Google’s made their new beta web browser Chrome available for download (Windows only). We’ll publish our full review post-haste; in the meantime, go check it out yourself.
The safety and security of our laptops—and all of the important and sensitive information they hold—are of the utmost importance. Let’s take a look at several free and cheap methods you can (and should) use to keep your laptop safe, secure, and out of the hands of thieves. We’ll also take a look at software that tracks and even snaps pictures of the thief in the event he did get away with your precious gear. Photo by presta.
We asked the devoted Linux users, the dual-Windows-and-Linux-booters, and the newer converts to the open-source operating system last week why they made the switch to Linux, and received over 330 responses as of this posting. The answers were sometimes level-headed, often passionate in their embrace of open-source culture, and occasionally induced a laugh (or a cringe) with tales of the last straw before switching. Read on for a look at why a good number of Lifehacker readers took the time to learn, customise, and adopt to Linux. Photo by Sphinx the Geek.
The brilliant (yet easily distracted) Merlin Mann says he has a bad habit of Cmd+clicking sets of web browser tabs full of shiny things out to wrest his attention from the important work of doing stuff. To avoid getting sucked down the rabbit hole with one mindless click, he’s purposefully inserting a page that asks him outright, “Is this really what you want to be doing right now?” He calls this little self-mind trick an “undistraction.” Love the idea (even though the irony that his page asks an eerily similar question as my biggest online distraction is hard to miss). If you’re not a Cmd+clicker, you can also use fuller-strength apps like LeechBlock to save yourself from online time-suckers. What games do you play with yourself to focus on the important stuff? Let us know in the comments. Right Now: What Are You Doing? [via 43 Folders]
Wired’s How-To Wiki offers a wine-opening tip for moments when you’re facing a bottle of the good stuff with no corkscrew in sight—pull out the toolbox. By gently putting a screw about three-fourths of the way into the cork, and using the nail-removal lever of a clawed hammer, you should be able to make short work of that cork. It’s definitely a trick that requires some finesse, lest you crack the cork or knock the bottle over, so practicing on cheaper stuff is not a bad idea. Hit the link for tips and details on this clever DIY drink-prepping trick. Open a Wine Bottle Without a Corkscrew [Wired How-To Wiki]
