Computer, Gadgets and All Things Digital

Windows 7 comes with an extended and more powerful System Recovery than  those found in Windows XP and Windows Vista. Windows 7 System Recovery is your emergency disk when you need to restore your computer configuration  or when you need to perform Windows 7 error recovery such as  fix master boot record and boot sector.   The system recovery disk  is bundled with the Windows installation DVD.

Here Are A List Of What System Recovery Options Does In Windows 7

Startup Repair
Repairs specific computer issues, like missing or corrupt Windows  system files, which may stop Windows from operating properly.

System Image Recovery
A system image is a customized backup of the partition which contains Windows, and also  consists of programs and user data, like files, images, and music. You need to create a system image prior to using this feature.

System Restore
Restores your computer configuration and  system files to a previous state  without harming your files, such as email, files, or images. If you are using System Restore from the System Recovery Options menu, you will not be able to undo  the restore operation. Nevertheless, you may run System Restore again and pick an alternative restore point, if  there is any.

Windows Memory Diagnostic Tool
Scans your computer’s memory for errors.

Command Prompt
This feature is mostly used by experienced  computer users to carry out windows error recovery in Windows 7 operations as well as run other command line tools to diagnose and troubleshoot computer problems.

Recover  Windows 7 and Fix Windows Errors Using System Recovery Command Prompt Line Tools

• Now assume that you already have the recovery disk and you want to run the System Recovery disk  using command prompt line tools.
• To begin  with this you can get started by booting your computer and quickly hitting  the  F8 or F12 keys on the keyboard. You need to do this before  the Windows logo appears.
• Insert your Windows 7 installation DVD. You will be prompted with several menus, just click on  System Recovery and select Command prompt Menu a shown bellow.

Several Command Lines To Fix Your Windows 7 Computer Error Using System Recovery

BootRec / RebuildBcd : This will automatically rebuild the Windows 7 boot menu if there are corrupt systems files
BootRec / fixmbr : this command line will fix the master boot record (MBR) on your hard drive.
BootRec / fixboot : this will write a new boot sector on your hard drive. This is useful if you have a corrupt or damaged boot sector.
BootRec / ScanOs : This command will move the hard disk to the operating system that may not currently appear in the boot menu. This command line is useful if you have two operating systems  installed on your computer

Example : The following command lines is used if  you want to delete the boot menu and rebuild the boot menu from scratch

Bcdedit / export c: \ BCD_Backup
c:
boot cd
BCD attrib-s-h-r
ren c: \ boot \ BCD bcd.old
BootRec / RebuildBcd

Reference:  http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/What-are-the-system-recovery-options-in-Windows-7

As time passes and with frequent use, files and folders on a computer’s hard disk will break down or get fragmented. This may make the your computer sluggish  and over time will likely have processing issues. Defragmenting your computer will enhance retrieval time as well as boost the your computer entire performance. It is recommended you defrag computer on a regular basis. This posting deals specifically with how to schedule defrag Windows 7 using the in-built Windows 7 Disk Defragmenter.

A computer program needs to access different files on the hard disk drive anytime it is run. If these files are distributed  on opposite sides of the hard disk rather than gathered and ordered neatly, as they need  to be, your computer will need to work extra hard and need more time gain access to the data it requires. In some instances, poor defragmenting might even result in an application to cease working completely.

Defragmenting your computer using Windows 7  Disk Defragmenter will reorganize hard drive by putting bits of relevant data together again so that files are organized neatly. Consequently, your computer  will be able to access files more effectively. By effectively organizing files and folders, defragmenting will leave the device’s free space in a single big slice. This may enable new files to be save in you computer in orderly manner , therefore decreasing the need for  defragmentation later on.

Schedule Disk Defrag using Windows 7 Disk Defragmenter

Click the Start button and type “defrag” without quote  in the search box and then hit Enter

After the disk defragmenter window pop ups, click on the Configure Schedule button seen in picture above :

Then pick a schedule when you want windows 7 disk defragmenter to perform a schedule defrag . It is recommended that you defragment your hard disk drive at least once a week and make sure the schedule is set  on the day and the hour when you frequently turn on the computer or notebook. If at the appointed time you’re not turning on the PC / notebook, then the system will not defragment the hard drive automatically.

