Author Archive
AutoRotate Switch Toggles Screen Rotation on Your Android Phone [Downloads]
Android: If you frequently read on your phone while sitting or laying in odd positions, you might find the automatic screen rotation frustrating if you’d prefer to read in portrait mode all the time. H…
Create Shortcuts to Evernote Searches for Quicker Access to Your Notes [Evernote]
Windows only: Cross-platform note-taking application Evernote doesn’t have any sort of Windows 7 integration, but you can hack your own with StandaloneStack and some special shortcuts for much easier a…
Create a “Go Home” Shortcut for Your Android Phone’s Google Maps Navigation [Android]
One of the best features on an Android phone, Google Maps, gives you excellent turn-by-turn navigation for free. To make it even better, you can create a shortcut which immediately gives you directions…
The Summer Grass Desktop [Featured Desktop]
Reader karmat’s ultra-customized Windows desktop changes everything about the interface using a custom WindowBlinds theme, Rainmeter config, and blends it into a great wallpaper image that gives it an …
The LiteStep DNA Desktop [Featured Desktop]
Reader Mango Sango’s Windows desktop takes theme design to the next level with a pixel-perfect visual style and the LiteStep alternative desktop environment, complete with a context menu launcher and c…
The Listen and Feel Desktop [Featured Desktop]
Reader gabriela2400′s Windows 7 setup is an example of a minimalist desktop that doesn’t waste a lot of space on gadgets and focuses instead on presenting a smooth interface that looks great. More&n…
Gmote Turns Your Android Phone Into a Remote Control for Your PC [Android]
Android only: Gmote controls your desktop PC directly from your mobile phone, letting you control playback of music and movies, browse your file system, or even use your phone as a keyboard and mouse. …
How to Test Drive Android on Your PC Without Buying a Phone [How To]
Interested in test driving the latest version of Google’s Android OS without buying a new mobile device? Here’s how to run Android on your PC for free with the Android SDK Emulator. More &raq…
The MechHUD Desktop [Featured Desktop]
Reader McG00gles’ transformed his desktop into the HUD from MechWarrior 4, complete with system stats, iTunes display, and more—and it’s all available as a Rainstaller download. More &raq…
The Optimum Desktop [Featured Desktop]
The Duality Desktop [Featured Desktop]
Use Event Viewer to Tell When Your PC Last Rebooted [Windows Tip]
Windows only: If you’ve ever come back to your PC and noticed it was rebooted, you might be curious to know exactly when it was shut down, and the Guiding Tech blog has a quick tip to help.
To figure out when your PC was last rebooted, you can simply open up Event Viewer, head into the Windows Logs -> System log, and then filter by Event ID 6006, which indicates that the event log service was shut down—one of the last things that happens before a reboot. This technique won’t help you figure out when there was a power outage, but you can filter by Event ID 6005 to see when the system was last turned on—that event shows when the event log service was started again.
It’s a simple tip, but could come in handy if you come back to your PC and want to figure out whether Windows Update or somebody else restarted your PC in the middle of the night, or you’re just curious how many times you’ve rebooted in the recent past.
Universal Darkroom Turns Any Application Into a Distraction-Free Zone [Downloads]
Windows only: We’ve often featured distraction-free writing tools like Writeroom or Darkroom to help you focus while writing, and now reader Liang has created a solution that will turn the application of your choice into a distraction-free zone.
Once you’ve downloaded the Universal Darkroom script, which requires that you’ve already installed AutoHotkey, you can simply double-click on it to start up the application—there’s no code tweaking required at all. It’s very user-friendly, and even has a help window that hovers on the screen with instructions on how to use it.
To enable the darkroom effect for a window, simply right-click in the corner of the screen, choose Define New Border, select the window you want to use the effect for, and then tweak the borders to show or hide as much of the application as you want. What makes this script especially slick is the way it handles switching back to a different application—as soon as the “darkroomed” window loses focus, the black border will animate away, and then back when you switch back to the application.
