TechPaparazzi » Techie-News

500 Passwords your friends may be using.

admin — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 17:25:33 +0000

Click image to enlarge.

This poster has a list of top 500 common passwords that you should absolutely avoid using with your online and offline accounts.

You can buy printed version of the password poster is available on Etsy.

7 Ways Backup is Changing

admin — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 18:28:18 +0000

While there’s no doubt that computers and digital files are very handy, they’re certainly not infallible. What happens if you’re hard drive crashes, or thieves steal your laptop.

Backup has been evolving steadily for over 60 years. And just when we think we’ve solved every problem, new technology comes along to present us with new challenges.

Cloud Storage

Since disk is so unstable, companies would have to make copies of their backups on tape for long-term storage. This was inconvenient because tape required special hardware, lots of manual labour, and it had to be hauled off for off-site storage. Also, tape could be stolen or damaged… so it was far from perfect.

Now, cloud storage (such as online backup) allows companies to automate the process of moving these files off-site. It’s more secure than tape, and there is less chance of damage since most cloud providers will also make backup copies of your backups.

Disk-To-Disk

Unexpected downtime is expensive and embarrassing. That’s why more companies are opting to make 2 backups every night.

One to tape for off-site archiving or storage
One to disk for fast on-site recovery

Disk-To-Disk-To-Cloud (D2D2C)

As we’d mentioned earlier, unexpected downtime can do a lot of damage in a short period. This is especially true for larger companies.

In order to minimize this possibility, many companies are opting for a D2D2C backup methodology. First, the data is backed up to a secondary system, and then those backups are transferred to a remote facility over the internet.

In the event of a minor crash, the data can be quickly recovered from the on-site disk copy. And for more serious disasters, the data can be downloaded from the remote cloud server.

Compression

Data production is growing out of control. We’re producing and sending more files than ever, and these files are also getting larger. More data means longer backup windows. New compression technologies like deduplication will help squeeze out redundant or duplicate information in order to greatly speed up the backup process and reduce storage costs.

Vurtualization

With Virtualization, servers are treated as a software “object”, rather than a physical device. You might have 4 virtualized servers running on a single box, or 1 server running across 4 physical boxes.

This means that companies can be “geographically resilient”. If one of the physical devices should crash, the other machines will compensate and ensure that the applications continue running.

Archiving

Archiving is not a new concept, but it’s gained new importance because of new information privacy laws and the exponential growth of data storage requirements.

Because data is growing so fast, constantly upgrading servers is not a practical option. Instead, companies need to set up policies for taking under-used data off of production machines while ensuring that it can be quickly accessed and searched when needed.

Continuous Data Protection

There was a time when companies could afford to only produce daily or weekly backups. But as we become more dependent on information, our tolerance for data loss is also diminishing.

“Continuous Data Protection” describes the practice of backing up files every time somebody saves a document, eliminating the possibility of any data loss whatsoever. Online backup technology also ensures that these backup changes are instantly taken off-site and securely stored in a remote facility.

About The Author: Storagepipe has been leading new trends in server online backup and data protection since 2001. You can visit their web site at http://storagepipe.com.

Facebook Movie-The Social Network 2010

admin — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 16:43:59 +0000

“The Social Network” will make its premiere on the opening night of the New York Film Festival and then hit theaters on October 1st.

The Social Network is an upcoming 2010 drama film directed by David Fincher about the founding of Facebook and the pop culture phenomenon it created. The film features an ensemble cast which consists of Jesse Eisenberg, Brenda Song, Justin Timberlake, Andrew Garfield, Rashida Jones, Max Minghella, Rooney Mara, and Joseph Mazzello. The film was written by Aaron Sorkin and adapted from Ben Mezrich’s 2009 book The Accidental Billionaires: The Founding Of Facebook, A Tale of Sex, Money, Genius, and Betrayal. The film is distributed by Columbia Pictures and is set for an October 1, 2010 release.

For those who were wondering, the song is Scala’s version of Creep.

