Computer and Web Articles

1. http://tinyurl.com/7gqhszg - You want the truth? You think you can handle the truth? Let’s find out how many germs are on your personal cell phone.
2. http://tinyurl.com/6jxmjhk - [video clip] A 1,000 piece “cobra weave” exploding popsicle stick bomb. So much better than toppling dominoes plus it’s a great way to keep the kids busy. Like what you see? Learn how to make your own at Instructables (http://tinyurl.com/3rcbn4n) Warning: you’re going to need a lot of popsicle sticks.
3. http://tinyurl.com/7bgj7oc - If you like to eat out and you have an iPhone, you need to watch this video clip. Period. When you’re done, visit the app’s website: http://oink.com. You won’t be disappointed; though Oink is just getting started, this is going to be big.
4. http://tinyurl.com/7hupt3h - An easy-to-read NYTimes.com article that explains why a regularly-updated, strong password doesn’t necessarily equal strong security. According to some, keeping keylogging software off your computer “is about a trillion times more important than the strength of your passwords.”
5. http://tinyurl.com/6fcmrcp – In a tribute to Steve Jobs, this fantastically illustrated and animated video short shares how the iPhone came to be. Take a trip through history and “explore the people and technology that contributed to the iPhone becoming what it is today.”

1. http://tinyurl.com/7t4md4h - An article by Two Octobers (in Boulder) entitled “The Top 10 Free Places To List Your Business”.
2. http://tinyurl.com/d62cus - Need to find a present for someone just getting the hang of their ABCs? Check out this absolutely fantastic promo video (promoting an equally fantastic ABCs pop-up book). Love it? It’s on Amazon here: http://tinyurl.com/cgznmf
3. http://tinyurl.com/3ha2bmx - Virtual shopping in South Korea using QR codes. Sounds rather convenient, eh? This 2.5 minute video clip shares a fantastic case study (already viewed ~1.4 million times on YouTube) showing what might be a peek into the future of shopping.
4. http://tinyurl.com/7fh9jhc - Learn how to encrypt the data on your computer with TrueCrypt. Good ol’ Leo will walk you through the process.
5. www.FriendlyBracelets.com – Yes, if you’re in middle school you can customize the color and text of these friendship bracelets for yourself or for your friends. For everyone else though, I’m thinking that with just a bit of creativity and cleverness, these have the potential to make for some seriously hilarious holiday gifts.

1. http://tinyurl.com/6f8zgfp - In 1987 Apple made a video forecasting a futuristic, voice activated assistant called “Knowledge Navigator”. The video is set many years in the future. September 2011, to be exact. Last month (October 2011) Apple’s actual voice activated assistant, Siri, debuted. Coincidence?
2. www.LessMeeting.com – Conduct fewer, more productive meetings.
3. http://tinyurl.com/5su5qo3 - A five and a half minute time-lapse video showing a screenshot of the NYTimes.com homepage every day since September 2010.
4. http://tinyurl.com/3dtw677 – A URL shortener for your Android. Generate and share shortened links straight from your phone.
5. www.BarCodesGenerator.com – Create your very own barcodes (yes, they work). Simply set the width, height, text, font size, font color, and background color, then click the big “Go, Make me an amazing Barcode!” button. Not sure what to enter into the 3 boxes asking you to choose your color options? No problem. Just find the color you like here on this page and use the associated R, G, and B numbers in those 3 boxes: http://tinyurl.com/a37yw . For example, if you liked the color “Crimson” (2nd color listed on the page), you’d enter 220 into the first box on the Bar Code Generator page, 20 in the second box, and 60 in the third box. This may sound complicated, but it’s actually exceptionally easy and anyone can do it (so long as they can settle on a color they like). Have fun with your barcodes!

1. http://tinyurl.com/3gzjh7f - Your online safety: Why you should give up Windows XP for good. Right now.
2. http://tinyurl.com/3l5amh7 - I rarely come across creative wi-fi network names. Not surprisingly, the vast majority I see when looking to connect to a network are boring and banal, based on things like favorite movies, company names, physical addresses, pet names, hobbies, and the occasional cartoon character. This image shows a great list of actual, clever wi-fi network names. A few examples include: “No Free Wi-Fi For You,” “404NetworkUnavailable” and “Police Surveillance Van 2”. Great for a chuckle.
3. http://tinyurl.com/3w47p3l - It’s time. If you can’t make sense of the basic summary you see when you first open up Google Analytics, you’re purposefully staying ignorant about your website’s most basic performance data. And we really are talking basic. Do you know how many people visit your site? How long the average visitor stays on your site? Which pages in your site are the most popular? If your site runs Google Analytics (and if it doesn’t, fix this issue asap), this basic information is tracked daily and is available to you 24/7 in your Google Analytics account. Read this fantastic article and you’ll wonder why you ever found the basic tracking data intimidating or confusing.
4. www.PageModo.com – Create a beautiful, custom business Facebook page. On your own. For free. In minutes. No design, graphic, or coding skills necessary.
5. http://tinyurl.com/3dshkex - Be careful out there. Criticize the BBB and they just might pull your accreditation. (Story via TechDirt.com)

