Send Large Files via Email with Send6

Send6 solves a common email problem: it lets you reliably send a large video file, graphics-heavy PowerPoint presentation, or other ungainly file via email.

To use the service, you start by uploading up to six files at a time to Send6 (hence the name) and at the same time specifying 10 recipients who you want to receive the file. The recipients will get a link in their email inboxes with a special URL to download the files.

Everything happens on one page so it's one of the simplest file hosting sites out there. The page design is also extremely clean. There are some limits, however. The maximum file size you can upload is 300 MB, and files are only kept 2 weeks. After that, they are automatically deleted

Send large files. Professionally. http://www.send6.com/

How to INSTALL Flash Player for Linux : A Step by Step guide

The Macromedia Corporation has always been very lousy at offering their product to the Linux community. One of the supposedly supported softwares is the Flash Player for Mozilla based web browsers.

Since Macromedia Flash Player is not open source, most of the Linux vendors avoid embedding the Flash Player in their distribution. The aim of this ‘How-to’ is to teach you to enable the Flash Player in your Linux distribution, if it’s not already enabled. As far as I can remember, from the most popular distributions, the only one that integrates Flash Player out of the box is SuSe.

If you want Flash support in your distro, you should go to the Macromedia website and get the latest Flash Player for Linux, and that is version 7. This is pretty disappointing, because Macromedia has released version 9 for Windows, while for Linux time stood still regarding this matter. After downloading it, you have to extract the files from the archive. In the newly extracted director, you will notice 5 files, of which only libflashplayer.so and flashplayer.xpt will be required, so keep this in mind.

Because distributions organize their directories differently, you will have to locate the directory in which your Mozilla-based browser holds its plugins. To do so, open a terminal and use "locate mozilla" or "locate firefox", so you can figure out where those browsers are holding their plugins. At the beginning of the list displayed by the "locate” command, you will see a line similar to /usr/lib/mozilla-1.7.13/plugins/ that shows where you should copy the two files mentioned above. This path is available for the Fedora distribution and is very likely to be different when using another distro. If you are using Firefox, don't forget to put the Flash Player plugins in the correct location. The default path that distributions should use is /usr/local/mozilla/plugins. This might come in handy if you’re lucky and your Linux vendor respects the standard.

To make the plugins work with your Mozilla browser e.g. Konqueror, you have to go to its configuration window, in the plugins tab. There you will see a section for Netscape plugins and you’ll have to press the Scan button. After doing so, you will see in the plugins tab that Flash Player was installed.

Last but not least, you should know that in the Flash Player archive that you’ve decompressed, there is a file named flasplayer-install. This is supposed to be a shared script that is able to install the player. Sometimes it works, but sometimes it doesn't; therefore, I’ve described this do-it-yourself method. Hopefully, you will now be able to enjoy some content-rich, nicely designed Flash websites.

OpenSource Tool to get all Windows Passwords?

Ophcrack is a tool that is able to quickly display Windows account passwords using Rainbow Tables instead of brute forcing the passwords. While it could take years to bruteforce a password that uses letters, numbers and special chars it takes only minutes to do so with Ophcrack.

Features

• » Runs on Windows, Linux and Mac OS X (intel).
• » Cracks LM and NTLM hashes.
• » Free tables available for alphanumeric LM hashes.
• » Loads hashes from local SAM, remote SAM.
• » Loads hashes from encrypted SAM recovered from a Windows partition.

Ophcrack can be downloaded with several different table sets. The default live cd is able to reveal passwords with alphanumeric chars only. If no passwords are revealed using this method you should download different table sets which support other chars as well.

Two additional table sets can be downloaded from the Ophcrack website. The first is 720 megabytes and should only be used on machines with at least 500 megabytes of ram. A smaller one with only 388 megabytes can be downloaded for machines with less than that amount of ram.

A new version of Ophcrack was released just four days ago. (Ophcrack 1.1.4)

How to dual boot Windows Vista and Linux Ubuntu?

Many a times, Windows users that want to give Ubuntu Linux a try and don't want to give up their Windows system. So in such cases they can always choose to have them both in the same machine.
And this also applies for people that need both Windows and Linux on the same PC for business purposes. A dual boot machine has either multiple hard disks or multiple hard disk partitions, with each partition or drive containing an operating system. Now there are different methods to achieve a correct dual boot system, it's your decision which one you want to give it a try. I will outline two methods to achieve this.

