As far as I am concerned, at $400, this one’s much too overpriced compared to other tablets that offer far superior features for nearly the same price. The dual core CPU gives you a lot of trouble when you attempt to play a 1080p HD movie on it, and the accuracy of its screen color is not as great as in previous versions of the Samsung Galaxy Tab.

by Mro

The Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 is a wee bit heavier and a bit slimmer than its predecessor, the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1. The Android based table still comes with the same plastic back cover, however, it has seen a change in color – from white to titanium silver.

The galaxy Tab 2 10.1 felt pretty comfortable in my hands, but it felt wider than the previous offering from the makers. Also, when one is looking to type on this device while holding it in one’s hands at the same time, the experience is certainly not cool. Even the edges are quite annoying as it interferes with the bezel.

In the landscape mode, the top edge of the tablet has five features from left to right – the power/sleep button, a volume rocker, a microSD slot which has a capacity of 32 GB, an IR blaster, and a 3.5 mm headphone jack. A couple of 2-inch-long speakers are seated vertically along the left and right perimeters of the bezel while the bottom of the tablet has a dock connector and a microphone pinhole.

The makers have decided to do away with the 2 megapixel front camera and have replaced it with a VGA camera instead. The 3 megapixel camera that was present in the original Galaxy Tab remains on the new device, however, the LED flash is missing, which renders the camera unusable in low light conditions.

In addition to the above, there is no HDMI option on this tablet and you will have to purchase an additional accessory if you want to connect it to your television set.

Software features

The Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 is the second tablet offering from Samsung after the Tab 2 7.0, and will ship with Ice Cream Sandwitch (Android 4.0.3) installed as the OS.

Samsung’s much publicized TouchWiz UX is included on this one and comes with some custom applications from Samsung such as Music Hub, Media Hub, a built in screenshot app, Game Hub, and of course the Mini Apps tray on the bottom of the screen. Tapping the Mini Apps tray brings up a tray of apps which include calendar, calculator, notes, clock, and the music player. The task manager is also included on the Mini Apps tray which is a big bonus as it allows a user to kill apps that are running on the background with a single flick of their fingers.

image source: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Samsung_Galaxy_Tab_10.1_(2).jpg

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The jury has found that Google infringed on nine lines of code of Java named rangeCheck while designing Android. The jury was indecisive about the key question that whether Google’s violation was in line with the principle of fair use. A key area of the case has been the issue of APIs. While Oracle insisted that APIs are copyrighted and Google infringed on 37 Java APIs, Google had been opposing it and maintaining that APIs are tools to create software and can not be copyrighted. Oracle was also interested in forcing Google to obtain a license to use Java, which Google does not want at all due to several reasons. For one, it would give Oracle a reasonable say in future development of Android. Secondly, with this analogy, all smartphone manufacturers using Android as OS will be required to obtain license from Oracle.

Google in its defense had said that Java was a programming language and it was free to use it to create software like anyone can use English language to write books. Google also maintained that Sun Micro Systems, the original creator of Java had, in a blog post, welcomed the decision of Google to use Java as the programming language for Android. In fact, Jonathan Schwartz, former CEO of Oracle testified before court that Oracle did not consider the Java APIs to be copyrighted. He also said that no case could be brought against Google unless it would use Java name for its Android Operating System. The stakes were very high in this case for both the parties. Critics believe that a verdict in favor of Oracle would have rewarded the litigious behavior and hampered innovation.

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iPhone 5 Concept Features

It’s an amazing video with more than 50 million views. It magnificently illustrates the strengths of upcoming CG iPhone 5 which aims to offer advanced features with a sleek design, laser keyboard and holographic display. This video is worth watching in order to see the technology advancements that we can expect to enjoy in coming years.

Microsoft 2020 technology future vision

This YouTube tech video illustrates the future vision of Microsoft 2020 technology i.e. Office 365 in the era of cloud computing. Starting from the office and business management to shopping and several daily activities; Office 365 vision covers a broad range of specs to bring ease for users.

ROLL LAPTOP amazing new Technology 2012

Laptops are on their way out to bring innovation and comfort for humans. The video wonderfully illustrates the concept of Roll Laptop or briefly Roll top. This roll-top can be rolled in the form of a small sway bag, and on opening, it offers a sleek design with lots of novel ideas being implemented.

Humanoid Robot walking Like a Real Human

There are lots of videos about artificial intelligence and robot technology on YouTube. One of the interesting videos shows a humanoid robot performing different tasks just like the way humans normally do.

New technology that will change the world

This video is about a robot referred to as HULC, which is being designed to assist handicapped people. This robot has been expected to work successfully in coming five to ten years, and will allow the joints of the handicapped to function as normal by providing them instructions. The handicapped will be able to walk, run and even perform different actions as per their desire. Moreover, the technology will be of great help for the soldiers in their critical activities.

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by johnnymip

Federal Trade Commission is investigating the proposed Facebook’s Instagram deal. Facebook has struck deal with Instagram to buy it at a price of $1 billion. Financial Times has reported that such scrutinies generally take between six months to one year for their completion. If the scrutiny extends to such duration, then the expected closure of the deal in the second quarter will be at risk. Closing this deal at the earliest is Facebook’s priority and it has also listed this in its IPO filing that it expects the deal to close by end of this quarter. Current antitrust laws in the United States require that such deals of more than $66 million value have to face extended regulators’ scrutiny.

Department of Justice and FTC conduct basic reviews initially to determine whether the deals require further extended scrutiny. Most of the deals get through at this stage. However, the companies may be required to provide additional information if a second request for information is made by these regulatory agencies. Financial Times has reported that Federal Trade Commission is already busy acquiring data from other rivals of social networking giant. Experts are of the view that eventually the deal may be approved but it will face greater scrutiny because of higher price and high standing of both the companies involved in the deal.

