How to block advertisements in Firefox, Internet Explorer, Chrome, and Opera.

That said, this article will discuss ways on how to block ads on the four major browsers used by Windows users: Firefox, Internet Explorer, Chrome, and Opera.

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

• Firefox
• Internet Explorer
• Chrome
• Opera
• Final Words

FIREFOX:

Without a doubt Firefox is the easiest browser to block ads in because of its extensive add-ons support. In fact, while I don’t know if Firefox was the first browser to support adblockers, I do know Firefox is what made adblocking popular.

If you are a Firefox user and you want to block ads, look no further than AdBlock Plus. AdBlock Plus is a no-hassle, install-and-go adblocker add-on for Firefox. Really the only sort of “setup” you need to do with AdBlock Plus is select the adblocking filter you want to use:

These filters are, more or less, a definitions list telling AdBlock Plus which ads to block (similar to how there are virus definitions for anti-virus programs). You need to select one of the filters to use; unless you know what you are doing, just leave it at “EasyList” and click “Add subscription”. After the initial installation you can select to use more than one filter (“Tools” -> “AdBlock Plus Preferences…” -> “Filters” -> “Add Filter Subscription…”) but in all honesty one filter is more than enough to block 99.5% of ads. (Do note, though, if you visit non-English websites frequently, you may want to use a second non-English filter to block ads on non-English websites.)

Although AdBlock Plus blocks most ads on its own, if AdBlock Plus ever misses an ad you can right-click on the ad and select “AdBlock Plus: Block image”; this will allow you to create a custom filter blocking that ad and ads similar to it:

If AdBlock Plus misses a Flash or Java ad, a little “Block” tab will pop up above it allowing you to block it manually (since you can’t right-click on those types of ads).

Other useful features of AdBlock Plus are:

• Adblocking is not a perfect science; there will be false positives (i.e. AdBlock Plus blocks an image or element which isn’t an ad). AdBlock Plus makes it fairly easy to unblock images/elements when these false positives do occur. This can be done by clicking the AdBlock Plus button, right-clicking the false positive, and disabling the corresponding filter:

Many people decide to use NoScript (an add-on that blocks scripts – like JavaScript – from running) instead of AdBlock Plus for their ad blocking needs (most ads are served using JavaScript, so when NoScript blocks JavaScript the ads do not appear). Yes NoScript is a terrific add-on, and yes it will make your browser safer and faster. However, I personally dislike NoScript.

NoScript is something that discourages the use of browsing technologies like JavaScript. Can JavaScript be used to exploit people’s computers? Yes. How many websites that run JavaScript do this? Maybe .01%? The point is we should not be discouraging the use of these website technologies – we should be embracing them (unless everyone wants the plain HTML websites back) – just because a few punks decide to exploit that technology. Do we stop downloading programs just because some programs are malicious? Of course not! Rather, we are just careful about what programs we download. Similarly, there is no need to block scripts if you are just careful of where you visit (and if you have security software installed), just like if you are careful of what you download.

Of course NoScript does allow users to enable scripts on “trusted” websites, but knowing when to enable scripts takes the eye of a tech-savvy person. The average user will be severely deprived of the wonders of the Internet after installing NoScript. (For example, dotTech uses JavaScript for the scroll “Old But Still Gold” on the main page; dotTech’s search cannot be used until scripts are enabled.)

I highly recommend AdBlock Plus over NoScript for ad blocking needs.

INTERNET EXPLORER:

Block ads on Internet Explorer is a bit more complicated than Firefox because Internet Explore has no AdBlock Plus-like plugin. That is not to say Internet Explorer does not have adblocking plugins, but rather there is nothing for free as good as AdBlock Plus (AdBlock Pro can be considered to be IE’s version of AdBlock Plus but AdBlock Pro costs $19.95). So, in that regard, I will provide multiple different methods on blocking ads in Internet Explorer – you decide which one is best for you. (Or, alternatively, you can switch to a real browser. =P)

USE INPRIVATE BROWSING FILTERING CAPABILITIES

Internet Explorer’s InPrivate Browsing – the mode that makes sure no browsing data is stored on your computer – has a feature that allows users to filter content. This filter can be used to block ads. A user on DSLReports forum created an XML file out of AdBlock Plus’s list of ads to block and this XML file can be imported into InPrivate Browsing’s content filter:

• Download the XML file. (Unzip it after downloading.)
• Go to “Safety” -> “InPrivate Filtering Settings” and click on “Advanced Settings”:

• At the “Advanced settings” window click in “Import” and import the XML file you downloaded:

The great thing about using this filter is

1. It uses AdBlock Plus’s filter list so you will be blocking most all ads.
2. You do not have to be in InPrivate Browsing mode for the ads to be blocked. Ads will be blocked like normal as long as you have “InPrivate Filtering” enabled (“Safety” -> “InPrivate Filtering”).

