I had my first experience weeks ago while the family and I were going to a breather at the Lake District National Park. We went by car from Loughborough to the National Park without a hitch. What was more shocking to me was the fact that we even came across paths that are used by hikers who hike around the area for beautiful scenery from higher up. We went through the same path as the hikers on our cars since the road is stil accesible for cars to ride on. What im trying to say is that it is amazing how this navigation system can detect such small and abandoned roads that are rarely used by cars so accurately. It was simply amazing.
Monday, May 25, 2009
GPS does it do any good??
I had my first experience weeks ago while the family and I were going to a breather at the Lake District National Park. We went by car from Loughborough to the National Park without a hitch. What was more shocking to me was the fact that we even came across paths that are used by hikers who hike around the area for beautiful scenery from higher up. We went through the same path as the hikers on our cars since the road is stil accesible for cars to ride on. What im trying to say is that it is amazing how this navigation system can detect such small and abandoned roads that are rarely used by cars so accurately. It was simply amazing.
Friday, December 26, 2008
How to disable SuperFetch on Vista
Thanks to Windows who still provide a way for the SuperFetch to be disable so that you(especially gamers) can enjoy your games without being annoyed when the games keep lagging as the RAM space for the game is consumed by the SuperFetch. For those of you who only use the computer witout using so much RAM, I will not encourage you to disable the SuperFetch feature.
Here is a step by step on how to disable the SuperFetch feature:
- Open up the Services in the Control Panel by choosing from the Administrative Tools or by typing Services.msc at the Start search panel.

- Then, you should search for the SuperFetch services and double click on it to open up its Properties window.

I hope that this article would be informative you. So good luck! Try it yourself. See how it can change your PCs.
*It might differ from one computer to the other.
How to get Windows SuperFetch on XP
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
How to Configure Command Prompt to Always Run as Administrator
This article will show you how to configure your command prompt to always run it as an Administrator. Below is a step-by step on how to configure it:
Now you can run the command prompt without going through the tiresome step of running it through the Accessories any longer.
Windows SuperFetch: Another amazing feature of Vista
Background tasks - automatic backup programs, antivirus scans and etc - runs when you are not actively using your computer and it will least disturb you. SuperFetch keeps track of which applications you use most and loads faster than they normally would if the hard disk have to be accessed every time by loading it into the RAM. SuperFetch prioritizes the currently used program over the background task. In addition, SuperFetch adapts to your working environment and the way you work by tracking your frequently use programs and pre-load it into your system.
In a nutshell, SuperFetch is another improvements in Vista from its predecessor XP. Hope this article is useful and informative for you.
Command Prompt: The Requested Operation Requires Elevation

Some of you might have tried to flush and reset a client resolver cache or winsock settings using the ipconfig command in Vista; however an output line like this appear " The requested operation requires elevation". If you ever occur such error all you need to do is elevate your privilege to the system. This means you need to run the Command prompt as an Administrator. If you have Administrator privilege all you need to do is run the command prompt as an administrator.
To run the command prompt as an administrator all you need to do is:
- Click Start >> All Programs >> Accessories >> Right-Click on Command Prompt and choose to Run as Administrator.

- This will initiate User Account Control(UAC), click Continue to open up the Administrator: Command Prompt. If you arent sign is as administrator you will need to enter administrative password to continue.

Monday, December 22, 2008
iClebo - Intelligent Cleaning Robot
IClebo is an intelligent, convenient, clean & slim auto charging cleaning robot with a suction of 30W/ 70W (Turbo) made by two South Korean firms teamed up, KTF and Yujin Robot. The name iClebo is a short term given for Intelligent Cleaning Robot.
This magnificent robot is powered by a Lithium-ion battery, which means it has no memory effect, long life span, short charge time and a longer use time. When the battery level is low, this clever robot will detect a docking station and charge itself up.
As well as this, iClebo has various infrared sensors in order to avoid collision whilst cleaning. These sensors include:
7IR sensors: To avoid hits and minimize scratch to furniture and wall
Bumper/Touch sensor: To recognise various obstacles
Floor detection sensor: To not fall down stairs
Wheel sensor: Stops operation when the robot is lifted
Not only this, IClebo has 3-level filtering system which consists of a mesh filter, anti-bacterial filter; for the elimination of micro particles, and an electrostatic filter, maximizing the cleanliness on the inside and the outside.
This user convenience gadget comes with a wider and a more convenient digital display where the users can also pre-set the cleaning time by setting the time once. The convenience doesn’t end there, plusa has maximized it with a removable brush/ battery pack design.
Other than that, IClebo also comes with higher suction power of 3 levers; side brush, main brush, and vacuum suction, cleaning even the finest dust. These also results an efficient vacuum suction for collection duct and powered brush for sweeping.
Probably the best thing about this machine is that it makes low noise (60dB), minimizing disturbance and with its slim design, it makes it possible for itself to clean even under beds and sofas. These could help us or children even to concentrate better in their works and studies.
Last but not least, it comes with various cleaning modes, making it possible for us to choose the most efficient cleaning mode, either random,circular, wave, or corner mode, regarding the space, size and shape of the room. With its efficient lithium battery, it allows more area to be cleaned.
For more information on this swell robot, visit:
http://www.kjglobal.co.uk/acatalog/iClebo_cleaning_Robot.html
http://www.ieee-ras.org/uploads/industrial/iera06/shin_short.pdf
And find out how IClebo can operate as a guard dog as well as a housemaid ;)
Creating Restore Point Manually with Vista
Below is a step-by-step instructions on how to create a restore points manually:
- Open System Restore. The System Restore tool is accessible by going through Start >> All Programs >> Accessories >> System Tools >> System Restore. Once the system restore screen is shown, click on open System Protection. Below is the opening screen for system restore:

