10 Things You Didn't Know Dropbox Could Do

• 

  1. "Favorite" Files for Offline Reading

  If you "favorite" images or text documents on your mobile device using the Dropbox app, you can access those files later, even if you're not connected to Wi-Fi or cellular service.

• 

  2. Use Dropbox as Your Default Documents Folder

  To conserve memory and time, you can save files directly to Dropbox from your computer programs. This requires simple commands in Terminal for Mac OS or a small settings change for Windows.
  For Mac OS, open Terminal (in Utilities) and type cd Dropbox. Press enter, and then type ln -s ~/Documents /Documents. Hit enter again to complete the process.
  In Windows, right-click on your My Documents folder, hit Properties and click Move. Then select your Dropbox folder.

• 

  3. Email Files to Dropbox as Attachments

  When you don't have access to Dropbox, it comes in handy to have an alternate way to upload files.
  If you create an account at SendToDropbox.com, you can send files to a custom email address as attachments. The files will automatically appear in your Attachments folder in Dropbox.

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  4. Get More Storage — For Free

  If you're a free user of Dropbox, you can immediately access 2GB of space, but you can get more storage without having to pay for an upgrade.
  Dropbox offers 500MB for every friend that you refer to the service, 250MB for completing a "Getting Started" checklist, 125MB for connecting social media and several other options to earn more space.
  Dropbox Pro users can get up to 32GB of extra space, thanks to referrals.

• 

  5. Maintain Firefox Settings Across Multiple Computers

  It's difficult to maintain specific preferences or add-ons in Firefox when you use the browser on multiple computers. However, you can download Firefox Portable and store it in Dropbox. Since Firefox Portable can be used anywhere, your settings and add-ons will be synced.

• 

  6. Upload Files to Dropbox via URL

  URL Droplet allows you to upload links straight to your Dropbox folders. All you need to do is take a link (this especially works well if the link leads to a PDF or similar document) and paste it into the URL Droplet form.

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  7. Download Torrents Remotely

  Note: This Dropbox tip is intended for legal use only.
  If you're away from your personal computer and you'd like to download bit torrent files, ready by the time you get home, Dropbox is a perfect tool.
  Just adjust the settings in your torrent program (uTorrent, BitTorrent, etc.) to automatically load your torrent in Dropbox.
  Image courtesy of Jakub Jankiewicz.

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  8. Maintain Two Dropbox Accounts (Advanced)

  This one can get tricky, so it's intended for advanced users (using Mac OS).
  Many people use Dropbox for both business and personal purposes, often maintaining separate accounts for each, since Dropbox doesn't support multiple users at once. This can be inconvenient when you're connected to one account but want to reach files in another.
  A solution is to use an alternate home directory in the command line and create another Dropbox icon and folder, saved in a separate area on your computer. You can differentiate between the two by changing the color of one of the icons.
  Learn more about this process on the Dropbox Wiki.

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  9. Back Up Your Website

  You can easily back up your website and data on Dropbox, which is useful if you've spent a lot of time and effort building your site or your're concerned about your servers.
  With a service like Backup Box or a WordPress.org plugin, rest assured that your website is backed up.

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  10. Host Web Pages

  Want a website, but don't want to pay for a domain? Want an online portfolio, but don't know HTML? Dropbox can help.
  By using services like DropPages or Pancake.io, you can create a small and simple website with minimal effort.
  With Pancake.io, all you need to do is save plain text files in Dropbox, and you can edit them at any time the same way. DropPages is a little bit more complex, letting you add themes and custom URLs. Both services allow you to use Markdown or HTML.

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Windows 8.1 vs OS X Mavericks: Which OS is Best?

The war between Windows and Mac has reached a new phase with Windows 8.1 and OS X Mavericks. While you could call the new Windows a course correction–with the re-introduction of a Start button and the ability to boot straight to the desktop–Microsoft is still very much on the path of converging laptops and tablets. Meanwhile, Apple largely stays the course with OS X Mavericks, embracing existing Mac owners and would-be switchers with time-saving features like Finder Tabs. At the same time, Mavericks continues to borrow features from iOS, including the new Maps and iBooks app.
Those in the market for a new laptop have two very distinct choices in Windows 8.1 and OS X Mavericks. So we decided to pit the two platforms against one another in 10 rounds of battle to crown a champ.

Editors’ Note: This face-off is based on the developer previews for both Windows 8.1 and OS X Mavericks. We will update this article in the fall of 2013 once both operating systems have shipped to consumers. 

Interface

Windows 8.1 still features the same dynamic Live Tile interface as Windows 8, making it easy to see social updates, the latest weather conditions and news headlines at a glance. But now there are more tile size options at your disposal. You can also set the same background for both the Modern interface and desktop UI to provide a more seamless feel.

