April 10th, 2009

Weekend Gadget Guidance: Portable Ubuntu runs inside Windows, free

Posted by Andrew Nusca @ 2:30 am

Categories: Linux, Operating Systems, Weekend Gadget Guidance, Windows

Tags: Ubuntu, Portable Ubuntu, Microsoft Windows, Linux, Operating Systems, UNIX, Open Source, Software, Andrew Nusca

Ever want to run an entire Linux install as a Windows application? With free application Portable Ubuntu you can — and you can have it tag along with you on a flash drive.

Portable Ubuntu lets you seamlessly run Linux apps on your Windows desktop as a stand-alone package that runs a popular version of the popular Ubuntu Linux distribution. The package can edit Windows folders and files and it’s persistent — meaning anything you install to it stays with you.

The latest Portable Ubuntu package is about 438MB. Simply double-click to unpack to a folder and do the following, according to Lifehacker’s Kevin Purdy:

On Vista or Windows 7, open the command prompt as an administrator (Windows key, type in “cmd” (sans quote marks), then right-click on the “Command Prompt” option that appears and select “Run as Administrator”). On Windows XP, launch command prompt, navigate to the folder where you extracted Portable Ubuntu, and enter “run_portable_ubuntu” and hit Enter to launch the .bat script.

It will take awhile, and Purdy says you’ll probably get a few prompts to “Unblock” coLinux and a few other apps’ abilities on your system (do so).

Once the small, draggable menu bar (as seen in the above pic) shows up on your desktop, you’re good to go.

Within the Applications, Places, and System menus is nearly everything a Linux user has at their disposal.

Note before you install: The default root password is 123456.

Portable Ubuntu is a free, portable download for Windows.

April 3rd, 2009

What happens when Moleskine mixes with online tools?

Posted by Jennifer Bergen @ 11:11 am

Categories: Uncategorized, Weekend Gadget Guidance

Tags: Contact, Adobe PDF, Tool, Computer, MSK, Wizard, Productivity, Jennifer Bergen

There’s something nice about holding a good Moleskine notebook in your hand. Yes, gone are the days when everyone carried around a little address or appointment book. Today, you can have your addresses, appointments, calculator, e-mail, and everything else you could ever need, right in the palm of your hand with your trusty mobile phone. But for those of us who still carry around daytimers, me being one of them, there’s something new for the Moleskine fans: an online tool.

By visiting the Moleskine Web site, you’ll find the MSK wizard. MSK is a printable version for Moleskine of digital content, such as your contacts or events, or images and text. It does involve you actually printing, cutting, and pasting into your book, so if that’s not something you’re willing to do, stop reading now.

MSK creates a PDF that you can print out for your Moleskine. The Wizard allows you to make your own pages. You can choose to make a page for a standard/diary-sized book (2.83×4.56 inches), or for a weekly-sized book (2.83×1.22 inches). You then title your page and your photo, choose a photo from your computer, choose the positioning of the image, and enter your text into a Word-like window.

Read the rest of this entry »

February 26th, 2009

How to: Keep your laptop from being stolen

Posted by Andrew Nusca @ 11:52 am

Categories: Laptops, Security, Weekend Gadget Guidance

Tags: Laptop Computer, Computer, Computrace Software, Computrace Agent, Productivity, Notebooks, Hardware, Notebooks & Tablets, Andrew Nusca

A laptop is stolen every 53 seconds, and approximately 97 percent are never recovered, according to the FBI.

Worse, one out of every 10 laptops will be stolen within the first 12 months of purchase.

Will you be next?

With all of your family photos, tax return files, bank statements and more at risk — not to mention all those usernames and passwords that you auto-saved — something must be done.

And if you manage a business or work in a corporate environment, the cost could be even steeper than just replacing hardware: think of the public relations nightmare from the theft and legal requirement to alert employees and clients about the information breach.

According to the Ponemon Institute, the cost to a company can total $197 per missing record when factoring in the loss of customers, legal fees and PR crisis management.

Clearly, a few thousand records can quickly add up.

“The loss of a laptop computer may well be quite expensive if it contains unencrypted confidential data,” according to the 2008 CSI Computer Crime and Security Survey. In 2008, 42 percent of all corporate security incidents were because of a stolen laptop, second only to viruses and insider abuse.

[Read the full survey here - PDF]

So what to do? Here are several solutions to address the problem.

Theft Recovery: LoJack

Absolute Software, which bills itself as the leading provider of computer theft recovery, data protection and IT asset management, says their Computrace LoJack for Laptops helps recover 40 to 50 computers each week, or roughly three of four missing computers of the three million machines the company protects. (The company also offers a version for mobile devices such as smartphones.)

