15 New Articles on MakeUseOf

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• Cool Websites and Tools [April 16th 2013]
• Tumblr Isn’t Just For Photography: 7 News & Political Blogs To Follow
• What Does The Future Hold For Virtual Currencies Such As Bitcoin? [You Told Us]
• Google Tries Out The Chrome OS App Launcher On The Web, Here’s How To Get It [Updates]
• Swim In The Sea of RSS: Curated Content Alternatives To Google Reader
• Meta – 7 Awesome Subreddits All About Reddit
• Not Just For Slackers: 5+ Ways Social Networks Can Help You At Work
• 5 Tips & Advice To Help You Become A Successful Telecommuter
• Hackers Compromise Over 90,000 WordPress Blogs – Keep Yours Safe! [Updates]
• 8 Ways To Identify Unknown File Types
• Write & Preview Markdown In Style With LightPaper [Android]
• SEQ Is A Puzzle Game That Will Push Your Brain To The Limit [iOS]
• 7 Tools That Will Revolutionize Your Music Listening Habits On The Web
• Thou Shalt Consume: The Story of Consumer Electronics [Feature]
• 5 Must-Have Strategy Games For iPad [iOS]

Cool Websites and Tools [April 16th 2013] Posted: 16 Apr 2013 09:31 PM PDT 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 here. Add Your Website Here!   Who Paid Last – If you are the type who keeps track of who paid on your last date, then this app is for you. Aptly titled Who Paid Last?, this iOS app keeps a record of who last paid on shared tabs. The app is pretty simple. Once installed all you need to do is type in your name and the full name of your partner. The app then goes into a list of partners or buddies. Read more: Who Paid Last: Keep Track Of Who Paid Last On Your Date [iOS]   Shortcut Manager – There are many tasks you perform on your browser frequently. Most tasks are done manually and they require a number of steps before they can be initialized. What you could really use is a tool that assigns hotkey shortcuts to these frequently performed tasks. Here to be that tool for Google Chrome users is Shortcut Manager. Read more: Shortcut Manager: Assign Hotkeys To Various Browser Actions [Chrome]     VidShot Capturer – Computer owners make use of a variety of tools to describe a computer problem that they are facing. The most common tool used to do this is a screenshot. But in some situations, you need to make use of screencasts. If you would like to record screencasts on your PC, you should check out VidShot Capturer. Read more: VidShot Capturer: Record AVI Screencasts Of Desktop, Specific Region, Or Entire App Windows     uMark Online – Whether you're delivering a proof of concept to a client or simply sharing some work online, a watermark is often a good idea. A simple line of text is enough to stop others plagiarizing or stealing your work. Luckily you can now do this from anywhere, without the need for desktop software, using uMark Online. Read more: uMark Online: Add Watermarks To Images Straight From Your Browser     Deep Sleep Battery Saver – The achilles heel of every smartphone on the market these days is rarely the processing power, RAM or disk space, but instead the battery life. Big, bright screens and incoming notifications put a constant strain on your device's power reserves. One app that tries to squeeze as much juice as possible out of your device’s battery is Deep Sleep Battery Saver for Android. Read more: Deep Sleep Battery Saver: Maximise Your Battery Life By Minimising Network Activity [Android]   Add Your Website Here! 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 16th 2013] appeared first on MakeUseOf.

