Few simple methods to Fix a Scratched CD

While compact discs (CDs) are remarkably durable, it’s nearly impossible to prevent scratches and scuffs from occurring from time to time. The resulting damage can be either a skip in your favorite track.

Steps to follow :
1. Clean the disc. Even if a CD isn’t actually scratched or scuffed, dust, oil, and other surface contaminants can prevent it from playing properly. Thus cleaning the disc should always be your first move. Run warm water over the damaged disc to remove dust. If there is stubborn dirt or grease on the disc, gently rub it with your finger while you are washing it, and use a gentle detergent or liquid soap (with the water) or rubbing alcohol (in place of water).

Anytime you rub or wipe a CD, you should do so by starting at or near the center of the disc and rubbing straight outward toward the edge to prevent further scratching. Shake the water off and let the disc air-dry (do not dry it with a towel or cloth, and don't sun-dry it either).

2. Apply a very thin coat of Vaseline, liquid car wax, neutral shoe polish or furniture wax to the CD’s playing surface. Wipe excess off using clean, soft, lint-free cloth in a radial (inside to outside) motion. If using wax, follow manufacturer’s instructions (some need to dry before you wipe them off, while others should be wiped off while still wet).

You could also refer the video demonstration

All about Syndication or the RSS or site feeds

"RSS" is about getting live web feeds directly to your computer. RSS takes the latest news from different web sites or Blogs, and pushes it down to your computer via a aggregator or a reader.

The acronym RSS stands for many versions of the same thing.
* Really Simple Syndication
* Rich Site Summary (RSS 0.91)
* RDF Site Summary (RSS 0.9 and 1.0)
* Real-time Simple Syndication (RSS 2.0)

The RSS headlines and stories are immediate, and in real time. The moment it is published at the source server, it is on your screen. Web-based feed readers and news aggregators require no software installation and make the user's "feeds" available on any computer with Web access. Some aggregators syndicate (combine) web feeds into new feeds, e.g., taking all football related items from several sports feeds and providing a new football feed.

How RSS Works :

1. You choose an RSS reader tool for yourself. Most RSS readers are free to use, and easy to learn. Google Reader, Bloglines, Netvibes, Yahoo Reader are some of popular ones. Also check out the 'Subscribe' option on this site

2. You load the RSS feeds into your reader tool. This is achieved through multiple different ways. You can visit the web feed site directly, you can copy-paste the special code from an email, or you can load copies from your friend's RSS reader screen.

3. Then you start reading your web feed news! You simply log in to your RSS reader page, or start your RSS software, and you can scan all your web feeds instantly. You can arrange the RSS feeds into folders, just like email, and you can even set alerts and sounds for when a particular web feed is updated.

By the way my all time favourite News aggregator is Netvibes and Google reader, Post in your favourites in the comments area for it to be shared..

The Best Wallpaper websites online

Like most, i too like to have some real cool wallpaper on my desktop, my personal favourite being Sci-Fi theme. So yesterday i went hunting for some wallpaper websites, and here are my top three recommendations.

1. Belchfire.net : "Belchfire" is an online community for XP fans. It has hundreds of outstanding artwork and photography wallpapers, and the browsing format is very user friendly. when you visit their site, click on "XP Themes", and scroll down to find "Wallpapers". The gallery is available there.

2. Topwalls.com : Topwalls has movie posters, celebrity photos, and hordes of scantily-clad women and beefcake men. This wallpaper site is guaranteed to appeal to your libido or your inner movie fan! Be careful though, your boss might not like you having a sizzling desktop.

3. WinCustomize.com : WinCustomize is another site for XP fans who wish to modify their computer skins and themes. The WinCustomize wallpaper section is very compelling, and hosts some of the most dramatic custom Photoshop artwork you'll ever see. If you enjoy abstract and hypnotic art, and ghostly haunting images, then WinCustomize is for you.

