10 Inventions That Will Change Your Everyday Life

Finding new uses of old techniques,methods and gadgets is true innovation. This is a top 10 list that talks about everyday use items which has been improved in one way or another.

10. Wi-Fi Routers      

Chinese scientists have tweaked the average Wi-Fi router by introducing a router that relies on light to transmit data rather than radio waves. If you’re thinking that this is just a fantasy then you are mistaken. Office buildings in Minnesota are already users of this tweaked Wi-Fi- router. For those who are wondering how you can use light for transmission, well it uses a form of binary code and works by flickering of light at a speed which the human eye is unable to register. The following video tells more about this new invention!

9. Touch Screens

Origin of Big Names

There are many companies / brands / products whose names were derived from strange circumstances/things/happenings.

Google

The name started as a joke boasting about the amount of information the search-engine would be able to search. It was originally named ‘Googol’, a word for the number represented by 1 followed by 100 zeros. After founders- Stanford graduate students Sergey Brin and Larry Page presented their project to an angel investor, they received a cheque made out to ‘Google’ …thus the name.

Apple Computers

It was the favorite fruit of founder Steve Jobs. He was three months late in filing a name for the business, and he threatened to call his company Apple Computers if the other colleagues didn’t suggest a better name by 5 O’clock that evening.

Hotmail

Founder Jack Smith got the idea of accessing e-mail via the web from a computer anywhere in the world. When Sabeer Bhatia came up with the business plan for the mail service, he tried all kinds of names ending in ‘mail’ and finally settled for hotmail as it included the letters “html” – the programming language used to write web pages. It was initially referred to as HoTMaiL with selective uppercasing.

Yahoo!

The word was invented by Jonathan Swift and used in his book ‘Gulliver’s Travels’. It represents a person who is repulsive in appearance and action and is barely human. Yahoo! Founders Jerry Yang and David Filo 

selected the name because they considered themselves yahoos.

Microsoft

Coined by Bill Gates to represent the company that was devoted to MICROcomputer SOFTware. Originally christened Micro-Soft, the ‘-’ was removed later on.

Are You Addicted To Your Computer?

Software engineers dont die. They simply log off !

( But you have to force them, to do that !!! )

A World Without Facebook [INFOGRAPHIC]

After it's launch back in 2004, Facebook's growth has been phenomenal. It has become a key part of our lives and we just can't live without it. But what if Facebook was never founded? What would we do without it? How big a role does Facebook really play in our lives? Find out answer to all these questions in the infographic below.

