6 New Articles on MakeUseOf |  |
- Cool Websites and Tools [May 18th 2013]
- Notepad Not Doing The Trick? Try Out The Lightweight Alternatives Xint & Subpad
- Google Play For Education Set To Enter Classrooms With A Play Store For Educational Apps [Updates]
- Hola Unblocker – Easily Access Region-Blocked Content
- 5 Ways to Take Advantage of Microsoft OneNote
- Google Updates Google+ Stream Layout, Adds 41 New Features To Streams, Hangouts, & Photos [Updates]
| Cool Websites and Tools [May 18th 2013] Posted: 18 May 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 [May 18th 2013] appeared first on MakeUseOf. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Notepad Not Doing The Trick? Try Out The Lightweight Alternatives Xint & Subpad Posted: 18 May 2013 07:30 PM PDT
I’ve never been a fan of Microsoft Word or its alternatives. They often feel bulky and packed with more than what I need. However, there are a lot of basic features that an editor like Notepad could easily add support for. How about line numbering? URL detection? It’s extremely likely that Notepad will never show support for these features, but third-party developers have taken it into their own hands. In this post, let’s look at two relatively unknown Notepad alternatives. XintXint is a rather advanced spin on the Windows Notepad and adds dozens of additional features without sacrificing disk space or memory usage. It still feels incredibly lightweight and simple.
Xint makes nearly all of its features accessible through hotkeys or buttons in the application’s toolbar. Others can be accessed by right-clicking anywhere within your document. Another great perk is that Xint is completely open source, so it can be trusted. Third-party applications are often riddled with toolbar installation paths and other annoyances, but Xint isn’t. As they offer the source code openly, you can feel free to check through the coding and ensure that there’s absolutely no bloat or unwanted snags. Shown in the above screenshot, you can already see a number of features that Xint supports over Notepad: line numbering, line and column counters, a saved or unsaved status notifier, and more.
Shown above, there are plenty more features that can be viewed and accessed through the many menus. This includes:
While Xint’s preferences are a bit limited, you’re able to change many aesthetic preferences like text colors, edge colors, tab widths, foreground and background colors, and more.
Also noteworthy is that Xint allows you to assign hotkeys to practically every function that the application offers, including access to the character map, word count, inserting today’s date, and more. It’s good to have such common functions right at your fingertips and free from a reach to your mouse. All of these hotkeys can be accessed and modified under the ? menu above the main toolbar. As there are so many, some may conflict with hotkeys you have assigned to other running applications (such as a media player), so keep that in mind. Overall, Xint pumps some much-appreciated and useful features into an interface that is practically the same as Notepad’s. SubpadSubpad gets an immediate stamp of approval from me as it introduces itself as a portable application. There’s no bloat or toolbars and getting rid of Subpad is as simple as deleting the folder you’ve extracted it to. If you like it, you can always toss it on a flash drive or in a Dropbox folder to keep with you wherever you go.
Glancing from screenshots of Subpad to Xint, they look a lot like the same application. Subpad’s main toolbar is a bit more refined and has some smoother icons. Other than that, they are extremely similar in appearance. Subpad can actually be described as a slimmed-down version of Xint (which is a souped-up version of Notepad). This is one of my favorite text editors ever.
Subpad includes some of the most core functionalities that Xint does, like word count, URL detection, roll-up forms, word wrap, unlimited undo/redo (which is huge), a list of recently-opened documents, and the ability to run external tools (such as FTP). The application’s preferences show a window that is exactly the same as what Xint offers, being mostly aesthetic changes that will allow you to change colors, texts, and various sizes of window elements and borders. If you try Xint and it’s a little too much for you, but Notepad still isn’t enough, Subpad is an awesome balance between the two. Which of these two alternatives to Notepad do you prefer? Do you like the more extensive solution of Xint or the slimmed-down version of Subpad? Are either of them a better alternative to Notepad? If you’d like to check out some similar applications, you can give AkelPad or ResophNotes a quick look. Both have some interesting features that these two (and Notepad) don’t include. Otherwise, let me know your thoughts in the comments below! The post Notepad Not Doing The Trick? Try Out The Lightweight Alternatives Xint & Subpad appeared first on MakeUseOf. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Google Play For Education Set To Enter Classrooms With A Play Store For Educational Apps [Updates] Posted: 18 May 2013 04:30 PM PDT
Google Play for Education will contain apps organized by subject and grade level, so when looking for a specific app (e.g. a Math app) for a specific grade level, it will be easily discoverable. The apps will come with recommendations from teachers to ensure quality. App purchases by schools will also be streamlined with app purchases charged to a common school credit card which Google will have on its files. The most interesting feature, however, is that the new Play Store will allow schools to simultaneously download the same app to multiple devices — Google’s cloud infrastructure will push the apps across the board and help schools scale up rapidly.
