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CloudMagic – Find What You Need In Gmail, Google Apps & Twitter Quick & Easy

Posted on 26 January 2012. Tags: Apps, CloudMagic, Easy, Find, GMail, Google, Need, Quick, Twitter

Nowadays, we are all signed up for so many different services, it can be hard to keep track of them all. We all have Gmail, Google Apps, Twitter and so many more accounts. When you need to find something specific, it can be a real hassle. CloudMagic is a service that is designed to help you search Google Apps, Gmail and Twitter, all from one convenient place. With one simple search query, you will be able to find results from these services, without having to check each one individually.

CloudMagic is available as an application for Android and iPhone, as well in your web browser via their website, a handy Google Chrome extension and a Firefox add-on. Basically, if you are looking for a way to make searching for stuff easier, there is a one hundred percent chance that CloudMagic offers a way for you to use their service. We all want to make our lives a little easier, and CloudMagic could be just the solution you need.

What Does CloudMagic Do?

CloudMagic allows you to import your Gmail, Google Apps and Twitter account so they can all be searched from one place quickly and easily. With CloudMagic, you can type in a search query, and it will scan all three of the accounts for that term.

Therefore, if you typed in the name “John”, for example, it would find any instances of John appearing in your Google Apps, any emails with the name John and tweets. This makes it much easier to find something that could be on any of the accounts.

Setting Up Cloud Magic

Of course, if you are going to be using the Chrome, Firefox, iOS or Android version of the app, you will need to download and install them. If you are using the browser-based version, you can simply point your browser to cloudmagic.com.

Setting up Cloud Magic is a breeze. Whether using one of their mobile apps or doing it from your browser, the first step is creating a new account. Creating an account only requires an email address and a password. It literally takes about two seconds.

Once you have created an account the next step is to link your account with your Google and Twitter accounts. To do this, you will need to click on “Settings” on the mobile app and “Services” on the browser-based app. From there you will need to click “Add New Service” and log in with whichever service you would like to add.

If you log in with your Google and Twitter accounts on your phone, these accounts will be there when you log in on the computer, and vice versa. This makes it easy to use your mobile app while on the phone and your computer when you are at home.

Using Cloud Magic

Using CloudMagic is a snap. Once you have your accounts synced, simply click the search bar and enter what you are looking for. It will quickly scan all of your accounts to find items matching the term you entered. The search is blazing fast; it is quite impressive.

You can narrow your search to only specific things. If you only wanted to find calendar events that match your query, you can simply click the “Events” button. This way, if you wanted to find a doctor’s appointment without seeing tweets and emails about it, you could do so.

Of course, simply showing you the results would be useless. That is why you can click any result to be quickly directed to the proper application, either from your phone or from your computer.

Conclusion

This is a great application for quickly finding what you need from select services. I hope that they incorporate other services such as Facebook and other email clients (but let us be honest, almost everyone uses Gmail). As it stands, it is a great solution for organizing your Google and Twitter account, and I definitely recommend checking it out on your platform of choice.

Web Link
iTunes Link
Android Link
Chrome Link
Firefox Link

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A Quick Guide To Android Versions & Updates [Android]

Posted on 22 July 2011. Tags: Android, Guide, Quick, Updates, Versions

class="align-right" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/androidversionthumb.jpg?54167" alt="" />If someone tells you they’re running Android, they’re not saying as much as you’d think. Unlike the major computer operating systems, Android is a broad OS that covers numerous versions and platforms.

Understanding the constellation of options can be a bit overwhelming, but that doesn’t have to be the case. If you’d like a quick-and-easy way to make sense of Android’s many builds, as well as how to update to the latest, read on.

Fragmentation Station

Although Google’s mobile operating system has been successful, it has been plagued by a singular but severe problem. That’s fragmentation – the tendency of Android to fragment into numerous different versions.

This is why retailers and carriers often market devices based on the version of Android they carry. The latest build for smartphones has been out for months, but isn’t available on many phones sold in stores. Then you have tablets, which are a different situation entirely.

Let’s quickly run through the Android builds sold on the market today.

Android 1.x

class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/androidversion1.jpg?54167" alt="" width="570" height="401" />

Android 1.0 was release on September 23rd, 2008 on the HTC Dream (known as the G1 in the US). It’s long gone, but there are still some devices sold that use Android 1.6. These are generally budget tablets or inexpensive smartphones like the class="vt-p" href="http://www.amazon.com/LG-GT540-Optimus-Unlocked-Warranty/dp/B004XIE68W/ref=sr_1_16?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1310594340&sr=1-16">LG GT540 Optimus. This build is significantly out of date. While it includes Androids basics, like the Marketplace and and Widgets, it lacks support for many camera features, lacks Adobe Flash or class="vt-p" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/dir/tag/html5/">HTML5 support, and lacks support for newer versions of class="vt-p" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/dir/oldersibling-bluetooth-location-tracking/">Bluetooth.

Avoiding Android 1.6 devices is wise. It can be tempting to save money on a smartphone or tablet by going for a product running this older version of Android, but in the long run it’s not worth the savings.

Android 2.x

class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/androidversion2.jpg?54167" alt="" width="356" height="292" />

This is the latest line of updates for Android smartphones, with the newest build being Android 2.3. Most smartphones sold today run Android 2.2 or 2.3.

Although 2.0/2.1 is an improvement over the 1.x builds, you’ll definitely want to buy something with 2.2 or higher. Why? Because that’s when support for Adobe Flash was added, and it’s also when WiFi hotspot functionality was added. In addition, the latest class="vt-p" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/dir/android-market-marketplace-for-android-apps/">Android Marketplace revision requires Android 2.2 or better.

Android 2.3 is the latest edition, and it includes some nifty extras like native class="vt-p" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/dir/tag/voip/">VoIP support and a new download manager. Although not an essential feature, buying a smartphone with the latest build certainly won’t hurt.

Android 3.x

class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/androidversion3.jpg?54167" alt="" width="570" height="410" />

Also widely known by the code-name Honeycomb, this version of Android is available only for tablets and will likely never be released on smartphones. If you are purchasing a tablet, this is the version of Android you want. Accept no substitutes!

The interface of Honeycomb is much different from other versions of Android, and major elements like the keyboard, notifications system and web browser have been redesigned to take advantage of the larger displays found on tablets.

Android 3.1 is the latest build, but it’s not a major update. It adds support for peripherals like external keyboards and gamepads and makes some minor changes to the UI.

