The Indian governments Department of Telecom (DOT) recently notified ISPs to block several torrent and video websites such as Pirate Bay, ExtraTorrent, KickAss Torrent, Vimeo, Pastebin and more to curb piracy. ISPs like Reliance and Airtel have already started blocking those websites.

In reply to those blocks, the famous group Anonymous has attacked several Indian government websites and taken them down. While the attacks continue, several users in India are still looking to access the websites but are seeing a message “This site has been blocked as per instructions from Department of Telecom (DOT)”.

If you are someone who is looking to access those torrent and video sites in India, you can still do it through several means. As I had stated earlier you can easily access blocked websites using proxy servers, you will find several proxy servers in our earlier guide on how to access blocked website.

Additionally, you can also access those websites using services like OpenDNS and Google DNS. See our guide on How to use Google Public DNS on Windows 7 and Windows XP or use a Google DNS helper to automatically change to Google DNS. If you are in India, you can use a DNS proxy website like http://dnetproxy.appspot.com/ as well.

If you are still not able to access those torrent websites, you could always try and use the site operator in Google search to directly search those websites and view their cached copies.

If you have any other means to access those websites, please feel free to leave a comment.

I don’t hate Flash like Steve Jobs, but it does slow the browsing experience at times and can get annoying. There are several extensions and tools which allow you to block Flash in browsers like Google Chrome and Firefox, but most of the times Flash blocking extensions are heavy on memory usage and can slow down the browser. This is why I  prefer to use a lightweight and versatile extension called FlashBlock for Google Chrome, which does the job very well without using lot of memory.

One of the problems I have faced with this extension though is the lack of support for whitelisting/blacklisting websites. However, FlashBlock does provide users with an option to do so through a right click option as seen above. The problem is that though it is easy to unblock websites from FlashBlock, there is no easy way to block them again if you want to change your decision.

However, I did find a way to block unblocked sites in FlashBlock extension by using a simple trick. If you are someone who wants to do it, follow the steps given below.

To block a unblocked website in FlashBlock, open the website in question in Google Chrome and then click on the wrench icon and then select “Developer tools” from under the Tools menu. Alternatively, you can also use the shortcut key “Ctrl + Shift + I”

Doing the above steps will load the Chrome Developer interface. Now click on the “Resources” tab in the interface and expand the “Local Storage” dropdown. Now look for the exact URL of the website under the Local Storage menu and click on it. This will display the “Key-Value” pair of information stored for the website.

To block the website through FlashBlock again, look for the key “ujs_flashblock” and right click on it and select the “Delete” option from the menu. Once you have deleted the key, reload the website again and Flash will be blocked on it.

Though there are several other Flash blocking extensions which provide with an easier interface to manage whitelists and blacklists, the extension in question is one of the best out there and does not hog resources. Blocking a website again is a little hard, but it is a great tradeoff for performance it provides.

Google Chrome has several versions of their browser which includes the stable version, beta version and development version. However, users can only run one instance of them at any given time. Google does provide another cutting-edge version called the Canary build. The Canary build is a nightly build and contains untested code and features which will be introduced in other version of Chrome at a later stage.

I prefer to use Google Canary builds because they usually contain cutting edge technologies and newer features which are not yet available in other versions and gives me a chance to test them out. However, the one thing I have had a problem with the Canary version is that Google does not allow you to set it as the default browser.

The explanation they give for it is that it is a secondary installation of Chrome and cannot be set as the default browser. Well, that is a problem for me because some times the dev version (which I also used) was buggier than the Canary version and was not updated as frequently to address the reported bugs.

So I decided to find a way to set the Google Chrome Canary version as default and found a neat registry hack at this forum. All you have to do is download a simple registry file listed in the forum post and edit it to replace your username in the Registry.reg file. Once you have done that just double click and click on the “Yes” button when prompted to add the entries to your registry.

After you have inserted the registry entry, Chrome Canary will be set as your default browser. If you are looking to reverse that, just head to control panel and change the default application or use your browsers’ preference to set it back as the default browser. The forum in question requires you to register before you download the file as an alternative, you can download the file directly from here.

For Mac users all you need to do is run Safari and then head to preferences and change the “Default web browser” to Canary from the dropdown menu. You can visit this site to find visual instructions for doing that.

Instagram is one of the hottest apps for iOS and Android with more than 35 million users combined. The app which did not have any revenue was so popular that Facebook went ahead and purchased it for more than $1 billion. However, the purchase by Facebook has left many users wondering as to whether they should continue using the app or not?

