Fix desktop.ini Auto Open in Notepad on Boot Up in Windows 8

Some windows 8 users, like me may have noticed that a Notepad window will automatically open upon every system startup or reboot. The Notepad will open desktop.ini with the following text:

[.ShellClassInfo]

LocalizedResourceName=@%SystemRoot%\system32\shell32.dll,-21787

Obviously, it’s a ‘bug’ that a desktop.ini file been mistakenly been placed or created on a location where it should not. To fix the desktop.ini auto open on Windows 8 is pretty easy, just by removing and deleting the desktop.ini from the Startup folder, which Windows operating system loads on every boot up.

1. Open Windows Explorer, then click on View ->  Options.
2. Go to View tab.
3. Under “Files and folders” tree, select Show hidden files, folders and drives.
4. Uncheck Hide protected operating system files in order to be able to view the hidden desktop.ini file.
5. Click OK when done.
6. Navigate to C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup folder, or alternatively, just type shell:common startup in Start Search and hit Enter.
7. Delete desktop.ini file inside the folder.
8. Navigate to C:\Users\USERNAME\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup folder, or alternatively, just type shell:startup in Start Search and hit Enter.
9. Delete desktop.ini file inside the folder.
10. The bug has been fixed, and no Notepad window with desktop.ini will appear on reboot or startup anymore.

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Finally! Microsoft Surface Pro Tablet Going On Sale

Some seven months after it was announced, the Microsoft Surface Windows 8 Pro is finally hitting stores on Feb. 9. The made-by-Microsoft tablet with the full version of Windows will be available at Microsoft retail stores, on the Microsoft Store online, at Best Buy and Staples. The 64-GB model is $899, while the 128-GB model is $999. Both ship with the Surface Pen input device. If you want a Type Cover or Touch Cover — the snap-in keyboard — you’ll need to buy it separately.

The Pro is bigger, heavier and faster than its little brother, the Surface RT. Moreover, while the RT can only run Microsoft Store applications and a stripped-down version of Windows, the Pro runs a full version of Windows 8 Pro capable of running both new Store apps as well as desktop programs and legacy Windows applications. The Surface Pro clocks in at 10.81 x 6.81 x 0.53 inches and weighs slightly less than two pounds. It has a 1920 x 1080 pixel, 10.6-inch display, and an Intel Core i5 Processor. It has front- and rear-facing 720P cameras, a microSDXC card slot, Wi-Fi support for 802.11a/b/g/n, and Bluetooth 4.0.

Microsoft also announced that the 64-GB Surface Windows RT will be available as a standalone version without a Touch Cover for $599 starting Feb. 9.

Although quite a number of people go against calling this a tablet, as it dones quite a number of features and characteristics.... Since its actually sort of a pre-modified Laptop... They say call it "Hybrid".. Lol

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Samsung Chronos (Speed, Multimedia and Gaming at its Peak)

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd, a global leader in digital media and digital convergence technologies, Early this year announced two additions to its high performance Series 7 PC lineup: The enhanced Series 7 Chronos, which delivers professional performance in a thin and light form factor, and The Series 7 Ultra, which takes Ultrabooks to the next level with enriched computing power, graphics and touch capability.





New Series 7 Chronos – Professional, Powerful Performer
Delivering professional performance in a thinner and lighter form factor, the new Series 7 Chronos provides enhanced processing power for professional users and a new software solution RAMaccelerator**** that provides up to a 150 percent increase in speed for browsing and running apps by taking advantage of the existing memory. Ten-finger multi-touch capabilities enhance the overall experience, allowing the user to interact directly with the screen, as well as the touchpad and keyboard. With a full aluminum body, the new Series 7 Chronos follows the design DNA of its predecessor while packing a powerful Intel® quad-core processor with up to 16GB* of memory, up to 1TB*** of storage and dedicated 2GB external graphics into a slim chassis that measures just 20.9mm (0.82 inches).

The Series 7 Chronos enables creation of heavy content for professional use with increased efficiency and productivity, anywhere and anytime. Catering to the needs of professionals, the new Series 7 Chronos features a high resolution, Full HD display (1920x1080), with 300nit brightness, as well as rich sound with JBL® optimized speakers, enhanced graphics to run hardcore tasks, and an extended battery life of 11.5 hours**. The laptop wakes up in as little as two seconds and boots in under twelve seconds, making it ready at a moment’s notice to access virtually anything the user needs for serious work.