One of the primary reasons for this deal is to enable Facebook to deal better with the mobile apps world. Facebook has not been making enough money from advertising on mobile platforms and it wants to correct this situation. In fact, Facebook has listed its inability to make enough money from mobile platforms as a significant challenge. Given this reason, Facebook is trying its level best to improve its mobile strategy by acquiring an already established mobile photo sharing service.

Reuters has also reported that Federal Trade Commission has approached Google and Twitter for their views on the proposed deal. No details have been made available about the nature of queries that FTC put to both the internet giants. Facebook will sincerely hope that the deal closes at the earliest because if the deal does not get through the regulator’s scrutiny, Facebook will be required to pay $200 million to Instagram as termination fees.  This extended review of the deal has come at a time when Facebook is going for its first IPO ( Initial Public Offering ) of $12 billion. This will be a record breaking IPO because of its huge size.

Image at http://www.flickr.com/photos/36946290@N04/6915403022

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Yahoo shares have been in a downward spiral for many years now and this turn of events further casts shadows on the future of Yahoo, which has not been able to sustain the fierce competition from Facebook and Google. Yahoo needs to put an end to the downward slide of share price to restore shareholders’ confidence in the future of the  company as a going concern. Earlier Yahoo had acknowledged that Thompson did not have computer science degree despite the fact that his official autobiography as well as regulatory filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission state that he does have computer science degree. The issue was brought to the limelight by Daniel Loeb of Third Point LLC, who has around 5% stake in Yahoo. It has also been announced by Yahoo that the proxy fight with Third Point LLC has been settled and three of its nominees will now be represented on the Yahoo board.

Yahoo enjoyed dominant position in the early days of the internet but has struggled to keep pace with the changes brought about by mobile computing, social media and personalized advertisements. The biggest issue for Yahoo has been a decline in display advertisement value because Google has revolutionized the online advertisement industry with highly focused and personalized ads. Yahoo Sports, Yahoo News and Yahoo Finance are still very popular web destinations but decline in display advertisement pricing has made monetizing of these assets very difficult. Thompson, during his brief stay at Yahoo, had tried to improve Yahoo fortunes by following a strategy of cost cutting. He was following a plan to terminate services of as many as 2000 Yahoo employees.

Levinsohn, the new CEO of Yahoo holds a Bachelors of Arts in Communications from American University. He is a media veteran who is known as a tough negotiator in the Yahoo circles. He is taking over this position at a very difficult time for Yahoo, especially after the previous CEO’s fake degree issue.

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Ross Levinstone, who is the global media leader for Yahoo took over as the Internet pioneer’s interim chief executive officer replacing the disgraced Scott Thompson in a major shakeup in the firm.

Yahoo announced the changes to its board on Sunday along with another major change as Fred Amoroso became the chairman of the board of directors, who replaces Roy Bostock. The latter resigned from the board along with VJ Joshi, Gary Wilson, Patti Hart, and Arthur Kern, who were believed to back the ex-CEO.

Scot Thompson was forced to resign from his post after Third Point, Loeb’s hedge fund, found out that Thompson had falsely stated in his resume that he had a degree in computer science. The hedge fund in question owns nearly 6 percent of Yahoo! stocks and had launched a deputation battle to get its rebel director on Yahoo’s board. The proxy battle which has now been won by Loeb will see him and two of his allies – Michael Wolf and Harry Wilson – join the company’s board of directors on May 16.

“Harry, Michael, and I are delighted to join the Yahoo Board and work collaboratively with our fellow directors to foster a culture of leadership dedicated to innovation, excellence in corporate governance, and responsiveness to users, advertisers, and partners,” Loeb said in a statement. “We are confident this board will benefit from shareholder representation, and we are committed to working with new leadership to unlock Yahoo!’s significant potential and value.”

This ordeal that Thompson has had to endure reveals the story at Yahoo to a certain extent as the struggle for a stable management continues. In the last few years, unlike its closest competitors, Yahoo has had a string of changes with Jerry Yang, Carol Bartz, and now Scott Thompson holding the position of CEO. If industry insiders are to be believed, there are more changes in the pipeline.

Ten days ago, Yahoo dismissed the possibility of Daniel Loeb being appointed director in its board by claiming that he did not possess the relevant skill and experience to be on the board of directors at Yahoo!

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In its quest to come up with new features to challenge Google, Microsoft has redesigned Bing with focus on social search. This is the biggest change since the launch of Bing three years ago. Bing search results will be shown in three columns now. One column will show the traditional web results. The second column has been named as ‘snapshot’ by Microsoft and will show additional information to enrich certain types of search queries response. As an example, someone looking for a movie name would be able to find additional information like movie trailers and links for buying online tickets to the same movie. This value added information will be shown in the second column.

Of even more significance is the third column of the search page of Bing. This third column will show results from social networks of the searcher like Facebook, Twitter and Google+. Microsoft has also said that eventually it will also showcase results from LinkedIn. Bing will allow searchers to use Bing to post into Facebook to ask for recommendations on a particular search. Bing is being non intrusive here by showing social results in a separate pane. Google came in for hard criticism when it started to give preference to its social results from Google+ recently. All the search engines have been thinking of ways to effectively plug in social search results in the main search results page. This three column strategy of Bing is in line with Google’s premise that users want social results along with the algorithmic results of the search engines. However, the challenge for Google has been to  avoid irrelevant social search results from showing up. The same issue applies to Bing as well. There is no doubt that users want social results but they also want quality results at the same time. Bing will be rolling out these changes over the next few days for all users, and time will tell if Bing can make any significant dent in Google’s dominance with this massive change.

