How to turn your Android device into a laptop

<span style="font-size:16px;font-family:georgia">Quite frankly, software keyboards just don't cut it for hardcore productivity. Even the best software keyboards, like SwiftKey, fall far behind even low-quality hardware keyboards in speed and typing comfort. Four major, some exotic and some mundane, keyboard technologies inhabit marketplaces: NFC powered keyboards, OTG (On the Go) keyboards, Bluetooth 3.0 and 4.0 keyboards.</span><br> <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"><br>Of these, I prefer using OTG keyboards for their quality and reliability. However, remember that no single keyboard type can fit all individual needs. Each possesses both strengths and weaknesses that the discriminating consumer should keep in mind.<br> <br><strong>Four keyboard technologies</strong><br><br>Of the four keyboard technologies (NFC, Bluetooth and OTG) presented in this article, the most widely used is the Bluetooth 3.0 standard. That's because of inconsistent implementation of OTG and NFC drivers in Android devices. Also, few keyboards work without additional configuration in Android's settings menu.<br> <br><strong>NFC keyboards</strong><br><br>NFC stands for Near Field Communication. NFC keyboards are extraordinarily exotic, some even receive power wirelessly, from the NFC signal. Many phones, particularly iPhones, don't incorporate this technology - even many Android devices don't use it. More modern devices do include it, leading to a wealth of automation software such as NFC Task Launcher and a large variety of potential uses. I use NFC for its location-based features, including sleep-mode and car-mode.<br> <br>Advantages<br><br>Low power: NFC keyboards consume hardly any energy, as they don't broadcast over a great distance, such as Bluetooth.<br><br>Upcoming keyboard doesn't use batteries: An upcoming NFC keyboard from One2Touch converts the NFC signal into a power source. Other NFC keyboards require batteries, although require very little power.<br> <br>Super portable: Most NFC keyboards use smaller batteries and, as demonstrated by the One2Touch keyboards, are foldable. Most of these will either fit in your pocket, or double as a case.<br><br>No pairing: There's no pairing process involved in connecting an NFC keyboard. According to One2Touch, simply place the Android device on the keyboard and start typing.<br> <br>Disadvantages<br><br>Requires NFC: If your phone doesn't have NFC, you won't be able to use an NFC keyboard.Short range: NFC signals don't broadcast over a great distance. You have a range of millimeters.<br> <br>Expensive: The cheapest NFC keyboard, the Android NFC Elecom keyboard, costs more than $50.<br><br>App required: Unfortunately, native NFC keyboard support isn't include within the Android software environment. One2Touch keyboards rely on an app to work properly. Although this app is available in the Play Store, not all devices will be compatible with it and not all devices include Play Store support. You can remedy this with forced installations and sideloading. For the uninitiated, sideloading allows you to transfer files to your Android device from a computer.<br> <br><strong>OTG keyboards</strong><br><br>OTG stands for "On the Go", which is an interface standard allowing most USB peripheral devices to connect to Android devices. Not all versions of Android support it - Google added the feature in Android 3.0, Honeycomb. Also, not all device manufacturers include it. For example, the Nexus 4 notoriously lacks OTG support, without modification. However, for those of you lucky enough to possess OTG capability, setting your phone or tablet up requires a few simple steps. Most important is an OTG cable, which can link many, but not all, USB peripherals to your device. Some Android devices require that you enable this feature in Developer Mode. Others enable it right from the get-go.<br> <br>I should point out that although most USB keyboards can function as OTG devices, not all are suited for it. Your mileage may vary.<br><br>OTG cable advantages<br><br>Inexpensive: You can use most USB keyboards as OTG keyboards. Some of these are quite inexpensive, while others may cost a bit more. Also, the OTG cable itself costs around $5 or less.<br> <br>No battery: You will only need the battery of your phone to operate these devices.<br><br>Variety: USB keyboards come in all manner of shapes and sizes. Some, such as the Matias travel keyboard, can fold in half.matias keyboard folded<br> <br>Disadvantages<br><br>Requires OTG compatibility: If your device isn't at least Android 3.0 and above, you won't have OTG compatibility. Even many newer Android gadgets aren't OTG compatible. Make sure you do your research before buying.<br> <br>Compatibility: Because of the wide range of USB keyboards, not all devices will work properly.<br><br>Power drain: Some keyboards may drain more than others. For example, if your keyboard features LED back-lighting, it will likely run your Android device's battery down much faster. However, keep in mind that simply enabling USB host mode on your device may have a small, but noticeable, decrease on your battery life as it turns on a 5 volt bus.<br> <br><strong>Bluetooth (up to) 3.0 keyboards</strong><br><br>I have several Bluetooth 3.0 keyboards, none of which I'm truly satisfied with. That's mainly because of the power drain caused by Bluetooth 3.0 on both the battery inside of the keyboard and the mobile device. Most devices provision for enough endurance to last several days of use. They frequently run out of battery life after a week or more of heavy use.<br> <br>Advantages<br><br>Cost: Bluetooth keyboards are relatively cheap - my aluminum Inland keyboard cost $10 after a rebate. My Motorola cost $12. Both are good quality devices with solid battery life. However, it could be much better.<br> <br>Portability: Bluetooth keyboards tend to be more portable than USB devices. On the other hand, they weigh a bit more because of their batteries for similar sized devices.<br><br>Disadvantages<br><br>Battery life: Expect a shortened battery life from your Android device when using a Bluetooth keyboard. Oftentimes, I find my phone running out of juice two or three hours earlier than it would normally, when running Bluetooth.<br> <br>Weight: The addition of batteries may increase the device's weight and bulk slightly. However, some devices (such as the Inland keyboard pictured below) will be highly portable.inland keyboard<br><br><strong>Bluetooth "Smart" 4.0 Keyboards</strong><br> <br>The newest standard in Bluetooth, 4.0 includes a new feature branded as "low energy". The feature allows greatly reduced wireless power consumption. This means that you won't need to change, or recharge, the battery nearly as often as you would with the older standard. It's often referred to as "Smart" and "Smart Ready", which refers to reverse compatibility. Smart devices work only with the 4.0 standard, whereas Smart Ready devices are fully reverse compatible.<br> <br>Advantages<br><br>Low energy: Because of its low energy requirements, Bluetooth 4.0 keyboards require very small amounts of energy, meaning better on-the-road performance and less recharging. It will also decrease the amount of drain on your Android device by a huge amount. Most reports indicate it's as if Bluetooth weren't turned on at all.<br> <br>Less bulky: Because of the low energy requirements of Bluetooth 4.0, it can afford to incorporate a smaller battery than Bluetooth 3.0 keyboards and still get a much longer battery life.<br><br>Disadvantages<br><br>Separate battery: Like Bluetooth 3.0, the 4.0 version includes batteries that must be recharged separately from your Android device.<br> <br>Bulky: Although these devices use smaller batteries, they still carry around the extra weight.<br><br>Hard to find: The 4.0 standard suffers from a serious labeling issue. Searching for Bluetooth 4.0 keyboards will show very few results. However, looking for "Smart" and "Smart Read" will show a much wider selection.<br> <br>Low adoption: Despite the standard existing for many years, very few Android devices include the 4.0 update. Before purchasing, make sure your phone or tablet supports 4.0.<br><br><strong>Conclusion</strong><br><br>For those in search of a hardware keyboard for Android, four technology standards inhabit marketplaces. Of these, no single technology dominates the field. If you choose one, make sure it fits your needs. For example, if your device doesn't possess NFC, don't purchase an NFC keyboard. Out of the four dominant keyboard technologies (NFC, Bluetooth 3.0/4.0 and OTG), I prefer OTG for its simplicity and low price. However, I'm really looking forward to NFC keyboards when the price comes down.</div> </div>

How to turn your Android device into a laptop

Quite frankly, software keyboards just don't cut it for hardcore productivity. Even the best software keyboards, like SwiftKey, fall far...

