Windows 8 includes new "Protogon" file system

According to the recent discovery by ITWorld’s Sando Villinger, the next generation of Windows would contain a new file system codenamed as “Protogon”

Here is the extract from IT World article-

“I’ve also dug up traces of some underlying file system changes that I couldn’t quite make sense of, such as an entirely new file system driver called “NT Protogon FS driver”, which looks like a kernel mode driver for some sort of (yet unknown) file system called Protogon. It’s unclear, whether this is a major new file system or just some minor subsystem.”

It would be eager to know whether Protogon would be replacing the NTFS file system in Windows 8 or not.

According to more information available the Disk Management is able to detect “Protogon” file system, while the Command Prompt chkdsk is unable to detect, so it clearly states that Protogon is in early stages of development.

[Image credits] via ZDNet

Get Windows 8 Metro style start screen in Firefox,Internet Explorer

We have seen the new UI for Windows 8 tablets earlier at D9 and Computex 2011. Some guys at Deviantart are busy replicating Windows 8 Metro style for Windows 7. DA user flatmo1 has created a start page for browser inspired by Windows 8.The start page is created using HTML + CSS + jQuery and is highly customizable. You can easily edit the links by just modifying the XML files.

You can download the file from here

Here are the instructions-

1.    Extract the zip file anywhere in your hard disk. 
2.    Place images of thumbnails to ‘thumbs’ folder. Maximal dimensions of thumbnails should be set according to ‘sketch.jpg’. For best look use clear white images with alpha transparency. 
3.    Edit bookmarks parameters in ‘source.xml’. Numbering of bookmarks you can find in ‘sketch.jpg’. 
4.    Set ‘index.htm’ as your stat page in Firefox.

How to install Windows 8 on VMware virtual machine

We have seen couple of Windows 8 leaks by now and most of you may like to test it.Installing and reinstalling may be a tedious task so today we would like to write a tutorial as how to install Windows 8 on VMware virtual machine which would ease your work.

First of all the minimum system configuration of Windows 8 is similar to Windows 7 so you should atleast have the following configurations-

• 1 GHz or faster 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64) processor

• 1 GB RAM (32-bit) or 2 GB RAM (64-bit)

• 16 GB available hard disk space (32-bit) or 20 GB (64-bit)

Here are the steps to install Windows 8 on VMWare Virtual machine-

• First of all you need to have Windows 8 build which you have to install on virtual machine.
• Download VMware player from here or from here. After downloading VMWare player just install it.VMWare can be installed on Windows XP,Windows Vista or Windows 7.
• Select Create a New Virtual Machine option from the list

• Now choose Installer disk image file (iso) and browse for the Windows 8 image file

• In the next menu select Microsoft Windows as operating system and Windows 7 x64 if you are installing Windows 8 x64 or select Windows 7 if installing 32 bit version.

• In the next menu leave the Windows Product key empty and just enter the name and password (optional).

• Set the name of the Virtual machine and browse the location where you want to install it ( select where you have average 40 GB free when installing Windows 8 x64)

• In the next menu enter the maximum disk-size, prefer to keep it minimum as 40 GB

• In the next menu click on Customize Hardware and modify the memory if installing Windows 8 x64. Keep the memory minimum as 2 GB. You could also change the number of cores depending on your processor.

• Finally click on Finish button and your Windows 8 installation on Virtual machine would start

Windows 8 may RTM in April 2012

We have earlier reported that Windows 8 would be released in 2012. Today reports are coming via Mary Jo foley that Windows 8 may RTM by April 2012. Earlier Steve Ballmer reported that Windows 8 would be released next year.

She also reported that the beta version of Windows 8 would be available during Build and not the preview or pre Beta build. According to her the RTM version of Windows 8 for x86, Windows 8 for ARM/SoC (system on a chip) and Windows 8 Server would be released at the same time. Further as already known Microsoft would be releasing two beta versions of Windows 8 and one RC version of Windows 8 would be released somewhere around January 2012. We have already seen the leaked Dell Roadmap stating that Windows 8 tablet would be released in first quarter of 2012 and so the early April release seems to be plausible.

