Use Hibernate and Standby to Conserve Batteries

The Hibernate function in Windows XP Professional can make the batteries in your laptop computer last longer.

Windows XP supports the industry standard power management technology known as the Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI), which enables the operating system to control power to your computer and peripheral devices. The power management features in Windows XP include Hibernate and Standby. Hibernate saves an image of your desktop with all open files and documents, and then it powers down your computer. When you turn on power, your files and documents are open on your desktop exactly as you left them. Standby reduces the power consumption of your computer by cutting power to hardware components you are not using. Standby can cut power to peripheral devices, your monitor, even your hard drive, but maintains power to your computer’s memory so you don’t lose your work.

Power Management Performance

Windows XP wakes from Hibernate faster than any earlier version of Windows. So you can preserve your batteries without taking time to close all your files and shut down, and then restart and open all your files when you’re ready to work again. If you need to leave your computer, you can just leave it. Windows XP can automatically put your computer into Hibernate mode after a specified period of inactivity. Or Windows XP can detect when your batteries are running low, and then automatically put your computer in Hibernate mode to save your work before the battery fails. To put your computer into hibernation, you must have a computer that is set up by the manufacturer to support this option.

To automatically put your computer into hibernation

You must be logged on to your computer with an owner account in order to complete this procedure.

1. Open Power Options in Control Panel. (Click Start, click Control Panel, and then double-click Power Options.)

2. Click the Hibernate tab, select the Enable hibernate support check box, and then click Apply.

If the Hibernate tab is unavailable, your computer does not support this feature.




3. Click the APM tab, click Enable Advanced Power Management support, and then click Apply.

The APM tab is unavailable on ACPI–compliant computers. ACPI automatically enables Advanced Power Management, which disables the APM tab.

4. Click the Power Schemes tab, and then select a time period in System hibernates. Your computer hibernates after it has been idle for the specified amount of time.

To manually put your computer into hibernation

You must be logged on as an administrator or a member of either the Administrators or Power Users group in order to complete this procedure. If your computer is connected to a network, network policy settings might also prevent you from completing this procedure.

1. Open Power Options in Control Panel. (Click Start, click Control Panel, and then double-click Power Options.)

2. Click the Hibernate tab, and then select the Enable hibernate support check box.

If the Hibernate tab is not available, your computer does not support this feature.
3. Click OK to close the Power Options dialog box.

4. Click Start, and then click Shut Down. In the What do you want the computer to do drop-down list, click Hibernate.

If you are using Windows XP Home Edition, or Windows XP Professional with Fast User Switching turned on, the Shut Down menu will present the options to Stand By, Turn Off, or Restart your computer. Hold down the Shift key, and the Stand By button will change to Hibernate.

What are XP Power Toys?

PowerToys are additional programs that developers work on after the product has been released to manufacturing, but before the next project has begun. These toys add fun and functionality to the Windows experience.

We've taken great care to ensure that PowerToys operate as they should. But please note that these programs are not part of Windows and are not supported by Microsoft. For this reason, Microsoft Technical Support is unable to answer questions about PowerToys

The PowerToys are installed into the directory you specify during setup. Typically this is the system32 directory.

To uninstall the PowerToys, Open the control Panel. Launch the Add/Remove Programs control panel applet. Find the PowerToys for Windows XP entry, and choose Modify/Remove. From here you can remove specific toys or all of them.

Faster User Switcher
Note: You cannot use this toy if fast user switching is not enabled.

What it is: With Fast User Switching enabled on Windows XP, this PowerToy allows you to switch users without having to use the logon screen.
Special requirements: This PowerToy requires a Windows key on your keyboard.
How to use: Press the Windows key then the Q key to activate; release and press Q to switch to a different user tile, then release both Q and Windows key to switch to that user.

Shell Player
What it is: This PowerToy plays MP3 files and WMA files from the taskbar.
How to use: Right click on the taskbar, click toolbars, then click "Audio Player." If the taskbar is locked and you want to resize the player, you will have to unlock it. This will allow you to access the play list editor and view all the buttons.

