Windows/Mac: Freeware application MarioPaint Composer is a remake of the old-school Mario Paint game for the Super NES, but this one runs on your desktop. More specifically, it mimics the music generator feature of Mario Paint, which creates loops on a musical bar with different sounds tied to classic Nintendo icons. The download page claims that it's available for Windows and Mac, though when I followed the Mac link it just downloaded the Windows version, so your mileage may vary. MarioPaint Composer is freeware, Windows and (maybe) Mac only. If you don't have any composition chops, it's still worth a download just to listen to the familiar classic that's loaded by default.

Real Simple magazine has an old but good step-by-step guide to folding an unwieldy broadsheet newspaper for easy reading on the go. It's really just a matter of a few well placed folds, but if you don't already have a good folding strategy, this post is a great starting point. On the other hand, if you're a newspaper-folding pro and your methods differ from Real Simple's guide, let's hear all about how you make it work in the comments.

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When you've got your Windows XP or Vista setup running perfectly, you don't want to lose all your painstaking customisations to a reckless tot, an experiment-minded friend or spouse, or a rogue system-lousing program. Windows SteadyState, as we mentioned earlier this week, helps you to create a kind of virtual rubber room those types can play around in and not really harm anything. SteadyState can also restrict web site access for innocent eyes, set timer limits on user access, and get better control of those other folks who use your computer—in other words, SteadyState makes you the Grand Master Sysadmin of your single-unit empire. Let's take a look at setting up SteadyState and get familiar with a few of its key features.

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Web application SimplyNoise provides a no-frills interface to configure relaxing white noise right in your browser. Just fire up the web site and adjust the sliding orb to the intensity of white noise that's your sweet spot. As the site points out, white noise can be helpful for everything from aiding sleep to blocking distraction, and SimplyNoise is a no-nonsense application that does just that. If you'd prefer a little more depth and customisation from your white noise application, check out previously mentioned desktop apps like the Windows-only ChatterBlocker or the Mac-only Noise.

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