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Top 10 PS3 Games of 2012

2012-07-07T20:15:00.002-07:00

2011 was a great year for all PlayStation lovers with the launch of some remarkable great games like Resistance 3, Modern Warfare 3, Skyrim to name a few. If you’re hoping that this year is gonna be less crowded, then you’re out of luck since this year tons of exclusives are going to be launched. Here are some of the best games that all Gaming freaks are looking forward to in 2012.

Top 10 PS3 Games of 2012 are

#1. Resident Evil 6

Resident Evil 6 is the latest installment in the highly successful Resident Evil series. It is the first time that any Resident Evil game will span across the world, killing the zombified President onUnited Statesand venturing in the Far-East to look for answers to the latest virus outbreak. It is the most ambitious title of Capcom till date, offering the largest cast of characters.

#2. Mass Effect 3

Bioware’s finale to the gaming’s greatest series, Mass Effect 3, is a role-playing that lets you live out your wildest sci-fi fantasies, as an intergalactic ass-kicker, Commander

Shepard. Mass Effect 3 is a game that should be played by everyone that likes space and guns. Packed with gleaming visuals, routing set pieces and a complex narration, Mass Effect 3 truly lives to its title.

#3. Twisted Metal

With the original creator David Jaffe at its side, you can be sure that Twisted Metal has much to offer. It was originally created as a downloadable PSN title, this reboot of the classic vehicular combat series grew to a full retail release. You will take part in a 16-player online battle attempting to kill your enemies in new game modes. With new environments, deep customizations, co-op mode, Twisted Metal provides a criminally overlooked genre.

#4. The Darkness 2

It’s one of those rare sequels that took something great from its originals and jacks the power tenfold. In Darkness 2, as mobster kingpin, Jackie Estacado, it’s your job to send the cult leader Victor Valente packing a mixture of guns and a pair of flesh-ripping demon arms. The Darkness 2 allows you to do some of the nasty things with your enemies, like removing their entire spine through their groin.

#5. Batman – Arkham City

WithArkhamCity, Bruce Wayne returns to action. the smart action-played follow-up to Batman – Arkham Asylum. The solid foundation of the previous installment, and adding new hard-hitting attacks, bat-gadgets, detective work and an expansive playground inGotham’s slums. The criminal minds include some familiar faces like Catwoman, Joker and some new faces like Calender man, Hugo Strange and Solomon Grundy. Batman -ArkhamCityis a candidate to the prestigious “Game of the year” award.

#6. SSX

SSX has returned to PlayStation after a 7-year gap and no wonder, it’s a slick and speedy reboot for EA’s snowboarding franchise. 2012 SSX takes the players on a global tour of world’s most famous mountain peaks. Multiplayer mode is too addictive, looking towards your friends’ times, stunt scores etc. SSX truly lives to the huge popularity of the previous installments

#7. Assassin’s Creed 3

Set during the War of independence in theU.S.A., and completely away from theOld World, players take the role of the young Mohawk named Connor in the third installment of the highly popular franchise. Connor joins Assassins not for revenge like Ezio, but for the fight for justice. Assassin’s Creed 3 is a new starting point to the Assassin’s Creed franchise as it allows the players to go to the basics, with a brand new legacy.

#8. Street Fighter X Tekken

Street Fighter X Tekken is the best game that takes it into vogue once more with the best roster of fighters in the history ever. Street Fighter X Tekken is collecting praises from all over the world for its extreme game play. With cross-series punch-ups, with the sharp and chunky visuals, it provides the glossy finish to the complex combat system. Street

Fighter X Tekken takes you to a whirlwind of adrenaline rush.

#9. GTA 5

Grand Theft Auto, the name is enough to shell out the money to get your hands on it. Grand Theft Auto 5 follows the previous installments, but with a darker, more realistic tone. The game takes place in Los Santos – the City ofLost Saints. Players take a role of a crime boss attempting to become straight, only to find himself back in the underworld.

#10. UFC Undisputed 3

If you don’t enjoy the Street Fighter delights, then try out UFC undisputed 3. It provides some bone splintering violence, brutal brawling sim standing in the corner. With fully licensed roster of all your favorite UFC stars, you get a tactile control system and authentic combat; this is the only fighter worth your time. Don’t forget to watch the movie by the same name, Undisputed 3 that too is just superb.

So folks, here I’m done with sharing my list of Top 10 PS3 Games. If I messed, do let us know via comments.

300,000 Infected Computers to Go Offline Monday

2012-07-06T21:03:00.000-07:00

As many as 300,000 PCs and Macs will drop off the Internet in about 65 hours unless their owners heed last-minute calls to scrub their machines of malware.

According to a group of security experts formed to combat DNSChanger, between a quarter-million and 300,000 computers, perhaps many more, were still infected as of July 2.

DNSChanger hijacked users' clicks by modifying their computers' domain name system (DNS) settings to send URL requests to the criminals' own servers, a tactic that shunted victims to hacker-created sites that resembled real domains.

At one point, as many as 4 million PCs and Macs were infected with the malware, which earned its makers $14 million, U.S. federal authorities have said.

Infected machines will lose their link to the Internet at 12:01 a.m. ET Monday, July 9, when replacement DNS servers go dark.

The servers, which have been maintained under a federal court order by Internet Systems Consortium (ISC), the non-profit group that maintains the popular BIND DNS open-source software, were deployed last year after the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) seized more than 100 command-and-control (C&C) systems during the take-down of the hacker gang responsible for DNSChanger.

The FBI's "Operation Ghost Click" ended with arrests of six Estonian men -- a seventh, a Russian, remains at large -- the C&C seizures, and the substitution of the replacement servers. Without the substitutes, DNSChanger-infected systems would have been immediately knocked off the Internet.

Originally, the stand-in servers were to be turned off March 8, but a federal judge extended the deadline to July 9.

It's not just consumer PCs and Macs -- DNSChanger was equal-opportunity malware -- that remain infected, but also corporate computers and systems at government agencies, said Tacoma, Wash.-based Internet Identity (IID), which has been monitoring cleanup efforts.

Last week, IID said that its scans showed 12% of Fortune 500 firms, or about one out of every eight, harbored DNSChanger-compromised computers or routers. And two out of 55 scanned U.S. government departments or agencies -- or 3.6% -- also had failed to scrub all their PCs and Macs.

The newest numbers were down from earlier scans by IID. In March, for example, the company pegged the Fortune 500 DNSChanger infection rate at 19% and the government agency rate at 9%.

In January, both groups' rate was an amazing 50%.

But there are still tens of thousands of laggards who have not cleaned their computers, even after a months-long effort by the DNSChanger Working Group (DCWG), a volunteer organization of security professionals and companies.

"We're all struggling with this," said Rod Rasmussen, chief technology officer of IID and a member of the DCWG. "There are a lot of people who just haven't gotten the word."

The cleanup, Rasmussen said, has been the tough part of the DNSChanger takedown.

"There was a lot of planning done for the initial takedown, the arrests, the swapping of servers, but there wasn't as much for after the take-down," said Rasmussen. "How do we clean things up? Victim remediation is a challenge for our industry. Everyone wants to do it, but how do you pay for it?"

The DCWG worked extensively with ISPs (Internet service providers) to help them alert customers with infected computers -- identified by their being shuttled through the replacement servers -- and advise them on removing the malware. The group also reached out to enterprises, government agencies and other organizations to offer the same assistance.

At times, that worked.

"Some ISPs have been very draconian," said Rasmussen, citing providers that repeatedly called, emailed or phoned members with infected computers. "Some worked hard at a fair amount of expense."

Others instead prepared for the support calls they expect to field starting Monday when startled customers realize they can't get online. "They're staffing up for [Monday], they know that they're going to get [a large number of calls]."

For those that have done nothing, Monday will be rough, Rasmussen predicted. "For some ISPs, this may be a real flap," he said.

But the project was sometimes frustrating.

One company, which Rasmussen would not name, had cleaned all its machines of DNSChanger, but was repeatedly re-infected. Finally, the firm discovered that laptops connecting to its public Wi-Fi network were spreading the malware, and even narrowed the list of suspects to the media because the timing of the re-infections coincided with press events the corporation held on its campus.

Even so, the effort has been worthwhile, not simply to ameliorate the impact, but as a learning experience for future such takedowns, or of "sinkholing" botnets in general.

"What we need in the future is a real-time alerting capability," said Rasmussen, and described a system that would immediately notify a user if his or her computer had been shunted to a substitute server. The idea was discussed by the DCWG, but never implemented because it would have required much more hardware and support than was available.

"Someone has to support this volunteer effort," said Rasmussen, who didn't have an answer for where that support, whether financial or other resources, would come from.

Two of the Internet biggest companies have also pitched with their own anti-DNSChanger campaigns.

In late May, Google began warning infected users with a bannered message at the top of the company's search results page. Several days later, Facebook kicked off a similar alert for its members.

Users have access to several free tools that identify infected computers, including several that just debuted under the DCWG's auspices. In the U.S., for example, users can steer to the dns-ok.uswebsite. Other detection sites are listed on the DCWG's domain.

The DCWG's website also has links to free tools that remove the malware.

But perhaps the loss of the Web is the only wake-up call some users will hear, Rasmussen said.

A few in the DCWG lobbied to stick to the original March 8 deadline and against an extension, believing that only a "tough love" approach would work, said Rasmussen.

"Some people haven't been paying attention to the messages," he said. "It's not a lot, but they're very reticent to do anything."

Apple Siri Versus Google Jelly Bean: Voice Search Showdown

2012-07-06T07:35:00.002-07:00

Google Jelly Bean on a Galaxy Nexus bests Apple's Siri on iOS in our mobile voice search face-off.

By Armando Rodriguez and Liviu Oprescu, PCWorld Jul 3, 2012 7:10 am

One of the big enhancements in the Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean) operating system update that Google announced on June 27 is improved voice recognition in search. You can now ask your Android phone questions in a natural way--meaning you no longer have to sound like a robot to get answers.

We wondered which service is better at answering questions: Android's Voice Search or Apple's much-touted Siri. To test the services, we assembled a list of 17 questions or commands, and asked them of a Galaxy Nexus running Jelly Bean and an iPhone 4S running iOS 5.

A quick disclaimer: Apple has greatly improved Siri in iOS 6, but we weren't able to get our hands on the beta to test it. And the version of Jelly Bean we received from the Google I/O developer conference was not the final version, which will come to phones in mid-July.

Our results? Siri and the new voice recognition software in Jelly Bean each have their fair share of pros and cons. In the end, Android came out ahead on 8 of the 17 questions and commands we posed.

Here's a breakdown of how well each phone handled each question or task.

Question 1: "Where Is the Empire State Building?"

Siri seemed to have trouble understanding this question, while Jelly Bean produced a map that gave us the address of the Empire State Building in New York. For now, Android has the upper hand when it comes to locating famous buildings.

Winner: Android Jelly Bean

Question 2: "Will I Need an Umbrella on Sunday?"

The first few times we asked this question, Siri gave us directions to the nearest department stores. We believe that it may have been trying to point us to places that sold umbrellas, rather than answering our weather question.

When Siri finally realized that we were asking about the weather, it informed us that it could not predict what the weather would be on Sunday, and showed us a graphic displaying the local weather forecast for the next five days. Android told us that we wouldn't need an umbrella on Sunday, and also produced a five-day forecast.

Winner: Android Jelly Bean

Question 3: "Show Me Pictures of Mount Rushmore"

Android automatically brought up a small grid of images, while Siri asked if we wanted to perform a Web search. Siri finally showed us what we had asked for, but it required an extra step.

Winner: Android Jelly Bean

Question 4: "Where Can I Get a Taco Around Here?"

Siri, which pulls its results from Yelp, brought up 20 restaurants in the area that had tacos on the menu. Android presented a map of places that served tacos, but only one establishment was nearby; the rest were spread throughout the city. We have to hand it to Siri on this one, due to the number of results and owing to how close they were to our approximate location.

Winner: Apple Siri

Question 5: "What's the Capital of Canada?"

Both phones came up with an answer, but Android was faster at fetching a result.

Winner: Android Jelly Bean

Question 6: "Get Me Directions to the California Academy of Sciences"

As with the Empire State Building question, Android immediately brought up a map with the location of the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco, and started opening Google Maps to give us directions.

Siri found two entries for the California Academy of Sciences, and required us to select the correct entry before proceeding to give us directions.

Winner: Android Jelly Bean

Question 7: "How Old Is Stan Lee?"

Both Siri and Android gave us an answer, but Google showed us a picture of Marvel's Stan Lee and read the answer to us.

Winner: Android Jelly Bean

Question 8: "Who Was the Number One Pick in the NBA Draft Last Year?"

Neither Siri nor Android had an answer to this question, and both defaulted to performing a Google search instead.

How to Maintain Your Android Phone

2012-07-04T10:03:00.002-07:00

Android phones can become slow and clunky with age, but these tips can help get your phone running like new again.

By Armando Rodriguez, PCWorld Jun 27, 2012 6:30 am

Your Android phone is a powerful computer. But like any other computer, it won't run at its best without proper care and maintenance. If you've ever owned an Android phone, you probably noticed that it became slower after a few months of use than it was when you first brought it home from the store. There are several reasons for this phenomenon, and in this article I'll explain how to get your Android smartphone back into tip-top shape. You can accomplish a lot of what I'll be recommending here by performing a simple factory reset; but if you take that approach, you'll lose your data and have to reconfigure your phone. So instead, grab your Android phone and follow these steps to get it running like new again.

Clear the Cache

Android phone maintenance: Clearing the cache.Have an app that's always crashing? Rather than force-closing or uninstalling it, try clearing its cache. This simple step will help resolve most of the issues that troublesome apps may be experiencing--and it won't create new problems, as forcing the app to shut down might. To clear an application's cache, open the Settings menu on your phone and click Applications. Then select Manage Applications and tap the app that's been having problems. Don't worry--all of your data and settings will remain intact; you're just getting rid of temporary files that may be causing difficulties.

Uninstall Apps

Check your app drawer for apps you don't use or need.Even though it's my job to love apps (and I do love them), improperly written ones can cause all sorts of trouble for your Android phone. Built-in problems can range from storing critical data as a plain-text file in your memory card to sullying your notification bar with constant updates that can't be disabled.

