Tech Blog › Archives › 2012

Computers have simplified our life to a great extent. Things that were impossible earlier can now be completed instantly thanks to computers. However, this does not mean that a PC is all work and no play.

Here are some of the best tricks you can try out on your Windows based computer.

Google's engineers love to hide some pretty cool tricks at the most unexpected places. Add to that Google's policy of giving 20% of working time to its engineers to do what they want, and you have a search engine filled with lots of entertaining Easter eggs and tricks.

Some of my important emails end up in the Spam folder due to incorrect filtering. So, I occasionally check the Spam folder to see if an email that was not spam ended up there. Today, while checking the Spam folder, I came across an email that was a classic example of a phishing message. Hence, I decided to share it here to point out some common tactics used in such messages.

Panda is the part of the Google algorithm that targets low quality websites. However, there has been some argument over the content Google treats as being low quality. This has led to many unhappy webmasters who believe that their websites have been incorrectly targeted. Google, maintaining secrecy of its algorithm, does not reveal much as to what it considers as being good content.

Shopping online is becoming increasingly popular with consumers of all ages. With fast shipping and websites selling virtually everything, online shopping is an attractive alternative to the hassle of visiting multiple stores.

Do you have private pictures of yourself or your family on Facebook which you don't want the entire world to see? Do you have private posts which you don't want people other than the intended audience to see? This guide will help you change your Facebook privacy settings to only allow your friends or people you know to see your Facebook photos (and everything else you post on Facebook). You can even customize the privacy settings of individual posts and individual albums to share them with a small group of people like your co-workers or relatives.

Whether you are a new user or a seasoned user of Apple’s iPhone, you're most likely not making use of your smartphone to the absolute maximum. With these simple tips and tricks, you won’t learn everything about your iPhone, but you will definitely become a more proficient user.

If someone has written an unfavorable comment about you and if the content pops up first when people Google search you, you will want to erase it. You may also wish to remove a post that you yourself posted on a website. As is the case with most websites, their terms and conditions deny you the right to edit your content once you post it! Such content can often come up in Google when people search for you. This can severely damage your reputation.

Whether you talk about private individual users or online business owners, both need to pay more attention to the safety and security of their data. The fact of the matter is that every year, millions of users report theft of their valuable data. In such a scenario, entrepreneurs and corporate managers have to take meticulous precautions to make sure that unauthorized personnel do not access their data. Security of personal and professional data is no longer an issue that can be brushed under the carpet; rather all stakeholders need to take corrective actions to put an end to the problem of data theft. Here are some handy tips in this regard:

The best things in life are free; but is this saying also true for web hosting providers? Yes, there are free web hosting providers that offer free web hosting. No monthly fees, no bills, no hosting packages; you get free web hosting services and even some perks that will help you create a professional web site for free.

An iPhone is a brilliant device and anyone who has one knows that it can make almost everything you do easier; whether that be looking for a nearby bar or sending e-mails to clients and colleagues. However, while you're probably familiar with many of the very useful aspects of your phone, there is a good chance that there are still things that you haven't made full use of yet. There are probably elements of your phone that you aren't using to the fullest. Here we will look at a few things to do with your iPhone that you perhaps weren't aware that you could do.

By now, it is certainly safe to say that Apple has gained a wider following than just the young, tech-savvy demographic that initially seemed to flock to Mac products. While Mac computers (and specifically the MacBook Pro) have steadily arisen in popularity, the brand’s move to household name is built largely on their fleet of iOS products, and specifically the iPhone. Apple boasts intuitive-yet-sophisticated software as at least one reason that users from a broad range of demographics are drawn to their products.

One of the best ways to promote your website and drive quality traffic is through Search Engine Optimization (SEO). There are many ways to promote; Paid Advertisements, E-mail Marketing, Social Media Promotion, Article Marketing, Forum Marketing, Link Purchase, Viral Marketing and the list can go on.

Did you know that the most unused feature on a smartphone is the phone itself? We just don’t call each other the way we used to. Instead we text, email, or Facebook to get in touch. This is the reason your phone doesn’t ring very often. When it does, you usually know who is calling you thanks to caller ID. Caller ID allows you to screen every phone call and only answer when you want to talk. If you don’t, you can ignore the call and return it when it’s more convenient to you. But what if just ignoring the call isn’t an option? Or what if you don’t know who is calling and you answer the phone only to find out that it’s someone you really don’t want to talk to? Here are some tips on how you can deal with unwanted phone calls.

