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Filed under: Fun, Utilities, Windows, Macintosh, Shareware, iPhone

Use your iPhone or iTouch as a remote for your Mac or PC

With the announcement of the new iPhone, we figure there will be some new interest in this bit of software that's been around for a while: Do you have a computer without one of those newfangled infrared spots and a remote control? Do you still want to be able to change tracks on iTunes or pause a movie from across the room? As long as you have an iPod or an iPod Touch laying around, Signal is the app for you. Its interface is almost indistinguishable from the regular iTunes player on those devices, which makes it a breeze to use.

Here's how it works: download Signal and open it up, then input the IP address it gives you into your iPhone or iPod. Boom! You can access all your iTunes media from your device. Signal lets you change speakers, adjust volume, turn on shuffle or repeat, and pretty much anything else you could do from within iTunes.

There's a full demo, so you might want to try it out before you shell out 25 bones, but here are a couple of things to consider:. If you're going to buy a standard remote anyway (like the Apple Remote, for example), remember that Signal will work with your iPhone or iTouch from anywhere your network reaches, so you can use it to shoot around walls. Also consider that Signal has both Mac and Windows versions, where some other remotes only work with one platform.

Filed under: Fun, Internet, Utilities, Web services, Social Software

Find a better connection with WeFi

wefi wireless connction toolHow can "we-find" a better connection when on the go...and get it quickly? Searching for that perfect connection is such a hassle, especially if you aren't familiar with the area you're in. You can spend hours trying to activate your wireless. WeFi aims to change that through an online community; linked by wireless access.

WeFi launched a short while ago and provides its users with pinpointed WiFi locations, and connects users of that connection with one another. The tool is a downloadable client for Mac and PC users, having a similar feel to an IM application. When WeFi is launched users are presented with a map of all of the WiFi connections in the area. This includes open, locked, and restricted connections.

Adding a social aspect to the tool is the ability to see which friends are currently online by adding them to your contact list. Friends can then share locations, maps and hot spots with each other.

In the future, WeFi will be incorporating all sorts of tools that help users gauge the quality of signals including hot spot reviews. Nonetheless, this is one tool to have in your wireless connection arsenal when traveling to not only a new location, but anywhere around your town where you are not familiar with signals.

Filed under: Business, Internet, Web services

Bye Bye Free Toronto Wifi

no more free wifi for torontoWorking from anywhere in downtown Toronto was great for many wireless workers for the past nine months. There was no need to walk aimlessly looking for an open wireless signal, now that time has sadly come to an end. It was so easy to connect to one of Toronto Hydro Telecom's free OneZone urban Wifi network signals in the six square kilometer area that it covers. The area, centered on the cities financial district and spreading out over City Hall and the University, is now only accessible to paying customers.

40,000 users test drove the new Wifi service during the extended free trial offer, with the highest usage times tracked between 2pm and 5pm Monday to Friday. Starting on April 24th, users of the Wifi signal are required to pay either $4.99/hr, $9.99/day, or $29/month for access.

Is 10 bucks a day CDN too much or just right? Would you prefer a free service that is sponsored by ads or a sponsored login page?

If you are looking for free wireless points in Toronto, check out http://wirelesstoronto.ca/

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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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