Steve's Tech Blog

When you are looking for webpages on the net , you ask Mr Google, Yahoo and any other available search engines. But if you are looking for the best torrent files in the town, you gotta ask this fellow, NowTorrents.

NowTorrents is an advanced real-time search engine for bit-torrents. We do not host any torrents on NowTorrents, we just make them findable. Our software scans the largest torrent hosting websites on the internet and comes up with the best results from these websites.

The torrent hosting websites that are included in the torrent search are :

• Mininova
• BitTorrent
• PirateBay
• IsoHunt
• Monova
• NewTorrents
• SeedPeer
• LegitTorrents
• TorrentZ
• MyBitTorrent
• FullDlls
• Fenopy
• BtJunkie
• Sumotorrent
  

Here is an example of the torrent search result for keyword, "Lost". My favourite TV series besides Prison Break and Heroes. :-)



Which one is better NowTorrents or PizzaTorrent?

Check out NowTorrents @ nowtorrents.com

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Labels: Internet, Tips n Tricks, Web Tool

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What do you do when you found an interesting webpage and decided to keep a copy of the webpage on your desktop? The usual way is using the "save page as" feature on your browser to save your favourite webpage to .htm/.html or text file format. But isn't it better to convert the webpage to PDF format?

htm2pdf is a free web-based service that helps you convert your favourite webpages to PDFs.

How to Convert Webpage to PDF?
Simply copy and paste your preferred webpage url in the provided box in htm2pdf. Then click "Convert to PDF" to convert the webpage to PDF. Once the conversion finished, you will be given a link to download the PDF file.

Here is an example of the PDF-formatted-webpage.


Check out htm2pdf @ htm2pdf.co.uk

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Labels: Internet, Tips n Tricks, Web Tool

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I often came across a lot of interesting webpages while blog walking but sometime I found so little time to read them all at that time. So in the end I have to skip some of the posts and some of it I bookmarked, so that I can read it later. That was what I did last time, but now I am using toread.

Toread is a email-based free bookmark service that allows you to send webpages to your email account.

This bookmark service is available for both IE and Firefox users. Toread come in handy when you came across a hand full of interesting blog posts but couldn't find the time to read at the very moment. So by simply click on the "toread" bookmarklet, the webpage will be forwarded to your email account. When you are free, you can always read the previous bookmarked webpages from your email.




Here is a screenshot of the email containing the webpage (it's my blog actually) that I've bookmarked using Toread.




Toread Mobile / Tomobi
Toread also available to mobile users. Tomobi will convert toread web page into text-only content, and send it to your mobile device.

Check out toread @ toread.cc | For additional info, please refer to toread "how to use" page.

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Labels: Internet, Web Tool

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I have covered about BlogBackupOnline some time ago. Well, BlogBackupOnline is not the only blog backup service available online. It has a friend, named BlogBackupr. Basically, these two blog backup services are quite similar. So you may want to choose only one blog backup service to do the backup.


Here is several items to take note about BlogBackupr.

• BlogBackupr works for all blogs that have a RSS-feed (Blogger and Wordpress's blog are included)
• The backup will include all posts, comments and categories
• Doesn't backup media files e.g. images and blog template. (This service may available in the future.)
  
• Will automatically performs a daily incremental backup
• You can export your blog to desktop in XML, HTML or TXT format.
  
• Support automatic restore to your Blogger or Wordpress blog.
  

Which one do I Choose?
The features offer by both BlogBackupOnline and BlogBackupr are similar except that BlogBackupOnline supports media files backup while the other doesn't. So that's what differentiate both services. So, I go for BlogBackupOnline.

And you?

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Labels: Blogging, Internet, Tips n Tricks

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Have you ever came across any web applications or services that you might think it's not necessary to use it at all? Well, I have two here (manage to find two only). So let take a look at these two web services.

1. ReferHide

ReferHide.com will hide your website's referrer information from website's that you link to.

Unless you are putting links to porn sites or any illegal sites on your blog, otherwise you have no reason not to let the website that you link to, to know that your blog is the referrer right? So you don't need this web application at all!


2. StumbleUpon Checker

StumbleUpon Check (sucheck.com) is a web application that allows you to easily verify that a page has been stumble (on StumbleUpon) by a certain user.

... You'll be given a Status (it'll show if the user actually stumbled that page or not) and you'll also be given a Certification Image.

So basically, you might want to use this service to verify that you have stumbled a page, especially when doing stumble exchange with other bloggers. StumbleUpon Checker will then rewards you with a certification image or I called it "Stumble Certificate". But no thanks, for me, it's just a lame web application and most of you don't really care about this.