Tumblr Isn’t Just For Photography: 7 News & Political Blogs To Follow Posted: 16 Apr 2013 08:31 PM PDT Are you big fans of Tumblr? Here at MakeUseOf, we certainly are. The blogging platform brings together the idea of blogging together with social networking and has become home to some of the most creative, entertaining, humourous and thoughtful posts we've ever come across. With an easy-to-use backend that lends itself to both creating new content and sharing content that you like, it is home to some of the most viral content on the Web. You might not often think of Tumblr as a platform for political and news-oriented content, known better for photography and art, but there’s a few Tumblr political blogs that will definitely scratch your political itch. With keeping up with current news, quotes from political leaders, photos, videos, and much more, there’s a ton of interesting and entertaining news you can find housed on Tumblr. Officials Say The Darndest Things Officials Say the Darndest Things, a tumblr blog run by investigative journalism organization ProPublica, is a fascinating look into the world of US politics in the most humorous of ways. The political blog is a hilarious and thought-provoking collection of quotes, tweets and more from US politicians, leaders and trailblazers. The site is definitely going to appeal to the follower of US politics, as a lot of the quotes and topics might fly right over the head of people who aren’t following US political news on a regular basis. Politico With Politico’s tagline, ‘Nobody knows politics like Politico’, it would be remiss of us not to include their Tumblr blog on a list of must-reads for politics. With a combination of photos, tweets, quotes, news stories, links and more, it’s a great way to get bite-sized information on the latest in news, again with a focus on US politics, along with the occasional post with an international bent, particularly when it’s a significant story. You’ll also get an interesting combination of light-hearted and political content in Politico’s sidebar of ‘Things Politico likes.’ Peace Corps Want something with a bit more of an international focus? Check out the Peace Corps Tumblr blog. This political blog features photos taken by Peace Corps volunteers around the world – everywhere from Guatemala to Morocco to Thailand – along with the personal stories and experiences that go with those photos. The blog gives readers a great way to see what’s happening in all the corners of the world – not only from a news standpoint – but from a personal standpoint. The Daily Show Another must-follow for anyone who wants a more entertaining take on the 9 pm news and the world of politics is the Daily Show’s official Tumblr blog. Jon Stewart’s satirical TV show brings all of its brilliant, sarcastic humour to Tumblr with meme-like photos, linking to the relevant videos on Comedy Central. If you don’t follow Jon Stewart’s show on a regular basis, this is a great way to see, at a glance, what you’ve missed, and which videos you might want to watch. Political Cartoons Political Cartoons is exactly what it says on the label. The Tumblr blog is admittedly ‘American-centric’ with a focus on liberal politics, so it might not suit all tastes out there. That said, it features an impressive collection of cartoons with everything you can imagine from gun control, to gay marriage, with a little bit of international affairs thrown in for good measure. Foreign Affairs Another must-read for Tumblr fans interested in foreign policy issues is Foreign Affairs. A publication of the Council of Foreign Relations, the blog highlights the latest reads available on the Foreign Affairs magazine website. The Tumblr blog gives readers an interesting way to keep up with the magazine’s latest posts through a slightly more curated platform, which is particularly useful for those of you who don’t want to sift through all of Foreign Affairs’ articles. The Political Notebook In their own words, the Political Notebook is “a mix of Internet curation and global news commentary. It covers international issues, with particular attention to South Asia, the Middle East and North Africa.” The blog is an impressive collection of news links, videos and more. Not only does the blog curate recommended reads on wide variety of international news stories, it also features a weekly roundup of stories from around the web on security and military affairs. Want more recommendations on Tumblr news and political blogs to follow? Check out our list of 10 Tumblr blogs to follow for a good laugh and 8 Tumblr blogs every writer and book lover should follow. The post Tumblr Isn’t Just For Photography: 7 News & Political Blogs To Follow appeared first on MakeUseOf.

