How to improve touch in Windows 7 with one simple change

October 31, 09

If you have a laptop that sports a touch screen, do yourselves a favour and update the scroll bar settings.

Whilst a lot of the control panels under Windows 7 have been updated, the old controls often remain underneath, in this case you can change the scroll bar sizes by typing ‘Change windows colours metrics’ into the start menu search bar. Within the Windows colour and appearance panel, under the item menu, select scroll bars and simply increase the size.

This will help fingers interact with the standard windows controls.

The Everyday Life of Darth Vader

October 29, 09

via My Modern Metropolis

Everything starts somewhere

October 29, 09

via FFFFOUND!

Cloud Storage and Online Backup Review

October 25, 09

lx195

The next big land rush seems to be happening within the online storage and backup space, with offering from Amazon S3 and Rackspace, the cost of massive online storage has plummeted in the recent years, to the point when its accessible to even home users and enthusiast.

Here are three services I’ve looked at and started using recently…

Dropbox

An amazing application for day to day file backup and synchronisation, the service comes with a very minimal desktop client that creates a dedicated folder to sync your files into.

I have been really impressed by the quality and simplicity of this service, the way it manages to keep track of changes to documents with the minimum of effor is quite amazing. I have a large folder of images which I regularly rename or reorganise and the smoothness at which it follows, moves and renames files on the remote server without the need to completely reupload the files is hugely impressive.

On top of all these great features, you can get started with a 2gb account for free. The only fly in the ointment is that to upgrade your storage things get pretty expensive, to the tune of $9.99 a month for 50gb ($99.99 for a years worth up front) or $19.99 a month for 100gb ($199.99 for a years worth up front).

More about Dropbox

Gladinet Clout Desktop & Microsoft SkyDrive

Great application for archiving and backing up your photos, and when combined with a service like Microsoft’s SkyDrive with it’s 25gb of free storage, it creates a great solution to backing up your images online.

Unfortunately one of the Skydrive limitations means that your will probably end up focusing only on photos as each file is limited to 50mb. Gladinet does contain a file divider to limbo around this limitation, but for ease of mind I’ve decided to keep this archive for photos only.

More about Glainet

Keepvault

This is an interesting service, the two features that attracted me the most were its Windows Home Server integrated software, which makes backup and uploads an automatic feature rather than having to reply on regular archive uploads.

The other was the price, I managed to get 40gb of storage (with no upload or download costs associated with products like Jungle Disk) for only $38 a year, this makes it a perfect service for backing up my work to (which can change quite regularly).

Find out more about Keepvault

How to install Windows via USB

October 25, 09

This is a really useful tool for effortlessly creating Windows 7 installation software on USB. While this tool was created for the iso images sold directly from the Microsoft Stores, it also works with the MSDN images.

The Microsoft Store will be providing a tool called the Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool (rolls right off the tongue doesn’t it?) – or WUDT for short. For netbook users without DVD drives, the WUDT will take an ISO image and create a bootable USB device that can be used to install Windows 7. The WUDT can also create a Windows 7 installation DVD from the ISO file as well.

via Microsoft Store

Autologin on to a Windows Account

October 24, 09

Here’s a useful tip if you ever need to setup a password, I use this approach when setting my Media Center, as with a password, Windows can remember network logins and connect without requiring a keyboard attached (useful when combined with the option to launch Windows Media Center on startup)

Go to the Start Menu, type netplwiz in the search box, and press Enter
If you have UAC active (which you should), you’ll need to give permission for the program to start.
The User Accounts window will open. Notice the option Users must enter a name and password to use this computer, uncheck the box and click OK.
You will be prompted for the login name and password of the user that you want automatically logged in. Enter the information for a user account that already exists and click OK.

‘A Drop of Water’ Rain Collector

October 20, 09

Lovely simple design for collecting spare rain water from the guttering…

The setup presumably connects to a house’s gutter system, storing rainfall it for the next uh, not-rainy day. It’s gorgeous but I think it should be made out of metal, not fiberglass, if he is going for maximum green points. You can probably cut a line in your own rain gutters and hack together a collector on your own, though. I award the idea, not the actual hardware, a thumbs up

via Gizmodo

Recommended Windows Home Server Addon: Remote Alert

October 18, 09

Remote Alert is a Windows Home Server add-in that provides remote access notification, additional security layers and remote access activity logging. Remote Alert permits WHS Administrators to monitor remote access attempts to their Windows Home Server. Any attempt to log on to the WHS via a web browser is reported in real-time using the WHS Network Health task tray icon.

And it gets even better if combined with WHSTweet, as this will alert you though a tweet or direct mail message.

via Home Server Land .

Make Your WHS a Member of My Computer

October 17, 09

I’ve installed this addon and am very impressed with the integration if you do build your own Windows Home Server

Information on a genuinely interesting little utility was posted in the WGS forums on Tuesday. Normally, your computer will recognize your WHS as a computer on your network. If you would like it to show up a drive under “My Computer”, try out this automated version of Jesse Torres’ instructions on how to do just that.

via We Got Served

The Bosch Classic Fridge

October 17, 09

Bosch has recently redesigned their iconic refrigerator. There is something quite marvelous about these appliances, especially if they look vintage. That’s basically what this is: a new fridge that looks vintage.

via Apartment Therapy Unplugged

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