This site gives tutorials in multiple areas. I have gone through some tutorials like LPI & Regular Expressions. The authors write it very clean, in simple language making it very easy to understand. First site to go to, to get any tutorials.
Site: http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/
Google has got Knol, its answer to Wiki and About.com, out of beta last wednesday. They claim the feature that takes home win against others is Authorship. An author is stated against each Knol, which can have multiple authors. Other features include rating of knols, featuring of best-rated knols on homepage, etc. etc. Many exist that can be explored with a Knol account.
It supports three licensing for knols.
For quite sometime now, we had been searching for a software that would help in 3D modelling. Maya and 3D Studio Max 9 come as the obvious answers to these needs. But these are licensed (not for OpenWorld :( Though there are trial versions available and also there are free versions available with lesser functionalities).
Continued on this endeavour and found scores of free softwares lined up for 3D modelling. Search was narrowed down by asking for softwares that are recommended for Architectural use. Found some softwares called Animor, etc etc. I dont even remember now. Downloaded them few days ago.
But finally, the search had to stop at SketchUp, to be precise, Google SketchUp. It has grown from what it was about half an year ago, when I had first downloaded and tried out. But, the way in which people have used it, I am amazed. Some Architectural sites like this, are hosting tutorials for Google SketchUp (Unimaginable!!!). They believe, its the most easiest and most capable software to create simple to complex structures. An Architects' Blog containing tutorials on SketchUp also exists.
Google itself has provided lots of tutorials, video tutorials to understand and learn using GSketchUp. It has now got a huge repository of additional 3D models that can be imported directly in GSketchUp. There are also some additions to SketchUp created by third-parties (fans). One such is V-ray by asgvis.com. Plus there are Ruby Scripts that can be used to add required effect provided by GSketchup themselves, available here.
There are two versions, Google SketchUp 6 and Google SketchUp Pro 6 (paid version available for US$495) with 8 hours trial version availble for trying out.
Google SketchUp 6 (free version) can be downloaded from here.
First Edit : Forgot to say about Video Tutorials. One can download video-tutorials (compatible with Macromedia Flash Player) at this site (Sketchups' homepage). To download from Googles' site on Sketchup, following jugglery is required.
Below Screen shot explains everything.
Description:
Click on Start, Settings, Control Panel , then double-click on Mouse . (XP Users: Start / Control Panel / Printers & Other Hardware / Mouse.)
On the Mouse Properties window, click on the Pointer Options tab and you will see where it says Hide Pointer While Typing (again, note that not all systems have this feature). Give a check mark in the box. Click Apply , then OK and your on the way to less distracting typing!
Want to get a Screen Saver at your command and not automatically after a particular interval? Then create a Shortcut Key to your favourite Screen Saver on your desktop and click on it whenever you wish to run that screen saver!
If there is a default screen saver set for your system, then both might run. Hence, disable the default one (set it to 'None'). 'Password-Protect' will still be active.
Steps:
A screen will pop up asking you for a command line. Click the Browse button.
A box will pop up that allows you to hunt for the file you need the shortcut for. By default, it filters results only for program file extensions (.exe). Your screen savers end with the extension .scr , so you'll need to select All Files from the File of type drop down box. Win 2000 users will have a slightly different screen, but it works in a similar way (no drop box - "all files" are automatically selected).
:)
Desktop Toolbars
Have you ever had several windows open and needed to get to a shortcut on the desktop? I know I have. You have to minimize all three windows just to start the other program. But there is an easy way to fix this problem. Create a toolbar with your shortcuts in it!
Here's how. First, right click on the windows toolbar on the bottom of your screen. You will get a little menu. Go up to the toolbars option. Another menu will slide out. Left click on “ New Toolbar ”. This gives you a window where we can create your toolbar.
Next, left click once on the word “ desktop ”, so it is highlighted. Then click the button “ New Folder ”. Give the new folder the name you want for your toolbar. Let's say… My Shortcuts . Click OK .