If you are in search for Mac Wallpapapers check out wallpaperreview.com.
and go to -> "Gateway to Special Interests" then click-> "Computers" for some Mac and Apple Wallpaper Sites among others! For more choices visit pc-wallpapers.co.uk

Friends if you happen to know any other hi quality wallpaper sites, do recommend it here by adding your comments.

AT&T gets exclusive U.S. distribution rights for iPhone

Apple’s iPhone is arguably this year’s most hotly anticipated consumer device. AT&T already accelerated its plans to rebrand the Cingular properties in preparation of the iPhone’s arrival and apparently, its efforts may be well placed as the iPhone could be an AT&T-exclusive for five years, according to a USA Today story.

Currently AT&T is one of only two providers in the US that uses GSM technology. Both other service providers Verizon and Sprint use the older CDMA, which does not have the same capabilities as GSM. Most of the rest of the world, including the EU, uses GSM.And Apple is barred for that time from developing a version of the iPhone for CDMA wireless networks.

So if you want an iPhone anytime soon, you'll have to take your business to AT&T.

Google to pay bloggers $100 per hour

If you have been blogging for quite some time now, here's another opportunity of earning a decent amount of money from Google. Google is looking for user experience research blogging with google blogger. After signing up for this program you will work with a google researcher 1 on 1, on the phone, or in a group or via the internet. Google will pay $75 to $100 for each hour that you spend with a Google researcher.

It seems Google want to see how users view and work with their goods. It also gives an opportunity for users in the test to request features, changes to existing features, as well as having features removed. As per Google "..from time to time at Blogger we run usability studies to make sure that we’re on the right track with all the new features we’re working on... "

Sign up Now FAQ
Source of information: Bloggers Buzz

Mobey Forum

The Mobey Forum was founded in 2000 - almost at the same time that Fundamo was established. Many companies and industry organisations that was founded during those early times, disappeared. There something of a resilience that I sense in the survivors. Now that the industry is starting to take off and that more and more banks are starting to announce their interest in mobile banking it is important to take cognisance of organisations that have been around. Some of the lessons learned and the insights (like good wine) can only be gathered through time.

What is refreshing about the Mobey Forum is the changes that have been made in the past few months. I believe this is a direct result of good leadership and expect the Forum to play an important role to make mobile banking mainstream banking business as it should be. Some of the important advances at Mobey Forum are the following:
  • Invitation to other players in the ecosystem to join the Forum. Up to recently the Forum was definitely bank-centric, but some of the leading mobile operators as well as solution providers have now also joined.
  • Discussion and communication with the GSM Association is also a step in the right direction.
  • The development of specific models, but with sufficient emphasis on bank-robust security requirements is also good. In the end mobile banking and payments is about dealing with client's money and the same levels of security available in other channels should also be made available on mobile phones.

An updated version of the ultimate Rapidshare downloader

Rapidshare is an excellent tool for sharing large files on the internet for a long time now. Many users have discovered ways of bypassing the download limits and skipping the waiting time. My previous post described some methods.

Also there are many rapidshare downloader application in circulation on the nets which claims to beat the rapidshare restrictions for non premium users, some of them works and some don't. And if any specific software becomes popular... they (rapidshare) change their download codes..

This was the case with the Ultimate Grabber (previous version). Here is the latest update on this software released by CMSZONE via Stackfile.

This is really an ultimate RapidShare.de and RapidShare.com download tool, that bypasses download limitations, can download multiple files at once. Download even more than with premium !

NOTE: This program is not Vista compatible, but works fine with disabled UAC (User Account Control - very useful and inovative thing which renders your computer useless and annoying to use it).

