OK, we all know that Windows 7 is coming soon, however, be it W 7 or W Vista, the method of shutting down your computer will be the same on both.
In older versions of Windows, (i.e. XP and prior versions), to exit Windows and shut down your computer you would "Start>Shut Down". In W Vista, to completely shut down your system, you click the start button and then click the right arrow, (next to the power button), and select "Shut Down". Windows then automatically closes all open applications and processes and asks you to save all open documents. Device drivers and program files may be damaged if they are not closed in this proper fashion, this being the reason why you should never turn off your computer by clicking the main power button on the system unit.
W Vista however also offers a new "Sleep Mode" in addition to the full system shut down:
When you click the power button on the start menu, (the one on the bottom left that looks like a big O with a vertical dash on top), Vista saves all open documents, applications and data to both your hard drive and computer memory; shuts down your PC hard drive and monitor; and then enters a special power saving mode. It does not turn off your computer, it simply puts it to sleep.
When ou want to get back to work, all you have to do is drag your mouse back and forth a couple of times; this wakes up W Vista from sleep mode and quickly retrieves the open documents and applications from system memory. This of course IS A LOT FASTER THEN REBOOTING FROM A POWER OFF CONDITION, IN FACT IT IS ALMOST INSTANTANEOUS, MIND YOU.
I have been familiar with this option since I first loaded W Vista in my computers. A couple of days ago I came across a very interesting article addressing this option, in (as usual) my favorite magazine PCWorld, which I am transcribing here:
Why You Should Use Sleep Mode
Jason Cross
timestamp(1249926600000,'longDateTime')
Aug 10, 2009 1:50 pm
Shutting down your PC at the end of the day is so 20th century. What you probably should be doing is putting it into sleep mode. You'll save that interminable wait for your system to boot up, and it won't destroy the Earth or your bank account with a dramatic change in energy usage. Allow me to illustrate.
I have a fairly high-end system at home. It's a Core i7 920 based PC with 6GB of RAM, a high-end GeForce card (sometimes it's a Radeon, I go back and forth), and a reasonably quick Seagate 7200.10 hard drive. I'm running the final release of Windows 7. This is how long it takes me to shut down and boot:
Shutdown: 0:16
Boot: 1:06
Shutting down is pretty fast, but booting up is painfully slow. Bear in mind, this is what I call "true" boot-up time. It the time from when I press the power button to when I'm at a usable desktop (where you can actually click on things and get a response). Like your system probably is, it's not totally clean. I have Dropbox and my antivirus software loading at boot. Here's the numbers to go into sleep mode, and wake from sleep:
Sleep: 0:18
Wake: 0:02
That's right two seconds to get to a truly usable desktop waking from sleep mode. Shutting down takes a couple seconds longer, but waking my computer up is almost instantaneous. Not to mention that I can wake up my PC by tapping the keyboard, instead of reaching down to press a small power button.
But what about power, you ask? Am I running up my power bill? As long as your system BIOS supports the S3 ACPI (Advanced Configuration and Power Interface) mode, no. The S1 mode leaves the CPU and RAM powered up, the S3 mode powers those down. Our article from a couple years ago on how to check and change your BIOS sleep state is still relevant. My high-end system uses some 120-130 watts just sitting at the desktop (not including monitor), and uses 1 watt when powered off (most computers draw a very small amount of power, even when off, so they can do things like turn on when you press the power button). In sleep mode, my system draws a whopping 5 watts. Five. What does that different of 4 watts mean to you?
My computer is running a lot more than the average person's, so let's just suppose your system is turned off 16 hours a day. That 4W difference works out to a whopping 1.92 killowatt-hours (kWh) per month. According to the Department of Energy, the average price for electricity in the U.S. is 11.59 cents per kWh, so sleep mode costs you 22.2 cents per month. The average home in the U.S. uses 936 kWh per month, so 16 hours of sleep mode a day would be a 0.21% increase in monthly power usage. That's what we call a "rounding error."
Of course, some systems use a little more power in sleep mode, but it's almost always under 10W. We have more on how to change the function of your computer's power button here. You probably don't want hibernate mode, which dumps the contents of your PC's RAM to the hard disk and then power off your PC, so you can resume right where you left off (with programs open and so on). With the large amount of RAM in today's systems, this can be a pretty slow option.
Friday, August 14, 2009
Monday, August 3, 2009
Is Your Printer Stealing From You? Here's How to Tell
Here is a very interesting article transcribed from PC World, (Great computer magazine, always offering the best advice), by one of their professional writers, Ms.Melissa Riofrio:
Whether through exorbitant ink prices or through flimsy construction, your printer may be robbing you of money or time. Here are five ways to tell whether you're being cheated.
Melissa Riofrio, PC World
Jul 29, 2009 11:00 pm :
Don't let that blank, boxy look fool you: Printers can steal your money and your time if you're not careful. Printer manufacturers have come up with a few creative ways to drain your wallet through ink and toner cartridge costs. Other printer models just make you waste precious minutes fooling around with complicated menu systems or stupidly designed hardware.
How do you spot a thieving printer? We've identified some of the leading suspects for each specific crime. But to determine whether your printer is pilfering from you, check its specs and our reviews for these warning signs.
1. If the Printer Is Cheap, the Ink or the Toner Isn't
Think you got a great deal on your printer? Think again. It’s a common ploy for printer vendors to sell machines at or below their production cost--and then make their money later on with extremely high ink or toner costs. How can you tell? Do the math: Take the cost of the cartridge and divide it by the page yield—the number of pages the manufacturer says the cartridge can print. (Note that most vendors base their page-yield numbers on industry-standard testing that is designed to represent real-world usage. However, the page yields you obtain may vary, depending on what you actually print.) Some vendors make their page yield information easy to find online (thank you, HP!), while others bury it (we're looking at you, Canon). The cost per page for the printer’s ink or toner does not reflect other printer costs, of course, such as those for an inkjet’s special paper or for a laser’s belts, drums, and other longer-life consumables.
We collected cartridges prices and vendor page yield information for a number of printers. From them, we determined that the following costs per page for black-and-white and four-color pages for inkjet and laser printers are about average.
Inkjet printers:
Plain black text: 4 cents to 5 cents per page
Simple four-color page: 12 cents to 14 cents per page
Monochrome laser/LED printers:
Plain black text: 1 cent to 2.5 cents per page
Color laser/LED printers:
Plain black text: 2 cents to 3 cents per page
Simple four-color page: 12 cents to 15 cents per page
If your printer’s costs fall at or below these averages, that’s good. But if its costs exceed these averages, you should consider looking for a different printer. A person who prints two dozen or fewer pages per week, mostly text with a little color, might tolerate a higher cost per page; but with so many good printers out there, why go with one that's going to soak you?
Here are some printers and multifunction printers (MFPs) we've tested recently that aren't as inexpensive as they look:
LEXMARK C543DN
CANON PIXMAR MX330
DELL 2130CN
EPSON WORKFORCE 40
LEXMARK X543 DN
HP PHOTO SMART C4680
2. Lower-Capacity Inks = Higher Cost Per Page
PC World's research has shown time and again that lower-capacity ink and toner cartridges cost you more in the long run. If you print relatively little, it may not matter much, since the high cost is spread over a longer period of time. But if you print a lot, look for ink cartridges with yields above 250 pages, or toner cartridges with yields above 2000 pages. Some printers offer high-yield consumables that can save you a lot more. Here are the worst and best models for cartridge capacity that we've reviewed recently.
