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hacks

Search Wikipedia from Vista's Start Menu

Posted By: Sarah Perez | Apr 29th @ 11:48 PM

If you're a fan of Wikipedia, you're going to love this Windows Vista hack I found on ITworld.com. You can add a "Search Wikipedia" option from the Vista's Instant Search box that's on your Windows start menu. It's really not that hard, if you are familiar with using the Local Policy editor. Here are the steps:

  1. Press Windows Key + R and type in gpedit.msc, click "OK"
  2. Open the User Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Instant Search\Custom Instant Search Internet Search provider policy setting.
  3. Enable the policy setting, type Search Wikipedia in the first textbox and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%w in the second textbox, and click OK.
  4. Open a command prompt and type gpupdate/force to immediately apply the new policy setting.

After you do that, you'll see 3 search options: in addition to "Search Everywhere" and "Search the Internet", you'll now see "Search Wikipdedia," too! How cool is that?

This probably works for all languages, if you substitute "en" with your country's code.
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Xbox 360 Controller Mod

Posted By: Sarah Perez | Mar 26th @ 7:12 AM
Here's a cool Xbox 360 mod that won't set you back a bundle if it doesn't work out - only the price of one controller. With this Xbox 360 Controller mod, you can make your Xbox 360 controller buttons light up with LED lights matching the buttons' colors. This is a multi part mod, first changing the color of the LED's on the circuit board then adding 4 always-on LED's to the 360 dome, followed by lighting the start and back buttons, ABXY button lighting, and the rumble motor configuration. Not for the feint of heart, but definitely a cool result in the end!
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Recover Deleted Data from a SIM Card

Posted By: Sarah Perez | Feb 29th @ 9:20 AM
Think your secrets are safe because you removed incriminating text messages or phone numbers from your cell phone's SIM card? Think again! A new tool, called the Cell Phone SIM Card Spy, lets you retrieve that deleted data. To use the device, which is a USB key, you just put the SIM card into the back of the device and then plug the USB device into any PC. On your computer, you can then read and modify all the info saved on the SIM, including deleted messages! That's actually kind of scary.
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Zune Hack - Zune Contact Cards

Posted By: Sarah Perez | Jan 2nd @ 8:13 AM
I'm really into finding Zune hacks lately (in case you haven't noticed), so here's another one that's definitely worth sharing - on the forum at ZuneBoards.com, a member posted a really cool program that creates contacts for your Zune. The Zune Contact Cards program lets you choose a picture for your contact and enter in their name, phone, address, URL, email, etc. and from there it creates a 320x240 .jpg that can be synced to your Zune. The program, a small executable available here also lets you customize the card's background by picking a custom color for the area behind the text. With Zune's photo-sharing feature, you can send your Zune contacts to other nearby Zunes easily. Just like sharing any picture, all you have to do is select the picture (the contact card) you want to beam, press the center of the Zune pad, select "Send," and then choose the Zune you want to beam your picture to.
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Playback Your Zune Over Your Laptop Speakers

Posted By: Sarah Perez | Nov 28th, 2007 @ 12:50 PM

Had I found this earlier, I would have added it to my Zune hacks post. With this registry hack, you can enable playback of your Zune over your laptop's speakers. First of all: warning - don't edit your registry if you don't know...oh blah, blah, blah...you know the drill.

1. Add the following key to your registry, either by creating a reg file with the text, or go there yourself and create the binary value:

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Control\Class\{4D36E96C-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}\0000\Settings\filter\SpeakerHp]

"EnableInputMonitor"=hex:01

2. Reboot

3. Enable the input monitor by going to "Control Panel" --> "Sound" --> "Speakers/Headphones." Click on "Properties," then click on the "Levels" tab and enable the input monitor button.
4. You're done - rock out!

Thank you, Dell Community Forum poster and .netDEvHammer!
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Hack Toll-Free Phone Trees

Posted By: Sarah Perez | Nov 23rd, 2007 @ 5:58 PM
Do you hate dialing those toll-free numbers that force to you to navigate through a phone tree just to get to a real, live person on the phone? Designed to route calls (and possibly to frustrate people to the point of hanging up), complex phone trees waste your valuable time. A service called BRINGO can end the phone tree nightmare. BRINGO navigates phone trees so you don't have to. To use BRINGO, use the list on the BRINGO website to find the company you'd like to call by category (credit cards, mortgages, loans, health care, etc.) or by name. Enter in your phone number (they company promises to never disclose this information). Wait for BRINGO to call you back. When your phone rings, pick up and you'll have an actual human being from the company on the phone. Watch this ABC news video to see BRINGO in action. Genius. (Thanks to The Raw Feed!)
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Zune 2 Hacks

