tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-42986888874546723042024-03-20T13:37:52.336+05:00Apple StoreHassaan Syedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04742235483151885808noreply@blogger.comBlogger47125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4298688887454672304.post-2183707190199577152011-10-14T09:54:00.002+05:002011-10-14T09:54:41.840+05:00Ultrabook Laptops Expected to Get “Retina-Quality” Displays Next Year<script type="text/javascript"><!--
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, verdana, helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-141VFOlM35bJTMkAM9QhzT1gwJX9eR8o6wKUJaaRCfnxGavvDsqwMpP11rLePuPbEBy5bOcsobclqn22DJPbtN6-omzwY0dSLZheyNa511FlIG8Gxlbr1YLzKdC88rn3UTVqRukVHmc/s1600/More-details-on-the_LG-P220_ultrabook.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-141VFOlM35bJTMkAM9QhzT1gwJX9eR8o6wKUJaaRCfnxGavvDsqwMpP11rLePuPbEBy5bOcsobclqn22DJPbtN6-omzwY0dSLZheyNa511FlIG8Gxlbr1YLzKdC88rn3UTVqRukVHmc/s320/More-details-on-the_LG-P220_ultrabook.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, verdana, helvetica, sans-serif;"><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">If you’re considering picking up an Ultrabook, here’s a reason you might possibly want to wait until the next wave of these ultra-thin and lightweight laptops land next year: Super-sharp “retina-quality” displays.</div></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, verdana, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"><a href="http://vr-zone.com/articles/from-idf-retina-quality-2560x1600-hd-panels-on-ivy-bridge-ultrabooks/13689.html" style="clear: none; color: #1c609f; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;"><em style="list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">VR Zone</em></a> reports that early next year, when Ultrabooks sporting Intel’s next-generation Ivy Bridge processor arrive, we can expect to see their 13.3-inch and 15.6-inch displays with resolutions as high as 2560 pixels by 1440 pixels. In comparison, the Apple iPad 2's resolution is 1024 pixels by 768 pixels.<script type="text/javascript"><!--
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, verdana, helvetica, sans-serif;"><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><br style="list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" /><span class="image rtmd" style="float: right; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 10px; max-width: 350px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: relative;"><a class="zoomLink" href="http://zapp5.staticworld.net/images/article/2011/10/ultrabook-retinadisplays-5226532.jpeg" style="clear: none; color: #1c609f; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" title="Intel's calculations for smartphone-like display resolutions for Ultrabooks."><img class="zoomOverlay" src="http://zapp5.staticworld.net/images/zoomIcon.png" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; clear: both; display: block; float: right; height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: auto; max-width: 606px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: absolute; right: 0px; width: 20px;" title="Click to enlarge" /><img alt="Intel's calculations for smartphone-like display resolutions for Ultrabooks." src="http://zapp5.staticworld.net/images/article/2011/10/ultrabook-retinadisplays-5226534.jpeg" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; clear: both; display: block; float: right; height: auto; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: auto; max-width: 606px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="Intel's calculations for smartphone-like display resolutions for Ultrabooks." /></a><span class="artCaption" style="clear: both; color: #404040; float: left; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 6px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 6px;">Intel's calculations for smartphone-like display resolutions for Ultrabooks.</span></span>This graphic shown at the Intel Developer Forum this year suggests Intel is trying to mimic the iPhone’s popular Retina display in offering a screen with such pixel density that the human eye can’t distinguish individual pixels. In other words, Ultrabooks could get smartphone-quality screens.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Asus said this week that its 13.3-inch <a href="http://technologyhutt.blogspot.com/2011/10/asus-ux21-and-ux31-zenbooks.html">Asus Zenbook UX31</a> boasts a beautiful high-resolution display (1600 pixels by 900 pixels), which is higher than both the MacBook Air and competing Ultrabook <a href="http://technologyhutt.blogspot.com/2011/10/acer-aspire-s3-951-6646-ultrabook.html">Acer Aspire S3-951.</a></div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">But if a super, super-high-resolution screen is what you want--and you’re willing to pay whatever the price premium that will add on, which is unknown at this time--then you’ve got about a six-month wait for your Ultrabook to arrive.</div><script type="text/javascript"><!--
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<div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.pcworld.com/">Source</a></div></span>Hassaan Syedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04742235483151885808noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4298688887454672304.post-78561373358230359342011-09-18T18:55:00.000+05:002011-09-18T18:55:50.212+05:0010 Great Ways to Get More From Your iPad<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, verdana, helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">The iPad is loaded with all kinds of features you’ve probably heard about, but look a little deeper, and its extra abilities might surprise you. Some of these secrets are enabled through apps, while some are built into the device already.</div><h2 class="articleBodyContentSubHed" style="font-size: 18px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 10px;"><strong style="font-weight: bold; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Turn Your iPad into a Secondary Desktop Display</strong></h2><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">With its big, high-resolution display, it’s a shame to just park an iPad when switching to a computer. Instead, <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/air-display/id419449718?mt=12" style="clear: none; color: #1c609f; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Air Display</a> ($10) makes your iPad a second screen for your Mac, extending the desktop. The tool has just been submitted to the App Store and should be released soon; I checked out a beta.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="image ltsm" id="test" style="float: left; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-top: 10px; max-width: 180px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><img alt="" height="154" src="http://zapp5.staticworld.net/howto/graphics/196415-airdisplay1_180.jpg" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; clear: both; display: block; float: left; height: auto; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: auto; max-width: 606px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" width="180" /></span>You install a utility on the computer and connect with the Air Display System Preference. (It’s Mac-only at launch, but a Windows version is coming.) The iPad then behaves just like an extra screen. You reposition it in the Displays System Preference like a real monitor, in a portrait or landscape view. Although it lags a little when showing video, it refreshes quickly enough for most work. You can even tap on the iPad to click.</div><h2 class="articleBodyContentSubHed" style="font-size: 18px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 10px;"><strong style="font-weight: bold; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Stream Movies From Your PC</strong></h2><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="image rtsm" style="float: right; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 10px; max-width: 180px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: relative;"><a class="zoomLink" href="http://zapp5.staticworld.net/howto/graphics/196415-airvideo2_original.jpg" style="clear: none; color: #1c609f; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" title="Air Video can stream 720p video from your PC, and convert transcode video formats in real time."><img class="zoomOverlay" src="http://zapp5.staticworld.net/images/zoomIcon.png" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; clear: both; display: block; float: right; height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: auto; max-width: 606px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: absolute; right: 0px; width: 20px;" title="Click to enlarge" /><img alt="Air Video--click for full-size image." src="http://zapp5.staticworld.net/howto/graphics/196415-airvideo2_180.jpg" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; clear: both; display: block; float: right; height: auto; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: auto; max-width: 606px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="Air Video--click for full-size image." /></a><span class="artCaption" style="clear: both; color: #404040; float: left; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 6px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 6px;">Air Video can stream 720p video from your PC, and convert transcode video formats in real time.</span></span></div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Even if you bought the largest-capacity iPad, if it can’t fit all of your videos, it’s too small. Instead of trying to cram everything into the device, you can stream videos from a local or online PC. The process has one main caveat; if you bought movies or TV shows from the iTunes store, DRM restrictions block those files. (Podcasts and music videos should work.). But you can watch your own videos or DRM-free downloads without taking up iPad storage.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Of the many options available, I like Air Video ($3) the best. (A free version includes the same functions but limits the number of files you can browse in each folder). Similar to competitors, you run a server utility on your PC or Mac in order to route data to the iPad. In my tests, Air Video played most resolutions smoothly, including 720p video files over an 802.11n Wi-Fi network.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">That resolution stutters on an 802.11g network, but if you reach a file that’s too big—or just not in an iPad-friendly QuickTime format, including AVI, WMV, ASF, MKV, DIVX, and FLV—you can have the PC remotely convert the clip. Just hit a button from the iPad interface and stream it when ready, or have a speedy PC process it and stream it live. It even supports subtitles and TV output. The iPad can send video to a TV at 1024 by 768 resolution via its <a href="http://store.apple.com/us/product/MC552ZM/A" style="clear: none; color: #1c609f; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">$29 Dock Connector to VGA adapter</a>; 576p and 480p with the $49 Apple Component A/V Cable, and 576i or 480i with an Apple Composite Cable (also $49).</div><h2 class="articleBodyContentSubHed" style="font-size: 18px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 10px;"><strong style="font-weight: bold; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Connect More Than a Camera</strong></h2><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Apple’s iPad Camera Connection Kit ($29) does so much more than its stated purpose. Instead of just transferring photos and videos from your camera or SD card, the adapter’s USB port attaches a range of devices.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="image ltsm" id="test" style="float: left; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-top: 10px; max-width: 180px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><img alt="" height="82" src="http://zapp5.staticworld.net/howto/graphics/196415-cameraconnection1_original.jpg" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; clear: both; display: block; float: left; height: auto; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: auto; max-width: 606px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" width="180" /></span>Many USB keyboards work. The iPad presents a warning that the device isn’t supported (shown left), but if it doesn’t draw much power, you can ignore the message. Volume and media keys usually work, and you can even use desktop commands such as Command-Z. (Don’t forget that the iPad also officially supports Bluetooth keyboards and Apple’s iPad Keyboard Dock).</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">USB audio devices can work, too--including speakers, headsets, and microphones. If a device draws too much power and balks (as when I connected a <a href="http://www.zoom.co.jp/english/products/h2/" style="clear: none; color: #1c609f; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Zoom H2</a> mic and <a href="http://www.logitech.com/en-us/speakers_audio/home_pc_speakers/devices/199" style="clear: none; color: #1c609f; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Logitech V20</a> PC speakers), no problem: just attach the device to a powered USB hub, and connect the hub to the Camera Connection Kit adapter. You can even attach different devices—such as a keyboard and speaker set—at the same time.</div><h2 class="articleBodyContentSubHed" style="font-size: 18px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 10px;"><strong style="font-weight: bold; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Jailbreak for More Features</strong></h2><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="image rtsm" id="test" style="float: right; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 10px; max-width: 180px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: relative;"><img alt="" height="119" src="http://zapp5.staticworld.net/howto/graphics/196415-spirit_jailbreak_original.jpg" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; clear: both; display: block; float: right; height: auto; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: auto; max-width: 606px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" width="180" /></span></div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><em style="list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">(Editor's note: The iPad 2 jailbreak is currently on its way, but no word yet on how well it works or how to do it. The following section covers jailbreaking for the original iPad.)</em></div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Apple maintains obsessive control over the iPad, making it less like a computer and more like a media player. But you have an alternative: Jailbreak the iPad, and you can run third-party apps that weren’t approved by Apple.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">If you’re willing to jailbreak your iPad (which means voiding your iPad warranty and taking full responsibility for anything that may go wrong), then you can also use the Camera Connection Kit to<a href="http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=914411" style="clear: none; color: #1c609f; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">read USB sticks and SD card</a> directories. (Without jailbreaking, you can already import SD-card videos and photos or attach a Compact Flash reader). With a bit more fiddling, you can <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/06/ipad-spirit-jailbreak-camera-connection-kit-external-hdd-sup/" style="clear: none; color: #1c609f; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">read files from an external USB hard drive</a>. Those are a lot of unnecessary hoops to jump through for such basic connectivity, but it is at least possible. Again, jailbreaking is best left for the tech-oriented or the adventurous.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">You would connect the iPad to a computer, run Sprit and then be able to install apps through the Cydia interface. Cydia and iTunes apps coexist, so you can install apps like Backgrounder and Multiflow to enable multitasking (letting you listen to Pandora while working in other iTunes-purchased apps, say). Of course, multitasking is coming officially in OS 4.0. Notes: ProSwitcher (arguably the best jailbreak multitasking app for the iPhone) didn't appear to be optimized for the iPad (yet) at the time of writing. For jailbreak apps, sticking to those that have been reworked for the iPad will help avoid--though not guarantee against--unnecessary hassle.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Other jailbreak apps include iPad-ready versions of Wi-Fi Sync (wireless iTunes syncing), Winterboard (customized themes), and Dashboard (OS X-style widgets). You can also use your iPad <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2wklrVOFMKA" style="clear: none; color: #1c609f; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">with a mouse</a>, run <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ug55F6_t74" style="clear: none; color: #1c609f; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">game console emulators and hand controllers</a>, and otherwise do things Apple doesn’t allow. Benefits will grow as the iPad jailbreaking community expands.</div><h2 class="articleBodyContentSubHed" style="font-size: 18px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 10px;"><strong style="font-weight: bold; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Access Your PC Remotely</strong></h2><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="image rtsm" style="float: right; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 10px; max-width: 180px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: relative;"><a class="zoomLink" href="http://zapp5.staticworld.net/howto/graphics/196415-vnc2_original.jpg" style="clear: none; color: #1c609f; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" title="VNC Viewer can control a remote PC as if you’re sitting in front of it."><img class="zoomOverlay" src="http://zapp5.staticworld.net/images/zoomIcon.png" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; clear: both; display: block; float: right; height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: auto; max-width: 606px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: absolute; right: 0px; width: 20px;" title="Click to enlarge" /><img alt="" src="http://zapp5.staticworld.net/howto/graphics/196415-vnc2_180.jpg" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; clear: both; display: block; float: right; height: auto; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: auto; max-width: 606px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="" /></a><span class="artCaption" style="clear: both; color: #404040; float: left; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 6px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 6px;">VNC Viewer can control a remote PC as if you’re sitting in front of it.</span></span></div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">You just left for the weekend but forgot to copy an important business file (or hilarious LOLcat) to your laptop. Use an iPad to retrieve the content. Several remote desktop-style tools present a live view of the distant computer, letting you control the PC as if you were sitting right there.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Whether you’re reaching across the Internet, or just into the next room, the process isn’t fast enough to play smooth video. So keep searching for that Hulu fix. But most other applications and slow-moving Flash games —such as Farmville—work if you can handle about 10 to 20 frames per second.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Among many choices, I like LogMeIn Ignition ($30 if you want to configure as little as possible) andiTeleport ($25), plus VNC Viewer ($10) if you want to manually set it up. You’ll first configure the PC with a server utility (or an option built into the OS) first, then you can connect anywhere.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">All three tools offer similar functionality. You’ll zoom in and out with pinch gesture, and mouse around by touching the iPad. Two-fingered taps activate right-click, and other gestures help with the input. iTeleport includes more keyboard options, such as presets to control media applications, but I thought the implementation got in the way.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">If you just want to sit back and control a computer hooked up to a TV, <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/pad-mouse-remote-trackpad/id363573369?mt=8" style="clear: none; color: #1c609f; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Mobile Mouse</a> ($3) can turn your iPad into a wireless keyboard, multitouch mouse trackpad, and media remote.</div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, verdana, helvetica, sans-serif;"><h2 class="articleBodyContentSubHed" style="font-size: 18px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 10px;"><strong style="font-weight: bold; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Supercharge the Browser</strong></h2><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Safari set a great standard for mobile browsing, but many alternatives reveal its missing features.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Starting with real tabs, Atomic Web ($1) adds many desktop-class benefits. Multitouch swipe gestures even toggle between open sites. But that’s just the beginning. Atomic Web Browser can optionally omit images to save bandwidth, identify itself as various desktop browsers, let you customize the search engine, search for text within a page, modify its buttons, and more.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"></div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="image ltsm" style="float: left; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-top: 10px; max-width: 180px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><a class="zoomLink" href="http://zapp5.staticworld.net/howto/graphics/196415-atomicbrowser2_original.jpg" style="clear: none; color: #1c609f; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" title="Atomic Web Browser can launch new tabs in the background."><img class="zoomOverlay" src="http://zapp5.staticworld.net/images/zoomIcon.png" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; clear: both; display: block; float: left; height: 20px; left: 185px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: auto; max-width: 606px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: absolute; width: 20px;" title="Click to enlarge" /><img alt="Atomic Web Browser--click for full-size image." src="http://zapp5.staticworld.net/howto/graphics/196415-atomicbrowser2_180.jpg" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; clear: both; display: block; float: left; height: auto; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: auto; max-width: 606px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="Atomic Web Browser--click for full-size image." /></a><span class="artCaption" style="clear: both; color: #404040; float: left; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 6px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 6px;">Atomic Web Browser can launch new tabs in the background.</span></span></div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Safari will unfortunately remain as the iPad’s default. However, you can create a bookmark that reloads a Safari page within Atomic Web Browser. In the Atomic Web Browser Settings menu, tap <em style="list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Install Bookmarklet</em>. That’ll open Safari and explain the process.</div><h2 class="articleBodyContentSubHed" style="font-size: 18px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 10px;"><strong style="font-weight: bold; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Transfer Your Books to iBooks Reader</strong></h2><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"></div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Apple’s eBook reader--iBooks--keeps all of your Apple-purchased books together, includes an iPad-specific interface, and interfaces with iTunes. iBooks uses the ePub file format, so while the iPad can <em style="list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">read</em> PDFs, you can’t <em style="list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">store</em> those files here with the rest of your books. You can, however, convert them to ePub first, and keep everything in one place.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="image rtsm" style="float: right; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 10px; max-width: 180px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: relative;"><a class="zoomLink" href="http://zapp5.staticworld.net/howto/graphics/196415-calibre1_original.jpg" style="clear: none; color: #1c609f; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" title="Within Calibre, pick the iPad output setting."><img class="zoomOverlay" src="http://zapp5.staticworld.net/images/zoomIcon.png" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; clear: both; display: block; float: right; height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: auto; max-width: 606px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: absolute; right: 0px; width: 20px;" title="Click to enlarge" /><img alt="Calibre--click for full-size image." src="http://zapp5.staticworld.net/howto/graphics/196415-calibre1_180.jpg" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; clear: both; display: block; float: right; height: auto; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: auto; max-width: 606px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="Calibre--click for full-size image." /></a><span class="artCaption" style="clear: both; color: #404040; float: left; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 6px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 6px;">Within Calibre, pick the iPad output setting.</span></span></div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">To do this, try<a href="http://www.calibre-ebook.com/about" style="clear: none; color: #1c609f; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Calibre</a>--an open source e-book library management application for Windows, Mac OS X and Linux. The software imports a range of formats, including PDF. After installation, click <em style="list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Add books</em>, and select the PDF. Click <em style="list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Convert E-books</em>. In Page Setup, pick <em style="list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">iPad</em> as the Output profile. For simple documents, you can even try online conversion throughwww.epubtogo.com. When finished, just drag the ePub files into iTunes, and you’ll sync them the next time you connect the iPad.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">My results varied depending on the complexity of the PDF. When I tried converting a document with photos and margin sidebars, unrelated sections of text merged. However, the process worked for simpler, text-driven documents.</div><h2 class="articleBodyContentSubHed" style="font-size: 18px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 10px;"><strong style="font-weight: bold; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Print from an iPad</strong></h2><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="image ltsm" style="float: left; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-top: 10px; max-width: 180px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><a class="zoomLink" href="http://zapp5.staticworld.net/howto/graphics/196415-printcentral2_original.jpg" style="clear: none; color: #1c609f; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" title="PrintCentral lets you pick any printer your PC can reach."><img class="zoomOverlay" src="http://zapp5.staticworld.net/images/zoomIcon.png" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; clear: both; display: block; float: left; height: 20px; left: 185px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: auto; max-width: 606px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: absolute; width: 20px;" title="Click to enlarge" /><img alt="PrintCentral--click for full-size image." src="http://zapp5.staticworld.net/howto/graphics/196415-printcentral2_180.jpg" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; clear: both; display: block; float: left; height: auto; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: auto; max-width: 606px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="PrintCentral--click for full-size image." /></a><span class="artCaption" style="clear: both; color: #404040; float: left; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 6px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 6px;">PrintCentral lets you pick any printer your PC can reach.</span></span>iPad printing might arrive in the future, but you can still print hard copies today. Several apps download network or online files to the iPad and cansend them to a printer. Some apps even edit documents first, but many are difficult to use.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">I had the best luck with PrintCentral, one of many printing tools from the same developer. (<a href="http://mobile.eurosmartz.com/products.html#comparison" style="clear: none; color: #1c609f; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">The vendor created a chart</a> to explain all the different offerings, but it would have been most helpful to make a single, great app.) You’ll install a print server utility on a Mac or PC, and PrintCentral uses it to reach your local or network printer.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">PrintCentral’s cluttered interface obscures many settings. But after troubleshooting, it worked. Give it a shot if you have to print today.</div><h2 class="articleBodyContentSubHed" style="font-size: 18px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 10px;"><strong style="font-weight: bold; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Browse Web Content Offline</strong></h2><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="image rtsm" style="float: right; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 10px; max-width: 180px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: relative;"><a class="zoomLink" href="http://zapp5.staticworld.net/howto/graphics/196415-instapaper1_original.jpg" style="clear: none; color: #1c609f; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" title="Instapaper Pro manages your online reading list, taking content offline."><img class="zoomOverlay" src="http://zapp5.staticworld.net/images/zoomIcon.png" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; clear: both; display: block; float: right; height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: auto; max-width: 606px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: absolute; right: 0px; width: 20px;" title="Click to enlarge" /><img alt="Instapaper Pro--click for full-size image." src="http://zapp5.staticworld.net/howto/graphics/196415-instapaper1_180.jpg" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; clear: both; display: block; float: right; height: auto; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: auto; max-width: 606px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="Instapaper Pro--click for full-size image." /></a><span class="artCaption" style="clear: both; color: #404040; float: left; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 6px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 6px;">Instapaper Pro manages your online reading list, taking content offline.</span></span></div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Whether you have a 3G version or not, your iPad faces certain situations where it can’t be online: planes, train tunnels, and other network-not-found destinations. You can still keep up on all of your favorite Websites with Instapaper Pro ($5). This tool manages content you want to read later and caches articles for times that you’re offline.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Instead of directly browsing content you want to save, Instapaper interfaces with several PC and iPad apps. Within those tools—Safari, Google Reader, NetNewsWire, Twitterrific, Tweetie, and more—you’ll hit a <em style="list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Read Later</em> button that sends details to Instapaper.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Load Instapaper once, when you have a network connection, and it downloads all of those stories. Then, you can dig deep into those articles from any location, with or without a network.</div><h2 class="articleBodyContentSubHed" style="font-size: 18px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 10px;"><strong style="font-weight: bold; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Remotely Control PC Applications</strong></h2><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="image ltsm" style="float: left; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-top: 10px; max-width: 180px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><a class="zoomLink" href="http://zapp5.staticworld.net/howto/graphics/196415-proremote1_original.jpg" style="clear: none; color: #1c609f; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" title="Great faders, pots, and buttons make ProRemote stand out."