TecheGuide - Technology blog on Internet and Softwares

Technology to Get Internet Service without Phone Lines Is Easy To Find and Install

noreply@blogger.com (Mohit Tripathi) — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 02:51:00 +0000

Do you fall under the category of people who find out ways to cut off their expenses after looking at your huge telephone bills? That is because you might have understood that the traditional phone line in your house is not worth the money you are paying. Cell phones are used by everyone in the family while making calls and the Internet is the only reason you are paying for the telephone lines. Get rid of that phone line in your house today! You don’t really need that as Internet service is now available without telephone lines. There are more popular options that help you in getting internet services. Let us find out a few of them:

Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) without a Phone line

DSL is an option that is becoming very popular among internet users who does not want to use the phone lines for their internet anymore. A few years back, you had to install a phone line for getting a DSL line. But now, it is possible to have one without a phone line installed. DSL without phone are available from traditional providers. DSL for Internet is also referred sometimes as Dry Loop.

Cable

Cable is another very popular option that provides Internet services without phone lines. Many companies offer its users a wired solution making use of cable modems or even similar hardware. There are many companies that also provide stand alone services or those services that are bundled with television viewing packages. If you are choosing cable instead of internet service without phone lines then Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) is also a good option. The plans for using cable services vary in different areas.

Satellite

Instead of subscribing to traditional cable services, you can even subscribe to the satellite network services to get internet connection. A service that works pretty the same way like cable services and you will have to pay a same rate for it. Dish network and Direct TV are the providers of such services and offer bundled packages for reducing costs.

Wi-FI

Wi-Fi or wireless technology transmitted via radio waves can also be a great option for availing internet services. To avail the benefits of Wi-Fi you should have an access to a particular hub which transmits the signal. Many local businesses give you the access to wireless internet services.

The options are multiple but before you make a final decision research a bit to know the prices offered by various providers. Prices definitely vary. The providers offer competitive prices for attracting more customers. Be sure the offer charts as the prices seem to rise dramatically after the expiry of the promotional period.

With a multiple number of options to replace the use of internet service with phone lines, customers do not have worry about huge phone bills anymore. As technology continues to advance the options will increase and people might completely get away with the use of telephone lines for getting internet services. So, start searching for the best provider who can offer you with an affordable price. It is high time you stop paying for your phone bills when you have alternative methods to get internet services.

About Author: Kristina Louis is a freelance content writer by profession and write article on behalf of Verizon Internet Service. Gadgets and Internet technology are her topic of interest and she find immense pleasure in writing articles on Internet technology.

Evolution And Rapid Growth History Of Smartphones

noreply@blogger.com (Mohit Tripathi) — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 02:28:00 +0000

Mobile industry is developing day by day with the frequent release of new and better smartphones. Companies race to offer more features, more options, faster operation and easy user interface. Most people use mobile phones for their communication purposes, but they have some drawbacks in availing extra functions and applications.

To overcome these drawbacks smartphones came into existence for all home based and business purpose usages. So people have an option to recycle their old mobile phones to featured functionable smartphones easily.

Smartphone's features include mobile phones, email facility, stylish texting, plenty of games, internet access, PDAs and fantastic keyboard. Smartphones support a complete featured operating system that makes everyone to view their files in original formats as they like. You can find integrated calendars, downloadable phone list from mails, notification for appointment, special recognition of voice as well as handwriting, extra featured gaming options, media players, high resolution camera, Wi-Fi access, portable laptop package, broadband access and GPS software on several models. They support 3G for video calling, MP3 players and mobile handsets.

Considering on more computing capabilities the mobile technology grows rapidly. Previous mobile phones are not upto the mark in fulfilling the complete needs of an individual person who wishes for business purposes. The increasing needs made mobile technology to take a new style in discovering new gadgets. Now smartphones are released with new multiple operating systems.

IBM Simon is the first smartphone that was released with few features like calculator, address book, e-mail client and games. It was lack of camera and other download capabilities. Later Nokia 9000 series released and it is the first Nokia's smartphones. It features high resolution quality display, Qwerty keyboard, email, web browsing and PDA interface. A series of advanced browsing capability smartphones were released namely Nokia 9110 and Nokia 9110i.

Later touchscreen featured Ericsson R380 smartphone was released in the mobile market. It used Symbian OS. Smartphones with color screen feature was released and Nokia 9210 was the first among this featured devices. Nokia N95 reached its consumers with GPS, advanced multimedia options, five megapixel camera, Wi-Fi access and 3G services. Nokia released a continuous smartphone series with latest features added to them like Nokia 6110, Nokia N8 and Nokia N97.

5 Ways to Improve Online Sales by Using New Live Chat Features

noreply@blogger.com (Mohit Tripathi) — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 02:21:00 +0000

When it comes to online marketing, selling is of course one of the most important and final stages in the process. But how can a business make sure that each client is effectively engaged in the shopping experience in order to maximize sales?

VeriShow, an untraditional live chat platform offers various innovative tools for richer customer-interaction. Some of which are:
1. Real-time content sharing – sharing images, videos and documents of products in real-time with customers can be used to effectively demonstrate products, explain, clarify, and cross-sell.

2. Using audio or video conferencing – communicating with clients using voice or video while sharing multimedia content, can produce better engagement in the shopping process, and provide a personal touch.

3. Screen Sharing – Agents can share screens with clients and assist them remotely. This option can be used, for example, for solving a software product issue, or in order to direct a client to a specific webpage.
4. A Text Chat Translator – This chat application can automatically translate typed text into a different language, making it possible for agents to communicate with, and assist online customers who speak other languages.

5. Form filling – A unique application which allows signing online forms using electronic signatures. A company's online agent can now not only assist and convert clients, but actually close sales within the session, by offering customers the option to complete and sign forms online.

VeriShow, a multimedia live chat platform, has built its web-based service around a set of apps that enhance online customer support as described above. It offers premium plans, as well as a free version which is available here.

A (Not So) Brief History of Computer-Like Gadgets

noreply@blogger.com (Mohit Tripathi) — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 03:57:00 +0000

Right now, our society seems to be in a transitory state with electronic gadgets and how consumers use them. The main issue that people and markets seem to be back-and-forth on is the argument between form and function.

In the beginning, there were desktops. They were big and their monitors were also big and even more ugly. They sat on desks where people would work on them and get stuff done.