Microsoft is going to hold Worldwide Partners conference next month and we expect Microsoft to show Windows 8 during the conference. Further according to our sources Microsoft would started working on Windows 8 beta stage soon.

Microsoft Office 2010 Service Pack 1 available for download

 

Microsoft has today released the first service pack for Office 2010. Microsoft Office 2010 was released in June previous years and exactly after one year this service pack has been released. The service pack contains minor fixes and updates and no new big feature.

The service pack contains the following updates-

• Outlook fixes an issue where “Snooze Time” would not reset between appointments.
• The default behavior for PowerPoint "Use Presenter View" option changed to display the slide show on the secondary monitor.
• Integrated community content in the Access Application Part Gallery.
• Better alignment between Project Server and SharePoint Server browser support.
• Improved backup / restore functionality for SharePoint Server
• The Word Web Application extends printing support to “Edit Mode.”
• Project Professional now synchronizes scheduled tasks with SharePoint task lists.
• Internet Explorer 9 “Native” support for Office Web Applications and SharePoint
• Office Web Applications Support for Chrome
• Inserting Charts into Excel Workbooks using Excel Web Application
• Support for searching PPSX files in Search Server
• Visio Fixes scaling issues and arrowhead rendering errors with SVG export
• Proofing Tools improve spelling suggestions in Canadian English, French, Swedish and European Portuguese.
• Outlook Web Application Attachment Preview (with Exchange Online only)

You can download the 32 bit version from here and 64 bit version from here



Clearing the CMOS

This is often the solution, and it’s frustrating because it’s incredibly simple. All you have to do is find out from the motherboard manual where the CMOS jumper is. Make sure the system has no source of power (meaning the power supply is unplugged and the battery is removed). Then, move the CMOS jumper over the pins that clear it. After a few moments, put the jumper back, plug the power and battery back in, and try it.

If it works, you’re done! Congratulations on being extremely lucky! Karma will probably come around later and bite you in the ass.

If not, continue on. You may have a long road in front of you.

How to secure your computer network

Securing a computer networking is the vital part of the administration of the network. There are different security threats of a computer network such as hacking, viruses, unauthorized user access, spywares, adware, Trojan horses and other malicious codes. If you are managing your computer network, it’s your responsibility to secure your network from all above mentioned aspects. Always install up to dated antivirus program such as Norton Antivirus, Trend Micro Antivirus, McAfee or Panda Antivirus. Enable firewall router or firewall software on your network to control the unauthorized access so that no intruder or hacker can access your network

 

Filter the internet and monitor all the activities of the users on the internet. Block the risky websites and web applications. Install a network monitoring software and monitor the activities of users. Regularly update your software applications on the server and the client computers.
How to Share Printer and Folders in Windows XP
If you have two or more computers then a computer network will be formed and there will be necessity to share the files and printers. For sharing the folders, you need to right click the folder > Sharing and Security > Share this folder on the network > give the shared name for this folder. You can set further rights and permissions on this folder for different users.

How to Share Printer and Folders in Windows XP
If you have two or more computers then a computer network will be formed and there will be necessity to share the files and printers. For sharing the folders, you need to right click the folder > Sharing and Security > Share this folder on the network > give the shared name for this folder. You can set further rights and permissions on this folder for different users.

Sharing a printer is the same as sharing a folder on the network. Click start > Control Panel > Printer and Faxes > Right click on the printer name > Properties > sharing > Share this folder (set the shared name for the printer. This same shared name of the printer will be accesses from the other computers on the network to access and share the printer such as \\computename\printername
How to troubleshoot computer network using Ping command
The PING command is the basic network troubleshooting command. Ping shows the status of the other computer whether it is on the network or not. Let’s say you have three computers in your computer network computer A (IP Address, 10.10.10.1), computer B (IP address 10.10.10.2) and computer C (IP address 10.10.10.3). You are on computer A and you want to check the connectivity of the computer B then you will need to go the Start > Run > type CMD > DOS screen will appear. Now type there ping 10.10.10.2 if you get the reply this means the computer B is connected on the network and if you get the timed out message then there is some problem in the connectivity. This can be due to different reasons like check both the ends of the network cables in the computer and in the Router/Switch, check if the green LED light is blinking in the network card of the computer also check if any software application blocking the network communication such as firewall or antivirus etc.

