For those of you who don’t know VLC is the best video/media player period! And it is FREE! This software can most play virtually anything you throw at it.

VLC 2.0 just came out and it is a major upgrade. If you are still running 1.1.x or earlier grab this new version. Mac users will see the biggest immediate benefit: an Apple-y, single-window interface that’ll match everything else on your desktop. It’s smooth, simple, and comprehendible, for once. Drag a video onto the window, and it’ll start playing. There is plenty new under the hood, too: multi-core CPU and GPU acceleration, new HD formats, higher-quality audio processing, improved video filters, and “experimental” Blu-ray disc support.

If you download videos this is must-have software.

Available for:
Windows
Mac: OSX, iOS
Linux: Debian GNU/Linux, Ubuntu, Mint, openSUSE, Gentoo Linux, Fedora, Arch Linux, Slackware Linux, Mandriva Linux, ALT Linux, Red Hat Enterprise Linux
And: FreeBSD, NetBSD, OpenBSD, Solaris, Android, QNX, Syllable, OS/2

Download VLC 2.0 HERE.

Up until now I have been moderating every comment that is made on my sites before they were posted. It’s not that big a deal since Askimet takes care of most of the spam and my traffic is fairly low. At the same time it is my feeling that when people take the time to write a comment they want to see it posted instantly. To that end I have am testing SI CAPTCHA on this site. SI CAPTCHA is by the same author (Mike Challis) as the Fast Secure Contact Form plugin I use on all my sites. It has been a solid performer for the last year that I have used it.

SI CAPTCHA adds CAPTCHA anti-spam methods to WordPress forms for comments, registration, lost password, login, or all. In order to post comments or register, users will have to type in the code shown on the image. This prevents spam from automated bots. Therre are many options to customize including: hiding the form from admins and logged in users to full CSS control.

If you have a comment leave it here and try out this plug-in at the same time:)

Download SI CAPTCHA here.

I use Windows Explorer every day. I have a shortcut to in pinned to my start menu. I’ve been constantly annoyed that it wants to start in the “My Documents” folder. I rarely even use My Documents and am forced to click several times to get to my C: drive where I usually want to be. I’ve found an easy way to fix that.

Windows Explorer Shortcut Properties Window

Click OK and from now on Windows Explorer will open in “My Computer” view where it is easy to select the drive you want to explore.

Windows Explorer My Computer View

Bonus: You can have Windows Explorer Start in any specific folder you want adding this instead: /e, d:\myfolder Replace the part d:\myfolder above with the drive letter and the folder where you want Windows Explorer to start.

I’ve tested this in Windows XP but I see no reason why it shouldn’t work in Vista and Windows 7 as well.

Gizmodo is a technology weblog about consumer electronics. It is known for its up-to-date coverage of the technology industry, along with topics as broad as design; architecture; space, science and just about everything else. One of my favorite sites; I get most of my news by following this site.

These are the very latest posts from Gizmodo:

• Wed, 22 Feb 2012 19:40:00 +0000: Shooting Challenge: Shattered [Shooting Challenge] - Gizmodo
  

  Our world celebrates the perfect—smooth, virgin surfaces, on our bodies and possessions alike. For this week's Shooting Challenge, make the broken beautiful. Capture an intricate shatter.

  The Challenge

  Capture something that's shattered. Whatever you like. However you like. The only requirement is that a shatter is the subject of the photo.

  The Technique

  I know, I know, you have this awesome iPhone/iPod/iPad that you dropped and, well, you might as well take a quick shot and send it in. No! Do more! Think harder!

  Pull out a macro lens. Or find something in your environment that is shatterer/cracked but isn't glass (like a fissure in the earth). Or just break something. The challenge is to celebrate the beautiful abstraction of something most of us have have cast off as ugly.

  The Example

  Our lead photo is by Sean McCormick. It's overt, with a thick, white web of brokenness dominating the frame so much that you're forced to appreciate the fine nuance of cracking. It's unpredictably perfect. You can do something similar, or you diverge from the idea. Your call.

