A useful program to manage your network settings ( multiple )

Are you on the move everytime? Do you need to change your internet settings ( network card settings ) everytime you change your location. Do not fret, here is a program which will allow you to set multiple settings on a single PC or laptop. The program which will help you achieve the above is called “netsetman” and can be downloaded here People who use various options to connect to internet will also find it very useful. For example connecting via mobile device, regular broadband or through normal telephone line.

What is netsetman and how does it help? NetSetMan is a network settings manager which can easily switch between 6 different, visually structured profiles including: IP Address, Subnet Mask, Default Gateway, DNS Server, WINS Server, Computer Name, Workgroup, DNS Domain, Default Printer, Network Drives, NIC Status, SMTP Server, Hosts File Entries, Scripts (BAT, VS, JS, …)

And it Can 1. Manage all your network settings 2. Show you all current settings in the tray bar 3. Get current settings 4. 2-Click profile change from the tray bar 5. Save all settings automatically 6. Command line activation 7. Use your default Windows skin

And here is how you can use the program using three simple steps. 1. Dowload the program and install it on your PC or laptop. 2. Once installed you will see a screen as shown in Fig 1. Choose the SET1 tab and rename it to anything you like, for example if the settings are for travel then name it travel. Input the various settings like IP address, subnet mask and default gateway etc. It allows you upto six different profiles. It also has the option to set multiple network cards. 3. Activate the profile which you want to use as per your location, using the task bar icon.

Hope with this program your multiple network settings issue would resolve to a large extent.

scribd.com allows many document formats to be embedded in a web page by a simple four step process. But what is embedded document and specifically what is scribd ipaper document. If you have a tech article, synopsis, story, peoms etc in word or other format you don’t have to rewrite the whole content for a webpage. Simply get the code from scribd and paste it in your webpage where you want the document to show. You can share it through your own blog / website or use scribd.com to publish and share.

Here are the steps involved to embed scribd ipaper document in your blog or website.

1. Register with scribd.com and get your account. Activate the account by clicking on the link sent by scibd.com to your email address.

2. Log in to your account and click the Upload button. Browse for the file you want to upload and embed in your blog. Enter description and tags if desired.

3. Go to My Docs and click on the share link to get the HTML code.

4. Paste this code in your webpage / blog.

More about scribd and ipaper …

Scribd began with a simple observation – that there’s a writer in all of us. And that even more fundamental than our desire for self-expression is our need to learn and be inspired.

Today, Scribd is the place where you publish, discover and discuss original writings and documents. More than 50 million people each month are finding or sharing fun, functional or fantastical writings and documents on Scribd.com and tens of thousands of other websites that have embedded Scribd’s document reader.

With Scribd’s iPaper document reader, anyone can easily upload and immediately share their original works on Scribd.com or any other website. iPaper transforms PDF, Word, PowerPoint and many other file formats into an elegant web display. Your work can be shared with Scribd’s community of passionate readers, and because every word of your document is indexed for search engine optimization, your screenplay, novel or even sheet music and recipes also can be discovered by the world.

So Google has finally launched its browser. Here is what they have to say about their new browser in terms of designing and features. On their website they have the details in CARTOON BOOK format, which undermines the seriousness of the software they have developed.

The Inside of CHROME

Google thinks, that today, we have more of applications running on the internet than webpages. So the design had to start from the scratch. While designing ‘ CHROME ‘ there were several issues which were taken in consideration like faster loading, better security and other features. There was also this issue of most browsers being single threaded. Single threaded means if javascript was executing something in a browser, if became crippled till the time of execution.

It was only after the process completed that the control was given back to the browser. This made the ‘ TEAM CHROME ‘ to think in terms of multi threaded browser. But, it also led them to think in terms of having multiple processes. Each having its own memory and its own copy of global stuctures. The idea was simply brilliant. It meant a browser based on the principle of an Operating System ( where process isolation is the key to its survival ).

