Tips Of The Week

Tip 1:
Some of the points given in "How To Elude PC Viruses?" are discussed in detail in previous posts under relevant topics.
Tip 2:
Formatting the C drive once or twice a year won't affect your system's performance as feared by many. In fact, it will refresh your system because while formatting a drive, bad sectors of HDD can be detected and most of them can be fixed. You can install all the programs again, like writing on a clean slate.

How To Elude PC Viruses?

Question Of The Week

How To Elude PC Viruses?

1. Be careful about what type of sites you visit. There are many unscrupulous websites out there (especially those with adult content or cracks/keygens) that will readily infect your machine with a virus.

2. If you can't avoid visiting such websites, at least be content with browsing them and avoid downloads. Even while browsing, most of the websites will ask your permission to install some form of ACTIVE -X- CONTROL. Don't allow any, unless you are confident.

3. While searching for serials of a trial software, some websites will ask you to download a file which contains the serial instead of displaying it in the webpage itself. It is most likely a virus! So also are most of the cracks and keygens. And the final fact is... Antivirus Programs can't sometimes differentiate between a virus and a genuine keygen.

4. Always try to download any software from its homesite. Patched programs might be harmful.

5. For that matter, any downloaded file (MP3, AVI, PDF, TXT etc.,) can harbor a virus. That's why Torrent Downloads are slightly safer than Direct Downloads, because you can go through the user comments before downloading any .TORRENT file.

6. Do not touch e-mails and their attachments from unknown sources. Of course, you can visit the SPAM folder to see the list of mails because sometimes you might find a friend's or a genuine website's mail there.

7. You have to be cautious about forwarded e-mails. Even if it is in your inbox (not a SPAM), even if it is from your friend (he/she may be unaware of virus content), it still may be harmful.

8. Do not run your PC in Administrator mode while browsing. Running in Administrator mode is necessary only when you're installing some hardware or software. By running in a guest mode, you can avoid some invasive attacks.

9. Run a complete scan in your (updated) Antivirus Program at least once a month. Try to make a fresh installation of your operating system once or twice a year by formatting the C drive.

10. Always keep up with new versions/ updates of your web browser to fight the virus attacks.

File Splitter & Joiner (FFSJ)

Program Of The Week

File Splitter & Joiner (FFSJ)

If you are a regular movie downloader, you must be aware of HJsplit. Since movie files are large, they are usually split into smaller parts by uploaders. For instance, a 700 MB file will be split into seven 100 MB files and renamed with extensions like .001, .002, .003 etc., by HJsplit. Downloaders can join those split parts into original movie file again by HJsplit. Rarely you might have seen some downloaded files having extensions like ._a, ._b, ._c and so on. Now, HJsplit can't join those files! What will you do?

Here comes File Splitter & Joiner (FFSJ). It can join files with both types of extensions (001 and _a). Moreover FFSJ gives two options while splitting (1. Size of split files in MB, 2. Number of split files) where as HJsplit gives only one option (i.e. Size of split files in KB). Finally FFSJ uses MD5 signature which is an algorithm used to check the data integrity of files. Thus File Splitter & Joiner (FFSJ) is notably better than HJsplit.

Newtechnology

Website Of The Week

www.newtechnology.co.in

Are you living in India? Are you planning to buy some electronic product in the near future? Are you interested to find out the actual prices before going for shopping? Just visit this website and enter the technical name or brand name (or both) in the searchbox. It gives you the recent market prices in Indian rupees. Quite useful indeed. This website also provides information about the latest offers made by mobile and internet service providers.

Tips Of The Week

Tip 1:
If you want to record home videos with your webcam, you can use the following programs.

1.Windows Movie Maker for WMV file format.
2.VirtualDubMod for AVI file format.
3.WinAVI Video Capture for MPEG format (VCD, SVCD and DVD).

If you plan to view the video in your PC itself, Windows Movie Maker seems to be the best choice because of the automatic recommended settings. If you plan to view the video in your standalone DVD player, you better use WinAVI Video Capture which can produce MPEG format in no time.

Of course, you can play AVI files in your standalone DVD player if it is DIVX certified. But VirtualDubMod settings might scare you (as usual!!). The final point is the quality of the video produced is more or less the same in all three programs because obviously the quality depends on the hardware (webcam).
Tip 2:

If you want to search for the availability of a file in Rapidshare, use the following command line in Google Search.

filename intext:rapidshare.com

Of course, you can use this command to check for the availability of ANY file in ANY storage website like Rapidshare, Megaupload etc., You will just get a few pages of relevant results from which you can easily spot the link you want for download.

If you don't find what you want, try searching with a different spelling by varying 1 or 2 characters especially for filenames adapted from non-english languages. Even an unnoticed extra space will make a difference. You'll never know how the uploader had spelled the file name.

DSL Vs ADSL

Question Of The Week

DSL Vs ADSL
What is the difference?

DSL stands for Digital Subscriber Line. ADSL means Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line. The DSL line is Symmetric, which means that the bandwidth of both the upstream (sending data) and the downstream (receiving data) are in the same capacity. The actual speed you get can vary, depending on the package you sign up for, and how far away you are from the server. In ADSL, the upstream bandwidth is usually around 25% of the downstream bandwidth (that's why asymmetric). ADSL is generally more affordable than DSL which is more expensive, but offers more bandwidth for uploading. ADSL is more than enough for most of the home users and small businessmen.

EatCam Webcam Recorder

Program Of The Week

EatCam Webcam Recorder

Are you a girl? Do you chat with internet friends? Do you have a webcam? Do you strongly believe that your webcam output can't be recorded by your so-called Friend? You are WRONG!

It is quite possible for your internet friend to record your webcam show. Eatcam software can record any area of the monitor defined by the user just by selecting the webcam window to be recorded.

I thought many times before writing about this software because I didn't want Eatcam to fall in wrong hands. But then, how can I inform those ignorant girls I mentioned in the first paragraph? OK... I am not Lord Krishna - the protector. I just don't believe that "Ignorance is a Bliss".

Bugmenot

Website Of The Week

www.bugmenot.com

While browsing the web, you might come across many a websites asking you to register with them before allowing you to use their site. If you have long-term plans about using that site, proceed with your own registration. Otherwise, visit BUGMENOT. In the search box, enter the name of the website for which you need username and password. A list of available usernames and passwords will be shown. That's it. Although BUGMENOT is meant for free sites only, you may try your luck for payment sites too.

Tips Of The Week

Tip 1:

Whenever Pop-Up Stopper blocks a Pop-up window, it will produce some visual effects (Flash, Bubble, Cursor) apart from giving a sound. Since all three types of visual effects are enabled by default, you might feel irritated by the visual effects whenever a Pop-up window is blocked. Right click on the Taskbar icon of Pop-Up Stopper, go to Preferences -> Pop-up Notification -> Visual Notification. Select any one type of visual alert (my preference is flash) and click OK.

Tip 2:

In OpenOffice.org 3, you can directly open a new or an existing file in any module, without opening that particular application. For instance, if you are working in Writer and need to open a spreadsheet, click on the FILE tab in the Menubar. Then click on NEW for a new spreadsheet or click on OPEN to open an existing file. This function is not available in MS Office at present and thus you just can't jump from Word to Excel in it.

MSOffice 2007 Vs OpenOffice.org 3

Question Of The Week

MSOffice 2007 Vs OpenOffice.org 3

What are the differences?

This is a very big question. Believe me, it will take many pages to write a complete answer for this question, especially if you want a component comparison (e.g. Word Vs Writer). But, remember... my blog is meant for Home PC users only. So, I will try to put the answer in a nut-shell. Also, I assume that most of you are using MS Office and I will present it from the view-point of OpenOffice.org 3.

Advantages:-

1. Cost:

OpenOffice.org 3 is totally free for download whereas you have to pay for MS Office.

2. Size:

OpenOffice.org 3 takes only one-third to one-half of disk space when compared to MS Office. This holds true both before installation (Setup file) and after installation (Program Folder and Common Files).

