Get More Out of Your PC

With these tips and techniques, you can teach any machine new tricks, from recording radio to saving you money on phone bills.

Whether you're a PC wizard or a desktop dunce, you can do plenty to teach your system new tricks and make it more flexible and just plain easier to use. With a few simple steps, your PC can help you trim your phone bill, obey your every word, record your favorite radio shows, and make you famous on the Internet. It's even easy to turn your old PC into a networked file server that can hold all of your photos, videos, and files in one place where everyone can get them.

So it's the day of your big presentation, but you suddenly realize that you left the presentation file behind on your PC. Rather than dashing back to retrieve the file, you can simply go to any nearby computer and quickly download the presentation from your home or office system--as long as you've planned ahead by setting up remote access to your files.

The first way to accomplish this is to install a remote control application. Programs like TightVNC (free) and PC Anywhere ($95) or services like GoToMyPC ($20 a month) and Laplink Everywhere ($9 a month) allow you to access your home computer easily from the office (and vice versa), or even from a cybercafé--ideal if you can't remember where you saved the file or if you need to look up figures in a spreadsheet. Becky Waring's "PC in a Browser" feature from last August's issue covers these and other options.

The second method is to use a free remote access service like Avvenu or FolderShare, both of which let you access files on your PC from any other system. You need to install a small client program on your home or office system that communicates with the service; and you must tell it which folders to share before you go traveling. For more remote file access alternatives, click here.

Another option is to take your data with you, either on a USB flash drive that fits onto your key ring or via an online storage service. USB drives come in capacities of 128MB to 4GB, and drives such as the $55 SanDisk Cruzer Profile include fingerprint scanners for extra security. The drives are also a great backup idea if you travel with a laptop: Copy your important files to the USB flash drive once a day, so if you're in Honolulu but your laptop got shipped to Helsinki, you'll still have your files.

Online services such as Xdrive and Acpana Data Deposit Box use software that copies your files to their servers, either on request or in a scheduled backup. These services can also provide remote access to your files: Both allow you to access your files via their Web sites from any PC with Internet access.

Have a big family? Need to call coworkers a continent away? Then you probably have a big phone bill. But it doesn't have to be that way: Voice-over-IP services such as Skype and Gizmo use your broadband connection to bring you in touch by phone with your family, colleagues, and friends for free.

After you download the service's software and set up an account, you can dial other people with service accounts to your heart's content. Skype's optional SkypeOut and Gizmo's Call Out services let you call people with landlines, but only if you pay a fee. For the best sound quality, use a headset instead of a microphone and speakers. The $40 DSP-400 headset from Plantronics sounds terrific, and is a good investment if you plan to make lots of VoIP calls on your PC. It plugs into a USB port and works independently of your sound card. To use it in Skype, go to Tools, Options, select Sound devices, and pick the headset from the list for Audio In and Audio Out. In Gizmo, go to Edit, Options, Audio and select the headset as both the input and output device.

Rather than bugging your friends to test the service, make sure that everything is working by calling the service's test server: Enter username echo123 for Skype, and username echo for Gizmo. After a brief introduction, the server will record what you say and play it back--a great way to ensure you are set up correctly. Once you are connected at both ends, you can make a call and talk all you want without racking up a huge phone bill.

If you use your PC for playing music and video, a remote control can be a big help. The $50 Keyspan Express Remote gives your media a new lease on life: You can skip tracks, adjust the volume, and stop and start your music or video without using the keyboard or mouse. You can set the matchbook-size remote's 17 buttons to emulate any key on your keyboard, so you can easily program it to work with your favorite media player or other application (it comes with preprogrammed settings for 30 programs). It also emulates the mouse, enabling you to navigate your desktop and software from a distance.

The Express Remote also controls iTunes even if the program runs in the background, so you can change tracks while you listen to music without having to leave the program you're working in.

Most likely your TV is in one room and your PC is in another. What if you want to watch television while you compute, or to use your big-screen TV to watch a video that's stored on your system?

The Slingbox is a $250 device that transmits video from your cable box, satellite receiver, or DVR to your PC. Hook the box up to your video device, open the Slingbox software on your system, and control video playback as if you were sitting in front of the TV. The quality is reasonable, but not as good as your TV's. For higher-quality playback, add a TV tuner like the $90 ATI TV Wonder USB 2.0. TV tuners let you record shows to DVD or your system's hard drive for later viewing. The $110 ATI HDTV Wonder card captures over-the-air digital TV signals and records them to a hard drive in their full high-def glory.

