All Teched Up!

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It s October 2009 which means something very special for Linux fans: a 9.10 release of Ubuntu. Today we see the launch of Karmic Koala ‘, TITLE, ’1309 Diggs in linux_unix with 277 Comments’, WIDTH, 450, OFFSETY,32, OFFSETX,-55)” onmouseout=”UnTip()” rel=”nofollow” class=”bl”>Ubuntu 9.10 ‘Karmic Koala’ released
A HTML page that has absolutely nothing wrong with it is taken, and improved. Parts of it become shorter. Some parts become longer. All of it become more semantic. It’s awesome.’, TITLE, ’779 Diggs in design with 67 Comments’, WIDTH, 450, OFFSETY,32, OFFSETX,-55)” onmouseout=”UnTip()” rel=”nofollow” class=”bl1″>HTML 5: What Does It All Mean?
The Stockholm District Court has taken action against two founder members of The Pirate Bay. Gottfrid Svartholm and Fredrik Neij are now banned from operating the site and will have to pay fines of $71,000 each if they continue. This, despite the fact that they nor the site remain in Sweden.’, TITLE, ’746 Diggs in tech_news with 131 Comments’, WIDTH, 450, OFFSETY,32, OFFSETX,-55)” onmouseout=”UnTip()” rel=”nofollow” class=”bl”>Pirate Bay Founders Banned From Running The Site
As an iPhone user who is more than a little interested in the Motorola s newest, I have compiled a personal scorecard comparing important features of the two phones.’, TITLE, ’583 Diggs in gadgets with 180 Comments’, WIDTH, 450, OFFSETY,32, OFFSETX,-55)” onmouseout=”UnTip()” rel=”nofollow” class=”bl1″>Droid vs. iPhone: The Scorecard – Business Center – PC World
Researchers are two steps closer to creating a mass-market version of technology called phase-change memory that could change how computers of the future are put together.’, TITLE, ’458 Diggs in tech_news with 30 Comments’, WIDTH, 450, OFFSETY,32, OFFSETX,-55)” onmouseout=”UnTip()” rel=”nofollow” class=”bl”>Intel’s Next-Gen Memory Closer To Reality
Looks like Android 2.0 is shaping up to be an attractive proposition. And Motorola has new hardware to match. Yes, Motorola: who knew? In IT Blogwatch, bloggers type the words killer and iPhone (not necessarily in that order). Not to mention pumpkin cannon… (VZ) (MOT)’, TITLE, ’383 Diggs in gadgets with 148 Comments’, WIDTH, 450, OFFSETY,32, OFFSETX,-55)” onmouseout=”UnTip()” rel=”nofollow” class=”bl1″>Motorola Droid is iPhone killer, or so Verizon hopes
As with so many spellbinding things these days, Apple s Magic Mouse sadly turned out to be science. iFixit took the Magic Mouse apart as quickly as you d expect and left us with the below juicy pic of the sensors to mull over.’, TITLE, ’366 Diggs in apple with 79 Comments’, WIDTH, 450, OFFSETY,32, OFFSETX,-55)” onmouseout=”UnTip()” rel=”nofollow” class=”bl”>How Apple’s Magic Mouse Works
I ve managed to slog through the 107-page Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (PDF) issued late last week by the Federal Communications Commission. Let me save you the trouble of reading the 185 numbered paragraphs, 310 footnotes, and three appendices, …’, TITLE, ’332 Diggs in tech_news with 105 Comments’, WIDTH, 450, OFFSETY,32, OFFSETX,-55)” onmouseout=”UnTip()” rel=”nofollow” class=”bl1″>The case against the FCC’s Net neutrality plan
See what goes on behind the scenes while creating a professionally designed logo…’, TITLE, ’317 Diggs in design with 30 Comments’, WIDTH, 450, OFFSETY,32, OFFSETX,-55)” onmouseout=”UnTip()” rel=”nofollow” class=”bl”>Artistic Expression: Logo Design from Start to Finish
Google has got a little list of numbers that Google Voice won t call, the company tells the FCC. But it s less than 100.’, TITLE, ’313 Diggs in tech_news with 38 Comments’, WIDTH, 450, OFFSETY,32, OFFSETX,-55)” onmouseout=”UnTip()” rel=”nofollow” class=”bl1″>Google Voice: we’re not serving “high-cost destinations”
I think they ran out of weird building designs, because the centerpiece of Dubai s Technopark looks like it was copied from Epcot s Spaceship Earth. Whatever happened to architecture proposals for Dubai being completely nuts?’, TITLE, ’281 Diggs in design with 47 Comments’, WIDTH, 450, OFFSETY,32, OFFSETX,-55)” onmouseout=”UnTip()” rel=”nofollow” class=”bl”>Amazing Dubai’s Technosphere Concept Architecture

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25+ Useful Linux and Unix Cheat Sheets

This is my first post on Cheat sheets. Actually Cheat sheet is a concise set of notes used for quick reference. Cheat sheets will contain most of the shortcuts needed to program faster. And it is meant for newbie users who can’t remember the shortcuts or commands.

In this post , I have collected almost 27 Cheat sheets available for Linux users. These Cheat sheets will contain Linux command lines, Linux security, Linux administration, Gnome/KDE, sed/awk/vim, and distribution specific codes.

You may think that one cheat sheet is just enough for me , so why should I need to look at so many cheat sheets. According to me some cheat sheets may miss some points so its better to Look through all of them and then choose the top 5-10 you think will help you the most. After that you can Print them out and hang them on the wall around your desk for quick reference.

Unix/Linux Command Reference

THE ONE PAGE LINUX MANUAL

Treebeard’s Unix Cheat Sheet

Linux Shortcuts and Commands

The humble Linux cheat sheet

The Official Red Hat Linux Getting Started Guide

Evelyn’s LINUX Cheat Sheet

LINUX Cheat Sheet

Linux Security Quick Reference Guide

LINUX System Call Quick Reference

LINUX Admin Quick Reference

directory of Linux commands

Click on any of the 687 commands below to get a description and list of available options. All links in the command summaries point to the online version of the book on Safari Bookshelf.

