Social Icons

Showing posts with label Windows 8. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Windows 8. Show all posts

Thursday, January 29, 2015

How to Set Up Google Chromecast : Windows 8

1.   Chromecast is a 2.83-inch (72 mm) HDMI dongle ,a digital media player developed by Google that plays audio/video content on a high-definition display by directly streaming it via Wi-Fi from the Internet or a local network. Users select the media to play using mobile apps and web apps that support the Google Cast technology. Alternatively, content can be mirrored from the Google Chrome web browser running on a personal computer, as well as from the screen of some Android devices.This post further brings you screen shots of the Chromecast setup as I set it up on one windows 8 Laptop...sadly it doesn't have a straight setup for UBUNTU OS...though I have seen few forums wherein a plugin mention in regular chrome browser would set the cast working...but alas not tried that...here it is a simply setting it up on Windows 8.

Step 1 : As you plugin the chromecast powered by USB Power in the HDMI slot ,you get a similar looking screen.
  
On your Chrome browser log onto google.com/chromecast/setup
As you click the above link you get a download setup file...around 800 kb...download that and your installation begins....
Typical Next Next.....
You get the device number as detected by the Laptop machine

Once connected a unique code is seen as below on the TV...just confirm that you see the same on your PC too as shown further below :
Unique code replicated on Laptop screen as below :
Click on That's My Code and continue as seen below :
Seen connecting to the network SSID
Setting up the Device on joining the network
and you are ready to cast :
The first time the device is ready to cast,expect recent update on the Chromecast dongle like seen below...likely to take few minutes...mine took 7-8 minutes
Updating still....12%
Updating still....61%
Updated and now applying updates
and the first look of the device on way to cast a Youtube stream as below :
What do I cast first ?...off course Rajinikanth....:-)

Few things to ponder and for info first time users :

- Why is not ready for Opensource OS?
- Works equally ready with Android devices with ease
- Does not work on a Windows OS running in Virtual Box/Machine.

Tuesday, March 18, 2014

UBUNTU 12.04 LTS beats Windows 7,MAC @ GCHQ Report

1.    Now this is some good news for all Ubuntu lovers.Ubuntu 12.04 LTS has topped a UK security agency’s security assessment of mobile and desktop operating systems.CESG (originally Communications-Electronics Security Group) is the group within GCHQ(an intelligence and security organization, working to keep Britain safe and secure in the challenging environment of IT communications).CESG conducted a series of tests in the last few months to review a set of 11 operating systems which currently run on various devices such as desktops, laptops, servers, mobile phones and tablets. The security assessment included the following categories:

    - VPN
    - Disk Encryption
    - Authentication
    - Secure Boot
    - Platform Integrity and Application Sandboxing
    - Application Whitelisting
    - Malicious Code Detection and Prevention
    - Security Policy Enforcement
    - External Interface Protection
    - Device Update Policy
    - Event Collection for Enterprise Analysis
    - Incident Response


2.   Ubuntu 12.04 LTS is the only operating system to fully pass 9 of the 12 listed security recommendations above.Ubuntu was marked down on VPN and encryption because its implementation/software has yet to be independently assessed by an approved CESG body.The VPN issue is likely to be addressed in the UBUNTU 14.04 LTS thats likely arrival date is somewhere in Apr 2014...ie in another about two months from now.

3.    The list of operating systems which were compared are mentioned below :

- Windows 7/8
- Android 4.2
- Samsung devices with Android 4.2
- Apple iOS6
- Apple OSX 10.8
- Blackberry 10.1(EMM Corporate)
- Blackberry 10.1(EMM Regulate)
- Google Chrome OS 26
- Windows 8 RT
- Windows Phone 8


4.  What Canonical has to say about this

“We are working hard to close the gap and make Ubuntu clearly stand out as the most trustworthy operating system for the future and we hope to make excellent progress before our next LTS release in April 2014, 14.04 LTS, which will be even better,” Darryl Weaver, Canonical Sales Engineer

5.  Few screen shots from web with this news :





6.   Source of news as above...thanks http://www.zdnet.com

Tuesday, December 31, 2013

New Laptops without Windows 8 @ Rare

1.   Strange it may seem but the current availability of Laptops for sale in the market show a peculiar sad state of specs...ie they are available only with Windows 8.There are rare options on few sites that offer New laptops for sale without Windows OS.I have been planning to buy a laptop with i3/i5 processor and in my search over various sites I came across this sad but surprising stat.

