PERSONAL COMPUTER GADGETS

Solved - This Computer Does Not Meet the Minimum Requirements for Installing the Software

noreply@blogger.com (Shafqat Khan) — Wed, 08 Aug 2018 11:29:00 +0000

Here are some very common solutions to the error you get while installing Graphics card or Chipset drivers of your PC after installing fresh Windows operating system, in my case it was clean install of Windows 7 64bit. The error called "This computer does not meet the minimum requirements for installing the software.

This computer does not meet the minimum requirements for installing the software.

This computer does not meet the minimum requirements for installing the software.

Before going to apply any of the possible solutions mentioned below, make sure that Microsoft Visual C++ 2015 (or latest) is installed in your system, only in case you have installed fresh Windows 7 (64 or 32bit).
I got this problem yesterday while installing Graphics and Chipset drivers of Lenovo G50 laptop which has AMD E1 Processor. I was unable to install any of it's drivers even after installing a clean and fresh windows operating system, Windows 7 (64bit). So after plenty of search and successful installation in the end I decide to write the solution here to share it with people who are in search.
There are two possible solutions to this error, let me describe it one by one.

First Solution:
(a). Your PC is infected with Malwares or other types of viruses so make sure your antivirus is up and running. If you have no such application installed in your PC, try install any free antivirus, I prefer Kespersky Free Antivirus.
(b). Make sure you have installed Microsoft Visual C++ 2015 installed.
(c). If you got this error while installing Graphics Driver, then I will recommend you install DDU software and restart your PC in Safe mode and run the DDU to uninstall your Graphics Driver.
(d). Try Download all the recommended drivers for the official website. And run it one by one with a restart each time after installing a driver.

Second Solution:
(a). Always download the latest and specific drivers. For example, may be your got the error while trying to install Windows 10 drivers on Windows 7 machine. So keep this in mind.
(b). To minimize the risk, always try to search the related driver by entering your machine's serial number. You can find your Laptop serial number on the backside.

Conclusion: DDU (Display Driver uninstaller) mentioned above is highly recommended to uninstall both the dedicated and integrated graphics drivers of a machine. You need DDU in very few cases, we will mention in our next posts. Furthermore, always download your PC's graphics drivers from it's official website.

Windows 10 Text Looks Blurry and Fuzzy

noreply@blogger.com (Shafqat Khan) — Mon, 03 Aug 2015 20:37:00 +0000

While I am still searching for this problem, I want to share it here so if someone can support and can give me a detailed answer.
First-thing-first, I am on a low-end desktop PC, and I am not sure if the reason behind this problem is my low-end PC or Microsoft Windows 10.
Yesterday I switched to Microsoft newly launched Windows 10 on my desktop PC which I am using since last few years regularly only for Office Work, particularly for Microsoft Office documents. I do know that it has only 256MB of graphics memory but I thought to give Windows 10 a chance to operate my PC. The upgrading process from Windows 7 (32bit Home Edition) to Windows 10, was itself so smooth and interesting that I feel its something special from Microsoft this time, and yes it is.
Why I am talking only about graphics memory of my PC because Microsoft didn't mention any thing about required graphics card of amount of memory (as far as I read about it), and my RAM and Processor is enough sufficient to operate Windows 10 as per their requirements. After successful installation and upgrade to Windows 10, I got some annoying issue (and the only issue) that I cannot give it a name (technical name) which I thought to share with you so if I will get some idea what technically it is.

The issue is mainly connected to my PC's lower amount of graphics memory, as far as I understand, but if it is because of lower graphics memory, why there are no such issues inside the games (like WORDAMENT, the only game I love to play mostly) or inside Chrome, Firefox or Opera Browsers?

The genuine problem what I am facing, I will call it "Windows 10 fonts display problem" (as shown in the screenshots), and what I got after searching for this issue is something they call "Fonts DPI" problem which you can set from Control Panel, they said.

You cannot read Notifications because of Fonts Display Problem

This is what its looks like inside the Settings window.

You can clearly see that the text isn't readable.

The Fonts Display Problem is in CORTANA, Notification Panel, Microsoft Edge browser and in few other places also.

I tried to figure out the name "DPI" in Control Panel but didn't found anything, but only the Fonts Display inside the Control Panel, from where I am only able to change the way the fonts will appear, and its not about Fonts DPI.
Furthermore, what I did when I stuck with this problem, I change my display resolution from 1920x1080 to say 1080x720 but it didn't make any sense or any change, still the problem is there.
I hope I will get its answer very soon, as I already contact Microsoft for the said issue, and surely I will post a detailed answer and its main reason, but I will be very pleased if YOU share your experience with us related to the same issue, if you have any.
One thing I want to add here in the end that my graphics driver is really up-to-date, and I am facing no other problem besides this one.

10 Must Have Mobile Accessories for Just Under $10

noreply@blogger.com (Shafqat Khan) — Sun, 02 Aug 2015 15:01:00 +0000

Selecting a mobile Carrier isn't a big problem but choosing what mobile model, its make and operating system suites your needs, is really hard. But what after you buy a smartphone? You are buying tens of things related to it, which we call Mobile Accessories, like Car charger, data cable (few people needs longer ones and sometimes more than one) and other stuff.

Mobile accessories is more important than a smartphone itself, few times, specially when you out of data and there is no near WiFi and you need to send some files from you PC to your smartphone, you need a data cable. Reason why I always buy a separate pair of accessories for both my car and my home use.

Here I figure out few mobile accessories from Amazon, which must needed not only for travelers and business persons but for daily smartphone users also.

NAME ITEM	DESCRIPTION	PRICE
Black Wireless Bluetooth	Neckband Sport Stereo Universal Headset Headphone for Smartphone.	Only $6.8
Dual USB Car Charger	4.0 Amp Dual USB Car Charger for Apple and Android Devices (High Output).	Only $9.9
Universal Car Mount Holder	Car Mount, TechMatte® MagGrip Air Vent Magnetic Universal Car Mount Holder (Black) for the Galaxy S6/S6 Edge, LG G4, Apple iPhone 6 6 Plus, iPhone 5S 5C 5 4S, Samsung Galaxy S5 S4 S3, HTC M9.	Only $8.99 (Best Deal)
Galaxy S3 Replacement Battery	Samsung Galaxy S3 Replacement Battery (2100 mAh) for AT&T, Sprint & T-Mobile Models.	Only $9.6 (You Save $15.34)
Dual Port USB Wall Charger	2.1 amp dual-port USB wall charger charges 2 devices at a time Plugs into a standard wall socket (without blocking other outlets) Uses any existing USB charging cable Keeps your device safe: Over-heat, over-current, and over-charging protection Works with any device, including popular Apple and Samsung products.	Only 8.99$
Hi-speed Micro USB Cable USB 2.0	Aukey [5-Pack] Hi-speed Micro USB Cable USB 2.0 A Male to Micro B Sync & Charging Cable for Android Cellphones, MP3 Players (CB-D5 White) 3 x 3.3 ft + 2 x 1 ft in length, perfect replacement for your OEM or original USB cable with superior performance.	Only $9.99 (You Save $10.00)
Smart Port Car Charger	24W / 4.8A USB Car Charger charges your favorite mobile devices including the iPad (max speed), iPhone (max speed), iPod, HTC, Galaxy, Blackberry, MP3 Players, Digital Cameras, PDAs, Mobile Phones. Double injected frame consists of a polycarbonate inner layer coupled with the flexible external molding of TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane) for a soft grip Maxboost Intelligent circuit design protects against short circuiting, over-heating, over-currents, and over-charging. Charging stops when battery is full. Dual smart USB ports quickly and easily identify yours mobile devices, to provide optimal charging efficiency. Compact design for added portability, featuring of input:12-24V; Output: DC 5V 4.8A or 24W (Shared by two ports).	Only $9.99 (You Save $9.96)
Touch Screen Capacitive Pen	Innovative Tip Design Allows Precision Selection Protects your device from scratches! Clips right to your carrying case or pocket.	Only $1.46 (You Save $8.53)
Samsung 3.5mm Stereo Headset	Multi-Function remote with a built-in mic performs Answer/End, Volume Control and Track Advance Compact, Light-Weight Design Use these headphones to talk on your smartphone with ease while driving or working Samsung Stereo Headset for the Samsung Galaxy S5 and Galaxy Note 3.	Only $5.55 (You Save $24.44)

SanDisk Ultra - Your Multimedia Storage Solution

noreply@blogger.com (Shafqat Khan) — Sun, 02 Aug 2015 09:45:00 +0000

SanDisk is a brand people trusts blindly when it comes to Multimedia storage on their gadgets.

My today's focus is on the SanDisk's best selling microSD card, in a budget range, durable and proficient. This is SanDisk Ultra 32GB and 64GB top selling component of the company, exactly what your smartphone and tablets are made for.

Expandable storage can always give you more control over your data in transferring, syncing and sharing it directly by connecting it to other devices. Unfortunately few latest gadgets don't give you any option to expand your memory as they removed the external memory slot or a well known iPhone in this case isn't having any slot for external memory, but the fact is we all need mobility when it comes to data storage, and SanDisk is serving us with best of their products. Fact is that most of our smartphones, tablets and other gadgets still has the memory slot made for SanDisk.

