15 New Articles on MakeUseOf |  |
- Cool Websites and Tools [April 17th 2013]
- How To Use Social Media As Inspiration For Your Writing
- 11 Breathtaking Motorcycle Racing & Stunt Videos
- Important First Person Shooters That Evolved The Genre [MUO Gaming]
- How to Use CoreMIDI for Music Production on an iPad or iPhone [iOS]
- 5 Cool Ways To Make a Velcro Mount To Store Electronic Equipment
- Save Your Eyes & Improve Web Page Legibility With Readability [Firefox]
- Using Binaural Beats to Improve Gameplay Concentration – Does It Work?
- 6 Ways To Add & Remove Modern Apps In Windows 8
- Extreme Sports Revealed With Amazing GoPro Videos
- How Do Search Engines Work? [MakeUseOf Explains]
- How to Install Flash On Your Android Jelly Bean Tablet or Phone
- Be More Productive With A Powerful Clipboard Manager [Mac]
- Frozen Bubble Might Be The Most Addictive Linux Game Of All
- 8 Useful Digital Camera Hacks That Don’t Cost The Earth
| Cool Websites and Tools [April 17th 2013] Posted: 17 Apr 2013 09:31 PM PDT
These are just half of the websites that we discovered in the last couple of days. If you want us to send you daily round-ups of all cool websites we come across, leave your email here. Or follow us via RSS feed. The post Cool Websites and Tools [April 17th 2013] appeared first on MakeUseOf. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| How To Use Social Media As Inspiration For Your Writing Posted: 17 Apr 2013 07:31 PM PDT
Yet the content of our autobiographies are scrambled across multiple friending sites built upon advertising alone. Should corporate entities be the only ones that we share our legacies with? Instead, couldn’t you just use all of the existing social services that you use and create a beautiful, customized journal by doing exactly what you have been doing for years? Yep. It’s possible. Expanding The Story
For the purposes of the creation of your journal, you will most definitely need something to write on. This could be a physical notebook, a document file, or even a personal blog. However, you need to be able to jot your thoughts down. Yes, my children. This means that you will be writing. I know that some of you hate doing that, but for your journal, your words do not necessarily have to be lengthy. Thoughts do not have to spill forth like the wine from a tipped glass at the Feast of Inspiration. For your journal, you will basically be keeping records of what happens to you based on the content of your social media accounts. This means that you will use your social media accounts as writing prompts. Sure, you may have posted a status update about your new dog, but what was the story of how you got your new dog? Social media is all about condensing information into bite-sized nuggets that can be shared in 140 characters or less. On the contrary, journals are designed to let you really tell the story of what happened to you on any given day. By taking these bite-sized nuggets, collecting information from them, and expanding upon the story, you can develop something that’s truly unique. Finding The Material
Josh, you ask, how ever will I utilize my posts as prompts? It’s quite simple, actually. With social media, more often than not we post in the present. Images are captured as the event is actually happening. Updates are almost always in the present tense. With a journal, you should write about the past. As an exercise, go through all of you social media accounts at the end of one day and see what you have posted. You may see status updates like “Going to the concert!” or “I love my wife so much.“ These posts do tell a story, but they tell a story in the same sense of the legendary ”For sale. Baby shoes. Never worn.” Simply put, we don’t know the details of the story. All we know is that you went to a concert or that you love your wife. Did someone get drunk at the concert and run around naked spilling beer everywhere? Why exactly do you love your wife? You see, these are both examples of marvelous prompts for your journal posts. Every single item that you post using your social media accounts tells a story, but it’s just from an angle with a limited view. With your journal, tell the uncut version. Designating The Time
As with any form of writing, you need to set some time out to write. Don’t feel as though you have to do it every single day. Writing – and I say this from experience – can sometimes become rather monotonous if you do this. Sure, if you have a goal or are working on something important, then it might be good. Else, I say go where the inspiration goes. Looking at the materials that I described above, you can divide your writing time up in a variety of ways. Perhaps you could review all of your Instagram photos at the end of the month and write a short paragraph about the most memorable ones. Since your photos will have dates tied to them, you can even include this. On the contrary, you may want to take a Tweet at the end of the day and write about it, providing more detail (and without the hashtags.) ConclusionThis subject of this article may seem so obvious that it’s stupid, but unfortunately, not many people take the time out to sit and look at the past. We publish evidence that we want to look at the past, but the stories are so brief that it’s difficult to use them to really remember. In the end, this is actually pretty effortless. You are already taking notes about your life using your favorite social media accounts. Now it’s just time to expand the story. Living in the present is great. But make sure you are really making memories. What other methods do you use to develop your own personal journals? Have you tried using the method explained here? Image Credits: JoelMontes, avrdreamer, paperbackwriter, Tomas.Quinones The post How To Use Social Media As Inspiration For Your Writing appeared first on MakeUseOf. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 11 Breathtaking Motorcycle Racing & Stunt Videos Posted: 17 Apr 2013 07:01 PM PDT
I set out digging through the Interwebs to find the best motorcycle videos that will blow your mind! I’ve broken them up into three different categories – racing, stunts and drifting, which is kind of a hybrid between racing and stunts. RacingThis first video is of a race called Isle of Man TT (Tourist Trophy), which is known as one of the most prestigious motorcycle races in the world. According to Wikipedia, it’s held on public roads, which are closed during the time of the races. Isle of Man TT by Lock9The rider in this motorcycle video doesn’t do anything that impressive (although he’s better than me). But the camera placement on the back of the motorcycle makes you feel like you’re actually on it. I felt like I was actually turning and that’s why I chose to include this next video. Open Class Heat Race Crash Into Barrier – 2013 Flat Track Motorcycle Racing Las Vegas by TheGlobalManiaAlthough there are many riders in this video, there are two, Casey Stoner and Valentino Rossi, who take the lead and push each other to the limits the whole time. Who will win?! Historic Battles - Rossi vs Stoner Laguna Seca ’08 by MotoGPStuntsIt really amazes me what people can do on motorbikes – standing up, barely hanging on, not to mention all the acrobatic moves they do while going 60+ miles per hour. Below are a few videos that feature these stunts and more. This first video is more of an amateur video, shot with GoPro cameras, but the stunts are in no way amateur – very impressive! Streetfighterz Ride of the Century 2011 by Shark FinsI have no idea who these guys are in this next motorcycle video, but they do some of the most amazing stunts, some of which I’ve never seen before. Awesome Motorcycle Stunts by TripTippyThis one is more professionally put together. Ryan Moore is the stunt man in this video and he can do some amazing tricks. He makes it look so easy! Ryan Moore -The Supermoto Stunt Man by swtpvlDriftingDrifting – what is it with our fascination with trying to go through tires as quickly as possible? Whatever it is, I don’t care because it never ceases to amaze me what people can drift… even motorcycles! Check out these two videos by Icon Moto Sports – sure the second one has its corny parts, but put that aside and you’ve got some stellar drifting going on! Motorcycle vs. Car Drift Battle by IconMotoSportsMotorcycle vs. Car Drift Battle 2 by IconMotoSportsGot a couple GoPro cameras and some orange cones lying around, and an empty parking lot? Why not take advantage of it and do some crazy drifting?! That’s what Jorian Ponomareff did here in this next video. Be ready to be amazed. Drift Gymkhana – Jorian Ponomareff by JorianS4EBonus: Funny & BraveOne of the things with the Internet is that the things we see on it we could only wish doing. We’ve probably all been in a situation where we were told to stop by a police officer directing traffic. But have you ever thought of high fiving them?! Takes guts right? Guts that you’re not willing to risk getting arrested over. Well… this guy apparently doesn’t worry about that, even for a second. Take a look. Biker High Five’s Cop by lowrider692000Channels & Accounts To FollowWas eleven videos just not enough to satisfy your motorcycle racing craving? Below are some channels and accounts that have even more amazing videos to check out. Some, but not all, of these had a video in this article. Also, I compiled a complete playlist on YouTube of all the videos in this article, including the ones on Vimeo, that you can follow for later viewing if you’d like.
