Last Changed Files Finds the Document You Just Lost

Windows only: File search utility Last Changed Files finds the last 100 modified files on your drive, so you can find the file you just saved but can't remember where.

Using Last Changed Files—which requires no installation—is as simple as launching and waiting while it searches through your drive to find the last 100 modified files. Your best bet is to use the built-in exclude feature to prevent the application from searching through temporary or system files, or modify the INI file with a list of exclusions if you plan to use it a lot. This application could be very useful the next time you save a file and then can't remember where you put it—if you haven't modified 100 files since then.

If you'd rather accomplish the same thing without using a separate piece of software, I've previously written an article about how to view the last modified files in Windows Vista, which can then be saved to a search folder for future re-use. Last Changed Files is a free download for Windows only.

Last Changed Files [via gHacks]

via Lifehacker

Dad's Around Hides Your Goofing Off

Windows only: Whomever you're hiding your goofing off from—we're not here to judge!—Dad's Around is a lightweight boss-key application that sports some handy features for keeping your activities private.

In addition to quickly minimizing every window on your desktop—one of the most standard boss-key functions around—Dad's Around has an extremely useful option to kill the foreground process. By unchecking the more tell-tale Minimize all windows feature and ticking the Kill foreground process box, you can turn Dad's Around into a hot key activated application-terminator. That instance of Firefox you're playing Line Rider in is but a keystroke away from execution when the boss comes calling. While making a habit of goofing off at work is a sure way to get fired or at minimum enrage your coworkers, we've highlighted the benefits of a mind-refreshing break before. If you work for a company that doesn't understand that a few minutes goofing off here and there boosts your focus, using a boss-key can keep the man off your back.

Dad's Around is completely portable and requires no additional files beyond the main executable. If you're looking for a Mac-friendly solution, check out how to set up a boss-key with selective use of the Show Desktop function. Dad's Around is freeware, Windows only.

Dad's Around [via Elite Freeware]

via Lifehacker

SpeedCrunch is a Fast and Keyboard Friendly Calculator

Windows/Linux/Mac: SpeedCrunch is an extremely fast and lightweight calculator that supports extended expressions. Instead of pecking away entering your equations line by line, you can enter the whole thing in at once.

SpeedCrunch calculates in the background while you're entering equations, which helps in locating obvious errors as you work. It also supports syntax highlighting, so you can see immediately if you left a parentheses out. It has support for unlimited variables with multi-character names so you can create values for everything from X to SpeedOfAnAfricanSwallow; additionally, a handy ans variable is a quick way to reference the result of the last calculation. SpeedCrunch has a built-in library of mathematical constants, variables, and equations for common calculations of volume and area of 3D and 2D objects respectively. Fortunately with the number of variables available, there's a snappy search function that is keyboard accessible. SpeedCrunch is freeware with cross-platform support for Windows (available as a portable application), Linux, and Mac. Thanks DevourerKwi!

SpeedCrunch

via Lifehackers

SearchLoad Options Fixes Firefox Search Annoyances

Firefox only (Windows/Mac/Linux): Firefox extension SearchLoad Options adds a couple of useful and much-needed tweaks to power up the search bar.

After installation, the new settings panel can be accessed through the new Search Options item on the search menu, with tweaks that include clearing the search box after a certain number of seconds, resetting the search provider to the default, or controlling whether search results are loaded in the current or a new tab. Loading search results in a new tab is nothing new, and can be accomplished through the previously mentioned Tab Mix Plus extension or a built-in tweak, but the options to clear the search box and reset the search provider to default can be quite useful for doing quite one-off searches via another search provider, since you no longer need to reset the search to Google every time. SearchLoad Options is a free download, works anywhere Firefox runs.

SearchLoad Options [Mozilla Add-ons]

via Lifehacker

Ghostery Watches the Web Sites that are Watching You

Firefox only (Windows/Mac/Linux): Firefox extension Ghostery alerts you when you visit a web page that uses scripts to track your information and browsing habits.

