Faster Startup of xp

A tweak that’ll help your PCstart up faster. Go to Start >Run, and type in “msconfig”.In the Startup tab, click‘Disable All’, and in the‘Services’ tab, check the‘Hide All Microsoft Service’box and then click ‘DisableAll’. Restart, and XP willrestart with only thesystem services and applications running.
This tweak will disable all non-system startupservices and applications so if you have anything you want to run in thebackground, such as anti-virus software, do not disable that item.

Mount A Hard Disk As A Folder In The C: Drive

This tip works for anypartition of any NTFS formatted drive except thepartition with the Windows system files on it.
Windows XP, likeWindows 2000 before it,allows you to ‘mount’ drivesas folders in a pre-existinglogical drive. So if yourcomputer has a 20 GB diskformatted as a singlepartition and volume (driveC:), you could purchase asecond drive, partition andformat it through the DiskManager, and then instead ofgiving it its own drive letter,add it to your C: drive as adirectory.
Any files added to thatdirectory would, of course, bestored on the new disk.
This can come in handy—certain applications such asdatabases are extremelylarge, but may not supportstoring data on a logicallyseparate drive.
As far as Windows isconcerned, a drive mountedas a directory is just adirectory. This can also cutdown on storage confusionand it’s easy to do, though itcan only be done with NTFS-formatted partitions.
Also, obviously, the bootpartition cannot be used thisway, although otherpartitions can be added to the boot partition.
If you have installedsoftware on a partition youplan to mount as a directory,it is best to uninstall andreinstall it, since the movemay stop the software fromworking correctly. Windowswill warn you about this.To mount a partitionas a directory, go to
Control Panel >AdministrativeTools > ComputerManagement > Storage >Disk Management
Thenright-click on the partitionyou wish to mount as adirectory in the lowerpane of the graphicalpartition window.Select ‘Change driveletter and paths…’ Removethe current option (if any),then click ‘Add’. Choose‘Mount in the followingempty NTFS folder’, browseto the desired volume, andadd a directory for yourdrive. Click ‘OK’.
If you wish to returnthings to the way theywere, simply repeat the procedure, removing thedirectory location andchoosing a drive letterinstead. The data on thedrive will be unharmed.

Using Windows Files On A Mac

The most popular Mac applications use the exact same file formatsas their Windows counterparts, making it easy to open and usefiles created on Windows PCs on a Mac. You can also share filesusing e-mail, a network volume, recordable CDs, Zip disks, a .MaciDisk, or other storage devices.

Some of the common file types are:

Productivity

Plain text (.txt), rich text (.rtf), Word (.doc), Dbase (.dbf), Excel (.xls),PageMaker (.pm3, 4, 5, 6), PowerPoint (.ppt), Quark XPress (.qxd),Quicken (.qdf)

Media:

MP3 (.mp3), AAC (.aac), AIFF (.aiff), ASF (.asf), AVI (.avi), MIDI (.midi),MPEG1, MPEG 2, and MPEG 4 video (.mpg, .mp2, .mp4), QuickTimeMovie (.qt, .mov), Real Audio/Video (.ra, .ram), Wave Form Audio(.wav), Windows Media Audio and Video (.mwa, .wmv)

Graphics

BMP (.bmp), GIF (.gif), JPEG (.jpg), TIFF (.tif), PICT (.pct), EPS (.eps),Photoshop (.ps), PostScript (.ps), PDF (.pdf)

Internet

HTML (.html, .htm), MIME (.mim, .mime), XML (.xml)

Compression

Stuffit (.sit) and ZIP (.zip)Filename extensions are usually hidden in Mac OS X. To show thefilename extension for all files, choose Finder > Preferences andselect “Always show file extensions.”

Connecting To Windows PCs And Servers From A Mac

You can connect to Windows computers and servers on your net-work from a Mac

To locate and connect to Windows computers on a network,you can use the Network browser in the Finder.

If you cannot locate the Windows computer in the Networkbrowser, you may be able to connect to it using the Connect ToServer dialog in the Finder.

To locate the Windows computer, you need to know the work-group name for the computer and the network name (called the“computer name”) for the computer. To connect to the computer, youalso need a username and password and the name of the shared fold-er you want to access. If you don’t have this information, contact theperson who owns the computer, or your network administrator.

1 In the Finder, choose Go > Connect to Server.

2 Type the network address for the computer in the Server Addresstext box using one of these formats:

smb://DNSname/sharename

smb://IPaddress/sharename

3 Follow the onscreen instructions to type the workgroup nameand a username and password, and choose the shared folder youwant to access.

f you connect to the shared folder using Connect to Server, itsicon may appear in the Finder window sidebar or on the Desktop.

Moving Windows Files To A Mac

You may have files and settings on a Windows computer that youwant to use on a Macintosh. To get the information from aWindows computer to a Mac, you can connect the computersdirectly or connect them over a network. You can also copy filesfrom the Windows computer to an intermediary location such asa remote server, CD, or external hard disk, then copy the files fromthere to a Macintosh. Read on for more information on connectingcomputers and transferring Windows files to a Mac.

Detto Technologies’ Move2Mac software provides an easy wayto move files and settings to a Mac. Move2Mac transfers files froma Windows computer and automatically puts them in the appropriate places on a Mac. It includes a special USB cable and instruc-tions for preparing special files for use on a Mac.

What is Mac OS X?

People make two very common mistakes about the name “Mac OSX.” The word “Mac” is short for “Macintosh,” and is therefore notsupposed to be written “MAC.” The other mistake is that peoplepronounce the “X” in “Mac OS X” as “ex”; it is supposed to be thenumber 10, so you pronounce it “ten.”

When Steve Jobsreturned to Apple,it was in a direstate, the reasonbeing that the MacOS was very outdat-ed and hadn’t seena revision in years.Therefore, whenApple announcedMac OS X, it wasmet with an enthu-siasm that can hardly be overstated. The Apple faithful had been waiting fifteenyears for a worthy successor to the classic Mac operating system.Several had even jumped the gun and switched to the only com-mercial alternative, the Windows OS from Microsoft. Mac OS Xhad been through a series of code names in the developmentstages—Taligent, Copland, Rhapsody, and Cheetah. The last wassupposed to be just an internal code name, but it sounded coolenough as a branding for the final version, so it stayed on whenthe product left the labs.