Do you have a motorcycle? If so, do you race it or do any stunts? If you do and you have a channel online, feel free to share it with us and our readers in the comments! If you’re just a fan (like most of us, probably), what was your favorite motorcycle video? Was it one in the article or do you know of another one that you’d like to share with us? If so we’d love to see your suggestions. The post 11 Breathtaking Motorcycle Racing & Stunt Videos appeared first on MakeUseOf. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Important First Person Shooters That Evolved The Genre [MUO Gaming] Posted: 17 Apr 2013 06:31 PM PDT
The common theme with all of these shooters is, well, shooting. However, there are some occasions where a shooter breaks the mold and adds some kind of innovative gameplay mechanic. Sure, the core of the gameplay will remain pointing a crosshair at an enemy and blowing them to smithereens, but it’s amazing how much a little change to a mechanic can make a game feel like something completely new. Today, we are going to look at some FPS games that offer something new to the genre. Of course, many of the items these games offer have been copied and are not so new anymore, but at the time, it was something new and special. Faceball 2000
If you’ve played any modern shooter, you are probably familiar with the concept of regenerating health. You get shot a few times, go hide, and come back ready to go. All too often, Halo is wrongfully given the honor of being the first shooter to bring this to the table, but the origin actually goes all the way back to a Super Nintendo game. The incredibly odd Faceball 2000 had regenerating health long before Halo, and all of today’s modern shooters, were even in a glimmer in the eyes of their creators. Love it or hate it, this is the game that started it all (well technically Hydlide did, but it was not a shooter). Call of Duty
At this point, most gamers think of Call of Duty as the tired franchise that releases a new game every year that sells millions of copies. When Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare hit store shelves, no one thought that. Instead, we were blown away by the leveling and unlocking system offered in multiplayer. Never before have gamers had so many reasons to stick with a game for such a long period of time. Call of Duty actually gets a double mention here. COD was the game that pioneered the “summer blockbuster” movie kind of game. The single player in Call of Duty feels like a nonstop roller coaster ride, which is a big shift compared to the pacing of most games. It may be done to death now, but when the original game hit, it was like nothing we’ve encountered before. Not bad for a game that many gamers feel is overstaying its welcome. Winback
Winback is a shooter released by Koei for the Nintendo 64 in 1999. It’s actually a third person shooter, but still, the idea of the game is pointing your crosshair at bad guys and kill them. Winback, while not remembered by most gamers, is actually the first 3D game to feature a cover system, a mechanic that’s featured in many shooters today like Gears of War and Uncharted. Soldier of Fortune and Metal Gear Solid 2 deserve mention for bringing cover systems to the forefront, but it was Winback that really got the ball rolling. Team Fortress
Team Fortress is the game that really popularized the idea of players having a role in the battle. Instead of everyone just trying to get the most kills, players in Team Fortress choose a class, and the class has certain abilities that can help the team win the battle. This has led to franchises like Battlefield and all of its games. Battlefield 2 is my favorite shooter ever made, and it was Team Fortress that paved the way for games like it with its awesome class system. Both Team Fortress and Team Fortress 2 are still played today, and that is certainly an impressive feat. Hexen II
Hexen II was the shooter that popularized adding “RPG Elements.” Instead of shooting simply to make it to the end of the level, in Hexen II, players actually gained experience points that made their character more powerful. Essentially, everything you find in a game like Final Fantasy or any other classic RPG is in Hexen II, except, instead of casting spells, you are shooting people in the face. It’s not the best game ever made, but it paved the way for games like Borderlands, and I love me some Borderlands. ConclusionMost of the mechanics these games bring to the table are a little played out now. We’ve seen hundreds of shooters with RPG elements, and even more with progressive unlocking systems in multiplayer, but at the time, these flipped the genre on its head. Will shooters continue to evolve with new mechanics like the ones brought forth with these games? Only time will tell, be we most certainly need to hope they do, or the shooter genre will have a limited shelf life, even if it’s already been around for a long, long time. The post Important First Person Shooters That Evolved The Genre [MUO Gaming] appeared first on MakeUseOf. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| How to Use CoreMIDI for Music Production on an iPad or iPhone [iOS] Posted: 17 Apr 2013 05:30 PM PDT
Apple added CoreMIDI to iOS 4.2 and since then app developers have been implementing MIDI functionality into their apps. This means you can use your iOS device as both a MIDI controller and with MIDI input devices for physical, tactile key response. CoreMIDI can also be used with apps or multiple iOS devices for a studio-like automated setup. Excited? Here’s what you need to know about how to use CoreMIDI. Knowing MIDI, Knowing YouMIDI stands for Musical Instrument Digital Interface and was introduced in 1983 when artists like The Human League and Culture Club dominated the charts, armed with Roland drum machines and Casio keyboards. Our musical tastes have come a long way since then but MIDI hasn’t changed an awful lot aside from being more widespread in its application.
MIDI doesn’t carry sound but instead a signal which denotes pitch, note, volume and other parameters. This means you can use the same MIDI patterns on a huge range of instruments, simply by changing the destination device. Apple’s CoreMIDI works in the same way, accepting and sending signals to and from compatible hardware. This functionality has been in iOS for a long time now, and over the last few years app support has grown tremendously. This goes for apps that support MIDI input (such as keyboards and DJ interfaces) as well as apps designed to drive external MIDI devices which I’ll come to later. When it comes to physical controllers and instruments, there’s only really one thing you need to use MIDI on your iOS device, and that’s an interface.
There are a few interfaces to choose from, with the most basic being Apple’s camera connection kit ($29) which adds a regular USB port to whatever you plug it into. From here you can then use any USB MIDI connection kit like the M-Audio Uno, provided it acts as a generic USB MIDI device. Devices that require drivers – i.e. manufacturer-enhanced MIDI connectors – will not work unless they’re put into generic USB mode. A potentially more cost-effective option would be to purchase a dedicated MIDI accessory such as the MIDI Mobilizer II from Line 6 (not the original MIDI Mobilizer, which is not CoreMIDI compatible) or the iRig MIDI from IK Multimedia. Which option to go for depends on whether you currently own a USB MIDI interface or not, and whether you foresee yourself using the camera connector for its initial intended purpose.
Note: Some USB devices connected using the camera connector require more power than the iPad is willing to provide. While simple USB keyboards like the Akai LPK25 will work flawlessly, larger and hungrier inputs will require a powered USB hub in order to work. If you’re thinking of using a full-sized, externally powered keyboard then this won’t be an issue seeing as it will be mains-powered. CoreMIDI & AppsIn addition to being a hardware interface using physical cables, CoreMIDI is capable of acting as a software interface and wirelessly too. Wireless MIDI usually takes the form of an app-to-app connection, and enables two or more iOS devices to communicate provided they share the same network. Latency might be an issue for routers that still use older wireless standards, and unfortunately Bluetooth connection is not possible. One such app that makes use of CoreMIDI for wireless control is Funkbox, which can receive and send signals like clock speed, transport and note triggers to and from controllers and drum machines. Synthetic Bits, the developers of Funkbox, have also developed what is easily one of the simplest and best MIDI controllers for iOS called Little MIDI Machine, available for free. It allows you to sequence MIDI hardware, iOS apps and other iOS devices wirelessly and with all components working together, it’s a very advanced system as you can see from the video below. MIDI uses numbered channels to send its various signals, and in order to trigger a specific instrument you will need to make sure that the channels match up, and this goes for both physical hardware connections and app or wireless connections too.. So to trigger a synth like Sunrizer which is listening to channel 10, you would need to set the output of your step sequencer (in this instance Little MIDI) to channel 10 also. It’s a simple system to grip once you’ve played with a set of apps or devices, and it’s an excellent way of finely-tuning a sequence before trying it out on a variety of instruments.
Another often useful feature is MIDI Learn. Apps that support MIDI Learn allow you to assign various physical controls like volume or filter cutoff to sliders and knobs on physical controllers. In order to use MIDI Learn you will first need to activate the learning interface in the app you are using, then tap the function before assigning it to a knob or slider by moving it. Sunrizer supports this for a huge number of variables, and it also works for other functions like triggering an arpeggiator or holding notes. So Where Do I Start?If you’ve never played with MIDI before and would like to see the potential first-hand you should download Little MIDI from the App Store as well as a cheap instrument like miniSynth 2 ($0.99) or Apple’s own GarageBand ($4.99) each of which support CoreMIDI. Both of these apps should be able to talk to your sequencer with default routing. Before building your sequence ensure you have turned on BG Audio on the synth (it’s under the FX panel) or Run in Background under GarageBand settings and mute the internal Little MIDI Machine piano note in the settings.