Many, many years later came laptops which were a lot smaller. They varied in size but could typically be compared to a long and wide textbook (though not a particularly thick textbook). At first people scoffed at the lack of power of laptops compared to desktops, but over time, performance grew to such an extent that many laptops could outperform desktops.

More importantly, people marveled over the portability of laptops. You could carry them in a bag to school or to your office at work or even on airplanes to different cities. While they could sometimes feel heavy (especially with a power cord and maybe a mouse included), they were the perfect solution for a portable office.

However, you couldn't practically carry them everywhere without at least some pain and annoyance, so people began using handheld portable devices called PDAs. After a while, people got tired of carrying a phone and a PDA everywhere, so they combined the two. While they were at it, people also decided it would be nifty to add a camera and camcorder in and allow internet access so people could virtually do everything on one device that fits in their pocket. They eventually called this the smartphone.

Pause

Let's take a minute to look at the convenience, function, and flow of technological gadgets at this point in technology history (before the tablet and netbook). For your performance-intensive computing needs (video editing, music recording, image editing, and gaming), the most ideal choice is a desktop. It's easy to maintain and has incredible performance potential.

If you need something portable and travel-friendly with these performance-intensive computing needs, you will have to invest in a high-end laptop. This is considerably more expensive, but it serves its niche. And of course the level of performance (and concurrently price) is based on your needs. Some people only need midrange laptops to optimally do their jobs.

For just a general calendar, planner, music player, GPS system, and off-hand internet researching device, people had smartphones. It wasn't ideal at all for content creation (even with a slide-out keyboard) although it could get the job done in a crunch situation, and it also wasn't the ideal screen size for a reader although it still served this purpose decently in a pinch.

Resume

Then the computing market started to realize that many people did not need computers nearly as high-end as what was on the market. Additionally, these more basic, low-spec machines could be crafted in a much more portable size (compared to all other laptops) and sell for a cheaper price. These devices, known as netbooks, came into the market right in the midst of a recession so the timing was perfect.

Only a couple years after netbooks were introduced, Apple released its iPad and thus the tablet market was born. Several comparisons have been made between tablets and netbooks. They are similar in size although tablets are typically smaller and lighter. That being said, netbooks have more function than tablets due to operating systems. Tablets operate more like oversized phones (running apps rather than major software or programs) while netbooks behave more like laptops. Yet they both overlap in pricing and size.

So here we are at this awkward transitioning point between form and function. Tablets win in areas of form: They are lighter and have more screen space than most netbooks but their function is restricted almost exclusively to media consumption. Netbooks and laptops obviously win in function: content creation is much more of a reality (you have a physical keyboard) but their form leaves a lot to be desired.

Many experts and insiders say that one must give way to the other although the market is starting to see hybrids (tablets with keyboard attachments or slide-out keyboards). In terms of determining where you fit into the market, just try not to waste too much time reading the fanboy wars between different types of technology and brands.

About Author: This guest post is contributed by Lauren Bailey, who regularly writes for best online colleges. She welcomes your comments at her email Id: blauren99 @gmail.com.

Sony Announces the Live Android Phone for Music Lovers

noreply@blogger.com (Mohit Tripathi) — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 03:52:00 +0000

Sony Ericsson has had an interesting string of handsets lately. From the super slim Arc, to the slide away gaming Play, Sony seems to be one of the few manufacturer doing a good job standing out from the Android pack. The latest phone from the Sony camp is aimed at music lovers and is called the “Live.” The handset ships with native applications for Sony’s Quriosity music program and a powerful equalizer.

Specs
The Sony Ericsson Xperia Live is a slimmed down handset running Android 2.3 Gingerbread. It features a 3.2-inch WVGA capacitive touch screen that’s bright and vivid, while still small enough to allow a good form factor. Under the hood is a 1GHz processor, (likely a Snapdragon) and 312MBs of RAM. It’s not exactly on super phone levels, but that is more than enough power to ensure a snappy Android experience and run any app currently available. The phone features tri-band 3G supports and will be able to roam on more or less any GSM network. In addition, the phone also ships with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and a dedicated GPS for navigation.
Availability
The Live is slated for a Q4 release and while there is no official word on price just yet, it’s clearly being marketed as a mid-ranged device. Even at the standard price of $450 with a 32GB microSD card included in the price, it may prove to be a compelling option for music lovers who want a decent smartphone. Press release provided below:

Full Press Release Text:

