Send Text and Links via Windows Live Hotmail in IE 8

Send Text and Links via Windows Live Hotmail in IE 8 - How-To Geek

Do you like to send notes and links to yourself or others while browsing with Internet Explorer 8? Now you can use your Windows Live e-mail account to send that information out using the Send with Windows Live Hotmail accelerator.

[MP3Gain] How to Normalize or Change the Volume of Your MP3 Files

How to Normalize or Change the Volume of Your MP3 Files - How-To Geek

MP3Gain is a free utility that analyzes mp3 files and determines how they will sound to the human ear. It will then adjust the files so they have about the same loudness, without affecting the quality of the recording. You can use it in two ways, which are Track or Album Mode.


Track mode corrects the mix of unrelated songs to the level you select. While Album Mode corrects the entire album by relating them to the other songs on the album.

Tools to Convert Webpage to PDF Document

The PDF format for documents was created by Adobe to facilitate easier sharing of rich text documents.

If you want to read a webpage offline or want to share a nice article you came across with your friends or family, then converting it to PDF might be a good option. This article talks about 4 awesome and free online tools that help you easily convert a webpage to PDF format.

1. Web2PDF

Web2PDF is a nice online tool to convert any webpage into PDF format. Just enter the URL of the site and click the “Convert to PDF” button. It converts the webpage into PDF and makes it available for download.

By default, Web2PDF saves the document in A4 size but you will find more options by clicking on the “options” button. There are various options available like images compression level, PDF page size, PDF page orientation, PDF document margins (mm), PDF document description, PDF security and references.

2. PDFMYURL.COM

PDFMYURL.COM is another cool tool to convert a webpage into PDF. One unique feature of this service is its bookmarklet. You can drag it to your browser’s bookmark bar and use it when you want to convert the page you are browsing, into PDF. In the options panel you can set PDF size, PDF orientation, modify PDF content, look and feel.

3. HTM2PDF

HTM2PDF is an HTML to PDF converter that, as the name says, converts the HTML pages into PDF. After conversion, it displays the converted webpage in a small thumbnail. Just click the download button to download the PDF document on your computer. Bookmarklet is available for this service too.

4. HTML To PDF Converter

HTML to PDF converter is a free online tool to convert HTML to PDF document. Enter the URL of the website, click on “Make PDF” button. It will take few seconds to convert the document and the download starts automatically once the conversion is completed. No registration is required to use this tool.

Those were the 4 tools to convert web pages to PDF documents online.

Know of other such tools? Share them in the comments.

 

[Original Post]

• 4 Online Tools To Convert Webpages to PDF Documents

Microsoft releases Windows Live Essentials Wave 4 Beta, Download Now

Windows Live Essentials wave 4 beta is now available.

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It enhances your Windows Live experience like sharing photos, movies, instant messaging, email, blogging, and more. Now you can get them all in one download and get more done with Windows.

The product name of Windows Live Essentials wave 4 will be ‘Windows Live Essentials 2011 suite’.

Microsoft is planning to release a final version in the late September or early October, 2011.

For more information about wave 4 beta, visit Windows Live Essentials Beta site. 

• Custom Setup – It provides custom setup wizard, where you can opt your desired applications, are to be installed.
• Full Setup – It silent package and install all applications with your user interaction.

[Original Post]
Microsoft releases Windows Live Essentials Wave 4 Beta, Download Now - Windows Valley

Install Ubuntu Netbook Edition with Wubi Installer - How-To Geek

Ubuntu is one of the most popular versions of Linux, and their Netbook Remix edition is especially attractive for netbook owners. Here we’ll look at how you can easily try out Ubuntu on your netbook without a CD/DVD drive.

Netbooks, along with the growing number of thin, full powered laptops, lack a CD/DVD drive. Installing software isn’t much of a problem since most programs, whether free or for-pay, are available for download. Operating systems, however, are usually installed from a disk. You can easily install Windows 7 from a flash drive with our tutorial, but installing Ubuntu from a USB flash drive is more complicated. However, using Wubi, a Windows installer for Ubuntu, you can easily install it directly on your netbook and even uninstall it with only a few clicks.

Install Ubuntu Netbook Edition with Wubi Installer - How-To Geek

Install Linux Mint on Your Windows Computer or Netbook - How-To Geek

Linux Mint is an increasingly popular distribution of Linux, and many users have found it more user friendly and convenient than other versions. Mint is based on Ubuntu, and as such includes an excellent installer that lets you install it directly from Windows. You install it just like a standard Windows program, and can uninstall it from Command Prompt. The installer is only available in a ISO disk image file, though, so it can still be difficult to install on a computer without a CD/DVD drive such as a netbook. But, with a little trick, you can use the Windows installer for Mint on any PC, no DVD drive required!

