Tech Info

Computer Acronyms (Abbreviations)

2012-01-16T12:31:00.001+05:30

--- A ---

ADSL - Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line
AGP - Accelerated Graphics Port
ALI - Acer Labs, Incorporated
ALU - Arithmetic Logic Unit
AMD - Advanced Micro Devices
APC - American Power Conversion
ASCII - American Standard Code for Information Interchange
ASIC - Application Specific Integrated Circuit
ASPI - Advanced SCSI Programming Interface
AT - Advanced Technology
ATI - ATI Technologies Inc.
ATX - Advanced Technology Extended

--- B ---

BFG - BFG Technologies
BIOS - Basic Input Output System
BNC - Barrel Nut Connector

--- C ---

CAS - Column Address Signal
CD - Compact Disk
CDR - Compact Disk Recorder
CDRW - Compact Disk Re-Writer
CD-ROM - Compact Disk - Read Only Memory
CFM - Cubic Feet per Minute (ft/min)
CMOS - Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor
CPU - Central Processing Unit
CTX - CTX Technology Corporation (Commited to Excellence)

--- D ---

DDR - Double Data Rate
DDR-SDRAM - Double Data Rate - Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory
DFI - DFI Inc. (Design for Innovation)
DIMM - Dual Inline Memory Module
DRAM - Dynamic Random Access Memory
DPI - Dots Per Inch
DSL - See ASDL
DVD - Digital Versatile Disc
DVD-RAM - Digital Versatile Disk - Random Access Memory

--- E ---

ECC - Error Correction Code
ECS - Elitegroup Computer Systems
EDO - Extended Data Out
EEPROM - Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory
EPROM - Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory
EVGA - EVGA Corporation

--- F ---

FC-PGA - Flip Chip Pin Grid Array
FDC - Floppy Disk Controller
FDD - Floppy Disk Drive
FPS - Frame Per Second
FPU - Floating Point Unit
FSAA - Full Screen Anti-Aliasing
FS - For Sale
FSB - Front Side Bus

--- G ---

GB - Gigabytes
GBps - Gigabytes per second or Gigabits per second
GDI - Graphical Device Interface
GHz - GigaHertz

--- H ---

HDD - Hard Disk Drive
HIS - Hightech Information System Limited
HP - Hewlett-Packard Development Company
HSF - Heatsink-Fan

--- I ---

IBM - International Business Machines Corporation
IC - Integrated Circuit
IDE - Integrated Drive Electronics
IFS- Item for Sale
IRQ - Interrupt Request
ISA - Industry Standard Architecture
ISO - International Standards Organization

--- J ---

JBL - JBL (Jame B. Lansing) Speakers
JVC - JVC Company of America

- K ---
Kbps - Kilobits Per Second
KBps - KiloBytes per second

--- L ---

LG - LG Electronics
LAN - Local Area Network
LCD - Liquid Crystal Display
LDT - Lightning Data Transport
LED - Light Emitting Diode

--- M ---

MAC - Media Access Control
MB - MotherBoard or Megabyte
MBps - Megabytes Per Second
Mbps - Megabits Per Second or Megabits Per Second
MHz - MegaHertz
MIPS - Million Instructions Per Second
MMX - Multi-Media Extensions
MSI - Micro Star International

--- N ---

NAS - Network Attached Storage
NAT - Network Address Translation
NEC - NEC Corporation
NIC - Network Interface Card

--- O ---

OC - Overclock (Over Clock)
OCZ - OCZ Technology
OEM - Original Equipment Manufacturer

--- P ---

PC - Personal Computer
PCB - Printed Circuit Board
PCI - Peripheral Component Interconnect
PDA - Personal Digital Assistant
PCMCIA - Peripheral Component Microchannel Interconnect Architecture
PGA - Professional Graphics Array
PLD - Programmable Logic Device
PM - Private Message / Private Messaging
PnP - Plug 'n Play
PNY - PNY Technology
POST - Power On Self Test
PPPoA - Point-to-Point Protocol over ATM
PPPoE - Point-to-Point Protocol over Ethernet
PQI - PQI Corporation
PSU - Power Supply Unit

--- R ---

RAID - Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks
RAM - Random Access Memory
RAMDAC - Random Access Memory Digital Analog Convertor
RDRAM - Rambus Dynamic Random Access Memory
ROM - Read Only Memory
RPM - Revolutions Per Minute

--- S ---

SASID - Self-scanned Amorphous Silicon Integrated Display
SCA - SCSI Configured Automatically
SCSI - Small Computer System Interface
SDRAM - Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory
SECC - Single Edge Contact Connector
SODIMM - Small Outline Dual Inline Memory Module
SPARC - Scalable Processor ArChitecture
SOHO - Small Office Home Office
SRAM - Static Random Access Memory
SSE - Streaming SIMD Extensions
SVGA - Super Video Graphics Array
S/PDIF - Sony/Philips Digital Interface

--- T ---

TB - Terabytes
TBps - Terabytes per second
Tbps - Terabits per second
TDK - TDK Electronics
TEC - Thermoelectric Cooler
TPC - TipidPC
TWAIN - Technology Without An Important Name

--- U ---

UART - Universal Asynchronous Receiver/Transmitter
USB - Universal Serial Bus
UTP - Unshieled Twisted Pair

--- V ---

VCD - Video CD
VPN - Virtual Private Network

--- W ---

WAN - Wide Area Network
WTB - Want to Buy
WYSIWYG - What You See Is What You Get

--- X ---

XGA - Extended Graphics Array
XFX - XFX Graphics, a Division of Pine
XMS - Extended Memory Specification
XT - Extended Technology

Windows 7 Tips & Tricks Guide

2012-01-15T02:49:00.000+05:30

The cool tips and tricks that make Windows 7 fun.
here are the best ones to help you get the most out of your Win 7.

1. Use Keyboard Shortcuts

Using the mouse, you can drag-‘n-dock windows to either side of the screen, or drag it to the top to maximize it. These keyboard shortcuts are even faster:

Win+Left Arrow and Win+Right Arrow dock the window to the left and right side of the screen
Win+Up Arrow and Win+Down Arrow maximize and restore/minimize
Win+M minimizes everything
Alt+Up, Alt+Left Arrow, Alt+Right Arrow navigate to parent folder, or browse Back and Forward through folders in Explorer
Win+Home minimizes/restores all open windows except the active window
Alt+Win+# accesses the Jump List of program number ‘#’ on the taskbar.

2. Access Jump Lists with the Left Mouse Button

Jump Lists usually show up when you right-click on a taskbar icon. However, they can also be accessed by holding the left mouse button and dragging upwards. If you’re using a laptop touchpad or a touch screen, this is convenient because you do not have to click any button to access a context menu.

3. Add Any Folder to Favorites

You can add any library or folder to the Favorites section in Windows Explorer. To add a folder, navigate to it in Explorer, right-clickFavorites in the left navigation pane, and select Add current location to Favorites. Now you get quick access to your favorite folders in all File->Save As dialogs!

4. Pin Frequently Used Folders to the Taskbar

Right-click, drag, and pin your favorite folders to Windows Explorer on the taskbar. They will now show up in the Jump List when you right click on Explorer giving you quick access to your favorite folders.

5. Pin Control Panel to the Taskbar

You cannot pin the Control Panel to the taskbar via the Start Menu or by drag and drop. Open the Control Panel and right-click its taskbar icon to pin it to the taskbar. An advantage of this is that Control Panel’s Jump List allows quick access to recently used functions.

6. Create Keyboard Shortcuts for Programs

You can create keyboard shortcuts for any program in Windows 7. Right-click the program icon and select Properties. Select theShortcut tab, click in Shortcut key, to set the keyboard shortcut for that program.

7. Open Command Prompt in Any Folder

Like the command prompt? Miss the ‘Open Command Window Here’ Windows XP power toy? Press ‘Shift’ when right-clicking on a folder to get that option in the context menu. This also works on the desktop. No power toy required!

8. View Expanded ‘Send To’ Menu

Press Shift when right-clicking on a folder to get an expanded Send To menu.

9. Adjust Screen Text with Clear Type

Use Clear Type Tuner for the best look on your LCD monitor or laptop screen. Run ‘cttune.exe’ from the Start Menu search box, or go to the Control Panel Display applet, and select Adjust ClearType Text from the left.

10. Get Exact Colors On Your Screen

If you are an artist or you work with colors, use the Calibrate Color option in the Control Panel Display applet or run dccw.exe from the Start Menu search box. You can adjust gamma, brightness, contrast, and color balance, ensuring that colors are displayed correctly on your screen.

11. Customize the Power Button

If you restart your computer more often than you shut it down, change the default Shutdown power button to Restart. Right-click on Start, select Properties, and choose the Power button action that you use the most.

12. Customize Number of Items in Jump Lists & Start Menu

Right-click Start, select Properties, click Customize and choose the number of recent programs to be shown in the Start Menu and the number of items displayed in Jump Lists from the Start Menu Size section below.

13. Search Internet from the Start Menu

Enable Internet search from the Start Menu using your default browser. Run GPEDIT.MSC from the Start Menu search box to start the Group Policy Editor. In the left pane, go to User Configuration->Administrative Templates->Start Menu and Taskbar. In the right pane, right-click to Edit and Enable Add Search Internet link to Start Menu.

