Saturday, May 29, 2010

Pac-Man Creator Reflects on 30 Years of Dot-Eating

30 years ago, videogames changed forever. On May 22, 1980, the Japanese gamemaker Namco installed the first Pac-Man machine in a movie theater in the trendy Shibuya section of Tokyo. On Saturday, the company celebrates the 30th anniversary of the little yellow circle that became videogames’ first enduring character.
Pac-Man Creator Reflects on 30 Years of Dot-Eating

Friday, May 28, 2010

How to Return Facebook's Privacy Settings to What You Signed Up For

Online privacy expectations are evolving, but whether Facebook likes it or not, a lot of us want the privacy settings we signed up for when we joined the service. Here's how to use Facebook's new privacy controls to regain your original privacy.
How to Return Facebook's Privacy Settings to What You Signed Up For

Thursday, May 27, 2010

Lists & Rankings: Quality of Life Worldwide City Rankings, 2010 from Mercer

Vienna retains the top spot as the city with the world’s best quality of living, according to the Mercer 2010 Quality of Living Survey. Zurich and Geneva follow in second and third position, respectively, while Vancouver and Auckland remain joint fourth in the rankings.
Lists & Rankings: Quality of Life Worldwide City Rankings, 2010 from Mercer

The Top 4 Sites To Find Free Printable Posters

When you’re one Picasso short, the second most obvious decorating choice are regular posters. With little effort, they allow you to define your room (or house) and give it character. Put them in a frame, and it looks as classy as a painting.
The Top 4 Sites To Find Free Printable Posters

Remotely Reboot Your Router From Any Browser

We've all had those routers that just don't cooperate, and every once in a while lose connection and need to be rebooted (or rather, unplugged and then plugged back in). Here's how to do it without walking across your whole house.
Remotely Reboot Your Router From Any Browser

Pick Better Cuts Of Meat By Checking The Texture

If your meat-buying routine just involves pointing at the meat you want in the butcher case and saying, “that one”, you can brush up on the finer points of meat purchasing with these tips.
Pick Better Cuts Of Meat By Checking The Texture

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

How to Tie a Reef Knot

The reef knot is a basic knot with the primary purpose of joining together two ropes of equal thickness in a flat and non-high strain situation. It is also known as the square knot, and sometimes as the scout knot, appearing on the World Scout Badge, which is worn by every scout from all over the world. Follow the easy steps in this article to learn the method for tying a reef knot.
How to Tie a Reef Knot

Scan For Viruses From The Windows AutoPlay Dialog

Thumb drives are a standard part of any PC repair toolkit, but once you’ve used them on a suspect PC, you should always scan them for viruses. Here’s how to scan for viruses directly from the AutoPlay dialog.
Scan For Viruses From The Windows AutoPlay Dialog

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Packing Tips From Professional Travelers

Now that nearly every airline is charging baggage fees, travelers are motivated to pack as efficiently as possible. And who knows more about packing than professional flight crews? In interviews with a dozen flight attendants and pilots, one theme emerged: to pare down and still have everything needed at the destination, think strategically.
Packing Tips From Professional Travelers

The World Touristiness Heatmap Helps You Avoid Tourist Traps

Need a friendly escape, or do you just want to go lone wolf? The World Touristiness Map helps you pick an offbeat, remote locale or a foreign-friendly destination for your next vacation with a heatmap detailing the relative tourist-iness of a location.
The World Touristiness Heatmap Helps You Avoid Tourist Traps

Monday, May 24, 2010

PAC-MAN rules!

We've been overwhelmed — but not surprised :) — by the success of our 30th anniversary PAC-MAN doodle. Due to popular demand, we’re making the game permanently available at www.google.com/pacman.
PAC-MAN rules!