Devices such as Acoustic Research's $350 MediaBridge and D-Link's $160 DSM-320 let you view shows recorded to your PC (along with your photos and home videos) on your big-screen TV, via your wireless network. The MediaBridge is also the first one we've seen that works with HD video: It can display 720p video on an HDTV set through a DVI or HDMI connection. If you just want to listen to music, a dedicated audio device like the $250 Squeezebox or the $150 Roku SoundBridge M500 can play back all of your digital audio on your hi-fi. If you use a Windows XP Media Center PC, an extender device like the $250 Linksys Dual-Band Wireless A/G Media Center Extender allows you to play back content the Media Center PC records elsewhere on the wireless network. This way, you can place the noisy PC in the back room and the silent extender in the living room.

If you want to make your media available across the network without involving a PC, a combination like ViewSonic's Wireless Media Gateway WMG-80 and WMA-100 Adapter will do the job: While the $349 Gateway stores the media on an 80GB hard drive, the $250 adapter connects to your TV and hi-fi to play back the media. PCs and Macs on the same wireless network can access the content, but the device can't record TV itself; another device must do that.

"HAL, open iTunes, please." "I'm sorry, Richard, I'm afraid I can't do that. If you play Pink Floyd once more, I am going to have to reformat my hard drive." Stanley Kubrick's vision of a psychotic computer is (thankfully) a bit behind schedule, but it's easy to control your computer by voice. Realize Voice is a $99 program that lets you control the PC by speaking commands, such as "Open the Start menu" or "Switch to Firefox." While the program works with any PC headset, it couldn't control some of my apps, particularly ones like Winamp that open several windows at once. The dictation mode transforms your words into text.

The program's macros are great fun: Now when I say "Dark Side of the Moon," Windows Media Player starts, the Pink Floyd album plays, and the visualization goes psychedelic. My computer hasn't tried to kill me yet, no matter how many times I play it....

As the old saying goes, you can never be too rich or too thin, or have too much desktop real estate. We can't help you with the first two, but the last one is easily remedied: Add a second monitor.

Most modern graphics cards have dual monitor ports and can drive two displays at once. If your PC's graphics are integrated in the motherboard, you'll need to add a dedicated graphics card (assuming your motherboard has an available AGP or PCI Express x16 slot); for more, consult our graphics cards roundup. DVI ports let you connect to the digital output on an LCD flat-panel or (with an adapter) to an LCD or CRT monitor's analog port. Today's higher-end cards tend to come with two DVI ports; lower-end cards commonly pair one DVI port with an older-style analog-only VGA type. The ideal multimonitor configuration is identical LCDs side by side, but the displays needn't be the same size or type. In a pinch you can use an old CRT monitor along with your new LCD screen.

To configure your second monitor, shut down your PC, connect the display, and then turn the PC back on. After Windows loads, right-click a blank area of the desktop and select Properties. Under the Settings tab you'll see icons representing both of your monitors. Click the monitor marked 2, and select Extend my Windows Desktop onto this monitor. The second monitor will start up, and you'll be able to move your mouse pointer (and on-screen elements) between the screens. By dragging the icons around, you can tweak the arrangement of the monitors to match their physical location on your desk.

Do you rush home to catch Rush Limbaugh? Do you adore Al Franken, but always miss his show? No need to panic: With the Radio Shark, a $50 USB radio receiver, you can record AM and FM radio shows to your PC and listen to them at your leisure. You can even skip the ads and copy the shows to your MP3 player. Just install the Radio Shark and the software that comes with it, and then set it to record your programs; it can record them on a daily, weekly, or other schedule you specify. For Internet radio, Replay Radio is a $50 program that automatically records streaming audio to your PC, saving it for later listening as MP3 files.

To copy the shows to your MP3 player, locate the folder that the software uses to store the recorded shows: In the Radio Shark software, click Preferences, Location; in Replay Radio, click Settings and look at 'Save output files to this folder' under the Folders tab. Next, start Windows Media Player 10, and choose File, Add To Library, By Monitoring Folders. Select the recordings folder, and WMP will automatically add the recorded shows to your music library, ready for uploading to your MP3 player. If you're using an iPod, iTunes can't automatically add the new files, but you can import them by selecting File, Add Folder To Library, and then choosing the folder that stores your radio recordings before you reconnect your iPod. If you prefer, you can set Replay Radio to automatically add the recordings to iTunes: Go to the main screen, right-click any of your scheduled recordings, and select Properties, Output, Add to iTunes Library.

Does Auntie Doris seem greener than usual? Does Uncle Bob look pale? If the photos you view on your screen are a little off, you might need to recalibrate your monitor.

