MythTechnology: August 2009

Monday, August 24, 2009

Add Categories to your Blogger Blog

Update: Please note that this is an old post written before Blogger Beta (now out of beta and referred to as New Blogger for want of a better name) was introduced. With New Blogger, Labels was introduced and labels is just the same as the Categories referred to by other blogging platform. Labels is an easier, automatic replacement of what had been described as Categories in this post. Refer to new labels for old classic Blogger template

What are categories. Basically it is a way of organizing your posts so that it can be easily found by categories or types. It may as well be called post directory or something.

Blogger is free and nice, but unfortunately has some shortcomings. One of them is the lack of a provision for doing categories. There exist many methods for doing categories and most of them involve tempering with the template. Here is one simple, straight forward method for doing categories for Blogger that doesn't require one to make any changes to the template except adding some hyperlinks to it. I got the idea for this method from the website "I want to be a millionaire".

First, you have to create an account for del.icio.us. Even if you already have a del.icio.us account, it is advisable to create a new one specially for this purpose. If you are not familiar with del.icio.us, you can read more about it here: "Introduction to del.icio.us". You will then have to tag each INDIVIDUAL post page (permalink) in your blog with the name of category (single word) to which you want the post to belong to. If it is a two or three word category, use underscore or hyphen to link them into a single "word". The categories that I intend to use for this blogs, are for example, Introduction, Basic, General, Blogger specific, etc. You can tag the post with more than 1 tag if you wish. For example, a post that is both basic and specific to Blogger can be tagged with the tags basic and blogger-specific. (Note: To get to the individual post page, click on the link in the PREVIOUS POSTS or the ARCHIVES section or click on the permalink (represented by a time stamp) at the bottom of the post in the index page).

Now all you have to do is to add this to the sidebar section of your template:

h4>CATEGORIES

a href="http://url-tagpage1.com/">Tag 1< /a>
a href="http://url-tagpage2.com/">Tag 2< /a>

replacing the tagpage URL with the actual URL of your tag pages. For example, the del.icio.us account I created for this blog is bloggertricks and I have created 2 tags - general and blogger-specific. So the URL for tagpage1 is http://del.icio.us/bloggertricks/general and the url for tagpage2 is http://del.icio.us/bloggertricks/blogger-specific. The codes I will add to the sidebar section of the template will be

h4>CATEGORIES

a href="http://del.icio.us/bloggertricks/general">
GENERAL< /a>

a href="http://del.icio.us/bloggertricks/blogger-specific">
BLOGGER SPECIFIC< /a>

If you have more categories, just add more hyperlinks.

(If you don't want to type the tagpage url yourself, just log into your del.icio.us account, then at the top-right hand corner, click on the tag and you will be taken to the tagpage. Just copy the url from the address bar)

Once you have these in place, and as you add more posts, all you have to do now is to tag the posts with the appropriate category and it will be classified in place accordingly.

Pet society ''Recycle coin hack'' by Patiniox

Well gentlemen had coins in front of our eyes and saw not the ... this usually happens usually when we take something and just follow the arrow without stopping a moment to look at things from another angle, but most are not good to do that, except for the Mr Manzs, who noticed a small singularity which we can deliver up to 750 coins for each additional visit Pets are our friends for coffee or not (depending on recycling have that trophy), how? simply with the brush Hack, hack because it also affects the recycling of objects with which we can win again and a bonus (prize for recycling), which gives us the game in value coins.

It's just a question of method:

1 - Start to recycle whatever we can to find the boundary between our points of recycling and the prize for winning the game and save.

2 - rechargeable again and apply the Pet Brush Coin Hack (see post)

3 - Pet visited a friend for coffee or contacts.

4 - Inside the house of his friend (no matter if you greet or not) we could recycle the idea is not to recycle more than 5 times (if not the mayor) for which the value of each object in recycling points must pass the points needed to win the prize.

Example: if we have 500 points to win the 2nd recycling trophy then recycle 5 objects whose value is greater than 500 points in 5 recycling and get the trophy and the corresponding coins.
If we won first prize about 250 coins per visit
If we are near the second award won 500 coins per visit
If we won third prize nearly 750 coins per visit

5 - Once the 5 items recycled windows closed recycling (ufff ... I said many times already recycling? Like a subliminal message) and they will appear with 5 posters and trophies awarded accordingly the coins will increase, give ok a everything and move to visit another friend Pet order to do the same procedure more coins.
I leave you a video that can be illustrated a little better:

Restaurant City – cheat LV and coin

This cheat should be their own test, not to indulge the child and other methods, RC has a lot of bug, just try to find

1. Ready to cheat engine, flash player 9 or 10

2. Select Unrandomizer, scan read only memory, ALL

3. Scan type: value between 1 - 50000, first scan

As a result of too much address, we must reduce the scope of the search, so use the following method

A. Do not litter or buried in accordance with articles, scan type to unchanged value, next scan

B. by a spam or sell items, scan type switch changed value, next scan

C. Street and the house, scan type to unchanged value, next scan

4. To address the value, each value to a month to remember the former value, because the error had to be changed back. To recall a value, and then simply value, re-entry fair, if the LV and the money has not changed, it we have to change back to the original value

Numerical input: even increase, the base is to reduce, so do not hit 999, only to become negative

5. The use of ways to try to LV and the coin of the address, just their test can be, when you test more, you will find the address of those who address some of the peculiarities of this on your own, such as summary

6. If you change the negative points, but also save changed 0, menu disappeared! In fact, only a return to the new model, as long as you set the staff, menu will be out, but money changed in 2000, dishes and items so that the preservation Ran.

More testing, try to be happy successful

Restaurant City – cheat LV and coin (Chinese)

此cheat 要自己試,不要一味子等方法, RC 有好多bug, 只要試一試就可以找到

1.準備cheat engine, flash player 9 or 10

2.選擇 Unrandomizer ,scan read only memory, ALL

3. scan type :value between 1- 50000, first scan

由於得到太多address,必須減少搜尋范圍,所以要用下面方法

A.不要按垃圾或埋物品, scan type 轉unchanged value, next scan

B. 按一個垃圾或賣物品, scan type 轉changed value, next scan

C.出街再入屋,scan type 轉unchanged value, next scan

用A, B, C 三種方法,將address減到最少, 有些太大的數,例如超出50000的address可以remove, 太小的數例如 0 ，又可以remove

4. 改address 的value, 每改一個value 前要記得個value,因為改錯了要改回. 先記得個value, 然後改一改value, 再入屋賣物, 假如LV和錢沒有變,就要改回原本數值

輸入的數值：偶數是增加, 基數是減少, 所以不要打999, 只會變負數

5. 用上方法可以試到LV 和coin 的address, 只需自己測試一下就可以,當你試得多,就會發現那些address 的地址有一些特別之處,這個就等你自行總結

6. 假如你改到負分,而且又被save變了0 級, menu 消失了！其實只是恢復到新手模式,只要你設定員工工作, menu就會出來,而且金錢變 2000, 菜式和物品讓然保存.

多測試,成功試到才開心

Pet society cheat coin 18 aug

1. Tools: Flash player 9, Firefox, Cheat engine 5.5 2. Open Cheat engine, choose the top left corner TV Aberdeen Firefox browser, select 8 bytes, Hex, Also scan memory. 3. To buy a pet society apple, a brush brush your pet, where Hex input in 110FF2D045590FF2, First scan 4. Cheat enine will be a result of the left-hand side, select the result, right => Disassemble this memory region, select the first row, right => Go to address, copy the address 5. Browse http://www.catbox.com.ar/pet/Cepillohackv1/a4354wertr211.php, enter the address into the box to the first 6. Back to cheat engine, enter in the Hex, where input 7D8B000005B38F0F, new scan 7. Cheat enine will be a result of the left-hand side, select the result, right => Disassemble this memory region, select the first row, right => Go to address, copy the address 8. To return to http://www.catbox.com.ar/pet/Cepillohackv1/a4354wertr211.php, input to the second address to the box, by Enviar, reproduce the results. 9. Back to cheat engine, select Tools => Auto assemble => Right => paste => excute 10. Pet society to return to wash with soap every time you pet can get 4 coins, and the recovery of the Award will be very high scores 11. Qutan your friend, and then recovered an item that can be several times the coins

Restaurant City – Coin Hack

Already have a new way to hack coin, fresh hot roll, but I think this approach will be a good quick fix, because it will cause a lot of server work load, this method is as follows Introduction

CE refers to cheat engine (download cheat engine) how to use see the previous post

Us will not be a video, because youtube will post a lot of enthusiasm

Please carefully follow the steps to do!

1. Open CE, process the browser of your choice, value type with 4 bytes, scan your score Gourmet point, and then first scan
(Score faster reduction Taiwan)
2. When the scores increased after the election of increased value, next scan
3. The left side there will be an address (scan less than a few test scores jump quickly, search on the re-importation of too much and then next scan), double click add the following drop-in right-click to select the following options find out what write to this address
4. Jumped out a window, when you added scores, this small window will appear a line of text, which has a [ecx +10], after selection by the show dsassemble,

Jumped out another window, double click the first line [ecx +10] which will be 10 to 100, and then on the identification of all the tips ...
5. Back to game, the money will jump as if timer
6. An increase of money, do not stop, the Wizard button to buy items, sell items, we can get more points, easily burst LV ...

