HowTo Get HTML color codes from an image

Many times while using color codes in your website, may be for a paragraph background or a font color you might have had a certain color in mind after seeing that in an image on your PC or some image on a website, you might have not been able to get the exact same color that you need or you would settle for some color that almost matches the color that you had in mind.

This tutorial guides you through a step by step procedure to get HTML color codes from an image on your PC or the image you see on a website, so that you can use that exact color code for your work.We will work on two examples here, one is the image on your PC and the other is the image on a website.

Example 1 : Using an Image on your desktop

Step 1: Choose an image on your desktop, I have choosen the twitter logo as many people usually ask for that shade of blue

Step 2: You can use Adobe Photoshop to get the HTML color codes, but that option will not go well with most of us, so I have chosen an alternative. Create an account in a free image hosting website such as Photobucket or Imageshack and upoad the image. I have uploaded my image onto a photobucket account.

Step 3: After you have uploaded the image, click on the direct link as shown in the image below.

Step 4: Now go the website Degraeve Color Palette. Paste the copied URL where the arrow is pointing and click on the color-palette-ify! button and see the color codes of all the colors used in your image.

Example 2: Use an Image on a website

Step 1: Here I am going to use the logo of the website BigRock as my image. Visit Bigrock and right click on the logo and click on copy image URL option

Step 2: Repeat step 4 of exmaple and see the results.

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HowTo Download all your Google Account data with Google Takeout

We do use lot of free services offered by Google. So, we do have lot of data in the services linked to our Google Account. The important services like

– Google Contacts
– Picasa 
– Google Docs

Google does provide an option to download all the data that are present in these services. With Google Takeout, you can download all your Photos in Picasa, Documents present in Google Doc, Contacts in Google Contacts.

Steps :

– Open the URL Click Here

– Sign In with your Google Account username and password.

– In the next screen, you can choose to create archive for all the Google services, or you can choose the services by clicking on the “Choose Services”
button.

– For now, We will choose only Google Docs, and Google Contacts.

– The archive creation proceeds, once the archive of the data is ready, You will get a link to download.

– Download your data.

Archive creation takes time depending upon the size of the data you have in the respective service. For example, archive creation for Google Docs
is comparatively faster than Picasa Albums.

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HowTo Increase external HDD write speed in Windows 7

Usually slow write speeds to devices such as external HDD and pen drives bother us if
we have to get over with it quickly.This tutorial guides you through simple steps to boost the
write speed to your external HDD in windows 7.

Step 1: Plug in your external HDD or pendrive into your computer.Right click on your My Computer
and select the properties option.

Step 2: Selct the Device Manager option on the left side pane

Step 3: Expand the disk drives and check whether your disk drive is listed there.

Step 4: Right click on the device which you want to speed up and select the properties option.

Step 5: In the window that pops up, select the policies tab on the top and click on the
better performance radio button

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[HowTo] Know if someone is stealing your WiFi

We had written about configuring WiFi properly in your home. Now, we will cover the security aspect of a WiFi connection. Most of the people do secure their WiFi with WPA-PSK keys. These keys are hard to break , Again it is always good to know few things which we will be covering in this tutorial.

How to know, If some one is stealing your WiFi?

The key here is to understand the router LOGs These log files are updated automatically by the router firmware , when someone connects your network, does a admin login etc.

First, open your router admin page . Most of the admin pages can be accessed by writinghttp://192.168.1.1 in any browser. Make sure that your modem is connected to your PC via LAN or WiFi.
Few modems have address http://192.168.0.1.

Enter username as admin and password as admin. If the login fails, then try with the blank password.

Once you are able to open the router configuration page, open the connected devices link. This link usually appears in the front page itself.

Navigate to the attached devices, and have a close look into the list. Example :

The attached devices must be your computers, devices that are connected to network. Keep a count and then cross verify.

How To know the failed connection attempts?

Again, in the router configuration page , you can find direct link to open the log.

In the log file, if there is something like “connection rejected“, it means that , the device with the listed MAC address , is trying to connect to your WiFi .

What to do next?

Well, if someone is already connected to your WiFi network, first thing you need to do is to change your WiFi password. And wrong password attempts does not cause any trouble.

