[TIP] Things One Need To Know About Windows 10

Introduction

Windows 10 is a historic release for Microsoft. There is so much about it that is disruptive, some in good ways and some in bad, whereas so much about it that's entirely new and unprecedented.

1. There's loads of stuff for touch, but it's different stuff

Designed to appeal to experts and novices alike, Microsoft was at pains to point out that it hasn't given up on touch with the new OS. The Charms bar remains for the moment although we expect it to die if you're using a non-touch PC. Microsoft says it wants to support touch users who have persevered with Windows 8 and "evolve" the touch UI. The task switching will no longer work on the left. So with that and the charms going, that's goodbye to most of the problem with Windows 8 - and a whole philosophy down the pan.

2. Start Menu : "I'll be Back"

As we've covered before, the e most noticeable change is the new Start Menu, which looks somewhat like the old start menu. It brings some features from the Windows 8.1 Start Screen, such as live tiles, and can be resized.

3. Task View Redefined 

Now the Windows 8 task switcher has been unceremoniously dumped, there's a new Task View in Windows 10, too, so users can switch between virtual desktops.That's because Microsoft now recognises that novice users use the taskbar rather than switching in other, cleverer, ways such as Alt+Tab which also now switches between muli-desktops.


4. Snap At A Glance

A new Snap Assist feature also helps users work out which way is best to snap apps to. You can snap windows into new screens and tile Windows - just as you've been able to since Windows 2.0 or maybe 3.0.


5. The Command Prompt enters the 21st Century

Another quite amazing feature for those of us that use it is that the command prompt is now getting keyboard shortcuts! So you will be able to paste in your commands! Hardly groundbreaking, but actually pretty exciting.


6.  Windows Explorer with Improvements

A new Home location is the new default view in Windows Explorer. There's also a Share button on the Windows Explorer taskbar (we really hope this is in the context menu, too).

7. Continuum - the special one

This is the best new thing we found out today. Continum is an on-the-fly mode for 2 in 1 devices that can automatically change mode if it detects there is suddenly no keyboard attached. So, for example, a back button appears to help you navigate the Desktop with touch if the keyboard is removed. We reckon the charms will also disappear in non-touch mode, although we've heard conflicting news about that.


8. Windows 10 Universal apps

Windows 10 will also usher in a new app model - Universal Windows apps. Windows Universal apps are the new name for Metro apps/Modern apps/Windows Store apps.  Windows 10 is able to run on all devices from phones to servers and there will be a single app store across the lot.


9. Apps float on the Desktop

The new Universal apps also work on the desktop and 'float' in their own Windows. Microsoft wants to banish the separation between the Modern UI and the Desktop. These 'modern' apps on the desktop have an icon for more options - replacing the commands that used to be in the charms on the right-hand side of the screen.


10. Windows 10 for Business and Enterprise

Microsoft says it hopes to appeal to business with this release of Windows, more so than Windows 8 ever did. Belfiore said they were "starting the dialogue with businesses today". New features are packed for the business and enterprise.


Author : Saatvik Awasthi

Apple Watch running The Ancient Windows 95

If you're willing to wait an hour for it to boot up, you can enjoy the ludicrous pleasures of running Windows 95 on an Apple Watch. Developer Nick Lee posted a video to YouTube this evening showing what it looks like once the operating system is up and running. It's slow, to say the least. But it definitely appears to be more functional than you'd expect.

As Lee points out in a blog post, the Apple Watch's specs are well above those of a typical Windows 95 computer, so it makes sense that it should be capable of running the Microsoft's old OS. Of course, there are quite a few hurdles to get past first, including the fact that Apple doesn't exactly provide a way to install new operating systems on the Watch, let alone apps that it hasn't vetted.

To get 95 running, Lee had to modify Apple's development software in "rather unorthodox ways," . That allowed him to essentially turn Windows 95 into a Watch app, which also emulates an environment for the OS to run on.

Lee also had to deal with the fact that the Apple Watch's screen really wants to turn off when it isn't in use. To deal with that, he set up a motorized tube that constantly turns the Watch's crown, preventing it from falling asleep.

The result is very slow, but impressively functional. Though it looks a bit like he's swiping around, Lee says that he altered the Watch's software to let Windows 95 track a single fingertip, allowing the mouse to be moved by tapping where he wants it to go. You can read more on how it was done in Lee's post.


Author : Anushk Keshri Rastogi

Source : click here

Click here to go to The Main Blog

[INFO] Seven People around the Globe have Keys to reboot The Internet in the event of a Catastrophe

In a nondescript industrial estate in El Segundo, a boxy suburb in south-west Los Angeles just a mile or two from LAX international airport, 20 people wait in a windowless canteen for a ceremony to begin. Outside, the sun is shining on an unseasonably warm February day; inside, the only light comes from the glare of halogen bulbs.

