However, right after the event, Apple has published the full video at their official website, and it is now available for viewing to everyone. If you already went to Apple’s website and tried to watch it, you must have noticed that, annoyingly,  you can’t play it in full screen mode.

As soon as I’ve seen that, I just couldn’t watch it like that. I simply don’t want to watch a video that is hour-long and must be watched in a windowed mode in a browser. I had to find a way to watch it in full screen, and waiting for it to be available on YouTube wasn’t an option (I mean, hey, it’s the NEW iPad we’re talking about here!).

Note: Although I wrote this specifically for the Apple iPad HD Event, March 7th, this will work for all official keynote videos on Apple’s website, from before, and in the future.

Here’s how, in 6 easy steps:

1. If you haven’t downloaded it yet, go ahead and download the Apple’s free QuickTime media player. You can’t watch the Apple’s keynote video without it at all. Not even in windowed mode.

2. Open the Apple’s webpage where the keynote video is located –> right here.

3. Right-click anywhere on the page and then choose “View Page Source” (as shown below).

A new window should now pop-up with all the webpage source code. The specific part that we need is highlighted in the screenshot below.

4. Copy only the URL part of that code (it’s in between single quotation marks, starting with “http://…”)
For this specific video, the URL you need is: “http://stream.qtv.apple.com/events/mar/123pibhargjknawdconwecown/12oihbqeorvfhbpiubqnfv3_350_ref.mov“.

5. Open the Apple QuickTime player and in the upper left corner, click on “File“, and then choose “Open URL“, as shown below.

A window, like the one below, should pop up.

6. In the text-box, you just need to paste the URL that we copied from the page source (step 5 above). Click “OK“, and the Apple’s keynote video will start playing. Now just hold CTRL + F on your keyboard, to enter the full-screen.

Enjoy watching the Apple Special Event Keynote Video in Full-Screen mode!

This somehow especially happens when you’re in a hurry and really need to read that message right now.

Below is the screenshot of what you see when you try to access your Facebook messages. The loading bar is moving constantly, but the messages never load and open. Even if you try to refresh the page, and try to access your Facebook inbox again, you see this irritating loading animation – again:

At first, I thought this only happened to me, and I discarded it as some kind of problem with my crappy internet connection. Because, after a couple of hours or so, it would start working again… But then I started seeing so many other people complaining on the same problem.

“My Facebook Messages Won’t Load”, “I can’t access my messages on Facebook”, “Can’t access private messages or chat on Facebook”, and so on…

Facebook tech support have even posted a short instruction (My messages aren’t loading) at their Help Center, but I’ve tried it, and it didn’t solve my problem at all. I’ve already been doing those things before they even told me to.

I started digging for some information on this problem, and I’ve found a quick and easy fix. It will only take you about 20 seconds to fix it.

And no, I won’t tell you to just use one of the other internet browsers to access Facebook. That works, but it’s not a fix, it’s just a workaround. No need for changing the internet browser you already use and love.

The solution to the problem is, as it turns out, to only clear your browsing data (cache, cookies – if you don’t know what this means, don’t worry, read on).

Here are the necessary steps you need to take, depending on the internet browser you currently use:

Google Chrome

1. Click  on the wrench icon on the right side of your address bar to access the settings (top right of the window).

2. From the menu, choose “Options“.

3. A new tab will open. In the sidebar menu to the left, find “Under the Hood” and click it.

4. Now you should be able to see “Clear browsing data” button. Click on it and a popup menu will show up (as in the image below).

5. From the drop-down menu, choose “the past week“. That should free up enough space in the cache.

6. On the checkboxes, only “Empty the cache” and “Delete cookies and other site and plug-in data” boxes shold be checked. There’s no need for the rest of them.

7. And finally, click the “Clear browsing data” button.

Mozilla Firefox

1. Hold down CTRL + Shift + Delete buttons on your keyboard. The “Clear Recent History” menu should now pop up (as below).

