Returnil Virtual System 2010 Free for Home Use

Returnil Virtual System 2010 is a completely new product that uses a combination of antivirus, antimalware and a virtual system to protect your computer from all types of viruses and other malicious threats.

Utilizing its powerful virtualization technology, Returnil Virtual System allows you to work on a copy of the operating system of your computer, thus facilitating the possibility of keeping your real operating system in an unchanged, preserved, hence safe condition. With RVS' virtualization turned ON, you can renew the working-copy of your operating system from the original as many times as you want, or need to, by just simply restarting your system. Additionally, you can create a virtual storage disk within your computer where you can save documents, data, and files while using the System Safe (Virtual System) feature. Using the File Manager utility, you can choose to pick and save any changes you want to your real system (this feature is only available in the Premium versions).

Returnil Virtual System's protection concept is very easy to understand. It provides an impenetrable, yet extremely simple to use mechanism to prevent unwanted or malicious changes from being made to your supported Windows® Operating System and the drive where Windows® is installed. You operate a copy of your system in a virtual environment, so anything you do will happen in the virtual environment, to the copy, and not to the real operating system. If your computer is attacked or gets infected with malware, all you need to do is simply restart your PC to erase all changes induced by it. Once restarted, the working-copy of your system is renewed, enabling you to go on working as if nothing ever happened. At the same time, Returnil Virtual System can create a virtual storage disk for you; the purpose of this storage space is to provide a place for you to save your data when the System Safe (Virtual System) mode is turned ON. You can customize the size of this disk to meet your individual requirements.

When the System Safe (Virtual System) protection is OFF, you can install or remove programs, save documents within the Windows® disk drive, install security upgrades and software patches, alter configurations, and update user accounts. All changes made will remain following a restart of the computer.

Returnil Virtual System is designed to take the risk and worry out of exposing your computer to all types of malicious software, downloads, websites, or any accidental unwanted changes that might have adverse effects on it, or infect it with harmful viruses, spyware and other malicious programs. By copying your system to the random access memory (RAM) rather than to the hard disk, Returnil Virtual System also provides better speed and reliability.

Features

*Keeps your system safe when connected to the Internet
*Viruses, Trojans, Worms, Adware, Spyware, Keyloggers, Rootkits and unwanted content disappear with a simple reboot
*Enforces settings and protects your Internet privacy
*Helps reduce overall disk wear by copying and operating your system from memory rather than the hard disk
*Saves time and money by considerably speeding up the system
*Reduces or eliminates the need for routine disk de-fragmentation
*Leaves absolutely no traces of computer activities
*Eliminates the dangers of evaluating new software
*Seamless integration with supported Windows Operating Systems
*Easy to use, simple to configure, and the one tool in your arsenal that will be there to save the day when all else fails
*RVS is your last "line of defense" against malicious software

Open the following URL into your browser (copy n paste) to read more and download Returnil Virtual System 2010 Free for Home Users:
http://www.returnilvirtualsystem.com/rvs-home-free

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BACKUP AND RESTORE WINDOWS REGISTRY WITH MZ REGISTRY BACKUP

Backing up Windows registry seems to be a bothering and unnecessary task for most people after they have installed a fresh copy of operating system. Either because they do not know what to do with a copy of registry or perhaps they believe nothing frightening can happen with it. However a copy of registry comes very valuable in case something important in operating system goes wrong, deleted or corrupted. If not for this sole purpose, backing up registry comes even more valuable somewhere where no antivirus vendor will tell.

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Microsoft Security Essentials Free Released & Why You Should/Shouldn't Download It

I know a lot of websites has covered this, but i just can't help covering it myself, particularly as i am a user who has been running it on my Vista machine for three and a half months. The long-awaited freeware security tool of the year, Microsoft Security Essentials, has just been released for public download yesterday, having been in private beta since 23rd June 2009. Download is made available at its official Security Essentials website and will be available for 32-bit and 64 bit version of Windows XP, Vista and 7.

As a tester myself, i felt that the final version of Microsoft Security Essentials is pretty solid. As a basic antimalware, it is extremely easy to use and configure, is good-looking, very silent in the background that you wouldn't even know it's there, and best of all, it is FREE of charge. Some issues regarding high CPU usage and slow removal process which occurs during the beta testing stage is removed in the final release, making Security Essentials a very complete and reliable security product.

 

Detection-wise, it is pretty strong as well. I pitched Microsoft Security Essentials against Kaspersky and Avast! during my beta-testing stage, and it catches a few things that Avast! and Kaspersky missed. In fact, it is so stable and compatible, you can run Security Essentials with many other antivirus, though it is of course, not recommendable.