There is a strange mix of accents – predominantly American, but smatterings of Swedish, Russian, Spanish and Portuguese can be heard around the room, as men and women (but mostly men) chat over pepperoni pizza and 75-cent vending machine soda. In the corner, an Asteroids arcade machine blares out tinny music and flashing lights.

It might be a fairly typical office scene, were it not for the extraordinary security procedures that everyone in this room has had to complete just to get here, the sort of measures normally reserved for nuclear launch codes or presidential visits. The reason we are all here sounds like the stuff of science fiction, or the plot of a new Tom Cruise franchise: the ceremony we are about to witness sees the coming together of a group of people, from all over the world, who each hold a key to the internet. Together, their keys create a master key, which in turn controls one of the central security measures at the core of the web. Rumours about the power of these keyholders abound: could their key switch off the internet? Or, if someone somehow managed to bring the whole system down, could they turn it on again?

The keyholders have been meeting four times a year, twice on the east coast of the US and twice here on the west, since 2010. Gaining access to their inner sanctum isn't easy, a select group of security experts from around the world. All have long backgrounds in internet security and work for various international institutions. They were chosen for their geographical spread as well as their experience – no one country is allowed to have too many keyholders. They travel to the ceremony at their own, or their employer's, expense.


What these men and women control is the system at the heart of the web: the domain name system, or DNS. This is the internet's version of a telephone directory – a series of registers linking web addresses to a series of numbers, called IP addresses. Without these addresses, you would need to know a long sequence of numbers for every site you wanted to visit.

The master key is part of a new global effort to make the whole domain name system secure and the internet safer: every time the keyholders meet, they are verifying that each entry in these online "phone books" is authentic. This prevents a proliferation of fake web addresses which could lead people to malicious sites, used to hack computers or steal credit card details.

The east and west coast ceremonies each have seven keyholders, with a further seven people around the world who could access a last-resort measure to reconstruct the system if something calamitous were to happen. Each of the 14 primary keyholders owns a traditional metal key to a safety deposit box, which in turn contains a smartcard, which in turn activates a machine that creates a new master key. The backup keyholders have something a bit different: smartcards that contain a fragment of code needed to build a replacement key-generating machine. Once a year, these shadow holders send the organisation that runs the system – the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (Icann) – a photograph of themselves with that day's newspaper and their key, to verify that all is well.

The fact that the US-based, not-for-profit organisation Icann – rather than a government or an international body – has one of the biggest jobs in maintaining global internet security has inevitably come in for criticism. Today's occasionally over-the-top ceremony (streamed live on Icann's website) is intended to prove how seriously they are taking this responsibility. It's one part The Matrix (the tech and security stuff) to two parts The Office (pretty much everything else).

For starters: to get to the canteen, you have to walk through a door that requires a pin code, a smartcard and a biometric hand scan. This takes you into a "mantrap", a small room in which only one door at a time can ever be open. Another sequence of smartcards, handprints and codes opens the exit. Now you're in the break room.


Already, not everything has gone entirely to plan. Leaning next to the Atari arcade machine, ex-state department official Rick Lamb, smartly suited and wearing black-rimmed glasses (he admits he's dressed up for the occasion), is telling someone that one of the on-site guards had asked him out loud, "And your security pin is 9925, yes?" "Well, it was…" he says, with an eye-roll. Looking in our direction, he says it's already been changed.

Lamb is now a senior programme manager for Icann, helping to roll out the new, secure system for verifying the web. This is happening fast, but it is not yet fully in play. If the master key were lost or stolen today, the consequences might not be calamitous: some users would receive security warnings, some networks would have problems, but not much more. But once everyone has moved to the new, more secure system (this is expected in the next three to five years), the effects of losing or damaging the key would be far graver. While every server would still be there, nothing would connect: it would all register as untrustworthy. The whole system, the backbone of the internet, would need to be rebuilt over weeks or months. What would happen if an intelligence agency or hacker – the NSA or Syrian Electronic Army, say – got hold of a copy of the master key? It's possible they could redirect specific targets to fake websites designed to exploit their computers – although Icann and the keyholders say this is unlikely.

Standing in the break room next to Lamb is Dmitry Burkov, one of the keyholders, a brusque and heavy-set Russian security expert on the boards of several internet NGOs, who has flown in from Moscow for the ceremony. "The key issue with internet governance is always trust," he says. "No matter what the forum, it always comes down to trust." Given the tensions between Russia and the US, and Russia's calls for new organisations to be put in charge of the internet, does he have faith in this current system? He gestures to the room at large: "They're the best part of Icann." I take it he means he likes these people, and not the wider organisation, but he won't be drawn further.

