Yesterday we looked at the Browser Ballot Screen, which offers 12 different browsers as alternatives to IE for European Windows users. This got us thinking about this weeks question. What browser do you use for your daily web navigation?

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Yesterday we showed you the Browser Ballot Screen which was introduced in March to Windows users in Europe. While it offers the choice of the most well known browsers on the market, there are some obscure choices as well. This got us thinking about what web browser(s) you use at home, in the office, or even on your mobile devices.

Some people might have a favorite browser they use at home but are required to use IE at work due to proprietary applications the company uses. Also, if you use an operating system other than Windows, you might favor Safari, Firefox, Konqueror..etc.

What web browser do you use? Leave a comment and join in the discussion!

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Today look at MCEBuddy for Windows 7 Media Center. This handy app automatically takes your recorded TV files and converts them to MP4, AVI, WMV, or MPEG format. It even has the option to cut out those annoying commercials during the conversion process.

Installation and Configuration

Download and extract MCE Buddy. (Download link below) Run the setup.exe file and take all the default settings.

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Open MCEBuddy Configuration by going to Start > All Programs > MCEBuddy > MCEBuddy Configuration.

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Video Paths

The MCEBuddy application is comprised of a single window. The first step you’ll want to take is to define your Source and Destination paths. The “Source” will most likely be your Recorded TV directory. The Destination should NOT be the same as the Source folder.

Note: The Recorded TV directory in Windows 7 Media Center will only display and play WTV & DVR-MS files. To watch the converted MP4, AVI, WMV, or MPEG files in Windows Media Center you’ll need to add them to your Video Library or Movie Library.

Video Conversion

Next, choose your preferred format for conversion from the “Convert to” drop down list. The default is MP4 with the H.264 codec. You’ll find a wide variety of formats. The first set of conversion options in the drop down list will resize the video to 720 pixels wide. The next two sections maintain the original size, and the final section is for a variety of portable devices.

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Next, you’ll see a group of check boxes below the “Convert to” drop down list. The Commercial Skipping option will cut the commercials while converting the file. Sort By Series will create a sub-folder in your Destination folder for each TV show. Delete Original will delete the WTV file after conversion is complete. (This option is not recommended unless you are sure your files are converting properly and you no longer need the WTV file.) Start Minimized is ideal if you want to run MCEBuddy on Windows startup.

Note: MCEBuddy installs and uses Comskip for commercial cutting by default. However, if you have ShowAnalyzer installed, it will use that application instead.

Advanced Options

To choose a specific time of day to perform the conversions, click the checkbox under the “Advanced Options,” and select the starting and ending times for conversion. For example, convert between 2 hours and 5 hours would be between 2 am and 5am. If you want MCEBuddy to constantly look for and immediately convert new recordings, leave the box unchecked.

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The “Video age” option lets you choose a specific number of days to wait before performing the conversion. This can be useful if you want to watch the recordings first and delete those you don’t wish to convert. You can also choose the “Sub Directories” if you’d like MCEBuddy to convert files that are in a sub-folder in your “Source” directory.

Second Conversion

As you might expect, this option allows MCEBuddy to perform a second conversion of your file. This can be useful if you want to use your first conversion to create a higher quality MP4 or AVI file for playback on a larger screen, and a second one for a portable device such as Zune or iPhone. The same options from the first conversion are also available for the second. You’ll want to choose a separate Destination folder for the second conversion.

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Start and Monitor Progress

To start converting your video files, simply press the “Start” button at the bottom.

You’ll be able to follow the progress in the “Current Activity” section.

When all the video files have finished converting, or there are no current files to convert, MCEBuddy will display a “Started – Idle” status. Click “Stop” if you don’t want MCEBuddy to continue scanning for new files.

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Conclusion

MCEBuddy 1.1 will convert all WTV files in it’s source folder. If you want to pick and choose which recordings to convert, you may want to define a source folder different than the Recorded TV folder and then just copy or move the files you wish to convert into the new source folder. The conversion process does take a good bit of time. If you choose the commercial skipping and second conversion options it can take several hours to fully convert one TV recording.

