Windows XP Step-by-Step Installation Instructions

These steps are for a clean install of XP. Read this article for steps on upgrading your current system to XP.

First, you're going to need to change your BIOS boot order to boot from CD-ROM.

Once you do this you'll then be able to boot your computer from the Installation CD.

After changing the boot order in BIOS, save the changes, and then reboot your computer.
Make sure your Installation CD is in your CD-ROM.

If it is you'll be prompted to press your space bar to directly boot from CD-ROM emulation. Press your space bar as soon as you see this message.

Wait a few minutes while the installation begins to copy the preliminary setup files to your computer.

After this completes you'll be ready to start directing the install process.

You will be asked if you want to perform a new installation, repair an existing installation, or quit. In this case, you will be performing a new install. Press the correct key to perform a new installation.

Read the terms of the end user license agreement, and press F8 to agree.

The next phase of the installation is real similar to that of Windows 2000. So, if you're familiar with the Windows 2000 installation process this should be a cinch. Basically, you need to decide which partition of your hard drive you will install Windows XP on. You will have the opportunity to create and/or delete partitions or just allocate the available disk space to one partition.

However, try to keep your partitions within reasonable size.

We recommend using multiple partitions of 4-8GB, preferably on more than one hard drive. This will help you back up your data and optimize system performance later on down the road. Once you have figured out which partition XP will be installed on it's time to format it.

Choose to format the partition to either FAT32 or NTFS (recommended for single OS install). You'll also see two additional choices to perform a quick format of each option. Stick with doing a full format of either option instead. After you've determined which option is right for you, press the correct key to format the partition.

This would be a good time to take a break and come back in a few minutes. The setup program will automatically start copying files after the partition is formatted. From this point on, you're going to see each and every file name that's being copied over to your hard drive appear in the lower left corner. As the file names go from A to Z, the installation completion percentage will increase.

Choose the region and language.
Type in your name and organization.
Enter your product license key.

Name the computer, and enter an Admin password. Don't forget to write down your Administrator password. After the installation is complete it would be extremely wise to create a password restore disk in the event you forget your Administrator password someday.

Enter the correct date and time.
Choose your network settings. Leave on automatic if you use a dhcp server to assign IP addresses. If you have static IP address for broadband access, enter the settings that your ISP has provided you.

Choose workgroup or domain name.
Register this copy of Windows XP if you've installed all the current hardware on your machine. Otherwise, wait until you've finished installing any additional hardware so you don't have to activate your copy of XP again.

Add users that will sign on to this computer.
Log in, and update drivers.
Driver install
XP found drivers for all of the hardware in our test machines, with the exception of a wireless network adapter that was added. Update all drivers that had updates available for download.

It takes about 30 minutes to perform this installation. After that, you will be a few personalized settings away from getting started on your XP-experience. With a little use, the GUI even starts to grow on you.

XP File Sharing and Permissions

File sharing and permissions in Windows XP seem complicated.

Microsoft provides a Knowledge Base article, but reading it is like walking through molasses: It describes in infinite detail a file security system based on a 1-to-5 scale. However, if you look for this 1-to-5 scale anywhere in your security-settings interface, you may come away a little confused. These numbers are nowhere to be found.

Microsoft's 1-to-5 scale means nothing to the individual user and relates in no way to the actual practice of setting your security protocols. Enter the Screen Savers. We are here to explain it to you.

The security settings the user actually sets relate to read access, write access, shared folders, and password protection. These features are available in both Windows XP Home Edition and Windows XP Professional, however the features only work if the operating system is installed with NTFS. FAT32 does not support the file permissions described here.

You can choose to install Windows XP Home using NTFS, but you should use a FAT32 file system if you are dual booting and want to see the contents of your Windows 95, 98, or Me partition from your XP partition. Your file system is not set in stone when you install Windows XP. You always can change your file system from FAT32 to NTFS without losing any of your data; however, the transition is one-way only.

There is no going back to FAT32 from NTFS unless you grab a copy of Partition Magic. Microsoft recommends you install Windows XP Home with FAT32 if you intend to install more than one OS on your computer or if your hard drive is less than 32GB.

If you have Windows XP Home or Professional running NTFS, you can hide files and entire folders from prying eyes. When you set up multiple user accounts on one machine, any user with administrator access can view the documents in another's My Documents folders. To protect a folder, right-click it, choose Properties, the Share tab, and select "make this folder private." No one, not even a fellow system administrator, can access these most secret files.

Every file or folder contained within whichever folder you choose to make private will take on the settings of the parent folder. If the administrator does not have a password to the account, Windows XP will prompt the user to make a password or risk subjecting his or her private work to public scrutiny. No Windows password means no protected files.

A person who logs in as a guest or as a user without administrator privileges cannot see the contents of any other user's My Documents folder, even if the folder has not been explicitly made private. The user with limited privileges can, however, set a password and protect his or her documents from the prying eyes of the administrators. Windows XP is all about privacy.
It is a nice feeling to keep your personal tax documents secure from the passing lookey-loo. It's about time Microsoft made snooping your computer more difficult than snooping your medicine cabinet.