><img class="zoomOverlay" src="http://zapp5.staticworld.net/images/zoomIcon.png" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; clear: both; display: block; float: left; height: 20px; left: 185px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: auto; max-width: 606px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: absolute; width: 20px;" title="Click to enlarge" /><img alt="ProRemote--click for full-size image." src="http://zapp5.staticworld.net/howto/graphics/196415-proremote1_180.jpg" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; clear: both; display: block; float: left; height: auto; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: auto; max-width: 606px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="ProRemote--click for full-size image." /></a><span class="artCaption" style="clear: both; color: #404040; float: left; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 6px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 6px;">Great faders, pots, and buttons make ProRemote stand out.</span></span>A keyboard-and-mouse combination remains the best way to control a PC, but those days might be numbered. What if you could use the iPad as an interface, changing PowerPoint slides while reading your notes, or even touching faders and dials to interface with pro audio-production tools? You can!</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">I have several favorites among the many different input-device apps. <a href="http://www.senstic.com/" style="clear: none; color: #1c609f; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">I-Clickr PowerPoint Remote for iPad</a> helps deliver great presentations.<a href="http://www.hexler.net/" style="clear: none; color: #1c609f; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">TouchOSC</a> ($5), <a href="http://www.diddysoft.com/" style="clear: none; color: #1c609f; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">DiddyMidiDJ</a> ($5), and <a href="http://www.saitarasoftware.com/" style="clear: none; color: #1c609f; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">AC-7 Pro Control Surface</a> ($10) control audio-editing tools. And <a href="http://www.folabs.com/" style="clear: none; color: #1c609f; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Folabs</a> makes several high-end virtual controllers, like ProRemote (shown above; $100), that let the iPad control audio production software like ProTools, Apple Logic, and Ableton Live.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.pcworld.com/">source</a></div></span>Hassaan Syedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04742235483151885808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4298688887454672304.post-69353462101587548322011-09-18T18:51:00.000+05:002011-09-18T18:51:07.797+05:0028 iPad 2 Tips and Tricks<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, verdana, helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Your new iPad 2 might not be as full-featured (or as complicated) as a laptop or desktop PC, but a few neat tricks are still hidden between the surface. Read on to learn how to secure your iPad, sync your bookmarks, and more.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><strong style="font-weight: bold; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Download the free iPad User's Guide:</strong> You may have noticed that your iPad didn't come with a big printed manual--that's not Apple's style. However, you can download the PDF version of the iPad User's Guide from <a href="http://manuals.info.apple.com/en_US/ipad_2_user_guide.pdf" style="clear: none; color: #1c609f; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Apple's Web site</a>, or you can read it in iBooks if you have that installed (iBooks is available as a free download in the App Store). Make sure to download the manual for iOS 4.3.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQi3NvbEG-UehIlefz_-NqKPug-wlgLMJF0SQcoPMPbhhGfS_OYR2xlLn8pg4qmtqqJ7I2rS3OLJUAZ1IsEnSx3K2LMM_VSQyftlT4GE1aa_34dp4CuTc8U-mvUA4dvx1nS7-obzu-Tn8/s1600/apple_ipad_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQi3NvbEG-UehIlefz_-NqKPug-wlgLMJF0SQcoPMPbhhGfS_OYR2xlLn8pg4qmtqqJ7I2rS3OLJUAZ1IsEnSx3K2LMM_VSQyftlT4GE1aa_34dp4CuTc8U-mvUA4dvx1nS7-obzu-Tn8/s320/apple_ipad_2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><strong style="font-weight: bold; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Take a free guided tour: </strong>Apple provides <a href="http://www.apple.com/ipad/guided-tours/" style="clear: none; color: #1c609f; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">video tours</a> for each of the preinstalled apps, so you can get a good look at how to use them.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><strong style="font-weight: bold; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Use the Side Switch: </strong>You can use that neat switch on the side either to enable and disable audio alerts (this doesn't affect video/audio playback) or to lock the screen's orientation in portrait or landscape mode. You can toggle which function is assigned to the side switch by opening <em style="list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Settings</em> from the Home screen, selecting <em style="list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">General</em>, and choosing the function you want under the 'Use Side Switch to' heading.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="image ltsm" style="float: left; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-top: 10px; max-width: 180px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><a class="zoomLink" href="http://zapp5.staticworld.net/images/article/2011/03/photo-1606-5153194.png" style="clear: none; color: #1c609f; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" title=""><img alt="Multitasking and audio controls on iPad" src="http://zapp5.staticworld.net/images/article/2011/03/photo-1606-5153195.png" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; clear: both; display: block; float: left; height: auto; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: auto; max-width: 606px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="Multitasking and audio controls on iPad" /></a></span><strong style="font-weight: bold; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Multitask in iOS:</strong> You probably already know that you can press the<em style="list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Home</em> button twice to bring up a list of currently running or suspended apps. However, you can also swipe the multitasking bar left to right to quickly access audio/video playback controls, a shortcut to the iTunes app itself, and volume controls. Also, when you choose whether the Side Switch should mute alert sounds or lock the screen orientation (see the item above), the function you <em style="list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">didn't</em> choose will appear in this shortcut bar.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><strong style="font-weight: bold; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Speed up your sentences:</strong> Double-tapping the spacebar while typing a message will type a period and then a space.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><strong style="font-weight: bold; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Don't let AutoCorrect mess you up:</strong> If you don't like the option AutoCorrect gives you, reject it by finishing the word as you prefer, and then tapping the suggestion. If you want to use AutoCorrect's choice, just type a space or punctuation mark, or tap <em style="list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Return</em>, the moment it pops up.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><strong style="font-weight: bold; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Secure your backups:</strong> You can encrypt your iPad's backup data in iTunes. Just open the iPad in iTunes, click the <em style="list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Summary</em> tab, and check <em style="list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Encrypt iPad backup</em> under the Options heading.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><strong style="font-weight: bold; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Prevent automatic sync once:</strong> Sometimes you don't want to sync your iPad when you connect it to your computer. In this case, hold down <strong style="font-weight: bold; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Shift-Control</strong> (or <strong style="font-weight: bold; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Command-Option</strong>, on a Mac) in iTunes while plugging your iPad in, and iTunes will skip the automatic sync just once. Alternatively, you can safely interrupt a sync by dragging the unlock slider while the iPad is midsync.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><strong style="font-weight: bold; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Toggle data roaming:</strong> If you're using a 3G iPad, you can turn data roaming on in the <em style="list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Settings, Cellular Data </em>menu in case you want to try receiving cellular Internet through a different provider (fees may apply). You can also check your data usage by going to <em style="list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Settings</em>, <em style="list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">General, Usage.</em></div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="image rtsm" style="float: right; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 10px; max-width: 180px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: relative;"><a class="zoomLink" href="http://zapp5.staticworld.net/images/article/2011/03/photo-7606-5153218.png" style="clear: none; color: #1c609f; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" title=""><img class="zoomOverlay" src="http://zapp5.staticworld.net/images/zoomIcon.png" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; clear: both; display: block; float: right; height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: auto; max-width: 606px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: absolute; right: 0px; width: 20px;" title="Click to enlarge" /><img alt="iPad passcode" src="http://zapp5.staticworld.net/images/article/2011/03/photo-7606-5153219.png" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; clear: both; display: block; float: right; height: auto; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: auto; max-width: 606px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="iPad passcode" /></a></span><strong style="font-weight: bold; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Make your passcode more complicated: </strong>iOS defaults to a four-number passcode, but you can turn it off by going to <em style="list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Settings, General, Passcode Lock</em>, <em style="list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Simple Passcode</em>. Now you can use any full keyboard password to lock the iPad. The password also helps to encrypt your mail and attachments on the iPad, so you probably want to make it safer than a four-digit number.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><strong style="font-weight: bold; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Set the iPad to self-destruct in 10 seconds:</strong> Okay, not really--but you <em style="list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">can</em> set the iPad to erase all data after ten failed passcode entry attempts by checking the <em style="list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Erase Data</em> option under <em style="list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Settings, General, Passcode Lock</em>.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><strong style="font-weight: bold; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Tweak AutoFill:</strong> You can choose to enable Safari's AutoFill feature in<em style="list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Settings, Safari, AutoFill</em>. From there, you can tell Safari to fill forms automatically either by using your specified contact information or by remembering the names and passwords you've entered while logging in to Websites in the past.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><strong style="font-weight: bold; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Sync your bookmarks:</strong> You can use iTunes to sync your iPad's Safari bookmarks with your PC's Web browser. Open the <em style="list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">iPad</em> tab in iTunes, click the <em style="list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Info</em> tab, scroll down to the Other heading, check <em style="list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Sync bookmarks with</em>, and choose your preferred browser.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><strong style="font-weight: bold; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">E-mail photos:</strong> The easiest way to e-mail photos from an iPad is to open the Photos app, select a photo, press the button in the upper-right corner (the rectangle with the arrow, not the trash button), and choose <em style="list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Email photo...</em> to send.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="image ltsm" style="float: left; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-top: 10px; max-width: 180px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><a class="zoomLink" href="http://zapp5.staticworld.net/images/article/2011/03/photo-4606-5153206.png" style="clear: none; color: #1c609f; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" title=""><img class="zoomOverlay" src="http://zapp5.staticworld.net/images/zoomIcon.png" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; clear: both; display: block; float: left; height: 20px; left: 185px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: auto; max-width: 606px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: absolute; width: 20px;" title="Click to enlarge" /><img alt="Web page links on iPad" src="http://zapp5.staticworld.net/images/article/2011/03/photo-4606-5153207.png" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; clear: both; display: block; float: left; height: auto; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: auto; max-width: 606px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="Web page links on iPad" /></a></span><strong style="font-weight: bold; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Know your Web links:</strong> You can check a linked word's actual destination URL by touching and holding down on the link--it's a perfect way to sniff out phishy links.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><strong style="font-weight: bold; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Choose an app for e-mail attachments:</strong> You can open a file attached to an e-mail message by tapping the attachment in Mail, but if the default app isn't the one you want to use, you can press and hold and wait for a menu that lets you select an app.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><strong style="font-weight: bold; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Use the iPad as a picture frame:</strong> Not for physical photographs, silly. You can press the Picture icon in the lower-right corner of the Lock screen to have the iPad display its available photos.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="image rtsm" style="float: right; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 10px; max-width: 180px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: relative;"><a class="zoomLink" href="http://zapp5.staticworld.net/images/article/2011/03/photo-5606-5153210.png" style="clear: none; color: #1c609f; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" title=""><img class="zoomOverlay" src="http://zapp5.staticworld.net/images/zoomIcon.png" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; clear: both; display: block; float: right; height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: auto; max-width: 606px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: absolute; right: 0px; width: 20px;" title="Click to enlarge" /><img alt="Traffic conditions on iPad" src="http://zapp5.staticworld.net/images/article/2011/03/photo-5606-5153211.png" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; clear: both; display: block; float: right; height: auto; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: auto; max-width: 606px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="Traffic conditions on iPad" /></a></span><strong style="font-weight: bold; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Show traffic conditions:</strong> Open Maps, press the dog-eared page icon in the lower right, and then turn the <em style="list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Traffic</em> overlay on. If your iPad has an Internet connection, Maps will show real-time traffic conditions in the displayed area. Green means traffic is going at the posted speed limit, yellow means traffic is slower than the posted speed limit, and red means traffic is stop-and-go.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><strong style="font-weight: bold; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Share podcasts with friends:</strong> Listening to a podcast that you think a friend would like? You can share the link while you're listening to it by pressing the <em style="list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Email</em> button while it's open.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><strong style="font-weight: bold; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Don't forget your downloads:</strong> You can immediately see if your iTunes account is due for any incoming downloads by opening iTunes on your PC, clicking the <em style="list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Store</em> menu, and selecting <em style="list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Check for available downloads.</em> This trick can come in handy if your download process is interrupted, or if you missed some bonus iTunes content that came with an album you purchased.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><strong style="font-weight: bold; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Turn on Universal Access:</strong> You can enable options such as closed-captioned movies, VoiceOver screen reading, zoom magnification, and inverted white-on-black text by selecting the iPad in iTunes, opening the <em style="list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Summary</em> tab, and clicking <em style="list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Configure Universal Access</em> under the Options heading.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><strong style="font-weight: bold; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Forget Wi-Fi networks:</strong> So you accidentally connected to a network once, and your iPad remembers it for life--whether you like it or not. On your iPad, go to <em style="list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Settings, Wi-Fi</em>, and find the network under the 'Choose a Network' heading. Tap the blue arrow next to the network you want to remove, and tap the button on the top that says <em style="list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Forget this Network</em>.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><strong style="font-weight: bold; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Specify your Spotlight searches:</strong> The iPad uses Spotlight for its built-in search functions, and you can tweak it to your needs in <em style="list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Settings, General, Spotlight Search.</em> If you have a lot of data on your iPad, for example, you can selectively disable search in different categories (Contacts, Applications, Audiobooks, Notes, Events, Mail, and so on) that you don't use so that your desired results show up faster. You can also simply change the order in which the search-result categories display by dragging them up and down, so that your more frequently used search categories show up at the top of the page.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="image ltsm" style="float: left; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-top: 10px; max-width: 180px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><a class="zoomLink" href="http://zapp5.staticworld.net/images/article/2011/03/photo-6606-5153214.png" style="clear: none; color: #1c609f; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" title=""><img class="zoomOverlay" src="http://zapp5.staticworld.net/images/zoomIcon.png" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; clear: both; display: block; float: left; height: 20px; left: 185px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: auto; max-width: 606px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: absolute; width: 20px;" title="Click to enlarge" /><img alt="Restricting in-app purchases on iPad" src="http://zapp5.staticworld.net/images/article/2011/03/photo-6606-5153215.png" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; clear: both; display: block; float: left; height: auto; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: auto; max-width: 606px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="Restricting in-app purchases on iPad" /></a></span><strong style="font-weight: bold; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Turn off in-app purchases: </strong>Go to <em style="list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Settings, General, Restrictions</em> and tap <em style="list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Enable Restrictions</em> to selectively enable restrictions that apply to your apps, content, Game Center, and more. If you're worried about other people breaking your bank account on in-app purchases, just disable <em style="list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">In-App Purchases</em> under the 'Allowed Content' setting.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><strong style="font-weight: bold; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Switch up the fetching frequency:</strong> Your iPad automatically grabs new data, such as incoming e-mail. However, the iPad periodically activates apps that don't support iOS's Push feature so that they can go "Fetch" new data--which uses the tablet's battery life. You can tweak your Push and Fetch settings in <em style="list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Settings, Mail, Contacts, Calendars,</em> <em style="list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Fetch New Data</em>.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><strong style="font-weight: bold; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Change your e-mail signature:</strong> Don't be one of those people who leave the default 'Sent from my iPad' signature on all their messages. Change it in <em style="list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Settings, Mail, Contacts, Calendars, Signature </em>to...well, anything but that.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><strong style="font-weight: bold; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Swap the search engine:</strong> Too good for Google? You can change Safari's default search engine by going to <em style="list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Settings, Safari, Search Engine</em>. Alas, you can only choose from Google, Bing, or Yahoo--no bringing back AltaVista for you.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><strong style="font-weight: bold; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Take a screenshot of whatever is on the screen:</strong> Press <em style="list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Home </em>and the sleep/wake button simultaneously. The screenshot will automatically appear among your photos.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.pcworld.com/">Source</a></div>Hassaan Syedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04742235483151885808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4298688887454672304.post-14457690250957308092011-09-18T18:48:00.000+05:002011-09-18T18:48:18.495+05:00How to Get Free Music From the iTunes Music Store<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, verdana, helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">I get it: You want some free tunes, but you don't want to be sued by the RIAA or by copyright trolls. Fair enough. Unfortunately, totally free music is rare these days--er, totally free and <em style="list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">legal</em> music, that is. But you can find some free music, and you can grab it straight from the music player you're probably already using: iTunes.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Yes, iTunes may be clunky, slow, and annoying, but it isn't entirely bad--especially once you know how to dig up free, legal music straight from the iTunes Music Store.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPqN5uTShx3ELoeajyDrdSOqxNa6pTudTmbvhGyMP6UhyphenhyphenGK3ARbB1BREkdbAaA21G7djKQw9AtDnq2t1hthFX1uzyJoMdOFeqC2oowBdgzFw9_JYajhLa82BHQmkSgnHzk2jjVqf6XRII/s1600/better-mobile-itunes-logo.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPqN5uTShx3ELoeajyDrdSOqxNa6pTudTmbvhGyMP6UhyphenhyphenGK3ARbB1BREkdbAaA21G7djKQw9AtDnq2t1hthFX1uzyJoMdOFeqC2oowBdgzFw9_JYajhLa82BHQmkSgnHzk2jjVqf6XRII/s1600/better-mobile-itunes-logo.png" /></a></div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><h2 class="articleBodyContentSubHed" style="font-size: 18px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 10px;">Free On iTunes</h2><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Guess what? iTunes has a whole page dedicated to free downloads. To access <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewMultiRoom?fcId=375701591&s=143441" style="clear: none; color: #1c609f; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Free On iTunes</a>, first open iTunes and click the <em style="list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">iTunes Store</em> item on the left-hand sidebar. Once you're in the iTunes Store homepage, look for a Quick Links heading on the right side. Underneath that heading will be a <em style="list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Free On iTunes</em> link. Click the link, and voilà! This page features all sorts of free content, including music, movie clips, TV shows, apps, and even "new and notable" podcasts.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="image large" id="test" style="clear: both; display: block; float: none; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-top: 10px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; width: 650px;"><img alt="Free On iTunes" height="433" src="http://zapp5.staticworld.net/images/article/2011/08/free-on-itunes-1-5211710.jpg" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; border-width: initial; clear: both; display: block; height: auto; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: auto; max-width: 606px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" width="606" /></span></div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">To download a free item, just click the little gray <em style="list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Free</em> button. You will need an iTunes account to download anything from the iTunes Store.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">No-cost items in the Free On iTunes section are usually available for around a week, so keep checking the page for updates. You can also follow the <a href="http://freeitunessongs.blogspot.com/" style="clear: none; color: #1c609f; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Free iTunes Downloads</a> blog, which updates every time a new item appears.</div><h2 class="articleBodyContentSubHed" style="font-size: 18px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 10px;">Music Podcasts</h2><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">If you don't mind listening to some chatter between songs, check out music-oriented podcasts available for free on iTunes. Podcasts are like prerecorded radio shows in that they usually include tunes and commentary. (Some don't have any commentary--AOLMedia's <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=309328973" style="clear: none; color: #1c609f; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">MP3 of the Day Podcast</a>, for instance, offers one full, free song in each episode.)</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="image large" id="test" style="clear: both; display: block; float: none; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-top: 10px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; width: 650px;"><img alt="Free music podcasts on iTunes" height="431" src="http://zapp5.staticworld.net/images/article/2011/08/music-podcasts-2-5211730.jpg" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; border-width: initial; clear: both; display: block; height: auto; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: auto; max-width: 606px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" width="606" /></span></div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">To browse podcasts, go to the iTunes Store and click the <em style="list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Podcasts</em> link (on the top bar). Here you'll see everything from news and sports podcasts to science and tech podcasts, and all of them are free. To find music-oriented podcasts, go to the column on the right that says 'Podcast Quick Links' and click the drop-down menu. Choose <em style="list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Music,</em> and you'll see hundreds of music podcasts.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">To subscribe to a podcast, just click the <em style="list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Subscribe</em> button next to the title. Once you do so, the current episode of the podcast will download, and future episodes will download automatically as they become available. You can also download past episodes by clicking the <em style="list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Free</em> button next to an individual episode on the podcast's home page.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Here are some podcasts to check out, depending on your musical tastes.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><strong style="font-weight: bold; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Rock/Pop:</strong> <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/celebrity-playlist-podcast/id302913881" style="clear: none; color: #1c609f; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Celebrity Playlist</a>, <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/indiefeed-indie-pop-music/id73330132" style="clear: none; color: #1c609f; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">IndieFeed: Indie Pop Music</a>, <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/old-time-rock-n-roll/id203471065http:/itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/old-time-rock-n-roll/id203471065" style="clear: none; color: #1c609f; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Old Time Rock n Roll</a>, <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/rock-of-ages/id277279475" style="clear: none; color: #1c609f; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Rock of Ages</a>,<a href="http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=366653374" style="clear: none; color: #1c609f; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Absolute Radio: Classic Rock</a></div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><strong style="font-weight: bold; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Indie/Alternative:</strong> <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/they-might-be-giants-podcast/id105708952" style="clear: none; color: #1c609f; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">They Might Be Giants</a>, <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/indiefeed-alternative-modern/id73329536" style="clear: none; color: #1c609f; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">IndieFeed: Alternative/Modern Rock Music</a>, <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/indie-spotlight/id294278913" style="clear: none; color: #1c609f; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Indie Spotlight</a>,<a href="http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=79687345" style="clear: none; color: #1c609f; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">NPR: All Songs Considered</a></div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><strong style="font-weight: bold; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Rap/Hip-Hop</strong>: <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/alternative-hip-hop-lounge/id73926147" style="clear: none; color: #1c609f; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Alternative Hip-Hop Lounge</a>, <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/mixtape-show-hip-hop/id94858567" style="clear: none; color: #1c609f; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Mixtape Show Hip-Hop</a>, <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/hierocast/id82611816" style="clear: none; color: #1c609f; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Hierocast</a>, <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/dope-joints!