Linux cheat sheet

Linux Command-Line Cheat Sheet

Linux Quick Reference Guide

Linux Commands – Ultimate Practical guide

Linux Cheat Sheet

Linux Cheat Sheet

Linux Cheat Sheet

Using Linux the CLI way – Cheat Sheet

ubuntu Reference Cheat Sheet

Debian GNU/Linux Reference Card

Gnome / KDE Keyboard Shortcuts

Tired of using your mouse so much? Did you know that both KDE and Gnome have keyboard shortcuts for just about everything you can do with a mouse? Here’s a list of the various shortcuts on both platforms.

Solaris Cheat Sheet

NetCat Cheat Sheet for Linux and Unix users

Solaris Handy commands

Unix Toolbox

I hope that these cheat sheets will definitely help you to remember some difficult commands for sure. If you have came across any other Linux or Unix cheat sheets then do let me know.

Ninite Makes Installing Software Incredibly Simple

If you are upgrading to Windows 7 from XP you will need to do a clean install, and installing your favorite apps again is time consuming and annoying. Today we look at a new service that will install your favorite applications while you walk away and do something more enjoyable.

Ninite is a cool new service created by two programmers in San Francisco who believe that installing software shouldn’t require work. It’s simple to use and has a large selection of popular freeware and open source applications. Just pick the apps you want to install, download the Ninite installer, then walk away and do something fun while it does all the work for you. The service installs the software with default settings and says “no” to any extra crapware (like browser toolbars) the installers might try to sneak in. Ninite isn’t even installed on your system, you just use a stand alone executable to begin the install process.

Using Ninite

Go to the Ninite site and pick the software apps you want to install.

After you made your choices, click on the Get Installer button at the bottom of the list.

Download the Ninite installer file.

Then double click to launch it.

Now walk away and go go to the coffee shop, have a beer, play some xbox or whatever you want to do that is more fun than installing a bunch of programs. A progress screen is displayed while it downloads and installs your selected programs.

When you get back you will see the finished screen.

You’ll see the icons of the programs you installed on the desktop and in the start menu. The default install paths and settings are automatically chosen for you with no crapware at all. Now you can enjoy using your favorite apps with little effort on your part. It couldn’t be easier, it’s so easy that even Grandma can pull it off.

35+ Educational Games and Games Resources

1. XP Math is a good place to find math games, math videos, math worksheets, and math e-books. The games section of XP Math offers games for basic arithmetic, algebra, geometry, and probability. Create an account on XP Math and you can keep track of your scores.

2. Word Twist is an online version of the popular board game, Boggle. Word Twist comes in two versions a four by four grid and a five by five grid. The purpose of Word Twist is to identify as many words as possible using the letters in the grid.

3. Super Text Twist is a simple word game similar to Word Twist which asks plays to identify words from a set of jumbled letters. The Super Text Twist game be played online or downloaded for use offline.

4. Parade of Games in Powerpoint was developed by faculty at the University of Wisconsin at Whitewater. Parade of Games in Powerpoint provides teachers with games and game templates for classroom use. The games and game templates are available for download in Powerpoint format. Some of the games and game templates that teachers can find on Parade of Games in Powerpoint include Bingo, Jeopardy, and scavenger hunts.

5. Arcademic Skill Builders offers a collection of twenty-one quality games for sharpening math and language arts skills. All of the games can be played online and six of the games are even enabled for play using a Nintendo Wii remote.

6. The Problem Site is loaded with great games for students. Some of the games are traditional “hang-man” style games, some of the games are traditional games with a twist, and some of the games are completely new. Each game is designed to help students develop problem solving skills. The games are categorized as word games, math games, or strategy games.

7. Ghost Blasters is designed to help students learn to multiply and divide quickly in their heads. To play Ghost Blasters select a multiple of which each “bad” ghost will have a value that is a multiple of that which you chose. Students then use their mouse to blast every “bad” ghost. For example, if I select “5″ at the beginning then all bad ghosts will display a multiple of 5. I then have to blast all of the bad ghosts to gain points, but if I blast a “good” ghost (a ghost that does not have a multiple of 5) I lose points.

8. Learning Games for Kids offers games for mathematics as well as many other content areas. Most of the games on Learning Games for Kids can be played directly on the website although some do link out to other sources.

9. Learn With Math Games is a site that I like because it offers online games as well as PDF templates for games that teachers and students can play in their classrooms. Learn With Math Games is organized by grade level and by mathematics topic.

10. Gamequarium developed by Diana Dell (a great person to follow on Twitter by the way) offers an excellent catalog of mathematics games and video demonstrations of mathematics functions.

11. Primary Games offers a collection of mathematics games as well as games for other content areas. You can grab some of the games on Primary Games and embed them into your own blog or website.

12. Grammar Ninja is a fun game for students to play as they develop a working knowledge of the parts of speech. Grammar Ninja has three levels for students to work through. As long as you answer questions correctly, they continue through the game, but answer incorrectly and the words explode.

13. Mad Libs offers a widget that you can install on your blog to allow visitors to play Mad Libs. I’ve always thought that having a “fun element” on your classroom blog is a good way to keep students actively visiting the blog without prompting from you. If you’re an English teacher, the Mad Libs widget might be something to consider adding to your blog.

14. the World Food Programme’s website offers students a large selection of educational online games and activities. The games are categorized by age group. Some of the games, like Food Force, are about world hunger while other games are more general in nature.

15. Taking it Global, an organization for youth interested in global issues, has a small games section that includes a game based on the flags of the world. Flags of the World asks students to match flags to their respective countries. After matching each flag to its country students can click the “learn more” link to find more information about that country.

16. Shape It Up is one of many good educational games and activities on Kinetic City. Shape It Up is an activity that would be good for use in an elementary school Earth Science lesson. The activity presents students with “before” and “after” images of a piece of Earth. Students then have to select the force nature and the span of time it took to create the “after” picture. If students choose incorrectly, Shape It Up will tell the student and they can choose again.

17. The Houghton Mifflin Company produces Grammar Blast. Grammar Blast offers 35 interactive grammar activities for students in grades two through five.

18. The Grammar Practice Park produced by Harcourt School Publishers provides 12 games for students in grades three, four, and five.

19. The British Council’s Learn English website offers 69 interactive activities for learning the rules of grammar. The activities are not listed by grade level so you will have to preview them to determine which activities are best suited for your students.

