computers
Fix
Change Computer Part Colours Easily And Inexpensively
1:00AM Jason Fitzpatrick | The black-on-black of modern computing is generally much preferred to 80s beige and 90s grey, but what if you want to rock some crazier schemes? Check out this low-cost tutorial for achieving your technicolour dreams. More »
Fix
WallMac Is A PowerBook Turned Wall-Mounted Computer
3:00AM Jason Fitzpatrick | In March we featured a laptop turned into a wall mounted PC. Inspired by the project Lifehacker reader Dan Price turned an old PowerBook into a wall mounted Mac, the WallMac. Video inside. More »
Fix
Build An Under-the-Cabinet Kitchen PC From An Old Laptop
9:00AM Adam Pash | Inspired by our guide to giving an old laptop new life with cheap or free projects, Lifehacker reader Brian turned his aging Dell laptop into an incredible under-the-cabinet kitchen PC. More »
Fix
Turn An Old Laptop Into A Wall-Mounted Computer
5:00AM Jason Fitzpatrick | Why settle for a digital picture frame when, in the same wall space, you could mount an entirely functional computer/slideshow player/TV tuner? Lifehacker reader Justin took an old Sony Vaio laptop he wasn’t using and turned it into a wall-mounted computer. Why? Located in his office, it’s finding use as everything from a simple (but hugely more control-friendly) digital picture frame, to a testing ground for apps and other material. A nice, deep frame and matting means you’d never know a fully functional computer is tucked inside at a glance, and there’s room inside for him to cram all sorts of goodies, including a USB TV tuner and dongle for a wireless remote control so the build can also double as a television in his office. Justin notes that every build will be slightly different depending on the laptop you use, but essentially all he did was carefully remove the lid and keyboard casing and carefully turn the screen to face out outward before mounting it into the frame. For more pictures and information about his project, check out his site below. If you have an old laptop but hanging it on the wall isn’t part of your vision for it, make sure to check out our feature on giving your old laptop a new life. Custom Self-Contained Hanging Wall-PC [Glowview] More »
Fix
3:51PM Angus Kidman | With proper (that is, hideous) summer temperatures swamping most of the country, it seems timely to remind the Lifehacker community of some of the useful techniques you can use to make sure your beloved PC isn’t a victim of heatstroke. Beyond keeping your working environment cool and ensuring decent airflow, there are more specific steps you can take. For laptop users,
Worried About Your Computer Overheating?
3:51PM Angus Kidman | With proper (that is, hideous) summer temperatures swamping most of the country, it seems timely to remind the Lifehacker community of some of the useful techniques you can use to make sure your beloved PC isn’t a victim of heatstroke. Beyond keeping your working environment cool and ensuring decent airflow, there are more specific steps you can take. For laptop users,
Design
1:00PM Kym Weathersten | Notebooks with cases that aren’t some variation on grey/black have become more prevalent in recent years, but most still sport fundamentally the same materials on the outside. Asus’ Bamboo series is a definite exception, using bamboo for a design approach that also claims a greater level of environmental friendliness than your typical hard-case machine.
The laptops are covered in “artisan-grade Moso bamboo panelling”, a light, and durable, non-flammable and petrochemical-free material. Apparently, the design “is a cutting edge creation that incorporates innate, ornate aesthetics, each Bamboo Series notebook is organically unique and radiates a divine spirituality” — those are Asus’ words, not mine, obviously.
The notebook range actually looks better than the hyperbole makes it sound. Bear in mind that the machines are only partially degradable, with much debate about whether bamboo really is greener than plastic, and you’ll still want a PC-friendly recycling centre at the end of its life. But anything that improves the green quotient for what’s still a fairly toxic industry is a good step. The laptops — which come in 11.1in and 12.1in models, sporting Core 2 Duo processors and Windows Vista — should hit stores in December, with pricing starting at $3,499.
More »
Asus Goes Green With Bamboo Series Laptops
1:00PM Kym Weathersten | Notebooks with cases that aren’t some variation on grey/black have become more prevalent in recent years, but most still sport fundamentally the same materials on the outside. Asus’ Bamboo series is a definite exception, using bamboo for a design approach that also claims a greater level of environmental friendliness than your typical hard-case machine.
The laptops are covered in “artisan-grade Moso bamboo panelling”, a light, and durable, non-flammable and petrochemical-free material. Apparently, the design “is a cutting edge creation that incorporates innate, ornate aesthetics, each Bamboo Series notebook is organically unique and radiates a divine spirituality” — those are Asus’ words, not mine, obviously.
