Category Archives: Desktop

How to delete – double – icons on your Android smartphones!

Google Play StoreThe first time I noticed doubled icons appearing on my Android 4.4 smartphone I thought that it was a temporary problem. So I tried to solve that with a simple reboot but I didn’t succeed.

Moreover when I tried to delete just one of the doubled icons I uninstalled the App…. This kind of matter is typical of smartphones and it usually doesn’t happen on tablets or Android PCs where you have a dedicated room (the “menu” page) to uninstall software (Apps) and different “screens” to organize them.

This means that if you delete a App’s icon from one of the “screens” you will still have your software installed into your device. The problem of double icons on smartphones is caused by a wrong configuration of your personal settings on Google Play Store.

To solve it, you have to:

1 – find all the problematic Apps;

2 – go to Google Play — Settings – and deselect “Add icon to home screen”;

3 – uninstall the “problematic” Apps;

4 – reinstall them.

To conclude it’s better to solve this kind of problem as soon as you notice it because, to solve the matter, you will have to waste your time uninstalling and reinstalling all the Apps with doubled icons.

How to Make Your Ubuntu Desktop Look Like the One of Mac OS

If you are a fan of the design proposed by Apple for most of its operating systems, particularly Mac OS X, then there are a couple of things that you should take into consideration and some simple steps to follow. Therefore, you are advised to read the following information carefully in order to achieve the expected outcome in the shortest time.

There are two free pieces of software that can transform your Ubuntu desktop into one that looks identical to the one of Mac OS in no time. The Ubuntu version is called Macbuntu. First of all, you will need to install this program onto your local hard drive. Here is what you need to do for this step:

– If you are using Ubuntu 10.4 Lucid Lynx, you will need to open a new terminal and type the following lines into it:

$wget https://downloads.sourceforge.net/project/macbuntu/macbuntu-10.04/v2.2/Macbuntu-10.04.tar.gz -O /tmp/Macbuntu-10.04.tar.gz
$tar xzvf /tmp/Macbuntu-10.04.tar.gz -C /tmp
$cd /tmp/Macbuntu-10.04/
$./install.sh

– On the other hand, if Ubuntu 10.10 Maverik Meerkat or a similar version is installed in your system, you will need to use a different version of Macbuntu, which can be accessed by typing the following:

$wget https://downloads.sourceforge.net/project/macbuntu/macbuntu-10.10/v2.3/Macbuntu-10.10.tar.gz -O /tmp/Macbuntu-10.10.tar.gz
$tar xzvf /tmp/Macbuntu-10.10.tar.gz -C /tmp
$cd /tmp/Macbuntu-10.10/
$./install.sh

During the install process, you will be provided with the chance of choosing between different options. These are usually dependent on the different ways you wish your desktop to look like. Most of the choices will be based on your visual tastes, so make sure you choose according to them.

Finally, whenever you need to uninstall this special package for some reason you can follow the same procedure described above, with just an exception. Instead ./install.sh you will need to use the ./uninstall.sh command. AddThis

Install Conky system monitor for Linux and configure it in few basic steps

Conky is one of the most powerful and versatile system monitors for Linux desktops. It allows you to monitor and display all the information about your hardware, top processes, network, emails and more. At the moment more than 300 different feature has been built for Conky and searching on the web you always find the perfect feature already developed by someone.

– Installation on Ubuntu:

in Terminal run: sudo apt-get install conky

– Configuration:

In Terminal run: sudo nautilus

Go to File System: /etc/conky/conky.conf

Save a copy of the original conky.conf in another location and open the original file with Gedit Text Editor

First of all change: own_window yes to own_window no

Choose your preferred alignment (some samples below…):
alignment top_right
or
alignment middle_right
or
alignment bottom_right

Play with: update_interval 1.0
and change the interval value till you find the right ratio to obtain the best speed for you (in my case it was 0.80).

Add this line to eliminate any flickering:
double_buffer yes
but, on some computers, all the icon on your desktop will be hidden and you need to use (move) the mouse to discover them if you will not add this parameter: own_window_type normal

Add, as last line (or in other position if you prefer):
${color red} ${cpugraph} to have a clear graph about cpu (obviously you can choose the color you prefer)

For automatic start of Conky at startup, please follow the following instructions:
Run Startup Applications in System –> Preferences
Click on Add and save after updating the following instructions
Name: Conky
Command: /usr/bin/conky

Restart Ubuntu to check your new Conky “applet”

Link to Conky: http://conky.sourceforge.net/

For more info about Conky’s variables: http://conky.sourceforge.net/variables.html

Find online some pre-compiled Conky configuration files, searching, for example, on: http://gnome-look.org
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Rocketdock 1.3.0: a light but powerful dock for Windows 7, Vista and XP

