One thing that has always annoyed us about Windows is how it brings up an AutoPlay menu asking if we’d like to burn a disc, watch a movie, or perform some other action. Or if you have selected an option, Windows may just automatically launch a program.

To our relief CleanHandler came along. It is a freeware program that helps you remove or fix entries from the AutoPlay menu. Sadly there’s no option for adding new programs to the AutoPlay menu. If your media player of choice doesn’t support AutoPlay, there’s not much CleanHandler can do. But it can clean up bad registry entries.

Go download it

eBay has just release eBay Desktop 1.0. Right after Adobe Air 1.0. Which they did purposely. It provides a desktop alternative to the eBay website. eBay users can use it to search, browse, bid, keep track of their auctions, and more. And because it uses Adobe AIR, it runs on both Windows and Max OS X.

The eBay Desktop installer is just 7 MB (Adobe AIR installer included). Installation was fast and simple, starting up the program was a little difficult because it crashed, but it finally opened.

When you first start the program, you are shown a video introduction to the eBay desktop. The eBay desktop home page allows you to track all your bidding and watching activity, and there are separate tabs for finding items, tracking and paying for your winning bids, and a feeds tab.

eBay has spent some time creating this program, and it shows. The user friendliness is a major plus. One drawback is some features are not available for sellers. Sellers are not able to track the items they’re selling or past sales.

Canonical has just released some more details and pictures of Ubuntu Mobile, a version of the popular Linux OS designed for mobile devices using Intel’s Silverthorn processor. News that Ubuntu Mobile was in progress has been known for some time, but it looks as though the operating system is coming closer to an official release. Source code is available now to developers, note that we do not recommend installing it on a device unless you’re willing to risk erasing all of your data.

Details we know so far: Ubuntu Mobile will include touch-screen support and large icons. The OS is designed for 4.8-inch through 7-inch screens with resolutions from 800 x 480 pixels to 1024 x 768 pixels. The default web browser is based on Firefox and supports Flash 9 and Java.

Some of the applications will include:

Skype with Video support
Audio and video players
An email client with support for POP and IMAP
An RSS Reader
PIM software

Via Canonical

If you love to customize your computer, we have the program for you. Vista Visual Master 1.0.2, a freeware program created by Vista123.net. The program features the most sought after tweaks for Vista and offers them up in a small package.

Vista Visual Master offers great customization, including the ability to:

Remove the arrows from the shortcut icons
Show the Windows version of your desktop (who doesn’t want a jumbled mass of numbers in the bottom corner of their screen?)
Change system and file icons
Change the boot and logon screens

Vista Visual Master also features a boot screen file creator, making it possible to create a boot screen using any image of your choice.

Vista Visual Master is freeware and supports Vista only, Doh.

Download it

Most of Google’s services are optimized for mobile web browsers, including their search page, Google News, RSS reader, and email client. Google has yet to release a version for Windows Mobile, so developer Bryan Burkholder decided to create one. It is called Google2Go.

The application supports almost all Google mobile services, including:

Google web, image, and local search
Google Calendar
Google Reader
Gmail
Google Docs
Picasa
Google News
Google Notes

Google2Go requires a Windows Mobile 6 Professional device with a touchscreen, but Burkholder plans to add support for other devices later this year.

via Google Blogoscoped

Most of us bring our laptops to the local cafe and use the free Wi-Fi. But these pranksters actually brought their desktops with them. The halarious guys at Improv Everywhere decided to go old school and bring full sized desktops including classic CRT monitors. To our suprise, Starbucks did not kick them out. Here’s a pretty funny video (after the jump) of the ‘act’:
Read more »

Ubuntu 8.04 final is almost ready for its scheduled April launch. Canonical, the commercial sponsor of Ubuntu, has released the Alpha 5 of the popular Linux distribution. A great addition that Alpha 5 offers is a new installation option: Users can either run and install Ubuntu 8.04 Alpha 5 using a LiveCD, or they can use Wubi to install Ubuntu to a partition from within Windows.

Updates in the latest Alpha release:

Firefox 3 beta 3 is the default web browser
Xorg 7.3 now included
PulseAudio is used by default
Now uses Linux kernel 2.6.24
Brasero CD/DVD burning application, replaces the Serpentine CD burning utility
Transmission BitTorrent client replaces Gnome BitTorrent
Vinagre VNC client replaces xvnc4viewer

Ubuntu 8.04 Alpha 5 is available for download. Go get it. We recommend you back-up your files before upgrading.

Via Ubuntu

Some time ago, Mozilla announced plans to create a new organization responsible for development of the Thunderbird e-mail client. Mozilla’s hugely popular Firefox web browser has been getting most of the attention from both developers and internet users, while Thunderbird has been standing in the dark.

Tuesday, David Ascher announced that the new Thunderbird project has a new name: Mozilla Messaging. He also released the following about Thunderbird 3:

An integrated calendar
Improved search
Easier configuration

In the long run, Ascher says the team is focusing on internet communication. Most people use instant messaging, IRC, blogs, and VoIP to communicate along side email. We hope to see an instant chat add-on included.

Firefox 3 beta 3 is now available to be downloaded. Updated versions include Windows, Mac OS, and Linux. There aren’t any major new features, but it does have improved OS-specific themes and a new bookmark/history manager. Check out Mozilla Links for a list of changes in the latest beta.

Firstly Firefox 3 beta 3 blends in better in Windows XP, Vista, OS X, and Linux. The new themes are still looking beta, but you will notice redesigned icons and some small changes to the toolbar layout. For example, the backward and forward buttons in the Windows version have been combined into one button. We actually like how it looks… and we found that it to be a faster way of going back and forward.

You will find that the Mac and Linux versions now have native windows for file and text selection boxes and other menus. And the OS X version also includes Growl integration.

Something that we have always wanted is now here. When you try to close multiple tabs or close a browser session with multiple tabs open, Firefox will ask if you want to save your session.

A bunch of ‘coffee people’ became happy yesterday, when Starbucks announced it would be partnering with AT&T to provide free WiFi. Starbucks has said that about 7,000 locations nationwide will carry the new service. Will small cafes hurt due to Starbucks offering free WiFi. We believe so.

Ok so is it really free? Well sort of, you get two hours free, but only if you buy coffee with a Starbucks card. This doesn’t seem to bad to us, though: you’ll just have to put your espresso money on a gift card instead of cash. After using WiFi for two hours, you can buy additional hours at a rate of $3.99 an additional two hours, and the unlimited monthly plan is $20. Existing AT&T customers, will be able to use the new Starbucks hotspots for free.

T-Mobile is getting the boot, but if you already bought a T-Mobile plan, AT&T is allowing existing customers to use their accounts on the new hotspots.

Via Switched