If  you are one of those disgruntled users and are looking to stop using the app, here is a easy way to export and download all the Instagram photos you have uploaded till now and back them up to your computer. You can also download and move them to a free online storage service of your choice as well.

Export and Download Instagram Photos to Desktop PC

Instaport is a web service which allows you to export all your Instagram photos and download them to your local PC (they are working on social export soon). To download all your Instagram photos, visit the website at http://instaport.me/ and connect it to your Instagram account.

Once you have done that, you will be able to export and download all your Instagram photos to your computer. You can also select from to only download a smaller number of photos or select photos you have uploaded between certain dates. Additionally, you could also download photos which you have liked and photos with certain tags.

Export, Download or Backup Instagram Photos to Dropbox, Facebook or Flickr

If you are looking to download your Instagram photos to Dropbox, Facebook (ironic ) or Flickr, you can use a very useful service called If This Then That or ifttt for short, which provides you with recipes to automatically perform tasks based on certain triggers or action.

ifttt is a very simple service and users can find recipes which will allow them to backup their Instagram photos to Flickr or save them to Dropbox or upload them to Flickr or Tumblr among other places.

To setup a backup for your Instagram photos, sign up for the ifttt service and visit the recipe page for Instagram at http://ifttt.com/instagram. Once there,  you can select the recipe you want to use and setup the required parameters. Once you have done that, just click the “Create task” button to create it. ifttt will then periodically run the task and backup your Instagram photos to your selected service.

Please note: While using ifttt, your older photos may not be backed up. You might have to use the first method to download all your photos and then upload it to  your choice of service.

The online cloud storage war has just exploded with the introduction of Google Drive earlier today. With Google Drive, now all major mobile operating system providers have some form of proprietary cloud storage solution including SkyDrive for Windows Phone 7 and iCloud for iOS along with several others like Dropbox, Box and SugarSync.

Also Read: Google Drive vs Dropbox vs SkyDrive | 5 Best Ways to Keep Documents Online

Both iCloud and Google Drive provide users with 5GB storage space for free whereas SkyDrive provides users with 7GB free space out of the box. SkyDrive initially started out with 25GB free space, but it has now cut down the storage to 7GB. However, if you have been an old user of SkyDrive, you will still be able to claim 25GB of free space.

To reclaim your 25GB of free space in SkyDrive, you will have to login to your account in your browser. Once you do that, you will see a link on the top saying; SkyDrive’s free storage is changing – claim your free 25GB.

Clicking on the link will take you to the manage storage page where you will be given an option to upgrade your storage. Just click on the “Free upgrade” button to increase your storage to 25GB. This option will only be available for a limited time to users who have already used Windows Live SkyDrive in the past. New users will only receive 7GB of free online storage space.

If you are unable to get 25GB in SkyDrive, there are still several other options available including free 50GB space from Box if you are an Android user and up-to 18GB storage in Dropbox from referrals and free space.

Just like the new Facebook timeline, Gmail also recently forced their new theme on users and apparently many people are not happy with this decision. While Gmail earlier provided a simple way to revert back the Gmail interface, that option is no longer available. This has definitely not gone down too well with Gmail users.

So is there any way in which you could revert back to the old Gmail interface? Well, not officially, but you can still do it thanks to a Stylish script.

The Return of Old Gmail Stylish script is one which resembles the “Old Gmail” interface the most. Although the overall interface is not as neat (see screenshot above), it definitely is one of the best options if you despise the new Gmail interface. The script in question reverts back some of the Gmail styles to the older one and also reverts back the top navigation in Gmail.

You will also find several other Stylish scripts for Gmail, however, the one listed here seems to be the best alternative to get back the old Gmail interface. You can also try out several other themes for Gmail by using this Stylish search.

Please note that Firefox users will have to install the Stylish add-on before using the scripts. Google Chrome users can also install the Stylish extension or install the Stylish script as a Greasemonkey script and run it as an extension.

Do you ever get emails from business associates that have really nice signatures at the bottom? They will often include a logo that will take you out to business’ website when you click it. You don’t have to be green with envy over these cool signatures. Creating a signature line in Outlook 2010 is extremely easy. In this post, I will show you how you can accomplish this in a few easy steps!

The first thing we need to do is click on the “File” tab in the upper left corner of Outlook. Once you are there, click the button labeled “Options”. See the arrow pointing in the picture below.