Task Switcher
What it is: Replaces the existing Alt + Tab application switching mechanism of Windows XP. It provides a thumbnail preview of windows in the task list and is compliant with the new Windows XP visual style.
How to use: (NOTE: You must log off and then log on again for the changes to take effect). Use just as you do the existing Alt + Tab mechanism by pressing the Alt key and the Tab key to activate. While holding down the Alt key, press the Tab key to cycle through running applications. To move backwards, press Shift + Alt + Tab. Release all keys when the desired application is highlighted.

Open Command Window Here
What it is: This PowerToy adds an "Open Command Window Here" context menu option on file system folders. This gives users a quick way to open a command window (cmd.exe) pointing at a selected folder in the Explorer UI.
How to use: After installation, right click on the folder you would like to have a quick launch command window for.

Tweak UI
What it is: Provides access to system settings that are not exposed in the Windows XP default user interface.
How to use: Go to Start, All Programs, Accessories, TweakUI for Windows XP.

PowerToy Calc
What it is: Graphing calculator
How to use: Go to Start, All Programs, Accessories, PowerToy Calc

Bulk Resize for Photos
What it is: Allows you to make a new, resized copy of your selected pictures in the same folder they are currently located in. You can opt to resize one or many pictures (as a batch).
How to use: Right click any image(s) and select Resize Pictures in the context menu.

ISO Image Burner
What it is: Allows you to burn an ISO Image using a CD-ROM burner that is compatible with Windows XP
How to use: Go to Start, All Programs, Accessories, ISO Burner

Slide Show Generator
What it is: Generate a slideshow when burning a CD
How to use: Add only images to a CD-ROM using Windows XP Explorer, then Write these files to disk. A new task is presented in the wizard for generating the autorun for the slideshow.

Virtual Desktop Manager
What it is: Manage up to 4 desktops from the Windows Shell Taskbar.
How to use:Right click on the taskbar, click toolbars, then click "Desktop Manager." If the taskbar is locked and you want to resize the manager, you will have to unlock it.

Background Wallpaper switcher
What it is: Allows you to switch the background image periodically.
How to use: Access this PowerToy by right clicking the desktop, click properties. It has added a new tab that will allow you to specify the interval as well as the directory to obtain the images from.

Taskbar Magnifier
What it is: Allows you to magnify part of the screen from the taskbar.
How to use:Right click on the taskbar, click toolbars, then click "Taskbar Magnifier." If the taskbar is locked and you want to resize the magnifier, you will have to unlock it.

Slide Show Wizard
What it is: This wizard helps you create a slide show of your digital pictures. When you're done, you can put your slide show on the Web so that your family and friends can view it.
How to use: Launch the Wizard from the Start Menu under All ProgramsPowertoys for Windows XPSlide Show Wizard. Follow the steps of the wizard to select and arrange your pictures, choose from a few simple options, and then save a Web-ready HTML slide show to a folder.

For a Safer, faster XP Close Unwanted Services

To disable unneeded startup services for a safer, faster XP, use the "Services" Admin Tool (Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Services). If you are a single user of a non-networked machine, you can disable the following items, with no ill effect.

Alerter
Clipbook
Computer Browser
Fast User Switching
Human Interface Access Devices
Indexing Service (Slows the hard drive down)
Messenger
Net Logon (unnecessary unless networked on a Domain)
Netmeeting Remote Desktop Sharing (disabled for extra security)
Remote Desktop Help Session Manager (disabled for extra security)
Remote Procedure Call Locator
Remote Registry (disabled for extra security)
Routing & Remote Access (disabled for extra security)
Server
SSDP Discovery Service (this is for the utterly pointless "Universal P'n'P", & leaves TCP Port 5000 wide open)
TCP/IP NetBIOS Helper
Telnet (disabled for extra security)
Universal Plug and Play Device Host
Upload Manager
Windows Time
Wireless Zero Configuration (for wireless networks)
Workstation

How to Disable Security Center Alerts

If you're running Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2) Windows Security Center should tell you the status of your antivirus software, firewall, and automatic updates. Security Center will alert you if your antivirus is out of date or turned off, firewall is turned off, or if Automatic Update is not turned on.

