Do you wish you knew how to program? I sure do. Even though I had a programming class or two in college, I know only enough to muddle through some code to get a rough idea about what is happening. When I’ve looked into learning how to program, I’ve seen only boring tutorials in print or online. Until now. Try Ruby is an online interactive tutorial, based on Ruby, that walks you through some of the basics of programming in Ruby. Read more
So I’ve had an iPhone for over a year now, a smartphone for at least three, and an iPad since December. I went through my initial app insanity a while back, unable to resist the call of the thousands upon thousands of different apps out there — a feeling that was only amplified by my innate geeky curiousity, and the fact that I write for a tech blog. Hell, I’ve even done about a hundred or so freelance reviews of iOS games in the past year, with all of the purchases reimbursed — talk about having an addiction enabled!
Well, I’m all done with that now. I’m no slave to my devices! Really! I’m not!! Okay, so I might be… but maybe you are too?
I’ve taken stock of the apps that I own, and the ones that have taken up long-term residence on my devices, and I have come to the conclusion that I actually use less than 10% of my library on anything even approaching a regular basis. The rest just sit there, mooching off the storage space on my iPhone and iPad, hanging out in their folders and doing nothing all day. They should get a job or something. Seriously. They should get a job or get out — but they play off my weaknesses, you see. Every time I go in to delete them, I get bombarded with reasons that justify their existences, often using phrases like “just in case” and “but this app is just so cool!”
It’s all lies, though, and I keep falling for it. The only apps I regularly use are Evernote, Springpad, my RSS readers (MobileRSS, Zite, Flipboard), iBooks and Stanza, Facebook/Friendly, Twitter, Producteev, and Card Shark Solitaire (the free version). Of course, I use the stock apps like Mail, Safari, and the like, and I also occasionally use the Google app and Google Maps, but that is a pretty good snapshot of my average usage. I still seem to be unable to let go of the others, though… go figure.
How about you? How many of your apps do you actually use on average? What are they? And do you also suffer from app hangers-on? Have the app stores made us their bitches? Let me know!
Windows 7 is likely the best operating system Microsoft has ever put out. Oh, I’m sure some of you die-hards out there will still swear up and down that it’s Windows 98, 2000, or even 3.1 — and you Mac folk can just go ahead and tamp down on those comments bubbling to the surface of your elitist brains right about now — but when you consider the mix of power, beauty, and function, Billy Gates and crew have finally hit the sweet-spot with their latest OS.
One of the greatest things about Windows 7 is the customizability; there are a lot of different things that you can do with it to improve your overall user experience. Some of those things are fairly obvious, and some are a bit of a surprise, but many can be done quickly and easily, even by the non-techie, sometimes with the help of a handy tool or two. This series focuses on some tweaks for personalizing your own Windows 7 setup with as little fuss as possible. Let’s start off with the hidden themes that are just hanging about in your Windows folder.
You probably already know that there are several theme-sets that you can apply in Windows 7 with little more than a click, but on the off-chance that you didn’t, head into the Control Panel, look for Appearance and Personalization, and select “Change the theme.” You can also right-click on the desktop and select Personalize from the context menu.
Once inside, you’ll find all of your pre-installed themes, and you can even create and save your own. What you may not have realized is that, depending on your Windows version, you could have anywhere from five to a dozen or more other themes hidden on your system, just waiting for you to find and install them!
You may have noted that, in the pre-installed themes, one of the ones under Aero Themes is named for your country — I have one called Canada. What most don’t realize is that, skulking about in a hidden folder, are themes from other countries as well. Some of them are quite nice, too, containing wallpapers that have beautiful scenes from each respective country. Here’s how you find them:
As the theme is installed, your Control Panel will also open up to the Appearance and Personalization settings, and you will notice the new country theme under your My Themes section. If you want to change away from the new theme, simply click on a different one or install one for a different country. Once the theme you just installed is inactive, if you want to get rid of it, simply right-click on it and select delete. You can always reinstall it later.
Over the next few weeks, we will be posting other simple tweaks and tricks for personalizing your Windows 7 installation, as well as looking at some of the tools out there that help you out in the process. If you have any you would like to suggest, leave a comment, catch me on Twitter (@bobby_travis), or send me an email from my 40Tech contact page.
What countries were in your hidden themes folder?
