The latest release of the popular Linux Distribution Ubuntu, numbered 8.04 and code-named "Hardy Heron," is available for download and upgrading. We pointed out most of the new features and improvements in our screenshot tour of Hardy, including a nifty Windows-based installer, file-handling improvements and upgraded applications, but you can check it all out for yourself hassle-free with a live CD. Ubuntu 8.04 is a free download for any system with a 32- or 64-bit Intel or AMD processor, but you can also request to have free CDs shipped to you. How stable and smooth have you found Hardy Heron to be? What feature or change are you still waiting to see included? Let's hear it in the comments.

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Windows Mobile only: Windows Mobile and PDA devices may have a copy/paste function, but selecting and copying can be a serious click-click-click pain. ceSnipURL, a free link-shortening app for Windows Mobile-compatible devices, does the same kind of work as SnipURL, TinyURL and all the rest, but much more conveniently. Load the app and paste in a URL, and it's automatically converted (using snipr.com) and copied to your clipboard for texting, emailing, or any other use. ceSnipURL is a free download for Windows Mobile 6 and compatible devices only.

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The Digital Inspiration blog suggests that Facebook's new browser-based chat system, which we stood up against Gmail's web chat yesterday, works well running inside a Firefox sidebar. To anchor it there, simply add this Facebook Chat popout URL from Bookmarks->Organize Bookmarks, and make sure "Load this bookmark in the sidebar" is checked. The intended two-column layout can make the sidebar a little intrusive into your actual browsing, but you can resize to a narrow strip and still get chat functionality, simply by clicking inside the sidebar to re-order things.

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Next time you need to quickly memorise a small piece of information, Wired suggests that you may actually have better luck retaining the information if you distract yourself.

In 2007, researchers asked UCLA students to try to memorize a set of 48 word pairs (country: Russia, fruit: lemon, flower: lily, etc.). After studying the list, some students then had to sit through a slide show and view closely related material (flower: rose). Guess what? The distracted students performed better on subsequent recall tests.

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• How do I find lectures on YouTube fit for watching while I'm at the gym?
• What are some good questions to ask my elderly parents to get them started talking for my family video documentary?
• How can I get better at remembering new names?
• Is there someplace that a hopeless romantic can go to find true love?
• What can the colour, smell, composition of your urine in the mornings tell you about yourself?

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Blogger Vinod Ponmanadiyil has years of email communication and documents in Microsoft Outlook at work, so keeping backups of his PST file (the file in which Outlook stores all your email) is very important to him. Unfortunately Outlook isn't great about backing up your PST file while Outlook is running, but Vinod has found a simple solution: Set a rule in Outlook to keep a separate copy of your incoming email in a separate PST file on an encrypted, external thumb drive. The encrypted part is optional, but it's a smart move if you want to keep that data secure (check out our guide to encrypting data with TrueCrypt for details on how to set up an encrypted drive). Head to the post for specifics on what seems like a perfect Outlook backup solution. For a different approach, check out previously mentioned Outlook Personal Folders Backup Tool.

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Windows only: Free PC tweaking utility RegToy exposes all sorts of Windows settings that you'd normally have to dig into the registry to get to. Change the way Windows looks and behaves with RegToy, which is similar to the TweakUI PowerToy. It offers dozens of system-wide to user-specific settings—most of which will only matter to the most anal of Windows tweakers. After the jump, get a look-see at some of RegToy's many panes, tabs, checkboxes, and other settings areas.Adjust advanced System settings:

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Create or browse interactive timelines with webapp Dipity. The service can create any sort of timeline you want, but it really shines when creating a personal timeline; that's because Dipity integrates with tonnes of popular webapps, like Flickr, Twitter, Last.fm, or any RSS feed, so that all you have to do is provide Dipity with a few usernames or URLs and it'll automatically build your beginning timeline for you. After items are added, click on any item on your timeline or zoom in for a closer look. If you're using it in the personal timeline manner, Dipity is essentially another lifestreaming app along the lines of previously mentioned FriendFeed—it just has a different way of presenting your stream. Dipity also supports manually creating timelines on any subject, but if you want total control over your timeline, check out how to roll your own hosted timeline.

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Windows only: If you do a lot of DVD watching and ripping on your PC, free, open source application DiscInsert provides an attractive and simple AutoPlay option to Windows that lets you choose between opening the inserted disc in your favourite DVD player or DVD ripper. When you insert the disc, DiscInsert looks up the disc info and displays the simple rip or play dialog; it can also pass parameters (like the DVD title) to your ripping tool of choice. It doesn't automate the entire ripping process like our very own DVD Rip, but if you prefer a more hands-on approach, the free, Windows-only DiscInsert is worth a try. If you're in the market for a good DVD ripping application, check out the five best DVD ripping tools.

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A few weeks ago Facebook promised to start slowly rolling out chat, and it just hit my account today. (If it's enabled for you, check it out in the lower right hand corner when you're logged into Facebook.) It reminds me of Gmail's built-in chat—it's on by default, your contacts populate your chat buddy list, and you can use it without downloading a separate client. (You can also "pop-out" the chat window to save a tab.) Facebook is much more about social networking than Gmail, which makes it ripe for chatting, but in the short time it's been in existence, Gmail chat's earned lots of loyal followers. When it comes to web-based chat, which do you prefer?

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A crafty user at DIY web site Instructables makes a car dock for the iPhone or iPod touch from materials primarily found in your device's packaging. Throw a little bit of glue and some velcro into the mix, and you've got a clean, attractive dock for your car for virtually nothing. On the other hand, if you prefer shelling out a little cash to taking the DIY route, check out the previously posted guide to iPhone car integration.

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You already love the one-stop convenience of shopping online at Amazon.com, but chances are you're not getting everything you can out of this feature-packed shopping engine. Did you know Amazon can email you suggestions from Mom's wish list two weeks before her birthday? Automatically ship you a new case of toilet paper every two months? Refund the difference on the price of an item you purchased that went on sale? Several advanced Amazon features and third party apps and add-ons can help you get the best deals and the stuff you want delivered to your door right on time. After the jump, add our favourite 10 Amazon power-shopper tools to your cart.

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If that big ol' bump on your butt is giving you back problems, it's time to reorganize your wallet. Real Simple magazine offers a few strategies for doing just that, like this tip for making your train pass or company ID readily accessible in a purse or bag:

Slip them in a clear plastic sleeve tied with a ribbon, a shoelace, or a cord. You'll be able to fish them out of your purse quickly. To buy: Badge sleeves, about $5 for 10 at office-supply stores.

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The How-To Geek blog posts a truly helpful guide to figuring out what's causing Internet Explorer 7 to slow down, particularly on Windows Vista systems. Starting with running IE7 in safe mode, the guide is a boon for anyone not particularly tweak-savvy as it moves through disabling add-ons, confusing options boxes, and all the way to disabling auto-tuning, plus the ultimate fix—unplugging and re-plugging your router, of course. Regardless of skill level, it's a good forward for anyone you know who can't/won't install Firefox and is tired of browsing the Internet at slug-like speeds. (Original auto-tuning post)

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Lifehacker reader and TiddlyWiki enthusiast Fraser has written up a guide that takes the idea of cut-and-paste Outlook Today customising to the next logical (or at least Lifehacker-friendly) conclusion—integrating a TiddlyWiki to-do list and notebook into Outlook. Combine the easy-to-edit power of a personal wiki with the at-a-glance inbox and task information from Outlook, and you've got a powerful start page indeed. For a primer on getting things done with a TiddlyWiki, check out guest-poster Jason Thomas' GTDTiddlyWiki walkthrough. (Original Outlook Today post).

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