Proposed to use IE for, firefox relatively large chance of death as it has youtube ... this hack out, it would be a good quick fix, to reserve money fast

Answer User Questions:

1. Shells IE, is a normal phenomenon, which relates to performance issues on your computer
2. Scores will increase, it is normal, because this hack is directly proportional with the scores, plus $ 2 plus 1 sub -
3. Can not save! Fact will automatically save, but you have to open the Hack, do not play this game, let him slowly to roll the money, when you feel that enough to re-login, after the changed values, CE is can be closed
4.IE Firefox are similar, but I think IE is better on the system, playing a protection mechanism. IE7 can be used, flash 9 and 10 can also be used.
5. Not scan their own, not to mention being the FIX ....
6. HACK opened speedhack ... do not open no effect
7. A small window does not ecx +10, might not open the door to do business, there is no increase in scores
8. What is the Wizard button on the google can see, more money, but to the territory whom, so they rely on their own computer
9.

Save less than do not be afraid, it will auto save, you can re-login

Do not indiscriminately change the score after ecx, otherwise IE will be closed ...

This method has failed

How do you download songs onto an iPod

I just bought my first iPod and I’m so excited, but Windows doesn’t open my iPod properly and I can’t figure out how to download songs onto my iPod. How do you download songs onto an iPod?”

Before you can begin downloading songs onto your iPod you need to download a little program called iTunes for Windows. You need iTunes to do anything on your iPod including transferring songs and videos from your computer to the iPod. Itunes will manage and organize all your media files, and you can purchase more music, videos, tv shows, games and apps (iPod touch).

So before we can download songs onto the iPod we need to install the mighty iTunes from Apple.

Select your operating system and download the latest version of iTunes from Apple.

Accept the license term and click “Next” to proceed with the install.

Installation Options – this option will let you decide where you want to install iTunes. Check or un-check options as you see fit.

Now click “Install” to begin the installation.

Once you get all that done and out of the way you can plug your iPod with the supplied USB cable and iTunes should open automatically if it doesn’t then manually launch iTunes. You should now see your iPod on the left hand side. Click on it to and begin to edit your syncing options in each tab. Go through each tab carefully cause there is a lot of different syncing options.

Hope this points you in the right direction on how to download songs onto your iPod.

If you need more help check out Apple’s Support page.

Click on the iTunes.exe file to began the install. You will get a nice Welcome window basically saying iTunes is the best way to import your music, videos and all your media and the installer guide will take you through the steps. Click Next to begin.

How to Update iPhone Firmware

“How do you update the firmware on the iPhone?”

Apple has recently updated the iPhone and iPod touch firmware to 3.0.

What’s new in iPhone/iPod touch 3.0 software?

Cut, Copy & Paste
Landscape Keyboard
MMS
Spotlight Search
Improved Calendar
Buy Movies, TV Shows, and Audiobooks
Enhanced Stocks App
Voice Memos (iphone mic or headset)
Here’s how to update your iPhone or iPod touch to the latest firmware.

1. Make sure you got the latest iTunes installed, iTunes 8.2 is needed for the 3.0 update.

2. With iTunes launched and your iPhone plugged in click on your iPhone under “Devices”

3. In the window pane to right hand side click on “Check for Update”.
*iPod touch users: When you update your iPod touch you will be sent to the store to purchase the newer firmware for $9.99. Follow the steps to purchase the firmware.

4. Now just click “Download and Install”. It’s very important that you do not unplug the iPhone or iPod touch during the firmware update.

Go here for more details on the latest features and how to update the iPhone firmware http://www.apple.com/iphone/softwareupdate/

How to Delete Gmail Account

I want to delete a Gmail account for good, is there a way that I can permanently close my account?”

If you want to just cancel your Gmail account but still keep using other Google services here’s how to delete your Gmail account. Just keep in mind that all your mail will be lost and you will not get it back once you close your Gmail account.

First log into your Gmail Account.
Select Google Account settings.
Hit the “Edit” button next to “My products” on the right side.
Select “Delete Gmail Service”
If you want to close your Google account entirely go here.

Source

Inserting Images in Gmail

One of the most annoying things I find in emails are “Attachments” especially attachments of an image or images. Not only is it annoying but it can also be dangerous, one of the first rules in keeping your computer virus free is not to download attachments. Now Gmail allows you to insert images into your email messages without attachments. Yay!

First thing you need to do is log into your Gmail account. Once you’re logged in go to the upper right hand side and click “Settings”.

Now we are in the Settings Menu, there are many different tabs here, click on "Labs".

From the Labs tab scroll down until you see the box “Inserting images” by Kent T. Click “Enable” to turn this feature on.

Now click “Save” to save it of coarse.

Now to add an image to the body of your email click on the little “Image” icon on the top menu.

When you click on that image icon you can then upload a image from your computer or the web address of the image. When the image is uploaded click “Add Image”. You can then choose the size from small, medium or large or keep it in the original size.

Source

Outlook won’t remember password

Why does Outlook forget my password on an email account and box pops up to confirm password.

Outlook can remember every password for different email accounts to save you the trouble of typing the password each time but we need to make sure we have the correct settings.

Store and Save Password for Outlook 2003:

On the top menu bar select “Tools” then “Email Accounts..”
Select “View or change existing e-mail accounts” and click “Next”
Choose the email account which will be highlighted
Select “Change”
Look under “Login Information” and be sure “Remember password” is checked off
Now key in the email password under “Password”
Click “Next” and “Finish”
How to save Email Password for Outlook:

Choose “Tools” and then “Account Settings” on the menu bar
Select the “Email” tab
Choose the email account you want to remember password
Select “Change”
Look under “Login Information” and be sure “Remember password” is checked off
Now type in the email password under “Password”
Click “Next” and “Finish”
If Outlook still does not save your email password then check out this Microsoft Support Help article for Outlook to get more troubleshooting tips.

How to delete hotmail account

If you want to close your Hotmail account just stop using it. This is the way Microsoft actually recommends for deleting Hotmail accounts. Here is how the process works, if you do not touch your hotmail account for thirty days the account becomes inactive, and after ninety days Passport becomes inactive. But there is a way to delete Hotmail account manually. Follow the instructions below.

Click on “Help” on a Hotmail page it doesn’t really matter which page
In the search area type in “Close Account”
Select the “Close your Hotmail Account” in the help screen
Select the “Close Account” link which is highlighted in blue
Click “Close Account” to finish closing the hotmail account

Change Gmail theme

“I was walking by a co-workers desk when I noticed he had Gmail open but it wasn’t like the usual Gmail look. He had something entirely different that made his Gmail account look really unique. How do you change the Gmail theme, is there a plug in i need to download?”

Google added different “Themes” in Gmail recently so everything you need to change your default Gmail theme is in your settings.

How to change Gmail theme:

Log into your Gmail account.

At the very top on the right hand side click on “Settings”

Now you should be in Settings with a number of different tabs, look all the way to the right and you will see the “Themes” tab. Click on it. Now you will see a number of different themes to choose from, click on any of the themes and Gmail will automatically change it to the one you selected.

How do I erase my hard drive

If you really want to erase your harddrive you could take it out, open it up and take out the platters and shred them up into millions of little pieces and send it off to space. Just kidding. Here’s an easier and just as effective way to go, it’s a little program called DBAN Darik’s Boot and Nuke.

Download the version of DBAN you want to use to wipe out the hard drive. There is floppy, CD, or USB versions. Follow the instructions in the README.TXT. If your are giving your PC away, this is a great little application to completely clean out the drive to prevent identity theft and wipe off your personal data.

Keep your passwords in firefox secure

I love the password manager that comes built into Firefox. It is very convenient and saves me a lot of time from entering passwords. But did you know that other people may be able to see your passwords in Firefox.

Open up Firefox and go to “Tools” then “Options” now select the “Security” tab on top of the menu. Click on “Show Passwords” this is where Firefox stores all the passwords and as you can see it’s very unsecured. Let’s configure Firefox to make our passwords secure from prying eyes.

In the same menu select “Use a master password”, now enter your password, hopefully something strong with random numbers and letters but something memorable. Hit “OK” when done. Now no one can view the stored passwords without your master password. You will also need the master password to auto fill passwords on websites.

How to protect a computer for free

Easy and Quick guide to protect your computer
If you are running Windows you need to protect your computer from the nastiness of the web. Every program I list here are free and I use personally on my Windows Vista computer and will work on XP.

First thing you should do is make sure your Window’s firewall is turned on. On XP Service pack 2, and Vista the firewall is turned on by default. To manually check on Vista go to Start (Windows logo) >Control Panel > Security > Firewall. On Xp click Start > Control Panel > Security Center. You can also download a pretty decent firewall called Zone Alarm. But if you really want the ultimate firewall protection get yourself a router. Router’s are mainly used for sharing internet connection but can also used as a hardware firewall. Although routers are not free they are very inexpensive.

Get the latest Windows update, make sure you have automatic updates turned on to get the newest patches from Microsoft. In Xp go to Start>Control Panel >Security Center. In Vista go to Start > Control Panel > Security > Windows Update > Turning on Windows update on and off.

Next thing you will need is virus protection. I use and like AVG. Avast and AntiVir are also high rated anti-virus program. It is important that you only use one antivirus program using more than one can cause conflicts. You shouldn’t have to worry about updating these programs they usually automatically update themselves.