OS X was supposed to regain some of the lost market share forApple, the market share that was lost to Windows 95 when it wasreleased in 1995. Consumers flocked to Windows 95 in droves.Sure, it lacked the fine polish of the Mac OS, but it was cheaperand compatible with all IBM PC clones. It wasn’t “insanely great,”but for most people, it did the job. After all previous attempts at reating a next-generation operating system to leap ahead ofWindows had failed, the second coming of Steve Jobs and theacquisition of NeXT gave Apple one final window of opportunity.

It was a fundamental divergence from the classic Mac OS. Thisoperating system was completely based on the XNU kernel andwas very “Unix-like.” (XNU is the name of the kernel used in theopen source Darwin computer operating system, which Appleuses as the foundation of Mac OS X. It is a hybrid kernel based ona mixed Mach kernel and the FreeBSD kernel codebase. XNU is arecursive acronym for “XNU is Not Unix.”) This ensured that itwas extremely stable and secure. The core is called Darwin, and iscompletely open source. Apple added a lot of custom technologiesto Darwin such as the QuickTime engine, the Aqua interface,Finder, etc. Pre-emptive multi-tasking and memory protectionwere some of the core technologies Apple introduced, whichensured that the OS could multi-task effectively with all theresources shared among the various applications as and whenrequired. They also ensured that an application crash would nottake down the entire system.

The Aqua interface was the most distinct addition to theDarwin core. It gave the operating system a beautiful, liquid sortof look and feel. Windows XP was released a short while afterMac OS X, and Mac users had the opportunity to sneer at thedecidedly ugly looks of XP when compared to Cheetah. The Aquainterface has undergone a lot of refinement over the years andcompared to the smooth and minimalist look of Tiger today,Cheetah looks a bit too gaudy; but at the time, it was the goldstandard in interface design.

There have been five versions of OS X so far—Cheetah (March2001), Puma (September 2001), Jaguar (August 2002), Panther(October 2003) and Tiger (April 2005). Though all the other ver-sions had to be paid for, Puma was basically a bug-fix release thatwas released as a free update for existing Cheetah users. The forth-coming version of Mac OS X is called Leopard, and is expected to ship in October 2007. As Apple puts it, “Just as Vista tries to getcloser, Mac OS X Leopard is right around the corner—ready to leapeven farther ahead.” There will be a lot of comparisons of Tiger toVista in this book, but it is to be noted that Tiger is already a two-year-old operating system, and that the real competitor for Vista isgoing to be Leopard.

The Origins Of The iPod

Until 2001, the portable musicplayer market was in its infancy.Small-capacity players, clunkyand primitive interfaces, poorbattery life. Then in October2001, Apple introduced the iPod.This player boasted of 1000 CD-quality songs packed into anultra-portable device that fitcomfortably inside a pocket. Thefirst iPod had a 5 GB hard drive,10 hours of music playback, anda 160 x 128 pixel display. But it was not these features that set the iPod apart from other players.It was that the iPod introduced the click-wheel, a scroll-wheel tothumb through the music collection. The iPod also came with theFireWire interface, which was much faster than the USB 1.1 speedsavailable to most other music players.

The iPod caught on mainly because it was easy to use, whichwas facilitated by its easy syncing capabilities with iTunes. Justplug the iPod in, and the library was automatically synced viaFireWire. The first generation iPod was a Mac only device.

Second, Third, Fourth, Fifth

The second-generation iPod was more of an upgrade to the firstgeneration. Introduced in March 2002, it offered 10 GB of diskspace and also offered storing of contacts information inside theiPod. The iPod was still a Mac only device.

Then Apple introduced iTunes for Windows—a giant leap forApple as it expanded its customer base. This release also meant therelease of the third-generation iPod, in September 2003, with agiant leap in hard drive capacity with 20 GB / 40 GB models. Thenew iPod also had a facelift, was thinner, smaller and the control buttons moved upwards while introducing a solid non-movingclick-wheel as seen in today’s iPods. It also came with USB 2.0 sup-port for compatibility with the PC.

In January 2004, the iPod mini was introduced. It was thesmallest portable music player ever to hold up to 1,000 songs. Itwas encased in an ultra-portable, lightweight anodised alumini-um body and available in five colours. The mini also incorporatedthe touch-sensitive click-wheel as well as support for the PC.

October 2004, the fourth-generation iPod was introduced witha colour screen with photo display capabilities. iPod Photo createdan entirely new iPod experience in full colour for viewing albumartwork, calendars, contacts, and games. The click-wheel now inte-grated the playback control buttons within its boundaries, givingit a much more minimalistic look.

The fifth-generation iPod, announced in October 2005, intro-duced video playback along with a gorgeous black version movingaway from Apple’s trademark white. This iPod was super-slim, hadup to 60 GB of storage capacity, and 20 hours of music playback.The larger 2.5-inch screen displayed 320 x 240 videos with a limit-ed two hours of video playback time. This coincided with Apple’sannouncement of television show and music video downloads atthe iTunes Music Store.

At around the same time, it also introduced the iPod nano, arazor-thin iPod. The nano incorporated Flash-based storage, andwas available in 2 GB / 4 GB variants of black / white. It featuredthe click wheel as well as a 1.5-inch colour display with supportfor photos

The shuffle was introduced in January 2005, to cash in onthe Flash-drive-based music players. Smaller than a pack of gum,the shuffle integrated with iTunes and updated its tracks usingthe Autofill feature. The shuffle was available in 512 MB and 1GB variants.

In September 2006, Apple updated its iPod, dubbed 5.5Gen, toa brighter screen as well as upping its battery life to a more accept-able six hours of video playback. This coincided with Apple’sannouncement of movie downloads at the iTunes Store. Apple alsointroduced the iPod nano second generation, encased in coloursand upping the battery life to above 25 hours.

Apple also introduced the iPod shuffle second-gen, which wasclaimed to be the smallest portable music player. Super-small witha single 1 GB model, the iPod shuffle 2G is just half a cubic inch involume and boasts 12 hours of battery life.