You can now sequence miniSynth 2 or GarageBand with Little MIDI Machine by adjusting pitch, velocity and various other triggers. To really master MIDI work your way through the brief but detailed Little MIDI Machine manual which provides a crash-course in sequencing a synth. You’ll probably drop the manual once you’ve figured much of it out! If you’re sick of switching between apps and are lucky enough to own an iPad and an iPhone you can even use CoreMIDI over Wi-Fi to sequence a synth on one device and play it on the other. Magic. Have you tried using CoreMIDI on your iOS device? Any hardware or software tips and recommendations? Add your thoughts in the comments, below. Image(s): MIDI In/Out (krunkwerke) The post How to Use CoreMIDI for Music Production on an iPad or iPhone [iOS] appeared first on MakeUseOf. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 5 Cool Ways To Make a Velcro Mount To Store Electronic Equipment Posted: 17 Apr 2013 04:31 PM PDT
The other day I picked up some adhesive Velcro spots in black and white at a local shop. After writing my recent article on how to clean up cable clutter I had a couple of ideas for how to use them and the Internet gave me several more. I found that Velcro isn’t just a cheap zipper alternative – it’s a much underestimated product with many great uses. Fix The Remote ControlA few weeks ago I damaged my laptop’s external monitor when my backpack with the laptop in it hit the ground. I had slipped on an icy sidewalk. The laptop still worked perfectly fine, so I went to buy an external monitor. Since I pay for both cable and public TV, despite not owning a TV, I decided to get an HDTV as my external monitor. The remote control it came with has lived an unappreciated life on my desk ever since and was the main reason I picked up the adhesive Velcro spots. I stuck two Velcro spots on the backside of the remote control, one on each end. I also attached the counterpart.
I took the remote control and placed it on the side of the monitor, making the adhesive side of the counterpart stick to it. Then I peeled off the remote control, splitting the Velcro, and made sure the counterpart firmly stuck to the monitor.
Finally, the remote has its place and isn’t in the way anymore. Mount Your Tablet Or PhoneMy kitchen is pretty big, but there is never a safe space for the tablet and I usually bake or cook with recipes from the Internet. Velcro was the solution; I decided to use the velcro mount to affix the tablet on a kitchen cabinet door. Just a few adhesive Velcro spots on its back (I used 5 in total)….
…and counterparts stuck to the cabinet using the method described above…
…and I now have a safe space to place the tablet in my kitchen. Make sure you use industrial-strength Velcro or enough strips or spots to really support the weight of whatever you are trying to mount.
Oh yeah, I also used Velcro for the spice grinders in the top left. Admittedly, the Velcro mount looks a little odd when the tablet isn’t mounted. However, you can easily cover it up. I haven’t decided what I will use yet, but ideas include a small whiteboard, a picture, a calendar, or seasonal decoration. I’m pragmatic, so I’ll probably go with the whiteboard or calendar. We have mentioned Velcro in a previous article about 5 Cool Things You Can Do With Your Old iPad After Upgrading in which my colleague Matt suggested to turn the iPad into a picture frame. Much the same way you can mount your tablet on the dashboard of your car or in other cool locations. Find some more suggestions in the video below. Oren found that Velcro strips work great to mount a tablet on airplane seats. As a counterpart you can use the small patch of Velcro that holds the headrest cover from the passenger sitting in front of you. Oren posted detailed instructions on Instructables.
Mount Your External Hard DriveWith some industrial strength Velcro, you could mount your external hard drive under your desk, like Kevin from Apartment Therapy has done. I have done this with one of my older external hard drives, which I used to store downloads, movies, and other stuff I don’t really need to keep forever.
In the back you can see the router I mounted using double-sided tape, but I replaced it with Velcro in the meantime. Make Your Own Velcro TiesMost power adapters come with Velcro ties to keep the cord together. You can make your own Velcro ties to bundle cables or strap them to other objects. Simply take a longer fuzzy strap and a short hook strap (non-adhesive ones), attach them to each other with ends overlapping, stitch or staple in place, and voilà , your Velcro tie is done. Detailed instructions with pictures can be found on Instructables.
ConclusionVelcro, an invention inspired by nature, has a lot of practical and creative uses. Its best feature is that it is flexible and can be used universally on almost any item, either by sticking or sewing into place. Simple solutions are often the best. And who invented it? Do you have any cool ideas for Velcro mounts? Please share! The post 5 Cool Ways To Make a Velcro Mount To Store Electronic Equipment appeared first on MakeUseOf. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Save Your Eyes & Improve Web Page Legibility With Readability [Firefox] Posted: 17 Apr 2013 04:01 PM PDT
Readability has been out for years and this app is still kicking with great features. If you have trouble with your eyes and website legibility, then keep reading and get Readability set up straight away. Even if you don't think you need it, you may want to install it anyway and give your eyes a rest.
Readability is a simply designed app that doesn’t do very much, yet radically transforms your browsing experience. With the simple press of a key, even the most poorly designed sites with the most illegible text become like honey to your eyes. Installation is as easy as it comes. Hop on over to the Firefox Addons repository and search for Readability. Click on "Add to Firefox" and you're done! You may need to "Allow" the addon installation if you have security settings enabled.
Once you’ve installed Readability, what you should do first is hop on over to the addon settings. You can do this by going to the Firefox menu and selecting Addons. Under the Extensions category, find Readability and click Options. You'll be presented with the window above. "Wait a minute. There are only 3 options here!" Yes, that is correct. Like I said, Readability truly is simple. The Read Now key is the key you want to press when you want to toggle a web page into Readability view. The Read Later key is the key you want to press when you want to save the current webpage for later viewing. Send to Kindle is self-explanatory. At this point, you may also want to create a Readability account. If all you want to do is read certain pages then you won't need an account, but having an account opens up a few more features like saving a webpage for later.
I have a confession to make: usually when I want to save a webpage for later, I'll just pop it open in a new tab and come back to it later. This works well most of the time, but sometimes I'll accumulate so many tabs that my computer's performance suffers. Readability is the first app that has made me reconsider my habits. With one key press ('~' by default), Readability automatically saves the current page. These saved pages can be opened in Readability's view or as the original page and, when you're done with it, clearing the list is as easy as clicking one button.
