How about keeping the boring data and spreadsheet combination aside and doing something fun? I say let’s make a dice, cool? Don’t believe me? Check out this file. Keep pressing the F9 key once you’ve opened it. Magic!

Well it’s no magic, it’s fairly simple and is pure logic. I’m assuming you have some basic knowledge about Microsoft Excel and even if you don’t, no worries, I’ll teach you everything you need to know.

1. A die is a 3X3 square. Let’s begin by selecting cells C1 to I3. Cells C1 to E3 are for die 1, in between we leave a column and again cells G1 to I3 are for the second die. Next click on Format under the Home tab and select Row Height and enter 40. Again go to the Format option and click on Column Width and enter 8.

2. Now whilst the cells are still selected, choose ‘Wingdings’ as the font and set the font size to 28 and set the alignment to ‘Center’.

3. Once you’re done with the above steps, select cells D1 to E3 and choose any Fill Colour you desire. Do the same for cells G1 to I3.

4. To randomize the numbers of the dice, we’ll be using a function called RANDBETWEEN. The RANDBETWEEN function enables you to present random integers in a cell by pressing the F9 key. Select cell D5 and go to Formulas tab > Math & Trig and click on RANDBETWEEN. A box will pop up asking you to feed the values. Put ’1′ as the Bottom value and ’6″ as the Top value.
Select cell H5 and again use the RANDBETWEEN function and enter the same values as above.

5. Now comes the main part – using the IF function. Basically the IF function allows you to specify a condition. If the condition is true, a certain thing will happen and if false then something else will happen. For example, IF the random value in cell D5 is 3, then 3 dots will be shown on the die and if it’s 4, then 4 dots will be shown. Simple!

In cell C1 enter the following:
=IF(AND(D5>=2, D5<=6), “l”, ” “)

Now let me explain it to you how it works. The above IF condition states that if the value of the cell D5 (the random value cell) is greater than 2 but less than 6, then the outcome will be “l”, and if false, then it should be blank.
You must be wondering why the “l”? Well in the ‘Wingdings’ font the letter ‘l’ (lower case) is a dot. OMG that’s what we need, right?

In cells C2 and E2 enter the following:
=IF(D5=6,”l”, ” “)

Let’s fill up the last cell now, ie. D2:
=IF(OR(D5=1, D5=3, D5=5), “l”, ” “)

That’s it! Keep pressing the F9 key and you’ll get to know what a wonderful thing you’ve made.

As for the other die, you have to put the same formulae in the corresponding cells, the only change being ‘D5‘ replaced by ‘H5‘ in each formula.

I hope you like this stuff. It’s cool, isn’t it?

Tech Junky is holding a contest to reward our loyal readers with a very special prize.

Binverse, an all-in-one premium Usenet provider, has given us 2 free accounts to giveaway on our site.

These are special block accounts not normally offered. They come with 50 GB of high speed downloads and no expiration date.  So you have as long as you need to download the 50 GB.

So What is Usenet?

• Usenet was started in 1979 as a text based communication network. It was where the world first went to discuss topics online.  People posted topics and discussions in themed groups called newsgroups.
• It predates the World Wide Web and was the place where the Web was first announced to the public.
• Usenet today is a collection of massive amounts of stored data. You can discover and download virtually anything you want.
• Premium access to Usenet is now only offered by a handful of providers.

Features of Binverse:

• Speed – Binverse Usenet access offers uncapped speeds. This means you can download files as fast as your internet connection will allow. Usenet is stored on a farm of commercial grade servers. Binverse provides its users a direct connection to these servers. No wasting precious bandwidth with other users.

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• Newsgroup Free Trial – In case you are not one of the lucky winners. Binverse offers a 3 day free trial with complete, unfiltered access to all the newsgroups. While it is just a preview of what is out there, it is still a great way to experience what Usenet has to offer.

So How Do I Win a Free Account?
It’s Easy. Like Tech Junky on FaceBook from the sidebar and simply leave a comment below telling us how badly you want a free Usenet account and you will be entered into a random drawing. We will choose the winners at a later date. Check back here for contest updates.

Read more about the ReFS on the Windows 8 Blog.

