Keep Vegan Guests Coming Back with Cupcakes and More [Cooking]
With everything from the question of casein (a milk protein used to put the melt in vegan cheese) to keeping a spare pot handy so your well-seasoned but meat-laced cast iron pan doesn't pass any animal impurities into the texturized vegetable protein, this guide to entertaining vegans with plenty of recipes should help make things a little less tense between the omnivores and herbivores forced to share a home for a while. Looking for more ideas? Try these meaty but meatless options or load your iPod with vegan recipes. I always have a couple of vegan options at every dinner party — because what works for vegans generally works for less stringent vegetarians and avoids most religious proscriptions. What are some of your favorite "surprisingly vegan" dishes? Tell us in the comments. Photo by nayrb7.
How to Burn Any Video File to a Playable Video DVD [How To]
With your BitTorrent addiction in full swing, you've filled hard drives with media but can't seem to figure out how to burn any of the videos you downloaded to a DVD. Sound familiar? It's a common problem, and there was a time that it didn't have many simple (or free) solutions. Luckily that's no longer the case, and today we're taking a look at two dead simple solutions for burning virtually any video to a DVD you can pop into your DVD player and enjoy.
DVD Flick
First and foremost, there's DVD Flick, a free, open-source application that supports over 45 different file formats, includes subtitle support, and makes creating a DVD from most common (and even uncommon) video files a breeze. I detailed how to burn almost any video file to a playable DVD with DVD Flick almost two years ago now, but the app is better than ever. Since I last wrote it up, DVD Flick has added support for creating custom menu screens and has pushed out a load of bug fixes.
Free DVD Creator
If DVD Flick isn't your thing, then check out Free DVD Creator. It's not open source like DVD Flick (we do love our FOSS), but it's still free, and it offers most of the same features as DVD Flick.
Also like DVD Flick, the Free DVD Creator wizard is dead simple to use. First select the movies you want to burn and arrange them in the order you'd like them to playback and appear on the DVD menu. On the next screen, you can completely customize your DVD menu screen. Once you've made it that far, just start burning. Free DVD Creator (like DVD Flick) will handle all of the file conversions necessary, then write the DVD-ready video to a DVD complete with your custom menu.
If you have trouble with the one step convert-and-burn (when I tested it, Free DVD Creator created the DVD but didn't immediately burn), just re-open Free DVD Creator and this time select Video DVD Burner instead of Create Video DVD. Then just point the Burner at the VIDEO_TS folder that Free DVD Creator made the first time around (by default it's located at C:\DVDTemp\ and hit Burn. That worked for me without a hitch.
Got a favorite tool for burning your various videos to DVD? Whether we mentioned it above or not, let's hear more about your tool-of-choice in the comments.
Chinese Doctors Officially Classify Symptoms of Internet Addiction [Health]
The Beijing Health Ministry is soon to adopt "internet addiction" as a disorder along with compulsive gambling and alcoholism in the official diagnostic manual. Doctor Tao Ran, who treats sufferers at Beijing's Military General Hospital, says the threshold is around six hours a day and one of the following symptoms in the past three months: "yearning to get back online, mental or physical distress, irritation and difficulty concentrating or sleeping." So, um, yeah, I'm addicted, along with ten percent of users under eighteen in China, according to a study cited by a state official. There is hope:
"Eighty percent of addicts can be cured with treatment, which usually lasts about three months," said Tao. He did not describe the treatment, however.
Online gaming gets called out for abuse, but I'll get the shakes if I can't check email. Anyone else have trouble staying offline, and if so, how do you cope? Photo by AP/Greg Baker
Shut Down Windows from the "Sleep" Button in Vista [Windows Tip]
The video bloggers at Tekzilla aren't keen on the way the Power button in the Vista Start menu sleeps your computer by default rather than shutting it down, and neither are we. As the video above demonstrates (UPDATE: We're having some problems with the video, so click through to Tekzilla or Digital Inspiration for the full rundown), a quick tweak in the to the Power Options in the Vista Control Panel can switch the default behavior to Shut Down (or Hibernate) rather than Sleep. It's still lame that Vista doesn't make it easier to perform a quick shut down or restart from your keyboard, but the simple settings tweak highlighted in the video is a welcome adjustment.
