Best and Worst 2009 Cars

Here are the Consumer Reports top-rated vehicles in ten categories (with previous years’ top cars in parentheses):
The Consumer Reports Auto Issue: Best and Worst 2009 Cars

How to Cultivate Compassion in Your Life

If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion. ~ Dalai Lama.
How to Cultivate Compassion in Your Life

How to Open a Bottle Without a Corkscrew

A wine bottle, without having a corkscrew, is a tough nut to crack. Removing the cork, which is wedged through the nozzle, is not easy to dislodge, especially if you don’t have a tool to pull it out. Good thing the makeshift world presents more than one solution to this problem. In fact, you will realize that the corkscrew is not all too important with your available options. Here are three distinct ways to open a bottle without using a corkscrew.
How to Open a Bottle Without a Corkscrew

Capture Your Outlook Contacts With gwabbit

I’m often surprised by the number of people who use Microsoft Outlook as their primary email and information manager who don’t also take full advantage of its contact capabilities. While I wouldn’t say it compares with a full blown CRM system, it is certainly a capable program for maintaining contact information.
Capture Your Outlook Contacts With gwabbit

HOW TO: Measure Online Influence

Influence is difficult to ascertain online. What about that guy on Twitter with 25,000 followers? Isn’t he influential? What about that woman who has 5,000 RSS subscribers? She has to be influential, correct?
HOW TO: Measure Online Influence

Fish with "humanoid" face

Two fish with human-looking "faces" apparently live in pond behind a home in Chongju, South Korea. They are reportedly hybrids of a carp and a tangerine fish. Weird Asia News has more info and a Korean TV news report.
Fish with "humanoid" face

Square root day, 3/3/09, is upon us

Math lovers and numerologists take note: Yesterday, March 3, 2009, was square root day.
Square root day, 3/3/09, is upon us

Privacy Fail

"For the larger board meetings, the basin can be used as a spare."
Privacy Fail

Cc:Betty Offers Your Own Personal Email Assistant

Email, which underpins everything we do online, hasn’t changed very much over the last decade or so. In fact, the ever-increasing number of messages to follow (estimated to be some 210 billion per day in 2008) means that email takes up way too much time and is nowhere near the productivity tool that many of us would like it to be. Cc:Betty, launching in open beta today at DEMO, hopes to change that by offering a “group email assistant” that helps you digest email conversations by presenting them in an easy-to-follow way and extracting useful stuff, like dates, contacts, files and links.
Cc:Betty Offers Your Own Personal Email Assistant

Bulk Upload and Host Images for Free at Imagebam

If you're looking for a quick and dirty free image host for fast image sharing, Imagebam makes it extremely easy to get your photos out there.
Bulk Upload and Host Images for Free at Imagebam

Supercomputer finds oldest English words

The oldest words in the English language include 'I' and 'who', while words like 'dirty' could die out relatively quickly, say UK researchers.
Supercomputer finds oldest English words

How to Copy Contents of One Hard Drive to a New Hard Drive (with video)

Connect a new (optionally larger) hard drive to a PC and place an exact copy of an existing drive to it. The new drive will be identical to the original, and bootable (if the source was), too. As a result, the new drive may replace the old drive, kept as additional storage or removed from the PC for a different use completely.
How to Copy Contents of One Hard Drive to a New Hard Drive (with video)

Cutting calories key to weight loss

Cutting calories is the key to weight loss regardless of whether a diet emphasizes fat, protein, or carbohydrates, reported the New York Times yesterday on a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine this week. In the largest controlled study of its kind, reseachers put more than 800 overweight adults on one of four diets that reduced calories through different combinations of fat, carbohydrates, and protein. After two years, every diet group had lost—and regained—about the same amount of weight regardless of what diet had been assigned.
Cutting calories key to weight loss

16 Energy Boosters That Won’t Leave You Depleted | Simple Mom

* Do you feel exhausted at the end of your day?
* Do you need that first cup of coffee in the morning to “get going?”
* Do you experience dips in your energy mid-morning or mid-afternoon?