Multi threaded also meant that, if, there is a browser bug in the rendering then only that particular tab goes down. But the browser does not crash. In GOOGLEs’ words you are faced a single SAD TAB. The multi process design needs more intial memory, but in the long run it will be mean less memory bloat. Opening and closing tabs in the current browsers creates memory fragmentation which affects the performance of the browser and internet surfing.

But ‘ Chrome ‘ destroys all the processes once the tab is closed, instantly releasing the memory it occupied. Add to it the power of WEBKIT which is used in ‘ CHROME ‘ ( and in ANDROID ) as an rendering engine. Javascript being an important and integral part of the browser, was reworked in terms of Javascript Virtual Machine ( which basically adds to the safety and also makes it platform independent ).

The Outside of CHROME and top 10 features

1. Tabbed Interface – with the tabs at the top.
2. Dockable tabs – move it and the window state too will move.
3. The omnibox handles more than just URLs. It offers suggestions for searches, top visited pages,pages you have not visited but are popular and the best feature is the full text search over the history.
4. Auto complete to something you have explicitly typed before. ( Inline completion which is very discreet ).
5.A very handy and thoughtful feature which is incorporated in the opening of new tab is that it opens with 9 most frequently visited websites ( thumbnails ) on the left and on the right, sites that you search for the most.
6. Google chrome has a privacy mode. Pages viewed here will never be logged on to your computer, that means no cookies etc.
7. Pop ups will be pushed to its own tab. If you need it then drag out and it will be promoted to its own window.
8. Sandboxing – The weapon against malware.
9. Very simple Interface.
10. Easy download system. A simple push button method.

After searching the net and other sources, I found the following options. You too can adopt any one of them in case you get stuck up like me.

1. Download Microsoft Compatibility Pack from Microsoft website

2. Use online facility. Websites like docx2doc.com and zamzar.com are some popular sites that provide the facilty to convert files from .doc to .docx. In case of zamzar it is a simple 4 step process.

a. Upload the .docx file.
b. Choose from the various conversion options.
c. Add your email address.
d. Submit the request.

Docs2doc.com has a two step process. Upload the .docx file and add your email address. Thats it. It takes upto 24 hrs to get your converted file back, which I think is such a waste of time. They have a premium service too. It gets you unlimited file conversions with faster response time.

3. Desktop Widgets – There are many Desktop Widgets available online.

4. The fourth method is the quickest and involves some labour. Here are the steps.

a. Change the file extension of the file from .docx to .zip.
b. Extract the content using unzipping program.
c. Once extracted you will find a word folder. Locate the file document.xml in this folder and open it in wordpad / notepad or Internet Explorer latest version ( 7.0 ) OR use XML VIEWER from Mind fusion. Here is the brief description of what the viewer is about.

MindFusion’s XML Viewer is used to examine the contents of an XML file in an easy-to-use environment. In addition you can make modification to the XML such as insering and deleting items as well as adding and deleting properties to existing items. MindFusion’s XML Viewer offers you also drag-and-drop option to manipulate the files more easily.

I have not personally tried this software, so use it at your own risk. I have tried notepad / wordpad method. It requires editing / deleting of unwanted tags and characters to extract your content.

5. Use OpenOffice – It has an XML Translator.

So choose the method which suits you and curse Microsoft for making our lives miserable.

Internet Explorer 7.0 has come a long way since its inception ( Windows 95 days ). The new version is definitely better and more secure. It has many facilities added to it like tabbed windows, integrated RSS feed reader and more.

