So your router and Xbox 360 are on completely opposite sides of your home, running a long, ugly wire along the floor is out of the question, and you don’t feel like dropping $100 on an Xbox Wi-Fi adapter? If you’ve got a laptop with Wi-Fi, Instructables details how to use it as an Xbox 360 wireless adapter. In all its a really simple process involving sharing your laptop’s wireless internet connection with your Xbox through an ethernet cable. It’s not as good as a wired connection, but if you don’t regularly rely on the connection, it’s a good workaround. If you want a slightly more permanent solution, you can also build an Xbox Wi-Fi adapter on the cheap. Thanks Graham!
Use your laptop as an Xbox/Xbox 360 “wireless adapter” [Instructables]If you’re using a Linux-powered laptop with limited battery life, or you just want to darken your laptop screen for whatever reason, Tombuntu has a tip for you. To turn the monitor off and have it wake up at the touch of a mouse or key, create a shortcut using this command, or type it into a terminal: sleep 1 && xset dpms force off
(Note: The “sleep 1 && ” portion is only necessary for terminal commands). Any laptop can be set to darken its monitor after a certain amount of time, but even the quickest setting—15 minutes on mine—uses precious battery life if you need to look away. Adding this shortcut to a panel button or menu could come in handy.
Create a Virtual Monitor Power Button [Tombuntu]So you’ve just un-boxed your new laptop, and you’ve been intrigued by all this talk of Gutsy and Werewolf and the like—but how do you know if a Linux installation will be a revelation or headache? Free Linux guide TuxMobil has more than 7,000 installation stories and guides, covering the tricks and tweaks necessary to get nearly any laptop, PDA or even cell phone up and running with an open source operating system. Between this site and Linux on Laptops, you should be able to find an open source operating system that works on any portable hardware, and save yourself some serious headaches digging through user forums and tech support sites.
TuxMobilIt may have been aimed at kids and the education market, but a lot of Linux geeks have been looking forward to checking out the Linux-based ASUS Eee PC mini-laptop. I got my hands on a review unti last week, and let me say upfront this review will not look at whether this laptop would be great for kids – I’m not a kid anymore and I don’t pretend to know what they need or like in a computer. I wanted to roadtest how the Eee PC would work as a laptop replacement for an adult user. Read on for the full review.
Looks like a little freezer time can save more than just a dead hard drive: according to this video over at Metacafe, you can also revive a dead laptop battery by freezing it for 14 to 15 hours. We haven’t tried this trick ourselves, but a little cursory research using The Google shows that it’s been discussed and recommended online before. Anyone else have luck (or know the science behind) freezing a battery back to life? Let us know in the comments.
Revive A Dead Laptop Battery [Metacafe]Web developer Ingo built a simple laptop stand from a three-ring binder and an aluminium rail. The result raises his screen, makes a more comfortable wrist rest, and even creates some handy storage for an external drive underneath.
The 2 Euro Laptop Stand [chillu.com]Find out how your Mac can help you get more out of your day with this hourly guide to 40 ways you can use your Mac from MacLife.
