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Master The Taskbar And Start Menu

Windows Tips And Tricks

In Windows 7, the Start menu and the taskbar have become both easier to use and more sophisticated. However, they also offer a slew of additional capabilities and customization options that aren’t obvious when you first look at them. I’ll first walk through the plethora of options for each, and then dive into how to use them more effectively.

The Start Menu
The Start menu is so named because that’s where you go to start applications, restart or shut down Windows, and perform other basic application management chores. When you start up a new system, or perform a clean install of Windows, this is the Start menu you see.

Lots of people happily use the Start menu in this state, which is very XP-like. Unlike XP, though, the applications are sorted alphabetically. This tends to give recent XP converts heartburn, but you can change this behavior when you customize the Start menu. My personal preference is alphabetical sort, which you could do in XP by context clicking on the All Programs section and sorting.

The picture above is my Start menu, as I use it.

The first thing you’ll notice is the size--more programs are visible on the basic Start menu, without having to go to the dreaded "All Programs" section. Also notice that Downloads, Games, and Computer are pop-out menus. I use those particular folders frequently, so I find that using them as pop-outs on the Start menu is preferable to launching the actual Window, then clicking something else.

Now let's customize the Start menu. If you context-click (right-click) on the Start menu button, one of the two options is Properties. Click on that option, and the following window appears. (The other option merely opens Windows Explorer.)

You'll see a pair of settings here that you should enable: (1) Store and display recently opened programs in the Start menu, and (2) Store and display recently opened items in the Start menu and taskbar. These are put under "Privacy" because you may not want them enabled for a shared system, but for most users, turning these options on (if they're not already on by default) is a no-brainer.

Now click the Customize button.

You’ll see a fixed-size window (you can’t make it bigger), with a lot of different options. Here’s a summary of the changes I made to my own Start menu. I’m only going to list those changes, not what I kept at default settings.

- Number of recent programs / recent items to display (under "Start menu size"). The default is 10; I set it to 20, since I have a large display. If you’re running on a relatively low-resolution monitor (like a laptop), you may want to keep the number at 10.

- Computer. I enabled "Display as a menu." The various drives and top folders appear on a fly-out menu. Saves a click.

- Downloads. The default is "Don’t display," but I like it as a link, which lets me get to the Downloads folder with one click.

- Games. I display this in the Start menu as a fly-out menu. That’s a much quicker way to launch games that are in the Windows games folder.

- Network. I don’t often access this folder, but when I do, I want to get to it quickly, so enabling it as a link is fine.

- Recent Items. I turned this on, but it's one of those items you may want leave disabled on a shared system. On the other hand, it’s very handy to have quick access to recent files, without needing to find the Jump List for the individual application that may be associated with the files.

- Run command. This avoids having to type "Run" in the search box.

- System administrative tools. By default, this display option is turned off. I like having access to system management tools. It has some useful stuff that’s hard to find, so enabling this tools display is often helpful when you need to troubleshoot a problem.

Note that I leave "Sort All Programs menu by name" enabled (that’s the default.) If you uncheck it, the Start menu will sort programs by most recently installed. (If you change it after you’ve installed a bunch of apps, it will remain sorted alphabetically for a time, until you install more apps.) What you won’t get is the old Windows XP behavior, where you could manually reorder the icons in the Start menu. Some users may not like this.

If you’re so inclined, you can change many more settings by running the Windows 7 Group Policy Editor, but be cautious when using the policy editor.

Start Menu Shortcuts and Tips
Now that you’ve customized the Start menu to your preferences, it’s time to look at some additional shortcuts and tips on using the Start menu.

If you have a lot of programs installed, consider using the keyboard instead of hunting for them in the All Programs window. All you have to do is hold down the Windows logo key and the R key at the same time. This brings up the run box. If you type the name of the program, it will run. However, this assumes you know the exact name of the application. For example, if you want to run Word, you have to type "winword.exe". What, you didn’t know the actual Word program name is winword.exe?

If you know part of the name, but not the whole name, use the Start menu search function. Press the Windows logo key and just start typing "wor". If you wait just a moment for the search function to do its job, you’ll see quite a list.

Here, your version of Word appears as the top choice. But a variety of other apps, shortcuts, and document names have popped up as well, so you can click on whichever of those you want. On the other hand, when I hit the Enter key after typing "wor" (minus the quote marks, of course), then the top item in the list is opened--in this case, Microsoft Word. Simple and efficient.

Note that you will have to type more characters than you think you need on occasion. If you type "ex," then hit enter you’ll likely run Internet Explorer. If your intent was to run Excel, you’ll need to type "exc" at a minimum.

Now it’s time to move on to the Windows taskbar.

Customizing the Windows Taskbar
The Windows Taskbar has evolved from being a simple indicator of open applications to a much more active user interface entity in its own right. The key features of the taskbar, as you probably have discovered, are Jump Lists and Aero Peek. However, before examining taskbar features, it’s worth spending some time customizing the taskbar. Like the Start menu, the taskbar can be configured to behave more to your liking.

First, let’s take a look at my taskbar. This is actually relatively uncluttered for me--I often have many more windows and apps open.

Right-click on any empty space in the taskbar and click Properties. The taskbar and Start menu properties sheet will pop up, with the taskbar tab active.

This is the default setting--taskbar locked, at the bottom of the window and Aero Peek enabled. I strongly suggest you leave Aero Peek turned on--it’s one of the most useful features of the Windows 7 taskbar. When it comes to the way you view icons, applications and files in the taskbar, though, it's mostly up to your personal preference.

The default is to have just unlabeled icons. If you run more than one instance, or have multiple documents open in a particular app, you’ll see a layered icon. You will never see more than three layers, though. So you won’t know if you’ve got more than three docs open or three instances of a particular app running. You also won’t know the names of the documents without hovering over the icons.

If this bugs you, you can change the taskbar buttons to Combine when taskbar is full in the Taskbar button pulldown. Windows will combine certain sets of objects when the taskbar fills up. Note that what's visible in the taskbar may vary, depending on what types of documents or folders you open, and the number of each type.

If you choose never combine, what’s visible in the taskbar becomes smaller and smaller, until they’re very small icons.

Other options on the primary properties page include "Lock the taskbar" (default is the bottom of the screen), "Auto-hide the taskbar" (useful on laptops or other screens relatively light on pixel real estate) and "Use small icons" (also useful on smaller screens.)

If you click on Customize, you’ll get a screen that allows you to alter the behavior of taskbar and notification icons. The notification area (the tiny up arrow on the right side of the taskbar) is where all the old tray apps that load on startup live now. You can, if you want, enable them all to be visible in the tray, so you can have that really cluttered, Windows XP look. I tend to have most of them set to notification only.