Still, the Modern UI and desktop remain very distinct computing environments. (Why are there still two IE browsers again?) Fortunately, you can boot directly to the desktop if you wish. A more robust Modern settings menu helps, but tweaking some options requires digging into the Control Panel. OS X Mavericks System Preferences are all in one place.
Microsoft wisely revived the Start button in Windows 8.1. However, this button merely returns you to the Start screen and its Live Tiles. It’s actually kind of tease.
Microsoft could also do a better job of not hiding key information in Modern mode, such as your system’s battery life. And while Windows 8.1 surfaces more data at a glance, such as the search bar in the Mail app, other times you’re forced to swipe up to reveal the app bar before you know what options are at your disposal. Yes, Windows 8 has improved, but it still feels like work at times.


OS X Mavericks offers a very similar interface to Mountain Lion, including an iOS-like Launchpad for the apps you download from the App Store, a Notification Center that shows your alerts and a dock for your favorite apps. It’s not fancy, but it works.

Apple has modernized the look and feel of some of its apps, including Calendar and Notes. Those old-school ripped page visual metaphors have a taken a back seat for a cleaner aesthetic.
Winner: OS X Mavericks. Last time we gave this round to Mountain Lion because it offers a more consistent and unified UI. While we appreciate the improvements in Windows 8.1, its two UIs still don’t mesh well.

Multitasking

Microsoft extends its lead over OS X with 8.1 by allowing users to run up to four apps on the screen at once. You can’t even snap two windows side by side on OS X Mavericks. Just as important, you can now snap two Modern apps side by side and have them both take up half of the screen. Before it head to be a 70/30 percent split. In desktop mode you can still peek at open programs by hovering your cursor over the app icon, something OS X doesn’t do.

Multitasking on OS X Mavericks hasn’t improved much, which is a shame. Mission Control provides only a dashboard as to what’s open. You can’t close any apps from this view. Why not let users swipe up on an app to close it, as you can on the upcoming iOS 7? For the most part, OS X is best for unitasking because of its ability to run many apps at full screen. However, we like the improved multiple display support, which lets you see the dock and menu bar across screens.

Winner: Windows 8.1. An improved Snap function makes Microsoft’s OS the better bet for multitaskers.

Notifications

Windows 8.1 sticks with Toaster notifications that pop up on your screen for incoming alerts, relying mostly on Live Tiles to keep users up to speed. Our issue with Live Tiles is that you don’t land on a specific message or news story that you see flashing in the tile, just the start page for the related app. On the plus side, a new Quiet Hours feature gives users more control over alerts, letting them schedule when notifications should be inactive.

Apple has built on Notification Center in Mountain Lion with enhanced notifications in OS X Mavericks. You can reply to a message or email directly from within the alert, which helps save time and keeps you more focused on the task at hand. You can also accept FaceTime invites on the fly. Mavericks will also support notifications from some of your favorites websites, such as CNN.
Winner: OS X Mavericks. While Live Tiles are more engaging, keeping track of notifications in Windows 8.1 feels more unruly than Apple’s one-stop notification shop.

Search

Microsoft has stepped up its search game in Windows 8.1. Unlike Windows 8, you’re no longer forced to choose between sources like your hard drive, the web and your list of apps. Just fire up the Charms menu, click the search icon and you’ll see apps, documents and more show up in results. However, you can’t preview results here as you can with Mavericks.

A new Search Heroes feature delivers sleek results pages with interactive multimedia content. For example, searching a city returns a map, the current weather conditions and attractions. (It’s a lot like searching Bing). Search Heroes also applies to music artists, offering sample tracks and videos via Xbox Music. When we searched for our name, Windows 8.1 returned relevant webpages with thumbnails in the middle of the screen and files on the left.

OS X Mavericks makes it easier to find your files by introducing a new Tags feature, which lets you apply tag names with their own colors. You can apply multiple tags to the same file, such as Family Budget or Big Project. Within the Finder you’ll see a list of tags along the left sidebar for quick access. Or just use the search field to find files based on tags or their color.

OS X Mavericks supercharges your searching in another way with Finder Tabs. Similar to a web browsing experience, you can open multiple tabs within the Finder to reduce window clutter. You can also easily drag and drop files from one tab to another.

Spotlight Search continues to be a great feature in OS X, returning results almost instantly in multiple categories (Documents, Folders, Events, Web pages, Music, Web, etc.). Plus, you can preview your results by hovering over them. You can even drag and drop items out of the results view into an app, such as a photo into an outgoing email.
Winner: OS X Mavericks. Windows 8.1 offers better looking results and has made its search universal, but Apple’s Spotlight offers previews and Finder has pulled ahead with features power users will appreciate.