3. Source Code:

OpenOffice.org 3 is a open-source program but MS Office is not. It means OpenOffice.org 3 has no hidden functions.

4. Operability:

OpenOffice.org 3 is somewhat simpler to use with better designs. Moreover, it can open any document created by MS Office whereas the converse is not true, well... at least for the time being (I guess Microsoft is working on MS Office to open the documents created by OpenOffice.org).

5. Updates:

You will be getting large and frequent incremental updates for MS Office because newer versions will be released once in 3 or 4 years only (and you have to pay again). For OpenOffice.org 3, you will get a notification whenever they release a newer version (probably twice a year) but no incremental updates (smaller/larger or whatsoever).

6. Operating System:

OpenOffice.org 3 runs in multiple operating systems, such as Microsoft Windows, Mac, Linux, and Sun Solaris whereas MS Office works in Windows and Mac platforms only.

7. Language support:

OpenOffice.org 3 user interface is available in over 40 languages and the OOo project provides spelling, hyphenation and thesaurus dictionaries in over 70 languages and dialects whereas Microsoft has released seperate language packs (in 37 languages) for MS Office (again you have to pay!!).

Disadvantages:-

1. Speed:

When you start OpenOffice.org or when you open an office file, it takes considerable time to load the program as well as the document when compared to MS Office and it also occupies more physical memory.

2. Fonts:

OpenOffice.org has limited number of fonts only. Although it works in multiple operating systems, the desired fonts need to be installed.

P.S:

Like you, I am also curious to know why OpenOffice was named like a website with a .ORG!? If you know the answer, somebody tell me.

Pop-Up Stopper

Program Of The Week

Pop-Up Stopper

In recent times, I have noted that none of the popular browsers are efficient in blocking pop-up windows while surfing the web. At last, I found this program to put a Full-Stop to all pop-ups. This program is simply amazing. It just shoots down every pop-up. And yet, it allows download pop-ups. Its free edition works for Internet Explorer and Netscape whereas Pro edition works for Firefox too. The trial period of Pro edition is 30 days only. After that, you have to be content with the free edition if you don't want to spend. Just download it, install it and forget it.

FSI Language Courses

Website Of The Week

www.fsi-language-courses.com

Have you ever thought of learning a foreign language? Now is the time and here is a website for you. FSI stands for Foreign Service Institute which comes under U.S. Dept. of State. But, this site is not affiliated in any way with any government entity. It just presents us the language courses developed by FSI. It is an independent, non-profit effort to foster the learning of worldwide languages. Courses here are made available through the private efforts of individuals who are donating their time and resources to provide quality materials for language learning. Both text (PDF) and audio (MP3) materials are available for free download.

Tips Of The Week

Tip 1:

You can use CCleaner software to clean the TEMP files in Local Settings and your browser. You can also do it manually as mentioned in Question Of This Week.

Tip 2:

Disk Cleanup (Start -> Control Panel -> Programs -> Accessories -> System Tools) can give a marginal gain in the hard disk space. But, Disk Cleanup just tries to delete or compress old files. Practically, a file can't be deleted just because it is old; you might still need it. Moreover, movie (e.g.AVI) files and music (e.g.MP3) files can't be compressed by Disk Cleanup because they are already in compressed format. That's why, I wouldn't recommend Disk Cleanup at all.

Gain Extra Space In Your Hard Drive

Question Of The Week

How To Gain Extra Space

In Your Hard Drive?

The price of hard disk drives (HDD) has dropped a lot in recent times. Yet, many users are still satisfied with their default 160GB HDDs. The biggest mistake they do is to create the C drive with a small partition, especially in PCs using Vista. When the C drive is almost full, it is natural to think of ways on how to increase the hard disk space. Try the following methods.

1. Modify System Restore

System Restore takes up 12% of disk space in each partition by default. To gain space, reduce the disk space usage allocated for the C drive (Recommended: One GB) and disable system restore in other partitions.

2. Temp Files in Local Settings

Go to C:\Documents and Settings\Your name\Local Settings\Temp. If you don't find "Local Settings" folder, go to Start -> Control Panel -> Folder Options -> View. Select "Show hidden files and folders". Now delete all files in the Temp folder which is situated inside Local Settings.

3. Disable Hibernation

Hibernation is actually a useful feature. It allows you to shutdown the computer without closing your applications, thus saving your work. The next time you boot up your computer, all your previous work will be loaded up automatically. But it requires 1 to 3 GB hard disk space!! If you want to save that space, go to Control Panel -> Power Options -> Hibernate. If Hibernation is on, uncheck the Enable hibernation checkbox and click OK.

4. Temp Files in Your Browser

In Firefox, click on TOOLS and then "Clear Private Data". You can literally delete everything except "Saved Passwords". In Internet Explorer, click on TOOLS. Go to Internet Options -> General -> Browsing History. Click delete to clear everything. Then click on SETTINGS of "Browsing History", and adjust the "Disk Space to Use" amount to something between 50 to 100MB.

5. Uninstall Unused Programs

Go to Control Panel -> Add/Remove Programs. Read the list of programs carefully and uninstall large programs which are never or rarely used. Sometimes you may have to visit "Program Files" folder in C Drive, to delete unused program folders which were manually placed by you without an installer. Also look for undeleted set up folders!!

6. Paging File

(For Advanced Users Only)

Paging file is an area on your hard disk which is used by Windows as if it were a RAM. While RAM is physical memory, Pagefile is known as Virtual Memory. Usually, this paging file is located in your C drive and takes a size up to 1.5 times that of RAM. My only recommendation about Pagefile is that if you have a RAM of 3 GB or more in size for 32-bit Windows, you can safely switch it off. (Start -> Control Panel -> System -> Advanced -> Performance -> Settings -> Advanced -> Virtual Memory -> Change -> No Paging File -> Set -> OK).

iRotate

Program Of The Week

iRotate

If you want to rotate your display for some reason (nowadays pivoting monitors are available), iRotate does it promptly for you. By leveraging the native rotation capabilities of display drivers provided by ATI, nVidia, Intel and others, iRotate achieves display rotation with speed and efficiency. The entire iRotate package, including installation, documentation, and native language support in all the major European and Asian languages, weighs only 125 KB!! iRotate supports multiple graphics cards from various vendors simultaneously, under every multi-monitor enabled operating system from Windows 98 to Vista.

Filext

Website Of The Week

www.filext.com

A short series of letters and/or numerals at the end of a computer filename which is used to indicate the type of file and the software that will be required to open it, is known as File Extension. For example, a text file will have a file extension of ".TXT".

Most of the files in your PC will be shown with a symbol of a program which has been already installed in your PC and with which you can open that file. For such files, you may not see the file extension unless you have unchecked the HIDE THE EXTENSIONS FOR KNOWN FILE TYPES option (Start -> Control Panel -> Folder Options -> View). Sometimes you might see a file without such a symbol because it is not associated with any of the programs already installed in your PC and obviously you can't open that file by clicking on it. In such cases, you will be able to see the file extension below its name even if the above said folder option has been checked. If you don't already know how to open that file, visit this website.

FILEXT is a database of file extensions and the various programs that use them. Simply enter the file extension into the search box. If it is in FILEXT, the data on that file extension will be shown in the results. If it is not in the database, you will be given a link to a page with hints on how to do further research.

It is possible that the search will give you multiple results (same extension for many file types) as there is no central registry or authority for file extensions. Thus, you will have some real work to do. Read the results page carefully; Ultimately you will find out the program to open your file.

Tips Of The Week

Tip 1:

Sometimes, when you open Cryptload, a log window will be seen overlapping the main window. Just left click on the black top border of that log window and press ESC key. Now the log window will disappear and you will be able to see the main window.

