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Secrets posts

Filed under: Fun, Web, Humor

Where to find Konami Code easter eggs on the web

Old-school gamers remember the Konami Code, a famous sequence of buttons on the original Nintendo controller that unlocked powerups or extra lives in practically every game Konami made. The code seems to have come back into fashion on the web recently, with a lot of sites hiding odd surprises for folks who think to type it in via keyboard. For a while, you could even add some very unsportsmanlike sparkly unicorns to ESPN.com with the code.

Now there's a site just for tracking these online Konami Code easter eggs: KonamiCodeSites.com. Go check out their list and test out the ones they've found. If you're ambitious, test the code out on some of your favorite sites, and submit any secrets you find to the KonamiCodeSites list. Some of the biggest sites that have easter eggs include Facebook and Google Reader. Hooray for nostalgic fun!

Oh, one more thing: fittingly enough, you're going to need to know that code to access the list at KonamiCodeSites. For the uninitiated, it's up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, B, A, and enter.

Filed under: Developer, Utilities, Macintosh, Beta

Expose hidden OS X preferences with Secrets

There are tons of useful preferences in OS X and popular Mac apps that aren't part of the GUI, but you can tweak them by using the command-line. That Terminal stuff isn't for everyone, though, so it's a good thing there's Secrets. This little preference pane from Blacktree Software (the makers of Quicksilver) is worth a thousand mini-tutorials. It comes pre-loaded with preferences for the Finder, as well as for apps like Twitterrific, iTunes, Safari, and NetNewsWire.

Among many other tricks, Secrets can change the orientation and pinning of the Dock, set how often Mail refreshes RSS feeds, show all hidden files in the Finder, and switch Safari's loading animation to a circle instead of a bar. One of the cooler Secrets is turning Dashboard on or off with one click. Back in 2005, we reported on the struggle to get rid of Dashboard, including apps dedicated to the purpose. Well, this is 2008, so get Secrets. You'll be able to do that and lots more.

Featured Time Waster

Sushi Cat is an adorable, full-bellied Time Waster

Sushi Cat is one of the cutest Flash games I've ever run across. You play a blue cat with a major talent for eating and, fortunately for you, every level is filled with delicious sushi! The controls are simple: you aim and drop from the top of the screen using the mouse, trying to hit as much sushi as you can on the way down. Eat enough sushi, and you can go on to the next level. Your score depends on how much sushi you eat, and which bucket the cat lands in when it finally reaches the bottom of the screen. The more ...

View more Time Wasters


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