Now we're at the main feature of Readability: the actual reading view. Look at how beautiful it is. It strips away all unnecessary distractions (ads, sidebars, extraneous images, etc.), leaving behind the main content. At the very top, you have links that will take you back to the original page. The above screenshot is the default display setting but you can change it around a bit if you'd like by using the left sidebar. What can you alter? The theme (background and foreground colors), the column width, the font size, and there are 2 more options: converting links to footnotes and hiding article images. The sidebar also has a number of other actions:
This review focused on the Firefox version of Readability, but this wonderful app is available on a multitude of platforms: Chrome, Opera, Safari, Android, iOS, and it even comes in the form of a rich web app in case you don't want to install anything. This is especially great for those of you who like to browse the web using many different browsers or devices yet still want to keep your Readability data synchronized (such as your to-read-later list). What do you think? Will you use Readability or do you think it isn't worth it? If you do use Readability already, what are your thoughts? Please share them with us in the comments. The post Save Your Eyes & Improve Web Page Legibility With Readability [Firefox] appeared first on MakeUseOf. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Using Binaural Beats to Improve Gameplay Concentration – Does It Work? Posted: 17 Apr 2013 03:30 PM PDT
What all of these have in common is that through some external stimuli, over time you can somehow influence the functioning of your brain. At least, that’s how it’s supposed to work in theory. In practice, it’s a whole different story. Claims about the ability of classical music or “brain training” videos to increase the intelligence of toddlers abound, but to date not a single person has been able to scientifically prove that those external stimuli really have any influence on the normal brain development of a child. That influence was known as the “Mozart Effect”, from a study published in Nature in 1993 by Psychologist Frances Rauscher. The study set off a flurry of products promising to raise the IQ of any baby that came in contact with some video or CD filled with classical tunes. The debate went on for years as to whether the effect was actually real, and as late as 2007, the Federal Ministry of Education and Research in Germany performed a decisive study and found that the effect does not exist. What does exist, more than ever, is the human desire to influence fate through some kind of external manipulation. Why leave the future of a person’s IQ to natural genetics and human development, when you can influence it with music? Well – the same can be said for the modern-day phenomenon of binaural beats. People are using binaural beats in droves to accomplish all sorts of things – from better relaxation to better concentration, and even to simply get high. I’m totally serious. Test Binaural Beats to Improve ConcentrationWhen I previously wrote about binaural therapy apps for Android, I didn’t just write about them, I actually tried all of them – and continued testing them out for some time. I’ve always been into using meditation for relaxation and to remove stress, and binaural beats went right in line with that. The theory behind them seemed fairly solid, and I’d appreciate anything that would accelerate that wonderful feeling that prolonged meditation can create when it’s done right. What are binaural beats? They are essentially sounds of different frequencies that play in each ear. The premise is that by playing a different frequency in the left ear and the right ear, the brain’s effort to sync up the two sounds into one perceived sound eventually “tunes” the brain to operate at a mental state within that range. The makers of binaural beat products tweak each frequency range to create a sort of “resonant frequency” in the brain that matches known mental wave pattern frequencies for things like concentration, relaxation, and excitement. In order to test binaural beats theory, I decided to do a personal experiment of my own – completely unscientific, mind you – to see if binaural beats would improve my own concentration. The concentration test that I used was an Android game called Bubble Bust.
Bubble Bust is a typical bubble shooter game – where you launch bubbles toward the like colors in order to pop those bubbles. If the lowest bubble touches the blue line at the bottom of the screen, it’s game over. First, I did a few trial runs of the game just so that I could get used to the controls and warm up a bit. After the training sessions, I launched into the “control” run – simply playing the game in my normal mental state. During this control run, playing to the best of my ability, I hit a score of 39,750 in the first level.
Continuing on to level two, I achieved a score of 56,500 points. As you can see, each round sets the highest score – in this case the only score so far – as the “best” score for the game. This will make it easy to see, later on, whether my next tests through the game beat my old score.
I blasted through level 3 with a cool 74,700 points.
Finally, finished up level 4 accomplishing 62,310 points.
Once I had my baseline scores set for how I play the game under my normal abilities and concentration levels, I went into my room, shut the door, and launched an Android binaural beats app called Binaural Beat Therapy. This app offers frequency settings for “Highest mental activity”.
I affixed my earphones, laid down on the bed, launched the frequency therapy session and closed my eyes. After about three minutes, I started feeling that surreal “resonant” frequency in the middle of my head. The app screen shows flashing red lights over a black screen, and shows the current frequency settings for the left and right ears.
The full session in the app is 14 minutes or so. I relaxed and let the frequency fill my entire head. One thing I have to say about binaural therapy – whether it really works for improving brain function or not – is that it definitely creates a very real “buzz” after using it for a long while. It’s a very weird feeling – and after you take the earphones away, you’ll still hear a weird ringing frequency in your head for a few minutes. After two full sessions of listening to the “highest mental activity” therapy, I went back to the same room where I last played the game, and launched the therapy session a third time, figuring that the frequency would maintain my brain in its peak performance state. With the binaural beat running into my ears, I launched the bubble blaster game once again. I played level one to the best of my ability, and reached a score of 35,000 – almost five thousand short of my “non-therapy” score.
This surprised me, because I really felt like the binaural therapy had done “something”, but at the same time, I found it hard to concentration on the game with the binaural beats going on in my ears. I continued on into level two, and once again fell short – 400 points short of my initial score to be exact.
Finally, after putting everything I had into level 4, I hit a score of 63,700, beating my old score by 1,390. I was starting to wonder whether maybe the real effects of binaural beats take effect after the therapy is over and not so much during a therapy session. To test this out, I turned off the binaural frequencies that had been going on in my ears for about 45 minutes at this point. I could still hear the phantom frequency in my head – a very weird feeling. I launched into another round of the game. Once again, I failed to beat my best scores. I managed to beat my initial score in round two by 3,700 points.
Feeling like I had discovered the secret of binaural beat therapy, I launched into round 3, sure that I would blow my old score right out of the water. I didn’t. Like a trooper, I launched into level four with everything I was worth. I felt focused, fast, and quick-witted. I was positive that I was going to blow all old scores away. What happened? The bubbles hit the blue line, and I completely failed to complete the level at all.
In all honesty, the results of this little personal experiment surprised me. Just given the feeling after a binaural beats session, I really expected to see some sort of positive results afterwards. True, this test was only for concentration – I did nothing to test the beats that supposedly can create feelings of relaxation, a better memory, or better sleep. However, given my results above, I am moving a little bit further onto the skeptical side of things regarding binaural beats. With that said, the one thing I can personally attest to after I test binaural beats and feel the effects, is that long sessions listening to binaural beats can definitely create sort of a “high” that lasts during the session, as well as lasting effects for about 10 to 15 minutes afterwards. Whether there are any actual effects on the functioning of the mind? I say the jury is still out. Have you ever tested binaural beat therapy? What have your experiences been like? Share your own personal thoughts and experiences about binaural beats in the comments section below! Image credits: Yoga Man in Lotus Pose The post Using Binaural Beats to Improve Gameplay Concentration – Does It Work? appeared first on MakeUseOf. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 6 Ways To Add & Remove Modern Apps In Windows 8 Posted: 17 Apr 2013 02:31 PM PDT
Windows 8′s Modern interface doesn’t quite offer the same wealth of app stores available for the Windows desktop – the Windows Store is the only game in town. However, there’s still a lot to learn about installing and uninstalling Modern apps on the latest version of Windows. We’ll look at methods that apply for everyone from home users to developers and network administrators. Add Apps From the StoreModern apps are installed from the Windows Store. First, tap or click the Windows Store tile on your Start screen. If you know the name of the app you want to install or you just want to search for an app that does something specific, start typing directly at the Windows Store’s main screen. You won’t see a search box until you Start typing, but the Store app is waiting for you to start typing anyway. If you’re using a tablet, you can swipe in from the right and tap Search to start a search.
You can also browse the store by tapping a category and viewing the available apps. Once you’ve found an app you want to install, tap it and tap the Install button. if the app is a paid app, you can purchase it or tap the Try button to try it for a week without paying anything.
Install Synced AppsThe Windows Store syncs a list of apps you’ve installed and purchased. Assuming you’re using the same Microsoft account to log in on both devices, you can view a list of these synced apps. In the Windows Store app, either right-click or swipe up from the bottom to access the app command bar and select Your apps. You can view apps not installed on your PC or browse the list of apps you have installed on your other Windows 8 and Windows RT devices. Oddly enough, Windows refers to free apps you’ve installed as “purchased” on the day you originally installed them.
Remove Apps From The Start ScreenWindows 8 apps don’t appear in the Control Panel’s Add/Remove programs window, so you can’t uninstall them from there. To uninstall an app – even an included app like the Bing app – right-click it on the Start screen and tap Uninstall on the bar that appears. (If you’re using a touch device. touch the app’s tile and quickly swipe up to reveal the bar.) You can also uninstall apps from the All Apps view if they don’t have a tile on your Start screen. Right-click in an empty space on the start screen or swipe up from the bottom of the screen and tap All Apps. Right-click an app on the All Apps screen and tap Uninstall in the same way you would on the Start screen.
