Windows only: Timers are a useful productivity booster and we’ve shared more than a few of our favourites over the years, both physical and digital. But most of the timers we’ve featured only support one timer at a time, which means you either have to run multiple instances or juggle your timer-related tasks for several things at once. Enter Multi-Timer: a simple, straightforward (and admittedly a bit ugly) timer app that can run up to sixteen timers simultaneously. You can count up or down and have a message pop up with a sound reminder at the end of the count down. Currently I’m using Multi-Timer to remind me when my tea is done steeping, potty breaks for my currently-being-potty-trained-toddler, minor stretch breaks while working, and major breaks once an hour. If you know of other applications that allow for multiple timers, share below in the comments I’d love to have more to play with! Multi-Timer is a free download for Windows only.
Multi-Timer 1.1 FreeThe CyberNet blog details an iTunes trick that expands the player’s internet radio options beyond the Apple-controlled list installed by default. The basic method involves finding stations that broadcast in the .PLS, or playlist, format, at media aggregators like Shoutcast and adding them to their own playlists. It’s similar to the method used to add .M3U-format stations to Front Row, but more suited to adding a few favourite streams rather than a host of search-able options. Have your own iTunes radio work-around? Let’s hear it in the comments. CyberNotes: Add Shoutcast Radio Streams to iTunes [CyberNet]
Free speed-reading webapp Spreed:News lets you choose from a wide array of news sources and have their articles read to you in small clusters of words. Working from the principles that make for faster reading, you can scale the tool between 240 and 1500 words per minute, and set up an account to save your favourite sources—from Boing Boing to the New York Times and dozens more—for quick browsing. Spreed offers a tally of the seconds you’ve saved from word-by-word reading, and offers an iPhone-optimised interface for speed reading while on commutes or trips. Spreed is free to use, requires a sign-up to save your feeds. For tips on honing your speed reading, check the how-to article on the via link below.
Spreed:News [via Wired How-To Wiki]Ubuntu 8.10, the “Intrepid Ibex” release of the popular Linux distro, is due out in 6 days, and the release candidate is up for downloads. Check out its features and improvements, and share your experiences with the early builds in the comments.
Windows only: A good network scanner digs deep into any network it’s pointed at and opens it up for you to get into. SoftPerfect Network Scanner does those things, can do them from a thumb drive, and is a good deal less intimidating than some other scanner apps out there. The small program lays out its network findings in an easy-to-grasp manner, and can be expanded to show you more than just names and addresses. Weighing in at less than 1MB, it makes a great addition to any thumb drive, especially for anyone often called upon to figure out what’s up with the router. Check out some of SoftPerfect’s deeper options and offerings below.
Don’t lie in all weekend — improve your life and your geek quotient with these ideas from the past week on Lifehacker:
Work it if you can get a better deal for your money by comparing your current credit card and loan options at Mozo Try fixing up your photos with the mysteriously-named Qtpfsgui If that doesn’t help, try our quick guide to fixing a photo in sixty seconds Add a few essential items to your business travel case And if you’re missing some, test out eBay’s new search service to see if it’s got any betterChances are your workplace IT infrastructure has some restrictions in place, whether that’s a basic filter to cut out objectionable sites or a full lock-down that stops you even changing your desktop colour scheme. But no matter what those rules — or how much mistrust they breed — there’s some sure-fire ways to misuse technology that definitely fall into the CLM (career-limiting move) category. Here’s five real-life examples that you should not emulate in your office. (Yep, dressing up as a clown and playing with a notebook might be the sixth. Photo: PR Newswire.) More »
Development of Windows and Office – Microsoft’s twin cash cows – often runs roughly in parallel, so if the Redmond crowd makes good on its plans to get Windows 7 out the door in 2009, we may well also see a parallel refresh of the Office line. We know Microsoft has a complex product planning process, so now seems a good time to get a wish list for product improvements out there. Read on for some of my thoughts on where Outlook needs fixing, and then offer up your own additional suggestions. More »
Mac OS X only: If you prefer to open certain links in certain browsers, or are testing web sites for cross-browser compatibility, or you’re just finnicky, Choosy will help you manage multiple browsers. Developed by George Brocklehurst, it’s available as a free, public beta (and beta testers will get a significant discount on the full release). Set up a few preferences, and clicking on a link will bring up a choice of browsers in a system dialog familiar to users of Command+Tab to switch applications. Choosy is a free download for Mac only. Choosy
If someone sends you an MMS in order to share a photo and your phone can’t handle the MMS format (either because it’s too old or because it’s an iPhone), then most carriers will make the image available via the Internet, sending you a text message with access instructions. However, a recent systems upgrade at Optus means that in the future, Optus customers won’t have that legacy option: the MMS will simply disappear into the ether. The annoying part? The sender will still get charged for trying to send any pictures, even if they’re not received. A workaround if you know the recipient’s phone is email-enabled is to send the shot as an attachment, but the whole issue underscores the importance of not just blithely sending out a picture from your phone. More »
