Windows 7 – Features I Cannot Live Without: Part 1

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Posted by Luke on 9 November 2009 – 11:10 pm
Filed under Software, What I Use, Windows
Tagged as ,

I’ve been running Windows 7 as my main OS for quite some time now.  Ever since I installed it, there was no going back to any previous version of Windows because of its new features.  I must admit that I had been a Windows Vista user since it’s Beta days too but the reason I used Vista over XP was more about the way it looked rather than having any killer new features.  Windows 7 on the other hand does have killer features and it runs better than Vista on machines of the same spec!

I am going to write some short articles about some of these features in Windows 7 and how they help me in my everyday computing life.  Number 1 in my “Features I Cannot Live Without” is going to be Aero Snap.

Here is a brief description of Aero Snap tacking from the Wikipedia article which can be found here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aero_Snap

Clicking and dragging a window to the right or left side of the desktop causes the window to fill the respective half of the screen. Snapping a window to the top of the desktop maximizes it. Resizing a window to touch the top or bottom edge of the screen maximizes the window to full height, whilst retaining its width; these windows will then slide horizontally if moved by the title bar, or can be pulled off, which returns the window to its original height.

Here is the sort of thing you can easily do using Aero Snap.

Aero Snap

There’s no fiddling around trying to align windows side by side.  It’s simples!

To do this I could have either dragged one window to the left and one to the right or to achieve the same result, I could select a window and hit [WINDOWS KEY] + [LEFT ARROW] for the left window and [WINDOWS KEY] + [RIGHT ARROW] on the for the right window to be placed as shown.

Using the Windows key and directional (cursor) arrow is the best method if using more than one screen.  If you have a setup as I do with another monitor to your left, you cannot drag a window to the left hand side to “snap”.  It will just continue onto the monitor to the left until it reaches the far left of the screen.

I have noticed that a third party developer has released (in Beta) some software that mimics the Windows 7 Aero Snap feature.  I have not tested this as I do not have a test machine running Windows XP or Vista at this time but if you’d like to give it a go, you can download it for free from here: http://www.aerosnap.de/eng/download.htm I’d love to hear your comments about this download in XP or Vista, especially if you have used Aero Snap on Windows 7.

If you have any comments or questions, please go ahead – I’ll be listening.

Next up on my “Features I Cannot Live Without” will be Jump Lists – they’re very cool indeed!

Friend request: Say no to Ethernet. Its wireless!

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Posted by Luke on 5 November 2009 – 8:44 pm
Filed under Broadband

Expansion of broadband service across UK has helped the dial up users to get better browsing experience. Yes the above said statement is true, till you don’t get a thunder storm and you call tech support reporting an issue. You spend most of your day plugging and unplugging the Ethernet cable, moving between the front and rear side of your computer. Finally its a faulty line and will get resolved after a weeks time. ISP tech support does a good job, but they can’t help it if its a bad day.

No more cables. Wireless, Bluetooth, WIFI is all we need. Communication in the air. Mobile broadband technology has given the freedom to browse faster and go wireless any where. UK serves the best of its kind. No doubt its simple and easy unless you know how it works. Mobile broadband works exactly the same way how your mobile phone works. You either pay monthly or go prepaid.

GSM (global system for mobile) or CDMA (code division multiple access) is what is used in the mobile phones. These technologies serve to sends or receives voice and data communication at the same time. 3G or HSDPA (high speed downlink packet access) helps the communication at a speed of more than 14Mbps. All of these technologies are embedded in a chip and made so compact into a USB dongle. Any system which supports USB2.0 (almost any latest computer does) is eligible to use the mobile broadband device. The software installation does happen automatically when you plug in the device for the first time in your computer. The user name and password is either saved already or you may have to contact the provider to get one. Most often its the 10 digit number which identifies your mobile broadband device. It does not require the credentials until the device is reset or the software is uninstalled from the computer.

Plug the device and click on the software to get connected and access the unlimited mobile broadband service. Its mostly used in notebook computers since its portable and accessible anywhere within the range of the network coverage. But mobile broadband in UK has a coverage of almost 70% of the country with a maximum speed of 7-8Mbps, which is comparatively lesser than few countries. But the government in keen in increasing a better coverage and network range to facilitate more users by the end of 2012. ISP’s also have a huge competition for the faster speeds and unlimited mobile broadband packages.

Monthly billings are charged based on the usage of the service. But users can also choose to use the PAYG broadband service. It depends on the frequency and willingness of the user to choose between the plans. PAYG broadband service is simply like a pre-paid service which allows you to top up depending upon the amount of download.

Mobile broadband has widened the scope of accessing the internet from anywhere. Since the mobile networks has spread across UK, its easy for the users to access the internet even from remote locations. No more dial up, no more cables, its mobile phones and mobile broadband which will connect you globally.

