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• Unshorten.it! Unpacks Shortened URLs and Provides Safety Rating

  - by Jason Fitzpatrick

  Shortened URLs sure are convenient and compact but they hide the destination URL. Unshorten.it! is a free Chrome/Firefox extension that not only shows you the full URL but will even give you a safety rating–no need to click blindly again. Install the extension for Chrome or Firefox and then, when you come across a shortened URL, simply right click on it and click “Unshorten this link” to see both the unpacked URL and a safety rating provided by Web of Trust and HPHosts. Unshorten.it! is a free extension, available for both Chrome and Firefox. Unshorten.it! [via Gizmo's Freeware] How To Delete, Move, or Rename Locked Files in Windows HTG Explains: Why Screen Savers Are No Longer Necessary 6 Ways Windows 8 Is More Secure Than Windows 7

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• Terminator Skull Crafted from Dollar Store Parts [Video]

  - by Jason Fitzpatrick

  Earlier this year we shared an Iron Man prop build made from Dollar Store parts. The same Dollar Store tinker is at it again, this time building a Terminator endoskull. James Bruton has a sort of mad tinker knack for finding odds and ends at the Dollar Store and mashing them together into novel creations. In the video below, he shows how he took a pile of random junk from the store (plastic bowls, cheap computer speakers, even the packaging the junk came in) and turned it into a surprisingly polished Terminator skull. Hit up the link below for the build in photo-tutorial format. Dollar Store Terminator Endoskull Build [via Make] How to Banish Duplicate Photos with VisiPic How to Make Your Laptop Choose a Wired Connection Instead of Wireless HTG Explains: What Is Two-Factor Authentication and Should I Be Using It?

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• Cleaning Up Online Games with Positive Enforcement

  - by Jason Fitzpatrick

  Anyone who has played online multiplayer games, especially those focused on combat, can attest to how caustic other players can be. League of Legends creators are fighting that, rather successfully, with a positive-reinforcement honor system. The Mary Sue reports: Here’s the background: Six months ago, Riot established Team Player Behavior — affectionately called Team PB&J — a group of experts in psychology, neuroscience, and statistics (already, I am impressed). At the helm is Jeffrey Lin, better known as Dr. Lyte, Riot’s lead designer of social systems. As quoted in a recent article at Polygon: We want to show other companies and other games that it is possible to tackle player behavior, and with certain systems and game design tools, we can shape players to be more positive. Which brings us to the Honor system. Honor is a way for players to reward each other for good behavior. This is divvied up into four categories: Friendly, Helpful, Teamwork, and Honorable Opponent. At the end of a match, players can hand out points to those they deem worthy. These points are reflected on players’ profiles, but do not result in any in-game bonuses or rewards (though this may change in the future). All Honor does is show that you played nicely. 6 Ways Windows 8 Is More Secure Than Windows 7 HTG Explains: Why It’s Good That Your Computer’s RAM Is Full 10 Awesome Improvements For Desktop Users in Windows 8

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• Chart Chooser Helps You Pick the Right Chart for the Job

  - by Jason Fitzpatrick

  If you’re not sure what kind of chart would best showcase the data you’re presenting, Chart Chooser makes short work of narrowing it down. Are you trying to showcase trends? Compare the composition of sets? Show distributions and trends together? By selecting what you’re trying to highlight, Chart Chooser automatically narrows the pool of chart types to show which would effectively achieve your end. Once you’ve narrowed it down to the chart type you want, you can even download an Excel template for that chart type and populate it with your own data. Hit up the link below to take it for a spin and grab some free templates. Chart Chooser [via Flowing Data] How to Banish Duplicate Photos with VisiPic How to Make Your Laptop Choose a Wired Connection Instead of Wireless HTG Explains: What Is Two-Factor Authentication and Should I Be Using It?

