Most Popular text to speech tools (TTS)

I have received a number of emails and calls from my friends asking for some text to speech web tools and i am being tired to reply them individually and I am sorry for this late answer but late is better than never. One thing I am sure of though : I will never ignore your email and no matter how late I am in the answer I will come back to you so please bear with me.

Below is a list of some great web tools that allows you to convert text into speech. This is a great way to relax your tired eyes especially after a busy day of teaching. All of these tools are very simple to use and have a user friendly interface. Check them out below and let us know what you think about them. Enjoy

1- Announcify

Announcify reads out loud every website you want. For example, if you're too tired but still need to study one more Wikipedia entry, Announcify can help your tired eyes relax.

2- Fox Vox

"FoxVox will speak any text you highlight in a web page. FoxVox can also create audiobooks in mp3, ogg, and wav formats. You can now easily turn your blogs and articles into podcasts."

3- Natural Reader

"NaturalReader is a text-to-speech software with natural sounding voices. This easy-to-use software can read to you any text such as Microsoft Word files, webpages, PDF files, and E-mails. NaturalReader can also convert any written text into audio files such as MP3 or WAV."

4- Balabolka

Balabolka is a Text-To-Speech (TTS) program. All computer voices installed on your system are available toBalabolka. The on-screen text can be saved as a WAV, MP3, MP4, OGG or WMA file. The program can read the clipboard content, view the text from AZW, CHM, DjVu, DOC, EPUB, FB2, HTML, LIT, MOBI, ODT, PRC, PDF and RTF files, customize font and background color control reading from the system tray or by the global hotkeys

5- Chrome Speak

"Chrome speak provides native support for speech on Windows (using SAPI 5), Mac OS X, and Chrome OS, using speech synthesis capabilities provided by the operating system. On all platforms, the user can install extensions that register themselves as alternative speech engines."

6- Odiogo

"Odiogo lets you transform textual content into audio formats downloadable directly to the PC, iPods/MP3 players and mobile phones!"

7- Power Talk

"PowerTalk is a free program that automatically speaks any presentation or slide show running in Microsoft PowerPoint for Windows.You just download and install PowerTalk and while you open and run the presentation as usual it speaks the text on your slides. The advantage over other generic 'Text To Speech' programs is that PowerTalk is able to speak text as it appears and can also speak hidden text attached to images.

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8- QR Voice

QR Voice allows you to easily type in text and hear it spoken to you. It does not require any software download or registration and has user friendly interface.

9- Select and Speak

"Select and Speak uses iSpeech's human-quality text-to-speech (TTS) reads selected text. It includes 43 iSpeech text to speech voices. You can configure the voice and speed option by changing the settings at options page

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10- Speak It

SpeakIt reads selected text using Text-to-Speech technology with language auto-detection. It can read text in more than 50 languages.

11- Text to Voice

TTS gives Firefox the power of speech. Select text, click the button on the bottom right of Firefox window and this add-on speaks the selected text for you. Isn't it brilliant? Audio is downloadable.

12- Text 2 Speech

"Just enter your text, select one of the voices and download the resulting mp3 file to your computer. This service is free and you are allowed to use the speech files for any purpose, including commercial uses.

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13- VozMe

Voz Me is pretty much similar to QR Voice. It is very easy to use and has a simple interlace. Just type in your text and click to hear it spoken to you.

Reset forgotten Windows administrator password with out third party tools

With out any 3rd party tools we can reset forgotten windows administrator account by using windows boot media. you can’t use the Windows XP boot CD for this purpose because its Recovery Console will ask for a password for the offline installation. However, you can use a Vista or Windows 7 DVD to reset a forgotten Windows administrator password on Windows XP .Windows 7 and vista use the same DVD.