Tip 2:

Are you using the NOTIFY ME option for Automatic Updates of Windows, as I have suggested? When you click on the notification icon in the taskbar, among the list of updates, sometimes you will see the SERVICE PACKS for Windows, MSOffice, .NET Framework or even Internet Explorer (spelled as SP1, SP2 etc.,). Don't rush to click the Download button. If you highlight that update, you will see a Microsoft link down below. Go to that page, download the pack, save it in a back up location seperately and then install it manually. It becomes important to store the service packs for back up because, just in case, if you are reinstalling your Windows or Office, you will need them. Otherwise you have to download them again!! Of course, Internet Explorer can be exempted from this rule because it is a small program, easily downloadble again and also because its updates will get incorporated into the main program sooner or later.

Tip 3:

Instead of using the notification icon for Windows Update in the task bar, you can also use the following link.
http://update.microsoft.com/windowsupdate/v6/default.aspx?ln=en-us
After installing the Update Tool in your PC, it will give you two options. If you click on the CUSTOM INSTALL button, a list of available updates will be given after scanning your PC. There are two advantages here. There will be a CLEAR ALL button. First click on it to unselect all and then choose only the updates you want. This CLEAR ALL button will not be available in the notification icon in the task bar. Secondly, that link will show you the total size of all the selected updates and the approximate time to finish the download whereas in the notification icon, only the individual file sizes are given.

Tip 4:

Before downloading any movie torrent, you have to be sure about the complete name and the year of release of that movie. For example, many Django and Zorro movies have been released right from 1930s!! Usually such information is provided in the name of the torrent itself or in the uploader's description. If not, use IMDB's search box and see the popular titles in the search results.

Tip 5:

While you are downloading a movie torrent from http://www.torrentz.com/, if you find two or more different torrents with different file sizes for the same movie, how will you choose the right filesize? There is a simple rule of thumb. Choose 700 MB if the movie is in 16:9 aspect ratio and its duration is around 100 minutes only. If the movie is in 4:3 aspect ratio and its duration is around 150 minutes or more, then 1400 MB will be better. You can apply some intermediate size (around 1 GB) for mixed situations. Before downloading the torrent, look for the information about the aspect ratio and duration of the movie from the uploader's description. If you don't find it there, then visit IMDB.

How To Use Automatic Updates?

Question Of The Week

How To Use Automatic Updates?

Generally, whenever a program is started, it will check with its homesite for updates, provided your internet is open. Some programs might even be running in the background without your knowledge. Are these updates really necessary for the optimal function of any and every software? This question becomes important especially for those having time limits and download limits in their internet connection!!

The answer is Yes. Regular updates are necessary for three softwares in your PC;

1.Your Operating System

2.Your Browser

3.Your Antivirus.

But should we allow full freedom for the Automatic Updates function? Let's start with Windows. Go to Control Panel -> Automatic Updates. You will find four options. Of course, the TURN OFF option is ruled out. But don't rush for the TURN ON option either. I would rather select the NOTIFY ME option, because it gives you an opportunity to view the description of each update and choose whichever you want (through a taskbar tray icon).

Are you wondering why to choose while every other update is important? That is not the case. Many a times you will find updates for something which you are not using at all. For example, even if you have not installed a part of Microsoft Office (Outlook, Access etc.), you will still get updates for those functionalities!! That's why you should avoid the TURN ON option because you will never know what is being downloaded. Apart from utilising your internet bandwidth and wasting your time, it may also consume your hard disk space.

If you are using Internet Explorer, its updates will come along with those of Windows in that notification icon. If you are using Mozilla Firefox, it has a CHECK FOR UPDATES option in the TOOLS tab of its menu bar. But you won't be using it because whenever an update is available, Firefox will notify you and ask your permission to download and install it.

There is no question about your Antivirus software. It has to update the Virus Signature Database everyday and it won't be asking your permission to do it. Since such an update is usually small in size and it concerns the protection of your PC, don't bother about it.

Now, what about the update option for smaller utility programs? If your internet is fast, the software is free and the total size of the program is around 10 to 50 MB only, better to unselect the CHECK FOR UPDATES option while installing itself. Why? You can simply download and install the newer version once in 3 to 6 months!! What will happen if you select the CHECK FOR UPDATES option? Your internet might slow down because every running program will try to communicate with its homesite whenever you open the internet link. Your PC may also slow down if too many programs are running at the same time especially at the START UP of Windows. That's why you should also restrict the number of programs which start running along with Windows (Read my post on CC-Cleaner).

Now, if you have purchased a software or if it is of considerable size (e.g. Nero - 370 MB), you should enable automatic updates, obviously because you can't download the newer versions whenever you want due to the price and size factors.

Lastly, those who are using a pirated software will lose the privilege of Automatic Updates because even if they enable the update option while installing the software, they have to permanently prevent its outgoing communication through personal firewall.

Cryptload

Program Of The Week

Cryptload

If you are looking for a download manager for Rapidshare, this is a good one. It also works for some other file storage sites.

Advantage:

Instead of copying and pasting the download links one at a time in your browser, you can store all of them in a Notepad file and open that file in Cryptload through ADD FILE, and forget it until the job is finished. If it is a single link, just copy it and open it through ADD CLIPBOARD.

Disadvantage:

You can't choose a particular Rapidshare server like you do in your browser from the advanced settings of Rapidshare, because Cryptload simply accepts the default one offered by Rapidshare. Thus you are deprived of the opportunity to choose the fastest Rapidshare server.

IMDB

Website Of The Week

www.imdb.com

This is a informational website on the Dream Factory... I mean the movie world. It provides data and pictures on movies, actors, directors etc., not only from Hollywood, but also includes Europian and Asian. Movies are rated and commented by the users.

Tips Of The Week

Tip 1:

If you ever had searched for a serial number to extend the use of a trial software, you might have come across some websites asking you to download a .ZIP or some other file. The site could claim that the zipped file contains a .TXT file in which a serial number had been embedded. You might have wondered what is the need to embed the serial number in a .TXT file and why can't they simply publish it in their webpage which can be viewed after a Captcha verification. There is no question at all. There is a 99% chance that the downloaded file contains a virus!!

Tip 2:

There is a manufacturer's note that Acronis Partition Expert may not work well if a program called Norton Go Back is already installed in your PC.

Keygen vs Crack

Question Of The Week

Keygen vs Crack

What is the difference?

Both are different forms of software piracy!! A keygen (key generator) is a small program that will generate valid serial/registration numbers for a software. Cracking is the modification of a software to remove its protection methods and the modified .EXE file is called as Crack. These are created by software cracking groups and made available for free download on various websites.

How do they create?

The authors of Keygen or Crack typically use a method called a reverse engineering. They disassemble the software to look at the raw assembly code of the program. Once they get access to the program's code, they locate the subroutine(s) responsible for serial number verification or CD check, then reverse the algorithm used to generate valid keys and incorporate it into the keygen or modify the .EXE and some other files to produce a Crack.

How do these work?

Some Keygens are easy to use. Whenever a software is asking for serial number during installation, you can simply generate and copy one from a Keygen. Some Keygens are slightly complicated because the software will need a telephone code too. But don't bother, the crackers usually provide a instruction manual along with the Keygen!!

Some programs and games will ask you to insert the original CD whenever you open them. There comes the Crack to your help. If you just copy and paste the cracked files (usually a modified .EXE file and some other .DLL files) into the installed program folder, you can use it without the original CD.

Whenever the validity period of a trial version of a software is over, you can either use a Keygen or Crack according to the need and availabilty.

What are the problems?

Most of the programs will try to communicate with their homesite for verification if your internet is open. Of course, you can block that communication permanently when your ESET Smart Security alerts you. But you will lose the privilege of Automatic Updates.

The biggest problem comes from viruses. Remember, NOTHING COMES FREE IN THIS WORLD. Why should the crackers spend their time and energy to create something for your free use? Since both Keygen and Crack are .EXE files, there is a 50% chance for you to get an incorporated virus. In simple terms, if you download a Keygen or Crack, it may either be a good one or a bad one. Although not all crackers are hackers, sometimes your Anti-virus software will falsely classify keygens as viruses and remove them. This happens because some algorithms of anti-virus software detect certain blocks of suspicious code and thus it becomes difficult to differentiate between a good keygen and a virus container.