 Series 7 Ultra – A New Ultrabook Experience
As the first Ultra in the Series 7 family, the Series 7 Ultra embodies superior mobility and performance in an ultra-slim and light, full aluminum body. Designed as the ultimate Ultrabook for multimedia, the Series 7 Ultra offers crisp visuals as well as powerful sound features. Enjoy videos and images on a Full HD display (1920x1080) featuring 350nit brightness, while JBL optimized speakers and AMD® graphics complete the experience. The laptop’s display is brighter and wider than previous models and features a 178-degree viewing angle, making it great for sharing multimedia with friends and family, or work content with colleagues.

Up to eight hours of battery life** keeps users connected all day, while the latest Intel® Core™ i5 or i7 processors and up to 256GB SSD*** of storage provide the computing power required by even the most demanding users. The laptop’s ten-finger intuitive touch capabilities and six second boot-up time maximize on-the-go productivity. The device will also be available with 4G LTE connectivity, further enhancing accessibility from anywhere (touch model based). Connecting to other devices is almost never an issue with three USB 3.0 ports, as well as a LAN port and a slim security slot to help ensure the device is securely tethered when necessary.

 If you are a hardcore gamer or you need a pc running at Lightening speed, Then i'll suggest you add the Samsung Chronos to your list of gadgets for 2013,cos with the spec packed by the laptop, Life Couldn't Be More Easier.

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Mobile Power Station ( 11000 mAh )[Recharging's Got Better]

Most of the latest mobile devices have integrated batteries with no option to purchase and carry extra batteries around.Some of us  might have a need to buy spare batteries when traveling or journeying long distances.
 The solution for the road warrior is now to carry some form of mobile power pack and one of the higher capacity ones Certified at  IOGEAR. The IOGEAR Ultra Capacity Mobile Power Station provides 11,000 mAh with two USB output ports. The model number is GMP10K and rather than the full six word name, the nickname of this power station is The 10K so that is what I will use in the rest of this review. 






The box contents include:

• Mobile Power Station
• USB to Micro-USB Cable
• USB to A/C Power Adapter
• Protective Carry Pouch
• Quick Start Guide
• Warranty Card

The carry pouch has a drawstring to keep the power station in the pouch. You can use the included USB to microUSB cable to recharge your microUSB devices, but there are no other cables included to charge your devices. You need to bring your device specific cable to charge up your devices.
Need a Portable Power Pack? Think  IOGEAR.

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Dukeo Blog Review

For starters, I must admit that i am not exactly a fervent visitor to Stephen Kerwer's Blog "Dukeo" at http://www.dukeo.com. Nonetheless, i have visited the blog quite a number of times in recent times. Most especially following a link from twitter by @MeghanMBiro. A recent visit to the site drew my attention to an ongoing review contest worth $200 asking for a honest review.. This actually spiced me up to write this post and also take a closer look at the site, in terms of Look and feel, Content, Navigation and Miscellaneous Talks....

Look and Feel
On first visit to Dukeo, a visitor would definitely tend to feel involved as regards the cool blends of colors. The font size is cool and the text is quite easy to read. (No need for spectacles. Lol). The positioning of content is one thing to talk about... Although i love it, i still find the subscribe box a bit... you know distracting... But all this is made up for, with the quality of the contents of the box. And it is only placed like that on the homepage. Quite Understandable.

Content
Dukeo contains articles relating to Making money online, Blogging and Lots more. In terms of content, Wow!! I'm not a search engine optimist but with the frequent update of posts - not just any post, but quality and pretty informative ones -  i'll say its something. Although most of the posts are short, they are quite well furnished and worth more than the time spent on them.  Kudos.

Navigation
I really dont have much to say but to thank Ste for not clogging us with so much links on the menu bar. I appreciate the way most links are neatly positioned in the footer.... Leaving only three, very clear links and the logo on the menu bar.

Miscellaneous
Like i said earlier, i am not a fervent visitor but the articles i have happened to come across at Dukeo is one to write home about. I do not mean to hype the blog but its absolutely one to check out.

In short, Be sure to check it out.

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Installing Windows 7 From a Flash Drive(works for 8 as well)

First:-You need convert your flash drive's filesystem to NTFS.
Requirements:

*USB Flash Drive (Minimum 4GB)

*Windows 7 or Windows 8 installation files.

Follow the below steps to create bootable Windows 7/Windows 8 USB drive using which you can install Windows 7 or Windows 8 easily.

Procedure:

1. Plug-in your USB flash drive to USB port and move all the contents from USB drive to a safe location on your system.

2. Open Command Prompt with admin rights. Use any of the below methods to open Command Prompt with admin rights.

*Type cmd in Start menu search box and hit Ctrl+ Shift+ Enter.

