User Account Control (UAC) is a feature introduced in Windows Vista to improve the security of Windows by limiting applications to standard user privileges until an administrator authorizes an increase in privilege level.

If you’re annoyed by the UAC notifications that prompt up every time you execute an EXE file or run a program even though you already know that it’s 100% safe, here’s a quick writeup by me to guide you on how to disable UAC notification, and save you from the hassle of doing more just to achieve the same task.

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So after running the script and restarting my computer, I wasted no time immediately changed my desktop background setting to the animated wallpaper which looks like this:

It looks cool and special, but this is the price I’ve to pay for – higher memory consumption and relatively slower Windows Start up. So whether it is worth the price, is totally your call :-)

You may download it here.

According to wiki, here are the significant improvements:

The new version features a new and improved UI (User Interface) that also combines Windows Aero, and minor fixes to the user interface. The setup program has also received a new look, along with the setup programs for Windows Live Mail and Writer. It will also for the first time install in a Windows Live Messenger folder, compared to previous versions installing in a MSN Messenger folder, and the shortcut will be placed in a new ‘Windows Live’ folder in the Start menu. A new “Bunny” emoticon has also been added. It will also have improved security, integrating itself with Windows Live OneCare. ^[1][2][3] It is unsure if this is version 8.5 as its menu bar and About box describe it as ‘Windows Live Messenger 8.1 BETA’

Here’s the screenshot

And A-patch for 8.5 beta has also been released. Grab it here.

Enjoy!

I’ve actually got myself a Winfast 8500GT 256MB DDR2 last weekend for the price of RM340. Initially I wanted to get 8600GT but it’s slightly over-budget considering the fact the I’m just a casual gamer. It’s good enough for games like NFS Carbon and CnC3 under normal settings, I haven’t had the chance to get my hand dirty on a real DirectX 10 game though.

And this is my new Experience Index score, a decent 5.0 that has nothing to brag about, but nevertheless better than my previous 3.4 under 7300GS -_-

Microsoft Surface, which has a 30-inch display under a hard-plastic tabletop, allows people to touch and move objects on screen for everything from digital finger painting and jigsaw puzzles to ordering off a virtual menu in a restaurant.

It also recognizes and interacts with devices placed on its surface, so cell phone users can easily buy ringtones or change payment plans by placing their handsets on in-store displays, or a group of people gathered round the table can check out the photos on a digital camera placed on top.

Source: Reuters

Take a look at the DEMO here, it does look impressive and innovative to me. But whether or not it is worth the price tag between USD5k – 10k, is another story altogether :-)

Anyways, If you’re interested to know how it works, read here.

While using licensed software is the responsibility of everyone, not every home user can afford, or rather willing to spend on retail Microsoft Office that would probably cost more than RM1000, and ended up using free alternative like OpenOffice (that in most case has compatibility issues).

Today I got a copy of legit Microsoft Office 2007 Enterprise for a mere USD22 under my company “Home Use Program”. Though its packaging is simpler if you compare to those you could get off the shelf, it’s a fully functional Enterprise edition. Under this programme, however, the license is tied to my employment; Meaning to say, it will end when my employment under this company is terminated. For more information, you can read here.

Of course, not every company offers this benefits, for this, you might want to check with your respective IT/Infrastructure department. P/S: Sorry for the pictar quality :p

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However, thanks to dattebayo’s workaround here, it is still possible to get MPC worked with Aero. The trick is, just select any mode other than “Overlay Mixer” in Output options, in my case, “VMR9 (Renderless)” is selected:

And voila…my beloved Aero effect is back :p

According to dattebayo, however, there will be minor impact in term of performance, but it doesn’t really matter to me :-)

This morning, I’ve come across a nice Task Manager replacement called ProcessExplorer. This small utility is extremely useful in managing processes, handling leaks, troubleshooting as well as providing more insight into the way Windows and applications work.

For more information about this software, please proceed to Spherebox. Click here to read more.

I’m trying to make it practical as possible, though I’m still looking for a decent RSS reader for my sidebar. Please kindly let me know if you’ve other recommendations.