Updating Your Android Device

class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/androidversion4.jpg?54167" alt="" width="254" height="361" />

With the information above you’ll be better equipped to buy a new Android device, but what if you already have one and want to update it to the latest version?

Unfortunately, it’s not as simple as downloading a file and installing a patch. New versions of Android are distributed to smartphones on a device-by-device basis. In other words, the release of Android 2.3 is not something a user downloads directly from Google. Instead the update, if it is available for your Android, would be delivered when you run Software Update through the Settings menu.

With that said, you may be able to update to a newer version of Android without official support by class="vt-p" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/root-android-phone-superoneclick-2/">rooting your phone and installing a ROM based off a newer version. The process of doing this can be laborious and is generally different for each device, so it’s wise to check out the class="vt-p" href="http://forum.xda-developers.com/forumdisplay.php?s=1df342b1293f813f7947cd25bcd02041&f=565">XDA Developers forum and look for information about your device.

Conclusion

Personally, I think that Google should do a better job of reducing fragmentation in the future. The wide variety of Android builds running wild is out of control. At the very least, it could provide an official guide for users who need to know information about the version of Android their device is running and what that means. I’m not holding my breath – but a geek can always hope. What do you think?

href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/quick-guide-android-versions-updates-android/">A Quick Guide To Android Versions & Updates [Android] is a post from: href="http://www.makeuseof.com">MakeUseOf

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Diagramly – A Handy Tool For Creating Quick Flowcharts

Posted on 11 June 2011. Tags: Creating, Diagramly, Flowcharts, Handy, Quick, Tool

class="align-right" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/image-159.jpg" alt="creating flow charts" />In the age of infographics, flowcharts are a great tool for getting your point across without using too many words. If you routinely create flowcharts as part of your work, you may already be using a full-featured product such as class="vt-p" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Visio">Microsoft Visio. But if flowcharts aren’t yet a big part of your process, you may want to give class="vt-p" href="http://diagram.ly/">Diagramly a look.

The best thing about Diagramly is how accessible it is. You just click a URL, and you’re in. There’s no download, no account registration, and you don’t even need Flash to use it. It really couldn’t be simpler to get started. The worst thing about Diagramly (I’ll just get this out of the way right now) is the utter lack of documentation. For example, check out this diagram I made for you, showing the ideal MakeUseOf reader’s workflow:

class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/image-160.jpg" alt="creating flow charts" width="556" height="246" />

Pretty easy to understand, right? It took about 45 seconds from the moment I first loaded Diagramly in my browser until I had this diagram. But did you notice how all steps use the same icons? That’s not because I think you guys are cogwheels in MakeUseOf’s giant machine – it’s because I simply couldn’t figure out how to change the icon! I clicked all over the interface, right-clicked the bubbles and did just about everything I could think of, and yet I was unable to change the icon. This is where you come in, by the way – feel free to leave a comment and tell me what I missed.

Let’s take a look at the UI:

class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/image-161.jpg" alt="create flow charts" width="579" height="348" />

I included Chrome’s address bar on purpose, so you’d see it really is a Web app. The border between web apps and desktop apps is growing ever fuzzier, and Diagramly is a good example. The interface is very snappy, too. You can drag a marquee around multiple elements to select them all (or Ctrl-click them one by one, if they’re not adjacent). You can adjust the zoom level, and select diagram components from a rich library of high-resolution icons.

Here are just a few samples I picked at random:

class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/image-162.jpg" alt="create flow charts" width="380" height="435" />

Why there is a class="vt-p" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shield_of_david">Shield of David there, I have absolutely no idea. I think it’s just supposed to be a star, but it has six points for some reason. At any rate, you can see the icons are very detailed. I believe I’ve seen them before elsewhere. Diagramly’s creators must have obtained permission to use existing icon sets. Having such high-quality icons is very handy when you’re trying to get a visual message across quickly. You can just draw an arrow from the $ icon to the Mac icon — the message is clear.

Once you’re done crafting your masterpiece, you can save it in one of a number of formats:

class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/image-163.jpg" alt="creating flow charts" width="337" height="230" />

Saving as an SVG is very handy if you have a desktop vector editing application (such as the free and open-source class="vt-p" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/awesome-free-tools-infographics/">Inkscape). As I’ve already mentioned, documentation isn’t exactly Diagramly’s strong suit, so I have no idea what type of XML it saves. I’ve inspected the resulting XML and it lacks a class="vt-p" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Document_Type_Definition">DTD declaration, but you can certainly open it back using Diagramly (I’ve tested this).

Bottom Line

Should you use Diagramly for your multi-million dollar keynote? You can probably guess the answer by now. But if you have an idea you just want to lay down on screen very quickly, and without futzing about with a software download and installation, with opening an account, or with any of the other hassles most diagramming tools present, then Diagramly is the way to go. If you make anything interesting or funny, do share in the comments! />
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Take & Restore Quick Snapshots Of Your System State With SmartClose [Windows]

Posted on 06 April 2011. Tags: Quick, Restore, SmartClose, Snapshots, State, System, take, Windows

Sometimes I wish life has a rewind button that will let us go back to the past and undo all the damage that we’ve done – to restore everything to the ‘previous working state’. Events in our life might be irreversible, but things are different in the computer world. You can restore your system to any previous state you want, as long as you have the necessary backups.

Windows users have “System Restore” that they can count on. But that feature isn’t the quickest way to do it. Meet SmartClose, a really tiny application that will help you to quickly take and restore snapshots of your system state.

Take This Tiny Tool

Other than long-term safety precautions, taking system snapshots is also advisable prior to software installations, especially for those who install and uninstall lots of software regularly. With a snapshot ready, one can cleanly erase the presence of a newly installed software. This method is better than traditional uninstallers which always litter the system with unwanted leftovers.

Looking at various system maintenance applications with DVD-size files, I never thought that SmartClose would measure less than 700KB. It’s small enough that you could put it in your Dropbox folder and install it on your other computers. The interface is also simple; just one small window with five menus. So everything is accessible from here.

take system snapshot

With the program installed, we are ready to begin.

