Finally another Friday has arrived and it’s time to waste the afternoon on company time playing a flash game. Today we take a look at a fun game called Abduction.

Abduction

Abduction is a neat game where you snatch people and livestock to sell them on the intergalactic market.

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The controls are basic using the arrow keys or W,A,S,D and the left mouse button. Here is the tutorial that you can play first to get the hang of it.

While you’re abducting hillbillies, they throw pitch forks and other objects at your craft so you need to avoid them.

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The game has several levels to keep you distracted until quitting time.

Play Abduction at FreeWebArcade

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Being able to unwind for a few moments each day can make the time pass so much better and help you feel refreshed. If your favorite method for relaxing is playing a quick game, then join us as we take a look at the Random Games from MyGiochi.net extension for Google Chrome.

Random Games from MyGiochi.net in Action

The really great thing about this extension is that each day you can have a new random game to play. If you love variety this is definitely going to be a perfect match for you. We got “Power Golf” as our random game of the day.

Here is a look at things once we got started…this one can be a lot of fun to play.

Time to move on to the third hole now…

What if you want something different from the game available on any given day? In the upper right corner you will find links for “game categories” that you can look through (clicking on the links will open a new tab). Since the links are in Italian you might need to experiment a little bit to find the category that you want to browse through.

We chose the “Games for Girls Category”. With Chrome’s new built in “Translation Bar” you can easily switch the page over to the language of your choice.

Ready to choose a fun game to play!

You really can have a lot of fun with the games available at My Giochi.

With our “game of the day” we had a second option for other games to try.

More games equals more fun!

Conclusion

If playing online games is your favorite way to relax then the MyGiochi.net extension will make a great addition to your browser. Have fun with all of those new games each day!

Links

Download the Random Games from MyGiochi.net extension (Google Chrome Extensions)

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We’ve received a lot of questions about mapping a drive from XP to Windows 7 to access data easily. Today we look at how to map a drive in Windows 7, and how to map to an XP drive from Windows 7.

With the new Homegroup feature in Windows 7, it makes sharing data between computers a lot easier. But you might need to map a network drive so you can go directly into a folder to access its contents. Mapping a network drive may sound like “IT talk”, but the process is fairly easy.

Map Network Drive in Windows 7

Note: All of the computers used in this article are part of the same workgroup on a home network.

In this first example we’re mapping to another Windows 7 drive on the network. Open Computer and from the toolbar click on Map Network Drive.

Alternately in Computer you can hit “Alt+T” to pull up the toolbar and click on Tools Map Network Drive.

Now give it an available drive letter, type in the path or browse to the folder you want to map to. Check the box next to Reconnect at logon if you want it available after a reboot, and click Finish.

If both machines aren’t part of the same Homegroup, you may be prompted to enter in a username and password. Make sure and check the box next to Remember my credentials if you don’t want to log in every time to access it.

The drive will map and the contents of the folder will open up.

When you look in Computer, you’ll see the drive under network location.

This process works if you want to connect to a server drive as well. In this example we map to a Home Server drive.

Map an XP Drive to Windows 7

There might be times when you need to map a drive on an XP machine on your network. There are extra steps you’ll need to take to make it work however.

Here we take a look at the problem you’ll encounter when trying to map to an XP machine if things aren’t set up correctly. If you try to browse to your XP machine you’ll see a message that you don’t have permission.

Or if you try to enter in the path directly, you’ll be prompted for a username and password, and the annoyance is, no matter what credentials you put in, you can’t connect.

To solve the problem we need to set up the Windows 7 local account as a user on the XP machine and make them part of the Administrators group. Right-click My Computer and select Manage.

Under Computer Management expand Local Users and Groups and click on the Users folder. Right-click an empty area and click New User.

Add in the user credentials, uncheck User must change password at next logon, then check Password never expires then click Create.

Now you see the new user you created in the list. After the user is added you might want to reboot before proceeding to the next step.

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Next we need to make the user part of the Administrators group. So go back into Computer Management Local Users and Groups Groups then double click on Administrators.

