HowTo Tell if a DVD or CD disc is blank
I made a quick video to demonstrate how you can tell if a CD or DVD is blank. If you look on a disc that is not blank you will notice a ring indicating the disc’s contents. The further the ring is to the “outer” edge the more data the disc contains. Pretty simple but useful.
HowTo fix a laptop power cable with Repair4laptop.org
The thought of repairing your own laptop can be painful. There are lots of little screws, springs, prongs, nuts etc. However some PC shops will not even fix laptops and recommend you contact the manufacture for repairs. So what is one to do when their laptop power supply breaks? Should you contact your laptop manufacture and see about a warranty? Or do you try to mend it yourself and save time and possibly some money? Repair4laptop.org has a great guide that covers in detail, with pictures how to repair your laptop power supply cables. The guide features Apple and PC models and the list is quite extensive.
Make an Auto Accident Survival Kit
If you own a car you should also own an auto accident kit. An auto accident kit can mean the difference between getting you much deserved settlement and getting screwed by an insurance company. For the most part accident kits are easy to put together and you may already have some of the items around your home or office. I have put together a list of items you should have on hand in the invent of an accident.
How to conserve water with a milk jug
Water conservation is alway a good practice. Here is a tip on how to use less water on your next stop to the shitter.
Items needed
- 1/2 gallon or 1 gallon milk jug or other container
- 1 gallon of h20 (actually sand or anything to fill the jug works.)
Start by filling up the jug with sand, water or whatever you want just make sure its heavy enough to stay submerged with the toilet back removed. Flush the toilet to allow the water to drain from the basin and place the jug down into the basin. The water will rise but will have less volume to fill this time resulting in less water used for each flush.
Hack your AC adapter
I made a quick video tutorial on how to use any AC adapter to power low voltage electronics. NOTE: I am not responsible for any damage to your electronics. This video is for informational purposes only.
How to get charges lifted from your cellphone bill
Ok this is a tip I have used for years to reduce my cell phone bill. Actually I haven’t had to put it into practice much since I left a certain unnamed PCS provider.
In short you just waste their time on the phone untill it costs them money then reap the benifits.
How to tell fake images from real ones using Photoshop
Have you ever seen a photo on the internet that was just too good to be true? Well here is a tip from my Photoshop bag of tricks that shows you how to investigate them further.
What you will need
- Copy of Photoshop
- Any photo you like (You can use the ones below if you like)
How to make retro bottle cap magnets
So you have a huge collection of bottle caps and your significant other is pressuring you to use em or loose em. The solution is obvious, make cool retro bottle cap magnets and display your bottle cap collection with pride.
To complete this project you will need the following supplies. I did not include any photos for this project as they are not needed due to the simplicity of the project.
1. 1 or more bottle caps any brand will do.
2. A “hot” glue gun (Be Careful). Super glue or any other adhesive can alternatively be used.
3. Some craft magnets pick em up online or Hobby Lobby or anywhere you like.
To begin place a bottle cap face down on a level surface and begin filling the cap with hot glue or equivalent. Allow the glue to fill the cap creating a flat surface of “dry” hot glue. This will ensure your caps do not damage your fridge, car, bike or whatever metal surface you are applying the magnets. Once the glue is hard or dry apply another small amount onto the newly formed surface and place the magnet on the glue. Allow the glue to once again dry 4 - 5 minutes and that’s all there is to it.
MacGyver Tip - Derive AAA batteries from a 9volt
www.axecollector.com has a great “MacGyver Tip” on how to obtain AAA batteries on short notice. This step by step instructional website will guide you through the process. I like this particular article because I always seem to need batteries on short notice.
MSN Offline messages on your cellphone
First off I would just like to appologize to my readers for my lack of fresh posts. I have been working on multiple projects. With that said here is a new tip for all you MSN messenger fans.
I have yet to try this method. It just sort of came to me the other day so i decided to write it down.
