Meeting new people and chatting with them on Google Talk can be a very enriching experience. The problem comes when that person and you don’t speak the same language and the communication flow is frequently interrupted by vocabulary lapses and constant dictionary look-ups. Google became aware of this issue and decided to solve it in a really handy way: by enabling a bunch of bots that automatically translate any text you type in into the target language.

The translating bots in Google Talk work in a very simple way. You only have to select the ones you’re interested in from the bot list and add them to your Google Talk contact list, as if they were just another friend. There are quite a few combinations to choose from, and the email address you have to use to add them always follows the same pattern: [source language]2[target language]@bot.talk.google.com. Thus a bot that translates from English to German would be en2de@bot.talk.google.com, one that translates from Spanish to English would be es2en@bot.talk.google.com and so on.

Once you’ve added a bot, open a chat with it and type in the sentence you want to translate. The bot will reply with the translation, ready for you to copy on your friend’s chat window. Needless to say, you can use these automatic translations for multiple purposes: from being able to communicate in several languages to playing a joke on a friend or – only for the most cheesy ones – saying “I love you” in a dozen different languages.

More and more people are turning to the Net to watch television these, with some commentators predicting that traditional TV will be dead within 10 years. Up to now though, the range of programs available through online TV services hasn’t been that great. By that I don’t mean there’s not a lot of shows - there are - it’s just that a huge percentage of these aren’t worth watching.

Things are changing quickly though, and the release of Adobe Media Player 1.1 today marks a big step in the evolution of online TV. Now out of Beta, the AIR-based software boasts a slick new interface that makes it easy to enjoy your favourite TV shows without having to switch on your television set. You can use the software to search for streaming and downloadable video content, get alerts when new episodes appear and even download these new episodes automatically.

Adobe Media Player still doesn’t have the sheer volume of content as the likes of Joost, Veoh TV, or Babelgum, but it’s certainly showing signs of carrying more ‘quality’ content. Adobe has partnered with the likes of Comedy Central, MTV, Nikelodeon and Showtime to deliver some truly great shows. It’s even teamed up with Sony Pictures to offer some movies on the site, such as Jerry Maguire and Men In Black.

Unfortunately, Adobe Media Player isn’t quite the finished article yet. Finding some of the best content still requires a bit of digging around, and even when you do it might be unavailable. If you live outside the US then prepare to be disappointed, because a large number of the shows are only available in America. Be warned also, that the RAM-hungry Media Player client has a huge appetite for memory. Hopefully, these issues will be rectified over time and, I’m sure if Adobe can keep making connections with the major content providers, Media Player will be able to play a large part in kicking the TV set into touch.

Sunset has a special light that makes really beautiful landscapes, full of warm shades of red and orange. Unfortunately photos can’t always capture the beauty of such an inspiring moment, but you can always rely on Photoshop to lend you a hand with that. Here’s how to fix your sunset photos to make them look as beautiful as the real thing.

1. Open your photo, click on New Adjustment Layer and select Gradient on the drop-down menu.

2. Click on the gradient bar and you’ll open the Gradient Editor. Now we’re going to change the colors of the gradient. Read the rest of this entry »

Have Microsoft finally come up with something worth getting excited about? Microsoft Live Mesh is an interesting new project that enables users to synch all of their mobile and computing devices seamlessly. This even includes Macs although currently, it’s only available on Windows platforms but a Mac release is imminent. At the moment it’s in pre-release beta stage and only the first 10,000 people who sign-up will be allowed to test it so you’d better hurry up.

The principle is thus - all of your devices that you include in the Mesh can be synchronised with each other at any time from any location as long as you have an internet connection. So let’s say you’re sat on the beach and want to make sure your documents on your Macbook are synched with your documents on your PC at home, just hit a button and it’s done. The same goes for your mobile device such as an iPhone. In the future, it’s expected that it will automatically synchronize your devices with offline applications which will become increasingly important as Web 2.0 takes off.

Refreshingly for a Microsoft product, it’s incredibly easy to use and beautifully presented and designed. It makes backing up essential documents, including videos and photos between devices just a matter of a few clicks. And it works perfectly in both IE and Firefox. The question is, how on earth are Microsoft going to sustain this service as it expands? The bandwidth it requires for millions of users synching across the world must be huge. Will we eventually see a distinct decline in synching times or is this a sign that Microsoft can still do something right? Read the rest of this entry »

Windows: If you want to keep your system in perfect shape, look no further. Mz Ultimate Tweaker features a complete collection of tweaks and tools you can use to improve the computer’s performance in many different aspects with a minimum effort: tweak Windows, boost CPU and RAM, optimize the Registry and more!

Mac: Need to erase a program and all associated files? Easy, just drag and drop the application onto the AppDelete icon. This application will find all associated files for you, after which it’s just a case of selecting what you want to keep or not. And so you don’t commit mistakes AppDelete keeps a log of everything you’ve removed.

Pocket PC: If you cannot stand to be away from your digital illustration tools then check out this fabulous Pocket PC application. Vspainter lets you transform yourself into some sort of 21st Century Van Gogh, allowing you to accessing advanced design and illustration tools from the palm of your hand. The customisable interface makes it very easy to set up your own workspace.

