Tech World

10 Best Ways to Earn Money from Facebook

2020-07-16T01:48:00.002-07:00

10 Best Ways to Earn Money from Facebook

Facebook is a household name all over the world. The social networking platform has more than 2.2 billion registered monthly active users (MAUs) and the number is growing rapidly.

While Facebook allows you to stay in touch with relatives and friends, it also gives people great opportunities to make money. There are many direct and indirect ways you can make money from Facebook in 2018.

All you need is a Facebook account and easy access to cash on the world's favorite social media platform.

Why Facebook?

Facebook is listed as the third most popular website in the world, surpassed only by the search engine Google and its video sharing channel, YouTube. This means that everything you do on Facebook has a huge impact on the whole world.

Recognizing that people also need to make money through social networking, Facebook has launched a number of tools that allow people to make money. The website is globally accessible and allows registered users to publish text, images, video and audio content.

How To Make Money On Facebook

Considering the above facts, here are 10 animals and ways and means that can help you make money from Facebook. You can use one or more ways to make money from Facebook at your convenience.

Reference: 3 Best Online Jobs

1. Facebook Market

Facebook Marketplace is a free social networking site. It allows you to list various items, services and deals and advertise them directly in the Facebook community.

This service allows you to reach thousands of people through your social network while also allowing Facebook friends to tell others what you are selling. You can sell any product or service that meets the Facebook Community Guidelines.

Like Classifieds, the buyer can contact you, inspect the goods and finalize the price, shipping and other details.

However, if you have unique equipment, you can make maximum money. Many of the items sold on the Facebook Marketplace are rare and can fetch high prices in brick and mortar stores. Buy goods and resell them online or through stores.

2. Facebook affiliate marketing

Affiliate marketing is a system through which you promote a product, brand, service or company in your contacts through Facebook page or groups. Thousands of merchants pay you to promote their products, including Amazon, Flipkart, VCommission, Shaadi.com and many more.

You can do this by joining affiliate marketing programs offered by these organizations and posting their content on your Facebook page. Whenever an interested party sees and becomes a user of your published ad or content, you stand to make some money.

3. Advertise your business on FB

Facebook has emerged as the only common platform on which every business, from domestic businesses to the largest banks and consumer goods companies, has a presence.

I've seen a lot of ordinary people promote their training, advice, homemade products or even custom clothing and jewelry through the Facebook business. There are multiple options for promoting your product on Facebook.

You can also chat with users through the instant messenger service available on Facebook.

4. Create Facebook content

Facebook encourages people who have unique skills or knowledge to take the time and create digital content that can be sold through an app called 22 Social. Content sold includes PDF files, audios and videos.

Facebook also provides an excellent online tutorial for those who want to monetize their content using 22 social and social media platforms.

All you need is a Facebook page, a free 22 social account, a verified PayPal account and a free or paid account including Dropbox, Vimeo, YouTube, Google Drive and Sound Cloud among others.

5. Make money by selling Facebook likes

This is a very debatable way to make money from Facebook. There are forums that support selling "favorites" on the Facebook page while others consider the system illegal. Regardless, there are many marketers who will pay you to send your 'friends' Facebook page.

All your friends have to do is click on the 'Like' button on this Facebook page. According to various reports, people charge more than US 75 75 to give 1000 likes on any Facebook page, including a book published by National Public Radio (NPR). Other sites like Fiverr advertise the service.

6. Influencer Marketing on Facebook

Influencer marketing is not for anyone who has a large following on Facebook. In fact, most people do not allow people to follow them on Facebook because their content can endanger them if they are dealing with sensitive issues like politics and religion.

However, influential people look for people with large followers and a large network of friends. Through your Facebook page

7. Earn from Facebook Ads

Facebook Advertising is a feature developed by a social media company for corporate and individual users. This allows you to create a variety of ads and pots that target a specific group of people based on age, location and other demographic parameters.

If you have a small home-based business, you can make money by advertising through Facebook ads. The social media firm offers a free and paid package for Facebook ads, depending on your usage and target audience.

In addition, you can offer advertising services to businesses that wish to remain anonymous. Many large companies do not disclose their identities when seeking staffing services.

8. Manage Facebook accounts

Managing social media accounts, especially the Facebook page of a company or celebrity, is a very lucrative task with the home option. There are many social media management jobs to find you online.

These jobs for which you have to manage Facebook pages can also be done full time or part time to earn extra money. They are advertised under various names such as Social Media Manager, Facebook Assistant, Social Media Specialist and thousands of others.

9. Facebook groups

People open a group page on Facebook for a variety of reasons. There are two types of Facebook groups - open and closed. In an 'open' group, people can join at any time. The other is a "closed" group where membership is by invitation or request only.

By opening a Facebook group you will be able to work as a micro effect or for some reason, a political party or a business. You can invite friends to join the group and invite others too. Once the membership level is reached, you can 'close' the group. A 'closed' group allows you to influence members on anything.

10. Direct advertising

A small business can post ads directly on a regular Facebook page to attract customers. These ads can be about jobs, ratings, products and services. Many small businesses use Facebook purely as a forum to post their ads.

Job seekers also browse the Facebook pages of many companies to find job opportunities.

In Conlusion

Facebook allows you to interact with different apps that allow you to open an online store or get a subscription. However, following reports of a global quake in March, the company is currently reviewing its app-governing policies as well as the app's security standards.

Therefore, we do not prefer to comment on monetized apps that may be associated with Facebook. As we can see from the highlighted examples, it is very easy to make money from Facebook. All you need is the inclination and time to cash in on social media platforms.

Data Warehousing

2020-07-12T23:25:00.001-07:00

File Source By Google

Click Here to Download Data Warehouse Notes

Data Structure

2020-07-09T01:32:00.001-07:00

Click here to Download Data Structure Notes..

How to Make a Mobile

2017-09-15T10:00:00.003-07:00

How to Make a Mobile

How to Make a Mobile. Kinetic art, commonly known as the mobile, can be as simple or complex as you would like to make it. Most of us are aware of mobiles that entertain babies and some of us remember creating solar systems with Styrofoam balls and wire. Today's kinetic art sculptures are far cry from Styrofoam and coat hangers. Know the basics, and you can create a masterpiece uniquely your own. Read on to learn how to make a mobile.

Vary the placement of the wire or thread along the length of the dowel to accommodate art pieces of differing weights. Place the wire closer to the end that carries more weight.

Build upon this basic kinetic design by adding more dowels and or art pieces as weights until you are satisfied with the final outcome, making a mobile with variable levels and multiple art objects.

When considering self-employment opportunities, starting a mobile phone shop can a be very profitable endeavor. There is always a societal demand that will meet your supply. No longer a luxury, cell phones are a required purchase in modern society. Before opening your shop, keep certain things in mind to avoid hassles later on. Follow protocol to ensure that your business runs smoothly. With planning, have your mobile phone shop up and running in no time.

LG reveals its V20 smartphone, a 5.7-inch phablet for 'storytellers'

2016-09-07T00:55:00.001-07:00

LG finally went public with the specs and features of its 5.7-inch V20 super-phone on Wednesday, and much like last year’s V10, the new model is geared toward “storytellers”—folks who depend on their phones to capture audio, still images and video.

Sure, the V20 is the first phone to ship with Android 7.0 Nougat. And LG is introducing yet another battery-swapping scheme (which I tested during myhands-on). But more than anything else, LG is banking on a bunch of fancy components and algorithms to convince content creators that the V20 is the only reasonable choice among supersized phablets. Let’s dig in, and see what’s inside.

5 Methods to Google Play Store: Get paid Apps for free on Android

2016-06-22T22:21:00.003-07:00

Welcome to itcsworld. Are you feeling bore to download free app with Google play store. Do you want to download latest Paid apps from Google play store? then you have to come in right place.
Today we will discus the top 5 alternative tips to grab the Paid apps from Google play store.

Warning: This Post consists of links to download paid apps at no cost, that's illegal and supposed for trial handiest. This post is simply meant for instructional functions and written only for example. We are not responsible for anything you do along with your expertise and some thing effect you face. Piracy is against the law and we don’t encourage it. We respect the app developers and recommend you to shop for the apps from Google Play instead
.
We will discuss the source to download android apps independently without redirecting to Google Play. That is known as third party App install. To install these apps, you should allow App installing Permissions from unknown resources on your device settings. Go to Settings > Security and you may discover the option somewhere internal it. Check mark it.

5 Alternative ways to Download paid Apps for free

1. Blackmart

The king of the android market and the best store to download nearly all free and paid apps, Blackmart is a have to want for all Android customers who need to taste each android app. The app is likewise highly custom designed and user-pleasant, having express divisions of Android Apps just like you notice on Play keep. You can sort apps by Free or Paid , or just Paid only, simplest, enables if you wanna see the paid apps. Apps can also be sorted with the aid of scores, bringing you the popular ones to the top.

Download BlackMart App

2. 1Mobile Market

Another beautiful designed marketplace, which has a massive series of paid and unfastened apps. New apps are brought there manually and you may even find paid apps there. Properly, you could see 1Mobile marketplace on Google Play too, but that version is different version having limit access to only free apps, and continually redirects you to Google Play to download them. That is just to now not violate the Google Play terms and situations.

We are in reality speaking about secret version of it available exclusively on their website and inside the lite version as a unfastened improve. When you down load this model, you will dispose of all the barriers. You could browse paid apps and download them immediately on your device. This is also one of the superbly designed apps. In case you want a refreshment do that app out

Download 1MobileMarket App

3. Mobogenie Market:

Pretty similar to 1Mobile concept, this app also had a little version on Google Play and a pro version with additional features few months in the past however it was removed from Google Play because it did a whole lot of policy violations. Presently the total version is available on Mobogenie website only.

The speciality of this market is that it offers a lot greater than just paid apps. It offers you paid ebooks for free, paid track for free, paid movies without spending a dime and also lets in you to download youtube videos for your tool. It also has record managers protected, with a junk purifier built in to easy up your device. That’s no longer all, it indicates a elegant nearby weather tab to your notifications bar. That’s an all in one package.

Download Mobogenie market

4. GetAPK:

That is any other brilliant app to get paid and free apps most effective in case you recognize the way to use the app. The app is not a lot nicely coded and this is why many customers cannot discover it person-friendly to use. However it's been one of my favorite apps because of a unique cause. The purpose is that it maintains almost all versions of the app, not simplest the modern update. So, if you want to downgrade an app to its in advance model, this app is the Best app for that.

Here’s the way to download an app: You need to click on on an app to view its page, there you could examine its description. If you need it, click on GET. Then you may see a white web page. That is an in-app browser, which often does now not work. So, click on on Open in Browser Button to the top proper. It will open for your browser and redirect you to linkbucks or adfly hyperlink shortener ad. Once you get that, you can now download the document the use of your browser by skipping the ad.

