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  • What is the BCSI-CS-**** cookie for?

    - by Joanne Wellings
    I'm undertaking an audit of the cookies we use on our external sites. There's one cookie that's used by all the sites, and by different domains within the sites. It starts BCSI-CS- and has random numbers and letters. It's the same cookie on different PCs on our network. Our own sites use it and Bing Maps, Google Analytics and Google Maps on our sites use it. This cookie does not seem to appear on PCs not on our network. We've figured that it's a cookie that our proxy server uses and therefore only an internal cookie, not one that our external site users will encounter. However, googling that cookie shows a lot of sites have listed a similar cookie in their "About our cookies" page with the same BCSI-CS prefix. Would we be right in thinking that these sites have got it wrong, that they don't have to list this cookie? After all, when I visit these sites, the cookie that they have listed does not appear on my PC. Can anyone confirm this, or explain what the BCSI-CS cookie actually is?

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  • Minimize Windows Live Mail to the System Tray in Windows 7

    - by Asian Angel
    Are you frustrated that you can not minimize Windows Live Mail to the system tray in Windows 7? With just a few tweaks you can make Live Mail minimize to the system tray just like in earlier versions of Windows. Windows Live Mail in Windows Vista In Windows Vista you could minimize Windows Live Mail to the system tray if desired using the context menu… Windows Live Mail in Windows 7 In Windows 7 you can minimize the app window but not hide it in the system tray. The Hide window when minimized menu entry is missing from the context menu and all you have is the window icon taking up space in your taskbar. How to Add the Context Menu Entry Back Right click on the program shortcut(s) and select properties. When the properties window opens click on the compatibility tab and enable the Run this program in compatibility mode for setting. Choose Windows Vista (Service Pack 2) from the drop-down menu and click OK. Once you have restarted Windows Live Mail you will have access to the Hide window when minimized menu entry again. And just like that your taskbar is clear again when Windows Live Mail is minimized. If you have wanted the ability to minimize Windows Live Mail to the system tray in Windows 7 then this little tweak will fix the problem. Similar Articles Productive Geek Tips Make Windows Live Messenger Minimize to the System Tray in Windows 7Move Live Messenger Icon to the System Tray in Windows 7Backup Windows Mail Messages and Contacts in VistaTurn off New Mail Notification for PocoMail Junk Mail FolderPut Your PuTTY in the System Tray TouchFreeze Alternative in AutoHotkey The Icy Undertow Desktop Windows Home Server – Backup to LAN The Clear & Clean Desktop Use This Bookmarklet to Easily Get Albums Use AutoHotkey to Assign a Hotkey to a Specific Window Latest Software Reviews Tinyhacker Random Tips HippoRemote Pro 2.2 Xobni Plus for Outlook All My Movies 5.9 CloudBerry Online Backup 1.5 for Windows Home Server Know if Someone Accessed Your Facebook Account Shop for Music with Windows Media Player 12 Access Free Documentaries at BBC Documentaries Rent Cameras In Bulk At CameraRenter Download Songs From MySpace Steve Jobs’ iPhone 4 Keynote Video

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  • CodePlex Daily Summary for Sunday, February 28, 2010

    CodePlex Daily Summary for Sunday, February 28, 2010New ProjectsESB Toolkit Extensions: ESB Extensions is a solution containing multiple .Net Projects and artifacts: Unit Tests, Itineraries, Business Rules, Binding Files, and C# Class ...Event-Based Components Binder: The Binder automatically connects output-pins to input-pins of Event-Based Components based on message type information and naming conventions. ...Haze Anti-Virus: Haze Anti-Virus is a anti virus written in C# and has features such a realtime process watching and a Process Blacklist, and is able to download Da...latex2mathml: A .NET 2.0 library written in C# which allows the conversion of LaTeX documents to XHTML+MathML format. A stand-alone converter is included. The li...Project Lyrebird: Project lyrebird is a attempt to create a all-purpose media player. It is designed to be simple, yet powerful. Its written in C#QueryToGrid Module for DotNetNuke®: This is a module that allows you to execute and display the results of T-SQL queries in DotNetNuke using your choice of AJAX grids.Reusable Library Demo: A demonstration of reusable abstractions for enterprise application developerSharePoint 2010 Conference Samples: This project contains source code from various SharePoint 2010 conferences where Scot Hillier presented.Silverlight Photo Blogger: Silverlight Photo Blogger gives you the tools you need to capture and blog about your travels in a rich and interactive web experience. Enjoy som...SMTP Test: Several times we are faced with applications that send email, the SMTP Tester principle objective is to test various possibilities of sendingSolution Tools - tools for Visual Studio solutions and projects: Solution Tools are a collection of tools that you can use with your Visual Studio Solutions and projects.New ReleasesAgile Poker Cards for Windows Mobile: Agile Poker Cards v1.1.0.0: Agile Poker Cards v1.1.0.0 Use this application to display poker cards in a planning session on a Windows Mobile device. Release notes Added new ...BuildTools - Toolset for automated builds: BuildTools 2.0 Feb 2010 Milestone: The Feb 2010 Milestone release is a complete rewrite of the old codebase in Visual Studio 2010 RC. It features MSBuild tasks for generating build v...Composure: NHibernate-Trunk-2010-02-25-VS2010.NET4 Alpha1: Recent NHibernate-Trunk conversion for Visual Studio 2010 Beta2 against .NET 4.0. Although all of the tests pass (other than the "Ignored"), this ...Employee Scheduler: Employee Scheduler 2.4: Extract the files to a directory and run Lab Hours.exe. Add an employee. Double click an employee to modify their times. Please contact me through ...ESB Toolkit Extensions: Tellago BizTalk ESB 2.0 Toolkit Extensions: Windows Installer file that installs Library on a BizTalk ESB 2.0 system. This Install automatically configures the esb.config to use the new compo...Haze Anti-Virus: Haze Anti-Virus Binary v1.0.3: This is the Compiled version of Haze Anti-Virus, please let me know about any bugs, thanks Please Note that Database updating is currently not avai...Haze Anti-Virus: Haze Anti-Virus Source v1.0.3: This is the source for Haze Anti-VirusHOG Project: HOG Visual Studio Template: This is Visual Studio HOG Template. Created by the great tool: Solution FactoryHOG Project: Template user guide: HOW TOiTuner - The iTunes Companion: iTuner 1.1.3711: Two new features are available: the Automated Librarian and Playlist Exporter. The iTuner Automated Librarian automatically cleans the iTunes libr...johanleino.codeplex.com: SilverlightMultiLevelNavigationExample: The source code for SilverlightMultiLevelNavigationExample (VS 2010)MDownloader: MDownloader-0.15.3.56128: Fixed filefactory provider implementation after site changes.MiniTwitter: 1.09: MiniTwitter 1.09 更新内容 変更 スクロール位置がトップ以外の時は自動更新や発言時に位置を保持するように変更 タブ毎にスクロール位置が変わらないように変更 URL に ? や ! が含まれている時は短縮 URL に変換するように変更NMock3: NMock3 - Beta 4, .NET 3.5: This release includes the most current version of the NMock2 project code from Source Forge. Please start providing feedback on the tutorials. The...QueryUnit: QueryUnitPOC v. 0.0.0.7: - This version fixes problems related to the fact that in previous releases you had to specify expected values using locale-specific formats. Now e...RapidWebDev - .NET Enterprise Software Development Infrastructure: RapidWebDev 1.51: This is a hot-fix version for 1.5 which is added a new restful web service for concrete data and fixed some major bugs. The change list is as follo...Rawr: Rawr 2.3.11: - Load from Armory code cleaned up. - Tiny Abomination in a Jar's proc how now been more accurately modeled. - You should now be able to reload...Resharper Settings Manager: RSM v1.2: Changes Added Default Settings File option. The selected settings file will be loaded automatically for solutions with no settings sharing. Added...Reusable Library Demo: Reusable Library Demo v1.0.0: A demonstration of reusable abstractions for enterprise application developerRounded Corners / DIV Container: MJC RoundedDiv 3.2: This is the first public release on Codeplex.com. Versions previous to 3.2 were created before this control was made available on Codeplex.com.SharePoint 2010 Conference Samples: Samples: Download the samples from the conferencesSharePoint Outlook Connector: Version 1.2.2.8: Saving email message as list item and attachments as attachment of the list item functionality has been addedSharePoint URL Ping Tool: Url Ping Tool Solution: A solution that contain one fram fature that will add a link under Site Administration section in the Site Settings page.SMTP Test: Fist SMTP Tester: First ReleaseSolution Tools - tools for Visual Studio solutions and projects: SolutionTools binary: Initial release of the tool. Turns out, this project was just a big waste of effort - use Project Linker instead!Solution Tools - tools for Visual Studio solutions and projects: SolutionTools source - don't use this tool: Initial release of the tool. Turns out, this project was just a big waste of effort - use Project Linker instead! Anyway, here's the source code...Spark View Engine: Spark v1.1 RC1: Overview This build is a preview of v1.1. Among other changes it provides support for ASP.NET MVC 2 RC2. Spark v1.1 release will be created soon ...Sprite Sheet Packer: 2.0 Release: I'm calling this a full new release because I can. Refactored all of the build logic to sspack.exe. This allows you to run this from the command l...SPSF SharePoint Software Factory: SPSF SharePoint Software Factory 2.4.3: New features: WSPBuilder support, Simple Application now with optional multilanguage support, Extending deployment skript for large deployments Fix...TortoiseHg: Beta for TortoiseHg 1.0 (0.9.31201): Beta for TortoiseHg 1.0 (0.9.31201) Please backup your user Mercurial.ini file and then uninstall any 0.9.X release before installing Use the x86...UI Compiler .NET - JavaScript compiler/minifier built on Google Closure Compiler: UI Compiler .NET 1.5 Beta: UI Compiler .NET does not include Java. To be able to run Google Closure Compiler locally you must make sure that Java 6 is installed. If Java 6 (o...VCC: Latest build, v2.1.30227.0: Automatic drop of latest buildVisual Studio DSite: File Encryption and Decryption (Visual Basic 2008): This program will create an encrypted copy of the file specified. Also decrypt the file specified. This program contains the source code but if yo...Visual Studio DSite: Visual C++ 2008 CLR Console Application Random Int: This source code includes an example of generating a random integer between the numbers 1-100.Weather Forecast Control: MJC MyWeather 2.2: This is the first public release on Codeplex.com. Versions previous to 2.2 were created before this control was made available on Codeplex.com.Most Popular ProjectsRawrWBFS ManagerAJAX Control ToolkitMicrosoft SQL Server Product Samples: DatabaseSilverlight ToolkitWindows Presentation Foundation (WPF)Microsoft SQL Server Community & SamplesASP.NETDotNetNuke® Community EditionBlogEngine.NETMost Active ProjectsDinnerNow.netRawrBlogEngine.NETMapWindow GISSLARToolkit - Silverlight Augmented Reality ToolkitCommon Context Adapterspatterns & practices – Enterprise LibrarySharpMap - Geospatial Application Framework for the CLRNB_Store - Free DotNetNuke Ecommerce Catalog ModuleRapid Entity Framework. (ORM). CTP 2

