Go Beyond AIM…

This one’s mainly for Mac users, but can be used for Windows as well. Last week, I wrote a review of Meebo, a multi-IM app for iPhone (also Beejive IM, a similar app). Meebo also has an online webapp component for PC use, but many (including myself), prefer full applications – such as iChat, Mac OS’s built in IM app.

Now, it’s easy to set up AIM with iChat – just type in screen name and password, and you’re good to go. But in recent years, new chat services have been cropping up – specifically, Google Talk and Facebook Chat – as part of accounts you already have. Now for me, I hate having multiple things open for what is essentially the same purpose. So, here’s a little help in setting up iChat with not only AIM, but Google Talk or Facebook Chat as well.

Google Talk (Snow Leopard 10.6) -

This one’s pretty easy – iChat 5 has the feature of adding a Google Account just as easily as an AIM account – just select the Google Account option when creating a new account in preferences.

Google Talk (10.4 Tiger/10.5 Leopard) –

A bit more difficult, but not by much. When creating a new account, select “Jabber Account” – as the ID, enter your Gmail account “______@gmail.com”, your password as the password. The server is talk.google.com, and the port is 5223 – and check the Use SSL box. All set.

Facebook Chat: (10.4-10.6) –

Similar to Google Talk – but a few differences. First, you need your Facebook username – “______@chat.facebook.com” – which you can find by going to the “Account Settings” – where it lists your username (right after your name, 2nd from the top).  Going into iChat now – in Preferences, go to the “Add Account”, and again, select Jabber. Enter in the “______@chat.facebook.com”, the _____ being your Facebook username from earlier, and the password, your regularly Facebook password. Server options are: server is “chat.facebook.com”, Port is 5222. Uncheck SSL for this one. And you’re good to go.

Personal tip – in General Preferences in iChat, enable “Use the same status for all accounts” – allowing you to log in and out of all 3 at once. Enjoy!

Now, for everyone else – those not using iChat. While not personally familiar with these programs, Google lists here how to set up other clients, and Facebook is compatable with Pidgin, Adium, and anything else that can use Jabber using settings that they give here. Enjoy!

SharePod for Windows (no, that’s not my iPod- it’s a pic I found online )

Got a bunch of music and videos on your iPod and want to make sure you have them backed up onto your computer?

This is a great little program that not just does it’s job, but does it really well. The program is called SharePod and can be downloaded for free here (don’t worry this won’t give your computer viruses or anything like that — I got it here and no problems on my PC). Anyways, all you do once you download this small file is open it up, click on the items you want to copy to you computer and click on the icon in the upper left that says “Copy to PC.” Then you select the folder you want the items to go into (I would recommend you put it in My Music or Desktop– or anywhere you’d remember it’s location), then click OK- and your done! Your files are now on your computer!

Now let’s say you wanna take those files you backed up (say you got them from a different computer in your house), and now transfer them to your iTunes. Well, don’t worry, this is also just a quick step away. Open iTunes and go to “File Add File to Library”, then go to where you saved your file from your iPod on your computer (see, this is where knowing where you saved the file is important ), and click on it to add to your iTunes library. If its a video, then the file will go to your Movie’s section in iTunes, and if it’s a song, then it will go to music.

See, that wasn’t so hard , and now you got your songs and videos saved onto your computer.

SharePod is a free download from Download.com, and works with Windows XP and Vista, as well as with all iPod’s and iPhone’s including the iPhone 3G and new iPod Touch (2nd Generation) and iPod Nano (4th Generation).

So, what you think- this work well for you? Got questions? Wanna reccomend a different, easier program? Sound off in the comments!

Picture this scenario, you want — no, NEED — a new phone that just isn’t available on your carrier, for example those who want an iPhone but lack AT&T service, or others who want a T-Mobile phone but not their wireless plan. Or maybe you’re traveling overseas soon and by unlocking your phone,  you avoid those outrageous roaming charges.

If so, I have some good news for you: you can easily unlock any GSM phone by calling the carrier whose branded the phone or by using the internet to search for the unlock code.

