Most Popular Hive Five Topics of 2009 [Best Of 2009]

Most Popular Hive Five Topics of 2009 [Best Of 2009]: "

Every week we pose a simple, focused question to the Lifehacker readership about a specific topic: Which is best? From netbooks and malware removal to home servers and wallpaper, here's a look back at the most popular Hive Five topics of 2009.

The Hive Five asks the question "Which is best?" in a variety of topics covering hardware, software, and sometimes even a combination of the two. Although sometimes it's easy to predict the winner—Ubuntu has had its share of wins, to be sure—the real value in the Hive Five isn't actually its ability to elevate a single winner to a pedestal but to highlight all the great options that are out there.

Between the four runners up in each Hive Five and the other options highlighted in the hundreds of comments on both the Hive Five Call for Contenders and the actual Hive Five every week, it's easy to discover new things. If ever you're not sold on the winner of any Hive Five always make sure to read over the comments and see if any of them tip you off to a new and awesome product you'd never heard of.

Five Best Netbooks

Some months have elapsed since we asked you which netbook was best, but the newer models of the winner and runners up in that Hive Five are still the forerunners in the netbook market.

Five Best Malware Removal Tools

Nobody likes having their machine laden down with malware. Check out this Hive Five to find great applications for keeping things running smooth and malware free.

Best Home Server Software

Media files, data synchronization, and remote backups, oh my! Home computing has advanced to a point where it's practical to run your own home server, and we're running down the five best tools for the job.

Five Best Linux Distributions

There are many, many Linux distributions, and a lot of unique reasons to like them. Read on to see which open-source operating systems inspired our readers to provide our biggest Hive Five response to date.

Five Best Wallpaper Sites

Nobody likes staring at a boring desktop when they fire up their computer every morning. Keep your wallpaper fresh with the five most popular sites Lifehacker readers use to satisfy their wallpaper needs.

Five Best Free Data Recovery Tools

The best way to recover from unexpected data loss is to be properly prepared. With one of the following tools on hand, you'll always be ready to save your data from the Reaper.

Six Best Video Editing Applications

You want to be the supreme ruler of your own virtual cutting room? Better break out the checkbook—your film-chopping powers aren't going to come cheaply.

Five Best Web Browsers

It's probably the most important and debated piece of software on the modern computer. See how your fellow readers get around the net, and vote for your favorite web browser.

Six Best MP3 Tagging Tools

A well tagged MP3 collection makes everything from organization to playback easier. Keep reading for a closer look at your fellow readers' favorite tools for cleaning up their MP3 tags in this Hive Five.

Five Best Antivirus Applications

Computer viruses are increasingly sophisticated and pervasive. If you can't afford to run your computer without some sort of antivirus software installed, check out these five popular options to protect your PC.

Five Best Live CDs

Live CDs (and DVDs) are versatile tools, allowing you to boot into an operating system without installing anything to your hard drives. Let's take a closer look at the five most popular live CDs.

Five Best Disk Defragmenters

Your computer is a busy beaver, rapidly accessing and utilizing files all in the name of bringing you what you want, when you want it. Sometimes it needs a little help tidying up, and that's where these five disk defragmenters come in.

Five Best Portable Applications

Whether you got a shiny new flash drive over the holidays or your old thumb drive is looking for a new lease on life, pack it full of goodness with these five killer portable applications.

Five Best Instant Messengers

Instant messaging has become so ubiquitous, an entire generation of internet users is probably unaware there was ever life without it. Check out the following five most popular instant messengers to to help you communicate across networks and the world.

Five Best Free System Restore Tools

Backing up data is a great way to minimize losses after a computing catastrophe. But what about restoring your actual system right away? Here are the five most popular reader choices.

Five Best People-Search Engines

Need to do a little online detective work? Track down anyone from long lost schoolmates to the new friend whose number you've lost with this assortment of powerful people-search engines.

Five Best System Tray Applications

The Windows system tray can be so much more than a parking lot for programs you don't want cluttering up your task bar. Read on to see the five most popular tray tools readers can't live without.

Five Best Online Backup Tools

Local backup is a useful and necessary part of securing your data against catastrophe, but with the advent of broadband and inexpensive online storage, you've got little reason to not back up critical files to the cloud as well.

Five Best PDF Readers

Adobe's free PDF reader has long been a standard for handling its extremely popular document format, but you aren't limited to using it to view your PDF files. Let's take a look at five of the most popular PDF readers.

Five Best Video Players

We've come a long way since animated GIFs and video-game-style MIDI files were considered cutting edge computer-provided A/V entertainment. Take advantage of today's high-quality video with one of these five most popular video players.

Hive Five: Five Best Mind Mapping Applications

Mind mapping is a great way to add structure to brainstorming sessions and visualize your ideas. Check out the applications your fellow readers use to do their best brainstorming.

Five Best Windows Task Manager Alternatives

The Windows Task Manager is a functional but basic tool for keeping an eye on what your computer's up to. If you want to go beyond the built-in tool and for more in depth information and control, check out these five alternatives.

Six Best Portable Operating Systems

Why restrict yourself to merely carrying around your data on a thumb drive? Take your entire operating system on your flash drive with the excellent portable operating systems you'll find inside this week's Hive Five.

Five Best Portable Apps Suites

Once upon a time, easy remote computing was a pipe dream, now people routinely carry gigs of data around on flash drives smaller than a modest pack of chewing gum. Manage your apps and data with these portable application suites.

Five Best Virtual-Desktop Managers

Long before multiple monitors were popular (or financially feasible), there were virtual desktops—applications that allow you to swap your entire workspace with another for easy compartmentalization of your work. Here's a look at five of the most popular virtual-desktop managers.

