If you have small children you will be aware of the OMG WHAT HAVE THEY DONE TO THE COMPUTER phenomenon. Here's a free program that protects you from baby's errant fingers, via Kim Komando's excellent newsletter.

The two coolest new kids on the block. Here's a write-up on the new social media darlings. Pinterest has 10 million users after two months. If you're a visual type and collect web sites you might investigate.

Did Churchill actually say he liked to travel on Italian ships because there was "none of this nonsense about women and children first"? Anything suspicious can generally be stress-tested on Snopes. Re Churchill, almost certainly not.

A report here of a prototype ASUS laptop running Microsoft's way successful Kinect gaming system. Quick! Tell your children! Much rejoicing.

Why are people so fond of cows? Anyway, this is free voice recording software; you download it here. It can also be used to record audio you're streaming on your computer but they may violate copyright law so you may want to be careful about that... Source.

A few months away but check out the video before you race in to get an iPad 2. Very nice integration of stylus, finger interface and software. If only they made pretty ads like Apple instead of boring video demos.

iPad 2.0: Only has a cover on one side. What a breakthrough! Must have one! Now that we've got that cynical burst out of the way, you can listen to Peta from Miniot showcasing his new wooden iPad cover and the famous Dutch sense of humour.

As the author says, people seem to like these sorts of articles. 7 of the 10 are Android phones which sounds impressive, except that Apple only make one. The Samsung Galaxy is #1. There, saved you reading it.

WotNews is a news service that lets you personalise and automate news searches. You tell it what keywords (or people or companies) you want to follow and you get an e-newsletter daily or weekly linking to the news stories. Recommended.

No, you don't have to periodically exhaust your laptop's battery in order to prolong its life. In fact, the opposite is true. Here's the Lifehacker slant on it.

Some poor bureaucrat in the U.S. failed to properly redact a PDF document about secret submarine business. As explained in the article, if you want to hide text, use the redact feature in the software. Don't just turn the background black... 

Here's Dave Taylor's quick and easy guide (no really!) to sharing your YouTube videos on facebook and twitter.

Now, while people leach time off their employer reading Facebook they can MAKE MONEY TOO, getting paid 10 cents a go for viewing ads. Early retirement, villa in Spain, I can see it now...

Google's Chromebook is a cloud computer; your data and your applications all on the web. A simplified operating system. And it comes with its own sales video! Products available in Australia later in the year. 

Wanting a stylus for an iPad? First work out whether you want it for writing or sketching... Here's the lowdown from MacWorld and Digital Inspiration.

Some informed speculation on what might happen to Skype now that it's owned by Microsoft...

Atlantis: delightfully clever use of a web site for story-telling. Didn't want it to end.

In case you ever want a web site that helps you identify that font you  really like, so that you can go online and buy it for your website, that would be whatfontis.com Always wanted to create my own font and call it "ofallwisdom". Probably been done.

Windows 7 comes without a free email program. You can add Windows Live Mail, which is the replacement for Outlook Express, or you can use the Thunderbird email program because you just hate Microsoft.

Here's a good summary on each option by Chris Pirillo and his annoying voice.

Forty bucks a year. Sounds cheap. Fortunately we already know it all.

Google can predict house prices. It's true; we read it on the Internets. Google can also bath your dog. We may have made that up.

Google's new social ap looks promising and has an elegant interface. in the normal hype and tease manner, there is a limited trial and a waiting list. That link also gives you a walk-through of the features.

Coming soon. New gmail themes. Preview here.

For years. Stop motion video software. Free. Are we good to you? Via Kim Komando.

Yep. You should get that looked at. Here's an article on that. And here's our phone number: 9325 1196.

Circles, hangouts, huddles; it all sounds like a big 1960's cuddle-fest doesn't it? Google + vs Twitter & Facebook; a quick rundown.

The latest chip to be added to your phone is the NFC (near field communication). Touch it against something containing an RFID chip (don't ask) and it will make your phone do something. Have I made myself clear? Can be used to pay for goods, make a call or activate very cool music devices.

We fix 'em. Our sister business iCareRepairs does all sorts of restorative magic on iPhones. Dropping them in water seems a pretty  common pastime. Here's a waterproof case, thoroughly reviewed by The Next Web.