Worst: Printers with standard-size cartridges that are low-capacity and pricey:
EPSON WORKFORCE 40
HP PHOTOSMART D7560
EPSON WORKFORCE 600
DELL 1230 C
DELL 1320 C
HP COLOR LASERJET CM2320 NF
HP PHOTOSMART C4680
Best: Printers that give you lots of ink or toner for a low price:
HP OFFICEJET PRO 8500
DELL 3130 CN
KONICA MINOLTA MAGICOLOR 4695 MF
DELL 3115 CN
3. Plain Paper or Bust
If your inkjet printer requires specially coated paper to produce the best-looking output, you'll end up shelling out a lot for paper over time. Most inkjets can print at least adequately on plain paper, but a few that we've tested recently still can't hack it.
EPSON WORKFORCE 40
DELL P703W
KODAK ESP9
KODAK ESP7
4. The Waiting Game
A slow printer steals your time. But as important as print speed is, you need to take any printer vendor's page-per-minute (ppm) speed claims with a grain of salt: Some vendors quote draft-mode speeds or use other contrivances to make their printers seem faster than they'll actually be in normal everyday use. Here are some particularly slow printers that we've tested recently:
EPSON WORKFORCE 40
DELL P703W
KODAK ESP 9
KODAK ESP 7
RICOH AFICI0 SP 232 SF
DELL 2145 CN
5. Cheapo Paper Trays
One way that some vendors reduce the cost of their cheapest printers is by providing skimpy (low-capacity) or flimsy paper trays. So you save a few bucks at the front end, but then for the life of the printer you have to waste time replacing paper constantly or fighting with a bent plastic extension that rattles annoyingly. Some designs even pile printed pages right on top of blank ones in the same tray. Among the cheesiest models we've seen recently are these suspects:
BROTHER HL-5370 DWT
HP PHOTOSMART C4680
EPSON WORKFORCE 600
XEROX PHASER 6128 MFP
RICOH AFICI0 SP 3300 DN
DELL 1230 C
XEROX PHASER 3250 DN
Well, when you guys go buy a printer, keep the above information in mind.
George
Whether through exorbitant ink prices or through flimsy construction, your printer may be robbing you of money or time. Here are five ways to tell whether you're being cheated.
Melissa Riofrio, PC World
Jul 29, 2009 11:00 pm :
Don't let that blank, boxy look fool you: Printers can steal your money and your time if you're not careful. Printer manufacturers have come up with a few creative ways to drain your wallet through ink and toner cartridge costs. Other printer models just make you waste precious minutes fooling around with complicated menu systems or stupidly designed hardware.
How do you spot a thieving printer? We've identified some of the leading suspects for each specific crime. But to determine whether your printer is pilfering from you, check its specs and our reviews for these warning signs.
1. If the Printer Is Cheap, the Ink or the Toner Isn't
Think you got a great deal on your printer? Think again. It’s a common ploy for printer vendors to sell machines at or below their production cost--and then make their money later on with extremely high ink or toner costs. How can you tell? Do the math: Take the cost of the cartridge and divide it by the page yield—the number of pages the manufacturer says the cartridge can print. (Note that most vendors base their page-yield numbers on industry-standard testing that is designed to represent real-world usage. However, the page yields you obtain may vary, depending on what you actually print.) Some vendors make their page yield information easy to find online (thank you, HP!), while others bury it (we're looking at you, Canon). The cost per page for the printer’s ink or toner does not reflect other printer costs, of course, such as those for an inkjet’s special paper or for a laser’s belts, drums, and other longer-life consumables.
We collected cartridges prices and vendor page yield information for a number of printers. From them, we determined that the following costs per page for black-and-white and four-color pages for inkjet and laser printers are about average.
Inkjet printers:
Plain black text: 4 cents to 5 cents per page
Simple four-color page: 12 cents to 14 cents per page
Monochrome laser/LED printers:
Plain black text: 1 cent to 2.5 cents per page
Color laser/LED printers:
Plain black text: 2 cents to 3 cents per page
Simple four-color page: 12 cents to 15 cents per page
If your printer’s costs fall at or below these averages, that’s good. But if its costs exceed these averages, you should consider looking for a different printer. A person who prints two dozen or fewer pages per week, mostly text with a little color, might tolerate a higher cost per page; but with so many good printers out there, why go with one that's going to soak you?
Here are some printers and multifunction printers (MFPs) we've tested recently that aren't as inexpensive as they look:
LEXMARK C543DN
CANON PIXMAR MX330
DELL 2130CN
EPSON WORKFORCE 40
LEXMARK X543 DN
HP PHOTO SMART C4680
2. Lower-Capacity Inks = Higher Cost Per Page
PC World's research has shown time and again that lower-capacity ink and toner cartridges cost you more in the long run. If you print relatively little, it may not matter much, since the high cost is spread over a longer period of time. But if you print a lot, look for ink cartridges with yields above 250 pages, or toner cartridges with yields above 2000 pages. Some printers offer high-yield consumables that can save you a lot more. Here are the worst and best models for cartridge capacity that we've reviewed recently.
Worst: Printers with standard-size cartridges that are low-capacity and pricey:
EPSON WORKFORCE 40
HP PHOTOSMART D7560
EPSON WORKFORCE 600
DELL 1230 C
DELL 1320 C
HP COLOR LASERJET CM2320 NF
HP PHOTOSMART C4680
Best: Printers that give you lots of ink or toner for a low price:
HP OFFICEJET PRO 8500
DELL 3130 CN
KONICA MINOLTA MAGICOLOR 4695 MF
DELL 3115 CN
3. Plain Paper or Bust
If your inkjet printer requires specially coated paper to produce the best-looking output, you'll end up shelling out a lot for paper over time. Most inkjets can print at least adequately on plain paper, but a few that we've tested recently still can't hack it.
EPSON WORKFORCE 40
DELL P703W
KODAK ESP9
KODAK ESP7
4. The Waiting Game
A slow printer steals your time. But as important as print speed is, you need to take any printer vendor's page-per-minute (ppm) speed claims with a grain of salt: Some vendors quote draft-mode speeds or use other contrivances to make their printers seem faster than they'll actually be in normal everyday use. Here are some particularly slow printers that we've tested recently:
EPSON WORKFORCE 40
DELL P703W
KODAK ESP 9
KODAK ESP 7
RICOH AFICI0 SP 232 SF
DELL 2145 CN
5. Cheapo Paper Trays
One way that some vendors reduce the cost of their cheapest printers is by providing skimpy (low-capacity) or flimsy paper trays. So you save a few bucks at the front end, but then for the life of the printer you have to waste time replacing paper constantly or fighting with a bent plastic extension that rattles annoyingly. Some designs even pile printed pages right on top of blank ones in the same tray. Among the cheesiest models we've seen recently are these suspects:
BROTHER HL-5370 DWT
HP PHOTOSMART C4680
EPSON WORKFORCE 600
XEROX PHASER 6128 MFP
RICOH AFICI0 SP 3300 DN
DELL 1230 C
XEROX PHASER 3250 DN
Well, when you guys go buy a printer, keep the above information in mind.
