Microsoft Corp India and HCL Infosystems Ltd have announced a set of joint initiatives, including the launch of world’s cheapest Windows enabled laptop computer and the setting up of a center of excellence (CoE) to create a customized solution framework for India.
Making the announcement in Mumbai on Friday, Ajai Chowdhry, chairman and CEO of HCL, said, “The laptop will be launched under HCL’s MiLeap brand and will cost Rs 16,990.”
Via Tech2
Conductor is a training managment software . It is a great asset for employers to keep a track of their employees. It helps and empowers them to keep a track of employees’ statistics like training and education which is a prerequisite in this competitive era for success of your company. Reports can be quickly created to provide information to surveyors, federal and state licensing agencies, and OSHA auditors. Also it aids the staff to stay updated about certifications, professional licenses and trainings which are mandatory. It also helps you to keep a track of qualifications of your staff, their location and branch if your network is very broad. Employee profiles can be created which assign classes, track attendance and facilitate employee access to view their class offerings and schedule
A Profile screen helps in organizing people involved in training programs whether full-time or part-time employees, contract staff, volunteers, instructors, etc. For each person a profile is created which tracks human resource information and also includes a photograph.
There is also a fully functional 30-Day Evaluation download of Conductor training managment software is available
Icorps is a Boston IT Outsourcing company. In today’s era you can’t escape the need of technology. Whether it’s a small or mid size business technology is the main need of the hour. They are a pioneer in this field since 1994. Whatever might be the need of the company they provide superior IT supports?
Advanced Monitoring and Performance Management(AM/PM)
This is one of the programs they offer. Under this your network performance is monitored round the clock remotely. Security is one of the major aspects of the network monitoring. As your business grows and Internet access, mobile and wireless access is used increasingly security becomes a prime concern for the integrity of work and peace of mind.
But you don’t need to worry about the security. Icorps takes care of it. While you work they deploy firewall solution that includes installation, updates and maintenance, and on-going support. They provide following services because of which they are able to monitor your network with accuracy and precision thus providing u security. The services are:
Because of their Remote System and Application Monitoring they are able to remotely monitor your network, application environments and systems. Because of this advanced technology all problems are detected rapidly, and resolved rapidly without any hassles.
On September 25th, 2007, David Gainer of the Microsoft Excel group did a post acknowledging a Microsoft Excel 2007 math bug involving calculations of numbers around 65,535 and 65,536.
An example bug is: 77.1 * 850 for which Excel returned 100,000 instead of 65,535.
According to David, the issue was due to change in the Excel calculation logic in Office 2007. The bug affects Excel 2007 and Excel Services 2007.
The patch has been posted here.
With web applications pushing the technology to the limits, memory leak issues have gained prominence and need to be dealt with.
To begin with let me clarify that memory leaks are not restricted to Internet Explorer but it can happen in any browser. We are talking primarily about IE as over the course of my time, I have found it to cause this issue more often than any other browser.
Memory leak is a condition where your web application keeps consuming more and more memory as you keep navigating or refreshing. This causes decrease in responsiveness of the application and in situations can crash the browser itself.
Justin Rogers, a Microsoft employee, discusses in detail the patterns of memory leak in his article titled Understanding and Solving Internet Explorer Leak Patterns.
Please read Memory Leak in Internet Explorer - revisited which has code samples for you to try out and see for yourself.
Drip, a memory leak detector for Internet Explorer, is a free open source tool available for download here.
It is an executable which can be downloaded and run directly.
(you can see in the graph above for www.Microsoft.com site that IE is continuously consuming more and more memory)
Start the application and enter the URL of the site you want to monitor. Click the “Auto Refresh” button. It will keep refreshing the site and plot the memory graph at the bottom.
There is a screencast on Diagnosing JavaScript Memory Leaks in IE which might be useful resource to start with.
Windows Live Writer is my prefered blog authoring and publishing tool, same for lot of people out there.