This post is just a quick Lenovo Thinkpad T420 review, a pretty slick and still hot Lenovo laptop. This slim and light-weight  Lenovo Thinkpad T420 notebook is at the top of its class. Unfortunately Even after acquiring IBM’ PC division compared with other household  names,   Lenovo  runs under the radar screen for most American consumers, even though it develops many state-of-the-art notebooks. The T420s is one just example. The laptop is loaded with advanced and rich features. It  is really  fast with a 14 inch screen, but only weighs about 3.9 lb. You may find other lighter weight notebooks, but just with little 13 inch  or  12 inch screens. Many  find, including me, those smaller laptops  simply too small to be productive.

Lenovo Thinkpad T420

Lenovo Thinkpad T420 is simply  a fantastic device. In case you take a trip or simply want a notebook having a very long battery life this is the right choice for you. You will  get about twelve hours per charge. Really amazing. In addition, it offers an optional battery slab that hooks up to the bottom of the laptop for another 12-15 hours of use.

The T420 offers space for three hard drives  namely the main drive, the ultra-bay, and the mSATA slot I got a hold of the T420  borrowed from a friend of mine with  80GB Intel 310 flash drive for the mSATA slot and loaded it with Windows 7 Home Edition. I also  installed  all my programs on the flash drive. I must say that loading Windows and even the most resources-hungry  applications such as Adobe Photoshop  is amazingly fast. I stored  all of my documents, images and multimedia files on the main drive, so that I have sufficient spaces  for more files. I left the optical drive in the ultra-bay for the time being. The ultra bay has the option of being replaced with  a hard drive or flash drive, or a second battery. The machine is very  quite -you cannot hardly hear the sound from the hard  drive and the fan, when you turn the machine on you can only hear a faint background sound.

The attractive element, however, is the keyboard I was able to  type so fast using it. The words simply appear to flow up on the screen without any notable efforts and few misspellings.

Lenovo Thinkpad  T420  is run on  Intel ® Core ™ i-series second generation processor that is able to boost CPU performance by 40 %. ThinkPad T420 comes with a choice of 6 cell battery or 9 cell to suit customer needs. The  6-cell battery provides a charming slim shape while you use it with  the notebook, while the 9-cell battery provides more powerful and long lasting  battery use. Battery chargers are available in two models. A portable battery charger which is convenient to carry anywhere you go  and a bigger one that is capable of charging the battery  more quickly.

Lenovo Thinkpad T420 Key Specifications and Price

Intel Core i5-2520M 2.50GHz Processor with Turbo Boost Technology up to 3.20GHz
3MB L3 Cache
4GB PC3-10600 1333MHz DDR3 RAM (8GB max)
500GB (7200RPM) Hard Drive
Processor, Memory, and Motherboard

• Hardware Platform: PC
• Processor: 2.5 GHz Intel Core Duo
• Number of Processors: 2
• RAM: 4 MB
• RAM Type: SODIMM

Hard Drive
Size: 500 GB
Type: Serial ATA
Additional Drives: DVD+-RW
Graphics and Display
LCD Native Resolution: 1600×900
Cases and Expandability
Wireless Type: 802.11n

Click here for more tech specs in details

Price : Starts at USD 1080

Tagged:  under Lenovo ThinkPad T420 Review

If you run a home computer network or a corporate network using wireless router you may find yourself in a situation where in certain areas one of the computers can not pick up wireless signal properly or a dead spot even when you are using  the latest series 802.11n router or  even is not able  to connect to the network completely . How to extend wireless range? Listed bellow are tips to sort out this problem that will significantly increase your wireless network range.

Using An Amplifier Or Signal Booster
One way to extend wireless signal range and increase is by using Wifi signal booster place between the router and the antenna.

Increase  The Transmission Power To The Maximum Level
While by default the majority of  routers and wireless network card transmission power is set at maximum level, it is recommended that you take into your  router settings just in case it you have not set it to the maximum level.

Using  A Better Antenna

If you are using a router with an  antenna that can be detached and you suspect that the antenna is the culprit of weak signal received by client computers, you need to replace it with a better and more powerful antenna.