The extension embeds itself into your status bar and shows you a list of all tracking scripts in a small notification rectangle in the upper right-hand corner of each page you visit. The idea is very useful in principle and fits right in with Data Privacy Day, but since the vast majority of web sites (including this one) are advertising supported, you'll see the notification on every page load if you keep it enabled, which can quickly get tiring—preferably, you could toggle the visibility of said window. Still, if you're worried about your privacy online, this extension is definitely for you.

Ghostery is a free download, works anywhere Firefox runs. For more on keeping your data private, see Adam's guide to bolstering your privacy at work or our top 10 tips to lock down your data.

Ghostery [Mozilla Add-ons via Download Squad]

via Lifehacker

Affixa Integrates Gmail, Others with Your Desktop for Easy File Attachment

Windows only: If you prefer web-based email like Gmail or Yahoo Mail, Affixa seamlessly bridges the gap between the web and your desktop for painless file attachments, mailto links, and more.

Affixa integrates webmail with every corner of your desktop. As you can see in the video, each time you encounter an email situation in Windows, Affixa lets you choose what email account you'd like to use—meaning that you can easily switch between sending an attachment via Outlook for work or your personal Gmail account, for example. Affixa will handle attachments you send to your email from the right-click menu or directly through any applications (like Word's Email option). If your email client has limits on attachment size or file-type, Affixa can upload the attachment to previously mentioned file-sharing webapp Drop.io.

The application is actually an improved version of previously mentioned gAttach and yAttach, which brought much of the same functionality to Gmail and Yahoo mail accounts individually. If you use Gmail as your main email account, I can't think of a good reason why you wouldn't want to use Affixa.

Affixa is a free download for personal use, Windows only. If you want the full, unlimited functionality, you can upgrade to Affixa's subscription version for rougly $3.

Affixa

via Lifehacker

FavIconizer Brings Missing Favicons Back

Windows only: System utility FavIconizer fixes your Internet Explorer bookmarks, bringing back missing Favions to your favorites toolbar.

Using the application (which requires no installation) is as simple as pushing the Find missing FavIcons button. Your bookmarks will be scanned and any missing icons will be populated, or you can choose to rescan all of the links in case Google updates their favicon again. This utility might come in handy for Internet Explorer users frustrated with icons disappearing randomly over time, or not showing up in the first place.

FavIconizer is a free download, Windows with Internet Explorer only. Firefox users can customize any favicon with the previously mentioned Favicon Picker extension.

FavIconizer

via Lifehacker

Avoid Getting Fleeced at Liquidation Sales

They're going out of business! It's a liquidation sale! The prices will be crazy marked down, right? Not necessarily. Read on to avoid getting ripped off by liquidators. Photo by Cosmic Kitty.

Many an unwitting shopper can be lured into a store with an enormous "50% OFF!" sign strung across the storefront. Even more so when the closure of a chain of stores is highly publicized like the recent closure of Circuit City. Unfortunately, the entire process of liquidating the stock of a store is rather deceptive. Walking past the "Everything must go!" signs and picking up a box marked 50% off could actually mean paying full retail.

First, a brief summary of what liquidation is. When a company is facing dire straits or has already hit the wall of bankruptcy they will— either voluntarily or by legal order—try to convert as much of their assets into cold hard cash as possible to pay off debts and hopefully return some money to their stockholders. The process is usually handled by an external company whose sole goal is to turn the pile of assets into profit—and minimize their risk in the process.

What does this mean to you, the consumer? It means that for the first portion of a liquidation sale you'll likely be ripped off. Let's use an HDTV from a fictitious company to illustrate how you're not actually getting the deep discount you think you are.