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• From the Tips Box: Life after Babel Fish, Hidden Features in iOS apps, and Finding Clean Beaches with a Smartphone

  - by Jason Fitzpatrick

  Once a week we round up some of the great reader tips that come pouring in and share them with everyone. This week we’re looking at Bing’s absorbtion of Babelfish, hidden features in iOS apps, and how to find a clean beach with your smartphone. HTG Explains: What Is RSS and How Can I Benefit From Using It? HTG Explains: Why You Only Have to Wipe a Disk Once to Erase It HTG Explains: Learn How Websites Are Tracking You Online

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• Upgrade a Retro Corded Mouse with Wireless Bluetooth Connectivity

  - by Jason Fitzpatrick

  If there’s a beloved retro mouse gathering dust in your office closet for want of wireless connectivity, this detailed tutorial will guide you through upgrading the guts to turn your corded mouse into a Bluetooth model. If you’re handy with a soldering iron and not afraid to hack apart the guts of a modern but inexpensive Bluetooth mouse, you should have no trouble digging right into this project. The end result is a modern mouse packed inside the casing of your old mouse–same old look and feel, brand new engine inside. Hit up the link below to check out the full tutorial. Retro Wireless Apple Mouse [via Lifehacker] HTG Explains: Is ReadyBoost Worth Using? HTG Explains: What The Windows Event Viewer Is and How You Can Use It HTG Explains: How Windows Uses The Task Scheduler for System Tasks

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• How Security Products Are Made; An Interview with BitDefender

  - by Jason Fitzpatrick

  Most of us use anti-virus and malware scanners, without giving the processes behind their construction and deployment much of a thought. Get an inside look at security product development with this BitDefender interview. Over at 7Tutorials they took a trip to the home offices of BitDefender for an interview with Catalin Co?oi–seen here–BitDefender’s Chief Security Researcher. While it’s notably BitDefender-centric, it’s also an interesting look at the methodology employed by a company specializing in virus/malware protection. Here’s an excerpt from the discussion about data gathering techniques: Honeypots are systems we distributed across our network, that act as victims. Their role is to look like vulnerable targets, which have valuable data on them. We monitor these honeypots continuously and collect all kinds of malware and information about black hat activities. Another thing we do, is broadcast fake e-mail addresses that are automatically collected by spammers from the Internet. Then, they use these addresses to distribute spam, malware or phishing e-mails. We collect all the messages we receive on these addresses, analyze them and extract the required data to update our products and keep our users secure and spam free. Hit up the link below for the full interview. How To Properly Scan a Photograph (And Get An Even Better Image) The HTG Guide to Hiding Your Data in a TrueCrypt Hidden Volume Make Your Own Windows 8 Start Button with Zero Memory Usage

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• Ask HTG: Installing XBMC Add-Ons, Shrinking Videos for Mobile Playback, Automatically Changing the Default Printer

  - by Jason Fitzpatrick

  It’s that Ask HTG time of week again; this week we’re helping readers install XBMC add-ons, shrinking video for their mobile devices, and automatically changing default printers for their new location. How to Own Your Own Website (Even If You Can’t Build One) Pt 2 How to Own Your Own Website (Even If You Can’t Build One) Pt 1 What’s the Difference Between Sleep and Hibernate in Windows?

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• Happy Tau Day! (Or: How Some Mathematicians Think We Should Retire Pi) [Video]

  - by Jason Fitzpatrick

  When you were in school you learned all about Pi and its relationship to circles and turn-based geometry. Some mathematicians are rallying for a new lesson, on about Tau. Michael Hartl is a mathematician on a mission, a mission to get people away from using Pi and to start using Tau. His manifesto opens: Welcome to The Tau Manifesto. This manifesto is dedicated to one of the most important numbers in mathematics, perhaps the most important: the circle constant relating the circumference of a circle to its linear dimension. For millennia, the circle has been considered the most perfect of shapes, and the circle constant captures the geometry of the circle in a single number. Of course, the traditional choice of circle constant is p—but, as mathematician Bob Palais notes in his delightful article “p Is Wrong!”,1 p is wrong. It’s time to set things right. Why is Pi wrong? Among the arguments is that Tau is the ration of a circumference to the radius of a circle and defining circles by their radius is more natural and that Pi is a 2-factor number but with Tau everything is based of a single unit–three quarters of a turn around a Tau-defined circle is simply three quarters of a Tau radian. Watch the video above to see the Tau sequence (which begins 6.2831853071…) turned into a musical composition. For more information about Tau hit up the link below to read the manifesto. The Tau Manifesto [TauDay] HTG Explains: Photography with Film-Based CamerasHow to Clean Your Dirty Smartphone (Without Breaking Something)What is a Histogram, and How Can I Use it to Improve My Photos?

