometimes we take our buildings for granted, but architecture impacts both the functionality and aesthetics of our world. Engineering and art come together in architects' designs to create some of the most amazing and beautiful structures that have ever existed. In this book, we'll explore seven wonders of architecture, from the dizzying height of the Eiffel Tower, to the love-inspired Taj Mahal, to the heated competition that resulted in two of New York's tallest buildings. Along the way, we'll see advancements in materials, technology, and construction techniques, and we'll learn the stories of how and why these architectural achievements became important to the world.

Free Download - Click Here

Is it a Heart Attack or Stroke or Cardiac Arrest ??

2012-07-01T17:41:00.002+05:30

Refer to this Pic on the differences. And continue to read to identify the signs of the three .

Heart Attack Warning Signs

Some heart attacks are sudden and intense — the "movie heart attack," where no one doubts what's happening. But most heart attacks start slowly, with mild pain or discomfort. Often people affected aren't sure what's wrong and wait too long before getting help. Here are signs that can mean a heart attack is happening:

Chest discomfort. Most heart attacks involve discomfort in the center of the chest that lasts more than a few minutes, or that goes away and comes back. It can feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain.
Discomfort in other areas of the upper body. Symptoms can include pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach.
Shortness of breath with or without chest discomfort.
Other signs may include breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or lightheadedness

Stroke Warning SignsIf you or someone with you has one or more of these signs, don't delay!

Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body
Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding
Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes
Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination
Sudden, severe headache with no known cause

Cardiac Arrest Warning Signs

Cardiac arrest strikes immediately and without warning. Here are the signs:

Sudden loss of responsiveness (no response to tapping on shoulders).

No normal breathing (the victim does not take a normal breath when you tilt the head up and check for at least five seconds).

From -- http://www.heart.org/

Thanks !!

100 Simple Secrets Of The Best Half Of Life : What Scientists Have Learned And How You Can Use It

2012-06-03T09:39:00.004+05:30

Practical advice on how to thrive in the second half of your life, based on scientific studies. The sixth book in the bestselling 100 Simple Secrets series.What do people who relish the second half of their lives do differently than those who dread getting older? Sociologists, therapists and psychiatrists have spent entire careers investigating the ins and outs of successful aging, yet their findings are inaccessible to ordinary people, hidden in obscure journals to be shared with other experts.Now the international bestselling author of The 100 Simple Secrets series has collected the most current and significant data from more than a thousand of the best scientific studies on the second half of life. These findings have been boiled down to one hundred essential ways to find and maintain joy, health, and satisfaction every day of your life. Each one is accompanied by a true story showing the results in action.The Baby Boomers are hitting retirement age. This upbeat, light approach will appeal to the enormous market of citizens grappling with the effects of becoming 'senior', looking to discover the positive benefits of aging beyond discount tickets at the movie theatre. Books about aging well continue to sell year in and year out. The Simple Secrets approach will stand out among the heavier self-help/psychology titles and will without a doubt become an affordable impulse and gifty mainstay in this category.

Free Download -Click Here

When we have Very less option or No Option !

2012-05-06T21:31:00.001+05:30

When we have Very less option or No Option !

Better to think of a smarter way to face it , instead of giving up !

The Complete Book of Intelligence Tests: 500 Exercises to Improve, Upgrade and Enhance Your Mind Strength

2012-05-06T21:27:00.000+05:30

This engaging book offers readers the ultimate in calisthenics for the brain. Using the same fun, informative, and accessible style that have made his previous books so popular, Philip Carter helps people identify mental strengths and weaknesses, and provides methods for improving memory, boosting creativity, and tuning in to emotional intelligence. Featuring never-before-published tests designed specifically for this book, plus answers for all questions, this latest treasure trove from a MENSA puzzle editor outlines a fun, challenging program for significantly enhancing performance in all areas of intelligence.

Free Download -- Click Here

A Pocket Guide to Public Speaking free ebook download

2012-04-22T09:27:00.000+05:30

The best-selling brief introduction to public speaking, this succinct and inexpensive guide offers practical coverage of the material typically covered in a full-sized text — from invention, research, and organization to practice and delivery — in a concise, inexpensive format perfect for any setting across the curriculum, on the job, or in the community.

Free Download - Click Here

Lets do it !!

2012-04-15T22:30:00.002+05:30

A very Good Morning !