Shooting and save more high-quality photos and full HD videos which may be upto 1920x1080, on your Android smartphone or tablet with SanDisk Ultra microSDHC and XC I. With storage capacities upto 128GB you can take more photos and videos without worrying about running out of space. And the SanDisk Memory Zone app, available on the GooglePlay store, makes it easy to view, access, and backup all of your files from your phone's memory in one convenient place. With fast transfer speed of up to 48MB/s the SanDisk Ultra microSDHC is on top of the list, featuring Class 10 for full HD videos (upto 1920x1080).

A waterproof, X-ray proof, temperature proof and shockproof, makes this tiny chip more reliable and trustworthy.

Best for Photo shooting	Best for Video Recording

***7000 HD Pics-OR 35Min of BlueRay HD Video	***12000 HD Pics-OR 1HR 15Min of BlueRay HD Video

***Approximate and Standard Calculation as per file size

15-inch Acer Chromebook Review

noreply@blogger.com (Shafqat Khan) — Wed, 06 May 2015 00:11:00 +0000

Acer Launches 15-inch Chromebook At CES 2015, Intel Broadwell Chip Onboard http://flip.it/SJwHN

Acer is getting the Chromebook ball rolling at CES 2015 with the first 15-inch model.

The Acer Chromebook boasts a 15.6-inch display, an industry first. Historically, Chromebooks have been small laptops, typically having screens ranging between 11- and 12-inches. This year, however, Hewlett-Packard began marketing the first 14-inch Chromebooks, taking the Google Chrome operating system-based portables into traditional laptop territory.
It’s also joins a new crop of laptops featuring Intel's 5th Generation Core “Broadwell” processor, which is targeted at ultrathin laptops, hybrid laptop-tablets, and tablets.

Another trend in Chromebooks is higher-resolution displays. In keeping with this, the Acer Chromebook 15 will have an option for a 1,920×1,080 pixel display.

It weighs in at 4.85 pounds and is 0.95-inches thick

How to Allow or Block a Program through Windows Firewall

noreply@blogger.com (Shafqat Khan) — Sun, 29 Jun 2014 17:46:00 +0000

Today I will tell you how you can allow or block a program to be connected to the internet, from Control Panel but first we should know :-

Why do you need to block a program to be connected to the Internet?

Well, answer is so simple, "Because I dont want to update this Program anymore from its server on the Internet." In other cases, when you crack a Software or a PC Game or download a crack for your favorite PC Game, most of the times you will see a *.*txt file inside that Crack folder giving you instructions how to install that Game. And when you see "Block this game to be connected to the Internet from Control Panel > Windows Firewall.

If you are using your PC at Home for playing games in free time, very little chances you have installed any Antivirus software in your PC or if you are using a paid version of Antivirus software, you will open it mostly once in a week. But I would suggest you should open and read what's inside settings or inside advance settings, but never try to change any settings you are not familiar of.

If you look closer inside your Antivirus settings you will find the exact settings of allowing or blocking a program from Internet. But here I am showing your the same settings from Control Panel, in case you don't have any Antivirus Installed.

A look at my PC settings first, I am using Windows 7 Ultimate with AVG Free Antivirus Installed. Don't worry if you are using Windows 8 or 8.1 or any version of Windows 7, all you need to do is to find where that Control Panel is...

Follow me if you are using Windows 7.

1. Click Start

2. Type the word "Allow", you will see "Allow a program through Windows Firewall" on the top, press Enter or click on it.

NOTE: If you are using Windows 8 you can still find this settings under Control Panel.

3. This setting will be opened, where you can easily check the boxes to allow or block a program through Windows Firewall. In case you aren't able to click the boxes, make sure you clicked the "Change Settings" button (showing on the top right in the picture).

This is all done, once you blocked a program through Windows Firewall it will not be able to connect to internet anymore, and will not be updated.

As I mentioned before, you can also block a program through your Antivirus settings, if you have one.

Thanks for reading, your feedback will be appreciated.

You Love Music - You would Like BedPhones

noreply@blogger.com (Shafqat Khan) — Sat, 01 Feb 2014 19:13:00 +0000

Before you settle in for your winter hibernation, slip on a pair of Bedphones. These foam covered headphones are less than a quarter inch thick and are designed to be worn cofortably for extended periods of time a full night's slumber, for example. The cable runs down your back, not front, and the memory wire earhooks mold to ears of all sizes.

With the free Bedphones app for Android and iOS you can set a timer to fade out your music as you drift off to dreamland. But if you love to listen your favorite track tens of time repeatedly, who wants to turn it off and go to dreamland?

Find details here: http://www.bedphones.com

How much RAM do you really need - PC Supporter

noreply@blogger.com (Shafqat Khan) — Sat, 01 Feb 2014 07:10:00 +0000

It doesn't always needed to add more memory for better performance or in other words more memory doesn't always means better performance. In fact, you may need less RAM than you think. Darien Graham-Smith at PC Pro 2014 explains.

Typically, today's budget PC's come with 4GB of RAM. A mid-range configuration may offer double that, and high-end gaming systems and workstations go as high as 16GB.

There's no doubt which way the wind's blowing, either: Windows 8 supports up to 128GB of physical memory (assuming your're running the 64-bit edition), while Windows 8 Pro can go up to 512GB.

Does anyone really need this much RAM? Memory isn't as expensive as it used to be, but there's obviously no point paying for gigabytes of RAM from which you'll receive no material gain.

Does more Memory means Faster Performance?

Many people assume that adding memory makes a PC significantly faster, and in some cases it does. Sticking an extra pair of DIMMs into a motherboard won't change the speed at which the processor executes code, but it can help in other ways, especially on older systems with 2GB or less RAM, since adding RAM reduces the need for Windows to rely on "virtual memory".

Simply put, virtual memory is a file on your hard disk that serves as temporary storage when your PC's "real" memory is full. Virtual memory makes it possible, for example, to have several heavyweight applications running at once, even if they won't fit simultaneously in RAM. When you switch from one to another, Windows quickly swaps the relevant data from the disk into real memory, which explains why the virtual memory file is sometimes called a swap file. If you've set Windows Explorer to show hidden files, you can see the swap file in the root directory of your system disk; depending on which version of Windows you're using, it will be called PAGEFILE.SYS or SWAPFILE.SYS.

The process of shuttling data to and from the swap file slows things down, especially if you're using an old-school mechanical disk. the situation gets worse if you try to open a new program when your memory is full: the disk head ends up repeatedly "thrashing" back and forth across the disk as it tries to read the data into memory while simultaneously moving older information into the swap file. the result is a slow and unresponsive PC.

If you've ever used Windows XP on a machine from the late 1990s or early 2000s, you'll almost certainly have sat through your fair share of disk-thrashing sessions.

Although contemporary 3-bit PCs were theoretically able to address up to 4GB or RAM, memory was expensive, and a high-end system may have come with only 256MB installed. A reliance on virtual memory was a fact of life - hence the rule of thumb that you should install as much memory as you can afford.

Diminishing Returns

This rule is much less applicable today than it was a decade ago. Today, a new PC will come with multiple gigabytes of RAM, so Windows relies much less on virtual memory. It's almost certain to come with a solid-state system drive rather than a mechanical one, making the process of swapping data between RAM and virtual memory much smoother. Also, since SSDs have no problem reading from flash memory cell while writing to a different one, it also effectively eradicates the problem of "thrashing".

All the same, real memory is still faster. While a high-end SSD might read and write data at around 600MB/sec, a DDR3 DIMM running at 1,333MHz can transfer more than 10GB/sec (you can calculate the peak transfer rate of a DDR3 memory module in megabytes per second by multiplying its operating frequency by eight). This means your system will be more responsive if you can fit all your applications and documents into physical memory.

There's a second benefit to having plenty of RAM on hand. Ever since Vista, Windows has included an under-the-bonnet feature called SuperFetch that tries to predict which applications and libraries you're most likely to want to use. It also preemptively loads them into RAM in the background while the system is idle. The more spare RAM you have, the more likely it is that the next application you open will have been pre-cached, enabling it to spring up almost instantly, rather than having to load from the disk. For an ullustration of the benefit you can gain from extra RAM.

How much RAM is enough?

SuperFetch will use as much memory as you can throw at it, but since it intelligently anticipates which program you're most likely to open next, it shouldn't require dozens of gigabytes to be effective. Also, once you have enough RAM to fit your entire workload into memory, virtual memory becomes a non-issue.

The question is: how much memory do you need to achieve peak performance without wasting money?

There's no "one size fits all" answer to that question. Everyone's workload is different, and while you may have a good idea of your current requirements, it isn't always possible to anticipate what you'll need tomorrow. However, you can get an idea of how your usage might stack up by exploring how much memory is used in various scenarios.

Conclusion

Even during our Real World Multi-apps test which opens several major applications at once -- our test system's total RAM usage never topped 4GB. This means Windows didn't need to fall back on virtual memory at any point. As such, installing more RAM would yield only a modest speed booster.

However, this doesn't necessarily mean you should avoid paying for more than 4GB. If your work is unusually demanding -- such as processing 4K video files, or working with very large databases -- you may well need more memory than this. Also, there's a distinct possibility that, as memory prices continue to fall, everyday applications will evolve to take advantage of ever-higher quantities of RAM. What's more, many ultra-slim laptops aren't user-upgrade-able, so if you're buying a new system today, you might reasonably opt for an 8GB model, just to be assured of a degree of future-proofing.

