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diff --git a/old/published/How To Wiki/HDR tutorial.txt b/old/published/How To Wiki/HDR tutorial.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..ace9384 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/How To Wiki/HDR tutorial.txt @@ -0,0 +1,78 @@ +Once primarily a tool of video post production, High Dynamic Range photography has enjoyed a surge in popularity thanks to digital photography software, which makes it easy to produce HDR images. + +Photoshop, Photomatix and other software tools make it possible to combine multiple exposures of the same subject into one image that more closely matches what the human eye sees. + +If you're unfamiliar with HDR consider the classic western movie ending -- the cowboy rides off into the sunset while the love interest he leaves behind watches from the doorway. Such a scene has far to great a range between light and dark to be rendered by film or digital sensors, which is where HDR comes in. + +The key to HDR is the "Dynamic Range" which refers to the range of brightness levels that exist in a scene -- from darkest, just before before complete black, to the lightest, just before total white. Film and digital sensors are both very limited in expressing this brightness range when compared to the human eye. + +HDR sidesteps these limitations by combining multiple exposures to extract a greater range of brightness than is possible with a single exposure. The results can range from the barely noticeable to the highly surreal. Check out the [http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=hdr&w=all&m=tags HDR tag on Flickr] for some example images. + +Tool: What you need + + +Traditionally HDR results have been achieved through tools like neutral density lens filters, which shade the brighter portion of an image to allow the photographer to use a lower F-stop, thus opening up the detail in the darker portions of the a scene. + +Thanks to Photoshop and other digital image editing software, you can leave the neutral density filters at home and still bring back HDR images. + +To get started creating HDR images you'll need a camera which allows you to manually set your exposure. + +HDR works best if you start with RAW images since they have a greater tonal range than compressed JPEGs, but if JPEGs are all your camera is capable of, fear not you can still create an HDR image. + +Some cameras, especially SLRs, offer a bracketed exposure mode where you can specify exposures above and below the metered exposure. If your camera is capable of such feats check your manual and figure out how to use the bracketed mode since it'll make your HDR life much easier. + +If you camera doesn't have a bracketed exposure option, don't worry you can still create HDR images you'll just have to take your multiple exposures by hand. + +Unless you have phenomenally steady hands, you'll also want a sturdy tripod and preferably a cable release to minimize any jiggling that might occur when pressing buttons, though again, with patience and steady hands you may be able to get by without them. + +As with long-exposure photography, HDR works best when your subject isn't moving. + + +HDR in the camera + + +The first step is to meter your scene and select whatever aperture you want. Now you're going to take a photo of the same scene several times with different shutter speeds. + +If you're camera allows you to bracket automatically, set it capture something like -2EV, metered EV, +2EV. You can (and probably should) include at least one more image on either side of the metered exposure, but three images will often suffice. + +If your camera doesn't have a auto-bracketing feature, just meter the scene and then manually adjust the shutter speed to both under- and over-expose the scene. + +screen1.jpg + + +HDR in software + + +Note that while all the examples that follow refer to Photoshop CS2+, there are other software package like [http://www.hdrsoft.com/ Photomatix] that offer similar, and in some cases more advanced, capabilities. + +Now that you have your images, download them to you computer. If you're shooting RAW images, open them up with Photoshop and make sure that all three photos are the same color temperature and tint. Once you've found a setting that works well across all the images click "done." + +To actually create the HDR image, head into Photoshop's File menu, look for the "Automate" submenu and select "Merge to HDR." This will open a new dialog box asking you to select the files you want to use. Navigate through your images to select the photos you just worked with in the Camera RAW tool. + +In the HDR dialog you'll notice an option to have Photoshop "Align automatically" your images. While this tool can fix small jitters or misalignments, don't expect miracles and be aware that it will add a huge processing overhead. + +Once you've selected all your images click okay and sit back and wait while Photoshop creates your new HDR image preview. If you're using the "Align Automatically" option, now might be a good time to head into the kitchen and start a fresh pot of coffee. + +Once Photoshop has crunched through your starting images it will produce an HDR preview. If one of your images is out of alignment, you can deselect it in the this dialog. There's also a histogram which will control the baseline for the curves in our next step. For now, just ignore the histogram, though as you become more proficient in creating HDR images this is will be something to explore later. + +screen2.jpg + +For now, click okay and wait while Photoshop generates your HDR image. + +Once your HDR image has been created give it a name and save the file. This image will have a bit depth of 32, which is greater than that which your monitor is capable of displaying so don't worry if your image doesn't look like much yet. + +The next step is create a 16 bit image which you can then further manipulate in Photoshop. To do this head up to Image menu and look for the "mode" submenu and select "16 bits per channel." + +This will bring up yet another dialog box. Toggle the small arrow to reveal the Histogram at the bottom of the dialog and the go into the little menu at the top of the dialog and select the "Local Adaptation" option. + +Now head down to the histogram and bring the left hand side of the histogram to the beginning of the shadows information. + +screen3.jpg + +Now start bending and changing the curves through the histogram until you're happy with how the image looks. If you're new to the curves tool, you may want to look up a tutorial explaining the finer points about how it works. + +Once you have the image looking roughly the way you'd like click okay and Photoshop will produce a 16 bit file. If you're looking to display the image on the web you'll want to further down-sample to 8 bit so that you can save it as a web-ready jpeg file. + +Here's our final image (note that I did use the "Align Automatically" option since my source images were less than perfect and, as you can see by the vague blurring, so is Photoshop's tool). + +screen4.jpg diff --git a/old/published/How To Wiki/Pandora.txt b/old/published/How To Wiki/Pandora.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..4cb8a67 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/How To Wiki/Pandora.txt @@ -0,0 +1,54 @@ +Pandora and other U.S.-based streaming music services have long since shuttered their doors to international listeners. Its not that they wanted to, rather the xenophobic restrictions are the result of U.S. and international copyright laws and restrictions. + +Pandora is reportedly working out international licensing deals, but, as Tim Westerberg writes in a message to international users, "the pace of global licensing is hard to predict, but we have the ultimate goal of being able to offer our service everywhere." + +So what are our overseas friends to do in the mean time? + +Well one solution is to use a proxy server. Pandora blocks international users by blocking non-U.S. IP addresses. But if you connect to a server in the U.S. and allow it act as a "proxy" between your PC and Pandora, Pandora will think you're connecting from inside the U.S., making it possible to listen to Pandora from anywhere in the world. + +So how do you use a proxy? Grab a cup of coffee and let's dig into the wonderful world of proxies. + +== Where can I find proxy servers? == + +The answer is everywhere. The problem though is that you aren't the only one that can find them. Pandora is very likely aware of many proxy servers as well, so you're essentially embarking on a game of cat and mouse. And you're the mouse. + +We could give you a list of proxy servers, but if we did half of them wouldn't work, and many others would be blacklisted. Sometimes you have to try out twenty servers before you hit one that works. + +Rather than try to get too specific, we'll just take a look at the general methods and how to use a proxy server. + +== Roll Your Own Proxy == + +The best and most likely to work solution is to run your own proxy server. To do that you'll need to have some web hosting space on a server in the U.S. Also make sure that your server either runs PHP for [http://freshmeat.net/projects/phpproxy/ PHPProxy] or CGI scripts for [http://www.jmarshall.com/tools/cgiproxy/ CGIProxy]. + +Installation instructions can be found in both downloads and so long as you're familiar with PHP or Perl they aren't too hard to set up. + +Once you have to server running, hop over to our [http://howto.wired.com/wiki/Traverse_Corporate_Firewalls How To Traverse Corporate Firewalls] tutorial and skip down to last section which contains all the instructions you need to connect to your new proxy server via SSH. + +== Other methods: Firefox == + +Firefox and some other web browsers offer ways to set up a proxy between you and the site you're connecting to. Hook up Firefox to run through an anonymous proxy and you should be able to connect to Pandora. + +Open up the Options/Preferences panel in Firefox click the Advanced tab. Under Advanced you should see a sub-tab for Network, click that and then press the Settings button. That will open another panel with an option to manually set up a proxy server. Just enter the settings for your new proxy server and you're away. + +If you haven't set up a custom proxy server don't worry. The trick then is to find a working proxy server that you use to fool Pandora. Once you find some proxy servers, just enter the settings in the Firefox panel we opened earlier. + +Some sites that provide lists of proxies include [http://www.publicproxyservers.com/ Public Proxy Servers[, [http://www.proxz.com/ Proxz] or [http://www.stayinvisible.com/ Stay Invisible]. Remember, it's a hit or miss affair so don't give up if the first few you try don't work. + +If you'd like more options in Firefox, [http://foxyproxy.mozdev.org/ FoxyProxy] is essentially the same as the built in system, but with more options. FoxyProxy can automatically switch connections across one or more proxy servers based on URL patterns and rules you define. For instance you could create a server proxy for Pandora.com only and do the rest of browsing as you normally would without having to manually switch back and forth. + +== Web based Proxies == + +There are literally thousands of web based proxy services out there. Unfortunately none of the ones I tested worked with Pandora. In theory, services like [https://proxify.com/ Proxify], [http://www.the-cloak.com/ The Cloak] or [http://www.vtunnel.com/ VTunnel] should work, but in my testing they didn't -- YMMV. + +One method I tried that seems to work is pipe Pandora through Google Translate. Although it isn't designed to be one, Translate ends up working like a proxy. [http://http://www.google.com/translate?langpair=en|fr&u=www.pandora.com http://www.google.com/translate?langpair=en|fr&u=www.pandora.com]. I haven't tested it outside the U.S., but it should, theoretically, work. + +== Other Options == + +Other options include combining [http://www.torproject.org/ Tor] and [http://www.privoxy.org/ Privoxy] to set up anonymous browsing. The problem there is that, just because you're anonymous, doesn't mean you're using a U.S. IP address. + + +== The Future == + +As we mentioned in the beginning Pandora is reportedly working on licensing deal with individual countries, but who knows how long that will take. If none of the above methods work for you, you can always check in periodically with [http://globalpandora.com/ Global Pandora] which was trying to do the hard work for you. The site managed to work for a couple weeks, but has since shut down. It claims it will rise again, but don't hold your breathe. + +We'd love to see Pandora available globally, but it may well be some time before that happens. In the mean time, hopefully one of these methods will work for you. If you have other ideas, be sure to add them. diff --git a/old/published/How To Wiki/automatejobsearch.txt b/old/published/How To Wiki/automatejobsearch.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..cd3e10e --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/How To Wiki/automatejobsearch.txt @@ -0,0 +1,31 @@ +Unless you helped start Instagram you probably need a job. Maybe you already have a job, but it's not turning out the way you imagined it would. Or perhaps you're looking to change careers, or maybe you're re-entering the job market for fun after you got bored traveling the world with your dot-com millions. + +Whatever the case finding a job can be daunting, especially right now. The economy is in the dumps and finding a job is more difficult than ever. And the more difficult something is, the more effort it takes, right? Well, maybe with some things, but job hunting needn't be one of them. + +You need to use your web smarts to put the internet to work finding a job for you. + +We can't promise that you'll be able to sit back and do nothing, but we can show you how to get notified the minute your dream job shows up on the web, helping you get the jump on the competition. + +Here's our guide to passively job hunting with automated web searches. + +== Scour the big job sites == + +Many job-related websites offer "personal job agents" that can help automate your job search. Tell these agents what type of job you're looking for and then the agent will send you an email whenever something crops up in your field. The quality of these so-called agents varies widely, with some sites offering little more than per-category RSS feeds while others charge a bit of money and may even claim to have an actual human doing the work for you. + +That's all good and well, but let's back up a minute. Did we say RSS feed? Why yes, yes we did. + +You know what you can do with an RSS feed? Just about anything. + +== If This Then That == + +If This Then That or, more awkwardly, [http://ifttt.com/ Ifttt], is a handy little website that takes whatever data you give it and allows you to automate tasks related to it. Ifttt allows you to construct simple "programs" that take the format "if this is [true or false or matches something, etc], then do that". + +Here's an example that's relevant to our purposes: grab a Craigslist job search RSS feed (at the bottom of category and search pages), pipe it into Ifttt and create a task that says "if a new underwater basket weaving job is posted then send me a text message." Now every time your dream job is posted to your local Craigslist you'll know about it without ever lifting a finger. + +Don't want text messages? No problem, Ifttt.com can connect to dozens of services so you can notify yourself by email, phone call, Facebook message or even a tweet. + +== Rinse and repeat == + +Now go back to step one and start scouring the big job sites like [http://www.monster.com/ monster.com] or [http://www.ihire.com/ ihire.com], but don't look for individual jobs, instead find search categories and look for RSS feeds (look for an RSS icon in your browser's URL bar or on the search results page). Not all job websites will offer RSS feeds, but many do. Gather up a bunch of job feeds and plug them into Ifttt.com to send yourself a series of alerts. + +Now you'll always know about new jobs the minute they show up and you can get back to the finer parts of actually getting a job like polishing your resume and perfecting your interviewing skills. diff --git a/old/published/How To Wiki/avoid_jet_lag.txt b/old/published/How To Wiki/avoid_jet_lag.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..e999743 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/How To Wiki/avoid_jet_lag.txt @@ -0,0 +1 @@ +The biggest downside to long trips is the dreaded jet lag. Whether you're off on a short family holiday or frequently need to travel for business, nothing kills your time like jet lag.
When you only have a week to spend somewhere the last thing you want to do is waste it sleeping through the days because your body still thinks it's in your home time zone.
So how do you get around jet lag? Well it seem that just about everyone has their own personal formula for avoiding it, but there are some common themes that doctors agree help.
# Drink lots of water -- Dehydration will exacerbate the effects of jet lag leaving you even more tired and cranky. Drink plenty of water before and during your flight. We recommend buying your own bottled water once you're past security, since some airlines have been known to refill their bottled water with the stuff in the holding tank -- yuck.
# Avoid Alcohol -- Yes we like a drink on the plane too, but because of altitude, pressurization and dehydration, one drink inflight is the equivalent of nearly two and a half on the ground. On long flights it's a disastrous recipe for a hangover, which isn't going to help your jet lag. Try water instead.
# Stretch -- Many people find that long periods on a plane leave them cramped and muscle fatigued. Get up a move around a bit (if you're drinking water as suggested you'll probably need head for the toilet a few time anyway). Although not everyone find stretching a necessity, it's worth a try.
# Force yourself onto local time -- This is the single most helpful thing, when you land, no matter what time your body thinks it is, force yourself to stay up until your normal bedtime by local time. For instance, you land in London at 4PM, your body still thinks it's in Bangkok where it' the middle of the night -- avoid the temptation to nap. Take a walk, do some pushups or whatever you need to do, just don't go to sleep until 10 PM local time (or whenever you normally go to bed).
# Force yourself to sleep -- If you're moving in the opposite direction, ask your doctor to prescribe some sleeping pills (or use over the counter or natural alternatives like melatonin). That way, even if your body thinks it's early morning, you can go to sleep at the reasonable local hour.
# Adjust ahead of time -- It's not for everyone, but one way to avoid jet lag is to simply adjust to your destination's time zone before you leave.
For some other ideas check out the [http://www.britishairways.com/travel/drsleep/public/en_us British Airways Jet Lag Calculator], which was developed in conjunction with sleep specialists.
And of course be sure to add your own tried and true jet lag tips.
\ No newline at end of file diff --git a/old/published/How To Wiki/avoid_registration.txt b/old/published/How To Wiki/avoid_registration.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..2e708d3 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/How To Wiki/avoid_registration.txt @@ -0,0 +1,31 @@ +As newspapers and magazines make the slow transition from print to online content, they make some mistakes along the way like requiring registration to view content. From their point of view it seems like a good idea, they can track their users just like their used to doing with dead tree format subscribers. + +But for those of us that think a webpage is, well, something entirely different that quite obviously shouldn't require giving up e-mails and creating usernames and passwords, it's a serious barrier. + +You could do what we did, just ignore registration sites (sorry LA Times but we stopped reading you years ago). Or you could be a bit more subversive and use a service like [http://www.bugmenot.com/tutorial.php BugMeNot]. + +== Fake your way in == + +BugMeNot isn't some complex or overly clever hack, it's just a site where people share login and password info for various sites. For instance, some aspects of the New York Times continue to require registration. + +So rather than waste time signing up, just head over to BugMeNot and search for other users login credentials for the time. For most big sites like the Times, there are several options to choose from and we've generally had great success. BugMeNot has regular updates too, so if something doesn't work try back later and see if there's another option available. + +== Smoothing the Process == + +Good news for Firefox fans: There's a BugMeNot plugin that can save you a trip to the site. [https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/6349 BugMeNot 2.0] works with nearly all version of Firefox. + +Once its installed just write click the registration form and you'll see a new menu item Login with BugMeNot. Just select that and the plugin will automatically generate a username and password by querying BugMeNot + +== Pay sites == + +Of course registration isn't the only barrier, some sites still charge for access or hide some pages behind "premium" paywalls. + +Ostensibly BugMeNot doesn't let users share pay site login information, there's even a section where site administrators (or concerned users) can tell BugMeNot to block certain submissions. Naturally, clever users have found ways around this and there are a few pay site logins to be found from time to time on BugMeNot. + +But for more reliable sources you're going to have to dig deeper and head into the internet's darker corners. Anything we link to from here is likely to be shutdown pretty quickly so we're not going to give you specific sites (and please refrain from posting direct links if you're editing the page), but we do have some suggestions. + +The first place to look would be on [http://howto.wired.com/wiki/Share_Files_on_Usenet Usenet], the ancient, but still useful precursor to the internet which remains to this day, much more wild west like than the web. If you want to confine yourself to the web, start looking in forums. A [http://groups.google.com/ Google Groups] (or similar) search will yield more than a traditional web search. Also try the forums on various torrent rackers like [http://suprbay.org/ The Pirate Bay], where less scrupulous users tend to congregate. + +== Conclusion == + +Getting around registration forms isn't too difficult thanks to BugMeNot and since most of those looking to get around this stuff wouldn't be giving out real info anyway there's little harm done. Circumventing pay sites is obviously less morally justifiable, but if it bothers you there's an easy solution -- don't do it.
\ No newline at end of file diff --git a/old/published/How To Wiki/boke.txt b/old/published/How To Wiki/boke.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..194e0e7 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/How To Wiki/boke.txt @@ -0,0 +1 @@ +Veteran photographers will often tell you that the chief difference between the camera and the eye is focus -- your eye has a nearly unlimited depth of field, but a camera lens does not. This affects photography in the number of ways since it makes it largely impossible to truly capture what the eye sees.
Some photographers have fought to overcome the limitations of the camera lens depth of field. Seminal photographers Minor White and Ansel Addam's even formed the "f/64 club," which took its name from the smallest lens aperture (which yields the greatest depth of field) and sought to produce images that matched what the human eye might see (at least when it comes to depth of field).
Others have chosen to embrace the limitations of the lens and in doing so gave birth to a type of photography known as "Boke" (sometimes spelled Bokeh). Boke is a Japanese term that translates to roughly "become blurred or fuzzy" and is used to describe images that have a sharply focused subject surrounded by a blurry background.
Whether you're looking to break out of a photo rut or just interested learning something new, read on and we'll show you how to create a Boke effect using your camera, and how to fake Boke in your favorite image editing software.
A technical explanation of what causes lens blur is beyond the scope of this how to, but if you're interested in the why and not just the how, we recommend reading through [http://www.luminous-landscape.com/essays/bokeh.shtml Luminous Landscape's essay] on the subject.
== Using the Camera ==
The "true" way to achieve selective focus is to use the manual settings of your camera and allow the lens to be its imperfect self.
So how do you do it?
Well, the best place to start is with a very large aperture opening which will decrease the depth of field, in turn creating the out-of-focus background effect associated with boke. In terms of settings that would mean the lowest f-stop -- depending on your lens or camera that could be anywhere from f/1.4 to f/4.9. The lower the number the wider the aperture opening and the less depth of field.
But blur isn't solely a result of aperture, it is also influenced by the distance in front and back of the focus plane. The focus plan refers to that portion of an image which is perfectly in focus.
Let's say you're standing three feet from your friend and you focus on their face. Behind them is a barn, over twenty feet away. Using a large aperture opening will limit the focus plane to your friend's face while the barn blurs in the background.
Here's the same effect, the focal plane is on the dandelions will the grass in the background is blurred:
truelensblur.jpg
The trick to getting a good boke image is knowing how to compose the image and what aperture to use. The best way to learn is to experiment, especially since the results will vary radically from camera to camera and even lens to lens.
== Using Software ==
Didn't get the boke effect quite the way you wanted using just the camera? That's okay, we can simulate the effect in Adobe Photoshop, but of course you can do something similar using the GIMP or almost any other image editor that has a blur tool.
There are a number of ways to fake depth of field in Photoshop and which one works best will depend on your image.
Probably the easiest option is simply use the lens blur, but keep in mind that how succesful you are depends a great deal on your image and subject. The example image shown here is a very difficult scene because of the thin blades of grass that stick up into the background.
lensblur.jpg
If we had used a lower aperture setting when composing the shot, those blades sticking up would be in sharp focus will the background remained blurred. Simulating that in Photoshop would be incrediply tendious, so we've settled for "good enough." However, if your foreground subject is sharply and cleanly set out from the background, the task is somewhat easier.
As you can see, to get the effect show above we've duplicated the background, applied a lens blur and then converted that layer to a mask. Then we just very carefully painted around the primary subject to establish the focal plane.
Another way to accomplish the same thing is to use Lens Blur in conjunction with a gradient channel. To do that you need to make sure your image is in RGB mode then click the channels palette and add a new channel.
Now, grab the gradient tool and set the colors to black and white and create a linear gradient so that the area of the image that you want in focus is roughly covered with black.
gradientlensblur.jpg
To check your gradient, select the RGB channel and you'll see the blur appear as a reddish glow. Once you're happy, make sure you have the RGB channel is selected and apply the Lens Blur Filter
This time make sure to select your new channel as the source. Then you can use the focal distance slider and other options to fine tune your blur.
gradientlensblur-filter.jpg
== Conclusion ==
final.jpg
In the end, to create the image above, I used a mixture of both techniques -- starting with a gradient on the channel and then painting in the areas where the dog's head sticks up into the gradient. And as with most things done in an image editor, there are other ways of doing this as well. Be sure to add your favorites.
Once you've mastered the art of the blur, or if you're looking for some inspiration to get started, head over to Flickr where blur aficionados celebrate Bokeh Wednesday with new images submitted to the [http://www.flickr.com/groups/bokehwednesday/ Bokeh Wednesday Pool].
\ No newline at end of file diff --git a/old/published/How To Wiki/choose_strong_pw.txt b/old/published/How To Wiki/choose_strong_pw.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..394fe0f --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/How To Wiki/choose_strong_pw.txt @@ -0,0 +1,23 @@ +Your digital private life has a weak point that can unlock all your secrets -- your password. Whether you use a single-sign-in solution like [http://openid.net/ OpenID], or have separate passwords for every account, your accounts are only as secure as your passwords. + +Based on what limited data is available, the vast majority of us choose very poor passwords. A MySpace phishing attack that netted some 34,000 actual user names and passwords, [http://www.wired.com/politics/security/commentary/securitymatters/2006/12/72300 revealed] that the number one password was "password1." + +While we admire the stab at security -- throwing a number in the mix -- in today's world that's not going to cut it. Here's some tips for choosing a strong password. + +**Size matters** Some sites put restrictions on password length, but whenever possible try to choose the longest password you feel comfortable remembering. + +**Don't rely on the dictionary.** Using a word may make your password easy to remember, but it also makes it vulnerable to a dictionary attack, that is, throwing every word in the dictionary at your account until the attacker finds your password. Making up your own word or using a random series of letters and digits greatly reduces the chances of someone cracking your account. + +**Use numbers, capital letters and symbols.** Again, the less human readable the password, the greater the chances no one is ever going to guess it. Throwing a bit of cartoon swearing, like @#$@$%#, in your passwords will make them more difficult to guess. + +**Use a Password Manager for websites** Applications like [http://agilewebsolutions.com/products/1Password 1Password] for the Mac, or [http://keepass.info/index.html KeePass] or [http://www.roboform.com/ Roboform] for Windows, can create and manage strong passwords for you. One of the key features in both is the ability to generate random passwords for websites. That means you can have a very long, totally random password that you don't need to remember. The only catch is that, if you use multiple PCs, you'll need to sync your password manager. + +**Use patterns of the keyboard** Want a random password for optimum security, but can't memorize things? Look at your keyboard and find a pattern, for example type straight up from the b key: bgt5, and then back down from the 6: 6yhn. Throw a made up word in the middle, complete with capital letters, a few symbols and you've got a password no one is likely to guess. + +**Type a sentence** If the keyboard patterns doesn't work for you try using a short sentence and instead of spaces between the words, insert symbols and numbers. It's not quite as secure, but it sure beats password1. Bonus points for typing the sentence backwards + +==Future Outlook== + +In the future security is going to be an even greater concern, both online and off. As attackers get more sophisticated, users will be forced to do likewise. Fingerprint readers and retinal scanners will be common built-in items on PCs. To login to sites your browser will ask the operating system to scan your retina or read a fingerprint before proceeding. + +Artwork: I'm a fan of: http://www.flickr.com/photos/fabiovenni/457695833/
\ No newline at end of file diff --git a/old/published/How To Wiki/chose_an_ISP.txt b/old/published/How To Wiki/chose_an_ISP.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..8279271 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/How To Wiki/chose_an_ISP.txt @@ -0,0 +1,36 @@ +A computer without an internet connection is an overpriced typewriter, who wants that? The internet is seemingly everywhere these days -- from the corner coffee shop to an airplane at 30,000 -- but despite the ubiquity of internet access around us, most of us still have a home connection through some sort of internet service provider or ISP. + +ISPs connect your home to the larger web, but not every connection is the same and not every ISP is worth the roughly $50 a month you'll likely pay for high speed home internet access. + +To take the mystery out of ISPs we've put together this guide to help you figure out the best option in your area. + +== Decide what you need == + +Just looking to check your e-mail and read some news? Well, though it may sound archaic, a good old-fashioned dial-up connection might be the best choice. Dial-up is cheap, though don't expect blazing speeds or at least be prepared to wait a few days for that movie to download. + +If you're looking to play online games, share photos, download music and movies or other high-bandwidth activities, DSL or cable is the way to go. + +== Ask around == + +Chances are your neighbors have some opinions on ISPs in your area. Ask them which company they use and whether or not they like it. Be sure to find out if they've had problems and how good the ISP was at solving their problems. + +And remember, just because you had a horrible experience with a company at your last residence doesn't mean they're universally horrible. Many nationwide providers have radically different quality of service in different part of the country. + +Once you've taken an informal survey of your neighborhood, take your search online. Head to the library or use the wifi at your local coffee shop to see what people are saying about your potential ISP. + +Also be sure to check with sites like [http://www.speedtest.net/ Speed Test] to see how your ISP's speed compares to others your area. + +== Bundle with other services == + +Chances are, if you're looking for high speed internet access in the United States, you're going to be looking at either DSL through the phone company or cable through the cable company. + +In either case most ISPs offer bundles that package internet service with other services. For example, you can get a better deal on both cable internet and cable TV if you order both together. If you're going to get both anyway, be sure to ask your ISP about bundling to save yourself some money. + +Similar bundles exist with DSL providers, some of which even offer television bundles. + +== Future Outlook == + +The future of home-based internet connections lies with your cell phone provider. Once 4g and then 5g networks catch up to the speeds offered by cable and DSL providers, we'll cut the home internet connection just like we've cut the telephone land line in favor of the cell phone. + +Artwork: uh, not much for this one, I like http://www.flickr.com/photos/dmuth/2256186646/ perhaps cropped a bit. + diff --git a/old/published/How To Wiki/create a wifi network/create_a_wifi_network.txt b/old/published/How To Wiki/create a wifi network/create_a_wifi_network.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..748a4b2 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/How To Wiki/create a wifi network/create_a_wifi_network.txt @@ -0,0 +1,39 @@ +Setting up a Wifi network will allow all your computers (and any guests you want to share your network with) to get online without needing to plug in an ethernet cable. A wireless network can also make it easy to stream music and video to any device on the network. Still got some old PCs that don't have wireless cards? That's okay, most wifi routers have a few ethernet ports as well. + +Before we get started building the network, you will need to purchase a wireless router, as well as some wireless network interface cards if your computers don't already have them built in. + +Once you have your router the next step is choosing a good location. Try to install your router in a central location so that every room in your house is covered by the wifi signal. + +To set up the network, follow these steps: + +===Step 1: Connect Everything === + +Connect your existing modem to the wireless router using an Ethernet cable. This moves the internet connection from your modem, to the wireless router. Once that's done, plug your PC into the back of the router using the ethernet jacks. We'll need this connection to configure the wifi network. + +===Step 2: Turning it on === + +Turn on your modem first, then the wireless router and finally the computer. The order is important since each successive device need to to detect the connection to the one that precedes it in the chain. + +===Step 3 Set up the network=== + +Check the documentation that came with your wireless router for the default IP address used by the device. Launch your computer's Web browser and head to IP address of the router. + +You should see a login window requiring a username and password. The default values should be in your router's documentation. + +Once you've logged in, you'll see your router's settings page. The first step is make sure you change the default admin password so other users won't be able to login to the settings page and reconfiguring the router. + +The next thing you'll probably want to do is changing the SSID value of the router. This is the name broadcasted by the router to identify it across the network. Chose a unique SSID name and save your changes (this will likely reboot the router). + +===Step 3 Turn on encryption=== + +Right now your wifi network is up and running, but anyone can access it. If that doesn't bother you, then you're done. However, you might want to enable some sort of wifi encryption to protect your network and make sure that only trusted computers have access. + +Different routers support different levels of encryption so what you use is up to you, though we should note that WEP encryption is trivially easy to defeat; you'll be much better off using WPA Personal or WPA Enterprise if your router supports it. + +===Step 4 Connect=== + +Once you're happy with your settings, disconnect your PC and then head to your network settings tool and you should see your new wifi network listed under available networks. Select your network and type in your password (if you're using one) to connect. + +==Future Outlook== + +With more public wifi hotspots showing up everyday, the need for home networks is dwindling. The promise of wifi through electrical outlets could eventually eliminate the need for home networks -- streaming data from one PC to another will happen over the same wires that deliver power.
\ No newline at end of file diff --git a/old/published/How To Wiki/create a wifi network/image_posibilities.txt b/old/published/How To Wiki/create a wifi network/image_posibilities.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..a2ca8a9 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/How To Wiki/create a wifi network/image_posibilities.txt @@ -0,0 +1,4 @@ +this is a touch one to illustrate, here's a couple things I dug up on Flickr: + +http://www.flickr.com/photos/nirak/2242950723/ +http://www.flickr.com/photos/horrortaxi/123482465/ diff --git a/old/published/How To Wiki/delete cookies/delete_cookies.txt b/old/published/How To Wiki/delete cookies/delete_cookies.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..3cb412a --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/How To Wiki/delete cookies/delete_cookies.txt @@ -0,0 +1,31 @@ +The web knows who you are. It knows what which sites you like, what you search for, where you spend your time and collating these and other bits of data, it's not hard to figure out quite a bit about you. + +If that makes you nervous, you need to learn how to get rid of cookies and browse privately, without leaving a digital fingerprint everywhere you go. + +Cookies are like digital leeches that websites inject into your web browser to collect and remember data. In some case cookies are quite benign and simple remember that you're logged into to particular site. But some cookies are less benign, tracking for example everything you search for and sending that data back to a central server. + +Ostensibly such data is anonymized, but as several sets of leaked data have demonstrated it is, despite the anonymizing often easy to match users back to their data. + +== Getting rid of Cookies == + +Exactly how you delete cookies depend on which browser you're using. Here's step for four of the most popular web browsers. + +* '''Internet Explorer''' - Open the Internet Options panel and select the general tab. in the middle of panel you'll see options to delete cookies, click the button and your cookies are gone. + +* '''Firefox''' - Head to Preference and click the privacy tab. There you'll see option to view and delete cookies. You'll also find options to control which sites are allowed to set cookies and how long those cookies should be kept. If you're serious about stopping cookies, be sure to check out the [https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/5207 CS Lite add-on] which offers excellent cookie and privacy controls. + +* '''Safari''' - To delete cookies in Safari, head to the Safari menu and choose "Reset Safari." A dialog box will pop up giving you the option to delete all sorts of data; make sure "Remove all cookies" is checked and hit the reset button. + +* '''Chrome''' - Click the wrench menu and select options. Then click the Under the Hood tab and look for "Privacy" where you'll find the cookie settings section, To delete all cookies from the list, click Remove all. + +== Keeping Cookies out of your browser == + +Okay, you've deleted the cookies you've accumulated as you move around the web, but how do you keep them out? Well, in some cases you're not going to be able to, but tools like Firefox's [https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/5207 CS Lite add-on] can help. + +All of the browsers listed above support some kind of "private browsing" mode, which make your browser much more incognito, denying cookies and not keeping track of where you go (note that in case of Internet Explorer you'll need to using version 8 or better to use private browsing). + +==Future Outlook== + +Already legal protections are starting to make their way into governments everywhere and a number of high profile companies have already pledge to cut back on the amount of data they collect. + +Still, the future of cookies and online privacy looks bleakly Orwellian. Already sites are turning to Flash-based cookies and other tricks that make it even harder to cover your online tracks. diff --git a/old/published/How To Wiki/download_mp3.txt b/old/published/How To Wiki/download_mp3.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..db0d289 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/How To Wiki/download_mp3.txt @@ -0,0 +1,39 @@ +Have you ever been annoyed that services like [http://muxtape.com/ MuxTape] (currently unavailable thanks to the RIAA), [http://favtape.com/ FavTape] or other playlist-based music sites don't let you download songs. The better sites offer a link to purchase the songs through the iTunes Store or Amazon.com, but some just stream the music and then it's gone. + +Or is it? Most services like the ones above rely on Flash to obsfucate urls and make it difficult, though not impossible, to download the actual files. + +We'll show you how you can grab just about any file you want by exploring your browser's cache. + +== Why this works == + +When you stream music content from a site your browser has to download the file and store it for playback. There are ways the site can prevent your browser from caching the file, but most sites don't bother with such techniques since most people don't know how to do what we're going to show you. + +The trick is to find the temporarily stored song file in your browser's cache and then copy it to a more permanent location on your hard drive. + +To show you how this works we'll use [http://www.seeqpod.com/ Seeqpod] as an example, but the same technique will work for similar sites (and other kinds of files -- like video -- as well). + +== Using Firefox == + +The first thing we need to do if find out where Firefox stores its cache. + +To access the Firefox cache data, open a new tab and type <code>about:cache</code>. That will load a page that gives you all sorts of info about your cache. Look for the "Disk cache device" header and then find the Cache Directory path. + +Using Finder or Windows Explorer open that folder and sort the contents by date and time. While the file names are randomly generated, we can guess which files we're looking for by creation time and size, so make sure you can see both columns in your Finder/Explorer window. + +Now point your browser to Seeqpod and search for a song you want to download. Load the song in Seeqpod's Flash player and wait for it to finish loading (watch the gray process bar). Once the file is loaded in memory, head back to your Firefox cache folder and look for the new file. + +It might take a little trial and error but look for recently created cache files in 3-6 MB range and drag them over to your desktop. Add a .mp3 extension to the file and you now have a copy of the song. + +== Using Internet Explorer == + +If IE is more your bag, fear not, the process is the same, in fact it's even a little bit easier. + +Once the Seeqpod track has finished loading, open up Tools >> Internet Options. In the Internet Options panel look for the Temporary Internet Files section and click "Settings." That will bring up a new panel where you can click the "View files" button. + +That should open a new Window with a list of cache files. Just look for the ones with the <code>.mp3</code> extension and then copy and paste the file over your desktop. + +== Conclusion == + +Once you have the <code>.mp3</code> files on your desktop, just add them to your favorite music software, upload them to your iPod or other music player and enjoy. + +Is this legal? Depending on the copyright applied to the song you're downloading, using this technique may violate the copyright of the content owner. This article is not intended as legal advice and is for educational purposes only.
\ No newline at end of file diff --git a/old/published/How To Wiki/ebooksiphone.txt b/old/published/How To Wiki/ebooksiphone.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..c88b4a0 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/How To Wiki/ebooksiphone.txt @@ -0,0 +1,53 @@ +Printing things out to read them away from your PC is so last century. Today devices like the iPhone offer perfectly readable displays, and bookmarking articles is no problem thanks to apps like [http://www.instapaper.com/ Instapaper]. + +But what about whole books? Think you need to invest in the Kindle? You could, but why lug around yet another device when the iPhone can do a perfectly acceptable job? We'll admit that the Kindle has a some nice features you won't find in iPhone readers, but if you've already got an iPhone it's worth a shot. + +Here's a roundup of the best ebook reader software for the iPhone; + +# [http://www.lexcycle.com/iphone Stanza] ([http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=284956128&mt=8 App Store link]) -- far and away the nicest ebook reader for the iPhone, Stanza also happens to be free. Once you install Stanza and download some books (Stanza offers a large library of downloadable books, see below for more sources) reading is just a matter of flicking your fingers down the page. + +Stanza also offers the ability to import your own ebooks into using a free computer-based app from [http://www.lexcycle.com/ LexCycle] (available for both Windows and Mac). It's currently a beta, but worked well in our testing. Ebooks you create are then available for download on your iPhone (or iPod Touch) and computer. + +#[http://www.ereader.com/iphone/ eReader] ([http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=284499993&mt=8 App Store link]) -- An iPhone version of the e-book reader popular on the Palm, Windows Mobile and Symbian platforms, eReader isn't quite a iPhone-esque as Stanza but it's still a capable app. And eReader has done a good job of porting to the iPhone, embracing the platform norms like accelerometer support for reading orientation and gestures for page-turning. Another very nice feature in eReader is the ability to look up words in a built-in dictionary app. + +EReader is primarily tied to two online book services -- eReader.com and Fictionwise.com -- where you can buy and download texts. Sadly there's no way to purchase directly from the iPhone app, but the website does have an iPhone-optimized version to make purchasing a bit easier. + +But despite some nice features eReader was a bit buggy in our testing, crashing repeatedly. EReader is a free download. + +# [http://www.iphonebookshelf.com/ BookShelf] ([http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=284934036&mt=8 App Store link]) -- another very nice option, BookShelf will set you back $10 but offers some nice extras not found in the others, like different color schemes (black on white, green on black and more), customizable fonts and more. + +Other great features include custom bookmarks and the ability to make your book collection publicly available. The latter feature requires a desktop app which itself requires a recent version of Java. + +== Finding books == + +We'd like to say that every book you want to read is available digitally in a nice common open format that makes loading it on the device of your choice a snap. But unfortunately there is no MP3 of digital books. + +That said, things are improving. The ever-growing [http://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Main_Page Project Gutenberg] has some 20,000 books available for free, though many of them are likely the "classics" you didn't read in high school and may not want to read now. + +for something a bit more interesting try Diesel Books which has a pretty good selection of current and older, less mainstream options (we found a copy of Neil Stephenson's classic [http://www.diesel-ebooks.com/cgi-bin/item/parent-9780380815937/In-the-BeginningWas-the-Command-Line-eBook.html In the Beginning was the Command Line] for just over 6 bucks). + +For technical books try [http://www.ebookspyder.net/ eBookSpyder] or [http://www.pdfchm.com/ Pdfchm], both of which have a good catalog of programming and science books available. + +Of course here's the dirty secret of ebooks: most can be had for free if you know where to look. For instance, don't want to pay six bucks for In the Beginning was the Command Line? Okay, just head to this page and save the file. Now load the resulting HTML file in your ebook reader. + +What about new books? Have you ever heard of bittorrent? Sites like Pirate Bay and Mininova are overflowing with ebook options. + +== Dealing with DRM and formats == + +one of the big problems with ebook readers -- on the iPhone and elsewhere -- is finding texts. Most of the major publishers ship their electronic books with cumbersome DRM that means they end up only working on certain devices. + +But naturally where there's DRM there's someone who has already cracked it. One of the most common formats for DRMed ebooks is Microsoft .lit, which thankfully has been cracked. the excellent (though somewhat old) [http://dukelupus.pri.ee/convertlit.php ConvertLit] can take care of the process for you. For other formats like Mobipocket and eReader, check out cracker [http://darkreverser.wordpress.com/ Darkreverser’s Python Scripts] which can set your books free. + +Even if you skirt the DRM by buying unencumbered ebooks, the world of digital books is still an acronym soup of formats. Luckily there are literally dozens of apps that can convert between them. Check out the [http://wiki.mobileread.com/wiki/E-book_conversion MobileRead wiki] for a vast selection of options that will work on Macs and PCs. There are also some online converters for changing formats. + +Here are some common cross platform formats that most ebook readers support (though double check whatever app you chose just to be on the safe side): + +# Plain Text [.txt] +# HTML with images [.html] +# FictionBook2 with images [.fb2] +# PalmDoc / AportisDoc [.pdb] +# MobiPocket (unencrypted) [.pdb, .prc, .mobi] + +== Conclusion == + +Ebooks may not have made it to the mainstream yet, but if you need something more than a webpage to get you through the long commuters combining some free ebook downloads with one of the iphone ebook readers is pretty easy. And once you have a good library on your iPhone you'll wonder why others fuss about the expensive Kindle.
\ No newline at end of file diff --git a/old/published/How To Wiki/edit wikipedia.txt b/old/published/How To Wiki/edit wikipedia.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..4c04922 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/How To Wiki/edit wikipedia.txt @@ -0,0 +1 @@ +So you've tested your editing skills here on the How To Wiki and you're thinking you might be ready to take on the original crowd-sourced beast -- Wikipedia. Well, conceptually it's the same -- anyone can easily edit any unprotected page on Wikipedia (and you don't even need to register) -- but making your changes stick requires a bit more finesse.
Wikipedia can be a fickle place, editors egos and the group politick of the site sometimes mean that good edits get wiped just because no one knows who you are. But using these tricks you can make sure that your changes and additions are unassailably factual and stick with the community.
== Technical details ==
Editing most Wikipedia pages is easy. Just click on the "edit this page" tab at the top of the page. Just like this site, the link will bring up the text of the page in editable form. The next thing you need to do is get familiar with Wiki Markup. The [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/How_to_edit#Wiki_markup How to Edit] page has all the syntax info you need to know for creating links, adding emphasis and other markup tools.
In addition to the markup, make sure you check out the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Manual_of_Style Wikipedia Manual of Style] to get a feel for how Wikipedia likes to handle issues of grammar, syntax and style. (For instance, most people would probably call the style page, the Wikipedia Style Guide, but that's not, uh, Wikipedia's style).
== Don't make anonymous edits ==
Making your additions and changes to Wikipedia fit with the site's voice will go a long way to ensuring that the community welcomes your input, but it's not the only thing you should do.
Yes, Wikipedia allows anyone to edit a page. But anonymous edits are a red flag. If you're serious about contributing to the community, register with the site, pick a username and develop an identity.
Not only does it make you less suspect, it's the only way you'll get any bragging rights for your contributions.
== Always cite references ==
As the Wikipedia editing guide says:
>If you add information to a page, please provide references, as unreferenced facts are subject to removal.
Edits lacking citations are most often deleted, though sometimes a page will simple get the warning you occasionally see, noting that the page contains unverified information. The solution is so simple it's ridiculous not to back up your words: just provide a link to your source. If you don't have one, you probably shouldn't be adding the information.
== Always write a summary of your changes ==
When you are finished with an edit, make sure you provide a quick synopsis in the summary field. Doing so makes the editors life easier and happy editors are your ticket to Wikipedia glory.
== Conclusion ==
If you're a seasoned Wikipedia editing ace be sure to add your own tips and tricks for success.
\ No newline at end of file diff --git a/old/published/How To Wiki/encryptusbstick.txt b/old/published/How To Wiki/encryptusbstick.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..dd367df --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/How To Wiki/encryptusbstick.txt @@ -0,0 +1,27 @@ +Memory sticks are a great way to store data and applications for access on any computer you come across. With storage capacities already reaching 256GB, today's USB sticks are often larger than yesterday's hard drives. Thanks to increased storage space and lowering prices, you can easy store nearly all your personal files on a tiny, go-anywhere USB memory stick. + +There's a downside to all that cheap, easy storage though -- it means there's even more data at risk should your USB stick be lost of stolen. + +Luckily it isn't hard to encrypt the data on your USB stick so that, should misfortune snatch it away from you, at least you can rest easy knowing that your data is secure. + +===Encrytion on Windows== + +There are a variety of Windows-based tools for creating an encrypted volume on a USB stick, but our favorite is the free, open-source [http://www.truecrypt.org/ TrueCrypt]. TrueCrypt uses on-the-fly encryption, which means that data is automatically encrypted and decrypted without you needing to do anything other than enter a password or keyfile. + +To get started download and install TrueCrypt. Then open the application and select your USB stick in the Volume menu. TrueCrypt will then walk you through the process of setting up your encrypted volume and help you chose an encrption algorythm and set other options. + +Once TrueCrypt finishes, your USB stick will contain an encrypted volume where you can store sensative data to keep it safe from prying eyes. + +===Encryption on Mac OS X=== + +TrueCrypt offers a Mac version as well, but OS X actually has a nice built-in encryption tool you can use right out of the box. + +To get started, just plug in your USB stick and open up Disk Utility (you'll find it in the Utilities folder inside your Applications folder). + +In Disk Utility head to File >> New >> Blank Disk Image. Select your USB stick as the destination and choose one of the encryption options. You can also set the size of the volume, number of partitions and the format. + +Once that's done click create and enter a good password (see our guide to picking strong passwords). + +===Future Outlook=== + +Many USB stick manufacturers are offering built-in encryption options these says we expect that trend to continue, though hopefully more will use open source, well-tested encryption tools rather than the proprietary systems common today.
\ No newline at end of file diff --git a/old/published/How To Wiki/firefoxbookmarks.txt b/old/published/How To Wiki/firefoxbookmarks.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..66baf79 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/How To Wiki/firefoxbookmarks.txt @@ -0,0 +1,31 @@ +Browser bookmarks are a great way to keep track of websites you want to refer back to, interesting articles you plan to read some day or sites you visit everyday. But bookmarks are only useful if you can find them again. + +Throw hundreds of bookmarks into your browser with no organization and it will likely take you as long to find the bookmark as it would to search the site on Google. + +Fortunately Firefox offers several ways to keep your bookmarks in order -- tools like folders, tags and syncing them between computers mean you'll have your bookmarks under control in no time. + +Here's out guide to become a bookmark ninja using Firefox. + +== Organize what you already have == + +The first thing to do is open up the Firefox bookmark window (Bookmarks -> Organize Bookmarks) and take a look at what you've got. + +One of the easiest ways to keep your bookmarks organized is to create folders within the Firefox Bookmarks Bar and then sort your bookmarks into those folders. Create, for example, a folder for all your favorite tech blogs and dump the bookmarks inside. Then you can get to your list of tech blogs from any browser window just by click on that folder in the Bookmarks bar. + +Alternately you can create the same folder system, but drop it in the Bookmarks Menu and access your bookmarks from the main Bookmarks drop-down menu. + +Tip: Having trouble figuring out which bookmarks and filed and which aren't? Head to the "Unsorted Bookmarks" item in the bookmarks window to see which ones you've missed. + +Another organization method is to use tags, which work a bit like folders in GMail. To edit the tags on your bookmarks you'll need to go through each bookmark and individually tag them, which can be time comsuming, but does allow you to have the same bookmark in multiple tag bundles. + +== Organizing new bookmarks == + +The key to any sucessful filing system is to make sure that it's easy to file new items -- otherwise you'll just end up with another mess in a few months, or even weeks if you frequently bookmarks websites. + +Fortunately, as of version 3.0, Firefox offers a handy drop-down menu whenever you add a bookmark, which makes it easy to filter the new bookmark into the approriate folder or add whatever tags you'd like. If nothing in your current collection of folders fits the new bookmark you can even create a new folder within the add bookmark dialog. + +In fact, it's possible to keep your bookmarks perfectly organized without ever needing to re-visit the "organize bookmarks" window. + +== Sync == + +Your bookmarks are useless if you can't get to them no matter what computer you're on. Firefox makes it easy to keep your bookmarks sync with it's new built in syncing tool. Sadly, Firefox 4, the first version with built-in syncing, is still a beta release at them moment. You can try using the beta or grab the [https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/10868/ Firefox Sync extension], which will tide you over until the final version of Firefox 4 arrives.
\ No newline at end of file diff --git a/old/published/How To Wiki/fix_a_scratched_cd.txt b/old/published/How To Wiki/fix_a_scratched_cd.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..b8712b5 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/How To Wiki/fix_a_scratched_cd.txt @@ -0,0 +1,31 @@ +Most of us have long since abandoned the CD in favor of MP3s, but sometimes the process of converting from CD reveals some discs that haven't fared the passage of time very well. CDs are vulnerable to everything from fingerprint smudges, a bit of dried syrup from the time you spilled that Coke in the car, perhaps even some scratches in the case of that CD that disappeared under the passender's seat three years ago. + +If you've got some CDs that are well past their prime (and no, we don't mean that perfectly unblemished Spice Girls disc you've been hiding from your friends) fear not, there are ways to get that disc spinning again so you can transfer the music or data onto something else. + +The first thing to try with your potentially damaged CDs is a PC. Many times a CD that's too mangled to work in a car stereo will work just fine in your (much faster) computer CD/DVD drive. + +==Polish== + +If you've got a disc that won't play, start with the simplest solution -- give it a gentle, but thorough cleaning. + +Take a damp, lint free cloth (clothes used to clean eyeglasses work well) and starting in the center of the CD, wipe to the outside edge in a straight line. The direction of the polishing is important, don't wipe in circles, and don't wipe randomly, move in a straight line, center to edge. + +Now that you've got all the surface blemishes off, give the CD another try. Still no luck? Well, read on. + +== Repairing scratches == + +If polishing alone doesn't work, chance are your CD is scratched. See if you can find the offending scratch -- hold your CD up to the light and check it from different angles. + +CDs read from the inside out to the edge so you may be able to locate the scratch that's causing the problem based on which tracks skip. Obviously if you CD has data rather than music this method won't work. + +Once you've found the scratch there are a few ways you can repair it. However, but for we get started be aware that some of these methods can actually damage the disc even more so '''use them only as a last resort'''. + +'''Polish the CD''' Two popular ways of polishing out scratches include using toothpaste (get the kind with baking soda in it) and Brasso. In either case apply a thin layer to the scratched area and wipe from the inside out to polish out the scratch. + +'''Wax the CD''' Along the same lines as the toothpaste method, you can try applying a very thin coat of vaseline, car wax or shoe polish to the scratched area. + +'''Professional Refinishing''' Unless the scratch is very deep the above methods should work. If they don't you can always try having your CD refinished by a professional service. Consult your local music store or try searching for CD refinishing in your favorite search engine. + +==Future Outlook== + +The future of CDs will mirror that of the Dodo circa 1660. While music, movies and data storage devices of the future will have their own set of problems, at least we won't have to resort to toothpaste to recover lost tunes.