2. For the time range to clear, you can choose “Today“.

3. As with Google Chrome, only “Cookies” and “Cache” boxes need to be checked.

4. Finally, click the “Clear Now” button.

That’s it! Now when you try to access Facebook, you will see that (if you’ve been logged in) you’re now logged out, and need to enter your email and password again. After you login to your account, everything should work in amazingly perfect way!

Oh, and if you were expecting instructions for Internet Explorer too… Please… Do yourself a favor, and download and install Google Chrome or Firefox, and your life will be much easier. The best help I can give to Internet Explorer users is to give them one good piece of advice… Do not use it.

If you still have any problems with opening your Facebook messages, write in the comments below, and we’ll figure them out in no time.

What is Cloud Computing and how does it work, explained in simple terms?

Actually, you’ve been using cloud computing all this time, unless you were living in a cave somewhere, and that cave somehow didn’t have an internet connection.

So let me put this in as simple terms as possible:
Cloud Computing is the ability to use the power of other computers (located somewhere else) and their software, via the Internet (or sometimes other networks), without the need to own them. They are being provided to you, as a service.

That means you don’t have to go and buy some super powerful gigantic computer system and risk have it sitting there, doing nothing. By utilizing the cloud, everything is ready for you whenever you might need it. Exactly where the hardware and software is located and how it all works doesn’t matter to you, as a user. It’s just somewhere up in the vast “cloud” that the Internet represents.
Now you know one of the reasons they call it the Cloud Computing.
One good example of someone who provides these types of cloud services would be RackSpace cloud company.

To illustrate the point even better, let’s go over one typical example of cloud computing that you must have used before (exception are those with the cave thing from above).

Google as an example of cloud computing

What happens when you type and search something on Google?
Have you ever thought about this? Does your PC goes through all that information, sorts it out for you and display all the relevant results? No, it doesn’t. Otherwise, you would wait much longer for a simple results page to display. A simple PC can’t process all those billions of websites in a fraction of a second, like Google does. Your PC only serves as a messenger to tell Google what you are looking for. Everything else is done by some of Google’s powerful computers located somewhere, Who-Knows-Where in the world.
Now, did you ever care about how or where that comes from? Why would you, right? Exactly. That’s a great example of how cloud computing is used.

At this point, I’m sure you understand what cloud computing is and the basic idea behind it. If that’s everything you wanted to know, you can stop here, and go enjoy your life knowing what Cloud Computing is. If you are interested in just a little tiny bit more about it, continue reading to the end (not long from here).

3 Types of Cloud Computing

1. Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) is basically when you buy raw computing hardware to use over the net, usually servers, or online storage. You buy what you need and pay-as-you-go. The best and the most basic example of this type of cloud computing is buying a web hosting for your website. You pay monthly fee to a hosting company for the storage on their servers and to have them serve up files for your website from those servers.

2. Software as a Service (SaaS) is a case where you use the complete software application that’s running on someone else’s servers. The best example of this is Google Docs, which you can use for creating and storing text documents, presentations, spreadsheets and so on…

3. Platform as a Service (PaaS) is case where you create applications using web-based tools so they run on systems software and hardware provided by another company. As an example, consider a situation where you develop your own e-commerce website but have the whole thing, including the shopping cart, checkout, and payment mechanism running on a merchant’s server.

That should be all you need to know to get you started.

As you can see, the idea behind cloud computing is very powerful and useful beyond measure. Especially now when you actually know what it is.

Credit for a great comic image used above goes to CloudTweaks.

1. AdBlock Plus

Bad for webmasters hoping to earn money through advertising, but good for Internet users who don’t want to wait for pesky ads to load, AdBlock plus saves Internet users time by telling Firefox not to load them. A simple interface lets users disable the plugin on a per-site basis if needed.

