One Tip A Day

How to Check The Quality of your Internet Connection

Umar — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 14:35:20 +0000

To find the speed of your internet connections, you can use a number of free websites including this broadband speed test. These websites first ask you to choose a server; then they proceed to send data back and forth to the server from your computer. This way your download and upload speeds are both calculated.

While the speed calculating is certainly useful, it doesn’t necessarily reveal the quality of your connection. It doesn’t specify what services will run best on your connection and what won’t.

To find those, more useful details about your internet connection, visit Pingtest.

Pingtest is a website that lets you choose a global server and run some connection tests.

The first is a Packet Loss percentage test. ‘Packets’ are pieces of information which are transferred from the server to your system. If the packet loss percentage is greater than zero, then your connection needs to be looked into.

The second is the highly common Ping test; it is used to send packets of information to a server and check the round-trip time it takes i.e. time taken to the server and back. If you’ve chosen a recommended server by Pingtest, any good connection should give a ping test result of less than 100ms.

Ping tests can exhibit variation in their patterns. For instance running the ping test twice on the same server may give you a 32ms result difference. This variation is known as jitter. The lower the jitter, the better your connection. So the third internet test Pingtest runs is the Jitter test which calculates the jitter in your internet connection.

After running all these tests your internet connection is categorized in one of five categories; here’s how Pingtest has named and explained the categories:

Category A: “An excellent result! Expect all Internet applications to work very well assuming you have sufficient bandwidth.”
Category B: “Very good! Your connection should work well for any Internet application. Some online games may not perform optimally.”
Category C: “Acceptable. Your VoIP quality will suffer some, and you will have a disadvantage in many online games. Most streaming media will be fine. You should try testing again to another server close to you.”
Category D: “Concerning. Most online applications will not perform well but should function in some capacity. Try testing to other servers to verify the result. You might need to contact your ISP for help.”
Category F: “Very poor. Real-time Internet application performance will suffer greatly on such a connection. Test to other servers to confirm the result, but definitely talk to your ISP about troubleshooting the issue.”

Pingtest is a great tool from the same people behind the highly popular Speedtest. If ever in doubt about your internet connection quality, head on over to Pingtest to confirm or subside your fears.

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Offline Gmail: Choose What Messages To Download

Umar — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 15:10:38 +0000

Having your emails stored on your PC rather than your online inbox can provide you with easy offline access to your emails. This way you don’t need to log in to your inbox each time you want to read your email. As a result, you save a lot of time by spending no time on logging in and getting right down to business.

However, your email inbox might be too large i.e. too large for you to want to save it all on your PC. You might only require certain messages to be saved for offline viewing. For instance you might want only those emails to be downloaded which are from your professor who sends assignments and notes via emails.

Choosing individually which emails to download can be quite time-consuming. But now, with a great new feature of Offline Gmail, you can work around this time-consuming issue.

By enabling Offline Gmail in the Google Labs, you can already have your emails/messages downloaded for offline viewing. Now however, Offline Gmail has been made to facilitate you further by enabling you to save only certain messages. Say you want to download all conversations in the last month which were labeled with a keyword which you can assign. With Google Gmail, you can do that with ease:

If you do such a maneuver and click ‘Save,’ and Gmail has already downloaded some messages from your previous usage of Offline Gmail, the new messages (according to your specifications) will now be downloaded and the messages which don’t plan to read will be removed off your hard drive, reducing clutter.

With this step Gmail takes free emailing service to another level.

Tags: check gmail offline, email, gmail, offline gmail

How to Split and Merge Files Faster

Umar — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 15:50:48 +0000

Splitting large files into smaller files can prove to be highly convenient while transferring them. For instance your instant messaging software doesn’t allow the transfer of files greater than 5 MB; you walk around this restriction by splitting any file greater than 5 MB into smaller pieces and then sending them to the receiver. The receiver can then compile them and see what you’ve sent.

While facilitating, users usually find this method of compressions quite difficult. Other problems also occur with the splitting and merging of files namely, the compatibility of your compressions software. A file spanned out into smaller files with a particular software might not be extractable by some other software.

The complete solution to both these problems is Winmend File Splitter.

Winmend File Splitter is a compression freeware which doesn’t span out your selected file into ZIP, RAR, or 7ZIP archives; instead it uses a format familiar to windows i.e. you can extract the files simply using Windows and no other third party software.

Winmend requires no registration; the 1.5 MB setup file can be instantly downloaded and installed. The interface is self-explanatory and makes usage extremely simple:

After you select a file, you can choose the method the file is spanned out: you can either choose the total number of files over which your file will be spanned out, or you can specify the size of each file yourself.

Winmend’s speed to span out files is remarkably high and it gets the job done before you even know it.

A wonderfully useful freeware, Winmend is one application you should try out right away.

Tags: How To, merge files faster, split files, utilities

How to Find the Perfect Gadget with your Budget

Umar — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 19:51:59 +0000

As technology advances, it gets increasingly complicated for the average man. A few years ago, the television with the largest screen was the understood to be the best; but now, there’s contrast ratio, response time, and all other things to consider while buying a television.

The average Joe can now use Measy to make his gadget purchases a lot easier by making it a lot less confusing.

Measy is a free web service which asks you a series of simple questions to know your budget and preferences; it then suggests what it calculates are the best gadgets for you.

First you choose your category:

Then you pick your price range:

And then you answer a series of simple questions which help Measy decide what product you would be most interest in:

Doing so, you will be presented with the gadgets that not only fit your budget but also your tastes.

Alternatively, you can also do away with Measy deciding for you and simply browse Measy’s gadget list yourself:

We mere mortals desperately needed something like Measy to make buying gadgets a less arduous affair; thank God it’s finally here.

Tags: buying guide, gadgets

Chromed Bird: How to Access Twitter Easily From Chrome

Umar — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 13:01:48 +0000

There’s nothing impossible when it comes to the web. So what do you get when you cross the fastest internet browser, Chrome, with one of the most popular social networking website, Twitter? You get Chromed Bird! Chromed Bird is a free Google Chrome extension which provides Chrome users with ultra-easy accessibility to their Twitter account:

When you’ve clicked the ‘Add to Chrome’ button you can access your Twitter account by a small button on the address bar:

Just click on it and enter your Twitter info on the first run:

Then click on ‘Go!’ and that’s all there’s to it! From now when you click on the Chromed Bird icon, you’ll be able to follow your Twitter account via a conveniently placed box:

You can even click on the ‘RT Reply’ and Tweet without even leaving the webpage you’re on:

Chromed Bird is only one example of Chrome’s superiority over other internet browsers. With its already speedy interface, and with amazing extensions such as this one, Chrome is on its path to be the perfect internet browsers for us internet users.

More: Chromed Bird

Tags: access twitter from chrome, addons, chrome, Google, How To, twitter

How to Save Stuff & Notes To Read Later

Umar — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 13:37:38 +0000

Browsing the internet you must have come across interesting reading material countless times. While for some of this material, you immediately take out time, others you pass due to time restrictions. Often you’re not able to find the missed material which you earlier found interesting. Resultantly you never get to read something that might have included vital information for you.

Of course one solution would be keep bookmarking the pages you want to read later. But that procedure can’t be declared efficient as it creates a messy clutter of bookmarks. For Firefox users, there is one solution: Read It Later.

You can see by the user rating how convenient this makes life for internet users:

Read it later adds a check mark to your address bar which you can click each time you come across something you want saved for reading later:

You can even have ReadItLater save the page for offline reading:

ReadItLater packs a variety of other features as well, some of which are:

You can save all tabs in ReadItLater to be read later
Once you’ve read the material, you can post it on a number of popular websites to share with other people:

Add links to ReadItLater with just one click on the check mark

ReadItLater also comes for the iPhone and can be gotten for it here.

When you know that you can save something to read later, you won’t waste your time on it and won’t let it interfere with your online tasks. Thus ReadItLater also improves an internet user’s efficiency.

A wonderful application, ReadItLater should be grabbed by all Firefox and iPhone users.

Tags: browser add on, Firefox, Notes, organiser, save text online

Things You Need To Know Before Buying A Camera Phone

mitchbuchannon — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 05:10:16 +0000

Nowadays digital photography has come within the reach of the masses. The price of the digital cameras has hit rock bottom. However, the present generation mobile phones are also being considered by many people as a viable alternative to entry level digital cameras. The latest high end camera phones have advanced photo editing and capture features that rival those of a dedicated digital camera. In fact, the market is flooded with so many camera mobiles that choosing the right one can be troublesome for a person. Therefore, a person willing to buy a camera mobile needs to consider certain aspects and do his homework properly before going to the stores.

There are lots of cell phones with cameras ranging from average to professional quality. The pricing varies accordingly. Hence, a person should set a budget before hunting for camera mobiles. He also needs to be clear about his need. If he already has a camera then it would be practical to buy a phone with an entry level camera. This can be used for taking casual outdoor shots. On the contrary, someone with deep pockets may opt for a 5 Megapixel camera phone that will deliver near digicam picture quality.

The Megapixel count can also be a bit tricky. While a camera with higher megapixel sensor delivers better picture, image quality is also affected by many other factors than its resolution. There is a discernible difference between the picture quality of a camera with 2MP resolution and another with 5MP resolution. But in most of the cases the images captured by a 5MP and an 8MP sensor look almost identical.

It is always better to opt for a camera mobile that offers optical zoom instead of digital zoom. This is because higher amount of digital zoom results in inferior image quality and excessive pixilation. However, most of the camera mobiles still use digital zoom to maintain the compact size. The Lens type can also have a direct impact on the image quality captured by a camera handset. Some of the high end mobiles come equipped with powerful lens made by companies like Carl-Zeiss and they capture sharper and brighter images than handsets with a standard lens.

