Announcements:

I am currently writing at Computelogy.com actively and that's why i sort of abandoned my own tech blog. Since i am too busy to be taking care of both sides, i guess this blog will go into hibernation for a very very long time. Regrettable, but then it's hard to come up with new posts & stuffs.

So once again, i am now writing actively at Computelogy. Feel free to visit there and enjoy our latest articles and posts!

December 31, 2008

ANNOUNCEMENTS: HAPPY NEW YEAR 2009!!!!

Let me greet you a Happy New Year for the First Time on Digital Plexus!!!

Three months ago, during the later stage of October 2008, i started out this info-sharing blog with little hope that it'll capture much attention. Comparing to blogging about your personal life or company or organization, blogging about information, particularly on IT and miscellaneous information which are incidentally my more knowledgeable side, is so much difficult. Information is so broad, diverse and multi-cultured, and to even keep up with the latest news is even more painstaking.

As a full-time student, i knew that doing this kind of info-blogging will take much time off my study life but in the end we all know that i am here by choice; and i choose to sacrifice some of my time for info-blogging. Once i started out during late October, i've never looked back. This blog has been much of an ego boost for me; it boost my confidence and self-belief, it boost my desire to learn more and to share with all of you as well. Running this blog to serve the needy and the interested has been a pleasure and it makes me happy.

Therefore, in this new year, I'd like to first thank all of the sparse and loyal visitors of this little information-sharing blog. I have no idea who you are but it doesn't matter, for it's everyone support that drives me to carry on info-blogging. I thank you for your support and hope that you'll continue to visit and enjoy!

I would also like to take a moment to apologize in the event my blog and its content has offended anyone. Pray you'll forgive me and point out my mistakes by writing a comment, sending me an e-mail....it doesn't matter. We are all learners here...:)

As usual, you can contact me via e-mail at chin88skywalker@hotmail.com. Use the same e-mail address to contact me via Windows Live Messenger. As i'm preparing for my university's summer course, i doubt that i will post daily entries as i did in the past one and a half month but you can always expect.

Lastly, a BIG Thank You with all my heart, and Happy Blogging!!!

"Giving is always better than Receiving"
Read more >>

December 29, 2008

Useful IT Practice: Detach your Laptop's Battery when running on External Power Supply


Owners of laptop are somehow facing more risks than owners of desktops. Not only laptops are easier to be stolen, they are delicate. A spill of coffee on the keyboard or a falling-off from your lap onto the floor may spell the end of your laptop. As if these issues are not enough, laptop owners also need to be prepared for situations where the ion-lithium battery cells overheated and explode, causing property damage or even physical injuries. Now that's what i called uncool.

Battery-exploding cases are common...If your laptop's battery gets overheated easily, watch out; you might be next!

Fortunately, there are two habits which laptop owners can rely upon to decrease the chances of their battery cells overheating or exploding. The first habit is to get your laptop working on a low-temperature environment, for example, in an air-conditioned room or running the laptop with a high-voltage USB fan. The second habit, is the practice of detaching your laptop's battery cell from your laptop when you are running your laptop on an external power supply or on cable.

Ion lithium battery cells of laptops are detachable from the main body because like all ion lithium powered products, the cell charge of ion lithium will deplete aka lose charge. When an ion-lithium battery no longer could provide long-standing power supply to a laptop, owners will need to contact their laptop manufacturers for a replacement, either through retailers or via direct contact. In other words, the ion lithium battery cell of your laptop WILL expire one day.

While the common perception of users normally are that we only detach the battery when the battery needs replacement, actually, we can take advantage over the battery's detach-ability. And for good reasons too. By detaching the battery while running on external power supply, not only can we preserve the battery's longetivity, we can actually prevent ourselves from harm due to battery cell explosion!


Here's a simple guide to detaching and reattaching a laptop's battery cell:

1. Make sure that the laptop is currently running on an external power supply. Actually, it is better if your laptop is not power on and running when you detach the battery. If you are currently doing something, either save your work and turn off the laptop, or put the laptop in hibernation mode.

2. Slowly and gently flip your laptop around to face the battery compartment.

3. CAREFULLY detach your battery cell from the laptop. Ways of detaching the laptop battery differs based on the laptop's designs. Make sure you have at least a vague idea of how to do it, or you might end up damaging your laptop.

4. Turn your laptop around, open the lid and resume your work. If it's turned off, just boot it.

5. When you decided to run on battery power supply, turn your laptop around and reattach the battery cell back in place BEFORE you remove the cable, or else you end up losing your work or damaging your laptop!

After you removed your battery from your laptop you should have altogether, a bar of battery cell and your laptop. Anything more than that means you must've removed something extra which might be catastrophic!


