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Brother MFC-7840W Wireless Laser Printer
Bought a Brother MFC-7840W All-In-One Wireless Laser Printer from NewEgg today for $219, no tax, free shipping. I feel it is a pretty good deal. I have been looking around for an All-In-One printer for some time. This one has a laser printer, a copier, a scanner, a fax; and has both wireless and ethernet networking capabilities.
Brother MFC-7840W - $219 on NewEgg: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16828113303
Image Courtesy: www.brother-usa.com
I had a basic HP inkjet printer but the ink always seemed to dry up before I could use the whole cartridge. And I have often felt the need to scan or print something at home. I don't think I will be using the fax option that much though.
The printer is available for $249 at Amazon - http://amazon.com/dp/B0016ZQ566/. It has pretty good reviews there.
Amazon Amzn.com Short URLs
Speaking about Amazon, I figured out a way to find the shortest possible Amazon URLs for a product. Of course, I can use tinyurl.com or bit.ly, but this is the shortest URL I could find using an official Amazon website.
In the example above, the original link was:
http://www.amazon.com/Brother-MFC-7840W-Multifunction-Wireless-Interfaces/dp/B0016ZQ566/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=office-products&qid=1265863094&sr=8-1
The standard shortened link is:
http://amazon.com/dp/B0016ZQ566/
However, it can be made even shorter by using the amzn.com domain name. The trick is to append the product id (in this case - "B0016ZQ566") after "amzn.com/".
http://amzn.com/B0016ZQ566/
More info about the amzn.com short URL service:
- http://www.geek.com/articles/news/amazon-introduces-amzncom-short-url-service-20090511/
- http://www.conceptualist.com/2009/05/08/smart-branding-amazon-short-url-broadcasts-its-own-brand/
If you would like to install a free but good FTP/SFTP server for Windows, CoreFTP secure FTP server is a good one. This is useful for transferring files between computers or to act as a standalone FTP/SFTP server.
CoreFTP secure FTP server : http://coreftp.com/server/
Tip: For faster downloads, use the CoreFTP Lite client which is also free.
I also tested freeSSHd which is open source. However, the transfer speed was very low - only about 35 kbps on an intranet. On CoreFTP however, I got around 600kbps between two computers on an intranet.
You can import your waypoints from the Garmin 650 GPS using Google Earth.
[1] Connect your Garmin 650 GPS to your computer via the USB cable
[2] Turn on your Garmin 650 GPS
[3] Go to Tools > GPS in Google Earth
[4] Click on "Garmin"
[5] Click the "Import" button
Detailed instructions: http://earth.google.com/userguide/v4/ug_gps.html#import
Waypoints current.gpx file
Note: The waypoints are stored in a current.gpx file. The location is F:\Garmin\gpx\current.gpx. In this case, the GPS shows up on my computer as the "F" drive. It is an XML file and you can read it using Notepad/Wordpad or drag/drop into Google Earth.
GPS coordinates in Google Maps
If you know want to send a GPS coordinate link in Google Maps by email, you can use the following syntax.
- http://maps.google.com/maps?q=38.89767,-77.03655
In this case, 38.89767 is the longitude and -77.03655 is the latitude. This is similar to entering 38.89767,-77.03655 in Google Maps.
If you have a Dell computer, you can order 1 (one) copy of your Windows and Driver CDs using the following form.
[1] Dell "Request Backup Discs" form
https://support.dell.com/support/topics/global.aspx/support/dellcare/en/backupcd_form
[2] Reinstall Options
The different reinstall options (System Restore, PC Restore, Manual Restore) are available here:
http://tinyurl.com/restore-reinstall-windows
[3] PC Restore
Note that most newer Dell computers come with feature called "Dell PC Restore". You can restore the original configuration of your computer from an unmounted partition on the hard drive. Do not forget to BACK UP all your data before you use this option. Details below:
http://tinyurl.com/yph34j
I started getting blue screens on my Dell XPS M1330 yesterday. I spent half a day trying to restore and repair my Windows installation. But I was not able to fix the problem. I could not use the "Dell PC Restore" option because I had not backed up my data yet. I finally fixed the problem by inserting the Windows Vista disc and then choosing the "Repair" option (instead of the "Install" option). That fixed my problems. I then quickly backed up all my important data.
To scroll left and right on the Blackberry 8703e, press ALT and the scroll key at the same time. Stop pressing the ALT key when want to scroll up and down.
Note: Not able to scroll left and right would drive me crazy. Couple of months back, I found out the ALT method. Today, I was talking to some other Blackberry users and they did not know about the ALT method. So, I decided to post this to share with others. If this is useful to you, then my time was well spent :)
Image courtesy: Blackberry 8703e Getting Started Guide. www.blackberry.com
More info:
- http://forums.crackberry.com/f34/scroll-left-right-2528/
- http://na.blackberry.com/eng/devices/device-detail.jsp?navId=H0,C63,P204
I love Firefox. But there are a couple of quirks about it which drive me crazy. One of them is not being able to sort your bookmarks easily, especially in the toolbar, which I use a lot.