Make older programs run in Windows XP

If you're having trouble running older programs originally developed for previous versions of Windows, you're not out of luck. Luckily for consumers, Microsoft built Compatibility Mode into XP. Compatibility Mode allows you to run a program using the shell of the original program it was developed for.
Here's how to access a program's Compatibility Mode in XP
Find the executable or program shortcut icon you'd like to run. Right-click the icon and select Properties. Click the Compatibility tab and place a checkmark next to the text labeled "Run this program in compatibility mode." Select the operating system that the program was originally intended to run on. You may need to fine-tune the three fields under "Display Settings" if an older program requires 640x480 resolution or 256 colors. Click Apply.

Try starting the program after making these changes. If it still gives you trouble, try a different operating system. If the program was written for Win95 and worked fine in Win98, there's nothing that says it still won't work fine with Win98.

How to Install Windows Xp

Install Windows XP Professional - New Installation

There are three reasons why you may need to install a new copy of Windows XP:

1. Your current operating system doesn’t support an upgrade to Windows XP Professional.


2. Your current operating system supports an upgrade to Windows XP Professional, but you don’t want to keep your existing files and personalized settings.


3. Your computer does not have an operating system

Your computer does not have an operating system

IMPORTANT

A new installation deletes all programs or system files from a previous installation.

Special Options
Under Special Options, you have the choice to change Language, Advanced, and Accessibility settings during the setup process

Note: If you are in a country that has recently adopted the euro as its currency, you may have to modify the currency settings to display monetary amounts correctly.

First Select Language : Choose the primary language and regions for Windows XP, which affects the default settings for date, time, currency, numbers, character sets, and keyboard layout.

Choose additional language groups and character sets to use with the programs you are running on Windows XP.

Advanced Options : Change the default location of the Setup files
Store system files in a folder other than the Default (Windows) folder
Copy the installation files from the CD to the hard disk.

Accessibility: Use Narrator or Magnifier during Setup.

IMPORTANT

Unless you're an advanced user, it's recommended that you use the default settings.

Choosing a File System

During a new installation of Windows XP, you may have to choose which file system your computer should use. Windows XP Professional supports:
FAT32: An enhanced version of the file allocation table (FAT) system that is standard on all Windows operating systems starting with later (32-bit) versions of Windows 95. The FAT32 system can be used on large hard disks, from 512 megabytes (MB) to 32 gigabytes (GB).

NTFS: The NT file system (NTFS) is used with the Windows NT, Windows 2000, and Windows XP operating systems. NTFS provides enhanced reliability, stability, and security, and supports large hard disks of up to 2 terabytes (TB).

IMPORTANT

You can convert your file system any time, even after you install Windows XP, without losing any of your data. The conversion to NTFS is one–way only; if you convert your FAT or FAT32 file system to NTFS you can’t convert your hard disk back to FAT later.

If you’re not sure which file system to use, keep the one your computer defaults to during Setup. If you want to change your file system, here are a few recommendations:
Use FAT32 if your hard disk is smaller than 32 GB.

Use FAT32 if you want to install more than one operating system on your computer.
Use NTFS if your hard drive is larger than 32 GB and you are running only one operating system on your computer.

Use NTFS if you want enhanced file security.

Use NTFS if you need better disk compression.

Disk Partitions
You can create partitions to organize information—for example, to back up data—or to install more than one operating system on your computer. A hard disk can contain up to four partitions.

If you’re performing a new installation, the appropriate disk partition is selected automatically during Windows XP Setup unless you click Advanced Options and specify your own requirements

For more information about configuring, sizing, reformatting, or converting disk partitions, see your current online Help before you install or upgrade to Windows XP Professional.

How to make your Desktop Icons Transparent

Go to ontrol Panel > System, > Advanced > Performance area > Settings button Visual Effects tab "Use drop shadows for icon labels on the Desktop"

newly discovered Cobra

A Naja Ashei, a newly discovered giant spitting cobra measuring nearly nine feet and carrying enough venom to kill at least 15 people, is seen in this picture released by WildlifeDirect December 7, 2007. WildlifeDirect, a conservation group, said the cobras were the world's largest and had been identified as unique. The species has been named Naja Ashei after James Ashe, who founded Bio-Ken snake farm on Kenya's tropical coast where the gigantic serpents are found

How to Upgrade Windows 98 or Windows Millennium Edition Profiles to Windows XP Domain User Profiles

How to Upgrade Windows 98 or Windows Millennium Edition Profiles to Windows XP Domain User Profiles

This guide describes how to upgrade a Microsoft Microsoft Windows 98-based, or Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition-based client that has user profiles to a Microsoft Windows XP-based client.

The following steps enable the Windows 98 and Windows Millennium Edition (Me) profiles to be retained throughout the process.

Your best method to retain the profiles is to join the domain during the upgrade installation process.

Otherwise, you must use a workaround method to transfer the profile information over to the Windows XP profile

During the upgrade installation process, at the networking section, the administrator is offered the choice to join a domain or a workgroup. If you join the domain at this juncture, you ensure that all the existing profiles are migrated successfully to the Windows XP-based installation.

If you did not join the computer to the domain during the upgrade process, you must use the following workaround method:

Join the upgraded computer to the target domain

All applicable users must log on and log off (which generates a profile).