What Does The Future Hold For Virtual Currencies Such As Bitcoin? [You Told Us] Posted: 16 Apr 2013 07:31 PM PDT Virtual currencies, or digital currencies if you prefer, have been in the news a lot lately. Not just the technology news channels either, as even the mainstream news channels have picked up on them. Bitcoin has driven this new and renewed interest in these currencies that are very different in nature to dollars, euros, renminbi, and all the other real-world currencies we use to buy and sell products and services on a daily basis. Bitcoin has been around for several years now, but with its price climbing to monumental highs over the past few weeks, there has been a will to explore what it is, how it’s created (or mined), and what the future may hold for this new virtual currency and others that could emerge in its wake. The Results We asked you, What Does The Future Hold For Virtual Currencies Such As Bitcoin? The response was disappointing, and this time I’m blaming you, dear readers. The question was solid, the subject was interesting, the range of opinions open to be given was epic. So it must be you. And you must do better from now on. Or else! The responses we did receive reveal vastly differing opinions on Bitcoin and virtual currencies as a whole. On one extreme are those who feel Bitcoin is the start of something big; something which may lead to society taking back control of monetary systems from governments and banks. On the other extreme are those who believe Bitcoin is flawed and nothing more than a fad due to die out as quickly as it has emerged from the underground. I’ll be honest and admit that, even after reading about Bitcoin extensively (including our own guide to Bitcoin), I’m still confused about how it works. And that in itself doesn’t bode well for its long-term future. Everybody understands the nature of coins, notes, and cards, but the ordinary person in the street is never going to understand Bitcoin. The future for virtual currencies is far from clear at this point. If the value of Bitcoin stabilizes then perhaps its importance will increase. In the meantime speculators and investors will take the gamble on virtual currencies being the next big thing. And their bank accounts will live or die by the volatility of the market. Comment Of The Week We had great input from the likes of Lisa Santika Onggrid, Abhishek Rai, and Dragonmouth, to name just a few. Comment Of The Week goes to Scott M, who, as well as the respect of myself and hopefully everybody reading this, receives 150 points to use for MakeUseOf Rewards. This is the first time that an alternative currency that wasn't backed by any government or precious metal attained a serious acceptance in the financial world. There have been teething pains caused by rampant speculation similar to what is seen in commodity markets and also a move of flight of paper money to it as investors grow disenchanted with traditional forms of fiat currency. A bubble has now been created and like precious metals of late people will begin to lock in their gains and take their profits. Whether bitcoins succeed or not doesn't matter as others will take their place. We have begun to see it accepted as as a valid form of payment and and alternative form of investment protection. It wasn't so very long ago that FDR and the Federal Government called in all forms of gold currency coupled with what happened in Cyprus and the legislation allowing the same type of taxation of deposits written into Canada's new banking laws,and people begin to acknowledge its usefulness. This bubble will burst but I think other alternative forms of currency will arise. This experiment has proved its possible that an electronic form of money and payment is able to be produced that will remain beyond the seizure of Governments to pay for their and large bankers greed and mistakes. These are just early days. We like this comment because it offers a sensible, level-headed assessment of Bitcoin and the future virtual currencies it may help spawn. There’s no doubt there’s ill-feeling over the global economic meltdown that is still ongoing, and perhaps people will jump on board a legitimate alternative if one is placed in front of them. We will be asking a new question tomorrow, so please join us then. We Ask You is a weekly column dedicated to finding out the opinions of MakeUseOf readers. We ask you a question and you tell us what you think. The question is open-ended and is usually open to debate. Some questions will be purely opinion-based, while others will see you sharing tips and advice, or advocating tools and apps for your fellow MakeUseOf readers. This column is nothing without your input, all of which is valued. Image Credit: Zach Copley The post What Does The Future Hold For Virtual Currencies Such As Bitcoin? [You Told Us] appeared first on MakeUseOf.

Google Tries Out The Chrome OS App Launcher On The Web, Here’s How To Get It [Updates] Posted: 16 Apr 2013 07:00 PM PDT Every once in a while, Google shakes up our world by changing the most basic feature of all its services: the Google menu bar. An experimental new menu bar design replaces the current black navigation strip with a dropdown icon menu similar to the Chrome OS app launcher. This is not an entirely new design — the feature has been part of Chrome’s dev channel for Windows since February — but while it’s still not officially launched, Google Operating System has discovered a way for everyone to try out the new Google menu right now. The method requires a spot of cookie editing, an add-on installation, and works on Chrome, Firefox and Opera. Full instructions for each browser are available in this blog post, but to sum it up simply, after downloading a cookie editor of some kind (or simply choosing “Edit site preferences” from the context menu if you’re using Opera), go to www.google.com and edit the NID cookie. When done, refresh the Google tab, and you should see the new menu on the right top corner. This is not the first time an experimental Google menu has been available in this way.  Over a year ago, a new Google Bar took over from the famous black navigation bar, and for a while was accessible to all via a similar cookie-editing trick. That Google Bar was eventually launched to everyone, only to disappear quietly again not long after, leaving us again with the black menu strip. Will this new menu catch on where others have failed? We’ll have to wait and see. An obvious downside that’s already apparent is the low number of services that are actually accessible, sending us to a different page entirely for additional ones such as Translate, Alerts, etc. This might change in the final release of the menu. In the meantime, give the new menu a try, and let us know what you think. Source: Google Operating System via The Verge The post Google Tries Out The Chrome OS App Launcher On The Web, Here’s How To Get It [Updates] appeared first on MakeUseOf.

