Apple's iPhone is finally out!!

Apple's eagerly awaited and (grossly) over-hyped iPhone has finally arrived as promised on the 29th of June, 2007. Love it or hate it, but you can't ignore it. The iPhone will hit Indian shores in early 2008 though, insiders say that it could be as early as as November 2007.

Unofficially though, you can get the iPhone pretty soon from the grey markets of National Bazar or Majestic Area in Bangalore for around Rs. 30,000. Since the phone is locked i.e. Apple has tied up for an exclusive tie up with AT&T, you can get it unlocked for anything between Rs. 1,000 to Rs. 1,500 to make it work with any GSM network in India.

Needless to say, entertainment companies have come out with special iPhone ready trailers and movies. A wide collection of downloadable media items.

The large screen of the iPhone means you can thoroughly enjoy videos/movies and hopefully this one factor should itself drive sales here in India. I for one just can't wait to get my hands on the iPhone. The phone it too cool to be ignored. Do let me know what you think about the iPhone, whether you would buy one or not and more importantly, what would you do with the awesome multimedia capabilities of the iPhone in the comments.

Use Windows Vista On / Off Feature :: Much easier than the laborious Install / Uninstall Programs

In the older versions of Windows like XP / 2000, to turn a feature OFF you had to Uninstall it completely from your computer. But in Windows Vista the features remain stored on your hard disk, so you can turn them back ON if you want to. Turning off a feature does not uninstall the feature, and it does not reduce the amount of hard disk space used by Windows features.

You can access this very cool utility via Control Panel, Uninstall or Change a Program, and in the left hand side menu, "Turn Windows features on or off". You will get an UAC prompt and that's about it [Screenshot Below - Click to Enlarge].



From this cool interface you can switch ON / OFF some popular services like the Microsoft Message Queue Server, Print Services, Remote Differential Compression, ActiveX Installer Service, to the Games, to the Indexing Service, Internet Information Service, Microsoft .NET Framework 3.0, Removable Storage Management, RIP Listener, Simple TCPIP Services, SNP Feature, Windows DFS Replications Service, Windows Fax and Scan, Tablet PC Optional Components, Telnet Client, Telnet Server, TFTP Client, Windows Meeting Place and Windows Process Activation Service.

Also, you maybe interested to know List of Services that you don't need in Windows Vista to make it work faster.

nCleaner :: A Powerful Freeware System Cleaner with over 90 Functionalities

nCleaner is a system cleaner that allows you to clean both your system and applications, free more disk space, boost your system's speed and get more stability and privacy protection. It contains an advanced system and application cleaner with over 90 cleaning items available, a Registry Cleaner, a Tweak Manager, an advanced Startup Manager, a Junk Finder, a Free Space Shredder, a System Resource Monitor, a System Adviser, supports logging and statistics as well as advanced Scheduling.

This very cool Freeware also offers memory management, advanced schedule options, real time system resources monitoring, system tweak manger, startup manager, loging options, automatic updater, plugin options, custom clean, advanced statistics and many other features.

The List of Endless features of nCleaner are as follows:

• Clean over 80 Windows system and applications items (locations) + over 100 application plugins, making your system faster, more stable and protecting your privacy.
• Clean your registry and fix Windows errors.
• Monitor your system resources to maintain a certain amount of free disk space and optimize memory usage.
• Monitor you system using the System Advisor and correct critical Windows errors.
• Optimize system memory usage.
• Protect your privacy by shredding all deleted clean items (using professional algorithms), so they cannot be recovered using specialized recovery software.
• Add custom files and folders to be cleaned on each system clean.
• Choose which cookies you want to keep and which you want removed.
• Shred free space on all hard disks and partitions, so that previous deleted files cannot be recovered using specialized recovery software.
• Tweak your system to protect your privacy by enabling or disabling hidden Windows features that could have allowed intruders on your system.
• Tweak your system to make it faster and stable by disabling unnecessary features and services and recover resources.
• Use predefined Tweak profiles to enable the best Tweak configurations.
• Use the advanced Startup Manager to see ALL objects launched at startup including services and system objects.
• This powerful module allows you to spot hidden viruses or unwanted applications and disable them.
• Use the advanced Startup Manager to save a list file with all objects that are launched at startup.
• Find unnecessary files on your system (backup files, log files, invalid shortcuts and many other) and remove them.
• You can also add your own files you want to scan for and remove.
• Schedule cleans at startup, shutdown, on browser close at specific time based intervals.
• Maintain log file with all actions and the time when they occurred.
• Maintain advanced statistics on how you use nCleaner and its effect.
• Choose one of 4 shredding algorithms for best privacy protection or clean speed.
• Password protect key, sensitive features in the application while still allowing cleaning the system.
• Clean your Windows Vista based system.
• Manage system Services. Disable, start, stop Services.

Click here to Download nCleaner from the Official Website.