If your answer is yes, read on, because your body is telling you something important.
16 Energy Boosters That Won’t Leave You Depleted

Fear of heights linked to vertical perception

People who shudder atop skyscrapers or feel their knees buckle going over bridges have troubling perceiving vertical dimensions, two new studies suggest.
Fear of heights linked to vertical perception

Crews fly in ahead of extreme weather forecast

Firefighters from New Zealand and interstate are being called into Victoria's bushfire zones, ahead of dangerous weather conditions forecast for Friday. Backburning and containment work is continuing on seven major blazes still burning across Victoria.
Crews fly in ahead of extreme weather forecast

Blackstump Australia Issue 7 - February 26, 2009

The latest issue of new family friendly sites listed on The Black Stump.
Blackstump Australia Issue 7 - February 26, 2009

Atlantis? No, it Atlant-isn't.

Last week we saw some interesting speculation that Atlantis had been found in Google Earth. As much as we'd love for that to be the case, there is a scientific explanation for the odd markings found on the seafloor. We've invited two of the scientists who gathered the data that appears in Google Earth to answer some questions that came up.
Atlantis? No, it Atlant-isn't.

Empower Other People To Help You Achieve What You Want

“You can only get what you want, if you help enough other people get what they want.” – Zig Ziglar
Empower Other People To Help You Achieve What You Want

Has Google Ocean Uncovered Atlantis?

A grid-like pattern of lines on the floor of the Atlantic Ocean is getting a lot of buzz these days — and it’s all made possible by the recently launched Google Ocean.
Has Google Ocean Uncovered Atlantis?

How To Zoom In Firefox

I recently had two conversations with Firefox users who did not know that Firefox came with the means to zoom in and out of a website. They were using external applications to magnify parts of the screen and where surprised that they could achieve the same effect with less work.
How To Zoom In Firefox

Save Bundles of Cash by Buying Eyeglasses Online

Anybody who wears eyeglasses knows how much you pay for two tiny pieces of glass. Take our advice on shopping for glasses online to save yourself a whole lot of cash.
Save Bundles of Cash by Buying Eyeglasses Online

How to Clean a Diamond

We should all be so lucky as to have this problem, but diamonds, like all physical possessions, need cleaning, from time to time. And while it’s commonly known that diamonds are “indestructible”, we’d rather not test that.
How to Clean a Diamond

Work Less, Live More - The Way to Semi-Retirement

Even before I began my financial turnaround, I dreamed of being able to settle into some form of “semi-retirement” around age fifty or so (when the children are out on their own). I dreamed of spending mornings working on my writing, spending my afternoons volunteering, and spending a lot of long, wonderful days with my wife as we grow into our golden years together, chasing grandchildren and enjoying each other.
Work Less, Live More - The Way to Semi-Retirement

Towns on alert as bushfire threat rises

Communities east of Melbourne are on bushfire alert this morning, with extreme fire conditions expected in the Yarra Valley, the Warburton Valley, and Enoch Point.
Towns on alert as bushfire threat rises

Video - Thirsty koala

Sam the koala survives the bushfire and drinks three bottles of water courtesy of CFA volunteer David Tree.
Video - Thirsty koala

Fires Victoria - Portraits of Grief

Portraits of Grief - interactive coverage via the Herald Sun including considerable video footage of aspects of the Victorian bushfires.
Fires Victoria

Australia holds national mourning day after fires

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Australians held a national day of mourning for the victims of wildfires that killed hundreds this month, and survivors were promised the nation would support them in the massive task of rebuilding.
Australia holds national mourning day after fires

When You’re Overcharged or Undercharged

While doing my weekly shopping trip, I headed to the checkout with a bunch of produce in my cart. I knew how much the produce was marked for in the aisle, but I often find that produce pricing results in a lot of errors at the checkout, so I often make a mental note of produce prices.
When You’re Overcharged or Undercharged

8 technology etiquette tips for job-seekers

If there's any small solace when starting a job search in this recession, it's the proliferation of digital technology to help you re-enter the working world. But think twice before picking up that BlackBerry and thumb-typing a message to the hiring manager whose e-mail address you so slyly uncovered online. In the end, landing the right job hinges on old-world skills.
8 technology etiquette tips for job-seekers

Instructables.com shows you the way with its DIY projects

After working on our latest report on cordless drills and tool kits, I was inspired to find practical, skill-building home projects that could put my own tools to good use and maybe even save me a little money.
Instructables.com shows you the way with its DIY projects

Why More Megapixels Isn't Always More Better

Between all the new digital cameras pooped out before the upcoming PMA show and the crazy cameras buried inside cellphones at MWC, it's a good time to go over why more megapixels isn't necessarily better.
Why More Megapixels Isn't Always More Better

