Hasta La Gadget!

Yeah, I said it. The Windows 7 taskbar is the most important Windows UI change since Windows 95, and it will dramatically change the way you use Windows. And it’s better than the Mac’s Dock.

That’s because the “superbar”—as the taskbar is known by developers—jerks taskbar functionality in a new direction. It’s no longer merely a window manager—just a place to manage open windows and by proxy, open applications. It’s now a bona fide application launcher. More than that, it blends the two in ways that will remind many of the OS X Dock—apps that are running and those that aren’t can live together. True, you’ve been able to launch apps from the Windows taskbar’s Quick Launch ghetto for ages, but that’s been demolished so that Microsoft could completely and seamlessly integrate the launching of new apps and the managing of running ones.

Managing Apps and Open Windows

The OS X Dock operates from a similar standpoint, but Windows 7 takes this (not to mention the translucency gambit) a step further: The visual signification of a running application (versus one that’s not and merely “pinned” to the taskbar) is exceptionally subtle—a kind of “glare” appears on the top left corner of the icon and it’s faintly outlined. It borders on actively encouraging you to forget the distinction, which as computers become more powerful and applications launch more quickly, matters less and less anyhow.

The flashing colored glass effect when an app is trying to get your attention, however, is nice, and though way less ostentatious than the old blinking button, definitely obvious. Unless you have the taskbar set to auto-hide, then the notification is barely visible as a flashing line of color on the bottom of your screen. The Mac Dock’s bouncing icons definitely works better there.

These aesthetic similarities aside, what actually makes the superbar superior to the Dock is window management—including, by extension, application management. I can easily find, access or close any window I want from the taskbar nearly instantly, thanks to the combination of live thumbnails and Aero Peek. Rolling over an icon in the taskbar pops up live thumbnails of every open window of that app. If that’s not enough to tell which one you want, rolling over a thumbnail brings that window to the front, full-sized, and makes every other window translucent. And it’s easy to move from app to app in one motion to bring up the window you want, or close it. This is not just a neat visual trick, like Flip 3D. It’s genuinely useful.

The benefit breaks down if you have more open windows of an application than the number of previews that will fit across your screen horizontally: In that case, you get a much less useful list of open windows, like old school Windows or control-clicking a Dock icon on the Mac.

The Power of the Pop-Up Menu

Right-clicking—or clicking the icon then quickly swiping upwards—brings up a pop-up menu (aka a jump list). Control-clicking on the OS X Dock does something similar, giving you a list of open windows. Some apps (like Adium) are coded for additional Dock functions, but it’s not the same as the powerful visual metaphor that the superbar and Aero Peek give you. Applications still need to be coded specially to take advantage of the superbar’s pop-up menu, but it’s more powerful. If an app is coded to use Windows 7 jump lists—when you right-click on an icon or click and swipe upward, you have instant access to frequently used or other functions—it will erase the slight advantage the Dock currently has.

The superbar does share one of the Dock’s major shortcomings as an application launcher—it’s not immediately apparent how to launch a new window of an app from the taskbar. The secret as Windows evangelist Paul Thurrot points out is that you right-click the app icon, then click the app name itself appearing in the pop-up menu. Granted, from the Mac Dock, unless opening a new window is coded into the app as a Dock function, like Safari, you can’t do it at all.

The superbar’s biggest shortcoming—at least when you first use it—relates to the way it handles folders and document shortcuts, which is exceptionally confusing. You can only pin one folder to the bar. After that, every subsequent folder you want to pin to the taskbar is pinned to Windows Explorer. Say you have the Libraries folder pinned for quick access to Documents, Downloads, Pictures, etc. But I also want another folder (in this example, Games and Computer) pinned to the taskbar, so I drag it to the bar. There, it shares the same icon as my first pinned folder. When I click the icon, up pops Libraries. Where’s the Games folder? I have to right-click on the folder icon (or click and swipe up). This gives me a jump list of pinned folders and other frequent programs. You pin documents the same way, only they’re hidden in the jump menu of the application that opens them. It takes some learning before you can use it fluidly.

The View From Above

The challenge of learning a totally new Windows behavior is the cost of getting this huge step forward in UI. The superbar makes Windows way more conducive to running tons of applications, since it’s actually possible to find apps and precisely the window you want in a second, no matter how bad the shitstorm on your desktop is. In this sense, it’s a better application manager than the Dock, from which, generally speaking, you can’t do much more than jump to open applications or close them.