2. Google Minimalist

The Google Minimalist plugin gives users a sleek, simple interface for the Google search engine. A small button on the status bar gives easy access to the search engine.

3. Classic Compact Firefox theme

By installing this theme in Firefox, users get more of their screen for normal use. This plugin eliminates spacing between Firefox elements to minimize the amount of display real estate the browser commands. Users who want to see more content and less interface will love this theme.

4. Searchbar Autosizer

Why waste screen space with a search field when no search is needed? The autosizer plugin reduces the size of that search bar, expanding it only when it is needed. When collapsed, the address bar expands, exposing the vital information it contains.

5. Greasemonkey

Use this plugin to change the way Firefox behaves by leveraging Javascript and a convenient user interface. With this tool installed, Firefox users can modify their browser to their heart’s content. They can write their own scripts or access online libraries containing thousands of scripts that perform almost infinite modifications to their browser.

6. Faviconize Tab

Double click a tab to collapse it to a small icon. The Faviconize Tab plugin preserves space on the screen and on the Firefox interface while preserving accessibility by shrinking bulky elements.

7. Download Statusbar

This minimal status bar lets users keep track of downloads without wasting space or distracting them from their work. Install the Download Statusbar plugin to create this important effect.

8. AdBlock Plus Element Hiding Helper

Those who like AdBlock will love the\ additional flexibility offered by the Element Hiding Helper. This plugin gives Firefox users the ability to define screen elements to block that the AdBlock plugin might miss. This addresses advertising masked by scripts and other codes that often make it past the AdBlock perimeter.

9. Personal Menu

The Personal Menu puts Firefox users in the driver’s seat. They get to decide what their Web browser’s menu looks like and what items it includes. It presents only the options the user wants to see in the Firefox menu, while keeping all the other options hidden, but accessible with a single click of the mouse.

Firefox users should download these 9 plugins to increase their browser speed and reclaim more of their screen. After trying them all, they should keep the ones they find most useful and then continue their search for other ways to get more of what they want from Firefox.

This was a guest post by James Adams.
Enthusiastically involved with the upkeep of Cartridge Save, James blogs and writes numerous articles, and also makes sure he keeps track of all the ink and toner.

With mobile device sales growing, mobile security apps are proliferating as well. Of the hundreds of security apps available for your mobile device, there are six (three for the Android and three for the iPhone) that warrant special consideration.

Lookout for Android

This security app has received top accolades from CNET, PCWorld and TechCrunch, offering excellent services for data backup and restore, phone tracking, and anti-virus and malware protection, as well as a great visual interface. The app got kudos recently in Oregon after a man who’d lost several possessions in a home robbery was able to use his Lookout-protected Motorola phone in order to track down the criminal.

Fingerprint Security for iPhone

There are a number of fingerprint security apps available but this one pushes the envelope on biometric technology. Get futuristic on identity thieves by accessing your phone with nothing more than the lines on your thumb.

Security Shield for Android

This anti-theft and identity protection app utilizes GPS in order to allow for automatic real-time location tracking. And it’s web-based console and added protections against spyware and malware make it particularly useful for cellular devices.

Big Brother Camera Security for iPhone

Okay, full disclosure, this app was banned, but it’s so cool it simply has to be mentioned, in case you can jailbreak it into your device. The Big Brother Camera Security app allows you to remotely photograph the person stealing your phone or gaining unauthorized access to it. The ban came over concerns the app could also be used to violate privacy expectations by collecting user passcodes.

WaveSecure for Android

Developed by tenCube, this app won the Android Challenge 2 by offering users a robust way to remotely lock, track, and backup your cell phone. The app is easy to install and allows you to secure your uploaded media as well.

GadgetTrak for iPhone

GadgetTrak has won numerous awards and can essentially do the same thing Big Brother was banned for—remotely capturing photos of thieves—without compromise device passcodes. The newest push notification feature on this app sends a message to the device which attempts to trigger GPS tracking.