Method 1: The easiest method

You can choose the brand new Ubuntu/Debian Installer for Windows machines. The aim of this installer is to provide an easier way for a Windows user to install Ubuntu Linux without having to know how to repartition the disks or to set up a multiboot system.

Note: With this installer, you can also choose to install Kubuntu (Ubuntu with KDE desktop) or Xubuntu (Ubuntu with XFCE desktop).

Method 2: The Geek way

1. Make sure your Windows partition is defragmented and backup any important data.

2. Boot from the Ubuntu Desktop CD, double click on the Install icon on the desktop and follow the normal installation instructions. When you arrive at the Partitioning screen, select the option that let's you resize IDE1 master, partition #1 (hda1) and use the free space.

Note: Remember that IDE1 master, partition #1 (hda1) represents the First partition on the First hard drive.

The partitioner will ask you how much space you wish to distribute to Linux partition, just enter the desired amount of space (I recommend around 5-6 GB). Continue with the installation.

3. After the installation is over, reboot the machine and you will be able to select from Windows or Ubuntu at boot time.

wikidPad - The best Open Source Note Taking Application

WikidPad is a wiki-like notebook for storing your thoughts, ideas, todo lists, contacts, or anything else you can think of to write down. What makes it different from other notepad applications is the ease with which you can cross-link your information. Links in a wiki are created by typing in WikiWords. A WikiWord is any case word (also called CamelCase) typed into the editor. TodoList or JohnDoe are example WikiWords. The term wiki means "quick" in Hawaiian, and wikis are all about quickly linking your information together. Wikis are not a new concept, in fact there are many web based wiki servers available.

wikidPad is a real-time wiki
wikidPad is not a web server, or application server, or groupware solution. wikidPad is a standalone notepad like application, albeit notepad on steroids. wikidPad is like an IDE for your thoughts.

IDE for your thoughts
Software developers have grown accustomed to certain features from their integrated development environment that make their jobs easier. Features like auto-completion, outline views, incremental search, easy source code navigation. IDE's that provide these features can greatly increase developer productivity. wikidPad attempts to utilize some of these features to address the problem of personal information management.

Personal Information Management
How do you manage all of the random bits of information in your personal and professional life? Word documents, text files, Microsoft Outlook folders/notes. If you're an expert user maybe you have a weblog, or a personal database, or possibly an outlining application. Where do you track your wifes favorite food, your bosses kids names, your personal todo list, the name of the movie you just read a review of, the name of the book a friend recommended. wikidPad was created to address this issue of personal information management. It provides a place to manage the massive amounts of information you have stuffed in your head, on stickies, or on your computer.

WikidPad Features

• On the fly WikiWord linking, as you type
• WikiWord auto-completion
• Easy WikiWord navigation
• Wiki text styling
• WikiWord History
• Wiki document attributes
• Dynamic views
• Tree/Outline view with over 100 icons
• Todo lists
• Incremental search
• Search and Replace
• Autosave
• Export to HTML
• All your data is stored in plain text
• URL and file linking
• Intuitive keybindings
• Help Wiki included

Download this cool Freeware at : http://www.jhorman.org/wikidPad/

Microsoft to sell Ubuntu Linux via Dell

Dell had announced last week that it will make available machines preloaded with the Ubuntu 7.04 distribution of Linux. In this context, Dell will offer desktops with Windows Vista, Windows XP and Ubuntu 7.04. Dell has chosen to respect customer responsibilities trading off relationships with long time partner Microsoft.

However, Dell has become the first major systems provider worldwide that has jumped on the Windows and Linux interoperability wagon put together by Microsoft and Novell. Of course that intellectual property (IP) assurance is delivered inherently with the interoperability agreement between the two platforms.

Microsoft revealed that it will sell Dell SUSE Linux Enterprise Server certificates, and that the U.S. computer manufacturer has agreed to implement a services and marketing program designed to help non-Dell Linux customers transition to SUSE Linux Enterprise Server.

Dell is the first major systems provider to align with Microsoft and Novell in this collaboration, and we intend to lead in this space. This move is a huge success for the industry and, more specifically, for customers who haven’t purchased Linux through Dell and who want to migrate to SUSE Linux Enterprise Server for the IP assurance and interoperability benefits.

