Monday, March 31, 2008

Wanna Driving License???

Getting the Learner Licence

You'll need to use a learner license for a month before getting a permanent license. There are touts outside the RTA office out to convince you that you need to go through them, but getting a learner is pretty simple. Get an application form (Form 2) from the zonal RTA.

These are the various zonal offices.

Hyderabad Zone 6 - Office of Jt Transport Commissioner & Secretary, RTA, Khairatabad
Ph: 3311269, 3128260 · Hyderabad South Zone, RTA Office, Bahadurpura, Ph: 4414635

Hyderabad East Zone - RTA Office, 16-2-748/1, B Block, Malakpet
Ph:4548999

Hyderabad West Zone - 12-2-416/76, Ushodaya Colony, Mehdipatnam, Ph: 3515222

Secunderabad - Plot No 144, Kakaguda, 7742568

Rangareddy District - 6-3-251/7/2, Panjagutta
Ph:3393051

These are the various things required:

  • Proof of your date of birth
  • A copy of your DoB certificate or of your SSC
  • Proof of address
    • Copy of ration card or bank passbook, or certificate from the municipal office
  • 3 passport photographs
  • Rs. 15

There's a small test of your knowledge of traffic signals, and the license is given in a day or two (sometimes even in half an hour). It's valid for 6 months, but you can apply for a permanent license after a month.

Getting a Permanent License

This is not easy if you're ethical. There was a front-page article in the Deccan Chronicle, sometime in Oct-Dec of 1999, about corruption in the RTA. They are pretty honest about the fact that they are dishonest - some really big guy there proudly proclaimed that they were corrupt, and that he could be quoted on it. And he knew that he was saying it to the city's leading newspaper.

This is amply demonstrated by the fact that as you try to enter, touts outside the RTA discourage you from trying yourself. They warn you that if you don't go through them (paying about 7 times more), you'll fail the test for some silly reason. And judging by the number of people who go through them, they're probably right too.

Anyway, to apply for a permanent license, you need to apply at least 1 month after you obtain the learning license. You need to fill the Form 4, and need the following:

  • Your learner license
  • 3 photographs
  • A vehicle with you for the test of driving

You need to pay Rs. 30 as the fee for the test. If you want a laminated card, you'll have to pay an additional Rs. 25. The license is issued in 2 days if you pass the test, else you need to take it again after a few months. The license is valid for 20 years. That's probably the greatest part.


Tips For Buying Used Car

It is always better to go for a used car if you are a greenhorn and have just learnt driving. This way you can refine your driving skills and gain the necessary confidence before investing a substantial amount on new car.

Some of the reasons, which have made used car market, a big attraction are:
  • Less capital investment
  • One can afford a luxury model in relatively less price.
  • Lower depreciation
  • Used car market has developed these days and most car makers now sell certified used cars, which include warranties.
  • Financing rates for used cars have dropped in recent years.
But buying a used car has a few downsides too. Used cars have higher maintenance cost as compared to new cars. You may have to go for replacement of old tyres, battery, clutch plate etc. Used cars have low reliability and they are susceptible to frequent breakdowns. New cars tend to have advanced and more safety features as compared to old cars.

Now that you have decided to buy a used car just follow these simple tips to get the best bargain.

1. Decide your budget: It is always better to have a rough idea of the amount that you can afford to spend on buying the car before starting the car buying process. This way you can avoid overshooting your budget. While deciding about the budget also account for the insurance and other running costs.

2. Finding the right car: Unlike buying a new car you can't be fastidious while buying a used car. You have to be flexible. If you're set on one model, in a specific color, with a certain mileage or specification you may find it hard to get a bargain as you're focusing on a narrow market. If you're prepared to consider something similar to what you want, you'll find a much wider choice available and it becomes easier to negotiate.

3. Communicate with the seller: You can buy the used car either from a dealer or from an individual. While buying the car from an individual enquire why he/she is selling the car, how the car was used (single hand, daily commuting etc.), and finally ask for permission to get the car inspected by a car mechanic. If you get the right answers only then proceed further otherwise look for some other seller.

4. Thoroughly inspect the car: While an individual seller may permit you to get the car inspected by a mechanic, a dealer may not be so obliging. Don't let this stop you from doing some inspection on your own.

Keep following things in mind while inspecting the car.
  • The engine should idle smoothly without surging or sputtering, and accelerate from standstill without bucking or hesitating.
  • Inspect the chassis of the car. The bodyline will give you an indication whether the car has met an accident or not.
  • Look for signs of repainting. Check whether all the body parts are of same colour. Open the trunk, hood and doors. Look for paint specs or over spray-a telltale sign that all or part of the vehicle has been repainted.
  • Check the wheel alignment of cars. Uneven wear and tear of tyres-balding on the sides or in the middle-indicate poor alignment.
  • Check the condition of battery.
  • Check whether all the headlights and indicators are working properly.
  • Check air conditioning for proper operation. Sufficiently heat up the engine to test the efficiency of air conditioner. Check the operations of defroster, heater and fan.
5. Take a test drive: A test drive will give you the feel of the car and help you arrive at the decision whether the car is fit for you or not.

