Norton 360 Version 4 – The best Anti-Virus solution till date

As most of you folks already know, I have become a fan of Norton products ever since I started using Norton Internet Security about 6 months back. The new Norton products and solutions have had a radical shift in terms of performance (which I deem very important), features and even the UI. This time round I got hold of a copy of Norton 360 Version 4 – the new kid(version) in the block!!

First things first – Norton 360, as the name truly suggests is a complete 360⁰ solutions that truly runs out of the box from the time you say go (err… install). Norton 360 takes care of all things related to security for your PC / Laptop / Netbook and also takes care of a few more mundane tasks. It is packed with a powerful Anti-Virus, a super smart Fire-Wall, a password safe storage solution and also a auto-backup feature.

Lets deep dive into each of these features separately and the significant improvements that you get with the new Version 4.

Norton 360’s Anti-Virus Solution: One of the most powerful and yet light weight anti-virus solution that I have seen for quite sometime now and it’s getting better. The most useful and exciting feature that I find is called “Live Scan” – this is switched ON by default and runs whenever it finds the computer usage to be idle or low. “Live Scan” automatically determines whether to run a ‘Quick Scan’ or a ‘Full System Scan’. The advantage that I get with this cool new feature is that it runs usually when I’ve left my comp and gone to grab a cup of coffee or catch up on dinner – so no more hassles of setting up a schedule and making sure your comp is up and running for the scheduled scan to run.

I for once have had issues running scheduled scans – missing most of the schedules all the time, setting up a schedule over the weekend or late times of the day means that your machine needs to run over that time to hit the schedule. Now all that looks passé with this very cool and intuitive option. The best part of all this is that the scan magically ends as soon as you once again start using your computer – so you never feel that any of the computer resources have been sacrificed for the scan.

Norton 360’s File Insight Feature: How often do we download .exe’s / setups and what not off the internet – but how do we know that whatever you’ve downloaded is really legitimate and free of any virus, Trojan or root-kit. The later part is taken care by the anti-virus solution but never the legitimacy of the file. You are always left to make the decision yourselves based on the site from which you have downloaded, the person/forum that recommended it, etc – but even for a seasoned internet person like me, it’s quite a daunting task to decide. That’s when you’ve got help in the form of ‘File Insight’ which checks the file against an online database and reveals some interesting facts, let alone whether the file is safe to use/install. It churns out some cool facts such as the number of users who have downloaded/installed the file, safety level of the file and from where you got it to the physical location on your hard-disk that the file resides on. That’s a lot of cool and interesting facts to consider before you make a choice.

Norton 360’s Firewall : This is a very simple and lucid fire-wall solution, nothing much to worry on and it’s so very simple that if you can use your computer for browsing you can configure the firewall too easily. But I guess the default setting that Norton 360 ships out with is more than enough and you don’t really need to tweak any of the configurations frankly speaking. Also Norton's new SONAR (Symantec Online Network for Advance Response) behavioral monitoring system does a good task in combating phishing attacks and real time surveillance of your PC from attacks of the outside work over the network.

Norton 360’s Identity Safe Storage: Quite a cool option to store your usernames and passwords for the sites that you often visit. All the information is safely encrypted and stored. You now need to only remember one master password to access the safe storage.

But, I am really not a very big fan of this solution since it’s not portable really. In the sense, if I happen to use a public computer at a kiosk or over at a friend’s place – I really can’t harness this solution easily. Also, since I’ve become lazy in not typing the password’s each time to login – over a period of time one tends to forget the actual credentials. There must be a better solution for this problem but I can’t think of one that would be truly safe in all scenarios for now.

Norton 360’s BackUp feature: Looks like Norton is slowly consolidating it’s portfolio and that’s really a boon for users like me and you. The backup feature is pretty tidy and easy to setup and use. A few clicks on configuring your backup drive/media and the locations to backup – you should be ready to go. Believe me it’s a very simple process and best of all it’s right out of the box for all practical purposes.

Norton 360’s backup and recovery tool also provides you a free 2GB of online storage space that you can easily backup your important documents and photos. This free Online Backup is simply too cool if you’re out of home/office on a remote country with only a PC connected to the internet (read an airport) - viola you get access to all your backup files right there online.

