5 Top Windows 8 Features You’ll Love

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Following the release of Windows 8 Developer Preview, many sites have done reviews on what the next Windows system will be like. The reviews are mostly positive, with some hailing Windows 8 as the next revolution in the technology of computer operating systems (OS). Such may well be the ambition of Microsoft, and it shouldn’t surprise time it comes at a time when Apple’s share of the OS market is rising and pitting fiercely against them.

If there’s one thing great about competition, it is that it brings out the best product between companies. I’ve read up some of the features that Microsoft’s Windows 8 will be offering, and am now both intrigued and excited for what’s to come in the full version. It will even come with a new and unique kind of user interface (UI) known as the Metro.

Here are brief descriptions to some top features you would be keen to know about:

1. Speedy Boot Time

The load and boot up speed has improved significantly over Windows’ predecessors. This is partly due to the better resource allocations to applications and the system. When compared to Windows 7 desktop CPU, Windows 8 has an even speedier boot time.

How did they improve so much over Windows 7? Well, Windows 8 employs a technique of hibernating the system kernel (think of it as your OS’s resource manager) when you shut down, such that it becomes almost like a partial hibernation each time. When you reboot the system, the‘memory’ of your previous session gets reinitialized quicker.

2. Innovative & Dynamic Desktop

The tiles-based interface, or the Metro UI, will be the first thing you see upon logging in to Windows 8. At first glance, the UI seems to go intuitively with touchscreen devices like tablets and smartphones. Indeed, in such devices, you tap on those apps to open them. The grid layout seems to facilitate such interactions. Needless to say, you can customize your grid by adding and arranging applications.

The coolest thing, however, is that not only does Windows 8 allows you to personalizeyour desktop with the organization of the apps, it is also able display real-time informationthrough them. Microsoft had demonstrated how the tile for a weather app could reveal the current temperature in a city without having to activate the app. The same goes for emails and such. In one glance over your tiles, you can have access to all that you need to be notified and take action on those which are urgent.

3. Improved Search Function

8 has no search box at the bottom of the Start menu. Heck, it doesn’t even have the trademark Start menu! That doesn’t mean that there’s no convenient search function available. All you need to do is to type anything, and a search box will appear from the right and give you the results. The search capability is even stronger this time, displaying all the matching apps and files instantaneously.

Unlike Windows 7, Windows

You can also search within apps that utilize Windows 8′s search function. The search pane that pops out on the right of your desktop will contain the list of apps which you can conduct the search in. For instance, if you’re looking for the emails sent by a particular contact, typing that name and clicking on the email app would allow you to search from within.

4. Windows To Go

Of the entire list here, this is one feature that offers the most convenience to users. Windows To Go allows users to make a copy of their OS complete with their settings, wallpapers, files and even apps, into a USB thumb drive. Plugged it into another computer with Windows 8 already installed, and you can boot up the PC and make it look exactly alike the OS you normally use, with all settings intact.

It sounds rather amazing, doesn’t it? The potential for such a feature is high and possibilities, many. For one, a virus-infected and crashed system could be revived by simply plugging in the USB thumbdrive with your last saved settings, inclusive of all your files, apps, etc. Users don’t have to worry about losing the ability to work on their projects just because their PC is down; they can always rely on plugging in that thumbdrive into another Windows 8-installed PC. Another is that users may simply bring back work from the office with that thumbdrive rather than a much bulkier laptop.

5. Windows Live Syncing

Similar to Windows To Go, the new Windows 8 will provide Windows Live syncing, such that users can login on any Windows 8 PC with ‘Live ID’ and get back their own personalized settings on it. The desktop will look the same every time the user login on a PC with their Windows Live account.Migrating to a new PC is probably made easier when the user has all the essential settings synced.

How different will this be from Windows To Go? Well, Windows To Go seem to serve more as a controlled device for IT administrators to distribute to employees (with exact duplicates of Windows 8 with the same settings, wallpapers, apps, etc on thumbdrives), while Windows Live Syncing is more to allowing users to keep the basic settings and data available even if they’re away from their primary PC. We can only anticipate how the former and latter will be truly be like until they are unveiled by Microsoft in due course.

Wo Jo Aap Kaho

Ek Aadmi Ko Bahut Bhukh Lagi Hoti Hai, Wo Office Se Aate Hi Patni Se Puchta Hai.
Pati: “Jaanu, Aaj Ke Dinner Mein Kya Hai?”
Patni: “Jo Aap Kaho”
Pati: “Pulao Bana Lo”
Patni: “Abhi Kal Hi To Khaye The”
Pati: “To Sabji Roti Bana Lo”
Patni: “Bachhe Nahi Khayenge”
Pati: “To Chhole Puri Bana Lo”
Patni: “Mujhe Heavy-Heavy Lagta Hai”
Pati: “Eggs Bhurji Bana Lo”
Patni: “Aaj Veervaar Hai”
Pati: “Paraanthe?”
Patni: “Raat Ko Paraanthe Kaun Khata Hai?”
Pati: “Hotel Se Mangwa Lete Hai Change Ho Jayega”
Patni: “Roz-Roz Hotel Ka Nahi Khana Chahiye”
Pati: “Kadhi Chawal?”
Patni: “Dahi Nahi Hai”
Pati: “Idly Sambar?”
Patni: “Usme Time Lagega, Pehle Bolna Chahiye Tha Na”
Pati: “Maggi Hi Bana Lo, Usmein Time Nahi Lagega”
Patni: “Wo Koi Meal Thodi Hai? Pet Nahi Bharta”
Pati: “Phir Ab Kya Banaogi?”
Patni: “Wo Jo Aap Kaho“

Islamic Dress Code for Men

ISLAMIC STORIES: Did You Thank Allah for Your Eyesight?