Laptop keeps restarting randomly - problem

There could be many problems that can cause yourlaptop to restart automatically and randomly. Here are afew common problems
Faulty battery: Most spontaneous shutdown and restartingproblems on laptops are due to a faulty battery. Laptop batter-ies are like mobile phone batteries—they do not last forever.A heavily-used laptop, where it is often running only onbattery power, will use up its battery at any stage between thefirst and second year of use. What is not very well known isthat even if you always use your laptop from the mains ratherthan on battery, a faulty battery will still adversely affectyour laptop’s operation, from unwanted shutdowns to spon-taneous restarts or freezes. Take the battery out, plug thelaptop directly into the power mains, and see if you still expe-rience spontaneous shutdowns or reboots.
Faulty power adaptor: This is not a common occurrence,but power adaptors do go faulty—either through lack of careor through wear and tear. With the battery out of the laptop,
if you have a spare power adaptor from an iden-tical laptop, see if replacing it solves the prob-lem. Otherwise, try wiggling the cord that leadsfrom the adaptor to the laptop and see if thatstabilises the problem—if it does, then the power adaptorneeds replacing.
Problem with mains power: Is the switching off or restart-ing happening anywhere, or only in a particular place or room?
Faulty internal cooling fan: Most laptops have one ormore internal cooling fans—it is those fans which producethe quiet whirring noise you can hear when you turn yourlaptop on. If any of these fans stops working, the laptopmay overheat and, if it does, it will automatically shutdown to prevent total damage. Observe whether yourlaptop shuts down after near enough the same amount oftime every time (with the same amount of activity while itis on—and allowing the laptop to cool down between exper-iments). If it does, then it is quite probable that it is shut-ting down because of overheating. Feel the underside ofthe laptop with your hand—most often, it is possible to tellthat the laptop is abnormally hot. If your laptop is indeedshutting down because of lack of cooling, you need to takeit to the repair store.

Make The Toolbar Notification Fade Out Faster

When you’ve got WMP running in thetoolbar mode, a notification fades inevery time you hover the mouse over thetoolbar, and then fades out when youmove the mouse away. To control thetime it takes to fade out, you need tocreate a Registry DWORD called DeskbandFlyoutTimeout in
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\MediaPlayer\Preferences. Set it to0x0 to stop this deskband from everappearing, 0xFFFFFFFF to keep it forever,or any value in milliseconds that you wish.

Start > Run Shortcuts

Use these shortcuts in Start > Run toget to your configuration tools faster inWindows XP Professional:

compmgmt.msc Computer management console
devmgmt.msc Device manager
diskmgmt.msc Disk management
dfrg.msc Disk defragmenter
fsmgmt.msc Shared folders
gpedit.msc Group policy editor
lusrmgr.msc Local users and groups
perfmon.msc Performance monitor
secpol.msc Local security settings
services.msc Manage services

How to Speed Up With A USB Stick

If you’ve got yourself a large USBFlash drive (at least 1 GB, preferably 2),you can move your system’s page fileonto it for significantly betterperformance, because accessing flashmemory is typically faster than youraverage hard disk.
You should also optimise the Flashdrive for performance—right-click on itin My Computer, select Properties. Go tothe Hardware tab, select your Flashdrive and click Properties. Under thePolicies tab, select “Optimise forperformance”.
A couple of caveats: Firstly, if youremove this drive while Windows isrunning, you could cause it to crash, sobe careful there. Secondly, Flash drivesare good only for limited read/writecycles, so this approach is definitelygoing to eat into its lifetime. Use thistip only for when you really need theperformance boost rather than as apermanent solution.

Clear The Page File On Shutdown

This setting may or may not improve yoursystem’s performance (it depends on yourusage patterns), but it does provide reliefto the paranoid. Your Windows swap filemay contain unencrypted text, includingpasswords, that could be exploited byinterested parties. To delete the file whenyou shut down your system, you’ll find asetting under Computer Configuration >Windows Settings > Security Settings >Local Policies > Security Options called“Shutdown: Clear virtual memorypagefile”. Double-click this, select Enabledand click OK. Your shutdown time willincrease marginally, though.

Track Down Naughty Drivers

While you rarely see a BSOD withWindows XP, the few times they do cropup are usually due to misbehavingdrivers. To see which of these (if any) iscausing your problems, use XP’s unsungDriver Verifier (Start > Run > “verifier” >[Enter]). In the first screen, select CreateStandard Settings and move ahead toselect which drivers to verify. Once
you’ve done that, you’ll need to rebootto let the Verifier do its job. If a driver isindeed your problem, then you’ll get ablue screen during the booting processwhich will tell you which driver it is. Ifyour PC boots fine, then your problemslie elsewhere.
To reset the verifier, do Start > Run >verifier /reset > [Enter].

Remove The Shared Documents

Hate the “Shared Documents” iconat the top of your My Computerwindow? Instead of trying to figure outwhy this bizarre “feature” was needed,here’s how you can be rid of it: openthe Registry Editor (Start > Run >“regedit” > [Enter]), go toHKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\My Computer\NameSpace\DelegateFolders, and delete the sub-key(it looks like a folder) called {59031a47-3f72-44a7-89c5-5595fe6b30ee}. Youshould see the effect immediately.

Tv tunner card for Toshiba A105 series

You have two options—USB TV-Tuners
and the Card Bus type. The former plug
into a USB 2.0 port and can be connected
to regular PCs as well as laptops. The Card
Bus type of TV-Tuners go into the PCMCIA slot
and are specifically designed for laptops. Card
bus tuners are available from Pinnacle,
Compro, and AVER. There are different variants
available—some have an FM tuner and/or
PVR functionalities, and the price will depend
on these features. USB TV-Tuners are relatively
bulky, and carrying them around might
be inconvenient

How to increase printer speed

Printers always print at speeds lower than what the
manufacturers advertise. However, there are many
factors that affect the speed of a printer. Go to Start >
Settings > Printers and right-click the default printer.
Choose Properties > Advanced tab, and select the option
“Print directly to the printer” rather than “Spool print
documents so program finishes printing faster”. You can
also check the printer spool settings to see if that is the
cause of your problem: go to Start > Settings > Printers,
right-click on your printer, then choose Properties >
Details > Spool Settings. Change the spool data format
from RAW to EMF, or vice-versa. (The location of this
option, too, depends on the type of printer.) The other

most obvious determinant of print speed is
the printer settings. Choosing a lower print
resolution, for instance, or printing in black
and white rather than in colour, can increase
the speeds.
You could also try opting for the printer’s “high-speed” or
“fast” printing mode. Almost all printer drivers have such a
mode, optimised for day-to-day printing needs. If you need
more speed, consider setting the printer to print multiple
smaller pages per single sheet of paper. Consult the printer
user’s manual for detailed instructions about how to activate
the fast printing mode and adjust the pages-per-sheet setting.
Another important factor in determining print speeds
is the health of the system. A system with lots of system
memory, a neatly-organised hard drive with at least 100 MB
of free space, and a powerful processor will be much more
efficient in feeding data to the printer than a system that
is lacking in these key areas. Install enough memory on
your computer to take care of your needs. Run Disk
Defragmenter periodically.

