How to Check if Your Software or Hardware is Compatible with Windows 7

Do you have questions about the compatibility of a particular software or bit of hardware with Windows 7? You could experiment and find out the hard way or head over to the Microsoft Windows 7 Compatibility page to do a quick and easy search instead.

Note: There may be some software or hardware that has not been listed at the Windows 7 Compatibility website yet.

The Windows 7 Compatibility Homepage

If you want to do a direct search at the compatibility homepage you can use the search functions located at the top. You will need to choose either software or hardware from the drop-down menu. Notice that there is an Advanced Search option available as well.

For those who are curious this is what the Advanced Search looks like.

Gong back to the compatibility homepage you can also choose to look through the categories available for software and hardware. First the software section…notice that each category has a drop-down menu to help you refine your search.

An example of what you will see. This is from the first page of Kids & Educational – Reference sub category.

Here is an example of a direct search for a particular software (Paint.NET). This particular software is listed as Status varies, so a quick click on View details will be helpful for understanding why.

The additional details for Paint.NET show which versions are and are not compatible with Windows 7.

As with software you can search through different categories of hardware to refine your search.

The first page of results for Displays – LCD sub category.

For our hardware search example we chose “HP w17e 17″ Widescreen Monitor”.  Looking good.

Using the Accelerators for Internet Explorer

If you use Internet Explorer there are two add-ons that you can install. The first is an accelerator to help you conduct searches for highlighted terms from the Context Menu. The second on adds a new search engine to the search box and a new accelerator to the Context Menu. Choose the one that best fits your needs or both if you like. For our Internet Explorer example we chose Winamp.

One thing to keep in mind when using the Search with Windows 7 Compatibility Center accelerator…it will default to a hardware search, so you may need to manually select software when the appropriate page opens. Using the Check Compatibility with Windows 7 accelerator will default to software when the appropriate page opens.

Just what we were looking for. Whether you use the homepage or Internet Explorer add-ons, this should help you find the answers you are looking for on Windows 7 compatibility.

Visit the Windows 7 Compatibility Homepage

Install the Windows 7 Compatibility Center Accelerator

Install the Windows 7 Compatibility Center Search Engine

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Use Email to Send Text Messages (SMS) to Mobile Phones for Free

Sometimes being able to send out a quick text message to someone you know would definitely be helpful. But what if you are at your computer and can not use your mobile phone? Just fire up your favorite email account and get that message out using the SMS Gateway addresses that we have collected together for you.

Photo by Steve Webel.

Note: Sending an email is always free, but the person that receives the message will probably be charged for a text message. Keep that in mind when using this.

Sending Text Messages

To get started simply enter the SMS Gateway address in the same way that you would with an email address, compose your message, and then send it on its’ way.

In just a short while your family, friends, or coworkers will have the new SMS show up on their mobile.

SMS Gateway Listing

To use the SMS Gateway addresses shown here enter the 10 digit mobile phone number for the person you are sending a message to in front of the appropriate address (i.e. 1234567890@carrier.com).

Note: SMS Gateways shown here are for U.S. carriers only (links for additional U.S. & International carriers at end of article).

Alltel Wireless	mobile-number@message.Alltel.com (SMS & MMS) mobile-number@text.wireless.alltel.com (SMS) mobile-number@mms.alltel.net (MMS)
AT&T Wireless	mobile-number@txt.att.net (SMS) mobile-number@mms.att.net (MMS)
AT&T Mobility (formerly Cingular)	mobile-number@cingularme.com mobile-number@mobile.mycingular.com
Boost Mobile	mobile-number@myboostmobile.com
Cricket	mobile-number@sms.mycricket.com (SMS) mobile-number@mms.mycricket.com (MMS)
Metro PCS	mobile-number@mymetropcs.com
Sprint (PCS)	mobile-number@messaging.sprintpcs.com SMS) mobile-number@pm.sprint.com (MMS)
Sprint (Nextel)	mobile-number@page.nextel.com (SMS) mobile-number@messaging.nextel.com (Rich Messaging)
Straight Talk	mobile-number@VTEXT.COM (SMS) mobile-number@mypixmessages.com (MMS)
T-Mobile	mobile-number@tmomail.net (MMS)
U.S. Cellular	mobile-number@email.uscc.net (SMS) mobile-number@mms.uscc.net (MMS)
Verizon	mobile-number@vtext.com (SMS) mobile-number@vzwpix.com (MMS)
Virgin Mobile	mobile-number@vmobl.com (SMS) mobile-number@vmpix.com (MMS)

Finding Additional SMS Gateway Addresses

Photo by keepthebyte.