Click the Add button in Administrators Properties window.

Enter in the new user you created and click OK. An easy way to do this is to enter the name of the user you created then click Check Names and the path will be entered in for you.

Now you see the user as a member of the Administrators group.

Back on the Windows 7 machine we’ll start the process of mapping a drive. Here we’re browsing to the XP Media Center Edition machine.

Now we can enter in the user name and password we just created.

If you only want to access specific shared folders on the XP machine you can browse to them.

Or if you want to map to the entire drive, enter in the drive path where in this example it’s “\XPMCEC$” –Don’t forget the “$” sign after the local drive letter.

Then login…

Again the contents of the drive will open up for you to access.

Here you can see we have two drives mapped. One to another Windows 7 machine on the network, and the other one to the XP computer.

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If you ever want to disconnect a drive, just right-click on it and then Disconnect.

There are several scenarios where you might want to map a drive in Windows 7 to access specific data. It takes a little bit of work but you can map to an XP drive from Windows 7 as well. This comes in handy where you have a network with different versions of Windows running on it.

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Are you tired of unneeded webpage loading and extra link clicking just to access an image found using Google Image Search? Now you can jump directly to the image itself with the clickGOOGLEview extension for Google Chrome.

The Problem

When you find an image that you like using Google Image Search you always have to go through extra hassle just to get to the image itself. First you have an entire webpage loading in your browser and then you have to click through that irritating “See full size image” link. All that you need is the image, right?

Problem Fixed

Once you have installed the clickGOOGLEview extension you will absolutely love the result. Find an image that you like, click the link, and there is your new image without any of the hassle or extra link clicking.

Big or small having direct access to the image is how it should have been from the beginning.

Conclusion

The clickGOOGLEview extension does one thing and does it extremely well…it gets you to those images without the extra hassle or additional link clicking.

Links

Download the clickGOOGLEview extension (Google Chrome Extensions)

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One of the cool features of Windows Home Server is the ability to stream photos, music, and video to other computers on your network. Today we take a look at how to enable streaming in WHS to Windows Media Player in Vista and Windows 7.

Turn on Media Streaming on WHS

To enable Media Streaming from Windows Home Server, open the Windows Home Server Console and click on Settings.

Now in the Setting screen select Media Sharing, then in the right column under Media Library Sharing turn on Library Sharing for the folders you want to stream.

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If you have a Windows 7 machine on your network make sure media streaming is enabled. You should then see the server under Other Libraries and can start streaming your media collection.

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Stream Video to Media Player 11

Now let’s say you want to stream videos to another member of your household who’s using a Vista machine in another room through Windows Media Player 11. Open WMP and click on Library then Media Sharing.

Now click the box next to Find media that others are sharing then click Ok.

Now you should see the server listed under Library…where in this example it’s geekserver.

Since we only enabled Video streaming for this example, we need to click on the category icon and select Video.

Now you can scroll through the available videos…

And start enjoying your favorite videos streamed from the server through WMP 11 on Vista.

Of course you can use this method to stream photos and music as well, you just need to enable what you want to stream from the Home Server Console. You can also stream your media to Windows Media Center and Xbox which we will be covering soon.

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One of the cool features of Windows Home Server is the ability to stream photos, music, and video to other computers on your network. Today we take a look at how to enable streaming in WHS to Windows Media Player in Vista and Windows 7.

Turn on Media Streaming on WHS

To enable Media Streaming from Windows Home Server, open the Windows Home Server Console and click on Settings.

Now in the Setting screen select Media Sharing, then in the right column under Media Library Sharing turn on Library Sharing for the folders you want to stream.

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If you have a Windows 7 machine on your network make sure media streaming is enabled. You should then see the server under Other Libraries and can start streaming your media collection.

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Stream Video to Media Player 11

Now let’s say you want to stream videos to another member of your household who’s using a Vista machine in another room through Windows Media Player 11. Open WMP and click on Library then Media Sharing.

Now click the box next to Find media that others are sharing then click Ok.

Now you should see the server listed under Library…where in this example it’s geekserver.