21 Lesser Known Windows Keyboard Shortcuts

Using keyboard shortcuts helps you increase your typing speed, saves handsome amount of time and also relieve hands from that pain caused by using mouse repetitively. CTRL+C and CTRL+V are the most commonly used keyboard shortcuts but there are many others to increase productivity. We have compiled 20 lesser known Windows Keyboard Shortcuts categorized into their area of use that are incredibly helpful in increasing productivity as they make common daily tasks a lot easier. Global Windows Shortcuts Win+1, 2, 3, 4,5 etc. will open each program in your task bar. It is helpful in a way that it keeps most recently used programs at the beginning of your task bar so you can open them one right after another. This also works in Windows Vista for the quick launch icons. Win+Alt+1, 2, 3,4 etc. will open the jump list for each program in the task bar. You can then use your arrows to select which jump list option you want to open. Win+Home minimizes all programs except current the window. Win+M minimizes all open windows. Win+B selects the system tray which is not always useful but can come in very handy if your mouse stops working. Win+Up/Down maximizes and restores down the current window so long as that window has the option to be maximized. It is exactly the same as clicking on the middle button on your windows. Alt+Esc is similar to Alt+Tab but switches windows in the order they were opened and does not have the fancy window preview overlay. Ctrl+Esc opens Start menu, useful if your keyboard does not have a Windows key. Win+Pause/Break will open your system properties window. This can be helpful if you need to see the name of a computer or simple system statistics. You don't have to right click My Computer or look in Control Panel. Ctrl+Shift+Esc provides quick access to Windows Task Manager when you want to force quit specific slow responding program. Alt+Space will open current window's System menu (System menu contains options to move, re-size, minimize, maximize, or close the window). This shortcut can also be helpful with windows that don't close with the Alt+F4 shortcut such as the command window. Windows Explorer Shortcuts Alt+Up will navigate up one folder level since the up arrow on the menu bar was removed in Windows Vista. Shift+F10 opens the "right click" menu for a file/folder. This can be very handy for speed especially if you know which option you want to select. Look for an underlined letter in each option to know which letter you can press for faster access. Shift+Del deletes a file without sending it to the recycle bin. Ctrl+Shift+N creates a new folder in your current directory. Alt+Enter opens the file properties so you can view file size, sharing settings, and creation date. F2 renames a file or folder. Just select any file or folder with a single click and press F2 to rename selected object. F3 will open Windows Search to search for files or folders. This shortcut also works in Firefox which lets you search the opened web page. In some programs it will also open the search dialog to search within that program. F6 cycles objects in the current window. In explorer this will cycle between the location bar, options bar, left pane, and right pane. It also works with varying success in other programs. F10 toggles the file menu in explorer. Miscellaneous Shortcuts Windows Key+L is quite useful and big time saver. Use Windows Key+L to lock your screen in case you need to be away from your system for a short while.

Are you sure this is the right way?

Thrill seekers risk their lives a taking a walk along 'world's most-dangerous path'

Teetering along a crumbling walkway over 100 metres high, a group of intrepid climbers carefully inch their way across what has been dubbed the most dangerous path in the world.

And they're not alone. Adrenaline-junkies have been flocking to southern Spain to experience the 110-year-old El Caminito Del Rey before work begins to refurbish it next tear.

Companies have now begun offering unofficial tours after a video of a walker tackling the hair-raising trail went viral on YouTube.

scroll down for video

Don't look down! Climbers braving Spain's El Caminito Del Rey tackle a sheer a cliff face where the dilapidated walkway has completely fallen through

On the edge: A close-up shows the hair-raising crossing. Adrenaline junkies are flocking to take on the path after a YouTube video appeared of a walker tackling the trail wearing minimal safety equipment

And you don't need to be an experienced climber either, the only requirements are thatwalkers should be at least twelve years old and have a good head for heights.

The trail, also known as the King's Pathway, was originally built in 1905 for workers to travel between two hydroelectric power plants but was closed-off in 2000 after two walkers fell to their deaths.

It snakes its way along cliff edges high up in El Chorro Gorge, thirty miles from Malaga. 

Much of the one-metre-wide walkway is crumbing away with rusting supports, gaping holes, no handrails and sections that have completely fallen down.

A makeshift wire has now been attached to the rock face which walkers and climbers can clip themselves on to in order to have some degree of security - but many still prefer not to use any safety equipment at all.

Work is now due to start on an 8.3 million project to make the pathway safe again and attract more tourists to the area.

History: El Caminito Del Rey, also known as the King's Pathway, was originally built in 1905 for workers to travel between two hydroelectric power plants but was closed-off in 2000 after two walkers fell to their deaths

No walk in the park: The final stages of the path have fallen through so walkers must abseil down around 100 metres in order to complete the trail 

It will take three years to re-construct and will see the pathway completely rebuilt with hand rails, protective barriers, lighting and a visitors centre..

One climber on the route last week said: 'It's a shame they're going to fix the path.

'It will sanitise it too much and take the thrill out of it. 

'It's free for us to go on right now but I'm sure they'll make us pay to use it in the future.'