But I have to warn you, this is only available if both your original phone and your phone-to-be have SIM cards; if they arent GSM carriers, I hate to say it, but you arent qualified. See below for the list of GSM/SIM card phones and greater detail for unlocking your phone.

AT&T, T-Mobile, or Rogers (for our Canadian friends): Congratulations, you qualify. Verizon, Sprint, or Alltel, please play again.

Back to the process, if you have one of the aforementioned GSM carriers and two different network phones, then you’re ready to begin. Now, there are two ways to go about this, you can try to do it from the internet for free or by paying a fee to get it done. The second way — the way I unlocked my AT&T Blackberry 8800 for T-Mobile — is to simply call the carrier that sold the phone first. We’ll get to both methods though so you can see which one suits your fancy.

***CAUTION*** THIS CAN BRICK YOUR PHONE AND RENDER IT USELESS!!!! PROCEED WITH CAUTION!

The Internet Way

First, Google your phone model and put “Unlock codes” after it (example: Blackberry 8800 Unlock code). If that doesn’t work, then try going to one of these sites: http://unlockitfree.com/unlock.php (this one only works for Nokia’s) or http://bilemo.com/solfinder/.

The next step, as mentioned in the sites above, is type in your  15-digit IMEI number, obtainable by typing *#06# into your phone. What will come up is a 15 digit number that the site can use to find your unique unlock code. Once it’s done searching, follow the instructions on how to enter the code from the site and use the codes given. If the code works, then congrats! Your phone is unlocked! If that doesn’t work, then you’re going to have to go with the second method.

The Carrier Way

(Don’t worry, this way won’t brick your phone, but it could incur some charges so make sure it’s free)

This way is a little bit easier than the internet way and, if you or a friend have been with the carrier for more than 90 days, they’ll do it for free.

Just call the carrier that originally sold the phone (the brand on the phone) and tell them that you’re traveling overseas. They will check your account and if they see that you’ve been with them for 90+ days, they’ll begin to help you unlock your phone. Make sure to follow all their instructions and have the IMEI code (see above paragraph) ready. After talking to them and getting the code, just do what they tell you and Voila! Your phone is unlocked!

There you go, you can now use your phone with another carrier (or another carrier’s phone with your carrier). Now we gotta ask- what phone do you want to unlock and which carrier do you want to use it on? Let us know in the comments.

Inspiration and references from the October 2008 physical copy of PCWorld magazine.

Ever wanted design your own internet game or website even though you cant write code if your life depended on it? Try Microsoft Popfly. In a clear step-by-step guide for each of its three individual, but excellent programs– Game Creator, Website Maker, and Mashup–Popfly allows the digital adventurer to customize and shape to an extent, their own personal creation. Read on!

Game Creator:

The name might not be creative, but its straight to the point: Make your own internet games… and share them with the world. Dont have any genius new idea? Not to worry, you can build on and customize an existing game, though starting from scratch is also an option, for those with the daring–and time– to do so. Armed with a vast amount of basic templates, its likely your idea is among them, and not only does that save you time, but it makes you feel better that you’re not the only one who thinks this game sounds fun. The simplistic layout is yet another good reason for the non-computer programmer to see what creative engine he/she has. Check one example here, based off the classic asteroids style game (hit the green “Play” sign near the top left of the page- though in order to play you need a Microsoft Windows Live account if you don’t already have one, see bottom “Notes on Popfly” for all the info).

Example of a Popfly game- this one similar to “Brick” on your iPod

Web Site Maker:

Again self-explanatory, but this one can help even the greatest amateurs make a professional masterpiece of a website. Want to make a site with info for a job you want? To quote the Staples Red Button, “That was easy.” Two other suggested methods of free, easy website creating are Wordpress.com– the mastermind program behind our own blog (I wish I could say the fact we use it proves its easy, but frankly it doesnt; we’re the “geeks” remember?)– and Google’s Blogger.com

Mashup:

THE BEST FEATURE OF ALL. That got your attention. The most intriguing and innovative idea on Popfly, Mashup painlessly allows you to select any place on the web you wish to see and dump it all on one personal site, by means of capturing each location in a “block”. Drag and drop one of the many choices–and there’s a lot, like everything-you’ll-need a lot– of blocks in the left side bar anywhere on the blank white screen to the right, and you can then connect to other “blocks” using the dots on the side.

