The Tech Prescription

Orbit Downloader 2.7.8

noreply@blogger.com (Varun) — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 02:35:00 +0000

Orbit Downloader is an excellent download accelerator and a batch downloader.Not only does Orbit fetch normal files for you at lightening fast speed,you can also download rich media (Streaming Media, RTMP, Social Music & Video ).
Your favourite youtube videos can be downloaded very easily now.The highly optimized multithreading algorithm Gives OrbitDownloader unmatched download speed capacities (God help the servers!).

Another feature of this application is the Grab++ interface.When activted,Grab++ runs in the background and sniffs for all active elements,such as streaming media,flash movies,etc.You can pick and choose the files you want to download.This is another way of ripping filies of your favourite streaming video sites as well as social networking sites.

Orbitdownloader is a freeware.You can get it here.
My rating: 4/5.

CoolIris for iPhone

noreply@blogger.com (Varun) — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 20:42:00 +0000

A few days ago,I had posted a review for CoolIris,which can be found here Apparently my post caught the eye of the developer team,and they have updated me twice about what's going on with their project.It's been interesting to hear from them,since I especially liked their mozilla firefox plugin,using it regularly myself.
Here's what Jenny from the CoolIris team had to say

"Hi again Varun,
Again, thanks for supporting Cooliris!
I wanted to let you know that we've got some exciting news to announce from Cooliris! Now you can experience Cooliris anywhere and anytime by navigating the mobile web with our brand new iPhone App. Cooliris for the iPhone is the fastest way to browse media-rich web content on the go.

Searching the Web with the Cooliris iPhone app displays your results in the same intuitive, easy-to-navigate manner you've come to expect from the Cooliris web client. The Cooliris iPhone app overcomes the traditional limitations of mobile internet browsing by coupling the breezy, open-ended feel of the 3D Wall with the streamlined hands-on interface of the iPhone touchscreen.

Cooliris for the iPhone brings you the news and articles relevant to you from across the Web with our Discover feeds. All of the Discover feeds available on our web client have been optimized for the iPhone, so you'll always have the latest current events at your fingertips.

No matter where you are in the world, Cooliris delivers content that is relevant to where you are based. Since the iPhone can detect your location through GPS, you'll get news customized to your locale (UK users will automatically have a UK News feed available to them, for example). This will be a huge boon to our enthusiastic international user base. Discover also allows you to pull up the related story within its web context by clicking the associated metadata. There's no need to jump out of Cooliris and visit the parent website in order to get the full story!

This is only the first release for Cooliris on the iPhone, and as such it's meant to help you navigate the internet's news and media as simply and easily as possible. As the application grows, you'll be seeing more features currently only available on the web client, as well as new ones which take advantage of the iPhone's unique interface – so stay tuned!

You can check out our app at http://blog.cooliris.com/.

Kindest regards,
Jenny & The Cooliris Team"

(this is a comment on my original post about the app.)
Now I'm not one of the lucky guys to own an iPhone (yet!) But until I lay my hands on one,why don't you,the readers,try this out and tell me if it works well?

Also a thanks to the CoolIris team for keeping me updated :D

Verbatim Swivel USB

noreply@blogger.com (Varun) — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 09:16:00 +0000

Been a week since bought myself a Verbatim Store n Go Swivel USB drive(4 gigabyte),so now it's time for a review.

Here is the company provided info about the model(from Verbatim Europe):

[Click to enlarge]

* Write Speed: 8MB/Sec
* Read Speed: 11MB/Sec
* Dimensions: 61mm x 17mm x 12mm
* Interface: USB 2.0 (also compatible with USB 1.1 ports)
* Power Source: USB Bus (no batteries required)
* Pack Contents: USB Drive.
* Temperature: Operating Temperature: 0°C to 70°C
Storage Temperature: -20°C to 70°C
* Humidity: Relative hunidity during operation : 20% to 90%
* Altitude: Operating: 20,000 feet
Non-operating: 50,000 feet
* Vibration : 15G peak to peak max
* Shock resistance: 1000G (maximum)
----------------------------------------------------------------
For starters, The swivel cover is the best thing that can happen to a portable USB drive.I always kept losing the cover of my previous I-ball drive.No problems here though,just swivel and go.

The Read/Write speed is phenomenal,as compared to my previously used drives (I-ball,transcend,Kingston)and the pass-protect application is pretty useful for the privacy conscious.The only thing is that the device does not work with Windows 98.However it oes on later OS' USB1.1 as well as 2.0

This is an especially good alternative for people from the subcontinent,since there is a large market of counterfeits for brands like transcend and Kingston.