14. Add Videos to Start Menu

Windows 7 does not place a link to your videos on the Start Menu by default. To add a link to your videos on the Start Menu, right-clickStart, select Properties, click on Customize. In the Videos section at the bottom, choose Display as a link.

15. Single Click Screen Lock

You can lock your computer using the Win+L keyboard shortcut. Here’s another way to do it with a single mouse click. Right-click on your desktop, select New, Shortcut. In Type the location of the item, enter rundll32.exe user32.dll,LockWorkStation. Click Next, name the shortcut ‘Quick Lock’, and Finish.

If you wish, you can make it look pretty by giving it a lock or keys icon: Right-click, select Properties, click Change Icon, entershell32.dll, and select any icon you wish. Drag this shortcut and pin it to the taskbar, after which you can delete the desktop shortcut.

16. Customize Sticky Notes

You can format your Sticky Notes, by selecting text and using different keyboard shortcuts as shown in this screen capture:

17. Shortcut to Run Program as Administrator

You can Ctrl+Shift+Click on a taskbar icon to run the application as an Administrator with full rights (provided your account has permissions). Simply Shift+Right-Click on any program shortcut to run it as a different user, if for example you need higher privileges when logged in with your child’s account.

18. Boost performance with ReadyBoost

ReadyBoost improves your system performance by using faster USB Flash Drives instead of slower hard disks for system operations. It works best using flash drives with at least 1 GB of storage. Simply insert your flash drive, and if it meets certain performance benchmarks, Windows 7 will ask you if you want to use it for ReadyBoost and recommend the size to reserve.

19. Secure USB Drives with BitLocker

Secure your USB flash drives using BitLocker encryption. Right-click on your USB drive in My Computer, select Turn on BitLocker and follow the instructions to protect sensitive data on your thumb drives.
The next time you use your USB drive on another computer, it will prompt you for the password before allowing you read-only access to your flash drive. You can even use the drive on older computers running Windows XP/Vista.

Follow the next tip only if you’re knowledgeable enough to edit the Windows registry. Before making any changes, make sure you back up your registry.

20. Faster Thumbnail Previews

The taskbar shows thumbnail previews of opened windows when you hover the mouse over the program icon. By default, it takes a little time for the preview to appear. Make the previews appear faster with this registry tweak:
Go to Start, enter and run regedit. Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Mouse. On the right, open theMouseHoverTime key and reduce its value from the default 400 to around 150.
Be careful, as decreasing it further may cause problems.

10 Reasons why PCs Crash - Must Know

2012-01-15T02:31:00.000+05:30

"Fatal error: the system has become unstable or is busy”

Blue Screen of Death.
Fatal Exception Error. (RAM)
Parity error messages. (RAM)
RAM lock up and freeze the computer’s display. (BIOS)
Fatal OE exceptions and VXD errors. (Video Card)
Computer can not start.
Computer loop on BIOS.
Blank screen
Black screen of Death.

Cause of problem:

1. Hardware conflict

The number one reason why Windows crashes is hardware conflict. If there are a lot of devices, or if the hardware are not installed properly, when the user tries to use both devices at the same time, a crash can happen.

Sometimes mismatch driver also can make your device can function properly.

Troubleshoot:

Go to 'Device Manager' to check if all your device functional properly and all the driver for the device is install.
Make sure your computer drive is up-to-date.

2. Bad Random-Access Memory(RAM)

RAM problems might bring on a fatal error message that indicates a serious hardware problem. Sometimes it may mean a part is damaged and will need replacing. But a fatal error caused by RAM might be caused by a mismatch of chips or mismatch speed of RAM.

Troubleshoot:

Enter the BIOS settings and increase the wait state of the RAM.
Rearrange the RAM chips on the motherboard, or take some of them out.(Do not to touch the gold connections, as they can be easily damaged.)

3. BIOS settings

A common way to access these settings is to press the F2 or delete button during the first few seconds of a boot-up. Usually BIOS problem is come up, if you change something in the BIOS and the computer becomes more unstable.

Troubleshoot:

Write down on a piece of paper all the BIOS settings that appear on the screen. That way, you will know what settings to revert to.
Restore BIOS setting to default.

4. Hard disk drives

After a few weeks, the information on a hard disk drive starts to become fragmented. Hard disks will slow down and crash if they are too full.

Troubleshoot:

Defragment the hard disk every week or so, to prevent the disk from causing a screen freeze. (Use Windows Disk Defragment or any defragment application such as Diskeeper.)
Empty the Recycle Bin every week to free more space.
Scanned your hard disk every week for errors or bad sectors.

5. Video card

Troubleshoot:

Take a look at the color settings in 'Display Setting'. For most desktops, high colour 16-bit depth is adequate.
Make sure it does not have a hardware conflict. Check it in 'Device Manager'
Look up your video card’s manufacturer on the internet and search for the most recent drivers for it.

6. Viruses

Some viruses erase the boot sector of a hard drive, making it impossible to start. Viruses also can 'eat' all your files in your hard drives including system files.

Troubleshoot:

Install and update antivirus in your computer.
Install also spyware application such as Spyware Doctor.

7. Printers
The action of sending a document to print creates a bigger file, often called a postscript file.

Printers have only a small amount of memory, called a buffer. This can be easily overloaded. Printing a document also uses a considerable amount of CPU power. This will also slow down the computer’s performance.

Troubleshoot:
A good way to clear the buffer is to unplug the printer for ten seconds. Booting up from a powerless state, also called a cold boot, will restore the printer’s default settings and you may be able to carry on.

8. Software

A common cause of computer crash is faulty or badly-installed software. Incompatible software also cause of this problem. For example, you install Bitdefender and Kaspersky antivirus in a computer.

Troubleshoot:

Use application like Your Uninstaller to uninstall this software.
Make sure you have remove all the software before install a new software. To be safe, restart your computer after uninstall or remove a software.
Use registry cleaner like Registry Booster to remove obsolete entries.
Entering Safe Mode(Press F4 when Windows Start). Restore your computer to previous restore point.

9. Overheating

Central processing units (CPUs) are usually equipped with fans to keep them cool. If the fan fails or fills with dust it may start to overheat and generate a particular kind of error called a kernel error. This is a common problem in chips that have been overclocked to operate at higher speeds than they are supposed to.

Troubleshoot:

Install bigger and faster fan on the CPU.
Install more fan to make air flow move faster.
Clean your fan.

10. Power supply problems

Sometime computer crash because data lost in your computer. Computer is not properly shutdown may be the cause of the problem.

Troubleshoot:

Buying a uninterrupted power supply (UPS). This will give you a clean power supply when there is electricity, and it will give you a few minutes to perform a controlled shutdown in case of a power cut.

GOD MODE in Windows 7.

2012-01-15T02:09:00.000+05:30

GodMode is actually a hidden (or, at least it used to be hidden) developer shortcut in Windows 7 that provides more direct access to features and functions of the operating system. To be clear, GodMode doesn't add functionality. But it helps administrators work more efficiently by collecting all these tweaks and controls in one place.

Accessing GodMode in Windows 7

Follow these steps to access GodMode:

Create a new folder wherever you want the GodMode folder to be. Right-click in Windows Explorer, select New, then click Folder.
Next, rename the folder. You can name the folder anything you like as long as you add a period followed by this exact text string:
GodMode.{ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C}
The folder icon should be replaced by the Control Panel icon, and the folder should now be filled with a variety of tweaks and tools.

A General Understanding of Computer Viruses

2012-01-15T01:45:00.000+05:30

Different Types of Computer Viruses

There are Different Types of Computer Viruses. They could be classified in (origin, techniques, types of files they infect, where they hide, the kind of damage they cause, the type of operating system or platform they attack) etc.

Resident Viruses:

This type of virus is a permanent which dwells in the RAM memory. From there it can overcome and interrupt all of the operations executed by the system: corrupting files and programs that are opened, closed, copied, renamed etc.

Examples include: Randex, CMJ, Meve, and MrKlunky.

Direct Action Viruses:

The main purpose of this virus is to replicate and take action when it is executed. When a specific condition is met, the virus will go into action and infect files in the directory or folder that it is in and in directories that are specified in the AUTOEXEC.BAT file PATH. This batch file is always located in the root directory of the hard disk and carries out certain operations when the computer is booted.

Overwrite Viruses:

Virus of this kind is characterized by the fact that it deletes the information contained in the files that it infects, rendering them partially or totally useless once they have been infected.
The only way to clean a file infected by an overwrite virus is to delete the file completely, thus losing the original content.

Examples of this virus include: Way, Trj.Reboot, Trivial.88.D.

Boot Virus:

This type of virus affects the boot sector of a floppy or hard disk. This is a crucial part of a disk, in which information on the disk itself is stored together with a program that makes it possible to boot (start) the computer from the disk.
All disks and hard drives are divided into small sectors. The first sector is called the boot sector and contains the Master Boot Record (MBR). The MBR contains the information concerning the location of partitions on the drive and reading of the bootable operating system partition.
The best way of avoiding boot viruses is to ensure that floppy disks are write-protected and never start your computer with an unknown floppy disk in the disk drive.

