MakeMKV Rips DVDs and Blu-Rays with Just Two Clicks

"Windows/Mac/Linux: It's still slim pickings when it comes to finding a good freeware application for ripping Blu-Ray discs, but ripping and converting tool MakeMKV is free for as long as it's in beta—and it's undoubtedly the simplest ripper around.

Those of you with large Blu-Ray collections have probably already invested in a good ripping tool, but those running a bit behind on the format changes (or that don't have the space on your HTPC to hold all those 50 GB files) should take advantage of this limited time opportunity. MakeMKV is a two-click decrypting, ripping and converting tool for DVDs and Blu-Ray discs. Literally all you do is pop in the disc, click the DVD or Blu-Ray icon, and then hit Make MKV—30 minutes later, you've got yourself a high-definition MKV file that can be played in most media players (like Lifehacker favorites VLC or XBMC). You can opt to rip only certain chapters, as well as edit a few advanced preferences, but the default settings work just fine for those not well versed in DVD ripping lingo.

MakeMKV is a free download for all operating systems. DVD ripping will always be free, but Blu-Ray ripping is only free as long as it's in beta, after which it will go to a to-be-determined price, so get ripping now!"

Read more on lifehacker.com 

Add "My Dropbox" to Your Windows 7 Start Menu

"Yep, that’s right. You can add it to the Start Menu… using a silly hack to the Libraries feature and renaming the Recorded TV library to a different name. It’s not a perfect solution, but you can access your Dropbox folder this way and it just seems to belong there."

Read more on howtogeek.com

Turn a YouTube Video into a Ringtone

"With a free service called Tube2Tone, you can turn any part of any video on YouTube into a ringtone. So, besides using unknown artists’ music as ringtones, this means your dreams of having a different Weird Al song for each person on your contact list could come true—for free!"

Read more on onlinetechtips 

Back Up Your SMS Messages to a Gmail Label on Android [Downloads]

"f you're rocking an Android phone without the Google Voice experience, you can still back up and read your SMS messages online. The free SMS Backup app automatically transfers your SMS messages to a Gmail label as they come in."

Read more on lifehacker.com

Replacing the dvd-reader in the Kiss DP-558

I started to notice that ever more frequently my 558 wouldn´t accept my homeburned dvds. That was surely a royal pain but it got worse and worse and suddenly it wouldn´t even read my store-bought dvds. Something had to be done. I browsed through the forums on http://www.mpcclub.com and realised that this was a common problem relating to the poor quality of the toshiba drive that is in the 558. I now had two choices it seemed. I could RMA my unit, wait at least 4 weeks and then get it back with a new toshiba drive just waiting to break. My other choice was to replace the drive myself....Guess which option I choosed :-)

 

This is how I went about it:

First I went and bought myself an ASUS DVD-E616P1 or so I thought, the dolts at the computer store sold me an DVD-E616A it might not seem like a big dealt but it is since you need to firmware flash it so the drive becomes Rpc1 that is region free. So I started again. I had a Benq DW1620 in my computer that I was going to change anyway so I went here http://forum.rpc1.org/dl_search.php to see if it was possible to flash this drive, and yes it was so I went to work.

It is a good idea to go here http://forum.rpc1.org/dl_search.php and see if the drive you are contemplating is flashable.

So bring out the toolkit. The first obstacle is the warrant seal. I obviously didn´t care about the warranty but if you do it is possible to remove it with a thin sharp knife

The casing is attached with two screws on each side and two in the back

So of with the casing and see whats inside

I was a little surprised to see that I had a western digital hdd inside but thats just good news I guess

time to remove the cradle, the powercable to the dvd felt like it was glued in there

after you remove the cables you need to flip the player and remove the 4 screws which attach the cradle to the casing. It´s a good idea to keep a hand on the cradle while removing the screws it probably won´t fall out but better safe than sorry.

So then the cradle was out

the player looking kinda empty

time to connect the new drive to my computer and flash it to make it region free. To make sure that the drive really is regionfree you can use a program called Discinfo which you can get here http://discinfo.rpc1.org/, this will show you some usefull info about the drive. Also remember to make the DVD-drive master.

Remember to remove the front of the new drive before trying to mount it in the 558 otherwise it won´t fit. I learned that the hard way.

