TechnoWareHouse

How to access the sharing data offline

2010-08-21T11:04:00.001-07:00

Access the shared data offline allows you to keep using your shared files, folders and software programs when disconnected from the data server. When you reconnect to your data server, all files will be synchronized to the files on the network.
There are two types of configurations required to set the access shared folders offline available, one for data server and other for client computer.
Configuration on Data Server.

First locate the folders that you would like to share or make new folders then share these folders so they can be accessible to any one on the network.
Now right click on that folder and click on the option "Sharing and security".

A small dialog box will appear with the title "data properties". Under the "Sharing" tab, select the check box "Share this folder on the network" under the "Network sharing and security".

Now set the share level permissions that you want to give the users on every folder. Enable cache of share folders by click on cache button (by default it will be enabled).

Configuration on Client Computer
On the client computer, first open My Computer then click on Tools.
In Tools menu bar, click on Folder Options, a window will appear with the title Folder Options.
Under the Offline File tab, check the option Enable Offline File. Here you can choose the synchronization process "Synchronize all offline files when logging on", "Synchronize all offline files before logging off" and others.

Click on Apply button to save the settings and then Ok button to close this window.
Now sitting on the client computer, try to access the shared folder from the data server.
First Right click on the shared folder and Click on Make available offline.
To synchronizing the offline work from client computer to data server, again open My Computer then click on Tools. Click on Synchronize then click on synchronizing button.

After that down to data server and then try to access share folders by give the UNC (Universal Naming Convention) path of data server. But it will be accessible weather the server is down or up.

Apple release iOS 4.0.1 to the wild

2010-07-16T11:00:00.000-07:00

It seemed that Apple is too anxious to share with the whole world about the new redesigned signal bars in the iPhone 4, and they can’t wait until the iOS 4.1 to be ready. Therefore, Apple has released the iOS 4.0.1. This update is just up yesterday, and therefore there’s not much known on this update.

When the iPhone 4’s antenna issue went into scrutiny, Apple went on to promise that in a future software update they would make bars 1, 2, and 3 taller, and make the bars more “accurate” by displaying 2 bars fewer in certain circumstances.

Here’s where the iOS 4.0.1 comes in. The only significantly obvious changes would be the changes in the bars displayed. Apple made bar 1 and bar 2 of their signal bar taller. But that is not visually enough to describe the new ‘formula’ that Apple thinks is much better than how the older iOS 4.0 shows it.

The Mercury Train concept might be your favorite train yet

2010-07-16T10:56:00.000-07:00

This is Britain’s train expert, Paul the Octopus Priestman’s design, the double-decker Mercury train.

In his opinion, Britain’s long-distance high-speed railway transport has been long overdue, and very much outdated. He planned to introduce the Mercury as a key to achieving sustainable, low-carbon transportation and invigorating British industry. The best example of badass engineering and total luxury?

New AT&T HTC Liberty Android Phone

2010-06-24T13:40:00.000-07:00

Now it seems that we can confirm the new Android phone - HTC Liberty will come toAT&T soon, as recently it appears inAT&T testing video. By watching the video, we can notice the device is very likely the HTC Liberty, and in the In the video AT&T shows the phone working with HTC Sense UI. Sadly,AT&T doesn’t show the details about the Liberty, but if it is really the HTC Aria, then it should run Android 2.2 OS and Processor ARM 11. Also it will be equiped with a touch screen with 320×480 resolution, a 5MP Camera, micro USB and 3.5mm audio slot.

Now no words on its release date and price, but it is rumored that AT&T will launch the HTC Liberty Android Phone within the near future.

USBDM_JS16 - Freescale USB programmer

2010-06-24T13:35:00.001-07:00

JS16 is a very minimal USBDM version based on MC9S08JS16, that supports HCS12, HCS08 and Coldfire V1 devices. It is easy to construct and may be initially programmed over the USB.

The biggest problem with homebrewed MCU-based programmers is the fact you have to program the MCU in the programmer itself. But how to program a MCU in MCU programmer?

USBDM version JS16 solved this problem, because MCU has built-in bootloader with self-programming capability over the USB. So you can build the programmer and load a firmware without additional tools, just by internal loader. It is neat, isn't it?