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  • Desktop Fun: Desert Area Wallpapers

    - by Asian Angel
    Does the sparse open look of desert areas appeal to your sense of adventure and romance? Then sit back and enjoy the scenic views with our Desert Area Wallpaper collection. Note: Click on the picture to see the full-size image—these wallpapers vary in size so you may need to crop, stretch, or place them on a colored background in order to best match them to your screen’s resolution. For more fun wallpapers be certain to visit our new Desktop Fun section. Similar Articles Productive Geek Tips Windows 7 Welcome Screen Taking Forever? Here’s the Fix (Maybe)Desktop Fun: Starship Theme WallpapersDesktop Fun: Underwater Theme WallpapersDesktop Fun: Starscape Theme WallpapersDesktop Fun: Fantasy Theme Wallpapers TouchFreeze Alternative in AutoHotkey The Icy Undertow Desktop Windows Home Server – Backup to LAN The Clear & Clean Desktop Use This Bookmarklet to Easily Get Albums Use AutoHotkey to Assign a Hotkey to a Specific Window Latest Software Reviews Tinyhacker Random Tips DVDFab 6 Revo Uninstaller Pro Registry Mechanic 9 for Windows PC Tools Internet Security Suite 2010 Get Wildlife Photography Tips at BBC’s PhotoMasterClasses Mashpedia is a Real-time Encyclopedia Playing Games In Chrome Made Easier Stop In The Name Of Love (Firefox addon) Chitika iPad Labs Gives Live iPad Sale Stats Heaven & Hell Finder Icon

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  • Desktop Fun: Pirate Theme Wallpapers

    - by Asian Angel
    Are you looking for some high seas adventure for your desktop? Then get ready to hoist the colors with our Pirate Theme Wallpapers collection. Note: Click on the picture to see the full-size image—these wallpapers vary in size so you may need to crop, stretch, or place them on a colored background in order to best match them to your screen’s resolution.                         For more fun wallpapers be certain to visit our new Desktop Fun section. Similar Articles Productive Geek Tips Windows 7 Welcome Screen Taking Forever? Here’s the Fix (Maybe)Desktop Fun: Starship Theme WallpapersDesktop Fun: Underwater Theme WallpapersDesktop Fun: Forest Theme WallpapersDesktop Fun: Fantasy Theme Wallpapers TouchFreeze Alternative in AutoHotkey The Icy Undertow Desktop Windows Home Server – Backup to LAN The Clear & Clean Desktop Use This Bookmarklet to Easily Get Albums Use AutoHotkey to Assign a Hotkey to a Specific Window Latest Software Reviews Tinyhacker Random Tips Revo Uninstaller Pro Registry Mechanic 9 for Windows PC Tools Internet Security Suite 2010 PCmover Professional Stretch popurls.com with a Stylish Script (Firefox) OldTvShows.org – Find episodes of Hitchcock, Soaps, Game Shows and more Download Microsoft Office Help tab The Growth of Citibank Quickly Switch between Tabs in IE Windows Media Player 12: Tweak Video & Sound with Playback Enhancements

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  • Social Network Stalking

    - by David Dorf
    Think about this: By reading this blog, you and I are connected. We have this blog and its topics in common, so there's a chance we have other things in common as well. In any relationship there is a degree of trust and influence. If you trust me, at least in terms of particular subjects, then I have some influence over you. If I buy an iPad, then there's an opportunity for me to influence your possible purchase of an over-hyped tablet that you don't really need. So what could a retailer do with this? Retailers that have fans and followers should assume that the friends of those fans and followers are more susceptible to their marketing efforts. If I'm a fan of Apple, then Apple will be more successful marketing to my friends than marketing to random people. Intuitively that makes sense, at least to me. Companies like 33Across and Pursway are already putting this theory into practice, and achieving some interesting results. Jeff Jarvis, who by-the-way is speaking at CrossTalk this year, has been discussing the power of influencers in social networks. In his blog he rails against marketers and says "messages and influence aren't the future of marketing; conversations and relationships are." Valuable messages will be passed on because they are valuable, not because someone has the power to exert influence. True enough, but that won't stop the efforts underway to leverage social networks for more targeted advertising. From a business perspective, this sounds like a goldmine to me; on a personal level, it's a bit creepy.

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  • [MINI HOW-TO] How To Use Bcc (Blind Carbon Copy) in Outlook 2010

    - by Mysticgeek
    If you want to send an email to a contact or several contacts, you might want to keep some of the recipient email addresses private using the Bcc (Blind Carbon Copy) Field. Here’s how to do it in Outlook 2010. It’s not enabled by default, but adding it as a field for all future emails is a simple process. Launch Outlook and under the Home tab click on the New E-mail button. When the new mail window opens click on the Options tab and in the Show Fields column select Bcc. The Bcc field will appear and you can then put the contacts in there who you want to receive the mail secretly or don’t want to show a certain email address. Now anytime you compose a message, the Bcc field is included. For more on the Bcc field check out the blog post from Mysticgeek – Keep Your Email Contacts Private. Similar Articles Productive Geek Tips How To Switch Back to Outlook 2007 After the 2010 Beta EndsOpen Different Outlook Features in Separate Windows to Improve ProductivityThursday’s Pre-Holiday Lazy Links RoundupCreate an Email Template in Outlook 2003Change Outlook Startup Folder TouchFreeze Alternative in AutoHotkey The Icy Undertow Desktop Windows Home Server – Backup to LAN The Clear & Clean Desktop Use This Bookmarklet to Easily Get Albums Use AutoHotkey to Assign a Hotkey to a Specific Window Latest Software Reviews Tinyhacker Random Tips DVDFab 6 Revo Uninstaller Pro Registry Mechanic 9 for Windows PC Tools Internet Security Suite 2010 Follow Finder Finds You Twitter Users To Follow Combine MP3 Files Easily QuicklyCode Provides Cheatsheets & Other Programming Stuff Download Free MP3s from Amazon Awe inspiring, inter-galactic theme (Win 7) Case Study – How to Optimize Popular Wordpress Sites

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  • No Preview Images in File Open Dialogs on Windows 7

    - by Rick Strahl
    I’ve been updating some file uploader code in my photoalbum today and while I was working with the uploader I noticed that the File Open dialog using Silverlight that handles the file selections didn’t allow me to ever see an image preview for image files. It sure would be nice if I could preview the images I’m about to upload before selecting them from a list. Here’s what my list looked like: This is the Medium Icon view, but regardless of the views available including Content view only icons are showing up. Silverlight uses the standard Windows File Open Dialog so it uses all the same settings that apply to Explorer when displaying content. It turns out that the Customization options in particular are the problem here. Specifically the Always show icons, never thumbnails option: I had this option checked initially, because it’s one of the defenses against runaway random Explorer views that never stay set at my preferences. Alas, while this setting affects Explorer views apparently it also affects all dialog based views in the same way. Unchecking the option above brings back full thumbnailing for all content and icon views. Here’s the same Medium Icon view after turning the option off: which obviously works a whole lot better for selection of images. The bummer of this is that it’s not controllable at the dialog level – at least not in Silverlight. Dialogs obviously have different requirements than what you see in Explorer so the global configuration is a bit extreme especially when there are no overrides on the dialog interface. Certainly for Silverlight the ability to have previews is a key feature for many applications since it will be dealing with lots of media content most likely. Hope this helps somebody out. Thanks to Tim Heuer who helped me track this down on Twitter.© Rick Strahl, West Wind Technologies, 2005-2010Posted in Silverlight  Windows  

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  • Desktop Fun: Add New Theme Packs to Windows 7

    - by Asian Angel
    One of the wonderful things about Windows 7 is the availability of new themes and with more becoming available each month there are plenty to choose from. Join us as we take a look at sampler set of the great themes that you can download for your system. For the themes shown here we have included a full-screen image and a screenshot showing the wallpapers that are available with each theme. Once you have downloaded the themes simply double click on the theme-pack file to install them. Note: The system “text size and sound schemes” will vary slightly from theme to theme. Cats Anytime Dogs in Summer Tigers Ceske jaro (Czech Spring) Brazil Lugares Coloridos Latvian Nature Srpska priroda (Serbian Nature) Bicycle Ride around Taiwan Bing’s Best Avatar Zune Characters Conclusion If you are looking for an easy way to add some beautiful variety to your Windows 7 installation then head on over to the Microsoft website…you just might find that perfect theme waiting for your computer. Links Windows 7 Themes at Microsoft Ceske jaro (Czech Spring) at Softpedia Similar Articles Productive Geek Tips Windows 7 Welcome Screen Taking Forever? Here’s the Fix (Maybe)Unofficial Windows XP Themes Created by MicrosoftSweet Black Theme for FirefoxDownload New Themes in Windows 7Sweet Black Theme for Windows XP TouchFreeze Alternative in AutoHotkey The Icy Undertow Desktop Windows Home Server – Backup to LAN The Clear & Clean Desktop Use This Bookmarklet to Easily Get Albums Use AutoHotkey to Assign a Hotkey to a Specific Window Latest Software Reviews Tinyhacker Random Tips DVDFab 6 Revo Uninstaller Pro Registry Mechanic 9 for Windows PC Tools Internet Security Suite 2010 Chitika iPad Labs Gives Live iPad Sale Stats Heaven & Hell Finder Icon Using TrueCrypt to Secure Your Data Quickly Schedule Meetings With NeedtoMeet Share Flickr Photos On Facebook Automatically Are You Blocked On Gtalk? Find out

