June 29, 2012

CPS Song Preview

Display lyrics of the song as a slide


Description

Lyrics of the songs can be displayed as a slide for the audience to accompany the singer. This software helps to manage the slides by listing the songs and managing the Chorus and Verses separately. The lyrics are initially loaded as a song sheet in this software.
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Features

  • Preview the song lyrics as slide
  • Unicode support
  • Save and use song sheet in any windows system
  • Does not require heavy configured system
  • Built in latest .Net Framework 4.0

Screen-shots

Splash screen


New Song sheet - Add your song's lyrics here


Slideshow of your song as you need


Download here


Support files :
In order CPS Song Preview to work, you need to have .Net Framework 4.0. It works in all windows machine that supports .Net Framework 4.0




June 26, 2012

Memory Cards and its types

Memory Cards have become a popular storage medium for electronic devices. The main reason is that the memory is nonvolatile that holds the data even when there is no power given to the medium. The next thing is the size of the medium which is comparatively smaller. Its reusable feature adds to its rise in usage. Unlike some other storage mediums, it can be erased and reformatted multiple times. These memory cards are available at varying physical sizes and storage sizes depending upon the electronic device. 

Types of memory cards:

The types of memory card differs based on the size and the technical arrangements inside it or difference in manufacturing techniques. 


PCMCIA (Personal Computer Memory Card International Association)
These memory cards are always rectangular shaped with varying width, it can be split into 3 types as:

Type 1 -  3.3 mm thick, used as an additional component as ROM or RAM to a computer.
Type 2 -  5.5 mm thick, used for modem and fax modem cards.
Type 3 - 10.5 mm thick, used for portable devices


CompactFlash (CF)
      Scandisk invention, support 3.3V and 5V operation and can even switch between the two. CompactFlash is the most common types of digital camera memory. It is compatible with higher end digital cameras. There are two types of CompactFlash, Type I and Type II. Type II is thicker than Type I. Type II CompactFlash is usually a higher capacity card like 512MB or 1GB card.

Type 1 -  42.8mm x 36.4mm x 3.3 mm thick
Type 2 -  42.8mm x 36.4mm x 3.5 mm thick


Advantage:
■ CompactFlash have a controller chip that allows for higher transfer rates.
■ Inexpensive and easy to find.
■ Work in a large variety of digital cameras.

Disadvantage:
■ CompactFlash is a bit bigger than most other types.

Used in:
■ Higher end digital cameras and digital SLRs.


Secure Digital Card (SD card)
      In use since 1999, SD Memory Cards are now available in capacities between 16 Megabytes and 1 Gigabyte, and still growing. Secure Digital card is basically the second generation Multimedia Card. They are exactly same as MMC physically, other than the extra locking switch on the SD Card. The locking switch prevents data from being read, written, and deleted from the storage card.

Type 1 - MiniSD Card : This was developed to meet the demands of the mobile phone market. The MiniSD Card is nothing but a smaller version of the original SD Card.

Type 2 - MicroSD Card : The microSD Card is even smaller than the miniSD Card. The microSD Card is designed for use in cellular phones and small mobile devices. The microSD Card can accessed in a SD Card slot via an adapter.

Advantage:
■ Best for Mobile Phones
■ Locking system to prevent the data from being read and deletion

Disadvantage:
■ For Mini and Micro Card, Adapter is required to connect it in SD Card Slot


Used in:
■ Any small portable devices such as digital video camcorders, digital cameras, handheld computers, audio players and mobile phones.


SmartMedia Card
      SmartMedia used to be one of the most common types of digital camera storage media. It was jointly invented by Olympus and Fuji.

Advantage:
■ It is smaller and thinner that CF cards.
■ It also has contact pins directly on the surface of the card.

Disadvantage:
■ SmartMedia is limited to only 128MB .

Used in:
Olympus and Fuji digital cameras.



MultiMediaCard (MMC)
      The MultiMediaCard (MMC) standard was introduced by SanDisk and Siemens in 1997. The card itself is 32 mm x 24 mm x 1.4mm and is often used in place of the SD card.

Advantage:
Transfer speeds of a MMC is around 2.5MB/s 

Used in:
SD Card readers.


Memory Stick
      Sony developed the Memory Stick technology for their CyberShot digital cameras and other Sony electronic devices. Memory Stick uses a serial interface to transfer data between the host device and card. But the Sony Memory Stick has a 128 MB limitation.

Type 1 - PRO : Sony Memory Stick PRO is the new Standard to eliminate the 128 MB limitation. Currently, Memory Stick PRO is available up to 1 GB. The Memory Stick PRO format has a transfer rates up to 480Mb/s. It is commonly used in high megapixel digital cameras and digital camcorders.

Type 2 - DUO : Memory Stick Duo and Memory Stick Pro Duo are basically smaller version of the Memory Stick Pro. The Duo has pin-to-pin compatibility with its older and larger Memory Stick sibling.

Type 3 - MagicGate : MagicGate is Sony’s name for digital rights management (DRM), a copy-protection technology. It encrypts the data stored on the card and enforces control over how the files on the card are copied.