The thing about “InPrivate Filtering” is you must manually turn it on every time you run Internet Explorer. If you find that annoying, a simple registry hack makes “InPrivate Filtering” automatically turn on every time you run Internet Explorer. To do this registry hack

• Run regedit.
• Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Safety\PrivacIE
• Right-click, go to “New” -> “DWORD”:

• Name the new key StartMode:

• Right-click the key -> “Modify”. Make sure hexadecimal is selected, enter a 1 in the textbox and click OK:

• Close regedit. Done! Now every time you run Internet Explorer “InPrivate Filtering” will be turned on and ads will be blocked.

Since this method uses InPrivate Browsing’s filter, there is no need to download any plugins. The downside, however, is

• The XML file from the DSLReports user is an year old (i.e. AdBlock Plus’ filters have been updated since then) so the list does not include the latest ad servers in it (although it still allows you to block most ads you will come across)
• You cannot exclude specific websites from the filter (i.e. you can’t make it so dotTech ads are not blocked)
• It is hard to pinpoint and remove false positives.

IE7PRO

Updated February 25, 2012: IE7Pro seems to have stalled in development. It was last updated in June 2010. I’d suggest looking at the Use InPrivate Browsing Filtering Capabilities method mentioned above to block ads in IE since IE7Pro is no longer being actively developed.

IE7Pro is a plugin for Internet Explorer (works on IE 6/7/8 – not just IE 7)  that adds a boatload of useful features to Internet Explorer. One of the features IE7Pro adds is an adblocker. This adblocker, however, is not enabled by default after installing IE7Pro – users have to manually enable it after installation. (Be warned during the installation of IE7Pro you are prompted with – drum roll please – an ad for installing a third party program; don’t accidentally install that third party program if you don’t want it.):

After the adblocker module has been enabled, you still need to enable the Flash blocker (to block Flash ads). To do this, go to “Preferences” again, click on “Ad Blocker” and enable Flash blocker:

You have the ability to modify filters, add your own filters, and whitelist websites.

Overall I found the ad blocking features of IE7Pro to be very poor; heck it wouldn’t even block Google AdSense ads…

SIMPLE ADBLOCK

Simple Adblock now has multiple editions, Free, Pro, and Enterprise. Free is limited to blocking 200 ad requests a day. Because of this limitation, I’d suggest using the the Use InPrivate Browsing Filtering Capabilities method mentioned above to block ads in IE since Simple Adblock is no longer free.

Simple Adblock is the closest IE users will be able to get to an AdBlock Plus-like plugin. Simple Adblock uses EasyList filters (the one from AdBlock Plus) to block ads so its accuracy in blocking ads is extremely good, although not as good as AdBlock Plus since AdBlock Plus allows for usage of multiple filters. Also, while Simple Adblock does allow users to disable Simple Adblock on a specific website, there is not much users can do to block individual ads or unblock individual ads. Simple Adblock does allow users to customize the filters list, but again, that is is a hassle because users have to modify files located in Simple Adblock’s installation folder.

On the brightside, Simple Adblock is very easy to setup, requiring only two inputs from the user after installation:

After installation Simple Adblock is accessible via an icon placed in Internet Explorer’s bottom bar:

As I said, Simple Adblock is the closest free plugin Internet Explorer users will get to AdBlock Plus; a word of caution about Simple Adblock though. You should always only install plugins/add-ons/extensions from trusted sources because otherwise you could be installing a browser exploit without knowing it. Simple Adblock is not that well known (thus not fully vetted by the Internet Explorer community) and the developer does not provide any information about him/herself. I am not saying Simple Adblock is a malicious plugin (SiteAdvisor says it is clean, Download.com says it is clean, and I scanned it personally and it came out to be clean); I am saying be cautious.

CHROME:

Blocking ads in Chrome is just as easy as blocking ads in Firefox. AdBlock for Chrome does what AdBlock Plus does for Firefox. In fact, AdBlock is easier to setup than AdBlock Plus; with AdBlock you do not need to select which filter’s list to subscribe to – AdBlock automatically uses AdBlock’s own filters and AdBlock Plus’ EasyList. So, to use AdBlock all you need to do is install it – it will start blocking ads instantly requiring little to no assistance from you.