The Ultimate fact is, you will be taking a risk while downloading and using a Keygen or Crack. Of course, you can safely copy and paste a serial number published in a website, but it is upto your conscience and your country's law to decide upon the issue!!

Acronis Disk Director Suite

Program Of The Week

Acronis Disk Director Suite

Do you want to partition your newly added hard disk drive? Do you want to redefine the existing partitions in your old hard disk drive without destroying the data? This program does it really well.

Actually Acronis Disk Director Suite is a combination of a number of previous Acronis products into one solution. Its components are;

1. Acronis Partition Expert:

Create, split, merge, resize, move and copy partitions without losing your data.

2. Acronis OS Selector:

A multi-boot software utility that allows you to install multiple operating systems on your PC.

3. Acronis Recovery Expert:

Recover accidentally lost or deleted partitions.

4. Acronis Disk Editor:

A disk drive repair tool that allows you to perform advanced operations on the hard disk drive (meant only for expert users).

I have tried the Partition Expert once and it works well. I intend to try the OS Selector soon because I am planning to install a second OS in my PC. Thanks to Almighty, I haven't had to use the Recovery Expert as yet. And I never intend to use the Disk Editor because I myself am a humble home PC user, not an expert!!

Serials

Website Of The Week

www.serials.be

While some of the programs are available freely, some are available only on purchase. Such purchasable programs may be available for trial downloads (valid for a short period only) from their homesite. After the end of the validity period, a serial number will be required to continue the functionality of the software. Such serial numbers can be obtained only on purchase. What will you do?

This website comes to your help there. It just obtains serial numbers for various programs from original (broad-minded?!) purchasers and publishes it for public use. Names of the programs are arranged in an alphabetical order but the search box is quite efficient. Some other useful links are also available.

Actually, there are hundreds of websites available in the web which publish serial numbers. But I found this one quite decent because most of those websites contain stupid adult advts.

Tips Of The Week

Tip 1:

Although the SATA cables are clearly superior to their counterpart PATA, the SATA port in the motherboard is a bit fragile. The motherboard SATA connector includes a plastic tab which can be broken if the connector is bent. This might happen if the cable is pulled to one side. Because such a broken connector is on the motherboard rather than the cable, you just can't replace it. So whenever you are opening your system for some reason, handle SATA connectors with care!!

Tip 2:

If you want to play a movie with subtitles, just place the subtitle file inside the movie folder. VLC Media Player and Standalone DVD Players won't recognise the subtitle file unless it is named similar to the movie file. Even an unnoticed extra space or a capital/small letter variation will make a difference. BS Player will open the subtitle file without bothering about the file name. Only if the folder contains more than one subtitle file, it will choose the one which is named similar to the movie file (and of course, you can load any external subtitle file from BS Player's menu).

Tip 3:

File names of most of the downloaded movies and subtitles will contain a lot of dots (why can't those uploaders use underscore instead? In fact, what is need of symbols to seperate words in file names?). Since the letters coming after a dot will be confused for file extension by Stanalone DVD Players and some programs like SubtitleEdit, you have to remove all the dots and rename the file before using it. If you had downloaded those files through a torrent and if you wish to seed it for some time, then postpone the renaming of those files.

Tip 4:

In the 40-wire older version PATA cables, when you connect two devices (Hard Drive and/or DVD Drive), you have to set the jumper in one as Master and the other as Slave. With the 80-wire newer version PATA cables, you can put the jumpers in Cable Select (CS) settings in both devices. This means the master/slave relationship of the two drives will be identified by BIOS by the position in which the drives are connected to the cable. Usually the drive which is attached to the farthest end of the cable is master and the one which is attached between the motherboard and the master is the slave. Cable Select settings were designed to make it easier to connect hard drives and also to identify which is master and which is slave easily, depending upon the position where you connected them to the cable.

SATA Vs IDE

Question Of The Week

PATA Vs SATA

What are the differences?

PATA and SATA are two types of Hard Disk Drives (HDD) being used at present, PATA being the older and SATA being the newer. Except in the way they connect to the PC, both are essentially the same.

PATA stands for Parallel ATA. SATA stands for Serial ATA. ATA stands for Advanced Technology Attachment which is a standard for interfaces (ports and cables) that allow you to connect storage devices to the motherboard of your PC. ATA is also known as IDE (Integrated Drive Electronics) which is simply a commercial name. Somehow it got stuck and is now being used interchangably with PATA.

1. Connection:

SATA interface is simpler and less fussy. SATA cables are long (upto 1 metre !!), thin, 7-pin cables. One end plugs into a port on the motherboard (labeled as Serial ATA Controller) and the other into a storage device like a Hard Drive or DVD Drive. The PATA cables, in comparison, look like a ribbon or belt, can connect two drives with one motherboard socket (labelled as IDE controller) and carry either 40 wires (older version) or 80 wires (newer version).

SATA cables are cheaper than PATA. With the SATA cables we can add or remove devices while the system is in operation (So-called Hot Swapping), but not with the PATA cables. The limited length of PATA cables (18 inches) prevent efficient routing and accessibility to component drives in the system. Moreover, their width prevent the system from cooling off by impeding air circulation inside.

2. Data Transfer Speed:

In SATA, data transfer occurs serially and is 1 bit at a time. In PATA, data transfer occurs in parallel and thus is a minimum of 16 bits at a time. But SATA is faster than PATA. How and why?

While first-generation SATA interfaces (known as SATA-1 Standard) had a data transfer rate of 150 MB/s (1.5 Gbit/s), even the latest models of PATA hard drives (ATA-7 Standard)could offer only a data transfer rate of 133 MB/second. It couldn't get better because as data transfer gets faster, synchronization of the data being transferred in parallel becomes a bigger problem. Although SATA-1 devices operated at best a little faster than PATA 133 devices, many people couldn't notice the difference.

Subsequently, second-generation SATA interfaces (SATA-2) with a 3 Gbit/s data transfer rate were developed, effectively doubling the maximum data throughput from 150 MB/s to 300 MB/s. Now SATA storage devices can transmit data to and from the rest of the computer over twice as fast as otherwise similar PATA devices. Wait... that is not all. SATA-3 standard with a 6 Gbit/s data transfer rate is on the way!!

3. Power Supply:

In PATA storage devices, there is a traditional 4-pin power supply called Molex which provides 5 Volts and 12 Volts. In SATA storage devices, there is a 15-pin power supply which gives a third voltage (3.3 V) in addition to the traditional 5 V and 12 V. This lower voltage allows faster signal ramping which is crucial for enhancing speed and reducing heat dissipation.

4. Jumper Settings:

One PATA cable supports two devices which must be set as master or slave with the jumpers provided. But if you are connecting only one device, usually there is no need for jumpers. Anyway, read the instructions (usually given on the label of the device itself) carefully.

One SATA cable connects only one device to the motherboard and is always the master. So SATA devices don't need jumpers generally. Yet they contain jumpers. Why? If you are connecting a SATA 2 device with 3 Gbit/s data transfer rate to your older motherboard which supports only 1.5 Gbit/s, you need to set the jumper on your SATA 2 device. Of course, it makes the use of SATA 2 standard meaningless!! But if your motherboard supports 3 Gbit/s, you can remove the jumpers provided with the SATA 2 device.

DVD drives are also now made available with SATA interfaces. Within a few years from now devices with PATA interfaces will become obsolete.

BS Player and VLC Media Player

Programs Of The Week

BS Player

VLC Media Player

Say "Good Bye" to your old media players. These two are the best to watch videos especially the downloaded ones. If you have the habit of watching movies with subtitles, then you just can't ignore these two.

To sum up the important features... Both players will provide the list of audio and subtitles streams from which you can choose; Both players offer functions to change font type, size, position and timing of subtitles; Both players allow you to change the aspect ratio of the video (VLC Media Player gives you more choices along with a CROP function); Both players give you the media information just in case you are lazy enough to use Media Info / G-Spot in K-lite Codec Pack; Both players allow you to configure shortcut keys on your own.

