On another note, I apologize for the lack of recent posts, as I have less time to contribute to the site and focus on other priorities.

After installing phpBB3 you’ll be able to deploy a forum across your network (or Internet, if publicly accessible) which can be used for a variety of purposes, including discussion, file uploading, etc.

Downloading phpBB3

At the time of this writing, phpBB 3.0.3 is the latest phpBB version. Head to the phpBB website and hit the green block that says Download Latest Release. You’ll be directed to another page, and under Full Package, download either file (they’re both the same). Save it to your xampp/htdocs folder.

Extracting phpBB3

Head over to the xampp/htdocs folder and right click phpBB-3.0.3.zip and select 7zip, Extract Here (or equivalent, if using a different archive utility). A folder called phpBB3 will be created, which you can rename (I renamed it to forum).

Setting up the MySQL Database

(This section will assume that you have setup a password for XAMPP’s MySQL Database)

In your XAMPP folder, open xampp-control.exe, and start Apache and MySQL (so that both of them are running, as per the screenshot above).

Direct your web browser to the phpMyAdmin page, and enter your username (root) and your password, which was setup when you went to the XAMPP security page.

Once you login, you should see a Create new database section. Type in a name (I chose forum) and hit Create.

Installing phpBB

Direct your browser to the phpBB forum directory (mine would be http://localhost/forum/) which should autodirect you to the installation page. Hit the Install tab at the top, then hit the Next Step button at the bottom of the following page. You shuold then come to a page called Installation Compatibility (pictured above). Scroll to the bottom, and hit Start Install.

You’ll reach a Database configuration page. Leave all but the last four fields alone.

• Database Name: This is the name of the database you chose when you created a new database in phpMyAdmin. Mine is forum
• Database Username: root
• Database Password: Either the password you setup with XAMPP security or no password.
• Prefix for database tables: Can be left alone, unless you’ve installed phpBB before in the same database.

Hit Proceed to Next Step, and again, if the test connection is successful.

phpBB will ask for some basic information. Fill the form in, and hit Proceed to Next Step (3 times, if everything goes well).

The key thing here to change is to disable all board-wide emails. Once that’s done, you can Proceed to Next Step (twice). Hit Login at the end.

Finishing Up

You’ll be greeted with this page, which looks eerily similar to the installation pages. As you can see from the big red box, you’ll need to delete the install folder (xampp/htdocs/forum/install/) (replace forum with whatever directory you chose). The blue message can be ignored.

Hit Board Index at the top right of the admin panel (or go to http://localhost/forum/) and see the results. You can add more forums and setup many other options via the admin panel (which you can always access with the link at the bottom).

Load up Fraps and hit the Movies tab. Make sure Record Sound is checked and Detect best sound input is selected. Next, head into Control Panel, Sounds and Audio Devices (in classic view).

Click the Audio tab, and under the Sound Recording section hit Volume…

Click Options, Properties at the top and you should see a window similar to the above. Check the box that says Stereo Mix and hit OK.

A new section should pop up in the main window called Stereo Mix. Unmute it if necessary, and you should be good to go to record sounds from your system.

Select Your Game

On the front page you’ll see a box asking you to select a product. It lists many of the newer generation games. Pick one and hit Can You Run It?

A loading bar will appear, and depending on whether you’ve used it before, it’ll ask you to install the applet. Let the applet install, and your results should appear shortly.

The Results

The first thing you’ll see is a quick glance at where your PC stands relative to the minimum and recommended requirements.

The second thing you’ll see below is a list of the required PC specifications, and then your PC specifications with a rating bar relative to the requires specifications. It’ll also list any “helpful” information, including links to free driver updates, and if your hardware does not meet the requirements, a link to their recommendations (which uses a page from the store TigerDirect).

Pidgin stores the buddy list, pounces, preferences, and other data as XML files in a “hidden” directory in Windows. This data can be useful for transferring data between Pidgin clients without reentering your data each time.

To copy/backup your data, head over to C:\Documents and Settings\[your username]\Application Data\.purple\ and copy the XML files.

To transfer them to a Pidgin Portable installation, paste the files in \PidginPortable\Data\settings\.purple\ overwriting any existing files.

Pidgin also stores cached buddy icons in the icons folder of the same directory and HTML logs (if enabled) in the logs folder (which can also be viewed through the main window with Buddies → View User Log.

We’re going to detail three various methods to get Gmail Redesigned. All of these methods require Firefox.

Google Redesigned

Google Redesigned is a free addon from Globex Designs (the creators of Gmail Redesigned) which changes both Gmail and Google Calendar. It’s also the best bet for easy updates and getting the latest version. Install from their website here.

Better Gmail 2

Better Gmail 2 is another addon from Lifehacker which adds new features to Gmail. While it does not guarantee having the latest version of Google Redesigned, it does provide several other features in one extension. Install it from Lifehacker’s website.