Victorian fire toll reaches 209

he death toll from the Victorian bushfires has risen by one today, to 209, nearly two weeks after the Black Saturday fires that razed hundreds of thousands of hectares of bushland in the state and destroyed hundreds of homes.
Victorian fire toll reaches 209

India to launch cow urine as soft drink

Does your Pepsi lack pep? Is your Coke not the real thing? India's Hindu nationalist movement apparently has the answer: a new soft drink made from cow urine.
India to launch cow urine as soft drink

Things to consider when dropping your landline and going wireless

Why do we keep our land lines?
Things to consider when dropping your landline and going wireless

Tip of the day: Flex your brain muscles

Socially and intellectually stimulating activities might help increase brain function and prevent mental decline. For instance, MRI scans revealed that regions of the brain responsible for learning were enlarged in London cab drivers, who train for up to two years to memorize thousands of streets and locations.
Tip of the day: Flex your brain muscles

Is your cookbook making you fat?

A clever study comparing the calories in recipes from the 1936 edition of “The Joy of Cooking” to those for the same dishes in the 2006 version. For recipes ranging from chicken a la king to beef stroganoff, corn bread, and brownies, researchers found an average calorie increase of 63 percent per serving.
Is your cookbook making you fat?

Tick Off Your Tasks With Printable Checklists

According to Google, the biggest competitor to Gmail Tasks is good old-fashioned pen and paper.
Tick Off Your Tasks With Printable Checklists

25 Best Blogs 2009 - TIME

TIME makes its second annual list of the best blogs in the world, spanning politics, housekeeping, astronomy and everything in between.
25 Best Blogs 2009 - TIME

Blackstump Australia Issue 6 - February 18, 2009

This weeks latest new family friendly sites from The Black Stump.
Blackstump Australia Issue 6 - February 18, 2009

How to Determine a Bad Movie from a Good One, Beforehand

Watching movies is a hobby for most people. Not only do they relish the merits of the film, watching one is also a good way too kill time. A good movie, after all, leaves viewers with favorable impressions, even if it has a sad ending. The problem is, some films are marketed to be blockbusters, but in reality, they are nothing but dull and hurried pieces of work. As a movie lover, you should know what to avoid, otherwise you’ll end up wasting money in viewing or buying bad movies.
How to Determine a Bad Movie from a Good One, Beforehand

Stuff found on the London Underground

The Guardian's gallery of ten items from Transport for London's lost-and-found includes the obligatory umbrellas, a fetching toy gorilla, a stuffed pufferfish and, of course, a case full of dentures.
Stuff found on the London Underground

Uncommon Uses for Common Items

What do tennis balls, umbrellas and rolling pins have in common? They are all creative and practical tools for releasing muscular tension. Here's how:
Uncommon Uses for Common Items

Bushfire death toll rises to 200

The official death toll from the Victorian bushfires has risen to 200. Investigators have confirmed a further 11 people died in fires around the town of Kinglake. Yesterday police warned the death toll would continue to rise as more bodies are identified in the devastated areas.
Bushfire death toll rises to 200

How to Test for Bandwidth Limiting by Your ISP

Doing some downloading or uploading on your "high-speed" internet connection and notice that the speed seems to drop off? Bandwidth is a measure of the speed of data transmission over a network or the internet (often represented in Kbit/s or Mbit/s). Bandwidth throttling happens when any server attempts to limit the amount of bandwidth that a given service may use. The common example is Internet Service Providers limiting the bandwidth usage of common BitTorrent clients on their network. Let's examine how you can tell if your internet service provider is throttling your speed.
How to Test for Bandwidth Limiting by Your ISP

How to Test a Water Heater Thermostat

Ran out of hot water? Here's how to check the controls and heating elements of most common residential 120, 208 and 240 volt electric water heaters.
How to Test a Water Heater Thermostat

"1234567890 Day" Google Logo Appears for Brief Time

The internal representation of Unix time is the number of seconds since 1970. Recently, at 2009-02-13 23:31:30 UTC specifically, the Unix time stamp in decimal was 1234567890.
"1234567890 Day" Google Logo Appears for Brief Time

How To Go Discount Hunting On Amazon

Did you know that it is possible to go discount hunting on the various Amazon websites? It actually is pretty easy to search for discounts at the Amazon website. All that is needed for that is a basic url that needs to be altered to reflect the category and the discount.
How To Go Discount Hunting On Amazon