I searched a bit and this appears to be the best option at this point:
- Install the "SortPlaces" add-on: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/9275
Note: Since this is an experimental add-on, it requires you to sign up and login to download the add-on. Also see www.andyhalford.com/sortplaces/ to learn more about this add-on.
I just tried and this works great. After installing the add-on, it appears as a "Sort Bookmarks" button under the Bookmarks tab..
There also seems to be a way to sort the bookmarks through the Bookmarks Manager. I have not tried it yet. But if you would like to try it out, check out the link below.
- http://mozilla.gunnars.net/firefox_bookmarks_tutorial.html
Sign up for StanaCard and get up to $10 bonus: http://www.stanacard.com/?ref=329173
I recently came to know about StanaCard. The idea is awesome, seriously. It allows you to call international numbers which are mapped to a US number. You can map multiple US numbers to call multiple international numbers. I have been using RelianceIndiaCall for some time. In RelianceIndiaCall, you can set it up such that you dial the access number and then dial a shortcut key. So, if you program the access number as a speed dial on your phone, you have to press 2 keys to call. But that is still two steps. In StanaCard, you can dial an international number in just one step. Things could not be simpler than that!
I signed up for StanaCard through a friend's referral. I signed up for $10 (the max initial charge), and I got $10 bonus and my friend got $10 too.
You can sign up for StanaCard by clicking the link below. You will get your initial charge ($5 or $10) as a bonus. So, if your initial charge is $10, you will get $20 of talk time.
Sign up for StanaCard and get up to $10 bonus: http://www.stanacard.com/?ref=329173
Please note that signing up using the link above will also provide me a referral bonus equal to your initial charge amount :). However, if you wish to sign up without providing me a referral bonus, you can go directly to the StanaCard website by typing www.stanacard.com into your browser. Once you sign up, you can refer your friends through the website or by sending them a link (like the one above) and earn referral bonuses.
I tried today and it works great. Call quality was good and the rates are great - 4.47 cents per minute to cell phones in India. However, they do note on their website that these lower rates are valid only till March 31, 2009. So, my guess is that they will increase their rates after March 21, 2009.
2/4/2009: The Roku Netflix Digital Video Player is a $99 device which can be used to stream movies directly from Netflix to your TV. Netflix has 12,000+ movies available for watching online, or stream via Roku. I have tried the Netflix online streaming of movies and it works great. The only drawback is that the collection of movies available online is limited and there are not a lot of new releases. But I feel it is still a good deal because it has a flat fee ($8.99 per month for 1 DVD by mail and unlimited movies online) for unlimited online movies and does not have a per movie fee like Amazon Unbox and Blockbuster Online.
www.roku.com/netflixplayer/
www.netflix.com/NetflixReadyDevices
"Streams Netflix Watch Now titles to your TV; affordable $100 price tag; unlimited viewing with no additional charge beyond standard ($8.95 or higher) monthly Netflix fee; PC-free movie watching; simple setup; includes built-in wired and 802.11g Wi-Fi networking; works with all TVs; upgradeable firmware allows for new features, interface improvements, and bug fixes."
Courtesy: CNET
To copy entire directories in MS-DOS, use the XCOPY command. For example, the following command
XCOPY c:\photos d:\ /s /e /c /h
will copy the "photos" directory from C drive to D drive. The nice part about the "/c" option is that it will keep copying the files even if some of them are corrupted. Please see the links below for detailed information about the options:
- Microsoft TechNet
- Wikipedia
The reason I searched for the XCOPY command is that I was backing up files from one network drive to another. And I realized that using the Windows based copy command was cumbersome because several of the files I was copying were corrupted. As a result, I was having to manually examine which files were not copied and copy them again. This was consuming a lot of time for me. The XCOPY syntax given above worked like a breeze. It copied the entire folder and ignored the files which were corrupted. In Unix/Linux, you would achieve the same by using the "cp -ap" command. More Unix/Linux commands are here.
I had installed Windows Live Mail Desktop and it took over my .eml files. To make the .eml files open with Outlook Express (my original setting), I chose the "Open With" option and chose Outlook Express. However, whenever I clicked the .eml files, Outlook Express was launched (or the window became active if it was already open), but the message itself was not opening. I finally fixed the problem by using the following steps:
1. My Computer > Tools > Folder Options > File Types
2. Registered File Types > EML
3. Click on "Restore" button
A detailed explanation of the solution is at:
Microsoft KB 312355 - OLEXP: Unable to Open EML File Attachments in Outlook Express
I used the second option given on the page above, but changed steps 4,5,6 to step 3 above. Also, the "msimn /reg" option (i.e. the first option) did not work for me.