Taskbar tips and tricks
Pinning: Pinning a program to the taskbar is easy--just drag the icon to the taskbar. Note that you can’t pin a folder to the taskbar--but then, you never could. In the olden days, you could pin a folder to the Quick Launch bar, which wasn’t the same thing as the taskbar. If you really, really want to pin folders to the taskbar, you can find hacks out in the wild. One way is documented on Sevenforums. But I’ve found Jump Lists to be much more useful.

The magic of middle-click: The middle button on your mouse has two key functions when using the taskbar. Middle-clicking on a taskbar icon will launch a new instance of an application. This is very handy in apps like Excel, which will default to one instance with multiple pages when you open a second or subsequent Excel document. Of course, some apps, like Skype, won’t let you open a second instance, but I often use this for Excel, or to simply open a new instance of another app.

Middle-clicking has another function, too. If you hover over an icon, and multiple document pages are shown, middle-clicking on one of them will close that document. I often use this to close excess open file folders.

Keyboard magic: Keyboard shortcuts are a big productivity booster for some users. While I find myself not using them much these days, other people love them. Paul Thurrott’s Windows site has a comprehensive list of taskbar keyboard shortcuts.

Context-clicking magic: Remember the right mouse button! Right-clicking on the taskbar opens up a host of interesting options. You can activate a number of different toolbars, including some that are added by applications. The Zune toolbar, for example, puts a miniature control app on the taskbar when you’re running the Zune app. You can also start the Task Manager, making it easier to access than the old control-alt-delete three-fingered salute. You can close all the windows, which is the same as clicking the tiny box at the extreme right of the taskbar, but slightly easier for me to access. And you can alter window behavior (cascading, side-by-side, and so on). Finally, you can unlock the taskbar, which allows you to make it bigger, or move it somewhere else, if you prefer.

The Windows 7 Start menu and taskbar are powerful user interface tools that allow you to efficiently access applications and offer a host of nifty features and shortcuts. Spend a little time customizing and learning the ins and outs of both, and you'll become a more efficient and productive Windows user.

Nokia 700, 701 Shipping to India Soon

After taking a look at the Symbian Belle operating system last week we were pleasantly pleased to hear that Nokia’s two mainstream Symbian Belle touchscreen devices 700 and 701 will be retailing sooner in India. A Nokia India public relations official stated that both the devices might release tentatively by the end of September, which is earlier than the October release.

Both these devices run Symbian’s latest operating system ‘Belle’. The 700 features a 1 GHz processor and the body is entirely made of recycled plastic. It also has a 3.2 inch ClearBack Amoled display with Gorilla Glass.

The 701 has a bigger 3.5 inch In Plane Switching (IPS) LCD display with ClearBack technology and Gorilla glass. The 701’s new graphics processor supposedly has four times the graphics memory in comparison to older Symbian handsets.

The final release dates and prices are yet to be announced but we expect the Nokia 700 to be priced around Rs 17,000 and the 701 around Rs 19,000.

First Look at Symbian Belle

Symbian Belle hands-on

It is easy to write off Symbian when you look at videos of N9 running Meego or even the WP7 based Nokia phones which are expected to ship next year. Little did I know Symbian had something big in the works in the form of 'Belle'? The moment we realised the Symbian Belle leaked software for Nokia N8 was doing the rounds of various forums on the internet we had to try it.
So here is the first look of the improved User Interface (UI) of Symbian Belle on PCWorld India. Please note that Near Field Communications (NFC) is not available in India and as a result I could not test it.
Pull-down Notifications Tab

The first thing that struck me was the slick pull-down notification tab similar to Google’s Android. I guess if Apple’s iOS can ape Android, Symbian can too. But frankly I quite like the design of the Nokia one. It is indeed classy.
Six Homescreens


I’m not a fan of too many homescreens. But for those who can't stop arranging everything on your phone in homescreens they might appreciate the six that Symbian Belle provides. You have more real estate now for all your icons. I wonder if you'd ever need the menu button again. Oh I almost forgot to mention, there is a dim background in the menu screen as well.
Better Customization Options

I know you have been craving for this feature in Symbian^3 and Symbian Anna. Now you can move around your icons similar to the wobbly icons on iOS. Though it is very handy to move your icons around you cannot drag icons into folders directly which is a letdown.
Improved Search Integration


It is like that famous jingle that goes "wherever you go our network follows" the search button in Nokia follows you wherever you navigate on the phone. I totally approve this considering the fact that I have a lot of apps that I use and it is difficult finding a single app in the heap.
Widgets

Loads of widgets are now available at your disposal. The one that caught my attention, however, was the new music player widget.
Conclusion
It is too soon to say how Symbian Belle's final build will function on the soon to be released Nokia 700 and Nokia 701. On the N8, I can say it looks good despite the fact that it borrows a lot of design cues from the other mobile operating systems.

Microsoft Outlook 2007: 10 Top Tips

10 Tips for Outlook 2007

Hate it or love it, there's a good chance that you use Microsoft Outlook, still the most popular e-mail client on the planet. Outlook 2010 for Windows was just released, but only to businesses, who may take a while to switch to the new version. Office 2010 won't be available to individual users until later this spring. So we thought this was a good time to help you with the Outlook you're most likely using (and still getting used to) now -- Outlook 2007.

Outlook 2007 does a lot of things that previous versions can't do, such as previewing attachments, handling RSS feeds and more. There are potential challenges to Outlook 2007 as well, such as its ability to handle .pst files from earlier Outlook versions. In this story, we'll give tips on how to get the most out of Outlook 2007. We've also got dozens of keyboard shortcuts and a listing of where Outlook 2007 stores its most important data and customization files. These tips are written for Outlook using POP3 mail, not for Outlook in an MS Exchange Server environment. However, you may find that some of the tips work in Exchange environments as well.

Note: This article assumes that you know the basics of Outlook navigation. Just as a reminder, Outlook has multiple panes, notably the Navigation pane for getting to the main parts of Outlook such as e-mail, Calendar, Contacts and Tasks. Outlook 2007 also includes parts of the new Ribbon interface found in other Microsoft Office 2007 applications. For some reason, the Ribbon wasn't introduced across the board in Outlook 2007 in the way it was with those other apps. So for example, on the main Outlook screen there's no Ribbon, but when you open or compose an e-mail, the Ribbon appears. (The good news is that the Ribbon appears more consistently in Office 2010 -- not that that helps Office 2007 users much though.) Now, on to the tips!

1. Teach Outlook 2007 to Play Nice with Social Networking Sites

E-mail has been slowly losing its primacy as the way that people communicate electronically, as social networking sites and services such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn proliferate. But you can get the best of both worlds right within Outlook 2007 by integrating Outlook with some features of social networking sites. Microsoft's Outlook Social Connector and the third-party Xobni are both free, and both work from right inside Outlook to do the integration. Xobni is the more comprehensive of the two. It grabs information about your contacts directly from Facebook, LinkedIn, and to a lesser extent Twitter, and displays them right within Outlook. So, for example, you can follow a person's tweets as well as her Facebook and LinkedIn updates. It also allows two-way communication, so you can post a Twitter update from within Outlook. It does plenty more as well, such as grabbing information about a contact's employer from Hoovers, displaying threaded conversations with contacts, and more. Since it's free, if you use a social networking site but still communicate primarily via e-mail, you'll want to get it.