-hip-hop-mixshow/id135424773" style="clear: none; color: #1c609f; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Dope Joints! Hip Hop Mixshow</a></div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><strong style="font-weight: bold; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Electronica:</strong> <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/tiesto-s-club-life-podcast/id251507798" style="clear: none; color: #1c609f; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Tiësto's Club Life</a> by Tiësto, <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-john-digweed-podcast/id98063584" style="clear: none; color: #1c609f; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">The John Digweed Podcast</a> by John Digweed, <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/release-yourself/id133234883" style="clear: none; color: #1c609f; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Release Yourself</a> by Roger Sanchez, <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/corstens-countdown-official/id361221823" style="clear: none; color: #1c609f; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Corsten's Countdown</a> by Ferry Corsten, <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/a-state-trance-official-podcast/id260190086" style="clear: none; color: #1c609f; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">A State of Trance Official Podcast</a>by Armin van Buuren</div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, verdana, helvetica, sans-serif;"><h2 class="articleBodyContentSubHed" style="font-size: 18px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 10px;">Starbucks 'Pick of the Week'</h2><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="image ltsm" id="test" style="float: left; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-top: 10px; max-width: 180px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><img alt="Starbucks Pick of the Week" height="286" src="http://zapp5.staticworld.net/images/article/2011/08/pick-of-the-week-2-5211736.jpg" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; clear: both; display: block; float: left; height: auto; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: auto; max-width: 606px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" width="180" /></span>Taking advantage of this freebie is almost as easy as opening the Free On iTunes page. Every Tuesday, Starbucks offers a free iTunes download, also known as the Starbucks "Pick of the Week." To pick up the "pick," all you need to do is head down to your local Starbucks and grab one of the small, round-cornered cards (located near the sugar, creamer, and straws). Starbucks usually has both this week's and last week's picks on display.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Of course, you'll have to remember the Starbucks audience: You won't find any hip-hop or Top 40 tunes here. Instead, most of the picks feature independent artists, acoustic guitars, and smooth jazz--standard coffee-shop fare. A recent pick was Daniel Isaiah's "High Twilight."</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">The front of each card has the name of the song and artist, as well as a photo of the artist. On the back is a download code. To download your song, open iTunes and redeem the code by going to <em style="list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">iTunes Store, Quick Links, Redeem</em>.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">You can also download the "Pick of the Week" by accessing the <a href="http://www.pcworld.com/article/208369/starbucks_digital_network_first_look.html" style="clear: none; color: #1c609f; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Starbucks Digital Network</a> from inside a Starbucks shop. To do this, you'll have to take your computer in and connect to the Starbucks shop's Wi-Fi. Once you're connected, go to the Entertainment section of the page and download the "Pick of the Week" from the Starbucks site.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Starbucks <a href="http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/11/08/16/apple_starbucks_team_up_to_give_away_free_iphone_apps.html" style="clear: none; color: #1c609f; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">recently expanded</a> its "Pick of the Week" selection to include <a href="http://www.starbucks.com/blog/pick-of-the-week-apps-books-tv-music-and-more/1064" style="clear: none; color: #1c609f; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">free downloads of paid iOS apps</a>.</div><h2 class="articleBodyContentSubHed" style="font-size: 18px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 10px;">iTunes Radio</h2><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Although Apple no longer promotes the Internet radio feature in iTunes, it's still around--and worth checking out, especially if you don't need to take your music with you. iTunes radio is similar to other free radio stations: You can listen to music, for free, for as long as you like, but an advertisement will interrupt every so often.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">To access iTunes radio, open iTunes and look at the column on the left. Beneath all of the usual options under the Library subheading, click on the <em style="list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Radio</em> link; you'll see a huge list of genres (everything from 'Adult Contemporary' to 'Eclectic' to '70's Retro'). Click on the arrow next to a category to open a list of hundreds of streaming Internet radio stations. Finally, just double-click on a station to connect to the stream.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">You can also add your own Internet radio streams to iTunes. To do so, go to <em style="list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Advanced, Open Stream…</em> and enter the URL of your desired stream in the Open Audio Stream box.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="image large" id="test" style="clear: both; display: block; float: none; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-top: 10px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; width: 650px;"><img alt="Free iTunes radio" height="486" src="http://zapp5.staticworld.net/images/article/2011/08/internet-radio-2-5211718.jpg" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; border-width: initial; clear: both; display: block; height: auto; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: auto; max-width: 606px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" width="606" /></span></div><h2 class="articleBodyContentSubHed" style="font-size: 18px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 10px;">Free Music Can Be Legal, Too</h2><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">These options are pretty much the legal limit when it comes to obtaining free music on iTunes. As you can see, iTunes doesn't have a huge selection of items to pick up for free, but at least it still has a selection. Podcasts will usually give you the most variety, and if you're listening to a capable host (say, one of the DJs, such as David Guetta or John Digweed), it's almost as good as having the song files--and it doesn't expose you to legal risk.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.pcworld.com/">SOurce</a></div></span>Hassaan Syedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04742235483151885808noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4298688887454672304.post-516481057298284462011-09-18T18:40:00.000+05:002011-09-18T18:40:56.581+05:00Jailbreaking 101: Which Tool to Use to Hack Your iDevice<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, verdana, helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">So you’re thinking of jailbreaking your iOS device are you? The process of hacking your iDevice is simpler than ever but with so many different hardware, firmware, and software combinations out there, choosing the right jailbreak tool for your configuration for you can be a bit daunting if it’s your first time. Here’s a guide to picking the right tool for you.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXmEETNaioJZjiJGyaeK7HUkDdSkwq73I7bekzlu1xbSKdMHioGnpgiw_QyY-G0od2OxI6yF_pH3Ae-X5zxnWLmPP509bhJUbzrhTWqE7_ZaWHbLT4Bx1vGA0DzKOSwj5QwHVFWMm8stE/s1600/jailbreak-unlock-ios4.1-264x300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXmEETNaioJZjiJGyaeK7HUkDdSkwq73I7bekzlu1xbSKdMHioGnpgiw_QyY-G0od2OxI6yF_pH3Ae-X5zxnWLmPP509bhJUbzrhTWqE7_ZaWHbLT4Bx1vGA0DzKOSwj5QwHVFWMm8stE/s1600/jailbreak-unlock-ios4.1-264x300.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><h2 class="articleBodyContentSubHed" style="font-size: 18px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 10px;">Determine your hardware</h2><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">If you’re not sure what hardware model you have, read <a href="http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3939" style="clear: none; color: #1c609f; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;">this guide</a> for iPhone, or <a href="http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1353" style="clear: none; color: #1c609f; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;">this one</a> for iPod Touch. If you have an iPad, the iPad 2 has a front-facing camera, while the original iPad does not. Apple TV can also be jailbroken.</div><h2 class="articleBodyContentSubHed" style="font-size: 18px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 10px;">Determine your firmware</h2><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">To determine your iOS firmware, on your device, open the Settings app, then navigate to General; About; Version. Alternately, you can plug in your device to your computer and open iTunes. Your Software Version is listed under Summary.</div><h2 class="articleBodyContentSubHed" style="font-size: 18px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 10px;">Mac or PC?</h2><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Depending on if you sync your iDevice to a Mac or Windows PC, there are different tools available.</div><h2 class="articleBodyContentSubHed" style="font-size: 18px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 10px;">Tethered or Untethered?</h2><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">The terms <em style="list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">tethered</em> or <em style="list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">untethered</em> jailbreaks refer to whether or not the hack will remain after a device reboot. In most cases, an untethered jailbreak is more desirable because you won’t need to re-hack your device in the event you switch it off and on. Certain hardware/firmware configurations only support a tethered jailbreak, however.</div><h2 class="articleBodyContentSubHed" style="font-size: 18px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 10px;">Choosing your jailbreak tool</h2><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Now armed with the knowledge of your hardware and firmware configuration, you’re ready to choose a jailbreak tool! Here are my recommendations:</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><em style="list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">My device is…</em></div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><strong style="font-weight: bold; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Any device (including iPad 2) running iOS 4.3-4.3.3 or iPhone 4 CDMA/Verizon running 4.2.6-4.2.8</strong>: Use the browser-based <a href="http://www.pcworld.com/article/235144/jailbreakme_30_how_does_it_work.html" style="clear: none; color: #1c609f; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;">JailbreakMe</a> tool on your device itself by navigating mobile-Safari to<a href="http://www.jailbreakme.com/" style="clear: none; color: #1c609f; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;">jailbreakme.com</a>.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><strong style="font-weight: bold; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Any device <em style="list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">except iPad 2</em> running 4.3.4-4.3.5 or iPhone 4 CDMA/Verizon running 4.2.9-4.2.10:</strong>Download <a href="http://blog.iphone-dev.org/post/5239805497/tic-tac-toe" style="clear: none; color: #1c609f; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;">redsn0w</a> for Mac OS X or Windows or <a href="http://blog.iphone-dev.org/post/4332841631/three-years-of-pwnage-tool" style="clear: none; color: #1c609f; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;">PwnageTool</a> for OS X. This is unfortunately a tethered jailbreak.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><strong style="font-weight: bold; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Any device <em style="list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">except iPad 2 </em>running developer build up to iOS 5 beta 6: </strong>If you’re on a Mac, you can use redsn0w. If you’re on Windows somehow (odd, considering developers must use OS X to run Xcode), <a href="http://ih8sn0w.com/" style="clear: none; color: #1c609f; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Sn0wbreeze</a> works as well. This is a tethered jailbreak and generally not recommended.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><strong style="font-weight: bold; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Apple TV (2<sup style="list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">nd</sup> Generation) running 4.3: </strong><a href="http://blog.firecore.com/5180" style="clear: none; color: #1c609f; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Seas0npass</a> lets you perform an untethered jailbreak to your Apple TV, allowing you to SSH into your set top box and play otherwise unsupported media.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><strong style="font-weight: bold; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Any device/software not listed above: </strong>Older, discontinued devices are pretty much all jailbreakable. JailbreakMe works on many older firmwares so it's always worth trying but if that doesn't work, PwnageTool for Mac and redsn0w for Mac/PC are your Swiss army knives of jailbreaking for older devices.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.pcworld.com/">Source</a></div>Hassaan Syedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04742235483151885808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4298688887454672304.post-26996139817141281402011-09-18T18:37:00.000+05:002011-09-18T18:37:55.875+05:00How to Copy and Paste Text in IOS<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, verdana, helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWbOm9QY6PWr3nMEw1AuANtiEQP9uFFxyfXjUxZjOfZe8KIOaB_rt17mhdQhLZqKq4756gPn1fHZwlB36gw7852alakCqmFLvli7B9UJyxRw2sKxz1AsHgiUcv8t2SB8ZXjBTU2VyRR5o/s1600/280491-ios-logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWbOm9QY6PWr3nMEw1AuANtiEQP9uFFxyfXjUxZjOfZe8KIOaB_rt17mhdQhLZqKq4756gPn1fHZwlB36gw7852alakCqmFLvli7B9UJyxRw2sKxz1AsHgiUcv8t2SB8ZXjBTU2VyRR5o/s1600/280491-ios-logo.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">One of the most common early complaints about the iPhone was its lack of support for cut, copy, and paste text editing capabilities. In fact, Apple didn't add a copy-paste feature until <a href="http://www.macworld.com/article/139438/2009/03/iphone30user.html" style="clear: none; color: #1c609f; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">2009's release of iOS 3.0</a>, two years after the iPhone's initial launch.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">But if you didn't watch Steve Job demonstrate copy and paste back then, you might not know how to make it work on your iOS device. Here's a quick primer.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><strong style="font-weight: bold; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="image ltmd" id="test" style="clear: left; float: left; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-top: 0px; max-width: 302px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><img alt="" height="282" src="http://zapp5.staticworld.net/reviews/graphics/166845-iphone_review-1_original.jpg" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; clear: both; display: block; float: left; height: auto; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: auto; max-width: 302px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" width="188" /></span>Selecting text to copy</strong></div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">You can copy text from any app that lets you highlight its text, or from any app that allows you to type in text with the virtual keyboard. When you tap and hold on some uneditable text--for example, a paragraph within this article--iOS will highlight that text in a light blue bounding box. You'll see that the box sports tiny blue circles on its edges; you can use those to adjust the length of your selection.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">When you tap and hold on editable text, however--like the text in a Mail message you're composing--you instead see a magnification loupe aimed at making it easier to put the cursor precisely where you want it. Release your finger, and you'll see menu options appear to Select or Select All. The former selects a single word; the latter selects all available text. The bounds of your selection are marked with those familiar blue circles, and you can drag them around to adjust your selected text.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">If you need to see more or less of the text you're attempting to highlight, remember that you can pinch to zoom as necessary even after you've started the highlighting process. Even better, when you tap and drag one of the little blue circles to change your selection, a small magnified excerpt of the text you're highlighting appears--making it easier to choose the precise selection you're after, even though your fingers are by definition in the way.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><strong style="font-weight: bold; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Placing copied text</strong></div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Once you're content with your selection, tap the Copy button. (If you're working with editable text, you'll also see a Cut option, which deletes the text after copying it.) Now, switch to the app where'd you like to Paste the copied text. I chose Notes.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Tap--just a single time--in an editable text field. A Paste button should appear. Tap that, and your copied text is pasted immediately.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">And just by virtue of copying your text and pasting it here, you've now mastered all the taps required to edit this text as needed. Double-tap a word to select it; tap and hold to use the loupe to adjust your cursor's placement; and use the contextual menu options (Cut, Copy, Paste, Select, and Select All) as appropriate.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.pcworld.com/">Source</a></div>Hassaan Syedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04742235483151885808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4298688887454672304.post-47759314273099040852011-09-18T18:34:00.000+05:002011-09-18T18:34:29.934+05:0011 Tips to Ensure Great Smartphone Photography<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, verdana, helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">You probably don't carry your fancy-pants DSLR camera with you all the time, but your smartphone--along with its built-in camera--is in your pocket everywhere you go. That's why these days the most popular camera used to upload photos to Flickr isn't a camera at all, but the iPhone.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">The challenge, of course, is getting great-looking photos from a gadget primarily designed for chatting. If you keep a few tips in mind, you can take some pretty sharp pictures with either an iPhone or an Android phone. Here is what you need to know (click all photos to enlarge).</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><strong style="font-weight: bold; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">1. Let the sun shine in: </strong>Your phone can handle a lot of situations with aplomb, but it can't shoot every scene you encounter. The teeny image sensor craves light, and does best outdoors, in daylight. For the best exposures, follow the same advice that photographers have kept in mind for decades:</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="image ltsm" style="float: left; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-top: 10px; max-width: 180px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><a class="zoomLink" href="http://zapp5.staticworld.net/images/article/2011/07/ren-5201287.png" style="clear: none; color: #1c609f; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" title="Let sunlight help your photography."><img class="zoomOverlay" src="http://zapp5.staticworld.net/images/zoomIcon.png" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; clear: both; display: block; float: left; height: 20px; left: 185px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: auto; max-width: 606px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: absolute; width: 20px;" title="Click to enlarge" /><img alt="Photo tips: Sunlight" src="http://zapp5.staticworld.net/images/article/2011/07/ren-5201288.png" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; clear: both; display: block; float: left; height: auto; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: auto; max-width: 606px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="Photo tips: Sunlight" /></a><span class="artCaption" style="clear: both; color: #404040; float: left; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 6px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 6px;">Let sunlight help your photography.</span></span>Try to put the sun behind you or over one of your shoulders. Avoid shooting directly into the sun, or you'll radically underexpose your subject. If you're shooting indoors, put your back to the window and turn on the lights.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><strong style="font-weight: bold; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">2. Compose your photos: </strong>Capturing a good photo isn't merely about knowing the right settings. Compose your photos as the pros do. Divide the frame into thirds--imagine a tic-tac-toe board--and put your subject on one of those lines, rather than in the middle of the screen.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="image rtsm" style="float: right; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 10px; max-width: 180px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: relative;"><a class="zoomLink" href="http://zapp5.staticworld.net/images/article/2011/07/chicken-house-5201299.jpg" style="clear: none; color: #1c609f; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" title="Divide your frame into thirds."><img class="zoomOverlay" src="http://zapp5.staticworld.net/images/zoomIcon.png" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; clear: both; display: block; float: right; height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: auto; max-width: 606px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: absolute; right: 0px; width: 20px;" title="Click to enlarge" /><img alt="Photo Tips: Composition" src="http://zapp5.staticworld.net/images/article/2011/07/chicken-house-5201300.jpg" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; clear: both; display: block; float: right; height: auto; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: auto; max-width: 606px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="Photo Tips: Composition" /></a><span class="artCaption" style="clear: both; color: #404040; float: left; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 6px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 6px;">Divide your frame into thirds.</span></span>Be careful to keep the camera level, too; nothing ruins a photo like a tilted horizon. Keep an eye on the background to be sure that nothing is "growing" out of the top of someone's head.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><strong style="font-weight: bold; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">3. Start the camera faster: </strong>Some phones make it so hard to get to the camera that you might think they're, well, camera-shy--which could mean losing out on many a great photo opportunity. If you have a smartphone and the operating system allows it, move the camera app to a more convenient location.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="image ltsm" style="float: left; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-top: 10px; max-width: 180px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><a class="zoomLink" href="http://zapp5.staticworld.net/images/article/2011/07/quick-start-5201283.jpg" style="clear: none; color: #1c609f; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" title="Make sure you can access your camera quickly."><img class="zoomOverlay" src="http://zapp5.staticworld.net/images/zoomIcon.png" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; clear: both; display: block; float: left; height: 20px; left: 185px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: auto; max-width: 606px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: absolute; width: 20px;" title="Click to enlarge" /><img alt="Photo tips: Start the camera faster" src="http://zapp5.staticworld.net/images/article/2011/07/quick-start-5201284.jpg" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; clear: both; display: block; float: left; height: auto; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: auto; max-width: 606px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="Photo tips: Start the camera faster" /></a><span class="artCaption" style="clear: both; color: #404040; float: left; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 6px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 6px;">Make sure you can access your camera quickly.</span></span>On the iPhone, for example, ensure that the camera app is on the first screen, or put it in the quick-access area at the bottom of the screen. Some phones even let you reassign buttons to launch the camera.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><strong style="font-weight: bold; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">4. Keep the phone steady: </strong>One reason you tend to get blurry photos with your phone is that it's light and thin, and awkward to hold compared with a full-size camera. Grip the phone as still as you can, with both hands, and keep your elbows tucked in to your sides for support. Take a deep breath and then let out a slow, steady exhale as you gently trigger the phone's shutter release.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><strong style="font-weight: bold; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">5. Know when the shutter clicks: </strong>If the shutter lags, you'll need to account for that. Some phones have a surprising delay after you press the shutter release. And if the shutter release is on a touchscreen (as it is on the Apple iPhone), the shutter probably trips after you lift your finger, not when you press down. Either way, hold the camera steady while the picture is being exposed. And don't jab at the screen, or the shake will blur your photo.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><strong style="font-weight: bold; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">6. Optimize the settings: </strong>If your camera has a white balance control, you'll often get the best results leaving it on automatic. But if the colors come out wrong, try setting the balance to reflect the ambient light, such as fluorescent, daylight, or sunset. Just be sure to reset it to automatic when you're done, or future photos will look weird.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="image rtsm" style="float: right; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 10px; max-width: 180px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: relative;"><a class="zoomLink" href="http://zapp5.staticworld.net/images/article/2011/07/wb-5201295.jpg" style="clear: none; color: #1c609f; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" title="Make full use of any settings that your camera offers."><img class="zoomOverlay" src="http://zapp5.staticworld.net/images/zoomIcon.png" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; clear: both; display: block; float: right; height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: auto; max-width: 606px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: absolute; right: 0px; width: 20px;" title="Click to enlarge" /><img alt="Photo Tips: Optimize your settings" src="http://zapp5.staticworld.net/images/article/2011/07/wb-5201296.jpg" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; clear: both; display: block; float: right; height: auto; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: auto; max-width: 606px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="Photo Tips: Optimize your settings" /></a><span class="artCaption" style="clear: both; color: #404040; float: left; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 6px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 6px;">Make full use of any settings that your camera offers.</span></span>If the camera offers an ISO setting (usually under Settings or Camera on an Android device, and under the gear icon on Windows Phone), take that off Auto. When you're outdoors in daylight, set the ISO to its lowest value to minimize the digital noise in your picture. In low-light situations, bump the ISO up as high as it will go.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><strong style="font-weight: bold; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">7. Widen the dynamic range:</strong> Some phones (such as the iPhone 4 and Windows Phone 7 handsets, to name a few), provide a High Dynamic Range mode that captures an impressive amount of detail and a range of tones and colors in a single exposure.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="image ltsm" style="float: left; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-top: 10px; max-width: 180px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><a class="zoomLink" href="http://zapp5.staticworld.net/images/article/2011/07/carnival-hdr-5201279.jpg" style="clear: none; color: #1c609f; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" title="If your phone has a High Dynamic Range option, learn to use it."><img class="zoomOverlay" src="http://zapp5.staticworld.net/images/zoomIcon.png" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; clear: both; display: block; float: left; height: 20px; left: 185px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: auto; max-width: 606px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: absolute; width: 20px;" title="Click to enlarge" /><img alt="Photo Tips: Widen the Dynamic Range" src="http://zapp5.staticworld.net/images/article/2011/07/carnival-hdr-5201280.jpg" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; clear: both; display: block; float: left; height: auto; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: auto; max-width: 606px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="Photo Tips: Widen the Dynamic Range" /></a><span class="artCaption" style="clear: both; color: #404040; float: left; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 6px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 6px;">If your phone has a High Dynamic Range option, learn to use it.</span></span>The effect is similar to the way HDR software can combine multiple photos to create one rich, dynamic photo. If you have an HDR option (it might also be called Wide Dynamic Range, or some similar variation), try it instead of the flash when faced with tricky lighting.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><strong style="font-weight: bold; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">8. Turn your camera into a photo lab:</strong> Most phones offer relatively few options for enhancing photos. That's what Photoshop and other editing apps are for. But some cameras include a veritable treasure trove of ways to tweak your shots, so check the camera settings for adjustments such as contrast, saturation, and image effects. You can use most of these controls as if you were adding spices to a soup: Experiment and apply the ones you like to taste. The saturation control, for example, adjusts the intensity of colors in your photos.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="image rtsm" style="float: right; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 10px; max-width: 180px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: relative;"><a class="zoomLink" href="http://zapp5.staticworld.net/images/article/2011/07/settings-5201291.jpg" style="clear: none; color: #1c609f; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" title="Experiment with your camera settings."><img class="zoomOverlay" src="http://zapp5.staticworld.net/images/zoomIcon.png" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; clear: both; display: block; float: right; height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: auto; max-width: 606px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: absolute; right: 0px; width: 20px;" title="Click to enlarge" /><img alt="Photo Tips: Turn Your Camera into a Photo Lab" src="http://zapp5.staticworld.net/images/article/2011/07/settings-5201292.jpg" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; clear: both; display: block; float: right; height: auto; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: auto; max-width: 606px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="Photo Tips: Turn Your Camera into a Photo Lab" /></a><span class="artCaption" style="clear: both; color: #404040; float: left; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 6px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 6px;">Experiment with your camera settings.