TechN0logY

Functions used in MS Word Tables

2011-12-06T02:42:00.001-08:00

Usually Excel is used for tabulating data and calculating using functions. MS Word also enables you to do this in tables. Here let us see how to handle these data and calculate using functions.
As usual you can use the symbols such as +, –, /, * for addition, subtraction, division and multiplication. Some functions that you can use are as follows:
AVERAGE() gives the average of selected numbers
MIN() returns the least number in the selected numbers
MAX() returns the biggest number in the selected numbers
PRODUCT() returns the sum of multiplication of all the numbers selected.
SUM() returns the sum of all the numbers in the range.
When using these functions you can specify the selected numbers using the range of cells similar to Excel. The columns are named as A, B, C…. etc. The Rows are named as 1, 2, 3….etc. Therefore the top left cell is A1, the adjacent cell horizontally is B1 and so on. The cell below A1 will be A2 and so on. So when specifying the range you can specify as A1:A5 or B1:X1 etc.

Computer Crash reasons

2011-12-06T02:41:00.003-08:00

Hardware Problem: Computer consists of different hardware such as Printer, mouse, flash drive etc. Windows assigns an IRQ number for each of these hardware. When due to some reasons more than one hardware use the same IRQ this will result in a crash. In order to find if you have any hardware conflicts you can goto the ‘Device Manager’ in your computer properties. (Start-Settings->Control Panel –> System->Device manager), an yellow exclamation mark will be placed against the hardware that has a conflict. You can resolve this by selecting the device, uninstalling and reinstalling it again.
RAM memory: When you upgrade RAM memory, if you have two unmatched RAM cards or a RAM card that is not compatible with your motherboard, then a “Fatal Exception Error” will occur when you start the computer. If you are technically savvy then you may try to fix this by going to BIOS settings and editing the ‘Wait state’ of RAM or you can replace the cards with the same speed and capacity.
Hard Disk Drive: After using the computer for a few months or years, the hard disk gets fragmented with temporary files, or fragmented files. This will result in slowness of hard disk and may even result in computer crash eventually. You can maintain your harddisk by defragmenting your hard disk frequently and deleting unwanted files.
Video Card: If you see “Fatal OE exceptions and VXD errors” then it is due to the video card. To solve this reduce the video display resolution. You can do so by going to the control panel and display settings. Choose the correct screen resolution to match your monitor and change the color settings to 16 bit or match it with your monitor.
Virus: Most of the computer crash is due to Virus infection in your computer. You should install or enable windows firewall and install an Anti virus application to prevent unwanted virus applications infecting your computer.
Printer: Sometimes you may notice that the computer crashes whenever you try to print something. This is due to low memory buffer in the printer. Therefore when you send a lot of data to the printer or if you have multiple applications open and you print at the same time, this may happen. Unplug the printer from power outlet for 10 minutes and connect back again. Close other programs and try to print again.
Software: If a particular software is not installed properly or is not complete then it may result in a crash when you try to start that software. You have to uninstall such software properly. Otherwise some entries may still be in the registry referring to that software and result in instability of the computer. You can use registry cleaning software to clean your registries frequently.
Heat: Computers have inbuilt fans to cool down the processors. You can control the CPU speed from your BIOS settings. If the speed is set to higher than the normal CPU speed, this may result in overheating of the CPU which will result in Kernel Error.
Power Supply: Use UPS to regulate the power supply to your computer. This will reduce the chances of your computer crashing.

Word count’ toolbar in MS Word 2003

2011-12-06T02:41:00.001-08:00

In a word document a feature that is used frequently is to count the number of words in the document. If you are one of those who use this feature quite often, then you can add this feature in the toolbar so that you can just click a button to automatically display the number of words in the open document. Follow these steps to add this feature to your toolbar.

Right click on any toolbar in Word 2003
Select ‘Word Count’ option in the shortcut menu that appears.
A new toolbar as shown in the red circle above will be opened.
You can drag and drop this toolbar wherever you want to place it.
You ca click ‘Recount’ button to recount the words.

All online dictionaries in one

2011-12-06T02:40:00.003-08:00

There are many online dictionaries available in the internet today. These online dictionaries on top of providing the meaning of the words, also provide synonyms and antonyms. Most people would like to check these individual online dictionaries one by one for the same word and compare the meanings to get a better understanding of the word.
There is a better option available to get the meanings provided by all these dictionaries in a single page using google. For example you want to find the meaning of the word ‘tips’, follow the below steps.

Goto google.com in your browser
type-> definition:tips and press enter
google will return all the different definitions available for that word.
In addition, google will let you choose different languages. You can choose different language to find the meaning in the chosen language.
In additio google will show different phrases that can be used with that word. You can click them to find the meaning.