Posted By: Sarah Perez | Nov 21st, 2007 @ 12:51 PM
Hack #1: Multi-Extension Support mod - This hack makes the Zune program support more types of video, audio, and image extensions. This mod converts files for use on the Zune. Files are automatically converted to the exact specifications used on the Zune device, so no guesswork is involved. It also adds the songs and movies to your library. The hack current supports the following: Audio: .aac, .aif, .aifc, .aiff, .au, .cda, .mid, .midi, .rmi, .snd, and .wav files are now automatically added to your library and later converted and synced with the Zune device. They will not play in your Zune program, though. Video: .asf, .avi, .dvr-ms, .m1v, .m2v, .mod, .mp2, .mp2v, .mpa, .mpe, .mpeg, .mpg, .mpv2, and .wm videos are now automatically added to your library and later converted and synced with the Zune device. They will not play in your Zune program, though. Images: .png, .bmp, .gif, and many other image file types have been found as being supported by the Zune program, but as of yet they cannot be added to the library or synced to your device.


Hack #2: Not really a hack, more of a break-it-open guide - Rapid Repair, a personal music player parts and repair site, has opened up the new Zune 2 and has the pictures to prove it. With their step-by-step guides, you, too, can bust into your Zune, old or new, and replace a part or two.  

Hack #3: Use the Zune 2 as a flash drive - this hack makes your computer recognize your Zune 2 just like it's any ordinary USB flash drive

Hack #4: Convert DVD, video, audio, iTunes and YouTube video to Zune or Zune 2 - this hack gives you directions to convert DVD and popular video and audio file formats like AVI, MPEG, DivX, XviD, MOV, ASF, RM to Zune, convert iTunes to Zune, iPod to Zune, M4P to Zune, M4v to Zune, and download and convert video from YouTube, FLV, Google, Myspace, iFilm, etc. to Zune. It was written up for the original Zunes, but sources say it works on Zune 2.

Hack #5: Another conversion hack - this hack shows you how to convert DVD video to play in your Zune 2.

Hack #6: Custom Zune Wallpapers - Zune Flow offers wallpapers for the Zune, but can also do a custom one for you.

Hack #7: YouTube to Zune converter - this hack is the how to guide on converting YouTube videos to play on the Zune.

Hack #8: Hack the new Zune 2.0 software to display custom themes - registered members at this forum can download custom themes called zThemes like this Halo 3 one or this Vista one. (Download link here)

Hack #9: Better yet, make your own custom Zune software theme

Hack #10: Get a full-on Zune hacking suite - this hacking suite lets you do the following:
1 - Zune AutoPlay Support Patcher - causes the AutoPlay box to pop up when the Zune is connected.
2 - Zune Guest Mode Disabler - disables guest syncing in the Zune program.
3 - Zune Icon Changer - changes the default icon for your Zune (the suite comes with 11 icons you can choose from).
4 - Zune In Explorer Patcher - makes it so that your Zune appears in Windows Explorer.
5 - Zune Marketplace Disabler -disables the marketplace in the Zune program.
6 - Zune Multi-Extension Support Patcher - makes it so the Zune program will pick up and sync many more types of media.
7 - Zune Service Provider Alternator - Allows you to SYNC THE ZUNE WITH WMP11.
8 - Zune Skin Applier - applies custom skins to your Zune program (the suite comes with 9 skins).
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How I Use Outlook - 7 Tips

Posted By: Sarah Perez | Nov 20th, 2007 @ 2:02 PM
There are so many things you can do with Outlook, but I have to admit, I've never fully explorered all its features. However, the more I "live" in my Outlook at work, the more I've become obsessed with finding new and useful ways to get things done as efficiently and quickly as I can. On that note, here are a few Outlook tips I've discovered that have been making my work life easier.

1. The ClearContext add-in - every since someone told me about this add-in, I've been using the heck out of it. Although I can only afford the free version, I've found it unbelievably useful for categorizing my mail. Since I had been using a folders system prior to the Outlook 2007 upgrade, I didn't feel much like redoing this system just to use Outlook 2007's color-coded categories. Instead, I use a mashup of ClearContext labels and Outlook cateogries. ClearContext lets me label my mail and these labels are linked to an Outlook category list. As I visually scan my email, Outlook's color-coded categories help me find what I'm looking for fast. When it's time to move an email from the Inbox to its category folder, I just hit the "File Msg" button on the ClearContext toolbar and the message archives itself to the appropriate folder. (Another option for filing is SpeedFiler, which I hear is good, too).

