Top 10 Windows 7 Booster Apps [Lifehacker Top 10]

With all the talk about Windows 7, this list of small booster apps can make your experience even better.

Top 10 Windows 7 Booster Apps [Lifehacker Top 10]: "

Windows 7 is a big improvement over Vista, and a pretty convenient OS in general—but it's by no means perfect. These 10 downloads improve Windows 7's looks, functions, and make it easier, safer, and more convenient to upgrade to.

10. Bring back the 'classic' Start menu

Windows 7's Start menu is a powerful thing, offering program and file launching as you type and allowing for smart pinning of whatever you frequently access. If you're really attached to the Windows 2000/XP-style Start system, though, CSMenu restores a 'classic' look to Windows 7 by installing a companion Start menu on your taskbar. Want to eliminate that new-fangled Start menu and use only your classic model? Grab StartKiller and wipe away all signs of progress—er, change. We meant change. (Original post)

9. Logon changer customizes password screens

You can customize a lot of your system's look in Windows 7, but the login/password screen remains fairly opaque and unchangeable. Tweaks.com offers a Logon Changer for Windows 7 that simply takes a JPG file (256K or less, so be sure to re-size and compress) and applies it to your logon background. If you don't mind doing a little registry hacking, there's a manual work-around for logon changing, but the Logon Changer is worth the install/uninstall if you know what you want to keep as your logon screen. (Original post)

8. Create recovery discs for pre-installed Windows 7

If you moved up to Windows 7 by way of a new computer purchase, you may have found that getting a full Windows 7 disc, or even a system recovery disc, was an 'option' that cost a good bit of extra cash. If you'd like to ensure you can save your system from common boot-up and system errors in the future, NeoSmart offers its own Windows 7 System Recovery Discs that can repair damaged files, restore System Restore points, and even pull in full backups for restoration. If you upgraded to 7 from a student discount package that only delivered a single .exe file, Download Squad explains how to make a DVD upgrade disc from student discount files. (Original post)

7. Pull up incoming Gmail from the taskbar

If Gmail is your primary inbox, Gmail Notifier Plus not only subtly informs of you of new mail by changing its taskbar icon, but provides a subject line preview of new messages when you hover over its icon. You also get shortcuts to compose a new message, pop open your inbox in your browser, or head to any of your messages individually. Neat stuff, especially if you'd rather have a more firm control over when your inbox can have your attention—just close down Gmail Notifier Plus when it's time to get cranking. (Original post)

6. Winfox makes Firefox work with Jump Lists

Support for Windows 7's helpful jump lists won't show up in Firefox until version 3.7. In the meantime, those who want to access their current tabs and most frequently visited sites can do so with Winfox, a helpful little add-on that you pin to your taskbar to access Firefox from. Copy Winfox to your Firefox program directory, install it, and pin the 'Winfox' application to your taskbar. Now you can pin favorite pages to your jump list by dragging their tabs down, see the favicons of the sites you've got open, and get a read on how many tabs you're running in the Firefox icon. (Original post)

5. Hulu Desktop Integration adds streaming TV to Windows Media Center

Windows 7's Media Center was impressive enough for Adam to bust out his Buster Poindexter headline, and the only thing you might say it's missing is better access to streaming television. Since Media Center just added CBS streaming, the one big hold-out is Hulu—which would deliver streaming shows from the likes of Fox, ABC, and NBC. Hulu Desktop Integration brings Hulu to Media Center with a clever little app. Launch the Hulu app from Media Center, and Media Center shuts down, opens the full-screen Hulu Desktop app, and then switches back to Media Center when you're done in Hulu. That's a nice thing, since because it uses the official channel to get at Hulu, the chances of it being locked out by Hulu are slim. (Original post)

4. Add stacks to your desktop

Windows 7's taskbar is getting a lot of notice, and some say it's more useful than Mac OS X's Dock—except it's missing the very neat "Stacks" feature. Missing, that is, until you grab StandaloneStack or 7stacks, which both do a great job of creating blow-up menus of folders and apps from single icons on your taskbar. Add a storage folder or custom collection of shortcuts to your taskbar, and you'll never have to hunt down that 'Computer' link in the Start menu again just to get to the right file. (Original posts: StandaloneStack, 7Stacks)

