Download the tools below to help you develop a customized Tips & Tricks presentation or plan for training employees in your company.
Windows Vista Tips and Tricks Demo Script (350 KB Word document)
Microsoft Learning Online Course: Working with Windows Vista
New Learning Resources for Windows Vista (3.56 MB PowerPoint presentation)
Whitepaper: Learning Windows Vista in the Workplace (1.16 MB Word document)
Enterprise Learning Framework on TechNet
More training and events information
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Top 10 USB Thumb Drive Tricks
Is that a gigabyte in your pocket? And are you putting it to good use? The explosion of USB thumb drives gives anyone the ability to take some serious file storage space along with their house keys.
Developers and road warriors have come up with all sorts of innovative techniques for putting these tiny, roomy disks to good use. Step into my office for a list of our top 10 favorite thumb drive tricks.
1. Boot a separate operating system
2. Encrypt your drive
3. Make a portable MP3 player
4. Speed up or lock down Vista
5. Never forget it
6. Quick launch your workspace
7. Assemble a PC repair kit
8. Put on the DemocraKey "computer condom"
9. Sync your data
10. Assign custom iconsWednesday, May 14, 2008
Web Development kit
JavaScript
Addison-Wesley's JavaScript Reference Card
JavaScript and Browser Objects Quick Reference
JavaScript in 10 Minutes - Thanks Joseph
CSS
Design 215 CSS Quick Reference
HTML/XHTML
HTML Character Entities Cheat Sheet
Character Entity References in HTML 4 and XHTML 1.0
AJAX
Scriptaculous Combination Effects Cheat Sheet
Scriptaculous Cheat Sheet - Thanks Joseph
ASP.net AJAX Client Life-Cycle Events
MooTools Cheat Sheet - Thanks Joseph
Colors
Microformats
Microformats Helper Cheat Sheet
Jack Daniel's Microformats Cheat Sheet
Browser Compatibility
Browser Compatibility Interactive Table
XML
XML TopicMaps 1.0 - Quick Reference Card
XML Schema - Structures Quick Reference
XML Schema - Data Types Quick Reference
(thanks to all friends who helped me to compile a small list of web tools.)
http://www.plentyofcode.com/2007/07/programming-handbooks-and-cheatsheets.html
http://home.comcast.net/~shorvath/docs/rss_cheatsheet.pdf
Much more complete: http://www.fuzzyfuture.com/programming/the-developer-cheat-sheet-compilation/
Or: http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/0,289893,sid9_gci826135,00.html
Or: http://lifehacker.com/software/cheat-sheets/
Or: http://www.bookmarkbliss.com/programming/the-developer-cheat-sheet-compilation/
Or: http://www.alvit.de/handbook/
Additional stuff on my blog: http://brianary.blogspot.com/2007/01/references.html
Not included in any of these lists: MIME types and extensions, RSS/Atom, HTTP(S), internationalization issues, section 508, SOAP, Unicode, language codes (ISO 639), country codes (ISO 3166), date formats (e.g. ISO 8601), currency codes (ISO 4217), etc.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Software - Tools
Flash Slideshow Maker
Want to share or post images on your blog, homepage or upload them to your own Website? You could try Flash Slideshow Maker, a Flash album creator to make animated photo slide shows with .swf file as the output format.
Its features include flash templates, transition effects, background music, image scroller banner, decorate photos on MySpace, Yahoo! 360° blog, blogger, embed mode or XML-driven mode. The XML-driven mode is ideal to create animated slide shows on your Website (knowlede of XML or coding knowledge not required) and create backups of images by burning them onto CD-R/RW, DVD-R/RW, DVD+R/RW discs. The user-friendly Flash Slideshow Maker Version 4.77(Released Date: March 02, 2008) can be downloaded at: http://www.flash-slideshow-maker.com/setup_flash_slideshow_maker.exe
Bordermaker
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BorderMaker is a freeware that enables you to create borders, text and watermarks that can be placed on digital photos.
The utility can be used to process a large numbers of photos, include copyright information, ‘sharpen’ digital photos with an unsharp mask, convert photos to various formats, rotate photographs in the right direction.
For installation, install the Java runtime environment, download BorderMaker, unpack the zipfile in a folder (for example c:\BorderMaker) and execute bordermaker.bat to start BorderMaker.
This latest release of Bordermaker, v.3.0, which has solved some bugs found in release 2, can be downloaded at http://www.bordermaker.nl/index.php?page=download&local=en
Podmailing
This service can help send files or folders of any size by e-mail without clogging your inbox. You can use Podmailing to send and receive home videos, receive the entire high-quality photo collection from others, share large powerpoint presentations, pdfs and others.
