Some Google Tricks You don't know about

Top 10 Google Tricks many users don't know about.

1.  Definitions: Pull up the definition of the word by typing define followed by the word you want the definition for. For example, typing: define bravura would display the definition of that word.

2.  Local search: Visit Google Local enter the area you want to search and the keyword of the place you want to find. For example, typing: restaurant at the above link would display local restaurants.

3.  Phone number lookup: Enter a full phone number with area code to display the name and address associated with that phone number.

4. Find weather: Type weather followed by a zip code or city and state to display current weather conditions and forecasts for upcoming days.

5. Track airline flight: Enter the airline and flight number to display the status of an airline flight and it's arrival time. For example, type: delta 123 to display this flight information if available.

6. Track packages: Enter a UPS, FedEx or USPS tracking number to get a direct link to track your packages.

7. Pages linked to you: See what other web pages are linking to your website or blog by typing link: followed by your URL. For example, typing link:http://www.bdtips.com displays all pages linking to BdTips.

8. Find PDF results only: Add filetype: to your search to display results that only match a certain file type. For example, if you wanted to display PDF results only type: "dell xps" filetype:pdf -- this is a great way to find online manuals.

9. Calculator: Use the Google Search engine as a calculator by typing a math problem in the search. For example, typing: 100 + 200 would display results as 300.

10. Stocks: Quickly get to a stock quote price, chart, and related links by typing the stock 

symbol in Google. For example, typing: msft will display the stock information for Microsoft.

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Make Windows (XP, Vista or 7) shutdown quickly

The fastest way to shut down Windows is to press the power button. Not a good idea, of course, but it is quick. When that method gives you a wake-up call by the suddon loss of data, you might want to consider another alternative. One good solution is to reprogram your system’s power button to exit Windows, without any prompts (except to save unsaved work, as needed) and then shutdown.



To do this: In XP, open Control Panel. In the ‘Performance and Maintenance‘ section, pick Power Options. Click the Advanced tab.





Under ‘When I press the power button on my computer’, select Shut down. Then click OK. In Vista, click the Start button, type power options, and press Enter. In the upper left, click Choose what the power buttons do. Next to ‘When I press the power button’, select Shut down.



You could also leave the setting at the default Sleep option, which can save you time when you power the PC on. Finally, click Save Changes. You may use the “classic start menu” since Vista makes no sense, then click Start, Settings, Control Panel, and then Power Options. That will put you at the same screen to access the “When I press the power button” settings. Now you can enjoy faster shutdown.



There is an alternative.... If you feel that your PC takes too much time shutting down, then here is a trick to shutdown your windows operating system quickly.



Steps

1. Go to Start —> Run and type “regedit” to open Regeditor

2. Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER —> Control Panel —> Desktop.

3. Set the key “AutoEndTasks” value to 1.

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How to verify if a mobile phone is original

Would you like to know if your mobile phone set is original or not ?????



Press the following on your mobile *#06# and the International Mobile Equipment Identity number (IMEI) appears. Then check the 7th and 8th numbers:

1 2 3 4 5 6 7th 8th 9 10 11 12 13 14 15

Phone serial no.

x x x x x x ? ? x x x x x x x



* IF the Seventh & Eighth digits are 02 or 20 this means your cell phone was assembled in Emirates which is very Bad quality.





* IF the Seventh & Eighth digits are 08 or 80 this means your cell phone was manufactured in Germany which is fair quality.



* IF the Seventh & Eighth digits are 01 or 10 this means your cell phone was manufactured in Finland which is very Good.



* IF the Seventh & Eighth digits are 00 this means your cell phone was manufactured in original factory which is the best Mobile Quality.



* IF the Seventh & Eighth digits are 13 this means your cell phone was assembled in Azerbaijan which is very Bad quality and also dangerous for your health.

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How to keep your computer running smoothly

Follow the Tips below to Keep your Computer Running Smoothly:



1. Never turn your computer off with the power switch until Windows has shut down. The one exception to this rule is when your computer locks up and your hard drive is not running (hard drive light is not blinking). In this situation, you can turn the power off without harmful effects to the hard drive. As cutting the power can also result in lost data or Windows files, you should only do this when you have to.