If you know the Conficker dude, we've got a prize for you

Yesterday (12 February 2009) Microsoft announced a partnership with technology industry leaders and academia to implement a coordinated, global response to the Conficker (aka Downadup) worm. Together with security researchers, Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) and operators within the Domain Name System, Microsoft coordinated a response designed to disable domains targeted by Conficker. Microsoft also announced a $250,000 reward for information that results in the arrest and conviction of those responsible for illegally launching the Conficker malicious code on the Internet.
If you know the Conficker dude, we've got a prize for you

Help Your Teenager Earn Their First Million

As adults, how many times have you wished you had invested money as a teenager or young(er) adult? We're all aware of the power of compounding interest, and the idea that starting your savings earlier means having more money when you are ready to retire, but by the time we discover this financial truth – we've already missed a whole lot of years of saving! Why not help your kids earn their first million?
Help Your Teenager Earn Their First Million

11 Great Hidden Things Google Can Do That You Should Know

Google, A leading search engine that we use every day to search content on internet. There is no doubt that this is a damn powerful search engine but Google.com is not only for searching the stuffs. In addition to providing easy access to billions of web pages, Google.com has many amazing features to help you to find exactly what you’re looking for. Some of the most useful features that you can use in your daily life are discussing below. These are 11 Great Hidden Things Google Can Do That You Should Know, You can use these features without leaving the Google.com and I am sure majority of you did not aware of all the things listed below that Google can do for you.
11 Great Hidden Things Google Can Do That You Should Know

Victorian bushfire appeal scams

SCAMwatch is warning consumers wanting to contribute to the Victorian bushfire appeals to be on alert to ensure they are not taken in by scammers.
Victorian bushfire appeal scams

Rebuild starts now for 7,000 homeless

Victorian Premier John Brumby says rebuilding schools will be the first priority as the state recovers from the killer bushfires which have left 7,000 people homeless. More than 1,800 homes and three schools are now confirmed to have been destroyed in the bushfires but this morning the status of a fire burning outside the town of Healesville was downgraded to 'alert' from 'urgent threat'.
Rebuild starts now for 7,000 homeless

Alert levels raised as embers threaten Healesville

Victoria's bushfire threat has increased again this morning, with the town of Healesville to the north-east of Melbourne under the threat of ember attack. The CFA's Mark Glover says the fire is about one kilometre from Healesville.
Alert levels raised as embers threaten Healesville

How to Stop Picking Your Nose

Do you have a habitual need to pick your nose, even to the point where you have started excusing yourself for doing it in public?! It is time to stop this unhygienic and less-than-pleasant-to-view habit right now. It starts with accepting that you have a nose-picking habit and then being determined to arrest it right now.
How to Stop Picking Your Nose

BUSHFIRE WEATHER

Australia has a history of severe bushfires. Such tragedies as the Ash Wednesday fires of February 1983 (71 deaths in Victoria and South Australia), the Tasmanian fires of February 1967 (62 lives, more than 1400 houses and buildings lost) and the New South Wales bushfires of 1994, place bushfires high on the list of Australia's natural disasters.
BUSHFIRE WEATHER

Q. What does the Oxford Dictionary of English have in common with Harry Potter, A-Z Maps, and anything written by Terry Pratchett?

A. They’re all in the list of ‘Top Ten Most Stolen Books in the UK’!
Q. What does the Oxford Dictionary of English have in common with Harry Potter, A-Z Maps, and anything written by Terry Pratchett?

The First-Timer's Guide to Building a Computer from Scratch

If you've never done it before, the idea of building a computer from the ground up can seem very intimidating—but it's one of the most satisfying projects a tech enthusiast can take on.
The First-Timer's Guide to Building a Computer from Scratch

Bushfires in Victoria, Australia - The Big Picture

The state of Victoria in southern Australia has recently been hit with hundreds of bush fires during a record-breaking heatwave - temperatures well above 38°C (100°F). Unfortunately, these fires have proved to be the deadliest in Australian history, with at least 166 deaths reported so far. The fires mostly appear to have been started by lightning - however a few appear to have been arson, and are under investigation - entire towns being declared crime scenes. Twenty-four fires are still burning, and authorities warn that the death toll will likely rise.
Bushfires in Victoria, Australia - The Big Picture

How to Take Portrait Photographs: 7 steps (with video)