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By Knmsh

Microsoft Windows Azure Cloud Applications are an innovative contribution designed purposely for cloud computing. Cloud computing is the internet supported development and applications. Integrating a film, it robotically deals with the dilemma of load allotment by requesting and distributing resources among data centers founded on volume. Briefly, the entire infrastructure of data centers can sustain applications, accentuate security, and elevated accessibility. This key structural design is built in Active Directory, SQL Server and .Net technology.

Microsoft Windows Azure Cloud Applications are not an operating system. They constitute the basis for distribution services in a cloud. They are built on SharePoint Services, .Net Services, Live Services, SQL Services, and Microsoft Dynamics CRM Services. This permits whichever company to increase services effortlessly.

The strong point of Microsoft Windows Azure Cloud Applications is the method of enlargement services. The programmer can make use of all the languages of .Net platform to come up with a service, together with Visual Basic .Net. Microsoft is attempting to enlarge cloud-computing services for everybody. It is important to note that Microsoft Windows Azure is open to other programming languages and other improvement tools as well.

This Windows platform permits Azure to build services, which vary from easy to complex. It also lets companies to expand on open online applications. Windows Azure Cloud Applications are the initial steps in the development, growth and immigration of client based applications towards web-based services. Furthermore, Windows Azure offers the essential infrastructure to companies aiming for the cloud since cloud computing has slowly been creating a name for itself in the commercial field, offering companies a cost-effective resolution to carrying out business in an Internet-reliant market.

Azure is a flexible cloud-computing platform that allows you to optimize function and deal with uncomplicated and complex business issues. It offers you with information technology services by permitting you to host applications and data storage on the Internet, allowing you to access easily what you require when you require it at a sensible price.

Since this platform gets rid of the need to procure the normal quantity of hardware, you are capable of maximizing your present IT infrastructure. This also permits you to save considerably on expenditure for training, hardware and maintenance. In addition, with Microsoft Windows Azure Cloud Applications, you simply compensate for the services you require, letting you make the most of IT effectiveness.

Having critical services hosted in the cloud lets you to balance your assets in line with your company’s requirements. Such scalability in addition indicates that rapid modifications in your business, for instance recurrent spikes and an abrupt swell in your workload, can easily be lodged.

Through Windows Azure, you can develop output, since it warrants 99.95 percent up time Service Level Agreement (SLA) and has built-in tragedy recovery ability. Additionally, you can set up an application in under a day. These are barely a few of the merits of implementing any MS Windows Azure Cloud Application. A business technology services supplier can assist you for using MS Windows Azure Cloud Application.

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Ending the process means that the application is forcefully closed by either the administrator of a computer or by the user who had initialized the program. Whenever an application is initialized in Windows-based computer, a process that the application uses initializes and runs in the background. If, because of any reason, any application fails to respond or it stops functioning, it becomes mandatory for the users or administrators to terminate the application forcefully. The reason behind this is that if the application stops responding, its interface still remains visible on the computer screen, and its process remains active in the background which consumes processing and memory. Ending the process of the inactive application entirely closes the process, and terminates and removes the interface from the computer screen as well.

Administrative and Non-Administrative and System Processes

In Microsoft Windows 7 operating system, two types of processes are normally active in the background. Applications that use elevated privileges to initialize also initiate the administrative processes that run in the background. These processes cannot be terminated with standard users credentials. In order terminate such processes, elevated credentials must be used.

On the other hand, user specific applications, for example Microsoft Word, VLC Media Player, etc. does not require any elevated privileges to initiate, and therefore the processes that support these applications are considered non-administrative processes, and can be terminated with standard users’ credentials.

Apart from the above two process types, there are a few applications and services that are mandatory for the operating systems to run and without which the operating systems even fail to start. These processes fall under System Processes category and cannot be terminated or ended even with administrative credentials. However there are a few Windows tweaks that people use to logon to Super User account in Windows operating systems which allow them to terminate even the system processes. Using such methods is not at all recommended and if users do so, no one except the users themselves can be held responsible for any mishaps that may occur to the operating systems because of inappropriate configurations.

Ending Processes in Windows 7 Operating System

In order to terminate a process in Microsoft Windows 7, administrators must follow the steps exactly the way they are given below:

1. Log on to Windows 7 computer.
2. Right-click taskbar, and from the context menu click Start Task Manager.
3. On Windows Task Manager box, go to Processes tab.
4. From the list of displayed running processes, click to select the one that has to be ended, and click End Process button.
5. On the opened box, click End process button to confirm.
   
   

   End Processes

6. If desired, reinitialize the application by double-clicking on its shortcut icon or executable file.

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Volume Shadow Copy allows administrators to restore the previous versions of files if their later or latest versions are misplaced or lost because of any reason. Volume Shadow Copy is supposed to be enabled on per volume bases, which means that it must be enabled individually for every volume that the hard disk drive had. In order to enable Volume Shadow Copy on a particular volume, the file system of the volume must be NTFS. Volumes that have FAT 32 file systems do not allow administrators to enable Volume Shadow Copy feature, in fact Shadow Copy tab (in pre-Windows Vista) was not available on the volume properties box in the case of FAT 32 file system.

Administrators were supposed to enable Volume Shadow Copy manually in pre-Windows Vista operating systems. In such operating systems, System Restore and Volume Shadow Copy were different features that must be enabled or used as different entities. However in Microsoft Windows 7 operating system, System Restore and Volume Shadow Copy feature has been merged to form a single feature that can be enabled or disabled with a single click. The flexibility that the feature in Windows 7 operating system offers is that administrators can choose either to enable both System Restore along with Volume Shadow Copy or they want to enable the Volume Shadow Copy only. In Microsoft Windows 7, system restore point feature is by default disabled on all non-system drive volumes. In order to allow those volumes to create system restore points and/or Volume Shadow Copy, administrators must enable the feature manually.

