Autoruns – What is Running on Your Windows 7 PC

If you have wondered what programs are automatically configured and loaded when you startup, Autoruns, by Microsoft will give you that information. Autoruns is an MS download program that will show you locations, and startup order of many programs. It will provide you with information about Explorer shell extensions, and toolbars, as well as helper objects, auto-start services and Winlogon.

AutoRuns Winlogon

What does Autorun provide?

• It shows you the currently configured auto-start applications
• The full list of the Registry settings used.
• File system locations used for auto-start configuration.
• There are 18 tabs that can focus your attention to individual performance or configuration options.

AutoRuns - The Everything Tab: Places information about all settings

It is a configuration tool that can be used by administrators to monitor and tweak the performance of the system. There are multiple tabs to work with. Here is the Logon tab which contains information about what programs load at logon.

AutoRuns-Logon: Files that Load Upon Logon

Another important component is that it allows you to see third party auto-starting programs. Through Autoruns’ Hide Signed Microsoft Entries option you can see third-party programs that have been added to your system.

AutoRuns - Other Options Available

If you prefer the command-line equivalent you can run Autorunsc from the command prompt which is automatically included in the download package. The output result is in CSV format.

AutoRunSC - The command line executable

There are a number of command switches that can be used with AutorunSC:

autorunsc [-a] | [-c] [-b] [-d] [-e] [-g] [-h] [-i] [-l] [-m] [-n] [-p] [-r] [-s] [-v] [-w] [-x] [user]

You can download the Autoruns executable from the following locations, and there is a forum available as well:

http://live.sysinternals.com/

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb963902.aspx

The Autoruns forum can be found at http://forum.sysinternals.com/forum_topics.asp?FID=16

Nikon COOLPIX S230

Good ISO performance for its class The screen performs extremely bad in well-lit areas No options for manual settings

The Nikon COOLPIX S230 is another entry by Nikon in the budget camera section. The S230 comes with a 3 – inch touch screen which will make it an upper hand in its category because not many cameras of this range run on a touch screen interface. With the dimensions of 91 x 57 x 20 mm and weighing in at 115g, the s230 is compact and light. From front, the S230 shares its looks with the S570 and just like the S570 the plastic feels cheap. But the S230 does look a bit better than the S570 due to the brush metal finish on it.

The top of the camera is once again reminiscent of the S570, but the facing side is not same as the S570 because the S230 packs a 3- inch LCD screen, with anti– reflection coating and adjacent to it the scene selection and play button. Regardless of the touch functionality, the User Interface (UI) is pretty much similar to the S570’s UI. This is not entirely bad as I stated in the review for the S570, it is good for a low budget point and shoot camera.

The screen of the S230 is really bad. Strangely, the images look very grainy on the screen in broad daylight and if not that, it is almost impossible to preview the picture in a well–lit area. The S230 features a CCD sensor capable of taking pictures at 10 megapixels with 3x optical zoom. The images are not up to the mark as the colors are very saturated and due to this the image loses out on its clarity.

Though our ISO test the images were saturated it maintained a pleasant white balance and image clarity on lower ISO levels. ISO 800 onwards, the images are very noisy and lose out on sharpness. But the images are quite usable till ISO 400.

The Macro mode on the S230 has the same issues found on the S570. The camera fails to focus in a distance less than 3 inches. But the overall clarity of the images taken from the macro mode are crisp.

The Nikon COOLPIX S230 sells at a street price of Rs. 10,990 and delivers a less than mediocre performance. Though there might not be many digital cameras available in the market which feature a Touch screen and 10 megapixels for Rs 10,000, there are many more cameras at a similar price delivering better performance. With the ever growing digital camera market, the Nikon COOLPIX S230 fails to make a mark.

Specs
• Dimensions (WxHxD): 91 x 57 x 20 mm
• Weight: 115g
• LCD Display: 3" 230,000 dots TFT LCD with touch screen control and anti-reflection coating
• Sensor: CCD
• Resolution: 10 megapixels
• Aperture range: F3.1 – F5.9
• Shutter Speed: N/A
• Optical Zoom: 3x
• ISO sensitivity: Auto, 60, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, 2000
• Flash: Auto, Red-Eye reduction, Off, On, Slow sync
• Self Timer: 3 or 10 sec
• Movie recording: VGA
• Storage: SD / SDHC card
• MOP: Rs 10,990

Hands On: Dante's Inferno

Anyone who’s seen gameplay videos of Dante’s Inferno has drawn comparisons with God of War but yesterday when I actually sat down to play a preview of the game I was shocked at how similar both games are (in fact I even joked that it was only a matter of time before Sony sued EA).

