Microsoft finally took the wraps off the that rumored motion controller we'd been hearing about. Apparently the small, black device -- codenamed "Natal" -- will allow for an astoundingly wide range of actions by utilizing a group of sensors. The demo Microsoft showed off included a skateboarding game and a family playing a racing game.
The add-on will offer features such as auto sign-in for players to Xbox Live (based on complex facial recognition), and sports extremely detailed body tracking which will be able to follow the individual movements of separate limbs. A title was shown off which featured a woman interacting with a young boy on the screen (one of the company's creepier demos in recent memory.) Unfortunately for us. Everyone is still waiting for a release date from Microsoft.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Presentation Software
Bored the powerpoint?
Here is a better presentation software (better then PowerPoint), that even Microsoft uses it.
http://www.ventuz.com/index.aspx
http://www.ventuz.com/references/projects/presentations/5/microsoft_at_cebit_2009.aspx
Of the Express Version is FREE and will do everything that powerpoint does
here is a section from their website:
It is the perfect solution for presentations given in a business or event surrounding, where every aspect, from location over decoration to catering, has been arranged by specialists. In a setting like this, you need a presentation that can impress your audience beyond their expectations.
At the same time your presentation needs to be flexible enough to be adapted to changes up to the last minute before the event.
Ventuz is the perfect combination of these two aspects: impressive 3D looks and a real-time environment.
Az
Here is a better presentation software (better then PowerPoint), that even Microsoft uses it.
http://www.ventuz.com/index.aspx
http://www.ventuz.com/references/projects/presentations/5/microsoft_at_cebit_2009.aspx
Of the Express Version is FREE and will do everything that powerpoint does
here is a section from their website:
It is the perfect solution for presentations given in a business or event surrounding, where every aspect, from location over decoration to catering, has been arranged by specialists. In a setting like this, you need a presentation that can impress your audience beyond their expectations.
At the same time your presentation needs to be flexible enough to be adapted to changes up to the last minute before the event.
Ventuz is the perfect combination of these two aspects: impressive 3D looks and a real-time environment.
Az
Monday, May 25, 2009
Locked Bios
How to Bypass BIOS Passwords
BIOS passwords can be add extra layer of security for desktop and laptop computers, and are used to either prevent a user from changing the BIOS settings or to prevent the PC from booting without a password. BIOS passwords can also be a liability if a user forgot their passwords, or if a malicious user changes the password. Sending the unit back to the manufacturer to have the BIOS reset can be expensive and is usually not covered in an a typical warranty. However, there are a few known backdoors and other tricks of the trade that can be used to bypass or reset the BIOS password on most systems.
Backdoor Passwords
Many BIOS manufacturers have provided backdoor passwords that can be used to access the BIOS setup in the event you have lost your password. These passwords are case sensitive, so you may wish to try a variety of combinations.
WARNING: Some BIOS configurations will lock you out of the system completely if you type in an incorrect password more than 3 times. Read your manufacturers documentation for the BIOS setting before you begin typing in passwords.
Award BIOS backdoor passwords:
ALFAROME BIOSTAR KDD ZAAADA
ALLy CONCAT Lkwpeter ZBAAACA
aLLy CONDO LKWPETER ZJAAADC
aLLY Condo PINT 01322222
ALLY d8on pint 589589
aPAf djonet SER 589721
_award HLT SKY_FOX 595595
AWARD_SW J64 SYXZ 598598
AWARD?SW J256 syxz AWARD SW
J262 shift + syxz AWARD PW j332
TTPTHA AWKWARD j322 awkward
AMI BIOS Backdoor Passwords:
AMI BIOS PASSWORD HEWITT RAND
AMI?SW AMI_SW LKWPETER CONDO
Phoenix BIOS Backdoor Passwords:
phoenix PHOENIX CMOS BIOS
Misc. Common Passwords
ALFAROME BIOSTAR biostar biosstar
CMOS cmos LKWPETER lkwpeter
setup SETUP Syxz Wodj
Toshiba BIOS
Most Toshiba laptops and some desktop systems will bypass the BIOS password if the left shift key is held down during boot
IBM Aptiva BIOS
Press both mouse buttons repeatedly during the boot
Using the Motherboard "Clear CMOS" Jumper or Dipswitch settings
Many motherboards feature a set of jumpers or dipswitches that will clear the CMOS and wipe all of the custom settings including BIOS passwords. The locations of these jumpers / dipswitches will vary depending on the motherboard manufacturer and ideally you should always refer to the motherboard or computer manufacturers documentation. If the documentation is unavailable, the jumpers/dipswitches can sometimes be found along the edge of the motherboard, next to the CMOS battery, or near the processor. Some manufacturers may label the jumper / dipswitch CLEAR - CLEAR CMOS - CLR - CLRPWD - PASSWD - PASSWORD - PWD. On laptop computers, the dipswitches are usually found under the keyboard or within a compartment at the bottom of the laptop.