Cloud

We found it downright odd that Microsoft highlighted SkyDrive in the Modern-style interface in Windows 8 but didn’t even include it on the desktop. That changes in Windows 8.1, as it’s integrated right into Explorer. It’s clear that Microsoft would prefer that you would use its service, which includes 7GB of free storage.
The beauty of SkyDrive in Windows 8.1 is that your files appear as though they’re stored locally (complete with thumbnails) but take up very little hard drive space. Only when you open a file does SkyDrive retrieve it from the cloud. However, you can right-click files to make them available offline.

Microsoft also updated the Modern-style SkyDrive app to let you access files that are both stored locally and in the cloud. Moving files could be easier, though. After copying a bunch of screenshots and entering a new folder, a message at the bottom of the screen said “3 items ready to paste.” Tapping that message did nothing; instead, we had to swipe up from the bottom of the screen to open the app bar, then tap Paste.
Unlike Apple’s iCloud, Microsoft’s SkyDrive Cloud service lets you access your files on Windows 8, Windows Phone 8, iOS and Android devices. With Apple, you’re pretty much stuck with iOS, though you can access files via the web.
Apple hasn’t made many changes to iCloud within OS Mavericks itself, but it does integrate with the new Tags feature, making it easier to find your files when you log into another Mac.
Another welcome new feature is iCloud Keychain, which stores everything from usernames and passwords to credit card info and Wi-Fi credentials stored in the cloud. Everything gets encrypted and pushed to your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch. By the same token, the new Books apps in Mavericks syncs your progress and notes in books.

Things will get more interesting once Apple launches iWork in the Cloud (in limited beta now). The service will bring Pages, Numbers and Keynote to both OS X and Windows users via the web, but it doesn’t look as though it will be as robust as Office 365 or Google Drive.
Winner: Windows 8.1 The ability to access your files from more types of devices and improved desktop integration help Microsoft win this round.

Sharing and Social Integration

The What’s New area of the People app continues to make it easy to see what your friends and other contacts are up to on Facebook and Twitter. We also like that you can write directly on someone’s Facebook wall from within a contact in the People app.

The omnipresent Charms menu lets you share everything from web articles to photos with a swipe in from the right, but the social networks are an extra tap away via the People option. And even then only Facebook and Twitter were an option in the drop-down menu, not LinkedIn. Worse, you can only share via the People app if you use the Modern version of IE 11, not the desktop browser.
Apple has added some social mojo to OS X Mavericks, including LinkedIn integration. This applies to sharing articles from Safari, checking out Shared Links from within the browser’s bookmark view and contacts. LinkedIn updates can also show up as notifications. OS X continues to support Facebook and Twitter integration as well.

It’s a minor enhancement, but we like that events that your Facebook friends invite you to automatically appear in the Calendar app. If you want to post directly to Facebook or Twitter, you can do so at any time right from the Notification Center. With Windows 8.1, you have to launch the People app first, then click Me.
Neither Windows 8.1 nor Mavericks support Google+.
Winner: OS X Mavericks. Although Windows 8.1 offers a sleeker People app, Apple’s OS makes it easier to share content.

Built-in Apps

Windows 8.1 includes some enhanced apps and brand-new choices to help users get more out of the touch-friendly OS. We continue to like appreciate the Bing News, Travel, Finance and Sports apps, with their sleek panoramic designs and customizable interfaces. You can also pin favorite items to your Start screen, as we did with the New York Yankees.
Creative types will dig the new Fresh Paint app for Windows 8, which includes oil paints, graphic pencils and watercolors and lets you paint via touch, stylus or dedicated drawing tablet. And foodies will salivate over the new Bing Food & Drink app, which includes tasty recipes, a shopping list and meal planner. The hands-free mode lets you wave your hand through recipe steps (a smart idea) but on our Yoga 11s the gestures were inconsistent.

The Bing Health & Fitness app is even more robust, offering videos (like The Hotel Room Workout), diet, exercise and health trackers, and a symptom checker with a 3D model of the human body. You can literally point to where it hurts.

Although it was not available on our preview build, a new Mail app borrows liberally (in a good way) from Outlook.com. A power pane on the left side lets you filter mail by important contacts, while separate newsletter and social update views minimize clutter. We also like the ability to view image attachments in split-screen mode with the Photo app.
Speaking of the Photos app, you can now auto-fix and fine tune photos with a few taps. However, the iPhoto app in OS X Mavericks has many more options and integrates well with Shared Photo Streams, making it easy to import images from your iOS device.