Posters and ASCII art

noreply@blogger.com (Varun) — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 06:43:00 +0000

Okay 2 new goodies today,a Website and a Website/Software.

1.ASCII-o-Matic:

My fixation with ASCII art began the day I downloaded my first file from the torrent scene.I don't even remember the group's name,but their release nfo was a beautiful ASCII art by a japanese fellow.Recently I found the website ASCII-o-Matic that will create ASCII art from images.Ideally made for portraits,the output is fabulous.Just upload a 60x50(only this dimension is supported)mugshot and hit generate.
Here's a sample result (Bear in mind that HTML code has also been generated,so instead of the high load time for an image,just preformatted ASCII is shown)

Original Image: Guus Hiddink

ASCII Result:

[click to enlarge]
Hitting ctrl+u on above window will give you your HTML code for the ASCII.

2.Rasterbator

Everyone loves posters.And thanks to this software,I have my own HomeMade Manchester United Posters hanging in my cupboard.
Rasterbator is a software that allows you to create life-size posters from small images,even upto 20feet in dimension.You can specify the dimensions of the poster you want either in terms of (mm by mm) or in terms of (number of sheets wide/high of type of sheet),for example,"5 A4 sheets wide". The output is in the form of a .pdf file,which you can print at home or take it to a store and print it out.
Beware though,this software could use a lot of CPU.Older models could struggle. You can also use this freeware online before downloading the software.There is also a detailed walkthrough about how to go about creating your poster.
Here is a sample output
This is what I gave as input.

and the output pdf is here
Tell me if you like these.Comments appreciated.

AMD splits into two companies.

noreply@blogger.com (Varun) — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 23:30:00 +0000

AMD (Advanced Micro Devices),the 2nd largest manufacturer of microprocessors in the world has decided to split into two companies.It has done so with the backing of new investors,in the form of the UAE government (via their investment arms).,who have picked up their stake in AMD to 19%.
The Arab Investment arm will have a 44% stake in the Foundry company,which will also take the full burden of AMD's current debt,allowing the parent company to concentrate on going all out at war against the microprocessor giant,Intel.
It's no wonder then that the AMD stock price is buzzing at the bourses!

Read more about this exciting development here
Here's hoping that this new found impetus will boost AMD's ability of further competing with Intel,thereby reducing chip prices for us consumers

On a more personal level,I'm very happy to see AMD striving to do well.I had a brief spell with an AMD Athlon x2 machine.Sadly,due to some technical problems I had to switch back to Intel.But in that brief period I could see why some people are die-hard AMD supporters.At a much cheaper cost,I got phenomenal speed and service from the AMD processor.So I'm supporting the underdog,sitting in the champion's corner.Curious,that.

Cooliris 1.8.3

noreply@blogger.com (Varun) — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 05:24:00 +0000

CoolIris (formerly Piclens) is a plugin for Firefox,which let's you watch images (photos) from a whole host of services,in a separate 3-D view.CoolIris uses the mediaRSS service provided by these image sites to retrieve media and presents it to us (users) on a magnificent 3-D wall.
You can move around on the wall previewing pics and zoom up on the ones you like,to take a better look at the once you like.

The Complete list of supported services (as provided by developers) is as follows

* Google Image Search
* YouTube
* Flickr
* Facebook
* MySpace
* Photobucket
* DeviantArt
* KodakGallery
* Picasa Web Albums
* Smugmug
* FotoTime
* Fotki
* Getty Images
* Bebo Hi5
* Friendster
* Yahoo Image Search
* Ask Image Search
* Live Image Search
* AOL Image Search

basically I think this plugin is nothing but eye-candy,one that I don't ever want to stop having.

Steps:
1.Install Firefox(if you don't already have it)

2.Install CoolIris from here and restart Firefox.

3.Now visit any of the sites listed above and type in a search word.On getting the results,mouseover one of the images. You will see something like an arrow on the Thumbnail (See below)

[Click to Enlarge]

4.Click The Arrow to launch CoolIris.You will see a view something like this

[Click to Enlarge]

5.Navigate around,looking for a pic you would like to see in complete size.