Click on Screenshot to Enlarge

People In Need :: Heart Warming Paper Ads at Cannes

The Ads below are some Heart Warming Paper Ads at Cannes this year. These Ads won the silver lions in Outdoor Category at Cannes. The Ad was created for the organization People In Need Charity and was created by a well known agency Saatchi & Saatchi. Truly Heart Warming!!

Click on the Ad Below to Enlarge

Sunglasses 24 euro - access to water 8 euro

Pint of beer 4,50 euro - 50 liters of fresh water 1,50 euro

Aftershave 35 euro, basic home 6,50 euro

Handbag 32 euro - Food for a week 4 euro

More Details about this Ad:

Type Of Entry: PRODUCT & SERVICE
Category: Fundraising & Appeals
Title: SUNGLASSES
Advertiser/Client: CORDAID
Product/Service: PEOPLE IN NEED CHARITY
Entrant Company, City: SAATCHI & SAATCHI, Amstelveen
Country: THE NETHERLANDS
Advertising Agency, City: SAATCHI & SAATCHI, Amstelveen
Country: THE NETHERLANDS
Creative Director: Magnus Olsson
Copywriter: Saatchi/Saatchi Tribe
Art Director: Saatchi/Saatchi tribe (Tim Bishop)
Photographer: Calle Stolze
Producer: Jan Willem Wiesenekker
Account Supervisor: Ard Krak
Advertiser's Supervisor: Alexandra van Nieuwenhuyzen

Online Learning - Demystified

You may be wondering what to expect from a web-based class or an online learning course. This article is to demystify some of the misconceptions of Online Learning and how you can make effective use of the same. Online classes are not all that different from regular classes. You'll have an instructor and classmates, and will interact with them during the semester. You'll have homework and participate in class activities. In some ways, the experience will seem very familiar to you.

Still, online classes are different from regular classes in some important ways. You don't have to drive to campus and fight for a parking space, because you won't be meeting in a classroom at a regular time and place. Communication with your instructor and other students will take place online, not in person. Without an instructor reminding you what is due in class each week, you'll have more responsibility for your own learning. You will need basic computing skills and convenient access to the Internet.

The skills you need most to be a successful online learner are the same ones you use in any class: preparation, organization and self-discipline. The difference is in how you apply them.

Google Docs & Spreadsheets gets a cool new Interface

If you now sign in to Google Docs & Spreadsheets you'll be pleasantly suprised to see a cool new Interface. The brand new interface lets you create personal folders, and drag your online documents and spreadsheets into them - which I consider is a very cool feature. Also you'll notice on the left-hand side, a list of all the people you are collaborating with; click on any name to see all the files you're working on with them.

The main takeaway from the new and improved interface is that you're able to organize and manage all the documents created by you, no matter if they were made in collaboration with somebody or just by you on your own. Also the ability to create your own folders to sort the documents, flag them with a star or move to trash to remove a file from the listings is a very sought after feature that has been implemented I guess.

BTW, if you want to use Google Docs & Spreadsheets, you can access it for free with your Google account.

Here's a cool screenshot from the new interface [Click to Enlarge]

Best Search Results for the Ready-To-Buy Consumer

Dishwashers sprays water all over the dishes and when you open it the water quits spraying and usually the water is hot, so that's why there's steam. Dishwashers are supposed to be used to sterilize dishes, but not wash them, so at least rinse them off before putting them in the dishwasher, or else it will spray food all over the dishes which you are trying to get clean.
Dishwashers normally shut off if the door is opened.

If not, you would have had water flying all over. The arms you see when you look inside have holes that spray water over the surface of the dishes. These spin and clean by pressure and the soap you use. Water temperatures vary but are usually around 130 degrees.Different dishwashers do it slightly different but functionlity remains same.

Frigidaire Dishwashers will come with a drain hose and mounting hardware, and you need to supply a water line, and power cord to complete the installation.


Generally we visit sites for product research, that provide reviews on the products, specially reviews from people that actually own the product.Compare similar products', features, price(if you have a price range), brands. If we don't like the product after physically inspecting the item, we start the whole process again from the beginning.

Since results got from search engines are not pertaining to specific local stores with specific products consumers are looking for we have to begin search cycle again.

Solution is to visit Frigidaire Dishwashers which delivers local search results that combine very specific product information with very specific locality information. Krillion delivers search results category by category in major appliances like: refrigerators, ovens, ranges, washers and dryers, and dishwashers.

It's unique Krillion Localization Engine™ that scours the Web to find, integrate and present actionable local search results for the ready-to-buy consumer.It also provides search results for national brands that are sold by national and regional “big box” retailers.

What do the Number Codes inside the "Recycling Triangle" really mean?

Have you ever wondered what the number codes inside the "Recycling triangle" on the bottoms of plastic containers indicate? Well, it tells you the material that the container is made from.

