Records reveal First Fleet's wet welcome

Weather reports salvaged from ship logs are painting a new picture of the stormy conditions that battered the First Fleet during its epic voyage to Australia, more than 200 years ago. They also reveal that Australia was experiencing a wetter than normal summer due to a La Niña event.
Records reveal First Fleet's wet welcome

Ask How-To Geek: How Do You Make Upside Down Text? - How-To Geek

Have you ever seen somebody use upside down text on the web? Ever wonder how to do it? Let’s take a quick look at how the characters are actually put together, and show you an easy generator that will do it for you.
Ask How-To Geek: How Do You Make Upside Down Text?

How To Play Any Media File In iTunes

If you use iTunes to organise your media, you’ve probably run into the roadblock of adding files it doesn’t support (like MKVs). Here’s how to trick iTunes into support the files you want.
How To Play Any Media File In iTunes

Long-lost Apollo 11 footage surfaces

Long-lost footage of Neil Armstrong descending the ladder of the Apollo 11 lunar module will be screened in public for the first time in Sydney next week. The footage runs for a few minutes and is considered to be some of the best footage of the historic 1969 moonwalk, but the film was lost in archives for many years and was badly damaged when found, says CSIRO scientist John Sarkissian.
Long-lost Apollo 11 footage surfaces

101 Free Alternatives to Commonly Used Paid Software

Over the past few years, independent programmers and companies alike have developed free software that have come to replace their more expensive, well-known counterparts. Below are 101 free alternatives tocommonly used paid software that could help save you or your business a lot of money.
101 Free Alternatives to Commonly Used Paid Software

6 Free Web Tools for Managing Time Differences

Conducting business with international clients can mean more than just a language barrier — there can be a time barrier as well. With 24 standard time zones, it can be overwhelming to keep track of all your clients’ business hours, and scheduling tasks across time zones can be a challenge. If your business depends on knowing what time it is everywhere, don’t worry, as there are plenty of free online tools to help you coordinate, and ensure you never unwittingly call a client at 4 a.m.
6 Free Web Tools for Managing Time Differences

Family Friendly sites listed on Blackstump Australia Issue 20/2010

The latest issue of new Family Friendly sites listed on The Black Stump.
Family Friendly sites listed on Blackstump Australia Issue 20/2010

How To Print From Your iOS Device Right Now

Apple’s iOS 4.2 update doesn’t hit the virtual shelves until sometime in November, leaving you without wireless printing for at at least another month. Here’s how you can print from your iOS device right now, no cables attached.
How To Print From Your iOS Device Right Now

How to Use Question Marks Correctly

Although the question mark is one of the easiest punctuation symbols to use in writing, it's easy to misuse it. In part, this may be due to to trying to make it work harder when it doesn't need to be used, or it just might be because it's not well understood that not all question type statements need a question mark. After reading this article though, you'll be much the wiser on knowing how to use a question mark correctly. But you knew that, didn't you?
How to Use Question Marks Correctly

“Millions” Of Home Routers Vulnerable To Web Hack

Here’s his chart of which are and aren’t subject to attack.
“Millions” Of Home Routers Vulnerable To Web Hack

Etymology of 'Letting the Cat Out of the Bag'

To "let the cat out of the bag" is one of those sayings wherein meaning is instinctively grasped even if it's difficult to coherently put into words why this is so.
Etymology of 'Letting the Cat Out of the Bag'

Following the Sun’s Unique Path

Every day the Sun crosses the sky, rising in the east and setting in the west, but in detail its path is different every time. If it is winter, or if you live in the north, the Sun is lower and stays closer to the southern horizon. While the time of year and the location have similar effects, they act independently on the overall path. The Sun’s path is unique for your place and time.
Following the Sun’s Unique Path

Manage Your Bookmarks On Multiple Browsers With Transmute

Are you fond of using multiple browsers and sometimes unable to find your favorite pages and bookmarks? Then Darq Software’s Transmute can help you manage them appropriately. This is an amazing utility which allows you to import and export bookmarks from one browser to another automatically, rather than doing it manually. It saves your time as it does almost everything automatically, since the tool itself selects the bookmark folders and saves them without any errors, which avoids all the confusion.
Manage Your Bookmarks On Multiple Browsers With Transmute

