Saturday 3 March 2012

Now, Post Offices outside city retail Solar Lamps


CHENNAI: Looking for an eco-friendly solar lamp to tide over the power cuts? You might be able to pick up one at your neighbourhood post office. The Chennai circle of India Post is selling solar lamps through 19 post offices across Tamil Nadu to give a fillip to its retail post initiative. 

"The demand has been on the rise so we will make the lamps available in other post offices too," says M S Ramanujan, postmaster general. The department started selling solar lamps in Chengalpet from September 2011. In February, post offices in Vellore and Kanchipuram started selling the lamps to cover areas such as Madurantakam, Tiruporur, Uttiramerur, Sriperumbudur, Tiruvallur, Tiruttani, and Sathuvacheri. 

"In the last month nearly 1,000 lamps were sold by the new centres," says an official. The demand is probably driven by the daily power cuts across the state. 

The department sells three kinds of lamps with LED lights and integrated solar panels that can be charged in the sun. The prices range from Rs 399 to Rs 1,699, and come with high and low settings or a facility to charge mobile phones, depending on the model. "Once the lamps are fully charged they can be used for four to eight hours," says Ramanujan. 

The department decided to sell solar lamps after successfully retailing gold coins and university application forms, and opening counters to accept utility bills. "We were forced to look at various options after the internet and other forms of communication eroded our traditional mail base," he says. 

After a solar lamp manufacturer approached the department, it decided to start selling the lamps in rural areas. "Our biggest advantage is our network, especially in rural areas. The demand has gone up with power cuts and the beginning of the exam season," says Ramanujan. 

To cater to the demand, the department has placed orders with a few more companies. However, supply is not sufficient to meet the rising demand. "Every household needs at least two lamps and that is tough to meet," he says.

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com dtd 02/03/2012
VIA- SAPOST

How to Lock any Drive ( Hard Disk & CD Drive )


STEPS TO LOCK DRIVE IN WINDOWS:

1. Go to Start menu and then to RUN  and type "gpedit.msc" (without quotes) and Press Enter.
2. Now you will see a new dialog window , where you will see two things "Computer Configuration" and "User Configuration". Now click on "User Configuration".
3. There you will see three items. Now you have to Click on "Administrative Templates". Then go to "Windows Components".
4. There you will see a lot of Windows Components. Now Click on " Windows Explorer"
5. Now you will find something like this "Prevent Access To Drives From My Computers" , double click on it . It will open its properties. Now to lock a drive or drives click on "Enabled"radio button. Now from the drop down menu select the drive that you want to lock or block.
6. After that click on apply and restart your system. Now anyone will not been able to access the particular drive.
7. To unlock the drive again follow the similar procedure and just click on "Not configured" and apply the settings and restart your system.

FULL Procedure is in this snapshot...

Courtesy : abkantharaja.blogspot.in

How to Block a Website

There are many reason why you need to know how to block a website. Some of the most common reasons are you have been targeted by spammers who use adware and popups to attack your PC. Other reasons may be to prevent your children from having access to certain site content such as porn and gambling.

Depending on the level of security you wish, learning how to block a website may require a adjustments of your web browser, the use of internet filtering software or editing of your host file. At any rate you can try all methods to see which works best for you.
How to block a Website using Internet Explorer
Internet Explorer version 5 and later offer the ability for heighten security and privacy. You can block a site by following the directions below:
1. Load your Internet explorer
2. Click Tools
3. Click Internet Options
4. Click the Privacy tab
5. Under the Privacy window, Click Sites
6. Type in the site address that you want to Block and Click OK. Remember this technique only blocks on one site at a time. Parental control software will allow you to block multiple sites and categories.


Here are alternate instructions to block a website using Internet Explorer.
Tools ->Internet Options->Security->Restricted sites->Sites->Type in the site address and Click ADD then click OK


How to Block A Website in All Web Browsers
This action will require you to edit your Host file. Your host file is a computer file used to store information on where to find a node on a computer network. For more a more detailed description. Check out this link Host File Description Link
In Windows XP
1. Click Start->All Programs->Accessories->Command Prompt.
2. Click Command Prompt This will open a DOS command window.
3. Type: notepad C:/Windows/System32/drivers/etc/hosts
4. Locate the line 127.0.0.1 localhost
5. To block the website google.com for example, just add this text under 127.0.0.1 localhost:
127.0.0.1 google.com
127.0.0.1 www.google.com
You can add as many sites any site, However you will need to prefix it with "127.0.0.1".