- You will be directed to System Protection tab shown below:
Click on Create button to create a Restore Point.
- A pop up asking you to type in the description of your restore point will appear.Type a description for your Restore Point and click on Create button. A restore point will be created after a few minutes.

Sunday, December 21, 2008
Get to know Windows System Tools Part 2 (System Restore)
In this article you will find on what system restore actually is, when to use it and how to actually use this great tool.
- How System Restore works?
- System Restore works by referring to the saved state by your computer system. This saved state which save snapshot of the state the computer system is in is called Restore point. Restore points are usually created automatically for the users over time.
- When the restore points are created?
- Upon users request. To learn how to make your own restore points for Vista follow this link.
- When new application is installs through Windows Installer.
- When the user installs a driver that is not recognize by Windows Operating System.
- Every time Windows boots up after turn off for more than 24 hours.
- When is the best time to create a restore points?
- Before installing any new application without the use of Windows Installer(Restore Points will be created automatically when new application is installs through Windows Installer).
- How to use System Restore?
- It is easy to use Windows System Restore. Below I will be guiding the users step by step to use system restore on Vista machine. For those who are using Windows XP I suggest to look at this link.
- The System Restore tool is accessible by going through Start >> All Programs >> Accessories >> System Tools >> System Restore. Below are the opening page for System Restore:

- Click next and you will be shown a screen where the restore point is listed

- Click next and you will need to click Finish to confirm your restore point. A pop-up window will appear.

- Click Yes to continue and voila Windows will start making changes to your System back to the state your computer is in when your restore point is created restore point.

