Search Results

Search found 5353 results on 215 pages for 'this curious geek'.

Page 8/215 | < Previous Page | 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15  | Next Page >

• [GEEK SCHOOL] Network Security 8: Keep Your System Updated for Security and Stability

  - by Ciprian Rusen

  Another important step in securing any computer or device is setting up automated updates. Your device’s security relies on your operating system, apps, plug-ins, and programs always being up to date. For example, using outdated Internet browsers and plug-ins like Adobe Flash, Java, or Silverlight represents a big security problem. There are many websites on the Internet that exploit security bugs in your browser or the plug-ins you have installed.Click Here to Continue Reading

  Read the article

• [GEEK SCHOOL] Network Security 7: Using the Action Center for Extra Security and Maintenance

  - by Ciprian Rusen

  In this lesson we will talk about another lesser-known security tool in Windows – the “Action Center”. This tool that has an impact on both how secure your system is and how well it is running from a maintenance perspective. The Action Center first made its appearance all the way back in Windows XP as the “Windows Security Center” and was such through Vista until being renamed in Windows 7.Click Here to Continue Reading

  Read the article

• The Best How-To Geek Articles for March 2012

  - by Asian Angel

  March was a busy month here at HTG where we covered topics such as properly scanning photos (and getting better images), the best tips for securing your data, identifying network abuse with Wireshark, and more. Join us as we look back at the most popular articles from this past month. 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? Screenshot Tour: XBMC 11 Eden Rocks Improved iOS Support, AirPlay, and Even a Custom XBMC OS

  Read the article

• Stupid Geek Tricks: 6 Ways to Open Windows Task Manager

  - by Patrick Bisch

  Bringing up Windows Task Manager is not much of a task itself, but when a virus disables Ctrl+Alt+Del and takes it hostage, how else are you going to open task manager? Or maybe you’re just looking for some diversity in your life, so here are 6 different ways to open Windows Task Manager.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?

  Read the article

• June 23, 1983: First Successful Test of the Domain Name System [Geek History]

  - by Jason Fitzpatrick

  Nearly 30 years ago the first Domain Name System (DNS) was tested and it changed the way we interacted with the internet. Nearly impossible to remember number addresses became easy to remember names. Without DNS you’d be browsing a web where numbered addresses pointed to numbered addresses. Google, for example, would look like http://209.85.148.105/ in your browser window. That’s assuming, of course, that a numbers-based web every gained enough traction to be popular enough to spawn a search giant like Google. How did this shift occur and what did we have before DNS? From Wikipedia: The practice of using a name as a simpler, more memorable abstraction of a host’s numerical address on a network dates back to the ARPANET era. Before the DNS was invented in 1983, each computer on the network retrieved a file called HOSTS.TXT from a computer at SRI. The HOSTS.TXT file mapped names to numerical addresses. A hosts file still exists on most modern operating systems by default and generally contains a mapping of the IP address 127.0.0.1 to “localhost”. Many operating systems use name resolution logic that allows the administrator to configure selection priorities for available name resolution methods. The rapid growth of the network made a centrally maintained, hand-crafted HOSTS.TXT file unsustainable; it became necessary to implement a more scalable system capable of automatically disseminating the requisite information. At the request of Jon Postel, Paul Mockapetris invented the Domain Name System in 1983 and wrote the first implementation. The original specifications were published by the Internet Engineering Task Force in RFC 882 and RFC 883, which were superseded in November 1987 by RFC 1034 and RFC 1035.Several additional Request for Comments have proposed various extensions to the core DNS protocols. Over the years it has been refined but the core of the system is essentially the same. When you type “google.com” into your web browser a DNS server is used to resolve that host name to the IP address of 209.85.148.105–making the web human-friendly in the process. Domain Name System History [Wikipedia via Wired] 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

  Read the article

• The How-To Geek Guide to Audio Editing: Cutting, Trimming & Arranging

  - by YatriTrivedi

  Audacity novices often start with lofty project ideas, but sometimes they lack the basics. Knowing how to cut and trim tracks is basic audio editing and is a fundamental starting point for making more elaborate arrangements. For this exercise, I’ll be making a ringtone from a Castlevania: Symphony of the Night track. I have the original CD and used that so I started with better quality audio than an MP3. You can follow along with any file you like, just so you get a feel for cutting, trimming, and arranging sound clips for yourself. I know which parts I want to edit in the track, but a quick play-through will help me look for those areas visually. How to Enable Google Chrome’s Secret Gold IconHTG Explains: What’s the Difference Between the Windows 7 HomeGroups and XP-style Networking?Internet Explorer 9 Released: Here’s What You Need To Know