\ No newline at end of file diff --git a/old/published/How To Wiki/flashbackvirushowto.txt b/old/published/How To Wiki/flashbackvirushowto.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..46b0d41 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/How To Wiki/flashbackvirushowto.txt @@ -0,0 +1,115 @@ +Mac fans recently got a little taste of what it's like to be a Windows user. That's right, a virus targeting Mac OS X is making the rounds. The latest stats from security companies tracking the virus put the number of infected Macs at well over half a million. That's nowhere near the level of some Windows viruses, but it's widespread enough to be a concern for Mac users. + +The virus is known as Flashback and can hijack your Mac without so much as an administrative password. It manages to pull off its attack by exploiting a vulnerability in Java. Oracle, which makes Java, quickly issued a fix for the problem back in February. Unfortunately, because Apple ships its own version of Java (and therefore must provide its own patches), Mac users had to wait on Apple's fix, which didn't arrive until last week. + +The slow fix from Apple gave Flashback time to propagate and led to well over half a million infected machines -- one of which could be yours. + +So how do you know if your mac has been infected with the Flashback virus? Here's our guide to finding out if you've got the Flashback virus and how to remove it from your system if you do. + +== Checking for Flashback == +The simplest way to check for Flashback is to use the [http://www.flashbackcheck.com/ Flashback Check website] set up by security vendor Kaspersky Lab. Just head to the site, plug in your Mac's UUID (to find your UUID, follow [http://www.flashbackcheck.com/where.html these instructions]) and the site will tell you if your Mac has been infected. + +If you don't want to hand over your UUID to a website, there are two other options. The first option is to download [https://github.com/jils/FlashbackChecker/wiki FlashbackChecker] and run it on your machine. + +Flashback checker is really just a wrapper around the second option -- manually checking for the Flashback virus using the Terminal app. To do that open up the Terminal application (it's in the Utilities folder in your Applications folder). Now paste this line of code into the terminal and hit return: + +defaults read ~/.MacOSX/environment DYLD_INSERT_LIBRARIES + +The response back should look something like this: + +The domain/default pair of (/Users/<yourusername>/.MacOSX/environment, DYLD_INSERT_LIBRARIES) does not exist + +If the message doesn't say that the pair "does not exist," than Flashback is present on your system. Assuming the message is negative, let's keep going. Now paste in this line: + +defaults read /Applications/Safari.app/Contents/Info LSEnvironment + +That should generate the same "does not exist" message. Again, if it doesn't then your Mac has been infected with Flashback. If it's negative try this line: + +defaults read /Applications/Firefox.app/Contents/Info LSEnvironment + +Again, the message is (hopefully) negative. If it's not, read on. + +==Getting rid of Flashback == + +If your testing turns up evidence of Flashback on your system, you'll need to delete some files to reclaim your Mac. Kaspersky Lab has a special app that claims to take care of the process for you. You can download the company's [http://support.kaspersky.com/viruses/utility Flashfake Removal Tool] and run it to disinfect your Mac. + +Remember to rerun the above tests when you're done to make sure it worked. + +Alternately you can remove the files Flashback installed by hand and wipe it from your drive yourself. Be forewarned though, this involves the command line and is recommended only for advanced users. + +These instructions come from [http://www.f-secure.com/v-descs/trojan-downloader_osx_flashback_k.shtml F-Secure], which originally reported the widespread outbreak of Flashback. + +<li>1. Run the following command in Terminal: + <br /> <br /> + <span style="color:#800000;">defaults read /Applications/Safari.app/Contents/Info LSEnvironment</span> + <br /><br /> + </li> + <li>2. Take note of the value, DYLD_INSERT_LIBRARIES</li> + <li>3. Proceed to step <b>8</b> if you got the following error message:<br /> + <br /> + <span style="color:#666666">"The domain/default pair of (/Applications/Safari.app/Contents/Info, LSEnvironment) does not exist"</span> + <br /><br /> + </li> + <li>4. Otherwise, run the following command in Terminal: + <br /> <br /> + <span style="color:#800000;">grep -a -o '__ldpath__[ -~]*' <b>%path_obtained_in_step2%</b></span> + <br /><br /> + </li> + <li>5. Take note of the value after "__ldpath__"</li> + <li>6. Run the following commands in Terminal (first make sure there is only one entry, from step 2): + <br /><br /> + <span style="color:#800000;">sudo defaults delete /Applications/Safari.app/Contents/Info LSEnvironment</span> + <br /><br /> + <span style="color:#800000;">sudo chmod 644 /Applications/Safari.app/Contents/Info.plist</span> + <br /><br /> + </li> + <li>7. Delete the files obtained in steps 2 and 5</li> + <li>8. Run the following command in Terminal: + <br /><br /> + <span style="color:#800000;">defaults read ~/.MacOSX/environment DYLD_INSERT_LIBRARIES</span> + <br /><br /> + </li> + <li>9. Take note of the result. Your system is already clean of this variant if you got an error message similar to the following: + <br /><br /> + <span style="color:#666666">"The domain/default pair of (/Users/joe/.MacOSX/environment, DYLD_INSERT_LIBRARIES) does not exist"</span> + <br /><br /> + </li> + <li>10. Otherwise, run the following command in Terminal: + <br /><br /> + <span style="color:#800000;">grep -a -o '__ldpath__[ -~]*' <b>%path_obtained_in_step9%</b></span> + <br /><br /> + </li> + <li>11. Take note of the value after "__ldpath__"</li> + <li>12. Run the following commands in Terminal: + <br /><br /> + <span style="color:#800000;">defaults delete ~/.MacOSX/environment DYLD_INSERT_LIBRARIES</span> + <br /><br /> + <span style="color:#800000;">launchctl unsetenv DYLD_INSERT_LIBRARIES</span> + <br /><br /> + </li> + <li>13. Finally, delete the files obtained in steps 9 and 11.</li> + <li>14. Run the following command in Terminal: + <br /><br /> + <span style="color:#800000;">ls -lA ~/Library/LaunchAgents/</span> + <br /><br /> + </li> + <li>15. Take note of the filename. Proceed only when you have one file. Otherwise contact our customer care.</li> + <li>16. Run the following command in Terminal: + <br /><br /> + <span style="color:#800000;">defaults read ~/Library/LaunchAgents/<b>%filename_obtained_in_step15%</b> ProgramArguments</span> + <br /><br /> + </li> + <li>17. Take note of the path. If the filename does not start with a ".", then you might not be infected with this variant.</li> + <li>18. Delete the files obtained in steps 15 and 17.</li> + </ul> + + +== Is the sky falling? == + +For a long time OS X was largely ignored by virus and malware writers, partly because its Unix underpinnings are pretty well time-tested and secure at this point, but also because it lacks the market share numbers of Windows. For the most part that's likely to continue to be the case, but that doesn't mean your Mac is invulnerable to attack. + +Flashback serves as a healthy reminder that every computer is vulnerable in some way. + +That doesn't necessarily mean you need antivirus software on your Mac. In fact one of the more interesting aspects of Flashback is that while it deletes itself when it detects Apple's developer tools or applications like [http://www.obdev.at/products/littlesnitch/index.html Little Snitch], [http://waxy.org/2012/04/flashback_trojan_creators_scared_of_xcode_users_but_not_norton_antivir/ it doesn't care at all if you have a commercial antivirus utility like Norton Antivirus, McAfee VirusScan or F-Secure installed]. In other words, the developers of Flashback are worried about being discovered by savvy users, not anti-virus software. + +Take a tip from the virus writers themselves and focus on being a savvy user -- avoiding suspicious downloads and using basic web smarts -- rather than installing anti-virus software and blindly trusting it to protect you. diff --git a/old/published/How To Wiki/focus.txt b/old/published/How To Wiki/focus.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..b353fc1 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/How To Wiki/focus.txt @@ -0,0 +1,34 @@ +There's more to focusing your camera than just making sure objects are sharp. In fact, focus is one of the primary ways to lead the viewer's eye through an image and getting a scene focused just right depends on the scene and your camera. + +While there are no hard and fast rules to focusing, in this how to we'll take a look at some common situations and give you tips on how to make your photos draw the viewer in and give them a deeper connection to the image. + +For simplicity we'll assume you're using the auto-focus features on your camera. + +==Not all Auto Focus is created equal== + +Auto-focus tools vary by camera manufacturer, but generally most include several modes like area, spot and continuous. Each has it's advantages and disadvantages: + +'''Area (sometimes called multi-area)''' Chances are this is default setting and what you've been using. With Area auto focusing the camera automatically focuses using multiple focus points. Think of this as the camera taking an average of your scene and then trying to find the focal point that holds most things in focus. Although it's the default, area focus tends to be the least accurate of auto focus modes. Recommended for: landscapes, scenes where there isn't a large of depth of field. + +'''Spot focus''' In this mode your camera will focus on a spot at the center of the screen. How large of a spot depends on the camera, but most offer a visual guide that shows the spot area when you look through the viewfinder (or the screen if your camera doesn't have a viewfinder). Spot focus allows for the most control and, when combined with a half-press of the shutter button, can be used the keep foreground objects in focus and blur the background for a nice effect. Recommended for: almost anything, spot focus is really the best option in most cases. + +'''Continuous autofocus''' Generally used with moving subjects, continuous auto focus allows you to keep a primary subject in focus against a changing background. This mode can be very helpful, but is typically only found in high-end DSLRs. Still, if you have it continuous auto focus it's worth exploring. Recommended for: sporting events and other situations where your subject is moving. + + +==Common Photo situations== + +'''Portraits''' The common wisdom of portrait photography is to make sure the subject's eyes are sharply in focus. In addition to focusing on the eyes, use a large aperture (f/2.8-f/1.4) to decrease depth of field and maximize the effect of the sharply focused eyes. + +'''Landscapes''' If you want the whole scene in sharp focus, chose a very small aperture (f/16 or better if you have it) and focus on the middle or back of the scene. If you'd like a sharp foreground with a soft background, focus on the foreground and open up the aperture a bit more to allow the background to blur. + +'''Combinations''' Sometimes called an "environmental portrait" the combination of a portrait-style subject in a larger landscape is probably the most common situation you'll find yourself capturing. The trick here is to make sure that the primary point of interest is in focus. If that's a person against a landscape use a fast shutter to make sure the person doesn't blur through motion and again, try to keep the eyes in focus. If you want a softer subject against a sharp background, do the opposite, focusing on the background and using a middle of the road aperture to let the person soften a bit. + +'''Macros''' Macros are extreme close-ups -- the center of a flower, detail of wood grain and so on. Macros generally require either a special lens or a macro focus mode. Due to the extreme depth of field in such a small area you'll want to use a small aperture and probably use a tripod since the combination of close-up and small aperture mean less light and longer shutter times. + + +==Future Outlook== + +Auto-focus keeps improving with each new round of cameras and new modes using ever more sophisticated algorithms are always trying to do the hard work for you. Still, no amount of technology will ever be able to exactly anticipate the way you want your photos to look. It will, however, be significantly easier and faster to get the focus you want out of tomorrow's cameras. + + +artwork: http://www.flickr.com/photos/opoterser/3760102198/
\ No newline at end of file diff --git a/old/published/How To Wiki/format a drive/drive_format_mac.jpg b/old/published/How To Wiki/format a drive/drive_format_mac.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..5fb0453 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/How To Wiki/format a drive/drive_format_mac.jpg diff --git a/old/published/How To Wiki/format a drive/drive_format_winxp.jpg b/old/published/How To Wiki/format a drive/drive_format_winxp.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..dd7f2c3 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/How To Wiki/format a drive/drive_format_winxp.jpg diff --git a/old/published/How To Wiki/format a drive/format_your_hard_drive_mac.txt b/old/published/How To Wiki/format a drive/format_your_hard_drive_mac.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..76dca39 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/How To Wiki/format a drive/format_your_hard_drive_mac.txt @@ -0,0 +1,21 @@ +Want to do a clean system install of Mac OS X on your shiny new Mac? Or perhaps you just need a larger drive to hold all the movies you're been downloading. No matter what the reason, before you use a blank hard drive you'll need to format it. + +Luckily formatting a drive is easy, but you do need to make some decisions ahead of time based on how you plan to use the drive. For example will your drive be used only in a Mac? Or if your drive is going to be used for storage, will you need to connect from Windows? Mac? Both? + +To keep things simple, we'll walk you through the process of formatting a drive so that you can use it for storage and access your files no matter what operating system you're using. + +Be aware that formatting your drive will erase **all** your existing data. Make sure you've backed up any existing files on the drive before you format. + +==Mac OS X== + +To format a drive on your Mac, just attach the drive and open the application "Disk Utility." Then select your attached drive in the menu on the left and choose the erase tab. Now select a drive format. If you're only using Macs we recommend Mac OS Extended (Journaled). If you'll be accessing the drive from Windows as well, select FAT32. + +Once you've selected a format, click the erase button and wait a few minutes for the drive to finish formatting. + +If you'd like to format the system hard drive inside your Mac, the procedure is the same, but you'll need to boot your Mac from an OS X install DVD or another Mac. If you're using the install DVD, before you start the install process head to the menubar and select the Disk Utility application. Once Disk Utility opens the process is the same as explained above, but be sure to choose Mac OS Extended (Journaled), which is the recommended drive format for OS X. + +Remember, formatting a drive erases all the data on your Mac, so make sure you backup all your files before you begin. + +==Future Outlook== + +Your hard drive is the last mechanical bottleneck slowing down your PC. Spinning platter drives are already being replaced by solid state drive (SSD) and flash drives. While SSDs remain expensive, capacities as large as 160 GB are already available and in the very near future even larger drives will be available.
\ No newline at end of file diff --git a/old/published/How To Wiki/getridofdsl.txt b/old/published/How To Wiki/getridofdsl.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..1a17d12 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/How To Wiki/getridofdsl.txt @@ -0,0 +1,33 @@ +When it comes to gadgets, there's only one hard and fast rule: if it has a wire today, it'll get rid of the wire tomorrow. Even things you wouldn't expect -- yes, someone actually is working on wireless electricity -- will probably one day be wireless. + +You may think of your wireless modem as, well, wireless. But of course it's not, it needs the DSL or cable landline to actually connect you to the rest of the world. + +Today your internet has a wire. Tomorrow it probably won't. + +=== Welcome to 4G === + +DSL and Cable have battled for dominancy in home internet connections pretty much ever since dial up disappeared. But why bother with the wires and cables when there's 3G and 4G networks forming a cloud over your house, your city and pretty soon the entire nation. + +So what is 4G? In a nutshell 4G is the high-speed successor to the 3G networks that are currently, for the most part, limited to mobile device. Where the speed of 3G currently averages around 800kbps, 4G networks will offer roughly double that (1.5mbps) in the near term and possibly as fast as 20-30mbps as the technology improves. + +4G isn't just about speed either, larger chipsets and better antennas mean 4G is more reliable and cuts through signal noise faster. + +In short 4G is already shaping up to good enough to ditch the DSL and go all-mobile, all the time. + +=== Tapping into 4G today === + +The best thing about 4G is that it's already here, albiet at a price. Clearwire has offered 4G service is select U.S. cities for some time and now Sprint has introduced the [http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2010/01/sprint-overdrive/ Overdrive] a 3G/4G modem that takes advantage of Clearwire's 4G when it's available and falls back on Sprint's 3G when it isn't. + +The result is complete mobile access -- no wires to be found -- in a single device with average 4G speeds of between 3-6Mbps. Compare that to the average DSL and cable speeds 4-8Mbps (in the U.S. anyway) and it's easy to see why the future is wireless. + +At roughly $80 per month, Sprints 3G/4G network is a bit more than DSL or cable, but the ability to connect from virtually anywhere makes up for the slight cost increase. + +=== Other Options === + +Sprint isn't the only wireless broadband option out there, Verizon offers the [http://www.wired.com/reviews/product/verizon_mifi_2000_portable_hotspot Mifi portable hotspot] which turns a 3G cellular signal into wifi. The Mifi does not, however, offer 4G connections. + +Thus far, Verizon is only in the testing stages with its LTE 4G network, while there are 4G LTE modems available in overseas, even if you can get them, unfortunately they won't do you much good here in the U.S. + +=== Conclusion === + +4G isn't here for everyone, coverage varies by provider to is thus far limited to select U.S. cities. However, as coverage expands and networks speed up the days of landlines delivering the web to your home are numbered.
\ No newline at end of file diff --git a/old/published/How To Wiki/greentravel.txt b/old/published/How To Wiki/greentravel.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..1563db7 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/How To Wiki/greentravel.txt @@ -0,0 +1 @@ +Green travel isn't just something to make yourself feel good, if we don't change our travel ways we may love our favorites spots to death.
Last year some 898 million people traveled the globe, and the international tourism industry earned $7 trillion (and those figures don’t include people who vacation in their own countries). To think there wasn't a significant environmental and cultural cost to those travel is naive.
So what's a responsible citizen of the earth to do? Give up traveling?
We have another idea, vote with your dollar. Here's the Wired guide to traveling green and being responsible.
== Carbon Offsets ==
Sure they're controversial, but it's better than doing nothing at all.
The basic idea behind carbon offsets is that for every chunk of carbon you use (i.e. air travel, driving, etc) you donate a corresponding "offset" to a charity which can then invest the money in a project that reduces our carbon dependance -- generally things like wind farms, biomass energy, or hydroelectric dams.
In other words you offset your unavoidable carbon use by making an investment in a (hopefully) carbon free future.
Critics argue that carbon offsets merely give the guilty an easy source of absolution rather than the more productive route of behavior change. The critics are probably right in this case, but if you're going to fly no matter what, you might as well contribute to alternatives while you're at it.
To help you out there are a number of sites that can help you calculate your carbon usage and suggest an offset amount. [http://www.terrapass.com/ Terrapass] offers all sorts of carbon calculators and has partnered with travel stalwart Expedia to make it easy to buy and offset when you purchase tickets. Other online travel agencies such as Orbitz and Travelocity as well as airlines like British Airways, Virgin and Continental now offer carbon offsets when you purchase your flight.
== Green Hotels ==
Not all lodging is created equal. Some hotels are locally owned, recycle and make a real effort to minimize their environmental impact. Others are colossal chains that import labor from abroad and throw out the preverbal baby with every gallon of bath water.
So how to chose a responsible hotel? It might mean a little extra research on your part, but luckily there are a number of websites that can help take the pain out of finding responsible lodgings.
[http://www.environmentallyfriendlyhotels.com/ Environmentally Friendly Hotels], [http://www.ec3global.com/products-programs/green-globe/Default.aspx Green Globe] and [http://www.rezhub.com/GreenTravel/GreenHotels/tabid/119/Default.aspx RezHub] are just a few of the many sites that track hotel's eco-friendliness and can recommend green hotels in your destination.
But don't leave everything to web, if you can't find anything about a hotel you'd like to stay in, just call them up and ask some questions:
# Is the hotel locally owned and operated? If not, is it does it at least employ a local labor force?
# Is there an option to reuse towels and sheets instead of having them changed every day?
# Does the hotel have any recycling programs (paper, plastic, gray water irrigation, composting, etc)?
# Does the hotel have programs to reduce guest consumption? For example, energy-efficient lighting, water-saving shower heads etc.
Not only will you get answers to your questions you'll help send a message that these things matter to today's traveler. When enough hotels start to feel the pressure to go grean, they will. Send them a message with your wallet.
== When you're there ==
Okay so you paid your carbon offsets, found an environmentally friendly place to stay, now what?
Here's a few tips to reducing your impact on the places you love to visit:
# Reduce your water consumption. Clean water is one of the most endangered resources in the world. Keep your showers short and turn off the water when your brushing your teeth.
# Power is also in limited supply -- turn off the air conditioning, heat, television, lights and any other electric devices when you leave your room.
# Reuse your linens. Do you wash your sheets every single day when you're at home? The why the heck are you doing it when you travel? Call the front desk and tell them you're okay with using the same towel two, three, ten days in row.
# Give your hotel feedback. Tell them you're happy about any eco programs they have and tell them you'd love to see them embrace more.
# Buy local. You just traveled half way around the world and you're headed to Starbucks? Try supporting the local economy, stop into the corner coffee shop, eat with the locals and shop in local markets rather than chain stores. You'll learn more about the culture you're visiting, have much better food and encourage local businesses.
# Be responsible when you're off sightseeing. There's a reson why the cliche "take nothing but photographs, and leave nothing but footprints," is a cliche -- because it's good advice.
\ No newline at end of file diff --git a/old/published/How To Wiki/gvoice.txt b/old/published/How To Wiki/gvoice.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..04e7261 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/How To Wiki/gvoice.txt @@ -0,0 +1,27 @@ +How to get more out of Google Voice + +Google Voice is a fantastic way to manage your phone life. The service offers the ability to route any incoming call to any phone or straight to voicemail, if you prefer, and you can create rules based on the caller. Other standout features include SMS, voicemail via e-mail, call recording, call screening and the ability to switch phones mid call. + +In addition to the easy-to-use, Gmail-like interface, Google Voice can be used to search for past messages, keep a store of all your text messages and otherwise organize your life. + +There are also some things your can do with Google Voice that might not be apparent at first glance, but can make the service even more powerful. + +===Infinite mobile minutes=== + +Perhaps the best Google Voice hack involves taking advantage of some loopholes in your mobile contract. Follow these steps and you'll never need to use any of your mobile plan's minutes again. Note that this will only work if you have a plan that offers free calling to select numbers. + +The trick is to add your Google Voice number to your list of free numbers, then have everyone call your Google Voice number. From your mobile provider's perspective it will look like only one person ever calls you and since that number is part of your plan, viola, no more worrying about how many minutes you've used. + +===Pure Google Voice mobile=== + +The Google Voice app might have been banned from Apple's App Store, but if you've jailbroken your phone, it's available through the Cydia app store. Android users can grab a legit copy through the Android marketplace. + +Although neither app is quite as seamless as just using your mobile, you won't have to pay to use the Google Voice number (and if you're on Wifi you won't be charged minutes either). This tactic is also handy for international calls. Google Voice isn't free when calling overseas (see [Google Voice's international rates http://www.google.com/support/voice/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=141925]), but it's cheaper than most mobile carriers. + +===Web calling=== + +Firefox users can install the Firefox add-on [Google Voice for Firefox https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/11167] which makes any number on the web into a link that will automatically dial from your Google Voice number. Shortly after your phone rings and then the call is connected. + +===Future Outlook=== + +Eventually it will easy to forward your Google Voice number to any phone in the world. It's actually possible right now, but it's increadibly complicated and requires linking together three separate online services, any of which might fail. Google Voice is serious threat the current revenue model of mobile carriers, expect Google to push them and the carrier to fight back with better deals and cheaper rates.
\ No newline at end of file diff --git a/old/published/How To Wiki/hdvideo.txt b/old/published/How To Wiki/hdvideo.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..9d0c2cc --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/How To Wiki/hdvideo.txt @@ -0,0 +1,29 @@ +The prospects of High Definition video on the web are looking up. The latest version of Adobe's Flash Player 9, the de facto standard in online video thanks to YouTube, includes support for the H.264 video standard — the same standard deployed in Blu-Ray and HD-DVD high definition video players. + +HD already enjoys widespread support in many video editing applications. Heavyweights like Adobe Premiere and Apple's Final Cut Pro have long supported H.264, but even cheaper options like iMovie 07 support HD and can export H.264 video. + +With the user supply chain already set to launch a new wave of HD content on the web, the only hang up is the video sharing sites themselves and the new Flash Player is poised to change that. + +Today's announcement means, as Kevin Towes, product manager for Adobe Flash Media Server, says "the entire H.264 workflow is now solid from end to end." + +Already professional sites like the Fox/NBC backed <a href="http://www.hulu.com/">Hulu</a> have announced they will support the new Flash Player and Hulu even has a sampling of movie trailers and clips in 720p HD available now. + +Eric Feng, CTO of Hulu says that he's excited about the quality boost H.264 gives online video, "H.264 is a much more advanced codec, it offers better visuals, higher color saturation and hardware acceleration, which means we're going to be able to provide a much better viewing experience, especially in full screen mode." + +Feng says the current HD gallery is just the beginning. Hulu plans to continue expanding its HD offerings as Flash Player 9's market saturation grows. Hulu is currently a private beta, though Feng says the site will open to the public in "a couple of months." + +For user content oriented sites, the combination of cheaper HD cameras and the new Flash Player support mean that even your home movies may soon be viewable in HD glory. + +Some popular web video sharing sites like <a href="http://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a> already offer HD video through older formats, but with YouTube still the traffic leader in online video, HD in your browser won't really kick into high gear until YouTube offers H.264 movies. + +YouTube was unable to respond in time for this story, but since H.264 is already the standard video format for the YouTube functionality on the iPhone and Apple TV, it might not be long before the same quality finds its way on to the web. + +Should YouTube dally too long this could prove a chance for smaller sites to catch up to the web video leader. In addition to the Flash Player front-end, Adobe has released a new version of Flash Media Streaming Server 3. The streaming server supports H.264 encoded files and Adobe has slashed the price of the top end version by 90 percent. + +While it's still too pricy for casual users, startup video sites can now offer video through the Flash Media Streaming Server for a mere $4500 instead of the previous price, often referred to as the "Flash Tax," of $45,000. + +Kevin Towes argues that for smaller sites especially, the lower price barrier will help offset the increased bandwidth costs associated with HD content. "Bandwidth cost is huge, but H.264 offers the highest quality versus for the bandwidth and the new pricing structures will alleviate some of those costs." + +But not everyone thinks HD is going to help user-generated sites. Gilles BianRosa CEO of <a href="http://www.vuze.com/">Vuze</a>, which has long offered professional HD content in a bittorrent-based client thinks the costs of streaming HD will far outstrip the value. + +"We're happy about it," says BianRosa, "it shows what we've been saying for months, users want HD video." However, BianRosa doesn't think it's practical for sites like YouTube because the higher bandwidth costs of HD won't increase YouTube's ad revenue. "If you increase the pixels on a cat playing the piano that's not going to do anything for advertisers." diff --git a/old/published/How To Wiki/hiresyoutube.txt b/old/published/How To Wiki/hiresyoutube.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..18cb090 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/How To Wiki/hiresyoutube.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +YouTube is finally making good on its promise to start encoding videos at higher resolutions. Select videos on the site are already available in 480x360 resolution -- it's not HD, but it is a step up from the old 320x240 format. + +For the most part this change only affects newer videos and YouTube is rolling it out in a somewhat haphazard manner. Some the videos are identified on the site with a little link offering to take you to a higher res version, but if you want to see the high quality version by default here are a few ways to pull that off. + +# Add <code>&fmt=18</code> to the end of a normal YouTube URL. If there's a high quality version available that will cause it to load. + +# Firefox Add-on -- The team over at Lifehacker makes the [https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/6460 Better YouTube extension] for Firefox and the latest version of the add-on includes the URL hacking technique above (as well as some other goodies like the ability to stop movies from auto-playing). + +# The Easily Overlooked Obvious Method -- If you're logged in to YouTube anyway, just head over to your account settings page and near the bottom you'll find a "Video Quality" option. Click that link and you'll land on a page where you can choose to always see the higher quality videos. Obviously this requires you to login to YouTube, so if you don't want to do that stick with one of the methods above. + +Even at the higher quality, YouTube videos aren't going to look good on a HD TV. But for smaller monitors and laptops, they may be good enough to at least watch in full screen mode without the video turning the chunky moving blocks of color.
\ No newline at end of file diff --git a/old/published/How To Wiki/how to be a whistleblower.txt b/old/published/How To Wiki/how to be a whistleblower.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..0a5e982 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/How To Wiki/how to be a whistleblower.txt @@ -0,0 +1,45 @@ +Nobody wants to be party to coverups, outright lies and the other scandalous behavior sometimes uncovered in both the government and businesses. But what should you do if you uncover something you think is unethical or potentially criminal? + +Blow the whistle. + +However, doing so can have serious repercussions -- whistleblowers have been ostracized, fired, threatened, jailed, and worse. + +Still, from Deep Throat to Enron, whistleblowers have a distinguished legacy of helping the public good. Stephen M. Kohn President of the "National Whistleblower Center"<http://www.whistleblowers.org/> in Washington DC says that "The majority of all civil fraud recoveries in the US are based on whistleblower disclosures," which means it could be up to you to point out wrongdoings. + +Legal protection for whistleblowers varies from country to country and Wired can't provide you with legal advice, but we do have some tips that might help whistleblowers remain anonymous and possibly escape detection for long enough to get the word out. + +#Anonymous Web Surfing + +One tool explicitly designed with whistleblowers in mind is "Tor"<https://tor.eff.org/>. Tor is a free networking software program and allows you to use the internet anonymously. Need to login to that GMail account you used to contact the press, but you're stuck at work? Tor can help cover your tracks. + +When you log into to Tor you join a network of machines scattered around the world that pass internet traffic randomly amongst themselves before it emerges at its destination. The process is somewhat like a ball bouncing around inside a sealed box. Every now and then a ball comes out of the box, but it's impossible to tell who put it in the box to begin with. + +The process is know as "onion routing," and it was first developed at the Naval Research Laboratory. Tor uses a layered encryption protocol, which is where the onion skin analogy comes from. + +Tor is designed to defeat one specific form of digital eavesdropping known as traffic analysis, a form of network surveillance that tracks who is talking to whom over a public network. + +Without Tor an malicious employer can easily detect your outgoing traffic to the media announcing your whistleblowing intentions. + +#Encryption + +But Tor alone isn't enough to hide you from the snoops. To use our earlier example, if you login to GMail via Tor and send your whistleblowing message, the company might not be able to trace where it can from, but they can read it the minute it leaves Tor. + +Anonymity is not the same as security. + +It's important to recognize the Tor does not encrypt traffic once it emerges from the Tor network. Thus you data is going to exposed unless it has been encrypted by you. + +To learn more about encrypting your e-mail, see the Wired How To Wiki entry: "Keep Your E-mail Private, Secret and Secure"<http://howto.wired.com/wiredhowtos/index.cgi?page_name=keep_your_e_mail_private_secret_and_secure;action=display;category=Work>. + +But if you're collecting whistleblowing data you'll likely want to encrypt more than just your e-mail. + +#File encryption + +To encrypt a file in Windows XP your hard drive needs to formated as NTFS which supports encryption. As long as you aren't on a FAT32 formated disk encrypting in Windows XP is easy, just select the files or folder in Windows Explorer, right click it and choose "properties." In the "attributes" section at the bottom, click "advanced" and check the 'encrypt contents to secure data' box, then click OK twice. + +There's a couple of caveats here though. First off the encryption is useless if someone else knows your login password (which is often assigned by the IT department) and second, if you encrypt a folder, anyone can still read the file names they just can't open them. + +A better option is to use "GPG4win,"<http://www.gpg4win.org/> an open source encryption program for Windows, to encrypt files with a private key. Again, if anyone else has access to your account, the security provided is ruined because they will have access to your GPG key. + +If you find yourself in a situation where you can't control access to your computer you might investing an encrypted USB thumb drive, though there could be some record of accessing it on your computer that leaves you vulnerable. + +In the end most whistleblowers do end up exposed out of necessity (whether for legal testimony or simply accidental exposure). Many have been fired, but many of those people have also sued and won their cases. Ultimately the choice to blow the whistle is always fraught with risk.
\ No newline at end of file diff --git a/old/published/How To Wiki/how to onlinecal b/old/published/How To Wiki/how to onlinecal new file mode 100644 index 0000000..aefcb3a --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/How To Wiki/how to onlinecal @@ -0,0 +1,41 @@ +Just about all your data is finding its way onto the web. You can organize and share your bookmarks, upload and edit photos and share and edit documents so why not do the same with your calendar? + +There are dozens of options in the world of online calendars, but while some of the smaller players offer some nice niche features, the big players offer stability and there's little danger of the services disappearing one day. + +Yahoo, Google and Microsoft all offer web-based calendar systems, each with their distinct advantages and disadvantages. While Yahoo and Microsoft have capable calendaring apps, we found Google Calendar offered a cleaner, simpler interface and it's setup and sharing options were more robust and simpler to use. + +The big downside to Google Google calendar is that it does not offer support for Microsoft Outlook calendars. + +There are some third party offerings like "SyncMyCal"<http://www.syncmycal.com/> ($25 per seat) that can fill this void in "Google Calendar"<http://www.google.com/calendar/>, but they are unofficial and could stop working, should Google decide to alter its calendar service. Google has said in the past that it plans to add Outlook support, but it has never given a timeline. + +If you need Outlook support you're better off with "Yahoo Calendar"<http://calendar.yahoo.com/?>, however, for the rest of us, Google's offering is slicker and has better sharing features. + + +#Basic cal setup + +To get started in Google Calendar login to your Google Account or just login to GMail and click "Calendar," which will land you in the main calendar page. Head to "Settings" and then click "Calendars," followed by "Create New Calendar." + +Give your Calendar a name, description so other will know what it is when you share it. You can also set a location and time zone. + +#Sharing and Collaboration + +Below these basic setup options you'll see some preferences for sharing. The "Share with everyone" option refers to who can see your calendar and its events. There are three settings, "everyone," which makes the URL public, "share only free/ busy information" which lets other see when you're occupied, but doesn't say what you're doing, and "do not share," which keeps your calendar entirely private. + +Once you decide how much you want the world at large to know its time to set up your Calendar for Google's specialty: collaboration. If you need to track and coordinate with a team of employees or just a group of friends you can add their e-mail addresses and control what sort of access they have to your calendar. + +If you forget someone, no need to panic, just head to settings >> calendars and click on the calendar to edit. + +Once you've added a user and given them permission to change events, that person can edit the shared calendar and you'll both see the changes. + +#Do More + +Google Calendar can send alerts via e-mail and SMS messages to keep you abreast of your appointments, but there are number of other ways to track your calendars. + +For your mobile needs there's calendar.google.com which provides a slimmed down interface for mobile phones and even auto-detects the iPhone and delivers a version designed for the touch screen. + +You can subscribe to your Google Calendar in any desktop application that supports the variety of formats Google Calendar offers. Just head to the "Calendars" section and copy and paste the URL in to your favorite Desktop app. + +Keep in mind however, that most desktop calendar apps won't offer round trip syncs with Google Calendar. Mac users can invest in "Spanning Sync"<http://www.spanningsync.com/> ($25/year or $65 for life) which enables Apple iCal to read and write to Google Calendars. There's also a free project, "Provider"<http://blog.wired.com/monkeybites/2007/06/mozilla-sunbird.html>, that enables the Mozilla's Sunbird Calendar to read and write to Google Calendar. + +Firefox users can check out "Google Calendar Notifier"<https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/2528>, which provides update and schedule-at-a-glance views in the Firefox status bar. + diff --git a/old/published/How To Wiki/how to supercharge gmail.txt b/old/published/How To Wiki/how to supercharge gmail.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..cfba2b9 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/How To Wiki/how to supercharge gmail.txt @@ -0,0 +1,51 @@ +When Gmail was released in April of 2004 it was heralded as a revolutionary new approach to e-mail. Indeed, conversation threads, search, tagging, and keyboard shortcuts have changed the way many look at their e-mail. + +But because it's different, "GMail"<https://mail.google.com/> can take some getting used to, here's our guide to getting the most of GMail. + +#Consolidate + +Like most of us, you probably have several e-mail address, one for work, personal, mailing lists and perhaps a throw-away for signing up for new online services. + +GMail makes it easy to get all your e-mail in a single account. Best of all you can send e-mails from GMail and they will look like they can from your other addresses. + +To set up additional accounts head to the "Settings" tab in the top right corner of the GMail interface. Then click on the "Accounts" tab and click "Add Another Account" in the "Get mail from other accounts" section. + +Enter the e-mail address you'd like to integrate into GMail and click next. Then enter your e-mail account login info and mail server name. You can select a number of other options such as always using a secure connection (if your other mail host provides that feature), leaving a copy on the server and control how GMail handles the incoming messages. + +Gmail will then send a message to the new account and you'll have to click the provided link to verify that it is in fact your account. + +Now return the Accounts tab and repeat the process in the "Send mail as" section so that you can send messages from your GMail account that look like they can from your other accounts. If you'd like, you can set one of these added accounts as the default sending account in GMail, though you can always select any verified address when you compose a message in GMail. + +#Filtering and Labels + +GMail doesn't use folders. This is perhaps the most disorienting aspect for new users accustomed to filing mail according to time honored traditions. But Gmail does offer the same functionality you're used to with folders. + +Instead of filing messages in folders, Gmail lumps all your message in a single archive mailbox (which you can view by clicking the "All Mail" link). But GMail uses tags (or "Labels" as Google calls them) to give you the same functionality as folders. To get started using labels, click the "settings" tab and then click "Labels." Create a new label. + +Let's say you want a label named "Work" for all your incoming work e-mails. Create the label and then any time you get an e-mail that's work related, apply the label and archive the message. Now click the label "Work" in GMail's sidebar and you'll see all your filed messages, just like you would with a folder named "Work." What makes labels more powerful is that single messages can have in multiple labels, something that isn't possible with folders. + +But labeling messages by hand is tedious and that's where filters come in handy. GMail's filters are pretty similar in feature to those you've used in desktop clients. Define the matching criteria and then define what actions you want applied to those message. + +Here's a tip for power filtering: by default GMail uses the AND operator when combining filter attributes. Thus is want to match messages that come from foo@bar.com or have the subject line "test," we're out of luck. However, there's a way around this limitation because the "Has the words" option in the Filter dialog can accept any search criteria. + +Thus in a single line in "Has The Words" we can define the follow rule: (from:(foo@bar.com) OR subject:(test)). This trick can also be used with any other GMail search operators. + + +#GMail UI power user tips + +GMail has some nice keyboard shortcuts you'll want to memorize, such as j/k for selecting the next and previous messages in the mail list view, n/p to move between messages in message view and y to archive a message. There are a host of others available, see the Gmail "help pages"<https://mail.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=6594> for more details. If you find yourself loving GMail's simple shortcuts, but prefer a desktop client, have a look at the Thunderbird add-on "GMailUI"<https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/thunderbird/addon/1339> which brings many of GMail's shortcuts to Thunderbird. + +If you're using a browser that supports "Greasemonkey"<http://www.greasespot.net/> scripts there are a whole bunch of things you can do to enhance GMail. Some notable options include "GMail macros"<userscripts.org/scripts/show/2432>, which greatly enhances the keyboard shortcuts in GMail, and "Force encrypted connections"<>(can't seem to connect to userscripts.org right now) which ensures that you always connect to GMail via a https connection. + +To encrypt your messages in GMail, see our earlier guide: "Keep Your E-mail Private, Secret and Secure"<http://howto.wired.com/wiredhowtos/index.cgi?page_name=keep_your_e_mail_private_secret_and_secure;action=display;category=Work>. + +For more options and other ways to improve you GMail experience with Greasemonkey, have a look at every tagged "GMail"<http://userscripts.org/tag/gmail> in the scripts archive. + +If you're a Firefox user, Gina Tripani of Lifehacker has put together a very nice little extension called "Better GMail"<https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/4866> that combines a couple dozen scripts, hacks and other tools and makes it easy to install everything without hunting down the individual scripts. For more details on Better GMail see the Lifehacker "tutorial and guide"<http://lifehacker.com/software/gmail/hack-attack-supercharge-your-gmail-252737.php>. + + +#Do more + +Given that Gmail offers almost 3 gigs of storage, why not use it backup some files? For easier, FTP-like access check out these options: Windows users have "GMail Drive"<http://www.viksoe.dk/code/gmail.htm>, while Mac users have "gDisk"<http://gdisk.sourceforge.net/> and there's also a Firefox based option "Gmail File Space"<http://www.rjonna.com/ext/gspace.php>. Note that this may violate GMail's TOS, so it's probably best to use a separate account. + +If you still love your Desktop e-mail client there's no need to fret, just enable POP in the settings tab of GMail and you can connect and download your mail into your favorite client.
\ No newline at end of file diff --git a/old/published/How To Wiki/how-to back up Mac.txt b/old/published/How To Wiki/how-to back up Mac.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..cfbd5b1 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/How To Wiki/how-to back up Mac.txt @@ -0,0 +1,69 @@ +Nothing you do with a computer will ever be as important as making a solid back up. Hard drives crash and without a back up you'll find yourself facing expensive data recovery services or simply without your data. + +As part of Apple's upcoming Leopard OS the company is including a back up software system by the name of [Time Machine][1] which will offer incremental back up and recovery of files, but even this won't save you if your drive goes south. + +Ideally even your back up system should be redundant, in other words at least two back ups on two forms of media, but at the very least you should have a clone of your hard drive handy should your primary system sink. + +What you'll need + +A secondary hard drive of equal or greater capacity to the machine you want to back up. + +Some back up software from one of the third party vendors listed below (if you're Unix savvy you can get by with rsync and cron, which are built in to Mac OS X, but we'll just be looking at GUI solutions). + +Options: + +EMC (formerly Dantz) Retrospect (or Retrospect Express) + +[Retrospect][3] is the classic Mac back up solution. It isn't cheap, but its comprehensive, full-featured and supports just about any media from high-end tape drives to optical media. + +On the cost side, you may find a special edition of Retrospect, dubbed Retrospect HD is included with some external hard drives that specifically target the Mac. Retrospect HD is stripped down a bit from its sibling and only backs up to hard drives, but if its bundled with the drive there's no need to purchase the full version. + +SuperDuper + +[SuperDuper][4] is a relatively inexpensive piece of software designed to make it easy to clone a drive or back up folders. + +In the free mode Super Duper makes it easy to create complete and/or user-specific back up clones to a hard disk or disk image image file (.dmg). + +For $28 you can unlock the registered mode which allows you to schedule periodic back ups and also allows for more fine-grained control over which files get backed up. + +SuperDuper also features a unique option named "Sandbox," which protects your boot disk from some types of catastrophic failure by creating a bootable copy of your system, stored on another hard drive that shares your personal documents and data with the original. + +This allows you to install system updates or evaluation software in the Sandbox, without worrying about your actual system. If something does go wrong, you simply start up from the original system. + +ChronoSync + +[ChronoSync][2] is another synchronization option that allows for drag-and-drop cloning. Just drag the folders you'd like to sync onto the application windows and then choose your options. Chronosync offers quite a few sophisticated options for deciding which files are sync and which ones are ignored. + +While ChronoSync is a decent back up option its also a very easy way to keep folders between two Macs in sync. For instance, if you have desktop machine and a laptop that you use when traveling, ChronoSync makes it very easy to sync up the laptop to the current state of the desktop whenever you head out of town. + +ChronoSync will set you back $30 but you can download a demo copy to see if it fits your needs. + + +LaCie SilverKeeper + +[SilverKeeper][5] is a simple, but capable back up program which allows you to back up files to any device that is mountable (i.e. CD, DVD, hard disk, tape drives etc). + +Silverkeeper is made by the hard drive manufacturer LaCie and ships with many of its drives. + +But if you're not interested in LaCie drives, never fear Silverkeeper is available as free download from the Lacie site. + +Silverkeeper can set up schedules, make bootable clones, skip selected files and has a number of other nice customization features. + + +Internet back up + +If you have a large library of media files this one probably isn't a good solution, but for a secondary (or third or fourth line of back up) the web is always an option. + +There are a number of services (probably hundreds) that offer to back up your files. Most hover in the 1 gigabyte range so this obviously isn't for an entire drive, but it doesn't hurt to have an extra copy of your documents folder somewhere offsite. + +Most Mac users have probably heard of [Apple's .Mac service][6] which offers a gigabyte of space for $100 a year (it also offers some other services not related to backing up files). + +Dot Mac comes with some pre-designed templates that make it easy to back up key folders, but you can also roll your own template. Apple's back up solution will even run if your machine is asleep at the scheduled time. + + +[1]: http://www.apple.com/macosx/leopard/features/timemachine.html +[2]: http://www.econtechnologies.com/site/Pages/ChronoSync/chrono_overview.html +[3]: http://www.emcinsignia.com/products/smb/retroformac/ +[4]: http://www.shirt-pocket.com/SuperDuper/SuperDuperDescription.html +[5]: http://www.lacie.com/silverkeeper/ +[6]: http://www.apple.com/dotmac/
\ No newline at end of file diff --git a/old/published/How To Wiki/how-to install Windows on a Mac.txt b/old/published/How To Wiki/how-to install Windows on a Mac.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6090f7e --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/How To Wiki/how-to install Windows on a Mac.txt @@ -0,0 +1,53 @@ +Intro + +When Apple transitioned from IBM's PowerPC chips to the new Intel-based Macs, it opened up a world of possibilities for users who want to run other operating systems alongside Mac OS X on the same machine. Additionally, because Linux and Windows also use the same Intel chip architecture, virtualization software no longer needs to emulate a different chip, which means huge performance gains for users who want to run Windows or Linux inside OS X. + +If you want to run Windows, OS X and nearly any variant of Linux on the same machine you'll need to have one of the newer Intel-based Mac machines. Unfortunately, due to hardware restrictions, running OS X on an ordinary Windows box requires some serious hacking and unless you're very comfortable with both systems, isn't a practical option. + +There are two basic ways of running multiple operating systems on your Mac. The first option is dual booting, meaning that to switch between operating systems requires a reboot. The chief advantage of this method is speed. Because Windows or Linux will be running on its own there's none of the performance hits associated with virtualization. + +The main disadvantage is of course you'll have to restart to switch systems. + +Apple officially supports the dual-boot option via its Boot Camp software. For gamers and others looking for performance optimized solutions, this is probably the best option. + +The second method of creating an all-in-one machine is to use one of the virtualization software packages available from a variety of third party manufacturers. Perhaps the most popular of these package is the much touted Parallels 3, though there are also options available from VMWare. + +The main advantage of virtualization is that it integrates into OS X and there's no need to restart your machine. Parallels 3 even offers support of file mapping which means opening a file from OS X's Finder will automatically launch the virtual machine and open the Windows application associated with that file. + +What you'll need + +For the dual boot option you'll need to install <a href="http://www.apple.com/macosx/bootcamp/">Boot Camp from Apple</a>. Though Boot Camp is officially a beta offering, in almost a year of use I've experienced few technical problems. Boot Camp will reportedly by an official part of the next version of Mac OS X, dubbed Leopard, which is due for release in October of 2007. + +For the virtualization route, you'll need either <a href="http://www.parallels.com/en/products/desktop/">Parallels Desktop for Mac</a>, VMWare's <a href="http://www.vmware.com/beta/fusion/index.html">Fusion</a> or similar third party virtualization app. + +No matter what method you use, you'll need a full, licensed copy of the version of Windows you'd like to install. + +Bear in mind, if you go the virtualization route and want to use Windows Vista you'll need the Ultimate version according to Microsoft's licensing terms. + +Dual Booting + +Once you've downloaded Boot Camp, double click the .dmg file to mount the disk image and then double click the installer. + +Once you've installed Boot Camp, navigate in the Finder to /Applications/Utilities/Boot Camp Assistant. Double click the assistant and you should see a welcome screen that asks you to burn a Windows driver CD. + +Insert a CD and burn the Windows drivers. You'll need these drivers after you install Windows since they contain all the information Windows needs to recognize your keyboard, mouse, iSite and other peripherals. Note that many third party devices are not included so you may need to download additional Windows drivers for printers, scanners and the like. + +Once you have your Windows Driver CD, return to the main menu and select the option "Start the Windows Installer." At this point Boot Camp Assistant will ask you to insert your Windows CD. At the time of writing supported systems include Windows XP Home and Professional and Windows Vista Basic, Home Premium, Business and Ultimate. + +Click "Start the Installation" and Boot Camp Assistant will walk you through the steps of adding a partition to your hard drive and installing Windows. + +Once Windows is installed, you can chose which system you'd like to boot from by holding down the "Option" key during startup. + +Don't forget to insert the Windows Drivers CD you burned earlier and run that installer from within the Windows partition. + +Enjoy your dual booting system. + +Virtualization + +To use parallels you can download a 30-day trial from the site, or purchase the software for $80. + +To use VMWare's Fusion virtualization download a copy of the beta from VMWare's site. For the time being the beta is free, pre-orders for the final version cost $40 and when it's released Fusion will retail for $80. + +Once you've installed either system double click the application and you'll be walked through the steps necessary to set up the virtual machine and install Windows or Linux. + +VMWare offers pre-built virtual machines that can be downloaded and used if you don't own a copy of Windows. diff --git a/old/published/How To Wiki/how-to music off ipod.txt b/old/published/How To Wiki/how-to music off ipod.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..88fb0ba --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/How To Wiki/how-to music off ipod.txt @@ -0,0 +1,68 @@ +Dumping your entire music collection onto an iPod is a simple one-click process, but what about getting music off an iPod? That's not so simple. + +Fortunately there are ways to get music off your iPod including some that won't cost you a thing. + +There are a number of legitimate reasons you might need to transfer songs from your iPod to your hard drive. For instance, if you consider you iPod a backup of your music collection, if that fateful say arrives and your PC hard drive crashes, you can get your music back without re-ripping all those CDs (which isn't to say that you shouldn't have other backups, when it comes to backups the more the merrier). + +What you'll need: + +An iPod obviously and either a Windows or Mac machine. + +Then there are a number of third party software solutions, some free, some not free all of which provide slightly different ways of browsing and recovering songs from your iPod. + + +How To + +The simplest and most difficult way to grab tunes from your iPod is enable the "Disk Mode" feature of the iPod from within iTunes. This will cause the iPod to mount as a hard drive drive which you can browse through Windows Explorer or Mac Finder. + +In the case of the Mac you'll need to enable hidden folders in the Finder which you can do by firing up Applications/Utilities/Terminal.app and pasting in these lines of code: + +defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles TRUE + +killall Finder + +To turn them off just change TRUE to FALSE. + +While functionally this method will work, there are plenty of software apps that make the process of browsing and copying files much much easier. + +Third Party Apps + +Senuti +Senuti is a free and open-source, Mac-only application that allows you to recover songs, photos and movies from your iPod. Senuti features drag-and-drop transfer of songs and playlists. Senuti also allows you to copy songs from a Windows formatted iPod. + +The main downside to Senuti is that it doesn't recognize duplicate tracks. If you have a playlist with 10 songs on your iPod and the same playlist already exists in iTunes, Senuti will add the same 10 songs again. + +You can stop Senuti from duplicating the actual song files by choosing "overwrite songs" in the preferences, but there doesn't seem to be a way to stop the duplication of songs within playlists. + +iPodRip +IPodRip works in both Mac OS X and Windows. It has drag-and-drop support for moving songs from your iPod directly into iTunes, as well as one-click importing to restore a local collection. + +IPodRip also features a number of nice extras not found elsewhere, such as a database integrity check for your iPod database, an option to export your library information to HTML or XML formats, and the ability to sync metadata between your iPod and iTunes. + +IPodRip is shareware, and it costs $15. The unlicensed version is not crippled, but it will expire after 10 uses. So, if you just need to recover from a hard drive failure or similar one-time problem, iPodRip can do it for free. + +iPod Access +Another cross-platform offering, copying songs with iPod Access is simple: Just highlight the songs you want to copy and click "Add to iTunes." The trial version only allows you to transfer five songs at a time, but I had no problems copying songs within the limit. A full license costs $20. + +When it comes to handling song transfers, iPod Access gives you more options than the other programs reviewed, including the option to rename the songs in a variety of formats. IPod Access will also only overwrite existing files on your computer if the iPod copy is newer. + +Anapod Explorer +This Windows-only app raises the bar somewhat compared to the other programs. It doesn't just recover files, it also does a whole bunch of other stuff as well. The downside is that those additional features come at an additional cost -- the full version of Anapod Explorer is $30. + +Anapod Explorer includes a separate program, Anapod Xtreamer, which allows you to browse your iPod in a web browser. Xtreamer makes it easy to transfer files, not just from your iPod to the connected computer, but to any computer on your network. + +There are about a dozen more features in Anapod Explorer, but since most of them go far beyond our review goals (get music off your iPod) I'll leave them for you to discover. + +Podworks +Another Mac-only program, Podworks boasts a number of ways to recover your music from an iPod. Podworks can send the songs straight into iTunes by using the "Send All to iTunes" option, or it can transfer songs to any other location on your hard drive. + +Podworks lacks the desirable-drag and-drop features of other applications, but it does avoid duplicating songs. + +The shareware app costs $8. There is a 30-day trail version which is limited to 250 song transfers. + + +YamiPod +This is the only tool of the bunch that supports all three major operating systems. It's also free. YamiPod can transfer songs to and from an iPod, and it offers a good range of options for handling duplicates. + +YamiPod also has some extra features not found in the other programs, including the ability to create playlists and send them to Last.fm. YamiPod can add song lyrics to your tunes, and it also supports Mac OS X's Growl notification system. Read our full review. + diff --git a/old/published/How To Wiki/how-to-electricity.txt b/old/published/How To Wiki/how-to-electricity.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..5603f73 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/How To Wiki/how-to-electricity.txt @@ -0,0 +1,73 @@ +Perhaps the most complex thing for nerds headed abroad is sorting out all the different voltages and Hertz levels around the world. + +All electricity is not created equal. In fact, the world is full of varying voltages and Hertz levels that make traveling with electronic devices somewhat complicated. Do just you need a wall adapter? An adapter and a voltage converter? And what about a surge protector? + +Fear not my traveling nerds, the Wired How-To Wiki is here to answer those questions and more. + +##What's the deal with electricity?## + +###Voltage### + +Worldwide voltages range from around 110 to 240. Plug a device expecting 110 into a wall outlet delivery 240 and you can easily end up with a melted hunk of plastic and burnt out circuits. + +Fortunately newer electronics are often able to handle a wide range of voltages. You know those tiny print labels on all your battery chargers that you've always ignored? Time to pull them out and have a closer look. + +The text you're interested in is the voltage rating, which, if you're lucky, says "100V - 240V." If yours says just 110V or just 240V, you're going to need a voltage converter. When it comes to voltage converters, the best option is to buy one that covers the whole range. Voltage converters can be found at just about any online retailer that sells electronics. + +Also bear in mind, if you happen to be a war correspondent, that Afganistan and few other countries sometimes have voltages up to 280V, so you may want a converter that can handle more than 240V. + +But before you rush and buy a converter, keep reading, voltage isn't the end of the story. + +###Hertz### + +If voltage wasn't enough to worry about, the world's electricity supplies also deliver varying degrees of Hertz. Generally speaking the options range between 50-60Hz. + +So again, pull out those chargers and check to see how many Hz they can handle. Now, if you need to, you can buy a voltage adapter that spans 100V-240V and 50Hz-60Hz. + +But wait, how do you know what you're going to encounter at your destination? Just look it up in this [http://kropla.com/electric2.htm indispensable chart of electricity around the world]. The table on that page lists every country and displays the voltage, hertz and the type of wall adapter necessary. + +##Plugging it in## + +The last and simplest concern for travelers totting high tech gear is a good set of travel plug adapters. + +A plug adaptor is a relatively simple little gadget that will allow you to plug an appliance designed for one type of outlet into another type of outlet. Generally you can buy plug adaptors in kits of five or six plugs. + +If you take a look at one of the many guides to all the wall socket types in the world, you'll notice that there's over a dozen -- so how come adapter kits have fewer options? The answer is that you average travel adapter kit ignores the grounding wire. + +While that's not necessarily a bad thing, it is important to remember that (unless you spring for a grounded adapter) there is no grounding, which creates some potential safety concerns. For most short terms uses, like recharging your laptop or camera battery you can get by without the grounding. If you're planning a long term stay abroad, you should probably grab some grounding adapters. + +Unfortunately it can be somewhat difficult to come by grounding adapters outside the area in question. Your best bet may be to buy one at an electronics shop when you get to your destination (it may also be much cheaper to do it that way). + +Another thing to keep in mind if you're coming from the U.S.: not all type A outlets are the same. In the States we've mainly switched over to polarized outlets, where one hole is slightly larger than the other to accommodate the slightly larger plug blade. (the larger plug blade is the neutral side of the current). + +Unfortunately not every country that uses type A outlets has switched to polarized wall outlets. That means that if you devices have a larger blade in one side you may still need an adapter to fit an older, non-enlarged, Type A wall unit. + + + +###Beware the AC/DC### + +There is one final concern when plugging things in abroad -- direct current (DC) outlets. Although DC is rare it does exist and will most definitely fry your gear. If you're unsure if a particular outlet is DC, ask someone at your hotel or guesthouse. I've been to 23 countries on three continents and never encountered a DC outlet, but there are some still hanging around. + +##Watts and Surge protectors## + +We've not got voltage, Hz and wall adapters covered, you're essentially good to go as far as recharging you devices goes, but you don't just plug your laptop into the wall at home, why would you do that abroad. + +Travel surge protectors can be had from most of the same places that sell adapters, sometimes you can even find surge protectors that come with adapters. A travel surge protector is essentially the same as your usual strip, though it generally only offers one or two plugs to conserve on space and weight. + +The last thing to keep in mind is that so far we've focused on nerd gadgets -- laptops, digital camera batteries and the like. Most of these devices operate in the 75-200 watt range. To find out exactly how many watts your devices use, look on the power plug label, comsult the manual or use this formula: + +Volts(AC input) x Amps(amperage) = Watts (Wattage) + +e.g.: + +110V x .5 amps = 55 watt + +When you're looking at at voltage converters bear this number in mind since different converters can power different wattages. + +Also bear in mind that, if you're the type that has to keep the coifed Flock of Seagulls 'do even when you're traveling, heating appliances such as hair dryers (as well as irons, coffee makers and more) need a 1600-watt converter. + +##Buying tips ## + +Although it's not a bad thing to buy some of this stuff ahead of time, it may, in some cases, be cheaper to find abroad -- especially if you're headed to Asia. + +Also be aware that not all adapter/voltage/surge kits are created equal. I bought an rather expensive combo unit in the States that blew up in Paris. I bought another expensive one in Paris and it blew up in Nepal. Finally I bought a cheap, all-in-one unit for $2 on the street in Bangkok and it has lasted for four years now. diff --git a/old/published/How To Wiki/how-to-mac-windows-file-share.txt b/old/published/How To Wiki/how-to-mac-windows-file-share.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..66d0247 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/How To Wiki/how-to-mac-windows-file-share.txt @@ -0,0 +1,35 @@ +Nothing gets a flame war going faster than an operating system debate, but these days many people are using more than one system on a network. Maybe you have a Mac on the den for video editing but use a PC for serving digital media in your living room. + +Wouldn't it be great to share files between the two over your home network? Fortunately it's not hard to do that at all, you just need to set a few things up. + +To share files on between a Windows PC and a Mac OS X machine you need to enable File Sharing on both and create some common folders accessible to both computers. + +Note that we are assuming an environment of trusted users such as a secure, home network behind a router firewall. + +The Mac Setup (Tiger and Panther) + +Head to your System Preferences and click the "Sharing" icon. Then select the "Services" tab and check "Windows Sharing." You may need to adjust your firewall settings as well. + +Write down your Mac's IP address as you'll need to enter this later when you connect from the PC. + +The Windows setup (XP) + +Right-click on the folder you want the Mac to be able to access and click on Properties. Click on the Sharing tab and select to option that reads: "Share this folder on the network." + +If you want read and write access check the option to "Allow network users to change my files." Click Apply and then OK. + +That's it. + +Access The PC from the Mac + +In the OS X Finder click the Go menu and choose "Network." This will open a new Finder Window with a list a visible machines. Select the folder you created earlier on the Windows machine. You should be able to access those files as if they were on your Mac. + +For a slightly more sophisticated approach you could choose the "Connect To Server" option in the Finder's Go menu and then enter the server address. Once it connects choose the shared folder and hit OK. This should mount the folder on your desktop for convenient access. + +Access the Mac from the PC + +Open your Start menu and click Search. Then select the "Computers or people" option and then choose "A computer on the network." Now enter the Mac's IP address (which you wrote down earlier) in the search field. You should then be prompted for your Mac's username and password. + +Once you've entered the username and password you should see the home folder from your Mac and you should now be able to browse, edit, create and delete files just as you would on your Mac. + +And there you have it, painless file sharing between Mac and PC and note that this will work over wifi connections or wired ethernet or any combination of the two.
\ No newline at end of file diff --git a/old/published/How To Wiki/how-to-travel.txt b/old/published/How To Wiki/how-to-travel.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..5858dc5 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/How To Wiki/how-to-travel.txt @@ -0,0 +1,74 @@ +So you've decide to leave the nerd lair and head out to explore the larger world. Perhaps a conference in Bangkok beckons, maybe a Linux gathering in Europe or possible a trip with the family to some deserted isle. + +Whatever the case, no self respecting nerd goes traveling without researching all the angles. To save your from having to scour the net, here's Wired's guide to mastering the art of high tech travel. + + + +==Inspector Gadget== + +No nerd would leave home without the proper assortment of technological devices. But then the question arises, what should I bring, how do I make sure it survives and what's the proper gadget etiquette on the road? + +The most pressing question for most of us is one of power. For full details on what you need to make sure all your gadgets have plenty (and the right kind) of electricity, [link-to-electric-how-to see our guide to electricity]. + +Once you have the power supply taken care of, it's worth asking which devices you should bring. + +===Laptops=== + +The laptop is tempting and in many cases a must have (especially if your destination is a conference or the like). But in some cases, if you're just traveling for pleasure the internet cafe is more than enough and spares you the added weight and headache of lugging a laptop. + +The availability of internet cafes abroad varies too much to offer any pronouncement. Your best bet is to do some searching and see what those who have already been to where you are going have found. Generally speaking though, internet cafes aren't hard to come by unless you get well off the beaten tourist path. + +Mac users take note: in internet cafes you will almost always find Windows PCs. Also worth mentioning is that, I've noticed on recent trips that a number of Internet cafes have started banning USB sticks, which ruins the [how-to-portable-apps-link portable Firefox idea]. One the plus side nearly every one I visited had Firefox installed. The practice isn't widespread enough to worry about yet, but you may encounter a few spots where your USB stick is frowned upon. + +The other consideration is the availability of wifi networks. In major cities you shouldn't have to much trouble finding hotspots, though you may have to pay for them. Sites like [http://www.wififreespot.com/ Wififreespot] and other attempt to travel free wifi networks around the world. However, you're probably better off searching for just your particular destination since smaller sites often have more active updates. + +If you venture off the beaten path at all (looking for the nerd nirvana in central Laos are you?) don't expect wireless networks to be waiting. + +===Digital Cameras=== + +Naturally you want to document the fact that you've made it abroad and let you friends and family back home keep up with what you're doing. If you don't have on already, get a Flickr account and you can easily upload your photos from most internet cafes or your own laptop via Wifi. + +Even if you've got your laptop with you it may be worth stopping by an internet cafe to pick up some CD/DVDs for backing up your images. Not only do CD/DVD backups let you clear out your memory card, they also aren't affected by x-rays at the airport, which are often much stronger than the one's common in U.S. terminals. We've never had a memory card scrambled, but it does happen so optical media has definite advantage. + +Also worth bringing are a spare battery, particularly if your camera uses an expensive and hard to find lithium variety. Spare memory cards are never a bad idea either. + +===Phones=== + +The laptop and camera are obvious and not too difficult to deal with, but what about a phone? + +Generally speaking most modern tri-band GSM phones will work just about anywhere in the world. In fact you may find that the service and technologies abroad are light years ahead of what you're used to in the States (the same goes for internet speed, particularly in Asia). + +However, you home service provider will likely charge pretty outrageous rates while you're abroad. A much cheaper way to go about it is unlock your phone and buy local SIM cards in your destination country. The availability of SIM cards varies greatly by country, but generally speaking disposable SIM cards are the norm outside the U.S. SIM cards are often available at kiosks in the airport. + +And even calling home may be cheaper on a local SIM card than paying the roaming rates your home carrier will charge. For more info on how to use and navigate the cell phone networks of the world, have a look at [http://www.kropla.com/mobilephones.htm this informative guide]. + +Keep in mind though that if you store your contacts and other data on your SIM card's memory, you'll lose that information when you pop in the new SIM. Read through your phone's manual before you leave and figure out how to store your contact data on the phone memory, rather than the SIM card. + +Obviously iPhone users are out of luck here since the iPhone is tied down to AT&T and you can't just pop in another SIM card without some hacking. If you don't want to hack on your phone you have two choices: buy a different phone for travel, or pay AT&T's roaming rates while you're abroad. If neither of those appeal to you, take heart in the fact that you can still bring your iPhone and leave it in airplane mode, but use the features like the calculator for currency converter and other useful apps. + +If AT&T's prices don't bother you Apple has a list of [http://www.apple.com/webapps/travel/ travel oriented web apps] and we expect a number of native apps to pop up once the iPhone 2.0 update arrives. + +==Gadget Etiquette== + +Just because you have $4000 worth of fancy electronic gear on you doesn't mean you should whip it out on a chicken bus careening through the Indian countryside. In general your gear is probably safer abroad than it is at your local Starbucks, but that doesn't mean you need to go flaunting it. + +I've traveled a good bit in Asia and never worried about my laptop or other gear. I've even forgotten it on trains, buses and once at the Taj Mahal and every time it was returned to me intact (try not to be as forgetful as I am). Europe and the U.S. are a bit different and it generally pays to be more careful whenever you're in larger cities. + +If you're going to be gone for a considerable length of time consider investing in travel insurance to cover your expensive gear. It generally isn't too expensive and you may even be able to get a replacement before you get home (depending on the policy you choose). [http://www.travelinsurancereview.net/ Travel Insurance Review] has some tips on selecting a policy. + +Also worth investing in is a [http://www.pacsafe.com/www/index.php Pacsafe] or similar bag lock. When possible store your valuable in a hotel or guesthouse safe. When there isn't one available, just lock them up in the Pacsafe. It isn't foolproof, but it will deter the casual criminal. + +Also be mindful of religious institutions and people in public when you're taking pictures. Ask before you start snapping away inside a Buddhist temple or if you want photograph people on the street. Not only are you showing some respect, it's an easy way to meet locals who can often tell you far more about their town than any guidebook. + + +==Travel Etiquette -- RTFM== + +You know how annoying it is when newbies show up in WoW and behave like complete jerks? That's how the native inhabitants of your destination are going to look at you if you don't respect their culture, habits and beliefs. + +And as you know from WoW, it really isn't that hard to learn the rules of the game -- just RTFM. + +Most guidebooks include a culture section at the beginning. Don't skip over that in your hurried quest to find cheap lodging. Other resources include travel forums, the CIA's [https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/ World Factbook] and Wikipedia. Spend some time figuring out whether it's okay to go topless on Thai beaches (no) or if you should wear long pants when visiting a Hindu temple (yes). Not only does it spare you some embarrassment (or worse), it helps you fit in with the local sensibilities. + +Also try to avoid doing downright stupid things like shouting your anarchist beliefs at soldiers on patrol (witnessed in Nicaragua) or crowding in to photograph politicians when they stop for coffee (which resulted in a two-man security tackling a tourist in Budapest, and yes, I was sorely tempted to photograph that, but thought better of it). + +In general nerds are the least likely people to turn into brash, annoying tourists, but that means we also bear a certain burden to make up for those people that do. Make an effort to learn the local language (a little goes a long way) and think of yourself not just as a tourist, but an ambassador of your country.