View the Store OnlineThe Windows Store offers web pages for individual apps, but there’s no great way to browse and search it online. If you’d like to browse Modern apps in your web browser, you can try one of the following third-party websites:
Remove Multiple Modern Apps From PowerShellThere’s a way to quickly uninstall multiple Modern apps at once from Microsoft’s PowerShell scripting environment. This option isn’t for everyone, but system administrators will be able to quickly trim the list of installed apps from PowerShell. For example, if you’re overseeing a corporate deployment of Windows 8 systems and want to uninstall a variety of included Modern apps – such as the Games, Music, and Video apps – you can do this easily. The script you use can be quickly run on multiple computers, saving you time. Microsoft offers a Remove Windows Store Apps PowerShell script on their website which allows you to specify the appropriate application IDs and remove multiple Modern apps at once. Add Apps via Sideloading – Developers & Corporate Networks OnlyWindows users have long had the ability to install any software they want, but Windows 8′s Modern interface takes this away from home users. For the average Windows user, apps can only be installed from the Windows Store. Sideloading is available for developers, who can use it to test the apps they’re developing on their own systems, and corporate networks, who can use it to deploy their own custom apps internally. If you’re a developer, you’ll need to get a free developer license to sideload your apps. If you’re on a corporate network, you’ll need to ensure you’re properly licensed for loading line-of-business apps, join a domain, enable the appropriate group policy setting, and sign the app with an installed certificate. Microsoft offers more information about sideloading Modern apps in this way. Once your system is set up for sideloading, you can sideload Modern apps with the Add-AppxPackage PowerShell command.
All of the above information only applies to Modern apps. Windows desktop applications are installed and uninstalled just like they are on Windows 7. The Windows Store lists some desktop apps, but only provides links directly to their websites where you can download and install them yourself. Do you have any other tips about installing and removing apps on Windows 8? Leave a comment and share them! The post 6 Ways To Add & Remove Modern Apps In Windows 8 appeared first on MakeUseOf. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Extreme Sports Revealed With Amazing GoPro Videos Posted: 17 Apr 2013 02:01 PM PDT
For those of us less inclined to throw ourselves into the path of danger, GoPro cameras offer a chance to see these activities from the perspective of those involved. What follows are 10 channels, across both YouTube and Vimeo, dedicated to showing off GoPro action videos. NB: This isn’t a sponsored post, and similar cameras are available from other manufacturers. GoPro HDThis is the most popular (by number of followers) GoPro video channel on Vimeo, and it’s easy to see why. The videos are shot in HD, and most are extremely well-shot and well-edited. GoPro videos on this channel cover climbing, trekking, cliff jumping, biking, and general adventuring. The video embedded features a holiday in the desert. GoPro HD MoviesThis is another very popular amateur GoPro channel on Vimeo, with stunning HD GoPro videos which cover a wide range of activities. There are also tips and tutorials for budding GoPro users. The video embedded above was originally meant to be about catching tuna from a boat. But the fisherman instead dived in and swam with dolphins. The resulting footage is incredible. GoPro WindsurfingThis GoPro channel on Vimeo is dedicated to surfing, windsurfing, and stand-up paddleboarding. This is one of those sports that few of us will ever try, so it’s the perfect candidate for GoPro videos. The GoPro video embedded above is typical of what to expect from the channel, with a whole day’s windsurfing condensed down into an amazing few minutes of adrenalin-inducing action. GoPro ParaglidingWho of us hasn’t, at one time or another, imagined flying like a bird, seeing the world from above? Paragliders are able to do just that, and this channel lets us tag along for the ride. These videos literally show us what the paraglider is seeing as they soar around the skies. The video embedded above features some epic mountain scenery that will make your eyes water. GoPro MountainsThis is another channel featuring mountains, though this time they’re being traversed on either a bike or on skis. The GoPro cameras give those of us watching from the comfort of our own homes a scenic view of the environment. The video embedded above shows one man making his way through a mountain bike trail. It really gives a sense of how many obstacles there are and how much the riders have to concentrate to avoid a nasty fall. GoPro OfficialThe key channel for GoPro videos on YouTube is the official channel from the company itself. As GoPro wants to show off its cameras in the hopes you’ll buy one, the videos are all of a high quality. The range of sports and activities featured in stunning, with golf, biking, watersports, and motorsports all featured. The video embedded above shows wing walking, which is something very few of us will ever (have the guts to) try. GoPro DeeyungGoPro Deeyung offers something a little different. Sure, extreme sports do get covered extensively, but there are also examples of other ways these maneuverable cameras can be used. The GoPro video embedded above is a good example, showing, as it does, children enjoying a day at the park. It may not be extreme but it’s still experiencing someone else’s life through their perspective. Everything GoProThis YouTube channel is wholly dedicated to GoPro, with activities filmed using the cameras, as well as tips and tricks for those new to the form factor. Sports featured include swimming, skiing, biking, and ice skating. The video embedded above is extremely interesting, showing the world from a dog’s perspective. Everything looks very different from down there. GoProMXThis channel features wall-to-wall footage from AMA motocross and supercross events, so if motorcycles aren’t your thing these videos will likely leave you cold. There is a big difference with these videos, however, as they show what it must be like to be in one of these races. There may be no way of replicating the smells and atmosphere, but the visuals are enough for me. Brush EntertainmentThis GoPro video channel features a random guy sharing his life with us through the power of a GoPro camera. These videos mostly ignore adrenalin-seeking adventures for more normal pursuits. But they’re no less fun to watch. A trip to Disneyland offered ample opportunity for GoPro footage, and the video embedded above shows what it’s like to ride Big Thunder Mountain. I think I’ll pass, to be honest. ConclusionsJust watching the GoPro videos uploaded to these channels tires me out. I don’t know how these people have the energy to participate in such activities. But then I’m old and prefer to spend my weekends cuddling up on the sofa sipping red wine. And now, thanks to these guys, watching other people get high on adrenaline. Do you own a GoPro camera, or one of the other similar action-oriented cameras? If so, what activities have you filmed yourself doing with it? Do these videos inspire you to get out there and try new activities? If so, how extreme would you go? As always we’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments section below. The post Extreme Sports Revealed With Amazing GoPro Videos appeared first on MakeUseOf. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| How Do Search Engines Work? [MakeUseOf Explains] Posted: 17 Apr 2013 01:01 PM PDT
Do you know how search engines work? There are three basic stages for a search engine: crawling – where content is discovered; indexing, where it is analysed and stored in huge databases; and retrieval, where a user query fetches a list of relevant pages. CrawlingCrawling is where it all begins – the acquisition of data about a website. This involves scanning the site and getting a complete list of everything on there – the page title, images, keywords it contains, and any other pages it links to – at a bare minimum. Modern crawlers may cache a copy of the whole page, as well as look for some additional information such as the page layout, where the advertising units are, where the links are on the page (featured prominently in the article text, or hidden in the footer?). How is a website crawled exactly? An automated bot – a spider – visits each page, just like you or I would, only very quickly. Even in the earliest days, Google reported that they were reading a few hundred pages a second. If you’d like to learn how to make your own basic web crawler in PHP - it was one of the first articles I wrote here and well worth having a go at (just don’t expect to make the next Google). The crawler then adds all the new links it found to a list of places to crawl next – in addition to re-crawling sites again to see if anything has changed. It’s a never-ending process, really.
Any site that is linked to from another site already indexed, or any site that manually asked to be indexed, will eventually be crawled – some sites more frequently than others and some to a greater depth. If the site is huge and content hidden many clicks away from the homepage, the crawler bots may actually give up. There are ways to ask search engines NOT to index a site, though this is rarely used to block an entire website. There was even a time when large parts of the Internet were essentially invisible to search engines – the so-called “deep web” – but this is rare now. TOR-hosted websites (What is Onion Routing?) for example, remain unindexed by Google, and are only accessible by connecting to the TOR network and knowing the address.
IndexingYou’d be forgiven for thinking this is an easy step – indexing is the process of taking all of that data you have from a crawl, and placing it in a big database. Imagine trying to a make a list of all the books you own, their author and the number of pages. Going through each book is the crawl and writing the list is the index. But now imagine it’s not just a room full of books, but every library in the world. That’s pretty much a small-scale version of what Google does. All of this data is stored in vast data-centres with thousands of petabytes worth of drives. Here’s a sneaky peak inside one of Google’s:
Ranking & RetrievalThe last step is what you see – you type in a search query, and the search engine attempts to display the most relevant documents it finds that match your query. This is the most complicated step, but also the most relevant to you or I, as web developers and users. It is also the area in which search engines differentiate themselves (though, there was some evidence that Bing was actually copying some Google results). Some work with keywords, some allow you to ask a question, and some include advanced features like keyword proximity or filtering by age of content. The ranking algorithm checks your search query against billions of pages to determine how relevant each one is. This operation is so complex that companies closely guard their own ranking algorithms as patented industry secrets. Why? Competitive advantage for a start – so long as they are giving you the best search results, they can stay on top of the market. Secondly, to prevent gaming of the system and giving an unfair advantage to one site over another. Once the internal methodology of any system is fully understood, there will always be those who try to “hack” it – discover the ranking factors and exploit them for monetary gain.