Download GetAPK App

5. 4Shared (Free/Pro):

Unknown to many, 4Shared is another incredible repository to search and download pretty much whatever. Not most effective simply android apps, it hosts windows softwares, snap shots, videos, tune, pdf documents, ebooks and lots of other stuffs. The files are uploaded here with the aid of the users simplest and shared over the 4shared cloud with the alternative users. This app is also criminal and to be had as a download on Google Play save. That is due to the fact the app does no longer sell piracy in preferred, it publicly hosts the documents uploaded by customers and makes them available at some point of the cloud.

You want to make an account on 4shared to use the app. You can browse, download and upload files. All you need to do to get a file from here is just to search it using the hunt option, and sort out which type of extension you need as a result. If you are searching out android app, then you can select apk as extension and search. The drawback is that the documents may be uploaded by using any individual, and regularly human beings uploads fake files just to spam, with downloader bundles inclusive of undesired apps.

Download 4Shared

There are the independent alternative stores to download free and Paid Apps in your Android tool. Wish you've got enjoyed the item. Thank you for studying. Do proportion if you like it. Use the percentage buttons below to proportion it on facebook. It in reality helps us. Keep visiting itcsworld website for extra wonderful hints.

5 Tips to prevent Google Adsense account get disabled

2016-06-17T22:43:00.001-07:00

Google Adsense, one of the dream account, particularly to all the blogger round the arena. The cause in the back of it is that adsence is the best programmer through which the blog owners can in reality earn some cash and satisfy the website prices. However irrespective of how easy it seems inside the dream, it's miles definitely a good deal harder to perform it inside the real existence scenario. One of the few reasons at the back of it is, getting an permitted Google Adsense account isn't so clean, mainly in case you are from a third global u . S . A .. Google for my part doesn’t have any forms of variety closer to 1/3 international countries, however statistically the major quantity of net junk mail, adsence rip-off, money tree scam and plenty of different kinds of scams originates from those 1/3 world nations, particularly counties like Pakistan, India, Nigeria etc. That is why on the time of accepting Adsence requests, Google Adesense personals appearance deep into the 1/3 international countries submission requests as opposed to first world and 2d global countries

How Adsense Work

If you are wondering why I’m telling you all this stuffs, this is because in case you wanna shop your adsense account from getting disabled or cancelled or rejected, first you need to understand the adsense surroundings nicely. Account approval on Google Adsense isn't always an automatic system completed via some laptop programs, beside every request is manually accepted and rejected through Adsense personal working at Google. So, if you are questioning that you can definitely idiot the Google’s request acceptation algorithm by way of doing a little black hat stuff then you definately are very incorrect. Another element you really want to keep in mind at the same time as the usage of adsense program is that Google is very strict withe the guidelines and rules of adsense. In case you destroy any rule or coverage, which you have customary even as asking for for adsence approval, they will right now disable your account and all of your profits can be misplaced. There is truly very essential purpose why they do that.

Does Google pays my earning on Adsense

HAHAHA! That is a completely not unusual incorrect concept people hand regarding Adsense application. People assume that some thing meny they earn on adsense, it's far honestly coming from Google’s pocket. No my pals, it is not. Adsense profits truly comes from the ad publishers pocket. When companies publish advert via Google Adwords, the quantity they mention for CPC, it is definitely get divided into Google’s income and as well as adsense users profits. Now it's been calculated via the use of many complex mathematical formulation which protected many key elements of your website online like quantity of your every day traffic, your web page rank, your internet site common pageviews and so on. So, in short in case you are a totally legit website online which better web page rank and more traffic, you'll earn extra in adfsense than others. Even the higher CPC commercials are shown most usually in legit web sites. So, now as you have got an normal idea approximately how adsense works, lets share pinnacle five suggestions to prevent your account getting banned or disabled on adsense.

Note: Adsence allows only single registration or single mail id, name and address mixture. If you try to use the identical name & cope with once more on every other account, you'll get banned

Tip 1 - Use unique name and address

That is very critical and that i do understand that many human beings does not realize this. If you had created an account on adsence formerly and the account gets disabled or banned or cancelled, don’t try and open up a brand new account simply with a brand new electronic mail identification however the same call and deal with. Adsense will reject your submission.

Tip 2 - Always follow the Google's Rules

As I stated in advance, Google could be very strict on their Adsense policies, because Adsense is not just a way to be able to making money, beside Adwords is Google’s most primary manner to gather sales. Adsense and Adwords are interconnected to every other. Maximum users uses Google adwords simply due to the fact they knew that their advertisements gonna appear on tens of millions of web sites who uses Adsense and they can reach to more target audience. So, if the adsence users isn't following the policies, it will destroy the consider of the ad publishers and ultimately Google will lose its revenue which they never gonna tolerate. Here are a few important stuff you want to maintain for your mind whilst using adsense on your website online to prevent your adsense account get disabled.

Don’t post or host contents related to hacking, cracking software, piracy and so forth.
Always use your one hundred% authentic content.
In no way use pictures copyrighted through others. Handiest use royalty free snap shots or create your personal photograph.
In no way ever click on into your own advertisements or maybe provoke absolutely everyone or absolutely everyone to click on in your advertisements. – Google uses very sophisticated synthetic Intelligence software to music user mouse pointer region at the page and the usage of the mouse pointer conduct it comes to a decision whether it’s a reputable or fake click on.
In no way tell your pals to click for your advertisements.
Don’t use pornographic substances for your site.
Don’t use another advert service on your website even as using adsence
Don’t put greater than three advertisements on any page.

Tip - 3 Read the terms properly before the accepting it

That is one of the maximum critical component you should do whilst applying for Google Adsense application. Generally all of us just scroll thru the give up of all of the software program license or regulations or we just click on receive it anyway. However don’t do it with Google Adsense. That a while to read the entire phrases and situations before accepting it. After this go to your website online and make sure that it complies to every unmarried terms written over there. I'm able to guarantee you that if you follow this technique, you'll have ninety six% threat or accepting your adsense request on the first risk and in case you maintain following the policies, it'll in no way ever get disabled.

Tip - 4 Don't try to use and Adsense money-making Shortcuts

There are many websites available who claim that by using running with them you may earn lots of dollars each month simply through sitting in your property. By no means ever consider this scammers, irrespective of what they are saying, irrespective of what medium they used to touch you, whether or not by using e-mail or skype or phone or flyer or anything. Continually keep in mind one thing money by no means grows inside the bushes, you constantly have to earn it. In this global where nobody provide a dollar to everyone with none proper reason will you definitely suppose that you can scouse borrow cash from Google, the IT giant of the earth? Don’t be silly and don’t permit anyone to fool you. In case you locate any of your pal is entering into this rip-off, warn them and assist them to get out of it. The only manner to earn accurate money from Google Adsense is by means of doing extraordinary process on your niche and preserve operating on it for years.

Tip - 5 Don't manipulate the Adsense code

In many blackhat boards human beings constantly submit some hints to control the Adsense code provided through Google. They says that if you control the code a bit bit as mentioned in those forums, you'll absolutely earn more. But take my suggest never do this, due to the fact as according to Google’s policy manipulating adsense code is truly an offence and if you do this Google will disable your account forever.

Payoneer Prepaid MasterCard card

2016-06-16T22:20:00.003-07:00

Payoneer introduces maximum powerful mastercard inside the global, Get the electricity of united states of america cozy bank Account in Pakistan at your door step. Maximum Pakistani mastercards do no longer provide online buy and ecommerce facility and if all people provide they are not an awful lot reliable and do no longer provide any reductions.

Now Payoneer mastercard may be brought at your door step without any account opening charges and After the use of 100$ you'll get bonus of 25$ free in case you join up through our signup hyperlink.

Payoneer is a web-based totally economic offerings enterprise that allows customers to switch cash and receive payments thru re-loadable prepaid credit card debit cards. Payoneer is a registered Member carrier company (MSP) of mastercard global.

Have you ever earned 25$ loose bonus reward for Signing up through our refereral for Payoneer pay as you go Debit credit card® ?

Sign on unfastened for Payoneer pay as you go Debit mastercard® and card may be added at your house deal with. After activation and including $a hundred in your account, you'll earn $25 Bonus! (This refereal hyperlink is essential for 25$ Bonus)

Payoneer is 100% secureso no want to hesitate using this because it's depended on agency world wide US business enterprise. Its world wide loose service , No bank account required to sign up and your Payoneer pay as you go Debit mastercard® Card may be added to your own home cope with without any fees. The card can be used to make purchases or withdraw cash global where credit card® is everyday. You could withdraw your money thru Payoneer mastercard® from any ATM in Pakistan.

You may control you account in payoneer website and there "My Account" tool lets in you to absolutely control your account on line, and multilingual customer service crew is available through telephone, electronic mail and live chat.

Procedure:

Step 1. Sign up Free Registration (This refereal hyperlink is vital for 25$ Bonus)

Step 2. You may obtain e-mail of » Registration finished! » to your e mail deal with like this

"thanks for applying for a Payoneer account! We've got acquired your utility. Simply one extra step before we will approve it and send out your card. Please provide us with a copy of a valid government-issued picture id file in order for us to complete processing your utility. Suited types of identification consist of driving force's license, passport and country wide id. Please ensure the id fits the information provided on your Payoneer card utility and that the report is obvious and has your call and your date of birth displayed in reality. Documents which are hard to examine can cause similarly delays, so please enlarge and lighten copies whilst you scan, for clear viewing. You could experiment your identity (we decide upon a jpeg document, beneath 1MB) and upload it automatically to your account for us to check by the usage of the hyperlink below: upload hyperlink (link might be given there) Or in case you opt for, you could attach the file in respond to this e mail. Please note that documents uploaded the usage of the add hyperlink above are reviewed extra fast than replies by way of e mail."

Step 3: After sending any of given above evidence of identification (clear photograph of your NIC from both facets and you may take it from your true mobile digicam). Now your mastercard® can be dispatched to your given cope with without any prices in reality free and you may definitely get hold of it at home with in two weeks which may take upto one month.

Step 4: receive a price or upload $100 on your account and earn $25 Bonus!

Step 5: start the use of your Payoneer account online without any hesitation because it's miles most relaxed financial institution on-line. You could take a look at your balance, your transactions list, card costs and associated facts online each time 24/7, for gratis. You may transfer cash to any other financial institution and from another financial institution to payoneer Simply click on My Account and input your username and password (that you chose upon registration):

Services

Payoneer is an opportunity to Paypal, cord switch offerings and on-line payments that offers users with refillable debit cards. The playing cards are issued via mastercard and may be used at ATMs or on the point-of-purchase. The Payoneer pay as you go credit card® card is issued with the aid of desire financial institution limited, it is often used to offer payments to "remote, dispersed populations."

Its global wide loose provider , No bank account required to join up and your Payoneer pay as you go Debit mastercard® Card could be added to your private home cope with with out any charges. The cardboard can be used to make purchases or withdraw cash international where mastercard® is ordinary.

You can control you account in payoneer website and there "My Account" tool lets in you to fully control your account online, and multilingual customer service crew is to be had via phone, electronic mail and live chat.