You just need to remove the dvd-reader from the cradle the hdd can stay in there just 2 screws on each side and then slide out , slide in and voila the new drive is in there. The old front cover wouldn´t fit right away but you really need to put it on there otherwise the noise will be kinda loud. I attacked it with the same sharp knife and made it fit nicely

I put in new cabels also to try and increase the airflow inside the casing since it gets really hot in there.

 

Then it was time to plug in the 558 and hope that it would work. And it didn´t since it refused to play region1 dvds for som reason. This was because the region:all setting had been turned of for some reason. So if it doesn´t work enter the "hidden" menu and put regions to :All

Now it works like a charm it plays everything without a hitch storebought dvds from all regions, my burned dvds, music, XviD everything.

I´m just waiting for someone to write a firmware which allows me to make use of the fact that I now have a dvd-burner installed in my 558.

Mobile Defense – A Free Mobile Phone Tracking System [Android]

"It’s one of the most sought after mobile phone applications of them all – the ability to silently track the location and condition of a mobile phone. Many people would like to track a phone that doesn’t have GPS, using just cellphone tower triangulation. This is possible when you install apps like Latitude on the target phone."

"The security solution that I’m going to focus on in this article is an application I discovered on the Android market while looking for one of the highest rated free mobile phone tracking systems available. Mobile Defense by Neevo, LLC is currently a beta app, easily recognizable on the market by being one of the few applications with five full stars on average from all users. Installation is fast and easy, with the plenty of customization options and a few features that simply blew my socks off.

Install A Free Mobile Phone Tracking System as Your Mobile LoJack Device

The cool thing about Mobile Defense is that you can install it and forget it. It acts like a little built-in safety feature that’s always there whenever you need it. Yes, it’ll tell you exactly where your phone is if someone steals it. However, in the much more likely scenario where you drop it somewhere, or you forget it someplace – all you have to do is fire up the Mobile Defense website, log into your account, establish a connection with your phone and you’ll immediately know where it is within just a few feet – along with a wide range of other active information about your phone, like battery power, what Wi-Fi network it’s connected to, and speed and direction. Like I said – it’s impressive."

read more on makeuseof.com
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Gmote 2.0 – Use Your Android Phone As A Media Center Remote Control

Gmote 2.0 – Use Your Android Phone As A Media Center Remote Control

via MakeUseOf.com by Ryan Dube on 1/20/10

There are a number of applications on the Android market that will let you remote control your computer, but few are as powerful and full of cool features as Gmote 2.0. Once you install this app on your mobile phone, and you install the server software on any computer in your house, you'll be able to use your phone as a media center remote control to play music or movies, control your PowerPoint presentation, and even browse websites.
Best of all, beyond the media center remote control feature, the software also lets you use your mobile phone as a remote WiFi touchpad and keyboard – great for those situations where you're using a PC as a storage device without a keyboard or mouse attached. Just walk up to the PC, turn on the monitor, connect remotely with your mobile phone and you have an instant interface to use that computer – no keyboard or mouse required.

read more on makeuseof.com

2 Interesting Ways To Track The Route of Paper Money

"I remember a few years ago, I watched a video on some website where they aimed to track a twenty dollar bill. They wrote a tiny message asking whoever had the note to send them an email with its location, the time and date they had the bill.

It was marginally successful. I think they got a response every three weeks or so and plotted out the note’s rough path on a map.

Interesting? Sure – but there are better ways to track your money now."

Read more on makeuseof.com 
http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/2-interesting-ways-track-route-paper-money/
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Android 2.1’s Best Features in Screenshots

"Great software needs hardware that can keep up, and my new Nexus One is a sleek, awesome handset. But the most important ingredient in this generation of touchscreen smartphones is the software: the screen is just a canvas that software paints on, and Android 2.1 is a work of art."

read more on smarterware.org 
http://smarterware.org/4308/android-2-1s-best-features-in-screenshots

The Deadliest place on Earth? Surviving Cueva de los Cristales - The Giant Crystal Cave

"It's 50oC and has a humidity of 100%, less than a hundred people have been inside and it's so deadly that even with respirators and suits of ice you can only survive for 20 minutes before your body starts to fail. It’s the nearest thing to visiting another planet – it’s going deep inside our own."