Microsoft Security Essentials is a stripped-down version of the now-unsupported Windows Live OneCare; this much is widely known by many computer enthusiasts who follow the IT headlines everyday. I am repeating this fact here because i think it is necessary to tell readers that Security Essentials is only meant for users searching for a basic PC protection. In Security Essentials, you will have the usual antivirus and antispyware module, but bear in mind that it does NOT offer Antispam, Anti-rootkit, behavioral protection or any other more advanced security methods such as cloud detection or sandboxing.

All in all, I would agree most critics that Microsoft Security Essentials as a good antivirus, but i would only recommend it to users who are asking only basic security protection. For complete protection, users will still have to find additional security tools such as a third-party firewall (Comodo, for example) or a behavioral detection tool such as Drive Sentry.

Learn more and download the final release of Microsoft Security Essentials from the Microsoft Security Essentials official website.

For a professional review of the security software, you can read Paul  Thurrott's reviews here.

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Get Free Ashampoo Cover Studio v1.01 (Save EUR 9.99)

To cheer you up again, I have one more promotional offer. You will get Ashampoo Cover Studio v1.01 (valued eur9.99) free of cost. Recently, I have shared many software from Ashampoo. None of those software is of low quality. On the other hand, Ashampoo's software are relatively cheep and easy to use. But my aim is to save your money by different ways offering you promos or free alternatives. This offer is from Computerbild.de.

The new Ashampoo Cover Studio comes with a stack of professional themes and it can import track and data lists directly from the disc you want to label. For fast results you can use point-and-click design – or you can use your own graphics and do everything your own way. If you’ve ever struggled with label design software you’ll be amazed at how easy it can be. Just enter a title and any other data and then select one of the pre-designed themes. Your data is entered in the theme automatically and you’re ready to print.

Features:
* Supports all standard disc, case and booklet and label formats
You can design and print printable discs (DVD, CD, Blu-ray), jewel cases, slim cases, Blu-ray cases and booklets.
* Use modern direct-to-disc printers
Printing directly onto printable discs means no messy label alignment with special tools.
* Import your track data from your discs
Reads the track data from your discs directly into pre-formatted tables in your design. Gets the artist and track data online in seconds.
* Point-and-click design with themes
For fast results just enter or import your title and track data, select a theme and print. That’s all there is to it and the program comes with a set of great-looking themes.
* Design your own if you want
If you’re feeling creative you can also create your own designs from scratch. Choose and use your own backgrounds, graphics and fonts, create curved text and add data and contents tables.

If you do not have Ashampoo's account, you need to create new one.

Grab It:
There are two methods to grab Ashampoo Cover Studio v1.01 free of cost.

Method 1:

1: Open the following URL into your browser (copy n paste). Just enter your email as shown in snap P2 and press button Senden.
http://www2.ashampoo.com/webcache/html/1/trial_step_1_5870_1_EUR.htm



2: You will be in your Ashampoo's account. Just follow snap P3 and you can locate your key.



3: Download Ashampoo Cover Studio v1.01 from the following link and install it with your key which you just got from Ashampoo. (copy n paste).
http://www2.ashampoo.com/webcache/html/1/product_2_0058___EUR.htm

Method 2:

1: Download Ashampoo Cover Studio from the following link by pressing big blue button Download (snap P4). (copy n paste).
http://www.computerbild.de/download/Ashampoo-Cover-Studio-Kostenlose-Vollversion-3329120.html



2: After download, run installer. Look at snap P1, during installation, you should keep this option check to get your free key. After installation, a URL will open into your default browser (same URL which I have shown before in Method 1 step 1). Now follow Step 1 n 2 from in Method 1 to get your free license of Ashampoo Cover Studio v1.01.

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Lucky Draw to Win Free 1-Year, 3 PCs Genuine License of CA Security Suite 2010!

Guys,  here is a good news to one and only one of you readers. The 1st anniversary of my blog, Digital Plexus, is almost drawing near coming 21st of October (which coincidentally meets with the worldwide launch of Windows 7, by the way), so i wish to hand out something unique for my readers.

I currently have one free genuine 1-year license key of CA Security Suite 2010 on my hand, received just a few days earlier. I have did a 4-month beta testing for the CA Development Team and to express gratitude for my contribution, CA gifted me a 1-year genuine license key for their latest CA Security Suite 2010. Since i did not expect to receive such a huge reward for beta-testing and i already have an up-and-running internet security in the form of Kaspersky, i decided to give this license key away to one lucky reader by organizing a lucky draw.