6. Save the file
Google will now be blocked in all web browser. This is an advanced but easy method on how to blow a website.


(Courtesy: systempost)

Useful Commands

Just go start,then click on Run then type any command below

0) cmd - comand prompt

1) compmgmt.msc - for computer managent

2) devmgmt.msc - device manager

3) regedit - registry editor
4) msconfig - system configuratn utility . . .

5) compmgmt.msc - Computer management

6) devmgmt.msc - Device manager

7) diskmgmt.msc - Disk management

8) dfrg.msc - Disk defrag

9) eventvwr.msc - Event viewer

10) fsmgmt.msc - Shared folders

11) gpedit.msc - Group policies

12) lusrmgr.msc - Local users and groups

13) perfmon.msc - Performance monitor

14) rsop.msc - Resultant set of policies

15) secpol.msc - Local security settings

16) services.msc - Various Services

17) msinfo32 - System Information

18) sysedit - System Edit

19) win.ini - windows loading information(also system.ini)

20) winver _ Shows current version of windows

21) calc - calculator



Courtesy : abkantharaja.blogspot.in

How To Set Password in Broad Band Modem


Here is the step by step method to set password in modem..Setting password in the modem is a must to connect broad band modem to a hub or a switch



Before we proceed, first we need to ensure that we are connecting the Modem to the Phone line and computer.
1. Turn ON the Modem. You can find the Power button is at the rear of the Modem. Once the Modem is Turned ON, the Power Button LED at the front will glow.
2. Connect the Phone Line cable to the LINE port at the rear of the Modem.
3. Connect Modem to the Computer. Connect a LAN cable (Network cable/RJ45) from Modem to the LAN port (Network Port) of your computer.
4. Once all connection is proper, we can proceed to next step.

SBI to slash interest rate on education loans


The country's largest lender State Bank of India (SBI) today reduced interest rates on education loans by up to 1 percentage point across various segments, a move likely to be followed by other lenders.
Education loans up to 4 lakh have become cheaper by 0.25 percentage point to 13.50 per cent against 13.75 per cent.

However, loans between Rs 4 lakh and 7.5 lakh will be available at 13.25 per cent against 14.25 per cent, a sharp reduction of 1 percentage point.

Loans beyond Rs 7.5 lakh will cost 0.25 percentage point less at 12 per cent.

Under this education loan scheme, loans up to Rs 10 lakh for studies in India and up to Rs 20 lakh for studies abroad are given
At present, interest rates on education loans range from 12.25 per cent to 14.50 per cent, depending on their quantum and the duration. SBI is also offering a concession of 0.5 per cent on interest rates for loans given to female students.
Interest rate on loans given to students undergoing courses at premium institutes such as IITs, IIMs have also been cut by 25 basis points to 2 basis points over the Base Rate

Some Useful command prompt tricks


openfiles /query

If you are running a system and you want to know who has files open on your computer, this command will provide you a list of those users and the files that they have open.

    Note: If you get an error saying The system global flag ‘maintain objects list’ needs to be enabled to see local opened files, you can fix this issue by typing openfiles /local on. You will have to reboot the system but it will resolve the issue.
Recover Information From A Corrupt File

recover filename.ext

If you have a disk with damaged sectors, you can attempt to recover as much information as possible from the damaged file. Data that is not damaged can be retrieved but data in damaged sectors will be lost.
rexec remotePC defrag C: /F

This command used the rexec command to force a defragment of the C: drive on the computer named remotePC. You can use whatever you want to for the command (I just used defrag C: /F as an example). This is very useful for remote maintenance.
Retrieve Detailed System Information
tasklist

taskkill /im programname.exe /f

It’s always good to know what is running on your system. This is the command line version of the processes tab in Taks Manager.
Kill A Program


dir *.ext /s /b > files.txt

This command line will create a file called files.txt. When you open this file, there will be a complete list of all the files in that directory and all subdirectories with the .ext extension. You can then open up this text file in any text editor and work this the information.By changing the ext part, you can select different files. For example, if you wanted to list all of the PDF documents, you would type:

dir *.pdf /s /b > files.txt
ipconfig /all

This will retrieve a pile of information about your network connection and IP information. From this command, you can get:

    Host Name
    Primary DNS Suffix
    Node Type
    IP Routing Enabled
    WINS Proxy Enabled
    DNS Suffix Search List
    Connection-specific DNS Suffix
    Network Adapter Description
    Physical (MAC) Address
    DHCP Enabled
    IP Address
    Subnet Mask
    Default Gateway
    DNS Servers 
openfiles /query

If you are running a system and you want to know who has files open on your computer, this command will provide you a list of those users and the files that they have open.