Most other features present in AdBlock Plus are in AdBlock:

• Users can exclude sites from being blocked (press Ctrl + Shift + L when surfing the website you want to exclude):

• Users can manually block an ad AdBlock missed (press Ctrl + Shift + K when surfing the website with the ad you want to block):
• 
  

• Users can manually change which filters are being used:

Unfortunately AdBlock does not have an easy way to remove false positives like AdBlock Plus does (as far as I can tell). Also, whereas AdBlock Plus fully stopped ads from being downloaded, because of the restrictions of Chrome, some ads are blocked by AdBlock after they have been downloaded as opposed to being blocked from being downloaded.

OPERA:

Historically, like Internet Explorer, blocking ads on Opera is a bit complicated because of Opera’s poor extendability. In the past the best way to block ads in Opera is an adblocking method using Opera’s built in content blocker (similar to IE’s InPrivate Filter) and an add-on to block Flash ads specifically. However, ever since Opera introduced extensions starting in Opera 11, third-party developers have started creating add-ons for Opera. One such add-on is Opera Adblock.

Opera Adblock is an add-on for Opera that makes it extremely easy to block ads. Similar to Adblock Plus for Firefox and Adblock for Chrome, Opera Adblock utilizes ad filters to block ads, notably Fanboy and EasyList. The best part about Opera Adblock is it is extremely easy to setup and use. All you have to do is install Opera Adblock from Opera’s extensions website and you are good to go; Opera Adblock automatically starts blocking ads start installation, using Fanboy’s ad filter and CSS filter to block ads (Opera Adblock also blocks tracking websites and the annoying Facebook logins and buttons you see all over the Internet) — you don’t have to mess with any settings if you don’t want to.

If, however, you do feel inclined to customize Opera Adblock settings, from Opera Adblock’sPreferences you can…

• Customize what ad filters to use:

• Manually block specific websites and/or CSS elements:

• Add a button in Opera’s address bar to quickly enable/disable Opera Adblock:

• Control how often Opera Adblock looks for updates for the filters you are using, change which CSS element filter to use, enable/disable New York Times paywall and Facebook buttons/logins blocking, and enable/disable launch delay:

• Set Opera Adblock to automatically check for updates:

Really the only downside I can see to Opera Adblock is that it isn’t as easy to unblock ads on specific websites as it is for Adblock Plus for Firefox or Adblock for Chrome. If you want to unblock ads on a specific website with Opera Adblock:

• Right-click on the page you want to unblock ads on
• Select Edit Site Preferences…
• Go to the Content tab
• Uncheck Enable content blocking

You need to do this for every website you want to manually unblock ads and for some websites it still may not work in which case you would have to uncheck Enable plug-ins, too.

FINAL WORDS:

There are multiple different ways to block ads on Firefox, Internet Explorer, Chrome, and Opera; instead of talking about all of them, I picked the best adblockers to recommend in this article. Everyone is, of course, welcome to share their opinions on which adblockers are the best (be sure to specify for which browser is the adblocker you are recommending).

Before blocking ads, always keep in mind you may be blocking the only source of revenue your favorite website has; lack of ad revenue can often times drive a website out of business, or force the website to put up a pay wall. That is not to say you are wrong or evil if you block ads (some ads, especially Flash ads, deserve to be blocked because they are so intrusive and annoying) but rather one should always consider the impact blocking ads will have on the website in question. That said, now everyone has the knowledge and tools needed to block advertisements. So, please share with us in the comments below: Do you, or will you, block ads?

Read More

[Windows 8] How to always show all users on the login screen.

Like many older versions of Windows, Windows 8 definitely supports multi-account. However, a small change that annoys some users is it automatically shows only the last signed out user on the login screen instead of displaying all users of the system. At the login screen you can click/tap the small arrow button in the UI to show all users but that can be a bit annoying to always do to see all users. Therefore, in this article, I will show you a tweak to make Windows 8’s login screen always display all users.

CAUTIONS

I found out that once you applied this tweak, the Lock screen will be go away. That means in the startup process, it will only show you the login screen.
Additionally, if you want this tweak work, you shouldn’t change the color scheme in PC Settings after finishing the tweak. Once you has change the color, you have to do those steps below again.

HOW TO ALWAYS SHOW ALL USERS ON THE LOGIN SCREEN

First of all, you need to know that we will make some change in the Registry, which is a very sensitive part of Windows, so that you may want to backup your Registry before do anything with it.
After that, you should follow these steps to always show all users on the login screen.

