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• DIY Wirelessly Charged LED Lanterns

  - by Jason Fitzpatrick

  Earlier this year we shared a clever project that turned LEDs, batteries, and PVC into mini, waterproof, and virtually indestructible lanterns. This remake of the project makes the units rechargeable. Our favorite part about this project–the upgrade to an older project and the introduction of wireless charging aside–is the fact that the maker behind it is 15 years old. It’s great to see younger people taking an interest in tinkering! Wirelessly Charged Indestructible Lantern [via Hacked Gadgets] HTG Explains: What Is Two-Factor Authentication and Should I Be Using It? HTG Explains: What Is Windows RT and What Does It Mean To Me? HTG Explains: How Windows 8′s Secure Boot Feature Works & What It Means for Linux

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• The Evolution of Computer Keyboards

  - by Jason Fitzpatrick

  While the basic shape of keyboards has remained largely unchanged over the last thirty years, the guts have undergone several transformations. Read on to explore the history of the computer keyboard. ComputerWorld delves into the history of the modern keyboard, including the heavy influence IBM’s extensive keyboard research on early keyboards: As far as direct influences on the modern computer keyboard, IBM’s Selectric typewriter was one of the biggest. IBM released the first model of its iconic electromechanical typewriter in 1961, a time when being able to type fast and accurately was a highly sought-after skill. Dag Spicer, senior curator at the Computer History Museum, notes that as the Selectric models rose to prominence, admins grew to love the feel of the keyboard because of IBM’s dogged focus on making the ergonomics comfortable. “IBM’s probably done more than anyone to find [keyboard] ergonomics that work for everyone,” Spicer says. So when the PC hit the scene a decade or two later, the Selectric was largely viewed as the baseline to design keyboards for those newfangled computers you could put in your office or home. Hit up the link below to continue reading about how the Selectric influenced keyboards throughout the 1980s and what replaced the crisp clacking of early IBM-styled models. 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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• How Does Windows Confirm Wi-Fi Access and Whether Hot Spot Authentication Is Necessary?

  - by Jason Fitzpatrick

  Windows is quite adept at telling you if you have a properly functioning Internet connection, but how exactly does it do so? Digging into how Windows handles the problem offers insight into Windows connectivity messages. 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. How to Fix a Stuck Pixel on an LCD Monitor 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

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• Quadcopters Play Catch [Video]

  - by Jason Fitzpatrick

  Working like a group of hive-minded bees, these quadcopters come off as almost playful with their ball throwing antics. Courtesy of the folks at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich’s Institute for Dynamic Systems and Control, we’re treated to a video of three quadcopters playing catch in the research facility’s Flying Machine Area. They explain the processes demonstrated in the video: This video shows three quadrocopters cooperatively tossing and catching a ball with the aid of an elastic net. To toss the ball, the quadrocopters accelerate rapidly outward to stretch the net tight between them and launch the ball up. Notice in the video that the quadrocopters are then pulled forcefully inward by the tension in the elastic net, and must rapidly stabilize in order to avoid a collision. Once recovered, the quadrotors cooperatively position the net below the ball in order to catch it. Because they are coupled to each other by the net, the quadrocopters experience complex forces that push the vehicles to the limits of their dynamic capabilities. To exploit the full potential of the vehicles under these circumstances requires several novel algorithms, including: HTG Explains: How Antivirus Software Works HTG Explains: Why Deleted Files Can Be Recovered and How You Can Prevent It HTG Explains: What Are the Sys Rq, Scroll Lock, and Pause/Break Keys on My Keyboard?

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• Turn a Kindle into a Weather Display Station

  - by Jason Fitzpatrick

  The e-ink display, network connectivity, and low-power consumption of Kindle ebook readers make them a perfect candidate for an infrequently refreshed high-visibility display–like a weather display. Read on to see how to hack a Kindle to serve up the local weather. Tinker and hardware hacker Matt Petroff hacked his Kindle to accept input from a web server and then, graciously and in the spirit of geeky projects everywhere, shared his source code. He explains the heart of the project: The server side of the system uses shell and Python scripts to convert weather forecast data into an image for the Kindle. The scripts first download and parse forecast data from NOAA via the National Digital Forecast Database XML/SOAP Service. After parsing the data, the data then needs to be converted into an image. This is accomplished by preprocessing a specially crafted SVG file to insert temperatures, forecast symbols, and days of the week. This SVG is then rendered as a PNG using rsvg-convert and converted to a grayscale, no transparency color space as required by the Kindle using pngcrush. Finally, it is copied to a public location on the web server. The Kindle is set to refresh twice a day (you could easily tweak the scripts for a more frequent refresh) and displays the forecast as seen in the photo above–with crisp and easy to read text and icons. Hit up the link below for more information and the project’s source code. How To Create a Customized Windows 7 Installation Disc With Integrated Updates How to Get Pro Features in Windows Home Versions with Third Party Tools HTG Explains: Is ReadyBoost Worth Using?