Or

*Go to Start menu > All programs > Accessories, right click on Command Prompt and select Run as administrator.

3. You need to know about the USB drive a little bit. Type in the following commands in the command prompt:

First type DISKPART and hit enter to see the below message.

Next type LIST DISK command and note down the Disk number (ex: Disk 1) of your USB flash drive. In the below screenshot my Flash Drive Disk no is Disk 1.

4. Next type all the below commands one by one. Here I assume that your disk drive no is “Disk 1”.If you have Disk 2 as your USB flash drive then use Disk 2.Refer the above step to confirm it.

So below are the commands you need to type and execute one by one:

SELECT DISK 1

CLEAN

CREATE PARTITION PRIMARY

SELECT PARTITION 1

ACTIVE

FORMAT FS=NTFS

(Format process may take few seconds)

ASSIGN

EXIT

Don’t close the command prompt as we need to execute one more command at the next step. Just minimize it.

Note:What we just did was to convert your Flash drive's Filesystem to NTFS.

Next step is to make your flash drive a bootable drive.
Insert your Windows7/Windows 8 DVD into the optical drive and check the drive letter of the DVD drive. In this guide I will assume that your DVD drive letter is “D” and USB drive letter is “H” (open my computer to verify that.).

6. Maximize the minimized Command Prompt in the 4th step.Type  the following command now:

D: CD BOOT and hit enter.Where “D” is your DVD drive letter.If your DVD drive letter is "E",then type 

E: CD BOOT and hit enter.

7. Type another command given below to update the USB drive with BOOTMGR compatible code.

BOOTSECT.EXE /NT60 H: 

Where “H” is your USB drive letter(Confirm from "my computer"). Once you enter the above command you will see the below message.

8. Copy your Windows 7 or Windows 8 DVD contents to the USB flash drive.

9. Your USB drive is ready to boot and install Windows 7 or Windows 8. Only thing you need to do is to change the boot priority at the BIOS to USB from the HDD or CD ROM drive.

To do this when you switch on your system,press the function key with the attribute SETUP (in my system,its F12),go to boot configuration/priority and change first boot device to 

USB DRIVE/REMOVABLE DISK.

Note: If you are not able to boot after following this guide, it means you haven’t set the BIOS priority to USB. If you got any problem in following this guide feel free to ask questions by leaving comment.

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Touch screen Transforms into a Physical Keyboard

For tablet- and smartphone-owners who love their touchscreens but occasionally yearn for the feel of a physical keyboard, Fremont, Calif.-based company Tactus has unveiled new technology that unites both features on one gadget.
It developed a tactile user interface for touchscreen devices: transparent physical buttons that emerge from a tablet or smartphone's surface on demand. To see the technology in action, watch the video above.
"With the buttons enabled, users can push and type or rest their fingers as they would with any physical button or keyboard," Tactus explains on its website. "When the buttons are disabled, they recede into the screen, becoming invisible and leaving a smooth, seamless flat touchscreen with maximum viewing area."
This "Tactile Layer" technology integrates with a touchscreen device by replacing its cover glass.
While current smartphones include the option of haptic feedback, which causes on-screen keys to vibrate upon touch, Tactus says it's not the same as physical buttons.
Would you use this technology on your smartphone or tablet?TO view the video click here

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Burn Disc Images (ISO) Using Command Prompt In Windows 8/7

Some of us might have encountered files ending with the extension .iso.This simply means it's a disc image file and needs to be burnt to a disc or (you extract the files in them using Win-image or Winrar).
 You can burn a disc image from the command prompt interface by passing the proper parameters.
To start burning a CD or DVD ISO file immediately from command prompt, simply type in:
isoburn /q drive:\file.iso
For example:  isoburn /q  c:\en_windows_7_ultimate_x64_dvd_X15-65922.iso (Note for command prompt)
Ensure the disc you want to write to has enough or more storage size than the size of the file you want to burn. 
 Alternatively,Windows 7 and 8 includes a free image burning utility called the Windows Disc Image Burner that allows you to quickly write CD and DVD images.

As shown in the image, you can pass only the ISO file location and click the Burn button within the utility.