Now we need some spyware/adware protection here is a list of anti-spyware programs I use:

Windows Defender this comes with Vista, Xp users need to download it from Microsoft.
Ad-Aware
SUPERAntiSpyware
Spybot
I would run everyone of these anti-spyware programs (one at a time) once a week. Remeber to update them every time you use it.

Ok, one last thing and most important thing we need to do to protect the computer from viruses and malware is change our online behavior.

Do not download attachments in emails
Do not click on links in email
Do not run cracked or pirated software
Do not or just be very careful when downloading music from file sharing sites
Stay away form porn sites
Get the latest patches and updates
I hope this guide will be helpful and if I forgot something here please email me and I will add it in. This is by no means the ultimate setup but it’s kept my computer pretty locked down and all for free, yay.

What are computer cookies

Cookies are small little texts files (.txt) and they are put onto your computer by just about every website you visit on the internet. Even if you were to delete all your computer cookies right now you will get a few more with a few click of the mouse. Cookies are mainly used for personalization such as quick login to a website you visit regularly. Here’s a guide on how to delete cookies if that’s what you want.

There is no harm in cookies, they do not slow your computer down or contain any viruses or spyware although some anti-spyware programs will list “Tracking Cookies” as a minor threat to your computer because they consider these to be invasion of privacy. Tracking Cookies are third party cookies delivered by advertisers and is used to track your movement online and deliver relevant ads based on your surfing habits. If this bothers you than you can block third party cookies through your browser. Although many sites require cookies to be allowed to function properly.

Cookies are highly over-rated and you shouldn’t worry about them to much unless you have something to hide or maybe a little paranoid because other people can easily see the sites you visited by looking at your cookies. Mmmm cookies.

Is IP address linked to my home address

What kind of information can someone get from my ip address? Can they find my home address of where I live, phone number or any other personal information?

You do not have to worry about someone finding your home address or any other private information through your ip address. Only your ISP (internet service provider) knows the identity of the person who is linked to that ip address and they will not turn over that information unless there is a court order/warrant from a judge. So unless you are doing something really bad that would attract the attention of law enforcement you have nothing to worry about.

Although someone can’t get the exact location of your home address with your ip address they can narrow it down to country and city through sites like this one.

Free computer protection

“I have a computer running Windows XP and it currently doesn’t have any kind of protection. I know nothing about computers or any of the lingo’s that go with that like spyware, spybot, virus, adware etc. What’s the best free computer protection out there and what do I need?”

Here’s how to protect your computer for free:

Firewall: make sure your Windows firewall is turned on. Hit Start and then click Control Panel. Now click Windows Security Center, click Windows Firewall.
Windows Updates: Make sure automatic updates is turned on, here are instructions.
Anti-virus: You just need one, I really like Avast Home which is free.
Spyware Protection: For spyware protection it is safe to have several different spyware programs installed on the computer. These are trusted popular ones: Ad-Aware, Spybot, and SuperAntiSpyware.
Junk Cleaner: CCleaner, this will clean your computer of temp files, and other junk files that may slow down your computer.
Other resources:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/security/internet/sp2_wfsettings.mspx
http://www.microsoft.com/protect/computer/spyware/default.mspx

Secure Hotspot

I bought a laptop not so long ago and I want to use it in Cafe’s or public places that offer WiFi. What kind of safety measurements should I watch out for to protect myself when using public WiFi?

One of the most important things you can do to be safe online when using hotspots in public or at home is learn safe computing. Changing your online behavior will go a long ways in keeping your laptop or computer secure from viruses and spyware.

When using public WiFi (open access ) be sure that your Firewall is turned on. Windows Firewall or the Mac’s built in firewall is good enough no need to purchase a third party firewall.

Make sure you’re using a encrypted connection when accessing emails or online stores, you will see a little padlock on the bottom right hand side of the browser and the address in the URL should contain “https”.

If you plan on using public hotspots a lot than using “VPN” service is the best thing you can do, this will encrypt all your data when using public Wifi. HotSpotVPN is a popular one and costs about 9 bucks a month.

Some general do’s and don’ts:

Don’t click links in email
Don’t open attachments in emails
Don’t download anything from unknown sites
Don’t click on or purchase anything from pop-up ads that tell you you’re machine has a virus or spyware. If you download these fake anti-virus your machine will most likely get infected
Don’t run as administrator for your daily online activities, create a limited user account with less privileges
Do keep your laptop or computer updated with latest updates and patches for you operating system, automatic update should be turned on

Can I still have virus or spyware

If your computer seems to running normally and nothing seems wrong can you still have a virus or spyware on your system? I’m running Norton Security on my computer and everything seem pretty good.

Yes you can still get infected with spyware or virus, the goal usually is to get the virus on the system without the user knowing or discovering it. There are hundreds or maybe even thousands of new viruses and spyware created everyday. Many viruses and spyware are discovered everyday in the wild and everyday antivirus companies are updating their virus definitions to protect your computer. But companies like Norton, Kaspersky, McAfee and other anti-virus/spyware companies are always playing catch up, it’s like a cat and mouse game.

So even if you are running the latest up to date virus protection program you can to get infected with a virus because there is that small time frame between the latest definition update where you are not protected from any of the new viruses that is why it’s so important up keep your anti-virus up to date.

This is also why you should download the latest updates from Microsoft for your Windows machine right away or a least have automatic update turned on because virus writers can look at the latest Windows update and reverse engineer the update to see what vulnerability or holes they can take advantage of because they know not everyone updates their machines right away.

How can I block porn

I want to block access to porn and adult sites with pornography. I’m looking for some kind of parental filter program. I tried using the IE content block option you know the “Content Advisory” thing but that blocks every single thing. I do not want to block everything only porn. Is there any easy way to do this?

K9 Web Protection is a free parental filter/blocking program that will block adult sites and other questionable and offensive content on the web. It can even track and monitor websites visited. It’s very easy to use with lots of custom features to play with, and it’s free for home use.

Net Nanny is also a good option but this one isn’t free. If you were thinking about buying a filtering program than this would be the one to get. They offer a free trial so take it for a spin and see if it does what you want.

Should I shut down my computer at night

“I know many people who just leaves their computer on all night but I don’t really see the point in it seems like a waste of electricity. Should I shut down my computer at night or leave it on all night?”

This is a personal preference, some people like to leave their computer on all night and some people like to shut down the computer at night. I personally like to shut my computer down when I don’t use it for long periods of time such as when I’m sleeping. It certainly doesn’t hurt to leave your computer on all night or shut it down at night.

Here are some points from each side, decide for yourself.

Why people leave their computers on all night:

For daily updates
For daily scheduled maintenance tasks
Full virus and or spyware scans
Sharing files on network or online
Downloading large files like movies
Why people turn off their computers at night:

Save energy
Let the computer take a break and cool down
To take the computer offline to avoid any security issues
“I know many people who just leaves their computer on all night but I don’t really see the point in it seems like a waste of electricity. Should I shut down my computer at night or leave it on all night?”

This is a personal preference, some people like to leave their computer on all night and some people like to shut down the computer at night. I personally like to shut my computer down when I don’t use it for long periods of time such as when I’m sleeping. It certainly doesn’t hurt to leave your computer on all night or shut it down at night.

Here are some points from each side, decide for yourself.

Why people leave their computers on all night:

For daily updates
For daily scheduled maintenance tasks
Full virus and or spyware scans
Sharing files on network or online
Downloading large files like movies
Why people turn off their computers at night:

Save energy
Let the computer take a break and cool down
To take the computer offline to avoid any security issues

How can i make my computer faster

Has your computer been running a little sluggish lately? Over a period of time Windows gets bogged down, lets look go over some tips to help your computer run faster and more smoothly. If you are running XP you should have at least 512mb ram, Vista users should have a least 1gb of memory. Upgrading the ram will give you the most dramatic improvement in speed. But there are other things you can do to optimize performance and make the computer run faster:

Defrag your hard drive
Data gets scattered all over the hard drive, use Disk Defragmenter to put the pieces together resulting in faster access to files and programs. To defrag drive go:

Click Start
Go to All Programs
Go to Accessories
Go to System Tools
Now click Disk Defragmenter
Clean up Disk space
Go to Start >All Programs >Accessories >System Tools, now click Disk Cleanup
Delete temporary Internet files
Delete downloaded program files
Empty out the Recycle Bin
Delete Windows temporary files
Check and repair Disk Errors
This tool checks the health of the hard drive and checks for bad sectors which can hurt the performance and create errors in saving files. Go to:

Click Start
Click My Computer
Right click on the drive you want to check, the go to “Properties”
Click “Tools
Click “Check Now”
A dialog box apears, put a check mark on “Scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors”
If it does find any bad sectors choose to fix them
Scan for Spyware and Viruses
Spyware is probably main culprit for sudden loss in computer speed, do regular spyware and virus scans. Make sure your firewall is turned on, and you are getting the all the latest updates from Microsoft.

All the tools mentioned above can be found in Windows Vista as well. The quickest way to access the tools is to go to the Start menu which is now a Windows logo and in the “Start Search” field begin typing the tool you want to use such as “Disk Defragmenter” or “Disk Cleanup” and the program will appear on top. This is a great feature in Vista so use it.

Should I shut down my computer at night

I know many people who just leaves their computer on all night but I don’t really see the point in it seems like a waste of electricity. Should I shut down my computer at night or leave it on all night?”