Snap Some System Shots

The first time you use the app, you will be guided by a wizard. Check the “Don’t show this introduction page again” box to skip it the next time you take other shots.

restore system snapshot

The first step of the wizard is to choose tasks to be performed before taking the snapshot. In general, these tasks are mainly about stopping every unnecessary computer activity before taking the system snapshot.

restore system snapshot

The wizard will also let you add applications to the “Protected Programs” list. The list contains critical applications that will not be closed due to their importance to the system.

restore system snapshot

The next step will let you choose the location to save the snapshot.

system snapshot tool

Before starting the process, you will see a window with a list of all the tasks. Click “Start” to begin.

system snapshot tool

Restore From A Recorded Shot

To restore your system using one of the snapshots, choose the second menu under “Create a system snapshot …“. You will have a similar wizard guiding you, but the steps go the opposite way from the first one.

The wizard starts by letting you choose which system snapshot you want to restore from. The default choice is the last saved snapshot.

system snapshot tool

Then it will relaunch all the closed applications. If there are some applications you’ve opened before running the restore wizard, click the “Uncheck Running Programs” button before clicking “Next“.

03c Launch Programs

The wizard continues by asking you which components you want to restore.

03d Sys Snap Options

Then you’ll see the list of tasks. Click “Start” to begin the restoration process.

take system snapshot

To see how SmartClose performed, I took a snapshot of my system, installed several new applications, then restored my system using the latest snapshot. I found no trace of the applications I had just installed. So we can conclude that SmartClose would be a great companion for people who love to try out new applications.

Do you think SmartClose would be useful for you? Do you prefer to use Windows’ System Restore instead? Or do you use another better alternative? Please share your thoughts using the comments below.

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SplashTop – A Free Operating System For Quick Internet Browsing

Posted on 27 March 2011. Tags: Browsing, Free, Internet, Operating, Quick, SplashTop, System

class="align-right" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/SplashtopOS.jpg" alt="free netbook operating system" /> class="vt-p" href="http://www.splashtop.com">SplashTop, the company behind the instant-on operating system features of many current netbooks has recently released their Chromium-based complementary netbook OS for anyone to install. It’s lightweight, with Chrome built-in, and is pretty darned fast.

If you’re already running Windows, perhaps it’s worth taking a look as it’s designed to run alongside and get you booted into an Internet-ready session in seconds. You’ll also get the power of class="vt-p" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/6-chrome-web-apps-check">Chrome web apps.

Download & Install

class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/splashtop-os-install-1.png" alt="free netbook operating system" width="570" height="410" />

Head over to class="vt-p" href="http://www.splashtop.com">SplashTop and down the latest SplashTop OS. It’s a small 2MB installation file, but once you launch the application it’ll download a further 312MB over your Internet connection.

class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/splashtop-os-download.png" alt="netbook operating systems" width="500" height="63" />

When THAT installation has finished, you’ll be given the option to import either IE or Firefox favourites as well as your Wi-fi settings, which is a nice touch. Restart the machine, and your boot menu will now show you a SplashTop OS option too. The boot-up is hardly instant, but it’s certainly faster than Windows.

class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/splashtop-os-select.png" alt="free netbook operating system" width="580" height="155" />

Features At A Glance

The Internet, with Google Chrome.
Chrome Apps.
A sandboxed environment.

That’s it, basically. It’s not designed to replace Windows. It’s a simple no-frills approach to using the Internet. So why would you use it then?

Faster Boot Time

So you don’t have to wait for the bulk of Windows to load. It’s not just the time taken to show you a desktop either – once you’ve loaded the desktop, you often still have to wait for various drivers, anti-virus software, automatic update checks – all of which prevents you from doing your simple 2 second Internet search. If 90% of your netbook use is using a browser, then you really don’t need all the bloat of Windows. SplashTop provides a simple alternative.

Snappier Response

If you are running lots of background apps in Windows when you really just need the Internet, it’s a pain to close them all after a Windows restart just to get a quick speed up. On limited netbook machines, every ounce of computing power that you can squeeze out is important.

Sandboxes Security

You can’t download files to your hard drive, only to USB drives. While this might be annoying, it does provide a great deal of security by preventing browser based attacks – of which there are none for Chrome anyway.

Easy Reset

For security reasons or anonymity, there is a Restore Defaults option under the Enviromental Settings -> General screen. It will wipe everything, and restore the initial OS image.

Making Use Of An Old Computer

Okay, so you need to install Windows first, but then you can install the lightweight SplashTop OS for daily use as a basic Internet station.

Although I wasn’t able to make screenshots within the OS, here’s a short video from SplashTop to tempt you.

width="580" height="430"> name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ryrBGjRx7v8&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&version=3" /> name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /> name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /> type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="580" height="430" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ryrBGjRx7v8&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&version=3" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always">

If you’re worried about trying this out on your main machine then bear in mind it unfortunately won’t work on a virtual machine (at least it wouldn’t for me). Don’t worry though, an uninstall option is added to your Windows installed programs list so it’s easy to get rid of if you don’t like it.

Conclusion

Despite apparently being powered by Bing, all my test searches using the browser bar defaulted to Google, so don’t let the Bing branding scare you off. It’s simple, lightweight, perfect for a quick browsing session on a netbook. It’s not going to replace your main Windows installation, and it’s not supposed to – it’s complementary. If you’re living in the cloud though, it’s a great way to simplify your computing experience.

Let us know in the comments what you think of it. />
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A Quick Guide To Developing Android Apps With Google App Inventor

Posted on 05 January 2011. Tags: Android, Apps, Developing, Google, Guide, Inventor, Quick

class="align-left" style="border: 0px none; margin-left: 20px; margin-top: 5px; float: right;" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/androidrobot.png" alt="developing android apps" width="232" height="270" />Ever since I first received my Droid, I’ve been very curious about how people produce some of those amazing applications on and off the Android market. I’m a programmer, but not a gifted hacker by any stretch of the imagination. I’ve mastered Visual Basic and Coldfusion, but when it comes to writing an application from scratch that would work on a mobile device, I was certain that was well beyond the scope of my abilities.

When it comes to writing mobile apps, the closest we’ve come at MUO is Beth’s article on class="vt-p" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/develop-simple-iphone-app-submit-itunes/">how to develop an iPhone app. Even with the iPhone approach, you need to learn Objective-C. In other words – you’ve got to learn how to become a coder. Well, for those of you that appreciate visual-based programming like me, then you will be very happy to learn that Android has made it possible for anyone with even the most basic programming experience to create their very own high-quality and highly functional Android applications. The secret weapon to developing Android apps? It’s called the class="vt-p" href="http://appinventor.googlelabs.com/about/">Google App Inventor and it’s offered at Google Labs.