Science behind the parting of the Red Sea

National Center for Atmospheric Research scientists suggest a new theory to explain the episode. They used archaeological records and satellite data as the basis for a computer simulation of a powerful overnight wind at the shallow spot where the crossing may have occurred.
Science behind the parting of the Red Sea

Aussie Government Keen To Yank Content From Google Groups

Google has just released its biannual figures on what content government bodies asked it to remove in the first six months of 2010. The biggest surprise? Just how many items on Google Groups were removed at the request of the Australian government.
Aussie Government Keen To Yank Content From Google Groups

Internet Activity, Australia, Jun 2010

The Internet Activity Survey (IAS) collects details on aspects of internet access services provided by Internet Service Providers (ISPs) in Australia. This release contains results from all ISPs operating in Australia as at 30 June 2010.
Internet Activity, Australia, Jun 2010

How To Protect All Your Precious Stuff

From your latest gadgets to your expensive big TV and even your car, here’s a complete guide on how to protect all your precious material things from thieves.
How To Protect All Your Precious Stuff

The Beauty Of Public Signage: Photo Contest Results

In August we announced the World Of Signage Photo Contest, in which we encouraged designers, artists and photographers to go out with their cameras, shoot attractive typography and public signage and send us the results. The more obvious subjects we received were street signs, building facades, highway markers and road signs, as well as wayfinding graphics (i.e. directional signage) in public venues, subway signs, hotel and office signs and signs in shops, too.
The Beauty Of Public Signage: Photo Contest Results

The Complete Android Guide Is a Front-to-Back Handbook for Android Phones

Just getting started with your Android phone, or know somebody who is? Want a better understanding of Android's features? Check out The Complete Android Guide, a comprehensive wiki-style site, ebook, and paperback guide to Google's smartphone system.
The Complete Android Guide

The Top 5 and Flop 3 Features Of Internet Explorer 9

In this guide, we look at the best and worst Internet Explorer 9 features. That’s basically all you need to know to decide whether you want to install the browser, or not. Promised. And we keep it reasonably short as well.
The Top 5 and Flop 3 Features Of Internet Explorer 9

Chrome’s About:Labs Page Lists Experimental Features

It used to be that with Chrome, you could only enable experimental features (like moving tabs to the side) by manually adding flags to the shortcut. Now, dev build users can enable them from the new about:labs page.
Chrome’s About:Labs Page Lists Experimental Features

Iron Stains Out of Your Carpet with a Vinegar Solution

If you're at a loss for how to get a stubborn stain out of carpet or upholstery, this clever trick will have you ironing stains out with little more than an iron, rags, and vinegar.
Iron Stains Out of Your Carpet with a Vinegar Solution

Google Goes Mysterious for Agatha Christie's Birthday

Today’s Google logo (or Google Doodle, as the company calls its everchanging logo) is one of the most elaborate we’ve seen: It’s a murder scene with one of Google’s o’s depicting a lady lying dead in the middle of a room full of other characters.
Google Goes Mysterious for Agatha Christie's Birthday

Internet Explorer 9 Beta 1 Walkthrough [VIDEO]

Check out this video that highlights some of the newest features and pits IE 9 against Firefox and Google Chrome.
Internet Explorer 9 Beta 1 Walkthrough [VIDEO]

Internet Explorer 9 Screenshot Tour: It’s Got a Completely New Interface

Today Microsoft finally released the newest version of Internet Explorer, complete with hardware acceleration, web standards support, and a completely redesigned interface focused on using web sites as applications. Join us for a tour of the features in Internet Explorer 9.
Internet Explorer 9 Screenshot Tour: It’s Got a Completely New Interface

How To Configure A New Hard Drive In Windows 7

It is necessary to configure a drive so that it becomes available in Windows. New hard drives usually do not come with a file system pre-installed, which means that it is up to the user to pick a file system so that the hard disk can be accessed in the operating system. In Windows 7 this is done with the Disk Management tool. The easiest way to load Disk Management is to press Windows-R, type diskmgmt.msc and hit enter.
How To Configure A New Hard Drive In Windows 7

Internet Explorer 9 Beta Download Available

Microsoft has released the first public beta of the upcoming Internet Explorer 9 web browser a few minutes ago. This beta release is the first public version of IE9 with a user interface. And that user interface has changed a lot, compared to previous Internet Explorer versions.
Internet Explorer 9 Beta Download Available

We yawn because we care

How contagious is yawning? Enough that I'm yawning right now just from writing about it. Admittedly, I'd never given it much thought, but I always kind of assumed that contagious yawning—that tendency to pick up a yawn from the people around you and pass it on like the evil videotape in The Ring—was something all humans were susceptible to.
We yawn because we care

How To Set Up A US iTunes Account

If your iTunes account is associated with an Australian address, then the options for what you can buy online will be different (and generally more limited) than those available to US iTunes users. Set up your own US iTunes account and you’ll have access to a much wider range of content to purchase.
How To Set Up A US iTunes Account

Is life in Australia getting better?

