1. Ctrl + Shift + Click – Open a Program as Administrator

With stricter security under Windows 7 comes the need to occasionally open programs as the Administrator user. Usually you need to right-click and then select “Run as Administrator”, but with this short-cut, you can avoid that step.

2. Shift + Right-Click on a Folder for a Command Prompt

This is very useful if you like using the command prompt. If you shift+right-click on a folder, a new option will appear to “Open command window here”. Clicking on that will open a command prompt at that location.

3. Windows-button + Number – Select Taskbar items

Pressing the windows-button and a number from 0-9 will select an item on the taskbar (0 is equivalent to 10). Potentially a fast way of switching between applications that you are using for keyboard input. For example, you could use it to switch focus between two open documents.

4. Ctrl + Shift + N – Create a New Folder in Explorer

This doesn’t really need much more of an explanation, basically as an alternative to clicking the menu item for a new folder.

5. Shift + Right-Click – Extends the Send-To Menu

If you right-click a file in explorer, there is a “Send to” option in the menu. Within that menu are a number of locations, which the file can be sent (copied) to. By using Shift+Right-click, this menu is expanded to include a number of other user locations.

6. Ctrl + Shift + Escape – Open Task Manager

Brings up the task manager, without the need to press Ctrl+Alt+Del first. Task manager is a useful Windows utility that, among other things, allows you to end unresponsive processes.

7. Windows-botton + Pause – Open System Properties

Opens the system properties window. Neat right? :)

8. Windows-button+B to Focus on System Tray

Focuses on the system tray, which then allows you to use the arrow keys to navigate it. Hit the Enter key on the little up arrow to expand it.

9. Shift+Click on Taskbar Item to Open Second Instance

If you want to open more than one copy of a program in your system tray, simply shift-click on the icon. This does not work for every application, only those which allow multiple instances. E.g. Internet browsers, explorer, Notepad, Wordpad.

10. Windows-button+Space to Show the Desktop

Essentially the same as clicking the little tab in the right hand corner of the taskbar, it will show the desktop by hiding active windows.

Hopefully some of you will find these shortcuts useful. Feel free to post more shortcuts in the comments below.

Image credit: Leonid Mamchenkov

Google Shortcuts displays all Google services as buttons or as a space-saving dropdown menu next to your address bar (or anywhere you like it). You can then access your frequently used Google services with a single click from the toolbar. It currently supports over 110 Google services and it is highly configurable and customizable.

Install Google Shortcuts for Firefox or Chrome.

After the installation, immediately you will see a row of icons appears beside the address bar. The default list of Google services include Gmail, Reader, Google Encrypted Search, Maps, Calendar, Wave (is anyone still using this?), Dashboard and Settings.

Don’t like the way that it is messing up your toolbar or that you can’t find your favorite Google services in the list? Don’t worry. Just click the Settings button and you will be able to configure it to your liking.

In the Settings, you can add the Google services that you use frequently and remove those that you have totally no interest in. You can also arrange them in the order you like and even edit the URL of the shortcuts. What makes it even more powerful is the various function buttons such as “Gmail This” or “New Doc” to quickly email a selected text from the webpage to your friend or to quickly create a new Google document on the fly.

And if you think Google Shortcuts only handle Google services, then you are wrong. You can even create your own shortcuts with a custom name and URL.

The Advanced Options is where all the good things are. Here, you can define the layout of the Google shortcut, either as a horizontal or vertical toolbar, or as a dropdown menu. I personally prefer the dropdown menu as it does not clutter my toolbar with icons. You can also configure the tab behavior (to open a new tab or in background tab) and also use Google Apps for all your Google services.

The Import/Export Option allows you to backup your Settings and import to another Firefox browser.

The Import/Export feature is only available in the Firefox version. This also means that you won’t be able to export your Firefox Google Shortcuts settings and import it into Google Chrome.

There is no doubt over the usefulness of this Google Shortcuts extension. It is highly configurable and could save you ton of times typing the URL on your address bar. If you are not using it, go install it now.

Google Shortcuts (Firefox | Google Chrome)

Here are few of them. Some are oldies but goodies, others are relatively new.

1. Taking Screenshot

Let’s start with the easiest one: taking screenshots. You can capture anything on your iPhone screen by simply press the “Home” and “Sleep/Wake” buttons at the same time.

The result will be stored in the “Photos – Camera Roll” album along with other pictures that you take with the built in camera.

2. Tap and Hold icons

If you tap and hold any icon on iPhone screen, the icons will jiggle and you can do several things within this jiggling environment:

• You can re-arrange the icon by dragging and dropping them to the position that you want
• You can delete apps by tapping on the black “X” button which will appear at the top right corner of the app’s icon.
• If you do this on the multitasking bar, you can close the app by tapping on the red “minus (-)” button on the top left of the app’s icon.