Horror Gothic Business Cards & Posters

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Posted by Luke on 19 October 2009 – 10:11 am
Filed under Site News

Horror Gothic Business Cards & Posters

Dual Screen, High Resolution Wallpapers

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Posted by Luke on 20 September 2009 – 2:33 pm
Filed under What I Use
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I’ve created a set of wallpapers (which I use myself) for two 1920 x 1200 screens. These can be found and downloaded over at Flickr here:

Moody night Yellow 1 Yellow 2 Motorway Lifestream Daisy

If you like these in other screen resolutions, please comment to let me know.

I hope that you find use for them.  Feel free to share.

Exploring the potential of Mobile Broadband

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Posted by Luke on 14 September 2009 – 6:58 pm
Filed under Broadband
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huawei dongle Being able to access the web and email while we’re on the move has transformed the way we work and enjoy our leisure time. Mobile broadband gives us the freedom to surf whenever and pretty much wherever we like and it’s getting faster and cheaper all the time.

The fact that mobile broadband isn’t received through a fixed-modem line means that there’s no line rental to worry about either, which is a real plus point when you weigh up the benefits of just having a mobile phone and no landline. All you really need on top of that these days is a laptop, or better still, one of the smaller netbooks, and you’re ready to go.

A laptop can be had for just a few hundred pounds, and some broadband deals now throw this in for free as part of the package, while a netbook can often be had for less than a couple of hundred quid. Once you’ve got one of these little beauties all you need to do is shop around for a mobile broadband contract that’ll suit your needs and you’re ready to go.

Getting set up for mobile broadband is a doddle. With a contract or pay-as-you-go deal in place, you simply plug a small stick-like device known as a ‘dongle’ into an available USB slot on your chosen device and with a few simple clicks you’ll soon be accessing the web and email. This extends to pretty much any UK area, just as long as you’re in range of a mobile phone network signal.

There are some obstacles to watch out for along the way though. Mobile phone connections can sporadically break up, which can be very frustrating. Similarly, reception for mobile broadband can often be affected in much the same way. Coverage in major cities is by far the most dependable and it’s getting faster too with recent upgrades being announced by the likes of Vodafone, which now promises speeds of up to 14.4Mbps. However, the everyday reality could be much less than that.

Where there is copious network coverage you’ll find that it’s also easy to connect to the internet using the 3G mobile broadband network, and access to web pages and emails can be carried out swiftly and easily using this method, in much the same way as it can be done on many of the new smartphones available from the same network providers.

This means that catching up with content like movies, TV and radio shows via catch-up services is all the more easier. It also means that you can do this while you’re on the move, so long journeys or lengthy waits in places like airport departure lounges can now be whiled away in veritable luxury. There are data limits on most packages that you need to be wary of exceeding as there can be costly surcharges, but clarity on this can always be easily found in a providers terms and conditions.

The best way to get a handle on costs involved for mobile broadband is to check out a price comparison site like Mobile Broadband Genie that’ll not only give a comprehensive overview on the best deals, but they’ll also highlight the pro’s and con’s of each and every contract. Some deals may look good initially, but if you’re a heavy user then data usage limits on your downloads and penalties for exceeding them may turn that good deal into a dud.

Pay-as-you-go offers no contract but if you’re prepared to sign up for something like 12 or 18 months on a contract basis then there are plenty of deals that’ll throw in the dongle that you need plus lots of other perks that’ll make a monthly paid for service seem like a much better idea. This is particularly true if you’re a heavy internet and email user and expect to be online a lot.

You can land a basic mobile broadband contract from anywhere around £10 per month but naturally the cheaper the deal the more the limitations of the service. If you can stretch to something like £30 a month then you’ll immediately find that there is much less constraint on the amount of data you can download and upload, while some deals will also give you a laptop to take away and use as if it’s your own. The price you pay means it’ll basically cost you in the long run but it’s still a good deal for some users.

If you tend to travel overseas and want to use mobile broadband there then you should also be aware of the potential extra costs on that front. Simply using your existing contract and associated kit could end up turning out to be very expensive indeed. There are overseas mobile internet deals available, but they don’t come cheap so you need to work out how much you plan to be surfing overseas and work out a more cost effective option. Whatever the option you take, it is unlikely to be bargain-basement in terms of overall cost.

Meanwhile, if you invest in a mobile broadband contract back here in the UK then lookout for increased performance in the coming months. Mobile network companies are fiercely competitive and each one is constantly trying to outdo the other. However, there is still some way to go in terms of speed and efficiency of mobile broadband compared to its home-based rival. Virgin Media is now offering up to 50Mb speeds for some of its cable-based customers while mobile surfers cannot currently hope to get anywhere near that figure.

Nevertheless, with speeds ranging from 1Mb to 5Mb on average, the greatest plus point that mobile broadband affords its users is that you’re free to keep on working or enjoying that valuable leisure time of yours just about anywhere you choose to take your smartphone, laptop or netbook.

About the author: Rob Clymo writes on behalf of www.broadbandgenie.co.uk, the independent comparison website for broadband and mobile broadband.