Microsoft's Outlook Social Connector works similarly, although it's not as comprehensive as Xobni. At this point it works only with LinkedIn and MySpace, although Microsoft says that in the future it will work with Facebook and most likely Twitter as well. It's still in beta, but it's stable enough to download and use. The Outlook Social Connector doesn't grab as much information from social networking sites as Xobni does, and it doesn't allow two-way communication, at least at this point. It's a little better integrated to Outlook, however, so it's good for basics such as seeing someone's most recent activity on LinkedIn. I use it in addition to Xobni. If you're looking to use Twitter from within Outlook, try the free TwInBox plug-in. Like Xobni, it lets you send tweets and follow others' tweets from within Outlook, but it offers additional features such as archiving, grouping and managing tweets, and shortening URLs with bit.ly.

2. Use Sports Teams' and TV Shows' Calendars inside Outlook

Would you like to follow the calendar of a favourite sports team, TV show, or other type of calendar inside Outlook? It's easy to do, because Outlook supports the iCal calendar format in the form of an .ics file, which allows for calendar sharing.
First, find the .ics file for the calendar you want to view inside Outlook. Your best bet is to do a Web search for a page that will tell you where to get the .ics calendar -- for example, using the search terms "Red Sox ical." The result you want will say "downloadable schedule" or something similar. In the case of the Boston Red Sox, a Google search turns up the 2010 Downloadable Schedule page.
On the page, look for a link to the iCal URL that contains the calendar. In our example, it is http://mlb.mlb.com/soa/ical/schedule.ics?team_id=111&season=2010

After you've got the iCal URL, follow these steps:
1. In Outlook 2007 select Tools --> Account Settings.
2. Click the Internet Calendars tab and click New.
3. On the screen that appears, paste in the Red Sox iCal URL, then click Add.
4. In the Folder Name box on the screen that appears, type in the name of the calendar -- in our instance, Boston Red Sox. You can also type a description into the Description box.


5. Click OK, then click Close.
You'll now see the new calendar listed in the Calendar's Navigation Pane. It will remain separate from your own personal calendar, and from any other calendars you might want to add. You can include multiple calendars this way.

3. Create Boilerplate Text to Insert into E-mail Messages

Do you have boilerplate text -- such as a description of your business or background -- that you insert often into e-mail messages, but not every time like a signature? If so, you'll welcome one of Outlook 2007's lesser-known features -- Quick Parts, which is also included in Word 2007. You can use Quick Parts to insert images, text or a combination of the two. To use it, do the following:
1. Create a new e-mail message.
2. Write the boilerplate text you want to reuse or insert the boilerplate graphic you want to reuse (or both).


3. Select the text and/or graphic, click the Insert tab on the Ribbon, and select Quick Parts --> Save Selection to Quick Part Gallery.
4. In the screen that appears, type in a descriptive name for the text or graphic in the Name field. Type in a description of the Quick Part in the Description field. Don't change any other fields. Click OK.


5. When you want to insert the Quick Part into an e-mail message, click Insert from the Ribbon, click Quick Parts, scroll to the Quick Part you want to insert, and click it.
Note that Quick Parts are not shared between Word and Outlook, so you have to create separate ones for each application. (Outlook Quick Parts are stored in NormalE-mail.dotm, while those for Word are stored in Normal.dotm.)

4. Speed up Attachment Previews

One of Outlook 2007's niftier new features is its ability to let you preview Word, Excel and PowerPoint documents and other files when you're reading mail without having to open the attachment itself. To do that, you highlight the file, and then click the "Preview file" button. You can make files from specific senders preview automatically without going through those steps. For each person whose attachments you want to preview this way, right-click on an e-mail from the person, select Junk E-Mail from the menu that appears, and choose Add Sender to Safe Senders List. The next time the person sends you a file you want to preview, highlight it and uncheck the box next to "Always warn before previewing this type of file." From now on, you'll preview this type of attachment from this sender as soon as you highlight it.

5. Give Your Older .pst File A New Life in Outlook 2007

Outlook 2007, like earlier versions of Outlook, stores all of your e-mail as well as other important information in a .pst file named Outlook.pst. Normally the file is found in C:\Users\username\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Outlook. Back when Outlook 2003 was released, Microsoft changed the .pst file format, with one important benefit -- .pst files would no longer be subject to a limit of 2GB. In Outlook 2003 and 2007, the limit is now 20GB.

Pre-2003 versions of Outlook cannot open files in the new .pst format, but Outlook 2003 and 2007 can open the older .pst file format. So even if you have Outlook 2007, you may be using an older .pst file if you used a previous version of Outlook. There is one serious drawback to using an older .pst file with Outlook 2007 -- it is subject to the same maximum file size of 2GB. There's no direct way to automatically convert an older .pst file to the new Outlook .pst format. Still, with a little bit of fiddling, it can be done.

First, determine whether the .pst file is in the older or newer format. To do that, follow these steps:
1. In Outlook, select File --> Data File Management.
2. Click the Data Files tab and select the .pst file you're interested in.
3. Click Settings to open the Personal Folders dialog box.

4. Look in the Format field. If it reads "Personal Folders File (97-2002)," it means you have a .pst file in the older format. If it reads "Personal Folders File," you have a newer .pst file.
If in doing this you see you are using an older .pst file, you can use a work-around to convert it to the newer format. (You can close the Personal Folders box; we're done with it now.)

You'll first create a blank .pst file in the new format, then import the information from the old file into the new one:
1. In Outlook's main menu, select File --> New --> Outlook Data File.
2. On the screen that appears, select Office Outlook Personal File Folder (.pst) and click OK.
3. From the screen that appears, give the new file a file name and choose the location where you want it stored. By default, Outlook will choose where your other .pst files are stored, which by default in Windows 7 or Vista is C:\Users\username\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Outlook and in Windows XP or Windows Server 2003 is \Documents and Settings\username\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook.
4. From the screen that appears, type a name into the Name box -- this is the name for the file that Outlook will display. Click OK. You've just created the new file in the .pst format. Now you're going to import the data from the old .pst file.
5. Select File --> Import and Export.
6. Select "Import from another program or file," then click Next.
7. From the screen that appears, select Personal Folder File (.pst).
8. A screen will appear asking for the location and name of the file you want to import. Browse to the location of the old .pst file and click Open.
9. You'll be back on the screen asking for the location and name of the file you want to import. Choose "Replace duplicates with items imported" and click Next.
10. From the screen that appears, click on the display name of the file you want to import and click Finish. Outlook will now import all of the data from the old .pst file to the new one, which has a 20GB size limit.