3. Tweak hard-to-find settings

It's always a good idea to see what kind of settings you can change from your new OS' Control Panel, but Microsoft only lets you play with so many check boxes and sliders. Apps like Ultimate Windows Tweaker, along with XdN Tweaker, have been digging deep into the guts of Windows since Vista first arrived (and sometimes before XP showed up), and they let you seriously fine-tune your system. Want only certain Aero 3D effects on your desktop? Need to change Windows 7's window-snapping behavior? These apps have you covered. The hardest part is knowing when to say when on a settings-changing binge. (Original post)

2. Make Alt+Tab switching more intuitive

The familiar Alt+Tab keyboard shortcut gained a little visual overhaul in Windows 7, but it still offers just basic window switching. VistaSwitcher, a more powerful app and window switcher, improves on it in just the right ways. Besides an intriguingly different look, the app supports keyboard shortcuts that let you minimize or tile windows from your Alt+Tab screen, close down programs or file windows in bulk, and, with a Ctrl+Alt+Tab press, switch only between the open windows of the particular program you're using, like a browser or image editor. Despite the name, VistaSwitcher works perfectly well on Windows 7. (Original post)

1. Install all your necessary apps at once

The first few times you re-installed an operating system, it probably felt like an adventure, something fun, a test of your tech prowess. At this point, though, you might just want to skip the part where you spend an hour grabbing Firefox, Picasa, an anti-virus app, WinAmp, uTorrent, and other must-have apps from the net. Ninite is your ticket out of redundant installations. Head to the web site, check off the apps you need from a huge range of good, free software, and download the resulting customized installer app. Double-click, hit start, and do something constructive while Ninite installs everything you asked for in the background, with very few, if any, questions or prompts. (Original post)"

The Power User's Guide to Google Chrome, 2009 Edition [Google Chrome]

Some cool tips for my favorite browser..

The Power User's Guide to Google Chrome, 2009 Edition [Google Chrome]: "

Google Chrome has come a long way in the past year, steadily adding subtle but useful features for power users. Let's take a fresh look at Chrome's current offerings—especially for those willing to brave its early developer builds.

Not long after Chrome's release, our 2008 Chrome Power User's Guide covered its best features for savvy surfers, such as keyboard shortcuts and startup switches. We won't rehash those here; instead we're going to round up the new stuff that's come out since in both the stable and developer build of Chrome. (For reference, as of writing, the stable build of Google Chrome is version number 3.0.195.27, and the developer release is version 4.0.222.12.)

Turn Chrome into a Site-Specific Browser with Application Shortcuts

If webapps like Gmail have replaced desktop apps like an old-school email client for you, you'll like Chrome's ability to act as a site-specific browser (SSB) with Application Shortcuts. Chrome's minimal interface makes it a great candidate to get the heck out of your webapps' way, and just act as a window to it. To put a Chrome Application Shortcut to Gmail, Google Reader, Twitter, Facebook, or any other webapp you like to keep open in a separate window, open the site in Chrome. From the Page menu, choose 'Create application shortcuts.' From there decide to put your shortcut on the desktop, quick launch bar, and/or Start Menu. You can create as many Application Shortcuts as you like to all your favorite webapps or sites. When you open your webapp from the Application Shortcut icon, you won't see Chrome's address bar, or tabs, or your bookmarks bar. Any link that you click inside the application window will open in a different window in a full-on instance of Chrome.

Assign Keywords to Your Search Engines

One of Chrome's most touted features is how you can search the web by just typing into its address bar (a.k.a, the 'omnibox'). To search specific sites, you can even type certain domain names (like 'youtube.com') and then press Tab to search that site specifically. However, power users want to configure custom searches to happen in as few keystrokes as possible. Like Firefox's keyword bookmark capabilites, you can assign a keyword to a search engine bookmark in Chrome, which uses the %s variable to pass parameters to the URL.