A blind boy sat on the steps of a building with a hat by his feet. He held up a sign which said: "I am blind, please help." There were only a few coins in the hat.

A man was walking by. He took a few coins from his pocket and dropped them into the hat. He then took the sign, turned it around, and wrote some words. He put the sign back so that everyone who walked by would see the new words.

Soon the hat began to fill up. A lot more people were giving money to the blind boy. That afternoon the man who had changed the sign came to see how things were. The boy recognized his footsteps and asked, "Were you the one who changed my sign this morning? What did you write?"

The man said, "I only wrote the truth. I said what you said but in a different way."

What he had written was: "Today is a beautiful day and I cannot see it."

Do you think the first sign and the second sign were saying the same thing?

Of course both signs told people the boy was blind. But the first sign simply said the boy was blind. The second sign told people they were so lucky that they were not blind. Should we be surprised that the second sign was more effective?

"It is He, Who has created for you (the sense of) hearing (ears), sight (eyes), and hearts (understanding). Little thanks you give." [surah Al-Mu'minun; 78]

ISLAMIC STORIES: The Patient Old Man

When passing through a mountain pass, a bedouin (villager) once came across an old man who was blind and who seemed to be afflicted with various ailments all over his body. It was clear that he was wasting away. He was even paralyzed and was constantly forced to remain in a seated position. The Bedouin could clearly hear him say, "All praise is for Allah, Who has kept me safe from ailments with which He has tested many among His creation; and He has indeed preferred me over many among those that He created."

"My brother!" exclaimed the bedouin. "What have you been saved from? By Allah, I think that you have been afflicted with every single kind of ailment!"

"Go away from me," said the old man, as he raised his head. "Do I not still have a tongue with which I can pronounce His Oneness, and with which I can remember Him every single moment? And do I not still have a heart with which I can know Him?"

These words of the old man were enough for the bedouin to repent to Allah for his sins and ask Him for forgiveness.

Remember, there is always someone else who is in more problem than you.

NOT FOR THE FAINT HEARTED:

The 10 Marriage Commandments

Commandment 1
Marriages are made in heaven.
But then again, so is thunder and lightning.

Commandment 2
If you want your wife to listen and pay strict attention to every word you say, talk in your sleep.

Commandment 3
Marriage is grand -- and divorce is at least a 100 grand!

Commandment 4
Married life is very frustrating.
In the first year of marriage, the man speaks and the woman listens.
In the second year, the woman speaks and the man listens.
In the third year, they both speak and the neighbors listen.

Commandment 5
When a man opens the door of his car for his wife, you can be sure of one thing:
Either the car is new or the wife is.

Commandment 6
Marriage is when a man and woman become as one;
The trouble starts when they try to decide which one.

Commandment 7
Before marriage, a man will lie awake all night thinking about something you said .
After marriage, he will fall asleep before you finish.

Commandment 8
Every man wants a wife who is beautiful, understanding, economical, and a good cook.
But the government law allows only one wife.

Commandment 9
Marriage and love are purely a matter of chemistry.
That is why one treats the other like toxic waste.

Commandment 10
A man is incomplete until he is married. After that, he is finished.


BONUS COMMANDMENT STORY
A long married couple came upon a wishing well. The wife leaned over, made a wish and threw in a penny. The husband decided to make a wish too. But he leaned over too much, fell into the well, and drowned. The wife was stunned for a moment, but then smiled, 'It really works!

Islamic Shayari

Khuda ko Bhool Gaye Log Fikar-e-Rozi Main,
Talaash Rizq ki Hai “RAAZIQ” ka Khayaal Nahi…..

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Mohabbat Kis Se Ki Jaye . .?
Duniya Se .?
Ye To Rulaati Hai .

Phoolon Se .?
Ye To Murjhaa Jaate Hain .

Paise Se .?
Ye To Rishte Torta Hai .

Bulaandi Se .?
Ye To Mun Ke Bul Giraa Deti Hai .

Khushi Se .?
Ye To Waqti Tor Ki Hoti Hai .

Logon Se .?
Ye To Bewafa Hote Hain .


To Phir Akhir Mohobbat Kis Se Ki Jaye . .?.
.
.
.
MUHAMMED (S.A.W.W.) Se . . .
Jo Us Din Bhie Saath Nibhaein Ge Jis Din Maa Baap Bhie Apni Awlaad Ko Bhool Jaein Ge. . . .=)
Sub’Haan’ALLAH. . . =’)?

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Sajdon ke iwaz firdos miley yeh baat mujhe manzoor nahin,
Be-laus ibaadat karta hon, banda hoon tera mazdoor nahin..

‎"BEAUTIFUL STORY"

A boy said to his father: "I saw a girl and I want to marry... her. She is so beautiful and she has gorgeous eyes. The father answered his son: of course son, let’s ask for her hand in marriage."