2. Natural Language - I've been using Outlook 2007 for many months now, but I just discovered this feature thanks to a tip I read online. The new version of Outlook lets you enter appointments on your calendar using natural language. Instead of using the drop-down box to pick a date, you can type in real expressions like "day after tomorrow," "one week from today," "two months from today," "three days from now," and much more. You can also use expressions like "today + 3 days" and Outlook will figure that out, too. Finally, you can type in the names of holidays and use them in expressions like "the day before Christmas."

3. Outlook Calendar on the desktop - this software lets you pin the Outlook calendar to your desktop. The calendar stays there all the time so you can always see what's upcoming. It's not just a view of your calendar either, it's the real Microsoft Outlook calendar, so you get all its functionality, like direct editing, drag and drop of files, etc. Awesome.

4. Search Folders & Favorites - how did I live before Search Folders? Search Folders let you create virtual folders based on certain criteria. For example, you could make a folder of email from your boss you categorized as "Important" or a folder of your emails that have attachments. Even better, add these Search Folders to your Favorite Folders list and hide your Mail Folders list so that all you see is your Favorites. You'll be surprised how rarely you'll need to view your "real" folders.

5. Fast Email Searches - If you use Outlook 2007 on Vista, you have Vista's killer search built into Outlook. However, at work, we're still on XP. No worries though...you can download Windows Desktop Search for Windows XP like I did and experience the glory of fast searches. With either Vista or Desktop Search, results are displayed as soon as you start typing in text. 

6. Form Emails - Using templates, you can save standardized emails so you don't have to type the same thing over and over again. I use forms for things like emailing a new user's login information to their supervisor or emailing someone a note letting them know their issue was input as a helpdesk ticket. Creating your own form is easy - just write the email, then go to File --> Save As, and choose "Outlook Template (*.oft)" from the drop-down box. The email is saved as a template. Next time you want to use that form, open it by going to Tool --> Forms --> Choose a Form. Change the drop-down box to "User Templates in File System" and then pick the template you created.

7. Minimize to Tray - I'm surprised how many people don't know how to minimize Outlook to run in the System Tray. This is an absolute necessity (it should be the default!). Right-click on the Outlook icon in the Notification Area (next to the clock). In the menu that displays, select "Hide When Minimized."
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Customized Outlook Conversations View

Posted By: Sarah Perez | Jul 17th, 2007 @ 5:02 AM

Would you like a way to keep track of all the conversations that you initiated in your Outlook email? This can be done by combining an Outlook view with a search folder. Follow the steps below and you will have a folder that shows your email as conversation threads:

  1. Create a new search folder (New -> Search Folder)
  2. Specify Inbox and Sent items as the only folders to include in the search, but don't specify any search criteria. The search folder will show all items from the Inbox and the Sent Items folder.
  3. Create a new view by copying the "Messages" view (In Outlook 2003 - View, Arrange By, Current View, Define Views, then copy the "Messages" view)
  4. In the view, select the option to Group by "Conversation" and Sort by "Conversation index."
  5. Click the Filter button and go to the SQL tab.
  6. Check the "Edit these criteria directly" checkbox.
  7. Copy and paste the DASL filter from below, changing the text "your name" to your actual name:

"urn:schemas:httpmail:fromname" = 'Your Name' OR(("urn:schemas:httpmail:displayto" LIKE '%Your Name%' OR"urn:schemas:httpmail:displaycc" LIKE '%Your Name%') AND("urn:schemas:httpmail:subject" LIKE 'RE:%' OR "urn:schemas:httpmail:subject" LIKE 'AW:%'))

    8. Apply the new view on the newly created search folder

Thanks to Carsten Kinder for this tip!
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Office 12 docx files are zips in disguise

Posted By: JD Lewin | Jun 22nd, 2007 @ 4:46 PM
Take any document created in an Office 12 app, rename said document with a .zip extension, and browse that file’s contents from Windows Explorer. Welcome to the magic of Office’s XML implementation, where every document is simply a bundle of XML data. This little hack will provide you hours of needless content-editing fun for those who have Office 12 installed, as well as a sneaky way to replace the images in your coworker’s trip report with photos of our favorite popular music star.
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