Take note that although detaching the battery cells does have unique benefits, there are certain risks too. If you are currently at your home, be sure to watch out of approaching thunderstorms or your local cable workers working on power supplies. Both these issues might trigger a cutout of power supplies and completely wipe out your work on the laptop! In that case, i suggest you remain you laptop's battery intact or just don't use your laptop at all. Personally, i only detach my battery when i'm using external power supplies on public areas, such as at my church or at my university, where i am 100% guaranteed of unaffected power supply under normal circumstances.
Read more >>

December 28, 2008

Knowing Your Keyboard's Shortcut Keys

Working with a computer on another level means working with a faster speed and precision which requires constant practices, practicals and perfections. Because i simply has too much that i want to learn and do on a computer, i forced myself to work out some extra speed and efficiency. One of my workout includes learning, getting used to and practice using more keyboard shortcuts.

Keyboard shortcuts exist for a reason; as keyboard shortcut keeps a user's off the mouse more often and more on the keyboard, users can practically save up to seconds on a particular task. Combining all those seconds that you have saved by applying keyboard shortcut instead of having to do everything singularly with a mouse, you can actually save up to half an hour of work time! In one of my previous post about urging you all in making the CTRL+S (save) pressing a habit, i also mentioned that keyboard shortcuts can save you from embarrassing moments!

Here are some useful keyboard shortcuts that i'd like to share with you. I hope you will like it and will use it.

Shortcuts used for normal operations:
  1. CTRL + O = Open a file or folder
  2. CTRL + S = Save a current document, file name etc.
  3. CTRL + X = Cut
  4. CTRL +C = Copy
  5. CTRL + V = Paste
  6. CTRL + B = Bold
  7. CTRL + U = Underline
  8. CTRL + I = Italic
  9. CTRL + P = Print
  10. CTRL + A = Select All
  11. CTRL + Z = Undo
  12. CTRL + Esc = Open Start Menu
  13. ALT + Tab = Windows Switch/ Switch Between Windows
  14. ALT + F = Open 'File' Toolbar
  15. ALT + D = Highlight address bar in explorer/browsers
  16. ALT + V = Open 'View' toolbar
  17. ALT + E = Open 'Edit' toolbar
  18. ALT + T = Open 'Tools' toolbar
  19. Windows + R = Run
  20. Windows + E = Open Windows Explorer Main Menu aka My Computer
  21. Windows + D = Show Desktop/Hide Desktop
  22. F1 = Help
  23. F2 = Rename a file/folder
  24. F3 = Search
  25. F4 = Open Windows Explorer address page bar
  26. F5 = Refresh
  27. Shift + Delete = Delete File Permanently
In Any tabbed Internet Browsers, these additional keyboard shortcuts might come in handy:

  1. CTRL + T = Open new tab
  2. CTRL + W = Close current tab
  3. CTRL + Tab = Switching through the tabs

Learning and utilizing these shortcuts are all purely personal choice; at the end of the day, it'll not hurt you to not bother to know a single shortcut. But always remember: if you'd like to increase your efficiency and speed in computering, learning and practising these keyboard shortcuts is in my opinion, a must!
Read more >>

December 27, 2008

Software of the Week: MP3Gain

Downloading music from the internet can be slightly frustrating. Not only you'll have to deal with slow downloading speed, your frustration sometimes may occur after a download. For example, I have a collection of MP3s on my laptop and the one thing that annoys me is the loudness of their audio output. The audio output of some songs are like mice squeaking and you'll have to increase the volume to hear its content. After the song ended and the player starts playing the next song, the speaker boomed so loud that sometimes i were genuinely stunned and immediately turn down the volume.

A typical problem when you are playing a list of MP3s with unbalanced volume output....my hands feel tired everytime i tried to reach for the volume knob.

Hoping to find a way to cure the problem on unbalanced audio output on every single MP3 i have, i started browsing the web for information. It is particularly difficult, but after a series of search, i came across this tiny software named MP3 Gain. It is developed by Sourceforge.net in late 2003 and released in early 2004.

MP3 Gain is a tiny software designed to balance out the volume of your music files. Simply put, MP3 Gain adjusts your MP3 so that all your MP3 have the same volume output. MP3 Gain's function is not to be confused with "normalizers software", where the software actually normalize an audio file's amplitude. Instead, MP3 Gain applies the "Replay Gain" algorithm developed by David Robinson to calculate how loud a file actually sound to the human ear and from there, it displays the amplitude of the file which then allows users to modify it in order to make an MP3 file sound louder or less louder.

The user interface of MP3Gain. It support drag and drop functions, and it is capable of analyzing unlimited amounts of MP3s simultaneously.

Another good thing about MP3Gain is that while it helps you increase or decrease the volume of an MP3, it does not encode and re-encode the audio file. Therefore, an MP3 with the audio amplitude adjusted through MP3Gain does not suffer audio degradation. The sound quality of an MP3 before and after adjustment are practically the same, regardless of its original file being good or bad in sound quality.

MP3Gain allows you to first analyze a track's amplitude, and then decide on whether to apply changes to an MP3's volume, or undo changes you've made to an MP3 and many more.