George
Saturday, July 25, 2009
FREE SERIOUS DOWNLOADABLE TOOLS FOR ALL COMPUTER USERS
There are out there in the web many good free tools you can download to help you get your Windows OS, (be it XP or Vista), out of trouble and humming fast again.
It is hard to believe how such good quality and performance software can be available free of charge but it is.
Today I'm going to show you how you can download a few of these good programs and a short synopsis of what each of them can do for you.
I have personally downloaded in my three computers and after several weeks of trying them out, I can tell you they are worth having. Of course this does not mean that each one of you readers will need all these programs, however, there will come a time that most of you could use them all.
Each program can be downloaded from the web site addresses outlined here, all you have to do is click on the web addresses shown.
PC DECRAPIFIER: The PC Decrapifier is a program designed to remove or uninstall a specific list unwanted software in an unattended fashion. It can be used to clean off most of the annoying software that is typically shipped with newer PCs. The PC Decrapifier will uninstall many of the common and annoyances found on many of the PCs from big name OEMs.
http://www.askvg.com/pc-decrapifier-remove-unwanted-programs-from-branded-pcs/.
CCLEANER: CCleaner is a freeware system optimization, privacy and cleaning tool. It removes unused files from your system - allowing Windows to run faster and freeing up valuable hard disk space. It also cleans traces of your online activities such as your Internet history. Additionally it contains a fully featured registry cleaner. But the best part is that it's fast (normally taking less than a second to run) and contains NO Spyware or Adware! :)
(In my opinion this is one of the best utility programs available for cleaning and optimizing your computer).
http://www.ccleaner.com/
BELARC ADVISOR: The Belarc Advisor builds a detailed profile of your installed software and hardware, missing Microsoft hotfixes, anti-virus status, CIS (Center for Internet Security) benchmarks, and displays the results in your Web browser. All of your PC profile information is kept private on your PC and is not sent to any web server.
(This is one of the utilities I use just about every week because it provides me information on what is going on in my computer, in great detail I might add, like no other program).
http://www.belarc.com/free_download.html
I have many more programs to tell you about, but for this week the above is enough to keep you busy for a while.
I would appreciate your feed back and experience with the above. All you have to do is post a simple comment in the "Comments Screen" right at the left top of the blog.
Thanks and have a fun weekend.
George Freire
It is hard to believe how such good quality and performance software can be available free of charge but it is.
Today I'm going to show you how you can download a few of these good programs and a short synopsis of what each of them can do for you.
I have personally downloaded in my three computers and after several weeks of trying them out, I can tell you they are worth having. Of course this does not mean that each one of you readers will need all these programs, however, there will come a time that most of you could use them all.
Each program can be downloaded from the web site addresses outlined here, all you have to do is click on the web addresses shown.
PC DECRAPIFIER: The PC Decrapifier is a program designed to remove or uninstall a specific list unwanted software in an unattended fashion. It can be used to clean off most of the annoying software that is typically shipped with newer PCs. The PC Decrapifier will uninstall many of the common and annoyances found on many of the PCs from big name OEMs.
http://www.askvg.com/pc-decrapifier-remove-unwanted-programs-from-branded-pcs/.
CCLEANER: CCleaner is a freeware system optimization, privacy and cleaning tool. It removes unused files from your system - allowing Windows to run faster and freeing up valuable hard disk space. It also cleans traces of your online activities such as your Internet history. Additionally it contains a fully featured registry cleaner. But the best part is that it's fast (normally taking less than a second to run) and contains NO Spyware or Adware! :)
(In my opinion this is one of the best utility programs available for cleaning and optimizing your computer).
http://www.ccleaner.com/
BELARC ADVISOR: The Belarc Advisor builds a detailed profile of your installed software and hardware, missing Microsoft hotfixes, anti-virus status, CIS (Center for Internet Security) benchmarks, and displays the results in your Web browser. All of your PC profile information is kept private on your PC and is not sent to any web server.
(This is one of the utilities I use just about every week because it provides me information on what is going on in my computer, in great detail I might add, like no other program).
http://www.belarc.com/free_download.html
I have many more programs to tell you about, but for this week the above is enough to keep you busy for a while.
I would appreciate your feed back and experience with the above. All you have to do is post a simple comment in the "Comments Screen" right at the left top of the blog.
Thanks and have a fun weekend.
George Freire
Saturday, July 18, 2009
INSTALL WINDOWS 7 SCIENTIFIC CALCULATOR ON YOUR COMPUTER
Windows 7 comes loaded with great gadgets, one of them is a Scientific calculator that will operate in 4 different modes:
STANDARD
SCIENTIFIC
PROGRAMMER
STATISTICS
This is a really serious calculator that can be used by students, professional people and the like. You would possibly pay more than one hundred dollars for a hand held calculator capable of doing what this one does. It also comes with templates that can figure many different calculation from mortgage payments to statistical calculations.
Well you can download and install it free on your computer. Just copy and paste the following web address on your browser and you are in business.
http://www.box.net/shared/y7tdnm9y2a#Windows7-calculator
Enjoy it.
George Freire
STANDARD
SCIENTIFIC
PROGRAMMER
STATISTICS
This is a really serious calculator that can be used by students, professional people and the like. You would possibly pay more than one hundred dollars for a hand held calculator capable of doing what this one does. It also comes with templates that can figure many different calculation from mortgage payments to statistical calculations.
Well you can download and install it free on your computer. Just copy and paste the following web address on your browser and you are in business.
http://www.box.net/shared/y7tdnm9y2a#Windows7-calculator
Enjoy it.
George Freire
Monday, July 13, 2009
ADVANCED SYSTEM CARE
Today I bring you a very very neat program, recommended by our friends at PC World, (again they always have something real good ), which on top of it all is free!!!
"Here's a quick and easy way to juice up system performance--and it's free as well. Advanced SystemCare Free (formerly Advanced WindowsCare Personal) has all the basic tools you'll need for speeding up your system, and is exceedingly easy to use. It even includes a one-click fix in which the program does an analysis and then fixes any problems it finds.
Most useful are the startup manager, which shows you all the programs that run on startup, and lets you kill any you no longer want to start; a Registry fixer, that fixes invalid or incorrect Registry entries and values; and a system optimizer, which alters the way Windows runs, in order to improve performance. There are a slew of other tools as well, such as a spyware remover, junk file cleaner, and privacy sweeper. And there are also some very good tools for showing details about your hardware and software configuration.
Bear in mind that the Advanced SystemCare Free will install the Yahoo Toolbar by default, so if you don't want it installed, make sure to uncheck the box during installation.
--Preston Gralla"
Among many good reviews concerning this program, here is one that caught my eye:
"The program does alone what requires four or more programs to do. It is very quick, and most effective for a wide variety of needs. Defrags,System check, disc check,privacy check, spy ware removal, registry fix, junk file removal,connection and system optimizer, short cut fixer, and the list goes on. This is the best all in one utility out there. Use it in addition to your firewall, anti-virus and anti-spyware programs. It is a one click system to do so much. Doing a Disk Check can take a long time on a reboot through the normal system. Doing it with Advanced System Care is amazingly fast. "
To download this program go to:
http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/file_download/fid,64954-order,4-c,systemresourcestuneup/download.html
Enjoy and use it. It will keep your computer running fast and longer without problems.