If your mobile phone carrier is not listed here you can find additional SMS Gateway addresses for the U.S. and International companies using these websites.

List of SMS gateways (Wikipedia)

Email to SMS Gateways, Complete List

Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) email delivery

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Watch Netflix On Your iPhone or iPhone Touch Without a Jailbreak or Hack

To watch streaming Netflix content on your iPhone in the past you needed to jailbreak and hack it, but no longer. Today we look at the new official Netflix app that will now stream content to your iPhone or iPod Touch.

With the introduction of Instant Streaming movies from Netflix in your browser, or other media apps like Boxee, and Zinc TV…the service just keeps getting better. While iPad users already had the option, yesterday they launched an official Netflix App that allows you to stream Instant Content from Netflix to your iPhone or iPod Touch. Previously to get streaming to your iPhone you needed to jailbreak it, but now the app is official and you don’t need to worry about voiding your iPhone or iPod Touch warranty.

Note: You will need to be signed up for a Netflix Unlimited Instant Streaming account which starts at $8.99 but the app is free.

Install and Setup Netflix App

First you’ll need to download and install the official Netflix app either from iTunes (link below) or the App Store directly on your device – here we’re using the iPod Touch with iOS 4.0.3.

After you have the app installed you’ll need to log into your Netflix account or create one if you’re not already a member.

Browsing and Watching Netflix Content

After signing in you’re brought to your Homepage. We were pleasantly surprised to see that we could immediately Resume an Instant Streaming movie that we were previously watching in Netflix through Windows Media Center.

We decided to go ahead and Resume the film and were brought to an overview screen of what the documentary is about then tapped Resume.

The movie loaded quickly and started from the point where we left off. Notice you have basic video playback and volume controls like you would watching it on a computer.

In the Genres section you can browse for new Instant Streaming movies and other videos by category.

Or you can search for specific titles as well.

You can go through your Instant Queue as well and see what’s in it and start watching anything there too.

While you’re browsing the different available movies you can tap on the thumbnail to start playing it right away…

Or tap the movie name to get an overview of what it’s about and add it to your Instant Queue or start watching it.

Adding Movies or TV to Your Queue

When you find a movie you like you can easily add it to your Instant Queue by tapping on the Add to Instant button.

Then you’ll have the option to move it to the top or your Queue or tap OK to just add it to the list.

Here you can see we moved Start Trek: First Contact to the top of our Instant Queue.

On your Home screen you’ll get suggestions of movies in the same genre as ones you’ve previously watched.

Also, if you watched movies, TV shows, or added anything to your Instant Queue, that will be reflected in your account on the Netflix website.

And you’ll be able to resume a movie or TV episode you were in the middle of on your iOS device from your computer.

Instant Streaming TV Episodes

With available TV shows available for streaming, you can browse through the seasons and watch specific episodes as well.

Just like with Movies you can play them right away, add them to your Queue, and resume them where you left off.

Family Guy streaming over Wi-Fi to an iPod Touch…Awesome!

You’ll have the ability to stream content over Wi-Fi or through your 3G connection on your iPhone. When streaming over Wi-Fi to our iPod Touch we had no problems with buffer delay or stutter. 

The coolest thing about Netflix Instant Streaming is you can start watching a movie on your HTPC, then go into another room and resume it on your Laptop, then finish it on your portable iOS device right from where you left off or the other way around. Of course not everything is available for Instant Streaming yet, but they are adding more titles everyday, so it’s nice to have an Unlimited account so you can get DVDs of stuff that isn’t available to stream.

