Local Tech Guy

Using HomeGroup

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 23:18:00 +0000

Sharing in a HomeGroup

In addition to sharing out individual folders, as was possible in previous versions of Windows, HomeGroup also shares out Explorer Libraries

Explorer libraries aggregate multiple locations on a physical file system, and present them in a logical view.
Each scope of a library is backed by an network share
This allows multiple SMB shares to be aggregated into one library location
Each library is published to the network

Users can browse either shared Explorer libraries or shared folders when browsing a HomeGroup computer, which is exposed in a dedicated node in Explorer labeled as HomeGroup. In the sample screenshot below, we see a user browsing their HomeGroup from a computer named Jeremy-laptop and logged in with the user account Jeremy.

From this screenshot we can see several things:

Even though HomeGroup is primarily a network technology, it exists as a separate node from the Network node in the Explorer navigation pane.
The list of computers under the HomeGroup node shows the user that that shared folders and libraries belong to.
While logged into the local computer (with the computer name Jeremy-laptop) we see that the HomeGroup list in the navigation pane shows both local entries and remote entries. Every user that shares out folders or libraries on the HomeGroup gets a unique entry in the HomeGroup, even if they are on the same computer.
While viewing the HomeGroup computer we see that the user Jeremy on Jeremy-PC has both libraries (which are a collection of folders) and unique file folders shared out to the HomeGroup. They are all combined into the same view.

Browsing Media in a HomeGroup

Windows Media Player and Windows Media Center are both capable of browsing and consuming media that is shared on the HomeGroup. Windows Media Player will show other HomeGroup PCs under Other Libraries. These other libraries contain the same contents as the explorer library scopes. These scopes are also accessible through compatible UPnP media playback devices like the Xbox 360 and the Roku Soundbridge.

Media Center will show other HomeGroup PCs under the Shared tab.

Media Center uses the WMP Media Sharing Service for Music, Video and Pictures.
Recorded TV is enabled by directly accessing the network share \\\public\recorded TV.
Media Center can play back recorded TV that is not DRM protected from another HomeGroup PC or make a copy for playback while travelling.

Sharing printers in a HomeGroup

When a user shares their printer in the HomeGroup Control Panel, all USB-connected printers that are installed on that local PC are automatically shared:

If the printer has drivers certified by WHQL (Windows Hardware Quality Lab), the printer will be silently installed on all HomeGroup PCs.
If the printer does not drivers that have been certified , the printer will display a notification, and also show UI in the HomeGroup control panel, asking the user to elevate to install the printer driver.
- This notification will only show once in the tray and always show in the control panel until the user has acted on it

Windows Features: Turn Windows features "On" or "Off"

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 09:33:00 +0000

Several programs and features built-in with Windows, like Internet Information Services, must be turned on before they can be used. A variety of other features are turned on by default, but can be turned off if they are not used.

To turn off a feature in earlier versions of Windows, it had to be uninstalled completely from the computer.
In Windows 7, the features remain stored on the hard disk so its easy to be turned back on when needed.

If you turn off a feature in Windows 7, you really does not uninstall the feature, and it also does not reduce the amount of hard disk space used by Windows features.

Follow the steps below to turn Windows features "On" or "Off":

* Click the Start button, go to Control Panel, select Programs, and then click Turn Windows features On or Off. If prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, just type the password or provide confirmation.

*To turn a Windows feature on, select the check box next to the feature. To turn a Windows feature off, clear the check box. Hit OK.

Certain Windows features are grouped together in folders, and some folders include subfolders with extra features. If a check box is partly checked or is dimmed, then a few of the items inside the folder are turned on and some are turned off. To check the contents of the folder, just double-click it.

Installing CoPilot Application on Mini 10 Systems

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 09:29:00 +0000

If you’re having problems installing CoPilot application on Mini 1010 and 1011 systems, please follow the steps below to resolve it.

1. Insert the Micro SD card in the 1st blank filler (the one with the white sticker).
2. Insert the 1st blank filler in the 2nd blank filler (the one with the red sticker). Please refer to the picture below:

3. Insert the 2nd blank filler in the card reader slot. ]
4. The card will be detected and you will be able to install the software.

You will most likely get confused with the proper installation of the card since the package contains 1 Micro SD card and 2 dummy fillers. The CoPilot application is integrated in the Micro SD card. The Activation License Code is in the business card that is sent along with the SD card.