Sony Ericsson Live with Walkman™ delivers unique social music experience for smartphones
22 August 2011
Smartphone with Walkman™ on the latest Android platform (Gingerbread 2.3)
Unique Facebook™ integration enables instant music and media sharing
Content services from Sony provide access to the latest music and video titles
22 August 2011, London, UK – Sony Ericsson today announced Sony Ericsson Live with Walkman™, an Android smartphone that delivers a unique social music experience. A dedicated Walkman™ hardware button provides instant access to the music player and consumers can also like, share and discover content through a deep Facebook™ integration. The infinite button lets the consumer explore even more and the *Qriocity service from Sony provides music and video content for the consumer to enjoy.
With attractive curved design, a glossy finish and a mineral glass display, the phone has a 3.2" screen and a powerful 1Ghz processor. A front facing camera is enabled for Skype video calling, while a 5MP AF camera can capture 720p HD video recording. *Sony's xLOUD™ enhances audio output, while the latest Android platform for smartphones (Gingerbread 2.3) provides access to over 250,000 applications on the Android Market™.
Nikolaus Scheurer, Head of Product Marketing, Sony Ericsson said: "Consumers want smartphones to deliver a rich and social entertainment experience. Rather than a one dimensional music experience, they want instant and seamless access to new content, combined with the ability to share and connect with their friends. The Sony Ericsson Live with Walkman™ provides exactly this, in a powerful package with great style."
A perfect combination of social networking and music entertainment:
Deep Facebook™ integration: Allows users to instantly access Facebook through the most used areas of the phone such as the picture gallery, music player, phonebook and calendar.
Media Discovery Application: A dynamic application placing the world of music and videos at consumer's fingertips including Facebook™ recommendations from their friends.
Infinite button: Tapping it within the media player enables consumers to have instant access to new content about their favourite artist, such as music videos, artist information and lyrics search.
Qriocity music and video content services from Sony: Consumers can access millions of songs from all major labels and watch thousands of movies from all major studios. Only Sony Ericsson Android smartphones provide consumers with unique access to the entertainment services from *Sony.
*Sony's xLOUD™ technology: Enhances audio output of the inbuilt speakers at high levels.
TrackID™: Identifies the music track you are listening to within the FM radio and music player. The track can then instantly be shared or downloaded.
Sony Ericsson Live with Walkman™ will be available globally in selected markets from Q4 2011.
For full details all products news, please visit the press room and the product blog:
http://www.sonyericsson.com/cws/corporate/press/pressreleases/latestnews
http://blogs.sonyericsson.com/products/
Sony Ericsson Live with Walkman™ at a glance.
*Please note that all services mentioned may not be available in every market.
Colours
Black and White
Facts
Size: 56.5 x 106 x 14.2 mm
Weight: 115 g
Camera
5 megapixel camera
8x digital zoom
Auto focus
Face detection
Flash/Photo light
Flash/Photo flash
Flash/LED
Front-facing camera (VGA)
Geo tagging
HD video recording (720p)
Image stabiliser
Red-eye reduction
Scene detection
Self-timer
Send to web
Smile detection
Touch capture
Touch focus
Video light
Video recording
Music
Album art
Bluetooth™ stereo (A2DP)
Music tones (MP3/AAC)
PlayNow™ service
Stereo speakers
TrackID™ music recognition
Walkman™ player
xLOUD™
Internet
Android Market™
Bookmarks
Google™ search
Google Voice™ Search
NeoReader™ barcode scanner
Pan & zoom
Web browser (WebKit)
Communication
Call list
Conference calls
Facebook™ application
Google Talk™
Polyphonic ringtones
Skype
Sony Ericsson Timescape™
Speakerphone
Twitter™ (Timescape™ integration)
Vibrating alert
Video chat ready
Messaging
Conversations
Email
Google Mail™
Handwriting recognition
Instant messaging
Multimedia messaging (MMS)
Predictive text input
Sound recorder
Text messaging (SMS)
Type & Send widget
Design
Auto rotation
Four-corner Home screen
Keyboard (on-screen, 12-key)
Keyboard (on-screen, QWERTY)
Live wallpaper
Picture wallpaper
Touch screen
Entertainment
3D games
Media browser
Radio (FM radio with RDS)
Video streaming
Video viewing
YouTube™
Organiser
Alarm clock
Calculator
Calendar
Document readers
Emanual
Flight mode
Google Calendar™
Google Gallery 3D™
Infinite button
Phonebook
Setup guide
Event
Timer
Widget manager
Connectivity
3.5 mm audio jack
aGPS
Bluetooth™ technology
DLNA Certified™
Google Latitude™
Google Maps™ for Mobile
Google Maps™ with Street View
Media Transfer Protocol support
Micro USB support
Modem
Native USB tethering
Synchronisation via Facebook™
Synchronisation via Google™ Sync
Synchronisation via Sony Ericsson Sync
Synchronisation with computer
Synchronisation via Microsoft® Exchange ActiveSync®
Synchronisation: Microsoft® Exchange ActiveSync® via Moxier client
USB mass storage
USB High speed 2.0 support
USB support
Wi-Fi™
Wi-Fi™ Hotspot functionality
Wisepilot™ turn-by-turn navigation
Display
3.2 inches
16,777,216 colour TFT
480 x 320 pixels
Capacitive touchscreen (multi-touch)
Scratch-resistant
Memory
Phone memory (user-free): Up to 320MB
Memory card support: microSD™, up to 32GB
Battery life
Talk time GSM/GPRS: Up to 14 hrs 15 min*
Standby time GSM/GPRS: Up to 600 hrs*
Talk time UMTS: Up to 6 hrs 42 min*
Standby time UMTS: Up to 850 hrs*
Music listening time: Up to 17 hrs 30 min
Video listening time: Up to 6 hrs 30 min
*According to GSM Association Battery Life Measurement Technique. Battery performance may vary depending on network conditions and configurations, and phone usage.
Networks
UMTS HSPA 850 (Band V), 1900 (Band II), 2100 (Band I)
GSM GPRS/EDGE 850, 900, 1800, 1900
UMTS HSPA 900 (Band VIII), 2100 (Band I)
GSM GPRS/EDGE 850, 900, 1800, 1900
In the kit
Sony Ericsson Live with Walkman™
1200 mAh battery
stereo headset
2GB microSD™ memory card
Charger
micro USB cable for charging
synchronisation and file transfer
user documentation

Bio(About the Author): Maria Rainier is a freelance writer and recent graduate of Elon University. She is currently a resident blogger at online degrees, where recently she’s been interested in advanced start nutrition programs and blogging about student life. In her spare time, she enjoys square-foot gardening, swimming, and avoiding her laptop.

Facebook era to an END?

noreply@blogger.com (Mohit Tripathi) — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 12:37:00 +0000

An online poll carried out by The Christian Post aimed at measuring just how Google+ is faring against rival Facebook found that the majority of voters believe both companies will coexist.

The unofficial poll, in which almost 2,000 people participated, gave voters the following three options to choose from:

1. Google+ Will Dethrone Facebook
2. Google+ Will Lose to Facebook
3. Google+ Will Coexist with Facebook, Just Like Coke and Pepsi

The votes proved to be favorable for “Google+ dethroning Facebook,” with 36.5 percent of the votes (702 votes), over “Google+ losing to Facebook,” 16.6 percent of the votes (319 votes). But the majority, 46.9 percent of the votes (903 votes) believe that both companies will co-exist in rivalry the same way Coca-Cola and Pepsi have battled for dominion until the present.

No duplication of votes was allowed in a poll that blocked identical IP addresses from voting twice. And although the poll's accuracy may certainly be questioned due to a limited number of votes casted and various other factors, the results of two additional polls conducted revealed consistent in favorable results for Google+.

The three polls consisted of almost 3,500 votes and are still open to any user who wants to weigh his/her opinion against the general online public.

image: http://pinoytutorial.com/

Internet-Connected Devices – Need or Necessity?

noreply@blogger.com (Mohit Tripathi) — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 15:26:00 +0000

Having access to the mobile internet is becoming an essential part of daily life for most of us, but thanks to a dizzying array of different devices for getting connected, it can be tricky deciding on the best one to use.