The window will close and you will notice a new folder has been placed on the desktop with whatever name you gave it. Left click-and-drag this folder to the edge of your screen. When you release the mouse button, the folder will magically become a toolbar. Amazing!
You say “So what? All I have is an empty toolbar.” Well, now that we have created the toolbar, all we need to do is to put some shortcuts in it.
To do this, just drag the icons you want from your desktop into the toolbar. If you want some for the start menu, just find them in there and drag them over too.
All right, now you have full toolbar, but it won't go away. Here's what you do. Right click the name on the top of the toolbar. A menu will be displayed. To make the toolbar disappear when your mouse is not over it click on “ Auto-Hide ”, if it is not already checked. Open this menu again and click on “ Always on Top ”, again only if it is not already checked. This will allow the toolbar to be displayed over the windows you are using. With this menu you can also change the view, whether the title is displayed, and if you want text with the icons.
To enhance the use of this tip you may want to create more toolbars (one for each side of your monitor.) This is great for organization. At one time, some had toolbars for documents, games, and Microsoft Office. The only problem is that with multiple toolbars containing lots of icons the start-up time is slightly longer (on a slow computer anyway). In my opinion the wait is worth the ease it provides later.
Web Page Shortcut Keys
Wouldn't it be cool to have hot-keys for your favorite web pages on your desktop? For instance, if you type Ctrl+Shift+G it would bring up Google while Ctrl+Shift+S would bring up SSSIHMS. Well, by combining a few simple techniques in Windows XP you can.
First, go to the web page that you want a shortcut for and put it on your desktop by right-clicking a blank area of the page and selecting "Create Shortcut".
Now that you have the shortcut for the web page on your desktop, right-click the link and select "Properties" (or Alt+double click).
Under the "Web Document" tab look for "Shortcut key". Put your cursor in the box then type a letter. It will automatically add "Ctrl+Alt+" in front of it. You can also create any combination using Ctrl, Alt, Shift plus a keyboard character by typing them at the same time.
After you're done you can bring up the page with your new key combination any time you need to. Use it for search engines or even your online email. Keep in mind that it will open up in your default web browser.
We all have seen Google Search Engine sitting inside Firefox Browser. Earlier, if I had to search something, I used to create a New Tab (Ctrl+T). Cursor would automatically be blinking in the address bar. Then Tab, so that the cursor moves to the Google Search Engine query box where we can give in the key words to search.
Today, accidentally found out that there is a way to directly go to Google Search Engine query box with Ctrl+E. Ofcourse, opening New Tab remains same. But incase anytime we want to go to that box within same Window or Tab, instead of using mouse, this shortcut would be handy.
F4: Alt+F4 - Closes active window and application
Ctrl+F4 - Closes active sheet or document within the application (closes one window instead of the whole program)
F5: Refresh button
Shift+F5 - Cursor jumps back to the location where it was last in Winword
Example:
Picture this: you’re working on a big document and you’re making some adjustments just on page 17, but you forgot something you needed on page one. So, what do you do? You end up scrolling all the way back up to the first page. Once you find what you needed, you have to go all the way back down to page 17. Aye, make it stop!
Here’s a quick way to solve that conundrum. Simply hold down the Shift key and press F5. The cursor will automatically jump to the exact place where the cursor was before you moved it.
Now, even better. You’re still on page 17 and you save and close the document. When you re-open it, the cursor will be at the very top of the first page. Press Shift+F5 again and you’ll immediately jump right back to where you were on page 17.
I had heard this terminology for quite some time. But never bothered or cared to know what it meant. But today learnt that toggle key is any key that has more than one functionality (some say, having even one functionality on the keyboard puts up that key as a toggle key). Egs being Caps Lock, Num Lock, Scroll Lock for they are binary in nature - On or Off
StrokeIt
We all have heard a lot about keyboard shortcuts, but have you ever thought about mouse shortcuts? They really can be very useful! You don't even have to look down at your mouse. You just draw whatever you need to with your mouse. It's so cool! Not only does this make you look very professional, but it can save you loads of time too. Now, you might be thinking, "Where can I get a program that lets me do all of that?" Well, don't stop now. Keep reading to find out!