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Setting Up Google App Inventor

The App Inventor consists of three parts. There’s the design tool, the blocks editor, and finally configuring your phone.

The first thing you have to do is set up your phone. Go into Settings -> Applications and make sure that “Unknown sources” is selected. This allows the Blocks Editor to install itself and communicate with your phone for testing purposes.

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/designerA.jpg" alt="developing android apps" width="281" height="500" />

Then, click on “Development” and make sure that you’ve enabled both “USB debugging” and “Stay awake.”

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/designerB.jpg" alt="how to build android apps" width="281" height="500" />

Guess what – that’s all you have to do to configure your phone to work with the programming tools.

When you first sign up to use the App Inventor, you’re going to need to install the Block Editor as one of the steps. This is a Java application that installs onto your computer, and it gives you the ability to modify the behavior of the “blocks” that you’ve created in design mode, and it communicates directly with your phone.

Once you’ve signed up and you’re in the design tool, just select “New” and name your first project. In this example, I’m going to get started on a matching game for my kids where they need to match images of cats on a 3 x 4 grid.

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-62195" style="border: 1px solid black;" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/designer1.jpg" alt="how to build android apps" width="424" height="338" />

The design tool is set up a lot like Visual Basic and Visual C++, where the objects that you can use are on the left, and the design area, or “form” is in the center. In this case the form is the individual screen, and you can have multiple screens per app (just remember to include navigation).

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-62196" style="border: 1px solid black;" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/designer2.jpg" alt="how to build android apps" width="575" height="427" />

Once you click and drag a component onto the screen, it shows up on the right side of the design app under Components. Under “Properties” you can view and modify the initial display properties of that component.

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-62197" style="border: 1px solid black;" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/designer3.jpg" alt="how to make android apps" width="442" height="439" />

Now below I’ve basically created a screen with a 3×4 table (you can find this under “Screen Arrangement“) and then I added 12 buttons with individual cat images for each “image” property of the buttons.

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/designer4.jpg" alt="how to make android apps" width="571" height="440" />

Once you start using the Blocks editor, all of these design properties can be modified. As you can see below, I defined the image of button 1 as a blank image (which I loaded in design mode as a grey image called “Image1″).

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/designer5.jpg" alt="how to make android apps" width="520" height="375" />

As you can see, everything is visual – there’s no coding here. Under “My Blocks” I chose the “Screen1″ component and dragged the “Initialize” event to the center program area. You need to tell an event what to do when it takes place, so I dragged the Button1.Image property into the box, and then told it to make that property use “Image1″.

After about an hour of playing around – I finished programming the initialization of all of the buttons when my app first loads, as well as what to do when the user clicks on the first button.

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/designer6.jpg" alt="" width="529" height="476" />

As you can see, even an application like a matching game can require that you carefully consider every possibility. You can program for all possibilities by defining and programming component events. The example above can get complicated, so if you’re just getting started, stick with something simple like the example Google provides when you first sign up. You can graduate from there when you’re comfortable with the programming and testing process.

As you can see in the left navbar in the design tool, you have access to just about everything your Android can do – sensors, contact list, video players and much more.

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-62201" style="border: 1px solid black;" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/designer7.jpg" alt="" width="478" height="438" />

So – here’s my work of art, programmed, tested and then finally installed onto my phone in about an hour. I still need to program the rest of the buttons as well.

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/designer10.jpg" alt="developing android apps" width="478" height="566" />

Needless to say, the fact that I could even get anything to run on my phone with about an hour’s worth of effort is impressive. I thought it would be nearly impossible.

So, sign up to become a developer and try out the Google App Developer yourself. You may be surprised, you may find yourself creating some of the coolest applications imaginable. All it takes is a little bit of patience and some time to play around with the development tools.

Let us know if you were able to succeed in developing your own Android apps and what you think of the design and block editor tools in the comments section below!

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5 Quick & Simple Ways To Write Your Life Logs With These Minimalist Online Journals

Posted on 14 December 2010. Tags: Journals, Life, Logs, Minimalist, Online, Quick, Simple, these, WAYS, Write

class="align-left" style="border: 0px none; margin-left: 20px; margin-top: 5px; float: right;" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/Shutterstock-Diary.jpg" alt="free online journals" width="250" height="167" />In the digital world, the difference between a journal, a diary, and a blog is fuzzy. A blog is meant to be shared with those around you. An online or offline journal is more personal. You can of course, remove the padlock and share it with the world but I guess most would like to keep it closer to the chest. My two penny opinion says that the difference mainly boils down to the degree of laziness. A blog needs more upkeep; an online personal journal can be used to record random and disjointed thoughts. But let’s look at it this way, the web gives us so many ways to connect with others and also with ourselves.

Writing a journal is like having a conversation with one’s own self. Treat a journal like a ‘digital wall’ to vent your feelings on or just use it as a ‘digital cupboard’ to store memories. In both cases, a journal is a priceless companion. Here are seven free online journals for your thoughts.

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class="vt-p" href="http://ohlife.com/b">OhLife

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/Journal01.jpg" alt="free online journals" width="580" height="393" />

OhLife makes journal keeping dead easy by not asking you to come to their site every day. It simply sends you an email every night at 8pm asking you about your day. From the comfort of your inbox, you can type in your thoughts and send it forth like a regular email. That’s it! The easy-to-use and easy-to-keep philosophy tries to promote the habit of journal writing by dressing it up as an email activity.

You can choose to go to the site and read all your past entries when you feel like it. The posts get listed in chronological order and when it’s time for nostalgia, you can read them out to yourself.

I really like the minimalism of this free online journal and the ease with which I can keep up the journaling habit by not forcing myself to visit one more site at the end of a tiring day.

class="vt-p" href="http://www.memiary.com/">Memiary

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/Journal02.jpg" alt="online journal" width="580" height="511" />

Memiary will make you believe that if you have had five interesting experiences the whole day, it has been a day worth recording for keeps. Memiary calls itself the weightless pocket diary. It is really that as all you have to is sign up and put down five thoughts for each day. You can even do it on the go if you have an iPhone. The five points a day really add up and you can keep them organized with tags (just add a #before any word and it turns into a tag).