Copy the appropriate Application Data folder from the Windows 95, Windows 98, and Windows Me profiles to the newly created user profiles.

How to Remove Windows XP's Messenger

How to Remove Windows XP's Messenger

Theoretically, you can get rid of it (as well as a few other things).
Windows 2000 power users should already be familiar with this tweak.
Fire up the Windows Explorer and navigate your way to the %SYSTEMROOT% \ INF folder. What the heck is that thingy with the percentage signs? It's a variable. For most people, %SYSTEMROOT% is C:\Windows. For others, it may be E:\WinXP. Get it? Okay, on with the hack! In the INF folder, open sysoc.inf (but not before making a BACKUP copy first). Before your eyes glaze over, look for the line containing "msmsgs" in it. Near the end of that particular line, you'll notice that the word "hide" is not so hidden. Go ahead and delete "hide" (so that the flanking commas are left sitting next to one another). Save the file and close it. Now, open the Add and Remove Programs applet in the Control Panel. Click the Add / Remove Windows Components icon. You should see "Windows Messenger" in that list. Remove the checkmark from its box, and you should be set. NOTE: there are other hidden system components in that sysoc.inf file, too. Remove "hide" and the subsequent programs at your own risk.

Work Even you are Offline

Google Gears Enabled Sites That Work Even When You Go Offline

Google Gears, a free add-in for Firefox and Internet Explorer, lets you continue working with certain websites even if you are not connected to the Internet.

Though Google Gears was launched in May 2007, we have seen only a handful of web applications that can work offline with Google Gears. Even some very popular Google products like Gmail, Google Calendar and Google Docs stop working once you unplug your Internet cable

Now if you are about to embark on a long airplane or train journey without any Wi-Fi, here are some good Google Gears compatible web apps that will continue to work as before:

1. Google Reader

2. Remember The Milk

3. MindMeinster

4. Passpack

5. Zoho Writer

6. Google Calendar -

The world still needs a good image editing application that can work with Google Gears

Working women work longer hours than men

Balancing jobs and family life has career women working more each week than men, says a new study.

The study, led by Dr Brendan Burchell, a senior lecturer in sociology at the Cambridge University, housework and childcare were condemning millions of career women to much longer working days than men.


The findings were based on analysis from more than 30,000 people.

The study found that the average man in full-time employment works about 55 hours a week. In the UK this figure includes about 3.6 hours commuting, and eight hours of domestic work such as cleaning, cooking and childcare.


In contrast to this, the average working week for a woman in full-time employment in the European Union is 68 hours.


For British women that comprises of - 40 hours in the office, 3.3 hours commuting and 23 hours a week spent doing domestic work. However, women who work part time put in longer hours overall than men in full-time work, because the never-ending household chores.


The study showed that women with part-time jobs worked on average 57 hours a week, i.e. made up of 21.3 hours in paid work, 2.4 hours commuting and 32.7 hours of domestic work.


The analysis revealed that the domestic workload prevented millions of women from working the long office hours typically required to break into the top management jobs on high salaries.


In the UK, women make up just under half the workforce, but they represent less than a third of legislators, managers and senior officials.


The report said that the lifestyle divide must change if women are to have equal opportunities in the workplace.


"The working lifestyles of most people in Europe still seem to be determined by gender," Telegraph quoted Burchell, as saying.


"A lot of women feel they don't have choices. They have children with a partner and reduce their hours in the early stages of a child's life and when they want to re-establish themselves in their careers and in terms of their earning power, they are so far behind their husbands," he said.
"There should be more equal career breaks between men and women when children are born - for instance, by encouraging men to take their parental leave entitlements," he added.


Shirley Conran, author of the 1975 bestseller Superwoman and founder of the Work-Life Balance Trust, said that women needed to fight for 'domestic democracy', with men sharing a bigger burden of the chores and childcare at home.

Petrol talks

kuwait Petro in talks with RIL, IOC for oil refinery

Kuwait Petroleum Corp (KPC) is in talks with Reliance Industries Ltd and state-owned Indian Oil Corp (IOC) for setting up a multi-billion- dollar “world-scale” oil refinery and petrochemical complex in India. Disclosing this Mr Saad A. Al-Shuwaib, Ceo, KPC, said that he met top officials of RIL in Mumbai on Wednesday and held a meeting with IOC board members on Thursday to explore the possibility of setting up a 400,000 barrels a day refinery and a chemical plant with an annual capacity of one million tonnes

“It could be a green-field project or a joint acquisition,” Mr Al-Shuwaib said and added that the production from these proposed refineries would be exported from India. Mr Al-Shuwaib said that the joint ventures could at a future date look at projects outside India. KPC is open to taking two partners, if necessary. He said KPC would be willing to supply crude oil for this refinery and petrochemical project in India. “We would like to supply it with Kuwaiti oil. That is the main investment target for us,” he said.


Kuwait Petroleum currently exports around 250,000 bbl per day of crude to India on annual term-contracts to Indian companies like IOC and Reliance and is keen to raise the supplies. “We can raise it but it depends on the companies,” KPC’s managing director Mr Abdullatif A. Al-Houti said. “We would like to be always committed to the Government of India in supplying oil (and) better relations for reliable supplies,” Mr Al-Shuwaib said.