DELL Windows 7 Free and Easy Upgrade from Vista

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 09:22:00 +0000

DELL has recently launched the "Windows 7 Free and Easy Upgrade from Vista" program on select platforms. This promotion will enable Dell to be at par with their retail partners by letting customers purchasing a Dell PC starting October 5, 2009, to have Windows 7 installed on their PC by October 22. Below is Dell’s recent announcement:

Let Dell do the heavy lifting and upgrade your new PC to Windows 7 for you.

For those customers who are waiting for Windows 7 to arrive, Dell has a deal for you. Dell is expanding their upgrade program with a new option - the Windows 7 Free and Easy Upgrade program - which takes the hassle out of upgrading a PC to Windows 7 because Dell will do it for you. Now customers can purchase popular PCs like the Inspiron 15 or 17 laptop, Studio 15 laptop, Inspiron 546 or Studio desktop and Dell will install Windows 7 Premium on it before shipping.

As the program name implies, there are no additional charges associated with this. Dell’s goal is to make it as easy as possible for customers to order a new PC powered by Windows 7 and get on with the daily business, and around Oct. 22, or soon after the new PC will arrive. Of course for those customers who prefer a do-it-yourself, Dell is still offering the Windows 7 Technical Upgrade program, in which a customer buys a qualifying PC with Vista Home Premium, Vista Business Pro or Vista Ultimate, and registers for the Windows 7 upgrade kit, which then ships within a few weeks of October 22.

Dell is looking forward to the customer’s feedback on this new option in our upgrade program, and depending on customer response, Dell will investigate adding additional PC models as well as expanding it on a global basis. Go to http://www.dell.com/content/topics/segtopic.aspx/windows-7-easy-upgrade?&s=dhs.
For more details, head over to the Direct to Dell blog: http://en.community.dell.com/blogs/direct2dell/.

Hybrid Graphics Technology on Alienware Laptops

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 09:17:00 +0000

DELL recently integrated their Alienware line of laptops to use hybrid graphics technology that enables switching between expansion graphics card (which is basically what is ordered by the customer) when connected to AC Adapter and integrated graphics card when the laptop is on battery power.

This new technology will automatically switch the laptop to integrated graphics when it’s on battery.

If you think that you’re missing the correct graphics card or you have the wrong graphics card installed on your Alienware M17x, try doing the following to turn on your preferred graphics:

1. Connect your laptop to AC power.

2. Hit on 'Fn-F7' key to toggle between integrated and expansion graphics. You may be required to restart the system.

3. Make sure that your BIOS settings are configured to enable hybrid graphics and integrated graphics.

The Alienware M17x uses hybrid graphics technology as a way to conserve power when you’re on battery mode.

When you in the integrated mode (laptop is powered by battery only), the nVidia 9400 graphics will be seen in the Device Manager, system performance will also be less on integrated and some applications and/or games which require intensive graphics solutions will not work.

DELL Studio XPS 1340/13 Overheating Issue

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 14:22:00 +0000

Some DELL Studio XPS 1340/13 computers may report over-heating of the battery or shorter battery life.

DELL confirmed that the default preset on XPS 1340/13 has been set to "Dell Recommended" power plan. As a workaround to increase the system battery life, select the system power plan as "Power Saver".

DELL also advised customers experiencing the problem to
download and install the latest NVidia video driver A05 version (R215031.EXE) or above from Dell Support. Upgrading the BIOS to the latest version could also help alleviate the problem.

Alienware M17x Slow Graphic Performance

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 14:22:00 +0000

DELL released another update regarding reports of their Alienware M17x systems experiencing slow graphic performance when running graphics intensive programs. This is noticed when booting the system on battery power.

DELL explained that on booting the system thru battery power, the integrated graphics card is automatically enabled, disabling the discrete graphics card(s).

The integrated graphics card remains enabled even after AC power is plugged to the system. The system may only show the “Nvidia Geforce 9400M G” graphics card in Device Manager.

