Please note that all these articles are just linked from other websites. I don't own or write any of them. Moreover, this blog is being under construction, so some functions might not work properly. Be patient!!! :)

Monday, December 6, 2010

New Facebook Profiles Now Available [SCREENSHOTS]


Well, that was fast! The new Facebook Profile Pages are now available to try out — Facebook has just heralded their arrival via Twitter, mere hours before Founder Mark Zuckerberg’s appearance on 60 Minutes.

We were expecting the new Pages to go live tomorrow, but it seems they’re up and running now. Simply click on Facebook’s announcement to activate yours and check out all the new features, including revamped personal info, more prominent pictures, top interests showcased as images, more descriptive relationships and more.

Check out Facebook’s video and our walkthrough below: 




The New Profile


Instead of just having friends, relations and significant others, now you can group friends into categories, like “Best Friends,” “Work Buddies,” etc. This seems to be another move in Facebook’s efforts to depict users’ relationships. Friend search has also been revamped to be a much more visual experience.


Try out this new feature or revert to the original


 [via mashable]

Facebook Pages Getting New Design and Checkins [SCREENSHOTS]

Facebook appears to be on the verge of launching a new design of its Fan Pages.

This change seems to include the site’s location-based Places checkin functionality, enabling “likers” of the page to check in to it.

Although Facebook Founder Mark Zuckerberg is said to be giving a sneak peak at the new Profile Pages design on 60 Minutes tonight, it seems that more change is in store; you can already see the new Pages design in action on select pages, such as Ellen DeGeneres’s Fan Page. On Ellen’s page, you will notice a count for the number of checkins the Page has. According to Facebook Spokesperson Meredith Chin, the Ellen Page is a merged page that includes the functionality for checkins available shortly after the feature launched a few months ago. Basically, your brand page will then take on the Places page designs, which appears to be the inspiration for the new profile pages that are to be released as well.

“As long as the address of the official page and the place page match, it should show you a prompt and ask you if you want to merge them,” Chin said.

You can see screenshots of the new design below.





Current Pages Design




The current Pages design, similar to Profile Pages, has the Page navigation tabs (Wall, Questions, Photos) at the top.

The New Pages With Checkins



The new Pages design includes checkins, profile information (which includes some basic information about the page and the Wall postings below it), a narrower left column and more.

New Tabs



The new Pages also feature the navigation tabs on the left-hand side.

[via mashable]

Saturday, December 4, 2010

How To: Remove Language Button From Logon Screen

This removes the (usually) EN button from the top left corner of your logon screen. It also removes the mysterious extra language from your language toolbar especially if using non en-US as your default language.

First you need to navigate your way to the Control Panel.

If you are using the Category view click on the link Change keyboard or other input methods under Clock, Language, and Region.

If however you are using one of the Icon views click on the link Region And Language.

On the Region and Language window, click on the Administrative tab. See image below.



Then in the Welcome screen and new users accounts box, click on the Copy settings... button (Admin privileges may be needed). See image below.



Next, in the Welcome screen and new users accounts settings window, under the heading Copy your current setting to: Check the boxes against Welcome screen and system accounts and New user accounts (This covers all options!)See image below.


Finally, OK your way out.
Re-booting may be required before you will see any changes.

Thursday, December 2, 2010

5 Stylish Computer Mice for the Design Aficionado

As a companion to the list of stylish keyboards we recently brought you, we’ve turned our attention to another vital PC peripheral: the humble computer mouse.

Whether you’re a Mac or a PC, you don’t have to put up with a boring, bland input device. A stylish mouse can easily add a touch of design chic to your computing setup, and in some cases even offer improved ergonomics.

So take a look at the five seriously stylish options we’ve highlighted and let us know in the comments below just what it is that pushes your buttons as far as mouse design goes.



1. Microsoft Arc Mouse


The wireless Arc mouse is designed for portability — it folds down to 60% of its full size — without losing any functionality of a desktop mouse. Aesthetically, it’s gorgeously sleek and curvy and there are some decent features too. The ambidextrous Arc boasts six month’s battery life, four programmable buttons and a tidy snap-in transceiver.
Cost: $49.95

2. Hippus Handshoe Mouse


The Handshoe mouse is said to fit your hand “like a glove,” with ergonomics the reason behind that curvaceous design. Available in small, medium and large, wireless and wired, and in different colors, the mouse’s hand-friendliness is the cherry on top, as far as desirability goes.
Cost: From $99

3. Apple Magic Mouse


Apple’s Magic Mouse brings multi-touch goodness in a seamless, low-profile shell. The input device’s touch controls include the ability to move in any direction with the swipe of a finger and to scroll with two, while the entire mouse is one clickable button. It’s said to be much more intuitive (once you get the hang of it!) than being restricted to buttons and a scroll wheel.
Cost: $69

