Mac OS X only: The default behaviour for the Home and End keys on the Mac can be very annoying—particularly for Windows-to-Mac switchers. Freeware application KeyFixer remaps your Home and End keys so they move the keyboard cursor to the beginning or end of a line, duplicating the behaviour of the Home and End keys in Windows. (Cmd-Left/Right arrow perform the same function by default.) We covered a nitty gritty method for accomplishing this once before, but it requires manually editing system files and doesn’t actually work for Firefox. Together, the two flavors of KeyFixer will fix the Home/End behaviour both across your system and in Firefox, which means that’s one major OS X annoyance you can cross off your list. KeyFixer is freeware, Mac OS X only.
KeyFixer [Starry Hope] KeyFixer Patch for FirefoxWith Thanksgiving only a few days away, you’ll likely be bombarded with requests to fix the family computer. Two years ago, we showed you how to restore mum and dad’s computer to pristine shape.
Ever look up an address on Google Maps and find that the pushpin for that address is more than a bit off? Now you can edit where Google pinpoints addresses (provided you’re logged into your Google account) by clicking the Edit link and dragging the pin to a more appropriate location. Moves over 200 meters will need to be moderated before they’re applied, and you can see the original location or recently-moved markers at any time. My parents’ house in Iowa has always been about a mile off the mark so I’ve been dying for something like this, but unfortunately it looks like not all locations are currently supported.
Think globally, mark locally [Google Lat Long Blog via Google Operating System]Windows and Mac only: Monitor your computer activity easily and efficiently with freeware application RescueTime. Just install the application and let it run in the background so that it can capture data for your online activity and application usage, then check the dashboard and view graphs and charts about your habits. Beyond the rich set of analytics provided, RescueTime also knows when you’re away and will not collect any data during that time. If you really want to know how you’re spending your time while you’re “working,” RescueTime is a solid choice. RescueTime is a freeware application for Windows and Mac, requires a free registration to download.
RescueTimeThe UneasySilence weblog follows our guide to building a Hackintosh Mac from scratch to turn the $400 Eee PC laptop into the cheapest—albeit probably the slowest—Mac laptop on the block.
Just when we thought that Gmail was stagnating, the big G rolled out upgrades that delighted power users: IMAP access, and a speedier, developer-friendly interface. As makers of the Better Gmail Firefox extension, we were psyched to get a personal heads-up from Gmail’s Product Manager, Keith Coleman, alerting us to the revamp so we could update the extension. In addition to wrangling third-party developers to update their code, Coleman took time out of his busy day to answer some of our burning questions about the recent changes at Gmail. After the jump, hear what he has to say about IMAP, LDAP, Greasemonkey, the iPhone, and other third party Gmail clients, apps, and development.
If you’re like most college students, you’ve either heard of or encountered the dreaded Freshman 15: the excess weight you pile on once you get to school. The GoCollege weblog hints at ways to avoid—and to fight—that weight gain. Some tips include steering clear of munchies when you’re stressed out, eating slowly, opting in for low fat options where applicable, and walking away from the vending machine. Most of the suggestions are obvious enough, but since a lot of us have been there, why don’t you share how you battled your Freshman 15 in the comments.
How to Beat the Freshman 15 [GoCollege]Search operators—those commands that engines use to narrow down what you’re looking for—are pretty useful. For example, if you wanted to know if we’ve covered anything about video editing, you might be compelled to go to Google and type site:lifehacker.com video editing into the search box. But what else can you do to get the desired results? The HybridSEM weblog goes into extreme detail about the various search operators that work for Google, Yahoo, and MSN. Looking for a video on MSN about monsters? Use the feature:video monsters operator. If you’re a searchaholic, this guide comes in pretty handy, and you’ll certainly learn a thing or two about how to find things more easily on the ‘net.
The Ultimate Guide to Advanced Searching Within Yahoo, Google, and MSN [HybridSEM]Microsoft has quietly launched a free for-your-domain apps suite, Windows Live Community Builder, that offers a number of Windows Live services customised for domain owners, including Live Mail, photo sharing, calendars, the LiveDrive online storage app and more. The services offered indicate a clear attempt to match up with Google Apps, but users of Windows Live and other Microsoft applications can get a lot more out of this suite—alerts, central contact lists, the “Spaces” page builder and other features. The Live Community Builder requires a free sign-up and a registered domain name.
Windows Live Community Builder [via TechCrunch]Windows Mobile 5 & 6 only: Free open source media player MPlayer, long known to Linux fans for its format friendliness and streamlined operation, has been ported in somewhat rough fashion to Windows Mobile-powered smartphones. While that means formats like RealAudio/Video, Ogg, M4A and others are playable, users are reporting that the program is a monster when it comes to processor use (which also makes it a battery killer) and has only the most basic “open file” functionality. But if you’ve got a low-quality file or a powerful phone, it could make for a nifty toy to play with until it gets fixed. MPlayer is a free download for Windows Mobile 5 and 6 phones only.
Mplayer port for Windows Mobile [via Download Squad]