• Open Registry Editor by pressing Windows key then type “regedit” (without the quotes) and choose “regedit.exe” result on the left. If you are using a tablet, you should wipe from the right screen edge, select “Search” then type “regedit” and choose “regedit.exe” result.
• Once Registry Editor has opened, in the left side, you need to navigate to this location:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Authentication\LogonUI\UserSwitch

• In the right side, you will see “Enabled” value. What you have to do is double click it then change the value in “Value data” field to “1.”
• Now, you’re done. You need to restart your Windows to apply the change.
• Just remember that the default value of “Enabled” is 0, so when you want to show only last signed out user like before, you just have to change the value to 0.

CONCLUSION

I have a Guest account on my laptop but no one can find it on the login screen because of this default setting. Thanks to this knowing, my problem now is solved. Hope you will too.


If you like this Post. Please comment on this.

Read More

[Windows 8] Skype app on Windows Store proves appearances can be deceptive

Skype is an integral part of our online lives. A lot of discussions and interactions online get done on Skype. Right from discussing the next big important deal with your client abroad, to a simple chat with your loved ones back in home, Skype has been pivotal. Skype has always been providing us free video chatting for ages and there is a reason why we use it despite other alternatives. So how does our favorite video chatting app rate on Windows 8? The whole Skype experience is now centered around the Modern UI. And using Skype is now more simplified. Though this is definitely not for the best.

What is it and what does it do

Main Functionality

Skype allows users to call and video chat with people across the globe via internet for free.

Pros

• Simple and Intuitive Interface
• Video and Call quality has improved
• Good integration with the People app
• Integrated with MSN messenger

Cons

• File transfer missing
• Notifications is a hit or miss
• Desktop mode integration is lacking
• Using two accounts seems impossible
• Lack of conference calling

Discussion

As soon as you fire up the app, you get the Skype Screen and then are introduced to the new home screen. It is simple and really intuitive  But the bare bones interface is double edged sword with many users complaining about wasted screen space, but that again is a personal choice. Rest assured even with the new interface the old functionality is still maintained.

The video calling, group chats and audio calling work just as expected. The quality does seem better. Not probably as good as face time  but it has improved. And plus points to interface again here. Calls by default open full screen. A simple yet profound change.

Skype had SMS support right from before. You could always text your contacts using SMS credits but now Skype is very well integrated with the People app.
You can now directly call or text right from your contacts.

Notifications. Bad experience. The whole skyping experience relies on notifications. Once you shift to desktop mode (which is quite often) there seems to be a lack of coordination. I got notified for the same messages that I had just seen when I switched to Desktop mode. And when you switch interfaces, the app stops to update. The app seems to be suspended.


You get the updates only when you switch back to the app. Real time updates again is a hit or miss.

Figuring out where the settings was took some time. I thought a button here or there would have been helpful  It is not that Skype is having a screen space problem. You have to open charms bar and select options for settings. Unintuitive I felt.

File sharing is conspicuously absent in this version of the app. This is one important feature that many users used and I hope this feature comes back soon.

You can’t hide offline contacts. All contacts are shown by default irrespective of the fact whether they are online or not. And a way to organize contacts would have helped.There is no conference call feature too. Something like Hangouts would be very welcome indeed.

If these cons bother you, you can install the Desktop version of the app and use it. And yes, you can have the best of both the worlds by installing both the versions. But both have the same icon and it drives you crazy trying to figure out which one is which from the start menu.

Conclusion and Download Links

In conclusion, Skype for Windows 8 is good. Some of the new features are brilliant and the new interface is snazzy. But there are some major drawbacks and some of the things which we had taken for granted in the other versions are lacking here. What I would recommend is installing the x86 desktop version of the app.
A little bit of thought and updates for the Desktop users and this app would definitely be a runaway success.

Price: Free

Supported OS: Windows 8, Windows RT

Supported architectures: x86, x64, ARM

Skype on Windows Store


If you like this Post. Please comment on this.

Read More

[Windows 8] Get great weather updates with Weatherbug

Weatherbug app helps you get great weather updates. It helps you not only to decide when to go for that picnic you have been postponing but also gives you alerts for severe weather so that you can stay out of harm’s way. It has a lot more features than the default app which itself is pretty good. So is it really worth a download, when you have a mighty good default weather app? Read the review and decide for yourself.