The codes and materials are:

1 - Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET)
2 - High Density Polyethylene (HDPE)
3 - Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC)
4 - Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE)
5 - Polypropylene (PP)
6 - Polystyrene (PS)
7 - Other Plastics

The material in which it is made of actually determines how recycling may occur. For instance, many recycling operations will not accept Code 7 material, because the wide variety of plastics makes recycling difficult.

Plastics coded 1 and 2 are recycled the most (Ref 2). Other less recyclable plastics are polyvinyl chloride (PVC - code 3), low-density polyethylene (LDPE code 4), polypropylene (PP - code 5), polystyrene (PS - code 6) and any other plastic (code 7).

What is Bandwidth Stealing all about? - Don't Even Think About It

There are many "don't steal my bandwidth" pages on the web. They are often long winded and hard for the novice or even the experienced web designer to understand. "Don't Even Think About It"(This article) is short and to the point. You will know what stealing bandwidth is in the 3 short minutes it takes you to read this article that is written without any sugar-coating at all.

What is Bandwidth Stealing really?

There are many forms of bandwidth stealing on the web today. However, the bandwidth theft I am focusing on here is image/graphic stealing, and is the bandwidth theft that occurs the most online. It occurs when you find an image you like and you want on your site. And you...

1. Are too low on income to have server space of your own to use -and/or-
2. Are too lazy to upload the image to your own server -and/or-
3. Are uneducated about the crime you are committing -or all of the above-

So is it a Crime?
Yes, it is a crime. The person whose site the image is on that you are linking to for the source of the image is paying to display their image on your site.

First of all, the image belongs to them, not you. What right do you have to say; "Oh, wouldn't this look great on my site?" and just copy the image URL and use it on your site. You have no right at all. It is not your graphic. Even if it is a very common graphic, for example a bullet or an arrow, and you have seen it on many sites. The operative word here is "on." Get it? It is on a site. That site owner is paying one way or another to have that graphic displayed on the web. Perhaps they pay a monthly fee. Perhaps, they use a 'free' web service, however, they have limits on the amount of bandwidth they are allowed to use. By linking to the graphic, YOU have STOLEN from them one way or another.

Secondly, if it is an original graphic that the site owner designed themself(ves), and you link to the source of the graphic to be displayed on your site, you are not only stealing the bandwidth, you are now plagiarizing their work too.

It seems a big culprit these days are the "community" type websites (MSN Groups, Yahoogroups and a few blogs too are a fine examples). A person can easily set up a little web site lickety-split - and it's even faster when you link to the source of the graphics you have seen on the web & like rather than uploading them in YOUR space. Not to mention writing to the owner of the graphic and asking their permission first. People do this because it is a fast and cheap way to put something up quickly. In doing this, you are stealing!

One other area that is festering boil for bandwidth stealing are the Bulletin Boards that offer the members an ability to have a cutesy little icon next to their name. People remember that cute little picture of a dancing potato they saw on a web site and link to the image source for their member icon. Now, the site owner who's dancing potato graphic you are linking to is looking through their server logs and sees a whooping 205,152 hits to this one little graphic. "What the heck," they say in disbelief! Or, they get a notice from their 'free' web site host telling them that they have exceeded their allowable bandwidth for the month and their site will be shut off OR they have to pay extra money to keep it up.

Bottom line, if you want to use a graphic on your site, you must do these things: write to the site owner of the graphic that you would like to use on your site. •>ASK<•, I repeat ASK them if you can use that graphic on your site. If they say yes, then thank them and be certain to thank them in the credits of your site. If they say no, swear a bit under your breath but under no circumstances do you link to the graphic thinking that "I'm not really using it on my site.. since it is not on my server. Leave it alone and go find something else instead.

Does this text make you angry or are you grinning ear to ear? If you are feeling angry, you are one of those snatch and grab people who take what they want and say the heck with the rules. If you are smiling ear to ear, you are a site owner who is glad to see the text you have just read. It is in plain English and not sugar coated in any way.

A warning: Many site owners (including me) can track down and pinpoint exactly where their images are being used on other sites. When that happens, you will be in trouble. If you are new to the web, take the advice of this article as your first lesson and don't forget it.

Free Rapidshare Premium Link Generator

After the tremendous response I got with my earlier article Free MegaUpload Premium Link Generator and many users requesting for a similar Premium Link Generator for the popular file sharing service - Rapidshare.

Many a times you would have been faced by the infamous screen which reads as :

You have reached the download-limit for free-users. Want to download more?
Get your own Premium-account now! Instant download-access! (Or wait n minutes)

That's really annoying when you need to download a small file which will finish your work in few seconds, now you'll have to wait a few minutes to hours to download the same.

Well, I came across a very handy site that generates Premium Download links for RapidShare.
Some advantages of using a Premium Download link are:

• No Download-Limits - Download as much as you want.
• You can have Unlimited parallel downloads.
• Support for Download-Accelerators (That's a very good feature).
• Resume aborted downloads.
• Downloads start without delays.