It takes just about ten seconds to jot down five thoughts and the tag organization should really help when you add up all the memories. (See class="vt-p" href="http://makeuseof.com/dir/memiary-online-diiary-keeping/">Directory mention)

class="vt-p" href="https://secure.motodiaryapp.com/">MotoDiary

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/Journal03.jpg" alt="online journal" width="580" height="326" />

MotoDiary is another simple journaling tool without any frills. It uses some HTML5 features for storage so it’s still not compatible with Firefox. It runs on Chrome, Safari, and IE. As you can see from the screenshot above, the interface is only about your words. MotoDiary is a highly secure application. The FAQ says that the encrypted key is stored locally and not sent to the server. The app auto-saves entries to the hard disk and uploads it to the server when online.

MotoDiary displays the potential of HTML5 in a utilitarian interface. (See class="vt-p" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/dir/motodiary-secure-online-journal/">Directory mention)

class="vt-p" href="https://tweetprivate.com/">TweetPrivate

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/Journal04.jpg" alt="online journal" width="580" height="462" />

Some people consider Twitter to be the closest thing to an instant free online journal. Why not? Twitter has become the medium for channeling all your rants and raves. TweetPrivate takes your Twitter habit and turns it inside out. Log in with your Twitter account, log your thoughts in 140 characters or less, but instead of tweeting it out, store it here and keep it private. These tweets can include pictures too. Later, you might choose to release these tweets and post them to Twitter’s public stream. By using TweetPrivate as your personal diary, you can archive your tweets and search them by date.

TweetPrivate is a cool application if you have fallen prey to Twitter (or SMS) and evolved into using only 140 characters or less.

class="vt-p" href="https://penzu.com/">Penzu

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/Journal05.jpg" alt="free online journals" width="580" height="425" />

Penzu comes with a few decorative features like an interface which resembles a lined notebook. The free account is limited but it serves its purpose adequately if you are not too into customization and tools. The free account gives you basic encryption with a password, photo uploads, plus sharing options with email and link. You can set up a notification to remind you to write every day.

The Penzu Pro account with all its features is appealing, but the free account is a quick fire journal tool that keeps things simple. You might grow to like the notebook style pages (see class="vt-p" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/dir/penzu-journal-online/">Directory mention).

If you are looking for customization and editing options, then you will be disappointed with these apps. For that I will always recommend class="vt-p" href="http://www.livejournal.com/">Live Journal. But I believe when it comes to journaling or keeping an online class="vt-p" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/dir/tag/diary/">diary, it’s best to start simple, keep it about the words and move on. For the making of a habit, these five online journal apps serve as a minimalist starting point. Your thoughts?

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7 Reliable Sites To Do A Quick Free Anti-Virus Scan

Posted on 29 October 2010. Tags: Antivirus, Free, Quick, Reliable, Scan, Sites

class="align-left" style="border: 0px none; margin-left: 20px; margin-top: 5px; float: right;" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/intro1.jpg" alt="free anti virus scan" width="200" height="200" />It’s highly likely that you’ve had some sort of experience with a class="vt-p" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/8-sources-follow-computer-virus-news-alerts/">computer virus in the past. If not, then lucky you – but you can never be too safe, especially class="vt-p" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/7-security-tools-you-absolutely-must-have/">if you’re running Windows.

Online free anti virus scan apps have been around for a while, and whilst they’re no match for class="vt-p" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/best-programs-to-keep-your-computer-secure/">standalone software they certainly have their uses. Perhaps you’re on an unfamiliar PC that’s acting a little strange? Or maybe your existing software has been disabled, and you’ve frantically restarted in Safe Mode looking for a solution.

Below you will find 4 websites to check and verify that your PC is virus free, and 3 to upload and check individual files to help prevent an outbreak. Let the scanning begin!

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Online PC Scanners

class="vt-p" href="http://quickscan.bitdefender.com/">BitDefender QuickScan

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/quickscan.jpg" alt="free anti virus scan" width="580" height="273" />

This free scanner will work in all major browsers, and requires a quick addon to be installed before you can scan. Simply visit the site, click Scan Now, agree to the installation and accept the EULA.

Your PC will then be scanned in record time to let you know whether or not you’ve got any nasty viruses, class="vt-p" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/how-to-get-rid-of-a-trojan-horse-virus-that-wont-go-away/">trojans or other malware hiding in your PC’s memory. It won’t scan your whole hard drive, but if class="vt-p" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/10-quick-fixes-to-make-your-windows-computer-faster/">your PC is acting up and you suspect malicious software is to blame, QuickScan should find it.

class="vt-p" href="http://www.pandasecurity.com/activescan/index/">Panda ActiveScan

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/activescan.jpg" alt="free online virus scan" width="580" height="365" />

Unfortunately ActiveScan will only work with class="vt-p" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/6-reasons-why-firefox-is-safer-than-internet-explorer/">Internet Explorer or Firefox, although Panda recommends you install the IE Tab Classic extension for compatability if you’re running class="vt-p" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/5-chrome-extensions-quick-clever-navigation/">Chrome.

For a quick scan of running processes choose Quick Scan or if you’d prefer to delve a little deeper you can opt for a Full Scan. Once you’ve chosen click Scan now and you’ll be prompted to download either an extension (if you’re running Firefox) or an class="vt-p" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/how-installing-an-activex-control-can-open-the-door-to-hackers/">ActiveX control (if Internet Explorer’s your thing).

The scanner will update its definitions and then run the scan of your choice before delivering the good or bad news.

class="vt-p" href="http://housecall.trendmicro.com/">TrendMicro Housecall

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/housecall.jpg" alt="free online virus scan" width="580" height="376" />

Housecall is completely browser independent, which means you can access it from any web browser. It achieves this by packaging the scanner into a small executable file which when run scans your PC for any signs of malware.

There are two versions to choose from – class="vt-p" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/difference-32-bit-64-bit-windows">32bit and 64bit – and you should make your choice based on your operating system. In case you’re wondering what version you’re running, open Control Panel in your Start menu and choose System. Once you’ve downloaded the file, run it and the definitions will be updated for you.

After you’ve accepted the EULA click Scan Now to see what’s lurking on your PC.

class="vt-p" href="http://www.f-secure.com/en_EMEA/security/tools/online-scanner/">F-Secure Online Scanner

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/fsecure.jpg" alt="free online virus scan" width="580" height="287" />

Utilising the class="vt-p" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/top-5-websites-for-java-application-examples/">Java platform to check your PC for nasties, F-Secure should run in any browser provided you’ve got Java installed and class="vt-p" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/what-is-javascript-how-works/">JavaScript enabled. To launch the scanner you must accept the license terms by checking the box and then click Run Check.

