Schedule Your Time Machine Backups with TimeMachineScheduler
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Mac OS X only: Reschedule your Time Machine backup intervals from the default (which backs up once an hour) to a more appropriate schedule to fit your needs–anywhere from every one to twelve hours. Granted, the per-hour backup schedule means you’re that much more likely to have all your data backed up in case you run into a problem, but some people on older systems have reported performance slow-downs when Time Machine is backing up. In those cases, TimeMachineScheduler might be the perfect solution. TimeMachineScheduler is freeware, Mac OS X Leopard only.
Clean Windows Systems on the Go with Revo Uninstaller Portable
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Windows only: Revo Uninstaller, which Adam declared a must-have Windows app a few months back, has released a new version that can run from a folder on any portable storage device. That gives you the same abilities to quickly, completely wipe programs away and manage auto-started programs on whichever Windows system you’re working on. Other new features in both the installed and portable versions include automatic system restore point creation, an option to start Revo in “Hunter Mode” on startup, and scalable levels (“safe,” “moderate,” and “advanced”) when removing junk files. Revo Uninstaller and its portable version are free downloads for Windows XP, 2000 and Vista systems.
Xbox 360 Fall Update Full Details (DivX! XviD!)
Update: Apparently there’s actually something good in this update! Too bad they didn’t actually include it in the press release, but the Xbox 360 will support DivX and XviD! Hurray! Here’s what we got from the Xbox team:
**15. What types of AVI files are supported?
The Xbox 360 supports files encoded using MPEG-4 Part 2, Simple and Advanced Simple Profile. These files are often referred to as Xvid or DivX® video files. Many common PC DVD authoring tools, cameras, and camcorders are capable of encoding files using MPEG-4. Note that some files authored for DivX devices may also contain additional functionality(menus, subtitles, multiple audio tracks, etc). The Xbox 360 will attempt to play these files, but does not support any of the additional functionality and in some cases will be unable to play the file.
16. Why don’t some of my older versions of DivX® files play?
Since we only support Mpeg-4 compatible codec implementations, we will not be able to play video files older than DivX® 5.0.
Go check out what all will be in the updates!! I think it is some good stuff!!
QuickTime Flaw Update
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A few days ago, there was a report that there is a new QuickTime flaw that has been discovered. It was confirmed that it can be exploited on Windows XP and Vista operating systems.
Earlier today, The Register has posted an article about the flaw which tell the readers that it can also be exploited on Mac operating systems, particularly on Tiger and Leopard versions. The exploit works on both Intel processors and PowerPC chips according to a researcher named Lorenzo Hernandez.
There is a belief that Internet Explorer and Opera browsers are more resistant to this attack.
Source: The Register
Well people there is bound to be an update to quicktime shortly. Now since apple knows about this it wouldn’t surprise me.
Use Your iPhone’s Internet Connection On Your Laptop
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It’s great that your iPhone has a data plan and a killer mobile browser, but when you’re sitting at the airport waiting to catch a plane with your laptop right next to you, wouldn’t it be nice to use your full-on desktop browser? Out of the box your iPhone won’t allow you to tether your EDGE data connection to another computer wirelessly, but with a little ingenuity on your part you’ll be browsing the net on your laptop through your iPhone’s data service in no time.
NOTE: You’re probably asking yourself: “Isn’t the EDGE data network that the iPhone uses SLOW?” Well, yes it is. But if you’re at all like me, sometimes a slow full-screen browsing session is better than slow browsing on the small screen.
I’ve only tested this method on my MacBook Pro, but since SSH is platform independent, this should be a workable solution on Windows, Mac, or Linux.
Hey they came up with a way to have internet anywhere you go! Check out the full story at Lifehacker.
Use Your iPhone’s Internet Connection On Your Laptop
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It’s great that your iPhone has a data plan and a killer mobile browser, but when you’re sitting at the airport waiting to catch a plane with your laptop right next to you, wouldn’t it be nice to use your full-on desktop browser? Out of the box your iPhone won’t allow you to tether your EDGE data connection to another computer wirelessly, but with a little ingenuity on your part you’ll be browsing the net on your laptop through your iPhone’s data service in no time.