When the father saw the girl, he admired her beauty and he told his son: "You don’t deserve this girl, she needs someone who has experience in life and she can depend on, someone like me."

The boy was surprised by the attitude of his father and he told him : "She will marry me, not you”. They started to fight and finally they decided both to go to the police station to solve their problem.

When they tell their story to the police officer, he told them:”bring the girl so we can ask her about her opinion about this. " When the officer saw the beauty of the girl he said to the boy and his father:”you both don’t deserve her, she needs someone who has prestige like me.”

The 3 men started a fight and decided to go to the minister to solve their problem. When the minister saw the girl, he said: "She deserves to be married with a minister like me”. The prince heard about their problem and call them all to help them solve it but and when he saw the girl he said : "This girl will marry me” .

All the 5 men started to fight. Finally, the girl said “I have the solution! I will start to run and whoever catches me first, he will be my husband”. When she started to run, the boy, his father, the police officer, the minister and the prince started to run to catch her. Suddenly the 5 men fell into a deep hole.

The girl looked to them from the top and she said “did you know who am I?”

I am the Dunya THE LIFE!!

People want to run to catch me, they are racing to have me. By doing that, they forget their religion, until they end up in their grave and still won’t have me.

“Beautiful Advices”

“Mazaaq Zaroor Karo Magar Etna
Yad Rakho k
Mazaaq Karne or Mazaaq Urane mein
Farq Hota Hai.”

“Roothne Wale ko itna nai Rothna Chahiye
k Manane Wala Khud Hi Rooth jaye.”

“Logo ko jaldi maaf kar diya kro jatni jaldi
tum Allah se maafi ki Umeed rakhty ho.”

“Kisi ki khamoshi ko Takabbur na Samjho Ho
Sakta Hai k wo Khud Apni Zaat Se jang Karne
mai Masroof Ho.”

Dushmano k darmiyan aise raho jaise 1 Zubaan
32 daanton k darmiyan rehti he.Milti Sab se he
darti kisi se nahi.”

THAT BRIGHTENS THE RELATIONSHIP.

A man and his fiancée were married. It was a large celebration. All of their friends and family came to see the lovely ceremony and to partake of the festivities and celebrations. A wonderful time was had by all.

The bride was gorgeous in her white wedding gown and the groom was very dashing in his black tuxedo. Everyone could tell that the love they had for each other was true.

A few months later, the wife comes to the husband with a proposal: "I read in a magazine, a while ago, about how we can strengthen our marriage." She offered.

"Each of us will write a list of the things that we find a bit annoying with the other person. Then, we can talk about how we can fix them together and make our lives happier together."

The husband agreed. So each of them went to a separate room in the house and thought of the things that annoyed them about the other. They thought about this question for the rest of the day and wrote down what they came up with.

The next morning, at the breakfast table, they decided that they would go over their lists.

"I'll start," offered the wife. She took out her list. It had many items on it. Enough to fill 3 pages, in fact. As she started reading the list of the little annoyances, she noticed that tears were starting to appear in her husbands eyes.

"What's wrong?" she asked. "Nothing" the husband replied, "keep reading your list."

The wife continued to read until she had read all three pages to her husband. She neatly placed her list on the table and folded her hands over top of it.

"Now, you read your list and then we'll talk about the things on both of our lists." She said happily.

Quietly the husband stated, "I don't have anything on my list. I think that you are perfect the way that you are. I don't want you to change anything for me. You are lovely and wonderful and I wouldn't want to try and change anything about you."

The wife, touched by his honesty and the depth of his love for her and his acceptance of her, turned her head and wept.

IN LIFE, there are enough times when we are disappointed, depressed and annoyed. We don't really have to go looking for them.

We have a wonderful world that is full of beauty, light and promise.

Why waste time in this world looking for the bad, disappointing or annoying things when we can look around us, and see the wondrous things before us?

I believe that WE ARE HAPPIEST when we see and praise the good and try our best to forego the mistakes of our spouse. Nobody's perfect but we can find perfection in them to change the way we see them. It is necessary to understand the difficulties and be a helping hand to each other....THAT BRIGHTENS THE RELATIONSHIP.

Cost, Insurance and Freight (CIF) vs. Free On Board (FOB) Terms

One of the fundamental decisions of international trade is how to structure the terms of sale between buyers and sellers. In the case of imports, Canadian and American companies can either allow their overseas suppliers to handle the shipping and insurance of goods or they can take these responsibilities on themselves. There are benefits and downsides to each, so it important to understand how these factors may affect your business. This overview is intended to provide clarity among these issues so that you may utilize the most advantageous method for your situation.

The following definitions are taken from the Globe Express Services Dictionary of International Trade (Incoterms 2000):

Cost, Insurance and Freight (CIF) – An international trade term of sale in which, for the quoted price, the seller/exporter/manufacturer clears the goods past the ship’s rail at the port of shipment (not destination). The seller is also responsible for paying for the costs associated with transport of the goods to the named port at destination. However, once the goods pass the ship’s rail at the port of shipment, the buyer assumes responsibility for risk of loss or damage as well as any additional transport costs. The seller is also responsible for procuring and paying for marine insurance in the buyer’s name for the shipment. The Cost and Freight term is used only for ocean or inland waterway transport.
Free On Board (FOB) – An international trade term of sale in which, for the quoted price, the seller/exporter/manufacturer clears the goods for export and is responsible for the costs and risks of delivering the goods past the ship’s rail at the named port of shipment. The Free On Board term is used only for ocean or inland waterway transport.