Ethernet WAN, Routers or Switches Making the Right Choice - Free E-book

2010-06-24T13:34:00.000-07:00

In this white paper learn the value proposition and difference between these three tools, so you're able to make an informed decision:

Ethernet WAN

Routers

Switches

Get your free ebook

How to Find the Most Memory taking process in Ubuntu Linux

2010-06-24T13:30:00.001-07:00

Some Times system administrators need to kill the memory eater process. When your system become slower, check the following command and find the memory eater.

Open a terminal and Type the following command

#ps aux | sort -nrk 4 | head

Toshiba Qosmio V65 Core i5 Multimedia Notebook Specifications, Reviews and Prices

2010-06-21T13:41:00.000-07:00

Toshiba unveiled its new Qosmio series multimedia laptop in Japan - Toshiba Qosmio V65. The Toshiba V65 notebook is based on the Intel core series platform and is designed for perfect home entertainment which provides many multimedia functions. The new Toshiba notebook packs a 15.6-inch LCD display with LED backliting and 1366×768 pixels of resolution.

Toshiba Qosmio V65 notebook comes powered with 2.4GHz Intel Core i5-450M processor and is also boosted with a 1.5GHz SpursEngine co-processor, 4GB of RAM, 500 GB hard drive and Intel HD integrated graphics. Other Toshiba Qosmio V65 Multimedia Notebook features include Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n, Bluetooth, Blu-ray drive, built-in webcam, four USB 2.0 ports, e-SATA, HDMI-out and Gigabit Ethernet.

The Toshiba Qosmio V65 laptop comes equipped with an integrated TV tuner with remote and runs the latest Windows 7 Home Premium OS. Toshiba Qosmio V65 measures about 388×267x29-35 mm in dimensions and weighs just 3kg. Toshiba offers the Qosmio V65 laptop in Japan with a price tag of $2,000.

Lenovo intros business-oriented ThinkCentre M90z all-in-one

2010-06-17T16:29:00.000-07:00

Lenovo has unboxed the ThinkCentre M90z, which is claimed to be the "industry's first large business-focused, 23-inch all-in-one" desktop PC. The new AIO doesn't stray far from the norm in core specs, with hardware including a choice of Intel's latest Core i3 and i5 processors, DDR3 RAM, a selection of both disk and solid-state drives, a DVD player, as well as optional Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity.

Some additional features include an optical touchscreen, a physical on/off toggle for the webcam, automatic brightness adjustment to conserve energy, an easily removable back for in-house tech support, and security features like encrypted storage drives. Lenovo has posted a brief video discussing the design process of the ThinkCentre M90z.

The AIO is currently available through business partners and it will be on Lenovo's site later this month. It's already used by the Center for Severe Weather Research, who brings the machine on the road when tornado chasing. Pricing starts at $899.

Archos 13 ultra-portable with dual-core Atom now available

2010-06-17T16:20:00.000-07:00

Archos is now readily welcoming orders via its online French store for its new Archos 13. Priced at €399.98 (~$480), the ultra-thin treads dangerously close to being cast aside as "yet another Atom-based netbook," but it doesn't come without a few perks. For starters, the 13.3-inch (1366x768) display is a bit larger than you'd expect from a netbook, and the system packs a dual-core Atom D510 processor, which is typically reserved for compact desktops.

Other specs include 1GB of system memory, a 160GB hard drive, a 1.3-megapixel camera, 10/100 Ethernet, an integrated modem, wireless b/g/n, Bluetooth 2.0+EDR, VGA output (no HDMI), three USB 2.0 ports, an MMC/SD/SDHC card reader, and audio jacks. Unfortunately, there's no HD-capable graphics, such as Nvidia's Ion or even a decoder chip from Broadcom. With a six-cell battery the machine weighs about 3.5lbs, measures just over an inch thick, and runs Windows 7 Starter.