  Read the article

• Stupid Geek Tricks: Extract Links Off Any Webpage Using PowerShell

  - by Taylor Gibb

  PowerShell 3 has a lot of new features, including some powerful new web-related features. They dramatically simplify automating the web, and today we are going to show you how you can extract every single link off a webpage, and optionally download the resource if you so wish. Why Does 64-Bit Windows Need a Separate “Program Files (x86)” Folder? Why Your Android Phone Isn’t Getting Operating System Updates and What You Can Do About It How To Delete, Move, or Rename Locked Files in Windows

  Read the article

• Beginner Geek: How to Stop Websites From Requesting Your Location in the Metro Internet Explorer

  - by Taylor Gibb

  These days nearly every website on the web is trying to gather every piece of information they can about you and your browsing habits. Here’s how you can prevent them from getting perhaps the most sensitive piece of information, your physical location, while browsing the web in the Metro IE. 6 Start Menu Replacements for Windows 8 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

  Read the article

• What is the Real Geek "Must do before die" Checklist? [closed]

  - by Osama Gamal

  Hi All, While browsing my favorites, I found that page: http://dailycupoftech.com/2009/05/04/the-geek-must-do-before-you-die-checklist/ I think that some points isn't geeky anymore. Plus, I really wanna know if there are other things that the real geek must do before die? In your opinion, What is the most important things that you -as a geek- MUST do before you die? :)

  Read the article

• just curious if anybody every tried this- hyper-v r2

  - by tony roth

  I have a server that san boots that I want to p2v. I have many options disk2vhd, scvmm etc but I was thinking about cloning the lun (flexclone, netapp) presenting it to my hyper-v r2 server. Within the hv manager do a create new disk then have it copy the cloned lun to a vhd file. Then do the bcdedit\bootsect stuff to it. Should work right? I'm also curious if anybodys booting vhd's that are on bootable luns? I've booted native vhd's just fine was just curious about the running them off a bootable lun. I think that this has quite a few advantages like instant p2v etc.. any thoughts on this? hmm dang as I was typing this I realized that I should not use the hv manager new disk copy routine, I should just disk2vhd the mounted lun. This has advantages in that it should be a lot faster!! thanks

  Read the article

• New Geek!

  - by digitaldias

  Hi everyone! New geek on the block, treat me gently :)  My main focus will be developing WPF, Silverlight and SharePoint (2010) solutions with TDD and agile methods.

  Read the article

• Geek Bike Ride JavaOne 2012

  - by Tori Wieldt

  "Geek Bike Ride?" the clerk at the bike rental shop asked. "Are you guys all from the same company?" "We aren't even from the same country!" we answered. "I'm from Russia." "We're from Germany."  "I'm from Belgium." "I'm from Palo Alto." "I'm from Japan."  "We're from Brazil." "We're from Brazil." "I'm from Sweden." "Coooool" was all she could say. She was right. The Geek Bike Ride was cooool. We had 39 bike riders and one skater show up Saturday for a great route from San Francisco's Fisherman's Wharf, across the Golden Gate bridge, to Saulsalito, and back to the city by ferry. Duke Bike jerseys, sponsored by OTN, were given out. To make sure Java developers got them, each person had to answer a Java question to get a jersey. The questions were really hard, like "Who is the Father of Java?" "What's the biggest Java conference in San Francisco?" The best was when the question was "Name one of Duke's Choice Award winner from this year," and Régina ten Bruggencate answered answered "Me!"  It was foggy throughout the day, with the sun poking out occasionally. The fog was thickest on the bridge, more that one rider commented that we were "in the cloud." It was a great day to meet new friends, and have a chat with old friends. We all had fun, though some of us may more a little more slowly during JavaOne. Ride on!  Photos by permission by Arun Gupta and Yoshio Terada. Thanks, guys!