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Paralyzed Woman Aided by Brain Powered Robots

 Jan Scheuermann is paralyzed from the neck down, but with the help of a robotic arm controlled by her brain, she's now able to pour herself a glass of water to drink.
(Robotic arm)
Lancet Medical Journal ran a study using brain implants to control the robotic arm. Two sensors were placed in the motor cortex of her brain. Pulses of electricity inside her brain are translated into commands for the robot arm, which includes a bending elbow and wrist. In about two weeks, Scheuermann perfected the use of her new robot limb.
Scheuermann has progressively lost control over her body since she was diagnosed with spinocerebellar degeneration 13 years ago.

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How To Download Videos From Youtube Easily in Any Format

Downloading videos from Youtube or any other video sharing website has been one of the many difficulties some happen to face using the internet. Here's a post on how to download Youtube videos using IDM.

In this tutorial, i'll be showing you a much easier way to download these videos from any video sharing website like Metacafe, Ted etc. Just follow the steps below to find out how to do this.

STEP 1: You must have Java Runtime Environment installed on your system to be able to use KeepVid as it makes use of Java applets. If you do not have JRE(Java Runtime Environment) installed, then click here to download it.

STEP 2: Go to the website you want to download the video from, say Youtube and copy the video Url.
STEP 3: Go to www.keepvid.com and paste the url you copied into the text field and click on download. Step 4: Wait for the Java applet to finish loading and now you'll be able to download your files in various formats available. Including 3gp, mp4 etc.

Which websites does KeepVid support?
Dailymotion, 4shared, 5min, 9you, AlterVideo.net, Aniboom, blip.tv, Break, Clipfish.de, Clipser, Clip.vn, CollegeHumor, Cracked, Current, dekhona.com, DivxStage.eu, eHow, eBaumsWorld, Ensonhaber, Facebook, Flickr, Flukiest, FunnyJunk, FunnyOrDie, FunnyPlace.org, Metacafe, MySpace, Ning, Photobucket, RuTube, SoundCloud, Stagevu, TED, Tudou, TwitVid, VBOX7, videobb, VideoWeed.es, Veoh, Vimeo, zShare.net.

Enjoy!!!

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Google Online Marketing Challenge 2013 - Professor Registration is Now Open!

Now in its 6th year, the Google Online Marketing Challenge is a yearly global online marketing competition for students from higher education institutions around the world. Student teams develop and run a successful online advertising campaign through Google AdWords for a real business or non-profit organization, using US$250 budget provided by Google. Winning teams are selected by a panel of academics and Google, based on the success of their campaign.

Apart from gaining hands-on digital marketing experience, students compete for some great prizes:

• The global winners and their professor win a seven-day trip to San Francisco, including one day at Google Headquarters in Mountain View, California, to meet Googlers from the AdWords, University Programs and Marketing teams.
• The global winners also receive computing devices along with other Google products.
• Digital devices for all global and regional winners across all categories including their mentoring professors.
• Regional AdWords core competition winners win trips to regional offices.
• The opportunity to win donations worth a total of $30,000 for the non-profit partners.

Over 50,000 students from almost 100 countries have participated in past years.
Last year’s challenge featured over 10,000 students representing over 80 countries, and this year’s challenge is expected to boast even more.

In order for student teams to participate in the competition, they first need to have a professor register. Professors can register from today until May 3rd. Please note that student registration will open February 12th.

For more information and to see what’s new this year, visit the brand new GOMC website at www.google.com/onlinechallenge, and add the new GOMC G+ page to your circles! google.com/+googleonlinemarketingchallenge

Here’s your chance to make a global impact

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Touch Screens - The Next Brand Of Laptops

Intel's CES booth, still a large presence in the CES Central Hall, had one basic unmistakable message: Touch has arrived.

This simply means consumers should be prepared to adapt to this new awesome and innovative Tech.
Windows 8 convertibles, detachables, touch-screen laptops, and just plain tablets from Hewlett-Packard, Dell, Samsung, Acer, Asus, Lenovo, Toshiba, Sony, and others blanketed Intel's list of manufacturers.

And to make sure the touch message was crystal clear, Intel issued an edict to PC partners during its CES keynote: All next-generation ultra-books based on its "Haswell" chip must be touch.