Also for an extra charge you can easily increase your online backup storage up to 25GB at $69.99 per year. This is a very cool feature that the other backup / anti-virus products like McAfee currently donot do not offer today.

Performance has really been a deciding feature for me to switch over to Norton (this statement looked very very unlikely about 10 months back – if you were to ask me). There is absolutely no reason why you shouldn’t choose Norton 360 over the ample number of products that are out there in the market.

Norton 360 1 PC license costs INR 1795 - but the deal is with the 3 PC license at INR 3200, nowadays most of us have a desktop, laptop and netbook - so it does make sense to have a three license one - these also come with 2GB of online storage space. The premium edition includes 25GB of online storage space and a three PC license, the suggested retail price is INR 4025. Both - standard and premium editions of Norton 360 includes a one-year service subscription to use the product and receive Symantec’s protection updates. All Norton 360 users with a valid product subscription are eligible to receive the latest product updates via the subscription service model.

Norton 360 not only protects your computer but also tunes up your system for the best performance like doing a disk defragmentation or fixing driver issues and also backs up essential files – all in the background (now that’s the icing on the cake). The list of features and the great value for money that it provides is simply endless – as I started off this review, it’s truly an out-of-the-box solution where you deploy and completely let it take care of everything – all in the background.

New Features in C# 4.0

Visual Studio 2010 is out and we have a new version of C# that also accompanies it. That's C# 4.0 - I have been working on C# from the good old 1.0 or 1.1 version upwards. So whats the new 4.0 version of C# got in store for you. Here's a wrap up of the new features available as part of C# 4.0 release.

keyword Dynamic

There's a new kid in the block, with the introduction of a very a key feature of this release called the dynamic keyword. The keyword dynamic bridges the gap that existed between a dynamically and statically - typed languages. Well, C# can now also be considered a dynamically typed language too. You can easily create dynamic objects on the fly and even have their types determined only at run time. You will simply need to add a new namespace called System.Dynamic, and lo you can create expandable objects and even advanced class wrappers. You can also facilitate interoperability between different languages, including the dynamic ones.

To better understand the use of dynamic keyword, here's an example:

dynamic BankAccount = new ExpandoObject();

BankAccount.Number = "174258733-451269";

BankAccount.HolderName = "Jason S";

BankAccount.Branch = "Bangalore";

Though there are many pros and cons for the use of dynamic keyword and the system performance overheads, it makes like that much more simpler for the developer in the end.

Optional (or Default) Method Parameters

If I rightly remember, VB.net is preferred to C# when porting old projects in ancient langues of VB 5 / 6 or when working on creating COM wrappers since VB.net allows you the use of Optional or Default parameters in methods. C# 4.0 has finally got this feature to make it that much more robust in this area.

You can now easily specify a default value for a parameter within the method declaration in C# 4.0. Also, the consumer of the method can either pass a value or can easily skip the parameter. When the parameter is skipped, the default value declared in the method is passed.

Here's a simple example to explain it:

Method declaration:

public static void GetMoney(int amount = 0) { }

Bot the below Method calls for the above declaration are valid in C# 4.0:

GetMoney(); // 0 is used as amount in the method.

GetMoney(1000);

Named Arguments

Well, here's another relief to the developer. Did you know that in C# 4.0 the order of parameters in a method declaration and also the order of arguments you pass to the method when calling don’t need to match anymore!!. You can now easily provide arguments to a method in any order that you are comfortable with by specifying parameter names with-in the method call. This feature also tremendously improves the readability of one's code.

Here's a simple example of using Named Arguments in C# 4.0

var sample = new List();

sample.InsertRange(collection: new List(), index: 0);

sample.InsertRange(index: 0, collection: new List()); // both ways it'll work now

Covariance and Contravariance

Does the heading sound confusing? Well, the use of variance on generic type parameters in interfaces and delegates is yet another new feature available in C# 4.0. Though, strictly speaking it doesn’t add that much of a new functionality. But it rather makes things work in the first place as you expected them to work. Here is a major advantage that is hidden in the power of C# 4.0 in simple line below. Note: The below code wouldn't have compiled up until C# 4.0 was released:

IEnumerable

Now you have the ability to implicitly convert references for objects instantiated with different type arguments. This makes it that much more simpler and easier to reuse code.