  Read the article

• Friday Fun: The Search For Wondla

  - by Asian Angel

  The best day of the week is finally here again, so it is time to have some fun while waiting to go home for the weekend. The game we have for you today takes you far into humanity’s future where you journey with Eva Nine in her quest to find other humans. Note: Today’s game comes with a double bonus! First, there is a sequel game that you can move on to once you have completed the first one. Second, there are three wallpapers available in multiple sizes for those who enjoy the characters and artwork presented in the game (see below). The Search For Wondla The object of the game is to find the differences between two similar looking images based on artwork from The Search For Wondla by Tony DiTerlizzi. Are you ready to join Eva Nine in her quest to find other humans in the future? Note: There is a version available for those who would like to play The Search For Wondla on their iPads! The first game has 28 levels of difference finding goodness for you to work through. Each level will list the minimum number of differences that you need to find to progress to the next level. If you need a hint along the way just click on the Shake or Reveal options at the bottom of the game play window. Get a level completed quickly enough and you get bonus points! There will also be differences in the images for individual levels each time you play the game, so have fun! Note: The second game has 12 levels to complete. To give you a good feel for the game we have covered the first six levels here and provided seven clues for each level (you are only required to find a minimum of five). Eva Nine viewing the holographic outdoor projections in the main hub of her living quarters… Eva Nine is in a grumpy mood as Muthr visits her at bedtime… Eva Nine in her secret hideaway visiting old “childhood friends” as she contemplates her recent survival test failure. Eva Nine viewing the entire set of floor plans for the underground sanctuary where she was born and has been growing up. Eva Nine’s escape to the surface as the underground sanctuary is attacked by the bounty hunter creature Besteel. Eva Nine on the surface for the first time in her young life. Will she be successful in her quest? There is only one way to find out! Play The Search For Wondla Part 1 Play The Search For Wondla Part 2 Bonus Content If you have enjoyed this game you can learn more about the book and download the three wallpapers shown here by visiting the link below! Note: The wallpapers come in the following sizes: 1024*768, 1280*800, 1280*1024, 1440*900, iPhone, iPhone4, and iPad (click on the Extras link at the bottom of the page). Visit the Search For Wondla Homepage Do you enjoy playing difference finding games? Then you will definitely want to have a look at another wonderful game that we have covered here: Friday Fun: Isis Latest Features How-To Geek ETC The How-To Geek Guide to Learning Photoshop, Part 8: Filters Get the Complete Android Guide eBook for Only 99 Cents [Update: Expired] Improve Digital Photography by Calibrating Your Monitor The How-To Geek Guide to Learning Photoshop, Part 7: Design and Typography How to Choose What to Back Up on Your Linux Home Server How To Harmonize Your Dual-Boot Setup for Windows and Ubuntu Hang in There Scrat! – Ice Age Wallpaper How Do You Know When You’ve Passed Geek and Headed to Nerd? On The Tip – A Lamborghini Theme for Chrome and Iron What if Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner were Human? [Video] Peaceful Winter Cabin Wallpaper Store Tabs for Later Viewing in Opera with Tab Vault