Syncplicity Out of Beta [Windows]
Previously mentioned syncing app Syncplicity (one of your top five favorite syncing tools) has graduated out of beta, but still retains a free account option with 2GB of space to start (up to 7GB if you invite your friends). It's still Windows-only as well, though Mac and Linux clients are on their way.
Tiny Geo-coder Webapp Converts Addresses to Latitude and Longitude [Maps]
Looking for the latitude and longitude of a particular address, to geotag a Flickr photo for instance? Tiny Geo-coder will give you results in an instant, and based on my tests is accurate even when the address isn't perfect (for instance, leaving "street" out of a street number or using a city's popular acronym). If you're looking to automate multiple calls through a script or create map mashups, Tiny Geo-coder has an even lighter-weight API. Simply append a search term to the API url like the example for Perris, CA on the site's homepage, and all the server will return is that geocode and nothing else. No API key or complicated parsing required. Nifty!
Ask MetaFilter Roundup [Hive Mind]
- How much is my lightly used laptop worth?
- What's the best remote assistance app that will work with Windows pre-XP?
- How can I use Ubuntu in a virtual machine to improve my computing experience?
- Why is my computer subject to seemingly random freezing?
- What career uses similar skills to computer programming but does not require much computer work?
Gmail Superstars Turbo Adds Custom Stars to Your Email [Featured User Script]
Firefox with the Greasemonkey extension only: You already know that by enabling the Gmail Labs' Superstars experimental feature you can mark your messages with more icon choices than just the default yellow star. Well, the Gmail Superstars Turbo Greasemonkey user script adds even more custom stars, and lets you create and use your own icons. With Greasemonkey installed, enable Superstars in Gmail's Settings area, and refresh your inbox. Click on the star several times to choose your custom superstar (available choices are pictured right). Designers, you can even set up your own icons: use the script's menu to set a URL where your own icons are hosted. (See detailed instructions for creating your own icons on the script's homepage.) The only problem with this script is that unless you have it set on every computer you use, your custom star icons won't match up. The Gmail Superstars Turbo script is a free download, works with Firefox and Greasemonkey.
Create Custom Screensavers from Your Videos or Photos [Video Demonstration]
Video tutorial weblog Tinkernut demonstrates how to create custom screensavers from your own collection of digital photos or videos. You'll need to download a couple of free apps to get started—namely Format Factory and WG-Screensaver Creator—and then it's simply a matter of plugging in the media you want to convert. Granted, most operating systems have a screensaver-from-folder feature for rolling your own photo screensavers, but this method does video and gives you more control over what you see.
Windows 7, Vista, and XP Bootup Benchmarks Updated [Windows Startup Showdown]
Last week we timed the Windows 7 Preview, XP, and Vista's startup times on a single PC triple-booting the three generations of operating system. However, our tests had their flaws, we made a big boo-boo by not including Vista's SP1 in the mix, and you all suggested ways to make them more thorough and accurate in the comments. Taking your lead, we evened up the playing field, installed the Vista service pack, added a set of tests that take Windows all the way to a fully-loaded user desktop, and updated our numbers. Turns out that the Windows 7 Preview is indeed faster than both Vista and XP, but not at all by the margin we originally published. Get our updated numbers and test details here.
The hardware: My test system has an Intel Core 2 Duo processor running at 3.16GHz with 4GB of RAM. Windows XP, Vista, and the Windows 7 Preview are all installed on the same, physical SATA hard drive (unlike the last test, which had Win7 on an IDE drive). The version of Windows 7 that I'm using is the Preview release from last month's PDC conference, an incomplete, earlier-than-beta, for-testers-only edition, which automatically puts it at a disadvantage. Unlike the last set of tests, this time around I'm using Vista with Service Pack 1 installed (which it was not before—my apologies for that big, honking oversight).
The test: Since I'm triple-booting the three operating systems, I used a simple handheld timer to get my numbers, starting at the "Choose your operating system" screen (which comes after the BIOS startup) and ending at a fully functional desktop in my first set of tests, then the user login screen in my second. I timed each OS startup three times and averaged the results to account for my fat fingers (which I did not in the first set of tests).