Following this rule will prevent permanent hard drive defects caused by the hard drive heads contacting the surface of the drive disc, and it will prevent a host of Windows problems. Whenever possible, recover from crashes by pressing the Ctrl + Alt + Delete keys at the same time. Press them again to reboot your computer.



2. I highly recommend that you purchase an UPS (uninteruptable power supply) for your computer. This will keep your computer from crashing during power outages, and will protect your computer from low and high voltage occurrences. An UPS is far superior to a surge protector and will save your computer from almost any type of power disaster. (See #1 above for what happens when your computer crashes.)



3. Backup any data you cannot afford to lose to at least two separate physical drives. So backup data to external hard drives, Zip disks, CD-RWs etc. The time to backup is when you create something you can't afford to lose. Don't wait until tomorrow.



4. Run Scandisk and Defragment at least once a month. This will keep your hard drive healthy and prevent crashes.



5. Never unplug peripherals from the computer when it is powered up. Unplugging with the power on can short out the connector socket or the motherboard. The only exception to this rule is if you know a peripheral is "hot pluggable". If you do not know what "hot pluggable" means then ignore this exception.



6. Do keep at least 300 MBs of your C: drive free for Windows to use. If you use Windows XP or Vista then you should have 400-600 MBs of free space on your C: drive. If you do not have enough free space you will choke Windows and it will start dumping data to your hard drive, or it will just get really, really, slow. Use the ADD/Delete tool in the Windows Control Panel to delete unneeded programs from your drive. Do not delete shared files unless you back them up.



7. Do not let a lot of programs load up when you start your computer. They use valuable memory and Windows Resources (Windows internal workspace). All programs in your Windows System Tray (in the lower left of your screen) are running on your computer. Close them if you don't need them or run them and configure them not to load when you boot up. Other programs running in the background can be found by pressing Ctrl + Alt + Delete at the same time.



8. Do use a virus checker regularly. Everyone should use a virus checker. The best type of protection is continuous monitoring from a dedicated anti-virus program. The second best thing is to use is the free online virus checkers such as AVG.



9. If you have a high speed Internet connection you need a firewall program. A firewall program keeps those who want to hijack your computer from gaining access to your system. You really do not want someone else running your computer. Case in point: When I am online 10 hours or more with my DSL connection, my computer is usually attacked by a hacker at least once. Do not think you are safe from hackers!! Hackers use search programs to seek out computers at random. Keep your windows firewall on always.



10. Keep track of the software disks you receive with your computer and new peripherals. These disks contain valuable software drivers and programs for Windows and are needed when Windows must be reloaded. Keep these disks and your Windows software disks in a safe, dry, place -- you never know when you will need them.

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How to keep a PC running at peak performance

These routine maintenance tips will keep your computer running at peak performance.



With the amount of information available for download on the internet, it's easy to quickly fill up your valuable hard drive space and turn your computer into a sluggish, unresponsive monster. Keeping your hard drive clean is essential to the high performance that the latest computers can achieve. You can discover how much hard drive space is available on your computer by accessing the DriveSpace program in your System Tools.





A pie graph will show you the amount of used and unused space for each of your drives. Check this often to keep an idea of how much space you are using. There are six simple steps to clearing up your hard drive:



1. Uninstall unused programs. Many times a new program will come along that looks fun to have or play with, but after a week or two you simply stop using it. These programs clutter up your drive and take up valuable space. You might be tempted to delete these programs from your drive, but doing so will cause problems. You must use the uninstall function of Windows for the program to be removed safely and completely.



2. Clean out temporary files. When your computer is not shut down properly, it will pass information from memory into fragmented files. Also, while you are running programs, your computer will write information that it does not immediately need into temporary files. Installation files will also expand themselves into the temporary folder and will not always clean up after themselves. You can delete these temporary files safely by using the Disk Cleanup option in your System Tools.



3. Empty your internet cache. As you surf the internet your computer stores web pages and images into a temporary internet cache so that it can quickly recall and access information when you move back and forth between pages. This backup information can quickly add up and eat hard drive space. Whether you use Internet Explorer, Netscape, or one of the many other browsers available, emptying out your cache is quick and easy. Simply follow the instructions in the Help files located within those programs. You may also wish to set a specific maximum file size for your cache folder, so that it is not allowed to run rampant.