(Desktop Touch)
Based on what was displayed at the Intel booth (and other booths, like Samsung's), this is how it will break down:
Convertible: Convertibles, like the HP EliteBook Revolve and Lenovo Yoga, have swivel touch screens that can't be detached from the unit.
The important info here is that the Intel processor and related electronics are still under the keyboard, so these systems tend to have higher performance because the design affords more opportunity to keep the processor cool.
Detachable: These are essentially tablets with well-integrated keyboard docks. They would include the new Lenovo ThinkPad Helix, HP's Envy x2, and Samsung ATIV Smart PC.
Detachables put the processor electronics behind the screen. And that usually forces PC makers to use a lower-performance, more power efficient chip like Intel's "Clover Trail" Atom.
One of the few exceptions to that rule is the ThinkPad Helix, which manages to cram a mainstream Intel Ivy Bridge chip into a tablet.
As a matter of fact, Intel is now trying to get more PC makers to do this. It has just begun shipping a new Y series Ivy Bridge processor that is more power efficient than the one in the Helix(ThinkPad).
Still, battery life won't be terrific, and Ivy Bridge chips, even the power-efficient ones still require fans to keep them cool.Well, I'll like to have hands first-on on any of this new gadgets.WOULD YOU ?
 

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How to Have GodMode in Windows 8

Godmode is a special and simple folder that brings all aspects of the Windows controls in a single place. The good news is that its not only available in Windows 7 but also in Windows 8. Godmode collects all of the Control Panel’s functions, accessibility options. It practically contains just about everything and every aspect of Windows controls and gathers them up into a single spot.

To set up Godmode, do the following;

• Create a new folder anywhere you want it to be
• Rename the folder by pasting the exact text below
GodMode.{ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C}
• Press Enter and the folder icon will change to that of the Control Panel icon

Now you can begin using all the menus you need from this place. Check out this video to find out more

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Getting Started With Windows 8

Windows 8 is an exciting new operating system from Microsoft. It comes with a lot of awesome features and quite a number of changes which makes some people find it hard to navigate succesfully around it. This short tutorial will attempt at getting you started in Windows 8. Lets get started.

1. Overview Your Entire Start Screen By Semantic Zoom
If you’re using a touch screen, squeeze the Start screen with two fingers to receive a bird’s eye view of your entire screen contents. This is useful when you have a lots of apps/programs installed and want to see all the apps without scrolling the contents up and down. But if you are using a laptop, you can click on the "-" at the bottom right corner to have a bird's eye view of your start screen. The more apps you have installed, the longer the scroll bar. ;-)

2. Use Windows Hot Corners
The corners on your screen provides you to different Windows features. Below, is a brief explanation of each of these corners.

Bottom Left-hand corner of the screen will allow you to access the Start screen, if you’re in the Start screen and have the Desktop open, this corner will open the Desktop from the Start screen.
Quick Tip: Right-clicking in the left hand corner will open the power user menu.

Moving the mouse to the top-left corner and then down will display all the apps running on the computer. Clicking and dragging any of these apps to the left or right-hand side of the screen will snap that app to that side of the screen. Each of these open app icons can also be right-clicked to close or snap.

On the full right-hand side of the screen will be given access to the Windows Charms.

3. Why Close Buttons Are Hard To Find?
Closing a program seems easy, but you might have noticed that close buttons are hard to find in Windows 8. That’s because Microsoft encourages us to run apps in the background where they’ll take up minimal resources, but still be accessible at any time!
Still, anyway, you can close an app 1) by dragging it from top to bottom, or 2) using Alt+F4 keys or 3) using the task manager.

4. Find Anything Using Power-packed Search
Search looks power-packed. Start typing anything you are looking for in the search bar and it will search in the apps, files/folders and emails too.

5. PC Slowed Down? Get Fresh Windows 8 Easily in Minutes!
In Windows 7 and previous versions, you had to format and re-install the entire OS to get a fresh feel. This was a tiresome and time-wasting process. Windows 8 provides an in-built way to refresh your computer!

In order to perform the Windows 8 refresh, go to Settings and click the Change PC Settings tab near the bottom. Select the General tab and find the “Refresh your PC without affecting your files” section near the middle (you may also select “Remove everything and re-install Windows” to get the true factory settings treatment). Select “Get started” and press “Refresh.” After a few minutes the PC will restart, and you will have a fresh copy of Windows 8.

6. Shut Down Shortcut:
Windows 8 hides the Power button in the Settings menu, so it takes multistep process just to shut down your PC. But you can pin a Shutdown button right onto the bottom of your desktop using following trick:
Create a shortcut on your desktop (right-click, go to New, then Shortcut). Enter “shutdown /s /t 0″ (with no quotes, and, yes, that’s a zero not an “O”) as the location of the item, and press Next. Now name the shortcut (preferably “Shutdown”) and press Finish.

Right-click the shortcut, and navigate to Properties. Choose Change Icon in the Shortcut tab, and then OK to leave the warning box. Choose an icon of your choice from the list. In the screenshot above, you’ll see we chose a Power button.
Right-click the shortcut again, and select Pin to Start. You can place the icon on your Start screen wherever it’s convenient. Clicking it will instantly shut down your computer.

