Year: 2009

  • Microsoft Adds Netflix Integration to Windows Media Center

    Microsoft recently announced that Windows Media Center – the company’s all-in-one home theater media center – will now support the Netflix Instant Streaming library of over 12,000 movies and TV shows.  Windows Media Center software is included in both Vista Home and Ultimate editions by default and is also included in Windows XP Media Center…

  • Keep Your Desktop Organized with Fences

    How many times have you had projects, temporary Word documents, PowerPoint presentations, or other “junk-yet-necessary” items on your computer’s desktop combined with shortcuts for Firefox, Messenger, Windows Media, or iTunes?  Why is it so hard to keep organized each one of these items? Many people search through their desktops covered with this smorgasbord of different…

  • How To: Find Out if Your PC is Windows 7 Ready

    With the final release of Windows 7 approaching, many people are wondering if their current PC will be able to run the new operating system.  As we mentioned in our previous coverage of the Windows 7 RC release, the system requirements for Microsoft’s forthcoming operating system are surprisingly light: 1GHz or faster 32-bit (x86) or…

  • How To: Filter the Noise From Your Facebook News Feed

    Update: We’ve published a new edition of this article for the updated version of Facebook.  Check that out instead. Facebook has made some interface changes lately which have caused some frustration with its core users.  Most recently, they’ve removed the ability to exclusively view status updates on the Friends tab, which leaves you with only…

  • YouMail – Voicemail Done Right

    I miss answering machines. Allow me to clarify: let’s go back approximately ten years when there were still answering machines around. I call you, you’re not home. The answering machine picks up, plays your little message, beeps, and I say what I need to say. Done. Today’s voicemail service could learn a thing or two…

  • Want To Try Windows 7? Install it on a Virtual Machine

    With the public release of Windows 7 RC, many software developers and tech enthusiasts are flocking to the download site to get their hands on the highly anticipated successor to Windows Vista. Many individuals downloading the Windows 7 RC have extra systems that are dedicated for software development and application testing.  But what if you…

  • Stream Your Music Library With Vibe Streamer

    Vibe Streamer is a free program that allows you to stream your music library to any device with a Flash enabled web browser.  Vibe Streamer also offers a set of security settings, user controls, and customization features. Download and Install Vibe Streamer is very lightweight.  The system requirements for Vibe Streamer 2.06 are detailed below:…

  • Firefox Desktop Turns Your Browser Into an Operating System (sort of)

    Firefox only:  With the advent of cloud computing and sites such as Gmail, Google Docs, and even the online version of Photoshop, it is clear that desktop computing as we know it is beginning to shift towards an internet environment.  Browsers are quickly becoming the focal point of all our daily computing tasks, which easily…

  • How To: Check Your Hard Drive Health With A Linux LiveCD

    Previously, I wrote a guide on monitoring your drive’s status with S.M.A.R.T. tools from a running system [see Check your HDD’s S.M.A.R.T. Status].  Although these programs work well for checking the live status of your hard drive, you may run across a situation where you cannot boot the operating system to access these programs. If…

  • Facebook Releases Desktop Application, Aptly Named Facebook Desktop

    Facebook – the world’s fastest growing social network – wants to keep you connected to your social network without the web browser.  Using their newly released Facebook Desktop application, you can connect with friends, view your stream, and publish information right from your desktop computer. To install Facebook Desktop, you first need to install the…