How?

The Computrace software embeds an agent in your computer’s firmware. When your computer is reported stolen, Computrace sends a silent signal over the Internet to its Absolute Monitoring Center, providing location information, among other information, about your stolen machine. The company then works with local law enforcement to recover the computer.

The stealthy Computrace Agent is one tough cookies, too: it’s capable of surviving operating system re-installations, hard drive reformats, replacements and re-imaging.

Read the rest of this entry »

February 6th, 2009

ZDNet's Ultimate Tax Software Guide for 2008

Posted by Andrew Nusca @ 11:39 am

Categories: Politics, Taxes, Weekend Gadget Guidance

Tags: Software, Extra, Fee, Return, TurboTax, Service, TaxCut, E-file, Taxes, Free Trade

It’s tax time in the U.S. once again, and short of actually doing your taxes (you’ve got until April 15, right?), it’s time to choose just how you’ll do them.

Say hello to tax preparation software.

Instead of taking last year’s finances and dumping them on the desk of a tax preparation specialist or a CPA — for a hefty fee, generally — consider using tax software. This year it’s even easier to do your taxes, thanks to improved interfaces, importing features, online services and increased competition among the contenders.

In other words, doing your taxes can be a breeze, provided you’ve got all your forms on hand. Here’s the lineup of the software — online and boxed — vying for your attention:

Intuit TurboTax

Good for complicated returns or those who need hand-holding.

TurboTax is the grandaddy of all tax programs, and the most full-featured. This year, TurboTax comes in six flavors online and four boxed flavors, plus state fees:

Online:

• Free Edition: For simple returns, particularly the 1040EZ, but also handles 1040A and 1040. Straightforward — no hand-holding, but it will check for all tax credits you’re eligible for, including higher education. If you’re not sure if your taxes are simple enough for this, start here: the program will “upgrade” you if you need a more fully-featured version for your return. Service + federal e-file free; state e-file $25.95 extra. [read more]
• Basic Edition: Intuit downplays this version because it’s effectively the Free Edition plus hand-holding wizards and walkthroughs. If you have a simple return but need assistance, this is the one you need. Service + federal e-file $14.95; state e-file $34.95 extra. [read more]
• Deluxe Edition: Most customers select this version of Turbotax because it also accounts for owning a home, charitable donations and medical expenses. Service + federal e-file $29.95; state e-file $34.95 extra. [read the review] [check prices online] [read more]
• Premier Edition: All the features of Deluxe, plus stocks, bonds, mutual funds and rental properties support.Software + federal e-file $49.95; state e-file $34.95 extra. [read more]
• Home & Business Edition: Everything in Premier, plus support if you’re a business owner: sole proprieter, consultant, contractor or single-owner LLC. Includes freelancers. Service + federal e-file $74.95; state e-file $34.95 extra. [read more]
• Business Edition: For a very small minority of users; Business Edition serves corporations, partnerships and multi-member LLCs. Service + federal e-file $109.95; state e-file $49.95 extra. [read more]

(You can compare the versions here.)

Read the rest of this entry »

November 14th, 2008

Weekend Gadget Guidance: Prevent auto Windows shutdown, reboot

Posted by Andrew Nusca @ 11:34 am

Categories: Weekend Gadget Guidance

Tags: Microsoft Windows, Operating Systems, Software, Andrew Nusca

Are you a serial software-installer?

Has Windows rebooted while you were in the middle of doing something else?

If you install software on a regular basis and get rebooted on without asking, ShutdownGuard could be a useful little utility for you.

The free application addresses the problem by preventing Windows from automatically shutting down, rebooting, or logging off without confirmation. Each time it prevents a shutdown action, you’ll see an alert in your system tray asking if you really want to shutdown. If you do, click the alert; if not, no worries.

Of course, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t give your Windows machine a break and give it a restart once in awhile — especially for security patches. But this handy utility at least gives you a bit more choice. [via; via]

November 7th, 2008

Weekend Gadget Guidance: Put an analog clock in your system tray

Posted by Andrew Nusca @ 9:38 am

Categories: Weekend Gadget Guidance

Tags: Clock, System Tray, Analog Clock, Skins, Microsoft Windows, Microsoft Windows Vista (Longhorn), Microsoft Windows XP, Operating Systems, Software, Andrew Nusca

If you’re like me, you’re still using Windows XP but have grown…tired of the digital click in the system tray.

What’s a guy (or gal) gotta do to have a little flair (without upgrading to Vista’s big, honking sidebar)?

Enter Analog Clock. It’s a teeny little skinnable, Windows tray clock replacement app that puts a round clock in your square toolbar.

