Windows

A transparent laptop screen? It sure sounds like a trick, but even a blog called Mighty Optical Illusions concedes that it's stumped by this one. The site is so baffled, in fact, that it is asking for help in figuring out this illusion, which is demonstrated in this video clip.

Sometimes, it's difficult to imagine online communication without emoticons and other graphic tags. Recognizing our growing dependence on them, Mikons.com provides a way to create and share "your own personal tags that symbolize your life."

Call us cynical, but we doubt that cities will be blanketing the country with high-bandwidth Wi-Fi networks anytime soon. In the meantime, we'll be left to our own devices--literally, as well as figuratively. So we're thankful that the ever-useful Lifehacker has posted this article, which gives instructions on how to "turn your $60 router into a $600 router."

Battery life--or lack thereof--has been an increasingly vexing issue as the wireless universe continues to expand. But MIT researchers think that they may have made a key discovery in a technology from the past: the capacitor, which was invented more than 300 years ago but has roots that go back to 600 B.C. And according to ScienCentral Video News, the work at MIT could lead to a phone or laptop battery that can be fully charged in seconds.

Summer's almost here, and bloggers must be thinking about squeezing into their bathing suits. Yesterday, we passed along some tips on losing weight that included watching video games. Today, we offer another post on a diet regimen that employs a spreadsheet and a Web site.

Are desktop PCs headed for extinction? That notion might seem like a stretch, but they may be entering a new evolutionary phase as the line between desktops and laptops is increasingly blurred.

Since Dell debuted its 20-pound "luggable" computer last week, Acer and Samsung announced similar products of their own, all with screens around 19 or 20 inches. The whole concept of a heavy "laptop" might seem silly at first, but maybe that's not the point. Instead, we may be witnessing the end of the desktop computer as we know it.

Why, for example, must … Read more

As part of its ongoing effort to convince Windows Vista buyers to go for the more expensive versions, Microsoft is launching its Windows Ultimate Extras program--a series of perks for those that buy the priciest edition of the new OS.

According to a page included in the latest test version of Vista, buyers can expect some members-only software, services as well as additional Vista tips and tricks. Microsoft didn't offer too much detail beyond the info that came with Vista, but a representative did say that one example is that Microsoft "plans to use Ultimate Extras to deliver … Read more

Ever have the suspicion that your computer is against you? We know the feeling. And this cleverly done animated feature captures the ensuing frustration perfectly, with just the right mix of humor and paranoia.

It appears to be a year of reflection for many in the blogosphere, as indicated by such posts as Damien Katz on identifying lousy programmers and Emil Stenstrom on CSS knowledge. Roger Johansson has followed with a post of his own in this vein, addressing the widely varying "levels of HTML knowledge" throughout the Web industry.