For example, say your internet schedule constitutes of quickly–or not so quickly– checking your Facebook, reading a few sites and viewing your Flickr photos. Now, instead of visiting each site individually, you can almost literally cut out the pieces you want to see and paste them on your Mashup page, which functions exactly as an actual visit to the site, just far cooler and more compact. Its really incredible. Check out an example of a Mashup here (click Run at the top of make it go, the site this takes you to is what the set up looks like with all the “blocks”. Also to view this you will need a Windows Live account, see the next line).

Example of “Blocks” in Popfly

Notes on Popfly: One catch: you need a free Windows Live account. But dont let that scare you; they’re a quick signup, and you can do so from within Popfly. Also, be careful what you do with some of this stuff; you are on the Internet and what you publish could be viewed by the world.

We advise you give them all a shot–or at least the one that interests you most–and let us know how it goes by dropping a comment or emailing us.

For the awesome glowing text effect, I used this tutorial: http://psdtuts.com/text-effects-tutorials/create-a-layered-glowing-text-effect/, with some modifications for size and color.

For cool glowy lines, I used a technique from this tutorial: http://psdtuts.com/tutorials-effects/advanced-glow-effects/.

The logo was done in Adobe Photoshop CS3 (Demo) and the theme of the blog is one of the Wordpress themes called Regulus.

Anyone who wants to show their support for the blog, you can grab a copy of the logo as a wallpaper or buddy icons below:

Wallpaper:

Buddy Icon:

Thats all folks.

Summer is almost here as schools are starting to close, and that means people going to camp, beaches, vacations you name it; We are all on the go. Many of us take our iPods because we can’t live 1 minute without it, but what about all the videos on YouTube that we watch for enjoyment; how can I get that on to my iPod for me to take on the go? Click the “More” button for the answer.

YouTube videos onto your iPod or other video playing device= one simple FREE download: the YouTube Downloader. Just follow the steps below.

• Download the YouTube Downloader here. (Don’t worry bout viruses btw, for one, I use it and my PC is fine, and, if that isn’t enough for you, 1 million+ people downloaded it too.)
• Go to YouTube and go to the video you want to download
• Copy the site address (URL) from the top of the web browser (where it says http://youtube.com….)
• Paste the site address and make sure the circle “download video from YouTube” is checked.

Pic of what YouTube Downloader looks like, and what should be checked at this point

• Select the spot you want to save to a place you’ll remember like the Desktop, for example).
• Click the circle “Convert Video {previously downloaded} from file” and from the list, click which file type you wish (video designed for cell phone, iPod, iPhone/iPod Touch, just sound)
• Delete the original file so you don’t have confusion with the two now different files (old is saved .FLV)
• Add file to iTunes by going to the Add File to Library under File
• Go to your converted file (saved where other file was saved)
• Add file to iPod/ iPhone

See, that wasn’t too bad. Let us know how it goes or if you have any questions in the comments.

But don’t be disappointed iPhoners. In iTunes, you’ll see the option to convert to ringtone for an iPhone—though only for an iPhone—for an additional $1.

Audacity on Windows XP (also works with Vista, Mac OS X, and Linux)

The program runs pretty easily, and all you need to do is drag where you want the song to begin and finish, by means of adjusting the two bars at the start and end of the song. Also, even if this program wont work for you with phone ringtones, it still is a cool, free music editor that lets all you aspiring DJs and music lovers have some fun.