Benefits of Enabling Volume Shadow Copy and/or System Restore Feature

As mentioned above, Windows 7 allows administrators to enable Volume Shadow Copy feature with or without System Restore. One or both features can be enabled depending on the requirements of the users and the sensitivity of the data and operating system that needs to be restored.

When Volume Shadow Copy feature is enabled, data files that users store on that particular volume are automatically backed up and the files can be restored to their previous versions if the latest versions of the files get corrupted. Previous versions of the files can also be saved as separately, in case administrators want to keep both versions of the files.

Enabling System Restore and/or Volume Shadow Copy Feature

Administrators must follow the steps given below to enable System Restore and/or Volume Shadow Copy feature on any volume:

1. Log on to Windows 7 computer with administrator account.
2. Click Start, and from the menu right click Computer.
3. From the context menu, click Properties.
4. On the opened window, from the left bar, click System protection.
5. On the opened System Properties box, make sure that System Protection tab is selected and from the Protection Settings list, click to select the volume for which the features are to be enabled.
6. Once selected, click Configure button.
7. On the opened box, under Restore Settings section click to select Restore system settings and previous versions of files radio button to enable both Volume Shadow Copy and System Restore features. Alternatively, Only restore previous versions of files radio button can be selected to enable Volume Shadow Copy feature only.
   

   Enable Restore Points

8. Under Disk Space Usage section, move the slider from left to right to allocate disk volume space that can be used for shadow copies.
9. Once done, click OK button to save the changes, and back on the previous box click OK button again.

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by Despayre

Now that Google is in the final stages of completing a highly solicited takeover of Motorola, a question certainly sparks. Was this hybrid smartphone that can function like a PC the missing link to computing?

It seems now that Motorola’s home grown software – the Webtop – makes the Atrix work like a PC once it is docked. Webtop launched on the device barely two months after the Consumer Electronics Show in 2011 and had enthusiasts reeling over the technology that was used on the product.

With Google acquiring Motorola Mobility, the array of systems at their disposal gives them an edge over their competitors to rule certain spheres of the tech gadget market for years to come. Google Android is barely a few years old, yet it has given the likes of Apple’s iOS, RIM’s Blackberry OS, as well as the Windows phone OS a run for their money if not beat them hands down.

(Recently, Samsung became the largest selling cell-phone maker world-wide beating Nokia to the Numero Uno status. Clearly, the meteoric rise of Samsung handsets in the age of Android OS is no secret and the company continues to strive in this field with the launch of some wonderful smartphones in its Galaxy range)

The popularity of Android in mobile computing is second to none at the present time and with Webtop on the anvil, it could just be the one thing that catapults Google to a whole new level. What started off as the product of a brainstorming session involving Google and Motorola employees can soon become the major weapon that may just decide which company dominates the arena of computing platforms in the next few years.

The idea of making the smartphone work like a computer has been there for more than a couple of decades really with former Apple CEO, the late Steve Jobs ushering in the Post-PC era in 2011 with the launch of the iPad. It is now a reality.

The times ahead are exciting in terms of the fates of these tech giants and only time will tell who comes out on top.

image source: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:MB860_-_Motorola_Atrix_4G.jpg

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Restoring a computer system is a vast topic that may include restoring the operating system from the backup, restoring from automatically created a system restore points, restoring from manually created system restore points, restoring the entire hard disk drive (including system drive) using any third-party application, etc.

In order to restore the operating system from any of the above mentioned processes, the backups of the systems must be created using their respective applications or methods. For example, if administrators want to restore their operating systems using any third-party application, they must create the backup of the OS using that application only. A good example in such situation can be the backup taken using Acronis True Image application that creates a backup file that has .TIB extension. This backup file can be restored only using Acronis True Image bootable media or the application itself.

When System Restore Is Required

System restore can be required if Windows 7 users or administrators experience some flaws and inefficiencies while using the operating system. A system restore might also be required if the operating system starts behaving obnoxiously. Another reason to restore the operating system from the backup or system restore points can be when the administrators or users experience reduced speed of the OS.

In either case, it is important that administrators must take utmost care while taking backups or creating system restore points in order to make the restoration process successful. Backups can only be helpful if they can be restored easily and conveniently.

Restoring a Windows 7 Computer from a System Restore Point

When an administrator restores a Windows 7 computer from system restore point, no personal data is lost whatsoever. The process of restoring the system from a system restore point only rollbacks configurations of the operating systems to their previous states.

In order to restore a Windows 7 computer from any previously, automatically or manually, created restore point, administrators must follow the steps given below:

1. Log on to Windows 7 computer using administrator account.
2. Click Start, and from the menu right-click Computer.
3. From the context menu, click Properties.
4. On the opened window, from the left bar, click System protection.
5. On the opened System Properties box, make sure that System Protection tab is selected.
6. Under System Restore section, click System Restore button.
7. On the opened System files and settings window, click to select Choose a different restore point radio button and click Next. Alternatively, Recommended restore radio button can be left selected in order to restore the operating system from the restore point suggested by the Windows.
8. On the opened box, from the displayed list of restore points, click to select the one to which the computer has to be restored and click Next.
   

   Restore Computer from Restore Point

9. On Confirm your restore point window click Finish button to start the restoration process.

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System restore points are the snapshots of system settings that are, by default, automatically created after a specific time interval. With the help of system restore points administrators can roll back the system settings to the previous states at which the system worked flawlessly.

System restore points are also automatically created whenever administrators install a new hardware device driver for a software application. System restore points are also created after the successful installation of the applications. This creation of system restore points is the default configuration in Windows 7 operating system that prevents the operating system from getting unavailable permanently if something goes wrong with the installation. Administrators of a Windows 7 computer can also create restore points manually.