[Click to Enlarge]

6.Press enter when your desired pic is in focus,to see it in full size

[Click to Enlarge]

Please comment if you liked this plugin.If you are already using it,share with me and the readers how you liked it,via comments
Big thanks to the developers.This one has really grown on to me

Cheers
Varun

Programming for BREW,the first steps

noreply@blogger.com (Varun) — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 03:51:00 +0000

Okay,as promised,here is a quick guide to starting out with BREW(Binary Runtime Environment For Wireless).

BREW is a platform created and owned by QUALCOMM Inc. the company behind the CDMA technology.I don't know if I'm entirely accurate but this technology is in direct competition with J2ME.(and comparable as well)
For More information about BREW go to BREW Homepage or BREW on Wiki .
My graduation Project was to create a 'Personal Finance Manager' for the BREW platform.Our sponsor company wanted nothing to do with the project,they just wanted it completed,so we,4 untrained students were basically on our own,our graduation project hanging on a technology we'd heard about for the first time!
Without digressing further from the topic,I'll just mention a few pointers(!) about what you need to have.

1.Hands on Experience with a programming language (preferably C/C++)
2.Basic Information about handling Cellphones,and possible events that may occur
during use (pressing a key is also an event)
3.Patience.Lots of it.

Programming Environment(for basic application) :
1.Microsoft Visual Studio 6 or later.
2.Brew SDK
3.BREW SDK tools
-addin BREW application wizard for Visual Studio
-MIF Editor
-BREW Simulator
-BREW compressed image authoring tool

#2 and #3 can be obtained from Qualcomm's site.

That is all that you need to start programming in BREW.The BREW app wizard will define all the 'mandatory' functions in the source file.You need to add suitable code within them.
In addition to source file,you need to create a Module Information File(MIF).It contains the necessary information about your application.
Another thing you need to do is decide your Programming language.BREW applications can be created using either C or C++.It's simply down to personal preference.Personally,I had worked for the majority of my time with procedural languages,so I chose C.However make this choice with extreme care.Once you have started in any 1 language,be sure that there isn't much help out on the Internet.The only Help you can get is via the BREW developer extranet which costs quite a lot (way over my budget)
Go through the example programs supplied with the SDK and get the feel of the code flow.My group and I especially found the Finance tracker and Netdiagnostics examples very helpful.

Here are some snapshots of our project titled 'Personal Finance Manager for BREW enabled Phones'

[click to enlarge]

[click to enlarge]

[click to enlarge]

Budding BREWers,you're in Luck.Here's a collection (small one)of books that helped us during coding. Link
RAR password: thetechprescription

Please leave comments if this post was in anyay helpful to you.
Thanks for reading
Varun

Inconvenience regretted

noreply@blogger.com (Varun) — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 14:03:00 +0000

I'm really sorry guys! Haven't been keeping too well lately,so there is a small delay in putting up my experiences and programming basics for BREW

Inconvenience regretted..

Traffic ? or Readership? It's more about 'When'

noreply@blogger.com (Varun) — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 16:04:00 +0000

This was actually a comment by me in response to one by Brad on my traffic generation post.He says:

"Entrecard has its ups and downs. I am seriously thinking about taking it off of a few sites with heavy EC traffic. I had two high PR blogs (PR 4 and PR 5) go to PR 1 and PR 0 and the the only thing different about their statistics from the last 3 quarters of ranking was their bounce rate due to EC. One this quarter went from 40% bounce to 92%, but if you filter out the EC traffic you find the bounce rate actually dropped to 35%. EC is a slippery slope and something you need to evaluate carefully on blogs with PR affected advertising."

You are right in a way Brad.But for people just starting out services like EC and MBL are great for attracting readers initially.Building regular readers,though would depend solely upon the quality of content.The bounce rate is high probably because people just visit the index for a drop and go away.In addition to bounce rates you will find that the average time on site is also low (ref google analytics).
For a serious blogger therefore it is necessary to slowly wean off the EC traffic,by reducing his/her own drops,but only when he/she is sure of the regular readership being upto expectation.If the blog still gets good traffic from EC,it's probably from readers who might actually spend some time reading,so it doesn't hurt at all.Also it is important for people like me to remember the role of services like Entrecard in fetching regular readers,and reciprocate by advertising as many new and upcoming blogs that request adverts.This can be done by declining adverts and reducing price for a while.(mine's not popular enough,yet.)
Traffic is important initially,but once readership is built,you will get new readers automatically,as popularity of your writing grows.