Last year SuperPow television company released the SuperPow H9000 HDTV. The manufacturer suggested retail price (MSRP) was $2500. It was sold at HappyBox electronics stores for $2200 when it first came out and as newer models arrived it was eventually sold for $1250. HappyBox has a bad run and ends up filing for bankruptcy. Their inventory is now controlled by a liquidation company. The company responsible for the liquidation advertises that products in the store are deeply discounted, some things are even 50% off already! You walk in to check on the SuperPow H9000 and see that the price is $1250. You remember the TV was really expensive and that seems like a great deal for a nice TV, after all it's 50% off! The only problem is that you're getting 50% off the MSRP, which nobody paid even when the TV was the hottest model on the market. It may be a month or two into a large liquidation before that TV is actually marked down 50% from the actual street value to a wallet-friendly $625—and most likely someone not realizing they aren't getting a very good deal would have bought it well before that. Photo by mobil'homme.

How can you make sure you're not the sucker that the liquidators count on to reap their profit? With a little knowledge and some handy tools, you'll get the most for your money.

Know The Market

Don't go shopping blind. If you're heading to a going-out-of-business sale, take a few minutes to do some cursory research on whatever it is you're looking to buy. Compare prices with price comparison engines like BeatMyPrice and make sure to check out deal-tracking forums like SlickDeals and FatWallet—both were reader favorites for finding the best deals online. You may not even know the exact model you're going to find at the store, but checking deal sites like FatWallet will give you an idea what the general price ranges are for things and what deals can be had on them. A 40" HDTV "marked down" to $1500 won't look so appealing when you know that similar models are going for half that thanks to a little research. Photo by Refracted Moments.

Use Your Phone as a Price Checker

If you have an internet-enabled phone with you, it's easy to compare prices right in the store. The quickest, if least specific, method is to plug the product name or model number into the mobile version of Google Product Search. If you're without internet access but you can text message, you can take advantage of the Amazon/eBay price-comparison mashup provided by MobSaver. Text the ISBN or UPC code of an item to save@mobsaver.com and it sends you back the current prices on Amazon and eBay. When you're really in a bind you can use—as I've often done—the most analog method and call a friend to run a quick price search online for you. A few minutes pecking on your phone or making a call can save you hundreds. Photo by gabofr.

It's never a good sign when companies are shuttering their windows—for the economy or for the displaced workers—but that doesn't mean you should pay extra for their bad luck. Armed with the tips above you'll never be the sucker paying MSRP for 2007's castoffs. If you have your own learned lessons about liquidation sales, sound off in the comments below and help save your fellow readers some cash.

via Lifehacker

Select-n-Go Does Inline Contextual Search

Firefox/IE only (Windows/Mac/Linux): Browser extension Select-n-Go integrates inline search results into any page for quick research without all the tab clutter.

Once installed, select any text on the page and a small icon will appear near the mouse that, when clicked, will display an inline framed window with search results from multiple search engines. You can navigate between results from different search engines without leaving the page, handy for quickly doing research on a topic. Since pictures speak better than words, we'll go through a quick screenshot preview of how it works.

The default thumbnail view for Google Images is handy for finding related pictures for a search term.


The simple YouTube view is useful for quickly searching for related videos.


The first thing you'll want to do after installation is to change the activation delay to fit your preference—the default might activate the dialog a little too quickly for your taste.


In the Channels tab, you can choose to enable or disable any channels you don't want to see (Baidu might be an odd choice for english-speaking readers).


This extension could be worth a look for anybody doing research online, although the fly-out window isn't quite as convenient as it could be—in my testing the icon would appear in weird places sometimes. For a similar concept that previews links or media instead, check out previously mentioned CoolPreviews. If you'd rather put your contextual information in the sidebar, the Juice Firefox extension (original post) might be worth a try, or you could just stick with the trusty Context search extension and remember to close the tabs when you are done.

Select-n-Go is a free download, works anywhere Firefox or Internet Explorer does. Except IEs 4 Linux.

Select-n-Go for Firefox [Mozilla Add-ons]
Select-n-Go for Internet Explorer [Cleeki]

via Lifehacker

DSTL1 Android Smartphone Is Battlestar Galactica's iPhone

This is the Android-based, 3-inch Sharp touchscreen, General Mobile DSTL1. And it is everything the T-Mobile isn't: A stunning design and features combination that may convince regular consumers to choose the Android platform over iPhone.