Symptoms, Causes, Treatments and Precautions for Swine Flu (H1N1 Virus)

2012-04-08T10:15:00.003+05:30

Hey all !.. Swineflu H1N1 is back in India. Be cautious. All govt hospitals are equipped with emergency based medication centers. This article is not to increase the panic, but just to understand what exactly it is.

The symptoms and signs are serious with chronic patients like, heart diseases, kidney problem, lungs malfunctioning, etc. It is better to consult your nearby physicians if you experience the following symptoms, especially with the patients of Cancer; Pregnant mother. Up to Seven days, swine flu is considered contagious.

What are the Symptoms and Signs of Swine Flu?

• Abrupt fever, which is generally high.
• Unexpected cough
• Body aches
• Chill
• Headache
• Fatigueness
• Cough and cold
• Muscle twist
• Sore problems
• Sneezing and running nose is common
• Lack of Appetite
• Short of breath
• Diarrhea and Vomiting

What is Swine Flu?

Swine flu is a respiratory disease caused by influenza A virus H1N1 virus. Maximum people lack immunity against swine influenza A (H1N1) virus, so it transfer easily from person to person and has created global anarchy. The strain H1N1 may have originated in pigs, but now it is common with Human beings.

Swine flu (H1N1 virus) and High Risk Groups

Following patients should be taken utmost care

• Acute lung disorders, heart problems
• Diseases of Kidney and Liver
• Pregnant mother
• Aged people
• Kids under 2
• Person suffering from obesity

Precautions and Treatments for Swine Flu

• For mild swine flu, it is better to take appropriate rest.
• Drinking plenty of water is recommended.
• At the serious cases, consult your physicians and start taking antiviral medication.
• Spread by direct contact, so keep away from such people.
• Sneezing droplets of may accumulate on doorknob, drinking glass, towel, etc. so clean it properly
• Anti-flu medications should start after consultation with Doctor.
• Covering the mouth and nose while coughing and sneezing.
• Used mask while going close to the infected person.
• Maintaining high level of hygiene is utmost important.
• Surface sanitization is also important.
• Fever medicine may be taken after consultation of your doctor.

Audio Pronunciation of Words from Google

2012-04-07T12:12:00.000+05:30

Here’s a little tip that some educators and students may find useful. You can directly download the audio pronunciation files of English dictionary words from Google and practice pronunciation on the go.

A little background. When you use a search query like “define:word,” Google will offer the dictionary definition of that word and, in most cases, it will also provide an audio hint to help you learn how to pronounce that word.

Download Audio Pronunciations from Google

These audio pronunciation files are in MP3 format and you can directly access them without even using Google Search. Just use the following URL and replace WORD with any of the English words that you are still learning to pronounce.

https://ssl.gstatic.com/dictionary/static/sounds/de/0/WORD.mp3

To give you an example, here are some sample audio pronunciation files that you can right-click and directly download to your computer.

And this trick may even work with difficult words for which Google doesn’t offer an audio pronunciation hint – for instance, supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.mp3.

‎"Why We Shout In Anger"

2012-04-02T02:30:00.000+05:30

If you can read the below in lesser than 3 Mins.... doesnt only mean that you could read faster.. Share ur thoughts after reading this.

A Hindu saint who was visiting river Ganges to take bath found a group of family members on the banks, shouting in anger at each other. He turned to his disciples smiled and asked.

'Why do people shout in anger shout at each other?'

Disciples thought for a while, one of them said, 'Because we lose our calm, we shout.'

'But, why should you shout when the other person is just next to you? You can as well tell him what you have to say in a soft manner.' asked the saint

Disciples gave some other answers but none satisfied the other disciples.
Finally the saint explained, .

'When two people are angry at each other, their hearts distance a lot. To cover that distance they must shout to be able to hear each other. The angrier they are, the stronger they will have to shout to hear each other to cover that great distance.

What happens when two people fall in love? They don't shout at each other but talk softly, Because their hearts are very close. The distance between them is either nonexistent or very small...'

The saint continued, 'When they love each other even more, what happens? They do not speak, only whisper and they get even closer to each other in their love. Finally they even need not whisper, they only look at each other and that's all. That is how close two people are when they love each other.'

He looked at his disciples and said.

'So when you argue do not let your hearts get distant, Do not say words that distance each other more, Or else there will come a day when the distance is so great that you will not find the path to return.'

Hope you found this answer both enlightening as well as useful in your life :)

:)Try to avoid shouting in anger ...plzz....Keep smiling... Have a Happy and Prosperous financial year ahead !