How-To

Wikis are great sites dedicated to either a specific topic or collection of topics. Sometimes you may come across that your niche hobby or interest isn't well-represented in the wiki community. Fortunately, you can remedy this by creating your own, and then let other users across the Web edit the wiki to help you out. Follow these steps to get started:

1. Open a Web browser to Wikia.com.

2. Near the top there will be a Create Wiki button, click on it.

3. Pick a name for your wiki, followed by a Web address. The Web address cannot … Read more

Google Books has great tools for keeping track of things you've read, are reading, or want to read. However, it can be a cumbersome task to add each book to the virtual bookshelf individually. So instead of spending countless minutes keying in numbers, follow these steps so you can easily scan and add all your books at once:

1. Install Barcode2File from the Android Market.

2. Open the app and press the Scan barcode button to start collecting a list of ISBNs from the books (one list at a time).

3. Once you're finished scanning, press … Read more

Whether you're in transit, waiting in line at the DMV, or between appointments, mobile browsing can be a sanity saver. It's not all disposable entertainment, of course, as sometimes you stumble onto a page you want to investigate later on your laptop or desktop machine. It's not that hard to e-mail yourself a link and open it later, but there's a better way. Android2Cloud lets you send links directly to the Chrome browser running on a particular machine, saving you time and making you more likely to actually follow up. Here's how to get started:… Read more

The MacDefender phishing malware for OS X has caused a bit of concern in the Mac community. People who inadvertently visit the false "Apple Security Center" Web site are downloading the installer for the scam software and installing it. This has previously required users to interact with the software installer and provide an admin password to install the package; however, as reported on by CNET editor Elinor Mills, a new variant installs the program under the current user's account and uses an install option that does not require an admin password.

Overall this new variant is not … Read more

While Apple's Spotlight search function is a useful tool, sometimes it may fail to show you items that do contain the search terms you're using. At other times Spotlight may take a while to show you search results, or even bog down your system while it is organizing results. When these problems arise there are a few things you can do to correct them.

In the case of expected results not showing up, try checking your Spotlight preferences to see if you have any folders in Spotlight's privacy list. If so, remove them and wait for Spotlight … Read more

Arranging apps on your iPhone or iPad is as simple as long-pressing on an app's icon, waiting until all the icons wiggle, and then dragging the apps around to where you want them. The downside to using this method, especially if you have a lot of apps installed, is that you can only move one app at a time. This simple guide will show you how to arrange multiple iOS apps using iTunes.… Read more

Google Tasks is a sweet little to-do app for those who value ease of use over fancy accessories. Google's Chrome Web browser is a fast, sleek application that more and more people are using. Integrating the two is fast, easy, and a real time-saver, especially for folks who want to dash off a quick to-do item without shifting between tabs or windows. Here's how to get started:

If you haven't already installed Google Chrome, do so. It's easy to import settings from most other major browsers.

Now, install the Google Tasks extension. It should take only … Read more

If you find yourself constantly fiddling with the volume settings on your Android phone as you make your way through the day, there's a simple way to automate the process of turning notifications and other sounds up, down, or off depending on your location. Llama, a free application, cleverly figures out where you are without needing GPS or even Wi-Fi enabled, then adjusts volume accordingly. Here's how you get started:… Read more

Quick response codes, QR for short, can be used to store many different types of information. For instance, they can store a phone number, a Web address, and even a map location. If you'd like to add a QR code to your Web site or print one on another product (such as a business card or promotional T-shirt), there are free QR generator sites that will allow you to do this. Follow these quick steps to help you create QR codes for personal or business use.

1. Open http://zxing.appspot.com/generator/ … Read more