So without wasting much of your time, here we go - the Free Rapidshare Premium Link Generator sites are as listed below:

• http://proxiez.net
• http://www.oopar.com/rapidshare/

Hope the above links help as always!!
All the very Best!!

A few tips to make your Maui trip more enjoyable

I would recomend you on renting a car and so drive the Road to Hana. Stop and buy a bunch of CDs at the town just before the road starts. It is a guided tour that prompts you when to start and stop the cd.

Nothing drives very fast on the winding road to Hana, least of all tour buses whose purpose is to show it.

Consider some cool Maui Vacation Rental which can help you save the extra buck. There are great beaches in Kaanapali and great eating and shopping too. Wailea has it all too, but it is very upscale and expensive. Kihei has condos and places to eat and shop right along the main road (south side). Again, depending on where you are staying, recommendations will vary.

While you don't want to be some tourist, you are in fact a visitor and because of that you will likely enjoy seeing the same attractions that "tourists" visit -- like Haleakala at sunrise, a Trilogy snorkel trip to Molokini or Lanai, a day looking around in Lahaina Town, and perhaps an Excursions ferry trip to Lanai since you want to do something non-tourist like.

The places where no one seems to go are likely empty for a reason. It sounds like you need a great tour book. Try Maui Revealed. It is terrific and it takes in the whole island and all kinds of things to see and do at all budget levels.

How to easily set Wallpaper as Background for Folders

Adding wallpaper background to your folders' file panes lets you easily recognize and differentiate folder windows - particularly if you have backup folders on a removable or network drive with names identical to the originals on your own hard drive.

To add wallpaper to a folder in XP:

1. Open the folder, choose Tools > Folder > Options, and click the View tab
2. Under Advanced settings, select Show hidden files and folders (you may need to double-click Hidden files and folders first)
3. Uncheck Hide protected operating system files (Recommended) and click Yes when you see the warning
4. Click OK, and double-click the file named desktop.ini to open it in your text editor (you may not see the .ini extension). If you can't find a desktop.ini file, launch Notepad or your preferred text editor
5. In your text editor, type or copy:
   [{BE098140-A513-11D0-A3A4-00C04FD706EC}]
   IconArea_Image=C:\My Documents\...\...(path to your image file)

If you're editing the folder's existing desktop.ini file, save the file and close your text editor. If you created the file from scratch, save it with the name "desktop.ini" in the folder that will house the background picture; use quotation marks to keep Notepad from adding its default .txt extension.

• Once you've created your desktop.ini file, click Start > Run, type in the command line, ATTRIB +S "folder name" (e.g. ATTRIB +S " C:\Documents and Settings\[your userid]\My Documents") to activate the new settings

If you don't want to see the desktop.ini file, right-click it and choose Properties. Under the General tab, check Hidden and click OK. Then click Tools > Folder Options > View, and deselect the option to show hidden files and folders. While the Folder Options box is open, recheck Hide protected operating system files if you unchecked it earlier.

If you've created an *.ini file from scratch using the two tips above, your file should look similar to the following:

How to give Folders a Mouse-Over Description in Windows

The Desktop.ini file is a text file that provides Windows with configuration information. Please note, this tip, while not overly difficult, is of a more advanced level. Before you change any *.ini settings, make sure you copy and paste the original text into an e-mail, or somewhere else so that you can restore the original file in the event of unexpected results.

• Lets now see how you can Give Folders a Mouse-Over Description of your own
  

  When you hover your mouse pointer over a folder icon, you see a pop-up that contains the folder's size and the names of the first few files or folders it contains. There are cases when this information, along with the folder's name, is helpful in identifying the folder's contents; however, there are other times when you have to open the folder to really see what's in it.

  You can add a detailed explanation about the folder's contents to the pop-up by creating a Desktop.ini file, which is a straight text file, and adding a special entry to it.

  1. Create a new Notepad *.txt file and type in the following:
     [.ShellClassInfo]
     InfoTip=Type your detailed description
  2. Save the file as Desktop.ini and copy it into the folder you want to describe
  3. Go to File > Save and close Notepad
  4. Click Start > Run, type in the command line, ATTRIB +S "folder name" (e.g. ATTRIB +S " C:\Documents and Settings\[your userid]\My Documents")
  
  You'll see your detailed pop-up description the next time you mouse over that folder.

  Note: If you don't see a pop-up when you mouse over a folder, you need to enable a couple of settings. Go to Tools > Folder Options and then select the View tab. Then, in the Advanced Settings list, select the check boxes for Display File Size Information In Folder Tips and Show Pop-Up Description For Folder And Desktop Items. Click OK.

Some Tips on How to choose the Best Moving Company?