Using a  Repeater to Increase Wifi Reception
Repeater can also be used to extend wireless signal range and  increase Wifi reception. It is usually placed in a location where you find wireless signal gets weaker.

After successfully posted a handsome  10-million-plus sales of the 7-inch Samsung Galaxy Tab, which hit the market in November last , year, Samsung Electronics is readying its larger successor , the 10.- inch Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1. Details of the device are still sketchy since the Galaxy 10.1  will only be available on the market on  this summer. June 8, 2011 which is said to be the official release date. Bellow are some key features and other  Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 technical specs.

Galaxy Tab 10.1 sports a myriad of more robust features compared with its predecessor and has a very sleek and slim body. At 0,14  inch the tablet is the slimmest Android tablet on the market, even thinner than the market leader the Ipad 2 which is 0.34 thick . At 595 grams, it also lighter than the Ipad 2 which weighs in 691 grams. Other specifications include a front facing 2-megapixel camera, rear 8-megapixel camera and impressive dual speakers located on the right and the left side, a 1 Ghz dual core processor, 1,280×800-pixel resolution which is able to  produce a clear, crisp image.

The Android Honeycomb-run  Galaxy Tab 10.1 also comes with two wifi antennas to enhance its signal receiving capability, a very useful feature for those roaming places with weak hotspot signals and a host of other features you may not find on any other Android tablet

Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 Key Specification Summary

Dimension and weight  ; 25,6 x 17,2 x 0,8 cm 595 gram.
Screen ;  10,1 inci,TFT capacitive touchscreen,16M colors.
Resolution;  800 x 1280 piksel.
Operating System Android;  3.0 (Honeycomb)
Prosesor;  1 GHz Tegra2 dual-core
Memori;  16/32/64 GB.
Connectivity ;  Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/nBluetooth 2.1

Acer Iconia Tab W500 is among  few Windows 7 tablets, or more commonly called Windows slate in the sea  full of Android tablets and Ipad 2. Unlike its sister tab, the Iconia A500 which runs on Android  Honeycomb, the W500 has not won’t many positive reviews from gadget freaks or at least from gadget experts. This tab tablet is, however, a thirst relief for those who need a tablet to perform their work-related activities as it is essentially a notebook on the go.

Acer Iconia W500

Just like Eee Pad Transformer Iconia W500 sports a 10.1-inch screen and consists of keyboard a dock and a slate. When combined the two will essentially transform into a notebook  to perform computing task just like when you are using a conventional notebook. The tablet comes in two variants, the first one which runs on Windows 7 Home Edition is priced at around USD550, while the second that runs on Windows 7 professional sells for around USD 620. Both actually have similar hardware specifications. They use 2 Gb of RAM and 32 Gb storage capacity using SSD.

Acer Iconia W5oo is powered by AMD’s 1GHz dual-core C-50 processor and from my initial impression the touchscreen was pretty responsive, I have not have any difficulty dragging my  finger down and up the screen. Wifi connections worked well and also the keyboard dock is incredibly convenient to use but be aware you can’t use it on your lap if you don’t use a laptop tray or flat hard surface to put it on on your lap. When combined the tablet part is a little  hefty.

A common feature in almost today tablet, The Iconia W500 comes with a front facing camera and a rear camera. Unfortunately both are of 1,3 megapixels in resolution , unlike most tablet which have more resolution rear camera.

Acer Iconia Tab W500 Specs and Key Features and price

• 10.1” HD Multi-Touch LED-backlit TFT LCD Display: (1280 x 800) resolution, wide viewing angle
• AMD Dual-Core Processor C-50
• 2GB DDR3 Dual-Channel Memory
• ATI Radeon™ HD 6250 Graphics
• Bluetooth® 3.0+HS
• Dolby® Advanced Audio® v2 Audio Enhancement
• High-Definition Audio Support
• 2- USB 2.0 Port
• 1- HDMI™ Port with HDCP Support
• Acer PowerSmart Battery 6-cell Li-Polymer
• 32GB Solid State Drive
• Dual 1.3MP Acer Crystal Eye Webcams (1280 x 1024) resolution
• 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi
• Price : Starts at USD 550

HTC has finally rolled out the small-yet-slick HTC Flyer, a tablet that runs on Android Gingerbread and comes a myriad of robust features. Even though this tablet still runs on an “outdated” OS , you may upgrade the Gingerbread to the latest Android OS, the Honeycomb if you want to anyway.