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  • Desktop Fun: Adventure Icon Packs

    - by Asian Angel
    Do you long for adventure and excitement? If so you can add some of that goodness to your desktop with our adventure icon packs collection. A Sneak Peak To give you an idea of how these icons could look on your desktop we have an example set up here using the “LOTR – Armoury of the Third Age” set shown below. Note: Wallpaper can be found here. A close-up look at the icons… Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark Download Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom Download Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade Download Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull Download Adventure Icons Note: This icon set in “.png” format only. Download Climb On Download Hieroglyphica Vol. 1 Download Hieroglyphica Vol. 2 Download Tribal Masks Download Kong Download Jolly Roger Vol. 1 Download Jolly Roger Vol. 2 Download Pirates Theme Icon Collection Note: This icon set contains both “.ico” and “.png” files. Download Vampire Hunter Kit 1 Note: This icon set contains both “.ico” and “.png” files. Download LOTR – Armoury of the Third Age Download If you enjoyed this icon collection then make certain to visit our new Desktop Fun section for more customization goodness! Similar Articles Productive Geek Tips Restore Missing Desktop Icons in Windows 7 or VistaAdd Home Directory Icon to the Desktop in Windows 7 or VistaQuick Help: Downloadable Show Desktop Icon for XPDesktop Customization: Sci-Fi Icon PacksDisplay My Computer Icon on the Desktop in Windows 7 or Vista TouchFreeze Alternative in AutoHotkey The Icy Undertow Desktop Windows Home Server – Backup to LAN The Clear & Clean Desktop Use This Bookmarklet to Easily Get Albums Use AutoHotkey to Assign a Hotkey to a Specific Window Latest Software Reviews Tinyhacker Random Tips DVDFab 6 Revo Uninstaller Pro Registry Mechanic 9 for Windows PC Tools Internet Security Suite 2010 Google Maps Place marks – Pizza, Guns or Strip Clubs Monitor Applications With Kiwi LocPDF is a Visual PDF Search Tool Download Free iPad Wallpapers at iPad Decor Get Your Delicious Bookmarks In Firefox’s Awesome Bar Manage Photos Across Different Social Sites With Dropico

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  • Techie Land Silly Questions

    - by GeekAgilistMercenary
    Ok, it is time for an off the cuff, random, oddball, just for fun blog entry.  Two questions for the readers in Internet Land. Question #1:  If you did not have to work, had a few dollars stashed away so that you could live comfortably and do whatever you wanted, what would you do?  Would you still code?  Would you still create?  What would you create?  Would you be able to stay idle? Question #2:  Based on whatever you did with your free time, what would you title yourself?  Chief Potato Masher, Pencil Pushing Writer o’ Stories, or Coffee Endeavorer o’ Tastiness? There are a million possibilities, I would love to know what you would call yourself, so please do leave a comment or three. I will have my answers later in the week.  So stay tuned and help me out with some comments.  You can bet it will include something along the lines of what I already do, but I'll keep it a secret until then.  : )  Feel free to check out the original entry here to leave a comment.

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  • Stream Media and Live TV Across the Internet with Orb

    - by DigitalGeekery
    Looking for a way to stream your media collection across the Internet? Or perhaps watch and record TV remotely? Today we are going to look at how to do all that and more with Orb. Requirements Windows XP / Vista / 7 or Intel based Mac w/ OS X 10.5 or later. 1 GB RAM or more Pentium 4 2.4 GHz or higher / AMD Athlon 3200+ Broadband connections TV Tuner for streaming and recording live TV (optional) Note: Slower internet connections may result in stuttering during playback. Installation and Setup Download and install Orb on your home computer. (Download link below) You’ll want to take the defaults for the initial portion of the install. When we get to the Orb Account setup portion of the install is when we will have to enter information and make some decisions. Choose your language and click Next. We’ll need to create and user account and password. A valid email address is required as we’ll need to confirm the account later. Click Next.   Now you’ll want to choose your media sources. Orb will automatically look for folders that may contain media files. You can add or remove folders click on the (+) or (-) buttons. To remove a folder, click on it once to select it from the list and then click the minus (-) button. To add a folder, click the plus (+) button and browse for the folder. You can add local folders as well as shared folders from networked computers and USB attached storage. Note: Both the host computer running Orb and the networked computer will need to be running to access shared network folders remotely. When you’ve selected all your media files, click Next. Orb will proceed to index your media files… When the indexing is complete, click Next. Orb TV Setup Note: Streaming Live TV to Macs is not currently supported. If you have a TV tuner card connected to your PC, you can opt to configure Orb to stream live or recorded TV. Click Next  to configure TV. Or, choose Skip if you don’t wish to configure Orb for TV.   If you have a Digital tuner card, type in your Zip Code and click Get List to pull your channel listings. Select a TV provider from the list and click Next. If not, click Skip.   You can select or deselect any channels by checking or un-checking the box to each channel. Select Auto Scan to let Orb find more channels or disable the ones with no reception. Click Next when finished.   Next choose an analog provider, if necessary, and click Next.   Select “Yes” or “No” for a set top box and click Next. Just as we did with the Digital tuner, select or deselect any channels by checking or un-checking the box to each channel. Select Auto Scan to let Orb find more channels or disable the ones with no reception. Click Next when finished.   Now we’re finished with the setup. Click Close. Accessing your Media Remotely Media files are accessed through a web-based interface. Before we go any further, however, we’ll need to confirm our username and password. Check your inbox for an email from Orb Networks. Click the enclosed confirmation link. You’ll be prompted to enter the username and password you selected in your browser then click Next.   Your account will be confirmed. Now, we’re ready to enjoy our media remotely. To get started, point your browser to the MyCast website from your remote computer. (See link below) Enter your credentials and click Log In. Once logged in, you’ll be presented with the MyCast Home screen. By default you’ll see a handful of “channels” such as a TV program guide, random audio and photos, video favorites, and weather. You can add, remove, or customize channels. To add additional channels, click on Add Channels at the top right…   …and select from the dropdown list. To access your full media libraries, click Open Application at the top left and select from one of the options. Live and Recorded TV If you have a TV tuner card you configured for Orb, you’ll see your program guide on the TV / Webcams screen. To watch or record a show, click on the program listing to bring up a detail box. Then click the red button to record, or the green button to play. When recording a show, you’ll see a pulsating red icon at the top right of the listing in the program guide. If you want to watch Live TV, you may be prompted to choose your media player, depending on your browser and settings. Playback should begin shortly.   Note for Windows Media Center Users If you try to stream live TV in Orb while Windows Media Center is running on your PC, you’ll get an error message. Click the Stop MediaCenter button and then try again.   Audio On the Audio screen, you’ll find your music files indexed by genre, artist, and album. You can play a selection by clicking once and then clicking the green play button, or by simply double-clicking.   Playback will begin in the default media player for the streaming format.   Video Video works essentially the same as audio. Click on a selection and press the green play button, or double-click on the video title. Video playback will begin in the default media player for the streaming format.   Streaming Formats You can change the default streaming format in the control panel settings. To access the Control Panel, click on Open Applications  and select Control Panel. You can also click Settings at the top right.   Select General from the drop down list and then click on the Streaming Formats tab. You are provided four options. Flash, Windows Media, .SDP, and .PLS.   Creating Playlists To create playlists, drag and drop your media title to the playlist work area on the right, or click Add to playlist on the top menu. Click Save when finished.    Sharing your Media Orb allows you to share media playlists across the Internet with friends and family. There are a few ways to accomplish this. We’ll start by click the Share button at the bottom of the playlist work area after you’ve compiled your playlist. You’ll be prompted to choose a method by which to share your playlist. You’ll have the option to share your playlist publicly or privately. You can share publically through links, blogs, or on your Orb public profile.  By choosing the Public Profile option, Orb will automatically create a profile page for you with a URL like http://public.orb.com/username that anyone can easily access on the Internet. The private sharing option allows you to invite friends by email and requires recipients to register with Orb. You can also give your playlist a custom name, or accept the auto-generated title. Click OK when finished. Users who visit your public profile will be able to view and stream any of your shared playlists to their computer or supported device.   Portable Media Devices and Smartphones Orb can stream media to many portable devices and 3G phones. Streaming audio is supported on the iPhone and iPod Touch through the Safari browser. However, video and live TV streaming requires the Orb Live iPhone App.  Orb Live is available in the App store for $9.99. To stream media to your portable device, go to the MyCast website in your mobile browser and login. Browse for your media or playlist. Make a selection and play the media. Playback will begin. We found streaming music to both the Droid and the iPhone to work quite nicely. Video playback on the Droid, however, left a bit to be desired. The video looked good, but the audio tended to be out of sync. System Tray Control Panel By default Orb runs in the system tray on start up. To access the System Tray Control Panel, right-click on the Orb icon in the system tray and select Control Panel. Login with your Orb username and  password and click OK.   From here you can add or remove media sources, add manage accounts, change your password, and more. If you’d rather not run Orb on Startup, click the General icon.   Unselect the checkbox next to Start Orb when the system starts. Conclusion It may seem like a lot of steps, but getting Orb up and running isn’t terribly difficult. Orb is available for both Windows and Intel based Macs. It also supports streaming to many Game Consoles such as the Wii, PS3, and XBox 360. If you are running Windows 7 on multiple computers, you may want to check out our write-up on how to stream music and video over the Internet with Windows Media Player 12. Downloads Download Orb Logon to MyCast Similar Articles Productive Geek Tips Stream Music and Video Over the Internet with Windows Media Player 12Enable Media Streaming in Windows Home Server to Windows Media PlayerStream Media from Windows 7 to XP with VLC Media PlayerShare Digital Media With Other Computers on a Home Network with Windows 7Automatically Start Windows 7 Media Center in Live TV Mode TouchFreeze Alternative in AutoHotkey The Icy Undertow Desktop Windows Home Server – Backup to LAN The Clear & Clean Desktop Use This Bookmarklet to Easily Get Albums Use AutoHotkey to Assign a Hotkey to a Specific Window Latest Software Reviews Tinyhacker Random Tips DVDFab 6 Revo Uninstaller Pro Registry Mechanic 9 for Windows PC Tools Internet Security Suite 2010 Looking for Good Windows Media Player 12 Plug-ins? Find Out the Celebrity You Resemble With FaceDouble Whoa ! Use Printflush to Solve Printing Problems Icelandic Volcano Webcams Open Multiple Links At One Go

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  • Getting beyond basic web programming languages. How to be awesome?