Have you ever felt that you have far too many "snapshots" of your family, and want a more professional-looking photograph to hang on your wall? Or perhaps you've been roped in to take a photograph for your company's magazine or website. Whatever the reason for wanting them, you don't need a photo studio and a ton of expensive lighting and camera gear to take portraits. With intelligent use of your equipment, thoughtful framing and due attention paid to lighting, anybody can take good portraits. Here's how.
How to Take Portrait Photographs: 7 steps (with video

Up to 1 in 5 dead in Marysville: Brumby

Victorian Premier John Brumby says surviving residents are still being kept out of the town of Marysville to shield them from the horrifying scene in their former home.
Up to 1 in 5 dead in Marysville: Brumby

Victorian bushfire survivor, Sam the koala, a global star

SAM became the most famous koala in the world when firefighter David Tree stopped to give him a drink amid the devastation. Pictures of Sam, who turned out to be female, travelled around the globe and featured in major newspapers including The New York Times, London's The Sun and on CNN. The image provided a much-needed picture of hope in a week filled with news of despair. Yesterday Sam was recovering in Mountain Ash Wildlife Shelter.
Victorian bushfire survivor, Sam the koala, a global star

Forensic crews try and identify dead

Forensic crews are trying to identify those who died in the Victorian bushfires, while more than 20 major fires continue to burn.
Forensic crews try and identify dead

I now understand the word 'firestorm'

We were inside the house and the noise outside was incredible. Sparks and embers were bashing up against the roof and the windows, the fence had caught fire, the woodpile against the house caught fire.
Then the windows started exploding — it sounded like a 747 taking off. It was broad daylight but it went dark because there was so much smoke and stuff — it just went dark.
I now understand the word 'firestorm'

People died doing exactly what they were told to do

For all our preparation, it was pure luck that my family survived. (Philip Chubb is associate professor of journalism at Monash University).
People died doing exactly what they were told to do

Victorian fires update

To follow up our post on Sunday, and with the tragedy in Victoria continuing, we've updated our map of the Victorian fires to incorporate the latest available satellite imagery from the Modis Rapid Response project at NASA/GSFC. You can toggle the button "Show Imagery" to see their most recent satellite imagery of some affected parts of Victoria. The small red polygons indicate that a fire is still burning (as at the time indicated beneath the map — 20 hours ago at the time of posting this).
Victorian fires update

Australian bushfires from above

NASA's Aqua satellite captured this image of southeastern Australia today—the smoke from the deadly wildfires there is plainly visible from Aqua's orbit 440 miles (705 kilometers) above Earth.
Australian bushfires from above

Bushfires – We Need your Mobile Phone Chargers

Do you have any spare mobile phone chargers? Bushfire victims need them urgently. Updated with contact information.
Bushfires – We Need your Mobile Phone Chargers

Death toll approaching 200, almost 1,000 homes destroyed

Firefighters are battling 25 bushfires across Victoria, with Premier John Brumby saying he expects the death toll from the disaster to exceed 200 people.
The official toll stands at 173 dead with more than 50 people still missing, thought to be dead, making it the country's worst bushfire disaster.
The blazes have burnt through more than 3,000 square kilometres - entire towns were wiped off the map within 24 hours at the weekend.
Death toll approaching 200, almost 1,000 homes destroyed

Bushfire toll climbs

The death toll in the Victorian bushfires now stands at 131, police have confirmed.
Bushfire toll climbs

Victoria's bushfires | Strathewen destroyed

On Saturday afternoon, there were 200 people living in the rural town, which is north of Melbourne.
By the end of that night, it is believed about 15 per cent of the population - or about 30 people - perished.
Many houses in Strathewen and Arthurs Creek have police tape across their front gates, an ominous sign of what lies inside.
Victoria's bushfires | Strathewen destroyed

Worst bushfires in history - Vision

Vision from some of the worst-hit areas of the Victorian bushfires; Kinglake, Kilmore and Marysville.
Worst bushfires in history

Remove Metadata From JPEG And PNG

Many image formats support so called metadata which are shunks of information stored in the image file itself. This can include the digital camera model used to take the images, time and date the picture was taken or GPS information that tell anyone where the image was taken. Metadata takes up disk space, this can be a few bytes to Kilobytes per image which can accumulate to Megabytes easily.
Remove Metadata From JPEG And PNG

