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How to open rar files

<h1 style="font-size:28px;margin:0px 0px 18px;line-height:36px;font-weight:normal"><a href="http://m.digitaltrends.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/How-to-open-rar-files-header-image.png" rel="post" style="font-size:13px;line-height:18px;color:rgb(96,120,144)" target="_blank"><img alt="How to open rar files header image" src="http://img.digitaltrends.com/image/how-to-open-rar-files-header-image-550x0.png" style="border-width:0px"></a> </h1>Although you’re more likely to encounter a zip file than a RAR file in your everyday activities, the latter has numerous advantages over the former, offering everything from a higher level of compression to comprehensive support for error recovery. RARs even allow users to split and save single files into multiple parts, providing a simple means of creating an archive spanning several mediums. While zip files can be natively opened on nearly every OS without third-party software, RARs require external software to use.  Windows users can always purchase the premium WinRAR application to open the files — the file archiver initially built in conjunction with the proprietary format — but most users will likely want to snag one of several free offerings on the Web with RAR support and built-in functionality. Here’s our guide on how to open RAR files on Windows and Mac OS X. Also, check out <a href="http://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/how-to-password-protect-folder-windows-mac-os-x-apple-microsoft/" style="color:rgb(96,120,144)" target="_blank">our guide on how to password protect a folder</a>. Skip ahead to <a href="http://m.digitaltrends.com/computing/how-to-open-rar-files-windows-mac-pc/#maco" style="color:rgb(96,120,144)" target="_blank">opening RAR files on Mac OS X</a>.<a href="http://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/password-protect-folder/2/" style="color:rgb(96,120,144)" target="_blank"> </a><img alt="Windows Subhead Banner" height="54" src="http://img.digitaltrends.com/image/windows-banner-copy-625x625.png" style="border-width:0px;display:block;clear:both;margin:18px auto" width="625"> Step 1: Download, install and launch 7-Zip — Navigate to the <a href="http://www.7-zip.org/download.html" style="color:rgb(96,120,144)" target="_blank">7-Zip download page</a> and select the download link corresponding to your desired version of the software. Alternatively, select your desired version of 7-Zip from the table below, or simply download the <a href="http://sourceforge.net/projects/sevenzip/files/latest/download" style="color:rgb(96,120,144)" target="_blank">latest standard executable file</a>. When in the installer, select your desired destination folder for the utility and click the Install button in the bottom-right corner of the window. Click the Finish button when done and launch the program. <table border="0" align="center" style="border-collapse:collapse;border-spacing:0px;font-size:13px;font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19px;width:625px"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align:center">Download Link</td> <td style="text-align:center">Type</td><td style="text-align:center">Windows</td><td style="text-align:center">Description</td></tr><tr><td style="text-align:center"> <a href="http://downloads.sourceforge.net/sevenzip/7z920.exe" style="color:rgb(96,120,144)" target="_blank">Download</a></td><td style="text-align:center">.exe</td><td style="text-align:center">32-bit x86</td><td style="text-align:center"> 7-Zip for 32-bit Windows</td></tr><tr><td style="text-align:center"><a href="http://downloads.sourceforge.net/sevenzip/7z920.msi" style="color:rgb(96,120,144)" target="_blank">Download</a></td><td style="text-align:center"> .msi</td><td style="text-align:center">32-bit x86</td><td style="text-align:center">7-Zip for 32-bit Windows</td></tr><tr><td style="text-align:center"><a href="http://downloads.sourceforge.net/sevenzip/7z920-x64.msi" style="color:rgb(96,120,144)" target="_blank">Download</a></td> <td style="text-align:center">.msi</td><td style="text-align:center">64-bit x64</td><td style="text-align:center">7-Zip for 64-bit Windows x64 (Intel 64 or AMD64)</td></tr><tr><td style="text-align:center"><a href="http://downloads.sourceforge.net/sevenzip/7z920-ia64.msi" style="color:rgb(96,120,144)" target="_blank">Download</a></td> <td style="text-align:center">.msi</td><td style="text-align:center">IA-64</td><td style="text-align:center">7-Zip for IA-64 Itanium CPU</td></tr><tr><td style="text-align:center"><a href="http://downloads.sourceforge.net/sevenzip/7z920-arm.exe" style="color:rgb(96,120,144)" target="_blank">Download</a></td> <td style="text-align:center">.exe</td><td style="text-align:center">ARM</td><td style="text-align:center">7-Zip for Windows Mobile / Windows CE (ARM)</td></tr><tr><td style="text-align:center"><a href="http://downloads.sourceforge.net/sevenzip/7za920.zip" style="color:rgb(96,120,144)" target="_blank">Download</a></td> <td style="text-align:center">.zip</td><td style="text-align:center">32-bit</td><td style="text-align:center">7-Zip Command Line Version</td></tr><tr><td style="text-align:center"><a href="http://downloads.sourceforge.net/sevenzip/7z920.tar.bz2" style="color:rgb(96,120,144)" target="_blank">Download</a></td> <td style="text-align:center">.tar.bz2</td><td style="text-align:center">Any</td><td style="text-align:center">7-Zip Source code</td></tr><tr><td style="text-align:center"><a href="http://downloads.sourceforge.net/sevenzip/7z920_extra.7z" style="color:rgb(96,120,144)" target="_blank">Download</a></td> <td style="text-align:center">.7z</td><td style="text-align:center">31-bit</td><td style="text-align:center">7z Library, SFXs for installers, Plugin for FAR Manager</td></tr><tr><td style="text-align:center"><a href="http://downloads.sourceforge.net/sevenzip/lzma920.tar.bz2" style="color:rgb(96,120,144)" target="_blank">Download</a></td> <td style="text-align:center">.tar.bz2</td><td style="text-align:center">Any</td><td style="text-align:center">LZMA SDK (C, C++, C#, Java)</td></tr></tbody></table> Step 2: Open the file in 7-Zip — Once opened, locate the RAR file you wish to open within the main 7-Zip interface. To do so, peruse the resulting folder directly and double-click the RAR file to access the contents of the file. Alternatively, right click said file and select the Open option near the top of the resulting drop-down menu. <img alt="Open Rar in 7-Zip" height="351" src="http://img.digitaltrends.com/image/image-13-4-625x625.png" style="border-width:0px;display:block;clear:both;margin:18px auto" width="625"> Step 3: Open or copy the file — Now simply double-click the RAR file to launch the file in the appropriate program, or if you wish to save the save the file elsewhere on your computer, highlight the file in question and click the Copy button housed beneath the top navigation bar. Afterward, select a save location for the file in the pop-up window and click the gray OK button in the bottom-right corner of the window. <a name="1452286ec3e0f33d_maco"></a><img alt="Copy files within a rar" height="347" src="http://img.digitaltrends.com/image/image-14-4-625x625.png" style="border-width:0px;display:block;clear:both;margin:18px auto" width="625"> <a href="http://m.digitaltrends.com/computing/how-to-open-rar-files-windows-mac-pc/#mac" style="color:rgb(96,120,144)" target="_blank"><img alt="Mac OS X Subhead Banner" height="54" src="http://img.digitaltrends.com/image/mac-os-x-banner-copy-625x625.png" style="border-width:0px;display:block;clear:both;margin:18px auto" width="625"></a> Unarchiver easily trumps the built-in archive unpacker program in Mac OS X — the aptly-titled Archive Utility — touting support for a greater number of file formats and offering additional functionality more akin to 7-Zip than other available offerings on the Web. Though Unarchiver also lacks the ability to create RAR files, it still allows you to open RARs with just a few steps. Step 1: Download, install and launch Unarchiver — Navigate to <a href="http://wakaba.c3.cx/s/apps/unarchiver" style="color:rgb(96,120,144)" target="_blank">the Unarchiver download page</a> and click the dark-gray Download button on the right-hand side of the page prior to selecting a save location for the resulting zip file. Afterward, extract the file and launch the program. <img alt="Unarchiver download" height="198" src="http://img.digitaltrends.com/image/unarchiver-download-625x625.png" style="border-width:0px;display:block;clear:both;margin:18px auto" width="625"> Step 3: Extract and open the archive — Once opened, ensure the box directly left of RAR Archive is checked — along with any other archive types you wish to open with the Unarchiver — and click the Extraction tab located at the top of the application window. Afterward, select your save location for the resulting file from the drop-down menu near the top of the window, control-click the RAR file you wish to open, and choose the Unarchiver from the drop-down menu beside the Open With option. The utility will then automatically create and save a file with same name as the RAR file in the previously-specified location. Then, simply double-click the RAR file to launch the file in the appropriate program. <img alt="Extract Archive" height="253" src="http://img.digitaltrends.com/image/unarchiver-2-625x625.png" style="border-width:0px;display:block;clear:both;margin:18px auto" width="625"> Read more: <a href="http://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/how-to-open-rar-files-windows-mac-pc/#ixzz2xjWBktKC" style="color:rgb(0,51,153)" target="_blank">http://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/how-to-open-rar-files-windows-mac-pc/#ixzz2xjWBktKC</a>  Follow us: <a href="http://ec.tynt.com/b/rw?id=a4WNn6KVyr4yHaacwqm_6r&u=digitaltrends" style="color:rgb(96,120,144)" target="_blank">@digitaltrends on Twitter</a> | <a href="http://ec.tynt.com/b/rf?id=a4WNn6KVyr4yHaacwqm_6r&u=digitaltrendsftw" style="color:rgb(96,120,144)" target="_blank">digitaltrendsftw on Facebook</a>