Benefits of Creating System Restore Points Manually

As mentioned above, Windows 7 automatically creates restore points after it installs device drivers or software applications, however there might be times, when administrators may want to create restore points manually before they make any modifications in the configurations of the operating systems. The benefit of creating restore points in these situations is that if something goes wrong after the modifications have been made to the OS, the operating systems can be restored to their previous states, hence eliminating the requirement of reinstalling Windows 7 right from the scratch.

Another benefit of creating a system restore point manually is that the system restore point creation wizard allows administrators to name the restore points to make them identifiable. Restore points that are automatically created by the operating systems use the OS standard naming conventions that include the date and time of the creation of the restore points as well.

Creating Restore Point in Windows 7

In order to create system restore points in Microsoft Windows 7, the account that holds administrative privileges must be used. Administrators must follow the steps given below to create system restore points manually:

1. Log on to Microsoft Windows 7 computer with admin account.
2. Click Start, and from the menu right-click Computer.
3. From the context menu, click Properties.
4. On the opened window, from the left bar, click to select System protection.
5. On the opened System Properties box, make sure that System Protection tab is selected, and under Protection Settings list click to select C: (System) volume. Any other drive can also be selected, in case administrators wish to create restore points for those drives.
6. Once selected, click Create button.
7. On the opened Create a restore point box, in the available field, type the name of the restore point and click Create.
   

   Create Restore Point

8. On the appeared information box, click Close button and back on System Properties box click OK.

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Running an application as administrator means that the application must use administrative privileges while executing. Sometimes, it becomes important to run an application as administrator in order to make some administrative modifications and perform elevated tasks in the operating system.

In earlier versions of Microsoft Windows operating systems, such as Windows XP, a service named Secondary Logon allowed users to specify administrative credentials using which they wanted to initialize the applications. In Windows XP, users did that by right-clicking the executable application and selecting ‘Run as’ option from the context menu. With the release of Windows Vista, Microsoft added a new feature named User Account Control which helped users a great deal by eliminating the requirement of right-clicking the application and selecting ‘Run as’ from the context menu. With the help of User Account Control, when any application that requires elevated privileges, the operating system automatically prompts users for administrative consent or credentials.

Benefits of Running Some Applications Always As Administrator

As mentioned above, in Microsoft Windows Vista and above operating systems, any application that requires elevated privileges to initialize, automatically displays the User Account Control box to the users so that they can confirm its initialization using elevated privileges. However, there might be times when users might still want to run some applications using administrative privileges, even though the applications themselves do not require them. In such cases, administrators can either right-click the application and select ‘Run as administrator’ option from the context menu every time they want to initialize the application, or they can configure the application so that whenever they double-click the icon of the application, it automatically displays User Account Control box to use elevated privileges to initialize.

Configuring Applications to Run As Administrator

In order to configure the application so it can initialize using elevated credentials every time its icon is double-clicked, administrators must follow the steps given as below:

1. Log on to Windows 7 computer.
2. Right-click the shortcut icon of the application that has to be configured to always use elevated privileges when initialized, and from the context menu click Properties.
3. On the opened properties box, make sure that Shortcut tab is selected, and click Advanced button.
4. On Advanced Properties box, check Run as administrator checkbox and click OK button.
   

   Always Run Applications as Administrator

5. Back on properties box, click Apply button and on the appeared Access Denied box, click Continue.
6. Finally, close properties box and double-click the shortcut icon of the application to view the User Account Control confirmation box before the application gets initialized.

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Alright then, above being said I guess it’s time to get started with the real deal! Like nuts and bolts of every single machine in this world, the desktop too has some essentials which it cannot do without. These are the quintessential parts required to run the PC. They are:

1. Monitor
2. Motherboard
3. RAM (Random Access Memory)
4. CPU (Central Processing Unit: the brain of your desktop)
5. HDD (Hard Disk Drive: to store all your data)
6. PSU ( Power Supply Unit: power supply to all parts of your computer)
7. GPU (Graphics Processing Unit: for gamers)
8. Cabinet (The case which holds all the parts)
9. Mouse/keyboard (I don’t think you need any explanation for these )

Now, since there is no way for me to know the exact budget that everyone reading this article has, as stated above I shall divide the 8 stated components into basic, performance and high-end. Which one to choose thereon, well that depends on you. But be assured that you will not be disappointed whatever option you select. Just keep in mind to select only those which fall in your category. For example, if you are planning on building a basic PC, then choose all components from the basic category and like wise.

MONITOR

[BASIC]  

Now since you are planning on using this desktop mostly for office purposes or for light office tasks downloading and rarely watching movies, I suggest you restrict yourself to buying a monitor no more than 19 or 20 inches as bigger screens will only take up more of your much-needed desk space. No point shelling out more money for screen size that you really don’t require. The best LCD screens are manufactured by (in no particular order) Samsung, Dell, BenQ and Viewsonic.

[PERFORMANCE]

People in this category are more into multimedia and casual to medium gaming. So mostly the PC is going to be used for watching HD movies as well as playing some good game titles in medium configuration (AA 4x , AF 4x). Consider buying a LCD of no more than 22” to 24”, otherwise the graphics installed in your system will not be able to cope up the high definitions needed to run games and movies smoothly, unless you shell out a bit more green on your GPU.

[HIGH END]

This section is obviously for the people who want to make absolutely no compromises when it come to entertainment, multimedia and power of processing. Well, if you are one of those who are looking in this category, then I suggest you pick up a 24” to 27” of the brands stated in the basic section.

