New Links and a Forum to boot!

As you can see, today we added a new feature to Hack-a-Doodle. On the left sidebar I added a links section that catalogs some great resources on all things Technology. If you feel that your site is relevant enough to add to my links section feel free to email me.

Another interesting feature added to the Hack-a-Doodle Community is the creation of a forum. Here you can be part of the community by talking about a wide variety of topics including, but not limited to: entertainment, art, the website, Hacks, and technology. If you haven't already, join today!

Get 32 AA batteries from a 6 Volt battery

I saw this over at Lifehacker and I couldn't resist posting this on mine as well.

If you're looking for AA batteries but don't want to spend hundreds of dollars yearly to power your gadgets, this is the perfect hack for you. Trim down your spending by hacking into a 6 volt battery, which typically costs about $5. Just open the casing and you'll find a whopping 32 AA batteries. Considering that you can get 8 watch batteries from a 12 volt battery and 6 AAA batteries from a 9 volt battery, this isn't surprising, but since AA batteries are the most popular among the three, this should yield considerable savings.

[Lifehacker]

To-Do List and more embedded on Desktop

We all know the benefits for keeping a running To-Do list in order to get things accomplished during a busy day. But living in this technological world, there aren't many advantages for carrying around a legal pad or a paper list. Enter VBScripts. Gina Trapini a while back modified a script that, coupled with keyboard shortcuts, automatically adds entries to a plain text To-Do list. Upon seeing that, I decided to modify it a bit more and add to it by also writing a batch script that, again coupled with keyboard shortcuts, automatically opens the file for you for further editing and removal of entries.

All that is said and good, but you'd still have to open the file to view your current list of things to do. Not very productive, if you ask me. Here's where it gets fun. A while back I had a post about embedding the terminal on your Desktop in Linux, but it left those with Windows wondering how they could integrate that with their Operating System. Samurize has done that and more. (NOTE: Samurize site lists a few downloads on the same page - be sure to download the item on the page entitled "Serious Samurize 1.64.") Samurize can integrate the Command Prompt and other command scripts on your desktop in Windows. What does this have to do with an automatic To-Do list, you may ask? It also has an interesting feature on embedding plain text to your desktop. Now, you can keep constant tabs on your to do list. Combined with the scripts already available, you have a electronic streamlined To-Do list that will help make any busy day a little more productive.

The To-Do files can be found here in a zipped file. Included are the actual scripts along with their source code (for those who don't like installing unknown scripts in their computer and would rather compile their own scripts). Please read the Readme file for more information.

Here is a screenshot of Samurize in action. Click on the pic to see it full size.



What other uses have you gotten out of Samurize? Leave tips, Tricks, and suggestions in the comments.

Linux on an Ipod?!

Hoser from Painted Jellyfish send me a very interesting link. For those who have an iPod or are thinking of getting one of those new-fangled iPod Touch, the implications of such a design are endless! Now, I know what you are thinking, "If the iPod Touch already has that capability, how does having Linux on my iPod benefit me?" True, the iPod Touch does come with more functionality than before, but until hackers find a way to install Third party apps like on the iPhone, you are pretty much stuck to what Apple, Inc. wants you to use, including the limited capabilities of iCalendar and other such programs. Also, if you have a "Classic iPod" or a new iPod Nano you can take advantage of using apps and games just like the Touch and iPhone.

Interestingly, this past weekend Mike's Ubuntu Blog also wrote an article about how to install iPodLinux without losing your music. Which is reminiscent of the Wiki that iPodLinux.org has on how to do so without losing information.

Ads, Searches, and Blogging, OH MY!

So if you've noticed I've added a few things extra to the site. First if I could direct your attention to the top of the page, you'll notice a new feature: Google Search. It searches both my site and the internet, for added functionality and all around fuzzy-feeling goodness.

Also, you'll notice underneath every second or third post there are a few ads. Clicking on those ads helps me... as Greg Dean from Real Life Comics says:


So if you've got the time to just click one or two ads, it helps me from going out and begging for spare change from my friends. (If not for me, do it for them).