StrokeIt allows you to program different mouse gestures so that you can perform common functions, right within all of your favorite programs!
To get started:
1.) Click here to download StrokeIt.
2.) After you install the program, you will be prompted to restart your computer, so go ahead and do so.
3.) When your computer restarts, open StrokeIt and the program will look like this:'
4.) As you can see in the left pane, there is a list of several programs you have on your computer. Internet Explorer should be listed there as well. Click the listing for that and two sub-entries will appear. They should say Back and Forward.
5.) Click on the Back link and in the right pane, you will see this:
The programmed gesture for Back is drawing a line to the left. If you click the Forward link, you will see that the gesture for going Forward is drawing a line to the right. Let's test those shortcuts out, shall we?!
6.) Minimize StrokeIt and it will appear in your taskbar like this: 
7.) Open Internet Explorer and visit two or three Web site. Then hold down the right mouse button and draw a fairly straight line to the left and release the button. A blue line should appear. When you let go, the page should go back to the previous site you were on.
8.) Try the same thing with a line to the right. The browser should go forward. See how easy mouse gestures can be?! You're starting to get the hang of mouse shortcuts now, aren't you? That's great! By the way, all you Firefox fans, these same shortcuts work with Firefox as well.
Now, there are a lot of gestures programmed into StrokeIt, but it's a good idea to familiarize yourself with them right from the start.
1.) To do so, open StrokeIt and go to Edit and then click Learn Gestures.
Try drawing a line to the left and StrokeIt will recognize it as Left.
2.) Next, draw an A and, if you do it neatly, StrokeIt will recognize it.
3.) Now, close that out and then look over the list of programmed gestures. You'll probably see some of your most used programs, like WinZip and Windows Media Player. You can click on them to see the actions and the mouse gestures. How cool is that?!
Next, go up to the very top and click on Global Actions. A large list will then come down, like this:
These are going to be your favorite gestures, because they work in all programs! For example, up is copy and down is paste. Or, a down slash (/) for minimize and so on. There are so many more too. You just have to check them all out!
On pursuit to know about the User Interface elements possible in C# I, as usual, googled. Found this site called SitePoint.com, which has very well categorized in what all terminologies one needs to know before creating a website and then gives tutorials for multiple languages and Web elements. Worth a try
This watch has a plastic case covered by stainless steel mask with brushed silver finish and convex mineral glass with shiny raised index. The USB flash drive fits inside the watch case flush with the contours of the watch case - ready to hold your data safe and secure.
Features:The Watch with Hidden 4GB USB Flash Drive is available for $59.99 over at the ThinkGeek website.
- Japanese quartz movement
- Black polyurethane strap
- Luminescent hands
- 4GB capacity
- Watch dial size: 1.1 x 1 inches (29 x 25mm)
- Flash drive size: 1.5″ x .5″ x .25″ (38 x 13 x 6mm)
For all those people there who think that they have got a great blog with content which needs to be easily available for a larger audience, here is BlogBurst. They put blog like yours on major media sites.
Google is giving away code for some of its applications, is on its way to release for their other softwares, and host others' projects aswell. Details here.
One such product which went open is Google Browser Sync. Google had stopped any advancement (may be because it thought, the product had reached its summit). Its release post.
There is a one line code for a page scripted in php which will add security to the web page. It will not allow users to view it, till the correct password is entered. It is just a line-code and using it is damn damn easy. It is called Password Protect. You download it from here.
For detail, clear instructions on execution, go to their forum
Some videos (about 70 sessions) of presentations by Google Developers at San Fransisco are here.
Presentations at Mexico are here
They call these days as Developer Days where they have sessions with developers all round the Globe. Details here.
On October 11th Developer Days is going to be in Bangalore, India. Anyone planning to register?
