Interesting Technology

Download you tube videos

2012-08-11T23:36:00.001-07:00

Would you like to know how to download youtube videos?

If so then today is your lucky day because thankfully there are many methods that you can apply almost immediatley. Unfortunately though YouTube has strict rules and doesn’t allow anyone to download vidoeos, however, there are lot’s of ways in which you can download and save any video/music track that you desire with minimal effort.

YouTube (which now belongs to Google) is now one of the biggest and most viewed websites in the world. It’s believed that around 20 hours + of videos are uploaded every single minute on youtube, that’s a mind blowing 100 million videos uploaded every day. For those of you who want to know how to download youtube videos then below with have provided you fantastic information that gived you the authority to do so!

Fortunately there are lots of YouTube Converters that give you the option to download youtube videos which your then able to convert including the new HD format for playback on PC, Mac, iPhone, iPod, PSP, and many other mobile devices too. So know matter where you are, your soon learn that your have all your favorite downloads on the move, whether your on the plain, bus, gym or even the train.

V Downloader permits you to download any video. You basically copy and paste the url from the video you want to download knowing how to download youtube videos has never been quicker please note you may need your own FLV to watch the videos.

SaveTube is a different alternative tool in which you simply copy and paste your selected url’s and then insert them prepared in a position to be downloaded.

SaveTube is similar to V Downloader. Both of them are free to work with and download.

Whilst learning how to download youtube videos it’s beneficial to understand the legal requirments involved with when downloading and uploading videos over to your computer.

Download YouTube VideosKeepVid again uses very much the same method. Just copy and paste the url within the video you wish to copy to download. Also you have the option to download to MP4 formats.

Full Video Converter we highly suggest simply because it Supports all video formats and various other popular devices. CD ripper, audio converter, picture extactor and far more…Full video converter is not difficult to use and has fantastic features where it’s possible to transform videos onto HD.

Other Resourses:

YouTubeX hasn’t got many choices but it is straightforward and functional. You’ll find it allows you to share your videos with friends by email. Really the onlly negative aspect , is may have to rename and add the extension. Flv.

www.youtubex.com

Zamzar is a file conversion service converting YouTube videos to a different format which uploads all of them to your hard drive. But the tool is extremely| powerful and that is why we have provided it in our list. Tested and authorizedby in which you can view its operation on the blog Zamzar

www.zamzar.com

YouTubia is distinct from additional sites to browse} for videos and to download. Insufficient features, however it works!

www.youtubia.com

VidGrab is an additional yet a simple site that operates with YouTube, Google Video, MySpace and Break.com. In addition to the download function, this website also presents a list of the most viewed videos.

www.vidgrab.com

Vixy supplies the download and conversion to DivX avi, mov, mp4, or mp3 (for audio files only). The conversion works very nicely| but the quality is not always the best.

vixy.net

Watch service is a very ambitious video encoding and includes a feature nimbre quite interesting particularly to convert videos to formats for portable media players iRiver H340 as Trusty). The majority of the conversion services provide a rather low quality in terms of synchronizing the video and audio. Still, it happens but hardly ever.

Heywatch.com

KissYouTube is a site which, by adding the phrase Kiss within the Link to the video to download (www.kissyoutube.com / xyz) to go straight to the web site of KissyouTube and click to download the video in flv format .

www.kissyoutube.com

KcoolOnline conversion services are a web-based which assists 98 video sharing sites. They have 0 options but recommended exclusively for those in search of simplicity in support of functionality.

www.kcoolonline.com

YouTube Grabber download YouTube videos in FLV format. Copy / paste the URL of a video into the program, click "Grab" and the video will be downloaded in the same location as the.

www.download.com/Youtube-Grabber/3000-2071_4-10574801.html

Media Converter can appear a lttle bit slow but the conversion effects are quite impressive. We made an effort to convert some YouTube videos to avi (mpeg4 + mp3) and it works pretty well. The tool is not only restricted to video conversion, but in addition supports numerous formats for audio files and documents.

www.mediaconverter.org

VideoGet boasts support more than one hundred video sharing sites. We failed to test so therefore we will take their word for it. It’s even a desktop application along with a nice interface and a|plus a selection of interesting features.

nuclear-coffee.com/php/products.php

Orbit Downloader is really a desktop application that should download videos. The download process is not rocket science: to fly within the video with your mouse to view a link: "Get it". The program’s developers say it can be 500% faster than traditional tools |having its P2P technology.

www.orbitdownloader.com

KeepV is a software for downloading one at a time. (Converts flv to avi, mov, mp4 and 3gp)

keepv.com

TubeSucker works as a downloadable app with a few interesting options including- download multiple videos with a specific user. A demo video is accessible on the website.

www.newrad.com/software/tubesucker/

My Video Downloader. With all of these free tools, it really is interesting to view a paid program: My Video Downloader. Although providing sophisticated features it doesn’t seem to justify the retail price (note a Free Trial version enables you to download 10 videos.

myvideodownloader.com

Ook? Video Ook! The name of this Firefox extension allows you to download videos from many sites. It combines the one-click downloading and integration from the Firefox plugin.

addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/2584

Get Tube is the only software for Mac OSX we was able to find. It enables you and permits you to download audio & video files from YouTube, Dailymotion and Kewego.

web.mac.com/simonvrel/iWeb/software/v.1.0.html

Vidtaker is just a Firefox plugin that allows you to download videos from sites like Google Video, YouTube, MySpace and adult sites like Pornotube, YouPorn … it automatically converts DivX or avi.

www.vidtaker.com

Youtube-dl. Here’s some great news for Linux users. YouTube-dl is a program that enables you to download videos from YouTube flv as MPlayer and VLC can easily read.

www.nuxified.org/blog/download_youtube_video_files_with_youtube_dl

If you wish to download video / audio files (QuickTime, MPEG, MP3, Flash …) installed Download Embedded. To avoid further deterioration of the quality of the video that you download. Flv (which is already minimal), I advise you to use a flv player and do not convert video to mpeg or avi.

Learning How To Download Youtube Videos is Easy And Free

Keep in mind, YouTube is a video sharing website that;s owned by Google and allows users to see, share and upload each others videos. It’s extremely important you stand by YouTubes rules when it comes to uploaded videos onto youtube. Now you know some easy statergies regarding "how to download youtube videos" it’s your responsibility to act inside the legal requirents.

Popular YouTube Inspires Others To Download Videos

Many reasons exist why YouTube s really popular and is currently one of the 3 most used websites in the entire world. One of these reasons is the tremendous variety of content which you can find in the website. Every single day millions of people spend their time in front of the screen taking a look at great content and being entertained along at the same time, while viewing quite possibly the most diverse and/or imaginable things online. From rock stars to amateur singers, from raw jokes to fascinating moments ever recorded, you name it, Youtube has it all!

Yet another effective motive that would explain the excellent success achievement that YouTube has is due to their supply. Generally any individual round the planet, except those countries where it is limited, can view YouTube videos. The service is free and it does not even need a membership to be able to play a video. Individuals are even learning how to make money on youtube as well as learning how to download youtube videos.

Even though it is not required to be authorized in order to participate in a video, it is handy to do so if you would like to upload a video and gain access to a number of other functions. Registration is |totally free and super easy to do. When you are registered you can produce your personal profile or channel and begin uploading videos straight from the website. The interface is extremely user friendly and after a couple of clicks you’ll be able to show and share your videos with the world.

YouTube makes everything specific and easy so that any particular person can make good use of the site. Nevertheless, many users still complain that there is no details on the site on how to download YouTube videos. The purpose behind this impediment is left to them, since generally Google (YouTube owner) |doesn’t like giving reasons for what they do or the lack of.

Thankfully downloading Youtube videos is possible, and in fact it is quite simple to conduct. With the assist of a YouTube downloader, users are capable to download any video and play them later on from any kind of computer or playing device with no need of being linked to the web. The best part is that learning how to download YouTube videos is pretty straightforward. Once you get the YouTube Downloader, the rest is just about clicking a single button in order to store the videos in your hard drive.

In conclusion, YouTube has reached an excellent recognition due to its excellent interface and free program. And if mixed with the right tools, users are able to get the most out of the large video website and can have entry to learn how to download youtube videos free of charge.

How to Hack / Cheat In Flash Based Games For Fun !!!

2012-08-11T19:51:00.001-07:00

Today I am going to share with you on how to cheat on flash based games. Most of the computer games that can be installed on computer has backdoor cheats where you simply type the code and you get unlimited money, health and so on. But flash game seldom has built-in cheats. I’ve introduced 2 flash based games which is Tower Defense and Sword and Sandals. Honestly I find both games impossible to win after a few rounds. Tried looking for cheat codes but it’s not available. The only way to cheat in flash based games is to hack the memory.

This method I am going to teach you can work for ALL flash based games. As long as it is developed by flash, you can use the same method with the same logic to cheat your way through.

To cheat in flash games, you’ll need:
1. Cheat Engine
2. Calculator (Start -> Programs -> Accessories -> Calculator)
3. A little luck and brains

Here’s the simple explanation on how you’re going to hack flash games with CheatEngine. You are going to use CheatEngine to load the browser that is running the flash game, search for the value in the memory, modify or freeze the value. If you change the value to a higher number, you’ll get a higher value. If you freeze it, that means you won’t run out of that value.
For example, you want to increase your health from 200 to a higher number. Just multiple 200 with 8 which equals to 1600. At CheatEngine, enter 1600 at the value and click on First Scan button. You should have more than 1 result. So you must test one by one until you find the correct address to modify. Make sure you change back to the original value on the address that’s not right one to avoid the game being corrupted.

In short, any value in the game MUST be multiplied by 8 before searching using CheatEngine.

Here’s a demonstration of how I hack my way through in Tower Defense.
Run CheatEngine and load the process that you used to load the flash game. I use Internet Explorer, so the process would be iexplore.exe. When you start playing Tower Defense, you’ll get only 40 gold. I have to multiply 40 with 8 and I get 320. Enter 320 in the CheatEngine value and click on First Scan button. I got 105 result which is too much to guess which is the address I should modify to get more gold.

So I should spend a little gold and try searching again until I get less result.

Now I have 73 gold.

I multiply 73 with 8 and got 584. I searched again in CheatEngine with the value 584 and this time I got only 27 result. What I do next is right click on the results and click on "Select all items". When all results are highlighted, I click on the small arrow and all 27 results would be copied to the address list. Next, click once on the address list and press CTRL+A simultaneously. You’ll again see all 27 results highlighted. Right click and go to Change record -> Value. Enter the new value 4672. I got 4672 by multiplying 584 with 8. This new value which I am going to enter will be the new amount of Gold I want. Once done, simply spend a little money on the game and you’ll notice that the Gold is updated with the new amount!(which is 539 for me)

Until now, we still don’t know which actual address to hack to get more gold. We use the same step above but this time with the current gold. I now have 539 gold. Multiply 539 with 8 equals 4312. I search for 4312 in CheatEngine and this time I ONLY got 2 result! So the actual address to hack the gold is either one! I try the first one by adding it to the address list, and change the value from 4312 to 34496. Why 34496? It’s because I multiplied 4312 with 8. Remember, always multiply your values with 8. I spend a little money on building tower, but the gold did not increase. Now I automatically know that it’s the second address that’s determine the amount of gold I have. Simply update the second address’s value with a higher number and you’ll get lots of gold to build towers!

Here’s another demonstration on how I cheat my way through on Swords and Sandals 2.
Run CheatEngine, load Internet Explorer that runs the flash Swords and Sandals 2 game.
First, to hack the amount of gold. We have 2500 of gold for starting. Take 2500 times 8 equals 20000. Enter 20000 in CheatEngine and click on First Scan. I found only 4 results.

Add all 4 results to the address list and change all 4 values from 20000 to 160000. I got 160000 by multiplying 8 with 20000. Went back to the game and immediately my gold has been updated to 20000 gold pieces!

