Full Screen Weather Is a Giant, No-Frills Weather Map

We've always liked Weather Underground for its no-nonsense, real-time weather info. Today they've released a new service called Full Screen Weather that mashes up Google Maps with weather data for nothing but maps and up-to-the-minute weather info.

(Click the image above for a closer look.)

Just point your browser to fullscreenweather.com, enter your ZIP code, and get browsing. By default the map displays temperatures as measured from stations across Weather Underground's extensive reporting areas, but you can also switch to Precipitation and Cloud views (you can even play back cloud or precipitation movement over time). In the bottom-left of the window you get an overview of current conditions and a four-day forecast, with links to more extensive forecasts on Weather Underground proper.

The site is clean, simple, lightweight, and ad-free—which is to say, pretty great.

Panda USB Vaccine Protects Your PC from Autorun Viruses

Windows only: Panda USB Vaccine disables autorun on your PC to protect you from being infected, but also protects your USB drives from spreading viruses when you use them in another PC.

Using the tool is a simple matter of installing and then launching it, and clicking the Vaccinate computer button to disable autorun completely on your PC, which prevents malware from spreading to your PC through a flash drive. The interesting feature, however, is the ability to "vaccinate" your flash drive, which essentially just creates a hidden, protected autorun file on the drive so that viruses won't be able to easily infect it—though readers should note it's probably not fool-proof.

Panda USB Vaccine is a free download for Windows only. Readers should note that Windows 7 has removed the ability to auto-execute files from a USB flash drive, more or less preventing this problem from happening in the first place.

Panda USB Vaccine [Download.com via Guiding Tech]

Where Can I Watch the Olympics Online? [Ask Lifehacker]

Dear Lifehacker,

I'm a huge fan of the winter Olympics and I don't want to miss a minute of coverage. Where can I watch the games online?

Signed,

Curling Rocks My World

Photo by garrettbh.

Dear Curling,

We're big fans, too, and want to slurp up all the coverage we can find, so here's how we're planning to attack the games online this year.

Note: We'll update this post as the games begin (and continue) and we find more sources, better options, or more details about what is and isn't working out, so you may want to bookmark this one for later.

Figure Out When Your Must-Watch Events Are Happening

The first thing to check out is a schedule of events so you know exactly when your favorite events are taking place. The event's official website, Vancouver 2010, has the complete schedule of both the Olympic and Paralympic games, and will be continually updated with results as they come in.

Track Down the Games Online

Once you've figured out what you want to see, it's time to track it down online. Many live streams of the events can be accessed right from Vancouver 2010, which routes you into the nationally televised broadcasting stations of dozens of countries. Though we can't say for sure until the games start, this will probably be a great way to view coverage of specific teams and athletes since each nation will likely favor coverage of its stars. In other words, if you want to track every movement of the German bobsled team, streaming one of Germany's live broadcasts will probably serve you well.

Be aware that some websites will sniff out your location and block you from viewing if you're outside that particular country, so you may need to try several streams until you find one that works for you. Alternatively, you could try using a proxy service like xroxy or proxify, but make sure you're not violating the website's or your ISP's terms of service before you do. (Also, proxies significantly slow down your bandwidth, so don't expect great video.)

Watching the Olympics Online in the U.S.

Stateside viewers who mainly want to keep track of American athletes and teams will want to check out NBC's official 2010 Winter Olympics video page as well as their local listings advisor. From the listings advisor, enter your zip code and cable, satellite, or antennaed-television provider to call up a list of what channels in your area are televising the event. From there, you can hit up the individual local networks to see if they're offering live streaming on their web sites. Smaller stations may not be, but you might get lucky in some of the country's major metropolitan areas.



And Elsewhere...

If you want a little local Canadian flair added to your viewing, watch the Olympics via CTV's dedicated online channel. Check the interactive Viewer's Guide to find out which Canadian station will broadcast what event, including popular local channels like TSN and Sportsnet.


Our friends across the pond aren't left out, either. BBC Sport plans to offer four separate live streams, as well as cranking out some content for its mobile site.

Unofficial Olympics Streaming Sites to Check

A few independent websites plan to offer live video streaming of the Olympics but most are unclear about where they'll get their feeds. Most say they aggregate their videos 'from a variety of sources' so, in the end they might not be the most reliable option. If they're the only choice you've got, though, here are a couple of sites that look like they're worth checking out:


* Watch Vancouver Olympics

* Watch Olympics Online


If you're worried online video streams sagging under the weight of too many viewers, one other option you've got is to find a friend with a Slingbox and beg access to it during the games. The cool gadget connects to a television and broadcasts programs to computers that are connected to the local network. The catch is, the TV needs to stay on the channel you want to watch, so your friend is out of luck if they want to view another program while you get your fill of downhill skiing.

Hooking the Slingbox up to an unused television and stashing it in another room usually solves that problem, but if your buddy goes to all this trouble for you, a really nice thank-you gift is in order. Alternatively, you could always just build your own Slingbox with Windows Media Center and a $60 TV tuner card.









Share Your Best Methods

So, Curling, here's a few options to get you started on the road to 24/7 continuous Olympic viewing. We'll update this post as we come across more options. Of course, dear readers, if you know of other sites where we can get our snowboarding groove on during the Olympics, be sure to share in the comments.

Official AIM App Also Brings Facebook Chat to Android [Downloads]

Android: Got an Android phone? Got contacts on AOL Instant Messenger, or chatty friends on Facebook? AIM now has an official chat client in the Android Market, one that can run in the background and connect to Facebook and Twitter too.

There's not all that much more to say about AIM for Android—it asks for your login credentials, and if you head into the settings, you can feed it your Facebook login as well, and it will send and accept chats across both fronts. If you want, AIM can hit you with your friends' status updates, update your own at the same time as your AIM status message, and even post to Twitter, too—though there are certainly better dedicated clients for that purpose.

It's likely the most guaranteed means of keeping a connection across AIM's servers, and since AIM can run silently and ping you on new messages, it makes good sense as an Android app.

AIM for Android is a free download for Android phones only. AIM's product page hasn't updated to announce it yet, but should soon.

Bringing extensions to Google Chrome for Mac

Bringing extensions to Google Chrome for Mac: "As thousands of Mac fans and developers gather in San Francisco for this week's Macworld conference, we're particularly delighted to announce a new beta release of Chrome for Mac. Today's release includes some of our most requested features from the Mac community, including extensions and bookmark sync.

You can read more about these features on the Google Chrome blog, or you can try it out directly by downloading the Google Chrome Beta for Mac. If you're already using Chrome, you should be automatically updated to the new beta within the next day.

Downloading Google Chrome will give your mouse pointer a new reason to get excited:

Google acquires Aardvark

Google acquires Aardvark: "When you need an answer to a very specific question, sometimes the information just isn't online in one simple place. For example, let's say you want to know if there's snow on Skyline Boulevard on a given day or the best time of year to plant beans in the Bay Area. You might find weather reports and planting guides on many different sites, but for these kinds of questions, a person with the right expertise can be a lot more useful than a webpage.