Why ship CIF?
Generally speaking, importers prefer CIF terms when either they’re new to international trade or they have relatively little freight volume. These importers often find CIF simpler in that their suppliers are responsible for arranging freight and insurance details. Under these terms the importer relinquishes control of choosing freight carriers, routing and other shipping specifics. For these companies, convenience outweighs the need for enhanced shipment control and associated freight savings.

Shipping CIF grows increasingly difficult as companies increase their number of overseas suppliers and overall freight volume. The greater the number of CIF shipments, the more problems can occur with obtaining accurate shipment information. Overseas suppliers are not well positioned to handle service issues that develop in-transit. What’s more, they are not required to arrange anything past the port of destination, so final delivery concerns, monitoring of penalty situations (demurrage, per diem), etc. are all the responsibility of the importer. Regular importers quickly grow tired of the hassle of relying on suppliers and their freight agents for shipment information.

Why ship FOB?
Buying Free On Board has two major benefits over CIF, more competitive freight rates and enhanced shipment control. When shipping CIF, companies must be careful that they’re shipping rates are competitive since overseas suppliers are inclined to mark up their freight cost for the extra service provided in arranging shipments. U.S. importers quickly learn that they can obtain very competitive shipping rates even with small to medium freight volumes. While cost is always important, there is another major reason for buying FOB.

Increased supply chain visibility and control is a critical FOB benefit. By taking title to the goods as they cross the ship’s rail at the overseas port of shipment, importers are better able to obtain accurate and timely shipment information by working with the third party logistics provider of their choosing. In this way, they are assured their freight partner is working in their best interest, not that of their supplier’s.

Latest Funny Jokes

GIRLFRIEND:(to her boyfriend) babe i cheated. BOYFRIEND:so what?do you think i love you? I've also been cheating on you for the past two years. You're just for fun. GIRLFRIEND(CRYI NG) I was talking about my exams!

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Walking up to a department store's fabric counter, a pretty girl asked, "I want to buy this material for a new dress. How much does it cost?"

"Only one kiss per yard," replied the smirking male clerk.

"That's fine," replied the girl. "I'll take ten yards."

With expectation and anticipation written all over his face, the clerk hurriedly measured out and wrapped the cloth, then held it out teasingly.

The girl snapped up the package and pointed to a little old man standing beside her. "Grandpa will pay the bill," she smiled.
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A Rich Woman on a Traffic signal to a Beggar :
Arey, I have seen U somewhere...
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Beggar : Memsaab,
We are Friends on FACEBOOK...! =))

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The last one out ...
An anxious husband called the hospital to ask about his wife who was pregnant. Accidentally, he called the cricket stadium. He asked, "How are things?"

He fainted after hearing this reply:
"Fine! Three are out, we hope to have the remaining seven out by lunch. And the last one out was a duck."

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Train me 1ladke ne T.T.E. Se kaha- muje subah 4 baje patiala aane pr utha
dijiyega, main na jagu to jabardati
utar dijiyega. Muje subah interview dena hai.

Subah8 baje ladka jaga to patiala nikal gaya tha.
Ladke ne TTE ko maa bahen kigaliyan deni shuru kr di
Logo ne TTE se kaha- apko galiyan de raha hai aur aap chup-chap sun rahe
ho.?

TTE-Main ye soch raha hu ki subah jisko maine jabardasti uttar diya hai

wo kitni galiyan de raha hoga.?.?

How to control your anger effectively

Never make decisions or share opinions when angry.
We are sure you all have heard this or read this many times before. But not all of us can actually put this into practise. We do mess up our friendships, relationships by saying things we shouldn’t have just because we were too angry to watch our words. If you’ve found yourself in a similar soup many times, then it is necessary for you to take steps to control this self-destructive behaviour.

1. Switch off
The moment you find yourself getting too angry and on the verge of blurting out what you know you shouldn’t, we advise you to shut your brain off. Yes, completely switch off from whatever anyone is saying and start ignoring the situation that is the reason behind this uncontrollable anger. The moment you retract into your safety cocoon, and detach yourself from the happenings, you will be able to focus on the larger picture and not impulsively say things you know you shouldn’t.

2. Breathe
Breathe from your gut. Breathe in and breathe out and totally relax your senses. Breathing is an age old, tried and tested technique that will help you to calm down. It may sound silly to you and you may wonder how one can stop being angry and start focusing on one’s breathing. Well, you can combine techniques one and two. Switch off and focus on your breathing. The purpose is to divert your attention and gain control over your anger.

3. Think and react
Once you have taken the time out and relaxed your senses, you can ponder over the situation and get to the crux of what is troubling you. This unbiased evaluation of the situation will help you look at things/issues reasonably. A cool head will help you evaluate what is wrong and what is not and will stop you from messing things up unnecessarily because of anger.

4. Talk calmly, apologise if you must
After you’ve analysed the situation you can continue the argument in a dignified, composed manner. Touch on points of relevance and cut the unnecessary finger-pointing and blame game out. Check your tone and voice levels and apologise if you have gone wrong somewhere.
This is an easy 4 step anger control process. Practise it whenever you get angry, and with time you will find the anger abating and gradually reducing in intensity.

