How-To Geek

Our last edition of WIG for March is filled with news link coverage on topics such as the Google Translate app for Android has received offline support, outdated Java weak spots are widespread, secure API omission is rendering Android password managers insecure, and more.

Mountains invoke thoughts of beauty, solitude, and peace that can be quite alluring when life becomes stressful. Enjoy a relaxing view on your Nexus 7 with the first in our series of Mountains Wallpaper collections.

As the growth and evolution of Ubuntu marches on three more releases of Ubuntu are due to reach ‘end of life’ for support and updates on May 9th. If you are running one of these editions, then it would be prudent to start making plans to update now.

Most people look at video games as a way to relax and have fun, but there are other benefits that they may not be aware of. This great video by Daphne Bavelier looks at how video games can help people learn, focus, and even multi-task.

While at Los Alamos during the Manhattan Project physicist Richard Feynman sought out a hobby for amusement, but what no one might have expected though is his choice of safe cracking. Professor Roger Bowley discusses how Feynman studied the mechanical setup of the safe locks at Los Alamos and went about ‘cracking’ them in this fascinating video.

Over the weekend an early build of Windows Blue leaked onto the internet and is providing an interesting peek at the newest version of Internet Explorer. The new version comes with a tab syncing feature and surprisingly enough is masquerading as Firefox (Gecko). Microsoft has also made additional changes to the User Agent String for the browser.

Have you ever wondered why we see optical illusions? Is it because our ‘complex’ eye structure is unable to process them for some odd reason or is there another underlying cause? Learn ‘how and why’ we see optical illusions in this great TEDEducation video from Mark Changizi.

Our latest edition of WIG is filled with news link coverage on topics such as Mozilla is pondering stripping customization options from Firefox, a botnet has been stealing millions from advertisers with fake mouse clicks, the next Xbox may require an “always on” internet connection, and more.

When you install any recent version of Microsoft Office, Microsoft assumes that you want to sign up for the Customer Experience Improvement Program (CEIP). There’s a check box during installation that’s selected by default and automatically signs you up for the program.

Last year we shared a wonderful collection of river wallpapers with you and today we are back with more. Float away with the currents on your desktop with the second in our series of Rivers Wallpaper collections.

Yesterday Apple joined a host of other companies that offer two-step verification in response to the increasing level of security threats to user accounts. Those of you who have been setting up two-step verification across the board for your online accounts can now add your Apple ID to the ‘completed’ list.

Alarm clocks…the bane of every working person’s morning. Nothing is quite as irritating or anger inducing as the sound of an alarm clock interrupting a person’s ‘ever so sweet’ sleep. There is always the temptation to hit the snooze button and sleep just a little bit longer, but does that actually help or hurt you more in the end? Find out the answer to that burning question in this great video from AsapSCIENCE.

There are numerous applications which, when launched, result in a UAC (User Account Control) warning being displayed. There are reasons why this security measure is a good idea, but it can also be extremely irritating. ElevatedShortcut lets you create shortcuts that bypass the warning.

Why does the human body age in the first place? Do you think internal factors, external factors, or a combination of both have an effect on cell damage and repair? Learn more about how the aging process works and why in this terrific explainer video from AsapSCIENCE.

If you have come to rely on not being forced to upgrade too quickly when using non-LTS versions of Ubuntu, then your luck has finally run out. Starting with the 13.04 ‘Raring Ringtail’ release the 18 month support period for non-LTS releases will be cut in half to 9 months.

Modern technology makes it easy to navigate our planet’s oceans, but think for a moment about ancient cultures such as the Vikings. How did they manage to navigate across great spans of water with such accuracy? While you are thinking of history did you know that our ancestors experienced a particular health problem that is the number one cause of death in the developed world today? Learn more about both ‘mysteries’ in this great video from SciShow!

This week’s edition of WIG is filled with news link coverage on topics such as Dropbox has bought popular e-mail app Mailbox, most PC security problems are a result of unpatched third-party Windows apps, Google Now has started arriving in Chrome-Chrome OS, and more.

The vastness of space is filled with wonders beyond compare, all waiting for those who would explore and seek out its endless beauty. Take your iPhone into the depths of space with the first in our series of Outer Space Wallpaper collections.

Have you ever wondered why the sky is blue, but also red and orange at certain times of the day? Did you know that ‘blue’ is one of the last colors that cultures choose a word for? Learn more about colors of the sky, why we see the colors we do, and more in this terrific video.

If you open a lot of programs at one time in Windows, your desktop can get quite chaotic and messy. One of those many windows may be displaying private data, and it’s easy to lose track of it and accidentally leave it visible.

Yesterday Google announced a new round of ‘spring cleaning’ that will see more services and features closed throughout 2013. This latest round will bring the total number of features or services closed up to 70 since the ‘spring cleaning’ initiative began in 2011.

Yesterday Dropbox released a new version of their desktop client that makes monitoring your account’s activity and sharing files easier than ever…all from a quick access menu. If you are an avid Dropbox user, then you will definitely want to grab a copy of the latest version!

Strange things occur when an object travels close to the speed of light. Time and distance are both affected by motion as that object moves along the line of sight in the direction it is moving. Got your curiosity piqued? Learn more in this fascinating video discussion about relativity, time dilation, and the Lorentz contraction from Sixty Symbols.

Do you know what antimatter is or believe in its existence? What do you think its impact is or could be on the matter that is so ‘obviously’ prevalent throughout the universe? Learn what is known about antimatter thus far and what scientists are doing to learn more in this great video from SciShow.

The Growl notification system is something that will be familiar to Mac users, but it is something that is also available for Windows. It is an incredibly versatile tool that can be used to monitor system and program notifications in a variety of ways, including remotely.