How to open rar files

Although you’re more likely to encounter a zip file than a RAR file in your everyday activities, the latter has numerous advantages over...

6:07 am

How to Convert MKV to AVI

<h1 class="post-title beta" style="font-size:28px;margin:0px 0px 18px;line-height:36px;font-weight:normal"><a href="http://m.digitaltrends.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/MKV-to-AVI-Header-Image1.png" rel="post" style="font-size:13px;line-height:18px;color:rgb(96,120,144)"><img alt="MKV to AVI Header Image" src="http://img.digitaltrends.com/image/mkv-to-avi-header-image-2-550x0.png" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px;"></a> </h1>Despite the foreign-sounding name, Matroska files are anything but rare. The multimedia container format — known more commonly as MKV — is an open standard, one entirely free for independent and commercial use. It’s also an industrious format, capable of holding virtually unlimited amounts of data, while touting the ability to hold various metadata in the form of subtitles, chapter points, menu screens, and other notable elements present in many of today’s blockbuster DVDs and Blu-ray discs. However, despite MKV’s functionality, it’s not the most compatible format when it comes to playing said multimedia content on your Blu-ray player, smartphone, tablet, or other device. Fortunately, AVI is a similar multimedia container format compatible with both Windows and Mac OS X. Simply put, it’s a format fit for nearly every occasion. How to convert MKV to AVI using Any Video Converter (Desktop) Step 1: Open the <a href="http://www.any-video-converter.com/avi-converter/mkv-to-avi-converter.php" style="color:rgb(96,120,144)" target="_blank">Any Video Converter download page</a> and click the download button. <img alt="Any Video Converter Download Screen" class="alignnone wp-image-546024 aligncenter" height="210" src="http://img.digitaltrends.com/image/avc-download-screen-2-625x625.jpg" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px; display: block; clear: both; margin: 18px auto;" width="625"> Step 2: Once downloaded, launch Any Video Converter and follow the install instructions. The setup file will essentially ask you to click the Next button several times, followed by the Install button. Afterward, enter the registration name and license code if applicable, or click Continue to Try to bypass to the main AVC page. <img alt="Any Video Converter Trial" class="alignnone wp-image-546160 aligncenter" height="313" src="http://img.digitaltrends.com/image/avc-pic-6-625x625.jpg" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px; display: block; clear: both; margin: 18px auto;" width="625"> Step 3:  Click and drag the MKV file you want to convert into the center of the app to upload the file. Once uploaded, click the drop-down menu in the upper-right corner and select Customized AVI movie near the bottom of the list. Once done, click the blue Convert Now! button to begin converting the MKV file. <img alt="Any Video Convert AVI Movie Option" class="alignnone wp-image-546283 aligncenter" height="52" src="http://img.digitaltrends.com/image/avc-pic-7-625x625.jpg" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px; display: block; clear: both; margin: 18px auto;" width="625"> Step 4:  Next, click the management option directly right of the file — located beneath the Convert Now button — followed by the converted AVI file. Afterward, the new file will automatically be placed on your desktop. <img alt="MKV to AVI Final Conversion Image" class=" wp-image-546081 aligncenter" height="202" src="http://img.digitaltrends.com/image/avc-final-avi-image-625x625.jpg" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px; display: block; clear: both; margin: 18px auto;" width="625"> <h3 style="font-size:22px;margin:18px 0px 1em;line-height:27px;font-family:sans-serif"> </h3><h3 style="font-size:22px;margin:18px 0px 1em;line-height:27px;font-family:sans-serif">How To Convert MVK to AVI Using Cloud Convert (Web-based)</h3> Step 1: Navigate to the main<a href="https://cloudconvert.org/" style="color:rgb(96,120,144)" target="_blank"> CloudConvert</a> webpage, click Select files in the top-left corner, and locate the MKV file you want to convert. Alternatively, click the downward arrow next to Select files and choose the file from either your Dropbox or Google Drive account. <img alt="CloudConvert File Select" class=" wp-image-547794 aligncenter" height="140" src="http://img.digitaltrends.com/image/cloudconvert-select-625x625.png" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px; display: block; clear: both; margin: 18px auto;" width="625"> Step 2: Once chosen, select the Video option from the drop-down menu beneath the output format section, followed by the avi option.   <img alt="Cloud Convert Selecting Output Format" class=" wp-image-546111 aligncenter" height="144" src="http://img.digitaltrends.com/image/cloudconvert-pic-3-625x625.jpg" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px; display: block; clear: both; margin: 18px auto;" width="625"> Step 3: Once the presets have been chosen, click the red Start Conversation button. <img alt="CloudConvert Start Conversion" class="alignnone wp-image-546095 aligncenter" height="378" src="http://img.digitaltrends.com/image/cloudconvert-pic-2-625x625.jpg" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px; display: block; clear: both; margin: 18px auto;" width="625"> Step 4: When finished, click the Download option, and the new AVI file will automatically be placed on your desktop!  CloudConvert also offers options that allow you to upload the converted file directly to your Dropbox or Gmail account.