Seriously, while the T-Mobile G1 leaves me completely in a blah state of mind, DSTL1 actually makes me horny in a "I wish this thing vibrates really hard" kind of way.

Look at it. It's like the Battlestar Galactica designers took the iPhone design and passed it through their Colony-Design-a-thon, adding angled corners to it but keeping the same black glass, chrome accents, black plastic, circular home button, ear speaker grill, and volume controls. The result is a design which looks extremely familiar to the public, yet adds enough changes to appeal to people who want something cool looking, but different. And with better specs too:

Technology
Double SIM, Linux 2.6 Kernel
Platform
Marvell PXA 310 (624MHz)+NXP 5209
Bands
900 / 1800 / 1900 MHz
Screen
TFT/ WQVGA/ 260K Colors/ 3.0" Sharp Brand Touchscreen Display/ 240 x 400 pixels
Wi-fi
802.11 b/g
GPRS
Yes
EDGE
Yes
WAP
Yes, HTTP/WAP2.0 support
MMS
Yes
E-mail
Yes
Bluetooth
Yes / BT 2.0 + EDR, SPP, A2DP, AVRCP, OPP, HFP
FM Radio
Yes
TV
Java
Yes ( MIDP 2.0, CLDC 1.1 )
MP3/MPEG4
Yes/Yes
Face to Face videoconferencing
Yes

Weight
135gr
Dimensions
112 x 54 x 16 mm
Memory
4GB internal memory, 256MB flash + 128MB SDRAM ,"Up to 8GB T-flash Card Support"
Camera
5MP Auto Focus with Flash Sharp Brand Camera
Voice Recorder
Yes

Talk Time
240 minutes
Standby Time
150 hours
Battery
1200 mAh
Accessories
Extra Battery, USB Cable, Earphone, AC Charge Adaptor

Others
Word, Excel, Powerpoint and PDF document view MP3/ WAV/ MIDI/ AMR support 3GP, MPEG4, AVI (DIVX),QVGA recording 30fps, decoding 30 fps JPG/GIF/BMP/PNG Business card reader support Anti theft support Video chat support

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

---

Impressive. Apparently the DSTL1 it will be at Barcelona's 3GSM in February and I will be there to see if all these features are the real thing and how much this beast will cost. But on paper and renderings, it may be the first phone that would make me drop my iPhone. The only "but" for me: It's 0.63 inches thick (16mm). Too much of a brick after being used to the ultra-thin iPhone. [General Mobil via Android Authority]

via Gizmodo

BerryStore gives us application fix now

What a great find by Jared at BlackBerry News. We know that the official RIM BlackBerry Application Store will be released by the end of March at CTIA. Until then, we just have to play the waiting game. (Aw, the waiting game sucks! Let’s play Hungry Hungry Hippos!) Or do we? There’s BlackBerry application store out there right now that gives you access to a sea of applications. It’s called BerryStore, and you can check it the beta version right now.

You can access the store right from your BlackBerry by heading to m.berrystore.com. From there you can check out their 71 applications — hopefully more by the time you read this. They break them down into categories, and after you download and play with an app, you can go back and rate it.

This is definitely something I’m going to check out over the next few days. It’s not a complete app store by any means — it is in beta, after all. It does present something uncommon, though: A gathering of applications available in one place, accessible from a BlackBerry device, and ready for over the air downloads.

If you’re a developer, make sure to check out their developer page so you can get your application loaded up and listed. It sounds like a mighty fine distribution outlet.

This post originated at BBGeeks.com - home to all things Blackberry! Also a great source of info about Verizon BlackBerry.

BerryStore gives us application fix now

via BBGeeks

Ubuntu Pocket Guide Available as a Free Download

In the midst of the current financial crunch, the popular, free Linux distribution Ubuntu has never looked more attractive. If you've considered switching, a free copy of the Ubuntu Pocket Guide is the perfect place to start.