Activate Gmail Redesigned by opening up Tools → Addons…

And hit the Skins tab, and make sure that Gmail Redesigned is marked. Then click OK.

Gmail Redesigned Stylish Addon

For those of you with the Stylish addon, you can install the Gmail Reloaded style here.

Signing Up for Acrobat.com

Head over to Acrobat.com and click the Adobe ConnectNow button (second from the left). You should see a box similar to the above picture. Hit Sign Up.

With the magic of Flash, the login form turns into the registration form. Fill in your email (you can use Gmail aliases here) and other information it requests. Then click Begin.

Your Wonderful Meeting Room

When you first enter, this faux popup will show and give you the meeting URL you can give to others to enter the meeting. It’ll also give you a link to customize the URL (based off of your email by default) and an opportunity to send email invitations. It also has a checkbox to not show this message again.

You’ll be greeted with the default meeting layout, which shows 4 “pods” (a pod is a module, such as the chat room, shared notes, etc.). The largest pod is the screen sharing pod, along with webcam, chat, and shared notes pods to the side. As the host, you’re able to customize the layout, as well as remove and add pods.

Customizing the Layout

To remove pods, hover over the title bar and click the “x” that appears. To have them cover the entire meeting screen, click the box icon (maximize button). To move them, click and drag the title bar. To resize pods, move your mouse to any edge until it has the resize icon and click and drag.

To view available pods (and add or remove them), click “Pods” at the top and view the listing. You can also reset it to the default layout.

Available Pods

Whiteboard

The whiteboard, which is not in the default layout, is probably the most fun (and least useful) of all the pods available. It allows the meeting to draw, make shapes, and type stuff on a virtual whiteboard. Sometimes the implementation is a bit buggy, as shapes and other drawings may not erase properly. Other shortcomings include the fact that the drawing area is limited to a certain width/height and cannot be expanded regardless of how large the actual pod is.

Chat

The chatroom is basic and allows for private conversations and text colors.

Shared Notes

Shared notes allow you to write formatted text to be shared with the rest of the users in the meeting and can be changed by anyone.

Files

The Files Pod allows users in the meeting to upload and download files.

Screen Sharing

Adobe ConnectNow requires that you install an addon before you can share your screen. When you do install this addon, it’ll load the meeting inside another window, at which point if you decide to share your screen, will close the window and launch a smaller window with the basic modules visible. Once you install the addon, the meetings will now always launch in this new window.

The screen sharing module allows for basic annotation on the actual screen, and also lets other people control your screen if you allow it. For an online implementation of remote assistance, ConnectNow’s screen sharing is solid.

Other Features

• Voice Chat: ConnectNow allows users to chat via microphone, which is useful for quick voice conversations without forcing anyone to download a desktop client.
• Webcam Sharing: I was unable to test this feature, so I’m unsure of how it operates. Granted, it allows you to share your webcam without making you download additional software.
• Roles: ConnectNow features 3 levels - hosts, participants, and audience, who are granted varying levels of privileges within the meeting.

This is a basic overview of ConnectNow, and you should now be able to easily setup an online meeting room as well as have a basic understanding of the various “pods” and their functions.

Adding a New Buddy Pounce

Open the Buddy List, hit Tools, then Buddy Pounces.

In the window that appears, hit Add.

You’ll be greeted with a New Buddy Pounce dialog. We’ll explain some of the options available.

• Account: A dropdown menu listing all of your accounts appears. Select the one with the contact that you want a new buddy pounce to be added to.
• Buddy Name: Type your contact’s name/email.
• Pounce When Buddy: Should be self explanatory. Check all the options you want special notification for.
• Action: Also self explanatory. Open an IM Window opens a new window with the contact, Pop-up a notification pops up a new notification, Send a message sends a message to the contact in question, Execute a command runs a program, and Play a sound plays a sound of your choice. If you leave Play a sound blank, it will play a different Pidgin sound.
• Pounce only when my status is not available: The action only occurs if your status is Not Available.
• Recurring: Have this action occur every time. For the purpose of having a special notification every time the contact signs on, we checked the box.

That basically outlines the options available. For our purposes, we checked Sign in under Pounce When Buddy, Open an IM Window and Play a Sound under Action, and Recurring. Hit Save and you now have a new buddy pounce.

On another note, I apologize for the drop in posting frequency, as I am busy with school and cannot dedicate as much time.

Scroll to the bottom, make sure Windows Pidgin Options is checked, then click it and Configure Plugin.

Next to Keep Buddy List window on top, click the menu and select Always. Hit Close to both windows and Pidgin should now remain on top of your other windows.

Open Control Panel, enter Accessibility Options, and check the box that says Use ToggleKeys. Hit OK and you now have auditory notification when you hit a “toggle key.”