George Freire
"Here's a quick and easy way to juice up system performance--and it's free as well. Advanced SystemCare Free (formerly Advanced WindowsCare Personal) has all the basic tools you'll need for speeding up your system, and is exceedingly easy to use. It even includes a one-click fix in which the program does an analysis and then fixes any problems it finds.
Most useful are the startup manager, which shows you all the programs that run on startup, and lets you kill any you no longer want to start; a Registry fixer, that fixes invalid or incorrect Registry entries and values; and a system optimizer, which alters the way Windows runs, in order to improve performance. There are a slew of other tools as well, such as a spyware remover, junk file cleaner, and privacy sweeper. And there are also some very good tools for showing details about your hardware and software configuration.
Bear in mind that the Advanced SystemCare Free will install the Yahoo Toolbar by default, so if you don't want it installed, make sure to uncheck the box during installation.
--Preston Gralla"
Among many good reviews concerning this program, here is one that caught my eye:
"The program does alone what requires four or more programs to do. It is very quick, and most effective for a wide variety of needs. Defrags,System check, disc check,privacy check, spy ware removal, registry fix, junk file removal,connection and system optimizer, short cut fixer, and the list goes on. This is the best all in one utility out there. Use it in addition to your firewall, anti-virus and anti-spyware programs. It is a one click system to do so much. Doing a Disk Check can take a long time on a reboot through the normal system. Doing it with Advanced System Care is amazingly fast. "
To download this program go to:
http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/file_download/fid,64954-order,4-c,systemresourcestuneup/download.html
Enjoy and use it. It will keep your computer running fast and longer without problems.
George Freire
Thursday, July 9, 2009
DID YOU KNOW ?
Here are some tips that will help everyone make their computers work better and faster:
-Windows can significantly slow down its own start as it searches for shared files, folders and printers. In Windows Explorer, you can go to "Tools-Folder Options-View" and disable the feature "Automatically Search For Network Folders and Printers". This will make your start faster.
-Whenever there is a crash or error, Windows saves a memory dump in a file called "Memory.Dump" under the installation directory, (e.g. C;\Windows). This file can be deleted without any problems resulting. This will free disk space that you might need.
-When using an alternate firewall solutions, such as those available in virus protection programs such as Norton and many others, it is recommended to disable the Windows Firewall, otherwise there will be interference between the two firewalls. To do this, go to "Control Panel-Network Connections", open up the connection you use and choose "Advanced-Internet Connection Firewall", (or Windows Firewall , after SP2), and turn it off.
-Lots of visual effects cost valuable computing power and in most cases they loose their luster after a few days...
You can ton down the visual effects by going to "Control Panel/System", under the "Advanced" tab and disabling them to free up valuable computer power.
In Windows Vista, go to "System Properties, click "Advanced " tab, "Preference Settings" tab and under "Visual Effects" click "Adjust for Performance" button and then click OK.
-When Vista is first installed, or on new computers, there is no "Run" command visible in the start menu. If you want it to show there, which is a good thing, go to Control Panel, choose "Task Bar and Start Menu Properties", go to the "Start Menu" tab, click "Customize...", find and check the option "Run Command" and then click OK again.
Windows XP has a command that lets you restore critical system files if necessary. Click "Start/Run" and then type the command "scf/scannow". Windows XP will check through the system files and automatically replace any damaged files. (It may ask you in some instances to insert the Windows CD or the restore CD that came with the computer when doing this.
For today this is it. I hope the above will be of help for your good computing.
George Freire
-Windows can significantly slow down its own start as it searches for shared files, folders and printers. In Windows Explorer, you can go to "Tools-Folder Options-View" and disable the feature "Automatically Search For Network Folders and Printers". This will make your start faster.
-Whenever there is a crash or error, Windows saves a memory dump in a file called "Memory.Dump" under the installation directory, (e.g. C;\Windows). This file can be deleted without any problems resulting. This will free disk space that you might need.
-When using an alternate firewall solutions, such as those available in virus protection programs such as Norton and many others, it is recommended to disable the Windows Firewall, otherwise there will be interference between the two firewalls. To do this, go to "Control Panel-Network Connections", open up the connection you use and choose "Advanced-Internet Connection Firewall", (or Windows Firewall , after SP2), and turn it off.
-Lots of visual effects cost valuable computing power and in most cases they loose their luster after a few days...
You can ton down the visual effects by going to "Control Panel/System", under the "Advanced" tab and disabling them to free up valuable computer power.
In Windows Vista, go to "System Properties, click "Advanced " tab, "Preference Settings" tab and under "Visual Effects" click "Adjust for Performance" button and then click OK.
-When Vista is first installed, or on new computers, there is no "Run" command visible in the start menu. If you want it to show there, which is a good thing, go to Control Panel, choose "Task Bar and Start Menu Properties", go to the "Start Menu" tab, click "Customize...", find and check the option "Run Command" and then click OK again.
Windows XP has a command that lets you restore critical system files if necessary. Click "Start/Run" and then type the command "scf/scannow". Windows XP will check through the system files and automatically replace any damaged files. (It may ask you in some instances to insert the Windows CD or the restore CD that came with the computer when doing this.
For today this is it. I hope the above will be of help for your good computing.
George Freire
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Use FENCES, your DESKTOP will change for the better
Fences is a program that helps you organize your desktop, and can hide your icons when they're not in use. It's FREE for personal use, so try it out today, and change how you use your desktop forever!
All you have to do is to click on the following address and pronto, you can download this useful software.
http://www.stardock.com/products/fences/
George Freire
All you have to do is to click on the following address and pronto, you can download this useful software.
http://www.stardock.com/products/fences/
George Freire
AeroPeek
Today, as I have done so many times, for your enjoyment, I bring you more good stuff from our friends at PC World :
Ever wonder why program windows aren't transparent? AeroPeek fixes that. To use this freebie, click to activate it and then again to deactivate. Your open windows turn see-through, allowing you to see the desktop behind them. Of course, you can always tap Windows-D to minimize all open windows (then again to restore them), but what fun is that?
Note: This program is donationware. It is free to try, but the author accepts and encourages donations towards further development.
--Rick Broida
In order to download this interesting and useful easy to manage and free software, just click on the following address and puff, you are there:
http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/file/fid,78519/description.html?tk=nl_ddx_h_dlfeat
Enjoy,
George Freire
Ever wonder why program windows aren't transparent? AeroPeek fixes that. To use this freebie, click to activate it and then again to deactivate. Your open windows turn see-through, allowing you to see the desktop behind them. Of course, you can always tap Windows-D to minimize all open windows (then again to restore them), but what fun is that?
Note: This program is donationware. It is free to try, but the author accepts and encourages donations towards further development.
--Rick Broida
In order to download this interesting and useful easy to manage and free software, just click on the following address and puff, you are there:
http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/file/fid,78519/description.html?tk=nl_ddx_h_dlfeat
Enjoy,
George Freire
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Still About Windows 7
Here are some more interesting views about Windows 7, by Rick Broida of PC WORLD:
Windows 7: Five Unique Features
Is Windows 7 necessary? Yes, because some of its improved features simply aren't available for Vista or XP. Here are five reasons you'll eventually want to step up to Windows 7.