The 5 Best and Worst Foods for Acidity

Don’t invite pain and discomfort by eating acidity-triggering foods. Check out the 5 best and worst foods for acidity.
If you suffer from acidity, you know how terribly uncomfortable it can be. And one wrong food is all it takes to trigger off a day of heartburn and discomfort.
For those prone to acidity, we have a list of foods you should include and foods you should avoid like the plague.

5 best foods for acidity

Apples and bananas
Amongst fruits, apples and bananas are safe to be consumed and generally do not cause acidity. If you’re in the mood for juice, apple juice is a good option.

Vegetables like cabbage, beans and peas
These vegetables are healthy and do not cause acidity. If you enjoy potato, try baked potato and avoid deep-fried preparations.

Egg white, chicken and fish
Lean white meats and egg white are perfect for acidity-prone individuals.

Low fat cheese
Heavy foods are a no-no for those prone to acidity. So try and go for low-fat dairy items like low-fat cheese or milk.

Whole grains
Avoid refined carbs like white rice and maida and instead opt for whole grains like wheat and brown rice to ward off acidity.

5 worst foods for acidity

Spicy food
This is a no-brainer. Anyone prone to acidity knows what a spicy sabzi or a stray chilli can do to you. In general, it’s best to avoid overly spicy food and go in for something a little milder.

Citrus foods
Bad news for orange lovers! Citrus foods are one of the worst triggers of acidity and if you think you might be prone to it, stay away from citrus fruits, as well as juices.

Coffee
For those with a chronic acidity problem, it’s best to cut out coffee from your diet. Instead try green tea

Fried foods and fatty foods
Biscuits high in fat, or fried snacks have to be banished from the diets of all those prone to acidity. These are instant triggers and can cause days of discomfort.

Alcohol, especially wine
Although wine recommended as one of the healthier alcohols, it’s a no-no for the acidity prone. The tannins in the wine can cause acidity and is best avoided.

Flash CS3 - CS5 issues - No Valid HTML Templates are available to complete this operation

It sounds like the user configuration is bad.  Please try removing the user configuration folder.  Please note that after deleting the user configuration, there are user  settings, such as panel position and saved jsapi commands, will be removed or reset so you might want to save the important files you want to reserve in user configuration before removing the  user configuration folder.

1. Quit Flash.

2. Delete the following folder:

Win 7 and Vista: HD:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\Adobe\Flash CS5

Win XP: HD:\Documents and Settings\<username>\Local Settings\Application  Data\Adobe\Flash CS5

Mac: HD:/Users/<username>/Library/Application Support/\Adobe\Flash CS5

3. Relaunch Flash and see if it fixes the problem.

A Simple jQuery Slideshow

In the interest of following jQuery’s motto of “writing less and doing more,” let’s write a simple slideshow using jQuery, JavaScript and a bit of CSS.

For starters, our main goal should be keeping the markup as clean as possible:

<div id="slideshow">

    <img src="img/img1.jpg" alt="" class="active" />

    <img src="img/img2.jpg" alt="" />

    <img src="img/img3.jpg" alt="" />

</div>

Now let’s use CSS to position the images on top of each other and bring the active image to the top level with z-index:

#slideshow {

    position:relative;

    height:350px;

}

#slideshow IMG {

    position:absolute;

    top:0;

    left:0;

    z-index:8;

}

#slideshow IMG.active {

    z-index:10;

}

#slideshow IMG.last-active {

    z-index:9;

}

Due to absolute positioning, we need to define the height of the slideshow DIV. Also, notice that we defined three different z-indexes—we will manipulate these soon using jQuery.

For the slideshow animation we are going to switch between each photo at a set rate. So let’s start by writing a function that brings in a new photo on top of the last active image:

function slideSwitch() {

    var $active = $('#slideshow IMG.active');

    var $next = $active.next();    

    $next.addClass('active');

    $active.removeClass('active');

}

$(function() {

    setInterval( "slideSwitch()", 5000 );

});

Here we set a JavaScript interval to call slideSwitch() every 5 seconds. Then slideSwitch() applies the CSS class ‘active’ to bring the next image to the top of the stack. Since we will select the images more than once within slideSwitch(), we define the variables $active and $next for selector performance.

Next we should incorporate a fade animation. For a gallery like this, fade in and fade out are identical, but let’s not forget to think about what we fade against:

function slideSwitch() {

    var $active = $('#slideshow IMG.active');

    var $next = $active.next();

    $active.addClass('last-active');

    $next.css({opacity: 0.0})

        .addClass('active')

        .animate({opacity: 1.0}, 1000, function() {

            $active.removeClass('active last-active');

        });

}

$(function() {

    setInterval( "slideSwitch()", 5000 );

});

We start by applying the ‘last-active’ class we defined earlier. Since ‘.last-active’ falls after ‘.active’ in the stylesheet, the z-index of 9 takes priority, and the top image drops back a level. Next, we set the opacity of the new image to 0 so that we can fade it in using the animate() function. Finally, we attach a callback to remove the z-index classes from the previous image when animate() completes.

