Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Virtualisation
6:21PM Sarah Stokely | Microsoft has announced a change of policy which will open up its cheaper versions of Vista – Home Basic and Home Premium – to virtualisation. The decision will especially be a boon to Mac users, who can now opt for the cheaper version of Vista. Find out more about virtualisation in our complete guide to mac/windows interoperability. More »
How to save money when you buy computer games
5:47PM Sarah Stokely | Computer gaming can be an expensive hobby, especially if you’re looking at paying over $500 for a latest generation console, or around $90 for a latest release game. But there are ways to cut costs and maximise your investment in games – as was pointed out in a great post today on The Simple Dollar blog.It recommends shopping around for games with high replay value to maximise the number of hours of entertainment you’ll get for your money. It also recommends buying used games, and older versions of games:
Gaming reviews often refer back to the “cream of the crop” from earlier
generations, so if you read a review of an exciting game and find that
there’s a predecessor out there, try seeking that one out first. I
found the original Advance Wars (for the Game Boy Advance) for just a couple dollars and played that one to death before getting the newer one for the DS.
I would add a couple of tips of my own too:
*Don’t be afraid to see if your friends are interested in loaning or swapping games.
*Many popular games which are released “exclusively” on one platform eventually get ported to the others – so wait and see rather than convincing yourself you need to buy a new console just for one game.
*Some of the console manufacturers are more keen on building backwards compatibility into their hardware than others. Support them. For example, Nintendo Wii can play all GameCube software, and works with GameCube memory cards and controllers. The Simple Mind also gives a shout out to Nintendo’s DS – in part for its large back catalogue of games since it can play old Game Boy Advance titles as well.
A lot of this advice may cut against the grain if you like to play the latest and greatest games out there – but if you don’t mind foregoing the latest in 3D graphics, you may find older games very satisfying. Some PC games which I personally think stand the test of time include first person shooter Half-Life (and all its sequels), citybuilding game Pharoah and the Baldur’s Gate RPG series – all of which you can probably pick up for under $20 these days. Check the bargain bin at your favourite games store!
And of course there’s a swag of free and open source games out there too. We told you about APC’s Top 5 free open source games previously, and commenter Nephesh also pointed us to the Open Source Gamer website which has 150 free games available for download. Thanks for the tip, Nephesh.
Video Games and Frugality [The Simple Dollar] More » 
A reading list of books for children and teens
2:10PM Sarah Stokely | If you have a young person in your life who you’d like to encourage to read, have a browse of this list published by the UK’s Daily Telegraph. The philosophy behind the list is that “if children are to become readers for life, they must first love stories.”
It’s broken down into early years, middle years and early teens – which would also make the list a helpful resource if you have to buy a.gift for a young person and you’re not sure what books are suitable for their age group.
The list comes recommended by none other than author (and blogger) Neil Gaiman, who says he can’t recommend a book for a young reader without knowing the person in question, but that the Daily Telegraph’s list is a good place to start.
The illustration is from Maurice Sendak’s classic Where the Wild Things Are.
100 books every child should read [Daily Telegraph] [via Neil Gaiman] More » 
Enhance your digital photography by making your own lighting tools
1:16PM Sarah Stokely | Digital photography is one of those hobbies (or professions) where you can set yourself up fairly cheaply with an entry level camera, but if you wanted to, the amount you could spend on cameras and equipment is limitless! However if you’re a keen photographer willing to try some DIY, there are a few pieces of lighting equipment you can actually make yourself.Digital Photography School has made a post featuring 10 DIY flash and lighting hacks which include making your own ‘poor mans ring flash’ from an old milk carton, and making your own flash bouncer. I was particularly impressed by the link to the photography enthusiast who’d created a full studio lighting system for under $75.