Consider the official Facebook app: Opening it automatically turns on your GPS, in case you want to upload a photo or create a status update that shares your current location. That's fine and dandy, except that the app periodically forgets to turn off your phone's GPS once it's done using it, wasting precious battery power and leaving you scrambling for the nearest outlet. Even apps you aren't intentionally using may be running processes in the background that waste resources for no good reason.

Unfortunately, task killers are generally ineffective at combating this problem, so your only practical option is to open your app drawer and uninstall apps that you don't regularly use. Doing so will open up space on your phone for more music, videos, and pictures, and it will help reduce the number of apps that are running in the background.

Clean Out Your Memory Card

Cleaning out your SD Card may not boost your phone's performance, but it makes sense to remove any old or unused files that are just taking up space on the card. To identify the biggest hogs on your memory card, I recommend installing DiskUsage. This app shows you which files on your phone are taking up the most room, though you'll have to plug your phone into a computer or use a file browsing app (such as Astro) to delete the unneeded files.DiskUsage shows you what's on your SD Card.

You should do this whenever you uninstall applications, largely because some apps leave folders of data behind when they're uninstalled. If your phone is rooted, you can download the SD Maid appto automatically clear out old junk files. SD Maid also lets you freeze or remove any bloatware that came preinstalled on your smartphone--so you can finally get rid of the annoying Blockbuster app that continually asks you for updates.

Root Your Phone

If you don't mind voiding your warranty, rooting can breathe new life into an ancient Android phone. We've described how to root your Android phone countless times in the past, so you can refer to one of those guides when you're ready to walk through the actual process. A rooted phone gives you complete control over your Android device: You can remove unwanted bloatware, install root-only applications, and even load custom ROMs that change the look and feel of Android on your phone.

Another benefit of rooting is that you no longer have to depend on your carrier for Android updates. While everyone else is waiting for their phone to receive Android 4.0, you can probably find a ROM for your phone that will give you a taste of Ice Cream Sandwich a few weeks or months before the update officially appears.

Rooting isn't without its hazards, however, and a serious mistake can render your phone unusable. In my opinion, though, the benefits are worth the risks, especially if you have an older Android phone; it's definitely an option you should consider if you aren't satisfied with your current Android situation.

VLC Player Beta Lands on Android

2012-07-04T10:02:00.000-07:00

VLC, the free media player popular for its capability to play most media formats, is now available for Android phones. You can get VLC for Android beta as a free download on Google Play, although you should wait for the final version if you’re not a power user.

The player supports most media file types.

The prospect of VLC for Android is much less exciting than the brief appearance of a version for iPhones back in 2010 (which was pulled a couple of months later). iPhone users have a very limited choice of media formats they can play natively on their devices, but for Android, apps like BS Player, Dice, or MX Player do the job well already.

Nevertheless, VLC for Android is a welcome addition to the market -- as long as you keep in mind it’s a beta. This means the current version runs only on phones with ARMv7 CPUs with NEON support (no luck for entry-level Android phone owners). The programmers list on Google Play a number of features now unfinished but which will appear in the final release, such as the basic user interface, performance, and some audio issues.

If you have one of the supported phones, then VLC for Android beta will give you access to your entire video and media library on the phone, with full search capabilities, including support for network streams, and subtitles (embedded and external) -- which is especially handy if you like watching foreign films.

Hardware decoding works with a limited set of hardware, which means some phones will experience stuttery video. Two devices currently support hardware acceleration on MKV video at 720p: the HTC One X and the Samsung Galaxy S III, with the Galaxy Nexus and S II able to manage 720p video as well.

VLC for Android supports embedded and separate file subtitles, but you need hardware acceleration support for smooth playback.

Video decoding hardware acceleration is not enabled by default, so you will have to enable it from the preferences pane if your device is supported, which should give you smooth video playback with no decoding artifacts. You can also use the included widget for audio controls, which displays cover art and gives you access to the media library.

CDs Are Not Forever: The Truth About CD/DVD Longevity, Mold & Rot‏

2012-07-04T09:57:00.000-07:00

The digital age has revolutionized the way we handle information. Never before could humankind record and store so much information and in such diversity. While the amount of data has increased exponentially, the predicted life span of the storage media hardly exceeds the lifetime of a human. For humans who love to collect and leave a legacy to their descendants, as well as human kind who so much depends on information, this poses a huge challenge.

Optical discs have been commercially available since the 1980s. After merely 30 years, a solid amount of information has been collected on what causes CDs and DVDs to break and much progress has been made in the development of material that will last longer. While estimations predict a life time of up to 200 years for optical discs, we can never be sure when they are really going to break. However, by being aware of what determines the life span of optical discs and what causes them to break, you can make choices and significantly increase the survival time of your stored data.

Let's examine this case in detail...

What Determines The Life Span Of Different Optical Discs?

To understand what limits the life span of optical discs, let's look at how they are built-up. What all optical discs have in common is the presence of three key layers:

coating layer that protects the reflective layer.
shiny layer that reflects the laser.
polycarbonate disc layer that stores the data.

In addition, a label is applied above the coating layer and re-writable discs contain a dye layer between the reflective and protective layers.

One factor that determines the maximum life span of an optical disc is the type of reflective layer. Other factors include the overall quality of the raw material and manufacturing and most importantly the way the medium is treated by the user. The handling of an optical disc probably has the most significant impact on its longevity, hence we will re-visit this theme in a moment.

It is hard to predict exactly how long an optical disc will last since it depends on so many different factors. Nevertheless, estimations are floating around that predict a life span of up to 200 years for recorded CD-Rs and Blu-Ray discs. The shortest life span with 5-10 years is predicted for unrecorded CD-Rs and CD-RWs, followed by recorded DVD-RWs with up to 30 years. Recorded CD-RWs and DVD-Rs have a predicted lifetime of 20-100 years. In other words, you should not rely on any of these media for lifelong storage of your precious data, as they are likely to fail sooner rather than later.

How Do CDs or DVDs Rot?

As mentioned above, different types of optical discs contain different layers and particularly the reflective layer is subsceptible to damage. Standard compact discs typically have a reflective layer made from aluminum. When exposed to air, aluminum oxidizes, which naturally happens around the edges of the CD. However, degradation of the reflective layer is not the only cause of disc rot.

The causes of disc rot are manifold and can include one of the following:

oxidation or corrosion of reflective layer
physical damage to disc surfaces or edges
galvanic reaction between layers and coatings
chemical reactions with contaminants
ultra-violet light damage
breaking down of disc materials, e.g. de-bonding of adhesives between layers

Interestingly, while most types of disc rot are caused by inappropriate use and/or storage, there is one in particular, i.e. CD bronzing, which is caused by a fault in manufacturing.

How Can I Check Whether My Optical Discs Are OK?

You can do a simple visual check. If you see light shining through tiny little holes when you hold a disc against light, then the reflective layer has started to disintegrate. Also check your CDs for discoloring, especially around the edges. See whether the different layers are still tightly together or have started to de-laminate. Finally, you can try to copy the optical discs to a hard drive or scan them for data integrity using different software, e.g. CDCheck or dvddisaster.

How Can I Increase The Lifetime Of My CDs & DVDs?

There are many ways you can increase the likelihood that your CDs and DVDs will last you a long time. Here is a selection of the most important ones:

Choose a high quality medium from a good brand.
If you want to maximize CD longevity, go for gold as a reflective layer.
Treat your CDs and DVDs with care, i.e. hold them by the outer edges or the hole in the center, don't touch the surface, avoid scratches, and keep dirt from the disc.
Keep them in a dry, dark, and cool place since humidity, sunlight, high temperatures, and pollutants can damage the different layers.
Store them in jewel cases rather than paper slips.
Use non solvent-based felt-tip permanent markers, suitable for writing on CD or DVD labels.
Rewrite your rewritable discs as little as possible.
Choose slow writing speeds to reduce errors and increase quality.

What Can I Do When My Disc Won't Read?

A disc that can no longer be read by your player or shows errors is not necessarily a lost case. Here area few tips for what you can do to:

Make sure you didn't accidentally insert the CD or DVD upside down.
Carefully clean the bottom layer with alcohol to remove grease from fingerprints and dust.
Try to read the CD or DVD in a different player. Chances are that the laser in your player is faulty or that a different player can still read your CD or DVD.

Conclusion

Always have a backup of your data and check all our backups regularly to make sure none of the copies have broken in the meantime, regardless of whether you store your data on a CD, DVD, or hard drive.

What kind of data do you store on optical discs and how do you back up software, music, or movies you buy on a physical disc?

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2012-07-04T09:56:00.000-07:00

Let's examine this case in detail...

What Determines The Life Span Of Different Optical Discs?

To understand what limits the life span of optical discs, let's look at how they are built-up. What all optical discs have in common is the presence of three key layers:

coating layer that protects the reflective layer.
shiny layer that reflects the laser.
polycarbonate disc layer that stores the data.

In addition, a label is applied above the coating layer and re-writable discs contain a dye layer between the reflective and protective layers.

How Do CDs or DVDs Rot?

The causes of disc rot are manifold and can include one of the following:

oxidation or corrosion of reflective layer
physical damage to disc surfaces or edges
galvanic reaction between layers and coatings
chemical reactions with contaminants
ultra-violet light damage
breaking down of disc materials, e.g. de-bonding of adhesives between layers

Interestingly, while most types of disc rot are caused by inappropriate use and/or storage, there is one in particular, i.e. CD bronzing, which is caused by a fault in manufacturing.

How Can I Check Whether My Optical Discs Are OK?

How Can I Increase The Lifetime Of My CDs & DVDs?

There are many ways you can increase the likelihood that your CDs and DVDs will last you a long time. Here is a selection of the most important ones:

Choose a high quality medium from a good brand.
If you want to maximize CD longevity, go for gold as a reflective layer.
Treat your CDs and DVDs with care, i.e. hold them by the outer edges or the hole in the center, don't touch the surface, avoid scratches, and keep dirt from the disc.
Keep them in a dry, dark, and cool place since humidity, sunlight, high temperatures, and pollutants can damage the different layers.
Store them in jewel cases rather than paper slips.
Use non solvent-based felt-tip permanent markers, suitable for writing on CD or DVD labels.
Rewrite your rewritable discs as little as possible.
Choose slow writing speeds to reduce errors and increase quality.

What Can I Do When My Disc Won't Read?

A disc that can no longer be read by your player or shows errors is not necessarily a lost case. Here area few tips for what you can do to:

Make sure you didn't accidentally insert the CD or DVD upside down.
Carefully clean the bottom layer with alcohol to remove grease from fingerprints and dust.
Try to read the CD or DVD in a different player. Chances are that the laser in your player is faulty or that a different player can still read your CD or DVD.

Conclusion

What kind of data do you store on optical discs and how do you back up software, music, or movies you buy on a physical disc?

How To Find Specific File Type Results Only

2012-07-03T09:24:00.003-07:00

In this post I’ll show you simple google search hack to find specific file type results as pdf, doc …

1) For example , if you want to display PDF results only type: “ethical hacking ” filetype:pdf

2) For example , if you want to display DOC results only type: “ethical hacking ” filetype:doc

3) For example , if you want to display PPT results only type: “ethical hacking ” filetype:ppt

What is cloud computing?

2012-07-01T19:29:00.003-07:00

What is cloud computing?

Everyone is talking about “the cloud.” But what does it mean?

Business applications are moving to the cloud. It’s not just a fad—the shift from traditional software models to the Internet has steadily gained momentum over the last 10 years. Looking ahead, the next decade of cloud computing promises new ways to collaborate everywhere, through mobile devices.

Life before cloud computing

Traditional business applications have always been very complicated and expensive. The amount and variety of hardware and software required to run them are daunting. You need a whole team of experts to install, configure, test, run, secure, and update them.

When you multiply this effort across dozens or hundreds of apps, it’s easy to see why the biggest companies with the best IT departments aren’t getting the apps they need. Small and mid-sized businesses don’t stand a chance.

Cloud computing: a better way

With cloud computing, you eliminate those headaches because you’re not managing hardware and software—that’s the responsibility of an experienced vendor like salesforce.com. The shared infrastructure means it works like a utility: You only pay for what you need, upgrades are automatic, and scaling up or down is easy.

Cloud-based apps can be up and running in days or weeks, and they cost less. With a cloud app, you just open a browser, log in, customize the app, and start using it.

Businesses are running all kinds of apps in the cloud, like customer relationship management (CRM), HR, accounting, and much more. Some of the world’s largest companies moved their applications to the cloud with salesforce.com after rigorously testing the security and reliability of our infrastructure.

As cloud computing grows in popularity, thousands of companies are simply rebranding their non-cloud products and services as “cloud computing.” Always dig deeper when evaluating cloud offerings and keep in mind that if you have to buy and manage hardware and software, what you’re looking at isn’t really cloud computing but a false cloud.

Cloud 2: Mobility and collaboration

The latest innovations in cloud computing are making our business applications even more mobile and collaborative, similar to popular consumer apps like Facebook and Twitter. As consumers, we now expect that the information we care about will be pushed to us in real time, and business applications in the cloud are heading in that direction as well. With Cloud 2, keeping up with your work is as easy as keeping up with your personal life on Facebook.

100 ROMANTIC IDEAS

2012-06-30T00:40:00.004-07:00

IDEA # 1

If your partner is going away for a few days, tell her that you are worried about her so you have organized a bodyguard to look after her. Then give her a
small teddy bear.

IDEA # 2

Buy a packet of glow in the dark stars and stick the stars on the roof above your bed to spell out a message such as "I Love You" When the lights go
down, your message will be revealed!

IDEA # 3

On a special occasion, buy your partner eleven real red roses and one artificial red rose. Place the artificial rose in the center of the bouquet.

Attach a card that says:

“I will love you until the last rose fades.”

IDEA # 4

Buy the domain name of your partner's name if it is available for example www.TanyaJohnston.com. Create a web page containing a romantic poem and a picture of a rose. When your partner is surfing the web, casually ask whether she has ever checked to see whether her domain name is taken. Let her type it in to discover her page.

IDEA # 5

Buy a stylish hand mirror and give it to your partner as a gift. Include a card in the box saying

“In this mirror you will see the image of the most beautiful woman in the world.”

IDEA # 6

Take a book that your partner is reading and using a pencil, underline letters in a section of the book she has yet to read to spell out a love letter. For example in the following exert from a novel, the underlined letters come together to spell out the secret message "I love you"

The palace was a labyrinth, their passage through it tortuous and interminable. Initially they passed from building to building under the sodden sky. Steve's feet ached; he might have laughed at himself, the tireless traveler, grown too soft from his months in the city to walk any proper distance. Abruptly the guards halted.

