Life Clerks

Windows only: Free, open-source application MouseImp Pro adds drag-scrolling to your mouse in most popular applications, including Firefox, Microsoft Office apps, and Windows Explorer. That means you can scroll any supported document by clicking and dragging inside the window (like you often can with PDFs), by pressing and holding the right-click button (by default) and then dragging. The application has other features aside from Direct Scroll, but frankly, it’s a little confusing. An AutoShrink feature, when enabled, is supposed to collapse windows to just the titlebar when they’re not active to keep your desktop decluttered, but I couldn’t get it working. Either way, the simple addition of right-click dragging and scrolling is a nice feature if you like it, and the app takes up a paltry 1.5MB of RAM. MouseImp is free, Windows only.
Thanks Prasanth!

Original post by Adam Pash

The How-To Geek weblog details how to create a keyboard shortcut that—when pressed—will automatically run the popular Windows maintenance utility CCleaner with your default settings in the background. The setup is simple, requiring you to create a shortcut and add the /AUTO switch to the end of the target. Then you can just assign a keyboard shortcut through the Properties window. If you already obsessively run CCleaner to keep your computer pristine (judging by the results of our Hive Five best maintenance tools, you probably do), this shortcut will make life that much easier.

Original post by Adam Pash

If you’ve got an old laptop with a busted monitor and nothing left on your warranty, don’t trash it. Instead, consider the route taken by a user on the MacNN forums, who beheaded his laptop and turned it into a small-form desktop PC that fits on the underside of his desk—sort of like the under-desk gadget mount. Even if you don’t feel like removing your laptop’s LCD, you can still mount your laptop under your desk for the same super-clean effect. Be sure to check out the post for more details and to see the uncluttered finished product. If you’re looking to have a little more fun with your headless laptop, check out how you can turn it into an arcade cocktail cabinet.

Original post by Adam Pash

If you’ve got an old laptop with a busted monitor and nothing left on your warranty, don’t trash it. Instead, consider the route taken by a user on the MacNN forums, who beheaded his laptop and turned it into a small-form desktop PC that fits on the underside of his desk—sort of like the under-desk gadget mount. Even if you don’t feel like removing your laptop’s LCD, you can still mount your laptop under your desk for the same super-clean effect. Be sure to check out the post for more details and to see the uncluttered finished product. If you’re looking to have a little more fun with your headless laptop, check out how you can turn it into an arcade cocktail cabinet.

Original post by Adam Pash

Popular Science says that sleeping in on the weekend makes it harder to get up on time during the week. The concept may be common knowledge for most, but the article backs it up with science for those who still aren’t convinced.

Original post by Adam Pash

Windows/Mac OS X only: Online and desktop calendar-syncing application Calgoo Connect—along with all of the other calendar tools available from Calgoo—are now free. Calgoo Connect syncs Outlook on Windows or iCal on OS X with popular online calendars, namely Google Calendar and 30 Boxes. Granted, syncing Gcal with Outlook is pretty well covered with previously mentioned Google Calendar Sync, but Mac users haven’t had a free solution for Gcal-to-iCal sync, which makes the free offering from Calgoo a godsend. All Calgoo products are now freeware, Windows and Mac OS X only.

Original post by Adam Pash

Windows only: Computer activity logger TimeSnapper takes screenshots of your computer desktop every few seconds as you work throughout the day. Then, you can play back your computer activity to calculate the amount of time you spent on certain tasks—great for filling out timesheets or just getting the hard numbers on how much of the day you burned reading celebrity gossip or, ahem, productivity blogs. The Pro version of TimeSnapper (which is not free), lets you assign certain a productivity score on apps you work in, and will run reports that show your productivity scorecard. A free version of the software, TimeSnapper Classic has fewer features than TimeSnapper Pro, which costs $20 for a single license, with a free trial available. TimeSnapper is available for Windows only.

Original post by Gina Trapani

If you don’t feel like you’re getting all you can from the iPhone App Store and other perks of the iPhone and iPod touch 2.0 software, then jailbreaking is for you. We’ve already shown you how to jailbreak your iPhone 2.0 on a Mac, but yesterday the Windows version of the iPhone jailbreak tool—called Winpwn—hit the streets, so now Windows users have a user-friendly way to jailbreak. Let’s take a step-by-step look at how to jailbreak your iPhone or iPod touch using Winpwn.

Warning: Before you dive in, keep in mind that this jailbreak method is very new. I ran into the same show-stopping snag along the way and have not yet been able to use it to jailbreak my iPhone. Others have had success, so your mileage may vary. Nothing I’ve been able to do so far has harmed my iPhone in any way. It’s just not jailbroken.