What is it and what does it do

Main Functionality
Weatherbug is a weather and news app for Windows 8.
Pros

• Global weather support
• Live tiles
• My alert center
• Custom notifications and pinpoint forecast
• Dynamic weather backgrounds
• Interactive maps
• Supports 25 languages

Cons

• The radar feature doesn’t work properly
• Ad supported
• No cams feature on Windows 8
• App is buggy at larger resolutions

Discussion                       

Weatherbug has been a quite a major player in providing weather updates. It has been in the game for around 10 years and is an established player in this game. Now with the launch of Windows 8, they have come forward with this new app to conquer more fans to their brand. And the app does a pretty neat job. To begin with it has a pretty awesome looking UI. There are great background animations and the UI itself is pretty intuitive.

On top of you can view detailed weather information for neighborhood and global points through instant access to a global weather network of 50,000 locations. You get access to the largest global network of real-time weather sensors. Also, you have live tiles by which you get visual at-a-glance weather right on your home screen with support for multiple customizable tiles.

You also a feature called Alert Center, where you can setup for custom updates for your area, so that you are always notified of severe weather. The maps provided by the app are interactive to check out time lapse radar, temperature, wind and cloud cover maps with full pinch and zoom functionality. Also there are 7 different configurable overlays.

But the radar feature is often buggy, and the animation isn’t really as great as possible. The cache doesn’t get cleared often. The app is ad supported and the ads do get buggy at times, though probably not as much AccuWeather. The feature when won many fans on other platforms cams feature, is not available on Windows 8. Also one thing I noticed it isn’t optimized for higher resolutions. I had problems using it in 1080p resolution.

Conclusion and download link

Weatherbug surely is worth at least a try. Agreed most users won’t need anything more than the default Windows 8 weather app, but for power users this app is great and worth a try. This app definitely has more features and better optimized for Windows 8 than most other app available on the app store. And like said on the app store, it will help you and those you care about out of harm’s way.

Price: Free

Supported OS: Windows 8, Windows RT

Supported architectures: x86, x64, ARM

Weatherbug on Windows Store
  

If you like this Post. Please comment on this.

Read More

How to make YouTube videos load faster on Windows (XP, 7, 8, Vista), Mac OS X, and Linux [Guide]

YouTube is owned by Google. Google is a web 2.0 company. They know how to manage server load. So then the question is why do so many people run into buffering issues when watching YouTube… even people on seemingly fast connections? This article provides more insights into this conundrum plus provides a tip on how to make YouTube videos load/buffer faster. Keep reading to learn more

WHY DO YOUTUBE VIDEOS LOAD OR BUFFER SO SLOWLY?

Techie Mitch Ribar had the same question. He had (has) a fast Internet connection and everything worked well but YouTube videos would buffer/load slowly. So he did a bit of digging and learned when you go to watch a YouTube video, you are served a cached video from a CDN (Content Distribution Network) and not from YouTube directly. ISPs (Internet Service Providers) throttle the connection speed from you to these CDNs, which is why YouTube videos load slowly but the rest of the Internet works just fine.
Ribar then figured out that by blocking two IP address ranges for these CDNs (173.194.55.0/24 and 206.111.0.0/16), you block the CDNs and force YouTube to directly serve videos to you. ISPs do not throttle the connection speed between you and YouTube, which means you can view YouTube videos using the full speed of your Internet connection.
So to make YouTube videos load more quickly on your Windows, Linux, or Mac OS X machine, you need to do the same thing Ribar did — block the 173.194.55.0/24 and 206.111.0.0/16 IP address ranges.

HOW TO MAKE YOUTUBE VIDEOS LOAD/BUFFER FASTER ON WINDOWS XP, WINDOWS 7, WINDOWS 8, VISTA, ETC.

As already mentioned, you need to block 173.194.55.0/24 and 206.111.0.0/16 IP address ranges. If you use a router and know how to administer it, you can block the IPs directly at the router level and thus allowing every computer connected to that router to benefit. However, if you don’t have a router or don’t know how to administer a router, you can block these IP addresses on your own Windows machine by adding a firewall rule.
To make YouTube videos load/buffer faster on Windows (XP, Vista, Win7, Win8, etc.), do the following:

NOTE: Please note the following method works only if you use Windows Firewall. If you use a third-party firewall, you can still use this trick but the method to block IP addresses varies from firewall to firewall. You need to figure out how to block IP addresses for your specific firewall; some firewalls will work by blocking 173.194.55.0/24 and 206.111.0.0/16 while others will work with 173.194.55.0 subnetmask 255.255.255.0 and 206.111.0.0 subnetmask 255.255.0.0. Please do post in the comments if you have directions on how to block IP addresses for a particular type of firewall, to help assist other dotTechies.

