Windows only: If you have a game installed on your computer but have lost the original documents that came with it, you can still retrieve the product keys for safekeeping. Game Key Revealer is a small portable application that can help you recover your lost game keys.
The Online Tech Tips site offers up a great tip for anyone reinstalling XP off something other than their original CD—such as a slipstreamed and automated installation—or lacking a net connection to run the activation. Before wiping your system clean, grab a file named WPA.DBL from the System32 directory and save it to a thumb drive or other external media. When you load up your new system, skip registration, enter “Safe Mode” from the boot menu, and drop it back into that System32 folder. Now you’re re-activated and free of nagging. Hit the link below for detailed explanation of each step. How to avoid having to reactivate Windows XP after fresh install [Online Tech Tips]
The Digital Inspiration blog points out some really cool uses of Microsoft’s Live Search engine, including the hasfeed: operator that does what it sounds like: Filters your results to only sites that have live RSS feeds. It’s a great tool for feeding your job search reader, and Amit has four other neat Live Search hacks.
We hate to admit it, but there’s a really good chance that even with all the right tools, your first round of resumes might very well end up in the back of a filing cabinet, or in a plastic bin next to the interviewer you thought you charmed. But you don’t learn without trying, and having your first efforts to switch positions fail gives you time, and some real data, to reflect on what you can change for the next batch. Read on for some of the better advice we’ve seen for rebuilding a job search and narrowing your targets. Photo by taiyofj.
A good set of headphones is a key requirement for your home office, but keeping them untangled and out of the way can be a nuisance. Wiretap at IKEA Hacker details how to build your own stand using some basic IKEA parts. A quick calculation suggests the parts will cost around $56 at your local branch. A quality headphone stand for cheap[IKEA Hacker]
When people contemplate Internet and telephone access on planes, the normal issues that get raised are the cost, and whether this will lead to an increase in noise levels as everyone makes “I’m on the plane” calls. An article at AVN (a very NSFW link) raises another issue which comes up less often but is equally hard to solve: should airline staff also be responsible for ensuring that passengers don’t access wildly inappropriate content such as porn movies while flying? While it might be hard to imagine someone paying a fee for Internet access and then using that time to view some adult action, the near-universal recognition of the “mile high club” concept suggests it’s not totally out of the question. In fact, the problem already exists insofar as people can watch DVDs on their laptops when on board. Is it OK to watch Snakes On A Plane (in either version) during a flight? In the absence of an industrial relations ruling, we’ll throw this one over to readers as a weekend contemplation issue. Should airline staff be authorised to tell people what sites they visit, or can we rely on the social contract? Share your thoughts in the comments.
If you’re planning on buying something expensive, a typical bout of online research starts with a Google search, a bunch of tabs and an eventual decision-making process. Aussie webapp My Perfect reverses the process, using a series of questions to guide you towards some possible candidates and then offering links where you can buy them. The approach wasn’t foolproof when I tested it in the phone categories — partly because it ran out of options before getting answers to all the questions I’d want answered — but it definitely gave me some good ideas on the beer front. Currently the site offers searches for phones, cameras, beer and jobs; further categories are planned. [My Perfect via ZDNet Australia]
Having mentioned one useful browser keyboard shortcut for the BlackBerry Bold recently, here’s another couple of options that may not be self-evident in the online help system. To switch the phone between vibrate and ringing modes, hold down Q; to lock the keypad, hold down A. This won’t work in an application (like the browser) where those shortcuts have other meanings, obviously, but it still gives you the option of taking those functions off the two side keys (which is the default setting) and remapping them to other common applications, since you can always get back to the main screen by hitting the red phone button. Thanks David Flynn!
If you’re a GCal lover with the niggling complaint here and there, the Official Gmail Blog highlights several small but worthwhile improvements to the popular web-based calendar. Updates include better meeting request follow-ups and more flexible reminder schedules among a few other nice updates.
NBC’s Today Show web site rounds up tricks for talking anyone into anything, whether you’re negotiating over price, persuading your spouse, or influencing co-workers. A lot of the tips are more about simple manipulation, but the price negotiation tip offered a solid rule-of-thumb: If you are the buyer, offer the salesperson 15 percent to 20 percent less than what you can really afford. For instance, if you absolutely can’t spend more than $6,000 on a used car advertised at $7,000, try offering $5,100 (15 percent less than $6,000).