Of course, the smartphone has become a popular choice for many people on the go because many of the latest handsets have many of the same features found on a traditional computer, but all squeezed into a handy pocket-sized powerhouse. The only potential downside to all this is that screens and keyboards are often similarly squashed. So, for anyone who wants to be productive on the move then it’s often a better idea to investigate something a little more substantial.

Laptops have come a long way in recent years and often have formidable specifications while they’re also a lot less bulky than they used to be. Better still is the netbook, which is the shrunken version of the same thing, although again, the downside with these is that keyboard and screen real estate can be less impressive than the traditional laptop. Nevertheless, they’re a good bet if you want a bit of a compromise between productivity and portability.

The growing range of tablet computers is perhaps where things get most interesting. Apple started it all with the iPad, which has now been superseded by the iPad 2 and this is a fantastic device for accessing the internet while you’re on the go. A virtual keyboard, superior web browsing and email facilities plus Wi-Fi and/or 3G means that you can do pretty much everything you’d do on a laptop or netbook, but it’s even more convenient.

Failing that, try one of the many rival tablets that have appeared on the scene as they’re all pretty good, but beware some of the really cheap models at the bottom end of the market. The great thing about tablets is that they’re a little like smartphones in that you can choose an operating system that you get on with, while also enjoying great connectivity, without the bulk. Better still, that extra bit of screen space makes them a good bet for watching movies and suchlike.

Ultimately, if you spend time checking out the comparison websites and shopping around then there’s no reason why you shouldn’t be able to get a couple of these devices, such as a smartphone and tablet, within one deal. They do exist, and if you need to do a little bit of multitasking from time to time then this may be the best way to do it.

This post was contributed by Rob Clymo, who writes on behalf of www.broadbandgenie.co.uk, helping you find the best laptop deals and options for the latest in netbooks, tablets and smartphones.

Future of Food Printers

noreply@blogger.com (Mohit Tripathi) — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 16:04:00 +0000

Some of you may be confused by the title... what do printers have anything to do with the future of food? Well at the moment, not much. But what if we could go to a little machine in your kitchen and print food at your own will, as seen in many sci-fi movies and TV shows.

Well let me start by telling you what technology already exists. A number of scientific companies are developing various bio-technologies that would allow tissue and organs to be printed on demand. Organovo is one of these companies, they have developed three-dimensional technology to create tissue for surgical applications. There's a lot of research going on by other companies as well including Invetech, the US military, the Wake Forest Institute, etc. This in its self is and will be an amazing advancement... being able to print skin and organs for medical and surgical use would truly change the world.

Although the possible advancement that I am talking to you about today would change things just as much. If we can print biological human cells and for organs and skin, then surely printing meat as a food product would be the next progression. Imagine being able to print a huge steak from a cartridge filled with beef cells! I'm no scientist but I'm sure this would be possible, and if so then the possibilities would be endless. Obviously at the moment the funding and concentration is on developing this technology for medical purposes, but maybe in the not so distant future you'll go into your very small kitchen that consists of an odd printer like device that prints some nice chicken meat, cooks it and then dresses it for you!

CartridgeExpress is the web developer for a shop that sells printer cartridges online. Follow them on twitter.

The Social Network's real face is Campus Network

noreply@blogger.com (Mohit Tripathi) — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 15:14:00 +0000

Adam GoldbergIn is the real face of the Social Network movie. TheSocial Network moivie seems to be about Facebook. But it's not about Facebook. It's about another site, Campus Network, and its founder, Adam Goldberg, a guy who came within arm's reach of a multibillion-dollar idea that ultimately slipped his grasp.

As The Social Network dramatizes, Mark Zuckerberg founded Facebook after allegedly backing out of a commitment to work on another networking site, Harvard Connection. Lawsuits ensued, and Zuckerberg ended up shelling out tens of millions of dollars in a settlement with his one-time partners. What the film doesn't mention are all the other college social networks that Facebook shoved aside as it expanded across the country. Of those sites, perhaps the greatest threat to Facebook's dominance was Campus Network, then called CU Community after Columbia University, where it was founded.

"If you talk to Mark, he'll be the first to tell you he thought CU Community was the biggest competition that Facebook ever had," says Goldberg, now 26 years old and living in New York City. While I was unable to confirm that Zuckerberg agrees with this statement—the Facebook CEO and the company's PR reps didn't respond to requests for an interview—it is true that Facebook and CU Community were running neck and neck for a brief moment in Internet history. Facebook had Harvard, CU Community had Columbia, and both were mulling plans for expansion. Only one site would survive. It wasn't Adam Goldberg's.

Goldberg got the idea for Campus Network in 2003, during his freshman year at Columbia's school of engineering. As president of his class, he heard a lot of complaints about the university's lack of community spirit. Over the summer, he wrote a simple script for a social network for engineering students. The site let users share personal information, post photos, write journal entries, and comment on one another's posts. In just a few weeks, Goldberg says, three-quarters of engineering students had profiles. Over winter break, he rebranded the site CU Community and opened the site to all undergraduates in January. Goldberg says that most Columbia students signed up in just over a month.

On Feb. 4, Facebook launched. "At first I was like, Oh my God, they copied my Web site," says Goldberg. Unlike Zuckerberg's Harvard Connection adversaries, however, the CU Community founder quickly changed his mind. "I saw it was totally different. It had an emphasis on directory functionality, less emphasis on sharing. I didn't think there was that much competition."

As of early 2004, Goldberg's social network was a lot more advanced than Mark Zuckerberg's. The first incarnation of Facebook—known as The Facebook back then—let users post a photo and basic biographical information. It let them "friend" and "poke" each other. But that was about it. Fancier tools like photo sharing and Groups and the Wall didn't come till later. Meanwhile, CU Community already had blogging and cross-profile commenting. Facebook's simplicity and the fact that it was available only to Harvard students made it easy for Goldberg to dismiss. "We were the Columbia community, they were Harvard," he says.

The illusion of safety crumbled a month later when Facebook opened its doors to students at Stanford, Yale, and Columbia. While Facebook grew exponentially at Harvard and Stanford, growth was slower at Columbia—in part, says Goldberg, because CU Community was already so entrenched. Some Columbia students launched a campaign to "Google bomb" Facebook by linking the search term "cucommunity ripoff" to TheFacebook.com and "worthless safety school" to Harvard.edu. The Columbia Spectator called the effort "marginally successful." (I wrote for the Spectator at the time.) Despite this online agitprop, Facebook continued to grow. That summer, it overtook CU Community as the most popular social network on campus.