    - by user73962
    I'm a web developer that's done a bunch of projects using PHP, JQuery/JS, Mysql using PhPMyAdmin, CSS, HTML and a tiny bit of XML. Basically lots of work with CMS's and freehand coding. I'm looking to take things to the next level. I've done a lot of freelance and small contract work, but I'm dying to excel. I'm tired of acting as tech support for all these "non-tech" companies that barely know how to use their own computers..."really, you didn't think to backup your files before switching to a new server??". Think of potential employers as amazon, netflix, twitter, google, etc. I don't necessarily want to work for these guys specifically, but potentially organizations like this. I could be wrong, but I feel like a big company like this would laugh at me if I interviewed. For example, how helpful is knowing Ruby, SQL (commands without interface), C++, API's, Oracle, Java, debugging, qa, etc? (I realize this is a very random list). I use Notepad ++, but have heard that the bigger boys use IDE interfaces. I'm not really interested in building desktop apps, only web related stuff. I feel like I've reached my potential and want to really take it up a notch. I see a lot of projects on GitHub and I'm amazed at what people have created. Note - my degree is in economics but I've done web dev since high school. I definitely wish I took more comp sci/programming courses in college. I'm 27 and want to be awesome at web dev before it's too late. Not just decent. Any advice? Book suggestions? Thanks

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  • Desktop Fun: Fast Cars Wallpapers

    - by Asian Angel
    Have you been feeling a need for speed lately? Then get ready to jump into the driver’s seat with our Fast Cars Wallpapers collection. Note: Click on the picture to see the full-size image—these wallpapers vary in size so you may need to crop, stretch, or place them on a colored background in order to best match them to your screen’s resolution.                           For more fun wallpapers be certain to visit our new Desktop Fun section. Similar Articles Productive Geek Tips Windows 7 Welcome Screen Taking Forever? Here’s the Fix (Maybe)Desktop Fun: Starship Theme WallpapersDesktop Fun: Underwater Theme WallpapersDesktop Fun: Starscape Theme WallpapersDesktop Fun: Fantasy Theme Wallpapers TouchFreeze Alternative in AutoHotkey The Icy Undertow Desktop Windows Home Server – Backup to LAN The Clear & Clean Desktop Use This Bookmarklet to Easily Get Albums Use AutoHotkey to Assign a Hotkey to a Specific Window Latest Software Reviews Tinyhacker Random Tips Revo Uninstaller Pro Registry Mechanic 9 for Windows PC Tools Internet Security Suite 2010 PCmover Professional Enable Check Box Selection in Windows 7 OnlineOCR – Free OCR Service Betting on the Blind Side, a Vanity Fair article 30 Minimal Logo Designs that Say More with Less LEGO Digital Designer – Free Create a Personal Website Quickly using Flavors.me

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  • Desktop Fun: Fast Cars Wallpapers

    - by Asian Angel
    Have you been feeling a need for speed lately? Then get ready to jump into the driver’s seat with our Fast Cars Wallpapers collection. Note: Click on the picture to see the full-size image—these wallpapers vary in size so you may need to crop, stretch, or place them on a colored background in order to best match them to your screen’s resolution.                           For more fun wallpapers be certain to visit our new Desktop Fun section. Similar Articles Productive Geek Tips Windows 7 Welcome Screen Taking Forever? Here’s the Fix (Maybe)Desktop Fun: Starship Theme WallpapersDesktop Fun: Underwater Theme WallpapersDesktop Fun: Starscape Theme WallpapersDesktop Fun: Fantasy Theme Wallpapers TouchFreeze Alternative in AutoHotkey The Icy Undertow Desktop Windows Home Server – Backup to LAN The Clear & Clean Desktop Use This Bookmarklet to Easily Get Albums Use AutoHotkey to Assign a Hotkey to a Specific Window Latest Software Reviews Tinyhacker Random Tips Revo Uninstaller Pro Registry Mechanic 9 for Windows PC Tools Internet Security Suite 2010 PCmover Professional Enable Check Box Selection in Windows 7 OnlineOCR – Free OCR Service Betting on the Blind Side, a Vanity Fair article 30 Minimal Logo Designs that Say More with Less LEGO Digital Designer – Free Create a Personal Website Quickly using Flavors.me

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  • Convert a Row to a Column in Excel the Easy Way

    - by Matthew Guay
    Sometimes we’ve entered data in a column in Excel, only to realize later that it would be better to have this data in a row, or vise-versa.  Here’s a simple trick to convert any row or set of rows into a column, or vise-versa, in Excel. Please Note: This is tested in Excel 2003, 2007, and 2010.  Here we took screenshots from Excel 2010 x64, but it works the same on the other versions. Convert a Row to a Column Here’s our data in Excel: We want to change these two columns into rows.  Select all the cells you wish to convert, right-click, and select copy (or simply press Ctrl+C): Now, right-click in the cell where you want to put the data in rows, and select “Paste Special…”   Check the box at the bottom that says “Transpose”, and then click OK. Now your data that was in columns is in rows! This works the exact same for converting rows into columns.  Here’s some data in rows:   After copying and pasting special with Transpose selected, here’s the data in columns! This is a great way to get your data organized just like you want in Excel. Similar Articles Productive Geek Tips Convert Older Excel Documents to Excel 2007 FormatHow To Import a CSV File Containing a Column With a Leading 0 Into ExcelExport an Access 2003 Report Into Excel SpreadsheetMake Row Labels In Excel 2007 Freeze For Easier ReadingKeyboard Ninja: Insert Tables in Word 2007 TouchFreeze Alternative in AutoHotkey The Icy Undertow Desktop Windows Home Server – Backup to LAN The Clear & Clean Desktop Use This Bookmarklet to Easily Get Albums Use AutoHotkey to Assign a Hotkey to a Specific Window Latest Software Reviews Tinyhacker Random Tips Revo Uninstaller Pro Registry Mechanic 9 for Windows PC Tools Internet Security Suite 2010 PCmover Professional Increase the size of Taskbar Previews (Win 7) Scan your PC for nasties with Panda ActiveScan CleanMem – Memory Cleaner AceStock – The Personal Stock Monitor Add Multiple Tabs to Office Programs The Wearing of the Green – St. Patrick’s Day Theme (Firefox)

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  • SQL SERVER – 2 T-SQL Puzzles and Win USD 50 worth Amazon Gift Card and 25 Other Prizes

    - by pinaldave
    We all love brain teasers and interesting puzzles. Today I decided to come up with 2 interesting puzzles and winner of the contest will get USD 50 worth Amazon Gift Card. The puzzles are sponsored by NuoDB. Additionally, The first 25 individuals who download NuoDB Beta 8 by midnight Friday, Sept. 21 (EST) will automatically receive a $10 Amazon gift card. Puzzle 1: Why following code when executed in SSMS displays result as a * (Star)? SELECT CAST(634 AS VARCHAR(2)) Puzzle 2: Write the shortest code that produces results as 1 without using any numbers in the select statement. Bonus Q: How many different Operating System (OS) NuoDB support? Click here HINT If you can solve above puzzles you will be eligible for winning USD 50 Amazon Gift Card. However, you can always enroll yourself for following Bonus Prizes where if you have good chance of winning USD 10 Amazon Gift Card (if you are first 25 individual in specific time). Bonus Prizes: The first 25 individuals who download NuoDB Beta 8 by midnight Friday, Sept. 21 (EST) will automatically receive a $10 Amazon gift card. Rules: Please leave an answer in the comments section below. You can resubmit your answer multiple times, the latest entry will be considered valid. The winner will be announced on 1st October. Last day to participate in the puzzle is September 28th, 2012. All valid answer will be kept hidden till September 28th, 2012. Only One Winner will get USD 50 worth Amazon Gift Card. The first 25 individuals who download NuoDB Beta 8 by midnight Friday, Sept. 21 (EST) will automatically receive a $10 Amazon gift card. The winner will be selected using random algorithm. Reference: Pinal Dave (http://blog.SQLAuthority.com) Filed under: PostADay, SQL, SQL Authority, SQL Puzzle, SQL Query, SQL Server, SQL Tips and Tricks, SQLServer, T SQL, Technology Tagged: NuoDB

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  • Friday Fun: Omega Crisis