It’s true that it’s actually less necessary for the Dock to be a superpowered wunderkind—Spaces gives you multiple desktops to work on, and Expose is pretty fantastic. It’s faster, though if you’ve got too many windows, the thumbnails are too small to be useful. Aero Peek solves this issue nicely by letting you quickly cycle through full-screen windows. The superbar has a button in the bottom right corner that works sort of like an OS X Expose hot corner, instantly making every window transparent so you can see the desktop—clicking will actually clear everything away.

There are definitely arguments to be made against the density of the superbar, packing so many function into a single UI element—many criticisms of the Dock apply to the superbar, like the total lack of text labels, and though it sidesteps some of the Dock’s issues, like the poof, it presents new flubs. It could definitely improve in some ways (especially the notification area, which I didn’t even go into).

But it shows the most thought of any Windows UI element in a long time, and manages to handle the complexity and multiplicity of functions about as well as one could expect. It does more than the Dock, and for the most part, works beautifully to enable—encourage, even—serious multitasking that the default Windows UI never has before.

This past year, Bill Gates and Steve Jobs began to focus on priorities other than tech. Who will fill their winged sandals and become the new Gadget Gods?

These next gods will, like their predecessors, be people whose professional and private lives, and even personal appearance, are of equal importance to hordes of obsessed nerds. They’re people whose creativity and willpower are presumed to steer the course of personal technology, with legions of engineers and programmers and designers and manufacturing experts carrying out their vision. The key is putting themselves out for all the public to behold, with the hopes of becoming revered by apostles who buy anything they unveil. Seeing as we’re running low on golden calves, let’s check out the current options:

APPLE
Tim Cook
People say Cook is the man who makes the beautiful products turn into a beautiful pile of money, and he actually took over Apple when Jobs was recovering from his first surgery. A southern gentleman, avid cyclist, iron-fisted boss, mysterious loner, emotionless decider—man, Cook is so easy to reduce to two-word stereotypical descriptors, he’s bound for godhood. Even his name comes packaged in a suave but unforgettable two syllables. The catch of course is that he can’t ascend the mighty throne of Apple until the big cheese retires or bows out due to health. Cook’s trod the boards at Stevenotes before, but now he’s holding back—or being held back—perhaps because if he becomes big boss, he’ll need a fresh start. All eyes not on Steve are on this guy. Can he fill the shoes left open and be the forceful visionary that Jobs is?
Chance of Godhood? 75% with a few variables we’d rather not think about

Phil Schiller
Schiller has helped sell Apple products since forever, but the general impression is that he’s best used as a right-hand man, a Boy Wonder to the real Batman. The mullet/beer gut combo probably doesn’t do wonders for his public image, either, though “death diving” from 30 feet up like he did back in ’99 isn’t a bad way to entertain the fanboys. It’s easy to forget that Phil used to be involved in product development, including notebooks, and some even credit him for the addition of the iPod’s clickwheel. We also hear that the man can kick some ass behind the scenes. He might have what it takes to be the next product don of Apple, but the current hierarchy won’t make it easy for him.
Chance of Godhood? 35% assuming the Apple board is thinking like we’re thinking

MICROSOFT
Steve Ballmer
The Monkey Man act may work to get attention, to rally your troops and put fear in your enemies, but it’s too easy to make fun of in Photoshop. This kind of attention has taken Ballmer pretty far along the road to godhood, but the public doesn’t often see the quieter, shrewder Ballmer that we know exists. The key is this: He is not a code nerd, but a Harvard-educated marketing-and-sales guy. Being able to climb inside the mind of the Average Joe, typically oriented around useful features instead of sheer software power, is what Microsoft needs to limit bloat in product design. If Windows 7 is a success, we’ll see the Bruce Banner in this Hulk, but if it’s not, it’ll be “BALLMER SMASH!!!!” and the end of Microsoft.
Chance of Godhood? 85% assuming Windows 7 erases the terrible memory of Vista