That spring, Goldberg started instant messaging with Mark Zuckerberg. In March, he met with Zuckerberg and Sean Parker, the Napster co-founder and early Facebook investor, at a Starbucks on 96^th Street. According to Goldberg, Parker tried to persuade Zuckerberg to acquire CU Community. Zuckerberg didn't tip his hand, but Goldberg says they kept in touch. In June, he says, Zuckerberg invited him to Palo Alto, Calif., where the Facebook crew had moved to work on the site. Goldberg flew out and stayed with Zuckerberg and pals for two weeks. "I think we went to one Stanford party," he says. There was "no crazy partying or drinking," Goldberg says, despite what The Social Network may suggest.

The invitation to come to Palo Alto was basically a job offer, says Goldberg. "They didn't give me a clear salary and working terms. It was, Come out here and work with us." He remembers that Zuckerberg even offered to pay for Goldberg's flight.

Goldberg said no, thanks. "I really believed that Campus Network was a better product," he says. He spent the summer of 2004 coding a new site, rebranded it Campus Network, and launched it at five other schools in September. But Facebook was expanding, too. "We made a strategic decision to go after Big 12 schools," says Wayne Ting, who ran business and legal operations for Campus Network. "But when we went to the Big 12, Facebook immediately went to the Big 12, too. They were clearly monitoring our activity."

PlanningForce Express Planner : Software Review

noreply@blogger.com (Mohit Tripathi) — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 02:30:00 +0000

Plan your tech project successfully! (For free…)

Express Planner is free project planning software ideal for freelancers and small companies.

This software focuses on resource scheduling; you will drastically improve the use of your people. The scheduling process is automatic, the app does the job; no more tedious and time consuming calculations.

Screen Shot

What you can do and get with Express Planner.

You define your projects (unlimited), your tasks and define your constraints (date constraints, resources).

You define your people and also their availabilities (contract dates, holidays…).

You chose how you want to schedule, manually or automatically.

The application comes with two scheduling modes: automatic and manual mode:

· Automatic scheduling: no over-use of resources, the application automatically solves these problems;

· Manual scheduling: you manually adapt your plan in a fancy interface.

You get up to 6 reports that can be printed and exported under several formats (html, Excel, PowerPoint…)

A community is made available to users; you can ask questions, watch video tutorials and also download dozens of ready-to-use project planning templates.

Features overview of PlanningForce Express Planner

· Create unlimited Projects;

· Define date constraints and goals;

· Define unlimited people;

· Define individual and global calendars;

· End-dates and start-dates of projects and tasks are automatically calculated;

· Two scheduling modes;

· Generate up to 6 reports to share your plan results;

Click here to download Express Planner.

Landing a Coporate Computer Programming Job

noreply@blogger.com (Mohit Tripathi) — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 11:28:00 +0000

Landing a Coporate Computer Programming Job

If you have great technical skills, enjoy math, and are already well-versed in programming languages, you may be able to find a job as a computer programmer for a company or non-profit agency.

The career path for a computer programmer can be exciting and pretty lucrative (if you find the right job). According to Pay Scale, starting salaries for computer programmers range from $35,198 to $52,076. There are certain skills companies require, and one of them is usually a certification or degree in computer science or computer programming. Below are some tips and information on a future job as a computer programmer or related careers.

Skills and Courses You Need to be a Computer Programmer

In order to be a successful computer programmer, you should be familiar with algorithms and source code. You should also be interested or have experience in testing and designing different types of software. Associate and bachelor's programs usually require computer programming majors to take the following courses:

· Introduction to information systems

· Object-oriented programming

· Visual basic programming

· HTML and Javascript

· UNIX and LINUX

· Databases and SQL

· User-centered design and testing

· Systems analysis and design

If you have a degree in an unrelated field, but still have experience in the subjects above, you may be able to still find a technical job in IT or computer programming. However, most companies look for computer programmers, software engineers, web developers, and software consults with at least a bachelor's degree in a related field, such as programming, computer science, or information systems. For more information, check out Princeton Review's Career Page.

Developing Your People Skills: Internships and Presentations

While you are pursuing your bachelor's or associates degree (or even after), it is important to develop your people skills and presentation techniques. When designing or testing new software, as a computer programmer or software engineer, you will usually have to communicate your decisions and work to your supervisors in some kind of presentation. Try to get involved in internships and presentation based courses as often as possible during your degree program. You don't want to choke in front of your supervisors while presenting important information!

Talk to Potential Employers: Get in Touch with the Human Resources Department!

If you are currently enrolled in a degree program, you should still call and/or email the HR Departments you would like to work for. It is never too early to get some information. Ask them what types of courses or degree programs they require from their job applicants. Landing your dream job may be easier when you know employer expectations! If your university or town holds career fairs, take your resume and talk to company representatives there as well!

About the Guest Author:

Mariana Ashley is a freelance writer who particularly enjoys writing about accredited online colleges. She loves receiving reader feedback, which can be directed to mariana.ashley031 @gmail.com.

Hackers Snatched Google’s Android to Jailbreak World

noreply@blogger.com (Mohit Tripathi) — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 09:13:00 +0000

Welcome to the Jailbroken Club, Google. As surely as there are hackers, so is there jailbreaking of popular and up-and-coming OS's.

Even though the Android OS is an open system, Google isn't crazy about users having access to the goodies behind the scenes of the Android OS as evidenced by their statement responding to the jailbreaking issue:

We’ve been notified of this issue (Jailbreaking of Android) and have developed a fix. We’re currently working with our partners to push the fix out and updating the open source code base to reflect these changes.

Google's fix (patch) should be available in the next firmware update, RC30. Like I said, welcome to jailbreaking, Google. Be prepared for the endless cycle of patch - jailbreak - patch - jailbreak, ad infinitum. Even though the Android OS is open, there seems to be benefits for the programming diehards to jailbreak.

©news credit

A Simple PHP Login Script Example

noreply@blogger.com (Mohit Tripathi) — Sun, 03 Apr 2011 03:36:00 +0000

I’m developing a damn keen interest in PHP programming these days. The most wonderful tool and the heart of the web, PHP. Well you can’t take all alone with PHP. You need to be hand wash in JAVA-Script too, at which I’m not good for now.