System warning message:

“System is operating on battery power. To maximize battery life, the system will operate on Integrated graphics.
If you would like to use discrete graphics, connect the AC adapter. Press to resume, to setup”

The solution to this issue is to enable the discrete graphics by doing the following:

1. Connect the system to AC adapter. Press 'Fn-F7' key to toggle between integrated and discrete graphics.

2. Choose 'Yes' to enable discrete graphics card on the screen prompting 'BinaryGFX' access detected.

3. Reboot system on AC adapter power. Discrete video card(s) will be listed in device manager.

Upgraded Interface on Windows Mobile 5 and 6

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 10:02:00 +0000

As smartphones increased fame outside of the business world, a division formed among devices created for consumers (lifestyle smartphones) and those created for enterprise deployments (professional smartphones). Professional devices become more integrable into bigger systems and now provide more in the productivity department whereas lifestyle devices accommodate more to the individual's tastes as well as provide more in terms of entertainment.

Though Microsoft has plenty of consumer smartphones running Windows Mobile, the operating system has found itself on the far end of "Professional," struggling to appeal to consumers enamored with touch-based operating systems. So Microsoft has worked to make Windows Mobile 6.5 and future versions much more "finger friendly," without sacrificing their professional capabilities.

For the meantime, SPB Software has developed its own interface for earlier versions of Windows Mobile that does that very thing. At present, the company has released the most recent update to its SPB Mobile Shell, an interface for Windows Mobile Professional that has layouts for both lifestyle as well as professional users which can run either simultaneously or individually.

Microsoft Releases Free Anti-Malware Product Today

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 09:59:00 +0000

Microsoft officially launched its own antivirus tool today after their Beta launch last June.

After the Redmond-based company pushed out a beta of Microsoft Security Essentials last June, enabling the software to be available to users in the United States, Israel (English only), People's Republic of China (Simplified Chinese only) and Brazil (Brazilian Portuguese only), Microsoft president for Server and Tools division Bob Muglia announced that the tool will be available for everyone today.

Previously known as Morro, Microsoft Security Essentials aims to provide basic protection from various types of malicious software, including viruses, spyware, trojans, and even rootkits. After today's launch of Microsoft Security Essentials, Microsoft will then completely discontinue OneCare, the company’s current security software that was released three years ago.

Even with Microsoft's offer of a free security suite that requires no registration, trial or renewal may sound like something that would threaten competitors, it seems like major rivals are completely unaffected by the product. Even when the Beta was launched, neither Symantec nor McAfee showed any sign of worry.

Symantec's Consumer division president, Janice Chaffin, explained that Morro is mainly a stripped down version of OneCare. "A full Internet security suite is what consumers require today to stay fully protected," she told Reuters when news of the software came out last summer. McAfee confirmed that it remained confident in its ability to compete with "anyone who might enter the marketplace."

You can download MSE by visiting the download page here and be sure to let me know what you think.

Coming Soon: More Intel Dual-Core CULV CPUs

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 07:27:00 +0000

As progress is inevitable, particularly in the world of silicon; Intel’s Ultra-thin and light will be getting some more cores.

According to Digitimes, Intel will be replacing nearly all of its processor line that's intended for ultra-thin and light laptops.

Around this quarter, Intel will be transitioning most of the CULV chips to dual-core offerings. The top-end Core 2 Duo SU9000 will be kept, however chips below it, the Core 2 Solo SU3000 and the Pentium SU2000, will turn into Core 2 Duo offerings.

The entry-level Celeron 700 will still remain to become the lowest-cost option in the segment.

Intel will also be refreshing the Intel Atom platform for netbooks, however despite the chipmaker's firmness that it'll be released this year; OEMs predict that actual product will be offered in the first quarter of 2010.

Dell Impresses with the New Latitude Z Laptop

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 07:20:00 +0000

If you think you’re better than your old clunky laptop docking station. You’re even better without a power cord sticking into your computer. And you’re definitely better than waiting for Windows to load-up just to check your e-mail. Well, of course, you’re an executive and you definitely need distinction. Here’s Dell’s answer to you.

Dell released their Latitude Z laptop on Tuesday to the upper elite. Dell claims their new Latitude Z laptop is the world’s thinnest (at 14mm) 16-inch laptop. Price starts at $1,999.

The new Latitude Z laptop comes with a slick, black cherry finish that makes it look black in certain light and burgundy in other light. It’s refined with a high-definition (1600×900) WLED display, a back-lighted keyboard, a 2 mega-pixel camera, solid state drives and carrying cases designed by Timbuck2 and Cole Haan.