CCleaner by Piriform to clean your computer

2011-12-06T02:40:00.001-08:00

CCleaner is a program that can be used to clean unwanted and unused files from your computer with relative ease. It deletes the temporary files, cookies, unused data files among others thus freeing up space in your computer and increasing efficiency.
CCleaner also has a registry cleaner function which searches and looks for missing and broken links in your registry and cleans them. By doing these things you can increase the speed of your computer and improve performance. You can download the free CCleaner at http://www.piriform.com/ccleaner.
The free CCleaner has also a portable version. Which means you dont have to install it in your computer to use it. You can just copy the portable version of this software in a thumb drive and directly run it from your thumb drive. You can download the portable version of CCleaner from http://www.piriform.com/ccleaner/download/portable

Super Anti Spyware Online Safe Scan

2011-12-06T02:39:00.001-08:00

Super Anti Spyware Online Safe Scan helps to remove Spyware, Adware, Malware, Trojans, KeyLoggers, Dialers, Hi-Jackers, and Worms from your computer. It is a free application that can be downloaded from http://www.superantispyware.com/onlinescan.html. You can just copy it to your flash drive and carry it with you if you need to scan many computers. This software is free for personal use and there is a licensed version for corporate use.
Malware programs and spyware programs that spy on your computer can be easily scanned and removed using this software. One of the advantages of this software is that it provides automatic update of the spyware definition updates. So when there is a new spyware program detected it is added to the scan list.

Recuva – free file recovery software

2011-12-05T03:38:00.001-08:00

Recuva is a free file recovery software that can be downloaded from http://www.piriform.com/recuva.
Has your computer crashed? Have you lost some files? Have you by mistake deleted some important files. Have you emptied the recycle bin accidentally and lost some important files? Then Recuva can be of help to you. If on the other hand you want to safely delete the file permanently that should not be recovered anymore, Recuva can be of help again.
Features of Recuva are as follows:

Undelete files on your computer
Recovery from damaged or formatted disks
Recover deleted emails
Recover deleted iPod music
Restore unsaved Word documents
Deep Scan
Securely delete files you want to erase forever
Portable version
Full Windows OS support and many languages

Absolute Uninstaller

2011-12-05T03:37:00.001-08:00

Many companies provide freeware and open source applications that can be downloaded freely on the internet. We find them from other friends or while browsing the internet. Then we download and install in our computers. But usually we forget about them after one or two months and stop using them.
After a few years, our computers are full of such ‘so called useful’ programs which we use very rarely. Sometimes when we uninstall them, they leave a few registries and files which are no longer useful. Therefore we need a special program to remove them and also to review other installed programs and uninstall those that we no longer use.
Doing this will increase the performance of the computer and increase the speed. ‘Absolute Uninstaller’ does just that. Even though this does similar job of ‘Add/Remove’ programs, it is more effective in uninstalling. Such as removing related registries, related desktop icons, start menu entries etc. It also searches for related files that belong to the application and removes them. You can find the ‘Absolute Uninstaller’ at http://www.glarysoft.com

You may also find other freeware applications there that might be of help.

Ninite – All in one installer

2011-12-05T03:35:00.002-08:00

Ninite is an all in one installer. Imagine you just installed a new OS in your computer. You will then need to install all the applications one by one. You can either do it one by one or use Ninite to pick all the software you want to install and let Ninite handle the installation. It will just run in the background and install all the selected applications with default settings. Even if your computer is not new you can still find a few applications from the list and install with ease.
Yes it is that easy. It is available at http://ninite.com/

Shortcut keys in MS Word

2011-12-05T03:35:00.000-08:00

CTRL+B : To make the words bold.
CTRL+I : To italicize the words
CTRL+U: To underline the words
CTRL+DEL: To delete the word on the right of the cursor
CTRL+BACKSPACE: To delete the word on the left of the cursor
CTRL+SHIFT+SPACEBAR: To create equal spacing.
CTRL+C: To copy the selected text
CTRL+X: To cut the selected text
CTRL+V: To paste the copied or cut text.
CTRL+ALT+V: To paste special
CTRL+SHIFT+< : To reduce the font size
CTRL+SHIFT+>: To increase the font size
CTRL+[ : To reduce the font size
CTRL+]: To increase the font size
CTRL+HYPHEN: To create continuous hiphen
CTRL+SPACEBAR: To remove paragraph or character formatting
CTRL+SHIFT+V: To paste the previously used format
CTRL+Z : To undo the last action
CTRL+Y: To redo the last action that was undone.
CTRL+SHIFT+G: To bring the word count dialog box.
CTRL+L: To align text to the left
CTRL+E: To centralize the text
CTRL+R: To alogin the text to the right of the screen.
CTRL+M: To make the paragraph or the selected text in the margin.
CTRL+1: To make the spacing between lines as 1
CTRL+5: To make the spacing between lines as 1.5
CTRL+2: To make the spacing between lines as double
F7: : To check spelling and grammer
SHIFT+F7 : : To show thesaurus options
CTRL+SPACE : To enable/disable auto correct
CTRL+SHIFT+8: To show/hide hidden characters.

Office 2010 beta download

2011-12-05T03:34:00.001-08:00

It has been a few weeks since, Office 2010 beta version is available for download. Microsoft is collecting feedback from these early beta version users to fix bugs and enhance various features. If you are interested in trying out the new Office 2010 beta version you can download from http://www.microsoft.com/office/2010/en/default.aspx
The download size is around 684MB (32 bit) and 750MB(64bit) version. If you would like to download and try it then it is advisible to try in a computer that is not your primary computer. It is better to try in a computer that does not store important data.