Robbie Bach
Microsoft’s Entertainment and Devices boss has Xbox, Zune, Media Center and a lot of other potentially tasty toys in his workshop, and he’s rumored to be the man who would replace Ballmer. What’s most important here? His group accounts for most of the Microsoft products that don’t suck. Word is, though, that the limited profitability of his group, today, limits the amount of respect he gets internally. We say the rest of the company should stop and see what he’s doing right. He certainly understands the art of the keynote, strutting around and working the crowd with the shoulders-forward energy of a college football coach. He may be too good at sticking to the script, though. His cautious replies may be good for stockholders, but you can’t inspire the masses without a little bit o’ crazy.
Chance of Godhood? 70%, higher if he is heard matter-of-factly admitting that Windows Mobile sucks

SONY
Sir Howard Stringer
Usually you get the “sir” appended to your name after you live a wild and crazy life in the public eye, but this guy is only more and more in the spotlight each year. When he talks he brings delightful controversy and charisma, but he doesn’t do enough with big crowds. How come no gloaty Blu-ray victory dance party? Chilling with Charlie Rose isn’t a direct path to divinity, but showing up with Tom Hanks at CES is a start. Still, Sony needs to regain gadget clout, not remind the world that it’s a piracy-fearing movie maker. One thing he has done is give the Japanese firm a leader who isn’t afraid to lay off when the company is bloated with employees not pulling their weight, unlike traditional Japanese CEOs. And he encourages Japanese employees to work abroad to increase their understanding of the customers of the world. But he’s also been working hard to unify the company’s software and hardware development not only in each division, but across product groups. Only Apple and Microsoft have done this successfully, but Sony is actually making progress here, behind the scenes.
Chance of Godhood? 45% because it might just be too late for the guy—or for Sony

GOOGLE
Larry Page/Sergey Brin
Never mind that Google keeps more products in beta than it launches or that these two are tech titans already on the web. Their first foray into hardware was received lukewarmly. But Google is here to stay, and no matter what CEO Eric Schmidt does, these two dudes’ faces will be the ones people think of. The last 60 years of tech are full of dynamic duos—Woz and Jobs, Hewlett and Packard, etc.—but unless you’ve got the timing of Martin and Lewis, it’s hard to pull off a tandem keynote. It definitely doesn’t help when you show up late wearing rollerblades. We just hope that the company can give their Android division the support it needs to compete with the companies full time in the gadget game, because Android is not only disruptive, but it’s the ammo that the phone makers need to compete with the all-in-one giants from Redmond and Cupertino.
Chance of Godhood? 60%, could go up if they release more products, or undergo the operation Damon and Kinnear had in Stuck On You

ASUS
Jonney Shih
Netbook-revolutionary Asus is probably the company (companEee?) doing the most with Apple’s old mantra, “think different.” Their stuff coming out of Taiwan is radical and fun, and Jonney Shih, little known in these parts, is the sole capitano up top. He’s not afraid to rock the microphone, but he keeps doing it at other people’s events. Asus also makes a lot of notebooks for competitors, and has hardware expertise to spare. But in terms of software, they’re still limited by a strong dependence on Windows for their notebooks. As for their weak brand presence in the mainstream: Dude, you got some cash, time to throw bigger parties of your own, and not just ones timed with CES. And take another page from Apple: Learn how to keep products secret until they’re finished and shipping.
Chance of Godhood? 40%, more if he finds a good barber and a dealer of fine turtlenecks and presentation sweaters

HTC
Cher Wang
The phone maker who first teamed with Google and launched the T-Mobile G1 is chaired by, yep, a lady! Named Cher! Cher actually got her start selling computer parts for a computer company, and helped found HTC to realize the vision of the true handheld computer. Even if the HTC brand is only a few years old to consumers, HTC has been making phones for other companies for a while: One in every six phones sold in the US this year were from her factories. They’ll grow stronger now that Android is here and Windows Mobile is (hopefully) in a period of major improvement, but their branding and design is still a bit on the chunky side. From the looks of her official corporate portrait, she could probably use a queer eye or two—I know I sound like a dick here, but sadly society does judge women more harshly than men on personal appearance. My guess is that as someone who emphasizes being a “devout Christian” in her bio, she’d probably frown on the whole “tech god” thing anyway.
Chance of Godhood? 30% since Cher’s probably too busy to take our advice anyway—she also runs the chipmaker VIA

PALM
Ed Colligan
Colligan’s generally stormy course at Palm’s helm finally reached some smooth waters: He just unveiled Pre, a fresh, attractive take on the smartphone, bolstered by healthy chunks of DNA from Apple and other new smartphone platforms via the talent they aggressively poached. He’s proven he has what it takes to make big aggressive changes with this handset, and get the right talent in place, just like Steve Jobs would. And Colligan isn’t afraid to make bold brash statements, a requirement of godhood. But can he go all the way? Currently, his problem is with presenting—he’s not all that memorable, which might actually be good if you’re the guy who introduced the world to the Palm Foleo.
Chance of Godhood? 15% cuz did I mention he believed, not long ago, that Foleo would “redefine how people work”?