How to Recover Excel passwords

There are many tools available to recover passwords for Excel files. Some of these are
AOPR 3.11 from www.elcomsoft.com/aopr.html (􀀀49—Rs 3,000—for the Home Edition), Excel Key from www.lostpassword.com/excel.htm ($45; Rs 2,000), and Excel Password from http://lastbit.com/excel/ ($39; Rs 1,750).

How to connect two pc to be transfer data between them

If you wish to connect two PCs to each other,
they both need to have network cards
installed. You’ll also need what is called a
crossover cable. Now, first make sure File and
Printer Sharing is enabled: open Network
Connections in the Control Panel, right-click on
Local Area Connection, and select Properties. In
the General tab, look for “File and Printer Sharing
for Microsoft Networks” and make sure the
checkbox next to it is selected. (If it isn’t in the
list, go to Install > Services > Add and choose this
service to add it.) Now return to the General tab,
select “Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)” and click on
Properties. Enter an IP address such as
“192.168.1.10” and a Subnet Mask of 255.255.255.0
for one computer, and the IP address
“192.168.1.11” and the same Subnet Mask for the
other. Now, for a particular folder that is to be
shared, right-click on it and click on “Sharing and
Security”. Enter the share name of the folder and
click OK. Connect the two computers using the
crossover cable. You should now be able to access
the contents of the shared folders on one
computer from the other.

Digital tattoo enables arm-based conversations, constant health monitoring

Okay, so this whole digital tattoo concept still seems more reasonable than littering one's body with Zune imagery or the BSOD message, but we're still a tad creeped out. Dreamed up by Jim Mielke, this minuscule, implantable display would reportedly connect to an artery and a vein for its power and could display caller ID information as well as video chats right on one's arm. Best of all, this thing won't become the source of all kinds of regret when you head over the hill, as it could also be used to constantly monitor certain aspects of your health and give you a heads-up if anything goes awry. If you're not squirming in your seat at the mere thought of this, it may indeed be right down your alley -- one day, that is.

Sony's Bravia F-series is no wallflower

Sony Japan just announced their Bravia F-series of thin LCDs. We're talking 46-inches with just 7.4-cm of non-protruding, wall-mountable goodness when these go live in Japan on March 25th. Available in 1080p resolution ¥400,000 (about $3,700) 46-inch and ¥290,000 ($2,685) 40-inch configurations or a ¥200,000 ($1,852) 32-inch model offering 1,366 x 768 pixel resolution. Each set features Sony's 120Hz Motion Flow tech, a 3,000:1 contrast ratio, 24p True Cinema mode, Bravia Sync HDMI control, Bravia Engine 2 processing, and a bevy of jacks including 3x HDMI, 2x S-Video, 3x composite and yes, Ethernet. Sony's 2.4GHz Bravia Link remote allows the controller to be used without pointing it directly at the set. More Sony sets on the way in a few.

Scientist Invents 'Self-Healing' Rubber

A chemistry professor in Paris has come up with a kind of rubber that can "heal" itself.

Ludwik Leibler says his rubber can be stuck back together if it is torn, then used over and over.

Leibler and his colleagues built up their rubber from simple starting materials including vegetable oil and urea, a component of urine. The resulting material is a cross between silly putty and a rubber ball with applications ranging from adhesives to bicycle tires.

When the material melds together again, it has just as much strength as it had before, says Leibler, a polymer chemist at the Industrial Physics and Chemistry Higher Educational Institution (ESPCI) in Paris, France.

Limited edition R2-D2 DVD projector up for pre-order

Remember that R2-D2 projector that's been taunting you for months? Of course, how could you forget? Apparently, these critters are getting set to roll off the assembly line (seen above, if you couldn't piece it together) and into eager hands everywhere. The R2-D2 DVD Projector is up for pre-order right now for a stiff €2,799 ($4,114), and while that's most definitely more than we'd like to pay, it's probably better than waiting for all 4,000 to run out and being forced to pay "market price."

Fioravanti Hidra Concept headed to Geneva

Another design house, Italy’s Fioravanti, plans to showcase a brand new concept car at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show dubbed the Hidra. The new design is for a five-door coupe and is being presented to mark Fioravanti’s 20th anniversary. What’s quickly proving to be the theme of this year’s show, the new Hidra has been designed to showcase next-generation alternative energy powertrains and flexible vehicle architectures.

The Hidra is described as a “sporty multi-functional vehicle” or MPC (Multi Purposes Coupe). Inside there’s space for four and what designers are calling a “revolutionary patented solution for the glass surfaces.” The Fioravanti studio was founded 20 years ago by Leonardo Fioravanti, a former Pininfarina designer whose previous collaborations include vehicles such as the Ferrari Daytona, Ferrari Dino, Ferrari 512 Berlinetta Boxer, the Ferrari 308 GTB, and the Ferrari 288 GTO.

Other studios presenting new concept cars at this year’s Geneva Motor Show include Pininfarina with its Sintesi Concept, Bertone with the Alfa Romeo B.A.T. 11 and even Turin’s IED design school with the Maserati Chicane Concept.

