Don’t like to carry too many chargers during a travel trip? The leading connectivity manufacturer that provides complete KVM (Keyboard, Video, Mouse), connectivity, networking, digital audio/video, mobility, and desktop solutions, IOGEAR has concerned of your need with its new GearJuice charging kit - Mobile Pocket Power, eliminating the hassle of finding a power outlet or charger, which aimed to make it easy to charge your portable devices on the go.
Features Of IOGEAR’s GearJuice Mobile Pocket Power:
* Light weight and portable mobile battery pak
* High capacity and reliability
* Work with most mobile phones, iPod™*, iPhone™, MP3 players, PDA, Bluetooth headsets, and other mobile devices
* Built-in short-circuit, over-charge, and temperature protection
* USB output for most USB charging devices
* Includes multiple connector tips for different mobile devices
* Rechargeable cycle up to 500 times
* Smart LED capacity display
* Supply voltage 5V
According to the company, “Mobile Pocket Power allows you to charge your cell phone up to 3 times before it needs to be recharged.”
Microsoft has disclosed further information and clarification on the availability of Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1) through Windows Update (WU) in an email to TechNet subscribers. It further confirms that SP1 RC Refresh2 (RCR2) is indeed RTM version of SP1, and hints that probably English version of Vista can now get SP1 via Windows Update without any registry hack code, once the system is installed with all prerequisite updates.
1. Before March 2008, only system installed with original Windows Vista media or image can get and download SP1 via Windows Update (WU).
2. Beginning March, Vista SP1 for English, French, Spanish, German and Japanese editions will be added to WU.
3. The Vista SP1 editions for remaining languages will be made available via WU gradually beginning April.
4. Currently the 543M size files downloaded from WU by using registry hack script which has the build version of 6.0.6001.18000.080118-1840 is the SP1 RTM with all languages, but the current download will still be called SP1 RC Refresh 2.
5. Currently, except by installing Vista using official slipstreamed SP1 integrated Vista, any other methods of installing SP1 will not change or alter the version of End User License Agreement (EULA).
Thus, whether a Vista PC can now been offered the service pack is not depending on whether the system is a Home Basic, Home Premium, Business or Ultimate edition, instead, the service pack availability will only based on language of Vista.
According to the statement above, Windows Vista users who use English version installed with retail channel DVD, MSDN or Technet download can probably now download Service Pack 1 for Vista from Windows Update without any hack, provided all two or three prerequisite hotfix packages KB937287, KB938371 and KB935509 (which WU offers first sequentially before SP1 is shown when using registry hack) are installed. Good news is Microsoft has distributing these SP1 prerequisites thru WU.
If you don’t manage to get WU to offer you Vista SP1, add the SP1 RCR2 registry keys now to hack WU to detect and offer your system SP1.
Sony Ericsson has recently launched a new generation of mobile phones, a touchscreen organizers with a broad appeal - G700 and G900, featuring the same large 2.4-inch QVGA (240×320 pixels, 262k colours) display with unique single touch control menu.
sony-ericsson-g700-g900.jpg
Key Features Of Sony Ericsson G700:
* One-touch full organiser functions
* 3.2 megapixel camera
* Touch controlled Notes application - write and draw your memo’s
* Compact size
“Sony Ericsson is delivering touchscreen and innovative organiser capabilities to a wide audience without compromising on the size or shape of the phone. Both the G700 and G900 have regular keyboards and are no larger than a regular phone.” said Martin Winkler, Director Global Marketing and Head of Multimedia Web at Sony Ericsson. “These phones are ideal for users that are only interested in making their lives simpler. It’s not about technology for the sake of it.”
Key Features Of Sony Ericsson G900:
* One touch media experience
* 5.0 megapixel camera with touch Auto focus and Multi-shot function
* One- touch media and organiser menu
* Wi-Fi for high speed data transfer and Internet browsing
Both of the new Sony Ericsson G700 and G900 will be available in Q2 2008 but no words on their price yet.
Volume Shadown Copy (VSS or Shadow Copy for Shared Folders prior to Vista) or more commonly known as Previous Versions which used as the name for right click context menu command and for one of the tab for files and folders properties, is a useful feature that automatically or manually backup copies or snapshots of files or folders on a specific volume or drive at a specific point in time incrementally so that users can quickly and easily restore or recover (or go back to) the older versions of files or folders in future when needed. When will you need to use Previous Versions? On time such as accidental file deletion or modification of documents and files.
Unfortunately, Microsoft decides to support Previous Versions feature only in the Ultimate, Business, and Enterprise editions of Windows Vista. Windows Vista Home Basic and Home Premium editions are left out in the cold, probably to encourage sales and upgrade to Ultimate edition. However, the baffling point is that the Shadow Copy Service (VSS, also known as Volume Snapshot Service) is actually included in Vista Home Premium and Basic, up and running by default. The Shadow Copy Service is used by both Previous Versions feature and Vista’s backup utility, System Restore, which enabled in all editions of Vista.