• Open Command Prompt. Windows XP users can open Command Prompt by pressing Win + R, typing “cmd” (without the quotes” in the Run dialog, and hitting ‘OK’. Windows Vista, Win7, and Win8 need to make sure to run Command Prompt as administrator. On Vista and Win7 this can be done by opening Start Menu -> All Programs -> Accessories -> right-click Command Prompt and do ‘Run as Administrator’. On Windows 8 you need to open Search from the Charms bar, search for “cmd” (without the quotes), right-click or long-tap on Command Prompt, and then pick ‘Run as Administrator’ from the Advanced menu in the bottom-right.
• Once Command Prompt is open, enter the following command (note: you can copy the command paste it into Command Prompt by right-clicking -> Paste):

netsh advfirewall firewall add rule name=”YouTubeTweak” dir=in action=block remoteip=173.194.55.0/24,206.111.0.0/16 enable=yes

• Once inputted, hit Enter on your keyboard and the rule will be added:

• Close Command Prompt.

Done! Now YouTube should, hopefully, be a lot faster for you.
If you ever want to remove the rule you just created, repeat the same process but enter the following command: netsh advfirewall firewall delete rule name=”YouTubeTweak”.

HOW TO MAKE YOUTUBE VIDEOS LOAD/BUFFER FASTER ON MAC OS X

To make YouTube videos load/buffer faster on Mac OS X, do the following:

• Open Terminal.
• Once Terminal is open, enter the following command: sudo ipfw add reject src-ip 173.194.55.0/24 in
• Hit Enter on your keyboard. You will be asked to input admin password. Input it.
• Now enter the following command and hit Enter on your keyboard: sudo ipfw add reject src-ip 206.111.0.0/16 in
• Close Terminal.

Done! Now YouTube should, hopefully, be a lot faster for you.
If you ever want to remove the rules you just created, open Terminal, run the command sudo ipfw list and note the reference numbers for the two rules you created. Then run the command sudo ipfw delete [REFERENCE NUMBER] with [REFERENCE NUMBER] being replaced with the reference number for the first command; then do it again for the second command.

HOW TO MAKE YOUTUBE VIDEOS LOAD/BUFFER FASTER ON LINUX

To make YouTube videos load/buffer faster on Linux, do the following:

• Open Terminal.
• Once Terminal is open, enter the following command: sudo iptables add reject src-ip 173.194.55.0/24 in
• Hit Enter on your keyboard. You will be asked to input admin password. Input it.
• Now enter the following command and hit Enter on your keyboard: sudo iptables add reject src-ip 206.111.0.0/16 in
• Close Terminal.

Done! Now YouTube should, hopefully, be a lot faster for you.
If you ever want to remove the rules you just created, open Terminal, run the command sudo iptables list and note the reference numbers for the two rules you created. Then run the command sudo iptables delete [REFERENCE NUMBER] with [REFERENCE NUMBER] being replaced with the reference number for the first command; then do it again for the second command.

CONCLUSION

This trick takes less than two minutes to do but can save you a whole lot of time while watching YouTube videos. Enjoy!


If you like this Post. Please comment on this.

Read More

How to open/run regedit (Registry Editor) in Windows 8 [Guide]

After relying on the search box in Windows 7 to launch programs for so long, I was baffled with how to work Windows 8. More specifically, how the hell do I launch regedit without a proper start menu? I sat there thinking (for approximately five seconds) when it hit me: it may be crude but let’s use the Run command. This guide shows you how to do that, if you are confused.

How to run regedit in Windows 8

To open regedit in Windows 8, do the following:

• Press Win [Windows key] + R on your keyboard. This can be done either while at Windows 8 Start menu/Metro screen or on Windows 8 desktop.
• At the dialog box that pops open, type “regedit.exe” (without the quotes) and hit “OK”:

• Once you hit “OK”, Windows UAC will prompt you to confirm you want to open Register Editor — hit “Yes”:

• Done. Registry Editor should now be open:

Conclusion

That was easy. Just remember — don’t make unnecessary changes via Registry Editor least you have to format your computer to fix your bonehead mistakes.


If you like this Post. Please comment on this.

Read More

[Windows] XUS PC Lock is the same program as Eusing Maze Lock

So today I sat down to review XUS PC Lock, a program that adds smartphone-like pattern lock to Windows. XUS PC Lock is a shareaware program that costs $29.95 and I wanted to give dotTechies the option to use a freeware instead if they didn’t want to pay for XUS PC Lock. The only problem is I didn’t know a freeware program that adds a pattern lock off the top of my head. Therefore I went searching for one and boy did I come across a pleasant but bothersome surprise.

