DATA EXECUTION PREVENTION (DEP)

Have you ever seen something like this before?
i have , and it totally freaked me out. I got this message when i tried to open explore after installing real player. I couldn't open explorer or my computer.
Now , what exactly is this DEP...read on to know.




Data Execution Prevention (DEP) is a set of hardware and software technologies that perform additional checks on memory to help prevent malicious code from running on a system. In Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2) and Microsoft Windows XP Tablet PC Edition 2005, DEP is enforced by hardware and by software.The primary benefit of DEP is to help prevent code execution from data pages. Typically, code is not executed from the default heap and the stack. Hardware-enforced DEP detects code that is running from these locations and raises an exception when execution occurs. Software-enforced DEP can help prevent malicious code from taking advantage of exception-handling mechanisms in Windows.

Hardware-enforced DEP
Hardware-enforced DEP marks all memory locations in a process as non-executable unless the location explicitly contains executable code. There is a class of attacks that attempt to insert and execute code from non-executable memory locations. DEP helps prevent these attacks by intercepting them and raising an exception. Hardware-enforced DEP relies on processor hardware to mark memory with an attribute that indicates that code should not be executed from that memory. DEP functions on a per-virtual-memory-page basis, usually changing a bit in the page table entry (PTE) to mark the memory page.The actual hardware implementation of DEP and marking of the virtual memory page varies by processor architecture. However, processors that support hardware-enforced DEP are capable of raising an exception when code is executed from a page marked with the appropriate attribute set. Both Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) and Intel Corporation have defined and shipped Windows-compatible architectures that are compatible with DEP. 32-bit versions of Windows Server 2003 with Service Pack 1 utilize the no-execute page-protection (NX) processor feature as defined by AMD or the Execute Disable bit (XD) feature as defined by Intel. In order to use these processor features, the processor must be running in Physical Address Extension (PAE) mode. The 64-bit versions of Windows use the NX or XD processor feature on 64-bit extensions processors and certain values of the access rights page table entry (PTE) field on IPF processors.It is hoped that all future 32-bit and 64-bit processors will provide support for hardware-enforced DEP. Microsoft continues to work with processor vendors to encourage the adoption and development of DEP technologies.

Software-enforced DEP
An additional set of DEP security checks has been added to Windows Server 2003 with Service Pack 1. These checks, known as software-enforced DEP, are designed to mitigate exploits of exception handling mechanisms in Windows. Software-enforced DEP runs on any processor that is capable of running Windows Server 2003 with Service Pack 1. By default, software-enforced DEP protects only limited system binaries, regardless of the hardware-enforced DEP capabilities of the processor.The majority of applications will not encounter a problem with DEP. However, when an application does encounter a problem with DEP, a Data Execution Prevention message is presented to the user, alerting them to the problem. The Data Execution Prevention message indicates that a DEP problem occurred with the application and provides the ability for the user to learn more about DEP and optionally disable DEP for the application that was closed. The Data Execution Prevention message is presented immediately before a Windows Error Reporting window, which provides the opportunity to submit a report about the DEP problem to Microsoft. On Windows Server 2003 with Service Pack 1, the Data Execution Prevention message will be presented the next time an Administrator logs onto the system interactively. The behavior is changed on Windows Server 2003 with Service Pack 1 from Windows XP with Service Pack 2 because Windows Error Reporting is configured in queued mode by default. Queued mode causes error reporting messages to be queued until the next time an administrator interactively logs onto the system.

For further and in-depth analysis of what DEP is all about, do check out the following links: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/875352 http://www.tech-recipes.com/windows_tips566.html

Personal experience: I experienced this problem when i installed real player on my pc. This was on the eve of my sisters board computer practicals and i was caught cold by it. I could'nt open "my computer" or "explorer" etc etc.It totally freaked me out.So take my advice: DO NOT PANIC!!! After i read about it on the net (i was able to open firefox and use the net)...i understood what exactly this thing is and honestly was quite relieved that such a thing exists and keeps my pc safe.After that all i did was uninstalled real player completely (with all its additional features) and my pc was back to normal... Hoping you never encounter this problem, and even if you do well you wont be caught cold like i was... cheers!!!

Web Hosting

A web hosting service is a type of Internet hosting service that allows
individuals and organizations to provide their own websites accessible via
the World Wide Web. Web hosts are companies that provide space on a
server they own for use by their clients as well as providing Internet
connectivity, typically in a data center. Webhosts can also provide data
center space and connectivity to the Internet for servers they do not own
to be located in their data center, called colocation.

Type of hosting
Internet hosting services can run Web servers; see Internet hosting services.
Hosting services limited to the Web:
* Free web hosting service: is free, (sometimes) advertisement-supported web hosting, and is often limited when compared to paid hosting.

* Shared web hosting service: one's Web site is placed on the same server as many other sites, ranging from a few to hundreds or thousands. Typically, all domains may share a common pool of server resources, such as RAM and the CPU. A shared website may be hosted with a reseller.