The underlined letters will make your partner curious and with a bit of luck she will write them down. Spend time to encode a proper message such as "Dear
Belinda, I love you honey"

IDEA # 7

Have flowers delivered to your partner's workplace. She will not only enjoy

the flowers but will also receive comments and attention from her office mates which will add to her enjoyment.

IDEA # 8

While walking with your partner on a weekend getaway, pick up a smooth stone and say that you're going to keep it as a special memento of your trip. Later, have a message such as

"I Love Rebecca"

engraved into the stone by a jeweler and give it to your partner.

IDEA # 9

Drive into the country, find a grassy hill and lie with your partner and look up at the clouds.

Play the kid’s game of looking for shapes in the cloud formations.

IDEA # 10

Get a piece of paper and some crayons. Draw a bright childlike picture with a smiley sun and two stick figures holding hands. Add labels with your two names pointing to the stick figures. Write "I Love You" inside a heart.

Next get a large formal envelope. Place your drawing inside and type up a formal address label of your partner's work such as:

For the immediate and urgent attention of: Rebecca Jones
Level 20

Collins & Smith Solicitors

New York

Mail it to your partner so she receives it in the middle of a busy day.

IDEA # 11

Memorize one of Shakespeare's love sonnets and recite it to your partner when you are in a romantic setting like a botanical garden. Don't just suddenly start reciting poetry as this will just sound corny.

While you are cuddling your partner, ask in a joking manner, "So is now a

good time to recite a love poem to you?" She will probably say yes, expecting you to come up with something of the "Roses are Red..." variety.

Instead, look into her eyes, smile and recite the sonnet while you gently stroke her face. Try the sonnet below. If this is too long, just memorize the first four lines and the last two.

Shakespeare Love Sonnet 18

Shall I compare thee to a summer's day? Thou art more lovely and more temperate. Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May, And summer's lease hath all too short a date. Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines, And often is his gold complexion dimmed,
And every fair from fair sometime declines,

By chance or nature's changing course untrimmed. But thy eternal summer shall not fade,
Nor lose possession of that fair thou owest,

Nor shall Death brag thou wander'st in his shade

When in eternal lines to time thou grow'st.

So long as men can breathe, or eyes can see, So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.

IDEA # 12

If your partner has to work late, take a lunch box and fill it with some of her favorite things such as chocolates, herbal tea, cookies, a small teddy bear.

Next, get a piece of paper and write

"Michelle's Late Night Survival Pack"

Draw a big red cross below this and stick the paper to the top of the box. Tell your partner to open the box when things get really tough.

IDEA # 13

If you are walking by a park, visit the swings and give your partner a ride.

This will often bring back happy memories from her childhood.

IDEA # 14

Leave a long stem rose where your partner will find it with a note on it saying:

"Thank you for coming into my life."

IDEA # 15

If your partner is starting a new job, buy a copy of "The Sound Of Music" sound track. Tape the song, "I Have Confidence" onto a tape and add your own message at the end of the song saying,

"Good Luck honey, I have confidence in you." Give the tape to your partner to play on the way to work in the car.

IDEA # 16

Buy a small decorated cardboard box, a sheet of colored tissue paper, some massage oil and a blank card.

Line the box with the tissue paper. Place the massage oil in the box and write the following message on the card:

I know a great Masseur. For an appointment ring:
(Your Phone Number)

IDEA # 17

When your spouse has had a really long hard day, run a hot bath for her.

Pour some fragrant bath oil into the tub and gently bathe her from head to toe. Carry her into the bedroom. Gently towel her dry and tuck her into a freshly
made bed with a kiss on the forehead.

IDEA # 18

For this idea you will need a portable CD player. If you and your partner have a favorite song, get a copy of it on CD and take it with you when you go away for a romantic weekend.

When you are in a romantic spot, ask your partner if she would like to dance. Place one earpiece in her ear and one in your own and enjoy your private dance floor.

This technique is particularly effective if the romantic spot you have chosen is somewhere where people would not normally dance, for example, the top of the Empire State building at sunset or on top of a mountain during a camping trip.

IDEA # 19

If your partner has a pet that she adores, at Christmas, in addition to buying a

gift for your partner, buy a small present for her pet.

IDEA # 20

Go for a walk on the beach. Trace out the shape of a large love heart in the sand. Sit inside the heart and cuddle your partner as you watch the sun go
down.

IDEA # 21

Invite your partner to go for a walk. Get a back pack and pack the following items: A picnic blanket, a selection of fruit in small containers eg. strawberries, grapes, watermelon and kiwi fruit. Some cheese and crackers. Some sandwiches. A small tin of caviar. A half bottle of champagne and two plastic champagne glasses. If your partner asks what's in the backpack, just say a jacket and some lunch.

When you find a romantic spot, ask if she would like to stop for a bite to eat. Open your pack and remove the items one by one to set up your picnic. The last item you remove should be the glasses and champagne.

IDEA # 22

If you play a musical instrument, create a romantic environment in which to play for your partner. For example, let's say you play the saxophone. Contact your partner's roommate and arrange for her to make sure that your partner steps out onto the balcony of their apartment at exactly 9.30pm.

Drive to her apartment and set up before hand. Place a large sparkler in the music holder of your sax and light it as your partner steps on to the balcony. Play something slow and romantic.
IDEA # 23

Use this idea if your partner is going to work and you are staying at home for some reason (Perhaps you are sick or are working from home).

Say goodbye to her at the front door and then immediately send an email to her work address. The email should simply say,

"Miss you already".

The email will be in her in-box when she does her morning email check.

IDEA # 24

If your partner has long hair, take the time to brush it using long slow strokes. This is particularly effective after she has had a shower or when she is getting ready for bed.

IDEA # 25

On a special occasion like your partner's birthday, plan a treasure hunt for her. The fun begins when you suggest going for a walk on the beach.

When you get to the beach, carry a small bag with you. The bag contains a bottle that you prepared earlier. Inside the bottle is a treasure map. To make the treasure map look authentic, burn the edges with a match.

As you are walking, slip the bottle out of your bag and let it drop to the sand near the water's edge. You may have to pause and kiss your partner to do this unnoticed. Walk a little further up the beach then turn around and retrace your steps to 'discover' the bottle.

On the map have a dotted line leading from the beach to a nearby cafe. At the cafe, your partner won't know what to look for so suggest that you just sit down and have a cup of coffee.

When the waitress delivers the coffee, she suggests to your partner that she might find what she is looking for under the coaster. When your partner turns over the coaster she finds a key taped to the bottom. Obviously you will have to set this up before hand with the waitress. Most waitresses will be happy to help a romantic guy out with this type of thing.

At the next stop on the map, your partner finds or is given a spade. Then at the last stop on the map your partner finds a large 'X' made up of two crossed sticks. She digs and discovers a locked box. The key unlocks the box to reveal her present.

IDEA # 26

Invite your partner on a date by sending her a plain brown envelope containing a tape. On the tape, record the Mission Impossible sound track and then record yourself saying, “Your mission if you choose to accept it is to make your way to Café Venoli, 123 Park Lane at 18.30 Eastern Standard Time. There you will rendezvous with a stunningly attractive man wearing a red carnation. The future of the free world is now in your hands. This tape will self destruct in five seconds.” Then record ten beeps from a stopwatch
and record yourself saying, “Would you believe ten seconds…” Its corny but it

usually gets a laugh!

IDEA # 27

Contact your partner's family and ask if there was anything she always wanted when she was a little girl.

For example if she always wanted a porcelain doll, buy one for her birthday. She will not only appreciate the gift but also the fact that you were thoughtful
enough to find out what she always wanted.

IDEA # 28

Organize a professional photo shoot to obtain a portrait of the two of you as a couple. Frame the picture and put it somewhere prominent. Remember to make sure you give your partner plenty of notice so that she can get ready.

IDEA # 29

Write a note saying
"I thought of you today, and it made me smile." Leave the note somewhere where your partner is sure to find it.

IDEA # 30

For Valentines Day, buy your partner a charm bracelet with at least 14 charms.

Remove all the charms and let your partner 'find' one charm each day for the first fourteen days of February. On Valentines Day give her the bracelet and
any remaining charms.

IDEA # 31

When you and your partner are in a shopping center or airport, stop at one of those booths that allow you to take an instant photo and print them out as stickers.

Choose a romantic background and kiss your partner while the photo is being taken.

IDEA # 32

If your partner has voice mail at work or on her mobile, leave a message saying

"Just wanted to let you know that I'm thinking of you."

She will appreciate this anytime but especially when she is going through a rough period.

IDEA # 33

Organize a mystery trip for you and your partner. Some travel agents will organize mystery packages where the destination of the trip is kept secret
until you are actually on the plane or arrive at the destination.

IDEA # 34

Buy some rose petals and place them behind the sun visor on the passenger side of your car. Take a post it note and write, "I Love You" on it and stick it to the back of the sun visor.

As you are driving to a romantic destination, look at your partner and tell her she has a mark on her cheek. She will pull down the sun visor to use the
mirror and be showered in rose petals and see your note.

IDEA # 35

If your partner is going on a trip, pack a small present into the corner of her suitcase that she will find when she is away.

IDEA # 36

When you and your partner are having an anniversary, buy two champagne glasses and get them engraved with your names and the date, for example:
Mal and Kate

7 May 2002

Go to the restaurant where you have made your reservations and request that when you and your partner arrive that your champagne be served in your special glasses. This will be a great surprise for your partner and a wonderful
keepsake for you both.

IDEA # 37

On a special occasion such as your partner's birthday, buy twenty-four red roses. Arrange to meet her at a specific spot in a shopping mall before going out for dinner. Get to the shopping mall early and position yourself around the corner from your meeting spot.

Ask a guy who is walking by whether he would mind helping you out. Give him a rose, point out your partner and ask him to walk up to her and say, "Happy Birthday Meagan" and give her the rose and then walk away. Repeat this with eleven other guys. Choose guys who are not too good looking and choose guys of different ages. A nice touch is to have the last rose delivered by a small child who could even by accompanied by his parents.

After the first twelve flowers have been delivered, approach your partner with the twelve remaining roses.

IDEA # 38

Always listen for things that your partner reminisces about and jot them down somewhere. For example, perhaps she talks about the ice cream that she had from a particular shop when she was a little girl.

When a special occasion comes along, check your list of things that your partner talks about and try to recreate one of them, for example, visit the shop and buy a tub of ice cream making sure that the name of the shop is on the
container.

IDEA # 39

Create a love montage by collecting some photographs of you and your partner, some ticket stubs of places you have visited and any other small odds and ends that have special meaning to you both.

Take these items and get them professionally framed in a three dimensional montage. Alternatively, buy a frame and create a simple montage yourself.

IDEA # 40

Buy an ornately carved wooden box which is lined with green or red felt. Find an old fashioned key and place it in the box.

Next, get a small gold plaque and have it engraved with the words

The Key To My Heart

Fix the plaque to the inside of the top of the box so that it can be read when the box is opened.

IDEA # 41

Buy a tree with your partner and plant it in a special spot. Each year on your anniversary, have a glass of champagne next to your tree and talk about how
your love and the tree have grown.

IDEA # 42

If you shower first in the morning. Steam up the bathroom and write a message such as "Pete Loves Kathy" on the mirror for your partner to read
when she uses the bathroom. This also works on car windows when it's cold.

IDEA # 43

As a special gift, name a Star after your partner. A number of astronomical agencies allow individuals to name stars and you receive formal documentation identifying the star that you have named.

IDEA # 44

Find a comic strip that relates to something that you and your partner have shared together, for example perhaps you both work in the same office and you find a Dilbert cartoon that relates to the politics at your workplace.

Enlarge the cartoon using a photocopier and use white-out to cover the cartoon text. Type up your own text that relates to you and your partner and paste it in the appropriate places and then photocopy the cartoon again so that it looks like your text was the actual text of the cartoon.

For an added touch, get your customized cartoon laminated before giving it to your partner.

IDEA # 45

When you and your partner are enjoying a restful time away, organize to wake up early one morning and go to a scenic spot to watch the sun rise.

This may seem difficult but it is something which is definitely worth doing at least once. Seeing a new day being born is something really special to share
with your partner.

IDEA # 46

When you have access to a spa, create a romantic atmosphere by placing some candles around the tub and some rose petals floating on the surface of the water.

As your partner enjoys the water, serve champagne and chocolate covered strawberries before joining her.

IDEA # 47

Create some love coupons that your partner can exchange for romantic favors.

For example you could have a coupon that reads

This coupon entitles the bearer to: One Foot Massage.
Use by 07/08/2045

Use a date many years in the future if you want to suggest that you and your partner will always be together. As a special bonus, you can get 50 love
coupons at my lovemaking website.

IDEA # 48

On a warm summers night, organize a backyard picnic. Spread a picnic blanket on the ground and get together some snacks, chocolates and champagne. Lie down on the blanket with your partner and gaze up at the
stars together.

IDEA # 49

Next time it is raining really heavily, go for a walk with your partner. Forget the umbrellas and the raincoats. Run through the streets together, jump in puddles and get totally saturated.

Pick her up, twirl her around and kiss her while the rain falls. Taste the water off her face and hold her close.

When you get back home have a hot shower and then share a warm drink preferably in front of an open fire.

IDEA # 50

Organize a hot air ballooning trip as a special surprise. Most trips begin with

a glass of champagne before you float over the countryside with your partner.

IDEA # 51

When your partner is sitting at a table or desk, come up behind him or her and give her a back, shoulder and head massage. Finish with a gentle kiss on the
cheek.

IDEA # 52

Place an ad in the paper on a normal day saying something like:

Dear Amanda,

With you by my side, everyday feels like Valentines Day. Thank you for being you.
Love,

Graham

IDEA # 53

Buy a book that you and your partner are both interested in reading.

Read one chapter each night in bed with each of you taking turns to read out loud.

This can be a great alternative to television.

IDEA # 54

When your partner is having a shower or bath, take her towel and place it in

the dryer to make it really warm and then wrap her up in it when she is done.

IDEA # 55

Photocopy your hand and fax a copy of it to your partner with a message

saying, "Do ya wanna hold hands?"

IDEA # 56

Next time you order a pizza, ask to have it cut into a heart shape before it is

delivered to your home.

IDEA # 57

Buy a box of chocolates and very carefully open one side of the plastic wrap so that you can gently slide the box out. Open the box and place a love note
inside. Then slide the box back into its plastic wrap and reseal it.

