Ugly Noise from Laptop Headphone Jack with AC Power

I plugged a 3.5mm stereo cable from my laptop to some speakers, and there was a horrible noise over the music I was trying to play. I thought at first that the audio cable was bad, but I noticed the problem went away if the AC adapter was unplugged from the computer. Interference from the surge protector's other plugs & transformers resulted in interference. Plugging the AC adapter into an power outlet on another wall solved the issue.

Make iTunes on Windows Seem a Bit Faster

Browsing the iTunes Store within iTunes 8 on Windows is frustrating, because Apple forced slow and clunky software components only to make it look kind of like Safari and Mac OS X. In my opinion, a Mac program is confusing on Windows and it clashes aesthetically. Also, the performance stinks.

At any rate, you can improve the slow scrolling using a scroll wheel mouse and the following AutoHotkey code:
#IfWinActive ahk_class iTunes
WheelDown::Send {pgdn}
WheelUp::Send {pgup}
#IfWinActive


Also, there is an alternative and unofficial web interface for the iTunes Store: http://app-store.appspot.com/

Some New "Top Tools"

Check out revisions in the sidebar for additions. (Sorry, I didn't really pay attention to what I removed from the list.. usually things that I haven't really used myself as I thought I would.)

Ctrl-RightClick to Delete Messages in Outlook

An amendment to previous posts:
#IfWinActive ahk_class rctrl_renwnd32
^RButton::
MouseGetPos, , , , pane
If pane = SUPERGRID1
Send {Click}^d
else
Click right
return
RButton::
MouseGetPos, , , , pane
If pane = SUPERGRID1
Send {Click}!q
else
Click right
return
#IfWinActive

Fix Wireless Network Reconnection

If you're having problems with reconnecting to your wireless network after wake/resume from sleep/standby, or if you are getting errors upon connecting due to cancellation or timeout, or if you are having other problems with your wireless in Windows XP SP2 or Vista, try these solutions:

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Norton AntiVirus 2009 is Surprisingly Good

I've been down on Norton/Symantec products in the past, but Norton AntiVirus is the best antimalware application I've ever used. It's fast, efficient, and protects Firefox. I got my copy for $20 after rebate at Staples, and there might be other good deals elsewhere.

Update: I now more fond of Microsoft Security Essentials, which is free.

Right-Click to QuickArchive in Outlook

The following AutoHotkey code makes right-clicking a shortcut for QuickArchiving in Outlook, but (helpfully) only if a message is being right-clicked. Otherwise, there is normal right-clicking behavior.

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White Too Harsh? Soften the Background Color

Using Microsoft Office Outlook, I noticed the background was such a bright white that it hurt to look at it. The background color is sort of customizable by adjusting the system color for windows as follows:

1. 
2. 
3. 
4. 
5. For RGB values, use the same number between 245 and 255
   

You can also make a similar adjustment for Mozilla Firefox by going to about:config and changing various color options to #f8f8f8