The AT&T 8525 is the first UMTS/HSDPA smart phone to be offered in the United States. It has integrated Bluetooth 2.0, Wi-Fi, and supports AT&T’s new music, video, and location-based services. The Windows Mobile device also has push e-mail capabilities, a 2-megapixel camera, a spacious QWERTY keyboard, and good call quality. — CNET Editors’ Review of the AT&T 8525

Perishable Press via AT&T 8525 (click image for more..) Thusly inspired, I recently purchased an AT&T 8525 Pocket PC by HTC. The device now serves as my virtual satellite, keeping me connected to the internet, networked to the office, and prepared for serious business. With its many features and streamlined functionality, the AT&T 8525 enables me to operate in maximized fashion, increasing efficiency and improving productivity. This article presents a concise rundown of how each of the phone’s primary features helps me to succeed as I fight a hellish battle everyday.

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In our previous article, we explain the process of allowing Feedburner to access your hotlink-protected images. The article details the entire process, which covers the basics of hotlink protection and involves adding several lines of code to your htaccess file. In this article, we skip the detailed explanations and present only the main points. The discussion is very similar for both Feedburner and Google Reader, and may be extrapolated to serve virtually any purpose.

If you are using htaccess to protect your images from hotlinking and have yet to check your feeds in Google Reader, you may be in for a little surprise. Unless you explicitly permit Google Reader access, your htaccess rules may be inadvertently preventing subscribers from viewing the images in your feeds. The same is true for Google Reader Mobile, which is probably far more popular than you may realize.

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Even with all the fancy-pants new features found in Windows XP and now Vista, Microsoft Windows 98 (Second Edition) remains our favorite Windows-flavored operating system. We love it so much, we still use it on one of our trusty laptops. Over the years, we have discovered several very useful functions available via the command line or even the “Run” prompt (Start → Run...). Anyway, without spending too much time researching or explaining these wonderful tools, we figured posting the information online may prove beneficial at some point in the future. So, without further ado, we present this working repository of helpful MS run commands:

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Stay connected to the Internet wherever you go by using your BlackBerry Curve (8300) as a Bluetooth modem for your OS-X-powered Macintosh…

BlackBerry Curve Wireless Modem for Mac This tutorial guides you through the process of connecting wirelessly to the Internet using your BlackBerry Curve (8300) as a Bluetooth modem for your Macintosh (running OS X) via native Bluetooth functionality. The benefits of such wireless connectivity are numerous, enabling greater productivity and maximized Internet access. The procedure is straightforward, and the tutorial assumes no prior knowledge of either Bluetooth or BlackBerry. Knowing your way around a Mac will help, but is not required. Note that using your BlackBerry as a wireless modem for your Mac (or any computer) is classified as tethering, and may or may not be covered by your wireless plan¹. Having said that, the setup time for this tutorial should be well under thirty minutes, and requires² the following items:

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Coming soon to the World Wide Web: Everything. The perpetually evolving sum of human knowledge available online. Anywhere. Anytime. So, what are you looking for? Information concerning something, somewhere, about somebody.. You know it’s there somewhere. Sure, you could waste time by digging through that immense labyrinth of browser bookmarks, maybe eventually finding that one link that may or may not lead you to the page that you remember.. No thanks. The Web is far too rich in information to limit it with a few bookmarks. Ah yes, tags — that’s it! Social bookmarking to the rescue. Okay now, let’s see, under which tag will I find those two great links on "postmodern existentialism"? Maybe check three or four tags before realizing that several months have passed and that newer, more relevant information is probably available elsewhere on the internet. Hmm..

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Note: The methods described in this post apply to older versions of Internet Explorer (<6) and Outlook Express (<6), and are provided here for reference purposes only.

Fix the "Unable to poll for new messages" error

Here is an error message that some Outlook Express users receive when sending or receiving email, or after creating a new email account:

Unable to poll for new messages on your HTTP server. 
Account: 'Hotmail'
Server: 'http://services.msn.com/svcs/hotmail/httpmail.asp'
Protocol: HTTPMail
Server Response: 'End tag 'D:response' does not match the start tag 'D:prop'. 
Port: 0
Secure(SSL): No
Error Number: 0xC00CE56D

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This brief tutorial on hiding content applies to Windows 95, 98, and 98SE. Although this method may be old hat or even irrelevant, I have found it useful on a number of occasions, and therefore found it worthwhile to include here for the sake of prosperity.

