THE PC

Windows 7

noreply@blogger.com (firzzs) — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 07:55:00 +0000

Windows 7 (formerly codenamed Blackcomb and Vienna) is the next release of Microsoft Windows, an operating system produced by Microsoft for use on personal computers, including home and business desktops, laptops, Tablet PCs, netbooks and media center PCs.^[1]

Microsoft stated in 2007 that it was planning Windows 7 development for a three-year time frame starting after the release of its predecessor, Windows Vista, but that the final release date would be determined by product quality.

Unlike its predecessor, Windows 7 is intended to be an incremental upgrade to Vista, with the goal of being fully compatible with device drivers, applications, and hardware which Windows Vista is already compatible with.Presentations given by the company in 2008 have focused on multi-touch support, a redesigned Windows Shell with a new taskbar, a home networking system called HomeGroup,and performance improvements. Some applications that have been included with prior releases of Microsoft Windows, most notably Windows Mail, Windows Movie Maker, and Windows Photo Gallery, are no longer included with the operating system; they are instead offered separately (free of charge) as part of the Windows Live Essentials suite.

Applying Themes To Your Windows Vista Sidebar

noreply@blogger.com (firzzs) — Sat, 22 Dec 2007 15:09:00 +0000

The look of the Windows Vista Sidebar is a little drab, and there's no way to customize it with the default tools in Vista. Thankfully third party developers have stepped up to the plate and created an application that will let you re-theme the sidebar.

Note: After installing and launching this application you will need to restart the Vista sidebar.

When you launch the Windows Sidebar Styler application, it will give you this dialog that gives you a list of all the elements in the theme. You can select the items and see a preview on the right.

The big Play button will apply the style, but first you'll need to load it by clicking the button to the right for "Load a Windows Sidebar Style", which will open up a file selection dialog so you can choose from the different themes.

There's a bunch of themes that come with the application, or you can find more themes at the WinCustomize gallery.

If you click the More button on the dialog, you can even select an option to make the sidebar resizable.

Once you select that option, you can resize the sidebar like any other window. You'll notice a new option to "Lock" the sidebar, which will prevent resizing once you've chosen the size that you want.

Another benefit to this tool is that you can load more powerful gadgets utilizing WPF (Windows Presentation Framework).

Download Windows Sidebar Styler from stoyanoff.info

Why Did Windows Vista's Music Folder Icon Turn Yellow?

noreply@blogger.com (firzzs) — Sat, 22 Dec 2007 15:02:00 +0000

I've been getting emails left and right from readers complaining that their Music folder icon has turned from the default shiny icon into the generic yellow folder icon. After doing some research I finally have a workaround for this issue.

In Windows, all folders can be customized with whatever icon you want. All you need to do is put a hidden file named desktop.ini into the root of that folder, which tells Windows extra information for the folder including what icon to use.

The problem that people are experiencing is due to the contents of that file being modified somehow and pointing to the wrong icon, as you can see here:

You can normally fix this problem by right-clicking on the folder and choosing properties, and then on the Customize tab you'll see this:

If that section does not exist, however, we'll need to open up that desktop.ini file by pasting the following command into the start menu search or run box:

notepad %USERPROFILE%\music\desktop.ini

You'll see a file that should look exactly like this, but probably does not.

You can usually just replace the contents of that file with the following text:

[.ShellClassInfo]
LocalizedResourceName=@%SystemRoot%\system32\shell32.dll,-21790
InfoTip=@%SystemRoot%\system32\shell32.dll,-12689
IconResource=%SystemRoot%\system32\imageres.dll,-108
IconFile=%SystemRoot%\system32\shell32.dll
IconIndex=-237

Save the file and log off from Windows, and then login again. Your Music folder icon should now look like this:

Hopefully this solves the problem for you!

Update: If you are looking for a folder besides the Music folder, I've created a list of the default settings for every user profile folder.

Windows Vista

noreply@blogger.com (firzzs) — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 02:30:00 +0000

Windows Vista (IPA: /ˈvɪs.tə/) is a line of graphical operating systems used on personal computers, including home and business desktops, notebook computers, Tablet PCs, and media centers. Prior to its announcement on July 22, 2005, Windows Vista was known by its codename "Longhorn".^[1] Development was completed on November 8, 2006; over the following three months it was released in stages to computer hardware and software manufacturers, business customers, and retail channels. On January 30, 2007, it was released worldwide to the general public,^[2] and was made available for purchase and downloading from Microsoft's web site.^[3] The release of Windows Vista comes more than five years after the introduction of its predecessor, Windows XP, making it the longest time span between two releases of Microsoft Windows.

Windows Vista contains hundreds of new and reworked features; some of the most significant include an updated graphical user interface and visual style dubbed Windows Aero, improved searching features, new multimedia creation tools such as Windows DVD Maker, and completely redesigned networking, audio, print, and display sub-systems. Vista also aims to increase the level of communication between machines on a home network using peer-to-peer technology, making it easier to share files and digital media between computers and devices. For developers, Vista includes version 3.0 of the .NET Framework, which aims to make it significantly easier for developers to write applications than with the traditional Windows API.