This service allows you to withdraw funds via US transfer out of your account with businesses inclusive of PayPal, Amazon, Google, Skrill, and greater, immediately in your Payoneer card! Did you realize that you could get hold of bills from pick out US agencies, consisting of PayPal, Amazon, Apple, Google, and more, at once to your Payoneer card?

Money owed have a temporary non-public load limit of $300 after approval. To boom this restrict, surely obtain bills from any of Payoneer respectable companions or the usage of Payoneer US fee carrier. Payoneer’s US charge service offers you with a US account and routing wide variety, which may be used to get hold of US ACH transfers from more than one US companies on our white list of authorised senders.

Payoneer has announce the new challenge and have been operating on to make your life less difficult and make bills process quicker! Now its a whole lot less difficult to withdraw your Amazon profits out of your Payoneer account (the usage of the usa price provider),

Now Payoneer incorporated the carrier even extra quicker for Amazon sellers and affiliates to receive their profits thru Payoneer

Many Payoneer cardholders promote products on ecommerse marketplaces like Amazon. At the same time as Amazon does offer bank switch solutions to some Eurozone nations, there are still many locations wherein a quick and efficient fee solution isn't available. Payoneer’s US payment service permits you to obtain USD payments from Amazon, without delay to Payoneer. Withdraw your income on your Payoneer pay as you go Debit mastercard® Card, to be had in over two hundred countries!

The method is quite simple. If you’re already a Payoneer cardholder, certainly contact us and request to apply for the united states charge service. If you haven’t implemented for Payoneer yet, you could put up an software with the aid of clicking here (. Once you’ve been approved for the usa payment carrier, we will send you your US account/routing wide variety. Along with your info in hand, head on over to the Amazon supplier important homepage, and sign in in your Amazon dealer account.

Payoneer affiliate allows you to earn free 25$ coins bonus just for growing an account on Payoneer website. Payoneer associate is a carrier in which you need to signup for Payoneer US bank account using the referral link given below and they'll switch 25$ to your Payoneer bank account while you reevice 100$ first time to Payoneer.

You'll also be able to withdraw bucks from PayPal using Payoneer mastercard. Payoneer grasp Card may be utilized in Pakistani ATM machies of MCB bank, Faysal bank and Citibank. The Payoneer credit card may be used to get tested paypal account in pakistan and different paypal unsupported countires. So, Signup for Payoneer mastercard Now and Earn your unfastened reward of 25$.

How to Create Google Adsense account

2016-06-15T22:23:00.000-07:00

Having a Google Adsense account is the most applicable dream of a writer,who wants to turns his phrases into money,who has the feasible abilties to convert his blog/internet site into a device which no longer simplest genrates visitors but additionally gives him relativity desirable revenue.That is the cause why Google Adsense is the maximum used marketing software with allmost hundreds of thousands of publishers who permits Google to market it on there internet site.In case you need an easy manner to earn cash out of your on line content material, AdSense makes sense. Google AdSense indicates the right advertisements for your website, movies, or maybe net-primarily based video games and you're making cash.

However due to the growth in leave out use of Adsense,Google is now turning down nearly all of the new requests that it receive from a person who want to be the associate with Google Adsense.They have modified there guidelines and now these polices are even extra strict.So what a new publisher will do who need get properly revenue from his website as Adsense turned into the only one that lets in small writer to earn on big scale.

You do not want to be worried via the end of this put up i can warranty you may be capable of sign up your Adsence account efficiently.As that is the real technique to get your very very own Adsence account.

1.Sign up Your free Gmail Account:

To get Adsense account you'll require Gmail account,without Gmail you can't check in a adsense account.So first element first
go to www.Gmail.Com

pick Signup or sign up a brand new Account

Now fill your correct private information

And now your Gmail Account is created now you could apply for Adsense when you have a website which has good visitors,in case you do not have a website then you definitely want to create a new website from which you may observe for a new Adsense account.

2.To Create a unfastened blog (in case you don't Have Already)

Now if you haven't any internet site you first need to construct one,you may use Blogger.Com to construct a expert searching blog as it's far personal through Google it has a few real excellent capabilities to draw advertisers.To get started out with blogger visit Blogger.Com and check in with your gmail account that you created previously for greater exact data.

3.The way to construct site visitors To internet site:

Now after creating your loose weblog with .Blogspot.Com domain your fundamental purpose need to be to work in your blogs content.As content is the main source of getting visitors,to growth your traffic you ought to undertake the following
You must select correct niche (Basically the correct topics).

Publish at the least one post per day,but if you need to growth the site visitors at your website put up 4 to 5 unique posts in keeping with day.

You have to use social networking websites like fb,Twitter to promote your weblog.For extra certain records see this the use of Social Networking web sites to enhance site visitors.

You have to create unique content to draw target market.

4. Wait for the correct mommen:

When you started to get hold of the visitors at your blog then you definitely have to watch for the right moment to monetize your weblog with Adsense. You ought to handiest follow for Adsense in case your blog reaches the following facts.

250 blog Posts with (at the least 50 unique posts)
much less then a 100,000 Alexa site visitors rank to enhance Alexa rank See this
about 15000 daily page views with 7000 unique site visitors

5. Time to Apply for new Adsense Account:

if you are able to contact the above statistics then it's far the proper time to apply for Adsense account and this time irrespective of what occurs you will be presented together with your very very own authentic Adsense account.To use for adsense account visit Adsense.Com

Fill your accurate payee call (remember it cannot be un performed so pick out it wisely)

Fill your remaining personal details

Accept Adsense TOS (time period Of provider)

And now apply for a new Adsense account.

Now after day or 6 to 7 hours you may get hold of an email from Google Adsense,
Congratulating you that you are selected as the writer of Google Adsense,following is the copy of the email that you will receive.

After Creating your Adsense Account you must read best tips To SaveYour Google Adsense Account From Getting Banned.In case you experience any difficulties regarding off or on the topic feel free to ask till then peace, blessing and happy Adsence Creating

How to Backup your Gmail Account

2014-07-15T23:41:00.002-07:00

This past weekend over 150,000 Internet users woke up to find their Gmail inboxes, contacts and chat conversations gone. The issue, according to Google, was caused by a storage software update that introduced an unexpected bug. But while the company has since begun restoring data from tape backups and will likely offer some form of compensation where applicable, the incident served as a reminder that no matter how reliable some cloud-based services are, they are certainly not infallible, and thus it might be prudent to have your own backup ready just in case things go amiss.

There are numerous ways to backup your Gmail data and deciding which way to go will largely depend on the level of effort you want to put into it. You could simply setup Gmail to forward all your mails to another email account and call it a day, for instance. But there are also a handful of other options that offer a bit more flexibility and convenience.

Below, we've listed a few of them, so you can choose whichever best suits your needs.

Use a standalone backup program

Gmail Backup is a simple and easy-to-setup free alternative that does exactly what its name says. Upon installation, just type in your credentials and it will begin downloading all your e-mails, backing them up securely, and allowing you to restore them to your account should the unthinkable happen. The program is free and Windows-only. Their website seems to be down due to the increased load in the past few days, but you can download Gmail Backup here from our local mirror.

If you're willing to shell out $20, Gmail Keeper will back up Gmail messages or messages from a Google Apps Mail account as a .zip file to a local disk. It supports multiple accounts and even stores labels associated with each message, while those concerned about privacy can encrypt their mail and password protect it.

Third-party Web service

Backupify is a handy tool that automatically performs scheduled backups for a number of popular online services including Google Apps, Facebook, Twitter and others. You won't have to put too much effort into the whole backup process -- just supply the login credentials of the sites you want backed up and Backupify takes care of the rest. Be aware though that you're essentially moving your info from one cloud to another.

The site offers both free and paid accounts with varying limitations, but given the recent Gmail blunder, Backupify is taking the opportunity to entice new users with a coupon code "savegmail" for a year of free backups with one of their premium plans, so there's really no reason for not giving it a shot.

Use a desktop mail client

This is probably the most common approach and should take just a few minutes to set up. Gmail offers access to all your mail through desktop clients such as Apple Mail, Microsoft Outlook, Mozilla Thunderbird, and many others. The latter is free and available on all major operating systems, so if you're doing this for the first time and especially if you're only planning to use it for backups rather than as your primary client, then Thunderbird might be the way to go.

For those unfamiliar with the setup process: After signing into Gmail, click the "gear" in the upper-right corner, choose Mail settings, then load the "Forwarding and POP/IMAP" tab. Enable POP for all mail and set Gmail to keep its copy.

You'll then need to setup your desktop mail client to retrieve your emails. Google offers step-by-step instructions for a number of clients and Thunderbird's automatic configuration is usually spot on getting your settings right with just your username and password -- but make sure to use POP instead of IMAP for one-way message transfers.

Messages will be downloaded automatically each time you launch Thunderbird and stored intoyour profile folder -- which you can back up standalone as well for some added security. It's pretty straightforward, but for those who prefer to use the web-based Gmail interface, remembering to run Thunderbird or whatever desktop email client every once in a while might be more work than they're willing to deal with.

Get Facebook's New Timeline Right Now

2014-07-15T23:38:00.002-07:00

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg yesterday announced a complete reconceptualization of profile pages on the popular social network with the introduction of Timeline. As Zuckerberg puts it, Timeline is the story of your life.

Gone is the single column wall of posts with the most recent updates telling '15 minutes of your story.' Instead, as the name suggests, you'll see a timeline of life events containing photos and other updates that stretches back to when you joined Facebook. Anyone viewing it can click back to any year where there are updates and see what was going on.

Facebook automatically selects the most important updates and highlights them with a blue dot. Grey dots represent hidden updates that might not be as important. Users can arrange their Timeline however they see fit by removing certain updates or highlighting others that might be important to them. The feature will begin rolling out to the public over the next few weeks, but developers can sign up for early access now. Here's how you can get it too:

Visit the Facebook Developer page and enable it for your account.

Click the 'Create New App' button on the top right. On the New App prompt window, give your app a display name and name space -- any name, it doesn't matter. Agree to the Platform Privacy Policy and click Continue. You will need a verified Facebook account so make sure you have either a credit card or phone number on file.

After clearing the CAPTCHA verification you will then be taken to your new apps' settings screen (if Facebook doesn’t put you there automatically hit the Edit App button on the top right). Next, click on Open Graph link in the left column and define an action for your new app on the right pane. You can enter whatever you like; I wrote watch on the first field and chose video from the drop-down menu on the next one. Click "Get Started."

That's it! You may see an error telling you that something went wrong but just ignore that and head to your Facebook homepage, you should see an invitation to the new Facebook Timeline Beta (you may have to wait a few minutes). Once you are in you can take a short tour of the new timeline view or start editing your profile until you are ready to publish it.

The timeline functionality isn't compatible with the "old" Facebook, so most of your friends won't see your fancy new page just yet. Users will be migrated over the coming weeks as Facebook rolls out the update to everyone.