Written by Keir Thomas, author of Ubuntu Kung Fu, Ubuntu Pocket Guide and Reference covers all the beginner-to-expert knowledge you'll need to make the move to Ubuntu.

We've featured excerpts from Thomas' Ubuntu Kung Fu two times at Lifehacker, and the Ubuntu Pocket Guide and Reference offers the same level of Ubuntu expertise to anyone interested in or already living the Ubuntu life.

• Focuses on core competencies and background knowledge needed to be an expert Ubuntu user;
• Readable, accessible, and easy to understand—even if you've never used Linux before;
• 100% new and original! Written from the ground-up to cover Ubuntu 8.04 and 8.10.

Ubuntu Pocket Guide and Reference is available from Amazon for $10, but—best of all—the book is also available as a free PDF download from the official web site. Can't go wrong with free.

Ubuntu Pocket Guide and Reference

via Lifehacker

Ant Renamer is a Lightweight but Powerful Renaming Utility

Windows only: Batch renaming utility Ant Renamer 2 has a simple interface that quickly automates the tedious task of renaming multiple files, saving you from aggravating your carpal tunnel.

To use, simply drag your files into the Files pane, and then select from one of the many available functions in the Actions pane. There are plenty of functions to choose, from changing extensions and string replacement to more advanced tasks like regular expressions or even using the EXIF info from your camera. You can also chain multiple renaming tasks together into a batch, and preview the results back in the Files pane (make sure to use the F5 key to refresh the window after making changes). Once perfected, batches can then be saved for re-use—a great feature for working with downloaded files.

We've featured other Windows renaming utilities on many other occasions, from Bulk Rename Utility to Wildrename to Ken Rename and even a built-in trick to rename files sequentially, but Ant Renamer is an especially lightweight utility that offers a portable edition as a handy addition to your flash drive toolkit.

Ant Renamer 2 is a free download for Windows only. Mac users can check out previously mentioned Name Mangler.

Ant Renamer 2

via Lifehacker

Tweak Windows Startup Items to Improve Performance

The Windows Vista for Beginners tutorial site walks through tweaking your startup items to improve performance—a common practice, but this time with a helpful twist.

Most of the techniques are nothing new to Lifehacker readers (see Gina's complete guide to speeding up your PC's startup), ranging from trimming startup applications to using Startup Delayer to keep everything from starting at once, but this guide goes the extra mile, attempting to answer the often unaddressed question: What should I disable? The post is geared towards the less tech-savvy, but could be helpful for anybody as a resource to share with others that don't have the know-how but are tired of slow startup speeds.

Streamline your Startup Applications & Improve Windows Performance [Windows Vista for Beginners]

via Lifehacker

YouTube HQ Automatically Loads High-Quality Versions of YouTube Videos

Firefox with Greasemonkey: Force YouTube to always bring you to the high-quality version of a web video with YouTube HQ, a simple but great user script.

There are actually two modes to YouTube HQ, one that always loads the standard/lower-quality video for low-bandwidth connections when you jump to an HD/high-quality page, and the much more useful always-high-quality standard version. Unless you break open the code and tinker with it, it's a pretty quiet app that does one thing well—watch your YouTube URLs and fix them to load the higher-quality stuff. But you can also tweak YouTube HQ to try and resize the player for better viewing of 720p content—which generally means even better video views.

YouTubeHQ is a free download, works wherever Greasemonkey scripts do. For those just looking to download high-quality vids, might we recommend the previously mentioned H.264 user script?

YouTube HQ [via gHacks]

via Lifehacker

Gui:config Gives Easy Access to Hidden Firefox Settings

Firefox only (Windows/Mac/Linux): Firefox extension gui:config adds an advanced settings panel with easy access to options normally hidden behind cryptic about:config options.

Once installed, the extension adds a new Advanced Settings item to the Tools menu for accessing the hidden settings.

Rather than making you install the add-on to see if the settings apply to you, we'll just take a quick tour through all of the screens so you can visually figure out if you want to install it or not.

