Vice, C64 on your pc and...

Nostalgia time?
Install a C64 emulator on your PC! Continue >>>>>

All about file types, how to change icons...

... and more.

Default Programs Editor (DPE) is a very good utility to change some things in Windows.
Blame on you Microsoft, because you don't include these basic things out of the box. Shame on you!

DPE includes:

• Customization of File Type settings (Context menu, icons, description...)
• Customization of the Autoplay settings
• Customization of the Default Programs settings

Autoplay and Default Programs settings can easily changed with Windows options, but we are interested in the File Type settings...

Context menu: you can edit voices of the contextual menu for every file type
Icon: finally I can select an icon (on WXp you can do this without 3d-party tools) for the file type
Description: ok, not so usefull, but you can change it.

Changing icons for file types... my choice:

Download DPE:  http://defaultprogramseditor.com/

How to convert images to Icons

You can use this tool to convert images to icons and using them in your OS.
The Windows icons max size is 256x256 (Windows Vista) but this tool converts your image in a icon that contains various size (for small icons, etc... like .ico format).

I suggest you to use PNG images that support transparency.

Run the software and a little box appears, right-click on it to show options...
Select the "Choose formats" and set the options to configure the max icon size.
Drag and drop your image in the box and the icon will be created (in the original image path)

Download:
http://www.pngfactory.net/customxp/logitheque-41-2-telecharger-ToYcon.html

Your temperatures in the taskbar

I tried several softwares, but Open Hardware Monitor is ok for me.
I used HWMonitor, but for some reasons that I don't know it shows me only the mobo temps.

So I downloaded OHM to keep an eye on fans and temperatures (summer is coming...) and it works like a charm.

You can active a gadget on your desktop or put values (like cpu temp, cpu fan etc...) in your traybar.

Obviously to do this, the program must be in the background.
This does not pose any problem or slow down, just select the options on "Options":
- Start minimized
- Run on windows startup


Right click on the value in the traybar to change color or show other options.


Download: http://openhardwaremonitor.org/

Windows Manager for Android!

After the iOS WM ... an Android windows manager, but this is free!

It seems a sort of Windows Metro Snap.

Take a look and try it : http://www.onskreen.com/cornerstone/

Windows gadgets, how can I lock them?

I miss the ability to lock gadgets on desktop.
With "lock" I mean avoiding that the bar appears, move them by mistake, etc ...

It's only a mockup

Another little good thing to add in the next Windows? (If gadgets will survive)

Windows 7: something is missing

In Vista and Seven some utilities are missing.
Remember that you could change file types icons, set open options or simply un-associate file types?
Obviously on Windows Vista and Seven you can't do this without digging on the system registry.
So the only solution is download and use some 3rd-party programs.

Unassoc:
With this tool you can remove the file types you desire.
[Download]

You can also use the "assoc" command in DOS, like:
assoc .txt=   (to delete the txt file association)

Types:
With this tool you can edit file types (icon, behavior, etc...)
[Download]


Useful.
I don't know why Microsoft decided to remove these options, but I don't like that there aren't some tools/utilities out-of-the-box.

Bluestacks: android apps in your pc

With the Beta of Bluestacks you can use Android market apps on your Windows Os.
All beautiful.

But today I'm a bit annoyed and I noticed that this software is bloated as ****:

•  2 processes run on StartUp
•  + ~400 MB of ram used

when you don't use Bluestacks.

So...
Erased.

If you wanna try it: http://bluestacks.com/

Imho the best way is a Virtual Machine solution: virtualizing Android ICS. (the only problem is the internet connection... that doesn't work in my case, there is a post of 2 weeks ago)

Android in your x86 PC

Do you have a laptop/netbook/something with the x86 architecture and you want to change OS?
If you have a:

• ASUS Eee PCs/Laptops
• Viewsonic Viewpad 10
• Dell Inspiron Mini Duo
• Samsung Q1U
• Viliv S5
• Lenovo ThinkPad x61 Tablet 

or other device you can put in Android for x86!

Download the latest iso:
http://www.android-x86.org/download

There is the 4.0RC iso... let's try it on VirtualBox, I use the Asus EEEpc iso:

Low ram and too much video ram (8 MB Video is fine, 400-500 MB Ram too) to test...

In the Audio section: ICH AC97 doesn't work! Use SoundBlaster16! ;-)

For Network section use PCnet-Fast III (NAT)!

....continue (open the post clicking the post title)....

From 1993: NeXTstep OS

In the 1995 the NeXTstep was in the 3.3 version.
What is NeXTstep?
When Jobs left Apple he made a pc called NeXT and a new operating system.

I installed it.
The UI graphic is very nice and polish, I love big icons, but I hate the movable menu bar and the windows managing is a bit inconsistent ("hide" menu button to hide a window, menu bar occupies a lot of screen, etc...).

Some screens!

Kompose: make your mosaic

I used this simply tool for make the screenshots mosaic for Return to Castle Wolfenstein...

Very useful if you want to create one image using multiple images!

Download: Kompose (80 KB)

Simply multi-desktop in 60KB

In the web there are a bunch of software that add multi-desktop feature in your Windows.

With "Desktops" you have a 60 kilobytes software that allow you to use 4 virtual desktops, easy and simply.

Download: Desktops

Android Market: 10 cents promotions

Want to know the list of games and applications that have a reduced price on the market?


Simply click this link:

https://market.android.com/details?id=apps_timed_promotion

Check every day, deals do not last long!
In this time 10 apps with reduced price for 10 days at 10 cents!

Photoshop is usefull

In these days is impossible recognize the truth.

http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/farid/downloads/publications/pnas11/

A 64 bit version of Firefox

Do you want a 64bit version of Firefox?
Try Waterfox! It's a Firefox compiled version with optimizations for 64-Bit Windows.

Download it here:
http://waterfoxproj.sourceforge.net/

Skype's squirrel...

The new versions of Skype have new re-designed smilies...

Do you notice something strange in the squirrel?

SmartBounds: Exposè for Windows

Try this program, is like Exposè for Windows.
You can select an action when the mouse pointer touches an angle, like minimize windows, run screensaver, run a software etc...
This program is allocated in your traybar near the clock and you can show/hide its window double-clicking the icon.

Source: [SmartBounds] http://maz85.altervista.org/mazsoft/index.php?page=2  (direct link doesn't work)

Metro UI in your Android

Do you want a Metro UI in your Android smartphone?
Use this launcher: Launcher 7

Official website:
http://sevenplusandroid.org/

Download (free version):
https://market.android.com/details?id=info.tikuwarez.launcher3&feature=more_from_developer#?t=W251bGwsMSwxLDEwMiwiaW5mby50aWt1d2FyZXoubGF1bmNoZXIzIl0.

There is a free-ads version too. See the related.

A new launcher for your Android

The launcher in Android is like a desktop manager and my preferred one is GO Launcher EX.

With this launcher you can create folders in your app drawer, order apps, resize widgets, use themes and so on.

Very useful the option that removes the black background in the icon label and the 3 view modes in the app drawer (All, Recent, Running).

Only one comment: awesome.

Take a look, it's free:
https://market.android.com/details?id=com.gau.go.launcherex&hl=en

After the installation the application asks you to replace the old default launcher (like "Home 2.2.1" in Froyo etc...). In this way when you restart your phone this launcher is used by default.

Enjoy it!

Pc Geek: your last words

Your last words are probably like mine:

and why not: "destroy my hard-disks!" ... and "burn in the fire my pendrives!".