The new Facebook site looks gorgeous, but going beyond pure aesthetics, how do you feel about Facebook's new approach to personal profiles, opening up more about your life to your social circle and potentially to the web?

The top portion of the timeline features a configurable background picture called the Cover,
and has personal information on the left along with your friends, photos, and Likes.

Adding 'life events' to your timeline.

How To: Check If Someone Is Using Your Wi-Fi

2014-07-15T23:35:00.002-07:00

There are many reasons why you'd want to check if an unauthorized party is using your wireless network. It may be that you're experiencing a slower than normal Internet connection or you simply don't want anyone getting a free ride while you pay the bill. Of course, there are also security implications if this person can somehow access files on your network, and even legal implications if he uses your connection for piracy or other illicit activities.

Whatever the case it's better to stay on the safe side. Many of you may have already taken some basic precautions when setting up your wireless network and know your way around troubleshooting these issues. This brief guide is aimed mostly at novice users in need a hand to find out if, indeed, their Wi-Fi is being stolen.

Check the devices associated with your router

The first thing you need to do is login to your router's administrative console by typing its IP address directly into the browser address bar -- typically 192.168.0.1 or 192.168.1.1 depending on which router you have. If you don't know your router's default address check out this guide or simply go to the command prompt (Start > Run/Search for cmd) and enter ipconfig. The address you need should be next to Default Gateway under your Local Area Connection.

Alternatively, if you are on a Mac, you can find the default address by going to Network under System Preferences. It should be listed right next to "Router:" if you are using Ethernet, or by clicking on "Advanced…" and heading to the "TCP/IP" tab if you are using Wi-Fi. Next, point your browser to that address and enter your login details -- if you haven't changed the default settings it should be a combination of "admin" and "password" or blank fields. Here's a default username and password list (PDF) you might find useful, but we recommend you change this afterwards.

Once inside your router's administrative console look for a section related to connected devices or wireless status. In my old DIR-655 from D-Link it's available under Status > Wireless but you'll find it as "Attached Devices" in Netgear routers, under DHCP Clients Table on Linksys routers, "Device List" if you are using the Tomato firmware, and so on.

DHCP client list examples on D-Link and Linksys routers.

This should provide a table with the IP, MAC address and other details of every device currently connected to the router. Check that list against your gear to find any intruders. You can find out the MAC/IP address of your computers by going to the Command Prompt again and entering 'ipconfig /all'. The MAC address will be shown as the physical address. I'll let you figure it out for mobile devices like smartphones and media players since I can't possibly list all options.

Taking action

The best and simplest solution is to set up a strong password using WPA2 or WPA -- WEP is very easy to crack so avoid that if possible. There are some other methods you can use to beef up security, like switching off the SSID broadcast (which prevents it from advertising the name of your network to nearby Wi-Fi devices) or setup a filter for allowed or blocked devices by MAC address. It won't stop the most determined intruder but it will slow him down.

That should be more than enough for most users but if you need to actually track down who's been breaking into your network it's possible to pinpoint his physical location using a tool calledMoocherHunter. You'll need to burn a Live CD to boot your laptop with and walk around to track down unauthorized wireless clients. According to the program's description, it detects traffic sent across the network and can find the source within 2 meters accuracy.

Needless to say, we're not suggesting you take matters into your own hands, but it might come in handy if someone is getting you in trouble with authorities using your network for illegal purposes -- or simply to have a cool story to tell.

Bonus: Profit by setting up a paid Wi-Fi hotspot

If it doesn't bother you to have someone piggybacking on your connection you might as well get something in return, right? Chillifire is a good third-party firmware alternative if you want to run a public hotspot, as it allows you to offer for-pay or free Internet access points from your consumer router. Alternatively, you can get a Fonera router, which gives you free roaming at Fon Spots worldwide in return for sharing a little bit of your WiFi at home.

Configuring a Windows 8 Virtual Machine

2014-07-15T23:31:00.000-07:00

With the launch of Windows 8's Consumer Preview, you're probably itching to spend some quality time with Microsoft's latest operating system. Although you may have already downloaded the ISO, we bet some of you haven't decided how you're going to install it.

Considering you've just met, we assume most of you aren't ready to clear a dresser drawer for Windows 8. Overwriting your current stable OS with pre-release code could be a recipe for disaster, though at least one TechSpot staffer is taking the plunge.

Dual booting is popular, but in our experience, rebooting into a separate environment is more trouble than it's worth when you're just trying to sample beta (err, "preview") software. The same could be said for using the OS on a secondary PC near your primary rig.

Fortunately, running Windows 8 in a virtual machine solves all that: it won't remove your current OS, you can access it anytime you want without rebooting and it doesn't require any extra hardware. What's more, the test OS can be deleted in only a few mouse clicks.

This write-up won't have much to offer folks experienced with virtual machines, but many users are still intimidated by them. We hope to demystify the process with a guide that installs a fully functional, commitment-free copy of Windows 8 inside your main OS.

So, what do I need?

Not much! You probably want 1-2GB of RAM and 20-30GB of storage allocated to the Windows 8 VM. You need a processor that supports virtualization (basically any major chip from Intel or AMD released since 2006). In other words, you need a semi-modern PC.

Accompanying said hardware, you need to download a copy of Windows 8 (either 32-bit or 64-bit will work fine, but the former calls for half the RAM and 4GB less storage). You also need virtualization software. We're using VirtualBox, a free solution from Oracle.

Got it. Let's do this!

Honestly, by the time you're done, you'll probably wonder why you even consulted a walkthrough. Configuring a basic virtual machine is a lot easier than it might seem if you've never done it. Start by clicking New in VirtualBox and click Next on the first prompt.

You'll be asked to name your virtual machine. The name is purely for identification purposes, so you know exactly what the machine is later on. We're using Windows 8 CP 64-bit. You also have to choose the OS you're installing (hint: Windows 8 or Windows 8 64-bit).

The following screen will ask you to set a RAM size. As a minimum, Microsoft recommends 1GB for the 32-bit version and 2GB for 64-bit. We're heeding that advice, but if you want to try scraping by with less, you can always reallocate more memory to the VM later.

Assuming this is your first VM you'll have to choose "Create new hard disk" on the following screen. In doing so, you'll be asked to pick a format. You can leave VDI (VirtualBox's own format) selected unless you want to run the VM with other virtualization software.

Unless you have a specific need for defining a fixed size virtual disk - unlikely if you're reading this guide - you're fine with a dynamically allocated disk. This will expand your virtual disk as the virtual machine needs additional space instead of starting at the larger size.

By default, the virtual disk will be created in C:UsersUSERNAMEVirtualBox VMs. If your C: drive is short on space or if you simply want the VM stored elsewhere, you can set it now. My C: drive is an 80GB SSD, so I'm creating the virtual disk on a secondary HDD.

It can't hurt to glance over the settings summary before you proceed, but seemingly anything can be changed later. If you're satisfied, click Create. Assuming you weren't met with any errors, you just created a virtual machine -- albeit one without an operating system.

Wait. What about Windows 8?

You're only moments away from installing Windows 8. Right click your new VM and open Settings. In the left column, click Storage > Empty (under IDE Controller) > the CD/DVD icon (under Attributes) > Virtual CD/DVD disk file and navigate to the Windows 8 ISO.

Once you see the Windows 8 ISO attached under the IDE Controller, click OK to exit Settings. Now you should be able to launch your virtual machine and begin a standard Windows installation. If you're familiar with that, you shouldn't need this guide any further.

You'll be prompted to set your language, time and currency format, and input method. You'll also have to supply a product key (DNJXJ-7XBW8-2378T-X22TX-BKG7J). Agree to the terms, choose a Custom setup and install Windows 8 to the only unallocated space.

The installation took about 20 minutes on my system. You'll eventually be asked to choose an interface color, a PC name and other such customizations. After playing a round of Twenty Questions, setup should complete and you'll see the Windows 8 desktop.

Son of a... this won't work!

If you meet the minimum system requirements, you shouldn't encounter any issues. It's worth noting that while your processor might support virtualization, the feature could be disabled in your system BIOS. Feel free to seek help in the comments or our forum.

I haven't had any performance issues running Windows 8 with a single CPU core, but you can dedicate more cores in the VM settings window (System > Processor). Likewise, you can allocate more VRAM, tweak the network adapter and configure shared folders.

Windows 8 Tricks, Tips and Shortcuts

2014-07-15T23:29:00.001-07:00

Windows 8 Consumer Preview cracked 1 million downloads shortly after launching last Wednesday and I'm sure many of you have tried it already. Whether you went with a dual-boot, upgrade, clean install or virtual machine, if you're coming from Windows 7 you'll notice significant changes immediately, while others may not be as obvious.

Inevitably, with change comes good and bad -- at least until you learn some tricks that get you back up to speed. I know I've been hitting my head against the wall when things don't behave the way they used to. The Start menu's absence is a perfect example of a radical change. Indeed, the duality of the OS may bring some trouble, but as skeptical as I was, I must admit Microsoft has done a pretty good job of easing many of my concerns.

Metro is undoubtedly very touch-oriented and perhaps a beginner's dream come true. For experienced users, it seems like Windows 8 still holds some promise. The devil is in the details, they say, so besides experimenting with a clean install I tried the upgrade option to see how well it worked. Going from a year-old Windows 7 install to the Consumer Preview was as seamless as you could ask for.

File copy dialogs, the task manager and search look better and work faster, and that adds up for an improved experience. I'm not loving Metro on my desktop since there's little I can currently do with the stock apps, but I wonder if that will be true once my most-used programs take full advantage of live tiles.

Without further ado, here's a shortlist of Windows 8 shortcuts and useful quick tricks I've gathered thus far.

Hot corners

The Start menu is no longer there, but there's a hot corner that makes up for it (unfortunately on multiple screens it's somewhat of a pain to use).

Lower-left corner + Left click Goes to the Start screen (Metro).
Lower-left corner + Right click Power user shortcut menu (Device Manager, Control Panel, Command Prompt, Power Options, etc.).
Upper-left corner Shows open window thumbnails, click to switch between them.
Upper screen limit + Click & Drag on desktop Move to left or right to snap the current desktop or Metro app to one side of the screen.
Lower-right corner Windows 8 Charm menu or Windows Aero Peak.
Upper-right corner Shows Windows 8 charm menu.

Left or right click on the lower-left corner and you'll be surprised with
a useful Windows orb replacement.