NOTE: You’re probably asking yourself: “Isn’t the EDGE data network that the iPhone uses SLOW?” Well, yes it is. But if you’re at all like me, sometimes a slow full-screen browsing session is better than slow browsing on the small screen.
I’ve only tested this method on my MacBook Pro, but since SSH is platform independent, this should be a workable solution on Windows, Mac, or Linux.
Hey they came up with a way to have internet anywhere you go! Check out the full story at Lifehacker.
Decrypt Your DVD’s Copy Protection with DVD43
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Windows only: Freeware application DVD43 decrypts DVDs and CDs, removing most copy protections schemes so you can interact with the media using whatever ripping or copying application you please (similar to the shareware alternative AnyDVD). DVD43 runs in your system tray, detects when you’ve inserted a new DVD, and automatically removes the encryption (the smiley face turns green when it succeeds). I’ve always had a lot of luck using DVD Shrink to rip and copy DVDs, but if you’ve ever run into problems working with encrypted DVDs on your PC, DVD43 is worth a try. DVD43 is freeware, Windows only.
I think DRM is dieing and probably won’t be much longer!!
Decrypt Your DVD’s Copy Protection with DVD43
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I think DRM is dieing and probably won’t be much longer!!
Upgrade Your Hackintosh to OS X 10.5.1
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A couple of weeks ago, I detailed how I built a Hackintosh Mac on the cheap from start to finish. The build benchmarked incredibly well, and I’ve been using it as my main PC every day since. A few days ago, I decided it was time to upgrade my Hackintosh to Mac OS X 10.5.1, the first update for Leopard. Here’s how it works.
First… Did It Work?
Yes, updating to 10.5.1 worked (and continues to work) very well, and if you’re installing Leopard with my previous guide, it only adds a couple of extra steps. However, I did run into a snag which I’ll detail later.
A good article on how to upgrade a hacktosh. Go check out how to at lifehacker!
Linksys Tech Support Misprint Leads to Phone Sex Hotline
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I hit Circuit City with my mom on Black Friday to pick up the greatest and cheapest router ever, the Linksys WRH54G, costing a slim Andrew Jackson after the mail-in rebate. As far as I could tell, there was only a single flaw with the thing: the toll-free technical support number in the manual wasn’t that at all, but a promotional line for a “stimulating conversation” service. Hear it for yourself in the call video above, and check out the manual after the jump.
Even the best laid plans go wrong. I hope Linksys corrects this!!
One-Click Video Conversion in KDE Menus
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Linux only: Convert your video files for DVDs, iPods or easily-playable formats from inside your file browser using a simple script. Users of Linux systems running on a KDE desktop just need to download the ffmpegmenu script and place it in the appropriate file browser folder, and a new “Video Encoding” menu will appear in your sidebar. Detailed instructions and download links are at the link below. The ffmpegmenu script works in Linux only and requires a KDE environment, or at least the majority of the KDE tools installed in any desktop.
Find Tech Support Answers at Satisfaction
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Tech support website Satisfaction walks the middle ground between the extensive, but nameless, answers found on community forums and official, but not always extensive, answers from company reps. Covering webapps, gadgets, and desktop applications, Satisfaction has more than 400 companies being discussed, and some of them, including Google, Sandy, Twitter and Microsoft, have actual employees helping to answer questions and troubleshoot. If you ask a new question, Satisfaction emails you when the answer appears, or you can follow the thread via RSS. It’s not an all-in-one stop yet, but especially for help with webapps and newer programs, it’s a good place to find help beyond the FAQs.
Keep Track of Drivers the Easy Way with DriverView
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Windows only: See your device drivers and their versions at a glance and back up your “just works” drivers list with DriverView, a free application for Windows systems. The all-in-one-window view is itself a helpful upgrade from looking through devices individually in the Device Manager, but the real value here is in the list generation. Create an HTML-formatted backup list for your future troubleshooting needs or export to text to show friends or forum members just what’s gone wrong. DriverView is a free download and works with Windows Vista, XP and 2000.