6. Manage RSS Feeds inside Outlook 2007

Those who follow blogs and other RSS feeds should make use of one of Outlook 2007's best features, its built-in RSS reader. When you use the reader, each feed has its own separate folder. Outlook automatically polls each feed and posts updates to the appropriate folder. You can then browse through the folders, the same way you browse through mail. All RSS feeds will be under the RSS Feeds folder.


If you want to use Outlook 2007 for reading blogs, it's best if you configure it to be your default RSS reader. To do that in Windows 7 or Vista, from Outlook 2007's main menu, select Tools --> Options, click the Other tab, and then click the Default programs button. From the screen that appears, check the boxes next to the “Outlook Feeds” items (there may be more than one), click Save, and then click OK. If you're using Windows XP, you'll have to set the default another way (which also works with Windows 7 and Vista): In your Web browser, go to the blog that you want to subscribe to and click the RSS icon. You'll be asked whether to use Outlook to subscribe to the feed. Check the box next to "Always use Microsoft Office Outlook to subscribe to feeds."

From now on, when you click the icon for an RSS feed on the Web, you'll see an Outlook message asking if you want to subscribe to the feed. Click Yes to subscribe or No to not subscribe, or you can customize aspects of how you read each feed by clicking the Advanced button. On the screen that appears, you can change the display name of the feed or change the .pst file to which the feed will be delivered. You can also determine whether the feed should automatically download enclosures (multimedia content, such as for podcasts) and whether to download the entire post as an HTML file.


You can also subscribe to an RSS feed from straight within Outlook 2007 as long as you know the URL of the feed. To do it, select Tools --> Account Settings, then click the RSS Feeds tab. Click New, and type or paste the URL of the feed into the New RSS Feed dialog box that appears. Then click Add, and click OK.

7. Integrate Google Reader Feeds into Outlook

Google Reader is an excellent Web-based RSS reader, and if you already use it, you may have quite a few RSS subscriptions there. What if you'd also like to get access to those RSS feeds -- and other Google Reader features -- from within Outlook? Here's how to do it:
1. Right-click the RSS feeds folder in Outlook and select Properties.
2. Click the Home Page tab.
3. In the Address box, type: http://google.com/reader
Check the box next to "Show home page by default for this folder." Then click OK.

From now on, when you click the RSS Feeds folder within Outlook, Google Reader appears in your Reading Pane and you can use it there in the same way as if you were using it on the Web. You will most likely have to log into Google Reader the first time you use it within Outlook. Your existing RSS feeds within Outlook won't vanish -- they'll be in their folders underneath the RSS Feed folder, just like before.

8. Sync Outlook's Calendar with Google Calendar

Do you use the Outlook calendar at work, but also keep you own personal Google Calendar? Checking two calendars throughout the day and manually keeping them in sync can sometimes feel like a full-time chore. However, free software from Google can automatically keep them in sync.


Downloading, installing and setting up Google Calendar Sync is straightforward. The only real decision you'll face is what kind of sync to perform. You can perform a two-way sync, in which all events in both calendars are synced with each other, a one-way sync from Outlook to Google, or a one-way sync from Google to Outlook.
If you want to change the type of sync the program performs at any point, right-click the Google Calendar Sync icon in the System Tray, select Options, and make the change from the screen that appears.

9. Find Where Outlook 2007 Stores Data

Outlook stores its data in many different locations, not all of them logical. Making things even more confusing is that some of the locations are different than they were in previous versions of Outlook. The locations may also vary depending on the version of Windows you use. There are times when you'll want to know where the files are stored, for example if you want to back them up. To help you out, following is a list of the default files, extensions and their locations, and what they do. Note that this is for setups where Outlook is not being used in concert with Exchange Server.

Keep in mind that many of these folders are hidden by default. If yours are hidden, you can tell Windows to display them. How you do that depends on your operating system. In Windows Vista click the Start button and select Control Panel --> Appearance and Personalization --> Folder Options. Then on the View Tab, under Advanced Settings, select "Show Hidden Files and Folders" under the Hidden Files and Folders entry. Click OK.


In Windows XP, click the Start button, then click Control Panel. Click Folder Options, and in the View tab, select "Show hidden files and folders" under the "Hidden files and folders" entry. Then click OK.

10. Take Advantage of Outlook's Keyboard Shortcuts

Mousing around Outlook takes far too much time. Using the keyboard for common tasks is your quickest way to productivity. The following shortcuts will help you with just about anything you do in Outlook.

Unlock Windows Vista Hidden Features

Get More Out of Vista

We’ve done our fair share of Vista-bashing over the years, but the reality is that Windows Vista has a lot of hidden talents that go unheralded. We tell you how to unlock and make use of six features in Windows Vista you might not be aware of and working with Vista a much more pleasant experience.

Use Stacking to Organize Files

Stacking is a handy way to organize the files contained in any given folder. Stacks are really just virtual folders, and they're temporary.

1. Open a folder containing some documents, photos, MP3s, or whatever.
2. Right-click any open area within that folder and mouse over Stack By.
3. Choose the kind of stack you want: Name, date modified, file type, size, etc. Note that the available options will differ depending on the kinds of files in the folder.

Presto: Vista creates your stacks, which appear under the banner of "search results." That's what we mean when we say they're temporary: Stacks are really just a filtered, folder-specific form of searching. If you want to save a stack for future use, click the Save Search button up on the toolbar.

Turn on 'Checkboxes' Feature

Holding down the Ctrl key is the normal way of selecting multiple files but It's easy to mis-click and "lose" all your selections. Checkboxes can ease lots of trouble. Instead of holding down the Ctrl key, you simply click a checkbox next to each file you want to select. To enable it, open any system window, click the Organize menu, and then choose Folder and Search Options. Next, click the View tab, and then scroll down until you see Use check boxes to select items. Enable it, then click OK.

Fast-Access Folders

It's not uncommon for those frequently used folders to be scattered across your hard drive, which makes finding them a slow and inconvenient process. Enter "favorites," Vista's way of putting designated folders at your fingertips. Here's how to create one:

1. Open Windows Explorer. (My favorite method: Tap Windows-E on your keyboard.)
2. Navigate to the folder you want to turn into a favorite.
3. Drag the folder to the Favorite Links area in the lefthand pane. (Don't see it? Click Organize, Layout, Navigation Pane to make it visible.)
4. Repeat as desired with other folders.

Now just click any of your folder shortcuts to immediately access the contents therein.

A More Powerful Administrator

Vista’s UAC has come under a lot of flak because of its annoying nature. It springs up even if you are log in as an administrator. Te fact is that Vista has a more powerful administrator account that is hidden. You can activate it and get all the administrative privileges without the irritating Uac popping up every time you run something. You can access this hidden administrator account with. The following steps –

1. Run command Prompt in administrator mode (Right click the command prompt icon at the top of the Start menu and click Run as administrator.
2. type the following command - net user administrator/active:yes.