Download Link
password: www.softarchive.net

ZUnfatCamera for N3230

Camera Snapping Tool solving wrong ratio of picture for nokia 3230

Features
  • Enlarge snapped picture to 1280x1024 automatically.
  • In case of low memory, the application will snap at original resolution (1280x960) automatically.
  • Night mode is available
  • Zooming is available
  • Target drive is selectable (Phone Memory of Memory Card).
  • Same UI as native camera application
  • Shutter Sound On/Off
  • Can launch in 3230 only


Download
ZUnfatCamera for N3230

Warning: This application takes RAM about 4.3 MB so it could be better if you close all application before launch this application.

World's smallest MP3 enabled mobile phone now in markets

The world's smallest in now available in the UK, yes.. this is the World's smallest GSM phone called the Haier elegance. Apart from it being tiny and sleek it also has a full functional build in MP3 player. Additional feature of this phone includes a FM tuner, Stereo Bluetooth, OLED display and Tri-Band GSM in addition to its regular features of games, alarm clock, calculator, calendar, text messaging, speed dial and USB 2.0 connectivity for transferring tracks and charging whilst on your computer.

It can hold over 250 MP3 Tracks via a Micro SD Expansion Slot and is complimented by a groovy 3D Full Colour Graphics Display. The Haier Elegance is small enough to nicely fit inside a Man's Jeans pocket and has a comparable size to a Female Lipstick case, making it ideal for a Females Evening Bag. The Haier Elegance is light weight at only 64g and 90.6 x 35.3 x 18.2mm in dimension.

Video Illustration below:

A mobile spy software that record SMS and call details of your smartphone

Retina-X Studios is the company which recently released a controversial mobile phone software which is an activity monitoring software for Windows Mobile based smartphones. The software allows users to monitor SMS and call details online in real time. Mobile Spy is the next generation of smartphone spy software which uses the GPRS abilities of the phone, recorded activities are quickly uploaded to your Mobile Spy account. To view the results you simply login to your private account at the Mobile Spy web site.

Logs are displayed by categories and sorted for easy browsing. The software is completely hidden from view. After being set up on the phone, it records all SMS text messages and call information. Mobile Spy runs in total stealth mode and no entries are shown inside Windows Mobile Task Manager.

If you think Why would somebody need this Windows Mobile smartphone software ? Well the company intends to target people who are worried that their children or employees are using any of your smartphones inappropriately. So what the better way than to spy on it !! Mobile Spy is designed for smartphones running the Windows Mobile operating system.

This includes Windows Mobile 2003, 2003 SE, 5.0 and 6.0 which are available from most major mobile carriers.

You could get more details here

Is iPod a life threatening device ?

An Apple a day might keep the doctor away, but your iPod might send you to the emergency room... could this be true ? Well a study presented by a 17-year-old high school student Jay Thaker to a meeting of heart specialists looked at the effect of Ipods on 100 patients, whose mean age was 77, outfitted with pacemakers.

The population tested in Thaker's study had a mean age of 76.1 (plus or minus 8.6 years), which is admittedly not the prime demographic for iPods and other MP3 players. When an iPod was held above five centimeters from the chests of the patients for five to 10 seconds, electrical interference was detected in about half of the 800 trials.

Pacemakers misfired because they may have mistaken electronic signals from iPods as a rhythm problem, said Thaker. Since pacemakers keep a record of heart rhythms, it's possible that interference could lead doctors to misdiagnose a patient. It is still unclear if all music devices pose the same problem as this test was done with iPods only.

Fortunately the sort of people who have pacemakers rarely buy an iPod.

An application that converts video formats to iTunes formats

Roxio, a division of Sonic Solutions recently announced a software application called the crunch which could be used for quickly and easily converting computer-based video entertainment for viewing in the living room through Apple TV. By using this application soon users can converts computer-based video file formats and DVDs into files that can be viewed on an Apple TV, iPod and the soon-to-be-released iPhone.