The Australian Bureau of Statistics released a report today containing a range of information that should help Australians decide if life is getting better. “That’s a big question – is life better now than it was ten years ago?” said Mr Brian Pink, Australian Statistician.Is life in Australia getting better?

Desktop Fun: Television Show Fonts

A lot of our favorite television show fonts have terrific fonts in the credits. If you are looking for nice ones then take a look through our collection of television show fonts.
Desktop Fun: Television Show Fonts

Nine years later: some post-9/11 snapshots from NYC

Alex Smith recently re-discovered a box of photographs from September 11, 2001 that he'd put away in storage back in 2003. He scanned and published them over the weekend, along with some beautiful reflections on what that day meant to him.
Nine years later: some post-9/11 snapshots from NYC

Prevent People from Forwarding or Replying All in Outlook

If you frequently send out mass email news letters and keep getting users replying to all recipients or need to disable the ability to forward an email, Microsoft Exchange and Outlook have you covered.
Prevent People from Forwarding or Replying All in Outlook

Top 10 Things to Do with a New Windows 7 System

Whether you've just bought a new PC, upgraded to Windows 7, or reinstalled your OS, a just-installed system is a great opportunity to make some helpful changes and fixes. Here are the things we recommend anyone tackle on a minty fresh Windows.
Top 10 Things to Do with a New Windows 7 System

9 Crazy Plane Landings

Pilot’s eye view videos.
9 Crazy Plane Landings

Windows DLL Hijack Vulnerability Affects Exe Files As Well

The recently discovered DLL hijack vulnerability in Windows appears to be more critical than thought. Up until now it was confirmed that Windows would load dlls from the current working directory if they cannot be found in directories with a higher search priority. This in turn meant that attackers had to use a dll unknown on the system to exploit the vulnerability. Users who want a confirmed list of Windows programs that are affected by the DLL vulnerability can visit Secunia for that. At the time of writing, a total of 123 different applications by 47 vendors are affected.
Windows DLL Hijack Vulnerability Affects Exe Files As Well

Internet Explorer 9 – What you Need To Know

The beta release of Microsoft’s Internet Explorer 9 is just around the corner. The first version of the browser with the new interface included will be available publicly on September 15.
Internet Explorer 9 – What you Need To Know

Family Friendly sites listed on Blackstump Australia Issue 19/2010

The latest issue of new Family Friendly sites listed on The Black Stump.
Family Friendly sites listed on Blackstump Australia Issue 19/2010

10 Killer Google Chrome Tips, Tricks and Shortcuts

As Google’s Chrome browser celebrates its second anniversary, we thought it appropriate to commemorate the occasion with some handy tips and tricks. Here are 10 tried and tested hints that will help you to get the most out of Chrome by taking advantage of some of its more functional tools and time-saving setups.
10 Killer Google Chrome Tips, Tricks and Shortcuts

Google Instant Search – The Ultimate Guide

The biggest website on the web has supposedly undergone metamorphosis with introduction of Google Instant Search. According to Merissa Mayer, it is a “fundamental shift in search”. The way the whole web erupted to this announcement has been pretty much overwhelming. Everyone has some question or an opinion of their own. Some people want to know how they can disable Google Instant. Some people are wondering why they are not seeing Google Instant and few others, who are webmasters, are worrying about what would happen to their SEO and organic traffic.
Google Instant Search – The Ultimate Guide

How To Access Google Instant From Australia | Lifehacker Australia

Google’s new Instant Search looks pretty impressive, but isn’t officially available on Google’s Australian domain right now. Here’s some tricks to get it working.
How To Access Google Instant From Australia

Ten Misheard Expressions To Avoid In Your Writing

Anyone can make a typo or a spelling mistake, and fixing those is pretty easy in the spellcheck era. If you want your writing totally error-free, you also need to avoid using expressions which you think you’re using correctly but which you’ve actually misheard. Here’s ten examples to watch out for.
Ten Misheard Expressions To Avoid In Your Writing