Hopefully, I'll soon be able to do some more site changes. Who knows, I might actually get a fully functional site happening in the near future. If you have any thoughts as to what else a site like mine should have, feel free to leave it in the comments.

Self Repairing Hard Drive

Some of you have been wondering where I have been, considering the fact that I haven't been posting in a while. What happened was that I had a few BSODs due to my hard drive feigning like it was going to die. I've since then fixed it, but it made me realize that I need to be more conscious of my hard drive's health. I did some research and found this awesome batch script that Gina Trapini from Lifehacker modified and added to her daily Scheduled tasks for Windows, along with instructions on how to do it.

The Self-Repairing Hard Drive [Lifehacker]

DIY Propeller Clock

I've seen something like this before, but this was very interesting. Jon has detailed instructions and schematics and how to build your very own propeller clock like the one shown below.



His site also has a varied amount of DIY project for those who are electronically inclined. And for other DIY electronic goodness, you can also visit Instructables and view more DIY projects and hacks.

Looking to customize your iPhone?

So its been 2 months and you are itching to begin installing other free open source software that apple doesn't provide, but haven't gotten around to it yet? Now is the time! Since the iPhone came out, many busy little hackers have been pushing out several killer applications for the iPhone, and hacking your iPhone to install those apps has become nearly effortless.

Adam Pash from Lifehacker has written a concise step-by-step set of instructions on how to hack your iPhone and install 3rd party software (which he so graciously added a few links to some of those softwares for our convenience).

If maybe you want to try for a more serious (and potentially dangerous to your phone) hack, like getting the iPhone to work with other GSM providers, then I suggest you take a look at George's Blog on how he managed to hack the iPhone. If you remember, George is a 17 year old college student who, with a group of hackers, was among the first to hack the iPhone and make it available on other providers. He has since traded that iPhone for a Nissan 350Z and 3 other iPhones to the founder of Certicell. He has written a few updates that make this hack just a little more simple and less likely to brick your iPhone.

Disable users on XP's Welcome Screen

When you add an account for certain users with Windows XP, their user names will appear on the Welcome Screen.

Sometimes a user needs to be added to a Windows XP machine, because he needs access (via the network or remote login) to resources on the machine, but he will not be physically logging in on the computer. You can remove his name from the Welcome Screen, while still maintaining the user account with the Registry editor.

WARNING!: Changes made to the Windows registry happen immediately, and no backup is automatically made. Do not edit the Windows registry unless you are confident about doing so.

Microsoft has issued the following warning with respect to the Registry Editor:

"Using Registry Editor incorrectly can cause serious, system-wide problems that may require you to re-install Windows to correct them. Microsoft cannot guarantee that any problems resulting from the use of Registry Editor can be solved. Use this tool at your own risk."

Edit at your own risk!

Start the Registry Editor

Go to

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT \CurrentVersion\Winlogon\SpecialAccounts\UserList\

Right-click an empty space in the right pane and select New > DWORD Value

Name the new value exactly as the Username

Leave the Value data as 0

If you want to enable this user again on the Welcome Screen, either double-click the Username value and change the Value data to 1, or delete the Username

And there you have it! A user that can log on remotely, but is not on the Welcome Screen.

What's in YOUR motherboard?

So you have decided upon yourself to buckle down and build your own computer, but with new technology coming out so often, how do you know what processor to get to for your needs?

Here's where ExtremeTech comes in to save the day! They have compiled a nice list between AMDs and Intels that will help you decide which is the better buy. It includes clock speed, cache, and even price comparisons. Check them out.

The Right Desktop Processor: CPU Price/Performance [ExtremeTech]

Bittorrent 2.0: Harvard develops client that uses Bandwidth as "Currency"

To add flare to the Bittorrent scene, Harvard researchers are releasing what they have dubbed "Bittorrent 2.0". It seems like a cool concept, let's see how long it takes to be dispersed amond the P2P community.