Apple Keyboard Windows Key Mapping
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If you run Windows on your Mac with Boot Camp with an Apple keyboard, you start to miss certain keys: like Print Screen, Del, the Windows key, and Insert. For a while I was just living without them, but turns out there are key combinations that map to all the Windows keys in Boot Camp, like:
Forward Delete in Windows – Fn+Delete
Print Screen in Windows – F14
Backspace in Windows – Delete
Insert in Windows – HelpThe rest of the list is over at the Apple site. Good bookmark for that Boot Camp’ed Windows install.Boot Camp Beta: Apple keyboards and keyboard mapping in Windows XP
This is for those who have to use Bootcamp with Windows. Thought this was interesting!!
A Clone of Autopatcher!
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Since Microsoft shut down Autopatcher, there hasnt been an easy way for technicians to install Microsoft Windows patches on a clients computer. Sure, they can go to the Windows Update site but sometimes an internet connection isnt always available, or it may just be painfully slow.
Enter “Offline Update”, a freeware tool that downloads all of the existing patches for the operating system you specify (choice of Windows 2000, XP and Server 2003) and creates an ISO file, for which you can later burn to a CD or DVD. Best of all, one you load the created disk into a computer, It will autorun the application. All you have to do is press Start and it will begin the patching process.How to use:
- Download Offline Update from the download link below and extract is somewhere
- Run the file in the root folder called “DownloadStarterGUI.exe”
- Choose what operating system and language you want patches for. You also have two options what type of disks you want. One disk per operating system or one disk for all operating systems. I recommend the cross platform version. Once you have chosen one, press Start
Move Window Buttons to the Left with Leftsider
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Windows Vista only: Make your Vista windows feel a bit more Mac-like with Leftsider, a small application that moves the close, minimize, and resize icons to the upper left corners of windows. Leftsider runs from an icon in the taskbar that lets you switch the left-alignment on and off, and since the program doesn’t touch your registry or system files, it’s up to you whether to put Leftsider in your “Startup” folder or delete it entirely. For those dual-system users who find their mouse muscles occasionally confused, Leftsider is a no-hassle fix. Leftsider is a free download for Windows Vista (32 and 64-bit) only.
It is Vista only!!
Synchronize Folders with SyncToy 2.0
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Windows only: Synchronize the contents of two folders, either across your home network or on the same PC with a free utility from Microsoft, SyncToy. The 2.0 beta’s been released and gotten smarter since the first time we pointed out SyncToy, adding smart drive letter detection (for when your USB drive gets assigned a different drive letter when you plug it in) and a more robust mechanism to include or exclude files from the synchronize action. Great for sync’ing files from your desktop to a USB drive or between two different computers on your home network, Adam uses it to sync his iTunes library between PC’s. The SyncToy 2.0 beta is a free download for Windows only.
Round Image Corners Online with RoundPic
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Rounded corners can give a photo album or personal website an elegant look, but only if you’ve downloaded the right software or learned the steps in Photoshop or the GIMP. RoundPic.com, however, does exactly what it sounds like—takes uploaded photos, gives them anti-aliased, graduated curves on the corners and lets you download them in finished form. I haven’t explored enough to know if a similar function is offered at any of the numerous other online image editing apps, but RoundPic is an easy-to-remember site with a streamlined service.
Better Gmail 2 Gets Four New Features
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Firefox only: Just released an update to the Better Gmail 2 Firefox extension, which compiles our favorite Greasemonkey user scripts for the new Gmail interface into one package. The new release includes a slew of recently updated scripts, including Folders4Gmail, Spam Count Hide, a swanky disk Quota Usage Graph, and my personal favorite, a modified version of Gmail Macros that lets you map your own preferred keystrokes to mail actions.