Crumbling: Repair work to the 110-year-old park is due to start later this year

Mind your step: The walkway is riddled with hundreds of holes 

The Evolution Of Email (1965 — 2011) [INFOGRAPHIC]

Microsoft has released a compelling infographic that takes a trip down the memory lane —  explaining the historical milestones of email. Email introduced all the way back in 1965 at MIT and Ray Tomlinson became the first person to send an email over the network. Moreover, the much-hated spam started to grow in early 1990s. Check out the infographic (below) for more…

Top Fascinating Facts About Apple You Didn’t Know

Apple is the biggest consumer electronics company in the world, without a doubt. No other company has captured the public's fascination the way Apple has. Over the years it has transformed into more than just a company or corporation, but for many it has become a representation of a lifestyle or culture, and a status symbol complete with a larger fan base than most pop stars. The company is known just as much for its veil of secrecy and ability to get the Internet buzzing with rumors, as it is for the actual products. You're probably in on the gossip, but there are likely a few things you don't know about Apple. So read on for the origins of product names, factoids about the Apple logo, what Wozniak sold to finance the Apple I, and more wonders dug up from the archives of Apple's past. Jony Ive Sticks to the Same Shirt in Every Apple Commercial Although much is made of Steve Jobs' uniform outfit (black St. Croix turtle neck, Levi 501 jeans, New Balance trainers) it turns out he is not the only senior Apple staffer to stick to the same styling year in and year out. Apple's senior Vice President of Industrial Design Jony Ive appears to have worn, if not the same, then the samestyle of t-shirt in every single Apple intro product video to date. For the last ten years, at least. Who Is John Appleseed? The name John, or Johnny Appleseed comes up time and time again in Apple history, but so far there is yet to be an official explanation as to why. As many students will know, Johnny Appleseed was an 18th century American pioneer, missionary, and gardener. He was a kind-hearted folk hero with a penchant for apples, which appears to be the only tenuous connection to Apple Inc. The earliest Johnny Appleseed reference we can find relates to Apple investor and former CEO Mike Markkula, it was apparently the pen-name he used when he wrote programs for the Apple II. Then there's the letter that could be seen when the Leopard Text Edit icon was enlarged. Yes, there is an actual letter composed on that icon, and it's Apple's "Think Different" campaign that ran in print and television ads in 1997: "Here's to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They're not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can't do is ignore them. Because they change things." That letter, is addressed to "Kate" and signed "Take Care, John Appleseed." And most notably, John Appleseed shows up in the iPhone ads and related iPhone and Mac imagery. We fully admit to being geeks, as we actually called John Appleseed's number. Sadly, all we got on the other line was a voicemail box that hadn't yet been set up, and when we e-mailed to appleseed_john@mac.com it came back with a "delivery to the following recipient failed permanently," which seems like a missed marketing opportunity.

Internet Explorer versions 1 through 9 compared, signs of progress found (video)

Most sane folks will have greeted the arrival of Internet Explorer 9 with a curious click on a download button or a simple update of the browser they were already using, but that's not enough for everyone. One chap with a taste for the eccentrically geeky decided to take this opportunity to go through a retrospective of every version of IE, going all the way back to Windows 95's first iteration, and to run the Acid compatibility tests to see how they stand up to modern standards. IE1, the ancient, CSS-deprived beast that it is, choked immediately and failed to even display its homepage without an error, but things improved steadily from there until the triumph of iteration 9. See all that glorious progress happening in the space of just a few minutes in the video after the break.

Royal Wedding Fails...

Facebook Status Tips & Tricks

Facebook is the largest growing social network today and with its ever-changing layout, there are some pretty smart tricks you can pull using your humble Facebook status. We have pulled together 10 great how-to tips that will help you get the most out of your status update on facebook, from official features to apps, Easter eggs, jokes and more. Perfect for newer Facebook users, or anyone who is looking for a refresher, read on and let us know the ones you like in the comments below. HOW TO: Play a Trick On Your Friends in Your Status Update Want to play an amusing trick on your Facebook buddies???? This clever link "http://facebook.com/profile.php?=73322363" looks like it could be a URL for anyone's Facebook profile, actually takes anyone logged into Facebook to their own profile page. If you try it out, be sure to remove the link preview that Facebook auto-ads. Have fun! HOW TO: See Your Status Update Stats Have you ever wondered how many times you have updated your status on Facebook? The Facebook app Status Statistics, can tell you this and more. The app analyzes your updates and gives you a list of how many you've written, the average word count and how many times a day you post. In addition, it generates a graph that shows you what time of day or what days of the week you normally update. Old statuses are also searchable via the app, so you can find your previous statuses without having to scroll back through your history.

