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Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Know Your Network, Lesson 1: Router Hardware 101
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Top 10 Ways to Get the Most Out of Your Gear (Without Spending Extra Money)
While we here at Lifehacker are all about upcycling, the goal of this list is something different. We're not recycling old, unused tech and turning it into something else, we're taking the stuff you already use and making it better. If you've got old tech lying around that you don't know what to do with, check out some of our favorite repurposing hacks here. Otherwise, read on. 10. Turn a $3 Pen into a $200 Pen
9. Turn a $10 Flashlight into a $95 Flashlight
8. Add a Macro Lens to Your Phone's Camera
7. Turn Your Unhealthy Sitting Desk Into a Standing Desk
6. Turn a Pogoplug into a Full-Featured Linux Web Server
5. Turn Your Wii Into a Full-Featured Media Center
4. Turn Your Nook Into a Cheap Android Tablet
3. Add Advanced Features to Your Point and Shoot Camera
2. Turn Your iPod Touch Into an iPhone
1. Turn Your $60 Router Into a $600 Router
These aren't the most time-friendly hacks, but they'll be much nicer to your wallet than springing for the expensive, high-end tech you've always dreamed for—and in the end, you get a product that's just as good. Got any of your own favorite tech-supercharging projects? Share them with us in the comments. |
How to Build a Computer from Scratch, Lesson 1: Hardware Basics
While you could just go to the store and buy a Dell, you might find that you're happier with a custom-built machine. Building a PC from the ground up means it's perfectly crafted to fit your needs, whether you're a hardcore gamer, video editor extraordinaire, or you're just trying to build a low- or high-powered home theater PC. In some instances, you may save some money, and in all instances you'll have accomplished a project that you'll benefit from for years—a pretty great feeling in and of itself. That said, building is much more time consuming than buying, and your first time through, it can be daunting. This week's Night School series will walk you through building your first (or second, or third) computer from start to finish. Today, we'll be talking about the first step in any computer build: brainstorming what kind of machine you're looking to make and what that means for your hardware. The Types of Machines and their Ballpark CostsMuch like we did in our original spec-crafting feature, the the first thing you need to do is come up with a very, very rough idea of what kind of performance you want from your machine. The easiest way to do that is to split builds it up into three general categories:
The Parts That Make Up a Computer (and What They Do)Every fully functioning computer is made of the same basic components, and in this section, we'll walk through the basic hardware you'll need for your first build. We're still just talking about "things to consider" here—we'll get down to the nitty-gritty of picking out specific parts in the next lesson. Here, we just want to point out what the important components are, and which ones are the most important for certain builds. The Processor
The Motherboard
The Case
The RAM
The Graphics Card
The Hard Drive(s)
The Optical Drive
The Power Supply
Other Parts to Consider
Sit back and ponder how you use your current computer, how you're going to use your new computer, and what that means for the components listed above. If you're going to do a lot of gaming, a high-end processor and video card are crucial. If you're building a home theater PC, you'll want a "good enough" video card, a low-end processor, and a large hard drive to store all your movies. Once you've figured it out, come back for our next lesson tomorrow night, where we'll talk about how to actually shop for the parts you need to build your computer. |
Google’s new service Google Hotel Finder
If you are the person who like travelling and going on weekend getaways then you would surely like this new service launched by Google. Finding right hotel is very important when at vacation as finding the good hotel that suits your need, can decide the fate of your vacation.
There are many other web services that can help you with this then why Google Hotel Finder? May be because they want to take on this market and provide the users the easier way of finding the accommodation. The Google Hotel Finder service is currently in the experimental stage and is aimed at providing better options easily to the users.
Finding the hotel shouldn’t be difficult for you as you need to enter your search criteria for making the right choice and with the feature of “tourist spotlight” it becomes easier. This feature shows you, at first, the most visited hotels in the area you searched for.
You can also get a good deal for the hotel of your choice as compared to the other hotel finder services. The service is currently in the experimental stage and is, as of now, running in US. So if you are visiting US soon then do try this.
But does this service mean are we expecting more Google services like Google pedia or say Google job finder?
