Multitrack Stopwatch

With MultiTrack Stopwatch, you can measure up to 10 times and distances at the same time. MultiTrack Stopwatch is a classical stopwatch, but it has 10 counters which measure time separately, or they can act as holders of different laps. The results of the measurements can be saved in a file or to the clipboard. All timers can be stopped, started and reset at the same moment or independently from one another.

The difference from the classical stopwatch is that this program also allows some calculations to be made. For example it can calculate the distance using the formula time*speed=distance. Although the interface of MultiTrack Stopwatch 2.3 looks very simple, with only the most basic features, it offers amazing functionality. Timers can be started and stopped instantly by using the space-bar button. Every timer has an alarm. Each of the timers can be set easily to count up or count down.

The program can monitor many applications, so it can be used for measuring your typing speed and the uploading time of an e-mail with a bulky attachment. A significant advantage is that this tool is totally free!! 
Also it's capable of measuring not only the time but the distance as well.

DOWNLOAD IT HERE: MultitrackStopwatch2.3.1.zip

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10 hidden features in Windows 8 - short and crisp!

1. Windows Store

Microsoft enters the lucrative app market, no surprise here. While "Windows Store" (which is the company's name for the online app shop) obviously doesn't work in this early build, the related DLLs and XML resources are already in place and ready to be examined by a variety of tools, such as PE Explorer or Resource Hacker. 

All the basic features of any app store are also present in Windows Store -- such as the ability to browse through categories, make in-app purchases, rate apps, download trials and so forth. New, however, is the ability to "stream" apps to your PC, which could lead to a couple of scenarios: 1) an app could be launched instantly after the purchase -- no need to wait until it is fully downloaded; 2) apps could be hosted in the cloud so that users stream only the part of the app they need at any given moment. That would be convenient for someone who'd like a larger product, say an Office suite, on a tablet with limited disk space, or who'd like to access the app from another machine.

Windows 8 collects all apps in its own "Application Explorer" and categorizes each app as either an "Immersive" or a traditional "Desktop" application (see below for more on that):

2. Two-class society

Windows 8 will come in two separate interfaces flavors -- one traditional UI that resembles Windows 7's Aero and one touch-friendly UI specifically tailored to tablets dubbed "Immersive UI". The latter isn't fully implemented (or is too well hidden) in the early Milestone build, yet some specific tablet applications have already been unlocked:

Internet Explorer Immersive: A touch-centric version of Microsoft's IE browser that includes just an address bar (which auto-hides), a browser history and a tabbed view.

Modern Reader: Microsoft's own implementation of a (basic) PDF viewer that has only bare navigation and bookmarking support. (Still, Adobe likely won't be too happy about this.)

System Settings: A touch-optimized "Control Panel" that caters to mobile needs, such as connectivity, time zone settings or device management.

 

These few tablet apps are literally the tip of the iceberg -- the entire UI has yet to be revealed. While digging through Windows 8's various files, I found hints suggesting that users will be able to switch between the traditional Windows 8 UI and the tablet UI, through what's codenamed the "UIPicker". Also, we've found traces of a "Dock" that is supposed to hold built-in Windows features (such as a search box) and 3rd party apps.

3. Boot in under 20 seconds?

Windows 8 sports a new Hybrid Boot mode which drastically reduces (cold) boot time and will most likely be the default boot option going forward. In essence, it's a combination of "Log Off" and "Hibernate" -- the moment users click on the shutdown button, Windows closes all running applications, logs off and then goes into hibernation mode. Instead of booting up regularly, which usually involves loading hundreds of files and initializing services, drivers and so forth, Windows 8 simply loads the single hibernation file into memory and presents you with the log on screen. I've bench-marked the results on two machines and came away impressed:

However, Hybrid Boot works only if users actually shut down their machines. If a user restarts his or her machine, it boots up cold.
 

4. Automatic Maintenance

Microsoft puts a heavy emphasis on optimizing and increasing overall stability of Windows 8: A new "Automatic Maintenance" regularly checks for solutions to problems (via Windows Error Report), runs the .NET Optimization Service and defrags all hard disks automatically -- all of this happens while the PC is on idle, of course.

5. Disk Defragmenter
Speaking of defragmentation, the new Disk Defragmenter is finally capable of handling SSD drives and allows users to perform the TRIM command much easier than in Windows 7. 

