Give your eyes a break from the computer with Pause4Relax

This post goes out to all you rigorous PC and laptop users, including me (big time!).  And by rigorous users, I mean especially software developers, writers, bloggers, researchers, graphic & web designers and all those of you who are simply addicted to this wonderful machine. It’s been rightly said that technology takes more! Overuse of computers cause some physical afflictions, such as eye strain, Scoliosis, vision abnormalities, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, headache and backache – especially if you are over 40. They can damage mental health of an individual too.

I know how hard it is to actually take a break and give our poor eyes a well-deserved break from the computer screen. Little do we realize how harmful these monitor waves are for the eyes and that over-exerting them can lead to health issues like headaches, dry/burning/red eyes, sensitivity to light, facing difficulty in differentiating between paper and monitor (this happens to me sometimes  )and blurred or double vision. Precisely, if we don’t take small, frequent breaks from the monitor, our eyes our doomed, we owe it to them!

Pause4Relax A must-download for all PC  users

Open Hardware Monitor: Free Portable System Monitor

System monitoring tools, which display core temps, fan speeds, etc. in real time, can be a very useful addition to the desktop. I’ve written about these types of tools previously, notably MooO System Monitor… 

There are lots of reasons why a user might like to keep a watchful eye on critical system components, and core temps in particular. Just recently, another of these tools, Open Hardware Monitor, was recommended to me by Bill Mullins. This came about following a recent article by fellow author Marc Thomas about PC cooling systems and how regular cleaning inside the tower can help maintain optimum cooling efficiency. 

Anyway, following Bill’s advice I checked out Open Hardware Monitor on the home site and the first thing that caught my attention was an option to display user selected fields in the form of a desktop gadget… sounds good. I further discovered that this neat little system monitoring tool is also portable, no installation required… now I’m hooked!

Open Hardware Monitor – The software

The following is the developer’s description as it appears on the home page:

Stay frosty and keep your computer cool.

Put half a dozen doctors in a room and ask them for a diagnosis on the patient in front of them and you may be surprised at the answers you get. The same can be said for many computer related problems and cooling your computer is a case in point.

Of course, there was a time when we  strapped as many fans to the machine as we could in the hope that, short of becoming airborne with the noise levels of a 747, we were doing the right thing. And we were, but there is a science to keeping your computer cool and most people agree on the basic principles.

Most mid range computer cases will have a fan at the front and rear, so that cool air is drawn in from the front and expelled at the back.

More elaborate designs add ventilation fans at the top and side of the case, as can be seen in the photo on the left.

The science referred to here is positive or negative air pressure

Blue is good.

Fix: No Internet Connectivity, but shows as Connected to the Web

We all use different network adapters for the fulfillment of same goal viz. best web connectivity. While using Internet on your Windows operating system, you may came around various issues in web connectivity. Sometimes, the issues are due to problems on the Server side, while many times it is the trouble with devices. Today, in this article, we’ll discuss about one such issue of losing Internet signal strength, even if Windows shows that it is connected to web.

Actually, it happened with my system that while I try to connect to web, it got connected. After some times, the network icon showing that I have access to web, but when I tried to load websites in my browser, it doesn’t load. The same thing happened with Windows Store as well, the downloading of apps never complete, but it seemed like they were downloading. Apparently, I found this Technet thread, a promising solution to solve this hitch. If this is the also the issue you’re experiencing, you may like to give this fix a try:

HAPPY REPUBLIC DAY

How to identify pre-2005 currency notes?!

This note has the year of printing clearly printed in the middle of the bottom row on the backside.

 

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has announced its plans to withdraw all currency noted issued before 2005. Financial experts believe that the move is largely aimed at removing fake or counterfeit currency embedded into the financial system as well help uncover the big black market currency in the country. While the motives of RBI are unquestionably good, there has been some quantum of confusion amongst the general public as to whether the notes they have would need replacement or not. Read on to find out if the currency notes in your pocket or ones stashed in your locker needs to be changed.