    - by Mysticgeek
    Friday is here once again and it’s time to play a fun flash game on company time. Today we take a look at the space shooter Omega Crisis. Omega Crisis At the start of the game you’re given the basic story of the game, defending the space outpost, and instructions on how to play. Controls are easy, just target the enemy and use the left mouse button to fire. After each level you’re shown the results and how many Tech Points you’ve earned. The more Tech Points you earn, you have a better chance of upgrading your weapons and base defense before the next level.   You can also go into Manage Mode by hitting the Space bar, and select gunners and other types of weapons to help defend the outpost. Choose your mission from the timeline after successfully completing a mission. You can also use A,W,D,S to move around the map and see exactly where the enemy ships are coming from. This makes it easier to destroy them before they get too close to your base. This game is a lot of fun and is similar to different “Desktop Defense” type games. If you’re looking for a fun way to waste the afternoon, and not look at TPS reports, Omega Crisis can get you though until the whistle blows. Play Omega Crisis Similar Articles Productive Geek Tips Friday Fun: Portal, the Flash VersionFriday Fun: Play Bubble QuodFriday Fun: Gravitee 2Friday Fun: Wake Up the BoxFriday Fun: Compulse TouchFreeze Alternative in AutoHotkey The Icy Undertow Desktop Windows Home Server – Backup to LAN The Clear & Clean Desktop Use This Bookmarklet to Easily Get Albums Use AutoHotkey to Assign a Hotkey to a Specific Window Latest Software Reviews Tinyhacker Random Tips Acronis Online Backup DVDFab 6 Revo Uninstaller Pro Registry Mechanic 9 for Windows Tech Fanboys Field Guide Check these Awesome Chrome Add-ons iFixit Offers Gadget Repair Manuals Online Vista style sidebar for Windows 7 Create Nice Charts With These Web Based Tools Track Daily Goals With 42Goals

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  • Display Song Lyrics in Windows Media Player with Lyrics Plugin

    - by DigitalGeekery
    Looking for a way to display song lyrics in Windows Media Player? Today we look at a very simple method to accomplish this with Lyrics Plugin for Windows Media Player. Download and run the Lyrics Plugin install. (See download link below) When the installation is finished you’ll be prompted to run Windows Media Player. Click Yes. Begin playing your song or playlist then switch to Now Playing mode.   You should now see the full song lyrics of the currently playing track. To toggle the lyrics on and off, select Tools from the Menu in Library view, choose Plug-ins, and click Lyrics Plugin. If you don’t see the Menu bar, you can enable it by going to Organize, Layout, and Show Menu Bar. When Lyrics Plugin is turned off, Windows Media Player will switch back to it’s default visualization.   Whether you just want to know the lyrics or you’d like to hone your karaoke chops, Lyrics Plugin makes a nice addition to Windows Media Player 12. Download Lyrics Plugin for Windows Media Player 12. Similar Articles Productive Geek Tips Install and Use the VLC Media Player on Ubuntu LinuxInstalling Windows Media Player Plugin for FirefoxFixing When Windows Media Player Library Won’t Let You Add FilesQuickly Preview Songs in Windows Media Player 12 in Windows 7Foobar2000 is a Fully Customizable Music Player TouchFreeze Alternative in AutoHotkey The Icy Undertow Desktop Windows Home Server – Backup to LAN The Clear & Clean Desktop Use This Bookmarklet to Easily Get Albums Use AutoHotkey to Assign a Hotkey to a Specific Window Latest Software Reviews Tinyhacker Random Tips DVDFab 6 Revo Uninstaller Pro Registry Mechanic 9 for Windows PC Tools Internet Security Suite 2010 Microsoft’s “How Do I ?” Videos Home Networks – How do they look like & the problems they cause Check Your IMAP Mail Offline In Thunderbird Follow Finder Finds You Twitter Users To Follow Combine MP3 Files Easily QuicklyCode Provides Cheatsheets & Other Programming Stuff

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  • Run WordPress & Other Web Apps with Windows Web Platform

    - by Matthew Guay
    Would you like to run WordPress or other web apps on your PC so you can easily test and design websites?  Here we’ll look at how you can get the latest web apps on your computer in only a few quick steps. Many web apps today, such as WordPress, MediaWiki, and more, are open source and can be run for free from any computer with even a simple local web server.  They are often very difficult to install on your computer, since they require a number of dependencies such as PHP and MySQL.  Microsoft has worked to make this easier, releasing the Windows Web Platform Installer.  This lets you install many popular web apps and free tools in Windows with only a few clicks. Here we’re going to look at how to install WordPress and the free Visual Web Developer 2010 Express to edit web code with the Web Platform Installer.  But, if you’d rather install a different web app or tool, feel free to choose those as the installations are generally similar. Getting Started Head over to Microsoft’s Web development site and download the Web Platform Installer (link below).  This will download very quick, as it is just a small loader.  When you run this loader, it will download the Web Platform Installer files.  The Web Platform Installer works on XP, Vista, and Windows 7, as well as the related versions of Windows Server. After a couple moments, the Web Platform Installer will open and load information about the latest web offerings.    Now you can choose what you want to install.  You can quickly select the recommended products for several categories such as Web Server, Database, and more. Alternately, click Customize under the category and select exactly what you want to install.  Note that items already installed on your computer will be grayed out. We wanted to install Visual Web Developer 2010 Express, so select Customize under Tools, and select Visual Web Developer 2010 Express. Or, for more preset choices, select Options on the bottom of the window. You can choose to add Multimedia, Developer, and Enterprise tools to the lists, or add a new preset list from a feed. Choose Specific Web apps to Install We wanted to install WordPress, so instead of choosing a preset, select the Web Applications tab on the left.  Now you can choose from a variety of apps based on category, or you can view them all together in an A to Z, Most Popular, or Highest Rating list. Click the checkbox beside the app you want to install to select it, or click the “i” for more information. Here’s the More Information pane for WordPress.  If you’re ready to install it, click the checkbox. Now you can go back and add more web apps or tools to the install list if you like.  The Web Platform Installer will automatically find and select prerequisite apps such as MySQL, so you won’t need to worry about finding them. Once you’ve selected everything you want to install, click the Install button on the bottom of the window. The Web Platform Installer will now show you everything that’s selected, including components that it automatically selected.  Notice we only chose to install WordPress and Visual Web Developer 2010 Express, but it also has selected MySQL and PHP automatically.  Click I Accept to proceed. Enter an administrator password for MySQL before the setup begins. Now the Web Platform Installer will take over, automatically downloading, installing, and configuring all of your web apps.  It will also activate optional Windows components that may be needed on your computer.  This may take several minutes, depending on the components you selected and your internet speed.   Setting up Your Test Site Once the installation is finished, you’ll be asked to enter some information about your site.  You can simply accept the defaults or enter your own choices, and then click Continue. Now you’ll need to enter some information for your web apps.  When installing WordPress, you’ll need to choose a database and enter administrative usernames and passwords.  You may also be asked to enter extra information for additional security, but for a local-only test site this isn’t necessary.  Click Continue when you’re finished. You’ll need to wait a few more moments as it complete the setup of your web apps.  The good thing is, once it’s finished, they’ll be ready to go with only minimal configuration. And you’re finished!  The installer will let you know everything it installed, and if there were any problems.  In our test, Visual Web Developer 2010 Express failed to install successfully.  Often the problems may be with the download, so click Finish and then reselect the apps that didn’t install and run the installer again. Now you’re ready to run WordPress from your PC.  Click the Launch WordPress link or enter http://localhost:80/wordpress in your browser to get started. You’ll only have a little more setup to do on WordPress to get it running.  Once you’ve opened your WordPress page in your browser, enter a name for your blog and your email address, and click Install WordPress.   After a few seconds, you should see a Success! page with your username and a temporary password.  Copy the password, and then click Log In. Enter admin as the Username and paste the random generated password, and click Log In. WordPress will remind you to change the default password.  Click the Yes, Take me to my profile page link to do this. Enter something easier for you to remember, and click Update Profile. Now you’re ready to enjoy your new WordPress install on Windows.  You can add plugins and themes, and everything else you’d do with a normal WordPress site.  Here’s the dashboard running from localhost. And here’s the default blog running. Setting up Visual Web Developer 2010 Express As mentioned before, Visual Web Developer 2010 Express didn’t install correctly on our first try, but the second time it installed seamlessly.  Once it’s installed, launch it from your start menu as normal.  It may take a few minutes to load on the first run as it is finishing up setup. You may notice that the splash screen displayed while the program is loading says For Evaluation Purposes Only.  This is because you still need to register the program. You have 30 days to register the program, but let’s go ahead and do it to get this step out of the way.  Click Help in the menu bar, and select Register Product. Click Obtain a registration key online in the popup window. You’ll need to sign in with your Windows Live ID, and then fill out a quick form. When you’re done, copy the registration key displayed and paste it into the registration dialog in Visual Web Developer.   Now you’ve got a registered, free web development program with full standards compliance and IntelliSense to help you work smarter and faster.  And it works great with your local web apps, so you can create, tweak, and then deploy, all from your desktop with this simple installer! Install More Apps You can always run the Web Platform Installer again in the future and add more apps if you’d like.  The install adds a link to the Installer in the Start menu; just run it and repeat the steps above with your new selections. Also, from the installer, you can cleanup the setup files downloaded during the installation if you want.  Click the Options link in the bottom of the window, and then scroll down and select Delete installer cache folder. Uninstalling the apps is not as easy, unfortunately.  If you wish to uninstall the Web Platform Installer and everything you installed with it, you’ll need to uninstall each item individually.  One easy way to see what was all installed together is to sort the entries in Uninstall Programs by date.  In our case, we also installed some other applications on the same day, but it’s easier to see what was installed together. Or if you are not a fan of using Programs and Features to uninstall them, try out a program like Revo Uninstaller Pro. Conclusion Whether you’re a full-time web developer or just enjoy testing out the latest web apps, the Web Platform Installer makes it quick and easy to get your computer loaded up with the latest bits.  In fact, it’s easier to install these tools with all their dependencies than it is to install many standard boxed programs. If you’d like to take your web server anywhere you go and not have it confined to your desktop, then check out our article on how to Turn Your Flashdrive into a Portable Webserver. Link Download the Microsoft Web Platform Installer Similar Articles Productive Geek Tips Linux QuickTip: Downloading and Un-tarring in One StepQuick Tip: Set a Future Date for a Post in WordPressHow-To Geek SoftwareAdd Social Bookmarking (Digg This!) Links to your Wordpress BlogHow-To Geek Software: WordPress Comment Moderation Notifier TouchFreeze Alternative in AutoHotkey The Icy Undertow Desktop Windows Home Server – Backup to LAN The Clear & Clean Desktop Use This Bookmarklet to Easily Get Albums Use AutoHotkey to Assign a Hotkey to a Specific Window Latest Software Reviews Tinyhacker Random Tips Xobni Plus for Outlook All My Movies 5.9 CloudBerry Online Backup 1.5 for Windows Home Server Snagit 10 Windows Media Player Glass Icons (icons we like) How to Forecast Weather, without Gadgets Outlook Tools, one stop tweaking for any Outlook version Zoofs, find the most popular tweeted YouTube videos Video preview of new Windows Live Essentials 21 Cursor Packs for XP, Vista & 7