Google Instant Predictions From A to Z

Google just launched Google Instant, a speedy new search offering that lets users search as they type. With Google Instant, the search engine technology is capable of predicting a user’s search query — in gray text — before he finishes typing it.
Google Instant Predictions From A to Z

How to Update Your Insecure Passwords and Make Them Easy to Use

You know how important strong passwords are, but you've got a huge backlog of passwords—some you can't remember, others you've been using for years. Here's how to securely update, create, and manage your passwords on any computer.
How to Update Your Insecure Passwords and Make Them Easy to Use

American Express Cardholders - $30 Fuel Voucher when you spend $50 at Coles Express

Spend $50 or more at Coles Express in one transaction and get a free $30 Coles Express Fuel Voucher by mail in 6-8 weeks.
American Express Cardholders - $30 Fuel Voucher when you spend $50 at Coles Express

New Zealand Earthquake Visualized in Google Earth

A strong earthquake that hit Christchurch, New Zealand on September 4 was one of the worst to hit New Zealand in 80 years. No deaths have been reported, but the earthquake caused devastation throughout the region of Canterbury. Flickr has put up a special page with some of the best user images of the earthquake, which show great damage on the buildings and structures in Christchurch. Also, Google Earth Blog has posted a neat Google Earth visualization which uses data from Geonet. To see it, you must have Google Earth installed; download this KMZ file, and click the “play” button in the upper-left corner.
New Zealand Earthquake Visualized in Google Earth

Leave No Trace: How to Completely Erase Your Hard Drives, SSDs and Thumb Drives

With stories abounding of identity theft aided by information lifted from discarded storage devices, you want devices you no longer plan to use to have no usable information when they head out the door. Here's how to wipe them clean.
Leave No Trace: How to Completely Erase Your Hard Drives, SSDs and Thumb Drives:

35 Entertaining 404 Error Pages

“404 Not Found.” These three little words can make any Internet explorer an unhappy camper. After all, who hopes to click on a broken link or stumble upon a moved or deleted page while cruising around the web? Luckily, some web designers have chosen to end the misery of encountering a 404 error page. Instead of letting their site readers bump heads with a nasty dead-end error message, they’ve managed to squeeze a little entertainment out of it. Below you’ll find some of the most entertaining 404 error pages on the web.
35 Entertaining 404 Error Pages

The physics of breaking stuff with your fists

iO9 recently ran a story on how martial artists are able to break boards and cement blocks, using their hands rather than mystical powers.
The physics of breaking stuff with your fists

Trying to Make a Tough Decision? Try Asking the Five Fateful Questions.

(Gretchen Rubin) - When I’m reluctant to take a risk or face something uncomfortable, I ask myself these five questions which, in melodramatic form, I call the "Five Fateful Questions." They help me think clearly about a situation.
Trying to Make a Tough Decision? Try Asking the Five Fateful Questions

NASA Plans to Visit the Sun

If you’ve seen Danny Boyle’s movie Sunshine, you may be a little disappointed: NASA’s mission to visit the Earth’s Sun won’t include sending people up there. But it will be sending a spacecraft into the Sun’s atmosphere, approximately four million miles from its surface. The project, called Solar Probe Plus, is slated to launch sometime before 2018.
NASA Plans to Visit the Sun

World’s Riskiest Places to Surf the Web

Ever wondered which are the places in the world where you will more likely be attacked by malicious viruses while surfing the web? Well, AVG has done all the hard work and has collected the ten riskiest places to surf the web in the world. This comes after AVG looked at data from 100+ million PCs in 144 countries. If you are in Turkey, Russia, Armenia and Azerbaijan, you are most likely to be hit by a malicious computer attack or virus. While surfing the web in Sierra Leone, Niger, Japan or Togo is the safest. AVG’s research was conducted in the last week of July.
World’s Riskiest Places to Surf the Web

A birds-eye view of hurricane Earl

This serene-looking view of hurricane Earl was taken aboard the International Space Station as it passed over the Atlantic Ocean on Monday. Taken by NASA astronaut Douglas Wheelock, it shows the distinctive eye of the storm, which spans 28 kilometres.
A birds-eye view of hurricane Earl