* Reseller web hosting: allows clients to become web hosts themselves. Resellers could function, for individual domains, under any combination of these listed types of hosting, depending on who they are affiliated with as a provider. Resellers' accounts may vary tremendously in size: they may have their own virtual dedicated server to a colocated server.

* Virtual Dedicated Server: dividing a server into virtual servers, where each user feels like they're on their own dedicated server, but they're actually sharing a server with many other users. The users may have root access to their own virtual space. This is also known as a virtual private server or VPS.

* Dedicated hosting service: the user gets his or her own Web server and gains full control over it (root access for Linux/administrator access for Windows); however, the user typically does not own the server. Another type of Dedicated hosting is Self-Managed or Unmanaged. This is usually the least expensive for Dedicated plans. The user has full administrative access to the box, which means the client is responsible for the security and maintenance of his own dedicated box.

* Managed hosting service: the user gets his or her own Web server but is not allowed full control over it (root access for Linux/administrator access for Windows); however, they are allowed to manage their data via FTP or other remote management tools. The user is disallowed full control so that the provider can guarantee quality of service by not allowing the user to modify the server or potentially create configuration problems. The user typically does not own the server. The server is leased to the client.

* Colocation web hosting service: similar to the dedicated web hosting service, but the user owns the colo server; the hosting company provides physical space that the server takes up and takes care of the server. This is the most powerful and expensive type of the web hosting service. In most cases, the colocation provider may provide little to no support directly for their client's machine, providing only the electrical, Internet access, and storage facilities for the server. In most cases for colo, the client would have his own administrator visit the data center on site to do any hardware upgrades or changes.

* Clustered hosting: having multiple servers hosting the same content for better resource utilization.

* Grid hosting : this form of distributed hosting is when a server cluster acts like a grid and is composed of multiple nodes.

* Home server: usually a single machine placed in a private residence can be used to host one or more websites from a usually consumer-grade broadband connection. These can be purpose-built machines or more commonly old PC's.Some ISP's actively attempt to block these servers by disallowing incoming requests to TCP port 80 of the user's connection and by refusing to provide static IP addresses.

How to Select Cheap Web Hosting?
1. Reputation: I would stongly suggest to look for a reputed shared
web host. Someone who is in the indutry for few years and have a few
hundred thousand sites hosted is going to be a better bet than a web
host started yesterday. Checkout the web hosting reviews and hosting
forums.
2. Support: Look for someone who responds to the supports tickets fast
and is available 24/7 on toll free lines in case of an emergency. Some
cheap shared web hosts are known to have a poor customer support.
3. Resources: Now a days, every cheap shared web host oversell. So
you are most likely to get more than what you need.
4. Price: Shared web hosting has become cheap over the years. Why
pay a premium when you can get it cheap?
5. Features: Do they offer cPanel? Then you must get most of what you
need. Still checkout the web host provide all the features you need: mysql
databases, .htaccess, add on domains, script installer, ruby on rails and
so on.


Top Rated Web Hosting sites :
HostMonster : $6.95 pm, 300 GB Space, 3000 GB Transfer Unlimited domains
http://www.hostmonster.com/

Hostgator : $6.95 pm, 350 GB Space, 3000 GB Transfer 1 domains
http://www.hostgator.com/

Happy hosting,
cheers!!!

HELP DESK SOFTWARE

Definition:
Help Desk Software is the product behind many companies' provision of technical support services to their customers; it is accessed by staff fielding support calls or emails and taps into the company's problem resolution knowledgebase. It also logs and tracks users' requests for help.

The importance of the help desk cannot be over-estimated. The help desk is now a core and vital part of a successful business. It is a central point through which problems are reported and managed. Help desk users can be external or internal (or both) but where ever the users are coming from the smooth operation of the help desk is fundamental to the smooth running of an enterprise selling technical goods or services.
Traditionally, and prior to helpdesk software solutions, help desk functions involved a call being logged, numbered, and allocated to a person/team in "first line" support (see also process management). Failing a resolution is it escalated to second/third line support. When the problem is resolved the "ticket" is closed. During the time the ticket is open there may be need to add updates, log further issues, or track contact with the user.

There is of course a lot of repetitive work there and problems that have simple solutions and/or problems that appear on a regular basis still go through the same process and use employee time. There is therefore a good case for using an intelligent help desk software solution.

Regular problems can be dealt with by a knowledge base. Further, with help desk software other problems can be handled more efficiently, an audit trail maintained, and help desk staff freed up for more useful tasks. Having a good help desk software package is also good management practice for the feedback it provides into areas where there is scope for improvement.

Increasingly companies are using remote access applications to resolve users' technical problems. Windows XP, for example, allowed remote diagnostics that saved engineers visiting a customer's premise to deduce the fault.
Software such as BOSSAssist, Microsoft Remote Desktop, PcAnywhere, IBM Tivoli and Dameware are just a few of the many such programs around.