That's why we're excited to announce that we've acquired Aardvark, a unique technology company that lets you quickly and easily tap into the knowledge and experience of your friends and extended network of contacts. Aardvark analyzes questions to determine what they're about and then matches each question to people with relevant knowledge and interests to give you an answer quickly.

We're very impressed with the Aardvark team and the technology they've worked hard to build, and we're looking forward to collaborating to see where we can take it. You can learn more about Aardvark's underlying technology and premise by reading this paper recently co-authored by founder Damon Horowitz.

In the meantime, Aardvark is available today in Google Labs, so give it try!

Apple to sell 99 cent TV shows at iPad launch?

"Today's 'people familiar with the discussions' prattle carried by both the Wall Street Journal and Financial Times has Apple reducing the price of some of its US television shows to 99 cents in time for the iPad launch. A quick search through the iTunes store makes it apparent that Apple has already been experimenting with the 99 cent rate (and a few freebies) on select iTunes episodes; shows that previously ran $1.99 for standard definition quality or $2.99 in HD. Of course, this could all change by the time the iPad launches since the talks are ongoing. Unfortunately, discussions between Apple and content providers to provide a monthly TV subscriptions have stalled according to sources at the Wall Street Journal, although Apple remains open to the idea.



It's worth remembering that prior to adding video support to its iPods, Steve Jobs regularly lambasted the idea of watching video on a tiny, handheld display. The iPad, with its big 9.7-inch 1,024 x 768 pixel IPS panel, is certainly better positioned for video consumption so it's no surprise to hear rumors that Apple's trying to jump start its video business by getting back to the magical 99 cent price point it so loves

Creative's new headset keeps WoW gamers engrossed in all-night raids

 

Creative's new headset keeps WoW gamers engrossed in all-night raids: "It's a little late to be jumping on the World of Warcraft bandwagon, but it's safe to say that there are still quite a few addicted dedicated players out there in dire need of a headset. You know, to keep their roommates from going batty as they stay up all night congregating with digital friends and 'leveling up.' Anywho, Creative Labs has just put its latest headset up for pre-order on Amazon, with a wired version listed at $119.99 and a wireless rendition priced at $40 more. According to the product listing, the latter relies on a 2.4GHz signal, and both of 'em utilize THX TruStudio PC technology in order to split your mind wide open with pure aural bliss. There's nary a mention of a ship date just yet, but you know you're fixing to get your pre-order in now to avoid missing out. Er, you will right after you slay one... more... enemy....

Garmin Asus Nuvifone A50 – Android based phone with turn-by-turn driving and walking Navigation

 

The Garmin Asus Nuvifone A50 was officially announced today. It’s a touchscreen Android phone which includes Garmin navigation with turn-by-turn, voice prompted directions for driving or while walking.

It carries the tagline Location is relevant to everything you do



“The A50 brings premium navigation features to the Android operating system, offering users a seamless location based experience along with access to the wealth of applications that the platform affords,” said Benson Lin, vice president and general manager of ASUS’ personal mobile devices business unit, handheld business group.

“Location is relevant to everything you do,” said Cliff Pemble, Garmin’s president and COO. “The A50 integrates navigation and GPS functionality throughout the device, which gives customers the versatility and reliability they need as they navigate their day.”

Nuvifone A50 Features and Specs

• 3.5-inch HVGA capacitive touchscreen display ( finger friendly)
• The QWERTY touchscreen keyboard
• 4GB internal storage
• expandable microSD card slot,
• Accelerometer
• Access to applications via android market
• Powerful enterprise email capability
• High-sensitivity GPS receivers with Garmin navigation
• 3 mega-pixel camera with auto-focus and geo-tagging
• multi-touch capable WebKit browser
• Integration with Google mobile services with one-click access to Google Search by voice, Google Maps, Gmail, YouTube, calendar, contacts and Android Market
• Street View in Google Maps and 3D landmark images.
• Preloaded, apps through Garmin-Asus’ connected services, which includes real-time, location-relevant information like weather, traffic, fuel prices, safety cameras, flight status. Connected services information varies by country.
• On-device sync with Microsoft Exchange server, with the ability to wirelessly synchronize contacts, calendar and enterprise email.
• Garmin navigation is preloaded on the A50 and maps are installed on the device and supports offline navigation.
• The phone comes with a custom Garmin car mount and vehicle power cable.

Garmin Asus nuvifone A50 Price Availability

The Garmin-Asus nüvifone A50 is expected to be available in Europe in the first half of 2010. Pricing has not yet been revealed but will be announced soon.

Nokia Siemens Networks bags 700 million USD network expansion contract from Bharti Airtel

 

Looks like Nokia Siemens Networks is on the road to recovery after making some huge losses in 2009. NSN or Nokia Siemens Networks has bagged a 700 million USD or Rs.3500 crores. Bharti Airtel aims to improve customer satisfaction with this expansion. Network capacity is going to be increased by 50% in 8 circles – Mumbai, Maharashtra & Goa, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh & Chattisgarh, Bihar & Jharkhand, Orissa, Kolkata and West Bengal.



This move will also make Airtel’s Network 3G Ready to reduce time to market when 3G finally takes off in the future.

If you are in any of those circles and you use Airtel currently, are you happy with the call quality , signal strength ?

Press Release below:

Airtel users to enjoy an enhanced service experience due to state-of-the-art network technology equipment.

The network upgrade will enable Bharti Airtel to achieve higher customer satisfaction in a more cost effective manner.

Nokia Siemens Networks is expanding and upgrading the operator’s 2.5G network to increase network capacity by 50% in eight circles.

Nokia Siemens Networks already supplies Bharti Airtel with a wide spectrum of solutions, including device management, mobile network portability, next-generation fixed-network and an interactive voice response system.

Bharti Airtel Limited, Asia’s leading integrated telecom services provider and Nokia Siemens Networks today further strengthened their strategic partnership with a USD 700 million network expansion contract. The contract includes network planning, implementation and project management, handling of local logistics and materials, as well as system integration for the base station sites.

This GSM network expansion will cover the eight existing circles of Mumbai, Maharashtra & Goa, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh & Chattisgarh, Bihar & Jharkhand, Orissa, Kolkata and West Bengal where Nokia Siemens Networks already provides equipment and managed services for Bharti Airtel. With close to 60% of Airtel’s monthly customers coming from rural regions, this contract will enable Airtel to further aggressively expand its footprint into rural India.

“Airtel continues to drive innovation and leadership in the telecom sector. This expansion will not only expand our networks deeper into the rural hinterland but will also allow us to deliver a rich end-user experience, and satisfy the increasing demand for top-quality services,” said Sanjay Kapoor, chief executive officer designate, Bharti Airtel. “We are delighted with Nokia Siemens Networks’ proven expertise and deep understanding of our requirements along with the assurance of network infrastructure that helps us sustain our leadership edge in India.”