With OS X Mavericks, Apple has given some its Calendar app a major makeover while adding Maps and iBooks. In addition to a cleaner design, the Calendar app now offers an Event Inspector feature that will autocomplete meeting locations as you type; the app will show the cross-street on a mini map and even the weather forecast for that appointment time. The Windows 8.1 Calendar app is much more barebones.
Maps for OS X Mavericks is similar to the iOS version (except on a bigger canvas), complete with 3D flyovers for cities. We also like that points of interest include Yelp ratings and photos. However, while Apple’s Maps app looks better and is easier to use, only the Bing Maps app includes transit directions.
iBooks isn’t included in the developer preview, but it promises access 1.8 million books right from the iBooks Store, and iCloud keeps your current page in sync across multiple Apple devices. Windows 8.1 users will have to opt for a third-party option like Amazon.
Winner: Windows 8.1. Although we prefer Apple’s Calendar app to Microsoft’s, Windows 8.1′s selection of Bing apps provides a more well-rounded experience, especially if you invest in a touchscreen device.

App Stores

From Microsoft: Microsoft recently passed the 100,000 app milestone for the Windows Store, and the company claims that the majority of top iPad and Android apps will be available for Windows 8.1 by the time Windows 8.1 ships. Those will include Facebook and Flipboard.

The Windows Store in Windows 8.1 sports a redesign that presents personalized recommendations based on previous downloads, as well as staff picks, deals and apps rising in popularity. Microsoft also cut down on the need to scroll by letting you see all categories by right-clicking or swiping in from the top of the screen.
However, the Windows Store continues to stock only Modern-style apps and not desktop apps, which results in a fragmented downloading and shopping experience. For now, the Store is missing some key apps you’ll find on the iPad, such as Pandora, Draw Something and Words with Friends. But this face-off is between Windows 8.1 and OS X Mavericks, and in that regard Windows has a huge lead over Apple in the number of desktop apps you can find outside of the Windows Store.
The Mac App Store stocks thousands of choices, ranging from photo editing apps and social networking tools to games. Apple’s store also presents more information on the screen at once, making it easier to find what you’re looking for. We appreciate the easy access to Top Charts and Categories at the top of the screen. The Mac App Store can now update your apps automatically, similar to Windows 8.1. However, only the Mac App Store stocks apps optimized for Retina Displays (260 at last count).
Winner: OS X Mavericks. Yes, the Windows Store looks better than before, but the Mac App Store is still more intuitive.

Web Browsing

Apple’s Safari browser gets faster and more social with OS X Mavericks. A revamped sidebar (accessed via the Bookmark button near the top-left corner of the screen) includes not just your bookmarks and Reading List, but also a new Shared Links feature that shows what your Twitter and LinkedIn contacts are posting.

The new Top Sites page displays all the sites you visit most in a neat grid, and you can reorder them with a drag and drop. Those who like to add articles to their reading list will be pleased to learn that you can now keep scrolling through the pages when you reach the end of a story.
In Windows 8.1, the Modern-style IE 11 browser gets the most attention. You now have unlimited tabs (before it was 10) and you can now snap two webpages side by side. If a given website supports the feature, you can pin your favorite sites to your Start screen as a Live Tile, which updates with new photos and headlines.

We still find it jarring that IE 11 has separate desktop and Modern (touch friendly) versions with their own interfaces, but at least bookmarks stay in sync. Open tabs do not sync though.
To test Safari’s performance versus IE 11 in Windows 8 .1, we compared it against both the Modern and desktop versions of the browser using a few benchmarks. For these tests we used a 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display and a Lenovo ThinkPad Helix.
On Sunspider (a JavaScript benchmark), Safari scored 199 ms, while the desktop version of IE 11 notched a faster 146.7 ms. (Lower numbers are better.) The Modern version of the browser was slower than Safari, registering 206 ms.
We also ran Rightware’s Browsermark 2.0, which measures everything from 2D and 3D performance to resize and page load times. In this test Safari scored 6,090, compared to 2,467 for IE 11. Lastly, OS X Mavericks smoked Windows 8.1 on the V8 Benchmark, which also tests JavaScript performance (13,718 vs. 8,015 Windows 8.1 Modern vs 9,912 Windows 8 desktop).
Winner: OS X Mavericks. As far as native browsers go, we give the edge to Safari for its social integration and faster performance.

Gaming

This round will be very quick because the hottest games simply don’t find their way to Macs fast enough—if at all. “World of Tanks,” “Tomb Raider,” “Far Cry 3,” “Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3.” None of these top-tier Windows titles are available for Macs.