Advantages:
■ Transfer rates are very fast
■ Best for High megapixel camera

Disadvantages:
■ Compatible with Sony products only

Used in:
■ Sony Digital Cameras and Camcorders



xD-Picture Card

Abbreviated as xD (Extreme Digital), the xD-Picture Card is a type of removable flash memory designed for use in digital cameras. 

Advantage:
■ The xD is ultra-compact with its size of 20mm x 25mm x 1.7mm.

Used in:
Many models of digital cameras made by Olympus and Fujifilm.


Tips of Memory Card users:

Sturdy: Memory cards are quite sturdy and you can expect cards to be capable of working through more than one million data write/read/erase cycles. You can expect a memory card to be capable of withstanding around ~10,000 insertions. 

Weakest point: The card itself has its weakest point at its socket connectors, which are used when you remove and reinsert the memory card into a device.Damage to the card or the data contained on it can happen if you try to eject the card from the device or card reader, or if you try and turn the device off while you are transferring the data to or from the memory card. So definitely avoid doing that to protect your data and card itself.


Care Needed: Like with any consumer electronic or device, proper care is required by the users to meet the lifespan of the device. You should avoid applying too much pressure on your memory cards, and never drop or bend the card either. When the correct memory card is being used in a device, it will fit into the slot only in one direction and it will easily slide and click into place. You should never have to apply any amount of pressure to make the card fit. Memory cards should also be kept away from electrostatic sources and should never be introduced to direct sunlight or extreme ranges of temperatures.


Memory Cards: Key Terms

NAND 
NAND Flash architecture is one of two flash technologies (the other being NOR) used in memory cards such as the CompactFlash cards. It is also used in USB Flash drives, MP3 players, and provides the image storage for digital cameras.

USB card reader 
A small USB plug-and-play device used to read, copy and back up data from portable flash memory cards such as an SD Card, MiniSD, MicroSD, SIM and others that are used in a wide variety of consumer electronics products.

Smart card 
A small electronic device about the size of a credit card that contains electronic memory, and possibly an embedded integrated circuit (IC). Smart cards containing an IC are sometimes called Integrated Circuit Cards (ICCs).




June 24, 2012

USB 3.0 vs. USB 2.0

Many say USB 3.0 is much faster than 2.0. Is USB 3.0 really that much faster? And even if it's not, is it fast enough to justify the slight premium? Experts have already tested it. Here's what they discovered:


~4 times faster
USB 3.0 is capable of transfer speeds of up to 5Gbps (gigabits per second); that's a little over 10 times faster than USB 2.0's 480Mbps (1,000Mbps equals 1Gbps).  In practice, it won't always be this much faster —For  a 10Gb file to transfer, USB 3.0 connection took 6 minutes, 31 seconds, and the USB 2.0 connection took 22 minutes, 14 seconds. 


Simultaneous process
In addition to the speed gains, USB 3.0 is a step forward in other ways. USB 3.0 allows simultaneous reading and writing between two connected devices. That wasn't possible on most older USB 2.0.


Hesitation Process
All this talk of speed is moot if you don't have a computer that supports this new technology, and very few do at this point. The first devices that were certified for USB 3.0 were introduced just over a year ago, and they're only just now arriving in stores. That holds for computers just as it does for hard drives and other peripherals.
Thus, if you're in the market for an external hard drive for your laptop, both the hard drive and the laptop have to support USB 3.0 in order for you to take advantage of the speed it offers, which means they both have to be very new. And not even all new computers and hard drives support USB 3.0, so make sure you take a close look at the specifications for the hardware you plan to buy.



Working with 2.0
USB 3.0 devices also work with 2.0 partners, but only at 2.0 speed. If you buy that 3.0 hard drive but still have a 2.0 laptop, you'll be able to use it; you'll just pay more money for performance advantages you can't yet enjoy. The same rule applies if you have a 2.0 hard drive and a 3.0 laptop. Your connection is only as fast as the slowest component, whatever that may be.

June 19, 2012

CPS Font Viewer



CPS Font Viewer allows one to select a specified font for their designing or other task. This software displays the list of all fonts installed in the system along with a small preview window. Initially a sample text can be used to filter some desired fonts and later it can be further taken to the Filter window where the user can select a single font. The filter window allows to see the samples for the text that user actually needs to apply for that includes customization of background and text colour, Font sizes and Styles.

Features
  • Light software that do not require heavy configured system
  • Simple and Easy to work
  • Built on Latest .Net Framework 4.0
  • Test the fonts style with customized text with background and foreground colour of your choice.


Official Link:

https://sourceforge.net/projects/cpsfontviewer/

June 13, 2012

TAILS - The Amnesiac Incognito Live System

Amnesiac : Forgetfulness/loss of long-term memory.
Incognito : Having one's true identity concealed.


Some times, people wanted to use a computer and do not wish to leave a trace on it. For those, a clever piece of software lets them carry their own personal computer which can easily be carried inside the pocket  and once the person has finished using it, no one will ever know. Yes, in technical terms, the PC that people would be carrying is not a whole computer instead, it is a simple USB memory stick. Within it is a full operating system (like Windows), and when one plugs it into a PC, that computer will restart into their own personal setup, called TAILS.