Remember to unplug your PC and use a grounding strip before reaching into your PC and touching the motherboard. Once you locate and rest the jumper switches, turn the computer on and check if the password has been cleared. If it has, turn the computer off and return the jumpers or dipswitches to its original position.
Removing the CMOS Battery
The CMOS settings on most systems are buffered by a small battery that is attached to the motherboard. (It looks like a small watch battery). If you unplug the PC and remove the battery for 10-15 minutes, the CMOS may reset itself and the password should be blank. (Along with any other machine specific settings, so be sure you are familiar with manually reconfiguring the BIOS settings before you do this.) Some manufacturers backup the power to the CMOS chipset by using a capacitor, so if your first attempt fails, leave the battery out (with the system unplugged) for at least 24 hours. Some batteries are actually soldered onto the motherboard making this task more difficult. Unsoldering the battery incorrectly may damage your motherboard and other components, so please don't attempt this if you are inexperienced. Another option may be to remove the CMOS chip from the motherboard for a period of time.
Note: Removing the battery to reset the CMOS will not work for all PC's, and almost all of the newer laptops store their BIOS passwords in a manner which does not require continuous power, so removing the CMOS battery may not work at all. IBM Thinkpad laptops lock the hard drive as well as the BIOS when the supervisor password is set. If you reset the BIOS password, but cannot reset the hard drive password, you may not be able to access the drive and it will remain locked, even if you place it in a new laptop. IBM Thinkpads have special jumper switches on the motherboard, and these should be used to reset the system.
BIOS passwords can be add extra layer of security for desktop and laptop computers, and are used to either prevent a user from changing the BIOS settings or to prevent the PC from booting without a password. BIOS passwords can also be a liability if a user forgot their passwords, or if a malicious user changes the password. Sending the unit back to the manufacturer to have the BIOS reset can be expensive and is usually not covered in an a typical warranty. However, there are a few known backdoors and other tricks of the trade that can be used to bypass or reset the BIOS password on most systems.
Backdoor Passwords
Many BIOS manufacturers have provided backdoor passwords that can be used to access the BIOS setup in the event you have lost your password. These passwords are case sensitive, so you may wish to try a variety of combinations.
WARNING: Some BIOS configurations will lock you out of the system completely if you type in an incorrect password more than 3 times. Read your manufacturers documentation for the BIOS setting before you begin typing in passwords.
Award BIOS backdoor passwords:
ALFAROME BIOSTAR KDD ZAAADA
ALLy CONCAT Lkwpeter ZBAAACA
aLLy CONDO LKWPETER ZJAAADC
aLLY Condo PINT 01322222
ALLY d8on pint 589589
aPAf djonet SER 589721
_award HLT SKY_FOX 595595
AWARD_SW J64 SYXZ 598598
AWARD?SW J256 syxz AWARD SW
J262 shift + syxz AWARD PW j332
TTPTHA AWKWARD j322 awkward
AMI BIOS Backdoor Passwords:
AMI BIOS PASSWORD HEWITT RAND
AMI?SW AMI_SW LKWPETER CONDO
Phoenix BIOS Backdoor Passwords:
phoenix PHOENIX CMOS BIOS
Misc. Common Passwords
ALFAROME BIOSTAR biostar biosstar
CMOS cmos LKWPETER lkwpeter
setup SETUP Syxz Wodj
Toshiba BIOS
Most Toshiba laptops and some desktop systems will bypass the BIOS password if the left shift key is held down during boot
IBM Aptiva BIOS
Press both mouse buttons repeatedly during the boot
Using the Motherboard "Clear CMOS" Jumper or Dipswitch settings
Many motherboards feature a set of jumpers or dipswitches that will clear the CMOS and wipe all of the custom settings including BIOS passwords. The locations of these jumpers / dipswitches will vary depending on the motherboard manufacturer and ideally you should always refer to the motherboard or computer manufacturers documentation. If the documentation is unavailable, the jumpers/dipswitches can sometimes be found along the edge of the motherboard, next to the CMOS battery, or near the processor. Some manufacturers may label the jumper / dipswitch CLEAR - CLEAR CMOS - CLR - CLRPWD - PASSWD - PASSWORD - PWD. On laptop computers, the dipswitches are usually found under the keyboard or within a compartment at the bottom of the laptop.
Remember to unplug your PC and use a grounding strip before reaching into your PC and touching the motherboard. Once you locate and rest the jumper switches, turn the computer on and check if the password has been cleared. If it has, turn the computer off and return the jumpers or dipswitches to its original position.
