Saturday, March 15, 2008
Are You Powerless to the Web?
1:00PM Adam Pash | The Wall Street Journal tries to understand what makes the web so addictive, suggesting through studies done by neuroscientist Irving Biederman that our attraction to the internet may be evolutionary. It is something we seem hard-wired to do, says Dr. Biederman. When you find new information, you get an opioid hit (the brain’s pleasure-enhancing neurotransmitters), and we are junkies for those. You might call us ‘infovores.’ “ Biederman goes on to discuss how, like with food, we’re hard-wired for scarcity, so we don’t have a good sense of limits in the face of an abundance of information. This addiction, as most of us know firsthand, can be a real productivity killer, which requires us to employ self-control when we hit the web. So what do you think? Are you powerless to the web? Share your thoughts in the comments. Why We’re Powerless To Resist Grazing On Endless Web Data [WSJ] More »
Better Firefox Extensions Now Firefox 3 Compatible
12:00PM Gina Trapani | All platforms with Firefox: Just uploaded updates to three Better XXX extensions, which added secure updates and Firefox 3 Beta 4 support, plus a few other goodies. Go get the latest version of Better Gmail 2, Better YouTube (now with YouTube Canada support!), and Better GReader (now with a working Minimalistic skin!) from their homepages, or current users can just hit the “Update” button in Firefox’s Add-ons dialog. Thanks for your patience, Firefox 3 beta testers. More »
Create Photorealistic Reflections in Photoshop
11:00AM Adam Pash | The PS Hero weblog explains how to create photorealistic reflections in the ubiquitous image editing app, Photoshop. The guide steps through the entire process in excellent detail, makes use of several staple Photoshop tools, and incorporates a lot of keyboard shortcuts in the guide. The author even makes the entire project available for download so you can experiment with and learn from the same project he’s working on, making it a great tutorial for beginners to jump into. Photorealistic Reflections [PS Hero] More »
How to Install a Phone Jack
10:00AM Gina Trapani | AU UPDATE: Undertaking any cabling work in Australia requires a cabling qualification – so please don’t try this at home. See this updated post for further information. When you want to run your landline to the guest room, you don’t have to call the phone company. Installing your own phone jack is a surprisingly simple operation, and home improvement guy Danny Lipford runs down how to go about it, with step-by-step photos. I’m not much of a Bob Vila myself, but I have actually done this, so I can attest that it only involves a bit of super-simple wiring that can save you cash and a lost morning waiting for the phone company technician to show up. DIY: How to Install a Phone Jack [Danny Lipford] More »Risk-Free Firefox 3 Beta 4
9:51AM Gina Trapani | Want to try the latest Firefox 3 Beta 4 but you don’t want to mess up your current ‘fox installation? Download the portable Firefox 3 Beta 4 and run it folder on your computer without blowing away your current Firefox 2 setup. Handy. More »
Customs-Proof Your Laptop
9:00AM Adam Pash | If you’ve got plans to travel outside of the country in the near future and you plan on taking your laptop, the Iconoclast weblog details how to secure and customs-proof your laptop so that your sensitive information is protected. Customs officials have been stepping up electronic searches of laptops at the border, where travelers enjoy little privacy and have no legal grounds to object. Laptops and other electronic devices can be seized without reason, their contents copied, and the hardware returned hours or even weeks later…. The information security implications are worrisome. The guide suggests data encryption methods that will keep your sensitive data private, highlighting apps like TrueCrypt. If the article convinces you to beef up your laptop security, head over to our guide to encrypting your data with the cross-platform TrueCrypt. If you’re already living the encrypted life, share your experience in the comments. Photo by redjar. Security guide to customs-proofing your laptop [CNET] More »Disable Facebook’s Breakup Notification
8:00AM Gina Trapani | Split up with your beau but don’t want to broadcast your broken heart in Facebook’s newsfeed? Lifehacker Austrailia details how to disable your relationship status on Facebook without making the news. More »
Tweak Leopard’s Hidden Features with Secrets
7:00AM Adam Pash | Mac OS X Leopard only: Free, open source application Secrets rolls every hidden feature of Leopard into an easy-to-use preference pane in your System Preferences. Developed by the author of the much-beloved Quicksilver, you can browse Secrets by application to see what tweaks are available for the apps you have installed. There’s a ton to look into with Secrets, but the one secret that blew my mind off the bat was the “Arrows link to library instead of store” tweak in iTunes, which may be the most useful thing I’ve ever done to iTunes (and I’ve covered the best iTunes add-ons). Secrets is free, Mac OS X only. If you give it a try, share your favourite Secrets in the comments. More »
Turn an Old Wetsuit into a Laptop Sleeve
6:00AM Gina Trapani | Don’t let that old wetsuit with the broken zipper go into the garage sale pile—turn it into a sturdy laptop sleeve instead. Do-it-yourselfer Alex cut and sewed a good-looking laptop sleeve from a Neoprene surf jacket. The result is good-looking and great protection from the rain. Much more sturdy than a T-shirt or FedEx envelope, too. Neoprene MacBook sleeve [Tinkerlog via Make via Lifehacker.AU] More »