Use OneNote to Make Memorizing Information Easier

Microsoft OneNote is a great tool for taking notes and storing information you don’t want to lose. But sometimes, simply storing information in our computers isn’t enough – we need to store it in our brain, too! One great way to make yourself remember information is to review it, then test yourself on your new knowledge. Flashcards are great for this, so here’s how you can bring flashcards into the 21st century with OneNote.
Use OneNote to Make Memorizing Information Easier

Windows 7 Family Pack Returns

When Windows 7 launched last year, Microsoft offered a discounted Windows 7 “Family Pack.” It was a boxed package that contained the Windows 7 Home Premium upgrade for both 32- and 64-bit systems and a product key that could be used on up to three machines; at $150, it was a pretty good deal for families — and web workers with more than one machine to upgrade. Unfortunately, the Family Pack was only available in limited quantities, and was sold out in the U.S by December. The good news is that, in time for Windows 7′s first anniversary on October 3rd, Microsoft is bringing back the Family Pack. It’s the same deal as before — three upgrade licenses for $150, although you’ll probably be able to find it a bit cheaper online. If you haven’t already upgraded your machines to Windows 7, it’s definitely worth considering as, once again, it’s only available “while stocks last.” The Family Pack will also be sold in Canada, the UK, Germany, France, Australia and “many other markets” on or after October 22nd to mark Windows 7′s first anniversary in those territories.
Windows 7 Family Pack Returns

How to Teach Juggling: 10 steps

A wise juggler once said that nobody ever teaches someone how to juggle; they simply show someone how to teach themselves. The role of the teacher then is more to encourage than to instruct. Still, by breaking things down into the simplest process, you can set someone up for success.
How to Teach Juggling: 10 steps

How to Remember People's Names (and Deal with Unusual Names)

Accurately remembering names is one of the simplest yet most important components of interacting with people, no matter in what capacity. This article presents some tips acquired over the years with regards to remembering and using people's names.
How to Remember People's Names (and Deal with Unusual Names)

Make your Windows Computer Start-up Faster

Does your Windows computer take really long to start-up? Well, you are not alone with this problem but fortunately, with some minor tweaks, you can get your sluggish Windows to start much faster without re-installing Windows or adding any new hardware.
Make your Windows Computer Start-up Faster - Reduce Boot Time

An Eerie Peek Inside The Remains Of The Titanic

You’ve seen the sonar image of the Titanic’s remains. Now, the video: Here’s an eerie peek inside the debris of the most famous ship in history, shot by Expedition Titanic‘s new underwater remotely operated vehicle. Watch the chilling footage inside.
An Eerie Peek Inside The Remains Of The Titanic

10 Useful iPhone Shortcuts, Tips and Tricks

At Mashable, they’ve been putting the iPhone 4 through its paces, and have come up with some handy tips and tricks that can help you get more out of your Apple-flavored mobile. They’ve covered all kinds of basics, like making search results more relevant, creating shortcuts for your favorite websites, better organizing your apps, and making the most of Maps.
10 Useful iPhone Shortcuts, Tips and Tricks

Compress Folders, Files In Windows To Save Storage Space

File compression support is one of the features of the NTFS file system that often gets overlooked by Windows users. Its main purpose is to reduce the storage requirements of files on devices that use the NTFS file system. Compression is however handled different from archivers like 7-Zip, WinZip or WinRar, as the compressed files appear like before in the operating system (meaning there is not extension change to indicate a compressed files). This ensures that the files can be used normally by the user, and the operating system.
Compress Folders, Files In Windows To Save Storage Space

How Strong is your Password? Check your Password Strength Online

This is common knowledge; you should use a combination of alphabets, numerical digits, and special characters (!, @) to create strong passwords. Yet, the most commonly used password on the Internet is 123456 followed by 12345 – see full list.
How Strong is your Password? Check your Password Strength Online

Add Quick Brown Fox Text in Microsoft Word

If you want to insert some dummy text in a Word document, start a new paragraph, type =lorem() and hit Enter.
Add Quick Brown Fox Text in Microsoft Word

NASA Puts Historic Image Collections on Flickr

Three compilations of historic NASA images have been released on The Commons on Flickr, the fruit of a collaborative effort between Flickr, NASA and the Internet Archive.
NASA Puts Historic Image Collections on Flickr

How to Transfer Your iTunes Collection from One Computer to Another

If you’re an iTunes user, when you get a new machine you probably want to transfer all of your content to it. Here we show you a few different ways to everything from one computer to another.
How to Transfer Your iTunes Collection from One Computer to Another