To sort out the differences... VLC Media Player can adjust the audio timing if there is any audio sync problem where as BS Player can load external audio/subtitle file; VLC Media Player has got in-built codecs where as BS Player is dependent on K-lite Codec Pack; VLC Media Player can't remember the last movie position and can't seek key frames in AVI files where as BS Player does both.

Apart from these two programs, I use Winamp for MP3 files and Cyberlink PowerDVD for VOB (DVD) files.

Onlyoldmovies and Avlinks

Blog Of The Week

http://onlyoldmovies.blogspot.com/

Well... I never had any policy that I won't write about other people's blogs. Anyway, this one is too good to resist. It has got download links for an extensive collection of old and classic Hollywood movies. Awesome collection, indeed. While copying the download links, don't forget to copy the passwords to extract the .RAR files.

Tips Of The Week

Tip 1:

For downloading subtitles from http://www.opensubtitles.com/, a program called SubDownloader is offered by the website itself. But I don't use it because I find it slightly complicated and thus unnecessary. I just download the subtitle file directly, put it in the movie folder and run the media player. If the subtitles are matching the movie, you can close the webpage showing the list of available subtitle files. Otherwise just download the next subtitle file and check again. Since the subtitle files are very small (KB in size), it won't take much time and energy to find the right one. Only on rare occasions you have to use Google Search and Subtitle Workshop (especially for old movies).

Tip 2:

I don't use the Split / Join (append) Subtitle function in Subtitle Workshop. Let me tell you why. If you have the movie in two files and subtitles in a single file, it is better to join the two movie files into one instead of splitting the subtitle file (Use VirtualDubMod for AVI files and MKVMerge for MKV files). If you have the subtitles in two files and the movie in a single file, just open the second subtitle file in Subtitle Workshop, match it with the movie using SET DELAY function. Save the changes, open it in Notepad, Select All, Copy and then Paste it at the end of the first subtitle file.

Tip 3:

Pardon me... I still use the split function of Subtitle Workshop occasionally when I find in a downloaded single subtitle file that the first half of the text is matching with the movie but not the rest. It happens because the uploader has appended the subtitles erroneously (and thats why you should follow my previous tip for joining subtitles). In such cases, open the subtitle file in Subtitle Workshop, split it upto the matching first part and save it. Then open the unmatching second part in Subtitle Workshop and follow the Tip 2 !!

Tip 4:

Whenever you perform the Tips 2 and 3, you will find that although the resulting subtitle file is matched, the numbering of text is not continuous from the first to the last. Now just open this file in Subtitle Workshop, and save it. Now you will see that the numbering of text is continuous !!

Tip 5:

Always keep a copy of the original/ edited subtitle file seperately, until you create a matching subtitle file in Subtitle Workshop.

http Vs https

Question Of The Week

http:// Vs https://

What is the difference?

HTTP stands for HyperText Transport Protocol. It is rather a language of communication for transmitting information between web servers and clients across the Internet.

HTTP serves as a request and response procedure that all agents on the Internet follow so that information can be easily and accurately disseminated between servers, which hold information, and clients, who are trying to access it. HTTP is commonly used to access HTML pages, but other resources can be utilized as well through HTTP.

When you visit a webpage, if you look at the address in your browser, it will likely begin with "http://". It means that the website is communicating with your browser using the regular unsecure language. In other words, it is possible for a hacker to intercept your computer's communication with the website. If you fill out a form on the website providing confidential information like credit card number, password etc., someone might see the information you send out to that site.

To prevent such interception, HTTPS protocol was developed by Netscape. In HTTPS, the S stands for SECURE. If a website ever asks you to enter some confidential information, you should automatically look to see if the web address begins with "https://" (Internet Explorer shows a Lock Symbol at the end of the address bar and Firefox shows a verification certificate at the start of the address bar). If the web address begins with "https://", that basically means your computer is communicating to the website in a secure manner that no one can intercept. Although there are claims that HTTPS is not infallible, it is the best chance we have at present.

Subtitle Workshop

Program Of The Week

Subtitle Workshop

If you are watching a downloaded movie file (AVI, MKV, MP4 etc., without internal subtitles), the spoken language of which is unfamiliar to you, then you will need external (soft) subtitles in your own / favourite language to understand and enjoy the movie. If you are a frequent user of external subtitles (of whatever language) to watch movies (of whatever language), this is going to be a very useful program for you. How?

1. Frame Rate:

If you don't get a subtitle file which matches the Frame Rate of your movie file anywhere in the web, you can change the Frame Rate of the available subtitle file using this program. To find out the Frame Rate of the movie file, use Media Info or G-Spot Codec Information Appliance (Start menu -> Programs -> K-lite Codec Pack -> Tools). The original Frame Rate of the subtitle file is usually provided in the webpage or inside the file's text.

2. Constant Delay:

Sometimes you may find that the subtitles appear either early or late while playing the movie. The difference may range from a few seconds to a few minutes but it remains constant throughout the movie. You can correct this problem by EDIT -> TIMINGS -> SET DELAY.

3. Visual Sync:

If you can't syncronise the subtitle timing with the movie by those two above mentioned methods, try this one using the first and last sync points.

4. Split and Join Subtitle files:

If the movie is in two files (2CD Rip) and the subtitle is a single file or vice versa, you can use these functions.

5. Text For Hearing Impaired:

Sometimes the only subtitle file which matches your movie file may be a special one created for Hearing Impaired. Unfortunately it will contain text for description of all sounds and actions which might irritate viewers with normal hearing. You can remove such text by TOOLS -> INFORMATION AND ERRORS -> FIX ALL ERRORS.

Opensubtitles and Allsubs

Websites Of The Week

www.opensubtitles.com

www.allsubs.org

If you are watching a downloaded movie file (AVI, MKV, MP4 etc., without internal subtitles), the spoken language of which is unfamiliar to you, then you will need external subtitles in your own / favourite language to understand and enjoy the movie. These two websites have in store lots and lots of external subtitles in a number of languages. External subtitles are available in many file formats (SRT, SUB, SSA, SMI and TXT). The commonest and most famous external subtitle file format is SRT. Opensubtitles gives an option for free registration but it is unnecessary unless you want to upload subtitles on your own.

Tips Of The Week

Tip 1:

Directshow is a mutimedia framework developed by Microsoft, which renders media files for various operations. It mainly uses FFDSHOW, which is a multipurpose media filter and it helps avoiding installation of various codecs for reading the media files (video and audio). Even though Directshow is integrated with Windows, you still have reasons to install K-Lite Codec Pack.

Tip 2:

To learn how to write the commands in Script Editor of VirtualDubMod, you must read the HTML documents about Resize and Crop in AVIsynth program folder (Program Files -> AviSynth -> Docs -> english -> corefilters). Since many of the movies downloaded from the internet are having wrong Aspect Ratio or black borders, (for God's sake, why can't they use AutoGK?) knowledge of the Resize and Crop commands in Script Editor of VirtualDubMod will be useful if you want to watch those movies in your TV. To watch them in your PC, you need not modify anything because you can simply change the aspect ratio in some media players like VLC.

Tip 3:

While browsing the web, I have many times stumbled upon a question - How to convert downloaded AVI files to DVD format (.VOB files)? Obviously, many people still use DVD players which can't play AVI files. Even though, watching the movie in PC itself is a good option, some people prefer their TV. Moreover, they might want to preserve some rare and good movies in DVD format. The simplest choice for them is to use Nero Vision to convert any movie file to DVD because it is already available in Nero Package (I assume most of you use Nero to burn DVDs). Next option is DVDflick. But, of course, the best option is Cinema Craft Encoder (CCE). Instead of using the CCE alone, better use it through AVI2DVD which is quite a nice program. It can be operated in 5 simple steps like AutoGK. Even though CCE produces the best quality, there are two problems; It is hard to get it because it is very costly and it works very slow.