It doesn’t yet provide full functionality like managing DVDs in your Shipping Queue or managing your account, but for overall browsing of Instant content and watching it from you iOS device, the Netflix app is definitely a winner.

Download Netflix for iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad

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The How-To Geek Guide to Computer Microphones

With Gmail adding the ability to make free calls within the US and Canada, now is a great time to invest in a quality computer microphone. We’ll take some of the guesswork out of that process, and give you some tips on setting up your microphone once you get it.

Photo by visual.dichotomy.

What To Look For

There are a ton of different microphone options, and a long list of specifications for each. Which of these matter and which are just hype?

Form Factor

The biggest difference between microphones is their form factor. This should be the first thing that you decide on.

If you’re a gamer or just prefer all-in-one devices, a headset is a good choice. Headsets are headphones that have a microphone attached to them. The quality and comfort of the headphones and the microphone vary pretty widely, so read reviews of models in your desired price range.

If you already have a good pair of headphones or you just want something cheap and easy, a desktop microphone works best. These include some sort of base so that you can just place the microphone on your desk and you’re good to go.

If you’re considering doing some podcasting or other audio recordings, you should look into a professional microphone. These are larger, heavier, and are designed to be held either in your hand or in a mic stand – which can be an additional expense. The most common professional mics are either dynamic or condenser. Dynamic mics can take a beating, so if you’re rough on your electronics, they’ll hold up better. Condenser mics are more fragile, but in general do a better job reproducing sounds.

There are a few other form factors that may work better for you, like lapel mics that you can clip to your shirt, or conference room microphones that are designed to be in the middle of a table full of people. If you have a specific need, a quick web search should reveal the ideal microphone form factor to look for.

Connector

Photo by ladyada.

There are fortunately few options for how your microphone can connect to your computer; however, there are some important differences between the options.

A 3.5mm connector is the same as the plug from most headphones. Most computers – even laptops – have a 3.5mm microphone connection, so in most cases, you can just plug your microphone into the 3.5mm jack. However, the on-board sound features of most motherboards and laptops are not very high quality, so if you’re planning to do any podcasting or recording, you might need to invest in a dedicated sound card with a 3.5mm mic input.

USB connectors are becoming increasingly common. These will work the same on any computer with a USB connection, so there is no need to buy a sound card if you plan to make recordings. There is no particular downside to a USB mic, unless you’re already running low on USB slots (though in that case, you can pick up a cheap USB hub!)

Professional microphones tend to use the XLR connector. If you already have a professional mic with an XLR connector, or are dead set on one, there are XLR to USB adapters, and higher-end sound cards tend to have some method of accepting XLR input. These options are somewhat expensive, but they can be cheaper than getting a professional USB mic of equivalent quality.

There are also wireless options, if you prefer not to deal with cables. These typically connect through radio waves received at a USB dongle connected to your computer, or through Bluetooth.

Noise Cancelling

Many microphones – even inexpensive ones – offer some degree of noise cancelling. If you’re in a noisy room, or if your computer is particularly loud, this is a feature to look for. Be sure to read reviews to confirm that the noise cancelling feature works well!

Directionality

Microphones can be designed to pick up sound directly in one direction – unidirectional mics – or in all directions – omnidirectional mics. If you’re in a noisy room, a unidirectional mic is a better choice. If you want to pick up the noises in the room, for instance in a conference call situation, you will want an omnidirectional mic.

Frequency Response

Many microphones will list their frequency response range (e.g. 40Hz – 16KHz). By itself, this information is not particularly useful, and you should not judge a microphone with a wider response range as being objectively better. Human voices typically fall in the 85-255Hz range, well within the capabilities of even the cheapest computer microphone.

However, if you’re doing more professional recording, then you may want to investigate a microphone’s frequency response curve.

Other Factors

Manufacturers may list other specifications, such as microphone sensitivity and input impedance, but in general these factors are not important compared to those listed above.