To identify which address out of the 4 is the one that’s affecting the gold, simply spend a little gold and you’ll notice a change in your CheatEngine. I spent 250 gold and immediately I saw one of the address in CheatEngine updated the value from 160000 to 158000.

Note: For any value you hacked, you can freeze it by checking the Frozen button. Meaning if you spent your gold, it won’t deduct your gold. But you have to be sure that the value is the exact one otherwise you might corrupt the game and you have to start all over again. You can also have GOD mode by freezing your health.

Have fun hacking and cheating flash based games!

Created by Carl Stewardson from http://www.windows.re Technology Blog

Created

How to speed Your Machine , With a Plextor SSD

2012-08-11T19:20:00.001-07:00

Plextor's newly launched M5 Pro is angling to be the top dot on the SATA III SSD spec charts -- and looks like it will mostly succeed. The Marvell Monet controller lets the piece have an adverse effect on a constant 540 MB/s read and 450 MB/s compose speeds in place of the superior models, as well as a bulky 94,000 read and 86,000 compose IOPS. Those numbers would locate it forward of or alongside on the whole of its competitors excepting in steady compose speeds, but Plextor claims so as to look sharp is not the model's barely trick. It too makes manipulation of "True Speed" tech to reduce performance drops with age, uses 128-bit mistake correction to eliminate data inaccuracy and offers 256-bit full-drive encryption. The 128GB, 256GB or 512GB drives will be existing mid-August in place of prices so as to tolerate yet to be dogged, but it's likely to be well north of its plan namesake, the M5S. You'll uncover the packed PR once the break.
Show packed PR textPlextor Launches Super-Fast SSD with Random Read/ Write Performance of 94,000/86,000 IOPS
M5 Pro sets a pristine standard in high-performance and high-reliability expert SSDs with unique data protection tools
Dignified 7, 2012 – Plextor, a leading developer of high-performance digital luggage compartment equipment, at present announced the M5 Pro Series Solid State Drive, a high-performance professional-grade SSD engineered using the most up-to-date Marvell® 88SS9187 Monet controller. The M5 Pro provides a unique enterprise-grade double-data protection featuring random read/write speeds of up to 94,000/86,000 IOPS and sequential read/write speeds of up to 540/450 MB/s.
The M5 Pro has the aptitude to consistently send towering read and compose speeds in place of all forms of data and manipulation the multi-core controller to conduct extreme towering oodles. This makes the M5 Pro as it should be in place of manipulation in a leaden workstation, head waiter role, or Raid 0 configuration setting. The M5 Pro too makes manipulation of True Speed Technology to prevent the drastic performance cut seen in a little SSDs once intense or long-term tradition.
Fashionable line with the needs of far ahead users in place of highest data integrity and confidentiality, the M5 Pro offers a unique enterprise-grade double-data protection tools. Using the most up-to-date 128-bit mistake correction orderliness built into the most up-to-date Marvell controller, the M5 Pro is able to repeatedly check and correct the accuracy of data being read from the display remembrance. This is complemented by a succeeding layer of read protection existing by the robust data hold-out algorithm in Plextor's exclusive firmware, consequently allowing the drive to complete aggregate data accuracy even in the long-term. When data confidentiality is necessary, the drive uses hardware in the US Government AES-validated Marvell controller to provide secure 256-bit full-drive encryption.
With the M5 Pro, Plextor has alert on on the increase and supplying single of the on the whole string drives on the sell. To complete this, extensive pre-production tough took place using the world's on the whole far ahead SSD tough facilities. It was barely whilst the design was able to pass strict enterprise-grade Zero Error standard of 400 units surviving 500 hours of the toughest constant tough not including a single mistake or failure so as to the drive was manufactured. To ensure stability and reliability in place of party drives, all drives undergo rigorous high-temperature burn-in tests and accelerated tradition simulation tough.
"The M5 Pro is the after that step in the evolution of the SSD combining towering fly, drive reliability, and data-level protection," thought Minnie Lin, Marketing Manager, Plextor. "In modern years, Plextor has been able to develop SSDs so as to send towering real-world performance and sustained fly above the long-term. Our SSDs tolerate the lowest yearly failure rate in the consumer SSD industry. Now with the M5 Pro, we plan to manipulation Plextor's abilities to offer extreme data protection and allot users aggregate confidence in each single aspect of their drive."
Each M5 Pro SSD is backed by an industry leading five-year warranty and Plextor's extensive international support infrastructure. The Plextor M5 Pro will be existing in 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB capacities mid-August 2012.
*****
About Plextor
Plextor is a leading developer of high-performance digital luggage compartment equipment in place of professionals, consumers and enterprises. Since the launch of its at the outset CD-ROM drive in 1989, Plextor has residential multi–award winning products so as to tolerate deposit the standard in place of quality and performance. Plextor continues to send generations of innovative industry-leading products, together with Blu-ray optical disc drives, solid state drives, digital cartridge converters and multimedia procedure. The Plextor luggage compartment and multimedia products are owned by Shinano Kenshi of Japan.

Written by Carl Stewardson from http://www.windows.re

WHAT ARE SSD SOLID STATE HARD DRIVES?

2012-08-11T06:28:00.001-07:00

Dell began shipping ultra-portable laptops with SanDisk SSDs on April 26, 20[117] Asus released the Eee PC subnotebook on October 16, 2007, with 2, 4 or 8 gigabytes of flash memory.Defragmentation negatively affects the life of the SSD and has no benefit.14] 1987 saw the entry of EMC Corporation (EMC) into the SSD market, with drives introduced for the mini-computer market.112] Vista does not natively implement TRIM command, either.DragonFly BSD As a unique feature, DragonFly BSD allows SSD-configured swap to also be used as file system cache.In 1995, M-Systems introduced flash-based solid-state drives.If a software encryption program encrypts data already on the SSD, the overwritten data is still unsecured, unencrypted, and accessible (drive-based hardware encryption does not have this problem).The interface is generally one of the interfaces found in HDDs.The term was first used by EMC in January 2008, to help them identify SSD manufacturers who would provide products meeting these higher standards.70] Generally high since the mechanical components require additional time to get aligned Data transfer rate SSD technology can deliver rather consistent read/write speed, but when lots of individual smaller blocks are accessed, performance is reduced.SSDs do not employ any moving mechanical components, which distinguishes them from traditional magnetic disks such as hard disk drives (HDDs) or floppy disks, which are electromechanical devices containing spinning disks and movable read/write heads.102] Mac OS X Mac OS X 7 (Lion) supports TRIM, as does OS X 8 Snow Leopard.126] In November 2010, Fusion-io released its highest performing SSD drive named ioDrive Octal utilising PCI-Express x16 Gen 0 interface with storage space of 12 TB, read speed of 0 GB/s, write speed of 4 GB/s and a low latency of 30 microseconds.60] Comparison of SSD with hard disk drives SSD benchmark, showing about 230 MB/s reading speed, 210 MB/s writing speed and about 1 ms seek time, all independent from the accessed disk location.Higher performing SSDs have similar read and write speeds.Listed below are some notable computer file systems which are optimized for solid-states drives.Applications Until 2009, SSDs were mainly used in those aspects of mission critical applications where the speed of the storage system needed to be as fast as possible.Swap partitions On Linux, swap partitions automatically exploit TRIM operations when the underlying drive supports TRIM (no configuration is needed).They would all connect to a common bus inside the chassis and connect outside the box with a single connector.Usually no exposed circuitry.This problem does not exist with SLC flash memory.111] The proper alignment really does not help the SSD's endurance over the life of the drive, however some Vista operations, if not disabled, can shorten the life of the SSD.SSD technology uses electronic interfaces compatible with traditional block input/output (I/O) hard disk drives.This problem was resolved by controllers that came out in 2009 and later.High altitude operation Can endure high altitude during operation.Since flash memory has become a common component of SSDs, the falling prices and increased densities have made it more financially attractive for many other applications.For desktop computers with 5" hard disk slots, a simple adapter plate can be used to make such disk fit.The Apple Store cost was $999 more for this option, as compared with that of an 80 GB 4200 RPM hard disk drive.ZFS Solaris as of version 10 Update 6 (released in October 2008), and recent versions of OpenSolaris, Solaris Express Community Edition, Illumos, Linux with ZFS on Linux and FreeBSD all can use SSDs as a performance booster for ZFS.The strategy the drive operates by internally can largely vary between manufacturers and, the TRIM command zeroes the whole range of a deleted file.May need a few milliseconds to come out of an automatic power-saving mode.Data transfer rate depends also upon rotational speed, which can range from 4,200 to 15,000 rpm.But with the introduction of cheaper drum storage units, their use was discontinued.Partitions can be manually aligned before OS installation.When multiple NAND devices operate in parallel inside an SSD, the bandwidth scales, and the high latencies can be hidden, as long as enough outstanding operations are pending and the load is evenly distributed between devices.To remedy this issue, swap files inside an ordinary file system may be used.4][49] These traditional form factors are known by the size of the rotating media, e.2] The prices have continued to decline in 20[3] SSDs share the I/O interface technology developed for hard disk drives, thus permitting simple replacement for most applications.Most of recent models work well in all orientations.9] In 1976 Dataram started selling a product called Bulk Core, which provided up to 2 MB of solid state storage compatible with Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) and Data General (DG) computers.The package included a rechargeable battery to preserve the memory chip contents when the array was not powered.In most cases, an EFD is an SSD with a higher set of specifications, compared with SSDs that would typically be used in notebook computers.19] Since then, SSDs have been used successfully as HDD replacements by the military and aerospace industries, as well as for other mission-critical applications.Some of these include PCIe, mini PCIe, mini-DIMM, MO-297, and many more.DRAM-based SSDs usually incorporate either an internal battery or an external AC/DC adapter and backup storage systems to ensure data persistence while no power is being supplied to the drive from external sources.HDDs can fail in this way too, but often give warning that they are failing, allowing much or all of their data to be recovered.HDDs have moving parts, and are subject to potential mechanical failures from the resulting wear and tear.114][115] On some operating systems[which?Once the head is positioned, when reading or writing a continuous track, an enterprise HDD can transfer data at about 140 MB/s.

Likewise, there may be other SSD manufacturers that meet the EFD requirements without being called EFDs.It also includes support for the TRIM command to reduce garbage collection for data which the operating system has already determined is no longer valid.Along with the emerging enterprise market, SSDs have been appearing in ultra-mobile PCs and a few lightweight laptop systems, adding significantly to the price of the laptop, depending on the capacity, form factor and transfer speeds.SNIA N/A Develops and promotes standards, technologies, and educational services in the management of information SSSI SNIA Fosters the growth and success of solid state storage Commercialization Cost and capacity The technological trend of 50% decline in costs per year is no longer possible in NAND flash due to patents on some key manufacturing processes stifling further competition in the market.Solid-state drive From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (Redirected from Ssd) Jump to: navigation, search This article is about flash-based, DRAM-based, and other solid-state storage.As memory cards are not designed to tolerate the amount of reading and writing which occurs during typical computer use, their data may get damaged unless special procedures are taken to reduce the wear on the card to a minimum.Eliminating the external DRAM enables a smaller footprint for the other flash memory components in order to build even smaller SSDs.While not a file system feature, operating systems must also align partitions correctly to avoid excessive read-modify-write cycles.Controller Every SSD includes a controller that incorporates the electronics that bridge the NAND memory components to the host computer.21] In 2007, Fusion-io announced a PCIe-based SSD with 100,000 input/output operations per second (IOPS) of performance in a single card, with capacities up to 320 gigabytes.128] Also announced was the Z-Drive R5 which is available in capacities up to 12 TB capable of reaching transfer speeds of 16 GB/s and 52 million IOPS using the PCI Express x16 Gen 0[129] Quality and performance Main article: Disk drive performance characteristics SSD technology has been developing rapidly.If power is lost, the battery provides power while all information is copied from random access memory (RAM) to back-up storage.Secure writing limitations NAND flash memory cannot be overwritten, but has to be rewritten to previously erased blocks.Free block availability and TRIM SSD write performance is significantly impacted by the availability of free, programmable blocks.The 20 MB unit could be used instead of a hard drive.66] Traditional hard drives store their data in a linear, ordered manner.Combined with a cloud computing environment or other writable medium, to maintain persistence, an OS booted from a write-locked SD card is robust, rugged, reliable, and impervious to permanent corruption.The interface is usually incorporated into the controller discussed above.Cirrus Logic's flash controller operation, allowing the company to enter the flash memory business for consumer electronic devices.Memory Flash memory-based Most[citation needed] SSD manufacturers use non-volatile NAND flash memory in the construction of their SSDs because of the lower cost compared with DRAM and the ability to retain the data without a constant power supply, ensuring data persistence through sudden power outages.It achieved a maximum write speed of 654 megabytes per second (MB/s) and maximum read speed of 712 MB/s.HDDs are definitely either upgradeable, changeable, or downgradable.11] The following year, StorageTek developed the first modern type of solid-state drive.Flash memory SSDs are slower than DRAM solutions, and some early designs were even slower than HDDs after continued use.Traditional HDD benchmarks are focused on finding the performance aspects where they are weak, such as rotational latency time and seek time.