Exploiting the ranking algorithm has in fact been commonplace since search engines began, but in the last 3 years or so Google has really made that difficult. Originally, sites were ranked based on how many times a particular keyword was mentioned. This led to “keyword stuffing”, where pages are filled with mostly nonsense so long as it includes the keyword everywhere. Then the concept of importance based on linking was introduced - more popular sites would be more linked to, obviously – but this led to a proliferation of spammed links all over the web. Now each link is determined to have a different value, depending on the “authority” of the site in question. If a high level government agency links to you, it’s worth far more than a link found in a free-for-all “link directory”. Check out SEOFailBlog.com for more examples of SEO gone wild.
Today, the understanding of the exact algorithm is even more shrouded in mystery than ever, and the dark art of “Search Engine Optimization” has largely been crippled – the advice now is to focus on providing the best content, with a great user experience (how crazy, right?!). Considering that almost 60% of all searches end up clicking the first result, it’s easy to see why ranking your page well is so important. What’s Next For Search Engines?Ah, now there’s an interesting question. The answer is – semantics – the meaning and type of content a page contains. For more information on that, read my article on Semantic Markup and How it Will Change the Web Forever. Here’s the easiest example – right now, you could search for gluten-free cookies, but the pages you find might not actually be a recipe for gluten free cookies; they might have a regular cookie with a bit of text that says “this recipe is not gluten free“. In a world with semantics, you could search for cookie recipes and then remove regular flour from your list of acceptable ingredients. Then you could remove any with nuts, because you’re not particularly keen on nuts. Then you could narrow it down to only recipes with a review score of 4/5 or greater, and a total preparation time of less than half hour. That would be cool right? Well, you can. Just head over to Google.com (international versions may not work), search for a recipe, and use the search tools to narrow it down to only results that are recipes. Then you’ll find an ingredients filter, and more!
And that, dear readers, is how search engines work. Still confused? Here’s how Google themselves explain the process: If you found this interesting, you might also like to learn about how image search engines work. Image Credit: ShutterStock – SEO The post How Do Search Engines Work? [MakeUseOf Explains] appeared first on MakeUseOf. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| How to Install Flash On Your Android Jelly Bean Tablet or Phone Posted: 17 Apr 2013 12:00 PM PDT
How to Install Flash on AndroidInstalling Flash can be done in a matter of minutes. The following steps require you to configure your Android device to allow installation of software from non-official sources (that is, allowing the use of third-party marketplaces) as well as use an alternative browser. A note of warning: Experience with a couple of different devices shows that this fix is not guaranteed to work. But if you’re missing being able to use Flash, it’s certainly worth spending a few minutes trying it out. Preparation: Grab Your DownloadsBefore enabling Adobe Flash on your Android Jelly Bean phone or tablet you will need to prepare by downloading the Android Flash Player APK file, which you will find at the XDA Developers forum. Make sure you download the most recent version, which is found via a link in the first post in the forum thread. Alternatively, you might simply Google “android flash player apk” and use one of the resulting links to find the file. Be sure to use a reputable source for the APK, and have an anti-virus app installed just in case. Configuring Android for Non-Google Play AppsDue to Android dropping support for Flash, it is no longer available in Google Play, which is why you downloaded the file above from the XDA Developers website. By default, Android Jelly Bean device will block you from being able to install apps not via Google Play. Fortunately, this can be enabled using the following steps. Installing Adobe Flash on AndroidYou will now be ready to copy the downloaded APK to your SD Card. Once this is done, browse your phone for the file (using a tool such as ES File Explorer or Root Explorer) and tap it to begin installation. (If you prefer, you can use a different approach for installation – rather than download the file to your computer, download it directly to your phone and launch it from the notification bar.) You could also just put it in your Dropbox. After tapping the APK file, you will be asked if you want to begin installation. Click Install to proceed; it should only take a few seconds for the process to complete. Viewing Media with Adobe FlashYou will then need to configure Firefox to run Adobe Flash seamlessly. By default you need to tap the screen to enable a Flash application to run, but this step removes the requirement. Conclusion: A Solution that Works (For Most…)Concerns about Adobe Flash largely derive from a perception that the software is prone to bugs and vulnerabilities, but these things have not prevented Microsoft or Apple from blocking its use on their desktop platforms. However, you can see why Google would want to avoid the user experience becoming tarnished, particularly when the balance of power between Android and iOS is so even. One bad Flash-related incident and millions of users could jump ship, so matching Apple’s stance is a wise way of avoiding this. It’s just sad that it should happen on a platform that has previously allowed users to run Flash, but at least there is a workaround for anyone who feels that removing the software from Google Play is overkill. Let us know in the comments what phone or tablet you’re using, and whether you had success. The post How to Install Flash On Your Android Jelly Bean Tablet or Phone appeared first on MakeUseOf. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Be More Productive With A Powerful Clipboard Manager [Mac] Posted: 17 Apr 2013 11:01 AM PDT
My two most used clipboard managers are iClips and Conceited Software’s Clips. And though it is not a clipboard manager, I also rely upon a small OS X utility called PopClip, which James reviewed in this article for quickly copying selected text without having to use a keyboard shortcut. One of the biggest time wasters on any computer is having to re-copy snippets of text you might use on a regular basis. Thus, clipboard managers are awesome tools for saving snippets of text and other items, and making those clippings available to you even after you restart your computer. CopyClipIf you simply need a straightforward clipboard history manager, CopyClip (free) may be sufficient. This free application runs in the background and simply stores any text that you copy in any application on your Mac. CopyClip resides in your menu bar, and when you click on its icon, it lists up to the last 80 snippets in the drop-down window. To paste a clip, you click on it in the list, and it automatically gets pasted to your Mac’s clipboard, and from there you can use the Command+V keyboard shortcut to paste it wherever you need it. Two of the more advanced clipboard managers I describe below require a few less clicks in order to paste selected items.
You can increase or decrease the number of clippings that the application remembers, and you can also select applications that you don’t want CopyClip to record from. CopyClip is also smart enough not to record duplicate clippings in its list. While you can’t manage your clippings into different folders in CopyClip, it is still a useful free application that works ten times better than Apple’s default clipboard application. Cloud ClipCloud Clip ($1.99) is the most recent clipboard application that I have downloaded from the Mac App Store, mainly because it can sync clippings via iCloud and share them between your Mac and iOS devices.
Just like CopyClip, Cloud Clip resides in your menu bar where you access all the snippets of text you copy in any application. As with CopyClip, you select a snippet from the drop-down list, and it gets copied to the Mac’s clipboard. From there you paste the selected snippet using the Command+V keyboard shortcut, or select the Paste item in the menu bar of an application.
The developers of Cloud Clip say that the paste limitation is due to Apple’s sandboxing restrictions placed on Mac App Store apps. To address this restriction, you can download the Cloud Clip Helper (found at the bottom of the page) which will automatically paste a clip you select in the current application. What makes Cloud Clip stand out from the rest is that it syncs your clippings to your iCloud account, enabling them to be shared between your other devices, including the iPhone (Free) and iPad (Free) versions of Cloud Clip. Likewise, any text that you copy in your iOS devices also gets saved and shared to your cloud account.