You see when searching for a freeware pattern lock program for Windows, I came across Eusing Maze Lock is a freeware program that adds a pattern lock to Windows, just like XUS PC Lock. A bit too much like XUS PC Lock in fact.


When looking at the screenshots of Eusing Maze Lock on its homepage (prior to download it), I started to suspect that XUS PC Lock and Eusing Maze Lock may be the same program. Once I downloaded and installed Eusing Maze Lock and compared to to XUS PC Lock, my suspicion proved to be true — Eusing Maze Lock and XUS PC Lock are almost carbon copies of each other with two differences: Eusing Maze Lock is freeware (i.e. costs $0) while XUS PC Lock is shareware (costs $29.95) and XUS PC Lock has one extra feature — the ability to autorun in Safe Mode.

Don’t believe me? Check out the following screenshots:

Lock screens (first one is Eusing Maze Lock, second one is XUS PC Lock)

Settings (first one is Eusing Maze Lock, second one is XUS PC Lock)

The evidence is pretty damning (if you still don’t believe me, download both programs and see for yourself). Indeed, in looks, features, and usage (they even have the same animation when going to/from lock screen!) XUS PC Lock and Eusing Maze Lock are the same. The only difference, aside from price, is the fact that XUS PC Lock has the ability to autolock upon Safe Mode boot while Eusing Maze Lock doesn’t:



So now that we have concluded that the programs are indeed one in the same, the question arises: What is going on? Is someone copying the other? Is one a resale of the other? I don’t know.
Based off the research I have done, my guess is Eusing Maze Lock is the original while XUS PC Lock is the copy. It could be that XUS PC Lock has copied Eusing Maze Lock without permission and simply added on that extra feature or XUS PC Lock has rebranded Eusing Maze Lock with permission, e.g. reselling; it could even be that the same developer is behind both products, simply choosing to operate them under two different brands. I don’t really know. However, I am 42% certain Eusing Maze Lock is the original (the remaining 58% is undecided).

Why am I saying Eusing Maze Lock is the original and XUS PC Lock is the copy? Based off the following:

• If you run a WHOIS on http://eusing.com (Eusing Maze Lock’s homepage), you will see the site has been operating since 2004. If you do a WHOIS on http://xussoft.com (XUS PC Lock’s homepage), you will see the site has been operating since 2012. If you dig a bit deeper, you will learn the website for XUS PC Lock used to be http://edesksoft.com (which is now down) and a WHOIS on that website shows it has been around since 2009. So Eusing (the developer, not necessarily Eusing Maze Lock the program) has been around at least five years prior to XUS Soft/EDeskSoft.
• In my mind, if Eusing Maze Lock copied XUS PC Lock, then it would have the ability to autolock on Safe Mode boot. However, it doesn’t — only XUS PC Lock has it. This leads me to believe XUS PC Lock copied Eusing Maze Lock then added in that extra feature.
• Eusing is a very popular name that offers many freeware software. XUS is a relatively unknown name. If Eusing was copying software, we would have known about it by now.

With that said, there is also evidence that suggests the theory that XUS PC Lock is the original and Eusing Maze Lock is the copy:

• If you lookup http://www.xussoft.com/xuspclock/index.html (XUS PC Lock’s homepage) on The Wayback Machine, you will see it was first crawled on April 4, 2012. If you do the same with http://www.eusing.com/mazelock/pclock.htm (Eusing Maze Lock’s homepage), you will see it was first crawled in December 22, 2012. This suggests XUS PC Lock came first however it should be mentioned The Wayback Machine may not necessarily be accurate or Eusing Maze Lock could have a different homepage before because Download.com shows v2.0 of Eusing Maze Lock was submitted to Download.com on November 14, 2012.

What makes this story even more interesting is two other shareware products, XUS Launcher and XUS Clock, appear to be the same as two other freeware products, Eusing Launcher and Eusing Clock. I didn’t download any of these four programs so I cannot be 100% certain but based on their homepages and screenshots, they look to be same.

So, what is the conclusion here? The conclusion here is we know Eusing Maze Lock and XUS PC Lock are the same program but we don’t know which one is the copy and which one is the original. We do, however, know Eusing Maze Lock is freeware while XUS PC Lock costs $29.95. So take your pick.


If you like this Post. Please comment on this.