Here comes the complete details:

Tails is a live system that aims at preserving your privacy and anonymity. It helps you to use the Internet anonymously almost anywhere you go and on any computer but leave no trace using unless you ask it explicitly. It is a complete operating-system designed to be used from a DVD or a USB stick independently of the computer's original operating system. It is Free Software and based on Debian GNU/Linux. Tails comes with several built-in applications pre-configured with security in mind: web browser, instant messaging client, email client, office suite, image and sound editor, etc.

Here are its properties from tails website: tails.boum.org


  • Anonymity online through Tor
  • Use anywhere but leave no trace
  • State-of-the-art cryptographic tools
  • What's next?
  • Acknowledgements
  • Related projects



  • You can download your free copy here:
    https://tails.boum.org/about/index.en.html

    But if you are a first time user, check first the about and warning pages to make sure that Tails is the right tool for you and that you understand well its limitations.

    You can find all details about TAILS here:https://tails.boum.org/

    June 6, 2012

    Transition to IPv6





    Survey says that IPv4 runs out of free addresses and already many devices share them. The amount of internet users have been rising constantly till 2008. But now the number of users are multiplied due to development of technology and reduction in the cost of its availability. The technology that were once thought to be the rich people's aid is now in the hands of the daily waged people. Improved technology is available in much affordable costs. This is the same in the case of internet users and the need to allot the addresses to those.

    Some may wonder what's addressing is. Just as the phones use unique numbers to place calls, Every devises connected to the internet gets unique address. Addressing is not only for the computers but they are to be allotted for the mobiles, TVs, even watches which are connected to the internet. They all use IPv4 address.

    IPv4 is a 12 digit combination as xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx - E.g. 192.1.2.120. Hence it can accommodate only 4 billion devices which was once considered enough. But now, not nearly enough for the world's population. The traffic has already reached its limit. Now, the only way is to increase the number of digits. This is the concept of IPv6. Its time to wonder that IPv6 addressing uses 340 trillion trillion trillion! yes, its 340,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 addresses that IPv6 can handle. This is more than enough for the earth population to give everyone with an IP addresses. Now internet can be offered to every citizen of the nation.

    The transition has already started and was launched today (June 6,2012). Here is the Launch Batch..


    Yet it will take some time to replace each and every IPv4 device to IPv6.


    June 2, 2012

    Inside Ur PC (10) : Difference between BIOS and CMOS?


    Often one confuses the term BIOS and CMOS since most of the instructions roughly mention BIOS setup or CMOS setup. The Setup of BIOS and CMOS are same. But in terms of motherboard, it is not same.

    BIOS is a set of computer instructions in firmware that control input and output operations. BIOS contains instructions on how the computer boots and stores the system configuration details. It is also responsible to update the date and time automatically even when the computer is switched off. Moreover, it can be modified or updated only with the BIOS updates.

    CMOS - Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor. CMOS contains system settings and it is powered by a CMOS battery. It can also be modified and changed be entering the CMOS setup during your
    computer start-up by pressing function keys (Differ for different motherboards).

    Now I think you may be clear about the difference between these two similar terms. Now coming to the point, you can refer the setup as CMOS setup which is more appropriate than calling BIOS setup.

    Inside Ur PC (9) : CMOS


    A complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) is a type of integrated circuit technology. The term is often used to refer to a battery-powered chip found in many personal computersthat holds some basic information, including the date and time and system configuration settings, needed by the basic input/output system (BIOS) to start the computer. This name is somewhat misleading, however, as most modern computers no longer use CMOS chips for this function, but instead depend on other forms of non-volatile memoryCMOS chips are still found in many other electronic devices, including digital cameras.
    In a computer, the CMOS controls a variety of functions, including the Power On Self Test (POST). When the computer’s power supply fires up, CMOS runs a series of checks to make sure the system is functioning properly. One of these checks includes counting up random access memory (RAM). This delays boot time, so some people disable this feature in the CMOSsettings, opting for a quick boot. If installing new RAM it is better to enable the feature until the RAM has been checked.
    Once POST has completed, CMOS runs through its other settings. Hard disks and formats are detected, along with Redundant Array of Independent Disk (RAID) configurations, boot preferences, the presence of peripherals, and overclocking tweaks. Many settings can be manually changed within the CMOS configuration screen to improve performance; however, changes should be made by experienced users. Changing settings improperly can make the system unstable, cause crashes, or even prevent the computer from booting.
    The CMOS configuration screen is accessible during the POST phase of boot up, by pressing a key before the operating system initializes. Normally this is the Del key but it might be another. A line of text will indicate which key will take the user into the CMOS or BIOS setup screen. Changes cannot be made from within an operating system such as Microsoft Windows®, but must be made within a true DOS session. There is also an option to protectCMOS settings by requiring a password to change settings. Changes are saved upon exit by pressing the F10 key, then the computer reboots to utilize the new settings.
    Most motherboard manuals provide a complete list of available CMOS options. These will vary according to motherboard design and BIOS manufacturer.
    source: www.wisegeek.com