Note, however, as with other iOS clipboard managers, the mobile versions of Cloud Clip will only record clippings up to 10 minutes after the app leaves the background. In other words, after you make an initial clipping, you open Cloud Clip to record it. When you close the app, you can copy multiple items in a row without having to reopen the app. At the end of 10 minutes, however, you will need to reopen Cloud Clip Mobile in order to extend the initial 10 minutes of background time. This time restriction is imposed by Apple, and unfortunately the developers haven’t added an alert or notification for when a ten minute session ends. In terms of managing clippings, you can’t organize them into different folders in Cloud Clip, but the application does include a few sorting features for arranging and displaying your clips according to Newest, the Source application, and Starred items. Unfortunately, however, Cloud Clip will record duplicate clippings. But like CopyClip, you can restrict which applications you don’t want Cloud Clip to record from. You can also select the amount of stored clippings, from a minimum of 10 to unlimited. If need be, you can also limit the size of clippings from a minimum of 25KB, 250MB, to 50MB.
iClipsiClips ($18.99) is the clipboard manager I use the most, because it contains all of the features described in CopyClip and Cloud Clip, but unlike those two applications, it enables you to move selected clippings to different bins.
The bins act as folders in which you store related clippings. Clippings saved in bins are retained indefinitely (though you can of course delete them), while the clippings in the regular recorder get deleted after the set recording limit is reached. These bins are convenient for storing URLs and email addresses, template letters and messages, and other snippets of text you might need to retrieve at a later date.
iClips also stores copied images, audio, video, and other files — which can all be accessed in the drop-down panel in the menu bar. iClips, however, does not sync with iCloud, and it is a bit expensive for what it does. ClipsClips ($9.99) is another clipboard manager. It is similar to iClips, but with one really powerful feature — Smart Clipboard folders. Similar to smart playlists in iTunes, the Smart Clipboards will automatically save clippings based on rules you set for them. So, for example, when I copy URLs from MUO pages, those clippings automatically get saved to its respective clipboard based on the rule I set for it.
This Smart Clipboard feature means you don’t have to spend as much time manually moving and saving clips to different folders, as you must do in iClips. Clips also contains a Hot Corner feature which enables you to open its panel of clippings by placing your cursor in a pre-selected corner of your monitor. From there you can select and paste a clipping with a simple click.
I would recommend Clips as the most powerful clipboard manager for the Mac. However, it can be buggy, and there have been numerous complaints about how it will stop recording clippings without warning. I have experienced problems with Clips in the past, but I still use the application for heavy-duty writing projects. To be most productive with these clipboard managers, you will want to set them to auto launch when you log into your Mac, so that they automatically run in the background, and you can access them when needed. Let us know what you think of these clipboard managers. Do you have a favorite one you use? The post Be More Productive With A Powerful Clipboard Manager [Mac] appeared first on MakeUseOf. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Frozen Bubble Might Be The Most Addictive Linux Game Of All Posted: 17 Apr 2013 10:01 AM PDT
Actually, it’s not more than a game. It’s a game, and for a long time it was one of the best put together games for Linux. That’s not been true for a while – the platform has grown leaps and bounds for gamers since then – there’s the Humble Indie Bundle and Steam for Linux, to name a few developments. But before all of that, Frozen Bubble taught us all that Linux games didn’t need to be ugly. It won Linux Journal’s reader’s choice award seven times, so clearly Linux users love it. The game hasn’t aged perfectly, but it still runs well and the music simply couldn’t be catchier. It’s a worthy diversion. Playing Frozen BubbleOpen the program and you will be immediately assaulted by spectacular music and pictures of penguins. When the shock of all that awesome fades, you can pick the sort of game you want to play.
If you’ve never played before, I recommend starting with one player. My preferred settings are random levels with chain reaction turned on, but it’s completely up to you – and you should probably experiment with different settings.
The object of the game – which is essentially a clone of Puzzle Bobble – is to clear the screen of all bubbles. Shoot bubbles at like-colored bubbles – any time you cause three bubbles of the same color to connect they’ll all fall down. If you do this properly you’ll clear a bunch at once, assuming they were supported by bubbles you matched. It’s simple, sure, but it’s addictive. And it’s even better with multiplayer – do well enough and you’ll cause chaos to happen to your friend.
The second player uses the X, C and V players to move left, fire and more right respectively. The idea here is that both players can share a keyboard – and this works well if you don’t mind being cozy. Plug in another keyboard if that bothers you, I suppose. Not a fan of in-person social interaction? Not a problem. You can play Frozen Bubble on your LAN connection, or even play with total strangers thanks to the world wide web.
There are usually several servers up and running, so pick one you like and enjoy the five-player action. Don’t like the levels? Design your own. A built in level editor allows you to customize the bundled levels, or to create your own entirely.
Download Frozen BubbleIf you’re a Linux user, you’re in luck. Frozen Bubble is basically in the repo of every Linux distro in existence. Just search your package manager and you’ll find it. Ubuntu, Mint and Debian users who love the command line can quickly install Frozen Bubble by typing: sudo apt-get install frozen-bubble There’s a Windows port of Frozen Bubble, if you’re into that sort of thing. It’s outdated – no web support – but if you’re stuck using Windows it’s better than nothing. There’s an OS X port as well, though you’ll need MacPorts to get it working. The game’s also been ported to many mobile phones, but the quality seems to vary – all ports are done by third parties, not the Frozen Bubble team itself. MemoriesI remember when I first stumbled upon this gem – around 2005. I was just beginning to explore the idea of Linux, and somehow aquired a copy of Knoppix – then the premier live CD on the market. Every piece of Linux software you can imagine was on this thing, but one game caught my attention – Frozen Bubble. I regularly booted into Knoppix just to play the game. I’m not going to say it’s the reason I’m a Linux user today, but it certainly helped keep me curious. As I said earlier, these days there are many worthy diversions out there for Linux users. Steam could end up bringing some of the biggest games on earth to the platform. But Frozen Bubble’s always going to be special to me, because it’s completely open source and a lot of fun in it’s own simple way. I cannot believe we’ve not given it a proper review until today. I’ve pointed out casual Linux games you might not have heard of, and included Frozen Bubble in the list. What Linux games do you think deserver their own review? Let us know in the comments below and we’ll try to get to them. The post Frozen Bubble Might Be The Most Addictive Linux Game Of All appeared first on MakeUseOf. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 8 Useful Digital Camera Hacks That Don’t Cost The Earth Posted: 17 Apr 2013 09:31 AM PDT
The prime amateur photography lesson is that it's just about composition and light. But the second most important lesson was taught to me by a professional photographer whom I hesitantly asked about the best kinds of photography accessories. He told me to just shoot more and learn till I find that I can't absolutely do without that extra accessory. It's all about squeezing the most out of what you have till you can't squeeze anymore. And when you hit the wall, you can squeeze some more by hacking day-to-day objects into nifty camera accessories. Yes, they might not do anything for your style, but they won't hit your bank account either. So, here's a roundup of some useful digital camera hacks that don't cost the Earth and the moon. Reduce Camera Shake with a Bean BagYou Need:
If you are coming from a point-and-shoot to a DSLR that weighs 2+ pound (and that's without a heavy telephoto lens), the first thing you have to learn is to stabilize your camera. High-end cameras have stabilization build in, but you still have to be rock still if you don't want your photos to end up with the shakes. This DIY photography hack on Digitalcameraworld.com shows you how to reduce camera shake while supporting your camera with a homemade "beanbag". Instead of buying one, you can make your own rough n' tough beanbag with a discarded pair of jeans and fill it up with a bag of lentils. Some sewing skills will be required. But you can have someone like your wife do it for you. In the meantime, you can save the $30 that takes to buy a camera bean bag. A Camera Image Stabilizer You Can Carry In Your PocketYou Need:
This $1 camera image stabilizer tutorial on Instructables.com shows how you can make a carry along camera stabilizer with the materials mentioned and give yourself some extra stops of exposure. It is a very simple how-to and should take you just about ten minutes to put together. The idea is to attach one end of the string to a short screw which goes into the tripod mount under the camera, and the other end to a small weight held by your feet. The string is kept taut by the opposing tension created by the camera and the weight planted under your feet. The hacker says that this is a good technique to keep the camera stable and it works well for medium exposure shots. It removes vertical shake and you can also freely pan the camera horizontally. For long exposure shots, you will need an actual tripod. But the best thing is its ultra-portability. Diffuse Flash with an Empty Milk CartonYou Need:
Direct flash can cast harsh shadows, hot spots or reflections. Flash blowout is a common problem in photography because internal flash units may not calibrate the right intensity of the light. So you may have to diffuse the flash instead of letting it fall directly on the subject. Creating some distance between the camera and the subject is the one way to do it though it doesn’t work in all situations. The second cheapest way (and there are many) could be to use an empty plastic milk carton. Make your flash spread out by using the semi-opaque plastic on a milk carton. This Digitalcameraworld.com tutorial shows you how to cut around the handle and make a neat fitting flash diffuser. The curvature of the handle fits snugly over the camera flash and is small enough to fit in your pocket. You can in fact experiment with a variety of materials to create your flash diffuser – from toilet paper to white foam sheets. Use white semi-opaque materials because the color of the materials affects the color temperature of the light that passes through the diffuser. A branded plastic diffuser is not very expensive ($5) but why waste even that. The Flash Bouncer with a Business CardYou Need:
Bouncing flash off a surface is another way of diffusing light and preventing harsh, unnatural light to fall on the subject. Bouncing light also prevents hot spots and red eyes along with shadows when you are shooting indoors. You can use ceilings and walls to bounce the flash. But that's possible only if you have an external flash. But worry not because here's an almost free solution to bounce light off the ceiling with your own bounce card and the in-built flash. The Party Bouncer card takes 15 seconds to fashion. Take a white business card made of cardboard and snip two cuts on the other end of the card and attach it to the metallic hinges of the integrated flash, preferably at an angle of 45 degrees. The Diyphotography.net tutorial shows it to you in pictures. A professional grade bounce card (e.g. Rogue FlashBenders ROGUEFLAG Bounce Card) can cost as much as $30. DIY Photography BackdropsYou Need:
Instructables.com's tutorial on how to create a cheap backdrop for your DIY photo studio should take you under ten minutes to set up if you are handy with a drill. You can buy cotton duck fabrics in any color starting with the standard black or white. This is one of the easiest tutorials I could find that allows you to make a full-length backdrop for your subjects. You can experiment with other cheap materials like colored paper, muslin cloth, velour, velvet, or even a non-creased table cloth. Ideal qualities are that it should be wrinkle and reflection free. Also, once you learn how to control depth of field, you can lessen the comparative importance of the background material. Low-cost backdrop support systems (like the CowboyStudio Photography 6x9ft Black Muslin Backdrop with One Section Cross Bar) can cost upwards of $50. Rain Guard for Your Lens with a CD CaseYou Need:
Whether you like it or not, you will be hit by the weather; pun intended. You camera might say it has an all-weather body, but it takes a brave man to risk it. Digitalcameraworld.com takes you through the construction. You have to cut two blank CD case covers and attach them with Gaffer tape so that they extend out and protect your lens from the drops. It is a simple photography hack, and all you have to do is precisely measure out the diameters as instructed. Camera rain guards with lens protection can cost around $25. Bokeh Effects FilterYou Need:
Bokeh are artistic photo effects which appear as out-of-focus points of light. You can create them naturally with your camera settings and placement of your subject. Or you can use bokeh filters. The best thing about creating your own bokeh filters is that you can give them creative shapes in various sizes. Try Chris Perez's cheap and easy DIY tutorial on creating bokeh effects with black construction paper. Creative bokeh kits cost around $20 or more. Remote Shutter TriggerYou Need:
Well, with the number of cell phones we change, you should have a spare handsfree phone headset lying around somewhere. Making one from a headset is easy if you have 10 minutes to spare. This Instructables.com photography tutorial shows you just how. You can do away with the ear piece by snipping away the wire leading to the ear piece as explained in the tutorial. The camera shutter stays open as long till the button in the handsfree is depressed. Remote shutter triggers actually are very cheap. You can buy one for under $10. But it's still fun to make one in the spirit of DIY. Be Creative…Be a Photography MacGyverWe have our own wishlists…a desire list of the coolest accessories every photographer wants. But after splurging $2000 on the latest camera, we could also calm our wallets by turning to some digital photography accessories we can make ourselves. It doesn't hurt to try. If you are starting out with digital photography, browse through The Essential Guide To Digital Photography. It is free. Just like the helpful DIY photography tutorials written by experts in the field. If they can attach a piece of cardboard or plastic to their cameras, so can you. Tell us about the favorite digital camera hacks you have come across. Your tips in the comment thread could turn us all into MacGyver's and save us a bundle. Image Credit: Shutterstock The post 8 Useful Digital Camera Hacks That Don’t Cost The Earth appeared first on MakeUseOf. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Check out some of the latest MakeUseOf discoveries. Most of the listed websites are FREE or come with a decent free account option. If you want to have similar cool website round-ups delivered to your daily email, subscribe 
We blog. We post. We upload. We share. We like. We Tweet. Using social media, we all write our own individualized own history books. Every relationship, every kiss, every romantic thing we hear – we broadcast it to the Internet. Some might say we are a narcissistic society. I say that we are just sentimental.
One awesome thing about the Internet is that you have the ability to find incredible talent captured in videos from all around the world. Whether it’s YouTube 
First and 
I’m currently obsessed with the idea that the iPad, and other iOS devices like the iPhone or iPod Touch, represent a serious step forward for music production on a budget. 
Velcro was 
Poor web design can really put a damper on your web browsing. Ever been to a website with a jet black background and neon font colors with flashing banner ads all over the place? Good luck trying to read that. But even properly designed websites can be hard to read thanks to intrusive ads or overall clutter. With 
The human mind is a very powerful thing. It can be trained through 
Modern apps on 
GoPro cameras are designed to be worn or held while doing adventurous activities. They’re tough and waterproof, meaning they can survive along with you (hopefully) whether you’re jumping out of a plane, diving in the ocean, or competing in any of the extreme sports that adrenaline junkies the world over are increasingly participating.
To many people, Google IS the internet. It’s the default homepage and the first port of call before accessing any site. It’s arguably the most important invention since the Internet itself. Without search engines, content would all be hand picked – just like newspapers and magazines. And while search engines have changed a lot since those first humble beginnings – and Google certainly isn’t the only search engine out there – the underlying principles are the same as they always were.
For the past few years, Adobe Flash has proved quite controversial. Ever since Apple opted to block support for it on iOS – thereby forcing anyone who wanted to use the iPhone or iPad to rely on other solutions (usually HTML5) its future has remained in doubt, with only traditional desktop and laptop users still regularly using it. Following Apple’s lead, Microsoft has no current plans to introduce Flash on Windows Phone (although in the early days there were moves to do so) – so the obvious answer to anyone wanting to access Flash-based streaming media and games using a mobile device would be Android. This has been the case for a few years now, but in the past few months Google has opted to drop Flash from Android. Despite the lack of native support for Flash or the ability to easily install it through Google Play, it is actually possible to install the software on a modern Android device and reap the media streaming and gaming benefits.
With this saved in an easy-to-find place on PC, you should then download and install the Firefox browser for Android, 
Open Settings > Security and enable the Unknown Sources option. You will need to observe the warning – this basically explains that your phone will be more vulnerable to 
Click Opento check the Flash Player settings, selecting your Firefox browser to view the options.
Open Firefox, tap the menu button and open Settings > Plugins and choose Enabled. Videos and games should then run smoothly on your Jelly Bean phone or tablet. Should you encounter a website that detects that you are running a phone/tablet browser and doesn’t serve Flash content as a result, take advantage of the 
If you routinely copy and paste text and other items on your Mac and iOS devices, you will no doubt agree that Apple’s default clipboard features are extremely lacking. Both the iOS and OS X clipboards only allow you to save one clipping at a time. Each clipping you make gets overridden by a new one. As a writer, I rely on a couple of third-party clipboard managers that help me stay productive in the work that I do.
Waste your time the right way – shoot bubbles at similarly colored bubbles, in the hope of freeing the entire board of bubbles just long enough for more bubbles to show up. It’s called Frozen Bubble, and it’s more than a game.
You can actually get more out of a photograph with a cheap homemade reflector than an expensive lens when you are on the learning curve with your camera. The good thing is that the photography community is a friendly bunch. There are some great photographers shooting out advice in some 
| You are subscribed to email updates from MakeUseOf To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
| Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610 | |
No comments:
Post a Comment