Among the new features and improvements in this version of Podmailing are: files can now be retained for 30 days; new BitTorrent/http hybrid download system enables to receive podmails at full speed even if the ISP blocks the BitTorrent protocol; local network maximal upload speed has been increased to 10 MB. There is an improved display of podmail state and new help messages in the mail composer window.
Before downloading and using Podmailing you need to agree to their terms of service and your recipients need to sign up for the Podmail service. The 6 MB Podmailing v.0.9.5, for Windows XP or Vista can be downloaded at:
http://www.podmailing.com/download.html
Webinaria
With this utility, you can create demos or screencasts in Flash format.
You can record desktop screen movements, voice narration and upload them onto the web in the Flash format for free.
You can create Flash (.avi to .flv) recordings of your desktop, record voice commentary and save or edit your recordings to add voice, webcam or text.
Webinaria allows you to modify the capture area from your active window to a customised area, adjust your hardware or recording quality and a video editor (no watermark on videos) to save projects, add text, sound and Web cam effects to selected frames on a timeline and convert an .avi file to .flv.
The 3 MB Webinaria v.2.1 (March 19, 2008) for Windows 98/Me/NT/2000/XP/2003 Server/Vista can be downloaded at: http://www.webinaria.com/Setup.exe
Software - Downloads
PowerPoint Video Converter
PowerPoint Video Converter can convert PowerPoint presentations to almost all popular video formats like .avi, .mpeg, .mpeg2 ts, .mp4, .wmv, 3GP, .gif, .flv, .swf, avc video, Youtube .flv and other formats. It can also convert ppts to play on iPod, PSP, Zune, 3GP mobile phone, Apple TV, iPhone etc. With this utility, you can convert and burn to VCD, SVCD and DVD. The main functions are that it has two output modes, two compression modes, two run modes (slide/build), extracts and Convert PowerPoint file audio to MP3 format. PowerPoint Video Converter for PowerPoint 2000/2002/2003/2007 can be downloaded at http://www.effectmatrix.com/PowerPoint-Video-Converter/Free-PowerPoint-Video-Converter.exe
DriveSort
Do you wonder which of the files take up the most space on your hard disk? DriveSort, a very tiny utility developed by the 19-year-old Madhavan, can sort an entire drive or a selected subfolder, either by size or by date. DriveSort, a 9 KB tool, can be downloaded at http://www.geocities.com/casablanca2000in/msp/files/drivesort.zip
Call Graph
Call Graph is a plugin for VOIP Skype that lets you record calls, for free. Unlike many other Skype recording tools, Call Graph has no limitations and its interface is simple.
Among its features are that the tool automatically records all your Skype calls in an mp3 or wav format. The recording can be stopped or restarted at any point during the call and it automatically tags the calls with the display name of the contact and notifications are non-intrusive. The application runs as a Windows Task Bar icon on your machine and the notifications appear as a sliding window over the task bar and supports automatic upgrades. Some may find the sound quality of the recording not so good. The 3.6 MB Call Graph v.1.0.4.0 can be downloaded at http://www.callgraph.in/startdownload.php
Ots CD Scratch
Ots CD Scratch is a “Virtual Turntables CD Player”. It lets you DJ any of your CDs, using your computer’s CD-ROM drive(s). Slide a CD into your drive and while it spins on your screen, use your mouse to scratch, change tempo and pitch independently and even mix two tracks together, using the controls to beat-match the audio.
Ots CD Scratch can play two songs from the same CD at the same time — forward and reverse! The 1.3 MB Ots CD Scratch for Operating Systems 98 / NT / 2k / Me / XP can be downloaded at http://www.otsturntables.com/download/free.html . It requires a CD ROM drive that can accurately read CD-DA streams and uses the constant angular velocity technology.
PowerPoint Video Converter can convert PowerPoint presentations to almost all popular video formats like .avi, .mpeg, .mpeg2 ts, .mp4, .wmv, 3GP, .gif, .flv, .swf, avc video, Youtube .flv and other formats. It can also convert ppts to play on iPod, PSP, Zune, 3GP mobile phone, Apple TV, iPhone etc. With this utility, you can convert and burn to VCD, SVCD and DVD. The main functions are that it has two output modes, two compression modes, two run modes (slide/build), extracts and Convert PowerPoint file audio to MP3 format. PowerPoint Video Converter for PowerPoint 2000/2002/2003/2007 can be downloaded at http://www.effectmatrix.com/PowerPoint-Video-Converter/Free-PowerPoint-Video-Converter.exe
DriveSort
Do you wonder which of the files take up the most space on your hard disk? DriveSort, a very tiny utility developed by the 19-year-old Madhavan, can sort an entire drive or a selected subfolder, either by size or by date. DriveSort, a 9 KB tool, can be downloaded at http://www.geocities.com/casablanca2000in/msp/files/drivesort.zip
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Call Graph is a plugin for VOIP Skype that lets you record calls, for free. Unlike many other Skype recording tools, Call Graph has no limitations and its interface is simple.