Boot from Windows PE or Windows RE and access the command prompt.
Find the drive letter of the partition where Windows is installed. In most cases because the first partition contains Start up Repair. To find the drive letter, type C: (or D:, respectively) and search for the Windows folder. Note that Windows usually resides on X:.
Type the following command (replace “c:” with the correct drive letter if Windows is not located on C:):
copy c:\windows\system32\sethc.exe c:\
This creates a copy of sethc.exe to restore later.
Type this command to replace sethc.exe with cmd.exe:
copy /y c:\windows\system32\cmd.exe c:\windows\system32\sethc.exeReboot your computer and start the Windows installation where you forgot the administrator password.
After you see the logon screen, press the SHIFT key five times.
You should see a command prompt where you can enter the following command to reset the Windows password (see screenshot above):
net user your_user_name new_password
If you don’t know your user name, just type net user to list the available user names.
You can now log on with the new password.

Recommend that you replace sethc.exe with the copy you stored in the root folder of your system drive in step 3. For this, you have to boot up again with Windows PE or RE because you can’t replace system files while the Windows installation is online. Then you have to enter this command:
copy /y c:\sethc.exe c:\windows\system32\sethc.exe

How to change Qtel Thomson Gateway Router's Internet Wifi Password?

How to change Qtel Thomson Gateway Router's(White One/old one) Internet Wifi Password?

1. Open Internet Explorer
2. Type on the address bar 192.168.1.254
3. Username: Administrator
Password: connect2th
4. Click on Thomson Gateway
5. Click Wireless --> Configure
You can now change your wireless name and password. Don't forget to click on APPLY after the changes has been done.

Create Windows 8 Bootable Pendrive – How to Guide

There are number of ways for installing an operating system to your computer. Most of the people do it by using bootable CD/DVD of windows. But we really don’t need to install windows very frequently and because of this , it is so difficult to put this bootable disc on safe place and remember where you have kept it when needed.

Also , number of times when you are installing window you see some error saying that some of the necessary installation file is missing from the disc and setup can not be continued. All this happens because of scratches present on disc surface since disc is too old to use.

Apart from all these , Not all Computers have working CD or DVD Drives. This creates a big issue for those who want to install operating system via Disc method,So today here i bring a easy tutorial to Create Windows 8 Bootable Pendrive .

How to Create Windows 8 Bootable Pendrive:

Step 1 :Download Windows 7 USB/DVD download tool and install it.

This tool is available for free from Microsoft Corporation as well so you can get it from there too. Despite its name, this tool works with Windows 8 ISOs as well. You can use this tool for any version of Windows.

Step 2:After downloading and installing the tool, Run it , now you need to Browse and give the path where the ISO file is located in your computer.

Step 3:Now select whether you want to create a bootable DVD for windows or you want it to be a bootable pendrive. Here you need to select USB device because you want to make bootable pendrive.

Step 4: Browse and select the pendrive which you want to make bootable. Make sure that the pendrive has atleast 4 gb free . Now click on Begin Copying.

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Step 5:

Once you begin copying , the tool will start creating bootable Windows 8 USB installer flash drive using the Windows 8 iso. Let this process complete , lastly when you see the message “Bootable USB Device created successfully”, you can restart your PC and boot from the USB drive.

Google's Chromebooks Hit Ireland, Canada and Many More Places....

Ireland, Canada, Australia and others join the likes of the UK and U.S. as the Chromebook goes on sale in a host of new countries.

It's been almost two years since the first Chromebooks went on sale and it's sometimes easy to forget that, while we in the States have enjoyed several iterations of Chromebook, other countries haven't seen hide nor hair of the Cloud-computing machines. Today, Google introduced several new countries to the magic of ChromeOS.

Google has announced that starting today, its Acer, HP and Samsung Chromebooks will begin rolling out in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland and the Netherlands. Not only that, but Google is also rolling out Chromebooks to businesses in schools in the aforementioned countries, which means discounts for those institutions and upgrades for users involved in the programs.

