IT News and Technology: November 2014

Tips & Tricks

How to Increase Your Facebook Likes

10:54

Technology News

Acer Present 4K Monitors With NVIDIA Gaming Technologies

10:52

Tips & Tricks

How to Boot into Safe Mode in Windows 8 - The Easy Way

10:51

The first thing that any geek will try while troubleshooting a PC or laptop is to boot into its safe mode to check for problems. For older versions of Windows; i.e. till Windows 7; the option to boot to safe mode was easily available by pressing F8 during boot, before the Windows logo appear.

But with Windows 8, this scenario had changed. Now pressing the F8 key will load the automatic repair setup in most of the computers. Though some people are still getting the option to boot to safe mode in their Windows 8 laptops by hitting the F8 key but its because of the company that pre-configured it. For others, its not that easy.

But, there are still a lot of ways to enable safe mode in Windows 8 and I am going to share 2 of the methods here. As the title says 'the easy way', the 1st method is going to be the easier one. And I'm also going to share a lengthier procedure that will explain how some people can get the option to boot to safe mode by pressing F8.

1. The Easy Method to Boot into Safe Mode in Windows 8

If you have been troubleshooting your PC yourself since some time, then you would know about 'msconfig'. Its a utility that allows you to check which programs and services run automatically on startup. Msconfig also has the option to set your boot method as safe mode.

Open 'Run'.

Now enter 'msconfig' and hit the enter key.

Now goto the 'Boot' tab and check the 'Safe Boot' box. There are 4 radio buttons as you can see in the screenshot. You can leave it to minimal for a basic safe mode, alternate shell for a safe mode with command prompt, active directory repair is for restoring a server that is the domain controller for your network, network is for safe mode with networking.

After that just click OK and restart your PC on prompt. Your Windows 8 PC will now start in safe mode.

Important Note: It will always boot into safe mode unless you go back to msconfig and deselect the safe mode checkbox. So once your work with safe mode is done, repeat the process and uncheck the safe mode box.

2. The Lengthier Procedure To Enable Safe Mode Booting Options

You would say, why to read this method if the previous one works perfectly? My answer would be - Because I know you are curious to know the method. And it will help you get more knowledge of the advanced boot and repair options by Windows 8.

Also the previous method won't work if you are unable to even boot into your PC. And that's the most prominent reason for anyone to opt for safe mode in the first place.

Restart your PC and while keeping your 'Shit' key pressed, keep hitting the F8 key. So basically you need to press Shift+F8 in this case. If you are successful, you will reach this recovery tool:

Here, click on 'See advanced repair options' > Troubleshoot > Advanced Options

Now click on 'Windows Startup Settings'.

Bravo! Now just click on Restart and you will get to see the old screen just like Windows 7 with the option to boot to safe mode.

Any problem booting your Windows 8 PC into safe mode? Do comment and let me know. I will be more than happy to help.

Tips & Tricks

Top 5 Free Photoshop Alternatives

10:51

Photoshop is the one and only phenomena software when it comes to editing photos, adding special effects or for any professional designing project. Even though Photoshop is costly and even though it requires a lot of practise and learning to get expertise in it, I would say there are no possible alternatives to Photoshop that can match its power.Wait. Why did I say so even though the title says it’s about 5 Photoshop alternatives?

Well, it was a kind of personal disclaimer. Now let’s come to main part. Here, I am going to write about 5 of the best free photo editing software that can replace Photoshop if you can’t afford it or if you feel it’s just too difficult to understand. So let’s start with the alternatives.

1. GIMP

GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) is a totally free of cost powerful software that is cross-platform i.e. it is available for not only Windows but also Linux and OS X. It is also power packed with a large set of tools and functions which make me admit that GIMP is one of the real competitors of Photoshop.

I used GIMP for the first time when a few years ago I used Linux as my OS. GIMP is easier to understand compared to Photoshop and has basically the same set of functions though Photoshop may be more powerful and complex. But GIMP is enough to do some serious; as the name says; image manipulation.