Examples of boot viruses include: Polyboot.B, AntiEXE.

Macro Virus:

Macro viruses infect files that are created using certain applications or programs that contain macros. These mini-programs make it possible to automate series of operations so that they are performed as a single action, thereby saving the user from having to carry them out one by one.

Examples of macro viruses: Relax, Melissa.A, Bablas, O97M/Y2K.

Directory Virus:

Directory viruses change the paths that indicate the location of a file. By executing a program (file with the extension .EXE or .COM) which has been infected by a virus, you are unknowingly running the virus program, while the original file and program have been previously moved by the virus.
Once infected it becomes impossible to locate the original files.

Polymorphic Virus:

Polymorphic viruses encrypt or encode themselves in a different way (using different algorithms and encryption keys) every time they infect a system.
This makes it impossible for anti-viruses to find them using string or signature searches (because they are different in each encryption) and also enables them to create a large number of copies of themselves.

Examples include: Elkern, Marburg, Satan Bug, and Tuareg.

Stealth Viruses:

A stealth virus uses different mechanisms to prevent recognition by antivirus software. It tries to escape detection either by redirecting the disk head to head to read another sector or modifying the file size shown in the Directory listing.
Classification of some viruses is not possible as they are the file type viruses which start behaving as computer worms with an activation code.

File Infectors:

This type of virus infects programs or executable files (files with an .EXE or .COM extension). When one of these programs is run, directly or indirectly, the virus is activated, producing the damaging effects it is programmed to carry out. The majorities of existing viruses belong to this category, and can be classified depending on the actions that they carry out.

Companion Viruses:

Companion viruses can be considered file infector viruses like resident or direct action types. They are known as companion viruses because once they get into the system they "accompany" the other files that already exist. In other words, in order to carry out their infection routines, companion viruses can wait in memory until a program is run (resident viruses) or act immediately by making copies of themselves (direct action viruses).

Some examples include: Stator, Asimov.1539, and Terrax.1069

Worms:

A worm is a program very similar to a virus; it has the ability to self-replicate, and can lead to negative effects on your system and most importantly they are detected and can be eliminated by antiviruses.

Examples of worms include: PSWBugbear.B, Lovgate.F, Trile.C, Sobig.D, Mapson.

Trojans or Trojan Horses:

Another unsavory breed of malicious code are Trojans or Trojan horses, which unlike viruses do not reproduce by infecting other files, nor do they self-replicate like worms.

Logic Bombs:

They are not considered viruses because they do not replicate. They are not even programs in their own right but rather camouflaged segments of other programs.
Their objective is to destroy data on the computer once certain conditions have been met. Logic bombs go undetected until launched, and the results can be destructive.

Malware:

Malware is an abbreviated term used to describe a "malicious software" program. Malware includes things like spyware or adware programs, such as tracking cookies, which are used to monitor your surfing habits. It also includes more sinister items, such as keyloggers, Trojan horses, worms, and viruses.

MS Office KeyBoard Shortcuts

2012-01-08T03:08:00.000+05:30

Microsoft Word Keyboard Shortcuts

Microsoft Excel Keyboard Shortcuts

Microsoft PowerPoint Keyboard Shortcuts

Microsoft Outlook Keyboard Shortcuts

Microsoft Access Keyboard Shortcuts

Microsoft Publisher Keyboard Shortcuts

Microsoft FrontPage Keyboard Shortcuts

All Windows Shortcuts : Commands & Keys.

2012-01-08T02:40:00.000+05:30

Run Commands To Access The Control Panel :

Add/Remove Programs control : appwiz.cpl
Date/Time Properties control : timedate.cpl
Display Properties control : desk.cpl
FindFast control : findfast.cpl
Fonts Folder control : fonts
Internet Properties control : inetcpl.cpl
Keyboard Properties control : main.cpl keyboard
Mouse Properties control : main.cpl
Multimedia Properties control : mmsys.cpl
Network Properties control : netcpl.cpl
Password Properties control : password.cpl
Printers Folder control : printers
Sound Properties control : mmsys.cpl sounds
System Properties control : sysdm.cp

Management Console Commands:

compmgmt.msc - Computer management
devmgmt.msc - Device manager
diskmgmt.msc - Disk management
dfrg.msc - Disk defragmentation.
eventvwr.msc - Event viewer
fsmgmt.msc - Shared folders
gpedit.msc - Group policies
lusrmgr.msc - Local users and groups
perfmon.msc - Performance monitor
rsop.msc - Resultant set of policies
secpol.msc - Local security settings
services.msc - Various Services
msconfig - System Configuration Utility
regedit - Registry Editor
msinfo32 - System Information
sysedit - System Edit
win.ini - windows loading information(also system.ini)
winver - Shows current version of windows

Windows XP Shortcuts:

ALT+- (ALT+hyphen) Displays the Multiple Document Interface (MDI) child window's System menu
ALT+ENTER View properties for the selected item
ALT+ESC Cycle through items in the order they were opened
ALT+F4 Close the active item, or quit the active program
ALT+SPACEBAR Display the System menu for the active window
ALT+TAB Switch between open items
ALT+Underlined letter Display the corresponding menu
BACKSPACE View the folder one level up in My Computer or Windows Explorer
CTRL+A Select all
CTRL+B Bold
CTRL+C Copy
CTRL+I Italics
CTRL+O Open an item
CTRL+U Underline
CTRL+V Paste
CTRL+X Cut
CTRL+Z Undo
CTRL+F4 Close the active document
CTRL while dragging Copy selected item
CTRL+SHIFT while dragging Create shortcut to selected iteM
CTRL+RIGHT ARROW Move the insertion point to the beginning of the next word
CTRL+LEFT ARROW Move the insertion point to the beginning of the previous word
CTRL+DOWN ARROW Move the insertion point to the beginning of the next paragraph
CTRL+UP ARROW Move the insertion point to the beginning of the previous paragraph
SHIFT+DELETE Delete selected item permanently without placing the item in the Recycle Bin
ESC Cancel the current task
F1 Displays Help
F2 Rename selected item
F3 Search for a file or folder
F4 Display the Address bar list in My Computer or Windows Explorer
F5 Refresh the active window
F6 Cycle through screen elements in a window or on the desktop
F10 Activate the menu bar in the active program
SHIFT+F10 Display the shortcut menu for the selected item
CTRL+ESC Display the Start menu
SHIFT+CTRL+ESC Launches Task Manager
CTRL+ALT+DEL Launches Task Manager
SHIFT when you insert a CD Prevent the CD from automatically playing
WIN Display or hide the Start menu
WIN+BREAK Display the System Properties dialog box
WIN+D Minimizes all Windows and shows the Desktop
WIN+E Open Windows Explorer
WIN+F Search for a file or folder
WIN+F+CTRL Search for computers
WIN+L Locks the desktop
WIN+M Minimize or restore all windows
WIN+R Open the Run dialog box
WIN+TAB Switch between open items

Accessibility Shortcuts :

Tap SHIFT 5 times - Toggles StickyKeys on and off.
Press down and hold the right SHIFT key for 8 seconds - Toggles FilterKeys on and off.
Press down and hold the NUM LOCK key for 5 seconds - Toggles ToggleKeys on and off.
Left ALT+left SHIFT+NUM LOCK - Toggles MouseKeys on and off.
Left ALT+left SHIFT+PRINT SCREEN - Toggles High Contrast on and off.

Extract Text from Images with Little Software JOCR.

2012-01-08T01:58:00.000+05:30

In many cases, words we need always been protected in images and pictures which means we can not easily copy them out.
So any solutions ? Type as the picture shows the words ? In fact , we do not need to do this ! We can use a software called JOCR to recognise the words in the pictures !

There may be several similar software which can make this job , but remember : JOCR is just 84KB in large !

Download Application From Here : JOCR

This is the User Interface of the JOCR application.

JOCR is useful tool to revive the protected files whose text can not be copied.
JOCR enables you to copy text from any files and images on the screen such as protected Web pages, PDF files, error messages.
This program offers several capture modes.

JOCR requires Microsoft Office 2003 or higher version.
If JCOR does not work, Install MS-Office first.

Its Very Simple to Use.. Just follow these Steps..

1.Select a Image file which has Text in it.

2.Click on Capture Region Option.

3.Select the Text Part/Area on the Image.

4.Select Option Recognize.

5. It will recognizes the text on Image and saves in a Notepad ..

Password Protect and Hide Your Folder Using Simple Batch File.

2012-01-08T01:17:00.000+05:30

Lock, Hide & Password Protect your Folders.
Using this Trick not only Locking Folder but also Hide it.