The 1-year worth of license key can be used on a maximum of 3 PCs and is a Gold Master release - only the CA Security Suite 2010 that have Gold Master status can use the license key. Rest assured, for i have privileged access to the Gold Master version of CA Security Suite 2010 and will provide the lucky user with both the license key and the download link to the Gold Master version.

To encourage you in trying your luck, here's some screenshots from the beta version as your viewing pleasure. The official full version has not been released to market yet and is currently in Release To Manufacturing (RTM) process, So there are no official description of the new features.

Here's what you can do in order to stand a chance to win that 1-year, 3 PCs license key:

1. Visit my tech-blog, Digital Plexus or Computelogy and write a comment on any single posts of mine you find interesting. You must make sure that I am the author of the post.

2. Remember to nickname yourself uniquely when you post your comment (to avoid cases where users have similar nick), because i will be identifying the winner based on the name given on the post. Readers who comment as 'anonymous' will be excluded from the draw.

3. This is an optional choice: users can also follow my blog (scroll down until you see the follow my blog column). It's not part of the required lucky draw process but those who follow my blog will be given higher consideration in general.

4. There is no limit to the length and amount of the comment and the more meaningful the comment is, the better. Readers with the best comment will win the license key and access to the Gold Master version of CA Security Suite 2010.


This lucky draw will last for two weeks starting Monday, 28th of September 2009. After this period ended one user with the best comment will be chosen and announced via Computelogy and Digital Plexus.

So what are you waiting for? Leave a comment on any of my posts on Digital Plexus and Computelogy starting 28th September 2009 onwards! You'll never know that you might be that lucky winner!

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Get Free Ashampoo Photo Optimizer v2.02 (Save EUR 9.99)

Yea, once again I am going to save your money. Could you tell me how much you have saved your money? LOL. Nevermind. The main theme of my work is to save money for some other very important things of life like family, studies, health, etc. BTW, you will find many free and better software than Ashampoo Photo Optimizer but commercial software has its own taste. It is not the latest release v3 but as I said many times Something is Better than Nothing. There should be no point to hesitate.

I will add one thing in this article i.e. if you are creating your account on Ashampoo's website first time through the registration link (it is in German) of Photo Optimizer, I will give here a detailed illustration as help to register new account at the end of this article. The license acquired through following procedures, can be used on English release of Ashampoo Photo Optimizer v2.

Those who have tried the programme once don’t ever want to work again without it. This is also because of the advantage of time. Whole picture folders can be automatically read and optimised in one go. While doing so, the programme greatly values data safety. The original data will automatically be saved to a backup folder, and even then, they will only be deleted when the user is completely satisfied with the optimised photos.

Those who notice that their photos are lying on their side, or on their head, can turn them straightaway with a click of the mouse. In this way Ashampoo Photo Optimizer 2 also makes sure that the individual photos are in the correct position and order after the optimisation.

Ashampoo Photo Optimizer 2 supports the following formats: BMP, JPEG, PNG, TGA and TIFF

Features:
· Support of digital cameras
· Direct jump to important folders (My pictures, connected cameras, USB flash drives, etc.)
· Multiple use of the automatic optimization
· Manual readjustment of brightness, contrast and gamma for experts
· Print function
· The large thumbnail view provides a better overview
· Directory tree for a comfortable search for files
· Maximizing function for the picture view
· Easy switch between the original and the optimized version for direct comparison
· Backups of the original files are stored at a central location and not in the directories
· Photo optimization with only one mouse click
· Improve the contrast, brightness, color intensity and sharpness
· Picture preview
· Possibility to undo the picture optimization at any time
· The untouched original remains as a backup
· Batch processing of all pictures in one folder is possible
· Turn pictures to the right or to the left
· Much More...

Grab It:
There are two methods to get your free license.

Method 1:
1: Open the any of the following link into your browser (copy n paste). You will see a form like in sanp P1. Enter your email and press button Senden. (If you do not have already account on Ashampoo, new account creating procedure is given at the end of this article).

http://www.ashampoo.com/frontend/registration/php/trial_step1.php?session_langid=1&edition_id=4870

Or

http://www2.ashampoo.com/webcache/html/1/trial_step_1_4870_1_EUR.htm


2: After completing step 1, you will be in your Ashampoo's account. Look at snap P2 to find your license. You will also receive your license into your email account.