This is a personal preference, some people like to leave their computer on all night and some people like to shut down the computer at night. I personally like to shut my computer down when I don’t use it for long periods of time such as when I’m sleeping. It certainly doesn’t hurt to leave your computer on all night or shut it down at night.

Here are some points from each side, decide for yourself.

Why people leave their computers on all night:

For daily updates
For daily scheduled maintenance tasks
Full virus and or spyware scans
Sharing files on network or online
Downloading large files like movies
Why people turn off their computers at night:

Save energy
Let the computer take a break and cool down
To take the computer offline to avoid any security issues

Lego Batman Cheats

To enter these Lego Batman cheats head over to the computer in the Batcave and enter any of the following cheat codes. You can also enter these Lego Batman cheat codes at Arkham Asylum computer.

Unlock Vehicles:

KNTT4B – Bat-Tank
LEA664 – Bruce Wayne’s private jet
HPL826 – Catwoman’s motorcycle
EFE933 – Two-Face’s armored truck
HAHAHA – Riddler’s jet
TTF453 – Robin’s submarine
HS000W – Mad Hatter’s Glider
M4DM4N – Mad Hatter’s Steamboat
ICYICE – Mr. Freeze’s Iceberg
BCT229 – Mr. Freeze’s Kart
LJP234 – Police bike
MAC788 – Police van
KJL832 – Police car
PLC999 – Police boat
VJD328 – Police watercraft
CWR732 – Police helicopter
DUS483 – Garbage truck
GCH328 – Goon helicopter
CHP735 – Harbor helicopter
RDT637 – Harley Quinn’s Hammer Truck
JUK657 – The Joker’s van
BTN248 – Penguin Goon Submarine

Unlock Characters:

BDJ327 – Bruce Wayne
JKR331 – Batgirl
M1AAWW – Catwoman (classic)
ZAQ637 – Alfred Pennyworth
DDP967 – Commissioner Gordon
HJK327 – Clown Goon
HGY748 – Fishmonger
XVK541 – Freeze Girl
NJL412 – Freeze Henchman
UTF782 – Joker Goon
YUN924 – Joker Henchman
CCB199 – The Joker (tropical)
MVY759 – Nightwing
NYU942 – Man-Bat
MKL382 – Military Policeman
JCA283 – Mad Hatter
NKA238 – Penguin Goon
KJP748 – Penguin Minion
BJH782 – Penguin Henchman
GTB899 – Poison Ivy Goon
JRY983 – Police officer
HKG984 – Police marksman
HTF114 – S.W.A.T.
CRY928 – Riddler Goon
XEU824 – Riddler Henchman
JFL786 – Scientist
NAV592 – Sailor
PLB946 – Security Guard
DWR243 – Zoo Sweeper
NJL412 – Yeti

Unlock Extras:

TL3EKT – Area Effect (Sonic suit)
9LRGNB – Always Score Multiply
N8JZEK – Armor Plating (Demolition suit)
RAFTU8 – Beep Beep
XFP4E2 – Bats (Sonic suit)
DY13BD – Character Studs
GEC3MD – Disguise
EWAW7W – Extra Toggle (extra Free mode characters)
TQ09K3 – Decoy (Technology suit)
ML3KHP – Extra Hearts
GHJ2DY – Fast Build
RM4PR8 – Fast Grapple (all suits)
JRBDCB – Fast Batarangs (all suits)
ZOLM6N – Fast Walk (Magnet suit)
EVG26J – Faster Pieces (Attract suit)
XPN4NG – Freeze Batarang (Water suit)
D8NYWH – Flaming Batarangs (Heat protection suit)
KLKL4G – Ice Rink
WYD5CP – Invincibility
ZXGH9J – Minikit Detector
JXUDY6 – Immune to Freeze
XWP645 – More Batarang Targets
MMN786 – Power Brick Detector
KHJ544 – Piece Detector (Attract suit)
HJH7HJ – Regenerate Hearts
N4NR3E – Score x2 Multiplier
CX9MAT – Score x4 Multiplier
MLVNF2 – Score x6 Multiplier
WCCDB9 – Score x8 Multiplier
18HW07 – Score x10 Multiplier
TNTN6B – More Detonators (Demolition suit)
YK4TPH – Silohuettes
THTL4X – Sonic Pain
LK2DY4 – Stud Magnet
BBD7BY – Slam (Glide suit)

Fallout 3 Cheats

Bobble Head Locations

Strength – Megaton – Lucas Simms House
Perception – Republic of Dave – Museum of Dave
Endurance – Deathclaw Sanctuary – Deathclaw Sanctuary Entrance
Charisma – Vault 108 – Cloning Lab
Intelligence – Rivet city – Science Lab
Agility – Greener Pastures Disposal – Office
Luck – Arlington Cemetery North – Arlington House

Skills:
Barter – Evergreen Mills – Market Bazaar
Big Guns – Fort Constantine – CO Quarters
Energy Weapons – Ravenhold
Explosives – WKML Broadcast Station – Sealed Cistern
Lockpick – Bethesda – Bethesda Offices East
Medicine – Vault 101 – Dad’s Desk
Melee Weapons – Dunwich Building – Virulent Underchambers
Repair – Aerefu – Evan Kings House
Science – Vault 106 – Living Quarters
Small Guns – National Guard Depot – National Guard Armory
Sneak – Yao Guai Tunnels – Yao Guai Den
Speech – Paradise Falls – Euology’s pad
Unarmed – Rockopolis – Go over directly west from Casey Smith’s Garage, look for tattered banners strung up.

NBA 09 The Inside Cheats

When you’re at the Main Menu, head over to “Extras”, and look for the Jerseys option. Go to the NBA.com area and hit the Square button. Enter any of the following codes to get the corresponding jersey.

NBA 09 The Inside Cheats

NMTWCTC84S – L.A. Lakers Latin Night Jersey
JFHSY73MYD – San Antonio Spurs Latins Night Jersey
LKUTSENFJH – Phoenix Suns Latin Night Jersey
WCTGSA8SPD – Miami Heat Latin Night Jersey
SHPNV2K699 – Eastern All-Stars 09 Jersey
K8AV6YMLNF – Western All-Stars 09 Jersey

Wii Punch Out Cheats

The newest version of Punch Out has been released for the Wii console, here are some tips and cheats to keep you going and hopefully turn you into a champ.

Circuits and Modes

Unlocking Circuits – There are 3 circuits in total and you start off in Minor Circuit, win that to unlock Major Circuit, win that to unlock World Circuit.

Unlocking Title Defence mode – Win all 3 circuits.

Unlocking Last Stand mode – Beat Mr. Sandman in Title Defence mode.

Unlock Donkey Kong – Defeat Donkey Kong in Last Stand mode.

Health Related Cheats

Increase Health Between Rounds – In between the rounds press “Plus” and “Minus” buttons alternately until you hear a chime which means the cheat was a success. When the round begins your health will increase.

Increase Health During a Fight – When you knock down an opponent wave you Wii-mote and Nunchuk up and down alternately or if you are using just the Wii-mote than quickly press the “1″ and “2″ buttons alternately.

Doc’s Remedy Bar – When in between rounds and during a dialogue press the “Minus” button once. This will only work once per opponent.

Wii Punch Out Tips

Getting back up from a TKO – If you get TKO’d wait for the ending animation to begin then wave the Wii-Mote and Nunchuck up and down alternately or press “1″ and “2″ buttons alternately if you’re just using the Wii-mote. If it worked you will get one more chance at redemption.

Perfect Career Record – Want to keep a perfect Career mode record? Here’s a trick, just when you are about to lose in a fight while in Career mode, press the “Plus” button and simply “Restart” the match and try again. This will not count as a loss and you can give it another go.

UFC 2009 Undisputed Cheats

There are 3 unlockable characters for UFC 2009 Undisputed, it’s the crew from the popular MMA clothing line “TAPOUT”. Once unlocked they can be played in Exhibition mode in their specified weight class.

Unlockable Characters

Mask – Get 3 submission wins or tapout wins while in Career mode to unlock Mask in the light heavyweight division.

Punk Ass – While in Career mode get the TAPOUT sponsorship to unlock Punk Ass from lightweight class.

SkyScrape – When at the title screen press Up (3 times), Down, Left, Right, Up, Start. This will unlock SkyScrape from the lightweight division.

Official UFC 2009 Undisputed Website
UFC 2009 Undisputed Wiki

The Sims 3 Cheats

When playing the game, press “Ctrl” + “Shift” + “C” buttons on your keyboard to display the console. Now just type any of the cheat codes listed below and hit the “Enter” key. For Window Vista or Windows 7 users may need to press “Ctrl” + “Windows” + “Shift” + “C” to open the console.