The software, albeit quite tricky at the start of use, can be real handy once you found out that one of your MP3 is too loud or too soft compared to the others. The best thing about it is that it is a freeware and thus, will never expire! It also works in all versions of Windows, even Windows 7! Apart from its slightly ugly icons and boring user interface, i have absolutely nothing to complain about this software...:)

To download MP3Gain now, click here.
Read more >>

December 26, 2008

Making Your Folders Totally Invisible!


Sometime during November, i wrote a post entry entitled "Privacy: the Best Policy" which i discussed on some methods on how you can secure your privacy on your computer. At that time, i promised you that i'll relay something on turning your folder or file totally invisible in order to hide your sensitive stuffs from 'sneaks' and 'privacy crashers'. I apologize for the delay if you had hoped for that piece of information and i had kept you waiting for about a month or so.

Here's an argument: supposed that you want the ultimate protection for your sensitive folder/file via the "cloaking" technique instead of the icon-and-name customization. There ARE two related techniques, and they had been around for some time; only problem is people did not realize or often forget to merge these two invisibility techniques together to form the ultimate invisibility effect!

To make a folder TOTALLY invisible from prying eyes, we must do the below two tweaks (There are no restrictions as to which one you try out first):

1. Make the folder's icon invisible

2. Make the name of the folder invisible/disable text-showing under icons

Below is a brief tutorial for the above two steps. Follow correctly, and you'll have a TOTALLY invisible folder in no time!!!


Tweak 1: To make a folder's icon invisible
-------------------------------------------------------

1. Right-click on the icon of the folder you want to hide and select 'Properties'

2. Select the 'Customize' tab

3. Select 'Change icon'

4. Scroll along the list of icons until you found an invisible folder icon

5. Select the icon and apply it. Notice that the icon of your folder is totally invisible, leaving only the name!

Of course, all of this would be relatively pointless without making the name invisible! Making a folder's name invisible can be quite tricky/frustrating and i urge users to try some patience if they faced some problem in applying this next step.


Tweak 2: To make a folder icon's text invisible/disable text-showings under folder icon

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

1. From your keyboard, press the function key "num lock" to turn it on (should be easy for a desktop). For laptops, I'm not quite sure if the keyboards of all laptops are standardized, but in my case where i'm using a Compaq laptop, i turn on num lock by pressing the 'fn' button and scroll lock together.


2. Right-click on the invisible folder which you want its name to be "invisibled" and select 'rename'.

3. THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT. What you need to do now is to hold the ALT key down. With the ALT key held down and using the numeric keypad (again, if you're using a laptop, be aware of where your numeric keypad is alternately located), type the number '255' then release the ALT key and press enter to complete the renaming procedure.


4. If you had succeeded, you'll noticed that your invisible folder had now completely disappeared from view!!!

Don't worry that you have lost your folder. Try click-dragging your mouse over the area where your invisible folder is located and you'll notice a text-based highlight; there's your invisible folder...:)

An interesting aspect about this whole folder-invisibling thing is like this fictional example: supposed you're a very organized person and you created multiple folders for the purpose of hiding multiple types of sensitive stuffs. For example, you've created three folders: one is for storing your text-based journal, one is for storing porn/horny stuffs and another one is for storing your messenger's chat logs. In such as scenario, the invisible icon tweak is not affected but the text-hiding tweak will require an extension as demonstrated below:

For the journal folder's text: [ALT+255]

For the porn folder's text: [ALT+255], [CTRL+'+'], [ALT+255]

For the chat logs folder's text: [ALT+255], [CTRL+'+'], [ALT+255], [CTRL+'+'], [ALT+255]

To put it simply, you must add the same amount of [ALT+255] according to the number of folders that you want invisible ACCORDINGLY. If an existing folder is given an invisible name of two [ALT+255], then any new folder that you wanted to have its text invisible must not bear the same amount of two [ALT+255].


That's all for the tutorial. Now you can do whatever you want to do with that invisible folder: dump it deep in your system, directly on your desktop, in an empty folder where people would less likely found out there's an invisible folder there....just do anything that you think will make it even more secure. Best of all, no money is needed!!! All you need is spending a little time in making your folder entirely invisible!!!
Read more >>

December 25, 2008

Running software in Compatibility Mode with Vista

We all know that at the early stages when Vista was first released to public, lots of users complained that certain software which works in XP or earlier versions do not run in Vista. This is understandable, as some of the programming algorithm of software designed for previous version of Windows might not be able to suit the Vista environment.

Before users start moaning about it, here's what they can do: run the software in compatibility mode. Yup. Whenever you came across an older software which just refuse to run in Vista, try running it in compatibility mode first before you chuck the software into the Recycle Bin!