10 Free Blogging Tools You Can’t Live Without

2012-08-11T06:10:00.001-07:00

10 Free Blogging Tools You Can’t Live Without

and today I’m going to share 10 of the free blogging toolsYou can’t live without.Â I had a hard time narrowing this list down to just 10 tools, but I think the following offers a diverse group of tools that every blogger should try.

Of course, I also can’t live without Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, and many, many more free tools, but the list below includes a more diverse selection than just the most well-known and expected tools that you’d normally find in this type of list.Â Note that this list is in no particular order.

So without further ado, here they are — 10 free blogging tools I can’t live without (or at least, that I don’t want to live without):

1. Stock.xchng

I use a variety of sites to find free images that I can legally publish in my blog posts, and stock.xchng is one of my favorites.

2. Paint.net

Need to edit images for your blog?Â I have used several free tools to do this in the past, but Paint.net has become my favorite.

3. WordPress.org

This list would not be complete if I didn’t mention my favorite blogging application.

4. Google Analytics

Google Analytics is by far the best and most comprehensive free Web analytics tool.

5. Skype

I was not an early adopter of Skype, but over the past couple of years, it has become an integral part of my life as a blogger for conducting chats, phone conversations, and interviews.

6. PollDaddy

There are a number of free poll sites and tools that bloggers can use, but PollDaddy is still my favorite because of its ease-of-use and streamlined functionality.

7. Google Alerts

I have multiple alerts set up and view them in my email inbox everyday.Â Of course, Google Alerts isn’t perfect, but it has helped me to find many conversations and articles that I may have missed otherwise.

8. CoffeeCup

I’m not a Web developer and my HTML and CSS knowledge is limited, but when I do need to look through code to edit a WordPress theme or view the source code for a Web page, the free version of CoffeeCup makes it easier to find what I’m looking for.

9. Core FTP

There are a number of free FTP sites and tools, but Core FTP is easy to use and perfect for a novice.

10. Delicious

I have a private Delicious account that I use to bookmark all of the content I want to research further, write about, and so on.Â I can access these bookmarks from any computer and at anytime.Â I don’t know what I would do if anything ever happened to my Delicious account.

What are your favorite free blogging tools?Â Leave a comment and share your “can’t live without” tools!

The 50 most interesting articles on Wikipedia

2012-08-11T06:07:00.001-07:00

The 50 most interesting articles on Wikipedia

Deep in the bowels of the internet, I came across an exhaustive list of interesting Wikipedia articles . It’s brilliant reading when you’re bored, so I got to post the top 50 here.

Bookmark it, start reading, and become that person who’s always full of fascinating stuff you never knew about.

The top 50 Wikipedia articles by interestingness

1. Marree Man
2. War Plan Red
3. Vela Incident
4. Tybee Bomb
5. United States Numbered Highways
6. Wow! Signal
7. Tube Bar Prank Calls
8. Kola Superdeep Borehole
9. Back to the Future Timeline
10. Year Without a Summer
11. K Foundation Burn a Million Quid
12. Sokal Affair
13. Blue Peacock
14. Veerappan
15. Person From Porlock
16. Eternal Flame
17. U.S. Color-Coded War Plans
18. The Wedge (Border)
19. Mohave Phone Booth
20. Stanislav Petrov
21. Valery Sablin
22. The Man on the Clapham Omnibus
23. Special Atomic Demolition Munition
24. Piracy in the Strait of Malacca
25. Prometheus (tree)
26. Zone of Alienation
27. Fan Death
28. Outlawries Bill
29. Raymond Robinson (Green Man)
30. Scoville Scale
31. Kardashev Scale
32. Larry Walters
33. Joshua A. Norton
34. Fabergé egg
35. Issei Sagawa
36. Joseph Jagger
37. Traumatic Insemination
38. James Joseph Dresnok
39. Ivy League Nude Posture Photos
40. Jim Corbett (Hunter)
41. Just-World Phenomenon
42. Nicholas Bourbaki
43. Humanzee
44. Old Man of the Lake
45. Alexamenos Graffito
46. Fairy Chess Piece
47. Michael Fagan Incident
48. ETAOIN SHRDLU
49. Palomares Hydrogen Bomb Incident
50. As Slow as Possible

NOKIA WINDOWS ALLIANCE

2012-08-11T04:19:00.001-07:00

Nokia could unveil first-ever Windows tablet on Monday

Is a Nokia & Microsoft collabo the perfect prescription?

The first-ever tablet to feature the rather lovely live tiles of Microsoft’s Windows Phone operating system could make its debut next week, reports suggest.
Monday sees Microsoft hold court at a typically lavish, all-the-bells-and-whistles press call in Los Angeles. And to its credit, so far the Redmond-based tech giant has made a decent fist of keeping a lid on whatever it’s got to unveil to an expectant tech world.
Until now, that is. According to shadowy sources (aren’t they always?) with knowledge of such things cited by All Things D, the mystery event will be all about tablets with a line-up that will include a device manufactured either by Microsoft itself or its closest Windows Phone partner Nokia.
The showcase will also reportedly feature specially created apps. Assuming Nokia gets the nod to bring a tablet to market, you can almost certainly expect some of these to be exclusive to its slate – in much the same way that Nokia Drive and Nokia Music are reserved for its Windows smartphones.
Chatter about the Big M’s plans comes amid analysts’ projections that the iPad will continue to dominate the tablet space for years to come, despite a recent surge from Android.
After a moribund start, Google’s platform has picked up support among slate-buyers over the last six months thanks to the success of the five million-selling, smartphone-slate lovechild that is the Samsung Galaxy Note.

The 50 Best iPad Games

2012-08-11T03:54:00.001-07:00

The 50 Best iPad Games

Whether you're a casual or hardcore gamer we've picked the best iPad games for you.

The 50 Best iPad Games
Arcade Games
Action Games
First- and Third-Person Shooter Games
Puzzle and Board Games
Strategy, RPG, Tower Defense, World Building
Sports and Racing Games
Fighting Games
Music Games
Adventure Games

It's amazing how quickly the gaming industry changes. Just a few years ago, no Apple device was viewed as a viable gaming platform, but the rise of iOS, the rapid App Store growth, and the sheer number of iDevices that are in consumers' hands has given Cupertino the muscle to snag a portion of gamers' dollars in the mobile space. In fact, Apple stated that it sold an incredible three million new iPad units within the tablet's first three days of availability. That's a lot of iPads out there, which means lots of people are looking to play games.
The iPad's large, gorgeous display gives gamers a more open, visual experience that isn't as restricted as the DS/3DS/PlayStation Vita's relatively small displays. This makes it an excellent device for any number of games, but it especially benefits those with large footprints, such as Words With Friends. There is one significant drawback, however: Unlike traditional video game portables, the iPad lacks physical controls, which can prove less than intuitive when playing certain titles that weren't built from the ground up with iOS in mind or demand intricate controller inputs. In those circumstances, ThinkGeek's Joystick-It Tablet Arcade Stick can come in quite handy.
Many iPad games fall into the casual and diversionary realm (Angry Birds Space, Quarrel Deluxe HD), but an increasing number of the best games are aimed at the dedicated, or "core," gaming demographic. 9MM, for instance, brings gun play and mature content; Infinity Blade 2 is a high-octane action-RPG with console quality graphics; DoDonPachi Resurrection HD is a 2D shooter (or "shmup"—short for shoot 'em up) that will obliterate the Fruit Ninja crowd. Apple's iOS has titles for gamers of all types.
Most iPad games fall within the $5 to $10 (Sonic CD) range, but you can find titles that are free (Temple Run), or carry price tags just shy of $20 (such as the $13.99 Espgaluda II HD). Still, that's about the half the price of your typical DS/3DS/PlayStation Vita title.

View Slideshow See all (50) slides

If you're ready to iPad game, check out our story to discover what we consider to be 50 can't-miss games that will keep you entertained at home or on the road. The majority is dedicated iPad games, but we also include a few iPhone games that look great when played in 2X mode. If you want to check out our other video game recommendations, click the links below. Think we missed a game? Be sure to let us know in the comments so we can consider it for our next update!
Note that you can read the story in a multipage format (see the Table of Contents, above) or as a slideshow.—Next: Arcade Games >

The 100 Best iPhone Apps

2012-08-11T03:53:00.001-07:00

The 100 Best iPhone Apps

What's an iPhone without apps? Here are 100 of the best apps of all time, apps that every iPhone owner should consider installing.

The 100 Best iPhone Apps
Browsers and Reference (1-10)
Organization and Productivity (11-22)
Utility (23-30)
Communication and Social (31-40)
Games (41-52)
Music and Video (53-61)
Photography, Hobbies, Finance (62-70)
Health and Cooking (71-77)
Reading (78-87)
Shopping (88-95)
Travel (96-100)

Need new iPhone apps? Maybe you're new to the iPhone, or perhaps you're a long-time iPhone owner who has too many apps and needs to find replacements that are more multi-purpose than the single-purpose apps currently cluttering your phone. In this article, we round up the best 100 iPhone apps we know of.
Before you start downloading more apps willy-nilly, make sure you've updated your operating system to the latest version (iOS 5.1 at the time of this writing). There are features in Apple's own mobile operating system that are as good and useful as any app on this list—especially true since iOS 5's release. For example, iMessage now bypasses SMS texting charges by using Wi-Fi when it's available for iOS-to-iOS messages. That helps you save money. Other Apple apps, like Find My iPhone, require iOS 5 to work.
Plenty of amazing apps can be found in the App Store. Word-of-mouth advice from friends is useful in helping you decide which ones you might like, but we at PCMag spend thousands of hours each year scouring iTunes, speaking with developers, reviewing the best apps we find, and hunting for hidden gems. If there's an app that makes owning the iPhone more worthwhile, we find out about it.

View Slideshow See all (100) slides

The 100 apps that made the cut for this list are the ones that have shown outstanding performance, have been almost universally liked by users young and old, or have had a solid history of being among the first apps we'd recommend new users download. Many of the apps listed here are free, a few cost a couple of dollars, and the priciest one on this list will only set you back about $10.
Missing from this list are apps that come pre-installed on the iPhone, although they are certainly not to be overlooked. The YouTube, Maps, and Clocks apps in particular should not be ignored, while the iTunes, iPod, and App Store apps typically see a fair share of well-deserved usage, too. iPhone 4S users may love (or loath) Siri, which is not on this list—but alternatives to Siri sure are.
The Apple App Store is expansive, and certainly, we don't know about every hidden gem of an app that's out there. If there's a great app you love, please tell us and other readers about it in the comments at the end of the article.—Next: Browsers and Reference (1-10) >

The 35 Best Mac Apps

2012-08-11T03:52:00.003-07:00

The 35 Best Mac Apps

Whether you're a Mac newcomer or seasoned veteran, these 35 apps will make your OS X experience more fun and productive.

