Windows only: Lightweight note-taking and outlining application ActionOutline Lite organises your notes or projects in a hierarchical view with the notes on the right-hand side.The free (Lite) version of ActionOutline restricts you to 7 sub-items for every parent item, but you can have an unlimited amount of total items. The tabbed interface lets you load multiple outlines so you can manage several different buckets at a time. The application itself is impressively responsive and low on resources, but unlike the more full-featured Evernote>, it doesn’t have integration with other applications or a mobile component. This app has been a standard part of my daily routine for years because of the excellent keyboard navigation, and it restores almost instantly from the tray with the built-in Win+A keyboard shortcut (configurable), making it excellent for quickly taking notes. ActionOutline Lite is a free download; the upgrade will set you back $US39.
ActionOutline LiteVideo streaming web site YouTube announced a new beta service today called YouTube for TV (if you want to try it in your regular browser, here’s how). To begin with, the service is available on Sony PS3s and Nintendo Wiis, offering a “10-foot television viewing experience through a streamlined interface that enables you to discover, watch, and share YouTube videos on any TV screen with just a few quick clicks of your remote control.” Sounds good so far, but if you’ve got a Wii or PS3, let’s hear what you think in the comments.
Reader AlbinoAsian’s Myriad desktop blends custom skins, carefully styled system stats, and some well-chosen wallpaper to create one of the most drastically transformed and impressive desktops we’ve seen in a while.
All platforms: If you’re experiencing frequent errors and crashes on your computer, a bad stick of RAM is often the culprit. Free diagnostic boot CD Memtest86+ checks system memory for errors without pressing a key. After burning the tiny downloadable ISO image (less than 2MB ) to a disc (we recommend ImgBurn for this task), you can use it to boot any computer directly into the standard memory test. More advanced tests can be run under the configuration screen, but the standard test should detect most memory errors. Armed with that information, you can replace or swap out the offending memory stick.
Memtest86+In the Gmail era, Hotmail might feel like a historic relic, but there are still millions of people (my mother included) using it, so it’s good news that Microsoft has finally opened up POP3 access to the service for Australian users (along with a bunch of other countries). While Microsoft’s announcement of the service emphasises using it for mobile phones, it’s a bigger boon for anyone who wants to access their Hotmail account via a PC client such as Outlook or Thunderbird. Microsoft previously charged for making Hotmail available on a PC via its Hotmail Plus service, so it’s good to see market economics prevailing. While Microsoft promotes its Connector software for accessing Hotmail via Outlook, I’ve found it too buggy to be useful, and plain old POP3 seems a better bet. One caveat: the setup requires using a secure connection (which is a good idea but one many home users ignore), so check through the settings guide carefully (note that the information about needing Hotmail Plus is now redundant). Thanks Jason
Good news for music lovers excited for Windows 7: The new and improved music interface in Windows 7 Media Center is overflowing with eye candy and usability. The video above, from web site Missing Remote, demonstrates the main features and interface of WMC7′s music playback (who doesn’t love that turbo-scroll?). Windows Media Center is one of the most popular media centre applications among Lifehacker readers, so it’s great to see Microsoft continue to innovate on this front. [via Geektonic]
With layoffs left and right (especially in tech), your job application is likely competing with a larger-than-ever pool of applicants—meaning you’ve got to do all you can to stand out from the crowd. The Dumb Little Man weblog offers 12 tips for writing a resume that will land an interview. The tips range from the obvious (be concise) to more useful, like: Figure out what keywords are relevant and use them.Some HR folks don’t read resumes any more. They have software that scans resumes for relevant keywords. Use nouns, like the names of the computer programs you know. Read tons of job descriptions and notice which words are used over and over.
Got a clever tip of your own that always works? Let’s hear it in the comments. Photo by SOCIALisBETTER.
How to Write a Resume That Will Land an Interview [Dumb Little Man]Nobody likes dealing with lost luggage; snapping photos of your packed suitcase before you zip up can diminish the hassle and ensure you get back everything you packed.Over at technology blog GeekSugar, they suggest photographing the contents of your bag as you pack. If your bags should come up missing, you’ll have a photographic record to jog your memory when you’re filling out the lost baggage forms. Additionally—if anything should be damaged or missing—you’ll have something concrete to show the attendant at the claim counter other than your frustration. Photo by striatic. Cell Phone Camera Tip: Snap Your Suitcase Contents Pre-Flight [GeekSugar]
From the files of the Can’t Believe It Wasn’t There Already Dept.: Windows 7 doesn’t just give you a wagging finger (and pretend-useful “Try Again” button) when you want to move or delete a file that’s in use. It actually tells you which application is using the file. Neat, long-awaited stuff.
Microsoft Office 14 may not be scheduled for release until next year, but tech news site Ars Technica has already got their hands on leaked screenshots of the Office 14 alpha builds. Above you can see the Office 14 About page, which sports an attractive little sidebar for opening, saving, or creating new documents. Below is a look at Microsoft Word 14.