How to setup Xbox Network Connections
Following is the simple configuration methods of Xbox network connectivity.
1. Go to the settings of Xbox Dashboard and then network settings. You will see IP address, DNS and some other settings. 
2. Click IP settings. You can select to obtain the IP address and other settings automatically from the DHCP server or router.
3. Go to the previous menu and set obtain the DNS settings from the Router or DHCP server automatically.
How to Setup Roaming Profile in Windows 2000/2003
Roaming profiles are saved on the network server. If you want your users to access their own roaming profiles then you need to open Active directory users and computers, right click on the user, then properties and then profile tab. In the profile tab type the UNC path of the user you made on the server like this \\servername\profiles\%username%. Profiles folder should be in the root of the C Drive. Make sure you have created the profiles folder on the C drive and shared it with the same name as the name of the folder. Next time when the user will log on from the client computer, his/her local profile will be saved in the folder same as the user name and this folder will be created in the profiles folder.
How to Install IIS in Windows XP
Windows XP Professional edition has the built-in IIS. Internet information server is used to host the website on your own computer and these sites can be accesses from all over the world. IIS has great administrative features but it supports only 10 concurrent connections of the clients at a time.
1. Click start>settings>control panel>Add remove program
2. Click Add remove windows components.
3. Click on Internet information services > Details.
4. In the IIS check the boxes SMTP and World Wide Web and you can also check FTP if you want to setup it.
5. In Windows components selection, make sure that you have selected IIS and you may need to insert the CD of Windows XP Professional during the installation.
How to Setup Roaming Profiles in Windows 2000
The TCP/IP component in the Windows operating systems is considered a core component so it cannot be easily uninstalled. Using the following commands with the certain switch you can however achieve the same results and by uninstalling and reinstalling the TCP/IP components.
netsh int ip reset [logfile]
Logfile is the name of the file that is used to records the actions by the netsh command.
netsh int ip reset iplog.txt is used to create the iplog.txt in the current directory.
Caution: Be very careful while using these commands because they can directly damage your system.

SMS Can Make Life Saving Emergency Room Visits Time Saving Too

ER Texting, Inc., a Miami, Florida-based healthcare technology company, says a growing number of hospitals are embracing SMS/Texting programs inside the emergency room.

“We know that information in the hands of patients helps drive satisfaction,” says Jeffrey Finkelstein, chief of emergency medicine at Hospital of Central Connecticut (HCC), which implements ER Texting services. “This service helps us to be transparent to our patients, even before they arrive at one of our campuses.”

Via the ER Texting platform utilized by HCC and other facilities, patients are able to send a text message to a dedicated SMS short code (4ER411) in order to instantly receive a message that lists the emergency room wait times for participating hospitals in their area.

Naturally, the mobile application then allows patients to locate hospitals with the shortest wait times using any mobile phone.

While the technology was originally marketed as a means to drive traffic to emergency rooms, hospital executives have discovered the added benefits of improved patient satisfaction and load balancing. These are two of the additional reasons why the Hospital of Central Connecticut (HCC) implements ER Texting services.

ER Texting says the system can be implemented for a single hospital or a group of hospitals. The company works with the participating hospital to create a live wait-time feed.

“The hospital then incorporates the 4ER411 message in its advertising campaigns,” ER Texting explains in a press release issued this week. “When patients have an emergency, they send a text message to 4ER411 and instantly receive a text message reply which lists the hospital’s short wait time. Patients immediately determine actual current wait times at local hospitals and go to the one that is providing the shortest wait at that time.”