Most Sims 3 cheats can be seen by entering the console window and typing in “help” and press enter.

help – Show most cheats
Kaching – 1,000 more Simoleons
Motherlode – 50,000 more Simoleons
shazaam – +2,500 lifetime happiness points to active Sim
moveObjects (on or off) – No limits for placing/moving objects
familyfunds (Familyname) # – enter familyfunds nameofyourfamily 10000 and hit Enter.
freerealestate – Ignore the cost when buying a lot
resetSim (first name) (last name) – Return Sims to safe and neutral state at home
constrainFloorElevation (true or false) – Force terrain adjustments regardless of objects, Sims, and other structures
disableSnappingToSlotsOnAlt [on or off] – Objects will not snap to slots while holding [Alt]
fadeObjects (on or off) – Objects fade when camera gets close to them
hideHeadlineEffects (on or off) – Show talk/thought balloons above Sim’s head
jokePlease – Print random joke to console
enablellamas (on or off) – Llamas enabled message
slowMotionViz (0-8) – Slow motion visuals; 0 is normal, 8 is slowest
fps (on or off) – Toggle framerate display at top right
fullscreen (on or off) – Full screen
quit – Quit the game

More Sims 3 Cheats:
http://www.cheatcc.com/pc/sims3cheatscodes.html
http://www.gamesradar.com/pc/the-sims-3/cheats-guides-faqs/g-20061106113750640058
http://vgstrategies.about.com/od/pccheatst/a/The-Sims-3-PC-Cheats-and-Codes.htm

Sims 3 iPhone and iPod touch:

There are no known cheat codes for the iPhone or iPod touch version of The Sim 3 but check out this site for tips and tricks.

http://appmodo.com/683/the-sims-3-full-review-for-iphone-and-ipod-touch-hints-and-tips/

Can Blu-ray play DVD

I’m thinking about buying a Blu-Ray player, will it play regular DVD’s? If it can play DVD’s will it be HD quality.

Yes, all Blu-Ray players are backwards compatible with DVD’s. Most models will even “up convert” those regular DVD’s to 1080i. A Blu-Ray player can make your DVD look like HD by up converting the video although it will not be true high definition it will still look better than playing it back on a standard DVD player.

The PS3 is probably the best Blu-Ray player out there right now (and the cheapest) because it’s got network connectivity which allows you to upgrade the Blu-Ray firmware for more enhanced features, and it can also up convert those regular DVD’s for better quality picture. Did you know it can also play video games?

Make free internet phone calls anywhere in the world

Today’s free program is awesome and will save you a ton of money on your phone bill. Download Skype for free and make a phone calls on the internet using your computer to another computer anywhere in the world. Here’s the catch, both computer’s need to have Skype installed for this to work for free.

If you want to make a call to a land line or a cell phone with Skype than you will have to pay a small fee. They offer very reasonable rates.

Start making free internet phone calls, download Skype

How to encrypt folder and files

Certain versions of Windows allow you to encrypt files and folders such as XP Professional, Vista Ultimate, and Business to name a few. But who needs Windows when there’s a free open source program that will allow you to encrypt and password protect your folders and files.

TrueCrypt (download link at the bottom) is the best free way to encrypt your data. Here’s how it basically works, create a volume with TrueCrypt. The volume acts like a folder, and with this volume I can put folders, and files into it and it automatically encrypts everything inside this magical space. When you want to open the volume you open up TrueCrypt then pick a virtual drive to mount it and enter the password to open up the encrypted volume.

Check out TrueCrypt

Open source web browser

We all know about Internet Explorer on Windows but what other alternatives are there? Well today I’m gonna tell you about a great free open source web browser, maybe even the best web browser there is, Firefox.

Why do I use Firefox? I started using Firefox a few years back mainly because it was not safe to use Internet Explorer. IE was such a big target for spyware and virus many people including myself began using Firefox which was faster and more secure. Although the latest version of IE 7 fixes a lot of security issues and might be just as safe to use as Firefox.

One of the main reasons why I love Firefox is the level of customization that is unmatched by other web browsers. One of the best things about Firefox are the the extensions you can install onto your Firefox web browser. What are extensions, you ask. Well the best way to explain this is by example, I have a popular extension installed that blocks ads from web pages I visit and another one that downloads Youtube videos with a few clicks, and there are tons more. So if your sick of using IE get with the times and download Firefox.

Firefox

Find and discover new podcasts

Miro is a podcast aggregator I have been using a few months now and it rocks. The interface is great and easy to use. If you want to browse the latest video podcasts this is a great tool.

I use Miro to organize all my video and audio podcasts, when you find a video podcast you like just hit the subscribe button and you’re all set. Miro works on all platforms, Windows, Mac, and Linux.

Check out Miro

Free online Photoshop

Adobe recently released Photoshop Express (Beta)which is free online version of Photoshop. Of coarse it can’t do everything the pay version of Photoshop can do but it’s a nice online tool that lets you edit, store, and share your photos online.

Photoshop Express lets you link your Picasa, Photobucket, or Facebook account for easy uploading and editing photos. Flickr is in the works and hopefully be available soon. Photoshop Express currently gives you 2GB of free storage for uploading your personal pictures. Once you have pictures uploaded into your account you can view the photos in a grid, single or table. You may also view the pictures by rating, name or date and you can also add comments, and captions.

Create personal albums for personal viewing or make photo albums for public viewing it’s your choice.

Uninstall a Program with Revo Uninstaller

What’s a good free uninstall program I can use with my Windows machine?

Revo Uninstaller is a free uninstall program made for Windows and works really well. Not only does it remove and uninstall an unwanted program but it also removes all traces like left-over folders and registry entries. If you’re tired of using Windows default uninstaller that you need this free uninstaller on steroids.

Revo Uninstaller Interface:

How to Uninstall a Program:

Launch the program and from the main interface select a program to uninstall by clicking on it, now it should be highlighted in blue.

Click on the Uninstall button at the top to begin the process.

Now you will get a dialog box asking “Are you sure you want to uninstall the selected program?” click “Yes” to move on.

Select an Uninstall Mode: Here you can choose how you want to remove the program, I’ll just stick with the default “Moderate” mode and click “Next”.

If the program comes with it’s own Uninstaller than Revo will bring up the Uninstaller, go through those steps from the program uninstaller.

Performing the initial analysis and uninstall: Revo will now go through some steps such as creating a restore point, and analyzing the program’s data. Click “Next” when it’s done.

Now it will scan for any leftover files on the drive. Usually there will be leftover crap from the Registry. If Revo did find something in the Registry than select the “Bolded” program and click Next.

You may also need to remove left over files and folders as well, carefully select the files and click Next.

Finished: That’s it, you have gone through the steps on how to remove a program with Revo Uninstaller.

Revo also has other great features such as:

Hunter mode – do you have a program on a task bar that you want to remove but don’t know what it is? Try using Revo’s Hunter mode which then gives you a cross-hair to point to the program at the task bar.
Auto Start Manager – Prevent programs that start automatically.
Browsers History Cleaner – Delete web browser history, visited pages history
Check out all the great features they offer at
http://www.revouninstaller.com/

Back Up Files Free Online with SkyDrive

Want a free backup solution? Why not give Windows SkyDrive a try, it’s free and you get a generous 25 GB of online storage for backing up your files, pictures, documents, or whatever you like.

Use your existing Windows Live account or sign up for a free Live account. Get SkyDrive.

Once you get all that out of the way you will get 25 GB of free online storage which you can access with any computer that has a web browser.

When logged into your SkyDrive account there are folders just like on your desktop, and just like a desktop environment you can create new folders and delete existing folders.

Uploading files is very simple, at the SkyDrive main account page click “Add files” or click on a specific folder and click “Add files”. Browse for files you want to keep backed up online with SkyDrive and click “Upload” when done.

What files on my hard drive should I back up

“I’m going to reformat my hard drive and do a clean install of Windows because of a virus. What files should I back up, so far I got my pictures, videos, and Internet bookmarks. Is there anything else I might be overlooking?”

So far you got your most important files like your photos and videos which are irreplaceable, but there could be some other files you may have forgotten about. Although it’s a good idea to make a habit of saving files in a organized fashion sometimes we just save files in places we have forgotten about. It’s a good idea to do some searches for basic files extensions.

Click on the “Start” button and now in the “Start Search” box type in “*.fileextension” for example if I was looking for any Word documents I would begin my search with “*.doc” without the quotes of coarse or if I was looking for mp3’s I would type in *.mp3. So there’s 3 parts to it, the asterisk (*), the period (.) and then the file extension you want to search.

If you’re not sure what to search for here are some commonly used file extensions:

Pictures/Images – .jpg, .gif, .bmp, .psd (photoshop)
Movies/Videos – .wmv, .avi, .mpg, .avi, .mov, .mp4, .qt, .rm
Music Playlists – pls, fpl, m3u and m3u8
Excel – .xls
Word – .doc
Power Point – .ppt
Music – .mp3
iTunes – .m4p
Adobe – .pdf

If you need more file extensions to search for check here http://www.fileinfo.net/common.php

Don’t forget to save special applications you may have purchased or even downloaded games.

How to have a blog

“I want to have a blog where I can do daily entries and and pictures. What’s the easiest way to get a blog going for cheap or free preferably.”

Blogging is a great way to express yourself in writing and there are number of different blogging software that you can use for free.

All the good blogging platforms are free so you wont have to pay a single dime. Here are a few of the most popular blogging software that are really easy to use, all you need to do is sign up, come up with a name for your blog and start blogging.

Blooger
Wordpress
Live Journal
Vox

Window 7 :How to install Windows 7 on a Mac

Here’s a video tutorial on how to install and run Windows 7 RC (release candidate) on a Mac computer using VirtualBox. If you want to run Windows for free on your Mac there’s no better time than right now.

Windows 7 RC is free from Microsoft to use for a year and it’s available till at least the end of July so grab your product key and start downloading Windows 7.

VirtualBox is a virtualization program that will let you run Windows on your Mac simultaneously. It’s just as good as the other two popular paid virtualization programs Parallels or VMware Fusion but without the extra cost.