Rick Broida, PC World
Other parts of this story package are dedicated to explaining how to replicate Windows 7 features on a Vista or XP machine--and we offer so many suggestions that you may be starting to think that perhaps there's no compelling reason to upgrade to Windows 7 after all. If so, you should think again. Though Vista and XP users can enjoy some of the new operating system's goodies, either directly or by proxy, various highly desirable features are available only in the genuine article. Here are five that will require you to roll a 7:
Device Stage: Whereas Vista barely seems to recognize the presence of cameras, phones, printers, and other external devices, Windows 7's Device Stage treats them like royalty. The operating system devotes a slick-looking status window to each device, so you can browse files, manage media, and perform other device-specific tasks.
HomeGroup: At long last, Microsoft promises to take the pain and frustration out of home networking for users of its operating system. Set up a HomeGroup, and then add PCs and other devices--and without further ado you can share files, printers, and the like. Why did it take seven versions of Windows to get this right?
Jump Lists: Like souped-up Recent Documents menus, Jump Lists provide quick access to application-specific documents and/or tasks. For example, you can right-click the Internet Explorer taskbar icon and choose from a list of frequently visited Web sites or from a list of available tasks (such as New Tab and InPrivate). Once you get started using Jump Lists, you'll wonder how you ever got along without them.
Libraries: Most of us have documents, music, pictures, and video scattered across multiple folders on our PCs. Libraries are special folders in Windows 7 that catalog these items under a single roof, regardless of where you actually store them on your hard drive. And best of all, Libraries are easy to share within your HomeGroup.
One-click Wi-Fi: Unlike Windows Vista, Windows 7 makes choosing a wireless network to connect to simple and convenient: Click the system-tray icon, and choose from the resulting list of available hotspots. Granted, you can find third-party connection managers for Vista, but nothing this streamlined and unobtrusive.
See more like this:
Windows 7,
windows vista,
windows,
windows xp,
vista,
xp
Windows 7: Five Unique Features
Is Windows 7 necessary? Yes, because some of its improved features simply aren't available for Vista or XP. Here are five reasons you'll eventually want to step up to Windows 7.
Rick Broida, PC World
Other parts of this story package are dedicated to explaining how to replicate Windows 7 features on a Vista or XP machine--and we offer so many suggestions that you may be starting to think that perhaps there's no compelling reason to upgrade to Windows 7 after all. If so, you should think again. Though Vista and XP users can enjoy some of the new operating system's goodies, either directly or by proxy, various highly desirable features are available only in the genuine article. Here are five that will require you to roll a 7:
Device Stage: Whereas Vista barely seems to recognize the presence of cameras, phones, printers, and other external devices, Windows 7's Device Stage treats them like royalty. The operating system devotes a slick-looking status window to each device, so you can browse files, manage media, and perform other device-specific tasks.
HomeGroup: At long last, Microsoft promises to take the pain and frustration out of home networking for users of its operating system. Set up a HomeGroup, and then add PCs and other devices--and without further ado you can share files, printers, and the like. Why did it take seven versions of Windows to get this right?
Jump Lists: Like souped-up Recent Documents menus, Jump Lists provide quick access to application-specific documents and/or tasks. For example, you can right-click the Internet Explorer taskbar icon and choose from a list of frequently visited Web sites or from a list of available tasks (such as New Tab and InPrivate). Once you get started using Jump Lists, you'll wonder how you ever got along without them.
Libraries: Most of us have documents, music, pictures, and video scattered across multiple folders on our PCs. Libraries are special folders in Windows 7 that catalog these items under a single roof, regardless of where you actually store them on your hard drive. And best of all, Libraries are easy to share within your HomeGroup.
One-click Wi-Fi: Unlike Windows Vista, Windows 7 makes choosing a wireless network to connect to simple and convenient: Click the system-tray icon, and choose from the resulting list of available hotspots. Granted, you can find third-party connection managers for Vista, but nothing this streamlined and unobtrusive.
See more like this:
Windows 7,
windows vista,
windows,
windows xp,
vista,
xp
Windows 7 coming this Fall
Windows 7 is already here and a beta try our version is already installed in thousands of computers. Reviews are generally good.
I have not experienced this new upgrade of Windows, but I have read a lot about it.
There are many new features, some very good, some not so good, but overall, within a year I'll bet that most people will switch. I believe that new computers sold after September/October will come with the new Windows 7 version.
Here is some "good stuff" from W7 that will be available, but that you can now install and use with your version of W Vista. (This info as usual comes from our friends at PC World:
"Windows 7 has an excellent taskbar feature: When you mouse over a taskbar icon, you get a pop-up thumbnail preview of the corresponding program (if it's running, that is). And if you're running multiple instances of a program--such as Internet Explorer--you'll see multiple thumbnails. To get the same effect in Vista only, install EnhanceMyVista Free. After starting the program, click Customization, Taskbar, and then enable Iconize your Taskbar. EnhanceMyVista is an easy to use yet advanced enhancing, optimizing and tweaking tool for Windows Vista. With a clean and simple interface it brings you an All-in-One set of powerful and neatly classified tools, settings and tweaks. As a bonus there are some unique and uncommon options too. Being permanently in development it is the best choice in its category.
--Rick Broida
To download this nice feature go to:
http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/file/fid,78521/description.html?tk=nl_ddx_h_dlfeat
Just copy and paste the above address in your browser and you are there.
George
I have not experienced this new upgrade of Windows, but I have read a lot about it.
There are many new features, some very good, some not so good, but overall, within a year I'll bet that most people will switch. I believe that new computers sold after September/October will come with the new Windows 7 version.
Here is some "good stuff" from W7 that will be available, but that you can now install and use with your version of W Vista. (This info as usual comes from our friends at PC World:
"Windows 7 has an excellent taskbar feature: When you mouse over a taskbar icon, you get a pop-up thumbnail preview of the corresponding program (if it's running, that is). And if you're running multiple instances of a program--such as Internet Explorer--you'll see multiple thumbnails. To get the same effect in Vista only, install EnhanceMyVista Free. After starting the program, click Customization, Taskbar, and then enable Iconize your Taskbar. EnhanceMyVista is an easy to use yet advanced enhancing, optimizing and tweaking tool for Windows Vista. With a clean and simple interface it brings you an All-in-One set of powerful and neatly classified tools, settings and tweaks. As a bonus there are some unique and uncommon options too. Being permanently in development it is the best choice in its category.
--Rick Broida
To download this nice feature go to:
http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/file/fid,78521/description.html?tk=nl_ddx_h_dlfeat
Just copy and paste the above address in your browser and you are there.
George
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
AP IMPACT: Weak security enables credit card hacks
With the financial crisis looming on this is becoming more and more of a problem:
AP IMPACT: Weak security enables credit card hacks
-- Every time you swipe your credit card and wait for the transaction to be approved, sensitive data including your name and account number are ferried from store to bank through computer networks, each step a potential opening for hackers.
And while you may take steps to protect yourself against identity theft, an Associated Press investigation has found the banks and other companies that handle your information are not being nearly as cautious as they could.