Facebook Frenzy Ensues As Social Networking Giant Readies Long Awaited iPad App

Facebook has called the iPhone home since 2008. But nearly 18 months after Apple introduced its revolutionary touchscreen tablet computer – the iPad – Facebook is yet to introduce an iPad app designed specifically for the larger screen of the popular tablet.

Fortunately, there are rumblings within the rumor mill that Facebook is putting the final touches on a Facebook app for the iPad.

According to the New York Times, “people briefed on Facebook’s plans say that in coming weeks the company plans to introduce a free iPad application that has been carefully designed and optimized for the tablet.”

“The photo and video experience is amazing, offering full resolution and full-screen images,” a person who has seen the app tells the NYT.

Other sources describe the Facebook for iPad application as “slick, well-designed, and incorporates a lot of functions with the touchscreen functionality of the iPad.” For more than a year, users have been displeased with the fact that Facebook has not been tailored well for the iPad experience, and as a result, they have turned to alternative applications, like Friendly or My Pad.

Fortunately for Facebook, Apple plans to help the company gain better traction among iPad users. The Cupertino, California-based tech giant will reportedly promote the new application heavily among the featured offerings in the iPad App Store.

Verizon and Google Set Sights on Improving Digital Safety with Innovative Android Mobile App

On Monday, Verizon raised the curtain on “Net Safety Tips On The Go,” a mobile app that the wireless carrier is calling the first-ever digital safety and security advice app for Android smartphones.

The app is being released in conjunction with National Internet Safety Month.

Verizon, however, isn’t taking the lone share of credit for the new offering. As it turns out, the app was developed by Google and Verizon. The companies worked with several online safety education organizations to make the app possible.

“Net Safety Tips On The Go” provides critical online privacy, security and youth online safety educational messages to help Verizon Wireless customers protect their privacy, families and finances when using their Android smartphones.

Verizon says the app gives customers a broad range of tips including:

• Mobile – Tips around mobile teens, mobile privacy and mobile safety, including how constant texting and talking can affect customers sleep, concentration, work and school, among other important life activities.
• Secure Data/Device – Information on how customers can protect themselves against fraud, phishing, ID theft and general password-protecting suggestions.
• Sharing Privacy – Advice and tips for social networking privacy, sharing locations and surfing the Web privately like considering requiring a password before anyone can use their computers or wireless devices.
• Family Safety – Tips for parents and children on social media tactics, cyber bullying, reputation, privacy and unwanted contact. Examples include how to set real expectations when trying to limit the time a child spends on a social network or the importance of explaining that GPS-technology is a service that should only be used with known acquaintances.
• Smart Android Tips – Besides giving simple “how-to” directions, the app gives tips on protecting data, managing apps and more – even advising customers how to be aware of the interferences mobile devices might have with implantable medical devices.
• Digital Citizenship – Tips to help customers become an upstanding digital citizen, such as advising customers to never post anything to any site that they would not want to see on the front page of a newspaper.

“Net Safety Tips On The Go” is now available in V CAST Apps.

mHealth: iPhones to Provide Mobile Means for Monitoring Blood Pressure

In what is proving to be yet another example of how closely intertwined the burgeoning mHealth industry is with Apple’s most popular mobile products, the FDA has now formally given the green light to a company named Withings (a French start-up that designs, develops, and industrializes connected devices), which has pioneered an iOS blood pressure monitor.

The product is now shipping in the US.

According to the description made available in FDA’s formal clearance, “The Withings Blood Pressure Monitor… is a noninvasive blood pressure measurement [system] intended to measure the systolic and diastolic blood pressures and pulse rate of an adult individual, over age 18, at home by using a non-invasive technique in which an inflatable cuff is wrapped around the upper arm.”

First touted earlier this year at the Consumer Electronics Show, the mobile BP monitor ($129.99) pictured on the right requires three AAA batteries and is compatible with the iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch. A free corresponding iOS app captures and provides blood pressure results approximately thirty seconds after the test is initiated. The BP readings are logged as well as timestamped for record-keeping purposes. The readouts can be subsequently emailed to a physician.