Overall, MCEBuddy makes a nice Media Center addition for those that want to save some space with smaller size files, convert Recorded TV files for their portable device, or automatically remove commercials. If you’re looking for a different method to skip commercials check out our post on how to skip commercials in Windows 7 Media Center.

Download MCEBuddy 1.1

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Have you noticed that the Properties Command has been removed from the Context Menu in Firefox 3.6? If you have been missing it here is how to get it back.

Before

With the newest version of Firefox you may have noticed a very useful command missing from the “Context Menu”. Here you can see that when we right clicked on the article link we were unable to “access” the properties for it…

Same article and the same problem when trying to “access” the properties for one of the images.

After

Once you have installed the extension you can once again “access” the properties for those links…

And those images…

Looking very good…

Conclusion

If you have been frustrated with the removal of the “Properties Command” from the “Context Menu” in Firefox 3.6, you can now add it back in just a few moments.

Links

Download the Element Properties extension (Mozilla Add-ons)

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Anticipation has been building for the new Windows Phone 7 Series ever since Microsoft unveiled it at the Mobile World Congress in February.? Now, thanks to free developer tools, you can get a first-hand experience of the basic Windows Phone 7 Series devices on your PC.

Windows Phone 7 Series represents a huge change in the mobile field for Microsoft, bringing the acclaimed Zune HD UI to an innovative phone platform.? Windows Mobile has often been criticized for being behind other Smartphone platforms, but Microsoft seeks to regain the lead with this new upcoming release.? A platform must have developers behind it to be useful, so they have released a full set of free development tools so anyone can make apps for it today.? Or, if you simply want to play with Windows Phone 7, you can use the included emulator to try out the new Metro UI.? Here’s how to do this today on your Vista or 7 computer.

Please note: These tools are a Customer Technology Preview release, so only install them if you’re comfortable using pre-release software.

Getting Started

First, download the Windows Phone Developer Tools CTP (link below), and run the installer.? This will install the Customer Technology Preview (CTP) versions of Visual Studio 2010 Express for Windows Phone, Windows Phone Emulator, Silverlight for Windows Phone, and XNA 4.0 Game Studio on your computer, all of which are required and cannot be installed individually.

Accept the license agreement when prompted.

Click “Install Now” to install the tools you need.? The only setup customization option is where to save the files, so choose Customize if you need to do so.

Setup will now automatically download and install the components you need, and will additionally download either 32 or 64 bit programs depending on your operating system.

About halfway thorough the installation, you’ll be prompted to reboot your system.?

Once your computer is rebooted, setup will automatically resume without further input.

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When setup is finished, click “Run the Product Now” to get started.

Running Windows Phone 7 on your PC

Now that you’ve got the Windows Phone Developer tools installed, it’s time to get the Windows Phone emulator running.? If you clicked “Run the Product Now” when the setup finished, Visual Studio 2010 Express for Windows Phone should have already started.

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If not, simply enter “visual studio” in your start menu search and select “Microsoft Visual Studio 2010 Express for Windows Phone”.

Now, to run the Windows Phone 7 emulator, we have to test an application.? So, even if you don’t know how to program, we can open a phone application template, and then test it to run the emulator.? First, click New Project on the left hand side of the front page.

Any of the application templates would work for this, but here let’s select “Windows Phone Application”, and then click Ok.

Here’s your new application template, which already contains the basic phone application framework.? This is where you’d start if you want to develop a Windows Phone app, but for now we just want to see Windows Phone 7 in action.

So, to run the emulator, click Debug in the menu and then select Start Debugging.

Your new application will launch inside the Windows Phone 7 Series emulator.? The default template doesn’t give us much, but it does show an example application running in Windows Phone 7.

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Exploring Windows Phone 7

Click the Windows button on the emulator to go to the home screen.? Notice the Zune HD-like transition animation.? The emulator only includes Internet Explorer, your test application, and a few settings.

Click the arrow on the right to see the available applications in a list.