Five Best Application Docks

Remember the days of digging through folders of shortcuts and menus to launch applications? These days many users prefer customizable, attractive docks for launching and keeping track of their favorite apps. Here's a look at five of the most popular docks.

Five Best Time-Tracking Applications

Where does the time go? Whether you need to know for billing purposes or just want a better idea of how your work day is split up, you can always answer that question with a good time-tracking application.

Five Best Software Update Tools

Rather than wait around for your software to notify you of updates (let's face it, a lot of applications never will), these five handy tools keep an eye on your apps, alert you when an update's available, and streamline the updating process.

Six Best Exercise Planning and Tracking Tools

Technology and exercise make an excellent pair; you can now track, plan, and graph your workouts more easily than ever. We're here to take a look at six of the most popular tools for the job.

Five Best Alternative File Copiers

If you do any serious file copying on a Windows system, you'll quickly discover that there are substantial limitations to the default file copier. Ease your file copying frustrations with these five alternative copiers.

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Which is Your Favorite Hive Five Topic from 2009?(polls)

Have a favorite Hive Five topic from 2009 that wasn't highlighted here? Let's hear about it in the comments. If you have a topic you'd love us to cover in 2010, make sure to send an email with your suggestion to tips @ lifehacker.com with 'Hive Five' in the subject line so we can add it to our list.

The Great Best of 2009 Recap [Best Of 2009]

The Great Best of 2009 Recap [Best Of 2009]: "

2009 was a big year for Lifehacker, and we spent December looking back at the most popular posts of the year covering all our favorite topics. Here's a quick look back at the best of 2009 in case you missed anything.

• Most Popular DIY Projects of 2009
  We love DIY projects here at Lifehacker. Whether we're building computers, backyard projects, or turning office supplies into artillery, we're always tinkering. Here's a peek at the most popular DIY projects of 2009.
• Most Popular Free Windows Downloads of 2009
  We've featured hundreds of free Windows applications over the course of 2009 that we hoped might bolster your productivity, workflow, or your PC usefulness in one form or another.
• Most Popular Featured Workspaces of 2009
  Every week we bring you fresh workspaces from the Lifehacker Workspace Show and Tell pool, all supplied by you—the awesome Lifehacker readership. Today we're highlighting the 25 most popular workspaces of 2009.
• Most Popular Photography Hacks of 2009
  Whether making your own lens hood to create custom bokeh, breathing like a sniper to get a blur-free photo, or angling your body to look the best in pictures, we shared some great photography hacks in '09.
• Most Popular Free Mac Downloads of 2009
  Nothing beats finding just the right application to fill a common need, fix a problem, or boost your productivity. Treat yourself with 15 of the most popular Mac downloads of 2009.
• Most Popular Top 10s of 2009
  Every weekend, we comb our memories and archives to compile 10 useful items addressing a specific topic you may have forgotten about, or just happen to be excellent. These 20 list(icle)s proved most popular in 2009.
• Most Popular Featured Desktops of 2009
  Our readers have submitted thousands of screenshots of their best desktop configurations, and over the year we've featured some truly impressive and unique desktops with you.
• Most Popular Repurposing Tricks of 2009
  We're huge fans of repurposing here at Lifehacker—squeezing extra and usually clever uses out of every day objects.
• Most Popular Free iPhone Apps (and Posts) of 2009
  The iPhone is the most popular cellphone in the country, and with good reason. Despite occasionally awful choices by Apple, it still has the most—and best—applications around.
• Most Popular How-To Features of 2009
  We cover a lot of tips every day on Lifehacker, but we get our greatest pleasure from putting together in-depth, step-by-step guides.
• Most Popular Firefox Extensions and Themes of 2009
  This year's release of Firefox 3.5 gave us a lot of reasons to like it, but its extensibility remains everyone's favorite feature.
• Most Popular Linux Posts of 2009
  A new browser, two new Ubuntu releases, and more than one new netbook OS—2009 was a big year for open-source software.

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All of us at team Lifehacker wish you and yours a safe, happy, and productive New Year!

Ei.cfg Removal Utility Lets You Use Any Product Key With Your Windows 7 Disc [Downloads]

Ei.cfg Removal Utility Lets You Use Any Product Key With Your Windows 7 Disc [Downloads]: "

Windows: Windows 7 install discs are edition-specific—if you've got a valid license key, you still need the right disc for installation. The ei.cfg Removal Utility, however, lets you create a new, universal installation ISO for Windows 7.

Although your Windows installation disc may say "Home Premium Edition," it still contains the other versions (such as Pro or Ultimate) on the disc—it just has a very small file called ei.cfg that tells the disc what version to install. The ei.cfg Removal Utility creates a new ISO of your install disc that ignores this file, thus letting you choose what edition you want when you start the installer.

While this tool is especially useful for computer technicians who have to install Windows a lot, it's also nice to have for those of us that tend to lose discs often—especially in this day and age of emailed product keys. Now, if you need to reinstall Windows but can't find your disc, you can just borrow a friend's—even if it's an edition that's different than yours. You just need let the installer know which edition matches your product key (Note: Your disc still needs to be the same kernel as your key (i.e. 32 or 64-bit).

The ei.cfg Removal Utility is a free download, Windows only, and requires a Windows 7 install disc to use. Thanks, Cody Ryan Harrod!

Windows 7 ISO Disc Image Utilities [via Technibble]

Six Ways for Working Parents to Spend More Time Parenting [Parent Hacks]

Six Ways for Working Parents to Spend More Time Parenting [Parent Hacks]: "

Alexandra Levit is a columnist for the Wall Street Journal and a career expert who knows a thing or two about balancing work and parenting. If you've resolved to spend more time with your family this year, she's got six helpful suggestions.

