Firefox only (Windows/Mac/Linux): Firefox extension Less Spam, Please adds an item to your right-click context menu to automatically generate an anonymous, disposable email address so you can try out a new service without fear of spam. More &...

Windows/Mac: Safari 5.0.1 is out, and it's much more than just a bug fix. Installing the update activates Safari's new extensions platform, which has roughly 100 extensions available through the Safari Extensions Gallery. More »...

Windows/Mac/Linux: Firefox is out with another beta of its improved and redesigned Firefox 4. This second early release gives Macs the same tabs-on-top look as Windows, and adds an "App Tabs" mode for sites you want to keep an eye on. More &r...

Along with hardware upgrades to their Mac Pro, iMac, and Cinema Display lines, Apple unveiled something entirely different for owners of their desktop computers: a fully functional, stand-alone "Magic Trackpad" that offers the same multi-finger contr...

The Super User forums has a collection of tips and paste-able commands for Mac OS X's Terminal that are, by turns, brilliant, funny, and obscure but great. Suggestions include quickly checking what apps are eating your memory (top -o vsize), run a Sp...

Mac only: Somewhat like a mix of Quicksilver and the Terminal, DTerm launches with a keyboard shortcut, automatically integrating your working directory and selected files, so you can spend less time typing and more time running commands. More&nbs...

Windows/Mac/Linux: Firefox Tab Candy is a new tab management feature for Firefox that organizes tabs into groups to help you keep your tabs grouped by task. Not only does it offer incredibly handy features, but it looks beautiful. More »...

Mac only: In most cases, OS X does a good job of keeping permissions straight, but every once in a while things get messed up. If letting OS X repair them doesn't work, you can fix them yourself with free app BatChmod. More »...

Mac OS X's application Help menu is extremely handy, searching for (and pointing out) any action within an application's title bar menu as-you-type. Even better? It's keyboard-shortcut handy, and as such can be a real timesaver for shortcut junkies....

Making the move from Windows to Mac? One of the trickier transitions might involve your Outlook email. To make the switch smoothly and transfer all your mail and setup to Apple's Mail app, use the free Thunderbird client as a go-between. More ...

Windows/Mac/Linux: TrueCrypt, the smart and secure way to encrypt your data, has shipped a seventh version that can encrypt faster on select Intel hardware, as well as configure your encrypted volumes or drives to automatically mount with specific pr...

If there's one thing we never tire of, it's exploiting hidden features within an operating system. Today, we take a look at the Mac's Option key (also known as Alt), and all the hidden goodness that comes with it. More »...

Mac: If you're a member of multiple social networks, it can be difficult to keep track of them all at once. Free app Socialite organizes your feeds from Facebook, Twitter, Digg, Flickr, and even Google Reader into one convenient client. More ...

Mac only: There are a lot of ways to troubleshoot your Mac, but if your problem is so serious that you can't load the GUI (or if you don't have your installation disc), AppleJack can troubleshoot it right from the command line. More »...

Mac only: Growl, the universal notification system that's one of the first Mac apps you should install, has updated with a lot of bug and behavior fixes, including better handling of spoken notifications and email behavior. More »...

Gmail was on an HTML5 roll this spring, adding drag-and-drop attachments, image insertion, and windows staying open after Gmail closes. Those features were Chrome-only, but have now made their way into Safari 5 on Windows and Mac. More »...

Despite all the cool productivity porn modern technology has birthed, the Holy Grail for me is simple: I want to create and edit plain text from anywhere (desktop/tablet/phone), and I want the results to sync flawlessly between devices. And now I can...

While Ubuntu's Terminal has a full-screen mode, there is nothing similar built-in to OS X's Terminal. If you need a distraction-free UNIX environment (not unlike previously mentioned WriteRoom for writing), here's how to get a full-screen Terminal se...

If you're on Windows, need to use OS X, but don't want to buy or build a new computer, reader Bobby Patton shows us how to run Snow Leopard in a virtual machine on Windows with just a few tweaks. More »...

Voice recognition is all the rage on mobile devices (particularly Android phones), but if you want similar hands-free action for your desktop, you've got plenty of options. Tech how-to blog Hack a Day's primer can get you started on any platform....