Now you will see another administrator account created on top of the default administrator account. To disable the administrator account youactivated just type net user administrator/active:no.

Top 5 Fixes for Common PC Problems

How to Survive the Worst PC Disasters

When it comes to computers, sometimes things go south...and sometimes they go to Antarctica. If your computer won't boot or your data's gone astray, panic is soon to follow, and you might find yourself making things worse in your haste to solve the problem.
The next time your PC decides to take an unexpected vacation, refer to our handy guide to see how to deal with some of computing's most devastating debacles.

Problem: Your computer won't boot

Likely Cause: Could be anything. Determining whether the issue stems from hardware or software is part of the fix.
The Fix: You'll have to play Sherlock Holmes to figure out what's dead. Take it step-by-step.

1. First thing: Check all cables (including the plug into the electric socket) to make sure everything is hooked up nice and tight.
2. Next, see if the power supply turns on. Listen for the sound of its fan or of your hard drive spinning. If you hear nothing, your power supply probably needs to be replaced. To confirm, consider testing the voltage output with a power-supply tester. Of course, you should also check your home's circuit breaker before doing major PC surgery, and try powering another device from that outlet to make sure it's getting juice.
3. If your power supply is okay but nothing appears on screen, plug in a different monitor (borrow one if you must) to ensure it's not your display that's blown. If the monitor proves to be good, try replacing the video cable. Still nothing on screen? If your drive is spinning normally, your video card is probably bad. Also make sure all the fans inside work when you power on the PC. You could have excess-heat issues.
4. If your monitor is working but you detect no hard-drive activity and see no display (or you see a display but the PC can't get through boot-up), reset the CMOS. Shut down the PC, unplug it, ground yourself, and take out the battery on the motherboard (click on photo above). Wait 5 minutes, and consult your PC manual or go to the vendor's Web site for instructions on resetting the CMOS jumpers. Reboot and see if that fixed the problem.
5. If the PC is still not functioning, bad RAM could be the culprit. Remove one memory module at a time (or replace each module with a known good one) and reboot after each test. Alternatively, create a free MemTest86 boot disk on another PC, and try using it to test the RAM.
6. If none of this works, your motherboard or CPU is probably damaged, and will need to be replaced. However, your data is probably still intact and can be recovered if you install your hard drive on another system. Consider going to a repair shop for an estimate on the repair; it may be more cost-effective to replace the PC. Also, a repair shop might be your best (and only) option if your PC is a laptop.
7. Finally, if the PC's BIOS routine runs but the drive won't spin, your drive may have crashed. See "Problem: Your hard drive has crashed" later in the article for help with that.

What If It's the OS?: As dire as these hardware failures seem, you're far more likely to encounter software issues, such as Windows refusing to start or freezing while it's loading. Here's how to get back up and running if your operating system is the problem.

1. Boot into Safe Mode. As Windows starts up, press the key as directed to reach the boot menu. Select Safe Mode. Often, Windows will recover if you boot into Safe Mode and then shut down and reboot normally. With Windows 7/Vista, you can also try the 'Repair Your Computer' option by selecting it at the boot menu (if you don't have that option, check your Windows 7Vista DVD for it). You'll have various choices to aid your PC: 'Startup Repair' is worth a shot.
2. No results? Try 'Last Known Good Configuration' at the boot menu, which is especially helpful if you have recently changed hardware or drivers. If this works, remove new hardware (which may be incompatible) and roll back drivers in Device Manager. Right-click My Computer (Computer in Windows 7/Vista), click Hardware (in XP), and choose Device Manager.
3. If you can run Safe Mode but not regular Windows, try System Restore (via Programs, Accessories, System Tools in XP; in Vista/7, click Start, type system, and choose System Restore from the Programs list) to roll back your PC to when it did work. The PC might have become unstable after an automatic download and installation of an update or other unattended download (you may want to change any default settings that allow such unattended installs to happen). Run antivirus and antispyware apps in Safe Mode, too.
4. If you still can't boot, you probably have heavy-duty Windows problems. Try to boot from an emergency CD like a Knoppix disc or an Active Boot Disk, which can help you to see whether your PC will boot at all and to collect any critical files from the drive.
5. If your PC is still unstable, reinstalling Windows is probably your best bet. You can do this chore while leaving data intact by using a standard Windows installation CD. In rare cases, vendor-provided recovery disks will perform non-data-destructive OS reinstalls too; check your manual to see if yours can.

How to Avoid It Next Time: PCs typically die unexpectedly, so focus on getting up and running quickly: Turn on System Restore, keep your system-recovery discs and copies of critical apps handy for reinstalls, back up often, and keep a spare hard drive and power supply. Using a drive-image program such as the Acronis True Image 2010 or the $70 Norton Ghost 15 can make it much easier to restore your PC and data, too. If you can, have a second PC to use in emergencies if your main system needs repair.

Problem: Your Net connection is dead

Likely Cause: Your router could have seized up, sunspots might be mucking with the Web, or...
The Fix: Start with the issues you can control. Modems and routers are vulnerable to frequent crashes. A simple reboot usually corrects the problem.

1. First, try using another PC to reach the Web (you could have a faulty network card in the first machine). If you can't do that, check if your local network is working (if not, the culprit might be the router, which you may need to reboot or replace).
2. Next, see if your cable or DSL modem is displaying error lights. If it indicates trouble, unplug it. You may as well do the same for your router and shut down your PC. Wait about 30 seconds after you've unplugged your gear, and then plug everything back in and start up your PC.
3. If that doesn't work, try resetting your PC connection in Windows. The most reliable way in XP is to click Start, Run and type CMD (in Vista/7, type CMD at the search prompt). Then type ipconfig /renew at the terminal prompt. You'll get a similar outcome by right-clicking the network connection icon in the system tray and selecting Repair. However, I find the terminal method more effective.
4. If you're still not online and you usually connect via a wireless adapter, try plugging in directly to the router via an ethernet cable. Still not working? Try skipping the router and connecting a PC directly to the modem to further isolate the problem. Check all cables and replace them if possible. Examine cable modems for fraying on the coaxial wiring.
5. No dice? It's time to call your broadband provider to check for known outages in your area. (Don't forget to check the obvious: If you use a cable modem, is the cable TV working? Did you pay the bill?) Some providers can test your network gear remotely, as well; in some cases the ISP may need to send a reset signal to your modem. But at this point you're likely dealing with a network outage. Such outages are usually temporary, but reporting them and complaining--repeatedly--will likely result in a speedier resolution.

How to Avoid It Next Time: Invest in backup connectivity gear--find a nearby friend whose Wi-Fi signal you can use, or buy a wireless data card and account for your laptop. Even having dial-up numbers for your ISP handy can get you online in a pinch.