Large scale distribution could enable Google to gain traction in the trending area of educational technology. An it won’t end with Android apps, as Google will surely follow this move up with videos and books as well. With Android devices like Nexus 7 on hand, Google could easily cut into Apple’s pie in the education sector. Could it be a win-win situation for schools that can avail of cheaper teaching aids thanks to Google’s push? This remains to be seen. What do you think of this new initiative? Will you use it? Source: The Next Web The post Google Play For Education Set To Enter Classrooms With A Play Store For Educational Apps [Updates] appeared first on MakeUseOf. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Hola Unblocker – Easily Access Region-Blocked Content Posted: 18 May 2013 01:31 PM PDT
The web is full of great media content – if you live in the right country. Otherwise, it’s blocked for most of the world. James told you that VPNs are old, and showed you better ways to access region-blocked video. Chris showed you how to beat region blocked media sites on Android, and Hola was one of the apps listed. Hola Unblocker is among the easiest tools for the job. Even better, it can seriously speed up the wireless web, if you’re an Android user. By default it supports a (very) limited number of sites, but with a little tweaking you can add more. Getting Started With HolaHead to Hola.org to get started. You’ll be presented with the various versions of Hola Unblocker.
Android users should download the app. Windows users can download a system-wide app (Windows 8 not supported). Everyone else can use the browser extensions. Most of the sites this service allows you to access are US-based, but that doesn’t mean those of us living in America can’t also benefit. For example, we could use it to watch Downton Abbey months ahead of the PBS broadcast.
Spoil every plot twist! Ruin the show for everyone! Prevent your friends from talking to you! You can also create your own scripts to access other region blocked content – more on that later. The Android app is similar to the Windows one – simply download the app and it will run in the background. You can configure which services are on and off:
You can also pick which sites you’d like to bypass region restrictions on:
As you can see, Facebook and Twitter are included in the list. This is useful if your corporate firewall blocks the sites, so office drones rejoice! Both of these sites are also blocked in certain countries –notably China – so Hola can help you access them while traveling. Note: breaking the law in a foreign country is generally a bad idea, and we’re not responsible for anything you do. Creating Your Own Unblocker ScriptThe number of sites unblocked is currently quite limited, but advanced users can add more. Just click the “I’m Smart” link in the Hola settings, and check out this GitHub page for instructions. Be warned: this is mainly ideal for advanced users. Don’t be too nervous, however: it’s not as bad as it sounds. I’m a hockey nerd, and I was able to quickly make a script for bypassing NHL Gamecenter blackouts based on code I found on GitHub:
Add my NHL script to Hola here, if you’re interested. Subscription required, of course, and you’ll need Hola installed in order to use the link. It basically routes all NHL.com traffic through Spain; tweak a little and you’ll get the hang of making your own. Currently you can only route requests through three countries: the US, the UK and Spain. Android users probably don’t want to type code on their device. Don’t worry, just create the script on your computer, then send the link to your Android device using the provided share link. It works, regardless of what browser you use on Android. Note that you may need to turn off location services for this to work on Android – certain apps check your location via the device settings before checking GeoIP. The flexibility to create your own unblockers really gives Hola an edge over the alternatives – there’s no need to wait for someone else to unblock a site you love. That said, there are limitations: I would like to create another script for CBC.ca, but sadly there is no Canadian server to route traffic through at the moment. Someday, hopefully. Hola As A Web AcceleratorBypassing blocks isn’t all Hola is good for – it also promotes itself as a website accelerator on Windows and Android. Here’s their demonstration, on an Android phone: I can’t so I noticed much of a different personally, but my connection is relatively fast to begin with. Let us know if this improves your speed in the comments below. Download Hola UnblockerReady to get started? Just head to Hola.org. You’ll find multiple versions there for most platforms (though nothing for iOS – Apple presumably won’t allow them into the App Store). What are you using Hola to unblock? Let us know in the comments below, along with any custom scripts you maybe have written. Seriously,share your scripts. There don’t seem to be many floating around the web at the moment, which is too bad. The post Hola Unblocker – Easily Access Region-Blocked Content appeared first on MakeUseOf. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 5 Ways to Take Advantage of Microsoft OneNote Posted: 18 May 2013 11:30 AM PDT
While some of you might just use Microsoft OneNote in very simple ways, note that there are a few scenarios which can greatly increase OneNote’s effectiveness for you. Here are five tips that can help you get more out of OneNote so you can reduce your stress, become more organized, and find time for other things in life. Get OneNote for Free!