The 35 Best Mac Apps
Creativity Apps
Productivity Apps
Utilities Apps
Syncing Apps
Browsers
Audio and Video
Communication

According to data analyst firm Gartner, the Mac's market share reached 11.6 percent in the fourth quarter of 2011. In fact, Apple was the only personal computer vendor in the United States of America to see growth. The upshot of both these factoids is that there are more new people exploring the OS X platform than before. If you count yourself among the new Mac users group, you're probably wondering which apps are the ones you should check out. And, even if you're a longtime Mac user, you can always use a few helpful suggestions for improving your Mac experience. Regardless of your affiliation, we have a must-read list for you.
The 35 Best Mac Apps highlights the software that you should download to your OS X desktop or laptop right now. The apps will help you express your creativity, be more productive, browse the Web, communicate with others, and much more. Some of the apps are exclusive to the OS X platform; others are cross-platformers that you'll find on Windows and Linux. One of the apps even lets you run Windows and Linux within OS X, opening the door to even more apps than what the Mac natively supports. Note that there's one big category that we've left out here on purpose: games. We'll handle Mac games in their own story at a later date.

View Slideshow See all (35) slides

Click on the slideshow to get started or check out the category menu on the right to see the 35 best Mac apps indexed by category. Do you feel that there are some high quality Mac apps that we've missed? This is our first cut at a story that we plan to keep expanding, so we're very eager to hear your suggestions in the comment section below. Who knows? Maybe your suggestion may end up in the next version of this story.—Next: Creativity Apps >

10 iPad Apps Everyone Should Have

2012-08-11T03:52:00.001-07:00

10 iPad Apps Everyone Should Have

Own an iPad? Download these 10 essential iPad apps immediately

The first thing most people do after buying an Apple iPad is head to iTunes and start downloading apps. But with thousands to choose from, where do you start? Sure, Apple makes some recommendations, but who knows how they create their list. Apple also makes it pretty easy to see what is most popular, but does anyone really need three different versions of Angry Birds? If you want essential apps that improve almost everything you do with your iPad, start with this list of 10.
Before I continue, I should say that this is my personal list. Although I solicited suggestions from the PCMag staff, there was no way we could all agree on the same 10. To make it concise, I had to make it personal. So any omissions are my fault entirely. That said, I think the list is pretty killer. (If you're looking for the overall best iPad apps, check out our feature story.)
I had just a couple of requirements for this list. The apps had to have wide appeal among average users. Sketch for the iPad is certainly a killer app, but if your artistic abilities are like mine—the word "limited" comes to mind—it is useless to you. Likewise, the Bloomberg iPad App is the best way to track your investments, but, after a year with unemployment at over eight percent, precious few of us have those anymore. When I say these apps are essential for every man, woman and child, I mean it.
Before we get to the new winners, I should briefly mention the Apps that are getting bumped from the list. They are all still great apps, but they just can't keep their spots the top ten. Instapaper was simply replaced with a faster, more stable app that offers the same functionality. Others, like Angry Birds, just got old. But don't worry, change is good.
Of course, you are probably going to download and install a lot more than this, but consider these apps a great start. Click on the image below to start the slideshow and get all ten of my picks.

View Slideshow See all (10) slides

15 of the best apps and utilities which are the best

2012-08-11T03:49:00.001-07:00

15 Windows Utilities You Can't Live Without

Despite the move (real or hyped) towards Web-based applications, there are still a few hundred million of us using Windows PCs running actual software. These 15 utilities are little gems of code that will help you get the most out of your Windows system.

15 Windows Utilities You Can't Live Without
ArsClip 3.1.3
Audacity 1.2
Autoruns 9
DualBootPRO 1.0.0
ImgBurn 2.5
Iometer
KeyText 3.13
NetSurveyor Professional
Paragon Hard Disk Manager 2010 Suite
Process Explorer 11
Process Monitor 2.8
VLC media player 1.0.5
Registry Workshop
Wireshark 1.2.6

Though these days all the talk is about how the future is cloud-based computing—Google Chrome OS will only run Web apps—there is still a real need to run installed applications on Windows systems. In particular, I'm talking about utilities, those helper apps that do just one thing and do it well, whether it be playing or editing a media file or tweaking or peeking at a system function. We've rounded up our 15 newest reviews of our favorite utilities. Check them out—many will cost you no more than the time you'll spend downloading it.

View Slideshow See all (15) slides

The first group of our small software gems include functions that you might pay bigger bucks for—I'm talking about watching video with the supremely versatile VLC media player, and editing sound with the open source Audacity, which offers multitrack sound recording and editing with a host of plug-in effects available.
The next group help you see what's going on in your PC system and let you take the temperature of your system and set it right. These include Process Explorer, Process Monitor, Autoruns, and Registry Workshop. All of these give you insights into what's going on with your Windows installation and insights into how to tweak and optimize performance.
If you want to make the most of your PC's hardware, check out the third group: ImgBurn lets you burn disc images with tons of options like making them bootable. DualBootPro lets you run multiple operating systems on one PC. And our Editors' Choice disk utility, Paragon Hard Disk Manager 2010 Suite lets IT pros and serious enthusiasts partition and backup hard drives or any connected external disks, as well as offering numerous other disk-manipulating functions.
A couple of the apps—KeyText 2000 and ArsClip—offer time-saving productivity enhancements. The first lets you record macros, saving you typing the same text or command over and over. ArsClip, can (among other abilities) remember the last 15 entries you copied to the clipboard—a real lifesaver if you've copied a large text block or password and absent-mindedly copied something else before pasting it.
The last group of third party utilities sniffs out networking and WiFi issues. WireShark is a free network packet sniffer that lets you troubleshoot networking issues. NetStumbler performs a similar task for WiFi networks. It's an indispensible tool for anyone with a WiFi router or WiFi capable laptop—i.e., anyone who uses a computer these days. For the IT crowd, there's the professional-level NetSurveyor Professional, measures performance details of Wi-Fi networks. Finally in networking, but not for the faint-of-heart, is Iometer, which checks network performance by testing I/O operations.
But don't stop at these: Check out PCMag's own extensive library of software utilities ranging from AltTabIt, which shows a screenshot of your open apps, to ZipHunter, which lets you search files within ZIP archives without extracting them. Here you'll also find such diverse programs as a world clock, a remote webcam surveillance app, a disk optimization, and a connection speed testers. You're bound to find some utilities you can't live without in our library. For piles more (more than 200) great utilities, check out our 2009 Windows Utility Guide. And, of course, stay tuned for PCMag.com's 2010 Utility Guide, coming later this year. Got a favorite utility you want us to consider? Let us know in the comments to this story.
ArsClip 3.1.3

Free
This utility is a free, powerful, customizable clipboard extender. It stores text strings, pictures, filenames for easy reuse, and basically does everything for cut-and-paste that Windows' own clipboard should do but doesn't.
Audacity 1.2

Free
Audacity is a surprisingly full-featured audio recording and editing software package considering it's free and open source.
Autoruns 9

Free
Autoruns 9 reveals every single program and process that launches automatically on your computer. It's especially useful for detecting malware, since almost every malicious program needs some way to launch automatically. Do be careful disabling startup items; you could destabilize Windows.
DualBootPro 1.0.0

$8.95 - $24.95 Direct
If you dual-boot Windows systems, you need this program now, or you'll need it if anything goes wrong with the Windows boot system. So get a copy now.
ImgBurn 2.5

Free
ImgBurn is one of the most powerful disc-burning and disk-image creating programs around, and if you don't want to delve into all its gory details, you can use it's EZ-mode for care-free operation.
Iometer

Free
If you can wade through the 80+ paged User Guide you can end up an expert at using this sophisticated I/O performance meter.
KeyText 2000

$29.95 direct
KeyText represents the best combination of compactness and power in a keyboard automation utility.

Meraki WiFi Stumbler

Free
A free, lightweight tool to troubleshoot wireless networking performance issues. It's Browser-based, with no software to install, works on both PCs and Macs. It also quickly discovers nearby access points.
NetSurveyor Professional

$34.95 direct
NetSurveyor is a great tool for getting performance metrics for Wi-Fi networks. It's Affordable, easy to use, and informative for troubleshooting, all wrapped up in a nice interface.
Paragon Hard Disk Manager

$49.95 direct
A powerful, mature product for managing hard disks flexibly and safely. An essential tool for any advanced user or IT manager.
Process Explorer 11

Free
Have you ever called up Task Manager to kill a balky program, scope out what's sucking CPU cycles, or scan for a suspicious process? Try Process Explorer instead. It does everything Task Manager can do and more. Best of all, it's free.
Process Monitor 2.8

Free
Wading through the mountains of log information recorded by Process Monitor requires higher-than-average technical skills. If you're up to the challenge, you can use it to find out details about process behavior that no other tool can come close to supplying.
RegistryWorkshop

$29.95 Direct
This is an essential utility for anyone who works with the Windows Registry. It offers powerful, flexible, and safe registry editing, with all the features that Windows's own Regedit.exe should have but doesn't.
VLC media player 1.0.5

Free
A versatile, free media player that supports more video file formats than you can shake a stick at, can record and stream audio and video.
Wireshark 1.2.6

Free
Wireshark is a free tool that provides many of the same troubleshooting and analysis of more expensive packet sniffers.
Editor's Note (3/11/10): By popular demand, here are the links to the direct download pages of each of these utilities.
ArsClip 3.1.3
Audacity 1.2
Autoruns 9
DualBootPRO 1.0.0
ImgBurn 2.5
Iometer
KeyText 3.13
Meraki WiFi Stumbler
NetSurveyor Professional
Paragon Hard Disk Manager 2010 Suite
Process Explorer 11
Process Monitor 2.8
Registry Workshop
VLC media player 1.0.5
Wireshark 1.2.6

Best Games for windows and mobile

2012-08-11T03:48:00.001-07:00

The 30 Best Windows Phone Games

Windows Phone is coming into its own as a gaming platform—here are the games you must play now.

The 30 Best Windows Phone Games
Adventure
Arcade
Arcade (cont.)
Strategy
Puzzle
Racing and Simulation

Don't let anyone tell you otherwise: While virtually no one was looking, Windows Phone 7.5 has fast become a great gaming platform. A few key developers—notably Zynga and OMGPOP, among others—aren't on board yet, but many of the big ones are. Windows Phone is even racking up some exclusives you can't get on Android or iOS. The best part: All the games listed here look great and play smoothly. Don't let Windows Phone's current lack of support for dual-core CPUs get to you.
It's only going to get better from here as well. Thanks in large part to Nokia's buy-in with Windows Phone, both EA and Angry Birds-developer Rovio have committed to accelerated Windows Phone releases that will closely match those of Android and iOS phones. Upcoming titles from EA include Madden NFL, NBA Jam, Tiger Woods PGA Tour, FIFA, and Mirror's Edge, among others.
Then there's the Xbox Live connection, which you can only get on Windows Phone devices. If you've already got an Xbox 360, don't miss Xbox Companion, a free app that lets you search for games, music, TV shows, and movies, and then cue them up on your Xbox from your phone. Several of the games below include the ability to link up the Windows Phone version to the comparable Xbox 360 title in order to unlock additional gameplay options. And recently, Windows Phone Marketplace hit 100,000 total apps. Not all of those are games, but that's a significant milestone, and yet more proof that this platform has legs.

