How To Assign Shortcuts to Any Program in Windows [Quicktip]

When you have many applications installed on your computer, it may take some time for you to locate and launch any particular application from the ‘Start’ menu, since you need to find the launch or shortcut button first. Even when you create shortcut buttons on your desktop, the problem remains the same if you have tons of applications to search through.

Actually using keyboard shortcuts or ‘hotkeys’ could be the best solution. For example, using Ctrl + P to launch your Paint application would be a lot easier and faster than scanning your desktop for the Paint icon, won’t it?
But can this be done on your Windows? Well, get this hotkey function activated on your computer with KeyboardExt, a desktop application that actually lists all your available applications in one simple window so you can quickly locate and launch your applications. KeyboardExt also provides the option to assign hotkeys to your applications, and we will show you how with this tutorial.

Setting up KeyboardExt

To start off, go to the official page to download KeyboardExt and install.

Once downloaded and installed, click open the KeyboardExt application, and you will see a window with a full list of applications that are available on your computer.

This is the window that will help you to quickly locate and launch your applications, simply locate and click on the application to launch.

Setting up Hotkeys

To make it even faster, let’s set the ‘Hotkeys’. Click on the button ‘Hotkeys’ at the top right side of the window.

In this page, you will see a preset keyboard shortcut to some of the applications that’s available on your computer. Click on ‘New Hotkey’ link just above the list, to start assigning a new hotkey.

A small window will pop up with some options. To set new hotkeys, follow these simple instructions.

1. Fill up the description of the hotkey. To remember which is for what app, write the name of the application as the description.
   
2. Check the keyboard buttons you want to use for this shortcut, you can use the Windows button or Ctrl, Alt and Shift buttons. You can use all 4 main buttons plus any one (1) of other buttons on your keyboard e.g. Win + P.
   
3. Enter the path of the application, or use the folder explorer button to select from your applications folder.
   
4. When you’re done, click on the ‘Add Hotkey’ button.
   

System Hotkeys

There are preset hotkeys available for some of the regular actions one uses on desktop. To find out, click on the ‘Options’ tab and go to ‘System Hotkeys’.

In the list of Hotkeys available, simply check the box to activate the hotkey, and uncheck to deactivate.

Conclusion

With KeyboardExt, you can now search from Wikipedia by pressing Ctrl + W on your keyboard! Launching desktop applications now only require a keyboard shortcut. One setback from all of this could be that you will start to forget how your start menu look like soon.

How to Disable YouTube Video Autoplay [Quicktip]

As video junkies would attest to, sometimes you want to open more than just one video at the same time, to let the video load up first before you play it one shot.

And those who use this tactic would understand how annoying it is for a video to auto play when buffering has yet to complete, especially when you have several loading and you have no idea which tab is playing and which is not. This article will introduce to you a few browser extensions to help you stop the Youtube auto play feature.

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stop Youtube Autoplay on Chrome

If you are using Chrome browser, head over to get the Stop Autoplay For Youtube chrome extension. Add to Chrome.

Once the installation complete, it just works! Open any Youtube video from your Chrome browser and you will see that the video would not play until it is fully loaded.

Click to load and play

If you prefer to be in control and only let a video play only when you want it to, you can choose to activate "Click to play" on your browser. This works with your Opera and Chrome browsers.

1. Opera

For Opera, open your browser, go to Preferences.

Now go to Advanced tab, look for the Content section at the left bar, check option for Enable plug-ins only on demand then click OK.

2. Chrome

If you are on Chrome browser, type chrome://chrome/settings/content in the address bar and enter. After the settings page appear, scroll down and look for the Plug-ins section, and change the option to Click to Play.

With all this set in Opera and Chrome, whenever you open a new video on Youtube, it will not load nor will it play, until you click the big button on the video screen.

3 Firefox

For Firefox, go to Tubestop extension page and install the extension to your browser.