As the news of network security breaches reaches more eyes and ears, thanks to high profile cases where millions of passwords were compromised, both consumers and regulatory agencies are putting increasing pressure on those in charge of enterprise security to step up their defenses.

The demand for notebooks has increased tremendously over the past few years. More and more consumers are choosing notebooks over traditional desktop computers. Notebook manufacturers are constantly adding new features to their products, thus making them even more attractive to users. Manufacturers are also frequently lowering prices in an attempt to create new customer segments for their products. Due to the dropping prices, more and more consumers are able to get access to notebooks. The other reason why notebooks are preferred by businessmen, students and working professionals is that they are portable.

Mobile security is a major area of concern for personal as well as corporate users. Since Android powered phones occupy the largest share of the smartphone market, they are increasingly being targeted by hackers and cyber criminals. With this increase, there is an increased chance that you too will encounter malware. So, what can be done about it?

We live in an age where we are surrounded by highly exciting, multifunctional and fantastic hardware. Devices like the iPhone and the iPad have genuinely managed to transform our lives by giving us the ability to contact our friends, access the largest information archive known to man, watch films, play games and more. This no doubt is a great thing, but it also means that sometimes we might also forget some of the more traditional items we have access to as well; we start looking for more complex solutions to potentially simple problems and we spend a lot of money and energy when it's not strictly necessary.

It’s possible. The title of this article may sound like a question from the tin hat brigade. It may also seem like the stuff of science fiction. However, current robotic technology is very close to being able to achieve this goal. That’s only the stuff we know about. Governments have a long standing practice of keeping the newest advances in military technology top secret. So, those insect bots may already be in use.

It's a writer's worst nightmare. The blank page. Whether you're writing a book, a blog, an article or an essay for school, you can encounter the same problem. You have ideas but you just can't think of a way to get started. You have to grip the reader from the start, and that challenge can be pretty daunting. It might help you to break down what makes a good first sentence.

Video marketing is basically a concept where companies or individuals come up with videos that are useful to the customer and also have some marketing message somewhere in the content. It could be an email address, a website or a telephone number. Usually, it is a very effective way of marketing; below is how to get started with it.

At present, managing distributed teams does not take much time and effort. Business is done ‘on the fly’ with the help of modern collaboration technologies. These are technologies that, in the olden days, could only be afforded by big businesses. With increased competition among service providers, the cost of these technologies has greatly reduced enabling just about every small business to be able to afford them.

Ever since humans began to experiment with self-made tools, civilizations throughout the course of recorded history have gradually developed various forms of technology to help make their lives easier and more efficient. Our humble beginnings with simple tools, however, have grown into something much more over the past few thousand years: We’ve eventually worked our way up to developing incredible technologies that have launched us into space and connected us together like never before.

The Raspberry Pi is a stripped-down, $35 computer-on-a-board created by the UK-based Raspberry Pi foundation to provide an affordable platform for beginning coders.

When you’re constantly on the move and rely on your laptop to perform when you most need it, you need to be sure that your battery won’t suddenly drain on you, leaving you in the lurch. If this sounds like a situation that you frequently find yourself in, perhaps you should look at upgrading to a laptop battery with a longer life. But if that step sounds a bit drastic, there may be a few things that you can do to prolong your battery’s performance, when you don’t have access to a mains supply.

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers - ICANN, to you and me - has come clean over a bug in their software that led to the leaking of personal information. ICANN are currently in the process of offering 'generic top level domains' to wealthy bidders. Unfortunately, due to a problem with the TLD application system, applicants were able to view confidential information on their competitors.

Google Analytics can be one of your best friends when it comes to managing your website and understanding how well your campaigns perform. Most people don’t look further than the number of visitors, traffic sources and bounce rate, but there’s so much more to it – and these four tips can help you leverage this free tool to learn more about the people visiting your website, and to use those insights to improve its performance.

A large majority of purchase decisions are influenced by online reviews – so it’s easy to see why businesses are so concerned about their reviews, and why some companies are willing to pay to get good ones. You don’t want biased reviews clouding your judgment, so here are six ways you can spot (and avoid) fake reviews with ease.