And So It Begins

noreply@blogger.com (Varun) — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 01:44:00 +0000

So thus far all the articles I added were from my other blog (Varun's Vagaries)What I'll write from now on will be exclusive to TTP.Thank you for your patience.
Coming Soon: a beginner's Guide to BREW(Binary Runtime Environment for Wireless) programming
Edit: A Small change..first a small article about giving something back to the EC community

Best Free Software Pack

noreply@blogger.com (Varun) — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 00:27:00 +0000

Google Pack now has competition.From me! Here's a list of essential
software you absolutely must have on your computer.You will find some great
alternatives to the bulky,burgeoning software that you may be having currently.
Say goodbye to excruciatingly slow loading,random freeze ups and repeated updates.
What's more,all of the software listed here are free.You can get them up and running,
in a matter of a few seconds! Wherever possible,I have provided a direct link to the latest version,
so Enjoy!
1.
Firefox 3.0 :
Firefox is fast becoming the most used Web Browser in the world,having given Internet Explorer a serious inferiority complex in terms of features,and having effectively ended the competition of smaller players like Opera,FF3.0 is now the world standard for web browsing.Optimized browsing features such as tabbed browsing,customizations like themes,add-ons,better processing for CSS2 and a much lower page-load time has given Firefox the edge over it's competition.Get your copy today :)
[Info] [Download]

2.
Foxit PDF Reader :
This is a personal opinion,but I absolutely HATE Adobe reader.A simple document reader needing a minute to load,constant updates and throwing tantrums,freezing up the screen at random...You'd much rather hire someone to read out the parchments wouldn't you? Why not switch to Foxit? This is a minute software,only a couple of MegaBytes,loads up in less than 2 seconds and does everything that Adobe Reader can.Especially useful for people like me who spend a lot of time scouring through E-books.
[Info] [Download]

3.
Avira Antivir :
Avira Antivir is the best in class Free Antivirus solution.Despite being a free version,this one boasts o 90% + detection rate. Add to that the fact that you get customizable scans,rootkit removal and malware scanning too,makes for one excellent security suite.This one i recommend,Having used it personally.
[Info] [Download]

4.
VLC Player :
VLC player is a free media player,playing almost all formats of audio,video and picture slideshows without having the need to download a single codec! You'll get the really rare,once in 3 months crash,but this one plays anything and everything under the sun.
[Info+Download]

5.
Skype :
Skype is a software for making free PC to PC calls and PC to phone calls at competitive rates.I have only used the former functionality so I won't comment on PC to phone calls.Since people already have Gtalk or Yahoo IM,they often wonder why you would need skype for PC to PC? I got 2 words,voice clarity.Skype calls are crystal clear,with minimum delay.I dunno how they do it,but it works!
[Info] [Download]

6.
OpenOffice.org Suite :
OOO is a open source office suite in direct competition with Microsoft Office.I recommend it because it's free,and it's fast.The functionality is pretty much the same in both suites.
[Info] [Download]

7.
Comodo Firewall :
Comodo Free firewall! What a software! I was stuck with ZoneAlarm for a while,but then I found this little baby.Extremely customizable security system with watertight rules.A real Must Have.There is one drawback though,the initial setup of rules can be tricky.But worry not.Their forum and Support is Excellent.
[Info] [Download]

8.
TrendMicro HijackThis :
This one's for reporting vulnerabilities and malware.I suggest you handle it with care though.If you suspect a problem,perform a scan and upload the report at any of the windows support forums (you will find dozens on Google.)The people there usually help.Or you can ask me :)
[Download]

9.
Belarc Advisor :
BA is for paranoid geeks like me or for small to medium businesses.The software will scan your computer for vulnerabilities and missing Hotfixes and point you to the downloads.Please remember,this is not a an antivirus scanner,but merely an advisor as to what you are missing.
[Info] [Download]

10.
Notepad++ :
Notepad++ is not only for software programmers.It can replace the original notepad utility on the XP machine.It is useful in many ways,even for the normal user.Take a look at their website for all the features and tricks.
[Info][Download]

11.
Irfanview :
A graphic viewer supporting dozens of formats,some are even obsolete.You can also convert as well as batch convert images between formats.Also incorporates a primitive paintbrush feature,and supports many basic photo editing options for beginners like cropping,etc.
[Info][Download]

12.
CCleaner :
Tere are many 'washers' available in the market to clean up the e-junk in your computer.Most of them are bulky and generally useless.Ccleaner is a small software which does the job.Clearing all the tracks and history from your computer,it also has a built in advanced uninstaller and a tool to remove obsolete entries from the registry.
[Info] [Download]