“The unprecedented growth in the Indian telecommunications sector is compelling telecom operators to offer compelling solutions,” said Rajeev Suri, chief executive officer at Nokia Siemens Networks. “With this upgrade, Bharti Airtel can enhance network efficiency for a better end-user experience and, just as importantly, reduce the overall cost of owning and operating its network.”

Nokia Siemens Networks will deploy its energy-efficient network solutions, including Flexi multi-radio base stations, packet core platforms and microwave solutions for new and legacy networks to boost performance at a lower total cost of ownership and reduced carbon footprint.

The project will result in improvements to network capacity and spectral efficiency by employing a full range of services comprising network planning, implementation and optimization. Nokia Siemens Networks will also provide an operations and business management platform for the effective monitoring and management of the network. In addition, the company will ensure that Bharti Airtel’s core and transport network is 3G-ready in order to reduce time to market and enable the fast rollout of 3G services at a later date.

T-Mobile announces partnership with Swype brings swipe input to myTouch 3G

 

T-Mobile USA Inc. and Swype has announced a partnership whereby T-Mobile will be including the Swype keyboard across a number of its touch-based devices starting with myTouch 3G, T-Mobile’s latest Android-powered device which has already reached the market.

Swype is an innovative text input technology which works across a variety of operating systems, supports for over 30 languages and a range of devices such as phones, tablets, game consoles, televisions, and GPS units among others.

Mike McSherry, CEO, Swype said, “T-Mobile has always been on the forefront of introducing new devices and ground breaking technologies and now has embraced Swype’s stunningly responsive text input for its touch screen lineup”. He further continued “Launching on the Android platform is a major milestone for Swype as we continue to expand to new touch screen devices and platforms.”

Swype can run on both the Android and Windows Mobile platforms, and it is expected that Swype will become available on more platforms, devices and network operators over the coming year. The official launch of Swype on T-Mobile with the MyTouch 1.2 and HTC HD2 is expected this Spring.

Nokia N8 to Be Announced During MWC ?

Sources say that Nokia is said to unveil the Nokia N8 during MWC (Mobile World Congress) this month. The numbering system is mostly true since N7x is fully occupied and N9x is nearly full too.

The Nokia N8 is dubbed as Nokia’s next major release. Nokia claims it to have:

• A Simpler UI
• 3 Times the Performance
• Multi-Touch with Gestures

The Nokia N8 Features are rumoured to include:

• 3.5″ Touchscreen display with Multi-Touch and Gestures
• 1st phone WITH Symbian^3 OS
• 12 Megapixel Camera
• HD Ready (720p) Vido Recording at 30 FPS
• HDMI Output, Video on Demand Through OVI Store

There is also information regarding Nokia’s Letters that relate to the series:

• C: Lower End and Voice Based
• X: Entertainment Focused for the Young
• E: Dedicated for Business and emails
• N: High-End
• S: Very Upscale and Limited Phones

The C-Series Models set to be announced this month might include:

• Nokia C5-00 – Basic business device with GPS. Expected June.
• Nokia C3-00 – A low-cost multitasking Symbian S40 Qwerty device that run emails in the background.
• Nokia C5-01 – Qwerty device that’s a direct competitor to Blackberry.

Don’t like Google Buzz? Remove it

 

Google Buzz is out and many if not all have already got it with their Gmail account. I have come across some dissapointment but not too much. I guess there are mixed feelings about Google Buzz but not yet too much negatives about it. I don’t think it is going the Google Wave way.

One thing that is scary with Google Buzz is that if you are using Gmail for work and personal then you might end up having 100s of contacts who might make their way as your followers on Buzz. I have a couple of Gmail accounts and both have Google Buzz enabled. One of them I would like to use for sharing things on Google Buzz but the other I would not want spamming my Inbox. This by the way happens when once you comment on something and someone else adds to the comment.

• Simplest way of Google Buzz being removed from your Gmail account is log into your Gmail account. Then go right down to the end of the page. Here you will see the link “Turn Off Buzz”. Clicking on it removes Buzz from Gmail. Don’t worry that does not mean you cannot share stuff on Buzz.
• Just send a mail with your contents to buzz@gmail.com and the contents are shared on Google Buzz.
• If you want Buzz on Gmail, go to the same link at the bottom of the page. The link will be “Turn on Buzz”; click on it and you are set.
• I think this is a boon and I will probably switch off Buzz on my personal email while keep it for the Gmail account I use for sharing, storing and reading stuff.

USB 3.0 and Linux

 

“Ever get tired of Windows people proclaiming how their operating system has device support for this, that, and the other thing and Linux doesn’t? Well, now you have a perfect come-back. The newest, fast interface, USB 3.0 is out and only Linux has native support for it.

“Linux started supporting USB 3.0 in the September 2009 release of the 2.6.31 Linux kernel. Neither Windows 7 nor Snow Leopard currently supports USB 3. Windows support? That will have to wait for Windows 7 SP1 —whenever that shows up.

“Long before then, many USB 3.0 devices will have arrived. Some will doubtlessly have Windows drivers, but only Linux is USB 3.0 ready. USB 3.0, aka SuperSpeed USB, reaches new highs in PC peripheral speeds. USB 2.0 has a maximum throughput of 480Mbps (Megabits per second), which is fast — but these days, when you might want to move gigabytes of movies from one your PC to an external hard drive, it’s not fast enough. USB 3.0, by comparison, has a maximum throughput of 5 Gbps (Gigabits per second) .”

Mplayer (The Movie Player) Under Suse Linux 11.0

 

First adding Installation Sources :-

Open YAST Control Center->Software->Installation Sources
You will be provided with a list of repositories, more than likely though, you will only have one. We need to add one to get MPlayer out of that repository.
Click on Add, then HTTP.
Now Fill it in as shown:
Server Name: packman.iu-bremen.de It is suggested that you try a mirror, essecially if it is down. Use this one if you cannot access the first one:

ftp://packman.links2linux.de/pub/packman/MIRRORS

Now in the YAST Control Center, click on Software Management.
You may notice that it will take longer to refresh, this is good. It is refreshing the list of software it has available on that repository you added earlier.
Once it’s done, look for the Filter field, click on search on the drop down box. Search for “mplayer”. More than likely you will get three parts returned. They should be something like this:

• libpostproc
• MPlayer
• mplayerplug-in

If you got those three, check them all. If you didn’t please go back and check your repository again. The repository may be down, in which case try a mirror, then complete the installation.

You can now play movies using mplayer (try it in the commandline or from the KMenu).

Tip: Mozilla-based browsers will also have a plugin that will play items using mplayer.

Troubleshooting Solution :-

Mplayer Fails owing to a libdirectfb failure.

Open up a console such as xterm or konsole, and type:
$ su
Password:
# ln -s /usr/lib/libdirectfb-0.9.so.24 /usr/lib/libdirectfb-0.9.so.22

VLC Media Player Under Fedora 12

 

Its very easy to install VLC 1.0.3 or any new version of vlc in Fedora 12 .