How to Convert MKV to AVI

Despite the foreign-sounding name, Matroska files are anything but rare. The multimedia container format — known more commonly as MKV — is...

6:06 am

How to map a network drive

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM9ANCSxx5w2C4jOS-uiceS-IxG63DxRY7uHmcXV2eRHnqJBImbQWeHqMQE6bOm1e_d1dx2e25gI_cDnCYYEEbczN3CZP_jsAt7cRgn8TatA22NVfU2R2JWu0sZFW53tJglVfW1dEqQTB-/s1600/howtomapnetworkdriveheader-550x0-774358.jpeg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5997680342041794898" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM9ANCSxx5w2C4jOS-uiceS-IxG63DxRY7uHmcXV2eRHnqJBImbQWeHqMQE6bOm1e_d1dx2e25gI_cDnCYYEEbczN3CZP_jsAt7cRgn8TatA22NVfU2R2JWu0sZFW53tJglVfW1dEqQTB-/s320/howtomapnetworkdriveheader-550x0-774358.jpeg" /></a><h1 class="post-title beta" style="font-size:28px;margin:0px 0px 18px;line-height:36px;font-weight:normal"><a href="http://m.digitaltrends.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/HowToMapNetworkDriveHeader.jpg" rel="post" style="font-size:13px;line-height:18px;color:rgb(96,120,144)"><img alt="HowToMapNetworkDriveHeader" src="http://img.digitaltrends.com/image/howtomapnetworkdriveheader-550x0.jpg" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px;"></a> </h1>You could back up your data on an external hard drive, but what if you need to access important files or information that’s located on a computer other than your own? Mapping networked drives grants users remote access to content stored on a server or network-attached storage device. However, granting access to networked drives can be tedious. Fortunately, both Windows and Mac OS X make it easy to map a network drive, and neither method requires more than five minutes of your time. Mapping a network drive in Windows 7 Step 1: Click the Start menu and select Windows Explorer from the resulting drop-down menu.<img alt="Image 1" class="size-large wp-image-555099 aligncenter" height="625" src="http://img.digitaltrends.com/image/image-1-17-625x625.png" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px; display: block; clear: both; margin: 18px auto;" width="501"> Step 2: Once open, select the Computer section located on the left-hand side of the window and click the Map network drive button near the top. <img alt="Image 2" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-555100" height="448" src="http://img.digitaltrends.com/image/image-2-14-625x625.png" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px; display: block; clear: both; margin: 18px auto;" width="625"> Step 3: The resulting setup wizard provides options for both manually specifying the network address, or browsing for it among systems on your network. Click the check box directly to the left of “Reconnect at login” if you wish to automatically re-establish the connection every time you start your computer. If the networked drive requires log-in credentials other than those used for your computer, check the “Connect using different credentials” box below and enter your credentials when prompted. Click Finished in the bottom-right corner when done. <a href="http://www.digitaltrends.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/MapNetworkDrive7.jpg" style="color:rgb(96,120,144)"><img alt="Win7 Map Network Drive" class="size-large wp-image-551870 aligncenter" height="416" src="http://img.digitaltrends.com/image/mapnetworkdrive7-625x625.jpg" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px; display: block; clear: both; margin: 18px auto;" width="625"></a> <h3 style="font-size:22px;margin:18px 0px 1em;line-height:27px;font-family:sans-serif">Mapping a network drive in Windows 8</h3>Step 1: Enter the Modern/Metro UI, type “File Explorer” and select it from the list of results that appear on the right side of the screen. <img alt="Open File Explorer" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-555245" height="173" src="http://img.digitaltrends.com/image/open-file-explorer-625x625.png" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px; display: block; clear: both; margin: 18px auto;" width="625"> Step 2: Once open, select the “Computer” section located on the left-hand side of the window, click the “Computer” tab at the top, and select the “Map network drive” option. <img alt="Image 601" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-555251" height="244" src="http://img.digitaltrends.com/image/image-601-625x625.png" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px; display: block; clear: both; margin: 18px auto;" width="625"> Step 3: The resulting setup wizard provides options for both manually specifying the network address, or browsing for it among systems on your network. Click the check box directly to the left of “Reconnect at login” if you wish to automatically re-establish the connection every time you start your computer. If the networked drive requires log-in credentials other than those used for your computer, check the “Connect using different credentials” box below and enter your credentials when prompted. Click Finished in the bottom-right corner when done. <img alt="Network Drive 8" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-555242" height="462" src="http://img.digitaltrends.com/image/network-drive-8-625x625.png" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px; display: block; clear: both; margin: 18px auto;" width="625"> <h3 style="font-size:22px;margin:18px 0px 1em;line-height:27px;font-family:sans-serif"><a name="Mac OS X" style=""></a>Mapping a network drive in Mac OS X</h3> In Mac OS X, there is a shortcut that makes it easy to map and access network drives without any extra software.Step 1: Make the Finder utility active, hold the Command key and press the “K” button to bring up the appropriate server connections. If Finder is not active, click the blue face icon within the Mac OS X Dock before entering the keyboard command. <img alt="Screen Shot 2014-03-17 at 1.04.26 PM" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-555261" height="89" src="http://img.digitaltrends.com/image/screen-shot-2014-03-17-at-1-04-26-pm-625x625.png" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px; display: block; clear: both; margin: 18px auto;" width="625"> Step 2: The resulting window provides options for both manually specifying the network address, or browsing for it among systems on your network. Select the appropriate server and click the “Connect” button in the bottom-right corner of the window when finished. <a href="http://www.digitaltrends.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/MacNetworkDrive.jpg" style="color:rgb(96,120,144)"><img alt="MacNetworkDrive" class="size-large wp-image-551894 aligncenter" height="299" src="http://img.digitaltrends.com/image/macnetworkdrive-625x625.jpg" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px; display: block; clear: both; margin: 18px auto;" width="625"></a>

How to map a network drive

You could back up your data on an external hard drive, but what if you need to access important files or information that’s located on a c...