Well, if you do want such certificate, I will reward one to you. Just stumble this post and you'll get your certificate. Here is an example. :-)




Anymore to add?
Any other web services that come across you mind that you think don't bring any good to you? Leave me a comment to share it. :-)

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Labels: Internet

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Nobody wish to see their blog turn into disaster the next day and can't do anything to rescue it because they never run blog backup the day before. So blog backup is crucial because we never know what going to happen to our blog the next day. Trying to manually back up your blog is complex and time consuming, you sure don't want spend a lot of time on it right?

So if you are looking for a web service that can help you backup your entire blog content with ease, BlogBackupOnline is the answer. You'll only need to set up BlogBackupOnline once, and then you stop worrying about back up ever again because BlogBackupOnline will manage all the backup tasks for you.

Back Up Your Blogger Blog Online
The sign up process is quick and simple, all you need to do is fill up the sign up form, register your blog and ready to start your first full blog backup. If you want to backup image files, make sure you check the option shown below.


After the full backup has completed, you will then be able to manage the backup of the blog from the dashboard. BlogBackupOnline will automatically performs a daily incremental backup to find new posts, new comments, and other changed content.


Export Your Blog to Desktop
You don't get unlimited storage to store all your blog back up files on the web. You are only allocated 50 mb for the back up purpose. So you might want to export your blog to desktop. Here's how. From the dashboard, click the "Manage" button for the specific blog that you want to export. Then select the "Export" tab and click the "Download export file" button. If in case you do run out of space, you can always ask for more space by emailing BlogBackupOnline at morespace [at] techrigy [dot] com.


Happy Trying!

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Labels: Blogging, Internet, Tips n Tricks

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Previously, I have shown you how to convert flash movie into a windows-based screensaver by using a free web service, called Creamshavers. Besides creating your flash based screensavers directly from the web, you also can choose to do it from your desktop. All you need is InstantStorm.

InstantStorm is a Windows freeware tool for creating Flash based screensavers with many advanced features. All you have to do is to choose a SWF file, set screensaver parameters and compile an executable installer. All 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Microsoft Windows are fully supported, including Windows 95 and Windows Vista. And the best of all—there are no nag screens or other annoying stuff. Unlike many other tools, InstantStorm allows you to fully customize your screensaver's about box, installer and uninstaller including all texts.

Create Your Screensaver in 3 Simple Steps
There are plenty of options to customize your screensaver, but if you choose not to get headache with all the options, you can use the New Project Wizard (most prefer to beginner) and get your screensaver done in 3 simple steps.


Download InstantStorm! | Download Sample Flash Movie

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Labels: Flash, Freeware, Internet, Tips n Tricks

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Recently, I came across a really sweet flash which I love to make it as my laptop's screensaver. So I try googling the web to search for any software converter that can convert the flash file into a windows screensaver, and luckily I found one, well it is not a software but a free web service, called Creamshavers.

Creamshavers is a totally free web service to create windows screensavers from Shockwave Flash files. Just upload your swf flash file and Creamshavers will produce a windows installer .exe with a totally nag-free fullscreen windows screensaver.

How to Convert Flash to Screensaver?


1. The procedure is rather easy. First, log into Creamshavers dot com, scroll down until you see the similar form as shown below. Then, browse for the flash file that you want to convert and fills in other required info.


2. Then hit the "Create Screensaver" button and your screensaver installation package will be ready to be downloaded any time.


3. Download the installation package into your computer. Once completed, double click the installer and install it.


4. Done! You can try to preview the screensaver now. :-)


Last but not least, this is the flash that I have converted into the screensaver, called the Screen Cleaner. If you like it, you can download it here [Flash Version] and convert it yourself. Happy trying! :-)



The Screen Cleaner

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Labels: Flash, Internet, Tips n Tricks

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I am sure that everyone knows about Google Holiday Logos, which temporarily replace Google's official logo on a particular day purposely to remember a special holiday or event.











Supposed to be celebrating: Children’s Day 2003.
Reason for rejection: Too childish.










Supposed to be celebrating: 150 Years of Cigarettes.
Reason for rejection: Too politically incorrect.










Supposed to be celebrating: 50th Anniversary of Product Placement.
Reason for rejection: Starbucks didn’t pay enough.










Supposed to be celebrating: 5 Years of Google motto “Don’t be evil.”
Reason for rejection: Too self-obsessed.










Supposed to be celebrating: 130th Birthday of Mondrian.
Reason for rejection: Too abstract.