Swim In The Sea of RSS: Curated Content Alternatives To Google Reader Posted: 16 Apr 2013 06:31 PM PDT As mournfully described in verse by Justin, Google Reader has flown the coop. However, dear readers, this is not a time to cry. It is not a time to lament. It is not even a time to rise up in anger. Instead, it is a time for change. RSS is a great tool for reading content all in one place, but is it possible that – gulp – there is something better out there? Perhaps you could collect content in a different way. Maybe you could get rid of RSS altogether and dive into a sea of entirely new waters! Could such a thing be true? Below are just a few alternatives to Google Reader that bypass RSS and present reading material in clean, branded formats. Each one has a different fit, so check them all out and decide which ones are good for you. Top Reads Recently released by Readability, Top Reads is a website that aggregates content based on what the users of its sister service are looking at. It’s an entirely automated website based solely on numbers, but logically, it’s a no-brainer for Readability. All content is sampled from vast amounts of high quality reads, and for those of you who harken to the cleanliness of the ill-fated Google Reader, you can view all content in Readability’s paper-like format. NewzSocial If you’re an iPad user, then you should definitely give NewzSocial a shot. In short, the app lets you create, follow, and share specific news streams based on whatever interests you. Using a grid-based layout, NewzSocial allows you to select articles for reading from over 300 topics and about 14 categories, and all content is presented in a magazine-like format. Reddit The writers here on MakeUseOf are a motley crew, but one thing that brings us all together is our love for Reddit. You may have seen plenty of articles on here about this little content aggregation site, but if you haven’t checked it out for yourself, you really should. While the front page typically publishes an odd mix of of political rants and cat pictures, you can subscribe to individual interest-based subreddits which provide user-generated links to interesting material. On another note, if you have heard a few bad things about Reddit, you should give it a second shot. It’s probably not as corrupted as you think. Buzzego Buzzego is weird, but I like it. From the get-go, you choose the type of content you want to read based on a given set of categories. However, on Buzzego, you don’t call categories “categories”. Instead, you call them “pandas”, and yes, each category is represented by a 3D modeled panda that has a striking resemblance to Po from the acclaimed Dreamworks animated kung-fu film. Surprisingly effective, Buzzego routes content to you in a sleek, non-distracting feed from various content sources on the web. In all truth, it does exactly what other sites do, but it has one thing other sites don’t: pandas. Fireplug FirePlug is a great mobile app that is quite similar to NewzSocial. By collecting news content from publications Internet-wide, you can have all the daily information you need right in your pocket. Even better, FirePlug connects to your Facebook, and it’s not for the same social reasons other apps may have. Instead, it republishes content from your feed, so you can merge your local and public news all in one place. FlipBoard As mentioned on MakeUseOf before, FlipBoard is an app that creates your own personal magazine filled with content curated by you. As you browse the web, you select articles to be added to the virtual magazine. When you finally sit down with the app, all of your reading material is consolidated into one place and in a fancy, aesthetically-pleasing layout. If you haven’t tried FlipBoard out, give it a go. Conclusion You may very well be a hardcore RSS fan, and that’s fine. Go for it. Enjoy it. I’m not going to bash you at all. However, the above services and apps provide some pretty amazing uses, and I think it would definitely be worth trying them out. In the mean time, we’d like to hear what you think. What other alternatives to Google Reader do you know about that we should be using? Do you believe the above services an items are top-notch products? The post Swim In The Sea of RSS: Curated Content Alternatives To Google Reader appeared first on MakeUseOf.