Here's how to access an executable program's compatibility mode function:

1. Right-click on an .exe executable program

2. Select 'Properties'

3. On the Properties window, select the 'Compatibility'tab.


4. In the Compatibility Mode column, check the box 'Run the program in compatibility mode for'.

5. If necessary, select the right operating system. In my situation however, normally selecting Windows XP will do.
Read more >>

December 24, 2008

My Christmas Offerings: Software Kit for All PCs


HAPPY CHRISTMAS DAY!!!

I am no Santa Claus or Jesus Christ Himself, but as Christmas exists for the well-being of everyone regardless of religious belief, I am going to present you a set of software for this Christmas Day! To anyone just in time of need of one of the software, I hope you will like it!!!


1. Security Software: CA Antivirus 2009 with free 1-year license key

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


CA is a pretty decent antivirus despite it not being on the same league as top notch antivirus such as Kaspersky, NOD32 and Avira Premium. This antivirus will be sufficient if you just use your PC for normal purpose such as playing games and working on documents.

I am going to tell you how to access your FREE genuine 1-Year license key for CA Antivirus 2009:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1. Go to this page and fill out the information. It can be anything; just make sure that your e-mail address is valid, because CA will be sending a mail to your inbox.

2. After you submit your information, check your e-mail account inbox for mails from CA. Make sure to check your junk e-mail folder if you need to. In the mail is a 1-year license key for CA Antivirus and a direct link for downloading the software.

3. Access the download page and follow the download instructions CAREFULLY.

4. Install your software, insert your license key and enjoy your new CA Antivirus for one whole year!

As proof that this method works, here's a sample license key i've obtained through CA:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

JXITY-ICWXX-XYMHH-RXGZG

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Please get your own key, though. It's really simple, believe me!!!


2. Privacy Software: Iolo Drive Scrubber v3.5.5 with FREE 1-year registration key!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Iolo Drive Scrubber does the not-so-normal routine: It can wipe your drive's free space, wipe your entire drive clean and restore your PC from harmful changes. If you'd like to sell, lend, rent or dispose off your PC, Iolo Drive Scrubber is here to protect you against privacy invasion! It also comes in handy even for your own personal PC maintenance!

We always cared about protection against virus, worms, trojans and spywares, but how many of us cared for data security and privacy? Well, let's start with Iolo's Drive Scrubber v3.5.5 today!

Let me show you how to access a 1-year subscription key for Drive Scrubber:
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1. Go to this page and press "Continue".

2. Check Item Code:DS3-PR, Description:DriveScrubber - 1 Year Subscription, Quantity:1, Price:0.00$. Next, press "Secure Checkout".

3. Fill out the form. Everything can be fictional except for the e-mail, which must be valid. Press "Continue".

4. Select delivery method "Email" and press "Continue"

5. Now, you should see your input details. Check for any mistakes and when ready, click "Place Order".

6. At the final page, you should see your 14-digits order number.

7. Check your email. You should have a 20-digits code along with your user ID.

8. Go to this page and download Iolo Drive Scrubber.

9. Install, insert your license code in your e-mail and enjoy!!!


3. File Conversion: Format Factory
---------------------------------------------------


Needed to change a file from one format to another? Meet Format Factory, the best free file conversion tools available. It integrated multiple types of file format conversion support, from audio files, video files and image files to some of the more uncommon such as DVD, CD, ISO and mobile devices!

Format Factory is free for personal use and will always be a handy tool for those who ask for it!

Access your free download from this link.


4. Codec Installer: K-Lite Mega Codec Pack
-----------------------------------------------------------------


Frustrated that your Windows Media Player seemed to not being able to play anything related to media stuffs? That's because Windows Media Player lacks a lot of codec which is required to play certain file with certain extensions. Wonder no more: Here's the best set of codec provided to you via K-Lite Mega Codec Pack!

K-Lite Mega Codec Pack is a freeware and it is constantly updated and improved. It is very stable, vulnerability-free and highly configurable. Installation might be slightly confusing but at the end of the day if you set things right, it'll get most of your media files playing in Windows Media Player immediately!

Access your FREE download from this link.


5. Desktop Enhancement: Microsoft Zune Theme

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


Windows XP comes in with a default blue-and-green plus an additional silver-and-green interface. Are you bored with it somehow? Then trying out this won't hurt: The Zune theme adds another new flavour to Windows XP's interface with a black and orange-brown combined interface to make your desktop looks darker and slicker. If you're a Firefox lover, this theme will spice up your Firefox life even more!

Zune theme comes in an installation package totally free of charge. Upon installation, users will have the additional skin to their XP or Vista themes menu. It is stable and great-looking which makes it a must if you're really desperate for an interface change!

Access your FREE download from this link.


If there's anything that bugs you such as a broken link or unclear explanation then just nag me with your comments. Once again, i wish you a Merry Christmas and lastly, Happy Downloading!!!

Read more >>

December 23, 2008

Ad-Aware 2009 Beta: Sign Up Now!


Lavasoft, the creator of Ad-Aware, one of the first true anti-adware in the software market, recently dished out an official invitation telling users to join their beta-testing community to assist in the final development of the new Ad-Aware 2009.