In Dante’s Inferno you play as Dante, a veteran Crusader who musttraverse the nine circles of Hell to free his love, Beatrice before Lucifer can forcibly marry her allowing him to break free from hell. We were only able to play a fraction of the game but I was told that the game’s pretty authentic when it comes to portraying the source material that by the way is one of Dante’s epic poems, Divine Comedy.

Like I mentioned earlier the game plays exactly like God of War. It’s a third person hack and slash game that oscillates between all out action and platforming. The game employs a fixed camera that basically positions itself at optimum locations throughout the level to give you the best view possible. It works for most of the time but can get stuck at times and is a bit of a bitch when it comes to platforming. Combat consists of taking on waves of diverse grotesque enemies interspersed with mini bosses that can be dispatched using over the top context sensitive moves.

I don’t know how many weapons would be present in the final game but in the demo I got to wield Dante’s scythe that I was told would be upgradable. You had light attacks, heavy attacks and mixing them up unleashed some wicked looking combos. I even got to take control of the game’s version of a Minataur allowing me to dispatch enemies with ease merely by swatting them with my gigantic arms. From then on I had to make it out of there before at least half the level crumbled around me. And finally I was confronted by one of the game’s bosses that once again seemed ripped straight out of God of War. Dodge attacks, slash away at health bar and finish him off using QTEs seemed like the order of the day. It wasn’t revolutionary by any means but it was fun.

And this is what Dante’s Inferno felt like at the end of the day – mindless fun thoroughly inspired by God of War. Thankfully the game’s pretty high on the production values and even though this was just preview code, it looked and played really well. I only hope the game has more tricks up its sleeve not burying itself as a God of War clone.

Either way we’ll come to know how it all plays out when Dante’sInferno releases for the Xbox360 and PS3 in February 2010.

Upcoming Mobiles to Look Out For - My Christmas Wish List

Christmas is coming and as usual, whether we’re good or bad is quite irrelevant as we’re all looking forward to something shiny and preferably with a screen under the tree or stuffed in our stockings. But for the tech community, especially us mobile maniacs we’re also, I’m sure, looking forward to what’s coming at the end of this year and the beginning of next, so here’s a quick look at what we can expect to see soon.

Android is doing quite well and there are quite a lot of devices that are coming up. Here are a few I’m waiting to get my hands on -

Motorola MILESTONE
The MILESTONE is the GSM version of the MOTO DROID handset. It’ll be running on an Android 2.0 OS or Éclair. The large display coupled with a slide out full QWERTY keypad should make for easy data entry. The handset’s display is also designed to support multi-touch. Could this be the N900 killer?

The MILESTONE will also feature -

• 3.7-inch touchscreen with a 480 x 854 pixel resolution
• 3G with HSDPA, EDGE/GPRS
• Wi-Fi, Bluetooth v2.1 with A2DP, USB 2.0
• GPS with A-GPS and a digital compass, Geotagging
• 5 megapixel AF camera with Dual LED flash
• 3.5mm handsfree socket
• microSD card support for up to 32GB

Samsung i5700 Galaxy Spica
Samsung’s Spica or Galaxy Lite has just been officially announced globally but I am expecting Samsung to launch it here in India as well, I just don’t know when. I only hope that does better than the i7500 Galaxy though and I’m of the opinion that it just might, as Samsung has managed to incorporate quite a few of their proprietary features into it. To start off with the Spica will have Samsung’s DNSe for audio enhancement and DivX video codec support for video playback.

Other features include -

• 3.2-inch touchscreen with a 320 x 480 pixel resolution
• 3G with HSDPA, EDGE/GPRS
• Wi-Fi, Bluetooth v2.1 with A2DP, USB 2.0
• GPS with A-GPS and a digital compass, Geotagging
• 3 megapixel AF camera
• 3.5mm handsfree socket
• microSD card support for up to 32GB

Sony Ericsson Xperia X10
One of the most anticipated handsets to be launched next year is Sony’s first Android powered handset the Xperia X10. Running on a Qualcomm Snapdragon chipset it has potential to be a speedy handset and with UI support from Timescape and Mediascape we’re looking at a swanky new user interface as well.