With Apple TV, users are able to download movies, music and TV shows from iTunes and then sync wirelessly from their Mac or PC so that they can watch the downloaded movie, TV show or other entertainment content on their widescreen TV. Supporting a broad range of personal video content including DVD-Video, MPEG-1, MPEG-2 and DivX files. Roxio Crunch enables users to convert DVD movies and discs that were created with Toast, iDVD, DVD Studio Pro and other DVD authoring applications. The video converter also enables users to save space by selecting individual titles and languages, select audio tracks to use for each source DVD-title and capture screen shots of DVD video during preview.

Roxio Crunch requires Mac OS X 10.4.9, 256MB RAM, 50MB of free hard disk space for installation and up to 15GB of temporary free disk space during usage, QuickTime 7.1.5 or later and iTunes 7.1.1 or later. It is available for download at an introductory price of $40. A dual-platform Mac and Microsoft Windows version will be available at retail stores later this quarter.

Detailed Overview

LiveTone Video Player v 1.0

Play videotones on incoming calls and assign different videos to people in your contact book.The LiveTone Video Player for Symbian OS transforms your Nokia Series 60 mobile device into a full feature, video tone phone.

Features
* Plays 3GP video on incoming calls
* Switch between standard and full screen viewing modes
* Set volume levels for playback or play videotones in silent/vibrate-only mode for enhanced call display
* Assign a default video to unknown callers and assign different videos to people in your contact book!
* Import and manage contacts from your contact book
* Easily import 3GP videos from your phone gallery or memory card, or connect from within the player to LiveTone Studio where you create and share your own videotones with other LiveTone users!
* Automatically enabled when your phone turns on (can be disabled too in the Settings window of the player)

Compatible Devices
Nokia 3230, Nokia 6260, Nokia 6600, Nokia 6620, Nokia 6630, Nokia 6670, Nokia 6680, Nokia 6681, Nokia 7610, Nokia N70, Nokia N72

LiveTone Video Player v 1.0

Notice send to Google asking to remove references to software key that enables the DRM to be cracked

Since the first HD DVD and Blu-ray discs began shipping, hackers had been hard at work figuring out how to break the solid encryption. Soon they managed to get a software key that enables the DRM to be cracked.

By mid April the software key code and the method to crack were floating around the net untill last week when lawyers for the AACS had send notices to various websites like Digg and Google asking them to remove references to several sites which had information on this software key. Google received that letter as it owns the Blogger service hosting number of the sites that linked to the code.

Advanced Access Content System (AACS) is an integrated set of technological protection measures that controls access to and prevents unauthorized copying of copyrighted motion pictures embodied on high definition DVDs.

Following the letter the offending links have since been removed from the four blogs listed in the letter, to comply with the US Digital Millennium Copyright Act, which forbids the dissemination of DRM hacks. The successful hack resulted in both Blu-ray and HD DVD high-definition movies appearing on peer-to-peer file sharing network and prompted the AACS Licensing Authority (AACS LA) to issue a patch that expires the key.
My point is now that the key is spread so widely is there a point in sending these letters ?

1400 TV channels online, Internet TV to its best

JLC’s Internet TV is a freeware program which lists and displays over 1,400 TV channels that are available for streaming over the internet, moreover this program is completely free of charge.

Actually JLC imports its list of channels from WWITV.com and the program includes a channels updater that will ensure that it features the latest list of channels. The User interface is very easy and works well. one can filter on channels, on country of origin, etc.. A handy search function is also provided to help you find exactly what you’re looking for.

Key Features:
* Watch over 1400 online TV channels for free!
* User friendly interface with inbuilt channel list.
* Channel updater which keeps your list synchronized with the list at World Wide Internet TV
* Program updater automatically keeps your program up to date.
* Powerful search function lets you easily find any channel.
* Favorite list to keep a track of your favorite channels.
* Absolutely NO spyware/adware or malware included!

Requirements:
* Windows Media Player
* Real Player

JLC’s Internet TV was such a breath of fresh air. It has a simple yet functional (ad-free) design that works very well, and a nice-size screen that you can resize freely.