6:02 am

How to find your Windows 8 or 8.1 product key

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH7RNV-ZJy67US1J-qSNwMtkck9rQaWgkgfGtyNXnpgxgY-_NXjhOplgLTqlXMHxh7GziOZmWGMONqmi7LJ1krQ46ExZXuqXp6faZCq3KNib9RSqmXRQdo_U7TuodfJUuGoc4ARBBhYoG9/s1600/downloading-windows-8-550x0-714944.jpeg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5997675365140762722" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH7RNV-ZJy67US1J-qSNwMtkck9rQaWgkgfGtyNXnpgxgY-_NXjhOplgLTqlXMHxh7GziOZmWGMONqmi7LJ1krQ46ExZXuqXp6faZCq3KNib9RSqmXRQdo_U7TuodfJUuGoc4ARBBhYoG9/s320/downloading-windows-8-550x0-714944.jpeg" /></a><h1 class="post-title beta" style="font-size:28px;margin:0px 0px 18px;line-height:36px;font-weight:normal"><a href="http://m.digitaltrends.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/downloading-Windows-8.jpg" rel="post" style="font-size:13px;line-height:18px;color:rgb(96,120,144)"><img alt="downloading-Windows-8" src="http://img.digitaltrends.com/image/downloading-windows-8-550x0.jpg" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px;"></a> </h1>Product keys gatekeepers that prevent widespread piracy, but if there’s one drawback to them, it’s the fact that they can be misplaced quite easily. There’s a good chance your Windows product key is deeply buried within an email inbox full of spam, entombed in the dark recesses of your closet, or otherwise inaccessible. Thankfully, Windows users can easily extract the key from the Windows Registry using a product key finder in less than 15 minutes.  Here’s our guide on how to find your Windows 8 or 8.1 product key Also, check out top picks for the <a href="http://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/best-product-key-finders/#!ANK6I" style="color:rgb(96,120,144)">best product key finders</a>, along with our guides on <a href="http://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/how-to-install-windows-8/#!AN9cx" style="color:rgb(96,120,144)">how to install Windows 8</a> and <a href="http://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/how-to-download-and-install-windows-8-1-for-free/#!AOaBx" style="color:rgb(96,120,144)">how to upgrade to Windows 8.1</a> <h3 style="font-size:22px;margin:18px 0px 1em;line-height:27px;font-family:sans-serif">Step 1: Download Windows 8 Product Key Viewer</h3> <a href="http://www.softpedia.com/get/System/System-Info/Windows-8-Product-Key-Viewer.shtml" style="color:rgb(96,120,144)" target="_blank">C</a>lick here, to download Windows 8 Product Key Viewer. Afterward, title and select a save location for the file. The app is lightweight and sports a no-frills interface. <h3 style="font-size:22px;margin:18px 0px 1em;line-height:27px;font-family:sans-serif">Step 2: Run the program</h3>Once downloaded, double-click the zip folder and open executable file, “pkeyui.exe”. Then, click the Run button. <div id="gallery-1" class="gallery galleryid-556272 gallery-columns-2 gallery-size-thumbnail" style="margin:auto;font-family:sans-serif;line-height:19px"><dl class="gallery-item" style="margin:10px 0px 18px;font-size:13px;line-height:18px;float:left;text-align:center;width:660.5px"> <dt class="gallery-icon landscape" style><a href="http://m.digitaltrends.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/WindowsKeyDownloadFolderNew.png" style="color:rgb(96,120,144)"><img alt="WindowsKeyDownloadFolderNew" class="attachment-thumbnail" height="210" src="http://img.digitaltrends.com/image/windowskeydownloadfoldernew-350x210.png" style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 2px solid rgb(207, 207, 207);" width="350"></a></dt> </dl><dl class="gallery-item" style="margin:10px 0px 18px;font-size:13px;line-height:18px;float:left;text-align:center;width:660.5px"><dt class="gallery-icon landscape" style><a href="http://m.digitaltrends.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/WindowsKeyOpen.png" style="color:rgb(96,120,144)"><img alt="WindowsKeyOpen" class="attachment-thumbnail" height="210" src="http://img.digitaltrends.com/image/windowskeyopen-350x210.png" style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 2px solid rgb(207, 207, 207);" width="350"></a></dt> </dl> </div><h3 style="font-size:22px;margin:18px 0px 1em;line-height:27px;font-family:sans-serif">Step 3: Take down your Windows product key</h3> Once found, note the 25-character product key, ensuring the combination of letters and numbers is copied exactly as shown. <a href="http://www.digitaltrends.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/WindowsKeyFinalNew-copy.png" style="color:rgb(96,120,144)"><img alt="WindowsKeyFinalNew copy" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-556388" height="271" src="http://img.digitaltrends.com/image/windowskeyfinalnew-copy-625x625.png" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px; display: block; clear: both; margin: 18px auto;" width="625"></a> Note: Locating your product key via Windows Product Key Finder isn’t fool-proof. Thankfully, there are other methods of locating your Windows 8 product key as well. You can contact Microsoft and request a product key if you purchased a retail version of Windows 8, or if the software came pre-installed on your computer, simply contact the manufacturer for a replacement key.

How to find your Windows 8 or 8.1 product key

Product keys gatekeepers that prevent widespread piracy, but if there’s one drawback to them, it’s the fact that they can be misplaced qui...