Other features include -

• 4 inch touchscreen with an 480 x 800 pixel resolution
• 3G, EDGE/GPRS,
• Wi-Fi, Bluetooth with A2DP, USB
• GPS with A-GPS support and Geotagging
• 8 megapixel camera with Smile Shutter, Face Detection, image stabilization and an LED Flash
• Micro SDHC card support
• 3.5mm handsfree socket

Full article

Nokia E72 Available on Pre-order in India

seems like there’s a lot of buzz going around about Nokia’s 6600i and E72 handsets being launched in India. However there’s been no official announcement from the company. The E72 is available for pre-booking via Nokia India’s website only and is priced at an MRP of Rs. 22, 989 and is due for official launch by the end of this month. Those interested can click here to register and book the handset. There isn’t any official news on the 6600i though.

For those interested in finding out what kind of features these handsets incorporate here’s a quick look -
Nokia E72 S60 handset

• 2.3-inch TFT LCD display with a 320 x 240 pixel resolution and 16 million colors
• QWERTY Keypad with an optical track pad
• 3G, EDGE/GPRS
• Wi-Fi, Bluetooth with A2DP, USB 2.0 (micro)
• GPS with A-GPS support though Nokia Maps
• 5 megapixel camera with LED flash
• MicroSD card support up to 16GB
• FM radio
• 3.5mm audio input

Nokia 6600i Series40 handset Slider

• 2.2-inch TFT LCD display with 16 million colors
• 3G, EDGE/GPRS
• Bluetooth with A2DP, USB 2.0 (micro)
• 5 megapixel camera with dual LED flash
• MicroSD card support up to 16GB
• FM radio

SteelSeries Siberia USB Soundcard

Reasonable price Easy setup, Virtual surround works very well Buttons tactile feel is too hard. Volume gradation is too crude, only 5 steps till max

This specialist Gaming brand has made a fresh entrance to our shores, and sent us a few products straight up for review. One of them is a USB soundcard, especially meant for, you guessed it, gaming. In today’s’ scenario where gaming audio and background scores are reaching gutwrenching levels in terms of “awesomeness”, the enthusiast will still opt for a separate soundcard over the onboard decoding offered these days. The Steel Series Siberia USB soundcard is aimed at those enthusiasts, so let’s load it up and check it out.

Design and Features
The body of the model is just like any USB flash drive or pen drive, a compact little dongle shaped rectangle with a rounded top edge. The color we received was pure milky white, encased in a hard plastic material. Topside has all the buttons, which actually aren’t too many- there is a horizontally arranged volume plus and minus ones, and a larger mute button on top, with a symmetrical mirror image of mic on button on the bottom half. These are push buttons with quite a hard tactile feel, one needs to actually press with force to get anything done. This might loosen up after prolonged use.

The USB soundcard supports the following systems: Win XP/Vista/Win 2000/Win 98/Win ME. The USB sound card is actually not compatible with Mac. It has a mini USB out in the front rounded edge, and also a wire for the connection to regular USB 2.0 slot is provided. Then we have an EP in for Mic input, and a line out for headset or speaker connection. This line out also doubles as SPDIF out for digital audio out, upto 48 Khz. The model also features a virtual 7.1 surround sound, plus an EQ with storable presets for later use in some other PC. This is useful for gamers who play mostly in 3rd party LAN environments.

Source: tech2

Most Controversial Games in Recent Times

Controversies and video games go hand in hand. Over the years video games have constantly been blamed for a multitude of things some of which are as drastic as murder. A while back we had spoken about theMost Controversial Games ever made but that list was made way back in 2006. Today a new crop of so called controversial games has emerged and here’s a look at some of them.

Mad World

In Mad World you’re a contestant taking part in an extremely violent reality show where your aim is to finish off your opponents in highly gruesome ways. Had the game released on the Xbox360 or the PS3, it wouldn’t have been an issue but the controversy arose from the fact that it was being released on Nintendo’s family friendly console, the Wii. Being hailed as the “Most Violent Wii Game ever”, Britain’s local newspaper the Daily Mail claimed Mad World’s concept had “horrified” parents who associated Nintendo’s console with Wii sports, Wii fit and other such mellow stuff. At the end of the day the game released in all its violent glory but didn’t end up selling too well.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

Ok where do I begin? For starters the game irked the PC community no end when Activision announced axing of Dedicated Servers and then people across all platforms got irritated by its high pricing. But I think the final (and the more mainstream blow) came when people realized that within the game lay a mission that allowed you to play as a terrorist in an airport. The net imploded in an outcry but that didn’t really make any difference to Activision’s life who’ve made enough money to buy out certain countries.