Look out for following things while taking a test drive:
  • With the engine idling before you start your test-drive, turn the steering wheel right and left. There should not be any play in the wheel before the tyres start to turn.
  • The engine should idle smoothly without clattering or metallic sounds, or sharp hissing, in the engine compartment. Normal sound is smooth whirring of belts and fan.
  • Check the condition of clutch plates.
  • Test the brakes on an empty stretch of road. From a speed of 30 kph, apply the brakes hard. The car should stop straight and quickly, without pulling to one side and without any vibration. The pedal feel should be smooth and linear, and stopping the car shouldn't take a huge effort.
6. Ensure that the paperwork is in order: It is very important to ensure that the paperwork of the vehicle is in order before finalizing the deal. It is quite possible that you may be lured into buying a stolen vehicle by a tempting offer. The checklist for paperwork is as follows:
  • Registration Book (Registration Certificate / RC Book): It is issued by the RTO, showing date and address of registration and a record of the owners of the vehicle. The car's Engine No. and the Chassis No. should be verified with that shown in the RC Book. If the car has met with an accident which involved changing the cars chassis, then the RC Book would have a noting of the new chassis no. Check the state of registration mentioned in the papers. The state of registration mentioned in the books should be the state in which you intend to use the car otherwise you have to get the registration transferred. Transferring the registration from one state to another is a cumbersome process and hence ensure that the seller transfers the registration to the state in which you plan to use the car.
  • Taxation Book (Tax Certificate / TC Book): This document shows the status of tax paid. The RTO tax is a once in a lifetime tax and should have been paid by the original owner of the car. If the owner of the car has not paid it, it can add up to double digits in thousands, which you will have to ultimately bear.
  • Insurance: Insist on the insurance papers, as these papers are mandatory for any transfer by the RTO. Premium for Insurance is paid on a regular basis and it is advisable to check the due date. Also, ensure transfer of the insurance papers to your name.
  • Invoice: Do not forget to get the original invoice of the car from the original owner. You can know details like engine no., chassis no., date of delivery, delivery dealer and whether the car was financed or not.
  • PUC Certificate: Every car needs a valid PUC certificate. PUC Certificate is valid for a period of 1 year for all new cars and subsequently a certificate has to obtained every six months.
If you are planning to buy a used car that was bought on finance by the seller, remember to collect the following documents in addition to the above mentioned ones.

NOC (No Objection Certificate): NOC issued by the finance company. This document ensures that the finance company has no claim on the car anymore.

Form 35: You must keep a copy of this form duly signed by the financier.

7. Negotiating the price: While negotiating the price keep in mind the condition of the cars. If the car requires some immediate repairs such as change of battery, replacement of tyres, wheel alignment, suspension etc then reduce the price of the car accordingly.

8. Transferring ownership: With the sale of the car the ownership is also changed. The original owner (Transferer) who is selling the car, must inform the RTO with which the car was registered about this transfer, by sending a letter with information about the new owner (Transferee) within a period of 14 days. In case the new owner falls in jurisdiction of another RTO, then the owner has to inform this RTO by sending a similar letter.

The following documents have to be submitted to the RTO to effect the transfer of ownership of the car:
  • Form "TCA" - Intimation of transfer by Transferee (Buyer)
  • Form "TCR" - Intimation of transfer by Transferor (Seller)
  • Form No.29 - Notice of transfer of ownership of vehicle. This form is used to notify the RTO 'transfer of ownership' of the car and to obtain confirmation from the RTO.
  • Form No.30 - Report of transfer of ownership of vehicle.
  • Valid Insurance policy
  • PUC Certificate
  • Address proof of the Transferee (Buyer)
  • Evidence of payment of all taxes up-to-date.
  • Form No.28 - Application for N.O.C. and grant of certificate. This form is used to apply for NOC from the RTO for transfer of the vehicle to another RTO's jurisdiction. This is required when you shift the registration of the car from the jurisdiction of one RTO to another RTO.

Mobile Masti...!!!

These days people are passionate about mobiles.. Thats why people r purchasing the advanced featured cell phones... Everybody would like to enjoy with their mobiles by changing the themes, ring tones, wall papers and playing games.

People are going one step ahead by sharing their liked ring tones, music, themes...blah..blah to friends using Bluetooth/ MMS facility.

Now the question is where do we get new ringtones, games, wall papers...video clips(include HOT)... And I know that everybody wants it for free of cost... FREE... FREE.... FREE...

One solution for all..... www.mobilemastee.com

Party Tips

So you are going to throw a party ... and want to hear on next day from your guest ... What a party that was ... ??? So just before giving party ... read these important and useful tips ...












How to throw a great party

  • So you wanna throw a party at home?
  • It's simple you know. The mantra is: the fun begins from the word go!
  • All it takes is a little bit of planning.