\ No newline at end of file diff --git a/old/published/How To Wiki/how-to-user-agent.txt b/old/published/How To Wiki/how-to-user-agent.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..08d58b7 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/How To Wiki/how-to-user-agent.txt @@ -0,0 +1,60 @@ +In the ugly early days of the interest websites were optimized for specific browsers. While this trend has largely disappeared there are still a few examples lingering in the far corners of the web. + +But lately the trend of block specific browsers has reared its ugly head again. This time "Firefox"<http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/> has been targeted by some sites unhappy with the "AdBlock Plus extension"<https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/1865> which blocks ads and thus hurts the site's bottom line. At the moment it's really just a handful of fringe sites using the technique as a means of gaining publicity, however, as both Firefox and AdBlock Plus grow in popularity, it could become a more common practice. + +Naturally there's a way around all this browser blocking. Every browser identifies itself with something called a user-agent string. Because the string is arbitrary, it's easy to spoof the user-agent of a browser other than the one you're using. + +^^^^ Firefox And Relatives + +It's possible to change the user-agent string in Firefox by hand, but it's much easier to use the "User Agent Switch add-on"<https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/59>. Just install the extension and restart Firefox. You'll then see a new menu of user agent options under the Tools menu. + +To spoof another browser, just select the user-agent you'd like and reload the page. + +And note that this extension will work with Firefox, Flock, Mozilla, Netscape and any other browser built on the Mozilla platform that supports add-ons. This add-on will not, however, work with Camino. Luckily there's a "Camino Preference Pane"<http://pimpmycamino.com/parts/user-agent> that can accomplish the same thing. + +^^^^ Safari + +Safari has a built-in user-agent switching mechanism very much like the Firefox system above, the only catch in Safari is that you need to enable the "Debug" menu. The Debug menu offers a number of tools, but near the bottom of the options you'll find a "User Agent" heading. Just select the user agent you'd like to use and Safari will reload the page spoofing that browser. + +To enable the Debug menu in Safari for Mac OS X, first close the application and then open up Application >> Terminal and type: + +% defaults write com.apple.Safari IncludeDebugMenu 1 + +To turn it off again use the same command, but change the 1 to 0. If you don't want to muck about with the command line there are plenty of freeware apps the allow you to turn on the debug menu. Both "SafarIcon"<http://web.mac.com/reinholdpenner/Software/SafarIcon.html> and "Onyx"<http://www.titanium.free.fr/pgs2/english/onyx_tiger.html> can be used to turn on the Safari debug menu. + +To Enable the Debug menu in Safari 3 for Windows open the file C:\Documents and Settings\USERNAME\Application Data\Apple Computer\Safari\Preferences in a text editor (NotePad will work). Add the following lines: + +<key>IncludeDebugMenu</key> +<true/> + +Save the file and open up Safari, you should see the new debug menu on the righthand side of the toolbar. + +^^^^ Opera + +Opera used to automatically spoof the Internet Explorer user-agent, but recently the application stopped doing that. To change Opera's user agent just type "about:config" in the address bar. The resulting screen shows all the configuration settings section for Opera. Then search for "Spoof UserAgent ID." + +You should see a drop down box with five numbers. The numbers represent: + +* 1) Opera (default user agent) +* 2) Mozilla (but admitting to spoofing) +* 3) Internet Explorer (but admitting to spoofing) +* 4) Mozilla, without mentioning the spoofing +* 5) Internet Explorer, without mentioning spoof + +Select the one you'd like and reload the page in question. + +^^^^ Internet Explorer + +Usually when you choose to spoof a browser agent, IE is the one you'll spoof, but in case you ever need IE to masquerade as something else here's how you do it. For Internet Explorer 7, download and install the "User Agent String Utility"<http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=9517db9c-3c0d-47fe-bd04-fad82a9aac9f&displaylang=en> from Microsoft, which makes it easy to change user agents. + +Internet Explorer 6 is a little tricker. To change the user agent for IE6 on XP you'll need to edit editing the Windows registry -- proceed at your own risk. + +Open the registry (Start >> Run >> "regedit") and browse to find the following line: + +HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\User Agent\Post Platform + +Create a new sub-key called "Version," change the value to whatever user-agent you'd like to spoof. + +^^^^ Why User Agent Spoofing is bad + +Most browser manufacturers dislike user agent spoofing because, for the most part, any browser can render any page, the only thing stopping them is the website itself. If you spoof the user agent, these sites never know that you're using the browser you're using and have no incentive to change. If you're trying to access something that's been blocked for no good reason, by all means spoof your way in it, but take the time to write to the site and let them know that they should stop blocking your favorite browser.
\ No newline at end of file diff --git a/old/published/How To Wiki/how-to-word.txt b/old/published/How To Wiki/how-to-word.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..7277e70 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/How To Wiki/how-to-word.txt @@ -0,0 +1,63 @@ +Microsoft Word has its place, but that place isn't the web. If you've ever tried to go from a Word document to an HTML document you know that Word's tools are a disaster -- bloated files, proprietary markup and exposed personal information are among the gems you'll get with the Convert to HTML function. + +So if Word isn't up to the job, then how to go about turning a .doc file into a web page? + +The answer depends how many .doc files you have to convert. If you've got a client who just needs a few .doc files turned into web pages, there are a number of way to go about it. If you have a lot of files or very large, complex files to deal with, consider one the batch processing options listed below. + +For the simpler case of converting just a few documents, read on. + +==Working With Word== + +To get so a semi-sane starting point, try using Word's "Save As: Web Page, Filtered" rather than the regular webpage option. This will strip out many of the proprietary tags and won't include potentially personal and revealing info contained in the File Properties dialog (the regular HTML converter in Word appends anything in the File Properties dialog to the top of the HTML code). + +It's a start, but your HTML can be made even better with some outside tools. + +===Textism=== + +When you use Word's built in Convert to HTML tool you'll get an HTML file, but the problem is that it will include enough markup so that Microsoft Word can still understand it as a native file. + +That means your code will be full of proprietary HTML tags and tons of unnecessary markup (from a show-it-on-the-web point of view). But fear not, you're not the first person to encounter this mess of so-called HTML. + +The good folks over at [http://textism.com/wordcleaner/ Textism] have a tool that will "strip Microsoft’s proprietary tags and other superfluous noise from Word-generated HTML documents." The results are not only much closer to standards compliant markup, they also create much much smaller pages. + +Keep in mind of course that Textism is not intended to convert massive, complexly styled documents. In such cases you're probably going to have to resort to at least some hand coding. + +But if you do most of your writing in Word and you just want a way to generate a nice slim web page from your documents, Textism fits the bill. It even does a nice job of handling typographer’s quotes, dashes, and other non-ascii characters, which are converted into their respective HTML entities. + +===HTMLTidy=== + +Another way to process the HTML that word generates is to use [http://tidy.sourceforge.net/ HTMLTidy], a tool for cleaning up HTML. Although Tidy was not designed specifically for handling Word's skewed HTML, it can help. + +The only catch is that it will require a bit of command line know-how on your part. There are some graphical tools that use Tidy in the background (many text editors offer Tidy plugins) and there's a [https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/249 Firefox plugin] as well (Windows and Linux). + +However, the main way to use Tidy is from the command line. To clean up Word docs use the --word2000 flag which should handle some of Word's bloated HTML output. + +For instance, the following, when entered in your terminal, will process the file named myWordHTML.html. + +tidy -f errs.txt --word2000 myWordHTML.html + +While Tidy sounds like it would great (and indeed it is for many things) sometimes its handling of the Word generated HTML isn't all that great, but it can help get you started on the road to cleaner HTML. + +==Other Options== + +If Word's HTML export options don't strike you as a good starting point, there are some other ways to go about the conversion process. One way would be to take advantage of the work others have already done. + +===Gmail=== + +For instance, Gmail offers the ability to view Word attachments as HTML files. When you click the "View as HTML" link at the bottom of your Gmail message, Google will spit out a converted page. Just use your browser's view source tool to copy and paste the results. + +Gmail will do some things you may not like, such use font tags to specify text colors and heading attributes, but you can always clean those up later. + +===TinyMCE=== +Another viable option is to use a tool like [http://tinymce.moxiecode.com/ TinyMCE], a JavaScript Rich Text Editor that offers a "Paste from Word" option. Paste From Word is intended to used by those who would like to just select-all in Word and paste the content into TinyMCE. Depending on the complexity of your document, TinyMCE may be able to fix some of Word's styling quirks and output usable HTML. + +To use this feature look for the TinyMCE icon that has a small Word graphic on a clipboard. Click that and then paste your Word doc in the resulting window. Click insert and to see your results just click the source button in the TinyMCE interface. Then copy and paste that code into your web document. + +There's even a [http://tinymce.moxiecode.com/example_full.php?example=true demo version of TinyMCE available] through the website that you can use. + +Again, neither of these options is going to handle really complex documents, but for the simple case, they may take care of some grunt work, meaning that all you need to do is a little clean up. + +==Batch Processing== + +If you've got a significant number of files to convert you best option is probably to throw down the cash for a dedicated converter. Tools like [http://www.zapadoo.com/ Word Cleaner] or [http://www.clicktoconvert.com/pages/convert_word_document_to_html/index.htm Click to Convert] can batch process your files and generate acceptable HTML. You'll also get some extra features like automatic PDF creation and other niceties. + diff --git a/old/published/How To Wiki/how-to_create_an_elevator_pitch.txt b/old/published/How To Wiki/how-to_create_an_elevator_pitch.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..411e970 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/How To Wiki/how-to_create_an_elevator_pitch.txt @@ -0,0 +1,33 @@ +Self-promotion has a bad rap, but it's a necessary part of finding a great job. Somewhere between the sleazy real estate agent billboards and the wallflower at the party is the perfect blend of self promotion and humility that'll land you your dream job. + +Here's our guide to mastering the tools and skills you need to elevator pitch yourself of employment nirvana. + +== Grow up == + +One easy way to avoid any embarrassing gaffes with potential employers is to keep your business life separated from your personal. + +Still using bongload69@AOL.com for all your e-mail? It's time to move on, grab something a bit more dignified for professional use. While there's nothing inherently wrong with free webmail sometimes it's a bit nicer to use something with your own domain name. + +There's no need to set up a full blown website, just register a domain name (about $5/year) and you'll have your own e-mail address, something like yourname@yourdomain.com. + +== Separate your spheres == + +Now you've got a more professional e-mail address, consider a separate phone line as well. You can set a second number for business use for free through Google Voice. Just sign up and point your new number to your existing phone. Now you can distinguish between personal and professional, avoiding that awkward silence that comes after your long drawn out wazzup greeting to the head of HR. + +== Advertise == + +Bump for the iPhone and Android phones is fast making business cards a thing of the past. Sadly, many employers are still stuck in the past and you need to accommodate them by going old school with some business cards. + +Print something simple, nothing too clever or cheeky, just your name and contact info. Hand them out whenever you can, but get too carried away, business cards are not a conversation starter. + +== Promote == + +The fine art of self-promotion is a very tricky and subtle thing to get right. Imagine you've just met the ideal professional contact at a party, and you're so excited you're stumbling over yourself, babbling incoherently and making an awful first impression. + +As the saying goes you don't get second chance with first impressions and if Malcolm Gladwell is right, then first impressions might be all that matters -- so get it right. + +That means practice your elevator pitch. Rehearse a 30 second pitch of you and what you want to do until you have it down and you'll be comfortable giving it in any situation, whether it's at a party, over the phone or on a plane. + +== Conclusion == + +Self-promotion is difficult, especially if you're not a naturally outgoing person, but with these tools and tips and little bit of practice even the shyest
\ No newline at end of file diff --git a/old/published/How To Wiki/how-to_green_cleaning_tips_for_your_home.txt b/old/published/How To Wiki/how-to_green_cleaning_tips_for_your_home.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..e449640 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/How To Wiki/how-to_green_cleaning_tips_for_your_home.txt @@ -0,0 +1,50 @@ +Think your home is green paradise free of toxins and pollutions? Think again. According to the EPA indoor air is anywhere from two to 100 times more polluted than outdoor air. Why you ask? Much of it comes from volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that evaporate from both furniture and cleaning products. + +That's right, cleaning your home is actually making it more toxic. But it doesn't have to be that way. In fact, homes were cleaned for centuries before today's high-tech (but toxic) cleaners came along. + +Want to do yourself and the environment a favor? Ditch the toxic cleaning supplies and go green with out complete guide to cleaning your home the green way. + +== DIY cleaners == + +There are plenty of designer label green cleaning products out there, but most will cost you an arm and leg and, as it turns out, two of the best cleaning substances are probably already in your kitch -- vinegar and backing soda. + +Vinegar and backing soda are two of the most versatile and powerful cleaners around. Mix either one with a bit of water and some liquid soap and you've got everything from window cleaner to a bathroom scrubber. + +Throw some washing soda in the mix and you have an almost limitless range of green cleaning possibilities. + +Here's a few handy recipes: + +General Purpose Cleaner + +1/2 tsp washing soda +two drops of liquid soap +2 cups hot tap water +Combine in a spray bottle and shake until dissolved + + +Window Cleaner + +1/4-1/2 tsp liquid soap +3 tbs white vinegar +2 cups water +pour in a spray bottle + +Floor Cleaner + +1/3 white vinegar and 2/3 water + +Bathroom Scrubber + +Just make a paste with baking soda and a bit of water. Works wonder on mildew and tile grout. Substitute a bit of liquid soap instead of water and you've got a great bathtub cleaner that won't leave any grit behind. + +The first two recipes will keep indefinitely. The second two you can just make on an as-you-need-it basis. + +== Fancier DIY cleaners == + +Most of the time you won't notice much of an odor at all with these home-brew cleaners, but if you miss the lemony fresh smell of your old toxic cleaners never fear, you can make your own scented cleaners. + +Just head to your local market and grab a few of your favorite essential oils. Drop a bit of lemon or orange oil (and we mean literally just a drop) in your mixes and you'll have a nice, green, fresh-smelling cleaner. Should you opt for lavender oil you'll be getting a natural antiseptic. + +== Conclusion == + +There's no need to spend huge sums of money buying cleaning products that actually make your home more toxic than it was before you started cleaning. Using time-tested cleaning recipes with simple, cheap ingredients like vinegar and baking soda will keep your house clean and green.
\ No newline at end of file diff --git a/old/published/How To Wiki/how-to_travel_light_without_leaving_your_PC_behind.txt b/old/published/How To Wiki/how-to_travel_light_without_leaving_your_PC_behind.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..732eb05 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/How To Wiki/how-to_travel_light_without_leaving_your_PC_behind.txt @@ -0,0 +1,29 @@ +Technology can be a traveler's best friend, keeping you in touch with friends, family and colleagues. It can also be your worst enemy weighing you down and producing a rat's nest of cables and chargers. + +Thankfully, today's traveler -- whether it's for business or pleasure -- can lighten their digital load and still keep in touch, work and enjoy all the technology of home while on the road. + +There's no need to lug around a ten pound laptop anymore, a new breed of laptops offer the lighter load of a netbook, but retain the features of their larger brethren. + +This new bread of laptop also boast some new features that make life ont he road a bit more like life at home thanks to lighter frames, longer battery life and traveling niceties like wireless HDMI for streaming HD movies to any television. + +=== Lighten your laptop load === + +Today's laptops are thinner and lighter than ever before. Laptops weighing in at less than five pounds have become common and, unlike netbooks, these are full-fledged laptops with DVD players, full size keyboards and generous 13-inch displays. + +But the real benefit for travelers is battery life. Today's laptops can get over 5 hours out of a single battery charge, letting you leave the extra battery at home. + +=== Leave camera at home === + +Who needs a camera these days? Chances are your smartphone has a pretty impressive camera already built-in and you're not leaving the phone at home so your camera needs are covered. The days of lugging around a single device for every task are long gone -- ditch the point and shoot. + +Getting rid of the camera also means getting rid of the camera charger and why stop there? Get rid of your phone charger too. Just bring along the USB cable you use to sync your phone to your laptop -- most smartphones will charge over USB too. + +=== Learn to love e-books === + +Tired of lugging War and Peace around the airports of the world? Go digital with e-books. There's no need for a separate e-book reader, just download the files to your laptop or smartphone and use one of the many digital reading apps available. + +It might not be quite as nice as paper, but your back will thank you. + +=== Conclusion === + +Today's traveler has it easy. Thanks to lightweight, but powerful, laptops, multi-tasking phones and ubiquitous wifi you can leave the bulky PC laptop at home without sacrificing the tools you need.
\ No newline at end of file diff --git a/old/published/How To Wiki/how_to_effective_presentations.txt b/old/published/How To Wiki/how_to_effective_presentations.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..782b01e --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/How To Wiki/how_to_effective_presentations.txt @@ -0,0 +1,35 @@ +The business presentation has a reputation for mind numbing dullness -- Powerpoint slides with tiny text and a monotone voice droning away, Bueller? Bueller?. + +While we can't help you if you're suffering through such a talk, we can offer you some tips on how to make sure your own presentations don't suck the life out of the room. + +Follow these steps and you'll be a sought after speaker in no time. + +Outline + +Organize your talk by starting with an outline. Not only does this help you organize your thoughts and find the natural progressions and links between them, it can also help you figure out which points need slides and which don't. + +Make sure you stick to key phrases and include only essential information. Digressing into anecdotes is rarely as entertaining for your audience as it might seem to you. For now, stick with just the facts and branch out when you're more comfortable. + +Slides + +Not every point in your talk deserves a spot on a slide. Use slides only for key points and make sure to include some sort of photo with each slide. + +Photos offer a chance to make your talk more entertaining so get creative with your images. Talking about competitors? Use a pic of a lion. Talking about finding customers? Show a guy fishing. Sure it's cheesy, but even a bad joke can help keep the audience engaged. + +To find great photos search Flickr for images licensed under the Creative Commons (just make sure to include a slide at the end of your talk giving credit where required). Also, make sure to include the actual image files in your presentations -- don't rely on web access. + +Make sure you avoid the tiny-text syndrome in your slides. Keep slides simple with a maximum of three data points per slide. Fill in the blanks with your walk, but keep the slides simple. Also be sure to use a legible font, skip the creative fonts and stick with something clean and simple like Helvetica. + +It's also a good idea to keep your slide color schemes nice and simple -- use contrasting colors like a white background with dark text. + +Practice + +It makes perfect. If you know your venue make sure to use a similar PC and projector set up. If possible project your slides ahead of time so you can see how they'll look to your audience. + +Convince some colleagues or family members to watch your presentation and give you feedback -- where does your presentation lag, which points aren't entirely clear and so on. + +Conclusion + +For most people, public speaking ranks with death and tax audits on the list of things to avoid, but it needn't be that bad. + +With a bit of planning, so well crafted slides and little practice you'll be able to not only get your point across, but keep your audience entertained and engaged.
\ No newline at end of file diff --git a/old/published/How To Wiki/how_to_get_more_from_Google_Reader.txt b/old/published/How To Wiki/how_to_get_more_from_Google_Reader.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..0f68c15 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/How To Wiki/how_to_get_more_from_Google_Reader.txt @@ -0,0 +1,65 @@ +Want to get more out of your RSS feeds? Are you curious how some people are able to follow thousands of feeds while you feel overwhelmed with fifty? + +Today we're going to look at how you can use Google Reader to help organize and tame your RSS workflow. + +Because it's web-based Google Reader is easy to hack -- users have created everything from Greasemonkey scripts to entire themes. With a few scripts and some ingenious tips you'll soon be a Google Reader power user in no time. + +So roll up your sleeves and get ready to dive in. + +== Organization tips == + +How you organize your feeds is up to you, but if you want more out of Google Reader getting organized is essential. Reader makes it relatively easy to organize by creating tags which show up in the left-hand column as folders. + +For example you might create a "Wired" tag and use it to hold all the various feeds from Wired.com and related sites. + +Other methods include separating high priority feeds in a separate folder or keeping work-related feeds in one folder and personal or just-for-fun feeds in another. Whatever method you use, make sure you stick to it. Once your feed list tops a couple dozen sources, organization becomes key. + +Tip: When you're plowing through your feeds if you see something you want to read, star the item and move on. Once you've skimmed through everything head to your starred items folder and you'll find just the items you really care about. + +== Shortcuts == + +The next thing to master is Google Reader's keyboard shortcuts, which provide all the tools necessary to zip through your feed items without ever taking your fingers off the keys. Here's a few, *cough*, key shortcuts: + +#j/k - selects the next/previous item in the list +#space - moves the page down/up +#o - in list view, expands or collapses the selected item +#s toggle star stars the selected item +#v - opens the original source for this article in a new window/tab +#shift-n/p - selects the next/previous subscription or folder in the navigation +#shift-o - opens the item currently selected in the navigation +#u - show and hide the list of feeds in the left-hand sidebar +#? - displays a quick guide to all of Reader's shortcuts + +The two you'll find most useful are j/k for quickly skimming through feeds and s for marking important items. Another trick: if you've reached the end of your unread items in one folder and want to jump to the next folder without resorting to mouse, just hit shift-n to select the next folder and then shift-o to load its contents. + +If keyboard shortcuts aren't your bag, check out the [http://userscripts.org/scripts/show/8843 Read by Mouse], a Greasemonkey script which, when toggled gives you some additional mouse based options. When you activate it, the script will make Left clicks go to the next item, Right clicks go to the previous item. Middle click takes whatever action is selected in the drop-down list (open original URL in tab, share the item, star the item, or add a specified tag to the item). Works wherever Greasemonkey does. + +== Browser-based tricks == + +Perhaps the best browser-based tip is to [http://gears.google.com/ install Gears], which will enable you to take Google Reader offline -- read your feeds wherever you like, no internet connection needed. Gears is available for nearly all platforms, Firefox and IE browsers. + +Once you have offline capabilities set up, it's time to explore some third-party scripts and hacks. + +There are literally [http://userscripts.org/scripts/search?search=google+reader hundreds of Greasemonkey scripts] to customize and enhance Google Reader, but our favorite way to get the cream of the crop is using Gina Tripani's [https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/6424 Better Google Reader], a Firefox plugin which takes many of the most useful Greasemonkey scripts and wraps them up in a neat package. + +If you'd rather track down Greasemonkey scripts yourself, here's a few of our favs: + +#Preview Item - Instead of the RSS feed content, this script automatically fetches the linked URL and displays it within the Google Reader item frame. Very handy, comes in two flavors, [http://userscripts.org/scripts/show/6412 Automatic] and [http://userscripts.org/scripts/show/9455 Preview Button]. The second does the same thing, but only when you click the "Preview" button. +#Google Reader Minimalistic - Hit the "w" key to toggle the top frame of Google Reader in and out of view. Handy for laptops and situations where screen real estate is limited. +# Google Reader + del.icio.us - [http://userscripts.org/scripts/show/11620 Google Reader + del.icio.us] allows you to post your favorite news items directly to your del.icio.us account. Great for bookmarking your favorite articles. +#Auto Add - [http://userscripts.org/scripts/show/8390 Auto Add] bypasses the screen that asks if you want to add a new feed to iGoogle or Reader and takes you straight to Reader. Handy if Google Reader is your default feed reader and you frequently add new feeds. +#Google Reader All Starred - [http://userscripts.org/scripts/show/2345 All Starred] adds a button to Google Reader that allows you download all your starred items as HTML links. + +== Misc Tips and Tricks == + +Using the Sharing features -- Google reader lets you mark items to share. You get your own URL and your own RSS feed of shared items, so why not use them? To start sharing items, just click the "Share" link at the bottom of the item, or hit shift-s. There's also a [http://mike.crute.org/blog/2006/12/29/wordpress-google-reader-plugin/ WordPress plugin to display your shared items on your blog]. You can even [http://www.mitchelaneous.com/2007/10/26/feeding-twitter-google-readers-shared-posts/ pass your shared items directly on to Twitter]. + +Use Notes -- Not long ago Google [http://www.webmonkey.com/blog/New__Notes__Turns_Google_Reader_Into_a_Web_Clipping_Machine added a Notes feature to Reader]. Notes allow you to share even non-feed items (any webpage basically). When you're on a page you'd like to add to Google Reader just use the Notes feature to bookmark it and it'll be added to your shared items along with any notes you want to make. + +Get a Desktop Notifier -- Don't have your browser open all the time? No problem, just install a notifier and you can see when news arrives. There are versions for [http://troelsbay.eu/software/reader Mac], [http://www.braindotty.com/google-reader-notifier/ Win], [http://markdbd.com/proyectos/google_reader_notifier/ Firefox] and [http://electragician.blogspot.com/2006/11/google-toolbar-for-ie-google-reader.html Internet Explorer]. + +Broaden your Idea of Feeds -- Feeds don't have to come just from content publishers. You can turn even your Google searches into feeds using a service like [http://feedmysearch.com/ Feed My Search]. It's even possible to create custom page scraping feeds for sites that don't offer RSS. Check out [http://www.dapper.net/ Dapper.net] for more info. + +Go Mobile -- Google Reader offers a mobile optimized version for reading news on the go. Just point your mobile browser to [http://www.google.com/reader/m/view/ http://www.google.com/reader/m/view/]. If you're on an iPhone you can get your own iPhone-specific version at [http://www.google.com/reader/i/ http://www.google.com/reader/i/] + +Theme it -- Don't like the way Reader looks? No problem, just install one of these scripts to change it. [http://userscripts.org/scripts/show/8782 Colorful List View colorizes the item headers in Google Reader list view; [http://userstyles.org/styles/1236 Google Reader Optimized] removes all unnecessary UI elements; and Jon Hicks' [http://www.hicksdesign.co.uk/journal/google-reader-theme Google Reader Theme] make Google reader look more like a native Mac OS X app].
\ No newline at end of file diff --git a/old/published/How To Wiki/how_to_squarefoot_garden.txt b/old/published/How To Wiki/how_to_squarefoot_garden.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..2fd7f37 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/How To Wiki/how_to_squarefoot_garden.txt @@ -0,0 +1,64 @@ +Face it, when you think of growing your own food you think of endless rows of corn, the middle of nowhere, men in overalls and dial up internet. You're also probably thinking about hours spend tilling soil, raking leaves and plowing. + +Surely there's a better way for those of use living in urban areas with fast internet connections and no room to drive a tractor? + +Of course there is and it's known as square foot gardening. Square-foot gardening is a takeoff on what's known as the French Intensive or [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biointensive Biointensive] method of farming. Mel Bartholomew helped popularize the square-foot name and even has [http://www.squarefootgardening.com/ a book] on the subject. + +But don't worry, the concept is pretty simple and you don't need a book or a change of national status to get a highly productive garden going. We'll walk you through the basic steps to getting started on your own tiny plot of land. + +==Square Foot Gardening in a Nutshell== + +The square-foot concept is simple. First we'll build a raised bed. That way there's no need to worry about poor soil (or total lack of soil, you can even build a raised bed atop a concrete patio) since we'll use our own mixture. + +Then you divide your bed into sections -- one square-foot each, hence the name -- and then plant vegetables in just the amount of space they need. For instance, while you might only be able to fit one tomato plant in a square, it isn't hard to stuff in a whole bunch of carrots, onions or other smaller vegetables. + +The main advantages of the square foot system are less watering (great for drought areas), easier weeding (no long rows to wander down), and a greatly reduced workload. + +On the downside you won't be able to create a corn maze come October, but with a little work you should have fresh veggies on the table well through the end of summer. + +==Getting Started== + +The first step is a pick a decent section of your yard for gardening. Look for an area that gets enough sunlight for all the plants you'd like to grow. + +Once you've selected an area you can dig down for an added bit of depth if you like (you can even [http://www.communitycrops.org/doubledig double dig the soil] if you're looking for a workout). However I've never bothered with the digging and have achieved perfectly healthy gardens. + +The next thing to do is construct your beds. You can make the beds whatever size you'd like, but for beginner we recommend a 4' x 4' plot. It's small enough that you won't feel overwhelmed and big enough to yield a decent crop. It also just so happens that most lumber comes in 8' lengths so you only need to buy two boards and have your local hardware shop saw them in half for you. + +===A word on wood=== + +Since our garden will be out in the elements all summer you might think about getting pressure treated wood which is better at repelling water -- *don't*. Not only is pressure treated wood much more expensive, it has a number of chemicals in it that can leech into your soil, end up in your food and make you sick. Stick to regular, untreated pine. + +Make sure you get something think enough a couple of 10'' x 2'' x 8' boards should do the trick. + +==Putting it together== + +The next step is screw your boards together and build the box. You'll just need a drill and some good size screws. Sink at least three screws at each end, when soil gets wet it's quite heavy and you don't want your garden to burst at the seams. + +The next step is to fill your new box with soil. Mel Bartholomew sells a special mix of soil tailored to square foot gardening. his mixture is 1/3 blended compost, 1/3 peat moss, and 1/3 coarse vermiculite. With the exception of vermiculite it's pretty easy get the other ingredients on your own. In fact, even regular old potting soil will work though you may need to fertilize a bit more. Tip: many organic markets like Earth Fare compost their leftover and unsold vegetables, try asking your local market if they have some compost you could buy on the cheap. Or [link to other tut start your own compost]. + +The next step is to mark off your grid. You might be able to find a wooden grid at the lumbar yard, or you can make your own. Being lazy we tend to use string, which works just as well. Just make some marks at one foot intervals along each side of the garden. Then use either some small screws or nails to hold your string in place and stretch them across your garden, creating one foot squares. + +==Planting== + +Now the fun part, putting in the plants. If you're starting from seed make sure you start early enough -- just after the last frost. Check with your local nursery if you're unsure when to plant in your area. + +Planting a square-foot garden depends on what you're planting. Consult the directions on your seed packets to see how far apart the plants need to be in order to thrive. Generally you should plant in a grid of either 1, 4, 9, or 16 plants per square foot. If you feel like you've packed the plants too close you can always thin them as the grow. + +As for what you should grow, that's up to you. Plant things you like and don't limit yourself just the vegetables -- herbs and flowers will work as well. + +Then just sit back and wait for nature to take it's course. Water your garden by hand with a watering can, but you probably won't need to fertilize, since we used nice rich soil to begin with. + +When you harvest a particular crop, go ahead and dig out that square foot and replenish the soil and plant again if there's still time left in your growing season + + +==Tips and Tricks== + +So you're stuck living in an upstairs apartment which no space at all? Well, all is not lost. It won't offer as much space but you can check out container options, which work something like a square foot garden. + +You can get good results from plants grown in large self-watering pots on a patio or balcony. Check out this [http://www.gardenguides.com/how-to/tipstechniques/containerindoor/container.asp Guide to Container Gardening] for more info. + +If you want to get really fancy with your garden (or if you happen to travel a lot) you can hook up an automated drip watering system. It isn't too hard to do and some hardware stores even sell complete kits that contain everything you need. Check out [http://www.flickr.com/photos/mathowie/10756512/in/set-265456/ this photo series on Flickr], which covers the essentials to setting up a small drip irrigation system. + +==Conclusion== + +And there you have it, sit back and enjoy a summer full of fresh vegetables, herbs and flowers without the back breaking work. Once you've done it for a while you may want to expand your garden. Perhaps next year do two plots or even three. Just remember to leave some room between then so you can get to your plants easily for watering and harvesting.
\ No newline at end of file diff --git a/old/published/How To Wiki/howto - get around region encoding.txt b/old/published/How To Wiki/howto - get around region encoding.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..f178d0e --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/How To Wiki/howto - get around region encoding.txt @@ -0,0 +1,39 @@ +You might think a DVD is a DVD and it will work on any DVD player, but you're wrong. Hollywood has segregated the world into seven "regions" and DVDs are generally encoded for playback in only one region. + +Ostensibly the studios do this because release dates differ in different regions of the world. For instance if a DVD comes out in the U.S. before the same movie is in the theatre in France, U.S. DVDs could hurt ticket sales of the movie in French theaters. Or at least that's what the studios claim. DVD region encoding exist primarily to solve a problem with a very poor distribution scheme that the studios have come up with. + +What's more there have been accusations that region encoding creates an illegal price-fixing structure that can be enforced by region. So far this argument hasn't made it in front of a court, but New Zealand has been lobbying heavily to eliminate region codes on price fixing grounds. + +As it stands, if you're on holiday in Paris and you pick up a copy of the new Harry Potter movie, when you get home you'll have yourself a nice $20+ coaster. But luckily region encoding isn't a complex process, in fact it's just a single bit at the beginning of the disc, which means it isn't hard to get around. + +^^^^ Regions + +Before we get started here's a quick overview of the regions that Hollywood has come up with: + +* REGION 1 -- USA, Canada +* REGION 2 -- Japan, Europe, South Africa, Middle East, Greenland +* REGION 3 -- S.Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and parts of Southeast Asia +* REGION 4 -- Australia, New Zealand, Latin America +* REGION 5 -- Eastern Europe, Russia, India, Africa +* REGION 6 -- China +* REGION 7 -- Reserved for Unspecified Special Use +* REGION 8 -- Reserved for cruise ships, airplanes and the like +* REGION ALL -- Uncoded discs that will work anywhere + +^^^^ Hardware solutions + +Perhaps the easiest way around region encodings is to just buy a region free player. A quick web search will turn up a number of manufacturers that have declined to accept Hollywood's region plans. + +But what if you've already got a nice DVD player or you want to use the disc on your PC? Well there are a number of hacks that you can use to turn off the region encoding in your DVD player. For a complete list check out "Video Help"<http://www.videohelp.com/dvdhacks> or use the site to search for your DVD model to see if there's a solution available. + +Note that hacking your DVD player to circumvent region encoding technology is a violation of the DMCA, which means it's illegal if you're living in the United States. Those living in the free world, shouldn't have any trouble. + +^^^^ Software + +If you live in the U.S. or if you simply want a solution that will work on any DVD player, even those that haven't been hacked, your best solution is to burn a copy of the movie. Fair Use provisions in U.S. law have long held that consumers can make backup copies of media they own. + +With that in mind, what you'll want to do is rip a copy of your DVD using one of the many popular ripping programs on the market (we suggest "ImgBurn"<http://www.imgburn.com/> on Windows and "Mac The Ripper"<http://www.mactheripper.org/> for Mac). Make sure that you set the ripping software to produce a "region all" file and then, when you've got a copy on your hard drive, burn a new DVD using software like "Toast"<http://www.roxio.com/enu/products/toast/titanium/overview.html?ccid=google&o_e25=Paid%20Search&gclid=CIew_fiqh48CFTaoGgodgyqT2w> (Mac) or "Nero"<http://www.nero.com/enu/nero8-introduction.html> (Windows). + +The result will be a DVD that works as you would expect -- in any player anywhere. Well almost any player. There's one gotcha that might be a problem for some users, but there's little you can do about since it involves video playback. + +Keep in mind that PAL discs must be played in a PAL-compatible DVD players and NTSC discs must be played in an NTSC DVD player. In general the U.S. produces NTSC formatted video and the rest of the world uses PAL. There are some DVD players that can handle both so if you spend a lot of time outside the U.S. it might be worth spending some extra money to get a DVD player that can handle both formats.
\ No newline at end of file diff --git a/old/published/How To Wiki/howto organize bookmarks.txt b/old/published/How To Wiki/howto organize bookmarks.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..449813f --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/How To Wiki/howto organize bookmarks.txt @@ -0,0 +1,60 @@ +Like speed dial, bookmarks are essential. Just like you've long since forgotten your friends phone numbers, good luck trying to remember the exact URLs of the pages you want to revisit. + +The problem is most of us have several computers, one at work, one at home and maybe a laptop as well. Syncing and managing bookmarks between them is pain, especially if some are Macs, some Windows and some running a mobile OS. + +But it isn't impossible, here's a our guide to keeping your bookmarks in sync at work, at home and on the go. + +#Get Organized + +Before you run off exploring sync options, it's worth taking a minute to organize your bookmarks and develop a consistent system of folders or tags or other organizational scheme. There's no one recipe that's going to work for everyone, so you'll just have to settle on one that works for you. + +Many browsers on the market today offer more bookmark tools than most people realize. Opera and Firefox for instance both let you add descriptions and short notes to your bookmarks. They also allow you to assign "keyword" shortcuts. + +In Firefox head to Bookmarks >> Organize Bookmarks. Select the bookmark you want to create a shortcut for and click the information icon. This will bring up a little window where you can extra data about the bookmark, including a keyword abbreviate. Say you're bookmarking Wired.com, enter a "w" in the keyword field and save your changes. Now head to the URL bar, type and "w" and hit return. Firefox will automatically load wired.com. + +#Bookmark Applications + +We tend to think of Bookmarks as something stored in the browser, but they don't have to be. In fact system wide URL managers are common on all platforms and offer the advantage of accessing your bookmarks from any program. + +Most system wide managers will add a new option to menu bar (Mac) or taskbar (Windows) that offers a list of bookmarks just like you're used to in a browser, but you can get to it from anywhere. + +If you're just trying to have access to your bookmarks regardless of what browser you're using this is an ideal way to go. + +On the Mac you can try "URL Manager Pro"<http://www.url-manager.com/>. The app costs 25 Euro and is slightly outdated looking but has powerful features like tracking your History using several different browsers (making it a universal history manager as well), multiple format import and export and integration with .Mac. Other Mac options include "iURL"<http://www.turingart.com/iurl_lan__en.htm> (19 Euro) and "Bookdog"<http://www.sheepsystems.com/products/bookdog/> ($20). + +Windows users can turn to "Links2Tray"<http://www.wv-be.com/Links2tray.asp>, a free a utility that resides in the system tray and combine Internet Explorer's Favorites, Netscape's Bookmarks, and Opera's Hotlist links. Despite what it says, the app will also read Firefox bookmarks. + +#Online Bookmark Servers + +The above methods are great if you're on one machine and using multiple browsers or IM clients, but what if you want access to the same bookmarks on two separate machines? + +For that you have two options, one would be a thumb drive, but that involves constantly exporting and importing, or dedicated portable apps, neither of which are as simple as the second option -- online storage. + +If you just want to store and access your bookmarks there are plenty of dedicated bookmark storage sites that will allow you load your favorites into any browser from anywhere. Some even offer browser plugins or add-on to make the process smoother. + +"SiteBar"<http://sitebar.org/> is one option. The free service is limited to 500 bookmarks, though for a 1 euro a month you can upgrade to unlimited. SiteBar offers link validation, secure access (SSL) and daily backups. + +"Yahoo Bookmarks"<http://bookmarks.yahoo.com/> and "Google Bookmarks"<http://www.google.com/bookmarks/> offer similar services for free, though lack niceties such as validation and duplicate removal. Both companies make toolbars for Firefox and IE to provide easy access to your bookmarks. + +#Social Bookmarking + +Like bookmark servers, social bookmarking services let you keep links to your favorite web destinations in one location that's accessible from any computer on the net. + +But the added ability to share your favorite web destinations and search through other users' bookmarks to discover new sites, has made them a highly addictive and truly remarkable phenomenon in last couple years. + +There's a score of services out there, and no single service has it all. Some social bookmarking sites focus more closely on sharing and discovery, while others offer more options for sorting and organizing. + +"Del.icio.us"<http://del.icio.us/> is the site that started the whole social bookmarking trend, and with more than 3 million users, it remains one of the most popular. The site's search and sharing features make it an interesting place to explore even if you don't use it for storage. + +Handy tools like browser toolbars and Firefox plug-ins are available del.icio.us, one of which, "del.icio.us Bookmarks"<https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/3615>, will effectively replace the Firefox bookmarks manager with live access to the delicious account. Mark sites while you're at work and when you get home they'll be right there in your browser. + +The downside to del.icio.us is that, while you tag entries, there are no folders or other sorting mechanisms. + +"Ma.gnolia"<http://ma.gnolia.com/> offers almost all the same basic features as del.icio.us, plus a few more. Ma.gnolia lets you rate your bookmarks using a Netflix-style 5-star system. The site also has a feature called Roots. It utilizes a browser bookmarklet that you can click on while you're surfing to see how many Ma.gnolia users have linked to that particular site, as well as their ratings and descriptions. + +Ma.gnolia also offers thumbnails and page caches for all bookmarks so you can see those old pages even after they're gone. + +If you're serious about your bookmarks and you're working across locations and platforms, social bookmarking sites are the way to go. What they lack in organizational methods they make up for in search capabilities. + +One final tip: Most social bookmark services offer an RSS feed for your bookmarks. Send that feed to a service like RssFwd, enter your e-mail account and get your bookmarks delivered to your e-mail. If you use an online service like GMail or Yahoo, you've got another way to access your bookmarks from anywhere in the world. + diff --git a/old/published/How To Wiki/howto- usenet.txt b/old/published/How To Wiki/howto- usenet.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..1e900b8 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/How To Wiki/howto- usenet.txt @@ -0,0 +1,51 @@ +The technology behind Usenet may be almost thirty years old, but that doesn't mean it's obsolete. In fact Usenet is growing in popularity every day. So what is Usenet? + +Simply put, Usenet is a network of newsgroups with a built-in file sharing protocol. Join a newsgroup that caters to your taste and you can begin downloading and sharing files. + +Why would you want to use Usenet when fantastic file sharing options like bittorrent exist? The main advantage of Usenet is speed. P2P networks, like bittorrent, depends on peers for download speed and reliability. Usenet on the other hand, depends largely on your own speeds, there is no slow peer connection to choke your downloads. + +Combine that with the fact that Usenet files are generally from trusted members, less likely to contain malicious files and less likely to monitored by the RIAA, the MPAA and other watchdogs, and you begin to see why its popularity is growing. + +Unfortunately, Usenet has a steeper learning curve than some other file sharing options, but don't worry we'll sort things out for you. + +^^^^ How it works + +The Usenet network is self propagating, when you upload to a Usenet server, that message is transferred from news server to news server until eventually every Usenet server contains a copy of that message. In practice it may not hit every new server, but it'll hit the big ones. + +How long that message -- whether it's just text or binary files -- stays on the server depend on the server in question. The average is around 90 days. + +To get started with Usenet you'll need two components: a client on your PC to grab the information, and a server to connect to (where the information is stored). + +^^^^ Usenet Clients And Servers + +The first step to Usenet is finding a suitable client program. "Grabit"<http://www.shemes.com/> is a popular free client for Windows. Mac users can turn to "OSXnews"<http://osxnews.sourceforge.net/new2/>, which borrows the look and feel of Apple's Mail app. Another more sophisticated option is "Unison"<http://www.panic.com/unison/>, which is a little easier to use, but costs $25. + +Once you've got a client you need to find a Usenet server to connect to. The most popular servers (and the ones with the most files available) tend to be private and often charge a subscription fee. + +For beginners, a free Usenet server will work just fine, there's list of available servers at "DMoz.org"<http://www.dmoz.org/Computers/Usenet/Public_News_Servers/>. But if you find yourself using Usenet frequently you may want to consider upgrading to premium server. Some popular premium servers include "newshosting"<http://newshosting.com/> (plans start at $10/month) or "usenetserver"<http://usenetserver.com/en/index.php> ($15/month). + +The advantages of premium servers are more files, longer retention of files and faster download speeds. + +^^^^ Setting up your Usenet Client + +When you go through the install process your client will ask for a news server address. Either enter on of the more popular free servers, or you premium server and the client will then download all the newsgroups on that server. + +Find a group the servers your interest and download the messages. Depending on the newsgroup, this could involve thousands of message header and can take a considerable amount of time. + +^^^^ Better Usenet Searching + +A partial solution to the overwhelming amount of data available on Usenet comes in the form of NZB or NewzBin files. NZB were developed by "NewzBin.com"<http://www.newzbin.com/>, a commercial newsgroup indexing site, but the format is open source and many other sites now use them. + +NZB files are essentially Usenet search engines. Add them to your client and you can search for and only download the headers specific to the file you're after. + +"Newzleech"<http://newzleech.com/> and "Yabse"<http://yabse.com/> both offer NZB files which will speed up your Usenet browsing. Just download the files and point your Usenet Client to them (how to do that varies somewhat from client to client, try looking in the client's preferences pane). + +^^^^ Putting it all together + +Your Usenet client should now be connecting to a server and offering the ability to search before download header. Now, once you see the headers containing the files you want, just click download and the files will start downloading. + +Most Usenet files are uploaded as RAR files, which will need to decompressed and reassembled using a RAR extractor. Windows users can grab the free "WinRAR"<http://www.rarlab.com/download.htm> and Mac users can turn to "UnRarX"<http://www.unrarx.com/> which offer similar capabilities. + +Just point the RAR extractor to the downloaded files and wait for it to pull out the actual files. + +That's it, enjoy your newfound file sharing capabilities. diff --git a/old/published/How To Wiki/howto--speeduplinux.txt b/old/published/How To Wiki/howto--speeduplinux.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..3fe5d98 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/How To Wiki/howto--speeduplinux.txt @@ -0,0 +1,59 @@ +Linux is fairly lean machine out of the box, some distros more so than others, but overall Linux is not known as a resource hog. Still, there are some tweaks you can make to speed things up. + +Given that most of the tips below involve the command line and editing system files, you should be fairly comfortable with Linux before attempting any of these tweaks. + +And remember to always make a backup when you're editing system files, the quickest approach is to use the Terminal command cp. For instance to back up /etc/sysctl.conf you'd type: sudo cp /etc/sysctl.conf /etc/sysctl.backup + +== Get Rid of Unnecessary Processes == + +If you flip through our other OS speed guides you'll find this is one common element -- every OS ships with some processes you probably don't need. + +Most Linux distros have some sort of startup items tool in their "System" or "Administration" menus that let you control what runs in the background. In Ubuntu the main one is System >> Preferences >> Sessions. + +Open your distro's equivalent of the Sessions panel and have a look around. Unless you sync your phone with your computer there's no need for the sync process to be running. Same withe the Bluetooth process if there is one. If you're using Gnome, but not Evolution (generally the default mail client) get rid of the Evolution Alarm. + +While the Sessions panel lists most of the common processes, it doesn't have everything. For that you'll need the command line app sysv-rc-conf (sudo apt-get install sysv-rc-conf). At this point you've entered into advanced user territory so be very careful about what you change since you can permanently hose your system using this editor. + +Remember to backup files and make small changes to single items rather than deleting in batches. After making a change log out and then log back in to make sure everything still works as you would expect. + +== Reduce Swappiness == + +Swap files are what Linux uses to temporarily write things to disk. If you have enough RAM available, Linux uses that instead of the hard drive, but sometimes it's still over aggressive in writing to the swap drive. + +Naturally you can configure how often the kernel falls back on the swap disk. + +How much this will speed things up is debatable -- most of the time the out-of-the-box setting will strike a nice balance -- but if you're really suffering it's worth a try. + +Before you change anything, run this command and look at the output number. The higher the number the more often the kernel will use the swap disk. + +$ sudo cat /proc/sys/vm/swappiness + +Most distros set this number around 50-60. If you'd like to lower that open up /etc/sysctl.conf: + +$ sudo gedit /etc/sysctl.conf + +Naturally if you're on KDE swap kate for gedit (or use emacs, vi or any other text editor you're comfortable with), then add this like to the sysctl.conf file: + +vm.swappiness=10 + +== Applications == + +We can't cover everything but here are a few common apps you can speed up with various tweaks + +# OpenOffice -- It's full featured and it acts like when it starts up. Suffer through it one last time and then open the OO preferences window. Look for the Memory option under OpenOffice.org and increase the memory allotted to the Graphics cache, both the "Use for OpenOffice.org" and "Memory per Object." If you're a heavy office user and you have RAM to spare don't be afraid to set these high say 100+ for the Graphics Cache and around 10MB per Object. Play around and see what works on your system. + +# Firefox -- if the Fox has you down, try [http://202.108.100.164:8080/gate/big5/www.konqueror.org/features/browser.php Konqueror] if you're on KDE or [http://www.opera.com/ Opera]. Both use less RAM than Firefox and may be faster on older hardware. Of course Firefox 3 addresses hundreds of Firefox memory leaks so this may be less of an issue when it's released. + +# Get rid of Compiz -- it used to be that very few distros shipped with the whiz-bang graphics enabled, but that's changing and if you're on an older system it's worth disabling to cut down on the processor overhead + +# Use a "Lighter" Desktop Environment -- KDE and Gnome both look very nice and offer some great advanced features, but both are also harder on the processor. Give [http://www.fvwm.org/ fvwm], [http://fluxbox.sourceforge.net/ fluxbox] [http://www.icewm.org/ IceWM] or even [http://www.xfce.org/ Xfce] (which is still quite nice to look at) a try, they'll be much snappier, especially on older systems. Even better, master the command line -- it's fast, lightweight and simple once you adjust to its way of thinking. + +== Things That Probably Won't Help == + +Among the common suggestions for speeding up Linux is one that almost always comes up and yet does almost nothing for you (at least in my experience). Linux typically uses up to six virtual terminals, which run in the background and eat up very miniscule amounts of RAM. The virtual terminals could, maybe, in some ever-so-slight way slow down your system, but RAM is cheap and frankly throwing in an extra stick is going to do way more than disabling virtual terminals could ever hope to -- don't bother with this one. + +== The last resort -- Optimized distros == + +If you're really looking for a lean and mean Linux machine -- especially if you're using older hardware -- consider one of the many ultra-lightweight distros. [http://damnsmalllinux.org/ Damn Small Linux], [http://www.puppylinux.org/user/viewpage.php?page_id=1 Puppy Linux], [http://featherlinux.berlios.de/ Feather Linux] and others are specifically designed to run on older computers using very little in the way of resources. + +They may lack some of the nicer graphical features of the larger distributions, but they have all the basic apps you'll need to get your work done.
\ No newline at end of file diff --git a/old/published/How To Wiki/howto-betterflashpics.txt b/old/published/How To Wiki/howto-betterflashpics.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..9ced2e8 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/How To Wiki/howto-betterflashpics.txt @@ -0,0 +1,36 @@ +You just spent $1000 on a fancy digital camera, so why do your pictures of your kids make it seen like they're playing in Carlsbad Caverns rather than your living room? + +The answer is that cheap flash setup that came with your fancy camera. So how do you avoid the cave look, the harsh shadows, blue skin and shiny faces common to amateur flash photos? + +We always recommend avoiding the flash when possible (see our [http://howto.wired.com/wiki/Shoot_Better_Low-Light_Pictures Shoot Better Low-Light Pictures] how to for more details), but sometimes there is no other option. + +Don't worry though, photo pros create amazing images using the flash all the time and they aren't necessarily wizards, they just know a few tricks. + +Here's our guide to taking better flash photos. + +==Never point a loaded Flash at anyone.== + +What's true of guns is also true of camera flashes -- never point them at your subject. The flash of light is simply too much for most scenes, particularly people. Instead rotate your flash mount to bounce off a wall or ceiling so the light is more evenly spread through your scene. + +One note of caution: this works best with white walls, if the walls surrounding you are not white be aware that you'll need to adjust your white balance, either in the camera before hand, or, if you're shooting RAW images, you can fix it afterwards using RAW processing software. + +==Really, never point a flash at anyone== + +Okay, but what if my flash is the pop-up variety that doesn't pivot? Well, that does make it hard to bounce off the walls, but don't worry there are still some solutions. One of our favorites is a homemade diffuser. + +A diffusers is just something that slows down, partially blocks and otherwise spreads the light from your flash around the scene. You can buy diffusers, if you happen to like spending money, but you can just as easily make them yourself. + +One of our favorite tricks, which works great on point-and-shoot cameras with a pop-up flash, is to cut a ping pong ball in half and slip it over the popup flash -- viola, flash diffused. + +==My photos still don't look that great== + +So, diffused and reflected flash hasn't solved all your problems? Now it's time for the hard part. + +It's important to understand that when you use a flash there are suddenly two light source for your camera to deal with -- the natural, ambient light in the scene and the flash you're adding. That means that everything about photography -- shutter speed, aperture, ISO, depth of field, etc -- is at least twice as complex with a flash. + +In fact, there are numerous books devoted to the subject, but here's a good rule of thumb to get you started: your goal when using a flash is simply to bring the overall light in the scene up a level your camera can successfully record. + +In order to do that you need to understand how your Flash works. There is some variation between camera makers, so one of the best places to start is your camera's instruction manual. See which settings and modes are optimized for flash and start experimenting to see what works. + +As with all things in photography, experimenting and practicing are the best way to ensure that when you need to use a flash, you know how to do so successfully. + diff --git a/old/published/How To Wiki/howto-deleted web pages.txt b/old/published/How To Wiki/howto-deleted web pages.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6823293 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/How To Wiki/howto-deleted web pages.txt @@ -0,0 +1,35 @@ +There's nothing more frustrating than searching for a page, finding what looks like a promising result and then clicking though only to discover that the page is gone. Unfortunately it happens all the time servers get jammed, pages are removed, some moved and some simply no longer maintained. But what happens you want to find a page that's gone? Is there anything you can do? The answer depends somewhat on why the page was removed. + +#The Slashdot Effect + +Some sites, particularly smaller independent publishers and bloggers can't handle the traffic influx from having a link show up on Slashdot or Digg. The sites simply stop responding as their servers become overwhelmed. However, you might still be able to see the content using "Coral Cache"<http://www.coralcdn.org/>. + +Coral Cache is a service that uses distributed computing to lessen the so-called Slashdot effect. Coral Cache was developed to provide a distributed mirror of the original page that can handle the high traffic volume. + +But don't worry, you don't need any special software, just append .nyud.net to the end of a regular URL and you'll hit the page through Coral Cache rather than directly connecting. + +It won't be quite as fast as you may be used to (compare "wired.com"<http://www.wired.com/> directly with the "Coral Cache"<http://www.wired.com.nyud.net/> version) but it could help you get to content that's currently choked full of direct connections. + +#Content that's been removed + +Perhaps the easiest trick to see deleted web pages that were removed by their publisher is to use Google's cache feature. Search of the original page and, if it's in Google's cache you'll see a little link leading to the page as it looked the last time Google indexed it. + +In some cases this will lead you straight to the content you want. However, sometimes that wont work. The page owner may have replaced the original page with new content and if Google's indexing spiders have been back to the page since the change you won't see the old content. + +In those cases you may be out of luck, but there is one final thing you can try. + +#The Wayback Machine + +The "Internet Archive"<http://www.archive.org/index.php> is a non-profit organization founded with the goal of building an Internet library that could offer permanent access to webpages for researchers, historians, and scholars. + +The Internet Archive's ambitious goal of indexing every page of content that ever been on the public web is not a reality, but it tries, and it just might have the page you seek. + +The "Wayback Machine"<http://www.archive.org/web/web.php> is a search engine that takes a URL and then looks for pages on that site over time. Using the Wayback Machine you can often find pages that have since been removed or deleted from the live web. + +In some cases the pages may appear a bit mangled and won't necessarily have all the formatting of the original -- stylesheets may not work, Javascript doesn't function -- but you can at least get at the actual text content. + +At the time of writing the Internet Archive boasts 85 billion webpages and it also recently started archiving other files like movies, audio files and live music, though it's indexes for multimedia content are not as extensive as the web page offerings. + +#preventing pages from disappearing. + +Many of today's popular web-based bookmark services offer page caching as a feature. Ma.gnolia for instance takes a snapshot of a page when you bookmark it and caches the contents. This is helpful for ensuring that your favorite bookmarked pages don't disappear on you. If they do, just head to ma.gnolia and click through to the cached version. Del.icio.us and others offer similar features.