These are simple three steps you have to write in the Terminal of Linux.

Opening the terminal :-

• System Tool –> Terminal
• Open it
• Paste the below three commands one by one..

$su root

$rpm -ivh http://download1.rpmfusion.org/free/fedora/rpmfusion-free-release-stable.noarch.rpm

ENJOY

Apple IPad Tablet Launched

 

Apple Inc.will sell the newly unveiled tablet-style iPad starting at $499, a price tag far below the $1,000 that some analysts were expecting.
The iPad, which is larger in size but similar in design to Apple’s popular iPhone, was billed by CEO Steve Jobs on Wednesday as “so much more intimate than a laptop and so much more capable than a smart phone.”
Jobs, 54, a pancreatic cancer survivor who got a liver transplant during a 5 1/2-month medical leave last year, looked thin as he introduced the highly anticipated gadget, though he seemed to have more energy than he did at Apple’s last event in September.
The iPad has a 9.7-inch touch screen, is a half-inch thick, weighs 1.5 pounds and comes with 16, 32 or 64 gigabytes of flash memory storage. It comes with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity built in. Jobs said the device has a battery that lasts 10 hours and can sit for a month on standby without needing a charge.
The basic iPad models will cost $499, $599 and $699, depending on the storage size, when it comes out worldwide in March.
Apple will also sell a version with data plans from AT&T Inc. in the U.S.: $14.99 per month for 250 megabytes of data, or $29.99 for unlimited usage. Neither will require a long-term service contract.
Those 3G iPad models will cost more — $629, $729 and $829, depending on the amount of memory — and will be out in April. International cellular data details have not yet been announced.


Apple had kept its “latest creation” tightly under wraps until Wednesday’s unveiling, though many analysts had correctly speculated that it would be a one-piece tablet computer with a big touch screen, larger than an iPhone but smaller than a laptop.
Raven Zachary, a contributing analyst with mobile researchers The 451 Group, considered the iPad a laptop replacement, especially because Apple is also selling a dock with a built-in keyboard.
Sitting on stage in a cozy leather chair, Jobs demonstrated how the iPad is used for surfing the Web with Apple’s Safari browser. The CEO typed an e-mail using an on-screen keyboard and flipped through photo albums by flicking his finger across the screen. He also showed off a new electronic book store and a book-reading interface that emulates the look of a paper book, putting the iPad in competition with Amazon.com Inc.’s Kindle and other e-book readers.
Like iPods and the iPhone, the iPad can sync with Apple’s Macintosh and Microsoft’s Windows computers. Jobs said the iPad will also be better for playing games and watching video than either a laptop or a smart phone. Software coming with the iPad includes a calendar, maps, a video player and iPod software for playing music. All seem to have been slightly redesigned to take advantage of the iPad’s bigger screen.
Tablet computers have existed for a decade, with little success. Jobs acknowledged Apple will have to work to convince consumers who already have smart phones and laptops that they need this gadget.
“In order to really create a new category of devices, those devices are going to have to be far better at doing some key tasks,” Jobs said. “We think we’ve got the goods. We think we’ve done it.”
Specifications
Apat from the content backing news, an industry analyst has previosuly reported to Apple Tablet the possible specification sheet for the Apple Tablet to be launched very soon:

• Display:
  • 9.6? widescreen multi-touch display (by WinTek)
  • 1440-by-1050-pixel resolution at 489 ppi
  • Fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating
• Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo @ 2.13GHz
• Memory: DDR2 2 GB @ 667 MHz
• Video: nVidia GeForce 9400M
• Storage: 64 GB flash drive
• Optical drive: Apple SuperDrive with DVD±RW and CD-RW
• Wireless:
  • Integrated Wi-Fi 802.11b/g
  • 3G: HSDPA (through AT&T)
  • Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR
• Location tools:
  • Assisted GPS (aGPS)
  • Digital compass
• Battery: Built-in rechargeable lithium-ion battery (by DynaPak)
• Usage time:
  • Internet: up to 6 hours on 3G
  • Internet: up to 12 hours on Wi-Fi
  • Video playback: up to 12 hours
• Sensors:
  • Accelerometer
  • Proximity sensor
  • Ambient light sensor
• Colors:
  • black with silver or
  • white with silver
• Software:
  • Mac OS X 10.6 with touch-enabled interface
• Price level:
  • $899  USD, 799 EUR

Install Skype Under Ubuntu 9.10

 

Follow the step given below :

 

Open Terminal and Type :
For gnome users :

• gksudo gedit /etc/apt/sources.list

For KDE users :

• gksudo kwrite /etc/apt/sources.list.

Add the line below :

• deb http://packages.medibuntu.org/ karmic free non-free

Now save the sources list.
In the terminal type :

• $ sudo wget http://www.medibuntu.org/sources.list.d/hardy.list -O /etc/apt/sources.list.d/medibuntu.list

Then do an update:

• $ sudo apt-get update

• $ sudo apt-get –yes -q –allow-unauthenticated install medibuntu-keyring

• $ sudo apt-get -q update

And finally install Skype.
$ sudo apt-get install skype
Ready … now start skype with
$ skype

OR Alternative Method :

Download the setup
32 -bit

64 -bit
Launch the Skype install .deb file (just double click it) and follow the on screen prompts.
(To start Skype at system startup)
Go to “System -> Preferences -> Startup Application”, Click “Add” and enter the following details:
* Name: Skype
* Command: skype
Click “Save”
Next time you start your system Skype will auto-launch.
Enjoy using Skype in ubuntu.

Speed up Intenet Surfing :Windows Xp

•  
•  
•  
•  
• Open gpedit.msc from the run box in the start menu.
• Navigate to: Local Computer Policy > Computer configuration > Administrative templates > Network > QoS Packet Scheduler
• Open Limit Reservable Bandwidth
• Check the enabled box and change the Bandwidth Limit to 0%.

Depending on your system, this might need a restart to start working.

Reimage - full repair of Windows XP online

Safety proportions in everyday PC usage are pretty much a big part of every user’s attention. It happens so that the most popular desktop OS developer appears to be suffering from thousands of different viruses, malware and spyware attacks on sometimes careless, but mostly helpless users. We are talking about Windows of course. Let’s not forget shall we that even though MS is currently multitasking at three operating systems at a time, the oldest one of three – Windows XP – seems to hold its stand firmly. Therefore keeping XP virus free isn’t any less a topical issue than it used to be. Here we want to refer to Reimage – a unique system recovery tool. Unlike any other antivirus software, Reimage can come in handy even when system is already infected and/or badly damaged. Reimage works only with Win XP, but there will be a Vista version soon and hopefully another one for Windows 7 when it arrives.