For current tasks, however, adding memory beyond 4GB seems to yield sharply diminishing returns: we've yet to see any application - outside of extremely specialist data-processing tasks -- that genuinely benefits from 16GB. It seems the days when you could never have enough RAM are, thankfully, behind us.

Now Share Photos to Instagram from your PC

noreply@blogger.com (Shafqat Khan) — Wed, 01 May 2013 11:35:00 +0000

Post or Upload your best Photos to Instagram directly from your Local Hard drive on PC, no need of a smartphone, never mind if those Pictures are taken by a Digital Camera.

About Instagram by Instagram, "Instagram is a fun and quirky way to share your life with friends through a series of pictures. Snap a photo with your mobile phone, then choose a filter to transform the image into a memory to keep around forever. We're building Instagram to allow you to experience moments in your friends' lives through pictures as they happen. We imagine a world more connected through photos."

Never mind if you don't have a smartphone to install Instagram app on it, and capture photos and then upload the best ones to Instagram and share with your friends. Now you can upload every Photo of your choice from your Local Hard Drive on your PC, without having any problem nor breaking Terms & Laws of the Service.

All you need a PC having photos you want to share on Instagram. By following my steps, first thing first, WE ARE GOING TO INSTALL ANDROID APP PLAYER ON YOUR PC to enable to download and install Instagram, and have a fun. If you agree, follow me.

I don't know very much about Android app players, but I will suggest you the one I tried and currently in use on my PC.

First you can see my Profile on Instagram, I upload all these photos from my PC using Android App Player called BlueStacks App Player (http://www.instagram.com/shafky).

Here is a short introduction about BlueStacks App Player, "BlueStacks App Player lets you run apps from your phone fast and full screen on Windows and Mac".

Time to go ahead, Download and Install BlueStacks App Player on your PC, (available for both PC & Mac), but I only can guide PC users, as I am a PC user.

You should use Instagram App before, or you should know about Android platform to how to download apps from Google Play Store, so I will go further, but if you still having problem against BlueStacks Apps Player installation, you can ask BlueStacks App Player help forum here (https://getsatisfaction.com/bstk).

You need a Google account to connect and sync with Google Play Store. Another thing you should know about BlueStacks App Player that some people having problem with their current location (IP Location) on BlueStacks App Player. If BlueStacks App Player couldn't locate your Local IP Location, don't worry "You still can upload photos of your choice", as this problem is still unsolved from BlueStacks App Player help forum, I also have the same problem and I also contact BlueStacks App Player, but anyhow I can still upload Photos to my Instagram account (but I can't add these photos to Photo Map because my location is not readable by BlueStacks App Player, I don't care, I only need to upload pictures to my Instagram, and that's all).

1. After successfully downloading and installing both BlueStacks App Player on your PC and Instagram app on App Player, you almost done but time to change some Registry keys so your App Player can find your photos on your local hard drive from your PC.

2. I'm using Windows 7. Go to "Start" and search for "regedit" and press Enter.

3. Registry Editor will open, now inside registry editor go to "HKEY-LOCAL_MACHINE > SOFTWARE > BlueStacks > Guests > SharedFolder > 1",

4. Right click > Modify... the "Name" string value. Change value data to folder name you want to add to your App player, for example mine is "Wallpapers & Pictures".

5. Again Right click > Modify... the "Path" string value. This time change value data to path of that specific folder, for example mine is "J:\Wallpapers & Pictures".

Same way you can attach more then one folder to BlueStacks App Player by changing the string values of folders named 2 and 3 and 4 etc, inside registry editor (HKEY-LOCAL_MACHINE > SOFTWARE > BlueStacks > Guests > SharedFolder)

You almost done here, but a last step is...

6. Additionally, you must need an app to reach to the specific folder you attach to your BlueStacks App Player, for this reason I am using "ES File Explorer" you can download it from Google Play Store using BlueStacks App Player and install it.

7. Now open ES File Explorer, go to SD Card and find the folder "bstfolder", open it, inside you will find same folder that we recently attached to BlueStacks App Player (Wallpapers & Pictures), open it and find all your photos inside.

All done, now open Instagram app on your BlueStacks App Player, Log in and upload (or even you can capture photos via your webcam) photos by clicking the gallery button (on right side with camera button in the middle), it will ask you from where to upload a picture, select ES File Explorer > SD Card > bstfolder > Wallpapers & Pictures > and choose a picture you want to upload to your Instagram app.

The technique isn't very complicated nor simple but for me its very important to run Instagram app and upload pictures everytime, as recently I don't have my smartphone.

Hope you will find this article supportive if you can't live without Instagram.

Note: When you open Instagram app on BlueStaks App Player, if you cannot see the middle camera button and other buttons, Go to Setting > Change App Size > and click Default size for Instagram on BlueStacks App Player, as BlueStacks app player support both Tablet & default app sizes.

Tablet PC Guide - PC Supporter

noreply@blogger.com (Shafqat Khan) — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 11:16:00 +0000

2013 is the age of Modern technology - Touch Screen computing & Smart gadgets - The Tablet PC Guide 2013.

by James Hunt - Micro Mart Magazine

It's clear now that tablet PCs are no fad. Beginning with the launch of the high-price, low-powered iPad 1 in April 2010 and culminating with the release of the low-price, high-powered Nexus 7 in July 2012, tablets have gone from being a niche, luxury-only computing peripheral to the latest must-have accessory.

To keep up with technology in 2013, you either have a tablet or you're buying one soon.

However, the fast pace of the tablet world means you can be forgiven for struggling to keep up with the changes to software, hardware, pricing and manufacturing. Sometimes it seems like there's a new tablet every other week, each better and more desirable than the last. Rather than leave you to fend for yourself, we've put together this six-page guide to tablets in 2013 - those that are on Shelves now, those that are being released soon, what you might want to look for if you're buying a tablet and what, if anything, you should avoid.

Here we are describing some features you must know if you are going to purchase a Tablet device.

What Screen Do I Want?

Tablet screens range in size from tech near pocket-sized 5" versions to a comparatively colossal 12 inches on the largest devices, but it is much more typical for screens to be between seven and 10.1 inches in size. Note that this is a diagonal measurement, so a 7" screen is actually has almost half of the visual real estate of a 10" screen (hence the moniker 'mini-tablet' to refer to devices in the 7" to 8" device class.)

While it's tempting to assume that 10" screens automatically better for being larger, there are benefits to 7" devices. Not only are they more portable (it's possible to comfortably hold them in one hand - something that may appeal to those planning to use a tablet as an e-reader), but they're often able to make better use of their technical capabilities, because they're managing fewer graphical resources.

Rather than the screen size, though, pay attention to the resolution. At a minimum, any device you consider buying in 2013 should have a resolution of at least 1024x768 (or similar), but the higher the resolution, the sharper text and images will be - especially when zoomed in. Apple’s Retina display remains the gold standard for tablets, offering a resolution of 2048x1536 on the iPad third- and fourth-generation’s 9.7” screen. The likes of the Nexus 7 and Kindle Fire HD are better-performing in the 7” device class, however, with their 1280x800 resolution easily trumping the iPad Mini’s 1024x768.

How Much Storage Is Appropriate?
Storage is one of the most widely varying factors in the tablet market. Tablets use solid-state drives, which are compact, quiet, shock-resistant and less power-hungry than hard drives. That said, the expense of SSD memory means that tablets therefore have much less space than modern laptops and desktops - typically between 4GB and 64GB.
The amount of built-in storage cannot be changed or upgraded, although many tablets do have slots for memory cards (usually micro-SD), which can be used to add removable storage. Some notable exceptions to this rule are Apple’s iPad range, no model of which has any provision for removable storage, the Kindle Fire, Kindle Fire HD and the Nexus 7, which will only support SD cards and USB flash drives after a combination of software modifications and additional hardware purchases.
The lack of expandable space on such popular devices is something of a contrivance designed to push consumers towards the more expensive, higher-capacity devices. However, the relatively small amounts of storage on modern tablets, combined with their ubiquitous internet connections, has led to an increase in the popularity of cloud storage systems. Apps such as DropBox and SkyDrive allow tablet users to utilise the internet for storage of data, minimizing the trouble associated with a lack of space.
Nonetheless, cloud storage is far from a perfect replacement, and even SD cards can prove fiddly. We’d suggest buying a device with at least 16GB if a model is available. That should be enough to last you the two to three years of the tablet’s life without becoming inadequate.

Does The Processor Matter?

When looking for a tablet, you can expect a number of other components as standard, but some vary from model to model or between manufacturers. The amount of memory and storage space often differs wildly, as does support for external devices and flash memory. Portability factors such as battery life, weight and screen size should also be considered. However, as with desktops and notebooks, the processor is perhaps the chief indicator of how a tablet PC will perform. The most popular tablets run on ARM-based Cortex chips, but a minority run on Intel chips, and there’s even variation within both brands.
Unlike Intel, which develops and manufactures its own processors, ARM Holdings only designs the chips, then licenses the designs for other companies to produce, meaning that there are often multiple variations of single architectures. The most popular chip at the moment is the Cortex-A9, which is the basis for the Apple A5 & A5X chips (used in the iPad 2 and iPad 3), the Nvidia Tegra 2 and 3 (used in the Google Nexus 7 and Microsoft Surface), and the TI OMAP 4 (used in the Kindle Fire and Kindle Fire HD).
While it’s fair to say that devices based on the same chipset have comparable performance to one another, the actual speeds experienced by the user will of course depend on the hardware and software resources available - in particular, the amount of RAM or model of GPU. It is, however, fair to say that the A9 devices are better than the A8 devices, and that the next ARM model (the Cortex-A15) will similarly outclass them both when manufacturers are ready to introduce it later this year.