Thanks for the video Matt.

Window 7 :Should I wait for Windows 7

“I have a 1 1/2 year old Toshiba X205s-7438 laptop. Working fine, but, I have been thinking of running the Recovery Disks to clean it up a bit. If I do is there a better program than Decrapifier to clean out the crap that comes with it? The Toshiba comes with two 120 gig serial hard drives. If I run the Recovery disks, will they format both drives or just the C. I just ordered the 49 dollar Windows 7 update. Should I wait until it comes in October, or does it matter?”

PC Decrapifier is a great tool and the one I would recommend for removing trialware and other annoyances that comes with most new computers from the big manufacturers. For the complete lists of crap the Decrapifier removes check out this page here.

Your laptop comes with 2 hard drives inside? Perhaps its one hard drive partitioned into 2 separate drives, one would be the “C Drive” and the other would be the “D Drive”.

By using the recovery disk you will take the laptop back to the way it was when you first got it which will probably include all the junkware if I’m not mistaken. Just a reminder to back up your important files before messing around with the recovery disk! During the recovery disc process, you should be able to choose the drive, and different options such as whether you just want to run Windows repair or do a full install. If you do choose to reinstall Windows with your Recovery Disk you can use Decrapifier afterwards to remove all the junk.

That’s pretty awesome that you pre-ordered Windows 7. I’ve been using the release candidate for a few months now and it’s rock solid. You can still download “Windows 7 RC” for free from Microsoft if you don’t want to wait till October. Free Windows 7 Download.

Sounds like your laptop is running fine and maybe you don’t really need to use the recovery disc. If you use it now you would only be reinstalling Windows a few months later, so I would probably just wait it out. If you still have trialware junk on your laptop you could still run Decrapifier and you could also use a program like CCleaner to remove other junk files from your computer as well. Good Luck!

Window 7 :How to make things in Windows 7 bigger

“I must be getting old because everything on the computer seems really small now. How do I make things like text and icons bigger in Windows 7?”

Windows 7 comes with a handy tool where you can make text, icons and things bigger without changing the DPI settings.

Click the Start button.

Then click Control Panel.

Click “Appearance and Personalization”.

Under “Display” select “Make text and other items larger or smaller”.

There are three available options: Smaller 100% (Default), Medium 125%, and Larger 150%. Select one and click “Apply”.

You will then be prompted to log off for the new settings to kick in. When you log back in everything will be bigger or smaller depending on what option you selected. The icons, text, windows, gadgets, are all affected by the new settings.

Window 7 :Change Windows 7 shut down button

Wanna change the power button to something else besides “Shut down”?

Most people never shutdown their computers so it would make more sense to have another option there instead like “Restart” or even “Log off”.

Here’s how to change the Windows “Shut down” power button to something else.

1. Press the Start (Windows icon) button.

2. Right-click the “Shut down” button and select “Properties”.

3. In the Properties window go to the Power button action and select from a number of different options from the drop-down menu. The list of options include Switch user, Log off, Lock, Restart, and Sleep. Click “OK” to finish the job.

4. Check out your new Power button. Pretty fancy stuff indeed.

Window 7 : How to Delete Windows 7 User Account

“How do you delete user accounts in Windows 7?”

Log in as the Administrator.

Click the Start (Windows icon) button.

Select “Control Panel”.

Under “Users Accounts and Family Safety” click on “Add or remove user accounts”.

Click on the user account you want to delete.

Click on “Delete the account”.

Now you have a choice to either save the accounts content in their folders such as Documents, Favorites, Music, Pictures and Videos.

Confirm to delete the account.

That’s all there is to it, that’s one less account to worry about.

Window Vista : How to partition hard drive in Vista

No need for third party programs to partition hard drive today we will look at how to create partition in Vista for free.

Note: It’s always a good idea to backup before partitioning drive.

Click “Start” now point to “Computer” and right click on it, and select “Manage” from the menu. Now the “Computer Management” window will appear. Look at the menu to the left, click on the “Storage” pointer to drop down the menu and select “Disk Management”. It will show you the current partition.

The image below shows three partitions on my drive, the first two partitions are used for my Ubuntu Linux operating system. The last partition is used by Vista. You most likely only have this one partition on your drive.

Before we can create a partition we need to free up some space and we can do that by shrinking the current one. Right click on your existing partition and choose “Shrink Volume”.

Choose the amount of space you want for the new partition. For the sake of this article I will only do 18mb, remember these figures are in megabytes if you want 2 gigabytes for example you would enter “2048″ which equals to 2gb. Click “Shrink” when finished.

When Vista finishes creating the new partition right click on it and choose “New Simple Volume”

The Windows Wizard will pop up. You can select the size, then the drive letter, format the drive in “NTFS” and name the partition and hit “Next” it will give you a recap of everything click “Finish”.

After formatting your new partition in Vista will be ready. You can check it out by go to Start > Computers. How lovely is that.

Window Vista : How to bypass login password

*This post is for bypassing the Windows login screen so it doesn’t ask you for a password every time you log in. This is NOT for forgotten passwords. If you forgot your login password check out these free programs Ophcrack or Offline NT Password & Registry Editer.

The login password screen is there for security reasons, it keeps different users separate on the same computer. If you aren’t too worried about other people seeing your desktop and files or if you are the only person using the computer than you might want to bypass the logon password screen. Here’s how:

1) Go to Start, then Select the “Control Panel”

2) Select the “User Accounts and Family Safety”

3) Select the “User Accounts” option

4) The top portion “Make changes to your user account”, select “Remove your Password”

5) Now you will need to enter your current password

6) Select “Remove Password” to confirm

7) You can now close the User Accounts window

Now go test it out

You have now bypassed logon password on Windows Vista. You will no longer need to enter a password, Windows will boot straight to the desktop.

Window Vista : Increase font size in Vista

If you find the font size and icons in Windows Vista hard to read than you may want to change the default font size. Many people have the misconception that a bigger screen will make everything on the screen bigger, and they soon discover that is not the case, because the screen is larger this increases the dots per inch (dpi) and that makes everything smaller. Vista has an option to make everything larger and more readable by changing the DPI setting. Lets look at how to change font size in Vista.

Right click anywhere on the desktop and select “Personalize” now select “Adjust Font Size (dpi)” on the left menu.

The UAC may appear just click “Continue” to proceed. The DPI Scaling window will pop up, select “Larger Scale (120 dpi)”

And if the default options are not enough for you than go towards the bottom you will see “Custom DPI” button. This allows you to change the font size by percentage. Play around with that option to find the perfect setting.

Window Vista : Disable Windows Defender

Windows Defender offers good free protection against spyware with real-time protection. I generally would not recommend disabling Defender unless you already have another anti-spyware program on your system and want to save some system resource.

To disable Windows Defender in Vista:

Go to “Start”
Click on “Control Panel”
Select “Security”
Click on “Windows Defender” ( To get to Defender faster go to Start and type in Defender in the Search Field and hit Enter)
In Windows Defender click on “Tools”
Under Settings select “Options”
Scroll down to the very bottom, under Administrative options un-check “Use Windows Defender” by clicking on it
Hit “Save”
If UAC pops up enter your admin password and “Continue”

Window Vista : Restore Recycle Bin in Vista

I have accidentally deleted my Recycle Bin several times before too. I would right click on my Recycle icon and click on “Delete” instead of “Empty Recycle Bin”. If you find yourself with a missing recycle bin or a recycle bin that magically disappeared we can easily restore it back onto the Vista desktop.

To restore recycle bin right click any where on the desktop and select “Personalize” and click on “Change Desktop Icons” on the left side under Tasks.

Now click on “Recycle Bin” to check it and press “Apply”and “OK” to exit. Now the icon should be back on the desktop.

Window Vista : How to Disable Autoplay in Vista

AutoPlay is a feature in Windows that allows specific actions to be performed when a media or device is being used such as when a CD or DVD is inserted into a drive. AutoPlay in Vista is very easy to customize to your own personal preference.

To disable AutoPlay in Vista go to “Start” and in the search field type in “autoplay” and press enter. The AutoPlay dialog box is where you can turn off AutoPlay or customize the settings for each specific media. But if you want to disable all autoplay then uncheck the box at the very top at “Use AutoPlay for all media and devices” and click “Save”. This will turn off autoplay for everything.

How to Disable Autoplay in Vista
November 14, 2007

AutoPlay is a feature in Windows that allows specific actions to be performed when a media or device is being used such as when a CD or DVD is inserted into a drive. AutoPlay in Vista is very easy to customize to your own personal preference.

To disable AutoPlay in Vista go to “Start” and in the search field type in “autoplay” and press enter. The AutoPlay dialog box is where you can turn off AutoPlay or customize the settings for each specific media. But if you want to disable all autoplay then uncheck the box at the very top at “Use AutoPlay for all media and devices” and click “Save”. This will turn off autoplay for everything.

You can also pick and choose which program can open certain types of media or device by choosing one of the options from the drop down menu. For media that you are unsure of select “Ask me every time” this will give you different options to choose from when the media is opened.

Window Vista : Where is the run command in Vista

Those of you who use “Run” in Xp are familiar with having the command at the start menu but in Vista the Run command has dissappeared from the start menu. So where can you find the run command in Vista? It a little more buried and will take a little more effort this time around. The easiest way to find the Run command in Vista is to type it “Run” at the Start menu search bar. “Run” will appear at the top of the search and just hit “Enter”.