After some time of beta testing going on around, Lavasoft announced around December 18, 2008 that the company is widely urging users to join the final beta-testing program of their new Lavasoft Ad-Aware 2009 Beta Release 3. The beta-testing offerings can be accessed through its official website, and Lavasoft has widely spread the beta-testing invitation to several online news agencies for publications.


Lavasoft Ad-Aware 2009, which is scheduled to be released on January 20, 2009, is entering the final phase of beta development and according to a spokesperson of Lavasoft, there is going to be a major overhaul compared to their last few years of Ad-Aware offerings. The most noticeable overhaul is the additions of an antivirus module with heuristic-based protection alongside its signature-based spyware detection. Other overhaul includes promises that the software will look and feel different and it will be 'smaller' than previous releases in terms of system resources usage and signature updates.

After joining the beta-testing program and tested Ad-Aware 2009 Beta, i was both impressed yet skeptical. Yes, Lavasoft seems to have succeeded in giving us a 'smaller' release, with a more nimble installation, faster application launch and smaller memory footprints. I must also admit as a GUI enthusiast, that the new Ad-Aware's user interface is SERIOUSLY cool yet well-organized. However, another part of me was very disappointed of the beta software, particularly as it was already reaching the final stages of development. The software somehow has some annoying bugs and it even crashed on me during the second day of testing. The scans are much faster....but so fast even on a deep scan that i couldn't help suspecting whether both its signature and heuristic engines are doing a good job or not. IF the scanning engines are really bad, with less than a month from now till its final release, i can't be sure what better protection the final Ad-Aware 2009 can offer.

The other thing i can be 100% complimentary for the new Ad-Aware is that at least after 3-4 years of gradually deteriotating detection quality, finally the software is taking on a fresh new concept and that Lavasoft has successfully realized more than half on it. Famous security software nowadays such as MalwareBytes which are so much younger than Ad-Aware has already applied heuristic scanning before the new Ad-Aware does, and it was good of Lavasoft to have finally realized the need for change.

Here are some of the screenshots taken during my personal testing:

The Installation Wizard

The tabbed Ad-Aware 2009 Beta 3 Main Page with the new interface. By updating to the latest Beta 3.2, the skin changes from black into a sea-blue color

The tabbed Scan Page. Scans offered including Quick Scan, Full Scan and Custom Scan

ThreatWork, the Ad-Aware 2009 suspicious file submission service

The glassy settings configuration window for Ad-Aware 2009 Beta 3

My message to all: If you are deluded by Ad-Aware in the past but still reserve some hope that it will improve, then contributing to this beta program by testing and submitting bugs are your best way to start. If you are a loyal fan of Ad-Aware, then helping to develop the beta program is definitely a must! There are still less than a month until the final release, so grab your chance now! Remember: you CAN now officially assist in the building of the new program!

To sign up as a beta tester, visit this official Beta Center page from Lavasoft.
Read more >>

How to Really Speed Up Computer...


When people buy a computer regardless of it being a desktop or laptop or netbook, what they always had in mind was performance. For example, they want an Intel Core 2 Duo processor, discrete ATI Radeon graphic card and at least 2 GB of RAM as retailers nowadays are promoting mainly Windows Vista. Some people thought that with the above specifications, their computer would fly in speed and performances. However, what they are going to get is a terrible experience. The computer is slow as a snail as though it was running on an Intel Celeron processor!

Intel Core 2 Duo.....

ATI Radeon Graphic Card....

2GB of RAM.....and in the end you keep on saying:

I bought my first ever computer in the form of a Compaq Presario V3000 series laptop just about two years ago during the Christmas season of 2006. Despite its beautiful appearance, the specifications are nothing of the best at that time to say the least: an Intel Core Duo processor running on 1.6 GHz, an Intel Media 950 Graphic Accelerator, 512MB of RAM and an XP operating system. I was a total computering newb at that time and i didn't realize that my specifications are quite poor but after two years into purchasing the computer, i migrated to Vista Business and my laptop is still running smoothly; just as nice as when i was running XP!


I wondered why my computer can run on a Vista platform smoothly, despite the fact that my laptop's specifications are not really the suitable one at running Vista. I thus do a little checking: Vista was not the fastest operating systems out there but by selecting Vista Business with a little tweaking, i managed to make things just as smooth as possible without abandoning the Aeroglass interface. I added my RAM up to 1.5 GB and it is sufficient in running a Vista Business operating system. But other than these two factors, nothing about my pc seems to say it was good at running Vista....the Core Duo processor is quite the minimum requirement for the optimum running of Vista and my Intel graphic cards are worst off, as it is the worst part of my laptop's performances. So why on earth that my laptop is running Vista just as nice as some of the better laptops out there???

So the last consideration was hard drive. And I was right to suspect it.


