Don’t like the route that Google gave you? No problem – just drag it.

I just went over to the Google Maps page and noticed a new feature that said “Drag the blue line to change your route.” Curiosity got the best of me so I decided to try it out to see what it did, and after creating a route I noticed that I can make Google Maps go the way I want it to when giving directions.

I was pretty impressed with what it could do, and the concept is pretty simple. It essentially just adds “way points” to the course to make sure it passes through that location, but it is useful when Google Maps takes you a slightly different route than you would really like to go. Now just drag and drop the blue line until it is perfect in your eyes!

This, I think, is the one thing Google Maps has been missing. Enjoy!

Google Maps [via Lifehacker]

After six months of waiting, today is finally here; The iPhone comes out tonight at 6pm (Local Time). Since I’ve dodged talking about it all week, I’m going to do a roundup of everything you need to know about the iPhone, an iPhone 360˚ (if you will).

The first, and foremost, thing is I will NOT be reviewing an iPhone. It’s not because I don’t have an interest (because I do), but because the AT&T service in my area (or lack thereof). AT&T has only limited coverage of North Dakota, as well as the rest of the Upper Mid-West and the Rocky Mountains. The Forum, a newspaper out of Fargo, ND, did a story on the iPhone.

The iPhone – the much-hyped new product from Apple and AT&T – will only be available with wireless service from AT&T. And that leaves North Dakota and most of Minnesota out of the loop. Not only does the region have limited AT&T service, but consumers won’t even catch a glimpse of the iPhone in stores.

“We’re not selling the iPhone in North Dakota,” said AT&T spokeswoman Natalie Bauer. “In Minnesota, we’re selling the iPhones in a variety of Twin Cities locations.”

I, of course, sit in that bunch that are bummed. I know there are tons of people in just the Fargo area alone who would love an iPhone. If you aren’t in North Dakota or Minnesota and are a getting an iPhone, remember to line up early. Already there are people lined up at stores in the country.

Be ready for updates all over the place, too. There will be several firmware updates throughout the weekend as bugs are detected. Also, expect an iTunes update for compatibility with the iPhone (iTunes 7.3?) I called it! iTunes 7.3 is now available.

That said, go fourth and get your iPhone. Since I’m not reviewing one, I’ll check out other reviews for you and get the first news on the iPhone for Monday. Enjoy!

There’s no ‘i’ in Dakota [In-Forum]
AT&T Coverage Map [AT&T]
iPhone Homepage [Apple]

I know of several people who bought an iPod Mini two or three years ago, and now they aren’t as nice as they were – especially in the hard drive area. Even though they bought a new one, they still wonder what to do with the old one. Instructables has an idea by upgrading it to flash.

Instead of a hard drive, your new upgraded iPod will use flash memory with no moving parts for faster boot up & access times and lower power consumption. (I ran my iPod continuously for over 20 hours on one charge!). You will also get enhanced shock-resistance! Thousands of iPods have died an early death because they were dropped and their hard drives were damaged as a result.

Keep in mind that you MUST have a 2nd generation iPod Mini (Look for the size label), and it must be in working condition (unless the hard drive is the only thing not functional). Enjoy!

Upgrade Your iPod Mini With Flash Memory – No More Hard Drive!

While I’ve become more of a Facebook junkie, myself, I still (once in a while) check out MySpace. One thing that annoys me is when people have music on their profile, because it starts automatically. Here’s how to fix it.

1. Log into MySpace and edit your account settings.
2. Click “change settings” next to “Music Settings”.
3. Check off the appropriate box(es) to stop music from starting on your on profile, and on other people’s profiles.
4. Save your settings

Yes, it’s just that simple.

Myspace: Stop Music from Starting Automatically

There are umpteen million ways to organize iTunes tracks. Lifehacker has a different approach.

I realized the shortcomings of the traditional use of the iTunes rating format: the only songs I rated were the songs that I liked – resulting in a large mass of 4-star and 5-star songs. After much thought, I have devised an emotionally-based rating system.

David rates each song based on style — all melancholy songs receive 1 star, all party favorites receive 2 stars, all hard rock and fast-paced songs receive 3 stars, etc.

