Geeky Note

Pyka

• Do you travel by train? And, would you like us to call you and wake you up just in time to get down?


• Do you want to be on time to receive your guest instead of waiting when the train is delayed?

Then, PYKA is For You
[vimeo http://www.vimeo.com/26103353 w=400&h=225]

Sample Message

PYKA 12677 SBC 16-01-2012
This message sets a wake-up phone call for Bangalore City-Ernakulam Intercity Express reaching Bangalore City on 16-08-2011

Message Format

pyka train_number station_code [arrival_date] [mobile] [minutes]

train_number	Number of the train in which the passenger travels
station_code	Station before which wakeup call is to be made
[arrival_date] (optional)	Date of arrival at the destination for future journeys
[mobile] (optional)	Mobile number, if different from the sender
[minutes] (optional)	Minutes before reaching the station, when alarm needs to be raised (default: 20 minutes)

Disclaimer: The service is in beta testing phase. SMS delivery and Voice calls  depend upon a number of factors including network connectivity, congestion, and the phone being powered on. Also, alarms can sometimes use the schedule information.

Source : Pyka

This method will require you to modify the Windows registry

Step 1: Open the Windows Start menu and enter regedit into the search bar.[Backup your Registry before start Cooking]

OR

Windows + R and Type "regedit" [Without Quote]

Step 2: Right click on HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE and select Find.

Step 3: Search for OEMBackground, which should be in Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Authentication\LogonUI\Background. If the key does not exist, add a new DWORD value with the name OEMBackground.

Step 4: Double click on the entry OEMBackground, and change the value from 0 to 1.



Step 5: Open Windows Explorer and go to the following path: %windir%\system32\oobe.

Step 6: Create a new folder named info, and open it.

Step 7: Create a new folder within info named backgrounds.

Step 8: Rename your desired wallpaper as backgroundDefault.jpg and place it inside the folder backgrounds (images must be less than 245KB in size).

That should do the trick, now just lock your PC, log off or reboot and enjoy.

When I bought a new notebook recently, I resolved to take better care of my laptop battery this time than I had with my previous ones. With my last laptops the battery was more or less dead after a year or so. If a battery is treated with care it can last up to four years. I thought that I knew how a notebook battery has to be handled, but after googling this topic , I realized that quite a few of my beliefs were outdated.



There are two important keywords when it comes to battery            preservation:

Charging and Temperature.

That is, how the batteries are charged, and the temperatures to which they are exposed, are key factors that determine their lifespan.

There is a lot of confusion surrounding this issue, mostly because lithium-ion batteries are different from older, Nickel-based batteries ,Charging them incorrectly can decrease their Lifespan.

Most lithium batteries should last you a few years, but improper care can decrease that lifespan, meaning that your battery will be unable to hold a charge or unable to hold as big a charge as it used to quicker.

So, to clear things up, here's how to actually extend your battery's health as much as possible.

•  Don't leave it fully charged : 

Lithium-ion batteries don't need to be charged all the way to 100%. In fact, they'd prefer not to be so the     40% - 80%rule you heard is a good guideline. When possible, keep it in that range to prolong its life as long as you can. And, if you do charge it to 100%, don't leave it plugged in. This is something most of us do, but it's
another thing that will degrade your battery's health.

• Perform shallow discharges :

Instead of discharging to 0% all the time, lithium-ion batteries do best when you discharge them for a little bit, then charge them for a little bit. The table  from Battery University, shows that discharges to 50% are better for your battery's long-term life than (since the 50% discharges provide the best number of cycles-to-usage ratio).

Depth of discharge (DoD) determine the cycle count. The smaller the depth of discharge, the longer the battery will last.

• Keep it cool :

Most people overlook this one. Excess heat is not only bad for your processor (and your lap), but your battery as well.

Once again, see the table from Battery University at the right side a hot battery will degrade in health much quicker than a cool one. As such, I highly recommend using a laptop stand or Cooling Pad.

• Fully discharge it once a month :

This may seem contradictory, but hear us out. While lithium-ion batteries shouldn't be discharged regularly, most modern batteries are what's known as "smart batteries", which means that they can tell you how long you have until your battery dies (e.g. "2 hours, 15 minutes remaining"). This feature can get miscalibrated
after a lot of shallow discharges. So, manufacturers recommend fully discharging your battery once a month to make sure this stays accurate.

Keep these things in mind and your battery will last longer.