Jake Ludington's Digital Lifestyle

"How do I connect to Xbox Live using wireless connectivity?"

To connect to Xbox Live using a wireless connection you need three equally important components to complete the process. You need a broadband connection like cable or DSL for high speed Internet access. You need a wireless router to accept the wireless connection from your Xbox 360. Finally, you need an Xbox Wireless Network Adapter from Microsoft. Additionally you do also need an Xbox Live account. After you have all the components, follow the steps below to setup your wireless connection to Xbox Live.

At the end of each year, I like to take a look at which articles were popular throughout the year to see if I can anticipate what kinds of questions might bubble up in the coming year. More often than not a new software release or some new feature will pop up that throws off any hope of anticipating where the majority of questions might come from, but occasionally I catch something ahead of the curve. For instance, when I answered some questions about the RMVB file format back in 2005, I had no idea that it would be one of the most popular video formats for the next four years. Interest in RMVB is currently starting to tail off, correlating directly with the shutting down of file sharing services like The Pirate Bay.

As I look through the top 100 most popular articles published in 2009, a common theme emerges. Articles about productivity related solutions, things like using email, calendars, and IP fax services appear to pepper the list. More specifically, there appears to be a strong interest in making Google products like Gmail work with traditional desktop solutions like Outlook. Some of these articles benefit from having the full 12 months of 2009 to gain traction, but the article at #8 in the list below was published in August, which tells me it attracted a higher percentage of attention.

I did take the liberty of removing one article from the top 10 list because it was related to a game that is no longer available and #10 on the list may have limited usefulness due to the fact that the Windows 7 beta period is over.

Without further ado, here are the 10 most popular articles published in 2009:

1. How to Convert MP4 to WMV
2. How to Play Blu-ray DVDs with Windows
3. Convert WMA to MP3 on a Mac
4. Redirect Emails from Outlook to Gmail or Hotmail
5. How to Edit FLV Video Files
6. How to Burn iTunes Moves to DVD
7. How to Send Pictures to Facebook from a Cell Phone
8. How to Sync Outlook Contacts with Gmail
9. Xbox 360 Media Sharing
10. Burn a DVD from Windows 7 ISO Download

"I downloaded a movie and my computer won't play it. The file is a MKV. What is an MKV file and how do I play an MKV file?"

MKV is the Matroska Multimedia Container, which is a video container similar to AVI or MOV. MKV files can have many different kinds of video and audio file formats stored inside them, which makes having the correct software for playback a little tricky. The MKV format has recently become a very popular format for sharing movies because it works well with subtitles and also retains the quality of high definition movies. To play a MKV file, I recommend one player solution.

"I have a USB 2.0 Logitech headset. Will my USB headset work with an Xbox 360?"

The Xbox 360 console has specific requirements for any headset you want to use to communicate in games or when chatting via the Xbox Live Vision camera. The primary requirement is the headset must connect to the headset jack in your game controller. Since the controllers all use a 2.5mm audio input (similar to the jack found on many cell phones), using a USB 2.0 headset is simply not an option.

Does this mean you're stuck purchasing a headset from Microsoft?

"Do you know if I can reset the defaults on my iPod without using iTunes? my iPod is locked and I don't know the code to unlock my iPod. When I connect it to iTunes the iPod won't unlock."

If you set a screen lock code on your iPod, connecting the iPod to the original computer you first synced the iPod to should unlock the screen allowing you to reset the iPod screen lock code to something else. When that does not work, restoring your iPod to factory settings will reset the iPod screen lock code, which also results in deleting everything on your iPod, so be sure you have a back up before you start. If connecting to your computer doesn't solve your screen lock problem, look at these other options to get your iPod back in action.

"What are this year's Black Friday software discounts and deals?"

It's become an annual tradition for me to dig up some great deals on software and send them out to this list. I try to dig

Security Software Discounts

70% discount on VIPRE Antivirus + Antispyware - when Black Friday ends, so does this offer. Get antivirus and antispyware protection for only $9.95 today only. Includes identity theft protection and anti-rootkit technology in addition to important protection from virus and malware outbreaks. This is the same company that makes top 5 rated Sunbelt Personal Firewall. You won't find any other commercial antivirus package at this price, so get VIPRE Antivirus + Antispyware for $9.95 before the offer expires at Midnight on November 27, 2009.

Save 15% on TrustedID Identity Theft Protection Get 15 + Points of Protection from TrustedID, including their $1,000,000 Warranty, Lost Wallet protection, Medical Benefits monitoring, Fraud Alerts, and full-family identity protection for a 15% discount.

Roboform Password Manager - 33% Discount. Roboform is the password manager I strongly recommend, so it's great when I can offer a way for people to save money on it. With RoboForm password manager, you remember one password, RoboForm remembers the rest. RoboForm memorizes and securely stores your online and offline passwords, so you will never forget them again. Enjoy easy, one-click logins to your online accounts. Save time by completing online registration and checkout forms with one click. RoboForm gives your passwords and other personal data extra security (strong encryption provided), portability, and complete manageability. You can save 20% on Roboform using coupon code ROBO-VMWX-THRT. The Roboform discount expires December 7, 2009.

Business / Productivity Software Discounts

30% Off Dragon NaturallySpeaking 10 Preferred when you use coupon code: giahh897e. Create documents, reports and e-mails three times faster than most people type -- with up to 99% accuracy using NaturallySpeaking 10. New Dragon Voice Shortcuts collapse common tasks into simple voice commands. You can even dictate into a handheld device when you're away from your PC, or use a Bluetooth microphone. Supports both 32-bit and 64-bit systems. This offer expires 11/30/2009.

30% Off PDF Converter Pro 6 using coupon code: j2bm26xoo PDF Converter Professional 6 provides PDF creation and editing for home and business users at a fraction of the cost of buying Adobe Acrobat. It provides everything needed to create, convert, and edit PDF files. This offer expires 11/30/2009.

Multimedia Discounts

Save 50% on Audiobooks for 3 months & get a $10 Coupon for your next purchase. I've been an Audible customer for several years now and I still consider it the best way to get audiobook content. This deal allows you to get your first 3 months at a substantial discount and the extra coupon makes it an even better deal. Expires 12.16.09

Buy Creator 2010 Pro and USB Capture Device and SAVE $60 Instantly. Basically this discount gets you the USB capture device for free when combined with the purchase of Roxio Creator 2010 Pro. The software includes video editing, photo editing, music editing, CD/DVD burning and a bunch of other features to help you manage your media. Offer Expires December 1, 2009.

Save 60% on Paint Shop Pro Photo X2 Ultimate. Paint Shop Pro is still one of my favorite image editing solutions. The software does many of the things you can do with Photoshop for a tiny fraction of the price. Whether you're creating Web graphics, or trying to enhance your family photos, you really can't go wrong using Paint Shop Pro as your photo editing solution. Offer expires November 30, 2009

As part of my latest round of videos I did for HP, Andru Edwards and I walked through the process of upgrading to Windows 7 from Windows Vista (and XP). There are two primary scenarios you might be going through if you decide to upgrade. You're either going to replace the operating system on your current computer or you're going to buy a new computer and need to move all your files and settings. In either case, it's important to backup all your important files, so you don't end up losing anything in the process. Through a couple of videos, we walk you through the steps required to backup your files safely and complete a Windows 7 upgrade.