Read more »

8 hidden features in Apple's new OS X Mavericks

<span style="font-size:16px;font-family:georgia">You probably already know about the major features of the latest, free upgrade for Mac OS X. Here are the hidden ones.</span><br><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"><br>You've kept up with the news, and you know about Finder's tabs, Safari's new list of shared links and the fix Apple finally provided for users of multiple monitors. You read about App Nap and the other tricks Mavericks uses to extend the battery life of your MacBook, and know that the skeuomorphic tendencies have been stripped from Calendar and Contacts.<br> <br>"But wait...there's more", as Steve Jobs loved to say. Here are the little-known Mavericks features users can start using right now.<br><br><strong>Offline dictation</strong><br><br>Many users haven't noticed, but since Mountain Lion OS X has included dictation. The hitch: users needed to be online to use it.Not so in Mavericks. Download a 785 MB file and your words will no longer be sent to Apple's headquarters before being converted to text. The service starts as it did in Mountain Lion - by pressing the Fn button two times.<br> <br>In addition to not being offline, dictation now happens in something approaching realtime. This means you can see your words show up as you talk, and even make changes with your keyboard without turning off dictation.<br> <br>As Bakari demonstrated, Apple's dictation feature needs some work compared to Dragon Naturally Speaking. Still, it's not terrible - and free - so try it out.<br><br><strong>Quick responses</strong><br><br>With Mountain Lion, Apple introduced a native notifications system - something previously only offered by third-party program Growl.<br> <br>Mavericks brings interactive notifications to this system, meaning you can respond to IMs (via Messages) and emails (via Mail) directly from notification notifications: mavericks-response.<br><br>It's not exactly hidden, but if you don't use Mail or Messages you probably haven't noticed it. As of this writing, few third party programs have taken advantage of the feature (I hope that changes). Responding to tweets or Google Voice like this would be awesome, and I'm sure you can think of a few more potential uses.<br> <br><strong>Do not disturb</strong><br><br>Trying to get some work done? A good information diet demands that you eliminate distractions while doing so, and Mavericks understands this. A "Do Not Disturb" function in the Notification Center lets you turn off all pop-ups until the next day, just like the feature does on iOS. Get to it by opening the Notification Center, then scrolling up.<br> <br>Alternatively, you can Option-click the notification center icon on the menubar to turn off notifications for the day. This isn't entirely new: a similar function in Mountain Lion was called "Turn Off Notifications".<br> <br><strong>Spot energy sucking Apps</strong><br><br>Here's a feature you may not notice right away. Click the battery, and your Mac will tell you which apps are using up "Significant Energy."<br><br>This is part of Apple's efforts to extend battery life on Macs. This effort also includes App Nap, which puts apps you're not currently using to sleep, and a new Activity Monitor that includes a tab dedicated to monitor energy usage per-app.<br> <br>With these two tools you're empowered to stretch your battery's life for all it's worth. Close programs that are sucking up juice, favour those that aren't.<br><br><strong>Emoji</strong><br><br>From the "Not sure why" department: your Mac now has system-wide Emoji. Yes, you read that properly. Just press Control, Command and Space to see this box. Useless? Probably. Cool? Kind of.<br> <br><strong>Special characters</strong><br><br>And now, a hidden feature hidden inside another hidden feature. The seemingly useless emoji menu also gives you access to special characters. So next time you need to Trademark Something or request proper recycling (?), you need only press Control, Command and Space, then click the icon to the right of all the happy faces.<br> <br><strong>Put the dashboard wherever you want</strong><br><br>Not a huge deal, but nice. When Misson Control was introduced with Lion, the Dashboard moved from an overlay to a separate space, to the left of all workspaces (you can bring back the overlay option in the settings). With Mavericks you can put the Dashboard anywhere you like: to the right of your workspaces, or between any two. Just drag it where you want it.<br> <br><strong>Post to LinkedIn </strong><br><br>From The Notification CenterTo most LinkedIn is a spam machine, but to a few it's a functioning social network. If you're in the latter, and like to post from the notification center, add LinkedIn to the "Web Accounts" section in OS X and you'll find a form for posting messages in the notification center.<br> <br><strong>Is there more?</strong><br><br>Of course, if you're upgrading from Snow Leopard, you might not know about features introduced in the relatively new Lion and Mountain Lion releases. Lucky for you, we've got a Mountain Lion manualand a Lion manual that go over everything new in those systems - all of which you'll find in Mavericks.Or, if you don't want to upgrade but want some of these features, you should know that Simon outlined how to get Mavericks features without upgrading, so check that out first if you're nervous.</div> </div>

8 hidden features in Apple's new OS X Mavericks

You probably already know about the major features of the latest, free upgrade for Mac OS X. Here are the hidden ones. You've kept up ...

Read more »

8 ways to save your data from getting corrupted

<span style="font-size:16px;font-family:georgia">Data loss - whether from hardware failure, digital corruption, or even accidental deletion - is a hard, yet inevitable truth in this age of computers. But you can take simple precautions to protect important documents and e-mails, photographs, music files and videos. Your Windows OS comes with tools that will help you take a backup; your external hard drive comes with backup software. Yet, despite best intentions we fail to create copies of our files. It's probably because the process might seem daunting. Well, its not...</span><br> <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"><br><strong>Local storage</strong><br> The quickest place to save a backup of your data is on the hard disk in your PC. Here, however, you will first need to ensure that your copies are stored on a separate physical drive in your machine. A note of caution: different partitions do not mean different drives. In the event of a hard drive failure, you will lose all your data if your files were stored on the same disk, even though it might show as a different drive letter on your system.<br> <br>Now, given current drive capacities, most PCs come with just a single hard drive. In this case, it would be best to invest in an external hard disk. As mentioned earlier, each brand comes with its own backup utility. Follow the simple steps to back up your files at regular intervals. Tip: Till you get into an 'automatic' habit, create a reminder on your phone that will prompt you to backup every weekend.<br> <br><strong>Personal cloud storage</strong><br>While a local backup is a good idea, an online repository for your documents, music and pictures will give you the freedom to access them from any web-enabled device. Besides, many cloud services come with mobile apps, allowing you to access, synchronize and share files on the go.<br> <br><strong>Dropbox (<a href="http://www.dropbox.com">www.dropbox.com</a>)</strong><br>This service gives you 2GB of free storage. If you suggest it to friends, you can earn up to 18GB of space. Dropbox also has software for Windows, Mac and Linux PCs, and apps for Android, BlackBerry, and iOS devices. To back up a file, place it in the local Dropbox folder on your PC and it will be pushed online, showing up on your smartphone as well.<br> <br><strong>Google Drive (<a href="http://drive.google.com">drive.google.com</a>)</strong><br>Google Drive offers up to 15GB of free space which is shared across Gmail and Google+ services. While Drive is not ideal for multimedia file storage, it is perfect for documents, with support for over thirty formats that can be opened within the mobile app - available for Android and iOS - or the web browser.<br> <br><strong>Box (<a href="http://www.box.com">www.box.com</a>)</strong><br>With 10GB of storage space, you will have more than enough room for backing up personal and work-related documents. If you are not into taking your photographs public on Flickr and Picasa, you can store them on Box. Entire folders can be shared with friends and family, turning the backup process into an advantage. Just make sure you don't give write access to those with whom you share the folder. Besides mobile apps for Android and iOS devices, Box also works on Windows Phone.<br> <br><strong>SkyDrive (<a href="http://skydrive.live.com">skydrive.live.com</a>)</strong><br>With SkyDrive, you get 7GB of free space and the ability to work on documents within a web browser or its app that's available for Android, iOS and Windows Phone. This service works well with photos too: it comes with a slideshow function and supports sharing on social networks.<br> <br><strong>Mega (<a href="http://mega.co.nz">mega.co.nz</a>)</strong><br>Mega tops ours charts with a whopping 50GB of free storage space. It is a pure-bred digital locker with AES-128 encryption for all your data. As of now, the service can be accessed via your PC and through an app for Android. iOS and Windows Phone offerings are in the works.<br> <br><strong>Backing up with Windows</strong><br>You can also use the built-in backup and restore utility in Windows. The best part is that you can schedule and automate the entire process with the help of a simple wizard.<br> <br><strong>In Windows 7</strong><br>Click Start > Control Panel > System and Maintenance > Backup and Restore. Here, you are presented with two options 1 Make a full backup of the system: In the left pane, click Create new, full backup. 2 Customize the archival: Click Set up backup and then follow the wizard to configure what you want to make a copy of. After that first time, whenever you bring up Back and Restore, just click Back up now. To restore your data, double-click the backup file to start the process. Alternatively, open Backup and Restore > Restore my files. Browse through the backup and choose the files and folders you want to restore; select the destination and click Restore.<br> <br><strong>In Windows 8.1</strong><br>Connect an external hard drive to your PC. Then, using your cursor, point to the upper right corner of the screen. In the 'charms' bar that appears, click on the Search option and type File History to access it. Enable the File History option and follow the instructions to select the folders you want to backup. You can restore files from earlier copies with the same utility.</div> </div>

8 ways to save your data from getting corrupted

Data loss - whether from hardware failure, digital corruption, or even accidental deletion - is a hard, yet inevitable truth in this age of ...