Meta – 7 Awesome Subreddits All About Reddit Posted: 16 Apr 2013 05:31 PM PDT Reddit is rapidly becoming my favorite site on the Web. I’m a latecomer to its powers of seduction, being a veritable n00b compared to some of the other writers here at MakeUseOf. But I’m keen to explore Reddit, learning its subtleties and gaining new insights from subreddits aplenty as I do so. As it stands I consider Reddit to be one of the seven wonders of the Web, one of the pillars the whole community is based on and around. If you don’t buy into that belief then try the site out for yourself; just be sure to follow my advice for your first day on Reddit. After you have settled in you’ll want to find new subreddits to subscribe to. We have already suggested interesting random subreddits, hilariously specific subreddits, subreddits to show off your creativity, and subreddits that will make your money go further. And now it’s time to go meta with the best subreddits all about Reddit. Best Of Best Of Reddit does exactly what you’d expect it to do, which is feature the best posts and comment threads seen elsewhere on Reddit. The “best” of anything is invariably subjective, but what rises to the top of Best Of tends to be brilliant pieces of content that would otherwise have been missed by mainstream Redditors. TL;DR The one subreddit you wouldn’t mind being stuck on a desert island with. Worst Of Worst Of Reddit is the negative version of Best Of. But in a way it’s even more entertaining. This subreddit exists to hold up examples of trolling and bad behavior, of people commenting in an aggressive manner to get a response, of threads that have quickly spiraled out of control. TL;DR You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll avoid everyone involved. Subreddit Of The Day Subreddit Of The Day has a simple mission, which is to celebrate one subreddit every day. Some are popular and populist, others are small and niche, all are awesome and chosen for a reason. This is a great way to discover new subreddits, and you can also nominate a subreddit yourself. TL;DR One new subreddit a day is featured, and everyone wins. Circlebroke Circlebroke exists to draw attention to the worst cases of circle jerking. In reality this subreddit consists of people getting very worked up about the behavior of some people on Reddit, especially when groups of Redditors start acting together like a pack of animals. It’s entertaining to read but isn’t for the faint of heart. TL;DR Calling out individuals and groups for not playing nicely. Subreddit Drama Who needs to watch soap operas on television when Reddit provides all the drama one person could ever wish for? Subreddit Drama consists of the best action from across Reddit compiled into a central repository. Bullying, nasty comments, arguments, bannings, and conspiracy theories are the order of the day. TL;DR Most of us avoid drama in our real lives, but you can watch it play out on Reddit. Sh*t Reddit Says Reddit is built on comments from the legions of Redditors who reside on the site. Unfortunately not all of those comments are pleasant and respectful. In fact, some are downright nasty. Sh*t Reddit Says compiles those comments that were upvoted despite being racist, sexist, creepy, or downright vile. TL;DR The very worst opinions of Reddit highlighted for the world to shake its head at. Meta The Meta subreddit is perhaps the most meta of all subreddits. It exists to allow redditors to talk about things they like and dislike about the site, ask questions about how and why Reddit operates the way it does, and generally discuss the site in both positive and negative tones. TL;DR While you’re on Reddit you may want to talk about Reddit. Reddit. Conclusions If this list of subreddits isn’t meta enough for you then I don’t know what would be. It should please all of those Redditors who want to travel deeper into the Reddit rabbit hole to discover what lies beneath the seedy underbelly. I suspect there are some people reading this who don’t have a clue what Reddit is and why they would want to subscribe to subreddits. If that’s you then you should download the Reddit manual as soon as you finish reading this sentence. What do you think of Reddit? Is it a site you’ve tried and given up on? Or is it the first site you head to each morning? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below. As I explore Reddit in more depth I hope to write more articles about the culture of the site, what posts are likely to do well, and what the various acronyms and references relate and refer to. So Redditors, both n00b and veteran, should stay tuned to MakeUseOf. The post Meta – 7 Awesome Subreddits All About Reddit appeared first on MakeUseOf.