MOTHERBOARD

The motherboard is the spinal cord of your desktop. Almost every component that you buy gets plugged into it. So it is mandatory that a motherboard should be chosen wisely so that next time you decide to change some components, the motherboard has support for the new technology. Also keep in mind that the motherboard chipsets support only one of the 2 CPU’s, either INTEL or AMD. So be sure of which platform you want to go with. INTEL gives you an overall performance while being a bit expensive to its counterpart, whereas AMD performs in the gaming and multimedia section and also has a value for money.

[BASIC]

For the basic section, I assume that you will not be ever using the power of 2 graphic cards plugged in, so there is absolutely no use getting a motherboard with 2 PCI-ex slots or over clocking abilities, so one of the following should more than suffice for you build:

For AMD

• Gigabyte GA-78LMT-S2P
• Gigabyte GA-A55M-S2H

For INTEL

• GIGABYTE GA-H61M-D2-B3

[PERFORMANCE]

For AMD

• ASUS M5A97

For INTEL

• INTEL DH67CL B3

[HIGH END]

Now when It comes to high-end PC’s, it is widely advised that you get yourself only a INTEL processor, as money is no bar and it is a well-known fact that they are the true performance beasts. Now when you are going for a INTEL processor you have to get an INTEL based motherboard as well (this has already been stated). So go ahead and pick up one of the following:

• Gigabyte GA-Z68P-DS3
• Gigabyte GA-Z68XP-UD3R

RAM (RANDON ACCESS MEMORY)

[BASIC]

• G-skill F3-10666CL9S-2GBNK
• G-skill Ripjaws X F3-10666CL9S-2GBXL

[PERFORMANCE]

• G-skill Ripjaws X F3-12800CL9S-4GBXL
• G-skill F3-10600CL9S-4GBNT(4Gx1)
• G-skill Ripjaws X F3-12800CL9S-4GBXL

[HIGH END]

• G-skill Ripjaws X F3-12800CL9S-4GBXL
• G-skill Ripjaws X F3-12800CL9D-8GBXL

CPU (CENTRAL PROCESSING UNIT)

You get to choose from one of the 2 platforms, either AMD or INTEL. High end enthusiasts are advised to stick to INTEL whereas performance people are advised to go with AMD.

[BASIC]

• AMD Athlon II x2 245
• AMD A6-3500
• INTEL Pentium G620

[PERFORMANCE]

• AMD Phenom II X4 955/965/970 BE
• AMD Phenom II x6 1090T
• INTEL Core i5 2400

[HIGH END]

• INTEL Core i5 2500k
• INTEL Core i7 3500k

HDD (HARD DISK DRIVE)

Buying a hard disk is the sole decision of the user. Be it a basic, performance or a high-end user, it is not really possible to predict how much storage space anyone would require. I could obviously just say 250GB for basic, 500GB for performance and 1TB for performance. But that would be naïve. So I leave this decision up to you. Just be sure to buy it from one of the following brands as they have the best reputation.

• Segate
• Western Digital

PSU (POWER SUPPLY UNIT)

The Power Supply Unit or the PSU is responsible for providing clean and dependable power to all the components of the system as long as it is running. Hence, it is very important that you buy a good PSU in order to have a long life of the desktop.

[BASIC]

• FSP Saga II 500W

[PERFORMANCE]

• Corsair GS600

[HIGH END]

• SeaSonic SS-850AT

GPU (GRAPHICS PROCESSING UNIT)

As the name suggests, the GPU is responsible for all the graphics which are produced by high intensity applications like in games and while running high def movies. Now the basic models do not really need a dedicated GPU as the onboard GPU of the motherboard is capable of handling all the office work. Only the performance and high-end systems require a dedicated graphic card.

[PERFORMANCE]

• MSI R6850 Cyclone PE/OC
• SAPPHIRE HD 6870 1GB
• Asus ENGTX560 Ti DCII/2DI/1GD5

[HIGH END]

• Sapphire HD 6950 Dirt3 Edition 2GB
• AMD Radeon HD7970

CABINET

It might seem to a beginner as though the role of a cabinet is miniscule and any cabinet is fit to do the job; it’s a misconception. You see a good cabinet provides good cable management methods, efficient air flow to keep the system cool and also quality ports on the front end. So do not neglect buying a good case.

[BASIC]

• NZXT Source 210 Elite

[PERFORMANCE]

• Cooler Master 690 II Advanced (USB 3.0 version)

[HIGH END]

• Same as the performance model.

Note: You can also choose other cabinets in high performance, if you are willing to shell out more cash.

KEYBOARD AND MOUSE

[BASIC]

• Logitech MK200

[PERFORMANCE]

• Logitech Media Keyboard K200 and Logitech G300.

[HIGH END]

• Microsoft Sidewinder X4 and Razer DeathAdder Black.

Well, that concludes the guide. I’m sure that by the end of your shopping spree, you shall end up with a fantastic desktop which is all ready to fill your needs. Just remember to follow the guide in the order of your class. That is if you want to build an office rig, always go for the basic section; if you want multimedia and gaming, go for the performance section; and for those who believe in nothing less than perfection, always choose the high-end section.

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Windows Firewall is a built-in tool that restricts or permits incoming and outgoing traffic as per the rules specified by the administrators. Windows Firewall can be considered like a gatekeeper of a secured building that has a list of people who are permitted or restricted to enter the premises.

When Windows 7 operating system is installed, by default Windows Firewall is enabled which, as its default nature, restricts all incoming traffic from the Internet or the local area network, and allows all outgoing traffic from the local computer to the outside world. When administrators install applications, Windows Firewall automatically creates new firewall rules that allow the applications to communicate with a local area network or the Internet.