Date and Time
  • Decide a date, preferably a Friday or Saturday.
  • A Saturday dinner works best. It gives you the whole day to go through your to-do list.
  • Sunday brunch is also a good idea. You could entertain people until the evening and still have enough time to organise yourself for the upcoming week at work.
  • Sunday dinner? Nah, it is just too close to Monday morning blues.












Who's invited?

  • The guest list isn't as easy as it sounds: Make a list a week in advance.
  • Check with your best pal/girlfriend/boyfriend/spouse about who they want to invite.
  • Be prepared to add and subtract -- it is just impossible to invite all our favourite people.
  • Besides, you also have to consider space (at home) and your budget.
  • What you could do is invite people in batches. If you can't call one set this month, call them next month!















How to call or Invite

  • Inviting is not an art. But don't be callous.
  • Tell them in person, on the phone, on e-mail. Do all three, preferably.
  • How long does it take to shoot an e-mail, after all?
  • Invite your friends four, five days in advance. In case there are dropouts, you will have enough time to invite someone else


The dress code

  • Do let your guests know who else is coming to the party.
  • If you have a dress code, let them know what they should wear.
  • Of course, the best thing would be to ask them to wear anything they want -- shorts, pyjamas, salwar-kameezes, halters. You want your guests to be comfortable, right?


Confer and revel

  • Check with your guests on the menu and drinks they would like. Pamper them a little!
  • If they offer to bring a bottle of wine or dessert, be frank. Tell them yes or no.
  • If you know they will bring something anyway, tell them what you prefer -- chocolate cake, red wine, vodka, whatever


Check, check, check!

  • Do you have enough plates, glasses, cutlery, dessert bowls?
  • Borrow from a friend, if you are okay with it.
  • If that's not your scene, get those use and throw plates. They serve the purpose, even if they don't look great.


One day before

  • Stack enough ice trays in the freezer.
  • Make room in your refrigerator for bottles, dessert, etc.
  • Mark vegetarian and non-vegetarian food covers for the microwave.
  • If you are ordering food, have the menu ready.
  • If you are cooking, your ingredients should be ready.


Must-haves!


Your party will fizzle without:

  • napkins
  • Wine openers
  • A large dustbin. Put an additional big plastic bag in the kitchen to chuck empty bottles and soiled napkins.


And the food!


What to feed them?

  • If you are a shaky cook or simply don't have the time, ask your cook to fix a meal. And/or order some food from outside.
  • Stick to one type of cuisine. If it is Indian, avoid Sesame Chicken as a starter and Biryani as main course.
  • Stick to one or two main vegetarian and non vegetarian dishes instead of having a huge spread.
  • Two starters, two main course dishes and two desserts are a great idea.


What's a party without booze?
  • Once you have your guests' preferences, stock the bar accordingly.
  • Vodka, red and white wine, rum, whisky are the usual suspects.
  • Put the wine in the refrigerator half an hour before serving.
  • There are many wine options available. Shops usually keep a list and will show you what they have. Here are some good, economical options for wine: Sula Chenin Blanc, Sula Blush. Both bottles cost under Rs 500.


Music
  • Play your favourite and keep some tapes or CDs on top so that guests too have a choice.
  • Avoid blaring the music. The best parties are driven by conversation and laughter.


Next stop: Bathroom

  • This is an absolute must!
  • See that your bathroom is clean. It is the one place that is used most at a party.
  • Keep a clean hand towel and box of tissues, hand wash and extra toilet roll.
  • Put some flowers by the sink -- mogras in a bowl smell great.
  • Scented candles bring that extra touch of warmth.


Flower power

  • Don't have a party without flowers!
  • Get flowers you like. Stick them in glasses, empty wine bottles or vases.
  • Red, yellow, pink Gerberas look great in transparent white jugs.
  • Put them over your refrigerator, on the floor, in the bookcase.
  • A green potted plant by your door looks great.


Smoker's corner

  • Do not allow smokers to engulf your living room with cigarette dhuan (smoke).
  • Tell them beforehand to use the balcony or the verandah.
  • Keep some ashtrays handy. It's terrible to find ash all over your plants and the floor.
  • Keep some stools ready at the smoker's corner. Smokers usually have a conference of sorts even when squeezed in a corner.


Freeway to everywhere

  • Open your home to your guests.
  • Allow them in the kitchen, bedroom, study: it gives everyone space and creates a friendly atmosphere.
  • Do lock your cupboards/ wardrobe.
  • Put away valuables -- curios, etc. Remember, things can get stolen at any party.


You are the best host when...

  • You dress well and comfortably.
  • You have to stretch and pick up the crumbs, wash glasses when you run out of clean ones and squat on the floor to chat.
  • Don't get stressed about your guests. Show them around -- where the food, microwave, booze, etc are -- and let them help themselves.


When the party's over

  • Put all the leftovers in the fridge.
  • Stack plates in the sink and hit the bed.
  • Wake up late the following morning and chill.
  • And don't forget to send SMSes to your friends, thanking them for coming to your party!



