1. Cooliris-Web www.cooliris.com . Perhaps one of the most impressive plug-ins available for any browser, Cooliris takes images and video from your favourite sites and displays them for you in an interactive three dimensional environment . Once installed, all you have to do is hover your mouse over a picture or clip and click on the arrow icon that appears. Within Cooliris you can then find further categorised content, search within selected sites and email media to friends. Get a glimpse of what tomorrow’s interface will look like today for free.
2. Key scrambler- Web www.qfxsoftware.com . When you’re using your computer in a shared environment –even if it’s just a busy family home- you can’t be too careful about password security . Then there’s always the possibility that a WI-FI connection might be compromised , even if you think it’s protected. Finally, there are viruses that install ‘Key Loggers’ on your system; programs that record every tap on your keyboard, meaning they can steal usernames and passwords. Key Scrambler thwarts each of these scenarios by encoding everything you type using a strong security algorithm. The personal version  is free.
3. me.dium.com .Have you ever wondered who else might be browsing the web site you’re looking at? Me.dium is chat and social networking tool that lets you see and talk to other users while you’re on the same site. The idea of ‘collaborative browsing’ isn’t new, but Me.dium is slickly implemented and fun to use-though you might have to encourage some of your friends to join in the fun if you want more people to talk to.
4. Silverlight-Web www.silverlight.net Microsoft’s up-and-coming multimedia tool enables you to access rich internet content featuring animation, video and sound that you can interect with. With a powerful programming language enabling developers to build sophisticated applications, it’s

1. ieSpell-Web www.ieSplee.com free for personal use, ieSpell adds set-up and spell checking options to Internet Explorer’s Tools menu and toolbar. A boon for bloggers and message board fans, you can check your spelling with a simple right –click to access the tool. It’ll check all the text on the page and offer suggestions if it finds any errors. Go to Tools> ieSpell Options first though to make sure you’ve selected the English(UK) dictionary!
2. Inline Search-Web www.ieforge.com/InlineSearch .Inline Search is a free plug-in that adds a ‘find as you type’ search box to the bottom of your browser. It starts searching for words in the text of the current page as soon as you begin typing, highlighting them in blue. If there are multiple instances of a search term, you can move through them with the Find Next button-or choose to highlight them all . Invoke Inline Search with the casual Ctrl and F shortcut-if you want to use Internet Explorer’s default search instead, you’ll nedd to go to Edit>Find.
3. Internet Tracks Washer-Web www.softcows.com/windows.washer.htm. For $29.95  Internet Tracks Washer helps you take absolute control over document history. You can wipe out your entire browsing record, blitz out your cookies and empty your temporary internet files. You can also do all these tasks selectively- picking exactly which web addresses and cookies to consign to the past. And though it’s predominantly useful for cleaning up your browser, it works with other Windows Vista tools, too.
4. Youtube Downloader-Web http:// youtubedownload.altervista.org . This handy tool can be used alongside Internet Explorer when you find video clips on YouTube you want to keep or pass on. Simply copy the URL of the page where the clip is embedded   and paste it into YouTube Downloader. Once you’ve got a copy of the clip safely on your computer , you can then use same program to convert the file into a format you can view in Windows Media Player- including AVI or MPEG 4. Not bad for free software.
5. Internet Download Accelerator-Web www.westbyte.com/ida . When you access a web site, Internet Explorer makes multiple calls to the server, downloading pictures, text and anything else simultaneously . On the other hand, when you click on a link to a file online, only one connection is made. Internet Download Accelerator makes file downloads faster by starting multiple connections to the same file, then assembling tge pieces on your machine . It also lets you stop and start long downloads-or resume them when your connection is interrupted. Registration costs $29.95.
6. StumbleUpon Web www.stumbleupon.com . Sign up for the free StumbleUpon service and you’ll open up a whole new way of browsing the web. It’s  not a search engine or directory … it’s something between the two. With the StumbleUpon Toolbar installed, you can specify a set of interests and be taken to random, but tried, tested and highly –rated sites that are guaranteed to please. You can also give ‘thumbs up’ or ‘thumbs down’ feedback to further improve the service. Search for one category only, or let the software pick for you. If idling away a few hours with some pleasant browsing is your idea of fun, it’s a must-have.

Seven gadgets for your Windows Sidebar that will help keep your bank manager happy…