Microsoft's primary stated objective with Windows Vista, however, has been to improve the state of security in the Windows operating system.^[4] One common criticism of Windows XP and its predecessors has been their commonly exploited security vulnerabilities and overall susceptibility to malware, viruses and buffer overflows. In light of this, Microsoft chairman Bill Gates announced in early 2002 a company-wide 'Trustworthy Computing initiative' which aims to incorporate security work into every aspect of software development at the company. Microsoft stated that it prioritized improving the security of Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 above finishing Windows Vista, thus delaying its completion.^[5]

Windows Vista is the target of a number of negative assessments by various groups. Criticisms of Windows Vista include protracted development time, more restrictive licensing terms, the inclusion of a number of new Digital Rights Management technologies aimed at restricting the copying of protected digital media, lack of device drivers for some hardware, and the usability of other new features such as User Account Control।

Windows Vista
(Part of the Microsoft Windows family)
Screenshot
Screenshot of Windows Vista Ultimate
Developer
Microsoft
Web site: Windows Vista: Homepage
Release information
Release date:	November 8, 2006 info
Current version:	6.0 (Build 6000), Retail: January 30, 2007, RTM: November 8, 2006, Vol. Lic.: November 30, 2006 info
Source model:	Closed source / Shared source
License:	MS-EULA
Kernel type:	Hybrid kernel
Support status
Current
Further reading
Development of Windows Vista Features new to Windows Vista Management features new to Windows Vista Security and safety features new to Windows Vista Technical features new to Windows Vista Windows Vista I/O technologies Windows Vista networking technologies Features removed from Windows Vista Windows Vista editions and pricing Criticism of Windows Vista

noreply@blogger.com (firzzs) — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 12:10:00 +0000

Microsoft Outlook

Quick e-mails

Send out a quick e-mail without launching Outlook. Right-click an empty area on your desktop and select New > Shortcut. Type mailto: in the Shortcut wizard. Then name your shortcut. Now you can just double-click the shortcut to open a blank e-mail message.

33	Create archives Avoid reaching your mailbox's memory capacity by archiving your messages. Go to Tools > Options and select the Other tab. Click the AutoArchive button, and make your selections.

Reduce or eliminate spam

To decrease your daily dose of spam, select Tools > Options > Junk E-mail and click the High radio button. To eliminate spam completely, select the Safe Lists Only radio button to receive e-mails only from the people you allow. If you're concerned about missing any e-mails, check your Junk E-mail box regularly.

35	Save multiple attachments... To save multiple file attachments in an e-mail message all at once, click File > Save Attachments, then select Save All Attachments.

36	...but get rid of the large ones Free up your in-box by deleting messages with large attachments. Go to the View menu, click the Arrange By drop-down list and select Size. Now you can delete e-mails with the largest attachments first and work your way down.

37	Create multiple signatures You can specify a different signature based on whether you're sending a new message, a reply or a forward. Go to Tools > Options > Mail Format. Under Signatures, select the signature you want to use from the "Signature for new messages:" drop-down menu.

38	Make your boss blue Colour-code incoming messages based on who they're from by highlighting a message from that individual, clicking Tools > Organize > Using Colors, and selecting a colour from the drop-down list.

39	Schedule appointments To turn an e-mail message into an appointment, drag it over to your Calendar bar until it turns orange. This automatically opens an appointment window, in which you can set up the time and the place and set a reminder.

40	Speedier searches Speed up your Outlook searches by installing Lookout. This plug-in installs its own search box into the Outlook user interface and indexes all your e-mails for instantaneous search results.

noreply@blogger.com (firzzs) — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 12:09:00 +0000

Microsoft PowerPoint

E-mail slides

PowerPoint lets you resize, crop and e-mail individual slides. To begin, open the slide, and click View > Notes Page. The file will appear on the notes page as an image. Next, right-click the slide image and click Copy. The image is now on your clipboard and you can paste it into your program of choice for e-mailing or resizing.

28	You're out of order While viewing a slide show, you can call up any slide out of order. Just type the number of the slide and hit Enter.

PowerPoint albums

You can use PowerPoint to create an impromptu photo album. Select Insert > Picture > New Photo Album. Under the "Insert picture from:" heading, click File/Disk, select the pictures you want to include and hit Insert. Next, you can specify the look of the album you want under Album Layout. Finally, click Create.

30	Secure your presentations Prevent others from modifying your PowerPoint file (or any Office file, for that matter) by enabling password protection. Select Tools > Options > Security, enter a password in the "Password to modify" box and hit OK.

31	Scribble some notes To make annotations on a presentation, open the file in Slide Show view. Right-click in the window, point to Pointer Options and select a writing implement. When you're done, press Esc.

noreply@blogger.com (firzzs) — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 12:08:00 +0000

Microsoft Excel

Insert date and time

To insert the current date in a cell, hold Ctrl, then press the colon/semicolon key. To insert the time, hold Ctrl and Shift, and hit the same key.

20	Colour coordination You can colour-code the tabs on your Excel spreadsheets for easier navigation. Click the tab you'd like to colour, then select Format > Sheet > Tab Color. Select the colour you want and click OK.

21	Hide your sheet You can hide Excel worksheets to reduce the number of sheets on your screen. Just select the sheets you'd like to hide and select Format > Sheet > Hide. To restore them, click Unhide.

22	Clear formatting To clear the formatting in an Excel spreadsheet, highlight the cells you want changed and select Edit > Clear > Formats.

23	Keep a close watch The Watch Window lets you monitor cells on other workbooks. To add a cell to the Watch Window, right-click it, then select Add Watch. You can then position the Watch Window above or below Excel's standard toolbar.

Instant quotes

Excel can recognise stock symbols and fetch stock quotes using MSN MoneyCentral Investor. First, enable Smart Tags by selecting Tools > AutoCorrect Options > Smart Tags. Make sure "Label data with smart tags" is checked and hit OK. Log on to the Internet and enter a stock symbol (in all caps) into a cell. A small green triangle appears in the lower right corner of the cell. Hover your cursor over the cell, click the icon that pops up and choose "Insert refreshable stock price." Select "On a new sheet" to display the quote on another worksheet or "Starting at cell" to display the stock price in the current cell.

25	All together now To change the typeface or point size of all cells in a spreadsheet at once, click the box in the top left corner to select the entire spreadsheet, then make your changes.