View Slideshow See all (30) slides

But all of that is aside from the main point: Gaming. Here are the best 30 games we've found for Windows Phone 7.5 devices. At this point, including Angry Birds ($0.99) is almost like cheating, so we won't. (It's great; just get it if you don't have it.) I tested every game on a Samsung Focus 2 ($79.99, 3 stars), which has a 4-inch screen and a 1.4GHz processor, and runs Windows Phone 7.5 (Mango). Most Windows Phones cluster right around these specs, so yours should be just fine.
Note that you can navigate the story either by clicking through the slideshow, or by reading it as a multipage story, via the Next links or the above table of contents. And feel free to make suggestions in the comments section—we really want to know what you think.—Next: Adventure >

Best Antivirus for windows

2012-08-11T03:47:00.001-07:00

The Best Antivirus for Windows 7

There are several significant security improvements in the Windows 7 operating system, including tools that improve network security, privacy, parental controls and even integrated protection from malware. But even with the heightened security, a separate antivirus software or internet security suite is a must-have. Microsoft admits that the built-in OS security is only the first line of defense, and they certainly encourage users to install additional security software from a third-party. So of the scores of security software apps available (almost all of which now support the new OS), which is the best antivirus for Windows 7?

In general, the actual level of protection from antivirus software won’t vary across operating systems. A security suite that is equipped with advanced threat detection and stays up-to-date will be sufficient regardless of whether it’s deployed on Windows XP, Vista or Windows 7. So the best antivirus for Windows 7 is also the best antivirus for any modern Windows operating system.
If you are satisfied with your current antivirus software and are planning on updating your OS or purchasing a new computer, chances are that your favorite security software will work well on Windows 7. Of course, if you’re not completely satisfied with your antivirus software, or would like to try something new, now would be a great time to start fresh.
Still, while all the major security software vendors have products that are compatible with Windows 7, they aren’t necessarily optimized equally. Some of the best antivirus software apps have unique tools and features specifically designed for Windows 7. Here are the top 5 best antivirus software for Windows 7, and some of the unique Windows 7 features they have.

The new user interface of BitDefender Antivirus was designed to look right at home in Windows 7. The software is effectively organized and designed in a way that is both aesthetic and easy to use. BitDefender antivirus is rock-solid security software, and it's our preferred antivirus software for Windows 7.

Not only is Kaspersky Antivirus completely compatible with Windows 7, it also has integrated support for the new features and functions of Windows 7. If you’re using Windows 7 you can also take advantage of the unique Kaspersky Desktop Gadget. The small desktop widget gives you an at-a-glance security status and quick access to the main features of the antivirus software.

Webroot AntiVirus is another antivirus software app that’s compatible with Windows 7. It’s got all the right features and solid security. Webroot AntiVirus performed very well in the most recent VB100 test, which specifically tested antivirus software on the Windows 7 operating system. Webroot AntiVirus received high marks in both reactive and proactive detection.

Not only was Norton AntiVirus’ new edition designed from the ground up to be completely optimized for Windows 7, the company has also provided several resources to help users successfully migrate to Windows 7. Particularly on the business front, Symantec has the tools and resources to help businesses quickly and painlessly migrate to Windows 7.

ESET Nod32 Antivirus was developed with help from Microsoft to ensure that the newest versions of ESET Nod32 Antivirus and ESET Smart Security were not just compatible with Windows 7, but optimized for it. ESET Nod32 Antivirus works with both the 32-bit and 64-bit configurations of Windows 7.
Windows 7 is a much better operating system than its predecessor, with better usability, performance and security. To keep your PC running like new you need to install the best antivirus software for Windows 7 to keep your system protected. The best antivirus software for Windows 7 will have proactive protection methods to keep you safe from digital dangers (some specifically designed to compromise Windows 7). But more than just protection, the best antivirus products for Windows 7 are also optimized for performance and usability.
See our side-by-side comparison and comprehensive reviews for more specifics and head-to-head competition of the best antivirus software for Windows 7. At TopTenREVIEWS We Do the Research So You Don’t Have To.™

Top 5 Free Media Players For Windows

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There is a multitude of software on the web. Of those, some of the coolest are media players.

Today, we will be looking at some of the best media players on the web for Windows. (There have been a couple of MakeUseOf polls on best audio players and video players as well.)

Ready? Let’s go.

1. VLC Media Player

VLC is one, if not the, best media player ever created. It is lightweight, portable, and can play almost any media format out there (incl. videos downloaded from sites like Youtube). VLC can even be used as a streaming media server, can play DVD’s, can be used as an audio decoder, and doesn’t require external, extra codecs to run.

VLC can also accompany customizable skins, as well as nearly every operating system that exists (Mac, Windows and Linux). I highly recommend trying it out.

2. Media Jukebox

Media Jukebox is an all-in-one media player, music collection organizer, iPod connector and music store with extreme tagging techniques. This music player can pretty much do it all. While not as small as VLC, it definitely does have a bunch of features. It can even be used to sync your phone, while finding tags for your newest imported songs, and simultaneously downloading the newest plug-in to customize your user experience. Sweet, right?

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You can further maximize Media Jukebox’s abilities by adding playlists to download automatically and creating or using a custom skin. Media Jukebox deserves to be on this list for sure. For complete feature overview see Organize your Music Collection Effectively With Media JukeBox.

3. Songbird

Songbird is one of the most customizable media players ever created. Besides being created by Mozilla, and being open source, it allows users to create add-ons/plug-ins for added user experience. Built-in options include: Last.fm playback history plug-in, support for the iPod, available for Windows, Mac, and Linux, metadata management, etc.

To get a feel on what can be done with Songbird extensions check out our earlier article on Songbird extensions. Songbird truly shows what media players need to become with regard to customization.

4. Winamp

Many music fanatics are familiar with Winamp as being one of the most widely used media players in the world. It has developed into one of the most feature oriented media players ever created. Features include: lots of customizable skins, built-in internet radio, support for a wide variety of audio and video formats, flash support, customizable plug-ins, support for multiple languages, ability to sync with your iPod, etc.

There is a free version, of course, but you can upgrade to the PRO version for even more features.

(Note: Winamp has been previously talked about on MakeUseOf here.)

5. KMPlayer

KMPlayer, while not as widely used, is one of the best, free, media players. While supporting numerous different formats, languages, skins, etc, it is relatively lightweight and can be used for numerous different media related material.

The application itself is extremely customizable by it’s own settings, but can be further customized to fit your own needs as well. Features include: Compressed album support, multiple file formats, numerous decoders, support for subtitles, plug-ins, etc.

Stay tuned next time for more cool Windows tips and tricks! In the meantime, why don’t you tell us in the comments which media player you have installed on your Windows system and why you prefer it over all others? What features are the deal-clincher for you?

The 5 BEST FREE VIDEO PLAYERS

2012-08-11T03:44:00.001-07:00

Five Best Video Players

We've come a long way since animated GIFs and video-game-style MIDI files were considered cutting edge computer-provided A/V entertainment. Take advantage of today's high-quality video with one of these five most popular video players.

Photo by horsager.

Earlier this week we asked you to share your favorite video player. We've tallied up the votes and now we're back to share the results. Below you'll find the five most popular video players among Lifehacker readers. If you're dissatisfied with the features of your current player, it's a great shopping list of alternatives.

The movie used in the screenshots below is Big Buck Bunny—a completely open-source generated and Creative Commons-licensed short movie.

Media Player Classic (Windows, Free)

Media Player Classic started out as a project to preserve the simplicity and lightweight playback of the old Windows Media Player while keeping codecs and features current for the present generation of video. The outcome is an extremely lightweight, free, portable, and self-contained video player that has built-in codecs for a wide variety of media playback. The upside of such a design is you can use it on a machine that doesn't have the proper codecs installed for the video you want to watch. The downside is in some instances—although rare—it can conflict with an updated codec you have installed on your machine.

MPlayer (Windows/Mac/Linux, Free)

Originally designed to fill the void of a lack of adequate Linux media players, the development for the robust media player MPlayer has branched out and now includes versions for Windows and Mac, among others. MPlayer supports a wide variety of content and, perhaps owing to its Linux roots, pays extra close attention to hardware and hardware optimization to squeeze the most playback power out of your system.

GOM Player (Windows, Free)

GOM Player is another entrant in this week's Hive that, like VLC, excels at playing damaged and incomplete video. Originally designed as the streaming media player for GOM-TV, a Korean TV network, it is available outside of Korea with the GOM-TV streaming functionality disabled—although folks outside Korea still have access to the live streaming of StarCraft matches (StarCraft is so wildly popular among Koreans playing it is practically a national sport). GOM Player also includes a wide variety of sub-title tweaks, an important feature for a player from a country that consumes a lots of foreign media.

VLC (Windows/Mac/Linux, Free)

VLC is a media player with far-reaching appeal. It is available for over ten operating systems including systems as obscure as BeOS. Built with open-source code and fueled by free decoding and encoding libraries, it has a history of innovation and performance; it was, for example, the first player that could play back encrypted DVDs on Linux. VLC allows you to play incomplete or damaged videos, so you can decide if it is worth finishing a download or repairing a video file. VLC can also play a variety of formats not commonly supported by media players, such as a raw DVD ISO file or AVCHD—a format currently used by many HD camcorders. VLC is available as a portable application.

KMPlayer (Windows, Free)

If you like all your media player's settings at your fingertips, KMPlayer has a lot to offer. The right click context menu is absolutely enormous and gives you nearly instant access to all manner of settings, including screen ratio, playback speed, video bookmarking, filters, and other effects. You can set KMPlayer to change its skin based on what media type you're playing or if you're running it on a media center you can use an overlay skin to provide easy remote-based navigation. KMPlayer supports an extensive number of formats including DVD playback and is easily customized to your specific needs.

Now that you've had a chance to look over the contenders for Best Video Player, it's time to cast your vote in the poll below:

Why Does Windows Take So Long to Boot?

2012-08-11T02:52:00.001-07:00

Most of us have had a brand new computer at one time. It’s a great feeling. You boot up windows and within 30 seconds you are surfing the net, checking your email, or playing your favorite game. 10 months down the road things aren’t so nice anymore. You power up your computer and it seems to take forever to load.
Even when you are careful about what you install it seems that each day it takes longer for it to boot. It’s not your imagination – and there are a couple of good tips to keep your boot time short and sweet.
As always – backup your system before you start any of this. If you make a mistake you might need to restore from backup
Update (09/08/2006) – There has been some controversy about the prefetch folder. I think this issue needs to be looked into. I did have a reputable source for this information: It was the “Windows XP Annoyances” book by O’Reilly. Page 210. Titled “Keeping an eye on prefetch”

1. The prefetch cache
The first tip I want to talk about is the windows prefetch. Windows XP has this feature that loads commonly used programs – at boot time.
Here is how it works: Yesterday you used MS Word, and Duke Nukem 3D. Today you boot your system to check e-mail. It sees parts of these two programs in the prefetch folder and loads them into memory before windows completes the boot process. The benefit is faster application launch times. If you really wanted to use MS Word, it would pop up really quick when you double clicked on it.
The problem is most people have been running windows for years, and the prefetch gets clogged with stuff that you almost never use. Windows takes forever to boot because it is prefetching a 1.0 copy of Napster, and you just want to check your email before you have to go to work.
What can be done about it? Well there are a few things we can do to tweak the prefetch cache. One method is to disable it partially, and this can be done quite easily.
Simply browse to the windows folder (Ex: C:\Windows) and under there you should see the prefetch folder. Go into the prefetch folder and delete all the files (Careful! It should look like this c:\windows\prefetch) And here is a screenshot of one if you still have questions

