Windows Guides’ Rating	User Rating	Compatible with	System
4 out of 5	Note: There is a rating embedded within this post, please visit this post to rate it.

PROS: This free tool helps you identify “cold” spots in your home/office. Easy to use and does not require a location-aware PC setup.CONS: You have to sign up with your email address to get to the download but you can unsubscribe any time. You’ll need to use a laptop to take readings throughout your home. VERDICT: If you’re a geek and you want a map of wi-fi signal strength in your home, this application will do exactly that. PRICE: Free VERSION REVIEWED: 1.1.2 DOWNLOAD: HeatMapper

HeatMapper Installation

To download HeatMapper, go here, enter an email address (that works), and open your email to download HeatMapper:

Double click the installer and follow the instructions:

When prompted, click Install:

HeatMapper Features

When you start HeatMapper, you’ll be asked if you have a map. I got a map from the survey of our home that we had done prior to purchase. If you don’t have access to a map, I recommend you make one (it doesn’t have to be completely accurate) so you know where to click when you walk around your home.

Here’s the map I used for my first level. It’s very simple and something that you can create in Paint in a  minute or two:

Once you’ve loaded your map, you’ll be asked to walk around your home and to click the map in your current location. This will draw the path you take and record the signal at each checkpoint. Here’s my first level (click to enlarge):

Here’s my second level (good coverage):

Once you’ve completed your walk around the home, you’ll have a map of the signal strength throughout your home (plus a list of all dominant hotspots in your home.)

Download HeatMapper

Download HeatMapper

Note: You’ll need to enter a valid email address and can unsubscribe after you receive the first email.

The lack of security may lay in an outdated browser version, but also in the plugins, add ons and what not installed. The over eager use of plugins (as done in MSIE and Firefox) is why I personally dread most browsers. Mostly because these plugins tend to clutter my “browsing space” but also due to the lack of security.

How do you know how safe your browser experience really is ?

The short answer is: BrowserCheck By Qualys

BrowserCheck by Qualys is a free tool that allow you to test your browser and plugins for known security issues, vulnerabilities  and outdated software.  But that’s not all. BrowserCheck also help you solve your discovered problems by offering links to the new and updated software you need to fix your Browser issues.

Clicking on each topic in the results page, will show you which driver, plugin and version BrowserCheck found on your system and what action they recommend you take.

All links is directed to the vendors / developers sites so you don’t risk downloading from an unknown or unsecure site. In other words, the BrowserCheck is not scamming you to use a certain software or paid subscription.

On my first run I found that not only was my browser outdated (by a couple of days), but so were my Flash-, Pdf-, Quicktime and Java plugin. I was able to download and solve these issues within 5 minutes, and now I’m browsing even more secure than before. Now it’s your turn…

https://browsercheck.qualys.com/

Windows Guides’ Rating	User Rating	Compatible with	System
5 out of 5	Note: There is a rating embedded within this post, please visit this post to rate it.

PROS: Easy installation, in-browser, free, open-source, cross-platform, detailed history reports, built-in RSS feed, transfer calculator, plug-ins. CONS: None VERDICT:  BitMeter OS from Codebox Software is an exceptional way to keep tabs on your bandwidth consumption. Its built in tools which allow you to query the data it collects, send alerts if you reach a certain amount of data, calculate a transfer and build an hourly or daily RSS report (and more) coupled with a sophisticated web interface are a god-send to anyone who requires to keep an eye on their bandwidth. PRICE: Free VERSION REVIEWED: v0.7.2

Screenshots:

Download:

BitMeter OS

Here’s how to turn it off

NOTE!
This tip is intended for the users of Internet Explorer 8.
If you still use Windows XP that’s how new your MSIE will ever get. MSIE 9 Will not work on XP (or older).

1. Open MSIE, click Tools and then Internet Options.
2. Click the “Advanced tab”.
3. In the Settings list, scroll down under “Browsing” and find the check-box labeled “Enable Suggested Sites.”
4. Uncheck it.
5. Click OK.
6. To remove the Suggested Sites link from the Favorites Bar, Right-Click it and select “Delete”.
7. Click Yes to confirm.

Microsoft Research have released an Internet Explorer Add-On that lets you play “Spot the difference” with websites.

Diff-IE is a prototype Internet Explorer Add-on that:

• Highlights the changes to a page since the last time you visited it
• Allows you to view – and compare – previously cached versions of a page

When changes are made obvious, especially the subtle and unexpected ones, you get a whole lot more out of the web pages you visit.

“Where would this come in handy?” you may ask. 

Well consider you’re an internet shopper.  You see one price one day, go back another and unknown to you the price may have changed.  With Diff-IE, you’ll know its changed, instantly.

Or forums.  Keeping on top of, or moderating forums with tonnes of posts can be very difficult, with Diff-IE, you see straightaway what has changed on the boards.