Now am gonna follow PHP tips and tools post too!

Today I’m up here with a simple PHP Login Script, which is very similar concept which you might have seen sticked at many websites such as Facebook!

Now lets have an overview of it:

In this tutorial you’ll have to create 3 files
1. main_login.php // Sticked with Login form
2. checklogin.php // The thing that will work with your Username and Password
3. login_success.php // What you’ll see once login is successful!

Steps you need to follow:
1. Create table "members" in database "test".
2. Create file main_login.php.
3. Create file checklogin.php.
4. Create file login_success.php.
5. Create file logout.php

Step1: Create table "members"

CREATE TABLE `members` (
`id` int(4) NOT NULL auto_increment,
`username` varchar(65) NOT NULL default '',
`password` varchar(65) NOT NULL default '',
PRIMARY KEY (`id`)
) TYPE=MyISAM AUTO_INCREMENT=2 ;

--
-- Insert DATA into newly created DATABASE TABLE--

INSERT INTO `members` VALUES (1, 'Mohit', 'mypassword');

// A screenshot of PHP MY ADMIN SCREEN

Step2: Create file "main_login.php"

<table width="300" border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="1" bgcolor="#CCCCCC">
<tr>
<form name="form1" method="post" action="checklogin.php">
<td>
<table width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1" bgcolor="#FFFFFF">
<tr>
<td colspan="3"><strong>Member Login </strong></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="78">Username</td>
<td width="6">:</td>
<td width="294"><input name="myusername" type="text" id="myusername"></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Password</td>
<td>:</td>
<td><input name="mypassword" type="text" id="mypassword"></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td> </td>
<td> </td>
<td><input type="submit" name="Submit" value="Login"></td>
</tr>
</table>
</td>
</form>
</tr>
</table>

Step3: Create file checklogin.php

<?php
$host="localhost"; // Host name
$username=""; // Mysql username
$password=""; // Mysql password
$db_name="test"; // Database name
$tbl_name="members"; // Table name

// Connect to server and select databse.
mysql_connect("$host", "$username", "$password")or die("cannot connect");
mysql_select_db("$db_name")or die("cannot select DB");

// username and password sent from form
$myusername=$_POST['myusername'];
$mypassword=$_POST['mypassword'];

// To protect MySQL injection (more detail about MySQL injection)
$myusername = stripslashes($myusername);
$mypassword = stripslashes($mypassword);
$myusername = mysql_real_escape_string($myusername);
$mypassword = mysql_real_escape_string($mypassword);

$sql="SELECT * FROM $tbl_name WHERE username='$myusername' and password='$mypassword'";
$result=mysql_query($sql);

// Mysql_num_row is counting table row
$count=mysql_num_rows($result);
// If result matched $myusername and $mypassword, table row must be 1 row

if($count==1){
// Register $myusername, $mypassword and redirect to file "login_success.php"
session_register("myusername");
session_register("mypassword");
header("location:login_success.php");
}
else {
echo "Wrong Username or Password";
}
?>

Step4: Create file login_success.php

// Check if session is not registered , redirect back to main page.
// Put this code in first line of web page.
<?
session_start();
if(!session_is_registered(myusername)){
header("location:main_login.php");
}
?>
<html>
<body>
Login Successful
</body>
</html>

Step5: Create file Logout.php

// Put this code in first line of web page.
<?
session_start();
session_destroy();
?>

This is the simple and perfect example of a PHP Login Script. Drop your comments. ;) Credit

Google’s April Fool Hoax Prank

noreply@blogger.com (Mohit Tripathi) — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 07:21:00 +0000

I Just have an introduction with Google’s April Fool hoax!

See What was it…!

And How it fools me :P

See a glimpse fool proof!

Link to whole page Prank’s

They are good in making fool… :D

They are crazy….! Isn’t it like this …? ;)

PHP Auto-Suggest Search- JAVAScript PHP & MySQL

noreply@blogger.com (Mohit Tripathi) — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 04:01:00 +0000

Today I walk through with woork while googling an auto suggest tool for PHP. I though to share it with you guys. Here’s a glimpse of this tool. All you need is a little knowledge of PHP and MySql Database to customize few parameters that will work for you. I will go pretty with your customized website or a wordpress blog.

Technorati Tags: PHP,MySQL,AutoSuggest Search,Customize Search

For WordPress:

Look into your database where your Post’s Title are fitted in and just customize the Database parameters to work for you.

It’s Simple.

PHP component ready to use to implement a search form with an autosuggest feature using PHP and MySQL.For all ajax beginners this is the most simple way to implement it (just with 8Kb) and the only thing you have to do is modify some parameters. Take a look at this post for all related infos.

DOWNLOAD SOURCE CODE

Before to start

Before to start, take a look at content of package:

In detail:

- autosuggest.php include a form to search something into your database.
- ajax_framework.js enables ajax functionalities
- search.php contains a standard query to looking for something into some DB table
- config.php includes DB connection parameters

Ok. Now?

Step 1: include autosuggest.php

Create a new PHP page (for example index.php) in the same folder (don’t change it, ok?) where is autosuggest.php:

Open index.php and include autosuggest.php where you want into the tag:

include(‘autosuggest.php’)?>

…in this way you include the search form into your page.

Step 2: modify config.php

Change MySQL connection parameters in config.php:

Step 3: modify query parameters

In search.php you have to modify some query parameters. Not fear, is very simple.
For example, image you use your autosuggest to find all books of a certain author and your database has a table (BOOK) with two attributes book_title, and book_author. What do you have to do?
At line 23 you’ll cange “USER” with the table you have, “BOOK” and at line 24 “name” with book_author:

At line 43 change “NAME” with the attribute you want in output, in this case wih book_title.

Nothing else!