Left 4 Dead 2

Left 4 Dead 2’s controversy stemmed from the fact that the game was basically announced barely a year after the original leaving PC gamers wondering if Valve would even support the first game. Seeing the awesome treatment Valve was dishing out for Team Fortress 2, L4D owners expected a similar treatment for their beloved game, mainly because the campaign itself was painfully short. This lead to the creation of a 'Boycott Left 4 Dead 2 group' on Steam that now sits at around 35,000 members. This movement did work in their favor at the end of the day with Valve releasing a bunch of free, stand-alone maps for L4D.

For More Visit: tech2

Samsung Behold II Officially Slated for November 18 Launch

Wireless carrier T-Mobile USA announced recently the official launch date for the Samsung Behold II, yet another Android-based mobile phone that makes it into its offering. Starting with November 18, T-Mobile subscribers will have the opportunity to enjoy the capabilities of the new device, which includes great multimedia features, along with Wi-Fi connectivity and support for T-Mobile’s high-speed 3G network.

The Samsung Behold II will be exclusively available from T-Mobile two days from now. According to the carrier, this is the first mobile phone it launches with a 3.2-inch AMOLED touchscreen display, which is accompanied by a 5-megapixel photo snapper that sports auto focus, flash and video recording. In addition, the handset comes with Samsung’s intuitive cube menu, which delivers fast access to music, photos, videos, the Web, YouTube, and Amazon MP3.

“With its first-rate multimedia capabilities front and center, the Samsung Behold II adds an exclamation point to T-Mobile’s already impressive Android lineup for the holidays,” said Wendy Pinero-DePencier, vice president, brand and calendar marketing, T-Mobile USA. “The combination of 3G speeds, its high-resolution touch-screen, and access to loads of entertainment features is sure to make the Behold II into a holiday hit.”

Samsung’s innovative TouchWiz user interface packed inside this Android device offers a wide range of customization options, the carrier added. Moreover, the phone also sports built-in Google mobile services, including Google Search, Google Maps, Gmail, YouTube, and Google Talk, not to mention access to the Android Market.

“The Behold II raises the bar to the next level to create a rich, customizable set of different user experiences,” said Omar Khan, senior vice president of strategy and product management for Samsung Mobile. “Combined with Samsung’s advanced AMOLED display technology, innovative TouchWiz user interface and the Android platform, users can create and enjoy a mobile experience unique to their needs.”

Other features of the new Samsung Behold II also include support for email (also with Exchange ActiveSync features), IM, SMS, MMS, GPS receiver with assisted GPS, Bluetooth 2.1 connectivity, support for visual voicemail, and a microSD memory card slot with support for up to 16GB of additional storage space (a 2GB microSD memory card included in the package). The handset is expected to become available for purchase via all T-Mobile retail stores, as well as through authorized dealers and online on the carrier's website.

iPhone 4 in Development, Casing Revealed by Manufacturer (Rumor)

Chinese wholesale and dropship company China Ontrade claims to have received parts that will make up the 2010 iPhone model. The company was the first to start supplying iPhone 3GS parts directly from factory, and was accurate in predicting the phone’s existence before it had been introduced.

A wholesale and dropship company located in Hong Kong and Shenzhen, China, ChinaOntrade.com is headquartered right next to Hong Kong. Established in 2008, ChinaOntrade.com was one of the first companies to offer electronics dropshipping directly from the Mainland China market.

The company is now claiming that the iPhone midboard pictured left belongs to the next-generation iPhone 4. Gizmodo quickly picked up on the subject and noted that, “If confirmed, this means they have the piece about eight months before the actual iPhone 2010 release.” As the tech-site believes, “They don't have parts ready eight months before release.”

Yet, here’s what China Ontrade claims to be holding:

Original Apple iPhone 4th Generation Midboard OEM
This part came from Foxconn to our warehouse at 11.01.2009.
We just made a review of this part here.

“We also have final pictures of iPhone 4 Generation with [an] amazingly beautiful back cover that will come here up soon. Please check for updates,” China Ontrade claims. That should be even more exciting to see, again, if proven true.