You’ll need to authorise the Java applet to run before the scanner will launch in a separate window. You’re then free to choose between Quick Scan, Full Scan and a customized My Scan (where you choose which bits of your hard drive to check).

Once you’ve chosen the scanner will update its definitions (it’ll take a few minutes, but stick with it) and your PC will be checked for problems.

Individual File Scanners

class="vt-p" href="http://virscan.org/">VirScan

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/virscan.jpg" alt="free virus scan" width="580" height="302" />

The VirScan service allows you to upload a file (up to 20MB) and check it against more than 30 other sets of definitions from the web’s finest anti-virus solutions.

You can upload class="vt-p" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/the-top-3-file-compression-extraction-softwares/">.ZIP and .RAR files with a maximum of 20 compressed items, and even give the archive a password of “infected” or “virus”. Simply click Choose File followed by Upload and your file will be scanned, showing you the results in your browser.

class="vt-p" href="http://www.virustotal.com/">VirusTotal

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/virustotal.jpg" alt="free virus scan" width="580" height="391" />

With support for both file upload and URL checking VirusTotal is a popular online virus scanner (so check the server load before you submit). Not only can you upload via the web form on the homepage, but you can class="vt-p" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/dir/sendtodropbox-email-files-to-your-dropbox/">email your files (again, 20MB maximum filesize) to scan@virustotal.com with “SCAN” in the subject field.

You will then receive your results via email once your scan has been complete. Much like VirScan, VirusTotal uses a database of definitions assembled from all over the web.

class="vt-p" href="http://virusscan.jotti.org/en">Jotti

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/jotti.jpg" alt="free anti virus scan" width="580" height="434" />

Operating much in the same way as the previous two engines, Jotti allows you to upload a file of 20MB or less for submission to a selection of the web’s anti-virus engines.

You should know the drill by now – click Choose File and then Submit file to receive your results.

Conclusion

Online solutions are a great way to protect your data but these services are still no match for installing a dedicated virus scanner on your machine. There’s plenty of completely free solutions out there, some of which have adverts and the odd pop-up and others that just sit there and do their job.

We’ve got class="vt-p" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/ten-best-antivirus-programs/">a list of the 10 best right here, and it’s also worth watching out for spyware with programs like class="vt-p" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/stop-and-delete-spyware-with-malwarebytes-windows-only/">Malwarebytes and class="vt-p" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/spyware-terminator-%E2%80%93-free-real-time-spyware-protection/">Spyware Terminator. No virus scanner is completely immune to attack, and the best thing to use whilst browsing the web is your common sense.

Have any of these services helped you out in the past? Ever tackled a particularly vicious virus? Got any security tips? Sound off in the comments.

Intro Image: class="vt-p" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-62499904/stock-photo-big-green-virus.html?src=f107c23b741385e1b6b8dde65372cbd2-2-76">Shutterstock

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“adding Videos on Website” Tool

Posted on 24 August 2010. Tags: Adding, don't, Guide, Miss, Quick, This, Tool, Videos, Website

By using the right “Adding Videos On Website” Tool you can easily get more than just converting your video(s) into Web format – how about getting a lot more traffic? When you see how this technology works you quickly understand how effective and beneficial it is for almost any Website owner. Luckily generating streaming movie files has never been that easy – read more in the following article.

Quick overview

What does “Adding Videos On Website” Tool do? – It takes your videos and transforms them from their original format to a special and highly popular Web display format called .FLV. The converted Webvideos(s) are ready to be displayed once you update your html page(s) with a small code and then post the files onto the Webserver. The webvideos created in this process use streaming technology – they can be displayed immediately without having to wait till the entire file is downloaded.

Advantages

The solution described in this article enables us with the following:

* It is easier and faster than generating plain text.
* Enables you to download, convert, and play YouTube videos on your Website(s).
* Upload very small file size compared to other similar solutions.
* This Web-marketing solution is a fraction of the cost of TV commercials.
* Enables you to auto-redirect your visitors to an affiliate link & get a % of their purchases.

We could list many other important benefits provided by this advanced tool simply because it eliminates many technical difficulties involved with this encoding process.

Conclusions

Many Webmasters already recognize the fact that “Adding Videos On Website” Tool is a ‘must have’ tool simply due to the fact that plain text by itself just isn’t enough to promote an online business. Now that you know more about this technology it is advised to run it on your systems so you could explore the fascinating opportunities that it provides.

Posted in UtilitiesComments (0)

Best Registry Fix Software – Quick Review & Free Scan!

Posted on 18 August 2010. Tags: Best, Free, Quick, Registry, Review, Scan, Software

Locating the Best Registry Fix Software isn’t that difficult, or at least it should not be that difficult. When you think of it you can find anything you need on the World wide web: reading user testimonials, accessing related blogs, and even trying a wide range of of these products and find out if they worth both your time and money. This review will show you how anyone can quickly locate the best win-registry maintenance software.

Looking for the top windows reg. ‘cure’ application(s) is quite an important task, think of it, this system is about to ‘touch’ your Window’s reg. system, this part of your Windows system is very complex, vulnerable, and critical, you don’t want an unprofessional program to do that.

As you already know there countless windows reg. fix tools on the internet, searching for the Best Registry Fix Software can be time consuming and even become quite difficult; however, anyone can easily make this research fast and easy if you follow these quick and effective guidelines.

The very first step you need to take is to perform a quick search on the web and locate the quality 3-5 registry cleaning solutions, filter those that don’t provide a free scan, take the opportunity and install those who do provide free download and identify which programs are the easiest to operate, a good registry application should be easy to operate by any user at any level, now, conduct a test scan with each software and watch the results, don’t compare each tool by the total number of problems that it has identified, but by their level, check which program truly found critical and important errors rather than just small non critical ones.

As you research for the Best Registry Fix Software check the the provider provides live 24/7 support, verify that they suggest automatic software updates, and check program provides scheduled scans, by the end of the day we are all busy people and we want to make sure that our System is being handled properly year round. Keep this in mind, win-registry repair program isn’t just another ‘nice to have’ tool installed on your Pc; this is a highly important tool that can easily help you prevent severe pc functionality problems, so take this task seriously before you decide on installing such software on your System.

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Video Driver Scan – Quick Update !

Posted on 14 August 2010. Tags: Driver, Quick, Scan, Update, Video

Hold on – before you get a video driver scan tool and load it onto your pc, i strongly recommend that you do a little research on the subject first. It’s a fact that average pc users struggling with errors have no idea that what is often to blame is one or more archaic, malfunctioning driver(s). This may seem hard to believe, but i’ll show you how to improve your search for drivers, so be sure to read the helpful hints below.

