Get Windows 8 like start screen on Windows 7/XP

If you are amused by the all new start screen concept of Windows 8 but haven’t got a chance to give it a try then here we have something for you. The most discussed feature of this new OS is it’s all new start screen which is made up of multiple tiles. WinMetro is a free application which will allow you to have a look and feel of a  Windows 8 start screen on your current Windows OS.

WinMetro is a free software developed by IObit using which you can replace your current start button with the new Windows 8 kind of start screen. All you have to do is download and install the software from the link given at the end of this article. After installing the app it will automatically show your most used softwares along with some built in app tiles.

Some default apps included with this are calendar, weather, photos, news and some more tiles which are simply loading the webpages inside it. Once you define your default picture directory with the “Photos” app it will allow you to view all your pics on the click of a tile. The weather app uses your ISPs location and shows the weather info about that location which was not accurate in my case. You can use the horizontal scroll bar at the bottom to scroll inside the screen.

After starting your PC and logging into your account it will take you to the start screen first. To go to your desktop you can press Win + X or click on the desktop tile and to again bring up the screen press the same keys or simply move your mouse cursor to bottom left corner of your screen and click on the start screen.

This software will work on Windows operating systems only. It uses around 40-50 MB of RAM continuously. So if you are already running low on resources then you might not want to use this. You can use the link below to download this software.

Download WinMetro for Windows (5.95 MB)

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LinkedIn investigating reports of more than six million stolen passwords

Business social network LinkedIn said it is investigating reports that more than six millionpasswords have been stolen and leaked onto the Internet.

Although LinkedIn did not confirm if any user data had been hacked or leaked, researchers at U.K. Web security company Sophos say they have confirmed that a file posted online does contain, in part, LinkedIn passwords ``hashes.'' That's a way of encrypting or storing passwords in a different form.

Graham Cluley, a consultant with Sophos, recommended that LinkedIn users change their passwords immediately.

LinkedIn has a lot of information on its more than 160 million members, including potentially confidential information related to jobs being sought. Companies, recruiting services and others have accounts alongside individuals who post resumes and other professional information.

There's added concern that many people use the same password on multiple websites, so whoever stole the data could use the information to access Gmail, Amazon, PayPal and other accounts, Cluley said.

As a precautionary measure, LinkedIn issued security tips in a blog post Wednesday. The company said users should change passwords at least every few months and avoid using the same ones on multiple sites.

LinkedIn also had suggestions for making passwords stronger, including avoiding passwords that match words in a dictionary. One way is to think of a meaningful phrase or song and create a password using the first letter of each word.

Cluley said hackers are working together to break the encryption on the passwords.

``All that's been released so far is a list of passwords and we don't know if the people who released that list also have the related email addresses,'' he said. ``But we have to assume they do. And with that combination, they can begin to commit crimes.''

It wasn't known who was behind such an attack.

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ViewSonic ViewPad 10 tablet review

The first dual-boot tablet is surely worth a look, but needs a price cut. 

There are a lot of tablets that have been launched in India within the past few months and more are on the verge of being launched. Most tablet manufacturers have chosen to go with Android as the operating system, whereas few others have chosen Windows 7. However, ViewSonic comes with a tablet that dual boots both operating system, that almost provides the user best of both sides.

Looks & Ergonomics
The ViewPad 10 is not the slimmest or the sexiest tablet out there, but its got a vibrant 10.1” display. There are three touch sensitive buttons on the matte finish bezel that extends below the glossy bezel and perform different functions under the two OS. There is a 1.3MP front camera present as well. The tablet has two full size USB2.0 port, mini VGA port, microSD card slot and 3.5mm audio jack and microphone on the side.  The back has a brushed metal finish with the ViewSonic logo printed in the centre with speakers and heat vent at corners.

 

The tablet weighs just under 1kg and was easy to use with two hands. Using the tablet in vertical as well as horizontal position did not pose any problem. The brushed metal back and the matte finish bezel provide excellent grip.