  The Rules

  1. Submissions need to be your own.
  2. Photos must be taken since this contest was announced (read more on that above).
  3. Explain, briefly, the equipment, settings, technique and story behind shot.
  4. Email submissions to contests@gizmodo.com, not me.
  5. Include 970px wide image (200KB or less) AND a 2560x1600 sized in email. I know that your photo may not fall into those exact high rez dimensions, so whatever native resolution you're using is fine.
  6. One submission per person.
  7. Use the proper SUBJECT line in your email (more info on that below)
  8. You agree to the Standard Contest Rules - though we DO accept non-US resident submissions.
  9. If the image contains any material or elements that are not owned by you and/or which are subject to the rights of third parties, and/or if any persons appear in the image, you are responsible for obtaining, prior to submission of the photograph, any and all releases and consents necessary to permit the exhibition and use of the image in the manner set forth in these rules without additional compensation. If any person appearing in any image is under the age of majority in their state/province/territory of residence the signature of a parent or legal guardian is required on each release.

  Send your best photo by Monday, February 27th at 10AM Eastern to contests@gizmodo.com with "Shatter" in the subject line. Save your files as JPGs, and use a FirstnameLastnameShatter.jpg (970px wide) and FirstnameLastnameShatterWallpaper.jpg (2560px wide) naming conventions. Include your shooting summary (camera, lens, ISO, etc) in the body of the email along with a story of the shot in a few sentences. And don't skip this story part because it's often the most enjoyable part for us all beyond the shot itself!

  Mark Wilson is the founder of Philanthroper, a daily deal site for nonprofits.

  
• Wed, 22 Feb 2012 19:18:00 +0000: Magic Bullet Crosses Mexican Border to Hit Woman In Texas [Crime] - Gizmodo
  

  According to El Paso's Police Chief Craig Allen, this morning a bullet crossed the border from Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, to Texas, striking down a 40-year-old woman after hitting her on the leg:

  We had a lady grazed by a stray bullet we believe could be from Mexico during a gun battle where a car jacking was perceived to be taking place.

  The woman was shopping downtown at 11:06am when the bullet hit her apparently out of nowhere. An ambulance arrived to the scene and moved her to a city hospital, which treated her from "non-life threatening injuries." Police closed down the schools in the area until the situation cleared up. [KDBC]

  
• Wed, 22 Feb 2012 19:00:00 +0000: Squid-Inspired Camera Mount Sucks In the Best Possible Way [Video] - Gizmodo
  

  Sometimes the perfect shot calls for you to perch your camera in a spot too far for you or even a tripod to reach. So Cinetics has updated its CineSkates dolly system with a trio of squid-strong suction cup mounts.

  Scheduled to ship near the end of March for $235, the aptly-named CineSquid swaps roller blade wheels for industrial-strength pump-action suction cups strong enough to secure a camera lighter than five pounds to any smooth surface.

  Like the CineSkates, the system includes a GorillaPod articulated tripod for extra flexibility. And even though the promo video shows it securely stuck to the underside of a plane, I'd probably think twice about hanging a camera that cost thousands of dollars to a $235 mounting solution. [Cinetics via Gizmag]

  
• Wed, 22 Feb 2012 18:46:13 +0000: Is Google Trying to Kill Web Video? [Lawsuits] - Gizmodo
  

  Imagine if web video suddenly disappeared from smartphones one day. Well, Microsoft says that if Google isn't stopped that calamitous day might not be far off . That's a lofty charge, but is it truth or hyperbole?

  Microsoft just filed an anti-trust complaint in the EU alleging that Google-owned Motorola Mobility is unfairly using its web video and wireless patents to keep Microsoft products off the shelves—and that it could ruin the web for everyone. Apple filed a similar complaint last week. According to a blog post by a Microsoft lawyer:

  You probably take for granted that you can view videos on your smartphone, tablet, PC, or DVD/Blu-ray player and connect to the Internet without being tied to a cable. That works because the industry came together years ago to define common technical standards that every firm can use to build compatible products for video and Wi-Fi. Motorola and all the other firms that contributed to these standards also made a promise to one another: that if they had any patents essential to the standards, they would make their patents available on fair and reasonable terms, and would not use them to block competitors from shipping their products.

  Basically, Motorola owns the patents to several "essential" web video standards, but agreed to friendly and non-discriminatory licensing (FRAND) of these patents. All companies do this with their patents to a certain extent because without FRANDs, it would be almost impossible for new technologies to catch on. Microsoft and scores of other companies adopted Motorola's standards for wireless and web video ages ago. The patents are so fundamental that you really can't find a way around them with an alternate technology.

  Now Microsoft says that Motorola and Google are reneging on the FRANDs by taking legal action against companies that use those standards and demanding exorbetant payment for their use. The mighty voice of Foss Patents agrees:

  I can see what Apple and Microsoft are complaining about. If every owner of standard-essential patents behaved like Motorola, this industry would be in chaos, and grind to a halt.