The first thing to note is the next reboot will be slow. This is because windows needs to relearn the prefetch for system files. Subsequent boots will run much faster since the sludge of programs has been removed, and only new ones are in the cache.
The trouble is that it will only help you for a while – until the prefetch gets clogged up again. We need to edit a registry key to tweak it. Open regedit and browse to this key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Memory Management\PrefetchParameters
Under this key you should see a value named: EnablePrefetcher
It has 4 possible values:
0 – Disabled : The prefetch system is turned off.
1 – Application : The prefetch only caches applications.
2 – Boot : The prefetch only caches boot system files.
3 – All : The prefetch caches boot, and application files.
We don’t want to disable it entirely. This would actually make boot times *longer*. This is because this feature is also used to speed up the loading of boot files. That is why we are going to pick the number 2 option. It allows us to keep the advantage of caching system files, without continually clogging the system up with applications.
Set the value to 2 and reboot.
The 2nd time you boot it should boot much faster. Remember that the side effect is that launching individual applications once windows has loaded will now be slightly slower.
2. Hard drive fragmentation
Over time your hard drive will become fragmented. An over simplified explanation of fragmentation is when your files and folders are not all stored in the same spot. For example lets say you had a large movie file. If it were fragmented the first 5 megabytes are at the beginning of the hard drive, and then next 5 are at the end. It takes longer for windows to read the file than it would if it were all in the same spot. The point is that if each file is stored in a linear fashion, and the drive does not have to move all over the place to read it – it will load faster. XP has a built-in defrag tool, and it is simple to run. Open “My Computer” right click on the boot drive, and go to properties. Now click on the tools tab.
Click “Defragment Now” and the following window should appear:

Before you click on the “Defragment” button you want to close all applications and be aware that it might take hours to complete. If you leave something running it might keep windows from completing the defragment operation.
Click on the defragment button and you can walk away. Or you can watch it defrag your hard drive:

3. Disconnected network drives
I am using networked drives all the time. If you have ever put your machine on a network and connected to a shared drive, this can slow you down too. If you have a drive that is still mapped, but cannot be reached it will slow down windows during boot time. This is because windows will wait…wait…and wait some more for the remote server to respond. To clean these out open “My Computer” and go to the tools menu. Click on “Disconnect Network Drives” It will open a window that looks like this:

Click on the drives you no longer need, and click OK.
4. Spyware & Adware
These can have a big impact on your start times. If your PC gets loaded with spyware, it spends a large portion of its boot time making sure those pesky programs are loaded and ready to throw popup adverts at you all day. To check and clean your system of spyware there are three free programs that I highly recommend:
1. Microsoft Windows Defender
2. Ad-Aware
3. SpyBot Search And destroy
5. File and Printer Sharing
One other item that can significantly impact is the “File and Printer Sharing” feature within windows. Obviously, if you are sharing your printer, or folders you don’t want to disable this – so this tip is not for you. If you never use it, then why waste your time waiting for it to load?
Here is how to turn it off:
Go into the control panel. Click on “Network Connections”

Now right click on “Local Area Connection” and click on properties
Uncheck the “File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks”

Click OK, and reboot.
That wraps up our windows startup optimization. And if you are tired of waiting for windows to shutdown, then check out our article on speeding that up too!
Stay tuned. We are about to release a new version of our Remote Reboot program. This version adds a feature suggested by David in our forum. It allows you to specify the shutdown reason that is written to the event log on Windows XP, and 2003. If you are not sure what I am talking about…this should remind you:

One final note, if you have any ideas for a free utility you would like to see, please post to our forum…or better yet check out the ones we already have

10 Steps To Cleaning and speeding up Windows

2012-08-11T02:49:00.001-07:00

Microsoft for every generation of their OS has strived to provide a faster startup for the masses. Windows 2000 might be the exception to the rule but every other OS a faster startup has been listed as a feature. In this tutorial we will show you how to speed up your already faster startup in Windows XP.
Step 1: Clear The Start-up folder.
The startup folder is the folder that will launch any programs or shortcuts when the computer starts up. The fewer programs that you have starting up when you power on the computer the faster the computer will boot. Keep in mind that some programs need to run when windows starts up so it may be best to backup this folder before you start.
The folder can be found by going to: C:\Documents and Settings\username\Start Menu\Programs\Startup, where username is your Windows logon name. You can also clear out the start-up items by going to Start > Programs > Startup, then right-clicking items you want to remove.
Step 2: Clearing out the startup in the system configuration utility
The System Configuration Utility also known as MSConfig is a helpful tool that will help you troubleshoot your Windows system. This tool lets you modify a lot of your system preferences but it also allows you to disable programs that startup in the background of Windows. Note: Be careful with this tool as you can make Windows run improperly.
How to start msconfig
Click on the Start button.
Select Run from the menu.
In the run dialog box type â€œmsconfigâ€.
Click OK.
Once in the msconfig utility select the startup tab. In the startup tab you will see several programs listed with a checkbox beside it. If there is a check mark beside the application listed, the application will startup when your computer starts up. To speed up your computer you want to remove as many check marks from this box without affecting the programs that you use. Once you have removed the checkmarks you wish to remove, click on OK and restart the computer when prompted. It is recommended to uncheck a couple at a time so you will know what is causing a problem if one occurs.
To get more information about a listing, expand the width of the Command column near the top of the Startup tab. Expand it enough and you’ll see the start-up command that the program issues, including its location, such as C:Program FilesAdobeAcrobat 5.0ReaderAcroRd32.exe. The directory location should be a hint to help you know the name of the program. In this case it is Adobe Acrobat.
Step 3: Speeding up your startup by sorting your drivers.
Once upon a time Microsoft used to offer a tool called bootvis to optimize the sequence that your computers drivers load when starting Windows. Although the file is not available through Microsoft, there is a link to the program found in the tools section of this book. There has been some controversy wether the tool actually does anything. Lots of magazines and users say yes. Microsoft says no. For this one youâ€™ll have to be the judge.
How to use bootvis:
Download and install Bootvis. Do a search in Google for bootvis.exe, you will find it. Open Bootvis. (Location may vary depending where you installed it) You need to analyze your computer by going to File and clicking on New. In the New menu select Next Boot and Drivers Trace. Next a box will come up asking how many trace repetitions are needed. Just leave it at the default and click on OK. Another box will appear, select the Reboot Now button and wait for your computer to restart. Once your computer has restarted wait for a little bit and bootvis will start automatically. Go to the Trace menu and select Optimize System.(This may take a few minutes.) Once complete, you will be prompted to restart your system one more time. This reboot should be faster than the last.
Step 4: Stop as many services as possible.
The more that is running on your computer the more your computer has to open on startup. Keeping a slimmer running computer will not only make your computer run faster but it will make Windows startup faster. Here is how itâ€™s done:
Go to the Start menu and then select Run. Type â€˜services.mscâ€™ in the Run Dialog Box and click on OK. In the services window double click on the service you wish to disable. In the properties box for the selected service choose disabled in the Startup Type dropdown box. Click on OK.
Its best to restart your computer after disabling a couple of services at a time so if something undesired happens to your computer you know what disabled service needs to be re-enabled.
Step 5: Remove unwanted fonts to increase boot speed
Windows checks and loads fonts during the startup process, therefore having a large amount of font files can cause performance to drag during startup. The simple solution for this (if you do not expect to use the certain fonts) is to move the unnecessary fonts to a new directory elsewhere on the hard disk, preserving them in case they are needed, but preventing them from loading upon startup.
This is how you do it:
In your C drive create a folder called Fonts Backup. You can do this by going to the C drive through My Computer. Go to the File menu and go to New. In the new menu select Folder. A new folder will pop-up and allow you to name it.
Once the folder is created go into it and leave it open. Go to the Start menu and select Run. In the Run command type Fonts. The Fonts folder will load and display the Font files. All you have to do is drag and drop the fonts you think you wont need to the Font Backup folder. Be sure to move the .bold and the.bold.italic files that correspond with the font you want to move.
Step 6: Disable auto detection for empty IDE slots
For a faster boot up is to disable the auto detection that Windows XP uses to determine if there are IDE devices present in any of the IDE slots on the motherboard. More specifically, disable this feature on any empty slots to prevent the operating system wasting time and resources checking them.
This is how you disable IDE Detection:
Right-click on My Computer and Select Properties. In the properties click on the Hardware tab and click on the Device Manager button. In the Device Manager expand the IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers. Double-click on one of the Secondary IDE Channels and click on the Advanced Settings tab. In the dropdown box beside Device Type select None and click on OK. Repeat steps 4 and 5 to all of the Secondary IDE channels under the IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers.
Step 7: Reduce wait time after XP boots
A common problem when Windows XP boots is you will see the desktop and all of your icons but nothing responds when you click on it. During this time Windows application and networking processes are loading in the background. To reduce this wait time you need to cut down the amount of processes loading. The best way to do this is through Windows networking. Most computers do not share files or printers to other users on a network yet Windows turns File and Printer sharing on by default. Warning: If you are sharing any files or printers this step is not for you.
Here is how you disable file and print sharing.
Go to the Start menu and select Run. In the Run command enter control netconnections. In your Network Connections right-click on a Local area connection and select properties. In the properties remove the checkmark beside File and print sharing. Click OK
Repeat steps 3 through 5 if you have more than one network connection.
Step 8: Disable parts of the Group Policy Manager. (XP Pro only)
This will dramatically speed up the login process – If you don’t need to utilize Group Policies on the local machine, you can disable parts of it.
Go to Start and select Run. Type in gpedit.msc and click on OK. Right click on the Local Computer Policy entry and select Properties from the menu that appears. Add checkmarks to the two options within the Disable section. Close out. Reboot.
Step 9: Enable boot defrag.
A great new feature in Microsoft Windows XP is the ability to do a boot Defragment. This places all boot files next to each other on the disk to allow for faster booting. By default this option is enabled but on some builds it is not so below is how to turn it on.(Y is good)
Go to Start then Run. Enter regedit and click on OK Click on the + sign beside HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE then software then Microsoft then dfrg then bootoptimizefunction Select Enable from the list on the right. Right on it and select Modify. Change the value to Y to enable and N to disable. Reboot your computer
Step 10: Delete the prefetch files from time to time.
The prefetch files are the files that make Windows XP load applications load faster. Deleting the files will speedup your boot time. The trade-off is that Windows will take longer to load applications. The time difference for loading applications may not be that affected. Its best to experiment with this one.
How to enable the deletion of prefetch files.
Go into My Computer and go into your hard drive. Right-click anywhere that a file is not and select the ‘New’ submenu and click ‘Text Documentâ€™ Name it “deleteprefetch” Double-click on the text file you just created. Type “del C:WindowsPrefetch*.* /Q” (without the quotes). Go to the File menu and click on Save As… and choose “All Files” from the “Save as Type” box and save it as “deleteprefetch.bat”
You just created a batch file that will automatically delete all the files in your Prefetch folder. Just double-click on the file to make it run. I do this once a month to clean up the files
http://www.HowdidYa.com is an always growing how to portal for Windows, Linux, Mac OS and Hardware. Our how to articles will show you fix any problem, or modify your electronic stuff to make it your own. Visit our website to submit your own how to’s or learn for others.

Protecting Your data in A CLOUD SERVICE ENCRYPTION

2012-08-11T02:46:00.001-07:00

Storing Data In The Cloud With Dropbox And TrueCrypt

it is important to protect data that you upload to the cloud. In this guide, I will show you how to implement one of the suggestions: Encryption. I’m using the cloud hosting and synchronization service Dropbox and the Open Source encryption software TrueCrypt for the example. In the end, you should be able to use the same method to protect data with your encryption software and cloud hosting provider of choice.