Dell’s embrace of the Novell-Microsoft agreement reflects a growing market reality: The two platforms of the future are Linux and Windows, and customers want them to work better together. Novell continues to grow our SUSE Linux Enterprise business because we are addressing customer needs. Dell recognizes this, and we are proud to have them as a customer and marketing partner to help spur continued adoption of SUSE Linux Enterprise.

Tor the Best solution to Surf the web Anonymously for FREE

Tor is a toolset for organizations and people that want to improve their safety and security on the Internet. Using Tor can help you anonymize Web browsing and publishing, instant messaging, IRC, SSH, and other applications that use the TCP protocol. Tor also provides a platform on which software developers can build new applications with built-in anonymity, safety, and privacy features.

Communications are bounced around a distributed network of servers, called onion routers. Instead of taking a direct route from source to destination, data packets on the Tor network take a random pathway through several servers that cover your tracks so no observer at any single point can tell where the data came from or where it's going. This makes it hard for recipients, observers, and even the onion routers themselves to figure out who and where you are.

Tor's technology aims to provide Internet users with protection against "traffic analysis," a form of network surveillance that threatens personal anonymity and privacy, confidential business activities and relationships, and state security.

I have nothing to hide but that doesn't mean I don't have things of value to third parties - everyone from google up is gathering information I don't want them to from my online activities or my personal information, and selling them off. When at home I sometimes leave my PC on as a node, thinking that maybe I am helping someone get information their government is censoring.

You can download and set it up by visiting Tor's Official Website.

How to easily connect 2 Monitors [dual] in Windows?

With monitor prices heading downward - it's simply more productive to have Dual Monitors. Most graphics cards with two video outputs usually support dual monitors, so it shouldn't be a problem. Here's a simple way to add that extra monitor to your Windows PC.

What you need to do is go into your display properties (Right click on desktop -> Properties) and go to the settings tab. If two monitors appear in the settings window, your computer is set up to support dual-monitors. Right click on Monitor Two, and select "Attached." Then check the box below that says "Extend my windows desktop onto this monitor." Chick apply, and you have two monitors! You may have to adjust resolution and color settings to get it just right.

There are a number of advatages to having dual monitors, including being able to have two programs up at once, much more desktop space, etc. The only real downside is that it takes more of your video cards processing time and memory, and takes up more room on your "real" desktop, but I personally love dual monitors. One for your business and the other to surf the web away!!

If you have any problems setting it up, consult the manual. (Or the products website if you've lost that) There may be something specific to your video card that I wouldn't know about.

Do let me know your thoughts on dual monitors.

What happens to your .net apps when you switch to a 64-bit Windows?

Well this was one question that struck my mind when I was busy coding today - What happens to your .net apps when you switch to a 64-bit Windows?

Well, after some digging and researching I could analyze the following.

well, 64-bit (x64) versions of Windows support both 32-bit and 64-bit processes, and corresponding 32-bit and 64-bit versions of .NET 2.0. (.NET 1.1 is 32-bit only).

.NET 1.x apps automatically run as 32-bit processes on 64-bit Windows.

.NET 2.0 apps can either run as 32-bit processes or as 64-bit processes. The OS decides which to use based on the PE header of the executable. The flags in the PE header are controlled via the compiler /platform switch, which allows the target of the app to be specified as 'x86', 'x64' or 'any cpu'. Normally you specify 'any cpu', and your app will run as 32-bit on 32-bit Windows and 64-bit on 64-bit Windows.

However if you have some 32-bit native code in your app (loaded via COM interop, for example), you will need to specify 'x86', which will force 64-bit Windows to load your app in a 32-bit process. You can also tweak the 32-bit flag in the PE header using the SDK corflags utility.

What is the File Block Functionality in Office 2003 and 2007 all about?

File Block Functionality is a very new security feature implemented into Microsoft Office 2003 and 2007. File Block Functionality was designed to deliver an extra barrier of protection to Office 2003 and Office 2007 users when handling potentially malicious documents.

It allows for Specific documents that can be blocked from being executed. Office 2003 and 2007 users which no longer have the ability to open Word, Excel and PowerPoint documents will be able to find out how to recuperate their files by referring the following KB articles 922849, 922848 and 922847.

The File Block Functionality for Microsoft Office 2003 and the 2007 Microsoft Office system allows administrators to restrict via registry and Group Policy specific Office file types that can or cannot be opened when using Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, and Excel. Blocking specific Office file types allows administrators to temporarily deny users the ability to open certain files, such as when a threat of attack from a given Office file type exists.