Identifying Pre 2005 Currency Notes: Currently the Reserve Bank of India prints currency notes in the denomination of Rs. 5, Rs. 10, Rs. 20, Rs. 50, Rs. 100, Rs. 500 and Rs. 1,000. All the notes printed before the year 2005 do not have the year of printing marked on it. All currency notes printed post 2005 have is year of printing clearly printed in the middle of the bottom row on the backside of the note. If your bank note has no year of printing on the back, it means the note is printed before 2005 and needs to be exchanged with the bank as per the RBI deadline. All notes with the year of printing indicated on the currency note would stay in operation as all of them are posted after 2005.

How to Create Custom ScreenTips in Word 2010

ScreenTips are words, phrases or perhaps a graphic that displays a box of text when you hover your mouse over it in MS word. Usually, a Screentip will supply you with details regarding the item over which you are hovering your mouse. I am sure that all of you have seen them at some point in time while using MS Word. But did you know that you can recreate Tool Tips in your Word 2010 documents using the ScreenTip feature? No?

Follow the steps below to learn how:

Firstly, you need to be certain that ScreenTips are enabled.

1. Click File | Options.
2. Go to the General tab in the left-hand pane and in the ScreenTip Style area, select Show Feature Descriptions in ScreenTips.

Now that you are certain that the ScreenTips feature is enabled, you can link a ScreenTip to a word, phrase or object.

Follow the steps below to learn how:

SANCHAY POST Version 7.5 BY SDC CHENNAI

Sanchay Post Version7.5

Download

FEATURES - SANCHAY POST VERSION 7.5

Precise:

Added Features in Sanchay Post version 7.5:

How much RAM do you really need?

Typically, today’s budget PCs come with 4GB of RAM. A mid-range configuration may offer double that, and high-end gaming systems and workstations go as high as 16GB.

There’s no doubt which way the wind’s blowing, either: Windows 8 supports up to 128GB of physical memory (assuming you’re running the 64-bit edition), while Windows 8 Pro can go up to 512GB.

Does anyone really need this much RAM? Memory isn’t as expensive as it used to be, but there’s obviously no point paying for gigabytes of RAM from which you’ll receive no material gain.

Does more equal faster?

Many people assume that adding memory makes a PC significantly faster, and in some cases it does. Sticking an extra pair of DIMMs into a motherboard won’t change the speed at which the processor executes code, but it can help in other ways, especially on older systems with 2GB of RAM or less, since adding RAM reduces the need for Windows to rely on “virtual memory”.

Perform a Boot-time Scan with Avast (Free) 2014

I have been an Avast Free user for some time and am overall quite satisfied with the level of protection afforded, suffice to say that I can’t even remember the last time my machine was infected. One of the features included with Avast is the ability to perform a Boot-time scan, in fact I believe it is unique to Avast.

A Boot-time scan can be beneficial because the scan is taking place before the operating system and drivers are loaded, and by association before any malware can be loaded as well. It is also the most thorough of scans because it scans everything, including any files which might normally be locked or in use.

It’s a very simple procedure to schedule a Boot-time scan in Avast… here’s how:

Open up the Avast interface by right clicking on the icon in the system tray and selecting “Open avast! user interface“. Or double click the desktop shortcut if available.

In the main interface, click on the magnifying glass icon in the left hand navigation panel as indicated in the following screenshot:

Portable Apps And Why We Like Them

Portable Apps vs Installed Apps

Anyone who follows Dave’s Computer Tips (DCT) for any time at all realizes that the authors here really like portable applications. There’s a good reason for this. They are much simpler by design and end up being easier to use as a result.

Applications that must be installed

Unless an application is formally installed Windows doesn’t really “know” about it. When you go through the familiar process of installing a program, you are actually notifying Windows that it exists by entering some information in the database known as the Registry. This tells Windows not only where it is located on your hard drive, but whether it should be run at boot-time, and if it should be scheduled to continue its various activities during any logged-in time. Also, any settings you change will normally be stored there as well.

