When it comes to a strategy game, playing against another person is almost always preferable to playing against a computer. The problem with some of the really great strategy games (such as Risk or Civilization) is that it is almost impossible to play a full game in a single sitting because it would take forever. This is where Freeciv Longturn comes in (lengthy,...

When you download a file with the Firefox web browser, it will by default (at least in Windows) purposely use your currently loaded anti-virus suite to scan the file once the download completes. This can prove to be quite annoying when you’re downloading things like tiny text files that obviously have no viruses in them. If the auto-scanning of every...

Have you ever forgot your USB flash drive was plugged into a computer and simply walked off without it? If so, then the freeware utility Flash Drive Reminder is for you: This is a small, freeware utility that pops up a reminder if you try and log off Windows without removing your flash drive. I wrote this because I got tired of going back to computer labs...

You’d think the only people interested in making old computer hardware useful again are older folks, but you’d be wrong because there’s a ton of teens that like to do the same thing. The reason they do it however is different from the older crowd. Older folks refresh older hardware mainly for the nostalgia factor while the younger crowd does it...

The ability to select multiple files at once using the Shift and/or Ctrl keys are a well know shortcut. The only problem is one mishap with your fingers can cause you to deselect all your items. To remedy this problem, Windows 7 offers you the ability to select multiple files at once with check boxes next to each file. To enable this:Open the Windows Explorer...

Yesterday in the mail I received my brand new Linksys WRT54GL. I bought one after going through a whole boatload of crap with Wireless N. Before continuing, my suggestion to anyone that reads this is to buy a WRT54GL now before they’re taken off the market. It’s 60 bucks very well spent and it you wait too long, you won’t be able to buy one new...

If you are looking for a nostalgic desktop wallpaper from the 8/16-bit game “glory days”, then take a look at the site: desktopgaming.com. The site features full size images of complete levels and opening scene graphics from many classic video games on the NES/Sega/SNES/Playstation/etc. platforms. As the name implies, many of them are formatted to be...

The idea of using a centralized group to communicate with many people is definitely not new, but these days you have several more options compared to years ago. Why use a group? A group is useful for a centralized means of communication in a way that can have threaded conversations, and has the bonus of not being mistakenly flagged as spam. With email, any mail...

As you may know, Google Voice is now open to everyone. While the features of this service are immediately useful for some, a use you may not have thought of is the ability to have a “local” phone number anywhere. For example, if you live in New York and want to have a local Atlanta number, you can do this using Google Voice. Just configure the...

Something that strikes fear into both the hearts of Microsoft and Apple are web apps, and it’s a huge reason why both companies are pushing for smartphone technologies so viciously (read: popular proprietary platform = profit). The question of the moment per this article is: If you chose to do so, could you survive on nothing but web apps? Before...

One of the features hiding in plain sight which many people do not realize is included with Windows 7 is the ability to easily hide all your desktop icons and gadgets. To do this, right click on an empty area of your desktop and go to the View menu and select either ‘Show desktop icons’ and/or ‘Show desktop gadgets’. As you can guess, to...

Over the course of the weekend my trusty lil’ Belkin F5D7230-4 Wireless G router started making a small electronic screeching noise. It was the kind of noise that’s indicative that a capacitor will soon erupt, so it was time to retire her. She was around 4 or 5 years old, so I can’t complain. I figured now was the time to upgrade to a wi-fi...

Over the past couple a weeks, a new vulnerability in the Windows Shell was discovered which exploits shortcut (LNK and PIF) files in Windows XP and higher. The vulnerability exists because Windows incorrectly parses shortcuts in such a way that malicious code may be executed when the icon of a specially crafted shortcut is displayed. This vulnerability can be...

In response to the iPhone 4 antenna reception issue which has been receiving a lot of coverage lately, Apple is providing iPhone 4 owners with a free bumper case which remedies the problem. Per the iPhone 4 Case Program: If you purchase an iPhone 4 before September 30, 2010, you are eligible to receive an iPhone 4 Bumper or a select third-party case from Apple...

No matter how organized you are with your calendar and todo lists, you cannot be simplicity and convenience of sticky notes. So instead of cluttering your physical desk with these notes, give virtual sticky notes a try using Stickies. Stickies is a PC utility [...] to try to cut down on the number of yellow notes [...] stuck to [your] monitor. It is a...

When it comes to game recommendations these days, my favorites are the type that require little to no installation of any software, and can be played in-browser with minimal fuss. 1. Bejeweled Blitz on FacebookI’d dare to say that for some of you, this may be the only reason to have a Facebook account. Bejeweled is not a new game, but Bejeweled Blitz is...

A little known tool from Microsoft titled RichCopy is deemed by the author of the tool’s download page as “the answer to all your file copying needs”. Being a big user and fan of the built in utilities, XCopy and RoboCopy this is a pretty bold statement, however RichCopy takes the functionality of RoboCopy to a new level: What you’ll find...

When one thinks of malware or spyware, you ordinarily think of some malicious code transmitted via an email file attachment or a web site that takes advantage of a browser exploit. Did you know that malware can actually find a nice cozy home in firmware – even on a server? Believe it. Dell recently has come under fire for providing replacement motherboards...

In a new campaign to get some traction with their Bing search engine, Microsoft is running a promotion where $3 will be donated to an educational cause of your choosing just for setting Bing as your default search engine. Choose Bing and we’ll send you a $3 donation code to use towards a public school classroom project of your choice on DonorsChoose.org. This...

When I see the word “revolutionary” attached to something like an Ipad app, my big shield of skepticism goes up. Real fast. It sounds like the hypey stuff a marketer would use in order to go into a product launch. This morning, a new Ipad app launched called FlipBoard. And the word “revolutionary” was assigned to it by Ashton Kutcher....