Accessibility is a key to good design. Ease in which we can access, determines the uniqueness and richness of a web-designer. Accessibility has been taken up as another area to explore, re-invent and improvise as a component of Web 2.0
CSS was the beginning for accessibility (apart from (X)HTML). Then came AJAX (Asynchronous Java-Script and XML), AxsAJAX (this seems to be a term introduced by Google - Access-Enabling AJAX). WAI-ARIA is an evolving standard for enhancing accessibility on Web 2.0.
According to W3C, "The Roadmap for Accessible Rich Internet Applications addresses the accessibility of dynamic Web content for people with disabilities" [W3C on WAI-ARIA]. Google is using AxsAJAX and is on its way to improve all its products to make them ARIA compatible.
ARIA has been introduced in Google Reader with a magnification with '=' and '-' keys. Read this article from Readers' blog.
Adding to this effect, an extension has been creator by Charles Chen, a fellow Googler, called FireVox.
A comprehensive article on Web 2.0 and ARIA has been written here.
Microsoft is going to sell its products on subscription basis starting mid-July - Microsoft Office + OneCare for $70 per year. This, they hope, will reduce piracy of their products. At the same, help consumers with easy upgradation of their newer release as well.
Many say, with this move, Microsoft will be improving Google's popularity with GDocs!
Story here.
Pioneer Succeeds in Developing World's First 16-Layer Optical Disc with a capacity of 400GB.
Read the complete story from its press release.
Mozilla claims to have got maximum number of downloads of FF3 in 24 hours.
Inspiration came from this page of Mozilla with a view to host a party !
Complete details here
Account History of signing into Gmail including
Some services in XP may not be useful to us at all. Here is a Guide to Useless Services in XP, using which we will get some idea about some services which can be easily disabled.
Snippets of services that can be disabled:
For Any Computer:
Error Reporting Service
Help and Support
Secondary Logon
Security Center
System Restore Service
Uninterruptible Power Supply, more...
For a Standalone Computer alone:
Net Logon
NetMeeting Remote Desktop Sharing
Network Location Awareness (NLA)
Network Provisioning Service
QoS RSVP
Remote Desktop Help Session Manager
Remote Registry
Server
TCP/IP NetBIOS Helper, more...
For complete details, download this short-PDF
If one wants to read a PDF on any system without installing Adobe Reader or Adobe Acrobat, then PDF2EXE software is for you.
PDF2EXE is a freeware program to quickly convert PDF to EXE, making PDF readable on any computer without Adobe Reader or Adobe Acrobat software installed.
Is there any way I can make my shortcuts even faster?
As a matter of fact, there sure is! To begin though, why would you want to? Well, if you usually work with your programs maximized (for example, you can't see your desktop), it's easier to press a shortcut key combination than to minimize the current application and then click a shortcut on the desktop.
For example, I have shortcuts on my desktop to several of my most frequently visited Web sites and I've assigned them each a shortcut key.
Now, if I'm working in MS Word and need to hop over to one of those sites, I simply press its shortcut key. A browser window will open and voila, I'm on the site! It's much easier than minimizing Word, opening up Internet Explorer, hunting through my favorites, clicking on the link and having the page load. But with shortcut keys, I'm only a keystroke (or two) away!
Okay, here's how to set up shortcut keys for yourself:
1.) Right click on the shortcut you wish to have a shortcut key for and then select Properties.
Note: This seems to work best when the icon in question lives on your desktop. I've tried it time after time for icons in the Quick Launch toolbar (next to the Start button) and it just doesn't seem to work there.
2.) You'll see a box for the shortcut key. Click it.
3.) You won't be able to delete the "None" label that's currently sitting there, so don't even try (I mean, I guess you could try if you really feel the need to, but it won't get you very far!) Instead, just press the key you would like to use for your shortcut. You can use either letters, numbers or (my favorite) function keys. Finally, click OK when you're done.
Now, if you decide to use letters or numbers, you'll have to use Ctrl + Alt + yourkey to activate the shortcut. Function keys are a single keystroke affair (just be sure to pick ones you don't use in your favorite programs or you may be launching applications when you're really trying to do a function). Other than that, this little trick can save you a lot of time!