But which one is the easiest and fastest way to shutdown? Hit power button on your computer!

7. Classic Start Menu
This is the thing many people keep missing on Windows 8. If you want to anyway want the Start menu on Windows 8,
ViStart, a free utility will do a good job.

8. Fun Way To Password-protect
Windows 8 enables you to create a picture password, where you choose an image, then draw on it in a combination of taps, lines and circles – only someone who can reproduce this pattern will be able to log on. Select Win + I > More PC Settings > Users > Create a Picture Password to give this a try.

9. Mount ISO files in Windows 8
Right-click it in Explorer, click Mount and you can view it as a virtual drive, launch the files it contains, or add more if you like.

10. List of Most Important Hotkeys
Here is a list of hotkeys to make your Windows 8 experiece even a fun:

Win : switch between the Start screen and the last-running Windows 8 app
Win + C : displays the Charms: the Settings, Devices, Share and Search options
Win + D : launches the desktop
Win + E : launches Explorer
Win + F : opens the File Search pane
Win + H : opens the Share pane
Win + I : opens Settings
Win + K : opens the Devices pane
Win + L : locks your PC
Win + M : minimizes the current Explorer or Internet Explorer window (works in the full-screen IE, too)
Win + O : toggles device orientation lock on and off
Win + P : switch your display to a second display or projector
Win + Q : open the App Search pane
Win + R : opens the Run box
Win + U : open the Ease of Access Centre
Win + V : cycle through toasts (notifications)
Win + W : search your system settings (type POWER for links to all power-related options, say)
Win + X : displays a text menu of useful Windows tools and applets
Win + Z : displays the right-click context menu when in a full-screen app
Win + + : launch Magnifier and zoom in
Win + – : zoom out
Win + , : Aero peek at the desktop
Win + Enter : launch Narrator
Win + PgUp : move the current screen to the left-hand monitor
Win + PgDn : move the current screen to the right-hand monitor
Win + PrtSc : capture the current screen and save it to your Pictures folder
Win + Tab : switch between running apps

On Tablet:
To take a screenshot on a Windows 8 tablet, simultaneously press the Windows button and the volume-down button on the tablet chassis.

Check out this cool video from Lifehacker for more

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Search and Get PSD Graphics For Free Online

One of the most important ingredients of cool graphics and also websites that graphical designers use are PSDs. PSDs are already created Photoshop files that can be edited just like templates in Microsoft Word and all other types. A cool PSD file can make a designing job go much easier and faster. And it also makes the job look more professional.

FreebiePSD.com is a collector and a search engine of free Photoshop PSD files. If you are looking for a PSD freebie, then FreebiePSD is a great place to start.

Get better PSDs for your design jobs now at FreebiePSD.com

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How To Search Google Effectively

Everyone uses Google, but most people search Google by entering the term or word they are looking for without ever using any of Google’s built in features. Google is great as it is, but as the web gets bigger even Google, once famed for its great results, is delivering poorer results for basic search terms.

Google power users know the tricks, and they aren’t hard to pick up at all. Using Google’s built in features helps you find what you’re looking for faster, and that’s always a good thing. Here’s 18 ways to power search Google that you can use today to improve your Google experience.
---------------------------------------------------
Not: adding a minus (-) allows you to narrow your search, for example if you wanted to search for delhi but not City you’d enter Delhi -City

Either/or: Google looks for the combination of terms you type in, but you can tell it to look for multiple words, for example Olympic or Gold. The short cut is | so Olympic | Gold works as well

Specific Document Types use the modifier “filetype:” if you’re looking for documents or pictures, for example blogging filetype:pdf delivers pdf documents that include the word blogging.

Quotation marks: I use this trick regularly. If you’re looking for the exact phrase, not the words entered, do your search like this “I did but see her passing by”

Wildcard: old DOS users will remember doing directory searches using an asterisk (*) as a wildcard, and Google supports wildcard entries as well. Example: blogging *.com.au

Definitions: stuck on a word you don’t understand? in Google, it’s as simple as define:word to deliver you a list of definitions

Similar terms: ~ in front of a word tells Google to look for similar terms to that word, for example ~blog web 2.0

Site Specific Search: another shortcut I use regularly. To search within a specific site, start the query with site:name.com term. Other rules can be used in the search.

Calculator: who would have thought you could use Google as a calculator. Google supports /*-+ for a result.