However, the real magic of the Latitude Z is buried elsewhere. For instance, current laptops would require brute force and crunching noises before finally making their way into docking stations. Never with the Latitude Z.

The Latitude Z just glides onto a shiny and thin platform that charges the laptop thru an inductive charging system. The platform subsequently uses wireless communications to connect with a small, rectangular docking station that handles a connection to the office network as well as the monitor.

An executive trying to impress can just buy a wireless mouse as well as a wireless keyboard and then place the Latitude Z onto the platform, revealing only a one-cord wonder. Another impressive feature on the Latitude Z is also the ability to check e-mail, contact information as well as calendar and even browse the Web thru an instant-on software package.

The software fires up the moment you open the laptop and immediately connects right to a wireless network without having Windows to load.

Most of the users Dell surveyed spent 70 percent of their time working most in the instant-on mode. That should make Microsoft take note of that figure. It turns Windows into a clunky cup holder.

The new Latitude Z also has more features. You can just slide an identity badge (RFID) across the keyboard and the computer will automatically read it. The laptop utilizes the camera to check if a person is at the keyboard and will automatically lock down when the person leaves. The right side of the monitor acts as a touch-wheel allowing you to scroll through application icons and start applications just by rubbing your finger along the edge of the laptop.

Though the wireless bits and pieces really impress at first look however they seem more about form than function. Nevertheless, you still have to use a plug into the docking station even if the laptop already uses inductive recharging.

Todd Forsythe, the vice president of life-cycle management at Dell explained, “This is designed for impression makers and executives on the go.”

No Video Problems on DELL G2410 and G2210 LED Panels

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 12:58:00 +0000

DELL released a workaround for an ongoing No Video problem with their G2410 or G2210 LED widescreen flat panel monitors. The issue happens when the computers attached to the LED panels resumes from sleep mode. Also, the said symptom is noticed when the monitor is attached to a nVidia graphics card via the DVI port.

DELL confirmed that their G2410 or G2210 LED monitors manufactured on April 15, 2009 or earlier affected of the said issue.

DELL's workaround:
*Connect computer to a VGA connection.
*Download and update the latest version of nVidia graphics driver from Dell Support.

DELL MediaDirect 4.0 Requirements to Play Blu-ray Movie

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 12:45:00 +0000

There are a few requirements which need to be checked before troubleshooting Blu-ray movie playback issues using MediaDirect 4.0 on Studio Hybrid 140g systems.

*Ensure Broadcom Blu-ray accelerator card is installed correctly and accelerator card driver is A04 or above.

*Dell MediaDirect 4.0 Blu-ray 1.0 profile must also be installed.
-- Launch Dell MediaDirect 4.0, click "Home", select "Settings"
-- Click "About Dell MediaDirect 4.0". The Blu-ray version should listed as 3.5.xxxx

*Onboard Intel video driver A02 or above must be installed.

*High-bandwidth digital content protection (HDCP) compliance display is used.

Alienware M17x Updates

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 02:19:00 +0000

Below are some of Alienware M17x Updates released by DELL recently. You may encounter any one of the issues however you may not find the solutions in any of DELL's community website. This is because these issues were gathered by DELL engineers right after the release of the said notebook.

Webcam Not Detected Problem
Explanation: The webcam is not detected in Device Manager. Therefore, applications that rely on it (like AlienSense and YouCam) do not work. The webcam is off by default. Press the [FN] + [F9] key combination to turn it on.

No Lights on Keyboard Problem
Workaround:
1. Create New-Advanced theme.
2. Discharge the system.
3. Reinstall OSD and Command Center.

External Display Ports not working with Onboard Video
Fix: [Fn] + [F7] to switch to discrete mode.

Battery not Detected Issue with Alienware M17x

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 01:58:00 +0000

DELL recently released a work-around for various reports on their Alienware M17x notebooks having issues with the battery not being detected.

DELL instructs to do the following in order to fix the issue:

1. Turn the computer off
2. Remove the AC Adapter and Battery
3. Press the power button to drain the leftover power (the computer is not expected to turn on)
4. Connect back the AC Adapter and Battery
5. Turn the computer on
6. Also remember to try the [Fn] + [F2] key combination to make sure that the battery connection is fully enabled (you will see the battery status in the OSD application).

For more troubleshooting tips on the said issue or to report a similar case, DELL encourages you users to visit their online community.

