Windows 8 - The Top 9 Features

Good news is – Windows 8 comes with more than 300 new features. Well, it is not feasible for me to write about all those features here, but here is my take on what are some of the key new features that you would love to use –

(1)   Support for ARM tablets (ARM Processors) 

This would be the first Windows release which would run on both ‘ARM based tablets’ and also x86 PCs based on ARM processor from Intel and AMD.

(2)   Touch Centric, Tile-Based metro style UI

The Windows 8 Start Menu is customizable through a mosaic of tiles, which differ from traditional desktop icons by letting you view live information from Windows 8 Metro style apps without actually accessing the apps.

Metro interface is subdivided into blocks or ‘Live Tiles’. The touch interactive tiles display immediate data from email services, social networking sites, IMs etc.  It also provides multi-monitor support.

(3)   Charm

This is nothing but the new widows Start bar. On normal PC, they are accessed by dragging the mouse to the bottom-left corner of the screen where old Windows start button is. For tablets – you swipe from right side of the screen.

Charm sidebar offers 5 sets of options – Start, Search, Share, Device and Settings. Star option returns the user to home screen. Devices option shows the list of connected devices. And Share option shows the social network sharing apps.

(4)   New Task Manager and Control Panel

The new task manager will list the applications independently from background processes. This will allow users to view CPU usage, memory usage, performance etc easily.

Control Panel is now modified to include categories down the left side and options for those categories on the right.  New options include Personalize, Users, Wireless, Notification, General, Privacy, Search and Share.

(5)   Snap Multi-tasking

This is designed to make it easy to run 2 apps side-by-side, to resize them and also switch between them.  But it does not allow you to view all your running apps on a single screen.

(6)   New Improved ‘Copy’  feature

Windows provides this new copy experience where in all current copy operations can be performed in a single dialog box instead of requiring separating dialog box for each app. The new dialog box also allows you to pause, resume and stop each copy operation which are running. This will also warn in case there is a version conflict while copying. Besides, it also shows a graph where each job shows speed of data transfer, the transfer rate trend and how much data left to transfer.

(7)   USB 3.0 Support

Windows 8 will have drivers for USB 3.0, which is 10 times than USB 2.0

(8)   New and improved security features

Windows 8 comes with a new and improved security feature that includes an improved Windows Defender built into the OS.

(9)   IE 10

IE10 will allow the end users to search either their desktop or the web through Microsoft’s Bing search engine. It will also play a major role in Metro UI. 

Users will be able to surf the Internet with a skinned version of Internet Explorer 10. The Metro IE 10 browser brings a start screen for quick access to the Web sites frequently used by the user, as well as the pinned Web sites. It also has the address bar and a set of common commands at the bottom and Tabs at the top. It also supports private Tabs when users opt to leverage the browser's InPrivate feature. The new "draw mode" will help users to draw on a Windows 8 touch screen using anywhere between two and five fingers. In addition, an "enhanced magnifier" will allow users to magnify only a selected portion of the screen.

McAfee All Access 2012 : Review

McAfee on Tuesday released McAfee All Access, a new security solution supporting unlimited numbers of PCs and Macs -- along with smartphones and tablets running on the Android, Symbian, and RIM BlackBerry OS -- at per user subscription pricing of $99 per year. One subscription to McAfee All Access offers security suite and parental control protection for every PC and Mac you own.

Point to Note: It doesn't currently cover iOS devices, although McAfee has WaveSecure available for those, through Apple's App Store.

With every subscription you get  -

(A) For PC

•  McAfee Total Protection 2012 -- Its main part which includes protection against viruses, spyware, phishing and spam. There's encryption, in the form of a password-protected vault, and anti-bot protection, designed to prevent your computer from being subscribed to a bot-net.
• McAfee AntiVirus Plus 2012
• McAfee Internet Security 2012

(B) For SmartPhones & Tablets -

• McAfee Mobile Security
• McAfee Family Protection for Androids

You can get the details on this link -
http://home.mcafee.com/store/all-access-security?ctst=1

How to set right a wet mobile phone?

Well, this is a very common thing. This even happened with me when I was in college. It was my first mobile and unfortunately I lost it to a bucket of water that was lying next to my window. And having no idea what to do, I could not save it except for being sad. Later, I searched a lot about this, and this is what I found that one should do if you happen to in a similar situation like me. Hope you find the same useful –

1.     Get the phone out of the water as soon as possible so that water do not gets into the circuit board and causes short-circuit.

2.     Dismantle the phone completely – The battery, simcard, front panel, back panel and anything that you can possibly remove.

3.     Dry each and every part with a cloth or tissue and you can also use a blower if available handy

4.     Now, leave all the parts to dry completely. And this would take time – mind you. Do not put the things back just to test, unless you are very sure that they are dry. Else all your efforts will be lost. Let it dry for 3-4 days at least to be absolutely sure.

5.     Once dry, put all things back and test.

If it works (and I am sure it will), you are saved!! If not, you may approach the tech help as may be your circuit board is gone, which is bad.

How to buy a Laptop? - A newbie guide

While writing about the top 10 laptops available in the market today, a thought came to my mind that – What about the new buyers – those who are planning to buy a laptop for the first time? I still remember my first time – it was a chaos. I went to the shop with a particular model in mind after a lot of research. Once there, my whole plan just vanished. I was flooded with options – and many were those which would have definitely solved my purpose and were cheaper than the one that I planned to buy. In short – I was confused what to buy?? And today I am using my 3^rd laptop and I am no more confused. I know what I need and the things that need to be considered while buying a laptop. So to help many of you who are on the same boat like I was I thought I must write this. 