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  • Stupid Geek Tricks: Compare Your Browser’s Memory Usage with Google Chrome

    - by The Geek
    Ever tried to figure out exactly how much memory Google Chrome or Internet Explorer is using? Since they each show up a bunch of times in Task Manager, it’s not so easy! Here’s the quick and easy way to compare them. Both Chrome and IE use multiple processes to isolate tabs from each other, to make sure that one tab doesn’t kill the whole browser. Firefox, on the other hand, just uses a single process for everything. Rather than pulling out a calculator and adding them all up, you can just open up Google Chrome, and type in about:memory into the location bar to see a full list of each browser’s memory usage.   On my test system with 6 GB of system RAM, I’m running the Development channel version of Chrome, and I’ve got about 40 different tabs open, which is why the memory usage is so high. Firefox has 8 tabs open, and IE is enjoying being opened for the first time in forever. Want to help cut down on memory usage and keep your Chrome browser running fast? Disable all unnecessary extensions, and then make sure you disable any plug-ins that you don’t need either. Similar Articles Productive Geek Tips Stupid Geek Tricks: Duplicate a Tab with a Shortcut Key in Chrome or FirefoxStupid Geek Tricks: Shrink the XP Volume ControlStupid Geek Tricks: Tile or Cascade Multiple Windows in Windows 7Fix for Firefox memory leak on WindowsHow to Purge Memory in Google Chrome TouchFreeze Alternative in AutoHotkey The Icy Undertow Desktop Windows Home Server – Backup to LAN The Clear & Clean Desktop Use This Bookmarklet to Easily Get Albums Use AutoHotkey to Assign a Hotkey to a Specific Window Latest Software Reviews Tinyhacker Random Tips DVDFab 6 Revo Uninstaller Pro Registry Mechanic 9 for Windows PC Tools Internet Security Suite 2010 Download Free MP3s from Amazon Awe inspiring, inter-galactic theme (Win 7) Case Study – How to Optimize Popular Wordpress Sites Restore Hidden Updates in Windows 7 & Vista Iceland an Insurance Job? Find Downloads and Add-ins for Outlook

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  • Friday Fun: Super Mario Bros. Crossover

    - by Mysticgeek
    Friday is finally here and it’s time to waste the afternoon on company time. Today we take a look at a super cool Classic NES Mashup called Super Mario Bros. Crossover. The game is Super Mario Bros. the way you remember it. However, the cool thing is you can switch between different classic NES game characters and use their moves and attacks during game play. Characters like Link, Mega Man, Samus…and more. When you are a different game character you’re shown tips on how to use their moves in the game.   Playing as Link… Between each world you can select a different character which is pretty neat. If you want to play this classic the way you remember it, you can be Mario too. This can be played using your keyboard, but it also supports using a controller, which you can find the instructions for at the link below.   You probably don’t want to bring a controller to work…but it’s cool they give the option. Make sure to turn the volume down on your computer so your boss is none the wiser, and believes your working hard. Play Super Mario Bros. Crossover How To Play Super Mario Bros. Crossover with a Gamepad Similar Articles Productive Geek Tips Friday Fun: Retro Nintendo WallpapersFriday Fun: Get Your Mario OnFriday Fun: Racing Fun with SuperTuxKart RacerHow to Install Windows Applications on Linux Using CrossoverChristmas Fun: De-Stress the Holidays with Online Flash Games TouchFreeze Alternative in AutoHotkey The Icy Undertow Desktop Windows Home Server – Backup to LAN The Clear & Clean Desktop Use This Bookmarklet to Easily Get Albums Use AutoHotkey to Assign a Hotkey to a Specific Window Latest Software Reviews Tinyhacker Random Tips DVDFab 6 Revo Uninstaller Pro Registry Mechanic 9 for Windows PC Tools Internet Security Suite 2010 How to Add Exceptions to the Windows Firewall Office 2010 reviewed in depth by Ed Bott FoxClocks adds World Times in your Statusbar (Firefox) Have Fun Editing Photo Editing with Citrify Outlook Connector Upgrade Error Gadfly is a cool Twitter/Silverlight app

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  • Block Fortress is an Awesome Tower Defense Game

    - by Akemi Iwaya
    What do you get when you mix Minecraft, tower defense, and a first-person shooter together? Block Fortress! This awesome game combines the best aspects of three game types into one unique, action-packed romp for survival and victory. Keep in mind that the game has quite a bit going on, so we will only be able to offer a quick glimpse with our post. Also, it may take a few minutes to become familiar with how to maneuver around in the game area using various gestures on your device’s screen. From the Block Fortress homepage: It offers more than 30 different building blocks, 16 different turret blocks, and tons of additional items to build (including mining blocks, lumber blocks, storage crates, power generators, and much more). It also includes many different weapon and item upgrades for your character – all brought to bear against the relentless attacks of the Goblocks! Block Fortress currently comes with three modes of game play: Survival, Quickstart, and Sandbox. As you can see, there should be more modes available at a later date. There are many types of terrain to choose from, or if you wish you can select Random for a nice surprise. For our example we chose Snowy Hills. Time to have a look around and find a nice spot to set up our barracks… This spot looks like it will do rather nicely… Just for fun we set up a castle-style set of walls and entry point for our barracks. Now on to fun and adventure! You can see what the game looks like in action with the official launch trailer… Price: 0.99 (U.S.) Block Fortress [iTunes App Store] Block Fortress Homepage Official Block Fortress Launch Trailer [YouTube]    

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  • Add collison detection to enemy sprites?

