LogMeIn has released a new version of their popular VPN-solution Hamachi. Hamachi² has the great ease of use of the original Hamachi plus enhancements like a new GUI and web-based management.
While the new GUI is a nice touch and certainly a nice improvement over the particularly spartan interface that Hamachi had before, the real improvement is the addition of web-based VPN management. With the new web-based management you can create networks on demand through your LogMeIn account. Inviting people is just as simple, you just need to plug in their email address and a link will be sent to them.
You can also specify what type of virtual private network you want to build: gateway, hub-and-spoke, and mesh networking are the three potential structures you can use for your VPN. With the easy deployment and mesh-networking you can create a personal cloud in a matter of minutes.
TweetMyMac, a free application, remote controls your Mac from anywhere you can access Twitter, allowing you to restart and shutdown your computer, take a screenshot, open a torrent, and more.
To get started using TweetMyMac, you'll need to sign up for a new Twitter account dedicated specifically to controlling your Mac, then follow your main Twitter account from your new dedicated account. (Note: You should only follow that one account from your TweetMyMac Twitter account—unless you want to give random people the ability to remotely control your Mac. You'll probably also want to protect your updates.)
Once you've set up your dedicated Twitter account, installed TweetMyMac, and set it up with your new Twitter account, you're ready to execute some commands.
Command - Purpose
shutdown - Shutdown your Mac. Will NOT save any open files.
restart - Restart your Mac. Will NOT save any open files.
logout - Logout of your Mac. Will NOT save any open files.
sleep - Sleep your Mac.
ip - Get your Mac's external IP address. Your Mac will reply with it's current IP.
isight - Snap an image from your Mac's iSight camera. Your Mac will reply with the picture posted on TwitPic.
screenshot - Get a screenshot of your Mac. Your Mac will reply with the picture posted on TwitPic.
say [phrase] - Your Mac will speak the phrase in the default voice.
torrent [torrent URL] Your Mac will download the torrent and open it in the default torrent client.
[URL] - Your Mac will open any URL it is sent.
%[command] - Your Mac will execute the custom shell command. Note: this is disabled by default for security and must be enabled in the options to use.
I'm particularly partial to the torrent command, considering it allows you to start a BitTorrent download from any mobile device capable of copying and pasting a URL. (Does this mean Apple will have to reject Twitter apps now, too?)
The word "tweet" no longer belongs to the birds. Ever since the popular social networking site Twitter flooded the human psyche, the word has come to stand for the 140-character quips users send via the trendy Web site.
In the off-chance you're new to the Internet, Twitter is a social networking Web site that helps users to stay in touch with friends, family and otherwise via these tiny autobiographical updates. Because of the character limit, tweets must be concise, and some people refer to Twitter communication as microblogging.
Twitter users keep up with each other's tweets by following. Every time someone you follow posts a message to Twitter, that post will show up in your Twitter feed. And every time you post a message to Twitter, that post shows up in the feed of anyone who's following you. It's as simple as that.
The user interface for Twitter is rather basic, without too many options to manage or organize your feed, which isn't a big deal for the casual user. But power users and those who follow many people are always on the lookout for applications that help them to use Twitter more effectively. There are many Twitter tools out there, and it can be tough to sift through them all.
That's why we've done the work for you by creating a top five list.
1. Twitpic
Twitpic is an application that lets you share your photos on Twitter. After setting up an account, you can log in to Twitpic to upload photos from your computer. Twitpic will store the photo on its server, and at the same time will generate a post to your Twitter account with a link to the photo. You can caption and tag your photo, too.
You can also use Twitpic to tweet photos from your mobile phone. The application generates a unique e-mail address based on your username. After taking a picture on your cell phone, just email the photo to that address and it will soon appear in your Twitter feed. The ability to tweet photos on the fly -- as opposed to having to wait to download photos from your camera to your computer -- makes Twitpic and similar applications very popular.
On the Twitpic homepage, a Google world map features recently uploaded photos from all over the world, an interesting way to find Twitter users you might not normally encounter. You can also find Twitpic bundled into some of your favorite Twitter tools, like TweetDeck or Twhirl.
2. TwitThis
TwitThis is actually more of a blogging tool rather than a Twitter tool. It's a good utility for anyone who has a blog or Web site and is looking for more methods of promotion. It's also useful for people who like to share interesting things they run across online.
TwitThis provides HTML code you can add to your Web site. This code puts a button on your Web page or blog. If a reader wants to share your site via their Twitter account, they just need to click the button. That click will publish your URL to the user's Twitter feed, and voila -- your Web site gets instant promotion without you having to do a thing.
