Google Does Its Own Dictionary Definitions [Search]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/8i8A4H6AoOw/google-does-its-own-dictionary-definitions

Google used to offer up an automatic definition from sources like Dictionary.com or Answers.com. Now there's a little blue "definition" link on the right side of any word or phrase search, offering Google's own homebrew definition answers.

You'll still see answers from Answers.com and other sources high up in the search results, of course, but Google's own definition link lays out a word's definition in traditional dictionary style, with usages, phonetic breakdowns, and multiple snippets from other web definitions. There's also a link for "Starred words," but I couldn't find a way to actually star the word you're currently looking at.

Is Google your good-enough dictionary these days, or do you find yourself liking the service of sites like Dictionary.com?

Google Replaces Answers.com with Google Dictionary [Google Operating System]

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NatGeo Downloader Grabs National Geographic Wallpapers Without Command-Line Hassle [Downloads]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/rzIgxEgHltc/natgeo-downloader-grabs-national-geographic-wallpapers-without-command+line-hassle

Windows: Earlier this week we highlighted how to download National Geographic's stunning desktop wallpapers in one fell swoop. That method required some command-line work and didn't grab 2007 images; NatGeo Wallpaper Downloader snags every 2007, 2008, and 2009 wallpaper with point-and-click ease.

Just download the app, point it toward the folder you want to download those wallpapers to, and let 'er rip. NatGeo Wallpaper Downloader is entirely portable, so you don't need to install anything to use it and you can easily pop it on your thumb drive to give the gift of awesome wallpapers everywhere you go this holiday season.

NatGeo Wallpaper Downloader is a free Windows download. If you're on Linux or OS X, the previously mentioned method should get you there (minus the 2007 images) with a little more legwork.

NatGeo Wallpaper Downloader (Download page) [via Life Rocks 2.0]

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Keep Flash Videos in Full Screen on Dual Monitors [Annoyances]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/I9_0UfCz0QQ/keep-flash-videos-in-full-screen-on-dual-monitors

Flash videos, like those on Hulu or YouTube, don't stay full screen if you click outside the video—say, if you're doing work on a second monitor. Kind of annoying, right? A quick system file swap, however, fixes this problem easily.

Photo by Steve Lacey.

Many dual monitor enthusiasts love to watch movies or television shows on their second monitor, but if those are web-based videos, Flash has to rain on our parade. Sure you can make the Hulu video go full screen on your second monitor, but as soon as you try to work on your other monitor, Flash will lose its full-screen view. Thankfully, blogger/browser patcher d.i.z. has made a one byte change to the Flash plug-in that will keep videos running full screen, even if you click outside them—and he's made it available for download (sadly, this tweak only works on Windows machines).

All you need to do is grab d.i.z.'s modified npswf32.dll file and replace the one located in C:\Windows\system32\Macromed\Flash\ or C:\Windows\SysWOW64\Macromed\Flash\ folder on Windows 7 64-bit (though we recommend you backup the original file just in case). After a restart of your browser, all your Flash videos should exhibit the new behavior (i.e., you should be able to multi-task without losing full-screen playback). You can still exit full screen mode by hitting the escape key or using the Flash player's full screen button, of course.

Watch fullscreen flash while working on another screen [via MakeUseOf]

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Your Next Google Search Is Going to Freak You Out [Google]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/rahgCvW6AXM/your-next-google-search-is-going-to-freak-you-out

The next time you Google something, if the search results seem a little too good, a little too personal, it's because they are.

While Google's always delivered customized search results to people logged into their Google account—that is, search results tailored to you, based on your web history (yes, even outside of Google, like Gizmodo), past searches and previous results you've clicked on—it's now going to be doing that for everybody. Even if you're not logged in, you're going to get personalized results and yes, more targeted ads, based on past searches, tracked by an anonymous cookie that stays on your computer for 180 days. (BTW, it's not like Google's just started keeping track of your searches, it's just now Google's using that info more directly, that's all.)

You can turn it off here, though I'm guessing that won't turn off the dirty feeling you've got right now.

[Google via Bits]

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I'm so Passé That I Don't Know 95% of These Social Networking Sites [Timeline]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/jmVqqQDG8t0/im-so-passe-that-i-dont-know-95-of-these-social-networking-sites

I met my first serious girlfriend after my first divorce—yes, there are more of both—through a proto-Facebook created at Google. It was 2004, and it's name was Orkut. But social networks go back to 1995.

Click to zoom in

It all started with Classmates.com, which apparently has 50,000,000 users now. On the top of the pyramid is Facebook and its 300 million users, followed by MySpace's 263 million. In the middle you have a huge constellation of sites, most of which I just can't recognize. Trombi? Vampirefreaks? Bigadda? Cafemom? Geni? Itsmy? Qzone? Xanga?

Please, stop saying words. [Focus—Thanks David Keyes]

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