Spam filters

WHAT DOES SPAM FILTER DO?
Everyday spammers find new routes to try to get into your email inbox. Most spam consists of unwanted advertising, but some can transmit viruses, adware or spyware on to your computer and cause problems. Of course, it is also extremely annoying to go to your inbox and have to look through a whole list of emails to find one legitimate email.

An effective anti spam program can solve many of your email problems. Not only do they block unwanted spam but they can also organize your emails into folders, so your inbox only includes wanted email.

So, what does a quality spam filter do exactly?

• Establishes White Lists and Black Lists – A white list is a specific list of approved addresses that you set. Items not on the approved list and "known" spammers automatically go to the black list and are blocked, deleted or filed.
• Blocks "Sporn" – All good programs allow you to block a high percentage of spammed pornography. Some will also filter out "adult" contented emails or block adult oriented images.
• Organizes Emails – Not everyone wants to block all of their emails. Most programs will allow users to build folders, such as financial, adult oriented, games or others and the program will put incoming emails into assigned folders. This gives the user a choice about which emails they want to look at.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN A SPAM FILTER ?

• Spam filter software should be easy to use and offer the desired level of customization. All of the programs offer a variety of features, but they are not all compatible with every email service. Therefore, it is important to look for a program that offers great features and works with your email service.

  
  

• Feature Set – The feature set is the package of tools and abilities. A good program gives you the ability to set rules about which email you want to receive in your inbox, reject or delete, put in a certain folder or quarantine for you to look through at your own discretion. You should be able to set up blacklists and whitelists and of utmost relevance-it should work with the email service that you use.
• Ease of Use – The product should be extremely easy to use even for an inexperienced computer operator. It is helpful if the product utilizes drop-down menus, helpful icons and is arranged logically.
• Ease of Installation & Setup – The product should install quickly and without errors. If additional downloads, registration or other process is required it may make the setup more complicated and time consuming.
• Stability – The spam filtering software should offer dependable performance and be compatible with your other programs.
• Customization – A flexible program offers many different customization choices in regards to spam filtering. The software should have the ability to block unwanted spam and should also allow the user to decide what level of filtering they want, and be in control of how the emails are organized. A good program offers all levels of filtering from high to low. High filter options block and delete all emails that are not on an approved list. Lower filter levels sort all emails and save them in folders to let the user decide which ones to open or delete.

Your inbox is yours, and should contain what you want. If you are tired of having to go through and delete unwanted mail, get a spam filter to do it for you
Here are some links:
spam firewall : www.barracudanetworks.com
another nice one : www.SpamJadoo.com

CHEERS!!!

JET CHARTERS

I know that the article that you are looking at goes against the basic schema of this blog ...against the very description...but i read about it in a lifestyle magazine and the idea of having such luxuries just gripped me...so i found this article on wiki and thought i'll share it with you guys...
BEWARE: the following is not an article on anything remotely geeky but for the high rolling rich ones out there

As the pace of your life accelerates, it’s clear that your time is becoming too valuable to spend waiting in airports for delayed flights to activities or meetings that had to be postponed until you arrived! You begin thinking about private jet charter -- a faster, easier, more customized way to travel to your destination. Luckily, flying in a private jet is one of the safest and most luxurious ways to travel. Unlike commercial airlines, private jets fly in and out of smaller suburban airports that are closer to departure and destination points. Also, typically smaller airports do not have the long lines or delays passengers have come to expect at any of today’s large urban airports.

STEPS to choose the right charter service:

1. Identify the Right Charter Operator. Yes, one could check the local yellow pages or a favorite search engine to locate charter companies. However, there won’t be any information about the quality of individual companies there, other than what is written in advertisements created by the companies themselves. A better source for overall quality is a charter broker who uses only officially rated operators (such as Jets International) or an auditing company such as Wyvern Consulting or Aviation Research Group.
2. Validate the Charter Company. The next step is verifying the charter company’s advertising claims through official documentation. In order to simplify this complicated task, one can break down the process into three categories: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) documentation, insurance and third-party audits.
   • FAA Documentation – Each charter company must have a valid Part 135 air taxi certificate which authorizes it to fly for hire. Obtaining a Part 135 certificate requires the charter company to adhere to tough FAA guidelines and is strictly enforced by the FAA. Unfortunately, there are some charter companies that will attempt to fly under the less strict Part 91 (owner flown) regulations. These rules have far less FAA oversight, and for this reason, the liability of the passenger is increased. Therefore, it’s important not only to ask for a copy of the FAA air taxi certificate, but also to ask the company under which regulations your flights will be flown.
   • Insurance – Often overlooked, insurance can provide a great deal of information about a charter company. Typical limits for a charter company are $25M for a small jet (such as a Cessna Citation, Lear 35 or Beachjet), $50M for a mid-sized jet (such as a Hawker, Lear 55 or Citation III) and $100M for a large jet (such as a Challenger, Gulfstream or Falcon 900.) Often, these higher insurance limits require an audit by the insurance company to assure that the pilots and mechanics have the appropriate experience to operate a safe flight. Also, another free service most operators will offer is for the passenger to be “named additional insured” on the policy. This option is really a personal decision. It should be considered if the passenger flies private charter on an ongoing, regular basis.
   • Third Party Audits – There are several companies that specialize in auditing charter companies. The industry’s most used service is Aviation Research Group (ARG/US). ARG/US compiles several databases, including FAA, Department of Transportation (DOT) and one on aircraft transactions, to determine the safety records of the operator, its pilots and its aircraft. In addition, these companies will perform on-site audits on safety procedures, aircraft log books and additional documentation.
3. Look for Good Customer Service: Ideally, there should be a single person responsible for your trip. Also, live help should be available around the clock for if you must change your plans, make a special request, or ask a question. It's a good idea to get references so that you can talk to others who have used this service.
4. Select an Aircraft: Often, a charter company will provide pictures of an aircraft under consideration for a trip. Be warned, however, that pictures are deceiving and may not be current. The only way absolutely to ensure the status of an aircraft is to view it personally, or to talk with others who have flown in it. Your charter broker should be able to help make that previous passenger connection. Also, because insurance levels can change at any time and vary by aircraft within the same fleet, it is important to ask for a copy of the insurance policy before each and every flight.
5. Check up on your Pilot: Find out what the provider's standards are for minimum pilot hours. Different jet types require different pilot hours. Once you have chosen an aircraft, verify that the assigned pilot has the required number of pilot hours on that type of craft. Generally, each captain should have at least 3000 total flight hours and 300 hours in a specific aircraft type.
6. Find Out How Much it Will Cost: As the details of your needs become more specific, you should be able to get a clear quote, not a vague estimate that leaves room for surprises on the final invoice.