Read more »

5 ways to use Microsoft OneNote on Windows Phone 8

<span style="font-size:16px;font-family:georgia">Among the free Microsoft Office Mobile apps on a Windows Phone 8 device is a version of OneNote, the remarkably versatile and Evernote - rivaling note-taking tool that can handle voice transcription and sync notes across other devices - among other things!</span><br> <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"><br>Back in 2010, when Windows Phone was first unveiled, an advertising campaign soon followed which demonstrated mobile OneNote's sync capabilities. These are only the tip of the iceberg of what can be achieved with this flexible little app.<br> <br>Personally speaking, I use it for making notes on the fly, jotting down bits of overheard dialogue that I think might prove useful in any scripts I'm writing. It also proves useful as a way to manage an itinerary.<br> <br>Upon further investigation, however, it seems that there are many other ways to use Microsoft OneNote on Windows Phone 8<br><br>As with many Microsoft services for domestic consumers, OneNote mobile syncs wirelessly (using Wi-Fi or mobile internet) via your Microsoft SkyDrive account, the one that is attached to the Windows Live/Hotmail/Outlook.com/Xbox Live account you have setup on your Windows Phone.<br> <br>This means that there is no option to sync via USB cable connection with your PC. On the other hand, while this might seem like a shortcoming, it does mean that you can access your notes on any device that you have signed into, whether this is using the cloud version of OneNote or on a PC that you own with Office 2013 or 365 installed.<br> <br><strong>Quickly create a new note</strong><br><br>You'll find OneNote installed on your Windows Phone device by swiping to the apps list and scrolling down to O, where it is listed below Office.<br><br>When you open the app, it will list display the last notebook you opened; if you've never used OneNote before on any platform, it will open a list of available notebooks (there are usually a couple of samples you can edit or delete). To create a new note, you will need to open a notebook, open the basic notes and tap New.muo-wp8-onenote-newWhile Windows Phone is pretty fast, this can still be a bit fiddly. A better option is to use the Pin new to Start option found in the menu of the Notebooks screen, as pictured above. The New note tile can be re-sized and re-positioned as required.<br> <br>Existing notes can also be pinned to the Start screen by opening them and using the Pin to Start option.<br><br><strong>Making a note with OneNote</strong><br><br>In a new note, there are several things that you can do. The most obvious is to start typing on the Windows Phone software keyboard.muo-wp8-onenote-searchBegin with a title (making the note easier to find later, although the search tool should also help with this), and proceed to create your note. It might be a list, or a single, brief line. The most important thing to be aware of is that you can add various elements into OneNote, using it in many different ways.<br> <br>For instance, the desktop version (available as part of the Office 2013 and Office 365 suites) is capable of converting scanned documents to text using OCR technology, something that has recently been added to search in Windows 8.1. While the mobile version doesn't have this capability, you can still scan the documents with your phone's camera (perhaps employing a DIY stand if your hand isn't steady enough).<br> <br>Meanwhile, the fact that OneNote Mobile has the same keyboard and spellcheck functions as Word Mobile, makes it an excellent substitute for the word processor on your phone.<br><br>There are also various formatting options that you can call upon, from numbered lists to formatting (bold, italics, etc.) and highlighting.<br> <br><strong>Recording and transcribing audio notes</strong><br><br>Perhaps the most powerful tool in OneNote on Windows Phone 8 is its ability to record voice notes - and then transcribe them into text!<br><br>In a new note, tap the Audio button on the menu bar, and utter your note, tapping Stop when you're done. As long as your phone is connected to the Internet (transcription takes place on a remote server), a few seconds later a transcription of your note will appear alongside an embedded audio file. The note will be synced with any other devices that you have OneNote installed on.<br> <br>Note that you may need to be careful how you dictate your notes as there can be some delay while the audio is being transcribed. For the best results, you should add audio notes in short segments if you want them reliably transcribed.<br> <br><strong>Create a OneNote shopping list</strong><br><br>Although you might use the To Do list option for many other purposes, such as to mark your progress through a travel itinerary or through a series of daily tasks, it is perhaps best demonstrated using the shopping list analogy.<br> <br>Create a new OneNote note, listing each item on separate lines; using the To do menu item set each entry as an item to be checked off when complete.<br><br>For longer lists, rather than convert each line one by one you can also tap and drag your finger across the whole list, ensuring all lines are selected, adjusting the placeholders if necessary and tapping the To do button once to add check boxes to each line in one go.<br> <br>If you're online, the list can be added to by someone at home - perhaps your spouse who might be adding items to your shopping list!<br><br><strong>Add images to your notes</strong><br><br>As noted above, scanned documents can be added to OneNote notes, and the app has a Picture button, signified by the camera icon, that you can use to import existing images and to launch your phone's camera.muo-wp8-onenote-imageSeveral images can be added to OneNote from your phone's camera or Photos collection, and as with the rest of your OneNote notebook, the results will be synced to your computer via SkyDrive next time you launch the desktop app.<br> <br>OneNote 2010, 2013 and MX, a free app for Windows 8, ideal for devices with a touchscreen display, can be used to access synced notes.<br><br><strong>Conclusion: Fast, flexible and full of notes!</strong><br><br>There are, of course, more than five ways to use Microsoft OneNote on your Windows Phone - you're limited only by your imagination and expectations.<br> <br>Whether you're creating lists, adding images for annotation or OCR, recording audio notes, word processing or simply making good use of OneNote's syncing capabilities, which you can force by opening the menu and tapping Sync, don't forget that notes can be shared by email should you need to distribute them the old fashioned way (in an open note, expand the menu and tap Share...).</div> </div>

5 ways to use Microsoft OneNote on Windows Phone 8

Among the free Microsoft Office Mobile apps on a Windows Phone 8 device is a version of OneNote, the remarkably versatile and Evernote - riv...

Read more »