If you have received multiple alerts and would like to turn notifications off, you can disable the antivirus, firewall, or automatic update alerts.

Note You should only disable these alerts if you are an expert user. If you are in the process of updating or installing software you may also want to temporarily disable alerts, but please be sure to turn alerts back on so Windows can keep your status up to date.

To turn off Security Center alerts

1.	Click Start and then click Control Panel.
2.	Double-click Security Center.
3.	In the Security Center, under Resources, click Change the way Security Center alerts me.
4.	In the Alert Settings dialog box, clear the Firewall, Automatic Updates, or Virus Protection check boxes, and then click OK.

When you use this procedure, the Security Center still displays your status, but does not send you alerts.

Note If your computer is part of a domain (a group of computers on a network), your security settings are typically managed by your network administrator. In this case, the Security Center does not display your security status or send alerts.

Source:Microsoft Site

A Professional Ambigram for Free:Angels and Demons Spl:

An ambigram, also sometimes known as an inversion, is a typographical design that spells out one or more words not only in its form as presented, but also from another view point (rotating 360 degrees). Getting our favourite ambigram was dream of every one ever since Angels and Demons unveiled it but there was a price tag associated with it. Now here is the way you can get your ambigram as a jpg file for free.

Steps to get your ambigram for free :-

• Log on to website http://www.flipscript.com/ambigram-free.aspx
• You will see a banner in the right top corner of the screen saying ” create new ambigram ” go and click it.
• In the pop-up menu give the name for which you want the ambigram. if you are lucky enough the specimen photograph will be displayed right there on the window.
• Now click on the button view on products
• Now click on “gold ambigram necklace” or “silver ambigram necklace” a new page will open
• Click on zoom the picture.
• When the picture is zoomed just right click on it and save it as a jpeg file.
• Now you have your ambigram right there on your system as a jpeg image.

NOTE :- DISABLE YOUR FLASH PLUGIN AS IT WILL NOT WORK IF FLASH IS ENABLED

Getting Your Bluetooth Headset to Work in PC

i am grateful to Wei-Meng Lee and nameless.mm for sharing this information.

If you are the owner of a Bluetooth headset, you will be glad to know that besides using it with your cellular phone, you can also use it together with your PC.

You will need a bluetooth dongle(adapter)--a usb device to provide bluetooth option on your desktop PC. it costs around Rs.250-350 in any computer shop. Ensure that the bluetooth adapter that you buy can provide HEADSET PROFILE. it is generally available in most of the adapters available in indian market.

However, you may have attempted to pair up the headset with your PC only to find out that the built-in Bluetooth stack in Windows XP Service Pack 2 does not support the headset. you will need an external software for the same. generally widcomm or blue soleil software suits our needs. you can get the software from their websites. for more help in getting the software, contact the author of this article at nameless.mm@gmail.com

In this article I am going to show you the steps to prepare your PC so that it can work with your Bluetooth headset. I will be using the Billionton USB Bluetooth adapter as well as the Motorola HS820 Bluetooth headset (see Figure 1).

Figure 1. The Billionton USB Bluetooth adapter and the Motorola HS820 Bluetooth headset

What Are Bluetooth Profiles?

To be successful as a consumer technology, Bluetooth needs to be widely supported by vendors. Interoperability--the ability of different devices (from different manufacturers) to work with one another--is the key factor in securing this broad support.

Version 1.1 of the Bluetooth specification (the current version is 2.0, but most devices are still based on Bluetooth 1.1 and 1.2) has 13 profiles. A profile is a description of a particular functionality, and Bluetooth device manufacturers use these profiles as a guide. With this approach, vendors can be sure that their devices will work with current and future Bluetooth products. Let's take a closer look at the 13 profiles defined in Bluetooth 1.1:

Generic Access Profile (GAP)--Defines how two Bluetooth devices discover and establish communications between each other. The GAP is the "mother" of all profiles, as it defines the modes and procedures that all the other profiles use.

