login posts

Login to Facebook with your vanity URL

by John Burke Sep 23rd 2009

Here's a bit of ground breaking news for you. Facebook, known for their popular social networking website and recently flurry of product and service enhancements, has made possibly the biggest change yet. With over 50 million vanity names reserved since the social networking website started allowing users to pick their own unique URL, they have now announced that the names can be used to sign in as well.

Now, instead of having to remember an entire email address, XoXoSuperGirl111 or Bob or whatever name you chose can be used to login with. For me, that whole @me.com was a killer to remember.

You'll still be able to login using your email, mobile phone number or through a Facebook Connect website as always, this just adds another (more convenient?) way to sign in. I guess it's good that Facebook is keeping themselves balanced. After all, it'd be awful if all they did was release new features and functionality. That would almost be too much.

Tags: Connect, Facebook, Login, URL, Vanity URL, VanityUrl

Filed under: Design, Utilities, Macintosh

Loginox: easy way to change your Mac's login image

by Jay Hathaway May 15th 2009

Changing a desktop image on a Mac is no big thing. You can open System Preferences from the Apple menu or the Applications directory, or you can go straight to the desktop prefpane by right-clicking on your desktop. Changing the picture you see when you log in should be just as easy, but it's not. If you want to learn the Terminal commands to do it, then more power to you. For the average user, there's Loginox.

Loginox is an app with a simple drag-and-drop interface for swapping out your login image. That's literally all it does, but that's definitely enough. The only way it could work better is if the developers rewrote it as a prefpane, or if Apple decided to incorporate it into the existing desktop/screensaver settings.

[via Lifehacker]

Tags: background, desktop, image, login, loginox, os x, OsX

Filed under: Windows, Productivity, Microsoft, Freeware, How-Tos

How to log on to Windows XP automatically

by Jason Clarke Nov 18th 2008

While in in many cases it would be a security risk, having your Windows XP computer log in automatically can be useful. For example, I have my Windows XP instance running under a virtual machine on my Mac. The easiest way to do this would be to use the Administrator account and simply leave the password blank. However, this has two distinct disadvantages: you can't log onto a domain with a machine that is not using a password, and you cannot have a machine configured this way accept Remote Desktop connections.

I have no need to use Remote Desktop to access my virtual machine, but since my XP instance needs to access a Windows network, I do need a password set. In the past, the easiest way to configure your machine to automatically log on was to use TweakUI powertoy for XP, where there is a setting under Logon for configuring automatic logons.

But there's an even faster way do do this.

On the machine that you want to configure to auto-login, click Start, Run, then type "control userpasswords2" (without the quotation marks) and press enter. In the window that pops up, click on the user account that you would like to automatically log in, then uncheck the "Users must enter a username and password to use this computer" checkbox. You will now be asked for the password for this account. Set it, click OK and OK, and you're done.

Tags: auto-login, automatically-login, how-to, login, powertoys, tweak-ui, windows-xp, xp

Filed under: Security, Web services, Social Software

ID Selector: making OpenID easier

by Jay Hathaway Nov 13th 2008

OpenID is a great concept. Consolidating your online identity across multiple sites and services is convenient, and arguably offers security benefits. So why do some sites make it such a pain in the butt to use? If you support OpenID on your site, and make it as easy as possible for your users to log in, check out ID Selector.

ID Selector helps you set up a customizable OpenID picker, so your users can quickly get an OpenID or choose one they've already set up. It doesn't require any fiddling with your existing login form, it "just works." The best part is that your users only have to pick an OpenID provider once. When they return afterward, they can just log in with one click. Neat!

Tags: authentication, id-selector, IDselector, login, openid

Filed under: Security, E-mail, Web services, Google

Gmail adding log-in monitoring features

by Danny Mendez Jul 8th 2008

Have you ever asked yourself, "Is someone else using my email account?" Well, if you're the cautious type, Google just added a few log-in monitoring features to its email service, so such ~~paranoid~~ questions won't feel so pressing anymore.

Wondering if you're Gmail account is open in multiple locations? Just look at the very, very bottom of the main Gmail page. It'll say something to the sound of: "This account is open in one other location." Click on the "details" link next to it to get taken to, well, a details page.

It'll give you the deets on the most recent sessions including the access type and IP address. It's not the end-all for email hijacking, but at the very least it'll help you point-out intruders. And if you don't see the feature yet, sit tight, Google is slowly rolling out the feature to all accounts.

Tags: account, email, gmail, hijack, intruder, login, monitor, monitoring

Filed under: Fun, Internet, E-mail, Productivity, AOL, Beta

AOL Desktop for Mac resurfaces after five years

by Lisa Hoover Sep 28th 2007

When we heard that AOL (this blog's parent company) was coming out with a new version of Desktop for Mac, we were pretty excited to see what they'd been up to since the last release five years ago. Now that we've had a chance to play with it, we like it but think it's still got a ways to go before there's a compelling reason to leave behind whatever browser / IM / email combo you're using now.

Though this new version of Desktop for Mac is still in beta, it seems stable. We tested Desktop on a new generation iMac and a MacBook Pro and it ran just fine on both. System requirements include a PowerPC G4 or greater, OS X 10.4 or higher, and at least 256 MB RAM. Surprisingly, Desktop only needs 60 MB of hard drive space (Firefox alone needs 52 MB).

