Facebook Photo Zoom

If you socialize with Facebook, you might have felt it irritating every time you have to click a photo - Profile Photo, Albums, Wall photos etc.,- to enlarge it and then hit the back button in the browser to continue. This can be easily fixed by customizing the browser by installing a Facebook Photo Zoom Plugin to it. After the installation, the browser starts showing the enlarged picture when you move the mouse pointer over the picture.


This Facebook Photo Zoom plugin is available for both Firefox and Google Chrome Browsers. If you are using any of these browsers install the plugins from the links given below which surely enhances the Facebook experience. 

Facebook Photo Zoom at Work

For Firefox you can click here, click "Add to Firefox" button and then restart the browser to start using this addon.
And for Google Chrome go here and click the "Install" button to enable the extension.

After using it for almost a month now, I find it very useful and addictive that I take my mouse over the thumbnails in other websites like Google images, imdb.com and expect them to show the enlarged picture.

Try these plugins in your browsers and give your feedback.


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until next time.

Pictorial Guide to Ports and Sockets in a PC.

There are times when you have a hardware component with you but might not know what it is or where it goes in a PC. Here is a pictorial guide for you to identify the ports, the connectors and sockets for the components in a PC and covers most of the standard connectors in a PC.

Click to Enlarge

Special thanks to www.thewindowsclub.com and www.deviantart.com for this Info.

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See you soon.

Core i7 vs. i5 vs. i3. Which Processor should your next Desktop have?

Intel launched its new Core series in November 2008 with its Core i7. It still remains the fastest desktop processor you can buy in the planet. Later Intel introduced its Core i5 and Core i3 processors in 2009 for the mid-range and entry level desktop markets respectively. Now in India, you can get around 6 types of Intel processors(Dual Core, Core2Duo, Core2Quad, Core i3, Core i5, Core i7) and you - the consumer - are confused about which processor to select for the desktop you are going to buy. This post will help you answering this question considering the PC's application.

Core2Quad, Core2Duo and Core Duo Processors.

These processors from Intel are here for the past 4 years and they are still able to deliver performance for the High Performance, Mid-range and Entry Level Desktops. The problem now is that these processors are at the end of their life-cycle and are getting replaced by the new Intel Core series. When these processors are phased out, the motherboards and the memories which are available for them may go out of the markets too. So is it a wise decision to go for these processors now? I would say a definite no. I would  spend a few more bucks out of my pocket and go for the new Core series which are here to stay for at least for the next few years.

Intel's new Core Series.

Core i7, i5 and i3 are the new replacement for the processors mentioned above and they all have certain features in common. 

They are

1. All support 64bit architecture - They all can handle the new 64bit operating systems out there.

2. Have 256 KB of L2 cache  for each processor - The Processors are much efficient even at the core level since each core has a dedicated L2 Static RAM which can operate at great speeds

3. Base Clock Speed is 133MHz.

4. All support DDR3 RAM only. - DDR3 RAM is the new high speed memory which can transfer data at the speeds of upto 12.8 MBps.

Core i3 - Price : Rs. 11000 with the Motherboard.

Core i3 processors are targeted for the entry level market and they have received some good reviews from experts. The response from the consumer is also good for these processors.

Following is the list of what you can expect from an i3.

Haves

1. Two cores - Two processor cores are integrated in one chip

2. Virtualization - Execution of an Application regardless of the Hardware on which it is running.

3. Integrated Graphics - Supports playing HD Video and some entry level games

4. Hyper-threading - Each core in the processor can process two different processes.

5. Built on 32nm technology.

Have Nots

1. Turbo Boost Technology - A method of accelerating the speed(Over-clocking) of a core if the remaining core(s) is idle

2. AES Acceleration - Support for acceleration of Advanced Encryption standards like Bitlocker for Windows 7. 

With the above list of features, you can come to a conclusion whether Core i3 processor will suit you or not. If your application of a desktop is about emailing, entertainment, word processing and some entry level gaming you can definitely choose it for your PC. It can also handle some amateur Photoshop editing also. But if you are a hardcore gamer or a professional Photoshop or Avid user, this is not your piece of cake. Also don't buy it if you will encrypt you data on your hard disk for security reasons or as a part of your corporate policy. Go for the Core i5.

An i3-530 processor(2.93 GHz) is priced at around Rs. 11,000 along with the motherboard. Though this is a bit costlier than the Core2Duo, it is a definite value for money since it can perform much better than a Core2Duo at any point.

Core i5 - Price: Rs. 16000 with the Motherboard.

Core i5s are placed in the mid range desktops market and they are slightly costlier than the i3s. They have outperformed the Core2Quads and even Core i7 8xx series while you over-clock them. They are available in Dual core(6xx series) with Hyper-threading enabled and 4MB L3 cache and the Quad core variants of the processor come without Hyper-threading and 8MB L3 cache. They all have Turbo Boost enabled which can pump up the speed on demand till it reaches its physical thresholds. 