Reimage Home Edition has combined a lot of different computer repairing tools working under proprietary technology. In Reimage they like to say their product works just like a professional IT specialist would be working on an exploited XP. This is Video: How the technology works Reimage Home Edition is an ActiveX agent that repairs Windows XP PCs remotely over a corporate network or the Web. First of all, Reimage performs a system scan, then the results are taken through their library to see what your systems lacks and what it needs to be removed. After the scan, repairer picks to pieces all the system faults and cures them. Mind you, that Reimage is not a removal tool. Virus and spyware removal should be done manually or by any other free virus removal software. Any will do, because by the time Reimage finishes working, all malicious scripts will be safely isolated. Search majorgeeks.com or any other similar site for needed utilities. Non-removing feature also prevents Reimage from deleting user’s files occasionally.

You computer may not be necessarily infected to use Reimage. It will also fix numerous XP problems like slower performance after long usage, booting problems and appearing BSOD, DLL or registry failures. As a result, you will get your PC working as good as new every from to day to day.

Reimage offers four plan schemes to choose form. The entry point is a single PC repair for 65 USD and the ultimate solution requires 149 USD for unlimited number of repairs. All plans guarantee to return your money back if the fix didn’t work and you get a free PC performance analysis before you decide to buy the online repair or not. We would also advise you to visit Reimage blog to find out more about the technology.

How to Create a Elevated Command Prompt Shortcut in Windows 7

Information
This will show you how to create a shortcut that will open a elevated command prompt that with administrator rights in Windows 7.
NOTE
When you use the Elevated Command Prompt shortcut, you may be prompted to click on Yes or enter the administrator account's password depending on your UAC settings.


EXAMPLE: Elevated Command Prompt
NOTE: Notice how the elevated command prompt opens to C:\Windows\System32 and not C:\Users\(user name) as the default command prompt without administrator rights.



b]Manually Create the Shortcut[/b]

1. Right click on a empty space on the desktop and click on New and Shortcut. (See screenshot below)



2. Type in the location C:\Windows\System32\cmd.exe and click on the Next button. (See screenshot below)



3. Type in the name Elevated Command Prompt and click on the Finish button. (See screenshot below)
NOTE: You can type in any name that you would like to use for the shortcut though.



4. Right click on the new Elevated Command Prompt shortcut on the desktop and click on Properties.

5. Under the Shortcut tab, click on the Advanced button. (See screenshot below).



6. Check the Run as administrator box and click on OK. (See screenshot below)



7. Click on OK. (See screenshot below step 5)

8. Move the shortcut to where you like for easy use.

How to Hide or Show Desktop Items in Windows 7

Information
This will show you how to easily hide or show all of the icons and Gadgets on your desktop in Windows 7. By default, all desktop items are set to show in Windows 7.

Here's How:

1. Right click on a empty area of the desktop.

2. To Show All Desktop Items -

A) Click on Show Desktop Items to check it. (See screenshot below)



3. To Hide All Desktop Items -

A) Click on Show Desktop Items to uncheck it. (See screenshot below)

How to Allow or Prevent Installation of Unsigned Gadgets in Windows 7

Information
This will show you how to allow to prevent all users in Windows 7 from installing gadgets that are not digitally signed to verify it's publisher. By default, both signed and unsigned drivers are allowed to be installed in Windows 7 by all users.
NOTE
Preventing the installation of unsigned gadgets does not affect any unsigned gadgets that were already installed or currently running. All users will still be able to select and add any unsigned gadgets that were already installed.

Through the Local Group Policy Editor

1. Open the Local Group Policy Editor.
2. In the left pane, click on to expand User Configuration, Administrative Templates, Windows Components, and Desktop Gadgets. (See screenshot below)



3. In the right pane, right click on Restrict unpacking and installation of gadgets that are not digitally signed and click on Edit. (See screenshot above)

4. To Allow the Installation of Unsigned Gadgets -

A) Select (dot) either Not Configured or Disabled. (See screenshot below step 6)
B) Go to step 6.

5. To Prevent the Installation of Unsigned Gadgets -

A) Select (dot) Enabled. (See screenshot below step 6)

6. Click on OK. (See screenshot below)



7. Close the Local Group Policy Editor window.
8. Log off and log on, or restart the computer to completely apply.

How to Allow or Prevent User Installed Gadgets in Windows 7

This will will show you how to allow or prevent all users from being able to install a gadget or from adding a user installed gadget to the desktop in Windows 7. By default, user installed gadgets are allowed in Windows 7.
NOTE
When user installed gadgets is prevented, all users will only be able to add the default Windows 7 gadgets and not any user installed gadgets. The user installed gadgets are hidden and are not available to be added.



Through the Local Group Policy Editor

1. Open the Local Group Policy Editor.
2. In the left pane, click on to expand User Configuration, Administrative Templates, Windows Components, and Desktop Gadgets. (See screenshot below)



3. In the right pane, right click on Turn Off user-installed desktop gadgets and click on Edit. (See screenshot above)

4. To Allow User Installed Gadgets -

A) Select (dot) either Not Configured or Disabled. (See screenshot below step 6)
B) Go to step 6.

5. To Prevent User Installed Gadgets -

A) Select (dot) Enabled. (See screenshot below step 6)

6. Click on OK. (See screenshot below)



7. Close the Local Group Policy Editor window.
8. Log off and log on, or restart the computer to completely apply.
NOTE: User installed gadgets that are currently running may not be disabled until you do step 8.

Windows 7 AppLocker Documentation Available

For download

Windows 7

Microsoft has published and made available for download technical documentation designed to deliver an insight into one of the new features of the next iteration of Windows client and server operating systems. AppLocker Technical Documentation for Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 is now live on the Microsoft Download Center and up for grabs for administrators interested in controlling the applications that users are able to install and run in their environments.

“AppLocker is a new feature in Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 that replaces the Software Restriction Policies feature. AppLocker contains new capabilities and extensions that reduce administrative overhead and help administrators control how users can access and use files, such as executable files, scripts, Windows Installer files, and DLLs,” Microsoft revealed.

As far as the successor of Windows Vista is concerned, only the Enterprise and Ultimate editions of Windows 7 sport AppLocker. Via this feature, admins will be able to allow only certain applications to run, in accordance with the guidelines of a given organization. But the level of control goes even further. AppLocker can restrict the process of running licensed apps only to specific users. At the same time, the feature is capable of monitoring and producing an audit log with all applications run in an environment. And last but not least, AppLocker can also serve to block users with standard privileges from installing programs.

“Software Restriction Policies (SRP) were originally designed in Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 to help IT professionals limit the number of applications that would require administrator access. With the introduction of User Account Control (UAC) and the emphasis of standard user accounts in Windows Vista, fewer applications today require administrator privileges. As a result, AppLocker was introduced to expand the goals of the original SRP by allowing IT administrators to create a comprehensive list of applications that should be allowed to run,” Microsoft added.