3D Graphics with WebGL on Chrome

2010-06-15T07:17:00.000-07:00

So you thought Microsoft is lonely at the Top with DirectX accelerated IE9 web-browser? Well, not for long. Google announced a new project yesterday for Chrome that will let the browser run a wider range of 3D graphics content without downloading additional drivers.
ANGLE or Almost Native Graphics Layer Engine, is an Open Source Project to make it possible to run WebGL, a driverless API to DirectX 9. The project is still-developing cross-platform Web standard for accessing low-level 3D graphics hardware based on the OpenGL ES 2.0 API that can be implemented directly in a browser without a plugin.
WebGL is implemented in many browsers but has direct dependency on OpenGL drivers on each Windows, Linux and Mac OS X. On the other hand, the competing graphics API is Microsoft’s Direct3D, which is part of the company’s DirectX graphics technologies. Microsoft’s DirectX technologies have increasingly become dominant in PC gaming and have almost ruled out OpenGL on windows.
The challenge with WebGL is that many Windows machines can’t (Mac, Linux can) render WebGL content because the OpenGL drivers aren’t installed, even though the computer has powerful graphics hardware (GPU to be precise).
ANGLE will allow Windows users to overcome this problem and run WebGL content without having to find and install new drivers for their system. Because ANGLE aims to use most of the OpenGL ES 2.0 API, it may help developers working on mobile and embedded devices as per Google

Chrome OS to get Native Applications [Chromoting]

2010-06-13T02:06:00.000-07:00

Last year Google showcased how Google’s Chrome OS moves all apps and data into a web browser, rather than running any Native apps.
As we know, Chrome OS is essentially Google’s Chrome web browser running atop a Goobuntu flavor of Linux (Ubuntu). It will not run local applications other than the browser itself. All other apps will be accessed inside the browser. Of course having a browser optimized from kernel level will give out exceptional performance.
Read more: Chrome OS Factsheet, Why its Relevant and Irrelevant
Now as per the latest update form one the Google employees, Chrome OS will provide remote access to “legacy PC applications” through a mystery process the company calls Chromoting.
In a message posted to Chrome OS Google groups, He wrote “We’re adding new capabilities all the time, With this functionality (unofficially named ‘chromoting’), Chrome OS will not only be [a] great platform for running modern web apps, but will also enable you to access legacy PC applications right within the browser.”
Gary, the author, calls this an “official” statement.
Neither Google nor Gary has responded to requests for comment. He’s been at Google since 2006, before which he was with Microsoft.
Chromoting would be “something like” Remote Desktop Connection, the Microsoft Windows service that gives you real-time access to distant PCs. Presumably, this means that Chrome OS will let you access applications running on your existing Windows, Linux, or Mac desktop.
The OS is not due for official release until the end of the year, when it will debut on netbooks.
Chromium OS source code includes references to a “chromoting plug-in,” and Gary mentions chromoting code during recent Chromimum IRC discussions.
Some other clients like Logmein.com, etc do something similar in the browser. Presumably, Google will include this sort of mini-client with Chrome OS as a plug-in, and you’ll then download a larger client on your existing desktop PC in order to access its Remote desktop & applications.
With Chrome OS, Google is intending on keeping everything inside the browser. Apart from what Google says, its a financial interest in moving more activity and more data onto the net: more web activity means more web ads, which mean more revenue.
Recently, we saw Remote printing from Chrome OS by routing jobs through its servers and back down to normal desktop PCs that, unlike Chrome OS, run print drivers.
Apart from Chromoting, Google had bee testing NaCl (Native code execution) by dynamically compiling javascript, html, css into native code and pump up execution. This could boost web applications to perform as good as desktop applicaitons.

The Native Client called NaCl is an open source initiative that targets on running x86 native code in web apps. Now Google has taken a step further by integrating NaCl into Chrome. Google has blessed the browser space with a unique feature that could pave future of Chrome OS, by running applications on the net.
Google intends to align web apps closer to native apps on a typical x86 operating system – Sincerely, I see this as the first step to Chrome OS.
> More at Google Chrome gets Native Code Execution with Native Client

Some might call this progress. Others might call it a workaround, we’ll have to wait a little longer before we can conclude.