Improved COM Interop Support

As I started this article with the dynamic keyword, then we had the optional parameters and named arguments, did you know that all of this actually enables a significant improvement in working with COM interop. Though all these features have arrived pretty late for the COM Interop world - but it's like late than never is better.

Take a look at my ugly code below:

var excelApp = new Excel.Application();

// . . .

excelApp.get_Range("A1", "B4").AutoFormat(

Excel.XlRangeAutoFormat.xlRangeAutoFormatTable3,

Type.Missing, Type.Missing, Type.Missing,

Type.Missing, Type.Missing, Type.Missing);

I can now simply write it in a few lines as below:

excelApp.Range["A1", "B3"].AutoFormat(

Excel.XlRangeAutoFormat.xlRangeAutoFormatClassic2);

Ain't it pretty neat?

So, there you go - that was a wrap up of the new features that are available in C# 4.0. Hope it helped!!

A few FaceBook Login Tips

Here are a few tips for Facebook Login problems that have become very common nowadays. if you follow these tips, you can be sure to reduce the number of issues you face with your Facebook login.

• You should NEVER and EVER click on links from other webpages to visit the Facebook login page. Many a times clicking a Short Url may land you on the Facebook login page - simply close the page and open a new browser session and type the url manually yourself.
• You must always remember to enter the url directly into your web browser's navigation bar to goto the Facebook login page.
• Take a few second to reconfirm the url displayed on the navigation bar and also do a check on the website before you start entering your log in information.
• It is a good practice to use a password manager to enter the login details and process your login. That way no key-press for key loggers to know.
• Always ensure that you have a very secure password with consists of atleast eight characters/digits. This should include atleast one number, atleast one CAPITAL letter and atleast one special character.
• Never give your username and password to anyone - let them be your best friend or family member. You'll never know how knowingly or unknowingly that information can land in the wrong hands.
• Always make it a habit to change your online password the very minute you suspect the account has been compromised - No second thoughts.

Well, that's all the gyan I could think off - if you have any other tips, do post it in the comments below - deeply appreciated.

Also you can find more Facebook login information and some very good security tips at the Facebook Official Login Helper site.

Complete list of Best and Free Anti-Virus for your Windows 7 :: Updated on May 2010

Though you may have one of the best operating system's in your computer - a.k.a. Windows 7, you will still need a good anti-virus program to protect your PC from Viruses, Trojans, Root-Kits, etc. There are several paid Anti-Virus solutions from Norton (Symantec), Mc-Afee, etc but when you have a personal PC or laptop and can't really afford spending any more on softwares - well, look at the Free Anti-Virus solutions.

Free Anti-Virus softwares are actually second to none in terms of protection but they lack functionality and a few bells and whistles found exclusively on paid Anti-Virus softwares.

I have put together a list of the Best Free Anti-Virus Solutions that are available currently.

• Avira
• Panda
• AVG Free
• DriveSentry Desktop
• Spyware-doctor

As for the paid Anti-Virus, the Best detections rates are found in these:

• Symantec Norton
• Avira AntiVir
• Panda
• Avast
• Sophos

Go ahead and protect your data - choose a Anti-Virus solution wisely and don't forget to update it often!!

How to disable Microsoft Windows Genuine Advantage Notifications - using the Free RemoveWGA

>For those of you who are wondering how to disable or simply remove the Microsoft Windows Genuine Advantage Notifications - You have help at hand in the form of a cool tool called RemoveWGA. Though you must already be aware that removing the WGA from your Windows copy amounts to piracy by Microsoft's term.

But at times you may have a genuine reason as to why you want to turn off the Windows Genuine Advantage Notification, in such cases Microsoft doesnot help you with any tool right away. This is where RemoveWGA comes into picture. This is a very simple and easy to use tool that allows you to remove the WGA protection in your copy of Windows.

I would like to once again stress that removing WGA from your Windows XP or Windows Vista or Windows 7 amounts to you having a pirated copy of Windows. So thread in caution when you try this out. Your on your own and i don't assume any responsibility.

