Tech With Ric » Richie Sajan

How to Fix : Virus Converting Pen Drive Icon to Folder Icon

Richie Sajan — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 17:35:57 +0000

A pen drive (or more officially USB Flash drive) is one of the most commonly used data storage devices. The versatility and ease of use provided by it is unmatched. And as it is being widely used, it’s also become a rather favorite target for viruses. One of the most annoying viruses is the one which converts the pen drive icon into a folder icon and on double-clicking it, it shows the ‘Open With’ window. So here’s how to remove this problem.

Of course the best way to solve this problem is to format the pen-drive. However this will lead to loss of data in it. The following method shows you how to solve this problem without formatting:

Firstly, goto Start => Run (or Start+R)
Now type the drive of your pen drive followed by semi-colon (eg. my pen drive’s drive is ‘J’. Then enter ‘J:’ – without the quotes)
Now type

attrib autorun.inf

and press Enter. This is to verify whether the file is present.
Now type the following command:

attrib -h -r -s autorun.inf

and press enter. This removes the hidden attribute of autorun.inf file.
Now type the last command

del autorun.inf

this deletes the above-mentioned file.
One last step is to goto your My Computer Window and rename the pen drive. eg:
Rename pen drive (you can use F2 key)

That’s it your done. Your pen drive has now been cleaned and you can use your pen drive normally, as you could do before. Piece of cake, wasn’t it?

Facts and Figures about YouTube [Infographic]

Richie Sajan — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 11:29:20 +0000

YouTube is your one-stop destination to check out videos, whether it may be silly viral ones or those great glossy ones. The site has got so much things going on with it, that its quite cubersome to keep pace with it. Like for eg. did you know that 24 hours of videos are uploaded per minute? Get more such facts in this wonderful infographic presented by Website-Montioring.

Source: Website-monitoring

2 Cool Ways to Explore Youtube

Play Snake Game in YouTube Video Player

Richie Sajan — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 14:29:20 +0000

The snake game, often seen in many Nokia mobiles, is one of the most common games and I’m sure many of you might have played it and loved it as well. The YouTube player has a clever Easter egg that allows you to play this game in the video player itself. Read on.

To play the game, make sure the video player has focus (just click on the player or video to do this). Now just press and hold the left arrow key and BINGO! a snake game starts out of nowhere.

Do note, that for this game to work, the video mustn’t have any ads or annotations. Here is a video which you may use to have a demo of this feature.

Bonus Tip: You can also play the snake game in Gmail, by enabling the lab’s feature called ‘old Snakey’.

How to Set PATH Variable for JDK in Windows

Richie Sajan — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 06:30:12 +0000

If you’re a Java programmer you’d know what a pain it is to compile the program and run it. Especially if your working directory is in some other place, than where you have installed JDK. There is a simple workaround for this problem, setting a PATH variable. So instead of compiling a program with something like C:\Program Files\Java\jdk1.6.0_20\bin\javac MyProgram.java you’d only need to use the command javac MyProgram.java.

Just follow these steps:

First right-click on your My Computer icon on your Desktop and click on Properties. Alternatively you could just press the Windows Key+Pause Break Key.
Now in the new window that opened, click on the Advanced tab.
Now click on Environment Variables.
In the new Window that opened, click on New.
In the Variable Name field enter PATH and in the Variable Value enter the path of your JDK bin folder. (For eg. C:\Program Files\Java\jdk1.6.0_20\bin)
Now press OK in the window that remains open, you’ll have to do it thrice.

That’s it. Now if you try to compile your program from anywhere else than your JDK\bin directory, you can do so successfully.

NameCheap Coupon Codes – July 2010

Richie Sajan — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 18:09:43 +0000

Sorry for the brief hiatus of giving out namecheap coupon codes on this blog. Was busy with way too much things. Anyhow, here’s the coupon codes for the month of July 2010 by which you can buy a domain name for only USD 9.28 (as cost of domains have increased, since this month) instead of the full price of $10.16, a flat $0.88 discount.

To get a domain for a reduced price of $9.28 (incl. $0.18 ICANN Fee) use the following code:

LIBERTY

The above code can be used for domain transfer (@ $6.99) also. Click here to register a domain with NameCheap.

