Tech advice and other stuff

MOVIE REVIEWS

2008-09-23T14:51:00.002+05:30

I've been watching a LOT of movies lately and here are a few interesting ones i've seen

SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION(1975): This is the movie which has topped IMDB.com best films ever list. And when you watch it, you'll know why. it's a fast paced adventure which befuddles you and at the same time amazes you. The film is about the story of a man who gets convicted and sent to the high security Shawshank prison, his life there, his deeds and how he escapes his destiny. MUST watch. Don't miss it.

THE ILLUSIONIST: This is movie which will leave you dumbfounded and amazed. It is about a magician(illusionist), his journey in life, his love and how it all ends. Makes you think. Amazing stuff.

FIGHT CLUB: contrary to what the name suggests, this movie is not all about street fighting/boxing, it's about a man, his conscience, his life. unbelievable stuff. too good.

WALL-E: this movie is about a little garbage collecting robot who is the last robot left on earth after earth was destroyed. he goes about his daily routine till one day an alien dropship lands on earth and leaves a bot whose job is to search for life on earth. this movie is about his adventure and how wall-e ends up saving earth. this movie has almost no dialouge and is the best animation film i ever saw. MUST watch.

i'll keep the updates flowing, there are many more movies to write about.

HOW TO SPEED UP YOUR COMPUTER???

2008-07-11T23:59:00.000+05:30

HOW TO SPEED UP YOUR COMPUTER???
are you suffering from slow speeds of your computer??
do you feel that your computer is not as fast as it used to be???
well i have some advice for you.

1. DELETE SOME USELESS FILES.
processor speed directly depends on free space on hard drive.
delete files you don't use frequently and write them on a CD or DVD instead.

2. INCREASE THE CAPACITY OF YOUR RAM
Upgrade you ram by adding extra memory sticks to the empty slots in your mother board.
not recommended for users who don't play high definition games which need extra RAM.
buy extra RAM only if you really need it.

3. USE DISK CLEANUP OPTION.
go to START> ALL PROGRAMS> ACCESSORIES> SYSTEM TOOLS> DISK CLEANUP.
clean up your c: and d: drives.
this can sometimes free up several hundred mbs or in some cases gb's of space.

4. DEFRAGMENT YOUR COMPUTER
go to START> ALL PROGRAMS> ACCESSORIES> SYSTEM TOOLS>Disk Defragmenter
this speeds up your computer. by 2- 10% minimum.

5. GET REGISTRY MECHANIC(new!)
A huge percentage of your computer's problems are due to irregularities in your registry for example you uninstalled a program, but it invariably leaves links in registry, shortcuts, data, etc which are empty i.e. they point nowhere! so it is these links, shortcuts, etc that cause your computer to slow down and give error messages at startup or shutdown.....so the solution?? get registry mechanic. for those who have learnt to download files via torrent networks, this is the link.
for those who want to download the trial version(or can't download via torrent) this is the link
AND
by the way read my previous post on downloading via torrent if u don't know how to download by torrent network
THIS WILL SPEED UP YOUR COMPUTER BY UPTO 70% in some cases!

7. CLEAN YOUR COMPUTER OF ADWARE/SPYWARE

for those poor souls whose computer has been infected by spyware, here are tips to remove it
spyware usually slows your computer to a crawl, suddenly before you know it, your computer feels like it belongs to some ancient age! CLEAN IT!

8. get system mechanic(new!)
this is an amazing software especially if u have the full version;) this is an all in one software that does all the functions stated above. here is the link to the site or otherwise search for a torrent file of the same

disclaimer: this information is compiled on previous experience of the author and the author will not take any responsibility for consequences of your following this advice. ;)
Abir

how to keep your system clean of spyware and adware?

2008-07-11T23:56:00.000+05:30

how to keep your system clean of spyware and adware?
Spyware:
Spyware is computer software that collects personal information about users without their informed consent. The term, coined in 1995 but not widely used for another five years, is often used interchangeably with adware and malware
Adware:
Adware or advertising-supported software is any software package which automatically plays, displays, or downloads advertising material to a computer after the software is installed on it or while the application is being used.

adware and spyware slow down your computer to a crawl. you won't understand that they are in your computer before you get hit and your pc crashes.
these are nearly impossible to delete on your own.
to remove/prevent them,
few important steps.....

1. GET THE LATEST ANTI-SPYWARE SOFTWARE.
Some common and good programs are
a)AD-aware SE(free) ---get it from
http://www.lavasoft.de/products/ad-aware_se_personal.php
b)Spybot search and destroy(free)---get it from http://www.safer-networking.org/en/index.html

c)windows defender. it comes free if u have genuine windows. if u don't, get it from a torrent site for free.

d)spyware doctor(http://www.pctools.com/spyware-doctor/) it's free for trial. but if u want full version, get it from a torrent site.