The KB articles listed above will reveal the actions that users need to take in order to resolve error messages that have been generated due to File Block.

The impossibility to execute Word, Excel and PowerPoint documents in the context of error messages pointing to issues related to the registry policy setting, is connected to File Block. Just access the Microsoft KB articles 922849, 922848 and 922847 in order to understand how to modify the Windows registry in order to fix the problem.

How to Add Digital Signatures easily in Microsoft Outlook?

Digital signatures prove to the recipient that the content of the message was signed by you and not an imposter and that the contents have not been altered in transit, but they also increase the size of the e-mail significantly. To be able to decide when and where you want to add a digital signature go to Tools > Options > Security in Outlook and uncheck the flag "Add digital signature to outgoing messages".

Note: If you want to use digital signatures, it is best to use Microsoft Word as your e-mail editor. In this case you can choose the shortcut present on the toolbar for digitally signing and encrypting your e-mails.

How to Speed Up your Windows Vista Performance easily - Use the in-build ReadyBoost

ReadyBoost is a simple way to speed up your Windows Vista by adding a USB Stick (or, in some machines, adding a SD Memory card). ReadyBoost works by caching portions of the pagefile on a USB Stick. It is a very well known fact that the Disk transfer rates exceed Flash Memory transfer rates. However, random reads from Flash can be as much as 10x faster than random reads from your disk.

But the catch is that your Flash memory/USB stick must provide a reasonable transfer rate for random reads. The Best way to find out if it works for your USB stick is to benchmark random reads which is an automatic feature in Windows Vista.

Now lets looks at the easy procedure to enable ReadyBoost to easily Speed Up your Windows Vista :

• First select the USB drive and right click > properties.
• You will get an option to select ReadyBoost and enable/disable it.
• Your Done. (Didn't I say it was easy)

From now on Windows Vista will create a ReadyBoost cache file in your USB drive. This file will be used for small, random reads to the pagefile. I would recomend the ReadyBoost cache be set as 1:1 (ReadyBoost:System Memory) for smaller machines and something in the ratio 2.5:1 for bigger machines.

The only limitation that Microsoft has placed is that there can be only one ReadyBoost file on a machine, and the ReadyBoost file can never be larger than 4GB.

ReadyBoost will greatly improve things when the machine comes under memory pressure and heavy disk activity. In all such cases you will notice that the PC will be noticeable more responsive.

List of Services that you don't need in Windows Vista to make it work faster

Windows Vista makes all kinds of assumptions about your computing habits and the features you may or may not need, and it inevitably installs some overhead that you simply don't need. You can get rid of all that very easily and make your machine work faster.

Windows XP had the Add/Remove Windows Features button in the Control Panel. Similarly Vista has something called as Add/Remove Programs applet. Turn it off or Uninstall what you don't need.

Open Control Panel and click Uninstall a Program to launch Vista's Uninstall or Change a Program Window. In the Tasks pane on the left, click Turn Windows Features On or Off. Check the list of features. Each feature is preceded by a checkbox which, if filled, indicates the feature is installed. If you hover the mouse over a feature, a help tooltip appears to tell you what it is. Uncheck any feature you don't need. Some of the features are headings with a sub-list below them; just click the little + sign to expand.

Click the Start button and type in services.msc and hit Enter. (The cursor jumps to the Search bar in the Start Menu when you click the Start button; you can usually just punch in whatever program or module you want to run right there). The Services applet appears. Each service is basically a little nest of software support code for something the computer can monitor or do.

Well-written services include a description of what they do (note that lots of third-party services don't include a description). The Status column in the Services window shows whether or not the service has been started.

Startup Type means how the service starts:

• Automatic means the service starts when Windows starts.
• Manual means the service starts when Windows detects that something needs it.
• Disabled means the service doesn't start at all.

Most services are either set to Automatic or Manual. There's no need to change any manual services; they only start when it's necessary for them to do something. There are probably some automatic services you really don't need, though.

To change how a service starts, right-click it and click Properties. If you don't want a service to load, first stop the service by clicking Stop. Then, pull down the Startup Type list and set the service to Manual or Disabled.

If you're not sure about a service, it's safer to set it to Manual; that way, if something calls it, it should start up. If you know you don't need a service, set it to Disabled.

The services you need depend on what you do with your PC. For instance, if you're not using ReadyBoost, you can disable that service; you can disable Windows Error Reporting if you don't want to report errors; you can disable Tablet PC Input Service if you don't want to use Tablet PC features; and so on.