Unfortunately, no word on whether or not Google's newest Chromebook, theChromebook Pixel, will be launching in the above countries, too. Priced at just under $1,300, the Chromebook Pixel packs 4.3 million pixels into a 12.85-inch 2560 x 1700 display for a PPI of 239. Google boasts that this is the highest pixel density of any laptop on the market today. Display aside, the laptop runs on an Intel Core i5 processor(dual core, clocked to 1.8GHz) with integrated Intel HD Graphics 4000, 4 GB DDR3 RAM 32 GB Solid State Drive with 1TB of free cloud storage (though it's only good for three years), 2 x USB 2.0 ports, HD Webcam, a clickable glass trackpad, a backlit keyboard, dual band WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n 2x2, Bluetooth 3.0 and optional LTE.

In Ireland, pricing for the lower-end Chromebooks will start at €279 and the notebooks will be available through PCWorld and Amazon UK. In Canada, you will soon be able to snap one up at your nearest Best Buy or Futureshop (or you can buy online starting today). Australians can head to JB Hi-Fi and Harvey Norman while those in France, Germany and the Netherlands can get their Chromebooks atAmazon and Pixmania (France), Notebooksbilliger, Amazon, Cyberport and Saturn (Germany), or mediamarkt.nl, saturn.nl en laptopshop.nl (Netherlands).

outlook backup

How do I archive or backup my e-mail messages or folders?

Back up Outlook data with the Microsoft Outlook Personal Folders Backup tool.

Export Outlook items to a Personal Folders file (.pst)

Each .pst file contains all of your Outlook folders, including the Inbox, Calendar, and Contacts.
Unless you are using a Microsoft Exchange account or an HTTP account, such as Windows Live Mail, all of your Outlook data is saved in a Personal Folders file (.pst). Even when you have an Exchange or Windows Live Mail account, you can back up data to a .pst file, which is saved locally on your computer rather than on the e-mail server.
We can have a single .pst file (usually called Personal Folders in our Folder List), but we can also have an additional .pst file that we use for archiving. Using the Personal Folders Backup tool, we can back up any or all of these .pst files.
There are three ways to back up your Outlook e-mail messages, contacts, appointments, tasks, notes, and journal entries — the Personal Folders Backup tool, exporting, and archiving.

Personal Folders Backup tool is used to copy your entire .pst file or files to your hard disk or to a network server or share.

Download the tool from the Microsoft Office Online site by clicking the Download link and following the instructions in the dialog boxes.

To start the setup program, double-click the Pfbackup.exe program file on your hard disk.
Follow the instructions on the screen to complete the installation.
Start Outlook.

Back up your Personal Folders

The Personal Folders file (.pst) that you want to back up must be open. If the file is visible in Folder List, it is open.

On the File menu, click Backup.

Lists Personal Folders files (.pst) that will be included in the backup.

Displays the last time a backup was completed.

The Options button is where you can set reminders for the backup, which Personal Folders files are included, and the file location where the backup is saved.

You can open previously created backups.

Click Options.

Selecting the check box specifies that reminders are to be used. You can specify any number between 1 and 999 days.

Select the check box for each Personal Folders file you want to back up.

The file location is where your data will be copied to. Your original data will not be moved and changed. Once a backup is complete, you can use Windows Explorer to go to this location and see the backup file or copy it to removable media such as a CD, DVD, portable hard drive, or portable memory device.

In the Backup these personal folders files list, select the check box for each item you want to back up.
Change the .pst file name shown. Or, to select a different folder, click Browse, navigate to the location you want, and then click Open.

NOTE The default file name and location where the .pst file is saved is shown in the File location box.

To have Microsoft Outlook automatically remind you to make a backup copy of this file, select the Remind me to backup every n days check box, and then type the number of days between 1 and 999.
Click OK.
Click Save Backup.

NOTE The items selected will not be backed up until you exit Outlook.

Turn on or off a backup reminder

On the File menu, click Backup.
Click Options.
Do one of the following:

To turn on a backup reminder, select the Remind me to backup every n days check box, and then type the number of days between 1 and 999.
To turn off a backup reminder, clear the Remind me to backup every n days check box.