    - by xBroak
    i'd like to add the same collision detection used by the player sprite to the enemy sprites or 'creeps' ive added all the relevant code I can see yet collisons are still not being detected and handled, please find below the class, I have no idea what is wrong currently, the list of walls to collide with is 'wall_list' import pygame import pauseScreen as dm import re from pygame.sprite import Sprite from pygame import Rect, Color from random import randint, choice from vec2d import vec2d from simpleanimation import SimpleAnimation import displattxt black = (0,0,0) white = (255,255,255) blue = (0,0,255) green = (101,194,151) global currentEditTool currentEditTool = "Tree" global editMap editMap = False open('MapMaker.txt', 'w').close() def draw_background(screen, tile_img): screen.fill(black) img_rect = tile_img.get_rect() global rect rect = img_rect nrows = int(screen.get_height() / img_rect.height) + 1 ncols = int(screen.get_width() / img_rect.width) + 1 for y in range(nrows): for x in range(ncols): img_rect.topleft = (x * img_rect.width, y * img_rect.height) screen.blit(tile_img, img_rect) def changeTool(): if currentEditTool == "Tree": None elif currentEditTool == "Rock": None def pauseGame(): red = 255, 0, 0 green = 0,255, 0 blue = 0, 0,255 screen.fill(black) pygame.display.update() if editMap == False: choose = dm.dumbmenu(screen, [ 'Resume', 'Enable Map Editor', 'Quit Game'], 64,64,None,32,1.4,green,red) if choose == 0: print("hi") elif choose ==1: global editMap editMap = True elif choose ==2: print("bob") elif choose ==3: print("bob") elif choose ==4: print("bob") else: None else: choose = dm.dumbmenu(screen, [ 'Resume', 'Disable Map Editor', 'Quit Game'], 64,64,None,32,1.4,green,red) if choose == 0: print("Resume") elif choose ==1: print("Dis ME") global editMap editMap = False elif choose ==2: print("bob") elif choose ==3: print("bob") elif choose ==4: print("bob") else: None class Wall(pygame.sprite.Sprite): # Constructor function def __init__(self,x,y,width,height): pygame.sprite.Sprite.__init__(self) self.image = pygame.Surface([width, height]) self.image.fill(green) self.rect = self.image.get_rect() self.rect.y = y self.rect.x = x class insertTree(pygame.sprite.Sprite): def __init__(self,x,y,width,height, typ): pygame.sprite.Sprite.__init__(self) self.image = pygame.image.load("images/map/tree.png").convert() self.image.set_colorkey(white) self.rect = self.image.get_rect() self.rect.y = y self.rect.x = x class insertRock(pygame.sprite.Sprite): def __init__(self,x,y,width,height, typ): pygame.sprite.Sprite.__init__(self) self.image = pygame.image.load("images/map/rock.png").convert() self.image.set_colorkey(white) self.rect = self.image.get_rect() self.rect.y = y self.rect.x = x class Creep(pygame.sprite.Sprite): """ A creep sprite that bounces off walls and changes its direction from time to time. """ change_x=0 change_y=0 def __init__( self, screen, creep_image, explosion_images, field, init_position, init_direction, speed): """ Create a new Creep. screen: The screen on which the creep lives (must be a pygame Surface object, such as pygame.display) creep_image: Image (surface) object for the creep explosion_images: A list of image objects for the explosion animation. field: A Rect specifying the 'playing field' boundaries. The Creep will bounce off the 'walls' of this field. init_position: A vec2d or a pair specifying the initial position of the creep on the screen. init_direction: A vec2d or a pair specifying the initial direction of the creep. Must have an angle that is a multiple of 45 degres. speed: Creep speed, in pixels/millisecond (px/ms) """ Sprite.__init__(self) self.screen = screen self.speed = speed self.field = field self.rect = creep_image.get_rect() # base_image holds the original image, positioned to # angle 0. # image will be rotated. # self.base_image = creep_image self.image = self.base_image self.explosion_images = explosion_images # A vector specifying the creep's position on the screen # self.pos = vec2d(init_position) # The direction is a normalized vector # self.direction = vec2d(init_direction).normalized() self.state = Creep.ALIVE self.health = 15 def is_alive(self): return self.state in (Creep.ALIVE, Creep.EXPLODING) def changespeed(self,x,y): self.change_x+=x self.change_y+=y def update(self, time_passed, walls): """ Update the creep. time_passed: The time passed (in ms) since the previous update. """ if self.state == Creep.ALIVE: # Maybe it's time to change the direction ? # self._change_direction(time_passed) # Make the creep point in the correct direction. # Since our direction vector is in screen coordinates # (i.e. right bottom is 1, 1), and rotate() rotates # counter-clockwise, the angle must be inverted to # work correctly. # self.image = pygame.transform.rotate( self.base_image, -self.direction.angle) # Compute and apply the displacement to the position # vector. The displacement is a vector, having the angle # of self.direction (which is normalized to not affect # the magnitude of the displacement) # displacement = vec2d( self.direction.x * self.speed * time_passed, self.direction.y * self.speed * time_passed) self.pos += displacement # When the image is rotated, its size is changed. # We must take the size into account for detecting # collisions with the walls. # self.image_w, self.image_h = self.image.get_size() bounds_rect = self.field.inflate( -self.image_w, -self.image_h) if self.pos.x < bounds_rect.left: self.pos.x = bounds_rect.left self.direction.x *= -1 elif self.pos.x > bounds_rect.right: self.pos.x = bounds_rect.right self.direction.x *= -1 elif self.pos.y < bounds_rect.top: self.pos.y = bounds_rect.top self.direction.y *= -1 elif self.pos.y > bounds_rect.bottom: self.pos.y = bounds_rect.bottom self.direction.y *= -1 # collision detection old_x=bounds_rect.left new_x=old_x+self.direction.x bounds_rect.left = new_x # hit a wall? collide = pygame.sprite.spritecollide(self, walls, False) if collide: # yes bounds_rect.left=old_x old_y=self.pos.y new_y=old_y+self.direction.y self.pos.y = new_y collide = pygame.sprite.spritecollide(self, walls, False) if collide: # yes self.pos.y=old_y elif self.state == Creep.EXPLODING: if self.explode_animation.active: self.explode_animation.update(time_passed) else: self.state = Creep.DEAD self.kill() elif self.state == Creep.DEAD: pass #------------------ PRIVATE PARTS ------------------# # States the creep can be in. # # ALIVE: The creep is roaming around the screen # EXPLODING: # The creep is now exploding, just a moment before dying. # DEAD: The creep is dead and inactive # (ALIVE, EXPLODING, DEAD) = range(3) _counter = 0 def _change_direction(self, time_passed): """ Turn by 45 degrees in a random direction once per 0.4 to 0.5 seconds. """ self._counter += time_passed if self._counter > randint(400, 500): self.direction.rotate(45 * randint(-1, 1)) self._counter = 0 def _point_is_inside(self, point): """ Is the point (given as a vec2d) inside our creep's body? """ img_point = point - vec2d( int(self.pos.x - self.image_w / 2), int(self.pos.y - self.image_h / 2)) try: pix = self.image.get_at(img_point) return pix[3] > 0 except IndexError: return False def _decrease_health(self, n): """ Decrease my health by n (or to 0, if it's currently less than n) """ self.health = max(0, self.health - n) if self.health == 0: self._explode() def _explode(self): """ Starts the explosion animation that ends the Creep's life. """ self.state = Creep.EXPLODING pos = ( self.pos.x - self.explosion_images[0].get_width() / 2, self.pos.y - self.explosion_images[0].get_height() / 2) self.explode_animation = SimpleAnimation( self.screen, pos, self.explosion_images, 100, 300) global remainingCreeps remainingCreeps-=1 if remainingCreeps == 0: print("all dead") def draw(self): """ Blit the creep onto the screen that was provided in the constructor. """ if self.state == Creep.ALIVE: # The creep image is placed at self.pos. To allow for # smooth movement even when the creep rotates and the # image size changes, its placement is always # centered. # self.draw_rect = self.image.get_rect().move( self.pos.x - self.image_w / 2, self.pos.y - self.image_h / 2) self.screen.blit(self.image, self.draw_rect) # The health bar is 15x4 px. # health_bar_x = self.pos.x - 7 health_bar_y = self.pos.y - self.image_h / 2 - 6 self.screen.fill( Color('red'), (health_bar_x, health_bar_y, 15, 4)) self.screen.fill( Color('green'), ( health_bar_x, health_bar_y, self.health, 4)) elif self.state == Creep.EXPLODING: self.explode_animation.draw() elif self.state == Creep.DEAD: pass def mouse_click_event(self, pos): """ The mouse was clicked in pos. """ if self._point_is_inside(vec2d(pos)): self._decrease_health(3) #begin new player class Player(pygame.sprite.Sprite): change_x=0 change_y=0 frame = 0 def __init__(self,x,y): pygame.sprite.Sprite.__init__(self) # LOAD PLATER IMAGES # Set height, width self.images = [] for i in range(1,17): img = pygame.image.load("images/player/" + str(i)+".png").convert() #player images img.set_colorkey(white) self.images.append(img) self.image = self.images[0] self.rect = self.image.get_rect() self.rect.y = y self.rect.x = x self.health = 15 self.image_w, self.image_h = self.image.get_size() health_bar_x = self.rect.x - 7 health_bar_y = self.rect.y - self.image_h / 2 - 6 screen.fill( Color('red'), (health_bar_x, health_bar_y, 15, 4)) screen.fill( Color('green'), ( health_bar_x, health_bar_y, self.health, 4)) def changespeed(self,x,y): self.change_x+=x self.change_y+=y def _decrease_health(self, n): """ Decrease my health by n (or to 0, if it's currently less than n) """ self.health = max(0, self.health - n) if self.health == 0: self._explode() def update(self,walls): # collision detection old_x=self.rect.x new_x=old_x+self.change_x self.rect.x = new_x # hit a wall? collide = pygame.sprite.spritecollide(self, walls, False) if collide: # yes self.rect.x=old_x old_y=self.rect.y new_y=old_y+self.change_y self.rect.y = new_y collide = pygame.sprite.spritecollide(self, walls, False) if collide: # yes self.rect.y=old_y # right to left if self.change_x < 0: self.frame += 1 if self.frame > 3*4: self.frame = 0 # Grab the image, divide by 4 # every 4 frames. self.image = self.images[self.frame//4] # Move left to right. # images 4...7 instead of 0...3. if self.change_x > 0: self.frame += 1 if self.frame > 3*4: self.frame = 0 self.image = self.images[self.frame//4+4] if self.change_y > 0: self.frame += 1 if self.frame > 3*4: self.frame = 0 self.image = self.images[self.frame//4+4+4] if self.change_y < 0: self.frame += 1 if self.frame > 3*4: self.frame = 0 self.image = self.images[self.frame//4+4+4+4] score = 0 # initialize pyGame pygame.init() # 800x600 sized screen global screen screen = pygame.display.set_mode([800, 600]) screen.fill(black) #bg_tile_img = pygame.image.load('images/map/grass.png').convert_alpha() #draw_background(screen, bg_tile_img) #pygame.display.flip() # Set title pygame.display.set_caption('Test') #background = pygame.Surface(screen.get_size()) #background = background.convert() #background.fill(black) # Create the player player = Player( 50,50 ) player.rect.x=50 player.rect.y=50 movingsprites = pygame.sprite.RenderPlain() movingsprites.add(player) # Make the walls. (x_pos, y_pos, width, height) global wall_list wall_list=pygame.sprite.RenderPlain() wall=Wall(0,0,10,600) # left wall wall_list.add(wall) wall=Wall(10,0,790,10) # top wall wall_list.add(wall) #wall=Wall(10,200,100,10) # poke wall wall_list.add(wall) wall=Wall(790,0,10,600) #(x,y,thickness, height) wall_list.add(wall) wall=Wall(10,590,790,10) #(x,y,thickness, height) wall_list.add(wall) f = open('MapMaker.txt') num_lines = sum(1 for line in f) print(num_lines) lineCount = 0 with open("MapMaker.txt") as infile: for line in infile: f = open('MapMaker.txt') print(line) coords = line.split(',') #print(coords[0]) #print(coords[1]) #print(coords[2]) #print(coords[3]) #print(coords[4]) if "tree" in line: print("tree in") wall=insertTree(int(coords[0]),int(coords[1]), int(coords[2]),int(coords[3]),coords[4]) wall_list.add(wall) elif "rock" in line: print("rock in") wall=insertRock(int(coords[0]),int(coords[1]), int(coords[2]),int(coords[3]),coords[4] ) wall_list.add(wall) width = 20 height = 540 height = height - 48 for i in range(0,23): width = width + 32 name = insertTree(width,540,790,10,"tree") #wall_list.add(name) name = insertTree(width,height,690,10,"tree") #wall_list.add(name) CREEP_SPAWN_TIME = 200 # frames creep_spawn = CREEP_SPAWN_TIME clock = pygame.time.Clock() bg_tile_img = pygame.image.load('images/map/grass.png').convert() img_rect = bg_tile_img FIELD_RECT = Rect(50, 50, 700, 500) CREEP_FILENAMES = [ 'images/player/1.png', 'images/player/1.png', 'images/player/1.png'] N_CREEPS = 3 creep_images = [ pygame.image.load(filename).convert_alpha() for filename in CREEP_FILENAMES] explosion_img = pygame.image.load('images/map/tree.png').convert_alpha() explosion_images = [ explosion_img, pygame.transform.rotate(explosion_img, 90)] creeps = pygame.sprite.RenderPlain() done = False #bg_tile_img = pygame.image.load('images/map/grass.png').convert() #draw_background(screen, bg_tile_img) totalCreeps = 0 remainingCreeps = 3 while done == False: creep_images = pygame.image.load("images/player/1.png").convert() creep_images.set_colorkey(white) draw_background(screen, bg_tile_img) if len(creeps) != N_CREEPS: if totalCreeps < N_CREEPS: totalCreeps = totalCreeps + 1 print(totalCreeps) creeps.add( Creep( screen=screen, creep_image=creep_images, explosion_images=explosion_images, field=FIELD_RECT, init_position=( randint(FIELD_RECT.left, FIELD_RECT.right), randint(FIELD_RECT.top, FIELD_RECT.bottom)), init_direction=(choice([-1, 1]), choice([-1, 1])), speed=0.01)) for creep in creeps: creep.update(60,wall_list) creep.draw() for event in pygame.event.get(): if event.type == pygame.QUIT: done=True if event.type == pygame.KEYDOWN: if event.key == pygame.K_LEFT: player.changespeed(-2,0) creep.changespeed(-2,0) if event.key == pygame.K_RIGHT: player.changespeed(2,0) creep.changespeed(2,0) if event.key == pygame.K_UP: player.changespeed(0,-2) creep.changespeed(0,-2) if event.key == pygame.K_DOWN: player.changespeed(0,2) creep.changespeed(0,2) if event.key == pygame.K_ESCAPE: pauseGame() if event.key == pygame.K_1: global currentEditTool currentEditTool = "Tree" changeTool() if event.key == pygame.K_2: global currentEditTool currentEditTool = "Rock" changeTool() if event.type == pygame.KEYUP: if event.key == pygame.K_LEFT: player.changespeed(2,0) creep.changespeed(2,0) if event.key == pygame.K_RIGHT: player.changespeed(-2,0) creep.changespeed(-2,0) if event.key == pygame.K_UP: player.changespeed(0,2) creep.changespeed(0,2) if event.key == pygame.K_DOWN: player.changespeed(0,-2) creep.changespeed(0,-2) if event.type == pygame.MOUSEBUTTONDOWN and pygame.mouse.get_pressed()[0]: for creep in creeps: creep.mouse_click_event(pygame.mouse.get_pos()) if editMap == True: x,y = pygame.mouse.get_pos() if currentEditTool == "Tree": name = insertTree(x-10,y-25, 10 , 10, "tree") wall_list.add(name) wall_list.draw(screen) f = open('MapMaker.txt', "a+") image = pygame.image.load("images/map/tree.png").convert() screen.blit(image, (30,10)) pygame.display.flip() f.write(str(x) + "," + str(y) + ",790,10, tree\n") #f.write("wall=insertTree(" + str(x) + "," + str(y) + ",790,10)\nwall_list.add(wall)\n") elif currentEditTool == "Rock": name = insertRock(x-10,y-25, 10 , 10,"rock") wall_list.add(name) wall_list.draw(screen) f = open('MapMaker.txt', "a+") f.write(str(x) + "," + str(y) + ",790,10,rock\n") #f.write("wall=insertRock(" + str(x) + "," + str(y) + ",790,10)\nwall_list.add(wall)\n") else: None #pygame.display.flip() player.update(wall_list) movingsprites.draw(screen) wall_list.draw(screen) pygame.display.flip() clock.tick(60) pygame.quit()