Some handset manufacturers bundle their sets with external storage cards for storing data and media. These cards are also used for storing images shot by the phone. Therefore, it would be more sensible to buy a handset that comes bundled with a storage card. With prolonged usage, the phone’s internal memory will become full and then the user would be forced to use the external memory for storing the images.

People do not buy camera mobiles to store the captured images inside forever. They often have to transfer the captured images and videos to computers and share them over the web. Therefore, a camera handset with better connectivity options is always preferable from a buyer’s perspective. In addition to USB, Bluetooth is a desirable feature in a mobile as it offers wireless data transfer between devices. Apart from these, features like inbuilt photo and video editing is found in some handsets. These are handy if you want to take some snaps at any event and share them on the way using the Internet.

The battery life of a handset should be considered in this context. Using Flash, Bluetooth and web access can drain the battery faster. Hence, a phone with longer battery life should be the choice of a person interested in mobile photography.

For more cameraphone buying tips click here.

Tags: cameraphone, MP, smartphones

How To Unlock Useful Features In Canon Digital Cameras

mitchbuchannon — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 18:08:58 +0000

In the world of digital photography, Canon holds a place of importance. In fact, a majority of professional photographers stick to Canon digital and SLR cameras for accurate color reproduction and sharp images. Particularly its iXus and PowerShot range of cameras have become very popular among photographers. However, there are some lesser known ways to extract maximum performance from a Canon digital and D-SLR camera.

There exists a simple and free software named CHDK that enables Canon camera owners to perform various advanced tasks with their shooters. CHDK or Canon Hacker’s Development Kit is basically a software framework that relies on open source standard. By using it, a Canon camera owner can add histograms, enable RAW image support and burst mode on his camera.

This software works only with Canon cameras. However, results depend on the model a person uses and its firmware version. The software should be used by people who have extensive knowledge in cameras and they should remember that using it can make the warranty provided by Canon void. It is not risky as the firmware of the camera is not affected by it and it is stored in memory card of the camera. A person needs to check the CHDK web site to know if his Canon model will support the software or not. He also needs to download a compatible version of the software.

To install CHDK on a SD card, a utility named Card Tricks is required. Using it the card can be formatted in FAT. Thereafter, the user needs to make it bootable using the same software. Next, he should proceed to the CHDK site and download a compatible version for his camera. The CHDK software is downloaded in zipped format. Using Card Tricks, the zip file needs to be extracted on the SD card. After locking the SD card, inserting in the camera and powering on the device, a splash screen will appear that will show that CHDK is in operation.

This software enables image saving in the RAW format. To enable Raw image saving the user needs to go to Alt mode by clicking ‘Direct Print’. Next, he needs to select Raw parameters and activate the menu ‘Save Raw’. To use the customized RAW images made by the software, a person can use a tool named Photoline. It is available for both Mac and Windows.

Many cameras show a histogram preview after a picture is shot. However, it would be better if the camera shows live histogram. CHDK makes it possible. When CHDK is activated, a person needs to select Alt mode and go to ‘Histogram parameters’ using the Menu button. From there, he can activate the sub menu ‘Show Live Histogram’. Some models support real time Live histogram toggle.

Sometimes outdoor shots and night scenes look nice when they are shot with long exposures. However, many entry level cameras do not support long exposure by default. With CHDK installed, they can override this limitation. However, to shot long exposure images with a point and shoot camera, using a tripod becomes mandatory. To enable this feature a person needs to select Alt mode in his camera. Thereafter, he needs to select ‘Extra Photo Operations’ and click on ‘Override shutter Speed’. The value factor should be set to 1. After this, the camera will allow the user to select a custom shutter length instead of using the inbuilt one.

More: CHDK

Tags: camera, Canon Powershot, card tricks, CHDK, digital camera, Digital Photos, iXus, photography

Saving Time and Money on All The Internet Best Offers

Umar — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 17:57:56 +0000

Online shoppers are always on the lookout for special offers and coupons that can provide them with amazing discounted prices. Offers which provide one free product with X number of purchases, offers that provide a coupon code for a discounted price, travel offers providing discounted rates for a special season, and other offers can be highly beneficial to the people who need them.

So how does one learn about these offers? Heavily advertising is what the offers-providing companies do; but the vastness of the internet lets much of the target audience slip through the cracks. Consequently the people who can use those deals never get to hear about them. Even when you’re actively looking for discounted online prices, you’re not sure whether you’ve found the best deal or not; you still might end up paying more than the lowest possible price online.

That is the entirety of the online shopper’s dilemma. And here’s the solution: Offers.com.

Offers.com collects the best offers around the internet and, with a few clicks, presents them to you. The offers gathered total more than 8400 from than 1600 companies! And the offers’ statuses aren’t static either: they’re constantly being updated, so if a company upgrades its offer to something better (or downgrades it) Offers.com would know!

Here are some of the numerous offers’ categories on Offers.com: Computers, Entertainment, Dining discounts, Clothing, Tools, and Automotive. These and more categories make it possible to find offers on almost any kind of product. You can browse for offers without creating any account with Offers.com, without downloading or installing anything, and without paying anything!

Using the Offers Locker feature of Offers.com, you can even keep tabs on particular offers and get the updates on them via email:

Offers.com is truly a website facilitating online shoppers. Anytime you want to buy absolutely anything online, do visit Offers.com – you could save a lot!

Tags: discounts, free coupons, internet offers, save time

How To Watch This Week’s Champions League Football Free Online

Tony Williams — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 19:22:30 +0000

This week’s European Champions League games features a make or break game for Liverpool Vs Lyon. Is Rafa up for the chop? Can Liverpool win without Steven Gerrard? Probably not.

If you’re not blessed with a premium sports subscription, then did you know you can still watch football free online? To watch Champions League Football matches free on your PC then read my guide then you will be watching football online using Sopcast in 5 minutes. The guide also works for Premiership And UEFA Cup Football Online also allows you to watch all major European leagues including the English Premier League, Serie A, Bundesliga and Primera Division.

The pick of this week’s games is AC Milan V Real Madrid (all times GMT):

Tuesday, 3 November 2009

AC Milan v Real Madrid, Gp C, 19:45
Apoel Nicosia v FC Porto, Gp D, 19:45
Atletico Madrid v Chelsea, Gp D, 19:45
Bayern Munich v Bordeaux, Gp A, 19:45
Besiktas v Wolfsburg, Gp B, 19:45
Maccabi Haifa v Juventus, Gp A, 19:45
Man Utd v CSKA Moscow, Gp B, 19:45
Marseille v FC Zurich, Gp C, 19:45

Wednesday, 4 November 2009

Arsenal v AZ Alkmaar, Gp H, 19:45
Dynamo Kiev v Inter Milan, Gp F, 19:45
Fiorentina v Debrecen, Gp E, 19:45
Lyon v Liverpool, Gp E, 19:45
Rubin Kazan v Barcelona, Gp F, 17:30
Sevilla v VfB Stuttgart, Gp G, 19:45
Standard Liege v Olympiakos, Gp H, 19:45
Unirea Urziceni v Rangers, Gp G, 19:45

Tags: ac milan, arsenal, champions league, european champions league, free football, liverpool, man utd, real madrid, sky, soccer, sopcast 3.2.4

Backing up Google Chrome Profiles with Google Chrome Backup

Umar — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 05:21:26 +0000

With the number of Google Chrome users exponentially increasing, more features, extensions, and services are being created to enhance the user’s experience with Google Chrome. One such tool for Google Chrome is Google Chrome Backup.

Suppose your computer is used by multiple people and you have each user has a lot of information stored in the browser; this information can be anything from usernames, to passwords, to forms’ details, etc.

Saving information in the browser can pose some obvious problems when there are multiple users using the computer. If security is not an issue, then this is: user 1 wanting his information saved but every time user 2 uses the computer, user 1’s information is overwritten.

And that’s where Google Chrome Backup steps in.

Google Chrome Backup is program for Google Chrome which saves profiles of the users of the browser. The setup file is only ~1 MB large and downloads in a jiffy.

Once you’ve got it installed, Google Chrome backup, amongst other functions, lets users save profiles (which includes all the Chrome information: saved passwords, usernames, form fields, etc.), lets users load up profiles, and even delete profiles.

This little backup tool is not only suited to Chrome users on the same PC, but to everyone. Since Chrome is currently in its beta testing stage, it would be a wise option for all Chrome users to backup their data using this nifty program.

Google Chrome Backup is just the kind of program that will enhance the Chrome experience for users and help Chrome achieve the glorified status of the best internet browser.

Tags: backup chrome profiles, Google, google chrome, google chrome backup

Add Quick Access to System Utilities with Windows Excess Panel

Umar — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 14:38:28 +0000

Tech-geeks had started popping up tweaks, tips, and tricks for Windows 7 long before it was officially released for retail. Already lauded for its improved ease of access, Windows 7 seems to be the best Windows out yet. Today we go over a utility that might just make the best Windows even better.

Windows Access Panel is a quick-access for some very important tools which are usually accessed by more than a few clicks. Here is how it looks like:

Ordinarily to access the objects/utilities listed in the panel, one would need to access the Control Panel first and then be able to adjust/modify the settings. However, with the help of the Access Panel, all you do is click on the relevant icon to be taken directly to the settings you want to change.

The Access Panel comes in an archive file of only ~500 KB in size. Since no installation is required after extraction of the archive, having the panel up and running is quite a breeze. Another plus point of no installation is that the panel becomes portable, giving you the option of storing it in your flash drive and taking it wherever you go, and run it on whichever PC you use.