3: Download Ashampoo Photo Optimizer v2.02 and use the license to register it.
http://www.ashampoo.com/dl/0157/ashampoo_photooptimizer2_se.exe

Method 2:
1: Open the following webpage into your browser and press big blue button Zum Download. Snap P3. You will be directed to new page P4. Look at snap P3 n P4 where you should click to download Ashampoo Photo Optimizer v2.02. Now I suppose you have downloaded Ashampoo Photo Optimizer v2.02.
http://www.chip.de/downloads/Vollversion-Ashampoo-Photo-Optimizer_34778493.html



2: During installation, you will be shown that this download is a full version. You should not uncheck the option telling you to get free full version license. Check snap P5a and P5b as given below.


3: After installation, your default browser will open a webpage (same link as shown in method 1 step 1) to register your free license. Now the procedure is same as described in Method 1 (step 1 n 2).

You have grabbed your free license of Ashampoo Photo Optimizer v2.02. Enjoy it.

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Download Free 90-Days Genuine Norton Internet Security 2010

Like it or hate it, Norton is already an established antivirus with considerable amount of popularity. Just a few weeks ago, Norton 2010 is released to public and is well-received by critics, as usual. Though i'm no fan of Norton, I am currently test-running Norton 2010 on one of my virtual machines running Windows XP and surprising to say, Norton has become quite stable now, although it still have rooms to improve.

Some new features of Norton Internet Security 2010 includes:

• NEW! Norton IdentitySafe: On-the-Go lets you access your most up-to-date log-ins and passwords on any Norton Internet Security 2010 protected PC.
• NEW! Norton Safe Web: identifies unsafe and dangerous web sites right in your search results.
• NEW! Norton Quorum Technology: Analyzes downloads, files and applications and tells you if they can be trusted before you install and use them.
• NEW! Compatible with Windows 7

 So, if you are a loyal fan of Norton, or you would like to try Norton's latest offering, here's a free 90-days genuine Norton Internet Security 2010 for you. The free offer is sponsored by famous Dutch insurance company ING, and the subscription is only an introductory one. Unlike the usual method where users have to navigate through lots of steps just to get a genuine license code, this time all users have to do is download the installer that has the license code integrated with it - it's that simple!


Download Norton Internet Security 2010 installer with integrated 90-days subscription, click on this download link.


For additional troubleshooting on installer downloading issues, click here.

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Get Free USB Safely Remove v.4.1 (Save €19.95)

Last month on 19th of August, I shared info about grabbing free license of USB Safely Remove v.4.1 valued €19.95. Now the time again in your hands and if you could not get it at that time, now you have time to grab free license of USB Safely Remove v.4.1. Remember! this offer is limited to just 10000 licenses. They adopt the simple rule First Come First Serve.

From my previous article:
USB Safely Remove has few advantages over Windows own safely remove program. It identifies all USB connected devices by name, Windows does not recognize by name. USB Safely Remove also shows hidden USB devices which is difficult through Windows Safely Remove. Some time, Windows Safely Remove does not let you stop device from working and you may not be able to remove it but USBSR stops any such running device and shows you which function or file stopping USB device from stopping. It let you easily remove the device without any damange.
¤ It saves time...
Displaying what prevent a device from being stopped
Safe removal via hotkeys
¤ Lets you recognize a device in a snap..
The handy menu with device icons
Real device names and ability to rename them
Feature to hide unnecessary to stop devices
¤ Extends your hot-plug opportunities...
Program autorun on device connection\disconnection
Command line for safe removal
¤ Does unique things!
Hiding of "empty" card reader drives
Card reader memory cards ejection one-by-one
Returning just stopped device back!

Grab It:
Open the following page into your browser and fill a simple form asking your Name and Email.
http://safelyremove.com/giveaway10K.htm

Within few minutes, you will get your free license of USB Safely Remove v4.1. Remember! there is IP server check. You may not be able to obtain multiple licenses from one IP.

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Technology In The News: BMW, Mercedes Integrating Intel Atom into Cars

Well, nothing is impossible in the new era isn't it? This interesting news report was published by Marcus Yam of Tom's Hardware about a couple of days ago from when i wrote this post.


Here's how the post reads:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Back in my day, there was no such thing as in-car entertainment other than just looking out the window. Sometimes you would be allowed to stick your head outside too if the dog wasn't in the way. Then came the Game Boy, which really made things safer.

These days, however, you'll often see childrens' movies playing in the backseat of minivans. Parents must like such in-car entertainment systems if they keep the little ones quiet.