Speed Up Your Website Loading Time

2011-12-05T03:33:00.001-08:00

hen you are a Webmaster it is important to speed up your website loading time, as website visitors nowadays are very impatient. When you are creating content and building your website, you always need to be aware of how fast the page is going to load. For example it is better to create fast loading graphics, minimal scripts loading, and definitely no flash if you can help it. Of course if we can all afford to have super fast website hosting then we wouldn’t have to worry about the stress of trying to speed up our websites. Unfortunately when most Webmasters choose their Web hosting it is usually judged by the cheapest Web hosting that will get.
If you would like to speed up your website loading time there are some other options out there, that will fit with your ordinary website hosting. I actually host all of my websites with Hostgator and this works really well with Cloudflare, as they have partnered up to work together. This could not be better news for you, as cloud for a is free and will speed up your website loading time as soon as you altar a few settings.

How does Cloudflare speed up your website loading time?

CloudFlare protects and speeds up your website loading time. Once your website is a part of the CloudFlare community, its web traffic is routed through their intelligent global network. They automatically optimize the delivery of your web pages so your visitors get the fastest page load times and best performance. They also block threats and limit abusive bots and crawlers from wasting your bandwidth and server resources. The result: CloudFlare-powered websites see a significant improvement in performance and a decrease in spam and other attacks.
Here are some statistics that I grabbed from my Cloudflare account showing how many real visitors I had to my website, and how many crawlersbots and threats I had to my website.

In the statistics section you can also see how much bandwidth Cloudflare is saving you. As you can see from the screenshot below it also shows how many requests were saved by this free service.

More features to help speed up your website loading time

CloudFlare can be used by anyone with a website and their own domain, regardless of your choice in platform.
From start to finish, setup takes most website owners less than 5 minutes.
Adding your website requires only a simple change to your domain’s DNS settings.
There is no hardware or software to install or maintain and you do not need to change any of your site’s existing code.
If you are ever unhappy you can turn CloudFlare off as easily as you turned it on.
Their core service is free and they offer enhanced services for websites who need extra features like real time reporting or SSL.

What else can Cloudflare do for you?

cloud for a can automatically scramble your e-mail addresses on your website so they cannot be harvested by spammers.
Automatically enable always online for web pages that lose connectivity or time out. Seamlessly bumps your visitors back to normal browsing when your site comes back online.
Automatically performs a browser integrity check for all requests to your website by evaluating the HTTP headers for threat signatures. If a threat signature is found, the request will be denied.

5 Ways to Repair a Black Screen in Windows Live Mail 2011

2011-12-05T03:32:00.001-08:00

It is a night mare when you see a black screen on your computer but when you see black screens in Windows live mail, the answer to the problems might not be so obvious.
Getting a black screen all black boxes on a Windows live mail 2011 has been a common occurrence.
The entire screen may go black while in Windows live mail and you have to close the program and restart. A few minutes goes by….and it happens again. Is there a fix?
Some people just have parts of their Windows Live Mail 2011 screen go completely black.. Again they have exit out of the program and then go back in. This is extremely annoying. Previously we have written articles about getting a black screen in Windows and not being able to start your computer at all, however this article is about Windows Live Mail.

What causes are black screen in Windows live mail?

According to Microsoft, this issue can be caused if all the following scenarios apply on your Windows computer:

You have Intel integrated graphics driver Igdkmd32.sys (32-bit) / Igdkmd64.sys (64-bit) versions 8.15.10.2104 through 8.15.10.2141
You have Windows Update KB2454826 installed on your computer
You are using Windows Live Mail versions 15.4 and later
You need .net framework for Windows Live mail to work correctly

Windows Live Mail stops responding or does not start if you have Intel integrated graphics driver Igdkmd32.sys (32-bit) / Igdkmd64.sys (64-bit) versions 8.15.10.2104 through 8.15.10.2141. These drivers have been found to cause compatibility with certain applications that use D2D (Direct2D). For example, if you use these drivers, Windows Live Mail could stop responding after you install update KB2454826.
To check for the Intel integrated graphics driver and driver version, follow these steps:

Open DirectX Diagnostic Tool by clicking the Start button, typing dxdiag in the Search box, and then pressing ENTER
Click the Display tab
Note the driver and driver version to compare with the versions listed below

If you have the Intel integrated graphics driver and driver version 8.15.10.2104 through 8.15.10.214 visit the website for the manufacture of your computer to see if a newer driver is available.

5 Ways to Repair a Black Screen in Windows Live Mail 2011

There are always different causes for what appears to be the same problem, however there can be many different solutions. I cannot give you a clear-cut answer for this so I have provided five ways to repair a black screen in Windows live mail. Hopefully one of these tips will help you get rid of your problem.

#1. Uninstall Windows live mail and reinstall

Close Windows Live Mail.
Press CTRL ALT DEL on the keyboard to bring up the Windows Task Manager.
Go to the services tab.
Scroll down to find WLIDSVC.
Right-click and select to stop service.
Exit Windows Task Manager.
Open Windows Live Mail.
Everything should be back to normal.