2. Keep deleting your cache, history and other stuff spyware programs feed upon.
a good program that does this for you is IE privacy keeper
(free) get it from----http://www.browsertools.net/IE-Privacy-Keeper/

3. Get mozilla firefox
this is the best browser in the business
MUCH MUCH better than Internet Explorer
get it free from www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/
and you have to download a few extensions in it. first get noscript. then get adblock. and then fasterfox. this will solve 90% of the issues where you mistakenly download spyware from a site

4. Browse safely.
don't go to sites that might harm your computer(music download sites for example)
it's easier said than done. But if you stick to commonly known sites which you visit frequently, your comp is out of danger.

5. Don't download filesharing software like KAZAA
they are the biggest source of spyware.

disclaimer:this information is compiled on previous experience of the author and the author will not take any responsibility for consequences of your following this advice.

How to keep your system clean of viruses and worms???

2008-07-11T23:52:00.000+05:30

HOW TO KEEP YOUR SYSTEM CLEAN OF VIRUSES???
All of you know about viruses and worms. how would you prevent an attack???
a few important steps:

1. GET ANTIVIRUS PROGRAMS
here are some FREE and really great antivirus programs i use in my computer.

a) AVAST v4.7 home edition -- get it from http://www.avast.com/eng/avast_4_home.html
you just have to register first and you would get a key.
this is the best antivirus solution i have come across yet. it updates regularly and has a powerful scanner.
THE BEST.

b) AVG free edition -- get it free from
http://free.grisoft.com/freeweb.php/doc/2/
i use this in conjugation with avast.
c) BUY mcafee or norton antivirus. it's worth the investment.

2. GET FIREWALL SOFTWARE
Firewall is really important. see my other post on comodo firewall. it's a free firewall that is better than paid ones...

3. BROWSE SAFELY
browse safely, it's the best way... guys beleive it or not porn sites are the most virus infested ones....

4. GET GENUINE WINDOWS.
or switch to linux. Vista is safer but it's a pain in the ASS to use it.

5. DON'T DOWNLOAD SOFTWARE WHICH MIGHT HARM YOUR COMPUTER
don't get misled. use your own head. use your own discretion.

disclaimer: this information is compiled on previous experience of the author and the author will not take any responsibility for consequences of your following this advice. ;) ;)

HOW TO DOWNLOAD ANYTHING, FREE?

2008-07-11T23:49:00.001+05:30

yes, that's right.
you can get almost any software in the world for FREE.
this is made possible by p2p networks(PEER TO PEER sharing)(for more information click here.)
And the type of p2p software sharing i am talking about is TORRENT files.
now, WHAT IS THIS TORRENT FILE????
This is a small file which contains data about the files to be shared, and about the host computer that coordinates the file distribution.by convention, a torrent file always has the suffix .torrent, example:- ABC.torrent

HOW TO GET THE SOFTWARE I WANT?

1. YOU NEED A BITTORRENT CLIENT OR A SOFTWARE THAT CAN DOWNLOAD THE SOFTWARE YOU WANT FROM THE .TORRENT FILE YOU DOWNLOADED

for this you need a client such as u-torrent(you can get it for free here)
this is best for beginners.

This is how it looks

for more info click here

2. YOU NEED TO DOWNLOAD A TORRENT FILE FOR DOWNLOADING THE FILE YOU WANT.

they can be downloaded by typing the name of the file in the search box of U-torrent, selecting the site by clicking the button adjacent to the search box and pressing 'enter' ur keyboard.
torrent files can also be found at sites like www.thepiratebay.org , www.isohunt.com , www.mininova.org.
TORRENT FILES ARE USUALLY VERY SMALL FILES <500kb

BE CAREFUL TO DOWNLOAD ONLY THOSE FILE WHICH HAVE MORE THAN 5 UPLOADERS OR 'SEEDERS' (seeders are people who are giving you the software you need)

3. YOU NEED TO LEARN WHAT IS TO BE DONE TO START THE DOWNLOAD.

first , install and open u-torrent window.
then click add torrent. see pic for help.
now find the .torrent file you downloaded and add it. it will automatically start downloading.
ENJOY!

tech review: sony MP3/FM diskman DNF-341

2008-07-11T23:44:00.000+05:30

For all people looking for a mp3 player with fm capability and awesome sound, look no further. move over ipod, this give you bang for your buck. you have virtually unlimited storage(you can make as many cds as you want!) and digital amplifier, digital clear bass and most importantly digital mega bass. that translates to the revolutionary music quality that sony is famous for. battery backup for two alkaline AA cells is claimed to be 30 hours but since i use it, i should tell you that it gives 24 hours at max. BUT it comes with an AC adapter for unlimited playback and does not need charging like a mp3 player does. for ardent music lovers this is a viable alternative to ipod or any other mp3 players at a similar price range. this can be yours for Rs 5000. for details check out the site here.

software review: comodo firewall pro

2008-07-11T23:42:00.000+05:30

okay, so my mcafee firewall just stopped working one fine day. so...who will save my pc from hackers and stop worms and prevent malicious programs from accessing the net????
i decided to try a free firewall(that's right...FREE) which pc world magazine claimed to be better than any paid ones....hmmm...i had to check this...and believe me it's passed every test i've thrown at it. it is just awesome! i wonder how they give a lifetime license for free without ads???
my advice: follow this link and download it right away!
cya

some snippets(random pics.....)