Things are about to go beyond just the DVD player, as Harman International will be making "infotainment" systems for BMW and Mercedes-Benz. The interesting tidbit revealed at IDF was that the Intel Atom processor would be powering these systems.

Using a general purpose processor such as the Atom in a car is not surprising, given many car functions are converging with those of a PC. Video and music playback is already something many computers can do; and with cars getting 3G internet connections, more advanced navigation and other functions, building a nettop-like system makes sense.

As new and cool as the Atom is now, however, these systems from Harman International won't be hitting until 2012, and only in the BMW 7-series and Mercedes C and S-Class cars.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

They have a saying, 'Television rules the Nation'. After reading this article i have a feeling that television is not alone, after all; soon we'll have Intel Atom ruling all vehicles throughout the world and as well all know, vehicles are more of a need than of a want in this modern times - you rule the vehicle, you rule the nation...literally.

I used to post an article on Digital Plexus some months ago, about Adobe Flash contents being ported to televisions. Well, if you thought that the idea is insane for your standards, just imagine what has Intel done with Atom and German cars! I bet few would be ready to expect something like this for real...i bet, anyway.

Moral of the story...be expectant, especially in the face of technology.

Keep on learning, by the way...;-)

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PrivateFirewall is another Powerful Firewall & HIPS Free For Use

Even though it is recommendable to use a third-party firewall due to Windows Firewall lacking protection features, there are not many firewalls out there which can really protect users for real. Comodo Firewall is one of the best in the field, but along with most of the other working and effective firewall, it is much too technical to be used by users who are novice and are less technical on the IT side. 

This is why I decided to share this freeware firewall which is easy to use and is very effective according to personal experience.

Private Firewall is an integrated desktop firewall and multi-layered intrusion prevention software that delivers signature-less, real-time protection from known or new spyware, viruses, hacking techniques, and other intrusions on Windows desktops and servers. Developed by Privacyware, it protects both inbound and outbound traffics of user PCs. In general, it protects users from threats such as hacks, rootkits, keyloggers and rogue malware. It is also regarded by critics as one of the easiest third-party Firewall to use out there.

Some of the features of PrivateFirewall include port tracking, URL and packet filtering and application/system behavior modeling and anomaly detection components to deliver proactive, comprehensive protection. Besides displaying all the above features, PrivateFirewall records and shows in a detailed table, all the software connection rules that have been made in a PC, even those inbound and outbound rules made by software that have already been uninstalled from a machine. PrivateFirewall also provides a traffic-light-like interface where users can simply block all network connections, allow all connections or revert to the configured settings with the simple click of a button.

However, there are also a few weaknesses. PrivateFirewall does not keep tabs on cookies and referrals which I consider pretty risky because some cookies and referrals can bring harm to a PC, although with running cleanup tools daily, cookies are much less of a problem. PrivateFirewall also have a tendency of freezing whenever a program using massive resources is run for the first time. However, with a more high-end PC, this should be less of a problem.

PrivateFirewall works on all 32-bit and 64-bit of Windows 2000, XP, Vista and 7, including all versions of Windows Server. It used to be a shareware, but now Privacyware thankfully decided to turn it into a freeware.

Download PrivateFirewall from Privacyware now by clicking this download link.

To learn more of PrivateFirewall, visit their official Privacyware website.

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Fix Internet Explorer 8 Broken/Slow Tab Loading Issues

Ever wonder why Internet Explorer seems to keep on losing browser market share these past couple of years? The reason is because Internet Explorer is just a slower, buggier and heavier-on-resources browser compared to other browsers like Firefox, Chrome and even Maxthon, a browser which uses the same browser engine as Internet Explorer yet still outperforms Internet Explorer literally.

One of my issues with Internet Explorer 8 is its browser tab. I do not like how slow Internet Explorer is at preparing me a new tab. I also had a few experiences where other users of Internet Explorer 8 seems to be unable to perform multiple tab browsing because their browser tab function is broken. Luckily, there is a simple fix to this common problem.

For most users who experience the above two problems I mentioned, most likely there is an issue with one of the browser-related Dynamic Link Library (DLL) named actxprxy.dll which must either have failed to install properly during browser upgrading, is missing or is damaged.
Here’s how to fix this problem:

1. Open up elevated command prompt (You must be logged in as privileged administrator in Vista and 7)

2. On the Command Prompt window, type in ‘regsvr32 actxprxy.dll’ (without quotes) and hit Enter.


3. Restart computer and you’re done!

Finally, for advanced technical users who would like to understand more of what’s going on, here’s an explanation:

1. The command ‘regsvr32’ refers to a built-in program of Windows where users can register or unregister any Dynamic Link Libraries and ActiveX Controls.