IDEA # 58

Rent a tandem bike and go for a ride with your partner. At the end of your ride have a picnic in the park.

IDEA # 59

If you are away on a business trip, document a day in your life for your partner. For example:

'A Day In The Life Of Mark'

6am: Just woke up and thought of you - Wish you were laying next to me. Well, I better get ready for work.

7am: Am on the train. It's crowded; everyone looks like they are half dead. I

miss ya heaps.

8.30am: Have just organized my day, it's going to be a busy one.

9.30am: Am in the middle of a really boring meeting. I am trying to concentrate on this months sales figures but I keep thinking of your beautiful eyes.

...

6.30pm: Thank goodness the day is over. I am counting the days until we’re together again.

Send your letter to your partner. This is a wonderful way to tell your partner how often you think about her during the day and to share your life with her in a special way.

IDEA # 60

Speak to your partner's family and find out what her favorite book was when she was a little girl.

Buy a copy of the book and read it to her in bed.

IDEA # 61

Write an email story with your partner. Start the ball rolling with an email that says something like:

Chapter 1:

This is the story of Pete and Kate who met at a friend's engagement party one summer afternoon.

The email can then continue to develop the beginnings of a story which can be completely fictitious or a combination of fiction and reality.

Finish your email by saying, "And now for Chapter 2, its over to you..."

IDEA # 62

Buy a kite and on a windy day find a park and fly the kite with your partner.

If you can afford it, buy a large kite that you control with two hand lines. These kites are great fun.

IDEA # 63

When you and your partner are planning to go out for dinner, suggest that you have an 'Adventure Dinner'. Here's how it works

Set the timer on your stopwatch to count down twenty minutes. Next, ask

your partner to choose a number between 5 and 10. Lets say she chooses 7.

Give your partner a coin and tell her that at every 7th intersection, she has to flip the coin. If it is heads you will turn left. If it is tails you will turn right. When your watch timer goes off you have to both keep a look out for the nearest place to eat.

This is a fun way to get out and about and try new places to eat.

IDEA # 64

When you and your partner are going somewhere special, get your camera, buy a new roll of film and wait for her to come out of the house.

When she appears, act like a professional photographer and go wild taking pictures of her with the flash. While you are taking photos, bombard her with questions as though she was a famous actress and you are trying to get a scoop for the magazine you represent.

Not only is this fun but you will also get some great photos to look back on together.

IDEA # 65

When your partner is sick at home, take a day off to look after her.

Rent some videos, make her some soup, wrap her up in a blanket and just be with her.

IDEA # 66

When you are having dinner one night, ask your partner about the things she has always wanted to do.

Later on, write these things down so you don't forget them and over time try and help make them happen. For example she may say that one thing she has always wanted to do is swim with dolphins. Find out where she can do
this and organize it for her as a special surprise.

IDEA # 67

Rent the video, "An Affair To Remember". Buy some popcorn, champagne

and chocolate covered strawberries and have a special film night at home.

IDEA # 68

Go to the drive in but instead of sitting in the car, spread a picnic blanket on the ground. Light a candle and buy popcorn. Cuddle your partner and enjoy the film.

IDEA # 69

Create a personalized magazine cover for your partner. To do this, get hold of a good quality photo of her and a copy of a popular entertainment magazine.

Take these two items to a print shop or graphic design agency. Ask them to scan your partner's photo and develop a magazine cover with the lead story being, "The 30 most beautiful women of 2003".

When you get the cover, stick it on the front of a real magazine and ask your local shop owner whether you can place it in the magazine rack. Organize to meet your partner at the shop before going out. When she arrives, tell her that you are just looking for a magazine. Let her browse the rack and
discover her magazine.

IDEA # 70

Fill the trunk of your car with helium balloons. Drive to a romantic spot in the country to go for a walk. The ideal spot is somewhere up high with a clear view of the surrounding countryside.

Get out of the car and act as though you are about to set off for your walk. Make sure your partner is closer to the car than you and then throw her the keys and ask if she can get your jacket from the trunk while you tie your shoelace.

When she opens the boot the balloons will be released. You can also place a sign saying, "I Love You" on the inside of the trunk so that it will be revealed when the trunk opens.

IDEA # 71

On a special occasion create a unique present for your partner by buying two white t-shirts and some fabric paint. Draw half a heart and the letters LO on one t-shirt and the half a heart and the letters VE on the other t-shirt.

When you walk down the street holding each other close, the heart will be made whole and your message of love revealed.
An example is shown below.

IDEA # 72

On a hot summers day, buy two large water pistols and take them to the beach with you.

Pull them out and throw one to your partner and then have a huge water fight.

IDEA # 73

Share your food with your partner. When you go out for a meal, hold a forkful up to her mouth and say, "You've got to try this."

Sharing your food and even feeding each other is a great way to become closer as a couple.

IDEA # 74

Compliment your partner in public. If you are talking in a group and it is appropriate to the conversation say something like, "Kate makes the most
incredible roast." Squeeze her hand while you are talking about her.

IDEA # 75

Arrange a special day off from work. Start with breakfast, go for a walk in the park, go shopping, have afternoon tea in a cozy cafe and finish off with a
romantic dinner.

IDEA # 76

Buy a gift voucher for a facial at a local beauty clinic and place it in a card accompanied by the message,

A special treat for someone special

IDEA # 77

Even if you are just going down the road to buy some milk, act as though you are returning home after a major adventure.

Say something like, "Well it was touch and go there for a while with the snow and the wolves but I made it!" and then give your partner a huge bear hug.

IDEA # 78

Send your partner a thank-you note. For example:

Dear Bec,

Thanks for helping me move house. Having you there made a huge difference.
I really appreciate your help and your love.

Tim

IDEA # 79

If you have kids, organize for them to stay at their grandparents for the weekend.

On Friday evening, announce that the weekend is yours and start planning how you are going to spend your special time together.

IDEA # 80

Give your partner a magic gift box. Every month, place a new small gift in the

box for her to discover.

IDEA # 81

Research your partner's favorite hobby and identify a gift that is really useful for her. The more specialized the gift the more impact it will have. Talk to her friends and family and use the Net to find the information you need.

IDEA # 82

Go to a masquerade ball. Send an invitation to your partner telling her to meet you at a specific spot at the stroke of eight.

Wear a mask and when you meet her, don't say a word. Just take her hand and lead her on to the dance floor.

IDEA # 83

On Thursday, ask your partner to pack a bag for the weekend. Tell her she'll need casual clothes and walking shoes but don't tell her what you have got planned.

Pick her up after work on Friday and drive to a romantic bed and breakfast for a romantic weekend of relaxation.

IDEA # 84

When you are relaxing at home one night, take two large sheets of paper and some pencils or crayons. On each piece of paper, draw the outline of a large crystal ball sitting on a stand.

Tell your partner to look into her crystal ball and draw what she sees five years in the future. Do the same thing yourself and then come together to
share and discuss your drawings.

IDEA # 85

Create a loving nickname for your partner. This could be the name she was called by her family when she was a little girl or something that is special just for the two of you.

IDEA # 86

If you are musically inclined, write a love song for your partner. Call it something like "Natasha's Song".

Produce a professional looking manuscript, print it out and get it framed. Record your song onto CD and take a photo of your partner and get a print shop to create a CD cover if you can’t create one on your computer.

Place the framed manuscript and the CD in a box and give it to your partner as a special gift.

IDEA # 87

Pick your partner up for a date and blindfold her before driving to a special destination.

Try to make the destination something really unexpected like a table set up at the top of a cliff or a dinner on a boat or old-fashioned ship. It needs to be
something that will have an impact when she removes the blindfold.

IDEA # 88

Have a really big pillow fight. Set up for it by buying two pillows that are filled with feathers. Put holes in the pillows so the feathers will start to fly and then
attack your partner when you feel the time is right.

IDEA # 89

Get out into the great outdoors. After a day of hiking, build an open fire. Sit by the fire with your partner, toast marshmallows and watch as the embers of the fire climb into the night sky.

IDEA # 90

If your partner uses a computer, take a photo of the two of you and get it scanned at a print shop (or scan it at home) and store it on disk as a .bmp file.

Transfer the file onto your partner's computer and set the image as the computer's wallpaper.

To do this on a Windows machine, select Start / Settings / Control Panel / Display. Choose the Background tab and click the Browse button to find your
.bmp file.

IDEA # 91

If you are artistically inclined, do a life drawing course, practice until you are

confident and then ask your partner to pose for you.

IDEA # 92

Take your partner to a carnival or festival. Try the following:

(1) Food festival (2) Jazz festival (3) Wine festival (4) Music festival

IDEA # 93

Develop a video time capsule. Start with the two of you sitting together on a couch introducing the video. Say something like, "It is currently July 14th
2002. We have decided to make this video so that we can watch it together on our 25th wedding anniversary."

Then have a section where you talk to the camera by yourself, telling the camera how you feel about your partner and why you love her. Get her to do the same thing. When you are done, place the video in a bank vault and on your 25th wedding anniversary you will be able to look back in time and
reminisce about everything that you have shared.

IDEA # 94

If you are in a secluded spot near a beach or lake and the weather is warm,

go for an impromptu skinny dip with your partner.

IDEA # 95

This one is great for long distance relationships. It takes a bit of organization but if you can pull it off, it is sure to be a surprise that your partner will never forget. Organize to catch up with her regularly over the internet using either a chat room or an Instant Messenger program. Then arrange a secret trip to meet her without telling her that you’re coming.

When it comes time for your usual chat over the Net, arrange for a close friend back home to log on using your nickname while you position yourself outside her door. Phone your friend on your mobile and be speaking to him in real time. Tell him to type in the following sentence, “I really miss you honey, I wish I could be there and just reach out and knock on your door.” As soon as he has sent the message, knock on the door!

IDEA # 96

Buy your partner a gold fish in a bowl and give it to her with a card saying,

“Of all the fish in the sea, you're the fish for me!”

IDEA # 97

Go for a drive either early in the morning or at dusk. Get a CD/tape that contains sounds of nature such as Sounds Of the Rainforest and play it as
you hold your partner's hand and drive.

IDEA # 98

The day before your partner's birthday buy some helium balloons, streamers and flowers and hide them in a closet.

When your partner has fallen asleep, string the streamers around the room and bring out the balloons and flowers. Place them around the bed so that
your partner wakes up to a real birthday surprise.

IDEA # 99

Spend a leisurely afternoon with your partner in a large book shop such as
Borders where you can browse the shelves, share a coffee and sit down to peruse your purchases.

IDEA # 100

If you can afford it, hire a sports car for a weekend. Pick up your partner and give her a long white cashmere scarf to wear with her sunglasses. Go for a drive along the coast with the top down.

IDEA # 101

Serve your partner breakfast in bed. Try the following:

(1) A poached egg in the shape of a heart - you can pick up a heart shaped poacher at most shops that sell kitchen wares.

(2) French toast with cinnamon and maple syrup. (3) Cereal.
(4) Fruit juice.

(5) A fresh flower.

Top 10 PC Games of 2012

2012-06-29T05:06:00.003-07:00

Have you already played the best videogame 2011 has to offer? The question may sound crazy with 4 months left to go. In 2011 the release calendar looks to be incredibly packed with huge hits. Honestly speaking, it wouldn't be very surprising to see some of these postponed, but for now we're going to assume everything stays on schedule.

Crysis 2, L.A. Noire, Dead Space 2, Driver: San Francisco and Dirt3 are the best games of the year, so far. Can future releases like Skyrim, Arkham City, Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3, Battlefield 3 and Rage knock them out of the running for best game of the year?

Gamers, prepare for 2011 and 2012. There are some very cool games titles coming. Let's get started with the best video games for 2011! Below you'll find a list of the 10 biggest games of 2011 on PC, PS3 and Xbox 360.

Best Video Games of 2011 - 2012 for PC - Top 10 Expected PC Games of 2011 - 2012

Given Below are the best PC games of 2011 and 2012.

Call of Duty Black Ops 2

Call of Duty Black Ops 2 is a first person shooter game being developed by Treyarch. It will be published by Activision for Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. It will be released on November 13, 2012.

Call of Duty Black Ops 2 is the 9th installment to the Call of Duty Series. Black Ops 2 is a sequel to the Call of Duty Black Ops which was released in 2010.
I am sure that Black Ops 2 will be one of the best shooting games of 2012. I have played all the series of Call of Duty and i cant wait to play Black Ops 2:)

Crysis 2

Crysis 2 is a first-person shooter video game developed by Crytek, published by Electronic Arts and released in North America, Australia, and Europe in March 2011 for Microsoft Windows. Crysis 2 is the second main installment of the Crysis series, and is the sequel to the 2007 video game Crysis and Crysis Warhead.

Crysis is still one of the 1st games people install when they get new system, even though the game came out in 2007. The developer of this game is Crytek . Crysis 2 is now in the markets and getting popularity day by day.

Rage

Rage is an upcoming first-person shooter game by id Software. It will use the company's new OpenGL based id Tech 5 engine. The game takes place in a post-apocalyptic world somewhat similar to the movie Mad Max 2 and that of other popular video games such as Fallout.

This game looks like a horror movie. If you like horror movies, then I am sure that you would love this game. I have seen the trailer of this game and it looks promising to me. I am anxiously waiting to play this game. The game is set to be released on October 7, 2011.

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Driver: San Francisco

Driver San Francisco is an adventure driving video game developed by Ubisoft Reflections, coming on Playstation 3, Xbox 360 and PC on September 1st 2011. The game is set to be released on 2 sep 2011. If you like racing games then I am sure that you would love this game.

Driver San Francisco is a thoroughly entertaining multiplayer suite. There are split-screen challenges for side by side racing, and the spirited online modes are largely built with Shift in mind.

Battle Field 3

Battlefield 3 is the latest shooter from DICE and Electronic Arts, coming to Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC this holiday season. There are a lot of improvements made in this game but the two big improvements are complete vehicle customization and options for repairing vehicle battle damage. Battle field is one of my favorite games and i can't wait for it to come out.

Battlefield 3 is also known as BF3 is a first-person shooter action video game. The game is set to be released on October 25, 2011 on PC, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360. It is the 11th installment in the Battlefield franchise, and the direct sequel to Battlefield 2 which was released in 2005.