Mr Al-Shuwaib made it clear that they were not interested in taking stake in any of the existing refineries like the Jamnagar refinery or the refinery to be built by Reliance Petroleum Limited. They are interested in new projects. Mr Al-Houti said that KPC would be looking at IOC’s 150,000 barrels per day Paradip project which has been reconfigured to include a refinery-cum-petrochemical plant. Kuwait Petroleum Corp could not consider it earlier as it was only a refinery project and they were interested in an integrated refinery-cum-petrochemical complex. On high global crude prices, Mr Al-Shuwaib said: “We see prices going up and down. We don’t see problems with the supply and demand.”

How to remove obstacles to eye scanning technology

Washington, December 5 (ANI): A researcher at the University of Queensland (UQ) has conceived an idea to remove one of the final obstacles to the application of the iris scanning technology in routine works-like unlocking doors, accessing bank accounts, logging on to computers etc

Sammy Phang says that the pattern of an iris is like a fingerprint as every iris is unique.

"Every individual iris is unique and even the iris pattern of the left eye is different from the right. The iris pattern is fixed throughout a person's lifetime. By using iris recognition it is possible to confirm the identity of a person based on who the person is rather than what the person possesses, such as an ID card or password," she said.

"It is already being used around the world and it is possible that within the next 10 to 20 years it will be part of our everyday lives," she added.
While iris recognition systems have already found use in a number of civilian applications, Phang says that the system is not perfect.

"Changes in lighting conditions change a person's pupil size and distort the iris pattern," she said.
"If the pupil size is very different, the distortion of the iris pattern can be significant, and makes it hard for the iris recognition system to work properly," she added.

Phang said that she had an idea to overcome such flaws. She said that she had developed a technology to estimate the effect of the change in the iris pattern as a result of changes in surrounding lighting conditions.
"It is possible for a pupil to change in size from 0.8mm to 8mm, depending on lighting conditions," she said.

She said that with the use of a high-speed camera that could capture up to 1200 images per second, it was possible to track the iris surface's movements to study how the iris pattern changed depending on the variation of pupil sizes caused by the light.

"The study showed that everyone's iris surface movement is different," she said.
Pang said that tests with iris images had so far shown that it was possible to estimate the change on the surface of the iris, and account for the way the iris features changed due to different lighting conditions.

"Preliminary image similarity comparisons between the actual iris image and the estimated iris image based on this study suggest that this can possibly improve iris verification performance," she said. (ANI)

Next Lama may be woman

Milan, Dec. 6: Tibet’s spiritual leader the Dalai Lama on Thursday suggested that his successor could be a woman. “If a woman reveals herself as more useful, the lama could very well be reincarnated in this form,” the 14th Dalai Lama told reporters in Milan, where he arrived for a private visit on Wednesday.


The 72-year-old Dalai Lama, who has lived in exile since 1959, said last week that his successor could be chosen outside of Tibet if he were to die abroad. He also mooted the possibility of choosing the 15th Dalai Lama himself. According to centuries of tradition, high-ranking monks in Tibet choose the Dalai Lama’s reincarnation after the death of the incumbent.


China, which has ruled Tibet since 1951 and has violently crushed protests there, recently announced that so-called living Buddhas in Tibet needed permission from the government, officially atheist, to be reincarnated. The Buddhist leader also said his 11-day visit to Italy was “not political” and that he did not intend to “cause problems for the state and the (Italian) authorities.”

A robot that plays the violin

TOKYO, Japan (AP) -- Compared to a virtuoso, its rendition was a trifle stilted and, well, robotic. But Toyota's new robot plays a pretty solid "Pomp and Circumstance" on the violin.

The 5-foot-tall all-white robot, shown Thursday, used its mechanical fingers to press the strings correctly and bowed with its other arm, coordinating the movements well.

Toyota Motor Corp. has already shown robots that roll around to work as guides and have fingers dexterous enough to play the trumpet.

Toyota President Katsuaki Watanabe said robotics will be a core business for the company in coming years. Toyota will test out its robots at hospitals, Toyota-related facilities and other places starting next year, he said.

And the company hopes to put what it calls "partner robots" to real use by 2010, he said.

We want to create robots that are useful for people in everyday life," he told reporters at a Toyota showroom in Tokyo

Watanabe and other company officials said robotics was a natural extension of the automaker's use of robots in manufacturing, as well the development of technology for autos related to artificial intelligence, such as sensors and pre-crash safety systems.

Watanabe presented a vision of the future in which wheelchair-like "mobility robots" -- also displayed Thursday -- would offer "bed-to-bed" services to people, including the elderly and the sick, just like cars take people "door-to-door."

In a demonstration, a man got on the mobility robot, a motorized two-wheeled chair, then scooted around. Toyota showed how the moving machine could go up and down slopes and go over bumps without upsetting the person sitting on the chair because the wheels could adjust to such changes.