    Note: If you get an error saying The system global flag ‘maintain objects list’ needs to be enabled to see local opened files, you can fix this issue by typing openfiles /local on. You will have to reboot the system but it will resolve the issue.
Monitor Port Activity

netstat -a 30

This will show you all of the TCP/IP ports that are being used on your system and what they are connecting to (or being connected from). It will continue to monitor these ports and refresh the information every 30 seconds. You can change the refresh rate by changing the number at the end of the command.
Reboot a Remote Computer

shutdown -r -f -m \\remotePC –c

 "System will be rebooted in 20 seconds

Automatically Defragment C: Daily

schtasks /create /tn "Defrag C" /tr "defrag c: /f" /sc daily /st 23:00:00 /ru "System"


This will set your computer to automatically perform a complete defrag of the C: drive each day at 11:00:00 PM (23:00:00). It does this by creating a scheduled task called Defrag C. It will run this command under the computer’s system account.


MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF DEPARTMENTAL COUNCIL (JCM)



A meeting of the Departmental Council (JCM) under the Chairpersonship of Secretary(Posts) was held on 10.02.2012. The following were present:
Official Side
Staff Side
1. Ms. Manjula Prasher, Secretary(P)
& Chairperson, Departmental Council(JCM)
2. Ms. Yesodhara Menon, Member(P)
3. Ms. Suneeta Trivedi, Member(Plg.)
4. Shri Santosh Gauriar, Member(O)
5. Kalpana Tiwari, CGM MB&O
6. Shri S.K. Sinha, CGM PLI
7. Shri Tilak De, DDG(MM&Estates)
8. Shri V.P. Singh, DDG(Estt.)
9. Shri Salim Haque, DDG(P)
10. Ms. Aindri Anurag, DDG(PO&CP)
11. Shri A.S. Prasad, DDG(FS)
12. Shri V.K. Tiwary, DDG(R&P)

13. Shri Subhash Chander,
       Director(SR&Legal)
1. Shri K.V. Sridharan,Leader
2. Shri Giriraj Singh,
3. Shri M. Krishnan,
4. Shri D. Theagarajan
5. Shri D. Kishan Rao
6. Shri Ishwar Singh Dabas
7. Shri T. N. Rahate
8. Shri P. Suresh
9. Shri Pranab Bhattacharjee
10. Shri A.H. Siddiqui
11. Shri K. Ragavendra
12. Shri S. Karunanidhi
13. Shri Surinder Pal

The meeting started with introductory remarks of the Chairperson wherein she apprised of the staff side about the proposal of recognition of federations heaving been taken up for consideration and approval of the competent authority. This was followed by the staff side thanking the Chairperson for convening the meeting as per the schedule. Thereafter agenda items were taken up for discussion. The gist of discussions held during the meeting is as follows:-
Annexure – I
1. Long distance schedules of MMS
The staff side was apprised of the instructions having been issued to Heads of Circles on 15.06.2010 to increase the utilization of vehicles by extending the existing schedules up to 300 kms. The position about clearance of Ministry of Finance regarding purchase of new vehicles as also replacement of old vehicles happening much faster was also explained to the staff side.
The contention of the staff side was that the aforesaid instructions are not being observed and it was agreed to reiterate the said instructions.

Kids of widowed daughters to be included in CGHS

It’s a move that will go a long way in empowering widowed/separated daughters dependent on their parents. Last month, the ministry of health and family welfare decided to expand the ambit of Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS) to include dependent children of widowed/separated daughters as beneficiaries under the government’s comprehensive health scheme. Till now, serving central government employees, pensioners, current and former members of Parliament, serving and retired judges of Supreme Court and high court, freedom fighters, accredited journalists, former governor and former vice president of India could avail of CGHS benefits.

CAT-5 CABLE AND RJ45 CONNECTORS.


How to correctly assemble a CAT-5 cable to RJ45 connectors for regular network cables as well as crossover cables.

The 
CAT-5  is a standard cable which has four twistedpairs of colours. It is easy to crimp a RJ45 coonector to CAT-5 cable and makeit into a straight cable or cross the cable as required. To make a straightcable, the ends must be crimped in the same way at each end. When makinga crossover cable, some wires of certain colours have to be reversed.