CSS customizing

If you want you can change the look of each autosuggest element modifying the CSS code into autosuggest.php:

DOWNLOAD SOURCE CODE

How to become a web developer?

noreply@blogger.com (Mohit Tripathi) — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 16:32:00 +0000

There's a HECK of a lot to learn to be able to do web development effectively. Just to be ABLE to do it, you have to learn:

HTML
CSS
PHP or some other server-side language

To do it EFFECTIVELY, you've got a lot more to learn:

SQL
JavaScript
libraries and frameworks
a bug tracking system
Subversion or some other revision control system
IDEs
other tools
Apache
Linux command line

To do it WELL, there's even more:

usability
unobtrusive JavaScript
separation of concerns (MVC, etc)
testing
customer relations
HTTP protocol
AJAX

I think that skipping PHP and the others and going straight to Rails is a good idea. Maybe. At least if he's talented. But he'll still have to learn a lot of things before he's any good at creating a site. (Don't forget that we found Rails easy to learn because we already knew a lot about web development.) He'll still have to understand HTML and CSS. The Agile Web Development with Rails books is excellent, but it takes a lot to get through. If you're the type who can read a manual to learn how to do something, then it's fine. But if you need to start out with a tutorial, then you'll need to start with a different book. If you do go this route, I'd recommend learning in this order:

HTML
CSS
Apache (as little as possible to get 2 virtual hosts running)
Rails
Subversion
Test-Driven Development
Ruby
SQL

If you want to make a living at it, I'd expect it to take at least a year of full-time (self-)education. Everyone learns differently, so it's hard to recommend learning materials. I'll offer some ideas though:

books (my favorite; I look for conciseness)
formal training classes
(community) college classes
local user groups (attend if topic is pertinent)
online videos/screencasts
podcasts
web tutorials
blogs (hard to get the basics though)
personalized training
mentoring

If he just wants to play around, I suppose the order is not as important. Learn things as they interest you. Eventually, you'll find you've learned a ton and enjoyed doing it.

How to make Subdomains on Localhost

noreply@blogger.com (Mohit Tripathi) — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 13:24:00 +0000

Developing websites on localhost may sometimes need making of sub domains. Installing and running another server for this purpose is useless, consumes more resources etc. So here is the technique to make sub domains on localhost.

So here is the technique to make sub domains on localhost.

You can also use this to host more than one site on localhost. i.e, you can host multiple sites situated on different folders.
PS: This is for Apache-Windows configuration. (If you have info about other Server-OS configs please let me know.)

Steps

First decide on the subdomain names...
for eg:
sub.localhost, sub2.localhost, alt.localhost , images.localhost etc..
You can also name www.name.com. (Please note that if there is a site with that name on the net, you wont be able to access that site on the internet.)

Second making these sites to point to 127.0.0.1, for this you can edit the HOSTS file on windows. See this about the HOSTS file.

Now add to HOSTS line
127.0.0.1 hostname
Egs:

127.0.0.1 sub.localhost
127.0.0.1 sub1.localhost
127.0.0.1 sub2.localhost
127.0.0.1 images.localhost
127.0.0.1 www.mysiteonmycomp.com

Next we have to assign each of these different URL's to different folders.
This is done on the apache conf file. (httpd.conf file situated in apache\conf\ directory)

Scroll all the way down the httpd.conf file until you reach about Virtual Hosts.
Add

NameVirtualHost *:80 #(This line was commented before)

ServerName subdomain name.localhost OR yoursite.com
DocumentRoot Path to the server root, See examples.
DirectoryIndex index.php index.html index.html index.htm index.shtml

Egs:

ServerName sub.localhost
DocumentRoot "C:/public_html/sub"
DirectoryIndex index.php index.html index.html index.htm index.shtml

ServerName images.localhost
DocumentRoot "C:/public_html/images"
DirectoryIndex index.php index.html index.html index.htm index.shtml

ServerName site.com
DocumentRoot "C:/public_html/site"
DirectoryIndex index.php index.html index.html index.htm index.shtml

Test the configurations (using apache -t)
All done!

Facebook to open Hyderabad Office soon

noreply@blogger.com (Mohit Tripathi) — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 16:34:00 +0000

Popular social networking site Facebook is opening its office in Hyderabad, where it plans to build a world-class team to support its growing number of users, advertisers and developers in India and around the world.

The decision to start an office in Hyderabad comes in the backdrop of the phenomenal increase in number of Indian users, which touched an 80-lakh figure. Hyderabad will be the fourth support centre for Facebook. Currently, its operations are supported out of Palo Alto in California and Dublin in Ireland. The third support centre would be set up in Austin, Texas.

Facebook will tap the talent of Hyderabad’s skilled workforce, recruiting a small initial team and is anticipating further growth as the office expands.

A full list of job descriptions for open positions has also been hosted on ‘www.facebook.com/careers’. The recruitment has already begun, a company statement said.

The Hyderabad office, like others, will house online advertising and developer support teams.

It is expected to provide round-the-clock multi-lingual support to its ever-growing user base.

Facebook’s take

Don Faul, Director of Global Online Operations for Facebook, said in Hyderabad: “People in India and around the world are using Facebook to do everything from voicing their opinions on national issues, to connecting with fellow cricket and hockey fans, to sharing photos with friends and family.

We expect our new office in Hyderabad to tap the region’s strong pool of talented people who understand operations and technology and help us more effectively serve the needs of our users, advertisers and developers around the world”.

Google To offer Information Service in Delhi Metro

noreply@blogger.com (Mohit Tripathi) — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 04:11:00 +0000

Google India and Delhi Metro Rail Corporation have announced that complete information on Delhi metro schedules and routes will be offered to commuters through "Google Transit".

“In line with Delhi Metro’s vision for a people-centred public transport system, we have launched several initiatives to help commutersbetter manage their travel time, transfers, and make more informed transport decisions. The collaboration withGoogle is another step in this direction to make it even easier for the public to plan their trips with transit information on Google Maps”, said Mr. E Sreedharan, Managing Director, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation.

Manik Gupta, Product Manager, Google Maps & Local said, Google India said, “Google Transit’s goal is to make public transport information easily accessible and useful. With just a click on a station, commuters can get information showing timings, stations, passing lines, frequency of service etc. As Delhi Metro becomes the favoured public transportation for thousands of commuters every day, it would benefit by attracting new commuters and helping existing commuters to discover new routes. All this will be available on desktops as well as mobiles to make it easier for the commuters.”

Google’s New Twitter like Service Buzz

noreply@blogger.com (Mohit Tripathi) — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 03:22:00 +0000

Google’s new twitter like service. Google Buzz!

Google buzz is “Start conversations about the things you find interesting. Share updates, photos, videos and more with your friends.” according to Google.