Service Discovery Application Profile (SDAP)--Allows Bluetooth devices to query the services available on other Bluetooth devices.

Cordless Telephony Profile (CTP)--Defines how a Bluetooth device can be used as a cordless phone.

Intercom Profile--Defines how two Bluetooth-enabled phones can connect with each other directly without the use of the public telephone network.

Serial Port Profile--Defines how two Bluetooth devices can communicate with each other by using virtual serial ports. Using this profile, Bluetooth communication can be treated as just another serial communication.

Headset Profile--Defines how a headset can communicate with a Bluetooth device.

Dial-Up Networking Profile--Defines how a Bluetooth device can connect to a Bluetooth-enabled modem or mobile phone.

Fax Profile--Defines how a Bluetooth device can connect to a Bluetooth-enabled fax device, such as a fax machine or a fax-enabled mobile phone like the Sony Ericsson T68i.

LAN Access Profile--Defines how a Bluetooth-enabled device can connect to a network using PPP (Point-to-Point Protocol).

Generic Object Exchange Profile (GOEP)--Defines a set of protocols that applications use for exchanging objects.

Object Push Profile--Used together with the GOEP to send and receive objects, primarily for exchanging electronic business cards.

File Transfer Profile--Used together with the GOEP to transfer files between two Bluetooth devices.

Synchronization Profile--Used together with GOEP to synchronize calendar and address information between two Bluetooth devices, such as a laptop and cell phone.

For other profiles in the newer Bluetooth specifications, refer to the Wikipedia Bluetooth entry.

What Is a Bluetooth Stack?

A Bluetooth stack is an application installed on your computer that interacts with your Bluetooth devices. Two Bluetooth stacks are widely in use today:

• The Microsoft Bluetooth stack, which comes with Windows XP Service Pack 2
• The Widcomm Bluetooth stack

Most Bluetooth adapters use the Widcomm Bluetooth stack driver. Widcomm (acquired by Broadcom, http://www.broadcom.com) licenses its software to most Bluetooth manufacturers. Consequently, the installation, configuration, and use of different Bluetooth devices on Windows have a nearly identical look and feel.

The problem with the Bluetooth stack built into Windows XP SP 2 is that it has limited support for profiles. In particular, it does not support the Headset profile required to connect with Bluetooth headsets, and hence your Bluetooth headsets will not be able to work with your Windows XP PC.

To overcome the limitations in the Windows Bluetooth stack, you can install the Widcomm Bluetooth stack drivers from the manufacturer of your Bluetooth device. You can download the latest drivers and support software from the adapter vendor's web site. Because each vendor customizes the Widcomm software slightly, you should not use drivers from a vendor other than the one that manufactured your Bluetooth adapters.

Updating the Bluetooth Stack on Your Windows XP Computer

Overriding the default Bluetooth stack in Windows XP SP2 requires some work on your part. The Widcomm Bluetooth driver is not WHQL-certified, and Windows XP uses the Microsoft Bluetooth stack by default (which is WHQL-certified). When you try to install the Widcomm driver, you will get an error message preventing you from proceeding with the installation.

To override the Microsoft Bluetooth stack, perform the following steps:

Go to Start -> Settings -> Control Panel -> System. In the Hardware tab, click on Device Manager (see Figure 2).

Figure 2. Invoking the Device Manager

Under the Bluetooth Radios item in the Device Manager dialog, you should see the Generic Bluetooth Radio and Microsoft Bluetooth Enumerator items (see Figure 3). Right-click on the Generic Bluetooth Radio item and select Update Driver.

Figure 3. Updating the default Bluetooth driver

You will be prompted to connect to Windows Update to search for software. Select "No, not this time" and click on Next (see Figure 4).

Figure 4. Searching for software drivers

In the next dialog, select "Install from a list or specific location (Advanced)." Click on Next (see Figure 5).

Figure 5. Installing the driver

In the next dialog, select "Don't search. I will choose the driver to install" and click on Next (see Figure 6).