5:43 am

HOW TO GUIDE: 60+ Great How To Sites and Resources

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk0BVREPsxRsWdODT3KBKBKTxzLMXFYhpYXBzeD_yY6n9NWqscGJxRjOONKXR5_B5bi0xHga24hZhVjKpxwwe_r448b2pm04Q_oRH32L57wzXwLNfnMmGTpw4vGXE2HecB57xwnMhFPSRu/s1600/how-to-guide-60-great-how-to-sites-and-resources--c127b25536-764332.jpeg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5997654103036334514" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk0BVREPsxRsWdODT3KBKBKTxzLMXFYhpYXBzeD_yY6n9NWqscGJxRjOONKXR5_B5bi0xHga24hZhVjKpxwwe_r448b2pm04Q_oRH32L57wzXwLNfnMmGTpw4vGXE2HecB57xwnMhFPSRu/s320/how-to-guide-60-great-how-to-sites-and-resources--c127b25536-764332.jpeg" /></a><h1 class="title" href="http://mashable.com/2009/02/18/how-to-guide/" style="margin:0.5em 0px;font-family:MuseoSlabLight;font-weight:normal;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-size:2.4rem;line-height:1.2;clear:left">Ever had one of those moments when you really wished you knew how to do something specific? If only there were someone you could ask... </h1>Thanks to the social web, particularly niche blogs and expert-driven communities, it's easy to find knowledge, insights and guidance direct from the pros, no matter what the topic area. In fact, online tutorials and how-to sites have been around almost as long as the web itself. Here's a run-down of more than 60 great how-to sites and guides covering everything from building a mashup to being more productive, creating a website and more. Have a great how-to site that will teach us something new? Add it to the comments and tell us more about it!<h2 style="margin:0px 0px 1rem;font-family:inherit;color:inherit;font-size:24px;line-height:1.27;clear:left"> General How-to</h2><center><img alt="wikihow" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-105644" src="http://rack.0.mshcdn.com/media/ZgkyMDEyLzA2LzI0LzE2XzUyXzAxXzExMl9maWxlCnAJdGh1bWIJMTIwMHg5NjAwPg/98cf1321" style="max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle; border-width: 0px;"></center> <a href="http://www.wikihow.com/" style="color:rgb(0,174,239)" target="_blank">wikiHow</a> - A huge collection of how-to guides edited by the community. <a href="http://www.ehow.com/" style="color:rgb(0,174,239)" target="_blank">eHow</a> - One of the largest collections of tutorials on the web. eHow is a 2008 Open Web Awards Blogger's Choice<a href="http://mashable.com/2008/12/10/announcing-bloggers-choice-open-web-awards-winners/" style="color:rgb(0,174,239)">winner</a>. <a href="http://www.howtodothings.com/" style="color:rgb(0,174,239)" target="_blank">How To Do Things.com</a> - Find articles from experienced contributors on how to do just about anything. <a href="http://www.wonderhowto.com/" style="color:rgb(0,174,239)" target="_blank">WonderHowTo</a> - A human-edited collection of video tutorials from more than 1700 websites. <a href="http://www.instructables.com/" style="color:rgb(0,174,239)" target="_blank">Instructables</a> - A community that creates tutorials on an enormous variety of topics, some practical, some not-so. <a href="http://www.expertvillage.com/" style="color:rgb(0,174,239)" target="_blank">Expert Village</a> - A collection of more than 130,000 video tutorials.<center><img alt="soyouwannacom" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-105657" src="http://rack.2.mshcdn.com/media/ZgkyMDEyLzA2LzI0LzE2XzUyXzAxXzM3OV9maWxlCnAJdGh1bWIJMTIwMHg5NjAwPg/060d0003" style="max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle; border-width: 0px;"></center> <a href="http://www.howcast.com/" style="color:rgb(0,174,239)" target="_blank">Howcast</a> - Find how-to videos on a variety of topics. Howcast is the 2008 Open Web Awards <a href="http://mashable.com/2008/12/10/announcing-bloggers-choice-open-web-awards-winners/" style="color:rgb(0,174,239)">Blogger's Choice runner-up</a>. <a href="http://www.mindbites.com/" style="color:rgb(0,174,239)" target="_blank">MindBites</a> - Watch how-to videos or create your own to earn money. <a href="http://www.videojug.com/" style="color:rgb(0,174,239)" target="_blank">VideoJug</a> - How to videos for just about everything in life.<a href="http://www.sutree.com/" style="color:rgb(0,174,239)" target="_blank">SuTree</a> - A collection of how-to videos covering everything from beauty & fashion to language. <h2 style="margin:0px 0px 1rem;font-family:inherit;color:inherit;font-size:24px;line-height:1.27;clear:left">Technology How-To</h2><center><img alt="wired-how-to-wiki" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-105682" src="http://rack.2.mshcdn.com/media/ZgkyMDEyLzA2LzI0LzE2XzUyXzAxXzQ1OV9maWxlCnAJdGh1bWIJMTIwMHg5NjAwPg/49c05cb9" style="max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle; border-width: 0px;"></center> <a href="http://howto.wired.com/wiki/Main_Page" style="color:rgb(0,174,239)" target="_blank">Wired How-To Wiki</a> - Get information on how to do technology-related things from linkbaiting your blog to surviving a nuclear blast. <a href="http://java.sun.com/docs/books/tutorial/uiswing/components/componentlist.html" style="color:rgb(0,174,239)" target="_blank">The Java Tutorials</a> - A collection of Java tutorials from Sun on using various components. <a href="http://www.howtogeek.com/" style="color:rgb(0,174,239)" target="_blank">the How-To Geek</a> - A collection of computer tutorials covering everything from protecting your children online to using different wallpapers on dual monitors. <a href="http://www.programmableweb.com/howto" style="color:rgb(0,174,239)" target="_blank">How to Make Your Own Web Mashup</a> - A short tutorial outlining the steps necessary to build a mashup. <a href="http://www.how-to-podcast-tutorial.com/" style="color:rgb(0,174,239)" target="_blank">How to Podcast</a> - A complete, free tutorial that teaches you how to set up your own podcast. <a href="http://www.howtoforge.com/" style="color:rgb(0,174,239)" target="_blank">HowtoForge</a> - A huge collection of user-friendly Linux tutorials. <center><img alt="pc-world" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-105687" src="http://rack.0.mshcdn.com/media/ZgkyMDEyLzA2LzI0LzE2XzUyXzAxXzk2OV9maWxlCnAJdGh1bWIJMTIwMHg5NjAwPg/b6729c02" style="max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle; border-width: 0px;"></center> <a href="http://www.pcworld.com/howto.html" style="color:rgb(0,174,239)" target="_blank">PCWorld</a> - A huge collection of tutorials for PC users. <a href="http://www.howtojoomla.net/" style="color:rgb(0,174,239)" target="_blank">HowToJoomla.net</a> - A collection of Joomla tutorials.<a href="http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2008/08/19/screencasting-how-to-start/" style="color:rgb(0,174,239)" target="_blank">Screencasting: How To Start, Tools and Guidelines</a> - A guide outlining why you should screencast and how to do it. <a href="http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2006/06/how_to_get_traf.html" style="color:rgb(0,174,239)" target="_blank">How to get traffic for your blog</a> - A huge list of things to do to get traffic for your blog from marketing guru Seth Godin. <a href="http://www.entheosweb.com/photoshop/layout.asp" style="color:rgb(0,174,239)" target="_blank">How to design a website layout in Photoshop</a> - A complete tutorial showing you how to create your website layout in Photoshop. <center><img alt="tutorialized" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-105721" src="http://rack.1.mshcdn.com/media/ZgkyMDEyLzA2LzI0LzE2XzUyXzAyXzM3X2ZpbGUKcAl0aHVtYgkxMjAweDk2MDA-/a6510775" style="max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle; border-width: 0px;"></center> <a href="http://www.tutorialized.com/" style="color:rgb(0,174,239)" target="_blank">Tutorialized</a> - A collection of tutorials and how-to guides on a variety of tech-related topics. <a href="http://www.garysimon.net/webdesign_tutorial/1" style="color:rgb(0,174,239)" target="_blank">How to design a website</a> - A comprehensive tutorial on how to design using HTML and CSS. <a href="http://graphicdesign.about.com/od/websitedesign/ss/website.htm" style="color:rgb(0,174,239)" target="_blank">How to Design a Website</a> - A web design guide from About.com. <a href="http://www.good-tutorials.com/" style="color:rgb(0,174,239)" target="_blank">Good-Tutorials</a> - A large collection of web-design tutorials covering Java, HTML, CSS, PHP, Ruby, and more. <a href="http://www.video-tutes.com/" style="color:rgb(0,174,239)" target="_blank">Video-Tutes.com</a> - Free video tutorials for a variety of software programs including Photoshop, Dreamweaver, and MS Word. <a href="http://laptoplogic.com/resources/a-beginners-guide-on-how-to-install-linux-software" style="color:rgb(0,174,239)" target="_blank">A Beginner's Guide on How to Install Linux Software</a> - A basic guide to installing Ubuntu. <center><img alt="psdtuts" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-105740" src="http://rack.1.mshcdn.com/media/ZgkyMDEyLzA2LzI0LzE2XzUyXzAyXzExN19maWxlCnAJdGh1bWIJMTIwMHg5NjAwPg/1abd278a" style="max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle; border-width: 0px;"></center> <a href="http://psdtuts.com/" style="color:rgb(0,174,239)" target="_blank">PSDTuts</a> - A huge collection of Photoshop tutorials and other resources. <a href="http://www.photoshopstar.com/" style="color:rgb(0,174,239)" target="_blank">PhotoshopStar</a> - How to Photoshop articles and tutorials on a variety of different techniques. <a href="http://gimp-tutorials.net/" style="color:rgb(0,174,239)" target="_blank">Gimp-tutorials.net</a> - A collection of tutorials on everything from photo manipulation to text effects in GIMP. <a href="http://tutorialblog.org/" style="color:rgb(0,174,239)" target="_blank">Tutorial Blog</a> - A blog filled with how-to guides and tutorials on design topics.