Not Just For Slackers: 5+ Ways Social Networks Can Help You At Work Posted: 16 Apr 2013 04:31 PM PDT For many of us, social networks are just a passing trend. We spent much of our lives without them, and we don’t see them as necessary in any way. In fact, many of us tend to think of social networks as nothing more than time-wasters and procrastination tools. There’s no denying that social networks have a bad side, but they also have some positive impacts, it all depends on how you use them and what you use them for. I have a very strict way of using each social network I’m a part of, and I do believe they can in some ways harm productivity, but I’m a strong advocate of not blocking Facebook and other social networks in work places, and I believe that when used right, social networks can become a valuable tool in almost every job, and for almost any employee. While it’s important to remember that on most social networks were are more a product than a customer, you can still take control of the way you use them. If you do things right, and don’t let yourself get carried away with the flow of what others might be doing, you can start making social networks work for you. Here’s how to get started. Always Online Resume & Portfolio Only several years ago, people had printed resumes, printed business cards, and maybe a personal or company website. Today, if you’re not online, you’re not there, and it’s going to be much harder to find you or even know you exist. 10 years ago, there was much knowledge required to creating a personal website. Today, anyone can easily create one without any coding skills. But social networks offer an even easier solution, and one you’re not going to have to work as hard to promote. A Facebook Page, a LinkedIn profile, even a Twitter or an Instagram account can go a long way to asserting your online presence. They’re always there, they’re created in minutes, they’re very easy to update, and if your name is unique enough, they make it easier for people to find you. So yes, you can with a personal website or an different kind of online resume, but these will not substitute the exposure you’re going to get on a social network. Make Contacts & Follow Competition Yes, it’s possible to make connections without having anything to do with social networks, but no matter how badly you want to ignore it, this is much easier to do with social networks. Look around you, are your competitors on Facebook? Are they on Twitter? If so, you have much to gain by following them. Don’t think this applies only to companies; if you’re a company employee or a freelancer, you still have a goal you’re trying to reach. And you can be sure there are other people or companies trying to reach the same goal. Are they running contests? Are they releasing new features? There’s no easier way to follow this than on social networks. This can also give you ideas for things you can do to promote your own work and yourself. This is not only about competition, though. Making and keeping connections with others is crucial for many jobs, and the process becomes much easier with social networks. If in the past you’d go to Google to find interesting people, you can now use Facebook’s own Graph Search to look for people. Try, for example, looking for “Graphic designers from CITY” (use the name of the city you live in, for example). Surprisingly, Facebook’s results to such a search are much more relevant than Google’s, and privacy settings permitting, can even point you directly at a portfolio. Promote Your Work This is the other side of the previous point. Don’t you want to be the person someone else find when looking for a skilled worker for a project? Of course, there’s always competition, and it’s very hard to make sure your name pop ups for every search, but if you rely only on a personal website and SEO, you might have a hard time getting your name to appear on top of the results list on Google. Social networks are not going to solve this problem easily, but if you use them to promote your work by sharing links, photos, etc., you can be sure people will see these promotions. With time, your audience can become bigger and bigger, and they can start spreading the word for you too. There’s no magic here, it’s still hard work, but it’s going to be much harder to achieve if you completely ignore social networks. Promote Yourself Don’t get confused, this is slightly different than the previous point. While it’s important to promote your actual work on social networks, it’s equally important to promote yourself, as a person, not as the work you do. What do I mean by that? If I, as a freelance writer, only ever posted links to my own work, how would that look to my followers? No matter which field you’re in, if you want people to follow you and pay attention, you have to promote things other than your own work/company. This very much depends on the network, but interesting and related links, beautiful photos (related too, if possible), and even simple inspirational sayings can do the trick. If you’re interesting, people want to follow you. If they follow you, they can help you spread the word about yourself or about the project you’re working on. Stay In Touch With Co-Workers This is a tricky one. As I’ve already told you in my post about things you shouldn’t be posting on Facebook, it’s important to decide