We Need a Fixer (Not Just a Maker) Movement

"Once a month, in an art gallery, they offer to repair anything neighbors can carry. People troop in with PCs, lamps, appliances — piles of stuff we typically pitch in the garbage at the first hint of trouble. As I watch for three hours, the fixers get everything up and running (except the lava lamp)."

Accurate recording: The one amazing feature that makes European DVRs so much better than American DVRs

 "Here’s the good news: This hypothetical DVR utopia actually exists, and a lot of people are living in it. The bad news for me and my fellow Americans: The United States is trapped in the bowels of DVR hell, and we’re not going to escape any time soon."

How to banish Metro from your Windows 8 PC forever

If You've Got Nothing To Hide, You've Actually Got Plenty To Hide

"The line "if you've got nothing to hide, you have nothing to worry about" is used all too often in defending surveillance overreach. It's been debunked countless times in the past, but with the line being trotted out frequently in response to the NSA revelations, it's time for yet another debunking"

These Unresolved Ethical Questions Are About to Get Real

"As our technologies take us from the theoretical to the practical, a number of thorny moral quandaries remain unanswered. Here are important unresolved ethical questions that are on the verge of becoming highly relevant."

How to Electronically Sign Documents Without Printing and Scanning Them

Also; See the Comments there.

8 Ways Your Wireless Carrier is Gouging You

"Wireless carriers are gouging us — particularly in North America, where the USA and Canada have the most expensive cell phone plans in the world. We’ll look at the many ways cell phone companies are taking advantage of us.
Carriers don’t stop at just having the most expensive plans in the world. From long contracts to fees upon fees, carriers have set the system up to take advantage of customers."

These games let you do real-life science

Most of us would probably like to be citizen scientists, but we're too busy — and yet we sink billions of hours into social gaming. So some savvy researchers are harnessing our love of gaming, to help advance the goals of science, using thousands of brains to sort through data. Here are eight games you can play... for science.

New Ubuntu version

"I love living in Linuxland. The operating systems are so boringly useful and undramatic. They work great, and fail better."

You’ll Probably Never Upload Your Mind Into A Computer

"Many futurists predict that one day we'll upload our minds into computers, where we'll romp around in virtual reality environments. That's possible — but there are still a number of thorny issues to consider. Here are eight reasons why your brain may never be digitized."

Why Ubuntu Doesn’t Come With Support for MP3s, Flash, and Other Multimedia Formats

"Most Linux distributions come without support for MP3 audio, H.264 video, Flash content, and even commercial video DVDs. Patents, closed-source software, and even laws that make certain types of software illegal restrict what can be included in a Linux distribution."

The Internet: It's like never leaving junior high

External travel monitor, USB-powered

Lenovo ThinkVision LT1421 Monitor Review | External Monitor Reviews | LAPTOP Reviews: "It's no secret that using multiple monitors dramatically increases your productivity at the home or office, but the moment you travel with your laptop, you're stuck with a single screen. This year, we've seen a couple of vendors rise to the challenge by releasing portable USB monitors that can fit right in your notebook bag. Lenovo's 14-inch ThinkVision T1421 ($199) is clearly the best of these portable displays, with wide viewing angles, great image quality, and the ability to transfer power and data over a single USB connection."
External travel monitor, USB-powered

Why You Should Use a Password Manager and How to Get Started

Why You Should Use a Password Manager and How to Get Started: "The majority of people use very weak passwords and reuse them on different websites. How are you supposed to use strong, unique passwords on all the websites you use? The solution is a password manager.
Password managers store your login information for all the websites you use and help you log into them automatically. They encrypt your password database with a master password – the master password is the only one you have to remember."

SharePod

SharePod Freeware download and reviews - SnapFiles.com: "Sharepod is a small program that runs directly from your iPod or USB drive and allows you to manage your iPod or iPhone without the need to have iTunes installed on the PC."

You receive a "The User Profile Service failed the logon” error message

You receive a "The User Profile Service failed the logon” error message: "Method 1: Fix the user account profile" I've used Method a few times now to fix this problem. Even when using Safe Mode and logging in with that account.

Everything We Know About What Data Brokers Know About You - ProPublica

Everything We Know About What Data Brokers Know About You - ProPublica: "Data companies are scooping up enormous amounts of information about almost every American. They sell information about whether you're pregnant or divorced or trying to lose weight, about how rich you are and what kinds of cars you have."

Converting Search into Navigation

Converting Search into Navigation: "But I don't hold out much hope, because most people have the literary skills of an anteater (I was going to say, "a chimpanzee," but these animals are too smart for my metaphor). "

Three Lessons from the Death of Google Reader

Email signoffs: End them forever. Best, Yours, Regards: They’re all terrible. - Slate Magazine

"We need a hard and fast rule here, people. We’ve been wishy-washy for far too long, and at a cost of time lost and awkwardness gained. We’ll all get used to scaling things back after a short time. In the end, it will make things easier on everyone. So let’s do this. I’ll go first."