Tip 4:

If you ask my opinion, processing a downloaded movie file is just a waste of time and energy. Even I do it sometimes to correct the aspect ratio of wrongly compressed AVI files, to remove black borders and compress downloaded DAT files and to convert file types (MKV/MP4 to AVI) just to watch them on TV or to preserve some rare and good movies. Yet, whenever there is a better quality file of the same movie available in some other site, I would rather download it than converting the first one. In my experience, that's the best thing to do. Of course, if your internet is slow or there is no other file available in the web, VirtualDubMod is always at your service !!

AVI Vs MKV

Question Of The Week

AVI Vs MKV

Which Is Better?

You can find that most of the downloaded movie files are .AVI and some are .MKV files. Both AVI and MKV file formats are nothing but containers of compressed movie data. They don't actually specify the encoding of data. Encoding is done by specific audio and video codecs. Thus the quality of the audio and video depend on the file size and the codecs used to compress the movie data to a particular file size.
1. Codecs:
AVI files usually contain XVID and DIVX as video codecs and MP3 and AC3 as audio codecs. MKV files use Advanced Video Codec (H.264/AVC) and Advanced Audio Codec (AAC) which belong to MPEG-4 standard and produce superior quality for a smaller file size. While AVI files can accommodate AVC, they are not compatible with AAC yet. This is clearly an advantage of MKV.
2. Subtitles:
Even though AVI files can contain multiple audio tracks like MKV files do, they cannot accommodate seperate subtitle streams. Only one subtitle language which will be encoded in the video as hard (internal) subtitle is possible in AVI format. But MKV files can contain multiple soft (external) subtitles among which you can choose any language like in a DVD or turn the subtitles off when not needed. That is another advantage of MKV.
3. Standalone Players:
If you want to watch downloaded movies in your TV, MKV files can't be played by Standalone DVD Players. But AVI files with their usual codecs (XVID, DIVX, MP3, AC3) can be played by any DIVX certified Standalone DVD Player. Although this is clearly a disadvantage of MKV, we shall positively expect that the makers of Standalone Players will soon incorporate MKV file format in their players despite the complexities of it.
Overall, MKV files are slightly better than AVI files. Hence, it won't be imprudent to say... AVI is the present; MKV is the future.

VirtualDubMod

Program Of The Week

VirtualDubMod

It can be called as Mother of all Video Editing Tools. This is a modification of Virtual Dub which is a open source progrm developed by Avery Lee. VirtualDubMod will take any video file as input through Directshow filters (see AVIsynth Templates in the OPEN FILE window). Output is given in three file formats (AVI, MKV, OGM). There are many other improvements from the original (Integration of multiple Audio streams and Subtitles). While VirtualDubMod can be used all alone for editing and compression purposes, it is also an integral part of video compression programs like AutoGK and AutoMKV. It can also be used for modification of the Audio stream properties like BitRate, Number of audio channels, Synchronisation with video etc., You can resize/crop the video using the Script Editor of AVIsynth (Look under the TOOLS tab in the Menu bar of VirtualDubMod) and see the effect instantly in video window by saving the commands (F5). There is also an option to capture video from recording devices. Even though, at first glance you will be panicked/confused by the Menu bar of VirtualDubMod, I promise you, it is very simple to use. Just read the manual given in HELP tab.

Saveasflv

Website Of The Week

www.saveasflv.com

This is not just another online video site. The name itself declares the difference; You can download and save the videos. Enter a key word in the search box and it will look for that video from a number of websites like youtube, metacafe, myspace etc., If you already know the URL (Uniform Resource Locator) of a particular video you want, enter it in the specific box provided and get it. The downloaded files will be in .FLV (flash video) format which is the file type universally being used for online streaming. The good news is .FLV files now support advanced codecs of MPEG-4 (AVC and AAC) which produce superior quality. If you don't have Adobe Flash player already in your browser, get it now. Of course, FLV files can be played by any media player which uses Directshow Filters.

Tips Of The Week

Tip 1:

While compressing a DVD in AutoGK or AutoMKV, how will you choose the target file size? There is a simple rule of thumb. Choose 700 MB if the movie is in 16:9 aspect ratio and its duration is around 100 minutes only. If the movie is in 4:3 aspect ratio and its duration is around 150 minutes or more, then 1400 MB will be better. You can apply some intermediate size (around 1 GB) for mixed situations.

Tip 2:

While compressing a DVD with 6 channel sound (DTS) in AutoGK, if you want 5.1 Audio in the output, select AUTO for Audio in the Advanced Settings. It will produce 5.1 Audio in 224 KBps quality for 1 CD (700 MB) output which sounds quite good. For 2 CD (1400 MB) output, it will produce 5.1 Audio in 448 KBps quality. If you specify a file size manually between 701 to 1399 MB, it still produces 5.1 Audio in 448 KBps quality. In such instances, the lesser the file size the lower will be the video quality.

CAUTION

If you select ORIGINAL for 5.1 Audio in the Advanced Settings of AutoGK while compressing a DVD, you might end up with a BitRate around 752 KBps for audio itself which will severely compromise the video quality.

Tip 3:

AutoMKV gives a general tip whenever you open the program. It also shows you the description of a particular functionality when the mouse cursor points over an icon.

Tip 4:

When you install AutoGK, select ESS based Standalone. That will help you to play the output AVI file in your TV through DIVX certified standalone DVD players.

Tip 5:

When you install AutoGK, unselect AVIsynth, VobSub and XVID because VobSub and XVID are available in K-Lite Codec Pack itself. Download and install AVIsynth seperately because it will be required by other programs like AutoMKV and VirtualDubMod.

CBR Vs VBR

Question Of The Week

CBR Vs VBR
Which is better?

Mp3 files are made up from 100s of small audio chunks. While encoding an MP3 file or compresssing a movie, we have to specify the BitRate of the audio (e.g. 128 KBps) which will determine the file size. We can also specify whether the BitRate should be Constant or Variable.

In CBR (Constant BitRate), the same BitRate is used to encode the entire file. So it can be done in just one pass. Whilst encoding in VBR (Variable BitRate), the encoder first decides how many bits are needed to encode each chunk. The BitRate can drop down to the lowest value when it is permissible (if there is not much audio going on), and switches up to a higher value when required. That's why VBR requires at least two passes for encoding.

At 320 KBps, which is the maximum BitRate for MP3 files, CBR matches VBR in terms of quality of sound. At lower BitRates, VBR sounds better.

AutoGK and AutoMKV

Programs Of The Week

AutoGK

AutoMKV

Do you want to compress a DVD (either for uploading or just to store a borrowed/rented DVD)? Do you want to change a file format or codec of a downloaded movie file? Then you should have both these programs in your PC. They are available for free download. Both these programs can be nominated for the Best Video Compression Tool award (if there is any) !! Even though they are comparable, they differ considerably in their functionalities.
AutoGK (AutoGordian Knot) will accept only VOB (DVD) and AVI file formats as input and its output is AVI only. Of course, this is a serious limitation but it does a nice job. AutoMKV will accept any video as input and gives many options for output (AVI, MKV, MP4, WMV) and that is its big advantage.
AutoGK compresses the video always in two passes at a constant pace. AutoMKV gives you many options at that.
In AutoGK, all you have to do are given in just four steps (including Advanced Settings !!). Even the Advanced Settings are very simple. But there is no need to change the default Advanced Settings (AUTO for both video and audio, XVID for codec and NO subtitles). If at all you want to set them by yourself, use Fixed Width 640 for Video, CBR-MP3 128 KBps for audio, DIVX for codec and External Subtitles.
In AutoMKV, you need to set many a things before going to Advanced Settings. I would strongly recommend/caution you not to touch AutoMKV's Advanced Settings at all because they are really advanced !!
Both programs have AutoCrop function (if your input video has some black borders constantly throughout the entire length, that will not be encoded). But if your input video is in a wrong aspect ratio (many a downloaded files are so !!), you can't correct it in AutoGK. Here, AutoMKV scores again by giving that option in Advanced Settings (it is the only reason I enter into the Advanced Settings of AutoMKV).
Overall, the word AUTO suits mostly to AutoGK. If you want to compress a DVD to AVI file, AutoGK is the best choice. If you want to compress a DVD to MKV/MP4 file or if you want to change a downloaded file format (MKV to AVI, MP4 to AVI etc.,) or codec (H-264 to XVID/DIVX) then, of course, use AutoMKV.