Have you ever stood at the store, looked at the rack of batteries, and tried to decide whether you should fork over extra cash for the brand-name batteries? If you have pondered this, one site purports to have the answer: buy the cheapest batteries that you can, as they all perform similarly (with one exception).
Worcester Polytechnic Institute, at the request of DealNews, performed a test of different AA batteries to determine whether there’s any real difference between generic and brand-name batteries. A professor and a group of students conducted the test over several months, buying the batteries at retail.
The Institute determined that there was no measurable difference in quality among the batteries, with one exception. The Energizer Advanced Lithium battery outlasted the others. The problem is that the Energizer Advanced Lithium battery costs about four times as much as the cheapest battery.
One MAJOR caveat with this study: the people who conducted the study warned that the testing only included the pressures of constant demand, and not everyday usage, where our devices are constantly turned off and on.
DealNews: Test Results That Will Change the Way You Buy Batteries Forever [via Technologizer]
What Are Your Go-To Tech Sites?
Way back in the wilds of 2009, Evan wrote a post naming his top five tech sites for every geek. But 2009 is ancient history in the world of the web — that was way back before I even started writing for 40Tech! My kid was only barely a one year old, and Twitter was still a novelty that allowed people to talk about their lunch. Ancient times, I tell you!
This vast expanse of time and change got me to wondering: what are your top tech sites in this new — and obviously technologically superior — decade? Where do you go these days for all of your tech-related news, reviews, and tips? I’m looking for a top 10 here, ordered or not, so hit the comments, Twitter, Facebook or email, and get the word out!
Here’s my list to get us started:
Lifehacker – These guys cover everything, even things I had no idea I could be interested in. Their feature posts are helpful and informative, and their short posts have lead me to some other very cool blogs.
Mashable – I’m a nut about the social web, both due to my work and my geeky curiosity and need to consume new techy info. I’m also fascinated by the way Mashable has managed to infiltrate and influence mainstream news, including local, national, and even worldwide television stories.
ReadWriteWeb – Some of the topics on this site can be a bit heady or politically charged, but the quality of the work and the range of interesting topics keep me coming back. I’ve found a lot of really great information here, some of which I’ve linked to from 40Tech.
Make Magazine – This site continuously blows me away with the stuff people cobble together. Some crazy DIY and experimental tech (and other things) here!
Twitter – Specifically, my Twitter account (@bobby_travis). This may seem like an odd choice, but I get a lot of my tech news and info from here. Some of it is from the sites in this list — but I get it from Twitter before I ever hit the site — and much of it is from other sites that are linked in the posts of those I follow and retweet or otherwise share.
40Tech – Yeah, I know, I’m biased because I write here, but this site remains one of my most frequent reads — and not due to vanity. The fact is, I was a reader, like you, before I started contributing to the site. The information I get from Evan and our commenters, not to mention guest posters, is, and always has been of the best quality.
MakeUseOf – I like MakeUseOf because of the huge amount of how-to posts, general tips, and guides that I’ve found there. It’s a great place to find everything from how to build your own PC, to how to jailbreak your iPhone, and find out how to shop better online. Something for everybody, really.
Joystiq – This is probably where I get most of my gaming info. I could have said Facebook, I suppose, because that’s where I often start before I get to the site, but that is only because I liked their page and have been interested enough that I haven’t muted them.
Web.AppStorm – In a world focused on/obsessed with cloud computing, getting all the goods on the new and fancy web apps is a necessity. WebAppStorm is one of the best places to learn all that you could ever want to know and more, and there are several other AppStorm sites attached to it. It’s not bad to look at either. Downright pretty, even!
Digitizd – Formerly known as The 2.0 Life, Digitizd is the baby and brainchild of David Pierce (Assistant Editor of PC Mag Digital Networks and 40Tech reader). The site broadcasts thoughts, tips, news, and neatness related to the digital world and living in it, and is an all around good read.
There are several other sites that I read regularly which are also tech-related, such as a multitude of other gaming sites, social media and business sites, and more, but these are the ones that I probably end up at the most.
Now it’s your turn!
Hopefully, this conversation will bring out a few gems people have never heard of, as well as a sense of what our world in general finds to be the cream of the geeky crop. And please don’t feel pressured to rank 40Tech up high on your list. We are very much aware of and comfortable with our smallish stature among the tech-site juggernauts. We still know we’re awesome — because you all keep telling us so! Thanks for that, by the way… You’re awesome too! :D