To do so, right-click in Chrome's address bar and choose 'Edit Search Engines.' There, you can add, edit, or remove searches and assign keywords in the Keyword field.

Using this technique you can, for instance, update Twitter with a keyword as well as search Lifehacker.com via Google. (Set the URL to http://google.com/search?q=site:lifehacker.com+%s and the keyword to lh. Then, to search Lifehacker's archives in Chrome, type lh 'your search here' into the address bar.)

Customize the 'New Tab' Page

Chrome's other slick headliner feature is its 'New Tab' page, which displays a grid of frequently-visited web site thumbnails that help you get to where you're most likely to go when you create a new tab. That list is more customizable than ever, with options to rearrange the thumbnails (just drag and drop) and pin thumbnails to specific locations on the grid (hover over a thumbnail and press the thumbtack button to do so). If you don't need so much eye candy, you can switch to a list view by clicking on the view buttons on the upper right.

Get to Know New Chrome Startup Switches

Last year we covered several Chrome startup switches that let you do things like use multiple user profiles, always start Chrome in a maximized window, and disable certain features like Flash or JavaScript. Today there are three more startup switches worth mentioning. The --bookmark-menu switch adds a bookmark button to Chrome's toolbar. The -incognito switch starts up Google Chrome in private, incognito mode. Finally, Greasemonkey fans will want to try the --enable-user-scripts switch to see if their favorite scripts work in Chrome. (A few other steps are required; here's how to get Greasemonkey user scripts going.)

Choose Your Chrome Theme

As if ad-heavy web sites weren't enough, web browser themes can add even more visual distractions to your surfing experience. However, since Chrome's—well, chrome—is so minimal, its themes are less annoying than in other browsers. I prefer Google's more muted in-house themes, but there are more vibrant artist themes as well. To activate a theme, from the Wrench menu, choose Personal Options, click 'Get Themes.' Choose the theme you like from the Themes Gallery and click the 'Apply Theme' button under it.

Master Mouse and Keyboard Shortcuts for Managing Tabs

Every power user has a few essential keyboard shortcuts in their arsenal, and Chrome offers some mouse-and-keyboard combinations for managing tabs, too. Like Firefox, you can middle-mouse-button click any link to open it in a background tab (or Ctrl+click for the same result). Shift+Click opens a link in a new window, Shift+middle+click (or Shift+Ctrl+click) opens a link in a new tab and switches to it, and Alt+click saves the contents of al link to your computer.

Switch to the Dev Channel Release for Extensions (and More)

Brave devotees to Google Chrome want to take advantage of its open development, and subscribe to the developer channel of early Chrome releases to get a preview of new features. Using Chrome's Channel Changer tool you can switch from the stable release to the no-guarantees-on-stability beta or developer build. The risk you take in running into unexpected bugs is worth it for features the early builds offer. In the current Developer build version 4.0.222.12, you can sync your bookmarks, test extensions, and pin tabs. (Also, Mac and Linux users can finally try out Chrome via the developer channel, as a stable release is not yet available.)

(Dev Build Only) Synchronize Your Bookmarks

You use Chrome at home and at the office, and you want your bookmarks synced in both places, In the dev build of Chrome, from the Wrench menu, choose 'Sync my bookmarks' to save your Chrome bookmarks in your Google account. (You'll have to sign in to start syncing.) If you're already using the Xmarks extension for Firefox or IE, you can use that in the dev build of Chrome, which includes the foundation of extension support with a few alpha add-ons ready for testing.

(Dev Build Only) Install Extensions

Chrome's extension support is still young, but several alpha/beta extensions give you a glimpse of Firefox-like extension goodness in Chrome. Here are a few of our favorite Chrome extensions.

• Gmail Checker: While it doesn't appear to work for Google Apps accounts (someone? prove me wrong?), the Gmail checker puts the number of unread messages in your inbox on Chrome's bottom toolbar.
• Xmarks: Our favorite bookmark syncing extension for Firefox and IE is available for Chrome dev build testers as an alpha version. You must sign into Xmarks and sign up for the alpha test to get the Chrome extension.
• AdSweep and Adblock+: Scrub annoying flashing ads from your favorite web sites.
• Session Saver: As previously covered, this extension enables multi-tab saving and reloading.
• WOT: Integrates web site reputation ratings ala Web of Trust into Google Chrome.
• LastPass: Adds deeper auto-fill password management to Chrome.