My first child, Jonah, was born two weeks before a book launch, and he changed all my workaholic priorities. I still log 40 hours a week, but I'm there for a third of my son's waking hours by adapting these strategies.

Photo by jonathanjonl.

To say those early weeks were chaotic would be an understatement. I'd do phone interviews while nursing, type blog posts in the pediatrician's waiting room, and answer readers' comments with a stack of laundry on my lap. I was accustomed to working as many hours as I wanted to, but I realized that if I wanted to sustain my career's momentum and still be an attentive mother, I needed some new ideas. Here are six of them that have worked for me:

Choose webinars over in-person training and meetings

Webinars allow for presentation-style communication from an individual speaker to an audience, with polling, Q&A sessions, and everything else you'd normally do in-person. The major benefit, though, is avoiding the two days spent trekking through airports on both ends of a conference. That's a major win if you're a working parent. Services like Cisco's WebEx don't require any special software or hardware, either. All you have to do is launch your Web browser from your home office and you can attend or deliver real-time training, seminars and presentations.

Rearrange your schedule to start late and stay late

You'd be surprised, but most managers don't necessarily care when you do your work from day to day, as long as it gets done. You might ask for an arrangement in which you start later, so that you can see your kids off to daycare or school, and return to work from your home office after they've gone to bed. Since my son was born, I've gotten my best work done after 8pm, after he's down for the night.

Combine business travel with vacation

Most working parents view business travel as yet another duty that shaves away family time. At the same time, work itself keeps us from taking the time to jet off with the kids for some getaway fun. The next time you have to fly or drive somewhere far for your job, stop and think. Even if it's not the perfect getaway spot, is there enough to do that your spouse and kids could join you there for a long weekend? When it comes to taking time off, the perfect capital-V Vacation can easily become the enemy of the really good mini-escape.

Ask for household help instead of gifts

My relatives are always asking us what they can get us for birthdays and holidays, and I'm usually at a loss. After all, my son can only play with so many toys, and anything he really needs, we've probably already purchased. So they end up sending checks, which just drop unceremoniously into the bank account. The next time someone asks you about a gift, suggest a housekeeping gift certificate. Instead of spending hours at home cleaning and organizing, you can devote them to quality time with your family.

Empower other employees with valuable responsibilities

It's difficult to transition from being a team of one to a team of several, especially if you're a new manager. But even though you might think you can do a task better yourself, if you don't want your family time to suffer, you must get into the habit of delegating assignments. To baby-step into doing this effectively, cherry-pick one of your tasks to delegate, based on your employee's knowledge, skills, and willingness. Clearly state the expectations and requirements of the project, explain why the task is important, and emphasize what your your employee will get out of it. Follow up regularly to monitor progress, even if it means checking in by phone while at the park or the museum. It's a lot less stressful than putting off plans to do it yourself, and you'll eventually get into the habit of doing it, and doing it well.

Involve your children in your work

Despite your best efforts, you may find that your work time—along with the assorted "take just a minute" interruptions—cuts into your family time more than you would like, so you may need to get creative to ensure your children don't feel neglected. One manufacturing employee I know brings her kids to the office and lets them create artwork for the break room. A business owner I met last year has his kids and their friends participate in focus groups and brainstorming sessions for new products. The more you involve them directly, the less they will feel like your work is taking you away from them. Photo by Amit Chattopadhyay.

Alexandra Levit is a columnist for the Wall Street Journal and the author of the new book 'New Job, New You: A Guide to Reinventing Yourself in a Bright New Career.' If you're struggling with what to do with your career in the New Year, check out NewJobNewYou.com for free guidance and resources.

Sleep Cycle Analyzes Your Sleep Patterns for a Better Wake-Up [Downloads]

Sleep Cycle Analyzes Your Sleep Patterns for a Better Wake-Up [Downloads]: "

iPhone only: Getting jolted awake by your alarm in the middle of a great dream is a drag. The Sleep Cycle app watches your slumbers and wakes you when you're lightly dozing, instead of right before you win the lottery.

Sleep Cycle uses your iPhone's accelerometer to monitor your movements during the night and determine when you're most likely in and out of a dream state. Before you go to bed, set the app's alarm clock, then place your iPhone on the corner of your bed (putting it under the fitted sheet will keep it from sliding around). If you're worried about accidentally dialing someone in the middle of the night, you can put your phone in Airplane Mode—just don't lock it, or the app will turn off.

As you move around during the night, Sleep Cycle records your activity and, over the course of two or three nights, gradually learns your sleep patterns. Beginning about 30 minutes before your alarm is set to go off, the app begins watching for the lightest portions of your sleep cycle and gently prods you awake with your choice of soothing preset sounds.

I've been using the Sleep Cycle for a few days and it's been pretty interesting to learn about when I'm most restless during the night. I already know I don't sleep well (or long enough), but the app is helping me figure out how to make the best of the sleep I do get. When I change variables like the time I go to bed, the temperature of the room, or the sounds I fall asleep to, Sleep Cycle is helping me pinpoint the best sleep strategies. For instance, I learned that I toss and turn far longer before sinking into a deep sleep if I read an ebook before bed instead of a dead tree version.

As for waking up in the morning, I have yet to be roused out of a dream by the app's alarm. Whether it's just a coincidence and I'm already coming out of a dream cycle when the alarm goes off, or that it does indeed sense when a good time to wake me is, I have no idea. I'm just glad to be able to avoid that dead-on-my-feet feeling that sticks with me all day when my REM cycle is interrupted.