Things to note: Assuming you have a program like iTunes, all you need for this is the Audacity program, not the other program mentioned in the guide. Instead, you export the new song to your desktop as a .WAV file, and then go to “Add File to Library” in iTunes and open the file in iTunes. Then once you’re in iTunes, go to “Edit Preferences” and there click on “Advanced” and then “Importing.” Change the import to Mp3 Encoder and then go to Custom. When in Custom, set the quality to what it says in the guide. Afterward, convert the song you edited by right-clicking on it in iTunes and going to “Convert to Mp3”. Next, delete the original .WAV file from both your iTunes and desktop, and then go to your iTunes folder in your music folder and find the ringtone under the artist you saved the ringtone to. I would recommend saving it under Ringtone because it is easier to find. Finally, either send the file to your phone using Bluetooth— as said on the guide— or copy it to a memory card and transfer it to your phone.

So there it is. Have any other ideas to make your own ringtones for free—especially for all those with Verizon, Sprint or T-Mobile if this doesn’t work for you? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

1. McAfee SiteAdvisor for Internet Explorer and Firefox.

This is one of my favorite add ons to my versions of Firefox and Internet Explorer because whenever I do a Google search, it tells me what websites are safe to go to (no viruses, spyware, lot of spam email, etc.) and what are not. It displays little green checks for good sites, yellow exclamation points for questionable ones that you should be careful with, and red x’s for sites that are indisputably bad for your computer. The feature also allows you to drag your mouse over the symbol for more detailed info (is it linked to good sites, how many good or bad downloads it has, etc.). It is an overall very good free program that can be downloaded for Internet Explorer by clicking here and Firefox by clicking here.

An example I found of McAfee SiteAdvisor

Just a note on SiteAdvisor: Some of your searches may display gray Question marks. Don’t worry. It only means that the particular site wasn’t check by McAfee yet. Also, the feature doesn’t yet work in Safari (even on Windows), but it might work on the Mac version of Firefox.

2. AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition 8:

For Windows users, we usually have an issue with viruses and hear how they are constantly a threat to the information on our computers. In order to protect from that threat, we usually need to spend money on a Anti-Virus program that could cost anywhere from $30-$60 (usually $60 allows you to put on 3 different computers instead of just one) for some of the big brand ones like Norton, McAfee, AVG (they have an additional paying one with a little more features), and these only last for a year!

Well here is a good, FREE program that does the job without an additional cost. This program is available FREE (can’t stress that enough) from download.com, and does all the simple things a program like this should do like scan and remove viruses, email scan to make sure your emails dont give your computer a virus, and even adds in what the McAfee SiteAdvisor does in checking searches from Google, Windows Live, and Yahoo!. Btw this program must run well, or else why would over 80 MILLION people download it.

Picture of start menu in AVG 8

Eusing Free Registry Cleaner:

So here is the last of this list of programs, and it is a program that will basically clean up and speed up your computer’s hard drive. I use this program, and actually find it very easy and effective. All you need to do is open up, hit scan registry (registry is place where your Computers info and files are) and when its done hit repair registry. It is quick simple, easy and productive, and can be downloaded from here.

What Eusing looks like

Ok, so that is a small list of free programs to help improve your computer. Let us know in the comments how they work for you, and also if you have another program that you know could be useful.

This is my final result. I’m doing this on a Mac, and in several steps, but everything in here is adaptable easily to Windows. So we start easy:

The Desktop Picture:

This desktop I actually made using several tutorials in Photoshop Elements. Not the easiest thing, but i can post instructions to that too if anyone wants. If you want to download it, you can do so here. Other places to get pictures from is from the Indiana Jones Website, the going to the downloads and then to the wallpaper, where there is tons of wallpaper from the movies. Also a good one can be found here of Indiana Jones’ desk as shown in the film.

So thats wallpaper. Next up is icons. I got mine from Iconfactory. As of now only the Raiders of the Lost Ark icons are up, but the others movies’ icons are forth coming. They happen to be really nice icons, in large sizes for Leopard and Vista. Mac icons can be applied using the instructions found here. As for Windows, for XP users you can check out this Microsoft guide for changing your desktop’s theme, and for Vista you can view this Microsoft guide.

It is also possible to change the dock on Leopard, but this is a really task that can only be done by changing system files, or using a program like Panic’s Candybar. The icons from the Iconfactory come with a dock compatible with that program, but it cost $30, which I frankly don’t have to spend on an icon-changing app.