Jon Rubinstein
The “executive chairman” to Colligan’s “president and CEO,” it’s hard to tell if Rubinstein is sitting on the throne or next to it. He has our vote. The man in charge of bringing about Palm’s would-be salvation, the Pre, previously at Apple led development of the frickin’ iPod (maybe you’ve heard of it), and has actually out Apple’d Apple with the UI in this new handset. And Rubinstein’s team is one of the only in the world that is capable of revolutionizing cellphone operating systems. He keeps it cool on stage, reminding us a little of Nintendo’s amiable US boss, Reggie Fils-Aime. And his more than passing resemblance to Jeff Goldblum is a plus, too. One limitation in Palm that both Rubinstein and Colligan have to face: Palm will never build an end to end personal tech environment the way Apple and Microsoft can, even if they are on par in terms of making interfaces from the future.
Chance of Godhood? 55%, but sky’s the limit if he can shoo Colligan away

AMAZON
Jeff Bezos
Bezos already was a god—a dotcom god. Many of those other former household names are now mercifully forgotten, but Bezos still shows up on magazine covers. He recently heralded in the eradication of DRM from online music retailers to the applause of paying music customers. But what really surprised us, and earned him a place on this list was that he had such a grand vision of what the ebook should be—the replacement of the book—and the funding and drive to make it happen. But he should do more live appearances to drum up more mainstream excitement over software initiatives like the DRM-free MP3 store and video on demand. And he needs to keep Kindles in stock long enough for people to buy them. Most importantly, he’s finally learning that tech gods are only as good as their next products. Just because Bezos understands books on a deep level doesn’t mean he’ll ever be able to do any other type of gadget besides E-Ink tablets. That’s ultimately limiting when it comes to building next-generation personal tech ecosystems. In the meantime, where’s my Kindle 2?
Chance of Godhood? 30% if he does more bragging in person, though that braying laugh of his could be a liability

DEKA/SEGWAY
Dean Kamen
Back in 2001, the rumor mill leading up to the launch of the Segway rivaled any Apple buzz. Before the product was even seen, people wrote about it being civilization-changing, and as important as the internet. Kamen’s been on a roll (get it?) since then, not just developing the police Segway, the golf Segway and some kind of Segway footstool, but also perfecting a water purifying technology and a truly robotic prosthetic arm, all while greening up his own private island. He’s did it all with few mainstream public appearances: Showing up at All Things D with a video of the robot arm—not the real thing—was a misstep in our minds, but appearing on Colbert with a working water purifier was definitely a sign of publicity (and worship) to come. If he can invent something for the gadget lovers of the world that is as bright and thoughtful and life changing as his humanitarian tech, he’d become the Jobs that Jobs wishes he was.
Chance of Godhood? A tragic 45%, seriously, this guy is Q, MacGyver and Hank Scorpio rolled into one—why isn’t he a god already?

FACEBOOK
Mark Zuckerberg
The sad fact is that our whole world is shifting over from hardware to software. Sure, Kamens are still needed to make sure there’s progress in mechanical devices, but our toys are less and less mechanical. Facebook is probably the best example of an internet platform that has stolen thunder from the gadget world. Trouble with Facebook is that it’s big and amorphous, and the charming Zuckerberg needs a second act to propel him into the heavens. Still, he’s like 13, with his whole life and a lot of money ahead. He’ll think of something. But to be a Gadget God, he’ll have to always depend on the hardware of others. At least until we have browsers in our brains with which we can access our social networks with.
Chance of Godhood? 95% even if it doesn’t happen in my lifetime

These are all strong candidates, but the assumption is that there will, in fact, be new gadget gods. Maybe, like the ancient gods themselves, our new era doesn’t have as much use for them. Maybe it’s not just the transition to software, but the shift from bright ideas to massive team efforts. Or maybe Jobs and Gates are the kinds of guys that only come along once a century, and we’re gonna have to wait a little longer for something that divine.

