Windows only: DriverBackup2 is a lightweight driver-backup tool. The application is portable with a caveat: you’ll need administrative privileges for full use. You can opt to backup one or all of your drivers, the backed up files are dumped into a tree structure based on driver name. DriverBackup2 also allows you to restore and delete unnecessary drivers. If you ever hunted for obscure drivers online, when installing legacy or obscure hardware for instance, DriverBackup2 will save you the hassle of searching them out again. For other driver viewing and backup solutions check out DoubleDriver and DriverView. DriverBackup2 is freeware, Windows only. DriverBackup2 [via gHacks]
Windows only: AnVir Task Manager, a veritable Leatherman multi-tool of a system utility, is available in its full edition today only through the Giveaway of the Day web site. The app features all of the abilities and tools that Adam dug about the free version, but adds a few unique features, most noticably “improved memory usage” and a built-in database of Windows processes and what they do, along with on-the-spot, up-to-date virus checking. Even if you only run once to fine-tune your newly-installed system, AnVir is worth the slim download. AnVir Task Manager is for Windows systems only; the Giveaway protocol requires downloading, installing, and activating the software before the offer expiration. AnVir Task Manager 5.4.1 [Giveaway of the Day]
A beta edition of Service Pack 2 for Windows Vista is now available for anyone willing to put pre-release system fixes on their desktop. Vista SP2, previously available only to certified testers and due out in final form in April 2009, aims to put the wrench to numerous areas of user complaint, such as toning down the resources needed by the Sidebar, a smarter wireless connection dialog, baked-in Blu-Ray support, and others. We’re loading SP2 on our Vista box at the moment at Lifehacker HQ, but it’s taking some time to both download and install. If you’re taking the plunge, tell us what you notice that’s improved (or newly broken) in the comments. Windows Vista Service Pack 2 Beta (& 64-bit) [Microsoft Download Centre via Ars Technica]
When you’re not in the mood to be social, get productive instead with these tips from the past week:
Take advantage of 25GB of free online storage from Microsoft (though you should keep an eye on your upload limits) Clean up Google by getting rid of SearchWiki Indulge yourself and order an Agora Android phone Get any last-minute Christmas parcels wrapped so you can send them on Monday Kickstart an exercise routine just in case you get fired (and if you’re heading to the beach, check if there’s a surf lifesaving patrol on dutyBuying property almost invariably involves spending a Saturday morning racing from one open house to another, and working out how to organise it all can be a major pain. MyHouseHunt.com.au lets you paste in URLs from the two largest real estate listing sites (realestate.com.au and Domain) and automatically generates a timetable with possibilities and lets you choose your preferred slots, The finished timetable can be emailed to you in PDF or CSV form. It won’t eliminate major scheduling hassles, and it’s much easier to use with realestate.com.au listings since that site boasts an “Open for Inspection” search category. For all that, it’s still a nifty real estate buying assistant. Thanks Charis! MyHouseHunt.com.au
Entry-level photo editing tools like Picasa all incorporate picture straightening tools, so it often comes as a rude shock to discover that Photoshop’s everything-but-the-kitchen-sink list of tools doesn’t include this option. The classic way of straightening images in Photoshop is to draw a line with the ruler, rotate the image by the indicated angle, and crop, which is quite painfully fiddly. The ProjectWoman blog highlights an alternative strategy: using the little-known Lens Correction option, which offers a grid for straightening and produces much cleaner results. Straightening images with Photoshop’s Lens correction tool [ProjectWoman]
Flash-based webapp Aviary Phoenix is the most impressive image editing tool I’ve ever seen running in a browser. Free to try, you can do some amazing things with the features on offer, from photo compositing to retouching—the video demonstration embedded above and plenty of tutorials should give you an idea. While not an Adobe Photoshop replacement, if you’re stuck with a machine that doesn’t have anything better than MS Paint installed, it can be a lifesaver. For beginners, it’s a great introduction to the kind of skills and tools available in almost any modern image editor, but with no download necessary. The founders created image editing contest site Worth1000, so you know the tools Aviary is developing will live up to pretty high standards. Phoenix [Aviary]
My initial suspicion that the ‘feed bundles’ feature in the newly revamped Google Reader would be US-centric turned out to be wrong: there’s a dozen pre-grouped set of feeds in 12 categories, including local sports like AFL and NRL. However, the way they’ve been constructed is lazy in the extreme: in virtually every single instance, what’s on offer is the relevant feed for the ABC, a selection of papers from News Limited, and a selection of papers from Fairfax. (There’s a handful of official sports sites and one mention each for Crikey and ZDNet, but that’s it.) The Australian online media scene is far more diverse than that, and it’s frankly embarrassing that the Google team are apparently too lazy to bother to reflect that. The bundles are supposedly created automatically rather than by hand, but it looks like the selection algorithm is basic beyond belief. We can only hope this improves in the near future. As it stands, the approach makes RSS look like little more than an alternative way of reading old media brands. More »
If you’re looking to get some more use out of an old machine, or just play around with multimedia programs but not interested in shelling out hundreds or thousands of dollars, download Puredyne. Based on Debian Linux, the downloadable disk image fits on a standard CD-R and will boot on almost any machine — you can even run it on your current system without having to partition any drives or re-install your operating system. The distribution includes all the software a multimedia maker might need, including Kino and Cinelerra for video editing; Audacity and Pure Data for audio; and GIMP and Inkscape for images, along with other fantastic open-source tools ranging from software synthesisers and drum machines to BitTorrent clients and encoding tools. Since all the software is free, it’s perfect for educators as well as starving artists and enthusiastic hackers. It’s a great introduction to Linux for creative types scared of anything besides Mac OS X — the interface is familiar enough to any casual computer user that you should be able to start watching videos from across your network with media player VLC in no time.
PuredyneSeems like every day there’s more news of layoffs in the tech sector and beyond, and if you’re one of the survivors worried about your job security, startup founder and CEO Kevin Merritt offers some pointers on what to do before the pink slip lands on your desk. His most unexpected piece of advice? Start exercising. We all know that discrimination is illegal for most reasons and unethical for other reasons. But if you’ve watched 60 Minutes, you know that’s not how humans behave. With comparably qualified candidates, the attractive, fit people are usually offered the job. What are employers looking for in prospective employees? Someone who will get the job done. If you look like you are full of energy, the perception is that you will get the job done.
Even if getting in shape doesn’t help you land a new job, it will at least replace feelings of layoff rejection with pride about your hot bod. The rest of Merritt’s advice is just what you’d expect: update your professional skills, reduce household bills, start a blog about your area of expertise, and work your online and offline social networks. What are you doing to depression-proof your career? Let us know in the comments. Photo by bryanesque. 10 Essential Steps to Take BEFORE You’re Laid Off [Get Rich Slowly]