Since we only enabled Video streaming for this example, we need to click on the category icon and select Video.

Now you can scroll through the available videos…

And start enjoying your favorite videos streamed from the server through WMP 11 on Vista.

Of course you can use this method to stream photos and music as well, you just need to enable what you want to stream from the Home Server Console. You can also stream your media to Windows Media Center and Xbox which we will be covering soon.

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Whether for work or leisure, many of us spend entirely too much time on the computer everyday.? This puts us at risk of having or aggravating Carpal Tunnel problems, but thanks to Workrave you can help to divert these problems.

Workrave helps Carpal Tunnel problems by reminding you to get away from your computer periodically.? Breaking up your computer time with movement can help alleviate many computer and office related health problems.? Workrave helps by reminding you to take short pauses after several minutes of computer use, and longer breaks after continued use.? You can also use it to keep from using the computer for too much You time in a day.? Since you can change the settings to suit you, this can be a great way to make sure you’re getting the breaks you need.

Install Workrave on Windows

If you’re using Workrave on Windows, download (link below) and install it with the default settings.

One installation setting you may wish to change is the startup.? By default Workrave will run automatically when you start your computer; if you don’t want this, you can simply uncheck the box and proceed with the installation.

Once setup is finished, you can run Workrave directly from the installer.

Or you can open it from your start menu by entering “workrave” in the search box.

Install Workrave in Ubuntu

If you wish to use it in Ubuntu, you can install it directly from the Ubuntu Software Center.? Click the Applications menu, and select Ubuntu Software Center.

Enter “workrave” into the search box in the top right corner of the Software Center, and it will automatically find it.? Click the arrow to proceed to Workrave’s page.

This will give you information about Workrave; simply click Install to install Workrave on your system.

Enter your password when prompted.

Workrave will automatically download and install.

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When finished, you can find Workrave in your Applications menu under Universal Access.

Using Workrave

Workrave by default shows a small counter on your desktop, showing the length of time until your next Micro break (30 second break), Rest break (10 minute break), and max amount of computer usage for the day.

When it’s time for a micro break, Workrave will popup a reminder on your desktop.

If you continue working, it will disappear at the end of the timer.? If you stop, it will start a micro-break which will freeze most on-screen activities until the timer is over.? You can click Skip or Postpone if you do not want to take a break right then.

After an hour of work, Workrave will give you a 10 minute rest break.? During this it will show you some exercises that can help eliminate eyestrain, muscle tension, and other problems from prolonged computer usage.? You can click through the exercises, or can skip or postpone the break if you wish.

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Preferences

You can change your Workrave preferences by right-clicking on its icon in your system tray and selecting Preferences.

Here you can customize the time between your breaks, and the length of your breaks.? You can also change your daily computer usage limit, and can even turn off the postpone and skip buttons on notifications if you want to make sure you follow Workrave and take your rests!

From the context menu, you can also choose Statistics.? This gives you an overview of how many breaks, prompts, and more were shown on a given day.? It also shows a total Overdue time, which is the total length of the breaks you skipped or postponed.? You can view your Workrave history as well by simply selecting a date on the calendar.

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Additionally, the Activity tab in the Statics pane shows more info about your computer usage, including total mouse movement, mouse button clicks, and keystrokes.

Conclusion

Whether you’re suffering with Carpal Tunnel or trying to prevent it, Workrave is a great solution to help remind you to get away from your computer periodically and rest.? Of course, since you can simply postpone or skip the prompts, you’ve still got to make an effort to help your own health.? But it does give you a great way to remind yourself to get away from the computer, and especially for geeks, this may be something that we really need!

Download Workrave

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Have you ever tried to open the Recycle Bin by searching for “recycle bin” in the Start menu search, only to find nothing?? Here’s a quick trick that will let you find the Recycle Bin directly from your Windows Start menu search.

The Start menu search may be the best timesaver ever added to Windows.? In fact, we use it so much that it seems painful to manually search for a program when using Windows XP or older versions of Windows.? You can easily find files, folders, programs and more through the Start menu search in both Vista and Windows 7. However, one thing you cannot find is the recycle bin; if you enter this in the start menu search it will not find it. Here’s how to add the Recycle Bin to your Start menu search.

