Tech Recipes

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How to Rent Movies from the iTunes Store

When Apple throws the switch on renting through iTunes, here is how you do it.

1. Within iTunes, click iTunes Store in the left column...

Initial Thoughts about MacWorld Releases

Live blogging macworld. Here are the initial thoughts from the presentation.

• 1. Time Capsule
• 2. New iPhone/iTouch Features and Programs
• 3. iTunes Movie Rentals
• 4. New AppleTV device and Upgrades
• 5. New MacBook Air - "The World's Thinnest Notebook"

WS-1025 Digital Window Thermometer Review

I recently snagged the WS-1025 Digital Window Thermometer from ThinkGeek. After using it for a few days, I wanted to give everybody an honest review of this geeky thermometer. Tons of screenies included...

my Motorola WR850G v2 and DD-WRT firmware and my personal public wifi project

this year i've decided to try to give back more to the community and the public as a whole; last week i started it off by donating blood and quitting smoking cigarettes. this week, i've decided to unshackle the chains on my wifi network/internet access and in turn open it up to the public. keeping reading as i upgrade my current router/ap with the DD-WRT custom firmware.

Tinyurl.com : Preview links / disable autoredirect to full URL

Tinyurl.com is a great tool/site to use when you need to send links to mobile devices or even just shortening those horribly long URLs. However, sometimes its nice to be able to preview the full URL prior to actually going to the link (spammers/phishing/etc reasons).

Ubuntu 7.10: How to Install KDE 4.0

The new KDE (K Desktop Environment) is a great way to add some very nice eye candy and additional functionality to your Ubuntu install. KDE's new look and smooth graphical effects give your desktop some of the benefits of both Mac and Vista.

Ubuntu : Installing, Removing, and Searching for Packages & Apps from Terminal

This is a quickie on how install, uninstall, and search for applications/packages in Ubuntu Linux from the Terminal window.

Ubuntu: Disable the Startup Sound

Even though the startup sound for Ubuntu is short and pleasant, it can become annoying. I got tired of hearing it each time I logged into my system so it had to go. Here's how to quiet it down:

Wii: How to Locate the Console's MAC Address

If your wireless router uses MAC filtering, you will need to know the MAC address of your device so that it may connect to the internet for updates and gaming.

Ubuntu: Place Trash Icon on the Desktop

Instead of having the trash icon on one of your panels, you can place it on your Ubuntu desktop for easier access. This is a great help for users whose previous operating system was Windows. It also beats trying to find the little trash icon on on of your panels.

Ubuntu: How to Change the Computer Name

You might run into a situation that requires you to change your computer name, either because you need it to meet a naming scheme or you're just bored with it and want something better. By following these steps, you'll give your computer a new identity in no time.

Aperture: Create landscape or portrait only orientation smart albums

Smart albums in Aperture allow gathering photos based on specific metadata keywords, camera type, date and so on, basically anything you can see in the Metadata view. One useful smart album trick is filtering based on orientation, portrait or landscape. This recipe will walk you through setting up this type of smart album.

Nintendo DS: How to Locate the Device's MAC Address

If your wireless router uses MAC filtering, you will need to know the MAC address of your device so that it may connect to the internet. In order to get the MAC address of the Nintendo DS, you will nedd a WFC (Wi-Fi Connection) compatible game or the Nintendo DS Browser.

SQL Server 2005: What Service Pack is Installed?

If you're running SQL Server, it's very wise to make sure that you have the latest service pack installed for optimum performance. If you're not sure what service pack you have installed (or if you're still running RTM), follow these steps to find out:

Ubuntu: Install the Ubuntu Studio Theme

If you're tired of the default theme on Ubuntu (Human), you can put a little more snap in your desktop by using the Ubuntu Studio theme.

MonoPrice 5X1 HDMI Switch Review

With HDMI output devices outpacing the number of HDMI ports on most televisions, HDMI switches are a vital part of many high definition systems. However, most HDMI switches can be very expensive. Is the value-priced MonoPrice switch an affordable option?

Flickr: Use Guest Pass to Share with Non-Flickr Friends

Sharing your private Flickr photos with friends and family is an easy task if they are (or are willing to become) Flickr members. But what do you do if you want to share your pics with friends and you don't want to require them to join? By using the Flickr Guest Pass, you can share your private pics with others without them having to sign up.

OS X Mail: POP Suddenly Quits Working

A bug exists in OS X Mail where receiving email from the server through the POP protocol stops without warning. The problem is often easy to identify and fix. Here are the steps..

Ubuntu: Disable the Automatic Playing of CD and DVD Discs

Under the default settings, Ubuntu automatically begins playing CD and DVD discs when they are loaded into the CD/DVD drive. It also will automatically begin playing music files once a supported portable music player is connected. To change any (or all) of these settings to better meet your needs:

Linux: How To Find the Default Gateway

Whether you're troubleshooting network problems or trying to set up a VPN, knowing what address your computer has configured as the default gateway is always useful. Running a simple command from the terminal can give you this.

gOS: How to Enable Automatic Login

By default, gOS requires that you login each time you run the operating system. If you are the only person using the computer and aren't worried about security, this can be excessive and annoying. By enabling Automatic Login, gOS will go straight to the desktop without requiring a login.

iWork: Saving Document Previews for Quick look

If you're a fan of Pages, Keynote or Number you'll want to save a document preview while saving your documents so that they maintain their formatting when they are viewed through Quick look. This will save you a lot of time and effort.

Wii: How to Disable the Rumble Effect on Your Wii Remote

The Wii remote control (Wiimote) allows you to feel vibrations (rumbles) during gameplay on certain titles. While this is intended to add a sense of realism to the game, some users find this to be a distraction. To disable the rumble effect, follow these steps:

OS X : Disable Mac Startup Sound

Every time you turn on your mac it makes a boot up chime, which has been with OS X since OS 9. Want to stop that "annoying" sound that your mac makes during boot up? Here are a couple of ways to help you do just that.

Zune: Add Radio Stations to Presets for Easy Access

Like any other FM radio, Zune's radio allows you to add radio stations to presets for easy access so that you don't have to waste valuable time seeking your favorite station. To add a station to your Zune's presets, follow these steps:

Ubuntu : Dual booting w/XP using Grub bootloader | editing bootloader in Ubuntu

This recipe will explain how to edit the Grub bootloader while in Ubuntu. This will explain how to remove the recovery and memtest and also set XP/Windows as a default OS.

Cisco Hot Standby Router Protocol

Two routers are connected to the network and the two default gateways do not provide a completely reliable path in the event of an outage. Although the ITA has some newer IP hosts that support dynamic router discovery with the ICMP Router Discovery Protocol (IRDP), it mostly has a large class of legacy host implementations that do not. These hosts are unable to find a new router when their default gateway becomes unavailable. The ITA is also concerned with IRDP?s administrative and processing overhead, security issues, and lack of support on the legacy platforms. Configuring HSRP on the two routers provides a fast fail-over mechanism that is transparent to the users. This allows hosts on the LAN segment to maintain access to the Web router if a single point of failure occurs.

Ubuntu - Restore wireless / bluetooth / battery icon back to Top Panel

This recipe will show you how to easily add the wireless, bluetooth and battery icon back to your top panel in Ubuntu 7.10 (gnome).

Facebook: Restrict Who Can Find You in Search Results

By default, Facebook allows any user to find you in the search results. If you would like to keep things a little more private, you can configure your privacy settings to narrow the amount of users that can find you when searching with Facebook.

OS X Leopard: Close Printer Icon After Printing

One of the annoying changes in OS X 10.5 is the printer icon remaining in the dock after printing. Here is how to automatically remove the printer icon from the dock after printing.

The Ten Internet Trends of 2007

When we look back on 2007 in a few years, these ten topics and companies will be the milestones that will be referenced and debated:

• 1. Google Pushes Its Power
• 2. Aggregators Polluted by the Mobs
• 3. Mobile Web. Why?
• 4. User-Submitted Profits
• 5. Apple Leaps
• 6. Microsoft Tumbles
• 7. DRM. Die. Die. Die.
• 8. Main Stream Media Invasion
• 9. Politics' Internet Fruitfulless
• 10. Social Network Assimilation

All the details available after the jump...

FizzBoost for Facebook: Prevent from Starting When Windows Starts

By default, FizzBoost starts when Windows does. If you don't use the Facebook chat and notification tool regularly, you are wasting resources by having it run when you don't need it. To stop FizzBoost from starting when Windows does:

Outlook 2007: How To Disable Toolbar ScreenTips

Once you have mastered the functionality of each toolbar button in Outlook 2007, the ScreenTips can become somewhat annoying and distracting. You can easily disable ScreenTips so that they no longer appear when you mouseover the buttons on your toolbar.

Zune Software: Reimport full collection (audio/video/pictures)

This recipes explains how to reimport your collection in the Zune software. If you delete a song/video/photo, you cannot add it by just removing the folder and readding the folder in the Settings > Collections screen.

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