For current Vista users who haven’t upgraded to 7 yet, no worries: WAP (Windows Access Panel) is also compatible with Windows Vista!

An amazing tool available for the two leading operating systems, WAP is an important utility which everybody should have.

Tags: add quick access, quick access, system utilities, windows excess panel

The Way To Extract Maximum Performance From A HDTV Setup

mitchbuchannon — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 15:49:34 +0000

Nowadays the bulky CRT TVs have almost become extinct and the LCD and Plasma TVs are in vogue. However, not may people know how to get the maximum performance out of their LCD HDTVs. While it is true that most of the present generation HDTVs are easy to setup and offer plug and play compatibility,some amount of tweaking is still required to get an immersive audio-visual experience.

Even if the HDTV set supports FullHD display, you will never get to see the colors as they should appear unless calibration is done. While calibration is not as easy as changing the brightness it is not excruciating either. It can be easily done with a DVD that has a movie featuring THX audio. THX certified Blu-Ray discs and DVDs contain calibration tools. One just needs to select the THX optimizer and abide by the instructions thereafter. It is imperative to set the room light to ideal viewing condition.

Before running the optimizer the sharpness needs to be reduced to normal and the color temperature should be set to 6500K. It is not difficult to navigate through the test patterns shown by the optimizer application. There are some high-end calibration setups in the market like DVE that can be purchased in both Blu Ray and DVD versions.

Apart from the calibration the HDTV owners also need to decide if they want to use the motion blur reduction technology or not. The blur reduction technology is referred by many names by various manufacturers. Sony calls it Motion Flow while LG calls it Tru Motion. However, all these techniques interpolate extra frames to eliminate motion blur. While some people prefer it, some others do not and say it makes the motion seem artificial. It is up to a HDTV owner to decide if he wants to enable this feature or not. A number of HDTVs use a technology called overscan that may incorporate artifacts and reduce HD resolution. Therefore, the users need to set the Zero-overscan mode active in their HDTVs.

The HDTV experience can never be complete without sound that matches the visuals. The aforesaid THX optimizer also contains audio calibration tools. The HDTVs have speakers but they can not match the performance of external speakers. If a person does not want wires spread out all over the room he can try a sound bar. It sits below the LCD TV on the wall and produces rich sound. Sound bars are not expensive either. The physical position of the speakers can play an important role in ideal sound reproduction. For example, in case of a 5.1 sound system, two speakers should be put at side at ear-level. Other two should be placed by the side of the screen. The center channel needs to be put below the screen. Generally sub-woofer is placed on the floor level.

For PC to HDTV connectivity it is best to use HDMI port. DVI is another good option but it only transfers the video signal and so using another audio cable becomes necessary. If the TV is in a position where direct connectivity is not possible, it would be a good idea to use a media player box.

Tags: 1080p, Full HD, HD, HDMI, HDTV, home cinema, LG

The Way To Use Vista Without A Glitch On Slower PCs

mitchbuchannon — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 12:19:38 +0000

Two years back Microsoft launched Windows Vista with much fanfare and touted it as the most secured and advanced OS ever produced. However, the resource guzzling nature of Vista created a huge uproar all over the world and several buyers who got Vista pre-installed opted for a XP downgrade. But it is quite obvious that Microsoft will gradually phase out the support for XP and Windows 7 will take some time to be accepted by the computer users. Hence, the existing users of Vista need to be aware of the ways to survive with it on their existing computers.

With some amount of tweaking and setting adjustment one can reduce the resource consumption of Vista to an extent e.g here’s one good guide for speeding up Vista. More tips for making Vista faster, particularly useful for people who have older computers at home and do not want to replace the existing PC anytime soon, are below.

Discarding the eye candy: It is well known that Vista is equipped with lots of visual effects that do precious little than revving up the interface. However, most of the home users do not need a glossy interface if it comes at the price of a reduced performance. Sidebar is a widget that consumes resource and it can be turned off if not required. One can also switch off visual effects like fading and shadows from control panel. Besides, it is possible to speed up the machine significantly by shunning the Aero theme altogether.

Opt for Readyboost: Windows Vista has a neat feature known as Readyboost that lets the users obtain enhanced performance by using a USB drive. This feature instructs Vista to treat an external data storage device as additional memory. While it is not the equivalent to physical memory upgrades the results are quite satisfying for the users of slower computers.

Disabling unnecessary Services: By default, Vista runs a set of services that are not required by the majority of home users. These services can be manually disabled to cut down on computer resources. To stop unnecessary services one can type services.msc in the run dialog box. Thereafter, a list of services running under the OS will be shown with descriptions. Services like Remote Registry, Offline Files etc can be safely disabled. However, essential services like Superfetch and Windows Driver Foundation should not be disabled. Hard Drive performance tweaks: People having SATA hard drives in their PCs can boost the performance of the hard disks under Windows Vista. There is a setting under device manager named ‘Enable Advanced Performance’ that significantly improves hard disk performance. The downside is that the user stands to lose data in the event of a power cut. Hence, people who have an UPS at home should use this feature.

Defrag: some people mistakenly think that Windows Vista does not need to be defragged like its predecessors. This is not correct. The users need to defrag their hard drives at least twice a month to keep the PC running fast. There are some third party disk fragmenting software that do a better job than the Windows integrated application.

Tags: Optimization, ReadyBoost, Services, speedup vista, superfetch, Vista

EverNote: How to Save Notes Online

Umar — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 19:22:10 +0000

Sometimes we lose track of what we were saying; we forget where we were supposed to go; something important slips our mind; we are checking out a webpage, and in the middle we make a mental note to check out another website but forget it soon afterwards. These memory losses happen to the best of us.

At least for keeping your memory safe while using your computer, there is now a solution: Evernote.

Evernote is an organizational program that lets you take a lot of notes, no matter what form those notes are in.

Evernote’s slogan is “Remember everything” and that is exactly what Evernote helps the user do. To get started however, one must go through the short and fast process of registering for a free account. Once that is done and settled, one can go to his/her Evernote page and access his notebook, where all the notes are stored:

To make a new note, one can click on ‘New’ to be taken to an email-like page which looks like this:

The user can write text, attach media, store whatever information is possible in this note. When done, simply click ‘Save and close.’ When you go back to your notebook, you will see all your notes:

Evernote offers a quick and easy way to save things information and ideas so nothing is left to memory. Multiple notebooks can be made for different purposes for instance for storing information on different subjects.

On Evernote’s website, users will find that Evernote also has an application for the iPhone. It is possible to make notes on the go with Evernote’s iPhone application.

With its easy and colorful interface, Evernote facilitates computer users in an unimaginable way.

Tags: evernote, how to save notes online, save notes, saving notes online

Install Applications Without Pausing Your Important Work

MoiN — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 19:13:09 +0000

Especially when we install a new operating system, reinstalling our programs takes up an enormous amount of valuable time. Even when we have an up and running operating system, installing new application usually translates into pausing our important work and supervising the setup process. How great would it be to be able to select the desired program to be installed, and have it install into our system in the background with all the right options checked? Even more so, how great would it be to do this with multiple applications simultaneously so that while we work, a number of our selected applications install on our system in the background?

The answer is obvious: very great; it would be very great for something like that to happen. And with Ninite Easy PC Setup that something is very possible.

On Ninite’s webpage, you can select the programs you want installed and Ninite will generate a custom installer which will operate in the background to setup those application on your PC while your other work goes uninterrupted.

After checking your applications you can scroll down to the bottom of the page and click on the ‘Get Installer’ button. If you require an application which is not listed on the website, you can request Ninite to have it listed.

Clicking on the ‘Get Installer button starts the download of an installer.

I took Ninite out on a test drive and selected Python and WinRAR to download. Here is how the installer looked like:

It automatically proceeded to download Python and WinRAR and install them without bugging me with any pesky dialogue boxes. Ninite is the easiest way to download application and provides amazing convenience.

Tags: free utilities, installation, PC utilities, software

Windows 7 Buying Guide

Tony Williams — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 16:01:11 +0000

The replacement for Windows Vista, Windows 7 launched on Thursday. Microsoft themselves didn’t make a big song and dance about the product because Windows 7 is so good it is selling itself! Windows 7 is selling so well, that more copies had been sold before it was even launched than Windows Vista sold in its whole first year!

Even though there are only 3 versions of Windows 7; Windows 7 Home Premium, Windows 7 Professional and Windows 7 Ultimate it is still checking which Windows 7 version is right for you so that you don’t waste money.

Windows 7 News & Tips have pulled together a good Windows 7 Buying Guide that will help users decide what version of Windows 7 is right for them, based on what features they need. If you haven’t checked out Windows 7 yet then you should do now – your PC will thank you!

Tags: buy windows 7, Windows 7, windows 7 buying guide

How to keep your favorite programs always visible on Desktop

Umar — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 19:20:21 +0000

Is there a particular program you want to be always visible? For instance you are working with multiple spreadsheets but every time you are working on Excel, your calculator gets shoved to the back, and you need to click it each time to use it. Once or twice is fine but soon it gets quite frustrating.

An excellent solution to this is Deskpins.

The file to be downloaded is unbelievably small (~100 KB) so setting up the program becomes a very fast process.

Here is how it works: once the program is installed, it neatly sits as an icon on the taskbar.

By clicking on this icon once with the left mouse button, you prepare it to pin a program. For instance I have opened Microsoft Math and I want it to stay on top of all windows, I will click on the Deskpins icon once, the cursor will transform from the regular mouse pointer to a different shape; now I move this pointer over to Microsoft Math, and I have it pinned.