This week, in our Freeware Page, we posted a brief review about Rocketdock, a terrific “Apple style” dock for Windows. We decided to test Rocketdock on a Windows XP and the results were positive and we did not find bugs. Rocketdock is compatible with Windows 2000, XP, Vista and the brand new Windows 7 using just 10MB of RAM. To add a new icon it is sufficient to drag and drop it into the bar and it will be automatically added. To cut off an icon you have to drag it from the dock to an empty space on the desktop and it is immediately removed. To conclude we suggest this freeware because it is really customizable and easy to add & tune to your existing desktop. Recommended! AddThis Podcast

Project Neon: the fastest way to install Amarok 2.0 on your Kubuntu!

Project NeonThis week, in our Linux Page (in Spanish), Frank has added an interesting post about Project Neon which is the best solution for people who desire to have the new nightly builds service for Amarok. Following the simple instructions contained in Project Neon you will able to enjoy the last developing packages for Amarok 2.0 without waiting the release of the stable version. Project Neon also provides simple instructions to install Amarok 2.0 on your Ubuntu in just five minutes. Last but not least, it is necessary to remember that Amarok 2.0 is not in its final version  yet and it could potentially create some serious problems on your PC. To install it just add:

deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/project-neon/ubuntu hardy main

in your sources (/etc/apt/sources.list) and the install it using the following command lines:

$ sudo apt-get uptdate

$ sudo apt-get install amarok-nightly

Enjoy it! AddThis mp3 link

How to install Ubuntu 7.10 on a USB Key!

Ubuntu 7.10After only few days from the release of Ubuntu 7.10, the pendrivelinux.com has released the new manual to install this new version of the famous Linux distro on a USB key and we have posted a short but effective review about this new manual on our Linux Page (in Spanish). As usual the instruction contained on the site are very clear and simple to follow. We have been able to create our Ubuntu 7.10 Key in less than 40 minutes and without any particular problem. Unfortunately, we were not able to save the changes we had made to personalize our USB key but we really enjoy the possibilities offered by a so powerful OS as Ubuntu (if someone knows how to save the changes, please, post a comment – Thanks). Strongly recommended! AddThis mp3 link

MusikCube: the opensource competitor to iTunes

MusikCubeIn our Freeware Page we have posted a review about MusikCube, the most powerful competitor to iTunes. It is superfluous to remind that this opensource software has exactly the same features than iTunes (e.g. tags and dynamic playlist), personally I prefer to underline that MusikCube is extremely lightweight (12,792K on my XP), fast (due to the sqlite database engine), compact and easy to use (it has also a good integrated CD ripper) . Unfortunately it is not possible to personalize (or create) the skin but there are more than 20 plugins you can choose between. Moreover I tried to connect my IPod but I did not succeed; with Zen and Rio I had not any problem. To conclude, I suggest MusikCube to all people who are loking for a modern mp3player with a terrific integrated library manager! AddThis

NimbleX: a customizable Linux (Slackware based) Live CD

NimbleXIn our Linux Page we have posted a brief review about NimbleX: a customizable Live CD based on Slackware. To build your own distro you have only to connect to NimbleX site and follow the simple instructions on the screen. The number of available programs is not huge but with a couple of tests you can built a very good personalized Live CD without knowing anything about programming (unfortunately, it is possible to create only one Live CD every day). You can also customize the background and the boot audio greeting using your favorite images and messages. NimbleX is so easy and fast to use that it’s a pleasure to use it. Recommended! AddThis

Comodo backup for Windows XP: the freeware you need to have!

Comodo BackupToday, in our Freeware Page we add a review on one of the free softwares offered by Comodo. Comodo backup is very simple to use but effective freeware which allows you to easily store sensitive data on a external Hard Disk or on a multisession DVD. If you prefer you can also use the ftp feature. The graphic interface is essential but clean and in just few clicks you are able to start store files and/or folders. Last but not least if some troubles happen to the hard disk you can restore them directly from your pc with one click. Free, Easy and Fast! AddThis

Krusader 1.80.0: an advanced advanced twin panel file manager for KDE!

KrusaderThis week, in our Linux Page (in Spanish) we have posted a brief but complete review about Krusader: one of the best file manager for KDE. As we all know, in the next Ubuntu 7.10 we will find the new Dolphin beyond to the traditional Konqueror (the KDE file manager and universal viewer) but we would like to prefer to keep your attention on this twin panel file manager. The complete list of Krusader’s features is so long that we prefer to underline just the main ones. In fact, two of the most interesting features are the remote connection manager and the special function for synchronizing directories which are very simple to use. Moreover the possibility of creating a customized menu gets Krusader very user friendly. Recommended! AddThis