2008-07-11T23:41:00.000+05:30

ME AND SIDDHARTH IN MY HOSTEL ROOM

STING OPERATION:
time :- 3 in the morning(3 a.m.)
place:- the outer room of my hostel room
who?:- rishabh singh a first year poly student
what the hell does it mean? :- he was supposed to make his file, i was doing my E.D. sheet. note the open file in front of him. he just fell asleep while sitting. with the light on.

A really cute puppy stumbling about in front of my hostel

NOW THESE ARE THREE PICTURES MEANT ONLY FOR DIPSTES FOR USE IN ORKUT ALBUMS, T-SHIRTS, WALLPAPERS, ETC. all proud dipsites kindly copy these pics from here.

movie review: taare zameen par

2008-07-11T23:40:00.000+05:30

WOW. that was the only word that comes to mind while exiting the movie hall after seeing this movie. this movie is a landmark in indian cinema and probably THE BEST movie ever made by bollywood and by far the best movie i've seen. bollywood has finally come of age, cinema has matured, directors are willing to take risks. this story is of a eight year old boy named ishaan awasthi who was suffering from dyslexia and could never concentrate on studies, instead he lived in a fairy land of fishes, birds, trees and nature. this story is about his struggle and how aamir khan(who plays the role of his art teacher) helps him achieve his dreams and achieve success. very touching story and a MUST WATCH for EVERYONE . THIS MOVIE DESERVES FIVE STARS OUT OF FIVE.

movie review: TRANSFORMERS

2008-07-11T23:38:00.000+05:30

This is one of those movies for which one is willing to pay 150 bucks just to sit back and enjoy the RIDE!! AWESOME special effects, GREAT ACTION, NO STORY AT ALL. doesn't need one at all with all this action to blow your mind. it's about two warring factions of transformers(robots that can change appearance) set for an out and out battle in USA(as usual....it's a hotspot for alien activity...every alien movie seems to be based there!). TYPICAL SPEILBERG MOVIE. FOUR OUT OF FIVE.

movie review: heyy babyy

2008-07-11T23:37:00.000+05:30

this was a movie i wanted to see since i saw it's trailers, it appeared as if it would be an out and out laugh riot...but even though most of my friends are going googoo gaga over the movie, i was dissapointed(it didn't live up to my expectations). the first half started with a bang with everybody laughing their heads off, some really hilarious scenes and sequences. three really 'outgoing' bachelors(they thought they were very 'successful' with women) having fatherhood thrust upon them. their struggle to come to terms with an eight month old baby girl was hilarious. but then one hour into the movie things started to go dark and sentimental...i mean what is the use of deliberately making a perfect comedy into an average sentimental bollywood movie?? it just doesn't make sense. vidya balan played a serious part and Akshay kumar and Fardeen khan acted brilliantly(Fardeen was fabulous in the sanskrit speaking professor guise) overall timepass movie, watch it only if u are getting bored.
i give it THREE stars out of FIVE

2008-07-11T23:35:00.000+05:30

sometimes when you are tired of seeing movies with more or less the same story, similar messages in bollywood, one starts to expect some or the other similarity with similar themed movies. When i see promos of any sports themed movie, i think this is going to be just one of those cliched sports movies( the same old story...underdogs become champions and stuff)......and then along comes chak de! India. so unconventional, so refreshing and so similar to other sports movies yet totally different from them all. it's not some player's heroics that lead the team to eventual victory but it's shown as one man's struggle to prove himself to the world one team out to prove their worth and the worth of the sport they play to a cricket crazy country. it gives a true perspective of the state of women's hockey in our country today from the skeptical and hypocritical board members to the shoddy lodgings et al. it's a three hour dose of patriotism and self belief. three hours of pure movie goers delight, it's a movie everyone will enjoy and films like this should be made more often. in short: AWESOME story, AWESOME value for money.
i give it FOUR AND A HALF STARS out of FIVE

ORKUT ADDICTION

2008-07-11T23:30:00.000+05:30

orkut is an online community that connects people through a network of trusted friends

that's what's written on the home page of orkut. but believe me, it's much better than that!
i joined orkut in the first week of december 2005.
at first i was very sceptical about joining it, "what's the need?", "what will i do there?", "is it some kind of trick website??", "who do i know there??"-- --- -- these were some questions in my mind then. i ignored most friend requests that told me to join orkut for many days. then my brother showed me what it actually is......
to be very true to you, IT'S AMAZING!!!!!
for any of you who hasn't joined orkut, it's a must-have thing.
i met some of my really out-of-touch friends, met some new friends, some old friends and soon very nearly all the people i knew at school are on orkut. THE WORLD JUST BECAME A SMALLER PLACE.
the scrapping feature is great, in which you can just write a message for your friend to see later.
it started off for me as a once in a week check thing but soon i was checking it daily and now i'm online on it for hours!
That's orkut addiction.
people say that it's got negetive features, people waste time on orkut, etc,etc....
that's all crap, believe me.
the site is : www.orkut.com
abir

FIRST POST

2008-07-11T23:24:00.000+05:30

SO, this is my second blog and the one in which i will post the articles on technical(computer and mechanical) related stuff and some other random shit. you will know soon enough ;)