The screenshot above is of the pinned Microsoft Math. Regardless of what happens, whether a new program is opened or some other program pops up an alert, my first and front-most view will be of Microsoft Math.

Key features include

Unlimited number of pins available.
Intelligent handling of various application types.
Powerful wildcard-based automatic pin support.
Global hotkeys.
Negligible system resources usage.

There really isn’t much requirements to run this freeware. It can be run on all the major Windows operating systems including Windows 95, 98, ME, NT, 2000, XP, 2003.. Other than that you must have at least 386/10MHz class CPU or higher, 4 GB (even though I ran it on 1 GB and it works just fine with that as well).

Deskpins is a minuscule application that packs a heavy punch and come quite handy if you need some application to always stay in front of your eyes.

Tags: always visitble, Desktop, desktop apps, How To, keep favorite app on desktop

Manage Your Online Social Life With Kazle

MoiN — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 18:38:42 +0000

A large percentage of us internet users use multiple social networking websites today. Personally, I use Twitter, Facebook, and Orkut. For me managing these networks and checking all of them for updates can become very tedious and time-consuming.

For people, such as me, who are having management troubles regarding their accounts on multiple social networking websites, check out Kazle.

Using Kazle, users can manage many popular social networking websites from a single Dashboard. In their own words, Kazle is a “multi-networking aggregation platform.” Amongst the networks Kazle supports are Facebook, Bebo, Twitter, MySpace, Plurk, Brightkite, Flickr, and others.

The interface is conveniently simple to use and makes sharing over multiple networks easier than imaginable; all you do is enter what is on your mind in the text bar, and click ‘Update.’ Your update is then communicated to the accounts you have connected with your Kazle Dashboard. Within seconds, you update your status over all networks.

Along with modifying and updating your status, you can import pictures from your accounts on the social networks that Kazle supports. Conversely, you can also upload photos from Kazle to your accounts on other networks. Simultaneously uploading photos on multiple networks becomes one of it’s obvious timesaving features.

Furthermore, it can report back live feeds from your networking accounts. Your subscriptions can all be accessed right from within Kazle.

A massively facilitating free web service, Kazle’s friendly user-interface and its flawless functionality is bound to make it a popular tool amongst internet users who use social networking websites.

Tags: kazle, personal manager, social networking

Easy to Use Free Coloring Website for Kids

Umar — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 22:37:46 +0000

The first step towards a child’s learning to read and write is recognizing drawings, and filling them in with the appropriate colors. Before buying them books on the alphabets, parents buy their children picture books that have outlined pictures, ready to be filled with color. This way, the child not only learns how to recognize different images, but also realizes that learning can be a fun process. Even after a child learns how to read and write, coloring remains to be one his/her favorite pastimes. Giving colorful life to black and white images, is a practice that most appeals to children.

Coloring has just been made even more fun by TheColor.com.

Before getting started, you need to register for a free account; alternatively you can sign in by connecting your Facebook account.

Once you sign in, you can choose from a variety of different pictures to color from. I chose a girl who was digging around a plant. When you open an image, it is accompanied with a color box where you can choose the color you want to fill in.

Here is how my picture looked before coloring:

And here is how the final result looked like:

Using this simple free web service and filling out the colors was a fun experience for a grown up like myself, so children to bound to have fun which such an amazing e-coloring opportunity.

In addition to passing a child’s time, this simple service can become the building blocks via which a child learns to operate computers.

Tags: children, coloring website, Free, thecolor

Watch Arsenal, Liverpool And Other Champions League Games Free Online

Tony Williams — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 18:31:38 +0000

Tonight see’s the next round of European Champions League games. If you want to watch tonight’s football games free online then follow my guide to watching Champions League Football Free online.

Using Sopcast you can watch this watch this week’s European Champions League games free online:

Tuesday, 20 October 2009

Uefa Champions League

AZ v Arsenal, Gp H, 19:45
Barcelona v Rubin Kazan, Gp F, 19:45
Debrecen v Fiorentina, Gp E, 19:45
Inter Milan v Dynamo Kiev, Gp F, 19:45
Liverpool v Lyon, Gp E, 19:45
Olympiakos v Standard Liege, Gp H, 19:45
Rangers v Unirea Urziceni, Gp G, 19:45
VfB Stuttgart v Sevilla, Gp G, 19:45

Wednesday, 21 October 2009

Uefa Champions League

Bordeaux v Bayern Munich, Gp A, 19:45
Chelsea v Atletico Madrid, Gp D, 19:45
CSKA Moscow v Man Utd, Gp B, 17:30
FC Porto v Apoel Nicosia, Gp D, 19:45
FC Zurich v Marseille, Gp C, 19:45
Juventus v Maccabi Haifa, Gp A, 19:45
Real Madrid v AC Milan, Gp C, 19:45
Wolfsburg v Besiktas, Gp B, 19:45

Tags: arsenal, champions league, european champions league, free football online, inter milan, liverpool, rangers, sopcast

Upload And Access Your Files Smoothly

MoiN — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 10:47:58 +0000

Accessing your files from any computer in the world by using the internet has become increasingly popular over the past few years. While there are many web services that enable the user to store his/her files online, very few of these sites can be relied upon for data security and smooth functionality.

We recently discovered a great web service that enables internet users to store their files online. This service is Upload Robots.

There are two ways you can upload your files; if you want to temporarily upload a file, you can do that without registering for a new account. Simply click on the ‘Choose a File’ button and have your file uploaded. You will then be given the link of your uploaded file, and this is how the page will look like:

If the uploaded file is an image, audio, or video file, you can preview it in the space on the left. However the file I uploaded was a text file with the format *.txt, hence no preview was available.

The other way to go about uploading files on Upload Robots is to first sign in for a free account – a process that takes only about a minute or two. Afterwards, you can start uploading your files.

As a sample, I made a simple drawing of circles in Paint, and uploaded it. Here is how it looked, while previewing from Upload Robots:

The advantages of signing up and having your own account is that if you have uploaded multiple files, you can access them all under one username otherwise, you would have to save and keep safe the URL’s of all your uploaded files. Moreover, a signed up user is able to upload his/her files into folders he/she creates.

At the moment, Upload Robots offers a maximum storage capacity of 4 GB. Each uploaded file cannot be more than 10 MB in size. But the number of files you can store is unlimited (given you do not exceed the overall limit of 4 GB). Upload Robots will never delete your uploaded files, and you can access them for years to come. And if those features were not enough to impress you, consider this: the website is absolutely advertisement free. Upload Robots vows to never pester its users with advertisements.

For the more demanding user who needs greater storage capacity and other features, Upload Robots offers Pro Accounts which cost USD 5 per month.

With its amazing uploading speed, and wonderful user-friendliness Upload Robots has made file storage online remarkably convenient.

Tags: upload files

Save Money On 0870 Calls With iPhone App

Tony Williams — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 13:29:41 +0000

In the UK, there are numbers that begin with 0870 where you pay a set rate per min if you call from a landline, regardless with where you are. However, if you dial an 0870 number from a mobile it typically costs a lot more – not only do 0870 numbers not come out of call allowances, but they can cost x3 more than normal calls.

Thanks to the efforts of Simon Maddox and his free 0870 app, iPhone and Android users can now save money on their 0870 calls. How much? Well Simon estimates that his app has saved users over $400k in under a month.

Hows does 0870 do it? Well what this cool app does is try to find an alternative number for the company you are trying to call, that will cost less and will probably come out of your call allowance. If it finds an alternative number then the 0870 app dials that number instead! Not surprisingly the app took over 400 days to be approved by Apple, although Apple are alleged to have accused O2 and BT of blocking app.

More: iPhone App Store

Tags: 0870, Android, Apple, iphone

Sending Voice Emails Online Made Easy with BlindSpeak

Umar — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 15:19:20 +0000

I have recently confronted a handy web application that kind of works like your answering machine except your messages are being sent online and received via email. It can prove to be quiet a useful service for those who have to read tons of emails everyday and do multi-tasking at the same time. Blindspeak is a free service that lets you send audio messages to your friends and family online.

Designed to have a very simple interface, Blindspeak is really easy to use.

Blindspeak is exactly like in the screenshot pasted above. In the top text box, you type the email of the recipient, as audio files are emailed to your contacts. Next, you can choose whether the message is played in a male or female voice. The two ‘human’ figures to the right of the text box indicate the maleness of femaleness; green is male, pink is female.

In the lower text box, you write your message, and Blindspeak generates and emails the audio file according to whether you have chosen the green or pink icon. You can also preview your message by clicking the “Preview button” before sending it.

Still being in its beta stage, Blindspeak is currently being tested out. It does have some unlikable issues such as every audio message beginning with a short message that the audio is brought to you by Blindspeak. Moreover, there is a limit to how many recipients you can send messages: five messages per day.

Once the link has been sent, the recipient will be emailed with a link that will lead him to your voice message online. It’s really as simple as that.

Blindspeak can be a refreshing way to enliven your messages.

Tags: free voice emails, free web service, send voice emails, voice emails

How to Access iTunes without Having the Actual iTunes Software

Umar — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 18:33:10 +0000

Most iTunes users are aware of the adverse effects of the application’s existence on system performance. The media player iTunes hoards up a lot of memory, proving to be a considerable nuisance especially for low-end systems.

But if iTunes is such a bad media player, and most users of it are aware of this little piece of information, why is it still in use? Answer: because of the iTunes store. Most users do not know ways to access the iTunes store (which unlike the iTunes player, is doing a wonderful job) other than through the iTunes player.

By clicking here, you can access the iTunes store without having to deal with the iTunes player. The link will take you to this page:

The middle of the page displays the latest applications/products that have a hype going on. The right displays a list of top paid applications.