Motorola: 2Ghz Android Phone coming

2010-06-13T01:58:00.000-07:00

Apple’s iPhone 4 might be hottest thing today, but if we go with what CEO of Motorola’s consumer business and mobile devices division, Sanjay Jha, has to say, Motorola will ship industry’s fastest Android smartphone with 2GHz processor by the end of the year.
Today, all of the smartphoones in the market have a upper limit of 1Ghz powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon and Apple’s A4 chips. The new processor will give Android powered handsets a big step ahead of the competition. In addition, Motorola would be getting a dedicated nVidia Tegra-based graphics processor, a gyroscope and hardware accelerated Flash 10.1 support.
If Motorola starts this revolution, the whole smartphone market would change, coz, soon after every other mobile manufacturer in the Google’s Open Handset alliance will follow. Somethign similar was heard from HTC, when they declared that they would be bringing Qualcom’s 1.5Ghz processor to the market within 2010.
Although Intel also has big Plans to add it’s 1.6Ghz and 2Ghz Atom Z processor on smartphones, Nvidia makes alot more sense when it comes to graphic reproduction on these small devices. A Nvidia Tegra, a 2Ghz processor will literally kick out iPhone 4 out of the game, running Desktop-like Gaming Graphics right on the palm of your hand.
Seriously, if you have a 2Ghz smartphone with a decent 4″ screen, who needs a Netbook or even an iPad?

USB Powered Monitor By Samsung

2010-06-09T11:04:00.000-07:00

GetUSB has reported on monitors which connect via USB, but now Samsung has fine tuned this product to include connection AND power to be exclusively through USB. The Korean electronics giant made this possible by including two USB connections to the host so that one transmits data and some power and the 2nd USB connection is designated to power only. We’ve seen this before in USB hard drives, so it’s nothing new.

In addition, Samsung says that this was made possible by improving the transmittance of the panel and the luminance efficiency of the back-light used in the monitor, which ultimately reduced the power consumption to as low as 6.3-watts.
The new USB monitor by Samsung has a shorter life span than a traditional monitor [30,000 verse 50,000] but hey, it’s just growing pains and, as with everything, expect it to get better.

Wireless USB Media Stick

2010-06-09T10:52:00.000-07:00

It's very common these days to see a media player with a USB port. Whether it be a Blu-ray player or a set-top box, chances are, a USB port is somewhere in the front or back.
At first glance you say to yourself, “sweet, a USB port so I can play content off my flash drive” but then you think a bit more and wonder if you can hang a wireless dongle off the media player and stream content to your media box from a source computer?
Well, Home Server Technologies Inc is one step ahead of you. Their new Wireless Media Stick will do exactly that; stream digital content to your media player.
Whether it’s a laptop, TV, DVD player, Stereo or game console the Wireless Media Stick can stream the content and your media player will play it. There is no limit to the type of format, music, audio or video.
Currently the USB Wireless Media Stick will only stream saved content from the source computer, but future updates will include the ability to stream internet content to your wireless setup, so now you’ll have the best of both worlds.
The Wireless USB Media Stick is $99 USD.

Antispyware Soft (AntispywareSoft) Virus Removal Guide

2010-06-08T13:38:00.000-07:00

Virus Type: Rogue Security Application
Threat Level: 8 / 10

Antispyware Soft is a fake antivirus program. Antispyware Soft is a copy of Antivirus Soft and AV Security Suite. Antispyware Soft is generally installed through the use of a trojan horse. Antispyware Soft will block all applications unless the file name of the executable of the application is iexplore.exe. The comments for Antivirus Suite may provide insight into removing Antispyware Soft since the two programs are similar.

Below is our recommended removal tool for Antispyware Soft. The removal tool has been rated 5 cows out of 5 by Tucows and was previously CNET’s Editor’s Choice. Feel free to download it below.

If you are unable to run the removal tool, or are unable to run any programs in general, you may need to stop the processes associated with Antispyware Soft with task manager. If task manager has been blocked by Antispyware Soft, try using Process Explorer. If Antispyware Soft blocks Process Explorer, rename Process Explorer to iexplore.exe or firefox.exe. Antispyware Soft will generally not block the com version of Process Explorer, which can be downloaded here.
Another method to open task manager is to restart the computer and attempt to open task manager before Antispyware Soft loads so that Antispyware Soft can’t block task manager from opening.
View Antispyware Soft Files
View Antispyware Soft Keys
It is recommended to use safe mode when removing the virus because Antispyware Soft will generally not be able to load in safe mode. To enter safe mode, restart the computer and press F8 multiple times before the Windows screen to bring up the boot options.