#2. .net Framework Missing

The program looked normal,but did not work. A box appeared,saying I needed “.net framework V4.0.30319″. I search for that in Microsoft and downloaded the file.
After installing the file the Black screens in Windows Live mail were gone.
Please note: Only download this file from Microsoft as there are many scam sites out there. Here is a link to download the .net framework from Microsoft.

#3. Uninstalling KB2454826 is said to fix the issue

There is a Windows update called KB2454826 that could be causing the problem. You will find Windows Updates by typing “Windows Update” into the bottom of the start menu. See the screenshot below.

1. Choose Windows updates from the menu, then click on view update history.
2. Then click on the link at the top that says “installed updates”.
3. Find the KB2454826 update and select it by making it blue.

4. Then press the uninstall link above.

#4. Do System Restore in Safe Mode, if unable to do it in Normal Mode

1. Start tapping F8 on the keyboard when starting your computer.
2. Select Safe Mode by using UP or DOWN Arrow Key
3. Hit Enter when you have your right choice.
4. Choose the System Restore option from the menu.
5. Choose a Restore Point date that is before your problem started.

If you do not need to go into safe mode to get to system restore then:

1. Go to the start menu.
2. Choose Programs from the menu (at the bottom).
3. Go to Accessories, then System Tools, then System Restore.
Here is an article about system restore for Windows XP and Windows Vista.

#5. Repair all Windows Live programs

Go to the Control Panel, choose All Control Panel Items
Then double-click on the Programs and Features icon.
Select Windows Live Essentials by making it blue.
Right click on it and choose “Repair All Windows Live Programs.”

Warning: Dangerous Way System Administrators Use To Fix Failed Hard Disks

2011-12-05T03:31:00.001-08:00

Sadly, few people make regular and complete backups–so system administrators often need to fix failed hard disks using less than ideal methods. These methods are temporary and designed to quickly get data off a hard drive between the time it fails normally and fails permanently. If you tried all the usual to fix failed hard disks like repairing the hard drive boot sector or doing what the FBI does to recover deleted files and nothing has worked, then this is your last step.

WARNING: the steps presented in the article may destroy your computer–and could even conceivably electrocute you or set your computer on fire. We will not be responsible for any damage you cause by using these instructions.

Fix Failed Hard Drives By Understanding How They Work

The core technology behind hard drives has remained unchanged since an IBM team lead by Rey Johnson built the first hard disk in 1954. The disk in hard disk refers to the platter, which looks a like a vinyl record. Hovering over the platter is what looks like the needle of an old record player–the needle part is called the head. Both the platter and the head are magnetic, so the head can read from and write to the platter.
The platter spins around several thousand times a minute in modern hard drives–7,200 Revolutions Per Minute (RPM) is a common speed for modern hard drives, with high-end drives running at about 15,000 RPM. That’s 120 to 250 revolutions each second–an incredibly fast speed which requires very precise engineering.
The platters, and the motor which powers them, run on top of tiny ball bearings built to revolve up to 100 times as fast as the disk itself–so up to 2,500 times a second. That means that in just 7 minutes of using your hard drive, the ball bearings will rotate over 1 million times. In the typical 2 year active life of a hard drive, each individual ball bearing will rotate over 150 billion times.
Over its incredible lifetime, each ball bearing slowly wears down, forcing the tiny hard drive motor to exert more and more energy to keep the platter moving. At some point, the motor has just barely enough power to move the platter–this is when you’ll hear groaning noises from your hard disk. A few days or weeks later, the motor won’t have enough power to move the disk, but the head will still work; this is when you’ll hear your disk drive make clicking noises even though it can’t read any data.

Using Your Freezer To Fix Failed Hard Disks

Ball bearings become less ball-shaped as they wear down, but you can temporarily restore them to something like their original shape by shrinking them. But how to do you shrink tiny pieces of metal in a sealed hard drive? You make it cold–really cold.
Follow all of the steps below exactly:

Turn off your computer and remove the failed drive–just the drive; leave the cords.
Place the drive inside a Zip Lock bag. Do your best to squeeze out excess air and seal the bag tight.
Place the drive and the bag inside another Zip Lock bag. Important: you must do this step–if any moisture leaks into your hard drive, it could short out and destroy your computer. Do your best to squeeze out excess air and seal the bag tight.
Put a rubber band around the two bags to discourage any air from leaking into the bag.
Place the drive, which should now be inside two bags, in your freezer. If your freezer has different zones, put it in the coldest part.
Wait at least 4 hours (more is better) and then follow the rest of the steps as quickly as possible–you want to do as much as possible with your drive before it gets too warm.
Remove the drive from your freezer and unpack it.
Plug it into the computer. If you can, lay it down on the bottom of the computer without screwing it in to save a little time. Make sure all of the connections are tight so that condensated water can’t leak into them
Turn on your computer; skip any unnecessary boot steps.
Begin copying data off of your drive. If possible, copy the most important data first.

Your drive may fail again after a few minutes but before you can copy everything you need. If that happens, start from the above step one. Repeat until you get everything you need or until the drive just won’t start anymore no matter how long you freeze it.