Download link

Internet Explorer 7.0

To compliment this new generation browser from Microsoft, developers and companies have created many addons from paid to free versions. One of the most important and free addon for Internet Explorer 7.0 is the IE7Pro. Here is the complete list of features and tweaks which come with IE7Pro.IE 7.0 PRO features

1. Tabbed Browsing Management
2. Crash Recovery
3. Proxy Switcher
4. AD Blocker
5. Spell Check
6. User Plug-ins
7. Flash Block
8. Super Drag Drop
9. Tab History Browser
10. Webpage Capturer
11. Inline Search

Some other useful and must have addons are

1. FeedsPlus – only IE 7 – If you are using browser to read your feeds then this addon is a must. It also lets you know when a new feed is added

FeedPlus

2. ieSpell – Spell check for text input boxes – forum posts, blogs, mail3.

iespell

3. LeechVideo – IE addon that lets you download favorite videos from popular video sharing websites (i.e. Youtube, Google Video, DailyMotion, etc.).

LeechVideo

4. Amigo is an application which allows you to manage your favorites list in a very fast, flexible, and powerful way. The main application Amigo sits in the system tray and does not block any part of your screen. There is a plugin for IE which can ease bookmarking simply by right clicking the Web page in Internet Explorer. Amigo tries its best to automatically check for dead links, re-directed links therefore keeping your bookmarks current. Allows you to share your links with the rest of the world if you want them to be shared. Alerts you when you have not visited a Web site for a long time. You could then decide to delete the old and least frequently visited links. Version 3.7 includes keywords auto detection for Manage links field and new field detecting Java version. Version 3.8 autodetects keywords for URL and adds options to easily manage URL information simply by right clicking the menu item.

amigo

5. Child Web Gardian – Filtering software designed to provide Internet child safety. This program keeps track and checks the content of every web-page the child browses through in the Internet Explorer. If the program finds some obscene content, ChildWebGardian will immediately block viewing such pages. ChildWebGuardian is a whole software package that is integrated in Internet Explorer and consists of some controlling functions.Version 2.6 may include unspecified updates, enhancements or bug fixes.

ChildWebGuardian

1. There is nice little trick to open your programs via Quick launch toolbar with hot keys. First of all arrange your applications/programs in quick launch toolbar according to your preference and in sequence.

If you cannot see your quick launch toolbar then right click on the taskbar and select QUICK LAUNCH from the toolbars menu.You can now open the programs using the Windows Key and 0 – 9 numbers in sequence.

2. Many times there comes a situation when selecting multiple files becomes a tedious chore. Imagine after selecting the required files only to find you have lost the selections because you pressed a key unknowingly.

Here is the solution

In VISTA you can enable the check boxes for selecting multiple files. Goto My Computer >> Organize >> Folder and Search Options and under the view tab check mark next to “use check box to select item”.

3. If you are a person who works in an office where lots of files are created on daily basis then this tip will help you a lot.

Files are created, stored and retreived. Retreiving files becomes difficult in case your HARDDISK is cluttered with them and disorganized. This makes us use the search option frequently. Now, if you use these search result files quite often then it is better to save the search result to a virtual folder. This can be one by clicking the file and choosing save search option.

Windows XP allows you to rename multiple files in one stroke. Just select the files you want to rename in windows explorer and press F2. Rename the first file and press enter. Windows XP will change all the files with corresponding numbers in parenthesis.

For example if you have selected ocean.jpg, address.doc and accounts.xls and rename ocean.jpg to new then the subsequent files will be renamed to new (1) and new (2). The file extension will remain the same.

Hope you found this tip useful.

This is more of a tutorial than a article. Therefore I have decided to post here in the Blog as well as in the tutorial section also. Following are few Windows Vista tips which some people might not be aware. They really are helpful … so continue reading.

1. File Menu Access :

vista may not have file menu in certain applications for example windows explorer. To gain access temporarily use the ALT key. To permanently enable it open Windows Explorer – goto Organize – Folder and Search Options – Click on view tab – Check the box for always show menus.

2. Right Click Menu – More Options :

To get instant access with any file and folder right clicking is the fastest option. vista right clicking menu has many other hidden options. Use SHIFT while right clicking to get the extra options.

3. Parental Control :

This feature in vista allows parents to regulate the way in which the computer is used by their children. To edit parental control settings – Goto Start – Control Panel – User Accounts and Family Safety – Click Parental Controls.You can either edit the existing account OR create a new user account.

