By default, iTunes on Windows only supports multimedia keys when in focus. MmKeys.dll is a tiny (44K) addon which just needs to be dropped into your iTunes plugins folder to add support for most multimedia keyboards even when iTunes is running in the background.
I’ve been using it for the past couple of weeks and have found it really handy!
I just stumbled across a great blog, Cover Lay Down,which features folk-style cover versions of popular songs. Highly recommended, although if you’re anything like me you’ll be there for hours!
(via Boing Boing)
Cat Repose Terminal
Here’s a useful tutorial for WordPress users wanting to move to a different domain. I’ve had to carry out this process a couple of times and although it’s not rocket science, it’s handy to have a step-by-step list to ensure the process goes smoothly.
This is one of a series of WordPress guides that cover a whole host of topics.
This historical achievement is what inspired Stanley Kubrick to use the song in 2001: A Space Odyssey.
Access 97, for some unknown reason, seems to chew up all available CPU when it’s idle. Microsoft acknowledges this but has never provided a fix or workaround. It turns out this isn’t much of a problem – if you have other applications running which need CPU time, Access will gladly relinquish it. But PCs and laptops have evolved in the past 10 years, and often have variable-speed fans, which invariably sound like a cross between a vacuum cleaner and a jet engine when running at full pelt. Fortunately, there’s an unofficial patch available to bring Access’ CPU usage down to a more respectable level. Being unofficial, it’s of course not supported by Microsoft (or even the author of the patch), but it does seem to work fine on my system. The patch needs the latest Office 97 Service Release (SR2b), a 24MB free download from this MS page.
Windows XP and Vista contain a feature that is supposed to help you locate the right program to open a file with an unknown extension. I’ve never found this particularly useful – luckily, it’s easy to nuke it by employing a quick Registry hack. Check out this Lifehacker post for the details.
I only use my printer occasionally, and it’s even rarer that I’ll want to print on letterhead paper or on the reverse of an already-printed page, so I often forget which way the paper should go in!
Fortunately most printers include one of the below icons embossed on or near the printer tray. The folded corner denotes the “top” of the page, i.e. where the letterhead would go, and the lines show which side will be printed on, so you know whether to place the paper face-up or face-down.
Beats trial and error!
More details are in the post at Of Zen And Computing.
Lifehacker describes a quick fix for old volume knobs that cause static and popping when turned up or down. It sounds silly, but just switching the equipment off then turning the volume knob back and forth for a minute or so may get rid of most of the built-up grime that’s causing the static. I actually tried this the stock car radio from my twelve-year-old car and it worked a treat.