1. 1. FIDELITY MARKET MONITOR tinyurl.com/5bfw25 Staying on top of current market events and being aware of everything that’s going on, especially in today’s conditions, is essential. It may not be an instant money-maker but it could save you a packet in the long term.
2. 2. BARCLAYCARD GADGET ZONE tinyurl.com/4×77sj Thanks to Barclaycard Gadget Zone you can stay up-to-date with the latest information on gadgets, technologies and news, plus get all the latest special offers and money-saving deals delivered straight to your desktop.
3. 3. GOOFBAY tinyurl.com/6y53t5q One of the little known facts about netting a bargain on eBay is that the search function usually ignores misspelt descriptions. Thanks to this gadget, you could get a superb deal because nobody else looked for a Hayley Davison.
4. 4. WI-FI HOTSPOT LOCATOR 1.0 tinyurl.com/3nymoo A superb gadget that helps your area. It has listings over 1,000 hotspots from over 150 service providers and can easily be filtered to suit your location or provider, so you’re sure to find a free spot nearby.
5. 5. KAYAK.COM tinyurl.com/6kk8pn Search over 450 web sites to find the latest and cheapest deals on flights, hotels, cruises and cars. It’s a sure-fire way to save you money and your holiday plans and you may find yourself able to get far more than you originally thought.
6. 6. EBAY SELLERS WATCH tiyurl.com/4kmtz4 This handy gadget was designed for people who want to sell stuff on eBay. It tracks your listing, letting you know who’s watching your auction, the number of hits and more. A great tool for staying on top of your little money earner.
7. 7. LOTTERY RESULTS GADGET tinyurl.com/69g5ax It may be down to luck, and the odds are enormous, but imagine your chagrin if you had the winning numbers and didn’t have the time to check. This is a highly customizable gadget that includes lotteries from all over the world.

CodenameWindows discovered that Microsoft was recruiting new software engineers for Windows 8. The job listing, originally listed here, now shows that the job is no longer available. However, it revealed that Microsoft sought out new recruits for the planning and preparation of the Windows Update Client for Windows 8.

Just to provide an idea what Microsoft was looking for, the job required five years of industry experience, and a BS or greater in Computer Science or related technical fields. Obviously, the job listing indicates that Microsoft may be gearing up to develop Windows 8 despite version 7 just now hitting store shelves last month. It’s unknown when the job was filled, or if Microsoft will post other Windows 8-related listings.

Keep an eye out for additional Windows 8 nuggets, possibly in the coming weeks as news of the job listing gets passed around the tech sites.

Take control of your life

The new Windows Live Calendar makes it easy to stay organized from any computer

1. SET UP CALENDARS Go to calendar.live.com Two calendars will be created by default: your own calendar, plus a birthday calendar for your Windows Live Mail contacts. To create more, just click the plus icon next to Calendar, fill in the details and click OK.
2. NAVIGATE CALENDAR Switch views by clicking Day, Week or Month – choosing Agenda will let you see all upcoming events between two selected dates. Switch to a different month by clicking the arrow keys by the current month.
3. CREATE EVENT Select a day and click Add to set up an event. Enter the basic details (such as what, where and when) and click OK, or click Add more details to add a reminder or to make it recurring.
4. SHARE YOUR CALENDAR Click the Share button and select Share this calendar. You can share with other Windows Live users with different levels of access, or create a read-only site for public or private consumption. Make your choice and click Save.
5. IMPORT CALENDAR Go to File → Export in Windows Calendar to save your PC-based calendar. Now open Windows Live Calendar, click Subscribe and choose Import from an ICS file to select the file and import it into a new or existing calendar.

Recycle Bin:

When you delete a file Windows temporarily stores it in the Recycle Bin. If you regret deleting any files then you can restore them before they are deleted permanently.

Recent Items:

Your recently-opened files can be accessed from Recent Items, in the Start menu. To empty the list, right-click and select Clear Recent Items List.

RAM:

Random Access Memory is used by your computer to store data. Your computer can access the data kept here much faster than from your hard drive, as it is solid state (as opposed to a spinning disc like your hard drive) and the data can be accessed at any ‘random’ point. If you want to speed up your computer, adding more RAM is both the cheapest and most effective way of doing so.

Quick Launch:

This toolbar sits next to the Start button. It allows you to launch programs and minimize open windows with a single click. Drag on shortcuts to your favourite programs to add them.

Right-click:

Right-clicking in Windows Vista brings up a context-sensitive menu, from which you can perform a number of actions, such as viewing properties or creating a new folder. What is displayed depends on what you clicked on, and what programs you have installed.

Restore Point:

Windows Vista takes snapshots of your system settings as you’re using it, and before any major changes. If you encounter any problems, use the most recent restore point to ‘rewind’, whilst files remain unchanged.

RSS Feeds:

Really Simple Syndication (RSS) feeds help you keep up-to-date with web sites and blogs by sending the content straight to you, without you having to visit the sites yourself. You can use RSS readers such as Internet Explorer 7 to find and subscribe to the RSS feed of a site.

Readyboost:

ReadyBoost is a great feature exclusive to Windows Vista that allows you to use a USB memory stick as a disc cache, which speeds up your PC as it can temporarily store processes and the USB drive rather than your hard drive – it essentially acts as extra RAM. When you insert a compatible device, Windows Vista will ask if you want to use it for ReadyBoost. The device must have at least 256MB of free space.

Remote Assistance:

Remote assistance is a great way of getting help when you’re struggling. It allows a friend to control your PC via the internet or network, so they can troubleshoot without leaving their desk!

]]> http://chip.revivalx.com/2009/10/19/windows-vista-a-to-z-2/feed/ 0 http://chip.revivalx.com/2009/10/17/how-to-recover-more-files/ http://chip.revivalx.com/2009/10/17/how-to-recover-more-files/#comments Sat, 17 Oct 2009 20:32:06 +0000 admin http://chip.revivalx.com/?p=355 Is your PC set up to deliver the best results?