1. www.testimonialdirector.com – People want to do business with companies that other people trust. So, have you considered showing potential customers just how much your current customers love you by adding more testimonials to your website? TestimonialDirector automates the processes of collecting, managing, and publishing your testimonials. Your customers can easily provide feedback, including video, by simply accessing a specific page in your site and answering the questions you prepared in advance. Fast for you, fast for them. Even better, the program allows you to publish your testimonials directly to your site without any help from your web company. Plans start at $27/month and you can test drive a free 30 day trial beforehand to make sure the service is right for now. And though I can’t verify this, the TestimonialDirector website claims setup takes just 5 minutes.
2. http://tinyurl.com/6b22cua - Backseat driver, anyone? ToyToyota’s fun little app lets your kids drive from the backseat, using GPS data to match their screen to the actual route. Make sure you click the orange “Watch Demo” button on the homepage here (the video is fun and short—just 1:48).
3. http://tinyurl.com/4tq4xwd – The VMware view client for iPad allows you to easily access your Windows virtual desktop directly from your iPad. Fast, powerful, stable, easy to use.
4. http://tinyurl.com/3ksrx8p - Can switching over to Chrome from Internet Explorer, Safari, or Firefox actually save you money?
5. http://tinyurl.com/3o7pdwb - A former vegetable farm employee shares his story, illuminating just how poorly Walmart can treat their suppliers. (Actually, the word “poorly” doesn’t begin to do their actions justice here.) Ever wonder how Walmart can offer such cheap food prices? Imagine harvesting your crop, having Walmart arrive for scheduled pickup 4 days late, deliver your crop in a non-refrigerated truck to the Distribution Center 6 days behind schedule, then tell you they won’t pay you anywhere near the contract amount because too much of your crop is damaged. Because this story was posted on a popular social networking site (Reddit), hundreds of people have linked to the story and chimed in, sharing their comments and stories. Some have explained how they’ve gone through similar experiences in trying to supply Walmart with hard goods. Others have delved into discussions about supply and demand. And, as can be expected whenever comments are open to everyone, others have become a little, shall we say… sidetracked. Nonetheless, it’s a wonderful thing to have sites like Reddit in which interesting stories, information, and opinions can be shared so quickly, freely, and easily with so many.

Have you ever watched the Slow Mo Guys video clips on YouTube? They’re fun. They’re short. They’re educational. They’re really cool. Watch what happens when life slows down anywhere from 1,000 - 5,000 frames per second (translation: up to 200 times slower than real-time).

• Soccer ball to the face: http://tinyurl.com/3k6phwu
• Colliding droplets of colored water and milk (this one is quite beautiful): http://tinyurl.com/6dxnj9k
• Flaming hand fireball: http://tinyurl.com/3dx7xow (Apparently you’ll need to confirm that you’re over 18 to watch this one)
• Water vs. fire: http://tinyurl.com/42×49ws
• Cat jumping/landing: http://tinyurl.com/6hkk68p
• And of course: Smashing china plates with a baseball bat: http://tinyurl.com/3bzxqqr

1. http://tinyurl.com/3b4hsj5 - Great article delving into the ongoing PC vs. Mac safety argument: Who Says Macs Don’t Get Viruses?
2. http://tinyurl.com/69ct5lw - This is hands down, by far, without a doubt one of the most interesting and enlightening articles I’ve read about general health and weight in quite a long time. The author explores the massive impact sitting has on your overall health, expected life span, and your weight. Think your hour and a half at the gym makes up for the complete lack of movement you experience each day at your office or school? Think again.
3. http://tinyurl.com/3dvwjsp - What can you do to protect your computer from lightning and electrical surges?
4. http://zite.com - For your iPad: The Zite app learns what you like (getting smarter over time) and uses the information it gathers to generate a beautiful, constantly updated, personalized magazine customized to your specific interests. It’s kind of like a You Magazine.
5. http://tinyurl.com/4xtf9tt - “Six YouTube Channels That Won’t Waste Your Time.” A great blog post. Very little text for you to read. Just a list of channels that can broaden your imagination, invoke critical thinking, and increase your knowledge on a variety of topics. Channels like Funny Cat Videos and Hilarious Girlfriend Pranks didn’t make the cut.

1. http://tinyurl.com/3nvgd52 - If you consider yourself a Harry Potter fan, you’ll probably love this. It’s a fantastic YouTube clip called “How Harry Potter Should Have Ended.” And it’s so, so true.
2. http://tinyurl.com/4l8calo - An 8x telephoto lens for your iPhone! Then lens comes with a matte black iPhone case that you twist the lens onto. Twist the lens, adjust the grip on the manual focus ring, and snap away. Collapsible table tripod included. The cost? $35.
3. www.SocialMention.com – It’s like a Google Alerts for social media. SocialMention.com offers real-time social media search and analysis. Visit the site and search directly from the homepage.
4. http://tinyurl.com/ck9euo Five tips for avoiding bad (including downright deceptive) SEO companies.
5. http://ow.ly/6imhi - Watch a girl grow from 0 to 10 years of age over the course of 1:25 in this YouTube video clip. Fascinating to watch something that happens before our eyes each day yet is too slow for us to see in real time.

1. http://tinyurl.com/3scrsyv - Watch this 1 and a ½ minute video clip. Please. Let the message sink in; it has meaning that extends far beyond the text you choose to place in your website. If you’re the emotional type there’s a small chance you might get teary eyed for just a moment. But no matter what type of person you are, I sincerely hope it makes you stop and think, if only for a moment.
2. http://tinyurl.com/3l7w5bu - A great iPad wallpaper collection. Theme: The Great Outdoors.
3. http://tinyurl.com/3u5sg9z - Fifteen fun stickers for your Macbook. (Manyof the stickers also come in sizes that fit seamlessly on the back of your iPhone or iPad.) Options range from classic to humorous to scary and include Banksy, zombie princesses, Simpsons, and Magritte.
4. http://tinyurl.com/3dv848q - A short, thought-provoking article asking the question “Is the Internet making us stupid?” Hopefully it won’t be too challenging for you to get through.
5. http://fb.me/sQ5PwIN5 - An all-around very fun, very cool, 1 minute video clip that surely took many, MANY minutes to create. You should watch this.