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.
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.
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 of the ‘act’:
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.
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.
Can’t wait until March for Windows Vista SP1? Microsoft isn’t expected to officially release the update to users until March. But on their OEM partner site there is a full copy of SP1 ready for you to download, its a bit slow at the moment, due to everyone downloading copies. The 1.2GB disc image requires you run it as a clean installation, so you may want to wait until an easy update via Windows Update.
Microsoft has included annoying anti-piracy measures in its software for some time now. We were happy to hear that Microsoft is toning down the Windows Genuine Advantage protection on Windows Vista SP1. With Vista SP1, ReadyBoost will not be disabled if you haven’t activated Windows or if you fail a WGA test.
This does not mean that WGA is dead. ZDNet reports that the new WGA will not take away certain features, but it may be just as annoying. Instead of logging you off or disabling services, Windows Vista SP1 will pop up an annoying screen every time you logon.
We wish that Microsoft would abandon WGA altogether, but this is a good start.
Kindo.com allows you to create your family tree online. When you first visit the site it asks you for some information, name, gender, and your email address. Once you enter that in you are ready to add members to your family tree. Adding members to the tree is simple, and you are able to invite family members to Kindo to fill in people in your tree you might have missed. Kindo allows you to create profiles for members of you tree including a picture, email address, home address, phone number, birthday, website, and AIM screenname.
Kindo has taken privacy into account making only family members able to view your information.
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