Display
The tablet has a 10.1” capacitive touchscreen with a resolution of 1024 x 600 pixels. We loved the touch response on the tablet and multi-touch worked superbly across windows and android. Of course, like every other tablet out there, the large display is a fingerprint magnet and requires cleaning every now and then.

Hardware & Software
The ViewPad 10 is powered by an Intel Atom processor running at 1.66GHz with 1GB of DDR 3 RAM along with 16GB SSD storage. The SSD provides quick boot up and thought the hardware is more than enough for Android, 1GB RAM makes the overall windows experience slightly sluggish. It comes with WiFi b/g/n, Bluetooth, 3G and assisted GPS.  The tablet also has a G-sensor, E-compass sensor and an ambient light sensor.

The tablet comes loaded with Windows 7 Home premium and Android OS v1.6 as operating systems, which can be selected, on start-up. We loved the fact that Windows on the tablet performed the same way on a laptop. In fact, when we tried connecting to the Internet using a Reliance Netconnect USB modem, it worked flawlessly. We installed various windows application and other than the slight sluggishness due to low RAM we faced no issues.

It comes with Android is v1.6 and ViewSonic has no plans to upgrade it on the tablet. The performance on Android is fantastic, though due to the older version the number of apps is limited across categories.

Multimedia
Thanks to Windows 7 and the full size USB 2.0 port, the ViewPad tablet provides for the easiest access to multimedia. Like a standard desktop, various codecs and multimedia player could be loaded allowing the user to play any format of video as well as audio. Watching videos on the tablet was superb due to the large sized display. The sound output from the tablet is not too loud, but is higher than that for personal listening. The sound output in the earphones is great though with excellent clarity.

User Interface
ViewSonic has not done any modification across either of the interface than the standard wallpaper change to Viewsonic’s logo. Windows 7 interface is like a standard laptop, instead of physical mouse and keyboard; the user gets an onscreen keyboard and the multi-touch display to work with. In Android, it’s the same basic android interface that was in phones around a year back.

Conclusion
Although, the tablet has excellent hardware with a great touch-screen display, it’s the dual-boot operating system that is the major advantage over competitors here. However, we barely used the Android operating system over windows as it provided more options. The battery backup of the device lasted us just over a day, which is impressive considering we constantly worked on it and it was connected through WiFi constantly.

The ViewPad 10 is priced at Rs 38,000, which is too steep for an average consumer who now has options in terms of the MSI Windpad at 35,000 and the Apple iPad starting from Rs 28,000 in the same screen size.

Specifications

10.1" LCD screen with Capacitive multi-touch screen

1024x600 with LED backlight

220 cd/m2 Brightness

700:1 Contrast Ratio    

Intel Pine Trail N455 1.66GHz processor

DDR3 1GB SDRAM 667MHz

16GB SSD SATA

Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g/n), Bluetooth 2.1 (optional 3G module) + EDR, 3G and assisted GPS
Windows 7 Home Premium

Android 1.6

0.875 kg

1.3 megapixel camera (front)

G-Sensor, E-Compass sensor and ambient light sensor

Ports-3.5mm audio jack for stereo headset, 2 USB 2.0 ports, mini VGA port, Micro SD card slot

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BELKIN Play Max wireless router

One of the best routers available today with just one flaw. The name ‘Play Max’ raised our expectation before we actually tested this IEEE 802.11n based router and when we did it we were not at all disappointed, in fact disappointment came from other features. 

Once out of box what you have in hand is a compact clean looking router with hidden antennas and single indicator light and WPS button in front for hassle free secure connection setup. Number of connection ports at back is where Play Max has edge when compared with other similar products; there are 5 gigabit ports (1xWAN, 4xLAN) which would be ample for any wired connection plus being gigabit would mean faster data transfer speeds.  2 USB 2.0 ports are also present at the back for connecting external USB based storage devices with FAT 16/32 and NTFS file system, USB printers are also supported by Play Max giving you ability to convert your USB based printer to network one.

Setting up this router was the simplest of jobs and a mere 3 step process with initial configuration provided in small booklet attached to box. To use most of the features of this router including using USB storage/printer you have to install router management software that would sit in task bar and add to CPU usage, which as per us is a major con of Play Max. The main issue we faced with the router was that it does not support plugging in a 3G USB modem.