Mobile security will not diminish in importance as the years go on. Rather, the need for protecting you and your assets against malware, viruses, and identity theft will accelerate as hacking technology grows. Start equipping your devices with security apps now and avoid a giant headache later.

I have had the opportunity to play with the new Firefox 8 and I’ve seen a couple of new things included with the new version.

1. Start-up is now much faster.

This is because Firefox 8 comes with a new feature for tabs loading. I call it “Lazy Tabs”. Here’s what that means.

When you start your Firefox,  (if you’ve set the option to load tabs from last time), instead of waiting for all tabs to load simultaneously, Firefox starts loading only one tab (the one you see), and the rest of them are waiting for you to activate them, one by one, when you need them.
So when you click at one of them, that one starts loading.

Up until now, there was a Firefox Add-on, BarTab, that enabled this functionality in older versions, but now you don’t need it anymore.

2. You can do Twitter searches directly from address bar.

You don’t need to go to Twitter to conduct message searches. Now you can choose Twitter to be one of the default search engines for Firefox, and you can conduct your searches right from within Firefox 8.

Google, Yahoo, Bing and others are still available if you prefer using them. You can set your default search engine at the top-right side of Firefox, near the address bar, as shown in the screenshot above.

3. Add-ons installed by external applications are disabled by default.

This means that all add-ons that are installed by external applications must be explicitly switched on by the user. That’s a great thing, and let me tell you why.

For example, when you install a software, and it comes with a certain browser toolbar that tries to install itself automatically and without your permission, it will be stopped in its tracks.

4. ‘Downloads’ history is now more accessible.

This is a minor change, but still, it makes it easier to check Downloads history since now it can be accessed through opening browsing History panel from the menu.

It is no longer needed to open a separate window to see Downloads history. You can find everything right inside the History panel, as you can see in the screenshot below.

Mozilla Firefox 8 Download Link

Remember, this below is the link to Mozilla’s FTP server where they store the final release of Firefox 8. The official links will be available on November 8th.

Download Firefox 8 here. (Firefox Setup 8.0.exe)

Three phone makers will incorporate the new operating system, and those are the more high-brow brands of HTC and Samsung, as well as Nokia. As far as which service providers will carry the Microsoft phones, not much is known; however it is speculated that AT&T will carry both the HTC Surround and the Samsung Focus.

As far as the operating system itself goes, Windows lovers can expect everything that they love about the system in the palm of their hand. The phone is fun and extremely easy to use, and can handle way more than simple functions like searching on Bing.com or finding a phone number through Anywho.com.

The interface is broken up into six hubs for easy navigation, and the predominate focuses are on People, Pictures, Media, Marketplace, Microsoft Office, and Games.

Facebook is very easy to use on the interface, but the Twitter integration could still use some work. The photo and media hub is very similar to Zune which is nice because it allows users the ability to sync their phone content with that of their computer. For gamers, the integration of Xbox Live makes the Windows phones an exciting new addition to the smartphone market.

Like Android, the Windows user interface is also highly customizable so that you can have what you want at your fingertips at all times.
But perhaps the biggest accolade that can be given to the Windows series of phones is that they don’t come across as an iPhone knock-off. They truly have their own unique interface, and are capable of giving each user a unique experience.

Whether or not Microsoft will be able to succeed with its Windows phones will be another story. While many reviews have given Windows phones high marks, the late entry into the market has many worried that they won’t stay around. So if you are a die hard Windows fan, show your support and get a smartphone that you can sync with your computer – get a Windows phone.

There are 10 wallpapers in this collection that are officially included with Windows 8 Pre-Beta, Build 8102, (and are probably going to be included in wallpaper collection of Windows 8 final version).

The rest of them are simply beautiful products of creativity by a couple of gifted designers, and therefore I have decided to feature their remarkable work here in this post.

All of the featured wallpapers are high quality resolution (1680 x 1050 and 1920 x 1050).