2. The DLL ‘actxprxy.dll’ refers to a Dynamic Link Library which hosts the Microsoft ActiveX Interface Controller. The ActiveX-related DLL simply works by marshaling ActiveX Libraries sequentially. Along with DLLs like urlmon.dll and mshtml.dll, it is one of the core components of Internet Explorer.

3. Simply put, the command line shown above means that to fix the problem, we are actually calling for Windows to register the broken, missing or improperly configured actxprxy.dll!

After running the fix on my Vista, Internet Explorer 8 has been more responsive tab-wise.

Keep on learning…;-)

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Get Free O&O SafeErase 3 (Save $29.90)

Friends, I am not feeling well at the moment but could not stop myself from writing this article. I asked James to do some of my work and I know he is doing it. I am really thankful to him because he is helping me when I need. I am sure he will come back with a great idea next time. Meanwhile, I have a small gift for you. It is O&O SafeErase 3. This is not the latest release. The latest release is 4 but something is better than nothing.

O&O SafeErase gives you complete protection against unauthorized access to any confidential data you delete! No matter whether it’s outdated financial information, e-mail archives, or personal files, you can be sure that with O&O SafeErase this data will remain permanently deleted. That’s because O&O SafeErase doesn’t just delete data - it annihilates it, using six recognized and recommended deletion methods, including ones practiced by the U. S. Departments of Defense (DoD), and the German Department of Security in Information Technology (BSI).

Grab it:

First, you must know that the license which you will acquire can be used on English release. So, grab it worry free.

1: Open the following page into your browser and fill the form as directed in snap P1 (copy n paste). Remember, there is no server check at all. Email should be real.
http://www.oo-software.com/home/de/special/safeerasespecial/



2: On the next page, you will be told that your license will be emailed soon. It will take upto 5 minutes and you will get your license key will login name and company info. Use that info after installation to register O&O SafeErase 3. For help, you see the below snap.



3: You can download it from here:
http://o-o-safeerase.en.softonic.com/

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Ribbon Interface to be Integrated into Mozilla Firefox

Ribbon interfaces seems to be the trend of modern user interfaces. This concept of user interface is first popularized by Microsoft through its Office 2007 applications. Late on, Microsoft decided to proceed on this concept by including it in the interface design of some of WIndows 7's applications such as Microsoft Paint and Wordpad. Third-party software companies also follow the trend, for example, Raxco and O&O software all uses the ribbon interface in designing their software. In fact, the trend seems to become so popular that Microsoft even offered to port the ribbon interface to support Vista's applications in an update due October 2009.

Games application with the ribbon interface

Ribbon interface in action with third-party software such as the database modeler above

O&O Defrag's Ribbon Interface

In another half a year's time when March 2010 arrives, we will soon see the ribbon interface being integrated into web browsers. Mozilla announced a couple of days ago that they will include the ribbon interface in Mozilla Firefox v3.7, the next major update to their browser. You can read the full news article here.

Some users like me like the ribbon interface because it makes thing more organized and multi-featured on one single window. However, others hate the ribbon interface because it takes time to learn, get used to and some even goes as far as to complain that it is ugly-looking. I say that it has more or less something to do with them not willing to accept new changes...Well, like it or hate it, most likely this trend will be continuing for years to come.

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Fluid & Gravity are Time Wasters That Live Up Your Desktop

I am notoriously known amongst my friends as a geek who always customizes his desktop with useless eye candies… I do admit that some of them are plain time wasters (which still make me happy using my PC, anyway…). Well, today I’m going to introduce you to two pointless yet cool and fun customization tools.


These tools are developed by Spazpunt and are both effect tools rather than animation. These tools are made up of simple scripts on which three users by the alias of infoG , temp01 and foom devised, but the effect is powerful and stable, almost flawless as I can put it.

Anyway, the first of them is simply called Fluid window. The name pretty much suggests what it can do on your PC; Fluid makes all open and active windows fluid-like. It works based on the concept of physics known as inertia, where an object when applied with different force will carry certain momentum after an action. In Fluid’s case, when we fling an active window across the screen, the window will continue to bounce and slide until it reaches a stop, giving it the illusion of the window being fluid-like.