Courtsey - Rediff.com

Friday, November 30, 2007

Insight of Chain Business

Last Sunday one of my cousin asked me to attend a meeting, which is surprise n didn't tell anything about that before... Once after attending that I understood that it is a presentation for Referral marketing... I attended couple of such presentations before and had bad opinion on such businesses...
Here is the presentation summary:
We need to register in that site by offering Rs.400/- Later we need to purchase a product(watch, mobile, vacation plan, Coins & medallions) in online worth of Rs.30,000/- (all articles rates are around 30K) and also we need to refer 2 candidates...they need to refer 2 candidates again... So on both sides, when 3-3 transactions are done, I will get around Rs.11,000/-
The product doesn't worth 30K...but the main thing here is business.... when the chain goes on I will get maximum of 6.5 lac per week... This will be good as long as this chain goes on....But if one can't refer those 2 candidates..then he will loose.. and top of that I have observed that the company will get more benefit out of this...
I decided never to join in such businesses in my life...

My understanding and one liner statement of this chain businesses is that....
You need to give your money to make your seniors in the chain as Big shots and asking your friends(relatives) to give their money to become yourself as a Big shot...

DON'T JOIN GOLDQUEST…….. Or any other pyramidal business

MATHEMATICS behind GOLDQUEST…….. Or any other pyramidal business

The SCAM Revealed….

Pure money laundering


1st step- U register and Buy --

U have coin only company- 30000


2nd step- u bring two direct referrals--

You have coin only-Company has 90000


3rd step- they bring two referrals each---

U have coin and 1st cheque of 10,000 and company has 2,10,000


4th step- they bring two refferals each---

U have Coin and 2nd Cheque of 10000 so total you have 20,000, persons who joined at step 2 have coin and 1st cheque of 10000, so total money in incentives paid is 40000 total and company has 4,50,000


5th step-they also bring two refferrals each---

U have coin and cheques which when added to all u have already earned come to 40,000, persons joined at second step have coin and 20,000 each and people at step 3 get their first cheque of 10,000 and people at step 4 have coin only and company has 9,30,000
and here 7 members who have atleast some cheques but 24 people have nothing but just the coin


6th step

15 are earning but 48 have nothing


7th step

31 are earning but 96 have nothing but just coin


8th step

63 are earning but 192 have nothing.


9th step

31 have recovered money, 96 get little and 384 have nothing
and so on

But always the no. who have only the coin is always much much more than the who have earned atleast some money.

And the people who have recovered money is just 31 when 384 have still to do it but to do that no. of those who have nothing will become 1286 people...

So always the ones at the bottom of the pyramid are the losers… And the only way left for them to move upwards in the pyramid(ie: earn money) is to lure others into the last layer. This is done after realizing that the last layer is always the losers. It is a sad fact that in the frenzy to get back the lost money relationships are often forgotten. It is often your close friends or family members who occupy the layer under you. Even then the chances that you will make money is very remote.
It is clear that the company, including the few people at the very top layer are making huge profits. The sad fact is that the money thus generated is not even being used in INDIA. It is flowing out of India. This is the same money that could very well be spent in strengthening our economy. If you buy a kg of rice not only are you investing in something that is useful to you, but also, you are indirectly supporting the family of some poor farmer somewhere.

STOP THIS SCAM…

BE THE CHANGE…

Thursday, November 29, 2007

Hyderabad 10K Run- 25/11/07


Last year I had blast @ Hyderabad 10K Run...But this year unfortunately I missed that fun..
Big mistake was @ my end...I woke up very late as always but I reached there in time, when everybody is supposed to start running... If I would have reached early, I might met my colleagues at the common place, where we supposed to meet....But by that time everybody was dispersed...So I missed all fundoos...
Luckily I met one of my colleagues n enjoyed upto some extent...
Last year I was finished 10K(don't ask me howmuch time I took to finish it :-)) but this year I haven't completed even a single kilo meter... because my colleague is suffering from leg pain.. I can't run alone.... I went there for fun mixed with run not simply run... So we stuck at a rock band..later stage show started by Sundeep..I enjoyed alot there....
Now its time to collect my 10K Run T-Shirt, which I supposed to take before run starts... We two met our company coordinator of the event and collected the T-Shirt...The T-shirt is really awesome compared to last year.... Oflate I came to know that most of fundoos from my company didn't turnup to the event....
After that I tried to join stage show again..but they started distributing the prizes for the winners....I thought there will be no events after the prize distribution...so simply returned back to home... I switched on TV n noticed that Sophie Choudry is performing on the stage telecasting live.. I was bit disappointed for missing such a gorgeous lady's performance.... All together I can say that Hyd10K left me in full disappointment this year....