Most computers have Microsoft Windows preinstalled by default. The operating system, which will soon turn 25, has been widely criticised both by its own users and also users from other platforms.

Do you use Windows? According to statistics, you probably do. This is why we decided to start a series of posts about the main reasons to use different operating systems, starting off with Windows and covering also Mac OS and Linux. These are then the 10 main reasons why you should be proud to use Windows… at least until we find 10 reasons not to use it at all.

1. Out of habit
Be honest. You just bought a computer with Windows that already features pretty much anything you need. So why should you bother changing it?

2. Because you paid for it
When you buy a new computer, except for rare occasions, the Windows license is already included in the price. So if you’ve already paid for it, changing to another operating system would be a waste of money, wouldn’t it?

3. Because you’re a gamer
Windows is the platform of choice for hardcore gamers, mainly because PCs can be constantly upgraded to offer better and better performance. Many games are created only for Windows, and generally speaking, one can say that there’s more variety, they work better and are easier to configure and use.

4. For software and drivers
The same happens with drivers and software. Some developers seem to forget - fortunately not that often - about other platforms when developing hardware drivers and software applications. Although systems have their own alternatives, the truth is that there are more apps for Windows than for any other platform.

5. So that you don’t have to give explanations to anybody
If you have any less computer-literate friends, they’ll probably ask lots of questions when they see that weird operating system you use on your computer. We all know how tiring must be to tell the same tale over and over again, especially when you know your friends won’t understand a single word of what you say. So the best way to avoid these situations is by using Windows. Read the rest of this entry »

Unless you’ve got your own radio station, podcasting is probably the easiest way to broadcast your message to millions of people across the world. Requiring no license fees or studio hire, you can literally become your own one man radio station with nothing more than a computer and a microphone. The best thing about podcasts too is that your listeners can constantly keep track of your latest releases because podcasts can be syndicated, subscribed to, and downloaded automatically when new content is added, using an aggregator or feed reader capable of reading feed formats such as RSS or Atom. There’s a huge market out there for podcasts as this list of some of the nets most popular podcasts proves. As you can see, everything from better parenting to politics and PSP hacking find a place in the most popular list. Here’s a look at 5 of the very best free podcasting apps to produce your broadcast with:

Audacity - Mainly used for editing and recording rather than publishing podcasts but one of the most poplar choices on the net for it’s ease of use. It works across platforms and for Mac users, it’s even a competitive replacement for Garageband.

Odeo Studio - Anything that you’ve edited or produced on Audacity, you may find easier to publish with Odeo Studio. Allows you to easily upload MP3’s for free although there is a catch - if someone listens to it in a different player, they get a brief Odeo ad.

podOmatic - Don’t want to mess around with downloading anything? podOmatic is an online podcast creator which offers free hosting, detailed listener statistics and allows you to design your own customised podcast page with all your latest broadcasts.

Gabcast - A great solution for those that don’t have access to a PC or microphone, Gabcast allows you to record your podcasts by phone. You can post audio directly to your blog and even host conference calls during your podcasts - great for doing interviews.

WildVoice - Cheap and cheerful style podcasting application for all ages and hosts your podcasts immediately the second that it’s finished. Very easy to use and features a step-by-step guide to get you recording podcasts in minutes.

Windows: I guess you already know GIMP, the popular open-source image editor. The good news is that now you can take GIMP anywhere with you with Portable GIMP, a special version of this powerful photo editing software that has been specifically developed to be installed and run from a removable USB memory device.

Mac:  After playing around with WireTap Studio for a while I’ve found it to be an excellent application to record anything on your Mac. The program captures any hardware or software sound and includes a basic yet intuitive editor to clean up your tracks. You can save to any popular audio format and then send the track to your iPhone or iPod or share via email. Highly recommended.

Symbian: Do you ever find yourself constantly repeating things to your friends only for them to turn around and say “yeah, but you’ve told me that before”? Total Recall allows you to record mobile phone calls with the push of a button, saving them as audio files in either WAV or AMR files, so you never forget a conversation again!

You were the official prankster in your class. Whenever you were around, nobody was safe from the classic paper doll or the more aggressive “kick me” notice. Later on, you learnt from Bart Simpson’s phone jokes on Moe. Now you feel a bit too old to keep on playing jokes on the people around you. But hey, we’re in the era of technology and computers have become your best allies, providing you with a wide array of prank software.

Custom error messages
A common way to play computer jokes is by creating customized error messages. You can start with MBoX, an easy-to-use error generator that saves error messades as self-executable files. Another option is Dr. Windows, which already includes a few predefined messages.

Stubborn mouse
Another way to laugh at your workmates is by tweaking their mouse. The easiest trick is swapping the left and right buttons in the Control Panel, but if you’re looking for a more sophisticated joke try SakasaMouse, a tool that swaps the mouse’s vertical and horizontal axis. User paranoia guaranteed! If that’s not enough yet, the last ace up your sleeve can be ButtonShyMouse, with which the mouse won’t click on buttons or the Start menu. Read the rest of this entry »

One of the areas that gets most cramped in Firefox is the download manager – especially if you, like me, download hundreds of new files a week. And an overcrowded download list renders the manager completely useless, despite the new features introduced in Firefox 3.