Keyboard shortcuts

Windows 8 is very hotkey-heavy, here are some of the shortcuts I find most useful:

Windows key Shows the new Start screen (Metro).
Win + type keyword Instant application search (same as in Windows 7).
Win + D Standard Windows desktop. Also minimizes/restores all open windows in desktop mode.
Win + Q Shows all installed apps.
Win + W Instant search for settings.
Win + F Instant search for files.
Win + I Settings sidebar (control panel, network, volume, brightness, notifications, and more).
Win + P Shows multi-monitor options, also useful for connecting an external monitor or projector.
Win + X Power user shortcut menu (Device Manager, Control Panel, Command Prompt, Power Options, etc.).
Win + Z Shows App Bar in Metro applications.
Win + . (period) Snaps the current Metro app to the right side of the screen. Do it twice and it will snap to the left.
Win + . (period) + Shift Snaps the current Metro app to the left side of the screen.
Win + J Switches focus between snapped Metro apps.
Win + Page Up / Down Moves full-screen Metro app to secondary monitor.
Win + Left / Right arrow Moves and snaps desktop applications in that direction, or to a different monitor.
Win + Tab Switches between open applications. Similar to using the left-upper hot corner with a mouse.
Win + L Locks Windows.

You can snap Metro apps or your desktop to the side and continue working on the center of the screen.
Another shortcut lets you switch focus between the two.

Showing all apps at once (Windows Phone style) and searching with a few keystrokes is
the Windows 8 equivalent to the old Programs menu.

Get the Start Menu back, orb and all!

Following user posts in our previous Windows 8 articles, I've seen some of you wanting to completely get rid of Metro and get the Windows 7 orb back. If that's the case I'd personally recommend you just stick to Windows 7, but if you already jumped ship there's a trick to do so asdiscussed on AskVG.

Updated: A second, improved alternative The clever folks at Stardock have released a piece of software called Start 8 that essentially adds a Start button to Windows 8's desktop mode. When you click on it you get a Metro-esque Start menu from where you can search and access other settings.

Remove that pesky wallpaper watermark

As we've seen on older betas, Windows 8 CP shows a wallpaper watermark indicating it's not a final build. The lock screen or Metro UI don't have any similar nagging reminder, and spending a majority of my time in the desktop mode, the message is tacky to say the least. Here's a solution I found circulating on a few forums:

Download this zip file and install the InstallTakeOwnership.reg registry file
Take Ownership from the shell32.dll.mui file located on C:WindowsSystem32en-US
Take Ownership from the basebrd.dll.mui file located on C:WindowsBrandingBasebrden-US
Copy and replace the shell32.dll.mui from the Edited Files to C:WindowsSystem32en-US
Copy and replace the basebrd.dll.mui from the Edited Files to C:WindowsBrandingBasebrden-US
Close the Windows Explorer window and open the Command Prompt with Administrator rights (remember that Win + X shortcut?)
Type mcbuilder, wait for it to finish and reboot.

Other quick tips

Drivers Windows 8 won't suffer the same fate Vista did with drivers. Most Windows 7 drivers will work just fine with the new OS. Nvidia advised GeForce owners to use the readily available 295.73 driver set, while AMD decided to release new Radeon drivers for the Consumer Preview.
Recalling storage space after setup Your mileage may vary with a Windows 7 upgrade. It worked great for me but remember this is still beta software. Anyway, if you upgraded you may want to restore files from the Windows.old directory which contains data from your older OS installation and other files used during the setup using the Disk Cleanup tool. Reminder #2: If you upgrade, you can't revert back to Windows 7.

You can recover a few gigabytes worth of storage space if you
clean up after a Windows 8 upgrade.

Upgrading to Windows 8 Windows 8 will offer a complete upgrade option from Windows 7, but the same won't be possible if you are using Vista or XP (or the current Consumer Preview for that matter). System requirements for Windows 8 are essentially the same as Windows 7 (which were similar to Vista), so most semi-modern hardware will run it just fine.
Metro notifications, turning some of those off Windows 8 encourages you to use a Microsoft account so you can take advantage of neat features like SkyDrive or syncing your OS settings across multiple PCs. However, it will also activate other things like the Messaging Metro app, which looks good, but becomes a nag if you are using a different IM client like Trillian or Pidgin. Windows 8 uses notifications that resembles those of Growl on OS X. You can fully manage, and deactivate the Messenger app notifications from the Settings menu.

Windows 8's notifications look good and serve a purpose, but you may want to be
selective about the programs that can interrupt your workflow.

Native screenshots in Win 8 Although using a third-party tool like Droplr remains the easiest way to grab and share a screenshot, Windows 8 finally adds a screenshot shortcut that doesn't require the snipping tool or another program where you can paste the taken image. Win + Prt Sc does the trick, saving a PNG image file on the Pictures folder.

Uninstalling Antivirus Software, the Clean Way: 40 Removal Tools & Instructions

2014-07-15T23:23:00.003-07:00

Whether you just bought a new system with bloatware or you're just seeking greener pastures, you'll eventually have to uninstall security software. Unfortunately, that's not always as easy as it could be, especially with solutions on mass market retail machines. Shady business tactics aside, making security software tricky to remove increases the chances that clueless users don't mistakenly scrap their protection.

It can also wreak havoc if the same inexperienced user installs new security software without removing their previous solution. Fortunately, most companies provide tools and guides on properly uninstalling their products and we thought it'd be handy to provide a consolidated resource with links to removal tools and/or removal instructions.

Security Software Removal Utilities
Agnitum Outpost	Avast
AVG	Avira*
BitDefender	BullGuard*
CA Antivirus	Computer Associates
Comodo Internet Security	CounterSpy
Cyber Defender Early Detection Center*	Dr. Web
eScan	ESET*
FRISK F-PROT Antivirus*	F-Secure
G Data	IObit Software
Kaspersky	Kingsoft*
K7 Total Security	LavaSoft*
Malwarebytes Anti-Malware	McAfee
Microsoft OneCare	Microsoft Security Essentials*
Norman	Norton
Panda	Pareto Logic*
PC Tools*	Prevx
Sophos*	SuperAntiSpyware
Trend Micro / Titanium*	ThreatFire
Vipre	Webroot*
Zondex removal tool 1 & 2 (run both in order)	Zone Alarm

*Note: Developer doesn't provide a separate uninstall tool, instead relies on Windows' traditional Add/Remove method or additional manual steps

How to Change the Start Screen Background in Windows 8

2014-07-15T23:20:00.000-07:00

Windows 8’s new Start screen has been hotly debated since the operating system launched in preview mode earlier this year. Acknowledged by some as a bold step into the tablet market, and criticized by many others who prefer the familiar desktop experience, the new 'Modern UI Style' home is here to stay. But beyond not offering a way to bypass this screen (not without the help of third-party utilities), surprisingly Microsoft is also limiting your options when it comes to customizing the Start screen's appearance. You can choose from a couple color schemes and 10 stock background images, but that's about it.

We've seen some workarounds before but they require firing up the HEX editor to modify system files, and you are still limited to 256-color background images in a handful of specific sizes. That’s more work than most people are probably willing to bother with and as you can imagine the results are not quite optimal.

Enter Decor8. Stardock’s latest Windows 8 customization app removes this limitation by giving users the ability to pick any picture they want, regardless of size or color range, as the Start screen background.

The program is pretty straightforward to use. Upon launching Decor8, you’ll be presented with a set of background images to choose from, including the start screen and desktop background images that Windows 8 ships with and also a set of wallpapers that Stardock ships with the app. You get the usual fill, fit, tile and center options available in the classic desktop, and the program will automatically create a color scheme to match each of your background images -- or you can manually customize the color scheme if you’re so inclined.

You can add folders to the program to use your own photos and images as background. There’s also the option to select multiple background images by holding down the Ctrl key, and have them rotate on a set time interval, as well as the option to fade background images against the start screen color for a subtle effect.

Sadly, Decor8 is not free. Stardock offers a free 30-day trial but otherwise asks a modest $4.99 for the app. It’s a little unnerving to pay for such basic functionality but if you wish to customize the Windows 8 Start screen beyond what Microsoft offers this is the easiest-to-use tool we’ve found. It does one thing and it does it well.

Other useful Windows 8 tweaks

While we are at it, you may want to revisit other ways to customize and tweak Windows 8 to your liking.

Bring back the classic start menu. Another common complaint about Windows 8 is the lack of the old and trustworthy Start menu button on the desktop. Fortunately there are a handful of replacements available from third-parties, including the open source Classic Shell, Stardock’sStart8, and Pokki.

Simplify search. Windows search isn't perfect. Some of us would argue it's been getting worse. Although you can't do much about this you can make results less cluttered by excluding some apps you don’t intend to use. Go to Win + I > Change PC Settings > Search to manage the search list.

Restart Explorer. If Explorer locks up for some reason, there’s no need to close the process any more. Just hit press Ctrl+Shift+Esc to open the Task Manager, select Explorer in the list, and click Restart on the bottom-right corner of the window (or through the right-click contextual menu).

Keyboard shortcuts and more. Even before Windows 8 was finalized we were getting our hands dirty discovering what the new OS had to offer. Check out our shortlist of Windows 8 tricks and keyboard shortcuts.

Computer Tips & Tricks Everyone Should Know

2014-07-15T23:16:00.003-07:00

Many hardcore computer users might think themselves above learning new tricks, but there's always new things to learn that will help improve your skills. Our bet: you will find at least one useful thing here that you didn't know before.

Inspired and with the help of this AskReddit discussion, we’ve compiled some of the most handy computer tricks you might not be taking advantage of. Our ultimate goal is to help you become more productive by shaving valuable seconds off your workflow. Of course, you can always pass along these tips to your not-so-savvy friends and family members to help them become better PC users as well.

General Tricks

Windows hidden "god mode" folder Windows offers a centralized Control Panel for all of the OS settings, which makes it easy for users to tweak everything from desktop background to setting up a VPN. To enter this mode, create a new folder with this exact name (copy and paste it): God Mode.{ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C}. The folder icon will change to a Control Panel-style icon, and you will be able to jump in and change all kinds of settings. Note: Don't try this on Windows Vista 64-bit as it's known to cause a reboot loop.

Use Problem Steps Recorder This handy tool automatically records any mouse clicks and takes screenshots for you. If you need tech assistance with your computer, go to Run by typing Windows + R, and then type "psr." Use the tool and by the time you are finished, you can send this information, neatly compiled automatically, to the person helping you with the issue. It will make the process of finding the problem much easier for them, which means you will be able to get your system up and running faster.

Find/Delete large files wasting space A handy tool called WinDirStat (Windows Directory Statistics) can be used to easily find which files and folders are taking up the most space on your drive. From there, you can delete them and open up a ton of storage space.

Reduce the number of programs running at startup If your PC is taking too long to boot, it’s probably because you have far too many programs running at startup. Reducing this is easy, it will make your PC launch noticeably faster and lighter upon first load. To change the items running at startup, go to Run using the hotkey Windows key + R, and type "msconfig." A small window will appear (see the screenshot below), select the Startup tab. From here you will be able to turn off many startup programs, which can shave several seconds (or minutes) off your boot time. (Note Windows 8 has moved this functionality to the Task Manager). Try to make sure you research what you are turning off as some processes might be needed by third party programs or drivers you have installed.