  Read the article

• Friday Fun: Spell Blazer

  - by Asian Angel

  Are you ready for some fun and adventure after a long week back at work? This week’s game combines jewel-matching style game play with an RPG story for an awesome mix of fun and fiction. Your goal is to help a young wizard reach the magic academy in Raven as the forces of darkness are building. Spell Blazer The object of the game is to help young Kaven reach the Lightcaster Academy in Raven alive, but he will encounter many dangers along the way. Are you ready to begin the quest? As soon as you click Start Game the intro will automatically begin. If this is your first time playing the game the intro provides a nice background story for the game and what is happening in the game environment. Once you are past the intro, you will see a map of the region with your starting point in the Farmlands, various towns and the roads connecting them, along with your final destination of Raven. Notice that some of the roads are different colors…those colors indicate the “danger levels” for each part of your journey (green = good, yellow = some danger, etc.). To begin your journey click on the Town of Goose with your mouse. You will encounter your first monster part of the way towards Goose. This first round takes you through the game play process step-by-step. Once you have clicked Okay you will see the details about the monster you have just encountered. It is very important that you do not click on Fight! or Flee! until viewing and noting the types of spells that the monster is resistant to or has a weakness against. Choose your spells wisely based on the information provided about the monster. Keep in mind that the healing spell can be very useful depending on the monster you meet and your current health status. Note: Spells shown in order here are Healing, Fireball, Icebolt, & Lightning. Ready to fight! The first battle will also explain how to fight…click Okay to get started. Once the main window is in full view there are details that you need to look at. Beneath each of the combatants you will see the three attacks that each brings to the battle and at the bottom you will see their respective health points. We got lucky and had an Icebolt attack that we could utilize on the first play! Note: You can exchange two squares without making a match in order to try and line up an attack. While it happened too quickly to capture in our screenshot, there will be cool lightning bolt effects shoot out from matched up squares to the opposite combatant. You will also see the amount of damage inflicted from a particular attack on top of the avatars. Victory! Once you have won a round of combat a window will appear showing the amount of gold coins left behind by the monster. When you reach a town you will have the opportunity to stop over and rest or directly continue on with your journey. On to Halgard after a good rest! Play Spell Blazer Latest Features How-To Geek ETC How To Boot 10 Different Live CDs From 1 USB Flash Drive The 20 Best How-To Geek Linux Articles of 2010 The 50 Best How-To Geek Windows Articles of 2010 The 20 Best How-To Geek Explainer Topics for 2010 How to Disable Caps Lock Key in Windows 7 or Vista How to Use the Avira Rescue CD to Clean Your Infected PC The Deep – Awesome Use of Metal Objects as Deep Sea Creatures [Video] Convert or View Documents Online Easily with Zoho, No Account Required Build a Floor Scrubbing Robot out of Computer Fans and a Frisbee Serene Blue Windows Wallpaper for Your Desktop 2011 International Space Station Calendar Available for Download (Free) Ultimate Elimination – Lego Black Ops [Video]

  Read the article

• MacX DVD Ripper Pro is Free for How-To Geek Readers (Time Limited!)

  - by The Geek

  Want to rip a DVD to your hard drive, but don’t have a software package to do it? How-To Geek readers can get the normally non-free MacX DVD Ripper Pro for free, but only if you download your copy and install it before Saturday. Here’s how to get it. This time-limited offer is available to anybody for the next couple of days—just head to the download site, install the software package, and use the key provided. It’s as simple as that. Note: despite the confusion of the name, it’s available for both Mac and Windows. Latest Features How-To Geek ETC MacX DVD Ripper Pro is Free for How-To Geek Readers (Time Limited!) HTG Explains: What’s a Solid State Drive and What Do I Need to Know? How to Get Amazing Color from Photos in Photoshop, GIMP, and Paint.NET Learn To Adjust Contrast Like a Pro in Photoshop, GIMP, and Paint.NET Have You Ever Wondered How Your Operating System Got Its Name? Should You Delete Windows 7 Service Pack Backup Files to Save Space? Save Files Directly from Your Browser to the Cloud in Chrome and Iron The Steve Jobs Chronicles – Charlie and the Apple Factory [Video] Google Chrome Updates; Faster, Cleaner Menus, Encrypted Password Syncing, and More Glowing Chess Set Combines LEDs, Chess, and DIY Electronics Fun Peaceful Alpine River on a Sunny Day [Wallpaper] Fast Society Creates Mini and Mobile Temporary Social Networks

  Read the article

• Friday Fun: Splash Back

  - by Asian Angel

  The best part of the week has finally arrived, so why not take a few minutes to have some quick fun? In this week’s game you get to play with alien goo as you work to clear the game board and reach as high a level as possible Latest Features How-To Geek ETC How to Upgrade Windows 7 Easily (And Understand Whether You Should) The How-To Geek Guide to Audio Editing: Basic Noise Removal Install a Wii Game Loader for Easy Backups and Fast Load Times The Best of CES (Consumer Electronics Show) in 2011 The Worst of CES (Consumer Electronics Show) in 2011 HTG Projects: How to Create Your Own Custom Papercraft Toy Calvin and Hobbes Mix It Up in this Fight Club Parody [Video] Choose from 124 Awesome HTML5 Games to Play at Mozilla Labs Game On Gallery Google Translate for Android Updates to Include Conversation Mode and More Move Your Photoshop Scratch Disk for Improved Performance Winter Storm Clouds on the Horizon Wallpaper Existential Angry Birds [Video]

  Read the article

• How to Use Your Android Phone as a Modem; No Rooting Required

  - by Jason Fitzpatrick

  If your cellular provider’s mobile hotspot/tethering plans are too pricey, skip them and tether your phone to your computer without inflating your monthly bill. Read on to see how you can score free mobile internet. We recently received a letter from a How-To Geek reader, requesting help linking their Android phone to their laptop to avoid the highway robbery their cellular provider was insisting upon: Dear How-To Geek, I recently found out that my cellphone company charges $30 a month to use your smartphone as a data modem. That’s an outrageous price when I already pay an extra $15 a month charge just because they insist that because I have a smartphone I need a data plan because I’ll be using so much more data than other users. They expect me to pay what amounts to a $45 a month premium just to do some occasional surfing and email checking from the comfort of my laptop instead of the much smaller smartphone screen! Surely there is a work around? I’m running Windows 7 on my laptop and I have an Android phone running Android OS 2.2. Help! Sincerely, No Double Dipping! Well Double Dipping, this is a sentiment we can strongly related to as many of us on staff are in a similar situation. It’s absurd that so many companies charge you to use the data connection on the phone you’re already paying for. There is no difference in bandwidth usage if you stream Pandora to your phone or to your laptop, for example. Fortunately we have a solution for you. It’s not free-as-in-beer but it only costs $16 which, over the first year of use alone, will save you $344. Let’s get started! Latest Features How-To Geek ETC What Can Super Mario Teach Us About Graphics Technology? Windows 7 Service Pack 1 is Released: But Should You Install It? How To Make Hundreds of Complex Photo Edits in Seconds With Photoshop Actions How to Enable User-Specific Wireless Networks in Windows 7 How to Use Google Chrome as Your Default PDF Reader (the Easy Way) How To Remove People and Objects From Photographs In Photoshop Make Efficient Use of Tab Bar Space by Customizing Tab Width in Firefox See the Geeky Work Done Behind the Scenes to Add Sounds to Movies [Video] Use a Crayon to Enhance Engraved Lettering on Electronics Adult Swim Brings Their Programming Lineup to iOS Devices Feel the Chill of the South Atlantic with the Antarctica Theme for Windows 7 Seas0nPass Now Offers Untethered Apple TV Jailbreaking

  Read the article

• Friday Fun: Maus Trap

  - by Asian Angel

  Friday is here once again, but today you are not the only one who needs to escape! This week your mission is to help a poor mouse named Peanut escape the dangerous lab she is trapped in. Do you have what it takes to save the day Latest Features How-To Geek ETC How to Enable User-Specific Wireless Networks in Windows 7 How to Use Google Chrome as Your Default PDF Reader (the Easy Way) How To Remove People and Objects From Photographs In Photoshop Ask How-To Geek: How Can I Monitor My Bandwidth Usage? Internet Explorer 9 RC Now Available: Here’s the Most Interesting New Stuff Here’s a Super Simple Trick to Defeating Fake Anti-Virus Malware The Splendiferous Array of Culinary Tools [Infographic] Add a Real-Time Earth Wallpaper App to Ubuntu with xplanetFX The Citroen GT – An Awesome Video Game Car Brought to Life [Video] Final Man vs. Machine Round of Jeopardy Unfolds; Watson Dominates Give Chromium-Based Browser Desktop Notifications a Native System Look in Ubuntu Chrome Time Track Is a Simple Task Time Tracker

  Read the article

• Friday Fun: Snowmageddon

  - by Asian Angel

  Has it been a long week at work and your Friday is just not passing quickly enough? If you are in need of some stress relief today then get ready to battle evil mutant snowmen in Snowmageddon Latest Features How-To Geek ETC How to Integrate Dropbox with Pages, Keynote, and Numbers on iPad RGB? CMYK? Alpha? What Are Image Channels and What Do They Mean? How to Recover that Photo, Picture or File You Deleted Accidentally How To Colorize Black and White Vintage Photographs in Photoshop How To Get SSH Command-Line Access to Windows 7 Using Cygwin The How-To Geek Video Guide to Using Windows 7 Speech Recognition Stylebot Customizes Web Pages in Chrome, Now Has Downloadable Styles Blackberry, Dell, Apple, and Motorola Tablets Compared [Infographic] Encrypt Your Google Search Queries Vintage Posters Showcase the History of Tech Advertising Google Cloud Print Extension Lets You Print Doc/PDF/Txt Files from Web Sites Hack a $10 Flashlight into an Ultra-bright Premium One

  Read the article

• Geek Bike Ride at JavaOne 2012 - Pictures

  - by arungupta

  Following the tradition of JavaOne Latin America 2011, a gorgeous day in San Francisco marked the beginning of JavaOne 2012 with another Geek Bike Ride. About 50 Java developers got together this morning at Fisherman's Wharf and rode a bike along Marina, Crissy Field, Fort Mason, Golden Gate Bridge, and ultimately finishing in Sausalito downtown. This is a beautiful biking trail, mostly flat with a couple of good hills. Some folks even continued to Tiburon for an extra challenge. Check out map by Blazing Saddles for the exact course. They provide excellent bike rentals and a good service too! Here are some pictures from the day: Credits: Yoshio Terada And check out a video of bikers rolling down the hill: Credits: Yoshio Terada Thank you OTN for sponsoring the t-shirts! And Kevin Nilson, fearless leader of Silicon Valley JUG, for hosting the event! And now to main the conference starting tomorrow! Here is the evolving album for JavaOne 2012 so far ... And don't forget, I'm still recruiting runners for the Community Run on Oct 1 at 6:17am PT :-)

  Read the article

• Google Top Geek E07

  Google Top Geek E07 In Spanish! Noticias: 1. Gráfico de conocimiento ahora en español y varios idiomas más. Totalmente localizado. 2. Nueva versión de Snapseed para iOS y Android. Gmail para Android y la versión 2.0 para iOS. Nuevo estilo para YouTube. 3. 500Millones de usuarios en Google+ y una nueva característica: comunidades. Las búsquedas de la semana y lo más visto en YouTube. Recomendamos Picket, una app para Android que funciona en México y te da la cartelera en cines. Noticias para desarrolladores: 1. Mejores mapas para apps de Android, nuevo API. 2. Una imagen dice más que mil palabras: Place Photos y Radar Search Ligas y más información en el blog: programa-con-google.blogspot.com From: GoogleDevelopers Views: 80 11 ratings Time: 18:09 More in Science & Technology

  Read the article

• Easily Add Facebook Chat to Pidgin

  - by Matthew Guay

  Want to keep in touch with your Facebook friends throughout the day?  Here we’ll show you how to easily add Facebook chat to the popular multi-protocol chat client Pidgin. Facebook has recently added support for XMPP chat, which means you can easily add it to popular chat clients such as Pidgin.  Previously you could only add Facebook chat to Pidgin through a plug-in that didn’t always work correctly.  Here we’ll walk you through setting up your Facebook account in Pidgin. Getting Started First, make sure you have a username for your Facebook account (link below).  This is a relatively new feature for Facebook, so if you’ve had your account for a while you may need to choose one.    If you already have one, you should see it listed instead. Now, open Pidgin, and click Manage Accounts. Click Add… Then select XMPP from the Protocol list. Now, enter your Facebook username without the facebook.com part (e.g your.facebook.username, not http://www.facebook.com/your.user.name).  Then, enter chat.facebook.com for the Domain, and enter your standard Facebook password.  You can check the “Remember password” box if you’d like Pidgin to automatically sign in to Facebook chat. Now, click on the Advanced tab, and uncheck the “Require SSL/TLS” box.  Also, make sure the Connect port is 5222.  Click Add, and your Facebook account is added to Pidgin. Now Facebook will show up in your list of accounts, with the username [email protected]. Your Facebook friends will show up directly in your Buddy list, complete with their full name and Facebook profile picture.  Any users that are not in a group will show under your standard list, while ones in a Facebook group will be shown in a separate group.  You can move which groups your Facebook friends show up in, just like you can with other chat contacts.   And no matter if your friend is logged in on the standard Facebook website or through another chat application, it will work the same as always.   This is a great way to keep in touch with your Facebook friends throughout the day.  If you like Facebook chat and already use Pidgin, now you can keep from switching between programs and just chat with all your friends from a central location. Links: Download Pidgin Set your Facebook username Similar Articles Productive Geek Tips The How-To Geek is No Longer on FacebookWin a Free iPod Touch in the How-To Geek Facebook Giveaway!Block Those Irritating Facebook Quiz & Application MessagesPut Your Pidgin Buddy List into the Windows Vista SidebarHow to Lock Down Your Facebook Account TouchFreeze Alternative in AutoHotkey The Icy Undertow Desktop Windows Home Server – Backup to LAN The Clear & Clean Desktop Use This Bookmarklet to Easily Get Albums Use AutoHotkey to Assign a Hotkey to a Specific Window Latest Software Reviews Tinyhacker Random Tips Revo Uninstaller Pro Registry Mechanic 9 for Windows PC Tools Internet Security Suite 2010 PCmover Professional Make your Joomla & Drupal Sites Mobile with OSMOBI Integrate Twitter and Delicious and Make Life Easier Design Your Web Pages Using the Golden Ratio Worldwide Growth of the Internet How to Find Your Mac Address Use My TextTools to Edit and Organize Text

  Read the article

• Ask HTG: How Can I Check the Age of My Windows Installation?

  - by Jason Fitzpatrick

  Curious about when you installed Windows and how long you’ve been chugging along without a system refresh? Read on as we show you a simple way to see how long-in-the-tooth your Windows installation is. Dear How-To Geek, It feels like it has been forever since I installed Windows 7 and I’m starting to wonder if some of the performance issues I’m experiencing have something to do with how long ago it was installed. It isn’t crashing or anything horrible, mind you, it just feels slower than it used to and I’m wondering if I should reinstall it to wipe the slate clean. Is there a simple way to determine the original installation date of Windows on its host machine? Sincerely, Worried in Windows Although you only intended to ask one question, you actually asked two. Your direct question is an easy one to answer (how to check the Windows installation date). The indirect question is, however, a little trickier (if you need to reinstall Windows to get a performance boost). Let’s start off with the easy one: how to check your installation date. Windows includes a handy little application just for the purposes of pulling up system information like the installation date, among other things. Open the Start Menu and type cmd in the run box (or, alternatively, press WinKey+R to pull up the run dialog and enter the same command). At the command prompt, type systeminfo.exe Give the application a moment to run; it takes around 15-20 seconds to gather all the data. You’ll most likely need to scroll back up in the console window to find the section at the top that lists operating system stats. What you care about is Original Install Date: We’ve been running the machine we tested the command on since August 23 2009. For the curious, that’s one month and a day after the initial public release of Windows 7 (after we were done playing with early test releases and spent a month mucking around in the guts of Windows 7 to report on features and flaws, we ran a new clean installation and kept on trucking). Now, you might be asking yourself: Why haven’t they reinstalled Windows in all that time? Haven’t things slowed down? Haven’t they upgraded hardware? The truth of the matter is, in most cases there’s no need to completely wipe your computer and start from scratch to resolve issues with Windows and, if you don’t bog your system down with unnecessary and poorly written software, things keep humming along. In fact, we even migrated this machine from a traditional mechanical hard drive to a newer solid-state drive back in 2011. Even though we’ve tested piles of software since then, the machine is still rather clean because 99% of that testing happened in a virtual machine. That’s not just a trick for technology bloggers, either, virtualizing is a handy trick for anyone who wants to run a rock solid base OS and avoid the bog-down-and-then-refresh cycle that can plague a heavily used machine. So while it might be the case that you’ve been running Windows 7 for years and heavy software installation and use has bogged your system down to the point a refresh is in order, we’d strongly suggest reading over the following How-To Geek guides to see if you can’t wrangle the machine into shape without a total wipe (and, if you can’t, at least you’ll be in a better position to keep the refreshed machine light and zippy): HTG Explains: Do You Really Need to Regularly Reinstall Windows? PC Cleaning Apps are a Scam: Here’s Why (and How to Speed Up Your PC) The Best Tips for Speeding Up Your Windows PC Beginner Geek: How to Reinstall Windows on Your Computer Everything You Need to Know About Refreshing and Resetting Your Windows 8 PC Armed with a little knowledge, you too can keep a computer humming along until the next iteration of Windows comes along (and beyond) without the hassle of reinstalling Windows and all your apps.         

  Read the article

• Friday Fun: Play MineSweeper in Google Chrome

  - by Asian Angel

  Are you addicted to MineSweeper and love to play it when taking a break from work? Now you can add that mine sweeping goodness to Google Chrome with the Chrome MineSweeper extension. Find Those Mines! Once the extension has been installed simply click on the “Toolbar Button” to access the game (opens in a new tab). The “emoticons” at the top of the tab window indicate the difficulty level of game play available. Sometimes you can make quick progress in a short time with this game… Only to lose moments later. So you do have to plan your strategy out carefully. You will be surprised (or perhaps alarmed?) at just how quickly you get addicted to playing “just one more round”! Want a bigger challenge? Click on the “middle emoticon” to access a tougher level. The ultimate level…how much mine sweeping punishment are you up for?   Conclusion If you are a MineSweeper fan then this will be a perfect addition to your browser. For those who are new to this game then you have a lot of fun just waiting for you. Links Download the Chrome MineSweeper extension (Google Chrome Extensions) Similar Articles Productive Geek Tips How to Make Google Chrome Your Default BrowserPlay a New Random Game Each Day in ChromeEnable Vista Black Style Theme for Google Chrome in XPIncrease Google Chrome’s Omnibox Popup Suggestion Count With an Undocumented SwitchFriday Fun: Play 3D Rally Racing in Google Chrome TouchFreeze Alternative in AutoHotkey The Icy Undertow Desktop Windows Home Server – Backup to LAN The Clear & Clean Desktop Use This Bookmarklet to Easily Get Albums Use AutoHotkey to Assign a Hotkey to a Specific Window Latest Software Reviews Tinyhacker Random Tips Revo Uninstaller Pro Registry Mechanic 9 for Windows PC Tools Internet Security Suite 2010 PCmover Professional YoWindoW, a real time weather screensaver Optimize your computer the Microsoft way Stormpulse provides slick, real time weather data Geek Parents – Did you try Parental Controls in Windows 7? Change DNS servers on the fly with DNS Jumper Live PDF Searches PDF Files and Ebooks

  Read the article

• Friday Fun: Building Blasters 2

  - by Mysticgeek

  After dealing with unnecessary spreadsheets and TPS reports all week, it’s time to waste time playing a flash game. Today we take a look at Building Blasters 2 where you strategically place explosives to bring down structures. Building Blasters 2 You need to place explosives carefully to clear areas in the red level, keep bystanders safe, and manage your budget. After placing the explosives on the structure, you can set the amount of time that passes before they blow. This comes in handy when you reach advanced levels. When you’re ready to start the demolition click on the Detonate button and watch the buildings fall. If you don’t achieve the objectives, you will get the Demolition Error screen and can replay the level. After you’ve received enough money, you’ll get a message between missions telling you there is enough money to buy items in the shop. You can get enhanced destructive devices such as nitroglycerin, a wrecking ball, call in an air strike and more… If you’re sick of the pointy haired boss dragging you down all week, pretend the structures are the office building and destroy away. Building Blasters 2 is a great way to have fun and let off steam so you can enjoy your weekend. Play Building Blasters 2 For additional fun games to play, make sure and check out the How-To Geek Arcade. Similar Articles Productive Geek Tips Friday Fun: Demolition CityFriday Fun: Cargo BridgeFriday Fun: Portal, the Flash VersionFriday Fun: VehiclesFriday Fun: Play Bubble Quod TouchFreeze Alternative in AutoHotkey The Icy Undertow Desktop Windows Home Server – Backup to LAN The Clear & Clean Desktop Use This Bookmarklet to Easily Get Albums Use AutoHotkey to Assign a Hotkey to a Specific Window Latest Software Reviews Tinyhacker Random Tips Xobni Plus for Outlook All My Movies 5.9 CloudBerry Online Backup 1.5 for Windows Home Server Snagit 10 10 Superb Firefox Wallpapers OpenDNS Guide Google TV The iPod Revolution Ultimate Boot CD can help when disaster strikes Windows Firewall with Advanced Security – How To Guides

  Read the article

< Previous Page | 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15  | Next Page >