24 Essential Social Media Resources You May Have Missed

If we had to choose one word to sum up this week’s essential resources, it would have to be “business.” If you own a business, work for a business, or even give money to businesses in exchange for goods and services, you’ll want to scroll on down and take a look at how even one week’s worth of social media news has shaped your industry.
24 Essential Social Media Resources You May Have Missed

Download Google Pacman Game for Free [HOW TO]

If Friday’s Google Doodle didn’t feed your Pacman Fever, you download the special Google version of Pacman and play on your own time! Over at StackOverflow, users worked together to figure out how to extract and host the special version of Pacman, created by Google in honor of the yellow guy’s 30th birthday, for play online or off.
Download Google Pacman Game for Free [HOW TO]

Australia: Library and Information Week, 2010 Underway Down Under

Since it’s already Monday in Australia as we post this item, ResourceShelf would like to say have a wonderful, enjoyable, and productive National Library and Information Week, 2010 (LIW).
Australia: Library and Information Week, 2010 Underway Down Under

Sunday, May 23, 2010

Top 10 Twitter Trends This Week [CHART]

This week’s list of trends illustrates the enormous international breadth of Twitter and its users. The Korean music group Super Junior, a popular trending topic for many weeks, has finally toppled Justin Bieber and claimed the number one spot. Whether this is due to sheer number of tweets, or a change in Twitter’s trend-identifying algorithm, remains to be seen.
Top 10 Twitter Trends This Week [CHART]

Saturday, May 22, 2010

Family Friendly sites listed on Blackstump Australia Issue 11/2010

The latest issue of new Family Friendly sites listed on The Black Stump.
Family Friendly sites listed on Blackstump Australia Issue 11/2010

Manner Mistakes When People are Sick

Here follow, in no particular order, suggestions to help your fellow human beings (regardless of their emotional connection to you) survive the mundane week-long "bug of the week" to traumatic ordeals that demand years of recovery.
Manner Mistakes When People are Sick

The Shroud Crowd: a dispatch from Torino, Italy

Since April 10th of this year, Torino, Italy has been crowded by a strange mob of tourists: endless streams of international and local people, old and young, pious and less pious. They are Catholics, and believers of other religions, too.
The Shroud Crowd: a dispatch from Torino, Italy

Keeping up-to-date on the Gulf of Mexico oil spill

It is estimated that at least 6 million gallons of oil have leaked into the Gulf of Mexico since the Deepwater Horizon explosion a month ago. Cleanup efforts are underway, but the oil has spread extensively around the Gulf and along the southern U.S. coastline. Oil has begun washing up on the beaches of Louisiana and the delicate wetlands along the Mississippi River, and can spread to Florida and throughout the Gulf as weather conditions change. This sequence of images, coming from NASA’s MODIS satellites, illustrates the movement and growth of the oil slick over the past few weeks.
Keeping up-to-date on the Gulf of Mexico oil spill

Friday, May 21, 2010

The Cleverest Geeky Windows Tricks Everyone Should Know

Anyone can sit down at a Windows PC and get along fine, but with the right tips and tricks, you can get around much faster. Here's a handful of clever tricks to boost your Windows skills (and show off to friends).
The Cleverest Geeky Windows Tricks Everyone Should Know

Thursday, May 20, 2010

Why Google Public DNS Sucks For Aussies

Google Public DNS is designed to speed up browsing, but depending on the kind of content you want to access, it can often have the reverse effect. Dan Warne at APC points out that while Google Public DNS (or other alternative DNS services such as OpenDNS) can speed up general browsing to sites by resolving domain names faster, it will often have a damaging effect on services like iTunes and Windows Update which use Akamai’s load balancing technology to spread server load. Using Google for lookups will convince Akamai that you’re actually located in the US. It will also (as several Lifehacker readers have noted in the past) play havoc with any unmetered content your ISP offers (such as iView access), since it won’t be routed through the appropriate servers.
Why Google Public DNS Sucks For Aussies

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Have these Allusions Eluded You?

Have you ever wondered where the titles of novels, plays, films and the like come from? Some are obvious, at least after you’ve read the book or seen the movie, as with Star Wars and The English Patient, but many titles are not transparent and leave you wondering just why the author chose them.
Have these Allusions Eluded You?

Password Protect And Disguise Folders With PenyuLocker

Encryption is the only way to go if you are serious about protecting data from unauthorized access. Programs like True Crypt or Microsoft’s Bitlocker ensure that data is protected by a secure algorithm so that it can only be accessed by the user who knows the password to unlock the data.
Password Protect And Disguise Folders With PenyuLocker

Monitor File Changes With Disk Pulse

Windows freeware Disk Pulse monitors file changes on connected and configured hard drives. This can be interesting for several purposes including monitoring installations of software, server environments or security.
Monitor File Changes With Disk Pulse

Scan Your Facebook Settings for Privacy Loopholes

Facebook has run into multiple problems in recent times mainly due to their handling of privacy concerns of their users. The most popular social networking site constantly changes its privacy terms and their latest changes have resulted in people ending up sharing more than what they actually intended to the general public. This has happened because of changes in Facebook’s default privacy settings.
Scan Your Facebook Settings for Privacy Loopholes

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Ask Lifehacker: How Do I Get Australia-Only Results On Google?