20. Scholastic Inc. has a page for elementary age students called Maggie’s Learning Adventures. On Maggie’s Learning Adventures visitors will find five grammar activities as well as activities for learning Spanish, Math, and Science.

21. The BBC’s Skillswise website is a great resource for a wide variety of content areas. On the grammar and spelling page there are 21 activities suitable for students of middle school and high school age.

22. Playing History is a collection of 128 games related to topics in US and World History as well as civics and geography. The games come from a variety of sources across the web. Feedback on every game and suggestions for future additions are welcomed by the hosts of the site. Visitors to Playing History can search for games by using the tag cloud, by using the search box, or just browse through the entire list.

23. Think About History is a fun trivia game on History.com. The object of the game is to cross the playing board by correctly answering a sequence of history trivia questions. The game has multiple levels that get progressively more difficult throughout the game. The questions on Think About History are a mix of video-based and text-based questions. The game can be played as an individual game or a two player game.

24. Fling the Teacher is a website containing 68 history quiz games. All of the quizzes have at least fifteen questions and a few of the games have more than 100 questions. The average is 30-45 questions per quiz. Prior to starting each quiz game students can create their own custom game character.

25. Scavenger Hunt Through History is a game designed to be played by students in junction with Freedom: A History of US produced by PBS. Freedom: A History of US contains is an overview of US history containing videos, documents, and pictures. In addition to the resources previously mentioned, their are quizzes for students to test their knowledge.

26. National Geographic Kids has a wide variety of games, puzzles, and activities for students of elementary school age. National Geographic Kids has nine games specifically for developing geography skills.

27. Learning Together offers four activities for learning about the geography of the United States. Learning Together also offers a game about world geography and a game about European geography.

28. Owl and Mouse Educational Software offers nine, free, interactive maps for students. The maps cover every continent except Antarctica.

29. Traveler IQ Challenge has 14 interactive geography games. The activities can be embedded in a blog or website.

30. Geosense is a fun way to use and improve your knowledge of world geography. Players can play against the computer or challenge another player. Geosense can be played anonymously or you can register and have your scores recorded for you. There are four Geosense maps (US, World, Europe, or advanced) that players can select from.

31. Smarty Games features games for developing basic mathematics and reading skills. There are six mathematics games covering basic addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. The reading section has two alphabet games and nine animated stories. In addition to the mathematics and reading activities, Smarty Games offers activities for learning to read a clock, puzzles, mazes, coloring activities.

32. Planet In Action is a fun website that features three games based on Google Earth. All three games utilize Google Earth imagery and navigation. The three games are Ships, Places, and Moon Lander. In “Places” you navigate, from a helicopter view, five popular places including the Grand Canyon. In “Ships” you become the captain of a fleet of ships to navigate famous ports of call. And in “Moon Lander” you take control of the Apollo 11 moon lander and guide the “Eagle” to touch-down.

33. The National Center for Education Statistics hosts a collection of games and tools for students. Dare to Compare is a quiz section of Kids’ Zone where students can test their knowledge of civics, economics, history, geography, mathematics, and science. After taking each quiz the students are shown the correct answers. Dare to Compare also allows students to see the national and international average rate of correct answers.

34. Brain Bashers offers visitors a nice selection of word games, logic games, and puzzles. Brain Bashers is updated regularly with many games that change daily and new games added every week.Brain Bashers was developed and is maintained by Kevin Stone. Kevin Stone is a mathematics teacher in England.

35. The Discovery Channel website lets you test your trivia knowledge while playing the same quizzes the contestants on Cash Cab play. Play the Cash Cab quiz game and earn fictitious money for every question you answer correctly. Answer three questions incorrectly and the game is over.

See original posting www.freetech4teachers.com

Prepare Your PC for Windows 7

When Windows 7 drops this Thursday, you can either spend many, many hours watching a progress bar, or you can boot into a clean, speedy system with that new-OS smell. Let’s get your system set up for a proper Windows 7 upgrade.

If you’re jumping into Windows 7 for the first time this Thursday, or soon after, you won’t find yourself facing an entirely new-looking, strange-acting Windows. Most of Windows 7′s features are refinements, tweaks, and speed-ups from Vista. Your Lifehacker editors have been using 7 ever since the Windows 7 Beta dropped in January, and we’ve found a few things worth noting and, in some cases, crowing about, like these 10 things to look forward to in Windows 7, or Windows 7′s underhyped features.

Considering that we know that 86% of you are upgrading to Windows 7, we thought it might be worth a little guidance for getting ready to do just that.

Before You Upgrade, Part 1: What You Can Upgrade To

Are you running Windows XP? You can upgrade, but you’ll have to do a whole-cloth “custom” installation, which will either wipe out your current system or, if you’re planning on dual-booting, require some hard drive partitioning.

Running Windows Vista? You can do an in-place upgrade from a Vista edition (Home Basic, Home Premium, Business, and Ultimate) to an equivalent or lower-scale edition of Windows 7 (Starter, Home Premium, Professional, and Ultimate), assuming you’re not moving up from 32-bit to 64-bit. Yeah, it’s that simple. Ed Bott at ZDNet took a woefully confusing upgrade chart Microsoft prepared and made an easier-to-grasp, plain-English upgrade chart that’s definitely worth checking out.

Before you buy an upgrade disc, though, you’ll want to ensure your system meets the minimum specs for 7. Here they are in table form, stylishly cribbed from Wikipedia’s Windows 7 page:

Need to double-check one of your system’s stats against what Microsoft calls the bare minimum? They offer a free Upgrade Advisor download for Windows systems that will tell you whether your hardware and peripherals can live in the Windows 7 world.

Finally, if you’re planning on upgrading from the Release Candidate you’ve been testing out and running happily since what seems like forever, know that it takes a bit more than just popping in a disc. Microsoft doesn’t really want you to pay only an “upgrade” price to move up from a free system, but it can be done. Our own How-To Geek posted a detailed walkthrough of a Windows 7 RC to RTM upgrade at his home away from Lifehacker. Basically, you’ll need to edit a single file on the Windows 7 installation disc, which requires a disc-to-hard-drive copy and a free extraction tool. If that’s not your cup of tea, or you’d rather fulfill your licensing obligations, you’ve got until March 2010 before the Release Candidate starts nagging and auto-rebooting on you.