Although ARM processors undoubtedly have the edge, there are a number of tablets running on Intel hardware, and it’s usually Intel, since unlike the desktop market, AMD does not have a major foothold producing Intel-compatible chips for tablets. Intel’s low-power and portable chips allow tablet PCs to run Windows 7 and 8, although at speeds closer to netbooks than laptops. More powerful tablets may contain full-size Core i5 processors, of the kind found in desktops and powerful notebooks. The increased performance capacity makes for a better Windows experience, but they are less compact and consume more power than mobile chips, meaning a worse battery life and a larger, less portable form factor.
For Windows users here are 6 features your Windows Tablet PC must have, before you go and select one to purchase.

Control Your PC from a Mobile Device - PC Monitor

noreply@blogger.com (Shafqat Khan) — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 09:43:00 +0000

Monitor a Laptop or Desktop PC from a Mobile Device

All it takes to get started is a smartphone or tablet, a data plan, the right app, and a few PCs in need of some love and attention.

by Marco Chiappetta - originally published at PC World Magazine

If you are still wasting time trudging over to PCs to perform routine maintenance on them, check for software updates, and power them down at night, you haven't gotten with the program. Here's how to check on your PCs from anywhere, and save your business both time and money.

Get started: A number of remote PC management utilities are available, but we'll focus on an excellent tool called PC Monitor (www.mobilepcmonitor.com), which is free for three PCs. It works with Android, iOS, and Windows Phone OSs, as well as with Windows, Mac OS X, or Linux.

Install PC Monitor: Installing and configuring PC Monitor requires just a few steps, and the default setup options should be sufficient. Install the appropriate application on each system that you want to monitor.

The first time you launch the PC Monitor Manager, it will prompt you to create an account for connecting your PCs to your mobile devices (or for monitoring the systems via the Web). At your first login, enter a computer name and a group name for the system.

Customize your counters: To configure a custom monitor or counter (for CPU use, say), click the System tab, and work your way through the tabs in the pane: General, Services, Network, and so on. The Schedule Tasks tab lets you enable the monitor simply by ticking a task. Under the Performance Counters tab in the System pane, you can set up custom counters based on criteria that you specify.

Set up notification alerts: To get the most from PC Monitor and to have it notify you the moment something critical occurs, click the program's Notifications tab, and then click through the tabs in the resulting Notifications pane, enabling appropriate alerts as you go. These alerts may include when the computer starts up or shuts down, when particular users sign on, when someone plugs in a removable drive, or when a processor begins to overheat. More advanced notification options may require you to set up rules manually.

PC Monitor (Image Courtesy PC Monitor)

Grab the PC Monitor mobile app: After installing the PC Monitor app on the relevant PCs, you must install and configure the companion mobile app on your mobile devices.

Select a PC: Upon signing in to PC Monitor, you should see a list of your systems. Tap a system name in the list to bring up an overview of the system.

Monitor your PC from your couch: If you've enabled notifications already, all that remains is to explore the mobile app for monitoring and managing your systems. PC Monitor will send alerts if necessary, but the mobile app also provides real-time data.

After you tap a system name in the left pane of the app, the right pane will become populated with system details and buttons for performing various tasks, including such options as opening a command prompt, checking for OS updates, and restarting the monitored system. In addition, you can use the PC Monitor mobile app to send messages back to the associated desktop PC, if you want to alert the PC's user.

After the application is installed on a system, the PC Monitor service runs in the background. During our testing, the service rarely, if ever, consumed a detectable amount of CPU time, and it used no more than 44MB of RAM.

15 Google Calendar Tricks by PC Supporter

noreply@blogger.com (Shafqat Khan) — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 10:02:00 +0000

Power Through Your Schedule with 15 Google Calendar Tricks.

Whether you are a Calendar novice or a longtime user, these tips will give you even greater control and productivity.

This article was originally published in PC Magazine's monthly edition, and reason to publish it again on PC Supporter is only to share tricks of Google Calendar with our readers.

By Elsa Wenzel - PC World Magazine

This guide will help you take control of Google Calendar, whether you are a novice or a power user. Most of the tips apply both to the free Google Calendar and to the one that comes bundled with a paid Google Apps for Business subscription.

Work Faster -- and Focus

1. Use keyboard shortcuts: Google offers many keyboard shortcuts that can save your time. Most are pretty intuitive, for starters, press the letter C on the keyboard to create an event.

2. Find any date in a hurry: Visit the Labs via the gear icon. In the list that appears, enable Jump to date, and then click Save. Now the 'Jump to date' tool will appear to the right of your calendar, and you can punch in any day to do just that.

3. Customize calendar navigation: Go to the mini calendar to the left of the main calendar, and highlight the time frame you wish to see. Your main calendar will instantly adjust. To count your days in increments of, say, three weeks, click the gear icon on your calendar page, and in the General settings change 'Default view' and 'Custom view' to 3 Weeks. Once you save, you'll see 21 days at a time whenever you open your calendar.

4. Oversee your agenda: If you are a power user with lots of shared calendars and appointments, the Day view can be hard on the eyes. To bring up a plain-text list of events for the day ahead, click the Agenda button above your calendar.

5. Dim less-important events: To make pas and repeating future events look a little less vivid, click the gear icon, and on the Calendar Settings page find 'Even dimming'. Check Dim past events or Dim recurring future events (or both).

6. Hide weekends: To show just Monday through Friday, click the gear icon and select Hide weekends in the General settings.

7. Minimize all-day events: If out-of-office entries are clogging your calendar, click the tiny triangular arrow that appears below and to the left of the first day of the week. You'll see a synopsis such as '19 events' at the top, instead of a pile of text.

8. Keep work and play at your fingertips: to set up toggling between home and work calendars, click your email address in the upper-right corner of the Google Calendar page, and select Add account. Enter the details for your private Gmail address. When you click your email address in the corner, you'll see both accounts, and you can toggle between the two calendars.

Google Calendar - Make Scheduling Smarter

Make Scheduling Smarter

9. Schedule and even in one line: You can add an event in one line of text, without using the full Create Event form. Start by clicking anywhere in your calendar; then fill out the text field. By default, any event lasts an hour if you name a start time without an end time, and it lasts all day if you don't list a time at all.

10. See when a colleague is available: Expand the Other Calendars drop-down menu to the left of your calendar to see a list of your third-party calendars. If your company uses Google Apps for Business, start typing someone's email address, and Google will autofil the rest. Select an email address or spell it out to see that person's color-coded appointments.

11. Check whether everyone can meet: Click the gear icon to visit the Labs. Scroll down, select Enable for the Smart Re-scheduler, and click Save. In the calendar, select a meeting. In the Smart Re-scheduler module, click Find a new time. Google will load and display the team's calendars. If your company uses Google Apps for Business, you will also see suggestions for available rooms in the building.

12. Hide events you're not attending: Click the gear icon, and in the General tab of Calendar settings, uncheck Show events you have declined. Under 'Automatically add invitations to my calendar', you can choose not to see those events unless you've accepted the invitation.

13. Let Google Calendar RSVP for you: Click the gear icon, enable Automatically decline events, and save. People who invite you to events at times when you're already booked will get an instant reply.

14. Don't miss the next meeting: Blare a reminder to yourself about your next meeting by adding a module to your calendar. To do so, visit Labs from the gear menu and click Enable for 'Next Meeting'.

15. See who's free or busy: In the gear drop-down menu, choose Labs to enable the 'Free or busy' add-on. Type a colleague's email address there to get an always-on 'free' or 'busy' status message.

Untag Facebook Photos and Share Your Year in Review

noreply@blogger.com (Shafqat Khan) — Tue, 25 Dec 2012 20:17:00 +0000

Facebook is a well-known Social place, and the users definitely know the basic usage of it, like how to update your status or upload a picture or video etc.

But still there are users who don't like to change anything inside "Account Settings" or "Privacy Settings", just because they worrying about that change or because they don't have time or knowledge to do, likely to say those people doesn’t actually gave much importance to their Facebook account. Possibly or certainly a time comes those users should take note of that mistake they are doing. Mistake is when you don't know “What you share and with whom you share?”

So you should go and checkout the Facebook Data Policy if you aren’t a bit silly Facebook user.

The instruction below is for the users who are tagged in many photos inside Facebook Pages or tagged by some of their friends and now they want to be untagged from all those photos at once.

We aren’t describing all the Privacy or Account settings inside this post, we only shows you how to make your "Year in Review" shareable with your Friends and Family and how to get rid of those tagged “Photos of You” or “Photos posted by others” you don’t like to be there.

1. Log in to Facebook Account, and click on “Settings” button in right upper corner, and click on “Privacy Settings”. (on the left sidebar make sure you are on the Privacy tab).