Windows 7 AppLocker Documentation download
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/deta ... ab2d5eca83

Download Windows 7 Security Audit Events

Also for Windows Server 2008 R2

Windows

Security does by no means stop with the implementation of products designed to safeguard Windows from malicious code or exploits. For those who are little shy of digging into the security events logged by the operating system, Microsoft has released a list designed to enumerate all the security audit events for the next iteration of its Windows client and server operating systems, namely Windows Server 2008 R2 and Windows 7. Security Audit Events for Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 is an Excel file that is
currently up for grabs via the Microsoft Download Center.

“You can use Windows security and system logs to record and store collected security events so that you can track key system and network activities to monitor potentially harmful behaviors and to mitigate those risks. You customize system log events by configuring auditing based on categories of security events such as changes to user account and resource permissions, failed attempts for user logon, failed attempts to access resources, and attempts to modify system files. The information in this download can help you analyze the data included in event log data,” Microsoft informed.

The resource is divided into two parts, the first focused on Security Audit Events, and the second covering Complete Event Messages. Customers will be able to track a certain security audit event in relation to its ID, category and Subcategory, and summary. Microsoft is offering information on items such as Event ID 4774 in Account Logon>Credential Validation, which indicates that “An account was mapped for logon,” on Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008.

Another example is Event ID 6281 in System>System Integrity on Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2, which reveales that “Code Integrity determined that the page hashes of an image file are not valid. The file could be improperly signed without page hashes or corrupt due to unauthorized modification. The invalid hashes could indicate a potential disk device error.”

Download Windows 7 Security Audit Events
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/deta ... b261f35814

Windows 7 Filtering Platform New Features

Documentation available for download


Windows Vista

Interested in building networking filtering applications tailored to the next iteration of the Windows client? Then you need to get up to date with the new features that have been added to Windows Filtering Platform for Windows 7. In this regard, the Redmond company is offering for download documentation designed to provide an insight into what exactly the Windows 7 Filtering Platform brings to the table. The What is new in Windows 7 WFP (Windows Filtering Platform) version 1.1 is a resource that went live on the
Microsoft Download Center in June 2009, and which is currently offered to developers.

The WPF architecture was initially introduced with the precursors of Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2. Vista and Windows Server 2008 allowed independent software vendors to build programs enjoying a high level of networking control, and Windows 7 will take it to the next level for C/C++ developers.

Essentially, WFP permits applications to “filter and modify TCP/IP packets, monitor or authorize connections, filter Internet Protocol security (IPsec)-protected traffic, and filter remote procedure calls (RPCs). Filtering and modifying TCP/IP packets provides unprecedented access to the TCP/IP packet processing path. In this path, you can examine or modify outgoing and incoming packets before additional processing occurs. By accessing the TCP/IP processing path at different layers, you can more easily create firewalls, antivirus software, diagnostic software, and other types of applications and services,” Microsoft revealed.

The Redmond company enumerated no less than 18 enhancements in WFP in Windows 7 compared to Vista. All the new features are detailed in the documentation offered for download. At this point in time Microsoft is getting closer and closer to release Windows to manufacturing, a move that is planned by the end of this month. The software giant is targeting October 22nd 2009 for the worldwide general availability of Windows 7.

Download Windows 7 Filtering Platform New Features Documentation
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/deta ... fbe5985d85

Hack Windows XP into a Mac Desktop

 

How to Turn XP into a Mac

1. Remove all unused shortcuts and icons. Right click the desktop and go to “Arrange desktop icons by” and uncheck “Show desktop icons”. You should now have a completely clean desktop. Don’t be afraid. You can still access the My Computer, My Documents, and Recycle Bin standbys from Windows Explorer.
2. Install RKLauncher. RKLauncher (also called RKDock) is a free Windows version of the animated Mac taskbar, or “dock.” You can download it here. RKLauncher comes with a pretty cool theme. If you want to make your dock look exactly like a Mac though, try RealDock for RKLaucher, a great clone of the Mac Dock appearance. RKLauncher’s official build hasn’t been updated lately, so if you would like something more up-to-date, grab a nightly build from Aqua-Soft. The farther down you go, the newer the build. Another good dock program is ObjectDock by Stardock, you can skin it to be anything you want and it does the animations and everything.
3. Hide the taskbar. It doesn’t make sense to have both ObjectDock/RKDock and the Windows taskbar. Right click a blank space in ObjectDock, go to the settings tab, select behavior then on the box with check marks select “Hide the Windows Taskbar”, and hit OK. RKLauncher should work similarly. This makes the taskbar disappear. You can also just move the taskbar to the front of the screen.
4. Add Widgets. Widgets are desktop toys to entertain and to inform. Think of them like things you’d put on a real desk: a picture frame, a newspaper to a dancing hula girl! But they’re on your PC desktop, not your real desk. You’ll get it once you see it. They could be a fun addition to your boring computer. Download free widgets from the Yahoo Widgets page. You’ll download a widget machine called Yahoo! Widget Engine, which comes with widgets like a picture frame, analog clock, calendar, and weather display. You can get more widgets like RSS news feeds and a dancing hula girl from the widgets gallery. Yahoo! has also released an engine that can help you make your own widgets and is available here
5. Get Safari for Windows Just Get the new Safari 3 Beta, for Windows here, or get Firefox here. You can skin Firefox to look like Safari.
6. Change your wallpaper to look like Mac OS X Tiger. Or you can get a high resolution wallpaper here which won’t make your computer mimic a mac desktop but will add a sense of style and a unique touch.
7. Install your Expose from docs.kr. With this program (screen shot shows the ‘Windows Vista Flip’ move) you can set your Windows to spread out at the stroke of a key! A free download!
8. Move your buttons. ShellWM is a “titlebar-only” shell replacer. It lets you have the maximize, minimize and close buttons on the left for free. You’ll want to download this theme.
9. Change your mouse pointers. For the full effect, download a new set of mouse pointers. Save these to your computer (preferably in C:\WINDOWS\Cursors). It may be a good idea to make a folder within this for easier setup.) To setup these cursors, choose Mouse from the Control Panel, click the Pointers tab, and set your new pointers appropriately. For a the best OS pointer, use FLyakiteOS. If you don’t feel like changing cursors manually, you can install them all with a simple Mac OS X Mouse Cursors Installer
10. Keep tweaking and playing. Try customizing all of the applications you downloaded. Whatever suits you!

Tips

• If RKLauncher doesn’t work well, an alternative to try are RocketDock. Rocketdock is updated more often, and has more themes to choose from.
• You can also use the Mac OS X Install DVD
  
  
  • If you have a recent Mac OS X Install DVD (2005 and newer) that uses an x86 architecture, you can install OS X directly on your computer using InsanelyMac, which will circumvent the hardware detection used by the OS X install disc.
  • If you have an older Mac OS X Install DVD (2004 and older) that uses a PowerPC architecture, you can emulate PowerPC’s architecture using PearPC. PearPC is a tool which will allow you to run Mac OS X in an x86 environment, without putting in any effort. The emulation method is much slower than the method using InsanelyMac above.
  • Do not resort to using OS X unless you are aware of the legal action Apple can take if they know you are using that software.
• Since installing Mac OS X on a PC is illegal you could also try installing Linux (Ubuntu Linux is the most popular linux out there) on your PC. Since Linux is fully constumizable you can use this guide to make it look like OS X.
• For the simplest way, install this patch. It lets you access Windows XPs built in skinner. Then go to customize.org and download all the window’s themes you want.
• If you have enough money, an easier way would always be just to buy your own Mac, of course.