Before You Upgrade, Part 2: Back Up Your Data

Even if things go swimmingly with your upgrade, you’ll want to have a fall-back copy of your music, pictures, documents, application data, and other important files. If you’re doing a “custom installation” from Windows XP or any system without a Windows license, it’s an absolute must. Our readers voted up tools like Cobian Backup, SyncBack, and Acronis True Image in our Hive Five for Windows backup tools, but also suggested online, auto-monitoring tools like Mozy Home and Carbonite—which aren’t free for more than token amounts of data, and probably can’t get you backed up in time if you must jump into 7 this Thursday.

For absolute security in knowing that you could completely revive your current Windows system if 7 turned into a disaster, do what Gina did by hot-imaging your PC’s hard drive with DriveImage XML.

Upgrade Option 1: In-Place Upgrade from Vista

This one is the easiest option, since all your data files stay in place, your just-as-you-like-them computer settings stay in place, and you don’t need to touch anything with the word “partition” involved.

The downside? Depending on how “clean” a user you are—in terms of removing unnecessary applications and keeping your media library trim and in one place—and the speed of your hardware, an upgrade to Windows 7 can take a seriously long time. Chris Hernandez charts his extensive testing and finds that a “super user” on mid-range hardware could wait more than 6 hours for a 32-bit upgrade to finish. That’s a worst-case scenario, but if you feel like you’ve got a lot of applications and data that might hold things up, there is a way to get tidy in a jiff.

First off, install Revo Uninstaller and kill off any applications, helpers, monitoring programs, and anything else that you’re not really using in Vista. (Won’t it feel nice to have a cleaner system when you start up Windows 7?) Next, read our step-by-step guide to separating your data from Windows on a stand-alone partition. You’ll benefit from doing this with any version of Windows, and especially if you’re planning to dual-boot any time soon.

Separating your music, pictures, movies, Office documents, and other non-application files from the stuff Windows needs to run means that Windows 7 only looks at your core C: drive for an upgrade. From a peace of mind perspective, that also means that if things don’t go well with your upgrade and you decide to run a clean install, you’re in a better position to do so. Best of all, Windows 7′s “Libraries” features makes it easy to access music, pictures, documents, and videos anywhere on your system, right from the Start menu.

Upgrade Option 2: Upgrading from XP or a Clean Hard Drive

Windows XP users can still get the Upgrade price discount, but there’s no actual “upgrade”—you’re doing a whole new install of Windows 7 on a blank hard drive, or at least a blank partition. If there’s space enough on your drive, do as we suggest above and create a new partition for just your data, but you’ll also want to back up your application data in this case.

Microsoft has posted an official XP-to-Windows-7 migration video guide, and offers a User State Migration Tool that claims to capture desktop and system settings, user accounts, and the files you want and brings them over to your new Windows 7 system. The How-To Geek’s partner in blogging, mysticgeek, also details how to use Windows 7′s Easy Transfer tool with a USB drive to migrate files and settings. Obvious, but fair, warning: Be sure to run these transfer utilities in XP first, back up their file loads, and then run them in Windows 7, unless you’re planning on dual-booting (detailed just a bit down this page).

Concerned about your favorite programs’ compatibility in Windows 7? We’ve run down how to set up and use Virtual XP Mode in Windows 7. An official, final, and free download of XP Mode should arrive this week for Windows 7, possibly at this page.

Upgrade Option 3: Dual-Boot Windows XP or Vista with 7

Technically, you could use our guide to dual-booting Windows 7 with XP or Vista to set up a crazy schizo-system with all three Windows versions available, but we’re assuming that unless you’re a developer, you probably want to at least move on from Vista, given 7′s compatibility with, and improvements over, the much-maligned OS.

If you set up dual-booting, you can still use the User State Migration Tool or Windows 7′s Easy Transfer tool to save time setting up your accounts over again in Windows 7—you just don’t have to worry about putting the horse before the cart this way.

“Upgrade” Option 4: Boot Camp on a Mac

There’s nothing too new about installing Windows 7 on a Mac with Boot Camp that hasn’t already been done with XP and Vista. Stroll over to our Boot Camp how-to guide to read up on how to set up a Windows system right next to OS X, with extra pointers on getting devices like Mac keyboards working properly in Windows.

Upgrade Option 5: Load Windows 7 on a Netbook

It’s entirely possible to load Windows 7 onto netbooks that shipped with XP, Linux, or some other system—it’s just not quite easy. If you’re up for a little ISO imaging, USB installing, and file compression, our sibling blog Gizmodo can walk you through installing Windows 7 on almost any netbook. You’ll need a minimum of 1GB of RAM and 8GB of hard drive space on your netbook, along with a 4GB thumb drive and a valid copy of Windows 7. PC World just posted a guide to getting Windows 7 on your netbook in a half-hour, but we’ve yet to try out their technique.

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If you’ve already gone through an upgrade to Windows 7, be it beta, release candidate, or (*cough*) retail, tell us what made the move easier for you, or what lessons you learned the hard way, in the comments.

Tweaks that Still Work in Windows 7

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The final version of Windows 7 is being released this week to the general public, and after you get your hands on it the first thing you’ll need to know is: Do all my tweaks still work?

If you haven’t already made the switch over to Windows 7, be sure to check out our guide to upgrading to the Windows 7 RC, which should still be applicable for the final release. If you aren’t sure whether you want to make the switch full-time, you can always setup a dual-boot with Vista or XP.

Disable Shortcut Icon Arrows

This is one of those little annoyances that doesn’t really affect functionality at all, but if you are worried about making your system look just right, you might want to get rid of the unseemly arrows that show up on any shortcut. There’s loads of different methods to get rid of these icons—back in XP you could just use Tweak UI, but starting with Windows Vista you needed another application: the Vista Shortcut Overlay Remover. It still works in Windows 7, and is just about the simplest way to get rid of the arrows. Why this setting isn’t built into Windows, I just don’t know.

Disable Shortcut Icon Arrow Overlay in Windows 7 or Vista

Add Defrag to the Right-Click Menu

If you want to quickly defragment your drive, there’s way too many clicks that you have to go through to start the defrag process—but you can use a simple tweak that adds defrag to the context menu for each drive. It’s as simple as a little registry hack, which you can download and install without having to mess around in the registry yourself.