To access the iTunes store, you click on any one of the links on the left.

I clicked on Audiobooks and was taken to the Audiobooks iTunes page:

Accessing the iTunes store via your browser can save your system from all the hard work that your system has to go through to run the iTunes player. However, if at any time of viewing the store through your browser, you start missing iTunes, you click on the link at the top-left of the webpage which enables you to shift from your browser to the iTunes player.

Tags: access itunes online, browse itunes, iTunes

How to Create Your own Comic Strip Online

Umar — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 17:06:06 +0000

Comic strips are a great way to have fun. The greatest challenge in creating comic strips is not the material, but the sketches. Many people can creatively come up with comical situations however, only a few can really draw. Who knows how many potential comic strip geniuses never got to utilize their talents because of this.

But for all you comic strip enthusiasts out there, Stripgenerator comes as a blessing.

Stripgenerator is website that helps you and I create comic strips in the easiest way possible: by helping us out in the drawing department. Before we head out to make anything, we need to quickly register for an account here.

After registering for a free account, you can set the URL of your comic strip, and the title.

Here is how the editing table looks like:

One can choose from a range of pictures which are categorized as humans, beings, objects, shapes, bubbles, and friends. Objects can be dragged onto the drawing plane and moved around. Text boxes can also be added, and in a few simple steps, making your own comic becomes supremely easy.

Stripgenerator presents a wonderful free way to make your own comics; visit the site here and wake up the creative giant within yourself.

Tags: create comic strips, create comic strips online, How To

How To Watch World Cup Football Free Online

Tony Williams — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 15:07:16 +0000

Tonight see the final games being played around the world for qualification for the 2010 Football World Cup in South Africa. if you want to watch the games free on your PC, then read my read to watching football free online. This guide will allow to not only watch tonight’s football games free online, but also next year’s 2010 World Cup football matches, and also European Champions League and other matches like the English Premiership.

Step 1: Download Sopcast

Although there are several applications that let you watch football streams online, SopCast is by far the easiest to install and use becasue the instructions are in English and not Chinese like many other services.

To download, go to the SopCast website and get the latest version currently SopCast 3.2.4. The sopcast website is one of the slowest in the world, so I’ve uploaded the latest version of Sopcast here if you are having problems.

Step 2: Install SopCast

Once you have the zip file on your PC unzip it somewhere you can find the files easily, and then run the setup program. Once you’ve finished there should be a SopCast icon on your desktop or in your start menu. Double-click this file to start SopCast.

Step 3: Using SopCast

The first time you run SopCast it will ask you to login. Just select ‘Login as anoymous’ and ‘Auto login on this computer’ as pictured above and then click ‘Login’

Tags: football, soccer, sopcast, south africa, world cup

Collaborate And Share MS-Office Documents Online

MoiN — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 05:03:23 +0000

Often when making presentations together, not all members can be present at the time the final Powerpoint file is being created. Suppose all the group members go to college together and they have decided on what the presentation should include. The details are handed over to the group leader who then proceeds to make the Powerpoint presentation at his/her home PC.

But the group might have overlooked some important decisions to be made such as the visual effects of the Powerpoint presentation.

In situations like these, when group editing of a Microsoft Office file is absolutely necessary (and the entire group cannot be present at the time of creating the Office file), the only solution that reveals itself is the group leader first emailing his version to the entire group; then one member making suggestions/edits to that version; then another member, and then another. Needless to say, such a process can be extremely time-consuming and inefficient.

A perfect alternative to that the emailing line of action is DocVerse.

DocVerse is a Microsoft Office plug-in which uploads your Office file every time you make edits to it or save it. Group members can all have simultaneous access to the same file and edit it; the edits are incorporated into the Office file and the URL of the uploaded file stays the same. The file creator first needs to register for a free DocVerse account so that the uploaded Office file is secure. The creator can then select the group members who will be spectators to the editing process and the ones who will be editors.

DocVerse takes hardly takes two minutes to install and is a much better way than sending countless emails back and forth. Moreover, since DocVerse is a plug-in, it works within Microsoft Office and its presence does not interfere with Office’s normal functions.

DocVerse is a handy plug-in that can help enhance the final result of group efforts. Give it a go; the plug-in is absolutely free.

No tag for this post.

How to Send Free Snail Mail Through the Internet

Umar — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 17:22:28 +0000

While the internet has revolutionized communication means, there are still areas in which snail mail prevails. To communicate with people in these areas, where internet facilities are not available or the recipients are not internet-literate, important documents have to be posted. Of course to post a letter, a sender needs to write/type one down, enclose in an envelope, and visit the post office or drop it in a mailbox. For senders who are used to communicating to and fro via the internet, this mode of delivering messages can be quite inconvenient. So what if you were able to post letters online? And that too for free!

The Mail Monster brings internet users an invaluable service.

On this website, users can send letter online. The letters written are sent from the internet to the recipient’s postal mailbox. Within 24 hours of us filling in the required information on their webpage, Mail Monster creates, prints, and envelopes our letters for us while all we have to do is fill. The sender can even choose from a variety of letter themes available, and then preview the letter before sending it.

Mail Monster places great importance on security and ensures the user that the contents of the letters are never read by people other than the recipient because the printing and enveloping process is done by computers.

At the moment this amazing service is free for sending letter to Australia whilst to other countries, the applicable letter charges are approximately 1 US Dollar.

Considering that sending letters by the post, physically, is never free so how can an online service be completely free? Or almost free.

The answer is simple. Mail Monster is a business that has other business partners; when you send a letter to a specific location, Mail Monster contacts one of the business partners nearby that particular region and slips in an advertisement with your letter. The recipient is handed your prepared letter along with the advertisement. No need to worry though. The advertisement is a onetime occurrence only and the recipient’s address is not bombarded with junk mail.

Mail Monster has done a great job in bridging the gap between internet users and those who do not use computers. Their project is definitely laudable.

Tags: How To, send free snail mails, send mail through internet, send snail mail

Copy and Move Files Extremely fast with Extreme Copy

Umar — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 05:26:42 +0000

Windows Explorer copies large files in a in an inefficient and mysterious way. Inefficient because it takes more time than it should, and mysterious because the time required displayed never matched the actual time taken to copy/move files. Copying large files, due to this, becomes an inconvenient process.

An alternative to the bothersome process of copying large files via Windows Explorer is Extreme Copy.

The *.msi setup file is very small in size (~2 MB) and downloads almost instantly. Installation is another easy step and does not require any clarification.

The reason ExtremeCopy is faster than Windows Explorer is because it auto optimizes speed and resource base according to the user’s machine, which makes use of the maximum speed possible while copying files.

In ExtremeCopy the copy/move process can also be paused at any stage, and resumed afterwards.

Here is how the main window of the current version of ExtremeCopy looks like:

The user has the option of copying a single file or an entire folder.

After choosing the desired option and also selecting the destination folder, the user can click copy or move, whichever is appropriate, and the function is executed 20%-120% faster than Windows Explorer.

The program is ideal for copying/moving large files which would otherwise take a considerable amount of time on Windows Explorer.
This speedy freeware, which also happens to support multiple languages, is just the tool what Windows users need.

Tags: copy files, copy large files faster, extreme copy

How To Create PDF Forms In Your Browser

MoiN — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 17:43:52 +0000

Creating your own forms can be quite a hassle. Choosing the design, widths and heights of each fields, and length, can be issues which take up a lot of valuable time. On a computer, these tasks cannot be easily done simply by opening up Microsoft Word and start making our own DOC or DOCX files. For that reason we will be exploring PDFAmigo today.

PDFAmigo is a free web service which lets you create interactive fill-able PDF forms right in your internet browser. There is no signup required for PDFAmigo, so you can visit the homepage and get right down to business.

You start off with a blank page on top of which is this bar:

You can click on individual buttons on this tab to add various features to your form:

With these options you can create and add sophisticated text fields (to allow users to enter text), check boxes (for on/off switches), list boxes (to allow multiple boxes to be selected), text labels (to annotate and decorate your form), and images (to personalize your form).

When you are all done editing with your form, you can either download the free version of it, which has a PDFAmigo watermark or you can go ahead and purchase it from PDFAmigo. The form which is purchased does not have the watermark.

Overall, PDFAmigo makes form-making in the PDF format easy and interactive. The next time you need any forms made, be sure to visit PDFAmigo; you will surely benefit from it.

No tag for this post.

How to Tune Guitars Online

Umar — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 05:25:42 +0000

I have been playing guitars for around 4-5 years now but I never really know that there actually is a free to use online Guitar tuner that not only tunes the traditional 6 stringer but it has the ability to tune any guitar. This includes 4 string bass,5 string bass, 6 string bass, 7 string bass, 6 string guitar and a 7 string guitar.

It’s best that you learn to tune it yourself but for those who don’t know how to do it can always visit Tune My Bass. A free web service that allows you to tune your guitar within a matter of seconds. It provides tuning notes for guitar or bass guitar in any tuning.

To get started all you have to do is choose your instrument. Say I have a 6 string electric guitar. I’d click “6 String”on the home page. This will expand the options so that I can decide what tuning I want to set. I’d choose New Standard here.

After choosing the preferred tuning you will be able to see the actual guitar tuner on the same page which looks like this:

To tune your guitar simply hover your mouse over each string to hear the tuning note and match notes.

To tune a different instrument simply

Choose your instrument
Select from the preset tunings for your bass or guitar
Wait for your tuning to load
Hover your mouse over each string to hear the tuning note and that’s it.