Once installation is complete, all videos will not be played or loaded, until you click on the link on the video screen.

Conclusion

Now with these extensions and settings, you can get full and better control over your videos whether it comes to buffering, loading or playing them. Have fun with your videos!

How to Customize Google Plus URL [Quicktip]

Let’s cut to the chase: Google Plus does not provide you with a username (or vanity) URL for your own profile page. Instead, they are using the standard (long) ID in the URL to link visitors to your page. There is no such link as http://plus.google.com/username and so it’s hard to tell your friend your direct link by mouth.

Memorizing the long URL is a bad idea, so to direct people to your profile page, you will need to prepare a hyperlink or an icon on your website, or send via link email so they can click on it and link to your Google Plus profile page. Such a hassle.
Well, be hassled no more, with the help of GPlus. GPlus is a simple web app that will let you choose your own username and give you a short, custom link gplus.to/username for your Google Plus profile page. Here’s how.

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Customize Google Plus URL with GPlus

Just before you start, go to your Google Plus profile page and copy your ID from the URL. Your ID is as highlighted in the screenshot below.

Once copied, go to the GPlus homepage, enter your desired username and paste your Google Plus ID, then click ‘Add‘.

After you click add, GPlus will provide a personalized URL to your Google Plus profile page, and this link is now yours.

Conclusion

GPlus is not associated with Google Plus, therefore the link provided is just a redirect link and not exactly your Google Plus vanity URL. But now when people ask you how to get to your Google Plus profile page, you can just tell them to go to gplus.to/username. This is definitely a lot easier than a cumbersome long ID. Have you claimed your username yet?

How to Delete All Facebook Messages In One Click [Quicktip]

Deleting messages on Facebook is not as easy as deleting your email, as Facebook intends to keep your conversation history in Messages and Facebook Chat intact.

To delete messages on Facebook, you will need to open the individual message, go to options and start selecting the message you want to delete. If you have many messages, the process can be very time-consuming. Otherwise, you can simply remove the messages from the message list, but doing this will not remove the message permanently. Instead it will be archived, and will reappear when the person sends you a new message.
Here’s where we bring in some help i.e. ‘Facebook Fast Delete Messages‘, an extension for your Chrome browser that will allow you to delete Facebook messages with a single click.

Recommended Reading: How to Setup Messages + Facebook Chat in OS X Lion

deleting facebook messages (Slow)

You can open your Facebook messages and you can select to send your messages to ‘Archive’, one by one. However, the message you delete will not be removed permanently; it will reappear when the person sends you new messages.

To delete individual messages, you need to open each message first. Do this by clicking on the Actions button and select Delete Messages.

You will see all your messages with this friend, with checkboxes on the side of each message. Select the messages you want to delete by ‘checking’ the box next to the message, or simply click on the Delete all button.

It’s tedious, isn’t it?

Delete all facebook messages at once

To take control of your Facebook messages, go to the Facebook Fast Delete Messages extension page with your Chrome browser and click the Add to Chrome button to install.

Once installed, the extension is activated automatically. Now to delete your Facebook messages with only one click without having to open the individual conversation pages open your Facebook Message page. You will see two extra buttons, one at the top bar and another highlighted in red. Click these buttons to permanently delete your messages and conversations.

Conclusion

With this chrome extension, you don’t have to go through the long process of message deleting, forever clicking to delete your Facebook messages. Get the extension installed onto your Chrome browser, and you can now delete messages with a single click!

How to Customize Facebook Cover with Instagram Photos [Quicktip]

Like your Instagram photos? Then why not put that as your Facebook cover photo? But the limited tools on your computer is not going to cut it. It’s easy to set a single photo as your Facebook cover photo, but not if you want to customize sets of photos. Yes, I’m talking about putting up a gallery of Instagram photos as your Facebook Cover Photo.

How? Use Insta Cover. Insta Cover allows you to select a gallery of Instagram photos and turn your Facebook cover into a gallery of beautiful photos instantly. Let’s get started.