It's time to move to the ceremony room itself, which has been cleared for the most sensitive classified information. No electrical signals can come in or out. Building security guards are barred, as are cleaners. To make sure the room looks decent for visitors, an east coast keyholder, Anne-Marie Eklund Löwinder of Sweden, has been in the day before to vacuum with a $20 dustbuster.


We're about to begin a detailed, tightly scripted series of more than 100 actions, all recorded to the minute using the GMT time zone for consistency. These steps are a strange mix of high-security measures lifted straight from a thriller (keycards, safe combinations, secure cages), coupled with more mundane technical details – a bit of trouble setting up a printer – and occasional bouts of farce. In short, much like the internet itself.

As we step into the ceremony room, 16 men and four women, it is just after lunchtime in LA and 21.14 GMT. As well as the keyholders, there are several witnesses here to make sure no one can find some sneaky back door into the internet. Some are security experts, others are laypeople, two are auditors from PricewaterhouseCoopers (with global online trade currently well in excess of $1tn, the key has a serious role to play in business security). Lamb uses an advanced iris scanner to let us all in.

"Please centre your eyes," the tinny automated voice tells him. "Please come a little closer to the camera… Sorry, we cannot confirm your identity."
Lamb sighs and tries again.
"Thank you, your identity has been verified."

We file into a space that resembles a doctor's waiting room: two rows of bolted-down metal seats facing a desk. Less like a doctor's waiting room are the networks of cameras live-streaming to Icann's website. At one side of the room is a cage containing two high-security safes.

Francisco Arias, Icann's director of technical services, acts as today's administrator. It is his first time, and his eyes regularly flick to the script. To start with, things go according to plan. Arias and the four keyholders (the ceremony requires a minimum of three, not all seven) enter the secure cage to retrieve their smartcards, held in tamper-evident bags. Middle-aged men wearing checked shirts and jeans, they are Portuguese keyholder João Damas, based in Spain; American Edward Lewis, who works for an internet and security analytics firm; and Uruguayan Carlos Martinez, who works for Lacnic, the internet registry for Latin America and the Caribbean.

All but one of the 21 keyholders has been with the organisation since the very first ceremony. The initial selection process was surprisingly low-key: there was an advertisement on Icann's site, which generated just 40 applications for 21 positions. Since then, only one keyholder has resigned: Vint Cerf, one of the fathers of the internet, now in his 70s and employed as "chief internet evangelist" by Google. At the very first key ceremony, in Culpeper, Virginia, Cerf told the room that the principle of one master key lying at the core of networks was a major milestone. "More has happened here today than meets the eye," he said then. "I would predict that… in the long run this hierarchical structure of trust will be applied to a number of other functions that require strong authentication." But Cerf struggled with the travel commitment and dropped his keyholder duties.


At 21.29, things go awry. A security controller slams the door of the safe shut, triggering a seismic sensor, which in turn triggers automatic door locks. The ceremony administrator and the keyholders are all locked in an 8ft square cage. Six minutes of quiet panic go by before they hit on a solution: trigger an alarm and an evacuation. Sirens blare and everyone piles out to mill around in the corridor until we can get back to the 100-point script. Every deviation has to be noted on an official record, which everyone present must read and sign off at a later point. Meanwhile, we use the downtime to snack: people rip open a few bags of Oreo biscuits and Cheez-Its.

Both the US commerce department and the Department of Homeland Security take a close interest, to differing degrees, in Icann's operations. In the wake of the ongoing revelations of NSA spying, and of undermined internet security, this does not sit well with many of Icann's overseas partners. Some, including Russia and Brazil – whose president has made such demands very public – are calling for a complete overhaul of how the internet is run, suggesting it should be put under UN auspices.

The question of who put Icann in charge is hotly contested. Lamb argues that "it's the online community; it's the people who've put Icann in charge". Eklund Löwinder, the Swedish keyholder who vacuumed the day before, puts it more bluntly. "Well, mainly, it was the US Department of Commerce," she says. The European Commission wants changes to this system, though it still expresses its faith in Icann; the EU recently called for a "clear timeline for the globalisation of Icann".

Eklund Löwinder explains that while the security might occasionally seem ridiculous, every step is very important when it comes to maintaining trust. "It's a system based on backups of backups, layers and layers of security," she says, her dangly cat earrings swinging. "Of course it is a bit romantic and thrilling to be a part of this, because I am a romantic by heart. I have to admit I love the internet. It's a piece of engineering art you have to admire. And to be able to contribute to make this a safer place makes me feel good."