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• The Dubstep Dispute [Video]

  - by Jason Fitzpatrick

  If you’ve listened to Dubstep and wondered exactly what you were listening to, this video will shed some light on the matter. Dubstep, an electronic music genre best known for intensive bass lines and drum patterns, takes on a more personal touch when remixed over this domestic scene. [via Geeks Are Sexy] How to Use an Xbox 360 Controller On Your Windows PC Download the Official How-To Geek Trivia App for Windows 8 How to Banish Duplicate Photos with VisiPic

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• Fold a Papercraft Monster to Decorate Your Desk for Halloween

  - by Jason Fitzpatrick

  If you’re looking for a last minute and subtle way to add a little dash of Halloween to your office, these papercraft monsters are perfect for perching on your monitor stand. Courtesy of the designers at AnimateMe, there are a total of seven different papercraft monsters of all shapes and colors. Each free template includes the monster itself, plus tiny little humans to run in terror from the monster. Hit up the link below to download the templates and folding instructions. Monster Papercraft [via Neatorama] What Is the Purpose of the “Do Not Cover This Hole” Hole on Hard Drives? How To Log Into The Desktop, Add a Start Menu, and Disable Hot Corners in Windows 8 HTG Explains: Why You Shouldn’t Use a Task Killer On Android

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• AllSparkCube Packs 4,096 LEDs into a Giant Computer Controlled Display

  - by Jason Fitzpatrick

  LED matrix cubes are nothing new, but this 16x16x16 monster towers over the tiny 4x4x4 desktop variety. Check out the video to see it in action. Sound warning: the music starts off very loud and bass-filled; we’d recommend turning down the speakers if you’re watching from your cube. So what compels someone to build a giant LED cube driven by over a dozen Arduino shields? If you’re the employees at Adaptive Computing, you do it to dazzles crowds and show off your organizational skills: Every time I talk about the All Spark Cube people ask “so what does it do?” The features of the All Spark are the reason it was built and sponsored by Adaptive Computing. The Cube was built to catch peoples’ attention and to demonstrate how Adaptive can take a chaotic mess and inject order, structure and efficiency. We wrote several examples of how the All Spark Cube can demonstrate the effectiveness of a complex data center. If you’re interested in building a monster of your own, hit up the link below for more information, schematics, and videos. How Hackers Can Disguise Malicious Programs With Fake File Extensions Can Dust Actually Damage My Computer? What To Do If You Get a Virus on Your Computer

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• Old Lock Retrofitted for Wireless and Key-free Entry

  - by Jason Fitzpatrick

  What do you do if the old key your landlord gave you is poor fit for your apartment’s lock? If you’re the geeky sort, you build a wireless unlocking module to do the work for you. Instructables user Rybitski writes: The key to my apartment never worked quite right because it is a copy of a copy of a copy. I am fairly certain that the dead bolt is original to the building and the property manager seems to have lost the original key years ago. As a result unlocking the door was always a pain. Changing the lock wasn’t an option, but eliminating the need to use a key was. To that end, he built the device seen in the video above. An Arduino Uno drives a servo which in turn opens the deadbolt. The whole thing is controlled by a simple wireless key fob. Hit up the link below for the full build guide including code. Key Fob Deadbolt [via Hack A Day] How To Delete, Move, or Rename Locked Files in Windows HTG Explains: Why Screen Savers Are No Longer Necessary 6 Ways Windows 8 Is More Secure Than Windows 7

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• What You Said: Giving an Old Laptop a New Life

  - by Jason Fitzpatrick

  Earlier this week we asked you to share your tips and tricks for breathing life into an old laptop, now we’re back to share your junk-bin sparing methods. Many of you worked to keep old laptops from getting scrapped by dusting them off and donating them. Mark writes: My acquaintances & friends give me their old computers when they buy a new one. So I disassemble, clean, install an opsys,and get internet working. I also upgrade memory, wireless, etc. from my parts bin. Then I give it to a poor person who needs a computer. Usually a single working mom with kids. I also do the same with old desktops as well. They really appreciate them and It gives me the satisfaction of resurrecting an old computer. Wbrown does the same: How To Delete, Move, or Rename Locked Files in Windows HTG Explains: Why Screen Savers Are No Longer Necessary 6 Ways Windows 8 Is More Secure Than Windows 7

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• Should I Adjust the Volume by Software or Hardware?

  - by Jason Fitzpatrick

  You can adjust the your speaker volume in-app, operating system-wide, or by the physical controls on your speaker setup. Which method is best for optimum sound? Today’s Question & Answer session comes to us courtesy of SuperUser—a subdivision of Stack Exchange, a community-drive grouping of Q&A web sites. Our Geek Trivia App for Windows 8 is Now Available Everywhere How To Boot Your Android Phone or Tablet Into Safe Mode HTG Explains: Does Your Android Phone Need an Antivirus?