Source: http://www.worldstart.com/
Log Management is an important activity in any software. This link gives a useful article to know about what we need to care and important activities to be planned.
Hi,
This is a nice link on protected mode and real mode memory operations..... Click on the title..
Hmm...everytime to know whether there has been any addition of products or addition of features in any of the products in Google, we go to 'New Features' section under each product or directly to Google Labs (list of all products)
But today, went to a page on Wiki, which lists all products of Google. Found there are quite a few number of products, which I am hearing for the first time. Few of them are listed below:
Google Secure Access (about it on Wiki. Download unavailable)
Google Blogger Web Comments (Again download unavailable. But a good extension to Firefox)
Google Friend Connect, etc. etc.
In this earlier post of mine, a wedding was completely planned online using Google Products. Today came to know that this complete use of online resources, instead of local hard disk, to store, plan and execute is called 'Cloud Computing'
What Cloud Computing really means? Someone has tried explaining it here, since there are multiple connotations to this 'phrase du jour', as it has become.
Difference between Grid Computing and Cloud Computing:
Grid computing is a technology approach to managing a cloud. In effect, all clouds are managed by a grid but not all grids manage a cloud. More specifically, a computer grid and a cloud are synonymous, while a data grid and a cloud can be different. [From Wiki]
Some available clouds are here
A set of topics related to Cloud Computing
First time I encountered this addition from Google was at our Google Apps. Did not know then that they introduced it even in their 'usual' products list.
Finally, today I am working on preparing a site. Quite interesting...Google, as expected, lives upto our expectations. Some new features got added recently from the time I first used it (some 'a few' months ago at GApps)...Here is the complete list at its own official Blog.
So, Happy Si(gh)ting! :p
Hi guys ! One always wonders how the various components in the computers are orchestrated to produce a programming environment.. This site I came across is a good resourse of articles on OS related stuff... Hope it may be useful.. Click on the title to go to the site...
Good day
raghu
Earlier, for any survey which one wanted to conduct online, one had to find a ISP, create a form with HTML coding, and then receive responses through emails (one way of surveying). But now with Google Spreadsheets, one can create Forms as easily as editing a word document. With standard G-feature, one can publish it, share it as collaborators, viewers and even ask people to fill it out. There is a readymade code for embedding onto any website. All the entries through this form, will enter one Google Spreadsheet as a row. Thus, the whole data is readily available for processing...so easy.
One feature which was a basic requirement for filling up a form is making a particular field mandatory or optional. There was now way, earlier, to make a particular field mandatory. But today when I opened it up to create yet another form, noticed their change in layout (More Actions), and addition of 'this field is required'.
Many more improvements expected to better the visual look of the form. Sure its on its way! ;)
This got missed out yesterday. Learnt only now. There is a possibility of scheduling a post to a future date and time. Here are the details posted by Bloggers themselves.
Suppose we are having multiple webpages open, each with a different Google Product. If one wants to sign out from all of them, then one signs-out from any of the webpage and you are off from all of them. There is no way, one can sign out of one of Googles' multiple products and be logged in other Google product, unless you are signed in as different mail ids. Again, one cannot sign into multiple accounts of Google in Firefox....overheard someone saying, its possible with IE, but yet to try that out. Another way one can be signed into multiple Google Products through different mail ids will be to log in using different browsers for each mail id.
If now suppose one is using Google Apps For Your Domain. Say, you are logged into Gmail (and/or other Google products through Gmail ID or Google Accounts ID) and are also logged into GApps account. How to sign out simultaneously from both the accounts (extendable to respective multiple G-products) without signing out separately?
Google uses Cookies heavily for its AJAX renderation. Does this blink any hint? Clear cookies from your Browser, O la la, you are signed out of all G-products, including GApps! Its eaiser to log out in Firefox with the Shortcut combination Ctrl+Shift+Del (note its different from Ctrl+Alt+Del - a Shift shifts the gear). With one key combination, logging out becomes easier.