The worst part is, although Previous Versions feature in not enabled in Vista Home Premium and Basic, but the snapshot backup of Shadow Copy actually includes all files including user data files, which is not necessary for System Restore function. This behavior eats up plenty of hard disk space and system resources, yet users cannot access the backups of these user data files in the event they need it most.
It looks like Microsoft simply remove the graphical user interface (GUI) of Previous Versions that allows users to recover restore lost or changed or altered files in Vista Home Basic and Premium editions, with all other background process running intact. This arrangement of saving and keeping backups of user files but hide the user backups probably is to ‘please’ users who decide to upgrade to Vista Ultimate edition using Windows Anytime Upgrade, where changes to older versions of user data files prior to upgrade can still be found. It can be also that programmers of Vista too lazy to ‘fine tune’ VSS to exclude users data files from backup.
Thus, to access the Previous Versions or Shadow Copy backup of user data files, users have the option to upgrade to Vista Ultimate, which is expensive. In this case, ShadowExplorer can come in handy.
Side note: From security point of view, it’s best to turn off Shadow Copy (include both System Restore or Previous Versions) if you’re not actually using it, especially in Vista Home Premium and Basic, since you’re not aware that copies of files have been saved as backup, nor can see, view, use, access, remove or delete them without advanced technical skill.
ShadowExplorer takes advantage of the Vista Volume Shadow Copy service and the backup snapshot copies that created by it to allow users to browse the shadow copies. ShadowExplorer can access the shadow storage, which often off-limit to novice users due to complex permissions and rights issues, and make the point-in-time copies accessible to the users. Thus, ShadowExplorer is especially useful for Vista Home Basic and Premium users who do not have Previous Versions feature, but need to recover or get back earlier version of accidentally edited documents, or retrieve lost deleted files. Shadow Explorer can retrieve all versions of files and folders saved by VSS.
Download ShadowExplorer-0.1-setup.exe. Future upgrade can be found here.
Unfortunately, users will need to run ShadowExplorer as administrator to access Shadow Copies and recover old files. It’s a little inconvenient than the contextual based Previous Versions built in Vista Ultimate, Business and Enterprise. But it’s better than no access and no hope at all.
Volume Shadown Copy (VSS or Shadow Copy for Shared Folders prior to Vista) or more commonly known as Previous Versions which used as the name for right click context menu command and for one of the tab for files and folders properties, is a useful feature that automatically or manually backup copies or snapshots of files or folders on a specific volume or drive at a specific point in time incrementally so that users can quickly and easily restore or recover (or go back to) the older versions of files or folders in future when needed. When will you need to use Previous Versions? On time such as accidental file deletion or modification of documents and files.
Unfortunately, Microsoft decides to support Previous Versions feature only in the Ultimate, Business, and Enterprise editions of Windows Vista. Windows Vista Home Basic and Home Premium editions are left out in the cold, probably to encourage sales and upgrade to Ultimate edition. However, the baffling point is that the Shadow Copy Service (VSS, also known as Volume Snapshot Service) is actually included in Vista Home Premium and Basic, up and running by default. The Shadow Copy Service is used by both Previous Versions feature and Vista’s backup utility, System Restore, which enabled in all editions of Vista.
The worst part is, although Previous Versions feature in not enabled in Vista Home Premium and Basic, but the snapshot backup of Shadow Copy actually includes all files including user data files, which is not necessary for System Restore function. This behavior eats up plenty of hard disk space and system resources, yet users cannot access the backups of these user data files in the event they need it most.
It looks like Microsoft simply remove the graphical user interface (GUI) of Previous Versions that allows users to recover restore lost or changed or altered files in Vista Home Basic and Premium editions, with all other background process running intact. This arrangement of saving and keeping backups of user files but hide the user backups probably is to ‘please’ users who decide to upgrade to Vista Ultimate edition using Windows Anytime Upgrade, where changes to older versions of user data files prior to upgrade can still be found. It can be also that programmers of Vista too lazy to ‘fine tune’ VSS to exclude users data files from backup.
Thus, to access the Previous Versions or Shadow Copy backup of user data files, users have the option to upgrade to Vista Ultimate, which is expensive. In this case, ShadowExplorer can come in handy.
Side note: From security point of view, it’s best to turn off Shadow Copy (include both System Restore or Previous Versions) if you’re not actually using it, especially in Vista Home Premium and Basic, since you’re not aware that copies of files have been saved as backup, nor can see, view, use, access, remove or delete them without advanced technical skill.
ShadowExplorer takes advantage of the Vista Volume Shadow Copy service and the backup snapshot copies that created by it to allow users to browse the shadow copies. ShadowExplorer can access the shadow storage, which often off-limit to novice users due to complex permissions and rights issues, and make the point-in-time copies accessible to the users. Thus, ShadowExplorer is especially useful for Vista Home Basic and Premium users who do not have Previous Versions feature, but need to recover or get back earlier version of accidentally edited documents, or retrieve lost deleted files. Shadow Explorer can retrieve all versions of files and folders saved by VSS.