To test the performance of this router which supports true dual band in 2.5 Ghz and 5 GHz  band respectively, we carried out two tests. First we used Qucheck 3.0 to test throughput, we connected one machine with wire to router and other wirelessly to N based laptop (both laptop and machine were running Windows 7) and then checked throughput over TCP protocol. Play Max was able to transfer 1000 Kb payload at 64 mbps which is one of the best scores we have seen. In second test we transferred 40 MB of mixed data from machine to laptop; Play Max was able to complete this transfer in 4 seconds which is again very high when compared to other products. We also tried using the router to stream HD videos from a windows media center to an Xbox 360 over WiFi, and it worked great.

Besides performance and features there are number of bundled utilities for different purposes like torrent gene for downloading files to external storage, bit boost for traffic prioritization, music mover for wireless music play from external storage. All in all, a high performing router with not so user friendly bundled software.

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WD Share Space Network Storage System

This high-speed network-attached storage system with capacities up to 8 TB and a space-saving footprint gives you all the benefits of a big time data center without the need for a big time IT department. Perfect for centralizing and sharing data and multimedia files on a small office or home network.

Key Features

Big capacity, small footprint - Offered in 2, 4 and 8 TB capacities, this small-footprint four-bay system takes up very little space and provides plenty of storage to go around.

RAID capability - Offers multiple RAID configurations for data protection and speed -- RAID 0 (Striped), RAID 1 (Mirrored) and RAID 5. The RAID 5 mode, only available on the fully-populated 4-drive system, is the recommended mode to achieve both high-performance and data protection through redundancy.

The 4 and 8 TB WD ShareSpace systems are shipped in RAID 5 mode for maximum reliability.

The 2 TB WD ShareSpace system is shipped in Spanning Mode for maximum capacity and the flexibility to add additional drives without reformatting the system.

Click Here for Photo Gallery

Find out more about RAID

High-speed access, Ethernet connectivity - Provides data transfer rates up to 1000 Mbit/s when used in a GigE network.

Gigabit networking and transfer rates are five to six times faster than other network storage systems. This performance is comparable to USB 2.0 direct-attached storage.

Easy setup and discovery - An intuitive set-up wizard and easy-to-use discovery tool makes installation a snap.

E-mail alert system - Monitors drive and system health and sends you an e-mail if a problem is detected.

Stream digital media anywhere in your home - Built-in media server for streaming music, photos and movies to any DLNA certified multimedia device such as Playstation® 3, Xbox 360®, wireless digital picture frames, and connected audio receivers. DLNA 1.5 & UPnP certified.

iTunes® server support - Centralize your music collection and stream to a Mac® or Windows® PC using iTunes software.

Build your collection - Centralize digital media from all your computers into one vast media library. Now anyone can enjoy your collection from anywhere in your home.

Microsoft Active Directory support - Will join an Active Directory domain to utilize AD users and groups.

Push-button transfer - Plug a USB drive into the front-mounted USB 2.0 port and push a button to automatically transfer all the data on the drive to the WD ShareSpace system.

Automatic network backup software - Set up continuous backup for the computers* in your network using the included automatic backup software. Select the files you want to back up, then set it and forget it; every time you save a change it's automatically backed up. *3 software licenses included.

Remote access software - Access your files anywhere, anytime using MioNet remote access services from WD.

Download manager - Supports scheduled download through FTP and HTTP. Simultaneously manage multiple download tasks.

Windows Vista™ certified - Works seamlessly with Windows Vista to provide easy setup and automatic discovery.

Built-in FTP server - Set up your own FTP server. Manage the access authority and share your files with your friends or customers easily.

Three USB 2.0 ports - Two USB ports on the back to connect additional USB hard drives for backup or additional network storage. One USB port on the front for push button transfer.

Cooler, quieter, eco-friendlier -
Equipped with WD drives using WD GreenPower Technology, this system, with its efficient cooling architecture, and power saving mode, consumes up to 33% less power**, is reliably cool, and remarkably quiet.
** Tests based on comparison between a 1 TB dual-drive system using 7200 RPM drives and a 1 TB dual-drive system using WD’s GreenPower drives.