Settings lets you change the theme, regional settings, and the date and time in your emulator.? It also has an applications settings pane, but this currently isn’t populated.

The Time settings shows a unique Windows Phone UI.

You can return to the home screen by pressing the Windows button.? Here’s the Internet Explorer app running, with the virtual keyboard open to enter an address.? Please note that this emulator can also accept input from your keyboard, so you can enter addresses without clicking on the virtual keyboard.

And here’s Google running in Internet Explorer on Windows Phone 7.

Windows Phone 7 supports accelerometers, and you can simulate this in the emulator.? Click one of the rotate buttons to rotate the screen in that direction.

Here’s our favorite website in Internet Explorer on Windows Phone 7 in landscape mode.

All this, running right inside your Windows 7 desktop…

Developer tools for Windows Phone 7

Although it may be fun to play with the Windows Phone 7 emulator, developers will be more excited to actually be able to create new and exciting apps for it.? The Windows Phone Developer Tools download includes Visual Studio Express and XNA Game Studio 4.0 which lets you create enticing games and apps for Windows Phones.? All development for Windows Phones will be in C#, Silverlight, and the XNA game framework.? Visual Studio Express for Windows Phone includes templates for these, and additionally has code samples to help you get started with development.

Conclusion

Many features are still not functional in this preview version, such as the search button and most of the included applications.? However, this still gives you a great way to experience firsthand the future of the Windows Phone platform.? And, for developers, this is your chance to set your mark on the Windows Phone 7 Series even before it is released to the public.? Happy playing and developing!

Links

Download Windows Phone Developer Tools CTP

Windows Phone Developer Site

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Anticipation has been building for the new Windows Phone 7 Series ever since Microsoft unveiled it at the Mobile World Congress in February.? Now, thanks to free developer tools, you can get a first-hand experience of the basic Windows Phone 7 Series devices on your PC.

Windows Phone 7 Series represents a huge change in the mobile field for Microsoft, bringing the acclaimed Zune HD UI to an innovative phone platform.? Windows Mobile has often been criticized for being behind other Smartphone platforms, but Microsoft seeks to regain the lead with this new upcoming release.? A platform must have developers behind it to be useful, so they have released a full set of free development tools so anyone can make apps for it today.? Or, if you simply want to play with Windows Phone 7, you can use the included emulator to try out the new Metro UI.? Here’s how to do this today on your Vista or 7 computer.

Please note: These tools are a Customer Technology Preview release, so only install them if you’re comfortable using pre-release software.

Getting Started

First, download the Windows Phone Developer Tools CTP (link below), and run the installer.? This will install the Customer Technology Preview (CTP) versions of Visual Studio 2010 Express for Windows Phone, Windows Phone Emulator, Silverlight for Windows Phone, and XNA 4.0 Game Studio on your computer, all of which are required and cannot be installed individually.

Accept the license agreement when prompted.

Click “Install Now” to install the tools you need.? The only setup customization option is where to save the files, so choose Customize if you need to do so.

Setup will now automatically download and install the components you need, and will additionally download either 32 or 64 bit programs depending on your operating system.

About halfway thorough the installation, you’ll be prompted to reboot your system.?

Once your computer is rebooted, setup will automatically resume without further input.

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When setup is finished, click “Run the Product Now” to get started.

Running Windows Phone 7 on your PC

Now that you’ve got the Windows Phone Developer tools installed, it’s time to get the Windows Phone emulator running.? If you clicked “Run the Product Now” when the setup finished, Visual Studio 2010 Express for Windows Phone should have already started.

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If not, simply enter “visual studio” in your start menu search and select “Microsoft Visual Studio 2010 Express for Windows Phone”.

Now, to run the Windows Phone 7 emulator, we have to test an application.? So, even if you don’t know how to program, we can open a phone application template, and then test it to run the emulator.? First, click New Project on the left hand side of the front page.

Any of the application templates would work for this, but here let’s select “Windows Phone Application”, and then click Ok.

Here’s your new application template, which already contains the basic phone application framework.? This is where you’d start if you want to develop a Windows Phone app, but for now we just want to see Windows Phone 7 in action.