If you are looking at a performance Desktop which can handle your gaming needs and designing needs like Photoshop, Avid, etc., buy this processor. Actually you can use this processor for almost all the applications that demand speed and flexibility. Core i5-750 is priced around Rs. 16,000 along with the Motherboard here.

Core i7 - Rs. 26000 with the Motherboard.

This one is the best in the bunch. It is a bit pricier too. It has Quad core(4 cores in a Chip) with Hyper-threading built on 45nm technology, Turbo boost, 8MB L3 Cache, 3 channel memory addressing and Virtualization . It comes in two different interfaces, LGA1156(8xx series) and LGA1366(9xx series). Of the two, LGA 1366 is definitely a winner which gives the ultimates performance because of the utilization of the QuickPath Interconnect(QPI), a new type of communication protocol between the Processor and the Chipset. Core i7 does not have the integrated graphics as the x58 Chipset which supports this processor provides a 32 lane bandwidth to its Graphics architecture opposed to the 16 lane bandwidth provided by the integrated GPU in the Core i5s. 

I would not recommend you to buy the Core i7 8xx series processor as their performance is much equal to the Core i5 750 which is much cheaper. Where as If you are a gaming enthusiast who want to setup a SLI or Crossfire Video Card setup, go for the Core i7 9xx series processor. A Core i7 920(2.26GHz) costs around Rs. 26000 here with an X58 motherboard.

Core i7 Extreme Edition.

If you have thought that this is over, it is not. There is yet another Processor type called Core i7 Extreme Edition. These are the unlocked processor operating at speeds above 3 GHz from Intel for the gamers which can be over-clocked upto 4.2 Ghz. It also delivers 6.4 GT/s of data through the QPI channels compared to the 4.8 GT/s in the normal Core i7s. The Latest Core i7-980x has 6 cores with Hyper-threading and 980x is the fastest processor you can get for your Desktop PC. I was not able to get the prices here but found that the Core i7 975x is priced around Rs. 72000 on eBay. 

To Summarize

1. Core Duo and the Core2 processors are being phased by Intel with its new Core series processors. So it will be a bad idea to buy one of these old processors.

2. Core i3 Processors are suitable for day to day computing, HD entertainment, casual gaming and amateur Photoshop editing.

2. Core i5 gives you the power and flexibility which makes it the best suited processor for Professional AV editing, Gaming and Designing.

3. Core i7 is the processor for Gaming enthusiast who want to setup SLI and CrossFire.

4. Core i7 Extreme Edition. Go for this if you want the Ultimate PC. It may also find its place in CG Rendering.

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Will be back.

Customer Care Numbers for IT Companies in India

Finding a customer care number for any IT product is not an easy task for anyone. Even IT support companies like the one which I own does not have these numbers when we need it. To be frank I didn't have all the numbers with me before completing this post.It was really time consuming and tedious to create this post as I also had to  check whether these number are working.

I should admit that this list is not comprehensive because some big names like XFX, Transcend, Cooler-master do not have a local contact number and companies like iBall don't have a universal number for India.  If a brand is left out, please let me know, so that I can update this list. Readers who are subscribed through mail or RSS readers, please check this article online from time to time for any changes.

Please Note: These are customer care numbers for the users in India. They may not work for you if you are in other countries.

Customer Care Numbers for Tech Products


send a mail to admin@technologyis.in for any suggestions.


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Ciao...

Copying the text from command prompt in Windows.

I still feel that the command prompt in Windows is a very powerful tool while troubleshooting an issue on a computer. Though its Command Line Interface (CLI) is mostly onto typing the commands at the prompt to get the results, you can also use your mouse to do some copying operations which can be very useful many times. However this option works only in the windowed mode operation of the Command prompt.

The option to copy the information from command prompt might be handy at certain situations. Here are some of them.

1. You might want to copy a MAC address of a network card in your computer which can be found by a simple "IPCONFIG" command.

2. When you have to send a list of processes(from the "TASKLIST" command) running on your computer to an expert for advise.

3.  Creating a list of Files in a folder.

How to Copy the Text?

It is fairly simple. Let me explain about how to copy the MAC address of your network card.

1. Go to command prompt. (Start --> Run --> type cmd --> press Enter.)

2. At the Prompt type "IPCONFIG /all". You will get a page like this one given below. Please note that your results might differ from the picture.

3. From the big list of all the network adapter details of your computer, find the network adapter for which you need the MAC address.

4. The sequence of numbers next to the PHYSICAL ADDRESS is the MAC address of your computer.

5. Right click anywhere on the command prompt and click MARK from the context menu.

6. Select the MAC address with your mouse.

7. Right Click again to copy the marked text to the clipboard.

8. You can paste this detail to any document or to any form.

The operation demonstrated above will also be very useful while working on routers and switches on the network to configure port filtering etc.,

To summarize,

There is an option in command prompt to mark the text  with the help of your mouse. All you have to do is use the right click button and click mark. Select the text in command prompt and right click. The text selected will be copied to the clipboard.