2. Paint.net

Paint.net is another well known free image editing software that is available only for Windows users. It is also a bit less complex than GIMP and definitely easier and simpler than Photoshop but at the same time it’s much easier to understand the functions of Paint.net than even GIMP.

3. Inkscape

What makes Inkscape enter this top 5 list of Photoshop alternatives is its capacity to deal with vector graphics. Yes Inkscape is capable of implementing vector graphics which makes it stand out compared to the other free alternatives. And yes, it’s also free.

4. Pixlr Editor (Web based)

Pixlr is one of the few web apps which are strong enough to support basic as well as intermediate editing features. Though its nothing as advanced to GIMP or Paint.net but it’s still an easy to use software that allows not only the most basic editing features like rotate, crop, resizing but also a lot of advanced features that make it stand out compared to other web apps.

5. Pixia

Pixia is a Windows only software that has originated in Japan. Pixia is the English version of a Japanese image editing software. Once again, Pixia isn’t all advanced, its a simple tool with a lot of basic editing features which are pretty cool for a free tool.

Tips & Tricks

Seven Ways to Prevent Software Viruses from Infecting your Personal Data

10:49

Computer viruses are manifested through software programs that replicate and infect other computers. Normally these are spread through emails and data transfer devices such as flash disks. Other than infecting your computer or laptop, viruses can be transferred to your cell phone, e-reader or tablet. So long as these gadgets can get into contact with the internet, they are always at risk. A viral attack can lead to a malfunction or expose your personal data such as the passwords you use. If an intruder gets hold of your password he/she can hack into your phone or emails.

There are three basic ways to steer clear of viruses:

Avoid opening email attachments from people you don’t know
Always use sites that are trusted when downloading files
Scan suspect documents or devices that you use

Below are some measures you can take to prevent viruses from getting into your personal data:

1. Exercise caution when opening email attachments either from your phone or tablet. The same way you treat suspect attachments with caution when working from your computer should be replicated in other gadgets. If you get an email from someone who is not in your mailing list, don’t open it. Do the same in case the message title or sender’s name looks suspicious.

2. Be on the lookout for links that look questionable. These are normally sent through text or email messages. The people who send them are spammers or hackers. Some do this on purpose with the intention of establishing whether that email address has a user. Once you open it, some trigger is raised on their end and they get an opportunity to either spam your mail box or send viruses. Others may not be aware that their phones are infected. You can try sending a text to the sender to inquire whether he/she sent the link. If the person is genuine and honest you will get a response and an apology. Otherwise, delete such messages instantly.

3. With respect to applications, download only those that are legitimate. You can tell whether a store is legit by reading online reviews about it. Since there are many people looking for mobile phone applications, some malicious people have taken advantage by spreading viruses in form of fake games, social networking applications and financial tracking apps.

4. While using Bluetooth, apply undiscoverable settings. There are viruses that pass through Bluetooth connections. This is a tricky attack. If you walk near a device and your connection is in discoverable mode, the virus in the infected device can easily be transferred to your tablet or smartphone. Currently, there are some malicious viruses that disable your phone and steal your contact details.

5. In order to protect your smartphones, iPhones, e-readers and tablets download anti-virus applications. These can be obtained from trusted providers. Make sure the company you source the app from is well known. Examples include Lookout Mobile Security app and SmrtGuard Solutions’ Snap Secure app. These help protect iPhones as well as provide data backup. The applications are available from Lookout Inc. There are a host of many others.

6. For Android phones, you should be able to get reliable anti-virus such as Kaspersky Mobile Security app. This incorporates spam and virus protection. Other examples are Norton Mobile Security and Bullguard Mobile Security. These protect data during an attack, theft or loss of your phone. You can download them online.