and make a clear differentiation between professional and personal accounts. This is especially true for Facebook, where unfortunate mixes tend to happen most often, but it’s something to keep in mind regardless of network. With that being said, social networks could be a great tool to keep in touch with co-workers beyond office hours, or as a means of communication if you don’t even live in the same country. So, yes, beware of complaining about your boss on Facebook when you’re connected to other colleagues, but wisely used, social networks can become a tool that boosts moral and social connections in a work place. It’s a fine line to walk on — you don’t want to be discussing puppies and weddings all day at the office — but having something to share and talk about that’s beyond work is a great way to build friendships, which can benefit work relations and productivity. Bonus: Productivity! Think social networks are productivity killers? They might be if you spend hours on them doing unrelated things instead of working, but according to a study done by Evolv, workers who belong to social several social networks tend to be more productive than their co-workers who belong to none. Coming from the world of science, I can tell you that the study cannot really prove that social networks cause productivity, but the results are nonetheless interesting. According to 100,000 responses from employees in a call center, workers who belonged to 5 social networks had the highest sales conversion rate, and the lowest average call time. So who knows, maybe social networks can be good for you after all? Bottom Line Like it or not, social networks is where people are, and if you need people, you probably need social networks. Don’t take this saying personally – I’m not saying you won’t have friends if you don’t join social networks. I’m talking purely from a professional standpoint. For many businesses and job types, social networks are almost a must these days, and can definitely help you get more exposure, if you use them right. Do you use social networks for your work? Do you think I’m completely off, and believe social networks are nothing but a distraction? Share your opinions in the comments. Image credits: Frau Halle, L Hollis Photography, co-workers image via Shutterstock The post Not Just For Slackers: 5+ Ways Social Networks Can Help You At Work appeared first on MakeUseOf.

5 Tips & Advice To Help You Become A Successful Telecommuter Posted: 16 Apr 2013 02:31 PM PDT Working a job, no matter what you do, can be difficult, exhausting, and downright unrewarding. Waking up to the screech of an alarm, dragging yourself from your cozy bed, and making it all the way to work can be miserable, especially when the weather outside is grim and gloomy. So when you hear about people working from home, it sounds like a dream job. But is it? In recent years, telecommuting has become more widely accepted as an option for company employees. Working from home has its perks, no doubt about that, but it comes with a whole different set of challenges that can really throw you for a loop if you don't adjust to the new workstyle. I've been working from home for the past few years and I've picked up a lot of great advice along the way. If you plan on becoming a telecommuter, or if you already are but you're struggling a bit to keep up, then here are some telecommuting tips to help you out. Separate Work Hours From Personal Time Whenever I tell someone that I work from home as a writer, their eyes light up and they look at me like I've hit some mythical jackpot. You work from home? You're so lucky! Of course, the implication behind that sentiment is that working from home is so great because I have so much freedom to do whatever I want. And telecommuters do have that freedom, but that same freedom is a nagging hook that tugs on us hour after hour, tempting us to do anything but work. Sure, I need to write that article but I have nine hours left in the day… so I'll watch a few episodes of Arrested Development on Netflix and work on that later. Next thing you know, we're scrambling to meet our deadlines and it all devolves into a load of stress. Create a work schedule. Set time periods that are dedicated to work and work only. You don't have to work the typical 9-5 job because telecommuters have the freedom to set their own schedules, so if you're most productive at midnight, go ahead and set your work hours at that time. But either way, set work hours. As a bonus, during your personal time, you can completely forget all about work and set it aside until the next day. Treat It Like A Real Job Of course, by saying “treat it like a real job”, the implication is that telecommuting is NOT a real job. Thanks to the massive amounts of freedom offered by telecommuting, it's easy to take it all very lightly. When you hear the phrase “work at home”, I bet this is what you think of – waking up, making a cup of coffee, lying on the couch in your pajamas with your Macbook and typing away. And you know what? Some telecommuters can do that and be extremely productive. But for the majority of us, myself included, doing that will only lead to flipping on the television and watching The Price Is Right until we drift off into a 4-hour nap. Telecommuting is a real job, so treat it like one! When you wake up, go take a shower and