\ No newline at end of file diff --git a/old/published/How To Wiki/howto-emailgroup.txt b/old/published/How To Wiki/howto-emailgroup.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..7733a14 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/How To Wiki/howto-emailgroup.txt @@ -0,0 +1,37 @@ +An e-mail group or "mailing list" as its often known is an easy way to send e-mail to specific group of people without adding their addresses to the CC or BCC fields by hand every time. An e-mail group also makes it easy for your recipients to reply to everyone rather than just the sender (a common problem for less sophisticated users). + +An e-mail group also ensures that everyone involved in a project receives all correspondence since the group emails are delivered to everyone. + +An e-mail group is useful for everything from inter-office memos to even short term projects, especially those projects which involve small teams made up of people in multiple locations. Rather than daily phone conferences or time-consuming face-to-face meetings. While e-mail might not entirely replace human meetings, a list that includes all the projects members can significantly smooth your workflow + + +==Setting up a group e-mail== + +The first step is to create a new group on your e-mail server. During the setup your software will ask you to add the name and e-mail addresses of everyone in your group. Once you've added everyone that needs to be part of the group, you're ready to go. + +Some e-mail software enables your members to chose between individual messages or group digests. Typically individual messages will work just fine, but some members may want to receive once a day digests. Digests simply collect up all the e-mails sent to the group -- including any replies to older messages -- and deliver them as a single e-mail. + +If you'd like to allow group members to select the digest option make sure you enable it when you set up your e-mail group. + +Once you group is set up, the first step is to send out a welcome address to all your group members with some basic instructions on how to use the group -- how to reply, how to behave and how to unsubscribe. Make sure you include your e-mail or the mailing lists technical administrator so if any of your group members have problems they know where to get help. + + +==Mailing List Rules and Etiquette== + +Unless you run your office like Michael Scott (Steve Carrell in the Office) you'll probably want to set up some ground rules for group e-mail etiquette. + +It's a good idea to periodically send out a boiler plate e-mail going over the ground rules and gently reminding your members that the success of the list depends on their behavior. + +Some thing to suggest: + + +# Stick to the topic. Off topic e-mails should be taken off the list. If you list members want to discuss where to get lunch, they should do so without disturbing the rest of the list. + +# No personal attacks or "flaming." Flame wars, where list members go back and forth with personal attacks should be avoided at all cost. + +# Refrain from sending out unnecessary responses to the entire group, for instance, "Me too!", "Cool!", "Thank you" and other single word replies. When those are warranted, email the individual privately. + +# Never forward correspondence or attachments to others outside of the group without permission + +# When beginning a new thread, change the subject line of your email rather than using the auto-reply function from a previous topic. + diff --git a/old/published/How To Wiki/howto-indash.txt b/old/published/How To Wiki/howto-indash.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..3b31787 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/How To Wiki/howto-indash.txt @@ -0,0 +1,27 @@ +Most new cars ship with fancy on-board navigation and entertainment systems, but you don't need to take ona massive car loan just to get some fancy gadgets on your dashboard. In fact you're probably already toting around a smartphone that's every bit as sophisticated as most in-dash units. + +In this how-to we'll take a look at how to build your own system on the cheap. + +==Deck out your phone== + +While navigation systems in cars are pretty sophisticated, chances are your smartphone is capable of the same turn-by-turn directions, and, if it's running Android or iOS, you can add apps like Yelp, Urbanspoon and a cheap gas locator. + +Because you've got 3G signal you'll also have access to anything on the web -- grab some new mp3s from iTunes, update your podcasts while you're waiting at a stoplight or check in with Facebook's new Places service to find out who's nearby. + +==Set up your car== + +To make your set-up hands free and slicker than just a phone in your packet, grab some velcro from your local fabic store and bit of strong, double-sided tape. Find a suitable flat surface on your car's dashboard, or center console and secure the bottom half of velcro to your dash with the double-sided tape (or glue if you're more committed) and then put the other half on the back of your phone. + +Then plug your car charger into your car's lighter and run the cord up to your phone. Bonus points if you can get the cord behind the dash, out of sight and tangles. + +Need some music? No problem, just pick up a cheap auxillary audio cable and run it from your Phone's headphone jack down to the back of your car stereo. If you can't get to the back of the stereo, or the stereo doesn't have any open inputs, pick up an FM transmitter and you'll still be able to pipe your tunes into your car stereo. + +==Go Mobile== + +Now for the best part of your DIY setup -- you can take it with you. While a car-bound system loses its usefulness when you reach your destination, you can take your custom, DIY navigation system with you. + +==Other ideas== + +Throw in a solar charger to power your smartphone and free up your car's lighter input to charge anything else you might need on the road -- a netbook, Nintendo 3DS or, god forbid, light a cigarette. + +If you want to get even fancier -- and your car has room for it -- you can try fitting in a 3G equipped iPad for a bigger screen that's easier to use on the go.
\ No newline at end of file diff --git a/old/published/How To Wiki/howto-lionsecurity.txt b/old/published/How To Wiki/howto-lionsecurity.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..218d8fb --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/How To Wiki/howto-lionsecurity.txt @@ -0,0 +1,27 @@ +Apple's new OS X Lion has some great new features like versions for tracking changes to your files, auto save to ensure you never lose any data and some much-improved default apps like Mail and Safari. + +Less publicized are a number of under the hood improvements that go a long way to making OS X 10.7 more secure and better at protecting your privacy, both online and off. + +Lion boasts an entirely new application security model that's leaps and bounds ahead of its predecessors. The application sandboxing makes it tough for the bad guys to launch attacks that move from one app to another -- a malicious website that wants to access your files is out of luck in Lion. + +While that's a great feature there's several things you can do to make Lion even more secure. + +Here's our guide to making sure that you get the most out of the new privacy and security features in OS X 10.7. + +== Security == + +Turn on the firewall. Head to System Preferences >> Security & Privacy and select the Firewall tab. Click the lock at the bottom of window so that you can make changes and then enable the firewall. With the firewall on, Lion will automatically prompt you whenever a new application wants to connect to the web. That way you always know exactly which apps are dialing out. + +Next up, in the same System Preference pane is FileVault, which encrypts your hard drive on the fly. Unlike previous versions of FileVault, this release encrypts well below the file-level, making it much faster and more transparent. We recommend FileVault to anyone with a laptop. + +== Privacy == + +Safari 5.1, which is available as part of Lion or as a separate download for those sticking with OS X 10.6, has several privacy enhancements worth checking out. + +The first is a new "Private AutoFill" feature that won't auto-fill web forms until you tell it to. You can even choose the specific info your want filled in. + +There's also a new "Privacy" option in Safari's preference pane where you can control which sites are allowed to set cookies, delete any cookies that you might have accumulated and even get rid of Flash cookies, along with any other info a website might have stored in browser. + +== Conclusion == + +While Lion is more secure than its predecessors, that doesn't mean it isn't vulnerable to attack. Also use caution when downloading files from the web and only open files from trusted sources.
\ No newline at end of file diff --git a/old/published/How To Wiki/howto-lowlight.txt b/old/published/How To Wiki/howto-lowlight.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..51b9555 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/How To Wiki/howto-lowlight.txt @@ -0,0 +1,33 @@ +You just spent $500 on a fancy digital camera, why do the kids still look like pasty ghosts blowing out small nuclear exposions on top of a cake whose letter you can't read? The answer is that indoor, low light photography is not always as simple as point and shoot. + +Using a flash is the most obvious solution to low light digital photography. But flash images have their downsides. Not only will a flash interfere with any social "moment" happening at the time -- don't be that guy popping flash photos during your friend's wedding ceremony -- it also tends to flatten images and distort colors and washout skin tones. This problem is especially true with the cheap built-in flashes on most compact digital cameras. + +If not flash then what? + +The first thing many photographers with a film background will suggest is to ratchet up the ISO or "light sensativity" setting. Traditionally high speed film (ISO 800 and higher) was better suited for low light photography. Unfortunately, where high speed film produced enlarged grain, which could often be used for artist effect, higher ISOs on digital cameras tend to just produce color noise -- little specks of red green and blue scattered across your image. + +Most point and shoot cameras, even those with manual controls, won't produce quality images above 400 ISO. The solution then is to use lower ISO settings, but that means you'll be facing a new concern -- long exposures. + +Since long exposure times increase the chance you'll blur the shot, whether through the subject's movement or yours, start with the largest aperture your camera allows. Use aperture-priority mode if you have one and set f-stop down to f/1.8 or the lowest availabl. + +If the exposure time is still greater than what you can handhold, it's time to break out the tripod. + +If you haven't made peace with being the person who totes a tripod to dinner, consider something like the [http://www.joby.com/products/gorillapod/ Gorilla Pod], a small, flexible tripod which will fit nicely in the average coat pocket. There are several sizes available some of which probably won't fit in your pocket, but still aren't a cumbersome as full-size tripod. + +Alternately, if you have a surgeon's hands you can try hand-holding even long exposures. Pick a solid stance with your legs slightly apart (like two legs of a tripod) and brace the camera against your face. Hold your breath while you press the shutter and be sure to zoom in on the resulting image to check for blurring. + +The next challenge you face in low light situations is the lighting. In most cases you'll be shooting in artificial light -- the chandelier above your dinner table for instance. + +Light temperatures from incandescent bulbs or florescent overheads can cast yellow or blue tones over a scene. Some times this can have a nice warming effect (in the case of incandescent light), but other times it may not be what you're looking for. + +The solution is to adjust the white balance in your camera. Most digital cameras offer a variety of preset white balance settings which you can experiment with. If all else fails you may be able to customize your own settings. Keep in mind that if you're shooting RAW images you can always change the white balance after the fact using software. + +Earlier I mentioned that high ISO setting tend to create unacceptable levels of color noise. While that's true, there are some ways to get rid of color noise after the fact. Photoshop ships with a noise filter which will smooth your pixels by blending surrounding areas together. + +Unfortunately, for all but the most basic situations, the results won't bowl you over. Dedicated software like [http://www.picturecode.com/ Noise Ninja] can produce much more dramatic improvements with very little blurring or other side effects. Noise Ninja will set you back between $35-$80 depending on what license is right for you. It isn't cheap but if you do a lot of low light photography it's a godsend. + +Finally, after you've experimented a bit with ISOs, white balance and long exposures you'll probably start to notice that your camera's exposure meter isn't all that helpful in low light situations. Here's our general guide to exposure times (assuming the widest aperture possible). You'll need to experiment to see what works for you. + +* Christmas lights: 1/4 to 3 seconds of exposure. +* Cityscapes: 2 to 30 seconds. +* For a night sky with star trails, use the formula: exposure = 600/focal length of the lens
\ No newline at end of file diff --git a/old/published/How To Wiki/howto-newsalerts.txt b/old/published/How To Wiki/howto-newsalerts.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..e06e4c3 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/How To Wiki/howto-newsalerts.txt @@ -0,0 +1,42 @@ +News alerts are updates letting you know about the latest news. Whether you receive updates via e-mail or some other delivery method, new alert help you stay informed about the topics that are important to your company. + +For example you might want to receive an alert every time there's a news story about your company. Or you might want to stay abreast of what your clients, partners or even your competitors are doing. + +News alerts save you the time and effort of searching through millions of web pages to find out the latest information about what matters to you. + +There are many web-based services that make it easy to set up alerts. Which one you chose depends mainly on how you'd like your news delivered. + +==Setting up news alerts== + +===Option 1: E-Mail=== + +If you'd like to receive an e-mail each time there's a bit of news about your company, simply sign up for an e-mail based service. Enter the terms you'd like to receive alerts about and then add your e-mail address. + +Be careful not to make your search terms too broad or you may end up with hundreds of alerts each day. + +Most e-mail alert services allow you to chose how often you'd like to receive updates. If you're just casually keeping tabs on something, chose a once a week option. If you'd like to know the minute something happens then chose a more frequent deliver option. + + +===Option 2: RSS feed=== + +Many alert services and even search engines offer RSS feeds for your particular search terms. For example, if you search for "my company" you can then add that search to an RSS reader and it will update every time a new story about "my company" is found. + +To get started you'll need to create an account at one of the many free RSS readers available. Alternately, you can download one of the many desktop RSS programs. Some e-mail clients can also handle RSS feeds, making it easy to get your alert right alongside you e-mail. + +Once you've decided on a suitable RSS reader, just add the URL of the feed you'd like to read. Most web browsers display a small RSS graphic in the URL bar whenever there's a feed available on the page. Just click the RSS icon and the browser will ask what you'd like to do. Select your RSS program and it will take care of the rest. + +Now, whenever you open your RSS reader you'll be able to see if there are any new news alerts available. + + +===Option 3: Widget and Startpages === + +Many online services offer "startpages," web pages which load each time you open a new browser window. If you frequently use a web browser, this makes a quick, easy way to stay abreast of the news. + +The trick is the add your news alert widgets to your start page. The exact method will vary according to which startpage you're using, but most offer customizable widgets. To get alerts just add an RSS widget to your start page and then paste in the URL of your new alert feed. + + + + +[[Category:Work]] +[[Category:Office]] +[[Category:Software]] diff --git a/old/published/How To Wiki/howto-portableapps.txt b/old/published/How To Wiki/howto-portableapps.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d1dba1c --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/How To Wiki/howto-portableapps.txt @@ -0,0 +1,35 @@ +Even the lightest laptops on the market won't fit in your pocket, but these days you don't need to lug around an entire computer to get some work done. If you're looking to travel light, but still want access to your favorite applications and websites no matter what computer you sit down in front of, you need to get on the portable apps bandwagon. + +To take advantage of portable apps you'll need to have some sort of portable device, whether an iPod, a SD card or USB flash drive. With USB flash drives frequently given away as promotional offerings, it shouldn't be to hard to find something with ample space for under $20. + +The definition of a portable app will vary a little depending on who you talk to, but the basic requirement is the once installed on the removable media it will plug in and work on any compatible machine. + +Keep in mind that portable apps are not cross platform, don't expect your Windows XP portable apps to run on a Mac. + +Wikipedia has one of the most extensive lists of "standalone portable apps"<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_portable_software>. + +For greater ease of use there are a number of portable app launchers available which can auto-launch when you plug your media into the host computer. Two of the more popular options are the portable apps suite from "Portableapps.com"<http://portableapps.com/> and "MojoPac"<http://www.mojopac.com/>. + +Both function in a similar manner, once installed on your portable device and connected to a host machine they will auto-launch with menus allowing you to select which programs to use. + +MojoPac is a little more full-featured in that it create a virtual desktop which you can set up to mimic your home machine. Both will read and write from the portable media so don't expect amazing performance, but so long as you aren't editing large photoshop files you should be okay. + +Mac users can turn the Free Open Source Software Mac User Group (FreeSMUG), which offers a complete listing of individul "portable applications"<http://www.freesmug.org/portableapps/> for your Mac-compatible storage device. Keep in mind though that passwords and other information stored in the Keychain application are not portable. + +What applications should you install? Well that depends on what you think you'll need, it's possible to pretty much replicate your home computer, but most people can probably get by with a web browser, an e-mail client, a multi-protocol chat app and perhaps an office suite. + +#A word about security + +One of the advantages of using portable apps is that you can avoid insecure application (say that unpatched, six-year-old install of IE 6 running in the internet cafe next to your hotel). However, if the host machine is infected or compromised you could be in trouble. + +To get around this you can either put your USB flash drive in read-only mode or carry some sort of anti-virus application. Read-only mode can be a bit limiting, depending on your needs so we would recommend using some sort of anti-virus software. + +Also, keep in mind that spyware tools like keystroke loggers will still capture your keystrokes. Unfortunately it's increasingly common for internet cafes around the world to become compromised with keystroke loggers. Painful though it may be, we suggest typing passwords backwards or otherwise out of order to foil the potential snoops. It isn't foolproof of course, but it may slow them down enough that they move on to easier prey. + +#Advanced portable Apps + +Linux is an ideal candidate for a portable drive. "Puppy Linux"<http://www.puppylinux.org/> and "Damn Small Linux"<http://www.damnsmalllinux.org/> are two distributions designed to be lightweight and can be installed on most storage devices. Using a virtual machine like "QEMU"<http://fabrice.bellard.free.fr/qemu/> you can create a cross platform virtual machine that will allow you to plug your USB device into any computer and run Linux, regardless of whether the host is a Mac or PC. + +The process is not too difficult, but recommended primarily for those that are already familiar with Linux. Hackszine has a "tutorial"<http://www.hackszine.com/blog/archive/2007/10/running_puppy_linux_inside_os.html> on how to set up Puppy Linux with a QEMU virtual machine that will run on a Mac. + +From there you just need to add Windows and Linux QEMU executables to the your storage drive and your portable cross-platform dreams will come true -- provided you can get by with Puppy Linux or the equivalent.
\ No newline at end of file diff --git a/old/published/How To Wiki/howto-postinstalltipswindows.txt b/old/published/How To Wiki/howto-postinstalltipswindows.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..a4269b8 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/How To Wiki/howto-postinstalltipswindows.txt @@ -0,0 +1,52 @@ +Spyware and viruses drive all of us to just chuck it at some point and simply re-install Windows, starting fresh. After swearing to pay more attention to the links you follow and walking through the installation process you find yourself staring at a brand new desktop -- now what? + +You system if fresh and untarnished, nows the time to tweak it to your satisfaction. Start by running Windows Update to make sure you're up to date with all the patches and security updates and then follow our handy guide to get the most out of Windows. + +==Drivers== + +If you've never paid much attention to drivers, consider yourself lucky. Drivers are small chunks of software that control and communicate with a device or part of your computer -- for instance, there are video card drivers, drivers for peripherals, and more. + +Both XP and Vista ship with common drivers installed for most of the things you'll need, but the driver included may be out of date and if you don't get the latest version may find yourself encountering subpar performance or bugs that have already been fixed. + +Even you don't have a lot of peripherals you still might want to upgrade your video driver, especially if you're installing an older manufacturer-specific version of Windows XP. There's a really good chance you won't have the latest video drivers since a lot has changed since XP was released. + +The two most common video drivers are those from [http://ati.amd.com/support/driver.html ATI] and [http://www.nvidia.com/content/drivers/drivers.asp NVIDIA]. Find out what video card your computer uses and then search the manufacturer's site to download the right driver for your video card. + +Peripherals are another story. If, like most people, you've got a printer, scanner, digital camera and more, you'll want to head to the device maker's website and find the latest driver for your model. + +==Clear out the junk== + +If you're installing a retail copy of Windows you can skip this step. However, if you're installing Windows from the CD that came with your machine you'll likely end up with a bunch of trial copies of software you don't need or want. + +You can use the built-in Add/Remove functionality bundled with Windows to clean up the cruft, but the freeware app [http://www.revouninstaller.com/ Revo Uninstaller] makes the process faster and easier. Revo actually manages to make the process somewhat fun with its "Hunter Mode," which lets you drag a cross-hair onto any application to uninstall. Just aim it at your system tray, applications folder or where ever you see an app you don't want. + +Revo Uninstaller also sports a very nice startup manager, which lets you control what apps start with Windows. + +==security== + +Make sure that Windows Firewall is enabled. Open up the Control Panel and click "Security Center and find Windows Firewall. Make sure it's set to "on" and then click okay. + +We recommend installing [http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/ Firefox 2] as a more secure alternative to Internet Explorer, but if you're not a fan at least make sure you have some decent anti-virus and anti-spyware software. + +There are hundreds of possibilities for anti-spyware and anti-virus software, we're partial to [http://free.grisoft.com/ AVG] for virus protection. [http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/spyware/software/default.mspx Windows Defender] is a free anti-spyware app from Microsoft and, while it isn't perfect, it's free and it won't hurt. Also worth grabbing are [http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/spywareblaster.html SpywareBlaster] and [http://www.safer-networking.org/index2.html Spybot Search & Destroy]. + +Alone none of these three are really enough, but running all three should cover most of your bases. If you find yourself constantly infected with spyware consider one of the commercial solution like [http://www.pctools.com/spyware-doctor/ PC Tools Spyware Doctor] ($30). + +Keep in mind that you should only run one anti-virus program, but it's a good idea to have a several spyware detecting and removing applications. Be sure to set whatever apps you choose to scan your computer frequently and remember to keep them updated. + +==Windows Update== + +By default Windows Update is generally set to automatic, but there are a number of reasons you might want to switch it to manual. There's nothing worse than finding out an update is broken after it's already installed. + +Keep in mind though that if you do turn off the auto-update feature you need to be diligent about running it by hand. + +==Free Software== + +There are thousands of software packages out there covering just about anything you'd ever want to do with your computer. Here's a few we like + +# Photos - Google's [http://picasa.google.com/ Picasa] is the best breed when it comes to managing your photos. +# BitTorrent - [http://www.utorrent.com/ µTorrent] is a popular lightweight choice. [http://azureus.sourceforge.net/ Azureus] offers more options, but will also eat up more processor time. +# Chat - It's hard to beat the multi-protocol options of [http://www.pidgin.im/ Pidgin]. +# [http://www.dopdf.com/ doPDF] is a great little utility that installs a virtual printer and lets you print any document as a PDF. +# [http://www.ccleaner.com/ CCleaner] is a must have for sweeping out old and unnecessary files +# [http://www.mlin.net/Clipomatic.shtml Clipomatic] is a nice way to get more out of your clipboard.
\ No newline at end of file diff --git a/old/published/How To Wiki/howto-remotemeeting.txt b/old/published/How To Wiki/howto-remotemeeting.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..b0875d7 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/How To Wiki/howto-remotemeeting.txt @@ -0,0 +1,42 @@ +It's hard to get everyone in the same room at the same time for a productive meeting. Fortunately, collaborative desktop software and web-based tools mean you can set up a virtual meeting place and keep everyone on your team informed. + +While remote meetings might not entirely replace the face-to-face version, a remote meeting can save you time and money by bringing your team together regardless of where they are. + +This how-to will also show you the ease and efficiency shared and cloud-based services can bring to workplace collaboration. + +==Setting up a Remote Meeting== + +===Step 1: Set a time=== + +Pick a time and place by consulting your team's shared calendar. If everyone on your team has their location and status (vacation, out of the office, working from home) in the calendar, it makes choosing a meeting place and time much easier. + +Some software and web-based calendars can do this automatically, consulting everyone's schedule and suggesting a time that works for your entire team. + +===Step 2: Notify Participants=== + +Next, send a meeting request over e-mail. Most shared calendar services will do this for you when you create a new event. Just add each attendee's address to the invitation, or, if you're using a [email group] just send the message to the group. + +===Step 3: Track Attendance === + +Use either your desktop e-mail client, or your shared calendar to maintain an RSVP list so you know who will be available to attend the meeting. + +===Step 4: Share Materials === + +Send your meeting agenda in an e-mail so your team knows what to expect. Also make sure to post any needed materials -- spreadsheets, presentation slides, notes video, etc -- to a shared network drive or cloud-based storage drive. Include a link to the materials in your agenda e-mail. + +This helps ensure that everyone involved in the meeting has all the material ahead of time. + +==Hold the meeting== + +If people are calling in from a remote location, make sure everyone has the dial-in number. If you're using videoconferencing or a screen-sharing software, make sure everyone has the proper links and any required login information. + +==After the meeting== + +Once your meeting is over be sure to post meeting notes for your team to refer back to if they have questions. Again, a shared network drive or a cloud-based storage service works well for this allowing you to post the notes in one place where everyone can access them. + +You may also want to put the meeting minutes as well as any materials (videos, presentations) on a wiki so people can follow up and add to the discussion afterwards. To learn more about how to set up a wiki, see our [wiki link] + + +[[Category:Work]] +[[Category:Office]] +[[Category:Software]] diff --git a/old/published/How To Wiki/howto-ripdurndvd-mac.txt b/old/published/How To Wiki/howto-ripdurndvd-mac.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..dccd4b9 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/How To Wiki/howto-ripdurndvd-mac.txt @@ -0,0 +1,38 @@ +Back when Apple first getting started out in digital music it used the slogan "Rip Mix Burn." Indeed, using your Mac it was dead simple to copy and burn music CDs, but what about video DVDs? + +It turns out that's pretty easy too, though you may need to invest in some additional software. + +There are three basic steps to copying a DVD, the first is to rip the DVD onto your hard drive. This involves decoding any DRM that has been added to the disk. The exact legality of this is subject to debate, but most experts argue that if you own the disk, fair use laws say you can legally copy it. + +The second step is to compress the ripped movie so that it will fit onto a standard single layer DVD. Depending on the movie, you may be able to skip this step. Another way around it is to use dual layer DVDs which offer more space. However dual layer DVDs won't always play in your DVD player so check your model to make sure before you invest in the rather price dual layer DVDs + +== What You'll Need == + +# A DVD that you own +# A blank single or dual layer DVD +# Ripping software like MacTheRipper +# compression software like Roxio Toast or DVD2oneX (optional) + +== Ripping == + +Grab a copy of Mac the Ripper, it's free and the most reliable option for ripping DVDs on your Mac. + +Insert the DVD you want to copy and open up MacTheRipper. The software should automatically detect the disk and scan it for region encoding. Region encodings are something the movie industry uses to ensure that you movie only works with the players where you live. It's an annoying practice, but fear not, MacTheRipper will get rid of it and your new copy will play anywhere in the world + +Now just click rip, select where you'd like to store the ripped files and sit back and wait for MacTheRipper to do its thing. + +=== If you Encounter Problems === + +Some newer title may contain DRM that MacTheRipper can't decode. Check the MacTheRipper forums to see if anyone has posted a solution for your title or consider donating to the project which will entitle you to a newer beta version of the software which can handle the newer DRM schemes. + +== Compressing and Burning == + +There isn't, so far as we're aware, a good free utility for Mac that allows you to compress your ripped video so that it will fit on a single layer DVD. There are however several commercial options. [http://www.roxio.com/enu/products/toast/titanium/overview.html Roxio Toast 8] ($100) offers compression options when you burn a disc and [http://www.dvd2one.com/?loc=download DVD2oneX] (40 Euro) also compresses movies (and offers fine-grained controls not found in Toast 8) + +To compress you ripped files in Toast 8, open the application and select the video tab on the left hand side of the screen and click the VIDEO_TS folder option. Now hit select and navigate to the folder you saved from MacTheRipper + +Select that folder and open it in Toast. Click the Copy Options button and Toast will show you how much your files need to be compressed to fit on your new disc. If you don't mind ditching the extra features of your original DVD you can pick and choose what to record using the drop down menus. + +Once you're happy with the amount of compression applied, click the burn button at the bottom right corner of the screen and site back and relax, you're done. + +Your New DVD will be free of any DRM and region encoding and now you have backup copy should your original disc get lost scratched or otherwise become unplayable.
\ No newline at end of file diff --git a/old/published/How To Wiki/howto-speedupmac b/old/published/How To Wiki/howto-speedupmac new file mode 100644 index 0000000..cccf642 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/How To Wiki/howto-speedupmac @@ -0,0 +1,39 @@ +Despite your best efforts, your Mac is running a bit slow, hard disk space is filling up fast and applications are getting sluggish. Don't worry, it happens to everyone. While there is no definitive cure-all, there are some basic things you can do that might help, reclaim disk space and speed up your Mac. + +Before you get started keep in mind that none of these tips will change your aging G4 iMac into an Intel Quad-core speed machine. One of the best ways to speed up any aging computer is upgrade the hardware -- invest in a larger hard drive or more RAM. + +In the past, the case design in many Mac make it very complicated to upgrade the hard drive (more recent models are much easier to upgrade), but even if a new hard drive amounts to open heart surgery you should still be able to add more RAM without too much trouble. + +The other things to do before we get down to specifics is to run Software Update and make sure that you have the latest version of OS X and other Apple supplied applications. + +== Recover Hard Disk space == + +When your hard drive gets too full drive (and by full we mean past the 90% mark) it can slow down your Mac. But don't start deleting your precious family photo albums, here's a few things that you may not know about that eat up space on your Mac drive. + +# Delete unused language packs. You probably aren't using the Farsi language localizations on your machine and even if you are, then you can probably still get rid of French or German. Check out the freeware app [http://monolingual.sourceforge.net/ Monolingual] which makes getting rid of unused language files a snap. +# Take a hard look at your applications folder. Do you really need all those shareware apps you aren't using? If not, get rid of them and free up a little space. +# Download [http://www.derlien.com/ Disk Inventory X] which will give you a nice graphical overview of what is using space on your drive. If it is indeed those precious family photos, consider moving them off to a USB or Firewire external drive + +== Speed Up Slow Applications == + +When most people complain about their Mac being slow, what they're referring to is the applications running on their Mac. There are too many applications to cover everything, but here's a few common culprits. + +# Safari -- Safari is fast and lightweight, but it can get bogged down if your browsing history is excessively large or Safari is storing a ton of Autofill entries. One easy way to reset nearly everything at once is the select Safari >> Reset Safari, which will clear all your caches. + +# Dashboard -- Dashboard widgets are handy tools, but the eat up RAM, sometimes even when you aren't suing them, which means there's less RAM available for the applications you are using. Head into your Applications Folder, select the Utilities Folder and look for Activity Monitor. Activity monitor is a great way to see what applications are using the most memory. If you see a lot of Dashboard widgets high up on the list, consider disabling them. + +# Universal binaries -- If you're using an Intel Mac make sure that all your applications are universal binaries. Older copies compiled to run on PowerPC machines will be noticeably slower on Intel machines. + +== General System tips == + +# Clean Our Your Startup Items -- If you Mac is slow starting up, open your System Preferences and click accounts. Select your username and see what's listed in the startup items. Sometime applications will inject themselves here without asking (or even if they asked you may not want them anymore). Getting rid of some startup items can speed up your boot times. + +# Cleaning up your desktop -- If your desktop is covered with dozens or even hundreds of icons you may see a performance hit. Mac OS X treats each desktop icon as its own window which incurs a small memory hit. For most people this won't be an issue but if you have hundreds of icons it might help to move them off to another location. + +# Fonts -- although they won't produce a huge performance gain, getting rid of any corrupt fonts will make your Mac more stable. Open up Font Book, select all the fonts in the Font list and choose File >> Validate Fonts. Font Book will open a new window with icons to show font's status. If a font is corrupt, select it and click on the Remove Checked button. Font Book can't actually repair corrupt fonts, for that you'll need a commercial utility like [http://www.insidersoftware.com/FA_pro4_osx.php FontAgent Pro] ($100). + +== Things that Won't Help No Matter What the "Pros" in Forums Tell You == + +# Repairing File Permissions -- The uneducated Mac users favorite cure-all, which in fact does next to nothing. Unless you're having problems logging in or using certain system files, this won't do anything for you. It certainly won't speed up your Mac. +# Updating Prebinding -- Prebinding is updated when apps are launched (and when new ones are installed), there's no need to do it by hand. +# Speed up Safari by reducing the "page load delay" -- David Hyatt, lead programmer for Safari, [http://webkit.org/blog/94/amusing/ says], "the preference in question is dead and does absolutely nothing in Safari." Trust him, he created it. diff --git a/old/published/How To Wiki/howto-speedupwindows.txt b/old/published/How To Wiki/howto-speedupwindows.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..b176857 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/How To Wiki/howto-speedupwindows.txt @@ -0,0 +1,78 @@ +The flash of polish of Windows Vista seduced you, but performance isn't what you'd hoped -- the visual effects are dragging you down. + +Keep in mind though, that, while these tips can help you speed up Windows and recover hard drive space, you aren't going to see the sort of speed boost you'd get from upgrading your hardware. + +If you're unhappy, for instance, with the speed of Vista on a machine where XP used to scream, while these tips will help, you might want to consider a new graphics card, more RAM and perhaps even a faster processor. + +== Use ReadyBoost == + +ReadyBoost is one of the more appealing features in Vista. Put simply it uses a solid state memory disk as a extra disk memory cache. + +To take advantage of ReadyBoost find the fastest USB flash drive you can find and plug it in. AutoPlay will pop up a dialog offering to use it for ReadyBoost, just enable it and you're done. + +Microsoft suggests that you use a USB drive roughly the same size as the amount of RAM you have. + +ReadyBoost data is encrypted, so if someone snatches your flash drive they won't be able to read your data. + +Don't expect miracles from ReadyBoost and keep in mind that it isn't an alternative to a memory upgrade -- it won't help if you're short on RAM -- rather it caches disk reads on the fly and can often speed up data access. + + +== Defragment Your Hard Drive == + +Once the go-to solution for all speed problems in Windows, Vista actually defragments your drive automatically in the background. By default the system is configured to defrag your hard drive once a week. + +The problem with Vista's defragmentation routine is that unless you frequently install and uninstall programs and constantly move files around, once a week is probably overkill and when Vista is defragmenting you'll see a performance hit. We suggest turning off the scheduler and doing it by hand. + +Fragmentation happens when the computer writes files to disk without keeping everything together in one spot. Thus if you just saved a large image you've been working on in Photoshop, part of it might be near the middle of the disk and part of it might be at the end, which means it takes longer for the disk to find it. + +Bring those separate parts together is what's known as defragmenting. + +To defragment your boot drive open My Computer and right-click the disk you want to defragment. Select Properties and then click the Tools tab where you'll see the Defragment Now option. Just click Defragment and wait for the process to finish. + +You'll may notice that Vista did away with many of the nicer features in XP's defragmenting program. If you'd like more advanced feedback try out the free [http://www.auslogics.com/en/software/disk-defrag/download Disk Defrag] from Auslogics, which gives you a nice drive map and other advanced features. + +== Clean House == + +Part of what slows Vista down is the number of secondary applications running in the background and hogging RAM. The first place to start speeding up Vista is getting rid of the things you don't need. + +=== Turn Off Unnecessary Services === + +Services are background processes that run silently without you ever knowing about them. Because Vista takes the everything-and-the-kitchen-sink approach there's likely to be some unnecessary services running in the background. + +To get rid of them go to Start >> Run, type "services.msc" and hit return. Double-click on the service you want to get rid of and change the startup type to Disable. + +Here's some examples of services you may not need: Secondary Logon, Remote Registry, Computer Browser, Windows Error Reporting, Tablet PC Input Service and Distributed Link Tracking Client. There are dozens more you sift through to see if you need them. + + +=== Improve Startup Times === + +Whenever Windows starts it automatically loads a number of programs, many of which you may not need. The System Configuration Utility and Windows Defender can both be used to control what programs auto-start in Vista. + +To disabling auto-start applications with the System Configuration Utility + +# Open up msconfig (use the Vista Start Menu’s Instant Search feature: just press the Windows key and type 'System' and the hit return). +# Select the Startup tab. +# Uncheck any items that you do not want to auto-load and click OK. + +To disabling auto-start applications with Windows Defender + +# Open Windows Defender +# Click on the Tools in the top menu bar. +# Click on Software Explorer. +# Hit Show for All Users. +# Select an application and then click either Remove or Disable. + + +== Speed Up Vista on Older Machines == + +Vista's snazzy UI design is easy on the eye but hard on the processor and consequently older machines may lag, but there's no need to rush out and buy new hardware. Give these tips a try first and see if they improve your Vista experience. + +# Get rid of Aero -- The Aero interface is nice but it has demanding graphics requirements. Vista will disable it by default if your graphics card isn't up to snuff, but even if it is, you might find the speed tradeoff unacceptable. Head to the Window Color and Appearance panel (right click the desktop and choose personalize) and click the link to "Open classic appearance properties for more color options." Select an option other than Aero and you're done. For a less radical option just turn off the "glass transparency" setting which seems to be the source of much of Aero's memory usage. + +# Disable the Sidebar -- widgets are memory hogs and getting rid of them will help speed up Vista. + + +== Declutter your Drive == + +Like most people you probably have a number of files and programs you don't need that are eating up dard drive space. When it comes to files it's your call, but for getting rid of programs we recommend the free application [http://www.ccleaner.com/ CCleaner] which is faster and much more thorough than the default Add/Remove application provided with Windows. + diff --git a/old/published/How To Wiki/howto-trick out your mac.txt b/old/published/How To Wiki/howto-trick out your mac.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..2d23bbb --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/How To Wiki/howto-trick out your mac.txt @@ -0,0 +1,42 @@ +Apple would like you to believe that Mac OS X is a complete package, able to fulfill all your needs out of the box, but unless your needs are limited to e-mail and web browsing there's some room to improve on OS X's solid foundations. + +You could go out and spend hundreds of dollars on software, but in most cases there's no need to fork over your hard earned cash. Here's our list of all the free software you need to trick out your Mac. + +==Web and Chat== + +Safari is nice, but it never hurts to have an extra browser around. [http://www.mozilla.com/firefox/ Firefox 2] offers add-ons, allowing you to customize and extend its behavior far beyond Safari's limited options. [http://www.opera.com/download/index.dml?platform=mac Opera] is also very capable and worth having on hand. + +If you're looking for BitTorrent clients, [http://www.transmissionbt.com/ Transmission] should handle your needs with aplomb. It's fast and lightweight, but if you prefer the everything-and-the-kitchen-sink approach to BitTorrent [http://azureus.sourceforge.net/download.php Azureus] is the client for you. + +OS X ships with iChat, but it only handles AOL chats. If you regularly use a number of chat networks [http://www.adiumx.com/ Adium X]is the answer. It can handle all your chat needs across nearly a dozen platforms -- all your friends in one place. + +==Office== + +Microsoft Office isn't the only answer. Although OpenOffice doesn't offer a native version for Mac OS X (one is, however in the works), [http://www.neooffice.org/neojava/en/index.php NeoOffice] is pretty close to the same thing and it's all dressed up in OS X clothes so it won't look out of place on your machine. + +If it's a full featured text editor you're after, [http://www.barebones.com/products/textwrangler/ TextWangler] is one of the best. + +==Multimedia== + +If you want to be able to play back Windows Media videos or audio you'll want to install [http://www.flip4mac.com/ Flip4Mac], which will handle your WMA needs (and integrates into most browsers so you can view WMA files within the browser). + +Another must have is [http://perian.org/ Perian] which add Quicktime support for AVI, DivX, and XviD codecs, which are often used when compressing DVDs. + +For playback of virtually any media file, look no further than the cross platform [http://www.videolan.org/vlc/ VLC]. [http://mplayerosx.sourceforge.net/ MPlayer] also offers similar multi-format support. + +[http://www.mactheripper.org/ MacTheRipper] is essential if you're looking to copy DVDs and [http://handbrake.fr/ Handbrake] makes it easy to get your ripped DVDs onto an iPod or similar device. + + +==Backups== + +As of Leopard, OS X ships with Time Machine, an incremental back solution, but we like to keep an exact cloned copy of our drives around just to be on the safe side. Both [http://www.shirt-pocket.com/SuperDuper/SuperDuperDescription.html SuperDuper] and [http://www.bombich.com/software/ccc.html Carbon Copy Cloner] make it dead simple to clone your hard drive from one disk to another, ensuring that you're well protected against the nightmare of disk failure. + + +==System Tweaks== + +#[http://doublecommand.sourceforge.net/ Double Command] - If you're coming from Windows, where the command and control (ALT) keys are in opposite locations, you'll want to grab Double Command which allows you to remap your Mac's keyboard. You can also assign things like caps lock some other function. + +#[http://www.smileonmymac.com/textexpander/ TextExpander] - Text Expander is snippet manager that can save you loads of time and even fix many common typos. You create shortcuts and whenever you type them TextExpander will replace what you typed with a preset block of text. For instance, set up TextExpander to handle your e-mail signature with the abbreviation "yrs" and you'll be able to sign your e-mails regards of what client you're using. + +#[http://quicksilver.blacktree.com/ Quicksilver] - If you're a keyboard shortcut fan, the multifaceted Quicksilver is right up your alley. Quicksilver can be used as everything from an application launcher, files transfer tool, clipboard manager and loads more + diff --git a/old/published/How To Wiki/howto-trickoutyourubuntu.txt b/old/published/How To Wiki/howto-trickoutyourubuntu.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..193e3ee --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/How To Wiki/howto-trickoutyourubuntu.txt @@ -0,0 +1,59 @@ +You've just download the latest and greatest version of Ubuntu Linux and it didn't cost you a thing. You breezed through the installation and a brand new desktop is staring you in the face -- now what? + +There's a few things you'll need to do if you want to get the most out of Linux, but don't worry none of this is complicated -- in fact it's much easier than trying to do the same on Windows or a Mac. + +The first thing to do is open up the Add/Remove Programs app (Applications >> Add/Remove...) and start installing all the free goodies at your disposal. + +== Web and Chat == + +Ubuntu ships with Firefox 2, but it never hurts to have an alternative like Opera around. And make sure to go ahead and install the Flash player so you won't have any problems with YouTube and other Flash-heavy sites. + +If you'd like to live on the bleeding edge, Firefox 3 offers a new visual theme that integrates very nicely with the Gnome desktop. You won't find Firefox 3 in Add/Remove programs yet, but you can [http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/all-beta.html download it from Mozilla] and follow [http://www.ubuntugeek.com/howto-install-firefox-3-beta-2-in-ubuntu-710-gutsy-gibbon.html UbuntuGeek's instructions] to get it up and running. + +For BitTorrent downloads our personal favorite is [http://deluge-torrent.org/ Deluge], a Gnome app that's a bit like [http://azureus.sourceforge.net/ Azureus], but doesn't use Java. If you're a KDE fan, [http://ktorrent.org/ kTorrent] is your best bet. You can also run a Windows copy of µTorrent through [http://www.winehq.org/ Wine] if you want, some swear it's still the fastest Torrent app on Linux. + +Chatting in Ubuntu happens through [http://pidgin.im/ Pidgin], a very nice multi-protocol chat client (formerly known as Gaim) that can handle just about any chat service you're likely to be a member of. However if Pidgin's not your cup of tea there's also [http://kopete.kde.org/ Kopete] (KDE). + +== Multimedia == + +While the default audio player that ships in Ubuntu will do just fine, you may as well grab the king of digital music on any platform -- Amarok. It's like iTunes with Wikipedia and Last.fm stashed away inside it, and it'll never sell you DRM. + +If you're planing to copy and burn DVDs you'll want to have a look at [http://k9copy.sourceforge.net/ K9copy]. Yes, it's a KDE app, but it will run in Gnome without too many dependencies and it strikes a nice balance between no-need-to-tweak default settings and not too hard to tweak if you're in the mood power features. + +For movies we recommend having both MPlayer and VLC around, between the two of them you should have most everything covered. We also like the Miro video player, which isn't in the Ubuntu Repositories, but there's a very simple install guide on the [http://www.getmiro.com/download/ubuntu.php Miro site]. Worth the effort for the great Ubuntu channels with tutorials galore. + +Also make sure to install the various GStreamer plugins, which will handle most video codecs -- from mpeg to DivX, the GStreamer collection should have your covered. + +=== Enabling DVD Playback === + +For legal reasons Ubuntu does not ship with the ability to decrypt and play the video files that live on most commercial DVDs. Unfortunately the libraries we need aren't available through the package manager either which means we'll need to use the Terminal (Applications >> Accessories >> Terminal). But there's no need to panic, this is only time you'll need the command line and it's only two lines of code. + +Just open up a new terminal window and type: + +sudo apt-get install libdvdread3 + +Ubuntu will ask for your password and then download the package. Now you just need to install it with this line: + +sudo /usr/share/doc/libdvdread3/install-css.sh + +That's it, now your DVDs will playback without any trouble. However the default media player in Ubuntu isn't all that great, we suggest replacing it with VLC. To do that just head to Add/Remove Programs and search for VLC. Check the box, hit apply and you're done. + +To make the newly installed VLC player the default option, just click the System menu and navigate to Preferences >> Removable Drives and Media. That'll open a new window where you'll see a Multimedia tab. Click that and look under the "Video DVD Discs" section where you'll find a text box which likely reads: "totem %m." Just replace "totem" with "vlc" and you're done. + +==Desktop Effects== + +Although certainly not necessary for getting the most out of Ubuntu, the visual candy of Compiz adds some bling to your desktop. As of Gutsy Gibbon (7.10) Ubuntu ships with Compiz installed. There are three default settings (under System >> Preferences >> Appearance) which offer varying degrees of visual effects. + +If you'd like more control just fire up Add/Remove Programs and search for the Advanced Desktop Effects Settings. Check the box to install and head back to the Appearance panel where you should now see a fourth option -- Customize. + +Click that and you'll be able to fine tune Compiz until you achieve desktop nirvana. + +==Accessories== + +The Install/Remove program manager offers a huge list of applications available for your system. Here's some of our suggestions: + +# Microsoft Core Fonts - This will install a number of Microsoft TrueType fonts which will greatly improve the readability of your system. + +# Glipper - A clipboard manager that allows you to step backward in time through your cut-n-paste actions and retrieve bits of text. + +# Flickr Uploader - An easy way to get your images into Flickr, the online photo-sharing app. diff --git a/old/published/How To Wiki/howto-upsidedown.txt b/old/published/How To Wiki/howto-upsidedown.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..cae67b1 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/How To Wiki/howto-upsidedown.txt @@ -0,0 +1,31 @@ +If you've ever been up late watching TV in the wee hours of the morning you've probably noticed those ads for upside down tomato planters. You've probably even asked yourself why anyone would want to grow tomatoes (or anything else) upside down. You obviously do not live in an apartment. + +However, while space is probably the most common motivator for upside down planting -- look ma, no ground necessary -- there are actually some other good reasons to consider growing upside down tomato plants even if you do have the space to plow. + +# No need to stake -- gravity takes care of the vines so you don't need to and that's one less thing to worry about + +# No weeding -- well, technically you can get weeds in the top of the bucket, especially if you don't put a lid on it, but it'll still be nothing compared to a traditional garden. + +# Fewer soil diseases/root rot -- Because you'll be using bagged soil and (most likely) changing it every year you don't really need to worry about disease. + +# Better air circulation -- related to both of the above, hanging plants get better air circulation with means better pollination and overall healthier plants. + +Sold? Well, hand on a minute, there are a couple of disadvantages as well. The biggest problem with upside down plants is heat. The soil is not insulated so heat will dry it out much, much faster than it would in a ground. That means more water and more diligence on your part. Another problem is weight -- especially after watering. Make sure you hang your plants somewhere secure that can handle the weight. + +If those worries don't put your off then read on to learn how to go about setting up your own hanging tomato garden. + +== The DIY method == + +Forget late night 800 numbers, all you need to grow upside down tomatoes is a 5 gallon bucket or similar container (empty 5 gallon water bottles work well if you cut off the bottom). Grab a cheap paint bucket from the hardware store and use a drill to cut a small hole in the bottom of the bucket. You want to hole to be big enough to fit the root ball of your tomato, but not so big that the plant falls out before it has a change to root itself inside -- about the size of a half dollar is generally good (and now your bucket has a hole in it, no need to check, it's there). + +Now you need a tomato plant. There are several hybrid varieties that claim to be "perfect" for upside down planters, but if you can't find any at your local dealer just grab a traditional plant. We recommend cherry tomatoes or other smaller sizes -- avoid really large heirlooms as they tend not to do well in buckets. + +Now gently shake the dirt from your plant's roots and carefully insert it through the hole you cut in your bucket. Wrap the roots in some Sphagnum Moss or similar dry insulating material (shredded newspaper works as well). You want about two inches of moss around the base of the plant. + +Holding the plant in place, start to fill your bucket with potting soil. Once you've got the root ball covered you should be able to let go of the plant and it will stay put. Continue filling the bucket with soil and compost if you have any. Fill the bucket to the top, leaving about an inch of space so you won't lose any soil when you water. + +Now hang your bucket up and give it a good soaking. Wait an hour or so and then check to see how much the soil settled (this will depend on the nature of the soil mix you used). If necessary, add a little more soil. + +And that's all there is to it really, just remember that you'll need to water your upside down plants far more than you would a traditional garden. + +Tomatoes aren't the only thing you can grow upside down either -- peppers do well in this set up, as do cucumbers, eggplants and some beans.
\ No newline at end of file diff --git a/old/published/How To Wiki/howto-vegasparty.txt b/old/published/How To Wiki/howto-vegasparty.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..8636c41 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/How To Wiki/howto-vegasparty.txt @@ -0,0 +1,28 @@ +A real bachelor or bachelorette party really only has one choice of destination: Vegas baby, Vegas. Everything else is just trifling. + +But any frat boy can rent a hotel room, order some pizza and hookers and call it a bachelor party. What do you do if you have somewhat more refined, dare we say nerdy, tastes? Fear not, Wired is here to help. Here's our guide to the techy and refined side of Las Vegas bachelor/bachelorette parties. + +##Getting There + +No self-respecting nerd is going to book airline tickets without consulting [http://www.hipmunk.com/ Hipmunk], the flight search startup from the nerds that gave us Reddit. + +##Hotels + +Las Vegas Hotels are among the best in the world and you'll have no trouble finding the latest in high tech toys for your room. Whether it's enormous flat screen TVs, in-room gaming or virtual ordering systems, Vegas has you covered. + +If money is no object head to the Palms, which offers the [http://palmsfantasy.vegas.com/hardwood/hardwood.html Hardwood suite]. At 10,000 sq ft, the Hardwood suite offers everything from numerous plasma TVs, automated curtains and a private bar, to a Basketball Half-Court. + +Of course at $25,000/night the Hardwood isn't for everyone. Fortunately there are plenty of cheaper rooms in Vegas with gadgets galore. The newish MGM CityCenter offers built in customizable room controls with touchscreen controlling everything from the temperature to the gigabit ethernet, handy for streaming strippers (see below). + +##Clubs + +For a high tech club experience, head to Mandalay Bay’s [http://www.mandalaybay.com/nightlife/eyecandy-sound-lounge.aspx Eyecandy] lounge where you'll find interactive, multi-touch tables. Not only can you order up drinks from your table, you can create your own artwork or messages, which will be projected onto screens above the dance floor. + +Microsoft's Surface technology, which powers Eyecandy's interactive tables, is catching on in Vegas. The Rio also has several Surface tables, and other hotels are following suit. Be sure to ask your concierge for the latest hi-tech options in Sin City's clubs. + +##Strippers + +The only real difference between a bachelor/bachelorette party and your average weekend in Las Vegas is the nudity. But for those of a more refined and geeky taste, why not forgo the obligatory strip club in favor of something virtual? After all there's no point in dropping a month's salary on a fancy hotel room if you're never going to be there. Hook a laptop into one of your room's expansive plasma TVs and you've got virtual stripper heaven without the cleanup. + +The web is awash in virtual strippers -- many streamed directly from Las Vegas clubs. And what's closer to the nerd's heart than the mildly creepy sensation of directing another human being to do things via computer interface? + diff --git a/old/published/How To Wiki/howto-wiki.txt b/old/published/How To Wiki/howto-wiki.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..e390964 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/How To Wiki/howto-wiki.txt @@ -0,0 +1,30 @@ +A wiki is a collaborative editing tool that allows anyone to change the information on a webpage. While most people are familiar with large online wikis, such as the famous Wikipedia, wikis don't have to be public, nor do they need to large. In fact, wikis are a great tool for small groups to edit documents, share ideas and work collaboratively. + +A wiki is an excellent way for groups to collaborate and edit documents without needing to constantly e-mail files and keep track of who has added what to the document. + +Whether you set up a local wiki on your intranet and allow team members access that way or simply post a wiki online using one of the many cloud-based services available, wikis can be a very helpful addition to your workflow. + + +==How to set up a wiki== + +Setting up a public wiki is easy, simply sign up for one of the many free wiki providers on the web. Such cloud-based tools work well for information that you don't mind being public. If you wiki is going to be used for something more sensitive we recommend setting up the software on a private server. + +Once you wiki is up and running you'll want to have all the members set up a basic profile page. This allows you to control what happens on the wiki -- like watching edits on a per-user basis to track contributions and correct unwanted changes. + +There are many types of wiki software available and there are subtle differences between them, but most have the same basic features -- page editing tools, a discussion page for discussing changes, a history page that allows you to see, revert and compare pages and more. + +Most wiki software offers tools for non-technical users such as a WYSIWYG editor for making page changes in an interface that looks very similar to an e-mail or a word processor application. Most also come with documentation and help pages. + +==Using Advanced Features== + +While the focus of the wiki is the basic document editing page, other features can be useful, especially the discussion page, which allows contributors to debate edits to the main page, suggest improvements and more. + +The history page is also useful for comparing revisions. Simple select an earlier version of the page and compare it to the current page to see what your members have added and changed over time. + +Most wikis also offer a way to track changes by page, section or even user and you can set up notifications -- for example your wiki can send you an e-mail every time someone edits a particular page or whenever a particular person edits any page. + + +==Simple Wikis== + +Don't need all the history tracking, user profiles and advanced features of full-fledged wiki? No problem, there are also plenty of dead simple wikis that make it easy to edit a page without all the other features distracting your users from the main point -- collaborating on a document. + diff --git a/old/published/How To Wiki/howtoFlickr.txt b/old/published/How To Wiki/howtoFlickr.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..46468b3 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/How To Wiki/howtoFlickr.txt @@ -0,0 +1,42 @@ +Flickr is great site for sharing photos with your friends and family, but you can do a lot more than just share your vacation photos. Here's our guide to getting more out Flickr. + +Getting Your Images On Flickr + +Flickr provides a web-based uploading tool, but if you're going to put up more than a couple dozen images, you'll want something more robust. Fortunately Flickr has one of the best APIs on the web, which means there's a ton of uploading tools. + +Cross platform options include Flickr's own tools, as well as a host of outside offerings like "jUploadr"<http://juploadr.org/>. + +For Mac users there are plugins for Apple's photo management tool, both "iPhoto and Aperture"<http://connectedflow.com/flickrexport/>. There's also stand-alone apps like "1001"<http://1001.kung-foo.tv/>. + +Windows fans can use "Flickr Sync"<http://flickrsync.freehostia.com/> which can create Flickr Sets from your desktop, making it easy to stay organized. Other options include "PicMe"<http://picme.raizlabs.com/>. Windows users can also annotate photos in "Fototagger"<http://www.fototagger.com/> and then upload to Flickr where your annotations will be converted to Flickr notes. + +Linux has a number of options as well. For Gnome fans there's very slick "Desktop Flickr Organizer"<http://code.google.com/p/dfo/>, "Flickr Uploader"<http://micampe.it/projects/flickruploadr> is written in Python and will run in any window manager. + +Those not enamored with desktop apps should have a look at the "Firefox Universal Uploader"<https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/4724> plug-in which creates a two-pane window in your browser and allows you to easily move files from your hard drive to any of the four supported photo sites. + +Don't think you're limited to the PC when it comes to Flickr though, you can easily send photos straight from your camera-phone. Just fill in your e-mail address "here"<http://www.flickr.com/account/uploadbyemail/>. Use your phone to send photos from that address and they'll show up in your Flickrstream (note you may incur charges from your service provider depending on your plan). + +The e-mail option also opens up an interesting hack that will let you use Google's free Picasa application to send your photos to Flickr via GMail. As of version 2.0 you e-mail directly from Picasa which will even automatically resize your photos before sending them. Just use the aforementioned e-mail address and send via GMail. + +All these options let you add title, descriptions, tags and in some cases even Geo data, all from the comfort of your desktop or phone. + + +############# + +Once your photos are in Flickr there's myriad of ways to show them off. Grab one of the handy widgets for your blog, MySpace, Facebook and more. + +But Flickr isn't limited to the web. You can print your images or "create business cards"<http://www.moo.com/flickr> from your photos, create "hardbound books"<http://www.blurb.com/partner/flickr/>, make t-shirts, "calendars"<http://www.qoop.com/photobooks/flickr_user>, buttons, bumber sticker, business cards, ties, you name it. "Zazzle"<http://www.zazzle.com/pn/flickr/home> can put your images on just about any surface your heart desires. + +############# + +Have fun. + +Flickr's API has allowed people to create all sort of crazy useful and interesting tools, here's a few of our favorites: + +"Flickr Set Manager"<http://www.dopiaza.org/flickr/setmgr/index.php> - This handy web-based tool allows you to create "smart" Flickr sets using a wide variety of critieria, very similar to smart playlists in iTunes. + +Define your sets based on interestingness, date posted and tags, or even generate a completely random set images. There's even an option to automatically regenerate your set once a day + +"Flickr Colr Pickr"<http://www.krazydad.com/colrpickr/> - Another web-based tool that lets you browse Flickr images by color. A great way to explore the site. + +"Islands of Consciousness"<http://incubator.quasimondo.com/flash/islands_of_consciousness.php> - A collaberation between Mario Klingemann Oleg Marakov, Islands of Consciousness in an improve film created while you watch by pulling in Flickr images and setting them to Marakov's MP3 samples. A hypnotic way to waste those dull friday afternoons.