</span></span>It's usually best to stick with low or medium, since high saturation levels tend to make everyone look like an overcooked turkey. Image effects like negative, sepia, and black and white can help you take charming photos. But remember that if you shoot a photo in sepia, for instance, it will be tinted that way forever--there's no going back to the real colors. You might be better off ignoring such controls and adding a similar effect on your PC with a free program like Windows Live Photo Gallery, so you can always revert to the original color if you prefer.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><strong style="font-weight: bold; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">9. Use the flash to reveal daytime details: </strong>It's counterintuitive, but in daylight, a fill flash can be your secret weapon. It provides a burst to reduce the shadows that bright sunlight causes. Although the flash won't be powerful enough to fill every shadow, if you're close enough to your subject, it can provide pleasant, even lighting on your subject's face. Of course, the tiny flash on most cameras works only at very close range, so don't expect it to help unless you're within a few feet of your subject.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><strong style="font-weight: bold; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">10. Don't use digital zoom: </strong>Your camera phone can't magnify the image by moving its lens. Instead, it has a digital zoom, which merely makes the pixels big and blocky, obliterating fine detail. Want to fill the frame? Walk closer to your subject. If you really need to zoom, you can always produce the same effect on your PC with an image editor later.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><strong style="font-weight: bold; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">11. Stock up on software: </strong>One of the best reasons to carry a smartphone is for the scores of apps you can install to enhance every aspect of the phone, and photography is no different. Check out your phone's app store for programs that can improve the way the camera works, as well for apps that can enhance the photos you take.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.pcworld.com/">Source</a></div>Hassaan Syedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04742235483151885808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4298688887454672304.post-82876750788266494222011-09-18T18:16:00.000+05:002011-09-18T18:16:51.290+05:00How To Unlock the Hidden Facebook iPad App<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, verdana, helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZLn-9KOUtR_3Ni9O-ltSJ0trsE0TxhPV2orUYpplSPfSJI5ROWsr3eMUSqBs412tY6-URuutVkTY_W96lKhcYoImZt6bA2XL1AcY4njFPEB5BdCrKvg_IoIAj0i1JoDmxBzXuVPAZm64/s1600/facebook_logo.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZLn-9KOUtR_3Ni9O-ltSJ0trsE0TxhPV2orUYpplSPfSJI5ROWsr3eMUSqBs412tY6-URuutVkTY_W96lKhcYoImZt6bA2XL1AcY4njFPEB5BdCrKvg_IoIAj0i1JoDmxBzXuVPAZm64/s1600/facebook_logo.png" /></a></div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">After Facebook accidentally leaked their long-overdue official iPad app, the blogosphere errupted with instructions on how to unlock the hidden app. Facebook quickly responded by <a href="http://techcrunch.com/2011/07/25/facebook-ipad-app-login-not-working/" style="clear: none; color: #1c609f; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">blocking</a> Facebook for iPad. Clearly there is a lot of interest in the app, because today hacker chpwn released a tool called <strong style="font-weight: bold; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">FaceForward</strong> that re-enables the hidden feature.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Here's how to use it:</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><em style="list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">0) You must have a jailbroken iPad to use FaceForward.</em></div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><em style="list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">1) Install <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/facebook/id284882215?mt=8" style="clear: none; color: #1c609f; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Facebook</a> for iPhone on your iPad.</em></div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><em style="list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">2) Launch <strong style="font-weight: bold; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Cydia</strong> and search for FaceForward</em></div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><em style="list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">3) Install FaceForward. You will be prompted to reboot your iPad.</em></div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><em style="list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">4) When you launch the formerly iPhone-only app, it will now be iPad native!</em></div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Facebook for iPad is still in beta and this release was clearly a mistake. Obviously if the FB team was ready to release the iPad app they would. Use at your own risk.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><strong style="font-weight: bold; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Something to say about Facebook for iPad? Use the comments!</strong></div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><strong style="font-weight: bold; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><br />
</strong></div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.pcworld.com/">Source</a></span></div>Hassaan Syedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04742235483151885808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4298688887454672304.post-19610257139022319072011-09-18T18:11:00.000+05:002011-09-18T18:11:31.389+05:00How to Revert to iOS 4.3.3 From iOS 5 Beta 1<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, verdana, helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFRI5olV8ycAk1-PPvSjckTbwY4dm0BhtHGbLtiyovLUnTEImVbXb_U43E12gZRZ_GE7-QGFJSAaAaH0UjzmXWNFkUSa4HxzAzsnWc8fTzpPa1SoBwDyaUhrEO_xqwLUXVXuansvLX5w4/s1600/iOS-5-Downgrade-300x106.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFRI5olV8ycAk1-PPvSjckTbwY4dm0BhtHGbLtiyovLUnTEImVbXb_U43E12gZRZ_GE7-QGFJSAaAaH0UjzmXWNFkUSa4HxzAzsnWc8fTzpPa1SoBwDyaUhrEO_xqwLUXVXuansvLX5w4/s1600/iOS-5-Downgrade-300x106.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">There's a reason it's called <em style="list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">beta</em> software. While Apple's latest developer build is certainly a glimpse into the promising future of iOS 5, it's not for everyone. Missing features, broken apps, and general quirkiness is abound- though you can't say they didn't tell you so: Apple specifically recommends only installing beta software on dedicated testing hardware. They also warn that once you install iOS 5, there's no going back.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="image large" id="test" style="clear: both; display: block; float: none; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-top: 10px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; width: 650px;"><img alt="" height="70" src="http://osxdaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/apple-warning-ios-5.jpg" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; border-width: initial; clear: both; display: block; height: auto; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: auto; max-width: 606px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" width="606" /></span></div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Maybe you're a developer and you need to revert back to iOS 4.3 to test your app for immediate release. Or maybe you're just an eager beaver and got your developer friend to install the beta for you, only to find out you should have heeded Apple's warning. Whatever the case, contrary to popular belief, you <em style="list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">can</em> downgrade from iOS 5 beta. Here's how:</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><em style="list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">This method has been tested for downgrading an iPhone 4 running iOS 5 beta 1 to iOS 4.3.3 using iTunes 10.5 beta (which you needed to install the beta OS). Any other hardware/software configurations may yield different results.</em></div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><strong style="font-weight: bold; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">0) </strong><strong style="font-weight: bold; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Plug your iPhone into your computer</strong></div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Launch iTunes, if it doesn't automatically.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"></div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><strong style="font-weight: bold; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">1) </strong><strong style="font-weight: bold; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Enter DFU mode</strong></div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">To enter DFU (Device Firmware Update) mode, hold the Power/Lock button and Home button simultaneously for 10 seconds. Then, release the Power/Lock button while continuing to hold the Home button. iTunes will tell you an iPhone in recovery mode has been detected (don't worry, your iPhone screen will be blank).</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="image large" id="test" style="clear: both; display: block; float: none; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-top: 10px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; width: 650px;"><img alt="" height="234" src="http://www.jailbreakmovies.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/iPhone-Recovery-Dialogue.png" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; border-width: initial; clear: both; display: block; height: auto; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: auto; max-width: 606px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" width="554" /></span></div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><strong style="font-weight: bold; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">2) </strong><strong style="font-weight: bold; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Remove hosts file mods</strong></div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">If you don't know what these are, you can skip this step.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"></div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><strong style="font-weight: bold; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">3) </strong><strong style="font-weight: bold; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Restore</strong></div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">In iTunes, click "Restore." When the dialog opens, click "Restore and Update." This will restore your iPhone to iOS 4.3.3 (the latest iOS update available). If you'd like to downgrade to a lower version, you may be able to install the IPSW file directly by option-clicking the "Restore" button and selecting your older iOS, though this hasn't been tested.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="image large" id="test" style="clear: both; display: block; float: none; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-top: 10px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; width: 650px;"><img alt="" height="307" src="http://www.jailbreakmovies.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/Are-you-sure-you-want-to-restore.png" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; border-width: initial; clear: both; display: block; height: auto; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: auto; max-width: 606px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" width="570" /></span></div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">And there you have it, you've downgraded back to good ol' iOS 4.3.3. If something went wrong, you may want to try using <a href="http://thefirmwareumbrella.blogspot.com/" style="clear: none; color: #1c609f; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">TinyUmbrella</a>.</div><br />
<a href="http://www.pcworld.com/">Source</a>Hassaan Syedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04742235483151885808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4298688887454672304.post-42531310318125208742011-09-18T18:07:00.001+05:002011-09-18T18:07:08.124+05:00Connect Your Android Phone to Mac OS X's Internet Sharing<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, verdana, helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">A redhead instant messaged me. She was in a vacation home on the Massachusetts coast. "Fleishman," she typed breathily. "You're the only one with the answer." "Spill the Java applets, toots," I tapped out with one hand while knocking back ban-cha tea with the other. A pause. Then a stream of words. "My Android phone won't connect to my MacBook Pro's software base station. My husband doesn't understand. I need your help." I like a challenge. I rolled up my hemp-cotton sleeves. "Lady, I charge 128 bits a day, plus expenses." She agreed.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2j8-2EK_ybAP17BvMR9zKaFVgeetmedd2yGvxs1YfbmwsyBJg3BsGHMeHSmceQqTejzLvLkuIa5eL6GG5h4uCV4_h_XXB0bL967YwSCcRL9r6frAsF3XWCSyO1Ph9eKjhbiZa6hQdF5U/s1600/219952-apple-android_original.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2j8-2EK_ybAP17BvMR9zKaFVgeetmedd2yGvxs1YfbmwsyBJg3BsGHMeHSmceQqTejzLvLkuIa5eL6GG5h4uCV4_h_XXB0bL967YwSCcRL9r6frAsF3XWCSyO1Ph9eKjhbiZa6hQdF5U/s1600/219952-apple-android_original.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">I had a mystery to unravel: why couldn't her Android phone connect to a feature that's been in Mac OS X for years, and which she'd used successfully before with other devices? What was unique about either the phone or the setup? And could I work through the technical answer in the style of 1930s pulp-fiction detective?</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="image ltmd" id="test" style="clear: left; float: left; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-top: 0px; max-width: 302px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><img alt="" height="102" src="http://zapp5.staticworld.net/images/article/2011/04/macscreen2-5159729.jpg" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; clear: both; display: block; float: left; height: auto; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: auto; max-width: 302px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" width="350" /><span class="artCaption" style="clear: both; color: #404040; float: left; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 6px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 6px;">The mystery started with a Mac OS X software base station that was talking out of both sides of its mouth: 802.11n and WEP aren’t compatible. What gives?</span></span></div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">I checked out her problem. It seemed legit enough. She set up password-protected access to her Mac over Wi-Fi. The moll typed in the same password into her Android phone. No dice. After turning encryption off on the Mac, the Page-and-Brin bruiser from Mountain View managed to hook up just fine. Neat. But too neat. What were Sergei and Larry up to? Could this Wi-Fi shamus sort it out?</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">If you want the inside skinny without a cherry on top, skip to the end, where I spell it out in black and white.</div><h2 class="articleBodyContentSubHed" style="font-size: 18px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 10px;">The Apple Side</h2><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Apple's software base station makes its home in the Sharing system preference pane in the Internet Sharing service. The notion--and apparently some of the code--dates back more than a decade to when this feature was first added to Mac OS 8. The feature disappeared in Mac OS X, but was restored due to popular demand.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Software base station is showing its age. Even though Macs have shipped for years with both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz Wi-Fi available, Internet Sharing only uses the weak-kneed 2.4 GHz band, prone to congestion and interference. (Also, a mean drunk. Never get into a fight at 2.4 billion cycles a second after insulting WEP's robustness in a crowded RF environment.)</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">And worst of all, the software base station offers only WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) encryption, a broken standard that's been beaten so many times that there's hardly a bone in its protocol body that's not shattered. WEP isn't just a last resort for encryption--it's the worst resort. A kid with an Asus netbook could download free software and be through your WEP defenses in a few minutes. Child's play.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Still, I knew that Internet Sharing over Wi-Fi worked. I'd used it myself plenty of times on the road, when paying for a hotel connection over Ethernet, and sharing via Wi-Fi on my laptop to access the Internet from other devices. (The reverse works, too: a Wi-Fi connection can be shared via Ethernet, or even Bluetooth.)</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">I started wearing out some shoe leather sorting out the problem. My first lead came from sniffing the air. The software base station on a newer Mac, one with 802.11n networking built in, offers up an incompatible set of standards when WEP is turned on. 802.11n defines its only encryption type as WPA2 (Wi-Fi Protected Access's second version), which dates to 2004. (Technically, it requires the AES-CCMP encryption key type, but don't let me flap my jaw at you about details.)</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">That seemed like it might be the culprit. But after more investigation, the trail went cold: properly functioning Wi-Fi clients will back off on the gas, and use the slower 802.11g standard to connect over WEP. Android was innocent, and I didn't have a second suspect.</div><h2 class="articleBodyContentSubHed" style="font-size: 18px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 10px;">A Dead End?</h2><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">I'd hit a dead end in the case. Sitting with my feet up on my desk in a smoky office lit in chiaroscuro, I remembered: reading! Words mean things! I could read, and read I did. Returning to the Internet Sharing service in Mac OS X, I found these words I'd skipped before:</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">"If you plan to share your Internet connection with non-Apple computers, use a 5 character password for a 40-bit WEP key, and a 13 character password for a 128-bit WEP key."</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Of course! The room became even hazier as flashback lines rippled in my field of vision. It was all coming back to me. The year was 1999. I was young then, and in love with Wi-Fi--and WEP. That was before everything went wrong.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Back then, when 802.11b was introduced and Wi-Fi made itself known to the world, WEP was considered an acceptable compromise to secure the traffic between a Wi-Fi adapter on a laptop, like toilet-seat iBooks, and a Wi-Fi router, such as Apple's AirPort Base Station. You had to throw down 30 sawbucks ($300) for a device that seems today as slow as a Model T Ford in a NASCAR race. But then it was a miracle, and every day was sunny. I was in love. Remember?</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Apple tries to be everyone's buddy, so they made it nice and easy to bypass a real irritation with WEP. Seems that WEP was particular--too particular, most people say. With the first version, 40-bit WEP (referring to the length of the encryption key), you had to come up with five letters and numbers (A-Z, a-z, and 0-9), or ten digits in base 16 (hexadecimal), from 0 to 9 and A to F; A to F correspond to 10 to 15. A later so-called improvement--which turned out to be window dressing--used 128-bit keys, which required 13 letters and numbers or 26 hex digits.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Most normal people had a problem with that. "Too much palaver," I'd hear in dingy Internet cafés. Apple has moxie. The Cupertino capybara figured out a way to make WEP simpler. That's Apple's M.O. The engineers came up with a method to turn a series of text into a WEP key without requiring users to come up with something that fit into the straitjacket of WEP's built-in limits. That came with a price--a price that my flamehaired friend was paying today as my flashback ended.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">You see, Apple let you create a key with any AirPort system and the software base station of any length, working its mumbo-jumbo behind the scenes to create a perfect WEP key. It always makes a WEP key of the right length and type no matter what you type, but type the correct length and you get an exact match.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">We've forgotten all that horror since WEP was superseded by WPA in 2003 and WPA2 a couple of years later. WPA and WPA2 let you enter a bunch of plain text and punctuation, for a total ranging from 8 to 63 characters. The WPA and WPA2 algorithm transforms those characters into the underlying encryption key no matter what computer, mobile phone, E-Z-bake-oven-with-remote-Wi-Fi controls, or game system you use. WEP lost my heart when WPA2 gained it. You never forget your first love, no matter how flawed, even when you've outgrown it.</div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, verdana, helvetica, sans-serif;"><h2 class="articleBodyContentHed" style="font-size: 18px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 10px;">How I Cracked the Case</h2><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">I hoofed it to 1 Infinite Loop for some answers. After driving around endlessly, I ditched the motor. I knocked on a banged-up door marked PR. "Beat it," a gravely voice muttered through a crack. "It's Fleishman. It's about the software base station. You know. That thing you want to pretend is a feature. But that doesn't get updated." "Take a hike, detective," the voice replied, as I pushed my Pringles can antenna into the gap. I said, "I just want to know: do Androids dream of encrypted WEP?" "I can't say much," came the reply. "But try 5 and 13 letters. No more. No less." The Pringles can dislodged, and the door slammed. I had my tip.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Returning to my office, I tapped the keyboard to wake the machine, fired up Internet Sharing, clicked the AirPort Options button, made sure 40-bit WEP was selected in the WEP Key Length popup, and pecked out:</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">redhd</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">I clicked OK. I selected Ethernet (my Internet source) from the Share Your Connection From menu, and then checked the AirPort box in the To Computers Using list. I then clicked the checkbox next to Internet Sharing to start up the engine.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">With an Android phone that conveniently fell off a truck, I used the Settings app to bring up a list of Wi-Fi networks, selected mine, and tapped away:</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">redhd</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="image ltmd" id="test" style="clear: left; float: left; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-top: 0px; max-width: 302px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><img alt="" height="212" src="http://zapp5.staticworld.net/images/article/2011/04/macscreen1-5159725.jpg" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; clear: both; display: block; float: left; height: auto; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: auto; max-width: 302px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" width="350" /><span class="artCaption" style="clear: both; color: #404040; float: left; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 6px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 6px;">I cracked my fingers and entered redhd into the WEP password fields, a five-letter password that was my key to breaking this case wide open.</span></span>As I watched gears click into place, I knew I had a winner. The phone connected, got an IP address, and started purring along. But I wasn't hearing gears click--no, it was the sound of an instant message alert. I fired up video and saw a smartphone pointed right at my temples.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">"So, shamus." It was my crimson colleague. "You figured it out."</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">"Back off, doll, I've got the ticket right here." She lowered the phone, and I explained the situation. She set up her machine, punched in a five-letter password, and connected from her Android. "It works," she said. "You are going to get massive rock star status for this one, Fleishman."</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">I explained to her that it also works with the original AirPort Base Station, which can only run WEP, and with WEP enabled on newer (2003 and later) base stations set to use that standard. While I was used to the AirPort Base Stations pushing up daisies through a power-supply failure a few years into operation, my friend still could "see" two across the street from her office. "We're a public college, Fleishman. We use what we have."</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">And if the 5- or 13-character ASCII password trick didn't work, I had another tip. In the software base station in Mac OS X, <a href="http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1126" style="clear: none; color: #1c609f; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">you can force the use of hexadecimal</a> by using a dollar sign--thank you, Uncle Sam--in front of a series of 10 or 26 hex digits for 40- or 128-bit WEP. For instance:</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">$A0B1C2D3E4</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">On an Android phone, under Windows, or elsewhere, you type that sequence in omitting the dollar sign as:</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">A0B1C2D3E4</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">"You think you're pretty clever, dick," my friend said. "But what do you think of--this!" A Star.me invite. Oh my stars, indeed. I may have started out illiterately staring down the wrong end of a telescope, and ending up seeing stars, but the case was closed. Time for a night cap of ginger and seltzer.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><strong style="font-weight: bold; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">The Plain Truth</strong></div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">The problem my friend Kerri encountered and I figured out with her help, some advice from Apple engineers, and, as I note above, reading Apple's text more carefully was a mismatch between what you are may set as a password for the Internet Sharing service's WEP encryption key, and what works compatibly with Apple and non-AirPort gear.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Here's how to set this up so you can get a reliable connection with Android and other mobile devices, Windows systems, and Linux and beyond, as well as Mac OS X and iOS devices. (This also works with the original AirPort Base Station via the AirPort Admin Utility, and with later base stations set to 802.11g and WEP in AirPort Utility in the places in the utility that let you set a password.)</div><li style="list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Open the Sharing preference pane in System Preferences.</li><br />
<li style="list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Click the Internet Sharing item in the Services list.</li><br />
<li style="list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">If the service has a checkbox next to its name, click that checkbox to turn the service off.</li><br />
<li style="list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">You need to select a network interface from Share Your Connection From that's anything but AirPort. You can't share AirPort to AirPort. For instance, choose Ethernet.</li><br />
<li style="list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Check the box next to AirPort in the To Computers Using list.</li><br />
<li style="list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Click the AirPort Options button.</li><br />
<li style="list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Check Enable Encryption (using WEP).From WEP Key Length choose either 40-bit or 128-bit.</li><br />
<li style="list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">In the Password field, for 40-bit WEP, enter a password of precisely five letters and numbers, such as waz00, or for 128-bit WEP, enter a password of precisely 13 letters and numbers, such as mares0eat1oat</li><br />
<li style="list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Click OK.</li><br />
<li style="list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Check the box next to Internet Sharing in the Services list.</li><br />
<div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Now on another device, such as an Android phone, select your Mac's software base station by name. You should be prompted to enter a WEP password. If given an option among types (like hex and ASCII), choose ASCII. Enter the password precisely as you set it on the Mac.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">You should now be connected.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.pcworld.com/">Source</a></div></span>Hassaan Syedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04742235483151885808noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4298688887454672304.post-73231337916540443312011-09-18T17:48:00.000+05:002011-09-18T17:48:21.233+05:00How To Enable iTunes Home Sharing in iOS 4.3<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, verdana, helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">iOS 4.3, the newest iOS update, was released on March 11th alongside the ultra-hyped iPad 2. One of the key features is a little something called iTunes Home Sharing, which allows users to stream music, podcasts, movies and more from PC to iOS device. This was probably the 4.3 feature I was most excited about as I don’t own an AppleTV or an iPad (yet). However, upon installing the GM, released last Thursday, I was looking to enable iTunes Home Sharing and it wasn’t immediately obvious how to do so. If that’s the case for an iOS developer, I’m sure there will be plenty of other users scratching their heads when they install the iOS update on Friday hoping to share their media libraries from the get-go. This is how to enable iTunes Home Sharing in iOS 4.3.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCrzph4xm40I0sM47s_zJmhypQ9_5XG9Jjlg92f3zgmvl9WdTAZ8wwGYaa0psedTPbNbJraglZFAi2rZGFSYLUUo8RSSUUkSl40N8O20x_A-cFuTamTTPVbvpTwxDomM08B0GLx5F7Ot8/s1600/apple-announces-ios-43-with-release-date.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCrzph4xm40I0sM47s_zJmhypQ9_5XG9Jjlg92f3zgmvl9WdTAZ8wwGYaa0psedTPbNbJraglZFAi2rZGFSYLUUo8RSSUUkSl40N8O20x_A-cFuTamTTPVbvpTwxDomM08B0GLx5F7Ot8/s1600/apple-announces-ios-43-with-release-date.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><strong style="font-weight: bold; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Step 0: Install iOS 4.3 (released 3/11/11)</strong></div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Just in case you missed the title of this article, iOS 4.3 is required to enable iTunes Home Sharing!</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><strong style="font-weight: bold; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Step 1: Install iTunes 10.2</strong></div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Although obvious now, this was a step that initially escaped me. I have Software Update set to Manual (since I tend to know when major updates are released and prefer not being bothered by alerts). Anyway, run Software Update and install iTunes 10.2, it is most definitely required to enable iTunes Home Sharing.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><strong style="font-weight: bold; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Step 2: Enable Home Sharing in iTunes</strong></div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="image ltmd" id="test" style="clear: left; float: left; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-top: 0px; max-width: 302px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><img alt="" height="172" src="http://zapp5.staticworld.net/images/article/2011/03/screen-shot-2011-03-08-at-11.12.39-am-5150924.png" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; clear: both; display: block; float: left; height: auto; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: auto; max-width: 302px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" width="350" /></span>My first instinct to enable Home Sharing was to go to iTunes preferences, but my assumption proved to be wrong. Instead, Apple has placed Home Sharing in the “Advanced” menu as its own menu item. There is also now an item under the “Sharing” heading in the left-side bar called “Home Sharing” which brings you to the same view. Here, you must either sign-in or create an Apple ID (who doesn’t have one of these yet?) and click “Create Home Share.”</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><strong style="font-weight: bold; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Step 3: Enable Home Sharing on your iOS device</strong></div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="image rtsm" id="test" style="float: right; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 10px; max-width: 180px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: relative;"><img alt="" height="270" src="http://zapp5.staticworld.net/images/article/2011/03/photo-1-5150927.png" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; clear: both; display: block; float: right; height: auto; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: auto; max-width: 606px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" width="180" /></span>After my incorrect instinct in iTunes, I went looking for a way to access my Home Share from my iPhone directly from the iPod app. Turns out, you actually have to turn it on from the “Settings” app. D’oh! Under “iPod” Settings, there is now a “Home Sharing” heading, in which you will need to sign into your Apple ID once again. Also, be sure you are connected to the same WiFi network as your PC, while you’re here.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><strong style="font-weight: bold; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Step 4: Accessing your Home Share</strong></div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="image ltsm" id="test" style="float: left; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-top: 10px; max-width: 180px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><img alt="" height="270" src="http://zapp5.staticworld.net/images/article/2011/03/photo-2-5150931.png" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; clear: both; display: block; float: left; height: auto; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: auto; max-width: 606px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" width="180" /></span>Go back to the iPod app on your iOS device and click on the “More” tab. There you will see a new heading titled “Shared” which lets you choose between your iOS library or any Shared Libraries you have enabled on your WiFi network. Bazinga!</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><br />