7. Look for anti-virus applications that help secure your personal information from falling into the wrong hands. Some can help keep track of your phone while others rid your phone’s memory from a remote location. This works well when someone steals your phone.

Technology News

Blogging Via Instagram

10:48

They say a picture is worth a thousand words and they are probably correct when you look at how the popular Instagram is. You can resist it all you want but visual blogging is the new blogging. Maybe you are a bit old school and like to express your opinions through words, as it is easier for you to get your point across. That however, doesn’t mean you should cut out Instagram completely from your blogging toolbox. It doesn’t mean you have to change your blogging style altogether. It simply is just another opportunity where you can build an online presence and lead new viewers to your blog. Below are some tips to help grow your blog through Instagram.

Make Sure You’re Easy To Find

People have a tendency to be lazy. So if you make it hard to navigate back to your blog they most likely won’t ever find you. Make sure all your information, including a direct link to your blog, is easy to find in your Instagram bio.

Keep It Professional

With social media being an extension of our every day life it is easy to blur the line between work and play. If you are using Instagram to push your work remember to keep it professional and not to have too many personal pictures. Unless that is what your blog is about otherwise you might consider having two accounts to keep things organized.

Don’t Overuse Hash Tags

Many people tend to overuse hash tags because they think it will make them more visible online. That may be true but it also makes you look unprofessional, a novice and desperate. Get creative with your hash tags and come up with relevant and unique ones to describe your images. This will help with encouraging like-minded people to view your blog.

Create A Hash Tag Challenge

We’ve all witnessed a host of Facebook challenges that have gone viral on our newsfeed. Instagram has been known to have more new users sign ups then Facebook and has the potential of reaching a larger amount of people. You can use this platform to generate engagement and get viewers to your blog. An example of a hash tag experiment that gained lots of attention is the #HungerChallenge which encouraged people to post photos of them living off less then five dollars a day to promote awareness for people who often go hungry. Collaborating with people helps build your presence online as well as connect you with similar minded people. This is a great way to get attention to your blog.

Don’t Buy Instagram Likes

It’s not a secret that you can now buy like and followers on all social media platforms. However I would advise against this as it is obvious, it turns real users off and it’s a waste of money. If you work hard at building your brandyou will organically build loyal followers who care about what you have to offer. Buying likes for an Instagram photo from a dodgy site does nothing for you other then increase a number. In the long run it is not helpful with gaining you real viewers.

Above are just some suggestions on how to promote your blog through Instagram. It is important that you try and experiment to see what works for your viewers, as all industries are different and require different techniques. Happy snapping!

Tips & Tricks

amazing computer tricks!

10:23

TRICK #1
Nobody can create a FOLDER
anywhere on the computer which can be named as â CON.
This is something pretty cool and unbelievable. ..
At Microsoft the whole Team, couldn't answer why this
happened!
TRY IT NOW ,IT WILL NOT CREATE CON FOLDER

TRICK #2

For those of you using Windows, do the following:

1.) Open an empty notepad file
2.) Type â€œBush hid the facts (without the quotes)
3.) Save it as whatever you want.
4.) Close it, and re-open it.

See What happened.....................

TRICK #3
Microsoft crazy facts

This is something pretty cool and neat and
unbelievable. .. At Microsoft the whole Team,
including Bill Gates, couldn't answer why this
happened!

It was discovered by a Brazilian. Try it out
yourself¦

Open Microsoft Word and type

=rand (200, 99)

And then press ENTER

Enjoy

NOW some interesting.....Tricks by which you can Improve the Performance.....of OS....

Make your folders invisible..

1)Right Click on the desktop.Make a new folder
2)Now rename the folder with a space(U have to hold ALT key and type 0160).
3)Now u have a folder with out a name.
4)Right click on the folder > properties > customize. Click on change icon.
5)Scroll a bit, u should find some empty spaces, Click on any one of them.
click ok

Shutdown Trick !

