Software

 Here's a smart and geeky way to make Windows XP look like Windows Vista, without upgrading or purchasing Windows Vista - for free!

Aptly called the "Vista Transformation Pack", this piece of software will instantly transform Windows XP or a Windows 2000 installation to look and feel just like Windows Vista complete with the "aero" buttons, desktop wallpaper, Vista Dock and Sidebar  with Microsoft Gadgets, Windows Vista Welcome screen, Sound Scheme, new  Vista icons, Theme and Media Player skins and even a new Windows Vista bootscreen, which replaces the "Starting Windows XP' screen with Vista logo and message.

Here's one geeky piece of software that can fit into any Science Fiction movie but works today.

"Tempest for Eliza is a Program that uses your computer monitor
to send out AM radio signals. You can then hear computer
generated music in your radio."

So, you can listen to music without a sound card or even a transmitter.  

Give it a try (needs Linux).  Details on how it works is here.

 
We love the Pandora Internet Radio.  If you haven't heard of Pandora before  it's a "free" Internet radio station that plays music based on the kind of music you already like listening to, with a technology that matches music genes, sort of like DNA fingerprinting. In  all the while we have used Pandora it has kept us entertained well with music that we love listening to with just one small problem - the browser window that  remains on the desktop glaring at us.

But  finally we have found the answer to that problem as well -  an  interesting Task tray application hack for Pandora by Daniel Mackey that keeps Pandora running as a taskbar icon instead of a browser window. Highly recommended if you use or plan to listen to Pandora. It can be downloaded from here.