What To Do If You Can’t Fix Your Failed Hard Disk

Freezing doesn’t always work, but if you do it right, it shouldn’t cause any additional damage to your hard disk, which means you can still use the last resort option for recovering your data: a data recovery service.
These services typically charge between $50 and $500 to recover data from a failed hard disk, but they can do something you can’t do at home: take apart your hard disk. Now, removing the screws that hold together a hard disk may not seem difficult, but the hardware in a modern hard disk are so sensitive that if even a tiny bit of dust gets on your hard disk, data may be lost.
The data recovery services can also replace broken parts of your drive from a similar working drive. This service costs more money–but it may be less money than reproducing essential business files. They can usually fix failed hard disks, even ones that have been seriously damaged.
All good data recovery services offer a free analysis of failed hard disks (although you will need to pay to ship your disk to them). We suggest you look for reviews from previous customers before you send your hard disk to a stranger–less reputable companies may refuse to return your disk if you don’t agree to do business with them after you get their quote.
Hopefully, though, freezing will be enough to temporarily fix your failed hard disk until you can backup your most important files.

7 Solid Advantages of PDF Files

2011-12-05T03:29:00.001-08:00

Over the years, as advances in technology and software have made it possible for people to work and connect on the internet in more ways than ever before, there has never been a greater need for a file format to facilitate the sharing of ideas and information via simple and available means such as the internet. It’s little wonder then that Adobe PDF—a system-wide universal format—has emerged as the most popular formatting choice on the web. If you’re still unclear as to which document format best suits your needs, here’s a look at the 7 solid advantages PDF’s have over other available formats.

1. Multiple platform compatibility

When it comes to sharing files with others the last thing you want to worry about is whether your file format will be compatible with whatever output devices they are going to be displayed on. When using PDF files this problem is solved, as PDF files can be opened on any platform, including most mobile devices.

2. Universal conversion capability

Imagine being able to convert just about any type of document from any application into a PDF file, without losing any visual elements such as text, graphics or images in the process. Fortunately, PDF technology makes this totally possible. Although you will need an additional tool, known as a PDF Creator—many of which are either free or inexpensive—the quality of the created document when compared to the source document is well worth it

3. The power of compression

The beauty of PDF file compression is that document size no longer matters. From word files to spreadsheets to photos, you name it, when converted to PDF, these files are automatically compacted to optimal size—anywhere from ½ original size to 1/8 original size. This feature is especially valuable when converting graphic heavy files. Once files are compressed, users can easily combine and merge multiple files, which in turn can be opened and viewed on any computer or network.

4. View PDF files with freeware

A major benefit of PDF files over other formats is that you can open, retrieve, review and print PDF files with a number of “Readers” including Adobe’s own proprietary Adobe Reader, which can be downloaded and installed on any computer or operating system including many mobile devices absolutely FREE of charge..

5. Multimedia and interactive function support

The PDF format supports both multimedia and interactive functions. This means that PDF formatted documents can contain hyperlinks, file attachments, plus music and movies. PDFs can also be integrated with interactive forms which can be used to import and export data.

6. Security advantages of PDF files

PDF documents can be password protected. This allows files to be safely transmitted, to be read only by those with the password and clearance required to access the document. An additional safety feature of PDF files is that they are “Read Only”, meaning that they cannot be edited or altered in any way without leaving an electronic footprint. This tamper proof feature makes PDF files the preferred format of the U.S. Federal Courts system (since 2000) and is also of benefit to those who wish to insure the integrity and security of important documents. It should also be noted that PDF files stand a very remote chance of ever being infected by viruses, another great reason to feel confident in sharing PDF files with others. In addition, PDF documents can now be digitally signed, another way of verifying authenticity.

7. A format for the long run

Since first introduced by Adobe in 1993 as a means for the Federal Government to archive legacy files digitally, in a secure and uniform fashion, PDF has experienced unparalleled global acceptance as the go-to tool of Governmental entities, corporate conglomerates, small business and personal users alike. For this reason, along with the many unique advantages attributed to this versatile and valuable tool, Adobe PDF has established itself as the favored format for the past present and future of digital document management. Those who currently use PDF or have yet to use it can rest assured that it will continue to fulfill their document needs reliably, safely and securely, not only for the present, but for decades to come.

Adobe Flash and Adobe PDF may be targets for Hackers this year

2011-12-05T03:26:00.000-08:00

In a recent report by McAfee, it warns that Adobe Flash and Adobe Reader maybe a likely target for the hackers this year. These hackers usually targeted Microsoft products to hack. They try to identify the security loopholes in these files and try to compromise the security by developing malwares and viruses that will exploit these applications. But recently adobe flash and adobe readers are widely in use today and therefore hackers have turned their attention towards these programs.
Another reason could be that Microsoft has continuously improved their software and applications by providing patches and upgrades that have reduced these loopholes tremendously. The CEO of Adobe has accepted that hackers have turned their attention towards their range of products.
McAfee has also identified instances where hackers have compromised Apple’s Quicktime and Mozilla’s Firefox. Additionally social networking sites such as twitter may also be a likely target.