Cloud backup important files If you’re working on a critical paper for school, work, or any other major project, make sure you are backing up the file not just locally. You can use services likeDropbox, Google Drive, or any of the other popular cloud storage solution which will do the legwork for you on the background. Of course, you can also throw the files on a thumb drive or external HDD just to be safe but backing up to the cloud can be done seamlessly which is twice the advantage.

Typing Tricks

Delete an entire word Instead of deleting a single letter, pressing CTRL + BKSP will delete the entire word behind the cursor. This makes deleting text quicker if you screw up a whole word.

Move Cursor to beginning of the next or previous word Moving the cursor around manually while typing is a great way to make your work take longer than it needs to. To speed of the process, move the cursor around with keyboard shortcuts. To move it to the beginning of the previous word, use CTRL + Left Arrow. To move it to the beginning of the next word, use CTRL + Right Arrow. In OS X you can accomplish the same using the Option key.

Making sub and superscript text If you need to make sub or superscript text (think exponents for superscript), press CTRL + = for subscript and CTRL + SHIFT + = for superscript.

Paste plain text of what was copied When you copy text from any source, programs will usually copy any formatting that comes with it. To paste this as plain text, press CTRL + Shift + V instead of the standard CTRL + V, and the system will paste unformatted text.
Note that many programs follow this parameter (Chrome, Firefox, etc.) but not all, particularly Microsoft programs like Word or Outlook. For those there's a few alternatives that go beyond copying and pasting in Notepad: 1) CTRL + ALT + V will show a 'paste special' dialog box. 2) CTRL + Spacebar will remove formatting in already pasted text. 3) Download Puretext and choose a hotkey to always paste plain text with it.

Keyboard Shortcuts

Copy only active window to clipboard Normally, the Print Screen key copies the entire display (or two displays if you got them), ALT + Print Screen only copies the currently active window to the clipboard. Whether taking a screenshot to diagnose a problem, or just because you want to show something to a friend, this will come in handy.

Fix those little mistakes Did you know you can undo almost any action? CTRL + Z is the ultimate hot key, and for sure you knew about it already, however note that undo doesn’t just apply to typing. If you accidentally delete or move a file, you can hit CTRL + Z to bring it right back to where it was. In Chrome and Firefox you can also undo closing a tab using CTRL + SHIFT + T.

Cycle through open windows Pressing ALT+TAB allows you to cycle through currently open windows. This makes switching back and forth between running processes quick and painless. If you want a more stylish method of cycling through open programs, Windows + TAB will do the job for you.

Interrupt all processes CTRL + ALT + Delete is one of the most common PC shortcuts, and one almost everyone is familiar with. The important thing to note is that it interrupts all processes, including the one that is bogging down your system, which can mean the difference between needing to restart or not.

Close the current program Typing ALT + F4 will close the program that is running. This is useful as it saves you time mousing over the "X" and clicking. People will often use this as a joke, telling you to press ALT + F4 to fix a problem. Don’t fall for it unless you want to close what you are doing.

Minimize all windows Sometimes you have a bunch of stuff running, and you want it all to go away so you can get to the desktop. Simply pressing Windows + D will minimize everything you have up, which will save you some time pressing the minimize button for each window. It should be noted that Windows + M offers similar functionality, but there is no undoing, so Windows + D is the more favorable approach.

Open the task manager directly If you want to bypass the interrupt that happens when pressing CTRL + ALT + DEL and jump right to the task manager, typing CTRL + Shift + ESC launches it directly.

Close the current window/tab Stick of moving all the way to that X button? Press CTRL + W and the current window will close. (Don’t do it now, or you will miss the rest of the tricks!)

Bring up the system information window This is so much quicker than digging this out the traditional way... Just press Windows + Pause/Break and the System Information panel will be ready to go. This might be the only use for the Pause/Break key you will ever find, so enjoy it!

Better multiple monitor control There are several useful keyboard shortcuts for controlling open windows on multiple monitors. Pressing the Windows Key + Arrow Keys will cause a window to quickly snap to each side of either monitor. Alternatively, hitting Shift + Windows Key + Arrows will cause the window to jump to the other monitor. Lastly, pressing Windows + P will allow you to quickly set up a second display or projector.

Web Browsing Tricks

Automatically add www. and .com to a URL You can shave off a couple of seconds typing in a URL by simply click CTRL + Enter after you type the name of the site. Need .net instead of .com, press CTRL + Shift + Enter instead.

Jump to address bar There are a number of ways to jump right to the address bar from anywhere in browser. Pressing CTRL + L, F6, and ALT + D all accomplish this goal.

Bring back a closed tab We covered this already, but it's super useful. Accidentally closed a tab? Simply press CTRL + Shift + T to reopen the most recently closed tab and get back to what you were doing.

Use private browsing The uses for not having cookies and history saved are obvious for certain activities, you know, like shopping for gifts on a shared computer (of course!). Pressing CTRL + Shift + N will launch a new private in Chrome, CTRL + Shift + P will do it in Firefox and Internet Explorer.

Cycle through open tabs Pressing CTRL + TAB while in a browser will flip between each one. This can be much faster than moving the mouse and clicking on a tab. CTRL + NUM (1, 2, 3, 4, n..) will also take you to certain tab in that numeric order.

File Management Tricks

Rename a file quickly Right-clicking and selecting rename is not very efficient. Instead, simply press F2 while a file is selected to change its name. To alter the name of another file, type TAB without deselecting the current file.

Rename files sequentially in Windows You actually don’t need to download any programs to perform a batch file rename in Windows. Instead, you can select all the files you want to change, right-click the first one in the list, select rename (or use F2), and type in the name. This will automatically change all the other files with the same root name with a suffix: (1), (2), and so on.

Select multiple files using the keyboard To select a bunch of files using your keyboard, you can press Shift + down arrow to select a single file or Shift + Page Down to select a large group of files at one time.

Security Tips

Run programs on an infected PC Often times, malware will prevent a computer from running certain programs. Changing the name of the .exe file can often override this. If that doesn’t work, changing the extension to .com is another useful alternative, and the program will still be able to run in spite of the extension change.

Read installers Even major programs can install toolbars and other unwanted pieces of software during installation. Take a few seconds to read each step to make sure you are not agreeing to install something other than the program you were actually seeking. Far too often people just push next over and over, and end up with a browser covered in various search bars that just aren't needed. In the worst of scenarios, these can have nefarious intentions.

Lock your computer if you get up Sick of your "friends" going onto your computer at work or home and posting things on your Facebook/Twitter page on your behalf? It’s certainly an annoyance, but an easy one to prevent. Windows + L will lock your system right away, requiring a password (if you've set one) to log in again.

Program-Specific Tricks

Photoshop: Drag the marquee without losing the ability to size it The marquee tool is, at its most basic level, designed for selecting a part of an image. It’s used constantly in Photoshop, and there is a handy trick many users miss. While dragging it around, you can press space, which will allow you to size it while moving it. This saves time by letting your perform two key functions at the same time.

Steam: Move games to another drive or partition By default, Steam installs all games to the same HDD or partition, but what happens if that fills up? The solution: download Steamtool Library Manager. It makes it easy to move games to another hard drive without messing with the functionality of Steam.

VLC: Fix unsynced audio and subtitles In the popular media player VLC, if your audio loses sync with the video or subtitles, there is an easy way to fix this. Simply pressing J or K will move the audio forward or backwards. Similarly, to sync the subtitles you can press H or G

Learn How to Code: 22 Free Online Resources

2014-07-15T23:11:00.000-07:00

Whether you’re looking for something new to learn, or just want to refresh your memory on something that might be a bit rusty, there are plenty of free sources online that you can take advantage of free code classes. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the outlook is quite favorable for software developers:

"Employment of software developers is projected to grow 30 percent from 2010 to 2020, much faster than the average for all occupations. Employment of applications developers is projected to grow 28 percent, and employment of systems developers is projected to grow 32 percent..... Job prospects will be best for applicants with knowledge of the most up-to-date programming tools and languages. Consulting opportunities for software developers also should be good as businesses seek help to manage, upgrade, and customize their increasingly complicated computer systems." - Software Developers, Occupational Outlook Handbook

Editor’s Note:
This is a guest post by Wendy Boswell, technical blogger/writer at Intel. She's also editor forAbout Web Search, part of the New York Times Company

In this article, we’re going to look at a few different resources online you can tap into for coding know-how; some of these are email-based, some are in a game format (always my favorite!), and some are instructor-led via video. Just pick and choose the one that works best for you.

CodeAcademy

CodeAcademy aims to make learning how to code fun, and they do this by making all of their courses game-based in nature. The site offers “tracks”, which are series of courses grouped around a particular topic or language. Course offerings include JavaScript, HTML, CSS, Python, Ruby, and JQuery. Registration is free, and once you get going in a class, you start to earn points and badges as a way to keep you motivated. No certificate or credits are offered here, however, the interactive classes make complicated concepts seem not as intimidating. CodeAcademy also runs CodeYear, a year-long collaborative effort to get as many people learning how to code (one lesson per week) as possible. More than 400,000 people have signed up at the time of this writing.

Google Code University

Learning how to code from the team behind the most popular search engine in the world? Seems like a pretty good deal. Course content here includes information on Computer Science, Programming Languages, Web Programming, Web Security, even Google APIs and Tools. Google Code University is free and does not require registration; classes are offered via recorded video lectures, talks, problem sets, exercises, documents, and slides. Computer programming language courses are mostly introductory in nature, and include languages such as Python, C++, Go, and JavaScript. No certificates or credits are awarded with the completion of these classes.

P2PU

Peer to Peer University (P2PU) is a collaborative experience where you’re meant to learn in community with others. Registration and courses are totally free. There are several “schools” within the P2PU organizational framework, including one for Web-based programming backed by Mozilla, creator of the Firefox web browser. As you complete courses, you can display badges on your website or social profiles. Courses include WebMaking 101 and Programming with the Twitter API; no developer certifications are offered here, but the courses are well executed and worth taking a look.

HTML5 Rocks

HTML5 is quickly becoming the language to know for cutting edge developers. HTML5 Rocks is not necessarily a coursework platform; rather, it’s a massive database of informational resources on anything and everything to do with HTML5, from nuts and bolts to semantics to storage. Pick what kind of HTML development you’d like to focus on from three different groupings: mobile, gaming, or business, and you’ll get a comprehensive hub of tutorials, articles, and in-browser simulators to get going on HTML5. No credits or certifications are awarded here; registration and use of the site is totally free. Examples of information offered here include web application frameworks, debugging tools, and compatibility resources.

The Code Player

If you’ve ever wanted to be a fly on the wall and watch over the shoulder of someone who really knows what they’re doing with HTML5, CSS3, or JavaScript, then The Code Player is for you. Click on any of the video offerings, and you’ll first see the proposed code snippet in action; for example, a gauge chart written with Canvas and Javascript. Click on “play walkthrough”, and here’s where it gets really interesting: a screencast of how the code was written, along with background information and comments. The end result of the code is also included if you just want to copy and paste for your own project.