Types of Firewalls

There are as two types of firewalls available in the market that home users or administrators in any IT oriented organization can purchase according to their requirements. The two categories are:

• Software Firewalls: These firewalls are small applications that can either be downloaded from the Internet or their installation media can be purchased from any local computer shop. Since these applications require no additional hardware they are quite cost effective but they consume additional memory and processor. Software firewalls can further be divided into Windows Firewall and third-party firewalls. An example of Windows Firewall can be the built-in firewall in Microsoft Windows 7, whereas ZoneAlarm is a good example of a third-party firewall application. Moreover, nowadays almost all antivirus programs ship along with a built-in firewall feature.
• Hardware Firewalls: These firewalls are dedicated hardware devices that can be purchased from their respective vendors. ASA and PIX Firewalls are good examples of hardware firewalls from Cisco. Since hardware firewalls are specifically developed and designed for the purpose, they are considered far more effective and efficient as compared to software firewalls, however they are not as cost-effective as the software firewalls are.

Enabling or Disabling Windows Firewall

Although it is not at all recommended that Windows Firewall should be disabled, however if administrators have installed any third-party firewall program, they can disable Windows built-in firewall, as the third-party application can be considered more effective as compared to Windows Firewall. In order to disable Windows Firewall, administrators must follow the steps given as below:

1. Log on to Windows 7 computer with admin account.
2. Click Start, and from the menu, click Control Panel.
3. On the opened window, click System and Security and on the next window, click Windows Firewall.
4. On the opened window, from the left bar, click Turn Windows Firewall on or off.
5. On Customize settings for each type of network window, under Home or work (private) network location settings click to select Turn off Windows Firewall (not recommended) radio button to disable the firewall.
6. Under Public network location settings, click to select Turn off Windows Firewall (not recommended) radio button to disable the firewall for public networks as well.
   

   Turn Off Windows Firewall

7. Once done, click OK button to save the changes, and if required restart the computer to allow the changes to take effect.

Note: It is strictly NOT recommended to disable Windows Firewall in any situation, and if users do so, they themselves will be responsible for the consequences that may occur.

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In earlier versions of Microsoft Windows operating systems, such as Microsoft Windows XP, etc. if administrators wanted to extend partition size, they were supposed to delete the target volume and then re-create it specifying the increased partition size. In such operating systems, administrators were allowed to extend the partitions only if they have converted their hard disk drives from basic to dynamic type. Dynamic type hard disk drives allowed administrators to extend partition size without deleting them. Moreover, dynamic type hard disk drives also allowed administrators to use unallocated space from other hard disk drives, in case the hard disk on which they planned to extend partition did not have sufficient amount of unallocated space. Dynamic disk types also allowed administrators to configure Redundant Array of Independent Disks or RAIDs, which is mostly used in production environments.

In Microsoft Windows Vista and above operating systems, including Microsoft Windows 7, administrators can now extend volume size without deleting the partition even if the hard disk drive is of basic type. This configuration made these operating systems quite user friendly and most demanded by the users.

Points to Remember before Extending Volume Size

In Microsoft Windows 7, if administrators want to extend volume size, they must ensure that the hard disk drive has some unallocated disk space from where the space will be borrowed by Windows to extend the volume. To allow the computer to work efficiently and perform well, administrators should always avoid extending or modifying the system drive, which in most cases is C:.

Apart from extending volume size, in Microsoft Windows 7 administrators can also shrink the volumes by decreasing the volume size. When administrators shrink the volumes, the freed up space becomes unallocated and therefore it can be used to extend other volumes or partitions if required.

Extending the Volumes in Microsoft Windows 7

In order to extend volume size in Microsoft Windows 7 operating system, administrators must follow the steps given as below:

1. Log on to Microsoft Windows 7 computer with administrator account.
2. Click Start, and from the menu right-click Computer.
3. From the context menu, click Manage.
4. On the opened Computer Management snap-in (snap-in is console that contains some advanced configuration tools, not found in Control Panel or at other locations), expand Storage category from the left pane.
5. From the expanded tree, click to select Disk Management.
6. From the right pane right-click on the volume which has to be extended in size, and from the context menu click Extend volume.
7. On Welcome to the Extend Volume Wizard window click Next.
8. On Select Disks window, make sure that the disk from where unallocated space has to be taken is in the right column, i.e. under Selected list.
9. In Select the amount of space in MB field, specify the additional size that has to be added to the partition to extend. (Note: Make sure that the amount specified in this field is be less than or equal to the total amount of unallocated space available in the selected hard disk drives).
   

   Extend Volumes

10. Once done, click Next.
11. On Completing the Extend Volume Wizard window click Finish button to start the process.

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Stereo mix is a feature in Microsoft Windows operating systems that allow users to integrate internal system audio with the external voices so that they can be heard simultaneously. When users log onto any chat messenger that also allows them to enjoy voice chats, stereo mix feature, when enabled, allows them to play music in the background and still initiate voice chat. The benefit of enabling stereo mix feature is that users can allow the other parties to hear the music that is played on the local computers.

In Microsoft Windows XP and earlier operating systems, it was easier to enable stereo mix feature as it was available under volume controls section. With the release of Microsoft Windows Vista and in Microsoft Windows 7 operating systems, Microsoft has disabled stereo mix feature as its default configuration, and in volume controls all the disabled audio devices are set to remain invisible from the users. In order to enable stereo mix in Windows 7, users must first make the disabled devices visible and then they must enable the stereo mix feature.