Another great feature include “Custom Tuning Presets” which allows you to create your own instrument tuning, select it’s sound (bass, guitar, or sine wave), and give it a name. You can find that tuning on your computer under the “My Presets” button whenever you return to the site.

Being a guitarist myself I would definitely recommend fellow musicians to check this website out. Rock on!

Tags: Custom Tuning Presets, guitar tuner, online guitar tune, online Guitar tuner, tune, tune guitar online

Organize iPhone or iPod and Manage playlists with iTunes Alternatives

Umar — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 05:24:52 +0000

iTunes is a terrible software. It takes up a tonne of memory and resources and on low-end systems, it considerably slows down system performance. But the iPhone is a pretty cool thing. And the iPhone needs iTunes. What is one to do?

One is to download and install Copy Trans Manager at the earliest convenience. In the face of iTunes’ setup file for the latest version, which is ~90 MB in size, Copy Trans Manager weighs a measly 3 MB! The downloading method is simple enough. Here is how the homepage looks like:

Clicking on the ‘Free Download’ will lead the user to a 1 MB setup file which is a download application. Copy Trans offers a number of other software, so the download application asks you which one you wan to download. You pick Copy Trans Manager, and the 3 MB setup file is instantly downloaded.

Once up and running, here is how the Copy Trans Manager’s first-time run looks like:

A great thing I noticed about the first time run was that the application took about a second to load. That loading time puts iTunes to shame.

On the first run, a user can take the tutorial but it really is not necessary if one is familiar with iTunes. Music organization is fast and easy. But most importantly media transfer to and from iPods or iPhones is amazingly fast, probably due to the minuscule amount of memory the application requires.

The Copy Trans Manager is portable, no installation is required. No restrictions are faced such as the one iTunes presents while synchronization; with this tiny software it is possible to copy any media file from any iPod to any computer.

And to top it all off, Copy Trans Manager is a hundred percent free. This amazing freeware has unbelievable loading times (as compared to iTunes) and provides exemplary ease. If you have iTunes installed on your system, replace it with Copy Trans Manager RIGHT NOW; it will be a decision you will not regret.

Tags: alternative to itunes, iphone, iTunes, itunes alternative, manage iphone playlists, organize iphone and ipod

Find The Best Online Casinos With Five Star Gamble

Tony Williams — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 17:20:23 +0000

I like to have a flutter online. I’m not a regular gambler, but now and then I like to play a bit of blackjack online. When I do play online I always open up a new account as many casinos offer joining bonuses, which give you extra dollars to play with.

Finding the best deals can be hard work unless you use sites like Five Star Gamble who keep a running list of the best Online Casino offers. For instance, VIP Slots are currently offering a $777 bonus.

On the site you can find reviews for various casinos all with ratings, or if you just want to find the best joining deals the site keeps a rolling list of the top 30:

One particularly nice feature of Five Star Gamble is it keeps a list of sites that still accept US online casino players.

If you’re more of a poker player then there is a section dedicated to helping you find the best online poker rooms for all skill levels – the last thing you want to do is find yourself in a room full of poker experts who will be more than happy to take your money off you within minutes. Again, Five Star Gamble can help you find the best joining bonuses available on the internet for Online Poker rooms.

Tags: Gaming, online casino, online poker

How To Resume Work From Different Locations

MoiN — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 13:47:07 +0000

What if you could leave all your work on computer 1, travel to a different location, turn on computer 2 at that location and find the monitor screen image to be exactly as you left it? Unbelievable? Well with Hibernater, that little magic trick is very much possible. You can leave all your work on one computer, and then proceed from the same point with another PC.

The setup file to be downloaded is only around 5 MB in size.

In order to be able to continue your work from a second computer, both your computers need to have Hibernater installed. The next step is to register for an account which hardly takes three minutes. When the program is up and running, Hibernator allows you to save and resume your computer’s working state with only one click.

The way Hibernater works is, it saves all your documents and web addresses (on which you are working) on to the server and has those launch automatically at another computer when you run Hibernater there. This way you can easily keep track of your web surfing history anywhere, access your favorites anywhere anytime, have your frequently used documents and web pages launched whenever you are at the same terminal, and store your documents or files and access it anywhere.

For people who are concerned about their data being stored on server and the security hazards, Hibernater has 256 bit encryption to ensure that all connections are secure.

Hibernater currently supports the following commonly-used applications:

MS Word
MS Powerpoint
MS Excel
IE 6,7 and Firefox 3
IE Favourites
OpenOffice 2.4 Writer, Calc and Impress
Adobe Reader 9
Auto Login on MSN

Hibernater also includes a task list on which notes can be jotted down, in case you want to be reminded of something the next time you run the program.

For people who are constantly on the go, Hibernater is an extremely beneficial program which should not be overlooked.

No tag for this post.

Monitor Multiple Gmail Accounts From Desktop with Gmail Notifier

Umar — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 13:46:52 +0000

When Hotmail (now Windows Live) and Yahoo used to offer 2 or 4 megabytes of storage capacity, Gmail was one of the first free email service providers to provide us with the storage capacity of one gigabyte. A remarkable number of users migrated from their email providers over to Gmail. And to this day, even after the competition offers similar storage capacity, the number of Gmail users continues to grow.

For Gmail users, a useful little freeware to check and view emails in your Gmail inbox is ‘Gmail Notifier.’ Here is what the homepage looks like:

A point to note before using Gmail Notifier is that in your Gmail Email settings, the IMAP option should be enabled. This option is located under the ‘Forwarding and POP/IMAP’ tab in Gmail settings. By default, this option is disabled; so enable it before using Gmail Notifier. Here’s what the option should like after you’ve enabled it:

The setup file is only 2.5 MB large and takes very little time to download. Installation is a walk in the park for even amateur computer users. When it’s up and running, here’s how the Gmail Notifier looks like:

Closing the main window only minimizes it. You can check new emails by clicking on right-clicking on the tray icon and then clicking on ‘Check Gmail Now.’ A great feature of this application is that you can feed it multiple Gmail accounts and it will simultaneously check new emails for all accounts. The information for the first account is collected on the first startup, but later account can be added (or removed) by the menu which can be seen the above screenshot.

In the main window, email account which are monitored are located on the left (I have encircled one with black). And the number of emails in the inbox is denoted by the number on the right (one, in this case). Clicking on the account will take you to its inbox.

From this point onwards you can see the senders and subjects of emails in your inbox. Clicking within the encircled portion will open up the email in the same small window which you can then read.

By entering its ‘Preferences,’ Gmail Notifier can be adjusted to initialize at startup which saves time. It also supports a number of languages including English, French, Spanish, and Italian.

Overall, this tiny software is ideal for people who find it difficult to manage their multiple Gmail accounts. This is one freeware which should definitely be given a try. Dissatisfied users can easily uninstall it via the conveniently-located start menu entry.

Download Gmail Notifier (Direct link)

Tags: check emails, check gmail from desktop, gmail desktop notifier, gmail notifier

Web Hosting For Geeks

Tony Williams — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 14:15:11 +0000

One of the areas that new site owners don’t tend to worry about when they start a website is where it is hosted. However, not worrying about where your site is hosted can cause problems further down the road, particularly if your site is successful. For instance this site started on free hosting which it outgrew within 2 months, and then I moved to a Virtual Private Server and then eventually onto a dedicated server owned by a friend.

Deciding which web hosting is best for you is not easy, but here are some pointers:

Free Hosting: You might be able to get free hosting from your ISP. Free web hosting is best suited for small sites with low traffic, like personal sites. It is not recommended for high traffic or for real business. Technical support is often limited, and technical options are few. You also may not get a very nice url
Virtual (Shared) Hosting: Normally good cheap solution to having a dedicated server. Most hosts will give you a domain name, but make sure you get guaranteed resources as other sites sharing your server could be hogging them. Shared solutions often offer multiple software solutions like e-mail, database, and different editing options. Technical support tends to be good.
Dedicated Server: Doesn’t get any better than this – your own server that isn’t shared. It doesn’t come cheap though and is best suited for large web sites with high traffic, and web sites that use special software. In return you will get a very fast and secure server. Also has the best support options available.

Even once you’ve chosen what type of hosting is best for you, it can a lottery choosing the best host or getting the best price. This is where services like Web Hosting Geeks can help:

Web Hosting Geeks provide independent reviews of the best web hosting providers. Users can also submit reviews of hosts they have used, so that other users can see who are the best rated hosts in each category e.g dedicated server or vps hosting.

Annual awards are also given out in several categories such as Best Blog Web Hosting or Best Budget Web hosting.

Tags: dedicated server, VPS, web hosting

Split and Re-Encode Multiple Mp3 Files with Mp3Splitter

Umar — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 04:58:34 +0000

I just discovered a little thing called mp3splitter. Mp3splitter is a freeware that can split and re-encode multiple mp3 files in user-defined time interval. Some of the noticeable features include the ability to re-encode in a different bitrate and/or sampling frequency, rename files, adjust tags title, artist and album.

This tool was originally written for splitting audio books, but it’s also useful for other large mp3’s namely, songs. Clicking here will take you where you can download this application from.

The download is amazingly small – only 571 KB and on most connections should take less than half a minute. Good news installation wise: none is needed. The download is a *.zip which extracts a folder which includes all four files. Clicking on the mp3splitter GUI opens up the following window:

Here mp3 files can be added, after which the settings tab should be entered to configure the properties of the results.

Taking the example of a lengthy audiobook which would might be inconvenient to listen to in one sitting, one can split it over a number of mp3 files all about 15 minutes long. That way, just like placing a bookmark into the books we read, we can leave off the audiobook after listening to a particular part of it, and continue from the next file.