Reminder: S NM Reddy is on Facebook

<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="email_table" style="border-collapse:collapse;width:98%;" border="0"><tr><td id="email_content" style="font-family:'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;font-size:12px;"><span style="width:620px;color:#FFFFFF;display:none !important;font-size:1px;">S NM is sharing photos, updates and more on Facebook. Sign up to stay in touch with S NM and all the people you care about. S NM Reddy Senior Software Engineer at Software Engineer · Jamia Millia Islamia · Vadodara, Gujarat, India 609 friends · 11 photos · 26 groups</span><table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" style="border-collapse:collapse;width:620px;"><tr><td style="font-size:16px;font-family:'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;background:#3b5998;color:#FFFFFF;font-weight:bold;vertical-align:baseline;letter-spacing:-0.03em;text-align:left;padding:5px 20px;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/r.php?re=d36f0952a706d4e1ccbeb520f73a45e2&mid=HMTYzMTMwODUzOnNoaXJpc2hhNzg5OS5zYW5rYWxwQGJsb2dnZXIuY29tOjcw&key=AQBquHt3rq6uDtNcS0E30qe4pObLi-bqd0-N_qk6i2iWytAHPiOFZlhE-7QOdPOad6HGjQVZvpqic6qkArzgr-wYDiA&invid=100004996902966" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background:#3b5998;color:#FFFFFF;font-weight:bold;font-family:'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;vertical-align:middle; font-size:16px;letter-spacing:-0.03em;text-align:left;vertical-align:baseline;">facebook</span></a></td></tr></table><table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="620px" style="border-collapse:collapse;width:620px;" border="0"><tr><td style="font-size:11px;font-family:LucidaGrande,tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;padding:0px;background-color:#f2f2f2;border-left:none;border-right:none;border-top:none;border-bottom:none;"><table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="620px" style="border-collapse:collapse;"><tr><td style="font-size:11px;font-family:LucidaGrande,tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;padding:0px;width:620px;"><table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0" style="border-collapse:collapse;width:100%;"><tr><td style="font-size:11px;font-family:LucidaGrande,tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;padding:20px;background-color:#fff;border-left:none;border-right:none;border-top:none;border-bottom:none;"><table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" style="border-collapse:collapse;width:100%;"><tr><td style="font-size:11px;font-family:LucidaGrande,tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;padding-bottom:5px;">S NM is sharing photos, updates and more on Facebook. Sign up to stay in touch with S NM and all the people you care about.</td></tr><tr><td style="font-size:11px;font-family:LucidaGrande,tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;padding-top:5px;"><table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" style="border-collapse:collapse;width:100%;"><tr><td style="font-size:11px;font-family:LucidaGrande,tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;padding-top:10px;border-top:1px solid #e8e8e8;"><table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" style="border-collapse:collapse;"><tr><td valign="top" style="padding-right:10px;font-size: 0px;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/r.php?re=d36f0952a706d4e1ccbeb520f73a45e2&mid=HMTYzMTMwODUzOnNoaXJpc2hhNzg5OS5zYW5rYWxwQGJsb2dnZXIuY29tOjcw&key=AQBquHt3rq6uDtNcS0E30qe4pObLi-bqd0-N_qk6i2iWytAHPiOFZlhE-7QOdPOad6HGjQVZvpqic6qkArzgr-wYDiA&invid=100004996902966" style="color:#3b5998;text-decoration:none;font-size:0px;"><img src="https://fbcdn-profile-a.akamaihd.net/hprofile-ak-ash3/t1.0-1/c8.0.50.50/p50x50/1512579_237289609780934_1243351712_s.jpg" style="border:0;" /></a></td><td valign="top" style="width:100%;"><table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" style="border-collapse:collapse;height:50px;"><tr valign="top"><td style=""><a href="http://www.facebook.com/r.php?re=d36f0952a706d4e1ccbeb520f73a45e2&mid=HMTYzMTMwODUzOnNoaXJpc2hhNzg5OS5zYW5rYWxwQGJsb2dnZXIuY29tOjcw&key=AQBquHt3rq6uDtNcS0E30qe4pObLi-bqd0-N_qk6i2iWytAHPiOFZlhE-7QOdPOad6HGjQVZvpqic6qkArzgr-wYDiA&invid=100004996902966" style="color:#3b5998;text-decoration:none;font-weight:bold;">S NM Reddy</a><br /><span style="color: #808080;">Senior Software Engineer at Software Engineer · Jamia Millia Islamia · Vadodara, Gujarat, India</span></td></tr><tr valign="bottom"><td style=""><span style="">609 friends · 11 photos · 26 groups</span></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></td></tr><tr><td style="font-size:11px;font-family:LucidaGrande,tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;padding:0px;width:620px;"><table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" style="border-collapse:collapse;width:100%;" border="0"><tr><td style="font-size:11px;font-family:LucidaGrande,tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;padding:7px 20px;background-color:#f2f2f2;border-left:none;border-right:none;border-top:1px solid #ccc;border-bottom:1px solid #ccc;"><table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" style=""><tr><td style="font-size:11px;font-family:LucidaGrande,tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;padding-left:0px;"><table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" style="border-collapse:collapse;"><tr><td style="border-width: 1px;border-style: solid;border-color: #29447E #29447E #1a356e;background-color: #5b74a8;"><table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" style="border-collapse:collapse;"><tr><td style="font-size:11px;font-family:LucidaGrande,tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;padding:2px 6px 4px;border-top:1px solid #8a9cc2;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/reddydigitalworld" style="color:#3b5998;text-decoration:none;"><span style="font-weight:bold;white-space:nowrap;color: #ffffff;font-size: 11px;">Join S NM on Facebook</span></a></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></td><td style="padding:0px 5px;"></td><td style="font-size:11px;font-family:LucidaGrande,tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;padding:7px 0px 6px;"><table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" style="border-collapse:collapse;"><tr><td style="border-width: 1px;border-style: solid;border-color: #999999 #999999 #888888;background-color: #eeeeee;"><table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" style="border-collapse:collapse;"><tr><td style="font-size:11px;font-family:LucidaGrande,tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;padding:2px 6px 4px;border-top:1px solid #ffffff;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/" style="color:#3b5998;text-decoration:none;"><span style="font-weight:bold;white-space:nowrap;color: #333333;font-size: 11px;">Go to Facebook</span></a></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></td></tr></table><table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0" style="border-collapse:collapse;width:620px;"><tr><td style="font-size:11px;font-family:'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;padding:30px 20px;background-color:#fff;border-left:none;border-right:none;border-top:none;border-bottom:none;color:#999999;border:none;">This message was sent to <a href="mailto:shirisha7899.sankalp@blogger.com" style="color:#3b5998;text-decoration:none;">shirisha7899.sankalp@blogger.com</a>. If you don't want to receive these emails from Facebook in the future or have your email address used for friend suggestions, please <a href="https://www.facebook.com/o.php?k=AS0JVuM9gj8K5nFX&e=shirisha7899.sankalp%40blogger.com&mid=HMTYzMTMwODUzOnNoaXJpc2hhNzg5OS5zYW5rYWxwQGJsb2dnZXIuY29tOjcw" style="color:#3b5998;text-decoration:none;">unsubscribe</a>.<br />Facebook, Inc., Attention: Department 415, PO Box 10005, Palo Alto, CA 94303</td></tr></table><span style="width:620px;"><img src="https://www.facebook.com/email_open_log_pic.php?mid=HMTYzMTMwODUzOnNoaXJpc2hhNzg5OS5zYW5rYWxwQGJsb2dnZXIuY29tOjcw" style="border:0;width:1px;height:1px;" /></span></td></tr></table>

Reminder: S NM Reddy is on Facebook

S NM is sharing photos, updates and more on Facebook. Sign up to stay in touch with S NM and all the people you care about. S NM Reddy Senio...

Read more »