RubyKoans

Want to learn Ruby in a very Zen-like fashion? You’ll want to check out RubyZoans, a simply arranged series of Ruby tutorials that aim to teach the Ruby language, syntax, structure, and common functions and libraries. A (free) download of the Ruby framework is required in order to get the most out of these classes, which are all completely free.

Stack Overflow

Stack Overflow isn’t a place for free classes, but if you’re looking for advice/help/shoulder to cry on for nearly any coding issue you might run into, than this is the right place. Thousands of developers use Stack Overflow to trade ideas, collaborate on common problems, or simply help each other out in a snag. Coding languages discussed here are plentiful, ranging from C# to jQuery to Python to CSS. Stack Overflow isn’t just a programming forum, however; it’s also a collaborative website built and maintained by those who use it (much like Wikipedia) with the goal of being an authoritative resource on all things code.

Scratch

While Scratch, a project of the MIT Media Lab, is aimed for kids, anyone who wants to dive right into the basics of programming will find this site enjoyable. Scratch is a programming language meant for creative Web projects: games, music, art, stories, animations, etc. Learning how to use Scratch is an exercise in logic, which is a foundational building block for any code language out there. Scratch is free to download and fun to learn; once you’ve made something with this platform, you can upload it to the Scratch gallery and share it with the world.

Apple Developer Center

As one of the most popular companies in the world, Apple offers a huge hub of resources specifically for developers who might (or might not) be familiar with their apps, devices, or web browser. From this core of information, anyone can access basic coding tutorials as well as much more advanced information, all for free.

Android Developer Center

If you’ve ever thought about developing for Android, a mobile platform with millions of users in nearly 200 countries all over the world, than this nucleus of everything you ever wanted to know (and more) is what you’ve been looking for. There’s something for everyone here, including the absolute beginner who has never coded in his or her life. SDKs, API documentation, design guidelines, etc. are also available, as well as training modules offered for novices to advanced users.

MobileTuts+

Mobile development is where it’s at on the MobileTuts+ site. There are a vast variety of high quality tutorials and articles here for mobile developers, ranging from Windows Phone SDK to cross-platform development to HTML5. There’s also the occasional insight with working mobile developers who give you a glimpse at what successful development technologies and strategies they themselves are using. The site is nicely organized into sections, so you can find tutorials, articles, tips, or videos quite easily.

Programr

Learn and practice your coding right in your web browser with this interactive site. There are several ways you can use Programr to learn something new or brush up on coding you already know and love: visit the Training Labs, where you can practice programming by solving real world exercises, take on one of the coding Challenges, check out one of the 2000+ apps that have been made by other Programr users for inspiration, or enter one of the ongoing Contests. All of the information here is free, and a wide variety of coding languages from Java to SQL are offered.

edX

edX is a collaborative effort between Harvard University and MIT to bring free online courses from both institutions to the Web for anyone to take advantage of. Classes from Harvard, MIT, and Berekley are offered here for free, with more universities joining in the near future. Certificates of completion are awarded at the time of this writing for free; however, a “modest fee” for these certificates is planned for future students. Classes are somewhat sparse right now, but the origin of the classes as well as the informational content is well worth a look; for example, you could try Software as a Service from Berkeley, Introduction to Computer Science from Harvard, or Introduction to Computer Science and Programming from MIT – all for free.

YouTube EDU

YouTube, along with millions of cats-doing-stuff videos, offers a hub of educational content with offerings from organizations such as NASA, the BBC, TED, and many more. If you’re a visually oriented person who learns by watching someone else do something, than this is the place for you. You’ll find coding-related videos under the Engineering category; course offerings range from Intro to Computer Science to Web Development to Database Management. These are meant to be standalone informational offerings rather than part of a cohesive course; however, if you would like to dip your toes in a subject and want to get a quick video introduction from leaders in the field, this is a good solution.

Processing

Processing.org is a central place for Processing, “is a programming language, development environment, and online community that since 2001 has promoted software literacy within the visual arts.” Everything you need to learn this language from the ground up is here, including a free download of the software platform, tutorials, example code, and a forum for when you really get stuck.

Eloquent Javascript

Whether you’d like to learn JavaScript from the ground up, or merely brush up on a few fundamentals, then you’ll want to check out this website. It’s actually based around a full-length book, and is browser-based with game-based interactive tutorials that let you see what JavaScript can do in a fun and intuitive way.

Code Avengers

Get your inner superhero on with this fun, game-based site that offers comprehensive courses on HTML, CSS, and Javascript. No registration is required, just click the “Get Started” button and you’re off and running. For example, the JavaScript 1 course is 40 short lessons with five tasks that you must complete in each lesson before moving on to the next. Each module also offers interactive challenges and a quiz to test your newfound skills. Cool features: a glossary that is instantly available for whatever node you’re currently working on, a notepad application if you want to take notes, and a list of Code Avengers keyboard shortcuts so you can easily navigate within the website. Classes are free.

Code School

Not all the courses offered at Code School are free, but there are several good ones that are (and you might just be tempted to take a paid one once you run through one of the classes!). The first thing you’ll notice about Code School is how well everything is designed – it’s just a very aesthetically pleasing site. Code School delivers all classes within your web browser via video lectures, various coding challenges and quizzes, screencasts, and intuitive coding tutorials where you get hands on with what you just learned. Each class has at least five levels, and all challenges/quizzes must be solved before you can advance to the next level. Once you get to the end and unlock the final level, you’ll receive a cool badge and potentially win some swag – like discounts off your next Code School course.

Hackety Hack

Hackety Hack is meant for people who have had zero previous programming experience; however, if you’ve been meaning to learn Ruby and you’d like to do it as painlessly as possible then this might be a good spot for you. You’ll be using the Shoes cross-platform toolkit to go through the lessons and figure out how to use Ruby effectively; once you get going you can upload your project to the Gallery of programs that other users have shared and show off your expertise.

Learn Code The Hard Way

Okay, yes, the title of this website is a little bit less than inspirational. However, this is definitely one of the most useful sites on the Web for learning code: C, Python, Ruby, SQL, and Regex. All of these languages are meant to learn using in-depth instruction found in a book for each coding platform. The “hard way” is basically this: learning each exercise in depth, making the code run, and not moving on until you’ve mastered what you’re currently looking at. The books are free online to read within your web browser; you can also choose to purchase them for a nominal fee if you’d like to keep them.

Alice

Just like MIT’s Scratch (another entry on this list), Alice is primarily aimed at the younger set who want to try their hand at programming. However, anyone who wants to give coding a go or simply flex their skills in another kind of environment will enjoy this particular platform. Alice is educational software that teaches students how to program in a 3D environment. Animations or games are the focus here, with tools and materials intended to encourage logical thinking, problem solving, and of course, computer programming. Alice was developed and is maintained by Carnegie Mellon University. The downloads and teaching materials are free, and it’s a great introduction to object-oriented programming, as well as fundamental coding concepts.

Running Linux From a USB Drive As a Virtual Machine or Bootable Disk

2014-07-15T22:54:00.002-07:00

Live Linux environments work just like a typical operating system but run entirely from a CD or USB stick -- the latter being the most common choice these days. Since nothing is written to the host computer’s local storage, when you’re done all you need to do is remove the media, reboot, and everything will be exactly as it was.

There are a number of uses to this, from simply test driving Linux to troubleshooting a Windows PC, or work on the go from someone else’s computer but running your own OS securely with all your personal files and settings.

There are basically two options when it comes to running Linux from a USB drive: from within Windows using virtualization software such as VirtualBox, or creating a boot disk. This quick guide details both methods in a few easy steps.

Running Linux from a USB drive in Windows

This option will come in handy if you want to run a Live Linux environment but need to retain access to Windows. Perhaps you just want to do something real quick without rebooting, or want to be able to hide the virtualized Linux instance. Our preferred weapon of choice here is a little tool called LinuxLive USB Creator.

It’s free, open-source software, and it has a built-in virtualization feature that lets you run a self contained version of VirtualBox from the USB drive. This means the host computer you’ll run Linux from doesn’t need to have VirtualBox installed.

Here's what you'll need to do:

Download and transfer the ISO image of your preferred Linux distribution to a USB drive.
Download and install LinuxLive USB Creator.
Launch LiLi USB Creator and follow the straightforward steps guiding you through the process.
- Step 1. Select the USB drive where you want Linux installed.
- Step 2. Choose the source ISO file of the Linux distribution you downloaded.
- Step 3. Choose Live Mode.
- Step 4. Leave the third box checked, the other two are up to you and self-explanatory.

You will need and internet connection to complete the process -- mainly to download VirtualBox if you don’t have it installed. Once the process is finished, open your USB key in Windows Explorer and you should see a folder called VirtualBox containing two executable files:VirtualizeThisKey.exe and VirtualBox.exe.

Running VirtualizeThisKey.exe will launch your Linux distribution in Windows (inside VirtualBox), whereas VirtualBox.exe opens the full VirtualBox interface.

Boot Linux from a USB drive

If you’d rather load Linux without going through Windows first this is the way to go. There are a few different tools for creating bootable USB drives around the web but one I’m particularly fond of is YUMI -- short for Your Universal Multiboot Installer.

This is the successor to our MultibootISO and can be used to install more than one distribution to run from your USB. It’s extremely simple to use, and all files from each Linux distribution are stored within the Multiboot folder, making for a nicely organized Multiboot Drive that can still be used for other storage purposes.

Download the ISO image of your preferred Linux distribution.
Download and install YUMI.
Launch YUMI and follow three simple steps guiding you through the process.
- Step 1. Select the USB drive where you want Linux installed.
- Step 2. Select the Linux distribution you'll be installing from the list.
- Step 3. Choose the source ISO file of the Linux distribution you downloaded.

Once YUMI is done you’re all set. To boot into Linux just plug the USB drive into the host computer, reboot, and press the required key during this process to enter the Boot Menu (usually F10). After choosing your USB drive you should see the YUMI boot menu where you can pick the desired Linux distribution in Live mode.

You can run YUMI's boot drive creator again to add More ISOs/distributions to your drive as needed and they'll all show up in this menu during boot.

Which Linux distribution should I install?

There's no single right answer to that question. For a new user jumping into the world of Linux-based operating systems the amount of options available can be overwhelming. Finding the "right" distro for you can only be done though experience but there are plenty of resources online to help you figure it out.

Popular choices for newcomers include Ubuntu, Mint and PCLinuxOS. If you are looking for a secure operating system to take with you anywhere, you might also want to give Tails a try. The latter received a lot of press recently when it was disclosed that Edward Snowden was using it to avoid NSA snooping.

Ergonomics in HCI.

2013-12-25T23:09:00.003-08:00

Ergonomics (or human factors) is the scientific discipline concerned with the understanding of interactions among humans and other elements of a system, and the profession that applies theory, principles, data and methods to design in order to optimize human well-being and overall system performance (International Ergonomics Association).