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</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.pcworld.com/">Source</a></div>Hassaan Syedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04742235483151885808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4298688887454672304.post-28575036563809674852011-09-18T17:44:00.000+05:002011-09-18T17:44:10.576+05:00Online Bargains: How to Use Groupon and Its Competitors<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, verdana, helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">On a recent weekday, my morning e-mail included an interesting offer to take 30 percent off the bill for dinner at Epic Roasthouse, a prestigious and pricey steak house near the foot of the San Francisco Bay Bridge.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Other deals in my mailbox that day included an $8 coupon for $20 worth of imported sweets at an upscale local mom-and-pop candy store; 50 percent off the usual price for a class on using handguns, and similar or even greater reductions for handbags, lingerie, and bed linens from A-list designers.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="image rtsm" style="float: right; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 10px; max-width: 180px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: relative;"><a class="zoomLink" href="http://zapp5.staticworld.net/howto/graphics/219645-gilt_original.jpg" style="clear: none; color: #1c609f; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" title="You can find luxury brands at good discounts on the Gilt Groupe Website."><img class="zoomOverlay" src="http://zapp5.staticworld.net/images/zoomIcon.png" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; clear: both; display: block; float: right; height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: auto; max-width: 606px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: absolute; right: 0px; width: 20px;" title="Click to enlarge" /><img alt="Gilt Groupe" src="http://zapp5.staticworld.net/howto/graphics/219645-gilt_180.jpg" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; clear: both; display: block; float: right; height: auto; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: auto; max-width: 606px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="Gilt Groupe" /></a><span class="artCaption" style="clear: both; color: #404040; float: left; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 6px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 6px;">You can find luxury brands at good discounts on the Gilt Groupe Website.</span></span>Although messages promoting sales for major retailers are no strangers to my inbox (and probably your own inbox), these time-limited deep-discount offers for luxury goods and services represent two relatively new types of e-commerce services: localized group deals and flash sales. The former, which you can find at sites like <a href="http://www.groupon.com/" style="clear: none; color: #1c609f; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Groupon</a> and <a href="http://www.livingsocial.com/" style="clear: none; color: #1c609f; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Living Social</a>, typically covers restaurants, activities, and services in specific cities; the latter, available at sites such as <a href="http://www.gilt.com/" style="clear: none; color: #1c609f; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Gilt Groupe</a>, <a href="http://www.hautelook.com/index/index/mk/indexf" style="clear: none; color: #1c609f; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">HauteLook</a>, and<a href="http://www.ruelala.com/" style="clear: none; color: #1c609f; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Rue La La</a>, offers designer products.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Spawned by the hard economic times of the past few years, these sites can deliver great deals to passionate shoppers who are willing to keep a close eye on their e-mail and pounce when they see something they like.</div><h2 class="articleBodyContentSubHed" style="font-size: 18px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 10px;">Group Deals and Flash Sales: The Differences</h2><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Both types of sites require users to register to gain access to deep discounts on merchandise and services from an ever-changing list of vendors. Deals are available only for a limited amount of time--a day in the case of group discounts, and a few days for merchandise (or until the items sell out). Most of these sites send out daily e-mail alerts with links to current offers, and you must pay immediately for the coupon or merchandise, too. But you'll find some fundamental differences between group-discount and flash-sale sites.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="image ltsm" style="float: left; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-top: 10px; max-width: 180px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><a class="zoomLink" href="http://zapp5.staticworld.net/howto/graphics/219645-groupon_original.jpg" style="clear: none; color: #1c609f; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" title="Use Groupon for discount deals that get better if you buy them in a group."><img class="zoomOverlay" src="http://zapp5.staticworld.net/images/zoomIcon.png" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; clear: both; display: block; float: left; height: 20px; left: 185px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: auto; max-width: 606px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: absolute; width: 20px;" title="Click to enlarge" /><img alt="Groupon" src="http://zapp5.staticworld.net/howto/graphics/219645-groupon_180.jpg" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; clear: both; display: block; float: left; height: auto; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: auto; max-width: 606px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="Groupon" /></a><span class="artCaption" style="clear: both; color: #404040; float: left; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 6px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 6px;">Use Groupon for discount deals that get better if you buy them in a group.</span></span>Group deals are specific to a city; you can look at offers in multiple markets. Once in a while a vendor with national distribution will offer its deal in multiple markets, but the site will typically ask you where you live when you sign up, after which it will alert you to deals in your home area. Even Facebook is testing a Groupon-like feature.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">These offers tend to come from small (often mom-and-pop) businesses that want to expand their clientele but can't afford traditional mass-media marketing campaigns. For these businesses, the income they forgo when a coupon holder cashes in is a cost-effective way of using the marketing dollars they do have--the offer has brought in a customer. (See "Groupon Nightmares (and How to Avoid Them)" for a look at the impact such offers can have on a business.)</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">While many of these customers may be returning patrons, inevitably at least some will be new--a calculation that is part of Groupon's sales pitch. Groupon says that merchants can look at the subsidies that go to returning customers as a sort of loyalty program.</div><h2 class="articleBodyContentSubHed" style="font-size: 18px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 10px;">What to Look Out For</h2><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Even though coupons purchased on group-deal sites do have an expiration date (always check for the date before buying), Groupon says that it isn't in a merchant's interest to work on too short a deadline: People who buy into the deal and can't get in are unlikely to become repeat visitors.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">The Groupons I've bought for restaurants are typically good for at least six months, and if you don't use a Groupon before the deadline, the merchant is still obligated to honor it for the original purchase price--in other words, if you paid $10 for a Groupon worth $20, the merchant must subtract $10 from your bill if you present the Groupon after its expiration date. (This policy is dictated by laws on gift cards in some states, although Groupon says that courts haven't determined whether these offers should be treated as gift cards or coupons.)</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="image rtsm" style="float: right; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 10px; max-width: 180px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: relative;"><a class="zoomLink" href="http://zapp5.staticworld.net/howto/graphics/219645-winewoot_original.jpg" style="clear: none; color: #1c609f; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" title="Look for bargains on fine wines at the Wine.Woot site."><img class="zoomOverlay" src="http://zapp5.staticworld.net/images/zoomIcon.png" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; clear: both; display: block; float: right; height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: auto; max-width: 606px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: absolute; right: 0px; width: 20px;" title="Click to enlarge" /><img alt="Wine.Woot" src="http://zapp5.staticworld.net/howto/graphics/219645-winewoot_180.jpg" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; clear: both; display: block; float: right; height: auto; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: auto; max-width: 606px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="Wine.Woot" /></a><span class="artCaption" style="clear: both; color: #404040; float: left; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 6px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 6px;">Look for bargains on fine wines at the Wine.Woot site.</span></span>Flash sales, on the other hand, are basically a means of disposing of excess inventory. "If the company could sell the merchandise at full price, it would have," says Sucharita Mulpuru, an analyst who tracks e-commerce with Forrester Research. The recession left a lot of luxury-item vendors with unsold merchandise, and Gilt, Rue La La, and a few specialty sites such as <a href="http://www.sniqueaway.com/" style="clear: none; color: #1c609f; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">SniqueAway</a> (travel), <a href="http://wine.woot.com/" style="clear: none; color: #1c609f; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Wine.Woot</a> (fine wines), and<a href="http://www.zulily.com/" style="clear: none; color: #1c609f; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Zulily</a> (deals for moms, babies, and children) function as virtual outlets.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Because the discounted merchandise is available for only a few days at most, and because quantities can be limited, these sites encourage patrons to act more quickly than they might on a traditional e-commerce site. One of the dangers of shopping at flash-sale sites is the temptation to buy stuff you don't really need simply because it's a deal--and one that might disappear if you wait.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">But another danger is that the deal isn't as great as it appears to be: You should at least do a cursory price-comparison check elsewhere online--a flash-sale site might not always undercut other e-tailers. Also, be sure to review the return policies, as you should with any online merchant. Flash-sale sites aren't necessarily bad about accepting returns, but they may be more likely to insist that returned merchandise be in its original condition.</div><h2 class="articleBodyContentSubHed" style="font-size: 18px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 10px;">Will the Deals Continue?</h2><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="image ltsm" style="float: left; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-top: 10px; max-width: 180px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><a class="zoomLink" href="http://zapp5.staticworld.net/howto/graphics/219645-fashionvault_original.jpg" style="clear: none; color: #1c609f; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" title="FashionVault is eBay's own flash-sale site."><img class="zoomOverlay" src="http://zapp5.staticworld.net/images/zoomIcon.png" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; clear: both; display: block; float: left; height: 20px; left: 185px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: auto; max-width: 606px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: absolute; width: 20px;" title="Click to enlarge" /><img alt="FashionVault" src="http://zapp5.staticworld.net/howto/graphics/219645-fashionvault_180.jpg" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; clear: both; display: block; float: left; height: auto; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: auto; max-width: 606px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="FashionVault" /></a><span class="artCaption" style="clear: both; color: #404040; float: left; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 6px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 6px;">FashionVault is eBay's own flash-sale site.</span></span>Will flash-sale sites be able to offer deep discounts as the economy recovers and vendors don't have as much unsold inventory as they did, say, two years ago? eBay apparently thinks so: It has opened its own flash-sale site, <a href="http://fashionvault.ebay.com/" style="clear: none; color: #1c609f; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">FashionVault</a>. And in the wake of failed talks to acquire Groupon, Google is reportedly working on a Groupon-like site with bargains from local businesses, to be called Google Offers.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">But Forrester's Mulpuru questions whether any of these services will be able to sustain the type of growth they've enjoyed in the past couple of years. Local-deal sites require large (read: costly) sales staffs to get merchants on board, she says, and the pool of unsold luxury goods is unlikely to grow quickly enough to provide inventory to a growing number of flash-sale sites.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">For shoppers, economic recovery means that the selection and number of luxury items on flash-sale sites may well start to shrink--but group-deal sites may fare better. Whatever happens down the road, though, these sites are clearly worth checking out now.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.pcworld.com/">Source</a></div>Hassaan Syedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04742235483151885808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4298688887454672304.post-49376527935876555102011-09-18T17:40:00.000+05:002011-09-18T17:40:15.533+05:00How Did QuickTime Get Onto My PC?<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, verdana, helvetica, sans-serif;"><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">QuickTime, which comes from Apple, displays photos and videos, plays music, and performs various other multimedia tricks. Although the software is available as a stand-alone product, it comes bundled with iTunes--and that's how it lands on most users' systems. Install iTunes, and QuickTime (necessarily) sneaks in too.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTHbXqb8HfiLxeNZ8_bkipiwQDwK_hSPRriRctRKqoznqXfP7LVl8z62lpir92gBuMoqWIPilx1poLRLthyphenhyphen4N2JScES2I_QiTCAUs5xf9cqAjNC8OOGj-4Jns2bT4EB3y6fWdEJbCkYzo/s1600/snow_leopard_quicktime_x_icon.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTHbXqb8HfiLxeNZ8_bkipiwQDwK_hSPRriRctRKqoznqXfP7LVl8z62lpir92gBuMoqWIPilx1poLRLthyphenhyphen4N2JScES2I_QiTCAUs5xf9cqAjNC8OOGj-4Jns2bT4EB3y6fWdEJbCkYzo/s320/snow_leopard_quicktime_x_icon.png" width="320" /></a></div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Do you need it? If you're an iPod, iPad, or iPhone owner, you need iTunes--and, ergo, QuickTime. The same is true if you like to watch movie trailers and other videos in your browser, as many embedded videos are encoded in a QuickTime-compatible format. My advice: Unless you have a specific reason for deleting it, leave QuickTime alone</div></span></div><a href="http://www.pcworld.com/">source</a>Hassaan Syedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04742235483151885808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4298688887454672304.post-59089840922368383632011-09-18T17:37:00.000+05:002011-09-18T17:37:01.971+05:005 Fixes for iTunes' Famous Flaws<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">The iPod is certainly one of the best consumer electronics products of the last 10 years. iTunes, though, not so much. Apple's software isn't nearly as flexible as it should be, especially when collections get large. Some of the problems result from digital copyright issues, others from Apple's unwillingness to play nice with other formats and devices.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; line-height: normal;"></span></span><br />
<div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Not surprisingly, there's a cottage industry devoted to fixing some of those flaws with free or low-cost add-ons. Here are five of the best:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhub6yczxLWX874TsCo0LA-sLkvl3rpH_ftw8a1lbao3mLq6-MVpJheA9O0P5xRk9KFWD4CI2VQD6kqoWpc-m7FmELg7gxLa1zVxOw9kWeifgSc1aCaXZgoXzCzNaecK0XZDnrJ8AUqXvI/s1600/related+software+itunes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhub6yczxLWX874TsCo0LA-sLkvl3rpH_ftw8a1lbao3mLq6-MVpJheA9O0P5xRk9KFWD4CI2VQD6kqoWpc-m7FmELg7gxLa1zVxOw9kWeifgSc1aCaXZgoXzCzNaecK0XZDnrJ8AUqXvI/s320/related+software+itunes.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><strong>TuneUp</strong></div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">I don't know about you, but my iTunes library has way too many songs called "Track 01" or "Track 02." That's because when you rip songs from a CD, especially one that's second generation, the album info and art are sometimes lost. That also can happen when you buy music from a site other than iTunes. A handy utility called <a href="http://www.tuneupmedia.com/index.php" style="clear: none; color: #1a61a0; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">TuneUp</a> can correct that.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">TuneUp launches itself when iTunes does, and shows up as a vertical window alongside it. TuneUp does a number of things, but cleaning up the library is what makes it worth having. If you download the free version, TuneUp will fix up to 100 tracks and retrieve the album art for 50 songs.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Although my library had several hundred unlabeled songs, TuneUp churned through the list pretty quickly, correctly labeling scores of tunes before I ran out of free fixes. There were only a handful of titles it couldn't find in its database. It was successful in finding missing album art for many, though not all, of my unadorned songs. I have to admit that my musical tastes are fairly conventional, so maybe my collection wasn't particularly challenging for TuneUp. But other writers say the database does well with more esoteric selections as well.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">A full version of the program costs $30; a one-year subscription goes for $20.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">TuneUp's other functions are less impressive. You can expand your collection and share music with friends and be alerted when an artist in your library has a performance scheduled nearby. I wouldn't pay for those functions, but $20 to cleanup up hundreds of songs is a good deal.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><strong>iTunes Export</strong></div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Anyone can buy a CD or a gift card on iTunes. But there's nothing like making a compilation tailored for someone you care about. Sadly, iTunes doesn't make this easy. It's awkward to export playlists you've constructed. <a href="http://www.ericdaugherty.com/dev/itunesexport/" style="clear: none; color: #1a61a0; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">iTunes Export</a> makes it easy to grab a playlist you've built in iTunes and copy it and the songs themselves to a USB drive.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">iTunes Export will copy playlists in formats that players other than iTunes can read as well. It's free. And it's very easy, as long as you download the GUI version. The other version works from a command line and is probably much tougher to use, though I didn't try it. When you configure it, be sure that it's looking at the iTunes XML file that's on the same drive as the music itself. Otherwise you'll export the playlist but not the songs.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><strong>Songbird</strong></div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><a href="http://getsongbird.com/" style="clear: none; color: #1a61a0; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Songbird</a> is a cross between a browser and a music player that's fun to use and adds value to iTunes.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">During installation it'll ask if you want to load your iTunes music directory or another media directory, or perform the task later. It loaded my library quickly and accurately. Playlists take an extra step. Create a new playlist in Songbird, highlight the songs in your iTunes playlist and drag them over. The Songbird interface cleaner than iTunes and quite easy to manage.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">You can import bookmarks from other browsers, and use Songbird as player of songs you come across on the Web. It has lots of extensions and add-ons, though it appears that the built-in functions for Shoutcast and another streaming music site don't work. However, that's easy to work around by simply browsing to those sites with Songbird and bookmarking them.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Songbird also supports CD ripping; like other services it will notify you when artists in your library are performing in your city and it will track their new releases. Since Songbird is built on open source, it's easy for developers to come up with add-ons and extensions, and there are lots of them.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><strong>iTunes Sync</strong></div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Want to give music to a friend whose MP3 player was not made by Apple? <a href="http://www.binaryfortress.com/itunes-sync/" style="clear: none; color: #1a61a0; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">iTunes Sync</a> will let you synchronize your playlists with almost any MP3 player that shows up as a drive letter in Windows when you attach it via a USB port. (Microsoft's Zune is an exception.) You can configure as many different MP3 players as you need and synchronize each one with a different iTunes playlist. Be sure to back up the target MP3 player before you use this program for the first time because things can go wrong any time you sync a device for the first time.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><strong>iTunes U</strong></div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Strictly speaking this isn't an app or a fix, but since iTunes U is so useful, and for some reason, not widely known, I'll include it here. Apple and dozens of major universities have collaborated to make huge amounts of course-related audio content available for free via iTunes. Simply launch iTunes, go to the store, and search for "iTunes U." When it comes up, you'll find podcasts from many universities, and resources geared to lower grades as well. The university content is astonishingly rich. Go to Stanford on iTunes, for instance, and see offerings like Global Geopolitics, which includes ten lecturers, or a seven-lecture mini-course called The Future of Human Health.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 20px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.pcworld.com/">Source</a></div>Hassaan Syedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04742235483151885808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4298688887454672304.post-46372543361857557472011-09-18T17:33:00.000+05:002011-09-18T17:33:48.125+05:00Windows Explorer Tips: Select Files, Show Extensions, Rename Setup Files<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, verdana, helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF92t6Q8vnPHUA1NvS_BXlrcnzTx5CzHaKMgpiiQ5XiYdw0a_-fPPVnjXP4cKnHfr1tVXCjbY6riNS6woJ5ewJu_8Pfef39oc107-nMZs44_CI3SkKGtPsScsLcBfq3mUS9ic5QH4r2g8/s1600/Windows-Vista-Activation-Crack-2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF92t6Q8vnPHUA1NvS_BXlrcnzTx5CzHaKMgpiiQ5XiYdw0a_-fPPVnjXP4cKnHfr1tVXCjbY6riNS6woJ5ewJu_8Pfef39oc107-nMZs44_CI3SkKGtPsScsLcBfq3mUS9ic5QH4r2g8/s200/Windows-Vista-Activation-Crack-2.png" width="198" /></a></div><h2 class="articleBodyContentSubHed" style="font-size: 18px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 10px;">Easy File Selection</h2><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">People who don't work with files on a regular basis have a devil of a time remembering the keyboard shortcut for selecting multiple files. (You hold down the Ctrl key while clicking each individual file.)</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="image ltmd" style="clear: left; float: left; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-top: 0px; max-width: 302px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><a class="zoomLink" href="http://zapp5.staticworld.net/howto/graphics/212332-usecheckboxes_original.jpg" style="clear: none; color: #1c609f; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" title=""><img alt="" src="http://zapp5.staticworld.net/howto/graphics/212332-usecheckboxes_188.jpg" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; clear: both; display: block; float: left; height: auto; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: auto; max-width: 302px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="" /></a></span>Thankfully, there's a "secret" workaround that was introduced with Windows Vista (and is still available in Windows 7). Instead of holding down the Ctrl key, you simply click a check box next to each file you want to select. Much easier!</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">To enable this handy option, open Explorer (remember, Windows-E is the fastest shortcut), click the Organize menu, and then choose <em style="list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Folder and Search Options.</em> Next, click the View tab, and then scroll down until you see<em style="list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> Use check boxes to select items. </em>Enable it, then click OK.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Presto! Now, whenever you mouse over a file, a check box should appear in the left column. Select multiple files, then drag 'em wherever you want, tap the Delete key, or do whatever else you need to do.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Also, note that you can click the "master" check box next to Name to instantly select all the files (as an alternative to the old-standby, Ctrl-A).</div><h2 class="articleBodyContentSubHed" style="font-size: 18px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 10px;">Show File Extensions</h2><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">File extensions (a holdover from early DOS days, believe it or not) tell you what kind of file you're looking at. Thus, a Word file has a .doc extension; a digital photo, a .jpg extension; and so on.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">If you use Windows Explorer's Details view for looking at your files, you'll notice a Type column that more or less takes the guesswork out of identifying file types--and eliminates the need to see those extensions.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">That said, if you want them anyway, it's easy to flip the switch:</div><ol style="list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 40px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 20px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><li style="font-size: 13px; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 15px; list-style-type: decimal; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 15px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Start Windows Explorer (pressing Windows-E is the fastest method).</li>
<li style="font-size: 13px; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 15px; list-style-type: decimal; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 15px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Select <em style="list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Organize, Folder and search options</em>.</li>
<li style="font-size: 13px; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 15px; list-style-type: decimal; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 15px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Click the View tab.</li>
<li style="font-size: 13px; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 15px; list-style-type: decimal; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 15px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Remove the check mark next to <em style="list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Hide extensions for known file types.</em></li>
<li style="font-size: 13px; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 15px; list-style-type: decimal; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 15px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Click OK.</li>