TIPS:

• Different countries have different regulations. Those set forth by the FAA are specific to the United States. Other Civil Aviation Authorities (CAAs) include:
  • United Kingdom - United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority
  • Australia - Civil Aviation Safety Authority
  • United Nations - International Civil Aviation Organization
• Some aircrafts are restricted in terms of night landings and must abide by some kind of "curfew." If you think you're going to need to go on night flights, ask about such regulations when you're choosing an aircraft.
• A helicopter may be better for short trips to remote areas, but they can't fly under high winds or low visibility conditions.

DATA RECOVERY FROM HD crash AND UNDELETION

If you've been using computers for a decent amount of time there is a good chance someone has told you that data stored on a hard drive is not exactly safe. I'm here to assure you that this is indeed true.

Never mind the fact that unlike tapes or CDs or other methods of storage, hard drives are mechanical, active devices and are thus subject to comparatively rapid breakdown.

No, the real threat to hard drives are the people that use them, by which I mean you and me. Hard drives, being the dynamic storage devices that they are, are extremely easy to erase in any number of amusing and simple to achieve ways... as are USB hard drives and flash memory cards

STEPS TO RECOVERY:

The number one rule to follow when you have lost data is to not write anything more to the affected hard drive! This rule stands true for any situation...

If you have deleted a partition by accident, do not create another partition, just leave it blank.

If you have deleted files from the recycling bin that you realize you need, do not (if possible) save anything to the drive. The reason for this is that hard drives do not actually erase anything, not data or partitions. When you erase a file from the operating system, it is just marked on the drive as having been deleted. When the system needs to store more data on the drive, it will consider files on the drive marked 'deleted' as being empty space, and cheerfully copy over them. If that happens then you're in big trouble.

The same rule applies twice over for partitions; since partition information just presents the operating system with a way of addressing the space available on the drive. If you wipe out a partition everything from it will seem to be gone.

So if there is no partition information, no data can be read by the operating system. This does not mean that your data it is not there however, only that you can't see it. Data-recovery programs have no such handicap.

The first, and best thing to do in a data-loss situation is to make sure no more data is written to the drive. Obviously, if you have just the one partition and it's fried, you can't boot normally to the operating system. The best option in this situation is to transfer the drive to another computer, preferably one using the same file-system as your damaged partition (i.e. the same operating system, or a newer version).

Transferring the HDD to another computer has the dual benefit of preventing the drive from being written to accidentally, and potentially allowing you to retrieve information from the disk just by using Windows Explorer to look through file structures.

If you have damaged or erased essential operating system files, but the partition information is still intact Windows will not boot. The HDD can still be read from a different operating system which is one way out of the doom and gloom.

FILE RECOVERY PROGRAMS:

If you do not have the means to physically transfer the hard disk, resist the temptation to re-install your OS. There are several software tools available which will enable you to boot your computer with an alternative operating system and then help you try to recover the files.

The simplest way to gain access to the files on your hard drive with a toasted OS is boot your computer with a DOS boot disk and then use a DOS compatible file recovery program such as Testdisk http://www.cgsecurity.org/wiki/TestDisk_Download

There are several programs such as 'Winternals Disk Commander' and 'ERD Commander', that will boot your system straight into DOS or an alternate OS, then perform file recovery. None of these programs are free however.

FREEWARE:

If there is one problem with the area of data recovery software, it's that companies know that a functional recovery program is something that people will pay good money for. Hence freeware and non-crippled shareware programs are thin on the ground.