The Mac App Store does stock some decent games, such as “Batman: Arkham City,” “Doom 3” and the earlier “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare,” but hardcore gamers are still better off with Windows.

The good news is that casual gamers will find plenty to like in the Mac App Store, from “Real Racing 2” and “Angry Birds Star Wars” to Bejeweled 3.
Winner: Windows 8.1. We wish Microsoft put its best games in the Windows Store, but overall this round is no contest.

Hardware Options

Just as there has always been, there are still huge differences in hardware variety for OS X and Windows. With Windows 8.1, most of the excitement is around touch-based hybrids that combine laptop and tablet functionality in a single device. Examples include the IdeaPad Yoga ($1,099), Dell XPS 12 ($1,099) and ASUS Transformer Book ($1,499). Cheaper Atom-powered convertibles such as the Samsung ATIV Smart PC 500T cost $579, while touch-enabled notebooks (that don’t flip or convert) start as low as $399.

If you plan on using the Live Tile interface often, we highly recommend a Windows 8 notebook with touch. Just keep in mind that the desktop environment isn’t nearly as touch friendly as the Modern UI and Windows 8-optimized apps.


With a starting price of $999, Apple’s MacBook lineup isn’t ideal for those on a budget, but its machines are very good values compared to similarly configured Windows 8 notebooks. For instance, the $1,099 MacBook Air lasted more than 11 hours on our battery test, which beats the pants off of all Windows-powered Ultrabooks. And while the MacBook Pro with Retina Display starts at a relatively steep $1,499, Apple actually offers apps that are optimized for is higher-resolution screens.
Winner: Windows 8.1  Microsoft wins in terms of sheer variety and for having many compelling options priced lower than Apple.

Verdict

The choice between OS X and Windows has always been fairly simple for those on a tight budget. If you don’t want to spend $999 or more on a new notebook, a Mac isn’t the right choice for you. But when it comes to the overall experience on comparable hardware, the choice becomes more difficult.

Windows 8.1 builds upon the touch-friendly strengths of Windows 8 while better catering to desktop users. This OS is better at multitasking than OS X Mavericks, and SkyDrive is more robust than iCloud. If you don’t like the Live Tile interface, you can mostly ignore it. However, even though you can find Windows 8 touch-based laptops and tablets on the cheap, the desktop environment in Windows 8.1 continues to be much better with a mouse and keyboard.
OS X Mavericks isn’t all that ambitious a release compared to the upcoming iOS 7, but it does beat Windows 8.1 in many key categories. While not as dynamic, Mavericks’ interface is easier to use because there aren’t two competing environments (desktop and tablet). Mavericks also does a better job with notifications and search, as well as social sharing.
Do we wish Apple would offer touch support in its Macs? At times, yes, but overall we prefer OS X Mavericks to Windows 8.1 because it offers plenty of enhancements without trying to do too much.
Source : http://blog.laptopmag.com/windows-8-1-vs-os-x-mavericks

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How To Upgrade To Windows 8.1 Preview & What To Expect

Are you curious to try the refined version of Microsoft’s controversial Windows 8? Anyone using Windows 8 can now upgrade to a preview version of Windows 8.1 for free. This update refines Windows 8, giving keyboard and mouse users important interface improvements and making the Modern interface more powerful. Windows 8.1 is what Windows 8 should have been.
Note that you can’t downgrade back to Windows 8 without completely reinstalling your operating system from Windows 8 installation media or a recovery drive. Windows 8.1 is also not a final, stable version, so you may experience bugs and crashes. You shouldn’t install Windows 8.1 on your primary computer — it’s best confined to computers you can afford to experiment with and virtual machines.

How to Upgrade

You can download and install a Windows 8.1 Preview ISO file to upgrade straight to Windows 8.1 if you’re still on Windows 7. However, we’ll assume you want to upgrade an existing Windows 8 system to Windows 8.1.
First, open this web page on the Windows 8 system you want to upgrade. Click the Get the update button and run the small program. This program will make Windows 8.1 available from the Windows Store.
If you’re using an English language version of Windows 8, your system language must be set to US English. You can find a full list of supported languages on the Windows 8 preview page — be sure to set your system to any of the supported languages. If you’re using another regional variant, like UK English, this program won’t install. Windows 8.1 is also not yet available as an update for Windows 8 Enterprise, only the standard and Professional editions of Windows 8.

After you run the updater, you’ll see an “Installation Complete” message that prompts you to restart your computer. Windows 8.1 isn’t actually installed yet. Just click the Restart Now button to restart your computer.