Moviefone

Website Of The Week

www.moviefone.com/dvd

Moviefone gives you a lot of information about Hollywoood. Movie information is divided into three categories: those in production, those in theaters, and those released in DVDs. The last one is what I refer to (Information on DVD releases available in Amazon.com too).

After clicking "On DVDs" to see the thumbnails of DVDs, you can either browse them by Popularity or Genre. I prefer "DVD Releases by Month" to view them in chronological order from latest to the old ones because low quality Cam prints are being sold in some countries before the release of original DVDs.

If are you planning to download a new movie from Torrentz.com, you have to ensure first if original DVD of that movie has been released or not. Check the release date of the torrent displayed along with the file name and size in Torrentz.com search results. Only if that coincides with the release of original DVD, download that torrent. Otherwise, it is most likely to be a low quality CamRip or a junk file.

Tips Of The Week

Tip 1:

Before copying the download links given in www.foriegnmoviesddl.com/ , spend a few seconds to read the comments made by the users. It becomes important because some responsible user might have reported broken links or problems of extraction of downloaded .RAR files. You can avoid those links to save time and energy.

Tip 2:

While installing K-lite codec pack, try CUSTOM installation if you want to learn. Otherwise just go for STANDARD installation. Custom Installation (for any software) gives you an option to omit unnecessary functionalities.

Tip 3:

If you want to reverse any of your custom settings any time after installation of K-lite codec pack, open the installation file again. You will find that it starts with your customised settings. Now, it's easy for you to change the one or two settings you want. But, if you open the Codec Tweak Tool in the Start Menu Folder, it starts with default settings and you need set everything again!

Tip 4:

K-lite codec pack has some other useful tools also like GSpot Codec Information Appliance (only for AVI files), Media Info (all video files), Bitrate Calculator (useful for video-editing applications) and Vobsub Strip (to strip the zipped IDX subtitle packs which frequently accompany downloaded movie folders and select the subtitle of your favourite language).

Tip 5:

There is also a K-lite Mega codec pack available. It contains Quick Time and Real Player alternatives along with regular features of K-lite codec pack. But I prefer to install Quick Time and Real Player seperately (free versions available).

What is a Codec?

Question Of The Week

What is a Codec?

The most common file types of movies downloaded from the web are AVI, MKV and WMV. They mean Audio Video Interleaved, Matraska Video and Windows Media Video (formerly ASF) respectively. They are nothing but containers in which the movie data is filled with. The movie data has to be encoded first to create such compressed movie files. To play those compressed movie files, a media player performs decoding. Both these processes require compression protocols for video and audio data seperately.

Thus, a CODEC is a compression protocol used for COding and DECoding. Some codecs consist of both components - an encoder and a decoder, while other codecs include a decoder only. AVI files usually contain XVID and DIVX as video codecs and MP3 and AC3 as audio codecs. MKV and MP4 files use Advanced Video Codec (AVC/H.264) and Advanced Audio Codec (AAC) which belong to MPEG-4 standard. Windows Media Video files use their own codecs.

K-lite Codec Pack

Program Of The Week

K-lite Codec Pack

Most of the movies downloaded from internet will be in a compressed format. To decode and read the movie file, you have to install that particular codec in which the movie has been compressed. Quite a number of video and audio codecs have been developed.

This codec pack contains all the essential codecs, so that any movie file can be played in your PC. This pack will also enable you to compress movie files and convert the codec types using video editing applications. Compressing movie files helps save disk space and easy uploading. Converting the codec type enables playback of video files in your TV through Standalone DVD player (only if it is DIVX certified).

Foriegnmoviesddl

Website Of The Week

www.foriegnmoviesddl.com

Are you a movie buff? Are you looking for variety? This website will give you a feast !! There are movies from various countries in various languages. Get to know the world famous directors like Alfred Hitchcock, Akira Kurosawa, Ingmar Bergman, Roman Polanski, Satyajit Ray, Steven Spielberg... just to name some.

Most of the movies are in .AVI file format with XVID codec but bundled into .RAR files for download. Some of them require passwords for extraction (look for the passwords along with download links). Most of the download links are from Rapidshare. Fortunately enough, Rapidshare servers are delivering at download speed more than 200 KB/sec at present in the Free Download Category. Enjoy!

Tips Of The Week

Tip 1:

In Songs.pk, most of the songs are in 128 KBps quality. But you might find some newer songs in 160 or 192 KBps. If you want to store all songs in your collection in similar quality, use Sony Audio Studio to convert them to 128 KBps. It will take just a few seconds for each song.

Tip 2:
In Sony Audio Studio, there is an option to detach audio from video files for editing/processing purposes. But there are two problems in it. First, after processing, the detached audio file is lengthened by 100 milliseconds or so. (For that matter, every audio file processed becomes lengthened by 50 to 100 milliseconds). It gives a progressive delay and audio sync problem in the video after reattaching, but quite unnoticable if you don't look for it. Second, the entire video has to be processed to reattach the audio because there is no option for DIRECT COPY of video stream (Reprocessing the video might compromise its quality). Let us hope Sony people rectify these problems soon.

Tip 3:

Whenever you want to download a song, always RIGHT CLICK on it and give SAVE LINK AS in Firefox or SAVE TARGET AS in Internet Explorer because in most of the sites, LEFT CLICK starts Quicktime Player to play the song from the site.

Tip 4:

In Firefox, the PAUSE/RESUME button in the download window, will not work for file storage servers like Rapidshare, Megaupload etc.,

Tip 5:

Firefox loads web pages seemingly faster than Internet Explorer even when the bandwidth is being fully consumed by programs like uTorrent. Thus, Firefox is preferable for browsing the web on such occasions.

Internet Explorer Vs Firefox

Question Of The Week

Internet Explorer Vs Firefox

Which is better?

An Eternal Question...

Lots of experts' reviews are already available in the web. We still have scope to answer this question from the users' point of view. Both programs have their own advantages and disadvantages. I use Firefox to make downloads and Internet Explorer for browsing the web !!

Why Firefox?

1. Firefox can be used like a mass downloader program because all downloads are shown in a single window. Moreover, the number of active downloads and the remaining time are diplayed in the status bar of the main window. In Internet Explorer, progress of each download is shown in a seperate window.

2. In Firefox, there is a PAUSE/RESUME button which is quite handy. You can PAUSE/RESUME the downloads whenever you want but not in Internet Explorer.

3. Another positive thing about Firefox is... it recognises the free bandwidth when some of the downloads are finished and immediately improves the speed of remaining downloads. Apparently, Internet Explorer takes its own time for this.

4. And that is not all. At the end of each download, Firefox scans it for viruses before presenting the downloaded file to us.

Why Internet Explorer?

1. The width of the webpages usually fit with the width of Internet Explorer window probably because most websites are built to work best with Internet Explorer. In Firefox, the width of the webpages usually don't fit with the width of main window which needs constant horizontal scrolling.

2. If you want to enlarge the text/image size in Internet Explorer, there is a percentage button in the right lower corner which needs just a click. It takes many a clicks to enlarge the text size in Firefox.

3. Digital e-newspapers can be read only in Internet Explorer because in Firefox you can't highlight/click a particular news section even though you can view the layout.

Debatable Issues:

1. It is claimed that Firefox gives lesser number of pop-ups while browsing (did somebody count?). I won't take this point seriously because efficiency of the pop-up blocker varies with different sites. Moreover, you can set the pop-up blocker to the Highest level (the default is medium only) in Internet Explorer (Tools -> Options -> Privacy). Of course, this will prevent Download Pop-ups too, but then I have already told you to make downloads through Firefox. You also have the choice to exempt your favourite sites from the pop-up blocker.