Removing the CMOS Battery
The CMOS settings on most systems are buffered by a small battery that is attached to the motherboard. (It looks like a small watch battery). If you unplug the PC and remove the battery for 10-15 minutes, the CMOS may reset itself and the password should be blank. (Along with any other machine specific settings, so be sure you are familiar with manually reconfiguring the BIOS settings before you do this.) Some manufacturers backup the power to the CMOS chipset by using a capacitor, so if your first attempt fails, leave the battery out (with the system unplugged) for at least 24 hours. Some batteries are actually soldered onto the motherboard making this task more difficult. Unsoldering the battery incorrectly may damage your motherboard and other components, so please don't attempt this if you are inexperienced. Another option may be to remove the CMOS chip from the motherboard for a period of time.
Note: Removing the battery to reset the CMOS will not work for all PC's, and almost all of the newer laptops store their BIOS passwords in a manner which does not require continuous power, so removing the CMOS battery may not work at all. IBM Thinkpad laptops lock the hard drive as well as the BIOS when the supervisor password is set. If you reset the BIOS password, but cannot reset the hard drive password, you may not be able to access the drive and it will remain locked, even if you place it in a new laptop. IBM Thinkpads have special jumper switches on the motherboard, and these should be used to reset the system.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Powertoys for your Windows XP
- This is the second version of the PowerToys set, and is a major change from the Windows 95 version. The tools are now included in separate downloads rather than in a single compressed executable file, and many tools that were distributed with Windows 95 PowerToys are no longer part of Windows XP's PowerToys as some functionality of the Windows 95 PowerToys has been incorporated into later versions of Windows, such as the ability to treat .CAB files like ordinary folders.
In all, the following tools have been released as Windows XP PowerToys. Some of them have been later retired and are no longer available. - Alt-Tab Replacement Task Switcher - Replaces the simpler Alt-Tab switcher with a more visual one which shows live window previews.
- Background Switcher - Adds a slideshow tab to Display properties and allows automatically changing the desktop wallpaper periodically.
- CD Slideshow Generator - Generates a slideshow from photos burned to a CD.
- ClearType Tuner - Allows customizing ClearType settings to make it easier to read text on the screen.
- Color Control Panel Applet - Allows managing color profiles, changing color profile associations for devices, viewing detailed properties for color profiles (including a 3D rendering of the color space gamut).
- HTML Slideshow Wizard - Generates an HTML slideshow presentation.
- Image Resizer (Photo Toys) - Allows right-clicking on multiple image files inside Windows Explorer to batch resize them.
- Internet Explorer Find Bar - Adds a toolbar similar to the Find on this page function in Internet Explorer.
- ISO Image Burner - Burns ISO images to a CD burner.
- Open Command Window Here - Allows starting a command prompt from any folder in Windows Explorer by right-clicking.
- Power Calculator - Calculator with support for functions, conversions and graphing.
- RAW Image Thumbnailer and Viewer - Provides thumbnails, previews, printing, and metadata display for RAW images from within Windows Explorer.
- Shell Audio Player - A Windows Media Player-based compact player which allows playing music from the taskbar.
- Super-Fast User Switcher - Allows Fast User Switching using the Windows key+Q combination without requiring to switch even to the logon screen.
- SyncToy - Allows synchronizing files and folders.
- Taskbar Magnifier - Magnifies part of the screen from the taskbar.
- Tweak UI - Allows customizing Windows XP's user interface and advanced settings.
- Virtual Desktop Manager - Allows switching between four virtual desktops from the taskbar.
- Webcam Timershot - Takes pictures at specified time intervals from a webcam.
Some of the Windows XP PowerToys, namely, Background Switcher, Internet Explorer Find Bar, ISO Image Burner, Shell Audio Player and Super-Fast User Switcher have since been retired. Shell Audio Player only worked with Windows Media Player 9 Series, while ISO Image Burner was a third-party PowerToy and an updated version is available as ISO Recorder. Background Switcher is available in an updated form as part of the Creativity Fun Pack. Video screensaver, another PowerToy released as part of the PowerToys Fun Pack.
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/powertoys/xppowertoys.mspx
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Making Better photos
Well not sure how I found this, and test all the packages, "WOW is all i can say as its all FREE"
The test i did was upload my little girls photo and got the software to turn it into a magazine type picture, (it automatically added new face colours and tones and air brushed it).
The are also several other packages, One of which is Funny Photos, I used the same photo to create a high quality printable photo with someone painting her..
you can find these here: http://www.pho.to/
have a go upload a photo and download the results straight away.
DON'T SPEND ANY MONEY..
The test i did was upload my little girls photo and got the software to turn it into a magazine type picture, (it automatically added new face colours and tones and air brushed it).
The are also several other packages, One of which is Funny Photos, I used the same photo to create a high quality printable photo with someone painting her..
you can find these here: http://www.pho.to/
have a go upload a photo and download the results straight away.
DON'T SPEND ANY MONEY..