It is quiet easy to compose and post using Windows Live Writer and I have been doing that for sometime for my WordPress blogs. But for one new site I am using Drupal for the first time and I wanted to configure Windows Live Writer to post “stories”, “pages”, “forum topics” and “blog posts” but there are several small little details which made it a trial and error exercise to configure Drupal to allow me to post all the above mentioned items.
In this post I will document step by step process to go about configuring Windows Live Writer (WLW) to post to Drupal.
This post assumes that you have admin level privileges to the Drupal system.
In order to use this XMLRPC mechanism to post, you need to enable Blog API. Go to Home » Administer » Site configuration and enable Blog APIs:
You can get Windows Live Writer from here. Once you have downloaded Windows Live Writer, go through these series of steps to configure it to post various content types to Drupal. For this illustration I am going to use India SEO Consultants domain.
Step 1:
Do not enter the default domain name but enter the url in the following format: http://<domainname>/node/add/story, replace domain name with your own domain.
Step 2:
Select WordPress 2.2+ from the “Type of weblog that you are using” and in the “Remote posting URL for your weblog” enter http://<domainname>/xmlrpc.php and hit next.
Step 3:
Select what content type you want to add (if you want to add multiple content types from Drupal then you have to carry these steps those many times and they will appear as separate weblog entries in your Windows Live Writer.
Step 4:
It will ask you if it can do a temporary post to check style. Say yes.
Step 5:
Enter a name for your weblog and click “Finish” and you are all set.
Happy drupaling!
Loads of widgets, integration with third party tools using JavaScript APIs, high performance AJAX. All this is causing sites to slow down. Factors which nobody cared about, now need to be looked into to ensure that the site loads faster.
I will present some optimization techniques in several easy to use and understand categories. This will allow you to pick and choose one category and focus on it at any one time.
Reducing the size of images on your web site will make your site load faster. Images for the web need not be very high quality (until of course you are into some business where quality is a must). Most of the images which I put on sites are in gif format. Here is what you need to do with images on your web site:
Besides reducing the size, there are few other things which you can do with images to ensure a faster load experience for end users
There is lot of garbage on an html page which is not required. If that fluff is carefully removed, it will give considerable performance gain. Some things to consider for HTML optimization:
For the new generation of Web 2.0 application which use Ajax and nice designs, Javascript and CSS files can be of appreciable size. They should always be in separate file and not inline (that way browsers can cache them). It is always a good option to compress them before linking to them. This way there is less to load. the tools that I use for compressing them are:
Other tips on CSS and Javascript:
With increasing amount of PDF and MS Word documents being placed on Websites, their size optimization is also an important requirement.
I bought a Reliance data card on 2nd Jan. Let me share my experience having used this wireless internet soultion from Reliance for almost a fortnight. Anyone considering to buy this may find this post useful. I have also mentioned how to improve the connection speed.
Need For Wireless
I bought my laptop some months ago and was considering what internet plan to go for. Here in Siliguri I can’t go for my favourite Dataone (that I have at home) as that needs a wired landline connection. Also, a pity that Airtel broadband is not yet available in Siliguri. So wireless seemed to be the perfect option - it also has the carry-it-along advantage. I was unsure which data carrier to go for until a friend told me about Reliance’s freedom @ night plan.
Reliance Netconnect Plans
There are many plans to choose from. All are expensive I tell you. The one that suited me is the Freedom @ night plan. It offers unlimited surfing in night hours i.e. 10 pm - 6 am for a monthly rental of 400 INR and daytime surfing charges 0.50 INR per minute.
Getting The Data Card
The data card comes mainly in 2 models - USB and PCMCIA. The prices are 2890 INR and 2850 INR respectively. There is an activation charge of 330 INR. I went for the USB one as it can be used in both desktop and laptop. Besides, I thought there might be some heating problem with the PCMCIA as it is internal.
To get the data card you have to go to any Reliance Webworld or Reliance Communications outlet or computer shops. I got it from a Reliance Communications outlet on Hazra road (opposite Paramount Nursing Home near Hazra more), Kolkata. As for any other postpaid connection, you need to carry these documents - an identity proof (voter card, PAN card, etc.), a residence proof (ration card, electric bill, phone bill, bank statement) & a passport size photo. After two days I got a call from reliance for verification, they even went to my house to verify - the formalities of a postpaid connection.
