How to Change Default Image Editor in Vista

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How do I change my default image editor to Photoshop (or something else) in Vista?
Well I have just the trick. I have made a script (based on another person’s work) that you can just download here: change_default_image_editor.vbs

Note before you start you will need administrator rights to pull this off.

Assuming that you don’t trust random scripts that you download off the internet (which is wise) then I you can do it manually. Note editing the Windows Registry by hand is dangerous and my script just automates this process. If you installed your image editor and it has registered correctly, there is a simple change that needs to happen in the Windows Registry. You can screw up you computer. You can do this by clicking on
Start > Run or type in this in the Start Search area >
Then type: regedit

Browse down the tree as follows
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT
> SystemFileAssociations > image > Internet Explorer > shell > edit > command >
(Default) = “C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Photoshop CS4\Photoshop.exe” “%1″

Then right click on (Default) and Modify… the value to what every you want in quotes with a space followed by “1%”

Note: Changes to this registry value should take effect after a reboot.

How to Change Default HTML Editor in Vista

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How do I change my default HTML editor to DreamWeaver (or something else) in Vista?
Well I have just the trick. I have made a script (based on another person’s work) that you can just download here: add_default_html_editor.vbs

Note before you start you will need administrator rights to pull this off.

Assuming that you don’t trust random scripts that you download off the internet (which is wise) then I you can do it manually. Note editing the Windows Registry by hand is dangerous and my script just automates this process. If you installed your HTML editor and it has registered correctly, there is a simple change that needs to happen in the Windows Registry. You can screw up you computer. You can do this by clicking on
Start > Run or type in this in the Start Search area >
Then type: regedit

Browse down the tree as follows
HKEY_CURRENT_USER (you can also do this on HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE)
> Software > Microsoft > Internet Explorer > Default HTML Editor > Shell > Edit > Command >
(Default) = “C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Dreamweaver CS4\Dreamweaver.exe” “%1″

Then right click on (Default) and Modify… the value to what every you want in quotes with a space followed by “1%”

If you browse to Internet Explorer and you do not see the next Key then you can just add it by right clicking on Internet Explorer and clicking Key. Then type in the name of the Key exactly as it is written above. For example: Default HTML Editor

Wash, rinse and repeat with all of the others until you finish with Command. Then right click on Command, click New > String Value. Add the life location like this: “C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Dreamweaver CS4\Dreamweaver.exe” “%1″

Note: Changes to this registry value should take effect immediately.

Here is Microsoft’s take on it:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa753633%28VS.85%29.aspx#_Adding_HTML_Editors

Mozilla Firefox killing your computer performance?

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You can read the details of this elsewhere but here is a quick and easy fix to memory sucking that Firefox is prone to do.

Startup Firefox

In the address bar type:
about:config

In the “Filter:” text box type:
browser.cache.memory

You should see

From here you can either double click on “browser.cache.memory.enable” or right click and use the toggle option to change the Value to false.

Restart your browser and you should be a much more reasonable memory load. Note that sometime the Firefox processes don’t end when you close down the browser so manually killing the process or a reboot will solve the problem.

Happy Surfing Folks

Verizon and Apple in talks to carry iPhone

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Apple and Verizon consider iPhone deal!

Since we have almost no coverage for AT&T at our house, the idea of owning a iPhone seems completely impractical. Also my company has a corporate plan with Verizon so I could not justify another phone with yet another carrier. But if they move forward with this, I might have one of those shiny little devices too.

LED TV

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I am in love with this new Samsung LED TV. Not only does the performance make me drool but that it is eco-friendly. The claim is that the LED TV uses 40% lower power consumption and an ultra low power consuming standby mode. In addition no mercury, lead, or volatile organic compounds are used in the construction which means it is clean and safe to recycle.

Though, one of the coolest things about it is that you can connect it to your network with Medi@2.0. This allows the user to do a lot of interactive things without having to connect a computer to it.

Internet@TV – Content Service: Receive content from Yahoo!, Flickr, and more via on-screen TV widgets.
DLNA®: Sync your connectable home electronics and display remote content on your TV.
Pre-loaded Content Library™ (Flash): Enjoy hours of built-in entertainment features then personalize it by adding content that’s available online.
USB 2.0 Movie: Show digital home movies, photos, PC presentations and more on your TV, using the remote.

Here are some of the stats
All of it is 1080P (1920×1080) including the PC input.

40″ Model (UN40B7000)
TV without stand: 39.2” x 24.8” x 1.2”
TV without stand weight: 32.6 lbs.

46″ Model (UN46B7000)
TV without stand: 44.4” x 27.8” x 1.2”
TV without stand weight: 39.0 lbs.

55″ Model (UN55B7000)
TV without stand: 51.7” x 32.1” x 1.2”
TV without stand weight: 48.9 lbs.

Inputs/Outputs:

• 4 HDMI ports v 1.3
• Anynet™ Plus (HDMI-CEC): allows peripheral AV devices such as a DVD player to be controlled by a Samsung TV remote control.
• 2 USB 2.0 Movie
• 1 PC Input
• 1 Ethernet
• 1 Optical Sound output
• 1 Component Video inputs

Specs:

• Built-in digital tuner
• 3,000,000:1 Dynamic Contrast Ratio
• Response time: 4ms response time (this is good)
• Auto Motion Plus 120Hz™: Reduces blur and enhances image detail when viewing fast motion video sequences.
• HD-Grade pixel resolution: High resolution pixel density is combined with a built-in image scaler to handle inputs from a variety of digital and analog audio/video sources.

Features

• Medi@2.0 (see above)
• Picture-in-Picture (PIP) (from any source to any source)
• Game Mode: with one touch of a button it enhances dark areas, sharpens the picture, speeds up the image processing response and enhances the sounds of your games.

Rock Band anyone?

Oh and if you want to buy one for me, I hear frys.com is having an amazing sale on them. 

Vista Display Settings Shortcut

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I have a Lenovo w500 and it loves to have display driver issues but it also likes to change display settings whenever anything changes in the environment, like when I connect a monitor or projector, dock my computer, or look at it wrong. So the fact that I had to click through several menus to get to display settings every time really kind of peeved me.

I decided that it is too much hassle to try to fix the root problem (windows) and I made a desktop shortcut instead.

Here is how you can make your own or you can download it here:

Right Click on the Desktop
Left Click on New >
Left Click on Shortcut
Type the following in the text box that says Type the location of the item:

control.exe desk.cpl,@0,3

Click [Next]
Type the following in the text box that says Type a Name for this shortcut:

Display Settings

Click [Finish]
And you are done.