Now after all that long disclaimers - where do you get a Free download of RemoveWGA you may ask? Well, head over to the software database at Softpedia and you can find it easily.

How to install Windows 7 from a .iso without burning onto a DVD

Windows 7 doesnot allow you to install off the same Hard Disk. But if you didn't want to burn the .iso image of Windows 7 that you downloaded to a new DVD - you can still install it off the .iso file by using the method below.

You will need a portable hard disk / pen drive though.

Incase, you have a portable hard disk or a pen drive - do the following :

1. Get WinRar (www.rarlabs.com) and install the software on your machine. WinRar is similar to winzip but supports many other formats including .iso.

2. Extract the .iso of Win7 to your pen drive / portable hard disk. Place the extracted files into the root of the drive - your other data can be put into folders.

3. Restart your laptop and hold F9 / F2 to enter into boot-menu which gives you a choice to load from. Here select your pen-drive / portable hard disk - usually a USB device.

Done - that's all it takes. You can now go ahead with the normal install process.

The Best In Audio Video Tools

What do you use your computer for? Long gone are the days when the computer was strictly a data processing tools. Today, the computer is an all-purpose media entertainment center. Its capabilities have gone far beyond keeping a catalog of all your movies and music – it’s even gone beyond playing all your favorite music and movies. These days, with the right tools you can splice, cut, record, edit, mix, create and publish your own media. And to accompany the new capabilities there’s a dizzying array of new software tools that can help you do everything from rip CDs to encode complete animations and videos. How do you find the best new software tools?

And you’ll find them easily. There’s no need to wade through page after page of directory structure. You can search all categories from the front page on the site, or click on a category to go directly to browsing that category. You’ll find video editors, audio editors, CD rippers, imaging software, video and audio converters, complete all-in-one packages and more. There are shareware listings, commercial listings and freeware listings – in short, just about everything you’d ever want to play with your media.

Each listing includes a capsule description and a full review as well as a side box that lists all the important details about the software – including both a staff and user rating, and the chance to enter your own rating. The categories include All-in-One, Media Players, CD Rippers, CD Burners, Converters, DVD software, Editors, ID3 Tag Editors, Mobile Phone Tools, Plugins, Radio and Broadcasting (plogcasting, anyone?), Recorders, Utilities and Voice and Text editors.

The reviews are comprehensive, listing all the capabilities of each software package and how well it performs each function. It’s a nice bonus that’s not often found on pure directories.

For software publishers, there are multiple opportunities for exposure. There’s an easy submission tool to add a free listing of you audio or video software, and many different ways to increase the exposure of your listing at very reasonable rates. You can opt for a featured listing, front page exposure, top level search results, footer text links and more.

Among the most popular software featured at audio-video-tools.com is Blaze Media Pro, the popular powerhouse all-in-one media tool that converts between all available video and audio formats .Rip, burn, convert, edit, capture, create, extract and combine files to create your own unique media.

Norton Internet Security 2010 (NIS 2010) – Complete Review

Regular readers of my blog know that I am not a fan of Norton products since the are sluggish and consume a lot of resources. But wait a sec – that was my opinion from ages. Shouldn’t they have improved now? recently when I got my Acer Aspire D250 netbook it came with McAfee installed but that was no good for me. Getting back to Norton, I wanted to really check out their new offerings and see how they have improved when you have many free and fast anti-virus solutions in the market like AVG, AVAST, etc.

Norton has a slew of 3 products lined up – Norton 360 (a complete suite that has all the solutions), Norton Internet Security 2010 (more targeted for Internet Users) and the plain vanilla Norton Antivirus.

I got myself Norton Internet Security 2010 popularly known as NIS, since it boasts to offer complete protection and yet not compromise on performance. It is one of the lightest protection solutions available currently and that makes it much more interesting. Norton Internet Security currently supports Microsoft Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows 7 – all 32-bit and 64-bit versions. Now this is where it got me interested since my home PC was loaded a few weeks back with Windows 7 64-bit – I was really out there looking for a next gen Anti-Virus for it.