Lets take a look at the basics first. If you are a free Dropbox users, you get 2 Gigabytes of space. That’s usually more than enough to store documents and files in the cloud. Dropbox uses encryption to protect data on their servers from unauthorized access. As I pointed out before, that may not sufficient considering that the company may decrypt all files in a legal process, which also means there is a chance that an attacker might do the same. (Dropbox has responded to the issue)
TrueCrypt is an Open Source encryption software for Windows, Linux and Macintosh that can encrypt data containers or full hard drives or hard drive partitions. Since we only have a maximum of 2 Gigabytes of storage on Dropbox, we need to create an encrypted container to store our files in.
The basic idea is therefor the following: We create a TrueCrypt container on the local system. The size depends on your preferences, I would suggest to keep it as small as possible. If you run out of space you can either increase the size of the TrueCrypt container or create a second container to store additional data in. My suggestion is a maximum size of 500 Megabytes, if you can live with less select that number. My personal container has a size of 100 Megabytes.
Download the latest version of True Crypt from the developer website. Install it and run it after installation. Locate the Create Volume button in the interface and click on it.

Click Next two times on the following screens to create an encrypted file container with a standard TrueCrypt volume (those are the default options). Click Select File and browse to a location where you want to create the new container. Make sure it is not in the Dropbox folder if Dropbox is running. You can name the container anyway you want, e.g. holiday2010.avi.
Click Next on the encryption options page unless you want to change the encryption algorithm or hash algorithm. Select the volume size on the next screen. I suggest you keep it at a few hundred Megabytes tops.
You need to enter a secure password on the next screen. It is suggested to use as many characters as possible (24+) with upper and lower letters, numbers and special characters. The maximum length of a True Crypt password is 64 characters.
Now it is time to select the volume format on the next screen. If you only use Windows computers you may want to select NTFS as the file system. If you use others you may be better of with FAT. Juggle the mouse around a bit and click on format once you are done with that.
Congratulations, the new True Crypt volume has been created.
Move your unmounted new data container to the Dropbox folder. That folder, but not its contents since Dropbox cannot access those, will now be synced with your space in the cloud. It can take minutes to hours depending on the upload speed of your Internet connection and the size of the container that you have created.
But this is a one-time transfer. Dropbox will only transfer the changed bits after the first upload. This is theoretically a security risk as well but it would require lots of energy and dedication which means it usually can be neglected for personal data.
You can now mount the container on your local system and use it normally just like any other True Crypt volume. You can add, delete or edit files in it. Whenever you unmount it, it gets synced with your Dropbox account. This means that you need to unmount it regularly before you shut down the computer in order to sync the data with Dropbox.
Install True Crypt on all your other devices to access the encrypted volume there as well. You can also copy a portable version of True Crypt to the Dropbox for direct access without installation.

Problems

The biggest problem is that you cannot access the encrypted data on Dropbox’s web interface anymore. All you see is that one big encrypted container that you cannot access because you cannot run True Crypt on the cloud. There is no way around it: You either use the encrypted container for additional security, or trust the standard Dropbox encryption to access the data on the web interface as well.
You also need to make sure to mount the encrypted data container on one computer at a time. Dropbox would otherwise create a copy of the file in the Dropbox folder which would cause files becoming out of sync.

Verdict

If you want that extra bit of security, and eliminate the minor chance that someone manages to decrypt your data on Dropbox, or that Dropbox decrypts the data for law enforcement, then your best bet is third party encryption of the data. It may sound complex and complicated to setup, when it is a straightforward process that’s done in less than five minutes.

5 FREE SYSTEM CLEANERS REGISTRY CLEAN

2012-08-11T02:27:00.001-07:00

Top 5 free registry cleaner software applications for Windows 7

Free registry cleaners software applications are very useful tools in removing registry entries that point to files that no longer exist in our computers. Registry cleaners help you clear garbage files from your computer hard disks and thereby create more space for your hard drive and even make your computer faster. As we install and uninstall applications from our computers not all its traces may be removed, when we browse the web our system may not necessarily get rid of all the junks left behind as cookies, browsing history, caches, passwords etc. The only way to get our system free of all these is to use registry cleaners, so I am going to introduce you to the top 5 free registry cleaner software applications. I hope you find them interesting as I did. Now let’s get started….

Top 5 Free Registry Cleaner Software applications:

CCleaner: CCleaner is my favorite free registry cleaner software application. It’s quite easy for anyone to use. I have written severally about CCleaner in this blog in the past. CCleaner removes unused files from the system allowing your computers performance to improve creating more disk space for you. CCleaner clears your browsers cache, clears your browsing history and fixes every registry error on your computer. You can even uninstall software applications with CCleaner.

Glary Utilities: Glary Utilities is yet another free registry cleaner that is easy to use, can fix your registry errors, speed up your computer, maintain and protect your computer as well. Glary Utilities is a one-stop-shop utilities for optimizing and maintaining your computer for best performance. It can fix dogged registry errors, wipe off clusters, optimize internet speed, safeguard confidential files and maintain maximum performance. Glary utilities is the best alternative to CCleaner any day.

BleachBit: BleachBit is another free registry cleaner software application that can delete cookies, clear internet history, shred temporary files, delete logs, free cache and quickly create free disk spaces for your computer. This program is open source.

Xleaner: Xleaner is a free registry cleaner software application that can help you clear your system of junks and create free disk space on your computer. This application can improve your system’s performance by cleaning your recycle bin, windows temp folder, cookies, browsing history, cache, passwords etc. You don’t even have to install it on your PC, simply download and extract the files, Run the Xleaner.exe file and choose tasks to perform from the cleaner tab.

JetClean: JetClean is the last free registry cleaner software application on my top 5 free registry cleaner software application today. JetCleaner just as its name applies scans the entire registry in just few seconds and fixes any error it finds. Because of its lightweight it takes very little space in your computer, but offers great services to your computer. It can easily locate and delete junk files on your hard disk, recycle bin, recent documents, temp files, log files etc.

If you find above post on “Top 5 free registry cleaner software applications for Windows 7” interesting and useful, use the comment box below to share what you think of it. Please share this post with your friends using the share tools on the left hand side of the browser or the ones under this post. Please if you haven’t liked our Facebook page simply click on the “Like” button on the right hand side of the browser. You can also follow us on Twitter right under the Facebook page.

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Youtube to MP3 DOWNLOAD

2012-08-11T02:24:00.001-07:00

Youtube is one of the most popular website nowadays especially when it comes to viewing various kinds of videos. The youtube is one of the longest existing video viewing website and it has been helping a lot of people to be discovered and then eventually get famous because of the talent that they have but the lack of financial capability or courage to show it in public. Other than that, a lot of people also use youtube to listen to music.
There are huge amount of files or videos in youtube which just shows a particular background while playing music. Because of this, the viewers of youtube would now want to convert those videos into mp3 format because of several factors such as they want to save the it in their computer in a much smaller file size, they want to put it in their devices and just listen to the music or the song. In the earlier times, it was quite difficult for youtube videos to be converted into mp3 files but today, there are several easier and simpler ways to be able to do this with just few steps to remember.
You can convert youtube to mp3 format through online. There are several sites that offer this kind of service and this is considered as the easiest way of converting youtube videos to mp3 files because all you have to do is to copy the URL of the particular video that you would like to convert and paste that in the site which converts youtube video files to mp3. Almost all people also would choose this kind of way to convert youtube to mp3 because they don’t have to download the video itself before converting it but rather, the video converting site will provide a link for you to download the file in mp3 format.
If you don’t know how to do this and where you can find it, you can easily search it through search engines and it will just give you several sites which offers this kind of service. You will have the chance to try various sites where you will be most comfortable of using because each video converting website have different ways of navigation. In addition, these convert youtube to mp3 sites will let you choose the quality of the mp3 file and most options which will be given to you are standard quality and high quality.
The file size of the mp3 file will also vary on the quality that you will choose. Another way to convert youtube to mp3 is through downloading a particular software which has the capability of converting youtube files into mp3 format. You can also find various kinds of software which can do this. However, there are some software which will require you to buy it but there are still video converting software which are for free. This way of converting youtube files into an mp3 format will take more time than just using the online way of converting because there will be more downloading steps to do. These are the simple and easy ways of converting youtube files into mp3 format.

Youtube is the biggest video hosting site on the internet and its owned by the almighty Google Inc. Videos are hosted on Youtube and can be watched by anyone from any part of the world for free. Have you ever seen a vide you so desperately want to have the audio but can’t find a place to download it in MP3? You don’t have to look any further because today I am going to teach you how you can Download MP3 from Youtube.

How to download MP3 from Youtube:

Follow the simple instructions below and download MP3 from Youtube. The process is a very simple one.

First visit Youtube and search for the video you want to download in MP3 audio format. Copy the URL right from your browser’s address bar.

Next visit CatchMp3 and paste the video url on the box provided for it and click on the “Catch!” button.

Then the video will be searched displaying the correct title and link of the video you pasted its url earlier. Click on the “Convert” button. Then you will be prompted to save your MP3 file in the location of your choice. I normally choose Desktop in this case. Choose your location and click Save.

Then the MP3 will be processed as shown on the image below.

On completion it will save the MP3 file on the location you chose earlier. Now i hope you can download your favorite MP3 songs from Youtube now.

If you find above post on “How to download MP3 from Youtube or other video hosting sites” interesting and useful, please share this post with your friends using the share tools on the left hand side of the browser or the ones under this post. Please if you haven’t liked our Facebook page simply click on the “Like” button on the right hand side of the browser. You can also follow us on Twitter right under the Facebook page.

I hope you read my blog post on “Download Youtube videos and other video hosting sites with KeepVid“. If you like this blog posts Subscribe to MY BLOG so you can be getting more of my posts on your email even when you are offline.

Download youtube videos on windows

2012-08-11T02:18:00.001-07:00

Download YouTube Videos the Easy Way

You can’t be online all the time, and despite the majority of YouTube videos being nut-shots and Lady Gaga parodies, there is a lot of great content that you might want to download and watch offline.
There are some programs and browser extensions to do this, but we’ve found that the easiest and quickest method is a bookmarklet that was originally posted on the Google Operating System blog (it’s since been removed). It will let you download standard quality and high-definition movies as MP4 files. Also, because it’s a bookmarklet, it will work on any modern web browser, and on any operating system!
Installing the bookmarket is easy – just drag and drop the Get YouTube video link below to the bookmarks bar of your browser of choice. If you’ve hidden the bookmark bar, in most browsers you can right-click on the link and save it to your bookmarks.
Get YouTube video

With the bookmarklet available in your browser, go to the YouTube video that you’d like to download.

Click on the Get YouTube video link in your bookmarks bar, or in the bookmarks menu, wherever you saved it earlier.

You will notice some new links appear below the description of the video.

If you download the standard definition file, it will save as “video.mp4” by default.

However, if you download the high definition file, it will save with the same name as the title of the video.

There are many methods of downloading YouTube videos…but we think this is the easiest and quickest method. You don’t have to install anything or use up resources, but you can still get a link to download an MP4 with one click.
Do you use a different method to download Youtube videos? Let us know about it in the comments!

RealDownloader: Download Videos from YouTube, Metacafe and More

Download videos from YouTube, MetaCafe & Facebook and hundreds of other websites
Download videos as mp4 or flv
Watch your saved videos whenever you want, even if you’re offline

System Requirements

1–click download

With 1–click, you can easily download YouTube videos, Metacafe videos or videos from most web sites

Build your library

Save your favorite videos in one place to access anytime you want

Easily share your videos

Post your favorite videos on Facebook and Twitter with a single click

Watch videos pain-free

Having the videos on your computer means no more streaming or buffering issues

Download videos for free with the new, easy-to-use video downloader

When we built the latest version of our RealDownloader, we asked ourselves a question; how can we make it easier to download YouTube videos, Facebook videos, and videos from other popular web sites? The answer, of course, was with one-click. Using RealDownloader, you can download videos from YouTube, Facebook, Vimeo, Metacafe, and more. Save your favorite free online videos from hundreds of Web sites, including MySpace.com, DailyMotion.com, CollegeHumor.com, Atom.com, FunnyOrDie.com, StupidVideos.com and more. It’s never been easier to download videos—and it’s free.