Power failure protection - Connect this system to your Universal Power Supply (UPS). If a power failure occurs, the system will shut down gracefully, protecting you from data loss.

Easy maintenance - Add or swap out drives quickly and easily.

Network storage manager - Manage your system configuration, create user IDs, passwords, security permissions, and quotas.

Ideal For

For small workgroups of 5 to 10 this system offers compact, centralized storage, accessible from anywhere.

Compatibility

• Windows® Vista/XP/2000
• Mac OS X 10.4.11+, 10.5.2+

Compatibility may vary depending on user’s hardware configuration and operating system.

Click Here for Photo Gallery

Package Contents

• Network storage system with RAID (populated with 2 or 4 hard drives)
• Ethernet cable
• 2 hard drive mounting rails (for 2-drive models)
• AC adapter
• Software CD
• Quick Install Guide

Performance Specifications

Serial Transfer Rate

USB 2.0

Serial Bus Transfer Rate (USB 2.0)                 480 Mb/s (Max)

Transfer Rates

Ethernet                                         10/100/1000 Mb/s capable

Physical Specifications

Capacity                                                                      4 TB

Interface                                                               Ethernet

Physical Dimensions

English

Height                                                               7.73 Inches

Length                                                              7.84 Inches

Width                                                                6.30 Inches

Weight                                                           10.78 Pounds

Metric

Height                                                                 196.2 mm

Length                                                                199.2 mm

Width                                                                  160.1 mm
Weight                                                                      4.9 kg

Environmental Specifications

Temperature (English)

Operating                                                         41° F to 95° F

Non-operating                                                 -4° F to 149° F

Temperature (Metric)

Operating                                                        5° C to 35° C

Non-operating                                              -20° C to 65° C

Electrical Specifications

Current Requirements

Power Dissipation

AC Input Voltage                                            100-240 VAC

AC Input Frequency                                              47-63 Hz

As used for storage capacity, one megabyte (MB) = one million bytes, one gigabyte (GB) = one billion bytes, and one terabyte (TB) = one trillion bytes. Total accessible capacity varies depending on operating environment. As used for buffer or cache, one megabyte (MB) = 1,048,576 bytes. As used for transfer rate or interface, megabyte per second (MB/s) = one million bytes per second, megabit per second (Mb/s) = one million bits per second, and gigabit per second (Gb/s) = one billion bits per second.

Click Here for Photo Gallery

- JMD Computer India

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Set up a wireless network without a router

Wireless networks are helpful because they let you use your computer and connect to the Internet anywhere in your home or office. However, most wireless networks use a wireless router, which can be expensive. If you have more than one computer, you can set up a wireless network without buying a wireless router and save yourself some money.

In a traditional wireless network, a wireless router acts as a base station, much like the base station for cordless phones. All wireless communications go through the wireless router, allowing nearby computers to connect to the Internet or to each other.

Ad hoc wireless networks work more like Willkie-talkies, because the computers communicate directly with each other. By enabling Internet Connection Sharing on one of the computers, you can share Internet access.

Ad hoc networking might seem like a much smarter alternative to using a wireless router, but it does have a couple of disadvantages:

• If the computer connected to the Internet is shut down, all computers that are part of the ad hoc network lose their Internet access.

• To connect to the Internet, one computer always needs a wired network connection.

To connect your computers to the Internet using an ad hoc wireless network, follow these high-level steps (described in more detail later in this article):

1. Enable Internet Connection Sharing on the Internet-connected computer. You can skip this step if you don't need to access the Web.

2. Set up the ad hoc wireless network on the Internet-connected computer.

3. Add your other computers to the wireless network.

How to enable Internet Connection Sharing

On networks with wireless routers, the router has the important job of forwarding communications from the computers on your home network to the Internet. On ad hoc networks, you must designate one computer to serve this role. The computer you choose must have a wired connection to the Internet, and it should be left on whenever you want to be able to use your other computers.