Diff-IE requires Windows XP, Vista or 7 and IE 7,8 or 9 Beta

If you want to see what I’m talking about, see some examples of Diff-IE here.

Works on Windows x86 & x64, however only x86 IE is supported.

Please note that this is prototype software.  Any feedback; should you wish to send any, should be directed here

Download Diff-IE

I’ve stopped buying music

Now hold on, before you jump to any wrong conclusions – I don’t illegally download it either. I rent it … sort of.

These day it seems, the music industry are doing what they can to make it harder for honest people to get the music they want (and according to some, encouraging them to “steal”). Some smart people have come up with a great solution: Legal Streaming. Almost with the industry’s blessing.

There are several online solutions for streaming music legally – but in my book there are only two worth checking out: Spotify and Grooveshark. Both of which give you all the music you can ever listen too, free (ad-supported) and legal. Both also provides a paid service without ads and commercial breaks.

Mini Review.

The following list show you some of the features you can expect to find in the two programs:

.

.

Grooveshark is browser dependent and cannot function without an Internet Connection. Aside from that, if you require a simple solution to get access to all the music you can ever imagine. Then Grooveshark is for you. Grooveshark is all about the music. Search for an artist or a song, and a few seconds later… you’re playing it.

Grooveshark can give you music based on category or you can create a playlist (and genre) of your own and share it with the Grooveshark community or your friends.

Grooveshark is for every one, get it free or pay for it (6 or 9USD depending on subscription). If you can stand ads – then there’s no reason to pay.  There is also a mobile phone application allowing you to play music wherever you are (as long as you have internet connection that is).

Why the “five” ?

Well, I removed one star for a couple of reasons:

• It’s not standalone
• There is no, Search for Similar or Related music/artist
• No OFFLINE mode, which means that you must have internet to use it.

My cousin told me the other day: “Spotify is the greatest thing, happening to my music collection, EVER!”. And I must agree. Before when I had company or friends over – they would always go through my music collection, looking for music which I didn’t have. Now, that problem is gone.

Spotify is a very lightweight standalone application with all the abilities you would expect from your WinAmp, Media Player etc. Searching for music is fast, and the sound quality is as good as any store-bought CD.

As in Grooveshark you can create your own playlists and share it with whatever community you like. But you may also search for similar music or artists. If you like to read about artists and their music, Spotify provides this information through its Biography function.

The paid subscription options comes with several extra features like Mobile Phone Apps, OFFLINE mode (for both computer and phone) and better sound quality.

Spotify Availability Issue and workaround

Because the music industry are backwards-thinkers (when it comes to new legal solutions), they require special contracts and agreements for each country to which Spotify is to be available. For this reason Spotify is not yet available all over the world. But there are workarounds, should you want to try it.

Spotify is available all over the world for Premium Account holders. To get the membership outside Europe, you have to log into the website using a UK-based Proxy, and register as if you live in the UK. From there on, it’s easy. You still have to pay for it to use it but it works. Spotify costs between 4 and 9 euros a month (6-12USD) depending on your subscription.

In Conclusion

For those of us living in Sweden, Norway, Finland, the UK, France, Spain and the Netherlands, Spotify is the greatest choice, especially as you (with a premium account) don’t need an Internet connection to play your music, even on the mobile phone apps.

Seeing as most of the readers here don’t live in the above mentioned countries, then go for Grooveshark – it’s almost as good.

But, What if, you are not at home?

The good news is that you can stream the music and videos from your home computer to your laptop over the Internet.

Here are the steps to do so on each of the computers:

1. Open Windows Media Player, click the Stream tab, and select Allow Internet Access to Home Media …
   
   
2. First, if you haven’t already, you need to link an online ID to your PC.

   

3. In the dialog box, click: “Link an Online ID”.

   
   Select the ID provider (Most common ID provider is Windows Live).

4. Enter your user name and password.
5. Click OK when the dialog box shows the ID association.
6. Back in the Allow Internet Access dialogue window, click “Allow Internet Access to Home Media”
7. WMP will now ask for UAC approval. After this, In the left pane of the WMP on your laptop, you’ll see the library for the home computer and you can select items from it.

Remember that you have to repeat the steps on the laptop after setting it up on the home computer. Also note that if a computer is connected to a domain, it can’t stream media over the Internet.

One-Click Conversion to Device and Output Format

As before you can predefine  custom settings to suit your needs, but now PhotoMagician also comes with preset settings for the most common devices out there. But the most interesting new functionality is Format to Format Settings.

Set Default Conversion Rules for different formats.

PhotoMagician now let you decide which format get converted to which format. You can set Tiff to JPEG, PSD to PNG and so on. This is especially useful if your camera save photos in RAW format or its equals; DDS, PCX, PSD, TARGA, WBMP and WMF.