There are other considerations. Many programs that must be formally installed rely on ‘libraries’ such as the familiar .NET Framework, ASP, and C++ libraries that seem to infiltrate your hard drive in multiple forms. These may be needed by the program in order to function properly.

5 Affordable Android Phones That Don’t Suck

Until 2 years ago, it didn’t make much sense to buy budget Android phones because of the sub-par experience they offered. But things have changed. A lot of the flagship phones from that time are now available for low prices, but can still hold their own and perform well. And new handsets from some manufacturers are offering a bang for your buck.

So we went shopping and found some great deals. We specifically looked for unlocked devices since those save you money in the long run. So here are some Android smartphones for which “cheap” refers only to the price tag, not quality.

Windows 7 Back By Popular Demand

HP is actively marketing new computers with Windows 7 as the default operating system. This is despite Windows 8 being the current version of Windows, and the one Microsoft wants you to use (even though Microsoft employees suspect Windows 8 of being the new Vista).

HP is not only advertising the Windows 7 PCs on its U.S. website, it has also sent an email out to customers telling them about the offer. The pitch includes the term, “Back by popular demand,” suggesting the company is responding to customers wishes.

Common Issues in After Upgrade Parcelnet Solution Dated 13/01/2014 in Post Offices

Here with i have listed out the common issues we are facing after upgrade 13.01.2014 

Postman And COD

• Due to Non availability of the Booking data  in Central sever , We could not receive the elctronic data in delivery office side but article was received physically and kept in Deposit. 

Article was Tracked in ParcelNet Site > Reports->COD Articles

• Instead of Closing of COD article type as RP in RMS side, We could not receive that Bag as virtually.So that
• We have to collect the COD article through physically using dummy bag number.
• Not available in Request Resend Option .
• It may leads to received Duplicate COD article for invoicing.
• Some of the COD article Number is available for Request Resend option even it was received in Local database.
• Even after execute Invoice COD exl, article shows in only Post sorting option and Not in Branch Office invoicing option for Pincode mismatched article.
• We can Redirect only Pincode Mis-matched article. Some of the COD articles were received wrong address with correct. In such case we could not able to redirect.
• Not able to  receive and deliver the replacement order of already delivered article with COD amount '0'
• No clear Instruction was given for COD article amount shown in Postman Module is differ with mention the amount in physically received COD. 
• Postman Module hangs at the time of invoice Register article, while scan the Article it takes long time to respond or move the cursor to booking office.
• Most of the Offices RB Bundle Opening error occuring.Run Time error 13, Type Mismatch. 
• In some Office after fetch Counter booked article not able to invoice the same due to error message shown as article was not received.

95% of the world’s ATMs to be adversely affected as Windows XP support ends

As the Windows XP era ends, yet another major concern has come into light. As if there weren’t enough security concerns to be taken care of and now the most important machines in the world are prone to attract malware and security breaches. Yes, we are talking about the ATMs which use run on Windows XP and with the end of life of Windows XP these machines, which by the way constitute of about 95% of the world’s ATMs are going to get quite vulnerable.

S B Order No. 2/2014 : Changes in some procedures of POSB in the backdrop of implementation of CBS- regarding

To view SB Order No.2/2014 please  Click here

Fix: Scripts are usually safe. Do you want to allow scripts to run message

When it comes to security settings, it seems like Internet Explorer (IE) shares different options in comparison to other browsers. In the old editions of IE, you might have noticed the error warnings with many webpages. There; IE mentions on which line it was getting the error code. In this article, we’ll discuss about one such warning we have came around so far.

Actually while using IE we observed that a pop-up may keep popping up with following message:

“Scripts are usually safe. Do you want to allow scripts to run?”