UPDATE: Winpwn has updated and is supposed to have addressed the problems many of us were having earlier. My iPhone’s got an appointment with Apple this afternoon so I can’t re-try it, but if you give the 2.0.0.2 version a try (again, download links on the Winpwn web site), let’s hear how it worked for you in the comments. If iClarified’s guide is any indication, the few remaining steps we couldn’t perform work just as described below.

What You’ll Need

Before you get started, make sure you have the following:

• An iPhone or iPod touch running either the 2.0 software
• Winpwn downloaded and installed on your computer
• A Windows machine. If you want to jailbreak on a Mac, check out how to jailbreak your iPhone 2.0 with the PwnageTool.

You’ll also need the iPhone or iPod touch 2.0 software update files. You can find the 3G version of iPhone 2.0 here, or grab the 2G software update here .

Winpwn Step by Step

You need to use Winpwn to create a custom version of the iPhone 2.0 software for your device, so the first thing you need to do is create that custom image using the IPSW Builder. To do this, just fire up Winpwn and select the IPSW Builder. Click Browse .ipsw for the iPhone or iPod touch 2.0 software on your computer. Point it toward the iPhone software you downloaded above. Once your iPhone software is recognized, click the IPSW Builder button to get started making your customized image. From the IPSW Builder, tick the Install Cydia checkbox. Don’t check YouTube activation fix if you’re an official AT&T customer. Then click the Build .ipsw button. You’ll be prompted to save the custom ipsw file. Choose where where you want to save it and click Save (it defaults to the Winpwn install location). The IPSW Builder will take several minutes to create your custom IPSW image.

NOTE: Winpwn had trouble for me at this point, failing several times and crashing once. I’m actually still trying to get past this point, and will update the post if I have any luck. If all worked according to plan, the following steps should go something like this:

Once you’ve got your new custom image, go back into Winpwn and click on iPwner. You’ll be prompted to choose the custom IPSW you created above.

Now you need to put your phone into DFU mode, as demonstrated in the video above.

Once you enter DFU mode, iTunes will open to your iPhone. Now just hold shift and click the restore button, then browse to and choose the custom IPSW file we created with IPSW Builder. iTunes will now install your custom firmware on your iPhone or iPod touch. It may take a while, but when you’re done you’ll be running your custom iPhone 2.0 software, complete with the Cydia installer.

For more on Cydia, check out the Using Cydia section of Gina’s excellent guide to jailbreaking on a Mac with the Pwnage Tool. Also, now that you’re jailbroken, you can use your iPhone’s internet connection on your laptop and appreciate why we need the iPhone app black market.

If you give it a try and had more luck than I did, let’s hear about it in the comments.

Original post by Adam Pash

If you don’t feel like you’re getting all you can from the iPhone App Store and other perks of the iPhone and iPod touch 2.0 software, then jailbreaking is for you. We’ve already shown you how to jailbreak your iPhone 2.0 on a Mac, but yesterday the Windows version of the iPhone jailbreak tool—called Winpwn—hit the streets, so now Windows users have a user-friendly way to jailbreak. Let’s take a step-by-step look at how to jailbreak your iPhone or iPod touch using Winpwn.

Warning: Before you dive in, keep in mind that this jailbreak method is very new. I ran into the same show-stopping snag along the way and have not yet been able to use it to jailbreak my iPhone. Others have had success, so your mileage may vary. Nothing I’ve been able to do so far has harmed my iPhone in any way. It’s just not jailbroken.

What You’ll Need

Before you get started, make sure you have the following:

• An iPhone or iPod touch running either the 2.0 software
• Winpwn downloaded and installed on your computer
• A Windows machine. If you want to jailbreak on a Mac, check out how to jailbreak your iPhone 2.0 with the PwnageTool.

You’ll also need the iPhone or iPod touch 2.0 software update files. You can find the 3G version of iPhone 2.0 here, or grab the 2G software update here .

Winpwn Step by Step

You need to use Winpwn to create a custom version of the iPhone 2.0 software for your device, so the first thing you need to do is create that custom image using the IPSW Builder. To do this, just fire up Winpwn and select the IPSW Builder. Click Browse .ipsw for the iPhone or iPod touch 2.0 software on your computer. Point it toward the iPhone software you downloaded above. Once your iPhone software is recognized, click the IPSW Builder button to get started making your customized image. From the IPSW Builder, tick the Install Cydia checkbox. Don’t check YouTube activation fix if you’re an official AT&T customer. Then click the Build .ipsw button. You’ll be prompted to save the custom ipsw file. Choose where where you want to save it and click Save (it defaults to the Winpwn install location). The IPSW Builder will take several minutes to create your custom IPSW image.