When you click the “Options” button you will get a dialog box like the one pictured below. On the left side of the dialog box you need to click on the option that says “Mail”. Once you have clicked the “Mail” option, click the button on the right side of the page that says “Signatures”.

You should now see a dialog that allows you to create a new signature. Take a moment to look at the picture below. Let’s explore some of the options available to us. Notice that you can have multiple signatures. In this example, I created the Techie Buzz signature by clicking the button labeled “New”. To the right of that signature you have the option to assign that signature to an account. Remember Outlook has the ability to handle multiple email accounts. It also gives you the ability to assign separate signatures to those accounts as well.

At the bottom of the window, you will notice a blank area. This is where you type the information you would like included in your signature. I decided to include my name, email address, and our company logo. To add a logo, you first need to have an image file saved on your computer. In the picture below, you will see highlighted in red the image button. Click this button.

You will get the dialog box pictured below. Navigate to the folder on your computer that contains the image you want to include in your signature. Then click the picture and click the “Insert” button to insert it into your signature line.

Now that you have your logo inserted, you can add a hyperlink to it so that when someone clicks it, they are directed to your website. To do this, find the “Hyperlink” button highlighted in red in the picture below.

You will now see the following dialog box, pictured below. At the top you will see the “Text to display” box. What this means is when people put their mouse over the logo, they will get a little description. You can make this say pretty much anything you want. At the bottom of the window, you will see the “Address” box. Type the website address you want the link to go to, then click OK.

Now that you have your information typed and your logo inserted, I would like to warn you about one more pitfall. By default, the font color is set to “Automatic”. Most of the time this will appear black. The problem however, is if you want your signature font to stay a consistent color, you have to set it because the “Automatic” setting will use the default font of any email you reply to. Have you ever noticed that sometimes when you hit reply on an email that your words are typed in blue? The same will happen to your signature unless you specify something other than “Automatic”. Picture below, I have highlighted my name and clicked the “Font Color” dropdown menu. This is where you need to go to set your signature’s color.

Once you have followed all these steps, you need to specify on the right side of the window whether you want to use your new signature just for new messages or whether you want to include them in replies as well. Click “OK” at the bottom and you’re all set. When you open a new message to send to someone you will have a nice ready made signature at the bottom of your message. Good luck and if you have any questions about this tutorial feel free to comment.

Sometimes, when you get your mac, there will be apps you never use. For many people, like me, there’s an annoying voice at the back of their head going “Don’t let that thing sit on that computer hogging precious space! Delete it!”. The only problem is you can’t delete it. I will be covering on how to delete those apps.

Note: Do not delete Safari or any other core apps.

Using The Terminal

Open up a new terminal window and go to your application folder by typing “cd / Applications/”.
Now type “sudo rm -rf name-of-app.app/” change name-of-app to the name of the app you want to delete.
It will probably ask for your password, if it does, enter it.
You’re done.

Using The Finder

Open up the finder and right click the app you want to remove.

Click on “Get Info”.
In the window click on the lock at the bottom.
In the pop-up enter your password, if it asks.
Change all privileges to “Read and Write”.
Click on the lock icon again.
Drag to trash.
You’re done.

If you’re new to the terminal use the finder method instead, as if you enter something wrong in the terminal, it could mess up your computer. However, if you know your way around the terminal use that instead.

==== About the Author ====
Caio DosAnjos writes lots of stuff like this on his blog at http://www.applemonster.co

The best big screen televisions for playing video games have a lot in common with other high quality television sets. The picture quality has to be flawless, and the contrast ratio should be high. The screen also needs to be an appropriate size for the room in which it is placed.

Gamers also tend to have a few unique concerns. Poor response time, high input lag, or an inopportune moment of screen glare can instantly wipe out any competitive edge that might have been provided by a big screen television. In order to select the best big screen for gaming, you need to consider all of the benefits and drawbacks offered by the main television display formats.

Plasma

Modern plasma televisions are excellent for gaming, but they can suffer from a handful of notable drawbacks. Image retention is the biggest issue that’s commonly associated with this display format. This is less of an issue than it once was, because most video game systems have screen savers. Modern plasma televisions are also less prone to image retention than older models.

There are also a number of benefits to gaming with a plasma television. Plasma sets typically have higher contrast ratios than other types of big screen televisions, and modern sets also have excellent response times and refresh rates.

LCD and LED

The only difference between LCD and LED televisions is the method of backlighting, so these technologies share many of the same benefits and drawbacks for gaming. LCD sets typically have higher response times than plasma sets, which can be a deal breaker for any serious gamer. LCD sets usually have lower contrast ratios as well, but LED televisions are excellent at displaying deep blacks.