A Guide to Google+ Privacy and Information Control
This guide will take you through setting up Google+'s circles with an emphasis on how they work from a privacy perspective, how to control what others can see about you on your profile, your options for selectively sharing posts with others, and some miscellaneous settings you'll want to tweak—like only allowing friends to start Huddles with you. A note on pseudonymity: Google has taken a strong and, I think, awfully mistaken stance on not allowing people to use Google+ with a pseudonym. While this is definitely a privacy issue, it falls outside of this post's purpose of explaining how to use Google+'s privacy settings. Kee Hinckley, a Consulting CTO for Somewhere.com and Lead Architect at Zinc.tv, has written a compelling and thorough post on the subject, and hopefully Google is listening and will rectify this issue. Let's go tackle your main Google+ privacy settings and options: 1. Privacy and Your Circles
Things you need to know:
Differences between Google+ circles and Twitter followers or Facebook friendsLots of people like how intuitive and basic using circles is. It's much more upfront and clearer that Facebook's friends lists (which offer useful way to control your Facebook privacy), but there are also some intricacies to keep in mind about how circles work, especially if you're used to how Twitter and Facebook work:
So, on the one hand, Google+'s circles are much simpler to set up and use because they form the basis of this social networking model. On the other, it's like a mishmash of other social networks, so it might be confusing at first. Although anyone can follow you or add you to their circles, the important thing to remember is that the privacy of your posts is always set by you (more on this below). Google+ has many controls for allowing who can see your profile information and also who can see each individual post. 2. Control What People Know About You From Your Profile
Here are the default settings for your profile information:
So, for example, you can set your introduction to be for anyone on the web, your employment to be visible to anyone you've added to your circles, your contact information to be visible to a custom selection of circles such as friends and family, and your relationship status to be only for you and your significant other to see.
Search visibility. If you don't want your profile to be indexed by Google and it to appear in search results, this is the setting to look for. It's at the bottom of your Profile on the About page. Uncheck "Help others find my profile in search results," which is checked by default.
You have options to make the world think you're only following a select group or groups of people—excluding other groups from their view or hiding all the people you follow, in fact. And you can hide everyone who's added you to their circles, so no one would know how many people or which people are following you. Profile photos, email, links. The other sections of the profile page are customizable too: your main photo and series of profile photos, that "send an email" link, and your web links. By default, everyone on the web can see these. If this bothers you, here's where you can change it. PhotosProfile photos, shared albums from Picasa, photos of you tagged by other Google+ users, and Instant Upload photos all appear here. You can choose not show this tab (it's displayed by default), but even if your photos tab is displayed, only those photos that you share with others will appear here to them. A strange setting for "People whose tags of you are automatically approved to link to your Profile" is set by default to be allowed for your circles. This setting just means if someone tags you in a photo and you approve it, the photo will be linked to your profile and added here. Geo-location is not added by default, nor are photos uploaded by the Instant Upload feature of the Google+ Android app. VideosThis section only has the option to hide or show the tab. You'll need to explicitly share videos here, but the tab is shown by default. +1'sWhen you like a page or website by clicking on the +1 button in the search results or on the site, it will show up on your profile page if you have this set to be shared by default. (Note: clicking +1 on comments on a post or stream will not show up on this tab. It will only be shown on that thread.) If you don't want people to see your +1's, uncheck this tab (but this begs the question of why you would click any +1 buttons.) 3. Share Only to Select People Using CirclesAfter organizing people into groups for sharing and adjusting our profile settings, the next major privacy concern is controlling who can see and share the content you post (which can include a photo, web link, video, and/or map/location).
Notes about selecting groups you share with:
4. Control Your Information Streams and Posts
Incoming streams. Posts from people you've added to your circles will appear in your "stream" under their various circle categories. For people you haven't added to your circles but who are following you, their posts will be shared with you under the "Incoming" link. You can mute posts you're not interested in seeing there (more trouble than it's worth, probably) or add some of those people to your circles. Blocking people. If there are too many spammy or offensive or just overwhelming posts from some people, you can block them in your circles settings. "Block" here, however, may not work as you might think. As Hinckley describes it:
In other words, don't think of blocking a user as actually protecting your privacy. Your comments on others' posts are public: Note that your comments on other people's threads, if those threads are shared publicly, are public too and indexed by Google (i.e., searchable). Your +1's of any other people's posts are public too, so that's another thing to be mindful of. An individual post will say "Limited" or "Public" next to the timestamp, so you'll have some idea whether it's shared with a circle or with the public at large. 5. Check Other Obscure Privacy Options and Settings