[Yes] [No]

The prompt doesn’t tell you what the scripts are intended for. Obviously it will make you frustrated if it keeps popping up. Now since these scripts are not listed, you’re basically in dilemma wondering what to do next. But if the error message is observed, it says the script are safe. Safe scripts implies that these are the codes which you can allow to run and they won’t harm your system anymore. Now, lets see how to get rid of this message pop-up so that interruption can be avoided:

Diagnostic Tools to Use in Safe Mode

Everyone tells you to boot into safe mode to troubleshoot a computer problem but they never mention what to do when you actually get into safe mode. In this article I will list some diagnostic tools you can use in safe mode to troubleshoot a computer problem.

First – Entering Safe Mode

Starting a PC in Safe Mode means stripping Windows down to its bare bones and preventing all non-Windows applications from starting up. This helps in two ways: the processor has to run at only a tiny fraction of its capacity; and it enables users to test installed software for faults one by one.

To boot to safe mode you simply repeatedly press F8 when your computer is booting up. This will take you the Windows Advanced Options Menu where you will find the safe mode option.

Types of Safe Mode

Often people get confused when they have to choose which safe mode to boot in to. There is usually three different types.

Revision of limit of High Value Money Orders (HVMO)

Directorate vide letter No 6-2/2013- PO dated 10/01/2014 has enhanced the limit of high value money order from Rs.400/- to Rs.1000/-..

System Administrators Case - News from NFPE

 The demand for creation of a separate cadre for System Administrators has been discussed several times with the Department. 

                 Last discussion was held in the JCM, Departmental Council meeting and Cadre Restructuring Committee. Department has made it clear that existing System Administrators are not going to be benefited even if a seperate cadre is created and also pointed out certain other adverse aspects of the case. The main points of the Department are (1) In the Recruitment Rules for creating separate cadre Government (DOP & T) will fix higher technical qualifications for the post. (2) Government (DOP & T) will not agree for absorption of existing System Administrators and instead go for direct recruitment as per the Recruitment Rules. (3) Even if a cadre is created there is no much promotional scope in the same cadre as the promotional posts will be very less. Just like Postmaster Cadre they will not get general line promotion and also cannot writ IP & PSS Group B exams. In view of the above all Circle/Divisional Secretaries are requested to inform their views on the following points. (1) Whether we should still stick to our demand for separate cadre (2) Instead whether we should demand special pay or some other benefits for the existing System Administrators. The issue will be again discussed on the next meeting of the Cadre Restructuring Committee to be held on 04-02-2014. 

Send your views by email to nfpehq@gmail.com before 02-02-2014.

View the Letter
Source : http://nfpe.blogspot.in/

Let’s migrate: Moving from one PC to another

Is that all there is?

Remember when you last moved house? All those boxes, each with a label saying books, cutlery, stamp albums, Uncle Ted’s ashes, that sort of thing?

And remember when you all arrived at the new house  and the domestic removal technicians unloaded all those boxes, which you carefully unpacked and wondered why you’d packed half of all that stuff in the first place? Or you spent the rest of the day scrabbling about in a frantic search for that set of photos you swear were interesting when you shot them, but have never been looked at since?

You know it makes sense

For however long you’ve been using a computer, you’re going to have eons worth of photos, videos, letters, emails and other stuff squirreled away on your numerous hard drives, carefully labelled and more secure than GCHQ.

But if you’re anything like me, you’ve got stuff all over the shop, unsorted and totally disorganized. People like me need a cleaning lady, it really is that bad.

Box’ Offering 50GB Free Cloud Storage for iOS Users

Cloud storage service ‘Box’ has announced it’s giving away 50GB of free storage for users who try the new version of its Apple iOS app:

We couldn’t be more excited to announce that today we are releasing our brand new, completely rebuilt Box for iPhone^® and iPad^® app. And to commemorate this, we are offering 50GB of free storage for life to users who download the app in the next 30 days.

Microsoft details Cybersecurity Threats in developing nations

Cyber threat is one of the most serious economic and national security challenges that most developing nations face today. As such, the disseminating factors causing this menace should be scrutinized in the first place. Microsoft stands up to the challenge! The software giant recently, released a new study titled The Cybersecurity Risk Paradox.

