How To

Google Reader isn't known for its beauty. The user interface is very similar to Gmail, except with fewer bells and whistles. The spacious gaps between columns and menu items can sometimes be more distracting than helpful.

As an alternative to viewing Google Reader in list or expanded mode, there's a Chrome extension that can transform it into a grid of stories. Installing and configuring the extension is quick and easy, so let's get started:

Step 1: Install a copy of Grid Preview for Google Reader for your Chrome Web browser.

Step 2: Head to Google Reader in … Read more

Dropbox is one of the top cloud storage solutions for anyone who needs to share or collaborate on documents, audio or images. As long as you have Internet connectivity, you can access your files from anywhere, giving you peace of mind that a specific file won't be forgotten when you're away from the computer.

If you're often saving documents or images from the Web, you may notice that the process isn't very streamlined on its own. You either have to use the Dropbox software on your PC and choose that folder every time you want to … Read more

Finding a discovery engine that is actually useful is rare. In my experience, they either spit out vague, useless recommendations or they return results so predictable as to prevent discovery. Thus, it was with trepidation I approached TasteKid. Turns out that underneath its odd name, TasteKid boasts an engine that successfully occupies the fertile ground between pointless and predictable.

Head to TasteKid.com and try it for yourself. Front and center, you'll find a search box and seven tabs, six of which let you narrow your search to music, movies, TV shows, books, authors, and games. You can also … Read more

For most users, Firefox's hiding the "http://" prefix and the trailing slash of Web site addresses in its URL bar falls somewhere between a non-issue and preferred. (By default, for example, Firefox displays howto.cnet.com instead of http://howto.cnet.com/.) These users get a cleaner view of the Web site they are visiting and go about their day.

If you make it a regular practice to enter your own characters after the the trailing slash, however, then you can tell Firefox to stop trimming URLs in such a manner. Here's how:

Step 1: Type … Read more

There are many ways to check your Facebook notifications throughout the day. You might use push notifications from your mobile app or perhaps you simply go to Facebook's Web site and see if you have any new notifications.

Another way to check Facebook notifications is to use an RSS reader, like Google Reader. If you're already in Google Reader for most of the day checking your news updates, adding your Facebook notifications might make sense. Here's how:

Step 1: Go to https://www.facebook.com/notifications and make sure you're logged in to your Facebook account.… Read more

Perhaps the recent theatrical release of "The Hobbit" will make the following statement sound less dated, but I doubt it. Either way, I'm going to say it: UberTalk is the one audio streaming app (or site) to rule them all. By audio streaming, I mean live radio shows and podcasts. And by all, I mean a great many.

UberTalk lets you listen to 20,000 AM/FM radio shows and podcasts, according to the developer, Michael Robertson of MP3.com fame. Although the selection is large, UberTalk limits radio to terrestrial stations; sorry Stern fans.

On UberTalk.com, … Read more

Moosify promises to help you "meet new people through music and places," without the actual need to go to any places to listen to music. Available as a Spotify app or for iPhone or for Android, Moosify lets you connect with people with similar tastes in music or near your vicinity. To get a sense of how the app works, I tried out Moosify on Spotify and my iPhone.

On Spotify, the app loads and forces you to log in via Facebook. After logging in, you are greeted with a grid of Moosify users. Clicking the play button … Read more

Would you like to know what lazy looks like? It looks like me and my wife on a Friday night, worn out from a long week, lying on our respective couches in front of the TV after getting the kids in bed and cleaning up the kitchen, too tired to browse Netflix for something to watch. We are terrible at managing our queue, and many nights we don't fire up a movie on Netflix because of the browsing and agreeing process it requires. The following Chrome extension may not help you reach an accord with your significant other during … Read more

Do you use Google Maps for directions often? How about when you're looking for a new apartment or even school for your children? Almost every time you'll probably wonder how far away the selected place is from your home or work. Luckily, Google Maps allows you to set these addresses so you don't have to type them in each time.

Here's how to get started:

Step 1: Open your Web browser to Google Maps. Make sure you're signed into your account.

Step 2: Click the My places button near the upper left-hand side of … Read more