Do not misinterpret my meanings. Processors and graphic cards are important, but by far they are not the most important considerations. The slowest part of the PC is by far, the hard drive disk (HDD). A computer is as fast as the slowest component inside, and therefore my opinion in purchasing a computer is to invest in a better hard drive disk rather than paying attention on just stuffs like processors and graphic cards. Contemporary processors such as Intel Core 2 Duo and AMD Athlon FX series run at 30 times the speed of hard drive disk, while graphic cards often have multi-processor core. but HDD....well, this fellow is always the slowest part. This explained the reason why my laptop can still run Vista very smoothly if not as fast as lightning, and explained the reason why some people with overall specifications better than mine are problematic at running Vista in the long run. One of the major reason is because i owned a better hard drive disk than them who owned a better processor and graphic card!

Misleading PC vendors often advice buyers to invest in better processors and try to convince us that a faster CPU processor with third data level caching are going to make miracles in your computer's speed. Well, that ain't the whole real picture, isn't it? That is all good with a fast processor but with a slow hard drive disk, it wouldn't make much difference. Most part of your CPU would be "taking a vacation" anyway if it does not get higher data rate from the hard disk to process; it was like having a McLaren F1 on a congested highway, where it could not go any faster even than a loaded garbage truck!

So the next time if you want to significantly speed up your computering experience through hardware modifications, my advice is to have your money invested in a better hard drive disk. For example, go get a solid-state drive (SSD) installed on your computer instead of a Quad Core or a Core 2 Extreme processor. Do however, take note that installing any new components on a pre-existing computer sold at the retail shop also requires user to be aware of meeting the basic hardware requirements. This is also a major reason why PC users usually would never consider investing in hard drive disk because it simply does not make life easier compared to upgrading RAMs or processors.


Provided you have the cash to do the job, before you start thinking of investing in this, think about investing in this:



Have a nice and productive day!!!
Read more >>

December 21, 2008

G Data Software AG


When we speak of security software, we normally think of the famous ones, or one with unique features. Some of the more common antivirus software includes Norton, AVG, Avast!, Kaspersky and ESET NOD32. Perhaps their usage are popularized through commonization by IT retailers or by their proven detection rate which facilitated word-of-mouth recommendations, but somehow, the world had lots of other antivirus with equally decent detection.

G Data is one of the underated ones worldwide. I trialed it, and my general opinion towards the software is both good and promising.

G Data Software AG (previously known as AntiViren Kit aka AVK) is a Bochum-based security suite company in Germany with operations in many parts of Europe, including the United Kingdom, and North America. First founded in 1985 and considered to be one of the pioneers in antivirus softwares, G Data are currently available in 16 countries worldwide, and has garnered numerous awards for its software qualities. G Data produces security solutions for both home users and commercial businesses, and their known products include G Data Antivirus, G Data Internet Security, G Data Total Security and G Data Mobile Security.


G Data has a famous feature integrated into its security solutions, and that is the dual-engine scanning and protection features which no other major security software offer. While it is in the antivirus software "law" that running two real-time antivirus on a single machine can cause conflicts, G Data practically overcome that barrier by offering scanning and detection engine of two antivirus softwares in one package. The G Data 2008 line of products features scanning engines of Avast! and Kaspersky, while the latest 2009 product line features scanning engines of Avast! and BitDefender. Even though G Data are not responsible for developing these scanning engines, they can be credited for successfully intergrating them together for maximum PC protection.

G Data Antivirus 2009 screenshot.

G Data is also the first security software company to offer side-features other than the antivirus solution itself; a trend in which would later spread to all other security solutions. One of the more famous feature is the G Data Shredder which offers the shredding of sensitive documents and files. Another feature is the Parental Control feature which provide international security solution's first ever web-filtering functions. G Data is also known for its usability: its interface is designed to be easy to navigate, and their virus database updates are one ot the most stable among security softwares. The latest line of G Data, G Data 2009, is also one of the few current antivirus software capable of scanning a PC under safe mode, making it a formidable security software. Some antivirus with decent detection and removal such as Kaspersky and ESET could not offer protection in safe mode, which further gives G Data the advantage.

G Data Antivirus 2008 screenshot

G Data has a traditionally powerful virus detection rate. In the official VB100 test during September, the 2008 version of G Data rated 99.2% and 99.1% respectively in virus and spyware detection, while the latest G Data Antivirus 2009 fared even better, coming in at 99.8% for both virus and spyware detection. G Data is crowned the best security software on the market for a number of times in 2008.

Nevertheless, G Data had its own weaknesses like all security suites do. Because of its dual-antivirus engine features, G Data owns a huge installation file, which takes up lots of hard drive space. The software is also known to be rather memory-intensive, with RAM usage frequently breaking the 100MB mark especially during scanning and multiple-tabbed web surfing. Scanning used to be slow in G Data 2008, but G Data solved the problem in their 2009 line of product. G Data also shared a common with the famous Norton brand of security software: both security companies' products are notorious for very incomplete uninstallation capabilities, at times often leaving lots of redundant system files, folders and registry keys in a user's PC.