You can almost certainly disable some services that start automatically by default:

• Computer Browser
• Distributed Link Tracking Client
• IKE and AuthIP IP Keying Modules
• Offline Files
• Remote Registry
• Tablet PC Input Service (unless you're using a tablet PC)
• Windows Error Reporting

Some services that you absolutely should not disable include:

• Multimedia Class Scheduler
• Plug and Play
• Superfetch
• Task Scheduler
• Windows Audio
• Windows Driver Foundation

Feel free to experiment with services; just keep track of which services you tweak and, if something doesn't work, re-enable the last service you turned off. Streamline the system by shutting down as many services as you can, based on your own unique needs.

As an example, here are the services I've disabled on my networked machine:

• DFS Replication
• Computer Browser
• Distributed Link Tracking Client
• IKE and AuthIP IPsec Keying Modules
• IP Helper
• IPsec Policy Agent
• KtmRm for Distributed Transaction Coordinator
• Offline Files
• Remote Registry
• Secondary Logon
• Security Center (Use caution if you disable security services!)
• SSDP Discovery
• Tablet PC Input Service
• Terminal Services
• Windows Defender

There is a lot more you can do easily to Boost the performance of your Vista PC.

Complete list of Errors that you may encounter while Upgrading to Windows Vista

Here is a complete list of Errors that you can possible get when upgrading to Windows Vista. I have given a brief one line explanation of what the problem could be and have linked to the relevant KB(Knowledge Base) article that gives more information on the same and how you can easily fix the error. Hope this helps you during the rather painful upgrade procedure.

927295 - You cannot select the Upgrade option when you try to install Windows Vista, and you receive the following message: "Windows cannot determine if another operating system exists on your computer"
927296 - You cannot select the Upgrade option when you try to install Windows Vista, and you receive the following message: "Your upgrade partition has multiple operating systems"
927297 - You cannot select the Upgrade option when you try to install Windows Vista, and you receive the following message: "You must rename or remove before upgrade can continue"
926069 - You cannot select the Upgrade option when you try to install Windows Vista, and you receive the following message: "Upgrade has been disabled"
927688 - You cannot select the Upgrade option when you try to install Windows Vista, and you receive an error message that is specific to hardware that is installed on your computer
928432 - The upgrade option is unavailable when you start the computer by using the Windows Vista DVD
932004 - Error message when you try to upgrade a computer that is running Windows XP to Windows Vista: "The legacy OS does not meet the software update requirements: 'Service Pack 2 for Windows XP'"
932005 - You cannot select an upgrade option for Windows Vista, and you may receive an error message: "You cannot upgrade Windows in Safe mode"
932006 - Error message when you try to upgrade a computer to Windows Vista: "The upgrade cannot be started because the content on your installation disk is written in a different language than the language on your computer"
932007 - Error message when you try to upgrade a computer to Windows Vista: "The installed operating system does not support an upgrade to Windows Vista"
932009 - Error message when you try to install Windows Vista by using Windows Vista installation media: "Upgrade has been disabled - To upgrade, start the installation from Windows"

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.

Why are VOIP services cheaper than conventional phones?

You might have seen ads of VOIP[Voice over IP] companies saying that a long-distance call will cost you a fraction(5%) of what you would pay in a conventional phone. Have you ever wondered how they are able to offer such a price. Let me de-mystify it for you.

Let's say that you own a phone company. You provide the telephone poles. You provide the wiring. You provide the switching stations. You provide the telephone. You provide in-house maintenance. You print the PHONE BOOK.

Now, let's say that you are a VOIP provider. You provide the software. You provide the connection to the phone system. YOU MAKE THE MONEY on the telephone company's work. You are cheaper and you are eating on the telephone company's former success.

BUT, the VOIP company can only sell to people that already have high speed internet. VOIP companies do not maintain any wires or telephones. So only smart people can use your service. Some VOIP companies provide the Telephone adapter kit, like Vonage, so the have to charge more than Skype.

VOIP Small Business phone systems are the best to implement when you are running a small company that doesn't make much money. The advantages are many and will directly result in a share of the profit that the company will generate over a period of time.

Simple steps to easily Upgrade from 32-bit Windows XP to 64-bit Windows Vista?