Cast

Jesse Eisenberg as Mark Zuckerberg
Justin Timberlake as Sean Parker
Brenda Song as Christy Lee
Andrew Garfield as Eduardo Saverin
Rashida Jones as Marylin Delpy^[3]^[4]
Joseph Mazzello as Dustin Moskovitz
Max Minghella as Martin Turner
Rooney Mara as Erica Albright
Malese Jow as Alice
Denise Grayson as Gretchen
Armie Hammer as Cameron Winklevoss
Douglas Urbanski as Larry Summers
Patrick Mapel as Chris Hughes
Josh Pence as Tyler Winklevoss
Dakota Johnson as Leslie Brown
Trevor Wright as Josh Thompson
John Getz as Sy

The real story about facebook

The origins of Facebook have been in dispute since the very week a 19-year-old Mark Zuckerberg launched the site as a Harvard sophomore on February 4, 2004.

Then called “thefacebook.com,” the site was an instant hit. Now, six years later, the site has become one of the biggest web sites in the world, visited by 400 million people a month.

The controversy surrounding Facebook began quickly. A week after he launched the site in 2004, Mark was accused by three Harvard seniors of having stolen the idea from them. [more]

5 Upcoming Apple Gadgets To Waste Our Time Obsessing About

Glitch — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 17:22:30 +0000

Over the next year, Apple will likely announce incremental upgrades to most of its existing products. It recently updated the Mac mini, and it’s likely to tweak its iPod and Mac lines over the next several months.

And as far as major overhauls or completely new gadgets go, there’s room for at least one in 2011.

Next 5 Apple Gadgets

1. iPod touch 4

Everyone thought Apple would overhaul the iPod touch — the future of the iPod business — last year, by adding a camera to it. Nope! Instead, Apple put a camcorder in the iPod nano and left the iPod touch pretty much alone.

2. Apple TV 2

The Apple TV set-top box is the weakest link in Apple’s product lineup. It’s so bad that Apple doesn’t even promote it on the front page of its web store anymore. It’s buried as an iPod accessory.

3. iPad 2

Apple’s first iPad was a good first take. But now that we’ve seen the iPhone 4, we can begin to see some of the features Apple’s iPad 2 may have. These could include…- A front-facing camera for FaceTime video chat.

- The hi-res “retina display,” which would make reading e-books and web pages even better on the iPad.

- The new flat-back glass case, perhaps. (Or a lighter metal

4.iPhone for Verizon

Enough with the excuses, Apple must sell the iPhone at Verizon Wireless, the no. 1 U.S. wireless carrier.Why? Because it’ll help Apple sell a lot more phones, and it’ll simultaneously hurt archrival Google Android, which is picking up steam fast because of its prime billing at Verizon.

So, what would an iPhone at Verizon look like? Maybe, the same as the current iPhone 4, with slightly different guts.

5. MacBook Air 2

Now that Apple’s iPad tablet is launched, it’s possible that the MacBook Air has reached the end of its line. Maybe people don’t need the extra horsepower and Mac app compatibility that comes with a MacBook in a super-portable design anymore. Maybe the iPad will suffice for most buyers.But we have to assume that as long as Apple ships Mac laptops, it’ll always want to make them thinner, smaller, and more portable. And that’s where all the lessons Apple is learning from the iPhone, iPod, and iPad could really help the MacBook lineup.

So we think Apple might come out with a new MacBook Air in the next year or so that’s so thin and light that it’s shocking, with a super-long-lasting battery, and maybe even a non-Intel chip on the inside.

It might not be an “Air,” but just a super-thin MacBook Pro. But either way, it’s silly to assume that Apple won’t apply its miniaturization lessons to its Mac laptop lineup.

“New: Revisit this time last year pics” New feature added to facebook

admin — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 17:00:09 +0000

If the old saying “a picture is worth a thousand words” is true, let’s save ourselves a lot of time and just sum up some pics of past years with the most memorable moments. Revisit memorable photos added at this time over the past few years, Whether it was a memorable mugshot or a cute baby photo. This feature will surely help us to keep our memories fresh.

Browse pics through past years….

Any new feature you have noticed?

Top 10 Smartphones Available Today

admin — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 18:46:24 +0000

Need a break from your laptop? These productivity phones offer a lot more than the ability to make calls. Here are the 10 best smartphones available today.

1. Apple 32GB iPhone 4

The Apple iPhone 4 ($199 for the 16GB model and $299 for the 32GB version, with a two-year contract from AT&T) is everything that a new piece of technology should be: It’s innovative, attractive, and ahead of its competition. In comparison, previous iPhone upgrades seem inconsequential–that’s how much iPhone 4 brings to the table. But one serious design flaw keeps it from being perfect.