Warnings:

• Widgets could make your computer run slowly.
• Be warned this method may cause you to never have your windows desktop taskbar again.
• Beware of legal issues with installing Mac OS X onto a computer that it is not licensed for.
• The Shock 4Way 3D program makes your mouse disappear in the other 3 screens.

Flv player to Enable WMP to play FLV files : WINDOWS 7

The sharing video on the internet sites, such as Google Video, YouTube, MetaCafe, can download as the flv file format. But how can I Play .FLV Files in Windows Media Player in Windows 7 by simply?

I find a windows 7 flv player which call PlayFLV. And PlayFLV is free and open source. With lightweight PlayFLV Plugin, you can enableWindows Media Player to playback FLV files easily. After installtion, just double-click the FLV file and you can view them in Windows Media Player. So you with no extra player apps in Windows 7.

Download PlayFLV

Update: I've use Real Player to play FLV files in Win7 for a long time. It works great.
And instead of Real Player, I try VLC Player and also works well.

You'll need to provide administrator permission to copy this file :WINDOWS 7

While I was saving a files downloaded from internet, I got this error message "You'll need to provide administrator permission to copy this file" in Windows 7. When I was copying some files from my external HD, "you'll need to provide administrator permission to move to this folder" appeared. And I deleted an AVI file created with CamStudio, computer says "You'll need to provide administratorpermission to delete this file" with the choices "Continue", "Skip", and "Cancel". After I choose "Continue", the Windows 7 system OS gives me others following message :

"File Access Denied"
"You need permission to perform this action"
"You require permission from the computer's administrator to make changes to this file"

Can anyone help me to solve these?

Try it:

Right click on the folder you want to delete or copy to ( or the drive in "my computer")--> Under the security tab choose "edit" --> Go to the "Users (***/users) where the * are the name of your login --> Tick the box which says "full control".

Map network drive in windows 7

Sometimes we can easier access shared network folder by map a Network Drive in Windows 7. Here is how to map a Network Drive and make sure your computer is connected to your network.

* First Double-click the Computer icon in the desktop.
* After the Window opened, you can find the Map network drive button in the toolbar. Click on it.
* Then specify the drive letter for the connection and the folder that you want to connect to. Such as:

Drive: Z:
Folder: \\192.168.1.6\share

Notes: If you want that it is always available in the Computer window, check the "Reconnect at logon" box.
If you need to login every time to access the Network Drive with a different user name and password, check the "Connect using different credentials" box.

Now check the finish button to apply. The network drive of the shared folder is mapped by yourself.

Get Windows Update Error 800B0100 : WINDOWS 7

If you get Error codes as following:

WindowsUpdate_800B0100 or 0x800B0100

Try this:

1.Click start Button --> Control Panel --> System and Security --> System, To View basic information of your computer: such as myWindows edition is " Windows 7 Ultimate"

2..Go to the System Update Readiness Tool webpage:

Download System Update Readiness Tool for Windows 7
The tool can prevent you from installing Windows 7 updates.

Its installation is: C:\Windows\Logs\CBS and recording file calls CheckSUR.log.

3.Run Windows Update again.

Touch Screen drivers for windows 7

If Windows 7 does not recognize the touchscreen, you need to install a touch screen driver for windows 7.

The driver is compatible with following Products:

Medion:X9613
NEC: ValueStar W
Sony: VAIO L Series
NextWindow: 1900, 2150*, 2700
Dell: Studio One 19, SX2210T Monitor
HP: TouchSmart IQ500, IQ800, DX9000, 300, 600, 9100 Series

Download Windows 7 Touch Screen Driver

Windows media player cannot play dvd video on windows 7

When I use Windows Media Player to play a DVD video on windows 7, there is no video on dvd playback or PC gets the message “Cannot play DVD video.".

There are some possible reasons:

1. The video card driver is out-of-date.
Go to download the last driver and install it.

2. Your PC without a compatible DVD decoder.

3. Your computer hardware is not powerful enough to play DVDs.
Update your hardware.

How to open a port in Windows 7 firewall

If you want to create a control connections for a TCP or UDP port by windows 7 firewall, here is how to open ports step by step:

* Click start button --> Control Panel --> System and Security Link --> Windows Firewall --> Advanced Settings.

* In the Windows Firewall with Advanced Security Window, On the left click Inboun Rules --> On the right click New Rule link.

* On the New Inbound Rule Wizard, mark Port --> click Next --> type the ports you need to open.

For example, to open the TCP ports 21 and 80 , mark TCP and type 21,80 in the Specific local ports

* click Next --> Choose "Allow the connection" or "Allow the connection if it is secure" --> click Next --> Check or Uncheck the network type: Domain, Private, Public --> click Next --> Type a name and its description(optional) --> Click Finish.

Windows 7 print test page

After installing a printer in Windows 7, you'd better print a test page. It can help you confirm whether or not your printer works. And also give you some useful information for troubleshooting.

How To print a test page in Windows 7:

Click the Start button --> clicking Devices and Printers --> Right-click a printer --> click Printer properties --> On the General tab, click Print Test Page.

SOME MORE WINDOWS 7 TIPS AND TWEAKS

1)Fix the Clutter:
Remove all background windows while running/using a document by just pressing WIN+HOME keeping the window while ur in the current position,to restore the background windows press WIN+HOME again.

2)Problem Steps Recorder(PSR):
PSR is a great little tool in Windows 7 used for recording the steps to reproduce a problem in the computer. The captured data is stored in a HTML document which is enclosed in a zip file. You can send the zip file to someone else who can help you fix the problem.


The Problem Steps Recorder provides a simple screen capture tool that enables you to record a series of actions. Once you hit “record”, it tracks your mouse and keyboard and captures screenshots with any comments you choose to associate alongside them. Once you stop recording, it saves the whole thing to a ZIP file, containing an HTML-based “slide show” of the steps. It’s a really neat little tool and I can’t wait for it to become ubiquitous on every desktop! The program is called psr.exe; you can also search for it from Control Panel under “Record steps to reproduce a problem”. 



3)Running with Elevated Rights: Want to quickly launch a taskbar-docked application as an administrator? It’s easy – hold down Ctrl+Shift while you click on the icon, and you’ll immediately launch it with full administrative rights (assuming your account has the necessary permissions, of course!)

4)Display your drives:

My Computer in Windows 7 hides drives like memory card readers etc.. if they're empty.We think it's help full and an improvement, but if you disagree then launch Explorer, click Tools > Folder Options > View and clear "Hide empty drives in the computer folder" to get your empty drives back.