Reminder: S NM Reddy is on Facebook

<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="email_table" style="border-collapse:collapse;width:98%;" border="0"><tr><td id="email_content" style="font-family:'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;font-size:12px;"><span style="width:620px;color:#FFFFFF;display:none !important;font-size:1px;">S NM is sharing photos, updates and more on Facebook. Sign up to stay in touch with S NM and all the people you care about. S NM Reddy Senior Software Engineer at Software Engineer · Sri Nagabhairava Junior College · Vadodara, Gujarat, India 609 friends · 11 photos · 26 groups</span><table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" style="border-collapse:collapse;width:620px;"><tr><td style="font-size:16px;font-family:'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;background:#3b5998;color:#FFFFFF;font-weight:bold;vertical-align:baseline;letter-spacing:-0.03em;text-align:left;padding:5px 20px;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/r.php?re=90f7ba77253e161d39b7644ae1ba3c68&mid=HMTYzMDQ3NDQ5OnNoaXJpc2hhNzg5OS5zYW5rYWxwQGJsb2dnZXIuY29tOjcw&key=AQAZE5V4xyY1pjsJdZkqkShLXYf1SV7HFmn13hso2SZ9F_88BumtpIPigHRVqPjpj_iSGwV3wVc7mJkYgS7VLx6AQ0c&invid=100004996902966" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background:#3b5998;color:#FFFFFF;font-weight:bold;font-family:'lucida grande',tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;vertical-align:middle; font-size:16px;letter-spacing:-0.03em;text-align:left;vertical-align:baseline;">facebook</span></a></td></tr></table><table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="620px" style="border-collapse:collapse;width:620px;" border="0"><tr><td style="font-size:11px;font-family:LucidaGrande,tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;padding:0px;background-color:#f2f2f2;border-left:none;border-right:none;border-top:none;border-bottom:none;"><table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="620px" style="border-collapse:collapse;"><tr><td style="font-size:11px;font-family:LucidaGrande,tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;padding:0px;width:620px;"><table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0" style="border-collapse:collapse;width:100%;"><tr><td style="font-size:11px;font-family:LucidaGrande,tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;padding:20px;background-color:#fff;border-left:none;border-right:none;border-top:none;border-bottom:none;"><table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" style="border-collapse:collapse;width:100%;"><tr><td style="font-size:11px;font-family:LucidaGrande,tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;padding-bottom:5px;">S NM is sharing photos, updates and more on Facebook. Sign up to stay in touch with S NM and all the people you care about.</td></tr><tr><td style="font-size:11px;font-family:LucidaGrande,tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;padding-top:5px;"><table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" style="border-collapse:collapse;width:100%;"><tr><td style="font-size:11px;font-family:LucidaGrande,tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;padding-top:10px;border-top:1px solid #e8e8e8;"><table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" style="border-collapse:collapse;"><tr><td valign="top" style="padding-right:10px;font-size: 0px;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/r.php?re=90f7ba77253e161d39b7644ae1ba3c68&mid=HMTYzMDQ3NDQ5OnNoaXJpc2hhNzg5OS5zYW5rYWxwQGJsb2dnZXIuY29tOjcw&key=AQAZE5V4xyY1pjsJdZkqkShLXYf1SV7HFmn13hso2SZ9F_88BumtpIPigHRVqPjpj_iSGwV3wVc7mJkYgS7VLx6AQ0c&invid=100004996902966" style="color:#3b5998;text-decoration:none;font-size:0px;"><img src="https://fbcdn-profile-a.akamaihd.net/hprofile-ak-ash3/t1.0-1/c8.0.50.50/p50x50/1512579_237289609780934_1243351712_s.jpg" style="border:0;" /></a></td><td valign="top" style="width:100%;"><table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" style="border-collapse:collapse;height:50px;"><tr valign="top"><td style=""><a href="http://www.facebook.com/r.php?re=90f7ba77253e161d39b7644ae1ba3c68&mid=HMTYzMDQ3NDQ5OnNoaXJpc2hhNzg5OS5zYW5rYWxwQGJsb2dnZXIuY29tOjcw&key=AQAZE5V4xyY1pjsJdZkqkShLXYf1SV7HFmn13hso2SZ9F_88BumtpIPigHRVqPjpj_iSGwV3wVc7mJkYgS7VLx6AQ0c&invid=100004996902966" style="color:#3b5998;text-decoration:none;font-weight:bold;">S NM Reddy</a><br /><span style="color: #808080;">Senior Software Engineer at Software Engineer · Sri Nagabhairava Junior College · Vadodara, Gujarat, India</span></td></tr><tr valign="bottom"><td style=""><span style="">609 friends · 11 photos · 26 groups</span></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></td></tr><tr><td style="font-size:11px;font-family:LucidaGrande,tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;padding:0px;width:620px;"><table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" style="border-collapse:collapse;width:100%;" border="0"><tr><td style="font-size:11px;font-family:LucidaGrande,tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;padding:7px 20px;background-color:#f2f2f2;border-left:none;border-right:none;border-top:1px solid #ccc;border-bottom:1px solid #ccc;"><table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" style=""><tr><td style="font-size:11px;font-family:LucidaGrande,tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;padding-left:0px;"><table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" style="border-collapse:collapse;"><tr><td style="border-width: 1px;border-style: solid;border-color: #29447E #29447E #1a356e;background-color: #5b74a8;"><table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" style="border-collapse:collapse;"><tr><td style="font-size:11px;font-family:LucidaGrande,tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;padding:2px 6px 4px;border-top:1px solid #8a9cc2;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/reddydigitalworld" style="color:#3b5998;text-decoration:none;"><span style="font-weight:bold;white-space:nowrap;color: #ffffff;font-size: 11px;">Join S NM on Facebook</span></a></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></td><td style="padding:0px 5px;"></td><td style="font-size:11px;font-family:LucidaGrande,tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;padding:7px 0px 6px;"><table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" style="border-collapse:collapse;"><tr><td style="border-width: 1px;border-style: solid;border-color: #999999 #999999 #888888;background-color: #eeeeee;"><table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" style="border-collapse:collapse;"><tr><td style="font-size:11px;font-family:LucidaGrande,tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif;padding:2px 6px 4px;border-top:1px solid #ffffff;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/" style="color:#3b5998;text-decoration:none;"><span style="font-weight:bold;white-space:nowrap;color: #333333;font-size: 11px;">Go to Facebook</span></a></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></td></tr></table><table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0" style="border-collapse:collapse;width:620px;"><tr><td style="font-size:11px;font-family:'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;padding:30px 20px;background-color:#fff;border-left:none;border-right:none;border-top:none;border-bottom:none;color:#999999;border:none;">This message was sent to <a href="mailto:shirisha7899.sankalp@blogger.com" style="color:#3b5998;text-decoration:none;">shirisha7899.sankalp@blogger.com</a>. If you don't want to receive these emails from Facebook in the future or have your email address used for friend suggestions, please <a href="https://www.facebook.com/o.php?k=AS1pvY3wiNWyk0yk&e=shirisha7899.sankalp%40blogger.com&mid=HMTYzMDQ3NDQ5OnNoaXJpc2hhNzg5OS5zYW5rYWxwQGJsb2dnZXIuY29tOjcw" style="color:#3b5998;text-decoration:none;">unsubscribe</a>.<br />Facebook, Inc., Attention: Department 415, PO Box 10005, Palo Alto, CA 94303</td></tr></table><span style="width:620px;"><img src="https://www.facebook.com/email_open_log_pic.php?mid=HMTYzMDQ3NDQ5OnNoaXJpc2hhNzg5OS5zYW5rYWxwQGJsb2dnZXIuY29tOjcw" style="border:0;width:1px;height:1px;" /></span></td></tr></table>

Reminder: S NM Reddy is on Facebook

S NM is sharing photos, updates and more on Facebook. Sign up to stay in touch with S NM and all the people you care about. S NM Reddy Senio...

Read more »