Click here to get a video driver scan tool now!

As a pc user, you will find that every few months or so you find yourself having to update or install a new or missing driver for a certain piece of software or hardware. You probably don’t have a clue as to which driver(s) currently loaded on your pc are current and which are archaic; chin up! help is on the way. Transmitting instructions from windows to a hw component, a driver is a crucial piece of software, as in its absence you simply aren’t able to run your assorted peripheral devices. Happily for pc users everywhere, there is a solution which enables you to locate and download the latest and greatest model of the driver(s) you need. This solution not only has the power to locate any driver – it also saves you time by refreshing your motherboard, usb and webcam drivers, etc.

It’s unfortunate that your windows system doesn’t provide for other drivers that you may have installed, therefore, you’re on your own in that area. Easy, fast, and reliable, this method is terrific for those among us without much experience dealing with such vital files without technical assistance. The drivers your computer uses are essential – in the event you’re determined to go it alone, just remember to pay close attention or you may run into a variety of hassles.

Once you have this utility installed, whatever your present needs are – whether to get a video driver scan tool or a sound card driver, it is programmed to find exactly what you need. You have to realize how many errors and incompatibilities that you can dodge as, behind the scenes, all your drivers are always kept up to date. Would it be able to find what you were looking for? Check it out – just download your choice of these tools and watch it do its thing; if i’m this satisfied, i’m sure you’ll find it convenient, too. One can only wish that in coming versions the windows update tool will supply automated updates to these critical files as well. One tip to remember: if you have an old computer that is untrustworthy and errors and system failures are common problems i suggest you update all its drivers – this step will often help it perform at its best again.

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Microsoft Registry Fix in Three Quick and Easy Steps

Posted on 12 August 2010. Tags: Easy, Microsoft, Quick, Registry, Steps, three

Microsoft registry fix can help rid of slow computer problems, crashes, freezes, delayed responses, challenges installing or uninstalling software, and other symptoms related to the Microsoft Windows registry.

Unfortunately, cleaning and repairing the registry is not a choice. If we do not maintain the system, it begins to grow in size due to empty keys and corrupt or invalid files. There are only two ways to complete the Microsoft registry fix. The first way is manually, which takes a great level of skill and knowledge and can cause major system problems if not done correctly. The second way is to get good quality software to do the job for you.

If you want to try the repair on your own, Microsoft has an extensive amount of resources on their support website, but be prepared for a long process. On the other hand, good software will complete the repair for you in 10 minutes or less. This article will concentrate on locating and using software to do the job versus manual processes.

The Three Steps to Microsoft Registry Fix

1. Create a Log of All of the Problems You Are Having

The point of this step is to gain a full understanding of the problems that exist so you can determine what the registry software is able to repair (in later steps) and what problems still need repair (if any).

It is important to write down anything you can think of from slow computer problems to constant reboots (on its own) to slow start up processes. The examples at the start of the article will give you ideas. List the frequency it happens and which programs are open on your PC at the time.

Later you will refer back to this list, so make it legible for yourself.

2. Decide on Software, Download, and Scan For Free

This is the most time consuming part of the entire process because it includes choosing the product first. Once the product is chosen, the scan and repair processes are fast.

If you are unsure of what to look for in a quality Microsoft registry fix product, the main qualities to find are:

Easy to download and understand software

Registry optimizer features in addition to just repair tools

Custom file selection choices (which files to repair)

Automatic Back up of files so you can return to previous file state if needed

Once you locate a solid product to do the initial scan for you, run the scan for free and wait for the scan results page so you can see what errors are found on your system. If errors are found, move on to the next step. If errors are not found, you will want to decide whether to continue as getting a good registry cleaning product is always a good choice.

3. Once Problems are Detected, Invest in the Full Version of the Software

The purchase of the same software that completed the scan will be the next step. After scanning, there will be a prompt to pay for the repair if errors are located. This is an easy process and takes just a minute. You will be offered a choice of downloads on one computer or multiples (for a quantity price). Decide which avenue is best for you and complete the repair. The repair is extremely fast.

Once you purchase the software, you will have a year on the license to complete scans and repairs as often as you like, which is a good idea anyway.

After completing the Microsoft registry fix and closing others files, restart your computer and take note of how many of the symptoms are cleared up from your initial list. You can then rescan and repair and see what else is detected and repaired, or you can add a good quality spyware, adware, and malware remover to your ongoing protection plan.

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“adding Videos on Website” Tool

Posted on 07 August 2010. Tags: Adding, don't, Guide, Miss, Quick, This, Tool, Videos, Website

Quick overview

Advantages

The solution described in this article enables us with the following:

We could list many other important benefits provided by this advanced tool simply because it eliminates many technical difficulties involved with this encoding process.

Conclusions

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Realtek Hd Audio Driver For Windows Xp – Quick Download !

Posted on 28 July 2010. Tags: Audio, download, Driver, Quick, Realtek, Windows

I believe i found the best way to download a Realtek hd audio driver for Windows XP without even having to visit the manufacturer’s official website or practically any other site. To make things even more inconvenient, many pc users don’t know how to properly search the internet in order to download and install drivers. Before you conduct another driver search on the internet, be sure to follow this quick and important guide – it can save you a lot of trouble.

Click here to download a Realtek hd audio driver for Windows XP now!

In many cases pc users unintentionally install or already use defective drivers and unfortunately this is the point where they start experiencing various problems with their pc. Using proper drivers is essential not only for the performance of a specific device, but for the entire performance of your windows. Let’s first understand what a driver is – without being too technical, it is a small program that controls a device, for example printers, keyboard, or hard drive, etc. I would like to get your attention for a specialized solution that not only finds any official driver, but it automatically installs that driver for you without taking any risks. Not only does it enable you to find any driver, but it even updates your video card, ‘blue tooth’ and wireless device(s) driver, etc.

You have to remember that software and hardware manufacturers constantly update and improve their drivers. By using such a solution you can easily find any driver for any device in just a single click and without even opening a web browser. Should you choose to install drivers manually, you owe it to yourself to make sure that these drivers are 100% compatible with your windows system.

