SharePoint Designer, a Microsoft tool for designing sites for use with its SharePoint “intranet solution” (yucky phrase, but what else to call it?), is now free. If you’re working in a Microsoft shop (or just sharpening your IIS and SharePoint skills to score a job), it’s a good chance to check out a ribbon-enabled, MS-friendly design tool without having to splash out $450 or so for the full version. SharePoint Designer [via Inside Office Online Blog]
As you’ll doubtless have noticed by now, Lifehacker Australia has a shiny new look (and a shiny new CMS in the back to match). This kind of migration is rarely trouble-free, so if you run into a bug, or just want to tell us what you think of the new style, hit up the ‘Tip Your Editors’ link or offer your comments here.
Windows only: System tray application GDI++ replaces the Windows font engine with smoother OS X-style rendering instead of Microsoft’s ClearType.
In the screenshot, original Windows fonts are on the left, GDI++ fonts are on the right. Using the application is simple enough—just extract and run the gditray.exe utility, and then make sure the font rendering is enabled in the system tray menu. You’ll probably have to refresh the applications on the screen to see the changes—just minimise and restore them and you should see the changes immediately. The font rendering is based originally on the GDI++ library from drwatson. That means most of the documentation is in Japanese, the application is clunky, and hooking into Windows this way could cause system instability, so definitely proceed with caution. Still, it’s an interesting application that might be worth a look if you really dislike Windows fonts. Mac vs. Windows font rendering is a common subject of debate, and it really comes down to a matter of personal taste—we aren’t recommending one over the other, but now Windows users have an easy-to-implement choice in the matter.
Make Windows fonts look as smooth as Mac OS X fonts [digital parsimony]Remember the Canon Hacker’s Development Kit, aka CHDK—the open-source firmware that turns your point-and-shoot into a super-camera? Here’s how bug enthusiast Tim used CHDK and DIY ingenuity for better macro results from his point-and-shoot. Spending more money was off the table for Tim’s spending budget, so rather than pony up for some new, expensive equipment, he turned to the wonder of open source. His setup is a little heady if you’re not familiar with the subject, but Tim used a reverse mounted lens technique along with the focus bracketing feature of CHDK. The results—one of which you can see in the screenshot—speak for themselves. If this project doesn’t quite appeal to you but you are interested in getting a ton more functionality from your standard Canon point-and-shoot, check out our guide to getting started with CHDK.
My setup [BugGuide.net via Hack a Day]Mac OS X only: Not keen on Leopard’s default theme, or just prefer to ditch the status quo for something more your style? Free application Mangifique quickly and easily swaps custom themes in OS X. Magnifique is surprisingly easy to use. After you install it, you can browse through a handful of available theme downloads to find one that suits your fancy. Once you’ve chosen a theme you’d like to try on, just download it via the Magnifique browser and apply it. You’ll want to restart Finder, your Dock (don’t worry, the app comes with buttons to do this for you), and any other application that you want to see the newly applied theme with—and voila, you’re rolling with a custom theme. As with any serious, system-wide customisation tool, you should approach Magnifique with some amount of caution. We haven’t thoroughly tested it yet, but we were able to successfully apply a skin and restore to our default without any problems, so Magnifique is passing the test so far. If you give it a go, let’s hear how it’s working for you—and what themes you’re liking—in the comments. Thanks Tobiah!
MagnifiqueMicrosoft allowed Windows Vista Magazine to bundle up every wallpaper from Windows 7′s regional releases and, boy, we’re glad they did. One file brings a lot of new looks to any desktop, Windows 7 or otherwise. The 29MB download includes most of the wallpaper from the free and legitimate Windows 7 themes we’ve peeked at, but also adds a few (apparent) newcomers from the international betas of Microsoft’s upcoming OS. If it’s overkill for you to grab all the wallpapers and drop them into your picture archive, Windows Vista Magazine also thumbnails and hosts a download-able.JPG of each wallpaper at the link below.
Note: You’ll need a third-party app to unpack the .rar-formatted all-in-one file; we recommend 7-Zip for Windows, the Unarchiver on Macs, and most Linux systems have something you can search for in the repositories to get the job done.
Give your Windows Vista desktop a Windows 7 makeover! [Windows Vista Magazine via Daily Gyan]Reader zackshackleton’s desktop blends system stats and useful information into a picture of a train covered in graffiti—it takes a careful eye to even notice they are there.
Ever wanted to extract Powerpoint slides as images for embedding elsewhere? Try Zamzar. To convert the file, simply upload the file (ignoring the obnoxious popup ads), choose PNG format, and enter your email address to receive the link for the converted files—it took a little while for the files to show up, but the conversion process worked perfectly—all ready for you to embed or email the files. An alternative method for converting and sharing Powerpoint is to simply upload the file to Google Docs, and then use the PDF export option to download and share with friends—or you can use Google Docs to embed presentations on your web site or blog. Thanks, Nick!
ZamzarReader okchickadee’s desktop takes a Mad Libs wallpaper and blends system statistics into the blanks—making one of the most entertaining and unique desktops we’ve seen.
Whether you’re putting together a resume, flyer, or web page, everyone needs to find and compare fonts some time. Here are some tools that can help you find the perfect font.