- *Note that Windows will restart your computer to apply the changes.
- The System Restore tool is accessible by going through Start >> All Programs >> Accessories >> System Tools >> System Restore. Below are the opening page for System Restore:
- It is easy to use Windows System Restore. Below I will be guiding the users step by step to use system restore on Vista machine. For those who are using Windows XP I suggest to look at this link.
A word of advice, always create a restore point before you try install any application to your system.
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Get to know Windows System Tools Part 1 (Disk Cleanup)
- Disk Cleanup.
- What is Disk Cleanup?
- The Windows Disk Cleanup is a great tool which help the users in cleaning up their hard disk. Every time the users run this tool it will scan through their hard disk and find any files and and folders which are safe to to be remove. Users will then be able to choose from the list of items show by the tools.
- Below are what users are able to choose from:*
- Downloaded Program Files - are ActiveX controls and Java applets downloaded automatically from the Internet when you view certain pages. They are temporarily stored in the Downloaded Program Files folder on your disk.
- Temporary Internet Files - contains webpages stored on your hard disk.
- Offline Webpages - webpages that are stored on your computer so you can view them without being connected to the Internet.
- Hibernation File Cleaner - contains information about the state of your computer as it enters hibernation. This will disable hibernation.
- Recycle Bin - contains files you have deleted from your computer.
- Setup Log Files - Files created by Windows.
- Temporary files - Stores temporary information by various Programs ran.
- System archived Windows Error Report - Files used for error reporting and solution checking.
- Downloaded Program Files - are ActiveX controls and Java applets downloaded automatically from the Internet when you view certain pages. They are temporarily stored in the Downloaded Program Files folder on your disk.
- How to use Disk Cleanup?
- Using the Disk Cleanup tool is fairly simple, below are the instructions on how to, for both Vista and XP operating System:
- Click Start >> All Programs >> Accessories >> System Tools >> Disk Cleanup.
- Using the Disk Cleanup tool is fairly simple, below are the instructions on how to, for both Vista and XP operating System:
- What is Disk Cleanup?
Ever miss your good day of surfing and working on your computer smoothly without trouble? In the next article I'll be writing on System Restore. A great tools for all the users to restore their PC to their happy days.
*Description are taken straight from Windows Operating System.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Top 5 Annoyances I find in Web Pages
- Downloading plug-ins
This little programs that I have to download to get an audio or video message before I can enter the site - they make me want to go somewhere else! - Bad Design
- Too many buttons and links on different parts of the page are confusing. Sometimes, I got into the trouble of accidentally clicking on the link that I don't want to.
- Pop-up ads
- The dreadful and annoying advertisement that suddenly appear - it drives me crazy!
- Frames
- I just hate those silly boxes in Web pages. Sometimes the text doesn't fit in the frame and I have to use either the vertical or the horizontal scroll bar. This makes it very hard to read. Don't you just hate it?
- Flash
- These animations are good if they download quickly. However, I encountered many that seems irrelevant to the website and it slow down the time for the web page to open; the only purpose is to make the site look pretty. DUH!
Best Backup Plans
Here are the checklist:
- Decide of how much of your data you want, need, and can afford to back up.
- Create a realistic schedule for making backups.
- Make sure you have a way to avoid backing up files that contain viruses.
- Find out what kind of boot disks you might need to get your computer up and running after a hard disk failure or boot sector virus attack.
- Make sure you can test your restore procedure so that you can successfully retrieve the data you've backed up.
- Find a safe place to store your backups.
- Decide what kind of storage device you'll use to make backups.
- Select software to handle backup needs.
Using Windows ReadyBoost
The Windows ReadyBoost is one of the pros of Windows Vista. It enables you to plug a Universal Serial Bus (USB) flash drive or Secure Digital (SD) memory card into your computer and have Windows Vista have it as memory. This is a benefit for people who is using Vista and wants to improve their PC's memory resources and at the same time wants to reduce the cost needed to upgrade the memory of the PC(Machines upgrade can be difficult and costly, moreover, some machines have limited memory expansions capabilities, making it impossible to add RAM). Windows ReadyBoost allows Windows Vista to service normal disk 80 - 100 times faster than random reads from traditional hard drives. In addition, there are some requirements for a device to be compatible to use the ReadyBoost option.
For a device to be compatible and useful it must conform to the following requirements:
- The capacity of the removable media must be at least 256 MB (250 after formatting)
- Devices larger than 4 GB will have only 4 GB used for ReadyBoost
- The device should have an access time of 1 ms or less
- The device must be capable of 2.5 MB/s read speeds for 4 KB random reads spread uniformly across the entire device and 1.75 MB/s write speeds for 512 KB random writes spread uniformly across the device
- The device must have at least 235 MB of free space
- NTFS, FAT16 and FAT32 are supported (Windows 7 and Vista SP2 will support also the new exFAT filesystem)
- The initial release of ReadyBoost supports one device. The recommended amount of flash memory to use for Windows ReadyBoost acceleration is one to three times the amount of RAM installed in your computer.
It is easy to use Windows ReadyBoost. You just have to plug in the USB flash drive or SD memory card to your machine first. Then Windows will check if the performance of the device is fast enough to work with Windows ReadyBoost. If the device is fast enough, you will be ask if you want to use the device to spped up our system. Here is a sample window picture of it.

If not, a window like below will appear.