3. Functions of Home button – One Click

Being a device with minimal number of available button, iPhone has to optimize the functions of its buttons. Let’s look at the “Home” button. We will start with the obvious: one click.

Clicking it once within an open application will close the application (if you use iOS below 4) or minimize it to tray (under iOS 4 – part of the new multi-tasking feature). But if you click it once without any open application, you will be brought to the Home screen.

And one click from the Home screen will open the search function. Another click will close it.

One click of Home button will also turn the jiggling icons back to normal.

4. Functions of Home button – Two Clicks and Three Clicks

Many of iPhone users are still unfamiliar with the changes of two clicks function under iOS 4. Previously, users can customize two clicks to access iPod/Camera/Favorites/Search under “Settings -> General -> Home“. Now, clicking the Home button twice will open the multitasking bar. You can use the tap and hold trick above to close several – or all – of the opened apps to conserve battery power.

Three clicks of Home button is dedicated to “Accessibility Options” and is customizable under “General -> Accessibility -> Triple-click Home” Settings. The options are: Voice Over, White on Black display, and Zoom (if you choose “Ask“)

5. Quickly jump back to top

Due to the screen size limitation, sometimes you have to scroll far down within an app – like when you browse a long page in mobile Safari. You can quickly jump back to the top of the page just by tapping the status bar (the place where you can see time, signal, battery, etc.)

Please note that this trick might not work on some non-Apple apps.

6. Insert Period, Comma, Numbers and Others, and quickly back to Letters

You might notice that iPhone keyboard layout requires users to tap “Number” button before the “Period” button appear. That’s not very practical, isn’t it?

Turns out that you can quickly insert period (followed by a space) by tapping the “Space” button twice. The keyboard will also capitalize every first letter in a sentence automatically.

While there’s no shortcut available to insert Comma, Numbers, and other common symbols like question mark, colon, quote, etc.; you can save few clicks in inserting those symbols by tapping and holding the number button on the lower left of the keyboard layout and quickly sliding your finger to the symbol that you want to insert.

When you release your finger, the symbol will be inserted to your text and the keyboard layout will go back to letter layout automatically.

7. Select, Copy, Paste and Correct

For these basic editing functions, all you have to do is to tap and hold on the text. A magnifying glass will appear to help you see the part of the text better. Without releasing your finger from the screen, slide to the position where you want the cursor be.

After that you have the option to Select part or all of the text, Copy, Paste or just simply Delete by tapping the backspace button.

These seven shortcuts are just few of the many more available. I hope they could be useful. If you know others, please share using the comment below. And don’t forget to check out our other articles about iPhone/iPod Touch.

Application launchers provide quick and convenient access to installed applications within one system using only few keystrokes. For a keyboard guy like me, this kind of apps are the dreams come true.

Quick But Not QuickSilver

The term “application launcher” always associated with Quicksilver, the app that popularized the usage. Even though the development process is not as “hot” as it used to be, QuickSilver keeps its reputation intact until today.

But that doesn’t mean that there are no alternatives. There are many launchers available for Mac and I’ve tried and used many of them. Some are good and others are great, some are free and others are not. Here are five of the free alternatives of application launchers for Mac.

1. Spotlight

I believe most Mac users take the OS X built in Spotlight feature for granted. It’s actually a very capable application launcher. Just use the assigned shortcut key to summon it, type the application name, select the result, and hit enter.

You can access the settings from System Preferences. Arrange the order according to which group should appear first. If you want to use Spotlight as an application launcher, put “Applications” at the top.

You could also set the key combination that you’d like to use.

2. Google Quick Search Box

If you keep yourself updated to the human stories behind the computer technology, you’ll know that one of QuickSilver main creator leave the project to build QSB (the short for Google Quick Search Box). Some says this is the improved version of QuickSilver, others disagree with the statement.

3. Alfred

Alfred is one of the latest to enter the battlefield. People are saying that this baby has potential. Aside from the simplicity in the interface, the functionality is also top notch.

4. Launchy

This app started as a Windows app, and then expanded its reach to the Mac world. So it’s only natural that most documentations about this app are on the Windows side.

The basic functionalities are the same with other launchers, but what makes this app different is its wide choices of unique skins.

5. Namely

This little app maybe one of the simplest Mac launcher alternatives available out there. It just a launcher without extra bells and whistles. You just call it forth – it will appear under the menu bar, type a couple of first letters of the applications that you want to launch, and hit enter.

As time goes by, the app will learn your habit, and put the apps that you launch most at the top of the list.

There are some customization that you can do from the Preferences (Command + Comma): the shortcut keys combination, the choice to start Namely with your system, and the window color and style.

If you want to, you can also choose to exclude classic applications, and make a blacklist of applications that you don’t want to include in the Namely list.

Which One Should You Choose?