You can buzz directly from your Gmail Inbox. I found this in my Google Apps Email @techeguide.com but didn’t get invited in Gmail,must be something tizzy.

Check it out and tell here whether you have it in your email?

TheSocialMillionaire – Another Million Making Idea

noreply@blogger.com (Mohit Tripathi) — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 03:32:00 +0000

Taking example of some mind-blowing million making ideas like Million Dollar Homepage, Today lets talk about another million making fact. You might have read about a boy in London who created a home page “Million Dollar Homepage” and sold 1X1 px ads for $1 and made 1 million dollar within five months.

Now lets take another millionaire making idea example today The Social Millionaire.

The overall idea of The Social Millionaire is very simple; the site is focused around a list of links where users can bid on keywords they would like to be associated with, and the highest bidder gets their keyword link displayed.

At a first glance, the site seems almost like a very common “link dump”, but once you take a look at the finer details, you start to realize that this is much more original.

It has a lot of great things going for it; first of all, the auction system for bidding on keywords really helps create a sense of competition. That’s because some keywords are definitely eye catching and recognizable. Take this for example, listed are “John Chow”, and “ProBlogger” keywords, yet neither are owned by their respective sites. These keywords stand out from the pack, since they are known by many, and will draw more clicks.

There could be some interesting bids on these high profile keywords, and as the bids rise, the keyword weight (font size) grows as well. I’m looking forward to seeing how the large block of keywords may be organized further in the future, when maybe thousands will be listed.

What’s more important about this site though, and something that is really driving it’s success, is the “Social” part of The Social Millionaire. Pat Hankinson, the owner of this site, is using social networks as a primary way to drive traffic. He is creating a very unique persona, and even in his about page, he believes people will want to be associated with his name (and brand) in social networks. This is a very unique idea, and I think it adds a whole new dimension to what he is doing with the site.

He is also buying a lot of high profile reviews, such as on John Chow, John Cow, and Jonathan Volk’s blogs and I think this is an extremely smart move on his part to build the initial momentum of this site. Now that he has some figures to show ($2,448 earned, 351 friends at the time of writing), and some community response about the traffic results from buying links, he is overcoming the initial hurdle of starting a new site and I’m sure the traffic will continue to grow very fast from here on out.

So as you can see, with a little marketing know how, a unique approach, and a creative idea, you really can see some amazing results online. I do recommend that you check out The Social Millionaire and read up on Pat’s approach to creating these new concept sites, and perhaps buy a link or two to experiment yourself!

*“Thanks links: http://www.yimto.com/the-power-of-creative-ideas-the-social-millionaire http://sidsmith.com”

Social Network Profiles or Emails - Which is more active?

noreply@blogger.com (Mohit Tripathi) — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 12:52:00 +0000

From the past few months I’m looking for tools and techniques to market my social-network site, Franktag.com over the internet. But one thing I found confusing and I’m still struggling to know what exactly it is.

My plan is to viral the brand of my social-network project thru Viral Marketing technique and I’m sure that I’ll achieve my target by the end of 2010. While sparking a viral message to small number of people I tried two categories of them. I targeted 700 emails and few hundred orkut profiles. As the latest news goes on more people are getting into social-network era by the time. Social Network Profile or Email? Where people are more active and which one is more frequently accessed. After spreading a viral message to both of categories I found emails to be fruitful. Emails founds to be more responsive than social network profile.

What does it mean?

Are people on social networking site are just for connecting to their friends? May be they are not there to know the latest buzzing news, They are there just for a catch-up with friends.

But the 2009 top investment report says something else.

Social Media marketing is one of the the top-second area on investment. This post at dosh dosh has included all the benefits of Social-Media-Marketing. One of them is Huge Massive Traffic.

What i found till? If you’re targeting informal market i.e “youngsters” than nothing other than Social Media Marketing will be helpful for you as the young age people like college and school guys used to be more active on their Social Network Profile rather than emails.

But emails proved to be best for formal marketing section as working people drives emails in their daily professional routine. Although my viral campaign is targeting informal market but I get a good response from emails as compared to social network profiles. That may be because of irrelevant topic sharing with audiences. You should know the technique to share a informal topic with formal audiences thats what called “Marketing”.

Well I’m not a master in Marketing. I’m just sharing what i experienced with it with you all. Thats it!

Don’t forget to signup for my Social Network, Franktag.com! Add me there at www.franktag.com/mohit.

“Like the post? Don’t forget to drop in your comments.”

Google Introduces New User Interface Page for Adsense

noreply@blogger.com (Mohit Tripathi) — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 13:22:00 +0000

Today when I logged in to my AdSense account today I saw a new Interface option on the top menu. I decided to just give it a try, and I must say it’s really better.

Here is a screenshot of new page in new interface.

I don’t know that whether it’s open to all users to try. But I will give thumbs up to this new interface. What do you say?

Please leave your feedback for this new interface!

I Got an Invite for Google Wave

noreply@blogger.com (Mohit Tripathi) — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 05:23:00 +0000

After such a long time I’m back to blogging now. I must mention that I was quite busy with my Social Network project Franktag.com and recently launched it.

Now back to topic, yesterday I got an invitation of Google Wave preview from Google Team. If you’re still new to Google wave then check out my post I wrote about it.

Here is the screen shot of the email.

I can also invite others to use Google Wave Preview just like orkut.

It’s very useful in workplaces. Well I haven’t tried it’s all features so I can’t say more about it. If you would like to get an Invitation for Google Wave just drop me a comment.

Have you tried it? What’s your experience? Please say it in your comments.

How to make Windows XP, Vista, 7 Bootable Installers Flash Drives

noreply@blogger.com (Mohit Tripathi) — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 07:13:00 +0000

WinToFlash starts a wizard that will help pull over the contents of a windows installation CD or DVD and prep the USB drive to become a bootable replacement for the optical drive. It can alsow do this with your LiveCD.

You don't have to worry about scratches on the disc or misplacing your original media discs once you transfer their contents to the flash drive. The optical drive is quickly becoming a thing of the past, especially in office environments, as media is shifted to the cloud.

Not only does WinToFlash make the process about as easy as it can get, but it can also create Windows XP, Server 2003, and Server 2008 installers.

WinToFlash is a free download and is totally portable. It's an excellent tool to add to your USB-related utilities.