13.
Pidgin :
Pidgin is a multiplatform multiservice IM client.Basically it allows you to chat at once using a variety of servies including AIM, ICQ, Jabber/XMPP, MSN Messenger, Yahoo!, Bonjour, Gadu-Gadu, IRC, Novell GroupWise Messenger, QQ, Lotus Sametime, SILC, SIMPLE, MySpaceIM, and Zephyr.
[Info][Download]

14.
utorrent :
If you use BitTorrent for sharing files,you probably know about this one.If you don't,Learn more about BitTorrent here. Utorrent is a lightweight torrent client and allows fast addition,deletion of trackers,allows you to create your own torrent files and last but not the least,has a built in scheduler which helps you regulate your bandwidth usage. If you live in a country where ISP's throttle bandwidth,
you can turn on Encryption and to prevent wastage by fakes,apply ipfilter.dat and sleep peacefully :)
[Info][Download]

I hope you find these useful.

Entrecard:do you drop?

noreply@blogger.com (Varun) — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 00:27:00 +0000

A continuation to my blog traffic sites posts,with a twist.

-----------------------Rant-------------------
People nowadays forget that networking sites are about finding new things,as much as getting traffic for your pages.For god's sake atleast take a look at the page when you are surfing through an affiliate site! People leave comments like "Hi! visit my blog!" and it pisses me off no end.Sure,advertise your blog in my shoutbox,but atleast have the decency to leave a comment if you liked my articles! I know I'm no saint,I did indulge in such stuff when i began,but a week into it I realized,some of these sites are really interesting!
-------------------------/rant----------------
Entrecard
I stumbled on to this site while blog-surfing.It's an ingenious idea.The site allows you to create a business card of your site.You must place a card dropbox on your site in return.Fellow site members can drop cards in your dropbox when they visit your site,and you can drop yours on to others.You get one entrecard credit (EC) when you drop your card on another blog and also one when someone drops their card in your box.Profit both ways :D .You can use your amassed EC's to purchase temporary/permanent ads for your page on other sites,and conversely earn more credits by allowing others' ads on your site.There are also bonuses such as coupons,etc.
Do join this site.I found it very useful,and a good traffic source.

the EC Firefox addon :
Now you can surf other EC-enabled blogs via this nice little addon.It optimizes the use of the extremely slow search function of the main site,gets you results faster,and you can visit more pages!

Do leave a comment to tell me if this site was useful
cheers
Varun

Gtalk added services

noreply@blogger.com (Varun) — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 00:25:00 +0000

Personally I love GTalk.It is so simple and uncluttered when compared to others like YIM,etc.Now after some e-rummaging,I found some nice tricks and addons for this app.

1.Running multiple Gtlalk instances:
I have 3 accounts which I give out to different categories of contacts (let's just say I'm Uberorganized).It's such a HUGE pain in the backside to sign out and sign in again using different accounts to talk to my contacts! Not any more,not since I found this while surfing.The trick isn't necessarily new,but hey,I found it very useful..
OK so what you do is look for your Gtalk shortcut.If there isn't one,create it.Now right click it,go to properties.Under target add the startup option 'nomutex' (see image below)

And voila! you can start multiple Gtalk windows,log in to different accounts and blabber away :D

2.There are always too many friends online.Friends and *contacts* with whom you really don't want to chat right now.There is a busy mode for this but that might scare away people you don't mind having a chat with.Worry not,my friends,gAlwaysidle is at your service! Get the setup (small,about 1 megabyte) from here and install.Now log into Gtlak.Right click the gtalk icon in the tray and select always idle.Your status will change to Idle.

Credits: A shoutout to Vedang for this app

3.Chat in Hindi,tamil,etc:
Have to say,this,I didn't know.You can chat in regional language using a google talkbot.Fire up Gtalk and add the following format to your contacts: 2@bot.talk.google.com using one of the following language pairs