I  hope you will find the these short & simple tips helpful --  

Firstly, if you ask me why I want to buy a laptop I would say –

1.     Size & Weight – They are compact and do not need large storage space unlike desktop

2.     Portability – I can take it anywhere I want in my bag – it is so cool

3.     Runs on battery – So no dependency on power-supply if it is charged properly

And now if you ask me why I would not want to buy a laptop – My main reason would be –“Difficult to upgrade”.  Even adding a simple RAM may require you to send the whole piece back to the manufacturer. Plus most laptops require you to install parts manufactured by the same company – which I would definitely don’t like. So if you have update in mind, desktop would be your best bet.

Anyways, once you have decided on buying a laptop, now let us see the parameters that you would like to consider while buying –

1.     Weight – Most laptops would weigh max 2 kgs. So if you are a frequent traveler, you may consider buying a lighter laptop (which also would come with a little features – though not very significant considering day-to-day job). But, if you are not travelling, you can go for a laptop stuffed with more features and will be a little heavier.

2.     Screen Size – Common sizes available are 12.1, 13.3, 14.4 and 15 inch. This you can choose per you like, but for gaming fans I would surely suggest 15 inch.

3.     Material – It comes in plastic, aluminum and magnesium alloy. However if you are looking for a luxurious look, I would recommend going for the aluminum

4.     Touch pad – This is a square space located just below the space bar key. This is touch-sensitive and you use this to navigate between screens by moving your finger.  So make sure that it is not over-responsive or under-responsive. Make sure that it responds as per your need.

5.     Battery Life – The more the merrier. Many laptops come with multiple battery option.  Mainstream laptops comes with a 6-cell battery option that last anything between 5- 7 hrs. While other business laptops with multiple battery options can go 10hrs plus. So if you are mostly outside, multiple battery option is what you need.

6.     Keypad – Though all laptops will have cramped keyboard, look for one where you can place your fingers comfortably. And if you have kids, look for ‘Spill-Resistant’ keyboard.

7.     Hard drive – This is the place where you store all your data. So bigger the merrier. At least look for a 300+ GB of space.

8.     RAM – It stands for Random Access Memory. The higher the better. At least 1GB and above. If you plan to run big simulations or games, have more RAM.

9.     Processor – If you are confused with the huge options available, simple logic – GO FOR THE LATEST

10.  Removable Drives – This can be CD-ROM or DVD-ROM. So decide which one you need. Also check if you have the USB options available.

Finally and most importantly, fix a budget. And try not over-shooting your budget which is very intimidating at times.

Hope this is helpful. Please let me know if you have any queries. Thanks.

Top 10 Laptops that you can spend your money on

Well, to be very frank – I don’t think this is a right thing to say. The requirements differs from person to person and always unique. But when you go shopping, the problem mainly arises because you as a buyer has a fair idea of what you need in terms of his requirements – but once inside the store – you get intimated by various options that are thrown to you and which is very natural. So here is a list that I have prepared for you that will help you to take an informed decision – 

1.      MacBook Pro, 15 inch, 2.4GHz – Comes with Core i5 processor and 4GB of RAM, this is an entry-level Apple portables like the MacBook .

2.      Dell Vostro V13 – This has 2GB of RAM, a 13-inch screen, a well-designed, 4-pound form factor and an excellent design.

3.       Asus Zenbook UX31 – RSL8 – Comes with Core i5 processor. USB 3.0. Bright, high-resolution display. Superb Bang & Olufsen sound. Slim and sturdy monoshell construction. Security features provide peace of mind. Includes mini VGA-to-VGA and USB-to-Ethernet dongles for added connectivity. Solid-state drive offers instant boot-up and resume time.

4.      HP Pavilion dv7-6163cl – Good performance and switchable graphics provides strong 3D performance and increases battery life. Made of sleek aluminium chassis and has excellent audio.

5.      Sony VAIO VPCS111FM/S -  Sold exclusively through Best Buy’s Blue Label program for $1,049, the S Series is the lightest of three laptops the retailer offers with Intel’s Wireless Display technology inside. All you really need to do to start streaming is plug the bundled Netgear adapter into your TV and push a button on the VAIO. In addition to WiDi, you get a streamlined design with a comfortable keyboard and a fast Intel Core i5 processor and comfortable keyboard

6.      ASUS U56E-BBL6 - Great battery life. WiDi 2.0 and WiMAX wireless technologies built-in. Gorgeous design. Priced reasonably. Numeric keypad included. Excellent performance scores. USB 3.0 port onboard. Largest hard drive available.

7.      Dell Inspiron 14z (Core i5) -- Powerful standard-voltage Core i5 CPU. Excellent battery life. Two USB 3.0 ports. Reasonably priced. Aluminum top is a luxury for an entry-level series. Fabulous backlit keyboard

8.      Toshiba Tecra M11-- Done in a grime-reducing, high-quality charcoal finish with a surprisingly nice 14-inch screen, the M11 is just big enough to do real work at the airport yet has enough processor oomph (from a choice of the Intel Core i3, Core i5 or Core i7) to drive a full keyboard and monitor back in the office.

9.      Acer Aspire TimelineX 15.6 Inch -- The unit sports a crisp 15-inch screen, weighs about 5 pounds and its Intel i7 processor offers top-tier performance. 

10. Lenovo IdeaPad V570 – 1066AJU -- Excellent performance. Good battery scores. Sleek aluminum design. Inexpensive. WiMAX and WiDi 2.0 wireless solutions onboard. Excellent typing experience