Protein reverses Alzheimer's brain damage

Injections of a natural growth factor into the brains of mice, rats and monkeys offers hope of preventing or reversing the earliest impacts of Alzheimer's disease on memory. The benefits arose even in animals whose brains contained the hallmark plaques that clog up the brains of patients.
Protein reverses Alzheimer's brain damage

Grieving Victoria takes stock as toll hits 108

Across Victoria people are looking to pick up the pieces of their shattered lives, as the state attempts to come to terms with the deadliest bushfire disaster in Australian history.
At least 108 people have died in the horrific blazes, which continue to rage throughout the state.
Grieving Victoria takes stock as toll hits 108

At a glance: where bushfires are burning

There are 12 bushfires burning out of control across Victoria and 26 blazes in total. Here is a summary of the major fires of concern.

The biggest fire covers 210,000 hectares and is north of Melbourne. This is the fire responsible for most of the death and destruction; more than 500 homes have been destroyed in the Kinglake area alone.

In total, more than 700 homes have been confirmed destroyed.
At a glance: where bushfires are burning

Bushfire disaster: 'We all grieve with you'

Victoria is reeling from a weekend of ferocious bushfires which have claimed at least 65 lives and razed more than 600 homes across the state.
Bushfire disaster: 'We all grieve with you'

Mapping the Victorian fires

By now, you're undoubtedly aware of the terrible bushfire tragedy that is unfolding in Victoria.

We've today pulled together a Flash Map, containing the latest up-to-date information about fire locations and their status from the Country Fire Authority (CFA). The Flash Map is updated in real-time from the CFA website via an RSS feed. We hope that it's of some use to people who may be affected, to emergency services personnel, and that it takes some load off other websites which are being inundated. The map certainly makes the scale of this disaster immediately apparent.
Mapping the Victorian fires

Bushfire devastates Marysville - Video

The town of Marysville in Victoria has lost all but a few buildings to bushfires. Just look at the carnage.
Bushfire devastates Marysville

"Possibly one building left standing" in Marysville

The Country Fire Authority says there is "possibly one building left standing" in Marysville, as relentless bushfires engulfed the town north of Melbourne.

Greg Esnouf, the CFA's deputy chief fire officer, told ABC Local Radio that Marysville had been all but destroyed by the blazes.

"We're starting to get some reports in now that are very saddening," he told ABC Local 774 in Melbourne.

"This latest report says Marysville possibly one building left standing - that's just shocking.

"Anyone who knows Marysville, it's a beautiful town and that's really sad. "It's very disturbing for the township itself."
'Absolute devastation': Victoria gutted by deadly bushfires

Mark the End of the Day and Finish on Time

One of the things that I struggle with most when I’m working from home is wrapping up and finishing for the day. Quite often, I’ll mean to finish at, say, 6:30 pm, but then another email drops into the old inbox, or I’ll move onto “just one more” task, and before I know it it’s late into the night and I haven’t even started thinking about dinner.
Mark the End of the Day and Finish on Time

25 confirmed dead in Victorian fires

Twenty-five people are confirmed dead in Victoria's bushfires and the toll is expected to rise as into the 40s today as firefighters continue to battle the devastating blazes which have ripped through the state's country areas.
25 confirmed dead in Victorian fires

Bushfire Emergency - ABC News

It is feared more than 40 people have died as ferocious bushfires sweep across much of country Victoria and New South Wales.
Bushfire Emergency - ABC News

Dozens of homes lost in 'impossible' blaze conditions

Temperatures were expected to drop by 15 degrees Celsius across Victoria from 6:00pm (AEDT), but there will be little relief with high winds expected to change direction and force fires onto new fronts.
Dozens of homes lost in 'impossible' blaze conditions

Melbourne - 46.4C - Highest Ever

Today is a day of Extreme Fire Danger for the whole state. Stay tuned to ABC Local Radio for updates and advice on bushfires in your area and dealing with heat stress. See the Fire Danger map for Saturday February 7, 2009.
ABC Melbourne

Blackstump Australia Issue 5 - February 8, 2009

This weeks latest new family friendly sites from The Black Stump.
Blackstump Australia Issue 5 - February 8, 2009

Top 10 Web 2.0 Tools for Young Learners

Gail Lovely is adamant about the nature and potential of Web-based learning tools. "Web 2.0 is about trust," she said at a recent talk. "It's about sharing and collaborating." And, she insisted, it's about putting the power to learn and create in the hands of the students.
Top 10 Web 2.0 Tools for Young Learners