So, in a nutshell, try this yourself and you'll see the benefits of ReadyBoost.
* The Windows ReadyBoost feature is included in Windows Vista edition Home Basic, Home Premium, Business and Ultimate
Monday, December 15, 2008
Fasten Up Your Vista Performance Now!!!
If you think that your Vista’s performance lagging, here are some steps you can take to make it faster:
- Add more RAM
- Anyone who have uses Vista knows that Vista is one memory hog operating system. While 1GB of memory looks super on Win XP, it’s the opposite on Win Vista. Forget about the graphical features in Vista, with 1GB you can barely run three applications at one time. If you are still running Vista with 1GB I would suggest you to equip your system with at least 2GB of RAM.
- Get a good video card.
- Today video cards play an important role in influencing the computer performance unlike 5 years ago. With Vista Graphical feature such as Aero, Flip 3D, and many more a good or great video card is needed to run the Vista smoothly. If you are short of budget and did not care much about the entire graphical feature provided by Vista I suggest you turn off all the unneeded graphical features such as Vista Sidebar and Vista Aero (excluding Vista Home Basic Edition).
- Vista Sidebar is one of the great features that Vista has. Although I said that, it comes of no use if we don’t make use of the applets. If you find that the sidebar is of no use to you, you should turn it off and disable it for good.
- To turn it off - “right-click” the sidebar >> Close
- To disable it – “right-click” the sidebar >> Properties >> Uncheck the "Start Sidebar when Windows starts" checkbox.
- Vista Aero is the feature that provides the users with cool glassy and 3D effect. To those who are struggling with their Vista, it is wise for them to turn it off. The best way to turn off Vista Aero is told below:
- To turn it off – “right-click” on Computer(My Computer) >> Properties >> Advanced System Settings(on Tasks) >> On Advanced tab click on Perfomance's Settings Button >> On Visual effects tab choose Custom and check any feature you would like to run.
- If you choose to uncheck all the checkbox don’t be surprise if your window turns much like Windows Classic Themes.
- Windows ReadyBoost
- Ok this is the best way to increase your memory without buying any new RAM. With ReadyBoost, user will be able to increase their memory with their available flash disk. How cool is that. For those user who have limited memory expansion capabilities this will most probably their life savers, but there’s a catch, Vista will first checks on your flash disk to see if its see if its performance is fast enough to work with Windows ReadyBoost. If it doesnt, you won’t be able to improve your memory any time soon.
- Ok this is the best way to increase your memory without buying any new RAM. With ReadyBoost, user will be able to increase their memory with their available flash disk. How cool is that. For those user who have limited memory expansion capabilities this will most probably their life savers, but there’s a catch, Vista will first checks on your flash disk to see if its see if its performance is fast enough to work with Windows ReadyBoost. If it doesnt, you won’t be able to improve your memory any time soon.
- Stop Unneeded Starts Up Programs
- Ever wonder why it took so long just to load your operating system? Well it’s mostly related to too many starts up programs running when the operating system starts to load.
- Use Windows System Tools.
- Often most of the users do not know of the Windows System Tools or scared of using it since there are afraid if the disk cleanup or defragmentation will delete their files or change any PC’s configuration.
- Well that’s easy enough to solve it isn’t it. All you users need to do is understands what the various system tools does. A good reference on defragmentation can be found at this link
- I’ll explain briefly on what disk cleanup does. Well like the name suggest, the disk cleanup will clean your disk good. But what exactly it cleans? Well for starters it lets you choose from various things such as Recycle Bin, Temporary files, Temporary Internet files, Hibernation Files cleaner, and many other things that will be opt to you.
- By doing both disk cleanup and defragmentation on a system which you have never defrag or cleanup, you’ll be surprise with how much your system will improves.
- I’ll be posting an article on the various system tools later in another article. So hope all of you be waiting for it.
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Enter Windows 7
- UAC's Great Improvement
- Finally, what users have been waiting for, a UAC(User Account Control) which you can fully control. For those who are new to the term, UAC is (taken straight from Wikipedia.com) a technology and security infrastructure introduced with Microsoft's Windows Vista Operating System. It aims to improve the security of Microsoft Windows by limiting application software to standard user privileges until an administrator authorizes an increase in privilege level. In Vista you either turn it off or let it bother you everytime you are opening an apllication. Now with Windows 7, you are given four choices, these are, never notify, only notify me when programs try to make changes to my computer, always notify me, and always notify me and wait for my response. With these option users can control the UAC further.
- A Better Taskbar
- Even though it does not come with the pre-beta, it is still one of the most talked about feature in Windows 7. This is due to the to its beautiful made taskbar that look a lot like the Mac OS X dock. Another feature of the taskbar is it is able to show all the running programs in a thumbnail list and if you hover over one of the thumbnail a window representing the program will appear. If you hover in one of the window the other window will become transparent thus the window you selected will be fully reveal.
- You can watch the demo by following this link. This is by no means my video. Im only providing the link to the video.
- Easy Networking
- It is now easy to set up a group of networking inside your house. Now you can share pictures, music, videos, documents and devices such as a printer easily. This is great especially for home users who find it difficult in configuring their own home network. This networking feature is called Homegroup, now even a total novice can set up their own home network.
- Libraries
- The name says it all, with Libraries, Windows 7 will sort all your files into their own specific folders depending on their content. Instead of trashing all of the files in the Document file like before, Windows 7 keep all of the files in a specific folder according to their content's type.
- The name says it all, with Libraries, Windows 7 will sort all your files into their own specific folders depending on their content. Instead of trashing all of the files in the Document file like before, Windows 7 keep all of the files in a specific folder according to their content's type.
- Enter Touch-Screen
- Finally here comes an OS build with touch-screen capability for the Personal Computer's user. Not only that it is touch-screen but it also is a multi-touch screen, this means that the screen may work even with multi touch.
- For a demo on this feature you may watch it here. Again this is not my video, I am merely providing the link to the video.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Optimizing your Computer
Malware is your Enemies
Malware such as viruses, Trojans, worms, spywares, and adwares are said to be the main cause of a slow PC. The first thing we need to do is get rid of as many malware possible away from our system.
You can do so by using any of Anti-Malware software. Examples of Anti-Malware software are Spybot-Search and Destroy, Avast Home Edition, AVG Anti-Virus, and many other anti-virus softwares which are available to you for free.
Always remember to cleanup your disk before scanning your computer with the Software. This will delete temporary and other unnecessary files from your hard disk and futher reducing scan times.
Get the latest OS updates
OS updates such as Windows Updates are important to optimize performance and error free operation.
Tweak your PC
Tweak as defined by broadbandinfo.com is small changes made in a computer, such as an adjustment, to try and make it function correctly or more efficiently. From the definition above you could you should now know the importance of tweaking your computer.
Yes!! Default OS Visual and configuration settings may look appealing to most of the users but many found it to be the cause of slow system performance. Windows Vista for examples, have many nice visual to look at but it is also memory hungry. There are many other tweaks available for every OS out there, Google for
You can also find some tweaks according to the OS by following below links:
Stop unused Services.
Most OS has extra services which running by default in the background. The problem is most of the people will never use such services. By disabling any unnecessary services you will improve the OS boot time and security.
These are some of the ways you can use to improve your computer system. I hope this will help you optimizing your computer performances.
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
SP1 For Vista