One quick way to solve this bottleneck is using the browser’s built-in cleaning tools, which you can configure to clean up certain areas automatically every time you close Firefox. It’s as easy as going to Options > Privacy and check the option that says “Always clear my private data when I close Firefox“.

However, as there may be some elements you don’t want to get rid off (such as saved passwords, cookies and the likes), you can click on the Settings button and select exactly the elements you want Firefox to erase -  in this case, Download History would be enough.

If you’re tired of this planet, why don’t you go and create your own? Unfortunately you won’t be able to live on it, but at least you’ll have fun while trying out this Photoshop tutorial and seeing what the Polar Coordinates filter is capable of… Are you ready? Then follow these simple steps and create your very own personal planet in Photoshop.

1. The first thing you’ll need is a panoramic image. The best ones are those with very little detail both in the bottom area (asphalt, water, land) and in the upper area (ideally, blue sky). Also, try to use a panorama where the right and left borders fit as neatly as possible. I’ll use this New York City skyline.

2. Go to Image > Image size and resize the photo to a perfect square. Uncheck the “Constrain proportions” option and apply to Height the same value shown in Width.

3. Now go to Image > Rotate canvas and rotate it 180º. Don’t worry if it all looks odd, you’re doing a great job! Read the rest of this entry »

Windows: If you need to store, backup or share files online in a secure way, forget about those free unreliable file sharing services and start using SpiderOak right away. This free online file storage service lets you keep up to 2GB of data on their servers for free, with the possibility to share anything you want on your personal page

Mac: It’s a good idea to index all your media every now and then so that you keep a clear record of where all your video, audio and other files are and make sure they stay well organized. Media Catalog lets you index media on any drive and thanks to a powerful search tool, gives you quick access to every file. The statistics section gives you detailed info such as file size, number of volumes and amount of updates you’ve made.

Phones: Studying the Quran is an essential part of Muslim life but what about those times when you can’t get near a mosque or are on the road? Step forward Quran Reader, a mobile application that lets you read the sacred texts while you’re on the move using your Java-enabled mobile phone.

Having full access to your bookmarks wherever you are is now something that most users take for granted. Not so long ago, the only way to really ensure you had your bookmarks with you was to crudely send them to your e-mail account and access them from there. Nowadays, you’re almost spoiled for choice meaning it’s easy than ever to work on the move or check your favorite RSS feeds during a spare moment away from the home or office. And having a way to access your bookmarks from any location is a great way to avoid disaster if your hard drive fails and you lose everything. For desktop PC users, here are 5 of the best:

Foxmarks - The undisputed king for Firefox users - works seamlessly 24/7

Bookmarks Unifier - Export bookmarks to hard copy for Firefox, Internet Explorer and Opera

Mozmarks - An early predecessor to Foxmarks but with less synchronisation

Chipmark - Browser bookmarks plugin for both Internet Explorer and Firefox

Blinklist - Gives you access anywhere and reminds you of sites that you meant to visit

When you have dozens of folders under the same root directory, managing them in a productive way gets increasingly difficult. Their icons all look the same and it takes you way too long to find what you’re looking for.

There are some third-party apps with which you can add color to Windows folders and make them therefore easier to spot. But if you would prefer not to install anything, let me tell you a very simple trick to make the Windows folder structure more attractive, useful and easier to manage.

The trick consists on taking advantage of the folder’s capability to display an image. If you select the Thumbnail view in Windows Explorer, you’ll see that the folder icon displays any images saved on that folder, which comes in handy to identify them. What you may not know is that you can set a given image to be used on the folder icon. Simply right click on the folder, select Properties, click on the Customize tab and then click on the Choose picture button. You’ll be able to select the photo you want to have displayed on the folder.

There’s an even easier way to make Windows use a customized image on folders. Just enter the folder, choose the picture you want to use and rename it to folder.jpg. Windows will automatically display it on the folder. Besides making the whole folder structure more attractive and colorful, this trick is especially useful with large, structured file collections such as your music library or your photo collection.

When you buy a shiny new computer - or reinstall the operating system from scratch - your hard drive is like a large, empty space waiting to be loaded with dozens of different tools and applications for the most varied purposes. But what if you could save a lot of that space by embedding a few basic tools in just one program? You can easily do it with Firefox and its many extensions. Just take a look at the list below and see how many desktop apps you can replace with extensions.

• FireFTP - A fully functional FTP client embedded into your browser.
• DownThemAll - Download all links and images on a website with just one click.
• PicLens - View your pictures in this attractive, full-screen photo viewer.
• The Converter - A tool to convert between different measurement units on the fly.
• ScreenGrab - Capture complete webpages, from top to bottom.
• FireNES - Play thousands of games in this Nintendo emulator.
• FoxLingo - A fully featured translator in your favorite browser.
• Forecastfox - Check the international weather forecast right in Firefox window.
• FEBE - A quick, easy backup tool for all the important elements in the browser.
• FoxyTunes - Enjoy your favorite music without leaving Firefox