Blackstump Australia Issue 1 - January 4, 2009

This weeks latest new family friendly sites from The Black Stump.
Blackstump Australia Issue 1 - January 4, 2009

How to Calculate How Many Calories You Need to Eat to Lose Weight

The key to fat loss is first figuring out how many calories you should be taking in each day. Many people skip right over this step and jump straight into “eating healthy” but if you have no idea how many calories you should be eating, how can you ensure you are feeding your body what it needs to function and in turn will allow you to lose the fat you want to shed?
How to Calculate How Many Calories You Need to Eat to Lose Weight

Windows Startup Speed Benchmark

The startup speed of an operating system usually receives more attention than it deserves. Only a few users are booting their systems more than a few times per day, most users probably only once and it should not really matter if that startup takes 30 seconds or 2 minutes. The startup is on the other hand the first impression about an operating system and if it starts slowly the assumption could be made that everything else would be slow as well.
Windows Startup Speed Benchmark

One year in 40 seconds

So I started shooting images with my Canon 400D. From the same spot each time, but not through my window. I found a spot outside that gave more or less the same framing each time I placed my camera. So, I went out on our balcony snapping some images at pretty irregular intervals all through 2008.
One year in 40 seconds

New Scientist Gallery: Most stunning images of 2008

Selection of the most stunning images from our galleries this year including the propagation and reflection of a blast wave, a planetary nebula and a baby kangaroo suckling in a pouch...
New Scientist Gallery: Most stunning images of 2008

Cryptomundo » The Top 10 Cryptozoology Stories of 2008

From an alleged Bigfoot in ice to a mysterious body on a beach, from a new manta ray to a giant elephant shrew, it was quite a year. It might not have been the year we wanted but it sure was the one we got.
Cryptomundo » The Top 10 Cryptozoology Stories of 2008

21 Settings, Techniques and Rules All New Camera Owners Should Know

A list of photography tips and techniques that new camera owners might like to work through in the coming weeks. Some are very basic while others go a little deeper - but all have been selected from our archives specifically for beginners and new camera owners. Enjoy.
21 Settings, Techniques and Rules All New Camera Owners Should Know

Can you cure a hangover?

If you've ever dragged yourself into work a little bleary-eyed after a festive night out, you'll have heard people saying "Now what you need is…" followed by some improbable and unpalatable home remedy.
Can you cure a hangover?

How to Clean a Toilet With Coke

Is your toilet full of limescale and other nasty stains and you don't have a chemical toilet cleaner on hand? Or are you looking for less expensive and/or non-toxic cleaning solutions? Don't worry, just reach for the fridge, and grab a Coke!
How to Clean a Toilet With Coke

The Pointless Pursuit of More: When is Enough Enough?

Wants are almost insatiable; that one want satisfied makes way for another. … economically we have a boundless field before us; that there are new wants which will make way endlessly for newer wants, as far as they are satisfied.
The Pointless Pursuit of More: When is Enough Enough?

Everything You Need to Know How to Do in Windows

A review of the most popular Lifehacker Windows tutorials ever published.
Everything You Need to Know How to Do in Windows

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas to you all!

Thanks for stopping by in 2008 and we'll see you again in early 2009. Until then, have a Good One!

Pete

Happy Birthday Earthrise

Forty years ago, the biggest TV audience in history tuned in to watch humankind's first close encounter with another world, as the crew of Apollo 8 reached lunar orbit. Here, the Apollo historian and film-maker Dr Christopher Riley gives his perspective on the mission and how that Christmas Eve of 1968 changed the world.
Happy Birthday Earthrise

Help Clueless Relatives with Their Computer Problems

"Can you take a look at my computer?" is the dreaded question your clueless family member will ask when you're home for the holidays. Let's review some common computer complaints and the easiest solutions.
Help Clueless Relatives with Their Computer Problems

Top 100 Products of 2008

In this post we've done a megalist, the top 100 products of 2008.
Top 100 Products of 2008

News review 2008: The year in science

It was a year when everything seemed to fall apart. Fuel, food, finance - it all went wrong, and the consequences will dog the world next year and beyond. It wasn't all doom and gloom, however.
News review 2008: The year in science

The 12 Graphs of Christmas

It’s the time of year when people from many parts of the earth take time off to eat, drink and be merry, or something like it. But just how excited is the social media universe about the upcoming holidays? Here are some metrics to put the holiday mindshare into perspective.
The 12 Graphs of Christmas

8 Santa Trackers For Christmas Eve 2008, From NORAD Santa To Twitter

It’s Christmas Eve, and that means Santa Claus is out doing his run. But where is Santa right now? Thanks to the internet, there’s a huge number of ways to get Santa sightings. Below, a summary that covers online video sightings, Santa’s phone number (he has elves to talk for him while driving), email updates, tracking him via your mobile phone and yes, even getting Twitter updates.
8 Santa Trackers For Christmas Eve 2008, From NORAD Santa To Twitter

How to stick to your New Year’s resolutions – 12 tips.

It’s almost New Year’s Eve, and that means it’s the season for resolutions. I’ve always been part of the 44% of Americans who make (and also break) New Year’s resolutions; I’m a big believer in the power of small changes to make us happier.
How to stick to your New Year’s resolutions – 12 tips

Top 10 Places Already Affected by Climate Change

Cities deep underwater, frozen continents, the collapse of global agriculture: so far, much of the discussion about climate change has focused on these distant, catastrophic effects of a superheated world. What's less talked about is how global warming is making itself felt already. Even the modest temperature rise we've already experienced has set in motion fundamental shifts—and the further warming we can expect in the next few decades has the potential to set off dramatic changes.
Top 10 Places Already Affected by Climate Change