The Accessibility tab adds in quite a few useful settings like middle-click paste or changing the backspace key's default setting to go back a page (an annoyance for many people).


The Browser tab gives you options to change the amount of cache being used or when the cache is checked, letting you cache more aggressively for performance reasons.


The Style tab lets you turn off Favicons, tooltips or disable blinking text (another annoyance).


The Downloads tab lets you change the download directory and adjust the alert settings for completed downloads.


The Bookmarks tab lets you configure the amount of bookmark backups that are created (usually once per day for 5 days).


The Developing tab is probably only useful for programmers, and most people won't want to mess with these settings.


This is the type of extension that is so useful it makes you wonder why it's not included in the main distribution—they could hide it behind an advanced menu for serious tweakers only. It should be noted that not every setting is accessible from the GUI, so for certain tweaks you'll still need to take a trip to about:config. gui:config is a free download, Firefox only.

gui:config [Firefox Add-ons via Skidzopedia]

via Lifehacker

Media Keyboard 2 Media Player Adds Keyboard Support to Popular Media Players

Windows only: Your system's got a fancy keyboard with a host of handy media shortcut buttons, but they only work with a select few apps. Media Keyboard 2 Media Player fills in the support gap.

Once installed, MK2MP acts as a middle man between your keyboard and popular media-applications like VLC, Xion, XMPlay, 1BY1, and Winamp. The application runs almost invisible to the end user, passing the keyboard command onto the application with the right trigger. You can enable and disable common media-keyboard keys for each program, and specify whether it sits in your system tray or stays incognito. If the program you need to control isn't yet available, the application is in active development and open to suggestions for new players to be added. Looking for a new media player in general? Check out the Hive Five results for best desktop media players.

Media Keyboard 2 Media Player [via gHacks]

via Lifehacker

UrlbarExt Adds Super Powers to the Awesome Bar

Firefox only (Windows/Mac/Linux): Firefox extension UrlbarExt adds 7 new buttons to the Awesome bar with a wide range of genuinely useful functionality to power up your browsing experience.

We've mentioned this extension before, but it has since updated with more functionality and upgraded from experimental to officially approved by the Mozilla Add-ons site (no longer requiring a login to install). The functionality of the default buttons include, from left to right:

1. Copy the current site URL or custom formatted URL.
2. Shorten the URL using your favorite service or right-click for more options.
3. Search the current site using Google for the selected keyword. Right-click opens a dialog for adding keywords.
4. Go up one level, or directly to the root of the current site with a double-click. Right-click gives you a list of levels to choose from.
5. Tag and bookmark the current page from a menu of tags.
6. Navigate through sequential URLs. (if the URL ends in a number, it will take you to the next numbered URL)
7. Surf anonymously using online proxy servers. Right-click lets you view the Google Cache along with other options.

Once installed, the settings panel lets you fully customize which icons are displayed by default or hidden behind the "Grippy", along with a ton of other options.


Clicking on the Shorten URL button will use your default service, but right-clicking gives you extra options to email or twitter the last shortened URL, or even switch to a different URL shortening service.


The TinyURL tab in the preferences also lets you switch between your favorite service or add your own, but especially useful in this panel is the checkbox to automatically copy the shortened URL to the clipboard.


Clicking the tags button in the awesome bar will bookmark the current URL with the chosen tag, saving you from manually typing the tag each time you want to bookmark something (a pet peeve of mine).


Back in the preferences, the tags that show up in the list can be customized to your preferred set of Firefox 3 tags, and you can even configure the style of the items to put your favorite tags in bold text, for instance.


This extension is now a must-have in my toolbox just for the tag bookmarking functionality alone. Are there any extensions that you just couldn't live without? Tell us in the comments.

UrlbarExt [Mozilla Add-ons]

via Lifehacker

QTWeb Puts Portable, Private Browsing on Your USB Drive

Windows only: QTWeb, a WebKit-based browser, is seriously speedy, doesn't let its interface get in your way, and can blend into any Windows theme. More than that, though, it has a quick-fire privacy mode.