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• Disc Drives: An Endangered Species

  - by Jason Fitzpatrick

  More and more computers are shipping sans-disc drive leading many industry watchers to proclaim the optical disc an endangered species on its way out. Do you still use your drive or are you letting the disc go? CNN Tech reports on the trend: Apple’s new iMac, its flagship desktop computer, was released Friday. For the first time, it has no disc drive. This marks a trend that has already begun on some laptops, like Apple’s MacBook Airs, and of course with mobile devices like smartphones and tablets. “Over time, an optical disc will be as much of an historical curiosity as a floppy disk,” said Michael Gartenberg, a tech-industry analyst with research firm Gartner Inc. According to Apple, where sleeker, thinner designs are always en vogue, dumping the disc drive was a no-brainer. How to Factory Reset Your Android Phone or Tablet When It Won’t Boot Our Geek Trivia App for Windows 8 is Now Available Everywhere How To Boot Your Android Phone or Tablet Into Safe Mode

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• HTG Explains: What Can You Find in an Email Header?

  - by Jason Faulkner

  Whenever you receive an email, there is a lot more to it than meets the eye. While you typically only pay attention to the from address, subject line and body of the message, there is lots more information available “under the hood” of each email which can provide you a wealth of additional information. Reader Request: How To Repair Blurry Photos HTG Explains: What Can You Find in an Email Header? The How-To Geek Guide to Getting Started with TrueCrypt

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• Shooting Print Quality Pictures with a Camera Phone [Video]

  - by Jason Fitzpatrick

  Camera phones get a lot of grief for being underpowered but in this video tutorial the crew at SLR Lounge shows how basic technique and a good eye overcome all. Last year over at the photo blog FStoppers they put together a video showing off how you could use the iPhone as a fashion camera–essentially arguing that the camera wasn’t as important as the photographer. A lot of people said “Well yeah, but you had professional models and thousands of dollars in lighting equipment!” in reaction to the video. In turn the crew at SLR Lounge decided to make their own video showing that using only an iPhone camera and two reflectors (as well as an attractive but informal model). It of course helps to have some side kicks to help hold up your reflectors but the point still stands about modern camera phones being perfectly capable of good photos. The SLR Lounge iPhone Photo Shoot – A Follow Up Tribute to The FStoppers [YouTube] What is a Histogram, and How Can I Use it to Improve My Photos?How To Easily Access Your Home Network From Anywhere With DDNSHow To Recover After Your Email Password Is Compromised

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• From the Tips Box: iPhone Sleep Monitors, Testing IR Remotes with a Camera, and Glowing Easter Eggs Redux

  - by Jason Fitzpatrick

  Once a week we round up some great reader tips and share them with everyone. This week we’re looking at using your iPhone as a sleep monitor that wakes you at an optimum time, how to test your remote with a digital camera, and a clever way to craft glowing Easter eggs. How to Own Your Own Website (Even If You Can’t Build One) Pt 3 How to Sync Your Media Across Your Entire House with XBMC How to Own Your Own Website (Even If You Can’t Build One) Pt 2

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• What You Said: Your Favorite Remote Desktop Access Tools and Tips

  - by Jason Fitzpatrick

  Earlier this week we asked you to share your favorite remote desktop access tools and tips; now we’re back to highlight your favorite tools and how you use them. The two prevailing themes among all the tools suggested were pricing and ease of deployment. On that front, LogMeIn had a strong following. Mtech writes: I use Logmein and am amazed the free version can be used even for business purposes. I also felt so bad and wanted to pay for the Pro version just out of gratitude but they called me personally from the USA and said why pay when the free version does all you need! What a company. HTG Explains: Why Do Hard Drives Show the Wrong Capacity in Windows? Java is Insecure and Awful, It’s Time to Disable It, and Here’s How What Are the Windows A: and B: Drives Used For?

