How To Uninstall Windows Driver

Drivers in Windows are very easy to uninstall. If the driver came as part of an installed software package (typically for printers and scanners and so on), then the easiest way is to remove the program and all its components from the Windows Control Panel (click ‘Start’ then ‘Control Panel’ and then ‘add or remove programs’). This is a way of thoroughly removing all traces of the software and drivers. The other way to go about uninstalling Windows drivers is to bring up the device manager (if you don’t know where this is then click on ‘Start’, click ‘Control Panel’, click ‘Performance and Maintenance’ and finally ‘System’. In the new window you’ll see a tab called ‘Hardware’ and the Device Manager is there). You can bring up the window you need by double clicking on the device whose driver you need to uninstall. You will get a ‘properties’ window with a tab marked ‘driver’. There’s a button marked ‘uninstall’. Just click it to uninstall the driver. It’s sometimes worth uninstalling the driver if you are having problems. If the driver you have uninstalled was part of the ‘plug and play’ protocol in windows NT or XP, then all you need to do is reboot or restart your PC and windows will search out the hardware and reinstall the driver automatically. If the driver you are using is Plug and Play then it will say so in the driver window from where you perform the uninstall. Plug and Play in Windows XP works for things like keyboard, mouse, monitor and basic modem, graphics and sound cards. Often you will want to use the driver written by the maker of the hardware you’ve installed. In this case you should have found a more up to date version of the driver on the internet or have a copy on a disc before you uninstall. If you think the driver is at fault and don’t have a copy, find one first – this can be done on the internet once you know the make and model of your device. There are also programs available that help you identify all your drivers and therefore help you find the replacements or updates. The other reason for uninstalling your driver is if you are installing a driver manually rather than using an executable file (see the article on ‘installing windows drivers’),. In this case it’s usually a good idea to remove the old driver before the install to prevent clashes. In this case you need to do so from the device manager as described above. So, if you have the backup that came with the hardware, have found one from a reliable source on the internet or are happy to rely upon plug and play technology (which is very good for many purposes), then there is no real risk in uninstalling windows drivers

BlackBerry Empathy Concept Phone!

The BlackBerry Empathy concept phone is a sponsored project held by RIM Blackberry at the Art Center College of Design. But the concept behind the phone is really odd. The idea is that it is supposed to “detect emotional data” through some magic ring and show both your emotions and your contacts and social graph.

According to Engadget – “It’s not exactly clear how it’d do that, but one crucial element is the biometric feedback ring that communicates your frustration at the phone’s inability to properly sync IMAP accounts in real-time. All of this anger and joy is displayed on a social map — colored rings indicate your contacts’ previous and current emotional states — which is presented on a full touchscreen that can become transparent when the phone’s not in use.”

Here is how the designers Kiki Tang and Daniel Yoon describe the interface:

It is of course touch based and all the user’s connections are shown graphically so you can see who is connected to whom. Each contact has an avatar that is encompassed by two colored rings. The inner colored ring shows the contact’s previous emotional state, and the outer ring represents the contact’s current emotional state. It is important to show the shift in emotions in order to see how an event has affected that contact.

Another important feature that we felt was important was the “Emotional Health Chart”. This chart would monitor the user’s emotional health through an indefinite period of time. One would be able to see how a certain event, or phone call/ message has affected the user. Obviously, if the chart shows someone is always upset, there would be a problem… If permitted, a user would be able to view other user’s charts as well.

The issue I have with the concept is that, have you ever heard of any smartphone user anywhere saying “I wish my smartphone knew how I felt!” It just seems like a solution looking for a problem. Some more pics below.

I am not sure what to make of the Empathy but let me know what you think.