Imidiate rapid shut down window
while shutting down window. open task manager(Ctr+Alt+Del),
Select shut down tab. and press Ctrl key while select Turn Off from dis tab.
Count 5 4 3 2 1 Voila!!! U r window will rapidly shut down.

Speed Up Ur Shut down !!

Start Regedit.
Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SYSTEM/CurrentControlSet/Control.
Click on the Control Folder.
Select â€œWaitToKillServiceTimeout
Right click on it and select Modify.
Set it a value lower than 2000 (Mine is set to 200).

and !
Like previous versions of windows, it takes long time to restart or shutdown windows xp when the Exit Windows sound is enabled. to solve this problem you
must disable this useless sound. click start button then go to settings -&gt; control panel -&gt; Sound,Speech and Audio devices -&gt; Sounds and Audio Devices -&gt; Sounds, then under program events and windows menu click on Exit Windows sub-menu and highlight it.now from sounds you can select,choose œnone and then click apply and ok. now you can see some improvements when shutting down your system.

Tips & Tricks

How To Run Android Application In Computer

14:13

There is a large number of public who wants to run certain android applications in the laptops and PC. So there is a good news for them, they can use their favourite application in their PCs and Laptops containing Windows or MAC by installing a software “BLUESTACKS”.

Bluestacks is the android emulator which allows you to run android apps and games to your computer having windows operating system or mac. And the most interesting thing about this app is that it is free. So now you can enjoy your favourite android games and apps on your computer

Downloading and Installation: You can download the software on their official website just simply click here

If you are running windows operating system then download windows version and if you using MAC then download MAC version.
Once the file is downloaded, now double click it to run the .exe file and click on yes (if asked to run .exe file)
Now the setup will take you to various steps of the installation process, click on next after selecting appropriate options.
After few minutes, the Bluestacks will be installed and will be ready to run your favourite android apps and games on your computer.
When you will start the Bluestacks the first time, it will ask to enable play store, enable it and it will ask you to login into your google account. Login in it (You will have to create the google account if you don’t have)

NOTE: Without google account you can’t download apps from play store.

After that click on 1 click sync setup which is under My Apps tab and follow the instructions it give you to synchronize your Google account with app store.
Now Bluestacks is installed and configured on your computer properly. And now you are ready to install your favourite android apps and games to your PC.
You can either download the apps from the market or if you have any downloaded apps then just transfer in your laptop/computer and double click it to install it in Bluestacks.

You are done, now whenever you need to use any android apps, just start Bluestacks and you are done..

If your device is of touchscreen type, then its a boom!! for you as you can feel as you are using in android mobies..!! keep visiting itnewsandtechnology.blogspot.com

popcash

How to open and clean CD-ROM

Mozilla Firefox short keys

HERE IS A SHORTLIST OF MOZILLA FIREFOX SHORT KEYS

How to Increase RAM

How to Increase RAM ?

How to make a strong password

How to Backup Drivers

IX Web Host

Internet Backup solution

Tips for Internet Backup

How to Increase Your Facebook Likes

HERE IS THE PROCESS

Acer Present 4K Monitors With NVIDIA Gaming Technologies

How to Boot into Safe Mode in Windows 8 - The Easy Way

1. The Easy Method to Boot into Safe Mode in Windows 8

2. The Lengthier Procedure To Enable Safe Mode Booting Options

Top 5 Free Photoshop Alternatives

1. GIMP

2. Paint.net

3. Inkscape

4. Pixlr Editor (Web based)

5. Pixia

Seven Ways to Prevent Software Viruses from Infecting your Personal Data

Below are some measures you can take to prevent viruses from getting into your personal data:

Blogging Via Instagram

Make Sure You’re Easy To Find

Keep It Professional

Don’t Overuse Hash Tags

Create A Hash Tag Challenge

Don’t Buy Instagram Likes

amazing computer tricks!

How To Run Android Application In Computer

About me

Social

recent posts

Labels

Blog Archive