Eight months seems like too early to ship parts for a new product, according to Gizmodo. Apple knows best that products need to be built just in time to avoid last-minute changes or stock congestion. Still, China Ontrade has been accurate before, and a 2010 release for a new iPhone makes sense, especially if this is the much-hyped iTablet everyone is keen on seeing come out of the Cupertino labs. Apple has historically launched new iPhone and iPod touch models during and around summer.

Windows 7 vs. Windows Vista - 234% More Sold Boxed Copies

Windows 7’s overall superiority to Windows Vista has translated into the latest iteration of the Windows client, leaving its predecessor in the dirt in terms of commercial success as well. Windows 7 RTM has been embraced by over three times more customers compared to Vista RTM in the first week on the market alone. Market research company, The NPD Group, indicated that initial sales of the boxed, retail copies of Windows 7 dwarfed those of Vista’s. In the first few days on the U.S. market, Microsoft sold 234% more boxed copies than Vista, noted The NPD Group.

“Microsoft’s program of early low-cost pre-sales, high visibility marketing, and aggressive deals helped make the Windows 7 software launch successful,” revealed Stephen Baker, vice president of industry analysis at NPD. “In a slow environment for packaged software Windows 7 brought a large number of customers into the software aisles.”

Microsoft executives, including Chief Executive Officer Steve Ballmer, had revealed during visits in Taipei and Japan that Windows 7 sales were strong. However, Microsoft has so far failed to confirm the data provided by The NPD Group. At the same time, the Redmond company has yet to make public any official sales figures associated with Windows 7.

Still, although it outsold Vista by 234%, Windows 7 delivered a smaller boost in actual revenue. Statistics provided through the NPD’s weekly tracking service, reveal that actual Windows 7 dollar sales were only 82% higher than Vista. This can be explained through not only the consistent discounts on pre-sales that Microsoft offered, but also through less sales of the Ultimate flavor of Windows 7, as Microsoft worked to focus consumers more on the Home Premium and Professional editions.

And, as was expected, the launch of Windows 7 also contributed to pushing sales of Windows PCs, although to a lesser degree than Vista did starting with the end of January 2007. Sales of Windows 7 computers were 6% less than those of Vista machines, in a maker that reveals an overall 49% year-over-year units growth, and 95% over the week prior to Windows 7’s general availability on October 22nd, 2009.

“A combination of factors impacted Windows 7 PC sales at the outset, but the trajectory of overall PC sales is very strong leading into the holiday season,” added Baker. “Vista had a slight advantage at launch, as January traditionally has a bigger sales footprint than October. The other hurdle Windows 7 faced was sales of PCs with older operating systems (XP and Vista) were high, making up 20 percent of sales during the Windows 7 launch, compared to just 6 percent of older operating sales during Vista’s launch week."

A Teenager Was Kidnapped and Forced At Gunpoint to Buy a PS3

The universe is a vast and mysterious, endless patch of knowledge. But somehow, all that the Earth got was an endless batch of incredibly confused and disturbed individuals. As far as fantasy goes, movies, books and all other forms of entertainment usually depict criminals as the greatest masterminds of human history that have simply taken a wrong turn somewhere in life. But reality is far crueler, and human criminals are nothing but a part of that above-mentioned batch of retarded-cookie does. According to a teenager in Florida, he was held at gunpoint, robbed, kidnapped and subjected to moral sacrileges, where that last part refers to being forced to buy a PlayStation 3.

According to his statement, two guys in a white pick-up cut him off as he was entering one of his friend's home in a gated community. The two assailants then stepped out of the car, one armed with an assault rifle and the other with a pistol, and demanded they be taken to the young man's residence. There, they took some jewelry from the victim's house and his stepfather's credit card. Then, they all proceeded to Walmart, where the teenager was requested by the two criminals to purchase a shotgun. Apparently, they thought he deserved a fighting chance and figured they'd let him have a Boom stick.

When they realized that, since it was past 8:30, the gun counter was closed, they decided that the closest thing that would fit their needs was a PS3. Maybe they heard about all those bricked consoles and thought it would give the boy a fighting chance. After acquiring this PS3, the two criminals were satisfied with their boon and decided that it was time to call it a day. The two let the young kidnapped victim go without any more drama. Now, considering that none of the alleged criminals' prints was found at the house that was robbed, this would all seem like a story made up by a rich kid that couldn't convince his step dad to buy him a PS3.