How to Fix Your Broken Personal Folders (PST) File in MS Outlook

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 12:28:00 +0000

If you’ve noticed your MS Outlook being excessively slow or simply just having errors, you might need to probably scan and repair your Personal Folders file for any problems. It’s kind of like a checkdisk for your email.

How to Repair Your PST File

In order to repair your PST file, you’ll need to open the Scanpst.exe utility that’s integrated by default with MS Outlook. The only problem in there is because there’s no shortcut to it so you’ll need to find it in the MS Outlook folder.

To do this, open up Windows Explorer and then browse down to the following folder for MS Outlook 2007:

C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office12

Or one of these folders for MS Outlook 2003 and earlier:

C:\Program Files\Common Files\System\Mapi\1033
C:\Program Files\Common Files\System\MSMAPI\1033

Once you have opened up the utility, you’ll need to find the location of your PST file by clicking the on Browse button. If you don’t know the location, I have included a set of instructions for figuring out the location further down in this article.

Hit the Start button to start the scan.

The scanning process will take awhile and you’ll get a report at the end showing you whether you have errors in the file.

Hit on the Repair button and after it’s completed you’ll finally get the “Repair complete” message.

If you want to know what was actually repaired during the process, you’ll find a text file in the same directory as your PST file named exactly the same as your PST file.

Almost all of the information in the file is a bit cryptic so I’m not sure reading it will help you all that much.

Find Your Outlook PST File Location

If you only have a single PST file created automatically by MS Outlook, there’s a standard location under your user profile directory. Open up MS Explorer window and then paste the text below into the address bar:

%appdata%\Microsoft\Outlook

You should be able to see your PST file in the list; it’s normally named Outlook.pst at least in the later versions of MS Outlook. If you’ve created a new personal folders file, of course it might be in a different location where you’ve chosen to saved it.

Find Location of Outlook PST in Non-Standard Location

Occasionally your PST file will be in a different location for a number of reasons. For example, if you created a second PST you would have saved it somewhere.

If you can open MS Outlook, just right-click on your personal folders location and then select Properties.

Under the properties screen, hit on the Advanced button.

Now you’ll be able to see the location of the file in the Filename field. As a bonus, you can also compress the folders from here (although you shouldn’t compress it until it’s repaired first)

It’s well significant to scan your PST file every so often so you don’t lose data. You definitely should be backing up your files as well.

Motion Controls Feature with the new Sony Ericsson MH907 Headphones

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 12:05:00 +0000

Sony Ericsson releases the world’s first ever motion-activated headphones that sense the user. The intelligent MH907 headphones mean users just need to plug-in two earphones to start listening to music and remove one earbud to pause it. To start listening again one simply needs to plug the other earphone back in. You ca do exactly the same to answer and end calls – it’s as easy as 1,2,3!

Sony Ericsson’s SensMe™ Control technology responds without the need to press a button and with a Clear Audio experience users encounter better sound on the move and enjoy their favorite music as it’s meant to be heard.

Sony Ericsson also created a humorous extraordinary film to demonstrate the product’s unique technology. Partnering with internationally celebrated animator Kristofer Ström, the short film debuting today shows a cartoon character riding the bus and then switching effortlessly between phone calls as well as listening to his favorite music. To watch the film visit: www.sonyericsson.com/putyourearsincontrol.

“With the MH907 consumers can pocket their phone but still stay connected all day, every day by simply plugging in or removing their earbuds – there is no need for a remote control or any buttons,” announced Jacob Sten, Senior Vice President, SEMC Accessories. “At Sony Ericsson we think it is very important to listen to what our customer needs and introducing the world’s first ever motion activated headphones highlights our commitment to offer our customers a complete Communications Entertainment experience. The MH907 supports our realigned brand strategy, which aims to build a fun, playful and inclusive interaction with consumers.”
For more information on the new product, visit: http://www.sonyericsson.com/putyourearsincontrol

Disable the Irritating Blinking Text in Firefox

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 11:29:00 +0000

Any blinking text on a webpage can be extremely irritating. Here’s how you can disable the annoyance in Firefox.

First, open up Firefox and type about:config in the address bar then press Enter.

If you encounter the void warranty message, just click “I’ll be careful, I promise!” then uncheck the box next to “Show this warning next time” if you choose not to see it again.