This genius freeware is particularly useful for people who use audiobooks, and if you are one, get your hands on mp3splitter right now.

Tags: mp3 splitter, re-encode multiple mp3 files, split mp3 files

Easier Windows 7 MKV Playback With Divx MKV Project

Tony Williams — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 19:06:59 +0000

Out of the box Windows 7 includes much better support for codecs allowing most tips of files to be played. However, the support for mkv files within Windows 7 isn’t great. Because of changes in the way files are played back in Windows 7, using codec packs that worked well with Windows Vista and are based on DirectShow isn’t easy.

Thankfully Divx have stepped in to help, putting together a new set of mkv codecs that utilise the new Windows 7 playback system (Windows Media Foundation). With the Divx Labs MKV project there’s no messing around changing permissions or editing files. All you have to do is install the DivxLabs MKV project and you will have instant playback of mkv files within Windows 7. The codecs even provide DVXA hardware acceleration support, so if you have a good graphics card you will get even better performance.

This technology preview introduces support for DivX Plus HD video in applications using the Microsoft Media Foundation, a new framework introduced in Windows 7. The package includes a native version of the DivX DivX “>MKV Demux as well as shell extensions that provide thumbnail images and detailed file information for files with either “.divx” (DivX 6) or “.mkv” (DivX 7) extensions for an enhanced experience.

More: DivX MKV Project

Tags: codec, DivX, DVXA, Media Center, mkv, Windows 7

Create Your Own Ringtones For Free With Mad Ringtones

Tony Williams — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 11:24:25 +0000

There are several services that allow you to easily make your own ringtones, but there aren’t many that are as easy to use as Mad Ringtones or allow you to make a ringtone from any mp3 file or YouTube video in 3 clicks. There are also over 300,000 ringtones available on the service for download.

The video below shows how easy it is to create a ringtone with Mad Ringtones. Just select the section of the track you want to play. You can even toggle to decide whether you want the ringtone to fade out, which can be helpful if your phone doesn’t automatically do that for you.

You can download the ringtones in four different formats, so most phone handsets are supported.

More: Mad Ringtones

Tags: Mobile, MP3 & Videos, Ringtones, youtube

Top 5 Anti-Virus Software Of 2009

Tony Williams — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 08:31:05 +0000

Standing in the 21st century, where one’s lifestyle is driven by technology, where Internet is the order of the day; one might find himself getting cobbed up in the “web world”. Along with the evolution of the mass phenomenon called Internet there also has been a parallel evolution of certain negatives targeted at the internet, which are specifically termed as “Virus”. These small software programs are designed to spread from one computer to another thereby interfering or maligning computer related operations. A computer virus can even crash an entire system or may delete or corrupt your data that is stored in your PC, can use your email program in order to spread itself to other computers and may wipe off every single data of your hard disk.

In order to battle against these malicious viruses which are quite voracious in nature, programmers have come up with counter-software which are termed as “Anti Virus software”. For years, these anti-virus programs have been helping the web world to counter these hazardous programs, thus preventing them from corrupting your system files. But nowadays the computer viruses are more deadly and sophisticated in their operations. So hereby we have come up with the latest and top rated ten anti-virus software which have been quite useful of defending one’s computer from these malicious programs. These softwares have been highly rated and recommended on the basis of user’s ratings. 1. Bit Defender Anti-virus 2010: When it comes to battling the deadliest of viruses, Bit Defender is the one on which you can completely rely on. The “Top Ten Reviews Gold Award” winning software has been hugely acclaimed for its security features that enables your PC to stay aloof from all sorts of viruses, malwares, adwares, worms etc. The latest Bit Defender Anti-Virus 2010 has exquisite features which includes real time protection, advanced heuristic Active Virus Control, Intrusion Detection and Optimized Scanning. Buy the original copy now and get your PC protected. 2. Kaspersky Anti-Virus 2009: Known for defending systems globally from malicious programs and software such as Trojans, bots, worms, spyware, malware, blood hound etc. The software is well equipped for comprehensive security and is also a treat for the users as it offers a 3-user-license option for one year period. An awesome, cost effective software to try out. 3. Webroot Anti-Virus: This uniquely sophisticated software includes not only the various components that is required to battle off the virus but also comprises of an abridged version of Spy Sweeper anti-spyware software. This outstandingly well equipped software includes some brilliant features like gamer mode for uninterrupted play, the award-winning “spy sweeper” which provides advanced spyware protection. Webroot also offers free remote file storage, thereby making it one of the best anti virus software in the web world. 4. ESET Nod32 2009: Supports your system extremely well and does not slow down your PC. Regarded as one of the fastest growing anti-virus software in recent times, Nod32 provides you with some exclusive features which includes effective anti-virus protection, effective scanning speed and excellent proactive protection. Worth a try out for all the PC users all over the world. 5. F-Secure Anti-Virus: This easy-to-install software not only protects your computer from worms, Trojans, virus etc, but also provides you an in-depth outlook or guidelines on general security practices. An extremely useful software and a must install for those using pair to pair softwares.

Tags: Anti-virus, malware, security

5 Essential Ways To Keep Your PC Clean

Tony Williams — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 05:26:39 +0000

Too much clogging of files and folders may encourage your PC to run slowly than you would normally expect. Excessive file content and unnecessary system files or folders can block the operating system or might hang your computer.

In some cases it might be the fact that if your PC is not properly upgraded, then your hard disk might crash due to the excessive load that has been put on your PC. So it is always recommended to keep your PC fresh and aloof from all the possible hazards that might affect your computer in a negative way. Here are some of the steps that you should follow to keep your system clean.

1. Run The Windows Live OneCare Clean Up Scan: The clean up scanner detects all the unnecessary files that are stored in your computer. These avoidable files are a burden to the computer and also effects your system. This in turn makes your computer run slowly. The clean up scan hereby detects all these non-usable files and gives you an option of deleting them. You can thereby delete the files which you don’t require them.

2. Clear Your Internet Browser Cache: Whenever you surf the net, the Internet browser stores or caches another sort of temporary files. These temporary files somehow eat up the hard disk space. Hence it is essential to eradicate these files from your PC.

3. Try To Eradicate Unused Programs: By removing unused programs you can save your hard disk space. In order to do so you need to go to the control panel and click on the option “add/remove program”. From there you can choose the program that you don’t require and hence you can delete it.

4. Remove Optional Windows Components: These components can be removed unless you use them frequently. You can also re-install these components if required later from your Windows CD.

5. By Modifying System Restore Data: An essential way to keep your PC aloof from running slow. Snapshots essentially eats up a lot of space in hard disk. Delete the unnecessary snapshots in order to save more space in your PC.

Tags: defrag, pc maintenance, pc tips, security, Windows Live OneCare

How to Upload Mp3 Songs Directly to Youtube

Umar — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 05:09:06 +0000

There are lots of different ways to upload and download videos from Youtube. The ones that manage to keep their servers up stands out from the rest and gets maximum recommendations/visitors. This includes services such as KeepVid, ListentoYoutube and more. Recently I have confronted a new service for YouTubers that will allow them to upload Mp3’s directly to Youtube.

Mp32Youtube integrates the Youtube API so that upload can be done directly to your account. In their own words it is a revolutionary new service aiming to make direct mp3 uploads to Youtube. The service requires you to go through 4 simple steps in order to upload your mp3 songs.

First you will need to login to your Youtube account using this link. You will need to authorize access to your Account by clicking “Allow Access” button.

The next step is to choose a background image for this video. Click “Choose your image” and browse any picture from your computer. Note that the website is only accepting JPG format at the moment.

Select any mp3 file you want to convert as a video and click “Upload your Mp3″ to get the job done.

While your video is being uploaded you can add tags, title and a description.

Click here to check out the outcome . (This video has been uploaded by another user)

Tags: How To, upload mp3 songs, upload mp3 to youtube, youtube

Watch 29 Sep Champions League Football Free Online

Tony Williams — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 15:52:16 +0000

The European Champions League is up and running now, with the second set of group games being played this week. Did you know that you can watch your favourite teams playing football online for free? It’s really easy to do if you follow my guide to watching Champions League Football Free online.

The guide can also be used to setup Sopcast watch matches from other tournaments, even those that are not being broadcast live in your country.

This week’s European Champions League football games that you can watch free online include:

Tuesday, 29 September 2009

AZ v Standard Liege, Gp H, 19:45
Arsenal v Olympiakos, Gp H, 19:45
Barcelona v Dynamo Kiev, Gp F, 19:45
Debrecen v Lyon, Gp E, 19:45
Fiorentina v Liverpool, Gp E, 19:45
Rangers v Sevilla, Gp G, 19:45
Rubin Kazan v Inter Milan, Gp F, 17:30
Unirea Urziceni v VfB Stuttgart, Gp G, 19:45

Wednesday, 30 September 2009

AC Milan v FC Zurich, Gp C, 19:45
Apoel Nicosia v Chelsea, Gp D, 19:45
Bayern Munich v Juventus, Gp A, 19:45
Bordeaux v Maccabi Haifa, Gp A, 19:45
CSKA Moscow v Besiktas, Gp B, 17:30
FC Porto v Atletico Madrid, Gp D, 19:45
Man Utd v Wolfsburg, Gp B, 19:45
Real Madrid v Marseille, Gp C, 19:45

Tags: arsenal, european champions league, free football, free football online, liverpool, sopcast

Essential Guidelines To Operate In Social Networking Websites

Rikki Boot — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 05:37:03 +0000

In this fast paced world where human beings have conspicuously drawn a thin line between the real and virtual world, where Internet is the order of the day; interacting or connecting with people residing across the seven seas is a piece of cake.