Sleep Cycle isn't meant to be a scientific tool for people with medical sleep issues, but rather an unobtrusive way to get a little insight into your sleep patterns. Plenty of variables factor into the results it gathers, including whether you're the only one in bed and how far away from your phone you squirm during the night, but for only 99 cents, Sleep Cycle seems worth picking up if you're curious about what you're doing deep into the night.

What restful sleep tips do you have for getting through the day without dragging? Talk about them in the comments.

Sleep Cycle

Boxee Beta Officially Available for All Platforms [Downloads]

Boxee Beta Officially Available for All Platforms [Downloads]: "

Windows/Mac/Linux/Apple TV: Boxee—the XBMC media center spin-off that took web video by storm—has just released its first public beta into the wild. The new release comes with a new look, improved features, and a few new tricks up its sleeve.

For example, Boxee's just pushed out a very cool Boxee bookmarklet that lets you add any web video to your Boxee queue for easy access next time you're at your media center (for those times you want to watch that video on the big screen).

Stick around for a full screenshot tour of the latest and greatest Boxee release (Update: Here's our first look at the Boxee Beta); in the meantime, Boxee enthusiasts can run over to the new and improved Boxee web site to get their download on. Boxee is a free download, works with Windows, Mac, Linux, and the Apple TV.

Boxee [via Boxee Blog]

Five Best DVD-Ripping Tools [Hive Five]

Five Best DVD-Ripping Tools [Hive Five]: "

You pay good money for your DVDs, but they're hardly the only format you need these days. These five ripping tools ensure you can back them up, keep them on your media server, and load them on your favorite portable player.

Photo by jonasj.

Earlier this week we asked you to share your favorite DVD-ripping tool. We tallied up the votes, and now we're back to highlight the five most popular tools used by Lifehacker readers to rip, backup, and encode their DVD collections.

DVD Shrink (Windows, Free)

DVD Shrink is a free and capable ripping tool that excels at, as the name would imply, shrinking DVDs. DVDs come in two common formats: DVD-5 (4.7GB) and DVD-9 (8.5GB); the Reauthor mode in DVD Shrink helps you to ditch disc extras and strip most larger DVDs down to fit into a standard (and less expensive) DVD-5 disc. DVD Shrink does a good job handling many protection schemes, but hasn't been updated to remove some of the newest schemes.

DVD Fab (Windows, $50)

DVD Fab is a commercial DVD ripper that supports the removal of all current DVD copy protections. In addition to being current on protection schemes, it boasts a large array of options for stripping and repacking your DVDs once the copy protection is removed. You can rip the entire disc, rip only the main movie, or split it into pieces—among other options. Like DVD Shrink, DVD Fab also supports compressing DVD-9 discs to fit on DVD-5 discs.

Handbrake (Windows/Mac/Linux, Free)

Handbrake is a DVD-ripping tool with a strong emphasis on not just ripping media but recoding it for playback on computers, portable devices, and other non-disc based systems. Handbrake can help you convert DVDs and other MPEG-based video into MP4 and MKV files. You can tweak settings like video frame rate and audio codec playback to your heart's content with Handbrake, and even batch encode all your media at one time to make filling up your iPod or other device relatively painless. The one major shortcoming of Handbrake is that it doesn't have any copy protection removal tools built in, which means you may occasionally need to use a 3rd-party stripping tool to prepare your DVD for conversion.

AnyDVD (Windows, $60 per year)

AnyDVD is another commercial entry in this week's Hive Five. It's not cheap, with a one year license running $60—although the multi-year discounts quickly stack up—but it can boast that it stays on top of current protection and encryption schemes to make sure you're never locked out of your own discs. In addition to stripping protections from the disc, it also has the ability to control DVD playback speed so that DVDs played on media center computers will play slower and quieter, and it allows you to remove things like forced subtitles, warning screens, and disc material you don't want.

DVD Decrypter (Windows, Free)

Although DVD Decrypter hasn't been updated since 2005, it still works on a significant number of DVDs and has a strong following resulting from both its original user base and new users who find it cuts through the copy protection on their current DVDs protected with CSS, Macrovision content protection, region codes, and other hindrances.

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Now that you've had a chance to look over the five most popular DVD-ripping tools as nominated by Lifehacker readers, it's time to cast your vote for the tool you like best:

Metering Modes Explained

Metering Modes Explained: "

A Guest Post by Laura Charon from Beyond Megapixels.

On today’s digital cameras, users have the ability to choose and adjust the metering mode, or how the camera measures the brightness of the subject. Metering settings work by assessing the amount of light available for a photograph, and then adjusting the exposure accordingly. Sometimes, however, the camera isn’t intuitive enough to get the exposure right when using Program, Shutter Priority, or Aperture Priority modes. Fortunately, the photographer has the ability to make manual adjustments to the metering mode used by the camera. (Refer to your individual owner’s manual to learn how to change the settings on your camera.)

Evaluative Metering (on Canon cameras), or Evaluative/Matrix Metering (on Nikon cameras) – This is the “default” setting on most cameras. The camera sets the metering automatically to suit the scene and subject of the photograph. The entire scene within the camera’s viewfinder is utilized to assess the appropriate metering. This is the mode to use when you’re not sure which mode the scene will require.

Canon Digital Rebel XTi, 50mm f/1.4 lens, RAW file format, SOOC - Exposure: 1/30, ISO 200, Shot in Program Mode, Evaluative Metering

Partial Metering (on Canon cameras), or Spot Metering (on Nikon cameras) – This type of metering is helpful for photographing back-lit subjects. The metering is weighted according to the very center of the shot – a very small area of the frame. Use this mode when you have a very specific area of the photograph that you wish the exposure to be based upon.