So, to run the emulator, click Debug in the menu and then select Start Debugging.

Your new application will launch inside the Windows Phone 7 Series emulator.? The default template doesn’t give us much, but it does show an example application running in Windows Phone 7.

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Exploring Windows Phone 7

Click the Windows button on the emulator to go to the home screen.? Notice the Zune HD-like transition animation.? The emulator only includes Internet Explorer, your test application, and a few settings.

Click the arrow on the right to see the available applications in a list.

Settings lets you change the theme, regional settings, and the date and time in your emulator.? It also has an applications settings pane, but this currently isn’t populated.

The Time settings shows a unique Windows Phone UI.

You can return to the home screen by pressing the Windows button.? Here’s the Internet Explorer app running, with the virtual keyboard open to enter an address.? Please note that this emulator can also accept input from your keyboard, so you can enter addresses without clicking on the virtual keyboard.

And here’s Google running in Internet Explorer on Windows Phone 7.

Windows Phone 7 supports accelerometers, and you can simulate this in the emulator.? Click one of the rotate buttons to rotate the screen in that direction.

Here’s our favorite website in Internet Explorer on Windows Phone 7 in landscape mode.

All this, running right inside your Windows 7 desktop…

Developer tools for Windows Phone 7

Although it may be fun to play with the Windows Phone 7 emulator, developers will be more excited to actually be able to create new and exciting apps for it.? The Windows Phone Developer Tools download includes Visual Studio Express and XNA Game Studio 4.0 which lets you create enticing games and apps for Windows Phones.? All development for Windows Phones will be in C#, Silverlight, and the XNA game framework.? Visual Studio Express for Windows Phone includes templates for these, and additionally has code samples to help you get started with development.

Conclusion

Many features are still not functional in this preview version, such as the search button and most of the included applications.? However, this still gives you a great way to experience firsthand the future of the Windows Phone platform.? And, for developers, this is your chance to set your mark on the Windows Phone 7 Series even before it is released to the public.? Happy playing and developing!

Links

Download Windows Phone Developer Tools CTP

Windows Phone Developer Site

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Are you tired of the comments at YouTube being full of profanity or irritating to look at? Now you can watch videos minus the comments with the No YouTube Comments extension for Google Chrome.

Before

Sometimes reading through the comments at YouTube can be interesting or even fun but at other times they can be a bother to you. It all depends on the contents of the comments (i.e. lots of profanity) and what you would like to have visible while watching videos.

After

Once you have installed the extension all that you will need to do is refresh the page (if you were already watching a video). As you can see any and all signs of the comments section is gone. All nice and clean now…

Conclusion

If you love to check out your favorite videos on YouTube but are annoyed by the multitude of meaningless and profane comments, this extension for Chrome gets the job done.

Links

Download the No YouTube Comments extension (Google Chrome Extensions)

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Everyone has a favorite text editor that they like to use when viewing or working with source code. If you are unhappy with the default choice in Internet Explorer 8 then join us as we show you how to set up access to your favorite text editor.

A Look at Before

Here is Internet Explorer on our test system ready to help us view the source code for one of the pages here at the site.

Perhaps “Notepad” is your default source code viewer…

Or in the case of our test system where “EditPad Lite” was the default due to choices we made while installing it.

Choose Your Favorite Text Editor

Chances are you have your own personal favorite and want to make it the default source code viewer. To get started go to the “Tools Menu”? and click on “Developer Tools” or press “F12” to access the “Developer Tools Window”.

Once you have the “Developer Tools Window” open go to the “File Menu”, then “Customize Internet Explorer View Source”, and click on “Other”.

Once you have clicked on “Other” you will see the “Program Directory” for the current default app. Here you can see the “Program Files Folder” for “EditPad Lite”. To change the default app simply browse for the appropriate program folder.

On our test system we decided to change the default to “Editra”. Once you have located the program that you want to use click on the “.exe” file for that app and click “Open”. Once you have clicked “Open”, all that is left for you to do is close the “Developer Tools Window”…everything else is already taken care of.