But there appears to be surveillance footage that would collaborate his story, and, apparently, there has even been one arrest already made. So, these Sony fanboys, armed to their teeth, decided that they needed some rich, white kid that they just robbed and kidnapped to go to Walmart and buy a shotgun for them, and a PS3 as the cherry on top. If this is the section of criminals that plays video games, then it seems like maybe, just maybe, games might have a negative influence on the intellect.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

Intense SP campaign Spec Ops is an awesome addition to the series Best MP on the planet A Technical Marvel Brilliant OST

Extremely short and Anti-Climatic Single Player Campaign Lack of dedicated servers do hamper online play a bit

Developer Infinity Ward have consistently delivered an adrenaline pumping war experience with their Call of Duty games. They’ve always taken the Michael Bay route portraying war with much flare and style and it’s worked really well for them so far. With Modern Warfare (MW) in 2007 they exceeded expectations after a drastic change of setting that now took the fight from the World War II theatre to the modern age. Modern Warfare was an instant classic with a tight single player campaign and a highly addictive multiplayer component that people still play till date.

All controversies and PC complications aside, Modern Warfare 2 is a must buy.

And now after around two years we have a sequel to Modern Warfare that has elicited a bit of a mixed reaction from me. The single player experience, while pretty stellar in its own way feels more like an expansion rather than a full-fledged sequel bringing nothing significantly new to the table. Missions while pretty solid and intense in their way fail to assault the senses the same way MW did. Still by no means isModern Warfare (MW2) a bad game. In fact I’d say it’s one of the best shooters I’ve played all year and all controversies and PC complications aside, is a must buy.

The game takes place nearly five years after Soap McTavish successfully thwarted the nefarious plans of ultranationalist Imran Zakhaev. A lot has happened since then and due to certain events that transpire during the first half of the game, you find out that Russia has basically mounted a full scale war on the United States. You’ll play through the campaign as three distinct soldiers who not only have to defend America (directly or indirectly) but find out who’s behind this massive conspiracy as well. Now I really don’t follow the CoD series for their riveting plot because frankly speaking there isn’t one. Even then I was still a bit upset at the way the game ended as it not only felt incomplete but kind of anti-climatic as well. Luckily for us, gameplay’s still as tight as ever.

If you’ve played any Call of Duty game in the past, the gameplay in MW2 will feel right at home. You take multiple waves of enemies until you perform a certain objective or you hit the invisible trigger that stops spawning enemies. Like MW, MW2 is littered with quite a few stealth missions that do provide a certain amount of respite from all the hectic action. The thing that setModern Warfare apart from the pack at the time were its nail biting, intense missions that culminated in insanely choreographed scripted events. While not completely missing from MW2, these monumental events are few and the ones present didn’t feel nearly as mind blowing as the opening ship level or the flashback in Pripyat. Also I think we’ve really been spoilt by Uncharted 2’s cinematic set pieces that do make MW2 feel a tad archaic.
Source: tech2

Seven Cool Tools in Windows 7

Windows 7 comes with some cool tools bundled along, that let you do things in a better way. Here is a list.


Problem Steps Recorder

This is a very important and probably a lifesaving feature of Windows 7. This feature lets you record a particular problem you are experiencing with your PC, so you can send it to someone who may be better equipped to solve the problem. All you need to do is open the Problem Steps Recorder (PSR), click "Record", after which a screenshot is taken with every mouse click. You can also add comments if required. A properly formatted HTML document with all the screenshots in steps and comments is created and placed inside a ZIP archive on the desktop to be attached and emailed to an expert. The PSR can be started by entering psr.exe in the Start menu Search box or at the command prompt.


Credential Manager

Credential Manager is a new feature in Windows 7 and is similar to Vista's password management feature in User Accounts applet. This tool lets you manage Windows credentials for various computers you sign into, as well as certificate-based credentials and other generic credentials for email accounts, web accounts, etc. All these are stored in the Windows Vault by default. Credential Manager also lets you backup and restore the Vault. You can backup your credentials to a USB Flash drive so that you can restore it in case of a hardware failure.