Sony debuts A820, A720 and S710F series Walkman players in the States

Remember all that Walkman hotness that Sony hit Japan with last week? Well, as anyone might've guessed, it's headed Stateside soon for your earbud consumption. In addition to the new NWZ-A820 series flagship (pictured), Sony has the NWZ-A720 series, which cops the looks and specs, but loses the Bluetooth of the A820 players. Both players have roughly 10 hours of video battery life, and 36 hours for audio, with 2.4-inch QVGA screens and capacities ranging from 4GB to 16GB. Meanwhile, the new NWZ-S710F skimps on the sexy looks, and only sports a 1.8-inch QVGA screen, but adds built-in noise canceling. Codec support for all the players includes protected WMA, unprotected AAC, MP3 and H.264 video. The full model rundown is as follows, everything will be available in March

NWZ-A828K - 8GB, black, Bluetooth, DR-BT21G Bluetooth wireless headphones, $270
NWZ-A829 - 16GB, black, Bluetooth, $320
NWZ-A726 - 4GB, black and pink, $150
NWZ-A728 - 8GB, black and pink, $200
NWZ-A729 - 16GB, black, $300
NWZ-S716F - 4GB, silver, red and black, $150
NWZ-S718F - 8GB, black, $200

We say "no comment" to Sony's six new voice recorders

What, they're voice recorders, exactly how much do you want us to say about 'em?

ICD-UX70, ICD-UX80 (pictured) - 1 / 2GB, stereo MP3 recording, USB mass storage. April release for $100, $150.
ICD-SX68, ICD-SX68DR9 - both have 512MB and are designed to work with Dragon NaturallySpeaking for voice to text; the DR9 includes Dragon. April release for $150 and $200.
ICD-P620 - 512MB, USB mass storage, includes Digital Voice Editor software. April release for $60.
ICD-B600 - 512MB low-ender. April release for $40.

Sony squirts out new iPod dock, Bluetooth gear

Yeah, just like that and Sony's got a new iPod dock / clock radio -- the ICF-ClipMK2 -- which comes in both black and white with line-in for $100 this May. Also announced, the clippable DRC-BT15 Bluetooth A2DP / AVRCP receiver and SRS-BT100 30 Watt A2DP speakers. The Bluetooth gear is out March for $130 and $160, respectively.

Sungjut TangoX Nano UMPC Comes With Integrated, Detachable Skype Phone

Checkout the new Sungjut TangoX Nano UMPC, which will have a VIA CPU C7-M ULV at 1.2GHz, 1GB of DDR2 RAM, 40 or 80GB HDD, HD Audio, 7" WVGA (800x480) touch screen, 4 in 1 Card reader, Ethernet Port , WiFi a/b/g, USB 2.0 (2 ports), DVI output and a detachable, integrated Skye handset. Do you hear the Eee PC running a little scared? Jump to the gallery for some more tasty images.

How Sungjut managed to squeeze all those features into a case measuring 230 mm x171 mm x 29.4 mm and weighing in under 1 kg is quite beyond us, but if the keyboard doesn't completely suck and pricing is reasonable, the Sungjut TangoX Nano UMPC looks like a solid winner. There is no word on pricing or availability yet, but stay tuned for further announcements.

Is hydrogen still a viable solution?

Only a couple of years ago a hydrogen future was all the rage with both car companies and lawmakers alike but in more recent times we’ve seen many of the same supporters back away from the clean fuel. We saw dozens of hydrogen powered fuel-cell concept cars rolled out at car shows around the world and even saw BMW produce a limited run of hydrogen powered 7-series limos, which it leased to a number of celebrities to promote the technology, but the idea of a hydrogen economy still fails to ignite significant interest.

One of the main reasons for the movement away from hydrogen is because of the tens of billions of dollars required to develop the fuel infrastructure. The other major problem is that there are so many alternatives drawing research dollars, such as methanol, all-electric power, hybrids, fuel cells, ethanol and now plug-in hybrids, that it has become extremely difficult to focus on just a single technology, reports Automotive News.

The U.S. government hasn’t completely given up on the hydrogen society. The U.S. Energy Department, for example, has set a 2015 deadline for the commercial viability of hydrogen powered vehicles but even this is considered false hope. A new report from the Government Accountability Office, a congressional watchdog agency, says that deadline will have to be pushed back.

It’s not all bad news for hydrogen fans. Despite the negativity there has been some significant progress. The cost of mass producing a fuel-cell powertrain has fallen from about $3,000 per kilowatt of output in the early 1990s to about $107 in 2006, and the Detroit 3 are still spending billions of dollars on fuel-cell R&D. Then there’s Honda, which beat everyone to the table when it unveiled the FCX Clarity last year.

At the end of the day, the success of a hydrogen fueled society ultimately depends on the fuel being readily available and sold at a reasonable price. We have the technology, what we need now is the infrastructure, but with carmakers focusing on biofuels and rechargeable electric vehicles it appears the hydrogen society will remain just a pipedream

Bi-Color LED Blow On-Off Candles

Lasers and super-bright flashlights are quite prevalent sources of illumination in science fiction. But fantasy has always chosen a more classical approach to light. Torches and magical fireballs and candles are what dispel the shadows and blackness of the night. Candles light Great Halls in schools of magical learning; they burn bright in the chambers of Elven Kings; they even sit on the birthday cakes of Norse Gods (or so Dirk Gently tells us). But candles can be dangerous ("Fire bad" and all that), so we've stirred a mix of science fiction into our candles of fantasy and these awesome LED candles are the result.

The LED Blow On-Off Candles are solid wax (except for some electronics) and feature a natural-looking, flickering light just like normal candles, but they have a couple of extra techno enhanced powers. Regular candles will blow out if you blow on the flame, but these LED candles will also blow on. All you have to do is use the master on/off switch on the bottom, and these candles will turn on and off with just a puff at the "flame". Even better, each candle has a switch to select either a cool blue flame, or a more realistic yellowish flame. From the proper distance and height, these candles will fool everyone into thinking they are the real thing; they are a fantastic way to put candles where it is too dangerous to have open flames. And, they won't drip wax all over your mithril armor either.

Candles are approx. 3" in diameter (4" or 6" tall, your choice). The 4" candle uses button type batteries (included. plus we give you an extra set to be nice) while the 6" candle takes 3 AAAbatteries (not included). The candles will "burn" for 300 hours on a single set of batteries.

Please Note:The 4" candle features a pushbutton on the bottom to change from blue to natural yellow color, while the 6" candle has a three position switch (left = blue color, center = off, right = natural yellow color).