Enter the Service Pack 1 for Microsoft’s Windows Vista Operating System. The long awaited updates will be arriving this March. With this, Microsoft has promised improve over reliability, security, and performance. Sadly, Microsoft will not offer the update to those Vista PCs that have been found with 'problematic' device drivers.
Some of the updates mentioned in the Microsoft TechNet website are application compatibility, reliability, performance and power consumption, and security improvements. Together in the service pack are support for new technologies and standards available today.
This is the biggest updates since it was last release in January 30th last year. I hope with this Service Pack 1 most of the flaws Vista had previously will be eliminates.
For more information on notable changes of in Windows Vista Service Pack 1 you can check it here.
Monday, February 4, 2008
Make Your Firefox Lightning Fast
Firefox filled with lots of features and cool add-ons are the dominant web browser of today. That’s not all there is to it. With Firefox you can speed up your browsing experience by doing this simple tweak.
Note: This tweaked is only useful for broadband connection only. It won’t work with dial up connection. So for dial up user you can skip this guide for now as it will do you no good.
- Open your Firefox browser. In the address bar, type in “about:config” and hit Return. You will notice a long list of things. Scroll down the list and look for these entries
- Network.http.pipelining
- Set the value to true by double clicking on the entries.
- Network.http.proxy.pipelining
- Set the value to true by double clicking on the entries
- Network.http.pipelining.maxrequest
- Set the value to any number to a bigger number. This will determine the maximum number of request to the server at once. If you type in 30 then it will give out 30 requests at once.
- Lastly right-click anywhere on the page and select New >> Integer. A box will come out and demand for the new preferences name. Enter the name as “nglayout.initialpaint.delay “and set its value to “0”. This will make sure Firefox act upon receives certain information.
Voila, you should have a better surfing experience by now. Enjoy!!
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Is the more RAM the better?
To answer the question above, we need first to understand how the memory works. RAM is basically a temporary storage of data. But why would you need a bigger RAM when it’s just for a temporary storage. Well, think of a RAM as your study desk and hard disk as your bookshelf. As you may realize both of this is important. Without the bookshelf and study desk, you can’t store your vast collection of books and study properly. The same goes for computer, without hard disk it can’t store and without a RAM it can’t execute its work. So if a RAM is the same as a desk, does that mean we need a bigger desk? Well that’s really depend on our usage. For students who refer to loads of books at a time, it would be good idea to get a bigger desk but for those who usually refer to a single book at a time it is unnecessary. Similar to a computer, those who usually uses heavy application such as 3D games, and more, needs a bigger RAM than usual because with a bigger RAM you are able to run many application simultaneously. On the other hand, for those who use it for normal uses it won’t be necessary to expand the RAM because the chances are the extra RAM won’t make much of a different to the computer performance.