\ No newline at end of file diff --git a/old/published/How To Wiki/howtoTP.txt b/old/published/How To Wiki/howtoTP.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..8a896ce --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/How To Wiki/howtoTP.txt @@ -0,0 +1,43 @@ +Sure it's been years since you even thought of toilet papering someone's house, but if you're looking for a timeless prank to pull this Halloween look no further. + +While TPing someone's house might be annoying for them there's no permanent damage and, if you're the charitable type you can always stop by the next morning to help with the clean up. + +Here's our guide to making sure your TP pranks go off without a hitch. + +== Toilet Paper == + +Not all toilet paper is created equal. When it comes to lobbing it over houses and tree branches, skip the cheap stuff and go for the heavy, double-roll toilet paper. Not only does it last longer, allowing you to throw a single roll over a tree several times, it stands up better and isn't as likely to tear every time it goes over a branch. + +Also beware of when you buy your toilet paper. Depending on where you live TPing may count as vandalism. No one will raise an eye if you buy toilet paper at midday, but showing up at the register with 100 rolls of toilet paper at midnight might raise a few eyebrows. + +== Preparation == + +Just as you should buy your toilet paper ahead of time, make sure you get it ready to use before you hop out of the car. Remove the wrappings and throw your rolls in big bags for easy access once you arrive. + +If you want to be really annoying, tear up a lot of your toilet paper ahead of time -- put your tiny scraps in a big bag and then scatter them over the lawn just before you flee the scene. + +=== Know the neighborhood === + +No one likes to get caught, make sure you know what you're getting into. Does your TP target live a neighborhood where all the lights are out by 9PM? Or are there people on their porches until midnight? + +The answers to these questions will help you pick a good time to pull your prank and minimize the chances you'll get caught. + +== Doing the deed == + +It sounds obvious, but please, don't park right in front of the house you plan to TP. Park around the corner or down the street and walk. + +Once you're on the scene try to be quite, minimize talking and work quickly. For the love of all things Hollywood, don't use anyone's real name when actually at the scene -- think Mr. Pink, Mr. White, etc. + +Have an escape route planned. If you do get caught, scatter and then meet up at some pre-determined location. + +=== Throwing tips=== + +When it comes to throwing a roll of toilet paper, keep in mind that it is, well, toilet paper. Fairly fragile to begin with, toilet paper can't take a lot of strain. + +For maximum coverage from a single roll, start by unrolling it to about arms length. Then grab the end of the toilet paper in one hand, hold it tightly, and then heave the roll up with a strong, but steady upward swing -- a bit like you're bowling, except the release point is much higher. + +== Conclusion == + +There are two schools of thought on how you should end your TPing prank. The first is the rather boring, "just leave" method. The far more interesting -- albeit riskier -- is to ring the doorbell and hide somewhere nearby so you can see the look on your victim's face when they see your handiwork. + +Whichever method you go with make sure not to linger too long at the scene of the "crime" and if you don't want your friend to know you did, leave the camera at home.
\ No newline at end of file diff --git a/old/published/How To Wiki/howto_composting.txt b/old/published/How To Wiki/howto_composting.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6487874 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/How To Wiki/howto_composting.txt @@ -0,0 +1,67 @@ +"Black Gold" doesn't just refer to oil. In fact, among those looking to reduce their oil usage, black gold has an entirely different connotation. In organic circles black gold generally refers to compost, a dark, soil-like mixture of decaying organic material that's perfect for giving your garden a nutrient-rich pick me up. Think of compost as a plant's equivalent to a shot of espresso. + +so what is this black gold and where do you get it? What would you say if we told you you already have, you're just throwing it all away? Don't worry, we're here to correct that oversight and set you down the path to composting nirvana. + +The great thing about making your own compost is that it's free. All you need to do is take all the organic waste that's currently choking your kitchen trash can and put it somewhere else. + +If that sounds less than appealing, don't worry, we'll show you how to get your own composting system going without turning your backyard into a dump. + +==Understanding Compost== + +Before we get started you need to understand what composting is: When organic materials like plant matter decay tiny microorganism feed on them. The organisms take in carbon and give off all sorts of nutrients that plants need to thrive. + +For those with an allergy to all things hippy, this isn't some 60's movement, it's how the entire ecosystem of the earth functions. Composting is happening all around you, why not tap into it and stop spending your hard earned money on ridiculous things like soil. + +Convinced? Let's take a look at what a good compost set up needs. + +# Carbon - These are what composting pros call "browns." This the essential element that micro-organisms feed on. And the micro-organisms are what we want to enrich our compost. Your best bet here are tough fibrous plants parts like leaves, fine wood chips or even shredded paper (Tip: provided it's free of harsh printing chemicals and color inks, shredded junk mail makes an excellent addition to your compost pile). + +# Nitrogen - Also referred to as "greens," nitrogen is what the micro-organisms need in order to break down the carbon. Good sources of nitrogen include grass clippings and fruit or vegetable scraps from your kitchen (used coffee grounds are another great source of nitrogen). + +# Water - there isn't much on this planet that doesn't need water. This part can be a bit tricky, too much drowns the micro-organisms and too little slows them down. The secret is to keep things moist, but not soaking wet. + +# Air - The secret here is make sure you toss through and aerate your compost pile to give those little buggers the oxygen they need. + + +==Getting Set Up== + +Although you don’t need a compost bin to make compost, it does make for a neater compost area and will generally provide for quicker decomposition by keeping materials evenly distributed. + +Most home and garden stores sell what's known as a compost bin -- it looks a bit like the result of a forbidden romance between a trash can and dishwasher. + +Although there are a variety of sizes and styles on the market, your typical store-bought compost bin is about 30 inches high and features niceties like a self-locking lid and water holes to help keep things moist. Although they aren't cheap ($100) the keep things neat and tidy. + +Another option is what's known as a tumbler. Similar to the bin except that they're designed to be, well, tumbled. Rather than having to aerate the contents with pitchfork or shovel, tumblers allow you to do the job with your hands. Convenience has a price though, some of these can be as much as $300. + +For the cheap, DIY fans among us there's the old standby -- chicken wire. Just grab enough chicken wire to make a cylinder some 3 feet in diameter and you're all set. + +Another budget option is open pit composting. Just dig a shallow hole in the corner of your year and you're away. + +For the ultimate in laziness, consider the plastic trash bag. Just fill it up with a good mixture of browns and greens, soak it down, punch a few air holes and wait three months. Viola! Compost. + +===Which one is right for you?=== + +It depends on your needs. If you're a serious gardener looking to feed a year-round cycle of crops, you might want to go whole hog and invest in a three-bin set up. For those just looking to cut the soil costs on a [square foot garden], the chicken wire route will do just fine. + + +==Composting in action== + +If you do it right composting happens quickly -- you should have some good compost in a month or two. The big secret is to make sure you layer your materials, keep them moist and rotate them with a pitchfork about once a week. + +To get started set your container somewhere convenient and drop in an inch of soil. Spread it around evenly with a shovel. Next, layer in some organic material by putting in a couple of inches of mixed "greens" followed by a few inches of "browns." + +Then just sprinkle in some water and sit back and wait. + +You can add more materials -- both greens and browns -- as you generate them and don't forget to give the mixture a light tossing once a week. + +If you're using a lot of kitchen materials, you can use the pitchfork to rotate those into your compost to cut down on the smell factor associated with rotting banana peels and the like. + +If you want to speed things up a bit head to your local garden shop and pick up some earth worms. + +==Conclusion== + +Contrary to popular belief, composting isn't difficult nor is it smelly. Proper compost piles should have a deep earthy scent, a bit like the woodland soil after a rain. + +Feel free to experiment with various methods. We suggest starting with the chicken wire setup and if you outgrow that then you can graduate to something a bit nicer. + +The best part of composting isn't that you're helping to reduce landfills, though reducing your carbon footprint is always nice. But that's a side benefit next to what you'll get using the compost in your garden. You'll soon discover that your plants look healthier, grow faster and produce larger yields of fruit, vegetables, flowers, herbs or whatever else you're growing. diff --git a/old/published/How To Wiki/howto_deletebrowserhistory.txt b/old/published/How To Wiki/howto_deletebrowserhistory.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..7643d5e --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/How To Wiki/howto_deletebrowserhistory.txt @@ -0,0 +1,40 @@ +Everywhere you turn these days there's a public PC that can get you online. But public PCs also mean that anyone can see what you've done online just by checking out the web browsers history. + +Then there's your phone. You're shopping for a gift for your spouse's birthday, but then your spouse grabs the phone to check some e-mail and your surprise gift is ruined. + +If you'd like to browse the web, but don't want the whole world to know where you've been, you need to lean how to delete your history. + +Here's how you can delete your browsing history in today's web browsers. + +=== Google Chrome === + +Chrome's history manager lives under the History menu. Head to "Show Full History," and then click the Edit Items link on the right hand side of the page. That will bring up a form where you can delete all items using the button at the top of the page, or selectively delete each entry using the check box next to visited site. + +=== Firefox === + +To delete your history in Firefox, just head to the Preferences menu and click the Privacy tab. Here you'll find options to customize how Firefox history works and even turn it off entirely. To delete your current history, just click the blue link that reads, "clear your recent history." + +=== Internet Explorer === + +IE's history settings live in the Internet Options panel where you'll see a button to delete your browsing history. + +=== Safari === + +Apple's web browser has a quick an easy link to delete your history. Just head to the history menu and and at the very bottom you'll see an option to "Clear History." + +=== Opera === + +As with many other browsers Opera has a dedicated History menu, which you can use to bring up the history page. Once you have a list of your history, select individual domains, or even pages to selectively delete them. If you want to delete everything, head to the main Opera menu and select Settings >> Delete Private Data. Click the arrow to expand that panel and make sure that delete History is selected (and deselect anything else you won't want to delete). + +=== Mobile Safari === + +Head to the settings app and scroll down to Safari. Near the bottom of the Safari page you'll see three options to delete your history, cookies and cache. Touch all three and you'll have gotten rid of most of the evidence. + +=== Android === + +Like Mobile Safari, to delete history in the mobile version of Chrome you'll need to head to the preferences app, where you'll see an option to delete Chrome's store of visited webpages. + + +== Conclusion == + +While deleting history will stop others from knowing where you've been it's important to realize that this is not truly secure, private web browsing. For more secure ways of browsing, be sure to check out our how to [Browsing Privately].
\ No newline at end of file diff --git a/old/published/How To Wiki/howto_home_automation.txt b/old/published/How To Wiki/howto_home_automation.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..1c788be --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/How To Wiki/howto_home_automation.txt @@ -0,0 +1,33 @@ +It's every nerds fantasy -- a "smart house" that knows when you left the lights on and turns them off, adjusts the heat and A/C according to the outside temperature, closes the blinds in the afternoon sun and reminds you to get milk at the store. + +Sound like something out of Battlestar Gallatica? Maybe, but it's not as science fiction as you think. In fact, home automation is burgeoning market with all sorts of toys available. The problem is, for most part, it's a playground limited to those lucky few dot-com millionaires. + +If you happen to have sold YouTube for a billion dollars you're all set. Just shop around and find a contractor who specializes in this stuff and pretty soon an automated voice will announce when the milk is low. + +Fortunately the rest of us aren't completely left out of the home automation fun. But beware this stuff gets pretty nerdy pretty fast and it definitely helps to have some background knowledge about electronics and networking. + +==Why?== + +Aside from the nerd bragging rights, fully automated homes can be much more efficient. Left the light on in the basement after that last-minute laundry dash? That's money out of your pocket, but an automated home could have killed the lights as soon as you came upstairs. + +Ditto for the A/C you left running all night or the blinds you always forget to close in the afternoon heat. Your forgetfulness is wasting money and using energy you don't need to use. Automation cuts down on your energy use by making smart decisions for you. + +Aside from the potential money savings there are other things you can do like monitor security and detect unwanted visitors around your home or send yourself an e-mail when the basement water pipes burst while you're at work. + +==How== + +For the DIY automator the most popular solution is the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X10_(industry_standard) X10 network protocol]. X10 is communications protocol and network address system not unlike the TCP/IP protocol that powers the internet. + +The main difference is that X10 is very low-bandwidth and communicates over the power lines running through your house. The basic set up is simple and many X10 devices are quite cheap. A command center --typically a PC -- sends messages over the wires and X10 devices respond to any commands you send. + +Say, for instance, you plug a lamp into a common X10 wall outlet. Just set up your PCs with a serial X10-computer interface and you can control the light with your PC. + +==Software== + +Of course you'll need a way to communicate with your X10 devices. Most DIY home automators recommend [http://misterhouse.sourceforge.net/ MisterHouse], a collection of Perl scripts for controlling x10 devices. Not only is more robust than the software that typically comes with a serial interface, it's Perl so you can hack on it however you like. + +Check out the MisterHouse site for more details and some examples of the things you can do with X10. + +Another excellent resource for the home hacker is O'Reilly's [http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/9780596004057/ Home Hacking Projects for Geeks]. + +Happy automating.
\ No newline at end of file diff --git a/old/published/How To Wiki/howto_onlineprofile.txt b/old/published/How To Wiki/howto_onlineprofile.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..1522235 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/How To Wiki/howto_onlineprofile.txt @@ -0,0 +1,39 @@ +Having a profile page on the social web makes it easier for people to find and follow what you're up to on the web. + +It used to be that your friends needed to sign up for and follow you on every different web service you used. That meant not only a lot of work for your friends, but all of you were wedded to fate of the companies running the sites. + +Thanks to aggregated social profiles, that's no longer true. + +You can easily create your own online profile on any service you like and pull in posts from all the other sites your use. Although Facebook was one of the first to popularize this method of connecting with friends, it's by no means the only possibility. + +There are a variety of places you can set up social profiles, we'll take a look at a few of the more popular possibilities. + +=== Google Profiles === + +Google recently tied its Profiles features -- a place for your personal identity on the web -- to its Buzz service, which means it can pull in posts, photos, videos and messages from other web service. + +To set up a Google profile just create a Google account if you don't already have one and then head to [http://www.google.com/profiles Google's profile service]. From there you can add whatever data your like -- pull in Twitter posts, Flickr or Picasa photos, Tumblr blogs and loads more. + +Be sure to fill out the relevant bio information and include links to your personal site, if you have one, and a way for people to contact you. + + +=== Yahoo Profiles === + +Like Google, Yahoo offers a public profile page to go along with your Yahoo account. To change the settings and add more information, head to the [http://profiles.yahoo.com/ Yahoo Profiles] page where you'll find places to add links to your sites, bio information, contact data and pull in info from outside services like Twitter. + +As with other services, Yahoo offers privacy settings to control who can see and search for your profile. + + +=== Facebook === + +While many have decried Facebook's recent move to open up to the public web, if you've been wanting to use Facebook as a public profile page the changes are good news. Now, not only can non-Facebook members see you profile, search engine spider can find it as well. + +However, by default Facebook pages are totally public. To turn your Facebook account into a public profile you'll need to change a few settings. The first step is to head to your privacy settings under the account menu at the upper right corner of your Facebook page. + +On the privacy page you'll see five categories of privacy settings: Profile, Contact Information, Applications and Websites, Search and Block List. + +Start at the top with Profile information and change all the options to "public," this will let anyone see all the things you post. Work your way through the rest of the options, turning all the aspects you want to publish publicly to the "public" setting. + +== Conclusion == + +Sharing your life with friends is easier than ever thanks to public profiles. And now that such features are no longer exclusively tied to any one company, you can move from Google to Yahoo to Facebook and back again with very little hassle.
\ No newline at end of file diff --git a/old/published/How To Wiki/howto_recycle_electronics.txt b/old/published/How To Wiki/howto_recycle_electronics.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d062520 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/How To Wiki/howto_recycle_electronics.txt @@ -0,0 +1,25 @@ +As any gadget freak worth their circuits can tell you, there's nothing as obsolete as that electronic gear you just bought yesterday. The electronic market is largely built on the concept of planned obsolescence. Today's must-have is tomorrow's has-been. + +That's all fine and well for manufacturers, but it has some very bad environmental and health consequences. Outdated electric gadgets containing arsenic, bromine, cadmium, hydro chlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), lead, mercury and more end up in landfills leaching their dangerous toxins into your soil and water supply. + +Obviously the solution is to recycle, but so far most devices still end up in landfills. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's [http://www.epa.gov/ecycling/faq.htm Plug in to eCycling program], only 15 to 20 percent of our PCs, TVs, cell phones and other electronic devices are being recycled (those figures are from 2005, which is most recent data available). + +So how to stop contributing to the electronic landfill? + +==Donations== + +One possible route is to donate your used computer equipment. However, many well-meaning users and even companies that donate old PCs directly to schools and non-profits -- rather than through a recycler -- can end up passing on more of a burden than a blessing. + +Whether or not your PC is a good donation depends on its condition. If it's only a year or two old and still works, make sure you take it to a reputable recycler and you should be okay. + +However older gear is often donated with good intentions, but ends up in developing world landfills because it's broken, unusable, too obsolete or unneeded. + +==Recycle Through Your Manufacturer== + +Many PC makers offer recycling programs. Dell, for example, will take your old PC (regardless of brand) and [http://www.dell.com/content/topics/segtopic.aspx/dell_recycling?c=us&cs=19&l=en&s=dhs recycle it for you], free of charge when you buy a new Dell. Other manufacturer offer similar programs. + +After taking a considerable amount of flack from Greenpeace, Apple has set up a [http://www.apple.com/environment/recycling/program/index.html recycling program] as well which handles your old Macs as well as iPods and other Apple devices. When you make a purchase through the online Apple Store, there's an option to sign up for the Apple Recycling Program. + +==Third Party Recycling Options== + +The EPA has a [http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/hazwaste/recycle/ecycling/donate.htm list of recommended recyclers] specializing in electronic gear.
\ No newline at end of file diff --git a/old/published/How To Wiki/howto_report fraud.txt b/old/published/How To Wiki/howto_report fraud.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d16eb9b --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/How To Wiki/howto_report fraud.txt @@ -0,0 +1,54 @@ +Craigslist, eBay and their ilk have algorythms and spam filters to catch obvious scams and deal with repeat offenders, but many times it takes a human brain to stop the scammers. Here's how you can help stop the ripoffs. + + +== Reporting Fraud on Common Websites === + +The process of reporting fraud varies depending on the particular website where you were scammed, but in the end most sites will band the offending user, close their account and other users of the site won't fall victim to the same scam. + +Here's our guide to reporting fraud on some of the web's most popular sites. + +=== Craigslist === + +The most anything-goes of web classifieds, Craigslist can be a great resource, but it can also seem at times like nothing but a scam publishing system. + +There are several types of fraud on Craigslist and each should be dealt with a bit differently. The first step in reporting fraud is to use the flagging tools in the upper right corner of your screen. Here you'll find options for marking a post as "prohibited" or "spam." + +If you suspect that an item posted for sale on craigslist is part of a more serious scam than just spamming the listings, you can e-mail the details to abuse@craigslist.org. Be sure to include the URL (or 10-digit post ID number) in your message. + +=== Ebay === + +Reporting fraud on eBay takes a bit of work, in part because there are a number of different kinds of potential fraud on eBay. If your problem is with a particular item that you think is part of a scam, just use the "Report item” link on each page. + +If you've been scammed and want to report the seller for a violation of eBay policy, head to the [http://pages.ebay.com/securitycenter/index.html eBay security center] (there's a link at the very bottom of every page). + +Also be sure to read through exactly what [http://pages.ebay.com/help/buy/report-trading.html eBay will and will not deal with] when it comes to fraud. + +=== Paypal === + +Paypal offers a variety of fraud reporting tools ranging from reporting phishing websites to disputing transactions. You'll find links to just about every situation on the [https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_security-center-outside PayPal security page] + +== The Federal Trade Commimission == + +If you've ever been scammed, had your identity stolen or fallen prey to online fraud the FTC wants to hear about it. Although the FTC does not resolve individual consumer complaints, it does use the data to track patterns of wrong-doing and can help with investigations and prosecutions. + +To report fraud to the FTC, just head to the [https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/ FTC Complaint Assistant] site and fill out the information online. The form will walk you through the basics of reporting your complaint. + +Sadly, based on our experience the FTC site could use some interface improvements -- the form is bit wonky, sometimes automatically taking you to the next page, other times requiring a button press. + + + + + + + + + + + +Also, found this video if you want to use it: + +http://ftc.gov/multimedia/video/scam-watch/file-a-complaint.shtm + + <object width="545" height="344" title="Job Scams"><param name="movie" value="http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/multimedia/video/complaints/file-a-complaint.swf" /><param name="wmode" value="transparent" /><param name="quality" value="high" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="sameDomain" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><embed src="http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/multimedia/video/complaints/file-a-complaint.swf" quality="high" wmode="transparent" allowscriptaccess="sameDomain" allowfullscreen="true" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="545" height="344"></embed> + </object> +
\ No newline at end of file diff --git a/old/published/How To Wiki/howto_trees.txt b/old/published/How To Wiki/howto_trees.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..2e936cb --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/How To Wiki/howto_trees.txt @@ -0,0 +1,60 @@ +There's an old proverb that says the best time to plant a tree is twenty five years ago." In this tutorial we'll teach you how to build a time machine, travel back before your birth and plant a tree. When you return you'll be greeted by a full grown tree, shading your house and saving you millions in energy bills. + +Actually the editors gave that tutorial the thumbs down, so instead we'll take a look at how to plant a tree today. That way, in twenty-five years of forward time-travel, you can see your work towering majestically over the yard and your children will congratulate you for single handedly restoring the ecological balance of the earth. + +Actually, planting trees isn't just a feel-good, uh, tree-hugging undertaking. Federal research has shown that well thought out tree planting can [http://www.epa.gov/hiri/resources/pdf/HIRIbrochure.txt lower summertime temperatures in cities], dramatically reduce your air-conditioning bills and help trap some of the greenhouse gases responsible for global warming. + +According to the U.S. Department of Energy, planting just three deciduous trees around your home can [http://www1.eere.energy.gov/consumer/tips/ save the average household between $100 and $250 annually] in cooling and heating costs. The same goes for cities -- well shaded cities are on average 5-10 degrees cooler than their barren strip-mall laden counterparts. + +==How it Works== + +When it comes to staying cool in the summer heat, shade is the key. + +Planting deciduous trees on the south and west sides of your home will block the intense afternoon sun and help keep your house cool without ever touching the A/C. + +In winter the problem is reversed and you want to get as much sun on your house as you can. Because deciduous trees lose their leaves in Autumn, the same afternoon sun will be more plentiful in Winter, helping to keep your house warm through those snowy months. + +Evergreen trees can also serve a windbreak in winter. Planting the north side of your home (generally the origin of winter winds) with evergreens allows you to create a natural windbreak and keep those fridge drafts to a minimum. + +==Going Native -- What Trees to Plant== + +Before you run out and spend a fortune on trees, it's important to know what sort of trees do well in your area. Your better nurseries will only stock trees that do well in your climate zone, but larger chains are less scrupulous about what they carry, so it pays to do some research. + +Your best bet is to plant trees that are native to where you live. As the eco-conscious will tell you, outside species can act like invaders and squeeze out native plants, forever destroying the ecological balance in your area. + +While that's true, there's a much more practical reason to plant native trees -- you know they can survive the local climate. + +But of course just because a tree is native to your local ecosystem doesn't mean it will thrive in your yard. There are [http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/feature/backyard/TreePtg.html other considerations] as well such as your existing trees and shrubs -- will your native tree be in the shadow of an older tree? Or, conversely, will it be alone in the full sun when actually it thrives as a sub-canopy tree? + +The best source of answers to questions like these is to talk to your local nursery expert or check out one of the many internet forums dedicated to planting of trees. + +Other things to look into include topic like the lifespan and growth rate of your tree. How big will your tree get? When planting a small sapling, it's difficult to imagine it towering over your house twenty-five years from now, but it may well end up that way, so keep that in mind when you're deciding where to put it. + +Also consider the root system. Although a large, spread out root system makes a tree more stable and better able to withstand wind and storms, it can also uproot your driveway or patio. + +The last thing to bear in mind is diversity. Don't plant the same tree all the way around your house. Not only is that boring, it means all your trees are susceptible to the same diseases. The classic example of this is the American Elm, which was once widely planted throughout the U.S. + +Unfortunately when Dutch elm disease showed up the close proximity of American Elms sped the spread to the disease and in the end thousands of communities lost all their street trees in only a few years. + +The solution is to plant several different species so that, should a disease strike, at least some of your trees are likely to survive. + +==Where to Plant== + +Once you've selected what type of tree you'd like to plant the next step is figuring out where to put it. + +We've touched a few concerns -- size and root system requirements -- but here's a few more rules of thumb: never plant a tree within 35' of utility lines, don't block the line-of-site on your street and cause an accident and always call your utility companies before you dig a sizable hole in your yard, that way you won't hit underground utility or sewer lines. + +Another good idea is to check your soil drainage rate. Dig a hole as deep as the one you're planning to put the tree in and fill it with water. If the water drains at a rate of less than one inch per hour, consider installing drainage or, at the very least make sure you choose a tree that can handle "wet feet." + +Other ideas to consider: + +# Plant a tree to shade the area around and above your air conditioner. If your air conditioner draws air from a cool, shaded area it doesn't have to work as hard and that saves you money. Just make sure you keep the air intake area clear of leaves and branches. +# Even in areas where there isn't room for a huge tree, smaller shrubs and vines can provide similar benefits. Shrubs, bushes and vines planted next to your house help create dead air space which insulates your home. +# Be aware of microclimates, the very localized weather conditions within your yard. A very sheltered yard may support vegetation not normally adapted to the region. But at the same time, if your house is on an exposed north-facing slope it will require much hardier trees and shrubs. + + +==Conclusion== + +So maybe you should have started planting trees twenty-five years ago, but even if you don't get started until today, by selecting the right tree and putting it in the right spot you can enjoy the benefits within five to ten years. + +For those of you looking for more energy saving tips and tricks, have a look that the U.S. Department of Energy's [http://www1.eere.energy.gov/consumer/tips/pdfs/energy_savers.pdf PDF guide], which is surprisingly helpful and chock full of suggestions for green living. diff --git a/old/published/How To Wiki/howto_write_a_howto.txt b/old/published/How To Wiki/howto_write_a_howto.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..a2ec91f --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/How To Wiki/howto_write_a_howto.txt @@ -0,0 +1,82 @@ +The Wired How To Wiki is, obviously, a wiki and that means you, yes even you, can submit how tos to educate your fellow reader. But some of you may be scratching your head, I've never written a hwo to before you say, how does one do that effectively? + +Well fear not my fellow hackers, tinkers and DIYers because we're about to get meta on you. Yes, a how to on how to write how tos. + +However, before we get into that be sure you look over The How To Wiki's official [http://howto.wired.com/wiki/Editorial_Guidelines editorial guidelines], while they don't delve into the art of writing a how to, they are chock full of advice on the technical aspects of how to submissions. You'll also want to get up to speed on the [http://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Help:Formatting Media Wiki formatting syntax] (don't worry it's pretty simple). + +==What Should Your Write About?== + +There's something of a misconception that in order to write a how to you need to be a guru or standout expert in the field. In fact you don't need to be anything of the sort, you just need to have the answer to a common problem we're all likely to face. + +For instance, even if you don't know much about Botany, but you have grown a [http://howto.wired.com/wiki/Build_a_Square_Foot_Garden square foot garden], or maybe you know some [http://howto.wired.com/wiki/Do_Bar_Tricks bar tricks] that'll put the rest of us to shame. + +In other words, write what you know and don't worry about what you don't know. Your fellow readers will be sure to correct you should you stray beyond the limits of your understanding. + + +==The Nuts and Bolts of Good How Tos== + +=== Assume Nothing === + +The number one rule of a good how to is never assume. Never assume your reader will understand any gaps between step 1 and step 2. Writing a good how to means taking the very complicated and breaking it into clear, easy-to-follow steps. + +Don't be afraid of lists, in fact they can be your best friend. Provide clear steps from beginning to end and, if it will help, add screenshots, photos or sample files to show what you're doing. + +The goal isn't just to complete your sample project, but to provide enough background information that the reader can extrapolate your example to fit their own situations and needs. And in order to do that you're going to need to be thorough. + +That said, you needn't explain everything in minute detail. For instance, writing something like: "now go to your applications folder, select the Dreamweaver folder, navigate to Dreamweaver and double click the icon to open Dreamweaver" is unnecessarily long and will only serve to confuse the reader. Just write: fire up Dreamweaver! or something similar. + +It takes a bit of practice to figure out when to include excruciating detail and when a short and sweet sentence will do the trick, but eventually you'll get the hang of it. + +=== Taking the Long Way Home === + +Another area that deserves mention is the long way versus the shortcut. There is almost always more than one way to solve a problem. Although there are exceptions, we find that starting with the long way lays the groundwork for the shortcut. + +Once you've walked the reader through the longer way, show them the shortcut and explain why the shortcut works and how it saves time and effort. + +For example, in our guide to electricity around the world, we cover all the details you need to charge your devices, but then afterward also point out that you can use your laptop as hub and charge other devices through USB cables. + +It's an obvious shortcut, but without the background readers might not see why using USB is such an advantage. + + +=== There be Dragons === + +When you're testing code or coming up with your initial idea be sure to record your notes as you progress and note any pitfalls you encounter. This is the sort of information you readers need to know. + +For example in the how to on recycling e-waste, there's a notes about the potential flaws donating old computer equipement. While older gear is often donated with good intentions, it still ends up in developing world landfills because it's broken, unusable, too obsolete or unneeded. It's details like that that you readers will appreciate. + +Generally we find it's best to work these sort of notes end after your initial walkthrough of you code. For instance a structure like this works well: + +# step 1 +# explanation and reasoning +# note any potential gotchas +# step 2 +# etc + + + +==Writing Style== + + +This is the hardest part. We can't make you into a good writer in one tutorial, but here are a few tips that'll help improve your prose and make your how tos easier to read (see what I mean about lists?): + +# Use short declarative sentences and don't try to impress the world with your vocabulary +# Learn the basic rules of punctuation and grammar. +# Avoid jargon -- Techincal subjects often require you to use precise terms, but avoid things like "buffer" when more people will understand the term "file." Sometimes it's better to sacrifice a bit of technical correctness in favor of simplicity. +# Be consistent with the technical terms you use -- Don't refer to "Folders" in some cases and "Directories" in others. Pick one and stick with it throughout. +# Proofread -- have someone else read through your tutorial before you give it to the general public. + +Never underestimate the value of humor. Try to work in a joke or pun if you can, even if its so bad the reader cringes. Don't worry, cringing is a form of engagement and that's a good sign. + +== Additional Tips == + +# Before you start typing, make an outline. It'll help you to organize your thoughts and see the connections between each step in your tutorial. +# Along the same lines, create a table of contents +# Write your how to out in longhand. This forces you to slow down and think about each step (it's not for everyone, but many of our authors find it useful) +# Sit down and follow your own how to, step by step, and make any adjustments if it isn't working for you. +# Have a friend or colleague who's not familiar with the subject read your how to and see if they can understand it. + +== Final Thoughts == + +The How To Wiki is a wiki and that means anyone can edit your tutorials, and chances are they will. Some this can be a bit hard on ego, but try to keep in mind that what you find self-evident may not be entirely clear to everyone. Even those of us who've been contributing to Wired for years can always learn something new from our fellow reader. + +Once your tutorial is live, be sure to subscribe to recent changes RSS feed so you can keep track of what others add to your work. Not only does that help you maintain some control, but you might learn something new from your fellow readers.
\ No newline at end of file diff --git a/old/published/How To Wiki/howtoavoideyestrain.txt b/old/published/How To Wiki/howtoavoideyestrain.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..10235d1 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/How To Wiki/howtoavoideyestrain.txt @@ -0,0 +1,39 @@ +Just bought an iPad and filled it with the collective works of Dickens? Don't go blind squinting at that bright screen, follow this advice. + +Eye strain is no joke, serious eye strain can lead to head, neck and upper back pain, as well as long term problems like [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myopia Myopia]. + +Fortunately it's pretty easy to avoid eye strain, here are a few tip to make sure you don't end up squinting at the world. + +==Take breaks== + +The simplest and most effective way to prevent eye strain is to make sure you look up from the screen and give your eyes a rest. + +Because different sets of muscles control different parts of the eye, you don't need to close your eyes to take a break, you just need to change your view. If you've been staring at a screen for too long, look up. Stare out the window for a while, get up and move around the house or take a walk. Focusing on things farther away than your monitor will help relax the overworked eye muscles. + +If you find yourself sucked into the internet and frequently lose track of time, consider installing software that keeps track of time for you, and can remind you when it's time to take a break. [http://www.scirocco.ca/takeabreak.html Scirocco Take a Break] (Win) and [http://www.dejal.com/timeout/ TimeOut] (Mac) are simple, free apps that will remind you it's time to take a break from the screen. + +Make sure to take frequent, short breaks. Set your software timer to stop you every half hour or so. Frequent short breaks are better than less-frequent, long breaks. + +As an added bonus, taking breaks also helps to prevent other computer-related problems like carpal tunnel syndrome. + +== Exercise Your Eyes == + +Eye strain is caused by tiring the muscles that control the eyes. Stronger muscles mean less strain. + +To strength the muscles that control your eyes, just close your eyes tightly for a few seconds and then relax and open them. Repeat that 4 or 5 times. Another way to help relax your eyes muscles is put a warm washcloth over them for a few minutes. + +== Cut down on contrast== + +Yes, the iPad has a brilliant screen, no that isn't necessarily good for you eyes. The high contrast nature of monitors, particularly when viewing bright white backgrounds with tiny black text, are hard on the eyes. Dim your screen a bit if you're reading something long. + +==Avoid glare and tiny text == + +High-gloss screens are all the rage, but that reflected light is hard on your eyes. If taking breaks isn't helping, consider getting an anti-glare screen cover or make sure your next monitor or laptop has an anti-glare screen. + +Also, make sure that your screen is at a 90 degree angle to any light source to cut down on glare. + +Increase the text size if you can. Small text that forces you to squint is far harder on the eyes. If you're on the web use control-+ to increase text size (command-+ on a Mac). If you're using other apps, turn on page zooming so the text is larger. + +==Conclusion== + +Eye strain is relatively easy to avoid. Just remember to take breaks, lift some eye weights and increase your text size for easier reading. Your eyes will thank you.
\ No newline at end of file diff --git a/old/published/How To Wiki/howtobackupgmail.txt b/old/published/How To Wiki/howtobackupgmail.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..7107af0 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/How To Wiki/howtobackupgmail.txt @@ -0,0 +1,77 @@ +Web-based e-mail services like Gmail, Yahoo Mail or Windows Live Mail are great for their access-anywhere capabilities -- all you need to check your mail is a browser. + +Many even prefer the web-based interface to a desktop client -- it's one less application to have running and, in case of Gmail, the search capabilities and conversation threading blow desktop apps out of the water. + +However, using a service like Gmail means you don't have a local backup of your e-mail as you would get if you were checking it with a desktop client. + +Naturally that doesn't mean you can't get a backup of your e-mail stored locally and still enjoy and goodness of Gmail's web interface. + +== Backup Using a Desktop Client == + +Just because you're using the web interface doesn't mean you can't use a desktop client to make backups. All the major operating systems ship with a built in e-mail client. Some are better than others, but all of them can connect to your Gmail account and download your messages to create a local copy. + +Beware that some of these apps may store mail in funky proprietary formats (Apple Mail, Outlook, we're looking at you here) rather than industry standard formats like .mbox. To guarantee cross platform compatibility, we recommend Mozilla's [http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/thunderbird/ Thunderbird 2.0]. Thunderbird 2.0 even offers a handy one-click set up for accessing Gmail. + +The first thing you need to do is head to the Gmail web interface and click the settings link at the top right corner of the page. Look for the "Forwarding and POP/IMAP" tab and click the link. + +Now you need to enable either POP or IMAP. For most people POP will work just fine and it's the simpler of the two. Just select the "Enable POP for all mail" option. In step two you'll notice that you can control what Gmail does when your desktop client connects under the "When messages are accessed with POP" setting. Choose "keep Gmail's copy in the Inbox" since we're just using POP for backup purposes. + +Now startup Thunderbird, enter your username (the bit before @gmail.com in your e-mail address) and password and Thunderbird will begin downloading your e-mail, creating a local backup. There's no need to mess with Thunderbird's settings or since you're just doing this for backup purposes. + +While this method will work and is definitely the easiest for most people, there are some drawbacks. The most obvious is your sent mail, which isn't included. And you have to remember to open Thunderbird periodically so that your mail gets backed up. If you're looking for a way to automate the backup process and don't mind a little command line tinkering, read on. + +== Backup Gmail using Getmail == + +Getmail is an open source Python program that can backup your Gmail account. [http://pyropus.ca/software/getmail/ Getmail] will work on any *nix system, including OS X, and even Windows as long as you have [http://cygwin.com/ Cygwin] installed. + +=== Installing Getmail === + +Ubuntu users have it easy since Getmail is in the Ubuntu repositories + +For other systems you can either add the repository to aptitude or you can compile from the source like so: + +Download Getmail, then open a terminal windows and type: + +<code>tar xzvf getmail*.tar.gz +cd (the directory that was created) +sudo python setup.py install</code> + +=== Setting up Getmail === + +Now you just need a configuration file to tell Getmail how to connect to Gmail. There are a ton of [http://pyropus.ca/software/getmail/getmailrc-examples sample configuration files] on the Getmail site, but here's one that works well with Gmail. Create a file at ~/.getmail/getmail.gmail and put the following text in it: +<code> + [retriever] + type = SimplePOP3SSLRetriever + server = pop.gmail.com + username = yourname@gmail.com + password = yourpassword + + [destination] + type = Mboxrd + path = ~/gmail-archive/gmail-backup.mbox + + [options] + verbose = 2 + message_log = ~/.getmail/gmail.log +</code> + +Getmail won't create the mbox file, so before we get started create a new empty file, gmail-archive.mbox in the gmail-archive folder of your home directory (or where ever you choose to store it). From the command line this will do the trick: <code>touch ~/gmail-archive/gmail-backup.mbox<code> + +=== Running Getmail === + +Okay we have everything set up, time to actually make our backup. Fire up a terminal window and enter the following line: + +getmail -r ~/.getmail/getmail.gmail + +You should see a long string of messages begin printing out as Getmail starts grabbing the contents of your Gmail account. If the script stops fear not, Google has some limits on how many messages can be retrieved at one time. Just run the above command again the Getmail will pick up where it left off. + +Now you have an mbox formatted local backup of your Gmail account and you can access it with any e-mail client that understands mbox files (pretty much everything except Outlook). + +To automate this process just create a shell script and attach it to a cron job that runs once a day, or however often you feel is necessary. + + +== Backup Using Fetchmail == + +Backing up using Fetchmail is probably the most difficult and arcane option of the bunch, but if you're looking for a weekend project and enjoy tinkering with the command line, Fetchmail can create backups of your Gmail account. + +Have a read through the Fetchmail documentation to see how you need to set things up and then check out Lifehacker's [http://lifehacker.com/software/gmail/geek-to-live--back-up-gmail-with-fetchmail-235207.php tutorial on Fetchmail]. It's written for Windows users running Fetchmail under Cygwin, so if you're on a *nix system just ignore the Cygwin-specific elements.
\ No newline at end of file diff --git a/old/published/How To Wiki/howtobalaceceilingfan.txt b/old/published/How To Wiki/howtobalaceceilingfan.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d288489 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/How To Wiki/howtobalaceceilingfan.txt @@ -0,0 +1,32 @@ +The humble ceiling fan will never make a room cooler or warmer on its own, but used properly it can help circulate warm or coll air depending on the season, saving you some money on your heating and cooling costs. + +Here's our simple guide to making sure you ceiling fan is spinning the right way as well as balanced and running smoothly. + +== Flip the switch == + +Ceiling fans don't cool or warm a room, but they can circulate the air such that it feels warmer and cooler to you. + +The trick is make sure your fan is spinning the right way -- clockwise in winter, counter-clockwise in summer. In the winter that means the warm air up near the ceiling is pushed down by the fan and in the summer the cool air near the floor is pulled up. + +Turn on your fan and not which way it's spinning. If necessary, flip the switch which should be on the main fan drum, near the pull chain. + +== Balancing == + +No one likes a wobbling ceiling fan. And the wobbles are worse than annoying, they will actually wear down the motor bearings and bushings, leading to the dreaded squeaks and whines. + +The first trick to balancing a ceiling fan is mark each blade with a bit of tape. For added visual help when the blade is spinning, put a bit of florescent paint on each piece of tape, one color per blade. The paint will make it much easier to keep track of the blade when they're spinning. + +Now go around each blade and tighten all the mounting screws to make sure everything is firmly in place. + +The next step is to stop the fan and use a ruler or yard stick to measure the distance between the ceiling and the leading edge of each blade. This will tell you which of the blade -- if any -- is out of alignment. + +If the edge of a blade is clearly out of whack, you can try gently bending the blade's mounting bracket up or down. If that works then you're home free, if not, read on. + +== Balancing kit == + +If the wobble is too much to bend out on your own (or if you just don't trust yourself to bend it properly) head to your local hardware store and pick up a balancing kit. The kits are cheap and consist of a set of self-adhesive weights and a weighted clip. + +Put the weighted clip in the center of a blade and turn the fan on to the speed to produces the most wobble. Continue moving the clip from blade to blade until you find the blade that's creating the problem. Then you can begin to slide to weighted clip in and out along the length of the blade until you fix the problem and the wobbling stops. + +Once you have found the perfect spot for the clip, add one of the self-adhesive weights on the back of the blade where the clip is located. Remove the clip and your fan should be working properly. + diff --git a/old/published/How To Wiki/howtoblockads.txt b/old/published/How To Wiki/howtoblockads.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..62cc8f5 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/How To Wiki/howtoblockads.txt @@ -0,0 +1,35 @@ +Ad Blockers are among the most popular browser extensions around, but if you use several browsers on several PCs, keeping everything in sync and installing all those plugins is a pain. Especially we you could be blocking ads at a much lower level. + +It's not hard to block ads long before they reach your browser, you just need to set up an IP blocking list (what you browser-based blocker is using as well) either on your PC or through your router. + +This how to will give you basic overview of how to set up your own global ad-blocking system. + +===On your PC or Mac=== + +The secret to blocking ads for any browser is to do the blocking at the OS level. This means altering a file known as the hosts file. + +A hosts file contains mappings of IP addresses to host names. When your computer starts up it loads the hosts file into memory and checks with this file before sending requests on to a web server. + +To create an ad blocker you simple need to add some rules to your hosts file. + +On Windows the host file lives at: C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\DRIVERS\ETC + +On Mac OS X and Linux it's generally at: /etc/hosts + +Open that file and then add the rules for sites you'd like to block. + +Of course figuring out where ads are served from is cumbersome task, but fear not others have already done the hard work for you. One of our favorites is the [http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/hosts.txt MVPs.org hosts file], just copy the contents into your hosts file, save and enjoy your new ad-free web. + +===Using a router=== + +An even more efficient way to block ads is at the router level. With an ad block script installed on your router none of connected computers will see any ads. + +Unfortunately most routers don't contain tools to do this out of the box. However, open firmware tools like DD-WRT or Tomato make it pretty simple to set up a network-wide ad blocking system. + +If you're using the Tomato firmware head over to the Tomato forum where users have already contributed their own scripts along with instructions on how to install them. Just download the scripts, copy them to your router and you're done. + +For DD-WRT fans, check out this forum post which contains several scripts and links you can use with your DD-WRT firmware. + +===Future Outlook=== + +Ad Blockers are a controversial topic -- users love them, but everyone used Ad Blockers many sites would be out of business in a hurry. We don't expect Ad Blockers to go away, but at some point sites may start blocking users with ad blockers (a few already do). As with any cat and mouse game ad servers will get more sophisticated and ad blockers will race to keep up.
\ No newline at end of file diff --git a/old/published/How To Wiki/howtobrowserprivacy.txt b/old/published/How To Wiki/howtobrowserprivacy.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..267d176 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/How To Wiki/howtobrowserprivacy.txt @@ -0,0 +1,52 @@ +Tired of having your every move on the web tracked, filed, classified and algorithmically regurgitated as shopping suggestions? Well, it's almost impossible to be truly anonymous online, but most of today's web browsers will let you go incognito whenever you wish thanks to something called "private browsing". + +In these private browsing modes your web browser will reject cookies, disregard history and throw away any cached files. As a result anyone else using your PC would not have any idea what you'd been up to on the web. + +Of course it's important to realize that there are plenty of ways your movements are still being tracked. While your browser might be cover your tracks, it often doesn't cover all of them. Download a file and it's still downloaded. + +Then there's your ISP, which still sees the traffic moving through its network and it knows that traffic came from you, so don't try to use private browsing mode as a way around the Chinese internet firewall. + +However, if you're shopping for a present -- or, ahem, anything else you don't want other family members to know about -- private browsing mode will most likely suffice to cover your tracks. + +Here's how you can enable it in today's web browsers. + +=== Google Chrome === + +Chrome's private browsing mode is called "Incognito" and can be found under the tools menu (the wrench), just select "New incognito window." The resulting window will be a darker shade of blue and has a helpful warning screen about scenarios where incognito may be insufficient for covering your tracks. + +=== Firefox === + +Firefox refers to its private setting as "Private Browsing," which can be found under the Tools menu. Unlike other browsers, enabling Firefox's private browsing will hide all of your currently open tabs and windows and present you with a new, blank window. Once you're done with your private browsing session, the tabs and windows you had open before you started private browsing will be restored. + +=== Internet Explorer === + +Microsoft introduced "InPrivate Mode" in Internet Explorer 8. To enable it just head to the InPrivate Browsing item in the "Safety" menu. You'll then be presented with a new window. To stop InPrivate browsing just close that window. + +=== Safari === + +Apple's web browser also uses the term private browsing, which you'll find under the Safari menu. Select that option and Safari will warn you that none of your history will be stored, searches won't be saved and so on. Just click OK and you'll be in private browsing mode. To turn private browsing off just select the menu item again. + +=== Opera === + +Opera offers a private tab within a non-private windows or, less confusing, a brand new private browsing window. Both options can be found under the new Opera menu item under the Tabs and Windows options. + + +== What to do in older browsers and mobile devices == + +So what if you're using IE7 or Mobile Safari or an Android-based web browser and you need to cover your tracks? Well, it take a little more effort but it can be done. + +=== Mobile Safari === + +There's really no way to hide what you're doing on the iPhone until after its already done, but since that's better than nothing, here's how you do it: head to the settings app and scroll down to Safari. Near the bottom of the Safari page you'll see three options to delete your history, cookies and cache. Touch all three and you'll have gotten rid of most of the evidence. + +=== Android === + +Android ships with the Chrome web browser, but sadly it lacks the same Incognito mode found in the desktop version. However, as with the iPhone, you can cover your tracks after the fact by heading to your preferences and deleting history, cookies and caches. + +=== Older Browsers === + +While it's obviously not as simple as dedicated menu item, most older browsers allow you to selectively delete cookies, browsing history and caches. For IE 7 and below head to Internet Options and start deleting everything you see there (be aware this will delete all cookies, so you'll need to login to sites like Gmail and Facebook all over again) + +== Conclusion == + +Incognito mode won't grant you total anonymity on the web, but it does make it easy to do a bit of birthday shopping on a shared, family PC without unwittingly exposing your surprises.
\ No newline at end of file diff --git a/old/published/How To Wiki/howtobuildafire.txt b/old/published/How To Wiki/howtobuildafire.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..eda16a0 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/How To Wiki/howtobuildafire.txt @@ -0,0 +1,37 @@ +There's more to building a a good fire than just squirting some lighter fluid on wood and flicking a match. That may work is some cases, but a properly built fire with attention to the arrangement of wood, will make for a longer lasting, hotter fire. + +Before you start building a fire, it's worth taking a minute to understand what makes a fire possible, namely, fuel, heat, oxygen and a sustained chemical reaction. + +The first is easy, in this case, wood. The heat refers to the initial heat you provide to start the fire, whether from a match or by rubbing together two sticks. Oxygen means that we need to make sure the fire isn't so tightly packed that it snuffs itself out. The last bit is simply a reminder that a burning fire is actually a chemical reaction -- fuel and oxygen are consumed producing heat and light as byproducts -- block any component of that reaction and your fire will go out. + +Here's our guide the best ways to combine the basics for a long-lasting, warm fire, whether it's outdoors on the trail or in the fireplace in your living room. + +== Start with tinder == + +Tinder refers to anything that ignites easily and can feed the initial flame up (or down) to the next step in the chain. Good tinder includes dry grasses, dried moss, pine needles, wood shavings, paper and even lint or wax. + +If you're building an outdoor fire, pine needles and dry grass are likely to be your most plentiful sources of tinder. For indoor fires grab the sunday paper and crumple it up (What? The Sunday paper is on your iPad? Yet another drawback of digital publishing.) + +== Kindling == + +The next step in the chain is kindling. Where the main goal of tinder is to ignite quickly, kindling consists of larger materials so that when the heat from the tinder moves on to the kindling the fire grows. + +The best source of kindling will usually be dry twigs or small pieces of wood chipped from your main logs. Try to find twigs in the 1/8 to 1/2 inch range. Other good sources of kindling include bark or cardboard. + +== The Fuel == + +Once the tinder ignites it feeds heat to the kindling which then catches on fire and passes even more heat onto the actual fuel. This is where your logs come in. This is also where you'll find a number of different fire "architectures." Here's a run down of the options: + +# The teepee -- stack your larger fuel logs in a teepee or cone shape around the tinder and kindling. As the the fuel begins to burn, the outside logs will catch at the base and then fall inward as they burn, feeding the fire. + +# The trench -- Best used when you don't have a lot of fuel. To build a trench fire, dig a small cross under the fire; dig down about 4 inches. Lay your tinder at the center of the two channels and then build the fire on top of that. The two dug out channels will pull in air and create an updraft that helps feed the fire. + +# The log cabin -- stack your fuel in alternating directions outside your tinder and kindling, a bit like a log cabin. This method creates an effect similar to a chimney and the heat on the inside pulls oxygen through the gaps in your fuel and helps to feed the fire. + +# The pyramid -- also known at the upside down fire, the pyramid starts with two larger logs laid on the ground, parallel to each other. Then lay a foundation of other logs across your base. Then add another layer in the opposite direction to the one below it. Continue adding layers, using smaller, thinner logs as you go up. Add your kindling above the last layer and then the tinder on top of that. Light from the top and the pyramid will burn down. This method works well in indoor fireplaces. + + +== Conclusion == + +All four fire architectures work well, though which one is best depends on the situation you're facing. The teepee can be helpful if the fuel wood is wet since logs outside the main fire can dry before they burn. The pyramid is compact and requires very little maintenance making it ideal for an all night fire. + diff --git a/old/published/How To Wiki/howtodeepfryturkey.txt b/old/published/How To Wiki/howtodeepfryturkey.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..bdd4c23 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/How To Wiki/howtodeepfryturkey.txt @@ -0,0 +1,62 @@ +Thanksgiving is a quintessentially America holiday, and what's more American than deep frying? Yes, it is possible to deep fry a turkey, though beware, after dried out Christmas Trees, deep frying turkeys is the most common cause of holiday fryers. + +Luckily for you, we've put together this handy guide so your deep fried turkey is not only delicious, but safe. + +== What you'll need == + +# A small to medium size turkey -- under 12lbs works best, any larger and the skin will likely burn before the inside meat is fully cooked, ruining one of the best things about a deep fried turkey, delicious crispy skin. + +# A very large pot -- You need a pot large enough to completely submerge your turkey in oil, generally something in the 40-50 quart range will work. Head to your local restaurant supply store to find large, cheap pots. + +# An outdoor burner -- don't even think about doing this inside your house. + +# A lot of oil -- Head to one of the big box stores and stock up on peanut or sunflower oil (or another oil with a high smoking point) + +# Protective gloves and jacket -- so any splattering oil doesn't send you to the emergency room. + +== Preparation == + +The first thing to do is make sure your turkey is completely defrosted -- water (from melting ice) and hot oil is a very bad combination. + +Remove the neck and giblets if there are any, along with a pop-up thermometer if your turkey came with one. + +If you don't have a deep frying basket large enough to hold a turkey, you'll need to make a handle. Place the turkey on its shoulders (where the head was) and run some heavy gauge wire through the body, just beneath the breast (by the wings). Pull the wire through and loop back around, pulling it through several times to make a handle. + +Twist up any excess wire so you don't cut yourself and be sure to test your handle an make sure it is strong enough to pick up your turkey. + +Now it's time to get your burner ready. Find a flat, stable surface outside to hold your burner. Make sure the area is dry and well ventilated and that there's nothing flammable in the vicinity. + +Before you start the burner fill your pot with water and immerse the turkey. The water level should cover the turkey completely, but still be five or six inches below the rim of your pot. Remove the turkey and note water level -- this is how much oil you'll need in the pot. + +Now wash your turkey inside and out and pat it dry. Make sure it is very dry. Then season it however you would like. + +**Thoroughly dry both the pot and the turkey before continuing** + +== Cooking == + +Deep frying a turkey is a really a two person job, you need one person to always be with the turkey, keeping an eye on the pot, making sure the oil isn't smoking and the turkey is cooking properly and another to help out. + +To get started fill your completely dry pot with oil up to the point you noted earlier when you put the water in. Now light your burner and let the oil head up to about 350 degrees F (175C). + +Now put on the protective gloves and jacket and, using a metal hook to hold your wire handle, pick up the bird. Have the person helping you turn off the burner while you put the turkey in the oil -- this will prevent one of the major source of deep fryer accidents, spattering oil hitting the open flame. + +Turn off the burner and gently lower the bird into the oil. The reaction -- even with a thorough dry bird -- will be violent and oil will spray. Be extremely careful and lower the Turkey slowly to minimize splattering oil. + +Once your bird is in the oil, the hard part is over. You can relax a bit and set the timer -- generally allow about 4 minutes of cooking time per pound of turkey. + +**Never leave the turkey fryer unattended.** + +Once the turkey has cooked for the allotted about of time, remove the turkey and check the internal temperature with a food thermometer. The internal temperature should be 165°F to 170°F in the breast and 175°F to 180°F in the thigh. + +When your turkey is done, allow it to cool and remove the wire handle. + +== Safety Tips == + +# Always keep a grease fire extinguisher handy, make sure your extinguisher is rated for grease fires. + +# Make sure other people, especially children, and pets stay away from the cooking area. + +# Allow the oil to cool completely before disposing or storing. + +# Immediately wash hands, utensils, equipment and surfaces that have come in contact with raw turkey. + diff --git a/old/published/How To Wiki/howtoencryptbittorrent.txt b/old/published/How To Wiki/howtoencryptbittorrent.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..12e627d --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/How To Wiki/howtoencryptbittorrent.txt @@ -0,0 +1,37 @@ +There's been a lot of buzz on the internet lately about ISPs throttling bittorrent traffic. Comcast users have reported that the company appears to be using SandVine to detect and then break connections to out-of-network clients, though the company continues to deny it. + +If you happen to be in Canada the notoriously anti-P2P ISP, Rogers, throttles all encrypted network traffic on the premise that it must be bittorrent traffic (try using PGP to send e-mail on that network). + +While there's some valid arguments on both sides of the issue, rather than debate we wanted to know — is there anything you can do to get around an ISP that's throttling your bittorrent traffic? + +The answer is maybe? + +You can try encrypting your traffic and changing the default port number, but neither is guaranteed to work. + +The RC4 encryption offered by many popular torrent clients will obfuscate not only the header but the entire stream, which means that it's considerably more difficult, though by no means impossible, for your ISP to detect that the traffic is from bittorrent. + +How To Obfuscate Bittorrent Traffic: + +Not all torrent clients support encryption, you'll need to check if your favorite isn't listed below. + +<a href="http://azureus.sourceforge.net/">Azureus</a> is written in Java and therefore cross-platform. To turn on encryption head to the Tools menu select Options the Connection then Transport Encryption. Check the 'require encrypted transport' box and select RC4 in the 'minimum encryption' drop-down menu. Azureus also offers an 'Allow non-encrypted outgoing connections if encrypted connection attempt fails' option, which means you'll still be able to get torrents that don't have any encrypted seeders. + +<a href="http://www.utorrent.com/">µTorrent</a> (and now <a href="http://www.bittorrent.com/download">BitTorrent</a> which is based on µTorrent) is a Windows only client. In µTorrent open up the Preferences panel and select the BitTorrent tab. Select 'Protocol encryption' and then you can choose between "enabled" and "forced." µTorrent's 'Enabled' option mirrors Azureus' option to allow unencrypted connections when no encrypted clients exist — it will give you more connections but won't be as effective at defeating traffic shapers. + +µTorrent/BitTorrent also offers a option to 'Allow legacy incoming connections' which lets non-encrypted clients connect to you. This improves compatibility between clients but again, makes your traffic more vulnerable to shapers. + +<a href="http://www.bitcomet.com/">Bitcomet</a> is another popular Windows Client (98/Me/2000/XP). To turn on encryption in BitComet head to the Options menu and choose Preferences. Then go to Advanced > Connection and select "Protocol encryption." There are options for "auto detect" and "always." + +As with the others auto detect will connect to more peers but won't hide traffic as well. you'll need to play with the settings in your program to see if it has any affect on your download/upload speeds. + +Other clients that support encryption include <a href="http://ktorrent.org/">KTorrent</a> (Linux), <a href="http://libtorrent.rakshasa.no/">rTorrent</a> (Linux, Mac) and <a href="http://bittornado.com/">BitTornado</a> (Windows). + +Now for the bad news. + +ISPs are taking advantage of more sophisticated shaping technology all the time and many of the newer shapers won't be fooled by encrypted traffic. For instance, SandVine, the shaping tool that many believe Comcast employs won't be fooled by obfuscating your traffic. + +So what can you do beyond obfuscating? + +The short answer is not much. There is no fool-proof way to do it. You best choice is probably to switch to an ISP that doesn't employ anti-bittorrent traffic shaping. In the long run this also has the benefit of sending an effective customer message. For a list of ISPs to avoid, have a look at the <a href="http://www.azureuswiki.com/index.php/Bad_ISPs#United_States_of_America">list maintained on the Azureus Wiki</a>. + +But what if you have no other option when it comes to ISPs? Start by calling customer service. Call now and call often. Disgruntled consumers tend to cost an ISP far more money than any bittorrent traffic. And by all mean try the encryption, though your results may vary considerably depending on what shaping tools your ISP is employing. diff --git a/old/published/How To Wiki/howtoevadecorpfirewall.txt b/old/published/How To Wiki/howtoevadecorpfirewall.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..f9b68ff --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/How To Wiki/howtoevadecorpfirewall.txt @@ -0,0 +1,44 @@ +Censorship has never been popular with Americans. Unfortunately for most, censorship is very popular with American companies, whether it's to keep you from wasting your time checking Facebook or to stop potential viruses, most corporate networks impose some level of censorship on the protocols or even sites employees can visit. + +The situation is even worse for those outside the U.S. Many countries outright band certain sites and others provide only limited access to outside sites at all. + +Naturally there are ways around most of these roadblocks, but many are not for the faint of heart. Not only do some of these technique require a reasonable degree of computer knowhow, they also could get you fired. Or worse. + +But for those undaunted, here's our guide to circumventing internet censorship. + +#Web-based circumventors + +The simplest, and also least effective, thing you can try is a web-based circumventor. Web-based circumvention systems have the advantage of being dead simple. There's no software to install, just point your browser to the site and see if it works. + +The longtime favorite in this realm was Anonymizer, but the site has since discontinued its web-based service. Instead try "Anonymouse.org"<http://anonymouse.org/> or The Cloak"<http://www.the-cloak.com/>. Both are free but bear in mind your data, while anonymous, could be viewed by an admin on your corporate network. + +The other chief disadvantage of these services is that many services that require authentication (e-mail, Facebook, etc) may not work properly. Also bear in mind that SSL is often not available. + +Another trick that sometimes works is to use Google's translation services. Due to way the translation service is configured it works as a proxy, the trick is to tell it to convert from English to English (your or native language). The URL will look like this http://www.google.com/translate?langpair=en|en&u=www.dontgohere.com, where dontgohere.com is the site you want to see. + +A more sophisticated approach is to use a web-based proxy. CGIProxy is popular perl script that can act as an HTTP or FTP proxy. The site "Peacefire"<http://www.peacefire.org/circumventor/> offers a tool named Circumventor which wraps an automated installer program around CGIProxy making it easy for the non-technical user to set up the script. + +#Proxies + +The next step up is a true proxy server. A "proxy server" sits between a client (your browser) and the web server you're trying to reach. Unlike the web-based services a dedicated proxy can web traffic (HTTP), file transfers (FTP) and encrypted traffic (SSL). + +Perhaps the best known use of proxies is with ssh. With "Open SSH"<http://www.openssh.com/>, a free implementation of SSH, you can set up a proxy on your computer that allows you to browse sites via an encrypted connection. This prevents your corporate or government overlords from eavesdropping on your activities. + +To set up ssh you'll need an to have a trusted server with ssh access. Most better web-hosting plans, including a few free ones, offer such services. + +Once you have Open SSH installed and a server to connect to, fire up the terminal and enter: + +ssh -Nf username@hostaddress.com -D 1080 + +The last bit of that line refers to the port number. Depending on your hosting service and what ports your firewall blocks you may need to adjust it. + + +Now you need to tell your browser to use the tunnel we just created. Open up the preference panel in your browser and there should be an option to configure how the browser connects to the internet. Choose "manual" and the look for the SOCKS Host line and enter "localhost" + +The most sophisticated approach to evading a firewall is set up port forwarding on an always-on home server. The first step is to install Open SSH on your home machine and change the port to 443 in the config file. Now configure your router to forward 443 to your internal IP. + +For a proxy, you can install "Squid"<http://www.squid-cache.org/>, which uses port 3128. So once you have Squid installed and configured, change your browser proxy to use localhost 3128. + +Also note that with a setup like this you can use Remote Desktop software to access files on your home machine and even set up a program like "Hamachi"<https://secure.logmein.com/products/hamachi/vpn.asp?lang=en> to serve music and video to remote locations. + +Note that none of these methods is guaranteed to work and all have potential pitfalls. Be sure to read up on some the potential problems and security concerns at the well-maintained "Reporters Sans Frontières"<http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=15037#5> site.
