March 30, 2010 4:54 am by Jal
How to know feed count of your competitors’ blogs? How to compare number of feed subscribers of two blogs?
The answer the above questions is – Very easy. As a blogger, such questions are rather natural. In order to have some sort of representation of growth (or the lack of it ;) 
of your and your competitors’ blogs, the feed count or the number of subscribers might be considered as a substantial measure.
The web-app called Feed Compare v1.0 lets you know and compare feed count (number of subscribers) of blogs. There is no mystery and no extra magic. Just enter the ‘Feed Name’ or easier still, the entire Feedburner Feed URL of the blog and click ‘Compare’.
The results are pretty darn accurate. It gives results for the maximum range up to 2 years which is not quite that bad for a free service. One more advantage of Feed Compare I can think of is that you can easily spot blogs who bluff about their feed counts by displaying fake subscriber counts on their blogs.
So go to Feed Compare v1.0, compare feeds of blogs and while you’re at it, subscribe to TechExplorer.in too.
March 30, 2010 2:32 am by Jal
Microsoft was and is very clear in its product life-cycle theories and the company has always followed them quite strictly. Couple of years ago Microsoft declared to reduce (and eventually end) the support for the aging Windows XP. Then it started reducing the number of automatic & recommended updates and only provided crucial security patches to XP users. But XP had its own charm which didn’t really nudge as Microsoft expected.
I think Microsoft doesn’t really care about Windows XP’s market-share and this is quite evident by Microsoft’s decision to gradually strip down support for XP in its upcoming products. Of course, from Microsoft’s POV, such a step is utmost important to increase the popularity of its new and advanced operating system – Windows 7.
A couple of weeks ago, Microsoft declared that IE9 won’t support Windows XP. Now, LiveSino reports that the system requirements of the upcoming ‘official’ beta version of Windows Live Essentials Wave 4 does not include Windows XP.
This means that the Wave 4 versions of the major applications like Windows Live Messenger, Windows Live Movie Maker, Windows Live Writer, Windows Live Photo Gallery, etc. won’t support Windows XP. Microsoft has finally learnt the fact that for an average end-user, it’s the applications that matter and not the operating system. As long as their PC runs a particular application, an average user doesn’t really care to undergo an OS upgrade or worst, even bother to know what OS they use. Microsoft’s game is pretty simple – ‘You take away what they need and they’ll do whatever you want’.
Now please don’t take it as a bashing on Microsoft. Apart from panning end users’ attention to Windows Vista or 7, the major reason to abandon Windows XP lies in the fact that XP is a decade old product; incapable to support certain advanced technologies and thereby the applications built on them. However, it’s 2010 and it’s still a fat chance to bring down XP’s popularity in at least 3 years from now. And Microsoft sure knows it very well. Nevertheless, we are surely witnessing the beginning of the end of an era – Windows XP’s era.
March 28, 2010 21:19 pm by Jal
I still remember the time when the first Vista transformation pack was made available for XP and how I went so crazy to download a 31MB file on my dial-up connection. Well, Vista came and gone and even Windows 7 seems so 2009. We need something new, don’t we? So here it is – The Vienna 5 Transformation Pack for Windows 7!
Now don’t ask me why the name Vienna. It’s been one of the most speculated names for the next version of Windows after Vista but that didn’t happen. Maybe to pay a tribute, a deviantArt user, AppliArt named it Vienna 5 Transformation Pack.
Before I give out the download links, enjoy the screenshots:
This transformation pack is available for Windows 7 and Windows XP. Visit the below links and download the required version.
Download Vienna 5 Transformation Pack / 96.2 MB
After you download it, run an update available for it by clicking the below link.
Update for Vienna 5 Transformation Pack
March 27, 2010 17:47 pm by Jal
Beginner Quick-tip
Windows Media Player 12 is my favorite music player on Windows and it has evolved to a great extent. I have shown some WMP tricks in the past and today I am back again with yet another small trick that will enable / disable automatic preview of songs just by hovering over them. This small tip will work for Windows Media Player 12 that comes bundled with Windows 7.
» First, open up Windows Media Player 12. Click ‘Organize’ > ‘Options’.
» In the ‘Library’ tab, just check the option ‘Automatically preview songs on track title hover’. Press OK.
» Now you can preview songs just by taking your mouse pointer over the title of the song. A small pop-up will appear and the song will start playing immediately when you click ‘Preview’. Moving your mouse away will stop the preview.
Enjoy previewing songs
March 27, 2010 0:44 am by Jal
On April 6, Microsoft will roll out an update through XBox Live enabling the XBox systems to use any external USB storage provided it’s larger than 1GB.
Upon installing the update, users can now simultaneously add up to two 16GB flash drives at once for storing the game data. That means, 32GB is the maximum one can throttle out. Obviously, you can access the empty space using a PC.
Microsoft’s Larry Hyrb (aka Major Nelson) clears all the speculation in a blogpost,
On April 6th, we will be releasing a system update over Xbox LIVE for your Xbox 360 that will allow USB flash drives to be used for storing profiles, game saves, demos and more. I’ve been testing this feature out for a few weeks, and I have to say it’s really great. Once you take the system update on April 6th, you’ll be able to connect your USB flash drives to your console and head over to the memory section to configure your new storage device.
Microsoft has partnered with Sandisk to deliver a kind of ‘Made for XBox 360’ flash drives which will be available around May. No price details as of yet. [via]
March 26, 2010 18:26 pm by Jal
Sony Ericsson just launched a series of five high-end mobile phones including the most anticipated Xerpia X10 and Vivaz in India.
These phones belong to the high end category with prices starting at Rs. 25,695, reaching to the maximum of Rs. 35,795. The models launched were –
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Xperia X10
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Xperia X10 mini
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Xperia X10 Mini Pro
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Vivaz
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Vivaz Pro
For stuffing these phones with entertainment goodies, Sony Ericsson has also joined hands with biggies like MTV India, UTV, EA, IndiaGames and Disney. These phone models will be entertainment and social-networking focussed.
Speaking about launching a series of new low-end phones, Sony Ericsson Corporate VP and Head of Asia Pacific region Hirokazu Ishizuka said,
The new portfolio will take communication entertainment to the next level. Beside the five devices that we have launched today, we will launch devices in the low-end sub-Rs 5,000 handsets as well. The proliferation of social and digital media is changing the consumer experience with mobile phones. Social media will play an important role in how we engage with our consumers here in India.
March 26, 2010 15:57 pm by Jal
‘
Infinia 3D’ is what LG likes to call its new 3D LED line of televisions with LX9500 debuting as the first ever model to be unveiled by LG Electronics’ CEO & VP Kyoung-joon Park and Exec. VP Havis Kwon.
With thickness no more than 1 inch, the LX9500 flaunt 10,000,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio and super stylish Full HD 1080p screen with 3D display capability. Apparently the screen refresh rate is dubbed as TruMotion 400Hz (480Hz) to produce life-like images. The smart design make the 10W + 10W + 5W speakers almost invisible giving the whole unit a minimalist and classy look.
The LX9500 will be available in 47inch and 55inch avatars. Other noteworthy features of the LX9500 are:
» HDMI 1.4
» NetCast support
» Wireless Audio / Video Link
» Skype video calling (optional camera required)
» DLNA ready (optional DLNA dongle required); which means you can share content within your home network.
» USB port available.
» Formats like HD DivX, Mp3, Jpeg and MPO are supported through the USB port.
The LX9500 will be made available in the first quarter of May, 2010 in Korean, US and European markets followed by the rest of the world.
[Picture courtesy: Gizmag]
