Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Research Shows Internet Use Good For The Brain

11:30PM Gina Trapani | Here’s a story you don’t hear every day: New research shows that using the internet is ‘good for your brain’, because it engages complicated neurological activity that keeps your mind fit and sharp. Always good to take studies like this with a grain of salt, but it is nice to have a counterpoint to the common misconception that web surfing is a waste of time. More »

Flash 10 Available For All Systems

11:00PM Kevin Purdy | Adobe dropped the 10th version of their inescapable browser plug-in Flash overnight, with new “expressive features” for developers and claimed performance improvements for users. The really good news is that it’s immediately available on all platforms, including Linux. More »

Orbitfiles Holds 6 GB Online For Storing, Sharing, Or Selling

10:30PM Kevin Purdy | Online storage service Orbitfiles gives you a pretty impressive 6 GB of online storage space (with a 50 MB per file limit), and offers unlimited storage for $5/month. What’s somewhat unique about Orbitfiles is that it makes it easy to share files publicly, giving you a public landing page for them, and tools for embedding them in blogs or web sites. What’s more, if you’re a creative or entrepreneurial type, you can sell files through Orbitfiles’ interface, giving up only a two percent commission. Windows users also get a dedicated download client, Hercules, that makes the upload process a bit smoother. Orbitfiles is a free service, requires a sign-up (with an annoying request for a full name) to use. Orbitfiles [via Download Squad] More »

TubeMaster Plus Grabs Video Or Audio From Nearly Any Site

10:00PM Kevin Purdy | Windows only: Free streaming media capture tool TubeMaster is a great all-in-one solution for grabbing and converting audio and video from nearly any web site that can stream it to you. The no-install app launches as its own application with a built-in, tabbed browser—simply launch it, head to Last.fm, YouTube, a site with proprietary Flash video, or nearly any other streaming media, and hit “Start Media Capture.” The files you grab are lined up in a queue for you to decide how to convert and save, and TubeMaster’s built-in media search tool covers nearly 100 video and audio-sharing sites. There are browser plug-ins and apps that do some of the same things, but none quite as comprehensively as TubeMaster Plus. TubeMaster Plus is a free download for Windows systems only; upgrading to a paid version unlocks downloads from adult sites. TubeMaster Plus [via FreewareGenius.com] More »

Firefox 3.1 Adds Keyword Filters To The AwesomeBar

9:00PM Gina Trapani | If you’re one of the brave testers who dove into the first beta of Firefox 3.1 released yesterday, you already know about

Would You Buy New Gadgets During An Economic Crisis?

4:58PM Angus Kidman | AustralianIT reports that retail giant Harvey Norman has announced that it plans to release weekly sales data from its stores, in the hope that this will provide a demonstration of the state of the economy. This seems like an odd idea for a couple of reasons. For one thing, if we’re all tightening our belts and worrying about whether our jobs will last, then splurging on a new gadget should probably be a low priority. Secondly, even if we do decide we can’t live without that new PC, it would make more sense to shop around online than just hit a big-box retailer. So is store founder Gerry Harvey right when he says “there is no better indicator out there than Harvey Norman sales”? Share your thoughts in the comments. Harvey sales data a sign of the times [AustralianIT] More »

Fix Foxtel Cable Interference With Free Filter

3:00PM Angus Kidman | If you have both Foxtel pay TV and Bigpond cable Internet, then it’s possible you’re not getting optimum TV quality. A staff member at Lifehacker publisher Allure Media was suffering bad picture quality on his IQ2 box and contacted Foxtel customer support, which immediately said that the problem was probably caused by interference on the line, and sent out a free filter to fix the issue. Lifehacker contacted Foxtel, which confirmed that the solution is available, though it says the problem isn’t common: If a cable subscriber who has Bigpond and Foxtel experiences issues with audio or video quality a filter can be supplied by Foxtel, but this is not a widespread issue from our customers. If you are suffering from visual or sound problems, though, seems like a phone call might be in order. Thanks Ben! More »

List Your Car For Sale Free At CARbarter

1:30PM Angus Kidman | If you need to sell your car in a hurry and don’t want to spend a fortune on advertising, a free listing at CARbarter might be just the ticket. While the site has paid-for options, a basic ad including a photo is free of charge. The volume of vehicles on the site isn’t huge (less than 30 when I checked), but as a free option it’s hardly a risky move to try a listing. Got any other online tricks for buying or selling cars online? Rev into the comments and share your thoughts. CARbarter [via OzBargain More »

DIY Electronics Tool Chest From IKEA

12:00PM Angus Kidman | In my office I’ve used the Fira chest of drawers from IKEA as a printer stand, but PK Shui had a different approach. By attaching handles to the top, he converted the five-drawer unit into a tool chest for electronic components. For $22 plus the handles, that’s cheaper than many conventional toolboxes, though if you have a lot of small parts to store, the nine-drawer version might be a better bet. IKEA Tool Box Hack [via < a href="http://ikeahacker.blogspot.com/2008/10/how-about-mini-chest-tool-box.html">IKEA Hacker More »