Among its features are that the tool automatically records all your Skype calls in an mp3 or wav format. The recording can be stopped or restarted at any point during the call and it automatically tags the calls with the display name of the contact and notifications are non-intrusive. The application runs as a Windows Task Bar icon on your machine and the notifications appear as a sliding window over the task bar and supports automatic upgrades. Some may find the sound quality of the recording not so good. The 3.6 MB Call Graph v.1.0.4.0 can be downloaded at http://www.callgraph.in/startdownload.php
Ots CD Scratch
Ots CD Scratch is a “Virtual Turntables CD Player”. It lets you DJ any of your CDs, using your computer’s CD-ROM drive(s). Slide a CD into your drive and while it spins on your screen, use your mouse to scratch, change tempo and pitch independently and even mix two tracks together, using the controls to beat-match the audio.
Ots CD Scratch can play two songs from the same CD at the same time — forward and reverse! The 1.3 MB Ots CD Scratch for Operating Systems 98 / NT / 2k / Me / XP can be downloaded at http://www.otsturntables.com/download/free.html . It requires a CD ROM drive that can accurately read CD-DA streams and uses the constant angular velocity technology.
Social Network Gaming
PMOG
The days are picking up with the speed of social networking services. Now Here we have Multiplayer online gaming... Register and play with your friends online....
Having just signed up for PMOG myself this morning, I'm just now gathering points. If you sign up for PMOG, post your username in the comments so we can blow you up the minute you visit Lifehacker.
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Faster Google Search on Your Mobile Phone
{ Google operating system blog}
Searching the web using a mobile phone is not always a pleasant experience. You have to open a browser, go to a search engine, wait for the page to load and type your query. Google tried to eliminate two of these steps by providing small applications that add Google's search box on the phone's home screen. This way, the search box is always at your fingertips and you won't have visit Google's homepage to type your query.
For Blackberry, the search application is included in the Google Mobile Updater, which is available at mobile.google.com. Google offers a similar search shortcut for N-series and E-series Nokia phones and for Windows Mobile phones at the same address. Google will probably expand the availability of this app to other mobile phones, although not all of them allow search boxes on the home screen. For feature phones, Opera Mini is probably the best fastest way to access Google search.
Because the search box is more accessible and it's so easy to enter your query, people search more. "When we look at the combined usage numbers for BlackBerry and Symbian versions of this plug-in, we see that users are able to get Google search results up to 40 percent faster. And, BlackBerry and Symbian users with the plug-in installed search 20 percent more than those without it," concludes Google.
"We have very much hit a watershed moment in terms of mobile Internet usage. We are seeing that mobile Internet use is in fact accelerating. The growing availability of flat-rate data plans from phone carriers instead of per-minute charges that previously discouraged Internet use, along with improved Web browsers on mobile phones as well as better-designed services from companies like Google are fueling the growth", said Google's Matt Waddell. iPhone was a great testbed for trying new interfaces and testing their impact as the Internet will slowly move to mobile phones.
Searching the web using a mobile phone is not always a pleasant experience. You have to open a browser, go to a search engine, wait for the page to load and type your query. Google tried to eliminate two of these steps by providing small applications that add Google's search box on the phone's home screen. This way, the search box is always at your fingertips and you won't have visit Google's homepage to type your query.
For Blackberry, the search application is included in the Google Mobile Updater, which is available at mobile.google.com. Google offers a similar search shortcut for N-series and E-series Nokia phones and for Windows Mobile phones at the same address. Google will probably expand the availability of this app to other mobile phones, although not all of them allow search boxes on the home screen. For feature phones, Opera Mini is probably the best fastest way to access Google search.
Because the search box is more accessible and it's so easy to enter your query, people search more. "When we look at the combined usage numbers for BlackBerry and Symbian versions of this plug-in, we see that users are able to get Google search results up to 40 percent faster. And, BlackBerry and Symbian users with the plug-in installed search 20 percent more than those without it," concludes Google.
"We have very much hit a watershed moment in terms of mobile Internet usage. We are seeing that mobile Internet use is in fact accelerating. The growing availability of flat-rate data plans from phone carriers instead of per-minute charges that previously discouraged Internet use, along with improved Web browsers on mobile phones as well as better-designed services from companies like Google are fueling the growth", said Google's Matt Waddell. iPhone was a great testbed for trying new interfaces and testing their impact as the Internet will slowly move to mobile phones.
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