HTC Flyer Dimension and Body

The first impression when I got a hold on this device is it feels small compared to other tablets , with a 7-inch screen display , HTC flyer is among the few tables not having a 10- inch screen. HTC Flyer dimensions measures  195.4 mm in length and  122 mm width.  and is  13.2 mm thick, small and handy enough to put in your pant pocket.

Nonetheless , the relatively small size fits well into  its overall appearance. HTC  Flyer is  wrapped with metal material with silver and white color combination. It looks very elegant yet quite heavy. It weighs 420.8 grams.

Aside form its astonishing look what comes to as a pleasant surprise is the Flyer  uses a new version of UI (user interface) with smooth and interesting home screen transition..
In addition to having a new UI Sense, HTC Flyer  is also equipped with several standard features  such as HTC Hub, Location, e-book reader application, weather forecast, and several other applications.

Camera

The tablet comes with dual cameras, the front-facing camera and the rear one. The front one  is 1.3 megapixel camera used mostly for video conference and a 5 megapixel  main camera located on the back of the tablet. I tried to capture an image in a dimly-light room using the main camera and the result was pretty amazing.

Magic Pen

HTC Flyer also features the so-called magic pen, a pen that is actually not for navigation purposes but used for writing instead, if you want to send email messages or interact with friends on social network sites you can simply type in what’s on your mind using the pen and send them.  This is not a feature commonly found in other tablets. The function of the pen is even more diverse with a special button placed at the right bottom corner. that can do more for you than you can imagine from creating masterpieces with a stroke of a paintbrush, to taking multimedia notes or even signing digital documents.

HTC Flyer Tech Specs and Prices

• Camera 5 megapixelrear camera and 1.3 megapixel front camera
• Network : HSDPA 900 / 1700 / 2100
• Memory : 32 GB storage, 1 GB RAM
• Storage : microSD, expandable up to 32GB
• Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Wi-Fi hotspot
• Price : Start at USD 867 .

Launched in January in Korea, LG Optimus 2x is the first smartphone to run a dual core processor. The Android Froyo-powered phone has two cameras. The first front-facing camera has 1.3 mega pixel resolution and is used for video conferencing. The 8-megapixel main camera is located on the back of the phone, a not surprising specs and features for recent smartphone product offerings.

What makes LG optimus 2x set apart from its rivals is its dual core I Ghz Nvidia Tegra processor, the fist smartphone to use a dual core processor that enable users to perform multitasking smoothly. The Optimus 2X comes with inbuilt internal memory that can be expanded up to 32 Mb, a 4-inch touch screen display  with 16 million colors with 800 x 480 resolution, HDMI compatibility, which allows users to play multimedia content on a high definition television.   The device  also comes pre-installed with  Adobe Flash Player, enabling its users to play streaming videos on the net

The LG Optimus 2X is one of the first smartphones to come equipped with the new mobile chipset from Nvidia. With a history in graphics, it is no surprise to find that the Tegra 2 chipset offers excellent on-board graphics handling, as well as the likes of Full HD encoding and decoding.

The dual core processor feature  opens up LG Optimus 2X to a world of real HD capability to capture and play  1080p-resolution  multimedia whilst its rivals are only able to capture  lower 720p video. Videos captured using the Optimus 2X is really amazing, you will find it difficult to tell if  they were actually  recorded using a phone. Throw in 1080p HDMI out for viewing movies on a HD TV and DLNA support for wireless media streaming and the LG Optimus 2X has all the multimedia bases covered. The dual core processor not just enables the LG Optimus 2X to run multimedia smoothly but it lets it power though Android and application with unbelievable speed. There is practically no lag or slowdown when you are using the LG Optimus 2X since everything runs fast, smoothly.

LG Optimus 2x  comes only is one black color, with a combination of plastic and metal materials, its body is robust enough to wither violent shock.