Rules of a successful job

Rule 1. - The Boss is always right.
2. Rule 2. - If the Boss is wrong, see rule 1.
3. Those who work get more work. Others get pay, perks, and promotions.
4. Ph.D. stands for "Pull Him Down". The more intelligent a person,
the more hardworking a person, the more committed a person;
the more number of persons are engaged in pulling that person down.
5. If you are good, you will get all the work. If you are really good, you will get out of it.
6. When the Bosses talk about improving productivity, they are never talking about themselves.
7. It doesn't matter what you do, it only matters what you say you've done and what you are going to do.
8. A pat on the back is only a few centimeters from a kick in the butt.
9. Don't be irreplaceable. If you can't be replaced, you can't be promoted.
10. The more crap you put up with, the more crap you are going to get.
11. If at first you don't succeed, try again. Then quit. No use being a damn fool about it.
12. When you don't know what to do, walk fast and look worried.
13. Following the rules will not get the job done.
14. If it weren't for the last minute, nothing would get done.
15. Everything can be filed under "Miscellaneous".
16. No matter how much you do, you never do enough.
17. You can do any amount of work provided it isn't the work you are supposed to be doing.
18. In order to get a promotion, you need not necessarily know your job.
19. In order to get a promotion, you only need to pretend that you know your job.
20. The last person that quit or was fired will be held responsible for everything that goes wrong.

Don't get excited. It's only rules.

Monday, October 15, 2007

Forgot subject in the OUTLOOK

Forgot to mention subject, while writing an official mail and feel bad later?????

Yes…. It’s a concern for all…. A mail without a subject brings a bad impression on us.

Don't worry......... just follow the simple steps mentioned below and see the result.

Here below are the steps

1. Open your outlook

2. Press Alt+F11. This opens the Visual Basic editor

3. On the Left Pane, one can see "Microsoft Outlook Objects" or "Project1", expand this. Now one can see the "ThisOutLookSession".

4. Double click on "ThisOutLookSession". It will open up a code pane.

5. Copy and Paste the following code in the right pane.(Code Pane)


Private Sub Application_ItemSend(ByVal Item As Object, Cancel As Boolean)
Dim strSubject As String
strSubject = Item.Subject

If Len(strSubject) = 0 Then
Prompt$ = "Subject is Empty. Are you sure you want to send the Mail?"

If MsgBox(Prompt$, vbYesNo + vbQuestion + vbMsgBoxSetForeground, "Check for Subject") = vbNo Then
Cancel = True
End If

End If

End Sub

6. Save this and now close the VB Code editor and take a breath. From now on, this macro will make sure you do not make the mistake of sending a mail without a subject.

10 commandments of using credit cards

After the holiday shopping season, it's time to pay your credit card bills. Improper use of credit cards can negatively affect your budget. So don't let it happen to you.

  1. Don't ignore a credit card bill. Pay balance in full every month. Pay on time. Don't pay late. Sometimes late fees are as high as 30-40% of the outstanding amount. If you pay late, your payments begin to fall behind. You become a defaulter if you don't pay consecutively twice. The company can block your further transactions. Besides this, the company can also initiate legal action against you based on your income, outstanding amount and your bill payment record.
  2. Sometimes customers pay the minimum payment and opt for credit revolving facility. You are a loser in that case. You lose on the 50-day credit period. If you don't pay on time, whatever you buy next time on the credit card, interest will be charged on the purchases from day one.
  3. Stop using the credit card until the balance is paid in full. It is a loan that must be repaid.
  4. Limit the number of cards.
  5. Generally, if you spend more than the credit card limit, the credit card company doesn't block your transactions. But you end up paying huge interest rates on crossing the credit limit. Interest rates as high as 5% are charged on the amount outside the credit limit. Normal interest rates on credit card are between 2% and 4%.
  6. If you are withdrawing cash from your credit card, then you will have to pay cash advance fee of 2-2.5% besides 3% existing interest rate.
  7. If you are withdrawing money using credit card from some other bank's ATM, then the cash advance fee will be much more than usual. With this, your free credit period also ends and interest meter starts from the day one.
  8. Use credit card to withdraw cash only in emergencies. You have to pay cash advance fee at the rate of 2 to 2.5% besides the regular interest rate of 3%.
  9. If you are withdrawing cash using credit card from some other bank's ATM, then the cash advance fee will be much more than usual rate. With this, your free credit period also ends and interest meter starts moving from the day one.
  10. Don't throw away your receipts until you compare them to your statement. Review your monthly statement for accuracy.

Wednesday, October 10, 2007

Free Premium RapidShare and MegaUpload accounts

Are you getting any messages like "All free slots are being used..signup to start downloading immediately..."
Here is the solution for that...

Free Premium Accounts

http://www.freerapidaccount.com

No Credit Card Needed! Completely Free!

All you need to do is simply signup and refer friends...

Signup -> Complete Offer -> Refer friends -> Get Account

MegaUpload : 5 Referrals, 1 Month unlimited usage...
MegaUPload: 15 Referrals, 3 Months Unlimited usage..
Rapidshare: 5 Referrals, 1 Month unlimited usage..
Rapidshare: 12 Referrals, 3 Months unlimited usage...

So why are you waiting for...simply signup, refer friends and enjoy downloading....