4. Intelligent Design Titanium Mouse


This is about as high-end as computer peripherals come. With a price tag that could cover the cost of a computer itself, you’ve got to really value design to shell out out on this pricey peripheral. If you do, you’ll be getting a mouse made of grade one titanium with a neodymium scroll wheel. It is a thing of beauty — if you can stand to look at it after forking over that much cash.
Cost: 399 Euros (approx $527)

5. Eclipse Touchmouse


With a brushed aluminum finish, the industrial looking Eclipse Touchmouse adds an element of touch with a rectangular module on top that boasts four-way on-screen scrolling. In addition, the “quicktouch” tech lets you use shortcut commands (a combination of mouse button and movements) to carry out certain actions.
Cost: $47.99

BONUS: Logitech MX Air Mouse


This mouse offers 3D features in its operation with its dual purpose functionality as a remote control, or as Logitech phrases it, “in-air cursor control.” In addition to laser tracking for ordinary mouse movement, the MX Air Mouse offers motion control of your media and scroll touch functionality that is said to be “hyper-fast.”
Cost: $149.99


[via mashable]

Google Reader Finally Gets an Android App

Google Reader has finally arrived on Android, with an app that allows users to access most of the features of the popular RSS tool from their smartphones.

It’s a bit curious that it took so long for Google to develop an app for Android – its own operating system – but it’s well-worth the wait (iOS users have enjoyed an optimized version of Reader for several years).

It syncs up with your existing Google Reader account, such that your unread counts, starred items and subscriptions are consistent from desktop to mobile. Each news item can be starred, liked, or shared, and you can even add “Notes,” just as you can in the web app.There’s also integrated search as well as a “send” feature that integrates with the applications on your device. With the latter, for example, I can share out a Mashable article to Twitter using Seesmic – my Twitter Android app of choice – or to Facebook using Facebook’s native app.

Overall, Google Reader for Android does exactly what you’d expect it to, and potentially puts a big dent in the future prospects of third-party clients like NewsRob. It’s now available in Android Market or you can use the QR code below:


[via mashable]

Track Santa in Real-Time With Google Maps This Holiday

Christmas Eve might not be for another 23 days or so, but Google and NORAD already have the online Santa Tracker ready to go.

NORAD, the North American Aerospace Defense Command, has been tracking Santa and his sleigh since 1955. Since 2007, Google has partnered with the organization to make sure that Santa and his reindeer can be tracked in real-time using Google Maps.


The noradsanta.org website is now up for all to see with a special countdown timer to Christmas Eve. The website will release new holiday games that kids can play each day leading up to the holiday.

At 2 a.m. ET on December 24, the real-time tracking will commence and you can follow along Santa’s trek as he delivers toys to boys and girls all over the world.

This is one of my favorite holiday traditions and it’s always a great way to kick-off the season.


[via mashable]

YouTube Launches Skippable Ads

YouTube has officially launched its new TrueView ad format, allowing site visitors to avoid watching ads they’re not interested in. Users will now be able to look for a countdown button that will let them skip an ad after it plays for five seconds. In some cases, viewers will be able to select which ad to watch out of three pre-roll options.

As we reported back in June, YouTube had been experimenting with the button — allowing users to stop ads from playing — for awhile. The other option, allowing users to select which ad to watch, is similar to the one offered on Hulu, where long-form video content has typically had a stronger presence.

It looks like some advertisers are reacting positively to the new ad format. Some have said TrueView is a cost-effective advertising option that provides them with a better ability to target their audience.

“Thus far, we’ve seen about a 40% view-through rate and since we only pay when potential customers actually watch a video, we have more control over our budget,” said Lee Topar, director of online marketing for GoPro, in a statement to Google’s Inside AdWords blog.

TrueView, which is presently only available to advertisers with managed accounts, isn’t all that widespread on YouTube just yet. Advertisers can decide whether they’d like to use TrueView or stick with the usual non-skippable platform. Meanwhile, YouTube says it’s working on providing more choice and control in advertising to its users.

YouTube TrueView

YouTube Ad Choices
[via mashable]

Impressive Zoom HD Camcorder Now Available

The Zoom Q3HD Handy Video Recorder is a powerful handheld camcorder that records 1080p HD video and 24-bit/96kHz HD audio.

Although 1080p video has become fairly standard among Flip-style video devices, few of them have focused adequate attention on audio quality.

Zoom has tackled this issue with a dual microphone design that
captures high-quality (24-bit/96kHz) stereo sound. The device also allows users to set audio levels and mic gains for for highly precise HD audio. And a built-in HDMI port enables the device to be easily connected to home theaters for media playback.

There are, however, two downsides. Like other cameras in this class, the Zoom Q3HD, somewhat ironically, lacks an optical zoom, so it will only be effective at shooting nearby objects.

The other problem is its price. At $300, it’s among the costliest cameras in its class. But if you’ve been looking for a compact video solution with solid audio, the Zoom Q3HD could be worth the investment.

[via mashable]