The second tool is called Gravity window. Yes, I say Gravity. Like Fluid, which operates on the concept of physics engine, Gravity basically gives all windows the illusion of being gravitated. Take for example, if you throw a window in the direction of a particular windows edge, the screen edge at which u throw the window at will basically becomes the direction of gravity. So when you throw a window to any of the four directions, it will simply suck to the edge (or bounce back a little before being sucked if you throw it too hard), giving you the illusion as though your screen edge becomes magnetized that your window is sucked onto it. Pretty cool, right?

On the other hand, both of these customization tools come with an inbuilt effect known as the Edge Block. Edge Block will automatically block all windows from going beyond your screen edge and taskbar (Superbar, in Windows 7’s case). In other words, both these customization tool are limited within the desktop space itself.

It is also interesting to note that Fluid does not have the gravity effect, but Gravity does have the fluid effect. Both tools’ scripts can be paused and resume at will, if users find the effects annoying sometimes.

Fluid and Gravity works on both 32-bit and 64-bit of Windows XP, Vista and 7. Due to the nature of its scripts, both Fluid and Gravity are lightweight and does not require high-end PCs to work smoothly; it only uses little RAM and processor power. Users also do not require doing any installations, as the program is directly executed. The only weakness I can note is that users have to manually configure it if they want to have it run when Windows boots up. Other than that, the program is simply perfect.

Download Fluid & Gravity windows now by clicking on this link.

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Use Tweaks.com LogonChanger to Customize your Windows 7 Background

For Windows 7 users only:

I once posted on the blog about how I once tried to use LogonStudio Vista on Windows 7, which requires me to set the compatibility mode to Windows Server 2003; a pretty weird way to use the logon screen changer normally.

Tweaks.com Logon Changer is the other alternative to LogonStudio Vista that really works on Windows 7. However, Logon Changer is in my opinion, better than using LogonStudio Vista. Firstly, Logon Changer is designed to be very lightweight, just as light as LogonStudio Vista in terms of usage but much more lighter in terms of installers. In fact, Tweaks.com’s Logon Changer is directly executable, meaning that users don’t have to do any installation to change their logon screen. Secondly, using LogonStudio Vista on Windows 7 is not good in a way that it actually requires the hacking of the system resources which breaks digital signatures on those hacked system files. While the breaking of digital signatures does not really render your PC useless, there is nevertheless, unknown risk involved.


Tweaks.com Logon Changer actually is using a feature that was originally designed for OEM computer manufactures like Dell and others to brand their computers. It is the compilation of the manual logon screen-changing process first devised by famous PC tweaker Rafael Rivera. Rafael Rivera’s manual way of modifying logon screen requires creating some registry keys, folders and files which is very complicated and risky for novice users. By compiling all those manual editing into a workable program, users don’t have to mess with sensitive file areas of Windows anymore; everyone can now safely customize their Windows 7 logon screen background.

There are some limitations to using Logon Changer though. Users must make sure that the background they select is smaller than 256KB in size, otherwise it will be rejected because of a size limitation set by Microsoft. Well, better than hacking the system files like LogonStudio Vista does, anyway…

I’ve been using Logon Changer for about five to six months without any issues on both the beta and RC version of a 32-bit Windows 7. I have to say that it is a wonderful little program designed to be lightweight & functional.

Download Tweaks.com Logon Changer now by clicking on this link.

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Get Free Ashampoo PowerUp XP Platinum 2 (Save $39.99)

If Ashampoo is offering its premium softwares free of cost, this does not means that the softwares are not good or crappy. This is another way of marketing. Ashampoo holds one of my favorite burning software. Recently, I shared the info to Get Free Ashampoo Photo Commander 6, WinOptimizer 4 and Burning Studio 9 (Adv) n 6. Here is one more info to get a free copy of Ashampoo PowerUp XP Platinum 2 for personal use only. It is available in English and German languages.

Short View:

• One-click tuning: For Office / Gaming / Media Editing / Resource Optimization
• Multiple desktops: Create additional "desktops" and switch between them, running some programs on one desktop and some on another.
• Click-and-send support reports: Collect all the system information support hotlines need and mail it to them in seconds.
• SysInfo tools: View all the information about all the components in your computer.
• Autostart programs manager: Check which programs start automatically with Windows and enable or disable them with a single click.
• Taskbar control center: Access all tools whenever you need them with a handy taskbar tool.
• Privacy control: Many new features to help control and protect your privacy.
• Windows® XP SP2 support: View and adjust many new Windows XP SP2 functions.
• Firewire 800: Activate Firewire 800 support for Windows® XP SP2.
• XP firewall monitor: Keep track of the Windows® XP firewall's settings and Internet connections.
• Tasks & processes control: View all running tasks and processes and adjust their priority for optimum performance.
• And much more ...