Related : Sendspace

Thursday, September 20, 2007

Protect Your Laptop From Theft In Conferences, Libraries..

Your notebook is not just an expensive piece of hardware – it also contains your personal information, confidential office documents, log of websites that you have visited recently and so much more that a theft or even an accidental loss could put you at some serious risk.

And do not estimate laptop theft as a rare phenomenon. Some estimates suggest that a laptop is stolen every minute and most of them are never recovered.

While travelling or attending a conference, the easiest option to secure your laptop against theft is to put in the case and carry it on your shoulders all the time. Treat the laptop like the cash in your wallet and never leave it unattended even when you are just taking a short break for the restroom or the coffee vending machine.

Now that’s the most ideal approach but not a practical one – would you disconnect the power cord, network cable and external mouse and place the laptop back in the bag just because you want to quickly grab a glass of drinking water from the pantry next door or pick another book from the library bookshelf?

In such situations, an extremely useful utility is LaptopAlarm. It’s like an anti-theft siren that rings (using the in-built speakers of the laptop) when someone tries to logoff or shutdown the machine or removes the charging AC power cord or unplugs the external mouse attached to your laptop.

Laptop Alarm (syfer.nl) is Windows only but MacBook owners can get the free iAlertU utility (ialertu.com) that will even capture the photograph of the thief using the inbuilt webcam and send it to any email address. Just make sure these screaming alarms don’t ring inadvertently else that can put you in an embarrassing situation.

Laptops and other portable devices are frequently lost (stolen or misplaced) in hotel rooms, libraries, airport security counters, coffee shops and taxis. If you are frequent traveler, consider getting an insurance cover for your notebook. They will atleast cover cost of the laptop incase of theft, accidental damage or misplacement.

A YouTube Download Manager Similar to Real Video Player 11

Some may recall the Real Player 11 software that lets you download streaming web videos in a click. When you are watching a video on say YouTube, Real Player 11 adds a "Download this video" hover button near the video player - you just have to click this button to initiate the video download process.

Orbit Downloader is a free download manager that not only offers a similar approach as Real Player 11 but also extends it to Flash Animation movies, audio files and other media content embedded in web pages. And Orbit works with practically all web browsers including Maxthon and Opera.

As you see in the screen capture above, Orbit adds a small button when you hover the mouse over the YouTube player - click that button to download the video or song to your hard drive. And since Orbit is a full fledged download manager, it can make multiple connections to the same file so it can download faster.

Not just YouTube or Yahoo! videos, Orbit can be used with MySpace music, Pandora or even Rapidshare files. It also supports the RTSP and MMS protocols so you can try grabbing those programs on BBC and CNN.

www.orbitdownloader.com | download.com

The Easiest Way to Save Youtube Videos: Kiss The Address Bar

Kiss YouTube offers an innovative approach for downloading video clips from Youtube. No browser bookmarklets, no software to install, just remember the KISS "Keep It Sweet & Simple" principle.

While you are watching a video clip on the youtube website, just add the word "kiss" to the video URL in your browser address bar and hit enter. The video is ready to be saved on your computer in FLV format.

For instance, if the Youtube URI is something like youtube.com/watch?v=ls1954aa, you can download the clip by adding the word "kiss" in front of the youtube.com domain name. Hence the final address becomes kissyoutube.com/watch?v=ls1954aa which will have the link to save that clip.

Friday, September 14, 2007

Let Firefox Turn Off The Computer When All Files Have Downloaded

Say it's midnight and you want to call it a day. But the issue is that you are downloading some huge files from the Internet via Firefox (see screenshot) and at your current internet speed, the download will take another two hours to finish.

shut down computer

You could either cancel the downloads, or leave the computer in running state, or just install Auto Shutdown from mozilla.org.

As the name suggest, this extension will turn off the computer automatically as soon as Firefox has downloaded all the pending files in the queue.

If you not using Firefox, try the shutdown command in Windows that will turn off the computer after the given time. For instance, if you want to turn off the computer in next two hours, type the following in Windows Run box:

shutdown -s -t 7200 [7200 = 2 hours]

The Auto Shutdown extension of Firefox internally executes the same command.

Tuesday, September 11, 2007

Internet Radio Broadcasting in your Google Talk, MSN/Live Messenger or Yahoo Messenger


With the help of our GTalk2VoIP service all Google Talk, MSN/Live Messenger and Yahoo Messenger users now can connect to a number of Internet Radio Broadcasting stations and start listening radio streams. No additional software to install, just follow the instructions below.

Step 1. Subscribe to the service in one of the possible ways:

  • 1st Way. Open your IM messenger and invite new recipient whose user id is service@gtalk2voip.com.
  • 2nd Way. Go to GTALK-TO-VOIP and submit your user id by pressing "Invite!" button, then accept the invitation from service@gtalk2voip.com.

Step 2. Send RADIO command to service@gtalk2voip.com to get list of available radio stations, remember a numerical ID of any.

Step 3. Send RADIO ID command to service to get connected.

Step 4. Accept incoming call from the service.