The latest version of Tribler enhances the standard tit-for-tat BitTorrent algorithms with something they call the give-to-get algorithm (PDF article). This new algorithm allows their users to benefit from a good ratio without using a central server like private BitTorrent trackers do.

Tribler users can still join every BitTorrent swarm and play the tit-for-tat game with old-school BitTorrent users. But, when they meet another Tribler peer they switch to give-to-get mode where the currency meter is running. This basically means, the more you share, the faster your downloads will go.

Tribler V4.1 [Torrent Freak]

Flashlight to burning Laser Pointer?

Ever wonder how on earth you could create a powerful burning laser out of a maglight? Ok, maybe not... but this is still a cool hack.



Laser Flashlight Hack! - video powered by Metacafe

Kipkay extracts the laser from a DVD burner and mounts it in a small flashlight to create a handheld laser burner that can light matches and burst balloons. Hit the play button to see how he did it. This project isn't for the faint of heart: it involves pretty specialized components and soldering, but that'll all be worth it when you're camping with your pals and you start the fire by pointing your homemade handheld laser at the tinder. For more info, Kip posted the laser mod over at Instructables, too. WARNING: Your burning handheld laser could pose a safety risk to humans, especially when pointed at eyeballs. Watch your kids, proceed at your own risk, treat as you would a weapon, etc. Thank you.

Embed the Terminal on your Desktop with Compiz Fusion

Linux Users: Wish there was a quick and easy way to get to the Terminal while working with a wide variety of Linux goodness without having to switch back and forth across windows? Today is your lucky day!

Ubuntu Unleashed has detailed in a nice tutorial how to embed the Terminal on your Desktop while still enjoying the beautiful eye-candy that is Compiz Fusion. Take a look at how to accomplish this more streamlined process at Ubuntu Unleashed.


Howto: Completely Transparent Shell on your Ubuntu desktop with Compiz Fusion

Welcome to Hack-a-Doodle!

Welcome to Hack-a-Doodle!

Hack-a-Doodle is a blog that covers tips and tricks for streamlining your life with computers and other forms of technology. Updated several times daily, Hack-a-Doodle points out software downloads, web sites, do-it-yourself projects, how-to's, tutorials, reviews, shortcuts and tips for going beyond the default settings and getting things done in the most clever, unexpected and efficient ways. Simply put: Hack-a-Doodle is your one-stop shop for all things tech.

Now that we've got that covered: Welcome to the Wide World of Tech via Hack-a-Doodle!

FAQ


1) Is this site about hacking?

Hacking has several meanings in the technology field: a) a clever or quick fix to a technological problem; b) a innovative solution or shortcut to an already solved problem; c) or a modification of a program or device to give the user access to features otherwise were unavailable to them.

That being said, this blog may at times contain hacks in the sense of the definition above, although most of the time it will feature programs, DIY, how-tos and other interesting features and guides about all things technology. However, this does not mean I will post ways to illegally break into a computer or cause damage to anyone. I do not endorse "cracking".

2) Will you post my tip or trick?

I will try to review all tips and tricks sent to my email (hackadoodle@gmail.com) but I do not promise or guarantee that it will make it in my posts. So I guess I'm setting the bar at "impress me". But send it anyways... Who knows? I might be impressed either way.

3) Is this site all about computers?

Once again, this blog is not just about computers but about technology, although computers and computer programs will be heavily referenced and posted about (after all, computers and computer programs cover about 80% of technology to date).

4) Will you only cover Windows programs and tricks?

Simple answer: no.

Complex answer: Is Windows the only Operating System? I believe in supplying information cross-platform. There exists many Operating Systems out there, along with many innovative and just plain cool applications out there for each OS. Why limit the spotlight on those apps?

5) What if I have another question not covered by this FAQ?

Any other questions may be directed to me at: hackadoodle@gmail.com. Also, this FAQ will be constantly updated, so fear not.


Please feel free to comment on each post. With our collaborative efforts, we may all reach interesting and innovative ways to live with technology in this crazy electronic world. Happy Hacking!