ar2en, en2ar (Arabic<->English)
bg2en, en2bg (Bulgarian<->English)
cs2en, en2cs (Czech <-> English)
da2en, en2da (Danish<->English)
de2en, en2de (German<->English)
de2fr, fr2de (German<->French)
el2en, en2el (Greek<->English)
es2en, en2es (Spanish<->English)
fi2en, en2fi (Finnish<->English)
fr2en, en2fr (French<->English)
hi2en, en2hi (Hindi<->English)
hr2en, en2hr (Croatian<->English)
it2en, en2it (Italian<->English)
ja2en, en2ja (Japanese<->English)
ko2en, en2ko (Korean<->English)
nl2en, en2nl (Dutch<->English)
no2en, en2no (Norwegian<->English)
pl2en, en2pl (Polish<->English)
pt2en, en2pt (Portuguese<->English)
ro2en,en2ro (Romanian<->English)
ru2en, en2ru (Russian<->English)
sv2en, en2sv (Swedish<->English)
zh2en, en2zh (Chinese<->English)
zh-hant2en, en2zh-hant (Traditional Chinese<->English)
zh-hant2zh, zh2zh-hant (Traditional Chinese<->Simplified Chinese)

for example to chat in Hindi add en2hi@bot.talk.google.com .In a matter of seconds the bot should add you back.Now when chatting with your friends,open a chat window with the bot.Type in english and send the message to the bot.It will reply in the language you chose.

Ingenious,Indeed!

I also read somewhere that the new Gtalk version will use HTML,CSS to render,like webpages.Some major Skinnage ahead!

Generate Traffic for your site.

noreply@blogger.com (Varun) — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 00:24:00 +0000

It's a problem of every new blogger.15 days into my new blog,I was wondering whether anyone was even reading my blog,sure my friends were,but apart from that,not much traffic.And to tell you the truth there aren't many alternatives,the blog directories(popular ones) have many restrictions put on them,like you should have atleast X number of posts,etc.Then I joined a couple of sites and registered my blog,and traffic started picking up considerably

1.BlogExplosion: It allows surfing random blogs and also there is a nice system of traffic generation on the 'I scratch your back and you scratch mine' principle.Despite that you get many serious readers and make some friends too :) If you want to join click the image below

2.Pijoo: Pijoo is a blogger community where you can share your articles and put them to vote.You will start seeing traffic as more and more people vote for your article.Join the site Here

3.Mybloglog: Mybloglog is a yahoo service similar to pijoo. you can find my profile here

5 things you should know about your Windows computer

noreply@blogger.com (Varun) — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 00:24:00 +0000

1.Helllooo.I.T! Have you tried turning it off and on again? A hit line from 'the IT crowd'. It always cracks me up.But you know what? 75% of the times, that's what does the trick.Your Windows computer starts to play tricks on you,the taskbar's gone,or you can't access a menu,a site freezes up your computer while browsing,your printer won't respond..the list goes on and on.Most of the times,for such niggles,'Have you tried turning it off and on again? is a pretty useful question.

2. There are always programs which you tend to use very sparingly.Most of the times,when you do use them,it's probably for a pretty important reason.However such sparsely used apps can give you a headache when they report a missing file.You might get a message like "The program could not start because xyz.dll is corrupt or missing.Reinstalling the application may fix the problem".Wait! before you start rummaging for the installation CD,there may be a quick fix.Jot down the name of the missing file,say abc.dll.Now go to %systemroot%\system32\dllcache or in most cases c:\WINDOWS\system32\dllcache and look for the file.if you find it,you've hit the jackpot! Copy the file to c:\WINDOWS\system32\ or the program folder (as applicable.If unsure,do it at both places) and see if it works.It should :D

3. #2 above can happen to a system file,and that can cause chaos.No taskbar,random restarts,irritating error messages,it's a right headache.You can solve this problem in a jiffy.Pop in your windows CD.Hit win+r (or start->run if taskbar is working) and type in without the pointies.This will look for corrupted system files from the CD and replace them with healthy copies from the CD.

4.Nowadays flashy softwares are popping up claiming to 'unclutter' your computer.These softwares are themselves bulky and cause a sizeable clutter themselves.How Ironic.In my humble opinion,there is no need for this circus.1 or 2 small applications and a few simple steps ought to do the work for you
The apps you need are a) ATF Cleaner and b) auslogics disk defrag.Use these two regularly and you should be OK.Many softwares claim to 'erase' your internet tracks.Please understand that your computer isn't the only place you leave tracks,so these aren't of much use.

5.Using a 'limited user account' is a very effective way of staying safe while surfing.You can have a dedicated account for surfing the internet.Go to control panel->user accounts and create a limited account.Limited accounts pose restrictions to what commands a program can run,so the risk of malware/viruses is greatly reduced.However it is always essential to run a good Antivirus software.A small disadvantage is that some of your programs may also limit their functionality.However if you do surf the internet for extended periods of time,then this is a very handy (and free!) way of staying relatively safe.