Ergonomics (or human factors) is traditionally the study of the physical characteristics of the interaction: how the controls are designed, the physical environment in which the interaction takes place, and the layout and physical qualities of the screen.

Ergonomics is employed to fulfil the two goals of health and productivity. It is relevant in the design of such things as safe furniture and easy-to-use interfaces to machines and equipment. Proper ergonomic design is necessary to prevent repetitive strain injuries, which can develop over time and can lead to long-term disability. Ergonomics is concerned with the ‘fit’ between computers and their technological robots and environments.

Practitioners of ergonomics, contribute to the planning, design and evaluation of tasks, jobs, products, organizations, environments and systems in order to make them compatible with the needs, abilities and limitations of people.

User Experience in HCI

2013-12-25T23:01:00.002-08:00

User experience (abbreviated as UX) is how a person feels when interfacing with a system, what he expect of your interface and system. The system could be a website, a web application or desktop software and, in modern contexts, is generally denoted by some form of human-computer interaction (HCI).

User experience (UX) is about how a person feels about using a product, system or service. User experience highlights the experiential, affective, meaningful and valuable aspects of human-computer interaction and product ownership, but it also includes a person’s perceptions of the practical aspects such as utility, ease of use and efficiency of the system. User experience is subjective in nature, because it is about an individual’s feelings and thoughts about the system. User experience is dynamic, because it changes over time as the circumstances change.

· all the aspects of how people use an interactive product: the way it feels in their hands, how well they understand how it works, how they feel about it while they’re using it, how well it serves their purposes, and how well it fits into the entire context in which they are using it.

· User Experience (abbreviated: UX) is the quality of experience a person has when interacting with a specific design.

· The user experience is the totality of end-users’ perceptions as they interact with a product or service. These perceptions include effectiveness (how good is the result?), efficiency (how fast or cheap is it?), emotional satisfaction (how good does it feel?), and the quality of the relationship with the entity that created the product or service (what expectations does it create for subsequent interactions?

User Experience: Focuses on creating systems that are satisfying, enjoyable, entertaining, helpful, motivating, aesthetically pleasing, creativity supportive, rewarding, fun and emotionally fulfilling.

Low fidelity Prototype and High fidelity Prototype.

2013-12-25T22:50:00.001-08:00

Fidelity:

refers to the level of detail, accuracy or coverage of a prototype. It can relate to functionality but most people use the term in relation to visual appearance.

A prototype is a working model built to develop and test design ideas. In web and software interface design, prototypes can be used to examine content, aesthetics, and interaction techniques from the perspectives of designers, clients, and users.

The main purpose of prototyping is to involve the users in testing design ideas and get their feedback in the early stage of development, thus to reduce the time and cost. It provides an efficient and effective way to refine and optimize interfaces through discussion, exploration, testing and iterative revision.

Low-fidelity prototypes

Low-fidelity prototyping is mainly about paper-based mock-up.

Low-fidelity prototypes are very quick hand sketches while the highest are fully detailed, pixel perfect renditions.They are built mostly to design alternatives or screen layouts. Typical examples of low-fidelity prototypes include storyboards, drawings, paper mockups etc.

Low-fidelity prototypes are quickly constructed to design alternatives, and screen layouts, rather than to model the user interaction with a system

Examples

Paper Prototyping•

Balsamiq Mockups & iMockups

Advantages of Low Fidelity:

1. Less time and lower cost.

2. Evaluate multiple design concepts.

3. Useful communication device.

4. Address screen layout issues.

Disadvantages of Low Fidelity:

1. Limited usefulness for usability testing

2. Navigational and flow limitations.

3. Facilitator divisions.

4. Poor detailed specification.

High fidelity prototypes

High-fidelity is mainly about computer-based simulation.

High fidelity prototypes offer more realistic interactions and are better at conveying the range of design possibilities. High fidelity prototyping, however, may make designers reluctant to change designs and less likely to fully explore the design space.

High fidelity prototypes are typically fully interactive, represent’s the product’s core

functionality and are often built with prototyping systems. They are used mostly for exploration and tests of the look and feel of the final product. A high fidelity prototype helps keep the focus of the team on the user experience.

high-fidelity prototypes are fully interactive, simulating much of the functionality in the final product. Users can operate on the prototype, or even perform some real tasks with it.

High-Fidelity Prototyping

• Axure Pro 6

• Microsoft Expression BlendUI Prototyping Tool

Advantages of High Fidelity:

1. Partial/ complete functionality interactive.

2. User driven.

3. Clearly defines navigational schemas.

4. Use for exploration and test.

5. Marketing and sales tool.

Disadvantages of High Fidelity:

1. Time consuming to create

2. Inefficient for proof-of-concept designs.

3. Managements may think it is real.

Describe the role of HCI with Advantages and Disadvantages.

2013-12-25T22:40:00.000-08:00

"Human-computer interaction (HCI) is the study of interaction between people (users) and computers. Interaction between users and computers occurs at the user interface (or simply interface), which includes both hardware (i.e. peripherals and other hardware) and software (for example determining which, and how, information is presented to the user on a screen)."

“Human-Computer Interaction is a discipline concerned with the design, evaluation and implementation of interactive computing systems for human use .

Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) research is performed to provide and promote a scientific understanding of the interaction between humans and the computer technology and tools that we use.

A basic goal of HCI is to improve the interactions between users and computers by making computers more usable and receptive to the user's needs.

There are 4 types of User Interfaces:

Command Line Interface (CLI)Menu Driven InterfaceGraphical User Interface (GUI)Natural Language Interface

i. Command Line Interface (CLI)

A CLI displays a prompt; the user types a command on the keyboard and executes the command. The computer executes the command, providing textual output.

Advantages

• Very flexible with the use of “switches” (options)

• Good for “expert” users - can quickly access commands

• Uses the fewest system resources

Disadvantages

• Requires the user to learn “complex” commands or language

• “Hidden” features i.e. if you don’t know the commands you won’t know the features are there!

• Not very good for novice users

Command Line Interface Applications

• System administration

• Engineering applications

• Scientific applications

• Ideal for visually impaired users!!!

ii. Menu Driven Interface

The user has a list of items to choose from, and can make selections by highlighting one.

Advantages

• No need to learn complex commands/language

• Easier for a novice to learn/use

• Ideal when there are a limited number of options (efficient)

Disadvantages

• Can be frustrating for experienced users i.e. the command they want to use is buried 5 levels deep!!!!

• User interface may be limited by screen space and number of options available

Menu Driven Applications

• ATM

• Mobile Phone

• MP3 Player

• Video recorder

• Household Devices

• Digital/Cable TV

iii. Graphical User Interface (GUI)

Uses windows, icons, menus and pointers (WIMP) which can be manipulated by a mouse (and often to an extent by a keyboard as well).

Most suitable interface for inexperienced or novice users but…

UIs use more system resources than other types of interface

Many generic packages for a GUI will share common features

• Layout of the screen

• Names given to commands

• Icons

• Order of menus

• Mouse operation

• Dialog boxes

Benefits of a common interface

There are five advantages to the ‘common user interface’:

• Increased speed of learning

• Ease of use

• Confidence for novice users

• Increase the range of solvable tasks by users

• Greater range of software available to the average computer user

iv. Natural Language Interface

Can range from simple command systems to voice activated text processing. Commands are spoken in “normal” language.

Advantages

• No training required – you just tell the computer what you want to do!

• Can be quicker than keyboard entry

• Hands-free – could be invaluable in some environments

• Can be used by the disabled

Disadvantages

• Emerging technology – still contains “bugs”

• Difficulty dealing with homonyms

• Difficult to recognise all the different ways of saying things (and regional dialects)

• Artificial languages are often more precise

What is Difference Between OLAP and OLTP ?

2013-11-24T00:11:00.002-08:00

OLTP

Online transaction processing takes care of the day-to-day transaction related data.
The data keeps changing every day. The focus for OLTP is to be able to access every single record. Replicating the data is very difficult as OLTP has a very complex data model compared to OLAP.

The main emphasis for OLTP system is put on very fast query processing, maintaining data integrity in multi access environment and an effectiveness measured by number of transactions per second.

Example: In a banking System, you withdraw amount from your account. Then Account Number, Withdrawal amount, Available Amount, Balance Amount, Transaction Number etc are operational data elements.

OLAP

Online analytical processing stores historic data which is useful for analysis and reporting. It contains snapshot and event (fact) tables. Replication of data is easy here as the data model is simplified.

Example: If we collect last 10 years data about flight reservation, The data can give us many meaningful information such as the trends in reservation. This may give useful information like peak time of travel, what kinds of people are traveling in various classes (Economy/Business)etc.

I have listed below some of the basic differences between OLTP and OLAP:

Points	OLTP	OLAP
Speed	Fast	Depends on the data
Storage requirements	Less if old data is archived	Large
Data Source	Operational Data	From OLTP databases
Normalization	Highly normalized	Less normalized
Queries	One tuple at a time	Aggregate queries
Query type	Insert, update, delete	Select

1) OLAP can be designed using the data from OLTP by using ETL processes

2) Data marts or data warehouse can be maintained as OLAP systems

3) OLTP is used for business reporting

Data Warehouse Architectures

2013-10-18T12:44:00.002-07:00

Data warehouses and their architectures vary depending upon the specifics of an organization's situation.

Data Warehouse Architecture (Basic)

shows a simple architecture for a data warehouse. End users directly access data derived from several source systems through the data warehouse.

Architecture of a Data Warehouse

This illustrates three things:

Data Sources (operational systems and flat files)
Warehouse (metadata, summary data, and raw data)
Users (analysis, reporting, and mining)

The metadata and raw data of a traditional OLTP system is present, as is an additional type of data, summary data. Summaries are very valuable in data warehouses because they pre-compute long operations in advance. For example, a typical data warehouse query is to retrieve something like August sales. A summary in Oracle is called a materialized view.

Data Warehouse Architecture (with a Staging Area)

You need to clean and process your operational data before putting it into the warehouse. You can do this programmatically although most data warehouses use a Staging area instead. A staging area simplifies building summaries and general warehouse management.

Architecture of a Data Warehouse with a Staging Area

This illustrates four things:

Data Sources (operational systems and flat files)
Staging Area (where data sources go before the warehouse)
Warehouse (metadata, summary data, and raw data)
Users (analysis, reporting, and mining)

Data Warehouse Architecture (with a Staging Area and Data Marts)

Although the architecture in is quite common, you may want to customize your warehouse's architecture for different groups within your organization. You can do this by adding data marts, which are systems designed for a particular line of business.Illustrates an example where purchasing, sales, and inventories are separated. In this example, a financial analyst might want to analyze historical data for purchases and sales.

Architecture of a Data Warehouse with a Staging Area and Data Marts

This illustrates five things:

Data Sources (operational systems and flat files)
Staging Area (where data sources go before the warehouse)
Warehouse (metadata, summary data, and raw data)
Data Marts (purchasing, sales, and inventory)
Users (analysis, reporting, and mining)