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How to Recover Your Windows Product Key

Losing your product key is something that happens to the best of us, especially when you’re as accident-prone as I am and misplace the box your Windows CD came in. Many people think about calling Microsoft tech support to resolve this issue, only to realize that they’re hitting a brick wall and wasting time. Instead of ruffling through tons of different CD/DVD cases you’ve kept over the years, you might decide to purchase a new product key or an entirely new license of Windows. Don’t make that mistake and keep that debit card in your wallet! You can use the registry to fetch the product key for your particular Windows license only if you use an older version of Windows, but Vista/7 need another procedure.

Where’d The Product Key Go?

Up until Windows XP, the product key was always stored in the registry, within the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE key, under the “ProductID” key in “Windows” under “SOFTWARE”, making the path something like: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Windows\ProductID. Unfortunately, that’s not the case since Windows Vista. It seems that Microsoft wanted to make it difficult for you to find your product key, so that you end up buying another license when you lose one. You don’t have to do this if you use Magic JellyBean KeyFinder. Although it sounds like something fishy, it is a legitimate application that scans your Windows installation for your product key.

Oh, and here’s the other thing: The Windows “ProductID” doesn’t show the key anymore, but shows a special ID to help Microsoft identify and distinguish between one Windows installation and another. This is used to prevent two Windows installations from using Windows Update, since it’s against the company’s policy to use one Windows installation on more than one computer.

Using KeyFinder

First of all, download KeyFinder’s ZIP file from this link. Open the ZIP file and extract it to a folder named in a way that you’ll remember in your local drive or on your desktop. Within the folder, you’ll find a file called “KeyFinder.exe”. Double-click it and you’ll find a screen that looks like this:

As you can see, you can also recover other product keys for anything else you install on your computer, depending on whether they have a key or whether they store their keys in a central location. Some applications store their keys in a file within their respective directories. For this, you’d have to do a little more investigation.

Conclusion

If manual searching doesn’t work, you can always find your product key with handy little applications like the Magic JellyBean Keyfinder. The alternative, in case Keyfinder doesn’t do anything for you, is Belarc Advisor, an application that gives you a full audit of your computer but also includes the product key. If everything else fails, you could always try your luck with Microsoft and give them a phone call for a replacement product key. It’s probably going to take a long time, but with luck, you’ll resolve your problem as quickly as possible.

As a habit, it is always good to backup your license keys when you first got your hand on the CD/DVD. You can easily take a photo of the license key with your mobile phone and upload the pic to your Dropbox, or Google+ account, so that when you need it, you know where to look for it.

Let us know what experiences you’ve had with the application and don’t hesitate to ask questions below. We’ll be more than happy to answer them!

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How to Fix The Windows XP iertutil.dll Errors

In my work as an IT professional, I’ve recently been encountering a whole swathe of “iertutil.dll” errors on Windows XP machines. I believe this issue is also affecting some Windows Vista installations, however the solutions below are only tested on XP.

If you’re one of the unlucky souls who has stumbled into this issue after an Internet Explorer 8 update, then I’ve got a few different things you can try to get your system back up and running without a full system reinstall. The first thing that you’ll need to do is locate a version of “iertutil.dll” that is applicable to your version of Internet Explorer. I’m going to act on the assumption that the vast majority of you have just attempted the upgrade to Internet Explorer 8, and you may download that file from here. It’s worked for all the systems I have restored so far.

Now, the question is how best to get this file back on your problematic system. The file itself needs to be copied into the system32 folder within your Windows folder. That is usually “C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32″

The Simplest Option

1. Burn the above file to a CD.

2. Boot into Windows, hit OK when you get the “iertutil.dll” error and then press CTRL-SHIFT-ESCAPE. This should bring up the task manager. You may continue to receive errors while doing this, but just keep clicking OK. Then click File, Run…, and type in CMD and hit Enter.

3. You should now be at a command prompt. Change to your CD drive by typing its drive letter. So to change to drive D: you would simply type “D:” and hit Enter.

4. Copy the iertutil.dll file from the CD to your hard drive by typing

copy iertutil.dll C:\windows\system32

and hit Enter. Obviously change drive letters as appropriate.