1. DISK CLEANUP Deleted files can be found in the free space on your hard drive. The less space there is, the more quickly they’ll be overwritten, so clean up your system when you can. Uninstall unwanted programs, for instance, and run Disk Cleanup regularly.
2. A BIGGER BIN If you have plenty of space to spare, allocate more to the Recycle Bin (right-click the bin, click Properties). The more space you give it, the longer files will remain there, and the greater the chance that you’ll recover something deleted accidentally.
4. DEFRAG DANGERS Defragmenting your hard drive will improve its performance a little. But it will also overwrite a lot of the free space on your hard drive, destroying many deleted files. Avoid defragging every day – a monthly run will improve data recovery chances.
5. DATA DRIVE For even more security split your hard drive into two partitions, one for Windows and your applications, the other for the data (the How-To-Geek has more at tinyurl.com/28kj52). If there’s disaster then this makes your data much easier to recover.

Set up automated backups

We all know how important it is to back up data, but generally only remember when it’s too late. Let Titan Backup 1.5 save your skin before you make an expensive mistake

Once you’ve got Titan Backup set up, you can leave it to automatically save copies of your files to a safe place at regular intervals, while you just get on with using your PC.

When you first install the program, you’re presented with a screen showing buttons for Try, Buy and a link marked Enter Key. Click here and use this code to unlock the trial software: 000020-ACM8KK-1Y2GMT-JZT492-G3QDZ4-YR27GC-TD91BP-MUUMEX. You’ll then have unlimited use of the program, and you can set up some backups.

When you launch the program, you’re given four options. You can create a backup task, restore data, synchronise data or edit your existing tasks. The annotation shows the main features of a backup task. You need to provide a name for the task and specify the files, folders and settings you want to backup. You then need to give details of the destination.

This could simply be a DVD/CD drive, or you could use an external hard drive or an FTP server online. At this point you can set the kind of backup you want. Option to replace files if space on the destination drive is limited. You can also use incremental backups, which add files that have changed, or differential backups, which delete any data that’s been removed from the source files. You can set backups to run at specified times or to run every time you start or shut down Windows.

Erase online tracks and program activity

Ensure complete computer privacy with Privacy Guardian

Privacy Guardian guarantees your PC privacy by ensuring that all traces of your online and offline activities are permanently erased and, importantly, unrecoverable from your computer.

Normally, information from every web site you visit is stored on your computer and recorded in hidden Windows locations, including temporary files, cookies, the Registry and the index.dat file. Web browsers only provide partial privacy protection by allowing you to delete some temporary internet files and cookies, but they do not delete these things securely, and neither do they clean the data out of all your computer’s hidden files.

Privacy Guardian does all this, and also restores valuable hard drive space and speeds up system performance by cleaning out old and unused temporary records. It enables you to simply and securely erase private and sensitive files from Windows, Microsoft Office, Netscape, Windows Media Player and Internet Explorer.

Erasing all traces of internet activity

Get to grips with Privacy Guardian and keep your PC squeaky clean

1. FIRST RUN To unlock your full copy of Privacy Guardian, you’ll first need to register your details at www.pctools.com/privacy-guardian/free/promo/FUTUURE1008. the next step is running your first computer scan.
2. AREAS TO SCAN Selecting the Clean your Computer button from the menu, you are given a choice of different areas to clean. After the scan is complete, you may be asked to restart your machine.
3. SHRED THOSE FILES Select Shredder from the left-hand menu to permanently delete files. You can either select from any location on your hard drive, or hit the Recycle Bin button to bring up the files located in there.

This month’s disc is aimed at saving you precious hours during your working day. We’ve also included three full programs, the first of which is ConceptDraw MindMap 5. Here we tell you how to get started in mind-mapping.

The idea behind ConceptDraw MindMap is to help you organize and plan idea development. It is designed to work alongside other programs such as Microsoft Office Word and Office PowerPoint for seamless integration with your office set-up. Although it is initially aimed at business development, this program is also perfect for planning weddings, an essay or even a holiday.

The program itself has some very handy features. As with most software, there’s a handy ‘get started’ wizard to point you in the right direction. With any project, an initial ideas session is needed, and the Brainstorming function is very simple to use – just type in the topic and add ideas. Once you’ve got these, you can enter the main interface by clicking Finish Brainstorming. Your mindmap won’t look very special at the moment, so there are few tweaks you’ll need to make. All the entries you added appear as Subtopics, but you may need them to appear as Main topics. Simply highlight the entry you wish to convert, select the Topic menu and then select Topic Outdent. If you wish to add new Main topic, highlight the main idea and press Enter. A new Main topic appears and all you need to do is rename it. And here’s a quick tip: to convert multiple Subtopics, simply shift-click on each one and you will notice they are all highlighted. Then follow the same steps as before,

Once your ideas are complete, you can make the map more coherent by changing the Theme, adding symbols for reference and auto-arranging the map. In the right-hand toolbar you can have different tabs su

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ConceptDraw MINDMAP 5 Pro