The Japanese government has been recently pushing companies and researchers to make robotics a pillar of this nation's business

Toyota, maker of the Prius hybrid and best-selling Camry sedan, has been a relative latecomer in robots compared to its domestic rival Honda Motor Co., as well as other companies, including Hitachi Ltd., Fujitsu Ltd. and NEC Corp.

Honda has been working on robots since 1986, recognizing the technology as critical for its future in delivering mobility for the future. It is showing the latest technology in its own robot -- the Asimo humanoid -- next week.

Asimo -- which stands for Advanced Step in Innovative Mobility and is play on the Japanese word for "legs" -- first became available for rental in 2000. It's considered one of the world's most advanced humanoids. Seen often at Honda and other events, it can walk, even jog, wave, avoid obstacles and carry on simple conversations.

The 51-inch-tall bubble-headed Asimo looks like a real-life child in a white space-suit, as it has grown smaller and lighter in size with innovations over the years.
Trying to one-up its rival, Toyota has been aggressively beefing up its robotics team. In August, it announced that it was teaming up with Sony Corp., which discontinued its Aibo dog-like robot last year, to develop an innovative, intelligent, single-seat vehicle.

Toyota said it is working with universities and its group companies to speed up robotics development, but ruled out a collaboration with Honda for the time being.
Toyota Executive Vice President Takeshi Uchiyamada said technology that Toyota has developed in industrial manufacturing and automotive engineering will "spiral up" into robots.
"We hope to create a robot that highlights Toyota's strengths," he said.

Also Thursday, the automaker showed its Robina robot, a legless robot-on-wheels, which has already been working as a guide at Toyota's showroom at its headquarters since earlier this year.

In the demonstration, Robina, which has a head shaped like a bobcut hairstyle, interacted smoothly with a person, including carrying on a simple dialogue. It also showed how it could sign its name in script holding a fat felt-tip pen with its three fingers.
"I am 120 centimeters tall and how much I weigh is a secret," the robot said clearly in a feminine voice. "I know a lot about the Prius."

Koji Endo, auto analyst with Credit Suisse in Tokyo, said it was still unclear whether Toyota's robotics will bear fruit as a real business. But he praised Toyota for trying to branch into new sectors, noting it's likely to produce innovations that will in the long run be a plus for its auto business.

Besides robots, Toyota has a housing operation and is carrying out research in biofuels. Honda is also expanding outside autos, including a jet business, and has long had a motorcycle unit

Google.In Trouble

Vienna, December 5: Google, the world's largest Internet search engine, is on several fronts a danger that has to be stopped, a study released by Austria's Graz University claims.A research team led by Prof. Hermann Maurer, chairman of Graz University's Institute for Information Systems and Computer Media, argues that Google is turning into a new version of George Orwell's 'Big Brother' - creating unacceptable monopolies in many areas of the worldwide web.

According to his research, around 61 billion Internet searches are conducted each month. In the US, on average 57 percent of searches are conducted with Google, and up to 95 percent of Internet users use Google at least sometimes.It is dangerous enough that a single entity such as Google is dominant as a search engine, Maurer and his co-writers say, but the fact that Google is operating many other services and is probably colluding with still further players was "unacceptable"."Google is massively invading privacy," the study said with the company knowing more than any other organisation about individuals and companies, but not bound by national data protection laws.

Google was amassing data by using data mining tools in its applications like Google Earth or Gmail in connection with being its search engine function.Thus, the search engine could potentially turn into the world's largest detective agency, the Austrian researchers warned, using the data it was collecting from its users via its applications. Even if Google did not use that potential now, it might have to do so in the future in the interest of its shareholders.The study argues that Google is influencing economies in the way advertisements and documents are ranked. "The more a company pays, the more often will the ad be visible." The study believes influence may be increased by also ranking results from queries, and that Google could, for business reasons, in the future rank paying customers higher in search results.Moreover, Maurer was worried that Google could use its "almost universal" knowledge of what was happening in the world to play global stock markets to its advantage.The danger of a distorted "googling" reality loomed ever closer, the report said. "Google has become the main interface of our reality," the study authors said.Most material written today was in some way based on Google and Wikipedia - and if those did not reflect reality, a distortion was possible, the researchers said, recalling biased contributions frequently placed on Wikipedia.Furthermore, there is some indication of cooperation between Google and Wikipedia. Sample statistics showed that random selected Wiki entries consistently ranked higher on Google than on other search engines, the Graz team said.Maurer also criticized journalists who increasingly started researching their stories by googling them, as well as students copying significant amounts of their work from the Internet."Google's open aim is to know everything there is to know on Earth," the researchers concluded. "It cannot be tolerated that a private company has that much power: it can extort, control, and dominate the world at will."Stopping the insidious aspects of Google was however not possible by a head-on strategy, as the company was too powerful, the Austrian researchers warn. Rather, they say, the "Google effect" can be minimized by the introduction of special-purpose search engines that are better in their areas of application that the larger company is.

Consumers will create mobile content: Nokia

Helsinki, Dec. 3: Within the next five years, a quarter of all entertainment content on the internet and mobile phones will be the work of consumers who mix and edit information to send to friends, finnish telephone maker nokia forecast on monday.

nokia said it had interviewed consumers aged between 16 and 35 in 17 countries between july and september about how they used such digital information, in an attempt to identify trends up to 2012.