2. Inside “Who can see my stuff” category of settings, there is some text showing “Review all your posts and things you’re tagged in”, and click on “Use Activity Log” infront of that text.

Right Sidebar -"Photos of You"

3. Now you can see “Activity Log” page where you can see your activities, like your posts, Posts you’re tagged in, Posts by others, Posts you’ve hidden etc.

4. On the left sidebar click on “Photos”, this will shows all the Photos recently showing on your timeline, Photos uploaded by you and also Photos you are tagged in, but you just need to click on “Photos of You”, because those photos uploaded by others and you just tagged in.

5. Now you can select each Photo by click on the selection box infront of each one and click on Report/Remove Tag button on the top to Un-tag yourself from Photos or Videos you don't like.

Make sure you can Un-tag 10 Photos or Videos at a time, and those photo or videos will no longer be shown on your timeline as well as those photos will not be shown in your “Year in Review” (a new feature available for every account on Facebook), and you can ready your Year in Review to be shared with your Friends or Family.

If you get something helpful from this post, please share with others. And your precious wordings will definitely be appreciated.

If you want to Turn On Tag Reviews read here "Turn On Tag Reviews On Facebook To Avoid Being Tagged Automatically"

How to Set Up a Homegroup in Windows 7

noreply@blogger.com (Shafqat Khan) — Thu, 06 Dec 2012 17:11:00 +0000

Sharing Files, Media and Folders on any Network now a days isn't a big deal for many of Windows 7 users, but some users still find it hard to connect to Home Network to Share files with other Computers.

Definitely you can get you Answer on Google or else where very easily within a few minutes to how to get create and connect to Home Network, but while you searching and you are not a regular or pro user you will find some articles which are written for Pro users, and you will find this hard to follow and get connected.

Here we are going to share Mr. Mike Halsey (www.thelongclimb.com) article, who is describing the connectivity to HomeGroup Network really simply, and hope after reading this you will be able to connect your Computer to other computers situated at your Home or Office.

Before going to the process lets read a quick tip.

Start and type Manage advanced sharing Settings press Enter

If you want to share documents, photos, videos and music within your home use the Network Sharing Center to check your security settings are set right. The security options are clear and easy to understand with plain English throughout. To checkout your Network Sharing options click Start and type Manage advanced sharing Settings then press Enter, and make sure your settings are same like the image below.

You can share your internet connection, Printer(s) and files. The settings here allow you to set what's shared and who can see it.

You can also share folders by Right Clicking on one or more in Windows Explorer and selecting Share with in the context menu that appears.

You can choose from users on your PC and network who the folder is shared with, or you can share a folder with your Homegroup.

Setting up a Homegroup.

Homegroups are new to Windows 7 and they're an excellent way to share Music, Pictures, Media files and also Printers with other PCs running Windows 7 on your home network. To create a Homegroup open Network and Internet from the Control Panel and then click on Create a Homegroup.

Alternately you can type Homegroup in Search box in Start Menu. The picture showing what kind of files and stuff you want to share with other computers, after choosing one or all, click Next.

Your Homegroup is now automatically created and you will be given a password to type in computers you want to connect with this Homegroup network.

After creating a Homegroup network, remember this is your Host PC, and you can change any setting anytime by typing Homegroup in Search bar inside Start Menu.

How to Connect to Homegroup

Now its time to connect other computers to this Homegroup network, same way, open Homegroup by the way described above, The system will show all available Homegroups (remember the host PC must be switched ON). You will be asked for the password and then what files and documents you want to share from the new PC.

In Windows 7 Homegroup an additional and useful feature is the ability to stream media to other PCs and devices. This means music and video content can start playing on the other devices without being copied across to that device. It plays on the PC it's sat on and can be seen and heard on the other.

If you are using Wi-Fi - This is how you can make better your Streaming Video or Music:

If you use a Wi-Fi network in your home and want to stream and share video consider upgrading your Wi-Fi routher from the 802.11b or 802.11g to 802.11n standard. These codes are clearly labelled on products either at online stores on in the shops. Wireless N offers much greater bandwidth than previous standards. This means that video can be sent to other PCs on your network without any worries about it stuttering during playback.

6 Features - Your Windows 8 Tablet Must Have

noreply@blogger.com (Shafqat Khan) — Mon, 19 Nov 2012 17:27:00 +0000

Windows 8 Build for Touchscreen Devices? Yes, but do your new Windows 8 Tablet have these 7 features?

Before going to overview these features, first we talk a little about New Windows 8 Operating System. There are two main version of Windows 8 are available for touchscreen gadgets, "Windows RT and Windows 8".

Basically Microsoft prepare and organize this new operating system for touchscreen devices, no doubt, and doesn't matter if its RT or 8 version, but Windows RT is slightly different than 8, as it designed to be more friendly with Touchscreen devices, Internet connectivity and as well for a device with longer battery life. Although some tablets makers ( I would say) don't like it, but if we go deep inside, Windows RT is viewed as more of a tablet operating system in the mold of Apple's iOS, while Windows 8 tablets may appeal to PC users looking for backward application compatibility.

According to PC Advisor (a technology magazine publishers), "The cheapest RT tablet is Microsoft's Surface, which starts at £399." And "Windows 8 tablets will be competitive on price, however.

Lets talk about 6 features your new Windows 8 tablet must have.

1. Application compatibility

With a few exceptions, existing Windows applications will not work on RT. This is partly because ARM processors haven't previously supported major desktop Windows client OSes. But existing applications will work on Windows 8, as previous Windows OSes over the past few decades were written primarily for Intel or AMD processors. Microsoft has adopted a new application model with Windows RT and 8, and users will be able to download apps through the Windows Store.

2. Peripherals and accessory compatibility with RT

A lack of drivers may prevent some older peripherals, such as printers or cameras, from working with RT, but that doesn't mean your peripherals won't work. It's worth checking with device makers to see whether they have drivers for RT. Dell and HP have published compatibility lists for their printers.

Read here if you searching for your PC hardware drivers, compatible with Windows 8. "Where To Download the Latest Windows 8 Drivers for Popular Hardware"

3. Memory Limit

Windows RT is only 32bit, so tablets running the OS can draw on only up to 4GB RAM. Windows 8 tablets with Intel's Clover Trail Atom chip will also be only 32bit. However, tablets with Intel's PC-like Core processors run a 64bit version of Windows 8, and can handle more RAM and storage.

Tablets are adequately served with 32bit processors today but, with the usage of demanding applications growing, storage and memory needs will increase in mobile devices. ARM has taken a step ahead by announcing its ARMv8 64bit architecture, with chips likely to appear in 2014. Microsoft has not announced its 64bit plans for Windows RT.

4. ARM processors options

Windows RT tablets have already been announced with chips from nVidia and Qualcomm, which are based on ARM processors. Microsoft's Surface, Asus' Vivo Tab RT and Lenovo's IdeaPad Yoga 11 hybrid use nVidia's quad-core Tegra 3 processor, which may appeal to gamers and users looking for fast performance. Samsung's Ativ Tab and Dell's XPS 10 run Qualcomm's dual-core Snapdragon S4, which balances performance, battery life and connectivity.

5. Hardware limits

Windows RT tablets have only USB 2.0 ports. However, backward compatibility allows peripherals such as external storage devices with USB 3.0 ports to connect to RT tablets. The peripherals will work only if compatible with Windows RT, though, USB 3.0 ports are available in Windows 8 tablets running Intel's Core processors.

6. Enterprise Features

Dell and Samsung have highlighted enterprise features in RT tablets. Dell's XPS 10 tablet can be remotely disabled if lost or stolen, and software images and updates can be pushed to tablets. Dell has also included some security features such as TPM, a hardware-based cryptography and authentication technology. Samsung has included Microsoft Exchange and Cisco VPN support in its Ativ Tab.

Samsung Galaxy Note-II - Smartphone or Tablet

noreply@blogger.com (Shafqat Khan) — Wed, 14 Nov 2012 20:52:00 +0000

Comparing to a Tablet Device, Samsung Galaxy Note - II have everything identical, specially a 5.5 inches of large display screen.

Samsung Galaxy Note-II

A smartphone this broad and tall falls more naturally into two-handed operation actually. There is no denying this is a large device, even by modern mobile standards. It's around 151mm high and 81m wide, and 9.9mm thick. Weighted including a cover flap that wraps around the front, it was 214g, which is not insubstantial.

According to physical functionality, it seems very comfortable to operate with two hands, one to hold and one to tap. Samsung offers an option within Android's Settings titled 'One handed operation', which places the onscreen keyboard, Dial-pad and Calculator to one side. But as still its Dial-up icons are unreachable to single hand thumb, you should dial it with two hands.

Structure and Key Feature

The build is plastic, but good, feeling weighty and all of a piece in the hand. The screen quality is excellent, and it doesn't reveal the same over ripe coloring of other Samsung Super AMOLED displays.

Camera

Picture quality from the rear 8Mp camera is not bad, high contrast areas show purple fringing, although the camera is fast in operation. Recorded HD video is usable, but its suffers from focus hunting issues even in good light. Shot footage looked smeary on even slow pans.

Interior Specifications

by PC Advisor Magazine

The Note II's innards are very similar to those of the Galaxy S III. Inside is a Samsung Exynos 4412 SoC based on a quad-core ARM, but clocked at 1.6- rather than 1.4GHz. This is the fastest clocked ARM smartphone we've seen and, combined with Android's latest 4.1 Jelly Bean OS, it bodes well for performance.