For Google Talk users. Google Talk user can invite radio station contact into their list of contacts by adding a contact like: ID@radio.gtalk2voip.com (i.e. 100@radio.gtalk2voip.com). When contact appears online, press Call button to connect to the radio station.

Examples:


Ruslan: RADIO


service: Welcome to GTalk2VoIP - Free Voice Gateway for Google Talk, MSN and Yahoo!
Type 'HELP' for more information
You entered:
RADIO

LIST OF AVAILABLE RADIO STATIONS:

100 - Classic Country Music from Heartland Public Radio [http://128.177.3.80:4064/]
101 - Cowboy Cultural Society Radio - an American tradition since 2002 [http://205.188.215.232:8028/]
102 - Atlantic Sound Factory - ASF Radio [http://69.31.50.146:80/]
103 - 100.7 Jack FM, San Diego [http://38.116.132.31:9024/]
104 - 102.7 FM The Fringe [http://64.72.124.89:8134/]
105 - 181.fm - The Buzz (Your Alternative Station!) [http://scfire-nyk0l-1.stream.aol.com:80/stream/1022]
106 - 181.fm - The Mix Channel (70s, 80s, 90s and Today's Best Music) [http://208.53.158.167:8032/]
107 - 181.fm - The Eagle (Your Home For REAL Classic Rock!) [http://208.53.158.126:8030/]
108 - .977 The 80s Channel [http://scfire-ntc0l-2.stream.aol.com:80/stream/1040]
109 - 1.FM - Channel X [http://209.51.161.54:8072/]
201 - KCRW World News [http://scfire-ntc0l-2.stream.aol.com:80/stream/1047]
202 - Sporting News Radio [http://scfire-chi0l-2.stream.aol.com:80/stream/1057]
203 - KPFK - Southern California's 90.7 FM News, Talk & Music [http://64.27.31.66:80/]
204 - WBUR 90.9 FM, Boston's NPR News Station [http://205.234.188.21:80/]

Ruslan: RADIO 100

service: You entered: RADIO 100
Please, accept call from gtalk2voip

Incoming call from service@gtalk2voip.com at 6:38 PM on Sunday
service: Connecting to FM Radio Station [100]: Classic Country Music from Heartland Public Radio
Connected to: Classic Country Music from Heartland Public Radio

Please note, that...
  • If radio has not started to play in 5 secs, try to drop the call and connect again.
Related: FM is on GTalk

Monday, September 10, 2007

Find Any Email in GMail With Simple Search Commands

While some GMail users download email locally to Outlook or Thunderbird and then use desktop search programs like Copernic or Windows Desktop Search to find emails, GMail itself has some powerful search capabilities.

Let's look at some common search scenarios and possible solutions:

Q: I have hundreds of unread emails in my Gmail Inbox but not all of them show up on the main page. Can I bring up view in GMail containing only unread messages.

A: label:inbox is:unread

Q: My boss sent me a PDF document last month that I can no longer locate in the Inbox. Can you help me find it.

A: from:Name_Of_Boss filename:pdf after:2007/07/01 [yyyy/mm/dd]

Q: I received an email from Paypal support last week. I am not sure if I deleted the message, archived it or marked it as Spam.

A: from:Paypal in:anywhere

Q: I have dozens of unread email messages in the Inbox but I am in a hurry to check them all. Show me just the messages that are for me.

A: is:unread after:2007/09/03 to:your.email@address.com

Q: Ryan is a good friend who send me pretty interesting PowerPoint / Word files that often have inspirational quotes, beautiful natural landscapes and funny slide shows of Cats. I love it all but they take too much space.

A: from:Ryan has:attachment [Select all and then delete]

Q. I accidentally deleted an important email message from a colleague. My GMail trash is already overflowing. How do I retrieve that particular message.

A: label:trash Name_Of_Your_Colleague

Q: I use GMail to automatically backup my WordPress blog. The database backup are stored via email attachments as Zips. Since I am running short on GMail storage, I would like to delete all backups that are older than two weeks.

A: filename:.zip before:2007/08/15 wordpress

Q: While chatting over Google Talk, Veronica sent me a link to her Flickr pictures.

A: in:chat from:veronica flickr.com

Q: Show me all emails from my Boss that he marked Urgent or Important in the subject.

A: from:Boss_Name subject:(Urgent OR Important)

Q. I have two contacts in GMail with similar names - Peter King and Peter King Junior. Can I see emails the received from the former contact.

A: from:Peter King -Junior

Search Shortcuts: Instead of typing label:unread, you can simply type l:^u

Important: Unlike Google web search, GMail won't suggest search results that contain plurals or misspellings of your search query. For instance, a search for "computer" will only show email with that exact word - you won't see messages containing the word "computers".

Turn Your Mouse Pointer Into a SpotLight, Perfect for Presentations

mouse-cursor-spotlight

Spotlights are commonly used in concerts and musical theatres to focus an audience's attention on a performer as he moves around the stage.