How to Install Statcounter in Drupal

Richie Sajan — Sat, 10 Jul 2010 15:49:03 +0000

StatCounter is a tool use for analytic purposes like tracking visitors, knowing which articles are popular and what keyword are people searching for among other things. Installing StatCounter is easy in most of the CMS like WordPress or blogger, however installation of it in Drupal requires a little extra effort than normal. Here are the steps.

Well, there are two ways to install StatCounter in Drupal. You may follow either method, but if you ask me, I’d recommend the first method.

Using StatCounter module:

Just install the StatCounter Module (http://drupal.org/project/statcounter) and activate it. Then under ‘Site configuration‘ find StatCounter. Configure it according to your wish and insert your StatCounter code there.

Now from the ‘Site building‘ => ‘Blocks‘, just drag the StatCounter block to somewhere (preferably the footer) of your choice.
By Create a custom block:

Drupal provides a powerful block architecture that allows modules to create their own blocks or users to define a custom block. You can create a custom block for StatCounter tracking code by following the steps below:
1. Goto admin => build => block via the administration area.
2. Click “Add block” at the top center of the page.
3. Enter something like “StatCounter” for the description and paste the StatCounter tracking code in the body section.
4. Now press “Save block.“
5. Locate the block in the list and set the “Region” combo to where you would like to display the code, most likely “footer.”
Optionally you can set the scope in which the block will be displayed, but it can be more easily set using the StatCounter Module.

That’s it, so simple isn’t it? Have any difficulties still? Please comment and let us know.

2 Cool Ways to Explore Youtube

Richie Sajan — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 16:53:50 +0000

YouTube is a website that you must be visiting at least once everyday. And why not, it’s got millions of videos which are informative, fun and just simply great! In fact recent studies show that, people spend at least 15 minutes of their online time at YouTube. And here’s two ways to explore it with even more fun.

Well here are the two interfaces. For the better experience, press F11 key on your keyboard right now, before going to the YouTube site. By doing, so you’re making your browser go full-screen.

Leanback
It’s a great interface, that begins playing videos automatically in full screen. Videos play in non-ending fashion (when one video ends, the next one starts). You can use your keyboard to navigate through and search and explore other videos. Keyboard keys used are: up, down , right, left arrow keys and Enter key.
XL
A similar interface to the leanback, it gives more control to the user. At the same time it does lose some of the glossiness and style you would get in the former mode.

These interfaces are more what you may call as prototypes intended for use, when Google TV will be eventually launched. You will need to login to your Google/YouTube account to use the above features.

Bonus Tip: For people with slower connections, you might try using YouTube Feather beta. It provides a faster interface than the normal YouTube site.

Getting started with Microsoft Office 2010 – Free eBook Download

Richie Sajan — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 14:14:16 +0000

Most of you may be getting your hands dirty trying out the new Office Suite from Microsoft – Office 2010. For those just getting off the starting line, here’s an eBook authored by the Microsoft Office System and Servers Team, which will give you an overview on the new Office suite.

The eBook consists of the following main points:

Exploring Office 2010.
Office 2010 suites.
Comparisons of Office 2010 editions.
What’s new for IT professionals in Office 2010.
SharePoint Workspace 2010 overview.
Overview of the Office user interface in Office 2010.
User interface differences in Office 2010 from earlier versions of Microsoft Office.
Product and feature changes in Office 2010.
Changes in Office 2010.
Changes in Access 2010.
Changes in Excel 2010.
Changes in Office 2010.
Changes in InfoPath 2010.
Changes in OneNote 2010.
Changes in Outlook 2010.
Changes in PowerPoint 2010.
Changes in Project 2010.
Changes in Publisher 2010.
Changes in SharePoint Designer 2010.
Changes in SharePoint Workspace 2010.
Changes in Visio 2010.
Changes in Word 2010.
Changes introduced in the 2007 Office system.
System requirements for Office 2010.

For those interested in downloading the eBook, you’ve got to register at the Microsoft site. But here’s a direct download link (from Microsoft) which you can use. Click here to download ‘Getting started with Microsoft Office 2010.’

[Geek Fun] Solution to iPhone 4 Signal Reception Issue

Richie Sajan — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 14:24:42 +0000

There was a huge out-pour of complaints within hours of the iPhone 4 releasing. There was a common grievance that holding the phone in a particular position would lead to a drastic drop in network signal. Here’s an image about how Apple is offering solutions to this problem.