Download ShadowExplorer-0.1-setup.exe. Future upgrade can be found here.
Unfortunately, users will need to run ShadowExplorer as administrator to access Shadow Copies and recover old files. It’s a little inconvenient than the contextual based Previous Versions built in Vista Ultimate, Business and Enterprise. But it’s better than no access and no hope at all.
Volume Shadow Copies (VSS or also known as Volume Snapshot Services) is the technology used to perform snapshot and backup of system files and user data files at a specific time at regular interval. The incremental backup or snapshot by Shadow Copy is then used by System Restore or Previous Versions feature in Windows to restore Windows to previous state or recover deleted or altered files and folders.
When enabled and running properly, Shadow Copy service will backup almost everything on the drives. And Shadow Copy, which commonly known as System Restore accessible by System Protection in Vista System Properties is turned on by default on system drive. Thus, various System Restore Points created will save copies system and user data files incrementally in Shadow Copy repositories.
The existence of backup copies of files and folders in another location in VSS repositories may bring several issues. Firstly, for users who don’t use Previous Versions or System Restore features, or those (users of Home Premium and Home Basic editions of Vista) who can’t access shadow copies of user data files, keeping these files is wasting disk space. Secondly, Shadow Copies may potentially leak trace and record of sensitive and private files or documents.
The first issue can be solved by disabling the Shadow Copy (or commonly known as System Restore). And for users who just want to keep some private confidential data out of the reach of been monitored and backed up can exclude files from Shadow Copies. MSDN Library describes how to using registry key to exclude files from Shadow Copies by deleting the selected files from shadow copy during creation.
Using the FilesNotToSnapshot Registry Key to Exclude Files from Shadow Copy
Files can be deleted from a shadow copy during shadow copy creation by using the following registry key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\BackupRestore\FilesNotToSnapshot
This registry key has REG_MULTI_SZ (multi string) values for each application whose files can be excluded. The files are specified by fully qualified paths, which can contain the * wildcard. If a fully qualified cannot be specified, then a path can also be implied by using the $UserProfile$ or $AllVolumes$ variable. For example:
* UserProfile$\Directory\Subdirectory\FileName.*
* $AllVolumes$\TemporaryFiles\*.*
To make the path recursive, append ” /s” to the end. For example:
* $UserProfile$\Directory\Subdirectory\FileName.* /s
* $AllVolumes$\TemporaryFiles\*.* /s
In all cases, the entry is ignored if there are no files that match the path string. Note that the exclusion (or rather the deletion of the files from the Shadow Copy repository during creation by the shadow copy optimization writer) of the files been added to the appropriate registry key value, is on a best-effort basis.
Volume Shadow Copies (VSS or also known as Volume Snapshot Services) is the technology used to perform snapshot and backup of system files and user data files at a specific time at regular interval. The incremental backup or snapshot by Shadow Copy is then used by System Restore or Previous Versions feature in Windows to restore Windows to previous state or recover deleted or altered files and folders.
When enabled and running properly, Shadow Copy service will backup almost everything on the drives. And Shadow Copy, which commonly known as System Restore accessible by System Protection in Vista System Properties is turned on by default on system drive. Thus, various System Restore Points created will save copies system and user data files incrementally in Shadow Copy repositories.
The existence of backup copies of files and folders in another location in VSS repositories may bring several issues. Firstly, for users who don’t use Previous Versions or System Restore features, or those (users of Home Premium and Home Basic editions of Vista) who can’t access shadow copies of user data files, keeping these files is wasting disk space. Secondly, Shadow Copies may potentially leak trace and record of sensitive and private files or documents.
The first issue can be solved by disabling the Shadow Copy (or commonly known as System Restore). And for users who just want to keep some private confidential data out of the reach of been monitored and backed up can exclude files from Shadow Copies. MSDN Library describes how to using registry key to exclude files from Shadow Copies by deleting the selected files from shadow copy during creation.
Using the FilesNotToSnapshot Registry Key to Exclude Files from Shadow Copy
Files can be deleted from a shadow copy during shadow copy creation by using the following registry key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\BackupRestore\FilesNotToSnapshot
This registry key has REG_MULTI_SZ (multi string) values for each application whose files can be excluded. The files are specified by fully qualified paths, which can contain the * wildcard. If a fully qualified cannot be specified, then a path can also be implied by using the $UserProfile$ or $AllVolumes$ variable. For example:
* UserProfile$\Directory\Subdirectory\FileName.*
* $AllVolumes$\TemporaryFiles\*.*
To make the path recursive, append ” /s” to the end. For example:
* $UserProfile$\Directory\Subdirectory\FileName.* /s
* $AllVolumes$\TemporaryFiles\*.* /s
In all cases, the entry is ignored if there are no files that match the path string. Note that the exclusion (or rather the deletion of the files from the Shadow Copy repository during creation by the shadow copy optimization writer) of the files been added to the appropriate registry key value, is on a best-effort basis.