Read more on ironammonite.com 

6 Android Websites You Should Check Out

6 Android Websites You Should Check Out

via MakeUseOf.com by Paul Bozzay on 1/14/10

In today's world, almost everything electronic has some sort of information available about it online. Whether it be an official webpage, a fan site, or a collection of forum posts, you can almost always find it online somewhere. Android devices are no different—in fact, in many ways an Android device relies on this internet information system like any other phone operating system.
For this reason, it's important to find a few Android websites that can keep you up to date on your Android device. Recently, I wrote an article about 5 Awesome Android Applications That Could Make Life Easier, and now I'd like to tell you which Android websites I've found useful in my experience as an Android user.

Android Tapp

Coined as "the best resource for Android App Reviews, Android Apps, Android App Ratings, Interviews with mobile app developers, News and Showcases", Android Tapp really fits the bill for new and veteran Android users out there. Whether you just picked one up over the holidays, or have followed Android since day 1, you'll still find something useful here.

While you're at it, check out the videos page hosting android tips and tricks. There's even a page for hardware news, and an applications blog you don't want to miss. In addition, AndroidTapp now has an "app of the week" featured on the homepage to check out. Overall, this is one of my favorite Android websites to check out on a regular basis for Android news a reviews.

Android Zoom

Love the Android market on your phone? I do—but unfortunately it's only on my phone. AndroidZoom solves this problem by bringing the Android application store to you for access online. Updated hourly with new games, applications, and utilities; Android Zoom is the best substitute I have found to fill the lack of a good Android market online. In fact, this Android website even includes the ratings and reviews exactly as they appear on your phone's market application. For this reason, I have found that not only is AndroidZoom reliable and up to date, but it's also convenient and user friendly.

Find something you liked on AndroidZoom? Just click on it, and on the same page as the product reviews and screenshots you'll find a QR code that you can scan with your phone to download that app straight to your Android device (Note: to download via a QR code, get the free application 'Barcode Scanner' for your Android). From the looks of things, AndroidZoom has over 11,000 Android applications currently in its extensive database—go check it out!

Android and Me

This Android website is a very extensive Android resource and covers news and software just like the others, but also has a few excellent pages that sets it apart in several ways. First, I would highly recommend checking out the applications page. Android&Me has done a great job of providing news about new, relevant, useful applications that you'll probably at least want to try out on your device.

In addition, if you're new to the Android scene, take a look at the Android&Me page for beginners. There you'll find a steady stream of information (in no particular order) which will keep you informed of popular terminology or software that a new Android owner should keep up with. For instance, it has information on what it is to root an Android device, as well as the benefits and dangers of doing such a thing. Even though I'd like to think I know a fair amount about my Android device by now, I still learned quite a bit just by scanning the beginners page. Oh, and don't worry—in this case, the lack of structure actually proves beneficial to the learning process. Don't understand what I mean? Give the Android&Me Android website a look and see what you think.

Android Community

Android Community is a website that I only use parts of, but still consider invaluable to a good learning experience with my phone. Even though I don't care as much for the content on the main webpage (frankly, it's information you can find all over the place), I personally find the Android Community Forums to be one of the most indispensable resources I have access to today.

Within the Android Community forums, you can find discussions about your specific model of Android, different builds, hacks, software lists compiled by users, and quite a bit more. Developers can look to these forums for development tips, program ideas-even software requests and reviews. Phones have evolved from simple communication devices into so much more, and the Android Community forums give you access to the thoughts, opinions, and accomplishments of users just like you who want to continue making their phones better tomorrow than they were yesterday.

Phandroid

Phandroid is an Android fan site focused on providing the viewer with media about Android and its devices. I would personally highly recommend the podcasts page, which contains excellent discussion and news about everything Android. There's a podcast about the Motorola Droid and its impact on the market, and even an interview with the creator of the popular Android ROM Cyanogen.

In addition, Phandroid contains an awesome video page which has quite an assortment of demonstrations, tutorials, and game videos that no Android fan could ignore. Give Phandroid a run and see what you think.

AndroLib

Lastly I'd like to mention AndroLib—it's a lot like Android Zoom but with a few key differences. Androlib has a useful toplist containing the top downloaded apps of the day. Androlib's database also includes a recent apps page, and a search function.