This feature restricts access to

a. Programs
b. Time Limits
c. Games Access and
d. Internet

4. Short Cuts / Missing Desktop Icons :

If you need to add program and other icons on the Desktop in vista, then right click anywhere on the Desktop itself and choose personalize from the options. Nexk click on change Desktop icons and tick boxes against those icons which you need.You can customize your icons here.

5. Customizing the start menu

To customize OR add/remove start menu items – Right click on the taskbar and choose properties. Choose Start Menu tab and click on customize button. To remove an item from the menu tick the box – ( Don’t Display this item ) against the item which you don’t want to display.

6. Search Internet from within vista :

In vista you can search the internet from start menu itself. Click the Start button – enter the search keywords in the search field and click on search the Internet. vista has Live Search as its default search engine.

7. Customizing the POWER button on your computer :

You can change the function of the power button on your computer. Control Panel >> System & Maintainance >> Power Options >>
Choose what the power button does.

Once upon a time computers did not have any operating system. Every computer was built for a specific function, which meant all the code / programming was hard wired. In case the purpose / function of the computer changed then there was no other way except to either change the system itself or alter it physically.

Then came a time when programmers were hired to keep the computers running. They brought in their programs on punch cards to execute it.

In the early days Microsoft bought QDOS from Seattle Computer Products and changed its name to MS – DOS. A simple system which let one program run at a time.DOS used command line interface. It meant that the user had to input DOS command for each action. DOS would always ask for a command at command prompt. One could always automize series of commands by creating batch files.
Some of the frequently used commands used : DIR , COPYCON, TYPE, MD etc etc.
These were the dark days of computer.

In 1985 Microsoft launched its GUI based operating system called ‘WINDOWS’. Initially it was called Interface Manager but subsequently it was named as Windows 1.0. It was not a true operating system as it depended on DOS to manage applications.Windows 1.0 had little success in the market as it was plagued with hardware and software compatibility issues.

In 1987 windows 2.0 was introduced.It was specially developed considering the enormous power of 286 processors.It was also for the first time that Microsoft introduced WORD and EXCEL.

In 1990 Windows 3.0 was laucnched to compliment the new 386 intel processors. It had 16 bit colours and other fancy frills.With Windows 3.0 Microsoft introduced Program Manager / File Manager to manage files. This version was much faster then the previous ones. In 1991 Microsoft brought multimedia support to windows by introducing CD ROM and SOUND CARD. It also had a basic CD player application.It was during this period more and more applications were developed for Windows. It suddenly became a serious competition to Apple’s Mackintosh.

In 1991 Microsoft launched Windows 3.1. Here it introduced API and TTF – true type fonts.

In 1993 Windows 3.1 for work groups was introduced.
At the same time Microsoft was developing the NT platform which did not need DOS to run and also introduced NTFS file system ( New Technology File System ).

In 1995 Windows 95 was launched. In a sense it was because of this new version that PCs became popular. It had
Better network support
Better device support
Start button – A new feature to launch programs
Very good user interface – More Colours etc
Files names ( support ) – with more than 255 characters
Direct X introduced – Gaming

Windows 98 Launched – Year 1998. It had USB support. And ofcourse Fat 32 file system – ( which meant support for more than 2GB Hard disk ). And active desktop – which meant a web page could be saved as wallpaper.Later Windows 98 Second Edition was launched.

Windows 2000. Hybrid between Windows 98 and Windows NT.

Millenium Edition – Windows ME. The unique feature of this operting system was it had no support for DOS.

Windows eXPerience – Windows brought in the robustness of NT and the user friendliness of ME to introduce WINDOWS XP. Many flavours were were / are available i.e
Windows XP – Starter Edition
Windows XP – Home Edition
Windows XP – Professional Edition
Windows XP – Media Centre

2007 – Windows VISTAS launched