Today’s game of the week is called Defender’s Quest. It is more of a long demo game than a full game though, so keep that in mind. Defender’s Quest at its core is a tower defense game with role playing elements. You are still fighting waves of monsters with your towers in every map, but [...]

We have all been there and seen it. Whenever updates are installed in Windows that require a reboot, you are prompted in regular intervals to do so. These messages appear shortly after installing the updates, and then regularly until you do so. The Restart Your Computer To Finish Installing Important Updates prompt offers to postpone [...]

Most Internet users do not know that every step they make on the Internet is likely tracked by one or multiple companies. Tracking can be loosely divided into a first party and third party group. First party tracking is usually connected to the generation of visitor statistics, and less about the individual user. Third party [...]

Users who have tried the most recent experimental build of the popular file synchronization and cloud hosting service Dropbox may have noticed that a new photo import feature has been added to the program. This may have happened by accident, for instance by plugging in a SD card or connecting a smartphone full of photos, [...]

Browser extensions can improve a web browser’s functionality significantly. They can improve a user’s workflow on the web or add information to the browser that would otherwise not be directly accessible. When you look at popular extensions you will notice that they differ considerable between browsers. The most popular Firefox extensions for instance are all [...]

A new version of the popular adblocking extension Adblock Plus will be released tomorrow for the Firefox web browser. Adblock Plus 2.0 is not only a huge jump in version from version 1.3.10 that is currently offered on Mozilla’s add-on repository, but offers also a fundamental change in program functionality. Back in October we ran [...]

Microsoft has removed the useful File Types tab in the folder options of Windows Explorer in Windows Vista and Windows 7. The File Types menu displayed a list of known file extensions along with editing options. Types is a lightweight Windows program to modify file extension properties under Windows Vista and Windows 7 (it actually [...]

Most image viewers and even the standard Windows print option comes with options to print photos and images on multiple sheets. Only a few offer the functionality that Poster It offers. The program did not work properly on a 64-bit edition of Windows 7. I cannot verify if it will work with other 64-bit operating [...]

Of the various applications for creating bootable Windows or Linux drives, RMPrepUSB offers some unique features which may be appealing to many users. Advanced users can set specific parameters for the drive if necessary. New and inexperienced users can easily use this application as well. Unlike other similar applications RMPrepUSB has additional features that stand [...]

When it comes to connecting one of those blazing fast solid state drives to your computer system you’ll be well advised to make sure that the PC is optimized for SSD storage devices. The core reason for this is to make sure that the top speed that you’ll experience during the first weeks of usage [...]

There are many types of Wi-Fi encryption you can use on modern Internet routers. So which one should you use? Many people don’t even use encryption, and those that do just pick an encryption type at random without knowing what they do. Most encryption types are better than nothing at all, but some are more [...]

BitLocker, first introduced with Windows Vista, is a full drive encryption technology that works with hardware in compatible computers known as a Trusted Platform Module (TPM chip).  It offers enterprise-level data encryption and caused some controversy when it first appeared with some governmental agencies calling on Microsoft to leave them a back door in, something [...]

I like the idea of booting a computer in a very short time, even though I do not think that it will make such a big impact on desktop PCs. I boot my desktop PC once in the morning, and shut it down in the night. During boot I go make coffee and something to [...]

Game Booster has been designed for situations where you may benefit from additional resources of your computer when gaming. If you ever played a game with lag, freezes, pauses or stuttering sound, then you may be a candidate for the software. It basically closes unnecessary processes and services to free up system memory and sometimes [...]

Windows 7 has a built-in utility to create, resize, or delete hard drive partitions. No third party software utilities are required. You are able to expand or condense partitions after creating them using the inherent function rather than blowing cash on a third party utility that is simply going to perform the actions in this [...]

Those looking for tools to help them organize their technologically-enhanced lives have plenty of options. Windows users can turn to the expensive prospect of using OneNote, which revolutionized online image clipping and note organization for the PC. Others are quite fond of Evernote, which took many of the features that make OneNote so appealing and [...]

Compared to Windows and Apple, some people consider Linux distributions to be the most user-friendly, personally customizable operating systems available. They enable you to adjust and tweak pretty much anything you want to. All they require is a basic understanding of the dynamic of Linux. One fun change you can make is customizing your desktop [...]