System Repair Disc

System Repair Disc is an invaluable tool that can be a lifesaver in case your system fails to boot into Windows. Using this tool, you can create a System Repair Disc that can be used to revive your computer. To open this tool, click Start and type System Repair in the Search Box. Click on 'Create A System Repair Disc', which will open the dialog box where you can select the burner installed in your system and click Create disc. To revive your system in the failed state, you need to put this disc into the drive and boot it from this disc. You will get a list of system recovery options, which include: Startup repair, System restore, System image recovery, Windows memory diagnostic and Command prompt.

Backup utility

While a backup tool was present in Windows Vista, an improved version with more flexible options has been incorporated into Windows 7. This tool lets you backup your files to a local hard drive, a removable disk, an optical drive, or to another computer on a network. You can then choose to backup libraries or individual folders or even exclude certain folders as you may deem necessary.


Text tuning and color calibration

Most of us simply install display drivers and continue to work without paying attention to how the monitor looks or whether we can do something to enhance or improve the image quality. Windows 7 has a set of two tools that takes care of this. The first of these tools it ClearType Text Tuner, which can be opened from the Control Panel. This lets you fine tune the type on each monitor individually in case you have multiple monitors. It looks similar to the eye charts at the optometrist, so you can select the one that looks the best to you. The other tool is known as Display Color Calibration, which is a wizard that lets you adjust the gamma, brightness, contrast and color rendition on the monitor to fine tune the way the image is displayed on your monitor.

Math Input Panel

Math Input Panel recognizes handwritten math expression using the math recognizer that's built into Windows 7. Built with tablet PCs and touchscreen interfaces in mind, this tool lets you enter mathematical expressions which get converted to recognized math and can then be inserted into a word-processing or computational program. While Math Input Panel is designed to be used with a tablet pen on a Tablet PC or a touchscreen, you can even use your mouse to input the expressions.


Private Character Editor

Wouldn't it be cool to have fonts in your handwriting that you can use them in documents? While there have been tools to make this happen before, Windows 7 comes with one that lets you get the job done very easily. The tool in question is known as Private Character Editor and it can be used to create your own characters, which can then be inserted into documents by using Character Map. You can even edit existing characters if you want to.

Source: techtree

WITNESS - Back in Berlin to remember the Wall

Martin Nesirky was a Reuters correspondent in East Germany and West Berlin from 1987 to 1991. He is now spokesman for the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, based in Vienna.

By Martin Nesirky

VIENNA (Reuters) - Back in Berlin this October for the first time in a decade for a reunion with correspondents and diplomats, I joined the inevitable tourist hunt for the Wall, scraps of which remain against a backdrop of glitzy new buildings.

East Germany's asbestos-clogged Palace of the Republic parliament, known to caustic East Berliners as the Ballast of the Republic, has long since gone.

There's also not much left of the press centre where I worked and where East German media chief Guenter Schabowski seemed to surprise himself with the cryptic announcement that blasted the Wall wide open.

Yet what I think I came in search of was still there -- echoes of conversations and observations, 20 years removed but vivid nonetheless.

At Checkpoint Charlie I stood in the rain facing what used to be the crossing and recalled watching the first East German walking into West Berlin, his arms stretched in the air and his eyes fixed in disbelief.

I had edged across the checkpoint from East to West some time before the guards started to allow East Germans through. It was a crossing I had made dozens if not hundreds of times -- twice with an undiscovered cat in the boot and the radio up loud. Needless to say, the crossing on Nov. 9 was even more nerve tingling.

Much of the rest of that night passed in a frantic, exhilarating blur of conversations and scribbled notes, the search for phones in that pre-mobile era and the realization that the city of my forefathers was being reborn. Continued...

Source: India reuters

Plantronics Voyager Pro UC headset designed for cell and PC calls

Due out later this month, the Voyager Pro UC lists for $199.99.

(Credit: Planatronics)

Plantronics trotted out a new Bluetooth headset on Monday, the Voyager Pro UC headset, which adds a plug-and-play Bluetooth USB adapter "to deliver richer wideband audio on softphones along with Voyager Pro's superior noise and wind cancellation on both mobile phones and softphones."

On the consumer front, the Voyager Pro UC is geared toward Skype users and has some firmware in the dongle that lets you answer Skype calls or swap between a cell and Skype call by simply pressing a button on the headset. Additionally, Plantronics says the dongle helps improve audio quality and range.