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  • [GEEK SCHOOL] Network Security 1: Securing User Accounts and Passwords in Windows

    - by Matt Klein
    This How-To Geek School class is intended for people who want to learn more about security when using Windows operating systems. You will learn many principles that will help you have a more secure computing experience and will get the chance to use all the important security tools and features that are bundled with Windows. Obviously, we will share everything you need to know about using them effectively. In this first lesson, we will talk about password security; the different ways of logging into Windows and how secure they are. In the proceeding lesson, we will explain where Windows stores all the user names and passwords you enter while working in this operating systems, how safe they are, and how to manage this data. Moving on in the series, we will talk about User Account Control, its role in improving the security of your system, and how to use Windows Defender in order to protect your system from malware. Then, we will talk about the Windows Firewall, how to use it in order to manage the apps that get access to the network and the Internet, and how to create your own filtering rules. After that, we will discuss the SmartScreen Filter – a security feature that gets more and more attention from Microsoft and is now widely used in its Windows 8.x operating systems. Moving on, we will discuss ways to keep your software and apps up-to-date, why this is important and which tools you can use to automate this process as much as possible. Last but not least, we will discuss the Action Center and its role in keeping you informed about what’s going on with your system and share several tips and tricks about how to stay safe when using your computer and the Internet. Let’s get started by discussing everyone’s favorite subject: passwords. The Types of Passwords Found in Windows In Windows 7, you have only local user accounts, which may or may not have a password. For example, you can easily set a blank password for any user account, even if that one is an administrator. The only exception to this rule are business networks where domain policies force all user accounts to use a non-blank password. In Windows 8.x, you have both local accounts and Microsoft accounts. If you would like to learn more about them, don’t hesitate to read the lesson on User Accounts, Groups, Permissions & Their Role in Sharing, in our Windows Networking series. Microsoft accounts are obliged to use a non-blank password due to the fact that a Microsoft account gives you access to Microsoft services. Using a blank password would mean exposing yourself to lots of problems. Local accounts in Windows 8.1 however, can use a blank password. On top of traditional passwords, any user account can create and use a 4-digit PIN or a picture password. These concepts were introduced by Microsoft to speed up the sign in process for the Windows 8.x operating system. However, they do not replace the use of a traditional password and can be used only in conjunction with a traditional user account password. Another type of password that you encounter in Windows operating systems is the Homegroup password. In a typical home network, users can use the Homegroup to easily share resources. A Homegroup can be joined by a Windows device only by using the Homegroup password. If you would like to learn more about the Homegroup and how to use it for network sharing, don’t hesitate to read our Windows Networking series. What to Keep in Mind When Creating Passwords, PINs and Picture Passwords When creating passwords, a PIN, or a picture password for your user account, we would like you keep in mind the following recommendations: Do not use blank passwords, even on the desktop computers in your home. You never know who may gain unwanted access to them. Also, malware can run more easily as administrator because you do not have a password. Trading your security for convenience when logging in is never a good idea. When creating a password, make it at least eight characters long. Make sure that it includes a random mix of upper and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols. Ideally, it should not be related in any way to your name, username, or company name. Make sure that your passwords do not include complete words from any dictionary. Dictionaries are the first thing crackers use to hack passwords. Do not use the same password for more than one account. All of your passwords should be unique and you should use a system like LastPass, KeePass, Roboform or something similar to keep track of them. When creating a PIN use four different digits to make things slightly harder to crack. When creating a picture password, pick a photo that has at least 10 “points of interests”. Points of interests are areas that serve as a landmark for your gestures. Use a random mixture of gesture types and sequence and make sure that you do not repeat the same gesture twice. Be aware that smudges on the screen could potentially reveal your gestures to others. The Security of Your Password vs. the PIN and the Picture Password Any kind of password can be cracked with enough effort and the appropriate tools. There is no such thing as a completely secure password. However, passwords created using only a few security principles are much harder to crack than others. If you respect the recommendations shared in the previous section of this lesson, you will end up having reasonably secure passwords. Out of all the log in methods in Windows 8.x, the PIN is the easiest to brute force because PINs are restricted to four digits and there are only 10,000 possible unique combinations available. The picture password is more secure than the PIN because it provides many more opportunities for creating unique combinations of gestures. Microsoft have compared the two login options from a security perspective in this post: Signing in with a picture password. In order to discourage brute force attacks against picture passwords and PINs, Windows defaults to your traditional text password after five failed attempts. The PIN and the picture password function only as alternative login methods to Windows 8.x. Therefore, if someone cracks them, he or she doesn’t have access to your user account password. However, that person can use all the apps installed on your Windows 8.x device, access your files, data, and so on. How to Create a PIN in Windows 8.x If you log in to a Windows 8.x device with a user account that has a non-blank password, then you can create a 4-digit PIN for it, to use it as a complementary login method. In order to create one, you need to go to “PC Settings”. If you don’t know how, then press Windows + C on your keyboard or flick from the right edge of the screen, on a touch-enabled device, then press “Settings”. The Settings charm is now open. Click or tap the link that says “Change PC settings”, on the bottom of the charm. In PC settings, go to Accounts and then to “Sign-in options”. Here you will find all the necessary options for changing your existing password, creating a PIN, or a picture password. To create a PIN, press the “Add” button in the PIN section. The “Create a PIN” wizard is started and you are asked to enter the password of your user account. Type it and press “OK”. Now you are asked to enter a 4-digit pin in the “Enter PIN” and “Confirm PIN” fields. The PIN has been created and you can now use it to log in to Windows. How to Create a Picture Password in Windows 8.x If you log in to a Windows 8.x device with a user account that has a non-blank password, then you can also create a picture password and use it as a complementary login method. In order to create one, you need to go to “PC settings”. In PC Settings, go to Accounts and then to “Sign-in options”. Here you will find all the necessary options for changing your existing password, creating a PIN, or a picture password. To create a picture password, press the “Add” button in the “Picture password” section. The “Create a picture password” wizard is started and you are asked to enter the password of your user account. You are shown a guide on how the picture password works. Take a few seconds to watch it and learn the gestures that can be used for your picture password. You will learn that you can create a combination of circles, straight lines, and taps. When ready, press “Choose picture”. Browse your Windows 8.x device and select the picture you want to use for your password and press “Open”. Now you can drag the picture to position it the way you want. When you like how the picture is positioned, press “Use this picture” on the left. If you are not happy with the picture, press “Choose new picture” and select a new one, as shown during the previous step. After you have confirmed that you want to use this picture, you are asked to set up your gestures for the picture password. Draw three gestures on the picture, any combination you wish. Please remember that you can use only three gestures: circles, straight lines, and taps. Once you have drawn those three gestures, you are asked to confirm. Draw the same gestures one more time. If everything goes well, you are informed that you have created your picture password and that you can use it the next time you sign in to Windows. If you don’t confirm the gestures correctly, you will be asked to try again, until you draw the same gestures twice. To close the picture password wizard, press “Finish”. Where Does Windows Store Your Passwords? Are They Safe? All the passwords that you enter in Windows and save for future use are stored in the Credential Manager. This tool is a vault with the usernames and passwords that you use to log on to your computer, to other computers on the network, to apps from the Windows Store, or to websites using Internet Explorer. By storing these credentials, Windows can automatically log you the next time you access the same app, network share, or website. Everything that is stored in the Credential Manager is encrypted for your protection.

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