Copy the following Script :

cls
@ECHO OFF
title Folder Locker
if EXIST "Control Panel.{21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D}" goto UNLOCK
if NOT EXIST Locker goto MDLOCKER
:CONFIRM
echo Are you sure u want to Lock the folder(Y/N)
set/p "cho=>"
if %cho%==Y goto LOCK
if %cho%==y goto LOCK
if %cho%==n goto END
if %cho%==N goto END
echo Invalid choice.
goto CONFIRM
:LOCK
ren Locker "Control Panel.{21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D}"
attrib +h +s "Control Panel.{21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D}"
echo Folder locked
goto End
:UNLOCK
echo Enter password to Unlock folder
set/p "pass=>"
if NOT %pass%==type your password here goto FAIL
attrib -h -s "Control Panel.{21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D}"
ren "Control Panel.{21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D}" Locker
echo Folder Unlocked successfully
goto End
:FAIL
echo Invalid password
goto end
:MDLOCKER
md Locker
echo Locker created successfully
goto End
:End

Now, Do the following Steps..

Paste above text into Notepad.
The text which is written in RED letters delete it & type your password there.
Save that file by extension .bat ( name is your choice)
Now on your screen there is a bat file appear.
Double click on that file.
A new folder named locker will appear on the screen.
Keep the files and folders you want to lock in that locker folder.
Now again double click on that batch file to lock that locker folder.
After locking that folder it will become hidden.
To open that folder double click on that bat file
Type your password & open that folder.

If your data will be lost !!!! its easy to get this back... :)

Just copy the script from here again.
Make the batch file again in the same location.
Edit your password in the program.
Double click on the batch file and you will get the options back to recover your data.

Hard Disk Guide - Tutorial

2012-01-06T14:52:00.000+05:30

Every computer must have a hard disk drive.Your operating system is stored on the hard drive. Of course any other file can be saved there too. It is the main location where people save data. Having adequate hard disk storage for your needs is important.

Hard disk drives are almost as amazing as microprocessors in terms of the technology they use and how much progress they have made in terms of capacity, speed, and price in the last 20 years. The first PC hard disks had a capacity of 10 megabytes and a cost of over $100 per MB. Modern hard disks have capacities approaching 100s of gigabytes and a cost of less than 1 cent per MB! This represents an improvement of 1,000,000% in just under 20 years, or around 67% cumulative improvement per year. At the same time, the speed of the hard disk and its interfaces have increased dramatically as well.

Terminology :

Capacity:
Capacity is the maximum amount of data a drive or disk (for example, a DVD disk) can store. Typical hard disk storage capacities today are either in gigabytes or terabytes. These sizes store enormous amounts of data. This is very useful when saving music and video, especially video files, which can get very large.

RPM:
RPM (Revolutions Per Minute) - Within a hard disk case are round platters (the actual disks) that are attached to a spindle that spins. The disks are written to or read from while spinning. One revolution is how many times the platters make a complete rotation. Disks in a HDD literally rotate thousands of times per minute. The greater the RPM, the faster data is read or written. 7200 RPM is typically what you will see in home computer hard drives.

Form Factor:
The form factor of a hard drive is the actual physical size of the case the platters are in. The main sizes are 3.5in and 2.5in.

Cache Memory:
A small amount of memory, usually 8, 16, or 32MB, is set aside for the most frequently accessed files. When one of these files is selected, it is retrieved from the cache. This reduces access time since the system does not have to search the drive for the data.

Types of Drives:
Now that the basics have been covered, let's look at some different kinds of drives. There are two main types used by home PCs and laptops: IDE/EIDE and Serial ATA (SATA).

IDE (Integrated Drive Electronics):
The IDE interface standard has been around for a very long time. The term interface in this sense means how the drive connects to the motherboard. As improvements were developed it later was called EIDE for Enhanced IDE. And after even further developments it has also come to be known as ATA (Advanced Technology Attachment). These drives connect to the motherboard via a flat, 80-wire cable to an IDE connector. Two drives can be attached on one cable.

The speed of a hard drive is determined by how fast the connector can send data. Currently the primary drive rates are 100 MB/s and 133 MB/s - 133 MB/s being the maximum. These hard disks are commonly described by the abbreviation "ATA" followed by the speed of its connector (ATA 100, ATA 133).

IDE drive connectors use a parallel bus, meaning multiple bits are transmitted simultaneously. To distinguish between Serial ATA drives, IDE disks are also referred to as PATA (the "P" stands for parallel).

Although there are still IDE drives around, Serial ATA is now the standard and is discussed next.

Serial ATA (SATA):
Today, SATA disk drives are the current standard and use a serial interface to transfer data, i.e. data is transmitted one bit at a time. Using a faster clock rate, sending one bit is faster than sending several with a slower clock, as with IDE. Data also travels along a single wire, reducing inteference. With SATA, one path is used for sending and another for receiving. With PATA, data is sent and received on one path.

The original SATA standard has a transfer rate of 150 MB/s (SATA-150). Now SATA can transmit up to 300 MB/s (SATA II or SATA-300), and 6 Gb/s (SATA 3), far surpassing PATA's 133 MB/s. SATA uses a 7-wire cable for connecting to the motherboard.

Inside the Hard Disk :

SCSI Drives:

SCSI (Pronounced "scuzzy") stands for Small Computer Systems Interface, and was originally developed to replace IDE before SATA came about. In addition to hard drives, other devices can use SCSI. Because PCs use either IDE or Serial ATA drives, I am not going to go into a lot of detail about SCSI, but I do want you to know that it exists and a PC is capable of using a SCSI drive if it has a SCSI controller.

SCSI is much faster than IDE. Several types developed over time: Narrow, Wide, Fast, Fast Wide, and Ultra. These refer to how much and how fast data is sent for each standard. The only one in use today is Ultra, itself consisting of various types. 8 or 16 devices are supported on one cable, depending on which kind is implemented. SCSI devices are a little more troublesome to configure than IDE and SATA and generally tend to be more expensive.

External Hard Drives:

Hard disk drives can connect externally to a computer. The drive is placed in a case called an enclosure that contains a port(s) on the back for connecting to the computer via a cable. For quite some time enclosures used USB or Firewire. Now, many support any combination of USB, Firewire, and External SATA (eSATA) ports on the same encasement. External SATA is far faster than USB and Firewire. To use it, a computer must also have an eSATA connector. If it doesn't, a card can be purchased with the interface on it. Enclosures are manufactured to match the form factor of particular drive.

Flash Drives (Pen Drives) :
Flash Drives are portable drives about the size of your thumb that use flash memory to store data. They replaced floppy disks years ago as the primary method of transporting data from place to place. The early ones only had a capacity of 8 or 16 MB megabytes. Now, storage is in the gigabytes which allows you to store large files such as music and pictures. They connect using a USB interface.

Surround Sound Systems - Dolby Digital, DTS, THX & HD Surround

2012-01-06T01:47:00.000+05:30

What Is Surround Sound?

Surround sound refers to the use of multiple audio tracks to envelop the movie watching or music listening audience, making them feel like they're in the middle of the action or concert. The surround sound movie soundtrack allows the audience to hear sounds coming from all around them, and plays a large part in realizing what movie makers call "suspended disbelief". "Suspended disbelief" is when the audience is completely captivated by the movie experience and is no longer aware of their real-world surroundings.

True surround sound formats rely on dedicated speakers that literally and physically surround the audience. There is one center speaker which carries most of the dialog (since the actors usually speak while making their on-screen appearance), and part of the soundtrack. There are left and right front speakers that carry most of the soundtrack (music and sound effects), and may carry parts of the dialog (when the director wants to intentionally off-set the source of the dialog to either side, from its default dead-center screen location). There is a pair of surround sound speakers that is placed to the side (and slightly above) of the audience to provide the surround sound and ambient effects. Finally, a subwoofer can be used to reproduce the low and very low frequency effects (LFE) that come with certain movies

The main true surround sound formats are :

Dolby Digital (AC-3)

Dolby Digital is a 5.1-channel surround sound format, and is the standard for DVD-Video. Dolby Digital features up to five discrete (independent) channels (front center, front left, front right, surround left, surround right; giving it the "5" designation) of full frequency sound (with respect to the range of human hearing, which ideally ranges from 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz), plus a sixth channel for low frequency effects (LFE). The LFE signal is usually reserved for the subwoofer speaker(s), or those speakers capable of reproducing low frequency ranges. The low frequency effects channel gives Dolby Digital the ".1" designation. The ".1" signifies that the sixth channel is not full frequency, as it contains only deep bass frequencies (3 Hz to 120 Hz).

Dolby Digital is a lossy audio encoding scheme that supports up to 5.1 channels of discrete audio. In actuality, a Dolby Digital soundtrack may be composed of less than 5.1 channels. For example, Dolby Digital 1.0 is mono audio (single track of audio information), while Dolby Digital 2.0 is stereo (in which Dolby Surround or Dolby Surround Pro-Logic can be encoded). Dolby Digital 4.0 have discrete audio signals for the center, left, and right channels, plus a mono audio signal that is common for the surround channels. Dolby Digital 5.0 is like Dolby Digital 5.1, but lacks a discrete audio signal for the low frequency effects channel.

For DVD-Video, Dolby Digital encodes these multi-channel soundtracks at either the 448 kbit/sec or 384 kbit/sec data rates.

For Blu-ray Disc, Dolby Digital encodes these multi-channel soundtracks at 640 kbit/sec.

Keep in mind that "Dolby Digital" does not necessarily equate to "Dolby Digital 5.1".