Problem: You deleted a critical file, and you have no backup

Likely Cause: Not enough sleep.
The Fix: Most Windows users know that deleting a file doesn't really erase it. There's a good chance it's recoverable, even if it's no longer in the Recycle Bin.

1. First step: Immediately stop using the PC in question. Close all open programs and stop any real-time indexing services such as X1, Google Desktop, or Windows' own indexing service, as they could overwrite the file you're trying to recover.
2. Give one of the popular undelete products a spin. UndeletePlus can make quick work of scouring your drive for deleted files.
3. If an undelete tool doesn't work, start thinking about alternate places where the file might live. Did you e-mail it to someone? Check the sent items in your e-mail client, or ask the recipient to send it back to you. Was the file a photo or video? Check your camera's memory card, or perhaps you uploaded it to Flickr or YouTube. Many files exist in temp folders scattered around your hard drive.
4. With certain versions of Vista/7, you can use the Shadow Copy feature (on by default) to restore your files. Right-click the folder where your file was, and select Restore previous versions to retrieve your documents .

How to Avoid It Next Time: Nightly backups (or better yet, real-time backups) will make this problem a thing of the past. Also, once installed, programs like Undelete keep track of erased files until they are overwritten, and so make recovering them much easier.

Problem: Your trusty hard drive has crashed

Likely Cause: Whether it was dropped, became overheated, or simply died of old age, the hard drive is possibly the most failure-prone part of your computer.
The Fix: If you've traced a problem to your hard drive, the solution depends on the specific symptom it's exhibiting.
If the drive spins up but behaves erratically, you probably have data corruption caused by a failing drive. Try the following steps to recover your data and copy it to a good drive before the bad one dies.

1. Before anything else, if you're using an IDE drive, check that your data cable is connected properly, and if it is, switch to a new cable. IDE cables are notoriously cheap and prone to having their insulation stripped by the metal edges inside a PC case, shorting the cable.
2. Try booting with a Knoppix CD (as mentioned in our first problem, "Your computer won't boot") or another boot disk to learn if the drive is readable. If it is, back up the data to another drive and reformat the original disk to see if it is salvageable.
3. You may have bad sectors; try using HDD Regenerator to locate any. Download the demo and burn it to a bootable CD. If the free demo finds bad sectors, it's probably worth paying the for the full version of the software to recover the bad sectors and make the drive usable.
4. TackTech's Web site features manufacturer-specific utilities for virtually any hard drive vendor. Find out what company made the drive that's failing, then download the appropriate diagnostic application. All of the tools are free and can be of major help in diagnosing problems on a drive and repairing them. (Of these tools, those for Hitachi, Western Digital, and Seagate drives--in that order--will best work on other makers' drives, at least in part, so give any of them a whirl.)
5. If you still can't get the drive to boot, turn to data-recovery software to attempt to salvage lost files. You have dozens of alternatives in this market, and prices generally run $40 to $200. UndeletePlus and the Stellar Phoenix line are both worthwhile.

If the hard drive will not spin up at all, you can still try a few tricks to revive it. The following are all last-ditch efforts with only a slim chance of working--but if your drive won't even spin, it probably won't hurt to try. Don't do anything to further damage the disc, as a drive-recovery service might be able to help, too (more on this below). For example, don't tap or beat on the drive, and don't remove the cover from it and expose the heads. Such methods probably won't help and will probably cause data loss.

1. Hold the drive in your hand and rotate your arm outward quickly, parallel to the orientation of the platters (like throwing a Frisbee). Repeat several times. Make sure not to bang the disk on anything. This action is designed to solve a problem called "stiction" (static friction), which can prevent drive platters from spinning.
2. Try attaching the drive to a high-wattage power supply. Even though it won't draw extra power, a burst of juice from the highest-wattage power supply you find could jar it into spinning up one last time. I've seen this work.
3. The "freezer trick" is an old standby if you have a drive that is "clicking" but not spinning: Put the drive in a plastic freezer bag (and wrap it in a paper towel for extra protection against moisture) to keep water out, and then freeze it for a few hours. Let it thaw back to room temperature after you take it out, and get rid of any condensation you see. There's no agreed-upon length of time to freeze it, but start with an hour and work your way up to 24 hours to see if you can make the drive spin up one last time.
4. Remember that if you do get a dead drive spinning, don't let it stop until you've copied all your critical data. Chances are you won't have it working again.
5. If all else fails and you absolutely need data off the hard drive, your last, best hope is to send it to a data-recovery service.

How to Avoid It Next Time: Make sure backups are up-to-date. For added security, mirror a second hard drive to ensure you have a real-time backup with minimal risk of data loss and downtime. A cheaper aid: Monitor your drive's health with the free HDD Health utility, which uses SMART technology to predict impending crashes (though it won't catch them all). (You may need to scroll down the linked page a little bit to see HDD Health.)

Problem: You can't get into Windows because you forgot your password

Likely Cause: Consult your family physician for a complete diagnosis.
The Fix: With each version of Windows, recovering a lost password becomes a bit harder, thanks to Microsoft's inexorable security improvements. However, there's no need to abandon hope.

1. If it's your Windows XP log-in password, try logging in under another account with administrator privileges. (There may have been an account like 'Owner' installed, often with no password, when you first bought your PC.) Any administrator account can reset the password of any other account. If you're not using the Windows XP log-in screen (the one with the icons for each user), you can try logging in with the account named 'Administrator', which is hidden on the XP log-in screen. If you are using the XP log-in screen, try pressing <Ctrl>-<Alt>-<Delete> to reach the old, NT-style screen, which should allow you to type in the user name.
2. If no other account exists on the PC, you'll need to turn to third-party tools to reset the password or crack it. Ophcrack is the first third-party tool I'd recommend to recover a lost password: Using another PC, download the free software from ophcrack.sourceforge.net and burn it to a disc. Boot from this CD and watch Ophcrack go to work. Based on extensive password tables, it can recover most passwords in a matter of minutes, for all the accounts on a PC.
3. You also can try a tool that can reset your password if everything else has failed; note, though, that such tools generally involve a small risk of data loss or corruption. Offline NT Password & Registry Editor and Emergency Boot CD are both free, include bootable CD versions, and are fairly self-explanatory if you're comfortable working with the command line. Both can reset your Windows password for you, and they support multiple versions of Windows.
4. If you lost a BIOS-level password, you can try resetting or bypassing it. First, try backdoor passwords as listed at Tech Faq. If none works, try resetting your CMOS--as discussed in "Problem: Your computer won't boot"--to cause the BIOS to reset to its default state. Replace the battery and then restore the jumper to its original position and reboot your system.

How to Avoid It Next Time: If password loss is a frequent problem, consider writing them down and keeping them in your wallet, or storing them in a bank safe deposit box or a safe at home--just make sure you don't lose the key.