3 ways to get a new Windows 7 PC in the Windows 8 era

<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsSLcPW-6fCUvJYmQ3_n3Lr-o6yC6et_DIusNMGxL14bACNzwTJulBU1O0nwsN6fJJG3PKVa6ay-gAv7SAZy2tF3utBnla0JFvLnLtKW1z8jVi7jGu3zwWM6o8otcWjprqaQdT96G90JQ/s1600/win7_primary-100024000-large-751928.jpeg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5998778043219832770" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsSLcPW-6fCUvJYmQ3_n3Lr-o6yC6et_DIusNMGxL14bACNzwTJulBU1O0nwsN6fJJG3PKVa6ay-gAv7SAZy2tF3utBnla0JFvLnLtKW1z8jVi7jGu3zwWM6o8otcWjprqaQdT96G90JQ/s320/win7_primary-100024000-large-751928.jpeg" /></a></p><div class="department" style="margin:0px 0px 10px;overflow:hidden;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:'Helvetica Neue',Arial,sans-serif;line-height:21px"><a class="topCatLink" href="http://www.pcworld.com/category/windows-7/" style="color:rgb(185,26,22);float:left;font-size:16px;font-weight:700;text-transform:uppercase;font-family:facitweb,sans-serif"><span style="line-height:1.7em;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:'Helvetica Neue',Arial,sans-serif;font-size:15px">If any word most accurately describes Windows 8, it's "divisive." Microsoft's finger-first, device-agnostic reimagining of Windows draws haters like flies and has played some part—how large a part is up in the air—in</span><span style="line-height:1.7em;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:'Helvetica Neue',Arial,sans-serif;font-size:15px"> </span><a href="http://www.pcworld.com/article/2104244/pc-market-fell-hardest-in-2014-analyst-firm-says.html" style="line-height:1.7em;font-family:'Helvetica Neue',Arial,sans-serif;font-size:15px;color:rgb(37,167,215)">driving PC sales off a cliff</a><span style="line-height:1.7em;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:'Helvetica Neue',Arial,sans-serif;font-size:15px">since its launch. Even so, Microsoft isn't backing down, and Windows 8 and its Live Tiles are darn near ubiquitous in stores.</span><br> </a></div><span itemprop="articleBody description text" style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:'Helvetica Neue',Arial,sans-serif;line-height:21px"><p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">Don't think you're a hostage to Microsoft's hubris, however.</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">While Windows 8 indeed lurks inside the vast majority of consumer PCs sold today, Windows 7 is by no means dead and gone. In fact, PC purists pining for the halcyon days of Windows 7 have a wealth of ways to acquire a PC powered by their operating system of choice. It just takes a little digging.</p> <h2 style="margin-top:1em;margin-bottom:0.25em;font-family:facitweb,sans-serif">Buy a prebuilt PC</h2><p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">Simply waltzing into a Best Buy and asking for a Windows 7 PC won't get you far. "We don't carry Windows 7 anymore. It was phased out last year," a blue-shirted salesperson <a href="http://www.pcworld.com/article/2026879/how-to-get-a-new-pc-that-runs-windows-7-not-windows-8.html" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)">told PCWorld</a> at a Dedham, Massachusetts, store—and that was 13 months ago. A recent check at a Walmart in New Hampshire was similarly fruitless.</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">If you want a new Windows 7 PC, you'll have to turn to the Internet.</p><p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em"><a href="http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olstemplatemapper.jsp?_dyncharset=UTF-8&_dynSessConf=2145876131980765684&id=pcat17071&type=page&ks=960&st=categoryid%24abcat0501000&sc=Global&cp=1&sp=-bestsellingsort+skuidsaas&qp=operatingsystem_facet%3DOperating+System~Windows+7%5Eoperatingsystem_facet%3DOperating+System~Windows+XP%5Eoperatingsystem_facet%3DOperating+System~Windows+XP~DELETE&list=y&usc=All+Categories&nrp=15&fs=saas&iht=n&seeAll=&browsedCategory=abcat0501000" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)">Best Buy</a>'s website offers around 100 new Windows 7 desktops and all-in-ones.<a href="http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=100019096%20600014644%20600014645&IsNodeId=1&name=Windows%207%20Professional" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)">Newegg </a>and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=sr_nr_p_n_operating_system_mrr_0?rh=n%3A172282%2Cn%3A%2113900871%2Cn%3A%21565154%2Cn%3A%21251257011%2Cn%3A4972214011%2Cn%3A565098%2Cp_n_operating_system_browse-bin%3A2287320011%2Cp_n_operating_system_browse-bin%3A2232492011&bbn=565098&ie=UTF8&qid=1394208476&rnid=2287320011" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)">Amazon </a>each have hundreds. Individual PC builders also sell Windows 7 PCs. The phasing-out of consumer Windows 7 PCs means they're already often priced somewhat higher than comparable Windows 8 machines, though.</p> <a class="zoom cboxElement" href="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2014/03/womdpws-7-dell-100249467-orig.png" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)"><img alt="womdpws 7 dell" height="359" src="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2014/03/womdpws-7-dell-100249467-large.png" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px; vertical-align: middle; width: auto; height: auto; max-width: 100%; float: left;" width="580"></a><p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em"> Act fast if you want a consumer computer packing Windows 7. The end-of-sales date for computers with Windows 7 Home Basic, Home Premium, and Ultimate is October 31, 2014; beyond then, you'll only be able to <a href="http://www.pcworld.com/article/2098241/microsoft-stays-the-execution-of-windows-7-pcs-for-business-but-not-for-pleasure.html" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)">purchase business-focused laptops and desktops </a>powered by Windows 7 Professional, and those can cost numerous pretty pennies.</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">In fact, many Windows 7 PCs available today already stick to the Professional version, which is helping to drive Windows 7 PC prices higher: Virtually all Windows 7 computers sold directly by Dell, Lenovo, HP, and other mainstream PC makers reside in the business category. Boutique PC builders, such as Origin and Falcon Northwest, also offer Windows 7 as an option for their built-to-order rigs. But those custom, drool-worthy computers start out expensive and only go up—way, way, <em style>way</em> up—from there.</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">If you're shopping for a prebuilt PC, consider searching for one that has Windows 7 Professional installed using the downgrade rights from a Windows 8 Pro license. (Just search for "<a href="http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&DEPA=0&Order=BESTMATCH&Description=windows+7+downgrade&N=-1&isNodeId=1" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)">Windows 7 downgrade</a>" on your e-tailer of choice.) That way, if you ever decide to upgrade to Windows 8 or 8.1, you won't have to pay for a new Windows license—but we'll talk more about downgrade rights in a bit.</p> <h2 style="margin-top:1em;margin-bottom:0.25em;font-family:facitweb,sans-serif">Roll your own PC</h2><p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">First, the bad news: The deadline has passed for buying standalone, boxed OEM copies of Windows 7. Everyday folks simply can't get them from Microsoft anymore.</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">Now, the good news: E-tailers apparently stockpiled Windows 7 licenses by the bucketful before Microsoft cut off access. Finding boxed copies of Windows 7 online is dead simple. Even better, Windows 7 Home Premium still sells for its recommended $100 MSRP. Unlike hardware pre-stuffed with Windows 7, there's been no price inflation on the software front.</p> <a class="zoom cboxElement" href="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2014/03/windows-7-home-premium-newegg-100249469-orig.png" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)"><img alt="windows 7 home premium newegg" height="210" src="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2014/03/windows-7-home-premium-newegg-100249469-large.png" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px; vertical-align: middle; width: auto; height: auto; max-width: 100%; float: left;" width="580"></a><p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em"> Screenshot taken March 7 2014. Click to enlarge</p><p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">Considering that you can still find boxed copies of Windows XP online, expect to see Windows 7 on sale for awhile, though its cost is sure to creep up as availability dwindles over time. Just be sure to confirm what you're buying. Some third-party sellers offer "open box" copies of Microsoft's operating system. Steer clear of those.</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">While despondent Windows 8 owners can install a fresh copy of Windows 7 on their PCs, this option is more likely to appeal to folks cobbling together a DIY computer from the power supply on up. </p> <h2 style="margin-top:1em;margin-bottom:0.25em;font-family:facitweb,sans-serif">Downgrade Windows 8 Pro</h2><p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">If you've already purchased or built a Windows 8 Pro computer and found you loathe Live Tiles, all is not lost. Microsoft's rarely invoked downgrade rights can be tapped to transmogrify your PC into a Windows 7 Professional system.</p> <img alt="" height="388" src="http://images.techhive.com/images/article/2012/11/8to7_primary-100013616-large.jpg" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px; vertical-align: middle; width: auto; height: auto; max-width: 100%; float: left;" width="580"><p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em"> Downgrade rights are a tricky beast, however.</p><p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">You'll need to have Windows 8 Pro installed, and your PC must have run on Windows 8 Pro from the get-go—basic Windows 8 installations upgraded to Windows 8 Pro after the fact don't get downgrade rights. You'll also need a product key and an installation disc for Windows 7, which Microsoft and most PC makers will <em style>not</em> help with. (Good thing you can still buy boxed copies of Windows 7 on sale!) Oh yeah, the process requires jumping through some complicated hoops. And did I mention that some PC builders <a href="http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9233388/HP_urges_consumer_customers_not_to_downgrade_new_PCs_to_Windows_7" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)">refuse to support</a> boxed consumer computers that have been downgraded to Windows 7?</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">Yes, there's a reason downgrade rights are typically used by big businesses alone. (Though <a href="http://www.pcworld.com/article/2053340/as-businesses-flee-the-coming-xpocalypse-theyre-turning-to-windows-7-not-8.html" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)">businesses tend to use Windows 7</a> rather than Windows 8, but I digress.) </p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">Nevertheless, downgrading has its upsides over simply nuking Windows 8 and installing a fresh copy of Windows 7. Namely, you can <em style>upgrade</em> back to Windows 8 at no cost if you change your mind in the future. Like I said earlier: If you're on the market for a new PC, buying a computer that already has Windows 7 Professional pre-installed <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_2?url=search-alias%3Dcomputers&field-keywords=windows%207%20downgrade" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)">using Windows 8 Pro's downgrade rights</a> essentially lets you have your cake and eat it too. Those systems <em style>are</em> out there.</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">But if you've already bought a Windows 8 Pro-packing PC and want to drop to Windows 7, </p><h2 style="margin-top:1em;margin-bottom:0.25em;font-family:facitweb,sans-serif"> Be the change you want to see</h2><p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">Finally, if you don't want to drop extra dough on a Windows 7 license or spend a premium on a PC pre-packed with Windows 7, fear not. Bending Windows 8 to your will and forcing it to behave like its predecessor should take less than an hour, and doing so means you'll get to keep Windows 8's blazing-fast boot times and other under-the-hood improvements.</p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">Simply installing <a href="http://www.pcworld.com/article/2054422/five-tools-to-bring-the-start-menu-back-to-windows-8-1.html" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)">Start menu replacement software</a> will get you most of the way there, but if truly want to forget that Live Tiles even exist, be sure to read our guide on <a href="http://www.pcworld.com/article/2055381/how-to-eradicate-metro-from-your-windows-8-1-pc.html" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)">eradicating Metro from your Windows 8.1 PC</a>. </p> <p style="line-height:1.7em;margin:0px 0px 0.7em">Procrastinators and lazy people, there's something for you, too: The coming update to Windows 8.1 is supposed to include some new features to make the operating system <a href="http://www.pcworld.com/article/2099948/windows-8-1-update-due-in-spring-with-concessions-to-mouse-and-keyboard-users.html" style="color:rgb(37,167,215)">easier on mouse-and-keyboard diehards</a>. So even if you wait around and do nothing, Windows 8 should be just a little bit more like good ol' Windows 7 pretty soon. </p> </span>