26	Sort things out You can rearrange the data in a spreadsheet any way you like by clicking the box in the top left corner and selecting Data > Sort. In the Sort window, select the column you'd like to sort by and whether you want the data in ascending or descending order.

noreply@blogger.com (firzzs) — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 12:07:00 +0000

Microsoft Word

Use bookmarks

Word's Bookmark feature lets you navigate quickly through lengthy documents. Simply go to a page you'd like to bookmark and, from the Insert menu, click Bookmark. Name your Bookmark and click Add. To find your bookmark, hit Control+F, then click on the Go To tab. Select Bookmark from the menu on the left and enter the bookmark name to jump straight to it.

12	Seal of approval Give your documents a professional look by adding a watermark to the background. To add one to your document, select Format > Background > Printed Watermark. Select "Picture watermark" or "Text watermark," then click OK.

13	Keep the right format Want to paste formatted text into Word without losing the original format? After copying the selected text, select Edit > Paste Special. You can choose among Formatted Text (RTF), Unformatted Text, HTML Format or Unformatted Unicode Text.

14	Lose the wrong format To quickly remove the formatting from your document, highlight the relevant text, then press Control+Shift+N.

15	Stop correcting me Speed up spell-check by preventing Word from grammar-proofing your documents. To disable grammar check, go to Tools > Options, and click the Spelling & Grammar tab. Clear the checkbox labeled "Check grammar as you type" and hit OK.

Count on Word

To use Word's built-in calculator, select Tools > Customize > Commands. In the Categories column, highlight All Commands and, in the Commands column, scroll down to ToolsCalculate. Drag this command to the Tools menu, then rename it "Calculate" by right-clicking it and choosing Name. Calculate is available only when you've selected text with numbers in it. It ignores any text that isn't a number and is useful for adding numbers in tables or paragraphs.

17	Word-o-meter You can count the words in a document with a single click by adding a word counter to your toolbar. Go to View > Toolbars and check Word Count. Drag onto your toolbar the small bar that pops up. Now you can just click Recount whenever you want to know your word count.

18	Selective highlighting If you don't want Word grabbing an entire word when you make a selection, go to Tools > Options > Edit, and uncheck the box that reads "When selecting, automatically select entire word."

noreply@blogger.com (firzzs) — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 11:34:00 +0000

Microsoft Windows XP

Take shortcuts

Create your own shortcut-key combinations to your favourite applications by right-clicking the app of choice and selecting Properties. Under the Shortcut tab, enter your own key combination, such as Ctrl+6, in the "Shortcut key" field. If the combination you choose is already taken, Windows selects something similar.

2	Eliminate animations Ending useless animations in Windows will improve performance. Right-click the desktop, choose Properties, and then the Appearance tab. Click the Effects button and make sure everything is unchecked in the next window.

Terminate indexing

For a slight speed boost, try disabling Windows' Indexing, a feature that keeps a record of all files on your hard drive. Go to Control Panel > Performance and Maintenance > Administrative Tools, and double-click Services. Scroll down to Indexing Service, then double-click it. In the General tab, select Disabled from the "Startup type" pull-down menu and click OK.

Instant copies

You can quickly burn a CD using Windows' integrated applet. To begin, go to Start > My Music, and navigate to the folder with the tunes you want to burn, if you're not already there. On the left side of the window, select "Copy all items to CD," or highlight the songs you want to burn and click Copy to Audio CD. You can also copy a single song by right-clicking the file and selecting Copy to CD or Device.

Custom slide show

Windows XP lets you create your own slide-show-based screensaver. First, drag and drop the pictures you'd like to use into your My Pictures folder, located inside the My Documents folder. Now, right-click an empty space on your desktop and choose Properties. Click the Screen Saver tab, and from within the pull-down menu, highlight the My Pictures Slideshow option. The Settings button lets you adjust parameters such as size and transition effects. Click Preview for a quick demonstration or click OK to activate your screensaver.

A tidier taskbar

You can lump open windows belonging to the same application within a single taskbar icon by right-clicking the taskbar, selecting Properties and checking the "Group similar taskbar buttons" box. Plus, if you want to close the program without having to close each window individually, all you have to do is right-click the icon and select Close Group.

7	Hide all windows For instant access to your desktop, hold down the Windows key and hit D.

Synchronise Windows' clock

If your Windows clock has a habit of losing track of time, synchronise it with an Internet time server. Double-click the time located on your taskbar. Select the Internet Time tab and check "Automatically synchronise with an Internet time server." Don't bet your next job interview on it, though -- the time's synchronised only once a week. If you want to synchronise immediately, click Update Now.

Apps in an instant

For one-click access to frequently used apps, right-click the taskbar, select Toolbars and check Quick Launch. Now drag your shortcut icons onto the Quick Launch bar to the right of the Start button. To view more of them, click the double chevron for a list, or hover your mouse over the dotted area until it turns into a double-sided arrow and slide it over to the right.

Disable balloon help

To disable balloon pop-ups, click Start > Run, type regedit and hit Enter. In the left column, drill down to HKEY_CURRENT_ USER > Software > Microsoft > Windows > Current Version > Explorer > Advanced. Right-click anywhere in the right column, select New > DWORD Value, and rename it EnableBalloonTips. Double-click this new entry, and give it a hexadecimal value of 0. Then close the Registry Editor and restart your computer. Just be careful; Registry mistakes are irreversible.

noreply@blogger.com (firzzs) — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 11:29:00 +0000

Home networking

Set your preferred network

To make sure you always connect to the same wireless network, open the Network icon in your system tray, click the Advanced button, and under "Preferred networks," move the network to the top of the list.

59	Go stealth Tighten your home network's security by disabling its Service Set Identifier (SSID) broadcast. By default, all access points broadcast their SSID or network name to anyone within range. Disabling this feature will deter hackers.