What to do

To access the Recycle Bin from the Start menu search, we need to add a shortcut to the start menu.? Windows includes a personal Start menu folder, and an All Users start menu folder which all users on the computer can see.? This trick only works in the personal Start menu folder.

Open up an Explorer window (Simply click the Computer link in the start menu), click the white part of the address bar, and, enter the following (substitute your username for your_user_name) and hit Enter.

C:Usersyour_user_nameAppDataRoamingMicrosoftWindowsStart Menu

Now, right-click in the folder, select New, and then click Shortcut.

In the location box, enter the following:

explorer.exe shell:RecycleBinFolder

When you’ve done this, click Next.

Now, enter a name for the shortcut.? You can enter Recycle Bin like the standard shortcut, or you could name it something else such as Trash…if that’s easier for you to remember.? Click Finish when your done.

By default it will have a folder icon.? Let’s switch that to the standard Recycle Bin icon.? Right-click on the new shortcut and click Properties.

Click Change Icon…

Type the following in the “Look for icons in this file:” box, and press the Enter key on your keyboard:

%SystemRoot%system32imageres.dll

Now, scroll and find the Recycle Bin icon and click Ok.

Click Ok in the previous dialog, and now your Recycle Bin shortcut has the correct icon.

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You can even have multiple shortcuts with different names, so when you searched either Recycle Bin or Trash it would come up in the Start menu.? To do that, simply repeat these directions, and enter another name of your choice at the prompt.? Here we have both a Recycle Bin and a Trash icon.

Now, when you enter Recycle Bin (or trash, depending on what you chose) in your Start menu search, you will see it at the top of your Start menu.? Simply press Enter or click on the icon to open the Recycle Bin.

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This trick will work in Windows Vista too!? Simply follow these same directions, and you can add the Recycle Bin to your Vista Start menu and find it via search.

This is a simple trick, but may make it? much easier for you to open your Recycle Bin directly from your Windows Vista or 7 Start menu search.? If you’re using Windows 7, you can also check out our directions on how to Add the Recycle Bin to the Taskbar in Windows 7.

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Are you frustrated with having to reopen your menus for each website that you need or want to view? Now you can keep those menus open while opening multiple websites with the Stay-Open Menu extension for Firefox.

Stay-Open Menu in Action

You can start using the extension as soon as you have installed it…simply access your favorite links in the “Bookmarks Menu, Bookmarks Toolbar, Awesome Bar, or History Menu” and middle click on the appropriate entries. Here you can see our browser opening the Productive Geek website and that the “Bookmarks Menu” is still open. As soon as you left click on a link or click outside the menus they will close normally like before.

Note: Middle clicked links open in new tabs.

The only time during our tests that a newly opened link “remained in the background” was for any links opened from the “Awesome Bar”.

But as soon as the “Awesome Bar” was closed the new tabs automatically focused to the front.

A link being opened from the “History Menu”…still open while the webpage is loading.

Options

The options are simple to sort through…enable or disable the additional “stay open” functions and enable automatic menu closing if desired.

Conclusion

If you get frustrated with having to reopen menus to access multiple webpages at one time then you might want to give this extension a try.

Links

Download the Stay-Open Menu extension (Mozilla Add-ons)

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Yesterday we looked at the Browser Ballot Screen, which offers 12 different browsers as alternatives to IE for European Windows users. This got us thinking about this weeks question. What browser do you use for your daily web navigation?

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Yesterday we showed you the Browser Ballot Screen which was introduced in March to Windows users in Europe. While it offers the choice of the most well known browsers on the market, there are some obscure choices as well. This got us thinking about what web browser(s) you use at home, in the office, or even on your mobile devices.

Some people might have a favorite browser they use at home but are required to use IE at work due to proprietary applications the company uses. Also, if you use an operating system other than Windows, you might favor Safari, Firefox, Konqueror..etc.

What web browser do you use? Leave a comment and join in the discussion!

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