Test Set 1: From Boot Choice to Fully-loaded User Desktop
For this test set, I created a non-Administrator user account with nothing in startup, and set Windows to automatically log into it on boot. These numbers start at the OS boot choice screen, and end at a fully-functional, user desktop. This isn't a true test of how long a desktop would render in real-world usage, because most people DO have programs in their startup. But these tests are to compare Windows version performance, not third-party software. That all said, the numbers:
| Operating System | Average time to reach desktop |
|---|---|
| Windows 7 Ultimate (Preview, PDC edition, 32-bit) | 32 seconds |
| Windows Vista Ultimate (32-bit, SP1) | 33 seconds |
| Windows XP Professional (SP3) | 40 seconds |
Test Set 2: From Boot Choice to User Login Screen
This test measures the amount of time from the boot OS choice screen to the user login prompt only, hence the shorter times.
| Operating System | Average time to reach login prompt |
|---|---|
| Windows 7 Ultimate (Preview, PDC edition, 32-bit) | 23 seconds |
| Windows Vista Ultimate (32-bit, SP1) | 24 seconds |
| Windows XP Professional (SP3) | 29 seconds |
The Results
As you can see, the Windows 7 Preview is just a HAIR speedier than Windows Vista, not the 20% we saw in the first set of tests (I attribute this to Service Pack 1), and way, way faster than Windows XP (8 and 6 seconds, respectively). While it's not the 20% speed increase I saw in my first round of tests, it still bodes well for Windows 7, which still has a lot of growing up to do from its Preview status.
Thanks to everyone who made suggestions on the first round of tests on how to make this more accurate and fair all around.
Aero Shake Clears Your Pre-Windows 7 Desktop [Exclusive Lifehacker Download]
Windows only: Free utility Aero Shake brings the Windows 7 Aero Shake feature—which we previewed last week—to your pre-Windows 7 computer. Like the new Windows 7 feature, shaking the active window with your mouse will minimize all other windows; shaking it again will restore them. This one was contributed by reader bobbo33 to the Lifehacker Coders Group, and it's still got a few rough edges, so if you try it out let us know what you think in the comments and we'll see if we can address any issues. Aero Shake is written in AutoHotkey, so if you're a fan of the simple scripting language, you can download the source and add it to your main AHK script. Otherwise, grab the EXE below.
PowerShell Comes with Windows 7 [Windows 7]
Microsoft stripped its calendar and photo gallery apps from Windows 7, but one extra it did bundle into the Windows 7 Preview is PowerShell, a souped-up command line and scripting GUI that frees you, finally, from the limits of DOS batch scripts. PowerShell is available as a free download for XP and Vista users, too. What are your favorite scripts and uses for PowerShell? Post them in the comments.
Iconize Windows Vista's Taskbar (Sort of Like Windows 7) [Windows Vista]
Windows Vista only: If you like the look of the icon-only taskbar in the Windows 7 Preview, you can get (almost) the same thing in Vista. The IntoWindows tech site explains that using a free utility, EnhanceMyVista, you can set your taskbar to only show the icons of open windows, instead of the icon and title. IntoWindows says this is how to get the Windows 7 taskbar in Vista, but I disagree—this does NOT enable Windows 7's Aero Peek feature, or let you pin programs to the taskbar dock-style. It only halfway gives you the look of Windows 7, and not the functionality. Still, for crowded taskbars with tons of open windows and Vista's thumbnail previews, the icon-only look might come in handy. EnhanceMyVista is a free download for Vista only and includes scads of other Vista tweaks. Thanks, HisNameIsChris!
Windows 7 Knows Exactly Where You Are [Windows 7]
We're convinced the location-aware hardware and software will change your life, and now Microsoft seems to feel the same way: Windows 7 will officially include geo-location tools. Unfortunately the service—which is disabled by default—currently provides users with absolutely no control over which apps can use your location. Sounds like an Orwellian's worst nightmare.