To read more in great detail go to:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/14/AR2009061401320.html
George Freire
AP IMPACT: Weak security enables credit card hacks
-- Every time you swipe your credit card and wait for the transaction to be approved, sensitive data including your name and account number are ferried from store to bank through computer networks, each step a potential opening for hackers.
And while you may take steps to protect yourself against identity theft, an Associated Press investigation has found the banks and other companies that handle your information are not being nearly as cautious as they could.
To read more in great detail go to:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/14/AR2009061401320.html
George Freire
Thursday, June 11, 2009
USEFUL FREE SOFTWARE : START UP DELAYER
This free software allows you to start your computer smoothly and in orderly fashion. You can configure the start up so that your most important programs start first and delay the ones that are not so important to start later:
Start up Delayer allows you to configure which programs to start first and which ones to delay when your computer is rebooted. You can set a custom delay for each one, even drag the visual display graph which shows you exactly how your programs are starting and allows you to easily modify the order or adjust delay times.
To download this free program go to:
http://www.snapfiles.com/get/startdelay.html
I have it in my computers and they all start up much better now with a lot less delay.
George Freire
Start up Delayer allows you to configure which programs to start first and which ones to delay when your computer is rebooted. You can set a custom delay for each one, even drag the visual display graph which shows you exactly how your programs are starting and allows you to easily modify the order or adjust delay times.
To download this free program go to:
http://www.snapfiles.com/get/startdelay.html
I have it in my computers and they all start up much better now with a lot less delay.
George Freire
SECURITY PATCH PALOOZA:Microsoft issues important updates to Windows XP and Vista users that fix some (not all) security flaws.
If you do not have automatic windows update functioning, make sure you update your Windows software with these important security patches.
George Freire
Security Patch Palooza: Microsoft Issues 31 Big Fixes
Information issued by PC WORLD, Todd R. Weiss
timestamp(1244645160000,'longDateTime')
Jun 10, 2009 10:46 am
It may be June, but Microsoft techies haven't turned their focus to summer vacations yet. Instead, company security engineers have been busy prepping 10 major software patches that fix 31 important security vulnerabilities in Windows, Office, and other Microsoft products. Eighteen of the vulnerabilities are classified by the company as "critical fixes."
Patches were delivered Tuesday via Windows Update and are targeted at Windows XP, and to a lesser degree Vista. Beta users of Windows 7 don't appear to have been included in the update. If your PC isn't set up to receive automatic updates -- it should be. Here is how.
Patches target the usual security suspects, such as new vulnerabilities found in Microsoft's own Internet Explorer Web browser. Also included with the updates is help for computers impacted by a rogue "antivirus" application called Internet Antivirus Pro. The purported antivirus program installs itself onto users' computers, then eats up huge resources as it slows systems down, flashes up constant pop-up messages (see above), and then downloads software that steals passwords and causes other havoc. Tuesday's Microsoft patches include a fix that can detect and help remove this rogue application, according to the security team.
Some Applications Get Patched, Others Not
Also included are patches for Windows, Excel, Word, and much more, all aimed at fixing the latest moderate- to critical-level security vulnerabilities recently uncovered.
One fix that didn't make it into this month's Patch Tuesday release was a patch to fix a generally rare vulnerability that involves DirectX and QuickTime. The security vulnerability can affect Windows XP or Windows Server 2003 users, but not Vista or Windows Server 2008 users, according to the company. The vulnerability can allow an intruder to take over control of a computer using an exploited QuickTime file. In the meantime, here's a workaround you can install to protect your PC from this possible vulnerability.
George Freire
Security Patch Palooza: Microsoft Issues 31 Big Fixes
Information issued by PC WORLD, Todd R. Weiss
timestamp(1244645160000,'longDateTime')
Jun 10, 2009 10:46 am
It may be June, but Microsoft techies haven't turned their focus to summer vacations yet. Instead, company security engineers have been busy prepping 10 major software patches that fix 31 important security vulnerabilities in Windows, Office, and other Microsoft products. Eighteen of the vulnerabilities are classified by the company as "critical fixes."
Patches were delivered Tuesday via Windows Update and are targeted at Windows XP, and to a lesser degree Vista. Beta users of Windows 7 don't appear to have been included in the update. If your PC isn't set up to receive automatic updates -- it should be. Here is how.
Patches target the usual security suspects, such as new vulnerabilities found in Microsoft's own Internet Explorer Web browser. Also included with the updates is help for computers impacted by a rogue "antivirus" application called Internet Antivirus Pro. The purported antivirus program installs itself onto users' computers, then eats up huge resources as it slows systems down, flashes up constant pop-up messages (see above), and then downloads software that steals passwords and causes other havoc. Tuesday's Microsoft patches include a fix that can detect and help remove this rogue application, according to the security team.
Some Applications Get Patched, Others Not
Also included are patches for Windows, Excel, Word, and much more, all aimed at fixing the latest moderate- to critical-level security vulnerabilities recently uncovered.
One fix that didn't make it into this month's Patch Tuesday release was a patch to fix a generally rare vulnerability that involves DirectX and QuickTime. The security vulnerability can affect Windows XP or Windows Server 2003 users, but not Vista or Windows Server 2008 users, according to the company. The vulnerability can allow an intruder to take over control of a computer using an exploited QuickTime file. In the meantime, here's a workaround you can install to protect your PC from this possible vulnerability.
Thursday, June 4, 2009
FREERASER FILE "DELETING FOR GOOD" SOFTWARE
Preston Gralla, one of our favorite technical analyst writers of PC World recommends this free software for those who need to delete files "for good", meaning that nobody will ever be able to get to your hard drive and revive files that you have deleted. He comments:
"Simply deleting doesn't actually get rid of the file or its data--it can be reconstructed relatively easily. If you're worried that someone might invade your privacy by restoring files you've deleted, give Freeraser a try. It's as simple a program as you'll ever find for killing files so that they stay killed.
How easy is it to eliminate files? Run the program, select a file to delete, and it's gone. The program doesn't just delete a file; it first fills the contents of the file with random data, then deletes it. That way, if someone reconstructs it, they'll see only random data.
Freeraser has three levels of settings for deleting files. The "Fast" one fills the contents of a file, then deletes it, and as the name implies, this is the fastest. The "Forced" mode is slower, and first fills the file with three separate rounds of data. According to vendor Codyssey, Freeraser uses an algorithm approved by the U.S. Department of Defense. And Ultimate is the slowest, filling the file with 35 rounds of data, using the Guttman algorithm. The program claims that it is impossible to recover the data in the file destroyed in this way.
If you're worried at all about old files coming back to haunt you, Freeraser is an easy, effective way of making sure those files don't come back from the dead."
In order to be able to download this software, copy and paste the following address to your browser:
http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/file/fid,77849/description.html?tk=nl_ddx_h_dlfeat
Enjoy,
George Freire
"Simply deleting doesn't actually get rid of the file or its data--it can be reconstructed relatively easily. If you're worried that someone might invade your privacy by restoring files you've deleted, give Freeraser a try. It's as simple a program as you'll ever find for killing files so that they stay killed.
How easy is it to eliminate files? Run the program, select a file to delete, and it's gone. The program doesn't just delete a file; it first fills the contents of the file with random data, then deletes it. That way, if someone reconstructs it, they'll see only random data.