Phone Listing: Want to know who your missed call was from? type phonebook:555-555-5555 for the answer. Works primarily in the United States.

Links: want to know who is linking to your blog, or even specific post? enter link:url.com into Google for the answer.
Format specific search: sometimes finding what you want in Google can be difficult, but Google offers a range of format specific search sites. Google News, Blog Search, even Video are a few Google sites you can use to find what you’re looking for.

Area Code Lookup: type in the US area code into Google to find out where the area code is.

Movies: Get the latest movie times at your local cinema by typing movie:movie name zip.

Stock Price: enter a valid stock symbol for the latest reported stock price, for example YHOO.

Music: want the details of a song? use music:song name for Music specific search on Google

Metric conversion: convert imperial measurements to metric and back again quickly via the Google search box. For example: 100 lbs in kg

Term location: use inurl:, intitle:, intext:, or inanchor: to tell Google where it should look for the term your looking for.

Cache: Google keeps a comprehensive cache database of many websites, and you can search this database by starting your search with cached:

Source: Computer Hacking

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2go Version 3.5.1 Flaws

After a long wait for a new version of the popular mobile application 2go, a new version was released. 2go version 3.5. There were definitely high expectations for this new update..... a significant update just like the times of the version 1 to the version 2 and 3.

Although some people are so much in love with the new interface, new look, color changes and all. I have so far noticed some flaws that made me wish i had not upgraded at all in the first place. Here are some of the flaws noticed.

2go Splash Screen and "Connecting..."
In a scenario of using Nokia c2, Unlike previous versions, when the application loads, the splash screen as usual loads for a couple of seconds before asking for network access and then switch to connecting mode.. In this new version, the splash screen is the "connecting", It stays there till it actually starts logging in. This might not be much of a big deal except for the fact that "connecting...." had been removed totally. Which implies that, after pressing your "#" button to probably change username or password and you press login  the next thing you see is logging in. This does not mean that you've managed to connect as other previous versions have made us to believe.

Please Wait
Having to wait for a couple of seconds after i press the "#" key is like telling me to go to sleep. But this is exactly what happens every time i press the "#" button at the login page. What i get to see is "Please Wait" which is undoubtedly annoying. At least to me.

Creating A Group Chat
Creating a group chat from the active chats is still as easy as before, same steps... but trying to write a message in this group chat is sorta... let me say twisted.... On a Nokia C2, pressing Menu > Write, does nothing, doesn't bring up a text editor like it should. You have to press a character on your keypad before you are able to write a group chat. Although this hasn't been tested on other phones... this is one to think about.

Probably The Biggest Flaw.....
The inability to use shortcuts unlike in previous versions are most likely the biggest turnoff of this new 2go version. The "*" key used to serve as an alternative for the left soft key but now, its unusable. The shortcut keys "3" and "9" that can be used for scrolling up and down respectively at a considerable pace can no longer be used when reading a message. Pressing "3" or "9" in message view now will only take you to the text field and will not scroll up.

Aside from all the things mentioned above, On a personal level, the colours involved in this new version of 2go is not in any way "inviting", rather contrast.... The colour used for a group title is now the same as the colour used for someone thats online. Whereas we've gotten used to the old way of the blue-for-online and white for group tags...

Another thing i do not agree with is... For example a user has been logged in, he has gone through all the status updates, and due to a network problem of some sorts, he had to reconnect... He would have to go through all the status updates again... Not cool...

I hope all this and others i haven't mentioned get fixed in the next upgradable version.
Have you noticed any other flaw? or something you don't like?

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Protect Your Computer From USB Viruses Using USB Disk Securityv6.2.0.24 with Crack

A great way for viruses to penetrate your computer is through the use of USB. This include external hard disk drives, flash drives and memory sticks etc. To reduce the chances of your laptop being infected then you need to protect yourself.
USB Disk Security is the best software to block threats that can damage your PC or compromise your personal information via USB storage.


Benefits and Features

•  Block known and unknown threats from removable media
•  Best solution to protect offline computer
•  Prevent unauthorized persons from stealing your data
•  Compatible with other security software
•  Compatible with all popular Windows platforms
•  Fastest and lightest security software
•  Free upgrades
• Product Highlights
• 100% protection against any malicious programs via USB drive

USB Disk Security uses innovative technology to block known and unknown threats via USB drive. It supports USB drive, flash disk, secure digital card, thumb drive, pen drive, removable storage, ipod, and more.

