I would try to share what I have learnt
Archive for March, 2008
Free Technical support from Microsoft for Windows Vista SP1
Mar 21st
- Having a problem with newly installed Windows Vista Service Pack One ?
- Thinking to vista range of forums to obtain support or searching in Google ?
Microsoft has opened a free technical support center for issue related to Windows Vista Service Pack 1 users.
Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (All Languages)
Microsoft would offer free Chat, Email and Telephone support (only for MSDN / Technet / MSPP / Large Volume users) free of charge till March 18, 2009.
Thanks to WinVistaClub
Rajnikant the Almighty
Mar 21st
After I posted few jokes about Ranjikant, I received few emails asking about this all mighty and while preparing my email replies, I happen to find 2 contrasting photographs of this ever green super hero.
We all know the almighty, king of industry always been seen in his movies, as an youth icon, where as this bellow 2 pictures (The real world picture of Human Rajnikant, and another, the almighty big bos, youth icon, super hero in this Film) would give the visitors a proper idea of the magic of editing and true power of his Make up team.
Our almighty in an Interview (press release of his films)
The Super hero taking a shot of his latest Film
Truly his make up team pulls out miracle on every single movie of his.
Windows Vista SP1 Hits Windows Auto Update
Mar 16th
Windows Vista SP1 (the x64 version) has made it to RTM in February, however the general users are in wait to find SP1 to come to Windows update. As reports published in Tech ARP (thanks to WinVistaClub) suggests that Windows Vista SP1 is all set to make its appearance in Windows update at mid April.
Users are need to install some prerequisite for Windows Vista SP1, KB937287, KB935509, and KB938371 addresses the issue, which are necessary to install before applying Windows Vista SP1.
Windows Service Pack Blocker
For many users in corporate sector some time Service pack may create problem with some custom made software and product incompatibility or some time downloading for a large volume of systems would create bandwidth issue just for such reason if any user doesn’t want Service Pack 1, for those Microsoft has release a Service pack blocker tool for Windows Vista SP1 to prevent Windows Vista service pack1 to get install via Windows update.
This tool is valid for 12 month after the release of Service pack one.
Prepare your self for Service Pack 1
Few prerequisites for Windows Vista SP1 from a end user point a view are,
- You must un-install any Beta version of Service Pac, if you have them installed.
- You may need to install as many as three prerequisite updates: KB937287, KB935509, and KB938371
- Ensure that you are connected to the Internet and PC/Notebook is running AC Power source
- Click Start, click Control Panel, double-click Windows Update, and then click Check for Updates.
- If you have not installed the updates in step one then you would be asked to install KB937287, KB935509, and KB938371 which will require you to reboot.
- Click Start, click Control Panel, double-click Windows Update, and then click Check for Updates.
- Select the SP1 update (KB936330). If there are other updates displayed, make sure that SP1 is the only update selected, and then click Install.
- After Setup downloads the update, accept the EULA and then click Install.
- Setup will begin the installation. When prompted, click Restart now. During this second installation phase, Setup will prevent you from logging on while the service pack is being installed. The installer will automatically restart the computer several times during this process.
The download Size via Windows update
Windows Vista SP1 x86 >> 65 MB
Windows Vista SP1 x64 >> 125 MB
You need 1170 MB disk space for x86 where as 1505 MB for x64 edition.
Download the Vista SP1 Standalone installation files
The Windows Vista Service Pack 1 x86 (32 bit)
The Windows Vista Service Pack 1 x64 (64 bit)
How to know which version of vista you are running ?
Few Known application incompatibility
Please find the details about few known application incompatibility after you install Windows Vista Service Pack 1.
Help, I dont see Service Pack 1 in Autoupdate / Windows update
Please read the facts which may prevent your PC not to receive the SP1
All New MAC Pro – The beast
Mar 15th
Apple has just released its most powerful configuration yet as an update to the MAC Pro line up.
The New MAC Pro comes with,
- 2 Intel XEON Quad processors (8 Core)
- upto 32 GB RAM
- upto 4 TB of storage
- upto 4 graphics cards (options ATi HD 2600 / Nvidia 8800 / Quadro FX 5600)
However it will cost you a wooping USD 20,000 but still no HD media support !!
Microsoft research proves, theory of “Six degrees of separation” applicable to Internet also
Mar 15th
Those who may be wondering, “What is this Theory of Six degrees of separation ?”, please note, Six degrees of separation, is a famous theory which suggests, on average, every person on this world is connected to each other by just 6 steps. You may obtain a detailed explanation at Wiki, which says,
Six degrees of separation refers to the idea that, if a person is one step away from each person he or she knows and two steps away from each person who is known by one of the people he or she knows, then everyone is an average of six “steps” away from each person on Earth.