Getac B300 Rugged Laptop Plays Nice With Night Vision Goggles

The B300 is one hell of a rugged laptop, just checkout these specs: 13.3-inch XGA display, Intel Core 2 Duo 1.6GHz processor, a maximum of 4GB RAM, Super-Multi DVD ROM, WiFi, Bluetooth, 12-hour maximum battery life, rugged magnesium alloy case, Biometric Fingerprint Reader, as well as options for 3G and GPS. The lappie with a thick skin incorporates Sunlight Readable Technology, which does exactly what is says on the tin; it ensures the screen is readable in extremely bright conditions. Additionally, the Night Vision mode will allow users to operate the B300 even whilst wearing night vision goggles. It is just as well Getac's offering is wind, dust and rain resistant, too, as we very much doubt you will be needing that night vision mode in your bedroom. (Unless you do, you complete, extreme perv.)

Bluetrek BiZZ - Bluetooth headset with built-in data storage

Bluetrek has found yet another way to sell a Bluetooth headset, offering the BiZZ headset with flash memory.
The lightweight headset (10g) offers up to 6 hours talk time, runs for up to 10 days on standby and has four sixes of fitting. But once you remove the headset’s speaker cover, the BiZZ is transformed into a USB key. No actual storage in the unit though - you need to add your own MicroSD or SDHC card, which will offer storage of up to 8GB whenever you need it. And as one final bonus, if offers charging via USB.
You can pick one up now, priced £39.99.

Google lays down fiber, capable of 7.68 terabits per second

Fiber: it’s a major part of communication. Google: a super search engine that is a part of most everyone’s life. Combine the two and what do you get? A Pacific subsea fiber optic cable with the ability to transfer up to 7.68 Terabits of data per second between the United States and Japan. In a press release, Google announced that, along with six international companies, a $300 million undersea fiber-optic cable is going to be routed from the West Coast, including Los Angeles, to Chikura, located near Tokyo.“The Unity cable system allows the members of the consortium to provide the increased capacity needed as more applications and services migrate online, giving users faster and more reliable connectivity.” -Jayne Stowell, a Unity spokespersonThe Unity Group includes Bharti Airtel, Global Transit, KDDI Corporation, Pacnet. SingTel, and of course, Google. The undersea cable is to provide more bandwidth for the growth demand expected in the coming years and will have construction begin immediately. The cable is expected to be operational in it’s first state by 2010.

Samsung announces two gamer plasmas for Korea

Want to jump into the 3D madness? Well suit yourself with these 2 new PAVV TVs from Samsung in Korea, available in 42 and 50” which are “3D Ready PDP TV” (PDP = Plasma). Samsung worked in collaboration with Electronic Arts in order to make sure that these TVs will give you the best game experience possible and to tweak the 3D display rendering. It is also important to note that our TVs receive the DNIe+ (Digital Natural Image engine+). On a side note we have here the USB 2.0 Support, and the HDMI 1.3 and are Full HDNow if 3D PDP TV was not MAD enough, Samsung announce a contrast ratio of 1,000,000:1… Well I am not sure if this is a typo here from the Samsung PR documents but WOW.

Solar Powered Notebook Concept

This solar notebook concept is a laptop with complete power independent. Its independence is due to powerful batteries that are recharged by wide Solar Panel attached to the computer. Equipped with satellite link GPS, internet access, and satellite telephone which makes this device not only power independent but also universal tool for communication and exchange information literally from any spot on the planet.
The solar panel may be completely detached from the main body to be put away for recharging, then smaller battery inside the computer is on. This small battery is recharged with solar power too when DC is plugged in.

This sure do will come in handy for scientists or researchers who work far away from civilization and power source.

Apple Announces iTunes Now No.2 Music Retailer In US

Apple has announced that iTunes digital media online store (www.itunes.com) is now the second-largest (No.2) U.S. music retailer in US, behind only Wal-Mart, based on the latest data from the Market Research company - NPD Group. According to Apple, more than 4 billion songs have been sold through iTunes music store so far, with an incredible 20 million songs sold on Christmas Day 2007 alone.

“We’d like to thank the over 50 million music lovers who have helped the iTunes Store reach this incredible milestone,” said Eddy Cue, Apple’s vice president of iTunes. “We continue to add great new features like iTunes Movie Rentals to give our customers even more reason to love iTunes.”

UK-Onyx Launches New Liscio Mobile Phone

“If you appreciate beauty and design this is the mobile phone for you. The Liscio really is a hot, new handset that will turn heads wherever it goes,” said Zafar Mirza of Onyx".
The new UK company that offers elegant, lifestyle, mobile products, Onyx has recently announced the launch of its first mobile device, named as Liscio. As what you see in the photo, the Onyx Liscio is a sleek, compact, cool and elegant mobile phone which aimed to compliment the stylish
Technical Specifications Of Onyx Liscio Handset:
Network: Tri-band GSM 900, DCS 1800, PCS 1900
Screen Display: OLED Full colour display
Screen Size: 1.10 inch
Screen Resolution: 96 x 96 pixels, 65k colours
Talk Time: Up to 3 hours
Playback Time: Up to 11 hours
Stand-by Time: Up to 200 hours
Built-in Memory: 128MB
External Memory: Micro SD (Max. 1GB)
Connectivity: Bluetooth v1.2
Ring tone: Polyphonic MP3
Multimedia: MP3, built-in FM radio, Supporting EQ

The new Onyx Liscio SIM-free cellphone which weighs only 60 grams and measures 90 x 35 x 18mm is available in the United Kingdom for £129.99 or about $255.

Robot love in the future?

THIS IS JUST A FUTURE TALK SO HAVE FUN AND THINK ABOUT FUTURE-Robot love in the future?

Sex with robots will be par for course by the middle of the 21st century, predicts David Levy in his book Sex with Robots: The Evolution of Human-Robot Relations

David Levy, who holds a PhD in gender studies and artificial intelligence, explains that this robotic sex revolution is "near" and that "the most expensive artificial skins and synthetic voices are already difficult to differentiate from the real thing." However, he concedes that "it will be a long time before the difference between robot and human will be indistinguishable."

According to David Levy, "robots which performs sex could also be a solution for the masses of socially awkward or unattractive people to fulfill their sexual urges and desires when all other avenues to meet a partner have been exhausted. Not everybody can go out and get a date when they want one.”