LG Optimus 2x specs and price

• 2G Network GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 3G Network HSDPA 900 / 2100
• DISPLAY Type TFT capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors Size 480 x 800 pixels, 4.0 inches – Accelerometer sensor for UI auto-rotate – Proximity sensor for auto turn-off – Gyro sensor – Touch-sensitive controls
• 8 GB storage, 512 MB RAM, 3G HSDPA, 10.2 Mbps; HSUPA, 5.76 Mbps WLAN Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, DLNA, Wi-Fi hotspot Bluetooth Yes, v2.1 with A2DP Infrared port No USB Yes, microUSB v2.0
• CAMERA Primary 8 MP, 3264×2448 pixels, autofocus, LED flash, check quality Features Geo-tagging, face and smile detection, touch focus, image stabilization Video Yes, 1080p@24fps, 720p@30fps, check quality Secondary Yes, 1.3 MP
• OS Android OS, v2.2 (Froyo), upgradable to v2.3 CPU Dual-core 1GHz ARM Cortex-A9 proccessor, ULP GeForce GPU, Tegra 2 chipset
• Price : $514.99
  

How To Secure My Wireless Network ? This is a common question asked by network administrator who have just set up and secure a home or business network. Nowadays  more and more corporations and household implement wireless network in their organizations and their homes to take advantage of its  convenience. You need to just connect your Wifi-enabled laptops or computers to connect to router and  the network and surf the web, or if your machine is not equipped with a wifi capability you may use wireless adapter for desktop . This , however, comes with risks as essentially a wireless network is easier to break in compare with a cable network.  There are a number of methods to secure wireless network from internal or external intruders from eavesdropping your wireless network

Bellow a list of methods to secure home or company wireless network:

How To Secure My Wireless Network? : Action I : Use LAN segmentation and Firewall

LAN segmentation is widely implemented  by many organizations to divide  the network into smaller and more manageable compartments. Using different LAN segments or virtual LAN segments has a lots of advantages. It enables an organization to expand their network, reduce network congestion, sort out problems for more effective troubleshooting, and improve security by safeguarding different VLAN’s from each other.
You can allow all of the wireless devices to connect to the WLAN, but shield the remaining internal network from any troubles or internal or external attacks that may take place on the wireless network.By using a firewall, or router  Access Control Lists (ACL), you can restrict communications between the WLAN and the rest of the network. In case you connect the WLAN to the internal network via a web proxy or Virtual Private Network you can additionally restrict access by wireless devices so that user are able to only surf the web, or are only permitted to access specific folders or applications.

How To Secure My Wireless Network? : Action II Use Wireless Encryption

Segmenting your WLAN from the rest of your wireless network helps protect you against  the internal network from any attacks on the wireless network, but that’s not enough,  there are still other actions you have to  take to secure your wireless network. By encrypting your wireless communications and asking users to authenticate before logging in  you can make sure illegal users do not intrude on your wireless network, and that your wireless data can not be intercepted.
One way to make sure that unauthorized users don’t eavesdrop on your wireless network is to encrypt your wireless data. The first  encryption method, WEP (wired equivalent privacy), was found to be basically flawed and easy to crack. WEP uses shared key to restrict access. Anybody who knows the WEP key can access the wireless network. There was no mechanism integrated  to WEP to automatically change the key, and there are several  tools available on the market that are able to crack a WEP key in just a matter of minutes.

The more advanced method of encryption is WPA (Wi-Fi Protect Access) that is designed to leverage an 802.1X-compliant authentication server, but it may also be run much like WEP in PSK or pre-shared key mode. The main enhancement from WEP to WPA is the use of TKIP (Temporal Key Integrity Protocol), which dynamically changes the key to prevent the kind of cracking methods used to break WEP encryption.

By far the most up-to-date type of encryption is WPA2. The WPA2 encryption provides even more sophisticated and secure mechanisms including CCMP, which is in accordance with the AES encryption algorithm.To protect wireless data from being intercepted and to prevent unauthorized access to your wireless network, your WLAN should be set up with at least WPA encryption, and preferably WPA2 encryption.

How To Secure My Wireless Network?  Action III : Wireless Authentication

Aside from encrypting wireless data, WPA can be implemented  with 802.1X or RADIUS authentication servers to provide a more secure procedure for controlling access to the wireless network. Where WEP, or WPA in PSK mode, enables practically anonymous access to anyone who has the correct key or password, 802.1X or RADIUS authentication requires users to have valid account information credentials log into the wireless network.