Skype in TV

2011-12-05T03:24:00.001-08:00

Using VoIP two internet uses can communicate with each other via their, computer, mobile phone, video phone etc. They can see each other face to face and chat with each other as if they are in the same room. Many companies have provided free application to enable this VoIP communication. But Skype leads them all in terms of functionalities and market share.
Now Skype has come forward to provide their Skype service via TV. Skype has agreements with LG and Panasonic TV manufacturers as they are producing TVs with internet connectivity. Now you can make video calls via internet TVs. When Panasonic introduced 2010 Viera Castenabled HDTV, they announced that using this TV skype can be used. This model will be available commercially very soon.
Similarly LG launched their ‘Netcast Entertainment Access’ TV with internet access. LG also announced that Skype can be used from their TV. Therefore these TVs will come with a microphone and a camera to enable video calls. Panasonic TVs with Skype will be available in March and LG TVs with skype will be available in April 2010.

Data Recovery The Easy And The Hard Way

2011-12-05T03:20:00.000-08:00

We hope that you never need to use any sort of data recovery, but almost everyone does eventually, so here are several different ways to recover your data if it gets deleted or destroyed.

Data Recovery The Easiest Way

If you accidentally delete a file, you can almost always recover it using the Trash folder in Microsoft Windows (also called the Recycle Bin). Although almost everyone knows about this trick, what you may not have thought about is how to empty your trash folder to make undeleting a file more effective. Instead of right-clicking on your Trash folder and emptying it out all at once, use the following method: open it up, change to the Listing view, and sort the files by date. Then delete any files older than one month. If you always follow this procedure, you’ll always give yourself one month of easy data recovery.

The same trick also works in most email programs, including Microsoft Outlook. Outlook moves deleted email to its Trash folder. Open this folder, sort by data, and delete only the emails older than one month.

Data Recovery Even When You Didn’t Delete The File

One of the toughest data recovery problems is how to recover part of a file that you deleted and saved and closed. For example, you’re editing a term paper in Microsoft Word and you accidentally delete several pages without realizing it; then you save the file and close it. You don’t discover the pages are missing until the next day. What can you do?
It used to be that there was nothing you could do on a regular PC, but that all changed with the innovative Dropbox backup service. You may have heard that Dropbox lets you share files with your friends, family, and business colleagues, but what you may not know already is that Dropbox keeps old versions of your files around for 30 days (or more with some plans).
Here’s how Dropbox works: you add your term paper to your Dropbox folder on your desktop. Dropbox automatically puts a copy of your term paper on its server. Then every time you save the file, Dropbox copies just the changes to its server (this saves them space and saves you upload bandwidth). On the night you accidentally delete the several pages, Dropbox copies just the changes to their server as usual. My Pc backup also works like this. Computer Backup, File Syncing, Automatic Backup, Simple Restore. All From MyPC Backup. Start Your FREE Trial!
The next day, you realize you accidentally deleted those several pages. All you need to do with Dropbox is find the term paper in your Dropbox folder, right-click on it, and choose the Restore Old Version option. Dropbox will let you choose which version you want to restore and then will automatically bring back your deleted pages.

4 Android Tablets That Would Make Great Christmas Presents

2011-12-05T03:19:00.001-08:00

I have been shopping around for a tablet that I would like for Christmas. It is so confusing because there are too many options when it comes to these new technology tablets. I noticed that the ones that have a 3G compatible slot were a lot more expensive to buy. I am not sure why but I think that it is all a big fat gimmick. If they are going to put the other slots in then why not put a slot where you can put an Internet card in.
Most tablets on the market have Wi-Fi in them so you can connect to wireless networks if you are in access area. However this does not mean that you can roam around and have an Internet connection all of the time. This is why you need the 3G compatible tablet, so you can insert your Internet card and roam around anywhere using the Internet. As far as I’m concerned, they all should come with this anyway.
In the stores you can pay up to $200 extra for a tablet that has a 3G slot. The other way around this is if you have a phone that can be used as a wireless access point, all you can buy a gadget that you can put your Internet card into and that will become a wireless access point. Even if a tablet has a USB port, the Android operating system is not compatible with most USB dongles and Android is the leader along with Apple at the moment. The Apple iPad is fantastic and you can run your entire business on an iPad but it is over priced for what it is. Many of the tablets I have looked at can outdo the iPad with performance and quality.
I went to Harvey Norman, the good guys, big W, and a few more stores. At one stage, I said to the sales attendant that I would buy a particular tablet, however when he went to search for it they had none in stock. Unfortunately it was an advertised special and of course they have none in stock. It would have been nice if they had taken the special off until they got restocked.
Anyway me buying a tablet for Christmas was not meant to be. Now I have been researching on Amazon because I am happy to wait for them to post it to me. At least they know if they have it in stock or not. Below I will show you a few options that I’m looking at.