Jelly Bean promises smoother graphics, here powered by an ARM Mali-400 MP GPU. It's relatively speedy, and faster than the nVidia Tegra 3, if wel short of the fastest available mobile graphics solutions.

In our performance tests, the Note II approached the capability of the iPhone 4S. It managed 17fps in the Egypt HD test, against 19fps for the previous generation Apple phone. The iPhone 5 played the same benchmark at 38fps. Other test results like Gauge Processor speed test and SunSpider JavaScript test also was better then iPhone 5, which is remarkable.

Battery Life is also not bad, as PC Advisor Magazine says "We found battery life good enough to last two days of sporadic use, in park thanks to a large 11.78Wh removable battery packed inside".

Advanced Gadgets - Need or Trend

noreply@blogger.com (Shafqat Khan) — Mon, 05 Nov 2012 14:41:00 +0000

Surely you will be excited if you buy a new advanced featured iPhone 5 after recycling your ancient one. But is it your Need or its just for Trend?

Gadgets

Of course this is actually depend on your needs and requirements what you choose and why, on other hand, do this new advanced gadget suites your personality? Rarely questions these are, but we are talking about why most of people advancing to modern gadgets? Is it theirs need or just its a trend?

Regarding to many survey reports and discussions, most of people using smartphones or even a camera phone for photo-shoot obviously, it means that a camera phone is your need somehow, but buying a smartphone for photo-shoot is either a trend.

Using advanced featured gadgets is very good if it fulfils your needs and the way you will use it, but for trend I should say its just waste of money. No doubt that an advanced and latest technology device gives you more features including security benefits and more reliability as well as user friendly environment. But again depends on your requirements, otherwise it stands in style / fashion category.

So it was all about cell phone devices, now if we talk about operating systems, there are many types of it and also many cases and options which force you sometimes to select only one single operating system for your gadgets to be easily sync with all your stuff around. But to be discussed, which operating system I should select. And again according to your need and requirements you can choose which suits you most, but don't go and waste your money to buy an operating system you couldn't operate.

Suppose, if you are a good user and know every tweak about Windows operating system and you are going to buy a MacBook, only because you passionate about Mac operating system or just because its a trend for you somehow, one thing for sure you would give it time to learn its features and again can waste your money for sure, so learning new things isn't bad, but if Windows operating system can give you everything you want then no need to waste your time and money.

Curiosity and eagerness of modern day gadgets isn't objectionable, they are the best one's. But problem is that if we don't have time to use its full features then why we spend extra money for it?
For example, a person who is using Intel Pentium IV PC just for media (watching movies or listening music) in part time when he free from his work, then he actually don't need to upgrade to Intel i7 Computer, although Intel i7 stands to be more powerful and can give him full HD output. On other hand a Businessman should buy a device which connects him with co-workers & business society, he will get progress reports in Excel format via email hourly maybe on the go everywhere, so if he buy a Smartphone or a kind of gadget which suits his outputs, definitely he can choose a costly device.
Choose what suits you best, choose what fits best inside your budget and even, use an older device for your old days work, and also nothing is headache if you use them friendly.

5 Top Features Your Ultrabook Must Have

noreply@blogger.com (Shafqat Khan) — Tue, 30 Oct 2012 09:44:00 +0000

5 Top Features Your Ultrabook Must Have if you prefer to buy one rather than MacBook Air.

According to your use and profession If you consider that Ultrabook suits you more than MacBook Air or you are interested to buy an Ultrabook rather than MacBook Air, so there are some actual features your Ultrabook must have.

According to style, features and something that called Trend, Apple's MacBook Air is a top Notebook but on other side Intel's super fast chipped Ultrabooks is more liked because of its compatibility and user friendly environment operating system (Windows).

So you have decided you want to buy an Ultrabook rather than a MacBook Air? Here are 5 top features to consider before making your purchase.

Quality Construction

Quality Construction - Ultrabook

Many of the unique or unusual characteristics about Ultrabooks come about because they're so thin, a height of three quarters of an inch, and even less in some cases. One of the most important of these is the systems' tendency to feel flimsy. Because most laptops don't sit at home on your desk all the time, you want the sturdiest on you can find, whether it's open or closed.

Keyboard

Keyboard - Ultrabook

Key travel on Ultrabooks is frequently shallow, after all, there's not a lot of room to house big, strong keys! This won't be a problem for everyone, but if you're a hard core typist or if you are going to need your laptop for work, you'll want to pay special attention to the keyboard. If you can, try typing on an Ultrabook you're interested in before you take it home to get an idea of how it feels beneath your fingers. You don't want to buy a notebook you won't enjoy typing on.

Port Selection

Port Selection - Ultrabook

The reduced height of ultrabooks causes problems with ports as well. Many systems simply don't have room for Ethernet ports, some have far fewer USB ports than you may be used to (may be only one or two), and still others may come with dongles that give you the ports but add inconvenience to the package. Knowing what you need, so you know what you'll need to put up with, is an especially good way to go here.

Touch Screen

Touch-Screen - Ultrabook

Although not a part of the standard ultrabook specs, and previously impossible to find on many systems, touch screens should now be considered a necessity. The new tile based Windows 8 interface was designed for touch, and the operating system just doesn't deliver the same experience without it. A laptop with a traditional touchpad will work, but it won't be anywhere near as intuitive. To get the most out of your Windows 8 Ultrabook, make sure it comes with a touch screen.

Wireless Display

Intel's Wireless Display technology (usually shortened to WiDi) lets you stream HD content over the air to your HDTV, rather than forcing you to connect your set to your laptop with an HDMI cable. You'll need a separate adapter, like Netgear's $100 Push2TV (pictured here), to make it work, but if you're really into entertainment you'll easily find WiDi capability worth the extra investment.

MacBook vs Ultrabook - A Comparison by PC Supporter

noreply@blogger.com (Shafqat Khan) — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 15:39:00 +0000

Lets Compare MacBook and Ultrabooks in a slightly different angle. The source is once again PC Magazine and we just present an overall review about all features.

Although Apple's paper thin laptop has quite a bit in common with Intel Ultrabooks, in a few ways we describe below they are significantly different.

Source: PC Magazine

DESIGN

You can't ignore the Apple aesthetic the company's computers always look terrific, and the chic shape and sly silver coloring of the MacBook Air make it among the sharpest of all. Outward attractiveness is not an official part of Intel's ultrabook plan, so you may find something sparkling or something ordinary; it all depends on what choices the manufacturer makes.

COMPONENTS

Everything that goes into a MacBook Air or pretty much any other Apple computer, for that matter must meet Apple's strict requirements and interface properly with the OS X operating system, so every time you pick up an Apple computer you know what you're going to get. Many ultrabook manufacturers, on the other hand, want to keep costs down, and therefore exert less control over the hardware they include. This doesn't mean it will be inferior to what Apple uses, but it does mean that with ultrabooks, as with most other PCs, performance and compatibility characteristics are not as easy to predict. If you can, try before you buy to make sure the touchpad, keyboard, and general responsiveness are what you're looking for.

DISPLAY

The screen on the 11 inch MacBook Air maxes out at a resolution of 1,366 by 768, and the 13.3 inches display at 1,440 by 900. Those are decent specs, and the displays look good, but forget about watching full 1080p video on them, 720p is all they can handle. Most ultrabooks have screen resolutions similar to Apple's, but some out there are capable of displaying full 1080p (1,920 by 1,080) video.

Storage

All of Apple's MacBook Airs are loaded with from 64GB to 512GB of flash storage, making for incredible data access speeds; traditional spinning hard drives are not even an option on the Apple machines. Ultrabooks, however, can come with either, thus requiring the user to choose between storage that's plentiful, inexpensive, and slow, or limited, pricey, and very fast.

CONNECTORS

Any seriously diminutive system is going to have an extremely restricted port selection. What has really defined the MacBook Air to this point has been its Thunderbolt port, which combines PCI Express and Displayport protocols for high speed connections to devices as diverse as hard drives and external monitors, and is about as small as ports get. Thunderbolt ports haven't appeared on PC based ultrabooks yet, but it's only a matter of time until this changes.

HOW THIN AND LIGHT IS THE FUTURE?

As ultrabooks are scarcely more than a year old, it's tough at this point to see how they'll shake out long term. But despite some early stumbles and iffy sales numbers, the form is likely to hang on for a while maybe a long while. As computing devices grow smaller but users want larger amounts of power, they'll have to evolve to stay relevant. But because they're full, feature rich systems, they have more room to grow than is probably the case with even the best tablets and smartphones. Intel will undoubtedly face competition from other imitators, HP came out with an AMD based Sleekbook, for example but it will continue to dominate on the PC side for the time being.

Not that this means there's any chance the MacBook Air will go anywhere. One of Apple's defining (and most striking) products, it's still the first thing people think of when they think of ultrathin laptops and so far no Intel ultrabook has come close to changing that. The biggest threat to the MacBook Air is Apple itself; Can company devise something better to replace it? If not, expect it to continue receiving yearly updates that make it thinner, more powerful, and more exciting.