Download the application FAQ

JupiterResearch Mobile Banking Findings

JupiterResearch released a research report on the 6th April with interesting findings regarding Mobile Banking. This concept report (according to Jupiter website) is five pages long and can be purchased for $750 - that is $150 per page... not bad. I am not sure what have been written in the report and how the analysts that worked on the report came to the conclusion that they did get to, as I was not prepared to buy the report.

What I did read, was the media release made by Jupiter (probably to get people to buy the report). This release was featured on many online newspapers (Newsweek, Finextra, Slashphone, to name a few), and highlighted the fact that only 8% of people with cellphones and regular online customers of existing banks would like to get their balance from their cellphones.

It also seems that the analysts came to the groundbreaking conclusion that " banks should not offer mobile services that aim to mirror or duplicate the online experience" and also "Mobile banking can add an anywhere element, but banks should identify where such ubiquity is crucial." In addition, another amazing insight was that younger and 'under-banked' consumers were identified as consumers who might want to use this service.

The conclusion reached by Jupiter: "that consumers have limited interest in mobile banking" seems to me then only holds true for a percentage of customers that already log on to their Internet banking regularly. It seems to me that this conclusion would not be applicable to banks that would want to sell to younger customers or those customers that are 'under-banked'. This conclusion is also not applicable to banks with a need to augment existing services and provide "an anywhere element" to their services.

To summarise, executives in banks without the need to grow their subscriber base or launch new innovative products, without the need to augment existing functionality and provide functionality to younger customers, should rush out and pay $750 for this five page report.

Menstrual calendar for mobile phones

Menstral Symbian Application By Mihai Preda
Also called an ovulation calendar, Menstral tracks women's menstrual cycles and indicates the fertile days. It runs on any mobile phone.
Menstrual calendarMenstral symbian freeware

Menstral records information about past cycles, and allows easy access to past data for consultation.
It shows cycle statistics, like the shortest cycle and the average cycle length.
It predicts future cycles based on past data - this is useful for finding out in what cycle phase one will be at some future point in time.
It shows color-coded fertility information, which can be used to either help conception, or to avoid it. Nevertheless, Menstral does not represent a contraception method.
Menstrual calendarMenstral symbian freeware

The multi-language version supports these languages: Bosanski, Čeština, Deutsch, English, Español, Italiano, Lietuvių, Polski, Română, Русский, Slovenščina, Slovenčina, Srpski, Türkçe, Українська.

Menstral is freeware; it is fully functional, and you don't have to pay anything for using it.

If you like the program, please post a link to this web page on your homepage, on your blog or on the forum you're using, so that more people may find and use Menstral.

Download
Menstral version is 1.9.3 Java Application

Yahoo messenger now inside your web browser

After Meebo success story it was very clear that there is significant demand for instant messaging via the browser - many users work from computers where they can’t download software and so web based instant messaging is the only way they can use the service. Also there simple ways of using a messenger service in office where they restrict software downloads.

Yahoo too will launch a dedicated site for Yahoo chat at webmessenger.yahoo.com. It should be live within a day or two. Yahoo Web Messenger is built on Flash 9. At launch it will include only basic functionality, and is integrated with MSN Messenger, however VOIP functionality may be added later. Microsoft has its own web messenger.

Some of the activities in mobile payment

Just to show the activity in this space, I thought I would just list announcements and newsfeeds on Finextra since January in mobile payment and banking:

January
2 -
Online Resources announced the launch of its mobile banking and bill payment service
2 - US bank Wachovia is offering online banking customers a patent-pending mobile account information and intra-account funds transfer service
8 - Visa has formally launched its mobile payments platform
10 - Hybyte has launched AirPayment,) billing solution that supports PayForIt
23 - Norway-based LUUP has signed National Bank of Abu Dhabi (NBAD) to its mobile payments system
24 - Obopay, the first comprehensive mobile payment service in the U.S., today announced that it is entering the Indian market