Click OK.

Change the backup location for a personal folders file

On the File menu, click Backup.
Click Options.
In the Backup these personal folders files list, click the file you want to change the backup location for, and then change the location in the Backup the file selected above to this location box.
Click OK.
Click Save Backup.

Remove the PST Backup tool

Exit Outlook.
Do one of the following:

Windows Vista

In Control Panel, under Programs, click Uninstall a program.
Select Microsoft Outlook Personal Folders Backup, and then click Remove.
Confirm that you want to uninstall this software by clicking Yes.
NOTE If you are using Classic View, double-click Programs, double-click Installed Programs, selectMicrosoft Outlook Personal Folders Backup, and then click Remove. Confirm that you want to uninstall this software by clicking Yes.

Microsoft Windows Server 2003 or Windows XP

In Control Panel, click Add or Remove Programs.

NOTE If you are using Classic view, double-click Add or Remove Programs.

In the list of programs on the Install/Uninstall tab, find Microsoft Outlook Personal Folders Backup, and then select it.
Click Change/Remove.
Confirm that you want to uninstall this software by clicking Yes.

View personal folders backup status

On the File menu, click Backup. In the Personal Folders Backup dialog box, you can see which personal folders files are currently set to be backed up and the date of the last backup.

Restore items from a backup

Open a backup copy of a Personal Folders file

On the File menu, click Backup.
Click Open Backup.
Click the personal folders file you want to open, and then click Open.

NOTE You can also open a .pst file without using the Personal Folders Backup tool. In Outlook, you can open Outlook data files on the File menu.

Where .pst files are saved

When you create a .pst file, it is saved to the Outlook local settings folder.

Windows Vista

c:\users\user name\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook

You may need to modify the default view in Windows Explorer to see hidden folders.

Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Microsoft Windows XP

c:\Documents and Settings\Profiles\user name\Local Settings\Application Data

You may need to modify the default view in Windows Explorer to see hidden folders.

Restore data

The amount of information you want to recover will determine the way you restore your backup data. If you want to recover:

If you want to recover a few items that were accidentally deleted or changed, open the file and then move or copy the items from the backup file into your original file.

On the File menu, point to Open, and then click Outlook Data File.
Click the .pst file you want to open, and then click OK.

The name of the folder associated with the data file appears in the Folder List. To view the Folder List, on the Gomenu, click Folder List. By default, the folder will be called Personal Folders.

Close the backup file by right-clicking it, and then click Close.
If you want to recover a large number of items or an entire folder, import the backup copy of the file. If you don't need to replace the entire folder, you can filter items to obtain the ones you want. Or you can import the entire folder and specify whether or not to replace duplicate items.

On the File menu, click Import and Export.
Click Import from another program or file, and then click Next.
Click Personal Folder File (.pst), and then click Next.
In the File to import box, specify the path and file name of the .pst file you want to import.

Archive is used to move the items that you want to back up out of your folders.

Export is used to create a file containing Outlook information, but still keep the original data in your folders. You can only export one folder at a time.

Information in Outlook can be exported to a Personal Folders file (.pst). This provides a way transfer Outlook items to another computer or to make a backup.

Folder properties such as permissions and views are not preserved when you export to a Personal Folders file (.pst). Only the content itself is exported.

On the File menu, click Import and Export.
Click Export to a file, and then click Next.
Click Personal Folders File (.pst), and then click Next.
Select the account — a top level folder — that you want to export. This enables exporting all mail, calendar, contacts, tasks, and notes if available for that account.

NOTE You can only export information for one account at a time.

Make sure that the Include subfolders check box is selected.

Click Next.
Click Browse to select where you want to save the Personal Folders file (.pst) and to enter a file name.
If you are exporting to an existing Personal Folders file (.pst), under Options, specify what to do when exporting items that already exist in the file.
Click Finish.

If you have multiple accounts, you must repeat these steps for each account.