  In other words, if a few of Motorola's lawsuits go the wrong way, everyone will have to either pay up or stop using the patents. According to Microsoft:

  For a $1,000 laptop, Motorola is demanding that Microsoft pay a royalty of $22.50 for its 50 patents on the video standard, called H.264. As it turns out, there are at least 2,300 other patents needed to implement this standard. They are available from a group of 29 companies that came together to offer their H.264 patents to the industry on FRAND terms. Microsoft's patent royalty to this group on that $1,000 laptop?

  Two cents.

  Those numbers are pretty damning, and Microsoft's complaint says it constitues unfair competition. What's more, Microsoft claims it could have a damaging effect on technologies we all use everyday by cordoning off wireless and web video from much of the market.

  From what we've seen, it appears that Microsoft has a very good case here, and its claim that web video is in jeopardy isn't far off either. Some companies would agree to pay big for the patents for some products, but the bottom line is that if Moto-Google gets its way, many products simply won't be made or they won't include the technologies that we've come to rely on. wireless connections and web video probably won't suddenly disappear, and we'll still be able to watch funny cat videos online. Unfortunately, it just won't be as easy to connect, and there won't be as many videos to watch. [Microsoft and Foss Patents]

  Image via Rafa Irusta/Shutterstock.com

  
• Wed, 22 Feb 2012 18:20:00 +0000: Your Sweaty Ass Could Soon Be Charging Your Phone [Science] - Gizmodo
  

  If you generate a lot of excess body heat—and there's no shame in it—then it would make sense to put it to good use. A new wearable fabric called Power Felt could be the answer; it can generate electrical current from temperature differences.

  Developed by researchers at the Center for Nanotechnology and Molecular Materials at Wake Forest University, the new material is made up of carbon nanotubes locked up in flexible plastic fibers. Those fibers are woven together into a material that feels like felt, but reacts to temperature gradients to produce an electrical current. The research appears in Nano Letters.

  The researchers suggest that it could be used around insulating pipes, under roof tiles, or even under your ass in car seats to make the most of waste heat. Of course, you could always get yourself a pair of Power Felt running shorts to keep your phone topped up on the go, too. I bet you look good in felt.

  While the fabric is very much real, there is a small drawback. Currently, 72 stacked swatches of the—admittedly very thin— fabric yield about 140 nanowatts of power. That is not a lot of power. To put that in perspective, it's of the order of a millionth of the power your iPhone uses when it's idle. So, you'll need a lot of layers or some very large clothes to make the most of it right now. The researchers are confident they can improve the material's efficiency, though. Corey Hewitt, one of the researchers, says:

  "I imagine being able to make a jacket with a completely thermoelectric inside liner that gathers warmth from body heat, while the exterior remains cold from the outside temperature. If the Power Felt is efficient enough, you could potentially power an iPod, which would be great for distance runners. It's definitely within reach."

  That's an impressive claim, but compared to other uses for carbon nanotubes—like building space elevators—it sounds a fairly achievable one. [Nano Letters via Science Daily; Image: boegh]

  

Yesterday I made a video on my computer. You can see it here. The first time I recorded the audio using the microphone in my trusty ole Logitec Quickcam 4000 that was sitting on my monitor. Well, while it works for videoconferencing the sound really sucks for YouTube videos. I plugged in my wifes Blue Microphones Snowflake USB Microphone
and re-recorded the audio. The difference was night and day! The Snowflake isn’t nearly as sensitive. You need to talk right into the microphone. I also had to turn the recording level all the way up. Another plus is that while the Logitech picked up the sound from the fans of all the computers in my office the Snowflake only picked up my voice.

I’m not a musician so I’ve never really thought about microphones before. Until now pretty much any microphone got the job done. Now that we are all posting videos to YouTube and Facebook it is time to include good audio with the video. Many times I’ve quit watching a YouTube video just because the sound was unbearable.

I recommend the Blue Microphones Snowflake as a very good reasonably priced audio recording device. On my Windows XP machine I just plugged it into a USB port and it worked. All I had to do was select it in the audio settings of my software (since my Logitech was still plugged in I now have 2 microphones to choose from).

As a side note: We first purchased this microphone for my wife who is a court reporter to record audio at depositions. The lack of sensitivity makes this product a poor choice for her because it doesn’t pick up voices very well unless you speak directly into it. For making quality audio recordings it is great. To do any better I would bet you’d have to spend hundreds of dollars on a professional studio microphone.