NOTE: Winpwn had trouble for me at this point, failing several times and crashing once. I’m actually still trying to get past this point, and will update the post if I have any luck. If all worked according to plan, the following steps should go something like this:

Once you’ve got your new custom image, go back into Winpwn and click on iPwner. You’ll be prompted to choose the custom IPSW you created above.

Now you need to put your phone into DFU mode, as demonstrated in the video above.

Once you enter DFU mode, iTunes will open to your iPhone. Now just hold shift and click the restore button, then browse to and choose the custom IPSW file we created with IPSW Builder. iTunes will now install your custom firmware on your iPhone or iPod touch. It may take a while, but when you’re done you’ll be running your custom iPhone 2.0 software, complete with the Cydia installer.

For more on Cydia, check out the Using Cydia section of Gina’s excellent guide to jailbreaking on a Mac with the Pwnage Tool. Also, now that you’re jailbroken, you can use your iPhone’s internet connection on your laptop and appreciate why we need the iPhone app black market.

If you give it a try and had more luck than I did, let’s hear about it in the comments.

Original post by Adam Pash

If you’re any sort of power user, you’ve bumped up against the limitations of your operating system’s default file manager on countless occasions. The fact is, for advanced file browsing and manipulation, sometimes the default applications—like Windows Explorer or Mac OS X Finder—just don’t cut it. On Tuesday you shared your favorite alternative file managers, and today we’re back with the five most popular answers. Keep reading for a closer look at the five best alternative file managers, then vote for your file manager of choice.

Xplorer2 (Windows, Freeware/Shareware)

Xplorer2 offers a dual-paned interface (plus file tree) with support for tabbed file browsing, bookmarks, FTP access, advanced file filtering, and a robust set of keyboard shortcuts. Xplorer2 comes in both freeware and shareware versions ($30 for Xplorer2 Pro). There’s even a portable version of Xplorer2 Lite (the free version) available, so you can drop it on your thumb drive and take this powerful file manager with you wherever you go. For a more detailed rundown, check out how you can replace Windows Explorer with Xplorer2.

FreeCommander (Windows, Freeware)

FreeCommander boasts many of the same features as the rest, but it also stands out because it’s the only app we’re featuring that’s entirely free. That means you’ll still see features like dual-paned file browsing, seamless ZIP and other archive support, tabbed interface, built-in file viewer and FTP, and all the rest of the goods that make these apps stand out above and beyond Windows Explorer, and you’re never stuck with a limited version. It also boasts a huge collection of hotkeys for the keyboard junkie. (Original post)

XYplorer (Windows, Shareware)

XYPlorer is a completely portable file manager with most of the same bells and whistles as the rest. The major difference is that XYPlorer doesn’t offer a dual-pane interface; instead its tabbed interface allows you to drag and drop files from your current window to any tab, giving it similar functionality to dual-pane. It’s a keyboard lover’s dream, complete with user-defined shortcuts for nearly any task you want to perform with your file manager. It also supports previewing virtually any filetype, including most popular image, audio, and video formats (even FLV files you downloaded from YouTube). XYPlorer is available as a free 30-day trial version, costs $30 for a license.

Total Commander (Windows, Shareware)

Total Commander features side-by-side file-browsing panes, enchanced file search, built-in FTP, archive management, and file comparing tools. Previously known as Windows Commander, this application stands out for its extensibility, boasting a sizable list of add-ons. Total Commander is available as a month-long demo and costs $38 after that. If you’ve got a PocketPC, you can get the Total Commander goods for free with previously mentioned Total Commander Pocket.

Directory Opus (Windows, Shareware)

Directory Opus, aka DOpus, is a shareware file manager. Like the rest, DOpus boasts dual-pane browsing along with several other views, tabbed windows, integrated archive support, and built-in FTP. Its preview pane stood out in my trial, including full support for viewing photos and even editing your MP3 metadata. Directory Opus is shareware, costs $85 for a single license. You’ve got a 60-day trial to decide if it’s worth the extra cash.

Which Is the Best Alternative File Manager?
( surveys)

Our top five spots all went to Windows apps, but honorable mention goes to Path Finder, a Mac OS X-only replacement for Finder.

If we left out a favorite must-have feature of your file manager or you just want to sing its praises, let’s hear about it in the comments.

Original post by Adam Pash