In the Filter box, type in or you can just copy and paste the text below. Notice the default value is set to ‘true’.

browser.blink_allowed

Just double click on it in order to toggle the value to ‘false’.

Test It!
To test the changes made, just refresh this page and the following text should not blink anymore. This works on Firefox 3.5.3 however the tweak is also applicable in older versions of Firefox as well.

How to Resize a Partition for Free in Windows 7

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 00:06:00 +0000

Windows 7 and Vista have a built-in functionality in Disk Management to shrink and/or expand partitions. You no longer need any 3rd-party utilities.

To enable this utility, just open up Control Panel and type in partition into the search box. You’ll immediately see this link show up:

Shrink a Partition

To shrink a partition, right-click on the partition that you want to shrink, under the Disk Management screen and choose “Shrink Volume” from the menu.

Under the Shrink dialog, you’ll need to enter the amount you want to shrink the partition by, NOT the new size. For instance, if you need to shrink your 50GB partition by around 10GB so that it will now be around 40GB, just enter 10000 into the box:

Extend a Partition

To extend a partition, just right-click on the partition that you need to extend under Disk Management screen and choose “Extend Volume” from the menu.

On this screen, you can now specify the amount that you need to increase the partition by. In this example, we’re going to extend it back to around 50GB size.

Please note that the extend partition feature only works with contiguous space.

HP Announces DreamScreen: Beats Apple for the World’s 1st Tablet-like Computer.

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 23:58:00 +0000

Hewlett Packard announces its DreamScreen products that would represent a new class of wireless connected screens knocking out Apple in coming up with a beautiful tablet-like computer.

The screens are hybrids of digital photo displays and slate computers. Though they’re not multi-touch screen-enabled, however these could be made possible as soon as manufacturing costs come down. You can control the panels through the touch-enabled controls located on the border of the screen.

DreamScreens are not full-fledged computers that run regular Microsoft Windows operating systems, however you can utilize them to keep up with Facebook friends, share Snapfish personal photos, listen to Pandora Internet radio, view photos as they’re updated in real-time, and enjoy music and photo collections that are stored on other networked computers. It’s a type of computer that is appropriate for casual use by broader, mainstream audiences who might use it while browsing TV.

Consequently, Apple is now rumored to be working on a very similar project however it’s expected to be announced next year. Considering the technology of the iPhone, Apple is expected to also do a multi-touch screen as well as the full Mac OS X operating system integrated. Nevertheless, the price of this technology would definitely be higher than HP’s product.

DreamScreen screens really look attractive and beautiful plus the user interface is far easier and convenient than a typical computer. You’ll almost feel like you’re using an iPhone, except on a much larger display but only with side controls instead of the multi-touch screen. The 10.2-inch DreamScreen 100 costs around $249 and is most suited for a bedroom nightstand or dresser. The 13.3-inch DreamScreen 130 costs around $299 and is most suitable for use on coffee tables or a kitchen counter.

It’s no longer necessary to boot your computer just to take care of mundane tasks such as viewing a calendar or to see what your friends are up to. The DreamScreen screens come with 2 gigabytes of built-in memory for storing music, photos, and home movies directly on the machine. DreamScreens also have a USB and flash memory card connectors so that you can easily load digital content from a USB drive or digital camera. Wireless capability is also available (via 802.11 b/g wireless networking) or you can just drag and drop content from a networked computer to the screen using your finger.

You can conveniently use the touchscreen to look for (non-iTunes) songs, searching via album, artist or genre. The screens also will fetch album cover art plus they have good speakers as well as connections for headphones or external speakers. You can listen to Pandora songs as well as assign them the thumbs up so that DreamScreen can recognize your favorites.

HP also included their newly dubbed service called the HP SmartRadio that collates streams of live Internet broadcasts from over 10,000 radio stations around the globe. Users can have the ability to listen to their favorite radio stations on the Internet by location or genre in any place. Moreover, DreamScreen can also let you check the time, date, and weather.

Setting up DreamScreen is easy. You can use the remote control that ‘s placed nearly invisible atop the screen. Touch controls become visible only when you touch the border of the screen. The DreamScreen 100 is now available online at Amazon.com, BestBuy.com, and HPDirect.com. The DreamScreen 130 will be available by this fall.