Setting it up
Run the installation disc and follow the instructions to install the Reliance Netconnect software. Insert the data card in the USB port or PC card slot when asked.
Netconnect software
The installer registers the data card as a modem and adds a dialer software. The software interface allows you to connect/disconnect, send/read SMS, make/receive calls, change settings. It shows the connection speed and bandwidth used. However, the bandwidth and timer readings are reset everytime you disconnect making it impossible to keep track of total bandwidth or time usage. Netconnect installs an internet optimizer software called Netbooster which accelerates surfing speed by reducing the quality of images in real-time.
Connection Speed
This modem relies on the same tower as mobiles. A mobile tower is too busy handling calls to and fro and you can’t expect a dedicated connection. As a result, the connection is erratic. I have used it in Siliguri and Kolkata.
Siliguri: Every now and then the connection dies - although it is connected speed becomes 0 kbps. Chatting on Gtalk is next to impossible as I get dc almost every minute. Surfing speed is not bad, does the job. After 2 a.m. the connection becomes somewhat stable allowing me to surf with peace of mind. Those who are on time-bound plans will find this erratic speed all the more irritating.
Kolkata: Descent speed and satisfactory surfing experience. I don’t need to use Netbooster. The connection is more or less stable and doesn’t drop usually. Gtalk experience is also good.
Delhi: A friend who has used this in both Delhi and Siliguri reports far worse speeds in Delhi compared to Siliguri which is really surprising.
Tips to increase the speed
I continuously ping a server (google.com) to keep the connection alive. This way the connection remains active all the while and chances of getting dc are significantly lowered. By continuous pinging, I am able to chat in Google Talk. Surfing speed also improves considerably this way.
Now how to ping? Open command prompt and type ping www.google.com -t and hit enter key. The command prompt can be invoked by going to Start > Run and typing “cmd”. Vista users need to enter “cmd” in the Search box under the Vista Start menu.
Value for money
I think the tariff pricing could be lower. The price for the data card is reasonable but the monthly tariffs are not. The problem is the wirless internet market is yet to mature and there is not much competition in the sector. Reliance will tell you the reason behind such pricing is it is wireless. But considering the quality and speed of connection this is priced steep.
Other options
Tata indicom has a similar offering. Though I have not used that, I think both are in the same league when it comes to speed. The Airtel data card is priced higher at 5000 INR. Then another option is using your mobile phone as a modem and subscribing to the Airtel Mobile Office. Mobile Office offers unlimited internet access over GPRS or EDGE (depends on your area). The cost in West Bengal is 498 bucks per month. Then you have the 199/- monthly rental plan for BSNL postpaid users which is also unlimited EDGE internet.
Future
With the launch of 3G the speeds will increase.
Final Word
I can surf most sites smoothly. I can keep in touch with friends online. Can download small files of megabytes sizes. I can research on net. Chat with friends. Orkut pages load pretty fast. People at home can see me on webcam (video quality sucks due to slow speed). I can have voice chat with friends. So this serves most of my needs. However I can’t rely on Reliance if I have to give an online exam which is timed.
Merchants from India doing business through Paypal have reason to rejoice. Paypal has launched a new withdrawal feature. Users from 26 countries including Malaysia, India, Indonesia and the Philippines can transfer funds directly to their Visa® branded credit card, debit card or prepaid card. There is a withdrawal fee per transaction. And you must be a verified Paypal member. The following graphic sums up the withdrawal process.It has come as a boon from me. This was a real problem I had been facing - how to transfer my funds to my Indian bank account. Earlier one had to wait for the $150 mark and Paypal would then send a check. Now all that is over. 
Batch file is a file which holds a list of commands or instructions that are executed once the batch file is executed. Basically the commands are DOS commands that are executed as if they were executed one by one on the command prompt. Batch files are of great help when you need to repeat a certain task many times. You can just specify what is to be done and it will be done when that batch file is executed.