Dear Lifehacker,
Not sure if you have done a story on this, but with Google’s site redesign they have removed the “pages from Australia” button. How do you only search Aussie sites now?
Thanks, Peter
Ask Lifehacker: How Do I Get Australia-Only Results On Google?

Web Browsers Leave 'Fingerprints' Behind as You Surf the Net

New research by the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) has found that an overwhelming majority of web browsers have unique signatures -- creating identifiable "fingerprints" that could be used to track you as you surf the Internet.
Web Browsers Leave 'Fingerprints' Behind as You Surf the Net

Nachofoto Is Not Your Average Image Search Engine

Nachofoto is a real-time image search engine with a focus on trending topics and rising search terms.
Nachofoto Is Not Your Average Image Search Engine

Sunday, May 16, 2010

Facebook News & Commentary

A Review of Facebook News & Commentary (And Lots of It)
Facebook News

How To Quit Facebook Without Actually Quitting Facebook

With all the recent privacy issues surrounding Facebook, a lot of people are considering quitting Facebook altogether. If you’re not ready to take it that far, here’s how to avoid the privacy breaches without completely deleting your account and losing touch with your friends.
How To Quit Facebook Without Actually Quitting Facebook

Friday, May 14, 2010

Facebook: Facts You Probably Didn't Know

Did you know that the second most popular Facebook Page is that of Homer Simpson, right behind Michael Jackson? Or that the overall amount of time spent on Facebook each month is 8.3 billion hours? (We shudder to think how much of that time is spent on FarmVille).
Facebook: Facts You Probably Didn't Know

Thursday, May 13, 2010

Optical illusion: impossible anti-grav ramps

Koukichi Sugihara's "Impossible motion" -- a cunning arrangement of cardboard ramps carefully skewed to create the illusion that balls roll up them -- won top honors at the Meiji Institute for Advanced Study of Mathematical Sciences' Best Visual Illusion of the Year Contest 2010. It has a delightful 3D physicality, being a real object made out of atoms, that makes it especially wonderful.
Optical illusion: impossible anti-grav ramps

The Alphabets of Technology [Geeky Fun]

This post is dedicated for all the geeky readers (and their kids) of TechPP! I am sure you know about the English alphabet, but here is an easier and interesting way to remember them! Learn the ABC of Technology the right way.
The Alphabets of Technology [Geeky Fun]

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Greens propose three-pronged alternative to mandatory filtering

In a lengthy speech in the Senate, Greens communications spokesman, senator Scott Ludlam, has roundly condemned the Government's mandatory filtering plan and set out a three-pronged alternative approach to protecting children online.
Greens propose three-pronged alternative to mandatory filtering

Banana Fail

Yellow curved fruit?
Banana Fail

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

169 Best Illusions--A Sampling

169 Best Illusions, contains a smorgasbord of static images that appear to be moving, “impossible” sculptures, freaky faces, ghostly afterimages and even some edible illusions.
169 Best Illusions--A Sampling

Monday, May 10, 2010

Lifehacker’s Australian Airport Public Transport Guide, 2010 Edition

Cheap airfares don’t look so cheap if you have to spend a fortune getting to the airport in the first place. Lifehacker rounds up the public transport options to get to and from Australia’s capital city airports.
Lifehacker’s Australian Airport Public Transport Guide, 2010 Edition

10 Free iPhone Apps To Learn A New Skill In 10 Minutes

As well as options for almost unimaginably varied entertainment, the powerful iPhone platform can be used as a learning tool. Thanks to kind-hearted developers, many of the phone’s best educational apps are available completely free.
10 Free iPhone Apps To Learn A New Skill In 10 Minutes

Saturday, May 08, 2010

Family Friendly sites listed on Blackstump Australia Issue 10/2010 - May 23, 2010

The latest issue of new Family Friendly sites listed on The Black Stump.
Family Friendly sites listed on Blackstump Australia Issue 10/2010 - May 23, 2010

