All platforms with the Java runtime: aTunes is a robust choice for music cataloging and playback on any operating system that can support Java Runtime 6 such as Windows, Mac OS, and Linux. aTunes has a host of features including tag editing, drag and drop playlist creation, Last.fm Audio Scrobbler integration, playback statistics, CD ripping, podcasts, and a multi-window interface so you can arrange individual components such as playlists, lyrics, and the main library as you see fit. aTunes is compatible with any MP3 player that your computer can mount and recognise, with one caveat: aTunes is currently only able to read iPod data up to the 4th generation iPods and unable to write to any generation of iPods. aTunes is a free download, and requires the Java runtime.

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Windows/Mac: Evernote 3.0, the latest version of the note synchronisation service, has opened up to public beta. Most of the same web, phone, and desktop functionality remains from its previous incarnation is still there, but new to Evernote are a redesigned web interface with drag-and-drop organisation, and software for your smartphone that can automatically send snapshots to your account. Even free users get access to Evernote's OCR scanners, meaning you can later search for text inside pictures you took. The free version of Evernote offers 40 MB of uploads per month and non-guaranteed OCR access; $45 per year gets you 500 MB/month and better support and features. Evernote is available for Windows and Mac desktops, on the web, and for Windows Mobile phones.

Windows Vista tip: The Hackosis blog points out that Windows Vista uses only one CPU to boot itself by default, regardless of whatever dual- or quad-core hardware you're using. Enabling multi-core boot might save you a bit of time, and the fix is pretty simple. Run msconfig from the Start Search box (or after hitting Win+R), then head to the "Boot" tab, check "Number of processors," and change the drop-down box to fit your processor. I haven't tested this myself, but given how long it takes Vista to gear up to running speed on my dual-core box, it probably couldn't hurt, either. Let us know if you see any gains in the comments.

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Apple has quietly added a handful of local TV shows to the Australian iTunes Store. You can pick up some great ABC shows, including Summer Heights High, We Can Be Heroes, and Sleek Geeks; some Nine Network dramas, including Sea Patrol and McLeod's Daughters; and US series including South Park and Scrubs. At $2.99 an episode, it's a pricey way to get legal TV -- buying the DVD of most of these shows would be much cheaper. But if nothing else, it makes it likely that movie downloads via iTunes, well-established in the US market, might soon finally come down under. (Thanks to Michael Q.)

Back in February, we told you about the handy Deobfuscator tool, which made it possible to copy and paste text from the Australian Financial Review (via its sister site MIS). Following reader reports, we can confirm that the original Deobfuscator tool no longer seems to work on MIS pages (presumably there's been a coding change at the back end).
However, all is not lost -- as I learnt during the Pubcamp media conference in Melbourne earlier this week, the AFR is making at least some content available on its site the day of publication, and the Deobfuscator still works fine on that. Here it is working its magic on an article about the corporate coming of age of Twitter and LinkedIn by Renai LeMay, well worth passing on to your management if they still insist that social networking should be banned on work computers. The original AFR article is here. (Thanks Sean C for raising the issue!)

The Internet has seemingly gotten a long way with top-level domains -- the last bits after the dot in any Internet domain name, usually abbreviated to TLDs -- essentially limited to country codes (such as .au) and a handful of "global" options (such as .com). However, this week ICANN (which controls domain name policy) is voting on a proposal that would allow a much wider range of TLDs, including company names and trademarks. As the BBC reports, one of the first cabs off the rank if the proposal goes through will probably be .xxx for adult content, which ICANN has rejected previously. An approval committee will block any offensive choices, and in the event that several organisations want to create a new top-level domain, there'll be an auction. If nothing else, that's a good way for ICANN to get funding.
Porn frenzy aside, what new top-level domains would you find useful? Do we need .social for social networking? .hack for code listings? .nsw and .qld, with every other state getting a go as well? Or is a healthy dose of creativity and a dirt-cheap .com domain name still the best choice? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

In an article for The Courier Mail about new housing developments, writer John McCarthy laments the fact that Australian houses are getting smaller:

NO real backyard, no laundry, smaller and fewer rooms, the end of the two-car family and probably the backyard cricket match - welcome to the future of affordable housing.

I'll be honest -- when I read this, I thought a serious dose of urban realism was required. Although I've got my own laundry and only two bedrooms, my own Sydney apartment largely matches the description of this "bare necessities" home, and I've got no complaints. If I lived in any other major global city, I'd probably think the amount of space I had was spectacularly generous. A bigger backyard would be nice, but that's what the local park is for (mine even has a BBQ). And as for the two-car family, the rising cost of petrol and its environmental impact should be making people rethink that strategy anyway.

Do our homes need to be as big as they have been in the past? What strategies do you use to live effectively in less space? Let us know in the comments.

Houses shrinking as mortgage costs bite [Courier Mail]

A recent survey of 300 IT professionals by security software firm Cyber-Ark revealed that one-third had used administrative passwords to access confidential information, and a whopping 47% had looked at information that wasn't relevant to their role. While you may be restricted in what you can do on a work PC, and the extent to which you can stop snooping, you aren't completely powerless. Gina's classic guide to surviving IT lockdown can help you get stuff done even when IT holds all the keys.