</ol><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Presto! Now you'll see file extensions in all Explorer views.</div><h2 class="articleBodyContentSubHed" style="font-size: 18px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 10px;">Rename Setup Files So They're Easier to Figure Out</h2><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">A quick perusal of your Downloads folder may reveal a lot of executable and/or Zip files you just plain don't recognize. For example, I have one called pwhe42, another called 385-INST-WIN7-A, and three with oh-so-helpful name of Setup. (Developers should be shot for that one.) How are you supposed to know what these files are for--especially if they've been there a while?</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">If you're a Windows Vista or 7 user, try mousing over the the filename. You should see a little pop-up information window, in some cases containing a more complete description of the file. (This may work in XP as well, but I no longer run that OS, so you'll have to tell me.)</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">However, I think there's a better option: After you download a file, just rename it. Just because the developer calls it Setup doesn't mean you have to.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">That executable or Zip file doesn't care what its filename is. So, for example, let's say you downloaded a program called Duplicate File Finder, but the executable is called DFsetup.exe. Lots of luck remembering what it is a month from now!</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">My advice: After the download is done, rename the file (by right-clicking it and choosing <em style="list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Rename</em>). Call it something like, oh, I don't know, <em style="list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">DuplicateFileFinderSetup.</em> Then you'll have no trouble figuring out its purpose.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.pcworld.com/">Source</a></div>Hassaan Syedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04742235483151885808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4298688887454672304.post-47612903287386678612011-09-11T10:45:00.000+05:002011-09-11T10:45:36.857+05:00How To "Tether" Your iPhone For Free Without Jailbreaking<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, verdana, helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<h2 class="articleBodyContentSubHed" style="font-size: 18px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 10px;"><strong style="font-weight: bold; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">The Story:</strong></h2><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Last week, the Internet connection in my building went out for what seemed like forever. Really it was only three and a half days but with my ever-escalating habit, three and a half hours can be the onset of dangerous withdrawal symptoms.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">I began venturing to various coffee shops with free Wi-Fi but between fighting for a seat and their connections almost always being a disappointment next to my (usually) blazing-fast cable, I started toying with ideas of how to share my iPhone 4's 3G connection without jailbreaking (or paying AT&T's absurdly high monthly fee for tethering).</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">I was a strong proponent of jaibreaking in the early days, but there have since been far fewer reasons for me to kludge my phone now that iOS has officially and more elegantly adopted most of the features of jailbreaking I was so fond of anyway. Copy and paste, multi-tasking, and folders come to mind. Also, since becoming a "serious" developer, it has been more important for me to keep a clean and official iOS installation.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">The solution I came to was to write my own "NetShare"-like app for personal use. After poking around the web for some jumping off points (and a tip from the developer of the controversial "<a href="http://www.macworld.com/article/152835/2010/07/iphone_flashlight_tethering.html" style="clear: none; color: #1c609f; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Handy Light</a>" app), I stumbled on a GitHub project called "<a href="http://github.com/tcurdt/iProxy" style="clear: none; color: #1c609f; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">iProxy</a>." While it does not use true "tethering" (thus the quotation marks) but rather HTTP and SOCKS proxy, it turns out that is exactly what NetShare used.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAO-NlNJPBXE9SalPL8kjjB82cewqJn8EG8WNHuHYVILhb7s8L5Y0hkPP1Q0cm3rBg8KUsK_O_-xyaFeUb9FR0z_EEX0IB75hg-iSwwjgTm50lb8GL2a0Bj6mIJw-QFVzIxw7x8ZYpsS0/s1600/Apple-iphone-3G-16gb-phone.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAO-NlNJPBXE9SalPL8kjjB82cewqJn8EG8WNHuHYVILhb7s8L5Y0hkPP1Q0cm3rBg8KUsK_O_-xyaFeUb9FR0z_EEX0IB75hg-iSwwjgTm50lb8GL2a0Bj6mIJw-QFVzIxw7x8ZYpsS0/s320/Apple-iphone-3G-16gb-phone.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><h2 class="articleBodyContentSubHed" style="font-size: 18px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 10px;"><strong style="font-weight: bold; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">The How To:</strong></h2><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><em style="list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Step 0:</em> Before you begin, this ONLY works if you are enrolled in the <a href="http://developer.apple.com/programs/ios/" style="clear: none; color: #1c609f; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">iOS Developer Program</a> and have a Developer's Certificate ($99/year). I suppose if you have a trusting friend who is a developer and has available Devices (you're only allowed 99) they could build it for you via Ad-Hoc Distribution as well.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><em style="list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Step 1:</em> Download and unzip <a href="http://github.com/tcurdt/iProxy" style="clear: none; color: #1c609f; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">iProxy</a>. Open up the project file (.xcodeproj) in Xcode.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><em style="list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Step 2:</em> Depending on your current SDK version, you will probably have to change your project's build target for your device (Get Info on the Target, then change the Base SDK to your current iOS version). While you're at it, you should also change the Code Signing Identity to your own Development Profile. Hopefully you already have a debug profile for wild card (*) App IDs. Otherwise you will have to register the App ID in your Provisioning Profile and re-install your Debug profile.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><em style="list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Step 3:</em> Build and Run! iProxy will be installed on your iPhone.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><em style="list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Step 4:</em> Configure iProxy. The GitHub page has a <a href="https://github.com/tcurdt/iProxy/wiki/Configuring-iProxy" style="clear: none; color: #1c609f; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">thorough guide</a> with plenty of screenshots. Since this uses HTTP and SOCKS Proxy rather than true tethering, there is a fair bit of configuration necessary. However, once you get through the initial set-up, it's easy to select the saved network location in the future.</div><h2 class="articleBodyContentSubHed" style="font-size: 18px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 10px;"><strong style="font-weight: bold; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">The Conclusion:</strong></h2><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">I'm sure glad to have found iProxy as a backup, but I really hope I don't have to use it any time soon...</div><br />
<a href="http://www.pcworld.com/">Source</a>Hassaan Syedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04742235483151885808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4298688887454672304.post-87944792108633377922011-09-11T10:36:00.000+05:002011-09-11T10:36:18.445+05:00Jailbreaking the iPad: What You Need to Know<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, verdana, helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">The iPad has recently been jail broken. Even if you've held off jailbreaking your other iPhone OS devices, the iPad's substantially faster hardware and difficult-to-define "3rd device" role make the best case yet for jailbreaking. A user- and developer-updated compatibility list will help you see what's safe to install on your iPad, and I'll list my favorite apps and extensions for your freshly jailbroken device.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Apple's App Store has become notorious for its restrictive and often arbitrary decisions about what does and doesn't make it into the store. We've seen many pieces of quality software get denied or kicked out of the App Store, sometimes for unclear or unknown reasons.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhidEsRcmYKmI9XVf4rf8BqaE1Hj9GKFrHDxoa0NhGtzzDWuHOU7N-GBNrWtYzFhtxByRXsxUgXTEeYLCRfo4UbToUXOkWiBFzh3cshkRLrkUX5aGc9s_RDJD6ysrhop6QyLDvhNw_S_a8/s1600/ipad-jailbreak.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhidEsRcmYKmI9XVf4rf8BqaE1Hj9GKFrHDxoa0NhGtzzDWuHOU7N-GBNrWtYzFhtxByRXsxUgXTEeYLCRfo4UbToUXOkWiBFzh3cshkRLrkUX5aGc9s_RDJD6ysrhop6QyLDvhNw_S_a8/s320/ipad-jailbreak.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Many of these, however, have subsequently made their way into <a href="http://cydia.saurik.com/" style="clear: none; color: #1c609f; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Cydia</a>, the jailbroken app installer (note that the App Store works just fine on jailbroken devices, too). GV Mobile, a great interface for Google Voice, Dashboard, a clone of Mac OS X's Dashboard for iPad, and Wifi Sync, a paid application for performing iTunes syncs over Wi-Fi, are just a few examples. And there are plenty more programs and extensions that are available in Cydia that have never even been submitted to the App Store.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Besides these examples of nixed software, the world of jailbreaking also offers a multitude of tweaks that aren't available to the user on a normal iDevice, like changing system sounds or interface elements. While a much higher proportion of the software available through Cydia is free compared to what you'll find on the App Store, it does also contain paid software.</div><h2 class="articleBodyContentSubHed" style="font-size: 18px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 10px;">The iPad: What’s Changed?</h2><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="image ltmd" style="clear: left; float: left; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-top: 0px; max-width: 302px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><img alt="" height="136" src="http://zapp5.staticworld.net/howto/graphics/196492-screenshot2010-05-24at4.27.34pm_350.png" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; clear: both; display: block; float: left; height: auto; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: auto; max-width: 302px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" width="350" /><span class="artCaption" style="clear: both; color: #404040; float: left; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 6px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 6px;">The single-button installation screen for the Spirit jailbreak for iPad.</span></span></div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Many people express concern about jailbreaking their iPhones because they don't want to sacrifice stability or speed on their phones. While the vast majority of jailbreak software is perfectly stable, it's true that this software doesn't go through the same level of grueling testing to which Apple subjects software that makes it into the App Store. And software that lets you run 3rd-party programs in the background, otherwise change the interface, and so forth, <em style="list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">can</em>have effects on your device's performance, so I can understand why some people are reticent about this.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">However, the iPad's processor and memory are substantially more powerful than that of the current iPhones and iPod Touches. Its hardware makes it much better suited to effective multitasking, and its role in most peoples' workflow makes a good for jailbreaking, both because jailbreaking makes it more useful, and because it simply won't be used the same way as your phone.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">If jailbreaking means accepting a slightly lower standard of stability (which is debatable to begin with), it just isn't as crucial as on your phone. After all, the iPad is a device begging to be treated more like a computer than a phone, and jailbreaking makes that much more possible than Apple's approved software possibly can.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">I for one am willing to sacrifice a little polish for functionality on the iPad.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">It is worth noting, however, that multitasking will come to the iPad with Apple's blessing, albeit in a limited form, with this fall's release of iPhone OS 4.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Now, because of the nature of the software available through Cydia, it's important to remember that not everything originally written for iPhone/iPod Touch works with the iPad.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Be sure to consult <a href="http://spreadsheets.google.com/lv?key=tHnYEq4SmhIGOgbH9TVgXgA&f=true&gid=8" style="clear: none; color: #1c609f; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">the Google Docs spreadsheet</a> created by iPhone Dev Team member <a href="http://twitter.com/MuscleNerd/" style="clear: none; color: #1c609f; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">MuscleNerd</a>, before you install anything through Cydia. If you stick to this list, you should be safe. And if you like to live dangerously, remember that you can always restore and be right back where you started if need be (and don't forget to make a note in the Google Doc about what happened!). </div><h2 class="articleBodyContentSubHed" style="font-size: 18px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 10px;">Jailbreak Favorites</h2><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">My favorite jailbreak programs right now (on both iPhone and iPad) are Notifier, a little extension that puts icons in your status bar for new email, messages, etc, SBSettings, a little panel of useful controls that slides down from the status bar, even within other apps, and Backgrounder (<a href="http://code.google.com/p/iphone-backgrounder/wiki/Documentation" style="clear: none; color: #1c609f; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">source code</a>), so you can listen to Pandora while you draft an email (for instance).</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Another one of particular interest to iPad users is called FullForce, and is a convenient, packaged implementation of <a href="http://www.macstories.net/ipad/how-to-run-iphone-apps-on-the-ipad-without-pixel-doubling/" style="clear: none; color: #1c609f; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">an elaborate .plist hack</a> (<a href="http://gizmodo.com/5529939/run-iphone-apps-on-ipad-without-pixel-doubling" style="clear: none; color: #1c609f; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">via Gizmodo</a>) that lets iPhone apps format themselves for the iPad's screen without pixel doubling. It isn't perfect, but works spectacularly for many apps, including Facebook and the New York Times.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">These programs don’t all have sites of their own, but you can find them in Cydia on your jailbroken iDevice, along with description and screenshots.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">For those of you planning to jailbreak, once you do, don't forget to back up your SHSH ‘blobs,’ the hashes iTunes checks when you restore, so you can restore to this jailbreakable version of the OS even after Apple updates it, closes the jailbreak vulnerability, and stops signing restores of OS 3.2. This way, if you ever need/want to restore to an earlier version of the OS, it’s straightforward to trick iTunes with the backed up ‘blobs.’ Saurik, famed in the jailbreak community for creating Cydia, has a good explanation along with detailed instructions on doing this <a href="http://www.saurik.com/id/12" style="clear: none; color: #1c609f; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">on his site</a>.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Once you're jailbroken, it's easiest just to back them up through Cydia. Alternatively, this method, using a program called <a href="http://thefirmwareumbrella.blogspot.com/" style="clear: none; color: #1c609f; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Firmware Umbrella</a>, works whether or not you are jailbroken, and is a good idea if you haven't yet but think you might want to in the future.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Finally, do keep in mind that jailbreaking voids your warranty as far as Apple is concerned, so always restore to an un-jailbroken state before taking your device to Apple for service.</div><br />
<a href="http://www.pcworld.com/">Source</a>Hassaan Syedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04742235483151885808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4298688887454672304.post-72203649992708727792011-09-11T10:30:00.000+05:002011-09-11T10:30:36.908+05:00Long Live Your Laptop Battery!<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, verdana, helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Laptop batteries are like people--eventually and inevitably, they die. And like people, they don't obey Moore's Law--You can't expect next year's batteries to last twice as long as this year's. Battery technology may improve a bit over time (after all, there's plenty of financial incentive for better batteries), but, while interesting possibilities may pop up, don't expect major battery breakthroughs in the near future.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGLo0Rc9Fsa7PlFi9YGda_6aLzkGGvBXVekhhuBatOGb_4d-pYKAbDmxIStNBFrMlBv2b9TEeCGtSThZ__QIENJgYpjNZuRnoEP1-DYaeVbaHG7u6xRM3gOqUMjKmzDaDe-T3_tuab-jU/s1600/laptop_battery_life-300x300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGLo0Rc9Fsa7PlFi9YGda_6aLzkGGvBXVekhhuBatOGb_4d-pYKAbDmxIStNBFrMlBv2b9TEeCGtSThZ__QIENJgYpjNZuRnoEP1-DYaeVbaHG7u6xRM3gOqUMjKmzDaDe-T3_tuab-jU/s320/laptop_battery_life-300x300.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Although your battery will eventually die, proper care can put off the inevitable. Here's how to keep your laptop battery working for as long as possible. With luck, it could last until you need to replace that aging notebook (perhaps with a laptop having a longer battery life).</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">I've also included a few tips on keeping the battery going longer between charges, so you can work longer without AC power.</div><h2 class="articleBodyContentSubHed" style="font-size: 18px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 10px;">Don't Run It Down to Empty</h2><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="image ltsm" style="float: left; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-top: 10px; max-width: 180px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><a class="zoomLink" href="http://zapp5.staticworld.net/howto/graphics/191574-win7powersettings_original.jpg" style="clear: none; color: #1c609f; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" title="Despite what our screen shows, most laptops probably won't allow you to set the critical battery level at 0 percent--and you shouldn't try."><img alt="Battery settings in Windows 7. (Click for larger image.)" src="http://zapp5.staticworld.net/howto/graphics/191574-win7powersettings_180.jpg" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; clear: both; display: block; float: left; height: auto; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: auto; max-width: 606px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="Battery settings in Windows 7. (Click for larger image.)" /></a><span class="artCaption" style="clear: both; color: #404040; float: left; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 6px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 6px;">Despite what our screen shows, most laptops probably won't allow you to set the critical battery level at 0 percent--and you shouldn't try.</span></span>Squeezing every drop of juice out of a lithium ion battery (the type used in today's laptops) strains and weakens it. Doing this once or twice won't kill the battery, but the cumulative effect of frequently emptying your battery will shorten its lifespan.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">(There's actually an exception to this rule--a circumstance where you should run down the battery all the way. I'll get to that later.)</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">The good news: You probably can't run down the battery, anyway--at least not without going to a lot of trouble to do so. Most modern laptops are designed to shut down before the battery is empty.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">In fact, Vista and Windows 7 come with a setting for just this purpose. To see it, click <em style="list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Start, </em>type <strong style="font-weight: bold; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">power</strong>, and select <em style="list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Power Options.</em> Click any one of the <em style="list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Change plan settings </em>links, then the <em style="list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Change advanced power settings </em>link. In the resulting dialog box, scroll down to and expand the <em style="list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Battery</em> option. Then expand <em style="list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Critical battery level</em>. The setting will probably be about 5 percent, which is a good place to leave it.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">XP has no such native setting, although your laptop may have a vendor-supplied tool that does the same job.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><strong style="font-weight: bold; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Myth: </strong><em style="list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">You should never recharge your battery all the way.</em></div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">There's considerable controversy on this point, and in researching this article I interviewed experts both for and against. But I've come down on the side of recharging all the way. The advantages of leaving home with a fully-charged battery--you can use your PC longer without AC power--are worth the slight risk of doing damage.</div><h2 class="articleBodyContentSubHed" style="font-size: 18px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 10px;">Keep It Cool</h2><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Heat breaks down the battery, and reduces its overall life.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">When you use your laptop, make sure the vents are unblocked. Never work with the laptop on pillows or cushions. If possible, put it on a raised stand that allows for plenty of airflow.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Also, clean the vents every so often with a can of compressed air. You can buy this for a few dollars at any computer store. Be sure to follow the directions on the can, and do this only when the notebook is off.</div><h2 class="articleBodyContentSubHed" style="font-size: 18px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 10px;">Give It a Rest</h2><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="image rtsm" style="float: right; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 10px; max-width: 180px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><a class="zoomLink" href="http://zapp5.staticworld.net/howto/graphics/191574-hands_original.jpg" style="clear: none; color: #1c609f; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" title=""><img alt="Removing a battery from a laptop. (Click for larger image.)" src="http://zapp5.staticworld.net/howto/graphics/191574-hands_180.jpg" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; clear: both; display: block; float: right; height: auto; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: auto; max-width: 606px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="Removing a battery from a laptop. (Click for larger image.)" /></a></span>If you're going to be working exclusively on AC power for a week or more, remove the battery first.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Otherwise, you'll be wearing out the battery--constantly charging and discharging it--at a time when you don't need to use it at all. You're also heating it up (see "Keep It Cool," above).</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">You don't want it too empty when you take it out. An unused battery loses power over time, and you don't want all the power to drain away, so remove it when it's at least half-charged.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Never remove the battery while the computer is on, or even in standby or sleep mode; doing so will crash your system and possibly damage your hardware. Even inserting a battery into a running laptop can damage the system. So only remove or reinsert the battery when the laptop is completely off or hibernating.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">If you've never removed your laptop's battery and don't know how, check your documentation. (If you don't have it, you can probably find it online.) The instructions generally involve turning the laptop upside-down and holding down a button while you slide out the battery.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><strong style="font-weight: bold; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Myth: </strong><em style="list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Refrigerate your battery.</em></div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Some people recommend you store it in the refrigerator, inside a plastic bag. While you should keep a battery cool, the last thing you want is a wet battery, and condensation is a real danger in the fridge. Instead, store it in a dry place at room temperature. A filing cabinet works fine.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">You don't want the battery to go too long without exercise or let it empty out entirely. If you go without the battery for more than two months, put it in the PC and use it for a few hours, then remove it again.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Also, before you take the laptop on the road, reinsert the battery and let it charge for a few hours before unplugging the machine. Allow the battery time to get a full charge before you remove the AC power.</div><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, verdana, helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<h2 class="articleBodyContentHed" style="font-size: 18px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 10px;">Heal a Sick Battery</h2><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="image ltsm" style="float: left; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-top: 10px; max-width: 180px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><img alt="" height="149" src="http://zapp5.staticworld.net/news/graphics/168037-iphone-battery_original.jpg" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; clear: both; display: block; float: left; height: auto; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: auto; max-width: 606px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" width="175" /></span><strong style="font-weight: bold; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Myth:</strong> <em style="list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">You can rejuvenate a worn-out battery.</em></div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">This isn't, strictly speaking, the case. You can't make old lithium hold more electrons than it can currently manage.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">But if the battery is running out unexpectedly fast, or if your laptop is having trouble figuring out how much power it has left, you might be able to fix the battery's "gas gauge," so it at least gives a more accurate reading.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">If you suspect the battery can't tell if it's charged or not, run it through a couple of cycles. Drain it of all its power (yes, this is the exception to the "don't drain the battery" rule mentioned above), recharge it to 100 percent, and then repeat.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">But how do you drain the battery when Windows won't let you do just that? Don't bother with the settings described above. They're not safe (you might forget to change them back), they may not be getting an accurate reading, and they quite possibly won't let you set the critical battery level to 0 percent. (If they did, it would crash Windows.)</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Instead, unplug your AC power and keep your laptop running (you can work on it if you like) until it automatically hibernates. Then reboot your PC back and go directly to the system setup program.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">I can't tell you exactly how to get there; each computer is different. Turn on your PC and look for an onscreen message (one of the first you'll see) that says something like "Press the <em style="list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">X </em>key for setup." Immediately press the designated key.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">It may take a couple of times to get the timing right. If there isn't enough power to let it boot, plug in AC until you're at the setup program, then unplug it.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Leave the notebook on until it shuts off. This can take some time (45 minutes on my laptop); setup uses a lot less power than Windows.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Once the PC is off, plug in the AC power, then wait a few hours before rebooting to Windows and making sure you've got a full recharge.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Repeat the process once or twice.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">With luck and proper care, your battery will still be useful when you're looking for a new laptop.</div><h2 class="articleBodyContentSubHed" style="font-size: 18px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 10px;">Longer Life Between Charges</h2><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">The tips above should lengthen the time before you need to replace your laptop's battery. But on a daily basis, we're far more concerned with another type of battery life: how long we can keep our laptop running without AC power. You may know most of the following tips already, but it never hurts to refresh (or recharge) your memory.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><strong style="font-weight: bold; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Dim your screen</strong>Your laptop's backlight requires a lot of juice. Keep it as dim as you can comfortably read it.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><strong style="font-weight: bold; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Shut off unneeded hardware</strong>Turn off your Bluetooth, and if you're not using the Internet, turn off your Wi-Fi receiver, as well. Don't use an external mouse or other device. And muting the PC's sound system not only saves power, it avoids annoying everyone else in the café.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><strong style="font-weight: bold; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Avoid multitasking</strong>Run as few programs as you can get away with. If possible, stick to the one application (word processor, browser, or whatever) you're currently using, plus your antivirus and firewall in the background.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">And if you're not on the Internet, you don't need those two.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><strong style="font-weight: bold; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Avoid multimedia</strong> <br style="list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" />Save chores like photo editing and watching old <em style="list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Daily Show</em> videos for when you have AC power. And if you must listen to music, use your iPod (or similar device).</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><strong style="font-weight: bold; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Know when to sleep and when to hibernate</strong> <br style="list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" /><span class="image rtsm" style="float: right; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 10px; max-width: 180px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><a class="zoomLink" href="http://zapp5.staticworld.net/howto/graphics/191574-hibernate_original.jpg" style="clear: none; color: #1c609f; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" title=""><img alt="Choose Sleep or Hibernate depending on how long you plan to be away from the computer. (Click for larger image.)" src="http://zapp5.staticworld.net/howto/graphics/191574-hibernate_180.jpg" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; clear: both; display: block; float: right; height: auto; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: auto; max-width: 606px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="Choose Sleep or Hibernate depending on how long you plan to be away from the computer. (Click for larger image.)" /></a></span>You need to think about when you want to save power by sending your laptop into Standby or Sleep mode, and when you want to hibernate it.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">There's a difference. XP's Standby and Vista and Windows 7's Sleep modes keep your PC on, using some power, but less of it than in normal use. Hibernate saves the PC's state to the hard drive, then shuts it off entirely, so that no power is used.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">On the other hand, Windows takes much longer--sometimes minutes--to go into and come out of hibernation. And those are minutes that the battery is draining heavily and you can't work.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">XP's Standby mode isn't really all that efficient. If your laptop will be inactive for more than about half an hour, hibernate it. Otherwise, use Standby.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">But Vista and Windows 7 do a much better job with their Sleep mode. Don't bother hibernating your PC unless you think you're going to go more than two or three hours without using it.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><strong style="font-weight: bold; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Myth: </strong><em style="list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Adding RAM saves battery life.</em></div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">True, more RAM means less hard drive access, and the hard drive uses a lot of electricity. But RAM uses electricity as well, and unless you're doing a lot of multitasking (not a good idea when you're on battery power), more RAM won't reduce hard drive use.</div><br />