Add Defragment to the Right-Click Menu for a Drive

Create Shortcuts to Lock the Screen, Shutdown, Restart

Microsoft keeps moving the shutdown buttons around with every new version of Windows, but it seems like people are still asking for shortcuts to shut down or restart the PC, and the good news is that the old tweak still works just fine on Windows 7. You can even assign a shortcut key to them if you choose, just make sure to put the shortcut on the start menu or desktop if you want the shortcut key to work.

Create Shutdown / Restart / Lock Icons in Windows 7 or Vista

Make Windows Log On Automatically

When you are the only person using your PC at home, there’s really not much reason to require a login every time you restart your computer. Luckily there’s an easy way to make sure that Windows doesn’t ask you for a password when you log on, using the netplwiz utility. Just uncheck the box that says “Users must enter a user name and password”, enter your password in twice, and you won’t have to login anymore.

Make Windows 7 or Vista Log On Automatically

Stop Windows Update from Automatically Restarting Your PC

This is my personal pet peeve with Windows—you are right in the middle of a few dozen things, with a ton of applications open on your screen, and you come back to your computer only to find that your PC has restarted because Windows Update decided that rebooting that instant was more important than all that work you had on your screen. If you are sitting in front of your PC, you can always temporarily disable the automatic reboot, but there’s another registry hack that will prevent it from happening in the first place.

Prevent Windows Update from Forcibly Rebooting Your Computer

Add Any Folder To Your Taskbar

This tweak has worked on every version of Windows for a very long time, and even with the new taskbar in Windows 7, it still works perfectly. Just right-click on the taskbar, choose Toolbars –> New Toolbar, and pick the folder you’d like to add. You can make them icon-only, remove the label, or make them use large icons. You can even use this trick to add the Quick Launch folder back to Windows 7.

Add “My Computer” to Your Windows 7 / Vista Taskbar

Add “Take Ownership” to the Context Menu

If you were rocking an administrator account on Windows XP, you pretty much had access to do anything you wanted, but since Vista, Windows made it extremely difficult to change files and folders in any of the system directories. To easily solve this problem, there’s a simple little registry hack that will add a “Take Ownership” item to the context menu, after which you can rename, delete, or do whatever you’d like.

Add “Take Ownership” to Explorer Right-Click Menu in Win 7 or Vista

Add Copy/Move to the Context Menu

Sure, there are loads of ways to copy  or move files around in Windows, but there’s one simple little registry hack that will add a “Copy To folder” and “Move To folder” option to the context menu. Once you’ve added them to the menu, you can pop up a dialog box that lets you easily choose a folder to move or copy the items to—it’s one of those great little hacks that’s been around forever, and still works in Windows 7.

Add Copy To / Move To on Windows 7 or Vista Right-Click Menu

Disable the Caps Lock Key

The Caps Lock key is by far my least favorite key on the keyboard—at least the scroll lock key doesn’t interfere with my typing when I hit it by accident. Thankfully it’s easy enough to get rid of with a simple registry hack, or you can map any key to any key using an easy freeware utility. If you’d rather not disable it, you can instead use Caps Lock as a keyboard-friendly navigation tool or turn it into a dedicated minimize button.

Disable Caps Lock Key in Windows 7 or Vista

Stop Losing the Sleep/Shutdown Button to Windows Update

So you’re rushing to finish up that TPS report so you can duck out early and avoid Lumberg asking you to work on the weekend, only to realize that Windows hijacked your Sleep/Shutdown button and is now slowly installing updates for the next twenty minutes or so. Thankfully there’s another simple registry hack that will prevent Windows from changing out your regular shutdown button with the install updates variety.

Stop Windows Update from Hijacking the Sleep Button

Enable Remote Desktop

Remote Desktop doesn’t come with all the flavors of Windows—you can only use it if you are running the Ultimate, Pro, or Business editions. If you are using one of those versions and want an excellent way to control the PC in the other room, Remote Desktop is where it’s at—in Windows 7 or Vista it will even enable Aero through the Remote Desktop session. To enable for yourself, simply head into System properties, choose Remote Settings, and then change the radio button to enable it.

Turn on Remote Desktop in Windows 7 or Vista

Disable Sticky / Filter Keys Dialogs

Have you ever been playing a game, or doing something else that required pressing the Shift or Ctrl keys a bunch of times, and then had the “Do you want to turn on Sticky Keys?” question pop up on your screen? It might be a great feature for some people, but it’s not useful for the rest of us—and it’s really annoying. Thankfully you can disable the keyboard shortcuts entirely by heading into the Control Panel’s Ease of Access center and looking under the keyboard section.

Disable the Irritating Sticky / Filter Keys Popup Dialogs

Disable Windows Explorer Click Sounds

Ever noticed that every time you double-click on anything in Windows Explorer, it makes an annoying clicking sound? If you do a lot of file management, this sound can quickly drive you batty. Thankfully there’s a really simple way to disable it—just head into the Sounds panel and find the item called “Start Navigation” in the list. Once you’ve disabled that sound, you should be finally free of the irritation.

Turn Off Windows Explorer Click Sounds in Windows 7 or Vista

Disable User Account Control’s Annoying Prompts

UAC has noble intentions, but for power users who know what they’re doing, they can be extremely annoying. Windows 7 makes it so much easier to get rid of those annoying prompts than Vista—you can simply head into Control Panel, find the UAC settings panel, and then drag the slider to fit the level of annoyance you feel like dealing with. If you’d rather keep UAC enabled but want to prevent the prompts for a particular application, you can always create shortcuts that bypass the UAC prompts with a simple task scheduler trick.

20 Puzzle Websites to Sharpen Your Programming Skills

1. Code Chef

Code Chef has lots of practice puzzles, and monthly competitions with cash prizes. The site officially supports over 35 programming languages!

2. SPOJ

The Sphere Online Judge contains 1871 different programming problems. More points are awarded for better performing solutions, which can be submitted in a range of languages.

3. Code Golf

The aim with code golf is to submit a solution using the fewest characters possible.Solutions can be submitted in Perl, Python PHP or Ruby.