Eat a heart-healthy diet

Even if you don’t have to lose weight, what you eat can affect your heart-disease risk. One recent study found that people who consumed a rigorously heart-healthy diet—low in saturated fat and rich in fruits and vegetables—for one month lowered their “bad” LDL cholesterol nearly as much on average as those who took a statin drug. And other research shows that this approach can stop or even reverse the progression of coronary disease.
Eat a heart-healthy diet

Computer Repair Utility Kit

The first version of Technibbles Computer Repair Utility Kit was so popular, we’ve created a second version. For those of you who don’t know, the Computer Repair Utility Kit is a combination of computer repair tools in one easy to use pack. The Computer Repair Utility Kit allows you to run all of the repair tools from your portable drive (eg. USB Flash Drive, External Hard Drive, IPod etc.) and comes with an easy to use, right-click menu. A must in any computer technicians kit.
Computer Repair Utility Kit

Color Study Looks at Effects of Red and Blue

Trying to improve your performance at work or write that novel? Maybe it’s time to consider the color of your walls or your computer screen. If a new study is any guide, the color red can make people’s work more accurate, and blue can make people more creative.
Color Study Looks at Effects of Red and Blue

The Economic Cost of Internet Censorship in Australia

Much has been written about the social cost of the proposed Australian Internet censorship regime, but far too little on the economic cost. As the Rudd Government attempts to pass a $42 billion AUD stimulus package in an attempt to stave of recession, it continues to back a plan that has negative economic consequences for Australian businesses.
The Economic Cost of Internet Censorship in Australia

Deferred Sender

Deferred Sender is a free service that allows you to schedule emails from any email application or website to be sent in the future. Send reminders, notifications and more!
Deferred Sender

Behavior Gap: The Psychology of Investing

At Behavior Gap, Carl Richards is on a mission to help investors overcome the self-destructive behaviors that prevent them from prospering. Over the past week, while preparing for an upcoming presentation to a conference of financial planners, I’ve had the chance to e-mail and speak with Carl about his site and his goals. “Any way we can encourage people to think about money is good,” he told me. He wants people to become aware of how their behavior affects their financial position.
Behavior Gap: The Psychology of Investing

Use Butter to Keep Cheese Soft and Unspoiled

The TipNut blog occasionally digs up advice from really old cookbooks, and tips like this result: Spreading a thin layer of butter on a block of opened cheese keeps it soft, and prevents molding.
Use Butter to Keep Cheese Soft and Unspoiled

Bulk Image Resizer is Light and Quick on Photo Processing

Hailing from the camp of "do one thing exceedingly well"," Batch Image Resizer is a small utility for speedily batch processing your image files.
Bulk Image Resizer is Light and Quick on Photo Processing

Why teenagers can't see your point of view

Teenagers might have a new excuse for ignoring their parent's orders. Their brain's ability to adopt the viewpoint of others is still budding, new research suggests.
Why teenagers can't see your point of view

9 Tips to Avoid Overspending.

One source of unhappiness for people is feeling out of control of their spending – and this is a problem that’s far more widespread now than it was a year ago. Feeling regret about having bought something is a very unpleasant sort of unhappiness.
9 Tips to Avoid Overspending.

The Art of Taking Criticism

There are lots of people on this planet, and they all have their opinions. That means that all of us should expect to receive lots of criticism in our lifetime. Friends, family, coworkers, neighbors, random strangers…they all have something to say (just as we often do ourselves). And if you have any kind of online presence, you can expect to receive much more criticism, as everyone comes out under the veil of anonymity.
The Art of Taking Criticism

Windows 7 News

Microsoft has made some important announcements in the past few days. The first big news which hit the online news sites today is that Microsoft will provide the options to upgrade Windows XP to Windows 7. The term upgrade might cause some confusion as it refers to the possibility for XP users to purchase Windows 7 at reduced prices rather than allowing them to upgrade their operating system to Windows 7 which is apparently not possible. So, legit Windows XP users will be able to purchase Windows 7 at a reduced price but need to do a clean install to actually use the operating system.
Windows 7 News

Printable Checklist Makes Quick, Printer-Friendly Checklists Online

Web site Printable Checklist is a stripped down checklist creator that makes building quick, printer-friendly custom checklists a breeze.
Printable Checklist Makes Quick, Printer-Friendly Checklists Online