While many experts in artificial intelligence do agree that David Levy's vision is a possibility, they have their doubts about it actually materializing. They think that, because of the speed with which progress has been made with artificial intelligence and imitating human movements, Levy's idea of a robot that will satisfy as well as communicate well does not seem entirely far-fetched.

Those disagreeing with David Levy include Frederic Kaplan, a researcher at the Ecole Polytechnique Federale in Switzerland.

Frederic Kaplan, who programmed the brain of Aibo, Sony's robot dog, does not believe that truly human-like robots will be a reality in Levy's proposed timeframe.

Besides, Kaplan has been quoted as saying that he is "not entirely sure if we would want robots around that were impossible to differentiate from humans. Human-machine interactions will be interesting in their own right, not as 'simulation' of human relations.”

David Levy says in his book that these realistic robots will make people fall in love with them. He goes to the extent of presuming that women may be more attracted to “sex robots” than men, in view of the recent rise in the sales of vibrators.

In fact, a Japanese company named Axis has already made a basic version of a“sexbot” for men. These life-size sex dolls, called Honeydolls, are made with surgical-grade silicone and resin. Their breasts have sensors – so when pinched or squeezed, the doll emits a voice, whispering sweetly or yelling, as the occasion demands, that can be customized.

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Tuning gtalk to Voip phone and FM receiver

GTalk2VoIP is a free and publicly open voice gateway for major Instant Messenger clients. It makes possible voice interoperability between Google Talk, MSN/Live Messenger, Yahoo! Messenger and SIP phones without any additional software installation.

This service let you listen Teen Taal 110 radio station which aims at delivering new hindi songs .

All you have to do is to follow the steps below:

Open your Google talk and Sign in
After Signing In, click the add button and add this id service@gtalk2voip.com
After adding, add the second Id 110@radio.gtalk2voip.com
After completion of the steps above, make a call to the second id i.e call to 110@radio.gtalk2voip.com
Now you will directly be connected to Teen Taal Fm Station. (voice quality is average)

The first step of adding id would make you register the gtalk2voip service! Other features of Gtalk2Voip:

Make calls from Google Talk, Yahoo or MSN to any mobile or landline phone (PSTN)
Make calls to other Google Talk, Yahoo! and MSN/Live Messenger users or SIP phones (SIP URI)
Create voice conferences with other Google Talk, Yahoo! or MSN/Live Messenger users
Send or receive voicemail from/to Google Talk, Yahoo! or MSN/Live Messenger users
Receive calls to your Google Talk, Yahoo! or MSN/Live Messenger from mobile or landline phones (PSTN) by using DIDs or via SIP Broker service
Receive calls from SIP phones, including Gizmo Project, InPhonex, SJPhone and others
Send SIP/SIMPLE instant messages to SIP phonesHere is the link :Gtalk2VoipSource

Boot and run Linux from a USB flash memory stick-FIX

Carry a portable Linux version with you on a USB flash pen drive. Bring your portable desktop with you wherever you go.

USB Linux installation enables you to install a portable Linux operating system on a flash drive or USB key no larger than your thumb. This portable Linux operating system can then be run from any computer that can boot from a flash device, allowing you to bring your operating system, desktop, applications, files, email, personal settings, favorites, games and more with you. It’s like having your own personal operating system you can carry in your pocket. On this site, we provide many simplified portable Linux flash drive installation tutorials.

READ MORE !!

Waterproof Mp3 player : enjoy amplified surround sound underwater

After waterproof camcorder , an article on amazing waterproof technology and waterproof cellphones, I think mp3 players are next in the line. Attached with iRiver iFP-380T 128 mb , these scuba diving glasses can provide you stereo surround sound with an ibuilt amplifier and a headset.
This deal seems to be a steal at 99$ and it can work upto 200ft ( thats quite a bit, isnt it ).
The device seems to be good if you are really a hardcore music addict, and are so reluctant to ditch music while taking bath, or swimming or while diving in the sea. I hope the mp3 player is not sealed inside and hence must provide an option to use it even when you are not using the glasses. Listening to music while swimming or while diving could cause high distranction and could even result in some accidental injury due to lack of concentration.
No matter what, but I think many music lovers will surely like to buy this as early as possible. Now how of many of you are there reading this ??

Microsoft slammed by European Commission with $1.4b fine

It's a good thing Microsoft has tons and tons of money, because they keep finding themselves in a position where they've got to pay out -- big time. Such is the case today, where the European Commission has fined the monolithic company $1.4 billion due to failure to comply with a 2004 ruling on monopolistic business practices. The Commission found that the folks in Redmond had been guilty of -- gasp! -- freezing out competition by not providing
"vital information" to rival software companies. This isn't the first time it's had to pay, as the company already dropped $357 million on the case back in 2006. "Microsoft was the first company in 50 years of EU competition policy that the Commission has had to fine for failure to comply with an antitrust decision," said Competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes. Perhaps Ballmer and co. saw this one coming when they went "open" last week, though we're fairly confident this kind of fine carries only the slightest sting for the software giant.
READ.

The World First Real-Time Overclocking Graphics Cards EAH3850 OC GEAR

ASUS, the producer of exceptional graphical solutions, again unveils the world first real-time overclocking device for graphics cards EAH3850 OC GEAR. This model of OC GEAR bundled with AMD graphics cards in the form of the ASUS EAH3850 OC GEAR/HTDI/512M, with mirror LED display provide users real time information such as GPU temperature, current FPS, system master volume, GPU clock, Shader clock and memory clock, and user-friendly knob allows timely adjustments to switch menu option that include master volume, GPU clock, memory clock and fan speeds to suit the respective game requirement.

The EAH3850 OC GEAR also equipped with fastest DDR3 0.8ns memory modules that able users to enjoy with over 12% enhanced overclocking performance and gaming experiences. The high speed capabilities of the super memory modules allow boosting 3DMark06 scores from 9883 to 11259, GPU clock from 668 MHz to 840MHz and memory from 1.65GHz to 2.1 GHz.

Additionally, it also utilizes the latest thermal solution “Glaciator Fransink” to keep GPU temperatures cool by effectively transfer heat away and half quieter than the generic Fransink.

Sony Announces 13.6 Megapixel Cyber-shot DSC-W300 Digital Camera.

Sony has announced the launch of its new Cyber-shot DSC-W300 digital camera, boasting an ultra-high 13.6 megapixel CCD image sensor and an “extra high-speed” burst mode that able to shoot 3 megapixel photos at five frames per second, aiming to enhance your photography experience.