3 ways to get a new Windows 7 PC in the Windows 8 era

If any word most accurately describes Windows 8, it's "divisive." Microsoft's finger-first, device-agnostic reimagining of...

Read more »

How to plan your succession

<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUETmVD5GvaTO1WsKdoSY3Sv9QS5oDDd014B46M2eyJwKZ6bAgR4Y7vxOnj9PJoZHmqt3tjoJiDISbO5odEbvRUov0pHEUv_WVnR5bAZZ0_SHRoagrUcVKj8D8E7N6OVDKSLEbNnJx0NNP/s1600/632-365x274-782645.jpeg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5998121468798756866" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUETmVD5GvaTO1WsKdoSY3Sv9QS5oDDd014B46M2eyJwKZ6bAgR4Y7vxOnj9PJoZHmqt3tjoJiDISbO5odEbvRUov0pHEUv_WVnR5bAZZ0_SHRoagrUcVKj8D8E7N6OVDKSLEbNnJx0NNP/s320/632-365x274-782645.jpeg" /></a></p><div class="single_excerpt" style="padding:0px;margin:5px 0px;font-style:italic;font-size:13px;font-family:helvetica,arial,Tahoma,verdana,sans-serif;color:rgb(119,114,114)">Why you should start preparing your ultimate exit strategy now</div> <div class="format_inner_text_single" style="padding:0px;margin:0px;float:left;font-family:helvetica,arial,Tahoma,verdana,sans-serif;font-weight:bold;width:635px"><p style="padding:0px 0px 10px;margin:0px;font-weight:normal;font-size:13px;line-height:21px"> When my father died from a long bout with cancer 10 days before his 50th birthday, he left behind a decade-old family business. “This company is my legacy,” he told me a week before his death. “If you boys are careful, it’ll support the family for years to come. It’ll be like the goose that laid golden eggs.”</p> <p style="padding:0px 0px 10px;margin:0px;font-weight:normal;font-size:13px;line-height:21px"><a href="http://entrepreneurindia.in/howto/how-to-plan-your-succession/22276/attachment/63-8/" rel="attachment wp-att-22286" style="padding:0px;margin:0px;color:rgb(12,65,94);font-size:14px"><img alt="" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-22286" height="274" src="http://entrepreneurindia.in/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/632-365x274.jpg" style="padding: 6px; margin: 1px 6px 0px 0px; border: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); float: left; background-color: rgb(243, 243, 243); border-top-left-radius: 3px; border-top-right-radius: 3px; border-bottom-right-radius: 3px; border-bottom-left-radius: 3px;" title="63" width="365"></a>Because my father planned ahead—in his will, he left 10 percent of the company to each of his three sons and one cousin, and 60 percent to his wife—the process of passing the business from one generation to the next went smoothly. Well, sort of. My father did ruffle our feathers so that his business could survive. There were hurt feelings when we boys learned that none of us was chosen to take charge, and that we had to manage the business as a team. Ultimately though, Dad was right. Because he planned carefully, the golden eggs continue 18 years after his death. And because my brothers and I have had to share responsibilities, we’ve been free to develop other aspects of our careers—in my case, becoming a writer. Things aren’t always so easy, though. In fact, the Family Business Institute says that only 30 percent of family businesses survive into the second generation. The primary culprit? Ineffective succession planning by the business owner. Look, nobody expects to die, but just as you would draft a will to pass on your personal possessions, you need to create a succession plan to ensure your company survives unscathed. Naturally, every succession plan is different, but there are a few basic rules of thumb.</p> <p style="padding:0px 0px 10px;margin:0px;font-weight:normal;font-size:13px;line-height:21px"><strong style="padding:0px;margin:0px">Start early</strong>: Planning now affords you more options, especially when it comes to mitigating tax liability. The earlier you start transferring ownership to your children, the smaller the estate tax bill will be after you die.</p> <p style="padding:0px 0px 10px;margin:0px;font-weight:normal;font-size:13px;line-height:21px"><strong style="padding:0px;margin:0px"><a href="http://entrepreneurindia.in/howto/how-to-plan-your-succession/22276/attachment/70-7/" rel="attachment wp-att-22309" style="padding:0px;margin:0px;color:rgb(12,65,94);font-size:14px;font-weight:normal"><img alt="" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-22309" height="274" src="http://entrepreneurindia.in/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/701-102x274.jpg" style="padding: 6px; margin: 1px 6px 0px 0px; border: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); float: left; background-color: rgb(243, 243, 243); border-top-left-radius: 3px; border-top-right-radius: 3px; border-bottom-right-radius: 3px; border-bottom-left-radius: 3px;" title="70" width="102"></a>Be objective</strong>: What’s best for your family is not always what’s best for your business. Determine what your business requires to survive and grow, and be prepared to admit, possibly painfully, that your spouse or children may not be up to the task.</p> <p style="padding:0px 0px 10px;margin:0px;font-weight:normal;font-size:13px;line-height:21px"><strong style="padding:0px;margin:0px">Seek help</strong>: Consult your accountant and attorney about reducing your family’s tax obligations and avoiding possible legal complications between partners and family.</p> <p style="padding:0px 0px 10px;margin:0px;font-weight:normal;font-size:13px;line-height:21px"><strong style="padding:0px;margin:0px">Consider the staff</strong>: Your plan should address the vested interests of company officers and loyal employees; overlooking their contributions and value to the business could backfire. Don’t risk the bad karma—or the possibility that they could leave and take your best customers with them.</p> <p style="padding:0px 0px 10px;margin:0px;font-weight:normal;font-size:13px;line-height:21px"><strong style="padding:0px;margin:0px">Communicate clearly</strong>:. In the months before he died, my father pulled me aside several times to explain his choices. He knew that I didn’t agree with everything he was doing. However, by being open and direct, he helped me understand his reasoning</p> </div>

How to plan your succession

Why you should start preparing your ultimate exit strategy now When my father died from a long bout with cancer 10 days before his 50th ...