Figure 6. Manually choosing the driver to install

In the next dialog, click on Have Disk (see Figure 7).

Figure 7. Manually choosing the driver to install

Click on the Browse button (see Figure 8) to locate the folder containing the Bluetooth software from your manufacturer. In my case, my Bluetooth adapter is from Billionton.

Figure 8. Specifying the location of the drivers

You will notice that the model of the Bluetooth device (in my case it is "CSR USB Bluetooth Device") is now displayed in the Model list box (see Figure 9). Click on Next.

Figure 9. Installing the new drivers

The installation of the new drivers should now be started. When it is done, you should see the new Bluetooth device in the Device Manager window (see Figure 10).

Figure 10. The newly installed Bluetooth device

Installing the Bluetooth Software

Once you have successfully updated the Bluetooth stack, you need to install the Bluetooth software (see Figure 11). The Bluetooth software can be downloaded from your vendor's web site (or found in the installation CD that comes with the Bluetooth adapter/device).

Figure 11. Installing the Bluetooth software

Strangely, after installing the Bluetooth software, my Bluetooth stack reverted to the old Microsoft Bluetooth stack. To get back the updated Widcomm driver, repeat the steps described in the section "Updating the Bluetooth Stack on your Windows XP computer," which should bring back the newly installed Widcomm driver.

Once the Bluetooth software is installed, you should be able to find the My Bluetooth Places icon on your desktop (see Figure 12).

Figure 12. The My Bluetooth Places icon on the desktop

A wizard will also appear to bring you through a series of steps to configure Bluetooth support on your PC.

Turn on Discoverable mode for your Bluetooth headset and click on the Search Again button to search for the Bluetooth headset (if it has not already been found). When it is found, click on the headset (in my case it is HS820) and click on Next (see Figure 13).

Figure 13. Configuring the Bluetooth headset

You will be asked for a PIN code in order to pair your computer with the headset. Normally the PIN is 0000, but this is dependent on your device; check your documentation. Enter the PIN and click on Initiate Pairing (see Figure 14).

Figure 14. Pairing the Bluetooth headset with your PC

The profiles (services) that the Bluetooth headset supports will now be shown (see Figure 15). Check the Headset service and click on Next.

Figure 15. Profiles supported by the Bluetooth headset

You should now see the icon for the headset in My Bluetooth Places (see Figure 16). Double-click on the icon to connect the headset to your computer. The icon will be changed when the headset is connected.

Figure 16. The headset icon in My Bluetooth Places

What Profiles Are Supported?

To view the profiles your device supports, you can right-click on the Bluetooth icon located in the system tray (see Figure 17) and select Advanced Configuration.

Figure 17. Viewing configuration information of your Bluetooth device

The Local Services tab will show the profiles your device supports (see Figure 18).

Figure 18. Viewing the profiles your device supports

Configuring Windows to Use the Bluetooth Headset as an Audio Device

Now that the Bluetooth headset is connected to your computer, you need to configure Windows to use it as your audio output and voice input device.

Go to Control Panel -> Sounds and Audio Devices, and in the Audio tab select the Bluetooth Audio item for both the Sound playback and Sound Recording section (see Figure 19).

Figure 19. Configuring Bluetooth Audio for audio

In the Voice tab, select the Bluetooth Audio item for both the Voice playback and Voice recording sections (see Figure 20).

Figure 20. Configuring Bluetooth Audio for voice

Clicking on the "Test hardware" button does not seem to recognize the existence of the microphone on the headset; however, the computer does redirect the sound output to the headset.

To verify that the headset is indeed working, use MSN Messenger. (I used version 7.0.) Click on Tools -> Audio/Video Tuning Wizard, and set both the Microsoft and Speakers to use the Bluetooth Audio (see Figure 21). Click on Next, and you will be able to test the speaker.

Figure 21. Using MSN Messenger to test the headset

You will also be able to speak into the microphone. If you can see the color of the indicator changes (see Figure 22), your headset is working properly.

Figure 22. Testing the microphone

Congratulations! You have now set up the Bluetooth headset and can use it to chat with your friends in MSN Messenger, or make voice calls using Skype.