<a href="http://www.blog-tutorials.com/" style="color:rgb(0,174,239)" target="_blank">Blog Tutorials</a> - A blog offering how-to advice for blogging. <center><img alt="noupe" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-105752" src="http://rack.2.mshcdn.com/media/ZgkyMDEyLzA2LzI0LzE2XzUyXzAyXzE3OF9maWxlCnAJdGh1bWIJMTIwMHg5NjAwPg/789d61a2" style="max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle; border-width: 0px;"></center> <a href="http://www.noupe.com/category/tutorial" style="color:rgb(0,174,239)" target="_blank">Noupe Tutorials</a> - A blog that focuses on web design and development and offers a large repository of great tutorials. <a href="http://www.cbtcafe.com/index.htm" style="color:rgb(0,174,239)" target="_blank">CBT Cafe</a> - The Computer Based Training Cafe offers free tutorials and how-to guides on Flash, Dreamweaver, Photoshop, and more. <a href="http://www.doshdosh.com/category/niche-blogging/" style="color:rgb(0,174,239)" target="_blank">Niche Blogging Tutorials</a> - How-to blog posts from DoshDosh covering niche blogging techniques. <h2 style="margin:0px 0px 1rem;font-family:inherit;color:inherit;font-size:24px;line-height:1.27;clear:left">Productivity and Efficiency How-To</h2><center><img alt="how-to-be-more-productive" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-105773" src="http://rack.1.mshcdn.com/media/ZgkyMDEyLzA2LzI0LzE2XzUyXzAyXzI0M19maWxlCnAJdGh1bWIJMTIwMHg5NjAwPg/45a19b95" style="max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle; border-width: 0px;"></center> <a href="http://www.blogherald.com/2008/06/13/how-to-be-more-productive/" style="color:rgb(0,174,239)" target="_blank">How to be More Productive</a> - A guide from the Blog Herald that focuses mostly on how to be a more productive blogger. <a href="http://johnkendrick.wordpress.com/how-to-gtd" style="color:rgb(0,174,239)" target="_blank">How to GTD</a> - A small collection of blog posts covering how to get started with Getting Things Done. <a href="http://blog.lodewijkvdb.com/2008/09/how-to-start-with-gtd.html" style="color:rgb(0,174,239)" target="_blank">How to Start with GTD</a> - A basic 10-step guide to starting out with GTD. <a href="http://howtosplitanatom.com/news/how-to-be-more-productive/" style="color:rgb(0,174,239)" target="_blank">How To Be More Productive</a> - A very complete guide to becoming more productive, covering everything from technology to dietary changes. <h2 style="margin:0px 0px 1rem;font-family:inherit;color:inherit;font-size:24px;line-height:1.27;clear:left">Business and Career How-To</h2><center><img alt="inc-how-to-guides" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-105776" src="http://rack.1.mshcdn.com/media/ZgkyMDEyLzA2LzI0LzE2XzUyXzAyXzI4Ml9maWxlCnAJdGh1bWIJMTIwMHg5NjAwPg/0738b088" style="max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle; border-width: 0px;"></center> <a href="http://www.inc.com/guides/" style="color:rgb(0,174,239)" target="_blank">Inc. How To Guides</a> - A collection of business guides for just about every topic. <a href="http://www.how-to-write-a-resume.org/" style="color:rgb(0,174,239)" target="_blank">How To Write A Resume.org</a> - A complete resource for writing resumes and cover letters. <a href="http://www.usnews.com/articles/business/small-business-entrepreneurs/2008/09/26/how-to-blog-your-way-to-small-business-success.html" style="color:rgb(0,174,239)" target="_blank">How to Blog Your Way to Small-Business Success</a> - A short guide on using blogging to promote your business. <a href="http://www.entrepreneur.com/startingabusiness/howtoguides/index115868.html" style="color:rgb(0,174,239)" target="_blank">Startup How-To Guides</a> - A collection of business how-to articles from Entrepreneur.com. <a href="http://www.score.org/learning_center.html" style="color:rgb(0,174,239)" target="_blank">Score</a> - Find how-to articles on a variety of business topics from advertising to management to starting a business. <a href="http://discussionleader.hbsp.com/quelch/2008/09/how_to_market_in_a_recession.html" style="color:rgb(0,174,239)" target="_blank">How to Market in a Recession</a> - A how-to guide from Harvard Business school. <a href="http://www.itbusiness.ca/it/client/en/home/News.asp?id=51323" style="color:rgb(0,174,239)" target="_blank">How to Twitter your way to marketing success</a> - A guide to using Twitter as a marketing platform. <h2 style="margin:0px 0px 1rem;font-family:inherit;color:inherit;font-size:24px;line-height:1.27;clear:left"><hr style="border-right-width:0px;border-left-width:0px;border-top-style:solid;border-top-color:rgb(238,238,238);border-bottom-style:solid;border-bottom-color:rgb(255,255,255)"> Mashable How-Tos</h2><center><a name="m!bf41" style="color:rgb(0,174,239)"></a><div class="microcontent-wrapper" style="clear:left;margin-left:0px"><img alt="tweetdeck" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-106564" src="http://rack.1.mshcdn.com/media/ZgkyMDEyLzA2LzI0LzE2XzUyXzAyXzQzMV9maWxlCnAJdGh1bWIJMTIwMHg5NjAwPg/30f1ac27" style="max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle; border-width: 0px;"></div> </center><a href="http://mashable.com/2008/11/10/twitter-community/" style="color:rgb(0,174,239)" target="_blank">HOW TO: Build Community on Twitter</a> - Build a loyal following and engage those followers. <a href="http://mashable.com/2008/11/19/timothy-ferriss-marketing-to-bloggers/" style="color:rgb(0,174,239)" target="_blank">HOW TO: Market to Bloggers According to Timothy Ferriss</a> - Techniques for marketing to bloggers from the New York Times bestselling author. <a href="http://mashable.com/2008/07/14/how-to-monitor-your-brand/" style="color:rgb(0,174,239)" target="_blank">How to Track 500 Business Blogs in 10 Minutes a Day</a> - A great guide for all of us who need to keep up with tons of incoming information. <a href="http://mashable.com/2008/10/13/how-to-manage-social-profiles/" style="color:rgb(0,174,239)" target="_blank">How to Manage Your Social Profiles and Create Virtual Business Cards</a> - A must-have guide for anyone who uses multiple social media sites. <a href="http://mashable.com/2008/07/18/building-your-online-brand/" style="color:rgb(0,174,239)" target="_blank">How to Build Your Online Brand</a> - Covers how to use social media and Web 2.0 tools to create a name for yourself online. <center><a name="m!1f8c" style="color:rgb(0,174,239)"></a><div class="microcontent-wrapper" style="clear:left;margin-left:0px"><img alt="customize-your-browser" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-106565" src="http://rack.1.mshcdn.com/media/ZgkyMDEyLzA2LzI0LzE2XzUyXzAyXzQ4Ml9maWxlCnAJdGh1bWIJMTIwMHg5NjAwPg/b9b38992" style="max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle; border-width: 0px;"></div> </center><a href="http://mashable.com/2008/09/29/social-media-consultant/" style="color:rgb(0,174,239)" target="_blank">How to Know if You Should Fire Your Social Media Consultant</a> - A guide to some tell-tale signs that your social media consultant isn't all they're cracked up to be. <a href="http://mashable.com/2008/07/10/how-to-develop-a-social-media-plan/" style="color:rgb(0,174,239)" target="_blank">How to Develop a Social Media Plan for Your Business in 5 Steps</a> - A simple guide to creating an effective social media marketing campaign. <a href="http://mashable.com/2008/07/03/live-blog-conference/" style="color:rgb(0,174,239)" target="_blank">How to Live Blog a Conference</a> - A guide to live blogging preparation and execution. <h2 style="margin:0px 0px 1rem;font-family:inherit;color:inherit;font-size:24px;line-height:1.27;clear:left">Miscellaneous How-To</h2><center><img alt="how-to-go-green" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-105808" src="http://rack.0.mshcdn.com/media/ZgkyMDEyLzA2LzI0LzE2XzUyXzAyXzYwNV9maWxlCnAJdGh1bWIJMTIwMHg5NjAwPg/b9b980a2" style="max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle; border-width: 0px;"></center> <a href="http://www.how-to-meditate.org/" style="color:rgb(0,174,239)" target="_blank">How To Meditate</a> - A complete online guide to teach you how to meditate in the Buddhist tradition. <a href="http://www.howtodrawmanga.com/howtodraw/tutorials.html" style="color:rgb(0,174,239)" target="_blank">How to Draw Manga</a> - Manga University has a great collection of how-to articles on drawing different elements of manga characters. <a href="http://eugeneciurana.com/musings/sushi-eating-HOWTO.html" style="color:rgb(0,174,239)" target="_blank">Sushi Eating HOW TO</a> - A complete guide outlining how to eat sushi and sushi bar etiquette. <a href="http://www.treehugger.com/gogreen.php" style="color:rgb(0,174,239)" target="_blank">How to Go Green</a> - A collection of guides to green your life on topics ranging from investing and hybrid cars to workouts and weddings. <a href="http://www.etsy.com/storque/how-to/" style="color:rgb(0,174,239)" target="_blank">The Storque How-To</a> - The how-to section of Etsy's blog covers all sorts of topics from cooking to selling on Etsy. <a href="http://www.howtocleanstuff.net/" style="color:rgb(0,174,239)" target="_blank">How to Clean Stuff</a> - Tutorials for cleaning everything from old photos to ballet flats. <a href="http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=topicSelect&topic=buyGuide" style="color:rgb(0,174,239)" target="_blank">Lowe's How-To Library</a> - A huge collection of home improvement how-tos. <a href="http://www.popphoto.com/howto/" style="color:rgb(0,174,239)" target="_blank">PopPhoto HowTo Archive</a> - A collection of photography how-to articles covering image editing, composition, lighting, and more. <a href="http://digital-photography-school.com/how-to-photograph" style="color:rgb(0,174,239)" target="_blank">How to Photograph...</a> - A series of tutorials on photographing a variety of situations and subjects from weddings to urban landscapes to zoos.