Read more »

How to establish an NGO

<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzmXgz-DKcXoI1HqrgFtjvtkv35_HsA4st-TMPXwaLZT2WEc6Z7vWDPcHuAnwLRVJTAyOMfpS73NcXAIFqcCZX37sFa5xSckS8jrAFSJ2HFU5W3rWMV_6twUVmjK8mUNsyWRyfkpYMUAMd/s1600/65-365x274-760267.jpeg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5998120517714455138" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzmXgz-DKcXoI1HqrgFtjvtkv35_HsA4st-TMPXwaLZT2WEc6Z7vWDPcHuAnwLRVJTAyOMfpS73NcXAIFqcCZX37sFa5xSckS8jrAFSJ2HFU5W3rWMV_6twUVmjK8mUNsyWRyfkpYMUAMd/s320/65-365x274-760267.jpeg" /></a></p><div class="single_excerpt" style="padding:0px;margin:5px 0px;font-style:italic;font-size:13px;font-family:helvetica,arial,Tahoma,verdana,sans-serif;color:rgb(119,114,114)">From the time a non-governmental organization (NGO) is actually set up, it usually takes about a year before its programs actually benefit the target groups</div> <div class="single_excerpt" style="padding:0px;margin:5px 0px;font-style:italic;font-size:13px;font-family:helvetica,arial,Tahoma,verdana,sans-serif;color:rgb(119,114,114)"><span style="font-size:13px;line-height:21px">According to the United Nations, the practical elements of an NGO must encompass the fact that it is non-profit, non-commercial, non-government, legally registered and subscribing to universal humanitarian values and practices. Fundamentally though, there are two critical things an NGO must have. The first being capacity—it has a plan and the resources to carry it out. The second is that it is ready to be held accountable for its actions</span></div> <div class="format_inner_text_single" style="padding:0px;margin:0px;float:left;font-family:helvetica,arial,Tahoma,verdana,sans-serif;font-weight:bold;width:635px"><p style="padding:0px 0px 10px;margin:0px;font-weight:normal;font-size:13px;line-height:21px"> <strong style="padding:0px;margin:0px">- Define passion and goals</strong></p><p style="padding:0px 0px 10px;margin:0px;font-weight:normal;font-size:13px;line-height:21px"><a href="http://entrepreneurindia.in/howto/how-to-establish-an-ngo/22768/attachment/65-8/" rel="attachment wp-att-22769" style="padding:0px;margin:0px;color:rgb(5,38,58);font-size:14px"><img alt="" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-22769" height="274" src="http://entrepreneurindia.in/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/65-365x274.jpg" style="padding: 6px; margin: 1px 6px 0px 0px; border: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); float: left; background-color: rgb(243, 243, 243); border-top-left-radius: 3px; border-top-right-radius: 3px; border-bottom-right-radius: 3px; border-bottom-left-radius: 3px;" title="65" width="365"></a>Before setting up your NGO, choose an issue that is important or something that is a matter of public interest. Such issues may include arts, charities, education, politics, religion, research or some other non-commercial endeavor.</p> <p style="padding:0px 0px 10px;margin:0px;font-weight:normal;font-size:13px;line-height:21px">According to a working paper on <em style="padding:0px;margin:0px">How to Start an NGO</em> by Joanna Moshman, the founder must have a clear and concise written statement that describes the charitable mission of the NGO and why it exists.</p> <p style="padding:0px 0px 10px;margin:0px;font-weight:normal;font-size:13px;line-height:21px">The target community too must be clearly identified and the reasons for it should be analysed.</p><p style="padding:0px 0px 10px;margin:0px;font-weight:normal;font-size:13px;line-height:21px"> It is a good idea to test the waters by volunteering or working with an NGO that works for a similar cause. This would not only help in getting practical experience, but also create clarity—whether the idea of starting up is a long-term vision or not.</p> <p style="padding:0px 0px 10px;margin:0px;font-weight:normal;font-size:13px;line-height:21px"><strong style="padding:0px;margin:0px">- Do the groundwork</strong></p><p style="padding:0px 0px 10px;margin:0px;font-weight:normal;font-size:13px;line-height:21px"> The next step would be to think about how to gather funds, resources, set up a team and other infrastructure needs. <br style="padding:0px;margin:0px">To start with, one needs to determine feasibility by taking into consideration the economic climate and funding needs of the organization.</p> <p style="padding:0px 0px 10px;margin:0px;font-weight:normal;font-size:13px;line-height:21px">A detailed business plan must be prepared that encompasses the mission, structure, values, budget, resources and other requirements of the organization. The founder must recruit the initial board of directors who have strong legal, financial and technological skills and who are aware of their responsibilities in the public interest.</p> <p style="padding:0px 0px 10px;margin:0px;font-weight:normal;font-size:13px;line-height:21px">The first board is the foundation of the NGO and it is always helpful to start with a small group of committed individuals. The size and structure of the board as well as the people who make it up, may change based on the size and scale of the NGO.</p> <p style="padding:0px 0px 10px;margin:0px;font-weight:normal;font-size:13px;line-height:21px"><strong style="padding:0px;margin:0px">- Legal expertise and documentation</strong></p><p style="padding:0px 0px 10px;margin:0px;font-weight:normal;font-size:13px;line-height:21px"> There are always a lot of legal issues that have to be tackled while starting an NGO which essentially revolve around registration, filing of articles of incorporation, tax exemption rules and other issues. It always helps to hire a professional who can look into these issues. If money is a problem, it may be possible to see if board members have any connections, contacts or friends who may offer free advice on the matter.</p> <p style="padding:0px 0px 10px;margin:0px;font-weight:normal;font-size:13px;line-height:21px">Before registering an NGO, it is important to choose a name. It is essential to check up with local government agencies and offices to make sure that the proposed name and logo are not already being used in the country. In India, an NGO is registered under the Indian Trusts Act, Societies Registration Act and the Companies Act.</p> <p style="padding:0px 0px 10px;margin:0px;font-weight:normal;font-size:13px;line-height:21px">Every NGO in India is legally required to document a trust deed/ Memorandum of Understanding/byelaws that contain the name and address of the NGO, mission and objectives, details of governing body members, staffing information, rules and regulations, administrative laws and procedures.</p> <p style="padding:0px 0px 10px;margin:0px;font-weight:normal;font-size:13px;line-height:21px"><strong style="padding:0px;margin:0px">- Getting funds</strong></p><p style="padding:0px 0px 10px;margin:0px;font-weight:normal;font-size:13px;line-height:21px"> An NGO can raise funds through foundations, corporations, businesses that have staff working in community relations or public relations departments and lastly individuals and religious groups. An NGO can also make use of internal sources (membership fees, sales, subscription charges, donations, etc.) or grants approved by the government, private organizations or foreign sources.</p> <p style="padding:0px 0px 10px;margin:0px;font-weight:normal;font-size:13px;line-height:21px"><a href="http://entrepreneurindia.in/howto/how-to-establish-an-ngo/22768/attachment/104-2/" rel="attachment wp-att-22770" style="padding:0px;margin:0px;color:rgb(12,65,94);font-size:14px"><img alt="" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-22770" height="274" src="http://entrepreneurindia.in/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/1041-208x274.jpg" style="padding: 6px; margin: 1px 6px 0px 0px; border: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); float: left; background-color: rgb(243, 243, 243); border-top-left-radius: 3px; border-top-right-radius: 3px; border-bottom-right-radius: 3px; border-bottom-left-radius: 3px;" title="104" width="208"></a>The Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) 1976 governs the inflow of foreign funds in the country. A large number of NGOs are eligible for tax exemptions. These must be applied for and their status followed up on regularly. Once the grants are in place, NGOS need to put in a system for recording and documenting inflows and outflows in financial journals which must be audited at the end of the financial year. It is important to put an effective accounting system into place to deal with the bookkeeping and accounts as NGOs finances tend to be closely scrutinized by the funding agencies.</p> <p style="padding:0px 0px 10px;margin:0px;font-weight:normal;font-size:13px;line-height:21px"><strong style="padding:0px;margin:0px">- Other aspects</strong></p><p style="padding:0px 0px 10px;margin:0px;font-weight:normal;font-size:13px;line-height:21px"> It is essential to build a wide professional network with other NGOs, government agencies, media and the corporate sector. In addition to these, a few miscellaneous tasks must be completed like the hiring of staff, informing the community of the presence of the NGO etc.</p> <p style="padding:0px 0px 10px;margin:0px;font-weight:normal;font-size:13px;line-height:21px">Activities with regard to programs can be discussed and implemented after the financial and physical infrastructure is in place.</p> <p style="padding:0px 0px 10px;margin:0px;font-weight:normal;font-size:13px;line-height:21px">It is always important to ensure that the qualitative impact of the programs is assessed at regular intervals. Also, annual, quarterly reports along with newsletters must be sent out to all funding agencies. This is important as it helps in funds generation.</p> </div>

How to establish an NGO

From the time a non-governmental organization (NGO) is actually set up, it usually takes about a year before its programs actually benefit t...

Read more »