The notebook range actually looks better than the hyperbole makes it sound. Bear in mind that the machines are only partially degradable, with much debate about whether bamboo really is greener than plastic, and you’ll still want a PC-friendly recycling centre at the end of its life. But anything that improves the green quotient for what’s still a fairly toxic industry is a good step. The laptops — which come in 11.1in and 12.1in models, sporting Core 2 Duo processors and Windows Vista — should hit stores in December, with pricing starting at $3,499.
More »
Work
10:39AM Angus Kidman | As we’ve previously mentioned, as of June 30 Microsoft is no longer be selling boxed copies of Windows XP or allowing manufacturers to install it directly (although some white-box vendors are immune). If you want to stick with XP, you’ll need to purchase a machine running Vista Business and then get a downgrade licence to revert to XP.Fran Foo at AustralianIT rang around local vendors to find out how much such a downgrade would cost. Pricing ranged from nothing (for HP models) to $83 to get an XP CD from Lenovo. If you decide to stick with Vista instead, check out our Vista hub for tips on how to make the most of Vista.Local vendors gear for Vista downgrade [AustralianIT]
More »
The cost of downgrading from Vista to XP
10:39AM Angus Kidman | As we’ve previously mentioned, as of June 30 Microsoft is no longer be selling boxed copies of Windows XP or allowing manufacturers to install it directly (although some white-box vendors are immune). If you want to stick with XP, you’ll need to purchase a machine running Vista Business and then get a downgrade licence to revert to XP.Fran Foo at AustralianIT rang around local vendors to find out how much such a downgrade would cost. Pricing ranged from nothing (for HP models) to $83 to get an XP CD from Lenovo. If you decide to stick with Vista instead, check out our Vista hub for tips on how to make the most of Vista.Local vendors gear for Vista downgrade [AustralianIT]
More »
Work
4:28PM Angus Kidman |
With June now officially upon us and
the financial year almost over, if you’ve been thinking of purchasing
a PC, now is a sensible time. If it’s a business machine, you’ll be
able to deduct at least some of the cost in this financial year –
and with sub-$1,000 machines now common, you might be able to do it
in a lump rather than over four years (check with your accountant).
An even more pressing reason to buy now
is that manufacturers are officially supposed to stop selling any
machines (apart from certain ultra-portables) with XP on them after
June 30. If you want a PC that actually has a useful Windows
operating system, not the pig-with-lipstick experience of Vista, then
you’d best order soon. While there’ll be downgrade rights options
after that date — meaning you can purchase a Vista Business machine
and ask for XP to be installed instead — who needs the extra hassle?
(We note in passing that July 1 will also see tax rates increase on
cars costing more than $57,123; go crazy, motoring freaks!)
More »
XP is doomed: Get cracking on PC purchase plans
4:28PM Angus Kidman |
With June now officially upon us and
the financial year almost over, if you’ve been thinking of purchasing
a PC, now is a sensible time. If it’s a business machine, you’ll be
able to deduct at least some of the cost in this financial year –
and with sub-$1,000 machines now common, you might be able to do it
in a lump rather than over four years (check with your accountant).
An even more pressing reason to buy now
is that manufacturers are officially supposed to stop selling any
machines (apart from certain ultra-portables) with XP on them after
June 30. If you want a PC that actually has a useful Windows
operating system, not the pig-with-lipstick experience of Vista, then
you’d best order soon. While there’ll be downgrade rights options
after that date — meaning you can purchase a Vista Business machine
and ask for XP to be installed instead — who needs the extra hassle?
(We note in passing that July 1 will also see tax rates increase on
cars costing more than $57,123; go crazy, motoring freaks!)
More » Automatically Mute Your Speakers Overnight
12:00PM Adam Pash | Windows only: Last week we highlighted how to mute your Mac on a schedule, and this week weblog Inspect My Gadget details how to set up similar functionality in Windows. The post suggests a few tools that might do the job, then settles on adding a scheduled task to Windows to mute your computer using a freeware utility called Mute. It requires a minimum of setup but works perfectly, which is always nice. Like the idea of all that automation? Check out how you can get more from Windows Scheduled Tasks. How-to: Schedule your speakers to automatically mute overnight [Inspect My Gadget] More »