At the bottom you can change the default of anyone being able to start a Huddle (group text) with you. (This can be really annoying, as Adam Pash can tell you.) Your Profile and Privacy tab links to most of the other settings we've already mentioned. It's a convenient one-stop page to jump to all the settings, perhaps, as well as to your main Google Account information and Google's Privacy Center. One nice thing you don't have to worry about is data retention and an encrypted connection. Google has confirmed Google+ uses only an encrypted SSL connection and that the data you delete from Google+ is deleted from their servers. A Wish ListAs a new service, Google+ has a lot of promise and Google has been responsive so far to many privacy concerns. The privacy controls for the most part are very straightforward, and Google's continuing to tweak them. For example, recently they changed the chat feature in Google+ so that you need to explicitly invite people for them to appear in your chat list (and Google says they're working on removing the restriction of all users in your chat list having access to your email address). There are still lots of usability and privacy features we'd like to see added to Google+, as evidenced by the many extensions available for making the most of the service and a recent discussion on Google+ privacy (thanks to everyone who joined in). Some of the things fellow Google+ers most wished for were: the ability to exclude specific circles or individuals from posts, adding subcircles for finer control, viewing multiple circles' streams at once, and an easier way to view comments and replies to comments in Google+. You've taken a tour of Google+'s privacy settings, but this certainly isn't the end of the discussion. So, please feel free to share your thoughts with us in the comments. |
Lifehacker Pack for Linux: Our List of the Best Linux Downloads
Just like our Windows pack, the awesome team at Ninite has graciously put all these apps into a one-click installer for you. Just check off the apps you want, and it'll spit out a unified, one-click installer package for all of them. Download the 2011 Lifehacker Pack Here Note that, unlike Windows and Mac OS X, Linux comes in many flavors and with a number of different desktop environments. Since most of you are using the GNOME-based Ubuntu, that's what this pack is designed for. Below, we've got explanations of what each program in the pack does, and why we chose it. Want to skip to a specific category? Use these links: The Lifehacker Pack is a yearly snapshot of our favorite, must-have applications for each of our favorite platforms. If you're curious to see how things have changed this year, here's last year's Lifehacker Pack for Linux. PRODUCTIVITY GNOME DoInspired by Mac favorite Quicksilver, GNOME Do is the application launcher to get on Linux. Not only can you launch apps with just a few taps of your keyboard, but its large plugin library lets you add even more functionality, like sending emails, IMs, playing music, searching the web, and more. LibreOfficeAfter OpenOffice became a less-than-open-source project, the community broke off and bore LibreOffice, the now-premiere open source office suite on Linux. It's got all the functionality you need for word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, and more. It may not be quite as ubiquitous or feature-filled as Microsoft's offerings, but it'll get the job done more often than not. geditText editor gedit comes with a ton of different Linux distributions, and it's easy to see why. It's lightweight, super customizable, and works for pretty much any text-based needs you could have—whether it's making a few notes or writing some serious code. Plus, it's got plugins that let you add word completion, file browsing, and tons more to give it an even bigger boost of power. The bottom line: if you ever need to edit text in Linux (and believe me, you will), you'll want to have gedit close by. AutoKeyIf you ever feel like some of your typing is just busywork, AutoKey will save you a lot of keypresses by filling in large passages, addresses, or even code by hitting just a few letters. Not only can you fill in text, but if you know a little Python, you can write out more complex scripts to manipulate that text pretty much any way you want, saving you hours of typing every week. INTERNET/COMMUNICATION ChromiumChromium is the open source project behind Google Chrome, the favored browser of power users everywhere. Fast browsing, awesome extensions, and preference-syncing tools make this the browser to beat on any platform, so while most Linux distributions still ship with Firefox, we recommend you make it your second-in-command and put Chromium your browser of choice. ThunderbirdWhile your first instincts may be to go with web-based mail, or with the GNOME-integrated Evolution, we just can't get over Thunderbird. It's got most of the features you love about Gmail, like archiving and conversations, and a huge add-on library that lets you tweak it to your liking. If you prefer your email in webapps, that's totally cool—but we recommend keeping an IMAP client like Thunderbird around for offline access and in case of emergency. PidginIt may not be shipping with Ubuntu by default anymore, but we still recommend Pidgin as your go-to IM client. It's been around for years, and had more than enough time to build up a huge library of features, supported chat protocols, and plug-ins to let you customize it right down to the last pixel. We may take another look at the pre-packaged Empathy one day, but for now, Pidgin's still got our hearts. SkypeVideo chat apps abound these days, but chances are everyone you know has Skype. It doesn't get quite as much love on the Linux platform, and it rarely gets updated, but if you plan on video chatting with your friends and family, it's inevitable that you'll end up using Skype. It's okay if it isn't your