One inherent consumer confusion is the fact that upgrades from Windows XP to Windows Vista are limited. And when it comes down to upgrading from 32-bit Windows XP to 64-bit Windows Vista, users' options are inexistent altogether. Well let me de-mystify it for you and explain you the steps to easily Upgrade from 32-bit Windows XP to 64-bit Windows Vista.

You cannot directly perform an upgrade from a 32-bit version of Windows XP to a 64-bit version of Windows Vista. However, you can use an upgrade copy of Windows Vista to perform a clean installation of a 64-bit version of Windows Vista. The simple method is that you will need to begin the installation by inserting the 64-bit Windows Vista DVD into your computer's disc drive, and then restart your computer. You must start the 64-bit Windows Vista installation from the Windows Vista 64-bit disc because Windows installation will not run on a 32-bit version of Windows.

Knowledge Base article 930891 also reveals that the 64-bit Windows Vista installation disk cannot be used to upgrade from a 32-bit Windows XP. "This behavior occurs because Windows operating system upgrades are supported only between matching operating system architectures. A 32-bit version of Windows XP does not recognize the 64-bit Windows Vista installer engine," Microsoft explains in 930891, and states that a custom installation is the only option for users that still want to use an upgrade 64-bit edition of Vista with their 32-bit Windows XP.

Apple has released Boot Camp 1.3 beta :: Do more of your Windows in Mac

Ever since Apple announced that Boot Camp will be an integral part of Leopard, many have speculated that the company intends to take things further and even provide a way for Windows applications to run natively without the need for additional software, including Windows.

The latest version of Boot Camp, 1.3 beta, contains several updates and is intended for all new and previous Boot Camp beta users. Boot Camp allows users to install and run Windows and Windows applications on Intel-powered Macs.

The latest improvements in Boot Camp 1.3 beta include:

• Support for keyboard backlighting (MacBook Pro only).
• Apple Remote pairing.
• Updated graphics drivers.
• Improved Boot Camp driver installer.
• Improved international keyboard support.
• Localization fixes.
• Updated Windows Help for Boot Camp.

Interestingly enough, right after the updated software from Apple, both Parallels and VMware have released updated versions of their virtualization software. Unlike Boot Camp, both Parallels and VMware solutions let you have windows applications right in OS X without the need to dual boot.

While the timing of the releases is strange, it is unlikely to be more than just coincidence. Apple has repeatedly said that its solution is dual boot and will not be offering anything else, but they have made similar statements before, only to do the exact opposite. So far, Apple has actively encouraged users to use virtualization software, even recommending it instead of their own Boot Camp.

If Apple does have some sort of secret plan regarding Windows applications in OS X, they won’t keep it a secret for much longer. And if they don’t, there will likely be enough interesting new things in Leopard to make us forget.

Netscape releases version 9 of its browser with Social Networking in built

Do you guys know Netscape? Well - I definitely do!! Because it was one of the few other browser(or only other browser) available than Internet Explorer when I started sufing the web in its early stages. The browser was once dominant in terms of usage share, but it has lost most of its share to Internet Explorer during the first browser war I suppose.

Well, recently Netscape has announced the availability of the new Netscape Navigator 9.0, available as a standalone installation for Windows, Mac OS, and Linux. I guess this is just to once again prove to its critics that it is very much in business!! This 9.0 version is based on Firefox and has a couple of unique features built-in.

Some very notable features of this new browser are :

Direct browser integration with Netscape portal which is now a social bookmarking site.

You can share and vote for web pages you'll find interesting without visiting the website.

One can read the latest news directly from the browser.

A link pad allowing you to save interesting links without cluttering the bookmarks.

You can download and try Netscape 9 from the offical website.

K-Lite Codec Pack gets an update 3.2

I had previously written about how you can Play any Video or Audio file in your Windows XP / Vista with K-Lite Codec Pack. Well, yesterday there was an update to this package and a new version 3.2.0 was realeased. You can get the latest version here.

Here's what the developers have to say about it. If you need a review and the list of formats it supports, do check my previous article.

K-Lite Codec Pack is a collection of VFW/ACM codecs, DirectShow filters and tools. Codecs and DirectShow filters are needed for encoding and decoding (playing) audio and video formats. The K-Lite Codec Pack is designed as a user-friendly solution for playing all your movie files. With the K-Lite Codec Pack you should be able to play all the popular audio and video formats and even several less common formats.