60	Change frequencies To avoid potential interference from your cordless phone, buy one that operates on a frequency different from your network's. Companies such as Uniden now offer phones that operate on a 5.8GHz frequency; most Wi-Fi networks operate on 2.4GHz.

61	Channel surfing Too many wireless networks nearby? If you're experiencing trouble, try changing the Wi-Fi channel to avoid interference. Check your manual for instructions.

62	Repeat performance Adding a repeater is the quickest and easiest way to broaden the range of your wireless network. Just place the repeater halfway between your router and your computer.

Build a wall

Create a virtual wall of protection between your network and the Internet by installing a firewall on every computer logged on to your network. This will keep Internet pests at bay. To enable Windows' built-in firewall, go to Control Panel > Security Center > Windows Firewall. Make sure the On radio button is selected and hit OK. For even better protection, another alternative is Zone Labs' free ZoneAlarm firewall application.

64	Opt for change Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) has been cracked before, but changing your WEP key often will add another level of protection to your network.

65	Restricted area If your access point supports it, use access lists to specify which machines can log on to

noreply@blogger.com (firzzs) — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 11:27:00 +0000

Maintenance

Use System Restore...

Always create a restore point using System Restore when installing or deleting software. You'll find the applet in Accessories > System Tools > System Restore.

73	...unless you're infected If your computer has been infected by viruses or spyware, System Restore may actually preserve these Net nasties. Temporarily disable System Restore and perform a full system scan. After you've cleaned your PC, delete old restore points and start fresh.

74	Don't download from strangers Before you install anything, ask yourself if the software is trustworthy. If you don't have a good reason to trust it, pass.

75	Blast spyware Prevent browser hijacks and other Internet-related annoyances by keeping updated copies of Lavasoft's Ad-Aware and Spybot-Search & Destroy on your hard drive. Both are freeware and help immunise your computer against potential threats.

noreply@blogger.com (firzzs) — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 11:26:00 +0000

Google and GMail

Instant 411

You can perform basic Google searches from a mobilel phone in the US by sending text-message queries to 46645 (GOOGL). To search for general services in your vicinity, type a word of description followed by a period and your city/state or post code (sushi.10018). To get the weather, use the same format preceded by the word "weather," or for addresses and phone numbers, by the name of the business. You can even get driving directions by typing from followed by the post code of your starting point and to followed by your destination's post code -- for instance, from 10016 to 10018. You'll receive text-message responses free of charge (depending on your carrier's text-messaging plan) within seconds.

54	Create a virtual drive Turn your GMail account into an Internet hard drive with Softpedia's free GMail Drive shell extension 1.0.5. This app adds to your PC a virtual drive that uses your 2GB of GMail storage space.

GMail calling

Can't live without e-mail? Have your GMail sent directly to your mobile phone as a text message. Log on to your US account and click the Settings page. Select the Forwarding and POP tab, then the radio button labelled "Forward a copy of Incoming Mail to." Enter your mobile phone's e-mail address, and click Save Changes. Verizon customers, for instance, would enter their 10-digit phone numbers, followed by @vtext.com. T-Mobile users would enter @tmomail.net, and Sprint customers enter @messaging.sprintpcs.com.

56	Lost in translation? Need to translate text? Head over to Google Translate, paste the text into the field and make a selection from the drop-down menu. You can also insert URLs to translate Web pages.

Personalise your news

You can customise Google's news page at news.google.com by clicking "Customize this page." Delete sections, increase the number of stories shown, and even add news categories of your own. To view your customised page from any computer, click the link "Share your customized news with a friend" at the bottom of the page, and e-mail the URL to your Internet-based mail account.

noreply@blogger.com (firzzs) — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 11:24:00 +0000

Mozilla Firefox

Open tabs with one click

Instead of right-clicking a link and choosing Open Link in New Tab, click a link with your mouse's scroll-wheel button to open it in a new tab. You can also click that tab with your scroll wheel to close it. (You may have to disable any function assigned to your click wheel for this to work, however.)

45	One-click combos Don't have a scroll wheel? Hold down Ctrl while left-clicking a link to open a URL in a new tab, or hold Shift and left-click to open a URL in a new window.

More on Autocomplete

To eliminate your AutoComplete history in Firefox, go to Tools > Options > Privacy. In the Saved Form Information area, click the Clear button. To disable this feature entirely, click on the plus symbol next to the Saved Form Information area and uncheck "Save information I enter in web page forms."

Keep tabs on your tabs

You can control how new tabs open in Firefox in one of three ways: Open the page in a new window, open the page in a new tab in the front window, or replace the current page in the front window. Click the Advanced section of the Options window to customise it to your liking.

48	Smooth sailing Put an end to jerky document scrolling by enabling Firefox's "Use smooth scrolling" feature in the Advanced section of the Options window.

49	Search in shorthand Type a word in the address bar, then hit Ctrl+Enter to automatically add http://www and .com to the beginning and end, respectively, of the word. (Ctrl+Shift+Enter adds .org, and Shift+Enter adds .net.)

50	Zoom in and out Hit Ctrl and the plus sign to increase text size on your current Web page or Ctrl and the minus to decrease it. To restore the original size, hit Ctrl+0.

51	Open a tab To open a particular tab in Firefox, hit Ctrl+1 through Ctrl+9. Tabs aren't numbered, though, so you'll have to physically count them.

52	Use live bookmarks Get the latest headlines from your favourite RSS news sites and blogs. Just click the square, bright-orange icon in the bottom right corner of your browser and click "OK to save as bookmark." The Live Bookmark will now function as your RSS aggregator.

HP Pavilion HDX

noreply@blogger.com (firzzs) — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 11:02:00 +0000

Gamers have a new best friend in the HP Pavilion HDX Entertainment Series Notebook PC. Superfast, with great sound and a huge 20.1-inch screen, it's a good, fairly portable entertainment system. Digital editors, artists, and multimedia enthusiasts will like this all-in-one, too. Just be ready to dig deep for it: Our test unit cost $3000.