Grab it:

1: Open the following webpage into your browser (copy n paste):
http://www.computerbild.de/download/Ashampoo-PowerUp-XP-Platinum-2-Kostenlose-Vollversion-1869923.html

2: Click on the big blue button Download which you will see on left side of the page near to top.


3: You will redirected to new page and after 5 seconds your download will start. If your download does not start automatically, look at the snap below (it is new page after redirecting) to find where you have to click to download Ashampoo PowerUp XP Platinum 2.


Note:
After installation, you will be asked to restart your computer. Restart your computer and run Ashampoo PowerUp XP Platinum 2. A window will open asking you to get "Free Fullversion Key". Press this button and a browser page will open showing you to create Ashampoo login. Create your Ashampoo login if you already do not have it. Your key will be emailed you in your registered email and will also be visible in your Ashampoo account.

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Get Free ABBYY FineReader® 9.0 Express Edition (Save $49.99)

Intelligent, professional level OCR software for creating editable and searchable files from scanned documents, PDF, and digital camera images. ABBYY FineReader gives you the power to unlock the data inside paper-based documents, images, and PDF files to substantially enhance your productivity and efficiency. It is the only OCR application featuring ABBYY’s Adaptive Document Recognition Technology (ADRT).

I wanted to post this offer earlier but there was an issue that license keys were not given during or after registration. But today they have started to distribute license keys after registration. They will also email you your license info. To find out the difference between Express and Professional releases, open the following webpage into your browser:

http://s.fatwallet.com/static/attachments/18257_abbyy_frecomparative_matrix.pdf

Grab it:

First of all you must note that there is no server check of any thing at all. You can obtain as many licenses as you want on one IP. You can enter fake info but one thing that your email should be real to obtain license.

1: Open the following webpage [P1] into your browser and use the coupon code designingspaces to reduce the price from $49.99 to $00.00 (s-1). After entering code, press red button Enter Code (s-2). You will see that Price will reduce to $00.00. Now you need to fill the form to proceed to obtain license (s-3). (copy n paste):

https://store.abbyyusa.com/cgi-bin/details



2: After sending your info, you will see a confirmation page [P2] showing your info which you have just sent. You need to press red button Proceed.



3: On the next page [P3], you will be asked which credit card you will use to pay for Free ABBYY FineReader® 9.0 Express Edition along with currency you would like for transaction. Choose any credit card and currency because you will not be asked to enter you credit card info. After selecting currency and credit card, press red button Pay Now. You will proceed to next page.



4: On this page [P4], you will see download link along with your license info.
Enjoy it.

[via FatWallet]

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Norton Online Risk Calculator

I am no loyal fan of Norton by a clear mile. Their recent offerings are pretty solid, but not enough to convince me to use their security suite. That doesn’t mean that I don’t like their concepts of PC security though. In fact, Norton does have some pretty interesting and working innovation these couple of years starting from the Pulse Update (deliver updates in small file size every few seconds) and Norton Insight (excluding trusted and unmodified files from scanning process to boost scan speed.) in their 2009 suite, to the latest Quorum technology (automatic counter-virus definition creator) in their 2010 security suite. Norton Quorum Technology is only one of the few new features introduced by Norton this year. One of the new feature (online service in fact) is the Norton Online Risk Calculator.


Norton Online Risk Calculator cannot detect and remove malwares from your PC. They are instead, a service provided by Symantec to assess how safe you will be online through analyzing your browsing habit, knowledge of security issues and so forth. It does much more in protecting you in a sense that it reminds you of dangerous habits which may allow you to be infected or scammed online. We always say prevention is better than cure, right? Well, that’s the first purpose of Norton Online Risk Calculator.



Besides evaluating your browsing habits, the other more powerful feature of Norton Online Risk Calculator is to evaluate how worthy your online information is to the black market. The tool provides a risk rating by analyzing demographic, online activity, and the value of the information up for grabs. It simply works by taking your gender, age range, types of information you store online (credit card and bank account data, brokerage accounts, e-mail accounts, and social network accounts) and calculate an estimated value of all that information plus considering how cautious you are online before showing you a result.


This tool can be useful for novices and advanced users alike who constantly go online and are worried about security issues. Visit the official site of Norton Online Risk Calculator here and check it out! There are many other interesting items such as videos, strategic guide and useful security information which you can watch and read on the website.

Visit the Official Norton Online Risk Calculator by clicking on this link.

Note: Adobe Flash Player is required to view the contents.

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