The safe mode with networking option will allow the user to be able to use the internet in safe mode. Antispyware Soft will also generally modify Internet Explorer connection settings to make Internet Explorer connect through a proxy server. This comment below may provide insight into fixing the connection settings of Internet Explorer.
Common symptoms and characteristics of Antispyware Soft and other rogue security programs include:
1. Antispyware Soft is generally installed without user permission.
2. Antispyware Soft uses pop ups and fake virus scans to scare the user.
3. Various antivirus and system programs on the user’s computer will stop functioning.
Antispyware Soft will generally block all applications unless the executable file is iexplore.exe. The comments below may provide insight into removing Antispyware Soft.
Manual Antispyware Soft Removal – In order to manually remove Antispyware Soft, the processes associated with Antispyware Soft must be stopped, the files associated with the processes must be removed, and the registry entries must be corrected to the previous state before Antispyware Soft entered the computer.
Stop Antispyware Soft Processes
[random letters]tssd.exe
Remove Antispyware Soft Files
C:\Documents and Settings\[username]\Local Settings\Application Data\[random letters]\
C:\Documents and Settings\[username]\Local Settings\Application Data\[random letters]\[random letters]tssd.exe
Remove Antispyware Soft Registry Keys
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Antispyware Soft
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Antispyware Soft
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\Antispyware Soft
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\avsoft
Remove Antispyware Soft Startup Entry
[random letters]tssd.exe
Common Questions -
1. What is a computer virus?
2. How did I get this computer virus?
3. What common symptoms show that my computer may be infected?
4. What is a rogue security application?
5. What are some antivirus and antispyware programs which I can use to remove viruses and spyware?
If you have any questions or comments, please don’t hesitate to comment below. If you need any help with any of the steps, please don’t hesitate to comment below. We recommend that you follow our safety tips so that you can keep your computer clean . It is also best to upgrade to Internet Explorer 8 for better web browsing security. If a web browser is not up to date, viruses such as Antispyware Soft can generally infect computers much easier while surfing the web. The upgrade is free.
Your feedback is very highly valued by others so please feel free to comment below. Please feel free to share a solution that you may have used to remove Antispyware Soft.

Change the default duration of new iCal events

2010-06-08T13:30:00.000-07:00

In iCal, whenever you create a new event, it is set to last one hour by default. A quick look in the iCal preferences seems to suggest that there is no way to change this, but luckily there is a hidden setting that you can change via the Terminal.

Start by opening up Terminal (located in Applications/Utilities). In the window that appears, paste the following line then press return.

defaults write com.apple.iCal 'Default duration in minutes for new event' 30

The number at the end corresponds to the duration of new events in minutes. You can change this to any number you like, including zero, which will create events with the same start and end time. You will need to restart iCal for the changes to take effect.

If you want to set it back to the default 60 minutes, you can either repeat the command with 60 at the end, or use the following command:

defaults delete com.apple.iCal 'Default duration in minutes for new event'

2010-06-08T13:17:00.001-07:00

Use Facebook Chat in iChat

It is now possible to connect to Facebook Chat through a desktop client using the Jabber protocol. This means that you can chat with your Facebook friends without having to log into Facebook. The instructions here are for iChat, but it works with loads of other messaging applications too, such as Adium and Pidgin.

Start by opening up iChat, then go to the iChat menu and select "Preferences." In the Accounts tab, click the plus button (+) and enter the following settings:

Account Type: Jabber
Account Name: [username]@chat.facebook.com
Password: Your Facebook password

Server: chat.facebook.com
Port: 5222
Uncheck "Use SSL" if it is checked.

Your Facebook username is the name that appears in the address bar when you go to your Facebook profile page. If you can't figure it out, go to this page on the Facebook site to find it.