If you don't have a lot of stuff, especially if you don't have large items like sofas and bookshelves, you could box up your personal belongings (pack them well, use a lot of cushion/stuffing, and tape the boxes well, mark the boxes with a discreet name so you know what is in them but it doesn't scream (I have a diamond in here!)) then put them on a 48"X40" wooden pallet in GOOD condition, wrap that pallet with shrink wrap REALLY well, place a packing list on the outside, or a large label with destination and origin on it, then call a local LTL carrier to pick it up!

Bottom-line, check with local trucking carriers, specifically LTL (Less than a load) carriers. Always checkout for a Cheap Moving Company.

When you call the local carrier of your choice, stay away from using terms like "moving" and "furniture" or any reference to this being a household move. They will be quick to point out they are NOT a moving company!

Instead, ask about the charges for shipping two or three pallets of personal effects in boxes from point A to point B.

They will ask you questions like "is this a residential delivery?", YES, it is. "Does it require inside delivery?" TRY to avoid letting them (the carrier) take the load inside once OFF the truck. Instead, you and your family move the boxes, the extra cost will add up if you don't! "Do you need LIFTGATE" service?" NO! Don't ask for liftgate service! That adds a lot to!

Get a PRINTED quote from them, and make a copy of any final paper work. Keep a detailed list of WHAT you are shipping, and if possible, WHERE it is on the pallet, either by your own markings or code. WHY? Because if they damage it, they HAVE to pay!

They will ask for a CLASS for the contents. Keep it general, tell them it is FAK (freight all kinds), and use a mixed class. Try to keep the CLASS LOW, class 70 is the cheapest, but yields a lower claim. Don't lie about the class, but don't let them class something wrong! If it is USED, it is a lower class than a new item.

It really isn't that hard to use a LTL carrier, just familiarize yourself with the terminology from the company’s website, and expect a detailed paper process. OH, and take pictures of your FINAL pallets, right before the carrier picks them up, to PROVE the condition they are in, so if they get damaged, again you can back your claims!!!!

Do NOT package any HAZMAT in your shipment, such as flammable liquids, ammunition, etc. It really complicates things!

I see a lot of personal effects moved in my job, and KNOW it can be done, but as I mentioned, the LTL carrier does NOT want to be a moving company, so have your shipment ready for pick-up before they get there, refer to it as a personal shipment, not a household move! Let them know you have a palletized shipment, and it is totally ready for pick up, and you do NOT have a dock.

About LIFTGATE service, you MAY want liftgate service at pickup, unless you have a forklift or are near one. As for the delivery, they can "tailgate" the load to you, meaning they break it down, and put it at the back of the trailer, then YOU take the boxes inside.

Be ready to move quick, a carrier can charge you for WAIT TIME if you hold up the driver too long!

Charges for LIFTGATE, INSIDE DELIVERY, RESIDENTIAL DELIVERY, CONSTRUCTION SITE DELIVERY, SINGLE SHIPMENT (ONE BILL), and other various charges related to getting the freight to YOU are called "Accessorial Charges", ASK questions to clarify things BEFORE you sign the paperwork!

One last thing, they will want a WEIGHT, probably of each pallet, and then a total combined weight. If you hold each box in your arms, then stand on a bathroom scale, then stand on the bathroom scale with no boxes, just yourself, you can calculate the weights needed, BUT this will be considered an estimated weight, which is fine, because it is still way better than pulling a number out of thin air (guessing....), and will get you a more accurate quote!

Good luck!!!!

Xcavator : A cool Visual Search Engine for Images

Xcavator is a cool new Visual Search Engine for Images of very excellent quality. Thanks to this wonderful service which allows to find images that are really beautiful. It is much more useful than the classic search engines since it searches using meta data such as the categories of the images through Tag.

One particular interesting feature is the search based on color, it has a very useful comfortable widget with which you will be able to select the exact color which you have in your mind. This is a cool online tool that emphazises that a photo has much to express!!

Democracy Player :: Watch all the best internet TV shows and videos

Democracy Player lets you watch Internet videos like you watch TV. Download and watch all the best internet TV shows and videos in one powerful application. The good thing is that new channels arrive daily in the built-in Channel Guide. Stop squinting at tedious web videos-- sit back and watch big, high resolution videos one after another. It's so easy to use that you'll be watching interesting videos in moments.

Five Top Reasons to get Democracy Player:
1. Can't play a video? Try it.
Play virtually any video-- Quicktime, WMV, MPEG, AVI, XVID, and more. Browse your collection, make playlists, stay organized.
2. Get Internet TV Shows
Subscribe to any video RSS feed, podcast, or video blog. Explore over 1,000 free channels with the built-in Channel Guide.
3. Search YouTube
Download and save videos from YouTube, Google Video, Yahoo Video, and other sites.
4. High Definition and Fullscreen
Your computer screen is a high-def display. Watch free HD videos in gorgeous fullscreen.
5. BitTorrent Animal
Easily download any BitTorrent file. Fast. Then watch it in the same app. Simple.

You can get Democracy Player [Freeware] here.