4. Uva Online Judge

Over 2600 great programming puzzles, and also regular contests. Submissions in C, C++, Java or Pascal are automatically checked for you.

5. Timus Online Judge

An online competition site that automatically checks your submissions. Supports Java, C#, Pascal, C and C++.

6. Google Code Jam

The code jam is a programming contest from Google. The top 25 contestants get to travel to Google’s HQ in California. Entries are accepting in any programming language.

7. USA Computing Olympiad

Programming puzzles designed to provide “pre-college students with opportunities to sharpen their computer programming skills”. The puzzles are still interesting and fun even if you’ve got a CS degree!

8. Informatics Olympiad

A British version of the computing olympiad. Again aimed at school and college students, but fun and interesting for everyone.

9. Programming Challenges in C, C++ and C#

About.com’s C/C++/C# section regularly posts interesting programming puzzles. Successful solutions get acknowledged on the site once the deadline has passed.

10. Java Bat

A site dedicated to practical Java programming problems. You can type your code directly into the website, and it’ll tell you if you’ve solve the problem correctly or not.

11. Programming Praxis

Programming Praxis is a blog that includes a range of interesting problems with solutions usually available in several different programming languages.

12. CodeKata

CodeKata is a blog of programming puzzles written by Dave Thomas, who’s most famous for the groundbreaking book, Pragmatic Programmer. The puzzles involve many issues that are directly relevant to real world programming so this is a good place to brush up on your coding skills.

13. TopCoder

TopCoder is an active programming community of developers who love to solve puzzles. There are many active challenges and some of them with cash prizes.

14. Project Euler

Quoted from their front page: “Project Euler is a series of challenging mathematical/computer programming problems that will require more than just mathematical insights to solve ” The puzzles featured on the site range from relatively trivial to seriously complex!

15. Facebook Engineering Puzzles

Facebook has a collection of very challenging programming puzzles that–should you manage to solve them–could result in you getting a job at Facebook! Solutions are accepted in a variety of languages including Erlang, PHP, Perl, Python and Ruby.

16. Python Challenge

Python Challenge features riddles that ask you to write small Python programs to solve. The difficulty level gets progressively harder and more cryptic. This is an excellent site for programmers/developers that like problem solving!

17. Al Zimmermann’s Programming Contests

Al Zimmermann’s self-described “arena where demented computer programmers compete for glory and for some cool prizes” is a great way to participate in the programming community. Contests run every six months.

18. Ruby Quiz

Ruby Quiz is a collection of Ruby programming challenges that is updated weekly. Although made for Ruby, these challenges can be solved in other languages.

19. C Puzzles

C Puzzles features programming puzzles specific to the C Programming language (and all of its quirks). Since many languages are C-style or derived directly from it, even if your native programming tongue isn’t C, there’s a strong likelihood that you’ll still appreciate and understand these puzzles.

20. 99 Prolog Problems

99 Prolog Problems is suited to the Prolog programming language but people have provided solutions in Python, Ruby, Haskell, Scala and others. Working your way through these problems is a wonderful way to pick up a new language.

7 Free Ways to Promote Your Business Online

As a business owner, sales person, or marketer, you should always be trying to find ways to drum up more business – especially with the current economic climate. Each dollar that you spend on marketing and advertising should show a return on your investment and produce results that can help increase your bottom line. Easy enough right?

While recent times have made many businesses tighten their belts on their spending, it’s extremely important to the success of your company to keep marketing your business in order to gain new customers and continue to generate revenue.

Luckily for marketers and business owners, there are several ways you can very affordably advertise your services and products online (many of which are free). Let’s go through a handful of them.

Twitter, Facebook & Social Sites
Connecting with your customers or potential customers is more important than ever. Take part in the conversations people are having about your industry or business by interacting with them on social networks.
Where to start: Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn

Tips & Resources:
· 50 Ideas on Using Twitter for Business
· 32 Ways to Use Facebook for Business
· Using LinkedIn As a Small Business Owner

Video
Whether you’re promoting products or offering your services, creating videos is an excellent way to attract new customers. Additionally, videos have a tendency to go viral and quickly reach a large audience.

Where to start: YouTube

Tips & Resources:
· YouTube Marketing – 11 Terrific Ways to Promote Your Business on YouTube
· How to use video to promote your small business
· How to Produce “Business-Quality” Online Video on a Small Business Budget

Blogs & Forums
Similar to social networks, blogs and forums are a great place to take part in creating a dialogue. You want to be resourceful, really help people, and provide valuable information in order to gain the maximum benefits of these mediums.

Where to start: Google Blog Search & Forums Relevant to Your Business
Tips & Resources: 10 Rules For Driving Traffic Using Forums

Press Releases
A great way to gain new customers is by creating press releases about your services, products, or business. Try and stay away from highly commercial press releases that simply show your company in a positive light. Instead, focus on a unique angle that will draw visitors’ attention to something you are doing or an interesting aspect of your business.

Tips & Resources:
· The New Rules of PR (PDF – 21 pages)
· 20+ Free Press Release Distribution Sites
· Online Press Release Checklist

Local Resource Sites & Classifieds
If you’re an offline business that is looking to promote your company, ensure that you are listed in all of the sites that relate to your local area. These can include newspaper sites, local portals or hubs, classifieds, and national sites that focus on local businesses like Yelp, CitySearch, or Yellow Page directories.

Where to start: Yelp, CitySearch, SuperPages.com, Google Local & Yahoo! Local, & Craigslist

Tips & Resources:
· List your business on Google Maps, Yahoo Local & More
· GetListed.org
· Local Search Ranking Factors
· A Look at Important Local Business Listing Attributes

Email Newsletters
Not only will building an email list help you connect more often with your customers, it is a great way to promote people who are extremely interested in your products or services. This can be one of your most powerful online marketing tools because you become less reliant on search engines and other ways of generating traffic to your site.