Clip Your Laptop Plug to the Back of the Desk [Clever Uses]
Reader LT writes in:
I hate climbing behind my desk to plug in my laptop to charge when I get back to my office, and I can't afford one of those new Mac displays that come with a laptop plug built in any time soon, either. But then I saw this trick using a binder clip to keep cords from slipping off the back of the desk. My MacBook's power cord has two parts—midway through it the brick plugs into another cord, and I never take the bottom half of the cord with me. So, using the clip, I secured the first half of the plug to the desk, and now I plug in the brick when I get to the office—no climbing required.
Gave this a try with my own MacBook, and it works like a charm, as you can see in the pictures. Thanks, LT! Check out our top 10 ways to get cords under control.
Get the Windows 7 Calculator in Vista [Featured Windows Download]
Windows Vista only: We took a liking last week to the Windows 7 calculator and its many uses for serious mathletes, as well its templates for calculating mortgages, salaries, and other real-world numbers. Now you can get that same power on your Windows Vista system, thanks to (we presume) one intrepid hacker who pulled it out of the Windows 7 preview. You can run it as a no-install app or make it your system's default calculator, as the Daily Gyan blog explains in the via link below, but you'll want to back up your original calculator first. The files are shared through Box.net at the moment, and may get pulled down if traffic gets heavy (or a certain development firm gets antsy); we'd appreciate any alternate links in the comments. The Windows 7 Calculator is a free download for Windows Vista systems only. For a deeper look at other Windows 7 utilities, check out our Top 10 Things to Look Forward to in Windows 7.
MGM, CBS Team Up with YouTube [YouTube]
YouTube is making moves to open up to Hollywood interests. The first step is set to launch today, with full-length MGM movies and shows, including the classic Western The Magnificent Seven and the (original) American Gladiators, streaming with ads displayed in a sidebar. Next up: Star Trek and CBS shows. [via]
Circuit City Files for Bankruptcy [Electronics]
Electronics retailer Circuit City has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, one week after announcing the closing of more than 150 of its 721 U.S. stores. It doesn't look good for the chain's future, so gift card holders should get working toward a zero balance, while Black Friday hounds might be rewarded with some serious move-this-now deals. [via]
ClockingIT is a Free Hosted Project Management Tool [Project Management]
The ClockingIT webapp is a hosted, open-source solution to managing team-oriented projects. The robust features in ClockingIT might be overkill for a single worker, but when applied to a team yield a gold mine of management tools and report generation. Projects contain subsets of tasks, which you can filter by various criteria, like "Open Tasks" and "My In Progress Tasks." GANTT charts visualize the project schedule and update with date changes. ClockingIT includes unlimited file storage per project. While I was able to set up an account and try out the various functions, I didn't have a software development team on hand to really put ClockingIT through the paces. If you have experience with ClockingIT, sound off in the comments below! For other free alternatives check out Project2Manage and activeCollab. Thanks David!
FriendFeed Adds IM Notifications for Updates [Social Networking]
We've considered social tracking service FriendFeed a pretty neat way to aggregate your online life, but now it's a lot easier to keep tabs on what's happening with your circle of net-connected friends, even if you hardly ever log in at FriendFeed's site. The service has just rolled out a Twitter-like IM integration, which can send updates when particular friends update their feeds, let you update your own feed and post messages to it, pull down the full entry when you get a stub notification, and many more tasks. Perhaps the most useful aspect is IM notification whenever your posts on any service get a comment, which you can reply to through your IM client. FriendFeed's IM tools require a Google Talk/Gmail or Jabber-compliant chat client.
Set Up a Personal Fuel Cost Hedge Fund [Personal Finance]
As part of his goal to get readers to save $1,000 in 30 days, personal finance blogger Ramit Sethi suggests setting up a personal fuel hedging fund to protect against rising gas prices eating into your best intentions. His own method calls for figuring out what you were paying for gas a month ago, setting up an automated ING sub-account, and transferring his monthly savings in gas costs to it. Setting a calendar reminder, he'll check the cost of fuel in three months, and pull from the fund if needed, or drop more in if gas continues to drop like it has been. If you're not the type to save gas receipts, Sethi suggests an expense tracker like Mint to deliver your fuel costs to you. It's basically an advanced means of tricking yourself into saving money, but a worthy one. Photo by 'bert.
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