On Windows 98SE (and others), it is possible to create a folder that is both listed and inaccessible via the Windows file system. Using an old DOS trick involving an obscure character reference, we create a folder that, when clicked on via Windows, produces a "The File does not Exist" error message, thus denying any access. This "hidden" folder is completely accessible via DOS, and functions as any other "regular" folder. In Windows, the folder will appear with an underscore preceding its given name. For example, using this method to create a hidden folder named "test" will produce a folder that appears as "_test" when viewed via Windows.

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Note: This article assumes a basic familiarity with the DOS command prompt, and is somewhat of a continuation of our previous article on DOS, Basic DOS Commands. Here, we are exploring a few of the more interesting commands available via the DOS command prompt. For a more complete reference please consult the Windows Help file (Windows XP) by entering

hh.exe ms-its:C:\WINDOWS\Help\ntcmds.chm::/ntcmds.htm

at the command line prompt (or via the Start > Run... dialogue box). For a brief overview of essential DOS commands, characters, devices, and variables, check out DOS Fundamentals.

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A brief overview of essential DOS commands, characters, devices, and variables

Ahh, the fun I have at work while experimenting with the command line. I will be the first to admit that I understand very little of DOS, especially when considering the scope of its functional capacity. Nonetheless, I am taking the time to chronicle a few interesting DOScoveries here in this article, as well as in at least a couple of others (see related articles section at the end of this article).

The first thing that I should mention is that there are at least several different entities commonly referred to as "DOS". Windows 98SE and earlier run on the MS-DOS kernel, which is directly accessible by pressing the F8 key repeatedly (after the beep) during computer startup. Windows 2000, Windows XP, and beyond do not run on the MS-DOS kernel, but do provide two MS-DOS-like programs, the command prompt Cmd.exe, and the MS-DOS emulator Command.com. For more information, you may want to explore the difference between Cmd.exe and Command.com before diving in..

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To rename the Recycle Bin in Windows XP, create a new text.txt file in your favorite directory and add the following lines:

REGEDIT4
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E}\ShellFolder]
"Attributes"=hex:50,01,00,20"CallForAttributes"=dword:00000000

Next, rename the file extension from ".txt" to ".reg" — the other part of the file name may be whatever you prefer (e.g., RecycleBin.reg). Then, double-click the file to have Windows import it into the Registry. Now go right-click your Recycle Bin and use the new option to Rename it.

To remove renaming functionality for the Recycle Bin, replicate the same file you created initially, and replace the last line (i.e., the third line) with the following:

"Attributes"=hex:40,01,00,20"CallForAttributes"=dword:00000000

Again, double-click the file to import it into the Registry.

Second-generation iPod nano The second-generation iPod nano is the perfect perpetual soundscape delivery system. Its lightweight design, intuitive interface, and generous storage capacity encourage digital listening pleasure virtually everywhere. The sound quality is crystal clear even at deafening volumes, and the sharp display screen makes it super-easy to configure a highly customizable set of preferences. The zen-like control wheel features touch-sensitive volume adjustment, which tricks you into thinking that you are magic or something every time you change the volume. It may be a little scary carrying around such an expensive and relatively delicate piece of technology, but the sheer aural empowerment makes it both luxurious and liberating.

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This brief tutorial on removing (and replacing) the "index.dat" file applies to any Windows OS running on MS-DOS. Although I haven’t researched this officially, it appears that all Windows versions released prior to Windows 2000 are running on the 16-bit MS-DOS kernel. Conversely, Win2000 and WinXP operate on a 32-bit kernel and thus do not utilize MS-DOS. Thus, this method focuses on removing the index.dat from machines running Windows 95, 98, and 98SE.