"we predict that up to a quarter of the entertainment being consumed in five years will be what we call circular," nokia’s vice-president for multimedia mark selby said.

"the trends we are seeing show us that people will have a genuine desire not only to create and share their own content, but also to remix it, mash it up and pass it on within their peer groups — a form of collaborative social media."

the survey found that 39 per cent of those questioned regularly watch television via internet and 23 per cent on their mobile phone and that 37 per cent used their mobile phone to surf the internet.

Mr selby said that the survey suggested that in the future consumers would use their mobile phones along the following lines:

n someone shares video footage they shot on their mobile device from a night out with a friend; that friend takes that footage and adds an mp3 file — the soundtrack of the evening — then passes it to another friend.

n that friend, in turn, edits the footage by adding some photographs and passes it on to another friend and so on.

"the content keeps circulating between friends who may or may not be geographically close, and becomes part of the group’s entertainment," Mr Selby said.

Using the Internet on Mobile Phone

BBC - The numbers of mobile phone users accessing the web is growing steadily. However, most mobile phone companies impose monthly data download limits and some stop customers using some net services - such as Skype or streaming video.

Some operators also levy extra charges if a customer exceeds the monthly data limit or downloads data, be it music or video, rather than just browse.

Operators had started to realise too that, for many, the mobile phone is the gadget they carry with them all day and may become the preferred way to access the net. Getting more people to use the web on their phone also helped drive them to spend more money on the portals operators have created

Change your Mobile Service Operator without Changing Your existing Number

Mobile phone subscribers in the four metro cities can soon move from one cellular operator to another without having to change their mobile phone number.

So if you are not satisfied with the services offered by your current service provider, happily move over to another one without losing any of your existing contact information.

The facility will be available to mobile customers by the fourth quarter of 2008

Converting Pirated Windows XP Into a Legal Copy

If you are running a pirated copy of Windows XP Professional (or Home Edition), you can very easily convert it into a properly licensed version by just updating your XP Product Key that comes with the Get Genuine kit.

This is definitely a good offer for “unlicensed” Windows XP users who wish to legalize their software without having to reformat the computer or re-install the OS.

But a surprising part of the story is that software pirates, who later go genuine through the amnesty route, get a “better deal” from Microsoft than customers who buy legal software first-hand.

For instance in India, where majority of assembled computers are shipped with illegal XP software, a full licensed edition of Windows XP Pro costs ~$275 at the Microsoft Online Store while the Get Genuine kit (that convert illegal software into licensed version) is priced at only ~$200.

Also read Bill Gates’ confession on Software Piracy.

Installing XP On a Pre-Installed Windows Vista Computer

DI reader Suresh Telu has a Lenovo laptop that came pre-installed with Windows Vista Home edition.
He plans to install Windows XP on the computer but wiping off Vista completely may void the laptop warranty.

Suresh is therefore looking for an alternate solution where he can install and dual boot Windows XP alongside Windows Vista.

It is possible but before you install Windows XP over pre-installed Vista, here are some important points to consider:

1. You should have a licensed copy of Windows XP.
2. Read your warranty document carefully or consult the customer care to make sure that warranty remains valid when you install a second OS on your computer.
3. You’ll need to create a separate partition (or overwrite an existing one) for installing XP . Make sure there’s enough space on the hard drive.

Now head over to PronetWorks and HowToGeek for a detailed guide on installing Windows XP on your pre-installed Vista laptop. It’s a bit geeky method but nicely illustrated at both the places

Today's cheap cars can cost you a bomb later

Hamburg: Cheaper cars in the same market segment are not always cheaper in the long run when it comes to running costs and resale value, according to tests conducted by Germany's automobile association , ADAC and ZDF television.

The biggest price difference was found in the SUV (Sports Utility Vehicle) segment where the BMW X3 was compared with the Toyota RAV.

Although the BMW was $12,843 more expensive than the RAV at a price of $54,575, total running costs over 60,000 km were just $4,378 more than the Japanese vehicle, which has a new price tag of $41,740.

Testers calculated over-the-period fuel consumption costs, insurance and the resale value of the used vehicle after four years

In the compact car segment, the VW Golf (V) Trendline was compared to the Opel Astra Twinport.

Kirsten accepts the job of India cricket coach

New Delhi: Former South African opener Gary Kirsten has confirmed late on Tuesday night that he has accepted the job of India's new coach.

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Speaking to the CNN-IBN, Kirsten said, "I have accepted the offer to coach the Indian cricket team. It is going to be a challenging job for me but I am pretty confident about what I can achieve and I am excited at the prospect of the job. In short, I am all geared for it."

The 40-year-old, will be signing a two-year contract starting March 1, 2008 but he will join the team briefly as a consultant during the Australia tour

I will be starting from the 1st of March, joining them in the middle of Australia tour," said Kirsten, who has played 101 Tests, scoring 7289 runs, while playing 185 ODIs, scoring 6798 runs.

Kirsten had earlier said to CNN-IBN that accepting the job was going to be a formality to him, and that he would not be able to join in time for the Australia tour.

