Working with the command line doesn’t always have to be painfully boring. Here’s are a couple of tips to watch Star Wars IV in ASCII format or play Tetris on a Mac. These tricks have been around for quite a while, but they’re fun if you’re new to computing or just forgot about them.

Star Wars in Vista & Windows 7

Telnet is disabled by default in Windows 7 and Vista. To enable it, click Start and Type: programs and features and hit Enter.

In the right panel click Turn Windows Features On or Off.

The Windows Features screen comes up. Check both Telnet Client and Telnet Server. Click OK.

After it’s enabled click Start and Type: telnet and hit Enter.

The Tenet Prompt opens type the letter O then hit Enter. At the next prompt Type: towel.blinkenlights.nl then hit Enter.

Now you can watch Star Wars IV — ASCII style. You might need to wait a few moments while it connects.

Star Wars in XP

In XP click Start >> Run to bring up the Run dialog box

Or simply use the Keyboard Combo – Windows Key + R to bring it up. Type: cmd then hit Enter.

When the Command Prompt comes up Type: tenlet towel.blinkenlights.nl and hit Enter. Wait a moment for it to connect and enjoy the same ASCII Star Wars goodness.

OS X Terminal: Play Tetris

Fun command line tricks are available in OS X. You can also play a quick game of Tetris in the Terminal in OS X using Emacs. On the Menu Bar click Go >> Utilities.

In Utilities double click on Terminal.

Type: emacs at the first prompt and hit Enter. You’ll see the following screen.

Hit Esc + X on the keyboard to pull up the M-x prompt and Type: tetris at the bottom of the prompt. Hit Enter.

Now start playing a modified version of Tetris on your Mac.

These tricks can be some groovy geek fun to show your coworkers while waiting for the whistle to blow.

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RELATED ITEMS:APPLE, OS X, VISTA, WINDOWS, WINDOWS 7, XP

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NEWS

Google Drive has Officially Launched!

ByBogdan Bele

Last Updated on April 24, 2012

We’ve been talking about Google Drive for weeks…. and this afternoon Google Drive was officially Launched! Just as expected, it offers up to 5 GB of cloud storage space for free, while larger capacities are available…

We’ve been talking about Google Drive for weeks…. and this afternoon Google Drive was officially Launched! Just as expected, it offers up to 5 GB of cloud storage space for free, while larger capacities are available for various fees.

The service Google is calling “Drive” is available at the moment for PC and Mac, as well as on Android devices. Google promises an iPad and iPhone version soon (and judging by the way Google moves, it won’t take too long until Apple approves it).

Depending on your country, Google Drive may or may not be available yet from the Google Drive service page. I personally had issues getting in and was presented with the following message with an email notification.

Google says that the service will work seamlessly with Google Docs and it will allow you to upload any files you like. It will have an emphasis on collaboration – everyone will be able to use the same file, and edit it together even if it’s a large one (which seems quite normal, considering the Google Docs integration).

Except for the Google Docs integration, it doesn’t seem to be too different from other services on the market, but the fact that it has Google’s name on it should make most users feel more confident that it won’t be vanishing anytime soon with their data.

Also, everything is searchable (uh… yeah thanks Google), and you can bet that will make things much easier for very large collections of files.

If you need to buy more space (beyond the 5GB of free space), similar to other Google Products you can buy more space.

According to Google, buying extra storage space will increase your Gmail quota to 25 GB. The prices for extra storage are as follows:

• 25 GB – $2.49
• 100 GB – $4.99
• 200 GB – $9.99
• 400 GB – $19.99
• 1 TB – $49.99
• 2 TB – $99.99
• 4 TB – $199.99
• 8 TB – $399.99
• 16 TB – $799.99

These are all monthly rates.

I’m curious what happens to your files that go over the 5 GB limit once you stop paying for a subscription.

Today’s news comes after Microsoft announced yesterday the availability of 7GB for its SkyDrive. If you want the original 25GB of space they previously offered, make sure to opt-in quickly.

Anyway, the service does look interesting (I can’t wait to have mine available), and you can find out more about from the short presentation video Google has posted. You can watch it below.

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RELATED ITEMS:GOOGLE, GOOGLE DRIVE, ONLINE STORAGE

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HOW-TO

How To Automate SyncToy Jobs in Windows 7

ByBrian Burgess

Last Updated on April 23, 2012

An easy way to synchronize folders and files is to use Microsoft’s free SyncToy utility. However, there isn’t a built in method for scheduling it. You need to run it manually. Here’s how to use Window Task Scheduler to set up the job(s) to run automatically.

