Future keyboard concept!

Hard drive prices are so low now that it really makes sense to use an imaging program. That way you’ve got a perfectly cloned backup of your system exactly the way you have it configured in case of a crash, which is much more convenient than reinstalling Windows, activating, and loading all your applications all over again.
Here are four great apps to get the job done – without spending a dime!

DriveImage XML. Runtime Software has never placed too much importance on looks, and it’s for a very good reason. Their software works really, really well. DriveImage was the first software I used to create images within Windows. Scheduled backups can be created with the Windows Task Scheduler and command line switches. DriveImage is free for private, home use only. Yes, Macrium Reflect does the same thing and looks nicer, but it’s $39.99.
ed note: at one point Macrium’s site made it very difficult to find the free link anymore…it’s back, and available for download here — and I highly recommend it!
For a straight-up, drive-to-drive clone, you can use Runtime’s Shadow Copy. Shadow copy is free for everyone, not just home users.
Like DriveImage, XXClone runs in Windows. It has an extremely simple interface, and gives you the option to copy volume ID to your destination and make it bootable. The interface also provides quick access to the Windows disk manager, in case you need to perform some quick drive tasks prior to cloning. XXClone is free for personal, private use.
Those who, like me, prefer imaging from the command prompt should try EaseUs Disk Copy. It’s interface looks a bit like a Ghost/Partition Magic mashup. It’s very easy to use, handles all types of internal and external drives, and will even work with dynamic disks. DiskCopy is free for everyone.

Despite being the largest image sharing service in the world, Facebook still has a depressingly short list of crippled features when it comes to photo albums. You can add a description, tag friends… and… that’s about it. When news broke yesterday about Flickr and Facebook teaming up I actually squealed with delight — this is it! — and then I realized it was just Flickr importing your new uploads to Facebook. Mega lame.
Now, Pick&Zip is by no means the only app that lets you backup Facebook photos, but it’s definitely the most lightweight and simple tool I’ve tried. All you do is sign in, browse albums or people, and download the photos. You can either download the photos as a ZIP or as a pre-compiled PDF. I’d recommend the ZIP option because the PDF seems to pointlessly up-scale your photos, exacerbating the poor JPEG quality of images on Facebook.
Seriously though, why doesn’t Facebook just offer a ‘backup my photos’ button? In a world where almost no one prints hard copy photos and scant few keep proper digital backups, it’s the least that Facebook could do!

Visit Pick&Zip

Any issued cards are now unusable with databases set to be destroyed within days

The much criticised ID cards scheme is finally dead and buried after the government revealed on Friday that any cards issued can no longer be used to prove identity or travel within Europe.

A brief statement on the Home Office web site explained that the final nail in the coffin would come "within days" when the National Identity Register, the database designed to hold the card details, will be destroyed.

"Laying ID cards to rest demonstrates the government’s commitment to scale back the power of the state and restore civil liberties," said home office minister Damian Green.

"It is about the people having trust in the government to know when it is necessary and appropriate for the state to hold and use personal data, and it is about the government placing their trust in the common-sense and responsible attitude of the people."

However, despite the administration’s insistence that the scheme was an essential tool in the war on terror, it was much criticised by business and privacy groups, with then ICO Richard Thomas raising significant data protection concerns.

These were heightened when the massive HMRC data breach led to a spate of revelations about poor data handling practices among public sector bodies.

Author: Phil Muncaster

Sanwa announced the first Magic mouse for PC. The MA-Touch wireless mouse is capable of recognizing finger gestures and swipes like four-directional scrolling and two-finger swiping. The main difference lies in the supported OS, as Sanwa’s MA-TOUCH is designed for use exclusively in Windows. In contrast, the Apple Magic Mouse will work in Windows but with almost all its multitouch support stripped out, essentially reducing the device to nothing more than a simple mouse with an exorbitant price tag.

y-Tunes: free online media player with interface like iTunes.

Apple says that its app store has hit the 10 billion downloads mark. The milestone, announced on Apple Inc.’s website Saturday, arrives as the company’s hugely popular smart phone is likely to become even more popular with the addition next month of Verizon Wireless as a carrier.

Apple said it would give the 10 billionth person to download an app a $10,000 gift card to its iTunes store, which now offers movies and TV shows along with digital music files. And the winner is Gail Davis of Orpington, Kent, in the U.K. She downloaded a free game app called Paper Glider.

The company has sold tens of millions of iPhones since the device launched in 2007 and continues to expand the use of apps with its iPad tablet computer. Its app store has drawn an army of software developers hoping to piggyback on the company’s success. The store now boasts more than 350,000 different programs for the iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad.

via Yahoo! News

Just be careful when you make this tricks to your friends. Have Fun!

Made with computer parts.

• The GUI elements are based on common interface patterns (accordion, expandable panel, progress bar, tags, slide show…).
• They integrate usability good practices and are perfect for wireframes design.
• They are also a good start for interface application design : the appearance is consistent, they are easily customizable and all states of interaction are provided.

Download: GUI elements library for Illustrator