"Dolby Digital" generically refers to the encoding scheme as discussed in the paragraph above. Only when it says "Dolby Digital 5.1" explicitly can you be sure that the soundtrack consists of 5.1 discrete channels.

To take advantage of Dolby Digital surround sound, you must have either:
(1) Dolby Digital decoder in the DVD player and a "Dolby Digital ready" AV receiver or pre-amplifier, or
(2) Dolby Digital AV receiver or pre-amplifier and use the DVD player's digital audio output.
(This option is generally better since it allows the DVD player to pass the raw digital audio signal to the receiver or pre-amplifier, which theoretically is less subject to interference and degradation.)

DTS Digital Surround :

DTS Digital Surround is a 5.1-channel surround sound format, similar to Dolby Digital. As such it is a competing format to Dolby Digital.

DTS (Digital Theater System) features up to five discrete (independent) channels (front center, front left, front right, surround left, surround right; giving it the "5" designation) of full frequency sound (with respect to the range of human hearing, which ideally ranges from 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz), plus a sixth channel for low frequency effects (LFE).

The LFE signal is usually reserved for the subwoofer speaker(s), or those speakers capable of reproducing low frequency ranges.

The low frequency effects channel gives DTS the ".1" designation. The ".1" signifies that the sixth channel is not full frequency, as it contains only deep bass frequencies (3 Hz to 120 Hz).

DTS is a lossy audio encoding scheme that supports up to 5.1 channels of discrete audio. Though the vast majority of DTS digital surround soundtracks consist of 5.1 channels, the fact is that it can be composed of less than 5.1 discrete channels.

For example,

DTS 4.0 have discrete audio signals for the center, left, and right channels, plus a mono audio signal that is common for the surround channels.

DTS 4.1 is like DTS 4.0, but adds the ".1" low frequency effects channel.

DTS 5.0 is like DTS 5.1, but lacks a discrete audio signal for the low frequency effects channel.

Keep in mind that "DTS" does not always equate to "DTS 5.1".

"DTS" generically refers to the encoding scheme as discussed above.

Only when it says "DTS 5.1" explicitly can you be sure that the soundtrack consists of 5.1 discrete channels.

Fortunately, the vast majority of DTS encoded DVDs are in fact DTS 5.1.

DTS uses higher data rates (1.5 Mbit/sec or 754 kbit/sec, which are almost twice to four times higher) to encode the 5.1 channels of surround sound information than Dolby Digital (448 kbit/sec or 384 kbit/sec), prompting many home theater enthusiasts and industry experts to claim that it is superior to Dolby Digital.

DTS surround sound encoded DVD-Video titles are far fewer in number than their Dolby Digital counterparts, and until recently were released months after their Dolby Digital counterparts.

Thanks to the new lower DTS data rate (i.e., the 754 kbit/sec data rate), some studios (e.g., Buena Vista, DreamWorks, Fox, New Line and to a lesser extent Columbia TriStar and Artisan) have begun to release DVD titles that feature both Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS 5.1. Prior to the advent of the lower DTS data rate, DTS DVD titles featured the full DTS data rate (i.e., the 1.5 Mbit/sec data rate) soundtrack, a Dolby Surround 2.0 soundtrack (for backwards compatibility with non-DTS equipment), and few (if any) bonus material since capacity of the DVD was limited due to the "data hogging" full-rate DTS soundtrack.

To take advantage of DTS digital surround, you must have either configuration (A) or (B):

Configuration (A): DTS decoding in the receiver or preamplifier (this is the preferred configuration)
   (1) a receiver or pre-amplifier with built-in DTS decoding (look for the "DTS" logo on the faceplate), and
   (2) a DVD player with DTS digital output (look for the "DTS" or "DTS digital out" logo on the faceplate). Alternatively you can use a DVD player with DTS decoding built-in with its digital output (in which case you're not really using the decoder in the DVD player), and
   (3) use an optical or coaxial digital audio interconnect to connect the DVD player to the receiver or preamplifier

Configuration (B): DTS decoding in the DVD player
   (1) a "5.1-channel ready" receiver or preamplifier (with no DTS decoding) that has a set of 5.1-channel analog inputs, and
   (2) a DVD player with built-in DTS decoding (look for the "DTS digital surround" logo on the faceplate and a set of 5.1-channel analog outputs on the back panel), and
   (3) use six analog audio interconnects (i.e., three stereo RCA pairs) between the DVD player and the receiver or preamplifier

Dolby Surround Pro-Logic :

Dolby Surround Pro-Logic emerged in home theater systems in the early 1990's. It became the surround sound standard for Hi-Fi VHS, and is still the standard for today's analog TV broadcasts, since the Dolby Surround Pro-Logic signal can be encoded in a stereo analog signal. If you have an "older" Dolby Surround Pro-Logic receiver, you can still enjoy movies from DVD-Video, since all DVD-Video players down-mixes the Dolby Digital information to the Dolby Surround Pro-Logic format, and outputs the signal as a stereo audio pair.

Extended Surround formats:

THX Surround EX (Dolby Digital EX)

THX Surround EX, also known as Dolby Digital EX, refers to the Dolby Digital version of the new "6.1"-channel surround sound format that extends the 5.1-channel surround sound format with one (or two) additional speaker(s) located in the back of the audience (i.e., back surround channel). THX Surround EX is actually a 5.1-channel format with the back surround audio channel matrixed into those of the right and left surround. The back surround channel is matrixed in similar fashion as the front center channel is matrixed into the front right and left channels in the Dolby Surround Pro-Logic format. As such, the back surround channel is not discrete and therefore THX Surround EX is not a true "6.1" format.

To take advantage of THX Surround EX, you must have both:
1.) a DVD player and use one of the digital audio outputs (e.g., "Toslink" optical or coaxial).
2.) a THX Surround EX decoder, usually a function of the receiver or pre-amplifier. Look for the "THX Surround EX" words or logo on the faceplate. Receivers featuring THX Surround EX decoding are still relatively expensive, particularly those that comes with six or seven channels of amplification for the full frequency channels.

DTS Extended Surround (Matrix or Discrete 6.1)

DTS Extended Surround refers to the Digital Theater Sound's version of the new "6.1"-channel surround sound format that extends the 5.1-channel surround sound format with one (or two) additional speaker(s) located in the back of the audience (i.e., back surround channel).

DTS Extended Surround (or DTS-ES for short) comes in two flavors: (1) DTS Extended Surround Matrix, or (2) DTS Extended Surround Discrete 6.1.

DTS-ES Matrix is actually a 5.1-channel format with the back surround audio channel matrixed into those of the right and left surround.

The back surround channel is matrixed in similar fashion as the front center channel is matrixed into the front right and left channels in the Dolby Surround Pro-Logic format.

As such, the back surround channel is not discrete and therefore is not a true "6.1" format. DTS-ES Matrix is compatible with THX Surround EX equipment.

DTS-ES Matrix is completely backwards compatible with DTS 5.1 equipment.

DTS-ES Discrete 6.1 is a true 6.1-channel format, as the back surround audio channel is discretely encoded into the DTS bit stream.

This format offers better spatialization over the surround channels for complete 360-degree sound localization and surround pans (i.e., movement of sound in the surround channels from one side to another).

A data flag signals the decoder (usually part of the receiver or pre-amplifier) that the bitstream contains an extra discrete back surround channel.

For backwards compatibility, DTS-ES Discrete 6.1 back surround channel is ignored by DTS 5.1 equipment.

To take advantage of DTS Extended Surround digital surround, you must have both:

(1) DTS-capable DVD player, either with DTS digital output or a DTS built-in decoder. Look for the "DTS" or "DTS digital out" logos on the faceplate of the DVD player.
(2) DTS Extended Surround decoder, usually part of a DTS-ES capable receiver or DTS-ES capable pre-amplifier

Look for the "DTS Extended Surround" logo on the faceplate. THX Surround EX equipment can decode DTS-ES Matrix, but not DTS-ES Discrete 6.1. DTS-ES Discrete 6.1 requires a true DTS-ES decoder.
Equipment featuring a true DTS-ES decoder is still few in number and are expensive. A few models that are currently available include the Denon AVR-5800 receiver (approximately $3,800).

: High Definition Surround Sound :

Dolby Laboratories and DTS, Inc. have offered their own solutions, known as Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio respectively. Both of these new surround sound formats offer:

100% lossless encoding that matches the original high quality studio master bit-for-bit for an unmatched surround sound experience.
Up to 7.1 channels of surround sound, with two additional back channels placed directly behind the audience for a thoroughly immersive surround sound experience.
Complete artistic control over the down-mixing of multi-channel surround sound, enabling the movie director or soundtrack mixer to specify how a 7.1-channel surround sound mix is down-mixed to 5.1-channel or even 2-channel home theater configuration. So no matter your loudspeaker configuration, you always get the mix that the creative team intended.

The end result is that either of these two surround sound formats can offer an acoustic experience that matches the jaw-dropping visual experience of high definition TV. We will talk about Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio in turn, then discuss how you can enjoy these new high definition surround sound formats in the new Blu-ray Disc optical media format and the audio/video equipment that you would need.