Supposed to be celebrating: 90th Anniversary of the Copyright Act.
Reason for rejection: Potential trademark infringement for using the © symbol.










Supposed to be celebrating: 20th Anniversary of the Nintendo Entertainment System.
Reason for rejection: Severe complaints by the Pet Duck Association.










Supposed to be celebrating: The 65th Birthday of Googol, a 1 with 100 zeroes.
Reason for rejection: Too geeky.

















Supposed to be celebrating: This was one of two drafts to honor M.C. Escher.
Reason for rejection: Too creepy.

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Labels: Funny, Internet

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Most of the blogs that I visited recently have the so-called EntreCard on their blog and that didn't hold me for long before I signed up too for EntreCard network yesterday. The reason for joining is simple, because EntreCard is HOT!!!

Free Blog Advertising Using Credits
After reading through the help page , here is what I can summarized about EntreCard, EntreCard is a platform for bloggers to run free blog advertising on other blogs. There is no money involved, but you need credits to advertise on other blogs. To get credits, you can either earn it by dropping your card on other blogs (including my blog), have someone drops his/her card on your blog and also earns credits when someone advertises on your blog.

The most important thing that EntreCard can gives us is TRAFFICS! Each time blogger drops you their card, you get traffics and you get traffics too when you advertise on other blogs. The quality of the traffics may be low, but hopefully some of the traffics will be converted to quality traffics.

Here is my 125x125 EntreCard which I designed it within couple of minutes. Look simple but will redesign it when I have idea time. :-)


Drop me your card
Since you are here on my blog, please drop me your EntreCard on the sidebar there. In return, I will drop mine too on your blog. :-)

P.S. : Anyone to advertise their blog on my EntreCard's widget??

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Labels: Internet

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There are dozens of Free URL shortening (and redirecting) services available on the internet. Obviously, we would go for this service purposely to make the looooooooooooong web address into a much shorten one and the second reason is to hide our affiliate links.

To cut long story short, let looks at my shortlisted URL shortening services with their features.

1. TinyURL [*TinyURL!] - The least preferred URL shortening service on the list. Why? Because TinyURL will automatically generate a random URL for you, something similar to this http://tinyurl.com/32xqr9. You don't like it? Me either. On the plus side, you get to preview the actual web address redirect by the shorten URL before proceed to the actual site, but first you must have the preview feature enabled.

2. urlTea [*urlTea!] - Slightly different from TinyURL, at which you can describe the generated random URL into meaningful text by adding ?any-text-you-like after the URL. Here's an example, http://urltea.com/2h5r and http://urltea.com/2h5r?usb-thumb-drive-for-lunch , they mean the same. Both links will lead you to the same site.

3. MooURL [*MooURL!] - Similar to TinyURL, you get a random web address, something like this, http://moourl.com/uhqeu but you have a choice to personalize your URL (up to 20 characters) into something more meaningful like http://moourl.com/thumb_drive_4_lunch .

4. Shorl [*Shorl!] -You get random generated URL but no worry because when a user clicks the shorten URL, the user will be shown the actual web address for a few seconds before arrive to the actual site, so user knows where is he/she heading for. This is similar to the preview feature of TinyURL. Another advantage is that you get to track how many hits you get for the URL.


5. Snipr [*Snipr!] - The best of all. You can sign up for an account, personalize your URL, assign private key to your shorten URL, track the number of hits for each URL and multisnip - meaning convert multiple URLs at once. Cool huh? What more can you ask for?

* Drag your preferred URL shortening service's bookmarklet into your browser's bookmark tool and create short URLs with just a click.

So which one are you going to pick?

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Labels: Internet, Tips n Tricks

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Since I have some free time before attending my only class of the day at 4 pm (yes, still have plenty of time), so I figure out why not I make some enhancements to my blog. One thing that currently on my mind is to embed the Twitter widget in my blog. I have the Blogrush widget joining my blog recently and I am curious to see how this blog traffic generator tool can generates traffic to my blog.

So back to the Twitter thing. I guess some may heard of it while some may not. For those who are new to Twitter, Twitter is a useful tool to keep the world updated with your recent activities or telling the world "What you are doing?". Simply type your message via the Internet or on mobile and your message will get displayed shortly after in your Twitter page and also in the widget as well.

I am not an expert in explaining the whole concept and function of Twitter to you, so you might want to read this Newbie's guide to Twitter.

Here is how my Twitter widget looks like on the right sidebar on my blog.
















Interested in getting one for your blog?

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Labels: Internet, Life Log

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