Install Linux Mint on Your Windows Computer or Netbook - How-To Geek

Intel AppUp Center is an App Store for Netbooks

If you own a Netbook with an Intel Atom processor, you might be looking for an easy way to find apps that are optimized for it. Today we look at Intel AppUp Center which allows you to quickly find and install Netbook apps.

Note: The applications are meant to be used with Netbooks that have an Intel Atom processor running XP or Windows 7. It’s still in Beta, so expect some quirks and perhaps not as many apps as you’d expect.

Intel AppUp Center

Installation is pretty straight-forward. One thing to point out is during the install process you need to select your location to get apps for your region of the world.

Launch AppUp and you can begin using the intuitive dashboard to quickly find apps from various categories.

It acts like other app stores where you can arrange the views and get previews of the available apps. It will indicate if they’re free or if you need to purchase them.

There are a lot of different categories…although there may not be a lot in each one as it’s still a work in progress.

Click on an app you find interesting to get more information about it such as screenshots, description, and reviews.

When you want to get an app you’ll need to log into your account or create one before downloading it.

The app will automatically install with no further action on your part.

Applications

Now you can begin using the programs you downloaded…like this cool one called fizy desktop which lets you easily find and play music from your desktop.

There are plenty of games available for you to play while you’re “taking notes” at the company meetings as well.

Here is an interesting one from Newsy that lets you watch videos of the latest news headlines…there are a bunch of apps so explore around and have fun!

Under My Apps you can see a list of all the ones you currently have.

It allows you to keep track of the apps you’re downloading or already have, and will show if updates are available for them.

Under the Recently Downloaded section you can launch apps or uninstall them.

Conclusion

Overall we found it to be a lot of fun for discovering new apps on our HP Mini. There are many to choose from so go ahead and try out any that interest you…the uninstall process only takes a couple of mouse clicks.

One thing we noticed however, is AppUp Center didn’t run as fast as we’d like. Of course it’s still a work in progress and hopefully that will be cleared up in the future. We tried out several different apps and after installed, they ran smooth with no issues…but your mileage may vary depending on the application.

If you’re a developer, they have a program section with instructions and helpful forums so you can start creating cool apps for Netbooks.

Download Intel AppUp Center (beta)

Intel Atom Developer Program (beta)

OCROnline - Extract Text From Scanned Documents

OCROnline is an advanced web app (works on optical character recognition technology) that can extract the text from scanned paper documents and digital photographs.

This free-for-use tool detects more than 153 languages automatically. It also recognizes fonts of the text.

Go to OCRonline. Select the language of text and the output format. Click on Browse button to browse the image file containing text. Now click the “Upload” button. Your file will get uploaded on the server (It will remain on server for 24 hours after conversion).

Note:

• Maximum file size upload limit is 10MB and it supports PNG and JPG formats.
• This service can’t support languages of the Far-East Asia area(Korea, China and Japan).

Geotagging a photo with Google Earth

The easiest way to match your photos to a specific location is to use Google Maps in Picasa. However, you can also use the original geotag feature in Picasa. which launched Google Earth to accomplish the same thing. Geotagging your photo does the following:

• Embeds location information within your photo.

• Displays your photo on a satellite map rendered by Google Earth.

You need to have Google Earth installed on your computer to use this feature. Download Google Earth at http://earth.google.com/

To geotag a photo, follow these steps.

1. Select the photos in Picasa.

2. Click the Geotag button in the Photo Tray. Google Earth opens up and a small Picasa window appears in the lower-right corner.

3. Navigate and zoom to the location in Google Earth that corresponds with where your picture was taken, and place the yellow cross­hairs on your chosen spot.

4. Click the Geotag button to place the selected photo. You can also click the Geotag All button to tag all of the selected pictures with the same location information.

5. When all of your pictures are geotagged. click the Done button to finish the placement.

6. When you exit Google Earth, click the Yes button to save the geotagged locations in your "My Places' folder. You'll then be able to access the photos in 'My Places' any time you open up Google Earth.

Picasa will write the longitude and latitude to the photo's EXIF GPS metadata. You can view this data (GPS Latitude and Longitude) by right-clicking (Windows) a geotagged image in Picasa and selecting Properties. Geotagged photos are marked in Picasa by a small cross-hair icon on their thumbnails.