Blue Screen of Death

noreply@blogger.com (Varun) — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 00:22:00 +0000

You spent the whole of last night writing the article for your magazine that's going to get you promoted.Now there you are,coffee mug in hand,pressing the power button.There is the Blue screen of death,the destruction of your coffee mug and the sudden depression that lowers your blood pressure,making you feel faint.It all fits now!

[click to enlarge]
This is what e call a 'blue screen of death'. Now as you can see,there's not much that you can garner about what is wrong,from this.Looks all cryptic doesn't it? Don't worry,it's pretty simple.Following are some things you could do to revive the dead beast.

1.If the BSOD appeared after logging in,try rebooting in the safe mode and remove any new software you installed,or a setting you changed.

2.If the blue screen appears only for half a second and flashes away,restart computer,tap F8 and in the menu select option 'Disable automatic restart on failure'.
Alternatively,got to My Computer,Right click it->properties->advanced->startup and recovery->settings->system failure->uncheck automatic restart.
This will stop the auto restart and now you can read what the screen says.

3.If you can log on to your Windows account(Safe Mode),the simplest thing you can try is System restore to an earlier date. Start->Programs->accessories->system tools->System Restore

If that doesn't work,read further

Okay so now let's try to decrypt the screen.
There are 3 parts of the Blue Screen that are of importance to us

[click to enlarge]

1.The Error Message
2.The Stop Code
3.Faulty file,if any

Right so let's begin

1.
Message : PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA
Code: Stop 0x00000050
Corrupt File : Variable

Microsoft's Explanation:

This Stop message occurs when requested data is not found in memory. The system generates a fault, which normally indicates that the system looks for data in the paging file. In this circumstance, however, the missing data is identified as being located within an area of memory that cannot be paged out to disk. The system faults, but cannot find, the data and is unable to recover. Faulty hardware, a buggy system service, antivirus software, and a corrupted NTFS volume can all generate this type of error.
Link

My Interpretation:

Chances are,you have either a faulty RAM,or a driver issue.Unplug the RAM,remove any dust and plug it back in.Run Memtest for as long as you can.If your RAM fails it,time to buy a new stick.
If you have a driver issue,I suggest the following: Get DCPro and download latest drivers.Uninstall your Drivers,reboot in safe mode and run DCPro.Now install new drivers

-------------------------------

2.
Message : UNEXPECTED_KERNEL_MODE_TRAP
Code : Stop 0x0000007F
Faulty File : variable

Microsoft's explanation:

This Stop message means that one of two types of problems occurred in kernel-mode, either the kind of condition that the kernel is not allowed to have or catch (a bound trap), or an unrecoverable error. Occasionally, this message can be caused by software problems, but the most common cause is hardware failure. It usually occurs after the installation of faulty or mismatched hardware (especially memory) or in the event that installed hardware fails. Setting the CPU to run at speeds above the rated specification (known as overclocking the CPU) can also cause this error.
Link

My Interpretation:

If You overclocked your processor,try reducing the freq. multiplier by 1.Check for faulty motherboard.Look for bloated capacitors,etc.You could also have faulty RAM.Follow procedure for #1 above

-------------------------------

3.
Message : BAD_POOL_CALLER
Code : Stop 0xC2
Faulty File : variable

Microsoft's explanation:
None for XP (weird)

My Interpretation:
It's a Software glitch.Look for the file at the bottom of the BSOD.Try to locate it and understand what it's for (Google helps) It will generally be assosciated with a driver.Install the updated driver.

-------------------------------

4.
Message : DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL
Code : Stop 0x000000D1
Faulty File : generally vsdatant.sys

Microsoft's explanation:
None specific for XP

My Interpretation:
The Most common problem seen.
Possibility 1: reset BIOS settings
Possibility 2: You have ZoneAlarm product installed? I thought so.Get rid of it.You don't know how much frustgration I've had because of this BSOD
right click on ZA uninstaller and under path put '/clean /rmlicense' at the end (without the quotes).However make sure you have your ZA key safe for future installations.

---------------------------
5.
Message : NTFS_FILE_SYSTEM
Code : Stop 0x00000024
Faulty File : generally ntfs.sys

Microsoft's explanation:
None for XP

My Interpretation:
Run the checkdisk utility Win+r-> chkdsk /f.there may be some error with the file system.Check if both the Hard disk cables are tight enough.If you can't get into windows at all,Insert windows CD in the drive,boot rom CD and select the option repair current installation of windows.You will be directed to a DOS console.you can enter chkdsk /f there to perform disk check.