\ No newline at end of file diff --git a/old/published/How To Wiki/howtoextendipadbattery.txt b/old/published/How To Wiki/howtoextendipadbattery.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..019f605 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/How To Wiki/howtoextendipadbattery.txt @@ -0,0 +1,35 @@ +Part of the iPad's appeal is its long battery life. Apple claims 10 hours for the wifi version and 9 hours for the 3G iPad, both of which are pretty impressive. + +Of course the real world is considerably different than battery stress tests. Watch movies continuously at full brightness with push e-mail notifications for a dozen accounts going in the background and you aren't going to get even 8 hours out of the iPad. + +But in our experience is possible to get close to Apple's claims, provided you're willing to turn off a few features and dim your screen a bit. + +Here's our guide to making your iPad battery last a bit longer + +== The obvious == + +# Lock your iPad when you aren't using it -- Sure it will auto-lock after a set period of time, but why leave it sitting there wasting battery when it's so simple to lock? While you're at it, shorten the auto-lock settings; head to Settings > General > Auto-Lock and set the interval to a shorter time. + +# Dim the screen -- This is probably the biggest single thing you can do to save battery life. By default, the iPad has its Auto-Brightness feature turned on which means screen adjusts to the ambient lighting around you. That's nice, but in low light situations that means the screen is battery draining bright. Head to Settings > Brightness & Wallpaper and adjust the brightness down a bit. + +# Ditch the case -- Some cases can cause the iPad to become quite warm which decreases battery life. + +== Features worth disabling == + +# Turn off 3G -- Whenever you're on wifi, turn off the 3G network if you have an iPad that support 3G. + +# Turn off wifi -- Although it severely limits the usefulness of your iPad, if you're just watching a movie anyway, turn off the wifi and make the battery last a bit longer. + +# Disable Bluetooth -- like the other forms of network Bluetooth drains the battery. Assuming you aren't using any peripherals that need it, turn it off. + +# Learn to Love Airplane Mode -- The easiest way to temporarily disable all forms of networking is to switch into Airplane Mode when you don't need to connect, say when you're watching a movie or working on a document. + +# Watch your apps -- There are two types of apps that are particularly hard on your iPad's batteries -- games that never let the screen dim and location based services that constantly check your geo whereabouts. Make sure to shutdown such apps when you're not using them + +# Disable Push notification -- The built-in Mail app as well as dozens of other apps poll servers in the background look for new tweets, mail and messages, all of which costs your precious battery life. Open Settings and select Mail, Contacts, Calendars. Then select Fetch New Data and turn off Push. + +# Delay data fetching -- So you've turned off push notifications, go a step further and make Mail and other apps check-in with the server less frequently. To increase the fetch interval, go to Settings and select Mail, Contacts, Calendars. Then select Fetch New Data and tap Hourly. Note that this is a global setting add applies to all apps. It's also worth noting that setting Fetch New Data to hourly means you can't find your iPad using the MobileMe Find My iPad tools. + +== Extending the life of the battery == + +While all of the above will help your battery last a bit longer, none of it extends the life of the battery. For that Apple [http://www.apple.com/batteries/ipad.html recommends "cycling" your iPad battery once a month], which means charging it all the way up and then running it all the way down.
\ No newline at end of file diff --git a/old/published/How To Wiki/howtoextendiphonebattery.txt b/old/published/How To Wiki/howtoextendiphonebattery.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..db3c8ae --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/How To Wiki/howtoextendiphonebattery.txt @@ -0,0 +1,29 @@ +Smartphones aren't noted for their incredible battery life -- with great power comes the need for great batteries. While batteries are improving, mobile devices still don't last long enough for most of our tastes. + +Apple's iPhone is one of the better candidate when it comes to battery life, but despite Apple's claims of up to 7 hours of talk time on 3G, in our experience the battery begins to fade away much sooner. + +Still, if you tweak a few settings, turn off some features when you don't need them and dim your screen a bit it'll go a long way toward getting you 7 hours of 3G use. + +Here's our guide to making your iPhone battery last a bit longer + +== The obvious == + +# Dim the screen -- This is probably the biggest single thing you can do to save battery life. Head to Settings, select Brightness and dim down the screen. + +# Lock your iPhone when you aren't using it -- Sure it will auto-lock after a set period of time, but why leave it sitting there wasting battery when it's so simple to lock? Just make it a habit of pressing the lock button every time you put it down. While you're at it, shorten the auto-lock settings; head to Settings > General > Auto-Lock and set the interval to a shorter time. + +== Features worth disabling == + +# Turn off 3G -- You're on the AT&T network, there's no 3G coverage anyway. Just kidding. But if you're on wifi, turn off the 3G network. Also, if you in a place you know there's no 3G coverage, don't waste battery searching for it. + +# Learn to Love Airplane Mode -- The easiest way to temporarily disable all forms of battery draining networking is to switch into Airplane Mode when you don't need to connect, say when you're just listening to music on the bus. + +# Watch your apps -- There are two types of apps that are particularly hard on your iPhone's batteries -- games that never let the screen dim and location based services that constantly check your geo whereabouts. Make sure to shutdown such apps when you're not using them. + +# Disable Push notification -- The built-in Mail app as well as dozens of other apps poll servers in the background look for new tweets, mail and messages, all of which costs your precious battery life. Open Settings and select Mail, Contacts, Calendars. Then select Fetch New Data and turn off Push. + +# Delay data fetching -- So you've turned off push notifications, go a step further and make Mail and other apps check-in with the server less frequently. To increase the fetch interval, go to Settings and select Mail, Contacts, Calendars. Then select Fetch New Data and tap Hourly. Note that this is a global setting add applies to all apps. It's also worth noting that setting Fetch New Data to hourly means you can't find your iPhone using the MobileMe Find My iPhone tools. + +== Extending the life of the battery == + +While all of the above will help your battery last a bit longer, none of it extends the life of the battery. For that Apple [http://www.apple.com/batteries/iphone.html recommends "cycling" your iPhone battery once a month], which means charging it all the way up and then running it all the way down.
\ No newline at end of file diff --git a/old/published/How To Wiki/howtofacebookprivacy.txt b/old/published/How To Wiki/howtofacebookprivacy.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..e30cb7b --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/How To Wiki/howtofacebookprivacy.txt @@ -0,0 +1,37 @@ +Facebook needs to make money and so far it seems that the most likely route to riches for the Internet darling will be your personal information. The company recently (December 2009) unveiled a radically revamped set of privacy controls which are better than previous efforts, but make one very important change -- by default almost all of your data is now made public. + +For accounts created since the change, most profile settings, contact information and application settings in Facebook default to "everyone," which means the whole world can see everything you post. For more details on the good bad and ugly of Facebook's most recently privacy changes, see the [http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2009/12/facebooks-new-privacy-changes-good-bad-and-ugly Electronic Frontier Foundations overview]. + +But the worst part for most people will be the public search results settings which means if you post something and later decide you want to switch to a private profile, well, good luck trying to remove your embarrassing posts from search engine indexes. + +The good news is that Facebook actually offers pretty fine-grained control over which bits of personal information you share. The bad news is that the high level of control makes preserving your privacy a fairly complex process. There's no longer a simple check box that says make my profile private. + +But fear not, we've got you covered with this how to. + +== Locking Down Your Profile == + +The First step is to head to your privacy settings under the account menu at the upper right corner of your Facebook page. + +On the privacy page you'll see five categories of privacy settings: Profile, Contact Information, Applications and Websites, Search and Block List. + +Start at the top with Profile information and change all the options to "friends" this will stop people you don't know from accessing any of your personal data. + +Do the same for contacts, most of which, thankfully, still defaults to Only Friends. + +Also be aware that each setting has a "customize" option which allows you to, for example, set your information to visible only to friends but also block certain "friends" like your mom so she won't see your drunken late night wall rants. + +== Applications and Outside data == + +Facebook isn't just Facebook anymore, it includes a vast network of connected websites and applications linked together through Facebook Connect and Facebook's App Platform. + +This is one area that many people overlook, but it has perhaps the highest potential to unwittingly leak information about you. + +Head to Privacy Settings >> Applications and Websites and adjust the settings to Friends Only. + +But there's more. Click the edit settings button for the "What your friends can share about you" section and uncheck anything you aren't comfortable leaking out of Facebook. + +Finally, and in the long run, most importantly, head to the Search section of your Privacy settings and uncheck the box that allows search engines to index your posts. + +== Conclusion == + +It takes a little bit of work to lock your data down, but if you'd like to keep Facebook the private, for-your-eyes-only social network it once was, you still can. At least for now.
\ No newline at end of file diff --git a/old/published/How To Wiki/howtofreezelock.txt b/old/published/How To Wiki/howtofreezelock.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..2259d72 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/How To Wiki/howtofreezelock.txt @@ -0,0 +1,23 @@ +You seen it in movies sure, but it turns out freezing a lock and then smashing it with a hammer really does work. Most of the time. This probably won't work on Kryptonite or other heavy duty locks, but for the garden variety you're likely to use around the house (and subsequently lose the key to) it will do the trick. + +Before we get started, keep in mind that breaking locks is illegal. If you lost the key to the lock on your shed and you don't want to pay a locksmith, then this trick works just fine. If you want to get in your neighbors shed, well that's not cool so don't do it. + +Here's our guide to freezing and smashing a lock. + +== Materials == + +The trick to making this work is getting the metal lock cold enough that it becomes brittle and easy to smash with a hammer. In this case we'll use a can or two of compressed air -- like the stuff you use to clean out your keyboard. + +You'll also need a hammer and, obviously, a lock that you'd like to open. It's also a good idea to put on a pair of heavy duty work gloves since we'll be working with temperatures that can easily freeze human skin. + +== Technique == + +Hold the compressed air can upside down and empty it onto the lock. You'll notice a lot of white powdery stuff coming out; don't worry that's just Tetraflouroethane. If you're thinking Tetraflouroethane is probably bad for the environment, well, you're right so try to keep it to a minimum. + +As soon as the air can is empty, grab the hammer and smash the lock. If all went well the compressed air should have brought the temperature of the metal down to around -47F, making it brittle and easier to break. + +== For crazy people == + +There are of course other sources of extreme cold that can do far more to metal than a can of compressed air. Liquid Nitrogen has long been a favorite of Hollywood and it will break many more types of locks. + +If your name isn't Adam Savage or Jamie Hyneman then you probably shouldn't do this. But, if you happen to have some liquid nitrogen around, along with the proper gloves and other protective gear, go ahead and drip a little into the lock and then give it a good smashing. diff --git a/old/published/How To Wiki/howtofutureproof.txt b/old/published/How To Wiki/howtofutureproof.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6d5856f --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/How To Wiki/howtofutureproof.txt @@ -0,0 +1,29 @@ +How To Future Proof Your Tech Purchases. + +Buying gadgets has become an arms race -- you buy the latest and greatest only to have it become obsolete two months later. We're all for sticking with [http://www.lastyearsmodel.org/ last year's model], but when it comes to buying new tech gear you want to make sure you don't buy this year's model two days before it becomes last year's model. + +To help make sure your purchases aren't old new before you get home from the store, here's our guide to future-proofing your tech purchases + +## Know the release cycle + +New gadgets don't appear at random. For example, Apple products are so predictable there are website dedicated to tracking the release cycles. Thinking of buying an iPad or iPhone? Check out [http://buyersguide.macrumors.com/ MacRumors' product cycle buying guide] before you do. + +Not every company puts out new products with the Metamucil-like regularity of Apple, but here are some basic guidelines: + +# PCs/laptops/tablets -- The Consumer Electronics Show each January brings not only new laptops, tablets and PCs, but also new chips. That means the Christmas season, and the time leading up to CES is the worst time to buy new PCs. There's a reason gift cards are popular. + +# Cameras -- Like laptops, new cameras often show up at CES; avoid buying a new camera in the last few weeks of the year. By the same token, come February, last year's models are available at deep discounts to pave the way for the new lineup. + +# HDTVs -- Wait until fall. Typically new models show up at CES and then again in August. Football season in the U.S. means deep discounts even on those models that are only a month or two old. By the same token just before the Super Bowl (but after CES) at the end of January is another good time to upgrade. + +## Returns, warranties and buy backs + +Wherever you end up purchasing your gadget, make sure the return policy allows you to easily exchange your purchase should something go wrong. Lemons happen, make sure you're covered. + +The usefulness of warranties, particularly "extended warranties," depends on how long you plan to keep your gadgets. If you upgrade frequently, you'll probably want the new version long before the old breaks, making the warranty a waste of money. + +What might be more useful is something like Best Buy's "[http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Misc/Buy-Back-Program/pcmcat230000050010.c?id=pcmcat230000050010 Buy Back]" program. Buy back programs allow you to bring in your hardware and exchange it for a gift card worth a percentage of the gadget's original value. You won't come out ahead, but it will save you the trouble of putting your old gadgets on Ebay. + +## Don't buy the hype + +Finally, exercise a little restraint. Sometimes, despite how advertising may portray it there isn't a huge difference between last year's gadgets and this year's gadgets. When you're considering upgrading, make sure you're upgrading for features you'll actually use, not just buying into the hype-induced frenzy.
\ No newline at end of file diff --git a/old/published/How To Wiki/howtogetmoreoutoffirefox4.txt b/old/published/How To Wiki/howtogetmoreoutoffirefox4.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..0cfdb8c --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/How To Wiki/howtogetmoreoutoffirefox4.txt @@ -0,0 +1,31 @@ +Firefox 4 is a massive overhaul with some big changes to how the browser works, how it looks and what it can do. A glance at the [http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/features/ new features page] might make some users feel overwhelmed, but there's loads of good stuff in there that will make your web browsing life easier. + +Of course Firefox 4 is faster than previous releases (as much as 6 times as fast) and offers tons of improvements under the hood, but some of the new features aren't immediately obvious if you don't know where to look. + +To make sure you don't miss out on anything, here's our guide to rocking Firefox 4. + +## Out with the old + +The first thing to do after you upgrade is make sure any add-ons you're using are up-to-date. Firefox will check for you, making sure that all your add-ons will work with Firefox 4. If there's something that doesn't work you can head to the new add-ons page and search for an update or suitable replacement. + +Once you've got everything running the latest version it's time to check out some of the new features. + +## Sync + +The first thing to set up is the new integrated sync features. Syncing means you have your bookmarks, passwords, preferences, history and even open tabs on any computer running Firefox. Even if you only use one computer, syncing makes a great way to backup your Firefox data. + +To get started head to Preferences and click the sync tab. Firefox will walk you through the process of setting up an account and choosing which items to sync. Firefox's new syncing tools use end-to-end encryption so you don't have to worry about prying eyes stealing your data. + +## Native Video + +Firefox 4 brings tons of support for the latest and greatest in HTML5, the next generation of the web's lingua franca, but perhaps the most useful is support for the HTML5 video tag. Native web video means you can watch movies in your web browser without the Flash plugin. That's especially good new for laptop users since Flash has historically put a heavy strain on your CPU and consequently your battery. + +Of course not every site offers HTML5 video, but one big one does -- YouTube. To get HTML5 video from YouTube, head over to the site and [http://www.youtube.com/html5 opt in to the HTML experiment]. It won't work for every video, but YouTube is adding more HTML5 videos everyday. + +## Tabs + +You probably noticed some of the visual changes the minute you launched Firefox 4 -- tabs, for example, are now above the URL bar. And that's not the only thing new in tabs, Firefox 4 also features what Mozilla calls Tab Panorama. Tab Panorama lets you group and quickly switch between related clusters of open tabs. For example, you can group tabs for work and tabs for fun, and then quickly switch between groups. + +To use Panorama just click the small multi-window icon on the right side of the Firefox window, which will bring up the Panorama interface. + +There's also a new feature to pin frequently used sites in a smaller tab. Just right-click on a tab, choose the pin tab feature and Firefox will shrink the tab and make it persist even when you switch tab groups. Handy for apps you leave open all the time, like Gmail or Twitter. diff --git a/old/published/How To Wiki/howtoipadvideo.txt b/old/published/How To Wiki/howtoipadvideo.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..3827f26 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/How To Wiki/howtoipadvideo.txt @@ -0,0 +1,34 @@ +Ripping a DVD to your hard drive is easy (check out our [http://howto.wired.com/wiki/Rip_a_DVD_to_Your_iPhone_or_iPod_Touch guide to ripping DVDs for more info]). + +Sadly, converting video to support the myriad of devices in our homes these days isn't quite a simple. With every new device comes a new set of video options, screen resolutions and framerates. + +For example, while some of your older iPod-encoded movies will play just fine on your new iPad or iPhone 4, both devices support much higher resolution video than their predecessors. + +Here's our guide to getting the most out videos on your iPad or iPhone 4. + +== The new specs == + +The iPad and iPhone 4 support 30fps H.264 video at a resolution of 1280 by 720 (720p). + +Older versions of the iPhone and iPods supported 30fps H.264 video at 640 by 480, which means, if you want to support older devices you're either going to have stick with the older settings, or encode two separate copies of your movies. + +== Brave new HD video == + +Assuming you're embracing the new, you'll need to re-encode your movies to get the high quality video playback the iPad is capable of. + +The free and open-source HandBrake app is available for nearly every OS out there and can do an able job of encoding your ripped VIDEO_TS folder into a high quality video file that will look great on the iPad. + +The simplest way to get video on your iPad using Handbrake is to take advantage of the Universal preset, which, will generally turn 720p video into 705 by 400 pixels. That's a bit below what the iPad can handle, but it generally looks fine (with a few artifacts here and there) and is definitely the easiest way to go. + +If you're more of purist, well, get ready to dive into the intricacies of video encoding. While there has been some effort in the Handbrake community to [http://forum.handbrake.fr/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=14898 release an iPad optimized preset], for now, that's not an option. + +The best thing to do is start with either the Normal or High Profile presets. Then, depending on your source video, you may need to scale down the screen size. Make sure you set the picture options for the anamorphic menu are set to "loose" or "custom" and the width is 1024 or less. + +The last thing to correct for is framerate -- if your source is greater than 30fps, you're going to have to lower it. + +For more info on optimizing other settings see the [http://forum.handbrake.fr/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=16303 Handbrake forums]. + +== Transferring == + +Once you've got a video file that the iPad can understand, all you need to do is add it to your iTunes Library and then sync it over to your iPad where you can enjoy your new higher-res video. + diff --git a/old/published/How To Wiki/howtoiphoneringtones.txt b/old/published/How To Wiki/howtoiphoneringtones.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..55f3989 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/How To Wiki/howtoiphoneringtones.txt @@ -0,0 +1,29 @@ +Almost as soon as the iPhone was in the hands of hackers they started looking for ways to install custom ringtones. Now that Apple has announced it will sell ringtones for $2 a piece, many people will no doubt go with the iTunes store. + +To ensure that it corners the market on iPhone ringtones, Apple recently updated iTunes to blocks users from adding free custom ringtones to their phones. But despite Apple's efforts, a new workaround has already been found. + +Which means you aren't stuck shelling out an extra dollar just to convert a song you already own into a ringtone. If you're not a afraid to do a little tinkering you can still get that copy of Sexy Back without having to pay for it a second time. + +For a brief moment after the release of iTunes 7.4, users noticed that the main difference between ringtones and regular song files was a simple as a file extension. Apple quickly broke this ultra-simple free ringtone method with the release of iTunes 7.4.1, but if you haven't upgraded to 7.4.1 yet you can still get your free ringtones to work. + +If you have iTunes 7.4 installed there should be a file in your iTunes Music Folder labeled "ringtones." This is where you'll want to put your song files, but first you'll need to edit them down to a suitable size. + +For Mac users there are several options, you could use Apple's Quicktime Pro or Garageband if you have them, or edit MP3s in the free <a href="http://www.modmyiphone.com/wiki/index.php/Jailbreak_iPhone">Audion 3</a>, which features a nice waveform editing tool. + +Windows users can edit audio files with Audacity (which also has a Mac version) or other popular audio file editors. + +The next step is to open up iTunes and convert your file to AAC format. Use the "Reveal in Finder" option to locate the new file and then move it to the Ringtones folder. Now change the file extension to .m4r. This part can be tricky since both Windows and Mac like to hide file extensions. Make sure you aren't just appending a file extension to the hidden one, by choosing "Get Info" in Mac's Finder or, on Windows, make sure the "Hide extensions for known file types" option in Windows Explorer is turned off. + +Now sync to your iPhone and you should see the new ringtones displayed. + +At this point you can either make sure to <strong>not</strong> upgrade to iTunes 7.4.1 and most likely all subsequent versions, or you can try this simple trick: head back into the iTunes Music Folder and change your ringtones back to the .m4a extension. Convoluted, yes but it does work. For now. + +If trying to keep up with the wack-a-mole game between Apple and the hackers doesn't appeal to you, there's a commercial software offering known as iToner, which might be more your style. IToner sells for $15. + +There's no guarantee iToner will continue to work (iTunes 7.4 broke iToner, but Ambrosia Software, who makes the program, managed to get it working again in a few days) but at least, with a copy of iToner, you can let the developers play the wack-a-mole game. + +iToner also gives a nice graphical interface, with drag-and-drop features, making it somewhat easier than rooting around in your filesystem for the right folders and constantly changing file extensions. + +There is another method of getting custom ringtones on your iPhone as well, though it requires using the <a href="http://www.modmyiphone.com/wiki/index.php/Jailbreak_iPhone">Jailbreak</a> application and a bit of command line sauce. Use Jailbreak to unlock your iPhone and then install the SSH application and you can now interact with the iPhone's file system just as you would any other remote device — install ringtones and much much more. + +Before we go though, we can't help but suggest that perhaps you should consider another ring option, the ever popular vibrate setting. Like a timeless black suit or little black dress, vibrate is classy, demure and doesn't annoy the hell out of everyone within twenty feet of you. diff --git a/old/published/How To Wiki/howtolioninstall.txt b/old/published/How To Wiki/howtolioninstall.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..42dea7c --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/How To Wiki/howtolioninstall.txt @@ -0,0 +1,39 @@ +The optical disk is dead. Or at least it is for Apple fans. The company had been dropping DVD drives from its latest hardware and its new operating system, OS X 10.7 Lion, is now available in digital form only, via the Mac App Store. + +On one hand that's great -- upgrading is just a matter of clicking a button and you're done, everything is handled seamlessly behind the scenes. + +However, the App Store method means you'll have to be running Snow Leopard (which is the only other OS that supports the App Store), and you'll have to download a nearly 4GB file, which can take quite a while if you haven't got a fast internet connection. + +The other problem is that the App Store install doesn't offer the opportunity to do a "clean" install, that is, wipe away your old system and install a fresh copy of Lion. To do a clean install Apple would have you wait until August, when the company will be begin shipping Lion on USB sticks for a whopping $70, more the double the $30 App Store price. + +However, despite what Apple says, there are in fact other ways to install Lion. Here's our guide to the various ways of installing Apple's newest OS on your Mac without waiting until August or paying double for the USB stick. + +==Downloading Lion== + +The simplest way to install Lion is to download it from the Mac App Store and then run the installer. If your connection is too slow to make a 4 GB download practical, head to your nearest Apple Store which will allow you to download a copy via their speedy wifi connection. It'll still take a while, but at least you can play with fancy new Macs while you wait. + +Don't have fast broadband or live near a Mac store? Make friends with someone who has the broadband you need, or be patient and wait several days for Lion to download. Alternately you can wait until August and pay a premium for a USB copy. + +==Build your own install disk == + +Just because Apple wants everything to be digital doesn't mean you have to oblige them. In fact it's dead simple to create your own DVD or USB Lion installer. When Lion installs it will create a hidden recovery partition on your harddrive. Should anything ever go wrong with your installation you can always hold down the option key at start up and boot from the emergency partition to re-install Lion. + +Given the new hidden disk failsafe, why bother creating an installation disk? Well, you'll need it if you want to do a clean install and it's not a bad thing to have around. If your hard drive fails the hidden partition will fail with it and you'll be stuck downloading Lion again. + +Fortunately creating an install disk from the Lion installer is pretty easy. First head to your Applications folder, where you'll see the freshly downloaded Lion installer app. Right-click on the app and select "Show Package Contents." That will open the installer bundle in a new window where you'll see a folder called "SharedSupport." Inside "SharedSupport" there's a disk image called "InstallESD.dmg." The "ESD" bit stands for "Emergency Startup Disk," which is what we'll use to create a new Lion install disk, so copy "InstallESD.dmg" somewhere else. + +Now insert your disk -- a DVD, a USB stick or an external hard drive will all work -- and launch Disk Utility. Select the drive you're using and then click the "Restore" tab. Make sure your backup drive is set as the "Destination," and then just drag and drop the "InstallESD.dmg" into the "Source" box. Click "Restore" and wait for Disk Utility to work it's magic. Once it's done, eject your disk and you're finished. Use that disk as you would any other installation disk. + +== Over the air "clean" install == + +If something goes catastrophically wrong with your Mac, Apple has a new hidden option in Lion that will allow you to wipe your drive and do a clean install via the internet. That's great for recovery purposes, should something go wrong with your install. + +To get to the new options, just start up your Mac holding down command-R and you'll be greeted by a menu that will allow you to restore your system to any point in time from a Time Machine backup, run Disk Utility to check, repair or partition disks and connect to Apple via Safari. That's the hidden recovery partition kicking in. + +Lion's so-called [http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4718 Internet Recovery mode] lets you start your Mac directly from Apple's Servers, as per Apple's tech note: + +>If your Mac problem is a little less common — your hard drive has failed or you've installed a hard drive without OS X, for example — Internet Recovery takes over automatically. It downloads and starts Lion Recovery directly from Apple servers over a broadband Internet connection. And your Mac has access to the same Lion Recovery features online. Internet Recovery is built into every newly-released Mac starting with the Mac mini and MacBook Air. + +== Conclusion == + +As with in OS upgrade be sure to make complete bootable backups (and test them!) before you begin installing OS X Lion.
\ No newline at end of file diff --git a/old/published/How To Wiki/howtomakeaguitarslide.txt b/old/published/How To Wiki/howtomakeaguitarslide.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..74ed7d0 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/How To Wiki/howtomakeaguitarslide.txt @@ -0,0 +1,36 @@ +Blues guitar masters like Robert Johnson, BB King and T-Bone Walker didn't use the cheap pyrex guitar slides you'll find at your local music shop. They went for something with a little more soul, a little more mojo if you will -- bottle necks. + +Legend has it that the preferred method of the masters was to find a bottle and drink the contents (natch). The next step is to soak hemp twine in kerosene, wrap it around the bottle neck and light it on fire. After it burns out, you then plunge the bottle in ice water and it will break off where the hemp twine was. + +While it undoubtedly looks cool and makes for a great story, we've yet to hear of anyone having success with this method. Perhaps you need to be Robert Johnson himself before the burning twine method will work. + +Since you aren't, here's our guide to making your own glass guitar slide without lighting anything on fire. + +== Find the perfect bottle == + +This is really a matter of preference and your preferences may change so there's no harm in making a dozen slides before you find the perfect fit. Start with a bottleneck that comfortably fits your finger. Beer bottles work well and have a certain gritty dive bar charm. If you're looking for something a bit classier try some Sherry or Port bottles. + +If you happen to have a good antiques store nearby, ask around for some old TK bottles, which work well and may fit your finger, no glass cutting required. + +Once you've found the prefect bottle buy two or three because there's a good chance your first attempt won't quite go as planed. + +Once you've found a suitable bottle and a few backups pour the contents down your throat late one night and then head outside to howl at the moon. + +== Cutting the bottle == + +The easiest and safest way to cut glass is with a glass cutting, which you can pick of for around $10 at your local hardware store. You'll also need some cutting fluid or, if you want to channel the masters you can use kerosene, just don't light it. + +Clean the bottle. Wipe away any fingerprints and grease around the section where you're going to cut. Now dip your cutter in the cutting fluid and, holding the cutter like a pencil, score a line around the neck of the bottle. For the best results make multiple light passes with an even pressure -- too much pressure in one spot and not enough in another will make for uneven breaks. + +Now put on a pair of heavy glove and some eye protection. Grab hold of the neck above where you just scored it with the glass cutter and gently, but firmly, knock the boddy of the bottle against something solid -- an empty trash can or recycling bin works well. This should cause the neck and body to break on the groove you made with the glass cutter. + +== Polishing up == + +Congratulations, you have a guitar slide. The only problem is the razor sharp edge of the break will probably cut your finger off before you can get too far down the neck of your guitar. + +Unless you're going for a G.G. Allen vibe, you'll need to sand or file down the edges of your new slide they're nice and smooth and safe. Sand paper, emory boards or fine metal files can all do the job. For the outside edge you can even just drag it along some concrete. Whatever method you prefer, make sure you get rid of all the sharp edges before you slip it on your finger. + +== Conclusion == + +Now you've got an authentic (and unique) glass guitar slide. If you'd like to branch out buy some metal tubing and cut some brass or chrome slides. Experiment with various metals to see which resonates the best with your playing. + diff --git a/old/published/How To Wiki/howtomeditate.txt b/old/published/How To Wiki/howtomeditate.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..c21231d --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/How To Wiki/howtomeditate.txt @@ -0,0 +1,41 @@ +Mediation isn't just something for yogis or crystal-collecting new age fanatics. Mediation is ascientifically proven method of lowering stress levels and helping your body and mind relax. + +And, contrary to its image in popular media, meditation isn't difficult, though it does take practice and certain sense of discipline. + +There are many different kinds of meditation, but nearly all of them share a common goal -- focusing and quieting your mind. + +Don't worry, you don't need to bend yourself into a pretzel to meditate, in fact all you need is bit of free time and a quiet place you can sit undisturbed. + +== Getting started == + +Although it may seem like you're just sitting there doing nothing, it turns out that sitting and doing nothing is actually very difficult -- especially when you first get started. To ensure that you don't get frustrated start small. Most books on the subject recommend beginners start with a short session of 5-12 minutes. + +Find a confortable chair that you can sit up straight in with your feet flat on the floor -- your dinning room chairs will likely work well. Grab a pillow if you need a little extra cushioning. + +There's no right or wrong time to meditate, though you'll likely find that being very hungry or very full can be distracting, so avoid both of those times. + +In the beginning its best to close your eyes and focus your attention on your breathe. Breath freely and deeply, but naturally, don't force the breathe; just let yourself breathe and feel your muscles relax. + +Your mind will wander, probably immediately, that's okay, just bring your attention back to your breathe and run your awareness over your body, looking for spots you can continue to relax. + +Some people find that counting their breathe -- 1 to 10 and then starting over again -- is an effective way to remain focused. Just don't worry if it's some time before you get past two without your mind drifting away. + +In the beginning your mind will trick you, you'll wander off on a train of thought and not even realize it for some time. That's okay, just bring your attention back to your breathe whenever you notice that your mind has wandered. Over time (years in most cases) you'll notice that your mind wanders less. + +== The Wandering Mind == + +There are several ways to stop your mind from wandering. One, mentioned above, is to focus your attention back on the breathe. Another is to use a mantra, something your repeat so that your mind has something to focus on. + +Still another method is to simply watch your mind wander, to tell yourself you are detached from your thoughts and to let them simply float by, watching, but not judging them. + +Whichever method you use remember to relax -- meditation isn't a test and there is nothing wrong with a wandering mind. After all, if your mind didn't wander then you wouldn't have any need to meditate. Work with yourself, not against. + +== Moving past focus == + +Once you're able to focus on a single thing -- your breathe, a mantra or whatever works for you -- the next step is to focus on nothing at all. This is the "clearing the mind" part of meditation that's probably always sounded a bit mysterious. The truth is it's not easy, but once you've got your attention under control you can begin to let go of the thing that is controlling it. + +Push the object of focus away from your mind and simply let it rest. Or continue to observe it, but remain impartial and detached from it. If any thoughts come up, take the same attitude toward them. + +== Conclusion == + +While meditation is actually quite easy, it take a tremendous amount of practice before it will feel natural. Luckily you'll likely begin to notice some of the benefits long before you begin to feel that you're "successful" at meditation. Once you notice the nice relaxed feeling you get after even a short five minute meditation, you'll find yourself wanting to work more such moments into your day.
\ No newline at end of file diff --git a/old/published/How To Wiki/howtomultiplemonitors.txt b/old/published/How To Wiki/howtomultiplemonitors.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..e093d08 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/How To Wiki/howtomultiplemonitors.txt @@ -0,0 +1,49 @@ +Multiple monitors don't just look cool, they can actually post your productivity. Whether you're editing large images, working with video or simply playing games, multiple monitors give you you more screen real estate to work on your projects, a bit like having a larger digital desk. + +With monitor prices falling and most modern graphics cards supporting at least a dual monitor set-up, having several screens isn't as expensive as it used to be. + +However, there are a few tricks to setting up multiple monitors that can make the process a little tricky. Here's our guide to setting up multiple monitors. + +== Graphics cards == + +Start by checking out your current graphics card to see if there's a second output. If not, your first step will be buying a new graphics card that can connect two monitors. + +There are numerous graphics cards on the market, ranging from the simple $100 models that will work for most people, to high-end models aimed at gamers. Unless you're doing very graphics intensive work (video editing or the like) the lower end will probably work just fine. + +== Monitors == + +You could go out and splurge on some nice big, new monitors, but there's a good chance whatever you're using now will work just fine, which means you just need to add a second screen. + +When it comes to buying a second monitor, try to stick with a similar model to what you have. While not totally necessary, similar models will generally be easier to set up and configure. + +Also keep in mind that older graphics cards probably won't have support for modeler connections like HDMI. Fortunately are adapters to connect HDMI to DVI (the most common connector). If you've got a new monitor, but old graphics card, be sure to pick up the appropriate adapter when you buy that second monitor. + +== Multiple monitors in Windows == + +Once you've got your second monitor and graphics card installed and hooked up to your PC, it's time to connect to Windows. Turn off your PC, plugin in the second monitor and restart Windows. With any luck Windows will detect the new display and install the drivers for you. + +At this point your should have a mirror of your desktop on two screens. That's nice, but not what we're after here. Head to Control Panel >> Display and select the multiple display option. Adjust the resolution and orientation to suit your monitor setup and you'll now have dual monitors. + +Now you can drag windows between monitors and adjust your windows to suit your workflow. + +== Multiple monitors in Ubuntu == + +Ubuntu's monitor setup screen live in System >> Preference >> Display. Once that screen is up, click the detect monitors button which will force the system to find your new monitor. Select all the monitors listed and click the "on" radio button. + +Be sure to uncheck the "mirror" option and then click apply. + +While the process of setting up multiple monitors in Linux is easy, finding drivers that support your monitors isn't always easy. Before you head out to purchase a new graphics card, be sure to check with the Ubuntu forums and read up on success and failure stories. + +== Multiple monitors in Mac OS X == + +Not every Mac supports multiple monitors, so be sure to check the Apple support documents for your model before you purchase a second monitor. + +Assuming your Mac does, all you need to do is plug it in and Mac OS X should automatically recognize it. Head to System Preferences >> Displays and you will see two screens pop-up -- one on each monitor. From here you can control your monitor settings, add backgrounds and so on. + +== Everything all at once == + +While we've focused on dual monitors for single operating systems, it is in fact possible to run multiple OSes on multiple monitors simultaneously. If you're interested check out [http://synergy-foss.org/ Synergy]. Not only can Synergy share a single mouse, keyboard and multiple monitors across operating systems, it can even share clipboard data across all those PCs and operating systems. + +== Conclusion == + +Thanks to the falling price of LCD monitors, having a dual monitor set up is no longer just something for the very wealthy. In fact, you can grab a graphics card and a new 19 inch monitor for less than $250. With the price of a dual monitor setup well below that of the average smart phone, why not double the size of your digital desk?
\ No newline at end of file diff --git a/old/published/How To Wiki/howtopinsitesinie9.txt b/old/published/How To Wiki/howtopinsitesinie9.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..0ee6815 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/How To Wiki/howtopinsitesinie9.txt @@ -0,0 +1,21 @@ +The new Internet Explorer 9 sees Microsoft doing a lot of catching up with other web browsers, but IE9 does have a few innovative features that you won't find elsewhere just yet. Perhaps the most useful of these is the new "pinned sites" feature. + +Pinned sites in IE9 are a bit like bookmarks for your taskbar -- handy for frequently used websites or online applications. Naturally, since there is limited real estate in your taskbar, you don't want to put everything in there, but for sites you visit everyday the shortcuts can save you time. + +Here's our guide to getting the most out of IE9's pinned sites. + +## Drag and Drop Simple + +To pin a website to your task bar just launch IE9 and point it to the site you'd like to pin. Once the site has loaded grab the tab and drag it down to the taskbar. That's it. The site now lives in your task bar. To return to that site just click the taskbar button and you'll go directly there. + +Any time you you open a browser window from one of your pinned sites you'll notice that there's a small site icon to the left of the back and forward buttons. If you browse away from the pinned site, the icon serves as a quick link to snap you back to where you started. + +If you ever want to get rid of a pinned site in your taskbar, just right-click the icon and choose: "Unpin this program from taskbar." + +Here's a power user tip: pinned sites aren't just for the taskbar. In fact pinned sites work anywhere in the file system. That's good news for Vista users who can't pin sites to their taskbar, but can add them to the start menu using the same drag-and-drop technique. + +## Extra Features + +While pinned sites are handy in Windows 7 the real power comes when websites integrate Microsoft's new pinned sites code into their webpages. Using a few (non-standard) lines of code, sites can include their entire menu in the task bar's jump list. Even better sites can use the pinned icon as a message indicator (for example, flash the task bar when a new message arrives on Facebook), or even add Play/Pause buttons to the icon's preview window if there is audio or video content on the page. + +Of course not every website supports pinned sites, especially since it only works in IE, which, despite the new release, is still losing market share. However, some popular sites have jumped on board, including favorites like Twitter, which offers a jump list for quick access to New Tweet, Messages, Mentions, Favorites and Search, and Facebook which offers similar links and will also notify you of new messages by flashing the taskbar icon.
\ No newline at end of file diff --git a/old/published/How To Wiki/howtopreventhangovers.txt b/old/published/How To Wiki/howtopreventhangovers.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..f1ac665 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/How To Wiki/howtopreventhangovers.txt @@ -0,0 +1,39 @@ +Hangovers are one of life's mysteries. Not their origin, that's obvious enough, but rather why we still have to deal with them. We have been to moon, but like the common cold, a true cure for hangovers remains elusive. It's just not fair. + +Most doctors will tell you there is no way to cure a hangover, save waiting for your body to metabolize and get rid of the alcohol. While that may be true, there are number of things you can do to speed things up. + +Here's out guide to preventing and, failing that, speeding up the departure of a nasty hangover. + +===Preventing a hangover=== + +Obviously not drinking any alcohol would be one option. For those of you not planning to embrace a neo-temperance movement, here are some guidelines to minimizing the lingering effects of too much alcohol. + +# Know your limits -- the best way to avoid a hangover is to not drink too much. How much is too much depends on everything body weight to racial type. A general rule of thumb is to make sure you don't have more than three drinks in a two hour span, and no more than five in a single night + +# Don't drink on an empty stomach -- Eat something before you go out. Have big dinner or, if you consider yourself a professional, have a big breakfast. Even a snack is better than nothing. There's a reason bars have snacks, the more you eat the slower alcohol will effect you (thus the more you can drink). Eat before you drink and, if you can, eat afterwards too. Fatty foods are better since they slow the absorption of alcohol. + +# Drink water -- Much of the hangover feeling is in fact dehydration. Drink water in between alcoholic drinks to make sure you aren't dehydrated when you go to bed. Failing that, at least have a nice big glass of water before you pass out on the bathroom rug. + +#Embrace your drunken self -- Interesting, some research suggests that feeling guilty about your drinking or just being depressed in general is a good predictor of how bad your hangover will be. If you're drinking straight from the bottle, sitting alone on the floor of the closet, clutching a photo of your ex, well, we can't help you. But if you're otherwise well adjusted, don't beat yourself up for drinking too much, your body will do that for you. + +===Cure your hangover=== + +Okay, you ignored all of the above advice and now you're lying on the couch in your underwear clutching at the blanket tangled on your chest wishing the day was already over. Here's a few things you can do to speed up the slow and painful process of getting rid of that excess alcohol. + +# Drink Water -- yes it makes both lists. Alcohol has dehydrated you and to speed up your recovery the first thing to do is get the water back in your body. + +# Aspirin, Ibuprofen, Acetaminophen -- Although all of these are helpful for alleving headaches, you're better off avoiding them when you're hung over. Aspirin is a blood thinner, but so is alcohol, combining the two is a bad idea. Acetaminophen when combined with alcohol can cause liver damage and Ibuprofen is more likely to damage your stomach lining when combined with alcohol. + +# Avoid Coffee -- Sacrilege yes, but coffee will just make you more dehydrated. One cup might be okay, but try not to down an entire pot in some misguided quest to wake up. Drink water instead. + +# Sleep -- the best way to cure a hangover is to sleep through it. The physical effects of alcohol on your body, combined with the late nights that typically precede a hangover mean that sleep is usually easy to come by. Embrace it. + +# Exercise -- frankly this sounds crazy to us, but exercise speeds up your metabolic rate and thus gets the alcohol moving out a bit faster. Not for the faint of heart, but if you feel like going for a run, by all means knock yourself out. Bonus points if you smell like a bar sweating its way down the street. + +# Bury yourself up to the neck in moist river sand -- Okay, no don't really do this, (though apparently some people in Ireland swear by it) it's just here to illustrate that all those hangover cures your friends have, well, unfortunately they're all folk tales. There is no easy cure, save toughing it out. + +===Conclusion=== + +Most of the so-called hangover cures you've ever heard of are untrue. The problem is that everyone is different so what works for one person might do nothing for another. That said, if you have a tried and true method don't let us talk you out of it. If it works it works, even if it is the placebo effect. + +Now if you'll excuse us, we need a drink.
\ No newline at end of file diff --git a/old/published/How To Wiki/howtoprotectyourphone.txt b/old/published/How To Wiki/howtoprotectyourphone.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..36c1bc5 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/How To Wiki/howtoprotectyourphone.txt @@ -0,0 +1,41 @@ +Attention Californians, do you know what's on your cellphone? + +You better because when police arrest anyone in California they can search that person's mobile phone. That means the police would have access to your email, call records, photos, text messages and GPS data. It could even mean the police would be able to access your bank records, files on your home computer, travel plans and countless other tidbits of data that are stored on your phone -- all without the need for a warrant. + +Warrantless searches like those [http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2011/10/warrantless-phone-searches/ California legislators were trying to block] are becoming more common. The state of Michigan has even equipped its officers with smart phone forensic devices. + +Want to stop big brother from sinking his teeth into your data? Well, it's not easy to do. In fact, you probably can't stop determined experts from getting into your phone. You can, however, put up some roadblocks that will slow them down and most likely stump the average person -- law enforcement or otherwise -- from accessing your data. Here's our guide to securing your mobile phone. + +==Lock it down== + +Password-protecting your smartphone should be a no-brainer. If you haven't already, turn on the password lock feature on your phone. It's a mild inconvenience to type your password every time your phone comes out of sleep mode, but it's your best first line of defense against would-be snoops. + +If your phone allows it, set it up to automatically wipe your data after a few failed password attempts. That way, should anyone try to guess your password they'll automatically delete your data after a few tries. Be careful though, the data gets deleted whether it's a cop trying to hack your phone or just your toddler playing around with it. + +The U.S. courts are, thus far, unclear on whether or not you can be compelled to hand over your password to law enforcement. If nothing else having one in place should help buy you some time to get in touch with a lawyer or wipe your data remotely (see below for details). + + +==Button it up== + +While it isn't absolutely foolproof, full-disk encryption is the best, most practical method of safeguarding your phone's data from the prying eyes of law enforcement (or just that creepy guy who found your phone in a bar). + +Sadly most phones don't support full-disk encryption. Apple's iOS 4 introduced a feature dubbed "data protection," which encrypts some types of data when the phone is locked or turned off. There are encryption APIs in iOS so other apps can protect your data, but how many actually do is unclear and support varies on an app by app basis. There is no way to completely encrypt your iPhone. + +Android doesn't fair much better. So far Android doesn't offer a built-in encryption option though there are some third-party apps that can do it. If you have a Nexus S or Nexus One the new [http://whispersys.com/whispercore.html Whispercore] app can do full disk encryption. If you've got a different Android model and you're looking for a full disk encryption solution, well, you're not alone. Even DARPA, the famed U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, has put out a call for help when it comes to finding [https://www.fbo.gov/index?s=opportunity&mode=form&id=3473e17cb0615b10d9c93533180aa345&tab=core&_cview=0 full-disk encryption for Android]. + +==Wipe it Away== + +What happens if the cops seize your phone and take it off to the bat cave where powerful hackers will defeat all your best encryption tools? Remote wipe it of course. + +If you've got an iPhone, set up Find My Phone, which includes an option to delete all your data from afar. + +Android users can wipe their phones with a number of apps, including [http://seekdroid.com/ SeekDroid] and [http://www.webroot.com/En_US/index.html Webroot], both of which offer additional security measures as well. + +Blackberry users have several options, but for individuals the easiest thing to do is set up [http://us.blackberry.com/apps-software/protect/ Blackberry Protect]. + +One problem with remote wipes is that it's easy to defeat -- just remove the SIM chip. If there's no way to connect to your phone there's no way to wipe it. Another problem is that in some cases wiping your phone might be considered destruction of evidence. + +==Conclusion== + +Smartphone security is just beginning to get off the ground. Right now our phones seem more like fun little toys to tote around than potentially incriminating data stores, but that's starting to change. At the moment Blackberry remains the most secure platform out there thanks to its strong background in enterprise and business environments. After that iOS and Android both offer similar features, though both can, with access to right tools, still be compromised. + diff --git a/old/published/How To Wiki/howtosiphon.txt b/old/published/How To Wiki/howtosiphon.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..47fb821 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/How To Wiki/howtosiphon.txt @@ -0,0 +1,27 @@ +Siphoning gas out of a tank or water out of an elevated jacuzzi is an excercise in physics. Unlike what many of us assume though, a siphon does not rely on atmospheric pressure (it works just fine a vacuum, should you ever need to siphon gas from your spaceship), but rather gravity (a potential problem for the spaceship senario) and the cohesive forces at work in columns of liquid. + +So now that you understand how it works, here's our guide to siphoning. + +== Siphoning == + +At the most basic level you need three things for a siphon to work -- a source of liquid, a place for the liquid to go and a hose. Ideally the hose would be clear you can see what's going on, but that's not absolutely necessary. + +In order for a siphon to work the source liquid must be above wherever you're trying to make it go (remember, gravity is doing the work here). + +In the case of siphoning gas out of a tank, feed the hose into the tank and then put your gasoline approved contain on the ground. + +Now you need to suck the gas out of the tank and get rid of any air in the tube. If you're slighly crazy you can do this with your mouth. We've seen it done by the side of the road in countless backwater places, but unless you're in dire straits it's far safer to buy a siphon pump. + +A siphon pump does the same thing your mouth does, but eliminates any chance of you swallowing gasoline and ending up in the hospital. + +Once the air is out of the tube and the liquid has reached the end of the hose, maintain suction on the hose and carefully crimp the hose or use your thumb as a stopper. In either case to goal is to prevent any air from entering the hose. + +Now just drop the the hose into your gas can and release the crimp. Viola, siphon complete. + +== Tips == + + +# The trick to avoiding air bubbles in your siphon line is hold the hose straight up and down so you're sucking the liquid up, rather than sideways or down. +# be sure to keep an eye on your source liquid and make sure the hose stays fully submerged otherwise you'll end up with bubbles. +# It's illegal to siphon gas out of someone's car, you will go to jail. +# Yes you can siphon with your mouth. That's fine if you're draining the jacuzzi, but it's a really bad idea with more toxic liquids like gasoline. diff --git a/old/published/How To Wiki/howtosolder.txt b/old/published/How To Wiki/howtosolder.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..f25e9c4 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/How To Wiki/howtosolder.txt @@ -0,0 +1,76 @@ +two videos, both from an instructables article, fyi, but there are hundreds more on youtube: +http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ZjdiRxr0OM +http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ZjdiRxr0OM + +Images: +http://www.flickr.com/photos/28172221@N08/4107068482/ +http://www.flickr.com/photos/nadya/299936460/ +http://www.flickr.com/photos/cmpalmer/183501808/ +http://www.flickr.com/photos/jason_coleman/1349420770/ +wine charms ??? http://www.flickr.com/photos/oskay/437342029/ + + +Soldering is essentially gluing with molten metal. It isn't hard, and mastering the art of soldering opens up a whole new realm of DIY project possibilities. + +Perhaps the best part of soldering is that it's cheap. All you need is a cheap (around $25) soldering iron, a bit of solder. Now you could spend quite a bit more on a soldering iron, but for electronics like wires and circuit boards, the lower end models are actually better. + +The difference between soldering irons is primarily the amount of heat they put out. Something in the 15-30W range is best for electronics, circuit boards and the like. Anything more powerful and you're likely to fry the board. If you're projects will be heavier wire and thicker metal then a more expensive, 40+ Watt iron will work better. + +== What you need == + +Soldering is the process of taking a metal that liquifies at low temperature, called solder, and using it to join stronger metal together -- a bit like gluing with metal. To make it work you need heat (the soldering iron) and solder. + +For your first attempt at soldering you'll want something to practice on, a old scrap of metal and some spare wire work well until you get the basics down. + + +=== Types of solder === + +There several kinds of solder available and which one you want depends on what you plan to do. For electronics work you're going to want rosin core solder. Any decent hardware or electronics store will likely stock cheap roles of rosin core for just a few dollars. Something in the 0.75MM to 1.0MM works best for circuit boards. + +Be aware of what you're buying, acid core solder is also very common in hardware stores, but it won't work on electronic circuits (the acid will destroy the circuit board). Acid core solder is meant for use on heavier metal -- copper pipes and the like. + +Depending on where you live you may find lead solder. Some states (like California and New York, as well as most of the EU) have already banned lead solder, but even if it's available where you are, avoid it -- lead solder has been linked to everything from birth defects to neurological damage. Buy lead-free solder. + +== Preparation == + +Before you actually touch solder to wire, you'll need to "tin" the tip of your new soldering iron. Plug it in and let it heat up (be careful, soldering iron tips can be upwards of 800 degrees). Lay down a scrap of cardboard or other heavy material to protect your work surface (you'll likely drip quite a bit of solder in the beginning). Also keep a moist sponge handy for cleaning your tip. + +When the iron is hot, cut off a length of solder and hold it out, rolling it around on the tip of the iron, coating the iron's tip on all sides. A well "tinned" iron will transfer heat better and it give the solder a starting point to flow from. + +Now that your iron is primed it's time to solder. + +== Down to business == + +If you're working with a circuit board, you generally won't need much solder. In fact, with delicate pieces, it's much easier to dip the tip of your iron in the solder, rather than getting a big chunk of solder near your circuit board. + +Before we do that though, we need to heat up the solder pad on the board -- the metal that your solder will be "glued" to. To do that hold the tip of your iron against both the component lead (the resistor whatever you're adding to your board) and the board. This generally takes a second or two, though it can take longer on heavier duty boards. Once these two parts are hot, you can add the actual solder. + +Dip your tip in the solder and wipe off any excess flux on the sponge. Then move that thin strand of solder over to the joint. Work quickly, as the flux in your solder will dry out fairly fast. + +Assuming you've properly heated your components the solder should flow freely around the lead and the pad. Keep adding solder until there is a nice even coat around the joint, with a small mound at the base. + +http://www.flickr.com/photos/meddygarnet/2782362977/ + +Probably the biggest problem for beginners is adding too much solder. Just add a little bit at a time. + +Another problem is what's known as a "cold solder joint." As the name emplies, cold solder joints are what happens when either the board or the component or both aren't hot enough. Cold solder joints are brittle and can crack, ruining your circuit board. + +If you see cracks, your solder looks dull gray or grainy then you may have a cold solder joint. Sometimes you can fix a cold solder by reheating it and removing it from the board. Other times you'll need to desolder it and start over. + +== Tips == + +# If you do need to get a larger amount of solder then what you can get by dipping the tip in the solder, don't just break off a tiny skinny piece and try to hold it in place. Cut off a bit longer piece of solder and roll up one end like you're coiling a rope -- that way it's much easier to hold. + +# Make sure whatever you're soldering is clean -- wipe down circuit boards and anything else you're soldering with a clean, dry rag to eliminate finger oil or anything else that might weaken the soldered joint. + +# Use a vice, or for smaller projects, a set of alligator clips, to hold your boards and wires while you solder them. + +== Projects == + +So you've practiced soldering, built of up your skills and eliminated or fixed sold solder joints. Now you'd like to actually build something -- but what? + +Thanks to Make, Instructibles and other DIY havens the internet is awash in project ideas, instructions and even pre-made kits. One of our favorite projects is the [http://www.ladyada.net/make/mintyboost/index.html Minty Boost, a kit that will help you build a standard AA battery-based iPod/iPhone/MP3/Phone/GPS charger. It's easy to build, doesn't require a lot of soldering and ends up with something very useful. + +== Conclusion == + +Soldering is gluing for the digital age and everyone should know how to do it. Now that you've figured it out, get out there and build something awesome.