One advantage that LCD and LED televisions have over most plasma sets is a lack of screen glare. Unlike LCD and LED sets, plasma televisions use glass screens. Since glass tends to reflect a lot of light, plasma televisions are subject to screen glare issues that LCD and LED sets aren’t. If you decide to go with a plasma television, it can be crucial to find one that has an anti-glare coating.

Front and Rear Projection

If cost is your biggest concern, then you should consider a front or rear projection set. These televisions provide the most screen real estate for the least amount of money, but the picture quality is usually lower too. Some DLP televisions suffer from a rainbow effect that’s caused by a spinning color wheel, so it’s vital for gamers to stay away from those models. Most DLPs do offer acceptable response times and refresh rates, so they’re usually good for fast gameplay.

Game Mode

Most televisions include some type of game mode, so that’s something else to look into when shopping for a big screen. Game mode typically removes any post processing from the equation, which can reduce input lag. Since high input lag can cost you a serious competitive edge, it’s vital for a big screen television to have an easily accessible game mode.

Inputs, Resolutions and Other Features

If you plan on hooking your big screen up to your computer, you need to find a set that can handle a 1080p resolution. Lower resolutions are adequate for console gaming, but the PC gaming experience demands the highest resolution possible.

It’s also vital to choose a set that has enough inputs. If you’re just buying a big screen to plug in your Blu-ray player and cable box, that’s not a tremendous concern. Gamers typically need a lot of inputs, because it can be an enormous hassle to shuffle HDMI cables whenever it’s time to switch between the XBox 360 and the PS3.

Another feature you may want to think about is 3D. Some televisions are billed as “3D ready,” which means they require additional hardware. Other televisions come with everything you need right out of the box. If you plan on taking advantage of the 3D features offered by your video games, you should keep that in mind.

When it comes down to the wire, gamers have needs that are just as diverse as any other group of consumers. All of the principal display formats can work for gaming, but they also have potential drawbacks. Plasma sets can offer tremendous gaming experiences, but many of them suffer from screen glare. LCD and LED televisions can also work fine, but budget models often have horrendous response times. If you want to find the best big screen for gaming, you’ll need to weigh all of the facts and make the right choice for your particular situation.

==== About the Author ====
Jeremy Haze provided this post. Get more information at: http://www.homeitande.com.au/

“Blue Screen of Death” (BSOD) problems are frustrating and time consuming. They can happen again and again as you restart the system and to recover from it. If you are lucky, you might not have to reformat the system, because that will erase all your important data. Two general reasons behind BSOD errors are a hardware failure (hard disk crash, damaged SATA cable, RAM), or a software failure (Corrupt File System Files, BIOS settings, Malfunctioned programs, Virus attack).

After every crash, the operating system records the information stating the reason of crash, date and time, corrupted driver location, and lines of code to the system minidump folders located at C:\Windows\Minidump. If you can’t find the files at their default location, that means someone has altered the location or renamed it, and you’ll have to correct a few Windows settings.

Follow the instructions below to configure Windows so that Windows can create this specific folder and record the information whenever BSOD errors to your system:

For Windows XP

Right click on ‘My Computer’ and go to properties, alternatively you can go to control panel and double click on ‘system’ icon.

Find the ‘Advanced’ tab and then ‘Startup & Recovery’ frame. Click on ‘Settings’ located under ‘Startup and Recovery’ frame and find the section named ‘Write debugging information’ and then set the value from drop down menu to ‘Small memory dump(64 KB)’

To confirm, Click ‘OK’

For Windows 7

All the steps here are the same as Windows XP, but in order to find ‘System properties’ tab, You have to go at ‘Control panel’ and then ‘System & Security’ and then ‘System’.

Change in the registry
Make the following changes in your registry:
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\CrashControl]
“CrashDumpEnabled”=dword:00000003

After that, you have to restart the system to make your changes take effect.

Once you are able to find your minidump files, you’ll have to download Debugging Tools for Windows including WinDbg to decipher the information contained in the them, because the they can’t be open using notepad.

==== About The Author ====

Oliver is a computer hardware/software geek and would love to explore the information about latest technologies, PC tips and tricks. He is currently working with Stellar Data Recovery which is the most famous and trusted name in the field of Data Recovery .
You can follow oliver on twitter @powellstellar, or join his Google+ page.