My cellphone has an email address and no I will not post it. But it looks something like this XXXXXXXXXX@email.uscc.net where the X represents the number. Now there are several different email domains for different providers and I have drummed up a list of them and provide it at the bottom of this post.
Making oragami money
Have you ever seen those neat little rings made out of dollar bills? Sherwood Clay Randall Jr. has a creative talent for turning money into more interesting objects. His website shows you not only how to make a ring but other objects such as t-shirts, eye glasses, gift boxes, Christmas trees and more. Clay says
“My best original designs include spiders, eyeglasses, sailboats, and framed portraits.”
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Use Skype to check your cell phone voice mail messages
Skype has turned out to be a pretty useful tool. With more and more uses becoming evident with each day. A friend of mine Nick Saramandich recently showed me how to easily check your cellular voice mail using skype. The advantage to this method as opposed to traditional methods is the comfort factor. Listening to your messages with skype allows you to relax in your favorite chair, sofa etc. and thoroughly absorb the real content contained within the messages. The latter method just leaves your ear ringing and sweaty and leaves much to be desired on the comfort side of things.
More on getting through airport security faster
Effective Tuesday, September 26, 2006 TSA Is Adjusting The Ban On Liquids, Aerosols And Gels according to the TSA Website. The new restrictions will allow some items which were previously banned. TSA states that by allowing some items to board planes they can focus on real threats. There are detailed videos of people placing items into plastic bags and even include music lol.
From the TSA Website
- Travelers may now carry through security checkpoints travel-size toiletries (3 ounces or less) that fit comfortably in ONE, QUART-SIZE, clear plastic, zip-top bag.
- After clearing security, travelers can now bring beverages and other items purchased in the secure boarding area on-board aircraft.
If you ask me this is sort of a waste of time because you could just as easily buy these items when you land with less restrictions. The TSA has been very clear in reference to the guidelines of this and are available in full on the TSA website.
How to get gum out of the carpet
Ever got gum in your carpet? Well I have and let me tell you it is no picnic to try and get it out. Here is some tips on how to remove the sugary compound from your rug, carpet etc.
How to remove gum from the carpet
How to make a “Hollow Book”
Ever wanted to create your own hollow book? Well now you can by following these simple instructions.
Materials Needed
- Elmer’s white glue
- 2. a container to hold glue solution (I’ve chosen a film canister)
- X-acto knife, and/or box cutter. Both if you have them
- brush to apply glue solution
- pencil/pen
- ruler, or other rigid straight edge
- brush to apply glue solution
- pencil/pen
- ruler, or other rigid straight edge
Making a green screen for video production
As a web designer I am asked to develop allot of rich media interactive sites. In order to stay on top of technology and keep my clients happy and coming back for more I have to have some sort of video integration into primarily FLASH projects. I have seen pre-fab green screens on the web go for as little as $80 but lets be real a green screen is nothing more than a green screen. So I turned to Google only to find an excellent tutorial on constructing a green screen for little cost. This is an excellent guide to making your own green screen at home that is portable. Creating a green screen on a budget
Making better grocery lists via Amazon Wish List
If you are anything like me making a grocery list to go to the store with is sometimes a hard task to conqueror. One day I thought to myself I know what I like now if I could just see it I could write it down. Then the idea came to me why not set up an Amazon Wish List then use there grocery store to make a printable shopping list. Well I did just that and find this very useful in making good shopping decisions.
GET CABLE SIGNALS TO A TV WITHOUT RUNNING CABLES
Have you ever noticed the effect an array of coax can have on the look and feel of your living room? Well now you can minimize the cables with this handy gadget.
These units are designed to take an audio and video signal from an A/V device (like a VCR, DVD player, or some cable boxes with audio-video outputs) and send it to another part of the house. There are two parts to this system, a transmitter that is attached to the AV device and a receiver that goes next to the remote TV. The transmitter takes the signals from the Audio and Video jacks on the AV device and beams it over to the companion receiver next to the remote TV.