---------------------------
6.
Message : DRIVER_POWER_STATE_FAILURE
Code : Stop 0x0000009F
Faulty File : variable

Microsoft's explanation:
This behavior occurs when drivers do not handle power state transition requests properly. The error message most often occurs during one of the following actions:
• Shutting down
• Suspending or resuming from Standby mode
• Suspending or resuming from Hibernate mode

Link

My Interpretation:
Probably your Drivers again.If you just updated them,try Rolling Back to previous version.If not,try newer version.Disable and re-enable hibernate option if using it.

-----------------------

7.
Message : UNMOUNTABLE_BOOT_VOLUME
Code : Stop 0x000000ED
Faulty File : variable

Microsoft's explanation:
1.The file system is damaged and cannot be mounted.
2.You use a standard 40-wire connector cable to connect the UDMA drive to the controller instead of the required 80-wire, 40-pin cable.
3.The basic input/output system (BIOS) settings are configured to force the faster UDMA modes.
Link

My Interpretation:
Same as that of Microsoft's.Insert the WINXP cd and go to recovery console and perform chkdsk /r.It should Work.
If it does not,then there is another possibility.
Warning: Use this method at your own risk.It may causeyou to lose your partitions.You have been warned
Method:
In recovery console,type fixmbr and hit enter.Windows tries to fix your Master boot record.Reboot.

-----------------------------------------

So there you have it,the 7 most common Blue screens explained.

Best Free Software - Launchy

noreply@blogger.com (Varun) — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 00:21:00 +0000

Launchy is a Open Source Keystroke Launcher,or in a lay man's term a '1 stroke program launcher'.It's the simple yet undoubtedly useful concept behind this,which has captivated me.There are 2 kinds of Windows users:
1. The ones those patiently go through the Start Menu tree to Launch their programs
2. Ones with a desktop cluttered with shortcuts (Looks disgusting,frankly)

Launchy takes care of both kinds,by offering a simple interface.

[Click to enlarge]

Like I said it's very simple,only a search box and a result thumbnail space.Start typing in a few letters of the desired program,and launchy shows you possible programs/files matching your query.

See the simplicity? Launchy starts up with Windows itself and once you get the hang of it,it's bye bye start menu and cluttered desktops.

Now before you start twiddling your fingers,there's a few things to be done.Our pal launchy ain't no psychic.We have to tell it what to search for and where.It's very simple.

Step 1 : Press Alt+Space (this is the default shortcut for bringing up launchy)
Step 2 : Right Click the Launchy window and select 'Options'.
Step 3 : Click the 'Catalog' tab.

[Click to enlarge]

Step 4 : Click the add (+) button under 'Directories' to add a custom folders (Remember the first 4 entries should be there by default,so you can launch programs,etc right away).I've added my songs folder
Step 5 : OK,so now we have told launchy where to look.Now lets specify what to look for.So Click on the directory you have just added.Now,to the left there is a box to specify what kind of files to search.Add your extension to the box provided (in my case *.mp3) and hit '+'.
Step 6 : Hit rescan catalog and then OK.Congratulations! you have done it.

Now to test it,try typing in something that you know is in the folder (in my case a song) and launchy should start giving you hints.

[Click to enlarge]

Other features :

1.Launchy acts as a calculator as well.Simply enter some algebra in the launchy window and it will be solved once you hit enter.
2.Launchy comes with a 'weby' plugin that allows you to get results from search engines of your choice.Setting it up is quite easy.Once done,type search engine name,then a tad and then the query

[Click to enlarge]

[Click to enlarge]

Potential Problems : On rare occasions, launchy has abruptly stopped functioning,so you have to restart it using..here's the kicker..the start menu.However this has happened only once or twice and i've been using launchy for months now.

Varun's Rating : Personally i have fallen in love with this app.It's very user friendly,packed with nifty features.Haven't seen any drawbacks at all.I'd say a 4/5 for this one

Launchy is a free software.You can get it by visiting the author's page here

Hello World

noreply@blogger.com (Varun) — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 00:04:00 +0000

Hello Blogosphere! And welcome to The TechPrescription. My other blog 'Varun's Vagaries' has been doing very well,but lately I've been feeling like it's digressed from being a personal blog due to my technical articles.So I decided to take a chill pill and start a tech blog.So here we are

enjoy your stay, and keep coming back!