Get Started - How to download Web videos

1.	Install RealDownloader.
2.	Go to your favorite video website and select a video.
3.	Position your mouse over the upper-right corner of the video.
4.	The “Download This Video” button appears. Click the button to begin downloading your video.

That's it. RealDownloader opens and downloads the video for you. You can download more videos, watch the video you are downloading, or even close the page.

Utility Spotlight RichCopy

2012-08-11T02:10:00.001-07:00

Utility Spotlight RichCopy

Code download available at: HoffmanUtilitySpotlight2009_04.exe (5,896 KB)

Back in the November 2006 issue of TechNet Magazine, I wrote about a handy little utility called Robocopy GUI (see "Utility Spotlight Robocopy GUI"). This simple tool was written by a Microsoft engineer named Derk Benisch, and all it really did was create a graphical interface for the very popular Robocopy command-line utility, which provided file copying capabilities far beyond what was built into Windows. Believe it or not, more than two years later, the Robocopy GUI article remains the single most popular piece of content we've ever published, having been viewed well over 220,000 times.

Needless to say, this speaks far more to the value of the tool than to the quality of my writing. Nevertheless, it also makes perfectly clear just how crucial certain simple tasks are in our day-to-day lives, and how staggering an impact even a small improvement in performing those critical tasks can make.

In this case, we're discussing the simplest of tasks: copying files. Except copying files is not always that simple. What if you're copying thousands of files across a slow connection? What happens if your network hiccups and interrupts the copy? What if you want to make sure that you preserve particular file attributes, such as a Last Modified date, but not other attributes, like security descriptors? What if you want to filter the files you're copying from source to destination based on filename or extension?

If any of these apply to you, the simple Ctrl+C/Ctrl+V combination probably won't cut it. And though Robocopy GUI certainly improves on that basic functionality, it still has some limitations in terms of granular control and usability. What you need is RichCopy.

RichCopy is a free utility that comes to us from Ken Tamaru of Microsoft. The tool was first developed in 2001 and has been updated regularly to keep pace with evolving needs. Trust me when I tell you, this is the answer to all your file copying needs. What you'll find most striking the first time you take RichCopy out for a spin is that it's a multithreaded copying tool. That means that rather than copying one file at a time in serial order, RichCopy can open multiple threads simultaneously, allowing many files to be copied in parallel and cutting the total time required to complete the operation several times over. You can also pause and resume file copy operations, so if you lose network connectivity at any point, you can just pick up where you left off.

Of course, these are really just the simplest features of RichCopy. As Figure 1 shows, you also get a vast array of granular controls that allow you to customize all of those fancy aspects of your file copying that I talked about earlier—filtering files, saving attributes, adjusting cache size, and so on. If you regularly copy lots of files over the network or between various storage devices, these features will significantly ease your daily life.

One of the Microsoft tools that was being used by Microsoft programmers to copy or move files in faster speed. This tool was developed in 1996 but it was being used internally by Microsoft and was not made available for public usages. However, at a later stage they made it available for free public download
and now you can also experience faster file copying and moving with this small Windows utility, called RichCopy.
RichCopy can copy multiple files.

at a time with up to 8 times faster speed than the normal file copy and moving process. Surprisingly it copies and moves files even faster than RoboCopy tool and XCOPY command. Since the tool was being used by the developers, they made it pretty effective and stable .

download Microsoft Rich copy 4.0

Key Features of RichCopy

1. More powerful, faster and stable than than any other file copying tool.
2. Create several profiles to assign special settings with a specific profile.
3. Copy files from multiple and different locations and save in a single destination.
4. Filter the files based on the date, time and choose to either copy or opt those files.
5. Being on GUI, supports command lines.
6. Suspend and resume file copy at any time.

How To Add a Second Layer of Encryption to Dropbox

2012-08-11T02:02:00.001-07:00

How To Add a Second Layer of Encryption to Dropbox

If recent security and privacy concerns about Dropbox make you think twice about using the popular file storage and syncing tool, there's an easy way to further protect your sensitive files stored on Dropbox: yes, we're talking about encryption.
TrueCrypt is our go-to data encryption tool and no doubt you know we have a thing for Dropbox, but although we've briefly mentioned using TrueCrypt as one of the clever ways to use Dropbox, we've never fully married the two. It's about time.

What's All the Fuss?

Dropbox has had a few privacy and security stumbles in recent months. Most recently, an authentication bug allowed anyone to log into your account with any password over a four hour period. Back in April, Business Insider reported an update to Dropbox's security terms of service reveals the company can decrypt your files and provide them to the government if required to do so—in other words, if you thought Dropbox couldn't decrypt your data, you were wrong. (Dropbox responds here.) This may all just be par for the course with cloud-based services (we believe you should consider all your passwords vulnerable to cracking if someone wanted to do so badly enough), but at least a few people feel uneasy about Dropbox's recent problems.

Should You Drop Dropbox?

Dropbox is still a killer collaborative work tool and it does more than just file syncing. If you don't store confidential or sensitive information on the service, there's no need to worry anyway.
If you do store sensitive data on Dropbox but are loathe to give up its convenience, there are a couple of things you can do to further secure your data while still using Dropbox:

How to Encrypt Your Sensitive Data on Dropbox

A Cross-Platform Method: Use an Encrypted Zip File

Encrypt and zip your files before placing them on Dropbox for added security and convenient accessibility.

Another Easy Option: Automatically Encrypt Data with SecretSync

Previously mentioned Windows program SecretSync provides an easy way to encrypt a local folder before sending it to Dropbox. You install the app, it creates a new folder on your computer, and anything you place in that folder is automatically encrypted and then synced with Dropbox. It's actually quite clever.
If the idea of securing your cloud data by putting your trust in yet another cloud service is too much, you could instead encrypt your data yourself with the cross-platform, open-source encryption application TrueCrypt. Essentially you'd manually encrypt your files, then store your encrypted files on Dropbox. It won't be as easy to share or work with individual documents encrypted with TrueCrypt as non-TrueCrypt-encrypted files, but even Dropbox itself recommends using TrueCrypt for your most sensitive documents.
So, here's how create an encrypted TrueCrypt container on Dropbox:

The "Take Security Into Your Hands" Option: Manually Encrypt Specific Files with TrueCrypt

In this scenario, you'll basically just store your sensitive data in your TrueCrypt container, which is saved to your Dropbox folder. Our steps for encrypting your data with TrueCrypt in this case remain the same. Just select the Dropbox folder as the TrueCrypt container location.
If you've never used TrueCrypt before, here are the steps, taken from our previous guide but adjusted specifically for Dropbox usage:
1. Download, install, and launch TrueCrypt
2. After hitting the "Create Volume" button, choose the default to "create an encrypted file container" and a "Standard TrueCrypt Volume".
3. Here's where the steps differ: When prompted to select a location for your TrueCrypt Volume, navigate to your Dropbox folder.
4. Then you'll run through the rest of the TrueCrypt encryption steps, including selecting the default AES encryption scheme and volume size (choose a capacity less, obviously, than your total Dropbox account storage space).
Once you've entered your volume password and formatted the TrueCrypt volume, it'll be saved and ready for action in your Dropbox folder.
To mount the volume as a virtual—but encrypted—drive that you can copy and paste to, from the TrueCrypt program, select a drive letter, then select your TrueCrypt file in the Dropbox folder, and click "Mount."
You'll be able to copy and paste sensitive documents to that encrypted container just like you would a regular drive, as long as the volume is mounted.

For Protecting Locally-Accessible Files: Move Your Dropbox Folder to an Encrypted TrueCrypt Volume

The above works well when you have a mix of plain old documents and more sensitive files that you want to store together on Dropbox—you can use a TrueCrypt container for your most sensitive files and the regular service for everything else (for easy collaboration and remote editing). Encrypting your files before storing them on Dropbox is also your main recourse when it comes to privacy and security concerns about the service having access to your data.
If you want encrypt everything in your Dropbox folder locally, you can just move the Dropbox folder into a TrueCrypt container. As readers pointed out, this won't address the privacy concerns of Dropbox being able to decrypt your information, but it would secure the contents of your Dropbox in case, say, you lost your laptop or your computer was compromised. Here are the instructions from Dropbox of this process:

As above, download, install, and launch TrueCrypt
Create a new standard TrueCrypt volume (Create volume > Create an encrypted file container > Standard TrueCrypt volume, using NFTS filesystem) anywhere on your hard drive, and set a volume size and password for accessing the volume later.

Once it's formatted, make sure the TrueCrypt volume will be mounted on logon:

In TrueCrypt, click on the Select File button, select the container you just created, click on an unused drive letter and then click the Mount button.
From the Favorites menu, select Add Mounted Volume to Favorites and make sure Mount select volume upon login is checked.

Next, we'll move Dropbox to the encrypted TrueCrypt drive:

Right-click on the Dropbox icon in the system tray and go to Preferences.
In the Advanced tab, click the Move button to change the location for Dropbox to the virtual drive letter you just created.

Finally, Dropbox recommends creating a login script to modify Dropbox so it will wait until the drive is ready before starting:

In your Dropbox preferences, click the General tab, then turn off the checkmark beside Start Dropbox on system startup.
1. Create a new text file called bootup.bat somewhere on your C: drive.
2. If file extensions are hidden by Explorer, you may need to turn them on to ensure the file gets the .bat extension rather than .bat.txt. (The option in Explorer is under Tools | Folder Options | View, then under Advanced Settings select Show hidden files, folders and drives).
3. Paste the following commands into the bat file:
@echo off
rem Every second, check to see if volume is mounted
echo Waiting for volume...
:keepwaiting
ping -n 1 -w 1000 127.0.0.1 > nul
if not exist F:\ goto keepwaiting
start "Dropbox" "C:\Documents and Settings\YourUserName\Application Data\Dropbox\bin\Dropbox.exe"
4. Tailor the script as follows, then save it:
Change F:\ to the drive letter of your mounted volume (which you picked in step 2.2)
Change the path on the last line to include the location of the Dropbox application files. e.g. On Windows 7 it would be:
C:\Users\YourUserName\AppData\Roaming\Dropbox\bin\Dropbox.exe
5. Create a shortcut to bootup.bat in your Startup folder. Your startup folder is usually located at:
Windows XP: C:\Documents and Settings\YourUserName\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
Windows 7: C:\Users\YourUserName\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup

Reboot your computer and test.
FYI, before you dismount the encrypted volume, you'll need to close Dropbox.
Dropbox's tips and tricks wiki notes that there are also sensitive *.db (Dropbox configuration) files located in alternative locations, and offers suggestions for ways to relocate those files or the entire Dropbox application.

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Best screen capture software in world?

2012-08-11T01:42:00.000-07:00

Snagit Highlights

Video Above

Snagit on Windows Features

With Snagit’s easy-to-use tools, you can quickly create images and videos to give feedback,
solve a problem, or show off something cool. Snagit empowers you to communicate efficiently
with visuals that give your ideas clarity and help you explain any subject. See for yourself.
The more you use Snagit, the more ways you’ll find to use it.
Snagit Full Features List »

Capture Anything

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Grab your entire desktop, a region, a window, or
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Create the perfect capture.
In addition to the basic capture profiles, use these time
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Easy multi-tasking.
Create custom graphics easily by taking multiple
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Highlight what’s important.
Draw attention to a specific part of your image. Just
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Enhance with effects.
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Work Efficiently

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Organize images.
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Save time by quickly finding all your
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Create error free callouts.
Never misspell a word in your screenshot again! Snagit will tell you what you’ve spelled wrong and help you create consistently error free callouts.

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Flag it for later.
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Utility Spotlight RichCopy

How To Add a Second Layer of Encryption to Dropbox

How To Add a Second Layer of Encryption to Dropbox

What's All the Fuss?

Should You Drop Dropbox?

How to Encrypt Your Sensitive Data on Dropbox