5. Reboot and the problem should be fixed.

Web Browser Option

If the above steps do not work, or the system does not have a CD drive, you should be able to run a browser from task manager, as long as you have something other than Internet Explorer installed. That is, Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome both work when “iertutil.dll” is missing, although you may continue to get errors. Again, browse to this article and click this link to download the dll file. If you try to click “Save as” it will probably crash, so you will need to save to the default location and then browse to it using the command prompt as per the previous instructions.

Windows 7 Boot CD Option

If the other approaches are not workable for some reason, another option is to use a Windows 7 boot DVD and get to the recovery console. From here, you can connect a USB stick and transfer the file across in a similar fashion.

If all of the above fails or if you have any questions please post below and I will do my best to assist you. It’s a frustrating problem, and do keep in mind that in some extreme scenarios you may need to run a full system repair installation.

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Microsoft Includes Ribbons in Windows 8′s Explorer App

If you’ve been hoping for a large overhaul of the Windows GUI by the time Microsoft releases Windows 8, you might have been disappointed by the fact that the company has decided to keep things similar rather than delve into any major changes. However, Microsoft does plan to incorporate the same ribbons you’ve been seeing in Windows 7′s version of MSPaint within Windows Explorer. The change will supposedly make it easier to navigate through the contents of your hard drive and network and give you a new user experience. That sounds very cute, but let’s see if it was worthwhile for Microsoft to include ribbons in Windows 8 Explorer.

Wait… What are Ribbons?

I notice some of you might not know what I’m talking about, so here’s the run-down. A ribbon is a part of the window that allows you to access certain options without having to navigate through menus. It often appears as a wide toolbar at the top, much like the one in MSPaint. Allow me to show you what I mean:

The red arrow points to the ribbon in MSPaint. Just remember that this is a screenshot of MSPaint from Windows 7. Also note that Windows 8 wants to include a toolbar similar to this one on the top of every explorer window. The idea itself, though, originally came from one of Microsoft’s most popular products: Microsoft Office 2007.

What’s the Big Deal?

Microsoft right now is in a hurry to thwart Apple’s conquest over the general public and enhance its interface in a way that would level the playing field back the way it was. So, it decided to throw in a few gizmos that people might find handy. Most computer novices don’t know how to copy and paste something without right-clicking an element and clicking “Copy,” and so forth, meaning that they don’t know that you could simply press “Ctrl+C/V” to do the same thing in less time. Microsoft asked itself, “So, what if we include copy and paste buttons (big ones) on the top of Explorer?” Indeed, this would help the helpless novices save a little time while transferring data, and the entire ribbon itself has a data-driven interface that would ease the experience even for expert users. Let’s have a look at the ribbon, shall we?

The options included, I think, are phenomenal for those who are just beginning to learn to use Windows. Microsoft’s goal here was clear: Create a new interface that will allow people to find the functions they use the most in an easier fashion.

Some criticism exists, like the fact that certain buttons in that screen will have a near-zero-percent usage among end-users. Windows 8′s explorer window, in my own personal opinion, could still use a touch of improvement before it can call itself “competitive” against what Apple has to offer. Linux itself has many interesting features in its interfaces also, making it a worthy competitor. If Microsoft wants to pull this off, it has to better analyze where it is now and where it must go to achieve a higher level of customer satisfaction.

Leave your comments below and tell us what your opinion is regarding this matter!

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Windows 8 Might Remove The Start Button

It probably might not be far from reality to imagine the day that you’d have to say goodbye to the Start button that’s been with us since Windows 95. In fact, you might want to meditate a bit on whether you really want to use Microsoft’s Windows 8, because the company has decided to remove the Start menu from its interface and introduce something else in its place. I don’t know about your reaction, but mine was like, “What the hell is going on with this world?!” Tomorrow, don’t be surprised if you notice some flying pigs and snowy weather near the equator.

So, What Is The Start Menu Being Replaced With?

I don’t know for sure how to explain this to you, but at least I can show you a screenshot of how Windows 8 will look without it:

Notice the missing Start button. This is all courtesy of Microsoft, showing its final build of Windows 8 before the Consumer Preview version. In the Consumer Preview, Windows 8 will be released to the public for evaluation purposes, to see whether the public feels like the change was good, or whether they should just throw Bill Gates into the middle of the ocean.