\ No newline at end of file diff --git a/old/published/How To Wiki/howtostreammobilevideo.txt b/old/published/How To Wiki/howtostreammobilevideo.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..3986dfa --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/How To Wiki/howtostreammobilevideo.txt @@ -0,0 +1,35 @@ +Remember when a phone was just a phone? Yeah, we don't either. Our "phones" are search engines, GPS navigation devices and even streaming video cameras capable of documenting our entire lives in real time. + +Take that Hollywood. + +Want to get started with the mobile video craze? No problem we've got everything you need to know about streaming video from your mobile phone. + +== Prerequisites == + +Obviously you mobile needs to have a built-in video camera. It'll also help if you have a reasonably large memory card since any locally stored video will take up considerable room. + +The next requirement is some sort of video streaming software. There are a number of possibilities, but two of the most popular are [http://qik.com/ Qik] and [http://www.livecast.com/corporate/index.html LiveCast], both of which work on just about every mobile OS out there. + +Qik, LiveCast and others of their ilk can handle recording video, uploading it to the web and, in some cases, can even post your live streams on to video hosting sites like YouTube or alert your Twitter fans when you've got some new video to share. + +Download a copy of the video streaming software of your choice and let's get started. + +== Shooting mobile video == + +The software and hardware combination of mobile video stream has roughly the same quality as your average web cam -- you aren't going to get gorgeous, sweeping Terrence Malick-style panoramas -- but that doesn't mean you can't get reasonable quality footage if you follow our tips. + +=== Embrace the limitations === + +The quality isn't cinematic, but mobile video has a distinct advantage over high budget cameras -- it's almost always in your pocket. The always-at-hand advantage also lends itself it documentary style shooting, don't worry if the lighting isn't perfect, just point and shoot, er, stream. + +=== Steady Cam === + +Streaming mobile video has a tendency to shake, bounce and weave more than drunk clown pogo sticking his way through a reenactment of the Blair Witch project. If you're fortunate enough to have the steady hands of surgeon then by all means, free-hand it, otherwise, prop your phone against something supportive (depending on the shape of your phone, a styrofoam cup turned upside down and sliced to accommodate your phone can serve as a cheap, lightweight tripod). + +=== Watch your batteries === + +There's really no way around it, streaming video will wear down your batteries. If you're serious about video consider investing in a second battery so you can still make calls at the end of the day. + +== Conclusion == + +It's never going to get you an audition, but when something is as fun as streaming live video, who care about the technical limitations. A few blurry pixels never hurt the web.
\ No newline at end of file diff --git a/old/published/How To Wiki/howtosustainablegarden.txt b/old/published/How To Wiki/howtosustainablegarden.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..2052fed --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/How To Wiki/howtosustainablegarden.txt @@ -0,0 +1,116 @@ +How to Garden Sustainably + +So you've started your first garden, perhaps some tomatoes, potatoes, other vegetables and herbs, maybe even a few flower beds for color. But your initial investment was likely quite a bit of money -- soil, soil conditioner, mulch, plants, fertilizer and more. + +It adds up quickly, and if you start all over every year you'll quickly find your garden is taking over your bank account. Luckily most gardening setups can be a one time expense provided you use sustainable gardening methods. + +Sustainable gardening refers to a garden that can be used productively over and over without the need for any addition materials. + +Some people argue that a "true" sustainable garden should use only organic materials, but that's really up to you. Using the occasional commercial pesticide or other non-organic product doesn't mean your entire garden isn't sustainable. + +For health and safety reasons we suggest sticking to primarily organic gardening, but the main key to sustainability is reuse. + +The basic lifecycle of a sustainable garden looks like this: + +# High quality compost goes into your garden's topsoil rejuvenating it from last year +# Seedling grown from seed or taken from cuttings are planted +# Mulch generated from raked leaves or local mulching services covers the compost and protects and conditions the soil +# Water from sustainable sources like a rain barrel or other rainwater capture system provides water +# More compost throughout the season feed your plants +# Soil treatments, non-chemical pest prevention, sympathetic planting and predatory insects protect your plants from slugs, mites and other pests. +# You harvest your food, saving enough seeds for next year's plants and putting all the waste matter back in a compost bin where it will turn into compost, ready to use next year + +Of course there's considerably leeway in this scenario and you don't have to do all of it. Even something as simple as starting a compost bin can be huge time and money saver when it comes to planting your garden next year. + +Let's break this cycle down and take a look at each part and see what you can do to make your garden more productive and more sustainable from year to year. + +== Compost == + +When organic material like plant matter decays, tiny microorganisms feed on it. The organisms take in carbon and give off all sorts of nutrients that plants need to thrive. + +For those with an allergy to all things hippie, keep in mind that composting isn't some 1960's feel-good movement -- it's how the entire ecosystem of the Earth functions. Composting is happening all around you. Why not tap into it and stop spending your hard earned money on ridiculous things like soil? + +Contrary to popular belief, composting isn't difficult, nor is it smelly. Proper compost piles should have a deep earthy scent, a bit like the woodland soil after a rain. + +For more details on how to set up a productive compost bin, check out our Composting Guide. + +Once you've generated some "black gold," as compost aficionados call it, work it into your topsoil before you plant. Most plants' roots stay in the first six inches of soil so concentrate on working your compost into that area. + +By doing so you'll be returning nutrients to the soil -- minerals like phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, zinc, manganese and iron all help your plants grow. + +Compost also improves the texture or "tilth" of the soil. This has a dual benefit; if your soil is naturally loose or sandy, compost will help it retain water better. Conversely, if you have very heavy clay soil, the compost will improve drainage. + +In either case the end result is healthier, easy to maintain plants that need far less fertilizer and are more productive. + +== Mulch == + +Mulch refers to putting an additional layer of organic material on top of your soil. + +There are several reasons mulching is smart -- it suppresses weeds, keeps soil moist, prevents soil runoff, keeps your soil from being compacted by rain, keeps soil temperatures down, increases the number of beneficial earthworms and microorganisms in the soil, keeps mud from splattering on your plants and more. + +In fact, most gardeners regard mulch as then most important part of sustainable, low-maintenance gardens. + +Okay, so it's good stuff this mulch; what sort should I use? + +Well, just about every gardener you ask is going to have a different opinion on this one and the truth is there are no right answers when it comes to mulch. + +It depends on what you're growing (for example pine needles are cheap option that work well for plants that need highly acidic soil, but a terrible idea for plants that want a more neutral soil). + +We'll run through some of the possible options in just a minute, but first let's talk about where and how much mulch you should you use. A good rule of thumb is to use two inches of mulch on top of your well composted soil. You can add more mulch if it starts to breaks down over the course of the season. + +Also make sure that you never put mulch on top of plants or have mulch touching their stems. A sadly very common, but very bad idea, is piling much against tree trunks. Not only do these "volcanos" of mulch look ridiculous, they're horrible for the health of your trees. + +Simply scatter a two inch layer of mulch over your compost and top soil, making sure to keep it a few inches back from the stems and trunks of your plants. + +As for what to use, that's up to you, but avoid commercial mulches with dyes. Not only do they look ugly, the wood chips used often comes from sources that may have harmful chemicals. Stick to organic materials like shredded wood chips and bark, leafmold, "pine fines" (very fine-textured pieces of pine bark), husks and even recycled rubber from old tires. + +Our favorite is leafmold, which is rarely sold at commercial shops, but can easily be made -- just run your mower over a pile leaves several times, catching the chopped up results in the grass bag. Don't have an excess of leaves to chop in your area? Try asking your local government if they have any. Many local governments provide it for free or very cheaply. Check your local government website to see if its available in your area. + +== watering == + +Unless you happen to live in the tropics, chances are you're going to need to water your garden. + +The sustainable way to do that is using a rain barrel to catch excess water whenever it rains. You can buy rain barrels complete with hose attachments and then just place them below your gutter's exit spout. That way you capture run off and can use it to water your garden between rains. + +But even with a rain barrel there are still plenty of ways you can cut down on watering. If you're planting an ornamental garden choose local, drought-resistant plants that are well adapted to your zone (check with your local gardening store to find out which drought-resistant and local plants do the best in your area). + +Another way to cut down on watering is to only water where it's needed -- the plants' root zone. Anything beyond the root zone is simply going to feed weeds and be a waste of water. This why switching from a typical sprinkler system to a targeted drip system is probably the single most water saving move most gardeners can make. + +Drip systems range from the very complex professionally installed sort (expensive, but potentially money saving in the long run) to the simpler variety you can build yourself. Ask your local garden shop to point you to the flexible hosing and check out [http://www.flickr.com/photos/mathowie/sets/265456/ this illustrated tutorial on Flickr]. Even something as simple as a plastic bottle can create a basic drip system, see this tutorial from [http://www.yougrowgirl.com/garden/dripsystem.php You Grow Girl]. + +Another tip: plant intelligently. That is, plant plants that have similar water needs next to each other. One way to do this is with [square foot gardening]. + +==pest and disease== + +Once your garden is up and running with quality, well-enriched soil and a nice layer of mulch, it's time to deal with nature's pests and diseases. If your soil is good and you plant things native to your area you shouldn't have too many diseases to worry about, but pests are another matter. + +It might be tempting to simply spray on one of the nearly infinite number of commercial pesticides, but not only is that expensive, possibly hazardous to your health and terrible for the environment, it generally isn't necessary. + +Human beings have been cultivating plants for over 10,000 years; commercial pesticides on the other hand didn't come about until roughly the 1940s. So yes, for every pesticide there is nearly always an organic, less-hazardous solution. + +One popular sustainable solution is planting sympathetic plants. For example, many of the pests and diseases that affect tomatoes can be prevented by planting marigolds nearby your tomatoes. There's also some evidence that tomatoes grow better and bear more fruit with marigolds growing around them. + +Similar sympathetic solutions exist for other plants, try searching the web to find out what works well with the plants you've chosen for your garden. + +Another solution is predatory insects, for example lady bugs (often sold at gardening centers) eat aphids, a common source of problems for rose bushes. + + +== Future== + +So you've successfully grown your garden, harvest your fruit, vegetables and flowers and now winter is coming, so what about next year? + +There's no need to buy new seeds every year (unless you've been buying them from the notorious Monsanto company), you can use seeds from this year's fruit and vegetables to grow next year's plants. + +In most cases you'll need to process the seeds slightly, usually by fermenting and drying them, but the process generally isn't too difficult. Just select some fruit from the very healthiest looking plants and then remove the seeds from the fruit. + +In the case of tomatoes its simply a matter of washing the seeds and then placing them in water and leaving them somewhere warm for a few days. Once the fermentation process is complete there will be a fine film of "scum" on the top of the water. Just scoop that off and then spread the seeds out to dry. This can take a while, up to a week in the case of some big tomatoes. Once the seeds have dried just package them up in something airtight and you're ready to go for next year. + +Most common vegetable plants can be harvested for seeds in a similar manner, just consult your local garden center experts or do a bit of internet searching to find out the details of each plant. + +Another thing to remember is that bulbs like irises or tulips can be dug up and over-wintered somewhere indoors and then replanted again next year. + +If you're feeling really ambitious and have a greenhouse of some sort you can take cutting of your more successful plants and grow them indoors over the winter. Cuttings work primarily with woodier plants like tree and shrubs though there are exceptions. + +== Conclusion == + +Gardening can be a very expensive proposition, but fortunately it doesn't need to be that way. In fact, if you follow all the suggestion above and are willing to put a bit of effort into it, sustainable gardening is just about free. diff --git a/old/published/How To Wiki/howtosync_smart_tv.txt b/old/published/How To Wiki/howtosync_smart_tv.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..0f42fce --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/How To Wiki/howtosync_smart_tv.txt @@ -0,0 +1,23 @@ +The future of television is connected. Smart TVs are already coming on the market, but despite the name they aren't yet terribly smart. A better way to think of these new TVs is connected -- pulling video from the web and services like Netflix or Hulu Plus in addition to typical broadcast content. + +Sadly, it's still going to be a while before your television is smart enough to know what you want to watch before you do. For now your best bet is to sync the content you're already consuming over the web -- YouTube favorites, Netflix queue, etc -- to your new smart TV. + +Here's our guide to getting everything on your PC onto your smart television + +## Start with apps + +Like smartphones, smart TVs have embraced the app model. Netflix, Hulu Plus and other sites with streaming content -- everything from MLB to Twitter and weather forecasts -- have developed apps that will work on most smart TVs. In these cases syncing is simply a matter of logging in to your account. Once your TV has your YouTube info, for example, anything you've liked or added to your queue on YouTube is now available on your TV. + +## Add a little wifi + +So far so good, but what about all those movies you have on your PC? Well, that depends on your TV. The latest and greatest TVs can connect to your local network and automatically find any videos on your PC. For example, LG's new Smart Share TVs can stream any content on your PC's media player. Smart Share also includes what LG calls "Media Link," which provides extra information about what you're watching -- plot synopsis, actor bios and other metadata. + +LG's new Smart TVs, and similar models from other manufacturers, also offer their own homegrown apps for streaming other things, like educational content or games for kids. And of course most offer a built-in web browser as well. Though browsing the web from your armchair is not an ideal experience, it does offer a fall back plan for content that you can't get any other way. + +## Fallbacks + +If your TV isn't one of the newest models that includes built-in streaming tools you'll need to add another box to the mix -- like the Apple TV 2, [http://www.boxee.tv/ Boxee] or a PC running [http://xbmc.org/ XMBC]. + +## Go mobile, or not + +The AppleTV 2 makes it incredibly simple to stream content from any iOS mobile device to an AppleTV on the same network. Sadly, the smart TVs on the market at the time of this writing can not easily stream movies or other content on your phone. For now at least, you'll have to content yourself with the movies on your PC or jump on the Apple bandwagon.
\ No newline at end of file diff --git a/old/published/How To Wiki/howtotimeyourthanksgiving.txt b/old/published/How To Wiki/howtotimeyourthanksgiving.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..1320186 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/How To Wiki/howtotimeyourthanksgiving.txt @@ -0,0 +1,30 @@ +Thanksgiving is more than just turkey or ham. There's mashed potatoes, yams, casseroles, stuffing, dressing, cranberry sauce, gravy and countless other side dishes. It's enough to overwhelm even a well-trained professional chef to say nothing of the rest of us. + +The key to making your Thanksgiving dinner come off without a hitch is careful planning and timing. + +Here's our guide to making sure everything gets on the table at the same time. + +== Plan ahead == + +Professional chefs don't just walk in the kitchen at 5 pm and send out perfect dishes, they plan ahead and so should you. + +Make a list of all the dishes you plan to serve and buy all your ingredients well ahead of time. + +Look up how long each recipe says it will take, paying attention to both the prep time and the cooking time. Then start plotting out the order in which you should work, starting with the longest recipes. + +Other sides, like cranberry sauce, are generally served cold, so feel free to make them well ahead of time. + +== Par cooking == + +Par cooking simply means half cooking. For example, even if you dont want to reheat your mashed potatoes you can still cook the potatoes about half way the day before and then finish then up in half the time. + +Vegetables are also good candidate for par cooking. Par cook your green beans and then just reheat them through before serving. + +== Get help == + +It's impossible to baste a turkey, kneed dough for rolls and dress a salad all at the same time. Deputize some helpers and get them in the kitchen with you. You don't need to be a dictator about it, but make sure everyone heling you knows what they're doing and has a place to work. + +== Relax == + +Thanksgiving dinner is a stressful time for many people, but with a little planning, some help form friends and family and a few Bloody Marys, you can get everything together like a pro and have plenty of time to relax and enjoy the time with friends and family. + diff --git a/old/published/How To Wiki/howtotravelrecession.txt b/old/published/How To Wiki/howtotravelrecession.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..39e7bc2 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/How To Wiki/howtotravelrecession.txt @@ -0,0 +1,82 @@ +Have economic jitters got your rethinking your summer vacation? Well, you might want to take another look at it, but not because it's a bad idea. In fact, as morbid as it sounds, a recession is often the cheapest and best time to hit the open road. + +But it pays to do some research, if you leap blindly into a resort package-trip you could end up spending a fortune, which is no good in any economic climate. + +To help you out we've put together this handy guide to cheap travel tricks with a little something for everyone, whether you're looking for a cheap two week escape with the family or are a recently unemployed vagabond looking to circumnavigate the globe. + +== Find Cheap Airfare == + +Buying plane tickets is a nightmare. If there's a more complex and downright idiotic way to sell things, we don't know about it. + +But within the maze of prices and ticket restrictions there are some loopholes and the occasional killer deal, so how do you find them? + +=== Go Local === + +The first thing to do is check out the budget airline options. The large carriers have brand recognition, while the low cost carriers can only really compete on price so if you're looking for cheap tickets, small, local carriers are often a much better deal. + +The trick is to find those flights, many of which never make it in the larger search engines like Expedia or Kayak. + +That's where [http://www.whichbudget.com/ Which Budget] comes in. The Which Budget search engine is a bit different than a traditional airfare search engine, it doesn't generally list prices, but it does tell you about loads of airlines you've probably never heard of before. + +Just plugin in the cities (or even countries) where you're looking to fly and Which Budget will show you roundup of cheap, regional airlines available for your route. Follow the links to the actual sites and compare them with results from Kayak and its ilk. + +=== Be Flexible === + +Another great airfare tool is [http://farecast.live.com/? Farecast] (now part of Microsoft Live Search) which can predict whether the price of your flight is likely to go up or down in the future. Along the same lines, try searching for one-way tickets or by flexible dates. Some airline websites will highlight cheaper days around your dates that can save you a bundle. And remember, while it's not 100 percent true, it's generally cheaper to fly on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. + +=== Pick up the Phone === + +Great as the web is, sometimes the better deals can be found by calling the airlines directly. For example, we recently saw tickets from Atlanta to San Francisco for $129 each way. That sounds like a good deal right? Well, we couldn't get them for the dates we wanted so we called Delta and the agent told us that while that fare was sold out, there were tickets available for the same flight at $109. Uh, okay. Why didn't the cheaper fare show up in our search? Well it did, but only after the agent explained how to make it show up by searching at specific times of the day. Crazy, but true. + +It might sound old fashioned, but picking up the phone can be a great way to save money on plane tickets. Be sure to tell the agent that you're days are flexible so they can let you know if there's something cheaper available around the same time. + + +=== Frequent Flyer Miles === + + +Another excellent way to travel on the cheap is using frequent flyer miles. Although it's not for everyone, world traveler extraordinaire, Chris Guillebeau at The Art of Non-Conformity recently outlined how he got [http://chrisguillebeau.com/3x5/the-5-million-frequent-flyer-mile-challenge/ just under 300,000 frequent flyer miles] in a few short weeks. The trick involves opening a few credit card accounts, so make sure you're comfortable with that before you dive in. Your success will of course depend on your credit score and a number of other factors, but Guillebeau has been tracking how his readers do and together they've managed to get close to 2 million miles earned. + +== Cheap Accommodations == + +Hotels will eat up a travel budget in a hurry, which has always left us wondering why more people don't use alternatives. Here's four ways to avoid the high price of a hotel: + +# Rent -- It's almost always cheaper, even for a short vacation, to rent an apartment, condo or house than to stay in the hotel. The added benefit of being able to cook your own meals can also save a bundle. The trick is again to do your research -- sites like [http://www.homeaway.com/World/r1.htm Homeaway] and [http://www.stayrentals.com/ Stay Rentals] have extensive listings to suit most any budget. [http://www.transitionsabroad.com/listings/travel/home_exchanges/home_rentals_worldwide.shtml Transitions Abroad] has a comprehensive list of other rental sites specializing in specific countries, and even craigslist has a plethora of short term rentals, though the usual craigslist cautions apply -- beware the scammers. + +# Hostels -- hostels aren't just for backpackers anymore. In fact, many hostels have gone upscale offering private, tasteful rooms and upscale amenities -- call them boutique hostels. And since many of these, especially in Europe, have adopted a bed and breakfast approach, you can save a bit of money on food. Check out [http://www.hostelbookers.com/article/hostel-types/flashpacking-hostels/ Hostel Bookers for more details (hint: the keyword to search for here is "flashpacking" -- for those comfortable with backpacking, but looking for a bit more, um, flash). + +# home stays -- Another way to stay on the cheap is to stay with the locals. Many areas of the world have hospitality organizations that can put in touch with a host family. [http://www.worldwidehomestay.com/ Worldwide Homestay is a site specializing in connecting visitors with local hosts. Other options include [http://www.homestaybooking.com/ Homestay Booking] and [http://www.homestayfinder.com/CurrentRates.aspxHomestay Finder]. Also be sure to search for possibilities in your destination of choice. + +# House Swap -- Site like [http://www.homeexchange.com/ Home Exchange] and [http://www.homeforswap.com/ Home for Swap] are dedicated to people that want to exchange house for a period of time. If you live in SF NY or a major city, there's bound to be plenty of options at your disposal. + +# Caretakers -- If you aren't keen on strangers traipsing through your house, there's still ways to get free lodging. Many home owners (especially those with second homes) like someone to be around when they aren't -- to care for the garden, feed the animals or just perform some basic maintenance. [http://www.caretaker.org/ The Caretaker Gazette] is the granddaddy of housesitting opportunities. Unfortunately it isn't free, but you can browse online listings to see if there's anything that interests you. + +# Couch Surfing -- What's better than free? Couch surfing has taken what was once the sole province of your annoying uncle and turned it into a worldwide phenomena. Not only do you get free lodging, you get to meet people around the world, make new friends and get a personal view into the life of the locals wherever you're traveling. It's clearly not for everyone, but if you're an adventurous traveler, it's definitely the cheapest option. + +== Cheap Destinations == + +Now that you know some ways to get cheaper flights and alternatives to traditional, expensive hotels, it's worth considering where to go. + +Because currency rates fluctuate and deals come and go it's hard to definitely say that one place is cheaper than another. For example Asia is generally cheaper than Europe once you land, but factor in the high cost of airfare from the U.S. to Asia versus the deals available to Europe and the total costs get much closer. + +Still, there are some obvious places to avoid -- London is a good example of somewhere that's almost impossible to visit on a budget. + +Perhaps the best way to find a cheap location is to ask yourself what you want to see -- looking for beaches? Well, The Caribbean is rarely a bargain, so consider Eastern Europe, particularly the coastal towns in Bulgaria, along the shores of the Black Sea. Not only will you escape the crowds, the beaches are beautiful and the prices much better than what you'll find in the Bahamas. + +The point is to get off the beaten path, not only is cheaper, you'll get see and interact with a world less overrun by tourist hordes. + +== Alternative ways to travel == + +Finding great deals isn't the only way to travel cheap. Sometimes it's worth changing your whole view of travel by doing something well outside the mainstream of travel -- like a volunteer vacation. While not all volunteer opportunies are free -- and even with the ones that are, it probably isn't the best reason for doing it -- they generally offer cheaper lodging and food in exchange for helping out with local projects. + +Volunteer opportunities abound, whether teaching English in rural villages, helping third world entrepreneurs learn business skills or helping to dig a well, there's an endless need for volunteer labor, especially skilled labor, abroad. + +However, this is probably best not viewed as a way to travel cheaply. If you heart isn't in it, then don't do it. But if you'd like to help, there are plenty of ways you can. + +College students can check out [http://www.alternativebreaks.org/ Alternative Breaks] which is focused on helping you do something more than tequila shooters during your spring break or summer vacation. + +Travel site BootsnAll has a [http://www.bootsnall.com/guides/volunteering-abroad-travel-guide/ Volunteering Abroad Travel Guide] that makes a good starting point for the rest of us. + + +== Conclusion == + +Travel need not be expensive, it just takes a little DIY effort and some creative thinking to come up with a trip that's cheap, fun and memorable.
\ No newline at end of file diff --git a/old/published/How To Wiki/howtoturkey.txt b/old/published/How To Wiki/howtoturkey.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..c79fea0 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/How To Wiki/howtoturkey.txt @@ -0,0 +1,47 @@ +Thanksgiving, a time for families to go together and fight like cats and dogs over the delicious smells of golden roast turkey. Or, if your family is more like ours, a blackened, dried out turkey that looks more like a dog treat than something you'd serve to humans. + +The truth is turkey isn't the most exciting thing to eat to begin with and the fact that it's easy to overcook makes it an even trickier project to tackle. + +If you're hosting thanksgiving, we can't stop the old sibling resentments from bubbling up, but we can help you make sure your turkey is golden, moist and delicious. + +Here's our guide to roasting the perfect turkey. + +== What you'll need == + +# A Turkey -- plan on about one and one half pound of uncooked turkey per person. Much of that weight in in bones, so the final portion works out to more like 8-10oz per person. When in doubt, use [http://www.csgnetwork.com/turkeydinnercalc.html an online calculator]. + +# Large Roasting Pan and V-Rack -- Make sure you have something big enough to hold your turkey, but still fits in your oven. + +# Meat thermometer -- Forget those pop up thermometers that come with some turkeys and get a real thermometer. + +# Turkey Baster -- yes, it's more work, but the results are worth the effort. + +== Picking your turkey == + +Not all turkeys are sold equal. For the best flavor avoid frozen and go with a local meat shop if you can. Ask your butcher about freshness and buy organic if that's important to you. Also consider a kosher turkey, while they're typically more expensive, they also tend to have more flavor. + +== Brine == + +To bring out the flavor in your turkey, brine it before you cook. Brining the turkey in slat water with some minimal herbs helps ensure that the salt penetrates into the flesh and brings out the full flavor. + +To brine your turkey either use a large stock pot or by a brining bag from your local supermarket. + +Remove the gizard, neck and any other extras included with your turkey. Wash the bird inside and out. + +If you want to get fancy you can boil up your brine with herbs -- bay leaves, savory, thyme, rosemary and sage are all popular choices. In a large stock pot, combine water (or vegetable stock and water if you like), salt and about a tablespoon each of rosemary, sage, thyme, and whatever other herbs you'd like and bring to a boil. Once the salt is dissolved remove the pot from the heat, and let cool to room temperature. Then put your turkey inside, or pour the mixture into a brining bag. + +== Roasting == + +Pull your turkey out of the brine and place it breast-side down on your V-rack inside the roasting pan. Preheat the oven to 425. If you aren't worried about fat, brush a bit of melted butter over the Turkey, this will help ensure crispy, golden skin. + +Rub the inside and out of your bird with salt, pepper and any other seasonings you want. If you're making stuff, now would be the time to stuff it inside the bird. + +When the oven is hot place the turkey inside. Cook the turkey or 15 minutes and then lower the temperature to 350 degrees. The initial higher temperature helps crisp the skin. + +There are all sorts of formulas for how long your should roast your turkey, but every bird and oven are different. The best way to do it is to use your meat thermometer. Cook until the breast temperature reaches 165-170 degrees F, and thigh temperature reaches 175-180 degrees F. + +Every thirty minutes or so use your baster to suck up the pan drippings and pour them onto the back and the legs. + +== Conclusion == + +When the breast and leg temperatures are where they should be, pull your turkey out of the oven and cover it with a tinfoil tent. Let the Turkey rest about 20 minutes before serving.
\ No newline at end of file diff --git a/old/published/How To Wiki/howtoweatherproofwindows.txt b/old/published/How To Wiki/howtoweatherproofwindows.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..4f5e141 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/How To Wiki/howtoweatherproofwindows.txt @@ -0,0 +1,38 @@ +The Arctic cold is creeping in again in the northern hemisphere which means we're all cranking up the heat. Nice as the heater is, you might be losing a good bit of heat -- and with it money spent generating more heat -- if your windows aren't properly sealed. + +If you have an older house, chances are your windows drain quite a bit of heat to the outside world. It would be nice if that leaking heat would simply make it feel like Spring outside, but since that doesn't work, here's out guide to weatherproofing your windows. + +== Buy new energy efficient windows == + +If you're burning money logs in the fireplace then this upgrade is for you. New, energy efficient windows will ensure that your house stays warmer without the hassles of sealing, taping plastic or any of other techniques we'll cover. + +Unfortunately, installing all new windows isn't cheap and takes a considerable amount of time and effort. If you're looking for something a bit more budget friendly, read on. + +== Install storm windows == + +Storm windows are essentially a second piece of glass fitted over your existing windows. There are both outside storm windows and inside, though the former tends to be the more popular choice. + +Storm windows give you some of the benefits of energy efficient windows (like double paned glass for better insulation) without the cost of installing new windows. + +Storm windows are also a popular solution for those with older houses, where old windows are part of the charm. + +Installing storm windows isn't difficult, just head to your local big box home improvement store and pick up a few storm windows that fit your existing windows. Then grab a drill and screw driver and mount to storm windows according to the instructions that came with them. + +== Tape and seal == + +If you don't want to go the storm windows route, the cheapest option is to simply improve on your existing windows. Give you windows a thorough inspection, if there are and cracked panes replace then or seal them with caulk. Check the putty around the edges of the glass and seal any cracked or missing areas. + +The next step is get some weather stripping and seal the edges of your windows. Weather stripping is cheap and will go a long way toward keeping out those drafty flows of outside air. Be sure to buy the self-adhesive variety, which makes for easy installation. The drawback to weather stripping is that you won't be able to open your windows, but you probably won't be doing that until spring anyway. + +Finally, head to your local home improvement store and buy some windows plastic. Tape the plastic around your windows and use a hair drier to tighten the plastic. It might not be the prettiest solution, but it will cut your heating bill down to size. + +Also, if you have curtains, be sure to close them at night -- the more insulation around your windows they warmer you'll be. + +== Conclusion == + +Winter isn't cheap, but with a few inexpensive fixes, you can stop the chill from coming indoors and sending your heating bill through the roof. + +Image possibilities: + +poorly sealed windows: http://www.flickr.com/photos/clintjcl/4809701462/ +storm windows: http://www.flickr.com/photos/hillsdalehouse/1795065154/
\ No newline at end of file diff --git a/old/published/How To Wiki/howtoyoutube.txt b/old/published/How To Wiki/howtoyoutube.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..dc1c4a2 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/How To Wiki/howtoyoutube.txt @@ -0,0 +1,25 @@ +YouTube and other video sharing sites provide endless hours of wholesome, time-wasting entertainment, but what if you want to watch movies without the browser? There's no easy way to download YouTube videos from the site, but thankfully there are other ways to do it. + +The best and easiest solution is to use the Firefox plugin <a href="https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/3006">Download Helper</a>. Download Helper can handle much more than just YouTube, in fact the add-on can grab just about any media file from nearly any source and download it to your machine. There are also a couple of other Firefox plugins, notably <a href="https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/2390">Video Downloader</a>, though the latest YouTube update seems to have broken most of them. + +If you're not a Firefox user, don't worry, there's some other options. <a href="http://myvideodownloader.com/tryitnow.html">My Video Downloader</a> is a Windows program that will download movies from YouTube, though it will set you back $30 (there's a free trial that allows for 10 downloads). + +Mac users looking to go from YouTube straight over to your video iPod or AppleTV have a couple options. There's <a href="http://djodjodesign.free.fr/podtube.html">Podtube 2</a> which will download and convert files from YouTube, Daily Motion and MySpace. PodTube 2 is $5. <a href="http://stinkbot.com/Tubesock/index.html">TubeSock 2.0</a> offer similar features, though it only handles YouTube videos, and costs $15. + +Although it hasn't been released yet, there's also a lot of talk surrounding <a href="http://tubularapp.com/blog/">Tubular</a> which looks a bit like iTunes applied to YouTube. Look for Tubular to enter the public beta phase later this year. + +And finally, the most primitive, but definitely free and working, method is to use <a href="http://www.savetube.com/">SaveTube.com</a>. Just paste in the YouTube URL and SaveTube will find the cached file and give you a download link. + +What to do with your downloaded video + +Unless you're using one of the all-in-one solutions listed above, once you've pulled down the Flash FLV file from YouTube, or other video sharing site, you'll need to convert it to another format for viewing in QuickTime (which includes iTunes and AppleTV) or Windows Media Player. + +Alternately you can just use an FLV capable media player like the excellent and free <a href="http://www.videolan.org/vlc/">VLC</a> (all platforms). + +To convert your FLV file on a Mac you can use <a href="http://www.isquint.org/">iSquint</a>, which is free though limited to output in MP4, or through the aforementioned TubeSock. For Windows folks there's <a href="http://www.erightsoft.com/SUPER.html">Super</a>, which is free, or <a href="http://www.zillatube.com/">Zillatube</a>, which costs $30. Both support a wide range of output options. + +Linux users can turn to <a href="http://ffmpeg.mplayerhq.hu/">ffmpeg</a> (which also works on OS X and Windows) and a little command line juice, this should get you started: + +ffmpeg -i myFile.flv -ab 56 -ar 22050 -b 500 -s 320×240 myFile.mpg + +And there you have it, now you can watch your YouTube favorites anywhere you'd like in nearly any video format you can name. diff --git a/old/published/How To Wiki/howtoyoutube2.txt b/old/published/How To Wiki/howtoyoutube2.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..0498ce9 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/How To Wiki/howtoyoutube2.txt @@ -0,0 +1,35 @@ +You don't need to spend to much time on YouTube to realize that all videos are not created equal. There is a marked contrast between the grainy, poorly shot cat movies your aunt uploads and the much better looking submissions that rank at the top of YouTube's most popular. + +While grain and noise are factors largely due to camera and lens quality, pixilation and distorted video is often the result of poor compression choices. + +There are dozens of video editing software packages on the market ranging from the free packages Apple's "iMovie"<http://www.apple.com/ilife/imovie/> or "Windows Movie Maker"<http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/windowsvista/features/details/moviemaker.mspx> to the high end apps like Apple's "Final Cut Pro"<http://www.apple.com/finalcutstudio/finalcutpro/>or "Adobe Premiere"<http://www.adobe.com/products/premiere/>. + +While the big boys offer impressive options like sharpening overlays and gamma correction, for most user's there's no need to drop over $500 on software just for YouTube. + +Most of the quality problems in YouTube stem from the fact that YouTube not only compresses your movie, but also converts it to an entirely different format (the FLV format for the YouTube Flash player). + +So how to make your videos sharper and clearer? + +YouTube "recommends"<http://www.google.com/support/youtube/bin/answer.py?answer=55745&topic=10526> that you encode your movie in MPEG4 (Divx, Xvid) format, shrink it to 320x240 resolution, use MP3 audio, and 30 frames per second + +While these suggestions are dead simple and fine for the aunt's cat movie, it's possible to get much better results by ignoring some of them. + +First off, the 320x240 pixel dimensions are not a good idea since YouTube's player actually has a broadcast size of 425 x 318. What YouTube does is upscale your movie to fit the full player, which is one way that the quality is degraded. + +If you happen to be shooting at larger than 425 x 318 anyway (and unless you're using a cellphone, you probably are), there's no need to shrink your movie just to have YouTube enlarge it again. Set your editing software to export at 425 x 318 to begin with. The only downside is that your upload time will likely increase somewhat since your files will be bigger. + + +Obviously both of the these dimensions are for 4:3 ratio videos. If you're shooting in 16:9 you'll have to either crop your movie or letterbox it. Thus far YouTube doesn't offer a 16:9 player. + + +Note that iMovie '08 features a one-click export to YouTube feature which offers to publish to either 480X360 or 640X480. We would suggest the larger if you have the bandwidth to spare. When uploading to YouTube iMovie 08 will automatically use H.264 at 30 fps. + +The other questionable aspect of YouTube's advice is the Divx and Xvid CODECs. If you happen to be on the Apple platform you may as well use the MPEG-4 part 10 (H.264). All of Apple's video editing applications support it and YouTube can still convert it to FLV. + +In fact the YouTube movies you watch on AppleTV and the iPhone is broadcast in H.264 and Adobe recently announced that future versions of the Flash Player will support H.264, which means at some point this will likely become the default format of choice. + +Another possibility is the PhotoJPEG CODEC. For more on why you might want to use PhotoJPEG and some more tips on optimizing movies for YouTube using Final Cut Pro, have a look at "Brian Gary's tutorial"<http://www.kenstone.net/fcp_homepage/youtube_compressor_gary.html>. + +If your video software supports it, enable a little bit of sharpening and color correction since FLV compression tends to make edges go a bit soft. You'll need to play with your setting to find the right amount of sharpening, but don't be afraid to overdo it, in fact, you're essentially trying to overdo it and then letting the YouTube's encoder blur things back to normal. + +Depending on the quality of your video editing tools there may be more options at your disposal, check the forums for your software package to see what others recommend tweaking for maximum sharpness. diff --git a/old/published/How To Wiki/html5canvastutorial.txt b/old/published/How To Wiki/html5canvastutorial.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..e301cd1 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/How To Wiki/html5canvastutorial.txt @@ -0,0 +1,123 @@ +HTML 5 isn't just about making semantic sense out of the web, it's also been written with an eye toward making the web a more interesting place. One of the central parts of that interestingness is a new tag called the Canvas tag. + +Canvas is quite simply a blank spot for you to draw. The best way to understand how canvas works is to simply dive in and see it in action. That of course raises an inevitable question, how many of you are going to see the following examples? + +Well, here's the browser breakdown as of August 2009: Safari 3, Safari 4, FF 3.0, FF3.5 Opera 10, Chrome 3 and IE 7 & 8 (note that the IE support requires the third-party JavaScript Library, [http://code.google.com/p/explorercanvas/ explorer canvas], download it, add the script to your pages and IE 7 and 8 will play nice with Canvas). + +== The blank slate of HTML 5 == + +Okay, so, what is the canvas tag? Well, here's the simplest case: + +<pre> +<code><canvas></canvas></code> +</pre> + +Like any other tag, canvas will show up in the page's DOM and can be accessed just like any other HTML element. And that's one of the main purposes of canvas, to provide a blank slate of HTML which you can then draw on and manipulate using JavaScript. + +To get a better idea of what that means, let's create a slightly more complex example. Here's another blank canvas: + +<pre> +<code><canvas id="mycanvas" width="600" height="300" ></canvas></code> +</pre> + +If you're using one of the browsers above, here's what that code will look like rendered in the browser (note we've added a 1 pixel black border): + +<canvas id="mycanvas" width="600" height="300" style="border: #000 1px solid;"></canvas> + +Now let's access that blank slate and do something to it. To do that we'll select the element with some JavaScript and then use some drawing methods. + +<pre> +<code> +var canvas = document.getElementById("mycanvas"); +var canvas_context = canvas.getContext("2d"); +canvas_context.fillRect(100,100,200,100); +</code> +</pre> + +What we've done here is use the standard JavaScript <code>getElementById</code> function to select our canvas element. Then we need to call the getContext() method and set it to 2d. That's the required first step for using any canvas element. Now we know what you're thinking, is there a 3d context? Well, for now, the answer is no. But expect one to come along eventually, it's on the W3C's list of future features. + +Once we've set the getContext() of our canvas we can then start drawing. In this case we're simply drawing a black rectangle 100 pixels from the top and 100 pixels from the left of our canvas' edge. The basic parameters of the fillRect method look like this: <code>fillRect(x, y, width, height)</code>. Other basic drawing methods like <code>fillStyle</code>, <code>strokeStyle</code>, gradient tools and more. You can get a full rundown on all the drawing methods in the [http://www.whatwg.org/specs/web-apps/current-work/multipage/the-canvas-element.html WHATWG's current working draft]. + +Now for a live example, let's take the code above and wrap it in function and then call it from a link's onclick() handler. + +<canvas id="mycanvas2" width="600" height="300" style="border: #000 1px solid;"></canvas> + +<script> +function draw_mycanvas() { + var canvas = document.getElementById("mycanvas2"); + var canvas_context = canvas.getContext("2d"); + canvas_context.fillRect(100,100,200,100); +} +</script> + +<a href="#" onclick="draw_mycanvas();return false">Click here to draw in Canvas element above</a> + +The code for the above example looks like this: + +<pre> +<code> +<canvas id="mycanvas2" width="600" height="300" style="border: #000 1px solid;"></canvas> + +<script> +function draw_mycanvas() { + var canvas = document.getElementById("mycanvas2"); + var canvas_context = canvas.getContext("2d"); + canvas_context.fillRect(100,100,200,100); +} +</script> + +<a href="#" onclick="draw_mycanvas();return false">Click here to draw in Canvas element above</a> +</code> +</pre> + +Note that you can have as many canvas elements in a page as you'd like and each one maintains its own state, that is, drawing in one won't effect any of the others. To effectively target each one, just make sure it has a unique ID, or use hierarchical selectors. + +== Doing more with Canvas == + +Okay so it can draw black boxes, who cares? Well, actually Canvas can draw a lot more that just black boxes. In fact, if you dig into the drawing methods available via the Canvas API and start writing some more sophisticated code, just about anything is possible. + +The idea behind Canvas is to offer a way to create live graphs and charts that would previously have required a static image. Now it's true there are some JavaScript libraries that can create impressive charts and graphs without Canvas, but the Canvas tag can do all that and opens the door to much, much more. + +Take images for example. Ever wanted to load an image into a page and then start messing with it using JavaScript? Let's see how easy that is using Canvas. + +<pre> +<code> +function draw() { + var c = document.getElementById('canvas').getContext('2d'); + var img = new Image(); + img.onload = function(){ + c.drawImage(img,0,0); + // additional manipulations here + } + img.src = 'images/myimage.png'; + } +</code> +</pre> + +Or we can simply grab an image from the current page by selecting it via <code>getElementById</code> or similar method: + +<pre> +<code> +window.onload = function() { + var c = document.getElementById("canvas").getContext("2d"); + var img = document.getElementById("myimage"); + c.drawImage(img, 0, 0); +}; +</code> +</pre> + +Once we have an image in our canvas element it's possible to do just about anything with it -- rotating, flipping, scaling, cropping and more. + +Common use cases for dropping an image inside a canvas tag include adding icons or backgrounds to charts (which saves considerable load time compared to drawing everything from scratch). And of course yes, it's potentially possible to build a full blown browser-native version of the Gimp. + +Remember kids, if it can be written in JavaScript, eventually it will. + +For some more examples of how you can push the boundaries with the canvas tag, be sure to check out Mozilla's [https://developer.mozilla.org/Special:Tags?tag=Canvas_examples&language=en collection of Canvas experiments]. Also be sure to try out [http://htmlfive.appspot.com/static/tracker1.html this motion tracking system] which combines canvas and the HTML5 video tag to create real-time motion tracking in video. + +== Conclusion == + +We've really only scratched the surface of Canvas in this intro, but hopefully it's piqued your curiosity about one of the few elements in HTML 5 that enjoys pretty darn good cross-browser support (IE 6 is about they only common browser that can't handle canvas). + +If you'd like to learn more have a look at the WHATWG's [http://www.whatwg.org/specs/web-apps/current-work/multipage/the-canvas-element.html draft spec of canvas] and be sure to check out Mark Pilgrim's Dive into HTML 5 which has a few [http://diveintohtml5.org/canvas.html more details on Canvas]. The Mozilla developer website has a [https://developer.mozilla.org/en/Canvas_tutorial nice, thorough look at the canvas element] and covers a few things we've skipped like image compositing and simple animations. The Opera dev crew also has a very nice tutorial that walks you through the process of building an in-browser [http://dev.opera.com/articles/view/html5-canvas-painting/ MSPaint-style app using canvas]. + + diff --git a/old/published/How To Wiki/installsnowleopard.txt b/old/published/How To Wiki/installsnowleopard.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..3b2a072 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/How To Wiki/installsnowleopard.txt @@ -0,0 +1,38 @@ +Get Ready for Snow Leopard. + +Apple's latest operating system is just about here. Snow Leopard as OS X 10.6 is known is a something of a departure for Apple, being less about new features and more about incremental upgrades, refinements and speed boosts. At $30 Snow Leopard is also considerably cheaper than past OS X upgrades. + +Before you join the legions of Apple faithful at the Apple Store tomorrow, there are a few things you should know about Snow Leopard. + +Snow Leopard requires an Intel-based Mac, at least a gig of RAM and a DVD drive. Check out the Apple website for the [http://www.apple.com/macosx/specs.html full list of Snow Leopard requirements]. Technically Apple also says that the Snow Leopard upgrade will only work for those using OS X 10.5 Leopard. + +In this how to we'll walk you through the things you should do before you make the leap to Snow Leopard, and how to go about the actual installation, including how to install it even if you aren't using its predecessor, OS X 10.5 Leopard. + + +==Before You Upgrade== + +Whether you decide to do a clean install of Snow Leopard or simply update your existing system, now is the perfect time to clean up your hard drive. This means getting rid of unused applications, cleaning out your start up items folder or even just getting rid of that desktop file clutter. As for deleting bloated logs and other background files, we like [http://www.titanium.free.fr/pgs/english.html OnyX] which can handle those tasks and quite a bit more. Other options include [http://www.maintain.se/cocktail/index.php Cocktail]. See our [http://howto.wired.com/wiki/Speed_Up_Your_Mac How To Speed Up Your Mac] guide for more details. + +The next thing to do before you upgrade to Snow Leopard is to back up your current OS X installation. Than means using Time Machine or one of the many third party solutions available. Have a look at our [http://howto.wired.com/wiki/Back_Up_Your_Data_on_a_Mac Guide to Backing Up Your Mac] for suggestions and backup strategies. + +== Installation == + +Once your Mac is cleaned, optimized and backed up it's time to install Snow Leopard. + +According to Apple Snow Leopard will only upgrade your Mac from OS X 10.5 Leopard. If you skipped Leopard, Apple will point you to the $170 Mac Box Set which contains both Leopard and Snow Leopard. + +However, Lifehacker has [http://lifehacker.com/5345690/prep-your-mac-for-snow-leopard confirmed] that it was able to erase a hard drive and install Snow Leopard. That means if you backup your files on Tiger, you should be technically able to buy Snow Leopard for $30, install it on a clean drive and then migrate your files over. You'll likely have to download newer versions of third-party software that are Leopard — or Snow Leopard — compatible. That extra work is probably worth it, because this OS is a pretty big performance upgrade if you're switching from Tiger. + +Of course, using the $30 upgrade to go from Tiger to Snow Leopard may violate Apple's terms of service. We were unable to confirm this with Apple, which did not respond to our queries about Snow Leopard pricing. + +There are two ways to install Snow Leopard: + +# Option 1 -- Install Snow Leopard on top of your existing Leopard install. This is the method recommended by Apple and will be the easiest, quickest option for most people. Just pop in the disk, select "Upgrade" and wait for Snow Leopard to install. + +# Option 2 -- Wipe your drive and start from scratch. If you see OS upgrades as chance to make a clean start on a pristine new disk than this option is for you. To go this route just insert your Snow Leopard DVD and choose "Install Mac OS X." + +== Conclusion == + +Now that Snow Leopard is installed, have a look at our [http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2009/08/6-things-snow-leopard/ guide to the major new features]. There are also some smaller new tools that aren't grabbing the limelight, but are nevertheless handy. for example Quicktime now offers the ability to record screencasts. Snow Leopard's screencast tools aren't as powerful as some third part apps, but if you just need a basic record function it'll fit the bill. + +And remember, this is wiki so if you've found other little, less obvious upgrades in Snow leopard be sure to add them to this page.
\ No newline at end of file diff --git a/old/published/How To Wiki/ipadvideosettings.jpg b/old/published/How To Wiki/ipadvideosettings.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..dd3f91a --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/How To Wiki/ipadvideosettings.jpg diff --git a/old/published/How To Wiki/make_fake_blood.txt b/old/published/How To Wiki/make_fake_blood.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..8cffa10 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/How To Wiki/make_fake_blood.txt @@ -0,0 +1 @@ +Nothing says Halloween like a head wound. A fake head wound that is. But head wounds, or any other wounds for that matter, necessitate a lot of fake blood. If you head to the local costume shop you might be in for a shock -- fake blood isn't cheap. Since the economy probably vaporized your retirement, there's no need to waste any more of it on fake blood. To make matters worse, most of the commercial blood doesn't look very realistic anyway.
But fear not my DIY friends, we've raided the back lots of hollywood to bring you some simple recipes to concoct your own fake blood using common household ingredients.
== The non-toxic variety ==
Halloween tends to mean children will be around and children + antifreeze = bad. So we'll start with the non-toxic variety of fake blood. It may not be the choice of indie horror film directors, but it'll get the job done for Halloween.
Here's the recipe:
# White corn syrup
# Red food coloring
# Water
# blue or green food coloring
# Arrowroot powder or Corn Starch
Start with about 1 tablespoon of Arrowroot powder or Corn Starch in a large bowl. Either one of these will do, though Arrowroot powder is better for avoiding lumps. Now add about a cup of White Corn Syrup and mix it up with the powder. The results will be rather thick, so once you have it mixed, start thinning it down with water until you get something close to the consistency of blood -- about 1/4 to 1/2 cup of water should do the trick.
Now that you have a base, it's time to add the dye. Start with the red and add a few drops at a time, mixing thoroughly until you have a nice red color. But of course everyone knows that blood isn't bright red. That's where the blue and green dye comes in. Add a couple of drops of either color until it looks more like actual blood.
Once it looks like blood, set your mixture aside and let it thicken a bit before applying it to your costume. If you're looking for something a bit more edible, add a couple drops of peppermint extract -- mmm minty blood.
A word of warning: this mixture will stain your clothes and might temporarily discolor your skin as well.
== The semi-toxic, I-made-it-in-hollywood variety ==
It won't leech lead into your skin or do anything else truly frightening, but you definitely don't want to eat this fake blood.
Here's the recipe:
Pour alcohol-free, water-soluble hair gel in a bowl. We're going to add some other liquids so you only need to use about three-quarters of what you want the total amount of blood to be. Now add some water-soluble lubricant (a hem, astroglide works well here). You want the lubricant to thin the hair gel down so that it's just slightly thicker than water -- start with a small amount and add more if you need it.
Now it's time to color the mixture. As with the non-toxic version, start with red dye and then add blue or green to shift the color to something more blood like. Chocolate syrup can also be used to create a bit more maroon color.
The advantage of this blood is that it's not sticky and, if you experiment a little bit you'll find that flinging it around creates very realistic splatters.
But, as with the other, use caution since this mixture will stain just about everything it touches.
== Bonus points ==
Fake blood is all good and well, but what's even cooler is using the fake blood in some live action stunts. The secret is what Hollywood calls a "squib." Technically a squib is actually the explosive part of the equation, but the idea is to fill a plastic bag with fake blood and hide under you clothes. In the Hollywood version a very small charge then blows open the bag. We strongly suggest avoiding the pyrotechnics. When you get "shot" or "stabbed" just clutch the affected area and pop the bag, letting the blood pour out.
The simplest way to make a squib is to spoon a little blood into a small, cheap plastic baggie and then mash it against yourself to make the blood leak out. For a little more sophistication you can tape the bag under your clothes and then smash it so it seems out through your clothes.
If you want to really go for the realism, use the bag as above, but super glue some thin wire to the back of it (which will be a little tricky, but is possible) and then pull the wire to start the bleeding without anything so dramatic as clutching your chest.
\ No newline at end of file diff --git a/old/published/How To Wiki/makesmoke.txt b/old/published/How To Wiki/makesmoke.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..51c693f --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/How To Wiki/makesmoke.txt @@ -0,0 +1 @@ +Fog lends the ordinary landscape a much spookier, eerier quality that's perfect for scaring the bejesus out of your Halloween guests. I mean, come on, did you ever see an episode of Scooby Doo that didn't have wisps of fog floating by at some point? If it scared Shaggy, it'll get your stoner friends too.
Unfortunately commercial fog machines can be rather expensive and the cheap varieties don't produce much more fog than a cluster of smokers huddled outside a bar. You could call Ozzy Osborne and see if he has an extra fog machine lying around, but we have a simpler solution -- build your own.
== Dry Ice ==
Dry Ice is carbon dioxide in solid form. To stay solid dry ice needs to be colder than -78.5 °C (-109.3 °F). Unless you're the Penguin chances are your house is much warmer than that which means dry ice will sublimate -- changing directly to a gas that looks like, yes, fog.
For Halloween purposes all you need is a good size block of dry ice, a bucket or caldron that can handle the chill and some water. Fill your bucket with a bit of water, drop in the dry ice and bam! instant fog.
So where do you get dry ice? It sounds primitive, but try looking up ice suppliers in the phone book. Other options include your local grocery store, ice cream parlor and sometimes even hospitals.
A note of caution -- the dry ice will sublimate in your car producing potentially dangerous amounts of CO2 in a confined space. Keep the windows down to make sure you don't asphyxiate (the same goes for dry ice inside the home, though it's a bigger space so the danger isn't as great).
The main disadvantage to dry ice as fog is that it's heavier than air, which means it tends to stay near the ground. One possible workaround is to put the water and dry ice in a wet/dry shop vacuum and then reverse the vacuum to blow the fog out. Stick the hose somewhere higher up and the fog will cascade down, adding a bit more altitude to the effect.
Remember that dry ice is somewhat dangerous and will freeze anything it touches. Use gloves and tongs when handling dry ice and keep it away from pets and children.
== DIY Fog for Commercial machines ==
If the dry ice idea seems passe, you might want to consider investing in a commercial fog machine. The downside to the commercial machines is price, but one way to cut back on your expenses is to make your own fog solution.
A word of caution: making your own fog solution may void the warranty on your fog machine.
Here's a recipe that auto mechanics often use to check for leaks in exhaust systems:
4 ounces food-grade Glycerin
1 quart (32 ounces) Distilled Water
Just mix the two and you're done.
Adding more Glycerin will produce thicker fog, while using a bit less will generate thinner fog.
== Chilled Fog Machine ==
Most fog machines generate warm fog, if you want the ground hugging effects of cold fog, as you'd get with dry ice, but don't want to mess with dry ice, Pat over at Kick the Fog has an awesome guide to [http://www.kickthefog.com/chiller.htm building your own fog chiller]. The project uses water cooled copper tubing to take the hot fog out of your machine and then run it through the chilling system to produce the eery effects of chilled fog.
Kick the Fog's guide isn't for the faint of heart, but if you're looking for the ultimate in Halloween fog, it delivers.
\ No newline at end of file diff --git a/old/published/How To Wiki/monsterhowto01.txt b/old/published/How To Wiki/monsterhowto01.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..e0d7378 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/How To Wiki/monsterhowto01.txt @@ -0,0 +1,34 @@ +The days of working 40 years with a single company -- taking the gold watch and cashing in -- are long gone. With the demise of that stability comes the burden of uncertainty, but it also brings the freedom to completely change careers whenever you feel like it. + +In today's job market no one bats an eye at the vet tech-turned-venture-capitalist or the .NET programmer-turned-legal aide -- the only thing pigeon-holing you into one career is you. + +If you've been itching for a change of scene or routine, we've got what you need to get started picking a new career. + +=== Find what you love === + +The hardest part of choosing moving to a new career is often figuring out what you might want to do. Start with your current job, even if it's mind-numbingly dull there's probably at least something you like. For example, filing TCP reports might not be the highlight of your current day, but perhaps you enjoy working in an office environment. Make a list of what you like and keep it handy. + +Now head to job search site like [http://www.monster.com/ Monster.com] or grab the classified ads if you're the pen and paper type. Start browsing to see what's out there. Don't limit yourself, look at every thing, even if it isn't what you have in mind -- there's a good chance you'll find yourself looking at something you didn't even realize were jobs. + +Now you can be a bit more realistic if you like. Check out industry hiring trends if you'd like a better idea of what you're up against in switching to your dream career. Job listing sites like Monster.com often publish anonymized data showing [http://career-advice.monster.com/job-search/company-industry-research/2010-jobs-and-hiring-outlook/article.aspx which careers are growing], which job markets are the toughest, and what employers expect from their prospective hires. + +=== Find out what skills you need === + +Found a job that catches your eye? Great. Now it's time to figure out if any of the skills you've already got will help you land a new career or perhaps you'll need to take a few night classes or pass some exams. + +For example, a strong background in sales will translate well to a career in real estate, however, there are licensing requirements and other small hurdles you'll need to overcome first. + +One of the best ways to figure out what it takes to excel in your new career is to get in touch with someone who already does it. Sticking with the previous example, you might want to call up a few local realtors and see if they have the time to give you some advice. + +Find one or two that seem the most helpful and ask if you can follow them around for a day to see what they do and whether or not the job is everything you think it is. + + +=== Beef up your resume === + +If you're changing careers you won't have any experience, but employers always prefer experience, so how do you land a new career without experience? The answer is perseverance and perhaps a bit of luck. + +You may need to land a lower-paying job than you're used to at first, something to get your foot in the door and help you meet people in the field. If even that isn't work consider volunteering your time if that's possible or ask someone else already in the field to write a recommendation for you. + +=== Conclusion === + +There's no doubt it's intimidating, but changing a career isn't is hard -- or as scary -- as you might think. Figure out what you really want to do and start working toward it today.