The Galaxy Ace Plus is the follow up to the highly popular lower end Android phone that was launched by Samsung last year. The Galaxy Ace was the more affordable cousin to the Galaxy S2, but at the time of its launch it was claimed by Apple that the phone had copied design elements from the iPhone 4. It is in fact one of the main devices that Apple has a particular beef with, although the Galaxy S / S2 and Galaxy Tab have been gaining more attention in the press.

The curious thing about this latest accusation is that, while the original Galaxy Ace was accused of copying 2010′s iPhone 4, the new Galaxy Ace Plus is accused of copying the iPhone 3G launched in 2008. If Samsung truly has just looked to the iPhone 3G for ‘inspiration’ this would surely be a bit of a step backwards.

Looking at images of the Galaxy Ace Plus next to the iPhone 3G, it is easy to see a resemblance. But it is also easy to see a resemblance compared to other Samsung smartphones launched in recent years. The Ace Plus may not look much like the original Ace but it does have a lot of similarities with the original Galaxy S. Considering that the latter was one of the phones Apple had taken issue with, it is no surprise that they also can’t stomach this latest phone.

While it does have similarities with the older iPhone model the truth is that there are only so many ways that you can make a touchscreen phone. The rectangular shape is essential and many other features that Samsung are accused of copying, such as a central home button and icons arranged in a grid, predate the iPhone by many years.

Unless Samsung starts producing pink, triangular smartphones with their home buttons placed haphazardly in one corner they are constantly going to receive accusations of copying from Apple.

Although the Galaxy Ace Plus does look like the iPhone 3G, it outperforms it in most areas. It has superior 3G and Wi-Fi connections, including support for DLNA, and a much better 5 megapixel camera in use. The Android Gingerbread operating system is also miles ahead of the OS used on the iPhone 3G, and even with a software update the iPhone 3G does not really perform as well as the next generation iPhone 4 and 4S models.

The thing is that while people are comparing the Galaxy Ace Plus to the iPhone they may neglect to compare it to the original Galaxy Ace. Aside from a marginally larger screen and newer version of Android, the phone does not offer a great deal more than the original, with the lion’s share of changes being made to physical appearance only. If you are looking for a budget Android phone or a cheap mobile phone deal, it may be worth considering – but if you already own the original Ace there may not be much need to make an upgrade to this newer model.

On a plus side, Samsung has a habit of producing “Plus” models before it launches sequels, meaning that a Galaxy Ace 2 may be in the works. It will be more likely that such a model (if it exists) would feature the improved features that this Plus model lacks.

Wishing all the Tech Junky readers a very happy new year. I hope the year 2012 brings us all happiness, prosperity and wealth. Have fun, enjoy and keep reading Tech Junky!

The laptop, after all, was designed to be moved around. That’s the point of something small, which folds up into a tough case and can be carried lightly. Your home internet connection isn’t going to cut it when you’re on a train 200 miles away from your house!

There are plenty of mobile broadband options to choose from. I use AT&T internet but they’re not the only provider – all the major mobile phone companies deliver similar packages, so it’s as much about finding someone who has the right coverage in your area as it is about remaining loyal to a particular brand.

Coverage is all important for the speed of your mobile Internet device. I work in a variety of locations in my local area, which is unhelpfully surrounded by hills and is around 90 miles from the nearest population centre (idyllic, but annoying for internet speeds!). My At&T internet connection is useful (as a mobile device that is) because the AT&T coverage in the area is strong enough to pick up a good speed. There are some communications providers whose transmitters hardly reach my village at all, so buying ne of their mobile internet devices would have been a very good way to spend useless money on a piece of plastic that doesn’t do anything.

The mobile internet device works in exactly the same way as your home devices – just using mobile signals instead of the landline signal that is piped into your modem. Even wireless home internet uses a modem – the wireless router is plugged into the landline infrastructure by way of a cable modem. The mobile device plugs into your chosen mobile network using a SIM card – exactly the same kind as the one in your ‘phone, only this one is specifically registered to give you Internet access.

Like all connectivity packages, whether you use AT&T internet or the provider whose signal is best in your area, what you pay equals what you get in terms of monthly downloads and uploads. The more you pay, the more data you can deal with on a daily basis.