Sony Playstation Vita Gets Dec. 17 Launch Date

Japanese gamers will be at the front of the line for the Playstation Vita, the latest handheld gaming device announced by Sony. Sony has revealed that it will be launching the Playstation Vita in Japan on December 17 for 24,980 Yen (Rs. 15,550 approx.) for the Wi-Fi only variant and 29,980 Yen (Rs. 18,660 approx.) for the Wi-Fi and 3G variant.

The Playstation Vita will be powered by a quad-core ARM Cortex-A9 processor and 512MB of RAM and 128MB of VRAM. It has a 5-inch OLED capacitive touchscreen with a resolution of 960x544 pixels. It also has dual cameras and can be hooked up to Sony's Playstation Network. Unlike the Playstation Portable (PSP), the Vita will use a proprietary "Vita card" and not Universal Media Discs (UMDs).
Sony has also revealed that the Playstation Vita will launch with 26 new game titles.

Sony Ericsson Xperia Ray Spotted on Flipkart

Yet another smartphone's pricing details have been revealed on Flipkart. This time it is the Sony Ericsson Xperia Ray.

The Xperia Ray and Xperia Active were announced during the Qualcomm IndiaOn conference. The ray has a 1GHz Scorpion processor and Adreno 205 GPU which can easily power the latest Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) OS that it runs. It also has a 3.3 inch screen with Sony’s proprietary Bravia Mobile Engine. The 8MP camera with autofocus and LED flash can also capture 720p resolution videos. The package come with a 4GB microSD card and it is expandable up to 32GB.

However, Flipkart hasn't listed the Xperia Ray for pre-order. When the Ray will be available you can pick one up for Rs. 18,995 from the online shopping mall. You can also provide your email address and Flipkart will notify you once the phone is up for pre-order/sale.

Is Android Jellybean OS Ice Cream Sandwich's Successor?

If internet rumours are to be believed, then the next Google created Android operating system (successor to Ice Cream Sandwich) for smartphones and tablets is going to be named 'Jellybean'. Some rumours also suggest that major features of Ice Cream Sandwich are being rolled back for Jellybean.

Details about the new OS are not available as of now and there is no confirmation from Google. If you should know Google names versions of its Android OS after sweets and they have been in alphabetical order till now. The versions were Cupcake, Donut, Éclair, Froyo, Gingerbread, Honeycomb, Ice Cream Sandwich and now Jellybean.
Ice Cream Sandwich is expected to launch in October or November. The new OS is expected to combine the best of Honeycomb and Gingerbread and release a single package for all smartphones and tablets. As of now only the Nexus S Prime (rumoured to be manufactured by Samsung) is confirmed to come with the Ice Cream Sandwich OS pre-installed.

HTC Could Acquire New Mobile OS, Patents

HTC may consider buying a mobile OS and patents related to mobile technology in the future.  Martin Fichter, the President of HTC America revealed to IDGNS on Monday that the Taiwanese mobile phone manufacturer hadn't ruled out the possibility of buying a mobile OS and patents to help them in their patent infringement conflict with Apple.

Industry analysts have also noted the possibility of HTC buying out a pre-existing mobile OS such as Meego or the Palm WebOS to power its smartphones in the future. Also, in order to better protect themselves against Apple's patent infringement suit, HTC is also showing interest in buying patents related to mobile technology such as those belonging to InterDigital, an American company that develops wireless technology.
However Fichter clarified to IDGNS that they would prefer leveraging in-house technology over purchasing patents.
Apple filed a lawsuit against HTC back in March of last year alleging 20 different patent infringements related to the iPhone UI and hardware.

Cyberoam NetGenie Appliance For SoHo Users Launched

Cyberoam NetGenie is a security solution product targeted at households and small offices. SoHo users can use the NetGenie appliances to decide how much Internet freedom is to be given to users in their network, across a range of devices such as desktops, laptops, smartphones, iPads etc. The intent is to secure Internet access with controls, inbuilt antivirus, firewall, WiFi access and 3G-readiness - all in a single appliance to avoid the need to buy and configure multiple devices.

Claimed to be developed entirely in India, it is available in two forms - NetGenie Wireless Router, and NetGenie Unified Threat Management (UTM). Priced at Rs. 7,999 and Rs. 10,999; they are for home users who want protection of family, and for small offices respectively.
In its "Home" avatar, NetGenie will offer a single-click solution for parents to implement age-wise, easy parental controls ensuring children are protected from porn and violent content on the Internet. It allows controlling Internet access on a schedule, across website categories and applications for different users.
For small offices, NetGenie claims to help stop employees from spending time on non-productive sites, using Internet controls to allow differing levels of Internet access. An in-built IPSec VPN feature allows secure remote access to vendor offices or a central office.
Among others the NetGenie appliance touts features such as instant deployment, friendly GUI, secure Wi-Fi Access Point and sharing Internet through a USB/3G modem.

Windows 8 Metro UI: The End of Adobe Flash?

Microsoft appears to be taking a page out of Apple's playbook, saying it will dump plug-ins such as Adobe Flash from Internet Explorer 10 in Windows 8. Well, sort of.

While you'll still be able to view content requiring plug-ins in Windows 8, you'll have to switch to the old fashioned Windows desktop to see it. Users who prefer to remain in the touch-centric, Metro-style interface, however, will have a plug-in-free (and presumably Flash-free) experience. Instead, the new touch-centric IE 10 will rely on HTML5 technologies for online video and other functions.
"For the web to move forward and for consumers to get the most out of touch-first browsing, the Metro style browser in Windows 8 is as HTML5-only as possible, and plug-in free," said Dean Hachamovitch, in a Microsoft Windows 8 blog (Hachamovitch leads Microsoft's Internet Explorer team). "The experience that plug-ins provide today is not a good match with Metro style browsing and the modern HTML5 web."
The good news is that thanks to Apple's anti-Flash trailblazing with the iPhone and iPad, many websites now offer HTML5 video when the Flash plug-in is not present. YouTube, for example, will still run without Flash, as will many other video sites.
Why the Shift?Microsoft said it examined the plug-in requirements for the top 97,000 sites worldwide and discovered that 62 percent can already offer HTML5 video to non-Flash devices. Many of these sites can also serve non-Flash ads as well.
If you visit a site that still relies on ActiveX controls or other plug-in content, you will be prompted to tap a "Use Desktop View" notification. This will take you to the traditional desktop where you can view the content requiring a plug-in.
What Microsoft didn't mention is where this leaves the company's own Flash competitor, Silverlight. Will Silverlight compatibility be built into the Metro version of Internet Explorer 10, or is Silverlight on the Web gone too? The technology still has life as a tool for developers, so Silverlight on the Web may not be a big loss for the Windows maker. Microsoft was unavailable for comment at the time of this writing.
What About Add-Ons?
Another question is whether Metro-style IE 10 will support add-ons (also known as extensions) or toolbars. Microsoft wasn't clear on this point. "In Windows 8, IE 10 is available as a Metro style app and as a desktop app," Steven Sinofksy, president of Windows and Windows Live, said on the Building Windows 8 blog. "The desktop app continues to fully support all plug-ins and extensions." Sinofsky didn't explicitly say that extensions won't be supported in the Metro interface, but his comments do suggest that extensions are out for Metro-style IE 10.
Admittedly, a lot of these add-ons wouldn't be missed (especially toolbars packaged with other downloads), and IE was never big on add-ons compared with competing browsers such as Mozilla Firefox or Google Chrome. But some extensions might be missed in the touchable version of IE 10 such as identity managers that help you save passwords and automatically fill out Web forms.
Nevertheless, the lack of plug-ins and possibly extensions should make IE more responsive and faster when using the Metro UI.
This could also be a huge blow to Adobe, since the Metro-style interface will be the first thing home users see when they fire up Windows 8 on their laptops and desktops. It's possible that Microsoft could adopt Google's strategy and build Flash right into IE, but that would technically be using a plug-in and thus not be as plug-in free as Microsoft is promising.
Microsoft's comments, while they don't explicitly say this, suggest that Flash will not be included in the Metro-style version of Windows 8. So unless PC users at home reject the Metro-style interface and stick with the traditional desktop in Windows 8 or Windows 7, Microsoft may effectively finish what Apple started and kill Flash on the Web.