HOW TO: Watch the 2010 Emmy Awards Online [VIDEO]

As per usual, there’s no legal way to stream video of the whole 2010 Emmy Awards ceremony live online, but there are a few ways you can use the web to supplement your TV viewing experience.
HOW TO: Watch the 2010 Emmy Awards Online [VIDEO]

Repurposing an Old Computer for Any Room in the House

Most of us have our computers on our desks or our laps, but there are so many other places in and out of our homes that can make a great spot for an old PC. The smaller your PC the more places you can put it, so laptops are obvious choices for moving around to different parts of your home. We've posted before with suggestions for repurposing an old laptop so be sure to check those out as well.
Repurposing an Old Computer for Any Room in the House

Family Friendly sites listed on Blackstump Australia Issue 18/2010

The latest issue of new Family Friendly sites listed on The Black Stump.
Family Friendly sites listed on Blackstump Australia Issue 18/2010

Katrina: 5 years later - Then and Now

In the five years since Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast, some areas have rebuilt while others remain unchanged. CNN photographers and iReporters collaborated in a powerful past-meets-present photography project to show what the region looks like today.
Katrina: 5 years later - Then and Now:

Whoops! The 10 Greatest (Accidental) Inventions Of All Time

“Everything comes to him who hustles while he waits,” Thomas Edison once said. But is hustling all it takes? Is progress always deliberate? Sometimes genius arrives not by choice – but by chance. Below are Gizmodo's 10 favourite serendipitous innovations.
Whoops! The 10 Greatest (Accidental) Inventions Of All Time

Microsoft Australia makes Meter Maids ‘apology’

Microsoft Australia has been forced to apologise for choosing to use the Australian Gold Coast’s “Meter Maids” during its Tuesday-night welcome party, with Microsoft Australia MD Tracey Fellows declaring it “just wrong” and “unacceptable”.
Microsoft Australia makes Meter Maids ‘apology’

The Ballad of Cat Bin Lady: The Internet's Latest Viral Villain

It’s a thin line between Internet Hero and Internet Horror, and it seems that for one woman in Coventry, England, that line has been clearly crossed — over to the “horror” side, that is. Mary Bale, 45, found herself caught in the crosshairs of the reputation executor that is the web this week after a surveillance video of her placing a cat in a garbage bin went viral. Now, the Internet is replete with parodies, groups and spin-offs dedicated to bringing Bale down. Ah, what we can achieve when we really apply ourselves…
The Ballad of Cat Bin Lady: The Internet's Latest Viral Villain

Revenge of the Cat

Cat, unaware of video camera, drops middle-aged woman into trash can.
Revenge of the Cat

Snapshot: bike lane indicators get straight to the point

Photograph was taken by Carlton Reid, and the stencil street art it documents is the work of Peter Drew of Adelaide, Australia.
Snapshot: bike lane indicators get straight to the point

List of Free and Fast Public DNS Servers

DNS (or Domain Name Servers) is basically a system to convert domain names into IP addresses. Domain names are easier to understand, memorize and write for humans while computers only use IP addresses to communicate. Normally, the ISPs provide their users with their own default DNS server IPs which are often unreliable and slow. There are many better, faster, safer and more reliable public DNS servers for your everyday use. Here is a list of all such fast & free public DNS servers along with their IPs.
List of Free and Fast Public DNS Servers

Are you safer in the rear or front seat of cars?

An Australian study using U.S. data has shown that 50-year-old passengers in the back seat of cars are at more risk of injury or death than those in the front seat because safety features are lacking. What about younger adults and children?
Are you safer in the rear or front seat of cars?

Lose weight with 2 glasses of water before meals

A U.S. study has shown that drinking two eight-ounce glasses of water before meals helps people to consume fewer calories during meals. And, fewer calories consumed means a way to lose weight!
Lose weight with 2 glasses of water before meals

Use Cotton Strips for No-Fuss Houseplant Watering

If you'd like to keep your houseplants well-watered despite vacation plans or forgetfulness, you'd be hard pressed to find a simpler solution than this DIY, no fuss, no electricity needed, watering system.
Use Cotton Strips for No-Fuss Houseplant Watering