Where does she keep her key? She admits she has two copies, in case she loses one; one of them never leaves a bank deposit box. The other, which she uses twice a year in the ceremonies on the east coast, is attached to a long metal chain. Most of the time it sits in a wooden puzzle box, with a hidden lock, created by her furniture designer son.

By 22.09 (we are all sticking to GMT) the ceremony is back on and everyone's returning to the script. The high-security machine that will generate the master key is set up. Once activated by the smartcards, this will produce a lengthy cryptographic code. If dropped, or even knocked too hard, the machine will self-destruct.

Now that everything has been removed from the safes, we move to act two of the ceremony: the key signing. The first step would be familiar to anyone – getting the laptop plugged in and booting it up – but some witnesses watch like hawks, logging and initialising each step. Others are beginning to flag, checking their watches or having whispered conversations with their neighbours.

At 22.40, a series of USB drives is set up, one of which will be used to load the signed key on to the live internet at the end of the ceremony: this is when the code is uploaded to the servers that dictate who controls .com, .net, .co.uk and more.


The output of the previous ceremony is checked, to make sure people are working off the same key – a process that requires Arias to read aloud a 64-character code. Everyone nods as they verify it against their sheets.

At 22.48 the high-security machine – a small, plain grey box with a keypad and card slot in front – is wired up. Each keyholder hands over his individual smartcard. Then, at 22.59, nearly two hours after the ceremony began, it's show time. Alejandro Bolivar, an American expert from Verisign, the security company that administers the "root zone" of the domain name system, steps forward to read out a nonsense sequence of words generated by the previous key. He begins: "Flatfoot warranty brickyard Camelot…" and continues for nearly a minute before concluding, "blackjack vagabond." The sequence corresponds with the witnesses' notes, so they nod and sign their script. A short line of code is typed into the laptop at 23.02, and seconds later the new key is signed, to a smattering of applause.

After a 20-minute sequence of disconnecting secure machines and powering down the laptop, a USB stick is handed to Tomofumi Okubo, another Icann staffer. Deliberately or otherwise, Okubo makes a slight bow as he is passed the stick holding the "signed" digital key. Later Okubo will transmit the key on a secure channel to Verisign and this signed key will be made live across the internet. It will take effect for three months, from 1 April (yes, really). After that, the key will expire and error messages will start to appear across the internet.

Given how high the stakes are, and the number of possible targets, does Okubo think the system is trustworthy? "I think so," he says. "You'd have to compromise a lot of people…" He trails off.

Does this often slightly bizarre ceremony work? Are the security precautions integral, or just for show? Bruce Schneier, an American cryptologist and security expert who worked with Glenn Greenwald and the Guardian to analyse some of the files leaked by Edward Snowden, suggests it's a little of both. "A lot of it is necessary, and some of it is necessary theatre," he concedes. "This process is both technical and political, which makes it extra complicated… I think the system is well designed." As to whether the system will survive in the aftermath of the NSA revelations, Schneier thinks the jury is still out: "That, we don't know."

Back in the ceremony room, the four keyholders are once again locked in a cage with the safes holding their smartcards, this time returning them for future use. It is 23.32 on the clock and each is solemnly holding up their keycard, in a new tamper-evident bag, for the cameras to witness before returning it to the safe. Not everyone present is entirely gripped. "It's like a combination of church and a baseball game and I don't know what else," says Icann PR Lynn Lipinski. "I'm getting sleepy."

At 00.06, five hours after we all arrived, it's time to shut off the live-streaming cameras. Lamb checks in to see how many people have been following the ceremony.

The system admin calls back: "We peaked at 12."

We file out, job done.

"Wait," Okubo says. "One question before we go… Can I ask who's coming for dinner?"


There's a show of hands and, with the web secure for another three months, the keyholders to the internet file out into the LA sunshine.

Author : Anushk Keshri Rastogi

Source: Click Here

Click Here to go to The Main Blog

[TIP] World Health Day : Best Fitness Gadgets in the Market to help you stay fit !

Technology gadgets can be a good motivator to help you get back in shape or help you stay as healthy as ever. Take a look at some of our suggestions.

We aren’t mentioning the usual suspects that everyone, and even your granny knows about – stuff like the Fitbit, Mi Band and a zillion other smartwatches. If you’re looking to hop back on the wagon and try and regain control of your health and fitness, look no further than these devices mentioned below. It’s time to huff and puff your way to a more improved you, thanks to these gadgets and their bundled services.