How to access Microsoft’s Live services

Live Web Service

• Live Home: http://home.live.com , http://windowslive.com
• Live Space: http://home.spaces.live.com
• Live Hotmail: http://mail.live.com
• Live Photo: http://photos.live.com
• Live SkyDrive: http://skydrive.live.com
• Live Club: http://groups.live.com
• Live Profile: http://profile.live.com
• Live Family Safety: http://fss.live.com
• Live Calendar: http://calendar.live.com
• Live Office: http://office.live.com
• Live Alerts: http://alerts.live.com
• Live ID: http://logon.live.com
• Live Messenger: Access from Live Home
• Live Sync: http://sync.live.com
• Live Mesh: http://mesh.live.com (Beta stage)
• Live Development: http://dev.live.com 
• Windows Live Essentials package: http://explore.live.com , http://download.live.com

Windows Live Essentials package(download from http://explore.live.com)

• Windows Live Photo Gallery
• Windows Live Mail
• Windows Live Movie Maker
• Windows Live Messenger
• Windows Live Writer
• Windows Live Family Safety
• Windows Live Toolbar
• Microsoft Office Outlook Connector
• Microsoft SilverLight
• Microsoft Office Live Workspace

Microsoft Live Labs (http://www.livelabs.com)

• Pivot: http://www.getpivot.com
• PhotoSynth: http://www.photosynth.net
• Seadragon: http://www.seadragon.com

Dual boot Windows 7 and Ubuntu

Wubi is a free tool that allows you to install Ubuntu Linux on Windows as if it’s a normal Windows application.

Windows installation does not change. Wubi creates a boot menu and you can choose to boot into Windows or into Ubuntu without modifying the partitions or adding any special drivers. Wubi places most of the files in one folder. Therefore, if you decide not to use it anymore, you can uninstall it.

Download Wubi from http://wubi-installer.org/. Wubi works in Windows 98, 2000, XP, Vista and 7. To start installing Ubuntu in Windows, double-click the file you downloaded (wubi.exe).

For more details, please refer “Dual Boot Windows and Ubuntu”.

Backup Drivers With Driver Magician

Here’s a nice tool to back up drivers on your PC. Comes in both free and paid versions.

Driver Magician

Zoner Photo Studio Free – freeware photo viewer, resizer, manager

Manage, edit, and share your photos faster and more easily than ever before! This free software is the new way to work on your pictures with less hassle and more fun than you've ever seen. It's made for everyone, and will make you feel like a pro

Click to visit the website of Zoner Photo Studio Free – freeware photo viewer, resizer, manager

Zoner Photo Studio Free ...so simple

You cannot back up a file in Windows 7 if the path length is longer than 260 characters

[Symptoms]

Consider the following scenario:

• You customize a backup operation to back up some files on a computer that is running Windows Server 2008 R2 or Windows 7.
• You select some files that you want to include in the backup operation. The path length of one selected file is longer than 260 characters.

In this scenario, the backup operation fails after the backup operation is started. Additionally, the following event is added to the Application log:

Log Name: Application
Source: Microsoft-Windows-Backup
Event ID: 547
Task Category: None
Level: Warning
Description:
The backup operation that started at time has encountered errors for the volume(s) volume. Log of files not successfully backed up.

[Cause]

This issue occurs because the Windows Block Level Backup Engine service (Wbengine.exe) handles file paths that are longer than 260 characters incorrectly.

[Resolution – Download hotfix]

View and request hotfix downloads

 

Post from Microsoft: KB982502

Hilo A Touch Enabled Picture View Carsoul: Developing C++ Applications for Windows 7

For C++ Developers using Visual Studio 2010, this might be very interesting to anyone using C++ and interested in building Touch Enabled Application Design as well as building a Carousel Application.

"Hilo" is a series of articles and sample applications that show how you can leverage the power of Windows 7, using the Visual Studio 2010 and Visual C++ development systems to build high performance, responsive rich client applications. Hilo provides both source code and written guidance to help you design and develop Windows applications of your own.

The series covers many topics, including the key capabilities and features of Windows 7, the design process for the user experience, and application design and architecture. Source code is provided so that you can see firsthand how the accompanying sample applications were designed and implemented. You can also use the source code in your own projects to produce your own rich, compelling applications for Windows 7. The Hilo sample applications are designed for high performance and responsiveness and are written entirely in C++ using Visual C++.