He had been quoted earlier today as saying that he wanted more clarity from the BCCI after hearing rumours that senior players were concerned about his appointment.

"I have no concerns about the senior players," clarified Kirsten, after he accepted the offer.

When he was asked about the Greg Chappell coaching tenure in India, he responded by saying, "I am not aware as to what happened in the Greg Chappell era. We have got a great team which is performing well and the old players should continue to pass on to young players."

BJP making false claims of development, says Sonia

Gandhidham (Gujarat), December 4: Congress party President Sonia Gandhi said Tuesday that the BJP Government in Gujarat has made tall claims of development in the State that were not true, and added that the Narendra Modi led Government in the State never matched its word with deeds.

The BJP is projecting that there has been all-round development in Gujarat ever since it came to power. But people here are not even getting drinking water," Sonia said while addressing an election rally here.

However, Sonia said that the Congress party's intentions are genuine.

"Our intentions are genuine unlike them," she said.

Appealing to the people to vote for Congress in the upcoming State Assembly elections, Sonia said: "There is a challenge before us. There is a need to get rid of the existing government in Gujarat."

In an indirect reference to the reported benefits given to a chosen few industrialists by the Narendra Modi Government, Sonia said development for BJP means its growth as well as that of four or five others of its ilk.

On the twin threats of communalism and terrorism, she said they were dangerous in whatever form and colour they may be

They were dangerous for the country and Congress has always been fighting against such forces," she said, adding that Congress leaders Rajiv Gandhi and Indira Gandhi had sacrificed their lives fighting forces of terrorism

Over 36 million voters will elect the 182-member Assembly in Gujarat in a two-phased election, as the term of the State's Legislative Assembly is due to expire on December 26.

The first phase of elections in Gujarat will be held on December 11 and second phase on December 16. The counting of votes will take place on December 23.

The BJP managed to win 127 seats, while the Congress party was able to win only 51 seats in the 2002 Gujarat Assembly polls. The Janata Dal (United) and independents won two seats each.

Nokia N81 and N82 come to light

Symbian-Guru has the scoop on not one, but two unannounced new high-end Nokia handsets, the N81 (pictured on the left) and the N82 (pictured on the right).

The slider-style N81 looks it'll be the successor to their N91 musicphone (except less, uh, busted-looking) and sport a full 8GB of memory, a 2.4-inch QVGA display, quad-band EDGE and 2100MHz HSDPA, WiFi, Bluetooth 2.0, and a 3.5mm headphone jack.

The N82 has a more traditional candybar form-factor and'll have a five megapixel camera with Xenon flash and auto-focus Carl Zeiss lens, quad-band GSM (doesn't say whether it'll be GRPS or EDGE, but we're guessing EDGE), 2100MHz HSDPA, a 2.4-inch QVGA display, Bluetooth 2.0, WiFi, integrated GPS, FM tuner, and a microSD memory card slot

Modi masks spark row in Gujarat

Rajkot, December 4: Modi masks are the latest craze in Gujarat, more so in politically crucial Saurashtra region. And like with everything involving Chief Minister Narendra Modi, it has sparked a row.

Modi supporters have made appearances at election rallies and public events wearing masks that depict the face of the firebrand leader. This happened even when Modi filed his nomination from Maninagar in Ahmedabad

It is being said that the introduction of Modi masks goes to the credit of a large number of NRGs - Non-Resident Gujaratis - living in the US. A large number of NRGs are present in the state as the poll campaign reaches its peak. Gujarat goes to the polls December 11 and 16.

The BJP denies it is supplying Modi masks to its supporters as a part of the campaign kits being distributed around Saurashtra.

Nitin Bharadwaj, president of the Rajkot unit of the party, told IANS: 'Such masks are not being supplied or circulated by us. They are being prepared and worn by the supporters of the chief minister, and it only goes to show how popular he is and how everyone wants to be a Narendra Modi.'

The Congress has chosen to ignore the issue of Modi masks. But its workers feel that it is nothing but another publicity stunt Modi is known for.

'It all boils down to the fact that there is no BJP in Gujarat. The sole identity for them is Modi,' said a Congress activist from Dhoraji.

However, some criticise the Congress for not having come up with something as creative to counter Modi's popularity and the BJP campaign.

'Couldn't they have managed a few masks of Mahatama Gandhi and made supporters do the rounds of the towns and villages wearing them,' asked a Muslim voter, Mohammad Shamim.

'This would have given a signal to the public that it is actually an electoral contest between the ideals of Modi and Gandhi and it is up to them whom to choose,' said Shamim from Wankaner area

Rs 2-rupee coin

rowAs if the controversy over the masks was not enough, the new Rs.2 rupee coin in circulation has also become a contentious issue.

The BJP has linked the design of the new coin - which has what seems like a cross - to the Congress-led government in New Delhi and to Sonia Gandhi, the party's leader.\

The Reserve Bank of India issued the coin this year. Modi, looking for a third term in office, has made a big issue out of the aluminium coin.

The row pertains to the replacement of India's map on the old Rs.2 coins with what seems like a cross. The BJP is linking it to the Italian origins of Sonia Gandhi.