favorite, but we recommend tucking it away in the corner for those occasions when you actually need it. DelugeDeluge has slowly risen to become the best BitTorrent clients available on Linux. Modeling itself after µTorrent on Windows, it's super lightweight while packing a big punch in the features department. It's got loads of plugins, so you can get pretty much any feature you desire added on, including watch folders, IP blocklists, bandwidth scheduling, a web UI, and much, much more. If you're downloading torrents, deluge deserves a permanent spot in your applications menu. MUSIC, PHOTOS AND VIDEO Flash PlayerFlash is especially annoying on Linux, but sadly, it's still necessary for browsing a good portion of the web. Whether you're watching videos, listening to music, or—heck—just online shopping, chances are you'll need Flash installed to get anywhere on the net. Keep it at bay with FlashBlock for Chrome and FlashBlock for Firefox so it only opens when you actually need it. VLCThe default player in your distribution is usually pretty great, but we know that a lot of you guys love VLC. It's lightweight, it plays any format you could ever want, and has loads of advanced features in its preferences to make your video-watching experience as good as possible. It's still one of the first things we install on any distribution, and we know it is for you too. HandbrakeWatching video on the go? Ripping some high-def Blu-Ray discs? If you ever need to convert video, Handbrake is the way to do it. Rip or convert video to one of a bunch of different presets, or tweak the quality to your liking with all its advanced settings. It's an essential tool for any video watcher's arsenal. The GIMPThe GIMP isn't included in Ubuntu anymore, and while you can make very basic edits with with the built-in F-Spot photo manager, anything beyond a simple crop or resize will require an actual editing program. The GIMP may seem complicated, but if you're doing more than just organizing a few photos, you'll want to have it around, and if you're doing any kind of advanced editing, it's a must-have. We recommend grabbing the GIMP and putting it back in place as your default photo editor. BansheeThis is one of Ubuntu's recent changes we actually agree with: Banshee is now the default music player, and it should be your go-to as well. Besides the standard music management, CD ripping, and iPod syncing, it's got a ton of advanced features that make it the player to beat on Linux. It's integrated with the Amazon MP3 store, Miro for podcast support, and it has a good plug-in library for extra customization. Above all, though, it's got a great, easy-to-use, polished interface. Of course, we know the choice of music player is a deeply personal one, so if Banshee isn't your thing, we recommend checking out Rhythmbox, Amarok, and Exaile as alternatives. Restricted ExtrasIf you didn't download them when you installed Ubuntu, this is a package you're going to want. There are a few computing necessities—like MP3 support, DVD support, and more that are copyrighted and thus aren't always bundled by default with Linux. So, unless you're very gung-ho about open source and you're purposely avoiding these formats, you'll need the Restricted Extras package. UTILITIES DropboxIf you have multiple computers, Dropbox is an absolutely essential tool. It syncs files between your machines, backs them up to the cloud, and does all sorts of other neat things. Grab your free 2GB to start, then rack up your storage for free to make it even more versatile. ConkyConky is an awesome system monitor for your desktop, displaying things like CPU and memory stats to RSS feeds, email, weather, packages that need updating, and tons more. You can customize every inch of it to fit in with the rest of your desktop, and keep track of everything while staying productive. WineIt's a sad fact of life, but despite your best efforts you'll probably have to run the odd Windows program from time to time. Wine makes this possible, letting you run Windows programs in your regular window manager, as if they were Linux apps. It won't suck up a ton of resources like a virtual machine, but not all programs are compatible with Wine, so it can sometimes be a crapshoot. Still, when it works, it's a godsend. VirtualBoxWhen a Windows program isn't compatible with Wine, VirtualBox is next in the line of solutions. VirtualBox brings a full Windows environment to your desktop, which can be a bit slower, but it will run any Windows program out there. If you have the hard drive space and RAM to spare, it's a good idea to keep that Windows environment around for when you need it. GuakeLinux has certainly come a long way in the user-friendliness department, but you'll be hard-pressed to use Linux as your daily driver without ever needing the command line. Guake brings the Terminal to a quick-access drop-down window, accessible with a hotkey. Plus, like everything else in Linux, it's fully customizable so you can tweak it to fit your workflow. p7zipP7zip is basically the Linux version of our favorite Windows compression tool 7-Zip. With it, you can compress and decompress tons of different archive formats, like ZIP, 7Z, RAR, and more, no terminal necessary. Just right-click on them and decompress them with one click. OPTIONAL (FOR BEGINNERS) Ubuntu TweakIf you're running Ubuntu, Ubuntu Tweak is a great little program that simplifies some of the basic Linux processes that can be intimidating to first-time users. It may not upgrade well with your system, but it's a good install for beginners: it'll help you install third-party apps, configure your system without the Terminal, clear up disk space, and more. |
Google’s Keep note-taking app is getting a new feature courtesy of Android 14 that’s a huge time-saver, even if Samsung got there first
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One of our regular readers was irritated at this problem of VLC Building Font Cache . Because of this problem VLC starts rebuilding the font...