 

In addition, I've found a new Windows service called "Spot Verifier". According to its descriptions and its related DLL files, it checks for bad sectors in real-time and marks them as "bad" in order to avoid data loss or damage. I've also dug up traces of some underlying file system changes that I couldn't quite make sense of, such as an entirely new file system driver called "NT Protogon FS driver", which looks like a kernel mode driver for some sort of (yet unknown) file system called Protogon. It's unclear, whether this is a major new file system or just some minor subsystem.
 

6. Performance boost

In the performance department, Microsoft has also made some serious improvements: After four weeks of productive use (and even putting it under the load of dozens of applications), Windows 8 somehow manages to perform snappier than an identically configured Windows 7 installation. The log on/off process, launching applications, doing heavy multitasking and performing day-to-day tasks is just a tad quicker -- Microsoft managed to reduce any delay there was and improve responsiveness.
 

7. Usability goal: Click reduction

Neither the traditional nor the classic Windows UI are anywhere near finished. Yet, Microsoft's usability department is busy simplifying the user interface and reducing overall complexity.

For example, once you connect to a public Wi-Fi, Windows 8 offers a new dialog to enter the user name and password to get online access:

 

Windows 7 users would need to connect to the Wi-Fi, open up a browser and then wait for the online provider's landing page to pop up.
 

8. Windows Explorer

Windows Explorer is the next tool that received (quite) a UI overhaul and a perfect example of where Microsoft reduces the steps necessary to perform tasks: Like it or not, Windows 8 is likely to come with a ribbonized version of Windows Explorer, as first revealed by Windows experts Paul Thurott and Rafael Rivera. While actually working with this explorer for a couple of weeks we have to admit that, despite its hideous look, it's absolutely wonderful to work with. Day-to-day file tasks are simpler and the ribbon adapts to the file contents (for example, "Music Tools" below). 

 

9. ISO mounting

Additionally, Windows 8 sports its own ISO mounting tool, thus eliminating the need to go and download 3rd party tools, which are often riddled with annoying toolbars and ads.

10: Windows Time Machine

Last but not least, Microsoft finally managed to give its "Restore Previous Versions" (Volume Shadow Copy) feature a usable and intuitive interface: History Vault lets you go back in time and restore earlier versions of a folder – just in case you accidentally made some unwanted changes or deleted some of its contents, which is pretty similar to Apples Time Machine in Mac OS X.

 

This is the kind of stuff they'll make all the usability fanatics go wild: Technology that has been there before, but which is (for the first time ever) actually easy to use and accessible to beginners.
More to come?

Windows 8 won't be available next year, but even this early build looks promising and we believe there is still tons of hidden stuff to be discovered. We'll keep you posted on our findings.

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How do I tell if my computer can run a 64-bit version of Windows?

To run a 64-bit version of Windows, your computer must have a 64-bit-capable processor. To find out if your processor is 64-bit-capable in Windows 7 or Windows Vista, do the following:

    Open Performance Information and Tools by clicking the Start buttonof the Start button, and then clicking Control Panel. In the search box, type Performance Information and Tools, and then, in the list of results, click Performance Information and Tools.

Do one of the following:

        In Windows 7, click View and print detailed performance and system information.

        In Windows Vista, click View and print details.

    In the System section, you can see what type of operating system you're currently running under System type, and whether or not you can run a 64-bit version of Windows under 64-bit capable. (If your computer is already running a 64-bit version of Windows, you won't see the 64-bit capable listing.)

To see whether a computer running Windows XP is capable of running a 64-bit version of Windows, do the following:

    Click Start.

    Right-click My Computer, and then click Properties.

        If "x64 Edition" is listed under System, your processor is capable of running a 64-bit version of Windows.

        If you don't see "x64 Edition" listed, your processor still might be capable of running a 64-bit version of Windows. To find out for sure, download and run the free Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor from the Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor webpage.

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Difference between GPS and GPRS

--> GPS
 
GPS is simply a way to find a specific location on the planet. At each point of the planet, at least three satellites should be in a straight line to the receiver for an accurate reading. That might not always be true, as in certain locations mountains and crevices might prevent a GPS device from having a direct line of sight to three satellites.