Although our slideshow is working well, we should make it more robust by building in some default variables. First, let’s define a default active image, in case we need to put less stress on the back-end. Also, we can use defaults to make the gallery animation loop.

function slideSwitch() {

    var $active = $('#slideshow IMG.active');

    if ( $active.length == 0 ) $active = $('#slideshow IMG:last');

    var $next =  $active.next().length ? $active.next()

        : $('#slideshow IMG:first');

    $active.addClass('last-active');

    $next.css({opacity: 0.0})

        .addClass('active')

        .animate({opacity: 1.0}, 1000, function() {

            $active.removeClass('active last-active');

        });

}

$(function() {

    setInterval( "slideSwitch()", 5000 );

});

We first define a default image for the $active variable, which interestingly enough needs to be the last image on the stack. This is because through absolute positioning, the last image appears on top, and we need to start with it if we want to avoid any flicker.

For the loop it is pretty simple: all we have to do is point the $next variable to the first image once it has gotten to the end of the line.

If you want to improve this function, try setting the animation speed with a variable so the main slideshow function can be thrown into the core and left alone. Also, this slideshow is easily converted to support DIV’s instead of IMG’s—try programming a slideshow with more content.

Now for a challenge: the gallery flickers when the images first load, but it can be fixed without touching the JS or markup at all. Bonus points to whoever figures it out and posts a comment.

Download the complete slideshow here 

Building an Animated Cartoon Robot with jQuery

Why?

Aside from being a fun exercise, what purpose does something like this have? None that's plainly obvious. Its about as useful as a miniature ship in a bottle. Yet it does have an underlying purpose. It could inspire someone to look beyond the perceived constraints of web designers and developers.


Overview

This project was created by layering several empty divs over each other with transparent PNGs as background images.

The backgrounds were animated at different speeds using a jQuery plug-in by Alexander Farkas. This effect simulates a faux 3-D animated background dubbed the “parallax effect” originating from old-school side scrolling video games.

The robot is comprised similarly to the background animation scene by layering several DIVs together to create the different robot pieces. The final step, was animating the robot with some jQuery.

The Markup

<div id="wrapper">

  <div id="cloud-01">

  <div id="cloud-02">

  <div id="mountains-03">

  <div id="ground">

  <div id="full-robot">

    <div id="branding"><h1>Robot Head.</h1></div>

    <div id="content"><p> Robot Chest.</p></div>

    <div id="sec-content"><p> Robot Pelvis.</p></div>

    <div id="footer"><p> Robot Legs.</p></div>

  </div>

  </div>

  </div>

  </div>

  </div>

</div>

The structure of the divs closely resembles our diagram. None of the DIVs has the width attribute specified so they will expand to fill the size of any browser window they are displayed on. NOTE: All the images that make the background scenery parallax effect are 9999px wide. Well beyond the width of any computer display or television in common use. We’ll use CSS to place the background images exactly where we want within each particular div.

The Style

The CSS for this project is just as simple as the markup.

h1, p { position: absolute; left: -9999px; }

div {position: relative;}

#wrapper { background: #bedfe4 url(../images/sun.png) no-repeat left -30px; border: 5px solid #402309;}

#cloud-01 { background: url(../images/clouds-01.png) no-repeat left -100px; }                                                         

#cloud-02 { background: url(../images/clouds-02.png) no-repeat left top; }

#mountains-03 { background: url(../images/mountain-03.png) no-repeat left bottom; }

#ground { background: url(../images/ground-05.png) no-repeat left bottom; }

#full-robot { width: 271px; }

#branding {

background: url(../images/robot-head.png) no-repeat center top;

width: 271px;

height: 253px;

z-index: 4;

}

#content {

background: url(../images/robot-torso.png) no-repeat center top;

width: 271px;

height: 164px;

z-index: 3;

margin-top: -65px;

}

#sec-content {

background: url(../images/robot-hips.png) no-repeat center top;

width: 271px;

height: 124px;

z-index: 2;

margin-top: -90px;

}

#footer {

background: url('../images/robot-legs.png') no-repeat center top;

width: 271px;

height: 244px;

z-index: 1;

margin-top: -90px;

}

Absolute positioning is used to pull any header or paragraph text 9999px to the left of the screen. Then we declare every DIV in the page position: relative. By making all the DIVs position: relative;, we now have the ability to the use the z-index property to reverse the natural stacking order of the robot DIVs.

The jQuery JavaScript

Disclaimer: The original script to animate the robot was horrid. The good folks at coding cyborg were kind enough to clean it up and re-write it.

$(document).ready(function(){

$('#cloud-01').css({backgroundPosition: '0 -80px'});

$('#cloud-02').css({backgroundPosition: '0 -30px'});

$('#mountains-03').css({backgroundPosition: '0 50px'});

$('#trees-04').css({backgroundPosition: '0 50px'});

$('#ground').css({backgroundPosition: 'left bottom'});

$('#branding').css({backgroundPosition: 'center 0'});

$('#content').css({backgroundPosition: 'center 0'});

$('#sec-content').css({backgroundPosition: 'center 0'});

$('#footer').css({backgroundPosition: 'center 0'});

$('#wrapper').css({overflow: "hidden"});

$('#klicker').click(function(){

$('#cloud-01').animate({backgroundPosition: '(-500px -80px)'}, 20000);

$('#cloud-02').animate({backgroundPosition: '(-625px -30px)'}, 20000);