As you may be aware, Internet Explorer utilizes a file called "index.dat". The index.dat file serves a log that documents every domain visited through Internet Explorer. Deleting or modifying this file through Windows is impossible because Windows is "using" the file whenever Windows is running. Thus, to delete (or edit) the index.dat file, it is necessary to operate outside of Windows via MS-DOS mode.

So, without further ado, follow these easy steps to replace your unwanted index.dat file with a new, "empty" index.dat file:

1. Click "Start > Shut Down > Restart in MS-DOS mode > OK"
2. At the DOS prompt, enter: "del c:\windows\tempor~1\content.ie5\index.dat" (without the quotes)
3. Press "Enter" and reboot the system. Windows will create a new index.dat file automatically.

Trying to backup your Outlook Express .dbx files on Windows XP may prove difficult if you can’t find them. Well, fret no more, my friend. Here is the generalized path to the Outlook Express folder, which contains all of the .dbx files for a particular user. Copy, paste, and shortcut:

C:\Documents and Settings\[username]\Local Settings\Application Data\Identities\{12345678-1234-ABCD-EFGH-1234567890AB}\Microsoft\Outlook Express

* [username] = each user will should have their set of .dbx files.
* {12345678-1234-ABCD-EFGH-1234567890AB} = represents a unique alphanumeric string.

Recently, I had the opportunity to completely reformat the 5.58GB hard drive on my trusty Sony Vaio PCG-F430 laptop. During the process of reformatting, I decided to install both Windows 98 Second Edition and Windows XP Professional on a partitioned C drive. Additionally, I needed to establish a wireless connection to the local network. The entire process consumed around five hours and required plenty of research, analysis, and patience. Upon completion, the project proved quite beneficial, as I now enjoy the benefit of a Win-98(SE)/Win-XP(SP2) dual-boot, wirelessly networked laptop. This article outlines the entire process and will benefit anyone attempting a similar operation..

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Speed up your workflow by launching your favorite programs in one click using batch (.bat) files:

1. Create a folder and add shortcuts to your favorite programs.
2. Rename the shortcuts so that each consists of a single word.
3. Create a text file and change the name to something.bat.
4. Right-click on the .bat ("batch") file and select "Edit".
5. Emulate the following template according to your specific programs.

rem   comments should begin with rem
rem   note: this file launches all of my favorite apps!
rem   note: replace the names below with your own..

@echo off

   start %SystemRoot%\system32\cmd.exe
   start firefox http://google.com/
   start dreamweaver
   start photoshop
   start winamp
   start notes.txt

@echo on

That’s all there is to it! Of course, there are many other neat things you can do with batch files, but we leave that for you to discover elsewhere. You may want to create additional batch files for various kinds of work. For example, you could create one batch file for web-development apps, another for graphic-design apps, and so on. All shortcuts and batch files may be placed in the same folder. Then simply customize shortcuts to your various batch files and use them to consolidate your quick launch and clean up your desktop!

The Epson Perfection 1260 Scanner is equipped with an external lamp adapter that enables the scanning of slides. To use this feature via Photoshop, follow this procedure:

1. Remove scanner lid and plug in the adapter
2. Restart the computer and open Photoshop
3. Click on File » Import » EPSON TWAIN 5..
4. From the Document Source drop-down menu, select Color Positive Film (TPU)
5. Set the resolution to 2400dpi, which is equivalent to an image that is approximately 10″ x 6″
6. Set other settings accordingly
7. Place slide in the adapter
8. Pre-scan to check positioning
9. Highlight scan area accordingly
10. Scan it!

References

• Epson Perfection 1260 Scanner
• Adobe Photoshop

Within the right-click context menu is the option to create "New" file items. While the list of available documents within the "New" submenu often contains several useful file types, such as .txt or .zip, it also contains lots of unnecessary entries.

To clean up the "New" right-click context menu, open the Registry Editor, regedit.exe, and Find all instances of "ShellNew". Examine the search results. Every ShellNew branch belongs to a specific type of file. As each ShellNew branch corresponds to an entry in the "New" right-click context menu, delete the ShellNew branch for each "New" file type that you would like to remove. And that, as they say, is that.