Dolby TrueHD :

Dolby TrueHD is Dolby Laboratory's state-of-the-art version of high definition surround sound that supersedes the Dolby Digital 5.1-channel and Dolby Digital Plus 7.1-channel surround sound formats. Dolby Digital is the most popular surround sound format, prevalent on DVDs, HDTV over-the-air broadcasts, broadcast satellite, and of course cable network digital channel offerings. While Dolby Digital is good, Dolby TrueHD is leaps and bounds better in every way imaginable, as summarized in the table that follows.

Key parameters of Dolby Digital vs. Dolby TrueHD

Lossy / Lossless: Dolby Digital uses a lossy compression algorithm to encode and pack the audio information into a DVD audio track or a broadcast bitstream.

Lossy means that mathematically, the playback does not replicate bit-for-bit (the 1's and 0's of digital data) the original bitstream that was encoded.Through the science of psychoacoustics and noise shaping, Dolby Digital encodes the essence of the surround sound information.Because of the data limitations, some audio fidelity is lost with lossy encoding. In contrast, Dolby TrueHD uses a lossless encoding algorithm based on MLP Lossless technology, used in the DVD-Audio format for multi-channel music.Lossless means that mathematically, the playback is able to re-create the original digital studio master recording bit-for-bit.

That means the audio information is pristine. In playback, we get everything that the audio engineer produced, literally down to the last digital bit. And that is as good as it gets!

Number of channels & typical channel configuration: Dolby Digital can support up to 6 channels in a 5.1-channel configuration.That is "5" full-frequency channels and one low frequency effects ".1" channel.Dolby TrueHD expands this to a maximum of 8 channels, adding two additional full-frequency channels for a total of "7" + ".1" low frequency effects. Of course, the Dolby TrueHD decoding process can down mix the 7.1-channel soundtrack to playback for 5.1-channel home theater setup.

Maximum data rates: Because the Blu-ray Disc format affords greater data capacity, Dolby TrueHD soundtrack can use a data rate of up to 18 Mbps for just the surround sound information.That is about 40 times the data rate for Dolby Digital on DVD. As you can see, that is a phenomenal leap in the amount of information that can be captured using Dolby TrueHD.

What does this do for us? Higher data rates mean higher frequency sampling ratesand longer sampling word lengths, as described below.

Frequency sampling rate: A higher frequency sampling rate means that the sound in all frequency ranges will be encoded with more accuracy.

In everyday terms, the playback soundfield will be more realistic and natural. In particular high-pitched sounds within the audible spectrum with improve in tonal accuracy.

Sampling word length: Going from 16-bit word length to a longer 24-bit word length means that more dynamic range can be recorded.

Dynamic range refers the variations of loudness (without changing the playback volume) that spans from the loudest crescendos of music and an action movie explosions to the softness of a subtle nuance emanating from a supporting musical instrument and the whispers in a romantic movie.

While Dolby TrueHD is an optional surround sound format on the Blu-ray Disc format, it is very popular and is offered on many Blu-ray Disc titles.

DTS-HD Master Audio

DTS-HD Master Audio is a high definition surround sound format alternative to Dolby TrueHD. It is DTS Inc.'s version of Dolby Laboratory's Dolby TrueHD. Surely, there are technical differences, but from an everyday consumer standpoint, they are more alike than different. DTS-HD Master Audio is state-of-the-art, offering 7.1-channel surround sound that is bit-for-bit identical to the original digital studio master recording.It is available on select Blu-ray Disc titles.

Key parameters DTS Surround Sound vs. DTS-HD Master Audio

Which is Better: Dolby TrueHD or DTS-HD Master Audio?

To the consumer, it no longer matters as it once did when the DVD-Video format was first introduced and the surround sound format "war" was between Dolby Digital and DTS Surround Sound. Because both Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio are lossless formats that replicate the original studio master bit-for-bit and offer up to 7.1 channels of surround sound, both formats offer unprecedented, jaw dropping surround sound experiences.

What Equipment Do I Need to Enjoy These New High Definition Surround Sound Formats?

Blu-ray Disc player and an AV receiver both with Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio decoding built-in:

If your equipment is new, you only need to hook them up with an HDMI v1.2 cable (HDMI v1.3 recommended, minimum):
(a) a Blu-ray Disc player that decodes Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio;
(b) a 7.1-channel AV receiver with Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audiodecoding;
(c) a single HDMI v1.2 cable (HDMI v1.3 recommended, minimum) to hook up the Blu-ray Disc player to the AV receiver to pass both the video and multi-channel audio information;
(d) a second HDMI v1.2 cable (HDMI v1.3 recommended, minimum) to hook up your AV receiver to your HDTV to pass the video signal.
(e) seven full frequency loudspeakers (or five for 5.1-channel configuration) and an optional subwoofer for the "0.1" LFE channel

-:THE END :-

What is Cloud Computing ? How it Works ?

2012-01-03T20:06:00.000+05:30

Cloud computing is a technology that uses the internet and central remote servers to maintain data and applications.
Cloud computing allows consumers and businesses to use applications without installation and access their personal files at any computer with internet access.
This technology allows for much more efficient computing by centralizing storage, memory, processing and bandwidth.

Cloud computing is broken down into three segments: "application" , "storage" and "connectivity." Each segment serves a different purpose and offers different products for businesses and individuals around the world.

A simple example of cloud computing is Yahoo email, Gmail, or Hotmail etc. You dont need a software or a server to use them. All a consumer would need is just an internet connection and you can start sending emails.
The server and email management software is all on the cloud ( internet) and is totally managed by the cloud service provider Yaho , Google etc. The consumer gets to use the software alone and enjoy the benefits.

And another good example is : Let's say you're an executive at a large corporation. Your particular responsibilities include making sure that all of your employees have the right hardware and software they need to do their jobs. Buying computers for everyone isn't enough -- you also have to purchase software or software licenses to give employees the tools they require. Whenever you have a new hire, you have to buy more software or make sure your current software license allows another user. It's so stressful that you find it difficult to go to sleep on your huge pile of money every night.

Soon, there may be an alternative for executives like you. Instead of installing a suite of software for each computer, you'd only have to load one application. That application would allow workers to log into a Web-based service which hosts all the programs the user would need for his or her job. Remote machines owned by another company would run everything from e-mail to word processing to complex data analysis programs. It's called cloud computing, and it could change the entire computer industry.

In a cloud computing system, there's a significant workload shift. Local computers no longer have to do all the heavy lifting when it comes to running applications. The network of computers that make up the cloud handles them instead. Hardware and software demands on the user's side decrease. The only thing the user's computer needs to be able to run is the cloud computing system's interface software, which can be as simple as a Web browser, and the cloud's network takes care of the rest.

Cloud Computing Architecture

When talking about a cloud computing system, it's helpful to divide it into two sections: the front endand the back end.

They connect to each other through a network, usually the Internet.

The front end is the side the computer user, or clients.

The back end is the "cloud" section of the system.

The front end includes the client's computer and the application required to access the cloud computing system. Not all cloud computing systems have the same user interface.Services like Web-based e-mail programs leverage existing Web browsers like Internet Explorer or Firefox.Other systems have unique applications that provide network access to clients.

On the back end of the system are the various computers, servers and data storage systems that create the "cloud" of computing services. In theory, a cloud computing system could include practically any computer program you can imagine, from data processing to video games. Usually, each application will have its own dedicated server.

If a cloud computing company has a lot of clients, there's likely to be a high demand for a lot of storage space. Some companies require hundreds of digital storage devices. Cloud computing systems need at least twice the number of storage devices it requires to keep all its clients' information stored. That's because these devices, like all computers, occasionally break down. A cloud computing system must make a copy of all its clients' information and store it on other devices. The copies enable the central server to access backup machines to retrieve data that otherwise would be unreachable. Making copies of data as a backup is called redundancy.

Uses of Cloud Computing:

Clients would be able to access their applications and data from anywhere at any time. They could access the cloud computing system using any computer linked to the Internet.

It could bring hardware costs down. Cloud computing systems would reduce the need for advanced hardware on the client side. You wouldn't need to buy the fastest computer with the most memory, because the cloud system would take care of those needs for you. Instead, you could buy an inexpensive computer terminal. The terminal could include a monitor, input devices like a keyboard and mouse and just enough processing power to run the middleware necessary to connect to the cloud system. You wouldn't need a large hard drive because you'd store all your information on a remote computer.

Servers and digital storage devices take up space. Some companies rent physical space to store servers and databases because they don't have it available on site. Cloud computing gives these companies the option of storing data on someone else's hardware, removing the need for physical space on the front end.

Corporations might save money on IT support.

Difference Between Capacitive and Resistive Touchscreen Mobiles

2012-01-03T16:07:00.000+05:30

If you have been looking to buy a new mobile phone preferably a touchscreen mobile then you must have noticed that the screen options always shows either resistive or capacitive. If you are thinking that both are same or what matters then i think after reading this page the whole difference will get clear.

Touchscreen mobile phones are divided into two categories based on theirtouch sensitivity, to begin with Capacitive touchscreen phones have a low response time, for e.g. see Apple iPhone, it has a capacitive dual-layer screen along with ability to kinnect scroll.
Kinnect Scrolling surfs a longer area of a list with a single push, which means it is more sensitive and you won’t be punching your phone often.