Download a Gmail Conversation

Wouldn't be nice if you could save a Gmail conversation so you can read it offline? Using an email client to access Gmail using POP3 or IMAP is an option, although it's not trivial to recreate the thread and to download everything, including the attachments.

To download a Gmail conversation, you could use the print feature. In order to prevent Gmail from actually printing your messages, disable JavaScript after opening the conversation or disconnect your printer. Then click on "print all" in Gmail's right sidebar...


... and save the generated page as a complete web page. This will create a HTML file and a folder with images, but it won't save the attachments. You can now re-enable JavaScript in your browser to be able to use Gmail's AJAX interface.

If you want to save all the attachments from a conversation as an archive, you could save them one by one. Alternatively, go back to the conversation and click on "forward all". You'll create a new message that concatenates all the messages and the attachments from that conversation. Send the message to yourself and click on "Download all attachments" when you receive the message. To save space, delete the individual message you've sent to yourself after downloading the attachments (make sure you don't delete the entire conversation).

A Feed for Unread Gmail Messages

Gmail has a very cool feature not available in other webmail applications: feeds for unread messages. For example, the feed http://mail.google.com/mail/feed/atom/ shows the most recent unread items from your inbox. Gmail also offers feeds for your labels: http://mail.google.com/mail/feed/atom/labelname/, but it would be nice to have a comprehensive listing of all the unread messages, not just the ones that have a certain label. As you probably know, "unread" is one of the many built-in labels in Gmail, so you can use it to obtain this feed: http://mail.google.com/mail/feed/atom/unread/. In the URLs above, you can replace "http" with "https" for more security.

Gmail's feeds require authentication, so they don't work in many feed readers, like Google Reader or iGoogle. There are some feed readers that support password-protected feeds:

Browsers
* assuming you're logged in to your Gmail account, you can add any of the feeds to Firefox's Live Bookmarks (this is more like a workaround than true support for authenticated feeds)


* you can subscribe to the feeds in Opera if you don't like the built-in mail client

Desktop feed readers
* some desktop feed readers listed by Google that support Atom 0.3, SSL/HTTPS, and HTTP authentication

Online feed readers
* Netvibes is a notable example of online feed reader that supports authenticated feeds


Gmail recommends to make sure that the feed's content is private. "Keep in mind when you subscribe to your Gmail feed that some aggregators allow you to share, syndicate, or otherwise re-publish the feeds you subscribe to. This means that even though your Gmail feed is private, its contents could be made public through one of these methods. So you'll want to double-check the privacy settings in your aggregator to make sure you aren't sharing any information you don't want to."

Source:http://googlesystem.blogspot.com/2008/03/feed-for-unread-gmail-messages.html

g2Peer Allows you to Share Files on PC through Gmail

Most of the time when we want to share some files with your friends, we either sent as attachments in email or use file sharing services like Dropbox or share files sites. These sites need the files to be uploaded to their server in order to be shared. g2Peer is a new utility which allows you to share files on PC through Gmail without having to upload any file online or to your Gmail account. Gmail address is served as unique “IP address” of PC in g2Peer network.

Once installed, you need to login with your Gmail account and use either POP3 or IMAP. Once you have configured your account, you can share files by adding the folders and users with whom you want to share files. You can do this by selecting Share under the tools menu.

In the share settings, add the Gmail account with whom you want to share files and also the folder in your PC which needs to be shared.

Once you have configured, the person who wants to download the files from your PC, needs to install this application and need to enter the your email address and select Go, all the files in the shared folder are displayed and you can select the files and right click to download them. Please note the files are only displayed, if your email address is listed in the PC where you want to download.

You can also use command line parameters to download the files using email. To get shared files from Computer 2 it is not necessary to install g2Peer on Computer 1. Just use commands like ?_list or ?_download sent from your Gmail account to Computer.2 Gmail address. Computer.2 should have g2Peer installed and your Computer 1 Gmail address listed in Share Folders list. Detailed information on how to use g2Peer is available here.

Download g2Peer