Log into your computer after it boots back up and you’ll see a “Get Windows 8.1 Preview for free” message on your Start screen. Click the Go to the Store button and you’ll be taken to the Windows Store, where you can download the Windows 8.1 update. When the final version of Windows 8.1 is released, all users will likely see a message like this one.

Click or tap the Download button as if you were downloading any Modern app from the Windows Store. Windows will download and install the Windows 8.1 update. It’s several gigabytes in size, so you’ll have to wait a while. After the download process is complete, Windows will install the Windows 8.1 update and reboot your system. The rest of the setup process will happen automatically.
Sign into Windows after the update process is complete and you’ll see a few screens asking you for settings, including a new screen that asks you whether you want to enable Windows 8.1′s new deep SkyDrive integration. SkyDrive isn’t separate from Windows 8′s sync features anymore — it’s integrated.

What To Expect From Windows 8.1

Whether you’re upgrading now or waiting until the final version of Windows 8.1, there are big changes awaiting you. Microsoft has made many changes, from tweaks to the way the desktop works and a more comprehensive PC Settings app to changes to the Modern interface and a collection of updates to the many included Modern apps. We can’t possibly cover them all, but we’ll hit on some of the big ones.

Desktop Improvements

Windows 8 restores a Start button to the desktop, allows you to boot to the desktop, and allows you to disable the upper hot corners for the app switcher and charms bar. The new Start button just opens the Start screen, but you can set the Start screen to use your desktop background, making it less jarring. You can also set the All Apps view to automatically open at the Start screen and place your desktop apps first in the list, so you never even have to see the live tiles. The right-click power user menu now has Shut Down and Restart options, while universal search of your apps, settings, and files is now restored. If you really want a traditional Start menu, Start8 still works with Windows 8.1.

Modern UI Improvements

The Snap feature is now much more useful, so you can snap two apps in 50/50 view and have them each take up half your screen. You can also Snap up to four apps at once on larger displays. The search interface has been revamped and now offers detailed Bing search results. Many of the included Modern apps have been updated and redesigned.

SkyDrive Integration

SkyDrive is more integrated into Windows 8, both in the PC Settings app where it’s now a Sync option and in the desktop, where it’s available in File Explorer. SkyDrive no longer syncs all your files to your PC, but gives you access to them and allows you to make certain files available offline — perfect for devices with small amounts of local storage assuming you have a lot of files in the SkyDrive cloud.

Internet Explorer 11

Internet Explorer 11 is a big improvement, particularly in the Modern interface, where it can now open more than 10 tabs at once. IE 11 also offers tab sync across Windows 8.1 and Windows Phone. Websites pinned to your Start screen can function as live tiles. Under the hood, Internet Explorer 11 now offers support for WebGL and SPDY, allowing websites to use 3D graphics and faster connections. You can now open multiple copies of a Modern app, which is particularly useful for IE — you can have two web pages side-by-side in Modern IE, for example.

App Updates

The Windows Store and Xbox Music have seen the biggest updates and now have interfaces that are much better thought out than the half-baked ones introduced with Windows 8. Microsoft has also added Alarms, Calculator, Sound Recorder, Health & Fitness, and Food & Drink apps. The Messaging app will be replaced by Skype. There’s also a Help app included to help new users get to grips with Windows 8, although it isn’t working yet.

Windows 8 also includes native support for 3D printers and Intel’s Miracast wireless display streaming — think of it like an open standard to rival Apple’s AirPlay. More feature will likely be rolled out soon, particularly to Microsoft’s Modern apps.
The final version of Windows 8.1 is scheduled for release in late 2013, but Microsoft hasn’t announced a concrete date yet.
Have you upgraded to Windows 8.1 yet? If you didn’t like Windows 8, are these changes enough to make you want to upgrade? Leave a comment and share your thoughts!

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How to Download YouTube videos using VLC

Ok guys...
This tutorial gives 1 of the method on how to download YouTube videos using VLC player...

YouTube does not let you directly access the video data which they are stored. They move a copy of video into their cache ( not the cache memory :D .. I mean a separate server which acts like cache memory ) and share the data with you...

So its NOT possible to download the video directly from YouTube. If we get the "cache link" from YouTube, then you can download the video using any of ur download accerelerator's if u have any :p
There are few add on's for sum browser to get this download ( cache link which i referred earlier ) link...But here we are going to see to download using VLC. i.e to get the download link using VLC..

There are many YouTube downloaders are there in internet. But all are not good, and you cant download the videos in original quality. But the best idea to download youtube videos with original quality you can use VLC player as youtube downloader. Here is the way to do -->

1. Go to the specific video page and copy the desired URL which you are planing to download.

2. Open VLC Player, and goto Media>> Open Network Stream.

3. Now you will get following window, just paste the URL in that window.

4. Now you will get video thumbnail in video player. Now click play on play button. The video will stream now.

Problem -
Video not streaming?
-> Click here to get the latest version of VLC !..