I have no doubt that many pc users would prefer to download a Realtek hd audio driver for Windows XP by using such a solution and not by visiting random websites. This unique approach keeps your drivers up-to-date the same way that you (hopefully…) update your windows system. I always say that seeing is believing, so give it a try and see for yourself if it found your driver – after all, you’ve got nothing to lose. I believe that in the near future more and more pc users will adopt these helpful tools and add them to their pc’s maintenance toolbox. By the way, if you have an old computer that is unstable and prone to lockups and crashes then try to refresh that pc’s drivers – it may easily solve these problems.

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Ntdll.Dll Error In Windows XP – Quick Help !

Posted on 27 July 2010. Tags: Error, Help, Ntdll.Dll, Quick, Windows

Frustrated by error messages? actually, there’s a solution that will easily allow you to fix an ntdll.dll error in Windows XP even if you have a poor grasp of your computer’s inner workings. Your pc is important to you, and you care about its upkeep, but no matter what you do, at unexpected (and inconvenient) moments the windows system will frustrate you. You’re moments away from learning that taking care of aggravating pc errors doesn’t mean you have to call in the pros.

Click here to fix an ntdll.dll error in Windows XP now!

Before we go any further, realize that if you are to nip a windows error in the bud you’ll have to repair it as quickly as you can, otherwise it can grow, and multiply! Doing some simple web surfing on common computer troubles brings to light some significant information: in most cases, the root of the problem is a corrupted registry system. It’s an important area that the registry has charge of: all the settings that are required to run your hardware and software alike – impaired or incorrect settings are often the cause of computer errors. Sure, repairing a faulty registry is normally done by those trained in computer repairs, but you can now benefit from several user-friendly repair utilities that provide safe, fast, and effective results. With these tools you can detect a wide range of trouble spots, including new things that haven’t yet made themselves known.

The registry is comprised of numerous value types, like Reg_binary; this concept may be foreign to you, but it is vital to leave this specific data unaltered. If you employ one of these utilities, you can successfully locate and repair various common windows problems: exe errors, slow performance, dll problems, etc., which can be traced to your registry system. In case you love a challenge and would rather handle your registry all alone, i would advise you to make a backup of the registry before doing anything.

In conclusion, with what you’ve learned by reading this article, you can now quickly fix an ntdll.dll error in Windows XP in just a few minutes from now. If you have an old and slow performing pc, don’t give up on it; instead try to clean and refresh that pc’s registry system – it may save you buying a new one. Whichever problem(s) you encounter, take a moment to establish that you have enough free disk space available as a shortage of disk space can also cause problems. Although computers are doubtlessly much more predictable than they were a decade ago or less, it’s still common (and still inconvenient) to come across sudden errors and other hassles. Naturally, there’s lots more to say on this topic, however, i believe that the information provided here is sufficient to get you on your way to error-free computing.

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6 Quick Fixes To Common Cell Phone Camera Problems

Posted on 27 July 2010. Tags: camera, Cell, Common, Fixes, Phone, Problems, Quick

common cell phone problems Back in May, MakeUseOf published 10 Tips to Take Better Digital Pictures With Your Phone’s Camera.

In this article, I will address some particular common cell phone problems that users run into when taking photos with a cell phone camera; and we all know, there are plenty.

The problems addressed in these article will apply to most any cell phone camera, though I use the iPhone 3G camera for illustration.

Blurry Images

The easiest and probably most common cell phone problem with cell phone photos is they end up blurry. This occurs for a couple of reasons.

Cell phone cameras need to be properly held. You always want to hold the camera steady with both hands. The tricky part is clicking the shutter button after holding and composing a shot. So one thing to remember is that typically the shutter of the camera does not activate until the button is released. That means you can first push and hold down the button, frame your shot, and then release the button to release the shutter. Avoid trying to frame the shot while you push down the button.

Also try to rest part of your phone on one of your fingers or in the palm of your hand to get a firm grip.
You might also try bracing your camera against a wall or on a table to help you steady a shot. Even setting up a tripod for your cell phone camera is a useful idea for portrait and group shots.
The less ambient light you’re shooting in, the more likely you’re going to get blurry photos. Because you can’t increase the shutter speed or open the aperture wider on a cell phone camera, you need to shoot in the brightest area possible, or use a flash if your camera has one.
If the shot is not blurry but still not as sharp as it needs to be, you can try using an image editor to sharpen the images — but this is less than ideal.

Shooting Moving Subjects

Because cell phone cameras have slow shutter speeds, it’s nearly impossible to capture moving subjects. To address this problem, you might try using an iPhone camera application that delivers multiple shots (or what is called burst mode) after the shutter is pressed. Check out this article for a couple of great iPhone photography apps: The Best Free Alternatives To Top Commercial iPhone Photography Apps

Furthermore, to shoot moving subjects like children you definitely want to shoot in the brightest possible light to compensate for the slower shutter speed. The photo below is an example of the type of moving subjects that are nearly impossible to freeze capture using a cell phone camera.

common cell phone problems

Photos Lack Contrast

As with most digital photography, photos typically lack good contrast especially when shot in low light settings. The best solution for this is using an image editor and processing photos after they are taken.

how to fix cell phone camera

Image editors such as the free iPhone app, Photoshop Mobile, have automatic brightness/contrast tools that can make the colors in your photos pop.

how to fix cell phone camera

Subject Looks Too Small

There’s an easy solution to this one. Shoot close. You need to zoom in with your feet, even if you camera has a digital zoom. Fill the frame with the subject of the image. This is something that you do no matter what you’re using. In an image editor, you can also crop your images to make the subjects closer; however, because cell phone cameras have lower resolution than many point-and-shoot cameras, cropping too much may result in increased pixilation, especially when photos are printed. So zoom with your feet, instead of the lens, to get the best close-up you can. Experiment with shooting from different angles to get a better shot.

Images Are Dark

The obvious problem with dark photos is that there was not enough light when you took the shot. If your camera does not have a flash and you’re shooting in a low light area without a flash, there’s really nothing you can do to address this problem except get more light on the subject. Indoor lights at night are typically not enough light for cell phone cameras. You will need a flash.

common cell phone problems

Backlight

Also, watch for what is called backlighting. That is, when there’s more light in the back of the subject than there is facing the subject. So make sure the light is coming from behind you and is facing the subject.

In my experience, camera apps like the free and pro version of Camera Plus for the iPhone address some the problems described above. While cell phone cameras may never be a good replacement for point-and-shoot cameras, the portability of mobile cameras make learning how to use them more effectively worth the effort.

Let us know how you fix particular common cell phone camera problems. Have you found an application or two that is helpful for your camera photography?

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