A recent research by Microsoft conducted over world wide net gives a boon to this idea. Jure Leskovec and Eric Horvitz, at Microsoft Research in Redmond Washington, have crunched through masses of data, logging a month’s worth of global ‘instant messaging’ conversations using Microsoft Messenger.
In total they tallied up a whopping 255 billion messages sent in the course of 30 billion conversations among 240 million people during June 2006.
Eric Horvitz has mentioned on his official company report that,
even on world wide net, on a planetary-scale the oft-cited report that people are separated by “six degrees of separation” and find that the average path length among Messenger users is 6.6
Trend Micro web site falls victim of Web hack
Mar 15th
Malicious software writers are searching new means to attack end user and infect end user PC / Notebook with Trojans / malware and such Malicious software. One of the common and effective way which they have adopted since early 2004 is to compromise any social networking site running phpBB / SMF or such bulletine board software and mass attack on the users.
The way is very simple, 1st infect a trusted web site, and then user it spread the Malicious code in to the end user system.
As per Security Giant Mcafee recent wave of attacks, which has started just a week ago, already have infected over 200,000 web sites which includes various social networking site running phpBB and ASP. Even this wave of attack manages to infect and compromise a leading web portal of one of the major Security firm, Trend Micro.
A Trend Micro spokesman confirmed to InfoWorld that the company’s site had been hacked Thursday, saying that the attack took place earlier in the week. “A portion of our site — some pages were attacked,” said Mike Sweeny, a Trend Micro spokesman. “We took the pages down overnight Tuesday night — and took corrective action.”
AMD Phenom triple core 8400 and 8600B makes it to the market
Mar 14th
Finally after a lot of hide and seek, AMD Phenom triple core makes it to the market. All though as an individual you may not be able to buy a Phenom triple core and build your system around it, however AMD just has confirmed that it has started shipping Triple core Phenom chips to some major PC manufactures.
Currently Dell, HP, and UK based mesh computer, are offering AMDs triple core solutions to the desktop end users.
- Dell Optiplex 740 promises to come with AMD Phenom 8400 Triple Core AM2+ with 2.1 GHz @ 3600 MHz FSB hyper transport and 1.5 MB of L2 and 2 MB of L3 cache memory.
- HP already have listed one of their business desktop model, HP AL195AW running AMD Phenom™ Triple Core 8600B (2.3 GHz, 1.5 MB L2 cache, 2 MB L3 cache 3600 MHz front side bus).
- UK based Mesh Computers are now offering their Matrix xXx series with AMD Phenom™ Triple Core 8400B / 8600B (2.1 GHz / 2.3 GHz, 1.5 MB L2 cache, 2 MB L3 cache 3600 MHz front side bus).
However the majority of desktop users are still in wait to find OEM version of box packed AMD Triple core solutions to hit the market so that one can build a system around it !!
No Blu-Ray support for XBOX 360
Mar 14th
Ending all speculation, which was created after Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer announced company strategy to include native support for Blu-Ray playback on Windows, Microsoft spoke person, Aaron Greenberg group product manager for Xbox 360, told Reuters in an interview that,
Xbox is not currently in talks with Sony or the Blu-ray Association to integrate Blu-ray into the Xbox experience
He also added that, company would continue its development on XBOX 360 Live which would allow users to download video (including high definition) directly from company store !!
Mr. Aaron Greenberg group product manager for Xbox 360 seems to push on the fact that XBOX 360 is the only console which allows users to download video content directly from Internet !!
Mr. Aaron Greenberg denied the fact which would mean boost for Sony Play-Station for its support on Blu-Ray drive. One thing to note, is the PS3 struggled last year due to its high price and lack of must-have games, and he added on that saying,
We still think we have a great value, that we have significantly better value than Sony. Every month we’ve actually been in stock we’ve outsold them by a 2 to 1 margin.
Acer launching new series of desktop replacement large screen portable Notebooks
Mar 13th
Acer has just announced their plans for launching portable solution for notebook platform as a desktop replacement. The new platform is named as Acer Blue.
There are 2 models planed to be released within next 45 days or so in USA. The Aspire 6920G which has a 16-inch display and the Aspire 8920G with an 18.4-inch display supporting 16:9 wide screen full 1080p HD support !!
The mightiest between these 2 are the Acer Aspire 8920G, which comes under centrino pro platform with 45nm Intel Core 2 Duo processors !!
The Acer Aspire 8920G
- Intel 45 nm Core 2 Duo
- Intel PM965 with WiFi Link 4965AGN
- upto 4 GB DDR-II 667 MHz Dual Channel
- Double HDD upto 640 GB
- 8 in 1 Card reader
- Blu-Ray Drive
- 8 ms / 300 nit 18.4 inch Full HD 1920 x 1080 display
- nVidia Geforce 9650 GS with 512 MB RAM
- Acer Media Center Remote
- 8 cell battery
This configurations may change on the exact model which would be coming out at your near by store in next month or two.