Why would you do this? Besides whimsy, analog clocks are actually pretty useful for instant information at-a-glance. Just a peek, and you immediately know roughly what time it is.

Analog Clock is available with several skins that resemble the look and feel of the standard XP visual styles. Skins are tunable, and you can switch on or off some of the interface elements (such as the second hand).

The app is an NTP-enabled application, and will update your system clock time by synchronizing it with atomic clocks through the Internet. It also includes a skinnable quick calendar window, accessible by mousing over the Analog Clock.

Analog Clock is free to download and is compatible with Windows XP and 2000.

October 31st, 2008

Weekend Gadget Guidance: Preview fonts before installing

Posted by Andrew Nusca @ 10:08 am

Categories: Weekend Gadget Guidance

Tags: Font, Cfont Pro, Andrew Nusca

If you’re a typography junkie with a large font collection like I am, it’s real hard to organize and preview new fonts using Windows’ dreaded Fonts folder.

Cfont Pro is here to help. With support for all major font file types (including Postscript and TrueType), the free Cfont Pro will let you preview fonts from disk before you install them.

The application will also create proof sheets of multiple fonts and export them to HTML or RTF files so you can print them for reference or forward them to someone for a preview.

You can also search your system for fonts, view font attributes and see single characters full-screen to check for imperfections. You know, if you’re that much of a junkie. Ahem. [via; via]

October 24th, 2008

Weekend Gadget Guidance: $50 off Amazon Kindle thru Nov. 1

Posted by Andrew Nusca @ 1:17 pm

Categories: Amazon Kindle, Consumerism, Weekend Gadget Guidance

Tags: Amazon.com Inc., Amazon Kindle, Andrew Nusca

Like Oprah Winfrey?

Sure you do. Because if you do, it will save you $50 on your purchase of an Amazon Kindle.

With the Big O’s blessing — “I’m telling you, it is absolutely my new favorite thing in the world,” she said — Amazon shoppers using the promo code “OPRAHWINFREY” (no quotes) during the checkout process will receive the $50 discount. The offer is valid through November 1, 2008.

Not familiar with the Kindle? Check out ZDNet’s latest coverage:

» ZDNet Review: Amazon Kindle

» ZDNet Prices: Amazon Kindle

» Jason Perlow: Kindroid: Two great tastes that would taste great together

» Jason Perlow: Amazon Kindle: It’s not for us, Jack

» Joe Brockmeier: Amazon, open the Kindle before Apple eats your lunch!

» Christopher Dawson: Can you trust kids with a Kindle?

» Christopher Dawson: Amazon eyeing up the textbook market? About time

» Larry Dignan: Will it be a Kindle Christmas?

» Andrew Nusca: Amazon Kindle back on the market

October 3rd, 2008

Weekend Gadget Guidance: Find speed traps online

Posted by Andrew Nusca @ 9:01 am

Categories: Mobile, Cell Phones and Smartphones, Weekend Gadget Guidance

Tags: Phone, Speed Trap, 3G, Smart Phones, Telecom & Utilities, Cellular Phones, Handhelds, Consumer Electronics, Personal Technology, Hardware

User-generated Google maps of police speed traps are easy to find with Trapster, a site that offers just that: a way to alert other drivers of speed traps in your area.

The concept is simple: download the Trapster app for your mobile phone, and use it to report when you come across a speed trap. The report appears online for everyone to see.

Trapster offers apps for cell phones using Windows Mobile, the BlackBerry, the Nokia N95 and other S60 smart phones (an iPhone 3G app is forthcoming). Of course, it’s only as accurate as your fellow drivers are, so the more people play the game, the better reported the speed traps are.

Or, you know, you could just read the road signs. [via Lifehacker]

September 5th, 2008

Weekend Gadget Guidance: Find cheap printer ink, toner refills

Posted by Andrew Nusca @ 7:10 am

Categories: Consumerism, Printers, Weekend Gadget Guidance

Tags: Printers, Hardware, Peripherals, Andrew Nusca

Ever been to Amazon.com?

Sure, everyone has. But how about lately?

If you’re in the market for a printer, the site’s new Ink & Toner Finder makes it easy to save money on ink without investing the time in manually refilling your cartridge.

The tool allows you to find an alternative (read: other than OEM) refill made for your printer. Simply tell the tool your printer brand, series, and model number, and it spits back all the ink cartridges that will work with your printer.

I gave it a whirl myself, and even though Amazon doesn’t carry my printer (which I highly recommend), it gave me several refills to choose from. (Click the image to enlarge it.)

If you’ve never strayed from buying ink from the original manufacturer (and paying for the convenience), this may help save you green.

How do you save money on printing costs? Tell us in TalkBack.