The installation menu of G Data. Notice how much space it need on your hard drive

All in all, G Data is still the best security software for users with a good PC specification who wants the best antivirus available. Perhaps one day the world shall experience commercial success with this particular security solution.

To visit the G Data International Official Website, click here.

To learn how G Data fared in the VB100 test in September, click here.
Read more >>

December 20, 2008

Hide Firefox's Bookmarks Toolbar


I had little respect and need of toolbars, no matter it's Firefox, Internet Explorer, Chrome or Opera i'm using. The first thing i always do after i reformatted Windows and installed Firefox to be used together with Internet Explorer, is to install Firefox add-ons and disable the annoying toolbars that come bundled in with those browsers by default. I also make sure i do not install any toolbars that come with any software installation, notably those installations from Iobit Software.

One of the annoying toolbars in Firefox is the bookmark toolbar. Why do i need to call upon bookmarkings? While practically not being used at all, it took off a small chunk of space within the browser window. I can remember those sites that i often visits and i can retrace websites that i once visited, as long as i remember the keywords. Sometimes when i wanted to refresh or stop a page from loading, i ended up clicking on the "Getting Started" button which brings me to the Mozilla Search Homepage...bookmark toolbar also openly betrays your privacy, by the way...


To all of you out there who are Firefox "whatever-bar" haters like me, here's two nice little tweaking procedures:


A: Hide the Firefox Bookmark Bar:
--------------------------------------------

1. On the Firefox browser window, go to 'View'

2. Select 'Toolbar'

3. Find the entry which says 'Bookmarks Toolbar' and uncheck the option. Enjoy a CLEANER Firefox browser window!

B: Hide the Main Toolbar:
--------------------------------------

1. This will require downloading a Firefox add-on known as "Hide Menubar". Visit this webpage and download "Hide Menubar".

2. Install and restart your Firefox. Notice that the main toolbar has disappeared! To view the toolbar, press the 'alt' key on your keyboard. Vista users shouldn't have trouble in getting used to this...:)
Read more >>

December 19, 2008

Downloading Flash Content from the Internet


Flash is one of the currently prevalent interactive media tool used for information-giving, advertising, entertainment and many more. It is also one of the most famous, perhaps only rivaled by the similarly potential Java application tool. Flash makes our Internet life attractive and flashy, all right. But supposed you've came across a flash media and fell in love with it. How do you save a Flash?

I often download Flash for education purpose and for self-entertainment. In my two years of computing experience, the best way to download Flash files actually depends on which two types of Internet Browser you are using. And i meant choosing between the current browser giants, Firefox and Internet Explorer. I have yet to see what other internet browsers can do in downloading Flash, but what i believe is that users mostly are using either Firefox or IE.

Remember though, that to view the saved Flash files on your PC, you must either have an application program called Macromedia Flash or Adobe Flash, or else the file will simply present itself as an unknown file, which you cannot open!

Use Macromedia Flash (above) or Adobe Flash (below) to view flash files. Both software works the same, because they are commercially affiliated...:)



How to download Flash files in Mozilla Firefox 3:

1. Go to the browser page which contains the Flash media (usually a banner) you would like to download.

2. On your Firefox Browser, navigate to the toolbar and select 'Tools'

3. Select 'Page Info'

4. On the 'Page Info' window, select 'Media'

5. You will see a box which lists all the addresses and their types of files on the particular page. Simply scroll down the list till you see an address with the type of file being 'embed' (often symbolize a .swf Flash file).


6. Simply highlight on the address and press the 'Save As' button below the address box. Choose your file path and that's it! You've saved the file!


How to download Flash File in Internet Explorer:

1. To download Flash file in IE, we require the assistance of a simple freeware program called 'Save Flash', an Internet Explorer add-on program. First, go to this page and download Save Flash.

2. After you downloaded the freeware, install it and follow the usual software-installing procedure. If you had IE opened during and after the installation, remember to restart your IE.

3. Now, navigate yourself to any website with the Flash file you want to download. Hover your mouse on the Flash file. Notice that a square button which depicts a diskette will appear on the upper left corner of the Flash file, which means the Flash file is readily available for download. Just press on the button to download the Flash and that's it!


I would encourage users to choose Firefox for downloading Flash files, because firstly, the Flash-saving features in Firefox are bundled free with the browser itself and therefore, its performance should be much reliable. Secondly, as far as i'm concerned, Save Flash is NOT a true freeware program, and you'll have to download and install it before you can use it, which makes first-time using rather troublesome compared to Firefox.

Another thing is, even though both methods generally work, be reminded that sometimes these Flash-downloading features are not all-powerful. It is a normal occasion to have both features downloaded a Flash file which works partially or don't even work at all. In such case, normally we can also contribute the reason to the scripting restrictions set on certain Flashes on the web.
Read more >>

December 16, 2008

Software of the Week: UberIcon


I have a love for eye candy, as i thought Microsoft simply had not provide enough in Windows. Even if there are, most of them are just not ready for my computer, for example, the resources hogging Windows DreamScene. Therefore, i always search online for interesting yet resources preservative eye-candy software.