Google Introduces YouTube Partner Program in India

YouTube has announced the launch of YouTube Partner Program in India, which will enable all original video content creators to become a content partner with YouTube and monetize their work on YouTube through advertising. The program is open to all Indian content creators who make original, high-quality videos on a regular basis and use YouTube to distribute their content online. Content creators will now be able to apply online for the program.

According to a press release, the Partner Program is YouTube’s way of sharing advertising revenue with its most popular and successful video creators. Once a video creator has been accepted to the Partner Program, ads start appearing overlaid or next to their videos. YouTube then splits the revenue generated by those ads with the partner, with the majority of the share going to the Partner.
The release quotes David Macdonald, Head of YouTube Content Operations, Asia Pacific, “YouTube has been a great platform for Indian content as demonstrated by the successes of the Indian Premier League and our Bollywood studio partners. Today we are opening up that very same platform to all media companies and original video content creators in India to help them monetize their content on YouTube platform. There is a strong demand for Indian content on YouTube, and this program will help original video content creators in India to make money from their content. With our dedicated team in India and online support tutorials, anyone with a creative idea can use YouTube to build local and global audiences and turn those views into a regular revenue stream.”
The release claims that the YouTube Partner program has a community of over 20,000 content creators across the globe, and every year YouTube pays out millions of dollars to people through the Partner Program, with hundreds of partners making more than USD 100,000 (Rs. 48 lakhs approx.) per year and thousands of partners making  more than USD 1,000 (Rs. 48,000 approx.) per month.
The release informs that YouTube has been selectively working with original Indian content creators as part of its pilot program in India since last December, and many content creators have already started reaping the benefits of the program. For example, new media company Yoboho New Media have amassed nearly 600 million views to date across their multiple channels. Meanwhile Jay Hind TV has created a late night comedy show in Hindi with over 10.8 million total views. There are many more such examples, where users like independent artists, tech bloggers, house wives posting recipes videos and earning revenues from YouTube partner program.

Intel Ultrabook Pricing Strategy Comes Under Criticism

Despite the fact that Intel is going gung-ho about their new ultra-thin, ultraportable 'Ultrabook', attendees at the Intel Developer Forum (IDF) conference are unhappy with the USD 1000 (approx Rs 48,000) price of the Ultrabook.

Analysts believe that the pricing may not be received with enthusiasm because they believe that the PC sales are slumping and buyers are looking for better deals. Many also predict that Intel’s new ultraportable machine could remain a niche product like its competition Macbook Air if the prices don’t come down.
However, Erik Reid, general manager of the mobile client platform at Intel, in an interview, stated the company launched the Ultrabook after extensive research on laptop designs and user experience and went on to defend the pricing strategy by saying, "As volume ramps and as we drive more business in the market, then prices will be coming down into mainstream,"
Some analysts also believe that it is advisable to wait for Intel’s Ivy Bridge processor which will provide better battery performance, faster clock speeds, better graphics and facilitate in the manufacturing of thinner Ultrabooks.

Intel’s Ultrabooks are expected to start shipping this month. Lenovo's Ideapad U300S, Acer's Aspire S3 and Toshiba's Portego Z830 are the first Ultrabooks that will hit the retail chain. They are priced at USD 1200 (approx Rs 58,000), USD 1134 (approx Rs 54,000) and USD 1000 (Rs 48,000) respectively.

Google and MasterCard Team Up to Show Future of Mobile Payments

MasterCard has revealed that the Google Wallet mobile payment application is very close to commercial launch in the U.S. The application will let users make payments in stores by just tapping their mobile phone (equipped with a Near Field Communication- NFC chip) against MasterCard's PayPass terminals installed at the payment counters in those stores.

According to an IDGNS report, currently PayPass terminals have been installed in about 150,000 stores in the U.S. and the application can be expected to be launched "within weeks."
NFC technology for mobile payments has become very popular in Japan and widely used by people. In Europe, too, has introduced NFC technology mainly for people to pay parking charges. With mass-adoption likely in the U.S. with Google and MasterCard's participation, this technology should hit Indian shores very soon.
Currently in India, Airtel and Loop Mobile let you use your phone as virtual wallets and pay various bills online using your phone.

Google's Citrus Flavoured Doodle

The latest static Google doodle honours Albert Szent-Gyorgyi on his 118th birthday. Albert Szent-Gyorgyi was a Hungarian physiologist who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1937 for "For his discoveries in connection with the biological combustion process with special reference to vitamin C and the catalysis of fumaric acid."

Todays' doodle, an image of a variety of citrus fruits such as oranges and strawberries with the Google logo etched on top of it, draws its inspiration from the Hungarian physiologist's discovery of Vitamin C. However while the doodle does concentrate on his major 'Nobel prize' accomplishment, it doesn’t capture the entire essence of the man: he had joined the Hungarian Resistance movement in WWII; Post WW-II, he made a foray into the political sphere and was elected as a member of the Hungarian Parliament; and in 1947, having become dissatisfied with Communist rule in Hungary, he emigrated to the United States, where he died in Woods Hole, Massachusetts on October 22, 1986.

Microsoft Windows 8 Developer Preview Downloads Cross 5,00,000

It seems that Microsoft has managed to spark the right amount of interest with Windows 8 Developer Preview with some reports suggesting that the operating system’s pre-beta build 8102 has already topped half a million downloads overnight.

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer made this statement after making a special appearance on Tuesday at the BUILD conference. However, he categorically stated that the company has a lot to do since this is just the developer preview. “We still have a long way to go with Windows 8,” Ballmer said.
The download numbers for the developer preview might be even more as we report. Have you downloaded your copy yet?