Fifa 2012

FiFa 2012 is set to be released on 30th September 2011. There are a lot of improvements made in this game so I am expecting that Fifa 2012 will be much better than the PES 2012.There are many people who believe that PES is better than fifa. No doubt. Graphics of PES are better than Fifa but game play of PES is really bad. The next installment of Fifa will mark the 19th year of this billion dollar franchise.

All-new Precision Dribbling delivers a higher fidelity of touch on the ball for attacking players, while Tactical Defending fundamentally changes the approach to defending by placing equal importance on positioning, intercepting passes and tackling.

Check Out These Great Video Games

Battlefield 3

Amazon Price: $28.01 (as of 06/28/2012)

Rage

Amazon Price: $9.00 (as of 06/28/2012)

Fallout: New Vegas Ultimate Edition

Amazon Price: $19.96 (as of 06/28/2012)

Assassin's Creed Revelations [Download]

Amazon Price: $29.85 (as of 06/28/2012)

Grand Slam Tennis 2

Amazon Price: $24.95 (as of 06/28/2012)

Call of Duty Modern warfare 3

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 also known as Call of Duty MW3 is an upcoming first-person shooter video game, currently being co-developed by Infinity Ward and Sledgehammer Games with Raven Software assisting in development. It will be the 3rd chapter or you can say installment in the Modern Warfare series, and the 8th Call of Duty installment.

The game play looks awesome and the scenery looks simply spectacular. Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 is set to be released on the November 8, 2011 and i can't wait to get our hands on it. For over a year I have been anxiously waiting for this game to be released. There will be a healthy competition between Call of Duty MW3 and Battlefield 3 because both games look stunning.

Need for Speed the Run

Need for Speed: The Run is a racing video game, the 18th title in the Need for Speed franchise, and is being developed by EA Black Box and will be published by Electronic Arts. It is set to be released in North America on November 15, 2011 and November 18, 2011 in Europe.

In Need for Speed The Run, your driving skills will be tested as you battle the world's most dangerous drivers on the country's most dodgy roads. It is certainly the boldest departure for a series known for its laser-like focus on fast cars and tight driving mechanics.

Call of Juarez the Cartel

Call of Juarez: The Cartel is a first-person shooter video game. It is developed by Techland.[The game is part of the Call of Juarez western-themed video games, but is set in modern-day Los Angeles and Mexico as up to three players take the role of law enforcement agents. It was released on July 19, 2011 for Xbox 360 & PlayStation 3. The game is not yet released for PC. It is set to be released on September 13, 2011 on PC.
It is the third game of the Western action shooter Call of Juarez franchise. Call of Juarez The Cartel introduces gamers to the new Wild West as they fight to bring down a violent drug cartel.

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Dirt 3

Dirt 3 is a rallying video game and the third in the Dirt series of the Colin McRae Rally series. It is developed and published by Codemasters. It is considered to be one of the best games of Codemasters. The game was released in Europe and North America on the 24 May 2011, and two days later in Australia for PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.

Dirt 3 is one of the best racing games, packing miscellaneous multiplayer modes, stunning graphics, accessible game play, and an incredibly deep season mode. Dirt 3 is one of my favorite racing games and that's saying quite a lot.

Get ready for DiRT 3! Race through the snow, rain and dirt and experience dramatic night races with the most amount of rally content in the series yet.

Fear 3

F.E.A.R. 3 is a first person-shooter game that blends classic single and multiplayer combat with the unforgettable Horror/Survival game play that the F.E.A.R. franchise is known for. It is developed by Day 1 Studios for PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. It is a sequel to the game F.E.A.R. 2 and the third game in the F.E.A.R. series.

F.E.A.R. 3 continues the complex storyline tying together the psychically dangerous mother Alma Wade with her two sons Point Man and Paxton Fettel, as well as the F.E.A.R. operations team. You can play with both the characters in the game. Each character has unique abilities and powers and you can utilize them in a dark adventure that will test the player's loyalties, battle skills and sense of duty.

Batman Arkham City

Batman: Arkham City is an action game. It is the sequel to video game Batman: Arkham Asylum, based on DC Comics' Batman, for Onlive, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii U, and Microsoft Windows. It is being developed by Rocksteady Studios and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. It is set to be released on October 18, 2011. The people who didn't play the previous batman game should play Batman Arkham City because a lot of improvements are made in this game.

Arkham City is lot better than Arkham Asylum in many aspects as Arkham City is a huge place, five times the size of Arkham Asylum. Batman Arkham City is a game that pretty much everyone is excitedly waiting for.

Deus Ex: Human Revolution is an action role-playing game. It is published by Square Enix and developed by Eidos Montreal. It is the third game in the Deus Ex series, and a prequel to the original game released in 2000. It is set to be released on 26 August 2011. The first two games were not according to the expectations but Deus Ex Human Revolution looks promising.

It is a stealth action video game that takes place in a near future dystopia. You will find yourself traveling around grittily-realized city streets and infiltrating heavily guarded fortifications.

Dead Space 2

Dead Space 2 is a third-person shooter video game. It is developed by Visceral Games and published by Electronic Arts for PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 (PS3). It is the sequel to Dead Space which was released on October 13, 2008. Unlike Dead Space, Dead Space 2 has a multiplayer mode.

Dead Space 2 is challenging and unforgiving to play, which is just how games such as this should be.

HITMAN ABSOLUTION - HITMAN 5

Hitman Absolution (Hitman 5) is developed by IO Interactive and Published by SQUARE ENIX for PC, PS3 and Xbox 360. Hitman Absolution is the 5th installment in the Hitman game series. The game will be released around 2012.

Hitman 5 is one of the most awaited stealth action games. It has been confirmed by the IO Community Manager that the game will not follow a story based on the movie.

Tomb Raider 2012

Tomb Raider is an action adventure video game developed by Crystal Dynamics and published by Square Enix. It is the 9th installment in the Tomb Raider game series.

Taking a leaf from the film industry's reworking of the Batman and Star Trek, Crystal Dynamics has decided to 'Reboot' the Tomb Raider series. Few months ago i saw the trailer of this game and It looks stunning. Graphics are very high as compared to previous Tomb Raider games. Fans of Tomb Raider have high hopes for this game. This game has been in development for a couple of years. If this proves a major success though, then expect reboots of every game that ever had cinematic pretensions. The game will be released around 2012.

Far Cry 3

Far Cry 3 is a first person shooter game. This game is being developed by Ubisoft for Microsoft Windows (PC), Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3(PS3). The game is set to be released on 4 September, 2012. It is the third installment in the Far Cry franchise.

The producer of the game "Dan Hay" promises "something new and unexpected" for the game although game returns to the original Far Cry Island setting. Ubisoft says:" The graphics of Far Cry 3 are amazing. I am anxiously waiting to play this game. It is one of the best FPS games coming out this year. For more details, please check out this link "Far Cry 3 Review".

L.A. Noire

L.A. Noire is considered to be the best game of year 2011. It is a crime video game developed by Team Bondi and published by Rockstar Games. Rockstar is the company who also made a very famous game named Grand Theft Auto. L.A. Noire is already released for PS3 (Play Station 3) and Xbox 360. Soon, it will be released for PC as well. It was released as a 3-disc game for the Xbox 360 console.

The publisher of the game Rockstar particularly re-created Los Angeles of the late 1940s, using old maps and aerial photographs. In the game player controls a Los Angeles Police Department detective to solve different crimes.

Mortal Kombat 2011( Mortal Combat 9)

Mortal Kombat (Mortal Combat 2011) which is also known as Mortal Kombat 9 is a 2D fighting game with 3D graphics. It is the ninth game in the Mortal Kombat series. It is developed by NetherRealm Studios for Play Station 3 and Xbox 360. The game was released for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 systems on April 19, 2011.

Mortal Kombat 2011 is basically a reboot of the series in terms of characters and gameplay, but a much required update in graphics. It has few new gameplay features such as four player tag team play, an online mode and downloadable content. A huge list of characters is included in the game from which two characters are hidden. There is one character included in the game specially for PS3 version. The name of that character is Kratos.

Gears of War 3

Gears of War 3 is a third-person shooter video game developed by Epic Games. This stunning game is published by Microsoft Studios exclusively for the Xbox 360. The game is set to be released on September 20, 2011.

Gears of War 3 has made over 1 million pre-orders and is one of the most anticipated games of 2011. It is the third game of the Gears of War series, and the final game in the current story arc.

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Child of Eden

Child of Eden is a unique action game, developed by Q Entertainment and published by Ubisoft. It is developed for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.
As was the case with Rez, Child of Eden is presented as an experiment on synesthesia, integrating sound, vision and touch in one seamless experience. The game features music from Genki Rockets.

In the game "Child of Eden", player's mission is to save Eden from a virus in order to restore hope and peace.It is a spectacular game - modern, smart and genuinely beautiful, with amazing abstract graphics and screen-filling blooms of neon light and colors.

ELDER SCROLLS V: SKYRIM

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is a role-playing video game. This role-playing game is developed by Bethesda Game Studios and published by Bethesda Softworks. It is the fifth game in The Elder Scrolls action role-playing video game series. It is planned to be released on November 11, 2011 for PlayStation 3, PC and Xbox 360.

Portal 2

Portal 2 is a first-person video game developed and published by Valve Corporation. It is the sequel to the game Portal which was released in 2007. It is set to be released on April 18, 2011 for PS3, PC and Xbox 360.

Like Portal, Portal 2 primarily consist of a series of puzzles that must be solved by teleporting the player's character and simple objects using the "portal gun". The single-player introduces a cast of new characters, a much larger set of devious test chambers and a host of fresh puzzle elements. The two-player mode features its own entirely separate campaign with a unique story, two new player characters and test chambers.

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Mass Effect 3

Mass Effect 3 is an action role-playing game developed by BioWare. It is published by Electronic Arts (EA) for Xbox 360 , Microsoft Windows and PlayStation 3. The game is set to be released on March 6, 2012. It is the third and final chapter in the Mass Effect trilogy of video games.

Like Mass Effect and Mass Effect 2, the environment in Mass Effect 3 consists of galaxies, Earth and Mars. Few more features have been added to the game; Combat has been changed and refined. The cover system has been improved; there will be more options for moving around the battlefield.

Forza Motorsport 4

Forza Motorsport 4 is a racing video game developed by Turn 10 Studios exclusively for the Xbox 360. It is the fourth game in the Forza Motorsport series, and is set to be released in North America on 11 October, 2011, in Europe on 14 October and the rest of the world on October 20. Forza Motorsport 4 is a innovatory new way to experience hundreds of the world's most exciting cars. I have many expectations from this game and i can't wait to play this.

Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet

Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet is an adventure video game developed by Shadow Planet Productions exclusively for Xbox Live Arcade. Development of the game began 3 years ago (2007) and was first demonstrated in the month of March 2011 at Penny Arcade Expo East. It is set to be released on August 3, 2011.The game is set on an alien planet and consists of exploration elements similar to Metroid and Castlevania.

The Darkness 2

The Darkness II is a video game being developed y Digital Extremes and will be published by 2K Games and written by Paul Jenkins. It is sequel to 2007's The Darkness. It was previously scheduled to be released on 10 July, 2011 then on 4 October, 2011. It was postponed for both dates and instead will be released February 7, 2012 in North America and February 10, 2012 in Europe. It is being developed for the three best platforms as Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows (PC) and PlayStation 3.

The previous version of Darkness 2 was not released for Microsoft Windows. In the Darkness 2, you will be playing missions such as those commonly found incidentally in a linear shooter games as well as demonic shopped missions completed. Therefore, The Darkness 2 will definitely be welcomed by all PC gamers.

Max Payne 3

Max Payne 3 is a third-person shooter video game published by Rockstar Games. This fantastic shooting game is published for Microsoft Windows (PC), PlayStation 3 (PS3) and Xbox 360. Remember that, this is the first game in the series not to be developed by Finnish game developer Remedy Entertainment and not being written by series creator Sam Lake.

The game was scheduled to be released in late 2009 then in 2010. However, In June 2010, the game was again pushed back to 2011. On December 21, it was not present on the 2011-2012 calendar year. The game was confirmed to be still in development and not canceled or indefinitely stopped.

Rockstar says Max Payne 3 is a "more sophisticated" experience that will satisfy the expectations of today's gamers, who are much more demanding than they were when the original Max Payne launched in 2001.

Dead Island

Dead Island is a first person horror action adventure video game developed by Techland for Microsoft Windows (PC), PlayStation 3 (PS3) and Xbox 360. The game was scheduled to be released in 2006 but it was delayed and will be released on the 6th September, 2011.

Dead Island is a first-person sandbox survival game. Players will run, fight, be mauled and hope to survive an open world undead apocalypse.

Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception

Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception is developed by Naughty Dog for Play Station 3. It is the third game in the uncharted series. It is scheduled to be released on November 1, 2011 in North America, November 2, 2011 in Europe and Australia on November 3, 2011. It is sequel to Uncharted 2: Among Thieves.

It is another fantastic looking game developed by Naughty Dog with tons of tiny details (look at how the fire propagates throughout the room in recent videos) and sharp script that rivals movies in terms of delivery and content, and more gameplay enhancements already make this a must-have in 2011.

Medal of Honor Warfighter

Medal of Honor Warfighter is an upcoming shooter game which is being developed by Danger Close Game. It will be published by Electronic Arts (EA). The game is set to be released on 23rd October 2012. It is the 14th installment in the Medal of Honor franchise.

The game will be run on the same engine which was used for battlefield 3 that is Frostbite 2. Medal of Honor warfighter will be released for PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

Assassin's Creed III

Assassin's Creed 3 is an upcoming video game being developed by Ubisoft. The game will be released on October 30, 2012 for the three best platforms as PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. It is the fifth major installment to the Assassin's Creed game.

According to the Ubisoft, Assassin's Creed 3 will be bigger than any of its previous versions. In my opinion, Assassin's Creed 3 will be better than its previous versions. I have seen a few trailers of this game, the graphics look amazing.

Bitdefender Releases 2013 Line of Antivirus Products

2012-06-28T20:38:00.000-07:00

Bitdefender released its 2013 line of products on Tuesday: Antivirus Plus 2013 ($49.95),Internet Security 2013 ($69.95), and Total Security 2013 ($79.95). Pricing varies upon length of protection and how many PCs you want to protect, but those listed here include 1 year for up to 3 PCs.

Top 10 Tablets to buy in 2012

2012-06-26T06:13:00.001-07:00

There are lots of options available in the market when talking about Tablets. From high end to advanced features packed, affordable yet decently crafted, costly tablets with advance features loaded in them, there are so many choices and options in the Tablet Segment out there.