If you don't have a Web site you want to promote, you can still use TwitThis as a bookmarklet. A bookmarklet is a one-click tool that sits in your browser's toolbar. With the TwitThis bookmarklet, if you're surfing the Internet and see something you'd like to share on Twitter, just click, and the URL will post directly to your feed -- and you never even have to leave the page you're viewing. And TwitThis automatically shortens the URL, so you don't have to worry about it taking up your entire Twitter 140-character limit.
3: TweetDeck
TweetDeck is an application that brings you several Twitter tools in one integrated client. Within TweetDeck, you can manage the people you follow, send tweets and direct messages, follow any @ replies or mentions, and much more.
If you access Twitter from its original interface on the Twitter Web site, you need to refresh the page every time you want to see updates. Instead, TweetDeck feeds you those updates as they come in. When someone you follow posts a new tweet or you receive a reply, a beep or visual flag will notify you. TweetDeck also runs independently of your Web browser.
The big draw of TweetDeck is its ability to organize your list of contacts into a column-based format. This is especially helpful if you follow a lot of people. By setting up groups, you can manage your contacts in any way you choose. For example, if you follow stand-up comedians on Twitter, you can set up a "comedian" group, which will allow you to view a column of comedian-only tweets. TweetDeck also lets you click on a user name to find out more information about that person.
Other little goodies in TweetDeck include an automatic URL shortener (invaluable when you're working with only 140 characters), a feature called TweetShrink which will help you reduce a too-long tweet, a shortcut to image and video uploads, and a button that allows you to also send your tweets to Facebook.
All these features work to assist you in managing your Twitter feed in a much more efficient way.
4: Qwitter
Have you ever wondered why one day you have 100 followers, but the next you're down to 95? Twitter doesn't notify you when someone stops following you, and it can be cumbersome to comb through your followers list to figure out who dropped you.
If you're somewhat of a masochist and want to know when and why someone stops following you, Qwitter is the tool for you. Just sign up on the Qwitter Web site, and Qwitter will monitor your account. If someone "unfollows" you after you post something, you should get an e-mail with the username of the person who dropped you, as well as the post that may have inspired them to leave.
Qwitter can be a useful tool if you're someone who is concerned about inadvertently offending people with your tweets. Knowing what particular tweet may have prompted someone to drop you can be helpful. You might even send a friendly message to the person that unfollowed you to iron out any misunderstandings. Of course, conversely, if you unfollow someone, you should be aware that they may be using Qwitter as well, and they may have a few questions for you.
Perhaps sometimes, ignorance really is bliss.
5. WeFollow
WeFollow is a Twitter utility that allows users to submit themselves to a directory. The process for submission is easy. You simply send a tweet to WeFollow, including up to three hashtags describing yourself. Think of Twitter hashtags as keywords. For example, if you're a food blogger, you might submit a tweet like @wefollow #food #blogger #gourmet.
Sending that particular tweet enters you in the WeFollow directory according to the hashtags you provided. Your Twitter account is now searchable and categorized on WeFollow. The site is a good way to find new users to follow, by searching for people with similar interests to your own.
The front page of the WeFollow Web site lists the most popular tags (celebrity, TV, music, news, politics). Under each tag, you'll see users listed by popularity, i.e. number of followers. You can browse through all the listings to find new people to follow. And maybe you'll pick up a few new followers of your own.
Why is WeFollow different from the other Twitter directories out there? Because users must publicly tweet to @wefollow, the site gets free and instant publicity across the Twitterverse. WeFollow also benefits from the name recognition of its creator, Kevin Rose, who started up the popular social news Web site Digg.
Twitter on the Go
You don't need a desktop computer to send updates to Twitter. Install a Twitter application to your smartphone and you can keep your contacts updated on your every move.
We've shown you how to make an air conditioner (even for as low as $30), but what if you wanted something you can put in your car and take with you?
Instructables user CameronSS has a guide to building a portable air conditioner out of materials that you may already have in your garage (if you don't, he lists the average cost for each part and where it can be purchased), including a portable cooler, 12V battery, fans, and a generous helping of ice. Plenty of pictures and sage advice from his father guide you through the building process, and CameronSS ends the instructions with a list of potential modifications to improve the already great gadget.
Oh, and if you have doubts about how well a DIY air conditioning unit could work, he reported back with these results after putting it to the test in a hot truck:
When the unit was started, the air in the cab was 95 degrees, parked in the shade after a morning of sun, and the outside heat index was 108 degrees. Within five minutes the cab had cooled to 75 degrees, and the air output was 65 degrees. With two quarts of water that had been refrigerated and 8 pounds of ice cubes, the ice had melted after 40 minutes, leaving 50 degree water, with an output of 65 degree air.
Not only does the unit work, but it works well and efficiently!
Check out the link below for detailed instructions on how to build your very own portable air conditioner.
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Sherman Hand