One new feature with the Windows 7 Taskbar is the Notification Area automatically hides certain icons. Here well take a look at making it a bit more manageable. By default Windows 7 will hide software icons in the Notification Area on the Taskbar. If you never want any icon hidden, snag the arrow then Customize.

Are you bored with the default brown, orange, and purple of Ubuntu? Heres how you’re free to give your Ubuntu desktop a quick refresh with a new Bisigi theme. These themes are nicely designed, and customize your theme, icons, background and more. Lets look at how you’ve got the option to customize your Ubuntu with these themes. When you find a theme you like, smack the 1 click install button....

Are you tired of your old blog and find it too much trouble to maintain? Tumblr is a different take on blogs. It takes the work out of blogging, and lets you focus on your content. Lets take a look at how you’ve got the option to create a Tumblr blog for free. Getting Started Signing up for a free Tumblr blog is very simple. Head over to Tumblr.com, and simply enter a username, password, and URL for your new blog....

Miro is a cross platform tool that runs on Windows, Mac, and Linux. You find the download link below. it’s possible for you to easily opt out by deselecting any or all of the options. Choose components to install and click Next. SetupThe first time you run Miro you’ll be prompted to execute the First Time setup wizard. Choose if you’d like Miro to run on startup and click Next....

Boot into the Ubuntu Live CD environment using a burnt CD or a prepared flash drive. First, we’ll installddrescue. Open up the Synaptic Package Manager (System > Administration > Synaptic Package Manager). In the Synaptic Package Manager window, select options > Repositories. Add a check in the box whose label ends with “universe” to enable Ubuntu’s universe repository. Back in the main Synaptic window, smack the Reload button to reload the list of available packages....

Here is how to at least get back the Classic “All Programs” Menu. Remember the Classic Start Menu in XP where you could show the All Programs Menu? Let’s take a look at getting that back in Windows 7. Now we need to navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Shell Folders. Double-punch the Favorites entry. Scroll down and smack the box next to Favorites menu, click OK, and reboot your system.

Then expand Playback and highlight Output, and ensure the correct soundcard is selected for your Output gadget. If that doesn’t work you may have to ensure the drivers on your soundcard are up to date.

There may be times when you dont want the man knowing what your IM conversations are. Today we look at an Instant Messenger plugin that will keep your conversations completely private. Off-the-Record is a great plugin to keep your conversations private. For it to work both parties need to have the plugin installed. It works by encrypting your conversations so no one can read the IMs. The messages you sent dont include digital signatures that can be checked by third parties....

TagScanner comes with four main functions, music renamer, tag editor, tag processor, and list maker. Music renamer will rename physical files based on tag information. Tag editor can manually edit any field in a supported tag. List maker will generate playlists in m3u, txt, html, or csv format. Sit back and give it a few minutes to gather all the information. Once the information loads, press the tag processor tab at the top....

Today we take a look at how to do it in Windows 7. Note: Unfortunately this method does not work in Home versions of Windows. Also, these are stand alone machines and not part of a domain. Right-punch Computer in the Start Menu or from the Desktop icon and select Manage. The process is essentially the same in Vista as well. For User_geek we set their account to change the password on the next logon....

In the previous version of Windows Live Writer, utilizing features was a simple process. Now things are placed in the Ribbon and at times more difficult to access. Here we’ll look at adding anything to the Quick Access Toolbar. The other day we showed you how toadd the Post Draft to Blog button to the Quick Access Toolbar. Here we click Picture or Video on the Ribbon, choose the location, and right-hit it....

Would you like a great way to post stuff quickly online and communicate with your readers? But WordPress can also be a great platform for microblogging, similar to Twitter or group discussion boards. Check out our article formore info on Setting up a Free WordPress.com Blog. This will give you a brand new blog it’s possible for you to use with P2 for free. Enter a name and title for your new blog, and click Create Blog....

Have you ever tried using Handbrake or some other video conversion software and found it a bit overwhelming? Today, we’ll look at a more user friendly way to convert DVDs to video files using VidCoder. Like most DVD ripping applications, VidCoder needs a helping hand to remove DVD copy protection. Of course, if your DVD is not copy protected, you’re free to skip this step. Note: DVD43 runs only on Windows 32-bit systems....