DIY Flash and Lighting Hacks for Digital Photographers [Digital Photography School] More » Keep your to-do list in your face
12:12PM Sarah Stokely | One stumbling block when you’re trying to get things done is getting in the habit of using a to-do list. The list can’t help you if you don’t check it.So how do you get in that habit of checking in with your to-do list so you stay on top of tasks and deadlines? First up I’d recommend that you set aside a few minutes at the start (or end) of each day to check in with your to do list. If you already have a morning ritual, it can make it easier to set up another habit at the same time. For example, if you have a cup of coffee first thing every morning, make that the time you ‘check in’ – soon you’ll be in the habit of checking in with your to-do list and setting your course for the day.But how do you get in the habit of using and checking the calendars or to-do list you’ve chosen to use?If you like to work from a homepage, you can embed your Google Calendar or a simple To-Do gadget app on your home page. But admittedly although I’ve got those things set up on my home page, I very rarely *see* my homepage unless it occurs to me that I want to check in. So that’s not a lot of help if you aren’t in the habit of checking in with your to-do list.Using a to-do list or calendar which pings you with reminders could do the trick – such as Google Calendar or Remember the Milk. Another option is I Want Sandy, a program which acts like a robot PA – you email it when you need to add an appointment or task to your to do list, it emails you tasks lists and reminders when appropriate. If you don’t habitually check your email (or you turn it of while working) then 43Folders had a suggestion today which might help you keep I Want Sandy front and centre – by using Fluid to create a site specific browser for Sandy, meaning it has a home on the desktop and will display on the Dock (if you’re a Mac user) to ensure it’s always visible and available. (A commenter noted that Windows users could use Prism for a similar effect.)
So how do you keep your to-do list in your face? If it’s a favourite calendar or reminder service, or just pinning your to-do list to the desktop, please share in comments. Government postpones Telstra CDMA network closure
11:29AM Sarah Stokely | The new federal Communications Minister Stephen Conroy has stepped in to postpone the closure of Telstra’s CDMA network, which was
scheduled to be cut off on January 28. The network will now stay online
until April 28, subject to government approval of Telstra’a Next G
network’s performance in the bush.Telstra has today opened a hotline for customers having problems with CDMA handsets and equipment – the number is 1800 888 888.
More » 
Lifehacker’s Exclusive Line of Productivity Software
11:02AM Gina Trapani | Not only do the editors here at Lifehacker feed your head with a feast of posts every day, every once in awhile we put our programming chops to good use and build custom software for our readers. If you’ve missed any of the Lifehacker Code line of applications, scripts, and plug-ins, here’s your chance to get caught up. All of the Lifehacker Code projects listed below are free to download, and they’re licensed under the GNU GPL with source available, so we invite you to use, modify, and enhance to your heart’s content. More »
Boost Your Willpower with a Bite to Eat
8:00AM Adam Pash | The New York Times takes on willpower, suggesting that our ability to control our impulses may work like a muscle we can strengthen through different means. For example: Studies now show that self-control… may be strengthened by the foods we eat. Laughter and conjuring up powerful memories may also help boost a person’s self-control. And, some research suggests, we can improve self-control through practice, testing ourselves on small tasks in order to strengthen our willpower for bigger challenges. The article focuses a lot on how food affects willpower, highlighting how sugary foods and—perhaps more practical for dieters—several small meals in a day will keep your self-control levels high. Got any tricks of your own for boosting your self-control and actually keeping your resolutions past February? Let’s hear them in the comments. How to Boost Your Willpower [NYT] More »
Find Popular Google Reader Shared Items with ReadBurner
7:00AM Adam Pash | Web site ReadBurner aggregates popular Google Reader Shared Items, turning Google Reader sharing into an action similar to bookmarking a page on Del.icio.us or voting for an article on Digg. Sure you can already share your favorite news items with friends, but by adding your shared items URL to ReadBurner, sharing feeds will also give that link some juice on ReadBurner—so it’s like a simple way to contribute to a social bookmarking service without really adding a step to your bookmarking. So far the site’s fairly young, but with enough users it really shows promise. ReadBurner [via Google Operating System] More »