Top 5 Free Tools to Speed up Copying Files in Windows

When you try to copy or move large number of files on Windows 7 (or Vista), it can get on your nerves specially if the destination directory is on a different partition or a different folder under the same partition. This is when you would need a File copying tool which can act as an alternative for Windows Copy command. There are several such file copying tools available, some of which are paid and others free. Since most of the free ones are good enough, we have reviewed and listed down five of the best file copying tools to speed up your Windows experience.
Top 5 Free Tools to Speed up Copying Files in Windows

2 Great Ways to Disable iPhone’s Auto Rotation Feature

iPhone’s built-in accelerometer offers a simple way to switch between portrait and landscape mode. As all know, you can simply rotate iPhone sideway and it responds automatically to display content in landscape. I love this slick feature. At the same time, I find it quite irritating for a simple reason: I hate it turn sideway when I lay in bed to browse web and check my email.
2 Great Ways to Disable iPhone’s Auto Rotation Feature

What Can I Do With A Dead Hard Drive?

Before we delve into gutting your hard drive and repurposing its guts, let’s talk data security. While you didn’t specify what “dead hard drive” means, we’ll assume this means the disk is inoperable and any means of recovering the disk for use using software have failed. If the disk has truly sensitive data on it—data worth enough that someone would invest significant time and energy in recovering it—the only safe thing to do is to reference the Symphony of Destruction portion of our guide to properly erasing your physical media. If, on the other hand, the disk was mostly populated with your bootleg Bon Jovi concert rips, it’s ripe for all manner of DIY projects.
What Can I Do With A Dead Hard Drive?

20 Cool Twitter Accounts for Daily Fun and Inspiration [PICS]

Twitter is an ever-expanding source of fascinating information. More than just news and updates, there is also another, more fun side of Twitter that is sometimes overlooked. You can use the real-time micro-blogging service to get a daily dose of education, entertainment, or something in between. Whether you want to expand your vocab, discover new music, be inspired, or just view a cute bunny on a daily basis, Twitter can help.
20 Cool Twitter Accounts for Daily Fun and Inspiration [PICS]

Voters wake to Political Turmoil

A handful of independents are set to decide Australia's political future after an inconclusive election delivered what seems certain to be Australia's first hung parliament since World War II.
Voters wake to Political Turmoil

Top 10 Facebook Fixes

Facebook may be the de facto social network of, frankly, almost everyone, but that doesn't mean you have to use Facebook exactly the way its creators, or your Farmville-addicted friends, want you to. Here are 10 tweaks to make Facebook better.
Top 10 Facebook Fixes

10 Classic PC Games That Found New Life on the iPhone

Apple’s iPhone may mark a second golden age of computer gaming for a lot of reasons. The open marketplace means anyone can create a game; from major companies to just a couple of talented people in a garage. The result is a new boom in innovation, the likes of which we haven’t seen in about 20 years. Even with all the potential for innovation, maybe you still want to relive that first golden age of gaming. If you’re excited for how new tech can update the classics, then this list is for you: 10 of the greatest, most influential, straight-up classic computer games ever made, all available on and completely remastered for Apple’s handset, and in most cases also playable on the iPod touch and iPad.
10 Classic PC Games That Found New Life on the iPhone

Chameleon Folder Puts Favorite Folders At Your Fingertips

What’s the default way of accessing specific folders in the Windows operating system? The majority of users will probably answer that question by stating that they browse to that folder in Windows Explorer. Some may have put shortcuts to folders on the desktop or the start menu, and advanced users may make use of application launchers that support folder links. Still, the majority of users makes use of the default way of opening folders. The problem? It is not really comfortable, nor fast, especially if the folder is hidden deep in the file system.
Chameleon Folder Puts Favorite Folders At Your Fingertips

Two Online Databases: Find a Bike Map + Bike/Walking Info Database

Locate maps by using drop-down menus for each state or country (Australia, Canada, Croatia, Ireland, New Zealand, UK). This database is not comprehensive (at least as of today) but it’s growing and they would welcome new maps contributed by visitors.
Two Online Databases: Find a Bike Map + Bike/Walking Info Database

Cameron Diaz + Web Search = Potential Malware Dangers (Let’s Be Careful Out There)

Searching for “Cameron Diaz” brings bad news — in the form of risky sites — in one of every 10 search results, according to McAfee’s Most Dangerous Celebrities study. Make the search terms “Cameron Diaz” and “screensavers,” and that 10% chance of danger almost doubles. The “Knight and Day” star replaces last year’s No. 1, Jessica Biel.
Cameron Diaz + Web Search = Potential Malware Dangers (Let’s Be Careful Out There)