1) Garmin VivoFit 3: This smart wristband is unanimously regarded as the best in the business of tracking your fitness, combined with its ease of use, abundant features and above-average performance. It can count your steps, calories expended, sets goals and tracks heart rate; it’s waterproof and lasts for a year on a single battery charge. It syncs data to the cloud wirelessly without interfacing through a PC. If you only want to buy one device – and one device only – to set your misshaped health life in order, just close your eyes and purchase the VivoFit.

2) Qardio: This San Francisco-based company’s concentrating on two things, tracking your blood pressure and heart, and it has specialty wearable devices for both these functions. Qardio Arm is about the size of spectacles box, which can be tucked away in a suit. More importantly it’s Apple-esque design makes the device accessible and easy to use -- just strap it on and monitor your BP on an iOS device. Similarly, the Qardio Core is a strap-on that goes around your chest and promises to give medical-grade cardiovascular monitoring technology, with remote monitoring features.

3) Adidas MiCoach Smart Run: As Nike’s reportedly killing its Fuelband, apparel enthusiasts can still bank on Adidas’ MiCoach Smart Run for your routine jogging or sprinting routine. It’s a personal coach on your wrist, and the device packs in a ton of features including and not limited to real-time cardio coaching with training plans created by elite coaches; workout review; coaching delivered via visual messages; fully integrated strap-free heart-rate sensor; GPS-based speed, distance, cadence and route; and then some. This will go well with that pair of Adidas running shoes you have.

4) Withings Smart Body Analyzer: In the digital age, a traditional weighing scale just wouldn’t cut it. Weight watchers, behold what’s popularly being dubbed as the best smart digital scale ever. This not only tracks your weight, but also heart rate, body fat and general well being, helping you stay on track of your fitness goals (indirectly). Combine all that with an improved app that’s easy to consume and handy, and the Smart Body Analyzer becomes the unbeatable choice of more advanced data metrics to help you lose weight.

5) Basis B1: Recently acquired by Intel, Basis’ B1 is a wristband that is a little bit different from all the rest, as it puts a large focus on inculcating good, healthy habits rather than just do mundane tracking (which it also does, by the way). If you love data, and lots of it, you’re gonna love this device. Not only does it track and measure your Heart Beat, Steps, and Calories but also Skin Temperature, Perspiration level, Sleep Quality and Sleep Time. Faced with all this data, you are left with no choice but to make positive life-improving decisions that lead to better fitness.

6) Valencell Performtek iriverON: This company essentially has a truckload of patents in sensor technology geared towards monitoring fitness and accurately tracking real-time health parameters, and it claims to be the best in the business. It’s iriverON headset is one of a kind tapping into the unique physiology of the ear, retrieving more accurate health and fitness metrics with earbuds than with other devices, especially when moving around and/or engaging in physical activity. Sensor data can be viewed live through applications on their iPhone, Android phones, or other smartphone devices.

7) Interaxon Muse Headband: This product here is hard to believe isn’t sci-fi. This brain sensing headband from Interaxon, Muse promises to truly unlock the power of your thought and mind and use it for the better. It detects your brain’s activity at every moment and you can track it through a smartphone or tablet device. Where a lot of wearable devices are focusing heavily towards keeping the body in shape, here’s a breath of fresh air that actually tries to keep the mind healthy as well.

8) Sensoria Fitness Sock - A combination of e-textile, a snap-on anklet and mobile apps to track your workout, the Sensoria Fitness Sock makes for a true wearable tech product in the truest sense of the word. It’s made for fitness-conscious folks, and analyzes your foot to keep you fit as a fiddle. Filled with sensors, sock can tell you if you’ve been sitting idle for too long and prompt you to go for a walk -- useful in a sedentary, office environment -- and also offers some advanced features like stride gauge, foot landing analyzer, cadence meter, track pressure and impact points on your foot, etc., and retrieve all that data through an app.

These are a few gadgets we feel are crucial to your health ! Stay Healthy, Stay Fit and learn more about technology with The Tech Wizards !

Author : Anushk Keshri Rastogi

Source : click here

Click here to go to The Main Blog

[Tip] BEST BUDGET PC GAMING ACCESSORIES

 Your PC is a project, and building and maintaining it takes special tools. Aside from the obvious holy quadripartite of PC gear (mouse, keyboard, headset, monitor), this is the stuff you should keep handy for building, cleaning, and keeping your PC performing at its best.

My checklist for PC gaming accessories is rather simple

• Comfortable keyboard and mouse with proper, stable with drivers installed at best.
• Mouse pad rated/advertised for at least optical mice - no need to pay extra for "gaming mats",
• A good set of game-pads for older/emulation stuff. Other than that, to have a PS2-to-USB adapter which allows me to use a wired PS2 controller as a game-pad, is not a bad choice.
• A comfortable chair. When you're in it for the long haul, your back will thank you to have a comfortable place to sit.
• A set of nice headphones will let you enjoy to the fullest.