Something that got me interested in Norton Internet Security 2010 was that it uses a new security model. This new security model helps NIS to attain unmatched levels of detection of new malwares. What the new security models does really is that it uses cloud-based intelligence to identify malware in an entirely new which is simply ages ahead of the traditional way of using signatures and behavior-based detection. The new security model also features a real-time reputation system that tracks files and applications and dozens of their attributes such as their age, download source, digital signature, and prevalence(more about this feature in detail later).

First of all – installing NIS was a breeze, except for the 60MB update that it needed to download off the internet.But belive it or not - I had NIS working on PC in less than a minute flat!!! (excluding the 60MB download). This feat by Symantec is simply commendable.

The NIS 2010 interface is all re-vamped and so fresh to look at.

It has 3 very distinct partitions – Computer, Network and Web. Well, these are the only there layers for which we need protection.

• Computer : This has the anti-virus solution which has many new features like enabling of system scan when computer is idle. Also the idle time can be easily set by the user – now this is really a wow for a geek like me. Gone are the days when I had to schedule scans in my PC at mid-night and let my PC run through the night. Now, the scan happens even when I get off my comp to grab a cup of coffee (coz I have my idle time to be 3 mins – 3 mins is too much of an idle time for a geek like me if I am near the comp).
  It also features something called as SONAR 2 (Symantec Online Network for Advanced Response) which is a 2^nd generation system that harnesses all elements of NIS 2010 to make really sophisticated and clever decisions about what to trust and what to convict as a threat or risk. Again, to do this it leverages data from the cloud, network communications and file attributes such as location on the PC, origin information, etc.
• Network : NIS 2010 is not just an Anti-Virus but more of a complete security suit and this is further testimonial to it having a Smart Firewall which repels any possible attacks and also constantly monitors the traffic flow to determine any threat. Intrusion prevention is a key here and also has in-build e-mail protection that helps prevent your PC being used as a botnet by spammers.
• Web : Finally the web. Norton IdentitySafe provides one-click log-ins and automatic form filling to prevent key loggers from stealing your information. Norton Safe Web adds additional protection when you search, shop, and surf the web to stop Internet threats before they can infect your PC. Safe surfing is always the key and this is easily achieved by NIS 2010.

Here’s a small test that I subjected Norton Internet Security 2010 to and it came out with flying colors. I had a exe which was infected with a trojan on my PC. I unassumingly like a lay-man double clicked the exe. This is what came up.Went ahead and clicked on More Details and this popped up.

I was simply amazed at the kind of information that NIS 2010 threw back at me. It picks up information off the cloud and display some very vital statistics like how many people have used this exe and what kind of threat level it carries. This helps me to make a informative decision on whether to go ahead or not (Though it won’t allow me to execute the file – but even before that giving this kind of info is really handy).

Norton Internet Security also comes with a Task Manager – not the plain Windows kind of one, but this is a hybrid one which clearly lets you analyze your system performance over a period of time in time-slices. Important installations can be easily tracked and even tasks that have consumed more CPU or memory can be easily tracked down.

Some of the advantages of using NIS 2010:

• The fastest, lightest security suite you can buy for award-winning protection that won’t slow you down or get in your way.
• Installs faster than any other security suite.
• Boots faster than any other security suite.
• Scans faster than any other security suite.
• Uses less memory than any other security suite.
• Doesn’t impact your PC’s speed when you copy or edit files, install applications or download files.

What I would like NIS to improve upon is provide a full fledged Widget for Vista / Windows 7 users rather than the signal light widget that we have now this only lets us know how secure or vulnerable the PC is. But having an option for a full fledges widget would be a really nice add-on.

The pricing of Norton Internet Security 2010 in India is very competitive and also much below (or in-line) with other Anti-Virus vendors. The suggested retail price for Norton Internet Security 2010 is Rs 2,495 for a three PC license(great for a Home Network like mine), and Rs 1,450 for a single PC license. You can easily purchase it at the Symantec online store www.in.symantecstore.com

Microsoft Office 2010 Beta 2 Leaked (Build version 14.0.4514.1007 ) with the Keys

Yes, the much anticipated Microsoft Office 2010 suite has already been leaked on many peer-to-peer(torrent) file sharing websites/networks. This is the Beta 2 release featuring a Build version 14.0.4514.1007.