Freeraser has three levels of settings for deleting files. The "Fast" one fills the contents of a file, then deletes it, and as the name implies, this is the fastest. The "Forced" mode is slower, and first fills the file with three separate rounds of data. According to vendor Codyssey, Freeraser uses an algorithm approved by the U.S. Department of Defense. And Ultimate is the slowest, filling the file with 35 rounds of data, using the Guttman algorithm. The program claims that it is impossible to recover the data in the file destroyed in this way.
If you're worried at all about old files coming back to haunt you, Freeraser is an easy, effective way of making sure those files don't come back from the dead."
In order to be able to download this software, copy and paste the following address to your browser:
http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/file/fid,77849/description.html?tk=nl_ddx_h_dlfeat
Enjoy,
George Freire
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
CODYSAFE FREE SOFTWARE
From our friends at COMPUTER WORLD here is another great piece of free software that can be very useful for most of you, especially those who carry files and applications from one computer to another:
By Prston Gralla:
"Why use a USB flash drive as a mere data shuttle? The free CodySafe is one of the cleverest ways you can find to turn a USB flash drive into what the developer calls a "computer on a stick." Install CodySafe on a USB stick, and it lets you take applications along with you, managing them along with your documents and the drive itself. The beauty of this approach is that you can plug your USB drive into any computer, and never actually have to store data on the computer or use the computer's resources. With CodySafe, everything can be done from the USB drive itself.
Install CodySafe on a USB flash drive, and when you run it from the drive, it looks very much like the Windows Vista Start menu. Install programs to the drive, and they show up on the CodySafe menu, just as they do in Vista; run programs by clicking on them. CodySafe also includes quick navigation to folders it creates, including Documents, Pictures, Music, and Video.
CodySafe also includes features for managing your USB drive, including a "Drive Doctor" for checking the health of the drive, an applications manager, and a "Find-if-Lost" feature that lets anyone who finds the lost drive find out your contact information so that they can get it back to you.
Vendor Codyssey.com also has a number of portable applications at their site that you can download for free to your USB drive, as well as links to other portable applications. Once you've got your USB drive set up the way you want, carry it with you, plug it into any computer, and you've got your applications and data, all within easy reach."
In order to download this software, copy and paste the following address into your browser and enjoy!
http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/file/fid,77843/description.html?tk=nl_ddx_h_dlfeat
George Freire
By Prston Gralla:
"Why use a USB flash drive as a mere data shuttle? The free CodySafe is one of the cleverest ways you can find to turn a USB flash drive into what the developer calls a "computer on a stick." Install CodySafe on a USB stick, and it lets you take applications along with you, managing them along with your documents and the drive itself. The beauty of this approach is that you can plug your USB drive into any computer, and never actually have to store data on the computer or use the computer's resources. With CodySafe, everything can be done from the USB drive itself.
Install CodySafe on a USB flash drive, and when you run it from the drive, it looks very much like the Windows Vista Start menu. Install programs to the drive, and they show up on the CodySafe menu, just as they do in Vista; run programs by clicking on them. CodySafe also includes quick navigation to folders it creates, including Documents, Pictures, Music, and Video.
CodySafe also includes features for managing your USB drive, including a "Drive Doctor" for checking the health of the drive, an applications manager, and a "Find-if-Lost" feature that lets anyone who finds the lost drive find out your contact information so that they can get it back to you.
Vendor Codyssey.com also has a number of portable applications at their site that you can download for free to your USB drive, as well as links to other portable applications. Once you've got your USB drive set up the way you want, carry it with you, plug it into any computer, and you've got your applications and data, all within easy reach."
In order to download this software, copy and paste the following address into your browser and enjoy!
http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/file/fid,77843/description.html?tk=nl_ddx_h_dlfeat
George Freire
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
ARE YOU TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE GOOD INFO , FUN STUFF , TECH ADVICE AND FREE SOFTWARE PROGRAMS OFFERED IN THIS BLOG?
There are various items of information, advice and pure fun published on a daily basis and shown on the left side of the blog, such as:
WORLD WEATHER DATA
WIKIPEDIA SEARCH ENGINE
TECH STUFF ADVERTISED BY GOOGLE
STOCK TICKER
TV SHOWS ON LINE
MUSIC SEARCH ENGINE
THE DAILY PUPPY SHOW, (MY FAVORITE...)
FREEWARE DOWNLOADS ENGINE
ALL U TUBE VIDEOS YOU MAY WANT TO SEE
ESPN SPORTS NEWS
ETC. ETC.
If you have not taken the time to review the above items yet, try checking them out; they are all very enjoyable and you can also find lots of good tech info for your use.
Hey, I try to make this Blog as interesting as possible, not a boring page that few people would read, and for that reason I put a lot of work into it.
I would also very much appreciate that now and then you would post a comment of approval or disapproval, suggestions for improvement or your own stuff for publication.
The best way to do it is to email me at
gfreire@att.net
LOAD IT ON ME...
Thanks; I hope you enjoy the blog.
George Freire
WORLD WEATHER DATA
WIKIPEDIA SEARCH ENGINE
TECH STUFF ADVERTISED BY GOOGLE
STOCK TICKER
TV SHOWS ON LINE
MUSIC SEARCH ENGINE
THE DAILY PUPPY SHOW, (MY FAVORITE...)
FREEWARE DOWNLOADS ENGINE
ALL U TUBE VIDEOS YOU MAY WANT TO SEE
ESPN SPORTS NEWS
ETC. ETC.
If you have not taken the time to review the above items yet, try checking them out; they are all very enjoyable and you can also find lots of good tech info for your use.
Hey, I try to make this Blog as interesting as possible, not a boring page that few people would read, and for that reason I put a lot of work into it.
I would also very much appreciate that now and then you would post a comment of approval or disapproval, suggestions for improvement or your own stuff for publication.
The best way to do it is to email me at
gfreire@att.net
LOAD IT ON ME...
Thanks; I hope you enjoy the blog.
George Freire
Sunday, May 24, 2009
FANTASTIC SCREEN SAVERS
Today I have three downloads for screen savers that will thrill just about anybody; just copy and paste the addresses that follow to your browser or just click them and you are in business. As always our thanks to PC WORLD for the information supplied.
HUBBLE IMAGES SCREEN SAVER:
Take your mind to the heavens every time your computer is left idle. The Hubble Images Screen Saver displays images of nebulae and celestial bodies, captured by the world-famous telescope.
There's no other information concerning the images than the names, so if you wish to learn more about spacey sights with names like "Eta Carinae" or "NGC-3603," you'll have to look elsewhere. But the full-screen NASA photographs will jettison you to places far removed from this mudane, terrestrial existence.
Options include setting the delay between images, image size, and transition effects. The software also includes a screen-saver utility.
http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/file_download/fid,4327-order,4-c,screensavers/download.html
STAR TREK VOYAGER 3D SCREEN SAVER:
Do you ever wish that the computer graphics in recent science-fiction TV shows had more air time? With the Star Trek: Voyager Screensaver, you can watch a 3D rendition of the beloved ship as it soars through the galaxy.