I plan to cover more exciting technical details of Windows 8 in the next few blog posts. Until then, go ahead and download fresh Windows 8 wallpapers featured below for your desktop. I’m sure you’re going to find your next wallpaper among these.

Also, don’t forget to check out previous wallpaper packs featured here:

40 Official and Unofficial Windows 7 Wallpapers

80 High Quality Mozilla Firefox Wallpapers

20 Creatively Artistic Wallpapers To Spice Up Your Desktop

12 Cool Typography Desktop Wallpapers

Credits to great artists:
rehsup, enemia, pedrocasoa, MAkhdar, RealityOne

This post will be unusually short, since there really isn’t much to explain. Just type, click, and you’re ready to go.

WiFi HotSpot Creator is a small (374 KB) and free application that makes it all easy and fast.

What you see above in the screenshot is all. That’s all there is to it.

1. Type the name of WiFi connection that you want to create.
This name will appear to other devices when they search for a wireless hotspot. What you type in here is not really important. It can be anything you want it to be.

2. Type your desired password into the Passphrase field. Other devices will use this password to be able to use your shared internet connection via WiFi.

3. From the NIC drop-down choose the way your laptop is currently connected to internet. For example, if you are connected via WiFi, you choose “Wireless Network Connection”. If you get access to internet via LAN cable, then you choose that one.

Notice that you can share your “Wired” connection with other devices “Wirelessly”. Your laptop will transmit WiFi signal and therefore other devices will be able to connect to internet, even if your laptop is connected to internet via cable.

One bad thing

One thing that I didn’t like about this app, is that it installs a browser toolbar without even asking you.

If you use Google Chrome, you don’t need to worry, but in other browsers, you will notice additional toolbar has been installed. That’s not a big problem though, you can easily uninstall it from the browser options.

Download link below

Download WiFi Hotspot Creator here.

This, currently, is the fastest and simplest way to send large files online to your contacts’ email address. Or to even more than one of them at once.

To see how simple it is, here are the 3 steps to send your large files:

1. Go to web app, or open the desktop version of it.

2. Enter email address you want to send the file to.

3. Select, or drag & drop files, and send!

Now let’s see some details related to this immensely useful, and yet, free web app.
It is created by a newly-founded company, Kicksend.
Yes, you have to register to be able to send large files, but the process is surprisingly simple and fast, with only 3 things you need to write:
Your name, your email address, and your desired password.

That’s all. You’re registered. And no, you don’t even need to click on those confirmation links sent to your email. You can start sending files right away.
You can even login with your Facebook account, if you really don’t wish to register.

One of the most impressive things of this app

is that it’s ridiculously simple! Everybody can use it, no matter what their computer skills are, or if they even have them (Grandma included). See the screenshot below, and you’ll see why.

As you can see, the interface is pretty simple and it gets straight to the point. All in one page. In the upper right corner you can also see your free sending limit for the current month.

If you want slightly more

Every month, you are allowed to send 1GB large files. It depends on your needs, but for average user, that should be enough.
And if it isn’t, then there are couple of steps you can take to expand your limit from 1GB to 1550 mb. It’s easy, if you need the additional space, and it’s pretty fast to do. The things you can do are captured in the screenshot below.

If you want a LOT more

If 1.5 GB still isn’t sufficient for your needs, then… There’s one last step you can take.
Purchase one of their premium packages. Then you can have 10+ GBs. Since I don’t write posts to promote anyone, nor am I writing about apps that are not free, I won’t go into much detail here, but you can see the rest on their website. I covered the free part which I think will be useful to most of the average need users.

One downside of it all

The limit for sending files directly using web app is 150 mb. If you need to send files larger than 150 mb, you’ll have to use their desktop app. It’s still free, and fast to download, but still, it’s one additional step, which I didn’t like.

Finally, the link to their website is below

Go to KickSend and send huge files.