Since there are so many choices around and certainly it becomes difficult to choose the perfect one until and unless we set a budget and the features we require in that set of budget. Below I have listed out Top 10 Tablets to buy in 2012 which can help to resolve your dilemma about which Tablet you should buy, depending upon which is the best as per your needs and perception as these tablets are loaded with high-end configurations and extreme performance.

Top 10 Tablet PCs to buy in 2012 are :

Apple’s IPad 3 or The New iPad

Apple’s The New iPad is one of the best tablets you should buy in 2012 due to its several admirable features and specifications. The New iPad has awesome Retina Graphics embed into 9.7 inch Display. The power of retina Graphics makes The New Pad really amazing. The new iPad comes with dual core A5X processor with quad core Graphics and as such, you can execute applications smoothly. The camera quality is pretty excellent i.e. 5 Megapixel Camera and the ability to record 1080p Full HD Videos.

Samsung Galaxy Tab 750

Samsung Galaxy Tab is the toughest opponent of The New IPad and a splendid Android Tablet brought by Samsung’s Innovation. The device has several positive form factors – extremely slim form factor, good build quality, brilliant display and a well battery life. So, this Android Tablet delivers all our expectations. Major configurations are that Galaxy Tab 750 runs on Android 3.1 (Honeycomb) Operating System Powered by 1 GHz Nvidia Tegra 2 dual core processor. The tablet delivers high quality gaming experience.

Approx. Price of Samsung Galaxy Tab in India – 32000 INR

Lenovo IdeaPad K1

So next on our list we got a product by Lenovo namely Lenovo IdeaPad K1. This Lenovo Tablet comes with a sleek and smooth finish with its aluminum body and its bit heavy then other capacitive tablets. Despite the fact that this tablet runs on Android Honeycomb OS, Lenovo has customized the interface of this tablet to a great extent. The tablet comes with a 5 MP camera along with LED Flash support and in addition, you can record videos at 720p.

Lenovo IdeaPad K1 Price in India – 33990 INR (3G + Wi-Fi)

Sony Tablet S

The first thing you would notice in Sony Tablet S is the eye-catchy unique design of the tablet which is a noticeable aspect of the Tablet. The tablet comes with a 9.4-inch capacitive touch screen and weighs around 625 grams. The tablet runs on Honeycomb 3.2 OS. Additionally, the tablet is powered by extra touch of Sony’s Gaming attributes. The tablet features a 5 MP camera.

Sony Tablet S Approx. Price in India – 26500 INR

Samsung Galaxy Tab 730

Here we see that another Galaxy device takes spot in our list. The tablet comes with 8.9-inch touchscreen. And once again, Samsung has let the Tablet run on Android Honeycomb. The tablet is powered by dual core 1GHz processor and is able to handle 720p videos efficiently. This tablet has a descent set of other features like – 3G, Wi-Fi and 16GB onboard memory.

Samsung Galaxy Tab 730 Approx. Price in India – 34610 INR

Asus Eee Pad Transformer TF101G

Asus Eee Pad Transformer TF101G pairs a featured Android Tablet and brings you both the worlds – Touch & Type. The tablet is 12.9 mm thick and weighs around 695 grams. This tablet comes with a detachable dock featuring a 10-inch Eee PC keyboard. The tablet’s camera is cool as it features a 5 MP camera. The transformer further features 1 GB of RAM and 16GB of onboard storage.

Asus Eee Pad Transformer TF101G Approx. Price in India – 42000 INR

LG Optimus 3D Pad

LG Optimus is the best ever 3D Pad running on Android and derives from the Optimus family. The tablet features a 5MP camera which is pretty good and helps to record 3D videos. Unfortunately, the device has no 3D screen and as such, you need to connect it to any 3D device (like a Television) to watch the recorded 3D videos. It has 1GB RAM and 8.9-inch capacitive touchscreen. It has a dual-core Nvidia Tegra 2 processor meant for powerful multimedia to run the device smoothly.

LG Optimus 3D Pad pprox. Price in India – 40000 INR

Acer Iconia Tab A501

Acer Iconia Tab A501 is a light tablet and comes with an enhanced display. A drawback of the tablet is that this tablet comes with Android 3.0.1 while rest of the rivals are on Android 3.2. Overall, the tablet is pretty remarkable, considering the fact that it is a good web browsing and multimedia device.

Acer Iconia Tab A501 Approx. Price in India – 33000 INR

Motorola Xoom

This Tabket by Motorola namely Motorola Xoom is well built and finished. The Motorola Xoom was the first product to run Google’s tablets specific OS, Android 3.0 Honeycomb. The tablet has a 2MP front camera and a 5MP rear camera. The phone is powered by Dual-core 1 GHz Cortex-A9 processor. The tablet has a 10.1 inch display and 3D Graphics acceleration along with HDMI output.

Motorola Xoom Approx. Price in India – 23500 INR

BlackBerry PlayBook

Blackberry Playbook is an idol choice for a BlackBerry Smartphone looking forward to buy a tablet. BlackBerry PlayBook is the first device to run on BlackBerry Tablet OS. The tablet supports up to 1080p video playback. Playbook features a 3MP front camera and 5MP rear camera which can record 1080p video. Current apps in the app are not much interesting although RIM had announced that Android apps will soon be ported into BlackBerry App world, but it’s yet to happen.

BlackBerry PlayBook Approx. Price in India – 14000 INR

So, here I’m done with sharing my list of Top 10 Tablets to buy in 2012 and you should visit the official website to get more details about these tablets or simply search in Google about these tablets for more information so that you can find out the right one to invest in.

Readers need to keep a note that the prices mentioned above aren’t exact and can be negotiable but the mentioned prices are just an approx. value.

5 Things to Look Forward to in Apple's iOS 6

2012-06-24T00:17:00.002-07:00

iOS 6 is due out this fall. While hardware got a lot of attention at this year's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), the event is still really about software. That's why Apple CEO Tim Cook and other execs offered up a slew of new details about OS X Mountain Lion -- due out next month -- and, more importantly, unveiled iOS 6, the next version of Apple's mobile OS.

iOS 6 will be released this fall, almost certainly in tandem with new iPhones. Much is already known about Mountain Lion, Apple's desktop OS. But iOS 6 is a new arrival, and promises to make iPhone/iPod touch and iPad users very happy when it's released. Apple says there are some 200 or so new features in iOS 6, though many of them are smaller tweaks and updates. But there are still plenty of additions that will change, for the better, how mobile users use their iOS devices.

Here are the five things I'm already looking forward to:

A better Siri

Siri has learned some new tricks in the months since the technology's initial release. First and foremost, with iOS 6, Siri will become available on the latest Retina display iPads released in March. Although iOS 5 allows those iPad users to turn spoken words into text with built-in dictation, Apple's voice assistant has remained an exclusive feature of the iPhone 4S. (iPad 2 owners are out of luck.)

Even better, the Siri service has been tied into more databases, and will have answers regarding movie info and times at local theaters, better knowledge of actors and directors, and access to sports scores, schedules and current player stats. Siri will go beyond simply recommending restaurants based on Yelp and can even allow you to book a table from Siri's visual interface.

Also, Siri will finally be able to launch apps when told to do so. ( Thank you, Siri.)

Apple is clearly trying to expand Siri's reach and is busy making deals with automakers to integrate a Siri activation button in their cars. Marketed as "Eyes Free," the integration deals involve most major automakers, with the notable exception of Ford, which has a license deal with Microsoft. If all goes as planned, this feature should be available in cars beginning in 2013.

Going social

iOS 6 is getting more social. Apple engineers have integrated Facebook more deeply into iOS 6, much as they did with Twitter in iOS 5. You'll now be able to share photos and Safari links on Facebook from within the respective apps using the Share button. Among the updated apps from Apple will be Safari, Game Center, iTunes and the App Store, and by the time iOS is ready to ship, developers will have had time to incorporate Facebook into their own apps, as well.

The Notification Center will also be upgraded to include Twitter and Facebook direct post buttons, and, even better, you can post to both services using Siri.

With iOS 6, Apple has embraced social in a big way. The question of whether it's late to the party compared to the integration with other smartphone OSes isn't up for debate; it is late. But now that these social sharing features are coming, people who frequently use these services will certainly appreciate it.

Note: Facebook integration will also be a part of OS X Mountain Lion, which is now due out in July.

Photo Streams

Speaking of social: I expect Shared Photo Streams to be a hit with families; I know it will be with mine. Here's why: Most of my family lives in the Northeast, while I live far away in Florida. Shared Photo Streams allows you to create groups that are automatically notified when pictures are added, and these photos are automatically delivered to their iPhones or iPads. For instance, I can create a Family group, and the addition of any photos to that Photo Stream group will instantly alert and send those photos to any of the people listed. Being able to immediately share selected photos with my sister, parents and assorted cousins with the tap of a Share button will be fantastic, especially since Shared Photos will be using iCloud, which, unlike MMS messaging, is a free service.

When you first create a Photo Stream to be shared, there are options to create a publicly viewable page of those pictures for family and friends who don't have iOS devices. After you select recipients, a push notification is sent to their phones. They can then view the pictures using the Photos app or, for non-iOS users, on a specially created Web page. It's a super quick and easy way to share photos with family members and friends, and, keeping with the more social theme, comments can be added.

If you have an AppleTV, your pictures can even be transmitted to one that has access to your Photo Stream, so your Apple TV screen saver will always display the latest pictures, automatically.

A better Phone app

In iOS 6, Apple will make several useful enhancements to the phone app. When a call comes in on an iPhone running iOS 5, you can swipe the screen to answer, or press a button located at the top of the phone to dismiss it. For many of us, that means forgetting a call ever took place until much, much later.

With iOS 6, you'll be able to slide the on-screen phone icon vertically for new options: Remind Me Later and Reply With Message. Selecting either produces still even more options, such as location- and time-based reminders under the Remind Me Later button, and a couple of canned messages for quick response under Reply With Messages. And the flourish: a new system-wide Do No Disturb, which can be manually turned on or set to activate during customizable hours.

Do No Disturb does just that: blocks all calls and notifications, ending the annoyingly sudden bright lights of iPhones receiving emails in the middle of the night.

But there are smart touches here that can let some calls through, and you can create a custom group of people that are to be let through no matter what, even with Do Not Disturb turned on. Another nice touch: If a phone number calls more than once within a three-minute time span, the iPhone allows the call to go through, under the assumption that the call might be an emergency.

Better Maps

After keeping it mostly unchanged since the iPhone arrived in 2007, Apple has unleashed a brand new Maps app.

As expected, Apple dropped Google as a backend provider for the maps databases. Instead, it turned inward, using the talent its engineers acquired in an Open Street deal, and forging alliances with other companies that have resulted in some pretty neat tricks in the mapping service.

For starters, Maps gets a cleaned-up interface, with a Directions arrow, an address bar, and bookmarks headlining the top menu. The Maps app itself uses vector-based graphics, ensuring smooth graphics to go along with sharp text. Tapping the directions arrow brings up the Directions Interface, where you can enter start and end locations and get directions for driving, walking or mass transit -- though, according to those who have use the WWDC developer build of iOS 6, the last option seems to be relegated to third-party apps. This may be a step backwards, compared to earlier iterations of Maps, but that will depend on how the feature is implemented in the final version.

The new Maps app works much like the current one and is easy to navigate: double-tap to zoom in, double-tap with two fingers to zoom out, and pinch to zoom. Maps has learned new tricks, and the on-screen maps view can now be rotated and tilted using two-finger gestures.

In addition to a new feature called Flyover, which offers 3D views of some large cities, the new Maps will get enhanced Siri integration. When you ask for directions, Siri guides you with turn-by-turn directions, using an uncluttered user interface that displays driving instructions within illustrated traffic signs. Traffic information is crowd-sourced from iPhones in the area, and Maps is quick to suggest alternate routes if heavy traffic is encountered. As a bonus, Maps will even display what's causing the holdup.

Maps looked impressive in the WWDC keynote, and my sense is that it spells doom for GPS makers.

iOS 6 is full of additions and tweaks that promise to make the user experience for Apple's mobile devices even better. From enhancements like password-free application updates to better social integration, this new version -- which is going to be given away to existing users -- will be a no-brainer once released.

Michael deAgonia, a frequent contributor to Computerworld, is a writer, computer consultant and technology geek who has been working on computers since 1993. You can find him on Twitter (@mdeagonia).

USELESS FACTS

2012-06-23T11:19:00.003-07:00

» Canadian researchers have found that Einstein's brain was 15% wider than normal.

» While in Alcatraz, Al Capone was inmate #85.

» The actor who played Wedge in the original Star Wars trilogy has a famous nephew: actor Ewan McGregor, who plays the young Obi-Wan in the new Star Wars film.

» Astronaut Neil Armstrong first stepped on the moon with his left foot.

» Peter Mayhew, who played Chewbacca in the first three Star Wars movies, was a hospital porter in London before starring as the Wookie.

» Sheryl Crow's front two teeth are fake - she had them knocked out when she tripped on the stage earlier in her career.

» Hitler was claustrophobic. The large elevator leading to his eagles nest in the Austrian Alps was mirrored so it would appear larger and more open.

» Jim Morrison, of the 60's rock group The Doors, was the first rock star to be arrested on stage.

» Hans Christian Andersen, creator of fairy tales, was word-blind. He never learned to spell correctly, and his publishers always had the spelling errors corrected.

» Frank Lloyd Wright's son invented Lincoln Logs.

» Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh cut off his left ear. His "Self-portrait with Bandaged Ear'' shows the right one bandaged because he painted the mirror image.

» Peter Falk, who played "Columbo," has a glass eye.

» The only married couple to fly together in space were Jan Davis and Mark Lee, who flew aboard the Endeavour space shuttle from September 12-20, 1992.

» Besides Star Trek, William Shatner, Leonard Nemoy, James Doohan, and Geoge Takei have all appeared at one time or another on "The Twilight Zone."

» Barbie's full name is "Babara Millicent Roberts."

» The original captain of Star Trek's starship "Enterprise" was Jeffrey Hunter - not William Shatner - as Christopher Pike, in the pilot episode "The cage" (1964). The cast was quite different from that of the classic series except for Leonard Nimoy as Spock.

» The mother of Michael Nesmith of "The Monkees" invented whiteout.

» Screech, from "Saved by the Bell," was the only one of the characters who played in all the episodes from the junior high, with Mrs. Bliss, to "Saved by the Bell: The New Class."