Choosing the mobile connector that is right for you, then, is about finding the right deal as well as the right supplier. If you’re lucky enough to live in an area with good coverage from all the mobile networks, you’ll be able to shop around to find the best deal for your budget. You should be able to specify a 4G device if you are buying a new contract right now – certainly the latest AT&T internet mobile device is set up to receive at 4G speeds where available already.

The way in which you consume the Internet ultimately dictates whether or not you actually need a mobile device. If you don’t work on the go, you don’t really need one – your phone probably does all the surfing you need when you’re out and about. Unless you have a yen to download movies wherever you end up of course!

A few days back Rockstar had confirmed GTA V development by placing a simple logo on their website and now we have a trailer. Personally GTA franchise is one of my favourites and with each game, Rockstar has added more and more and the latest one seeks to raise the bar even further. From the looks of it, the game is beautiful. The graphics are stunning, everything seems perfect.

GTA V is set to launch in 2012, possibly a May 2012 release.

Official Release:
“Developed by series creator Rockstar North, Grand Theft Auto V heads to the city of Los Santos and surrounding hills, countryside and beaches in the largest and most ambitious game Rockstar has yet created.

A bold new direction in open-world freedom, storytelling, mission-based gameplay and online multiplayer, Grand Theft Auto V focuses on the pursuit of the almighty dollar in a re-imagined, present day Southern California.”

Every now and then we read about people reporting UFO sightings. Though many of the reports are fake, but I always end up wondering whether there is something of the sort? There must be people who have truly experienced something and today I can without a doubt say that UFO’s aren’t just fiction, they indeed exist. I just experienced it myself.

The incident happened around 11-11:15 PM, around 4 hours ago. Me and my friends were standing outside. I live in India and Diwali celebrations were going and people were busy burning crackers and socialising. There was a lot of noise due to people burning fireworks and infact sky fireworks also kept popping up. While we were talking suddenly a friend pointed towards the sky and I saw a very bright object moving across the sky. At first we thought it was some firework but the thing didn’t fade away and rather kept moving. It sure didn’t look like an aeroplane. It was reddish-white and was very bright. It crossed the sky and got out of view. We were a bit shocked to see something like that.

Just as we were discussing about the thing, within 5 minutes it popped up again. We all had our phones in our hands and quickly made videos and took photographs. We were amazed to see something like that. Soon it went out of view. We were awestruck and had no explanation for the thing. It had to be a UFO.

We wanted to have more of it and rushed to the terrace. We started looking out for it and soon spotted it. It was very far away and looked like a star, except for the fact that it was slowly moving. We kept gazing at it and suddenly what we see is another similar object next to it. We could spot two of them, both moving around! At that time we got goose bumps, it was sort of scary. While there were a lot of fireworks in the sky, those things could be easily distinguished. They were moving towards the right side of the sky and seemed to be going away. They kept fading away and finally vanished. We waited for some time but they didn’t appear again and just as we were about to leave, my friend spotted one again. And this time it came from the left side, was nearer and brighter. It crossed the whole sky from left to right before again fading away. I personally had never seen something like that. It was so different and unique.

We waited for like another 10 minutes to catch one more glimpse but it didn’t show up. We decided to leave and just as we reached the door, I for one last time looked at the sky again but this time in the opposite direction, ie. my back and I was shocked to see it coming again! It was bright red, actually like burning red. It crossed the whole sky again. It must have been travelling at a really fast speed coz it wasn’t long before it had reached the other side of the sky and had finally disappeared.

I can’t come up with a possible explanation as to what I saw. I had an experience like never before. It was something very exciting, but at the same time a bit scary. Even while writing this post chills are running down my spine. It feels a bit disturbing thinking about all that right now. Many people would consider this experience as made up and fake, and I don’t blame them. Something like this is bound to seem fictitious and imaginary. If I were someone reading such a thing, I would feel the same but let me assure you that the photos and videos I’ve uploaded are genuine and not made up. I’ve captured everything just 4 hours back. I’m a normal guy interested in science and tech and no made up stories or fiction.

Have a close look at everything and decide for yourself.

PS: I’m going to collect all the pics and videos my friends captured and upload them too.