Canon Digital Rebel XTi, 50mm f/1.4 lens, RAW file format, SOOC - Exposure: 1/20, ISO 200, Shot in Program Mode, Partial Metering

Center-Weighted Average Metering (on Canon cameras), or Center-Weighted Metering (on Nikon cameras) – This metering setting gives priority to the center portion of the photograph, but also takes the surrounding portions of the shot into consideration. Basically, this is somewhere in between Evaluative and Partial Metering. Use this setting when the subject is in the center of the photograph and exposed correctly, so that the subject is not affected by the exposure of the background.

Canon Digital Rebel XTi, 50mm f/1.4 lens, RAW file format, SOOC - Exposure: 1/30, ISO 200, Shot in Program Mode, Center-Weighted Metering

The difference in exposure between the three photographs is slight, but the center example of Partial Metering, I believe, achieves the most correct balance of light and exposure for this particular shot. Since the object is lit from overhead and slightly behind, it is most appropriate to gauge the exposure from the very center of the object.

Photo credits (all): Snerkology Media

Post from: Digital Photography School - Photography Tips.

Metering Modes Explained

Our Favorite Apps: Stuff that stayed on our phones in 2009

Our Favorite Apps: Stuff that stayed on our phones in 2009: "

Filed under: Features, iPhone, App Review

As the year draws to a close, we thought we'd shine a spotlight on some of the favorite apps we used this year. These are the 'sticky' apps, the ones that lingered on our iPhones after we gave them a preliminary spin. There's so much on the App Store, good, bad and indifferent; here are a few suggestions for items that deserve your attention.

• iAssociate [$1.99] Hugely challenging and long-term fun, this Funny-Farm-style game makes you brainstorm out associations from a core word or phrase. (Original TUAW review) -- Erica Sadun


• TrailGuru [Free] Not a perfect app but a very handy one to keep track of your neighborhood walks. I love the way that TrailGuru lets me post my maps after each walk, keeps track of my average and max speed, and how I can break the walk down into laps. That really helps since I tend to walk in mile-long circles. -- ES
  
  


• Twittelator Pro [$4.99] I use Twitter a lot when I'm away from home, and Twittelator Pro from Stone Design just keeps getting better. When Twitter changes, Twittelator Pro is usually the first app to support the new features. -- Steve Sande


• Dropbox [Free] In case you haven't already figured it out, I'm a Dropbox fanatic. The iPhone client is fast, free, and makes it easy for me to view, share, or delete files on all of my machines. (Original TUAW post) -- SS


• Doodle Jump [$0.99] All work and no play makes Steve a dull boy, so I have my share of games on my iPhone. As the App Store ad warns, Doodle Jump is addictive. My top score isn't that great, but Doodle Jump keeps me coming back for more. -- SS


• BeejiveIM [$5.99] When we're out on the go, we always want to stay connected to each other. Beejive offers many IM features that allow us to do this, including its recently-added group chat support. -- Joachim Bean


• MoodAgent [Free for now] A great little app for creating playlists based on a variety of criteria like tempo, sensuality, mood, etc. Similar to Genius, but I find its playlists to be more apropos in most situations. (Original TUAW review) -- Brett Terpstra


• Instapaper Pro [$4.99] My ultimate read-later collection. Save pages to it from any browser (including Mobile Safari), then read text-only or full versions of them when you're good and ready. It can also output .epub files for Stanza, but the built-in reader has some excellent functionality. (TUAW Friday Favorite) -- BT


• Stanza [Free] My favorite e-book reader. It's free. 'Nuff said. -- BT


• Bookmark [$2.99] An audiobook sub-system for iTunes. It lets you place bookmarks, always saves your place, stays on when the app is closed and lots more. I use it every day. (Original TUAW Review) -- David Winograd


• Boxcar [Free] Given the choice between burning SMS messages to get updates from Twitter and other networks, or using Boxcar to control notifications and give me just what I need... well, it's a keeper, even with the additional costs to support more web services. -- Mike Rose


• Evernote [Free] We talk about it all the time, but it's because we use it. Evernote gives you a PDF viewer, document management, notes with geolocation, and all without hassles or aggravation. (Recent TUAW coverage) --MR


• Radio Paradise [Free] There are plenty of streaming audio apps on the store, many with more flexibility and more music discovery power (much love, Pandora), but none with the homemade goodness of the Radio Paradise app. You can instantly mark or buy tracks you like, and the sleep timer feature + the AirCurve acoustic base = bedside music nirvana. --MR


• Roambi [Free] This data visualization app isn't going to entertain you on long trips or sing you to sleep, but give it your business spreadsheets or sales projections and watch the fireworks. Roambi's ability to drill down into large data sets should wow your colleagues at the next quarterly status meeting. With a $99 Roambi Pro account, you can pull data directly from a Google Spreadsheet for the ultimate in cloud charting. --MR


• Fast Contacts [$1.99] earned a spot on my home screen with a couple of key features Apple forgot in the vanilla contact app. Two useful features: contact sorting in numerous ways (even location) and an event list that will alert you to birthdays (provided you input them). -- Victor Agreda, Jr.