You might’ve skipped the Vista train, thinking it was like Under Siege 2, minus Steve Seagal. Or not. Either way, you’re probably gonna jump onboard Windows 7. When you do, it’s time to go 64-bit.

Who Should Go 64-bit?

Basically, anyone geeky enough to read this. If you have an Intel Core 2 Duo or newer processor, you’ve got a 64-bit CPU, and you should install the 64-bit version of Windows 7 to play with. (Here’s how. You’ve got like 5 days left, BTW.) Microsoft itself is pimping 64-bit over 32-bit now and notebook makers have already started pushing 64-bit Windows Vista over 32-bit. Mac OS 10.6 Snow Leopard will be 64-bit down to its kernel, so you won’t be alone by any means. 64-bit is going mainstream.

Why Should I?
We explained what’s so awesome about 64-bit in detail a couple months ago, but to recap in a single word: Memory. With 32-bit Windows, you’re stuck at 4GB of RAM, and even then, you’re only using about 3.3GB of it, give or take. With 64-bit, 4GB of RAM is the new minimum standard, and with 4GB, you can run tons of applications with zero slowdown. Windows 7 (and Vista for that matter) runs so beautifully with 4GB of RAM you’ll wonder how you ever did with less. It makes your system more futureproof too, so you can take your system to 8GB, 32GB or even a terabyte, before too long.

Who Shouldn’t Go 64-Bit?
If you’re not planning on going to 4GB of RAM anytime soon, you might wanna hold back, since you need 4GB of RAM to take full advantage of 64-bit’s memory management. That said, RAM is so disgustingly cheap right now, and has such an intense bang-to-buck ratio, you should definitely upgrade to 4GB if you haven’t already. Anyone who runs specialized or older gear (see below) should probably not jump into 64-bit.

64-bit Sniggles
It’s true that 64-bit Windows used to be dicey on the driver and compatibility front, but from Vista onward, it’s typically nothing you have to worry about. Most new hardware has 64-bit drivers, and even though most applications aren’t 64-bit native yet, 32-bit ones usually run just fine.

Still, the biggest issue is hardware. If a gadget doesn’t have 64-bit drivers, it won’t work with your 64-bit OS, since 32-bit drivers aren’t supported. Most non-crusty gadgets should be okay. (Seriously, I’ve run 64-bit Vista for a year, and now Windows 7, and everything I’ve tested for Giz plugs in just fine.) But if you run legacy goods, it might be kinda sticky, and you should still double check your gear just to be safe.

There are a few software issues to look out for, too. Google’s Chrome, for instance, doesn’t play nice with Windows 7 64-bit for some people (like me). Adobe Flash doesn’t run in 64-bit browsers, but that’s not really a problem—you can just run the regular 32-bit browser instead. iTunes had problems with 64-bit versions of Windows in the past, too (granted, Apple’s not the most fastidious Windows app developer out there). Most of these issues have been or will be resolved, but if you use specialized mission-critical software, definitely read up on its 64-bit compatibility.

Really, Go 64-Bit
The caveat section looks longer than the “DO IT” section, but really, you’ll probably be just fine running 64-bit. A ton of other people will be 64-bit with this generation of OSes/hardware too, so you won’t be alone. The benefits of oodles of RAM, given all the crap you’re running simultaneously, are just too good to pass up, especially once more apps are 64-bit native. Besides, the more people that jump on the 64-bit Express, the faster developers will transition their apps to 64-bit, and any bumps in the road will be smoothed out. So don’t just do it for yourself, do it for everyone.

This article was written on October 23, 2007 by CyberNet.

How many times have you seen a gadget or application and thought to yourself “man is that ugly.” PC World was able to list off 10 items that will surely make you think just that.

I’m not going to post their list verbatim because they give a good amount of detail about each item they chose. Remember, a lot of the items in the list are over 10 years old, and at that time function was a lot more important than design. It’s also like looking at photos from 20 years ago where you wonder “what the heck was I thinking?”