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• Is CPU Performance Affected by Age?

  - by Jason Fitzpatrick

  Your computer feels a little slower than it did this time last year; is that change something you can chalk up to an aging processor? 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. 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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• Follow Your World Notifies You When Satellite Images Update

  - by Jason Fitzpatrick

  Satellite images update infrequently enough to make manually checking for new photos of interesting locations impractical; automate the process with notifications from Follow Your World. Courtesy of Google, the Follow Your World tool allows you to plug in locations and receive email updates when the satellite images for that location are updated. Whether you’re looking for crisp high-res images of monuments around the world or shots of your own backyard, it’s easy to set it up and wait for the updates to roll in. Follow Your World [via Google Lat Long Blog] Hack Your Kindle for Easy Font Customization 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

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• From the Tips Box: Controlling Xbox Controllers in Windows, Keeping Your Computer Cool in the Summer, and a DIY Book Scanning Rig

  - by Jason Fitzpatrick

  Once a week we round up some great reader tips from the tips box and reader comments, and share the with the rest of you. This week we’re looking at an alternate way to control Xbox controller in Windows, how to keep your computer cool in the summer heat, and how to build a power DIY book scanner. 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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• What You Said: Are You A Second Screen Multi-Tasker?

  - by Jason Fitzpatrick

  Earlier this week we asked you if you used a second screen while watching television or movies–such as a smartphone or tablet. Now we’re back to highlight how HTG readers are engaging (or disengaging) with their mobile devices. Image courtesy of Umani, a TV-companion application for iPad. By far and away the biggest trend was the use of the second screen as a filler for commercials and/or and outright diversion from lackluster programming. Jack in TN writes: Yes. I keep a laptop going 7×24 pretty much, and TV in going normally. Pretty much my ‘throne’ in the family room. I have almost always multi-tasked, before laptop it was a book or magazine or 3 at my side. My wife has accused me of using TV as a radio more than once, and I can’t say she is wrong. How to Get Pro Features in Windows Home Versions with Third Party Tools HTG Explains: Is ReadyBoost Worth Using? HTG Explains: What The Windows Event Viewer Is and How You Can Use It

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• Why Is the Localhost IP 127.0.0.1?

  - by Jason Fitzpatrick

  Geeks the world over know their local host as 127.0.0.1, but why is that specific address, of all available addresses, reserved for the local host? Read on to delve into the history of local hosts. Image by GMPhoenix; available as wallpaper here. 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. 7 Ways To Free Up Hard Disk Space On Windows HTG Explains: How System Restore Works in Windows HTG Explains: How Antivirus Software Works

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• What You Said: How Do You Set Reminders?

  - by Jason Fitzpatrick

  Earlier this week we asked you to share your favorite tricks for staying on top of your tasks with timely reminders. Now we’re back to highlight some great reader tips (including a bit of software older than some of our readers). Most of us have to-do lists longer than we can do in a given day (or week!) and a constantly changing set of demands and next-actions. Having a timely and effective reminder system is the difference between dropping the ball and getting things done; how exactly that reminder system plays out, however, varied greatly from reader to reader. OJMDC sticks with analog reminders: Sticky notes in the middle of my monitor and in my wallet. I’ve tried my phone apps but I typically disregard them. HTG Explains: Is UPnP a Security Risk? How to Monitor and Control Your Children’s Computer Usage on Windows 8 What Happened to Solitaire and Minesweeper in Windows 8?

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• How Can I Disable Windows 7's Aero Performance Warnings?

  - by Jason Fitzpatrick

  You know your computer isn’t cutting edge, but there’s no need for Windows 7 to constantly remind you. Read on to see how you can disable its constant nagging to adjust your color scheme to improve performance. 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. Secure Yourself by Using Two-Step Verification on These 16 Web Services How to Fix a Stuck Pixel on an LCD Monitor How to Factory Reset Your Android Phone or Tablet When It Won’t Boot

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• Who Provides Internet Service for My Internet Service Provider?