Challenges While Enabling Stereo Mix and Microsoft Windows 7

As mentioned above, it was simpler to enable stereo mix in Microsoft Windows XP, whereas with the release of Microsoft Windows Vista and Windows 7 operating systems, a few additional steps are involved in order to enable the feature. Apart from the additional steps, the computer on which Microsoft Windows 7 has been installed and stereo mix feature has been enabled, the computer must have supported audio hardware in order to make stereo mix feature function. Since it is very unlikely that users would go for a dedicated audio device just for stereo mixing purpose, there are several third-party applications that allow users to perform the same task. Virtual Audio Cable (VAC)  is an example for such stereo mixing application that can be downloaded from the Internet.

Enabling Stereo Mix in Microsoft Windows 7

Although, using third-party application for stereo mixing in Microsoft Windows 7 proves to be a simpler solution, if users want to go for Windows built-in stereo mix feature, they must follow the steps given below:

1. Log on to Windows 7 computer.
2. Right-click the sound icon present in the system tray, at the bottom right corner of the screen, and from the available menu, click Recording devices.
3. On Sound box right-click anywhere in the middle and from the menu click to select Show Disabled Devices to make Stereo Mix icon visible.
4. Right-click on Stereo Mix icon, and from the menu click Enable.
   

   Enable Sterio Mix

5. Finally click OK button to save the changes.

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By Winamp

Winamp is another form of media player which has its own unique features that can be more beneficial compared to all the other existing media players.

One of these is the multiplicity of its format. Winamp can be customized with great flexibility. Over a hundred bitmap files as skins of Winamp program are available online. They represent certain moods that may encourage Winamp users to try some depending on the aura of their current situation. Specific yet universal motifs are showcased that can engage a larger scope of audience. Winamp provides full flexibility of user interface so that users can arrange it as they want. It is also up to them to decide what media files will have to go in one folder and what will have to be trashed.

Winamp is also popular for having a variety of plug-ins, which is generally almost all-embracing. There is the availability of some forms of plug-ins particularly made to open specific formats of audio files. Built-in special sound effects can be added to the selected audio files. Some sounds that activate graphics are also part of the special features included in Winamp. Portable device support extends the enjoyment of music; they can be welcomed by avid users who often get out of their houses. In this term, to mention a few, Winamp includes iPod, Jukebox, generic USB players and more.

Another engaging feature of Winamp is its capability to download and playback audio files from the public domain. There is somehow no need of other downloading applications because this media player itself has its own already. It is simply regarded as browsing the World Wide Web for audios and the sites that may have caught the attention of its user can bookmark them. These sites are then part of the favorites of the Winamp user. The fun part here is that the user can share the playlist as the nature of bookmarking suggests. One Winamp user can recommend the bookmark file that are available in the sites bookmarked to another Winamp user. As this is act of sharing is continually done, a network is likely to be created.

Among all the special features of Winamp, this can be deemed to be the most interactive one that makes other programmers and computer technician regard Winamp as a shareware. There is no doubt about this as can be seen in its bookmarking feature.

As a whole, Winamp can generally be seen as software for all purposes. Its users can broaden their imaginations in personalizing all the possible features available. Not to mention that there are also a media library and an alarm clock plug-ins included in this application. Users then can get to time their moments using Winamp.

Image Source: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Winamp_Interface.png

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A bad sector in a hard disk drive is the unusable space on which data cannot be written; and if the data already exists, it cannot be read. Bad sectors in hard disk drive normally occur because of improper computer shutdown, which forces the platters of the hard disk drive stop abruptly, hence making them vulnerable to the scratches that may occur because of the friction of the read/write heads on them. Although there are rumors that bad sectors can easily be removed, the fact is that bad sectors can never be removed whatsoever. The third-party applications that are available in the market can only prevent the operating systems from scanning and reading the unreadable (bad sectored) areas of hard disk drives. Microsoft Windows 7, on the other hand, offers a built-in tool to recover the bad sectors. The built-in tool integrated in Microsoft Windows 7 does not repair the bad sectors of the hard disks, but it allows the operating system to recover the data that is stored in the bad sectors and is unreadable under normal situations. Administrators of a Windows 7 computer can retrieve data from the bad sectors by following the steps given below:

1. Log on to Windows 7 computer with administrator account.
2. Click Start, and from the menu click Computer.
3. On the opened window, right click on the partition (volume) from where the data has to be recovered, and from the context menu click Properties.
4. On the opened properties box, go to Tools tab and click Check now button under Error-checking section.
5. On the opened box, check Scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors checkbox and click Start.
   

   Recover Data from Bad Sectors

6. On the appeared box, click Schedule disk check to schedule scanning and fixing process at the next time the system starts. (This only happens when the target drive is system drive, i.e. C: in most cases).

Compress Volumes to Save Hard Disk Drive Space

Although there are several third-party compression tools available in the market, Microsoft Windows 7 also provides a built-in file and folder compression feature that allows users to store files in zipped folder. A zipped folder is a container that stores several files and folders in it and compresses them before storing. Although this container is known as a zipped folder, technically it is a file that has .ZIP extension.

Apart from saving files and folders in a zipped container, Microsoft Windows also offers compression feature which allows administrators and users of the operating system to enable compression on per volume or files and folders basis. When this compression tool is used to compress objects, the color of the text of labels turns from black to blue. Because of the blue color, users can identify that that contents of the container are compressed. In order to enable compression, administrators and users must follow the steps given below:

1. Log on to Windows 7 computer.
2. Click Start, and from the menu click Computer.
3. On the opened window, right click on the volume (partition) which has to be compressed, and from the context menu click Properties.
4. On the opened properties box, make sure that General tab is selected, and check Compress the drive to save disk space checkbox.
5. Once checked, click OK button and on Confirm Attribute Changes box, ensure that Apply changes to the drive <drive letter> subfolders and files radio button is selected.
   

   Compress Files

6. Click OK button when done.

Note: Enabling compression on the volumes may decrease the read/write speed. However, the decreased speed is negligible and is almost transparent to the users.

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