Well, that’s the unavoidable question that goes along with comparison list like this. The standard answer is that you should try them all and decide it by yourself. But here are some friendly tips:

• If you don’t want to add extra application, go with Spotlight.
• If you are living in two worlds and want to have familiar face from Windows, you can choose Launchy.
• Those who want more features can try QSB.
• Alfred comes with less features than QSB but also uses less system resources.
• If simple and extra light is your keyword, go with Namely.
• On the other hand, if you have much spare time to learn all the features, why not put your hand on the one that start it all: Quicksilver.

And for those indecisive people, nobody says that you must choose only one.

Do you know other alternatives to free application launcher for Mac? If you do, share them using the comment below.

Image credit: Eric Kilby

But that is not its only ability. There are other features that will make your song playing via iTunes more enjoyable.

The shortcuts

Imagine this situation: You are in the middle of your work and the tune in the background is changing into that song that you’ve got bored with and you want to skip it. Or your most favorite song has reached the end and you want to listen to it again. What to do?

You could easily switch to iTunes, change the song, and switch back to whatever you are doing. But keep repeating this seemingly simple process over and over again will become an annoying activity.

It would be nice if there are some shortcut keys for you to use to control your tunes on the fly without having to go back and forth between applications.

GimmeSomeTunes gives you that ability. If you open the Preferences from the menubar,

and choose the “Hotkeys” menu, you’ll see a bunch of pre-defined shortcut keys for various functions. There are three shortcut groups:

• Basic Hotkeys – to control basic function of the app such as showing or hiding the info window, iTunes, lyric window, and the preferences itself.
• Player Hotkeys – to control iTunes with commands like Play, Pause, Volume up and down, fast forward, rewind, and skip.
• Rating Hotkeys – to give ratings to currently playing songs.

Don’t forget to check the “Use Hotkeys” option to activate these shortcuts.

Even though these hotkeys are pre-defined, you could change them to whatever combination you are comfortable with. Just click on the “X” mark within each shortcut field to delete the old one and assign the new one.

The displays

GimmeSomeTunes also provide users with customizable display of lyric and song info.

The lyric window will appear when you use the shortcut: Command + Option + Control + L. This window is move-able and resize-able just like other ordinary application windows.

But different from the dynamic lyric window, the info window will – by default – stubbornly reside in the lower part of the desktop and won’t budge from its position.

To move it, you have to make the window “drag-able”. Use this shortcut: Command + Option + Enter; and you’ll be able to move the window. (You could also choose “Make Dragable” from the menubar icon.

There are further customization options available from the Preferences window. Choose the Appearance menu to access them.

You could:

• Choose what song infos that you want to display in the info window. From song title, artist name, album, etc. You could also choose to display none of these elements if you want to show only the album art.
• Decide how long the info window will appear, from never to never fade out.
• Set the window color and transparency
• Set the window alignment (position)
• Choose what font to use on the info window and on the lyric display.

To further customize GimmeSomeTunes, you could tinker with more menus available on the Preferences window. There are options to display song info in the iChat window, show mini-controller on the menubar, use Apple Remote Control, and use GimmeSomeTunes with your Last.fm account.

I have nothing but good comments for this app. It has turn my song listening into a totally new and fun experience.

Have you tried GimmeSomeTunes? Do you know other alternatives? Share using the comment below.

In KDE, shortcut keys are customizable for each and every application, and you can also customize global shortcuts that affect the desktop, window manager, command interface, and other features. What follows is a brief guide to using KDE shortcuts, but first I am going to press “Ctrl-S” to save my work.

Global Shortcuts

1. To start the KDE shortcut configuration, find System Settings in the menu, or press “Alt-F2″, type “systemsettings“, and press enter.

2. Click “Keyboard & Mouse” in the Computer Administration section.

3. Click “Global Keyboard Shortcuts“.

4. Select the KDE component you wish to edit. For example, select “Run Command Interface” to edit Krunner settings.

5. Click on an action, and it will expand a section showing you the default shortcut and the option to make a custom one.

6. Select “Custom” and then click the button next to it.

7. It will then wait for you to press a key or keystroke combination. If the shortcut is already assigned, it will warn you about that. Otherwise, it will assign the new shortcut key.

8. Click Apply.

Application Shortcuts

Another handy shortcut feature of KDE is that you can assign shortcuts to an application or command. The example I am going to demonstrate solved a problem for me. I have a Mac Pro, but I Linux on it as my main OS. The CD-ROM/DVD drive has no button to open it. That is controlled by the keyboard, which worked fine when I used an Apple keyboard. When I got tired of the Apple keyboard and bought one I liked better, I needed to assign a key for opening the CD tray.

1. Right click on the K-Menu icon on the panel.

2. Click “Menu Editor”

3. Find the application you want to edit or click the “new” button to add a new command (For new commands, follow the normal procedures for adding a command to the menu).