Activation Link: http://www.voipo.com/2747.html
Promo Code: 6503220803

This is a video I made for YouTube to promote the VOIPo phone service. I made the video with Camtasia Studio software. I really like the software and may do a full review of it in the future. If you’ve ever wanted to make a screen capture video this is the software to use. At $299.00 it is a bit pricey but at the same time it has editing power that rivals Sony Vegas Pro video editing software. It is great for making YouTube videos.

As explained in the video this coupon gets you a month of free VOIPo service. When you use my promo code I get a free month added to my service too. You can read my earlier VOIPo review here.

Download the VOIPo .PDF Printable Coupon Here.

For those of you wondering what Dilbert emailed his boss in todays (February 7, 2012) strip here is what I came up with.

The string of vowels: A UI AOE UIE OU EAI! Could be:

THAT F*CKING ASSHOLE RUINED OUR EMAIL!

It is quite possible that Dilbert would not resort to using the F-bomb, especially to his pointy haired boss, in which case it could also read:

THAT STUPID ASSHOLE RUINED OUR EMAIL!

See todays Dilbert comic strip here.

For a limited time Dropbox is running a beta test on its new Experimental Dropbox v1.3.12 software and will give you up to 5 GB of storage in addtion to what you already have (in 500MB increments) to test out the software’s new feature. What the new feature does is use autoplay to enable the automatic import of photos and videos from cameras, smartphones and SD cards. When you plug a camera into your computer, Dropbox will start uploading the pictures to your Dropbox and you’ll start getting free storage.

If you don’t yet have a Dropbox cloud storage account get one using this link and you will get 2.25 GBs of free storage to start instead of the standard 2 GBs.

Dropbox users can download and read about the Experimental Dropbox 1.3.12 software here and get your additional 5 free gigs. To get the free gigs of space you need (1) a Dropbox account, (2) the beta software, (3) upload photos and videos using the autoplay feature. I just got out my video camera and started taking videos around the house then attached the USB cable and chose Dropbox from the autoplay popup. I started getting free gigs from Dropbox immediately.

Here is a trick to getting those free 5 gigs really fast. Once you’ve installed the software move 5 gigs of videos and/or photos onto a USB stick. Remove and replace the USB stick and choose “Import pictures and videos using Dropbox” from the autoplay popup box. Once the files have been transferred into the Camera Uploads folder you can delete them as soon as they finish indexing and start uploading. You will get instant credit without having to wait for 5 gigs of files to upload.

Ways to get even more extra Dropbox space for free:

1) Get referred by a current user (me) by clicking here +2.25GB to start otherwise 2GB if you are not referred.
2) Complete at least 5 of 7 easy getting started tutorial steps +250MB
3) Complete these simple tasks
- Connect your Twitter account with Dropbox +128MB
- Connect your Facebook account with Dropbox +128MB
- Follow @Dropbox on Twitter +128MB
- Send a one line comment about why you love Dropbox +128MB
- Tweet about Dropbox for more free space! +128MB
4) Refer new users who register AND install the Dropbox software +250MB per referral up to 8GB
5) Link your account to a .edu email address if you have one. Doubles storage referral bonus to +500MB per referral up to 16GB (works retroactively as well)

FWIW I now have 10.4GBs of space on my Dropbox account. All free using the above methods. Now if someone could tell me how to get a .edu email address (my Alumni Association is lame) I could double that number!

Lately my computer has been getting slow. (It is a Windows XP machine with 2GB of memory I built 5 years ago.) Frequently it would suddenly get slow as molasses and I would see the red hard disk access light glowing. I decided I would see if increasing the memory from 2GB to 4GB would help. I ordered 4GB of good Corsair memory from Ebay for $38 used. I have the 32bit version of Windows XP which means that only 3.12GB of the 4GBs can be utilized. Still that is a %50+ increase in available memory.

The results. After plugging in the new memory sticks the speed improvement was instantly noticeable. I wish I had done this simple upgrade sooner! Upgrading memory form 2GBs to 3GBs doesn’t sound like much but it is.

Guinness

This is in my opinion is not only the best Guinness commercial but the best beer commercial ever made. In fact I would say it is the best commercial every made. While it is a little racy it isn’t quite NSFW though I did hear that this commercial was banned. BTW Guinness is my favorite beer. Enjoy the video.

Geek side note: When I first uploaded this video it had no sound, though it played fine with sound using VLC on my computer. I re-converted the file and changed the audio codec from MP3 to AAC. This fixed the problem.