• Sally's Spa [$2.99] is one of a multitude of time management games, but it's been a keeper on my iPhone. I picked it up back when it was on sale for 99 cents, and it was worth the money. The graphics are very nice, and updates further tweak the game's responsiveness. The only downside is the battery drain. -- Megan Lavey


• Currencies [$1.99] was indispensable when I visited my fiancé in the UK in October. The application has a nice interface and is easy to use to switch back among multiple currencies. There are many converters out there, but this one proved to be the most responsive. -- ML


• Lose It! [Free] is the best food and exercise journal you can find for the iPhone, especially for the price. The latest version only adds to it by allowing you to share your progress online. It's easy to update and, since you're likely to have your iPhone with you whenever you're eating or exercising, it's hard not to forget to update your food or exercise log throughout the day. -- ML


• Sportacular [Free, Pro available for $1.99] There are a bevy of apps on the App Store designed to give you the scores for your favorite teams when you need them, but this one's the best -- it's quick and easy to use, has a full playing field of features, and hits a home run with free, customizable push alerts whenever you want them. The Facebook integration and social features (discuss games with others online, or chart your predictions over a season) are just extra points on the board. -- Mike Schramm


• I am T-Pain [$1.99] Ok, yes, it's a joke. But the iPhone has been a breeding ground for innovative music applications, and this, the little app that automatically autotunes your voice to line up with a surprising amount of background music choices, actually appeals to all musicians, from the corporate desk jockey who just wants to yell out 'shawwty!' after a hard day at work to the indie musician who wants a cheap autotune sound for their LP. It's a professional piece of software hidden in a very casual product -- an app that's perfect for the iPhone platform. -- MS

Of course, we want to hear your top picks and can't-live-without-em apps as well... let us know!

How to make a Lego table out of PVC pipe

How to make a Lego table out of PVC pipe: "We looked all over the place for a Lego table. We finally gave up and decided to make our own. My boys and I worked all Christmas weekend and came up with some good results. There are several optional ways of configuring this so do what's best for your situation. We wanted to have 2 big areas to ...
By: casey868"

Migrating from one Home Server to Another

Migrating from one Home Server to Another: "

MediaSmartServer.net has a great post on transferring your backups and shares from a EX475 to the new generation EX495.

Alex Kuretz used the command line utility "Robocopy" and a copy of the add-in "WHS Backup Database-Backup" to complete the move, which you can learn more about here.

30 Photographic Goals for 2010

30 Photographic Goals for 2010: "

Image by Stéfan

1. Don’t leave your camera

You never know what opportunities will present themselves to you if your camera is always at your side. It may be a bit of extra hassle, but you will develop a greater sense of observation by being aware of your camera constantly.

2. Shoot a Photo a Day

No greater photographic progress can be seen than by a personal photo a day challenge. Watch your development over a period of 1-3 months and be amazed at how far you’ve come.

3. Smile: Photos in your daily life

Most New Years resolutions include spending more time with friends and family. Take a photographer’s spin on this one, and make it a priority to take casual photos of your friends and family on a day-to-day basis. Capturing memories for others is commendable, but capturing memories for yourself is priceless.

4. Prioritize your goals

Do you want to develop your business practices? Learn a new technique? Save for a lens? Allow your tasks and plans to filter through your long-term goals.

5. Read a photography book a month

Many professional photographers have tremendous resources for up and coming photographers. Check out this list to get you started.

6. Join or Start a photo club

Camaraderie between photo buddies and colleagues is a treasure worth investing time in. Gain invaluable advice, and accountability by joining a local photo club. And if you don’t have a photo club in your town – start one!

7. Subscribe to 5 new industry leader blogs

David Jay. Jasmine Star. Mike Cologne. Dane Sanders. Scott Roberts. Becker. Ron Dawson. The list of industry leaders who enjoy giving back to others is endless. Glean from their wisdom and experience as often as you can!

8. Compete!

Submitting your photos to competitions is one of the greatest ways to get your photos off your hard drive and into the sights of important judges and industry leaders. Remember, it’s not about who you know, but who knows you!

9. Plan a formal shoot a week

If you want to learn more about portraiture, schedule a months’ worth of weekly sessions with models, couples, or seniors. Take a few hours to set up a shoot with as many details as possible, and build your techniques and portfolio.

10. Share online

Facebook, Flikr, and other photo sharing sites are obvious ways to share your photos online, but don’t stop there. Set up private albums for friends and family on picasa albums, or other services that will enable ordering and downloads to the people you love.

11. Learn a new slideshow program

Windows Movie Maker and iMovie may be convenient, but they may not offer you all the tools you need to display your photos with wow! Take some time to learn another program for your slideshows to create the most professional look.

12. Create a photo book a month

What do you do with the photos you take every month? Instead of simply storing them on a hard drive, put them into a simple photo book. Use Blurb, MyPublisher, or Snapfish for easy and professional looks. You will be ecstatic when, at the end of 2010, you have 12 books featuring your work!

13. Build your website

Whether it’s a free template or a friend’s design, take the time to present your work on your own piece of the web. It adds to your credibility, and enables you to easily share your work with others.

14. Challenge yourself with flash lighting

Flash is bad – NOT! Flash may be a bit scary and intimidating, but a little bit of discipline and hard work, and you can become a flash pro. Check out some of these articles to join the ranks of the proud flash photographers.

15. Get a photography or business mentor

Sometimes it takes a little bit of assistance to get where you need to be in creative or business endeavors. Send

16. Inquire at a newspaper

Look for connections in unexpected places. Even if you don’t want to go into photojournalism full time, getting some work at a newspaper will give you some good connections, and provide opportunities you may not have had otherwise.

17. Display your work

Many local cafes and coffee shops are interested in supporting local artists. Make some appointments to sit down and inquire if the owner is willing to display your work on the venue’s walls. You may not be able to display them for sales, but you will generate additional interest and possible clientele.

18. Get published

These days, being published does not simply mean by paper medium. There are hundreds of blogs relevant to the kind of photography you want to create. Do some investigating. Make a list of a dozen blogs and submit your work. Then – be persistent! Be cordial, but follow through.