The machine we looked at came maxed out with the 64-bit version of Windows Vista Ultimate; Intel's best mobile chip, the 2.4-GHz Core 2 Duo T7700; and 4GB of RAM. All of that horsepower helped the HDX earn a WorldBench 6 Beta 2 score of 86 and generate a frame rate of 109 in our Far Cry gaming tests. The HDX's 2-hour, 22-minute battery life is quite poor for an ordinary notebook but remarkably good for a massive (15.5-pound) desktop-replacement model.

The HDX is impressively crafted. For one thing, the machine looks stylish; the exterior is a subtle variation on HP's designer imprint finish called "The Dragon." The 1680-by-1050 glossy screen is easy to move back and forth on its adjustable arm for a comfortable viewing angle, and it's bright without being too reflective. The keyboard, which includes a dedicated number pad, offers desktop-like typing comfort along with one-touch QuickPlay media controls.

The system's four integrated Altec Lansing speakers, aided by an HP triple-bass-reflex subwoofer, produce very loud, rich sound, but a rear audio-out port makes it a snap to add a nicer, external set of speakers for gaming surround sound. Its many multimedia connections include a coaxial port for a TV signal. Our test system included two 100GB hard drives, and if even that isn't enough space for you, the HDX has an eSATA port for adding a fast new external hard drive.

If you've been searching for a powerful, luggable gaming machine or an ultrahigh-end desktop replacement, give the HDX a look. It's one of the nicest 20.1-inch models we've seen yet.

-- Carla Thornton

Apple MacBook Pro

noreply@blogger.com (firzzs) — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 11:01:00 +0000

For people who appreciate finer laptop accoutrements such as a backlit keyboard and a slot-fed DVD drive, Apple has crafted another tasty offering in the form of the 17-inch MacBook Pro. Sleek, powerful, and able to run Windows as well as the Mac operating system, the MacBook Pro makes a strong case for becoming anyone's ultimate notebook.

Equipped with a 2.4-GHz Core 2 Duo T7700 processor, the maximum 4GB of RAM, a 160GB hard drive, and nVidia's new top-of-the-line notebook graphics card, the nVidia GeForce 8600M GT, our $2949 test unit set new speed records. The MacBook Pro outperformed the rest of the notebooks we tested, all of which claim Windows as their primary--nay, their only--operating system. We loaded Windows Vista Home Premium on the Apple notebook, and it snagged a WorldBench 6 Beta 2 score of 88. In games it achieved a blazing frame rate of 141 frames per second in Far Cry (with antialiasing turned off).

At 6.6 pounds and just 1 inch thick, the MacBook Pro is the lightest 17-inch notebook available. But it has no memory card slots and only three USB ports, and it comes configured with an ExpressCard/34 slot instead of the more versatile ExpressCard/54 slot. Though it has Bluetooth and 802.11n Wi-Fi, built-in broadband is not an option. On the other hand, video editors will be happy to have not one but two FireWire ports. Battery life was disappointing: Apple pegs it at 5.7 hours on one charge, but in our tests we got less than 2 hours, 45 minutes.

Nevertheless, the MacBook Pro is elegantly designed and remarkably mobile for a 17-inch notebook.

-- Carla Thornton

Fujitsu LifeBook P1610

noreply@blogger.com (firzzs) — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 10:58:00 +0000

Pick up the svelte Fujitsu LifeBook P1610, and you'll barely feel as if you're carrying a notebook PC. And no wonder: At 2.2 pounds, the $2419 (as of 12/18/06) P1610 puts the "ultra" in ultraportable.

The P1610 is similar in weight and size to its predecessor, the LifeBook P1510. (It's slightly slimmer at 1.4 inches deep, and it measures 9.1 by 6.6 inches.) Included, however, are several notable improvements, among them a reasonably roomy 80GB hard drive, and a PC Card slot in lieu of the P1510's integrated CompactFlash slot.

Furthermore, the 8.9-inch, WXGA swiveling touch-screen display now has a higher resolution--1280 by 768 pixels--and a proprietary coating that helps optimize how the image looks in bright sunlight. On the touch-screen display, you can use either your fingertips or the included (and exceptionally thin) stylus to navigate. In my tests I found this flexibility a real boon, as tablet PCs typically allow you to use only a specially configured stylus to input data via the screen. (I tested a shipping version of the notebook running Windows XP; you can choose to purchase it with Windows XP Tablet PC Edition instead. The P1610 is also billed as Vista Capable.)

In addition to the PC Card slot (useful for such peripherals as an EvDO card or a CardBus CompactFlash card adapter) on the left side of the unit, the P1610 has an SD Card slot, two USB 2.0 ports, the stylus, and headphone and line-in jacks along the right side; at back is a VGA port, plus RJ-11 and ethernet ports. The unit has 802.11 a/b/g and Bluetooth wireless connectivity.

Although my small hands had few issues with the cramped keyboard, touch typists and users with large hands may find it difficult to work with. My two design complaints are minor ones: First, the flat, sliding power switch was awkward to switch on and off. Second, the spacebar depresses beneath the unit's chassis, so I often found myself bumping into the chassis as I typed.

Equipped with a 1.2-GHz Intel Core Solo ULV U1400 CPU, integrated graphics, and 1GB of RAM, the unit mustered only a Fair rating on our WorldBench 5 tests, earning a score of 62. It also did poorly on our gaming graphics tests, producing unplayably low frame rates. The P1610's 3-hour battery life is respectable given the unit's small size, but the result falls nearly an hour and a half short of the current average battery life among ultraportables we've seen.

Clearly, this notebook is aimed at people who put a premium on portability. If you crave both compactness and functionality, the petite LifeBook P1610 will charm you.