HOW TO GUIDE: 60+ Great How To Sites and Resources

Ever had one of those moments when you really wished you knew how to do something specific? If only there were someone you could ask... Th...

4:21 am

Android app by Indian developer caught mining bitcoins

<div class="stname arttitletxt" style="font-size:1.75em;line-height:28px;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-weight:bold;float:left;margin:0px;padding:10px 0px 5px 10px"> </div><div class="photo" style="padding:10px 0px 10px 10px;font-size:0.75em;font-family:arial;color:rgb(111,111,111);line-height:14px"> <img border="0" src="http://m.timesofindia.com/thumb.cms?msid=33005144&width=283&resizemode=4" style="width: 286px; height: 209px; display: block; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 1px solid rgb(0, 0, 0); float: left;"><div class="clear" style="clear:both;height:3px"> </div>Songs, an app probably used by a few million Indian Android users, was among the two apps recently caught covertly using smartphones for mining bitcoins and dogecoins.</div><div class="storycontent_outer" style="font-size:0.91em;line-height:20px;font-family:georgia;margin:0px;padding:1px 5px"> <div class="storycontent" style="font-size:16px;line-height:normal;margin:0px;padding:5px">NEW DELHI: Songs, an app probably used by a few million Indian Android users, was among the two apps recently caught covertly using smartphones for mining bitcoins and dogecoins. Security researchers at Trend Micro, a company that makes antivirus and other security applications, recently wrote in a blog that 'Songs' and 'Prized - Real Rewards & Prizes' were using smartphones to covertly mine for virtual currency. Mining virtual currency like bitcoin or dogecoin requires lots of computing power. If an app uses a smartphone to mine virtual currency, the process is likely to keep the processor running at 100%, resulting in poor battery life and heating of the device. Trend Micro said the apps being used for bitcoin and dogecoin mining were injected with ANDROIDOS_KAGECOIN, a malware. "(Some) coin mining apps were found outside of the Google Play Store, but we have found the same behaviour in apps (Songs and Prized) inside the Google Play Store. These apps have been downloaded by millions of users, which means that there may be many Android devices out there being used to mine cryptocurrency for cybercriminals," a Veo Zhang, a mobile threat analyst with Trend Micro wrote in the blog. "Analyzing the code of these apps reveal the cryptocurrency mining code inside. Unlike the other malicious apps, in these cases the mining only occurs when the device is charging, as the increased energy usage won't be noticed as much." After the Trend Micro blog post, Prized and Songs were removed from the Play Store by Google. Of the two, Songs was more popular. It was downloaded five to 10 million times and had a rating of 4 stars. Songs claimed to give users free access to Bollywood and songs in regional languages like Punjabi and Tamil. On the Play Store, clicking on the developer's website specified in the description page of Songs let to an error. While the developer was listed as "Da Xpert" for the app, the email address of the app hinted it was created by one Mukesh Verma. TOI wrote to the specified email address, seeking response on the Trend Micro report, but did not receive any reply. Trend Micro said that it believed "with thousands of affected devices, cybercriminal accumulated a great deal of dogecoins." "Reading the app description and terms and conditions on the websites of these apps, users may not know that their devices may potentially be used as mining devices due to the murky language and vague terminology," wrote Zhang. "Users with phones and tablets that are suddenly charging slowly, running hot, or quickly running out of batteries may want to consider if they have been exposed to this or similar threats," Zhang advised Android users.</div> </div>

Android app by Indian developer caught mining bitcoins

Songs, an app probably used by a few million Indian Android users, was among the two apps recently caught covertly using smartphones for...

