Today's ubiquitous URL shorteners are great for keeping character count at a minimum or to make sharing easier, but as convenient as they are, they also introduce some issues. Here's a quick tutorial on how to avoid scams and security threats when using them.

We'll cover four useful tools that are available free of charge and won't take more than a few minutes to setup. Read on to find more about Google’s own Priority Inbox feature, OtherInbox’s Organizer, AwayFind, and a clever extension called 0Boxer.

There are ways heavy tab users can ease the memory-guzzling effect that their browsing habits can have on their systems – and today we’ll specifically mention two: using the BarTab extension or adding a quick about:config tweak.

Clipboard managers let you circumvent Windows' native clipboard limitations offering much more functionality, like keeping a history of copied items, encryption to keep information secure, saving frequently used clippings as templates, or backing up copied data to the cloud so you can access it anywhere.

It’s mid-November already, the holidays are quickly approaching and like every year you want to find the perfect gift for your loved ones. If you are reading this, chances are someone on your list is a ‘techie’, gadget freak, or simply one who enjoys tinkering with the latest technology. Before you hit the nearest electronics shop or head online to your favorite e-tailer for some shopping, check out our shortlist on some the hottest items for tech fans this year.

With just a few weeks left before Christmas, it’s likely you or someone on your shopping list are already looking forward to spend some quality time indoors playing the hottest titles on your computer.

Enter bookmarklets -- small applets stored as an URL that are designed to add 1-click functionality to a browser or web page. They are JavaScript-enabled links you can pull into your bookmarks to interact with whatever page you find yourself on.

TechSpot's Laptop Buying Guide consists of a regularly updated list of our favorite notebooks in each of six categories: Thin and light, business or general purpose, desktop replacements, gaming, value/budget offerings, and netbooks.

Many of you are probably already familiar with AutoHotKey. This small and free utility lets you automate tasks and make your PC work exactly the way you want it to. The program is driven by a custom scripting language that's easy to understand -- even for someone with little or no programming experience. You can write a macro using a simple text editor, like notepad, or use the included macro recorder to create hotkeys for virtually any button or combination of keys.

Whether you are focused on business and productivity or are looking for something designed with multimedia and entertainment in mind, there are so many new smartphones getting released week in and week out that it's hard to keep track of what's hot anymore.

Despite being used almost exclusively used by experienced users, the command line is frustratingly incompatible with the most basic key combinations.

When we covered the launch of HP's self-installing printers back in April, some of you praised the concept while others questioned it -- and rightfully so, 'plug and print' is a bold claim. Intrigued, we thought it would be cool to check one out, if only for the novelty factor.

Whether you want a multimedia or gaming powerhouse that'll only occasionally move from your desk, or something that hits the sweet spot between performance and portability, there are plenty of good options if you know what to look for.

If you must have two versions of Firefox running concurrently there's a very basic workaround that will allow you to run multiple instances and versions of Mozilla's browser simultaneously.

While there are many fantastic graphics solutions for gamers on a budget, anyone who's serious about fortifying their machine for the pending release of Crysis 2 is probably looking for something a bit more robust.

We're going to look at some tweaks you might want to apply if you're running the current Firefox 4 beta, such as changing the color of the new orange menu button, moving tabs back to the bottom, getting add-ons to work and more.

We have to admit that going into this we thought our Budget Box would have a hard time competing with the subsidized bloatware-infested desktops peddled by massive system builders. As it turns out, that's not the case at all.

Whether you are focused on business and productivity, or are looking for something designed with multimedia and entertainment in mind, there are so many new smartphones being released week in and week out that it's hard to keep track of what's hot anymore.

As handy as the new Libraries functionality is, there's one glaring omission: we can't find an easy built-in way to change the Library icons. Here's a solution.

This feature allows you to browse the Internet without storing local data that could be retrieved at a later date, such as your browsing history, temporary Internet files, form data, cookies, and usernames and passwords. Keep in mind that private browsing offers virtually no protection beyond the local level -- for example, the websites you have visited will still be able to view your IP address on the server end and log your activity.

Although we don't support piracy, we are not fond of media giants lobbying for increased powers to tap on users' activities online either. It's our belief that draconian DRM restrictions and other related nuisances is what's affecting the industry in the first place, but that's another story. If you're concerned about being monitored, it pays off to learn a few tricks and increase your privacy when downloading using the BitTorrent protocol.

All major search engines claim that they need to retain personal data, in part, to provide better services and improving results, while also taking countermeasures against web nuisances like click fraud and search poisoning (using elaborate SEO techniques to rank up scam websites on search engine indexes). Even if you trust that search companies will take your business seriously, there are various things you can do to adopt safe browsing habits and help protect your privacy.

The latest version of Ubuntu has been out for nearly a month now and if you're anything like us the peaceably-named operating system is now sitting untouched after you gave it a quick go for a week or so. Ubuntu 10.04 may not have convinced you to send Microsoft packing, but don't scrap your bootable USB drive just yet, it may come in handy the next time Windows goes haywire.

Keeping track of Facebook's ongoing updates and changes, and how they affect your privacy, can be confusing and frustrating. For those that aren't down with broadcasting their entire lives online, here are some tips you can use to reclaim your privacy without resorting to a more drastic alternative like dropping the service altogether.

After years in the making, Ubisoft finally released the latest installment in the Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell series, known as Conviction. Here's our guide to GPU and CPU performance.

When it comes to buying a new desktop PC, any hardware buff will tell you there's nothing better than building your own machine.

In addition to being speedier and letting you save data, creating a USB boot drive also allows you to take your installation of Ubuntu wherever you go. It should run on any machine that supports booting from USB -- which is just about every semi-modern PC you're bound to come across. It may sound complicated, but fret not, if you already have an Ubuntu CD, you're literally a few clicks away from creating a USB boot drive.

While most of us are used to getting high speed Internet connections at home, the office or even the local coffee shop, once we are on the road those high speeds have to stay behind. With 4G the promise is that you can get real mobile broadband to go. In this piece we are going to tell you all about the technology and its benefits, who offers it or plans to, how much it costs, and the gear you need to enjoy the next generation of wireless broadband today.

Adding to our collection of topics on tailoring Windows 7, this week we're looking at the Windows 7 Taskbar Thumbnail Customizer. As its name implies, the software lets you tweak the thumbnail previews displayed when hovering over a taskbar icon. After downloading the program, simply extract and run it, no installation is required. You should see a window with a number of adjustable sliders for the thumbnail size, spacing, margins, and delay time.

With over 200 million downloads on CNET alone, AVG is among the most popular free antivirus solutions on the market today. If you're one of the countless users who find AVG's notification area to be naggy (present since version 8.0), then keep reading to disable it once and for all.