The build which has been leaked last week is said to install with the Office 2010 Technical Preview keys and no new keys are needed. So the keys are available here.

Here are some very exclusive screen shots running the Microsoft Office 2010 on my Win 7 RC 1 as you can very well see the UI has been polished and so also the program icons. The public beta is expected to be out by early next week.

Office 2010 runs on Windows XP SP3, Windows Vista and of course the brand new Windows 7.

Here are the exclusive Screenshots of Office 2010 Beta 2 (Build version 14.0.4514.1007)

Simple Steps to easily get an invite to the New Orkut for Free

A new avatar of the popular social networking website - Orkut has been launched a few days back by Google. It seems that Google has finally woken up to the strides taken by Facebook to make it more leaner, fun and simple to work with. The new Orkut seems more like a union of the existing (or should I say OLD) Orkut and Facebook.

Orkut has been on a steady on a decline as more and more users are switching to FaceBook. This includes even me - I too was a loyal Orkut user for years until I was sucked into Facebook a few months / year back and ever since haven't looked back.

So the new Orkut is only open to private invitations currently. Here's how you can easily get an invite to access the all new Orkut. Since the new Orkut is available to only a few users - so make haste!!

Follow the steps given below and you can easily get a Free invite to use the new Orkut :

• Head to the Official webpage of the new Orkut Community.
• On the page you will find a link marked as "BE THE FIRST TO PREVIEW THE NEW ORKUT HERE!". Click on it and it opens a form to enter your details and lo!! your on your way to get an invite for the all new Orkut!!
  

Ain't this simple? Do try it atleast for the fun of it.

Here are a few screen shots of the all new Orkut.





Here is also an official video released by Google. BTW, most of this work was done at the Google R&D hub at Hyderabad, India.

Simple tips to get the most out of your Online Meetings

Online meetings are inarguably the most price-less tool for saving people's time and money in a very aggressive and competitive business environments that we see today. But did you know that most online meetings tend to have a sour experience in the host as well as the presenter's minds mainly due to poor training or unpreparedness of both - either the presenter or the host.

So here are some very simple and most effective methods to achieve the most of Online Meetings:

1. Always make sure that the Online Meeting is short and to the point - crisp. Always make sure that No online meeting ever exceeds more than an hour or in some cases even thirty minutes.

2. Always make sure that you have already prepared a slip containing the list of all probable questions that you will ask those attending the online meeting. Always remember that asking questions helps you retain everyone’s attention.

3. Before you start off - remember to inform the other participants to keep their questions to the end of the online meetings. There should be a very high probability that you will answer most of the questions that the audience thought off during your regular presentation.

4. Mail out the attendees well in advance to install and test the online web meeting software ahead of the schedule. Also, they can check the audio setup and the microphone setup too.

5. It is important in a web meeting that you have a very optimized copy of the PowerPoint slides such that the .ppt / .pptx file is less than 2 MB in size. This greatly helps the attendees not to experience a time lag as you flip through the slides.

Hope these tips helped you. Do share your tips/experiences on online Meetings too.

How to easily download Entire / Complete Photo Albums from FaceBook

A few days back, we had been on a trip down country side with my friends. We were about 10 of us and carried 6-7 cameras. As one can expect - after returning from the trip we had 6 different sets of photos - some snaps were good in some camera's, so I had to download each of the albums to store it on my Hard Disk for personal memoirs. But how do I do it?

Well - I started hunting for an app that could help me download entire albums off FaceBook easily. Then I found a very cool free Firefox plug-in called as FreePAD - short for Facebook Photo Album Downloader!! It allows you to easily download entire albums of photos of friends off the internet easily.

P.S: This will work only in Firefox - so you need Firefox to be installed first.

• Download the FacePAD Firefox extension directly from here. You may get a message block from Firefox - right click and allow that.
  
• Once you have installed - You will need to re-start Firefox to begin using the new extension.
  
• You will now see FacePAD added to your list of Plugins in Firefox.
  
• Head over to your friend's profile page and click on Photos. There you will find all the albums of your friends. Simply right click on the photo album and you will now get a new option "Download Album with FacePAD". Go ahead and download the album.
  
• Currently you get a weird message to indicate that the album download has begun.
  