According to the company, the all-new Sony Cyber-shot W300 is expected to be among the industry’s most pocket-able, high- resolution point-and-shoot digital cameras featuring niche performance options.

Key Features Of Sony Cybershot DSC-W300:

13.6 effective megapixel CCD image sensor
2.7-inch Clear Photo LCD display (230k pixels) + eye-level optical viewfinder
Carl Zeiss® Vario-Tessar 3x optical zoom lens
Extra high sensitivity mode - ISO up to 6400
Extra high-speed burst mode shoots 3MP photos at 5 frames per second
Super SteadyShot® optical image stabilization
BIONZ processor; D-Range Optimizer; Smile Shutter and improved face detection technology
Intelligent scene recognition technology

The newest Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W300 compact digital cameras that come with an ultra-hard titanium coating will hit the market by May 2008 for a suggested retail price of $349.

Apple Launches New MacBook And MacBook Pro With Latest Intel Penryn Processors

The well-known multinational corporation, Apple has updated its popular MacBook and MacBook Pro notebook family with the latest Intel Core 2 Duo (Penryn) processors, larger hard disk drives and up to 2GB of memory standard, while the latest MacBook Pro includes an innovative Multi-touch trackpad, which first introduced in Apple MacBook Air.

According to the company, “The new MacBook Pro features the latest Intel Core 2 Duo technology with up to a 2.6 GHz processor with 6MB of shared L2 cache; up to 4GB of 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM memory and up to a 300GB hard drive, plus NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT graphics with up to 512MB of video memory. Every MacBook Pro now includes a trackpad with Multi-Touch gesture support for pinch, rotate and swipe, making it more intuitive than ever to zoom and rotate photos in iPhoto or Aperture 2 or browse web pages in Safari; an illuminated keyboard that makes it ideal for dimly lit environments such as airplanes, studios or conference halls and a built-in ambient light sensor, which automatically adjusts the brightness of the keys as well as the brightness of the display for optimal visibility.”

Prices Of The New MacBook And MacBook Pro:

13-inch, 2.1 GHz white MacBook - $1,099
13-inch, 2.4 GHz white MacBook - $1,299
13-inch, 2.4 GHz black MacBook - $1,499
15-inch, 2.4 GHz MacBook Pro - $1,999
15-inch, 2.5 GHz MacBook Pro - $2,499
17-inch, 2.5 GHz MacBook Pro - $2,799

All of the new MacBook and MacBook Pro incorporates an integrated iSight video camera for video conferencing on-the-go. Check more details, specifications of the new MacBook and MacBook Pro on its official site.

HOW TO Put Copy to Folder and Move to Folder option in the Right Click !!

HOW TO Put Copy to Folder and Move to Folder option in the Right Click !!

Like most computer professionals, I always try to find tweaks that improve the speed of my system or, at least, some usability aspects. In Windows XP, one of my favorite tweaks is one that enables the "Copy To Folder" and "Move To Folder" options in the right click menu. After using Windows Vista for a few weeks I tried this "trick" and

Enabling these two options requires some changes in the Windows Registry. Working with the Windows Registry is rather complicated so we tried to simplify things as much as possible. All you need to do is download the attached archive, extract it and follow the procedure described below:

First, download the attached archive file. After you extract it, you will see two files: enable_move_to.reg and enable_copy_to.reg.

Then, the Registry Editor will ask your permission to continue.

Once you press the Yes button, the necessary settings will be added and the Copy & Move To option will appear in the right click menu.

Note: You need to have administrative rights in order to enable these two options.

How to crack ANY TYPE OF CD PROTECTION

crack ANY TYPE OF CD PROTECTION

Now I’m gonna show you, how to crack any type of CD Protection, using W32Dasm (you can download it from http://prt.kgb.pl/index.php?path=misc%2Fprogramowanie),and HIEW (http://www.hiew.ru/) .

OK, let’s start:

First of all, you have to run the game you want to crack, without the CD. The game, doesn’t work of course, BUT a window pops up, telling you an error message. This error message will help you to crack the game so, you’ve got to remember it.

For example:

Please insert the - CD, or: You need the CD to play the - . ( -, is thegame you want to crack). Anyway, if you can’t remember it,write it, in a little piece of paper. Now, run Win32Dasm , and on the toolbar, press the first little button on the left, OR, go to Disassembler

->Open file to Disassemble.

menu will pop up. Select the exe which you want to crack. The disassemble, will take few minutes so,OK, it finished its process. Now, in your screen, there is a strange text, and we can’t understand anything of course. Don’t worry, the only thing we have to do, ( If you want, you can change the font), is to click on the String Data References , the button next to the print button (Strn.REF). You can see a window which is called String Data Items . Scroll down, and try tofind the game’s error message. When you’ll find it , double click on it , and then,close the window, to go back to the Win32Dasm text. As you can see you are somewhere in the CD check routine. This is the message’s place.

Now comes the interesting and difficult part, so, be careful. We don’t know what all this mean, BUT we must know the @ offset ofevery call and jump command. Write down , every call and jump @ offset number. (You have to be sure, that the OPBAR change its used color to green). You need the number behind the @offset

without the h.

Let’s go to Hiew.

HIEW:

To move up and down, use the cursor keys.Start HIEW. exe. In the HIEW directory, there is a list of exes and programs. Go to the directory, which you saved the game’s exe, we want to crack, and click on the exe. Click F4,and then, a menu will pop up, with 3 words. Text, Hex, and Decode. Click on Decode, and now, we can understand the list of numbers.Click F5, and you can now enter the number, we wrote down, in Win32Dasm. Type it, and you will be placed at the number’s place. The cursor is placed on a command.Before I’ll continue, I want to explain you something. For example, if the command where our cursor is placed, is E92BF9BF74, means that it is 5 bytes.Every 2 numbers, are one byte: E9-2B-F9-BF-74 = 90-90-90-90-90. 10 letters, mean, 5 bytes. The number 90, is the “Noop number”.OK, i hope you understood it ,Press F3, which means edit, and now you can edit these ten numbers.Type five times, the number 90. For every byte, 90. Now click on F10 to exit.We cracked the CD protection of the - . Congratulations!!!!