Customize Facebook Cover with Instagram

Firstly, you need to create your new Facebook Cover photo from your Instagram collection. To start creating, go to Insta Cover homepage and click on the button Sign In With Facebook.

Click on the button Go to App to allow Facebook integration with Insta Cover.

Now you will be redirected to the photo preference page. Set the Target Photos or Photos You Liked based on your Instagram user ID, or select Category or Tag to get a photo collection without providing your Instagram ID. You can then set the order of the photos, layout type, rounded corner and spacing too.
After setting all that is necessary, click on Preview.

In the preview window, you will see photos from Instagram based on the preferences you have set earlier. You will see an X button on each photo. Simply click to change any single image, or click on the ‘refresh‘ button at the top right to change all images at once. When satisfied, click on Final Preview.

In the final preview, you will see your new Facebook Cover photo. If you like the final result, click on Save to album on Facebook.

Change Cover Photo On Facebook

Now that your new Cover Photo is ready, go to your Facebook Timeline. Hover your cursor over your current Cover Photo, click on Change Cover > Choose from Photos.

Your photo selector will appear, and you will see the cover image you created from Insta Cover already uploaded, select that image.

Insta Cover had the cover photo created following the standard size of 851 x 315 pixels so you don’t have to adjust the placement. Click on Save Changes.

That’s it! Now you have your new Facebook Cover Photo based on an Instagram photo collection.

Conclusion

Beautiful, now you can always change your cover photo with beautiful photos from millions of Instagram collections. Like this FB Timeline-enhancing feature? There is also another app to add Twitter stream to your Facebook Timeline.
What are other apps do you use to customize your Facebook? Share it with us. Let us know in the comment.

Create Folders of Different Colors in Windows [Quicktip]

You have faced the same yellow folder icon on Windows for a long time, with minor changes to perhaps the size and shape, but not the color – and there is not a single option that allows you to change it. With hundreds of folders within folders, it’s definitely not easy to spot the folder you are looking for at any point in time.

Changing the color of the folder icon could help you spot and differentiate folders easily, rather than just depend on the folder name.
Coloring a folder icon may not be possible on Windows, but not anymore with Folder Colorizer, a desktop application that will enable you to change the color of your folder icons and help reorganize your folders.

Install Folder Colorizer

Download Folder Colorizer to your computer. Once downloaded, run the FolderColorizerSetup.exe file, read the License Agreement and click ‘Next’ if you agree.

If you agree, you can now proceed with the installation, so click the ‘Install Now’ button.

If in the middle of installation you are requested to activate Microsoft Dot Net 3.0 Framework. You may need to download the Dot Net 3.0 framework, open the package, read the terms of the License Agreement and if you accept, click on the ‘Install’ button.

Click ‘Yes’ to proceed with the installation of Colorizer.

That’s it, installation is now complete. You are ready to add color to your desktop.

Coloring Folder icon

To start differentiating your folder, select any folder icon you want to change the color of, right click on it, select ‘Colorize!’ and then pick any preset color.

Once you have selected a color for your folder, your folder icon color will change automatically from the standard yellow to the color you picked.

If you need to use custom colors, right click again, select ‘Colorize!’ and select ‘Custom…’

From the window, pick any color you want to use, then click on ‘Add Color’.

This custom color will be saved as a preset color, so the next time you want to use it, you can select it straight from the list.

Restore Default icon color

Should you decide to restore the original color of your folder icon, right click on the folder, select ‘Colorize!’ and pick ‘Restore original color’.

The changes will be made immediately, and you will see that the color of your folder icon has returned to the original yellow.

Conclusion

With Folder Colorizer, you can now colorize your folder icons to make it easier for you to reorganize differentiate your folders. You can even categorize your folders based on the type of contents and set what color to use for each category, so the next time when you need to find them, it will be easier for you to spot them.