-- Melissa J. Perenson

5 tips for spurning spyware and browser hijackers

noreply@blogger.com (firzzs) — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 07:42:00 +0000

Here are five things to know and do when it comes to hassling with spyware/adware.

1.	Watch what you download! The absolute worst are the browser and search-engine hijackers. They're intrusive and often difficult to delete. Sometimes, people actually wipe their hard drives clean and start over again just to get rid of them. Some are aimed at children, who may be more credulous than their parents. Occasionally, these programs arrive via a drive-by download. If you get one this way, you know two things: You're hanging out at the wrong places, and your copy of Windows needs to be updated. A flaw was discovered in Internet Explorer in 2003 that allowed such hijackings. Microsoft has patched the flaw. But many people have failed to update their machines. Those who haven't need to visit this site. However, most of these programs are downloaded intentionally. When you're surfing, you may see a message asking if you would like to download a special search engine or other supposedly helpful program, or change your home page. Smart computer users always say no. If you are uncertain of the program, do not download it! Typically, these programs are geared to feed you advertising. When you attempt to go to Google for a search, for instance, these programs will redirect your browser to another site. You might get a search function, but it will be lame. And you can count on getting plenty of advertising.
2.	Beware of freeware programs; many come with a cost. The Internet has a great tradition of free software. Over the years, there have been many wonderful free programs offered. However, the authors of such programs often find themselves making a living doing them. Therefore, they need an income. Big advertising services companies offer them a deal. Include our program with your download, and we'll pay you. Usually, the presence of the spyware/adware is included in the user agreement for the freeware. Unfortunately, few people read those agreements. Besides, sometimes it's not clear. And sometimes, it just isn't there. "A majority of the time, it gets on the system without the knowledge of the user," says Bryson Gordon, a senior manager at McAfee Security. These piggybackers fall into two categories. Some arrive with advertising, which they feed to you. They may be pop-ups, or they may be ads that appear on Web pages. The more nefarious programs track your surfing. For instance, if you visit kayaking sites, they will note that. Then they feed that information to a computer on the Internet. First thing you know, your Web pages have kayaking ads on them. Or you start getting pop-ups offering kayaking equipment.
3.	Know good cookies from bad cookies. These little text files have a bad reputation. But much of that is based on ignorance. Cookies actually perform valuable services. For instance, they can shoot you right into a site so you don't have to enter your password. Here's how cookies work: Say you visit the ABC Book Co. You buy a book. The company downloads a text file to your computer, which includes an ID number. That's a cookie. Two weeks later, you go back to the ABC Books site. First thing, your browser checks for an ABC cookie. It finds it, and sends it to ABC's computer. When the ABC site opens, it says "Welcome back, Joe!" How does it know? The ABC Book Co. has the information about the sale two weeks ago in its database. It matches the ID number in the cookie to the sale information, and customizes the page for you. When you next make a purchase, you won't have to enter your credit-card number or address. That will already be filled in. Again, that came from the database, and was enabled by the cookie. That is all very convenient. But there are less desirable cookies, too. They're called tracking cookies. Say you visit the XYZ Brain Surgery site. There's a banner ad there. It is linked to an advertising services company. It downloads a cookie. The cookie says, "This person visited XYZ Brain Surgery." Next, you go to a heart transplant site. The banner ad there is associated with the same advertising company. The browser sends the cookie to the banner ad. The ad adds a notation that you visited the heart transplant site. Over time, the tracking cookie builds a profile of your interests. The advertising services company sells this information. That's why you start getting advertising for medical equipment.
4.	Warning: The Web bugs are watching. When you visit a site, you may be watched by a Web bug. This is a tiny graphic, measuring one pixel by one pixel. It sends information to another computer. Included will be your IP number and the main address of the Web site you visited. That Web site can use the Web bug to transmit other information -- your e-mail address, for instance -- to the Web bug's mother computer. Why would that site send your e-mail address? Money. "Everybody starts out with innocent intent, but it is all driven by the profit motive," says Roger Thompson, vice president of development at PestPatrol, which publishes computer security software. As you surf, Web bugs from advertising companies pop up on other sites. Each advertising company uses this information to build a profile. The result? More advertising. Sigh.
5.	Beef up your security. What other actions can you take? First, use common sense. If a site offers to download a program, refuse. If it asks to be your home page, say no. And keep Windows updated. You can set more recent versions of Windows to do that automatically. Or open Internet Explorer. Click Tools and Windows Update. Follow the prompts. If you do those things, you will avoid the hijackers. The tracking tools, though intrusive and irritating, are less dangerous. Much of this stuff can be stopped with security programs. McAfee and PestPatrol have well-regarded programs. I like SpywareBlaster, which is free. If you block the spyware/adware programs that come with freeware, the program that you did want may not work. In that case, you may want to leave the spyware/adware running. At least, you'll know it is there. You can remove spyware/adware that is already on your computer. Try Ad-aware or Spybot Search and Destroy. I have links to these and many other security software programs, most of them free, on my site (www.komando.com/bestshareware.asp).

4 reasons you need Windows XP SP2

noreply@blogger.com (firzzs) — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 07:40:00 +0000

You probably won't notice many changes in the way your computer works. But you could be a lot safer.

Windows XP Service Pack 2 with Advanced Security Technologies, a free upgrade for Windows XP users, includes every security update Microsoft has issued for XP. But you should already have those. The biggest news is the new protections available to solve some well-known problems.

Here are some of the reasons you want Service Pack 2.

1. The pop-up blocker shines in Internet Explorer.

If you hate pop-up advertising, you'll love this change. Since I started using a test version of Service Pack 2, I've seen no pop-ups. It also blocks pop-under ads. True, you could block pop-ups with the MSN or Google toolbars. But now you won't have to install another program to do the job.