Cybersecurity Threats in Developing Nations

The report focuses on particulars of social and economic factors affecting cybersecurity outcomes worldwide. The report was a follow-up study whose minutes rested on the earlier findings of a study released last year entitled Linking Cybersecurity Outcomes and Policies.

Best ...Free health and fitness apps

If you have a smartphone or tablet computer, and are looking to kick start a healthy new lifestyle, you will find a wealth of free and paid-for apps designed to help you with every aspect of diet and fitness. 

 MyFitnessPal  

MyFitnessPal allows you to track everything you eat and any activity you do through www.myfitnesspal.com and/or its app. Whether you’re trying to monitor what you’re eating to make sure you’re getting enough of the basic food groups, you want to watch the number of calories or you’d like to stay on track of your workouts, MyFitnessPal is easy to use and has a huge database with over one million foods listed. Everything you add to the app or website is synched so that your account is always up to date, however you view it. 

Internet Explorer 11 for Windows 7 enhanced with Bing & MSN released

Internet Explorer 11 for Windows 7 enhanced with Bing & MSN

Microsoft has from time to time been releasing special versions of the Internet Explorer browser. We have seen it releasing Internet Explorer optimized for XBOX, TV Junkies, Bing, MSN, Google, Students, Kids all of which have been covered here on this site. True to its tradition, it has once again released IE11 optmized for Bing & MSN. This version of IE11 sets Bing as your default search engine and makes MSN as your home page.

Internet Explorer 11 offers easy access to Bing and MSN for better search and news headlines. It is fast at loading sites and fluid as you navigate through them and offers better protection from threats and increased privacy online.

What is a dialogue box?

A dialogue box is a box that pops up to enable communication between the computer and you, the user. Dialogue boxes may ask you questions or give you information.

• Once the input has been made, the dialogue box will generally disappear.
• Some types will be ‘alerts’ which give information with a request for an acknowledgement that the message has been read for example an ‘OK’ button.

How to recover deleted files

If you accidentally modify or delete a file only to find that you really do need the original version, don’t despair: in many cases you can still recover it.

You’ll need:

• a computer
• the computer system from which the file has been deleted. 

This guide is based on a PC running Windows 7, but the steps in this process also apply to XP, Vista and Windows, and are very similar for Mac users. 

Follow these step-by-step instructions to recover deleted files

There are two ways to recover a deleted file. If you’re using Windows backup you can restore it from backup, or you can restore it from a previous version. Previous versions, also sometimes called shadow copies, are copies of files and folders that Windows automatically saves as part of a restore point.

To restore a file or folder from backup

Fix: Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power is greyed out

In order to make efficient use of electrical power, your Windows system manages to turn off the devices which are not currently used. You can configure these settings from the Device Manager. Right-click over the device and select Properties.

Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power

In the Power Management tab, you have to enable Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power and Windows will turn off the device when not in use so that power couldn’t be wasted. But what if the same option is greyed out:

The image shown above is referenced from this Microsoft Community thread. It clearly shows that you can’t adjust the mouse which is an external hardware device; to be turned off / on while not in use. So how to change this settings? Well, a registry manipulation will help you to fix this. Here is how:

How to Change Cell Colors in Excel 2010

Here is a tool in Excel that will allow you to very quickly and easily change the color of a selected cell. That would be the Fill color tool, which can be found on the Formatting toolbar or the Home tab of your Ribbon and has a small paint bucket and color sample. If you click on it, that sample color will be applied to the cell or cells you have selected. Only the color of the cell will change. Your font color will remain the same.

If you click on the drop-down arrow at the right-hand side of the tool, a color palette will be displayed. To select the color of your choice, click your mouse on one of the colored squares. This color will then be applied to the cell or cells you have selected.