And just like that you can be viewing source code with your favorite text editor.

Conclusion

If you have been unhappy with the default source code viewer in Internet Explorer 8 then you can set up access to your favorite text editor in just a couple of minutes. Nice, quick, and easy the way it ought to be.

Thanks to HTG & TinyHacker reader Dwight for the tip!

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Boxee is a free Media PC application that runs on Windows, Mac, and Ubuntu Linux. With Boxee, you can integrate online video, music and pictures, with your own local media and social networking. Today we are going to take a closer look at Boxee and some of it’s features.

Note: We used Windows 7 for this tutorial. Your experience on a Mac or Ubuntu Linux build may vary slightly.

Hardware Requirements

x86 (Intel/AMD processor) based system running at 1.0GHz or greater

512MB system memory (RAM) or more

Video card capable of OpenGL 1.4, Direct X 9.0

Software Requirements

Mac OS X 10.4+ (Intel based processor)

Ubuntu Linux 9.04+ x86 only

Windows XP / Vista / 7 (64 bit in Vista or 7)

Installing Boxee

Before downloading and installing Boxee, you’ll need to register for a free account. (See link below)

Once your account is registered and verified, you’ll be able to log in and download the application. Installation is pretty straightforward…just take the defaults.

Boxee will open in full screen mode and you’ll be prompted to login with your username and password. Before you login, you may want to take a moment to click on the “Guide” icon and learn a bit about navigating in Boxee.

Some basic keyboard navigation is as follows. Move right, left, up, & down with the arrow keys. Hit “Enter” to make a selection, the forward slash key “” to toggle between full screen and windowed mode, and “Esc” to go back to the previous screen. For Playback, the volume is controlled by plus & minus (+/-) keys, you can Play / Pause using the spacebar, and skip using the arrow keys.

Boxee will also work with any infrared remote. If you have an iPhone or iPod Touch you can download software to enable them as a Boxee remote.

If you’re using a mouse and keyboard, hover over the username and password boxes to enter your login credentials. If using a a remote, click your OK button and enter credentials with the on screen keyboard. Click “Done” when finished.

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When you are ready to login, enter your credentials and click “Login.”

On first login, you’ll be prompted to calibrate your screen. If you choose “Skip” you can always calibrate your screen later under Settings > Appearance > Screen.

When Boxee opens, you’ll be greeted by the Home screen. To the left will be your Feeds. This will be any recommended content from friends on Boxee, and social networks such as Facebook and Twitter. Although, when you first login, it will mainly be info from the Boxee staff. You’ll have “Featured” content in the center and your Queue on the right. You’ll also have the Menu along the top.

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Pop Up Menu

The Pop Menu can be accessed by hitting the “Esc” key, or back on your remote. Depending on where you are located in Boxee, you may have to hit it a few time to “back out” to the Pop Up menu. From the Pop Up Menu, you can easily access any of the resources, settings, and favorites.

Queue

The Queue is your playlist of TV shows, movies, or Internet videos you wish to watch. When you find an offering you’d like to watch, select it and then click “Add to Queue.”

The selected item will be added to your Queue and can be accessed at any time from the Menu.

TV Show Library

The TV Show library can contain files from your local hard drive or streaming content from the Web. Boxee pulls content from a variety of online locations such as Hulu and TV network sites. Click on the show to see which specific episodes are currently available.

To search for your favorite shows, click on the yellow arrow to the left, or navigate to the left with your keyboard or remote. Enter your selection into the search box.

My Apps

By default, the “My Apps” section includes a list of the most popular apps, such as Netflix, Pandora, YouTube, and others. You can remove Apps from “My Apps,” or add new Apps from the Apps Library.

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To access all the available Apps, click on the left arrow button, or click on the yellow arrow at the left, then select “App Library.”

Choose an App from the Library and click it to open…

… and then select “Add to My Apps.” Or, you can click start to play the App if you don’t wish to Add it to your “My Apps.”