5)System Repair Disc:

There are always in Bad times when you’re in a really bad spot – you can’t boot up properly, and what you really want is something you can quickly use to get at a command prompt so you can properly troubleshoot. Windows 7 now includes the ability to create a system repair disc, which is essentially a CD-bootable version of Windows that just includes the command prompt and a suite of system tools. Just type “system repair disc” in the Start Menu search box, and you’ll be led to the utility.

6)Faster video access:

Windows 7 now lets you add Videos folder to the Start menu. Just right-click the Start orb, click Properties > Start Menu > Customize, and set the Videos option to "Display as a link". If you've a TV tuner that works with Windows 7 then you'll appreciate the new option to display the Recorded TV folder on the Start menu, too.

7)User Account Control(UAC) Customization:

Windows Vista's User Account Control was a good idea in practice, but poor implementation put many people off - it raised far too many alerts. Fortunately Windows 7 displays less warnings by default, and lets you further fine-tune UAC to suit your preferred balance between security and a pop-up free life (Start > Control Panel > Change User Account Control Settings).

8)Pin Your Favorite Folders:

If you’re always working in the same four or five folders, you can quickly pin them with the Explorer icon on the taskbar. Hold the right-click button down and drag the folder to the taskbar, and it will be automatically pinned in the Explorer Jump List.

9)Taskbar Fix:

The new Windows 7 taskbar acts as one big quick launch toolbar that can hold whatever program shortcuts you like (just right-click one and select Pin To Taskbar). And that's fine, except it does consume a little more screen real estate than we'd like. Shrink it to a more manageable size by right-clicking the Start orb, then Properties > Taskbar > Use small icons.

If you've no problem with the taskbar size, but find the way it combines icons to be confusing, then right-click the Start orb, click Properties > Taskbar and set "Taskbar buttons" to "Combine when taskbar is full" for a more familiar XP and Vista-style look.

10)Installing from USB Stick:

You can Boot and install Windows 7 from USB. PROCEDURE COMING SOON

11)Desktop Peeking:

While you’re on the taskbar, it’s worth noting a few subtleties. You’ve probably seen the small rectangle in the bottom right hand corner: this is the feature we call “Aero Peek”, which enables you to see any gadgets or icons you’ve got on your desktop. I wanted to note that there’s a keyboard shortcut that does the same thing – just press Win+Space.

12)Deployment Image Servicing and Management(DISM):

Explore Deployment Image Servicing and Management (DISM), a new command-line tool for Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2. DISM consolidates the core image management functions of multiple tools found in the Windows Automated Installation Kit (AIK) and enables users to view components of an applied or mounted operating system image and add or remove packages, software updates, and drivers.

 

Windows Movie Maker : WINDOWS 7

Windows 7 doesn’t include a movie editing tool – it’s been moved to the Windows Live Essentials package, along with Photo Gallery, Mail and Messenger. Unfortunately, Windows Live Movie Maker is currently still in an early beta that is missing most of the old feature set.best solution for this is to use Windows Movie Maker 2.6 (which is essentially the same as the most recent update to the Windows XP version). It’s missing the full set of effects and transitions from the Windows Vista version, and doesn’t support HD editing, but it’s pretty functional for the typical usage scenario of home movie editing.

 Download Windows Movie Maker 2.6 from here:
http://microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=d6ba5972-328e-4df7-8f9d-068fc0f80cfc

Keyboard shortcuts : WINDOWS 7

Windows 7 has several useful new keyboard shortcuts.

Alt+P ->Display/ hide the Explorer preview pane

Windows Logo+G ->Display gadgets in front of other windows

Windows Logo++ (plus key) ->Zoom in, where appropriate

Windows Logo+- (minus key) ->Zoom out, where appropriate

Windows Logo+Up ->Maximise the current window

Windows Logo+Down ->Minimise the current window

Windows Logo+Left ->Snap to the left hand side of the screen

Windows Logo+Right ->Snap to the right hand side of the screen

Windows Logo+Home ->Minimise/ restore everything except the current window

Shift + Click on icon ->Open a new instance

Middle click on icon ->Open a new instance

Ctrl + Shift + Click on icon ->Open a new instance with Admin privileges

Shift + Right-click on icon ->Show window menu (Restore / Minimize / Move / etc) Note: Normally you can just right-click on the window thumbnail to get this menu

Shift + Right-click on grouped icon ->Menu with Restore All / Minimize All / Close All, etc.

Ctrl + Click on grouped icon ->Cycle between the windows (or tabs) in the group

SeoQuake SEO extension for Firefox

Seoquake is a Mozilla Firefox SEO extension aimed primarily at helping web masters who deal with search engine optimization (SEO) and internet promotion of web sites. Seoquake allows to obtain and investigate many important SEO parameters of the internet project under study on the fly, save them for future work, compare them with the results, obtained for other, competitive, projects.

Beginner web masters and seos will find SeoQuake useful for estimating effectiveness and competitive ability of their SEO efforts. In the hands of professional SeoQuake will become a powerful and indispensable tool for analyzing optimization and promotion level of internet web-projects.

Add SeoQuake to Firefox

SeoQuake can be distinguished from similar projects by a wide range of parameters available for analysis, simplicity of use and also a tool for creation of custom parameters.

SeoQuake consists of two functional parts. The first one is SeoBar. The second part is the computation of the parameters for search results and its inclusion into search engine result pages – SERPs – for the most popular search engines.

SeoBar
SeoBar can be described as an additional toolbar, which shows the values of selected parameters for the page currently opened in the browser window. Set of parameters shown by SeoBar is fully customizable by user.

Inclusion of parameters in SERPs
After submission of the query into the search engine user is presented with SERP with search results. SeoQuake shows values of the parameters for search results under each search result shown on SERP. Set of parameters shown is fully customizable by user. Loading of parameters can be handled in two different ways – simultaneously with the loading of the SERP or after SERP loading, by user demand. Ranking of the results by selected parameter in ascending/descending order and storing results in file are available features.

Parameters
While having a wide range of default parameters, SeoQuake also gives users the opportunity to create their own parameters and also group them into presets and switch between these presets on the fly, during the work.

General set of parameters consists of such parameters as Google PR (Google PageRank of current page), Google Index (Number of indexed pages. Google version), Google link (Number of links, pointed to the current page. Google version (Except links from concerned domain)), similar parameters for many other search engines (Yahoo, MNS, Yandex, Rambler, Baidu) and some other miscellaneous parameters.

There is also a tool for creation of custom parameters at user’s disposal. These parameters can be saved and used for future research, whatever it may be.

All SeoQuake parameters can be turned on/off to be shown in SeoBar or on SERPs.

Miscellaneous
SeoQuake submits a query to search engine every time when it needs to obtain a value for a new parameter (that is not in a cache yet), defined by this search engine. Frequent use of big amount of the parameters may lead to the ban of user’s IP address from search engine. In this case, you will need to delete cookies or change proxy server.