3:44 am

Google: No more sexy and naughty apps in Play store

<div class="stname arttitletxt" style="font-size:1.75em;line-height:28px;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-weight:bold;float:left;margin:0px;padding:10px 0px 5px 10px"><img border="0" src="http://images.photogallery.indiatimes.com/images/spacer.gif" style="color: rgb(111, 111, 111); font-family: arial;" width="5"> </div><div class="photo" style="padding:10px 0px 10px 10px;font-size:0.75em;font-family:arial;color:rgb(111,111,111);line-height:14px"><img border="0" src="http://m.timesofindia.com/thumb.cms?msid=33026526&width=283&resizemode=4" style="width: 286px; height: 209px; display: block; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 1px solid rgb(0, 0, 0); float: left;"><div class="clear" style="clear:both;height:3px"> </div></div><div class="storycontent_outer" style="font-size:0.91em;line-height:20px;font-family:georgia;margin:0px;padding:1px 5px"><div class="storycontent" style="font-size:16px;line-height:normal;margin:0px;padding:5px"> NEW DELHI: After years of ignoring apps that promise users "sexy" pictures or "desi stories", Google is finally cracking down on objectionable content in the Play store. The company has revised its guidelines for app developers and has added "erotic content" to the type of material that it will ban within the apps distributed through the Play store. Earlier, only the "sexually explicit" content was banned. The move is aimed at stopping the rising number of apps in the Play store that promise users sexy pictures or adult stories. Most of these apps are free, serve shady advertisements and are quite popular, especially among the first-time smartphone users. Interestingly, Google is not only targeting the apps that serve "erotic" or "sexually explicit" content but also the apps that use inappropriate "icons, titles, or descriptions". This is likely to target some of the phone editing apps or games with titles like "Tear Clothes" (see the image). Google has also updated its policy regarding advertisements within the apps. According to TechCrunch, the changes put the onus on app developers to make sure that no ad networks or affiliates they're using for app promotion is engaged in shady or deceptive practices. <img class="gwt-Image" src="http://m.timesofindia.com/photo/33030564.cms" style="width: 288px; height: 208px;"> The changes to the developer policies make it clear that an Android app must not use the SMS feature without explicit permission of a user and must not impersonate any other app in any way. It also seems that Google is now actively curating the Play store, or at least making more efforts to check the apps that it deems objectionable. Until a few months ago, it was easy to find the list of "popular free apps" or "popular new apps" full of apps that promised users photos of "sexy Indian girls" or something similar. However, such apps no longer find a place in the popular categories anymore.</div> </div>

Google: No more sexy and naughty apps in Play store

NEW DELHI: After years of ignoring apps that promise users "sexy" pictures or "desi stories", Google is finally cr...

3:42 am

World's slimmest smartphone, Gionee Elife S5.5 launched at Rs 22,999

World's slimmest smartphone, Gionee Elife S5.5 launched at Rs 22,999

Gionee is all set to launch the world's slimmest smartphone, Gionee Elife S5.5 on March 31, in the Indian market. Gionee has launc...

3:40 am

Computer maps 21 distinct emotional expressions

<div style="border:0px;margin:0px 10px;font-family:Arial;font-size:medium"><h2 style="margin-bottom:0px">Researchers have found a way for computers to recognise 21 distinct facial expressions - even those for complex or seemingly contradictory emotions such as 'happily disgusted' or 'sadly angry'. The study by Ohio State University more than triples the number of documented facial expressions that researchers can now use for cognitive analysis. "We've gone beyond facial expressions for simple emotions like 'happy' or 'sad'. We found a strong consistency in how people move their facial muscles to </h2></div><div style="border-width:0px 0px 1px;border-bottom-style:dotted;border-bottom-color:rgb(101,101,101);margin:0px 10px;font-size:medium;font-family:Arial">Researchers have found a way for computers to recognise 21 distinct facial expressions - even those for complex or seemingly contradictory emotions such as 'happily disgusted' or 'sadly angry'. The study by Ohio State University more than triples the number of documented facial expressions that researchers can now use for cognitive analysis."We've gone beyond facial expressions for simple emotions like 'happy' or 'sad'. We found a strong consistency in how people move their facial muscles to express 21 categories of emotions," said Aleix Martinez, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering at Ohio State. The resulting computational model will help map emotion in the brain with greater precision than ever, and perhaps even aid the diagnosis and treatment of mental conditions such as autism and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Until now, cognitive scientists have confined their studies to six basic emotions - happy, sad, fearful, angry, surprised and disgusted - mostly because the facial expressions for them were thought to be self-evident. But deciphering a person's brain functioning with only six categories is like painting a portrait with only primary colours, Martinez said.The study photographed 230 volunteers - 130 female, 100 male, and mostly college students - making faces in response to verbal cues. In the resulting 5,000 images, they tagged prominent landmarks for facial muscles, such as the corners of the mouth or the outer edge of the eyebrow.They used a method used by psychologist Paul Ekman, the scientific consultant for the television show "Lie to Me". Ekman's Facial Action Coding System, or FACS, is a standard tool in body language analysis. They searched the FACS data for similarities and differences in the expressions, and found 21 emotions - the six basic emotions, as well as emotions that exist as combinations of those emotions, such as "happily surprised" or "sadly angry." The researchers referred to these combinations as "compound emotions." The model was able to determine the degree to which the basic emotions and compound emotions were characterised by a particular expression. For example, the expression for happy is nearly universal: 99 per cent of the time, study participants expressed happiness by drawing up the cheeks and stretching the mouth in a smile.Surprise was also easily detected: 92 per cent of the time, surprised participants opened their eyes wide and dropped their mouth open. "Happily surprised" turned out to be a compound of the expressions for "happy" and "surprised."About 93 per cent of the time, the participants expressed it the same way: with the wide-open eyes of surprise and the raised cheeks of happiness - and a mouth that was a hybrid of the two - both open and stretched into a smile. </div>

Computer maps 21 distinct emotional expressions

Researchers have found a way for computers to recognise 21 distinct facial expressions - even those for complex or seemingly contradictory e...

3:38 am