Fun Facts About Google You Didn't Know

What do you think of when someone say the words "search engine"? 99% Chances are, you think of Google, arguably the most popular search engine on the Web today. Despite ever-increasing commercial success since that date, its owners (Sergey Brin and Larry Page) have stuck to their word that "Google is not a conventional company. We do not intend to become one." It's an unconventional company with a huge stake in our online lives. It is a source of fascination for many, including us, but what really happens in the Googleplex? And what cool factoids and stats exist from the company's relatively short past? Here we bring you the Top 10 fun facts about Google to quench our own thirst for Google knowledge as well as hopefully offer you a distracting diversion from your daily life.

How To Hide Your Secret Data In A Text File

If you have some secret data that you don't want others to see & wondering how to hide that, then you are at the right place at the right time. Today we will going to show how to hide data in a text file that can't be seen by anybody else unless they know the name of the secret compartment or stream in a file. How it Works? The NTFS file system in Windows has supported Alternate Data Streams, which allow you to store data "behind" a filename with the use of a stream name. It is not detectable while browsing the file system, or anywhere within Windows. It can only be accessed with the "secret key" which is really just the name of the stream. You can think of these extra streams as secret compartments within the file, that can only be accessed if you know the "secret code", which in this case is just the name of the stream. Your data is not going to be completely secure but you should know the trick just for the sake of fun. Note: The trick only works on a drive formatted with NTFS. How To Hide Data in a Secret Compartment? Open a command prompt and use the following syntax: notepad SomeFile.txt:SecretWordHere.txt You can use anything after the colon as a secret word, the key is that there can't be any spaces between the first filename and the colon. If you didn't specify .txt on the end, Notepad will automatically add it, and ask if you want to create a new file, even if SomeFile.txt already existed, because SecretSquirrel!.txt doesn't already exist. Write whatever you want in the file and then save it. The file size will still be the same as before. You can even open up the file by double-clicking on it, and add whatever data you want to make the file look normal. You can use the command line again to add a second hidden "compartment" with a different name. You can add whatever other information to this file that you would like. None of these hidden files will affect the other, or change the main file. Just remember you have to use the command line to access the hidden data. Once a stream is created, you can't copy the file to a different location and access that stream there because the stream is not a part of the file. How To Detect Files with Streams? As we said above that these files ain't completely hidden from everybody, because you can use a small command line application called Streams.exe to detect files that have streams, including the names of the streams. In our case we'd use the following syntax. streams.exe SomeFile.txt The names of the streams are shown, which would allow you to easily access them. If you're using Windows 7, you can simply use the /R argument to the DIR command to see the streams. How To Delete Streams? You can use the same Streams.exe command to delete all streams from a file, although we are not sure that you can delete just a single stream. Use the following syntax streams.exe -d SomeFile.txt The streams are now removed from the file. How To Add Data To Hidden Streams? You can add data to a hidden stream by using a number of commands, or really anything that can pipe input or output and accept the standard FileName:StreamName syntax. You could use "echo" command for this purpose. echo "Neat!" > SomeFile.txt:Test You can see with the streams command in the example above that we now have a hidden stream on the file. How To Read a Stream? You can read data from the stream by piping data into the more command, using this syntax more < FileName:StreamName In our example the actual command was this: more < SomeFile.txt:SecretSquirrel!.txt You can see that the secret data that we added is outputted to the console.