Nano Paint Could Make Airplanes Invisible to Radar

2011-12-05T03:16:00.000-08:00

A new nanostructured coating could be used to make paints for stealth aircraft that can't be seen at night and that are undetectable by radar at any time of day. The coating, made of carbon nanotubes, can be used to cloak an object in utter darkness, making it indistinguishable from the night sky.
Carbon nanotubes have many superlative properties, including excellent strength and electrical conductivity. They are also the blackest known material. The long straws of pure carbon, each just a few nanometers in diameter, absorb a broad spectrum of light—from radio waves through visible light through the ultraviolet—almost perfectly. Researchers are taking advantage of this perfect absorbance in highly sensitive imaging sensors and other prototype devices.
L. Jay Guo, professor of electrical engineering and computer science at the University of Michigan, realized it could be useful as a kind of camouflage. Stealth aircraft, he notes, are often painted black or dark blue to hide them from view.
Guo's group grew sparse forests of vertical carbon nanotubes on the surface of various three-dimensional objects, including a silicon wafer patterned with the shape of a tiny tank. The nanotubes make the objects appear completely flat and black, and they disappear against a black background. The nanotube-coated objects neither reflect nor scatter light.

This effect works, Guo says, because the nanotubes are perfectly absorbing, and because when they are grown with some space between them, as in his experiments, their index of refraction is nearly identical to that of the surrounding air. This means that light won't scatter out of the nanotubes without being absorbed. The work is described in the journal Applied Physics Letters.
Guo says if an airplane painted with the nanotube coating were hit with a radar beam, nothing at all would bounce back, and it would appear as if nothing were there.
"This type of cloaking is very interesting, especially since they have demonstrated operation in air," says Ray Baughman, director of the MacDiarmid NanoTech Institute at the University of Texas at Dallas. Baughman recently demonstrated that nanotubes can form an invisibility cloak when they're heated up under water. The heat from a sheet of nanotubes affects the optical properties of the surrounding water, creating the illusion of invisibility.
Invisibility cloaks shield objects by manipulating incident light so that it simply flows around them. Materials that can achieve this must be made very painstakingly and typically only work with a very narrow spectrum of light—say, microwaves, or red or green light. Nanotubes are relatively easy to make, and work across a broad spectrum.
However, it's not yet practical to grow forests of nanotubes on the surface of an airplane directly—growing such forests is a high-temperature, high-pressure process done in chambers much smaller than an airplane. But Guo says it should be possible to grow the nanotubes on the surface of tiny particles which can then be suspended in paint.

Amazon and eBay brawl over Web sales tax

2011-12-05T03:15:00.001-08:00

WASHINGTON (CNNMoney) -- Amazon and eBay had it out in a public brawl in Washington on Wednesday during a congressional hearing about allowing states to collect sales tax on Internet purchases.
Amazon (AMZN, Fortune 500) and eBay (EBAY, Fortune 500) are an opposite sides of the lightning-rod issue -- and touchy about it. During their testimony, the two companies' lobbyists swapped barbs and accusations of everything from being misleading to outright profiteering.

EBay's stance is that tougher sales tax collection laws would hurt the small merchants that use its sales platform. But when eBay executive Tod Cohen trotted out that argument, Amazon's Paul Misener fired back, saying eBay is hardly a small business.
"Let's recall, eBay has facilities in 20 states around the country, they have fulfillment centers in eight states around the country. It is not an isolated business, as it would suggest," said Misener, Amazon's vice president of global public policy. "They also, of course, are a multi-billion-dollar company."
Cohen countered that eBay wouldn't be the one paying sales taxes. Its buyers and sellers would pay.
"If eBay was a retailer, of course, where it had a physical presence, then we'd have an obligation. EBay is not retailer. EBay is a marketplace," said Cohen, who is eBay's vice president and deputy general counsel of global government relations.
Every year more shoppers are turning to the Internet. States, hard-pressed to plug giant holes in their budgets, are taking a fresh run at making sure they get every penny they say they're owed on online purchases.
Right now, federal law says online sellers can't be required to collect sales tax unless the seller has a physical presence in the jurisdiction imposing the tax. That means that for nearly two decades, most online companies have been able to undercut bricks-and-mortar retailers by selling their wares tax-free.
Several states -- most notably California -- have challenged that status quo, passing a patchwork of state laws that require firms to collect sales tax if they have "affiliates" in the area. These new state laws are aimed squarely at Amazon.
After years of fighting all efforts to tax its sales, Amazon recently reversed course and said it would support a "simple, nationwide system of state and local sales tax collection." The company appears to have decided that it can't fend the states off forever -- and that it's better positioned than its rivals to survive the tax hit.
That's exactly the problem, in EBay's view. Cohen said such tax collection would "tip the scales further and benefit the larger stores."
At the hearing, Amazon's Misener accused eBay of "taking advantage of Texas hospitality" by accepting a $3 million state economic development grant to build a facility in Austin while not collecting sales tax there. Texas' budget depends heavily on sales tax revenue, since the state doesn't charge income tax.
But eBay's Cohen countered by reminding the hearing's attendees about Amazon's own charge of heart on the issue.
"That's Mr. Bezos from Amazon's position from two years ago," Cohen, said, referring to remarks made by Amazon's CEO.
"Well, things change, things happen," quipped Rep. Hank Johnson, a Georgia Democrat.

New Map Imposes New York City Grid System on the World

2011-12-05T03:14:00.001-08:00

If the Manhattan grid system was extended beyond the island, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom would live at the intersection of 63,709th Street and East 10,894th Avenue. A wild interactive map by Harold Cooper, called ExtendNY, imagines an entire globe laid out according to the New York City grid of the Commissioners' Plan of 1811.