• You will now find all the photos of the FaceBook album neatly downloaded to your Hard Disk with absolutely no effort.
  

Now that's a really cool app to have. Makes tasks that much more simpler and fun.

The all new My Phone - cloud based services for Windows Mobiles - Reviewed

Along with the release of Windows Mobile 6.5 , the My Phone services have also been launched. It is a cloud-based FREE sync service that allows mobile users to back-up contacts, photos, text messages, videos and also calendar data onto a protected website which is hosted on the Microsoft Cloud services.

It also has a premium service offering for $4.99 which has so many cool services and features that will definitely be a bang for the buck you spend!!

The best thing is that the 'My Phone' premium package also comes with a Web-based GPS system that can provide accurate location of a lost phone. It also has an ability to remotely send a "lock device" command with an "if found please return to ." message which seems to be simply superb.

And the other best part is that you can also remotely send instructions to wipe off all the data on the phone. That's not all, the service seems to be good value for money since it also has an option to ring off a very loud location alarm just in case the phone has been misplaced, this can be really useful if the mobile has fallen between the couch cushions, or has simply disappeared inside your house or car without actually being lost.

And all this is very easily integrated using your Windows Live ID - so all looks very seamless to use. keep up the good job Microsoft!!

Related Article : Windows Mobile 6.5 is finally launched and available for Free upgrade

Is your Firefox slow like mine? Make it work really fast very easily!!

From the past few days I have begun to find Firefox to become slower and slower by the day. First I thought I must blame the latest 3.5.3 version for Firefox being slow. Even it took a whole lot of time to start-up and that's when something irked me to research further on what was happening.

I could make out that there was a lot of Read (I/O) operation happening when Firefox starts and also the RAM took a big hit. So I could narrow it down to be some faulty add-on that must have been playing the trick. So, I went ahead and opened the options and began hacking a few settings.

Opened the Tools > Options > Privacy. Change the drop down to "Use Custom Settings for History" and then you will find the culprit sitting quietly over there. There is a default setting in Firefox to remember history for 90 days which is really huge. This basically means that Firefox will be remembering each and every site you have been visited with the details such as date and time of the visit for the last three months that you have been using Firefox!!!. This will be really very very huge if you are a power user like me who spends considerable time online.

Well, to fix the slowness of your Firefox is to

simply goto the Privacy tab (Tools > Options > Privacy) and changing the drop down to "Use Custom Settings for History" and then change the setting to a much smaller value say 5 days!!

Then head over to Tools >> Clear recent history and select "Everything" in the drop down and hit Ok. Once that is done - close and open Firefox to see so much of speed!!

Hope this tip helped you in making Firefox work much faster.

Related Articles : Tweak Firefox to work a lot faster and How to easily Speed Up your Firefox in 4 Simple Steps

How to easily set the Bing Wallpaper of the Day as your Desktop Wallpaper automatically?

Bing – The latest web search engine from the Microsoft Stable is liked by some and scorned by others who would bet that Google is the best anytime. But whatever side you take – whether you like it or hate it – you will always like the daily changing background image that Bing sports.

Now if you want to automatically set the Bing Wallpaper of the day as your desktop wallpaper, you have a small utility that has been developed by MugunthKumar called as Bing Downloader. It is a small exe that is just about 10KB in size and can be easily downloaded here. All this fantastic utility (BTW, the code is open source – so you can change the C# code to ur whims and fancies) does is that it picks up the latest wallpaper from Bing and automatically sets it as your Desktop Wallpaper.

But what is missing in this light weight app is that there is no “Advanced Options” which would allow us to say download yesterday’s or any previous background wallpaper. Also, the user will need to run the Bing Downloader once a day to download that day’s Bing background image to the computer’s Desktop wallpaper.

Also, another issue is that the Bing background wallpapers are usually 958×512 pixels in size and this maynot make them very suitable for use on many Desktop Computers with large screens and having a larger display. But such users can easily center the wallpaper to make it look more pleasing. As for general NetBook or Laptop users this must be great. But my Acer D250 has a native resolution of 1024x768 so this is smaller for it too.

Below are some cool Bing Wallpapers that I have seen over the days.