MouseLight has borrowed the concept from theatres and applied it your computer where the actor is the mouse cursor and the stage is the desktop screen.

When you are doing a PowerPoint presentation or a software demonstration and want the audience to focus on some specific area of the screen, MouseLight puts a circular spotlight around your cursor and highlights that area allowing your audience to follow you - the rest of the screen outside the spotlight circle is dimmed automatically.

There's another advantage of MouseLight - If you are work on a large screen or a dual monitor, it's so common that you keep losing track of the mouse pointer. With MouseLight, just press the hotkey and you'll immediately know where the cursor is placed on the screen. No guesswork required.

MouseLight is available for Windows only, Mac users have a similar application called Mouseposé. MouseLight for Windows is available for $20 while the Mousepose for Mac costs only $10.

Not to be confused with Apple Desktop Search Software which is also known as SpotLight.

FM is on GTalk

FM is on your GTalk now ( Teen Taal 110...,only hindi songs)

for this u need to follow these steps...,

1) add this id in ur GTalk: service@gtalk2voip.com

2) then add: 110@radio.gtalk2voip.com

after completion of these 2 steps

then make a cal to 110@radio.gtalk2voip.com than u wil be directly connected

to teen taal FM radio station

Related : Internet Radio Broadcasting in your Google Talk, MSN/Live Messenger or Yahoo Messenger

Tuesday, September 04, 2007

Download Your Favorite Blogs and Websites for Offline Reading

Offline Explorer, wget, WinHTTrack Copier, Teleport.. there are tons of software utilities (bothdownload webpages webaroo free and commercial) that let you download web pages to your local hard drive - they'll mirror complete websites, image galleries and everything else when your computer is connected to the web.

But there are some issues with most of these offline browsers. How do you browse or search web pages once they are saved locally? How do you update the local information when the source data has changed? Can you transfer the web content from computer to your mobile phone or the USB pen drive?

Enter Webaroo - a free offline browser cum search engine that is not-so-geek and should solve all the above problems.

include-website Once you install Webaroo, you suggest a list of blogs, websites, videos, podcasts or any online content that you would like to browse offline. If you are too busy to make suggestions, you can install readymade Webaroo packs - popular websites arranged in categories. [like the News pack will have CNN, ABC, WSJ, etc]

Webaroo then creates an offline copy of the site that you can browse or search as if you are connected. Based on your settings, Webaroo periodically checks the original web pages for modification and if there are any, the software automatically updates the local cache.

The software also provides visual hints for outgoing hyperlinks that are already available in the local cache.

webaroo search engine You'll also be impressed by the brilliant interface of Webaroo. It's a highly recommended tool especially for mobile workers who travel frequently or remain offline most of the time. Webaroo will make sure that you do miss any of your favorite news sites or blogs.

And if you own a Windows Mobile phone like the O2 or HP IPAQ, you can even browser the saved web content in your phone.

How to Find Email Addresses of People Who Plagiarize Content

Content plagiarism is a serious concern on the Internet. You spent an entire day writing that comprehensive review of the Nikon D80 DSLR camera only to realize that hour later, some lesser-known websites and blogs have reprinted your article word-by-word without giving you any credit.email address

To get your content removed from the another website, the first step (that works in 99% of the cases) is to send a friendly email to the owner of that site.

But sometimes finding the email address of the person, who ripped off your content, may be the toughest part. Here are some indirect tricks to help you locate email addresses of offenders.

Step 1. If the offending site is self hosted, you are very likely to find the email address of the website owner through the public whois database. I prefer DomJax (review) for quick retrieval of website registry information.

Step 1(a). If the website is self hosted but the whois information is private, try the following query on Google (replace xyz with the actual site address)

xyz.com -inurl:xyz.com - This might show up some real email addresses for that domain.

Step 2. If the site is hosted on Blogger, WordPress or other blogging platforms, leave a comment in any of the blog posts. Most bloggers generally read and respond to user comments.

Step 3. Now the trickiest part - there's no "Contact Us" form on the website and there's place for you to write comments. Well, don't give up yet because you still have good options:

3(a). Use Technorati or Google Blog search to find other sites / blogs linking to that offending site. It's quite possible that the offender may be maintaining multiple websites that are cross-linked for maximum Google Juice. There are chances that contact information is available on one of his/her legit sites.

3(b). If the person is blogging under an alias (say "PeterCool008") - search for that term on Google. It's very likely that he has used the same alias when registering on other web forums and social networking websites.

When you get hold of his public profile on some site like Digg, MyBlogLog or say DigitalPoint forums, look for the IM aliases. If his YIM! is xyz, you know that an email addressed to xyz@yahoo.com will, very likely, land in his inbox.

Alternatively, most web forums allow Private Messaging. Sign up for that forum yourself and send a private message / email. That may be the last resort.

Never quit - I know it takes some effort to track down the plagiarists but that should not deter you from actively pursuing your case. Remember that search engines, including Google, still have issues figuring out the original source of web documents.

PDF lo panduga chesuko....Sai