Where to start: Constant Contact, MailChimp, Aweber, and iContact

Tips & Resources:
· 5 Common Newbie Mistakes
· Choosing An Email Newsletter Provider
· 50 Ways to Get Email Newsletter Subscribers

Contests & Giveaways
To be successful with contests and giveaways, you need to give people things that are valuable and relate to your business or industry. The great thing about contests is that you can give your own products away and your only out-of-pocket expense will be your hard costs for the product(s)
Where to start: Promote them on blogs, forums, press releases, video, and newsletters

Tips & Resources:
· Anatomy of a Successful Blog Contest
· 14 tips for Twitter contests that build followers and brand visibility

+1 Bonus Tip: Start a Blog
One of the most beneficial and inexpensive ways to promote your site online is by creating a blog that compliments your business’ services and products. Not only does it give a chance for you to talk about new happenings in your industry, but it allows you to start connecting with people on your site – where you can promote your own business as much as you want.

Where to start: WordPress, Blogger, TypePad

Tips & Resources:
· Freelancers: Here’s Why You Need a Blog
· Does Your Company Need a Blog?

Free Tools to Tutor Yourself in Anything

While there is much to be learned from taking a course or finding a professional tutor, there are many tools out there that can help you learn just about anything you’d like to entirely on your own. With a little elbow grease, trial and error and dedication, these online tools can help guide you through the learning process step-by-step. Whether you want to learn how to renovate your kitchen or the intricacies of calculus, you’ll find the assistance you need through these resources.

General

These tutorial-filled sites offer instruction on a wide variety of topics.

1. eHow: Formerly Expert Village, this site it full of detailed instructions and videos that will take you through the basics of activities in categories like health, food and drink, legal, parenting and more.
2. SuTree: Here you’ll find thousands of user-submitted videos on just about anything you could possibly want to learn more about.
3. Video Jug: This site will give you access to professional-looking videos that will have you improving your etiquette, applying your makeup or knitting a scarf better in no time.
4. TrickLife: Check out this site for how-to instruction in computers, crafts, electronics, hobbies and a whole lot more.
5. MyTutorials: You can search through the existing tutorials on this site, pose your own questions and get help or share your expertise in a video or lesson of your own.
6. Tutorial Ninja: This site is home to a wide range of technology and science focused tutorials.
7. Find Tutorials: Search through this site to find instructions on how to improve your skills in a variety of different topics from technology to fixing up your house.
8. Learn That: Whether you want to learn how to make awesome salsa or just navigate through all the new features of the latest Photoshop, this site can help you find the guidance to do so more easily.
9. Wikiversity: Just like the bigger Wikipedia site, the information offered here is free for the taking and easily searchable.
10. 5min: Got five minutes? Then you’ve got enough time to watch one of these short but informative videos.
11. Instructables: This site encourages you to get creative, share your skills and learn from other users.

Language

Learning another language can be a great way to challenge your brain and improve your resume. Check out these tools for some help.

1. Google Language Tools: With Google’s tools you’ll be able to search for terms in foreign languages, translate, and even use Google in another language.
2. BBC Languages: Check out what the BBC has to offer, with lessons in more than 36 different languages.
3. LiveMocha: Find a friend and trade your language expertise through this social learning tool.
4. italki: This tool allows you to hook up with a native speaker and get free help learning a new language.
5. Babbel: This site is chock full of resources to help you learn a language, from flashcards to more extensive instruction.
6. lingro: Have a website in another language you want help understanding? This site will allow you to click on the words you don’t know, instead of translating the whole thing.
7. busuu: Join this language learning community to get a leg up on learning a new language.
8. MIT Foreign Language and Literature: Read through the free course materials offered on this site to get access to the same instruction offered at world-class college MIT.
9. Rosetta Project: If you want to learn more about the history and relationships between languages pay a visit to this site which is working to catalog information about all human languages.
10. LingoPass: This site operates by asking users to exchange their language skills with someone else who wants to teach and learn as well.

Music

Take advantage of these lessons to learn to be more musically adept at everything from a violin to your own vocal chords.

1. Guitar Noise: This site is a great place to watch some free instructional videos on the basics of playing guitar.
2. ActiveBass: Learn more about all aspects of playing the bass, as well as some free lessons, on this site .
3. Violin Masterclass: If you’ve ever wanted to know how to play the violin and want to learn the basics before taking more professional courses, check out these freebies.
4. Brass Trainer: This site will test you on your brass playing skills, helping you master some of the fundamentals.
5. Danman’s Music Library: Sign up on this site and get access to numerous instructional videos on playing everything from the ukulele to the stand-up bass.
6. Sing Smart: Those who are looking to improve their vocal skills can visit this site to get a little vocal coaching.
7. Drum Lessons: If percussion is more your cup of tea, visit this site to get the basics, some beats and helpful techniques.
8. Hear and Play: Simply sign up with this site to get lessons in how to play by ear.
9. Online Flute Lessons: This site will help you learn to play the flute or to play better if you already know a little.
10. How to Play the Accordion: Those who’s musical tastes differ from the norm may want to try to learn to play the accordion, and this site can help.

Life Skills

If you never learned how to sew or cook, these resources can help you learn the basics.

1. What the Craft: Even if you’re not a crafter there’s a lot to be gained from the tutorials on this site that will teach you the basics of sewing as well as some more advanced techniques in creating clothes.
2. Sewing Tutorials: From creating patterns to sewing basics, this site is full of tutorials that will help you mend, hem and create.
3. FreeNeedle: This site will help you sew aprons, curtains, pillows and a whole lot more.
4. Elemental Stitches: Here you’ll find some tutorials on basic sewing projects for you, your pets and your home.
5. Cooking Tutorials: Whether you need to know how to properly cook a Thanksgiving turkey or make your own pasta, this site has lessons for you to learn from.
6. Gourmet Spot: From the basics of cooking to the finer points of entertaining, this site offers a wealth of information.
7. Look and Taste: You can use this instructional site from anywhere– even your iPhone– making it simple to learn how to cook just about anything.
8. Do Laundry the Right Way: If you have a tendency to shrink your sweaters and turn your whites pink, get some instruction from this site.

Around the House

You can learn to be your own handyman or woman with these great DIY tools.

1. Make Magazine: Listen to this podcast to learn how to make and do just about anything around the house you’d like.
2. ReadyMade: Get creative with your DIY projects with a little guidance from the projects featured on this magazine’s site.
3. Car Maintenance Guide: Learn the basics of keeping your car in good working order through this blog.
4. DoItYourself.com: With a little elbow grease and expertise gleaned from this site, you can fix just about anything in your house.
5. SkillVids: Watch the videos on this site to learn some valuable DIY skills.
6. The Bicycle Tutor: If you’re more of a bike person than a car one, learn how to keep your bike working and well-oiled from this site.
7. Easy2DIY: This site will help you learn to fix a wide range of things around your home.
8. DIY Home Improvements Depot: From drywalling to removing carpet, this site offers you a wealth of information on home improvements.