» Betsy Ross and Elvis Presley were the only real people to ever have been the head on a Pez dispenser. The Elvis Pez dispenser was named "Elvis Pezly."

» Michael Jordan makes more money from Nike annually than all of the Nike factory workers in Malaysia combined.

» Isaac Asimov is the only author to have a book in every Dewey-decimal category.

» Shakespeare invented the word "assassination" and "bump."

» If Barbie were life-size her measurements would be 39-23-33. She would stand 7 feet (2 m) 2 inches (5 cm) tall and have a neck twice the length of a normal human's neck.

» The world's longest name officially used by a person is "Adolph Blaine Charles David Earl Frederick Gerald Hubert Irvin John Kenneth Lloyd Martin Nero Oliver Paul Quincy Randolph Shermasn Thomas Uncas Victor William Xerxes Yancy Zeus Wolfeschlegelsteinhausenbergerdorft Senior" which is composed of 28 words or 192 letters.

» Leonardo Da Vinci invented the scissors.

» Adolf Hitler's mother seriously considered having an abortion but was talked out of it by her doctor.

» Marilyn Monroe had six toes.

» The shortest British monarch was Charles I, who was 4 feet 9 inches.

» Tina Turner's real name is Annie Mae Bullock.

» Queen Victoria eased the discomfort of her menstrual cramps by having her doctor supply her with marijuana.

Top 10 External Hard drives to buy in 2012

2012-06-21T20:30:00.001-07:00

Do you own a laptop, yet you find yourself deleting some files, because you need to save something and you don’t have much of space? Well, if you are looking out for additional space for games, mp3s, movies and other data, you don’t have to worry about, as here are the top 10 external hard drives to buy in 2012. Getting one of these will give you light, easy and portable, and a lot of gigabytes.

Top 10 External Hard drives to buy in 2012 are :

1. My Passport Essential with SE 1 TB 3.0 USB – Western Digitals
It is actually an automatic and continuous backup with maximum capacity. It is also a dual 3.0 USB and compatibility to USB 2.0 and up to triple faster rates of transfer and a 3.0 USB.

2. WD Elements 2 TB 2.0 USB – Western Digital
It is one you could truly afford and a USB 2.0, which could be easily used.

3. My Passport Essential with TB 3.0/2 SE 1 – Western Digital
It is also a dual USB of 3.0 with compatibility on USB 2.0. It could even work like triple faster rates of transfer with 3.0 USB and could be used in Maximum capacity.

4. Seagate Free Agent Go-Flex Ultra-Portable 1.5 TB USB 3.0
It is a user-friendly backup that could be preloaded and software you could use for encryption. It is even upgradable into eSATA or the FireWire 800. You could simply access the content right through the network itself.

5. 3 TB USB 3.0 Seagate Free-Agent and Desk for Go-Flex
This one is a plug and play drive that could be loaded and used easily. You could do some upgrade or enhancement to your interface that will definitely suit up all of your needs. It even includes the adapter or GoFlex Desk USB together with the capacity gauge monitor.

6. 3 TB USB 3.0/2.0of My Book Essential – Western Digital
This is considered as one of the top 10 external hard drives to buy in 2012 for the reason that it has triple rates of transfer using 3.0 USB. In terms of protection, it could be secured with password and an encryption of AES hardware in 256 bit.

7. Toshiba Canvio 1.0 TB USB 3.0
It mainly protects most of the essential contents you cherished. Well, thanks to its cloud storage. It could help in transferring the huge media files in a blazing and speedy 3.0 USB. It doesn’t only give drive protection, but also offers backup for your system. The backwards is also compatible with the 2.0 USB.

8. Seagate Free-Agent Go-Flex Desk 2 TB USB 2.0
This one is actually considered as an upgradable external hard drive and upgraded into quicker interface with the desktop adapters. It could even give you horizontal and vertical orientation on the drive. It can be plugged and play faster than what you think.

9. MiniStation Stealth 500 GB USB 2.0 from Buffalo Technology
It is a slim and lightweight one that helps for saving space and a portable one. It simply increases rates for file transfer up twice the competing 2.0 USB hard drive. Its ECO manager also conserves the energy as well as power of the battery.

10. 2 TB USB 2.0 FireWire 800 from Iomega eGo
It is a stylish one that could simply match up to the latest computers like MAC.

Getting up the list of those top 10 external hard drives to buy in 2012 is something for you to consider, so you could choose the one that suits best your needs.

Top 10 Best Internet browsers of 2012

2012-06-21T20:27:00.001-07:00

In this advanced technical world, Internet has became an inseparable part of our lives . For browsing internet, web browsers are the core thing. Though there are many browsers available on the Internet but everyone should have a basic knowledge about the ‘Top 10 Desktop browsers’. These top 10 desktop browsers will make your surfing experience better as they are highly featured. I have listed them on the basis of several factors like sources, polls, readers reviews and most prominently, I have considered features of these browsers while preparing this list.

Top 10 Best Internet browsers of 2012 are :

Google Chrome

Google Chrome is now world’s No. 1 and most used browser due to its extra-ordinary features . The browser is owned by Google itself and certainly you can obtain a smooth search experience. It comes with a lucid layout along with external themes support. Additionally, you can install extensions which adds extra power to this browser. Moreover, the best part of this browser is that it has smooth and fast page loading speed.

Mozilla Firefox

Mozilla Firefox has secured second position in this list. Earlier Firefox was considered the web surfing application but Chrome took over it due to some serious issues. Still, netizens love Firefox and this browser has still been utilized by millions of people.. The drawback of Firefox is that it eats up lots of system memory and consumes RAM. Also, Firefox can’t handle too many tabs open at a time. But we cannot deny the fact that Firefox has a fast loading speed for Web Pages and fast browsing is what everyone need nowadays.

Opera Browser

If we talk about the fastest browser, then obviously your answer would be Firefox or Chrome but this is not the truth. Actually Opera is the fastest browser. Let me put some reasons to support my answer. Firstly, it has fastest web page loading capacity and along with that, it has boosting feature for those who are running on slow Internet connection. The feature that I won’t miss is Opera browser has minimum memory consumption rate compared to other browsers.

Internet Explorer

I do not recommend Internet Explorer at all to all people who are on a slow Internet since it takes too much time to load small web pages like Google. Even Internet explorer has more drawbacks to talk about rather than its features. The buffering speed is also very low. Even it does not provide the option to resume downloads. Still, people who have a really good Internet connection speed can manage to browse the web using Internet Explorer. Although it was much famous few years ago, when there was no chrome and no Firefox and other browsers.

Safari Browser

Recently I heard the name of Safari browser which is Apple’s contribution to the web browsing world. I don’t think you would find a better browser than the ones I have mentioned above. It has normal features that others do and a normal page loading speed. I have used it but I find that it’s much more meant for MAC OS X computers than Windows.

Maxthon Browser

Maxthon is probably new to the field of desktop browsers. Still, it has grabbed the attention of Asian users. It has some exceptional features which makes the browser worth using. It renders the page by 200% which is really good part of this browser. It does support extensions which gives much more comfortableness in this browser.

Rocketmelt Browser

Rocketmelt was recently released and when it was released, it just became a sensation among web browsers. Most of the people rated it as an amazing browser. Its interesting features were – you get updates about sports and news directly onto your browser. You could even run web apps directly onto Rocketmelt browser. And the best part of this browser was that it was made for Social media geeks as the browser allowed you to have direct access to Facebook, Twitter, Mail, etc.

SeaMonkey Browser

Most of the people aren’t aware about the Sea Monkey Browser but it’s a Mozilla’s outdated product which has ambitions to be – a web browser, advanced email, newsgroup and feed client, IRC chat, and HTML editor in one. The browser completely based on the same foundations of and its browsing speed is also similar to Mozilla Firefox.

Deepnet Explorer

Majority of people are unaware about Deepnet Explorer. Still it has numerous features as Deepnet Explorer is the world’s first browser with RSS news reader, P2P client integration and phishing alarm. The browser’s superior security, functionality and usability make it different from other browsers.

Avant Browser

This is yet another browser which people aren’t aware of. Avant browser is a light as well as speedy web browser. It has a real user-friendly interface which takes your browsing to the next level and frequent updates for this browser have made it much reliable.

How To Convert .docx To .doc Files

2012-06-21T20:23:00.001-07:00

If you’re using the old version of microsoft office , then you probably have a problem with loading the . docx files . Here is brief tutorial that explains how to convert .docx to .doc files by using free service google docs .

1) Go to docs.google.com and log in your account, if you don’t have accout then create it for free .

2) Click on Upload -> Files…

3) Choose .doc file that you want to convert and click start upload

4) Open .docx file that you want to convert and click on File -> Download as ->Microsoft Word 97 -2003 (.doc)

Top High-End Cameras

2012-06-17T21:11:00.001-07:00

PCWorld Rating

Prices from $599

Canon EOS Rebel T2i

Canon's incremental refinements to this Rebel add up to both improved image quality and movie recording that is a notable step forward.

Full Review | Specs - Rated: July 27, 2010

PCWorld Rating

Prices from $592

Sony Alpha NEX-5

Sony's first interchangeable-lens compact camera, the NEX-5 offers image and video quality on a par with a DSLR and has unique modes that go beyond anything else in its class. The only thing missing is a built-in flash.

Full Review | Video Review | Specs - Rated: July 13, 2010

PCWorld Rating

Prices from $365

Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5

The Lumix LX5 isn't the most novice-friendly camera, but it offers an insane amount of power for a fixed-lens camera when you dig into its manual controls.

Full Review | Video Review | Specs - Rated: January 20, 2011

PCWorld Rating

Prices from $679

Pentax K2000

The K2000 is a beginner-friendly DSLR with body-based stabilization, but autofocus speed and controls are drawbacks.

Full Review | Specs - Rated: September 14, 2009

PCWorld Rating

Prices from $319

Olympus Pen E-PL1

Its image quality isn't quite on par with a DSLR, but the Olympus Pen E-PL1 is a groundbreaking and powerful interchangeable-lens camera that serves as an excellent learning tool.

Full Review | Video Review | Specs - Rated: August 04, 2010

PCWorld Rating

Prices from $429

Nikon Coolpix P100

The powerful P100 does everything easily, thanks to its 26X zoom lens, versatile features, and intuitive controls. Exposure quality and color accuracy are superb, but its photos suffer from distortion and lack of sharpness.

Full Review | Specs - Rated: September 08, 2010

PCWorld Rating

Prices from $547

Nikon D3100

The D3100 is an entry-level DSLR on the higher end of that category's price range. However, it has a great set of features for beginning photographers, and decent image quality.

Full Review | Specs - Rated: February 03, 2011

PCWorld Rating

Prices from $449

Canon PowerShot G12

The G12 delivers excellent image and video quality, and it backs up its manual controls with fun scene modes, an optical viewfinder, and a tilt-and-swivel LCD screen.

Full Review | Specs - Rated: January 20, 2011

PCWorld Rating

Prices from $330

Nikon Coolpix P7000

The Coolpix P7000 combines great image quality, extensive manual controls, and a 7.1X-optical-zoom lens. DSLR owners should feel at home, but the button-heavy interface may intimidate novices.

Full Review | Specs - Rated: January 20, 2011

PCWorld Rating

Prices from $389

Canon PowerShot S95

The PowerShot S95 is a perfect camera to grow with, thanks to its pocketable size and its compelling blend of automated and manual controls.

Full Review | Specs - Rated: January 20, 2011

How To Reduce Size of Multiple Pictures In One Click

2012-06-17T21:03:00.001-07:00

In this post I’ll show you how to reduce size of multiple pictures in one click using free software Lightning Image Resizer. This tool will help you perform all the possible tasks that you want with your images such as changing them to the desired format, resizing them and changing their name by either prefixing something to their name or post fixing something to their name

1) Download Lightning Image Resizer

2) Run Lightning Image Resizer and select source folder, set up options that you want and click start . All images from source folder can be edited in one click.

Top 10 Free Firefox Themes

2012-06-17T01:50:00.002-07:00

We use themes for our computers, for our mobile phones, for our Gmail, and we also use themes for our Firefox browsers.

Below are 10 Firefox add-ons, which will make your Firefox browser more beautiful than the default theme, and they are all free and at least compatible with Firefox 3.6, what is more, they are all downloaded millions of times!

1. Noia 2.0 (eXtreme)

Firefox Theme feature: The Noia 2.0 (eXtreme) theme is based on the Noia 2.0 icon set by Carlitus, and it is a fully skinned version.

Works with: Firefox: 3.0 – 3.6.*

Download Times: 18,913,940

Get Noia 2.0 (eXtreme)

2. NASA Night Launch

Firefox Theme feature: NASA Night Launch, inspired by the famous night launch of STS-116, is a dark theme for Firefox.

Works with: Firefox: 3.0 – 3.7a1pre

Download Times: 10,975,435

Get NASA Night Launch

3. Vista-aero

Firefox Theme feature: The most IE8-like theme.

Works with: Firefox: 3.6 – 3.7a1pre

Download Times: 8,579,444

Get Vista-aero

4. myFireFox

Firefox Theme feature: Myfirefox is the theme of the most perfectly simulating Internet Explorer 8 by far.

Works with: Firefox: 3.6 – 3.7a1pre

Download Times: 7,388,245

Get myFireFox

5. Walnut for Firefox

Firefox Theme feature: Walnut for Firefox is a complete skin redesign so that all windows, widgets, panels, and even the add-ons have a wooden look and feel.

Works with: Firefox: 2.0 – 3.7a2pre

Download Times: 4,122,200

Get Walnut for Firefox

6. MidnightFox

Firefox Theme feature: MidnightFox is a dark Firefox theme with brightly colored buttons.

Works with: Firefox: 3.0 – 3.6.*

Download Times: 2,630,002

Get MidnightFox

7. Gradient iCool (Blue)

Firefox Theme feature: Light up your Firefox with this black and blue theme.

Works with: Firefox: 2.0 – 3.7a1pre

Download Times: 2,358,355

Get Gradient iCool (Blue)

8. Red Cats (blue flavor)

Firefox Theme feature: There can never be too many cats! Enjoy the cat icons.

Works with: Firefox: 3.6 – 3.7a2pre

Download Times: 1,490,744

Get Red Cats (blue flavor)

9. Littlefox for Firefox

Firefox Theme feature: LittleFox is designed for optimal screen usage, leaving lots of room for browsing.