With the Macros Sewpafly mod enabled (its name is derived from its creator), you can map keys of your choosing to a task; just hit the question mark (?), type in your preferred keys, and click the “Save Mapping” button.
Finally, I submitted Better Gmail 2 to the Mozilla Add-ons Sandbox for review. There’s no telling when they’ll get around to approving it for public downloads, but if you’ve got the time and inclination, do post a user review on the extension’s sandbox page (login required) to speed along the approval process. Once Mozilla Add-ons approves the extension (fingers crossed), Firefox 3 users will be able to install it. In the meantime, grab the download over at the extension’s homepage here at Lifehacker, and post any problems or requests in the comments.
Hot Image Your PC’s Hard Drive with DriveImage XML
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You don’t need a complicated boot CD or expensive software to create a restorable system disk image for your PC: free utility DriveImage XML can save a full, working snapshot of your Windows hard drive while you work on it. (That’s hot.) When your PC crashes and burns or just slows down over time, the best insurance you can have is a mirror image of your operating system, complete with drivers, user settings, software applications, and documents in one place. A while back we covered how to partition and image your Windows hard drive using the Linux-based System Recovery Boot CD, a process that involves command line work, disk-burning, rebooting, and video driver wrangling. With DiskImage XML, imaging your PC’s hard drive is a matter of a few clicks, no reboots required. Let’s check it out.
Go check out the full article on DriveImage XML, I actually like this article and how they talk about making backukps!!
Hot Image Your PC’s Hard Drive with DriveImage XML
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You don’t need a complicated boot CD or expensive software to create a restorable system disk image for your PC: free utility DriveImage XML can save a full, working snapshot of your Windows hard drive while you work on it. (That’s hot.) When your PC crashes and burns or just slows down over time, the best insurance you can have is a mirror image of your operating system, complete with drivers, user settings, software applications, and documents in one place. A while back we covered how to partition and image your Windows hard drive using the Linux-based System Recovery Boot CD, a process that involves command line work, disk-burning, rebooting, and video driver wrangling. With DiskImage XML, imaging your PC’s hard drive is a matter of a few clicks, no reboots required. Let’s check it out.
Go check out the full article on DriveImage XML, I actually like this article and how they talk about making backukps!!
View the Contents of a Zip File in Quick Look with Zip Quick Look
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Mac OS X only: View the contents of zipped files in Leopard’s Quick Look without unzipping the archive with freeware plug-in Zip Quick Look. Just download the plug-in, drag it to
/Library/QuickLook/, and then restart Finder (right-click Finder in the Dock while holding the Option key and select Relaunch). Next time you Quick Look a zipped archive, you should get a look at the contents as well. The Zip Quick Look plug-in is freeware, Mac OS X Leopard only.
iPhone SDK already seeding to select devs?
Comments OffIt’s not anything more than a rumor right now, but reports are floating around claiming that “select developers” are already receiving prerelease versions of the upcoming iPhone SDK. The kit is said to already be producing native apps, and development is being compared to other sandboxed APIs like Google’s OpenSocial — apps have “clear limits” on what they can do, and interactions with the OS are mediated, presumably to avoid any security or performance issues. That jives with what Steve-O said about managing access, but again — this is all just a steamy cloud of vaporous nothing till that first app shows up in iTunes.
[Via Mac Rumors]
We new there SDK is coming to the IPHONE looks like Apple is trying to make it as quickly as possible!!
Fall Xbox 360 update touches on social networking
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With under a fortnight to go until Microsoft looses the Xbox 360 Fall Dashboard update on us, we’re still learning even more about what it will entail. The latest tidbit touches on the oh-so-zany social networking craze, as gamers will soon be able to browse the friends lists of their pals in order to connect with old buddies or get all up in the digital grill of complete strangers. Starting on December 4th, the default setting will enable your Xbox Live friends to browse your list at will, and if that just doesn’t set well with your conscience, you can hit the read link for instructions on how to
spoil some funprevent it.[Image courtesy of Xbox]
Wow, this looks like they are going into the social network, I hope it can make it do some really cool things. I hope to find out later on!!