This feature does not block pop-ups that result from an action on your part। You're likely to want those. When it blocks a pop-up, an information bar and message appear at the top of the page. You can see the pop-up by clicking on the message.

On some sites, you may want to always permit pop-ups. You can do that by adding the site's address to an "exception list."

If you're lonely and want the attention, you can turn the pop-up blocker off।

On some sites, you may want to always permit pop-ups. You can do that by adding the site's address to an "exception list."

If you're lonely and want the attention, you can turn the pop-up blocker off.

2. You get new spam and attack protections.

In Service Pack 2, Internet Explorer includes a feature called Manage Add-ons, allowing you to disable individual ActiveX controls. These "add-ons" are small programs you usually download to add some Internet capability, such as a Shockwave Flash player.

With Manage Add-ons, you can disable the scripting capabilities that allow rogue sites to hijack your Internet Explorer browser and force you to go to their sites. If you've ever gotten trapped in seemingly endless redirects and secondary browser windows whose content may be pornographic, you'll welcome this feature.

Here are some other protections:

•

Messenger service. This utility is now closed by default. Spammers use it to pour pop-ups into your computer. Messenger service should not be confused with Windows Messenger, Windows XP's instant-messaging program.

•

Buffer overruns. In recent years, we've been repeatedly warned about buffer overruns. This simply means that a flaw in Windows allows an attacker to send too much data. This overflows the proper place in memory. The overflow gets into another memory location, where it can be used to attack you. With Service Pack 2, Microsoft has blunted this threat, but it is probably not eliminated.

•

Virus attacks। Dangerous attachments are now quarantined in Outlook Express and Windows Messenger, the instant-messaging service. These attachments won't be able to attack your system, unless you insist on it. If you know that the attachment is not dangerous — for instance, if you were expecting the attachment — you can make Windows open it.

3. The built-in firewall is turned on by default.

Firewalls hide your computer from "probe programs." The bad guys use these programs to send out pings, listening for answers. When a computer port answers a ping, it is identified as vulnerable.

Windows XP has always had a built-in firewall. It does a good job of hiding the computer. However, it was turned off by default. People had to know enough to enable it. SP2 fixes that, and adds some security enhancements as well. It is now turned on by default.

But if something gets into the computer and broadcasts out — sending spam, for instance — the firewall cannot block those transmissions. Other firewalls, such as ZoneAlarm, do block them. Microsoft feels that antivirus programs should deal with malicious programs that land on the hard drive. If you agree, the Windows XP firewall is fine. If not, stick with a third-party firewall.

One or the other firewall should be disabled. Two running firewalls may well conflict with one another.

The Windows XP firewall is most important if you have a stand-alone computer। If you have a network and router, and the router has a firewall, you may not need firewalls on the individual computers.

4. Wireless support has been improved.

A new interface in Service Pack 2 makes it easier to find your wireless network. It tells you what networks are available, their strength, and their type of security. You can easily move between networks, if necessary.

Also, a new wizard in Service Pack 2 makes establishing a wireless network virtually painless. Furthermore, it steps you through security features, whether the old Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) or the new, much stronger Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA).

Overall, Service Pack 2 tightens up security considerably. But that could pose problems for some custom programs. They may have to be rewritten to accommodate new defaults. Developers who followed best practices shouldn't have a problem, but you should have your developer test his or her work with Service Pack 2 right away. Don't wait.

Other programs could also have issues with SP2. Microsoft quickly developed a list after SP2 was finalized. This isn't surprising; SP2 is a very major update.

If you have some of these issues, you may be tempted to ignore Service Pack 2. Don't. It's crucial.

6 steps to help secure your brand-new PC

noreply@blogger.com (firzzs) — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 07:33:00 +0000

According to the software security company Symantec, it takes only 20 minutes for an un-patched and unprotected computer to be attacked once connected to the Internet.

In that time, your pristine computer could be turned into a zombie. Zombies are machines that have been secretly taken over by hackers. The zombie networks are leased to criminals who use them to send spam or attack Web sites.

Some criminals want to put keyloggers on your computer, to steal passwords, credit card numbers and other sensitive data. There are plenty of vandals out there, too, who want to destroy your data for fun. And advertising outfits, many shady, hope to put spyware on your computer. With that, they will track your surfing and bury you with ads.

Compromised computers are found in homes, businesses and government offices. To make sure you aren't victimized, here are six steps you must take to secure your computer and the network on which it runs.

Install a firewall.

If you are running a network and sharing a broadband connection, you probably have a firewall built into the router.

But that's not enough. Most routers used in small businesses utilize a Network Address Translation (NAT) firewall. Basically, it hides all of the computers in the network. It protects you from outsiders trying to get in.

Windows XP's firewall works in a similar fashion. It's able to block incoming traffic but not outgoing data. To turn it on click Start > Control Panel > Windows Firewall. Click the circle next to "On" and click OK. Note that if you have updated your operating system to Windows XP Service Pack 2, the firewall already is enabled.

The most secure method is to have a third-party software firewall in addition to the firewall on your router. It provides an extra layer of protection by alerting you to outbound traffic. Anytime a program tries to access the Internet, the user will be alerted. If it's a valid application, such as Internet Explorer, Outlook, and so on, the user grants it access to the Internet. If it's an unknown application, such as a worm, you can block it. My favorite third-party firewall is ZoneAlarm (www.zonelabs.com), which is free.

You're not ready to go onto the Internet just yet, so download the firewall onto another computer, save it on disk and install.

Even if you're not using a broadband connection, you still should install a software firewall। Hackers are greedy. They will infect or take over any computer — even ones with a slow Internet connection.