These apps allow you to use the main features of OneNote that make it so great. The only limitation are the number of notes you can have, which won’t hurt you if you do some routine cleaning. So anyone can get their lives organized with OneNote without having to pay anything. Sync Your Notebooks
If you’d rather not use Skydrive, but instead use a different cloud sync service like Dropbox, you can simply save your notebooks in your Dropbox folder instead. It may help to enable sharing on the notebook, however, so that you won’t encounter any issues if you have the notebook open on more than one device at a time. Organize and Use Often!
Just remember that there is a difference between keeping random daily notes and keeping organized notes. With organized notes, it’ll be a lot easier to find things you’ve saved, making OneNote a lot more useful for you. Busy Student Lives
Additionally, as a student, it’s even more important to have a system set up for synchronization, so that you are able to access your class notes wherever you are, even on the go. Do Math in Your Notes
Besides being great for a number of different usage scenarios, OneNote also has a few features that aren’t very well known. One of them is OneNote’s ability to take care of mathematical problems right in your notes. You can give this feature a try right now: open up any random note and type out a simple math equation like “25/5=” but without the quotes. As soon as you hit enter or return after the equals sign, OneNote will automatically calculate the value for you. This helps combine notes and actual math work at the same time. Microsoft OneNote’s math capabilities reach much farther than that, however. OneNote can also calculate trigonometric functions, logarithms, radians, derivatives, integrals, and a few other common math functions. Please note, however, that some of the advanced math functions can only be found in the paid version of OneNote, so your experience may vary if you are using a free app. ConclusionHopefully these five tips have convinced you that Microsoft OneNote is definitely worth a try, or worth diving further into if you’re just a casual user. You can also check out some other great OneNote tips, or check out this comparison between OneNote and the infamous Evernote. What OneNote tips do you have? What note-taking solution do you use if not OneNote? Let us know in the comments! The post 5 Ways to Take Advantage of Microsoft OneNote appeared first on MakeUseOf. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Google Updates Google+ Stream Layout, Adds 41 New Features To Streams, Hangouts, & Photos [Updates] Posted: 18 May 2013 10:30 AM PDT
The most notable of these changes is the redesigned layout for the Google+’s Stream. Revealed by Google’s Vic Gundotra at the conference, the redesign features new animations and cards that closely resemble Google Now, although a better comparison would be to Pinterest’s pinboard-like layout. With that said, the new stream features multiple columns for viewing content. You can click photos to flip them over and view related photos under the same hashtag, but for those of you who worry about privacy, there’s the a way to exclude your photos from being attached to the hashtag.
Interestingly enough, the new layout is responsive to various devices, so it will adjust to varying screen sizes. But rather than automatically adjusting the three-column layout to a single-column layout for mobile devices, the three-column layout will remain usable. If you aren’t partial to this design, then you have the option to switch to a single-column layout. If you’d like to check out the Google+ redesign, you should be happy to know that it was released on Wednesday. Give it a look and see what you think. Also, while you’re there, check out the other features that Google has announced. Do you like the new Google+ Stream layout? What do you think of the other new features? Source: TheNextWeb The post Google Updates Google+ Stream Layout, Adds 41 New Features To Streams, Hangouts, & Photos [Updates] 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 
Windows’ Notepad is one of the first accessories that I learned to use on my Windows 98 machine. Notepad is possibly the most simple and easy-to-use application that ships with Windows still today, and it’s tough to pick at any of the features or functionality. It is the most-used text editor in the world and it achieves exactly what it advertises itself as. It’s not broke and I’m not trying to fix it, but sometimes you and I want more out of a text editor without having to stretch to go and download a full-featured word processor.
Another one of Google’s I/O announcements, Google Play for Education is a new initiative that aims to make it easier for schools to implement mobile learning in classrooms. Google Play for Education is a customized, curated version of the Play Store designed for K-12 needs. Announcing the launch at the I/O event (Google’s annual developer conference), Google said the education-centric Play Store will launch this fall.
Access sites like Hulu, CBS, iTV and Pandora regardless of which country you’re in. Even better, there’s no need to change your DNS settings or set up a VPN. Hola Unblocker is an Android app, a browser extension and a program for Windows that makes bypassing region restrictions a snap. Seriously, this app could not get any easier to use.
Microsoft’s 
Google announced at its I/O Developers Conference on Wednesday that Google+ will receive several new features that affect users’ Streams, 
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