Friday, February 8, 2008
XBMC Finds a Home on Your Mac
2:00PM Adam Pash | Mac OS X only: Whether or not you’ve already transformed your old Xbox into a media center with Xbox Media Center (XBMC), chances are you’ve seen what a killer media center application XBMC is. If you’ve ever wished you could bring the same saucy media center interface to your Mac, your wishes are finally being answered with XBMC for Mac. That’s right, the Unix app for the original Xbox has been ported to Macs, and though it’s only the 0.1 version, it already performs amazingly. If you’re already a Front Row/Apple TV lover, you’re probably wondering what the point of XBMC on your Mac is. Well, the main reasons you may way to run XBMC (lifted from the 9 to 5 Mac interview) are: More »
Reveal Wi-Fi Network Passwords with WirelessKeyView
1:00PM Gina Trapani | Windows only: By default Windows hides WEP and WPA keys stored on your PC to connect to various Wi-Fi networks, but freeware utility WirelessKeyView lists them for you. When you’ve forgotten that Wi-Fi network key, run WirelessKeyView to see all the networks your Windows PC has ever connected to using its default Wireless Zero Configuration mechanism. (This utility doesn’t reveal keys stored by third-party network connection software.) Delete keys from old networks that you no longer need, and easily copy keys to the clipboard to send or save. WirelessKeyView is a free download for Windows XP and Vista. Thanks, Vijay! WirelessKeyView [NirSoft] More »
Advanced Scheduling for Time Machine Backups
12:00PM Adam Pash | Mac OS X only: Freeware application TimeMachineEditor changes Time Machine’s default once-per-hour backup interval to a more flexible schedule. Similar to previously mentioned TimeMachineScheduler, TME offers more advanced intervals and exact scheduling. If you’re noticing significant slowdowns on your Mac whenever Time Machine runs its hourly backup (which isn’t uncommon), extending your backup intervals or pushing the backup to a once-a-day affair with the freeware TimeMachineEditor should help. TimeMachineEditor [via TUAW] More »The Nerd Handbook on How to Hack Geeks
11:06AM Gina Trapani | An insightful essay on understanding geeks called “The Nerd Handbook” isn’t a life hack for you, it’s for your family and friends. If you’re reading Lifehacker, chances are you’re a nerd, and technologist and software manager Michael Lopp articulates the workings of your psyche to the tee. The Nerd Handbook explains to nerds’ loved ones how the geek thinks, the importance of the nerd’s “Cave” and our chase for “The High” that comes from solving problems, our finicky attention span and our insatiable appetite for information. If you’re a nerd, print this out and give it to your non-nerd spouse to teach ‘em “advanced nerd tweakage.” The Nerd Handbook [Rands In Repose] More »
Save Money While Spending Freely with Reverse Budgeting
10:00AM Adam Pash | Weblog fivecentnickel makes budgeting simple by practicing the art of “reverse budgeting”. The upshot: Rather than setting precise budgeting constraints by category, reverse budgeting sets apart a specific amount for saving and the rest is all fair game for spending. If you’ve dabbled with lots of different budgeting systems but always end up abandoning your budget because you can never bring yourself to follow the exacting constraints of some budgets, a reverse budget along these lines might be just what you need. It’s not an unheard of idea, so if you’re a reverse budgeter, let’s hear your tips for setting up and sticking to a reverse budget in the comments. The Fine Art of ‘Reverse Budgeting’ [fivecentnickel] More »Passport
9:07AM Sarah Stokely | The SMH has published a guide to renewing an Australian passport. The rules have been tweaked – the fees are greater if you lose your passport, and they’re pushing people to renew online. And don’t forget many countries don’t let you enter if you have less than 6 months on your passport. More » Protect Your Information While Text Messaging
9:00AM Gina Trapani | Just like email, communicating via text message can feel like a one-on-one exchange—but that privacy is an illusion. Yahoo Tech’s Gina Hughes runs down a few ways you can protect your privacy with SMS, like passwording your phone, using anonymous SMS services like AnonTxt.com, and completely destroying your cell phone’s data before your sell your phone. All of these suggestions don’t actually make SMS secure, because the transmission itself is not, and the copy of your message, in the end, is stored on someone else’s phone and there’s no way to control what happens from there. In short, the best way to protect yourself is to not text sensitive info, like passwords, PINs, or, um, flirtations you wouldn’t mind others knowing about. Text Messaging Privacy [Yahoo! Tech] More »
Financial advice for couples who can’t agree on money
8:47AM Sarah Stokely | Lots of financial advice seems to be written with single people in mind – or at least couples who agree on everything. But your financial situation can be greatly affected by the other people in your life – and people often have very different ideas on how to solve financial problems. So what can you do when you and your partner disagree on how to solve a financial problem? The Get Rich Slowly blog found this question at Ask Metafilter and I found the various suggestions it provoked to be quite interesting.
I want to start being more financially responsible. My husband doesn’t
want to hear it. Can I do this without hurting our marriage? How?
One suggestion was to find a way to separate the emotional side of things from the practical when you discuss and decide on money problems (”highlight that ‘I hate how unstable we are financially’ does not mean ‘I hate being married to you’”). And if you build in a little discretionary ‘fun money’ into the budget, it will probably be easier to stay on budget without feeling deprived and upset.
The other suggestion I loved was to sit down with your loved one every fortnight for home made cocktails, and spend half an hour working out your finances then. :)
So have you crafted any strategies for coming to agreement with your partner over money? Share tips in comments please. More » 
Speed Up Firefox Launch with Firefox Preloader
8:00AM Adam Pash | Windows only: Free, open source application Firefox Preloader loads some components of Firefox into your computer’s memory before you launch Firefox for the first time. The app is designed specifically for systems plagued by an excessively slow-loading Firefox, like Ryan from CyberNet. A lot of people already have complaints that Firefox is a RAM-hog, so if you’re one of them Firefox Preloader probably isn’t for you. On the other hand, if you don’t mind giving up a few megabytes of RAM when Firefox isn’t running to speed up it’s launch, the free, Windows-only Firefox Preloader might be just what you’re looking for. If you’ve got a slow-booting ‘fox and you give it a try, let’s hear how well it worked in the comments. Firefox Preloader [SourceForge via CyberNet] More »