These articles describe the design and implementation of a set of touch-enabled applications that allow you to browse, select, and work with images. They will illustrate how to write applications that leverage some of the powerful capabilities that Windows 7 provides. You will see how the various technologies for Windows 7 can be used together to create a compelling user experience.

Chapter 1: Introducing Hilo

Chapter 2: Setting up the Hilo Development Environment

More Information as well as Download Source Code to the Application:
Hilo - Home

Can also Download Visual Studio Express 2010 for free if you would like to try your hand:
Microsoft Express Downloads - Visual Studio Express and SQL Server Express

Original Post: Hilo A Touch Enabled Picture View Carsoul: Developing C++ Applications for Windows 7

A long delay occurs when you print a large file on a Windows 7-based computer

You experience delays when you print large files on a computer that is running Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008 R2.
When you print a file on a computer that is running Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008 R2, a block of memory equal to the size of the spool file is allocated. This memory is not released until the print job is finished. Therefore, if the print job is large, a large spool file is generated and a large block of memory is allocated. For example, when you print a high resolution photo or several copies of a photo, the spool file size can be several Gigabytes (GBs).

This is a common operation. However, it may cause memory swapping if the spool file is larger than the available physical memory. This behavior significantly increases how long it takes to finish the print job.

Notes

• In Windows Vista or Windows Server 2008, when the spooling is completed or delayed, the allocated memory will be freed.
• In Windows XP, a large block of memory cannot be allocated.

For example, you are printing a hi-resolution photo, or several copies of a photo. The spool file can easily go over several GBs. Therefore, an amount of memory equal to the spool file is allocated and not freed until the job is finished. Therefore, the issue occurs.

Hotfix Download Available
View and request hotfix downloads

Original Post: A long delay occurs when you print a large file on a Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008 R2-based computer

Microsoft Office Web Apps - How to Use

Microsoft finally launched the Office web application officially. If you have a Windows live account then you can access Microsoft Office web version on your browser now. It lets you create new documents, edit them, share them with friends and much more. The storage space needed is provided by Skydrive. It’s 25 GB in total. How to use Office Live Go to office.live.com. Login with your Windows Live ID. If you don’t have an ID then sign up for it.   How to upload office documents On the web, click on “Add files” link as shown below. Click on “New folder” to create a new folder. If you want to upload your document to an existing folder then click on each folder. Now click on “Choose file” button to select a file. After selecting the file, click on “Upload” button. All the documents you upload will be saved in your Skydrive account. Note that file size should not be greater than 50 MB.   How to edit Office documents Online When you hover your mouse over an uploaded document, you’ll get options. Now, click on “Edit in browser” option. The document will open in your browser. You can edit it just like you edit in the desktop version of Microsoft Office. There are a number of editing options available.   How to create a new Office document If you want to create a new office document then click on “Office” tab given at the top. On the drop-down menu, select “New Word document”. Similarly you can create a Excel workbook, a PowerPoint presentation and a OneNote notebook. Also, if you are on Office homepage, you’ll find 4 icons as below. To create an online document, click on icons. Next, give a name to the new document. After giving the name, click on “Save” button. Now start typing text on the Word document. You can perform as many basic activities that you do in desktop version Office.   Open Microsoft Office on your mobile phone If your mobile phone is connected to the internet then go to your mobile phone browser and visit Office.live.com. You can easily view Word and PowerPoint documents without any extra software.   Messenger and online collaboration Even if you don’t have Windows Live messenger installed on your computer, you can chat with your friends while editing an office document. You can share the document (when you hover your mouse over any file, a share link appears). Online collaboration is quick and easy. There is a version history feature to go back to previous edits of your document. Also, there is an enhanced search box to find all your documents created or uploaded by you and those shared by others. According to Microsoft, this is just the start. In future, you’ll find new features in Hotmail and web office, like better integration of web office version with desktop tool, offline editing features etc. Let us know what you think of the new ms office web apps. Office is now live on SkyDrive! [via Windows Live] Similar Posts: Convert Office Files to PDF & XPS and Manage Them Using gDoc 16 Awesome New Features Of Windows Live Hotmail You Need To Know CompareMyDocs Lets You Compare Word Documents Online A Guide To Getting Started With Dropbox File Backup & Sync Online PDF Generator: Convert TXT, Word, JPG, PNG To PDF Original post: The Complete Guide To Microsoft Office Web Apps is a post from: Guiding Tech

Clone a Hard Drive Using an Ubuntu Live CD - How-To Geek

Clone a Hard Drive Using an Ubuntu Live CD - How-To Geek

Whether you’re setting up multiple computers or doing a full backup, cloning hard drives is a common maintenance task. Don’t bother burning a new boot CD or paying for new software – you can do it easily with your Ubuntu Live CD.