How to Enable Windows to Show File Extensions?

Ever wonder where you file extensions went?

Working with files when you can not tell what the file extension can be a huge pain in the neck, but there is a way out.

In any folder that contains files, click on the Tools menu and select Folder Options, then click on the View tab. Locate where it lists Hide extensions for known file types and uncheck it. Click OK.

Also How to say Bye-bye to the Search Doggy

To remove the dog that appears in the Search window open the Search window (Start > Search), select Change Preferences in the left-hand pane, and select the animated screen character option to remove it. Bye-bye Search Doggy!

Make your Volume Control Smaller

Volume control too big? Open the volume control window and press Ctrl+S for a smaller one. Now every time that you open volume control, the smaller controls will be visible.

How to use Quick Edit Mode in Windows Command Prompt?

Setting this option allows a user to copy and paste text in the command prompt using mouse actions instead of an edit menu. This option makes the command prompt behave more like it did in Windows 2000.

1. Open the command prompt by clicking Start > Run then typing in "cmd" and pressing Enter
2. Click on the C:\ icon in the top left and select Defaults
3. Place a check in Quick Edit Mode and click OK

Now you can copy text by highlighting it with the left mouse button then clicking the right mouse button. To paste, click the right mouse button again.

How to Close Multiple Applications Simultaneously in Windows?

When you're done working on your computer for the day, you probably close each open application one by one. If so, chances are that you've wished that you could close all you open applications at the same time.

To do so, hold down the Ctrl key and click on each application button on your taskbar. Once you've selected all the application buttons on the taskbar, right-click on any one of them and select the Close Group command from the shortcut menu.

If you have any application in which an open file hasn't yet been saved, that application will prompt you to save the file.

How to easily Disable Exit Sound in Windows?

In windows, it takes longer to restart or shutdown windows XP when the "Exit Windows" sound is enabled.

To disable it and speedup System shutdown, click Start > (Settings) > Control Panel > Sounds and Audio Devices > Sounds, then under Program events click on "Exit Windows" to highlight it.

From Sounds choose "None" and then click Apply and OK. Now you can see some improvements when shutting down your system.

Search and Download DRM Free Mp3 Songs easily using SkreemR

SkreemR is a search engine specialized in the searching for DRM Free audio online and specifically Mp3 files. Just you need to key in the word of the album or the artist or just the song title which we wish to find and immediately a huge list of songs along with the direct links to download them for free.

Moreover thanks to the Flash Player embedded into the site - it is possible to listen to the song directly from the search results before we download it. I guess it's a very cool service and useful too.

How to Enable SingTel's Free Mobile Email Service

Yes you did read the subject right. SingTel now allows you to make use of the Free Mobile Email Service. But the service is only limited to SingTel's customers. The new service, called MobileM@il is complemented by ads. The service is totally free since you don't have to pay for data traffic resulted from the use of the service.

You can set up multiple email accounts on your mobile phone. It allows you to receive emails from SingNet, Yahoo!, Gmail and Hotmail accounts right in your mobile. MobileM@il also allows you to send, receive and forward emails while on-the-move; and receive, forward, save and view attachments from your mobile. The service also allows users to save your contacts to a local address book.

Here's how you can sign-up for the free MobileM@il service:

• visit any SingTel store.
• access SingTel’s IDEAS WAP portal.
• dial *36245 (*EMAIL) from your mobile phone.
• call the Customer Service Hotline by dialing 1626.

Apple TV to now support YouTube :: New Software Update Released

Apple TV got a new update released today. With the new update Apple TV will support YouTube - The most popular video sharing service online. The new software update for Apple TV is available for free to all the owners of the device and can be accessed through the software update feature included as part of Apple TV.

Once you have the new update installed, you can easily login to your YouTube account and start viewing clips right in your Apple TV.

What's more interesting is that the must awaited iPhone will have a new application exclusively developed by Apple to wirelessly stream YouTube’s content to iPhone over Wi-Fi or EDGE networks and play it on iPhone’s stunning 3.5 inch display.

So now I guess Apple is promoting Google's YouTube a lot with a realistic concept that you can enjoy YouTube wherever you are — on your iPhone, on your Mac or on a widescreen TV in your living room with Apple TV!!

Movavi Online :: Free Video Conversion service Online

I had earlier talked about the Movavi Video Suite, looks like the folks at Movavi have come up with a better product now - A Free Online Video Convertor called Movavi Online.

It is one beautiful and useful web application for you to convert the video. It is a free service that allows you to convert video's from the following formats (DivX, XVid), MPEG (1, 2, 4), MP4, 3gp, 3gp2, WMV, MOV (QT) to the following formats (XVid), MPEG-4, MPEG-2 (DVD Quality, PAL), MPEG-2 (DVD Quality, NTSC), iPod video, iPod 5G video, PSP video, 3gp, 3gp2, MPEG-4 (.mov), Flash (.flv).