You might have also heard of the Galileo system, a new network of 30 satellites that the European Union plans to put into space beginning this year. The deployment of the Galileo system is expected to go on until the year 2008, when the system will be ready to perform its first commercial applications.

Current estimates put the cost of activating the Galileo system at 2.1 billion Euros. It is also estimated to run up a 220 million Euro bill a year just to maintain the network.

Either way, the basic operational concept of both systems is triangulation, which uses a GPS receiver to measure distance by bouncing radio signals off the satellites. Another interesting fact that few people know about is that the military has the most precise version of GPS, whereas the commercial versions have something intentionally left out so that the level of accuracy is not as good as the one used in a military application.

Likewise, certain applications for GPS require a monthly fee, and those applications are much more expensive than regular applications. Again, this is much more accurate than the regular version of GPS.


  

 
GPRS

GPRS may have one more alphabet, but it is an entirely different matter altogether. GPRS stands for General Packet Radio Services. 

This is a way of sending data through radio waves that are currently being used to transmit voice. 

The data in digital form is sent out in packets, or in mini-bursts that are decoded by the receiving unit, which can be one of those modern handsets that are GPRS-enabled. 

 

GPRS is an additional feature that is offered over a mobile telephone network. One of the key advantages of GPRS is speed, with estimations placing theoretical speeds at around 171 kbps if all eight timeslots are used. This would be close to 10 times the speeds available on Circuit Switched Data (CSD) networks. When you take this into account, it is easy to see why GPRS is viewed as being cheaper than competing SMS and CSD technologies.

GPRS also has the advantage of being ‘always-on’. There is no need for a dial-up modem, and your GPRS device is always on but you are charged only if you send or receive data across the network Of course, when we say always on, it also depends on the user being within range of a base station.

A couple of the current GPRS applications which are widely used are web browsing and chatting over the mobile network. Push-to-talk technology is starting to make its presence felt, and files are being transferred in ever-increasing volume over GPRS networks.

A possible area of growth for GPRS applications would be in the area of remote control, where you are able to access and control your house and the appliances within that house. You could activate and deactivate the alarm protecting your house, switch on and off electrical lights at random, and maybe even start the air-conditioning running before you even get home. 

More on GPRS

To summarise, GPRS is a data service that transports its data in the form of packets. This means that the information transfer is achieved by breaking down data into packets before sending it, and then reassembling said data after it has been transmitted and received. This is very similar to how the Internet operates, where data is also broken down into bits and sent to desktop browsers.

Using packets to transfer data also means that the available bandwidth for GPRS use can be shared between several users, which is a much more efficient method than allocating one channel for each user.

GPRS is good for the mobile Internet because most Internet pages can port directly over to a GPRS browser. This means that you can access most Internet websites on a complaint handheld device. With the power of the Internet at your fingertips, you should be able to access nearly any sort of information that you take a fancy to in just a matter of minutes, if not seconds.

The best part of this is that GPRS is not merely limited to GSM networks. The Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) networks that are common to both North and South America will also support the use of GPRS. 

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Search results

How does a search engine fetch answers to your queries in less than second?

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Get started with PivotTable reports in Excel 2007

Your worksheet has lots of data, but do you know what the numbers mean? Does your data answer all your questions? PivotTable reports can help to analyze numerical data and answer questions about it.

 
In seconds you can see who sold the most, and where. See which quarters were the most profitable, and which product sold best. Ask questions, see the answers.

With PivotTable reports, you can look at the same information in different ways with just a few mouse clicks. Data swings into place, answering questions, telling you what the data means.

In this short course you'll learn how PivotTable reports work and you'll make a PivotTable report in Excel 2007.


Make sense out of data.
Learn about Microsoft Office Excel 2007 PivotTable reports, a fast and powerful way to analyze data and answer questions you have about it.

About this course
This course includes:

    1) One self-paced lesson and one practice session for hands-on experience. The practice session does not require you to have Excel 2007 on your computer.
    2) A short test at the end of the lesson; tests are not scored.
    3) A Quick Reference Card you can take away from the course.

Goals
After completing this course you will be able to:

    1) Use a PivotTable report to analyze and summarize your data.

Level: Intermediate
Length: 40 - 50 minutes

Start the Course

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