10 Useful iPhone Keyboard Shortcuts, Tips and Tricks

Whether you’ve taken to the iPhone’s touchscreen keyboard like a duck to water, or are more of a one-finger-at-a-time typist, there are plenty of shortcuts, tips and tricks that can improve your iTyping experience. Here, we’ve rounded up ten useful ways to be faster and more productive with your iPhone’s keyboard. We hope these tricks are handy for anyone new to the platform, or those who have not had the time to really experiment.
10 Useful iPhone Keyboard Shortcuts, Tips and Tricks

[How to] Opt out of Facebook Places & Hide Location From Friends

Facebook Places is a cool feature which was just introduced by facebook using which the users can share their current location or place with other Facebook friends. But then, for some of you, this feature sounds creepy and an invasion to your privacy. Well, if you are one of those, then here is a simple guide to turn off Facebook Places and save whatever privacy is left on Facebook.
[How to] Opt out of Facebook Places & Hide Location From Friends

Set File Properties To Make Searching Easier In Windows

One of Windows 7′s best features is the ability to find pretty much anything from the Search option on the Start menu. If you’ve got your own scripts that you run regularly, you can make these easy to find with a simple file properties trick, as Lifehacker reader Dan explains.
Set File Properties To Make Searching Easier In Windows

Crazy Roger Federer Trick Shot

A video featuring tennis star Roger Federer that plays on our collective fascination with “real or fake” hit the web earlier this week and has quickly gone viral, accumulating more than 700,000 views as of this morning. The video, which was part of a Gillette commercial shoot in Switzerland, features Federer serving a tennis ball and knocking a can off the head of one of the crew members –- twice in a row. This is made particularly compelling because, well, if he missed … you get the idea. Supposedly, it was all filmed in one take.
Crazy Roger Federer Trick Shot:

Cool Tools: Google Drawing

The best simple drawing program there is is hidden away inside of Google Docs. It's free, and completely intuitive to use. Google Drawing is the opposite of Adobe's Illustrator, which while insanely deep (and expensive) requires hours if not years to master. You can draw with this one in seconds.
Cool Tools: Google Drawing

Offbeat travel: Crime-themed tourism

As any fan of “CSI,” “Law & Order” or “The Untouchables” knows, there’s something about crime and punishment, mobsters and the long arm of the law that piques our interest. The why of it is better left to a psychologist or doctor, but whatever the reason, we humans seem to be programmed to find the macabre a little intriguing.
Offbeat travel: Crime-themed tourism

How to Password Protect Files and Folders on Computer or USB Flash Drives

Do you have files and folders on your computer that you absolutely don’t want anyone else to see? Or do you even carry important documents on those easy-to-misplace USB drives?
How to Password Protect Files and Folders on Computer or USB Flash Drives

7 Services to Find and Reserve Your Name Across the Web

If you choose a different username for every site you’re on, it can be hard to create a consistent identity across the web. The problem, however — as Megan Fox, BP, and even the Dalai Lama recently found out — is that being the first to claim your name on every site can be difficult. And since most of the hundreds of sites that can host your profile prevent automated sign-up processes, you need to manually create one profile at a time.
7 Services to Find and Reserve Your Name Across the Web

Is it “Ms.” or “Miss”?

A rare occurrence of “Ms.” in 1885 suggests that the term is an abbreviation of “Miss.”
Is it “Ms.” or “Miss”?

How to Delete Friends on Facebook

Are you just tired of that friend who constantly bugs you with messages or just spams your Facebook wall? Do you want to "un-friend" him/her? Here's how.
How to Delete Friends on Facebook

HopShopGo Ships From US-Only Stores

Tempting online stores with “we only ship to the continental US” clauses are a perennially annoying fact of life. HopShopGo is the latest site to offer shipping to Australian addresses from a range of US stores, selling itself on the ability to pay via PayPal.
HopShopGo Ships From US-Only Stores

Backup your Windows Device Drivers with this Free Tool

When you buy a new PC, the vendor will almost always provide you with a “driver CD” that has the device drivers for all the hardware that’s inside your new machine. The CD comes handy when you are reinstalling Windows from scratch or are trying to recover your machine to its original state after, say, a system crash.
Backup your Windows Device Drivers with this Free Tool