This week we learned how to breathe new life into an old PC or laptop, make Evernote more approachable with custom Windows 7 integration, keep hard to remember card numbers available and secure with LastPass, make VLC Media Player look awesome with custom skins, create a wallpaper slideshow in Ubuntu, and more. After such a busy week it is time to relax with this week’s collection of geeky goodness.

Photo by legofenris.

Weekly Feature

If you are using Iron Browser, Chromium, or Google Chrome on your Ubuntu 10.04 system, then get ready for some native theming fun. You can set your browser up to match the Ambiance or Radiance themes and customize the scrollbars to blend in as well.

Photo by Asian Angel.

Ambiance Theme Radiance Theme Ubuntu light-themes scrollbars

Random Geek Links

Photo by Polina Sergeeva.

• Mud-slinging in the Warez scene
  Two warez forums threaten to publish compromising information about each other’s registered users.
• The Facebook dislike button scam
  A new fake dislike app is spreading across user profiles.
• How to Disable Facebook Places
  Learn how to lock down Facebook’s new Places feature with this tutorial.
• New Windows vulnerability: Applications download malicious code from the net
  Microsoft is investigating a new exploit regarding the way Windows downloads libraries for third-party applications.
• Ubuntu 10.04.1 LTS released
  The first maintenance update to Ubuntu’s 10.04 LTS release is now available.
• Ubuntu 11.04 a.k.a. Natty Narwhal
  Details begin to emerge about the Ubuntu 11.04 release.
  Note: Link to Mark Shuttleworth’s blog post included in the article.
• Yahoo to close SearchMonkey as Microsoft search integration proceeds
  Changes are coming as Yahoo starts to transition its’ search results and search back-end infrastructure over to Microsoft.
• Spanish judge summons Google to court over Wi-Fi data
  Google is due to appear in court regarding the wi-fi data collected by its’ Street View cars.
• Oracle aims to destroy open source software industry
  An interesting look at what may be behind Oracle’s recent actions regarding Java and OpenSolaris.
• How to Make the Most of a Small Workspace
  Make the most of your small work or office space with this helpful tutorial.

Geek Video of the Week

A new bill provides health care coverage for everyone in Video Game Land. No more health bars in the red zone for video game characters!

Photo by CollegeHumor.

Video Game Health Care Bill

Productive Geek Tips

Photo by epSos.de.

• How to Create a Family Friendly Ubuntu Setup
  See how to make Ubuntu safer for your children with this great tutorial.
• Use Your Geek Skills to Get Out There and Meet New People
  Contrary to public opinion, geeks have many skills that translate well in the social arena.
• Regular Financial Monitoring Leads to Less Overspending
  In a weak economy saving money is imperative, so being vigilant about monitoring your expenditures and service consumption can help curb overspending.
• Twitter is a Productivity FAIL Unless You’re Building a Brand
  Unless you’re using Twitter to build your own brand, it’s just a time-waster that kills productivity. Find out how to use Twitter productively.
• How to Use Voicemail Effectively at Work
  Learn how to make the best use of voicemail in the workplace.

Sysadmin Geek Tips

• Transform Install Only Applications into Portable Applications
  With a few tricks you may be able to add “install only” programs to your collection of portable tools.
• Easily Keep a Mirrored Backup of Local Files on All Your Network Computers
  Set up a script that when ran, mirrors local data to a common network location.
• Mount and Unmount a VHD File in Windows Explorer via a Right-Click
  Learn the solution that will enable you to mount and unmount VHD files with a single click.

Random TinyHacker Links

• TeraCopy – truly effective file copying
  TeraCopy is a really fast file copier that offers features such as: pause and resume support, error recovery, Windows shell integration, Windows 7 x64 support, etc.
• Complete Guide to Windows 7’s Task Scheduler
  If you want to know how to get the most of Windows 7’s task scheduler, then this series of articles is what you need.
• DeskNotes – Advanced Free Note Taking App
  If you think Sticky Notes is too basic for you, then give DeskNotes a try. It’s a cool free tool which ads basic formatting options, synchronization with Microsoft Outlook, etc.
• Addictive 25 Panel Word Puzzle
  Have loads of fun trying to segue the clues. This may take a while to finish so be sure to ‘save game’ every so often.
• You’ve Got Metal Fever! Futurama Icon Set
  37 headshot icons, 38 iPhone 4 wallpapers, and 6 desktop wallpapers for Windows & Macs.

Super User Questions

More great questions with answers for you from Super User.

• Receiving more email than I can handle
• What is the best way to encrypt folders in your hard drive?
• Are there any tools in linux for splitting a file in place?
• Will mounting my disk as “ro” make it completely read-only?
• Why does Windows use backslashes for paths and Unix forward slashes?

Latest Reviews at How-To Geek

Enjoy looking through our two newest software reviews.

• Photoshop Elements 8
  Photoshop Elements 8 is a great way to get more advanced photo editing tools than most free tools offer while not spending hundreds of dollars for the latest full version of Photoshop.
• Boomerang 1.1 for Outlook
  Boomerang is an Outlook addon that acts like a snooze button for your inbox.

One Year Ago on How-To Geek

Here is another great batch of retro geeky goodness for you to enjoy.

• How to Dispose of Old Computers Responsibly
• Search the Internet in Privacy with ixquick
• Invite Another User to Troubleshoot Your Windows 7 Machine with Remote Assistance
• Eufony Free Audio Player – Resource Gentle Audio Player
• Friday Fun: Warp Through Portals Playing WarpShot

The Geek Note

Good luck to those of you who have started back or whose family members are returning to school. See you next week! Remember to keep those great tips coming to us at tips@howtogeek.com.

Photo by Johnson Cameraface.