19. Take monthly photo walks

Do you take photo’s to relax? Sometimes amid the tension of photographing for business, or photographing for development, it’s easy to forget the enjoyment of photography. Return to the joy by scheduling an afternoon or an hour to walk through a new town, trail, or area and find inspiration. Your eyes will be opened in a new way, and you will remember the euphoria of creative discovery.

20. Plan a monthly calendar for next year

What one theme do you love more than anything else? Florals? Landscapes? Smiles? Eyes? Shoes? Find your favorite theme, and plan to shoot one photo a month in that theme, and put them together in a calendar for next year. Friends and family will love the calendar, and it gives you an excuse to display your work on the walls of homes!

21. Follow a regular photo blog-posting schedule

Photo-blogging weekly will develop your skills rapidly. Your readers will force you to be accountable to shooting consistently, and you will be able to see your development by leaps and bounds.

22. Teach a class

You are always one step ahead of someone else. Challenge yourself to host a photography class for a group in your area of influence. A church youth group class on composition. A low income after school program on creativity. A free reach out to professional amateurs on best business practices. You have something to offer, and sharing with others will also help you know your stuff as best you can.

23. Promote your work in an online Gallery

Can’t afford to print and frame dozens of pieces in a photo collection? Don’t have to. Using a hosting provider such as Zenfolio, Shutterfly, or Pictage, you can bring your work into the homes of others with the click of a mouse. Force yourself to use your photos instead of allowing them to sit on a hard drive, never to be used.

24. Give away monthly desktop calendars

There’s no better way to stay in the thoughts and mind of future clients than offering monthly calendar wallpaper for free download. Design something with a photo, and perhaps a special quote or verse. Post on your blog, and forward it on to friends and family. If it’s really cool, they’ll forward it on to others also. Suddenly, strangers will know who you are, and you will be competition on a different level.

25. Reach a hand

Get involved with HelpPortrait, or offer your services to a Boys and Girls club, or other nonprofit. These organizations are infamous for having low budgets for multimedia, and if you can offer your skills for their cause, it will bring your name out, and give you value and worth that you don’t otherwise have.

26. Develop a post processing workflow

Systemizing your work is the best way to a quick development for future work. Even if you are not in the business of photography, deciding on a good workflow for every single shoot will help you save time and energy in post processing.

27. Create a business plan

Want to start a business? Or already have? The best way to get a quick start on competition is to develop a business plan answering questions such as, “where do I want to go?” “What do I want my business to become?” and “who is my ideal client?” Even if you are not sure about starting a photography business, setting a few goals for jobs will help you pay for that new lens.

28. Experiment with new presets

Develop your own editing style by playing with presets. Start here for a good list of presets, and then adapt them to your own style. Your photos will become more cohesive and specific – causing you to have a brand with your images no one else can mimic.

29. Make personal postcards to send friends

Print mail is a rarity these days. Imagine how you would stand out if you sent out monthly postcards to select friends and family? No one can afford an entire Christmas List every month, but you can rotate the list of recipients by month. Your work will get out, you will bless others with your images, and once again, you won’t have images sitting on a hard drive, idle and wasted.

30. Take a workshop

There is no shortage of professional photographers wanting to give back through workshops. You can find workshops of all kinds, levels, and price points. Want to get away for a weekend? Or study at your own pace? You can find a workshop on location or online and continue the transformational journey of your photography in an unforgettable and rewarding way.

Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM Lens

Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM Lens: "

One of the most popular lenses in our recent popular DSLR lens list was the Canon 70-200mm F/2.8L IS lens.

Today Canon have released an updated version of this very popular lens – a Mark II version.

With a really versatile focal length range it is no wonder that these 70-200mm lenses always feature in our top lenses lists. This updated lens comes with improved optical performance after a redesigned innards that now has a fluorite element and 5 UD elements to help with correcting chromatic aberration and faster focusing system.

The new lens has a smaller minimum focal distance of 1.2 meters (as opposed to 1.4 meters in the last version) and there are a couple of external changes including wider focusing ring. It’s also a little stronger and weighs 20 grams more than the previous model.

I’m not sure I’ll be ordering one to update my current 70-200mm f/2.8L IS Mark I – but if I was in the market for the best I’d be certainly drooling over this new lens!

No price has been announced yet for this lens but it shouldn’t be far off as it is expected in stores in April.

Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM Lens Press Release

Canon Makes The Best Even Better, With The Introduction Of The Second Generation EF 70-200mm F/2.8L IS II USM Lens

Canon’s New EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM Incorporates Advanced Lens Elements and Enhanced Durability for High-Speed Autofocus and High-Performance Optical Image Stabilization

Canon, a leader in digital imaging, introduces the new EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens. Arguably the most popular focal range in Canon’s telephoto arsenal and a staple lens for any professional photographer, the EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens provides the focal length, maximum aperture and zoom power for capturing everything from fast-action sports to studio portraits. Built for the professional, the body structure of the new EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens has been enhanced to provide better durability and strength without a significant increase in weight. Canon has improved optical performance on the new EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens by redesigning the internal elements, incorporating a fluorite element and a fifth UD element. The use of the fluorite element and five UD elements helps to minimize secondary chromatic aberrations and produce better image quality with improved contrast and resolution through the entire zoom range; the end result is an optically precise lens worthy of becoming the leader of Canon’s L-series lenses.

Along with its redesigned optical elements, the new lens design features improved AF speed due to a new focusing algorithm and has reduced the minimum focusing distance to 3.9 feet (1.2 meters) through the entire zoom range, allowing photographers to capture tighter portraiture shots in a small studio space. The previous lens model’s minimum focusing distance was 4.6 feet (1.4 meters), whereas now photographers can stand nearly 8 inches closer to their subject and achieve sharp focus and tight crops. Canon has also enhanced the Image Stabilization allowing it to compensate for shutter speeds up to four steps slower than 1/focal length, a one step improvement over the previous lens model.

