Google’s Gmail notification tool is really not very convenient or should i say, “too simple to be convenient”. It lacks many essential features and the requirement of patching it to enable https support qualifies itself to be called as ‘a total waste of time’. On searching for alternatives and carefully comparing them, i shortlisted the best one called GmailAssistant. It has a much denser grey matter and is enough to fulfill almost all your Gmail notification needs. It features:

• Standalone program ( You don’t need to install it )
• Does not generate logs or modify system files
• Multiple account handling,
  
• Always on top,
• SOCKS proxy support,
• Save/load program and account settings in encrypted profile files,
• Automatic profile loading,
• Adjustable mail check frequency,
• Blinking Caps lock/Numlock/Scroll lock key on arrival of new mail,
• Persistent and navigable popup message.

(Click to enlarge)

• Type: Freeware
• Size: Less than 2 MB
• Essential Requirement: Java Environment v+6
• Download link: gmailassistant.sourceforge.net

Most of the file hosting services have a very annoying procedure for free users to download a hosted file on their servers i.e users are made to wait for minutes before the download could actually start. While plenty of cheats are available in the WWW to deal with such annoyances, most of them are crap or involve a ridiculously lengthy procedure.

SkipScreen is one of the easier ways to deal with the counter annoyance. This is a tiny firefox extension (also available as a separate windows application) which works as expected, it skips the counter screen and thus leading you to the page where you can click and begin your download the very moment! SkipScreen has been around for a while and it works great. It’s easy to use and probably you wont need a tutorial for using the extension but, you can get your queries sorted on FAQ

This is where you will be skipped-to while downloading from rapidshare with SkipScreen

Fact: Mediafire has requested Mozilla.com to take down the SkipScreen extension from their server but Mozilla seems to have ignored the request. While this cheat is still active and no one is in a pursuit to bring it down, you can enjoy skipping screens!

Google has recently announced the trial run of it’s new project, fiber-to-home internet access at the speed of 1 Gb per second. Google is seeking information from interested municipalities in America about locations to build the network. It plans to serve around 50,000 to 5,00,000 people in it’s initial phase.

Google says:

Our goal is to experiment with new ways to help make Internet access better, and faster for everyone. Here are some specific things that we have in mind:

Next generation apps:  We want to see what developers and users can do with ultra high-speeds, whether it’s creating new bandwidth-intensive “killer apps” and services, or other uses we can’t yet imagine.

New deployment techniques: We’ll test new ways to build fiber networks; to help inform, and support deployments elsewhere, we’ll share key lessons learned with the world.

Openness and choice: We’ll operate an “open access” network, giving users the choice of multiple service providers. And consistent with our past advocacy, we’ll manage our network in an open, non-discriminatory, and transparent way.

Even though the service will be launched in selected markets, this is a big step toward the much needed revamp of ISP market all over. It’s pretty clear that Google is preparing and making it’s first step for the future of it’s online based products and not to forget, Chrome OS which entirely based on cloud computing.

I have found some sticky notes applications and this one definitely stands out of the crowd being well featured and free. The idea of virtual notepad is very useful and is one of the essential tools for any GUI based computer. Creating multiple and unmanageable heap of text files to note down important things is something we don’t enjoy doing. Efficient Sticky Notes is a multi-award winning application which helps you to note and manage all the notes in one place and in an “uncomplicated manner”. You can pin up the notes on your desktop background and password protect them too. Check out the official website to know more.

Info:

• Freeware

• Appx 3MB in size

• Requirements: Windows 7/Vista/XP/2003/2000/98/ME/NT4 (32-bit and 64-bit)

• Languages: English, Bulgarian, Croatian, Czech, Farsi, Finnish, French, German, Italian, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Simplified Chinese, Spanish, Swedish, Traditional Chinese

]]> http://www.upcomingtechs.com/2010/02/freeware-sticky-notes-app-for-windows/feed/ 1 http://www.upcomingtechs.com/2010/02/in-research-computer-systems-with-capabilities-of-the-human-brain/ http://www.upcomingtechs.com/2010/02/in-research-computer-systems-with-capabilities-of-the-human-brain/#comments Mon, 01 Feb 2010 05:54:24 +0000 Raj http://www.upcomingtechs.com/?p=1970 Scientists are using nanotechnology to build such computer

SyNAPSE, a program by U.S. military research outfit at DARPA is aiming to develop a neoroporphic machine technology that roots to the biological levels. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is an agency of the United States Department of Defense responsible for the development of new technology for use by the military. DARPA was established during 1958 in response to the Soviet launching of Sputnik during 1957, with the mission of keeping U.S. military technology more sophisticated than that of the nation’s potential enemies.

“Basically, we have demonstrated that electric charges flowing through a mixture of an organic semiconductor and metallic nanoparticles can behave the same way as neurotransmitters through a synaptic connection in the brain,” Dominique Vuillaume, a research director at CNRS and head of the Molecular Nanostructures & Devices group at the Institute for Electronics Microelectronics and Nanotechnology (IEMN) tells Nanowerk.

The initial phase of the SyNAPSE project is to develop nanometer scale electronic synaptic components capable of adapting the connection strength between two neurons in a manner analogous to that seen in biological systems, as well as, simulate the utility of these synaptic components in core microcircuits that support the overall system architecture. Data and image source: Military Technologies