We’re providing you with a download of the script, which can also be found on the forum thread linked below. Universal Darkroom works on Windows, requires AutoHotkey. Impressive script, Liang!
The Duality Desktop [Featured Desktop]
Use Event Viewer to Tell When Your PC Last Rebooted [Windows Tip]
Windows only: If you’ve ever come back to your PC and noticed it was rebooted, you might be curious to know exactly when it was shut down, and the Guiding Tech blog has a quick tip to help.
To figure out when your PC was last rebooted, you can simply open up Event Viewer, head into the Windows Logs -> System log, and then filter by Event ID 6006, which indicates that the event log service was shut down—one of the last things that happens before a reboot. This technique won’t help you figure out when there was a power outage, but you can filter by Event ID 6005 to see when the system was last turned on—that event shows when the event log service was started again.
It’s a simple tip, but could come in handy if you come back to your PC and want to figure out whether Windows Update or somebody else restarted your PC in the middle of the night, or you’re just curious how many times you’ve rebooted in the recent past.
Universal Darkroom Turns Any Application Into a Distraction-Free Zone [Downloads]
Windows only: We’ve often featured distraction-free writing tools like Writeroom or Darkroom to help you focus while writing, and now reader Liang has created a solution that will turn the application of your choice into a distraction-free zone.
Once you’ve downloaded the Universal Darkroom script, which requires that you’ve already installed AutoHotkey, you can simply double-click on it to start up the application—there’s no code tweaking required at all. It’s very user-friendly, and even has a help window that hovers on the screen with instructions on how to use it.
To enable the darkroom effect for a window, simply right-click in the corner of the screen, choose Define New Border, select the window you want to use the effect for, and then tweak the borders to show or hide as much of the application as you want. What makes this script especially slick is the way it handles switching back to a different application—as soon as the “darkroomed” window loses focus, the black border will animate away, and then back when you switch back to the application.
We’re providing you with a download of the script, which can also be found on the forum thread linked below. Universal Darkroom works on Windows, requires AutoHotkey. Impressive script, Liang!
Use Event Viewer to Tell When Your PC Last Rebooted [Windows Tip]
Windows only: If you’ve ever come back to your PC and noticed it was rebooted, you might be curious to know exactly when it was shut down, and the Guiding Tech blog has a quick tip to help.
To figure out when your PC was last rebooted, you can simply open up Event Viewer, head into the Windows Logs -> System log, and then filter by Event ID 6006, which indicates that the event log service was shut down—one of the last things that happens before a reboot. This technique won’t help you figure out when there was a power outage, but you can filter by Event ID 6005 to see when the system was last turned on—that event shows when the event log service was started again.
It’s a simple tip, but could come in handy if you come back to your PC and want to figure out whether Windows Update or somebody else restarted your PC in the middle of the night, or you’re just curious how many times you’ve rebooted in the recent past.
Universal Darkroom Turns Any Application Into a Distraction-Free Zone [Downloads]
Windows only: We’ve often featured distraction-free writing tools like Writeroom or Darkroom to help you focus while writing, and now reader Liang has created a solution that will turn the application of your choice into a distraction-free zone.
Once you’ve downloaded the Universal Darkroom script, which requires that you’ve already installed AutoHotkey, you can simply double-click on it to start up the application—there’s no code tweaking required at all. It’s very user-friendly, and even has a help window that hovers on the screen with instructions on how to use it.
To enable the darkroom effect for a window, simply right-click in the corner of the screen, choose Define New Border, select the window you want to use the effect for, and then tweak the borders to show or hide as much of the application as you want. What makes this script especially slick is the way it handles switching back to a different application—as soon as the “darkroomed” window loses focus, the black border will animate away, and then back when you switch back to the application.
We’re providing you with a download of the script, which can also be found on the forum thread linked below. Universal Darkroom works on Windows, requires AutoHotkey. Impressive script, Liang!