“Canon’s core has always been our optics, and we are constantly challenging ourselves to produce better and more advanced optical systems for our customers. The new EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens incorporates the best advancements in Canon lens technology from the past few years and packages it into what we believe will be the most popular lens for professionals and advanced photographers,” stated Yuichi Ishizuka, senior vice president and general manager, Consumer Imaging Group, Canon U.S.A.

The enhanced magnesium alloy barrel design of the EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens features added strength with a minimal 20-gram increase in weight compared with the previous model (1490g vs. 1470g) and retains Canon’s protective seals and fittings providing dust and water resistance for those photographers working in adverse conditions. A new bayonet mount on the front of the lens includes a locking mechanism to ensure the supplied lens hood remains securely in place. Other noticeable improvements include a wider focusing ring, and sleeker design by reducing the thickness of any protruding elements such as the switch panel. The new lens is also compatible with Canon’s existing EF1.4X II and EF2X II Extenders as well as EF Extension Tubes and the 77mm Close-Up Lens 500D.

Pricing and Availability

?The Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens is supplied with a detachable tripod collar, a reversible bayonet mount lens hood and a lens pouch. The new lens is scheduled to be delivered to U.S. dealers in April, price to be determined.

Post from: Digital Photography School - Photography Tips.

How to liveblog like Electricpig

How to liveblog like Electricpig: "

CES, the biggest gadget show on the planet, goes down in Las Vegas this week, and we’re at gizmo ground zero bringing you all the latest news with our realtime liveblogs.

It’s easy to liveblog yourself too, and break the headlines as they happen. Read our guide and we’ll let you in on the secrets behind powering Electricpig’s liveblogs. We’ll show you exactly how we do it, and how you can too. Get set to morph yourself into a true citizen journo!

To get started right now, you will need…

• A mobile broadband dongle (with a cracking unlimited data tariff)


• A laptop


• A digital camera


• A blog (we recommend Wordpress or Blogger)


• An event to cover (how about a football game, fashion show or even the finale of a TV series?)


• Dedication, and the will to succeed! Go get ‘em tiger! Read our instructions below and we’ll show you how!

Set up a blog

Electricpig is powered by Wordpress. Our site sits on our own servers, with a ton of customisation behind the scenes, but you can get your own Wordpress blog set up for free at Wordpress.com. It’s a free and easy way to set up your own blog, and while you’ll want to add your own domain name and hosting at extra cost, you can tackle these later, once you’re up and running.

Once your blog is ready, you’ll want to add a liveblogging platform into the mix. We use the fantastic ScribbleLive for liveblogging, since it lets us post text updates at speed, ad well as pulling in any images we upload to Flickr automatically. To make that last bit happen, we use Apple Automator on a Mac, with a bit of custom jiggery pokery pulling pictures direct from a digital camera to our laptops, before flinging them to the photo sharing service.

Setting up Automator will vary depending on the make and model of camera you have, so we recommend Flickr’s photo uploader, and manually dragging photos to it for the most reliable results.

If you don’t want to use Wordpress, you can use a host of other blogging platforms with ScribbleLive, including the Google-owned Blogger.

Pack your kit bag

To type quickly you’ll want to use a laptop to liveblog, and a mobile broadband dongle. Vodafone’s mobile broadband sticks are a bargain: you can nab one now on a £15 per month contract with a 3GB data allowance and anti-virus thrown in free.

Once your laptop is sorted you’ll want to make sure you’re producing top notch pictures. We use a digital SLR for snaps, with telephoto lenses to get up close, even in a room full of jostling tech hacks.

When taking photos for a liveblog, we dial the resolution down to three megapixels to keep file sizes small while maintaining image quality from the SLR. It keeps publishing delay close to zero, as Vodafone’s fast 3G network makes short work of images, even though they still weigh in at several megabytes each.

Connect the software

We use ScribbleLive as it’s the fastest way to pump out eye witness news and updates instantly. You can sign in with an existing Facebook or Twitter ID, making set-up a cinch.

Once you’re logged in, you’ll want to create a new event. Once that’s done, you can slap the embed code into a post on your blog, or even auto publish it as a new Wordpress post automatically under the “Add to Your Site” section on the right hand side of the screen.

Connect your Flickr account under the “Post To This Event” section, and any pictures you upload will land on the liveblog within 20 seconds of them landing on Flickr’s servers.

Lastly, keep an eye on your connection speed with Vodafone’s Mobile Connect software, bundled free with mobile broadband dongles: faster speeds mean quicker uploads, so use it to hunt down a blazing 3G HSDPA signal.

Get your readers involved

Once your ScribbleLive event is set up, assuming you’ve allowed comments, your readers will be able to interact with events as they happen. It’s a great way of making sure everyone has their say. You’ll see them appear under “Comments in Moderation” on the right hand side of your ScribbleLive event. Just approve them, and all your readers will see them too.

If you’re feeling the pressure, get your friends to help you liveblog too. Hit the Invite tab and send them the code to become a writer. They’ll be able to log into the event too, and help you report the news without treading on your toes.

When everything’s wrapped, close the event to stop any more comments or posts from your friends appearing. Once the event is finished, you can grab a copy of it in HTML to save as a regular post on your site. With Vodafone’s 3G network making liveblogging anywhere possible, all you have to do is concentrate on getting the word out there on what’s happening.

Buy a Vodafone mobile broadband dongle now and get started right away!

Related posts:

1. How to run a liveblog on a budget
2. How to liveblog with mobile broadband
3. Liveblog with Nokia N900: The best handset, and the best deals

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