Use Windows 7 Libraries To Quickly Load And Save Files

Libraries are a new feature of the Windows 7 operating system. They are basically an advanced version of the documents and settings folder hierarchy as they allow the user to select multiple folders into a library. Each folder’s contents are then accessible in the library folder. But libraries have another useful use. They are displayed prominently in Windows Explorer. This means it is easier to access them than most other folders in Windows. Even better is the fact that they are also displayed in every standard save and load window making them ideal for quick save and load selections in Windows.
Use Windows 7 Libraries To Quickly Load And Save Files

Friday, May 07, 2010

Depressing App Shows You What You'll Look Like in 20 Years

From the people who brought you MakeMeBabies and PicTreat comes In20Years, the web app that’s sure to give the plastic surgery industry a swift kick in the you-know-what. In 20 Years is basically what it sounds like — a tool that purports to show you your deteriorated mug two or three decades from now.
Depressing App Shows You What You'll Look Like in 20 Years

How To Remove The Folder Lock Icon

If you open Windows Explorer in the Windows operating system you will eventually come upon some folders with a lock icon. If you try to open those folders you will get an access denied error message. The lock icon indicates a file or folder with special permissions and that the active user is restricted from performing some – or even all – operations on that file
or folder.
How To Remove The Folder Lock Icon

Thursday, May 06, 2010

Mapping the Gulf oil spill in Google Earth

Two weeks ago, there was a fatal explosion on the offshore oil rig Deepwater Horizon in the Gulf of Mexico. The rig sank shortly afterwards, and since then the well has been leaking crude oil into the Gulf, spreading an oil slick towards the U.S. Gulf Coast.
Mapping the Gulf oil spill in Google Earth

Detect a Good Liar By Knowing Their Most Effective Tactics

Breaking someone's poker face doesn't require a piercing look so much as knowing what makes some liars so effective. Pyschology Today details the most effective strategies of good liars.
Detect a Good Liar By Knowing Their Most Effective Tactics

Foreign Language Courses, Free Online

The site covers 41 languages, from Amharic to Yoruba. Pick a language from the list on the left, click it, and you’ll get a list of student materials on the right.
Foreign Language Courses, Free Online

Scholarly essay nails Gilligan's Island's hidden subtext

The tragedy of the tale is not that they can never go back. The real affliction is the wish itself. They are all so preoccupied with the notion of going back that they never realize they are already in paradise.
Scholarly essay nails Gilligan's Island's hidden subtext

The hole in the ozone layer: 25 years on

This year marks 25 years since the publication of a paper confirming the existence of an ozone 'hole' above Antarctica, which soon led to an international treaty banning the use of certain chemicals.
The hole in the ozone layer: 25 years on

Tuesday, May 04, 2010

Google Chrome Calculator

Math wizards take note. Chromey Calculator is an extension for the Google Chrome web browser that offers access to most of Wolfram|Alpha’s and Google’s mathematical calculations and functions.
Google Chrome Calculator

New NASA Satellite Image of Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill (Taken May 1st) Now Online

NASA’s Terra satellite flew over the Deepwater Horizon rig’s oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico on Saturday, May 1 and captured a natural-color image of the slick from space. The oil slick resulted from an accident at the Deepwater Horizon rig in the Gulf of Mexico.
New NASA Satellite Image of Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill (Taken May 1st) Now Online

Monday, May 03, 2010

Access Blocked Websites via HTTPS Google Webcache

Internet Censorship is turning out to be one of the major problems in some parts of the world, mainly China, Iran & Australia. They use some filters to block specific information on the web from their citizens. Not just countries, internet censorship is common in schools, colleges and work places. (Note: Australia, not quite yet)
Access Blocked Websites via HTTPS Google Webcache

Sunday, May 02, 2010

The 1-Cent Cell Phone Protector, and Other Hacks

When you're forking out several hundred dollars for a cell phone, the thought of spending even more money to keep it scratch-free seems a no-brainer. But I'm cheap. And I don't like spending a few bucks on a piece of clear tape when, well, a free piece of clear tape will do. Or in this case, almost free.
The 1-Cent Cell Phone Protector, and Other Hacks

Top 10 Things You Didn't Know Google Maps Could Do

There's more to Google Maps than a place you double-check your directions. Google's data-stuffed site offers a lot of helpful tools for vacationers, spreadsheet nerds, bikers, and others. Today we're digging into Google's data-rich geo-tool and pulling out some helpful lesser-known features.
Top 10 Things You Didn't Know Google Maps Could Do