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• From the Tips Box: Xbox Output on Two Screens, High Tech Halloween Props, and Old Flash Drives as Password Reset Disks

  - by Jason Fitzpatrick

  Once a week we round up some great reader tips and share them with everyone, this week we’re looking at outputting your Xbox 360 to two screens, spooky high-tech Halloween props, and recycling old flash drives as password reset disks. HTG Explains: What is the Windows Page File and Should You Disable It? How To Get a Better Wireless Signal and Reduce Wireless Network Interference How To Troubleshoot Internet Connection Problems

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• Can Dungeons & Dragons Make You More Successful? [Video]

  - by Jason Fitzpatrick

  Dungeons & Dragons gets a bit of a bad rap in popular culture, but in this video treatise from Idea Channel, they propose that Dungeons & Dragons wires players for success. There are some deeply ingrained stereotypes about Dungeons & Dragons, and those stereotypes usually begin and end with people shouting “NERD!!!” But the reality of the D&D universe is a whole lot more complex. Rather than being an escape from reality, D&D is actually a way to enhance some important real life skillz! It’s a chance to learn problem solving, visualization, interaction, organization, people management… the list could go on and on. Plus, there are some very famous non-nerds who have declared an affinity for D&D, so best stop criticizing and join in if you want to be a successful at the game of life. While we’re trying not to let our love of all things gaming cloud our judgement, we’re finding it difficult to disagree with the premise that open-ended play fosters creative and adaptive thinking. Can Dungeons & Dragons Make You A Confident & Successful Person? [via Boing Boing] HTG Explains: What is the Windows Page File and Should You Disable It? How To Get a Better Wireless Signal and Reduce Wireless Network Interference How To Troubleshoot Internet Connection Problems

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• Raspberry Pi Now Shipping with 512MB RAM; Still Only $35

  - by Jason Fitzpatrick

  Fans of the tiny Raspberry Pi will be pleased to hear the new version of their Model B board now ships with 512MB of RAM (up from the previous 256MB). The best part about the upgrade? The price point stays at $35 a board. From the official Raspberry Pi blog: One of the most common suggestions we’ve heard since launch is that we should produce a more expensive “Model C” version of Raspberry Pi with extra RAM. This would be useful for people who want to use the Pi as a general-purpose computer, with multiple large applications running concurrently, and would enable some interesting embedded use cases (particularly using Java) which are slightly too heavyweight to fit comfortably in 256MB. The downside of this suggestion for us is that we’re very attached to $35 as our highest price point. With this in mind, we’re pleased to announce that from today all Model B Raspberry Pis will ship with 512MB of RAM as standard. If you have an outstanding order with either distributor, you will receive the upgraded device in place of the 256MB version you ordered. Units should start arriving in customers’ hands today, and we will be making a firmware upgrade available in the next couple of days to enable access to the additional memory. We’re excited to get our hands on a new board and try out Raspbmc with that extra RAM. HTG Explains: What is the Windows Page File and Should You Disable It? How To Get a Better Wireless Signal and Reduce Wireless Network Interference How To Troubleshoot Internet Connection Problems

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• Dropbox Doubles Referral Credit; Score 500MB for Each Friend You Refer

  - by Jason Fitzpatrick

  Dropbox is doubling the amount of free storage you get per-referral to 500MB, doubling the previous 250MB credit–better yet, the bonus is retroactive and applies to referrals you’ve already made. From the DropBox blog: How much space is that, exactly? For every friend you invite that installs Dropbox, you’ll both get 500 MB of free space. If you’ve got a free account, you can invite up to 32 people for a whopping total of 16 GB of extra space. Pro accounts now earn 1 GB per referral, for a total of 32 GB of extra space. Have you already invited a bunch of people? Don’t worry. Within a few days, you’ll get full credit for every referral that’s already been completed. Boom! Hit up the link below for the full announcement. Dropbox Referrals Now Twice As Nice [Dropbox] How to Sync Your Media Across Your Entire House with XBMC How to Own Your Own Website (Even If You Can’t Build One) Pt 2 How to Own Your Own Website (Even If You Can’t Build One) Pt 1

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• Hack an Old Hardcover Book into a Reading Light

  - by Jason Fitzpatrick

  If you’re looking for a clever way to conceal a reading lamp on your bedside table, this hardcover-to-book-light conversion is just the ticket. For this project you’ll be hollowing out a hardcover book and replacing the guts with a wooden frame and a strip of cool-running and efficient LED lights. You’ll need some very basic wood working and soldering skills and an afternoon or two (mostly consumed, as the author notes, by waiting for glue to dry). Check out the video below to see the full build: Hit up the link below for a full parts list and additional building tips. How To: Not Your Ordinary Book Light [Grathio via Neatorama] How To Recover After Your Email Password Is CompromisedHow to Clean Your Filthy Keyboard in the Dishwasher (Without Ruining it)Learn How to Make HDR Images in Photoshop or GIMP With a Simple Trick

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