Technology

Whether you’re technologically impaired or just want to learn some new skills to add to your repertoire, these sites can help you learn more, faster.

1. W3Schools: Learn how to build great websites through the great tutorials offered on this site.
2. How-to-Geek: This site offers a geekier take on how-tos, dealing with computers, electronic and gaming tutorials.
3. InPictures: If you need some basic instruction in working with a computer, this site offers illustrated tutorials to get you through.
4. Geekpedia: Want to know how to work with Java? Do computer programming of other kinds? This site will teach you.
5. MuppetLabs: Use this site to learn how to work with C++, Perl, Python and much more.
6. actDEN: Boost your business skills by learning the ins and outs of Powerpoint, Office and Internet Explorer on this site.
7. The Internet Archive: Explore the history of the internet with this site that has archives of sties on the web from years past.
8. Productivity Portfolio: This site is home to five minute tips to help improve your computer and technology skills.

General Academic

These tools and resources can help you get a free education on your own.

1. Forum Network: Listen to lectures from great universities, PBS and NPR from this site’s collection on hundreds of topics.
2. MIT Open Courseware: You can take courses on your own time through this prestigious university’s open site.
3. Harvard@Home: Get access to some of the most well-known researchers and scholars and their lectures through this site.
4. Princeton WebMedia: Learn more about a wide variety of topics from the free lectures on this site.
5. iTunes U: Use your iTunes for more than listening to music and download free lectures and videos from world class institutions through this facet of the program.
6. OpenCourseware Finder: Search through thousands of free courses using this tool that you can download and take when you like.
7. Project Gutenberg: You can do quite a bit of reading right from your own computer with this collection of classic books.
8. WikiBooks: Read through some of the selections on this site to learn about a huge range of interests from science to new languages.
9. Academic Earth: This collection of lectures will help you expand your mind and learn from professors and academics at famous institutions.
10. Connexions: Check out the learning modules offered on this site for delving into a plethora of topics.
11. Google Scholar: If you’re in need of some reputable reading material, this search tool will help you find journals and articles on your topic that you can trust.

Business

Brush up on your business skills through these free courses and tutorials.

1. Business Tutorials: This site offers some great advice and information for new and young entrepreneurs.
2. Change Management: If you’re hoping to improve your management skills, this site can give you some helpful pointers.
3. KnowThis?: Here you’ll find some indispensable information on marketing and selling products– essential for the success for your business.
4. Small Business Administration: This government organization offers some great, free courses on setting up and running a business.
5. LearnThat: Business: From starting a business to paying your taxes, these tutorials offer you lots to learn and think about.
6. My Own Business: Take this free online course to get some help in understanding what it takes to start your own business.
7. HP Learning Center: Learn how to harness the technology aspects of business with these free courses.

Health and Fitness

Use these sites to get yourself in shape, find out more about your body and learn about important health issues.

1. Get Body Smart: Learn more about how the human body works, inside and out, from this site.
2. WebMD: Here you’ll find a ton of resources on just about every illness, disorder and all kinds of health issues.
3. MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia: If you want to learn more about medical terminology or specific illnesses, this encyclopedia is a great tool.
4. Fitness Online: This site offers a wide range of fitness advice and information to help you learn how to get fit and healthy.
5. Health.com: Find important health information for working out, eating right and caring for your body on this site.
6. eMedicine: Use this site to learn more the latest and greatest in medicine.

Math and Science

Go through these tools to learn more about space, scientific principles, and the earth itself.

1. The Chem Team: Get a refresher or a basic run-through of some of the most important principles in chemistry with this site.
2. The Physics Zone: If you know little or nothing about physics, this site will tutor you in the basics.
3. NASA: Learn more about the world of outer space– in our own galaxy and further out– with the photos, videos and information on this site.
4. Real World Math: If you’re the type who has always hated math because it seems useless in everyday life, then check out this site that shows how math can be applied to real world situations.
5. S.O.S. Mathematics: This site will give you a math review from the basics of algebra all the way up to differential equations.
6. Science A-Go-Go: Here you can keep up with the latest research and developments in science and learn something new each day.
7. Geology Rocks: Want to know more about the inner workings of the ground under your feet? This site offers interactive tools for learning.

Liberal Arts

From exploring the great artifacts of American history to learning about the social sciences and humanities, these resources will help round out your education.

1. Library of Congress: The Library of Congress is home to thousands of documents, photos and recordings that provide a multi-media telling of import events in American history.
2. Digital History: There are numerous online exhibits, lectures, and interactive learning experiences available to the inquiring mind on this site.
3. Biography: Here you’ll be able to learn more about some of the people who have shaped the path of history.
4. The History Channel :You don’t have to have cable to take advantage of the videos and information this TV channel provides.
5. H-Net: Here you’ll find peer-reviewed essays, multimedia learning tools and more to help you delve into the humanities.
6. National Archives: Search through the hundreds of thousands of records this site organizes, and talk to the archive employees for more specific research needs.
7. Encyclopedia Smithsonian: The Smithsonian is one of the largest museums in the world, with a collection of unrivaled depth and breadth. This tool will et you search through the items the museum holds.
8. SparkNotes: Need a little help understanding a work of ancient literature or classic poetry? These free study guides can act as free tutors.

Fine Arts

Take a look at these resources to get a better handle on art history, learn to draw or brush up on famous literature.

1. Artcyclopedia: Explore the history of art through this site that catalogs some of the biggest movements and names in art.
2. Photography Mentor: Improve the quality of your shots with some tips on this photography site.
3. Duey’s Drawings: Ever wanted to learn to draw but never had the time? This site will teach you whenever you feel like learning.
4. Media College: Learn some new videography, cinematography, and editing skills from the tutorials on this media-focused site.
5. Digital Arts: If you want to learn to edit videos and photos, this site is an ideal place to find a little help.
6. Bartleby: Use this site to read and learn a variety of famous quotes– some of which you might have heard but not known from where they originated.