Run WordPress & Other Web Apps with Windows Web Platform - How-To Geek

Would you like to run WordPress or other web apps on your PC so you can easily test and design websites? Click below article...

Run WordPress & Other Web Apps with Windows Web Platform - How-To Geek

OutlookTools – Office Outlook tweaking utility

Need to block or unblock an attachment file type? Would you like to extend the time a new mail notification is displayed on your desktop?

OutlookTools is a support and advanced settings tool for Microsoft Office Outlook.

 

[Main Features]

Easy access to Outlook settings and data folders

Easy access to troubleshooting tools

Start Outlook with a startup switch

Clear the Most Recently Used lists

Make the New Mail Alert stay up for longer than 30 seconds

Unblock attachments

 

[Main Screenshots]

• General tab: The main tab allows you easy access to various folders and tools.

• Startup Switches tab: Start Outlook with a command line switch

• Clear MRU 탭: Clear the Most Recently Used (MRU) lists.

• New Mail Alert tab: Configure the New Mail Alert to stay visible on the desktop

• Blocked Attachments tab: Unblock attachment types that are blocked by default.

 

• OutlookTools Homepage
• Outlook Tools Download

iSendr: Online Peer To Peer File Sharing Tool

iSender is an on-demand direct file transfer system. It allows you to transfer files from one computer to another without uploading your files. It establishes peer to peer connections between two computers.

To send a file, click on “Send a file” button on the home page and select your file. You can also check the “Password Protect” option to encrypt your file. It offers 128-bit AES encryption.

Next, iSendr will provide you a peer link. Share this link with your friend to whom you want to transfer the file. There is a scissor icon given to copy that link.

When your friend visits the link, it will display a message as shown in the screenshot below. He can download the file on his computer by clicking on “Save” button.

You will get a screen as shown in screenshot below after the process is completed. If you want to send another file, click on “Pick a new file” button.

This tool is in beta and hence don’t be surprised if it throws up errors now and then. But overall, this direct peer to peer file sharing app is worth a try.

Check out iSendr to transfer files of any size between two computers quickly and easily.

Map the Stars with Stellarium

 

Attention star gazers ! Free, open source Stellarium is one of the slickest programs we've ever used. Plot the planets, constellations, 600,000 individual stars or just about anything else in the sky. This is truly an amazing application. Stellarium v0.10.5  via MajorGeeks

 View Article ...

New Features of Windows Live Hotmail Wave 4

Microsoft is gearing up next Windows Live Wave 4 and recently they updated http://www.windowslivepreview.com and offered a sneak peek preview of Windows Live Hotmail. Few weeks ago, Microsoft also did something similar for Windows Live Messenger. The new Hotmail is packed with new features that help busy people be more efficient when doing email. Learn more about the features and benefits of the new Hotmail in this section: sweep out clutter, get more done with email than ever before, view and edit Office documents right in your inbox — even if you don't have Office installed. New Features and Changes: Eliminate Junk mail, the clutter New Windows Live Hotmail leverages Microsoft SmartScreen Technology to fight with Spam.It is an anti-spam technology used also in Microsoft Forefront, Exchange, and (for anti-phishing) Windows Internet Explorer 8. SmartScreen distinguishes between legitimate email messages and spam based on IP reputations, user reporting, third-party sources, semantics, botnet detection, signature recognition, and more. It is because of the SmartScreen that Windows Live Hotmail filters as much as 98% of spam correctly. Save time and get more done With new Hotmail, you can quickly find and read the email that's most important to you and can see all your Facebook and other social network updates in one click. The new Hotmail also brings all your online contacts into one convenient place — even those from services like Facebook, LinkedIn and MySpace. Hotmail Wave 4 is indisputably superior to Gmail, now you can send up to 10 GB in attachments. View and edit Office documents in the cloud The new Hotmail enables you to view and edit Office documents right from your Hotmail inbox, regardless of whether you're on a Mac or PC. You get the familiarity of Office, and your docs look great because your formatting is preserved. No software other than your browser required. To Read more about Windows Live Hotmail Wave 4, Visit – http://www.windowslivepreview.com/hotmail/ Related posts: Windows Live Wave 4: What's new in Windows Live Hotmail What's new in Windows Live Wave 4, Are you ready?

 

Preview of the new Windows Live Essentials

This video is the preview of Windows Live Essentials 2011 suite (Windows Live wave 4).