Make Phone Calls Directly From Twitter Using Jajah

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 13:21:00 +0000

Thanks to a third-party application from Jajah, Twitter users can now make voice calls directly to each other by just clicking on links on the microblogging service.

The Jajah@call service will allow Twitter users create a VOI (voice-over-Internet) voice chat session by typing @call@username where the username is the recipient’s Twitter identification. Though the calls can only last two minutes during the beta test, they are positive that it may change over time after further developments.

Jajah, a Mountain View, California-based firm, already operates an Internet calling service with over ten million users. Currently, this service makes it very easy to make voice calls, provided that both parties are Twitter friends and both also have Jajah accounts. The service is free and works on any Twitter-enabled device.

With this new Internet service from Jajah, you can still keep your phone number private and still talk to just about anybody on Twitter. Competition is consequently just got interesting. Last Tuesday, game voice chat service Vivox also announced that it could allow Facebook users talk to each other similarly with Jajah also by sharing a link. Vivox offers voice chat for roughly15 million users. Jajah is currently raising a funding round this spring.

How to Back-up Wireless Networks in Windows 7

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 13:12:00 +0000

Perhaps, one of the most annoying thing when you set-up a wireless network is having to remember the pass key (security key) and typing it perfectly correct so you can connect your laptop or netbook to it. Just imagine if you need 2 or more of your portables to connect to a wireless network. Well, Windows 7 may have a pretty convenient solution to this. You can now easily export your wireless settings from one computer to another.

Backing up the wireless networks settings from Windows 7 is easy, and the settings can also be saved to a USB drive. Moreover, you can import the settings on laptops & netbooks running Windows XP, Windows Vista and/or Windows 7.

Saving Your Wireless Network Settings

Open the Network and Sharing Center first. To do this, simply click on the wireless network symbol from the taskbar and choose ‘Open Network and Sharing Center’. Another way to do this is go to Control Panel -> Network and Internet -> Network and Sharing Center.

Click the ‘Manage wireless networks’ link on the left side of the Network and Sharing Center window.

You will see a list with all wireless networks to which you have connected in previously under the Manage Wireless Networks window. Just double-click on those you prefer.

You will now see a window with all its properties. To save them on a flash drive: Click on the bottom link that says ‘Copy this network profile to a USD flash drive’.

The Copy Network Settings wizard will now begin. Next, insert the USB flash drive and wait until it is detected. The Next button now is no longer grayed out.

It will only take a few seconds to complete the copying process. Just hit on Close when finished.

If you will check your USB flash drive, you will now see a setupSNK.exe file and a SMRTNTKY folder. Don’t delete those files from the memory stick.

Importing Your Wireless Network Settings

Plug in the USB flash drive to the laptop where you need to import the settings and run the setupSNK.exe file. Click on Yes when the Wireless Network Setup Wizard launches.

The settings will now be imported and will complete in a few seconds. Click OK when you get the notification below. You can now start using the wireless network.

This process is very helpful for both public and hidden wireless networks. Instead of typing long and complicated authentication keys, it is much easier to plug in an USB memory stick and just run a setup file. If you have other useful techniques like this one, please don’t hesitate to share them by providing comments here.

Google’s Fast Flip Trick

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 10:19:00 +0000

Google wants its online news site to feel more like the good old print product.

And the company is prepared to pay for it.

Google took the wraps off of Fast Flip on Monday, a slick online tool that lets readers flip through articles from newspapers and magazines as quickly and effortlessly as if they were turning the pages of a magazine.

The company said it will share advertising revenue with the 30 publishers whose content is currently available on Fast Flip, including the New York Times, the Washington Post and Newsweek.

Obsessive Google-watchers may recall that rumors of this product emerged back in June.

But the company officially released Fast Flip on Monday, making it available on Google Labs, the company’s outlet for products that are still in the testing phase.

Google is essentially hosting images of the first page of various articles from its partner publishers. A Web surfer can browse by topic or news source and scroll through fast-loading snapshots of all the relevant articles. There’s a “recommended” section that aggregates the most popular articles thanks to a new recommendation tool that Google has added (watch out Digg!).

Google is running banner ads alongside the article thumbnails, the proceeds of which will be split with publishers (though Google won’t disclose the terms of the revenue split). If a Web surfer wants to read the full article, they’re redirected to the publisher’s actual Web site.