An easy way to synchronize folders and files is to use Microsoft’s free SyncToy utility. However, there isn’t a built in method for scheduling it. You need to run it manually. Here’s how to use Window Task Scheduler to set up the job(s) to run automatically.

After you’ve set up your sync tasks in SyncToy 2.1, you’ll want to make them run automatically.

Click start and type Task Scheduler into the search box and hit Enter.

Windows Task Scheduler opens. Under Actions in the right panel, select Create Basic Task.

If you don’t see the Actions pane, click the button on the toolbar to Toggle on the Action Pane.

The Basic Task Wizard opens, give the task a memorable name and description such as Sync Folder Pairs.

Next select when you want the task to start. This is up to you, depending on how often you want it to run. If you’re syncing important data between folders, I recommend choosing Daily.

Pick the day to start and how often for it to recur. If you travel a lot, check Synchronize across Time Zones.

Under Action select Start a Program.

Now type in the path or browse to the location of SyncToy. If you type it in, make sure you have it in quotes like below. In the Add Arguments field add –R which will make all active folder pairs you have created run during the scheduled task.

Verify the summary Name, Description, Trigger and Action. Check Open the Properties Dialog When I Click Finish.

Now you have an overall summary of the job. Here you can go through and make any changes if you need to. One option I always select is Run with Highest Privileges. Click OK and close out of Task Scheduler.

For more on scheduled tasks, check out how to create a scheduled task to run Disk Cleanup automatically.

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RELATED ITEMS:FREEWARE, MICROSOFT, WINDOWS

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HOW-TO

SumatraPDF is a Light, Free and Portable PDF Reader

ByAustin

Last Updated on April 23, 2012

A free PDF reader is a lot like a free sample of perfume at Macy’s. Some of them stink, some of them smell good and either way there are plenty of them. SumatraPDF is one that smells good. It integrates nicely with Windows, Chrome, Firefox, and Opera.

When someone asks me what my favorite PDF reader is, I have to admit that it’s SumatraPDF. This free and simple PDF reading application accomplishes most PDF reading needs and does so with just the bare bones essentials. I like it because it’s fast and has a light system footprint (it doesn’t hog system resources).

SumatraPDF gives you quite a few installation options. You can install it on your computer like a normal program, run a portable version, and equip the browser extensions.

Like other PDF readers, Sumatra offers zoom features and page scrolling.

It also has a text search function as well as bookmarks.

For keyboard ninjas there is also a full set of shortcuts and hotkeys.

Although Chrome doesn’t need it, Firefox and Opera integrate nicely with the SumatraPDF.

For other options try FoxIt Reader or MuPDF for Android.

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RELATED ITEMS:FREEWARE, PDF

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HOW-TO

Windows SkyDrive: Claim 25GB Space Before It’s Lowered to 7GB

ByBrian Burgess

Last Updated on April 23, 2012

Microsoft announced today on the Building Windows 8 blog, that it is lowering the amount of space it provides from 25GB to 7GB. Act quickly if you’re already a SkyDrive user to make sure you’re able to keep the 25GB of space for free.

Microsoft announced today on the Building Windows 8 blog, that it is lowering the amount of space it provides from 25GB to 7GB. Act quickly if you’re already a SkyDrive user to make sure you’re able to keep the 25GB of space for free.

According to the Microsoft blog, less than 99% of users make use more than 7 GB of space on the online storage service anyway. Therefore, it’s lowering the free amount of space down to 7GB. The following quotes and chart are courtesy Microsoft:

7GB free for all new SkyDrive users. We chose 7GB as it provides enough space for over 99% of people to store their entire Office document library and share photos for several years, along with room for growth. To put things in perspective, 99.94% of SkyDrive customers today use 7GB or less – and 7GB is enough for over 20,000 Office documents or 7,000 photos. Since the current base of customers using SkyDrive tilts towards enthusiasts, we are confident that, as we expand the range of people using SkyDrive, this 7GB free limit will prove to be more than enough for even more people.

We know that many of you signed up for a service that offered 25GB, and some are already using more than 7GB of storage. So, starting today, for a limited time, any registered SkyDrive user *who has uploaded files to SkyDrive* as of April 22nd can opt in to keep 25GB of free storage while still getting all of the benefits of the new service. (For users who are already using more than 4GB as of April 1, we’ve automatically opted you in to 25GB of free storage to avoid any issues.) Just sign in here or view our FAQ.

Keep Your 25GB of Space

You’re able to ensure you get your original 25GB of space now though. Log in to your MS SkyDrive account. At the top of the page you’ll see a link to.

On the next page CLick the Free Upgrade button to 25GB guarantee you still have your original 25GB free.