2. People frequently opine that Internet Explorer is not as secure as Firefox. It may be so probably because hackers usually target the most used browser. You can set the security settings of Internet Zone to the Highest level (the default is medium only) in Internet Explorer (Tools -> Options -> Security -> Internet). But then, Active Scripting (Javascript) will be disabled. You will need to enable Javascript to view some sites.

3. For that matter, Firefox has simple and user-friendly OPTIONS. But that shouldn't count if you are willing to learn.

4. Since Firefox is an open source program, umpteen number of Add-ONs (Plug-INs) are available. The safety and utility of them are not certain.

Sony Audio Studio

Program Of The Week

Sony Audio Studio

You can EDIT/PROCESS audio files with this program. Processes like Noise Reduction, Volume Normalisation, Equilisation and a lot more are there. Save the music files into any format you want (mp3, wma, wav etc.,). Or you can simply use it for bitrate conversion or audio file type conversion. It is very easy to use. And it works very fast.

Bollywood Hindi Songs

Website Of The Week

www.songs.pk

www.bollymp3online.com

Are you a music lover? Do you like music from the Indian Subcontinent? Well... you will love these sites. Songs.pk has got a large collection of Bollywood Songs from Hindi movies which are nicely arranged alphabetically. Quality of the songs from old movies is quite good. Indian Pop and Remix songs are also available. There is also a collection of Pakistani Songs.

Bollymp3 is another Hindi movie mp3 site. Names of the movies are arranged in alphabetical order. Some songs which I couldn't find in Songs.pk were available here in Bollymp3.

Tips Of The Week

Tip 1:

While downloading from Esnips, if you get a notice "MAXIMUM BANDWIDTH EXCEEDED", just go through at least first 5 pages of search results. You might find the same file from some other uploader which will be easily downloadable.

Tip 2:

If you want to read e-books only in .PDF format, it is possible to convert .LIT (Microsoft Reader) files to open standard files like .DOC or .TXT by using a program called CONVERT-LIT and then use Adobe Acrobat to convert .DOC or .TXT files to .PDF format.

Tip 3:

During Installation of Microsoft reader, the last step is Activation, which is a quick registration process that identifies your computer and it is required to purchase and read digitally secured Microsoft Reader e-book titles. If you are not interested, you need not activate it.

Tip 4:

While compressing files in WinRAR, avoid creating self-extracting archives (.EXE) because it may not be possible to send them over e-mail if the host server identifies it as a virus.

WinZIP Vs WinRAR

Question Of The Week

WinZIP Vs WinRAR

What Is The Difference?

To conserve disk space and to reduce e-mail transmission time, we can compress certain files (Documents, Images, Programs, Audio and Video) to a smaller size.

ZIP and RAR are two similar but slightly different compression modules. Zipping is old and original. RAR is new and improvised.

WinZIP excels in speed. WinRAR excels in compression. WinZIP compresses files only to .ZIP format and it can not extract .RAR files. WinRAR compresses files to both .ZIP and .RAR formats and thus can extract both.

WinZIP is a free software and is available integrated with Windows. WinRAR is a third party program and its evaluation copy is available for free download.

Microsoft Reader

Program Of The Week

Microsoft Reader

This is a FREE software offered by Microsoft, used for opening E-book (.LIT) files. Originally it was developed for Pocket PCs. Now three different editions are available. One for Pocket PCs, one for Tablet PCs and one for Desktops & Laptops. The last one is what I am referring to. Settings are only a few, simple and useful. Help Section is impressive. There is an optional Text to Speech module which reads out the text loudly for listeners.

Esnips and Scribd

Websites Of The Week

www.esnips.com

www.scribd.com

Are you a bookworm... may be E-bookworm? Are you looking for a particular (either English or Non-English) Textbook, Literature or Fiction? Try these websites. Just enter the Title of the book or Name of the Author in the search box. Books are available in various file formats like PDF, TXT, LIT, RAR, ZIP, RTF, DOC etc., (Don't ask me what they are. Use Google Search). You can download whichever file format you want because some e-books look good in one file format but not in other. To download e-books, you have to register in Scribd, but not necessarily in Esnips. Jai Ho Esnips !!

Tips Of The Week

Tip 1:

In Torrentz.com search results page, along with the file name and size, the release date of the torrent will also be displayed. It becomes important especially in movie torrents because only if that coincides with the release date of original DVD, it is reliable. Otherwise, it is most likely to be a pirated camrip or even a junk file.

Tip 2:

In Torrentz.com search results page, the presence of a green tick mark against the file name, indicates that the source of the torrent is verified and reliable.

Tip 3:

If you try to use the search box provided in uTorrent, you might ultimately land up in Torrentz.com only. How? Find out yourself !!

Tip 4:

Even though uTorrent excels in its performance as the best BitTorrent Client, its source code is unknown. Experts say that it's quite possible for the uTorrent developers to add anything they want to the program, such as DRM protection, or copyright breach reporting, without the users' knowledge.

Tip 5:

Those viewers who were panicked by the previous tip, try Azureus. It is another BitTorrent Client and its source code is known. No hidden functions. Moreover, it can run on any operating system because it is based on Java Runtime Enviroment. Only problem is, it requires a capable CPU (at least 2 GHrtz), and a spacious RAM (at least 1 GB).

Tip 6:
Did you know that you can play Tetris Game using uTorrent? Just click the HELP tab in its menu bar and then ABOUT UTORRENT. A small window opens and now press the letter “t” without quotes on your keyboard. And you will able to play the Hidden Tetris Game!!

What is a Torrent?

Question Of The Week

What is a Torrent?

Generally downloads are of two types. One is Direct Download; Another is Torrent Download. When you click on a DOWNLOAD button on a webpage, to download a file directly from that website server, it is a Direct Download.

Torrent:

Torrent (also known as BitTorrent) is a peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing communication protocol. It is a method of distributing large amounts of data widely to a large number of recipients at the same time. When data is distributed using the Torrent protocol, each recipient supplies fragments of the data to newer recipients, reducing the burden on the original distributor who started that torrent. This protocol was originally developed by BitTorrent Inc., of USA.

Torrent file:

A Torrent file (.TORRENT) which is only a few KB in size, contains all the information needed to download a large file for which the torrent was created. That information includes file names, their sizes, trackers and so on.

BitTorrent client:

Torrent downloader programs that download files using the BitTorrent protocol through a .TORRENT file are known as BitTorrent clients.

Tracker:

A torrent tracker is a server toolkit application that runs from a website which hosts torrent files. The tracker's URL is embedded in the torrent file. The tracker assists in the communication between peers using the BitTorrent protocol. It maintains information about all BitTorrent clients utilizing each torrent. Specifically, the tracker identifies the network location of each client either uploading or downloading the P2P file associated with a torrent. It also tracks which fragment(s) of that file each client possesses, to assist in efficient data sharing between clients.

Peer/Seeder/Leecher:

All BitTorrent Clients traced by a torrent tracker are known as Peers. They can be divided into two groups. The group of persons downloading a torrent are known as Leechers. The group of persons who possess all fragments of the torrent and distribute the data to the leechers are known as Seeders. When a leecher successfully downloads 100% data in the torrent, that peer becomes a Seeder as well.

BitTorrent protocol has become the most popular way of downloading large files like movies, music, software and games. You can get torrent files from torrent websites and torrent search engines. Downloading with a torrent file is actually very simple. You just need a BitTorrent client to open the torrent file. Set a location where you want to download desired files, define upload/download speed limits by RIGHT CLICKing on each torrent and then just wait until it's finished.

CAUTION

In most countries, it is illegal to distribute copyrighted materials like movies, music, software and games through BitTorrent protocol without the permission of the copyright holder despite the fact that a website tracker does not actually host or distribute any copyrighted data itself.