5.Now click goto "Tools>>Codec Information". You get a new window and you will see some information about the video. At the end you will "Location". Click on that link and press "Ctrl+A" OR right click and select all. This is only to ensure you have copied the whole link.

6. a. 1st the lame way ->

Paste the location link in the browser and press "enter".
Just right click on the video and "video save as"...
Give what ever name you want and save it as "name.mp4"

6. b. Smarter way ->

Paste the link in any download accelerator you have. For example - Idm, orbit, Dap etc...

example for idm -> in the pic below

And enjoy the video offline....

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How To Install LAMP (Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP) On Ubuntu/Linux Mint

If you develop web applications and scripts, it will be nice testing them locally in your own computer before launching them online. This will require the installation of a webserver on your computer.

LAMP (Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP) is one of the easiest and perfect environment where you can test all your PHP codes. In this tutorial, we will help you install the LAMP webserver in the following Ubuntu/Linux Mint distributions:

• Ubuntu 13.04/12.1012.04/11.10 or older
• Linux Mint 14/13/12 or older

LAMP Installation

The LAMP webserver can be installed easily with this command (the caret (^) is required, don’t exclude it):

sudo apt-get install lamp-server^

During the installation, you will be asked to enter a new root password for the MySQL database, submit it and press Enter:

You will be prompted to enter the password again for confirmation. Wait now until the installation is complete. You have now installed the LAMP webserver on Ubuntu 11.04/11.10. Let’s now go to the next step.

Testing Apache

Launch your web browser (Firefox, Google Chrome, etc.) and open one of these addresses (or provide your server IP address if needed):

http://localhost/

or

http://127.0.0.1/

If you get this page, then Apache is started:

Otherwise try to restart Apache with this command:

sudo /etc/init.d/apache2 restart

Then give it another try.

Testing PHP

Let’s now test PHP. You need to create an empty PHP file in /var/www  and insert this snippet of code into it:

You can easily do it with these two commands via the terminal:

echo "" | sudo tee /var/www/test.php 

sudo /etc/init.d/apache2 restart

Then open this address:

http://localhost/test.php

You should see a page like this:

Configuring MySQL

Since you are using the LAMP webserver locally, your MySQL database must uses the same IP address of your localhost which is: 127.0.0.1. Via the Terminal, run this command to verify it:

cat /etc/hosts | grep localhost

Here is the correct output you must get:

~$ cat /etc/hosts | grep localhost
127.0.0.1 localhost
::1     ip6-localhost ip6-loopback

Also verify that the bind address is set correctly by running this command:

cat /etc/mysql/my.cnf | grep bind-address

You should get this output:

~$ cat /etc/mysql/my.cnf | grep bind-address
 bind-address = 127.0.0.1

If you get a different IP address, then edit the my.cnf file with this command:

sudo gedit /etc/mysql/my.cnf

Search for the line containing “bind-address” and correct its address by replacing it with 127.0.0.1.

phpMyAdmin Installation

If you want an easy GUI for managing your MySQL databases, you can install phpMyAdmin with this command:

sudo apt-get install libapache2-mod-auth-mysql phpmyadmin

During the installation you will be asked to select a web server that will be configured automatically to run phpMyAdmin. Select apache2 using your spacebar and press Enter:

You will be asked next to configure a database for phpmyadmin with dbconfig-common, select Yes and press Enter:

In the next screen, enter the MySQL password you have submitted before and press Enter:

Congratulation! phpMyAdmin is now installed in your system. To test it, open simply this address via your web browser:

http://localhost/phpmyadmin/

Login to phpMyAdmin using root as username and the password you created earlier:

You have now successfully installed LAMP on your system. All your projects and files must be placed in /var/www so that you can run them.

Removing LAMP & phpMyAdmin

To uninstall the LAMP web server and phpMyAdmin, open the terminal and run this command:

for pkg in `dpkg -l *apache* *mysql* phpmyadmin | grep ^ii | awk '{ print $2 }'`; do sudo apt-get -y purge --auto-remove $pkg; done;

That’s it!

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Creating panoramic images in Windows 7

Category: Windows OS

Sometimes when you are taking a picture you realize that the image that you really want to capture is too wide for your current camera’s capabilities. Usually, you then decide to either split the image up into smaller images or zoom out and back up far enough so that you can take the entire picture. Another available option is that you can break the wide image up into overlapping side-by-side images. Then you can put them all together into a single panoramic image using your computer. This is easy to do with Windows 7 Live Photo Gallery.