Finally, click Done, and a new buddy list should appear with all your Facebook friends. It should also sort them into the correct groups if you have set them up in Facebook.

2010-06-08T13:14:00.001-07:00

Enter full screen Quick Look using the keyboard

Here’s a quick tip for Quick Look.

Ordinarily you enter Quick Look by selecting a file then hitting the space bar. If you want to view the preview in full screen, you can then click on the Full Screen button at the bottom of the Quick Look window.

A quick way to jump straight to full screen is to press Option-Space instead of Space with your chosen file selected. This will instantly bring up a full screen preview of the document. To exit, just hit the Escape key. Unfortunately this only works in Snow Leopard, but you can get the same effect in Leopard by pressing Command-Option-Y.

I find this is especially useful for quickly reading PDF documents, which are often too small in a normal Quick Look window. Also, if you select multiple images and then press Option-Space, you can quickly start a full screen slideshow.

Extensions in Safari 5

2010-06-08T13:12:00.000-07:00

For me, yesterday’s most exciting announcement was the release of Safari 5. If you haven’t yet downloaded it, you can get it by going to Software Update in the Apple menu, or by downloading it from the Apple site. It has a whole load of great new features like Reader and Extensions, and we get our nice blue loading bar back and animated GIFs actually load in less than an hour.

Arguably one of the best new features is the support for Extensions. If you’ve ever used Firefox or Chrome you might be familiar with these. While the Safari Extensions gallery isn’t opening until “later this summer,” it is possible to enable Extensions right away.

To do this, first go to Preferences in the Safari menu. In the Advanced section, click the checkbox at the bottom to enable the Develop menu. Go to this menu (it should just appear in the menubar) and the select third item in the list, “Enable Extensions.” Now, when you go back to the preferences there is a new Extensions section. Considering the complexity of this process, I’m sure it won’t be long before Extensions are enabled by default.

So now Extensions are enabled, where can you get them from?

Well, before Safari 5 was even available, Panic managed to announce their Coda Notes extension. It looks great, but unfortunately it’s still “Coming Soon.” Almost as quick was John Siracusa, who has posted a simple extension on his Twitter feed that you can actually download. All it does is add a Reload button to the toolbar, something that many people have been asking for since it moved into the address bar in Safari 4. After you download the file, just double-click on it and it will be installed. It will actually be deleted from your downloads folder after it is installed, so don’t get confused when it disappears. Note that the button won’t be added to the toolbar automatically, you have to go to the View menu and choose “Customize Toolbar” to add it.

There are a whole load of other Extensions listed at this page. Currently there are things like a Gmail unread messages checker and an Amazon search bar, and it looks like new ones will be added as they are released. It is probably worth noting that as far as I know these haven’t been screened by Apple, so there might be an element of risk in downloading them. As always, you should only really download things from sources that you trust, so if you want to be really safe you might want to wait until the official Apple Extension Gallery is live.

Once each Extension is installed, it should show up in the Extensions section of the preferences. From here you can enable and disable all Extensions, turn on automatic updates and uninstall any Extensions that you no longer want.

Intel ships 25nm NAND flash memory chips

2010-06-04T13:16:00.000-07:00

Intel announced today that it has begun shipping its 25nm NAND flash memory to manufacturers. The new chips were sampled earlier this year and will supplant Intel's less efficient 34nm parts, which can be found in products such as the second-generation X25-M solid-state drives. Intel's 25nm chips can hold up to 8GB of data or about 7,000 photos, 2,000 songs, or eight hours of video.

An 8GB 25nm NAND flash chips measure just 167mm², making it possible to squeeze even more memory into components all across the board – from USB drives and SD cards to smartphones and SSDs. For instance, a 256GB SSD can now be produced with only 32 of Intel's 25nm chips, compared to 64 previously. We'd expect that to lower prices a bit, but Intel hasn't released any figures.

With mass production underway, electronics with the new memory should hit store shelves before the year is up, if not shortly thereafter.