Stars fly past at different speeds, and the perspective changes, so you can examine the bottom and sides of the ship (pointing out every flaw in the design, if you like). At intervals that you choose, watch the ship warp into hyperspace. You can also change the number of background stars, the length of the warp lines, and more.
http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/file_download/fid,3691-order,4-c,screensavers/download.html
OCEAN DIVE:
It goes without saying that you'd rather be exploring the mysterious depths of the ocean than staring at a computer screen. OceanDive plunges you into the ocean without risk or costly equipment. Immerse yourself in this 3D environment at nine different "cameras" in the screensaver.
This screen saver will let you get your toes wet (metaphorically), but there are greater depths to discover. When you register OceanDive, you'll receive a free ocean game and new screen saver scenes.
http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/file/fid,30083-order,4/description.html
You all have fun with the above.
George Freire
HUBBLE IMAGES SCREEN SAVER:
Take your mind to the heavens every time your computer is left idle. The Hubble Images Screen Saver displays images of nebulae and celestial bodies, captured by the world-famous telescope.
There's no other information concerning the images than the names, so if you wish to learn more about spacey sights with names like "Eta Carinae" or "NGC-3603," you'll have to look elsewhere. But the full-screen NASA photographs will jettison you to places far removed from this mudane, terrestrial existence.
Options include setting the delay between images, image size, and transition effects. The software also includes a screen-saver utility.
http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/file_download/fid,4327-order,4-c,screensavers/download.html
STAR TREK VOYAGER 3D SCREEN SAVER:
Do you ever wish that the computer graphics in recent science-fiction TV shows had more air time? With the Star Trek: Voyager Screensaver, you can watch a 3D rendition of the beloved ship as it soars through the galaxy.
Stars fly past at different speeds, and the perspective changes, so you can examine the bottom and sides of the ship (pointing out every flaw in the design, if you like). At intervals that you choose, watch the ship warp into hyperspace. You can also change the number of background stars, the length of the warp lines, and more.
http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/file_download/fid,3691-order,4-c,screensavers/download.html
OCEAN DIVE:
It goes without saying that you'd rather be exploring the mysterious depths of the ocean than staring at a computer screen. OceanDive plunges you into the ocean without risk or costly equipment. Immerse yourself in this 3D environment at nine different "cameras" in the screensaver.
This screen saver will let you get your toes wet (metaphorically), but there are greater depths to discover. When you register OceanDive, you'll receive a free ocean game and new screen saver scenes.
http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/file/fid,30083-order,4/description.html
You all have fun with the above.
George Freire
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
SPACE SNIFFER RECOMMENDED BY PC WORLD
Where did all my space go?" This question has been asked by every computer user since the days of the 5.25" floppy (probably since the days of the ENIAC), and SpaceSniffer is a fast, easy, way to answer it. While SpaceSniffer in itself does nothing to reclaim space, it does provide you with a very good overview of what's occupying the nether reaches of your hard disk.
Brief product description
SpaceSniffer is a freeWare (or, better, donationWare) and portable tool application that gives you an idea of how folders and files are structured on your disks. By using a Treemap visualization layout, you have immediate perception of where big folders and files are situated on your devices. Treemap concept was invented by Prof. Ben Shneiderman, who kindly permitted the use of his concept into this tool.
Start a scan process and see the overall situation. Bigger are the elements on the view, bigger are folders and files on your disk. You need more detail on a big folder? Just single click on it. The selected element will be detailed with its content.
Need more and more detail? Keep selecting elements and they'll discover their secrets to you. Need a larger view of a small folder? Then double click on it, and it'll zoom to the full extent of the view.
If you need to understand why no more free space is left on the media, keep following bigger elements. Maybe you want to focus only on particular file types... ok. Just type the file type on the filter field (example: *.jpg) and press enter. The view will react and show you only JPEG files.
Want to know if you have old files? Type the condition in the filter field (example: >2years) and the view will react accordingly.
You can also filter on file size, file date and combine all filters
(example: *.jpg;>1mb;<3months) Please have a look at features. Copy and paste to your browser the address below and enjoy!
http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/file_download/fid,77951-order,4-c,harddisk/download.html
George Freire
Brief product description
SpaceSniffer is a freeWare (or, better, donationWare) and portable tool application that gives you an idea of how folders and files are structured on your disks. By using a Treemap visualization layout, you have immediate perception of where big folders and files are situated on your devices. Treemap concept was invented by Prof. Ben Shneiderman, who kindly permitted the use of his concept into this tool.
Start a scan process and see the overall situation. Bigger are the elements on the view, bigger are folders and files on your disk. You need more detail on a big folder? Just single click on it. The selected element will be detailed with its content.
Need more and more detail? Keep selecting elements and they'll discover their secrets to you. Need a larger view of a small folder? Then double click on it, and it'll zoom to the full extent of the view.
If you need to understand why no more free space is left on the media, keep following bigger elements. Maybe you want to focus only on particular file types... ok. Just type the file type on the filter field (example: *.jpg) and press enter. The view will react and show you only JPEG files.
Want to know if you have old files? Type the condition in the filter field (example: >2years) and the view will react accordingly.
You can also filter on file size, file date and combine all filters
(example: *.jpg;>1mb;<3months) Please have a look at features. Copy and paste to your browser the address below and enjoy!
http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/file_download/fid,77951-order,4-c,harddisk/download.html
George Freire
Monday, May 18, 2009
I AM BACK FROM MY VACATION IN PORTUGAL
My wife and I got back from our vacation in Portugal this week-end. We had a great time and gained a few lbs...
Since you have had no new stuff in this blog for almost three weeks, I hope the following posts will keep you interested and busy.
More to come in the next few days.
Have fun,
George Freire
Since you have had no new stuff in this blog for almost three weeks, I hope the following posts will keep you interested and busy.
More to come in the next few days.
Have fun,
George Freire
ANOTHER FREE TV VIEWER IN YOUR COMPUTER BETTER THAN THOSE ALREADY PRESENTED IN THIS BLOG
If you're not satisfied with the TV available through your cable or satellite provider--or if you're looking for alternative channels around the world--give the free RevoluTV a try. This free program lets you tune into TV channels around the world for news, entertainment, sports and more. The channels are all broadcast via the Web, so you don't need a TV tuner or any other special hardware.
Using RevoluTV couldn't be simpler. Install it, then choose from any of the many built-in channels from countries ranging from Argentina to France, Germany, Russia, the U.K. and the U.S. Then tune in to foreign news, entertainment and sports in the small video viewer. To help keep track of your channels, you can add them to a favorites list in the program so you can easily return to them.
In order to download this new software, copy and paste the following address on your browser:
http://sites.google.com/site/revolutv/Home
The software is free but the author accepts and encourages donations towards further development.
Enjoy and let me know how it works for you.
George Freire
Using RevoluTV couldn't be simpler. Install it, then choose from any of the many built-in channels from countries ranging from Argentina to France, Germany, Russia, the U.K. and the U.S. Then tune in to foreign news, entertainment and sports in the small video viewer. To help keep track of your channels, you can add them to a favorites list in the program so you can easily return to them.
In order to download this new software, copy and paste the following address on your browser:
http://sites.google.com/site/revolutv/Home
The software is free but the author accepts and encourages donations towards further development.
Enjoy and let me know how it works for you.
George Freire
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