Then select the desired images for the panorama and choose ‘Make’ and then ‘Create Panoramic Photo.’ Next, choose a name for your stitched image and then click ‘Save.’

It’s that easy. If you don’t have ‘Windows Live Photo Gallery’ installed on your computer, you can download it for free from the ‘Windows Live Essentials’ web site at explore.live.com.

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soundsleeping.com

Engaging in a relaxing activity such as reading, meditation, yoga, or listening to music, before going to bed, can help you to get a good night sleep. This creative, free website will help you mix your own personal relaxing music.

Soundsleeping.com allows you to choose from several relaxing sounds and music to add to your personal mix. Relaxing sounds include items like rolling thunder, steady rain, chirping crickets, and a multiple selection of wind chimes. If you are used to the city they even have more active sounds.

To create your mix, simply choose the sounds that are soothing to you and add them to the player. You can add up to 5 different sounds into one mix. Once complete to your liking you can set a timer to play on your mix. You can also create a free account to save and share your mixes.

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Free shipping.org

Do you like to shop online, but hate paying for shipping? Try visiting freeshipping.org. freeshipping.org is a site that offers free shipping promo codes for over 4,000 online merchants. From big retailers to small ones there are many stores to choose from.

You can search for retailers by name and by categories like accessories, automotive and electronics. You can even search for codes by the actual product that you are shopping for. When you choose to search by product you can see the current top brands that others are shopping for, view a list of hot deals and other popular products.

The site also includes a section with hundreds of grocery coupons that you can clip and then print out, as well as a one-stop way to track your packages, by entering the tracking numbers for companies like FedEx, UPS and USPS.

Additionally, you can get more information about shopping and home projects with their blog pages and optional weekly newsletters.

Over all this is a great site – with many ways to search and save you money!

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Creating drop caps in Microsoft Word 2010

Ever seen a book or magazine where the first character in a paragraph extends down into the other lines? This is called a drop cap and you can create one easily in Word 2010. Start by typing your paragraph, then go to the “Insert” tab on the ribbon bar and click the “Drop Cap” button. There are four options in the “Drop Cap” drop-down menu: “None”, “Dropped” which is a standard type of drop cap that will extend down through three lines, “In Margin” which applies the drop cap and then moves the character out into the margin, and “Drop Cap Options” which will allow you to set your own specific options for the drop cap. Options that can be set for your drop cap are: what font you would like to apply to the drop cap, how many lines you want the dropped cap to go through and how far away from the text you would like to move the drop cap.

If you decide to remove the drop cap later you simple need to click in the affected paragraph and then go back to the “Drop Cap” button and choose “None.” 

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Real Football 2012 Stamina Hack – Android Game

Gameloft is a top developer in developing some of the best games which runs on Android platform and including me there are millions of users who are downloading and playing them. Real Football 2012 is the great sports game which i have ever been played on my Samsung Galaxy S till date. This game is really awesome! I’m impressed with the graphics and the game play. The only thing which i don’t like about the game is asking for stamina after playing every match, and that too we need to purchase. Real football 2012 allows you to play untill your stamina becomes 0 and then it prompts to pay for extra stamina points.

To purchase the stamina after every match is not possible for us, but fortunately everyday this game gives you free 100 points stamina. so basically we can change the date of the phone by one day whenever it asks for stamina . This trick or you can say a hack by which you will be able to play the game continuously on the same day. There is not any cheat code available which will give you unlimited stamina but the changing the phone date is the only hack i know as of now.
This is very common but still to help the beginner users, below are the steps which you need to perform to apply stamina increase hack:

Steps for Real Football 2012 Stamina Hack

1) Open Real Football 2012 and wait till game loads and you see the game menu.
2) Before game play starts it will show you the following Message:

Title: Stamina Cup Drink
Message: Grant stamina for all matches of the XYZ Cup.
Use: When you buy it.

3) Close the message by pressing red cross image.
4) Click on KICKOFF, it will show you following message.

5) Now Minimize the game by pressing the Home button in your phone.
Go to Setting >> Date and time:

6) Change Set Date and set it to “Today’s Date+1″ (Increase one day).

7) Open game and you will notice that your stamina is again increased to 100.
Again Minimize it and change your date to the original date. (i.e. Current date).
9) Open your game and start playing it. when stamina decreases to 0 do the same trick.
Description about RF 2012: Real Football is back for the new season, bringing football on mobile to a new era! Join the community of fans as you create and share content with the Custom Kit Editor. Experience the ultimate football game on smartphone thanks to many major improvements and the addition of the most complete and enjoyable community-oriented features.
Love football. Share football. Join the community. Enjoy…

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