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Laters

Affordable Portable Speakers from Logitech

Logitech has introduced its S150 USB portable speakers in India. These speakers are really good for the price you pay for it.


The portable USB speakers that are available here are priced at around Rs. 1000. This makes them a bit of a higher end for an person who is concerned about the budget and I have very rarely seen a person carrying  portable speakers for his/her notebook. Since there are some good alternatives for the desktops at around Rs. 500, these portable speakers were sold only in the notebook marketplace and are sold in lesser quantities.


Logitech's S150 gives you some decent sound output just like the other normal speakers and guess what? At the same price. I think that these speakers can even be used for Desktop PCs. It certainly has its advantages over the normal speakers can be placed along with them in the market.


Advantages


1. It takes the power from the same usb port through which it is connected to the PC - There is at-least one wire lesser near your UPS.
2. It does not need a sound card. - Yes. It has a built in digital sound system and it works perfect with Windows XP to 7. I have not checked it with Apple's iMac though.
3. The sound quality is almost the same as the normal speakers and it is affordable. - With the above two advantages these can be considered as strengths too.


One small piece of advise. These speakers are not for people who are looking for a professional, great sounding speakers. It also lacks a headphone and a microphone port which would have been a great value particularly when you are using these speakers since you had a problem with your sound card. But for its price tag it is a best buy you can get. Try this one and it definitely won't disapoint you.


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Goodbye for now.

Free Tally for Three Months

Tally holds a major share in the accounting application market in India. It has come up with an option of trying it for three months before you actually buy it. During this period tally also provides you service support and other subscription services for free. Now this is a good newsfor People who want to try it and to students who want to practice tally at their home.

However you have to contact a tally partner to get a Promotional code to  activate the free trial license. You can also mail me, as I am an authorized Tally Partner, to get a Promotional code.

Procedure:

The Procedure for Installing the trial license pretty simple.

1. Download tally from tallysolutions.com

2. Install it.

3. Open Tally from the Desktop. In Windows 7 and Vista, you will have to Right Click the Tally icon and click "Run as Administrator"

4. In the Startup Page select Activate License.

5. In the next page select Activation of Promotional Rental License.

6. Enter the Promotional Code that the tally partner has provided you.

7. Provide a valid email ID and confirm it.

8. In the next page it would ask for an unlock code.

 

9. Check the your mailbox which you provided in step 7 for the mail from Tally.net

10. An unlock code will be there in that mail. Type it in tally and hit Enter.

11. You are done.

Note: I would advise you to take a print of the mail from Tally.net. That will be very handy in many situations.

After three months you can either buy a perpetual license or can get a rental license on monthly or Quarterly basis.

Cost of Renewal

License type	Duration	Cost	Tally.net Subscription
Single User	1 month	450	1 month
Multi User	1 month	1350	1 month
Single User	Quarterly	1350	3 months
Multi User	Quarterly	4050	3 months
Single User	Perpetual	13500	1 year
Multi User	Perpetual	40500	1 year

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Catch you later...

Wikipedia gets a fresh makeover

Wikipedia will sport a new look from today. According to Wikipedia, this new theme, Vector, will be easier to use. They rolled out this new interface in April 2009 and had kept it in beta testing phase till now. With an average 70% to 75% of retention rate from the users across the world during the testing phases, Wikimedia.org-that runs the Wikipedia, has rolled out the new Interface to its English site. It has said that it will roll out Vector to other languages shortly.

Vector Interface

But, if you still want to use the old interface which Wikipedia calls as Monobook, you will have to get yourself registered to Wikipedia and have to login to use it.

Monobook Interface

Let us see what is new with this interface.

1. Interface : The new interface makes the controls to be easily available.
2. Navigation : Due to the better interface, Navigation -editing or reading- is much easier.
3. Editing : The editing toolbar has been changed considerably so that editing and formatting is more intuitive.
4. Search : The search suggestion has been much improved to help you find what you are looking for.

This interface change is considered one of the major makeover project from Wikipedia. Just try this new interface and see whether it is actually easier to you.

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will be back shortly.

Worried About Privacy in Google? Try Scroogle.

Do you know Google knows you more than anyone?

Didn't Believe me? Try logging in to Google Dashboard. You will definitely change your view.

Just watch this video to know about Dashboard and Why Google created it.

Now, are you concerned about privacy? You don't have much options over it. All the Search Engines record your activities to provide a personalized search result. You may think of not logging into Google or other Search Engines while you search. Even that will not help you because search engines install small codes into your computer called Cookies to provide better results.

Still don't want to compromise on Privacy. Try Scroogle.org. This is a non-profit organization which queries your search terms on Google and returns the results on its page. The results returned are actually Google's results but there will be no Ads, no cookies, no user logins. So why don't you try your hands on it and enjoy searching with privacy.

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Meet you soon.