2010-06-04T13:09:00.000-07:00

HP intros more than a dozen AMD-based notebooks

As part of its spring refresh, HP has announced nine new enterprise notebooks, many of which employ AMD processors and graphics technology. The launch includes the HP 425 and 625 as well as the ProBook 4325s, 4425s, 4525s, 6450b, 6550b, 6455b, 6555b, which make use of Phenom II, Turion II, Athlon II, and V-series processors to accommodate a variety of budgets -- though there are some Intel chips in the mix.

Measuring 14 and 15.6-inches HP 425 and 625 are the lowest-priced business systems starting at only $549. The ProBook 4325s, 4425s, and 4525s range offers all of the above-mentioned AMD CPUs and HD 4250 or HD 530v graphics. They should begin shipping this month for as low as $619.

The 6450b and 6550b are 14 and 15.6-inch machines also with discrete Mobility Radeon HD 540v graphics, but rely on Intel Core i3, i5 and i7 processors. Pricing has yet to be determined, but they're scheduled for a June release. Finally, the 6455b and 6555b are AMD-based and seems to be the most diverse for small and mid-sized business users. HP claims they're 69% faster with 24% more battery life than their predecessors.

Additionally, the company's Pavilion dm1, dv5, dv6, and dv7, along with the Compaq CQ42/G42 and CQ62/G62 consumer-grade systems are available with dual or quad-core versions of AMD processors. We have to wonder if the emphasis on AMD chips in HP's latest update lends any credence to rumors that Apple is also mulling the underdog's offerings.

2010-06-04T13:04:00.000-07:00

Microsoft removes XP Mode hardware requirements

Along with other virtualization announcements today, Microsoft has updated XP Mode to be less confusing when it comes to hardware compatibility. XP Mode is a free virtual machine package for business-class versions of Windows 7, intended to ease OS migration for enterprise customers. When it launched alongside Windows 7, the software required a processor with support for hardware virtualization, but many users found it difficult to determine whether their CPU had the feature.

Fortunately, Microsoft has removed that requirement, and anyone left confused or stranded with the original version of XP Mode should now be able to use it. "This change simplifies the experience by making virtualization more accessible to many more PCs for small and midsize businesses wanting to migrate to Windows 7 Professional or higher editions, while still running Windows XP-based productivity applications," Microsoft said today.

Users of Windows 7 Professional or higher can download XP Mode, or the latest update: 32-bit, 64-bit.

Display multiple inspector windows at once

2010-05-31T16:16:00.000-07:00

Inspector windows are small windows that allow you to change settings for whatever happens to be the currently selected object. They are the ones that have a thinner title bar, they always hover above other windows and they disappear when you change to a different application.

In most applications they contain information and settings about whatever object is selected. As you select different things, the contents of the inspector window will change, so you can always go to the same place to change the properties of that object.

Now you don't want multiple inspectors popping up, containing settings for different objects, because they are designed to keep all the information and properties in one location, so you always know where to find it. However, you might want multiple inspectors that contain different sections of the settings. For example, you might want one inspector for text settings, and one for graphics settings.

inspector windows

In most Apple applications, there is a single inspector with tabs along the top that allow you to change between different groups of settings. If you find yourself constantly jumping between different tabs while you work, there is a simple way to separate each tab out into its own inspector. Simply hold the Option key while clicking on a tab, and another inspector window will appear with the contents of that tab.

Using this, you can arrange the different inspectors around your screen for easier access. For example, in Pages you might want to keep separate Graphic, Text and Table inspectors always open.

Watch videos before they have finished downloading

2010-05-31T15:18:00.000-07:00

When you are downloading a video file to your computer using Safari, it is possible to start watching it before the download has finished. This is great for really long movies that take ages to download.

To do this just go to the downloads window in Safari (Command-Option-L) and find your video that's downloading. Click on the little magnifying glass icon to show the file in the Finder.

Downloads Window
You will notice that the file has an extra extension of .download added to the end, and it doesn't open properly if you double-click on it. However, instead you can right-click on the file and choose "Show Package Contents". A new folder should open up, containing two files.

Show Package Contents
One will be called "info.plist" and the other will be the video you are downloading. Now you can just open it to watch the portion that has already downloaded. For some videos QuickTime will be unable to play them when they aren't completely downloaded. If you have problems, you can try using VLC instead.