UK shopping habits transformed by technology

2011-12-05T03:13:00.002-08:00

UK shoppers are embracing technology, and at a faster pace than many other countries, a survey of global shopping habits by KPMG has suggested.

Seventy-seven per cent of British shoppers prefer to buy goods like CDs, DVDs, books and video games online - compared with 65% globally.
But when it comes to mobile banking, consumers in the UK are more reluctant than those in other parts of the world.
KPMG surveyed 9,600 consumers aged between 16 and 65, across 31 countries.
When buying goods or services, the majority of customers (both in the UK and globally) now said that they look at social networks such as Facebook and Twitter and online review sites.
Downloading Apps
"From buying goods on their mobile phones to keeping up with friends on social networks, consumers are increasingly reliant on a range of technologies that perform important - yet often overlapping - tasks," said Tudor Aw, KPMG's European head of technology.

“Start Quote

Consumers' concerns over privacy and data security have increased over the last few years”

End Quote Tudor Aw KPMG

"This new 'converged lifestyle' will have huge implication for retailers."

Eighty-eight per cent of respondents in the UK and worldwide reported downloading an app to their mobile.
In the UK, 74% of consumers said they were more likely to buy flights and holidays online and six in 10 used some form of online grocery shopping.
In the US, by contrast, the same amount would book flights but only 21% said they were more likely to buy groceries online.
But when it comes to mobile banking, only 27% in the UK said they had used some form of mobile banking in the past six months.
That compares with 52% globally - a massive jump from just under 20% in 2008, according to the audit firm.
Consumers in the UK are also more reluctant to embrace the cloud - storing their data online rather than on their own computers - with 53% of respondents saying they do some compared with 65% globally.
"The report also shows that consumers' concerns over privacy and data security have increased over the last few years and companies across all sectors need to take this concern seriously," Mr Aw said.

Humanoid robots go on show

2011-12-05T03:13:00.000-08:00

By Lauren Said-Moorhouse, for CNN

December 2, 2011 -- Updated 1713 GMT (0113 HKT) | Filed under: Innovations

8London (CNN) -- When it comes to building cutting-edge robots, it seems their designers have a tendency to create them in their own likeness.
These eerily life-like, and occasionally just eerie, robots are just some of the exhibits that went on display Thursday at the Robotville Festival at London's Science Museum.
From the Italian-built iCub, which learns by playing with people, to CHARLY, which is being used to help autistic children, these robots mimic humans in order to help them learn about people and communicate with them.
Read more: Snake-arm robot
The exhibition doesn't just feature humanoid robots -- there are also robots that swim and ones that swarm, some that explore and others designed for domestic use.
It is being run in partnership with EUNIC and the European Commission Robotics program and ends on December 4.

YouTube's website redesign puts the focus on channels

2011-12-05T03:10:00.000-08:00

YouTube has revamped its website putting channels at the core of the service.

A channel is a curated list of video clips chosen by a specific YouTube member or celebrity.
Channels are now displayed in a central column on the site's home page resembling news feeds on social networks such as Facebook or Google+.
Experts say the redesign may mean people spend longer on the site, but some users have attacked the change.
Complaints Around 17 hours after an official "Get More Into YouTube" clip explaining the move went live, 6,703 members had clicked the "dislike" button compared to 2,280 who had clicked "like".
"The layout is a mess! Why can't I remove vids which I've already watched?" wrote one member.
Others wrote "R.I.P. Youtube" and "Change it back", although some complimented the change.
The site's owner, Google, has posted a blog saying that the new design was "focused on helping you discover a broader range of entertainment", but said there might be "further tweaks" depending on members' feedback.
It highlighted the fact that the site now offered deeper integration with Google+ and Facebook, helping members see what their friends were sharing without leaving YouTube's site.
Channels from broadcasters, including the BBC and Channel 4, are also promoted.
Google is also in the process of launching around 100 channels curated by celebrities and other well-known content providers. The firm is investing tens of millions of dollars into the project.
Reports suggest the singers Madonna and Jay-Z, the actor Ashton Kutcher, the creator of the CSI TV shows Antony Zuiker, and the skateboard legend Tony Hawk will be among those providing content.

Conference organiser TED's channel will soon compete against Madonna and Jay-Z for attention

The majority of the new channels are expected to launch next year.
Google said the site already attracts over 3 billion clip views per day.
Yearning Company watchers believe the revamp will help make the site more "sticky".
"This does the obvious thing of keeping people longer on their site," said Theresa Wise, an independent media analyst.
"But it is also taking the behaviour we've seen of people going to sites such as Facebook and Twitter to see what videos are trending, and allows them to do it easily from within YouTube itself."
Analysts also believe the backlash will be short-lived, noting similar reactions after refreshes by other sites.
"The trouble with the kind of instant reaction is that most of the people who post their comments are those with extreme reactions, and their yearning for the old design will probably dissipate as they get used to it," said Ian Maude, internet analyst at Enders Analysis.
"But I like it - it feels fresher and more up to date and the shift to channels helps YouTube move towards professional programming to create a more TV like service.
"That makes it a more attractive environment for both content providers and advertisers."