The cool feature is that you can add up to 5 files limited to 10 min each and 100 Mb total size. I guess the site has the fastest online conversion and without too much of advertisements(or NO ads right now). But the pain point is that you need to give your email and a notification is sent to you when your converted video is ready for download.

Once you receive the link for the download in your mail - you will have 24 hours of time in order to unload your video, after that the converted video is automatically deleted from the server.

How to play .swf files on your Desktop? Use Adobe Desktop Standalone Flash Player

Many a times you may get Flash files(with file extension .swf) from friends as e-mail forwards or you may have downloaded it off from websites online. But how do you play the .swf files in your desktop?

Here's how you can do it. Well, you have two options to play flash files off your desktop.

• Open the file within your web-browser. Simple - Drag and drop the .swf file into Internet Explorer or Firefox and it'll play.
• The other way is to play your flash files using the Adobe Standalone Flash Player.
  For this you will first need to Download the Windows Flash Player 9 Projector content debugger from the Adobe Site [Freeware].
  There is NO installation needed. Just open the downloaded .exe and open your .swf from within the Projector.
  In order to associate all .swf files to open using the Projector, right click the .swf file and "Open with" option. Once there, choose the location of your Projector.exe and you are done.

Hope this information was useful.

Simple Tips to Protect Your Hard Disk

Below are the simple but effecient tips which increases life of your Hard Disk.

The hard disk goes through thermal stress each time the PC is turned off and on. The hard disk in your PC uses up incredibly little electricity when it is in an inactive state. You may feel that you’re increasing your power costs by keeping your PC on, but remember that’s better than dealing with hard disk crashes!! and the consequent loss of data as a result of switching your machine off and on too many times. You are better off leaving your PC on than trying to save electricity and turning it off several times in a day. So reduce the number of times you turn your PC on and off.

Turn The Monitor Off:

One can protect hard disk by limiting the number of times you turn the PC on and off during the day since each time you do this the hard disk goes through thermal stress. However you should turn off just the monitor when it’s not going to be in use for more than a couple of hours. This will help make the monitor last longer because the CRT [Cathode Ray Tube] that makes up most of the monitor lifespan is limited and related to the number of hours it is left on. Moreover remember that most monitors consume as much power as the PC itself.

So even while you are protecting the hard disk by leaving the PC on, you can protect the monitor plus save power by turning just the monitor off. Since monitors take just a couple of seconds to display, there isn’t even an issue of `waiting’ as in the case of a PC which takes a few minutes to boot every time you turn it on.

Nothing Should be kept On Your Monitor:

You would have noticed that the top of your monitor has ventilation, that’s because monitors like your PC get heated up when in use. To extend the life of your monitor [and your television set, whether you are watching channels or using the TV as a PC]be sure that you do not place anything on the monitor.

For Crashing Components follow simple steps below :

Sometimes what seems like a disaster in the PC's system may actually be a minor problem. However, there will be times when you must bite the bullet and either repair or replace an expensive component. What you do depends on several factors, including the relative age and value of the damaged components and the prospect of actually repairing it.

If you do need repair help, you have several choices:

• If the component came with a system that is under warranty, contact the vendor for service. Often you will be able to avoid the cost of repair and will simply receive a new replacement part directly from the system manufacturer.
  
  
• If you brought the component separately, check its warranty. If it is still covered, contact the manufacturer.
  
  
• If you purchased a new peripheral or system and it failed to work [called 'dead on arrival' or DOA] you should be able to return it for a new part, or a full refund!

Out of warranty repairs can be conducted by technicians at your local computer store, ranging from single store small shops to regional and national chains.

Video Screensaver for your Windows XP from Microsoft

I Had earlier posted on How to enable DreamScene Video Wallpapers in ALL Windows Vista Versions but it seems that Microsoft had sometime back released a small patch that comes with one of Microsoft's own video's which you can set as a Screensaver in Windows XP. So I guess Video Screensavers are NOT just confined to Windows Vista anymore.

So essentially what you can do is - download and install this package from Microsoft Website(You will need to undergo WGA) or from Softpedia(without any WGA checks). Once you have this installed, it allows you to browse and set any Video in your computer as a Screensaver.

This software is also not constrained to just playing wmv files as a screensaver in XP but I was also able to play .avi files. I guess it is using all the codecs available with your Windows Media Player.

Go ahead and beautify your Windows XP!!

ArtPad : The perfect place to paint Online

Artpad is a Flash application that'll help you to paint online with a truly realistic pallete effect - something I haven't seen in any Online Paint application till date. You can regulate the transparency of the intensity of the paint-brush so as to to make it to seem very real and accurate. Well, one of my hobbies happens to be Painting and infact I have won a whole lot of prizes during the years. So you'll know why I love this program so much.

Once you've created your design you can save it and send it via email, or you can decide to see it in the virtual gallery. Moreover there is also the possibility to choose the frame for your work of art. That's really cool I suppose.