The new interface will replace the Start button with the “Super Bar,” a version of the taskbar with the word “Super” in it. I suspect it took a whole of 3 minutes to think about that name. Either way, your “Super Bar” interface will just be the average task bar with some hover features added to it, so that when you hover the mouse on the left side of the screen, you end up with the full-fledged menu that you used to get by pressing the “Start” button. The interface redesign is arguably one of the most questionable and I can’t wait to see the public’s reaction to it.

Will The Start Button Come Back?

It’s likely that Microsoft is doing all this crooked redesigning in order to test people’s reaction; it’s also known as corporate trolling. That’s primarily why the released version is called the “Consumer Preview” and not the “Final ‘Take it or Leave it’ Build.” If enough people react adversely (i.e. complaints, seizures, laptop suddenly exploding) to the lack of the button, we’re likely to see the little button return. If Microsoft puts the button back, it’s likely to use a flat button, as opposed to a 3D orb, to match its new Metro interface.

My personal opinion: If they don’t put the button back, you’ll be seeing the same friendship that George Bush had with shoes, except this time it will be Bill Gates at the receiving end of a good rubber sole whacking. It’s up to the public, anyway, to figure this one out. Maybe someone comes up with something more creative to throw, like a tennis racket.

Don’t forget that it’s the Start button we’re talking about, not the Start menu. You’ll still have the menu, but you have to hover your mouse over to the left to access it. Talk about a way to confuse users even further!

Post your comments below, and rant along with me, if you’d like. Or, please let me know how this would, in any case, benefit the newbie who’s never used Windows before.

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How Windows 8 Phone Compares to Android OS

Windows Phone users have been anticipating the release of Windows 8 for their mobile systems, but don’t really know what to expect. Is Windows 8 going to be the same old Windows Phone operating system we’ve seen since its inception? Or, are we going to see something completely different, as far as carrier and desktop interaction is concerned? Windows phones have declined in popularity, particularly due to the growing popularity of Android OS and Apple’s iOS. And why not? The two operating systems have a lot to offer in the department of productivity, power usage, and application portability. Why should anyone, in their right mind, switch over to a Windows phone when Windows 8 Phone is released?

Microsoft’s Windows 8 Phone platform is said to be its last stand against the other popular phone operating systems. The company has a ton of catching up to do, since the updates to Windows 7 weren’t exactly monumental and usage has declined considerably when users have seen that they can switch over to more affordable or more versatile phones that can do everything Microsoft’s gimmick phone can do, and more. Let’s see a couple of differences inherent in Windows 8 and Android OS.

Hardware Capabilities

Microsoft Windows 7 Phone hasn’t done much in the department of hardware, and the other two competitors – iOS and Android – have far surpassed anything Microsoft came up with on that phone. Apple’s iOS has dual-core compatibility, for example, and so does Android. In fact, Android goes a step further, allowing for peripheral memory like microSD. Windows 7 Phone had none of this, and both will be integrated in Windows 8. That will put it ahead of iOS and right on par with Android. This basically means that you’ll be able to see smoother video playback and great response time, as well as the possibility for additional memory.

Mobile Payment

The latest craze with QR codes is making Microsoft hop in on the action and integrate mobile payment capabilities, but this time without any “Wallet” applications. Instead, Microsoft wants to play by the rules and integrate a carrier-based wallet system that will allow a carrier to brand it as much as it wants. In theory, this will be better than any other mobile payment feature out there so far.

Desktop Portability

There’s good news for aspiring Windows 8 Phone developers: The application programming interface (API) in Windows 8 Phone will be similar to that of the desktop environment, allowing for easy portability within desktop and phone environments. For users, this means that some of your desktop apps in Windows will be able to run on your Windows Phone, as long as they don’t use third-party frameworks that are not compatible with the phone itself. A developer can integrate a mobile and desktop running version into the same application without having to create a separate project. This obviously would work well for those who don’t make such bulky apps.

How Many Apps?

Many people ask me, “But how many apps will Windows 8 have?” That obviously can’t be controlled by Microsoft, since it’s up to third-party developers to create apps, but Microsoft says that they’ll have 100,000 apps on market by the time they release Windows 8 Phone. Let’s see if they keep their word.

Opinions? Questions? Rants? Let it out in the comments section!

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