In any event, super thin laptops are here to stay, all that remains to be seen is where they go next. How much smaller and skinnier can they get? Time will tell, but with Intel and Apple leading the charge and squaring off against each other every step of the way consumers will only benefit by seeing computers that get ever more portable even as they get ever more powerful.

Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-RX100 - Review

noreply@blogger.com (Shafqat Khan) — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 19:46:00 +0000

Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-RX100 - An Imaging Device for Professionals - Put it in Your Pocket & Carry With You for Dream Photography.

Source: PC Magazine

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 is the point and shoot camera that many Professional's dreamed of. With a large image sensor its 3.6x zoom lens opens up to f/1.8 on the wide end, and it can slide into your back pocket easily to carry everywhere you go. The 20 megapixel RX100 picture quality superb that can justifies its cost.

Structure - Features & Design

Measuring 2.4 by 4 by 1.4 inches (HWD) and weighing 8.5 ounces, the RX100 is only slightly larger than the Canon PowerShot S100. This is impressive considering that the S100's image sensor is a mere 1/1.7 inches in size, the RX100's 1 inch sensor boasts more than 2.5 times the surface area. Though the lens is fast and the sensor large enough to create a nice out of focus blur behind subjects, you shouldn't expect the RX100 to produce images that are quite as good as those from a D-SLR camera; they are better than you'd expect from a point and shoot camera, but you are still sacrificing some image quality for portability.

The lens is a 3.6x zoom (due to its compact size), covering a 328-100mm (35mm equivalent) field of view. It opens up to f/1.8 at its widest, narrows to f/3.2 by 50mm, and closes down at f/4.9 at its extreme. One of the weak points of the RX100 is its lack of any sort of eye level viewfinder. There's no accessory pot to add one, nor is there a hot shoe. What you'll use to frame and review images is the rear LCD. At 3 inches, it features a staggering 1,1229k-dot resolution, about a third more than a competing 921k-dot displays. Sony has added white pixels in addition to the standard red, green, and blue, resulting in an LCD that is brilliant even when viewed in bright sunlight.

Controls will satisfy the demands of serious shooters, but aren't perfect. Save for the shutter release, zoom rocker, Mod dial, Menu, Playback, On/Off. Display, EV Compensation, and Help buttons, the RX100's physical controls are largely customizable. The front and rear control wheels are a bit quirky when you're adjusting ISO, you need to move the wheel to the left to increase the sensitivity and to the right to reduce it, the opposite of the wheel's usual behavior, but the control system is otherwise well designed.

The Camera's flash hides inside the body when not in use, popping up at the half press of the shutter button once it's been enabled. It sits on a hinged neck, which makes it possible to tilt it back with your left index finger and to bounce light off of a ceiling. It's not powerful enough to act in this capacity in, say, a ballroom, but for snaps around the house using this method will help to soften the light. Of course, there's also Flash Compensation available, so you can reduce the power output to provide just a little bit of fill when you're not using it as a bounce flash.

Performance & Actions

The RX100 is a little slow to start up, but is otherwise a speed demon, there's virtually no shutter lag thanks to quick, accurate autofocus. When shooting JPEGs in its Speed Priority mode it can capture a burst of ten shots in a second, although if you're shooting in Raw the camera takes 2 seconds for the same ten shot burst.

As measured by Imatest, the RX100's lens helped it deliver highly sharp shots through the entirety of its zoom range with, at most, 0.2 percent pincushion distortion. Noise is also not an issue, it stays below 1.5 percent through the camera's top ISO of 6400. JPEGs look excellent through ISO 800, very good at 1600, and pretty good at 3200; comparing Raw and JPEG files side by side, there's very little evidence of noise reduction in the JPEGs at the top ISO settings.

Video is recorded in AVCHD format at 1080p60 or 1080i60 resolution. The lens zooms in and out quietly while recording, and the focus keeps details clear and sharp.

The micro USB port doubles as a charging mechanism for the battery, and there's a micro HDMI port for connecting to an HDTV. In addition to SD, SDHC, and SDXC memory cards, Sony also supports its own proprietary formats.

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 doesn't have the largest sensor of all zooming point and shoots, but it focuses fast, is consistently sharp, and can capture images with a shallow depth of field. You won't find better photos forma a camera that fits in your pocket.

(by: Jim Fisher)

Will Windows 8 be More Secure?

noreply@blogger.com (Shafqat Khan) — Sat, 11 Aug 2012 20:39:00 +0000

Martin Cooper takes a step back from all the Windows 8 fanfare and examines whether the cyber criminals will love or loathe Microsoft's new OS.

Window 8, Win8 phone and Surface tablets - it seems it's all happening over at Redmond. As Microsoft's readies its new operating system roll out, we've every right to get excited, but with all eyes distracted by the new system's sheen, it's easy to overlook the mundane but essential business of security.

Over last 12 to 18 months, security - of the lack thereof has cast a growing shadow over Windows and the antivirus firms we trust to keep us safe online. Indeed, some have suggested that the bad guys might be winning in the never-ending game of high stakes chess. So the question is, will Windows 8 let us sleep sounder in our beds?

Security as Standard

To help protect Windows machines Microsoft has for a long time offered its Security Essentials antivirus program as a free download. Despite this, it's reckoned that almost a quarter of all Windows 7 PCs have no anti-malware software installed.

To address this problem, Microsoft has opted to install Windows 8 Defender by default.

Windows 8 Defender is a combined system. it's comparable with Security Essentials, with basic protective features thrown into combat common threats.

We certainly applaud the move, as it makes the initial hurdle that much tougher for virus writers. However, when PC Format asked Collin Davis, senior director of engineering at Symantec, about Defender, his response was unequivocal. "It's not enough".

Davis says circumventing Defender will become the virus writer's first mission. "It's just not worth their effort releasing malware that can't beat it," he warned. Speaking from California. Davis explained how the bad guys had breached Windows 7's security features and Security Essentials.

As Windows 7 and 8 have so much in common under the hood, Windows 8's default security isn't - in his view - likely to overly challenge malware writers.

Boot Level Protection

Dig a little deep into Windows 8 and the story doesn't seem so bleak. During the PC boot phase, Microsoft has made strides to see off future malware.

Booting through the BIOS has remained largely unchanged for nearly 30 years. At its heart is a chain of module that tare executed in order. The process begins with the BIOS waking up, taking in ROM-based operations and calling on the master boot record.

The chain culminates in the Windows kernal and drivers being loaded and run. If malware can penetrate this initial process, the next program to run can be corrupted. In short, no process after the point of exploitation can be trusted.

Malware such as Mebroot, TidServ and StuxNet insert themselves into this critical chain of events, compromising Windows at a very low and fundamental level. From such a privileged position it makes itself hard to detect and difficult to remove.

To combat this problem, Windows 8 includes a trio of technologies which are known collectively as Secure Boot Architecture. The first component is the Unified Extensible Firmware Interface, or UEFI. Assuming that your hardware is current and supports it, UEFI should make the lives of the virus writers' considerably harder.

Liek the BIOS, a UEFI system executes a sequence of baton-passing modules that lead to the OS . In a UEFI system, however, modules are security-signed and each module must check the subsequent operation's signature before it allows the next process to execute. The UEFI chain can be updated with a white list of trusted certificates.

Features and Flaws

The UEFI system isn't without a couple of flaws. Though all contemporary Windows systems will come with it as standard, older PCs still use the BIOS loading process and therefore remain vulnerable. The UEFI certification system has also enraged Linux users, as it makes it difficult to install the open source OS.

The next technology of note in Windows 8 is Early Load Anti-Malware. According to Microsoft, "|ELAM| starts before other boot-start drivers, enables the evaluation of those drivers and helps the Windows kernal decide whether they should be initialized." It is, in essence, a way of detecting malware during the boot process and blocking it.

Most Malware that Runs on Windows 7 will work on Windows 8

Windows 8 is designed to boot very quickly through, which places limits on what ELAM can achieve.

The Windows 8 specification also limits the amount of memory it can consume. Because it runs so early in the boot sequence and under such limitations, Symantec has already stated that "ELAM does little to improve security".

Remote Attestation is an optional feature. Implementing it inevitably slows down the boot process, which may not prove very popular with PC builders. If you upgrade or tinker with your PC, the timing check system will also need to be recalibrate. Remote Attestation, therefore, looks like a feature that we think will be best suited to corporate environments where systems remain unchanged by design.

The Metro Question

Windows 8 is all about the Metro interface - a collection of tiles linked to programs. Simply sweep though the wall of information and images, then tap the program you want to run. If you don't have a table or other touch enabled devices, you can use the interface with a mouse and keyboard instead.

There are two versions of Windows 8 - one designed to run on x86 chips and another complied for low-power ARM processors. The PC firms we spoke to had little to say about the latter version, and it's unlikely that malware authors have been able to research it much either. If Windows RT (as the ARM version is called) becomes a success, it will probably become the focus of malware writers, but at the moment it's impossible to say.

Looking at the x86 incarnation, Collin Davis explained that Windows 7 and Windows 8 classic are very close cousins. Therefore, most malware that runs on Windows 7 will work on Windows 8. Metro is however a different beast to a degree.

The Janus OS

From a security perspective it's easy to think of Windows 8 as two operating systems; Metro and Classic. Neither will run programs designed for the other. Metro is the more restrictive of the two, as you'll only be able to get programs from Microsoft's App Store, but the separation between Metro and classic Windows isn't clear cut.