Tags: aol, aol-for-mac, beta, browser, desktop, email, login, mac, screenshots, the-unofficial-apple-weblog, toolbar, tuaw

Filed under: Internet, Social Software

DLS Tip: Use a new Yahoo! account for Flickr

by David Chartier Apr 1st 2007

Whether you made the switch to using your Yahoo! ID on Flickr ages ago, or you simply stepped into rank with the rest of us on March 15th, you might find yourself at one point or another wishing you could change which Yahoo! ID you have tied to Flickr. You could beg Flickr support for some help, check out the forums to see if you aren't the only indecisive person to pull this stunt, or you could simply visit the recently redesigned account management section. We aren't sure how long it's been there, but a new pref section titled 'Your Yahoo! Account' offers a really simple process for changing the account you log into Flickr with. Easy breezy, and no waiting for customer service.

Tags: account, flickr, id, login, yahoo, yahoo!

Filed under: Security

Password management that doesn't suck - Ask DLS

by Jordan Running Jan 4th 2007

So it took me about a decade, but I've finally reached the breaking point: I have too many usernames and passwords to remember. This came to a head today as I tried to log into a handful web sites to change some billing information and had to make multiple tries to get into half of them, even having to click on the dreaded "Forgot your password?" link once. Enough! There are dozens and dozens of programs out there designed just to solve this problem, but the trouble is figuring out which ones are crap and which ones are good. And that's where you come in, dear readers:

What's the best password-management app for your money? Here are my criteria: Super easy to use, unobtrusive (keyboard access a big plus), works on Windows, works with Firefox, secure (duh), and fairly configurable. Also, as you know, I'm incredibly cheap, so free or very inexpensive are high on my list.

Can you help me out? Leave your recommendations in the comments below.

Tags: askdls, login, password, password manager, PasswordManager

Filed under: Security, Web services, Social Software

Phishing's new target: MySpace

by Jordan Running Oct 30th 2006

Thought phishing was just a problem for banks and PayPal, did you? Well, it's entered a new territory: MySpace. And it's got some new tricks up its sleeve. MySpace's iconic Tom Anderson has made a post describing the new attacks that con users into divulging their MySpace username and password. What's interesting about the attacks is that, unlike most phishing sites that must exist on a site other than the official site and whose fake URLs need a keen eye to be identified), these exploit MySpace's customization features to make an ordinary profile at profile.myspace.com look exactly like the official login page. You can see a screenshot of one such phishing profile here. You'll notice that the URL begins with profile.myspace.com rather than the legitimate login.myspace.com, but the page is otherwise indistinguishable from an ordinary MySpace login prompt.

So what are evil phishers using those passwords it collects for? Spamming, of course. Once a phisher has a user's login info they use them to post spam comments and send spam bulletins to that user's friends. How original.

Anderson's advice to MySpace users is that whenever they see a login form they should go to www.myspace.com instead of entering their username and password, which is, in my opinion, no solution at all. It just compounds MySpace's already-jarring interface problems. By allowing arbitrary CSS in MySpace profiles, MySpace has created a huge problem for itself that's going to take a very creative solution.

Tags: login, myspace, phishing, security, tom anderson, TomAnderson

Filed under: Fun, Macintosh, Apple

How to hack your OS X login box

by Jordan Running Apr 14th 2006

Chris Seibold at Apple Matters has written a fun how-to on tweaking the Mac OS X login window to display whatever image you want in place of the Apple logo and whatever text you want below. Sure, it won't really impress your coworkers, but if you'd like to be greeted by a picture of your cat or, say, Bill Gates when you boot up, then why not? It's kind of an involved process, but doesn't look too tough if you follow the instructions.

[Via Digg]

Tags: apple, customize, hack, login, mac, macintosh, osx, tweak

Filed under: Developer, Internet, OS Updates, Security, News, Windows, Macintosh, Linux, Web services, IBM, Microsoft, Novell, Commercial, Open Source

Higgins vs. InfoCard for authentication

by Victor Agreda, Jr. Feb 27th 2006

Today we're supposed to see a response from IBM and Novell regarding the Higgins Project, described as "Higgins is a framework that will enable users and enterprises to integrate identity, profile, and relationship information across multiple systems." Essentially it's a way to centralize all your logins, and should eventually encompass your online registrations. The difference between Higgins and InfoCard, which is Microsoft's one-for-all sign-in that will hold your payment data across multiple sites, is the difference between open source and proprietary systems. Neither side appears to be backing down or coming to terms, although the Higgins folks have made overtures to MS for including InfoCard support in the Higgins system. Does anyone remember the spectacular success of the Passport system? I thought so. Let's see what happens, because I'm kinda rooting for Higgins here. If Microsoft did participate, in theory, you'd be able to use InfoCard on Linux. Who doesn't want that? I guess it comes down to who do you trust...

[Via Cnet]

Tags: higgins project, HigginsProject, infocard, login, passport

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Graveyard Shift - zombie-busting Time Waster

With Halloween fast approaching, it's a great time to get in some practice defending your territory against zombies. In Graveyard Shift, you take aim at zombies and other creepy-crawlies, blasting them into splatters of cartoony green guts. It's a casual first-person shooter, and it's very easy to get the hang of - use the mouse to aim, click to fire. Graveyard Shift has at least 15 levels, and it might even have some secret stages I haven't unlocked yet. They key to getting good at Graveyard Shift is learning to use ...

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