$('#mountains-03').animate({backgroundPosition: '(-2500px 50px)'}, 20000);

$('#ground').animate({backgroundPosition: '(-5000px bottom)'}, 20000);

startHim();

$("#full-robot").animate({left:"50%",marginLeft:"-150px"}, 2000);

setTimeout("leaveScreen()",15000);

});

});

var num = 1;

function startHim(){

num++;

$("#sec-content").animate({top:"-=5px"},150).animate({top:"+=5px"},150);

$("#content,#branding").animate({top:"-="+num+"px"},150).animate({top:"+="+num+"px"},150);

if(num<4){

setTimeout("startHim()",300);

} else {

setTimeout("bounceHim()",300);

}

}

function bounceHim(){

$("#sec-content,#branding").animate({top:"-=4px"},150).animate({top:"+=4px"},150);

$("#content").animate({top:"-=8px"},150).animate({top:"+=8px"},150);

setTimeout("bounceHim()",300);

}

function leaveScreen(){

$("#full-robot").animate({left:"100%",marginLeft:"0px"}, 2000);

}

We begin by re-affirming the original background position of all the images.

Upon clicking the ‘#klicker’ div, a function tells jQuery to animate the backgrounds from their current position all the way to the coordinates specified for each div. By separating all the different image layers into different DIVs we can animate the background elements at different speeds. Moving the elements at different speeds gives an illusion of a 3rd dimension. We move the elements in the background at a much slower rate than the elements in the foreground. Notice on this animation that the speed of the clouds in the background is slower than the speed of the mountains. And the mountains are slower than the ground which is the fastest of all. Finally after firing off all these commands to get the background moving the ‘#klicker’ function calls on the ‘startHim()’ function.

The ‘startHim()’ function, you guessed it right, starts our robot. It begins his little bounce and gets him moving to the center of the #wrapper div. The ‘startHim()’ function calls on the ‘bounceHim()’ function. And then it keeps looping.

We need to make the robot seem like it was bouncing on a rough desert rode. To achieve that bouncy irregular effect we’ll use the ‘bounceHim()’ function. It targets the separate robot DIVs and ‘bounces’ them 5px up and then 5px down. That wont be enough though, all the different pieces of the robot bouncing at the same rate looks too stiff. We need to make it look a bit more random and interesting. So we’ll take the div that makes the chest portion of the robot and move it at a different rate than the head and pelvis pieces. We’ll ‘bounce’ the chest part at 8px up and 8px down. This gives the robot a nice off-beat bouncy effect.

The ‘leaveScreen()’ function is the last function called. After 15 seconds (15000) it moves the robot 100% percent to the left of the screen which consequently moves the robot off to the right of the screen.

jQuery Common Accordion - Horizontal & Vertical

jQuery Accordion Features
• Works as vertical accordion and horizontal accordion.
• it can be auto slide.
• You can set a default panel.
• You can set your own mouse events.
• It can be nested.
• Its just 4kb without any compression.
• Its free! :)
How this jQuery Accordion works?
You'll need to keep your html code as same. Just treat your code as an xml file.

jQuery Accordion Horizontal

Download Files

Create a Realistic Hover Effect With jQuery

For one of the projects I’m currently working on with Rareview, we wanted to add a rising hover effect to a set of icon links. Using jQuery’s animate effect, I experimented with icons that have reflections and others with shadows. Here is a demo with two examples:

The HTML and CSS are both straightforward and have a structure and style common to many web navigations and menus (for the sake of post length, I’m not including HTML/CSS code examples here but you are free to snoop around in the demo or view the files in the download below).

In a nutshell, the JS appends the reflection/shadow to each <li>, then animates the position and opacity of these elements and the icon links on hover. I’ve added .stop() to eliminate any queue buildup from quickly mousing back and forth over the navigation.


 Begin jQuery

$(document).ready(function() {

/* =Reflection Nav
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- */

    // Append span to each LI to add reflection

    $("#nav-reflection li").append("");

    // Animate buttons, move reflection and fade

    $("#nav-reflection a").hover(function() {
        $(this).stop().animate({ marginTop: "-10px" }, 200);
        $(this).parent().find("span").stop().animate({ marginTop: "18px", opacity: 0.25 }, 200);
    },function(){
        $(this).stop().animate({ marginTop: "0px" }, 300);
        $(this).parent().find("span").stop().animate({ marginTop: "1px", opacity: 1 }, 300);
    });

/* =Shadow Nav
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- */

    // Append shadow image to each LI

    $("#nav-shadow li").append('<img class="shadow" src="images/icons-shadow.jpg" alt="" width="81" height="27" />');

    // Animate buttons, shrink and fade shadow

    $("#nav-shadow li").hover(function() {
    var e = this;
        $(e).find("a").stop().animate({ marginTop: "-14px" }, 250, function() {
        $(e).find("a").animate({ marginTop: "-10px" }, 250);
        });
        $(e).find("img.shadow").stop().animate({ width: "80%", height: "20px", marginLeft: "8px", opacity: 0.25 }, 250);
    },function(){
    var e = this;
        $(e).find("a").stop().animate({ marginTop: "4px" }, 250, function() {
        $(e).find("a").animate({ marginTop: "0px" }, 250);
        });
        $(e).find("img.shadow").stop().animate({ width: "100%", height: "27px", marginLeft: "0px", opacity: 1 }, 250);
    });

// End jQuery

});


Please note, for the purposes of this quick demo, I did not bother including support for IE6.