The best solution to protect offline computer
Other antivirus software should update virus database regularly, and they cannot effectively protect offline computers that are not connected to the Internet. When new viruses, worms and other malicious attacks strike, traditional signatures are insufficient. Every minute one waits for a virus signature update creates a window of vulnerability that could have devastating consequences. USB Disk Security uses advanced proactive detection techniques, and closes the window of vulnerability left open by other reactive, signature-based responses.

Data Protection
Deliver high level of protection against theft and accidental disclosure of confidential data. This feature can prevent unauthorized persons from copying your data to USB drives, and it also can stop the threats from USB drive.

The world's fastest and lightest security software
With USB Disk Security, it's not necessary to sacrifice speed for detection and scanning. Compare antivirus software and you'll discover that USB Disk Security is by far one of the lightest applications in the industry.

Compatible with other security software and all popular Windows platforms
Incompatibility between antivirus programs is an issue; However, USB Disk Security is fully compatible with other security software. Supports Windows 7, Vista, XP, 2008, 2003.

Simple to use
USB Disk Security has been specifically designed to perform effectively regardless of the user's level of computer expertise. Just install and forget it.

Free updates
Other antivirus products should be paid for updates every year. The USB Disk Security keys are lifetime. You receive all future program updates free of charge.

Supported OS:
Windows 8/7/vista/xp

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Technology And The Computer Science Undergraduate Student (Case Study: Nigeria)

When I hear the word technology, things like computer programming, cool devices, software, robots, artificial intelligence and many more sophisticated tech terms appear in my mind, but it becomes like a pain when so many people studying computer science don’t feel that groove especially ladies, just lately I remember asking a few ladies on the web and in my environment who are currently studying computer science what they could do, produce or stunts they could pull with their computer science skill set, well many had nothing to offer or they would say I can teach you how to type fast… Really? I would reply, well last time I checked I also remember that I used Mavis beacon when I was a little kid so thanks… not sounding rude but it’s a serious case, especially if we need to take the future of our country’s advancement serious . So what’s the problem? Where did it come from? How can we solve it? 

Finally am going to get my first degree next year as happy as I am, computer science as my field of study has really made me see so much to what technology has to offer, with the world people call a global village, the super duper way technology advances if you don’t get updated you could get lost and maybe remain old fashioned, so you have got to get entwined with the latest and recent trends and also foresee the future trends, as far as I am concerned technology is also like the stock market, you have to check the indexes, top gainers, top losers, the stocks, like is it rising? Falling? am I making the right choice, am I on the right path…

Now what’s the problem? A student gets admission into a college or university to study computer science first year you have to offer many courses  irrelevant to your field of study and maybe one or two relevant to your field but not really necessary, then the remaining years you offer some really good courses with cool titles where you end up writing notes using different cool fonts and no real hands on practice or practical projects  or actually making something cool, well the aim of most students is to just get an “A” in the exam, so you don’t care what the courses are all about or what you can make of them, well it is said that you only get what you are looking for,  Not blaming the lecturers and also not blaming the students, because a few guys like us which people call geeks try and do some extra dig up and try to come up with something cool, that’s the trend in countries like US, Russia, China and many more like that, finally when you get to the last year in school where you have to do your project you either outsource to your friend, pay some dude or copy somebody’s previous project and then your out of school with little or no skill looking for a world class job… Duh! Only a few actually sit down and come up with something. Just look around the web, you see products, services and so many tech things, they are all brain child of somebody who not only wrote classic long boring notes but did some extra patching. I can continue saying more and more but that’s really not important so let’s take a coffee break and talk about solutions…

What’s the solution? Hmmmmm well just like computer programming there are many approaches to solving a problem, well it also depends on the algorithm we decide to use, the most important thing is RESULTS!!!. So in my opinion I would suggest that we scrap off irrelevant courses of the syllabuses from the day 1 a computer science students get admission, few notes more projects, more research tasks, build teams and groups to solve problems, throw challenge classes not class sessions where we write 12 pages notes, intimidate the students with other peoples success, that’s like a drive and it sure works, let us take one or two visits to cool tech companies, actually I dream of going to Microsoft…. just saying because the Windows 8, Microsoft Surface and Metro Style thingy is actually cool… ooops where did I drop off and more importantly assign a supervisor to students and throw proposals to companies and individuals to fund student projects and ideas. Before I also leave I forgot to say am Nigerian.

Author: Salem Kosemani. Salem Kosemani is a final year student of Computer Science, University of Ilorin Nigeria. Connect with him on Facebook,  Twitter and on his blog at http://www.salemsky95.wordpress.com

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