The first step is to use the International Color Consortium (ICC) profile for your monitor, which Windows uses to represent colors accurately on your screen. Your ICC profile is on the CD that came with the monitor (you can also download it from the manufacturer's Web site). To adjust your monitor's color, right-click a blank area of the Desktop and select Properties. Under the Settings tab in the Display Properties dialog box, click Advanced, Color Management. If no monitor profile is listed there, click Add and select the profile. Next, download and run the free Monitor Calibration Wizard utility. Step through the wizard and apply the profile it creates.

If you want more accurate color, buy a calibrator. Devices like the $149 Pantone Spyder2 analyze the color the monitor displays. These devices aren't cheap, but graphics professionals rely on them to calibrate their monitors. And if Auntie Doris still looks a little green, well, it's probably just the leftover salmon she had for lunch.

If you'd like to boot Windows right out of your life, it may be time for you to try Linux. Ubuntu Linux is an easy-to-use Linux version (called a "distribution" by those in the know). And the easiest way to get started is with a Live CD--a version of the OS that boots and runs straight from CD, so you don't have to install anything on your hard drive.

To start, download the CD image for the Live CD version of Ubuntu. Burn this disc image to a CD-R disc using a program such as ISO Recorder. If you can't download the 632MB file, Ubuntu will send you a disc for free.

Next, reboot your system and go into PC Setup, also known as the BIOS; you usually do this by pressing a certain key shown in the first screen you see when you turn the system on. Look for the boot sequence; if necessary, change it so that your CD drive comes before your hard drive. Save the changes, reboot the PC, and insert the Ubuntu Live CD.

You should see the Ubuntu logo and a 'Boot:' prompt; press Enter to boot into Linux. After Linux loads and configures your hardware, you'll see the X Window screen, a user interface to Linux that works a bit like Windows. You can access programs from the Applications menu (Ubuntu comes with the open-source productivity suite OpenOffice 2 preinstalled), and you can reach the Internet by selecting Applications, Internet, Firefox.

If you decide you like Linux, you can install the OS alongside Windows to create a dual-boot system that runs either. Our resident Linux guru Matthew Newton offers more insight into Ubuntu in his column. Also, read his take on the pros and cons of the competing KDE and Gnome Linux desktops, and his review of the free Xfce desktop environment for Linux.

You have a fast gaming PC and a big HDTV--why not combine the two for a full-on HD computing experience? Many graphics cards have an analog component output, and most HDTVs have a component video input. Just connect the two and then set the computer to generate the appropriate type of signal. (It's best to have both your normal monitor and the HDTV connected while you set this up so that you can see what you're doing.) With nVidia-based graphics cards, right-click the desktop and choose NVidia display, TV. In the Nview screen, click the HDTV icon and select Device Settings, TV Wizard. For an ATI-based card, open the ATI Catalyst Control Center, go to Displays Manager, click the TV icon, and select enable this display. Now click Video in the Graphics Settings to the left and pick the HDTV mode you want.

If the HDTV has a DVI input, use the same DVI cable that connects to your flat-panel monitor to hook up the HDTV. If your TV has only an HDMI input, a DVI-to-HDMI adapter (like a $30 model from Monster Cable) can connect the two. Then link the sound to your hi-fi, fire up Quake 4, and enjoy the blood and gore on the big-screen set.

Some people store their lives on their cell phone: It holds important phone numbers, photos, videos, and messages. But what would happen if by some chance their phone dropped into the toilet? All of their vital information would get flushed away. Unless, that is, they previously backed up their cell phone's data to their PC.

The $70 DataPilot Universal kit contains a cable, software, and nine connectors that work with many brands of phones (the $45 version has just one connector for one brand of phone). Check before you buy, though, as the device doesn't work with all phones. The software quickly sucks in your cell phone contacts, stores them in Microsoft Outlook or Outlook Express, and saves the candid shots you took with your cell phone's camera for later use as blackmail material. It also transfers your phone numbers, photos, and, ahem, priceless ring tones to a new phone, which is really handy when you're upgrading. If you have a Nokia phone, that company's free Nokia PC suite can perform similar cell-phone backup chores.

You've discovered a shocking secret that the world needs to know about, but CNN isn't returning your calls. Why not try putting up a video podcast? Vlog It from Serious Magic is the simplest way we've found to create a video podcast: You write the script; select your graphics, titles, and background music; and then record your video, using either a Webcam or a digital camcorder, straight to disc. If you choose a green or blue background, you can use Hollywood's famous "blue-screen" effect to superimpose a picture behind you and make it look like you're broadcasting from somewhere else (useful for throwing The Powers That Be off your trail).