There are a few options available though, so on with the list. Please read these through carefully before deciding the next step you will take.

FINDNTFS http://www.partitionsupport.com/utilities.htm

NTFS reader for DOS http://www.ntfs.com/products.htm

Undeleting Files in Windows XP ( COMMERCIAL RECOVERY TOOLS)

http://www.r-tt.com

http://www.file-rescue.com

http://www.symantic.com

http://savemyfiles.com/fastfile.htm

http://www.winternals.com/products/repairandrecovery/filerestore.asp

N96 : 16gb,5MP....read on

Instead of the highly anticipated "iPhone-a-like" that I truly believed Nokia would unleash at the Mobile World Congress, the Finnish giant unveiled the N96 and N78. But all is not lost, because these handsets are much more than mere upgrades.

The Nokia N96 is a step up from the N95 8gb and offers some truly mouth-watering features. There's 16GB of on-board memory and the option to expand via a microSDHC slot, which puts the new iPhone to shame.

Picking it up you immediately take to the large colour screen, which pushes all of your digital content right in your face and almost takes up the entire front of the N96. Everything feels well laid out and its keys are relatively easy to press.

Unlike the N95, there's a 3.5mm jack on the top of the phone instead of the side, which is much more practical and means it's less likely to get in the way when you put it in your pocket.

All the connectivity options that you got on the Nokia N95 are also available on the N96, including GPS, HSDPA (3.5G) and Wi-Fi.

One of our favourite features, and probably the N96's most modest one, is the kick stand on the back of the handset that allows you to rest your phone upright on a table -- useful if you're trying to watch a full-length film and don't fancy holding it for an hour.

It comes with 16 gb of inbuilt memory and can be expanded with a 16 gb card...do the maths guys, thats 32 gb ...so much for the iPhone.It has the same 5-megapixel camera that's on the Nokia N95? Yes, it is, but there are now two, apparently more powerful, LED photo lights that will illuminate your subjects much better in the dark

I am a huge fan of the N95 8GB, and this is definitely a cool bit of kit -- but i can't help feeling a little underwhelmed that there isn't more on offer. Call me greedy but i definately expected something a touch more exciting from the Finns, something more ground breaking(read iPhone smashing!!!).

At the moment prices and other specs aren't clear to me...but will try and get updates ASAP...till then i leave you with the mouth watering pics of this amazing toy

cheers!!!

The LG VIEWTY

The LG Viewty KU990 might sound like it's a digital photo frame but it's actually LG's latest camera phone that features an impressive 5-megapixel camera with autofocus and xenon flash.

Not only can this handset brag about its camera, but it should also be very proud of its lovely large touchscreen, which lets you view images easily. On top of this, it has the ability to upload videos directly to YouTube and to shoot video at 120 frames per second, which allows you to slow it down and watch it in slow-motion

DESIGN
Many camera phones take good pictures but don't look that great themselves -- fortunately the LG KU990 Viewty is not an ugly camera phone. In fact, it's one of the best-looking camera phones I've seen so far.In line with LG's latest and greatest handsets, the KU990 has an understated design that feels functional but also exudes a certain amount of class. It feels light but not plasticky and looks more like a high-end handset than the cheap LG phones we've seen in the past.Similar to the LG prada and Apple's iPhone, the KU990 features a large touchscreen with three mechanical keys at the bottom, the end and send call keys, and the cancel key. While the touchscreen is prone to fingerprints and scratches, it is very attractive.Positioned at the top-left section of the back of the handset is the KU990's star feature, a 5-megapixel camera, which disappointingly isn't protected by a lens cover. Next to the camera is xenon flash and autofocus light, similar to on the sony erricsson k810i.

Around the side of the camera is an interesting rocker disc that you can push up and down to scroll through menu options, adjust the volume during calls and zoom in and out in camera mode, among other things. It's an interesting concept but not always easy to press , a standard rocker key would have been better.

On the right side of the KU990 are two dedicated camera keys and a switch to change modes. The mode switch is a little tough to change at times but the shutter key is well-sized and very easy to press, which isn't always the case on camera phones.

FEATURES
Compared to the majority of other touchscreens, the KU990's screen is very responsive and can be set to vibrate when you touch it, which provides more tactile feedback than when you simply tap a flat display.

For taking normal pictures, the 5-megapixel camera is very capable and of a similar quality to the Nokia N95's camera. You can adjust the size of images, picture quality, ISO and white balance, among other things.

The digital stabilisation feature reduces blur but don't expect the same level of quality as optical stabilisation. Equally, although the KU990 has a xenon flash, it's not as bright as a standalone camera's flash, but it is better than an LED photo light.

Viewing photos is surprisingly cool given that the KU990 comes with a photo viewer that can display pictures as if they were thrown on a table, letting you flick through them with your finger, or you can just use the standard mode that lines them all up.