The Voyager Pro UC (the UC stands for "unified communications") is also compatible with enterprise softphone applications from Avaya, Cisco, IBM, and Microsoft, and works with Google Talk, though you'll have to use your PC's mouse to answer and end calls (in other words, there are no special features geared toward Google Talk users).

In case you're wondering, you cannot pair the original Voyager Pro headset with the dongle. It's also worth noting that this "UC" version is enhanced for PC communications but should sound the same as the identically styled Voyager Pro for cell calls.

The Voyager Pro UC will be available this month and carries a list price of $199.95. For a complete list of supported softphone applications, visit www.plantronics.com/personosuite.

Analyst: Assassin's Creed 2 Pre-Orders Stronger Than Original Title

Ubisoft has a near-guaranteed winner in Assassin's Creed II if current estimates are to be believed -- the game's preorder count is up 10 to 20 percent from those of its 2007 predecessor, according to a note from Janco Partners.

Ubisoft Montreal's original Assassin's Creed far exceeded the publisher's expectations, going on to sell over 8 million units after originally being projected for just 3 million. It sold more than 2.5 million units in its first month alone.

Janco analyst Mike Hickey said the sequel is part of "a strong stable of owned and internally developed franchises," and has a positive long-term view of the French publisher, despite the company's recent downward revision of its fiscal 2010 outlook.

Though Ubisoft may be slightly down for the overall fiscal year, which ends in March 2010, Hickey sees games like Assassin's Creed II driving a slight year-over-year increase in revenue during its third fiscal quarter.

Other significant contributors are likely to be Rabbids Go Home, Shaun White Snowboarding 2, James Cameron’s Avatar, and Academy of Champions.

And looking into next year, the firm expects United States video game industry sales to grow by more than 10 percent year over year in calendar 2010, following 2009's lackluster performance, with Ubisoft outperforming the rest of the market based on strong individual titles and unit sales.

Even further on, Hickey sees Ubisoft putting more emphasis on the MMO space, as it relates to both core gaming as well as the social and casual spheres.

Slim Sony VAIO X Enters India

Sony has introduced the slim and light Sony VAIO X ultraportable laptop in India. Touted as the world's slimmest and lightest ultraportable laptop, VAIO X weighs merely 655gms and is about half an inch thin. It comes clad in lightly brushed aluminum panel covers isolation keyboard and the palm-rest area.

Equipped with 'Silverthorne' Intel Atom processor, this ultraportable laptop comes with pre-loaded with Windows 7 Professional (32-bit). Sony offers VAIO X in two models VPCX113KG for Rs. 64,990 and VPCX117LG for Rs. 84,990 - both with one year international warranty.

Sony had teased the audiences with VAIO X in IFA 2009 Expo at Berlin, Germany in September but hadn't shared any details about the processor packed inside this ultra-slim laptop. With more details shared now, VAIO X's model VPC113KG will pack 45nm process 1.86GHz Intel Atom Z540 'Silverthorne' processor. On the other hand, the VPC117LG model includes 2GHz Intel Atom Z550 processor. Yes, it is 2GHz Atom chip for ultraportable.

These new Intel Atom Z500 series processors were unveiled earlier in April. Both Intel Atom Z550 and Z540 have 512k cache, 533MHz FSB and have Thermal Design Power rating of 2.4 watts. Boasted as lower power Atom chips, both processors support Intel Virtualization as well as Hyper Threading technology

. Apart from that, Sony packs 2GB DDR2 RAM and 64GB SSD in the base model (VPCX113KG) while other model (VPCX117LG) has 128GB SSD storage.

Sony VAIO X comes with 11.1-inch LED Backlit display offering 1366x768 pixel resolution which is enough to playback 720p HD videos. Graphics support is offered through Intel GMA 500 mobile integrated graphics. Featuring Ethernet and VGA out ports, this VAIO X lacks HDMI out. Aluminum isolation keypad as proper spacing between keys and will remind you of unibody MacBook Pro keyboard. Also, the trackpad supports multi-touch gestures life flips, zoom and others.

Battery packed by default offers 3.5 hours battery life in VPCX113KG model but with optional LL battery pack can boost battery life to 14 hours. The other VPCX117LG model gets 6.5 hours of battery life and can be boosted to 16 hours with optional LL battery pack.

Though it has a slim and light, the new Sony VAIO X is can perform close to MacBook Air but may lack in graphics department. Only the test will prove which of the machines is leaner and meaner (in terms of performance).