The $50 software compresses the video to prepare it for your blog. It also automatically uploads your blog posting to a video hosting service. The beta version we tested includes a 15-day hosting trial with Playstream, but Serious Magic claims that the full version will work with a range of video-hosting services. Adding the video to your blog is easy: Drag an icon from the program onto the Web page containing your blog posts. (Browse hereto see a rundown of blog services.) And don't forget: The truth is out there.

You have power cables, network cables, speaker cables, keyboard and mouse cables.... Is it any wonder that the back of your PC looks like you've dropped a bowl of overcooked spaghetti down there? The good news is, it doesn't have to be that way. These products will restore order to that scary space behind your system.

The handy Cable Turtles are great for anyone whose speaker cables are too long but who doesn't want to trim them. Open the little devices up, wrap the cables inside, snap the pieces closed, and the extra cable length stays tidily in place.

Chances are a number of cables run from your PC to the top of your desk--the mouse cable, the monitor cable, and the keyboard cable, at least. The Cable Tamer is an easy way to route these: The plastic tube holds the cables together and attaches to the back of your desk with a cable tie. Adding or removing cables is also easy, as a split in the side of the tube provides quick access.

Your computer needs juice, but that's no reason to leave the power cables lying around where you can trip over them. A cord cover holds several cables and runs across the floor or along the baseboard without endangering life and limb. If you're looking for a more permanent solution, consider surface raceways, which mount on walls easily to keep your cables out of the way.

One of the surest ways to keep the rat's nest of cables running to your computer nice and neat is by using a product like the WireMate Cord Organizer. This box offers a convenient way to wrap up excess lengths of cable. The unit mounts behind or underneath your desk and has a removable cover, so adding or removing cables is a breeze.

Big, boxy power adapters are a real pain: Stick one on a normal power strip, and it blocks the sockets next to it. The PowerSquid can accommodate adapters the size of cinder blocks. The device's sockets are placed on the end of short cables, so up to five devices can run off of a single unit, no matter how large their power bricks are.

You just bought a new PC, and the old one sits forlornly in the corner. Why not turn it into a file and print server? Running quietly in the basement or another out-of-the-way spot, it can hold all the music, video, and other files that you, your family, or your coworkers want to view and share.

The following steps explain the Windows XP Home approach. If you'd like to convert the machine into a Linux server (which is arguably more stable than a Windows one, and lets you create private folders for each user), see page 10.

First, make sure the PC has enough hard-disk space; when it comes to server storage, the more the better, so this is a good time to add a new hard drive if your existing one is smaller than 80GB. Once you have enough storage, strip the PC down to a lean, mean file-serving machine. Run your PC's reinstall CD or Windows XP installation disc to return your PC to the state it was in when you bought it. (Don't forget to run Windows Update afterward to download the latest OS security fixes.) If you don't have a Windows CD, read the details on how to reinstall Windows without a disc. Next, remove most of the installed programs using the Add or Remove Programs Control Panel: In XP, click Start, Settings (if necessary), Control Panel, Add or Remove Programs. Delete all the programs listed there except your printer software--all you need is that program and Windows itself. Consult "Gunk Busters," our guide to getting rid of old programs.

With your system pared down, press Windows-E to open Windows Explorer. Navigate to and right-click the Shared Documents folder (double-click My Computer, right-click Shared Documents, and click Sharing and Security). If you've reinstalled Windows from scratch, right-click the folder and select Sharing and Security. In the properties window, click Network Sharing Setup Wizard and run through the steps, entering a name for the system (such as "Server"). Restart the PC, right-click the Shared Documents folder, select Sharing and Security, and make sure that Share this folder on the network and Allow network users to change my files are checked.

Next, click Start, Control Panel, Printers and Other Hardware. Select View installed printers, right-click your printer, and select Sharing. Choose share this printer and give it a descriptive name (such as "Living Room LaserJet") so people know where it is.

Now open Windows Explorer on one of the PCs that will access the server and enter \\server in the address bar. You'll then see the Shared Documents folder, which is now accessible from any machine on the network. You can map a drive letter on the PC to the server simply by right-clicking the Shared Documents folder and selecting Map Network Drive; the folder will then be treated as a hard drive inside your computer. If you would like to use the server's printer from an attached PC, just double-click the printer icon to install its driver, and then print as you normally would. Repeat these steps for every system on your network, and you'll have a file and print server that anybody can access.

Using Linux instead of Windows XP as your server operating system has several advantages. Linux runs better on older, slower machines, and is generally more stable. While Windows may need rebooting every few weeks, Linux systems can run for months or years without requiring any maintenance. Plus, with Linux creating private folders is easier. The free Ubuntu distribution of Linux is simple to use and comes with everything you need.