Like with most computer parts, there is no best choice – it depends on what you plan to use your microphone for and how much you’re willing to spend. Above all, do your research and read reviews (Amazon and Newegg are good review sources) before making your decision!

Testing Your Microphone

Once you’ve chosen a microphone and connected it to your computer, you should test it out to make sure that your voice comes through loudly and clearly. The steps to do this vary depending on your operating system.

Windows 7 and Vista

Click on the start menu and type “sound” into the search field. The Sound Recorder program should be the first option. Open it.

Note: if you have disabled search, you can find this in All Programs > Accessories > Sound Recorder.

Click on the Start Recording button and speak into your microphone, the same volume and tone that you would use while chatting online.

When you’re done, click the Stop Recording button, save the audio file somewhere, and listen to it to confirm that your microphone is working properly.

If you don’t hear anything, or if it’s too loud or too quiet, right-click on the volume control indicator in the system tray, and select Recording Devices.

Note: if you’ve hidden the volume control indicator, you can access this through Control Panel > Sound.

You should see your microphone listed. If you speak into it, the bar at the right should fill depending on how loudly you speak.

Right-click on your microphone and select properties. Go to the Levels tab and change the microphone volume to an appropriate level.

Record yourself again to make sure that the volume level is good. There are other options that you can change in the Microphone Properties box – try them out if they seem useful to you.

Windows XP

Windows XP provide a nice wizard for testing and setting an appropriate volume level for your microphone.

Right-click on the volume control indicator in the system tray and select Adjust Audio Properties.

Note: if you’ve hidden the volume control indicator, you can access this through Control Panel > Sounds and Audio Devices.

Switch to the Voice tab and click the Test hardware button.

The wizard will ask you to speak some sentences, repeating your recorded audio, and adjust the volume accordingly. Quite handy!

Ubuntu Linux

Open a terminal window (Applications > Accessories > Terminal) and type in the command alsamixer.

Check to see if the Mic entry has a reasonable volume. If not, use your arrow keys to highlight the Mic entry and raise the volume to around 50. Press M on your keyboard to ensure that the there is a green 00 underneath the bar, not MM.

To test your microphone, click on Applications > Sound & Video > Sound Recorder.

Record yourself speaking for a few seconds, then stop the recording a play it back.

Mac OS X

Note: we did not have a Mac OS X test machine available. But managing the basic sound options is similar to that in Windows using the Sound preferences.

If you have the iLife bundle, the easiest way to test your microphone is to open GarageBand, start a new blank project, and record audio. Play it back to ensure that it works as intended.

If you do not have iLife, try the Audacity program, described in the Recording Audio section below.

Using Your Microphone

Here are some tips to get the most out of your microphone.

• Turn off your speakers. If you don’t, then the audio coming from your speakers could be picked up by your microphone, making an annoying high-pitched sound. If you need to hear audio while using your microphone, use headphones.
• Keep the volume at a reasonable level. It’s temping to turn up the volume and the dynamic boost so that you can be easily heard, but that will cause your voice to become distorted (“clipped”) when you raise your voice.
• Test your mic with each application that uses it. Some, like Skype, will change the mic’s volume settings; make a test call to ensure that you can still be heard clearly, and then retest when you use another application afterward.

Recording Audio

If you want to get started recording audio, whether for a podcast, commentary, or other permanent recording, we recommend trying out the multi-platform program Audacity.

When the program starts up, you have a blank slate. To record some audio from your microphone, click on the red record button.

Click the stop button when you’re done, and you have your first audio track!

You can record more tracks, or add onto the current track. Overlaying tracks on top of each other lets you add background music to your voice, or allows you to record two people separately and then combine them together afterwards.

Audacity is a powerful audio editing tool that is free and available for Windows, Linux, and Mac OS X. It can export to many formats, including MP3 (though this requires the download of an external MP3 encoder). It may be a little daunting for simple tasks like recording a message for Grandma, but if you want to start your own podcast, it’s worth putting in the time to learn Audacity!

Download Audacity, the free cross-platform sound editor

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