<a href="http://www.pcworld.com/">Source</a>Hassaan Syedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04742235483151885808noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4298688887454672304.post-76287599917329076062011-09-11T10:25:00.000+05:002011-09-11T10:25:40.882+05:00Top Free Troubleshooting Tools for Windows<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, verdana, helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">No computer runs perfectly forever. Somewhere along the line, something <em style="list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">will</em> go wrong. While each successive version of Windows has been that much more reliable and self-healing, that's never been an argument to forgo a good collection of software tools.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Over the years I've accumulated a slew of third-party troubleshooting apps that have proven their value again and again, so much so that they're among the very first programs installed in any system I use. If something goes wrong -- a Blue Screen of Death, a slow-booting system, a recent program install that's made everything slower than molasses going uphill in January -- I turn to these tools to set things right. All of them are free for personal use, some are open source, and each of them deserves a place in the toolbox of the savvy Windows user.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYoS4S9YssEdWX7qJ3rulWb-59mcOEedTZK4ZN-8hEt1YoZa4v-7CwMgEMaCoEct_wzNt7vNhXNZcNofllfA2NNOjVkkiuc9sb7AP7y9XohyTvClPb6poxTAN0Gx8AODNJklqmL_uiGqM/s1600/windows.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYoS4S9YssEdWX7qJ3rulWb-59mcOEedTZK4ZN-8hEt1YoZa4v-7CwMgEMaCoEct_wzNt7vNhXNZcNofllfA2NNOjVkkiuc9sb7AP7y9XohyTvClPb6poxTAN0Gx8AODNJklqmL_uiGqM/s320/windows.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><strong style="font-weight: bold; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">[ There's no shortage of great free tools for Windows. See also "<a href="http://www.infoworld.com/d/windows/top-10-windows-tools-it-pros-792?source=fssr" style="clear: none; color: #1c609f; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Top 10 Windows tools for IT pros</a>" and "<a href="http://www.infoworld.com/d/open-source/best-free-open-source-software-windows-903?source=fssr" style="clear: none; color: #1c609f; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">The best free open source software for Windows</a>." ]</strong></div><h2 class="articleBodyContentSubHed" style="font-size: 18px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 10px;"><strong style="font-weight: bold; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Sysinternals's Process Explorer</strong></h2><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="image ltsm" style="float: left; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-top: 10px; max-width: 180px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><a class="zoomLink" href="http://zapp5.staticworld.net/howto/graphics/191362-processexplorer1_original.jpg" style="clear: none; color: #1c609f; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" title=""><img alt="" src="http://zapp5.staticworld.net/howto/graphics/191362-processexplorer1_180.jpg" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; clear: both; display: block; float: left; height: auto; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: auto; max-width: 606px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="" /></a></span>"Task Manager on steroids" -- that's how someone described <a href="http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb896653.aspx" style="clear: none; color: #1c609f; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Process Explorer</a> to me when Mark Russinovich first released it many years ago. It can replace Task Manager or run side by side with it, but either way it's an absolute must-have for technically savvy users. I typically use it as the replacement for Task Manager on any PC I run; it's just too handy not to have installed.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">When you launch Process Explorer, you'll see a tree view of processes; they're nominally organized by which process spawned which, but you can click on the column headers to change the sorting as you please. The top portion of the window has four graphs: CPU usage, commit history, I/O bytes history, and physical memory history. Click on one to bring up a full-sized window view that's akin to the Performance tab in Task Manager -- but with a level of detail and insight into what programs are doing that Task Manager doesn't even come close to providing.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="image rtsm" style="float: right; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 10px; max-width: 180px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><img alt="" height="192" src="http://zapp5.staticworld.net/howto/graphics/191362-processexplorer2_180.jpg" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; clear: both; display: block; float: right; height: auto; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: auto; max-width: 606px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" width="180" /></span>Double-click on the name of a process, and up pops a window with a startling amount of detail: the process's running threads (and the stack for each thread), which can be frozen or killed; its permissions; its network access; the program it was launched from; even a dump of text strings in either the on-disk program image or its copy in memory. Processes, or whole trees of them, can be killed off, frozen, resumed, or have their windows or priorities manipulated -- handy if a process window vanishes behind something else and you need to force it to the front. You can also toggle on or off a lower pane that contains detailed information about a process, find the process for a particular window by pointing to it, or search by name for any running process, handle, or DLL.</div><h2 class="articleBodyContentSubHed" style="font-size: 18px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 10px;"><span class="image ltsm" style="float: left; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-top: 10px; max-width: 180px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><a class="zoomLink" href="http://zapp5.staticworld.net/howto/graphics/191362-sysinfo_original.jpg" style="color: #1c609f; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" title=""><img alt="" src="http://zapp5.staticworld.net/howto/graphics/191362-sysinfo_180.jpg" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; clear: both; display: block; float: left; height: auto; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: auto; max-width: 606px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="" /></a></span><strong style="font-weight: bold; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">System Information for Windows</strong></h2><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">No other free tool I've encountered packs as much true utility into a single executable as this one. <a href="http://www.gtopala.com/" style="clear: none; color: #1c609f; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">System Information for Windows</a>, abbreviated as SIW, has replaced more than a dozen other programs I've used that dump one kind of system or application data or another. SIW lists application license keys, probes installed hardware, fetches device temperatures, catalogs installed multimedia codecs -- the list seems endless.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">SIW is organized into four basic categories. Three of them are available through a tree view on the left side of the program window: Software, Hardware, and Network. Click on a branch of any of those items and you'll see the right-hand window pane fill with the corresponding data. The harvesting process may take a moment, especially for things like device lists, so don't freak out if you have to wait a bit before SIW pulls everything together. Half the fun of using the program is just spelunking through these three lists and seeing what's available.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">The fourth category is a gaggle of miscellaneous tools in the program's Tools drop-down menu. This is stuff program author Gabriel Topala apparently couldn't fit in one of the previous three areas, but still wanted to include. Among them are such goodies as Eureka, a way to expose starred-out password fields in most any program; a tool for sending a wake-on-LAN packet to the MAC address of your choice; a BIOS dumping tool; a Base64/UUencoder-decoder; a CPU stress test; and plenty more. SIW even runs in the <a href="http://www.gtopala.com/win-re.html" style="clear: none; color: #1c609f; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Windows Recovery Environment</a>.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">One caveat: SIW is mostly read-only. While it's good at listing or dumping out system information, it doesn't always allow you to change those settings. If you wanted to disable or enable ActiveX controls listed through SIW, for instance, you'd need to do that with a third-party utility such as Nirsoft's <a href="http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/axhelper.html" style="clear: none; color: #1c609f; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">ActiveXHelper</a>.</div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, verdana, helvetica, sans-serif;"><h2 class="articleBodyContentSubHed" style="font-size: 18px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 10px;"><strong style="font-weight: bold; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">BlueScreenView</strong></h2><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">In Windows, there's little worse than dealing with a Blue Screen of Death, or BSOD for short. Aside from being cryptic and difficult to decipher -- especially since some BSODs can have multiple causes -- they're just plain annoying. Granted, BSODs happen much less frequently these days, but when they do it's no less of a chore. After dealing with a whole slew of BSODs the other month -- which turned out to be a hardware issue -- I hunted around for tools to help analyze BSODs and found one that did the job and more: <a href="http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/blue_screen_view.html" style="clear: none; color: #1c609f; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">BlueScreenView</a>.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">When a BSOD occurs the results are, whenever possible, saved into a dump file that can be examined later. BlueScreenView scans your system for these files and produces a report from them, which you can read within BlueScreenView itself or save to HTML for separate analysis. Each line in the report describes the BSOD's crash code, the time and date of its occurrence, any parameters that might have been passed with the crash (useful for debugging), and a slew of other minor details. The results are searchable, so you can hunt for a particular crash code, driver, or DLL that you think might be present.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Another thing BlueScreenView does is list all of the device drivers that were running at the time of the crash. If a particular driver was listed as the cause of the crash, it's flagged and displayed in red. You can filter out all the other drivers that were loaded at the time if you just want to focus on the culprit. You can also load dump files copied in from elsewhere by pointing to a folder, or even from computers accessible across the local network (provided you have permission to do so).</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">One minor annoyance with BlueScreenView involves the reporting function. If you want to print out both a crash message and its attendant driver stack, you have to treat them as separate reports. That said, the core crash message typically lists the offending driver; if nothing else, you can use the basic BSOD report to derive all the most crucial information.</div><h2 class="articleBodyContentSubHed" style="font-size: 18px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 10px;"><span class="image ltsm" style="float: left; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-top: 10px; max-width: 180px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><a class="zoomLink" href="http://zapp5.staticworld.net/howto/graphics/191362-autoruns_original.jpg" style="color: #1c609f; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" title=""><img alt="" src="http://zapp5.staticworld.net/howto/graphics/191362-autoruns_180.jpg" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; clear: both; display: block; float: left; height: auto; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: auto; max-width: 606px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="" /></a></span><strong style="font-weight: bold; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Sysinternals' Autoruns</strong></h2><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">One of the great banes of any Windows user's life is software that insists on shoehorning things into the system to launch at startup, whether or not you actually need or want any of it. Scanner and printer drivers are among the worst offenders in this regard. They often insist on installing a bunch of system-tray-resident utilities of dubious usefulness.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><a href="http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb963902.aspx" style="clear: none; color: #1c609f; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Autoruns</a> -- by Mark Russinovich, of Process Explorer fame -- not only roots out these annoyances, but it comes in handy for so many other things that it's simply indispensible. Autoruns probes your system and dumps out lists of programs and system components that start automatically, without user intervention -- from apps in your Startup folder to scheduled tasks, from services to device drivers, from Sidebar gadgets to codecs. By default it dumps out data pertinent to the current user context, but the program's User menu lets you switch contexts. (You'll need to run the program as Administrator, though.)</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Autoruns organizes its views into the system by tabs (Logon, Services, Explorer, Internet Explorer, Drivers), making it easy to drill down to the entries you're most concerned about. You can disable any app or service without actually deleting it, simply by unchecking a box, or you can remove it entirely with a selection from the right-click menu. That same menu also has options for jumping to the service's entry in the Registry, verifying its code signature, and looking it up on Google.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Select Options | Hide Microsoft and Windows Entries, and when you next run Autoruns or click Refresh, you'll see only third-party applications -- a handy way to focus only on programs added to Windows after the fact and, thus, might be a problem. If Process Explorer is currently running, you can right-click on an item and bring up its Properties pane in Process Explorer, assuming said item is actually running.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Autoruns also comes in a command-line version, which can be used with scripts or other automation. Finally, check out <a href="http://www.microsoft.com/emea/spotlight/sessionh.aspx?videoid=359" style="clear: none; color: #1c609f; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">a video for some neat Autoruns usage tips</a>, from Mark Russinovich himself.</div></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, verdana, helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<h2 class="articleBodyContentSubHed" style="font-size: 18px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 10px;"><strong style="font-weight: bold; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">WinDirStat</strong></h2><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Where did all my disk space go? Every PC user asks this question at one time or another, and the answer can easily be found with a copy of<a href="http://windirstat.info/" style="clear: none; color: #1c609f; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">WinDirStat</a>. WinDirStat generates easy-to-understand graphical reports about disk usage, allowing you to see at a glance which individual files or folders hidden deep within a directory tree may be gobbling up dozens of gigabytes. A few other programs of this kind exist, but WinDirStat has consistently trumped them all.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Fire up the program and you'll be asked to select one or more drives or folders in your system, which are then analyzed for space usage. The analysis may take a few minutes or more, depending on how many files or directories are on the drive(s) in question; you can switch away and let the program run in the background. (Cute touch: The progress bars use Pac-Man icons.)</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Once the analysis is done, the results appear in an arrangement known as a <a href="http://www.cs.umd.edu/hcil/treemap-history/" style="clear: none; color: #1c609f; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">treemap</a>, where the files that take up the most space show up as large colored blocks. This makes it easy to quickly spot the biggest space hogs. Click on any block and the top part of the program's window will display the corresponding file in the context of its directory, via a conventional tree-list view. You can also use the tree view to determine the relative space usage of the file or directory of your choice, so you can in effect drill down (or up) by either file size or location. Finally, files are color-coded by type, so you can see at a glance what kinds of files take up the most space.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">It's also possible to do cleanup operations within the program. Right-click on a file or folder, and you can delete it -- either by sending it to the Recycle Bin or deleting it directly. You can also pop open a command line or Explorer window on the directory or file in question.</div><h2 class="articleBodyContentSubHed" style="font-size: 18px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 10px;"><strong style="font-weight: bold; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Unlocker and OpenedFilesView</strong></h2><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Here is another scenario most of us have encountered: a file that simply can't be deleted because it's "in use." Windows Vista and Windows 7 are a little better at informing the user about which program is using the file in question, but sometimes you're stuck playing digital Whack-A-Mole trying to figure out which window to close.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">I've used not one but two programs, at different times, to deal with these annoyances. The first is Cedrick Collomb's <a href="http://ccollomb.free.fr/unlocker/" style="clear: none; color: #1c609f; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Unlocker</a>, which many people know and love. The second is the lesser-known but still valuable <a href="http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/opened_files_view.html" style="clear: none; color: #1c609f; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">OpenedFilesView</a> (by Nir Sofer, author of BlueScreenView). Both do the same thing: Determine which process has a lock on which file, and let you release it either by killing the file handle or the offending process. However, they go about it very differently.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="image rtsm" style="float: right; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 10px; max-width: 180px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><a class="zoomLink" href="http://zapp5.staticworld.net/howto/graphics/191362-unlocker_original.jpg" style="clear: none; color: #1c609f; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" title=""><img alt="" src="http://zapp5.staticworld.net/howto/graphics/191362-unlocker_180.jpg" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; clear: both; display: block; float: right; height: auto; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: auto; max-width: 606px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="" /></a></span>Unlocker runs silently in the background and adds a right-click context menu to Explorer. If you want to know what's locking a particular file, right-click and select Unlocker. From there you can elect to terminate the processes locking a file, make a copy of the file in question, or remove the locks that the process has on the file.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">OpenedFilesView, on the other hand, provides a regularly updated list of all files currently locked by all processes, which can be sorted and searched. The same types of action can be taken, although OpenedFilesView doesn't support deleting a locked file or making a copy.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="image ltsm" style="float: left; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-top: 10px; max-width: 180px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><a class="zoomLink" href="http://zapp5.staticworld.net/howto/graphics/191362-openedfilesview_original.jpg" style="clear: none; color: #1c609f; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" title=""><img alt="" src="http://zapp5.staticworld.net/howto/graphics/191362-openedfilesview_180.jpg" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; clear: both; display: block; float: left; height: auto; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: auto; max-width: 606px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="" /></a></span>One major drawback to both Unlocker and OpenedFilesView is shaky 64-bit support. Unlocker doesn't work in 64-bit Windows at all. OpenedFilesView has a 64-bit edition, but requires that you disable driver signing system-wide (which requires a reboot). Turning this off makes it that much easier for unauthorized software to install drivers, although I'd bet most users who need a tool like this are well aware of those risks.</div><br />
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<a href="http://www.pcworld.com/">Source</a>Hassaan Syedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04742235483151885808noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4298688887454672304.post-82746595456430392032011-09-11T10:15:00.000+05:002011-09-11T10:15:01.134+05:00How to Update Your BIOS<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, verdana, helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Your computer's BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) is the first software your PC loads. It sets the stage for your operating system, so to speak, by finding all your PC's various hardware components and letting the operating system know it can use them.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">As with any software, your computer or motherboard manufacturer periodically updates the BIOS to fix bugs, add compatibility with new devices, improve caching functions, and make several other hardware tweaks that can speed up your boot time and fix annoying issues. These updates are available at the manufacturer's site. But if you make a mistake in the update process, you risk rendering your PC unbootable. Here's how to make sure your BIOS update goes without a hitch.</div><h2 class="articleBodyContentSubHed" style="font-size: 18px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 10px;">Step 1: Identify your current BIOS version.</h2><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="image ltsm" style="float: left; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-top: 10px; max-width: 180px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><a class="zoomLink" href="http://zapp5.staticworld.net/howto/graphics/187437-versioncheck_original.jpg" style="clear: none; color: #1c609f; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" title="Check your BIOS version, without restarting your PC, by using msinfo32.exe (as described in the text)."><img alt="Use msinfo32.exe--click for full-size image." src="http://zapp5.staticworld.net/howto/graphics/187437-versioncheck_180.jpg" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; clear: both; display: block; float: left; height: auto; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: auto; max-width: 606px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="Use msinfo32.exe--click for full-size image." /></a><span class="artCaption" style="clear: both; color: #404040; float: left; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 6px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 6px;">Check your BIOS version, without restarting your PC, by using msinfo32.exe (as described in the text).</span></span>The easiest way to find your BIOS version is to open up the System Information app in Windows--just type <strong style="font-weight: bold; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">msinfo32</strong> into the search bar (for Windows 7/Vista) or the Run box (XP), and click <em style="list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">System Summary;</em> your BIOS version should now show up on the right under your processor speed. Record your version number (and the date that appears afterwards, if applicable).</div><h2 class="articleBodyContentSubHed" style="font-size: 18px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 10px;">Step 2: Check your PC/motherboard manufacturer's Website for BIOS updates.</h2><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Most PC manufacturers handle BIOS updates based on your specific line and model, so head over to your manufacturer's support page and check its listings for your PC, because if you download and install a BIOS intended for a different model, your PC probably won't work (although most BIOS updaters are smart enough to notice if you try to install them on the wrong hardware). If there is a BIOS update file available, grab it--along with any documentation it comes with, because often warnings and specific instructions are contained in the Read Me docs.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Those of you who assembled your PC yourself will need to look for BIOS updates from your motherboard manufacturer's Website. If you don't remember your motherboard's model number, you can look it up without opening up the case by downloading and running CPU-Z and clicking on the<em style="list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Mainboard</em> tab.</div><h2 class="articleBodyContentSubHed" style="font-size: 18px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 10px;">Step 3: Read the included documentation.</h2><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="image rtsm" style="float: right; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 10px; max-width: 180px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><a class="zoomLink" href="http://zapp5.staticworld.net/howto/graphics/187437-148910-awardbios_original.jpg" style="clear: none; color: #1c609f; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" title="Your PC's BIOS handles a lot of the nuts and bolts."><img alt="A BIOS screen--click for full-size image." src="http://zapp5.staticworld.net/howto/graphics/187437-148910-awardbios_180.jpg" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; clear: both; display: block; float: right; height: auto; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: auto; max-width: 606px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="A BIOS screen--click for full-size image." /></a><span class="artCaption" style="clear: both; color: #404040; float: left; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 6px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 6px;">Your PC's BIOS handles a lot of the nuts and bolts.</span></span>The BIOS updater's Read Me file will most likely include a list of fixes and new functions, often to support new hardware. Updating the BIOS for my Lenovo Thinkpad T500, for example, added support for a new AC adapter and a 1600-by-900-pixel screen resolution on an external monitor; the update also fixed fan speed and Webcam issues that could not have been handled by updating Windows or my specific device driver software.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">More important, however, were these notes in the Read Me file: If I was running Vista on my T500, I'd need to make sure that I had a certain patch installed; and if my T500 had a certain graphics card, I would need to update its drivers above a certain version before updating my BIOS. Read and reread your docs, or you might make your PC unable to boot without even knowing why.</div><h2 class="articleBodyContentSubHed" style="font-size: 18px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 10px;">Step 4: Update your BIOS.</h2><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Most newer PCs have a fairly easy BIOS update procedure: Just download the .exe file from your PC manufacturer's Website, quit all open programs, run the .exe, and let it handle the patch; then reboot. If your PC suddenly shuts down in the middle of the BIOS update, you won't be able to boot up, so make sure you're not running off a laptop battery. Ideally, you're plugged into an uninterruptible power supply (UPS), especially if you're in an area prone to blackouts.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Older PCs, however, might require you to set up your own bootable disk to update the BIOS yourself. You might still be able to download an app that configures a USB thumb drive, blank CD/DVD, or even a floppy disk so that you can boot off of it to update the BIOS, or an ISO image file that can be used in your disc-burning app of choice (if you don't have such an app, try ISO Recorder for Windows XP or the version for Windows 7/Vista) to create a BIOS update CD.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Other systems will have you copy a few files to your bootable disk, restart, and open up the BIOS during startup (typically by pressing a specified key for setup options), and change the boot order so your system looks for a bootable USB drive or CD before loading the OS from your hard drive.</div><br />
<a href="http://www.pcworld.com/">Source</a>Hassaan Syedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04742235483151885808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4298688887454672304.post-91321300129855319652011-09-11T10:07:00.000+05:002011-09-11T10:07:30.490+05:00Add Folder Monitoring to iTunes 9<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, verdana, helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Well, iTunes 9 is finally here, and with it comes a boatload of highly anticipated features. Interface redesign? Uh...no. A music-subscription option? Uh...no. Smaller footprint? Nuh-uh. Well, surely iTunes can finally monitor folders, right?</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Sigh. No.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Amazingly, impossibly, iTunes still lacks one of the world's most basic music-management features. Apple remains unwilling to acknowledge that people get music from other sources.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeImMQ6i_bBTp1rkWtAmsfam_sjBtc1N0lEQbZsOgQzE-gaZJjr6-mmK7XOfvceZOSe5rK7YA4qwOKZ8NwE-7eWmqjc2IoPTu7DHWnEjXFiHYP_EABknwrvdciEAmW8aAS0IcpHGgkX5c/s1600/final.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeImMQ6i_bBTp1rkWtAmsfam_sjBtc1N0lEQbZsOgQzE-gaZJjr6-mmK7XOfvceZOSe5rK7YA4qwOKZ8NwE-7eWmqjc2IoPTu7DHWnEjXFiHYP_EABknwrvdciEAmW8aAS0IcpHGgkX5c/s1600/final.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">I mean, sure, any songs ripped from CDs or purchased from the iTunes Store automatically get added to your library, but that's it. If you rip discs with a different program or buy music from other stores, you'll have to import them manually. Yo! Steve Jobs! What <em style="list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">up?!</em></div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Fortunately, an oldie-but-goodie solution is still available: iTunes Folder Watch, a free utility for Windows (sorry, Mac faithful), monitors designated folders, then automatically adds any newly discovered music to your iTunes library.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="image ltmd" style="clear: left; float: left; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-top: 0px; max-width: 302px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><img alt="" height="216" src="http://zapp5.staticworld.net/howto/graphics/171704-itunesfolderwatch_original.jpg" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; clear: both; display: block; float: left; height: auto; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: auto; max-width: 302px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" width="350" /></span></div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">The free version saddles you with nag screens and a few disabled features; you can get a lifetime license (well worth it, IMHO) for 7.50 Euros (about $11 U.S.).</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Of course, you could always wait for iTunes 10, which by my calculation will arrive around 2015. You know what they say: tenth time's the charm.</div><br />