“The publishing industry faces many challenges today, and there is no magic bullet,” said Google Distinguished Researcher Krishna Bharat in a blog post announcing Fast Flip. “However, we believe that encouraging readers to read more news is a necessary part of the solution. We think Fast Flip could be one way to help, and we’re looking to find other ways to help as well in the near future.”

It’s a fine balancing act by Google, which can continue to stand behind its argument that it helps news sites by sending traffic their way while also sharing a bit of the wealth.

But Bharat acknowledged in an interview with Reuters that various aspects of Fast Flip, including the business model, are subject to change.

Whether the current iteration will be enough to assuage some of Google’s most vocal news industry critics remains to be seen.

Missing among the list of FastFlip partners is Dow Jones, whose chief executive called Google a “digital vampire” this summer.

Source: Reuters.com

Steve Jobs strides back onto Apple stage

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 04:27:00 +0000

Steve Jobs stepped back into the spotlight for the first time in nearly a year on Wednesday, drawing a standing ovation before unveiling new and cheaper iPods for Apple Inc.

But Apple's shares closed 1 percent lower after hitting a year's high in the session. Analysts said they dipped because investors took profits after a steady run-up in the days before the event. One analyst also pointed to Jobs' appearance, saying the 54-year-old chief executive looked "frail."

Dressed in his trademark black turtleneck and jeans, Jobs took the stage and thanked everyone in the Apple community for their "heartfelt support."

Jobs, a pancreatic cancer survivor, spoke with characteristic passion about new products and dropped his signature line -- "one more thing" -- before introducing a new iPod nano with a video camera.

It was his first public appearance since returning to work in June after six months of medical leave, during which the charismatic corporate showman underwent a liver transplant.

"I now have the liver of a mid-20s person who died in a car crash and was generous enough to donate their organs. I wouldn't be here without such generosity," an emotional Jobs told the audience, urging them to all become organ donors.

"I feel great. I probably need to gain about 30 pounds, but I feel really good. I'm eating like crazy. A lot of ice cream," Jobs later told the New York Times in a short interview. (For a photo, please click here)

Apple shares initially rose about 1 percent to a year's high before retreating to close $1.79 lower, or 1 percent, at $171.14 on Nasdaq. For a graphic please click on here.

"I'm sure (Jobs) looking so frail -- the guy's had the most extreme surgery you can have -- didn't help matters, but I think people have come to grips that the torch is going to be passed. It's just a matter of when," said Dave Rovelli, managing director of U.S. equity trading at Canaccord Adams.

"The stock's had such an incredible move, I wouldn't read too much into it. It's probably just some profit taking."

Apple's stock has doubled this year, valuing the company at $155 billion -- triple that of smartphone arch-foe Research in Motion -- and second only to Microsoft's $221 billion among tech companies on the S&P 500.

Jobs started off by announcing a new version of Apple's popular online media store, iTunes, and updated software for the iPhone. He then unveiled new iPod features and colors, and announced price cuts for other models ahead of the crucial holiday season.

The audience at the event in San Francisco included Google Inc Chief Executive Eric Schmidt, who recently stepped down from Apple's board amid increased scrutiny from regulators about the companies' ties.

Since late last week, analysts had been expecting Apple's stock would get a boost from an appearance by the company co-founder. The shares rose in the afternoon to $174.47, their highest since August 28, 2008. But they quickly retreated.

Continue here>>

Source: Reuters.com

System Overheat or Short Battery Life on Dell Studio XPS 1340/13

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 04:21:00 +0000

Dell Studio XPS 1340/13 systems may report overheat or short battery life. There are 2 options to address this:

Option 1:
Studio XPS 1340/13 system has been preset to the Dell Recommended power plan. To increase the system battery life, select the system power plan as Power Saver.

This mode is perfect for watching movies, web surfing and non-graphics intense applications. Another benefit of this mode is the system will feel up to 15°C cooler as it will only be using the power required to run the applications.

Option 2:
Download and install the latest BIOS and Nvidia video driver A05(178.98) or above from Dell Support.

This driver will enhance the balance between system performace and power consumption in Dell Recommended power plan mode.

Note:
Should the system require a boost in graphical performance to improve the gaming experience, recommend to select High Performance power plan mode.

The system will generate more heat and will reduce the battery life in High Performance mode, comparing to Power Saver mode and Dell Recommended.