Another way (much more work) to get to the Run Command is to go to Start > All Programs > Accessories > Run.

Window Vista : Rip music from Cd for free with Windows

The new Windows Media Player that comes with Windows Vista allows you to make copies of your cd collection onto your computer. The process is often called “ripping”. Windows media player (WMP) makes the copying process super easy with just a few clicks of the mouse and you will be a ripping pro.

Open WMP by going to “Start” and type in “windows media player” and press “Enter” or manually look for it by selecting “All Programs”.

On the top menu bar click on the “Rip” button and a drop down menu appears with several different options.

The first option is “Format”, this option allows you to choose the type of compression for your music. I always select “MP3″ because it’s a universal standard and all devices and portable players can read mp3 files.

Next option is “Bit Rate”, select the quality of the rip 128 kbps being the lowest quality but smaller file sizes and 320 kbps offers the best quality but larger files sizes.

Now insert a cd into the drive and Windows Media Player will begin ripping the cd. As it’s ripping the cd you can uncheck any songs you do not want ripped. The Cd can be found in your “Music” folder.

Window Vista : How to change Vista login screen (or XP)

Getting tired of the Vista (or XP) login background? Here is the easiest way to change Windows Vista welcome screen and customize it for your own personal taste.

Download Logon Studio from Stardock for free and install it on your computer.

If you want to use your own personal pictures for the logon background you need to click the “Create” button. You could also download free pictures by clicking you guessed it the “Download” button. When you are finished downloading the LOGONVISTA file you will need to “Load” it into the program. And click “Apply” when finished to view the results. Enjoy.

Window Vista : How do I change my desktop theme in Vista

Windows Vista comes with two themes by default , Windows Classic , and Windows Vista. If you prefer your Windows to look more like XP than go with the classic theme. Each account user can have their own theme.

Here’s how to change the desktop theme in Vista:

Go to Start
Select the Control Panel
click on Appearance and Personalization
select Personalization
Now select Theme
Choose the Theme you would like to use and click “OK”
You can also download additional themes from other websites, just do a Google search for “Vista themes” and see what comes up. I kinda like the Vista theme so I do not have any experience with any other themes at this moment.

Window Vista : Disable startup programs in Vista

Most of us know how to use “msconfig” to remove programs from startup. In Vista there is a better way using Windows Defender to edit startup programs giving you faster boot up times.

Start by opening up Windows Defender, the fastest way to do that is by going to “Start” and in the search field begin typing in “defender”. Double click on “Windows Defender” at the top.

At the top menu bar select “Tools” and under Tools select “Software Explorer”.

Select “Startup Programs” from the Category button
If you have multiple users you may need to select “Show for all users” or else Defenders will not give you the option to “Remove” or “Disable”
Now we can begin removing startup programs, on the left side click on the program you would like to disable from startup, and as you do that the right side will give you more information about the program.
Now click on “Disable” or “Remove” a confirmation message will appear click “OK”

Window Vista : Should I upgrade to Vista

I have been thinking about upgrading my current XP machine to Vista. The XP computer works great right now and I have no troubles with it but I have heard some good things about Vista and also some bad. Is Vista a worthwhile upgrade or should I hold off until something better comes along?

Vista is reliable, stable and surprisingly secure operating system. I would not recommend you upgrade your current XP PC to Vista only because people who upgrade usually have problems with the older hardware. But if you were to buy a newer computer than I would definitely recommend getting Vista if it didn’t already come in the package. There is no reason to upgrade your XP computer to Vista especially if its working reliably and does everything you need.

There are no features in Vista that are compelling enough in my personal opinion to upgrade from XP so save your money and stick with XP until you’re ready to buy a new PC.

Vista vs XP

I’m thinking about buying a new computer. The place I’m buying my computer at will allow me to choose Windows XP or WIndows Vista. Which Windows is better XP or Vista?

If you are buying a new computer than definitely buy it with Vista. Why would you buy a new computer with an old operating system? XP is an old operating system and Microsoft will eventually stop supporting it. Vista has been out for a year now so it’s a pretty solid operating system and with Service Pack 1 out it has been very stable. It’s more secure than XP and it looks much more like a modern operating system. Once I started using Vista, XP really started to look outdated and boring.

I would only recommend Vista on new machines because the newer hardware will work with Vista. I would not recommend “upgrading” an old machine from XP to Vista. If you have an older machine running Windows XP than just stick with that instead. Vista usually has a tougher time with older hardware so skip the upgrade until you’re ready for a new machine. Vista requires more ram than an XP machine, experts recommend at least 2 gigs of ram for Vista to run smoothly but I’ve use 1 gig without any problems.

If there is a program you always use on XP it’s a good idea to see if it will work on Vista. You can do that by going the the software company website. Most of the bigger companies will have already updated their software to be Vista compatible but older or more obscure programs may not run on Vista. That may be a good reason to stick with XP.

Window Vista : Looking to buy a new computer should I get Vista

I’m buying a new computer should I buy a Windows Vista computer or stick with Windows XP. I heard Windows Vista isn’t very good.

If you are buying a new computer than buying it with Windows Vista is a good way to go. Microsoft will eventually drop support for Windows XP because they want people to use Vista.

Keep in mind that older hardware may not work in Vista due to lack of drivers. If you have older hardware you plan on using with your new PC than check the manufacturers website for proper Vista drivers. Older printers will probably have trouble running in Vista, so check to see if the company offers Vista drivers.

Software can also be an issue, although most big name commercial software will be Vista compatible although you may need to upgrade to the latest version. I guess that’s how they make money.

Windows Vista isn’t the greatest operating system and isn’t much improvement over Windows XP besides looking prettier but there are some security improvements. If you do buy a new computer with Vista on it you will need a good amount of ram get at least 2 gigs. I use Vista regularly and have no troubles with it, I also have a XP machine which I don’t use it because it looks really old and outdated compared to Vista. Why buy a new computer with a old operating system.

Window Vista : How to disable Vista UAC

Although I do not recommend disabling UAC (User Account Control) in Vista for regular daily use I can understand how annoying it can be when you get prompted every time you do something. UAC is there for security reasons, so by disabling Vista UAC your computer will be less secure.

To disable Vista UAC go inside the “Control Panel” by clicking the “Start” menu, now in the search box in the upper right side type in “UAC”

There will be link that says “”Turn User Account Control (UAC) on or off” click on it
Now make sure to “uncheck” the box next to “Use User Account Control (UAC) to help protect your computer” click “OK” to continue
Now “Reboot” the computer to finish the job and now no more annoying warning dialog boxes

Window Vista : Differences in Vista 64 and 32 bit

Which one should I buy? 32 or 64 bit Vista? Some differences in Vista 32 and 64 bit:

Very little hardware driver support for 64 bit, you will find many hardware will not work due to lack of drivers.
64 bit drivers needs to be signed by Microsoft. Microsoft needs to approve all drivers before they will work
as mentioned above drivers that do not have the approved digital signature from Microsoft will not run in Vista 64, this is also a good security feature.
64 bit software will run very good on a 64 bit operating system but currently there aren’t very many of them
64 bit needs more ram than the 32 bit, 32 bit runs OK with 1 GB, but you will need at least 2 GB for the 64 version
I personally would go for the 32 bit version of Windows Vista, I think the majority of Windows users will be better off with 32 bit Windows. There aren’t really any big advantages to using 64 bit Windows although we do have 64 bit processors available. 64 bit Windows operates on more chunks of data, and probably the most important thing is more access to ram. Vista 32 bit can only see 4 gigs (actually more like 3.25 GB) of ram the 64 bit version can see over 8 GB.

The main disadvantages of 64 bit operating system is the incompatibility with programs and hardware due to lack of drivers currently for 64 bit Vista.

Advantages are users who needs lots of ram can get it through the Windows Vista 64 bit version, programs written for Vista 64 will have increased performance, and 64 bit Vista is more secure than the 32 bit version.

Window Vista : How to add a program to quick launch in Vista

The Windows Vista quick launch can be a beautiful thing why not use it. Here’s how to quickly add your most used program to the quick launch for fast easy access.

To add a program into the quick launch right click on a program either on the desktop, the Start menu, or inside the program folder doesn’t really matter which one they all work the same. Now scroll down and click on “Add to Quick Launch”.

Now you will have the program in the quick launch bar at the bottom, in my case I have just added Firefox as you can see.

To use your quick launch programs you could either click on the little icon or use the keyboard shortcuts by pressing the Windows key and the numbers 0-9. The Windows button is the one with the little Windows logo on it between the CTRL key and the ALT key. The numbering of quick launch programs starts with 1 and ends with zero working it’s way from the left to right. So if I wanted to launch my newly created Firefox quick launch I would press the “Windows” key and the number “4″ key to open the program. Or to open IE I would press “Windows” and the number “3″. And to “Show desktop” press “Windows” and the number “1″.

Window Vista :

In Windows Vista, a list of your recently used items are listing at the right of the Start menu. Clearing recent items from the list will not remove the items from your hard drive it will only remove it from the “Recent Items”. If you do this for Windows XP go here Clear Recent Documents.

To clear Recent items

Click on the “Start” button
Point the mouse to “Recent Items” and right click on it
Select “Clear Recent Items List”

Window Vista : Should i upgrade to Vista

Should you upgrade to Windows Vista? If you are thinking about upgrading from XP to Vista my general answer would be no, mainly because I have heard some problems and issues from people who upgraded from XP to Vista. Although I would definitely recommend getting a new computer with Vista installed.