 

How to set up the first computer

To set up an ad hoc wireless network that allows computers to share an Internet connection without a router

1. If necessary, install a wireless network adapter.

2. Click Start, and then click Control Panel.

3. Under Pick a category, click Network and Internet Connections.

4. Under or pick a Control Panel icon, click Network Connections.

5. Right-click your wireless network connection, and then click Properties.

6. In the Wireless Network Connection Properties dialog box, click the Wireless Networks tab.

7. On the Wireless Networks tab, under Preferred networks, click Add.

8. In the Wireless network properties dialog box, on the Association tab, type the name of your ad hoc wireless network in Network name (SSID) box (shown in step 10). For example, you could name your wireless network MyHomeNetwork.

9. Clear the The key is provided for me automatically check box and select the This is a computer-to-computer (ad hoc) network check box.

10. Create a 13-digit password and type it in both the Network key and Confirm network key boxes. For the best security, include letters, numbers, and punctuation. Then click OK.

11. Click OK again to save your changes.

 

How to set up additional computers

If the computer you want to add to your network does not have built-in wireless network support, install a wireless network adapter.

Windows XP automatically detects the new adapter and notifies you that it found a wireless network.

Now connect your computer to your wireless network

Note: These steps apply only if you're using Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2). If you haven't installed SP2, visit Microsoft Update to install it before connecting to the ad hoc network.

1. Right-click the Wireless Network icon in the lower right corner of your screen, and then click View Available Wireless Networks.

Note: If you run into any problems, consult the documentation that came with your network adapter. Don't be afraid to call the manufacturer's technical support department for help.

2. The Wireless Network Connection window appears and displays your wireless network listed with the SSID you chose. If you don't see your network, click Refresh Network List in the upper left corner. Click your network, and then click Connect in the lower right corner.

3. Windows XP prompts you to enter a key. Type your encryption key in both the Network key and Confirm network key boxes, and then click Connect.

Windows XP shows its progress as it connects to your network. After you're connected, you can close the Wireless Network Connection window.

Repeat these three steps on each computer that you want to connect to your ad hoc wireless network.

Now you're ready to browse the Web wirelessly, from any computer you add to your home network.

- JMD Computer                                                                         Keep Comment

* if Link is Broken, fill free form click here with Link Details.

Source:- http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/networking/setup/adhoc.mspx#1

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Mikogo – Remote Access

…Mikogo
Mikogo is a free online meeting tool where users can share anything from their desktop in true color quality with up to 10 participants simultaneously! Security is of a high standard, employing an industry-leading 256-AES end-to-end encryption.

Mikogo Participant Program Join a meeting - No installation required for participants.

                             

 

How To Setup Mikogo

- JMD Computer

* if Link is Broken, fill free form click here with Link Details.

Source:-http://www.mikogo-blog.com/about/ and

http://www.mikogo-blog.com/screenshots/

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Download Remoteus Helpdesk

WHY REMOTEUS

Provide remote support everywhere securely and safely over the Internet.
Reach customers behind firewalls and NAT addresses instantly without programming or configuring anything.

Your customer only has to push one button in the Customer's Program to initiate the remote support connection.

Also the Helpdesk Program follows with you everywhere. You are not tied to providing remote support from your own network only!

You only need to pay for the maximum number of concurrent remote sessions you would like to be able to build between you and your customers. You can have both the Helpdesk and the customer's programs installed on any number of PCs you like.

Give instant remote support to your customers or remotely demo your own new software.

Make your and your customers' business easier.

Here is link to download Remoteus Helpdesk:

http://www.remoteus.net/download/demo/eng/remoteus-helpdesk.exe

Here is link to download Remoteus Customer´s program:

http://www.remoteus.net/download/demo/eng/remoteus2008.exe

Here is link to download Remoteus Customer´s program, that requires only guest rights for installation

http://www.remoteus.net/remoteus2008/download/temporary/eng/remoteus2008.exe

- JMD Computer

* if Link is Broken, fill free form click here with Link Details.

Source:- http://www.remoteus.net/pages/english/index.php?sivu=why

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