On Technical Grounds

Resistive Touchscreen: It is made of two resistive layers opposing each other with a conducting transparent material call Indium tin oxide (ITO).

ITO has 100 – 500 ohm sensitivity per sq. m, they are cost effective andcheap. A hard press can easily damage it which is the reason why most resistive touchscreen mobile phones from Nokia demand high care.

Capacitive Touchscreen: It’s touchpad consists of two highly sensitive electrodes that are connected along with a mixed signal integrated circuit (IC) mounted on alternate sides of the pad.

When a finger is tapped on the screen, the capacitance of that place changes and a touch is registered, the change of capacitance is because human finger has different di-electric than air.

The best technical aspect of Capacitive touchscreen is that it transmits 90% of the light getting emitted from it therefore it gives better viewing experience.

In User-Experience terms

If you didn’t understand the technical aspects no problem, if your use is limited to just the user-experience then undoubtedly a capacitive on is better any day than a resistive one.

If you want hands-on experience use Nokia 5800 and Samsung Monte S5620you will feel the lag time in Nokia. It is basically not manufacturers fault but since both need care, resistive screen are cheap.

If you accidentally broke a capacitive touchscreen, god! it will cost Rs. 3,500 or even more.

Anyways coming to User Experience, touch on C screen is faster, most list offer Kinnect Scrolling therefore it offers peace of mind, if you want a good capacitive touchscreen mobile phone under Rs. 10,000 then Samsung Monte S5620 is the best where in resistive ones you can choose Nokia 5233 or Samsung Corby Series etc.

The Final Conclusion

Both have pros and cons, resistive is cheaper, unstable and shock-prone where the latter is expensive, responsive and totally fergalicious.

Before purchasing any of the above mentioned phones, make sure you select the one that suits you and not which suits anyone else because you will be using the device.

Study of a Microprocessor

2012-01-03T15:10:00.000+05:30

Microprocessor

As there are a great many variations in architecture between the different kinds of CPU, we shall begin my looking at a simplified model of the structure.

The model to be used can be seen on the right of this page, and is a good basis on which to build your knowledge of the workings of a microprocessor.

The simplified model consists of five parts, which are:

Arithmetic & Logic Unit (ALU)
The part of the central processing unit that deals with operations such as addition, subtraction, and multiplication of integers and Boolean operations. It receives control signals from the control unit telling it to carry out these operations.

Control Unit (CU)
This controls the movement of instructions in and out of the processor, and also controls the operation of the ALU. It consists of a decoder, control logic circuits, and a clock to ensure everything happens at the correct time. It is also responsible for performing the instruction execution cycle.

Register Array
This is a small amount of internal memory that is used for the quick storage and retreival of data and instructions. All processors include some common registers used for specific functions, namely the program counter, instruction register, accumulator, memory address register and stack pointer.

System Bus
This is comprised of the control bus, data bus and address bus. It is used for connections between the processor, memory and peripherals, andtransferal of data between the various parts.

Memory
The memory is not an actual part of the CPU itself, and is instead housed elsewhere on the motherboard. However, it is here that the program being executed is stored, and as such is a crucial part of the overall structure involved in program execution.

***********************************

Arithmetic and Logic Unit

The ALU, or the arithmetic and logic unit, is the section of the processor that is involved with executing operations of an arithmetic or logical nature. It works in conjunction with the register array for many of these, in particular, the accumulator and flag registers.

The accumulator holds the results of operations, while the flag register contains a number of individual bits that are used to store information about the last operation carried out by the ALU. More on these registers can be found in the register array section.

You can look at the ALU as comprising many subcomponents for each specific task that it is required to perform. Some of these tasks and their appropriate subcomponents are:

Addition and subtraction

These two tasks are performed by constructs of logic gates, such as half adders and full adders. While they may be termed 'adders', with the aid of they can also perform subtraction via use of inverters and 'two's complement' arithmetic.

The topic of logic gates is too expansive and detailed to be covered in full here. Many resources exist on the internet and elsewhere relating to this topic, however, so it is recommended that you read further into the areas outlined above to aid with your learning.

Multiplication and division

In most modern processors, the multiplication and division of integer values is handled by specific floating-point hardware within the CPU. Earlier processors used either additional chips known as maths co-processors, or used a completely different method to perform the task.

Logical tests

Further logic gates are used within the ALU to perform a number of different logical tests, including seeing if an operation produces a result of zero. Most of these logical tests are used to then change the values stored in the flag register, so that they may be checked later by seperate operations or instructions. Others produce a result which is then stored, and used later in further processing.

Comparison

Comparison operations compare values in order to determine such things as whether one number is greater than, less than or equal to another. These operations can be performed by subtraction of one of the numbers from the other, and as such can be handled by the aforementioned logic gates. However, it is not strictly necessary for the result of the calculation to be stored in this instance.. the amount by which the values differ is not required. Instead, the appropriate status flags in the flag register are set and checked to detemine the result of the operation.

Bit shifting

Shifting operations move bits left or right within a word, with different operations filling the gaps created in different ways. This is accomplished via the use of a shift register, which uses pulses from the clock within the control unit to trigger a chain reaction of movement across the bits that make up the word. Again, this is a quite complicated logical procedure, and further reading may aid your understanding.

Control Unit

The control unit is arguably the most complicated part of this model CPU, and is responsible for controlling much of the operation of the rest of the processor. It does this by issuing control signals to the other areas of the processor, instructing them on what should be performed next.

Similarly to the arithmetic and logic unit, the control unit can be broken down further for easier understanding. As such, the three main elements of the control unit are as follows:

Decoder
This is used to decode the instructions that make up a program when they are being processed, and to determine in what actions must be taken in order to process them. These decisions are normally taken by looking at the opcode of the instruction, together with the addressing mode used. This is covered in greater detail in the instruction execution section of this tutorial.

Timer or clock
The timer or clock ensures that all processes and instructions are carried out and completed at the right time. Pulses are sent to the other areas of the CPU at regular intervals (related to the processor clock speed), and actions only occur when a pulse is detected. This ensures that the actions themselves also occur at these same regular intervals, meaning that the operations of the CPU are synchronized.

Control logic circuits
The control logic circuits are used to create the control signals themselves, which are then sent around the processor. These signals inform thearithmetic and logic unit and the register array what they actions and steps they should be performing, what data they should be using to perform said actions, and what should be done with the results.

Registers

A register is a memory location within the CPU itself, designed to be quickly accessed for purposes of fast data retrieval. Processors normally contain a register array, which houses many such registers. These contain instructions, data and other values that may need to be quickly accessed during the execution of a program.

Many different types of registers are common between most microprocessor designs. These are:

Program Counter (PC)
This register is used to hold the memory address of the next instruction that has to executed in a program. This is to ensure the CPU knows at all times where it has reached, that is able to resume following an execution at the correct point, and that the program is executed correctly.

Instruction Register (IR)
This is used to hold the current instruction in the processor while it is being decoded and executed, in order for the speed of the whole execution process to be reduced. This is because the time needed to access the instruction register is much less than continual checking of the memory location itself.

Accumulator (A, or ACC)
The accumulator is used to hold the result of operations performed by the arithmetic and logic unit, as covered in the section on the ALU.

Memory Address Register (MAR)
Used for storage of memory addresses, usually the addresses involved in the instructions held in the instruction register. The control unit then checks this register when needing to know which memory address to check or obtain data from.

Memory Buffer Register (MBR)
When an instruction or data is obtained from the memory or elsewhere, it is first placed in the memory buffer register. The next action to take is then determined and carried out, and the data is moved on to the desired location.

Flag register / status flags
The flag register is specially designed to contain all the appropriate 1-bit status flags, which are changed as a result of operations involving thearithmetic and logic unit. Further information can be found in the section on the ALU.

Other general purpose registers
These registers have no specific purpose, but are generally used for the quick storage of pieces of data that are required later in the program execution. In the model used here these are assigned the names A and B, with suffixes of L and U indicating the lower and upper sections of the register respectively.

System Bus

The system bus is a cable which carries data communication between the major components of the computer, including the microprocessor. Not all of the communication that uses the bus involves the CPU, although naturally the examples used in this tutorial will centre on such instances.

The system bus consists of three different groups of wiring, called the data bus, control bus and address bus.

These all have seperate responsibilities and characteristics, which can be outlined as follows:

Control Bus
The control bus carries the signals relating to the control and co-ordination of the various activities across the computer, which can be sent from the control unit within the CPU. Different architectures result in differing number of lines of wire within the control bus, as each line is used to perform a specific task. For instance, different, specific lines are used for each of read, write and reset requests.

Data Bus
This is used for the exchange of data between the processor, memory and peripherals, and is bi-directional so that it allows data flow in both directions along the wires. Again, the number of wires used in the data bus (sometimes known as the 'width') can differ. Each wire is used for the transfer of signals corresponding to a single bit of binary data. As such, a greater width allows greater amounts of data to be transferred at the same time.