Once you click on a picture you want to see, you can zoom in and move around it by brushing your finger across the screen as if you were physically pushing a real picture about. You can also edit photos using the KU990's photo-editing app, which by the way is a super cool app

Other features include an attractive calendar, a fun 3D shoot 'em up game, speaker phone mode and a music player that supports MP3, AAC, WMA, WMV and AMR formats. The music player works well and lets you sort through artists and album art, similar to on most standalone MP3 players.

CONCLUSION
The LG KU990 Viewty is an impressive phone, particularly when you consider that LG hasn't made that many high-end camera phones. It's doesn't beat the Canon Digital IXUS 70 but it is comparable with a three-year old average standalone camera.

If you want to take relatively high-quality photos and videos then the KU990 is definitely worth checking out. Alongside the good camera, easy-to-use touchscreen interface and HSDPA (3.5G), we think LG has made one of its best phones yet.

If you're not convinced by LG's offering, it's worth taking a look at the Nokia N95, which comes with GPS and Wi-Fi, the Samsung g600, which is very slim or the sony erricsson k850i, all of which come with 5-megapixel cameras, too.

This beauty won't come cheap,it's already in India but the pricing isn't very clear...but the verdict remains:this is an awesome phone( actually it's much more than just a phone)...waiting for the price to be confirmed.

cheers!!!

MACBOOK AIR

Well, It actually is a laptop !!!
Though Macworld’07 was hard to top with the introduction of the iPhone, Steve Jobs has done it again at Macworld’08 with the introduction of the Macbook Air – a new slim 13.3 inch laptop that barely weighs about 3 pounds, sports a thickness of 0.16-0.76 inches, is 12.8 inches wide and 8.95 inches deep. These figures make for a phenomenally thin laptop that comes with a native display resolution of 1280x800.

It's super light, super fragile, and super small. If you just tap the screen lightly, the whole thing closes because it's so light. The keyboard looks a little weird because it's black on the aluminum, but the keyboard feels great. It feels just like a MacBook (normal) keyboard. The screen looks gorgeous—very bright and clear (and better than the Sony). It's even better looking than the MacBook's, most likely because of the LED backlit display.

The iSight webcam is a round hole instead of a square, the lid has a convex design, and slowly goes to a point on the sides. The MagSafe charger is slightly smaller, and it's silver. The MagSafe connector is also new, and connects at a 90-degree angle instead of just pulling out like the current ones. However that’s not where the fun ends. Like the existing Macbooks, it has a full size keyboard which is backlit and sports an ambient light sensor that can adjust brightness. In a move borrowed from its iPod and iPhone range, the new touchpad is capable of recognizing and using multi-touch. Another interesting option that the new Macbook Air offers is the option of using a 64 GB SSD as an option for storage. The standard HDD has been slimmed to a normal PATA 4200 RPM 1.8 inch laptop drive. For its processing power the new Macbook Air utilizes an Intel C2D processing running at 1.6 GHz (with 1.8 GHz being offered as an option), 2 GB of DDR 2 667 RAM on an 800 MHz FSB. The Macbook Air also sports USB 2.0 jacks, Micro-DVI support for external display connectivity and full support for both 802.11n and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR. In terms of battery life Apple has said that with the SSD option, the laptop is capable of easily introducing 5 hrs of battery. Now while this laptop seems to be beautifully designed in typical Apple fashion, on paper it seems to be bit of a mixed bag. Firstly it’s fairly watered down and does not offer much in the way of power. In comparison with other 13.3 inch laptops, its battery life seems to be a little better but it loses marks for offering such basic storage options. Another thing is its cost. Its base model retails at $1798 and for a full fledged machine climbs for over $3,200. In this space it’s directly competing with its own brothers which will of course leave it in the dust. Apple in its zealous effort to get the product out seems to have starved it of space and a few other essential options. A glaring mistake that apple have made is...NO OPTICAL DRIVE...you will need to buy an external macbook air super drive to play and burn optical media...but leaving out the optical drive was understandable , as apple were going for looks and "thinnest laptop" title and an optical drive would have increased the thickness. The macbook air will face stiff competition from its own apple siblings ...It'll appeal to the fashion conscious , but performance enthusiast might just give it the pass... But there's no denying that this is probably the most beautiful notebook i have ever seen (Sony sure has some catching up to do now)

Verdict? Ultra light, ultra awesome... a little expensive and impractical ....but gorgeous!!! Watch this page for further updates. cheers!!!

REDUCE SHUT DOWN TIME

IMPROVE XP SHUTDOWN SPEED

I find it very annoying when, after giving the shut down command , i have to wait for my system to actually shut down. I found this interesting tweak on the internet and thought i'll share it with you...read on.