4. Click the “Advanced” tab.

5. Where it says “Current shortcut key”, click the button next to it.

6. Enter the key combination you want.  For my eject command, I used “Fn-F10″.

7. Click “Save”.

Finally, whenever you are in a KDE application, you can assign shortcuts by doing the following:

1. In the application’s menu, click “Settings”.

2. Click “Configure Shortcuts”.

With application shortcuts, you have the option of assigning alternates so that two different shortcuts can execute an action. You can also assign a global shortcut to an application that will work even when another application has focus. For example, you can set media controls, such as volume, to be controlled even when you are not in KMix.  You can export any of your shortcut settings and import them on another computer, giving you the ultimate flexibility. Now press the shortcut to bookmark MakeTechEasier.com, and enjoy.

On the other hand, I also have a passion for clean desktop. I have a huge collection of beautiful wallpapers and I love to set my desktop to rotate the wallpaper every 30 minutes. It is my source of inspiration and seeing the beautiful wallpaper allows me to relax whenever I am too stress out from my work.

Apparently, having a lot of desktop shortcuts and a clean beautiful desktop together is not quite possible. I need a solution, a method that allows me to clean up my Desktop, yet allows me to access to my shortcut icons and files quickly.

1st Method: Toying with the gconf-editor

Nautilus is the app that is in charge of rendering the desktop icons. By configuring the relevant entry in gconf-editor, you can get Nautilus to show/hide the desktop icons. (I will not go into the detail here)

Ivy.fr has come up with a script that allows you to toggle on/off the desktop icons. Here is the modified version.

Open a text editor and paste the following code into it:

#!/bin/bash
if ( `gconftool --get /apps/nautilus/preferences/show_desktop` == "true" ) then
gconftool --set /apps/nautilus/preferences/show_desktop \
--type boolean false
else
gconftool --set /apps/nautilus/preferences/show_desktop \
--type boolean true
fi
# EOF

Save the file as ToggleDesktop.sh and place it in your Home folder.

On your file manager, right click on the ToggleDesktop.sh file and select Properties. Select to the Permissions tab and make the file executable.

Now, whenever you click on the script, it will hide/show the desktop icons.

You can also drag and drop the script to the panel for easy access.

The limitation

While this method seems like a good way to show/hide your desktop icons, it comes with some limitations:

1) Once you have toggled the desktop icons off, you’ll have totally no control over the desktop. You won’t be able to access the context menu (via right-click) and you won’t be able to change the wallpaper. If you are using a wallpaper changing app (such as Drapes), it will no longer work.

2) This is not stable and it could cause the Nautilus to crash occasionally. The problem is, when Nautilus crashed, it does not show any error message. You will have completely no knowledge that it has crashed.

3) Hiding your desktop icon is fast, but getting them to display again will have a time lag (of about 1 second).

2nd Method: Using Compiz and a lightweight file manager

The second method is an idea that I have come up on my own that allows me to maintain a clean desktop and at the same time have quick access to my data. It makes use of Compiz widget layer and a lightweight File Manager.

Unlike the above method, the idea here is not to hide your desktop icons, but to create a folder to store all your Desktop icons/files and make it into a widget where you can access it easily.

The lightweight file manager that I use is Thunar. It will work too if you use Rox-Filer or PCManFM. I avoided using Nautilus as it is the default file manager in Gnome and I don’t want it to mess up my system.

Instructions

1) Create a folder in your Home directory and name it Desktop_Folder.

2) Move all your desktop shortcuts and files to this folder. In the future, this will be the folder where you place all your shortcuts and files that you want to have quick access to.

3) Install Thunar and CompizConfig Settings Manager

sudo apt-get install thunar compizconfig-settings-manager

4) Open up Compiz Config Manager (System-> Preferences->CompizConfig Settings Manager)

5) Go to the Widget Layer section. Click on the Behavior tab.

Enter the following in the Widget Windows field

title=Desktop_Folder – File Manager & class=Thunar

6) Click on the General tab, on the third row of “Toggle Widget Display”, configure the screen corner to activate the widget. For me, I chose the bottom right corner.

(Check out this article for more detail on setting any applications to be a widget in Ubuntu)

7) Close Compiz Settings Manager. Go to System->Preferences-> Sessions (or Startup Applications if you are using Jaunty). Create a new entry and enter the following:

Name: Thunar
Command: thunar /home/your_username/Desktop_Folder

That’s it. Whenever you startup your computer, Thunar will load up with the Desktop_Folder directory and hide itself behind the screen (in the widget layer). Whenever you need to access your files, simply point your mouse to the bottom right corner of the screen to display Thunar. There you will find all your shortcuts and files.

Let me know if these two methods work for you. If you have any other ways to keep a clean desktop without affecting your efficiency, do let me know in the comments.

Image credit: indra-wahyudi