\ No newline at end of file diff --git a/old/published/How To Wiki/negotiate_a_better_deal_with_your_ISP.txt b/old/published/How To Wiki/negotiate_a_better_deal_with_your_ISP.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..0930588 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/How To Wiki/negotiate_a_better_deal_with_your_ISP.txt @@ -0,0 +1,27 @@ +Desperate times call for desperate measure so it shouldn't be any surprise that the fine art of haggling and negotiating bargains is on the rise in these financially trying times. Believe it or not, with a bit of perseverance and some bargaining skill you can negotiate better deals from even the largest of corporations. + +When it comes to saving money lowering your monthly bills ought to be top of the list, which is why we've put together this guide to help you negotiate a better deal with your internet service provider. + +== Do your research == + +Before you contact your current ISP, be sure to take a general survey of the competition. Find out how your monthly bill compares to other offers both in your area and out if it. Pay particular attention to your ISP's primary competition, for example if you've got DSL see what the cable company is offering and be sure to note the bandwidth that comes with their deals. + +What if you find out you already have the best deal? Quite frankly that's very unlikely, but even if it turns out you already have a good deal, you still might be able to get an even better one following the steps below. + +== Pick up the phone == + +Sure you can try messaging your ISP on Twitter, but if you really want to negotiate you're going to need some good old-fashioned human interaction. Call your ISP and press whatever annoying array of buttons you need to get an actual human being on the line. + +Once you're got a person, tell them you'd like to see if you can get a better deal. The trick to negotiating is to be polite, but firm, and don't go nuclear from the start. Ease in by saying you're concerned with the cost of your service, not that you're jumping ship for the competition. + +'''Ask if there any specials.''' ISPs routinely offer introductory rates to entice new customers. They generally claim the special rates are only for new customers, but with a bit of convincing on your part, most will give them to just about anyone. It never hurts to ask. + +'''Let them know you are in demand.''' Remember, you're the customer, you're in control whether you feel that way or not. Tell the representative you've got an offer from a competitor and you're wondering if they can match the price. If you're talking about a DSL offer to a cable company you'll probably get an earful about the advantages of cable over DSL. Politely, but firmly list the actual bandwidth speeds that you researched earlier. Generally this will put an end to the cable vs DSL debate and bring the focus back to getting you a better deal. + +'''Let your ISP know you're willing to switch to the competition.''' If you still haven't gotten anywhere, then you can pull out the big guns and say that you'd like to cancel your account and move to another ISP. We've only had to do this once and it quickly routed us to a new representative who's sole job was to make us happy and ensure we didn't switch. Sure enough, that representative was more than happy to lower our bill and increase our bandwidth. + +'''Ask for a manager''' Many times the basic customer service reps aren't allowed to negotiate deals and will tell you as much. Politely ask to speak with the next person up in the chain. + +== Future Outlook == + +Given that most areas of the country have, at best, only a handful of internet service providers, there's very little competition and hence very little pressure to drive down prices. However, as cellular networks catch up to cable and DSL in speed and price, the traditional land-line-based ISPs are beginning to feel the pressure. Expect both price and speed wars to break out eventually, which will mean faster, cheaper internet service for all of us.
\ No newline at end of file diff --git a/old/published/How To Wiki/onlinebookmarksprivate.txt b/old/published/How To Wiki/onlinebookmarksprivate.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..fa87eae --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/How To Wiki/onlinebookmarksprivate.txt @@ -0,0 +1,60 @@ +The explosive growth of social bookmarking sites like [http://del.icio.us/ del.icio.us], [http://ma.gnolia.com/ ma.gnolia] and others have proved that there are legions of us that want to share our favorite sites with the world. + +However there are others who don't necessarily want to share everything with everyone, but still want an accessible-anywhere online backup of their bookmarks. + +Even if you're happily sharing away on del.icio.us, there may still be some bookmarks you don't want to share -- site admin links, banking sites, and, uh, "other" sites. + +If you've been looking for a way to backup your bookmarks online, but keep them private at the same time, grab yourself some coffee as we explore your options. + +== Social Bookmarking == + +Just because del.icio.us makes it easy to share your bookmarks doesn't mean you have to. You could in fact keep your entire del.icio.us account (or ma.gnolia or almost any alternative) private. + +Just make sure that each time you bookmark a page you mark it as private. If you're using Firefox with the del.icio.us add-on, this would be our recommendation. That way you get a local copy of your bookmarks, a private online backup and use the Firefox add-on to keep the two in sync with ease. + +Of course there's the problem of remembering to mark your bookmarks as private each time you add one. If that sounds like something you'd eventually mess up, then keep reading for some more solutions. + +== Go Old School == + +As primitive as this sounds, I still use a simple HTML bookmark list exported straight out of the browser. I then upload that file to my own server and use an .htaccess file to require a login before you can see the page. It isn't totally secure, but it'll stop most prying eyes. + +To make the setup a bit slicker, check out the Firefox plug-in [https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/2410 Foxmarks]. Foxmarks allows you to create the backup bookmark file directly without manually exporting and uploading via FTP. Just plug your server settings into Foxmarks and it'll take care of the rest. Foxmarks works over FTP or WebDAV. See the [http://wiki.foxmarks.com/wiki/Foxmarks:_Frequently_Asked_Questions#Using_Other_Servers Foxmarks Wiki] for more details. + +As for the password protection, (assuming you're using an Apache web server) just create a .htaccess file in the directory where the bookmarks backup file is located and paste in these lines: + +<pre> +AuthName "Password Protect Directory" +AuthType Basic +AuthUserFile /home/username/.htpasswd +<Limit GET POST PUT> +Require valid-user +</Limit> +</pre> + +Now change the <code>AuthUserFile</code> path to a directory on your server that '''is not accessible for the web''', and create the .htpasswd file. The username/password combo in .htpasswd takes this form: + +<pre> +username:encryptedpassword +</pre> + +To get an encrypted version of your desired password, just use one of the many free generators available like the one from [http://www.htmlite.com/HTA006a.php htmlite] + +You can also generate the .htpasswd file from the shell like so: + +htpasswd -c /path/to/the/folder/.htpasswd your_username + +Now if you try to access your bookmarks file, the browser should prompt you for a username and password. + +== Evernote, Box.net and online backup solutions == + +If you don't have your own server to backup a bookmarks file, checkout some of the many free services that can do it for you -- [http://box.net/ box.net], [http://www.putplace.com/ PutPlace], [http://mozy.com/ Mozy] and more. + +None of these services are specifically geared to backing up bookmarks, but all of them offer online storage (generally around 2-5 gigs for free) and often provide ftp access, which would work with Foxmarks or similar solutions. + +Another possibility is [http://www.evernote.com/ Evernote], a [http://blog.wired.com/monkeybites/2008/03/evernote-offers.html backup solution] that's one part web-based, one part desktop application and one part mobile app. Like the social bookmarking services, Evernote has excellent privacy controls so if you want to share something you can, if not you can keep it private. + +As an added advantage Evernote can take just about anything as imput -- images, webpages, movies and more -- not just bookmarks. + +== Conclusion == + +There are a number of ways you can have your cake and keep a private online backup as well. Which method works best for you depends on your work habits and how organized you are. It might take some experimenting to find a system that works best for you.
\ No newline at end of file diff --git a/old/published/How To Wiki/openidhowto.txt b/old/published/How To Wiki/openidhowto.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..73fde96 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/How To Wiki/openidhowto.txt @@ -0,0 +1,47 @@ +Chances are, if you use a lot of social networks, you've run across the term OpenID. It's become de rigueur for new social websites to offer the ability to sign in with OpenID instead of creating yet another username and password. + +But just what is this OpenID and how do you go about using it? + +OpenID was designed to be a free, decentralized identity system -- in other words a bit like a driver's license for the web. + +Instead of dozens of usernames and passwords spread out over all the web, OpenID is a single username with just one password. When you want to login to a site you simple provide it with your OpenID and the website connects to your OpenID account. + +Not only does OpenID create a single username you can take wherever you go on the web, it also makes it easy to set up new accounts, offering to import e-mail and other personal data, as well as set limits on what information each website has access to. + +If you're thinking that sounds a lot like Facebook Connect -- which also allows you to sign in to other sites, using your Facebook credentials -- you're right. The difference is the OpenID isn't controlled by any one company (which may or may not be around in five years). + +== Getting Started with OpenID == + +The first step in using OpenID is to set up an account with one of the many providers on the web. The good news is that you most likely already have an OpenID enabled account. If you have an account with Google, Yahoo, AOL, LiveJournal, Blogger, Flickr, MySpace or any of the other [http://openid.net/get-an-openid/ common, big name OpenID providers] then you already have OpenID. + +All you need to do is look for the various "sign in with your Yahoo account" or "sign in with your Google Account" buttons around the web. Whenever you see that, simply sign in with your account credentials and you'll be redirected to your Google or Yahoo account and you can authorize the new site to access your username, e-mail and other data. + +== Rolling your own == + +But wait, isn't relying on Google, Yahoo or any of those other companies pretty much the same as using Facebook Connect? Well, technically no, but for most users in practice the answer is yes. Although you can leave Google or Yahoo and set up a new OpenID elsewhere (which you can't do with Facebook Connect) doing so isn't as easy as it should be. + +So, if you prefer to have your OpenID separate from any of the companies listed above, then you can set up your free own account through services like [https://www.myopenid.com/ MyOpenID] or [ClaimID], which are both dedicated (and free) OpenID providers. + +Whichever service you choose you'll get a unique URL (something like myusername.myopenid.com) that you can use around the web. + +== Using OpenID == + +Here's where OpenID falls apart slightly -- the sign in experience varies from site to site. To pick one example let's look at how you could sign in to comment on a blog. The first thing you need to do is learn to look for the OpenID logo. + +[open id logo pic here] + +Wherever you see that logo you can simply enter the URL you got from your OpenID provider (whether it's your own or a URL from LiveJournal, Flickr and others). + +Enter that URL, sign into your OpenID account and approve the site in question to access as much of your data as you'd like -- that's all there is to it. + +After you approve the site you'll land back at the blog you started on, but now you'll be signed in and can comment using your new web identity. + +== Security Questions Answered == + +Is OpenID secure? Yes. But of course OpenID is no more or less secure than the traditional multitude of usernames and passwords you're using now. Protect your OpenID username and password as you would any other secret info. + +Isn't OpenID like putting all my eggs in one basket, i.e. if some gains access to my OpenID account they'll have access to all my social network accounts? That's true, but if the same intruder gains access to your e-mail account (which isn't hard to do once they've cracked your social network account) they can reset all your user names and passwords anyway. As with any username and password, you should always protect your OpenID credentials. + +== Conclusion == + +OpenID isn't perfect, but it's become widespread and once you get the hang of it you'll wonder how you ever lived without it.
\ No newline at end of file diff --git a/old/published/How To Wiki/partition a drive/drive_partition_winxp.jpg b/old/published/How To Wiki/partition a drive/drive_partition_winxp.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..d0e656d --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/How To Wiki/partition a drive/drive_partition_winxp.jpg diff --git a/old/published/How To Wiki/partition a drive/partition_your_hard_drive_mac.txt b/old/published/How To Wiki/partition a drive/partition_your_hard_drive_mac.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..ceed45d --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/How To Wiki/partition a drive/partition_your_hard_drive_mac.txt @@ -0,0 +1,19 @@ +The hard drive in your PC is most likely one big object. It's the simplest way to look a hard drive -- like it's one big filing drawer full of folders and files. But you can, with a little work, split that hard drive into many different file drawers -- one for system files, one for your documents, one for music and so on. + +Partitioning a hard drive is helpful for both organization and speed. It also allows you to, for example, run Windows and Linux together on the same PC or, using Apple's BootCamp, run Windows and Mac OS X alongside each other. + +Partitioning a drive is easy, but it does require erasing the drive, so make sure you're either starting with a brand new hard drive or have backed up all the files on your existing drive. In the case of the actual system hard drive you'll need to partition from an install disk or another machine since the software that's partitioning your drive can't erase the drive it's running on. + +==Mac OS X== + +To partition a drive on your Mac, just attach the drive and open the application "Disk Utility." Then select your attached drive in the menu on the left and choose the "Partition" tab. The drop down menu offers a number of partitioning schemes, select the number of partitions you'd like and then chose a format for each (see our guide to formatting). + +Once you've selected a format, click the "Apply" button and wait a few minutes for the drive to finish formatting. + +If you'd like to partition the system hard drive inside your Mac, the procedure is the same, but you'll need to boot your Mac from an OS X install DVD or another Mac. If you're using the install DVD, before you start the install process head to the menubar and select the Disk Utility application. Once Disk Utility opens the process is the same as explained above. + +Remember, partitioning a drive erases all the data on your Mac, so make sure you backup all your files before you begin. + +==Future Outlook== + +Eventually our computers won't have hard drives, we'll simply connect to "the cloud," a web server that hosts all our files and makes having a large, partitioned hard drive pointless. Instead small, fast solid state drive will power minimal operating systems and all our work and files will happen over ubiquitus wireless connections.
\ No newline at end of file diff --git a/old/published/How To Wiki/photograph a sunset/photograph_a_sunset.txt b/old/published/How To Wiki/photograph a sunset/photograph_a_sunset.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6bffad9 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/How To Wiki/photograph a sunset/photograph_a_sunset.txt @@ -0,0 +1,37 @@ +Photographing the sunset is pretty easy, just point your camera at the setting sun right? Well, if it were that easy we'd all be Ansel Adams. The truth is, like any scene, sunsets have their own unique set of possibilities and problems. + +To get the most out of your sunset shots, follow our handy set of tips on how to photograph sunsets like a master. + +===Show up ahead of time=== + +Composing a great shot takes time and when the sun is setting light changes rapidly. Pick a likely location head of time and figure out what you want to include in your shot so that when the light starts to fade, you're ready. + +Add a compass to your camera bag and when you're out scouting during the day you can check to see where in the scene the sun will set. + + +===Turn off the flash=== + +Sometimes fill flash can be used to illuminate the foreground in a sunset shot, but by and large, the flash is your enemy when it comes to sunset shots, so leave it off. + +===Be patient=== + +Colors are usually deepest at the end of a sunset. While that shouldn't stop you from snapping a few image as the sunset comenses, be sure to stick around for the whole show because the best part is generally the end. + +===Turn around=== + +Depending on where you are, there may be some after-sunset color as well. Especially in the mountains, just after sunset a phenomenon called "alpen glow" often appears for few fleeting moments. The counter-intuitive part is that alpen glow occurs on the ''opposite'' horizen from where the sunset. + +The term Alpen Glow is sometimes used to refer to sunset light seen on the mountains, but true alpenglow is not direct sunlight at all and is only seen after sunset or before sunrise. + + +===Use your camera's spot meter=== + +Sunsets lend themselves to silhouettes -- a lone soul strolling the beach, a tree against the sky and so on. But most camera's will automatically adjust to the lower light level and ruin your silhouette. + +Most cameras average light readings from various points in a scene. If possible switch your camera to spot mode so that the center is weighted and you can control the exposure even with a point-and-shoot. + +If that's not possible, point your camera a the brightest part of the sky and then press the shutter button halfway to lock in the light reading. Then, keep the shutter half pressed, come down and frame your shot to achieve a nice silhouette. + +===Future Outlook=== + +Smarter cameras will eventually recognize when you're taking a photograph of a sunset and adjust accordingly, offering a silhouette mode or ways to over-saturate color for more intense sunsets.
\ No newline at end of file diff --git a/old/published/How To Wiki/photograph a sunset/sunset-1.jpg b/old/published/How To Wiki/photograph a sunset/sunset-1.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..fa7a6a8 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/How To Wiki/photograph a sunset/sunset-1.jpg diff --git a/old/published/How To Wiki/photograph a sunset/sunset-2.jpg b/old/published/How To Wiki/photograph a sunset/sunset-2.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..405aabe --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/How To Wiki/photograph a sunset/sunset-2.jpg diff --git a/old/published/How To Wiki/pic1.jpg b/old/published/How To Wiki/pic1.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..d79c4cc --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/How To Wiki/pic1.jpg diff --git a/old/published/How To Wiki/print_photos.txt b/old/published/How To Wiki/print_photos.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..afbae05 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/How To Wiki/print_photos.txt @@ -0,0 +1,25 @@ +Digital cameras eliminated the cost and trouble of a trip to the photo lab every time you shoot a few photos. But while it might be easy to get those photos on Facebook or Flickr, printing them out to hang on your walls is a little more difficult. + +While none of the follow options are totally free, here's three ways to get high quality prints from your digital camera without breaking the bank. + +'''Use your existing printer.''' Once you've got your photos on your PC, and fine tuned them a bit with Photoshop, GIMP or some other image editor, you can print them out using a standard inkjet printer. + +The quality of prints you get from an inkjet will vary considerably depend on the brand and capabilities of your printer. While very few inkjets are capable of museum quality prints, so long as you stick with smaller image you should be able to get decent results. + +Be sure to buy some decent quality glossy or matte photo paper. See your printer's instructions for more details on the best types of paper to use. + +'''Invest in a photo printer''' Generally more expensive and often limited to smaller print sizes, dedicated photo printers are nevertheless capable of higher quality prints than traditional inkjets. + +High-end photo printers often use a technique known as dye-sublimation. Rather than squirting dots of ink on a page the way an inkjet does, dye-sublimation printers use a chemical process to transfer ink to paper. The result is much higher quality prints. The trade-off is a correspondingly higher price tag. + +Many dedicated photo printers also allow you to print directly from your camera or memory card, eliminating the hassle of downloading all your images onto your PC before printing. + +'''Head back to the lab''' If you're only interested in printing a few images it might well be cheaper to have your photos printed by a lab. Most drug stores still offer printing services at reasonable prices. + +Just bring your camera's memory card down to the store and load your photos into the printer. A short while later you'll have nice glossy prints. + +If you've spend a good bit of time refining your images and editing them to perfect, you'll probably want true museum-quality prints. For that we recommend a professional photo lab which generally offers higher quality printers and knowledgeable staff that can help you get more out of your images. + +'''Online Services''' If you've got your images on your PC already, there's no need to head to drug store, the web is filled with printers that will allow you to upload your images and deliver prints to your door. + +Many of these services also offer options like bound books, calendars and more. diff --git a/old/published/How To Wiki/registerdomainname.txt b/old/published/How To Wiki/registerdomainname.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..cd5f653 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/How To Wiki/registerdomainname.txt @@ -0,0 +1,35 @@ +Buying a domain name is pretty simple, just head to an [http://www.internic.net/regist.html accredited domain name registrar], plug in your domain and pull out your wallet. But what do you do when you plug in your domain name only to discover that someone else has already registered it? + +Well, if you've ever wondered why the web is full of companies with strange domain names like Flickr or del.icio.us, wonder no more -- domains can be hard to come by. + +Here's our guide to getting the domain you want when someone else already has it. + +== The basics == + +The first step is getting in touch with the current owner. Generally that means doing a WhoIs search to find contact information for the current owner. Assuming the contact info works you can just email the current owner and ask if they're willing to transfer the domain to you. + +In some cases you may be more comfortable going through a domain broker, though that will incur an additional fee, is no guarantee of success and isn't strictly necessary provided you're able to negotiate like a professional. + +==Things that go wrong == + +=== Unable to find the current owner === + +One of the biggest stumbling blocks to acquiring a domain can be the simplest -- getting in touch with the current owner. If the current registrant of the domain doesn't have working contact info available via a WhoIs search it can be difficult and sometimes even impossible to get in touch. + +Start with the website itself, if there is one. Contact anyone listed on the site and ask who you would need to talk to about the domain name (make sure to view source if you can't find any contact info, web developers sometimes leave their contact info in HTML comments, which can provide a lead). + +If the domain doesn't currently have a website it's worth checking domain auction websites like [http://www.sedo.com/us/home/getting-started/ Sedo]. Type in your domain and Sedo will point you to any ongoing sales. It's not complete and it's nearly always better to get in touch yourself, but if that's already failed Sedo and its ilk offer another way. The chief problem with domain auctions is that the sellers typically think their domains are worth far more than you'll think they are. + +Another trick to finding contact information is to look at older versions of the site. Head over to the Internet Archive [http://archive.org/web/web.php Wayback Machine] and plugin in the URL to get some idea of the history of the domain. Perhaps the site had contact info on it at some point in the past. + +The Wayback Machine may also give you some bargaining advantage -- how many times has the domain changed hands? How long has it been unused? Also look at Google's search rankings for the domain. All of these tidbits will help you get a clearer picture of how valuable the domain is. + +=== The owner doesn't want to sell === + +Make a bigger offer. It's worth a try. But sometimes no matter how much venture capital money your start up has, throwing more of it at the current owner of a domain isn't going to induce them to sell. + +==Conclusion == + +Sometimes it just isn't worth it. With an ever shrinking number of domains remaining unregistered we're all having to get more creative with our domain names. If you can't get what you want, consider getting creative. + +Ever wonder why Flickr is missing its "e"? The owner of the domain name "Flicker.com" didn't want to sell so [http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/04/26/tech/main2731568.shtml Flickr dropped the "e"] and moved on. It's nice to get the domain you want, but it's not necessary. Dropbox spend most of its early life at getdropbox.com because dropbox.com was either not for sale or too expensive. Dropbox later acquired the domain, but not having it from the beginning certainly didn't hurt the company's success. diff --git a/old/published/How To Wiki/replacegnotebook.txt b/old/published/How To Wiki/replacegnotebook.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..9b85190 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/How To Wiki/replacegnotebook.txt @@ -0,0 +1,68 @@ +There are a multitude of way to store clipping of interesting things you find on the web -- bookmark services like Delicious, clippings tools like Evernote and more. + +But one popular place to store your notes and bookmarks is headed to the garbage bin of the web. Google recently announced it will be [http://blog.wired.com/business/2009/01/google-circles.html shutting down its Google Notebook service]. While there are some other Google tools that can handle some aspects of Notebook, such as Google Bookmarks, the [http://blog.wired.com/monkeybites/2008/05/new-notes-turn.html notes feature in Google Reader] or even the [http://blog.wired.com/business/2008/12/new-task-manage.html new to-do and tasks lists in GMail]. Unfortunately none of the related tools quite cover the ground the Google Notebook diid. + +Luckily for Notebook fans though, all is not lost. There are in fact several worthy Notebook successors out there on the web and some of Notebook's competitors have stepped up to offer single-click import tools for your existing Google Notebook items. + +Here's a rundown of what's available, what you might miss and what you'll gain should you choose to switch to one of these options. + + +### [http://notebook.zoho.com/ Zoho Notebook] + +Probably the closest thing to Google Notebook, Zoho's product of the same name works much like Google's version but adds the ability to collaborate and share notebooks with other users. + +Thanks to the Zoho suite of web apps you'll also have access to tools like live chat, voice recording, and a browser plugin that works much like the one Google Notebook offered. + +The two services don't match up exactly one-to-one and the Zoho interface is significantly different, but to help ease the transition Zoho recently [http://blogs.zoho.com/notebook/google-notebook-import-new-zoho-notebook-plug-in-more/announced a a new Google Notebook import tool]. + +The importing process is fairly simple; first you'll need to install the new Zoho Notebook Plugin and restart your browser. Then login to both Zoho and Google Notebook. Then head to the url: [chrome://zoho-notebook/content/g2z.html chrome://zoho-notebook/content/g2z.html] and click Start. + +See the Zoho blog for a [http://blogs.zoho.com/notebook/google-notebook-import-new-zoho-notebook-plug-in-more/ more detailed walk-through] of how to move from Google Notebook to Zoho Notebook. + +### [http://evernote.com/ Evernote] + +Like Google Notebook, Evernote is cross-platform, which means you can access and add to Evernote from any PC, as well as a number of mobile platforms (including the iPhone). Evernote also has a desktop software client that acts a bit like the Google Notebook's Firefox plugin on steroids -- you can add, view and edit notes without an internet connection, handy for those times when the wifi dries up. + +But Evernote's real strength lies in its optical character recognition software, which means any images you send will be scanned for text. Once converted to text the content is then indexed for searching. Evernote makes a great place to store receipts, send photos of documents and more -- all the text becomes searchable and is easy to find what you're after, even if its a photo. + +The main downside to Evernote is that the free version only allows you to upload 40MB of data per month. Depending on what you're archiving that may be plenty. If you do find yourself going over that limit on a regular basis there is a premium service available for $45 a year. + +To smooth the transition fron Google Notebook to Evernote, the company recently launched a Google Notebook importer. The process is quite simple, just use Google Notebook's Export function (select Atom when asked what format to save your export in). Then head to your new Evernote account and upload the saved Atom file. You'll need to do that for each Google Notebook that you want to transfer, see the video below for a quick tutorial. + +http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvJn7hOhbJ8 + +<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/dvJn7hOhbJ8&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/dvJn7hOhbJ8&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object> + +### [http://www.diigo.com/ Diigo] + +Diigo is a social bookmarking service that throws in a number of extra features, many of which can fill the gaps left by Google Notebook. The closest thing to Google Notebook in Diigo is the Lists feature. Diigo Lists allow you to organize, share and display specific collections of bookmarks -- pretty mjuch like a Google Notebook. + +The main drawback is that Diigo currently doesn't allow you to include non-bookmark data in lists, but that's a shortcoming that the company [http://blog.diigo.com/2009/01/15/diigo-vs-google-notebook-importer/ promises will be addressed very shortly]. + +Diigo also has many features that go well beyond what Google Notebook offered, like the ability to see your notes (called “highlights” in Diigo parlance) on the original web pages when you re-visit them. + +The team behind Diigo is also working on a Google Notebook importer, though so far it hasn't been officially released. + +### [http://www.ubernote.com/webnote/pages/default.aspx Ubernote] + +Ubernote is similar to Evernote, offering a multitude of ways to store just about any kind of note, document, image, bookmark or other digital clipping. Ubernote offers search features, the ability to annotate stored items and a Firefox plugin to make interacting with Ubernote a bit smoother. + +The service is free and recently unveiled a very simple to use [http://blog.ubernote.com/2009/01/google-notebook-import-tool-complete.html import tool for moving your Google notebooks over to Ubernote]. + +### Microsoft OneNote + +Yes it's desktop software, but Onenote can sync across PCs and offers many of the same features you'll find in Google Notebook. OneNote can clip parts of webpages and store desktop files, as well as organize and categorize just about anything you throw at it. + +The big drawback to OneNote is that there's no web access (at least at the moment). Still, OneNote is free with most versions of Office 2007 and, if storing your data in the cloud isn't a priority, OneNote can handle most of your Google Notebook needs. + +### [http://delicious.com/ Delicious], [http://ma.gnolia.com/ Magnolia], and other social bookmark sites + +If you were primarily using Google Notebook for storing bookmarks, Delicious and its rivals make a great alternative. Most have some form of browser plugin (few match Delicious' [https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/3615 awesome Firefox plugin], but at least there are some options) and make storing and sharing bookmarks a snap. + +Unfortunately, as of this writing, there are no import tools that will make the Google Notebook transition a simple process. As far as we've been able to find, if you want to switch to Delicious and its ilk, you'll be handling the export-import process by hand. + +Also bear in mind that if you used Google Notebook for making notes or handling tasks other than bookmarking you'll lose the tools. + + + +Naturally there are other options out there, so if you have a favorite Google Notebook replacement be sure to add it to the list. Also, if you encounter any problems or bumps along the migration path, be sure to add a note so others can avoid them.
\ No newline at end of file diff --git a/old/published/How To Wiki/securetravel.txt b/old/published/How To Wiki/securetravel.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..8891acc --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/How To Wiki/securetravel.txt @@ -0,0 +1,43 @@ +Most people traveling abroad for vacation or even business can take some basic steps to secure their data on the road and rest easy knowing that their data is reasonably safe. Sometimes however, you might be headed for more serious situations, for example, journalists or human rights workers, both of whom often travel to overtly hostile countries. + +In these cases the potential consequences of exposing your data is considerably more serious than need to cancel some credit cards. If you're headed somewhere beyond the ordinary world of holiday travel and want to make sure you don't end up in some foreign gulag you need to make sure that your data is encrypted and kept doubly safe from prying eyes. + +Here's our guide to making sure that your digital ass is covered while you travel to world's darkest corners. + +== Nothing is foolproof == + +The first thing to bear in mind is that every system, no matter how well considered, is potentially vulnerable. Even the best security systems can be defeated. That's doubly true if you're up against potentially hostile nation states rather than just crafty individuals. The resources amassed against you are even bigger and much more frightening when an entire government is footing the bill. + +That doesn't mean you should just throw in the towel, become a xenophobe and mutter to yourself about the dangers of the world while pacing the confines of your secure underground bunker. + +As with all things there is a middle ground that consists of assessing the threats, identifying your potential vulnerabilities and securing against attacks as best you can. + +== Assessing Threats == + +If you're headed to North Korea, Iran or some place where you may not have the right to resist searches of your property and person the first thing to do is minimize your exposure. Do you need to bring those PDF files outlining Ghandi's guide to successful non-violent protest? Probably not. + +Assume from the start that someone will get into your file system and eliminate everything you don't absolutely need and certainly anything that might be seen as incriminating by foreign agents. + +What remains should be only the absolute necessities which you can now work on securing. + +==Encryption== + +Your first line of defense, encryption hides your data from prying eyes. When it comes to encrypting your files, all the major operating systems offer some form of whole disk encryption. Turn it on and set a secure password. For more info see our previous article on how to [http://howto.wired.com/wiki/Encrypt_your_Hard_Drive Encrypt your Hard Drive] and be sure to use AES encryption if it's available. + +That keeps your hard drive and files reasonably secure, but what about your connections to the outside world? Wifi connections are vulnerable and e-mail, as well as any other network data you plan to access, needs to be secured as well. To secure your e-mail follow the steps in our [http://howto.wired.com/wiki/Encrypt_Your_E-Mail Encrypt Your E-Mail] guide. + +The first rule of free public wifi is that you never connect directly to it. Ever. It's convenient, ubiquitous and almost impossible to secure, which is why you're going to connect to the web through a VPN instead. + +== Virtual Private Networks == + +Virtual Private Networks, or VPNs, are more or less just tunnels that connect your laptop to another network elsewhere -- ideally your own network at home, which you control. All data is then sent and received by the other network. From your end everything seems as through you're simply connected directly to your own network. Running over a wifi network, a well-secured VPN session "looks like" a standard https connection to someone watching the packets as they come and go over the wifi network. That means it will defeat most surveillance, interception, or data theft. + +At the time of this writing there are no known exploits to subvert the security of VPNs based on open, peer-reviewed frameworks like [http://openvpn.net/ OpenVPN]. If you prefer not to set up your own VPN, you can always use commercial offerings like [https://www.ipredator.se/ iPredator] (from the same folks that started The Pirate Bay), [https://www.witopia.net/ WiTopia] or others. + +== Don't forget the real world == + +Not all threats are clever high tech hackers sniffing wifi or border patrol guards running cracking software, some vulnerabilities are more mundane. For example, perhaps the simplest thing you can do to keep your data safe is make sure it's always on your person. Don't give it to anyone, ever. That includes hotel lockboxes and hotel safes in the lobby. After all what's stopping an agent of the state from opening that safe and having his way with your laptop while you're out to dinner? That right, nothing at all. Don't let anything you want to keep private out of your sight and trust no one with your data. + +== Conclusion == + +Keeping your data secure in hostile environments is not easy, nor is it something for the feint of heart, but it's not impossible. Government agents, NGO works and journalists do it all the time and in most cases they do it using the same tools you can. Just remember to be safe, obey local laws and always know the best route to your embassy doors in case you need to get there in a hurry. diff --git a/old/published/How To Wiki/speed_reading.txt b/old/published/How To Wiki/speed_reading.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..5eb358d --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/How To Wiki/speed_reading.txt @@ -0,0 +1,25 @@ +Part of the success of Twitter lies with its brevity. 140 characters is easy to read with a quick glance. But it's also possible to quickly read and absorb much longer texts -- e-mails from mom, long-winded co-worker rants, even whole textbooks -- if you know a thing or two about speed reading. + +For some background check out our how to on speed reading, but if that strikes you as a little too much effort, don't worry you can improve your reading speed by taking a few tips from Twitter. + +===Consider the interface=== + +Aside from brevity, Twitter is notable for its clean, white interface. To improve your reading speed you might want to replicate the same, uncluttered, distraction free environment. + +Reading a long article online? Look for a link to the print version, which typically strips away sidebars, advertisements and other distractions, leaving you with a simple column of text that's easier to digest. + +===The power of the snippet=== + +Skimming through the average news site is a chore, dozens of images, videos and other clutter compete for your attention. The solution is to feed your favorite sites into a news reader where you can quickly scan a column of headlines to find what interests you. + +Have a look at our how to on news readers to get up and running with any of the many free news readers available on the desktop and web. + +===Use Twitter=== + +Twitter isn't just a way to keep up with friends, it can also be used as a kind of real-time news reader. Follow your favorite news sources on Twitter for quick, easy to scan headlines with links to the full text. + +=== Future Outlook === + +While it'd be nice to think the future will offer Matrix-style brain dumps -- need to understand Kung fu? There's an app for that -- but that's probably a good ways off. More realistic are text-to-speech converters that can read your important e-mail, news and other data, summarize it and give you quick synopsis. + +artwork: http://www.flickr.com/photos/loomer/299579768/
\ No newline at end of file diff --git a/old/published/How To Wiki/start_a_blog.txt b/old/published/How To Wiki/start_a_blog.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..bd64f47 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/How To Wiki/start_a_blog.txt @@ -0,0 +1,41 @@ +First off, congratulations on being the last person to start a blog. No need to feel bad, nor should you really feel like you're last person, it just seems that way sometimes. + +In the beginning blogs required things like server space and domain names, not to mention some technical know-how. Fortunately with popularity comes simplicity. + +Today you can set up a blog, pick a fancy template and be publishing your way to fame and fortune in less than ten minutes. Best of all it's totally free. Take that Gutenberg. + +===Pick a topic=== + +There are already a lot of blogs on the web and pretty much every niche has already been filled at this point, but don't let that get you down. Your blog might not be unique but your voice will be, so make sure you blog about something you're passionate about and have experience with. + +Even if there are already hundreds of bloggers writing about the same thing, quality voices rise out of the herd and new blogs gain vast readerships every day. + +===Pick a provider=== + +The internet is littered with blog hosts, which one you go with is fairly arbitrary in the beginning. However, one thing to keep in mind: make sure the option you choose has good exporting tools, should you ever want to move your data down the road. + +All of the following service providers offer very similar tools and decent methods of exporting your data should you ever want to jump ship: + +# [http://wordpress.com/ Wordpress.com] - One of the first large open source blogging projects, wordpress remains a popular choice for bloggers small and large. + +# [https://www.blogger.com/start Blogger.com] - Google's entry into the blogging world. + +# [Xanga http://www.xanga.com/] - Part blog, part social network, Xanga offers some extra community-orietned features. + +# [http://www.vox.com/ Vox] - The free version of Typepad/Movable Type, like Xanga, Vox features some extra social components as well. + +===Pimp your blog=== + +So you've got a blog set up, now take some time to customize the look and feel of your new site. Most providers offer a variety of templates you can choose from, pick something that fits with your topic/theme. + +Once you're happy with the basic look of your blog you can trick it out with blogging freebies like widgets to connect your readers, badges to display Diggs, guest maps, guestbooks, and more. + +Get the word out. Very few people will ever visit your blog if they can't find it. Send out an e-mail to friends and family, In the beginning they'll be your most loyal readers. Then submit your site to social sites like Delicious, StumbleUpon, Twitter and so on. + +Don't be shy. Approach some of the more popular bloggers in your field and see if they'll let you do a guest post. They get some fresh content and your get a link back to your site and potentially quite a few new readers. + +==Future Outlook== + +Around 2020 Wordpress will offer an in-utero installation option and thanks to the genetically engineered keyboards growing under an infant's fingers, children will blog before they breathe. No more feeling the baby kick, you'll know your child is healthy by the steady tapping of fingers typing out messages for the world to read. + +artwork: I'm partial to: http://www.flickr.com/photos/karola/3623765061/ but I can keep looking that doesn't work for you...
\ No newline at end of file diff --git a/old/published/How To Wiki/stopgooglewebhistory.txt b/old/published/How To Wiki/stopgooglewebhistory.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..09c2227 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/How To Wiki/stopgooglewebhistory.txt @@ -0,0 +1,23 @@ +If you've been to Google's homepage lately, and the chances you have are astronomical, you may have noticed a little announcement mentioning something about changes in Google's privacy policy. You've probably ignored it, but you shouldn't. + +On March 1st 2012, Google will implement a new, unified privacy policy. The new policy is retroactive, meaning it will affect any data Google has collected on you prior to that date, as well as any data it gathers afterward. The official Google Blog has more [http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2012/01/updating-our-privacy-policies-and-terms.html details on what the new privacy policy means]. The short story is that under the new policy your Google Web History (all of your searches and the sites you clicked through to) can be combined with other data Google has gathered about you through other services -- Gmail, Google+, etc. + +Previously Google kept your search history separate, which means that its profile of you was less complete. If you'd like to keep that profile, you'll need to delete your existing search history and prevent Google from using that history in the future. + +The Electronic Frontier Foundation has more details on [https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2012/02/how-remove-your-google-search-history-googles-new-privacy-policy-takes-effect why you might want to turn off Google's Web History feature]. + +Here's our guide to cleaning your Google house and making sure it stays clean. + +==Wiping your history== + +First sign into your Google account and head to the page [https://www.google.com/history/ https://www.google.com/history/]. Click the button labeled "remove all Web History." Then click "Okay" to confirm. Note that this also pauses your web history going forward. + +[pic1.jpg] + +==Caveats and Considerations == + +This will not stop Google from gathering data when you search. To do that you would need to block Google cookies completely. However, while it will still gather the data, Google will not use it to serve targeted ads or do anything other than use it for internal purposes. Also, with Web History disabled your data is at least partially anonymized after 18 months (if you leave Web History on Google will keep your search records indefinitely). + +On the negative side, bear in mind that while this won't prevent Google from making search suggestions, it will prevent you from getting *personalized* suggestions based on your previous searches. + +To completely block Google from tracking you as you search and browse you would need a cookie and script blocking browser add-on such as [http://www.ghostery.com/ Ghostery]. diff --git a/old/published/How To Wiki/surf_anonymously_using_tor.txt b/old/published/How To Wiki/surf_anonymously_using_tor.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..a9f6fca --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/How To Wiki/surf_anonymously_using_tor.txt @@ -0,0 +1,36 @@ +Want to surf the web anonymously, without every website you visit collecting data about you? Sadly, remaining anonymous online isn't easy, everything from search engines to social networking sites are dropping cookies in your web browser to see how you behave -- which links you click, which ads you click, where you are and more. + +To stop such data gathering is going to take a bit for work on your part, but it is possible and no, it won't break the whole web. Everything will work just as before, but no one will know who you are. + + +== Introducing Tor == + +[http://www.torproject.org/ Tor] is a free networking software program and allows you to use the internet anonymously. + +When you log into to Tor you join a network of machines scattered around the world that pass internet traffic randomly amongst themselves before it emerges at its destination. The process is somewhat like a ball bouncing around inside a sealed box. Every now and then a ball comes out of the box, but it's impossible to tell who put it in the box to begin with. + +The process is called "onion routing," and it was first developed at the Naval Research Laboratory. Tor uses a layered encryption protocol, which is where the onionskin analogy comes from. Tor is designed to defeat one specific type of digital eavesdropping known as traffic analysis, a form of network surveillance that tracks who is talking to whom over a public network. + +== Getting Started with Tor== + +Tor only protects applications that route their traffic through it. That means you need to configure your web browser to first connect to Tor. + +To get started with Tor, follow these simple steps: + +# Download Tor for [http://www.torproject.org/easy-download.html.en Mac, PC or Linux]. +# Install Tor +# Connect your browser to Tor. The easiest way to do this is using Firefox with the [https://www.torproject.org/torbutton/ Torbutton] add-on or Opera with the [http://archetwist.com/en/opera/operator OperaTor] extension. For other browsers you'll need to manually config your proxy settings, see the [https://www.torproject.org/documentation.html.en Tor documentation] for more details. + +== What Tor Can and Cannot Do == + +It's important to understand what Tor does for you, specifically it anonymizes you, but it doesn't encrypt data or provide any security. + +Also note that if you ever turn Tor off and visit a site that installs a cookie, that cookie can be used to track you even after you turn Tor back on. Consequently it's always a good idea to clear your cookies before you start using Tor. + +The other thing to be aware of is that browser plugins can sometimes be used to track you even when you're using Tor. For that reason it's a good idea to disable Flash, ActiveX and any other plugins you may have installed. + +==Future Outlook== + +Already legal protections are starting to make their way into governments everywhere and a number of high profile companies have already pledge to cut back on the amount of data they collect. + +Still, the future of cookies and online privacy looks bleakly Orwellian. Already sites are turning to Flash-based cookies and other tricks that make it even harder to cover your online tracks. diff --git a/old/published/How To Wiki/take_better_cameraphone_pics.txt b/old/published/How To Wiki/take_better_cameraphone_pics.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..fc2d8a7 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/How To Wiki/take_better_cameraphone_pics.txt @@ -0,0 +1,21 @@ +While professionals would likely dismiss the cameraphone as a viable camera, for the rest of us the cameraphone is fast become the easiest way to take photos. + +Not only is your cameraphone almost always in your pocket, in many cases the cameras themselves are approaching point-and-shoot level quality. + +The big drawbacks to camera phones are the tiny lens and lack of manual controls. The secret to taking better pictures with your cameraphone is understand the limitations and adapting to them. + +'''Get up close and personal.''' The closer you are to your subject the better the image will likely turn out. Some phones these days have digital zoom capabilities, but as with the same features in point-and-shoot models it's best to avoid digital zoom. + +'''Brace yourself''' Probably the number one culprit of bad cameraphone shots is blur. It's not easy to hold a phone still, particularly in low-light situations. Whenever possible brace your phone against something solid. Depending on the design of your phone you might try pressing is to your face like a traditional camera. Also be sure to keep holding your phone after you press the shutter button, most cameraphones have a considerable lag between pressing the shutter and actually capturing the image. + +'''Light is your friend''' Cameraphones typically have very small lens which means the more light you can get in them, the better your images will be. That said, don't dismiss a sunset shot just because there isn't much light. Experiment wil different settings and lighting situations until you get a better idea of how your phone responds and then adapt to any shortcomings you discover. + +'''Clean the lens''' There's a good chance that when you're talking on the phone your fingers and palms are pressed up against the lens of the camera. Given your lens a quick wipe before you take an image to eliminate any potential smudges or fingerprints. + +'''Use the modes Luke''' Some cameraphones have "modes," which, like their point-shoot cousins offer presets optimized for common situations. For example you might have night mode, or a portrait mode. While such modes aren't always that great on point-and-shoots, they're generally the only way to change anything in your camera phone, so take advantage of them. + +==Future Outlook== + +Camera phones will keep getting more sophisticated. Already they've caught up to many point-and-shoots in the megapixel race. Expect the megapixels to keep going up and the built-in software for editing photos to get more sophisticated as well. Eventually lens will get bigger and and the cameraphone will, for most people, replace the the dedicated point-and-shoot instant camera. + +Artwork: http://www.flickr.com/photos/emrank/3631002156/
\ No newline at end of file diff --git a/old/published/How To Wiki/test_your_connection_speed.txt b/old/published/How To Wiki/test_your_connection_speed.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..8689a4d --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/How To Wiki/test_your_connection_speed.txt @@ -0,0 +1,33 @@ +Chances are when you signed up with your ISP they offered you service at 5mb or 10mb. However, the service you actually get is often quite different. In the real world you're unlikely to get the upper limit of your connection speed all the time. + +Worse, some ISPs are actively shaping their networks -- prioritizing certain traffic, services and users at the expense of others. + +But before you get up and arms about your speed or the overal quality of you connection you first need to know what your connection speeds are. To find out, and to help you detect any traffic shaping on your ISP, we've put together this handy guide to network testing. + +== Testing with an online service == + +The quickest and easiest way to test your connection speed is using one of the countless online speed tests. We've found both [http://www.speedtest.net/ Speed Test] and [http://www.dslreports.com/stest DSL Reports] (dont' let the name fool you, DSL Reports can test any type of connection) to both provide reliable results. + +== Software to monitor your connection speed == + +Obviously heading to an online speed test everyday is not the most practical way to monitor your bandwidth speed. For that we recommend network monitoring software. + +For Windows users there's [http://ispmonitor.be/software/ ISP Monitor], [http://www.bwmonitor.com/ Bandwidth Monitor] and others which all offer full monitoring tools, and in some cases background widgets that give you a quick overview of your current speed and can even log your speed throughout the day. + +For Mac users we recommend [http://www.islayer.com/apps/istatmenus/ iStat Menus], a suite of tools which includes a network speed monitor that sits in the menu bar and gives you a nice, at-a-glance way to keep an eye on your connection speeds. + +== Testing for traffic shaping == + +Speed isn't the only potential problem your ISP is dishing up. So far we've focused on web traffic, but what about BitTorrent, FTP and other common internet protocols? Many ISPs are already employing traffic shaping tools that slow down your torrent traffic to make room for what the ISP's consider more "legitimate" traffic. + +If net neutrality advocates are successful, traffic shaping and other nefarious ISP tactics will be illegal. In the mean time, to find out of your ISP is using such tools you can download a complete test suite from Google. + +Measurement Lab, a joint venture between Google and others offers a [http://www.measurementlab.net/measurement-lab-tools suite of tools] that can help you detect network shaping, check BitTorrent traffic and determine whether your ISP is degrading the performance of a certain subset of users, applications, or destinations. + +== Future Outlook == + +With any luck the future of connection speeds is headed only one direction: up. At the same time there's an ongoing battle between those that believe all traffic is equal (the net neutrality movement) and those that don't (ISPs). + +It's too early to say who will win the net neutrality fight, but if it is the ISPs expect the web, and your connection speed, to suffer. + +artwork: The tubes of course: http://www.flickr.com/photos/wheresmysocks/205710716/
\ No newline at end of file diff --git a/old/published/How To Wiki/travel_light.txt b/old/published/How To Wiki/travel_light.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..e35cbb2 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/How To Wiki/travel_light.txt @@ -0,0 +1 @@ +It used to be that packing light was something only backpackers had to worry about, you know the hard-core types who, like John Muir, set off with just the clothes on their back, a few tea leaves and a sack of hardtack to last them through a two-week trip.
But with today's baggage fees and carry-on restrictions, packing light isn't just something to keep you unencumbered. With some airlines charging for even the first checked bag, If you can lighten your load down to a carry on, it'll stop the airlines fromlighten your wallet with their endless fees.
So it's the day before you big trip and you're staring at a collection of steamer trunks that would have made Imelda Marcos proud, how to you cut it down to something that won't cost an arm and leg when you get to the check-in counter?
Here's our guide to packing light.
== The Bag ==
This is one place that it's worth dropping some change. A good bag is essential and opting to save a few bucks on something cheap will seem like a really bad idea when you're at the side of the road with a torn bag, broken straps and a flimsy useless zipper.
The big question is, should you opt or a wheeled bag or a backpack?
The answer depends on the kind of traveling you're doing. If you're headed straight from the airport to a posh hotel room, or expect to primarily be on paved ground with your bag, then the wheeled options are for you.
If you plan to heading into the wilds, off the beaten pack or to countries where pavement is a relative unknown, wheels are going to be useless. The time-honored backpack is probably your best bet.
Whichever you decide is best for you, make sure it's a small enough bag to pass muster with airline carry on restrictions.
== Lightweight clothing ==
Unless you're headed to Sweden for Christmas, chances are you're bring too many clothes when you travel. When it comes to packing light, instead of thinking what do I need, think what can I do without.
One great way to minimize the weight and bulk is to bring less clothing and do a bit of laundry on the road. Most hotels offer 10day laundry service at a decent rate and if that isn't available, you can always spend ten minutes washing your shirt in the sink.
If you're going the hand wash route make sure to choose clothes that dry quickly.
The other alternative to over-packing on the clothes is to simply buy items when you arrive. Packing that favorite old t-shirt? Why bother, you'd be hard pressed to find a place on earth where you can't buy a cheap t-shirt once you arrive.
Finally, we know they aren't the hippest look around, but many of the lightweight fabrics and "convertable" clothing options from travel gear specialists really do work and save considerable room and weight thanks to their space age materials.
== Toiletries ==
Leave them at home. Once you step into the world of carry-on-only traveling, the TSA pretty much eliminates your toiletries thanks to fears about Liquids on a Plane.
Don't worry though, toothpaste, deodorant and the rest are easy to come by once you arrive. Chances are you'll run across some freebies in your hotel and, if not, you can always make a quick stop at a local pharmacy.
== Forget the electronics ==
Do you really want to check your e-mail while you're traveling? Laptops are heavy and chances are you don't need one. Use internet cafes or send good old-fashioned postcards instead.
If you're traveling for business and simply can't be without a laptop, consider one of the many ultra-portable netbooks on the market. They're lightweight and tiny, though depending on the size of your hands, you may have trouble with the smaller keyboard. If you've got big hands ("you know you're the one," er, sorry) consider a [http://howto.wired.com/wiki/Carry_Your_Desktop_Anywhere_with_Portable_Apps portable USB stick] with all your home data and apps stored and ready to use in any computer around the globe.
Another source of weight are all the converters and adapters you need to plug in most electronics. to par things down to only the essentials, see our [[Stay Plugged In While Traveling]] guide.
== Lists from the pros ==
Want a to see a list of what travel pros think are bare necessities for traveling light? The lists will vary depending on how militant the authors are about going lightweight, but for newcomers looking to slim from a full size bag to a single carry on, veteran travel author Rick Steve's [http://www.transitionsabroad.com/publications/magazine/0211/ricksteves_packlighttravelhappy.shtml Guide to Traveling light] is a good place to start.
For those looking to get a little more serious, check out the ReidsguidesAnother article on [http://www.reidsguides.com/t_pa/t_pa_packing_light.html The Fine Art of Packing Light].
Another widely regarded traveling light guru is Doug Dyment's [http://www.onebag.com/ One Bag] which is chock full of suggestions on how to lighten your load.
\ No newline at end of file diff --git a/old/published/How To Wiki/traveltips.txt b/old/published/How To Wiki/traveltips.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..b727072 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/How To Wiki/traveltips.txt @@ -0,0 +1 @@ +The web has been a boon for the travel industry -- in fact sometimes it seems like the web is little more than travel advice and porn.
From discount airfare searches to travel guides, the internet is overflowing with useful travel information.
But don't just limit yourself to Orbitz and the Lonely Planet forums, with a little creativity web can offer a myriad of other ways to plan a trip.
Here's out roundup of the best tips and tricks for planning your next travel extravaganza.
== Google Earth ==
It's not just eye candy, Google Earth can actually give you all sorts of useful information. Just plug in your destination and do a fly-over, not only is it cool way to see just how far away you're going, you can get a feel for the terrain -- is that two minute walk to the subway straight up hill?
For photo nerds Google Earth also offers an easy way to preplan the best picture taking spots. What's the best place to go for that perfect sunset shot? Just hind the highest point with good westerly lines of sight.
== Flickr ==
Sure it makes a great way to post your travel photos, but it can be helpful for planning too. If you're tired of seeing the same thing as the rest of the tourists, plug your destination into [http://www.flickr.com/places/ Flickr Places] and hunt around for some unusual, less visited sights -- find obscure parks, museums no one visits and architecture marvels the guidebooks miss.
Also be sure to check out any groups listed under your destination. The groups are generally made up of locals who know their locations hidden secrets and can be a wealth of information.
Another trick: plugin in your travel dates, but restrict the results to the year before (use Flickr's [http://www.flickr.com/search/advanced/ advanced search] to get date-based results). Check the resulting photos for cloudy days versus sunny. The results can help give you some idea of just how wet the "wet" season really is.
== Twitter ==
The microblogging service, [http://twitter.com/home Twitter] can act as a great lazyweb resource. Put out some random queries for the best place to eat or something unusual to do in your destination city. With any luck locals can offer insights your fellow guidebook carrying travelers will miss. Thanks to Twitter's built-in limitations, answers will be short and to the point.
Of course you're probably not the first person headed to where ever you're going so use Twitter's new [http://search.twitter.com/ search engine] to mine queries from those who came before. Many users encode their tweets with "hash tags" so try searching, for example, both "paris" and "#paris." Also keep in mind that Twitter is limited to 160 characters so abbreviations are common, rather than searching sanfrancisco, just search sf.
== Yelp ==
It might be the most opinionated site on the web, but with a little work you can find the best eats in town by pouring through [http://www.yelp.com/ Yelp reviews]. And unlike your guidebook, you'll know if that tiny, hole-in-the-wall taqueria is out of business before you walk twenty blocks to find it.
== The iPhone/iPod ==
First off, if you're headed out of the country with an iPhone, turn off the automatic updates function so you don't end up with outrageous roaming charges. See the [http://howto.wired.com/wiki/Travel_Tips_for_Globetrotting_Geeks Travel Tips for Globetrotting Geeks] for details.
But it's more than just a phone, use it download some music podcasts from local radio stations. Not only is there the potential to discover new bands it can also help find clubs and other music venues to check out while you're in town -- beats watching TV in your hotel room.
There are also hundreds of city guide walking tours you can download for most major metropolitan areas.
The iPhone/iPod is also great for maps. Sure there's the built-in Google maps on more recent versions, but even if you don't have the latest and greatest iPod, you can still download subway maps and other images guides to most major cities.
If you're headed abroad, consider buying one of the many foreign language dictionaries available through the App Store. It isn't the babelfish by any means, but little language knowledge goes a long way.
\ No newline at end of file diff --git a/old/published/How To Wiki/vpnhowto.txt b/old/published/How To Wiki/vpnhowto.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..df0fabb --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/How To Wiki/vpnhowto.txt @@ -0,0 +1,41 @@ +A Virtual Private Network (VPN) is a network that piggybacks on the internet to connect a remote PC -- you with your laptop beside the pool in Shanghai -- to a central network elsewhere, for example, your employer's secure network back home. Think of VPNs as tunnels; secure tunnels that you data can travel through on its way to its destination. + +The idea behind a VPN is that you should always be able to connect securely to your own network. With a VPN connection everything seems as though you are simply connected directly to your own network, regardless of where in the world you might actually be. + +Running over a wifi network, a well-secured VPN session looks like a standard https connection to someone watching the packets as they come and go over the wifi network. That means it will defeat most surveillance, interception, and data theft. + +Sounds good, right? Here's our guide to setting up your own VPN for secure connections wherever you go. + +== The Network == + +There are two parts to running a VPN -- the network and the client which connects to it. The first thing you'll need to do to run a VPN is set up the actual VPN server. There are third-party VPN servers available, but as of Windows 7, Microsoft ships all the tools you need right in the operating system. + +To start up a VPN server in Windows 7, first open up the control panel. Click on Network and Internet and select the Network Connections option. That will bring up a new window with no toolbar. For reasons that escape everyone but Microsoft's Win7 developers, you must hold down the Alt key to see the toolbar. So, with the alt key held down, click on the file menu and choose "New Incoming Connection." + +That will launch a wizard which walks you through setting up your VPN server. The first screen asks you to pick a user, in most cases you'll want to choose your Windows 7 username from the list. The next step is to select the option to allow connections through the internet. Then you'll need to decide which sort of connections to allow. At a minimum you need to select the TCP/IPv4 option. Other choices include IPv6, as well as File and Print Sharing, which will allow for remote printing should you need it. + +The last screen asks you to allow network access and how to assign IP address. The latter option is best left to "Assign IP addresses automatically using DHCP," unless you really know what you're doing. + +Once you're finished with the wizard, Windows 7 will show you the computer name that you'll be connecting to. + +===Potential Problems === + +If your PC is behind a firewall there are a couple of extra steps you'll need to take to make sure that your connection can get through. Since router admin screens vary considerably we can't give you step by step instructions, but what you want to do is open up the VPN port (port 1723) in the firewall. You'll also want to forward that port to the local IP address of your Windows 7 VPN server. + +== Connecting to the network == + +Now that you have a VPN server running on your home machine you just need to set up your laptop to connect to it. To do that, open up the Network and Sharing option in the Control Panel and choose "Set up a new connection or network." That will bring up another wizard that walks you through the step necessary to connect to the VPN on the other machine. + +The first step is to choose to connect using "my Internet connection (VPN)". Now type in the IP address of the computer you're trying to connect to (don't know? Hit up [http://www.whatsmyip.org/ What's My IP]). Then give the connection a name -- something like MyAwesomeVPN. We suggest leaving the user login info blank and typing it in each time you need to connect for increased security. + +Now to actually connect, click the network icon at the bottom right corner of the system tray and pick the connection we just created from the list. Click connect and you're away. + +===Potential Problems === + +The biggest problem for most users will be the potentially changing IP address of the home machine. If your IP address is static then there's nothing to worry about. If you don't know whether you have a static or dynamic IP then chances are you have a dynamic IP address. That means your ISP assigns your connection an IP address and that address may change it at any time. If is does change then that happens your remote machine will be trying to connect to an IP that isn't you (or just doesn't exist). + +To get around this problem you can use solutions like [FreeDNS http://freedns.afraid.org/], which assigns a permanent domain name to your dynamic IP address. In that scenario you would go back to the previous step and instead of looking up your IP address, just enter your new domain name from FreeDNS. FreeDNS then handles forwarding the connection on to the actual IP of your PC at home. + +== Conclusion == + +Setting up a VPN isn't the simplest thing in the world, but once you have it up and running the peace of mind that comes from knowing you have a secure connection wherever you go will be well worth the effort. |