Found this Blog which claims to be analysing, opining, discussing and broadcasting information on Evolution of Internet, its future.
Terminologies talked about:
Blogger in Draft - as it is called by Google is the next version of Blogger. At the first glance itself, I selected this as my currect default layout. Many functionalities have been added into Blogger which exist in other Google Products.
Dashboard is much cleaner. This was one drawback earlier.
Layout
Many a times we click on a mail id, the ones with mailto: email protocol, and a wizard of the operating system opens up asking you to configure the mail-clients like Thunderbird, Outlook, etc. If you are like me, who does not use any mail-client but only webmail, and are also a fan of Gmail, then you might want to set Gmail as your default mail client for mailto: links. Earlier in Firefox RC1, they had included only Yahoo as a possible link handler. But now with Firefox 3, it can be extended to Gmail too, thanks to Gmail Blog and Lifehacker.
All the settings step-by-step are given at Gmail Blog who in turn picked up from Lifehacker.
This day I go back knowing about MP4. Had been hearing about it for months together, but finally learnt only today that MP4 is for video files as is MP3 for audio files. Though it gets little complicated than MP3 due to the same distinction.
MP4 is also synonymous to the term MPEG-4 AVC, AVC stands for Advance Video Coding.
MP4 retains the quality of video (DVD quality) as does the MP3 for audio files. MP4 players which are popular in the market can be connected directly to the system or television and be used for viewing MP4 files. Downloading MP4 files is much faster (upto rate of 1Mbps for broadband connection).
The most amazing is that this machine just cost as a better standard PC, but has 24 cores that run each at 2.4 Ghz, a total of 48GB ram, and just need 400W of power!!
I was searching for a Hardware Retail shop and accidentally stumbled upon this site. Amazing stuff. Need an adventure in profession? Here it is, ofcourse if you are in or interested in Computers Hardware section.
Cell comments enable you to place the electronic equivalent of a sticky note to any specified cell in a worksheet. Although many people use cell comments, many don’t know that cell comments are customizable.
When you insert a cell comment via Insert -> Comment, Excel will, by default, also insert the username for the PC being used. You can change this by selecting Tools -> Options -> General. The username will appear at the
bottom of the dialog box that opens, where you can type whatever you want to be shown by default. Although cell comments serve the simple purpose of displaying a message to either yourself or another user, you can customize the cell comment so that it better reflects your intentions.
Ensure that the Drawing toolbar is displayed by selecting View -> Toolbars -> Drawing. Insert a cell comment into a cell by selecting the cell and then selecting Insert -> Comment. This automatically places you in Edit mode, ready to enter text into the comment box. Left-click the outside border of the cell comment so that you are no longer in Edit mode. With the comment selected, select Draw from the Drawing toolbar, then Change AutoShape. You will be presented with a list of options including Basic Shapes, Block Arrow, Flow Chart, Stars and Banners, and Callouts. Choose an option, and the cell comment will change to the shape selected, as shown in Figure 1.
You can take this a step further by applying a shadow style to the comment to give it a more 
lifelike and three-dimensional look. Ensure that your comment is still selected, but that you are no longer in Edit mode. On the Drawing toolbar, click the Shadow Settings icon shown in Figure 2 and choose a shadow setting for the cell comment.
Another interesting thing you can do with cell comments is use them to display pictures without impeding on any associated data. For instance, you could insert a picture of a chart into a cell comment to better illustrate the data in the chart without having to show the chart all the time. To add a picture, ensure that the cell comment is selected, but that you are not in Edit mode. Left-click and select Format -> Comment, or double-click the Comment border. Select Colors and Lines from the Format Comment dialog box. From the Color options, select Fill Effects, and from the Fill Effects dialog, select Picture. Now browse to the picture you want to insert into the cell comment.
This was picked up today on Excel...Always wanted a way to work around with comments box and contents. This information is handy ...
Reuters
USA Today
Gannett
McGraw-Hill 
FoxNews
Internet Broadcasting
Rodale
Houston Chronicle
San Antonio Express-News
Austin American-Statesman
