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Google+ debuts 'sliders' to help users de-clog their streams

Google Plus launched a new feature today called "sliders" that lets users decide how and when they want to tone down information from their Circles that may be clogging up their stream.

The idea is to give users more control on what they see, learn, and share on Google's social network. It's similar to Facebook's "hide stories" feature where users can decide if they want to see all, most, most important, or no status updates from their friends.

Google+ launched volume "sliders" last year, extending it across the entire social network. … Read more

Apple TV and the quest for cable

Thursday's tech headlines know how to speak your language:

Imaginations are running wild about an Apple TV cable box. The Wall Street Journal reported that Apple is talking to cable providers, but no deals have been made. Earlier this week Apple was granted a patent for its design of a cable box. But Apple is not alone in its hunt for cable deals. Microsoft's Xbox 360 has slowly been adding video from cable providers in its quest to be the one box to rule all home entertainment.

The Sony Reader is back with a new model, selling for $… Read more

PlayStation's mobile, multiscreen push

Tuesday's top tech headlines are formatted to fit your second screen:

At the Gamescom conference in Germany, Sony announced several new PlayStation games and new methods for playing. Sony talked more about PlayStation Mobile for Android devices, but we still don't know exactly when it'll hit the market or how many games will launch in the store.

And there are some perks for those that own both a PS Vita and the PS3. For one price, you can get a game for both systems, starting with "PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale," "Sly Cooper: Thieves in … Read more

Automate tasks with mouse gestures with StrokesPlus Portable 64-bit

Mouse gestures can automate some of your most repetitive tasks. With a mere click and a flick, you can do everything from close your browser to initiate long strings of commands. StrokesPlus is a free mouse gestures application that lets you easily draw gestures to set actions for the program to trigger. StrokesPlus is free, but there are separate downloads for 32-bit and 64-bit Windows. We tried StrokesPlus for 64-bit Windows in Windows 7 Home Premium.

StrokesPlus is a work in progress (what cutting-edge app isn't?) and improvements mean you no longer need to run the program as an … Read more

Take your programmed mouse gestures on the road with StrokesPlus Portable (64-bit)

Mouse gestures can automate tedious tasks. With the click of a button and a flick of the wrist, you can fill in your shipping address, insert a long string of text you have to type over and over again, display the weather, or launch any program. StrokesPlus is a free mouse gestures application that's easy to configure and use but also highly flexible. It's available in separate downloads for 32-bit and 64-bit versions of the Windows operating system. It's also available in fully portable versions of each. While most users will probably benefit from the fully installed … Read more

iPhone users can find movies and TV shows via Verizon's Viewdini

Looking for your favorite movie or TV show online but not sure where to find it? Verizon's Viewdini can pull that rabbit out of the hat.

Previously available as a mobile app for Android only, Viewdini recently made its debut on Apple's iOS platform. Through the free app, you can search for any movie or TV show. In return, Viewdini points you to Web sites where you can watch, rent, or buy it.

Viewdini covers the usual suspects such as Netflix, iTunes, and Hulu Plus. But it also searches ABC, Crackle, Funny or Die, Vimeo, and Verizon's … Read more

Google+ launches vanity URLs, catching up to Facebook, Twitter

Both Twitter and Facebook have offered vanity URLs personalized to users' accounts for years -- something that has been glaringly vacant in Google Plus' URLs. But, that's about to change.

Google's social network announced today that vanity URLs for profiles and pages are on their way. It has even begun rolling out a few for celebrities, like soccer player David Beckham and pop singer Britney Spears, along with brands like Toyota, Delta, and Hugo Boss.

Here's what Google product manager Saurabh Sharma wrote in a blog post today:

Your Google+ profile is a place for you to … Read more

Microsoft saying good-bye to Hotmail

No spam in Tuesday's top tech stories:

It's not often we get a shakeup in the email world, but say hello to Microsoft's new free email account, Outlook.com. It'll eventually be replacing Hotmail, but you might want to grab your name now. There's a new, clean look and it ties in your social media contacts. It's not too far off from what you may be used to already in Gmail, as you'll be able to tell from CNET's full overview of the features.

The Mars Science Laboratory rover, called Curiosity, will … Read more

Hulu Plus not showing up on your Apple TV? Restart it

This morning Apple quietly rolled out Hulu Plus on the Apple TV. The missing service was one of the last pieces to a puzzle being put together by those who've decided to cut cable, and go all streaming.

If you aren't seeing Hulu Plus show up on your Apple TV yet, you simply need to restart it. Turning it off and back on wasn't enough for me, I had to actually go in and restart it from the settings menu. Here's how.

On your Apple TV, go to Settings > General.

Scroll down to the bottom … Read more