The browser does most of the stuff you'd want from its portable, no-install-needed executable, including password-saving, tabbed navigation, and plug-in compatibility. The real reason you might use QTWeb over, say, a portable version of Firefox 3.1, is its built-in, quick-access privacy mode, if you want to browse on someone else's system (or your own) and not leave a trace. Firefox 3.1 may have a built-in privacy mode, but if you're looking for a slimmed-down, no-add-ons-please browser for on-the-go browsing, QTWeb's a great choice.

QTWeb is a free download for Windows systems only; make sure to grab the "stand-alone executable" if you're going the USB route.

QTWeb [via Download Squad]

via Lifehacker

JustCloseSomeTasks Saves Memory by Closing Inactive Apps

Windows only: Task cleanup utility JustCloseSomeTasks monitors your running applications for inactivity and marks them for closing to free up precious memory and equally precious taskbar space.

Using the application is as simple as checking the boxes for the applications you want to close and clicking the Close Tasks button or using the Ctrl+[ keyboard shortcut (configurable in the preferences). Once an application has been running but not used for more than 5 minutes, the boxes are checked by default, but you can exclude an application through the right-click menu—useful for applications like email that you might want to keep open all the time. I've found this application especially helpful for cleaning up the dozens of Windows Explorer panels that clutter my taskbar after a few hours of working—letting me close only the ones I haven't used in a while.

JustCloseSomeTasks is a free download for Windows users. For a similar application with more features, check out previously mentioned EndItAll or just learn to master the task manager yourself.

JustCloseSomeTasks [via Download Squad]

via Lifehacker

Android G2 Photos: Thinner and No Keyboard

Here they are: Alleged spy photos of the second generation Android cellphone, the thinner, shinier, and totally lickable T-Mobile G2 made by HTC. It has no keyboard and its back looks oh-so-soap-bar-smooth:

As you can see, it has a 3.2 megapixel camera. According to our source, it will come in mid-May. Currently it has an interface "very similar" to the G1. We will see what happens this spring, but if true, this thing looks like a winner.

via Gizmodo

KidRocket Protects Your Kids and Computer

Windows only: KidRocket is a stand-alone application designed to protect kids from the internet and your computer from your kids.

Like previously reviewed KidZui, KidRocket is a hybrid activity center and browser. KidRocket can be locked to the desktop to prevent your kids from unwittingly wrecking havoc on your computer. It includes a web browser that operates off a pre-selected white list of kid-friendly sites. In addition to the web browsing function there is a variety of activities like interactive math flash cards and a simple paint program. For older kids you can enable a basic email client and create a safe list of emails so that your budding social networking aficionado can email grandma. One of the handiest features of KidRocket is that it is entirely portable. All application settings are written to a sub-folder of the directory the file is run from. You can easily toss it on a flash drive and take it along when traveling. If the features of KidRocket seem a bit too Little Tyke'ish for an older child, make sure to check out KidZui which has a more sophisticated feature set and social networking component. KidRocket is freeware, Windows only. Thanks wickedcupofjoe!

KidRocket

via Lifehacker

Automatically Name Zip Files in Windows XP

Create archives with significant names automatically by selecting the most important file in the group before creating your new archive.

When using the built in ZIP-file creator in Windows XP—accessible by right clicking on a file and clicking Send To -> Compressed (zipped) Folder—there is a handy trick for assigning a name to the resulting ZIP file. When selecting multiple files to insert into a new archive, after highlighting the files right click on the file that bears the name you want to apply to the new archive. When the new archive is created, it will be assigned the name of the file that the right click context menu was activated off of. In the screenshot at right selecting ThisFileHasThenameYouWant.txt yields a ZIP file with all the highlighted files named ThisFileHasTheNameYouWant.zip. If you're looking for a little more bang than the default Windows archive creator can provide, make sure to check out the Hive Five: Five Best Compression Tools. Thanks Jennifer!

via Lifehacker