To view and manage what extensions you've got installed in Google Chrome, from the Wrench menu, choose Extensions to open the Extensions manager, where you can reload, disable, and uninstall extensions.

(Dev Build Only) Shrink and Affix Tabs with 'Pin Tab' Option

Finally, a tiny little tab feature that everyone seems to love is available in the dev build of Chrome: the ability to shrink a tab down to only its favicon, and pin it to your tab bar. Right-click on any tab and choose 'Pin tab' from the context menu to try it out.

What other power tips for Chrome, stable or developer build, are out there? Share your best ones in the comments.

Gina Trapani, Lifehacker's founding editor, strongly suspects 2010 will be a big year for Google Chrome. Her weekly feature, Smarterware, appears every Wednesday on Lifehacker. Subscribe to the Smarterware tag feed to get new installments in your newsreader.

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Wrap Your Luggage Handle in Neon Cord for Easy Identification and Comfort [Air Travel Tip]

Do you travel a lot? Always find it hard to identify you luggage from others? This is a nice little tip that I stumbled across.

Wrap Your Luggage Handle in Neon Cord for Easy Identification and Comfort [Air Travel Tip]: "

Tying a ribbon on your suitcase is old hat. If you want to combine high-visibility and comfort, a paracord wrap is a more durable and useful alternative.

The majority of luggage is black and a conveyor belt at the end of a long trip can hold hundreds of suitcases. You can make yours stand out by wrapping the handle with some neon paracord. It's a great way to make it highly visible at a distance and add a little padding and thickness to the handle for extra comfort.

Stromedrane, a hobbyist with a love of rope and knot work, has a video tutorial on his blog showing how to create a knot-work wrap like the one seen in the picture above:
Sure it takes a little more time than simply tying a red ribbon on the handle of your suitcase, but if you ever find yourself in need of a couple dozen feet of lashing cord, that little red ribbon won't be of much help. Have your own luggage-related tips or perhaps a great use for knot-work to share? Let's hear about it in the comments.

Luggage Handle Wrap [via Make]"

RemainInPlay Offers 20 Years of Free Retro Games [Downloads]

I know what I am going to do this weekend! :)

RemainInPlay Offers 20 Years of Free Retro Games [Downloads]: "

If you're hankering for some nostalgic video game action this weekend, you're in luck. Check out this selection, spanning the last 20 years or so, of commercial games released as freeware.

There are a variety of web sites that catalog old games—the MakeUseOf link catalogs a number of them—but RemainInPlay takes a unique angle. Rather than include any free games from past, they only archive games that were once commercial products and released again as freeware.

What this means is that instead of playing games that weren't all that great when they were released free, you'll find games worth playing in their heyday. Quake III Arena, see here in the screenshot, cost $50 when it was initially released, and remained extremely popular for years after. Now you can grab a copy for free. The archives at RemainInPlay dip back well into the 1980s to help you enjoy a little retro-DOS gaming fun.

Have a great source for games—retro or otherwise—to share? Let's hear about it in the comments.

RemainInPlay [via MakeUseOf]"

Fold a World-Record-Setting Paper Airplane [Fun]

This freakin cool!!

Fold a World-Record-Setting Paper Airplane [Fun]: "

A few years back we pointed you toward the world's 'best' paper airplane, and while we couldn't entirely back up the 'best' claim, this Sky King paper airplane is a legitimate world-record holder. This video shows us how to make it ourselves.

Wired's video demonstrates the build from start to finish, but if you'd prefer a more barebones schematic, head over to the Wired page for a nice step-by-step in images. It doesn't look all that impressive when Wired put the plane into flight, but it looks more like a matter of an unbalanced build than a flaw with the design.

If you give it a try, let's hear if you fared better in the comments.

Fold Your Own Sky King Paper Airplane [Wired]"