Acer 8920G is a step from Acer to counter the market of HP with their version of large screen notebook, such as a mammoth 20.1″ display HP HDX series for the entertainment as well as DirectX 10 mobile gaming platform !!
Also it has to compete with same price range MacBook Pro and Alienware models !! By configuration HP HDX is certainly better than Acer 8920G, however none of this models can be called a Notebook as you are not expected to carry a 20″ 4 to 5 KG device with you !!
Price for the Acer 8920G is expected to be within USD 1700 for the highest config where as the base config for Acer 6920G would be available under USD 900 !!
Microsoft to support Blu-Ray playback on Windows
Mar 12th
Just after Toshiba announced their strategy to stop supporting and stop manufacturing HD-DVD drives and media thus abandoning the platform, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer just pointed out that, company is now working to provide a native support for Blue-Ray playback on Microsoft Windows.
There had been a long raise battle between 2 technology giants over the next optical media format, which was suppose to be the next major jump from DVD to the next successor. Microsoft and its allies like NEC and major hardware developer Toshiba supported a format called HD-DVD where as Sony and its allies like Matsushita, Pioneer, Philips, Thomson, LG Electronics, Hitachi, Sharp, and Samsung voted for Blu-Ray format.
The major challenge for Microsoft was slowly but surely the industry kept on going towards the path to accept the Blue-Ray format and the last nail to coffin was when the only hardware developer for HD-DVD, the Toshiba crop decided to abandon the project.
Now after its confirm that HD-DVD is going towards its grave, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, for the 1st time have made an important comment towards the Sony backed Blu-Ray format on a press meet.
“We’ve already been working on, for example, in Windows, device driver support for Blu-ray drives and the like,” said Ballmer, speaking at the Microsoft’s Mix ’08 conference. Ballmer also said that Microsoft is “going to support Blu-ray in ways that are important,” according to a transcript of his remarks posted on the company’s Web site.
All though the PC market already have full 3rd party support on blu-ray format, how ever this can be seen as a positive step from Microsoft towards the much needed platform, their own gaming console, the XBOX 360. Which till date is coming with support for HD-DVD only. Now with the death of HD-DVD, all XBOX users and future buyers would be on look for the full support for Blu-Ray on this platform also.
Unfair practice of one of the major Indian bank, State Bank of India
Mar 8th
The word “cheque drop box” is now an haunting factor for all Indian bank customers. Earlier it used to be just private banks, but now the government banks are joining in too.
What is this problem ??
When you walk into your branch to make an account payee Cheque deposition, the bank branch may ask you to drop the cheque on a drop box by just attaching the deposition slip with it. There will be no proof of deposition given.
When you ask your Branch Manager for proof, he may insist that, as per new rules, all banks have stopped providing proof of deposition and its now mandatory for all customer to deposit the cheque on the drop box.
What happens if there is no proof ??
Yes, a valid question. What may get wrong if you don’t get any proof as its A/C Payee cheque, as theoretically only your account can encash it.
How ever thats only theoretical, Now some hard facts,
-
Suppose if you deposit a cheque which is from a bank branch of same city, as per RBI (Reserve Bank of India) guide line, your bank is bond to encash the cheque within 3 days and credit the amount under your account. As there is no proof of deposition you will not have any power to ask the bank why the cheque is not yet been encashed !!
- The bank will no longer take any responsibility after they lose a cheque, as you will never be able to prove that you really deposited a cheque !!
What to do then ??
Please note, there is no such rule which says one must have to drop the cheque in the drop box without deposition proof.
Infact, as per RBI guide line, it is mandatory for all banks operating in India to provide proof (acknowledgment) of cheque receipt. Drop box is completely a voluntary decision of a customer, banks have no right to direct a customer to drop the cheque on the drop box without proof of deposition.
RBI Guide Lines
Cheque Drop Box Facility and the facility for acknowledgment of cheques
My problem and my fight with SBI
ChotoCheeta.com – stats – February 2008
Mar 7th
Slowly ChotoCheeta.com is receiving better visit count and February, so far is the best month in terms of hits. However the fun part for many would be the fact that FireFox beat the hell out of IE !!
AWStats result for ChotoCheeta.com Feb 2008
Browser Stats for ChotoCheeta.com Feb 2008
As one may see, with 64% hold FireFox is the leading browser in ChotoCheeta.com, but that doesn’t a lot of Linux visitor, as the stats for OS is still the same, where Windows is leading with 90%+ share !!
OS Stats ChotoCheeta.com Feb 2008
Few Fatcs
Google is still the leading referral for ChotoCheeta.com followed by other Search engines and other incoming links, where as once again the forums which I visit doesn’t even represent 2% or referrals !!
Many start up post images are hosted with DoorerSathi.com, which is done at start to save the bandwidth when ChotoCheeta.com used to have a low bandwidth hosting, and February it took 4.8 GB Bandwidth from DoorerSathi.com
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