And for people not wanting this option, there’s an alternative:

These are just parodies, not real stuff! Have fun.

How to Install JDK on your Computer?

Richie Sajan — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 14:36:03 +0000

Whats JDK? Well if your familiar with the programming language called Java, you’ll know whats JDK. JDK stands for Java Development Kit, which is basically a tool to develop Java programs in. So one of my friends asked, ‘How do you install JDK?’ Here’s the tutorial.

So to install JDK, you’d first need to download the installer to your PC. To do that:

Go to the Oracle SDN’s Java downloads page.
Click on the appropriate package you want to download. If you’re a beginner, you’d want to download the basic package (see image below).

Just click on the JDK link.

In the new page that loads, select your appropriate Operating System and click on the red download button. You will be prompted to sign-in or register. You could do so if interested. If not just click on the close sign (on the top-right of the box).
You will now be redirected to a page, and your download should start automatically.
After the file has downloaded (its an executable), double-click on the file to begin installation. Continue on like a normal installation. There will be a download taking place at the 4th window, and may take some time on computers with slower internet connection.
When the “Complete” screen appears, click on the “Finish” button.

Thats it, you’re good to go!

You could also refer to this video tutorial for help:

[Geek Fun] Fun @ Apple

Richie Sajan — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 18:59:26 +0000

Thinking about starting this as a new series – ‘Geek Fun.’ And for its inaugural edition, we’ve got one of the favorite company of the geeks – Apple! Just some random collection of comics I found scattered around. Enjoy!

Source:

Image 1: Flickr
Image 2: Unknown
Image 3: Unknown
Image 4: Unknown
Image 5: http://theoatmeal.com/comics
Image 6: http://tedmeriam.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!BF50F5194E14648F!2190.entry
Image 7, 8: http://www.geekculture.com/joyoftech/
Image 9: Unknown

Note: Because I’ve been collecting these images for a long time, I don’t know the origin of most of them, but I’ll be updating them once I get to know.

Get Ashampoo Snap 3 Screen Capture Software for Free

Richie Sajan — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 06:30:34 +0000

Ashampoo Snap 3 is screen capture utility, which can be used to capture screenshots as well as create screencasts (ie. record your screen). There are two screencast modes – One to capture anything on your screen and the other one to capture only a specific application (like, for making a tutorial). The software would otherwise cost USD 19.99, but on account of a giveaway, you can get it for free.

Snap 3 Dashboard

To download the software for free, perform the following steps:

Go to this offer page.
Enter a valid email address and click on Send button.
You will receive a confirmation email with a link to product registration page.
Once you complete the above step, you will be sent another email containing the product key for Snap 3.

So enjoy then!

‘Linux: A Virus-Free OS’ – Truth or Myth?

Richie Sajan — Sun, 20 Jun 2010 17:28:18 +0000

Linux the term is altogether an alien word for many people. And of the handful of people switching or let’s say having their ‘tryst’ with Linux, have a very common misconception – ‘Linux is virus free.’ A very debatable sentence, lets take a look at some arguments.

For getting to our point lets take a look at how a linux system works. Linux works in a multi-user environment, where users are given privileges of different magnitude for different purposes. A typical user would have normal privileges, simple enough to help him use the system but not change major system settings.

To spread a virus around you’ll have to gain access to the core of a linux system and for that you’ll need to have root access.

Linux is centered around security and gaining root access is nearly impossible. But, as they say, impossible is nothing. Viruses for linux are on the rise. One of the major reasons is due to the fact that linux is being spread and marketed at quite a fast rate.

To accommodate novice users, GUI’s are being integrated. And this is one of the causes of rise in viruses. How? The following is a quote from a foobar blog post:

Then you save an email attachment under Linux, the execute flag is normally NOT set and thus, the file can’t be executed just by clicking on it. So, no luck?

Not so fast. Modern desktop environments, such as Gnome and KDE, conveniently offer a nice “workaround” called ‘launchers’. Those are small files that describe how something should be started. Just a few lines that specify the name, the icon that should be displayed and the actual command to execute. Conveniently, the syntax of those launcher files is the same for Gnome and KDE. And those launchers don’t have to have any execute permissions set on them! Desktop environments treat those files as a special case, so when you click on them Gnome or KDE will happily execute the command that was specified within the launcher description and without the need for the execute bit to be set on the launcher itself. Now we are getting somewhere!