Here’s what their top 10 consists of, and my thoughts on each one:

1. Acoustic Coupler Modems – These are apparently from the 1970’s, and I’ve never seen one of these things in person. Thank goodness our computer modems aren’t like this anymore!
2. Osborne 1 – A 24-pound portable computer that had a full-size keyboard, TWO floppy drives, and a sweet 5-inch monochrome monitor. Chicks are sure to swarm to you if you’re carrying this thing around!
3. Motorola DynaTAC 8000X – Sure this phone was the size of a brick, but that didn’t stop people from dropping nearly $4,000 on it! After all, everyone wanted to be like Zack Morris.
4. Microsoft Windows 1.0 – It may not have the 3D graphics and glittering eye candy that we are used to, but it did have a user interface. I guess the poor design didn’t hold people back from picking up a copy of Windows.
5. Nintendo Virtual Boy – I never actually knew anyone that had used this because of the bad rep it got, but I’m amazed that no other game consoles have attempted their own version of virtual reality.
6. Furby – This was one of those gifts that every kid wanted back in 1998 just like the classic Tickle Me Elmo. It’s pretty funny how fast these toys fall off the face of the Earth.
7. iMac Flower Power – Apple is often applauded for their excellent taste in design, but what the heck were they smoking when they made a tie-dye design like this?
8. Neuros II Digital Audio Computer – I remember hearing about this audio player back when it was released in 2004. It was supposed to take the market by storm with its wide array of supported audio formats (OGG, WMA, MP3, etc…), but it was lacking a bit in visual appearance.
9. Commodore 1541 Floppy Disk Drive – Some accessories for the Commodore 64 were a bit bulky, but it is still a computer many of us will never forget.
10. Microsoft Zune – I don’t think that the Zune deserved to be on this list because I think they look rather good. Well, the brown one is a bit interesting, but when they are selling for $80 my personal taste can be compromised.

Top 10 Ugliest Tech Products [via Donation Coder]

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The Xbox 360 is the best console you can buy. Except it’s inexplicably missing something the Wii and PS3 have: Wi-Fi. You could buy Microsoft’s $90 dongle. Or you could follow our guide.

The Xbox 360’s lack of Wi-Fi is a totally killer hardware flaw—if you’re not right on top of your router, you’ve either gotta string miles of ethernet cable or buy that pricey ass dongle from Microsoft. Unless you check out one of the cheaper alternatives. Here’s every major way to get your Xbox going on Wi-Fi, sorted by easiest to hardest (but most satisfying).

Donglage
Dongles are, by far, the easiest way to get your Xbox 360 on a wireless network. But they also tend to be the priciest.

• Microsoft’s official wireless adapter is $87, which is absolute horseshit for a Wi-Fi antenna attached to a USB cable. But it looks the nicest and is super easy to use—just plug and play. Update: This weekend you can get one for $69.

• The next stop is a third-party wireless adapter, where you’ve got your pick from Linksys ($65), Belkin ($70) and hey, Linksys ($90, but it’s 802.11n). Same deal, plug and play.

• Finally, your cheapest option is from…Microsoft. Turns out, a regular Xbox wireless adapter (which is a supercheap $50), works just fine, with a tiny bit of finagling: Don’t put in its actual install CD. Just plug it in, and set your encryption. It might take two tries to get it to work, but it will. And, it won’t eat up a USB port like the official Xbox 360 one. Spoiler alert: This is our pick for best option, based on its combo of cheapness and convenience, if you can find one.

Share Your Computer’s Connection
Sharing your computer’s connection is the cheapest option—it’s actually the freest one. It’ll work with a laptop or desktop, though a laptop is more truly wireless—the desktop bit is an option if your router’s just a step too far out of the way. Basically, you’re plugging your Xbox into the computer’s ethernet port, and then having it use your computer’s wireless connection to connect to the internet.

Windows
It’s actually harder to reliably share the internet love on Windows with its cousin, the Xbox 360, than it is on a Mac: No method worked reliably for us across multiple Windows computers. But here’s how it should work:

1. Share your computer’s wireless connection. Microsoft actually details the process here, and it’s pretty easy. From the Network and Sharing center, click on the manage network connections option on the left. From there, right click on the connect you wanna share (probably wireless, unless you’re daisy-chaining ’cause your box just won’t reach) and hit properties. Under the sharing tab, just check the box to allow that connection to be shared. Plug your Xbox into the ethernet port.

2. There are a few other ways to proceed at this point, and you’re probably going to have try at least a couple of them to find one that’ll work. You could bridge the two connections (dicey), or you could manually assign the ethernet port an IP address, detailed here (PDF). This Instructable relies on automagicalness to resolve the settings, and I have had that work in the past, though not when I was sorting through methods for this how to.