This tweak reduces the time XP waits before automatically closing any running programs when you give it the command to shutdown.
Go to Start then select Run
Type 'Regedit' and click ok
Find 'HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop\'
Select 'WaitToKillAppTimeout'
Right click and select 'Modify'
Change the value to '1000'
Click 'OK'
Now select 'HungAppTimeout'
Right click and select 'Modify'
Change the value to '1000'
Click 'OK'

Now find 'HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Control Panel\Desktop'
Select 'WaitToKillAppTimeout'
Right click and select 'Modify'
Change the value to '1000'
Click 'OK'
Now find 'HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\'
Select 'WaitToKillServiceTimeout'
Right click and select 'Modify'
Change the value to '1000'
Click 'OK'

I again mention , be very careful when handling regedit as you are messing with windows registries , which , ideally , should not be messed around with..so be careful .
cheers!!!

REDUCE BOOT TIME...make your system boot faster

Many computers take a lot of time to boot (or start ).This is due to many reasons.
Some slight changes can do wonders for your system:

1. Press start -> run then type msconfig and press enter.
Go to the startup tab. Here you will see a list of startup items. These are all the programs that automatically start when you boot your PC. It is these that slow down the boot up process.
So uncheck all the unwanted items like ms-office, messengers other utilities that u may not need at startup). Don't uncheck your antivirus software.
Restart your Pc to and see for yourself, your pc will now boot faster....

2. A great new feature in Microsoft Windows XP is the ability to do a boot defragment. This places all boot files next to each other on the disk to allow for faster booting. By default this option is enabled, but on some systems it is not, so below is the information on how to turn it on:

Go to Start Menu and Click Run
Type in regedit then click ok
Find "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Dfrg\BootOpt imizeFunction"
Select "Enable" from the list on the right
Right on it and select "Modify"
Change the value to Y .
Reboot your Pc and see the change yourself.

3. SPEED UP BOOT BY DISABLING UNUSED PORTS.!!
You may have tried many tweaks like modifying windows XP start-up applications, prefetches, unload DLLs method, etc. And yes those methods do work for me.
I have just accidentally found out another way to give you an extra boost in windows XP's boot performance. This is done by disabling your unused devices in
Device Manager. for example, if you don't have input devices that are connected to one of your USB's or COM ports, disabling them will give you an extra performance boost in booting. Go to Control Panel -> System -> Hardware tab -> device manager Disable devices that you don't use for your PC and then restart.

Hoping this article would have been of help to you...do try out the tweaks...but be carefully while twidling with the msconfig and regedit ...
cheers!!!

WINDOWS SHORTCUTS

All keyboard Shortcuts

Windows Shortcuts

Shift + F10 right-clicks.
Win + L (XP Only): Locks keyboard. Similar to Lock Workstation.
Win + F or F3: Open Find dialog. (All Files) F3 may not work in some applications which use F3 for their own find dialogs.
Win + Control + F: Open Find dialog. (Computers)
Win + U: Open Utility Manager.
Win + F1: Open Windows help.
Win + Pause: Open System Properties dialog.
Win + Tab: Cycle through taskbar buttons. Enter clicks, AppsKey or
Shift + F10 right-clicks.
Win + Shift + Tab: Cycle through taskbar buttons in reverse.
Alt + Tab: Display Cool Switch. More commonly known as the AltTab dialog.
Alt + Shift + Tab: Display Cool Switch; go in reverse.
Alt + Escape: Send active window to the bottom of the z-order.
Alt + Shift + Escape: Activate the window at the bottom of the z-order.
Alt + F4: Close active window; or, if all windows are closed, open shutdown dialog.
Shift while a CD is loading: Bypass AutoPlay.
Shift while login: Bypass startup folder. Only those applications will be ignored which are in the startup folder, not those started from the registry (Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run\)
Ctrl + Alt + Delete or Ctrl + Alt + NumpadDel (Both NumLock states): Invoke the Task Manager or NT Security dialog.
Ctrl + Shift + Escape (2000/XP ) or (Ctrl + Alt + NumpadDot) : Invoke the task manager. On earlier OSes, acts like Ctrl + Escape.
Print screen: Copy screenshot of current screen to clipboard.
Alt + Print screen: Copy screenshot of current active window to clipboard.
Ctrl + Alt + Down Arrow: Invert screen. Untested on OS's other than XP.
Ctrl + Alt + Up Arrow: Undo inversion.
Win + B : Move focus to systray icons.

General
Ctrl + C or Ctrl + Insert: Copy.
Ctrl + X or Shift + Delete: Cut.
Ctrl + V or Shift + Insert: Paste/Move.
Ctrl + N: New... File, Tab, Entry, etc.
Ctrl + S: Save.
Ctrl + O: Open...
Ctrl + P: Print.
Ctrl + Z: Undo.
Ctrl + A: Select all.
Ctrl + F: Find...
Ctrl+W : to close the current window
Ctrl + F4: Close tab or child window.
F1: Open help.
F11: Toggle full screen mode.
Alt or F10: Activate menu bar.
Alt + Space: Display system menu. Same as clicking the icon on the titlebar.
Escape: Remove focus from current control/menu, or close dialog box.