Before moving further, you must be familiar with DOS because in this post I am going to explain only about batch files. To learn more about DOS commands, check out this link : Ms DOS help and commands
What it can do?
The limiting factor is you and the DOS itself i.e. What we want to do and can it be done through DOS. Not every program supports command line version (it can’t be executed in the command prompt).
Example #1 (Open Multiple Applications)
You need to open up different set of applications depending on what you intend to do. Instead of clicking their icons one by one, you can save time by creating a batch file. For example: If I am in a mood of browsing internet while listening to songs, I can create a batch file with the following content:
start /max C:\Progra~1\Mozill~1\firefox.exe
start /min C:\Progra~1\Google\Google~1\googletalk.exe
start /min C:\Progra~1\Window~2\wmplayer.exe
Start command is used to start window applications. For more info about this command, type start /? at the command prompt. Here, I have assumed that all the programs are installed in their default folder. If you have installed them somewhere else, then make changes accordingly.
Example #2 (Copy files)
You need to copy all the files or certain files whenever you insert a CD/DVD/Pen drive, then you can create a batch file with the following content:
xcopy h:\*.* d:\docs\ /s
It is assumed that h:\ is your source drive (CD/DVD drive or pen drive) and you want to copy all the files to the docs folder residing on D drive.
xcopy h:\*.mp3 d:\songs\ /s
It is assumed that h:\ is your source drive (CD/DVD drive or pen drive) and you want to copy all the mp3s to the songs folder residing on D drive. Again, type xcopy /? at the command prompt for more about this command.
Example #3 (Delete Junk Files)
Following file types are considered as junk files : *.~* ~*.* *.??~ *.— *.tmp *._mp *.old *.bak *.syd *.chk *.gid mscreate.dir *.dmp 0???????.nch
You can make a batch file that scans for them and deletes them with the following content:
del c:\*.~* /s /q
del c:\~*.* /s /q
del c:\*.??~ /s /q
del c:\*.— /s /q
del c:\*.tmp /s /q
del c:\*._mp /s /q
del c:\*.old /s /q
del c:\*.bak /s /q
del c:\*.syd /s /q
del c:\*.chk /s /q
del c:\*.gid /s /q
del c:\mscreate.dir /s /q
del c:\*.dmp /s /q
del c:\0???????.nch /s /q
del c:\windows\temp\*.* /q
del c:\temp\*.* /q
del d:\*.~* /s /q
del d:\~*.* /s /q
del d:\*.??~ /s /q
del d:\*.— /s /q
del d:\*.tmp /s /q
del d:\*._mp /s /q
del d:\*.old /s /q
del d:\*.bak /s /q
del d:\*.syd /s /q
del d:\*.chk /s /q
del d:\*.gid /s /q
del d:\mscreate.dir /s /q
del d:\*.dmp /s /q
del d:\0???????.nch /s /q
Add commands for other partitions in a similar fashion. Again, type del /? at the command prompt for more about this command.
Example #4 (Defagment and Shutdown the computer)
You can make a batch file that defragments the drive you specify and then shutdown the computer. Here is what you need to have it :
defrag c:
defrag d:
shutdown /s /t 10 /c “Defragmentation Complete !”
Add commands for other drives too. Shutdown command shutdown the computer. Again, type shutdown /? at the command prompt for more about this command.
To know more about any command, type command name followed by /? at the command prompt.
For more info regarding batch files, check this link : Batch File Help
You can convert a batch file (*.bat) to a executable file (*.exe) online by this link: Online *.bat to *.exe
Batch File work around the blogosphere:
How to Lock Files and Folders without any Software
Safely Remove Virus from your USB/Thumb/Pen Drive
There is still more left. You can create batch files that can delay, check conditions and do a lot more. Give them a try and you will end up using them. If you face any trouble in implementing a particular thing, feel free to get in touch with me. I will try my best to help you out.