For many people their experience of ‘glossy’ screens comes from their shiny laptops, tablets and netbooks. This experience will undoubtedly have taught them the importance of regulating the lighting environment when dealing with glossy screens. Perhaps they can’t see (pun intended) the purpose of such a screen surface as they are unable to sit outside and make use of their device’s wireless connectivity in their sunny garden without being blinded by glare. Even in their brightly lit living room, they find themselves staring back at their own faces. The LCD monitor upstairs, on the other hand, sits there minding its own business with its nice matte screen surface and will display its image come rain or shine.

Everyone everywhere is talking on their cellphones, and everyone everywhere has committed some form of bad phone etiquette in their lifetime. The use of cellphones is always on the rise, and more people are finding new ways to use their phone in an unattractive and ignorant way. The following are a few things that cell phone users do that is considered bad phone etiquette.

WordPress is one of the most popular platforms in the world. If you're reading this, chances are you've heard of all of the insecurities your default WordPress installation has. Luckily for you, there are many tools and a few tricks to help make sure that your WordPress installation is as secure as it possibly can be.

The Galaxy S and SII were among the best smartphones of their respective generations. The S III is not a phone at all; it's a beautiful, magical pebble Samsung found in a clear mountain stream, and it loves you, which is why you shouldn't find its unblinking concentration on your mug at all unnerving. Yes, it has a giant brain that recognises your face, and your voice, and your friends' faces, and it'll keep watching you until you go to sleep - but it's not going to watch you while you sleep. That would be creepy.

It’s not difficult to get lost in a sea of digital camera choices. Certain digital cameras are meant for professional photography while the rest are sufficient for capturing still life no matter where you’re at. We have brought the main digital cameras to your screen for viewing which would best suit your needs or work well as a gift.

Has your marketing department just spent an obscene amount of time developing your awesome-looking Facebook Business page? Has your Graphic Design department finished pouring their blood, sweat and tears into your slick Pinterest site? Congratulations, it seems as if you’re well on your way to producing a compelling social media business presence. But don’t be fooled -- just because you have a shiny collection of social media accounts all revved up and ready to launch, in no way does this guarantee automatic customer participation.

Few can argue the convenience of being able to access your day's schedule with the touch of your smart phone button, or having the freedom to get online from just about anywhere. Despite all the benefits that technology has provided us, some experts are saying this love affair is, for some, turning into an obsession which will have health consequences down the road.

No amount of security features can withstand a determined and knowledgeable hacker. Fortunately, the chances of your home network becoming the target of a determined hacker are slim to none. Your knowledge of standard security options will be sufficient to prevent the vast majority of intrusions. Here are a few techniques to secure your wireless network against intrusion.

Web 2.0 was an outstanding concept and it can be harder to manage another version that upstages it but that is exactly what Web 3.0 is going to do. Ladies and gentlemen, we give you the concept of Web 3.0. Web 2.0 had great impact on users just as it was designed to do. Web 3.0,  however, goes further with its focus on taking data to the user, instead of making him or her simply visit a tired old website. It really is a case of Web 2.0 being history!

It's easy to have a smartphone or tablet, isn't it? We live in a world where we feel a sense of happiness when we look down at our phone and see that "3G", "4G" or "5G" indicator in the top corner of our screen. We feel even better when there is a wireless connection. It's no secret that we have become addicted to getting our information right away, checking our social media profiles, and even relentlessly checking our bank accounts as we move from location to location.

With the amount of information we keep on our smartphones, it's increasingly vital that we protect them and the data they house. I don't want to sound like a fear-monger, but the fact is that your phone can be lost or stolen, it can be destroyed, or its contents can be hacked via malware. Here are a few basic and advanced tips to consider to protect everything from your work files to contact information.

Suppose you wish to watch a movie or share a slide-show of pictures with your family on your PC but have a screen that leaves much to be desired. In such a situation, you can connect your computer to a television screen to allow your entire family to enjoy comfortably.

There are times when you forget your Windows password or someone changes it without your knowledge. In such situations, you will be locked out of Windows. To regain access, you can use some password recovery software to recover your Windows password. This article contains a list of some such password recovery software.

What a week this has been for this tech blog! I finally moved it from blogspot subdomain to a custom domain. I have been wanting to do this since a long time (ever since this blog started getting some attention), but I somehow couldn't manage to do so because of the fear of losing search traffic.

Have you ever deleted a file that you did not wish to and wanted to recover it but did not find it in the Recycle Bin? You probably deleted it permanently with Shift+Delete or emptied the Recycle Bin. Now what? Don't worry, you may still have a chance to get it back. This article lists a free software that can recover deleted files from your hard drive or any other storage device instantly.