2. HTC EVO 4G

HTC has struck gold again with the HTC EVO 4G ($200 with a two-year contract from Sprint), which is easily the best smartphone available on Sprint and is second to the HTC Droid Incredible (Verizon) as the best smartphone available today. The EVO 4G packs powerful specs and a lot of features in a slick, stylish design. The biggest drawback is that not everyone will get to experience 4G connectivity, one of the phone’s best features at launch–yet they’ll still have to pay for it.

3. Motorola Droid X

The follow-up to Motorola’s wildly popular Droid on Verizon, the Droid X ($200 with a two-year service contract from Verizon; available July 15) is one of the hottest phones to debut this summer. Its specs outshine those on the other Droid phones available on the network, but it falters a bit when it comes to performance. Nonetheless, the Droid X is one of the top phones to debut this summer, on a par with both the HTC EVO 4G and the iPhone 4.

4. HTC Droid Incredible

The best of the Droids on Verizon, the Droid Incredible ($200 with a two-year contract from Verizon) impresses with its speedy user interface, gorgeous AMOLED display and fun Sense user interface. Other than some minor design qualms, this smartphone truly lives up to its name.

Design-wise, the Droid Incredible appears fairly similar to the Nexus One, but it is essentially a CDMA version of the HTC Desire, which launched last February in Barcelona, Spain. The Droid Incredible has an 8-megapixel camera (as opposed to the Nexus One and Desire’s 5-megapixel shooters). The Droid Incredible also has a strange rubberdized “topographic” battery cover, which I could have done without. While the Incredible is lighter, it doesn’t feel as solid as the Nexus One.

5. Google Nexus One

The coveted “Google phone” is finally here, but the HTC Nexus One ($180 with a two-year contract with T-Mobile, or $530 unlocked; prices as of January 12, 2010) isn’t quite the superphone that Google intimated it would be. It lacks some valuable features–like multitouch and Outlook calendar syncing–that we’ve seen on competing models, and the Android keyboard can be difficult to use. That said, the Nexus One’s speedy Qualcomm Snapdragon 1GHz processor definitely sets it apart from the Android pack in performance.

6. Motorola Droid

The first time you pick up the Motorola Droid ($200 with a two-year contract from Verizon; price as of 10/28/09), you’ll notice its solid feel and heft–there’s a lot going on behind the crisp, 3.7-inch touchscreen. Making good use of Android 2.0′s new features, the Droid is a powerful Web surfing and communications tool that has a chance of living up to its hype. The Droid’s biggest flaw, however, is in its hardware design: The keyboard is shallow and flat, which can make typing uncomfortable.

7. Apple 32GB iPhone 3GS

It would be easy to dismiss the Apple iPhone 3GS as an inconsequential hardware upgrade. But to do so would underestimate how much, collectively, the phone’s new features augment the iPhone experience. With the iPhone 3GS, Apple solidifies its leadership position in a crowded smartphone landscape.

8. BlackBerry Bold 9700

Research In Motion’s BlackBerry Bold 9700 ($200 with a two-year T-Mobile contract; price as of 11/4/09) is the finest BlackBerry to date, combining the best of the BlackBerry Tour 9630 and the BlackBerry Bold 9000 in a slim and refined package. People looking for a major update to the original Bold might be disappointed, but BlackBerry fans will appreciate the handset’s subtle design tweaks and upgrades.

9. Palm Pre Plus

The Palm Pre Plus ($150 with a two-year contract from Verizon; price as of 1/20/10) is really more of an update of the original Pre on Sprint than a completely new product. Even so, the subtle hardware tweaks combined with Verizon’s speedy network makes it an overall improvement from its predecessor. Some quirks remain, however, with the keyboard design and the sluggishness of the software.

10. Motorola Cliq

The Motorola Cliq ($200 with a two-year contract from T-Mobile) caught my attention because of its sleek design and its innovative MotoBlur overlay for Android. Overall, the new features lived up to my expectations, and I applaud Motorola for doing something different to separate itself from the Android pack. The Cliq isn’t perfect, however: Its camera disappoints, and it doesn’t ship with the latest version of Android.

iPhone 4 Screen Cracked? Here’s How to Replace it[Video Tutorial]

YoPapa — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 06:07:09 +0000

iPhone 4 owners have found a excess amount of potential and real-world problems, from a faulty antennas and Bluetooth headset connectivity issues to screen discolorations and scratches.