You'll quickly fill up disk space, so make sure you have at least 80GB. Next, go to the Ubuntu Linux site to download a CD image of the Ubuntu Linux distribution, burn it to a CD-R disc with a program like ISO Recorder, pop the CD into the old PC, and start it up. When you see the Ubuntu logo and the Boot: prompt, press Enter. Run through the installation, accepting the default settings (except for the hostname; for this, enter something like Server, and make a note of the name). Create a username and password when requested. The installation will reformat your hard drive (so make sure you've copied all of the files you want to keep), install Ubuntu Linux, and get the server running. When the install is finished, remove the CD and press Enter to reboot.

Once the system has finished installing and configuring the software that comes with it, you'll be greeted by a log-in prompt. Enter the user name and password you created during the installation. Now you can start configuring the server. First, install some of the software that will allow this Linux system to talk to Windows computers. Click System, Administration, Synaptic Package Manager. In the Package Manager screen, scroll down the list on the left and click Networking. Now scroll down the list of packages on the right and right-click Samba. Select Mark for installation and click Apply to install the software. Next, you'll need to alter one of the configuration files. Select Application, System Tools, Run as different user. In the dialog box, type sudo gedit -w /etc/samba/smb.conf. This will open the file you need to edit. Scroll down the file until you reach the section headed Share Definitions and change the settings on the following lines to read this way:

browseable = Yes
create mask = 0775
directory mask = 0775

Select File, Save and then File, Quit.

Next you must add the users who need to be able to log in to the server and read and write the files. Click Administration, Users and Groups, and add a new user. To add a password for the user, select Applications, Accessories, Terminal. Into the terminal screen that pops up, type sudo smbpasswd -a username, replacing username with the name of the user you just created. When prompted, enter a password. Next, type sudo /etc/init.d/samba reload and press Enter (this reloads the file-sharing software, which you have to do whenever you change a user's status). Repeat the process for every user, and then close the terminal window.

Finally, create a folder for music, videos, and other files that everyone can access. Right-click the desktop and select Create New Folder. Name the new folder something like Public, then right-click this folder and select Share folder. Give the folder an obvious name (such as Public Share) and select Allow browsing.

Now open Windows Explorer on one of the Windows machines that will access the server, type \\Server in the address bar, and press Enter. You'll be asked for a user name and password; enter one of the user names you created and press Enter again. You'll then see the folders for the user on the server: The Homes folder is for files that only the current user can access, and the Public Share folder is the one that anybody can read. You can map a drive letter to either by right-clicking the folder and selecting Map Network Drive.

Once the server is set up, you can put it in a closet or your basement and leave it running. You can even control it remotely; the Ubuntu distribution includes the remote-control program VNC, so you can remotely log in and reconfigure the system as required (see the Ubuntu documentation for details).

The furthest most people get in customizing their desktop is replacing the default Windows wallpaper with a picture of their kids. But there's a lot more that you can do to turn your Windows workspace into a nicer place to spend time. We took a typical, boring desktop and turned it into an attractive, efficient place to get things done.

We used Object Desktop a $50 collection of utilities that can help you organize your applications and data (the company offers limited free versions of many of the programs we used, and also sells them individually). WindowBlinds changes the look and feel of Windows, allowing you to alter the way open windows display, replace the icons on the toolbars, and adjust other Windows behaviors. DesktopX allows you to run small programs called widgets that display, for example, weather information, an analog clock, and other autoupdating information on your desktop.

The suite also lets you create desktop-based menus, such as the menu tabs at the top of our desktop that provide quick access to commonly used programs like Microsoft Office apps and graphics editors. Instead of being buried in the long Start menu, the programs are a click away at the edge of the screen. Many of these menus came with a DesktopX theme (which we downloaded from the Stardock site), but it's easy to customize them to open frequently used programs and files. The ObjectBar (the box in the lower-right corner) lets you read RSS feeds on your desktop--a big plus if you want to keep track of news from several Web sites without having to constantly revisit them.

You can also use the suite to create virtual desktops. This allows you to run a specific combination of programs on multiple desktops and switch between them with a couple of mouse clicks. Virtual desktops are particularly handy if you use several applications at once (such as a spreadsheet and a word processing program): You can have each application run full screen on its own virtual desktop and then flick between them quickly. It's kind of like having multiple monitors, but without the additional cost and hardware.

Richard Baguley

Richard Baguley is a writer in the San Francisco Bay Area.