 Keyboard 

How's a gamer to choose? Don't worry, we know what's the best route. In the slides that follow, you'll find our recommendations for best-in-class keyboards, ranging from gaming on the cheap to no expense spared.

There are a lot of features commonly associated with gaming keyboards that are actually quite useful for everyday tasks or even work. Macros can be extremely handy for performing multiple actions in games with one keystroke, or even for everyday tasks that require multiple repetitive keystrokes. Also having multiple user profiles allows you to keep your work macros separate from your gaming ones. 

N-Key Roll Over is also a popular feature, which essentially means that a certain amount of keys can be simultaneously pressed and registered. This is extremely useful around the WASD cluster. The last thing you want is for important skills not to register because too many keys were pressed simultaneously. 

Finally, mechanical keyboards are all the rage now, and for good reason. Simply put, they're much more reliable than most standard keyboards, as each key resides atop a mechanical switch as opposed to a rubber dome (which have a tendency to break down pretty quickly over time). Best of all, mechanical boards come in multiple flavors that cater towards specific preferences. Here's a breakdown on the most common mechanical switch types if you're considering a mechanical keyboard: 

Blue: Tactile, Non-linear, Clicky, 50g Actuation
Great for typing. Loud (not ideal if sound is an issue). Double tapping can be cumbersome.

Brown: Tactile, Non-linear, 45g Actuation
The middle-ground of mechanical switches. Generally recommended for most games.

Black: Linear, Non-tactile, 60g Actuation
Noticeably stiffer than the rest in order to prevent accidental keystrokes. Generally preferred for FPS games. 

Red: Linear, Non-tactile, 45g Actuation
Similar to Browns, but without tactile feedback.

Razer BlackWidow Tournament Edition ($79.99)

-6 key rollover / 10 key rollover
-Mechanical keys (Cherry MX Blue switches, or Cherry MX Brown in Stealth Edition)
-In-game macro recording
-Compact "tenkeyless" layout
-Detachable USB cable

Pricing for most mechanical keyboards can be intimidating. Most start at over $100, which in itself makes the Razer BlackWidow Tournament Edition an easy choice, especially for someone looking to purchase their first mechanical keyboard. This particular model doesn’t have a keypad, the lack of which is often denoted by the term "tenkeyless." Gamers who use extra large mouse mats may find tenkeyless options to be a saving grace for desk space. The Tournament Edition may be small, but it certainly doesn't slack in features. All of the keys can be programmed, and macros can be recorded on the fly with up to 20 software profiles giving you enough room to create profiles for each of your favorite games and then some. It is also available in two flavors: Cherry MX Blue or Cherry MX Brown in Stealth Edition, depending on your mechanical switch preference. There is also a full 104 key layout version available for Mac users at the same price.

  

Mouse 

  Most gaming mice come with anywhere from five to ten programmable buttons (which you can assign to specific functions such as sprinting, crouching or reloading), while an MMO-style mouse might cram 20 or more onto its chassis. These can give you a leg up on the competition, when used correctly.

Many also offer various backlighting options to make them more attractive to look at. Occasionally a mouse comes with removable weights, allowing you to make the mouse heavier or lighter until you’ve found your “perfect” weight.
Wired mice vs wireless is another consideration you might have, but our view is that wired is best. The breadth of choice is much bigger if you opt for a wire, and you don't have to faff around with replacing batteries. Some gamers also say they can notice a lag with some wireless mice.
Whatever you're after, whether you're a twitch-gaming fanatic looking for the perfect precision headshots or a MOBA gamer trying to maximise your DPS, there's a mouse that'll suit your needs, and after using one, you'll never go back.

 SteelSeries Rival ( £53)

 For a price of around £53, the  SteelSeries Rival is a contender for the best gaming mouse on a budget. Why? Even though when compared to other gaming mice, the Rival looks a bit ‘basic’, it’s far from it under the hood. It features an advanced PMW3310 optical sensor that is said to offer zero hardware acceleration and true 1:1 tracking, enabling precise movement – and you can tell the difference instantly. Even at higher sensitivities, the SteelSeries Rival is extremely accurate and has enabled us to react quicker than we’ve been able to in the past. Its adjustable CPI is amazing, and offers adjustments from 50 to 6500, enabling gamers to find the perfect cursor sensitivity for their style of gaming. The best part is that you don’t have to settle on one setting – there’s a button directly beneath the scroll wheel that allows you to switch between various CPI profiles for different situations. SteelSeries Engine 3 enables gamers to access various Rival customisation settings, including programmable buttons, polling rate, angle snapping and acceleration and deceleration speed.