But don’t jump the gun yet. Most of the linux distros are still way safer than Windows systems. The reason being that as they are open source and have full disclosure, developers are quick to release patches/fixes.

Will he go rouge? (from pillateunlinux.wordpress.com)

Also the reason why Linux viruses are rare, is because of the simple fact that the world has too much Windows Users. So if a hacker could write a code and hack (for eg.) 60% of the world’s computers (as they are Windows-based systems) instead of only a handful of Linux computers, what would he choose?

Your thoughts…

How to Upgrade Your WordPress Installation

Richie Sajan — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 18:09:47 +0000

Well its official – WordPress 3.0, codenamed “Thelonious”, has just been released. Time to upgrade now. So how do you do it, without breaking up your site? Its quite easy in fact. There are mainly two ways to get about it, just read on.

Well the first way is to download the files and upload it via a FTP software and the other one is the automatic, easier and recommended method.

So first of all, before doing either of the methods, back-up (by downloading) your database(s) and your .htaccess file. Now select either one (ONLY one) method from below. I do recommend the second method.

Upgrading Via FTP

After performing the back-up mentioned in the previous paragraph, go and download the latest version of WordPress. You can do so from here.
Login to your wordpress dashboard and deactivate all your plugins. IMPORTANT.
Delete all files except the ones mentioned below:
- wp-config.php file;
- wp-content folder; Special Exception: the wp-content/cache and the wp-content/plugins/widgets folders should be deleted.
- wp-images folder;
- wp-includes/languages/ folder–if you are using a language file do not delete that folder;
- .htaccess file–if you have added custom rules to your .htaccess, do not delete it;
- robots.txt file–if your blog lives in the root of your site (ie. the blog is the site) and you have created such a file, do not delete it.
Now upload the previously downloaded wordpress package to the directory (or root, wherever) you had your wordpress blog.
Now go to the upgrade page of your blog. You can access it by pointing it to wp-admin/upgrade.php page of your blog, and follow the on-screen guide. Eg.: http://example.com/blog/wp-admin/upgrade.php
Now install any plugins or reactivate the older ones you want.
Thats it your done!

Also Read: WordPress 3.0, Beta 1 Released + Screenshots

Upgrading Automatically

This is way easier than the previous method and also recommended one.

Login to your WordPress dasboard.
In the Tools menu, select Upgrade option.
Alternatively, you can just click on the ‘WordPress x.x is available! Please Update Now‘ link in the yellow shade above on the dashboard to access the upgrade page.
In the new page that opened, click on the Upgrade Automatically button.
After you click on the button, some messages will follow,with the last one being WordPress upgraded successfully.
Thats it, enjoy the new edition of WordPress!

Now that wordpress has been released you might also want to read on how to enable the Multi-User capability or Network mode, as it is called now. You can do so by viewing this article : How to Enable Network Mode in WordPress 3.0 beta 1

Tried it out yet?

Carry Your Passwords Around the Safe Way

Richie Sajan — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 07:40:44 +0000

Password. The one word protecting your online (or otherwise) accounts from misuse. These days the need for a secure password cannot be undermined. But remebering those cryptic passwords could be quite a challenge. So what do you do? Use a password manger or write it down. Although the former is quite safe, the latter would be quite compromising. So here’s a way to get a hard-copy of your password securely.

So how do you do it? Here’s a new service called PasswordCard, which allows you to print out a credit-card sized image of sequences of letters and symbols like the one below:

PasswordCard

So how do you get a password from this?

Your PasswordCard has a unique grid of random letters and digits on it. The rows have different colors, and the columns different symbols. All you do is remember a combination of a symbol and a color, and then read the letters and digits from there. It couldn’t be simpler!

You can optionally include an area that has only digits which you can use for PIN’s, and you can also choose to include symbols if you use sites which require your passwords to include them. Remember that you can still use the digits-only area for regular passwords, for any site which allows numbers in its passwords!

In case your PasswordCard gets lost you can generate a new, same card be supplying the 16-digit number that was generated along with your card the first time.

A few pointers from the site are:

Don’t read along with your finger, or the smudge will tell a thief where your password is.
Keep your PasswordCard on your person, don’t leave it lying around near your computer.
Clear your browser cache and history after printing the page.

So go on and print your self a secure PasswordCard now. Click here to visit the site.