Read More

Watch Youtube videos in VLC media player to skip ads, control playback speed, and multitask [Tip]

So you are a Youtube junkie yet you find it annoying to watch Youtube in your browser for multiple reasons, such as the inability to multitask while watching videos. Want to know a better way to watch Youtube videos? Through VLC media player.

WHAT IS VLC MEDIA PLAYER?

VLC Media Player is a third-party video player program for Windows, Linux, and Mac OS X that not only can play almost any type of video format but also provides additional functionality not available in Windows Media Player. Don’t worry so much about what VLC is as much as why you should use it to watch Youtube.

WHY SHOULD I USE VLC TO WATCH YOUTUBE?

There are multiple reasons to watch Youtube via VLC:

• Skips ads. When you watch Youtube videos through VLC, you skips the ads that you would otherwise see if watched via Youtube.com.
• Control playback speed. VLC allows you to decrease or increase playback speed of videos, something that you cannot do on Youtube.com. This is helpful for either skipping content that you find boring or have already seen or slowly playing content that you want to learn, such as in tutorial videos.
• Multitask. Watching Youtube in your browser on Youtube.com makes multitasking while watching videos hard; it isn’t impossible, because you can resize your browser window, but it is harder than if you use VLC. With VLC, not only can you control the size of the window showing the video but you can also set VLC to always stay on top, making it very easy to work on another task while watching a Youtube video.
• Take screenshots of videos or record videos. VLC allows you to take a still snapshot of videos you watch, or record whole videos. While you can also take screenshots while watching Youtube via Youtube.com (the most easy way is to Print Screen) but VLC makes it easier, plus gives you the ability to record video.
• Loop videos. Ever wanted to loop a Youtube video so it automatically plays again when it ends? With VLC, you can.

HOW TO USE VLC TO WATCH YOUTUBE

Playing a Youtube video in VLC is very easy. To play a Youtube video in VLC, do the following:

• Download and install VLC media player, if you haven’t already.
• Right click this LUA file link and click “Save As” or “Save Link As” or whatever option your browser has to save the file, and save the file to your computer.
• Find where you saved the above file and copy it to your “lua” -> “playlist” folder of your VLC installation in Program Files. For most people, this will be C:\Program Files\VideoLAN\VLC\lua\playlist or C:\Program Files (x86)\VideoLAN\VLC\lua\playlist.
• Copy the URL of the Youtube video you want to watch. It can either be in http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXXXXX format or http://youtu.be/XXXXXX format.
• Run VLC.
• Go to “Media” -> “Open Network Stream” or press Ctrl + N on your keyboard.
• Finally, paste the Youtube video URL in the “Please enter a network URL” box and press “Play”:

Done! Once you do the above, the Youtube video should start playing for you and you can make use of any and all of VLC features, such as the ones I mentioned above. Do take note, however, using VLC does not get rid of buffering delays so you may still need to wait for your video to buffer.

CAN I PLAY YOUTUBE PLAYLISTS WITH VLC TOO?

Yes, you can. Once you save the LUA file into your “playlist” folder as I mentioned above, you can insert Youtube playlist URLs (i.e. http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=XXXXXXXX) into VLC the same way you insert normal Youtube video URLs (i.e. “Media” -> “Open Network Stream”) and the playlists will play.

CONCLUSION

Admittedly, it is a bit cumbersome to manually run Youtube videos in VLC whenever you want to watch them, as opposed to the ease of jumping over to Youtube.com and playing videos in your browser. However, the advantages of using VLC are vast and worth it in some cases.


If you like this Post. Please comment on this.

Read More

How to bypass Windows SmartScreen to install programs [Windows 8]

When you go to install a program on Windows 8, you may find that your installation is blocked by something called the SmartScreen Filter. Windows SmartScreen is a new feature Microsoft added in Windows 8 that, among other things, blocks installs of programs it feels are unsafe. If you know the program you want to install is safe and you want to force the Windows SmartScreen to let you install a program, this guide shows you how to do that.

How To Force SmartScreen Filter To Install A Program

When you launcher the installer of a program which SmartScreen Filter blocks, you will be prompted with something like the following:



This prompt is telling you Windows SmartScreen doesn’t like the program you are trying to install and as such has blocked the installation. To bypass this prompt, click on More info…



…and then click Run anyway:



Once you click Run anyway, SmartScreen will turn off and let you install the program. If you have UAC enabled, you will be prompted by UAC after the SmartScreen which you can click OK to proceed with installation.
This process needs to be repeated for all installations that SmartScreen is blocking.

Conclusion

That was easy. Enjoy!


If you like this Post. Please comment on this.

Read More