View Demo or Download

Really Amazing

The sky is reflected in a drop of water 

jQuery Tabs made easy

 

 

Demo      Download Source Files

A Rock in sajdah position

 

 

The Final signs of Qiyamah

1 THE CAVING IN OF THE GROUND
The ground will cave in: one in the east, one in the west, and one in Hejaz, Saudi Arabia.


2 THE FORTY DAY SMOKE/FOG
Fog or smoke will cover the skies for forty days. The non-believers will fall unconscious, while Muslims will be ill (develop colds). The skies will then clear up.


3 THE NIGHT OF THREE NIGHTS
A night three nights long will follow the fog. It will occur in the month of Dhul-Hajj after Eid al-Adha, and cause much restlessness among the people.


4 THE RISING OF THE SUN IN THE WEST
After the night of three nights, the following morning the sun will rise in the west. People's repentance will not be accepted after this incident.


5 THE BEAST FROM THE EARTH APPEARS
One day later, the Beast from the earth will miraculously emerge from Mount Safaa in Makkah, causing a split in the ground. The beast will be able to talk to people and mark the faces of people, making the believers' faces glitter, and the non-believers' faces darkened.


6 THE BREEZE FROM THE SOUTH
A breeze from the south causes sores in the armpits of Muslims, which they will die of as a result.


7 DESTRUCTION OF THE KA'BAH
The Ka'bah will be destroyed by non-Muslim African group. Kufr will be rampant. Hajj will be discontinued. The Qur'an will be lifted from the heart of the people, 30 years after the ruler Muquad's death.


8 FINAL SIGN OF QIYAMAH: FIRE IN YEMEN
The fire will follow people to Syria, after which it will stop.


COMMENCEMENT OF QIYAMAH
Some years after the fire, Qiyamah begins with the Soor (trumpet) being blown. The year is not known to any person. Qiyamah will come upon the worst of creation.

Qiyamah will come when...

Hadhrat Abu Musa Ash'ari (R.A.) narrates that Rasulallah (Sallallahu Alayhii Wassallam) said, "Qiyamah will come...


When it will be regarded as a shame to act on Quranic injunctions.


When untrustworthy people will be regarded as trustworthy and the trustworthy will be regarded as untrustworthy.


When it will be hot in winter.


When the length of days is stretched, i.e. a journey of a few days is covered in a matter of hours.


When orators and lecturers lie openly.


When people dispute over petty issues.


When women with children come displeased on account of them bearing offspring, and barren women remain happy on account of having no responsibility of offspring.


When oppression, jealousy, and greed become the order of the day.


When people blatantly follow their passions and whims.


When lies prevail over the truth.


When violence, bloodshed and anarchy become common.


When immorality overtakes shamelessness and is perpetrated publicly.


When legislation matters pertaining to Deen is handed over to the worst elements of the Ummat, and if people accept them and are satisfied with their findings, then such persons will not smell the fragrance of Jannat.


When the offspring become a cause of grief and anger (for their parents).

This life is not our Real Life

Death in a Virtuous State


Up to this point, we have seen that sincere believers live a good life in this world, are not overcome with fear or pessimism, and have a healthy and comfortable spiritual life. Since those who believe seek Allah's pleasure, we learn from the Qur'an that they have won His special assistance, support, and protection; their misdeeds will be removed from them and that they will be rewarded according to the best of what they did; and they will not be wronged. Since they "purchase" the next life in exchange for this life, they have made what the Qur'an calls a "good bargain." Allah is pleased with them, and they are pleased with Him.


But what will happen to them at the end of their lives? Where and when will Allah meet them at the hour He has appointed for their death? Neither believers nor unbelievers know where and when they will die. This fact is explained in Surah Luqman in these words:


Truly Allah has knowledge of the Hour, sends down abundant rain, and knows what is in the womb. And no self knows what it will earn tomorrow, and no self knows in what land it will die. Allah is All-Knowing, All-Aware. (Surah Luqman, 34)


Together with this, the Qur'an informs us how death will come to believers, how their souls will be taken, and what will happen at the moment of death. As far as we know, believers experience death as a very gentle passage, like a momentary change in dimension. Just like the person whom Allah causes to be "as dead during his sleep" (Surat az-Zumar, 42) and wakes up the next morning to a new day, when believers die, they will be taken out of the worldly dimension and pass to the next dimension (Certainly Allah knows the truth.)


Allah announced this gentle and easy passage in Surat an-Nazi'at, 2, where He points to the appointed angels and says "those who draw out gently."


Another verse tells about the angels' conversation when they come to take a believer's soul:


Those the angels take in a virtuous state. They say: "Peace be upon you! Enter Paradise for what you did." (Surat an-Nahl, 32)


The following verse describes a believer's death:


The greatest terror will not upset them, and the angels will welcome them: "This is your Day, the one that you were promised." (Surat an-Anbiya', 103)


Clearly, believers who have led a good life in this world will have a beautiful and easy death, and their life in the next world will begin when they are met by angels. From that moment on, all of their relations with this world will cease, and they will be sent to an appointed place where they will come before Allah's Presence. As it was from the beginning, so it continues: comfort and ease await all believers.