2.	Disable file sharing. Before you go onto the Internet, disable file sharing. It's one thing to share your sales presentation with others in your office. It's another to share it with the entire Web community. In Windows XP Professional, file sharing is turned on by default. To disable it, click Start > My Computer. Click Tools > Folder Options. Click the View tab. Under Advanced Settings, scroll to the bottom and uncheck the box next to Use simple file sharing (recommended). Click Apply > OK. If your new computer came with Windows XP Service Pack 2 installed, click Start > Control Panel. Click Security Center > Windows Firewall. Click the Exceptions tab. Under Programs and Services, uncheck the box next to File and Printer Sharing. Click OK.
3.	Install antivirus software. This may seem as obvious as the others, but it's oh, so important. Many new computers have a trial version of an antivirus program already installed on the computer. That doesn't mean it's ready to go. You still need to update the definition files. To update the definition files, you'll need to access the Internet. Since you've turn off file sharing and installed a firewall, you should be safe. Remember that trial versions of antivirus software are only good for a short time, usually 30 to 90 days. The trial version will then continue to run on your computer, but its antivirus definitions will be out-of-date. Outdated definitions offer nothing but a false sense of security.
4.	Modify your HOSTS file. Setting up your HOSTS file will prevent spyware and any kind of "malware" (short for malicious software) from communicating outside your computer. This allows you to surf the Net anonymously. Countless numbers of hackers, vandals or unscrupulous marketers would love to hijack your Web browser or give your computer some nasty worm. Sometimes malware is bundled with shareware and freeware. Other times it can get on your computer by opening an infected file. "Tracking cookies" get on your computer from Web sites and even online ads. They track your Web surfing habits and report back. This helps the ad servers know which ads to place on your computer. Fortunately, there is a list of known malware and ad servers that want to communicate with your computer. Enter the domain name for the known offenders and your computer's address (127.0.0.1) in the HOSTS file. All attempts to contact the mother computers on the Internet will lead back to your local computer. The requests will die. You don't have to enter the possible offenders manually. Such files are available on the Internet. You can find an updated one with installation instructions at this URL: www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/hosts.htm. It's important to check often for updates to the HOSTS file, because the list of offenders is growing fast.
5.	Keep your Windows system updated. Even if your computer comes with Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2) already installed, you still need to update Windows. Although SP2 contains a multitude of critical updates, more have become available since its release. Update Windows by clicking Start > All Programs > Windows Update. You may have to restart your computer after some updates. Keep going to Microsoft Update until there are no more updates to be installed. If your computer did not come with SP2 installed, you can download it. Or you can order SP2 on CD for free. The same CD can be used on multiple computers. Visit this page to order the CD from Microsoft.
6.	Stop spyware before it takes root on your PC. Spyware collects information about your interests and then uses that information to display advertising. Take preventive measures by downloading and installing SpywareBlaster (www.javacoolsoftware.com/spywareblaster.html). It's a free program and prevents most spyware from being installed on your computer. Another program, Spybot Search & Destroy (www.safer-networking.org/en/spybotsd/index.html) prevents spyware and adware from being installed on your computer by immunizing it. It also has the ability to remove adware already installed on your computer. Spybot Search & Destroy also has a tool called TeaTimer. TeaTimer monitors changes to specific keys in your registry. Whenever a change is detected, a pop-up will alert you and ask if you want to allow or deny the change. To enable it click Mode > Advanced. Then click Tools > Resident. Check the box next to Resident "TeaTimer" (Protection of over-all system settings) active. Also, make sure the box is checked next to Resident "SDHelper" as well. The makers of Spybot Search & Destroy recommend that you run SpywareBlaster in tandem with Spybot Search & Destroy.

Now that your computer is as locked down as much as possible, you should be safe to set up your e-mail account for the computer and surf the Net.

Take this time to check the other computers in the office. Make sure your Windows and Microsoft Office software are updated. Make sure antivirus programs are up-to-date. And check for spyware.

This may sound alarmist. But these security steps are very important. By setting up your computer properly, you can feel confident that your computers and network are as safe as possible.

Make Windows Xp Start Faster

noreply@blogger.com (firzzs) — Sat, 01 Sep 2007 03:59:00 +0000

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How To Make Your PC Faster

noreply@blogger.com (firzzs) — Sat, 01 Sep 2007 03:51:00 +0000

Online Videos by You Tube.com

4 Ways to Speed Up Your Computer's Performance

noreply@blogger.com (firzzs) — Fri, 31 Aug 2007 19:19:00 +0000

Free Up Disk Space

By freeing disk space, you can improve the performance of your computer. The Disk Cleanup tool helps you free up space on your hard disk. The utility identifies files that you can safely delete, and then enables you to choose whether you want to delete some or all of the identified files.

Use Disk Cleanup to:

•	Remove temporary Internet files.
•	Remove downloaded program files (such as Microsoft ActiveX controls and Java applets).
•	Empty the Recycle Bin.
•	Remove Windows temporary files.
•	Remove optional Windows components that you don't use.
•	Remove installed programs that you no longer use.

Tip: Typically, temporary Internet files take the most amount of space because the browser caches each page you visit for faster access later.

To use Disk Cleanup

1.	Click Start, point to All Programs, point to Accessories, point to System Tools, and then click Disk Cleanup. If several drives are available, you might be prompted to specify which drive you want to clean. Disk Cleanup calculates the amount of space you will be able to free.
2.	In the Disk Cleanup for dialog box, scroll through the content of the Files to delete list. Choose the files that you want to delete.
3.	Clear the check boxes for files that you don't want to delete, and then click OK.
4.	When prompted to confirm that you want to delete the specified files, click Yes.

After a few minutes, the process completes and the Disk Cleanup dialog box closes, leaving your computer cleaner and performing better.

How to Make PC Faster....

noreply@blogger.com (firzzs) — Fri, 31 Aug 2007 18:41:00 +0000

Build It: The Fastest PC Ever!

You can make the pc faster.....