I just bought the D-Link DWL G-122. It is not true plug and play for Windows. Windows Xp asked me for the driver when I plugged it in. But as soon as I inserted the CD, it installed nicely and started working. Great speed (802.11g - 54 mbps) and it instantly caught my wireless network. So far so good.
I would definitely recommend it for desktops (I am using it for my desktop which is not in the same room as the router and I did not want to run a long ethernet cable) and for laptops (if your existing wireless card does not catch signals properly).
I got it for $10.94 from Buy.com with free shipping (after $10 mail in rebate and $10 instant rebate for using Google checkout). The list price is $59.99.
- Buy.com ($10.94 as of 11/13/2006)
- Amazon ($19.99 after rebate)
- D-Link product page
1. Enabling Remote Desktop in Windows XP
Start > Settings > Control Panel > System > Remote (tab) > select "Allow users to connect remotely to this computer"
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/mobility/getstarted/enableremote.mspx
2. Connect to another Windows XP computer using remote desktop
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/mobility/getstarted/remoteintro.mspx
I was trying to make a call to a toll free number with Skype today. The toll free number was accepted properly and I got the intial greeting but any numbers entered after that (the pin number) was not being accepted. I searched a bit and found that the reason was Skype was not recognizing the DTMF tones for the pin number.
Solution:
The solution for this is to upgrade to the latest Skype version (the current version is 2.5.0.126) which has improved support for DTMF. I upgraded my Skype installation and now I can enter pin/access numbers for toll free numbers in Skype.
Links:
- Download latest version of Skype
- What is Skype?
- Skype forum discussion
One of my friends was asking me how to remove the drop-down list of past searches in Google. And I realized that I had thought about it but I did not know. So I searched a bit and found out the answer.
Microsoft Internet Explorer
1. Go to the "Tools" menu.
2. Select "Internet Options" and the "Content" tab.
3. Within the "Personal information" area, select "AutoComplete."
4. Click on "Clear Forms." You can also un-check the "Forms" box in this window to keep this information from being stored in the future.
5. Click "OK" to exit.
www.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?answer=465
Related Questions:
- How to delete Google Toolbar search history?
So many changes in the last couple of days. Someone had told me that change is one thing is which is constant in this company and they were right. But change is good, especially the ability to implement changes/requirements from customers and forecasts into your product line. It indicates that the firm is dynamic and constantly growing.
Hope to learn a lot in the next 12 weeks. Learning from the best people in the industry is indeed a great opportunity.
Create a shorcut (Right click on Desktop > New > Shorcut) and point it to:
C:\WINDOWS\system32\rundll32.exe powrprof.dll,SetSuspendState Hibernate
Tip: If you do not like the default icon, you can change it by
- right clicking on the icon
- choose "Properties"
- click "Change Icon"
- put the following value in the "Look for icons in this file" field:
%SystemRoot%\system32\SHELL32.dll
- click "Ok"
- choose desired icon
- click "Apply"
I knew this (i.e. how to find the IMEI number of a cellphone) a long time back but had forgotten the sequence. The IMEI is a unique number assigned to every GSM cell phone (i.e. a cell phone which uses a SIM card). To find the IMEI number of your cellphone, dial the sequence *#06# into the phone.
The IMEI is useful because it can be used to block your cellphone if it gets lost. So, if you are reading this and do not know the IMEI number for your cell phone, find it by dialling *#06# and write it down somewhere :).
I also found a page which analyzes IMEI numbers. I tried it out and the information was interesting.
www.numberingplans.com/?page=analysis&sub=imeinr
Related Links:
- IMEI: Wikipedia
- Analyze your IMEI number
Update (4/9/2009): The updated MSC Codes list list (January 2009) is here: http://coai.in/docs/MSC%20CODES%20Jan.09.xls. A cached copy is available here. Thanks to Jogi for the info!
Original post (11/13/2005): I got a missed call from a mobile/cell number from India and I was trying to figure out where the call originated. I searched a bit online but could not find any comprehensive list initially. Finally, I came across this list and it is pretty comprehensive. I thought someone else might find it useful and so decided to post the link here.
The next version of Microsoft Windows finally has an official name: Windows Vista. The name debuted yesterday at a Microsoft sales conference in Atlanta. The name was officially announced today on the Microsoft website. Windows Vista's code-name was Longhorn.
The advertising tagline for Windows Vista is: "Clear, Confident, Connected: Bringing clarity to your world". According to Microsoft, the XP in Windows XP stands for "experience". Windows XP's code-name was Whistler. Don't know yet the reason behind the new name.
The beta version will be released on August 3, 2005.
- Official Windows Vista website
- 7/22/2005: Microsoft Vista press release
- 7/22/2005: Longhorn's new name: Windows Vista (c|net)