NSC Encashment error-Problem in updating Negative list

In One of the B class Offices, while going for NSC/KVP Encashment an error occurs. It shows Run Negative list. But while updating negative list. It shows Negative list not updated. The solution for this error is follows

National Pension Schemes will be linked to Aadhar, says Jairam


The Rural Development Minister Shri Jairam Ramesh today said that National Social Assisstance Programme, NSAP will be completely restructured and all payments under the scheme will be done through Aadhar-based payment system. Talking to a select group of media persons here, he said, the restructured system will be in place by 10th of March this year and it will ensure that each beneficiary under old age, disabilities and widow pension schemes will get one’s entitlement every month and there will be no delay in payments. He said, the Central government spends nearly 8,000 crore rupees under the NSAP scheme, but the devolvement of funds is being done in a complicated process in a layered manner, which he said will be rectified and only one State Agency will be identified for receipt of funds for final disbursement to pass book holders through Aadhar-based system.

Science lessons now on mobile phones


innovative: ‘Science@Mobile’ will provide all types of information on science subjects. Photo: K. Bhagya Prakash
From textbooks to your mobile screens, now science will be at everyone's fingertips!
Vigyan Prasar and IGNOU together have launched a free SMS service for mobile users that delivers content on science and related areas.
The application — Science@Mobile — was launched on February 29 as part of the two-day National Science Day celebrations by Amit Roy, Director of the Inter-University Accelerator Centre.

Windows 8 is a generational change: Microsoft


Windows 8 is a generational change: Microsoft

BARCELONA: Microsoft has let consumers start trying out its upcoming touch-based Windows 8 operating system, which aims to power a new wave of computer tablets and traditional PCs designed to counter Apple's big gains in the market through its Macs and iPads.
The test "beta" version of the revamped system was introduced at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, the planet's largest cell phone trade show, and borrows some of the look of Microsoft's Windows Phone 7 software for Windows 8.
Windows 8 doesn't have the traditional "Start" menu, and applications are spread across a mosaic of tiles in a design Microsoft calls "Metro" - seen as an attempt by the company as a scramble to preserve its market share. And executives said it powers up on PCs in eight seconds, much faster than the previous version.

The tiles, which resemble road signs, can be navigated with a finger swipe on the screen or with a keyboard and mouse. But those testing out the new operating system won't be able to try out the finger swiping unless they already have systems enabled for touch use, and the system isn't expected to make its official debut until September or October.
Microsoft executives in Barcelona showed off how users can use their fingertips to swipe in and out of applications, and tilt upright computer screens to a flat position so they can be used as two-person gaming boards or big drawing tablets. A slim laptop had a hinge allowing it to be turned inside out so it could be used as a tablet instead.
"It's beautiful, it's modern, it's fast, it's fluid," said Steven Sinofsky, president of Microsoft's Windows division. "Windows 8 is a generational change in the windows operating system."
Microsoft is also opening an Internet "Windows Store" where users can download applications for the operating system, but only if they have Windows 8. Applications are free for those testing out the beta version, but would include both free and paid versions after the operating system is released.
The test version was downloaded by people from more than 70 countries as Microsoft gave its presentation about Windows 8, but the company didn't immediately disclose the number of downloads. The software can be downloaded at http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-8/consumer-preview.
Apple is also moving features from its iPhone and iPad software over to its Mac software. That trend will be particularly visible in Mountain Lion, the new Mac operating system that's expected to be released this summer.
Windows 8 will also be the first Microsoft software in a long time besides its cell phone software that will run on non-Intel style processors. The company is developing a version that will run on phone-style chips, such as those used in the iPad.
If Windows 8 is a hit, it could help struggling PC makers, including Hewlett-Packard Co. and Dell Inc. Besides giving businesses and consumers a reason to consider new PC purchases, Windows 8 is expected to spawn a new breed of hybrid machines that will be part tablet computer and part laptop like the device that Sinofsky demonstrated.
If Windows 8 is a flop, however, it will increase the pressure on Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer. His 12-year reign has been marred by the company's troubles adapting to an Internet-driven upheaval. As Microsoft has stumbled, faster-innovating companies such as Apple and Google have elbowed their way into a position to steer the direction of computing for the next decade or two.
Microsoft's financial performance traditionally improves when it releases a new version of Windows. The last upgrade came in October 2009 when Windows 7 hit the market. The company has sold more than 525 million copies of Windows 7 since then. Part of Window 7's success stemmed from pent-up demand; the previous version, Vista, was so clunky and buggy that many PC users stuck with the system they already had on their machines or switched to Apple's technology on Mac computers.
Microsoft shares dipped 13 cents to close at $31.74 Wednesday after the new operating system was introduced. The stock has been hovering around its highest levels since April 2008.
Windows 8 is radically different from its predecessors, with its tiles that provide a glimpse at the activity occurring in applications connected to the Web, such as email.
The system also is expected to enable users to easily back up their pictures, movies, music and other files on a Microsoft storage service called SkyDrive, which will compete against Apple's iCloud.
Julie Larson-Green, head of "Windows Experience" and responsible for delivering a new operating system that wows the world's PC users, showed how documents and data can be stored in one device only to appear instantaneously in another.
"It will populate with everything you are used to using right away," she said.
The operating system's versatility means it can be used to power computer tablets, as well as traditional PCs.
Microsoft badly wants a piece of the tablet market that has been cutting into PC sales since Apple introduced the iPad two years ago.
In the quarter that included the holiday shopping season, Apple shipped 15.4 million iPads, more than doubling the volume from the same time a year earlier. Meanwhile, worldwide personal computer sales dipped slightly, and Microsoft's revenue in its Windows division declined 6 percent. It marked the fourth time in the past five quarters that Microsoft's Windows revenue has fallen from the previous year.
Reversing or slowing that trend is critical for Microsoft. It still relies on the PC industry for about 55 percent of its revenue, according to Nomura Equity Research analyst Rick Sherlund.
"The launch of Windows 8 should provide a few years of robust growth and opportunity for Microsoft to reposition itself to better defend its position against challengers," Sherlund wrote in a note after Microsoft reported the latest erosion in its Windows division.
Besides spurring more sales of the new operating system, Windows 8 is likely to drive demand for the next generation of the Office suite, another major moneymaker for Microsoft. In the demonstration in Barcelona, Office looked just like it normally does - but can be opened with a finger swipe.
Windows 8 could inspire more PC makers to design machines that combine the convenience of tablets with the utility of a notebook computer. These devices would be similar to the so-called "ultrabook" computers that offer a Windows-based version of Apple's lightweight MacBook Air machines.
Once Windows 8 is available, the ultrabook line could be expanded to include machines equipped with a screen that swivels off the keyboard to take advantage of the system's touch controls and provide a tablet-like experience.
via-sadop