The coin in question had been designed by the National Institute of Design in Ahmedabad. The new design was to help the blind to differentiate it from Rs.1 coins.

Sharif, Bhutto to draw up demands for Musharraf

Islamabad, December 3: Former Pakistan premiers Nawaz Sharif and Benazir Bhutto Monday decided to draw up a charter of demands to ensure free and fair parliamentary elections and threatened to boycott the elections if their conditions were not met.

The two political rivals set aside their differences to hold marathon talks here Monday night on the issue of participating in the elections, which both said would not be free and fair under the prevailing circumstances.

While Bhutto has been saying that her Pakistan People's Party will participate in the elections "under protest", Sharif and his PML(N) have been pushing for a boycott.

Following their parleys that lasted three-and-a-half hours, the two former premiers told a news conference that an eight-member committee of leaders of their parties would draw up the charter of demands that would be presented to President Pervez Musharraf to ensure free, fair and transparent elections.

The committee will also set a date for the government to fulfil the demands, failing which the Opposition parties would have the option of boycotting the January 8 general election, they said.

"We agreed to draw up a charter of demands and give it to the government. We will give the government a certain amount of time to fulfil the demands. If that is not done, then we feel the polls will not be free, fair and transparent. Then we can go towards a boycott," Sharif said.

Bhutto pointed out that the elections should be held as scheduled on January 8 and there should be no postponement. The date for the elections had been announced after a lot of problems, she pointed out.

"We agreed on certain issues, especially the point that the polls will not be free and fair," she said.

Sharif said, "In the prevailing circumstances, free, fair and transparent elections will not be possible."

The committee, comprising four leaders each from the PPP and PML(N), will frame the charter of demands and set a date for the government to fulfil them in the "next two to three days", Sharif said.

We don't want to boycott the elections. We have no wish to do so. But if these demands are not met, we will have no option," he asserted.

Al-Qaida may be stepping up: US military

The US military is seeing early signs that Al-Qaida may be stepping up its activities in Afghanistan, a senior defence official revealed for the first time, as US Defence Secretary Robert Gates made his third trip to this country.

Gates, who arrived on Monday in Afghanistan, said he has not yet seen data on any jump in Al-Qaida activity, but he said rising levels of violence in the country are a concern and he plans to talk about it with other defence leaders from NATO nations operating here

''I'm not worried about a backslide as much as I am (about) how we continue the momentum going forward,'' Gates said earlier. ''One of the clear concerns that we all have is that in the last two or three years there has been a continuing increase in the overall level of violence.''

The senior defence official -- discussing the matter on condition of anonymity due to security concerns -- said the US military is concerned and is looking for definitive signs of greater activity by Al-Qaida and foreign fighters, but the US has not seen enough proof to draw any final conclusions.

As Gates headed to Kabul, US officials also said they were considering the possibility of providing arms, training equipment and other support to Afghan tribes.

The effort would be modeled after those in Iraq to empower residents to police their own neighbourhoods.

The US military has been pushing the idea that more attention must be paid to tribal leaders in the provinces in Afghanistan and Iraq, rather than focusing all the attention on buttressing their central governments

Lenovo ThinkPad T60

Review:

The war horse does it again. The rock solid series of Thinkpad gets a 2007 update. This has it all and is really well made for the business user. 1 GB RAM, a 120 GB hard drive, Bluetooth, fingerprint scanner and Windows XP Pro. The design and style may not be state of the art but that isn’t the reason why people love their Thinkpads.

Specifications:

Core 2 Duo T7400

1GB RAM

120GB HD

14.1inch 1400x1050 LCDCDRW/DVDRWWifi, BluetoothFingerprint reader

WinXP Pro

Price: Rs. 1,40,000

Toshiba SAT A 100

Review:

Toshiba has a great reputation for making truly great notebooks. This one is no exception. Duo core processor, 512 MB Ram, Super Multi drive DVD, 15.54 inch screen plus WiFi and Bluetooth. The price is surprisingly low too.

Specifications:

Duo Core

80 GB HDD

512 MB RAM

DVD writer

Wifi,

Bluetooth

6 cell battery

Vista Basic

Dell Latitude ATG D620

Review:
Dell has made their notebook everything proof. This is the ATG and is actually meets Military Standards for Vibration, Humidity and Altitude. The new system features a shock-mounted hard drive, spill-resistant keyboard, port covers and high durability paint and is designed to withstand challenging conditions. It also has a great set of features and specs.

Specifications:
Core 2 Duo T720014.1" WXGA Screen
2 GB RAM
80GB HDD
Windows XPP
8X DVD/RW Drive
6 cell battery
Price: Rs. 1,05,000

Apple Macbook 13 inch

Review:
Apples ultra portable offering is a dream machine. It has all the specs, is nice and slim, looks really sharp and stylish and has the famed easy to use mac OS. It's a little expensive and there is still apprehension from windows users about the mac environment and compatibility.

Specifications:
Intel Core 2 Duo processor
1GB RAM
120GB HDD
8x slot-loading SuperDrive DVD Writer
13.3-inch widescreen
TFTWiFi and
Bluetooth
Weighs about 2.3 kgs
Comes with apple remote
Prices: Starts from Rs. 75,000 onwards