Software and Technology in World Market

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Reader hhggrr's tweaked desktop configuration sports a customized dashboard with a focus on music, system stats, and docks that leave you questioning at first glance whether you're looking at a Windows installation. hhggrr's desktop puts several previously mentioned applications to great use, including:

• MiniLyrics to fetch and embed music lyrics
• Samurize for system stats and weather
• CD Art Display to embed album art and song information
• RocketDock

Head over to Flickr for more details in the notes (namely which apps are used to achieve which effects). Got a desktop you think is worthy of the spotlight? Add it to the Lifehacker Desktop Show and Tell Group on Flickr.

Windows/Mac: Cross-platform application Salling Media Sync synchronizes music from your iTunes library to a number of popular cell phones that don't begin with a little 'i.' The app syncs music by playlist or—if you're phone's got room for it—it can sync your entire library. The interface is clean and helpful, and the list of supported devices is large (though it currently supports mostly Nokia, Sony, and Sony Ericsson phones). Media Sync is available in both free and pay ($22) versions, the difference supposedly limited to "faster sync" for the price tag. We don't have a supported phone at Lifehacker HQ, so if you give it a try let's hear how it works for you in the comments. Don't have a supported device or want to sync iTunes to a non-iPod MP3 player? Check out previously mentioned iTunes Sync.

CNET's Beyond Binary weblog says everything you type in Google's omnibox will end up in Google's hands—a scary thought for the tin-foil hat crowd. Disable autosuggest to drape a cloth over Big Brother's surveillance camera. You'll lose the helpful autosuggest results, but you'll have gained more privacy from Google.

Mac OS X only: As its name suggests, free application DesktopLyrics automatically embeds lyrics on your desktop to the song you're currently listening to in iTunes. It's a simple app that does exactly what it says, but what it doesn't do is actually download lyrics—meaning that if you don't have the lyrics already embedded in the song's metadata, DesktopLyrics won't display anything. Luckily previously mentioned GimmeSomeTune automatically does just that (along with album art and other great features), so working in tandem these two apps make for a killer music desktop. DesktopLyrics is freeware, Mac OS X only. Windows users, check out previously mentioned MiniLyrics.

If you're new to the credit card game, financial weblog Get Rich Slowly rounds up five essential skills for mastering plastic so you don't end up in debt panhandling for textbook cash.

Windows only: You've seen its flashy features and were impressed with its speed, and now you wish you could put Google Chrome on your thumb drive and take it with you wherever you go? It's far from official, but German blogger Caschy has put together a portable version of Google Chrome you can run off your thumb drive. Just unzip the download to your thumb drive and run ChromeLoader.exe. All your Chrome settings and profile information now saves to your thumb drive. This is a very early solution, and we'll be keeping our eyes out for a more streamlined version from the folks at PortableApps, but if you're dying to take Chrome with you, this Portable Chrome should do the trick.

You download hundreds of files to your computer on a weekly—and sometimes daily—basis, a practice that can take forever and has the potential to turn your organized filesystem into a cluttered nightmare. On Tuesday we asked you to share your favorite download manager, and now we're back with the five most popular tools our readers use to manage, organize, and speed up their downloads. Keep reading for a detailed rundown of the top five, then let us know which you like best.

DownThemAll (All Platforms)

Firefox extension DownThemAll (dTa) is a powerful download manager with a stable of advanced features to enhance your download experience. As the name suggests, one marquee feature of dTa is the ability to download every image or linked file on a page in one fell swoop; if you don't want every file, dTa has advanced filtering criteria to help you get exactly what you want. What's more, dTa can also boost your download speeds up to 400% by splitting files into multi-part downloads. If you're new to dTa, check out our guide to supercharging your Firefox downloads with DownThemAll.