From the Geeks Are Sexy website - we all knew that - a chart that shows how fast Google Plus has attracted people compared to even Facebook and Twitter. Main advantage in G+ is that it gives you simple control over who sees what.

OK you know about Engadget & you know about Gizmodo, but did you know about BabyGadget? Follow the link for very cool baby-feeding apparatus.

The thing about desktop designs is that they're often too busy, making it hard to find icons and documents that sit on top of it. Here's a site with many elegant, simple desktops. Much more interesting than the standard Windows offerings.

Here's a new twist on photo sharing. Photovine. You'll understand the concept if you watch their short video.

Hotmail & Gmail let you set up re-usable email messages - in case you need to send the same emails out over and over; e.g. "I've told you before. Stop sending me lousy jokes". With gmail you do this using 'canned responses'. Instructions are here; basically you need to go to Settings (the picture of a cog) then allow the canned responses option in Labs.

Holiday auto-replies are also done in Settings but under the General tab.

Here's the Hotmail equivalent. Hope this saves you time.

You can make money by reporting bugs to Facebook. We'll all be RICH! There's a $500 bounty but it's aimed at security professionals rather than the general public. Probably be more profitable than computer repairs! Technical details here. We found out about it here.

They've launched the Tablet S and the Tablet P. Both products have some advantages over an iPad. The P is for Pocketbook. It's a foldable e-Book reader. The Tablet S gives you PlayStation ability portably. The other MAJOR advantage you get with an Android device is that they run Adobe Flash. This means you get lots more video content in the web browsing than on an iPad. Worth a look if you're iPad aware but not yet committed. Article.

Here's a cute little notebook with a sexy skin. The HP Pavilion dm1 has an 11 inch screen, is low cost and comes with a high-tech rubber surface. Should ship next month-ish. Review here. 

What the font helps you identify any font you find on the Net or in a  print publication. Scan the logo, upload the result and odds are good the site will find it. Then, if you want to use the font, you can buy it and be completely legal and support the schmo who put all the effort into creating it.

Here are 10 tips to make sure your laptop goes the distance. Some obvious, some not so much. Following these tips may save you having to bring your broken laptop into Computer Mechanics. Perhaps it's best you don't read them.

Here's a list of apps that help you conserve battery life in your Android or iPhone. Typically they assess your usage by app and predict how long you have left to

No-one knows anything about Windows 8 except you, me and the readers of PC Magazine. When it ships, in maybe 12 months, it'll be like Windows 7 but it'll also have tabletty features. Somewhat like Apple's Lion OS. Microsoft are saying all Win7 apps will run in Win8 and we believe them. No, really.

From a value stand-point, the Kindle Fire is the 1st real competitor to the iPad. The iPad's a great toy, but if you're looking for an e-Book reader, you'd be nuts to shell out $500 when you can get the Fire for $200 (b&w Kindle $79). Those prices are U.S. and the Fire's not available here yet. Review.

Here are a few alternatives to Photoshop, which is basically a photo editing tool for professionals. Photoshop Elements is a cut-down version at a cut-down price. Gimp and Artweaver are free products with some limitations but hey, free. Gimp runs on a Mac too. Artweaver is Win only.

You might look at Sony's Vaio or Dell's Ultrabook (due out soon) or the 'gorgeously thin' Samsung Series 9.

A bunch of web sites that help students, though there seems to be no Instant Essay link. Because that would be IMMORAL. Printable paper is clever; print yr own graph paper. Here's the full list via StumbleUpon.

This is a pretty interesting infographic on Google's eccentric employment habits but he guy who did it is never going to make the cut. 4,000 - 6,000 out of million is not .01% to .04%. Don't call us, we'll call you.

Some criticism on the Internets about the new Acer S3 Aspire Ultrabook, but fullsome praise here for its competitor, the ASUS Zenbook. It's fast, it's gorgeous and it's not an Apple.

So your kids are talking to their grandparents on Skype. That's great; you should totally record it. Because they're cute and trust me, they won't be that way forever. Here's a free solution.

Here's an easy speed test site so you know how fast your broadband connection is (compared to the theoretical number your ISP used to sign you up). Download speed is the critical one; it measures how quickly web pages load and how quickly your files download.

OK, so here's a page that tests your VOIP service. (If you don't know what VOIP is, you don't need this page). Click on the vertical VOIP tab in the main column of the web site and wait for the page to load; it takes a minute or two. You want a MOS score of 4 or 5.