According to the folks at Withings, the app can be synced to health monitoring services like Microsoft HealthVault and Google Health.

With more than 25% of the world’s population affected by hypertension, Withings has combined advanced technology and sophisticated design to create a medical device that is visually attractive, accurate and easy to use at home, in a professional setting or on the go.

Cédric Hutchings, Withings co-founder says, “Apple has revolutionized the smartphone and tablet market with both its design and functionality. We have strived to extend this revolution into the field of health and fitness by integrating our products to work seamlessly with Apple iOS devices.”

Juniper Research Projects Mobile IM Users will Grow But Not Threaten SMS Dominance

Based on the latest research and projections by Juniper, mobile instant messaging users are on pace to surpass 1.3 billion worldwide by 2016, a figure that effectively triples the number of IM users in 2010.

Juniper speculates that the continued growth will be driven by the arrival of new services (Apple’s iMessage is cited as one example), and the accelerated adoption of existing services like AOL’s AIM, Blackberry Messenger, Microsoft’s Windows Live, Skype and Yahoo! Messenger.

The launch of these free Mobile IM services has been facilitated by the increasing number of smartphones in use, low-cost data packages and the development of high speed mobile networks. While some IM services are ad-funded, most are viewed by the operators as customer retention tools, with the only cost to the user being the data usage charged.

Juniper, however, sees no sign of Mobile IM services replacing SMS as a primary means of text communication on mobile handsets.

“SMS has one distinct advantage over ‘over-the-top’ services: its ubiquity,” writes Mobile Messaging Markets Report author Daniel Ashdown. “With an SMS I know I can reach almost any handset in the world, if I have its number. While IM services have some advantages, such as real-time communication and apparent absence of cost, the market is fragmented by different services which cannot communicate with each other.”

Juniper’s research also led to projections that premium-rate SMS and MMS will decline due to challenges from other forms of billing and delivery. MMS traffic and revenue, on the other hand, will continue to grow, but Application-to-Person (A2P) MMS will not have as big of an impact as A2P SMS. Lastly, Juniper finds that mobile email adoption will likely persist as the number of handsets with QWERTY keyboards, Internet access and larger screens increase.

To read the full Mobile Messaging Markets Report from Juniper, click here.

Hot Mobile Rumor Says Radically Redesigned iPhone 5 To Be Released in August

A new headline courtesy of the Boy Genius Report (BGR) has set the tech blogosphere ablaze today.

According to “reliable sources” speaking with BGR, Apple will release its 5th generation iPhone in August, not September as initially – and widely – reported.

But the most attention-worthy aspect of the report pertains to the design of the next generation handset. Until now, the lion-share of industry estimates have suggested that the new iPhone will be almost identical – at least in terms of its design – to the iPhone 4.

But BGR is confident that something “radical” lies ahead.

“While Apple has indeed been giving some developers access to a device known as the iPhone 4S — an iPhone 4 with upgraded internals — BGR has independently confirmed that the next-generation iPhone will not merely be an upgraded iPhone 4 as had been previously rumored,” the report asserts.

“We have been told by a reliable source to expect a radical new case design for the upcoming iPhone. We have not been given any additional details surrounding the design of the new iPhone case, though,” BGR concludes.

As you may have noticed by now, iPhone 5 rumors have been both plentiful and diverse this year. Three months ago, we heard that the device would have an internal antenna and aluminum body. Next we heard rumblings about the iPhone 5 sporting an edge-to-edge display and a n ultra slender teardrop-like design. Then, for the last eight weeks, we’ve heard that only small phsyical changes are on tap.

Could the BGR report be accurate or are we simply looking at yet another one of the rumor mill’s greatest contemporary hits?

Chances are we won’t know for sure until late summer when Apple finally lifts the curtain on the most eagerly anticipated smartphone release of 2011.

iCloud May Rival Twitter, Gmail User Base Size on Launch

In terms of the size of its user base, Apple’s iCloud may immediately rival the likes of Gmail and Twitter when it debuts this fall.