2.  Infact leading online shopping retails in Dubai have got NIL option to buy a laptop without Windows 8.I checked up at the following sites :

- http://www.carrefouruae.com/
- http://www.ic4uae.com/

3.   Even the options without Windows 8 on leading retails in India have much lesser options then with Windows 8. Checked up at Flipkart, snapdeal,timesofindia shopping to mention a few.
 

 4.   Given these facts...it looks like Microsoft has put in rigorous and vigorous marketing efforts to increase there sales graph for Windows 8.For those guys who wish to buy Windows 8 laptop and then attempt removing the windows and install some Linux flavour...it is equally surprising that unlike till Windows 7 wherein it was relatively a matter of deleting Windows and installing Linux...it is complex removing Windows 8 so the user has to be content with a dual boot option wherein he has to compromise with wastage of space dedicated to Windows....

5.  Thus there is a kind of binding that comes along with these laptops with Windows 8 that you cannot mov to another OS.....:-(

Tuesday, July 09, 2013

Windows 8 and Live USBs & CDs at logger Heads!!

1.  One feature of Windows 8 launched recently has been disabling the option to boot from a Live CD/DVD or a USB right at the beginning.....recently got hold of a Windows 8 laptop of a friend and being in the habit of recommending opensource software's I tried showing him a live DVD of Ubuntu 13.04 but was surprised that every time it booted I could never see the option of selecting option of where to boot from?...that was it...i had no option but to Google and got the answer....the option to boot any windows PC with a live DVD is passe with Windows 8....now the user has to be specific of selection of boot device only once he is inside the OS interface.Bad...Bad...Bad......that's SECURE BOOT by terminology of Microsoft

2.   Dedicated Linux users and communities are the once who immediately start getting irritating owing to this feature that has no choice as on date.The purpose of Secure Boot is to put an end to computer viruses that sneak between the hardware and the operating system. These bootkits work by getting themselves before the OS is loadde, then they make changes to the operating system while it lies defenseless on disk, and then they load the now defenseless operating system and have their way with it. Secure Boot counters the bootkit by ensuring the hardware verifies the identity and authenticity of the software that sits between the hardware and the operating system - the bootloader, and also the software embedded in hardware devices like network and graphics adapters.Although going by the past threats Secure Boot sounds like a smart solution to the bootkit problem but this would be a problem for the majority of users in long run who rely solely on pirated copies of Windows OS.!!!!


3.  This is because today most of the vendors dealing in piracy or the users using pirated DVDs of OS have a option of formatting the PC and then reloading a new OS if the present OS has some issues....and this was possible since he/she would simply choos the BOOT FROM DVD option in the beginning...but now what?If some thing goes awry with your Windows 8 OS,there is no way to access your windows or at the best you need to run to your MS maintenance site.....so there is one good aspect that it is certainly going to curb piracy....but what about the security professionals ???

4. No denying the fact that a LIVE DVD is one of the prized possession of every IT security professional that has a plethora of advantages...so does windows 8 mean an end to all those advantages!!!!its a land lock situation for windows users.I am sure this is not going to last long...may be by windows 8.1 they do something about it!!!!

Friday, October 19, 2012

New Ubuntu AD takes on WINDOWS 8 :-)

Nothing to EXPLAIN here...one popular ad doing the rounds ti promote opensource UBUNTU..although not at the original Ubuntu Home page!!!!This comes just a week before Windows 8 Release..........

Sunday, January 22, 2012

PICTURE PASSWORDS

1. Had read about picture passwords in theory....but was unclear of whats actually in store.Windows 8 has finally given the answer.....this video would be able to give you very clearly of whats the buzz about PICTURE PASSWORD....



Saturday, December 03, 2011

Windows 8 Developer Pre BETA : How to get full screen on a VM?

In continuation with my earlier post here about windows 8 Pre Beta edition,one thing that bugged me for a while was not getting the display across full screen in spite of choosing "view full screen" from drop down.The answer to this goes like this

..SIMPLY CHOOSE A HIGHER RESOLUTION AND U WILL GET IT....

Simple to get till u know!!!!!!!!!!!

Thursday, December 01, 2011

Windows 8 Developer Preview : Pre Beta Version for Developers


I recently downloaded the Windows 8 Preview Developer edition from http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/apps/br229516 and then tried running it as a virtual machine.Found the following issues :

- does not run on VMWARE 7
- runs on VMWARE 8
- Donno y...but runs at a pathetic speed on VMWARE 8 inspite of a good resourceful machine with upto 1.5 GB of RAM.
- Even on installation on VMWARE 8...doesnt show the NIC card so it has no access to Internet.So no updates.
- Runs at a horse's pace in VIRTUAL BOX.
- No NIC issues in virtual box.
Powered By Blogger