Each Metro app works in a sealed environment or sandbox, which means it can't interact with other programs. In other words, Metro works in much the same way as Apple's sandboxed iOS - an OS that has so far avoided any major security silver bullet though. it is, in the words of Davis, "One of many tools that works well if it's done well."

Asked if Microsoft has implemented its sandboxing well, Davis replied, "It's too soon to tell."

There is one major chink in Metro's sandbox Armour. Metro is much like Windows Media Center-an environment that effectively sits on top of Windows Classic. Davis says this means that "a Metro app can't attack a Classic app, but a Classic app can attach a Metro one."

He adds that developing malware for Metro would be no harder or more expensive for virus writers.

It seems then Windows 8 makes the business of securing your PC subtly different, yet largely the same. The same rules, requirements and risks apply, so users should install a well-rated security suite and keep it updated.

Source: PC Magazine [UK]

The LaptopLock - Free Tracking and Data Protection Solutions

noreply@blogger.com (Shafqat Khan) — Sat, 11 Aug 2012 06:37:00 +0000

The LaptopLock is a tracking software, A free package offering a solid basis for your own security solution.

LaptopLock is a free offering that eschews a fancy interface for a simple, no-frills look. Signing up for the service is quick, you simply need to enter your email address and a password, and you're taken straight to the online control panel. From here you can add a computer, giving it a name for easy reference. From this page you can download software.

During installation you can choose whether or not show a splash screen when the laptop starts up - it's nice that you're given the choice.

There are no tracking features with this program, so ideally it should be installed alongside a free service that does, such as Prey. What LaptopLock concentrates on is protecting your data if your laptop is lost or stolen; and is broken into three parts. The first security - here you can select the data you want LaptopLock to delete if you flag up your laptop as stolen via the web interface.

Choosing the files and folders is very easy, and you can select to securely delete the data, so that data recovery tools can't access it. If you're not too keen on the scorched earth policy, you can choose to encrypt the files instead.

The second part is notifications. You can select to show a message or play a sound when the missing laptop is in use. The final part is that you can select a program to launch when the laptop is reported stolen - a good chance to run a tracking program, or activate your webcam and upload the photos it takes. The laptop can also be marked as stolen, notifying a recovery team that will begin collecting evidence to hand over to the police. LaptopLock might appear simple, but with it you can make your own laptop security solution.

PC Format Magazine UK

Kingston HyperX 3K 120GB SSD

noreply@blogger.com (Shafqat Khan) — Sat, 11 Aug 2012 06:00:00 +0000

Best Price, Top-End Performance | Best Solid State Drive

Where once the SSD was the preserve of enthusiasts with deep pockets, these days there are so many drives to choose from that the struggle to get them out to the market at a competitive price has become especially cut throat.

Kingston HyperX 3K 120GB SSD

As price continue their slow downward fall, the 120/128GB capacity has become the sweet spot, so much so that at these capacities the magic £1 per gigabyte barrier has at last been broken for SSDs. And that's been a long time coming.

To try and leverage a better price point of the HyperX 3K series, Kingston has used 3K NAND memory (hence the 3K tag) instead of the 5K NAND of the original HyperX drives.

The 3K label means the NAND should last up to 3,000 full writes of the new drive's maximum capacity versus the 5,000 full writes of the original HyperX. Because of this the NAND is less expensive helping to drive the price down while retaining the pace you expect of a drive carrying the HyperX branding.

Kingston quote sequential read/write figures of 555MB/s and 510MB/s respectively for the drive, confirmed by a quick bas through the ATTO benchmark. Our drive produced figures of 551MB/s and 512MB/s for read/write speeds respectively.

As with all SandForce controlled drives its handling of incompressible data isn't anywhere near as impressive as it is with compressible files; something that is quite nicely illustrated in the AS SSD benchmark. When tested in the default incompressible mode the drive gives up a sequential write score of 171MB/s. Switching to testing compressible data with CrystalMark this jumps to an impressive 466MB/s.

Hyped Drive

For incompressible performance, then, it drops behind the likes of the Marvel-based Corsair Performance Pro, but eh HyperX 3K still manages to hold its own against the other SandForce drives.

When it comes to the drive's internals, Kingston has turned to Intel for the NAND chips. With eight chips housed on either side of the PCB, and with the SancForce 2281VB1 controlled joining group on the board.

Although the new drive uses NAND with reduced program/erase cycles than the original HyperX drives, in practice most people will come nowhere near the drive's write limits. What it does do, however, is put a drive with enthusiast performance at a price point in reach of a lot more people.

Our review drive was standalone product that comes with just a 3.5in bracket and mounting screws. If you're looking for more extras, then the drive is available in a full upgrade bundle, which adds a 2.5in USB external enclosure, cloning software, a fancy screwdriver and SATA data cable to the mix for £130.

At the standard price tag there is simply nothing not to like. It's great performing drive for a fantastic price. The SandForce controller may not be the fastest any more, but will still make a difference to your PC.

By: Simon Crisp

at PC Format Magazine UK

Google Nexus 7 Tablet In UK This July For £159

noreply@blogger.com (Shafqat Khan) — Thu, 28 Jun 2012 13:13:00 +0000

Google Nexus 7 Tablet Will be Available in UK Next Month For £159 (8GB)

Yesterday Google announce the Nexus 7 Tablet having Android 4.1 Jelly Bean version and we collect some information to their UK release. Nexus 7 have 8GB and 16GB editions so far and the 8GB will be available around for £159 from mid of July next month while the 16GB will cost around £199 all around the UK.

Features

Google Nexus 7 features a 7-inch of TouchScreen display having 1280 x 800 pixels in resolution. Processing speed expected to be awful with quad core nVidia Tegra 3 Processor, also features a 12 core GPU fixed inside.

Specifications

FORM FACTOR	*Tablet*
OPERATING SYSTEM (VERSION)	*Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean)*
DISPLAY SIZE	*7 inches (Touch-Screen)*
STORAGE MEMORY	*Internal Memory 8GB, Flash*
APPROX BATTERY LIFE	*8 working hours*
DIMENSIONS	*7.81 x 4.72 x 0.41 in*
WEIGHT	*11.99 oz*
ANNOUNCED	*27th June 2012*

Amazon's Kindle Fire was expected to be launched before Google Nexus 7’s addition in UK, as they are available in US for quite a while, but this time Amazon failed to go ahead and make a change in UK’s market. Definitely spectators may now be more interested in Google Nexus 7 Tablet rather than the Amazon Kindle Fire Tablet.

Source: Engadget

3 Massive Apps for HTC Explorer

noreply@blogger.com (Shafqat Khan) — Tue, 26 Jun 2012 18:52:00 +0000

HTC Explorer: A low budget Android Smartphone, Running on Android 2.3.5 Gingerbread, having HTC Sense 3.5 and 3.2inch HVGA resolution Touch-Screen.

A very common “low memory” notification is a serious headache for HTC Explorer users specially for social-network’s geeks. Whenever you try to download more than two or three apps from Google Play Store, that notification will warn you every time that you are using a low budget smartphone with a low internal memory.
There is an option to move apps to SD Card, but apps like Facebook and Twitter causing a big trouble as they do not have a move to SD Card option and they are very big on memory also.

Performance-wise the HTC Explorer is superb, with 600MHz of processor it gives a much high-end output every time. But the problem is to choose apps, which will gently fits in HTC Explorer’s limited memory, to resist its low memory notification.

These three social networking apps will not effect too much on HTC Explorer’s memory as they can be easily move to SD Card to wipe up some additional internal storage.

1. Instagram

Instagram is a very cool and trendy photo sharing & editing app for Android Operating system. Due to very common in-use on social networks these days like Facebook and Twitter, everyone of you would like to install it in your phone but as it requires at least 12MB of space you will definitely not interested to get it although it’s a free app, but it has a move to SD Card option which is a good news. So don’t worry go ahead and get one to show-up your colleagues that you also have a high-end device. To read more about Instagram or download, visit the Google Play Store

2. Flipboard

Flipboard is a kind of Social News Magazine, lets you find and see everything in one place. By bringing together the world's stories and life's great moments, you can stay up to date with the things that matter most. Flip through the news from your Twitter timeline as well as from outlets like the BBC, USA Today and The Verge. See everything from posts and photos shared by friends on Facebook and Instagram to videos from Stephen Colbert and pop culture nuggets from Rolling Stone. Find inspiration for your travel, style and life from places like National Geographic, Oprah and Cool Hunting. It requires only 2.3MB of space to be installed and covers upto only 4.95MB after installation. As it don’t support to move to SD Card option, but its not very worthy on memory. To read more about Filpboard or download, visit the Google Play Store.

3. Plume for Twitter

Google Play store have a specific category on their front cover, “HTC Recommends” , which shows you a large collection of free and paid top apps, inside that I find Plume for Twitter, one of the best Twitter clients for Android, also you can connect your Facebook account with Plume to get updates from your friends. The Twitter for Android app will cover more than 7MB of free space while its not movable to SD Card, the Plume for Twitter will adjust within 3.5MB of space after installation and also movable to SD Card which is definitely makes it better than Twitter for Android. To read more about Plume for Twitter or download, visit the Google Play Store.
To read more topics about HTC Explorer device, like our official page on Facebook.
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