February

8 - MasterCard has partnered with Taipei Fubon Bank and Taiwan Mobile to launch an NFC mobile phone payment pilot programme across the island.
8 - Royal Bank of Scotland to offer mobile banking via MoniLink.
12 - MasterCard is to work with GSM wireless network operators to pilot an international remittance system using mobile payments technology.
12 - An agreement with Telus will bring ClairMail's mobile banking systems to a large customer base in Canada.
12 - Vodafone and Citigroup announce worldwide mobile financial remittance venture.
13 - Bank of America is to roll out a comprehensive mobile banking service to its 21 million online banking customers nationwide.
13 - China Unicom and SmartPay launch 'mobile wallet' in Guangdong.
15 - Morgan Stanley credit card unit Discover Network is working with Motorola to trial a combined mobile account management and payment service
20 - Cyphermint announced that it has released the PayCash Mobile Wallet.
27 - Japanese telco NTT DoCoMo iteam with McDonald's to enable payment for purchases via customer mobile phones.
28 - Citibank and Obopay launch a pilot person-to-person mobile payment service for its credit and debit card customers.

March
9 -
Marcus Theaters and Mobile Candy Dish today announced the pilot launch of a new service that allows consumers to use their mobile phones to buy movie tickets and more.
15 - US e-payments firm First Data is teaming with Germany's NCS to offer mobile payment processing services to its merchant and banking customers worldwide.
16 - Masabi, the secure mobile applications company, today revealed a working prototype of a graphically rich, secure mobile banking application.
16 - Vodafone is teaming with German rail operator Deutsche Bahn to develop and implement a mobile phone-based electronic ticketing and payment service called Touch&Travel.
20 - Belgian payments network Banksys and network operators Base, Mobistar and Proximus launched a system for consumers to pay for high street purchases via mobile phone.
23 - US mobile telco Cellular South is teaming with phone manufacturer Kyocera Wireless to launch a multi-city consumer trial of NFC-enabled wireless wallet technology.
27 – Monitise team up with American fintech vendor Metavante to launch and operate a wireless payments and banking network in the US.
28 – Obopay announced the introduction of Obopay Checkout.
29 - Firethorn Holdings, LLC, confirmed today that Verizon Wireless is working with Firethorn to introduce its mobile banking and payments solution.

April
2 -
Visa USA president and CEO John Coghlan called for closer collaboration between the payment card and mobile industries
2 - SmartPay and China Unicom team for mobile payments in Shandong
3 - Citibank launched a mobile banking application, called Citi Mobile, that customers can download to their hand sets
16 - The Mobey Forum has signed up Dutch banks ING and Rabobank and mobile operators Telenor, TeliaSonera and SK Telecom as new members
17 - MonVia, a specialty firm that helps accelerate the growth of early stage start-ups, today announced the launch of MobiBucks, a mobile payment solution
18 - Gresham Computing, the real-time financial solutions specialist, today announced the enhancement of its Clareti Connect product suite to include mobile banking
20 - Fidelity Express is teaming with e-payments outfit Cyphermint to launch a service that will enable its customers to pay bills using their mobile handsets
24 - Morse is to spin off its mobile banking arm Monitise and list the business on the AIM
24 - Altair Financial Services International has launched a totally revolutionary addition to Altair’s Prepaid Card services that makes use of SMS on mobile phones
27 - MFoundry announced a formal agreement with wireless leader Sprint that will bring mobile banking to subscribers
30 – Analyst report : Opportunities and challenges for m-banking and m-payments by Katy Jacob and Caroline Boyd of the Centre for Financial Services Innovation
30 - Japanese telco KDDI and Mitsubishi-Tokyo-UFJ Bank have joined forces to launch a mobile Internet banking business later this year


I know that we at Fundamo are busy with a number of accounts that we don’t even talk about. If this is the number of announcements then I don’t even want to know how many things are being worked on that people are not talking about at this stage. I think this is an absolute indication that the tipping point has been reached.