As Ryan Salerno, a Gizmodo writer, discovered this morning, glass is breakable. I don’t know why Apple decide to use glass for the back of the iPhone 4?

Is iphone 4 glass replaceable? The Answer is YES, if you’re handy with a screwdriver and don’t mind performing surgery on your iPhone, you can tear it down far enough to replace even the LCD screen.

This video from parts supplier DirectFix.com shows you step-by-step how to disassemble an iPhone 4. Ofcourse you will need replacement parts for either the front or rear glass( but they’re not readily available yet.)

http://www.DirectFix.com presents the Apple iPhone 4 teardown and screen replacement directions. This will give you step by step free video directions on replacing a screen assembly for the iPhone 4 and other parts for the Apple iPhone. For 7% off your first order on our webpage DirectFix.com use coupon code YOUTUBE7 at checkout for a limited time only.

What are your thoughts on the whole iPhone 4…should we just come out and call it a debacle?

VeriSign will be raising the prices for all registrars For .COM and .NET domains

admin — Sat, 26 Jun 2010 17:03:37 +0000

Not only Petrol(GAS) price is increasing.

On July 1st, VeriSign will be raising the prices for all registrars for .COM and .NET domains. Unfortunately, this decision by VeriSign all domain name registrars, and as a result, They all will be raising the cost of all .COM and .NET domains on that date to $9.98(Approx.) plus $0.18 in ICANN fees(.COM’s by 7% and .NET’s by 10%).

We highly encourage you to buy any domains you need or renew your domains before June 30, 2010 if you wish to add another year to your current expiration dates at the current low rate.

As always, you can get help from your registrars immediately through Live Chat or by creating a support ticket.

How To Cancel Vuvuzelas Noise From Fifa 2010 Online Broadcast

admin — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 16:08:45 +0000

If you’re watching the game on your computer like I am, just download and run the program below to filter your live World Cup broadcast in real-time (ESPN3, BBC, etc), choosing which level of de-vuvuzela’ing filtering you find most suitable.

What is Vuvuzelas?

The vuvuzela, a long horn popularly blown by spectators at football matches in South Africa, has seen a lot of press during the 2009 Confederations Cup and 2010 World Cup. Though hugely popular for its invigorating sound and dramatic volume level, the vuvuzela has been badly received by some television viewers, who have complained that this magnificent pipe, after transmission, comes across as a resonant buzz which the sensitive listener may find hard to tolerate.

How to shut off ?

If you are watching it on your computer , you can use a software named Devuvuzelator Developed by Jeff Bargmann of Stardock in collaboration with the Centre for Digital Music at Queen Mary, University of London.

Download Devuvuzelator here.
No installation required, just download and run!

System Requirements

●Runs on any Windows system XP or better [XP, Vista, Windows 7]

●On Vista and Windows 7, both 32bit and 64bit versions are supported.

How TV viewers can Cancel the Vuvuzela noise?

Well currently there is no solution for TV viewers, wait for the Official BAN from FIFA or just use web 2.0 services like twitter, facebook, Blogs, youtube to get this message to the World Cup Officials.

Alternatively…

… you could try learning to love the vuvuzela! It doesn’t come across so well in the flat broadcast sound, but it’s popular for a reason and can be used to produce an exciting and dynamic sound. See this excellent introductory video, or listen to the hugely enjoyable Vuvuzela Orchestra.

Apple iPhone 4 Drop Test Video Proof

admin — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 09:46:06 +0000

About a week ago a few of the techs and ifixyouri.com decided to drop test an iPhone 4 to test screen damage resistance (they had a full iPhone, minus the motherboard). This test came under scrutiny since there was no ‘video’ proof and the iPhone parts used were questioned. They did not use any hammers, ice picks, or axes to break it. Just gravity. They even did not throw it or spike it.

****WARNING – THE VIDEO YOU ARE ABOUT TO VIEW CONTAINS SOME GRAPHIC SCENES. IT IS NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART*****