Web companies like Google, WordPress or Facebook are suddenly realizing that old web browsers may have a serious impact on the support they offer. While everyone applauds the companies for dropping support for Internet Explorer 6, the feelings may be mixed when it comes to Google’s announcement to discontinue support for additional browsers. According to [...]

Marble has been designed to be a virtual interactive globe and world atlas that you can use to look-up information. The cross-platform application has recently been updated to version 1.1, reason enough to take a closer look at the software. The main interface that you see after installation displays a globe and several controls on [...]

I tend to forget the time when I need things done on the computer. It can happen that I sit down in the morning to leave the workplace for the first time in the evening, unless you’d count getting another cup of coffee which I do fairly regularly. Breaks are important to reload your batteries, [...]

I have been giving Bodhi Linux a lot of love lately. You can see my articles here (“Adding Visual Effects on Bodhi Linux” and “Bodhi Linux: Enlightened Ubuntu“). One of the main reasons I like Bodhi so much is the Enlightenment desktop. Not only is it a lightweight desktop, it’s also one of the most [...]

The Linux df command is an incredibly useful tool. What this command does is report file system disk usage. So when you want to see how much file system disk space is available, you can fire up your terminal and use df to learn everything you need to know about disk usage. But you don’t [...]

If you’ve used Linux long enough, you know there are some seriously cool tricks you can pull from the command line. Some of these tricks are just for fun, but the vast majority of them actually serve a purpose. It is the latter type of trick I want to highlight here. The purpose they serve [...]

Picture editing and image manipulation tools are often the best option for photographers and computer users who want to process multiple images in short time. Image Tools is no exception to that rule. The free Windows software can batch process all images that are loaded into the program interface. Pictures are added via the Main [...]

I will preface this by saying I am not a champion for any type of censorship. But when there are children involved, there are times when this is very appropriate. But parental controls are not just about blocking specific web sites from your children’s view. Parental controls also includes keeping your children off the computer all [...]

Microsoft’s .NET Framework has become an integral part of the Windows operating system. Windows 7 for instance ships with the .NET Framework 3.5, which means that users can run applications that require this version of the framework, or an older version like the .Net Framework 3.0. Sometimes things are not working as they are intended [...]

If you like Windows Aero and live in the United States you may like the new lightweight application Aero Weather as well. Aero Weather changes the color scheme of the operating system based on the current weather conditions of your location. Aero Weather is unfortunately only able to tap into weather information of US zip [...]

Mike covered Office 365 before here on Ghacks. Without rehashing what has already been said, Office 365 is a cloud based service by Microsoft that brings Microsoft Office, Sharepoint, Exchange and Lync together in the cloud. The service aims at business and organizations who do not want to invest in local server solutions by working [...]

The GIMP has a ton of tools for the user to take advantage of. From editing tools to drawing tools to filters to script fu to a whole host of other possibilities. One tool that many don’t take advantage of is bushes. Brushes in The GIMP allow the user to extend The GIMP’s flexibility by creating [...]

Have you ever been to a website with one browser, and then later with another only to realize that the contents displayed were different? Or have you been to a site without favorite browser only to read the note that your browser was not supported by it? The websites in question are likely using techniques [...]

Are you a space junkie? Do you follow NASA as if it were the only real source of science and information? Or are do you just have a need to know where satellites are positioned at any given moment? For whatever reason, there are plenty of people out there who want or need to track [...]

Intel’s Solid-State Drive Toolbox is an SSD management tool for the Windows operating system. The program can be used to run diagnostic scans on the solid state drive, view drive information or run the included management tools. Only the Intel SSD Optimizer was included as a management tool in previous versions of the toolbox (see [...]

Filmerit is a free portable software program by French software developer Paul Glagla, that can be used to effectively fix DirectShow related filter problems in Windows. The program was recommended by long term Ghacks reader Transcontinental in yesterday’s Scan For Codec Problems With Codec Toolbox review. Filmerit scans the Windows Registry for filter errors, and [...]

Some laptops, netbooks and notebooks have a switch next to their touchpad to deactivate it. This is helpful for instance if a mouse is connected to the device, as that makes the touchpad an unnecessary gadget. Disabling the touchpad can also prevent accidental cursor position changes, especially when typing text on the laptop keyboard. A [...]