  - by Jason Fitzpatrick

  You pay your Internet Service Provider (ISP) for internet access, and they turn on the sweet, sweet, fire hose of data for you. But who provides the flow for your ISP? Read on to learn the ins and outs of global data delivery. 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. HTG Explains: How Windows Uses The Task Scheduler for System Tasks 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

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• GamingUnity Organizes Your Game Collections

  - by Jason Fitzpatrick

  If you’re having trouble keeping track of your game collection GamingUnity will help you get things on organizational lock down–add games from any console, view them with a nice bookshelf interface, and quickly sort them. Sign up for a free account, start searching, and click “Add to collection” until you’ve worked your way through your games. In addition to just cataloging your existing games you can mark games as completed or add future games to your wish list. Hit up the link below to browse the archives and sign up for a free account. GamingUnity Can Dust Actually Damage My Computer? What To Do If You Get a Virus on Your Computer Why Enabling “Do Not Track” Doesn’t Stop You From Being Tracked

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• Why Are We Still Using CPUs Instead of GPUs?

  - by Jason Fitzpatrick

  Increasingly GPUs are being used for non-graphical tasks like risk computations, fluid dynamics calculations, and seismic analysis. What’s to stop us from adopting GPU-driven devices? 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. 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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• A Dozen USB Chargers Analyzed; Or: Beware the Knockoffs

  - by Jason Fitzpatrick

  When it comes to buying a USB charger one is just as good as another so you might as well buy the cheapest one, right? This interesting and detailed analysis of name brand, off-brand, and counterfeit chargers will have you rethinking that stance. Ken Shirriff gathered up a dozen USB chargers including official Apple chargers, counterfeit Apple chargers, as well as offerings from Monoprice, Belkin, Motorola, and other companies. After putting them all through a battery of tests he gave them overall rankings based on nine different categories including power stability, power quality, and efficiency. The take away from his research? Quality varied widely between brands but when sticking with big companies like Apple or HP the chargers were all safe. The counterfeit chargers (like the $2 Apple iPad charger knock-off he tested) proved to be outright dangerous–several actually melted or caught fire in the course of the project. Hit up the link below for his detailed analysis including power output readings for the dozen chargers. A Dozen USB Chargers in the Lab [via O'Reilly Radar] 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

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• Smart Phones Shockingly Energy Efficient; Lead to Decreased Household Power Consumption

  - by Jason Fitzpatrick

  Given how often our smart phones and tablets spend plugged in and topping off their battery reserves, it’s easy to assume they’re sucking down a lot of power. Analysis shows the lilliputian but powerful devices are surprisingly efficient and may be decreasing our overall power consumption. Courtesy of energy-centric blog Outlier, we’re treated to a look at the power sipping habits of popular smart phones and mobile devices. The simple take away? They use shockingly little electricity over the course of the year–you can charge your new iPhone for a year of regular usage for under a buck. The more complex analysis? The proliferation of tiny and energy efficient devices is displacing heavier energy consumers (large televisions, desktop computers, etc.) and driving a more efficient gadget-to-consumption ratio is many households. Hit up the link below to read the full post. How Much Does It Take to Charge an iPhone [via Mashable] 7 Ways To Free Up Hard Disk Space On Windows HTG Explains: How System Restore Works in Windows HTG Explains: How Antivirus Software Works

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• Create Adjustable Depth of Field Photos with a DSLR

  - by Jason Fitzpatrick

  If you’re fascinating by the Lytro camera–a camera that let’s you change the focus after you’ve taken the photo–this DSLR hack provides a similar post-photo focus processing without the $400 price tag. Photography tinkers at The Chaos Collective came up with a clever way of mimicking the adjustable depth-of-field adjustment effect from the Lytro camera. The secret sauce in their technique is setting the camera to manual focus and capturing a short 2-3 second video clip while they rotate the focus through the entire focal range. From there, they use a simple applet to separate out each frame of the video. Check out the interactive demo below: Anywhere you click in the photo shifts the focus to that point, just like the post processing in the Lytro camera. It’s a different approach to the problem but it yields roughly the same output. Hit up the link below for the full run down on their technique and how you can get started using it with your own video-enabled DLSR. Camera HACK: DOF-Changeable Photos with an SLR [via Hack A Day] Secure Yourself by Using Two-Step Verification on These 16 Web Services How to Fix a Stuck Pixel on an LCD Monitor How to Factory Reset Your Android Phone or Tablet When It Won’t Boot

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• Ask The Readers: How Do You Find Your Next Game?

  - by Jason Fitzpatrick

  Once upon a time the only place for new video game information was down at the arcade. These days there’s a news source and niche for everyone and every kind of game; where and how do you find your next video game conquest? Word of mouth? App recommendations? Critical reviews? This week we’re interested in lining ourselves up for a little summer fun: tell us all about your tips, tricks, and techniques for finding the real gems in the pile of games that comes out every year. Sound off in the comments and then check back in on Friday for the What You Said roundup. HTG Explains: What Is Two-Factor Authentication and Should I Be Using It? HTG Explains: What Is Windows RT and What Does It Mean To Me? HTG Explains: How Windows 8′s Secure Boot Feature Works & What It Means for Linux

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• HTG Explains: What’s the Difference Between the Windows 7 HomeGroups and XP-style Networking?

