The Conference Call Is Dead

"Unlike other VoIP services, ShoePhone offers a long list of features that make it an ideal replacement for the old-and-busted corporate conference call. "

How To Start A Computer Business

"Here is a list of our free articles starting from the very basics of starting a computer business to the more advanced areas of improving an existing business."

The Master List of New Windows 7 Shortcuts

" Windows 7 adds loads of great shortcuts for switching between apps, moving windows around your screen, moving them to another monitor altogether, and much more. Here's a quick-reference master list of the best new Windows 7 shortcuts."

Figure Out Unknown Devices in Device Manager

Lifehacker's Complete Guide to Windows 7

"Windows 7 officially launches today, but we've been testing, tweaking, customizing, fixing, and writing about this OS for a year now. We present here a guide to everything we've learned about the OS, from first install to final settings change."

Pandora knows what you like (or will soon)

If you haven't yet tries Pandora, it's a cool music service (free) that lets you rate songs as it plays them, so it knows what you like and can play more stuff you like. http://pandora.com/

A brief overview may be found here: http://www.appappeal.com/app/pandora

And while Pandora runs in your web browser, there's a standalone player that can be used for more functions, and so you don't accidentally close it :-) Vista users can get a sidebar gadget: http://www.pandora.com/on-windowsgadget
XP users can use OpenPandora: http://getopenpandora.appspot.com/

Here's a lengthy article that describes all the work behind the scenes: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/18/magazine/18Pandora-t.html?_r=2&ref=magazine

QT Lite Frees You from QuickTime's Bloat - QuickTime - Lifehacker

"If you don't use iTunes (or any other Apple software), you can finally rid yourself of Apple's Software Update bloat by replacing QuickTime with QT Lite. QT Lite installs only what is necessary to play QuickTime files and nothing more. It still has all the same settings and preferences as the normal version of QuickTime, though."

Want To Design Smarter Intersections? Use Less Control, Not More.

"Drivers in the United States are faced with a constant barrage of traffic signs, lights and signals all meant to navigate them safely through the sea of cars, pedestrians and bicycles without incident. "

Windows 7 Recovery Discs Gets Your System Out of Tight Spots

"Boot your system from NeoSmart's CD, and you'll get a stripped-down Windows system with a window offering startup file repair, Restore Point returns, recovery from a whole-cloth image, memory testing, and a command prompt for those dire moments when only frantically Google-d terminal instructions can save you."

Millions tricked by 'scareware'

"Online criminals are making millions of pounds by convincing computer users to download fake anti-virus software, internet security experts claim."

Three Great Alternatives to Acrobat Reader

I would also recommend PDF-XChange Viewer.

Five Best Software Update Tools

"Rather than wait around for your software to notify you of updates (let's face it, a lot of applications never will), these five handy tools keep an eye on your apps, alert you when an update's available, and streamline the updating process"

Ad Blindness Rules: Even Fewer People Clicking Ads

"Basically, it sounds like more and more people are simply ignoring online ads, which is to be expected, since they rarely (if ever?) add much of value. This is the advertisers' fault."

30 years of failure: the username/password combination

"... security involves a significant human component. Nowhere is that more true than the item at the heart of basic security: the humble password. "

What's wrong with Search Engine Optimization

"In the end, you're sacrificing your brand integrity in a Faustian bargain for an increase in traffic that won't last the month. And how valuable was that increase, anyway? If you're tricking people into visiting your site, those visits are going to be bad experiences. "

Photosketch automagically creates Photoshop montages from your sketches

"Photosketch takes rough, even stick-figure-like drawings you do in Photoshop, finds real images to match, and puts together a montage that looks a lot like what you were imagining when you drew those sticks."

HD TV and the placebo effect

"Participants were unable to discriminate properly between digital and high-definition signals..."

Email: The Variable Reinforcement Machine

"Does checking your email make you more productive or less productive? "

Volery Makes Installing Software Incredibly Simple

"Just pick the apps you want to install, download the Volery installer, then walk away and do something fun while it does all the work for you. The service installs the software with default settings and says “no” to any extra crapware (like browser toolbars) the installers might try to sneak in. "

Is the "quiet" mode of UAC less secure?

"If you've used TweakUAC, you've seen the "quiet" option it offers that lets you suppress the elevation prompts of UAC without turning the UAC off completely."

US urges 'cyber hygiene' effort

"The US government has urged all internet users to play their part in protecting the network from attack."