Not only you can interact with people whom you do not know and resides at some other place in the world but also the one’s you know, the one’s whom you consider as your idol, the actors and actresses, sports personalities etc. Sites like Facebook and Twitter have literally paved their ways into our lives, to be precise they have become an essential part of our lives.

But what they have done is that they have made our personal lives and our identity an “open book” to all. So, here are some essential guidelines that should be followed in order to keep yourself aloof from the millions of hackers present in the world.

Always make sure you add someone whom you know. Avoid unwanted friend requests.
Make sure that your wall/scrap book is locked or can be viewed by your friends only whom you know.
Avoid putting personal pictures in your album. In case you do, lock your album.
Do not click on links that are sent to you by unknown people. Ignore or delete them.
Always make sure that you have logged out from your account before leaving an Internet cafe.
Avoid joining communities which deal with adult subjects. You may drag yourself to the court.
Always go through the security and safety policy of the social networking site that you prefer to use.
Do not post your contact number in your personal details section.
Avoid fake profiles.
Avoid clicking on unnecessary advertisements.

Tags: Facebook, security, social networks, twitter

Simple Tips For Laptop Care

mitchbuchannon — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 05:10:57 +0000

In the 21st century which is the era of communication and technology, laptops have become extremely essential parts of our lives. Be it typing the next email to your friend or colleague, playing games while waiting for the train to arrive, calculating your tax payment or simply browsing the Internet for accessing the day’s news, laptops are omnipresent in each of these activities and without them life seems dysfunctional.

One might argue that we have become overtly dependent on technology but since that is the reality, there is no point fighting it. Rather we should ensure that we take proper care of this one machine (the laptop) on which our daily activities are so much dependent. Like any machine, the thumb rule of laptop-care emanates from basic logic.

Yet, following are some areas of concern in this context and some pretty simple remedies regarding them:

Liquid: keep any kind of liquid (tea, coffee, cola, etc) completely away from your laptop. If any kind of liquid spills over accidentally on the laptop, it will permeate through to the circuit below and damage it completely. Well, a laptop user’s worst nightmare? Yes it is.
Food: Not as dangerous as liquid, yet can be fatal for a laptop if it falls between the gaps available on keyboards and settles down on the circuit below. It would then attract insects and all these together would create an unfavorable condition for the machine to function properly.
Dust: Good quality laptops are pretty hardy, yet it is always a good idea to keep your laptop properly covered when not in use. This would prevent it from accumulating unnecessary dust within it through the various vents and gaps which are usually present in any laptop.
LCD: Well, this the part of your laptop which is essential for you from different perspectives; be it watching the latest DVD or reminiscing your last Christmas holiday while browsing through the vacation photos on screen. The LCD screen is important and you better protect it from any kind of accidental scratch. And for god sake do not wipe it with a hard cloth and any detergent; there are special cloths and washers available exclusively for this purpose in the market, so burn some cash and get yourself one.
Laptop bag: Its easy to overlook the quality and the make of a laptop bag, yet it is highly recommendable that only those bags be used for this purpose which are meant for laptops. These bags generally have a fat cushion of padding inside them which ensure that the laptop is protected from unscheduled and sudden jerks.
Battery life: One of the positives of using a laptop is that you can travel with it and still continue to have computing capabilities with you unlike in case of a PC, which is heavy, big and virtually immovable. So to ensure that you can use this mobility factor of the laptop to the fullest extent, it is absolutely imperative on your part to take good care of the battery which seats inside the belly of every laptop. Limited use of multimedia functions, putting off features like Wi-Fi and Blue Tooth, when not needed and also lower quantum of use of these features would ensure better battery life. Moreover using external devices which are connected to the laptop through the USB drive also burn off the battery quite often. So limited use of these would also be beneficial for the battery life. Simple things like using the touchpad in place of a USB mouse which are in vogue right now, would also be positive for the battery life.

Tags: laptops, pc care

Java Vs. JavaScript: How Improper Use Of JavaScript Can Damage Sites

Tony Williams — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 20:52:38 +0000

It is quite understandable that Java and JavaScript are often confused for one another. It’s not just that they have very similar names. Both are Object Oriented Programming languages that were created for large IT companies (Java for Sun Microsystems, JavaScript for Netscape) in 1995. The two languages, however, are different, and it’s important not to try to use them interchangeably.

Distinguishing Between Java vs. JavaScript

Functionality is the primary distinction between Java and JavaScript. Java is a full language that creates standalone programs such as the very popular Java applets. These are separate files that may be embedded into an HTML document on your browser but are not part of that document. The Java code is entirely separate. JavaScript cannot create standalone programs, though. JavaScript, in contrast, consists of code that is written directly into the HTML document, so it is actually part of the document.

Advantages to JavaScript vs. Java

Using JavaScript programs as part of the HTML documents can have its advantages. The language is easy to understand and use, and changing the program is simply a matter of rewriting some of the code in the document. Conversely, a Java program can be more complicated and is more of a hassle to change. Java programs must be written in machine language and then compiled into a form where it will fit into the HTML document where it is resting. Changing the code is not a simple matter of rewriting; the changes must happen in the original code, which must then be recompiled and reinserted into the HTML document all over again.

Advantages to Java vs. JavaScript

Nevertheless, what you give up in ease of use you gain in functionality when it comes to Java. Java is a much more versatile language. Since it can create standalone programs, it can be used to design programs that can fit into almost any site and serve a wide variety of purposes. If you are a more experienced programmer, you will probably prefer Java. Most Java programmers are familiar with C and C++, while anyone with basic HTML programming experience should be able to use JavaScript with little difficulty.

Reading Java and JavaScript

Remember that reading Java and JavaScript programs requires different platforms as well. It is possible that your browser supports both Java and JavaScript, but you should keep in mind that just because a browser supports one does not automatically mean that it will support the other.

Since websites coming out now a days are so dynamic, web hosting providers and offering java web hosting solutions with their account. Do check for the options before buying hosting service.

JavaScript was great when it was introduced. It allowed developers to really spice up their sites and to actually make them interactive with the client. A website can also gain some control over the browser as JavaScript is designed to tell the various browsers how to interpret code and allow a website to change independent of the server. When you scroll over a button or see pictures changing on their own or when you click a button and fill out a form, that could all be JavaScript. It was also easy to implement and could easily be integrated into HTML. It made it easy for many people to make great sites but there were also some dangers with JavaScript. With JavaScript you can create popup windows or even re-direct people to another site. This is a major security issue.

Improper Use Of JavaScript: What happens if an incorrect window pops up?

It’s great to have popup windows and to have forms available for customers to fill out. It’s almost essential for any site that is eCommerce based. The obvious problems with popup windows and JavaScript is that it is much easier for hackers to enter your site with JavaScript and embed a popup window in your site requesting your customer’s private information or they can even re-direct customers to a new site without the customer even knowing it. Even worse, it is very hard to detect when and where these popup windows will come up in your site. Done properly it could fool just about anyone into giving up sensitive information. If you’re a bank or an online poker site you will be transferring funds and that can easily be re directed through the use of JavaScript.

Improper Use Of JavaScript: Incorrect features can happen anywhere!

Using JavaScript improperly can cause unique features to randomly appear and it will happen at the wrong time and location on a site. Pictures could move independently when you don’t want them to. Buttons can change independently and even worse popup windows can just spring up. So it can completely ruin the visual looks of a site. Another problem is if you want to use JavaScript to create popup windows and the user has the pop up windows feature turned off in the browser, the client will then never even see that information or feature. It is great to still use JavaScript and even though there might be some security risks one should always keep in mind that there are always security risks with any option you choose when you are building out your site. Weigh the options and make the best decision for your site.

Tags: html, java, javascript, site design

Create Custom Windows 7 and Windows Vista Media Center Themes

Tony Williams — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 13:05:15 +0000

I’ve been running Windows 7 Media Center for a few days now and I love the improvements that Microsoft have made over Windows Vista Media Center. The UI is so much slicker, although disappointingly Microsoft haven’t added any new Windows 7 Media Center themes.

Luckily there is a great new tool called Media Center Studio that makes it easy for anyone to make their own Windows 7 Media Center or Windows Vista Media Center custom theme.

Media Center Studio features:

Edit your start menu – rearrange or disable native menu items
Create your own menu strips, and your own items to go in them
Monitors your application and returns to Media Center when it exits
Set up a button on your remote to exit your application
Create menu items that take you to native Media Center pages, or start media
Apply themes to Media Center
Create new themes or edit existing ones

You should definitely give Media Center Studio a try – you’ll have new themes setup within minutes.

Tags: Media Center, Windows 7, windows 7 media center, windows 7 themes

Stop Windows Vista From Highlighting New Installed Programs

Tony Williams — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 05:01:31 +0000

Like me do you find it annoying when you install a new program in Windows Vista and the program is automatically highlighted in the start menu, until you click on it? If so, then the guide below will stop this happening:

Click on a blank part of your taskbar and select Properties
In the popup window that appears click on Start Menu and then Customize

In the options that appear, untick Highlight newly installed programs and click OK and then Apply

That’s it – you’re done. Thanks to Simple Help for the images.

Tags: Start Menu, Tweak, Windows Vista

Please Help One Tip A Day By Completing The Quick Survey

Tony Williams — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 12:58:07 +0000

One of the ad networks that we work with need us to get 200 surveys completed by users. I know that many readers do not like the ads, but the income that they bring in is very important to me. If you could please take a couple of mins to complete the survey it would be greatly appreciated – you won’t be asked to buy anything or anything daft like that. I also get access to the results, which would be very useful for me.

Take The 3 Minute Survey

Thanks in advance

Tony

Tags: survey