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Music, Pictures, and Movies

Boxee will scan your PC for movies, pictures, and music. You can choose to scan specific folders by clicking on “Scan Media Folders…”

… or from the Pop Up Menu, selecting Settings > Media, and then browsing for your media.

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Conclusion

Boxee to be a great way to integrate your local media with online streaming content. It can be run as an application on your home PC, or as a stand alone media PC. It should also be noted, however, that your access to online content will vary depending on your country.

If you are a Windows Media Center user and and want to add the additional features of Boxee, check out our article on integrating Boxee with Windows 7 Media Center.

Download Boxee

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Sometimes it can be difficult to center a picture in a document just by dragging it dragging it around. Today we show you how to center pictures, images, and other objects perfectly in Word and PowerPoint.

Note: For this tutorial we’re using Office 2010, but the steps are nearly identical in 2007.

Centering a Picture in Word

First let’s insert a picture into our document.? Click the Insert tab, and then click Picture.

Once you select the picture you want, it will be added to your document.? Usually, pictures are added wherever your curser was in the document, so in a blank document it will be added at the top left. Also notice Picture Tools show up in the Ribbon after inserting an image.

Note: The following menu items are available in Picture Tools Format tab which is displayed when you select the object or image you’re working with.

How do we align the picture just like we want?? Click Position to get some quick placement options, including centered in the middle of the document or on the top.?

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However, for more advanced placement, we can use the Align tool.? If Word isn’t maximized, you may only see the icon without the “Align” label.

Notice the tools were grayed out in the menu by default.? To be able to change the Alignment, we need to first change the text wrap settings. Click the Wrap Text button, and any option other than “In Line with Text”.? Your choice will depend on the document you’re writing, just choose the option that works best in the document.

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Now, select the Align tools again.? You can now position your image precisely with these options.

Align Center will position your picture in the center of the page widthwise.

Align Middle will put the picture in the middle of the page height-wise.

This works the same with textboxes.? Simply click the Align button in the Format tab, and you can center it in the page.

And if you’d like to align several objects together, simply select them all, click Group, and then select Group from the menu.

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Now, in the align tools, you can center the whole group on your page for a heading, or whatever you want to use the pictures for.

These steps also work the same with Office 2007.

Center objects in PowerPoint

This works similar in PowerPoint, except that pictures are automatically set for square wrapping automatically, so you don’t have to change anything.? Simply insert the picture or other object of your choice, click Align, and choose the option you want.

Additionally, if one object is already aligned like you want, drag another object near it and you will see a Smart Guide to help you align or center the second object with the first.? This only works with shapes in PowerPoint 2010 beta, but will work with pictures, textboxes, and media in the final release this summer.

Conclusion

These are good methods for centering images and objects in Word and PowerPoint.? From designing perfect headers to emphasizing your message in a PowerPoint presentation, this is something we’ve found useful and hope you will too.

Since we’re talking about Office here, it’s worth mentioning that Microsoft has announced the Technology Guarantee Program for Office 2010. Essentially what this means is, if you purchase a version of Office 2007 between March 5th and September 30th of this year, when Office 2010 is released you’ll be able to upgrade to it for free!

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Since March, our friends across the pond in Europe get to decide which browser they want to install with their Windows OS. Today we thought we would take a look at the ballot choices, some are well known, and others you may not have heard of.

Windows users in European countries should start seeing the so called “Browser Ballot Screen” after installing the Windows Update KB976002 (link below). The browser ballot offers a dozen different browsers, including some you’ve likely never heard of.? They each have some unique features, and are all free, and here we take a quick look at each of them.

Internet Explorer 8

Internet Explorer is the world’s most used web browser, as it’s bundled with Windows. It also includes several unique features, including Accelerators that make it easy to search or find a map of a location, and InPrivate filtering to directly control what sites can get personal information.? Additionally, it offers great integration with Windows Touch and the new taskbar in Windows 7. IE 8 runs on Windows XP and newer, and is bundled with Windows 7.