FlashGet (Windows)

FlashGet is a free, standalone Windows download manager. The application delivers tons of advanced features like DownThemAll, including pause and resume, file splitting, and download acceleration. FlashGet can organize your downloads once they're saved to your computer and it supports multiple transfer protocols, from HTTP and FTP to BitTorrent. If you like the look of FlashGet and you're a Firefox user, be sure to grab the FlashGot Firefox extension to integrate FlashGet directly with your Firefox downloads. It also has specialized features for downloading flash video from the likes of YouTube.

Free Download Manager (Windows)

Free Download Manager (FDM) is a beefy open-source download manager with an impressive feature set similar to DownThemAll and FlashGet. It supports download acceleration, file splitting, and multiple transfer protocol support. FDM and FlashGet both display an always-on-top translucent drop box on your desktop so you can easily drag new downloads into the app, and like FlashGet, you can integrate FDM directly with Firefox with the FlashGot extension.

Download Statusbar Firefox Extension (All Platforms)

The Download Statusbar Firefox extension streamlines and supercharges Firefox's default download manager and doesn't use a separate window do to it—instead it places downloads and progress bars in Firefox's statusbar (fitting name, isn't it?). That's not all that Download Statusbar offers, though: The add-on also integrates with your anti-virus application for automatic download scanning, has several configurable options, and is totally customizable. If you liked the streamlined look of downloads when we took you on a screenshot tour of Google Chrome, Download Statusbar brings the same basic look and feel to Firefox.

Firefox's Built-In Download Manager (All Platforms)

Sometimes the built-in tools are all you need, which is why many readers still prefer Firefox's built-in download manager to handle their downloads. It doesn't have all the bells and whistles of the other featured download managers—the most notable new features in Firefox's download manager are as-you-type search and pause and resume of downloads—but it's solid, and that's all many people are looking for.

You've seen the five favorites your fellow readers chose; now it's time to pick the best.

Which is the best download manager?
( surveys)

This week's honorable mention goes to Orbit Downloader, a free Windows download manager that just missed the cut. Let's hear more about your download manager of choice and why you love it, whether or not it made the top five.

Less than 24 hours after the premier of popular TV show Prison Break, P2P file sharers downloaded the episode close to one million times—even though you can watch the show for free, online, at Hulu and Fox.com. Why is this? Wired writer Betsy Schiffman argues it's because file-sharing is habitual and convenient.

The fact that one million people downloaded the show within 24 hours—a little less than one-sixth of the 6.5 million people who watched Prison Break on TV on Monday night—proves, though, that P2P isn't going away just because there are legal alternatives now. "This is a group of people who define themselves in part by the technology they use and the application of that technology," says Robert Rosenberg, president of Insight Research. "Chances are that this is only happening in a defined age group. You'd be hard-pressed to find 60 year-old guys passing this stuff off to their buddies."

Have you ever downloaded something via BitTorrent or other P2P networks that you could get for free anyway? Why did you opt for the file sharing route? If legit avenues for downloading media become available, will you switch? Tell us what you think in the comments.

Robust online office suite Zoho has added a long-overdue file management and landing page for users, making it easier to view and edit word documents, spreadsheets, and slideshows without having to flip between browser tabs. Zoho Docs lets you preview documents in tabs within the page, manage the sharing and edit rights of any file with individuals or groups, and even chat with other people editing your Zoho stuff online. The drag-and-drop-interface, collapsible folders, and even blue and white interface might seem a little familiar to users of a certain other online suite, but it's one of the few areas in which Zoho truly needed to play catch-up. Embedded below is a video demonstrating some of Zoho Docs' offerings.

If you're looking for the latest cool alternative tee, instead of checking Threadless, Busted Tees, and other specialty vendors, search them all at once at new t-shirt search engine PleaseDressMe. Simply search for a shirt by keywords (like fail whale or Obama), or browse by color, price, or tag. Current tags range from things like "typography" to "american apparel," depending on what you're looking for. PleaseDressMe's selection is decent for now, but hopefully it will expand over time. What are your favorite online t-shirt vendors? Shout 'em out in the comments and help out PleaseDressMe with some ideas for expansion.