If you have an older computer running Windows XP I would stick with that instead of upgrading to Vista. If XP is running good on that machine why take the chance of installing Vista, many users have troubles with older hardware when they try to run Vista. I think the best thing to do is stick with XP until you get a new computer.

I have been running Vista since day one and I like it much better than XP I haven’t had any problems with hardware issues because I built my PC with all new parts. There were one or two programs that was not compatible with Vista but that is not the case anymore and with Service Pack 1 for Vista coming in a few months things are looking great on the Vista side.

WIndow Vista : Where is the Vista cookies folder

The cookies folder in Vista is very well hidden and will take a little bit of digging but here is how to find the folder in Vista where the cookies are stored:

Click on the “Start” button
At the top select your “User” name to get into the user group
Click the “Organize” button and select “Folder and search options” and click the “View” tab and choose “Show hidden files and folders” and also uncheck “Hide protected operating system files”, select “Yes” to confirm “OK” to exit
Now there will be more folders in your User window, find the one named “AppData” and click to open the folder
Inside the AppData folder select “Roaming -> Microsoft -> Windows” and your cookies folder should be right at the top, click on it
You can see all the cookies that different sites are putting on your computer and delete them if you wish. You may see a Low folder in there as well, this is where cookies are kept from websites you have some low user privileges.

Window Vista : How do I use my pictures as screensaver in Vista

You are able to use your own pictures as a screen saver in Vista and in XP. I will go through the steps for Vista specifically. The photo screen saver also has different slide show and transition options to play around with.

To go into the screensaver settings click on “Start” and then the “Control Panel”
Select “Appearance and Personalization”
Now click on “Personalization”
Click on “Change Screen Saver”
Click on the button to open the list of screensaver options and select “Photo”
Now click on the “Settings…” button to browse for your images
You can also pick a theme and adjust the slide show speed from this dialog box
When finished click “Save” and “OK”

Wireless : Boost Wifi signal strength

I have a wireless router downstairs in my basement. My Wifi works pretty good most of the time but when I start watching videos it gets a little choppy. How can boost my Wifi signal strength.

There are many different techniques people use to boost their wifi signal for increased range and better Wifi signal. Here are some common ways to extend and boost your signal.

Position of the router makes can make a huge difference in wifi strength. Try to limit or decrease the amount of obstacles for the wifi signal. The more walls the signal has to go through the weaker your signal will be.

Wifi repeaters or expanders are a nice way to extend your WLAN range. Companies like D-Link and Linksys make some really good ones. You put this device some where within range of the router and it expands the wifi signal. Here’s one from Linksys.

Get a antenna extender. There are extending antennas that you could add on to your existing router for better range.

You can also make your own antenna to help improve your signal. This is very cheap and uses a Pringles potato chip can. Here’s a tutorial on how to make your own.

Lock down your router. Password protect your wifi so neighbors can’t just hop onto your access point and use up your bandwidth.

Setup and configuration for New Blogger tag Cloud/Label Cloud

Here is the code and setup information to use the Label Cloud in New Blogger.
First you obviously have to have a blog on New Blogger, and you MUST be using the layouts templates,
(this isn't available for classic templates, or FTP published blogs ) and you must have some posts labeled already. (There needs to be at least ONE label with more than ONE entry or the scripts hit a bug - so have at least one label with more than one entry before starting).

Make sure you backup your template before making any changes!

Log into Blogger and go to your layouts section. On the 'Page Elements' setup page
make sure you have a label widget already installed where you want it (it can be moved around
later). Then go to the Edit HTML settings and leave the widgets NOT exapanded. It will make
things easier to deal with.

Now the code comes in 3 parts. A section for the stylesheet, a configurations section,
and then the actual widget itself.

The first part to put in is the stylesheet section. The following code needs to be copied
and inserted into your stylesheet, which in the layouts is marked out by the tags.
Easiest thing to do is find the closing skin tag

]]>

and place the code right BEFORE that.
Here it is, copy and paste without modification right now. I'll explain what can be tweaked
later.

/* Label Cloud Styles
----------------------------------------------- */
#labelCloud {text-align:center;font-family:arial,sans-serif;}
#labelCloud .label-cloud li{display:inline;background-image:none
!important;padding:0 5px;margin:0;vertical-align:baseline !important;border:0
!important;}
#labelCloud ul{list-style-type:none;margin:0 auto;padding:0;}
#labelCloud a img{border:0;display:inline;margin:0 0 0 3px;padding:0}
#labelCloud a{text-decoration:none}
#labelCloud
a:hover{text-decoration:underline}
#labelCloud li a{}
#labelCloud
.label-cloud {}
#labelCloud .label-count
{padding-left:0.2em;font-size:9px;color:#000}
#labelCloud .label-cloud
li:before{content:"" !important}

This next section is the configuration section for the Cloud. It also goes in the head
of the template, but outside of the stylesheet part. Easiest thing to do again is to find
the closing stylesheet tag

]]>

But this time place the code right AFTER that line, but BEFORE the tag. Here it is.

All of these settings can be changed but I'll explain them in a moment. The defaults will work for now.

Now the widget itself. Scroll down and find the label widget in your sidebar. It should look
something like this.

Copy the following code (from beginning widget tag to ending widget tag) and replace
the line above with it.

Now if all has gone well, and you have posts already labeled, then if you preview the
blog you should see some form of the Cloud appearing. If it doesn't appear, then something
went wrong. You should probably back out and try it again from the start.

Update : I've found 2 things to check for first if the label cloud isn't showing. First make sure that at least one of your labels has more than one entry. A bug in the script causes it to fail when all the labels have only one entry.(As soon as any label has more than one entry, then it should be ok from then on) Also, make sure that none of your labels contain quote marks " . Apostrophes or single ticks ' are ok. ------

Most likely the cloud with it's default settings won't be what you ultimately want. But all
the colors and sizes are configurable to match your tastes. If the cloud is appearing in preview
then you can go about changing some of the variables so they suit.

The settings in the Variables section will be where you make most of your adjustments. Here I'll
explain what each setting does.

var cloudMin= 1;

This setting you can use to limit the number of labels shown (for example if you have a lot of labels). Leave the setting at 1 to show ALL labels. If you enter in a higher number, then only labels that have at least that number of entries will appear in the cloud.

var maxFontSize = 20;
var maxColor = [0,0,255];
var minFontSize = 10;
var minColor = [0,0,0];
var lcShowCount = false;

The lines for
maxFontSize
maxColor
do what you may think they do. The first one sets the size (in pixels) of the label with the
most amount entries. The maxColor sets the color of that entry (in RGB format). Similiar with
the next two
minFontSize
minColor
Just these are for the label with the least amount of entries. Again the size is in pixels,
the color is in RGB format. Any labels between the two will get their color/sizes based on
how many labels they are, and where their entry count falls, giving the much desired cloud
effect.

From my experimenting, there are many factors that make up a pleasant looking cloud. From
color/size choice, to the number of actual labels, to how well dispersed the entries are amoung
the labels. 3 Labels don't make a good cloud as there isn't much to work with. You just have
to experiment around to see what looks good with your setup.

IMPORTANT, when change the color settings, Keep them in the format supplied. In between the [] and
the numbers separated by commas. The default colors are BLUE for the max and BLACK for the min.
You can select any valid RGB color combination. If you don't know what RGB colors are, don't
worry. It's just a way of defining a color. You can use many charts on the Internet to
get the correct RGB value for the color you want to try. Here's one that is fairly good.

RGB Color Code Chart

Remember, if you get the 3 sets of numbers to enter them in correctly. Inside the [ ] separated by
commas.

Also experiment with different font sizes. Again it depends on how many entries, how dispersed
they are, and how much room for the cloud is available as to what looks good.

The last variable there is

lcShowCount

This can either be false (default) or true. All this does is turn off/on the post count displayed
next to the label. Usually in a 'traditional' cloud the count isn't used. But if you go to a
'flat' listing then it's sometimes useful to turn it on.

Now to the CSS section. Most people won't need to tweak these much, and it's not necessary to
understand what all those entries are for. Most are just to make sure that other styling
elements from the rest of your page don't inherit in and ruin the cloud. But there are a few
that you may want to change to suit.
The first line

#labelCloud {text-align:center;font-family:arial,sans-serif;}

You could change the fonts used in the cloud here if you wanted.
Also, the text-align statement can also be changed. I have it set to center by default but you
could use

text-align:justify;
text-align:right;
text-align:left;

If those suit better.

The next line

#labelCloud .label-cloud li{display:inline;background-image:none !important;padding:0 5px;margin:0;vertical-align:baseline !important;border:0 !important;}

Well don't worry about most of it unless you are a hardcore CSS'er. The only one of real
importance is the first entry

display:inline;

You can change that to

display:block;

To get the 'Flat' (each entry on it's own separate line) listing of the weighted entries.
Usually if that is set to block you would probably want to change the sort frequency from
alphabetical to frequency. You do that by editing the widget from the Page Elements tab in
Blogger.

And the last bit I'll mention is the line

#labelCloud .label-count

If you set the lcShowCount variable to true to show the post counts, you could change the
color/size of those numbered entries with that line.

Monday, August 24, 2009

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