The K-Lite Codec Pack has a couple of major advantages compared to other codec packs:

• It it always very up-to-date with the newest and/or best components.
• All components have been carefully selected. It is not just a random bunch of stuff thrown together.
• It is very user-friendly and easy to use.
• The installation is fully customizable, meaning that you are able to only install those components that you really want.
• For some formats a choice can be made during installation between different filters. This allows you to tweak the pack to your own specific needs and preferences.
• Uninstallation removes everything that was installed by the pack. Including all registry keys.
• It is extremely easy to make a fully customized unattended installation with the integrated wizard.
• It has been very well tested. The pack doesn't contain any conflicting or buggy codecs.
• It tries to avoid potential conflicts with other codecs already installed on your computer.
• The pack is able to detect broken codecs and filters on your system, and helps you to removes them.
• It is a very complete package, containing everything you need to play your movies.
• This pack has a huge user base. This means that problems are found and resolved quickly.
• There are different packages. From small to extra-large.
• Suitable for both novice and expert users.

AVG Anti-Virus to be made available for Mobiles too

Anti-Virus solutions for our mobile phones has never been in greater need than now, as malicious applications have turned to this new and unprotected environment. AVG aims at this target, that needs efficient protection from the growing threats. That's really good news since I have been using AVG for my desktops and laptops for many years now.

The new AVG Mobile Security features anti-virus and SMS anti-spam to protect against unwanted messages and advertising. It also includes advanced functions such as comprehensive system settings, planning and scanning exceptions that are offered with other AVG products.

As mobile advertising is often intruding and undesired by many, AVG Mobile Security comes with anti-virus and SMS anti-spam protection. Moreover, the software is continuously updating its database through a rapid distribution system of more than 10,000 servers worldwide in order to efficiently respond to threats.

AVG Mobile Security is currently in a BETA testing process and can be downloaded from the following website after registration.

New Version of Skype 3.2 Released

As you know Skype is software for calling other people on their computers or phones. Download Skype and start calling for free all over the world. The latest version of Skype 3.2 has been released officially on the Skype Website.

The technology used by Skype is extremely advanced - but super simple to use. The calls have excellent sound quality and are highly secure with end-to-end encryption.

Additionally it doesn't just work on Windows. Skype is also for Mac OS X, Linux and PDAs using Pocket PC, with a native look and feel for each platform. Talking, sending instant messages or even file transfers work between different platforms like a charm.

Here is a complete list of features that are available with Skype 3.2 version:

• Skype calling - Skype has all the features of an ordinary phone so its even easier to manage your calls.
• Video calling - see who you are talking to at the same time as speaking to them.
• Add Skype and SkypeOut contacts - Add contacts who use Skype and those who use ordinary phones so you can call more people.
• Organising groups - group contacts under certain names and share them with your contacts so they can talk to them too.
• Basic chat and emoticons - when it's not convenient to call, chat or Instant Message (IM) your contacts.
• Group chat - for when it's easier to chat or Instant Message (IM) all your friends at once.
• Profile settings - change how you appear to the world and let people know a bit about you.
• Conference calling - talk to more than one friend at a time.
• Import contacts - search your address book to find friends and family that already have a Skype name and start calling them for free.
• View Outlook contacts - view and call your Microsoft Outlook® contacts quickly and directly from your Skype contact list.
• Quickfilter and Speed-Dial - find Skype contacts, recent chats and SkypeOut contacts quickly and easily, then enter their Skype name to call them back quickly.

Windows Home Server RC1 Released with a Bounty of $50,000

Windows Home Server (WHS) Release Candidate 1, as this build is known has been finally released and is said to offer a number of improvements over previous betas. This is Microsoft's latest iteration of Windows designed for sharing media and linking together multiple computers in a home network. A 30-day trial download is now available at Microsoft's website.

With one-terabyte drives now in the consumer market, it really makes sense for a WHS box to drive five terabytes of storage in your home network. So all those Media junkies and Music Collector's this is gonna be a stepping stone to manage and stream them across your homes easily.

WHS is essentially a Windows Server 2003 under the hood, with new services including one that pools multiple hard drive spaces together as an easier-to-manage partition, and browser-based management software. A final release of WHS can now be expected shortly since it has reached RC1 Stage.

Now how you can Bag the $50,000 bounty?
Download Windows Home Server right away and head over to Code2Fame Challenge and create some cool WHS add-ins that'll net you a portion of the $50,000 prize package. All the Best!!

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.

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

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!!

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!!

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.

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.

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 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 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: