Tips, guides, and reviews about software, web apps, technology, mobile phones, and computers.

  • Jolicloud: A Fresh Netbook OS

    With the increased popularity of netbooks in the last year, most PC manufacturers started producing their own line of netbooks, trying to condense high resource systems into small form factors.  Many users began looking for a way to get the most out of the sometimes limited system resources with netbooks. The first instinct many netbook…

  • Google Earth Secret: Flight Simulator Mode

    Google Earth is a revolutionary application that allows you to explore the entire planet in 3D using Google’s satellite imagery data.  Users are not just limited to terrestrial earth anymore either – you can journey under the oceans, gaze at the night sky, travel to the moon, and visit Mars. Sure, there are plenty of…

  • Why the Kindle Sucks (and What Can Be Done About It)

    Over the holiday season, Amazon’s Kindle became the most gifted item in Amazon’s history. On Christmas day, Amazon sold more Kindle copies of books than actual physical books.  Without a doubt, E-readers are the future of the book industry, and the Kindle is leading the way. Or is it? Unfortunately, it isn’t.  The Kindle sucks.…

  • Using Speedfan To Check Your Computer’s Hardware Status

    I previously wrote how to use Speedfan to check your hard drive’s S.M.A.R.T information, but checking the health of your hard drive is actually a secondary feature of the Speedfan software.  Its main purpose is to provide you the real-time statuses of your hardware. Speedfan is free software for Windows that allows users to access…

  • Gmail Now Uses Secure HTTPS Connection by Default

    When you see a web address that starts with https, it’s typically for something important like your bank account or online shopping.  That prefix means the information you submit – credit cards, home addresses, or social security numbers – are kept private between your computer and the site you’re visiting. Gmail started offering secure https…

  • Create Goo.gl Shortened URLs in your Browser – Now without Google Toolbar

    Full-length URLs have nearly become an internet faux pas since the advent of sites like Twitter where character restrictions reign supreme.  Sending a normal URL in a tweet is the digital equivalent of tripping over your own shoelaces, and most people have adopted a “favorite” URL shortening service like bit.ly, tinyurl, or is.gd. Google recently…

  • Create Custom Application Groups in Windows 7 with Jumplist Launcher

    One of the most noticeable additions to Windows 7 is the new Windows taskbar.  Not only does it group multiple application windows together, it also features “Jump Lists” which are quick-access menus that can be activated by right clicking a program’s icon. In this guide, I’ll introduce you to a program called Jumplist-Launcher which allows…

  • Block Distracting Sites with LeechBlock

    Firefox only:  Having a hard time focusing at work?  Do you compulsively check websites while your to-do list is growing?  We can be our own worst enemies when work needs to be done and things like Facebook and RSS feeds are at our fingertips. LeechBlock is an add-on for Firefox that allows you to block…

  • Windows 7 Secret: ‘GodMode’

    Some are calling it the “ultimate control panel”, but what does the new, secretive Windows 7 ‘GodMode’ do? The foxy-sounding name is a little deceiving, because as far as we know, it is exactly what people are calling it – a glorified control panel.  However, that goes without saying how useful this feature actually is.…

  • How to Burn Backup Dreamcast Games to a Disc

    The Sega Dreamcast was the successor to the popular Sega Saturn game console and was the last console manufactured by Sega.  The Dreamcast, which was released in 1998 before the Nintendo GameCube, Sony PlayStation 2, and Xbox, offered a fantastic gaming experience but unfortunately was discontinued in 2001. Despite no longer being manufactured, you can…