How To

How to decode QR codes without scanning them

QR codes make life easier for everyone these days, but that just means it also makes life easier for the bad guys. There may not be that many QR scams out there--yet--but it's still prudent to keep from scanning codes from sources you don't trust. Chrome users can check things out before scanning with QRreader, a nifty extension that will let you know what lurks beneath the pixels. Here's how to use it: 

Install QRreader from the Chrome Store. When you see a QR code on a Web page, just right-click it and select "… Read more

How to simplify charitable holiday giving

Maybe you want to give a little extra to make the holidays brighter for others, or maybe you want to make a donation in the name of that friend or relative who has everything.

Charitable donations are understandably popular at this time of year, but they're not always easy or seamless. Fortunately, there are many simple ways to integrate charitable giving into your regular shopping routines. Here are a few of the best:

Buy4 is a shopping portal that lets you donate a portion of your online purchases from hundreds of different outlets (including Amazon, Best Buy, Target, and … Read more

How to resell unwanted Groupon coupons

Those helicopter-pilot lessons probably sounded like a good idea at the time, but now you're thinking you'd rather stay on the ground and put that $50 back in your pocket.

Call it coupon remorse, that feeling you get after buying the daily deal from Groupon, LivingSocial, or any of their countless competitors. Either you no longer want the deal, or you can't take advantage of it for some reason. (The school play is the same night as those Cirque du Soleil tickets? Damn!)

Fortunately, several sites now offer you the chance to get some or all of … Read more

How to determine the freshness of a link

The Web site Is It Old? can save you from oversharing.

Think of it as the "Use by" or "Best before" date on a loaf of bread or gallon of milk. But instead of perishables, it tells you how stale or fresh a link is by how many times it has been shared on Twitter and how long ago the first share occurred. You'll get ratings that range from Old and Kinda OK to Super Fresh the congratulatory You're the first!

Just paste a URL into the the search bar and hit submit to … Read more

How to quickly share your screen (and grant control) with Join.me

Screen-sharing is that fascinating technology that lets you give any number of people a look at your desktop screen the way you see it now.

Many programs like WebEx and GoToMeeting offer robust solutions for companies who use screen-sharing to facilitate virtual meetings, while more-common apps like Skype and iChat integrate it into their software, too.

But if all you want to do is quickly share your screen (or see someone else's), Join.me (compatible with PC and Mac) is a free Web-based program that lets you share your screen, chat with viewers, and even allow others to control … Read more

How to remove ads in a Web page before printing in Firefox

Have you ever found something on a Web site that you wanted to print, but you were forced to also print the ads, wasting your precious ink? Even sites that offer printable versions of their pages can contain unwanted ads, images, and menus.

With a Firefox extension called Print-Edit, you can edit elements of a Web page before printing, so you can remove ads or other parts of a Web page that you don't want. Here's how:

Step 1: Install the Print-Edit Firefox extension from Mozilla.

Step 2: When you get to a Web page you want to … Read more

How to turn snippets into full feeds in Google Reader

The amount of content that your RSS feed displays can vary from a brief summary to almost the entire article. If you prefer viewing the full content of your feeds, there's a way to display them in Google Reader using a Chrome extension.

1. To get started, install the Super Full Feeds for Google Reader Chrome extension. It will integrate into Google Reader and allow three modes of display--readable, link, and feed.

2. After installing the extension, a new button called, "Super settings" will appear in Google Reader. A display mode tab will appear in each feed … Read more

How to host your Web site from your Dropbox account

Having a Web site to host your pictures for your friends and family is nice, but it can be tedious to set up. While some free options for Web hosting still exist out there, you usually have to deal with ads and strict rules in order to keep your page online. If you have a Dropbox account, you can follow these quick steps to turn your storage space into Web space--for free!

What you'll need: A Dropbox account. The size of the account will depend on the amount of content you want to share.

Step 1: Sign up for … Read more

How to send and receive SMS texts from your computer browser

For Android users, there's a nifty download now in the Android Market called BrowserTexting (download).

The free app lets you sync your phone to your browser, so you can send and receive SMS messages right from your computer. It's perfect for when you're at work, at home, or when you just don't feel like tapping away texts on your Android phone's touch screen.

To start, BrowserTexting gives you unlimited incoming texts and up to 50 outgoing texts from your browser per day. It also lets you send group texts to up to five recipients at … Read more