  - by Jason Fitzpatrick

  Windows 7 rocks a new method of file and print sharing that’s a departure from the frustrating file and print sharing found in earlier versions of Windows. What is it and how can you benefit from it? Read on as we explain. HomeGroups are a new edition to the Windows ecosystem as of Windows 7. They’re intended to (and succeed at) greatly reducing the frustration experienced by users who want to easily share files between computers as well as share printers with the entire network. Let’s take a look at the state of home networking and how it has evolved.Internet Explorer 9 Released: Here’s What You Need To KnowHTG Explains: How Does Email Work?How To Make a Youtube Video Into an Animated GIF

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• Don’t Panic! Hides Applications, Erases Browser History, and More

  - by Jason Fitzpatrick

  Don’t Panic! is a free and portable Windows application that makes it easy to quickly hide windows, clear document and browser history, and otherwise mask your goofing off. It includes options for hiding and closing applications, clearing browser history as well as recent clearing the Recent Documents menu and the Recycle Bin. Application closure/hiding is governed by as simple blacklist; populate the blacklist and hit the panic button (or the user-customizable panic button shortcut, CTRL+P by default). Don’t Panic! is free portable application, Windows only. Hit up the link below to read more and grab a copy. Don’t Panic! [Portable Apps] How To Make a Youtube Video Into an Animated GIFHTG Explains: What Are Character Encodings and How Do They Differ?How To Make Disposable Sleeves for Your In-Ear Monitors

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• Ask The Readers: What’s Your Favorite Co-Op Game?

  - by Jason Fitzpatrick

  For many readers, the weather is getting chillier and that means more time indoors. What better time to take a look at the best co-op games around? Jump in and put in a nod for your favorite game and setup. Wallpaper available here. Whether you’re playing DS-to-DS with your spouse, inviting all your buddies over for a whole-house LAN fest, or couch co-op’ing through your favorite RPG, we want to hear all about your favorite games and the ways you play them. Sound off in the comments with your co-op tips and tricks; make sure to check back in on Friday for the What You Said roundup to find some new titles to tide you over until the warm weather comes around again. How To Get a Better Wireless Signal and Reduce Wireless Network Interference How To Troubleshoot Internet Connection Problems 7 Ways To Free Up Hard Disk Space On Windows

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• Ask the Readers: How Do You Share Your Photos?

  - by Jason Fitzpatrick

  It’s easy to snap away and fill up a memory card, but not quite as easy to share your best pics with your friends and family. How do you get your pics from your camera to your friends’ monitors? This week we’re interested in hearing about your favorite photo sharing tools and techniques. What’s your workflow for getting your photos from your digital camera to the virtual desktops of friends around the globe? Sound off in the comments with your favorite resources, applications, and photo sharing tricks. Make sure to check in on Friday for the What You Said roundup to see how your fellow readers get the job done. 8 Deadly Commands You Should Never Run on Linux 14 Special Google Searches That Show Instant Answers How To Create a Customized Windows 7 Installation Disc With Integrated Updates

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• Ask the Readers: How Do You Find Your Next Book?

  - by Jason Fitzpatrick

  It’s never been easier to find book reviews, recommendations, and comparisons; tools which are more necessary than ever thanks to the increasing number of new titles on the market. This week we want to hear all about your techniques for picking your next book. Whether you consult the New York Times best seller list, pore over Amazon book reviews, use a book suggestion engine, or just buy whatever the local book store has on the end-cap display that month, we want to hear about your system for finding new books. Sound off in the comments with your technique (bonus points for including links to any services or sites you use) and then check back on Friday for the What You Said roundup to see how your fellow readers fill their book bags. Secure Yourself by Using Two-Step Verification on These 16 Web Services How to Fix a Stuck Pixel on an LCD Monitor How to Factory Reset Your Android Phone or Tablet When It Won’t Boot

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• Does My Computer Use More Electricity When Charging USB Devices?

  - by Jason Fitzpatrick

  Your computer consumes a large amount of power just idling there awaiting your command, does charging a smartphone or tablet off one of the USB ports impose much of a demand on it? Today’s Question & Answer session comes to us courtesy of SuperUser—a subdivision of Stack Exchange, a community-driven grouping of Q&A web sites. Image available as wallpaper at WallpapersWide.    

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