After some thought, this is a actually a neat little trick. I have a library full of different kinds of songs, some of which I don’t like to listen to on a regular basis. With this, I can rate what I do want to listen to regularly, while not having to lock it down by genre.

Categorize iTunes tracks based on star rating [Lifehacker]

Windows often times gets the best of us. Josh writes in:

My PC has been extremely slow lately. I tried the internet security programs you recommended earlier in the month, and still have had no luck. I friend of mine said there might be a rootkit. What is a rootkit, and how can I get rid of them.

This is where Windows users wish they had a Mac. Anyway, a rootkit is a set of software tools whose intent is to conceal running processes, files or system data from the operating system. Rootkits have their origin in benign applications, but recenly have been used increasingly by malware to help intruders maintain access to systems while avoiding detection.

In other words, it a program hidden in Windows that is acting as a backdoor for hackers. If there is a rootkit, then what’s happening is the rootkit is hiding a program being used by a hacker. This program could be used to steal passwords or credit card information. The malicious software could also set up your machine as a zombie in a denial-of-service attack.

So what can you do? Microsoft offers a Rootkit Revealer that shows inconsistent info in the system, a big clue towards a rootkit. If you indeed have a rootkit the best thing to do is to re-install windows. This may seem extreme, but it is the only way to ensure it is gone. Sure, you could just go in and delete the bad files, but there’s a good chance you can screw something up, and maybe leave part of it still in.

The only way to make sure the rootkit is 100% gone is by reinstalling. Just make sure, of course, you backup everything important first. Good luck. If you have a tech problem you need resolved, pop me an email to helpdesk@wiredforgadgets.com.

Hello Everyone – Due to an outstanding event (and a lack of sleep) I am unable to post today. I will, however, be back tomorrow with great tech content.

- Jake

If your standard door bell just isn’t cutting it, then perhaps ThinkGeek’s latest product can help you out.

The USB Doorbell replaces your current chime and allows you to play your favorite sound effects, music, audio clips, movie quotes or whatever strikes your fancy. Anytime someone presses that little button by your front door the USB Doorbell will “ring” using the sound you have selected.

So how do you get the music on there? Just connect it to your computer via the included USB cable, and it will store any up-to-thirty second WAV or MP3 soundclip you want. Then disconnect it from your computer and hook it up to your existing doorbell wiring. There are three different volume settings and a mounting loop for attaching it. It is powered by three AA batteries (which aren’t included).

Keep in mind this is NOT a wireless doorbell. “It is designed to be used in homes with pre-wired LOW VOLTAGE doorbell systems (which is the standard doorbell system). The USB Doorbell does not include a step down transformer, and is only designed to be used within a low voltage circuit (4-24 V).” The USB doorbell is now available and goes for $100.

USB Doorbell [ThinkGeek via OhGizmo!]

One downside to Mac OS X is it’s lack of ability to read and write to NTFS drives. And if you share files between your Windows machine and your Mac (like I do), this is a big deal. However, you are in luck. Hackzine shows how to use a program called MacFUSE to fill this gap.

MacFUSE implements a mechanism that makes it possible to implement a fully functional file system in a user-space program on Mac OS X (10.4 and above). It aims to be API-compliant with the FUSE (File-system in USErspace) mechanism that originated on Linux. Therefore, many existing FUSE file systems become readily usable on Mac OS X. The core of MacFUSE is in a dynamically loadable kernel extension.

In English, MacFUSE fills the gap, allowing to format a NTFS drive that is compatible with Mac OS X. This is a great utility if you’re using Bootcamp on your Mac to dual boot Windows.

HOWTO – Read/Write to NTFS drives in OS X [Hackzine via Lifehacker]

One of the best upgrades you can do for your computer adding more RAM. A larger amount of RAM allows programs to load and run faster, which has a great impact on productivity.

Is it convenient to buy memory with your new Mac or PC? Sure. Doing that allows to not have to open the new box and install it. It arrives when your new notebook or desktop does, and it’s covered by the warranty.

Being I just upgraded the RAM in my MacBook, I found it is way cheaper to buy memory from a company like Crucial. READ MORE »