The Travel Q&A app mines the profiles and photos of your Facebook friends so that you can leach information off them about your next travel destination. You access it through the Uptake web page. Of course, signing up means your destinations also become obvious to them... via Gigaom

If you have an eCommerce site, read the following article to improve your conversion rates. If you're a consumer, read it to avoid getting sucked in. THIS.

They've probably already got it. Skyrim. Role-playing game. Go. Buy it.

Here's a decent review of music streaming services now available in Australia. Suddenly there ARE some. These services work out a LOT cheaper than buying CDs and a lot more customisable than radio. There's even a service for Blackberry users!

You won't get one in time for Christmas but someone's raising money to develop a better stylus for the iPad. Luckily, there are still 3 things that do not have "i" before them: the iBin, the iLaundry and the iToilet.

All of your Tweets and Facebook posts; you need a way of recording them for posterity. Your grandchildren will be so proud. ThinkUp was developed by Gina Trapani, one of Google's high-flyers. We're like THAT.

Google gets its organisational act together with Think Insights. Worth a look if you are a research tragic.

Some of the best shortcuts in Microsoft Word only require a single box to be ticked. Go to Tools | Autocorrect | Math Autocorrect and tick the box that says 'Use math autocorrect rules outside maths regions'. Now when you type '-->' it turns into a proper arrow. reak turns into a carriage return symbol, degree turns into a degree symbol and >= turns into a proper greater than or equals sign. And so on.

Don't tell anyone. It's a secret.

There are a number of pretty cool new tools for stealing pictures and articles off the web and making them look like your own. Curating. Not stealing. Try Scoop.it or Pinterest. 

Kind of depends where you're using it. If it's just at home and at work, save some dough and get just the wi-fi version. Here's a longer version of that second sentence. It's an American article; remember we don't have as much public wi-fi as they do.

A suggestion here that some online banks in the US are using Facebook to analyse your credit risk. Actually, I think that's too silly to even worry about. Except this, from Lenddo's terms and conditions: IF YOU FAIL TO REPAY, Lenddo MAINTAINS THE RIGHT TO NOTIFY YOUR FRIENDS, FAMILY, AND COMMUNITY. Well that would be a new high in banking ethics.

If you're a Gmail user, type a question mark to bring up the full list of shortcuts available. Obviously it doesn't work if you're typing an email (because it would assume you want to type a question mark) but if the cursor is anywhere else, it works. Via Lifehacker. 

The vexed question of syncing your Apple devices without obliterating the songs/pics you wanted to keep. A detailed guide by Kim Komando.

It's the new Android operating system and it's been largely well received; faster, smoother, etc. A new Android tablet at least matches an iPad in performance and there are nearly as many apps now.

Don't buy a new Android device without checking it runs ICS.

Android tablets are still struggling big time to get a foothold. Within months though, they'll have the advantage over Apple of running Flash media, i.e. more web video.

Hard to believe they'd make it so hard to insert a photo in the middle of an email but they do. You need to open the Settings and find the Labs tab, then enable the Insert Image icon. Why is it not there for everyone? Who says Google is smart??

My adult son bought a game, Magic the Gathering, and insisted I play it with him. 192 pages of rules and 804 sections. We received advice & help from people on Twitter but the girl who lives in the apartment opposite (a nodding acquaintance) saw a tweet and invited us over to play. Adult son walked over tonight and they cast spells at each other.

Here are the Lifehacker top apps, nicely classified by operating system. There are lots of these sorts of summaries about but Lifehacker is a pretty good source. Here's their recommended (free) time tracker and here's their recommended (free) To Do list software. Piece of paper and a pen. Kidding.

A report here of a prototype ASUS laptop running Microsoft's way successful Kinect gaming system. Quick! Tell your children! Much rejoicing.

Did Churchill actually say he liked to travel on Italian ships because there was "none of this nonsense about women and children first"? Anything suspicious can generally be stress-tested on Snopes. Re Churchill, almost certainly not.

The two coolest new kids on the block. Here's a write-up on the new social media darlings. Pinterest has 10 million users after two months. If you're a visual type and collect web sites you might investigate.

If you have small children you will be aware of the OMG WHAT HAVE THEY DONE TO THE COMPUTER phenomenon. Here's a free program that protects you from baby's errant fingers, via Kim Komando's excellent newsletter.