I found an interesting product over at SmartHome.com that is perfect for the job. The 2.4GHz Wireless Video Transmission System was just what the doctor ordered after deciding I wanted to run cable to my garage. I am working on having Windows Media Center up and running in my garage. With the weather getting warmer I wanted to spend more time outdoors while still maintaining my websites and emails. I wonder if this could be used to transmit cable internet from the main cable box to my cable modem ? I know you could just setup a wireless network to get internet to a garage or other part of your home. However that was not going to solve my no cable issue. This device is affordable and very well worth it I recommend it.
[TAGS] Home DIY, DIY, Wireless Cable TV, Home Theater, Garage Gadgets[/Tags]
6 ways to decorate without leaving a footprint
First off I am by far not an interior decorator. These are just a few ideas I have for LifeHacker.com reader and student Sigbjørn to spruce up his dorm room. This article can be applied to a similar situation in an apartment or flat.
Hint: A quick way to cover up holes in a wall without spackle is to use white toothpaste. This is an old trick I have used for years. I am not advising anyone to go against their lease or dorm policy and put holes in the wall, just a quick tip.
1.You do not really need to make holes to hang items on the wall. There are several damage free wall hanging solution available at an affordable cost. Some of these solutions even accommodate brick mortar walls as well.
For hanging items on brick walls I found the following items online.
More Brick and Mortar wall hangers
For hanging items on a conventional wall I found the following products.
2.Another solution to the NO HOLES IN WALL policy is to erect your own wall. This could be done fairly easy. I recommend having a look at MakeZine.com for any insight on this. However if your not a handyman or just do not have time to build a wall. You could buy cubicle walls from an office supply store, put them up, and decorate them. I found the following online for under $200 at Office Depot.
Cubicle Walls from Office Depot
3.For added flexibility check out Poster Changer. Poster Changer is a simple poster solution which allows you to hang posters of variable sizes and change them at anytime with ease. Used in conjunction with one of the NO HOLES hanging solutions mentioned earlier this is not a bad idea.
4.Don’t paint your walls reflect colored light off them using mood lamps or spot lamps with colored bulbs. This will give you a more cozy feeling without the paint and you can easily change colors. You could also purchase a wall light that changes color to achieve a different result. I found a nice solution for this online that implements LED lighting technology. LED is a better lighting source because the bulbs will last forever and they have a lower power consumption than conventional light bulbs.
5.Use fabrics to soften up the hard edges in a room. You can use fabrics from any fabric store to give any room a softer look to it. You will however have to take into consideration the weight of the fabric if you do not want to make any holes in the wall. Hanging fabric over a wall is also a good way to reduce noise in a reading or study area.
6.Don’t forget to checkout Crib Candy for some unique furnishings when you finish decorating. Hopefully this article will help you decorate your space without the dreaded holes in the wall.
Adding bulk watermark’s in Photoshop
Adding bulk watermark’s in Photoshop
You have just finished taking some digital photo’s with your new digital camera and want to share them on say Flickr.com. Adding watermarks to photo’s is always a good idea, especially when they are of high quality and or high resolution. Creating the watermark’s by hand would take forever right? Wrong, thanks to Photoshop’s Actions palette you can write a simple action to automate the task.
Getting Started
Open up a file to work with while we complete the initial steps for creating the action. The action palette has five functions stop, play, record, new, and delete. Start by clicking on the new button in the actions palette and name it watermark as shown below.
You will also notice I selected Shit and F9 as my function key. A function key is a key combination defined in an action. When the key combo or hot key’s are pressed the action is executed.
When finished, click the record button to the right of the dialog box. Your actions are now being recorded so begin the process of creating your watermark. Select the type tool and choose a font, size, and color from the type toolbar. Also be sure to select Right Align Text tab shown below. Set the opacity to a lower value as shown below.
When you get your watermark looking the way you want it you can press the stop button on the actions palette. Your action is now ready to use on any photo you like. Since we selected Right Align Text our watermark text will always be in the same position regardless of the photo dimensions.
[TAGS]Photoshop Tutorials, Watermarks, Copyright Image Tutorial, Graphic Design, Photography[/TAGS]