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
FREE Exchange Monitor
I found this excellent tool from solarwinds,
This free desktop dashboard continuously monitors Microsoft Exchange servers to deliver real-time insight into Exchange services, mail queue sizes, and host server health. With Exchange Monitor at your fingertips, you’ll be able to track Exchange health at-a-glance and ensure this mission-critical app never fails you.
- Quickly identify and troubleshoot Exchange server problems, preventing email delays and calendaring issues
- Spot growing mail queues that can indicate bigger issues, like transport failures, Internet connection failures, and virus activity
- Leverage out-of-the-box settings based on best practices to start monitoring Exchange immediately
- Prevent performance issues before they impact users with built-in red, yellow, and green health indicators
- Monitor critical server health indicators, including disk space, CPU utilization, and memory utilization, to ensure optimal hardware functionality
No problems getting it running on Standard Windows, or SBS, Quick and Easy..
download file here:
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
SBS 2003 Memory Problems
Have you added more RAM into your server, and suddley your getting memeory Allocation errors.
in these cases where allocated memory errors were caused by adding RAM to the machine. This happens because we are actually making use of the new memory (which is a good thing, the server is using the resources you have added more effectively), but you may want to modify the threshold to avoid getting an unneeded alert.
The actual text of the error message is:
Alert on SBSSERVER at 2006.06.27. 0:05:00
A large amount of memory is committed to applications and processes. Consistently high memory usage can cause performance problems.
To determine which processes and applications are using the most memory, use Task Manager. Monitor the activity of these resources over a few days. If they continue to use a high level of memory and are less critical processes or services, try stopping and then restarting them.
You can disable this alert or change its threshold by using the Change Alert Notifications task in the Server Management Monitoring and Reporting taskpad.
To modify the value, do the following:
1. Click START -> Run -> mmc
2. Click File -> Add/Remove snap-in in MMC
3. Add health monitor and click ok back to the main screen.
4. Navigate to Health Monitor -> All Monitored Computers -> SBSSERVER -> Small Business Server Alerts -> Core Server Alerts -> Allocated Memory. On the right-hand pane, right-click on "Allocated Memory" and choose Properties. Edit the "is greater than" value to reflect the correct amount of RAM. Default is 2 GB/2147483648 (3 GB = 3221225472, 4 GB = 4294967296).
Thats it..
This was obtained from the official SBS Blog : http://blogs.technet.com/sbs/ - not easy to find.
in these cases where allocated memory errors were caused by adding RAM to the machine. This happens because we are actually making use of the new memory (which is a good thing, the server is using the resources you have added more effectively), but you may want to modify the threshold to avoid getting an unneeded alert.
The actual text of the error message is:
Alert on SBSSERVER at 2006.06.27. 0:05:00
A large amount of memory is committed to applications and processes. Consistently high memory usage can cause performance problems.
To determine which processes and applications are using the most memory, use Task Manager. Monitor the activity of these resources over a few days. If they continue to use a high level of memory and are less critical processes or services, try stopping and then restarting them.
You can disable this alert or change its threshold by using the Change Alert Notifications task in the Server Management Monitoring and Reporting taskpad.
To modify the value, do the following:
1. Click START -> Run -> mmc
2. Click File -> Add/Remove snap-in in MMC
3. Add health monitor and click ok back to the main screen.
4. Navigate to Health Monitor -> All Monitored Computers -> SBSSERVER -> Small Business Server Alerts -> Core Server Alerts -> Allocated Memory. On the right-hand pane, right-click on "Allocated Memory" and choose Properties. Edit the "is greater than" value to reflect the correct amount of RAM. Default is 2 GB/2147483648 (3 GB = 3221225472, 4 GB = 4294967296).
Thats it..
This was obtained from the official SBS Blog : http://blogs.technet.com/sbs/ - not easy to find.
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Video Player for various formats
Had a call today regarding how to play Videos over the network, and not kill the system. also be able to play various formats.
Well I said "VIDEOLAN"
It allows you to play lots of video formats, more that Microsoft's, and is FREE, will allow you to stream files over the IP Network. What more do you need..
Put a Video on a network share access it via 20 machines, buy double clicking it and watch the network come to a crawl.
Now do the same thing but create a shortcut using videolan so its loads (needs to be install on all computers) hay look no dropouts and still completely usable network.
The Link to download this program is on favorits also :
Download VideoLan
Here is a huge : feature list
Well I said "VIDEOLAN"
It allows you to play lots of video formats, more that Microsoft's, and is FREE, will allow you to stream files over the IP Network. What more do you need..
Put a Video on a network share access it via 20 machines, buy double clicking it and watch the network come to a crawl.
Now do the same thing but create a shortcut using videolan so its loads (needs to be install on all computers) hay look no dropouts and still completely usable network.
The Link to download this program is on favorits also :
Download VideoLan
Here is a huge : feature list
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