Works with: Firefox: 2.0 – 3.7a2pre

Download Times: 1,481,351

Get Littlefox for Firefox

10. Silvermel

Firefox Theme feature: Silvermel theme is a modification from the fantastic theme Charamel.

Works with: Firefox: 2.0 – 3.7a1pre

Download Times: 1,079,959

Get Silvermel

All the above 10 Firefox add-ons are sorted by download times, and the Noia 2.0 is my favourite Firefox theme, which one is your favorite? Or do you have any other cool Firefox themes? Share with us by adding a comment.

Top 15 Cloud Storage Tips and Tasks

2012-06-17T01:48:00.001-07:00

We pinpoint the cloud storage services with the best attributes for accomplishing specific tasks, and offer advice on how to use the cloud most effectively.

By Ian Paul, PCWorld May 7, 2012 6:30 am

No single cloud service can do everything. Some shine when it comes to streaming a cloud music collection from the Web, but stink at syncing desktop folders. Other cloud services are great for sharing photos, but useless for reviewing a document's revision history.

Because not all cloud storage providers are created equal, we looked at current offerings from Amazon Cloud Drive, Dropbox, Google Drive, Microsoft SkyDrive, and SugarSync, pinpointing the services with the best attributes for accomplishing specific tasks. Along the way we assembled tips and hints for performing advanced cloud storage tasks such as merging multiple free cloud services into one massive free megacloud.

With so many new and improved online services vying to become your preferred online repository for documents, photos, music, and video files, why settle for just one? Use them all. Here are 15 awesome ways to get the most out of the free cloud storage craze.

The Best Ways to Sync Your Music Across Multiple PCs

You have many options for sharing a single music collection among several different PCs, such as using the Home Sharing feature in iTunes or online services like iCloud or Google Music. Another alternative is to drop your music collection into your cloud storage folder and have your desktop jukebox program (such as Windows Media Player) point to that folder as the default music location. Then, once you install your preferred cloud's desktop client on all your PCs, you'll instantly download your music to multiple computers. Depending on the size of your song collection, you may have to pay for extra storage to fit all of it in the cloud.

Of course, you can also follow this tip to sync any kind of media collection, such as photos, videos, or DRM-free ebooks.

The Best Ways to Sync Local Folders to the Cloud

If you want to sync folders to the cloud without placing them inside your cloud folder, you can find several services ready to help. Ubuntu One from Canonical, available for Windows and Ubuntu Linux desktops, includes the ability to add any folder to your cloud storage without moving it.

Another option is to use the recently released desktop client for Amazon Cloud Drive. Cloud Drive does not place a new folder on your desktop as Google Drive, Dropbox, SkyDrive, and Ubuntu One do. Instead, Windows users can right-click any folder and select Amazon Cloud Drive from the 'Send to' menu option to sync to Amazon. The downside with Cloud Drive is that you can access your files only via a Web browser.

The Best Ways to Stream Your Cloud Music Library

Streaming your music from the cloud is a very different proposition than syncing it across multiple PCs, since some cloud services (such as Dropbox) don't offer comprehensive music streaming features. Your best bet is to use a dedicated online music service. Amazon, for example, offersCloud Drive and Cloud Player, which let Android and iOS users stream stored music files. You get 5GB of free online storage from Amazon Cloud Drive, and any music purchases you make through the online retailer's MP3 store and save to Cloud Drive do not count against your storage limit.

Music on Google Play, formerly known as Google Music, offers free storage for 20,000 songs, and any tunes you purchase from the company's music store do not count against your limit. You can listen to songs via Google's Music app for Android 2.2 or later, or you can use the Web interface.

If you live in the iOS ecosystem, Apple offers a service called iTunes Match that lets you upload 25,000 songs to iCloud for $25 per year. Your tracks, including iTunes playlists, then sync across your PCs and iOS devices.

Ubuntu One users can pay $4 per month or $40 per year to stream music from Canonical's cloud service. With your yearly subscription, you also get an extra 20GB of online storage, which gives you room for another 5000 songs. In addition, Ubuntu One offers music-streaming mobile apps for Android and iOS that include caching, so you can listen to your music without an Internet connection.

TIP: Blast 'My Documents' to the Cloud

If you're a Windows user and you want all of your documents available in the cloud, you can turn a cloud storage folder into your Windows 'My Documents' folder. I did it using a subfolder inside Dropbox with theWindows 8 Consumer Preview. To get started, open Windows Explorer, go to Dropbox, and create a new folder called Documents. Next, go to My Documents, right-click the folder, and select Properties.

In the My Documents Properties dialog box, select the Location tab and click theMove... button. Navigate to the Dropbox\Documents folder you just created, and click the Select Folderbutton. This action will return you to the properties dialog box, where you need to click Apply. A window will appear, asking whether to move all your old files to the new Documents folder (click Yes). Now, every time you save a new file, it will go to Dropbox by default.

TIP: Sync Your To-Do List

If you save your to-do list as a plain-text file, you can then sync your list across all your devices--including your PCs, smartphones, and tablets--by using cloud storage. Just drop your Todo.txt file into your Dropbox, Google Drive, or SkyDrive storage, and you can then access it anywhere you have an Internet connection and a text editor.

You can also turn your plain-text list into an interactive smartphone app, with help from Todo.txt Touch for Android and iOS.

The Best Ways to Automate Smartphone Photo Uploads

Since you carry your smartphone everywhere you go, you've probably filled it with snapshots you never want to lose. Many cloud storage providers can help you back them up. If you have an iPhone, you can use iCloud to back up your last 1000 photos and sync them across your devices. Windows Phone users can find a similar feature for SkyDrive. Google+ for Android has an Instant Upload feature that automatically sends your snaps to Google's social network; your photos will remain private until you choose to publish them in a post. Dropbox recently added an automatic photo upload feature to its Android app, and Canonical's Ubuntu One offers automatic uploads for Android and iOS.

TIP: Send Mail Attachments to the Cloud

Why bother searching through many months' worth of email to find attachments when you can just save everything to the cloud? Many desktop mail programs will let you specify where attachments should be saved. Then, whenever you download an attachment, it will go to a single folder that you can access anywhere.

The Best Ways to Access a PC Remotely via Cloud Storage

Microsoft's SkyDrive offers remote access to all your Windows PCs, including attached external drives, that have the SkyDrive desktop client. During installation of the desktop client, you will be asked to authorize remote access. After the client is installed, log in to skydrive.com on a Web browser from another computer.

In the left column, you will see a 'Computers' section listing all the Windows PCs connected to your SkyDrive account. Select the computer you want, and then SkyDrive may ask you to enter a six-digit code sent via email toauthorize remote access. (The authorization code will not go to your Hotmail account, but to your alternate email address that Windows Live has on file.) After you enter the authorization code, you can access your PC's file system via the SkyDrive Web interface. To use this feature on a mobile device such as the iPad, you will have to enable the PC version of the site at the bottom of the Web page.

If SkyDrive doesn't interest you, SugarSync provides similar remote-sync capabilities for Windows and Mac.

TIP: Send Website Document Links to Dropbox

A beta service called URL Droplet lets you send documents (such as PDFs and spreadsheets) found on Web pages directly to your Dropbox, no manual download necessary. Simply sign up for URL Droplet and authorize the service to access your Dropbox; URL Droplet uses the Dropbox API, which means the service never sees your account password. Next, paste a link to the online document, and click Save. The file will appear in Dropbox and sync across all your devices.

TIP: Email Items Directly to Dropbox

The free service Send To Dropbox lets you hand out a public email address so that people can send things directly to your Dropbox. You can have the service automatically create folders and subfolders based on the email subject, the sender's email address, or the date the document was sent. You can also tell Send To Dropbox to unzip archived files automatically and include copies of the email messages sent.

The Best Ways to Manage Document Version Control

You've probably heard that Google Docs has a built-in version-control system so that you can go back and view past versions of a collaborative document, but did you know that Dropbox and SkyDrive offer similar services?

Dropbox keeps a snapshot of every saved file over the past 30 days; if you delete an all-important paragraph and want it back, you can recover it as long as you saved a version of that file to Dropbox in the past month. Go to your Dropbox folder, select the file you want to see, and then right-click it and select View Previous Versions from the context menu. This action will take you to a Web page listing your latest file saves for that document, including the revision date and who changed the file. Dropbox typically shows only ten changes per page, so click the Older> link to see more changes from the past 30 days.

In SkyDrive, you can see version history by selecting a file from the Web interface and then going to File, Previous Versions. This action will bring up a sidebar with all of your latest document changes.

SugarSync also offers a version-control feature, but it is less robust since it keeps only your last five file saves.

TIP: Don't Rely on the Cloud for Video Streaming

Cloud storage helps you access your files anywhere you can get an Internet connection--except when it comes to video. Since streaming video takes up more bandwidth than downloading a document or streaming music, how much you can stream depends on your cloud provider. During my testing with a 315MB, 77-minute M4V file, Dropbox streamed the entire content when I used the service's mobile apps. But I could not watch the video in a mobile browser, and on my PC I was able to stream only a 15-minute preview.

Google Drive let me view the entire video content on the Web, but streaming didn't work on any of the mobile devices I tried. In addition, Google Drive makes you wait while it processes the video file for streaming.

TIP: Encrypt Your Cloud

If security is a big concern for you, consider encrypting your data before sending it to the cloud. The easiest way to do this is to use Spideroak, an encrypted cloud-backup service that lets you back up specific files to the cloud and then sync them across multiple devices.

Another option is to encrypt your data locally before storing it in Dropbox, SkyDrive, Google Drive, or any of the other cloud services. Mac users should read Macworld's tutorial on how to create an encrypted sparse image using OS X's built-in Disk Utility. You can also try the open-source program TrueCrypt for Linux, OS X, or Windows to encrypt personal files you want to send to the cloud; check outPCWorld's TrueCrypt tutorial to get started.

TIP: Merge Multiple Services Into a Monster Cloud

If you have files spread across a number of cloud storage accounts, such as at Amazon S3, Box, Dropbox, Picasa, SkyDrive, and SugarSync, look to Otixo. Through this service, you can connect them all, and then drag and drop files between your various cloud providers, no file downloading necessary. It works on almost any browser, including on mobile devices. Otixo is free for up to 250MB of bandwidth usage each month, or $10 for unlimited access to the service.

The Best Ways to Share Photos Across the Cloud

Various cloud storage services have different social networking capabilities for sharing images. If you want to share photos on Google+, then Google Drive is your easiest option (no surprise) since Google+ photo sharing is built in. SkyDrive users can post photos directly to Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and email from SkyDrive's Web interface, although your friends will have to visit SkyDrive to see the full-size versions.

Dropbox allows you to share a public link to photos, but in my tests this function didn't work particularly well with Facebook and Google+. Another option is to use Flickr to share photos via Facebook, Pinterest, Tumblr, Twitter, and email; again, your buddies will have to visit Flickr to see the full-size version if you share on Facebook.

How To Create Your First Python Program

2012-06-16T23:28:00.001-07:00

Wanna learn how to create your first python program , but don’t know where to start. This is beginner, step by step tutorial with images that will help you trough process.

Step 1

Go to python.org , download latest version and install it.

Step 2

Run IDLE (Python GUI)

Step 3

You can run program via python shell or you can run program as python module . py extension.

Step 3.1

Run program via python shell

In Python shell type
Code:
variable = 'Hello World'

and press enter

then type
Code:
print variable

and press enter, output will be Hello World

This is simple example where we store string “Hello World” into variable and then print it out.

Step 3.2

Run as python script . py

Open notepad and type your code

variable = 'Hello World'
print variable

save as HelloWorld.py

Open IDLE and go to File -> Open and open file with .py extension

After this will appear windows where you’ll able to run module, just press F5 or go to Run -> Run Module

Is Cloud Storage Safe? Is Cloud Storage Safe?

2012-06-16T23:26:00.002-07:00

Cloud storage is a useful and convenient tool, both for individuals and businesses. Users can access the files they need anywhere and anytime, seemingly eliminating the need for external storage devices. It has so far shown to be reliable and easy to use.

However, people will naturally have apprehensions about the issue of safety, especially concerning sensitive or important data. The question on users’ minds: Is cloud storage safe?

While there is indeed a degree of protection assured by cloud storage companies, users have to consider certain matters before uploading all their important files.

The Risks in Cloud Storage

1. Service providers have limitations

While the technology itself is consistently reliable, not all cloud storage service providers can guarantee flawless service. Many providers are relatively new, and still in their early phases of development. Some do not yet have established methods for resolving complaints or assisting users who experience problems with the service.

Especially with fledgling providers, there is a high possibility that their processes and policies will still be altered, even without warning. There is also a risk that the company may go out of business, and users might have no choice but to say goodbye to their files.

2. Passwords can be hacked

As with anything placed online, cloud storage solutions are not immune to attack. This doesn’t mean that the system is unreliable – it’s simply a fact that hackers can be a menace. Cloud storage is rapidly rising in popularity, and anything popular tends to attract cyber criminals.

Each user must be responsible to create a strong, unique password, as well as change it regularly. It is also advisable to use different passwords for various accounts. Putting anything online has its advantages, but it also has dangers; it might be worth considering how important it is to use an external hard drive.

3. There is a risk of data loss

Data loss is a minor risk, since most cloud services have generally proven to be safe and reliable. There have only been few and rare cases in which cloud service providers have lost data.

4. Privacy is not entirely a privilege

Most cloud storage companies employ encryption methods, so files can remain protected, even in while in transit. However, not all providers have fortified security measures and may require a third-party option.

A more important concern is the fact that service providers have full access to whatever users upload. Providers will usually be up-front about this in the user agreement, claiming free admission to all data in able to ensure compliance with the terms and conditions. With this setup, a single security breach will put everyone’s files at risk.

5. Cloud storage companies are accountable to the law

In any case that government agencies require a search or seizure of data, storage providers are liable to submit to the subpoena, with or without the users’ permission.

While cloud storage is a wonderful technology, it may not be best to rely entirely on the service. Always take your own safety precautions concerning passwords and uploading sensitive data. Take the time to read the user agreement and know what you are submitting yourself to.

The reasonable thing to do is have some other backup storage; it isn’t safe to keep all your files in a single place. You may already know how important it is to use an external storage device, but even if you prefer using cloud storage it would still be a good idea to use one alongside.

'The Amazing Spider-Man' Stills

2012-06-12T08:55:00.001-07:00