Although I am one to prefer a clutter-free, minimalist desktop, I know the majority of users prefer a much more standard, fast-access type of desktop. This means icons. Not the kind of icons you see on many users desktops (you know the ones, where there are so many icons it’s impossible to make sense of [...]

It’s almost that time everyone. The tenth month of the year can only mean one thing with respect to Linux – the next Ubuntu release. In this case that release is 10.10, or Maverick Meerkat. This is the second release in the latest LTS (Long Term Support) release and ut promises to bring an even [...]

Alureon, or TDL, TLD3 and Tidserv, is the first rootkit that can infect 64-bit Windows PCs. Before that, only 32-bit systems were affected by rootkits, and many Windows users realized that in February, when Microsoft patch MS10-015 caused infected machines to display a blue screen. It obviously was not Microsoft’s fault back then, which was [...]

Both Windows Vista and Windows 7 support login notifications that are displayed to users who are logging in. These notifications are configured in secpol.msc, which is not available in all editions and versions of the Windows operating system. Windows Logon Notifier has been created with users of unsupported editions, and users who prefer a direct [...]

Dante just emailed me information about the purchase of Yahoo Hotjobs by Monster. We have seen Yahoo sell assets in the past and this is just another one of them. What’s more interesting is the fact how the transfer of user data has been negotiated. Yahoo could have simply given Monster access to the Hotjobs [...]

Google Search has seen lots of changes in the past years, but none were as drastic as the changes introduced over the course of the last year. Even if you blend out all the search experiments like instantly updating search results that are only visible to a minority of users, you are left with a [...]

My last article I spoke about the new KDE Activities features Search and Launch Containment Activity (see my article “Using the KDE 4.5 Search and Launch Containment Activity“). This is the first visible sign of KDE’s use of the Nepomuk Semantic Desktop. Nepomuk is a system that uses metadata throughout the desktop to aid in [...]

I’ve covered a number of desktop enhancements here on Ghacks. You’ve see my coverage of Avant Window Navigator (see my article “Avant Window Navigator: OS X-like dock on Linux“) as well as Docky (see my article “Docky: Another OS X-like Dock“). Both of those applications are solid additions to the Linux desktop, but both of [...]

AT&T has already sold out of pre-order iPhone 4′s, having had some 600,000 people in the US sign up for one of the spangly handsets (though I doubt anyone who finds one in a bar now will get $5,000 for it). Apple say it’s the largest number of pre-orders they’ve ever taken in a single [...]

This football Worldcup in South Africa is notorious for two things until now. Boring football games and the annoying sound of the vuvuzela, the blaring horn that drowns all other background noises out. Some football watchers helped themselves by turning off the sound of the TV while others played around with their TV’s equalizer to [...]

I have a dual-core processor in my main PC, which is good, and will later this summer buy a new computer with a quad-core processor, which is better, but probably not something I would be able to take advantage of.  But what would I do if I had 50-cores in my processor?  Apart from pay [...]

What if I told you that you could share out directories, via Samba, without having to install a single package? You can in the new Elive 2.0 (which is based on the most recent Debian package). I have written about Elive quite a bit here on Ghacks (see Elive content on Ghacks), but this time [...]

It happens from time to time in Windows that you stumble upon a rather cryptic error code instead of a carefully worded error message that explains exactly what happened and what do to do solve the problem. But what if you get a code like code 646 Windows Update encountered an unknown error instead? Not [...]

Statistics provided by Internet metrics company Net Applications confirm several trends in web browser and operating system usage. The Windows 7 operating system is still gaining market share mostly at the expense of its predecessors Windows XP and Windows Vista. Windows XP lost another 1.05% of market share accumulating to a total market share loss [...]

The first official public beta release of Microsoft’s upcoming Windows Home Server codenamed Vail is now available via Microsoft Connect. Vail, which leaked about three months ago, is now officially available for users with a valid Windows Live ID. Windows users interested in testing the latest iteration of Windows Home Server can visit the Microsoft [...]

The Mozilla developers have initially planned to release the Firefox 3.6.2. security update on March 30 but have since then changed their decision to deliver the update earlier than the scheduled release. Firefox 3.6.2 has been released and is already available through the web browser’s automatic update check and as a download at the Mozilla [...]