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Filed under: Web services, Social Software, Troubleshooting

Confused about Google Wave? Now you can read the bleeping manual.

Google Wave is an innovative new communication tool, but part of innovation is that it's not always intuitive to use. Early adopters have been jumping into Wave with little guidance on how to take advantage of all its features. I guess you could watch the 90-minute Wave video, but that's not exactly a quick-start guide.

Well, there's a saying almost as old as computers themselves, and it goes: RTFM. Read the, um, flippin' manual. Now Google Wave has a flippin' manual that you can read, but it's not from Google: it's from Lifehacker's Gina Trapani and Adam Pash. Sounds a lot better than "watch the frickin' 90-minute video," eh?

Gina and Adam's guide is quickly making the rounds on the web, being promoted by the likes of Mashable. I'd like to add Download Squad's endorsement to the list. The Complete Guide to Google Wave is a straightforward, well-organized volume that goes a long way toward demystifying a new and complex tool. It's available to read online for free, but you'll be able to buy it as a DRM-free PDF soon, and in print in January.

Still don't have Wave? Go throw your name in the hat for Download Squad's Great Google Wave Invite Giveaway.

Filed under: Business, Fun, Internet, Blogging, Productivity, Web services, Social Software

Unions will make sure you don't get fired for using Facebook

Social network in the workplaceIf you use Facebook at work, like most of the population out there, and your employer catches you, you could get disciplined. The Trades Union Congress in the UK has your back.

The TUC has issued an acceptable Facebook for the workplace usage guide. Everyone knows that a little Facebook-ing can result in low productivity numbers for organizations, especially since social networking has been experiencing a rapid growth rate. Staff around the world have got their hands slapped for overusing the network, and there are even reports of employees being terminated due to their usage. The Union doesn't believe that cracking down on web tools is the answer, but employers and employees should work out sensible conduct guidelines.

Although Facebook can be seen as an important corporate tool with businesses using it to communicate corporate and social topics, it's hard to sometimes see the blurred line between business and pleasure usage.

Should social networks like Facebook be allowed in the workplace?



[via information world review]

Filed under: Fun, Internet, Video, Web services

10 Online TV guides compared

online tv guidesAs the lines between the traditional TV world slowly get blurred, and we start phasing out the need for printed materials, where can we turn to in order to get our beloved television listings?

There are many great services out there that offer show times, channels, and content breakdowns, but how do we know which one is the best to turn to? ReadWriteWeb has published a comparison of the top 10 online television guides. They rank them all compared on Design, Content, Extras, and sum each one up with a nice conclusion and screenshot.

The services ReadWriteWeb compares are:
  • AOL Television
  • Couchville
  • IMDb TV
  • MeeVee
  • TitanTV
  • TV.com
  • TV Guide
  • TVplanner
  • Yahoo! TV
  • Zap2It
AOL's Television service ranked out on top from the comparision. What service do DLS readers prefer?

Filed under: Windows, Macintosh, Linux, Commercial, Freeware, Holiday Gift Guide

Gifts for your Geek this year

GiftsSome people can't seem to get this idea out of their heads that gifts have to be something physical. When I began to think about the holidays this year, I thought about all the things I wouldn't mind having, and I thought of mostly physical hold-it-in-your-hand gifts I want. Most of the gifts I hope to get happen to be virtual. Here is a nice rundown of some of the things you might think about buying for your own geek (both virtual gifts and physical gifts):

  • Flickr Pro account $25/year
  • Basecamp accounts ranging from $12/month to $149/month
  • Skype credit for free calls
  • Any other kind of pro account or account upgrade your geek may want from an online service
  • Anything from ThinkGeek.com (USB gadgets, like a rocket launcher or a bluetooth laser keyboard)
  • iTunes prepaid music card (as big as you can afford find)
  • World of Warcraft prepaid gameplay card (for any aspiring geeks who don't already play the game)
Now I know this list is not extensive or by any means complete, but that's why I need your help to complete it! Tell me what is on your geeky wish list this season in the comments below. What should be on this list? You tell me.

A note for non-geeks and newbies: if you want to get something like a pro account from an online service for your geek, you don't have to know how to use it, find it, or anything. If you know they want it, either enlist a geeky friend to help you in the process or simply write the name of the service on an index card or print it out all pretty like. Wrap it up to give to your geek, trust me they won't care what the gift card looks like, depending on the gift. Oh, and you get extra points if you write the message on the card in binary. I remember when my wife wrapped up a brochure for high-speed internet in the early days...best gift ever. See what I mean?

Filed under: Audio, Windows

Tweaks for Winamp power users

WinampI'll admit it, I used to be a Winamp snob. For years Winamp was by far the best Windows audio player available, and not too long ago the sight of any other app-usually Windows Media Player-on a friend's desktop would send me into a fugue. Okay, not really, but you get the idea. Nowadays Winamp's competitors have brought up the rear, but there are still things Winamp can do that the major players can't, and those who are still wild about its functionality should check out this Winamp Tweak Guide from TechSpot. Though some real power-users might say "so what?", it has some good tips on settings and plugins for intermediate users looking to move up to the next level.

Filed under: Windows, Macintosh, Linux, Productivity

Guide to mouseless computing

Life Without MouseWe've featured more than one tip on how better to make use of your PC without being tied to your mouse, but Life Without Mouse is probably the most comprehensive guide I've seen to ditching your mouse entirely. The author starts us off with some shortcut key tips, gets a little more advanced with some apps for Windows, Mac, and Linux that let you create your own time-saving shortcuts, and then goes into mouseless browsing. Even if you have no interest in ditching your mouse entirely, there are some good tips to be found.

[Via Lifehacker]

Filed under: OS Updates, Windows, Microsoft

Why Windows Vista won't suck

Windows VistaSo far I've withheld my Judgment on Windows Vista, and I'll probably do so until it actually ships and I can get some hands-on time with the final version, but ExtremeTech puts for the bold proposition that Windows Vista isn't going to suck. Granted, their conclusion is one big caveat emptor, but they've done their homework and focus on the basics, like kernel and networking improvements, audio changes (per-app volume control sounds great) and built-in apps. Of course, they also touch on the new Aero UI. If you want to know what's really important in Vista, this is a good place to start.

Featured Time Waster

The World's Hardest Game 2.0 - Time Waster

So, just how good at time waster games are you? Think you've got the stuff? Well, The World's Hardest Game 2.0 doesn't think you do. Yes, amazingly, it's possible to have a sequel to a game called "The World's Hardest Game". It doesn't seem logically possible, since if the first one was actually the world's hardest, how could another one come along and share the moniker? It made me doubt the name in the first place. That is, until I tried the game. The mechanics of the game are very simple. You are a small red square, ...

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