<a href="http://www.pcworld.com/">Source</a>Hassaan Syedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04742235483151885808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4298688887454672304.post-33189493907895352322011-09-11T10:00:00.000+05:002011-09-11T10:00:11.905+05:00Find Free Apps for Your iPhone<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, verdana, helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">The only thing better than cool iPhone apps? Free iPhone apps. Of course, iTunes' App Store doesn't do a particularly good job highlighting the freebies, particularly those apps that used to cost a few bucks but are now permanently, or temporarily, gratis.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Enter <a href="http://www.freeappalert.com/" style="clear: none; color: #1c609f; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">FreeAppAlert</a>, a Web site that catalogs all newly free iPhone apps.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRSaAybubzCp2nI9Cc_gXo3Nr0hjn_78YcIx8cvQ2qqCqXQ0bobkUg1CKgPmY7p8tqP-PLePouArtiF91xU5__7qsB7StcZsWdoSW80QPT0Bkn_ICcBnIDGUt2mytcmDvnVHJ9z7Gaanw/s1600/iphone-vpn.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRSaAybubzCp2nI9Cc_gXo3Nr0hjn_78YcIx8cvQ2qqCqXQ0bobkUg1CKgPmY7p8tqP-PLePouArtiF91xU5__7qsB7StcZsWdoSW80QPT0Bkn_ICcBnIDGUt2mytcmDvnVHJ9z7Gaanw/s320/iphone-vpn.gif" width="193" /></a></div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">The site (a must-bookmark for iPhone and iPod Touch owners) lists an updated-daily collection of each newly free app along with its former price tag and one or more thumbnail screenshots</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">When you mouse over a thumbnail, the full-size version of the screenshot appears immediately--a nice alternative to clicking all the way through to the App Store just to see what an app looks like.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="image ltmd" style="clear: left; float: left; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-top: 0px; max-width: 302px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><img alt="" height="216" src="http://zapp5.staticworld.net/howto/graphics/170924-freeappalert_original.jpg" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; clear: both; display: block; float: left; height: auto; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: auto; max-width: 302px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" width="350" /></span></div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Likewise, you can show or hide an application's description by clicking View Description; no need to leave the page.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.twitter.com/freeappalert" style="clear: none; color: #1c609f; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;">FreeAppAlert also has a Twitter feed</a>. You can also become a fan on Facebook and subscribe to an RSS feed.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Bottom line: If you like free apps, you'll like FreeAppAlert. (Best newly free freebie I've scored lately: <a href="http://freeappalert.com/clk/304737487" style="clear: none; color: #1c609f; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Big Camera Button</a>, which lets you snap a photo by tapping anywhere on the screen, not just the tiny shutter button.)</div><br />
<a href="http://www.pcworld.com/">Source</a>Hassaan Syedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04742235483151885808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4298688887454672304.post-15305846707718783182011-09-11T00:46:00.001+05:002011-09-11T00:48:37.811+05:00No App Store, No Cry: Great Apps You'll Get Only By Jailbreaking Your iPhone<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, verdana, helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Don't get me wrong—the App Store is incredible and unmatched. There truly is an app for <em style="list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">just about</em> everything on the iPhone. Well, everything that Apple approves of anyway.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Fortunately, for those special apps that just can't pass Apple Legal muster, there is Cydia, the third party App Store alternative created by hacker Jay Freeman (aka saurik). Cydia is only available by jail breaking your iPhone, a process that while relatively simple may not be for faint of heart. Here are some of the best apps you'll never see on the App Store.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik9fU1Zf8-Q-g6PLmaPQ5finL2VfkSCpBv2hmosMxPWPIwUrJ-HvYdYdYcput_Mtf4cf94YF4taL4r70E4jp421tyT2fac88wlnJmQgsIkqKgh560coDW86wOGsMl_pVIYBhDedKd2x6g/s1600/iphone-jailbreak.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik9fU1Zf8-Q-g6PLmaPQ5finL2VfkSCpBv2hmosMxPWPIwUrJ-HvYdYdYcput_Mtf4cf94YF4taL4r70E4jp421tyT2fac88wlnJmQgsIkqKgh560coDW86wOGsMl_pVIYBhDedKd2x6g/s1600/iphone-jailbreak.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><a href="http://cydia.saurik.com/package/winterboard" style="clear: none; color: #1c609f; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><strong style="font-weight: bold; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Winterboard</strong> </a><br />
<span class="image ltsm" style="float: left; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-top: 10px; max-width: 180px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><img alt="" height="64" src="http://zapp5.staticworld.net/opinion/graphics/170847-winterboard2_original.png" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; clear: both; display: block; float: left; height: auto; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: auto; max-width: 606px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" width="64" /></span>A glaring, though likely intentional, omission from the iPhone's 'Settings' app is the ability to alter the appearance of the UI in any significant way. Thankfully, Winterboard (a pun of iPhone's UI manager 'Springboard'), is an app that allows you to install themes which you can either create yourself or download from Cydia. At this point, there are hundreds of themes and appearance mods at the disposal of jailbreakers.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><a href="http://cydia.saurik.com/package/sbsettings" style="clear: none; color: #1c609f; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><strong style="font-weight: bold; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">SBSettings</strong> </a><br />
<span class="image ltsm" style="float: left; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-top: 10px; max-width: 180px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><img alt="" height="64" src="http://zapp5.staticworld.net/opinion/graphics/170847-sbsettings_original.png" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; clear: both; display: block; float: left; height: auto; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: auto; max-width: 606px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" width="64" /></span>SBSettings is a candidate for my most oft-used jailbreak app. It is a simple add-on that lets you swipe across the status bar that resides at the top of the screen (either in the home screen or while an app that doesn't hide the status bar is running) to bring up quick, customizable settings and/or toggles. As I am borderline OCD with device battery conservation, so I like to have brightness control as well as Wi-Fi and 3G toggles in mine. SBSettings is fully skinnable so you can have it match the appearance of your Winterboard theme.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><a href="http://netatalk.sourceforge.net/" style="clear: none; color: #1c609f; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><strong style="font-weight: bold; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Netatalk</strong> </a><br />
<span class="image ltsm" style="float: left; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-top: 10px; max-width: 180px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><img alt="" height="60" src="http://zapp5.staticworld.net/opinion/graphics/170847-netatalksm_original.jpg" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; clear: both; display: block; float: left; height: auto; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: auto; max-width: 606px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" width="65" /></span>When you jailbreak your phone, you are able to access the root file system any number of ways, including SSH (via <a href="http://cydia.saurik.com/package/openssh" style="clear: none; color: #1c609f; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">OpenSSH</a>) or a simulated terminal (<a href="http://cydia.saurik.com/package/mobileterminal" style="clear: none; color: #1c609f; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">MobileTerminal</a>) on the device itself. Netatalk, however, is a much more Mac-like option, enabling you to browse the iPhone file system over AppleTalk. Simply install Netatalk, enable File Sharing on your Mac and v<em style="list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">oila</em> <em style="list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">!</em> The device will appear under 'Devices' in a Finder window and you can navigate through your iPhone's files without any prior UNIX knowledge.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.theiphoneblog.com/2008/09/08/the-free-iphone-video-recorder-cycorder/" style="clear: none; color: #1c609f; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><strong style="font-weight: bold; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Cycorder</strong> </a><br />
<span class="image ltsm" style="float: left; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-top: 10px; max-width: 180px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><img alt="" height="64" src="http://zapp5.staticworld.net/opinion/graphics/170847-cycorder_original.jpg" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; clear: both; display: block; float: left; height: auto; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: auto; max-width: 606px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" width="62" /></span>For those of us relegated to non-3GS iPhones, Cycorder is a video recording app that performs surprisingly well, considering that the 2G and 3G camera hardware was supposedly not designed for video. Makes you wonder if Apple intentionally locked this feature to bolster 3GS sales.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.iblacklist.com.br/iblacklist/index.php" style="clear: none; color: #1c609f; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><strong style="font-weight: bold; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">iBlacklis</strong>t</a><br />
<span class="image ltsm" style="float: left; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-top: 10px; max-width: 180px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><img alt="" height="60" src="http://zapp5.staticworld.net/opinion/graphics/170847-7beb0_iblacklist_original.png" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; clear: both; display: block; float: left; height: auto; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: auto; max-width: 606px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" width="59" /></span>If you're tired of getting repeated calls from persistent telemarketers or you just don't feel like talking to that certain special someone, iBlacklist allows you to automatically block calls, either sending callers on your blacklist to voicemail, giving them a busy signal, or just ending the call. You can also set up whitelists to only allow specified numbers to reach you or set up different behaviors for different days of the week. The amount of customization is actually quite impressive; it's clear a great deal of work went into creating iBlacklist before iBlacklist <em style="list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">itself</em> was quietly blacklisted by Apple.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.junefabrics.com/iphone/index.php" style="clear: none; color: #1c609f; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><strong style="font-weight: bold; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">PDANet</strong> </a><br />
<span class="image ltsm" style="float: left; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-top: 10px; max-width: 180px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><img alt="" height="64" src="http://zapp5.staticworld.net/opinion/graphics/170847-pdanet_original.png" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; clear: both; display: block; float: left; height: auto; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: auto; max-width: 606px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" width="64" /></span>While AT&T continues to delay the rollout of tethering (<em style="list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">not to mention MMS!</em>) and various rumors fly around regarding the cost of the service, us jailbreakers have been happilytethering for months. PDANet is easy to use and free to download. Just set up an ad-hoc network on your laptop, connect to it via your iPhone's Wi-Fi settings, start up PDANet and you'll be clipping along on your laptop at vaguely tolerable 3G speeds.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><strong style="font-weight: bold; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Five Icon Dock</strong><br />
<span class="image ltsm" style="float: left; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-top: 10px; max-width: 180px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><img alt="" height="64" src="http://zapp5.staticworld.net/opinion/graphics/170847-five_icon_dock_iphone_original.jpg" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; clear: both; display: block; float: left; height: auto; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: auto; max-width: 606px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" width="64" /></span>Not an app, per se, Five Icon Dock is a hack which can be obtained and installed through Cydia that does exactly what it sounds like: Fits even more stuff right down there. Before Five Icon Dock, I was constantly faced with the dilemma of whether I needed Safari or Maps at my most immediate disposal, but now I can have my cake and eat it too!</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><strong style="font-weight: bold; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Swaptunes </strong><br />
<span class="image ltsm" style="float: left; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-top: 10px; max-width: 180px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><img alt="" height="60" src="http://zapp5.staticworld.net/opinion/graphics/170847-images_3_original.jpg" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; clear: both; display: block; float: left; height: auto; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: auto; max-width: 606px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" width="60" /></span>This little app lets you sync your music to two different iTunes libraries. Obviously this feature was omitted and this app denied from the App Store as an attempt to battle piracy, but there are also perfectly legitimate reasons to have two different machines with two different music libraries- home computer, work computer perhaps?</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><a href="http://mxweas.com/blog/" style="clear: none; color: #1c609f; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><strong style="font-weight: bold; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">MXTube</strong> </a><br />
<span class="image ltsm" style="float: left; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-top: 10px; max-width: 180px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><img alt="" height="58" src="http://zapp5.staticworld.net/opinion/graphics/170847-mxtube_original.jpg" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; clear: both; display: block; float: left; height: auto; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: auto; max-width: 606px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" width="58" /></span>Finally, a way to watch YouTube videos offline! MXTube, created by Max Weisel, allows you to download YouTube videos to your mobile device for viewing on the subway, plane, or in those pesky dead zones. Functionally, it works similarly to downloading podcasts from the iTunes store, and even allows background downloading.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.pcworld.com/">Source</a></div>Hassaan Syedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04742235483151885808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4298688887454672304.post-36401481012012449812011-09-11T00:43:00.000+05:002011-09-11T00:43:04.368+05:00Using a Mobile Phone Overseas<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, verdana, helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Using a mobile phone while traveling internationally can be like grocery shopping at 7-11. Sure, you can do it--but you'll end up paying a lot for a less-than-optimal experience.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Here are some money-saving tips for staying in touch when traveling overseas.</div><h2 class="articleBodyContentSubHed" style="font-size: 18px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 10px;">Buy a Local SIM Card</h2><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">The least expensive option for using a mobile phone abroad? Buy a local SIM card in the country you're visiting and pop it into an unlocked GSM phone. If I sound like I've just spoken Swahili, keep reading.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">A SIM card is a tiny chip that stores essential data, such as the phone number, network authorization information, and contact lists, for use in GSM phones. (SIM is an acronym for the particularly Orwellian/robotic-sounding term Subscriber Identity Module.) A SIM card is your GSM phone's brain. You can remove the card from one phone and pop it into another--an instant brain transplant.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Buying a prepaid SIM card for a country you're visiting prevents you from having to pay international roaming fees to your U.S. wireless carrier, which can be substantial (more on that in a minute). Also, you'll get a phone number associated with your SIM card that's local to the country in which you purchase the card. This way, people in that country can call your mobile phone without international tolls.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">You don't have to wait until you arrive overseas to buy a SIM card for another country, however. Example: In advance of an upcoming UK trip, I purchased the Passport US SIM Card ($29; includes $10 of airtime) from Telestial.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">With Telestial's Passport US SIM Card, I get both a U.S. and UK phone number. If someone dials the U.S. number and I answer in the UK, the caller pays only U.S. long distance charges (or none, depending upon their phone plan). I'm charged $0.19 per minute to receive those calls--a lot less than the $0.99 or $1.29 per minute I'd pay AT&T, my wireless carrier, for international roaming with my Apple iPhone.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Also, incoming calls made to my UK number are free for me regardless of where the call originates; they're free or low-cost to callers in the UK. Calls I make from within the UK to landlines, regardless of the country they're in, are $0.49 per minute. For calls to mobile phones, I pay $0.84 per minute. I also pay a $0.35 connection fee for each call I make.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">I chose this SIM card because I expect to receive more calls than I'll make on my UK mobile number. I also plan to rely on Skype and Vonage to make calls when I'm in my hotel room. More on that in a minute.</div><h2 class="articleBodyContentSubHed" style="font-size: 18px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 10px;">Beg, Borrow, or Buy an Unlocked GSM Phone</h2><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">To use a local SIM card, you need an unlocked GSM phone.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Most mobile phones in the U.S. operate on one of two cellular network standards: GSM or CDMA. In the U.S., AT&T and T-Mobile use GSM (Global System for Mobile communications). GSM is the global standard for cellular networks.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="image ltsm" style="float: left; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-top: 10px; max-width: 180px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><a class="zoomLink" href="http://zapp5.staticworld.net/howto/graphics/169192-128891_g1_original.jpg" style="clear: none; color: #1c609f; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" title=""><img alt="" src="http://zapp5.staticworld.net/howto/graphics/169192-128891_g1_180.jpg" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; clear: both; display: block; float: left; height: auto; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: auto; max-width: 606px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="" /></a></span>CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) is particularly strong in the U.S., especially in rural areas. The Sprint and Verizon Wireless networks use CDMA. Most CDMA phones aren't meant for global travel--though there are exceptions. For example, RIM's BlackBerry Tour operates on Sprint's CDMA network in the U.S. and on GSM networks internationally.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">But not all GSM phones are equal: Your best choice is an unlocked quad-band GSM phone. Most GSM phones outside the U.S. (except in Japan and a few other countries) operate on the 900 MHz or 1800 MHz GSM bands. American and Canadian GSM networks work at the 850 MHz or 1900 MHz bands. With an unlocked, quad-band GSM phone, you've got all four bands covered.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">An unlocked phone is not tied to a specific carrier, such as AT&T. But many mobile phones sold by GSM carriers in the U.S. are locked. Exhibit A: Apple's iPhone, which is attached to AT&T's network in the U.S. like a barnacle on a boat's underside.</div><h2 class="articleBodyContentSubHed" style="font-size: 18px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 10px;">Got an iPhone? You've Got (Two) Options</h2><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">To use your iPhone outside the U.S., one option is to pay AT&T's international roaming rates. If you sign up for the AT&T World Traveler plan ($6 per month, but you can stop and start it as needed), you pay $0.99 per minute for calls sent and received while traveling internationally. Without the World Traveler plan, the charge is $1.29 per minute. The Spanish phrase that comes to my mind here is <em style="list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">no me gusta.</em></div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Your only other option is to unlock your iPhone so you can use a local SIM card. Lots of people do it. Lots of people go bungee jumping, too. Read "<a href="http://applehutt.blogspot.com/2011/08/how-to-unlock-your-iphone-3g.html">How to Unlock your iPhone 3G</a>" if you're feeling adventurous. The instructions are a bit outdated, but you'll get the idea.</div><h2 class="articleBodyContentSubHed" style="font-size: 18px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 10px;">The Wrap Up</h2><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Ultimately, the easiest--but most expensive--solution is to add international roaming to your existing GSM-compatible phone. The downside, aside from the cost: People in countries you're visiting must call a U.S. number to reach you, which can be costly for them (and thus a deterrent).</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">A slightly more cumbersome but less expensive solution is to buy a local SIM card and use it in an unlocked GSM phone.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">If you take your laptop, use <a href="http://www.skype.com/" style="clear: none; color: #1c609f; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Skype</a> for free video chats as much as possible, while in your hotel room (or if you're brave, an Internet cafe). The <a href="http://frugaltraveler.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/03/24/staying-in-touch-internationally-on-the-cheap/" style="clear: none; color: #1c609f; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">New York Times' Frugal Traveler Matt Gross</a> wrote about his money-saving plan that involves Skype, call forwarding, and SIM cards and a GSM phone. It's a bit complicated, but it could save you money.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Another option: Vonage subscribers might want to download and install <a href="http://www.vonage.com/support.php?keyword=Companion" style="clear: none; color: #1c609f; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Vonage Companion</a>, which turns your laptop or netbook into a phone. You can make and receive calls to your U.S. Vonage number without additional expense (depending upon the Vonage plan you're on).</div><h2 class="articleBodyContentSubHed" style="font-size: 18px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 10px;">Mobile Computing News, Reviews, & Tips</h2><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><strong style="font-weight: bold; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Palm and Apple: Checkmate. </strong>Palm has brought iTunes syncing back to the Pre smartphone, reversing a move Apple made recently to block the Pre's iTunes syncing via an iTunes software upgrade. No word yet on whether the two companies will engage in a jello wrestling match.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><strong style="font-weight: bold; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Samsung's Eco-Friendly Cell Phone.</strong> Available in "ocean blue" and "earth green," Samsung's compact smartphone is ecoconscious and sophisticated. Our reviewer liked the Samsung Reclaim smartphone for its energy efficiency and clean, simple interface.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><strong style="font-weight: bold; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Your Laptop and International Travel. </strong>When you travel abroad, keeping your laptop juiced up isn't your only concern. Fellow contributing editor Lincoln Spector details the risks of taking your notebook across international borders in a recent Answer Line.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.pcworld.com/">Source</a></div>Hassaan Syedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04742235483151885808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4298688887454672304.post-45201705809674413132011-09-11T00:38:00.001+05:002011-09-11T00:48:16.767+05:00On Your Side: What to Do When Vox Won't Talk<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, verdana, helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><strong style="font-weight: bold; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">I purchased the Vox N1, an external NAS hard drive, because it was advertised as a Digital Living Network Alliance-compliant product. A user should be able to stream media from one DLNA-compliant product to another. I wanted to use the NAS drive as a media server plugged into a router, but it worked only when plugged into a USB port of a booted, networked computer. Vox promised me a full refund if I sent the N1 back. Vox has my N1 now and has yet to refund me. Can you please help?</strong></div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><em style="list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><strong style="font-weight: bold; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Rajah Chacko, Charlotte, North Carolina</strong></em></div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><strong style="font-weight: bold; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">OYS responds:</strong> We attempted to contact Vox Products (also known as Vox Inc. and Vox Digital Corp.) multiple times, but never received any response. We called the phone number on Vox's Web site and left two messages, but a full mailbox (most likely from other unsatisfied customers) prevented us from leaving more.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Vox Products has a history of being unresponsive: The Better Business Bureau has logged 69 complaints about the company over the past 36 months; of those, 30 have gone unanswered.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">If you run into an unresponsive company like Vox, file a complaint with the BBB and with your state attorney general's office. We also recommend notifying your local district attorney office's consumer protection division and filing a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">To verify a vendor's claim that a product is DLNA compliant, check the list of such devices at www.dlna.org. Certification by the Digital Living Network Alliance ensures that a device has been tested and proved to be compatible with various consumer electronics designed to meet the DLNA Interoperability Guidelines.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV3lrXWGfz5mmrtrTrUCDIbRpv3Fl1guhY6T7Y1ylLg-V6A4EWXOSIX6X7nE4Se0Q8oq7T8a1VhSRzlJVg1EiCJyPDafBfrJWldciRzj1uhY0TdAvcjrqQ5pxeCJDxtnkyDejCOrucPSA/s1600/ENPA-35N-V1K-unit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV3lrXWGfz5mmrtrTrUCDIbRpv3Fl1guhY6T7Y1ylLg-V6A4EWXOSIX6X7nE4Se0Q8oq7T8a1VhSRzlJVg1EiCJyPDafBfrJWldciRzj1uhY0TdAvcjrqQ5pxeCJDxtnkyDejCOrucPSA/s1600/ENPA-35N-V1K-unit.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><h2 class="articleBodyContentSubHed" style="font-size: 18px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 10px;">Friends in High Places</h2><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Mark Stolzenburg of Chesterfield, Missouri, was generally happy with his Canon Faxphone L80's print results, but continual paper jams and partially printed documents led him to contact Canon tech support. Given the option of exchanging the unit, he clearly specified that he didn't want a used machine.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Nevertheless, when Stolzenburg picked up the unit, he found that it was a used, remanufactured machine. Exasperated, he contacted Canon's president directly and cc'd us. Canon sent Stolzenburg a new printer, which he says is working great.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">We can't be sure whether including On Your Side in his e-mail got Stolzenburg better treatment, but it's worth a try. If you don't receive a satisfactory response from customer support, we recommend escalating your complaint to the customer service manager and cc'ing the company president and On Your Side.</div><h2 class="articleBodyContentSubHed" style="font-size: 18px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 10px;">HP Notebook Battery Recall</h2><div style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Hewlett-Packard, in cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, is recalling about 70,000 lithium ion batteries used in assorted HP and Compaq laptops. Product lines that may contain an affected battery include Compaq Presario, HP, HP Pavilion, and HP Compaq (see "<a href="http://bpr.hpordercenter.com/hbpr/" style="clear: none; color: #1c609f; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">HP Notebook PC Battery Pack Replacement Program</a>" for a list of models and battery bar codes). There have been two reports of batteries overheating, but to this point no injuries have been reported. HP recommends that consumers immediately remove the recalled battery from their notebook and order a free replacement battery through the Web site mentioned above. Call HP at 800/889-2031 for more information.<br />
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<a href="http://www.pcworld.com/">Source</a></div>Hassaan Syedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04742235483151885808noreply@blogger.com0