Remember that your work machine is just that -- a work machine -- so save really confidential stuff for when you get home. Check our security archive for more tips on protecting your personal data and possessions, and let us know of any other privacy-protecting tactics you've deployed at work in the comments.

Free, open source application Boxee is a new media centre application for the Mac (and soon to be Linux and Windows). Based on the open source media centre application Xbox Media Centre, aka XBMC, which we've covered from it's humble beginnings on the Xbox classic to its move to your Mac and your thumb drive, Boxee completely reskins XBMC and adds a new social element. With Boxee, your local content seamlessly integrates with web content from sites like Last.fm and YouTube, and Boxee shares what you're watching, listening to, and liking with all of your friends.

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Windows only: Free, open source application RSS Bandit is desktop RSS newsreader that syncs directly with Google Reader. There are a lot of reasons for and against picking desktop over web-based newsreaders, so if you're addicted to Google Reader but also want the speed and better offline capabilities of a desktop reader, the new version of RSS Bandit brings you the best of both worlds. When you're on your computer, you've got the responsiveness of a desktop reader. When you're on a public computer or at work, you can go back to the web-based comfort and speed of Google Reader.

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Programmer and blogger Jeff Atwood highlights the distinction between everyday work and actually practicing your craft to improve your skills, quoting Googler Steve Yegge:

Contrary to what you might believe, merely doing your job every day doesn't qualify as real practice. Going to meetings isn't practicing your people skills, and replying to mail isn't practicing your typing. You have to set aside some time once in a while and do focused practice in order to get better at something.

While Atwood's post focuses around computer programming skills, the overall gist is applicable to any profession: In order to improve, you need to practice your craft outside of your daily comfort zone. Looking at the difference between building your skills and simply doing your everyday work, we're curious: do you practice your craft, or do you simply work? Let's hear your thoughts in the comments.

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Firefox 3's new and improved fullscreen browsing introduces a truly fullscreen experience, utilizing every last pixel of your monitor for the web page. By default the new fullscreen autohides any visible toolbars, though you can bring them back at any time by hovering your mouse over the top edge of the screen. Pre-Firefox 3 extensions introduced similar functionality, like the previously mentioned Autohide extension, so this is just one more built-in Firefox 3 feature that allows you to ditch your Firefox 2 extensions. If you don't like the new behaviour, a couple of small about:config tweaks, as detailed in the Mozilla Links post, will get you back to the old-style fullscreen.

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Windows tip: The How-To Geek weblog details how to set up a simple keyboard shortcut to show and hide your desktop icons in Windows. To accomplish this, you'll need to download a very simple application called HideDesktopIcons (available from the post), set up a shortcut to that app, and then simply assign a keyboard shortcut to it. It's very simple to set up, but head to the Geek's post for the full low-down. This app is similar in function to our own desktop-hiding application, Dropcloth, so if you liked the idea behind Dropcloth but weren't happy with the execution, this simple shortcut provides a great way to quickly declutter your desktop.

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All platforms: The IT designers at iPresentee offer a package of 100 attractive icons and objects for download and use in your slideshows and documents. The iPresentee Keynote objects are resizable TIF images with transparent backgrounds for use in your Keynote or PowerPoint slideshow, Word document, brochure, or any creative project. The package is a free download and includes common icons like flags, stars, speech bubbles, road signs, and computer symbols like folders and hard drives.

Windows and Linux with Firefox: Free Firefox extension CookiePie manages Firefox's cookies—small bits of text stored on your computer that tell a site you're logged in, for example—in such a way that you can log into the same site multiple times. Just right-click a new tab when you want to double-login and toggle CookiePie for that tab. A cookie icon will appear next to the close button and you're ready to multi-login. Once CookiePie is enabled, you can easily log into multiple Gmail, Flickr, or Facebook accounts. We've shown you other methods to achieve multiple logins once before, but CookiePie is a much more simple, elegant solution. CookiePie is free, Firefox only, currently works only on Windows and Linux.

Now that you've been running Firefox 3 for almost a week, it's time to customise its interface to your liking with a few great user styles. Just like you can add user scripts (JavaScript) to web pages with the Greasemonkey extension, you can also add user styles (CSS) to Firefox's interface with the Stylish extension. While lots of user styles just skin specific web sites with a new look, many can actually improve the browser itself by changing the look and behaviour of menus, tabs, dialogs, and buttons—Firefox's "chrome." Let's take a look at some of the best user styles which tweak, customise, enhance, and streamline Firefox's chrome.

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Photographer Natalie Norton offers up six different tips on keeping your shot steady when you're shooting indoors, at a slow shutter speed, with no flash, or other situations where shots often turn out blurry. Some are pretty specific to long-lens DSLR cameras, but any amateur shooter can try this tip on for size:

As often as possible pull your elbows in to your body and exhale completely before depressing the shutter. When you're working with a wide aperture or low shutter speed (or both), even a breath can introduce shake. Pulling your elbows tight to your body can really help keep you steady. I also press my elbows firmly into my chest for even greater stability.

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Mac users rockin' Firefox, blogger Neil Lee offers optimised builds of Firefox 3 for your G5 and Intel processors. [via]

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