Requiring authentication to the WLAN provides enhanced security by restricting access, additionally it provides logging details to analyze if something wrong occurs. While a wireless network based on a shared key is able to  record MAC or IP addresses, that information is not useful to identify the main cause of a problem.
With WPA / WPA2 and an 802.1X or RADIUS authentication server, organizations can take advantage of  a variety of authentication protocols such as  Kerberos, MS-CHAP or TLS and make use of a variety of authentication methods such as usernames / passwords.

Source : Secure wifi Tag under : How To Secure My Wireless Network

There are several types of tracking devices for vehicle tracking using GPS or GPS-based fleet tracking systems. Generally they’re divided into “Passive” and “Active” tracking devices. “Passive” devices store GPS location, speed, heading and sometimes  a trigger event for instance when a key is turned off or turned on or  door  is open/closed. When  vehicle returns to a specified position, the device is taken away and the data will then be  downloaded into a computer for analysis. Passive fleet tracking systems involve auto download type that transfer data via wireless download. “Active” devices also gather the same information but typically broadcast the information in real-time through cellular or satellite networks to your computer or data center for evaluation.

A vehicle tracking using GPS involves setting up an electronic device in the vehicle, or fleet of vehicles, with a computer software at least at one operational base or control center,  for the users to monitor the vehicle’s location, gathering information during this process from the field and deliver it to control center. Today fleet tracking systems for vehicle tracking using GPS typically employ GPS technology to track down the vehicle, but there are also other types of vehicle location tracking . Vehicle information can be viewed on electronic maps via a web browser  or a particular application.

Many vehicle tracking devices combines  both active and passive tracking abilities: if a cellular network exists and a tracking device is connected it will transfer data to a server; when a network isn’t available GPS  tracking devices stores data in its internal memory and will send the saved data to the server later if the network becomes available again.

Typically Vehicle Tracking is accomplished by adding a box into your vehicle, either self powered with batteries or wired into the vehicles power system. Fleet tracking systems are very helpful for fleet operators for fleet management purposes such as  for fleet monitoring, routing, dispatch, on-board information and security.

The  Architecture of Fleet Tracking System

Generally there are three main components of a GPS-based vehicle tracking:

1. GPS Tracking Device: vehicle tracking is fitted  into a vehicle and picks up  the GPS signal  location information and  other vehicle information such as fuel amount, engine temperature, altitude, reverse geocoding, door open close etc  on a regular basis to a central server. The Ability of the  vehicle GPS tracking device in fact determines  capability of the entire tracking system
2. GPS tracking Server: The tracking server has two purposes. Firstly it receives information from the GPS tracking devices and securely storing them  and secondly and provide the data to the users .
3. User interface: User interface decides which information that can be accessed, evaluate vehicle data and generate essential information from it. The most practical user interface of fleet  tracking using System  is a web-based interface that does not need the installation of a particular software.

Fleet Tracking Systems Use

Fleet tracking systems are typically employed by fleet operators for fleet management purposes including fleet tracking, routing, dispatch, on-board information and for security purposes. Along with commercial fleet operators, city transit agencies makes use of the  tracking systems technology for several purposes, such as to monitor schedule adherence of buses in service.

Fleet Tracking Systems can be used  for parents to monitor their children driving behavior or for employers to  monitor their employee driving behavior. Fleet tracking systems are also popular to prevent car theft and to serve as a  tracking device. Police can track down the stolen vehicle by picking up signal broadcast by the GPS-base vehicle tracking system. When used as part of  a security system, a Fleet  Tracking System serves .o complement or substitute a conventional Car alarm. Many fleet tracking systems enables its users to remote control their vehicle, to block doors or engine in case there is an emergency. Vehicle tracking using GPS  can also lower the insurance expense, since the risk of losing  the vehicle  will decrease substantially.

References:

Wikipedia and  http://vit.academia.edu/ArunkumarThangavelu/Papers/112889/Location_Identification_and_Vehicle_Tracking_using_VANET_VETRAC_