You may find it useful to view the statistics page as well, to get a feel for what the rest of the Android community is doing on the market. Don't sell this site short—its database has a massive amount of applications, and the website definitely contains more than meets the eye.
Without the Android websites I mentioned above, my experience with an Android phone wouldn't be nearly as good as it's proven to be so far. I would highly recommend that you give these websites a look, and see what you think. If you have a website to recommend, leave me a comment and I'll check it out!

Android photo backup app reveals burglars' identities, stupidity

Burglaries are an unfortunately commonplace event in daily urban life, but on some very rare occasions their outcomes give cause for celebration and maybe even a smile.

read more on engadget.com 

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Map Your Adventures With a Free GPS Mobile Tracker for Android

"I recently took a trip to the Rocky Mountains in Montana to do some skiing.  While I was out there, I started thinking how great it would be if I could use my Motorola Droid (which runs on Android and has a built-in GPS) to track my adventures through the mountains."

from makeuseof.com

http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Makeuseof/~3/4isI2wpptak/
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Google Similar Pages for Chrome Finds Related Sites [Downloads]

Chrome only: Google's Similar Pages for Chrome extension adds a button to the toolbar that uses Google's search algorithms to find other web sites...

http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/2JhxCROrBlQ/google-similar-pages-for-chrome-finds-related-sites
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Customize the Windows 7 Logon Screen

"Do you like to customize the Windows interface, and tired of the standard log on screen in Windows 7? Today we take a look at Windows 7 Logon..."
http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/7751/customize-the-windows-7-logon-screen/
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View Your Firefox & Twitter Histories On A Timeline With Voyage

A new experimental Firefox add-on. This one is called Voyage – you know like a journey. You can...

http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Makeuseof/~3/0l_Wwsj9JDY/

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Lessons Learned from a Hacked Google Account

"Amit Agarwal learned a lot..."

http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/FHB4-1vOrkY/lessons-learned-from-a-hacked-google-account

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Email trouble

My email and domain provider Loopia is having big ass problems with their email service for the last couple of days. They "upgraded" their servers and then everything went crashing down. Now it takes about 10 minutes to sign in to the email server if possible at all, mostly it just times out. And this has been going on for a couple of days now, really it can´t be that hard to fix.

Dubai is strict

If you are traveling to Dubai you better watch where you step or you may end up in jail for a long time.

Read article at Gadling

Paper Sheet Protects World from Nuclear Holocaust

"A report released this month by the Pentagon has revealed the truth behind the B-52 bomber—loaded with six live nuclear warheads—flying over the US, a mistake that could have had catastrophic consequences. Their explanation: a 8.5 x 11-inch sheet of printed paper used to differentiate between nuclear and conventional missiles. Really, it can't get any more absurd than this:"

Read more at gizmodo.com or military.com

Amazing robot dog

Snap Shots

Introducing Snap Shots from Snap.com

I have for a while been using a little tool on this site called Snap Shots that enhances links with visual previews of the destination site, interactive excerpts of Wikipedia articles, MySpace profiles, IMDb profiles and Amazon products, display inline videos, RSS, MP3s, photos, stock charts and more.

Sometimes Snap Shots bring you the information you need, without your having to leave the site, while other times it lets you "look ahead," before deciding if you want to follow a link or not.

Should you decide this is not for you, just click the Options icon in the upper right corner of the Snap Shot and opt-out.

Do-it-yourself sites

"The world's biggest show & tell"

"Howcast is a great place to watch fun, informative how-to videos."

TomTom reveals revolutionary IQ Routes™ technology on new TomTom GO series

The TomTom Go 730 and Go 930 are refreshes of their 720 and 920, with two new headlining features: IQ route and advanced lane guidance. Using data collected over the last year from other TomTom devices, IQ route actually tells you the best way to go depending on the day—like, the freeway on Saturday afternoon, but backroads on a Monday morning. Right now it's only by day, but as they collect more data, it'll be increasingly specific—morning vs. night, etc. Advanced lane guidance is basically a little movie demo of massive highway junctions and turnoffs, so you don't take the wrong one.

Read more at gizmodo.com

Cell makers agree on a single charging plug

"Samsung, Motorola, Sony Ericsson, LG, and Nokia have agreed to use micro USB as a charging-plug standard for phones"

Read more:
http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/cellphones/cell-makers-agree-on-a-single-charging-plug-302320.php

http://www.news.com/Pros-seem-to-outdo-cons-in-new-phone-charger-standard/2100-1041_3-6209247.html