YamiPod a iTunes Freeware Alternative :: A good iPod Manager

YamiPod is a freeware application to efficiently manage your iPod. It can be run directly from your iPod and needs no installation.

The cool thing is that it also has extra features such as rss news and podcast support, remove duplicates, easy notes editor (with multipage support), songs synchronization, playlists export and much more. It has also been translated in 12 languages.

So what's stopping you to be struck with iTunes(except if you always use the Online Store).

There are versions for Mac OS X, Windows and Linux.

You can download this amazing Freeware at the Official Website.

ScreenShot - Click to Enlarge

Tata Indicom introduces Free Calls in India

Tata Indicom which is one of the latest telecom operator in India has introduced a plan under which there will be no charges on mobile calls within the company's network - in effect you can make UNLIMITED FREE CALLS to other Tata Indicom phones.

Tata Indicom has introduced a new 'Freedom Call Voucher' which is a pre-paid mobile card of Rs 325 with talk time worth Rs 150 valid for a period of 30 days.

Applicable both for fixed and mobile phones, Tata Indicom's newest offer allows users make free, unlimited calls within the network. Whereas, outgoing calls to other networks are charged at 49 paise per minute and 99 paise per minute respectively for local mobiles and fixed lines.

There is a huge Mobile war brimming in the recent days. A few days ago, Reliance Communications (RCom) announced free unlimited outgoing calls to any local Reliance mobile phone.

But I personally wouldn't like to do any business with Tata Indicom as I've had a bad experience before trusting some of their schemes.

Some tips to get into Management Consulting?

Management consulting is sometimes also called strategy consulting and refers to both the practice of helping companies to improve performance through analysis of existing business problems and development of future plans, as well as to the industry composed of firms that specialize in this sort of consulting.

It's all about becoming an expert in your particular area of management (i.e. IT, Finance, HR, PM, BP, Exec. Training, etc.). Notice that I didn't mention "general". Jack of all trades, master of none won't get you very far.

I'll give you a tip to take a fast track approach. The tip by itself is very simple, find someone who is already where you want to be and convince them to be your mentor/coach to get there. Of course to do that, you'll need to have excellent communications (required to be successful as a management consultant anyway).

And the best way to convince them to take you under their wing and spend their very valuable time teaching you all they know?

Answer the question this question - what's in it for them and how will you help them get it. Keep in mind that all decisions are made for emotional reasons.

Once you've got the answer, communicate it effectively to them in a way they will understand (there are different communications styles and you'll need to carefully listen to how they speak, and talk their language -- at least if you want them to listen carefully to what you have to offer). Also do check out Management Consulting Firm Blog for some information on how to get to that place soon.

One final thing to keep in mind, once you've found your mentor, focus on what they do brilliantly. Everyone has faults and idiosyncrasies. That's not why you've chosen to work with them so don't let those distract or prejudice you. Stay focused on your goal, to be the most highly respected and sought after management expert in you field of choice.

P.S. As I'm sure any top management consultant will advise you.

• It's about giving not taking.
  
• Always increase the value of services you provide and the money will come, never the other way around.
  
• Law of Cause and Effect.
  
• Money is always the effect of your actions.
  
• You get paid for everything you do, just not today.

Hope you found these tips useful and effective. All de Best!!

Fishing the right Mobile Online in the web Easily

I was just looking around to compare the best mobile phones available online and came across this great site called thePhoneSpot.com. I was specifically looking for all the best features in mobiles and do a side-by-side comparison.

The site has all the latest phones featured along with the complete packages and the split-up of the costs. This is very important to consider since if you do a wrong decision in choosing the right phone and the package - you may need to get struck with it for sometime.

One of the phones that caught my eye was the Motokrzr-K1 featured at thePhoneSpot.com. All in all the site is a good place to compare the different packages and phones all at one single site.

Complete set of Codecs for Windows Vista now Available

With Vista Codec Package installed, you won't need to install any other codec or filter. Many user suggested default settings are implemented. It does not contain a media player. It does not associates filetypes. With this package installed you will be able to use any media player (limited only by the players capabilities) to play DVD's, movies and video clips of any format. Streaming video (real and quicktime) is supported in web browsers.

Latest Features:

• MP4 playback supported.
  
• Improved Nero product compatibility.
• Allows thunbnail views for rmvb,mp4,flv,mov,mkv and many more formats.
  
• Several redundant files/filters are removed from installation.
  
• DVD Playback in WinXP is seamless.
  
• FFDshow is updated to support 1283 unicode.
• AC3Filter updated to 1.45b with Language files.
• Haali components updated to 1.7.189.11
• MPEG1 files handled by microsoft decoders itself.
  

Now you need not worry for any media file from NOT playing on your Windows Vista PC. The website has seperate downloads for 32 bit Vista and 64 bit Vista.

You can download the Vista Codec Package for FREE from the Developer's Website or here.