Nokia 808 : Unbelievable Smart phone with 41 Mega Pixel camera!!



It is a amazing news, Yeah!! Nokia came out with a 41 Mega Pixel camera sensor with Nokia Pure view Pro imaging technology and Carl Zeiss optics. Face detection feature is another gift that comes along with Nokia808  to cheer up Nokia lovers.  Another advancement in this gadget is that, you can launch the camera from lock with full press of capture key.

Nokia 808  runs with symbian Belle and 1.3 GHz Processor + 512 MB RAM.
It has got 4 inch  capactitive touch screen display and  resolution of 16:9 nHD (640×360 Pixel) AMOLED, 16.7 million colors, Corning Gorilla Glass,
High Definition Videos Film in high definition and hi-fi. There’s 1080p Full HD video recording with up to 4 x lossless zoom that’s smooth and completely silent. And it’s the world’s first device to include High Amplitude Audio Capture. This combines a unique digital microphone and Nokia algorithms to record distortion-free audio at levels of up to 140 dB.
Flash
It has also got xenon flash with an operating range up to 3.5 m depending on conditions
Focal Length
Focal Length = 8.02mm [ 35 mm equivalent Focal length - 26mm 16:9/28mm, 4:3]
Focus
  • Touch to focus and Auto focus features are provided.
  • Focus range= 15cm~ infinity[Macro focus 15 to 50 c]
  • Different modes of focus
                 Hyperfocal,  Macro, Inifinity and Auto focus
Shooting Modes
Nokia 808 comes with three different shooting modes, they are Auto Scenes and Creative

Supported Aspect Ratio
Nokia 808 supports the following aspect ratios 
  • 2MP
  • 5MP
  • 8MP
  • 41MP
  • Default setting  is 5MP
True Resolution = 16:9
Supported format of Images and Videos
Photos – Still images taken are in the format of JPEG, EXIF
Videos -
  • H.264 (base profile, main profile, high profile)
  • MPEG-4,
  • VC-1
  • Sorenson Spark
  • Real video 10
Streaming-
  • H.264
  • Flash Lite 4 (Flash 10 compatibility for video)
  • On2 VP6
  • Sorenson Spark