Mozilla Firefox 3.6

Firefox is the most popular browser other than Internet Explorer.? It is the modern descendant of Netscape, and is loved by web developers for its adherence to web standards, openness, and expandability.? It offers thousands of Add-ons and themes to let you customize it to fit your preferences. The most recent version has added Personas, which are quick, lightweight themes to let you personalize the look your browser. It’s open source, and runs on all modern versions of Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux.

Of course thanks to Asian Angel, our resident browser expert, you can check out several articles regarding this popular IE alternative.

Google Chrome 4

Google Chrome has gained an impressive amount of market share during its short time in the market. It offers a minimalistic interface and fast speeds with intensive web applications. The address bar is also a search bar, so you can enter a search query or web address and quickly get the information you need. With version 4 you can add a growing number of extensions, personalize it with a variety of stylish themes, and automatically translate foreign websites into your own language.

Opera 10.50

Although Opera has been around for over a decade, relatively few users have used it. With the new 10.50 release, Opera has many unique features packed in a sleek UI. It integrates great with Aero and the Windows 7 taskbar, and lets you preview the contents of your websites in the tab bar. It also includes Opera Unite, a small personal web server to make file sharing easy, Opera Turbo to speed up your internet when the connection is slow, and Opera Link to keep all your copies of Opera in sync. It’s a popular browser on many mobile devices, and version 10.50 has a lot of enhancements.

Apple Safari 4

Safari is the default browser in Mac OS X, and starting with version 3 it has been available for Windows as well. It’s based on Webkit, the popular new rendering engine that provides great speed and standards compatibility.? Safari 4 lets you browse your browsing history in a unique Coverflow interface, and shows your Top Sites in a fancy, 3D interface.? It’s also great for viewing mobile websites for the iPhone and other mobile devices through Developer Tools.

Flock 2.5

Based on the popular Firefox core, Flock brings a multitude of social features to your browsing experience. You can view the latest YouTube videos, Flickr pictures, update your favorite social network, and keep up with your webmail thanks to It’s integration with a wide variety of services. You can even post to your blog through the integrated blog editor. If your time online is mostly spent in social services, this may be a browser you want to check out.

Maxthon 2.5

Maxthon is a unique browser that builds on Internet Explorer to bring more features with IE’s rendering. Formerly known as MyIE2, Maxthon was popular for bringing tabbed browsing with IE rendering during the days of IE 6.? Today Maxthon supports a wide range of plugins and skins, so you can customize it however you want. It includes mouse gestures, a web accelerator to speed up pokey internet connections, a content blocker to remove unwanted content from sites, an online account to backup your favorites, and a nice download manager.

Avant Browser

Another nice browser based on Internet Explorer, Avant brings a wide variety of features in a nice brushed-metal interface. It includes an integrated AutoFill for forms, mouse gestures, customizable skins, and privacy protection features. It also includes a Flash blocker that will only load flash in webpages when you select them. You can also integrate Avant with an online account to store your bookmarks, feeds, settings and passwords online.

Sleipnir

Sleipnir is a customizable browser meant for advance users that is quite popular in Japan. It’s built on the Trident engine and virtually every aspect of is customizable unlike Internet Explorer.

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FlashPeak SlimBrowser

SlimBrowser from FlashPeak incorporates a lot of features like Popup Killer, Auto Login, site filtering and more. It’s based on Internet Explorer but offers a lot more customizable options out of the box.

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K-meleon

This basic browser is light on system resources and based on the Gecko engine. It’s been in development for years on SourceForge, and if you like to tweak virtually any aspect of your browser, this might be a good choice for you.

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GreenBrowser

GreenBrowser is based on Internet Explorer and is available in several languages. It has a large amount of features out of the box and is light on system resources.

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Conclusion

The European Union asked for more choices in the web browser they could choose from when installing Windows, and with the Browser Ballot Screen, they certainly get a variety to choose from.?

If you’ve tried out some of the lesser known browsers, or think some important ones have been left out, leave a comment and tell us about it.

Learn More About the Browser Ballot Screen and Download Alternatives to IE

Windows Update KB976002

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