Follow the steps below:

SANCHAY POST 7 MANUAL DATA ENTRY RELEASED BY INFOSYS

Manual Data Entry Sanchay Post Software

This release contains the implementation of manual data entry for NSS87,SB Discontinued products (25 No PMI products and 1 with PMI products). This manual data Entry module has an independent UI and will appear as a separate menu item below Sanchay Post.

Prerequisite

1. Sanchay Post 7.0 or Sanchay Post 7.11 
2. SQL Server 2005/2008/2000. 

Download:

SDC Chennai:

Download

Courtesy : http://potools.blogspot.in

IFS Money Transfer Guide

Free Port Scanner for Windows let you perform Firewall Port Scan

Often, home computers are easy target for hackers, especially the ones with DSL or cable connections to the Internet because the trespasser finds it easy to break into unsecured or lose network, rather than heavily fortified, secured corporate network. So, if you are a broadband user, chances are that your computer is at risk and susceptible to hacker attacks, because you have an “always-on” connection to the Internet. Your computer stores personal information that a hacker may exploit for his benefits. While a Firewall will help stop such attacks, you need to check if it is working properly and if all the required Ports are closed.

Safe software download sites

Well today, if I have to download freeware, I usually prefer to download it from the developers website. This ensures that I get the latest version too. But if I have to visit a download sites, I prefer and trust the following:

• Majorgeeks.com
• Softpedia.com
• TechSpot.com
• Filehippo.com
• SnapFiles.com
• fileforum.betanews.com

I am sure that there maybe a few more clean download sites. If you know of any other safe software download sites, please do share them with us in the comments, for the benefit of others. I am open to updating this list of safe software download sites.

Nero BackItUp: A Complete Backup Solution

Nero BackItUp 2014 is Nero’s latest addition to their long line of products. Nero is popular for their multimedia suite, especially their burning software which is bundled with lot of OEM providers and freeware like Nero Kwik Burn Free and Nero DiscSpeed. Nero BackItUp 2014 has a few different versions. In this article I’ll talk about their free starter product. The free version offers limited support and features, compared to premium version, but for an average users, it’s more than enough for a quick backup. The program itself is pretty easy and straight forward to use.

Nero BackItUp

Nero BackItUp is a program for backing up and restoring computer data, syncing folders, and for backing up and restoring data from your Android phone. It also provides access to the online storage Nero Cloud. Nero BackItUp is useful to schedule backups, e.g. For regular data backups that are executed automatically.

Avira PC Cleaner – a second opinion scanner

The PC Cleaner is a scanner which can be used in parallel with other anti-malware products. It is created for users of other security products who think that they might have a malware infection which their security solution doesn’t detect. It works on any PC, note- or netbook with operating system Windows XP SP3 and above. It doesn’t require installation or registration and it doesn’t install any drivers.

The best experience is if you  first deactivate the installed security product temporarily. This way the files will not be scanned twice. You should reactivate the security product after all is done.

Hint

We recommend that you regularly perform a scan with the PC Cleaner, no matter which security solution you have (unless you are already an Avira user).

POSTAL JCA CALL

NFPE & FNPO (CENTRAL JCA)

HAVE DECIDED TO ORGANISE TWO DAYS NATION 

WIDE STRIKE ON

12^th & 13^th FEB 2014 DURING PARLIAMENT SESSION 

DEMANDING

1. DA MERGER

2. INTERIM RELIEF

3. INCLUSION OF GDS UNDER 7^th  CPC

4. CASUAL LABOUR WAGE REVISION AND REGULARISATION

5. RESCIND PFRDA ACT

6. DATE OF EFFECT OF 7^th CPC – 01/01/2014 AS DEMANDED BY JCM STAFF SIDE

* PLUS OTHER DEMANDS

* STRIKE NOTICE WILL BE SERVED ON 21^st  JAN 2014 TO GOVT  & DEPT OF POSTS

* JOINT CIRCULAR WILL FOLLOW

         M.KRISHNAN                                        D.THEAGARAJAN

SECRETARY GENERAL                         SECRETARY GENERAL

             NFPE                                                         FNPO