The new list of predefined  formats now includes these devices:

• DVD (PAL)
• High Definition TV (HD 720)
• High Definition TV (HD 1080)
• iPhone / iTouch
• iPod (Photo)
• iPod (Video)
• iPod Nano (1G / 2G)
• iPod Nano (3G / 4G / 5G)
• Nintendo DS / DSi / DSi XL
• Sony PSP / PSP Go (16S)
• Sony PSP / PSP Go (4:3)
• Microsoft Zune
• Microsoft Zune HD (4:3)
• Microsoft Zune HD (16:9)
• Custom Width & Height
• No Change (Maintain Original Size)
• WIDTH Only (Maintain aspect Ratio)
• HEIGHT Only (Maintain aspect Ratio)
• iPhone 4

Download PhotoMagician

If you use OneNote 2010 to take snippets from the web using this functionality you’ll know it’s a real time-saver and very handy.  Respectively, if you’ve moved to Chrome you’ll indeed miss this feature.

This Quick-Tip will show you how you can get ‘Send To OneNote’ back.

There are actually 2 easy methods to accomplish this.  Both work well but are not without their flaws. I’ll cover both methods but won’t go into their shortcomings (this is a Quick-Tip after all).

Method 1.

In Chrome, install the IE Tab extension.

You’ll notice the extension has put an IE icon next to the Omnibox.

When you have found the page you wish to send to OneNote 2010, simply click the IE icon.

You’ll know the extension has worked when you see another URL address bar and the icon in the tab changes.

Now all that’s required is to right click, select ‘Send to OneNote’ and proceed as usual.

This has only been tested on a Windows 7 x86 system running OneNote (or Office) 2010.

Method 2.

You should be able to pull this method off out-of-the-box.  If during the OneNote 2010 installation you installed the OneNote printer then all you need to do is this.

Either navigate to the page or select the content you wish to copy.  Press Ctrl+P.

The Print dialog will appear.  Make sure under Select Printer, Send To OneNote is selected.

Under Page Rage, you can specify to printout the entire page, the selection you made or multiple pages.  When you have made your choice, click Print

The familiar OneNote dialog box will appear, choose your save location and it will printout a non-editable copy to your notebook.

And that’s it.  If you have another method of doing this, drop us a comment below.

I hope this helps for those of you missing this feature from IE.

Unfortunately the web browser, which was originally designed for reading documents, is not an ideal environment for running applications. It is frustrating and time-consuming to wade through a mass of browser windows and tabs just to find your email client. Unstable applications can slow down or crash your entire browser. And many of the conveniences offered by modern operating systems are unavailable to Web Applications running in the browser.

Introducing PRISM…

Windows Guides’ Rating	User Rating	Compatible with
4,5 out of 5	Note: There is a rating embedded within this post, please visit this post to rate it.

SumoPaint.com as Standalone Web Application

Prism is a product from Mozilla Labs, designed to “remove” the browser from the picture. Instead of running all your Web Applications in the browser, Prism lets you run them in their own window just like normal applications. You still need an Internet connection to make most of them work, like the MSN SkyDrive and Google Docs. But you no longer need to remember which Tab your application is hiding under.

Prism is based on the same technology as the Firefox Browser, ensuring maximum compatibility with the entire range of applications available on the web. Ironically, Prism is a Web Application (or Firefox Add-on) but it is also available as a Standalone Application.

Any Site, with all the OS benefits…

And if you were wondering, Prism let you open ANY site as a Standalone Application. I am currently logged onto my WordPress account, typing this inside the Prism Interface. Prism doesn’t just open a web page in a browser-like interface, it also gives you all the benefits of a true Standalone Application. With Prism you can hide your application in the System Tray, Add it to your Dock, Run it when you Boot your Computer, get Traybar Notifications, and the list continues…

Imagine. You no longer need to log on to your web mail account, Facebook or any other site you use. Now you can run it as if it were installed on your computer. Prism will store your site passwords and even let you know when you have new mail arriving in your inbox. This is truly a great piece of work.

Easy to Setup and Use

I prefer the standalone version of Prism as I don’t use Firefox that much. Anyway, the Program comes in a ZIP-file, with no installation required. Unzip and Run.

The Prism Interface is a simple Form Utility. You fill in the URL of your desired Application, give it a Name, and where to save the Short-Cut (Desktop, Quick-Launch or Start-Menu). Once you have saved your preferences, double-click the Icon, and voila!

Un-Install a Web Application

Not only do you get to use your favourite Web Applications as if it were a real Application, but removing an unwanted Application is also truly simple. Delete the ShortCut. No more “Left Overs” in the Registry or unused folders in the Start Menu.

Features

• Access web apps from system taskbar or dock
• Pop up alerts
• System tray icon and dock badges
• Minimize to tray
• Run applications automatically when your computer starts
• Rock solid web app stability
• Associate applications with browser links
• Tray icon and dock menus
• Works on Windows and MAC

To read more about the features, Look here: http://prism.mozillalabs.com/features/

Or… Download

Download Site