Controller

Your mouse and keyboard are irreplaceable, but what’s more PC than being able to steal and use the input devices of any other platform? Both the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 controller work on PC with an ounce of supplemental help, but our budget favorite is the wired Xbox 360 pad. More and more game pad-friendly games are populating Steam, and more same-screen co-op games seem to come out every week.

Logitech’s name is closely associated with the finest PC gaming peripherals there is. The Logitech

Logitech Gamepad F310

Gamepad F310 is proof of how great their gaming devices are. It’s design is comparable to the DualShock controller used with PlayStation consoles. All 10 of its buttons can be programmed to fit your style of play and it comes with an 8-way D-Pad that’s pretty simple to program. This gamepad primarily works with Windows-based gaming software.

• Great design with a nice mix between the DualShock and Xbox 360 controller

• Allows customization options that can be attached to several player profiles
• Cheap price
• Works with most games

 

Chair

A good chair can last you a decade, and you’re not going to be upgrading to spine 2.0 anytime soon. I set out to find the best chairs for long gaming sessions by talking to an ergonomist and spending three months researching and testing chairs with the PC Gamer staff. 

DXRacer FE11/NI Black Indigo Formula Series

 
The DXRacer FE11/NI Black Indigo Formula Series is a racing-style bucket gaming chair that features ergonomic and lumbar support. This stylish chair is priced at $299. Features:

• Ergonomic design - bonus headrest & lumbar support cushion
• Extra high backrest supporting neck & spine
• Flexible, adjustable seat back
• Breathable material: Smooth PU vinyl cover & strong mesh
• Soft armrests with adjustable pieces for shoulders & wrists
• Heavy duty aluminum base with footrests & tilt

Headphones

These days, if you want to get the full gaming experience, you’re going to need a headset. While it’s possible to use a separated combo of headphones and microphone – which may actually be preferable in some cases, which we’ll explore later – the convenience of a two-in-one headset is hard to pass up.
But top-notch gaming headset will put a dent in your wallet. If you need utmost quality and have a few hundred dollars to spend, consider browsing through what Sennheiser, SteelSeries, and Razer can offer. On the other hand, if you’re willing to forego some quality in order to save money, you’ll want to look elsewhere. Let’s say your budget is capped at $25. What’s available in that range? The pickings won’t be amazing, but you may be surprised by how much that can buy.

Logitech H390 Clear-chat Headset ($25)

Logitech is one of the most reliable brands when it comes to affordable computer peripherals. It’s not uncommon to hear about Logitech’s mice, keyboards, and headsets lasting for five to ten years without any issues. I can personally attest to it as well.
So it’s mind-blowing that their products are sold at such low price points. This Clear Chat headset is only $25, yet it comes with a noise-cancelling microphone with inline controls for volume and muting. The design is sleek, the headphone pads are comfortable, and the reviews are stellar.


Author : Saatvik Awasthi

[Tutorial] Create a bootable Windows USB drive

A common use of a bootable USB flash drive is to use it for booting into Windows. This can allow you to perform diagnostics on a computer that has hardware issues or can't boot into Windows. You can also use the flash drive to install Windows, instead of using the Windows installation CD.

This guide will outline making a bootable USB flash drive with Windows XP, Vista, and 7. Before we begin, it is important to note that the computer you want to use your bootable USB drive must have the ability of booting to a USB drive. Most computers built since Windows Vista was released are capable of booting to a USB device. Prior to the Windows Vista time frame, it's hit or miss with motherboards.


To determine if a computer is capable of booting to a USB device, access the Computer BIOS and check the bootable device list. If a USB device is listed, set the USB drive to be the first boot device. If you do not see a USB device in the list of bootable devices, your BIOS is not capable of booting to a USB device. (NOTE: You may need to have your USB flash drive plugged in when you access the BIOS)


Windows Vista and Windows 7 users

To make a bootable USB drive for Windows Vista or Windows 7, you need to have Windows Vista or 7 installed on your computer. It is recommended that you have a flash drive of at least 4 GB in size, in order to store all the necessary files.

Tip: Before you start, plug in the USB drive and backup any files you have stored on the USB drive. The drive will be formatted during this process and all files on it will be deleted.

Note: You need to have a Windows Vista or Windows 7 DVD for these instructions to be successful.

1. Open an elevated Windows command line window by clicking Start, typing in cmd in the search text field, then pressing CTRL + Shift + Enter on your keyboard (at the same time). You can also access this by navigating to Start, All Programs, Accessories, right-click with your mouse on the Command Prompt menu item and select Run as Administrator.