All in all, expect to do some Googling and troubleshooting if you go the Windows route.

Mac
You’d think this would be easy, ’cause I heard somewhere that Macs just work, and internet sharing on Macs typically ain’t hard, but there is a tiny bit of jujitsu involved here. This method, from Joystiq, is the most reliable one I used.

1. On your Mac, pop open Terminal, and type “ifconfig en0” (number zero, no quotes). A whole bunch of crap will pop up. Find where it says “inet 192.xxx.x.xxx” (it should be 192, anyway). Write that junk down. It will probably be 192.168.2.1, like mine. Also find out your router’s IP address, which is most likely 192.168.1.1 (Linksys) or 192.168.0.1 (D-Link uses this), depending on your manufacturer. If you have Apple’s Airport gear, the router will be at 10.0.1.1.

2. Then plug your Xbox 360 into your Mac, open up Sharing in Preferences. Turn on internet sharing, and share your Airport’s internet connection with ethernet.

3. On the Xbox, flip to your network settings (under system settings), and enter the IP address you got from the terminal freaky deaky earlier but + 1, like 192.168.2.2 to my original 192.168.2.1. Subnet should be 255.255.255.0, and then set your gateway as the ifconfig number, 192.168.2.1. Under DNS (back one screen, then down), put in your router’s actual address for both. Test your Xbox Live connection. Your NAT might suck, but you can get on Xbox Live.

Hack Your Router
This method is the least straightforward, and requires a little bit of work on your part. Essentially, you’re buying a second router (a cheap one, for about $40) and installing custom software on it that turns it into a giant wireless antenna that’s hooked up to your Xbox 360.

There are tons of Linux custom firmwares for routers nowadays, with DD-WRT and Tomato being the most popular. Tomato is a bit more user friendly, but it works with far fewer routers than DD-WRT. DD-WRT works with dozens of different routers (click for the list).

Whichever firmware you go with, the method for putting on your router will vary from device to device, with Buffalo routers being a notorious pain in the ass. Tomato includes instructions with the firmware download—but here are some of the details, and Lifehacker’s complete guide to installing and using Tomato.

DD-WRT is my preferred firmware. Here are the detailed install instructions, but with most Linksys routers, you can just drill into the router settings from the web address (192.168.1.1) and upload the DD-WRT firmware, directly, making it pretty easy. But some routers require different, exceptionally specific install methods. So check out the list before you run out to Best Buy or Circuit City.

My preferred router for this because of its tininess and cheapness (under $40), was the Buffalo G-125, which required you to flash it over TFTP backdoor the DD-WRT firmware onto it during a brief window of time, like Luke dropping those bombs into the Death Star’s vent shaft. It’s a pain in the ass, but everything else about the Buffalo routers make it worth it. Unfortunately, you can’t buy it in the States until the next month or so, so your cheapest bet is is Linksys’s $40ish WRT54G, which unfortunately, has different install methods depending on the revision. The DD-WRT wiki is very good, so you shouldn’t run into problems following it.

Once you get either firmware installed, you’re going to set your hacked router up as a wireless client.

1. You’re going to need to go into the hacked router’s settings. Set the hacked router to client mode.

2. These numbers are going to vary slightly based on your router, but you need to assign it an IP address—if your main router’s IP address is 192.168.0.1, set your hacked router at 192.168.0.2 or 192.168.0.101 (a number that’s in your main router’s DHCP server range). Then make the gateway and DNS the same IP address as your main router.

3. When it reboots you’re gonna have to re-login to whatever IP address your hacked router is. Do that, go back in, and give the hacked router the same SSID (name) as your main router (Linksys, gizrox, whatever you have it named). You can also configure wireless security at this point, though for me, it’s always been kind of flaky, WEP in particular, so you might have to play around to see what works.

4. To test, try to get online using the hacked router as your internet connection, with all of your computer’s IP settings left on automatic. If it works, plug the hacked router into your Xbox. If not, check out the DD-WRT wiki for more halpz.

4. On your Xbox, you can leave everything set to automatic—the hacked router does all the work.

The hacked router method might take the longest, but at least you won’t have a useless dongle when the Xbox 720 comes out, you’ll have a full-featured router, and it’s cheaper than the official dongle. Plus you’ll have a feeling of accomplishment that will carry over to gaming, so you should kill a lot more people in Call of Duty.