Address Bus
The address bus contains the connections between the microprocessor and memory that carry the signals relating to the addresses which the CPU is processing at that time, such as the locations that the CPU is reading from or writing to. The width of the address bus corresponds to the maximum addressing capacity of the bus, or the largest address within memory that the bus can work with. The addresses are transferred in binary format, with each line of the address bus carrying a single binary digit. Therefore the maximum address capacity is equal to two to the power of the number of lines present

*THE END*

Difference Between USB 2.0 and USB 3.0

2012-01-03T14:17:00.000+05:30

With the growing hype surrounding USB 3.0, we thought it would be a nice idea to show the difference between USB 3.0 and its predecessor USB 2.0 in a easy to read, easy to understand format.

Below you will notice a chart detailing the main differences between USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 in addition to descriptions of exactly what is being compared.

Backward Compatible:

Backward compatibility is whether the technology is compatible with previous platforms. Example: USB 3.0 is compatible with USB 2.0 and 1.1. This means that you can plug a USB 3.0 flash drive into a USB 2.0 port, but the transfer speeds will be limited by 2.0 specifications.

Maximum Transfer Rate:

Exactly how fast can the connection transfer data? The higher the number, the greater the amount of files you can transfer per minute.

Bi-Directional Data Transfer:

Bi-directional data transfer is new to USB 3.0 and allows a user to simultaneously upload and download files from a USB 3.0 device. USB 2.0 devices can only transfer files one way at any given moment.

Charging Power:

Charging power refers to the amount of power that is transferred through a cable or port to charge a particular device. Devices that crave a lot of power such as an iPad benefit more from the increased power in USB 3.0 than 2.0. More power usually means faster charging rates.

Smart Charging:

Smart Charging refers to if the USB protocol can sense if a device is plugged into the USB device or not. Standard USB 2.0 cannot detect when a device is plugged in, but will supply power to the port continuously. USB 3.0 on the other hand does have the protocol and will actually stop supplying power to a particular USB drive or port when not in use.

First Available:

Refers to when devices like flash drives for this specification were first available to consumers.

There are more features that developers have created to make 3.0 an effective data transfer medium. To help you further understand what sets SuperSpeed apart, it’s also important to know about the following USB 3.0 versus USB 2.0 differences:

A change of color:

USB 3.0 takes a departure from USB 2.0’s black and gray cables. Instead, cords and even ports are colored with a bright blue hue (as well as a more curled and swirled SuperSpeed logo imprinted on the connector). These changes should help consumers better distinguish between the two standards.

Connectors and compatibility:

Backward compatibility isn’t always clear cut. A type A USB 3.0 plug with its thin yet broad structure is nearly identical to the 2.0 counterpart, which makes for a smooth, compatible connection between device and host in a 2.0 A port. USB 2.0 A and B plugs will fit into their corresponding 3.0 ports. However, Type B and Micro B USB 3.0 connectors are designed only for SuperSpeed devices and ports due to the nature of their shapes. Type B USB 3.0 ports will however, accept 2.0 plugs.

Data hungry? :

USB 3.0 is better equipped at handling more data at a greater bandwidth than 2.0, providing double the throughput for devices like hard drives. Where USB 2.0 was not able to handle certain Blu-ray players, video cameras and audio channels at optimum efficiency for the overall enjoyment of consumers, 3.0 is able to step up.

Making it easier to be green:

While USB 3.0 uses multiplied charging power, the interface is actually more energy efficient than USB 2.0. With asynchronous polling, USB 3.0 has the peripheral alert the host only when data needs to be transferred, therefore reducing power demands. With USB 2.0, energy was wasted with continuous polling. SuperSpeed also has the computer or devices reduce power when idle through link level power management. The LPM feature first appeared in some but not all USB 2.0 devices because it was difficult to integrate. However, it is a standard feature in USB 3.0

Difference Between Blu-Ray and DVD.

2012-01-03T03:30:00.000+05:30

DVD :

Single layer DVDs can store about 4.7 GB of data, which is about two hours worth of movie. These are commonly referred to as DVD-5s.

Double layer DVDs, or DVD-9s, can store twice the amount of data at 8.7 GB.

Blu-Ray :

Single layer Blu-ray discs store approximately 25 GB of data, this equals about two hours of high definition information or 13 hours of standard definition information.

Double layer Blu-ray discs can hold about 50 GB equaling about four and a half hours of high definition information or 26 hours in standard definition.

Laser Technology:

Lasers are used in both media to read the information stored on the disc.

As the disc spins the laser reads the information and transfers both picture and sound to the television.

DVD- DVD players use a red laser at 650nm wave length to read DVD discs. As the disc spins the laser reads the information encoded on the media and produces an image and sound on your television.
Blu-ray- Like the name suggests Blu-ray players use a blue laser to read the stored information. Blue laser wavelengths are shorter than the red at 405nm and are about two and a half times smaller in diameter than red lasers. This allows for closer and more precise reading of information stored on the disc.

Disc Construction:

Physically, Blu-ray and DVD discs are identical. Both media have grooves or pits on their bottom layer than enables the laser to penetrate through and read the stored information.

DVD- Since DVDs are read with a red laser the grooves on its underside need to be wide enough to accommodate the larger wavelength. Because the grooves are so far apart only 4.7 GB of information can be stored on each layer of the disc. DVDs also include a protective layer designed to resist scratching.
Blu-ray- The grooves on a Blu-ray disc are much thinner and closer together because the blue laser used to read the disc has a shorter wave length and is two and a half times thinner than the red laser. This allows the Blu-ray disc to squeeze almost five times as many grooves on to a disc exactly the same size as a DVD. Blu-ray also includes a protective layer to prevent scratches. This protective layer is physically thinner than the one on a DVD, but it has a hard coating that makes it more scratch resistant.

Image Resolution:

Image resolution is measured by the number of vertical lines times the number of horizontal lines of light in a picture.

It is represented by the number of horizontal lines going across the screen like 480, 720 or 1080. The higher the number the higher the resolution and more detailed the picture.

DVD- Almost all DVDs have a standard definition resolution of 480 or enhanced definition resolution of 520. These resolutions look great on a standard “tube” TV utilizing all available pixels on the screen. However, if blown up to accommodate a widescreen HDTV the picture may look grainy. Although a DVD can store high definition data it would only fit about 30 minutes maximum.
Blu-ray- Blu-ray was designed for high definition 1080 display. Since they can store 25 GB of data you can fit an entire HD movie on a single layer disc. Blu-ray currently has the best image resolution on the market and looks great on HDTVs. Blu-ray discs are one of the few signal sources that displays in 1080, not even HD cable or satellite companies can claim that yet.

Difference Between LCD, LED & PLASMA TVs.

2012-01-03T02:42:00.000+05:30

As the technology is advancing too rapidly, the extent of opting to choose between LCD, LED and Plasma TVs is too overwhelming.

As you walk into an electronics store searching for a perfect flat screen TV, you are sure to discover a dozen models that all look alike. Even if all the 3 types look similar outwardly, there are several internal differences that make them stand apart.

Let us consider some of the major differences between the three flat screen types – LCD, LED and Plasma.

How Do They Work ?

The LCD/LED and Plasma technologies are totally different, while the difference between LCD and LED is only the backlight used in them.

An LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) TV has liquid crystal stuck between its display panel which gets activated when the power is supplied and uses a CCFL backlight. The LED TV too works on the same platform but light emitting diodes (LED) are used to provide the backlight.

But a plasma TV works on a completely different platform. It uses thin sheet of tiny individual plasma cells that project or produce a picture when electric current is passed.

Contrast Ratio :

Contrast ratio is the TV’s ability in displaying the images full range which is considered very essential in creating the fine details that are visible in the high contrast areas of the screen. As the individual cells of the plasma TV turn off themselves on the darker parts of the screen, they generally have a high contrast ratio.

Compared to plasma TVs, LCD TVs have a single liquid crystal and are not much convincing when they have to show the dark pictures. This is because the CCFL backlight used in them only dims itself, unable to display the darker pictures efficiently.

Conversely, LED TVs project the darker parts of a picture very convincingly as the individual LEDs used in them turn themselves off in the dark parts of the screen.

Color ::

The display and brightness of the colors is an important factor that every TV buyer considers before buying one. With the growing technology, all the TVs appear to show the same good quality picture in terms of color. However, it is supposed that a colored back-lit LED TV will show the best quality picture of all.

Viewing Angle :

It is of course the angle from which an image on the TV is viewed. And the TVs are ranked in this category on how well they project the picture to viewers sitting at almost any angle. Plasma TVs rank the best in this parameter by providing a much wider angle for the viewers. LCD TVs fall back in this category as the color detail is lost when viewed from an odd angle. LED TVs stand between the LCD and plasma TVs as they minimize this problem fairly because of the colored backlight.

Power Consumption :

Power consumption is definitely a fall point for the plasma TV as it consumes a lot more power when compared to LCD TV. But the LED TV is considered best in this parameter as its LED backlight is more power efficient and needs less electricity to light up. Due to this reason, the LED TV is considered as the greenest of them all.

So, make sure to check out the above parameters along with the price difference and the TV lifespan. Also decide which factors among these are important for you before you buy one.