That’s it. You’re given a message letting you know you still have your 25 GB of free storage. Click Close.

The amount of space you have will be shown in your SkyDrive account.

If you’re already using 4GB or more space on SkyDrive, you’ll automatically be opted into the 25GB free account. So, don’t panic if you don’t see the link at the top of your SkyDrive account screen.

It seems counter intuitive for Microsoft to lower the amount of free space. But, it’s still more than a lot of other similar services like Dropbox or SugarSync…where they offer 5GB of free space.

Microsoft also announced improvements to its mobile and Mac apps (including Office for Mac 2011) as well.

This is interesting news as today Dropbox announced improvements to its UI including 2-click sharing and Google is rumored to be announcing its long awaited online storage competitor as well.

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RELATED ITEMS:MICROSOFT, ONLINE STORAGE, SKYDRIVE, WINDOWS

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NEWS

Dropbox Offers 2-click File Sharing with Anyone; Google Challenging Dropbox with New Cloud Service

ByRon White

Last Updated on April 24, 2012

Dropbox today announced a new way with as few as two clicks to share files stored in its cloud storage. The new feature from the company that already leads its field is already provoking The Company that Would Be King, Google, into announcing its own cloud storage system this week, possibly as early as Tuesday or Wednesday.

Dropbox today announced a new way with as few as two clicks to share files stored in Dropbox’s cloud storage. The new feature from the company that already leads its field  is already provoking The Company that Would Be King, Google, into announcing its own cloud storage system this week, possibly as early as Tuesday or Wednesday.

Tuesday talkAndroid.com had a page devoted to a download of Google’s new product, named Google Drive, but the page was not functional.

Google is expected to take direct aim at Dropbox by offering 5 gigabytes of free storage. Dropbox currently provides 2GB of free storage with another 16GB of free space you can earn by selling referring your friends to the service.  But Google’s move and the fact that companies such as Minus already provide 11 free gigabytes could force Dropbox to raise its free storage quota.  Storage wars, anyone?

Describing Dropbox’s new sharing technology, CEO Drew Houston told itWire.com, “ To share a file, simply right-click on the item or folder in your desktop Dropbox, and click ‘Get Link.’ That’s it. The link can then be shared by any means–emailed, texted, tweeted, whatever–to give others access to your files, even if they don’t use Dropbox.” OK, that’s groovy — I’ll give ya that but is it new? Not really… SugarSync, another Cloud Storage favorite has had this feature for years.

Dropbox has already been enormously successful, growing to 50 million users in five years  and $340 million in revenue last year. It has an estimated net worth of $1 billion to $5 billion.

Such success could not happen without Google noticing. Although Dropbox  has a five-year jump, Google has the advantages of an enormous investment in cloud infrastructure and delivering online services.  It also has an advantage in years of developing APIs that developers already know and that will make it simple developing doors from their product opening into Google Drive.

Google Drive is expected to appear at http://drive.google.com . The URL is not yet active.

Sources:

Anthony Caruana. http://www.itwire.com/your-it-news/mobility/54256-google-to-launch-dropbox-killer

http://www.talkandroid.com/103086-breaking-newest-google-drive-screenshot-shows-5gb-of-free-storage/google-drive-5gb/

Austin Carr, http://www.fastcodesign.com/1669581/dropbox-unveils-incredibly-simple-two-click-file-sharing

https://www.dropbox.com/press/20120423

https://www.dropbox.com/links/features

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dropbox_(service)#Dropbox_user_demographics

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RELATED ITEMS:CLOUD-STORAGE, DROPBOX, GOOGLE

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HOW-TO

Download Any YouTube Video the Easy Way

ByBrian Burgess

Last Updated on July 27, 2021

When you come across a funny cat video that you “must-have” on YouTube, there are several different services or extensions you can use.

Update: The extensions in this article are no longer available. YouTube video downloading extensions come and go. But if you search the extension store for your browser you can usually find other ones. Some have more options than others but most get the job done and will download the video as an FLV or MP4 file you can play with VLC. You can also use third-party sites like GetVideo.

When you come across a funny cat video that you “must-have” on YouTube, there are several different services or extensions you can use. Today I’ll show you the easiest way I’ve found for Firefox or Google Chrome.

Download and install Easy YouTube Video Downloader for either Firefox or Google Chrome or both if you use them. (Download Links Below)

After installing the Easy YouTube Video Downloader extension, start browsing YouTube. I’m not really into cat videos – but retro gaming videos are cool. On Firefox, you’ll find a download button below each video.

Click the button and select the file type you want. It offers several format choices like MP4, AAC, Flash or MP3 for audio only – which is cool if you’re watching a bootleg concert and just want the audio.