UberIcon is one of them, and it is actually the one with the least resources consumption out there.

UberIcon is a software developed by Punks Lab for non-commercial use. It is capable of creating brand new effects on the icons and folders of your desktop, which will enhance your desktop experience to another level. UberIcon is a freeware and it comes in many support of different languages. Users can also download from their website, many more other plugins which adds new UberIcon effects to their desktops.

Here are some of the features of UberIcon:
  • Improves the look of Windows
  • Extrememly efficient
  • Plugin-based for complete customization
  • Integrates with your Desktop, Explorer and most software
  • Unicode compliant
  • Simple plugin SDK for creating new effects
  • And best of all...its FREE
Here are the system requirements for installing UberIcon:
  • Windows 2000/XP/2003
  • 300Mhz or faster CPU
  • 5MB RAM free
  • 16bit color or higher
Even though the system requirements listed on their official websites does not include support for Windows Vista, i had tried it out on Vista and it seems to work fine. If it does not seem to work, try running it in compatibility mode.

To download UberIcon, click here.

To download plugins for more icon effects, click here to visit their plugin site. There are tutorials which will guide you on how to install the plugins.
Read more >>

December 15, 2008

Utilize Splash Screen Startup in Windows!


Most people never bother what is going on with their PCs when it is starting up/booting. They just flick/press the start button, and then went doing some of their stuffs while the PC loads (some people just have slow startups that take up more than a few minutes).

For people who wants to know what their PC is doing during the startup process, here's a useful option: turn on the splash screen for startup! When the splash screen is turned on, it shows you all the system files loaded during the boot process, a brief detail of your Windows version and hardware specifications, the hard disk-checking procedure and even boot-time antivirus scanning! (if your antivirus are capable of boot time scanning). Of course, it comes with a little sacrifice: by turning on the splash screen, you'll no longer have the normal boot screen which makes your computer screen during startup clean and tidy.

Example of a splash screen startup on Windows XP. Click picture for larger image.

To turn on windows splash screen in Vista, follow the simple steps below:

1. On your desktop, click the start button.

2. Click the "Run" option (if it's not present, use the Windows+R combination key)

3. In the "Run" windows, type 'msconfig' (short form for Microsoft System Configuration)

4. System Configuration will pop up. Click on the 'boot' tab.

5. On the boot options, find an option which reads "OS boot information". If the box is checked, it means that your computer has already been configured for splash screen. Check the box to enable splash screen if it is blank (as shown below).


6. Press 'Apply' and then 'OK'. System Configuration will ask for a restart. If you wish to restart now, save all your current work before doing so.

7. When the computer restarts, you should see that the screen shows all the boot process of your operating system. To undo splash screen, simply follow step 1 to step 5 and uncheck the box.

To turn on Splash Screen in XP:

1. Repeat step 1 to step 4 in Vista's method. (Notice that in XP, the boot tab is called the BOOT.INI)

2. On the BOOT.INI tab, find an option called /SOS. If it's checked then your XP has already been configured for splash screen startup. Check the box if it is blank.

3. Apply, OK and restart your PC. Your XP startup should show the boot process...:)


I encourage you to turn on splash screen for one good reason: if your PC crashes during the startup process, by enabling splash screen, you can identify the specific process that causes the crash. Another thing is that it gives you the sense of satisfaction knowing that your computer is functioning properly. Imagine that your PC hangs during startup with no splash screen turned on...everything is just black and blank-you might sit up and wait for a whole hour before concluding that your PC hangs, which is a complete waste of time!

IT professionists can even use splash screen to identify the reason why your computer boots slowly. Fantastic function, right?
Read more >>

Review Digital Plexus

I do not know how well this blog is doing unless there are feedbacks. Please do leave a review or two with us on how you think about Digital Plexus, its authors or the qualities of the posts. Good and bad comments are all welcomed, but please avoid posting rude/obscene comments that are not helpful to any of us working on this blog:

Disclaimer:

This blog is dedicated for the benefits of those who seeks experiences, knowledge or information in the computer, IT news, technology and software & hardware area. Digital Plexus cannot control how readers use the information, including any fraudulent conducts, illegal activities or deeds as regard by the law. Therefore, Digital Plexus & its authors shall not be liable to any damages caused by readers who misuse the information provided.

Digital Plexus utilizes information from many sources, including personal experiences of authors. Digital Plexus will never claim credits or ownership rights regarding the information it used in the blog, except for the raw articles posted on the blog - those are original materials written by the authors of Digital Plexus itself after the compilation of various information and/or experiences.

Followers

  © Blogger templates 'Neuronic' by Ourblogtemplates.com 2008

Back to TOP