Based on the findings of a proprietary survey by analyst Mike Abramsky with RBC Capital Markets, 76% of iPhone owners will use Apple’s iCloud on launch.

Those figures were derived from a poll of 1,500 respondents in early June, following iCloud’s formal introduction at Apple’s WWDC.

If the poll’s prognostication proves accurate, the forthcoming iCloud service could debut with a built-in user base that tops 150 million people out of the gate.

“This high response rate affirms the growing interest in storing, syncing and sharing music, photos and documents across multiple devices [such as] smartphones, tablets, PCs and TVs,” wrote Abramsky in the report.

Of course, a major reason why iCloud is so attractive is because it’s free to use. Yet, iTunes Match – which comes at a price – appears powerfully attractive to Apple fans as well.

Notwithstanding that the music file matching service will cost $24.99 annually, the RBC survey shows that nearly one-third of respondents plan to pay the asking price and use the services. Consequently, RBC estimates that iTunes Match will generate upwards of an additional $1.5 billion in annual revenue for Apple.

In the big picture, however, Abramsky suspects that Apple’s new services will primarily strengthen the company’s already enormous fan base. “Because it stores user data, iCloud along with iTunes is expected to enhance loyalty and stickiness of Apple’s customers, helping defend against threats from Android, helping grow a defensible install base of users who continually upgrade to next generation Macs, iPhones, iPads and iPods,” Abramsky concluded

UltraSurf v8.8 0 - Bypass All Internet Blocking Systems

  

UltraSurf is a proxy application. It will Bypass All Internet Blocking Systems. By using this software you can access all the sites blocked by national / corporate firewalls. It is a free application. It brake all the access list. This application is nothing but just searching the proxy list which is fast and available. It will automatically change our IE’s proxy server to local proxy. That means this application will work as a web proxy server. Most of the schools and co-operates are blocking dating sites like orkut , myspace. And some sites like YouTube ( for bandwidth ). Most of them depending web proxys to bypass them. But they won’t get the full feeling of a normal browsing , because the sites are with banners.

It is a small EXE. There is no need to install the application. Just run in ..

Features

1, 100% freedom to have 100% information in most secure way.

2, It means no matter where you are you can access 100% of internet I mean no firewalls no restriction nothing….

3. Almost all schools, universities and corporate offices raise firewalls to filter out not work related sites, now those firewalls will be of no use or they have to change their plans.

4. Everybody can access various social networks like Orkut, Youtube, Myspace, Hi5, Facebook, Linkedin etc. which are blocked almost in 99% schools and offices.

5. 100% real time and it’s encryption is better then any online banking system.

If you are using browsers other than IE, You have to manually change the proxy settings .
Proxy settings as follows..

HTTP Proxy : 127.0.0.1 Port : 9666

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Add Context Menu Option to Extract / Unpack Files from MSI (Microsoft Installer) Package

A Microsoft Installer (MSI) package contains various files which are extracted and installed in your system once you run the MSI file.

If you don't want to run MSI file but want to view its content, this tutorial will help you.

This tutorial will help you in adding "Unpack" option to MSI file context menu so that you can extract / unpack MSI package files quickly and easily.

Once you select "Unpack" option from an MSI file context menu, it'll extract the MSI package and will put all the files in a new folder with the name "MSI_file_name Content".

So without wasting time, lets start the tutorial:

1. Type regedit in RUN or startmenu search box and press Enter. It'll open Registry Editor.

2. Now go to following key:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes

3. Under "classes" key, create a new key Msi.Package

4. Under "Msi.Package" key, create a new key shell

5. Under "shell" key, create a new key Unpack

6. Under "Unpack" key, create a new key command

So the final registry path would be:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\Msi.Package\shell\Unpack\command

7. Select command key and in right-side pane, change value of default to:

msiexec.exe /a "%1" /qb TARGETDIR="%1 Content"

That's it. Now you can access the option in MSI file context menu.

PS: If you want a ready-made registry script to do the task automatically, simply download following ZIP file, extract it and run the extracted REG file. It'll ask for confirmation, accept it: