mobi and a Basic Overview of the Mobile Web

mobi and a Basic Overview of the Mobile Web



Definition of: .mobi

(.MOBIle) A top-level Internet domain used for Web sites that supply content to cellphones and other handheld devices with tiny screens. The .mobi suffix was introduced in 2005, and the first registrations were accepted in 2006 from members of wireless trade organizations.

Boy, have I been out of it.

I try and keep up to date with everything, I really do. It's not like part of my Social Networking ignorance - blog was foreign to me for awhile – but then I chose to ignore the term blog. But this – what the heck is .mobi? And what is the "mobile web"?

Since there's all of this terminology involved, let's look at it this way: When you run a website, a domain is your home. Your home has to have an address, right? The extension of your website is your address, for example, http://www.direct2i.com has an address that has a dot com extension.

We have seen dot coms, dot nets, dot orgs, etc. Dot mobi is a different kind of domain. Dot mobi is strictly for the mobile/wireless set: owners of cell phones, personal digital assistants (PDA), laptops, digital televisions, etc. In other words, if you access the internet through some kind of hand-held device, a dot mobi domain will be extremely easy to access. At the present time it may take you a few minutes to check the weather on the internet over your phone. A dot mobi extension ensures that the results will get to you before the first raindrop hits.

Let's delve into this concept a little further.

As of the time of this writing, at least 56 percent of Americans have accessed the internet over their cell phone, and at least 92 percent of Americans have a hand-held device.

Right now, hand-helds are not as equipped design-wise as they need to be for the mobile web. To watch a five-minute movie trailer on a cell phone eats up your battery. Okay, then let's look at a five-minute movie trailer on a Blackberry. The battery life is great, but it would depend on the strength of the connection, whether or not the colors of the display are enough…Enter dot mobi.

The fact is that it is important to a lot of Americans to stay "in touch", whether it's to talk to their family, check in at their job, or send a text message to a friend. Businesses (obviously) want as much quick communication with customers as possible. There are companies whose trade greatly depends on the speed of their service that are currently using dot mobi as part of their communications mix, such as AAA and 1-800-flowers.

There's no doubt about it, the Mobile Web is forging full-speed ahead, dot mobi included. Watch for this up and coming trend. There will almost certainly be a time when you will want something while you are on the go and want it quickly – and dot mobi will be there to help.

If you would like to know more about the mobile web and dot mobi, check out http://mtld.mobi/. It explains the mobile web and dot mobi in more detail.

The Week in Technology

The Week in Technology


Google has entered into another unexpected industry: electric utilities. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission approved the search engine's application to become a electricity utility, since according to the FERC, there were no real reasons to deny the application. Google Energy will be the brand used to develop opportunities to contain and manage the cost of energy for Google, which hints that the company will be using this new authority to manage its own energy consumption; possibly giving it the ability to integrate renewable energy.


During a meeting with representatives from the Wall Street Journal, Steve Jobs reportedly stated that Adobe's Flash video technology is a "CPU hog" which is the reason why Apple will not include Adobe Flash with their new iPad tablet device. The Apple CEO reportedly also stated to the representatives that they should switch to an alternative video compression, instead of sticking with Adobe's Flash technology. Adobe has made recent efforts to correct some performance issues with Flash on Mac OS X, stating that Flash 10.1 should offer "significant improvements".


I had reported recently that Google, along with several other technology firms, had undergone an online attack. The New York Times has reported that internet security experts have traced those attacks to computers at two universities in China, Shanghai Jiao Tong University and Lanxiang Vocational School. Both schools have denied involvements in the attack according to report by Chinese state media.

Quick Tips Create your own shortcut keys

Create your own shortcut keys

Here at Worldstart we love to tell you about keyboard shortcuts, but today we're going to switch it up and just tell you how create your own key combinations to open programs. Sounds cool, no?

So do this:

Right-Click on a program that you want to create a shortcut key combination for and select "Properties".

Make sure you're under the Shortcut tab and put your mouse cursor in the box next to "Shortcut key".



Now choose any combination using the Ctrl, Alt, and/or Shift keys plus an alphanumeric keyboard character and click Apply.

So, For example; if I want to open Photoshop, I would input something like "Ctrl+Shift+P" as my key combination. Now whenever I press it, Photoshop will open for me!

Be careful, though, because some key combinations may already be spoken for! If that's the case, just try something different!

Windows 7 Touch Pack

Windows 7 Touch Pack

Windows 7 Touch Pack is a set of 6 multi-touch applications that are available with Windows 7. It is comprised of 3 games and 3 Microsoft Surface applications. These applications are made for the Windows 7 OS by the Microsoft Surface team and are created especially for touch-enabled monitors and computers. These applications literally put the entire world at your finger-tips, enable you to create well designed and memorable desktop images and even play with fish and water in a memorable screen saver.

We shall explore these neat applications here in this article:

1.Microsoft Surface Globe:


Globe offers a hands-on experience in world-exploration based on Microsoft Bing Maps content and Technology. The earth is seen as a 2D Map or as an immersive 3-D experience. You can have both road and satellite view of locations, as well as have the ability to identify the road map to any particular location. You also have a search field by which you an identify postal code, address, landmark or any geographic location like a city name or mountain range.

2.Microsoft Surface Collage:


This application enables you to enlarge your own photos and save the result as an impressive desktop background. You can customize your collage by using the options button to pick a color, choose a background style and also apply a photo border style. You can open specific pictures using a natural touch gesture to browse your pictures and videos, explore them and share your content.

3.Microsoft Surface Lagoon:
This application is both a screen-saver and an interactive water simulation with a meditative rock arrangement and playful, albeit shy, fish. You can touch with one or more fingers to play with the water and make the fish swim away. When you touch and hold on the water the fish gets attracted in the direction, too. You can change the number of fishes from 0 to 20, adjust the sound volume and use your own photo as the water background.

4.Microsoft Blackboard


This is Solve a puzzle game of physics where you can, create a nifty machine on a virtual blackboard. You can use gestures to rotate and resize gears, fans, seesaws, and more to move balloons and balls toward the light bulbs and to victory.

5.Microsoft Rebound


This is also one of the 3 games that come with the Touch Pack. You can use your fingers to propel a ball and annihilate your opponent in this game. You can either play against the computer or challenge a friend and battle it out in the electrified court to see who emerges as a champion.

6.Microsoft Garden Pond


This game is about playing with fish and water. With this game you can guide your origami creations to peaceful areas on the pond or direct them with gestures to complete the goals that have been set for you. Once you get into the game gently move the origami by making ripples in the water.

These virtual worlds always give your peace and harmony making life more sweet and happier; at least on your touch-enabled computer.

Quick Tips The Week in Technology

The Week in Technology


A hard drive the size of a postage stamp? Sounds like science fiction, but according to a report from technology firm, Toshiba, it may soon become new technology. The company, through a partnership with Keio University in Tokyo, Japan, has developed the ability to create a Solid State Drive (SSD) the size of a postage stamp. Toshiba stated in the report that it expects to have a proof of concept built before 2012. Though the company would like to use this technology to build more efficient and smaller hard drives for computers, it seems like this small sized technology would be best suited for netbooks, portable media players and mobile phones.


Microsoft has announced that it plans to provide an update to Windows 7 that will patch several loopholes that allow pirates to disable the operating system's anti-piracy protection. Titled, "The Windows Activation Technologies Update for Windows 7", the patch will correct more than 70 activation hacks according to Microsoft. The update will also check the Microsoft servers periodically to look for additional anti-privacy patches. Microsoft has stated that the new update will be optional. Those who choose not to install the update will still be able to get Windows updates.


Those with Google accounts may have noticed the new Google feature that was launched this past week. Google Buzz is the new social networking tool from Google which allows you to view all of your social networking statuses directly in your Gmail account. The product automatically makes you a follower of those you email and chat with the most, which could be good or bad. Users are able to configure Buzz for their individual preferences or disable the feature entirely.

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How-to guide on viral marketing

How-to guide on viral marketing

Viral Marketing has become a magic word lately. With the rise of Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and a variety of other platforms to choose from, there is effortless availability of user-generated content on the internet, creating an easy gateway for marketers to capture potential customers. Viral marketing succeeds when it is made sure that an idea or message that has to be popularized spreads through viewers in no time. However, here is some advice on how to launch a viral marketing strategy and make sure it is successful.

Appeal matters
The easier it is for people to share a piece of information, the more rapidly it will be spread by them. Your content must be easily accessible. It should be for us to link with, as in, it must be made available on social networking websites and bookmarking sites like Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, Orkut, LinkedIn, as well as StumbleUpon and Digg respectively. When the content is so easily available, then nothing can stop it from promulgating and getting popular.



Value addition is a must
Your content should be such that the information that people procure is used by them in their daily life. It has to be made utilitarian.



Targetting right
Recognize the people who are actually looking for the kind of product you are selling. You have to capitalize on those people as they are your real clients. If your viewership is 5 million people, then what is the use if only a handful of them are actually planning on investing in your product? This means that your marketing campaign is bound to fail. Hence, target towards the right demographic.

Element of surprise
When you tell people something that has the potential to surprise them, then it will stay etched in their mind for a long time. Understand this fact and try to make your stratagem in such a way that it takes the viewers by surprise. Expose the characteristics of your product by projecting them in an unusual way that will come as a surprise for the people watching and thus facilitate its spread.



Make the most of other's fame
Combining the qualities of your product with promos or already existing products related to yours will accelerate its gain of popularity. I had a friend who was a rapper. He had uploaded several of his videos on YouTube, but until he started making cover versions and remixes of songs that were already very famous, his videos had a viewership of zilch. It instantly catapulted him into fame. Use this formula in your marketing.

Keep it interactive
Construct your content in such a way and incorporate it in the matrix of a system that gives its viewers the freedom to post their views, opinions and comments on that platform itself. By doing this, you will know exactly what the people think of your product, and you will have a vivid idea of the extent of audience you have actually managed to bag.



Abhor ads
When an advertisement is made, it should either be about a product that is already very popular and the ad is to showcase an improvement in the already existing product; or it should be about a product that is not worth but the promotional video is really interesting. Pure advertisements haven't been too successful in marketing a product. It should be made sure that the advertisement is smart, even if the product may not be so.

Leave room for creativity
There are several products that have several versions. What we are saying is that once a product has been launched usually several improvisations are made and it is launched as a newer version. A good example are Apple products. The iPhone is immensely popular now because its applications were repeatedly improved over a period of time. Even websites such as Facebook keep adding newer activities and applications every day. With the increase in the applications there will definitely be inflation in the number of people who start to check out these products from word-of mouth. Users must be allowed to make improvements in products and exhibit their ideas. The modifications can be evaluated and then allowed to be applied.

VM platforms
On applying the above tips in your plan, you can confidently march towards the successful implementation of your marketing strategy and a profitable market for your product. In order to do this, however, you need a window that will display your content and buy attention. Social networks, blogging sites, electronic mails and other websites where people get in touch with each other are the places where you can show your product to people and get them interested in what you have to sell. Such websites are where people are always logged on and their attention can easily be caught. This is how your product will sell at a good speed. You can be sure that your advertisement of content will be viewed every single time it is flashed on the screen.

Social bookmarking and networking
Huge bytes of data are constantly on the move between people through these platforms. By using these websites it will be easier for you to enhance the magnitude of audience that you have. Millions of people sign up to these networks everyday, and there is rapid sharing of content between them. By letting your content flow parallel to the content that is already being exchanged, you can sell your product. Similarly, popular blogs and video-sharing sites like YouTube work wonders.

Email and mobiles
Viral messages are sent by forwarding mails to people in your contact list. Internet is readily available through the GPRS application that mobile phones come with. So it is not only through the desktop or laptop -your content will start to sell even through the billions of mobile users that exist!

XP Patch Warning

XP Patch Warning

Some Windows XP users have reported experiencing the Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) and/or endless reboots after installing a patch Microsoft released last Tuesday which aimed to fix a vulnerability in MS-DOS.



Now, this may not be affecting everyone, but we still thought it would be good to apprise you all of the situation. Don't let this stop you from applying your patches and updates as usual.

The patch in question has since been pulled, and the software giant is suggesting that malware is the cause of the problem. It appears as though certain types of malware call a specific kernel code that basically tells your system to go kaput. Actually, any program that calls the same specific kernel code can cause this to happen.

Microsoft released this quote, saying that they're working on a fix.

"In our continuing investigation in to the restart issues related to MS10-015 that a limited number of customers are experiencing, we have determined that malware on the system can cause the behavior. We are not yet ruling out other potential causes at this time and are still investigating."

I say that if your system is caught in an endless reboot loop or you're getting BSODs, then hang in there; Microsoft is working on a fix. If you haven't experienced either symptom, don't worry just yet.

Start a Bulleted List without the Mouse

Start a Bulleted List without the Mouse

Do a lot of work with lists in MS Word, Outlook or PowerPoint?

I'm quite positive that you already know that you can start a numbered list by simply typing "1." or "1)" then hit the tab or space key. Word takes over from there and you're on your way.

But, what about the times when you need a bulleted list?

While the toolbar is where we always think to go it can be a bit of a pain, especially if you're one of those people who can type fast enough that using the mouse feels like dead weight on your hand.

So the question becomes… can we start a bulleted list without the toolbar?

The answer is yes - as you already knew since I mentioned it - but the catch would be that you're only going to get plain old bullets. If you're looking for something fancier then it's off to the land of the mouse and toolbar.

Next time you need to start a bulleted list don't take your hand off that keyboard, instead type * spacebar (* tab works too).

That's it. One character and you've got the bullets you need without the mouse you don't need.

See Them Clearly

How often do you find yourself squinting while using MS PowerPoint's slide sorter view? (I know that when I've got some major slide rearrangement to do it's my view of choice.)

Those slides can be pretty tiny and if they resemble each other too much, it gets even harder to distinguish one from the other.

Looking for an easy way to make the thumbnails in the slide sorter a little larger? Or maybe a lot larger!

Well, today, I've got a couple of suggestions for you to try.

The first is to use the zoom field / zoom slider.

If you have an older version of PowerPoint then you're looking for the zoom field which is located in the toolbars at the top.



For my PowerPoint 2007 users you'll find a slider for the zoom feature in the bottom right corner of your program window.



I found that I could change the value to anything from 20 percent on up to 100 percent.

Another option I'd like to discuss is for those who love the use the mouse scroll wheel.

If you place your mouse pointer over the slides on the screen, hold down the Ctrl key and scroll the wheel, you'll find that the slide size zooms in and out.

Either way, you can put an end to your slide sorter squinting forever!

Run Minimized in Win 7

Run Minimized

Are you into privacy? Did our tip on private browsing make you smile? Well, here's another tip for all of you secrecy fans out there, because today we're going to learn how to start a program minimized!

It's super easy. Just find the executable for the program in question and right-click on it.



Select "Properties". Make sure you're on the Shortcut tabs and next to the run field use the drop-down box to select "Minimized".



Hit OK, and you're done! Now whenever you launch that program it will start minimized on the taskbar!

New Folder Shortcut for Windows 7

New Folder Shortcut for Windows 7

If you're the kind of super-organized Windows 7 user that creates a lot of new folders, then today's tip is specifically for you! Sure, you can just right-click and select "New Folder" to get the job done, but shortcuts combinations are always quicker! Besides, you'll look cool doing it, too!



Check this out!

Simply go to the location where you'd like to create a new folder and press Ctrl+Shift+N. A new folder will appear and all you have to do is type a name for it! Quick and easy!

Oh, and this shortcut even works to create a new folder on your desktop, too!

Avant Web Browser

Since everyone has Internet Explorer installed on their Windows system, you may be interested in using another browser named Avant which works by using the IE engine.

The program has a lot of innovative features, is loaded with easy to reach options, has a truly flexible interface and is easily downloaded and installed because its only 2MB in size.

Let's begin today's introduction with an innovative tool in the Avant browser that allows you to automatically scroll down a page on your monitor and even adjust the movement speed.



The standard keyboard shortcuts are the same as IE, like pressing F11 for full screen, but you might also like checking out the F12 trick, which causes the browser panel to cover your whole desktop space while still allowing access to the quick launch taskbar.



Using the Avant tool, shifting back and fourth among the web addresses visited is easy since you can conveniently reload the websites pages you have just closed via a few mouse clicks. This option can be found at the top of the Avant interface.



Certain security related settings are easily switched on/off, like the way graphics load or how your browser interprets Javascript requests. These options and more can be found under the Tools menu.



Clearing up the web browsing traces including cookies, stored web passwords and auto-complete is easy too, since it's all accessed via a single panel. How convenient!



If you are interested in adding some new skins to your web browser, you can easily do so by accessing the drop down menu which is comes with with several decorative interface styles.



Importing and exporting bookmarks listings of the frequently visited websites addresses is also included in the Avant browser and is accessed under the File menu.



You can visit the following link and download the latest version of Avant browsing software: http://download.cnet.com/avant-browser/

Marketing Your Web Site III

Forum advertising is a superbly effective, yet easy, way to promote your Web site. Forums abound on the Internet and are usually age and gender specific to make it easy for you to select and locate your target market. The only drawback is that since you need to post a different and relevant comment for each forum you choose and possess the patience to continually monitor and post, this can be somewhat time consuming. However, forum posting is the best alternative to paid advertising. Not only is it free but it gives you the distinct advantage of handpicking the location for your advertisements.



Marking and Choosing the Right Forums

The first order of the day, of course, is to make a list of forums in which you should post. The most important factor in choosing a forum is its relevance to the product or service you are promoting. No need to go to every forum to check out it's content, though, because you can do a simple search through Google or Yahoo using the keywords forum and your product or service – repeat with different key words for better results. Once you have done this you can filter the list for only the forums that are catering to your target age group, gender, or industry. Another idea to explore would be to go through information you find in relevant forums and start one of your own. By starting your own forum you create a more controlled atmosphere for your market -allowing you to delete posts from advertisers who have products that compete with yours.

Becoming Part of the Forum

Once you have chosen a forum you will need to create a profile and be a part of the forum. Joining discussions, creating your own topics, and commenting on another person's topics are the activities you will look forward to in forum advertising, but your profile is one of the most
important things you will need to focus on. You need to put in as much detail as you can to make sure that they will relate you to your product or service. Normally a space is provided for your URL or Home page so be sure to make good use of this. Ideally you should not complete your profile until you have established yourself in the forum. Try to post at least 20 to 25 relevant and quality posts before you begin to buff up your profile. When you post something in a forum, you are allowed an affiliate link and it is the affiliate link you incorporate in the resource box that will act as your advertisement.



Quality Posts Gets Quality Traffic

Posting a reply like "good idea" for the mere purpose of being able to get your link into the forum will get you nowhere. What you need to do is to make sure that your posts will be noticed; that they really serve a purpose and that the information you post is helpful and relevant. You should try to gain a following so that people in the forum will look forward to your posts. It is only when people start to notice that you are a person who only posts content with substance that they will take interest in what you represent, in your product or service, and in your company overall.

If they see that you are knowledgeable in a specific niche then they will relate that to your being an expert in your field. Of course, the more you post the more exposure you are giving your Web site. Every time your post is read, your resource box with your URL gets noticed. By participating in discussions you are not only able to share your ideas and, of course, ultimately advertise, but you also get to know about other poster's ideas and benchmark yourself against your competition.

Keep in mind that these are but a few of the many ways to promote your Web site with little or no cost, and I'm sure that with a little creativity you'll be able to find many others. For more ideas I recommend reading a book called "301 Do-It-Yourself Marketing Ideas: From America's Most Innovative Small Companies" and welcome any comments, concerns, and questions you may have.

Increase your download limit in Firefox

Did you know that web browsers like Internet Explorer and Firefox only allow you have two downloads going at once?

How am I supposed to flex my broadband muscles if I'm restricted like that?

Want to up that count? Well, you can!

...at least in Mozilla Firefox, you can.

Just type "about:config" in your address bar, minus the quotes.



In the next screen you'll want to find the line: network.http.max-persistent-connections-per-server .

Double click on it and change the value to as many as you'd like. Try to stay within reason, though; say 8 downloads at once.



There, you have broken the chains of your download cap! Now get out there and transfer some stuff!

Tip of the Day Marketing Your Web Site II

Marketing Your Web Site II

There are many strategies you can employ to help your Web site gain more traffic. One of the easiest and most effective marketing strategies that is sure to get your website noticed is having people watch something that they will truly enjoy. Almost every person who has ever been on the Internet knows about YouTube.com, Revver Video and other social media video sites. These sites have an average of 41 Million views per hour and if you can get even 1 percent of that in a day, your Web site is going to be very popular. It’s like promoting your Web site in the middle of a shopping mall, they are the perfect medium to direct traffic to your Web site if you are able to gain their interest and earn their trust.



Why are YouTube and Revver Video so popular? It’s simple; people have fallen into a relaxed way of life and it demands very little from a person to watch a video. One search, one click, and they are good to go. The people in this generation, especially younger people, have conditioned themselves into learning the easier way. Older generations relied on books and other print materials to learn, but students now prefer to watch rather than read. The combination of sight and sound is the perfect mix to make learning much easier and faster. For example, a book that would normally take four hours to read by most can be turned into a 30 minute video containing the same information. Additionally, the watcher will not be as tired as the reader and can even multitask while watching the video. How does it work? You have two options.

Create Your Own

A simple yet informative video that is relevant to your product or service is normally the way to go. A concise but interesting “how to” is the most preferred material on the Internet today. Therefore, a short instructional video on the benefits related to your product or service will be the best choice for a starter video. You can then make sequels or, better yet, inform the viewer that the video they are watching is part of a series so that they will be eager to watch your next video.

Tie into Something Popular


A really good way to increase your number of viewers is to tie into something popular. You can do a little research to find out what videos most people are searching for on the Internet and upload a similar one of your own -- the YouTube home page, YouTube.com, is a good starting place. With this type of video you need to make sure that you have upload rights so avoid videos that are too controversial, like Britney Spears falling off the stage or Michael Jackson’s wake. Stick with popular videos like paranormal, funny, and blooper videos. Any video that you deem will be interesting to your market is a good candidate.

Make it Work for You
Uploading videos, no matter how many, will not in and of itself help drive traffic to your Web site. Make sure you stamp your video with a link going back to your website -- a “freeze pane” at the end of the video showing your URL is the best way to catch attention. Then there is the matter of asking the viewers to actually click the link or visit your website so a short call to action like "To learn more…” or “To view the full video…” can get them to visit your site. This simple process will get traffic flowing into your Web site with little effort. With the ease of uploading and proper tagging you will be able to give your Web site, your ideas, even your products or services to more than a billion possible viewers everyday.

Not good at narrating, or shooting videos? Unsure how to tie into what’s hot? You can hire a freelance Voice Talent, Videographer, and Social Media Marketer to do it for you or have a look at the highly effective technique for marketing your website in my next article “Marketing Your Web Site III”.

Search Twitter Feeds on Google

Search Twitter Feeds on Google

Google has added yet another layer of functionality to their much beloved search engine. Now you can actually search real-time social networks and watch them update right from your search results!

Here's how:

Go to Google and do a search, like normal.

After the results pop up, click the plus sign next to “Show Options”.



You'll be presented with a plethora of additional filters to pass your search results through, including a frequency filter that allows you to specify what time frame you can see.

Click “Latest”



Ta-Da! Now you can see things as they happen! Try it with a celebrity or organization; anything or anyone that updates their Twitter feed a lot!



Pretty neat, eh?

Quick Tips Firefox 3.6 is here!

Firefox 3.6 is here!

Yeah, I know; about as exciting as another iTunes update, right? Hear me out, though, because the new version of Mozilla's browsing beauty has some pretty neat customization and security features this time around.

Apart from being faster (which is the whole point of an update, in my opinion), Firefox now offers protection from out-of-date plug-ins which can leave your computer vulnerable to attack. Don't worry; when an update to the problematic plug-in is released Firefox will let you know.

There's also the matter of Personas, which give your browser a whole new look! Just by going to getpersonas.com you can browse a library and apply any of over 30,000 designs turning your interface from boring old this:



To super awesome this:



Oh, and there's no complicated install procedure – just mouse-over on a design and decide whether you like it or not. If you do, click “Wear it!”. Should you want to uninstall a persona go to Tools>Options, and under the General tab, click “Manage Add-ons...” From here, click Themes and select “Default” to go back to the way things were. You can also uninstall previously downloaded personas from this window.

Have fun getting personalized, and head over to Mozilla.com for more information on Version 3.6 of Firefox!

Tip of the Day Windows 7 Performance Tweaks

Windows 7 Performance Tweaks

Everyone seems to be in love with Windows 7, so this article's intent is to share cool tips with people who are interested in getting the most out of the OS -especially those who are running Windows 7 on older, under-powered systems.

Go easy on the effects
Everybody loves glitter, but all those cool effects come at a price -particularly on very old Computers with slower processors and negligible memory. If you’re one of those who care more about zippy performance rather than transparent Windows and animated controls, then consider turning off the visual effects.

To do this :
Click Start, and in the Search Box type “Visual”, minus the quotes.
“Click Adjust the appearance and overall performance of Windows”.
Select “Adjust for best performance”
Click Apply.

Though the windows won’t look as flashy anymore, you’re sure to feel the quicker response time while working. However, if the Windows appearance is too bland for your taste, then you can select the Custom option, instead and pick whichever effects you want to restore. Remember, the more you enable,the greater the performance hit.

Spring Cleaning
Most brand name PC manufacturers insist on stuffing their brand new systems with
unneeded, unwanted software that hogs system resources and drops the performance level. Stuff like security suites, games you will never play and other vendor-branded features that are additional nuisance can all be uninstalled. Simply venture to the
Control Panel and just click “Uninstall a Program”.

Show me the RAM
There can never be enough RAM, simply because the more memory you supply, the more efficiently (faster) Windows performs. With Windows 7, however, to address any more than 3GB of memory, you will have to run the 64-bit version of the OS.

Worry not, as long as you've bought genuine copy of Windows 7, you will find a 64-bit installation disk in the box. So just pop it in and go through the breezy installation. Apart from recognizing extra RAM, 64-bit Windows tends to make much better utilization of your PC's processor, giving you the very best Windows experience available.



Security Essentials
Given the history of Windows not being a very secure system, it's refreshing to see Windows 7 pre-loaded with useful safety tools like the spyware-blocking Windows Defender and a strong firewall. However, you still need a good quality antivirus program that isn't too heavy on the system resources and performs quietly in the background. Microsoft's Security Essentials is a good example, and provides real-time protection towards viruses and other malware. Not only does it hold it's own against other popular antivirus software, it's performance impact is negligible. Best part? No cost involved!



Rescue Disk
Remember the time when new PC's used to come with a nice system recovery disk right in the box ? It's a trend that has been unfortunately phased out over the years. A system recovery disk is your only resource if your system ever becomes unbootable, so it's essential that you make your own using a blank DVD. Worry not, it's a fairly straightforward process.

First, insert a blank DVD in your DVD burner. Now click Start and type “Repair” in the Search Box. Select “Create a System Repair Disc”. From there, simply follow the instructions on your screen, label the disk and keep it in a safe place.



This disk includes a variety of recovery and diagnostic tools and also allows you to choose a System Restore point to bring your Computer back to its last functioning status. So, if you come across any computer trouble, fret not; just boot your system with the repair disc.

Chrome is King
Last but not the least... The Web browser is certainly the most used application on your computer, so it is very important to use one which doesn't slow down the overall system performance. This means getting rid of Internet Explorer and moving on to Google Chrome. Not only is it fastest in terms of browsing speed but is also light on the resources and has more features than the default windows browser.

So to summarize, the key to running windows smoothly lies in:

Reducing the eye candy
Getting rid of pre-installed junk
Upgrading to 64 bit
Using Microsoft Security Essentials
Creating a rescue disk
Using an alternative browser instead of Internet Explorer

Hopefully, all these tips will help you get even more juice out of your Windows 7.

Quick Tips Firefox 3.6 is here!

Firefox 3.6 is here! Yeah, I know; about as exciting as another iTunes update, right? Hear me out, though, because the new version of Mozilla's browsing beauty has some pretty neat customization and security features this time around. Apart from being faster (which is the whole point of an update, in my opinion), Firefox now offers protection from out-of-date plug-ins which can leave your computer vulnerable to attack. Don't worry; when an update to the problematic plug-in is released Firefox will let you know. There's also the matter of Personas, which give your browser a whole new look! Just by going to getpersonas.com you can browse a library and apply any of over 30,000 designs turning your interface from boring old this: To super awesome this: Oh, and there's no complicated install procedure – just mouse-over on a design and decide whether you like it or not. If you do, click “Wear it!”. Should you want to uninstall a persona go to Tools>Options, and under the General tab, click “Manage Add-ons...” From here, click Themes and select “Default” to go back to the way things were. You can also uninstall previously downloaded personas from this window. Have fun getting personalized, and head over to Mozilla.com for more information on Version 3.6 of Firefox!