Mouse Jiggler Keeps Your Computer Awake for Video Watching, Reading

Windows: If you have a quick-launching screen saver or a have your laptop's screen dim itself on battery power, reading and watching videos can get annoying. Free app Mouse Jiggler keeps your computer awake so you don't have to worry about it.

Most modern video players will disable the screen saver automatically, but a few have yet to gain this feature (I'm talking to you, HTML5-powered YouTube). Furthermore, if you're trying to do some reading, it can get annoying to have to jiggle the mouse yourself every few minutes to stop your screen saver or un-dim your laptop's monitor. ScreenJiggler is a tiny program that runs on your desktop and subtly jiggles your mouse to keep your computer awake.

You can also turn on "Zen Jiggle", which will simulate mouse jiggles without actually moving the cursor. The app's window doesn't minimize or hide itself, either, so you're never confused about when it's on or off—you don't want to leave the house with your screen saver still disabled. I will, of course, still go behind windows, so this "feature" won't interfere with your reading or video watching.

Mouse Jiggler is a free download for Windows only. Mac users, check out previously mentioned Jiggler for similar functionality.

Mouse Jiggler [via Download Squad]

Send an email to Whitson Gordon, the author of this post, at whitson@lifehacker.com.

WBC11 makes the Washington Post!

Download now or watch on posterous

IMG_0007.mov (12933 KB)

Testing this out. The audio didn't work how I would've liked but I think its how I'll do my commentary (thanks iPhone4 :)

Samsung appears to have won the race to be the first device manufacturer to gain approval from the Federal Communications Commission for a phone based on the 4G LTE standard.

The state of 4G in 2010

Currently known as the Samsung R900, the device will have LTE connectivity as well as Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and 3G EV-DO Rev. A connectivity. The FCC tested the phone in a lab in Columbia, Md., last month and found that it complied with the appropriate FCC rules. Although the FCC's test results didn't specifically mention which carrier will get the phone, Phone Scoop reports that the spectrum used in the tests matches up with prepaid wireless carrier MetroPCS, which had already announced plans to launch an LTE device in certain markets by year-end.

4G technologies such as LTE and WiMAX represent the next stage in the evolution of wireless data technologies and generally deliver average download rates of 3Mbps or higher. In contrast, today's 3G networks typically deliver average download speeds about one-tenth of that rate. Verizon will be the first major U.S. carrier to offer LTE services, as it will have its LTE network up and running in as many as 30 major markets with many more to come in 2011.

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By the end of 2013, Verizon plans to have its entire current 3G footprint covered by its 4G technology and to also expand its 4G services into areas that don't currently have 3G. The carrier will primarily be using the 22MHz chunk of spectrum it obtained during the 700MHz auction in 2008 to build out its LTE network nationwide.

AT&T and T-Mobile are planning to follow Verizon with commercial LTE launches of their own in 2011. Sprint is the only major U.S. wireless carrier to utilize WiMAX and it is currently on track to have its WiMAX services up and running in all major U.S. markets by year-end.

Read more about wireless & mobile in Network World's Wireless & Mobile section.