4. Empty your mail programs of clutter. It's easy to browse through your email and leave old messages there, promising yourself you'll sort them out later. One or two messages don't take up much space, but hundreds certainly do. Take the time to sort through these old emails now and delete what is not important. Create folders and organize what is left. Make it a habit that when new emails come in, they are either filed immediately or thrown away. Set your email program to empty your deleted items folder each time you close your mail program.



5. Empty your recycle bin. Once you've emptied your drive of cluttering, unnecessary programs; empty your recycle bin to remove what has been placed there in the process.



6. Scandisk and Defrag. When Windows installs programs, it will put the files it needs anywhere that it finds free space, and not directly after the last program installed. As a result, your hard drive has patches of empty space on it that are not big enough to fit a full program, and will result in a drive space error if you attempt to install something new. Scandisk your drive to check for lost file fragments and to fix any errors it finds, then Defrag to pack all of the program files together at the beginning of your drive. This will clear out those empty patches and move all of the free space you've just created to the end of your drive.



7. Last but not the least, now that you've got it clean, keep it that way. Perform this quick maintenance routine every week. For your work computer, Friday afternoon before you leave for the weekend is the perfect time. When you return to work on Monday, you'll have a computer that is clutter-free and as responsive as it should be. Organize your surfing habits. Direct all of your downloads to the same folder, so that you can easily find them and delete them when necessary, or move them to zip disks for storage. Keep track of the programs that you install. For trial versions, note the date that they will expire on a calendar. This will remind you to uninstall the programs that you can no longer use rather than allowing them to clutter up your drive. Also, if you run into problems, keeping track of new downloaded and installed programs and the date they were installed can help you track down the cause of problems. Remember that the cleaner your hard drive is, the better your machine will respond! In order for your computer to be user friendly, it must have a friendly user. Be your computer's best friend and clean out the cobwebs regularly.

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How to increase internet speed from Windows

You can improve your internet speed from within windows, without installing any software. Just do the following:



1. First, click start manu then select Run or press windows button+R to open RUN program, write "gpedit.msc" in the run and click OK button.



2. Then you can see the "local computer policy", click configuration, then click the "Administrative Templates".



3. Now click the network.



4. You can see "Qos packet scheduler". Click the "Qos packet scheduler".



5. Here you can see the "Limit reservable bandwidth" on right side. Double click the "Limit reservable bandwidth"



7. Now you can see the dialogue box of Limit reservable bandwidth. 





8. Check mark the Enable and in the bandwidth limit box have to write decimal value "0" then apply and OK. Connect to internet and enjoy faster internet than ever.

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LASTAR – Set Loudness Of Music, Reduce Noise, And Normalize Recorded Audio

Want to tweak with audio loudness and apply other normalization effects over your music collection?LASTAR is a batch audio processor which can boost and set loudness of audio tracks to required level while applying normalization across all of your music or recorded files. Furthermore, it can split long recorded sessions with a simple click. Along with setting loudness and gaining normalization, it can be used to eradicate noise among all specified music tracks to achieve better sound quality. Noise elimination comes handy for processing those audio files which were recorded through very sensitive microphones. LASTAR supports both widely used audio formats – MP3 and WAV, with all bitrates. It is capable of doing analysis of inserted audio files to set the most appropriate sound quality parameters for processing.

According to developer, it allows user to split and normalize digitized analog tapes and vinyl. You could perform dynamic reduction through it to listen to music or recordings in a noisy environment, big auditoriums, cars, etc. Since the quality of audio tracks can’t be compromised at any stage of processing, it is programmed to perform all the above actions over audio files without losing the sound quality.

To begin, launch the application and drop as many audio files as you want over the main interface. It will automatically detect the kind (genre) of music files in order to set the best processing parameters. Underneath, the pull-down menu, there are 3 Output levels which you can change to customize the quality parameters, including, Quiet, Compression, and Noise Level.

To split the recorded sessions into small chunks, enable Split in option, and enter the number of resultant chunks with minutes. Once you’ve done setting up configurations, click Launch Processing to begin performing defined actions over all the inserted audio files.

The application processing time is directly proportional to the size of audio files. After the processing is finished, do verify the sound quality in your favorite audio player. LASTAR works on Windows XP, Windows Vista, and Windows 7.

Download LASTAR

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