General Navigation
Tab: Forward one item.
Shift + Tab: Backward one item.
Ctrl + Tab: Cycle through tabs/child windows.
Ctrl + Shift + Tab: Cycle backwards through tabs/child windows.
Enter: If a button's selected, click it, otherwise, click default button.
Space: Toggle items such as radio buttons or checkboxes.
Alt + (Letter): Activate item corresponding to (Letter). (Letter) is the underlined letter on the item's name.
Ctrl + Left: Move cursor to the beginning of previous word.
Ctrl + Right: Move cursor to the beginning of next word.
Ctrl + Up: Move cursor to beginning of previous paragraph. This and all subsequent Up/Down hotkeys in this section have only been known to work in Rich Edit controls.
Ctrl + Down: Move cursor to beginning of next paragraph.
Shift + Left: Highlight one character to the left.
Shift + Right: Highlight one character to the right.
Shift + Up: Highlight from current cursor position, to one line up.
Shift + Down: Highlight from current cursor position, to one line down.
Ctrl + Shift + Left: Highlight to beginning of previous word.
Ctrl + Shift + Right: Highlight to beginning of next word.
Ctrl + Shift + Up: Highlight to beginning of previous paragraph.
Ctrl + Shift + Down: Highlight to beginning of next paragraph.
Home: Move cursor to top of a scrollable control.
End: Move cursor to bottom of a scrollable control.

File Browser
Arrow Keys: Navigate.
Shift + Arrow Keys: Select multiple items.
Ctrl + Arrow Keys: Change focus without changing selection. "Focus" is the object that will run on Enter. Space toggles selection of the focused item.
(Letter): Select first found item that begins with (Letter).
BackSpace: Go up one level to the parent directory.
Alt + Left: Go back one folder.
Alt + Right: Go forward one folder.
Enter: Activate (Double-click) selected item(s).
Alt + Enter: View properties for selected item.
F2: Rename selected item(s).
Ctrl + NumpadPlus: In a Details view, resizes all columns to fit the longest item in each one.
Delete: Delete selected item(s).
Shift + Delete: Delete selected item(s); bypass Recycle Bin.
Ctrl while dragging item(s): Copy.
Ctrl + Shift while dragging item(s): Create shortcut(s).
Numpad Asterisk: Expand currently selected directory and all subdirectories. No undo.
Numpad Plus: Expand currently selected directory.
Numpad Minus: Collapse currently selected directory.

Microsoft Natural Keyboard with IntelliType Software Installed
Win + L: Log off Windows.
Win + P: Open Print Manager.
Win + C: Open control panel.
Win + V: Open clipboard.
Win + K: Open keyboard properties.
Win + I: Open mouse properties.
Win + A: Open Accessibility properties.
Win + Space: Displays the list of Microsoft IntelliType shortcut keys.
Win + S: Toggle CapsLock on and off.

Remote Desktop Connection Navigation

Ctrl + Alt + End: Open the NT Security dialog.
Alt + PageUp: Switch between programs.
Alt + PageDown: Switch between programs in reverse.
Alt + Insert: Cycle through the programs in most recently used order.
Alt + Home: Display start menu.
Ctrl + Alt + Break: Switch the client computer between a window and a full screen.
Alt + Delete: Display the Windows menu.
Ctrl + Alt + NumpadMinus: Place a snapshot of the entire client window area on the Terminal server clipboard and provide the same functionality as pressing Alt + PrintScreen on a local computer.
Ctrl + Alt + NumpadPlus: Place a snapshot of the active window in the client on the Terminal server clipboard and provide the same functionality as pressing PrintScreen on a local computer.

Top Ten Tips To Improve System Speed
Here are a few basic things that you can do to improve the performance of your system

1.Let your PC boot up completely before opening any applications.

2.Refresh the desktop after closing any application. This will remove any unused files from the RAM.

3.Do not set very large file size images as your wallpaper. Do not keep a wallpaper at all if your PC is low on RAM (less than 64 MB).

4.Do not clutter your Desktop with a lot of shortcuts. Each shortcut on the desktop uses up to 500 bytes of RAM

5.Empty the recycle bin regularly. The files are not really deleted from your hard drive until you empty the recycle bin.

6.Delete the temporary internet files regularly.

7.Defragment your hard drive once every two months. This will free up a lot of space on your hard drive and rearrange the files so that your applications run faster.

8.Always make two partitions in your hard drive. Install all large Softwares (like PSP, Photoshop, 3DS Max etc) in the second partition. Windows uses all the available empty space in C drive as virtual memory when your Computer RAM is full. Keep the C Drive as empty as possible.

9.When installing new Softwares disable the option of having a tray icon. The tray icons use up available RAM, and also slow down the booting of your PC. Also disable the option of starting the application automatically when the PC boots. You can disable these options later on also from the Tools or preferences menu in your application.

10. Protect your PC from dust. Dust causes the CPU cooling fan to jam and slow down thereby gradually heating your CPU and affecting the processing speed. Use compressed air to blow out any dust from the CPU. Never use vacuum.

RAM IS THE WORKING AREA (DESKTOP) OF THE CPU, KEEP IT AS EMPTY AND UNCLUTTERED AS POSSIBLE!