2. At the command prompt, type cd c:\windows\system32 to change the directory to the Windows system32 directory. Ensure your USB drive is plugged in, typeDISKPART, then press Enter. Type LIST DISK and press Enter.

·         See our diskpart command page for additional information on this command.

3. You will see a listing of the disk drives connected to your computer. Find the disk number of your USB drive and type SELECT DISK [USB disk #], where "[USB disk #]" is the disk # for your USB drive. It should now state that your USB drive is the selected disk. If you're not sure what disk is the USB disk, eject the USB drive, perform step number 2 again, connect the USB drive again, and compare the results. Usually the USB drive will be the last drive.

4. Type in the following commands, one by one, pressing Enter after each command.

CLEAN


CREATE PARTITION PRIMARY


SELECT PARTITION 1


ACTIVE


FORMAT FS=NTFS



(may take a couple minutes, depending on the USB drive size)


ASSIGN


EXIT

Keep the command prompt window open, but you can minimize it for a little bit.

5. You will now need your Windows Vista or 7 Installation DVD. Put the DVD in your computer's DVD drive. Open up My Computer and note which drive letter is assigned to your DVD Drive and your USB flash drive.

6. Go back to the command prompt window and type in D: CD BOOT (substitute your DVD drive letter for "D:", if necessary) and press Enter. Type CD BOOT again and press Enter. Lastly, type BOOTSECT.EXE /NT60 H: (substitute your USB flash drive letter for "H:", if necessary) and press Enter.

7. The last step is to copy the entire contents of the Windows DVD to your USB flash drive. To do this, in the My Computer window (opened in step 5 above), right-click on the DVD drive and select Open to view the contents of the DVD. Copy all the files and folders on the DVD to the USB flash drive.

Your USB flash drive is now set up to be a bootable USB drive for Windows Vista or 7.

Windows XP users

To make the bootable USB drive for Windows XP, it is recommended that you have a flash drive of at least 4 GB in size, in order to store all the necessary files. You also need to download Windows Server 2003 SP1 and a program called PE Builder (also known as Bart PE).

·         Windows Server 2003 SP1

·         Bart PE

Tip: Before you start, plug in the USB drive and backup any files you have stored on the USB drive. The drive will be formatted during this process and all files on it will be deleted.

Note: You need to have a Windows XP Professional CD for these instructions to be successful. This will not work for Windows XP Home Edition.

1. Install PE Builder on your computer. For the sake of ease, install the program to aC:\PEBuilder folder. After you've installed PE Builder, create a folder titled SRSP1 in the PEBuilder folder.

2. Now you need to extract two files from Windows Server 2003 SP1. The filename is quite long, so it is recommended that you rename the file to something shorter, likeWS-SP1.exe. Open a command prompt (Start > Run, type cmd and press Enter) and use the cd command to change to the folder where you downloaded the Windows Server 2003 SP1 file to (i.e. cd c:\downloads to change to the c:\downloads folder). Then, type WS-SP1.exe -x to extract the files. A window should open asking where to extract the files. You can enter the same folder where the file was downloaded.

3. A new folder titled i386 will be created by the extraction process. Type cd i386 to change to that folder. You now need to copy the setupldr.bin file to the SRSP1 folder you created in the PE Builder folder. Type copy setupldr.bin c:\PEBuilder\SRSP1 to copy the file.

4. You also need to expand the ramdisk.sys file to the SRSP1 folder.

Type

 expand -r ramdisk.sy_ c:\PEBuilder\SRSP1

5. Open My Computer and navigate to the c:\PEBuilder\SRSP1 folder and verify the two files are there.

6. Next, you need to create a compressed version of Windows XP using PE Builder. Make sure the Windows XP Professional CD is in your computer's CD drive, then launch the PE Builder program. In the Source field, type in the drive letter assigned to your CD Drive (you can check in My Computer if you are not sure) (e.g. "d:"). In the Output field, type BartPE. Make sure the None option is selected in the Media output section. Then click the Build button.

A progress report shows the progress of the bootable image build. When the build process is complete, click the Close button.

7. Now, you can create the bootable USB flash drive. 
Open a command prompt again and type cd c:\PEBuilder to change to the PEBuilder folder. Make sure your USB drive is plugged in to your computer and type pe2usb -f e: (change "e:" to the drive letter assigned to your USB flash drive, if necessary) to create the bootable drive. When prompted to begin the process, type YES. When the process is complete, press any key to exit the program.

Your USB flash drive is now set up to be a bootable USB drive for Windows XP using the Bart PE interface.