Wii-saber for budding Jedi Knights
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Since the Wii was released with waggle controls, everyone has been looking forward for a Star Wars title to appear on the horizon, where they will be able to wield the lightsaber just like how the Jedi Knights in the movies did. They are now able to relive those experiences with a Wii Light Sword – sure, it isn’t exactly a lightsaber per se, but at this point in time I think we fanboys would take anything we can get our hands on. All you need to do is have a Wii and a Wiimote in hand – something that might be a little hard to do considering the scarcity of Nintendo’s console. This add-on gaming peripheral will set you back by £15, or you could always save your money and use your imagination instead.
Wouldn’t that be fun to have around the house. I can just see people saying “I broke my HDTV with a Wii Light Sword!” Oh boy would that be funny!!
Why Everyone Should Use Google Calendar
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If you’re not using Google Calendar, you don’t know what you’re missing. I’m not suggesting that you stop using whatever calendar software you’re currently using. I’m saying that Google is super powerful as a secondary calendar, or even as a non-calendar resource that does all kinds of useful jobs for you. Here’s how to use Google Calendar to make your own local “city guide”; never forget birthdays and anniversaries (with a neat trick); build a just-in-time information system; nag yourself; and provide information at your fingertips no matter where you are. Here’s how you can IMPROVE YOUR LIFE WITH GOOGLE CALENDAR.
I use Google Calendar and love it. I can schedule events with people and remind myself of to do list. Go try it out for yourself.
Create Global Folder Bookmarks with Dirkey
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Windows only: Create custom folder bookmarks accessible from your keyboard in any Explorer window or save or open file dialog with freeware system tray application Dirkey. You can set any folder as a bookmark on-the-fly by pressing Ctrl-Alt-0..9, then quickly jump to any of your bookmarks by pressing Ctrl-0..9 for the corresponding bookmark (e.g., if you set a folder as a bookmark with Ctrl-Alt-1, you can access that folder any time by pressing Ctrl-1). Dirkey does the work of previously mentioned applications like FindeXer, PlacesBar Editor, and FinderStyle but offers the quickest access to both creating new bookmarks and jumping to your most frequently used folders. Dirkey is freeware, Windows only.
Access Any Web Site (Like Wikipedia) Offline with GearsMonkey
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Firefox with Greasemonkey and Google Gears: The Wikipedia Offline Greasemonkey script plugs Greasemonkey into Google Gears (the offline web access extension that works with Google Reader and other sites) to provide offline access and syncing with Wikipedia. Once you’ve installed the script, head to Wikipedia and enable Gears. Now, when browsing any page on Wikipedia, you’ll notice a small frame that contains links to cache the current page or access other pages you’ve already cached. Even better, the author of the script provides a howto guide for taking virtually any web site offline with Gears and Greasemonkey, so anyone with some javascript chops should be able to start building Gears access for their favorite sites (here’s hoping we see a lot more of these). The Wikipedia Offline script is free, requires Greasemonkey and Google Gears.
Free Nature-Based Wallpaper
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Editor alumnus Kyle Pott pointed us toward a collection of striking, high-quality wallpaper images, all available free from Microsoft Technical Evangelist Mike Swanson’s blog. The images are mostly nature based and available in common desktop and laptop resolutions. Most are nature-based, and all of them shot with an eye for icon placement and light balance. For more free desktop dressing, including fonts and icons, check out Gina’s Top 10 roundup of free wallpaper, fonts and icon sources.
Recover Any Password in Firefox with the Asterisk Revealer
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The Firefox Asterisk Revealer bookmarklet reveals the contents of any password field (i.e., a field whose text is obscured by asterisks) in an alert box using a simple bit of javascript—particularly handy for those sites for which you’ve saved the password but long since forgotten what it is. The post itself just includes the javascript, but you can turn it into a bookmarklet by simply right-clicking your Bookmarks toolbar and selecting New Bookmark, and then pasting the javascript into the Location field.