get dressed. You don't have to wear a suit and tie but you'll feel a huge difference just by slipping into a pair of jeans and a comfortable shirt – wear anything but your pajamas. Set up an office in your home, or purchase a separate laptop just for work. Combined with the tip above (separate work hours), your productivity will skyrocket and you'll still be within the comfort of your own home. Communication Is Key The importance of communication cannot be overstated. It's the lifeblood of a company and when communication breaks down, everything breaks down. At the office, you can walk over to a coworker's cubicle or pop by your supervisor's office, but it's not so easy when you're stuck at home and away from everyone. If you aren’t a big email user, get acquainted with it right away and don't be afraid to use it. When I first started telecommuting, I rarely sent out any emails and that did not end up well for me. Nowadays, I shoot emails when I need clarification on a project, or if I need help, or if I just want to keep someone updated on my progress. When everyone is on the same footing, everyone benefits. So when working from home, don't forget to communicate. “Out of sight, out of mind” is what you really need to avoid. Just because you don't see your colleagues or bosses doesn’t mean you don't need to talk with them. Avoid Being Isolated & Sedentary What's the downside to working at home? Most, if not all, telecommuters will tell you that it's a lonely job – and they're correct. I am one of the most introverted people that I know and even I grow lonely sitting at home 5 days a week with no one to talk to. Human beings need regular human contact or else they start to go mad and grow depressed. Remember I told you to treat your telecommuting job like a real job? Well, real jobs have smoke breaks and lunch breaks. Real jobs have a water cooler where you can chit-chat with others, even if it's only for five minutes. Take care that you have your own form of breaks – take your dog for a walk, go for a jog, call up a friend, etc. Similarly, the sedentary lifestyle of a telecommuter can be detrimental to your health if you aren't careful. If possible, try using a standing desk instead of a traditional desk-and-chair. Telecommuting Is Not For Everyone Still sound like a dream job? Maybe it does, maybe it doesn't. The fact of the matter is, telecommuting is not for everyone. Certain types of people may hate the concept because they can't stand to be alone so often. Others may be able to tolerate the lifestyle, but only a very specific group of workers will flourish as telecommuters. The main determinant, in my experience, is the ability to be self-motivated, self-disciplined, and self-controlled. If you need someone to bark orders at you in order to get anything done, working at home may not be for you. But if you're the type to blaze new trails, stay organized, keep yourself accountable, and meet deadlines with ease, then you'll do well. You essentially need to be your own boss. Think you have what it takes to be self-motivated but still struggling? Try something like the Pomodoro Technique. Conclusion Let me be clear – working from home is an immensely rewarding experience. There's nothing better than accidentally sleeping in, not being yelled at, and still finishing my work on time and sending it in all bright and shiny. However, that's not to say that telecommuting is easy. It's just different. So if you ever have plans to become a telecommuter, take heed to the tips above and you'll be successful. Please let us know how these telecommuting tips worked for you! Also, if you have any other tips to share, please post them in the comments below. Image Credits: Guy With Laptop Via Shutterstock, Guy With Clock Via Shutterstock, Woman in Pajamas Via Shutterstock, Talking Cans Via Shutterstock, Walking Dog Via Shutterstock, Exhausted Desk Via Shutterstock The post 5 Tips & Advice To Help You Become A Successful Telecommuter appeared first on MakeUseOf.

Hackers Compromise Over 90,000 WordPress Blogs – Keep Yours Safe! [Updates] Posted: 16 Apr 2013 02:00 PM PDT A group of hackers have attacked 90,000 smaller WordPress blogs using a simple brute force method. We all know the importance of having secure passwords, but one thing we all too often forget is usernames. The default ”admin” username and some common passwords allowed hackers to jump in and get access to all these blogs with minimal effort involved. The attacks have been ongoing for about a week, and the number of blogs targeted is quite substantial. It’s possible that some of the attacked blogs were started and just never used, but it seems probable that a good number of them are actual blogs where the owner just did not think to change the default username. The program used by the hackers would simply cycle through 1000 commonly used passwords with the default WordPress username. Obviously, if you are a savvy blog owner, you’re going to be just fine, but based on the number of successful attacks, it appears there were more than enough easy targets out there for the group of hackers to take. Once the attack compromises the system, it drafts the blog into a botnet, which is a group of machines that communicate with each other and are capable of wide-spread attacks. The compromised blogs themselves are not all that useful to the attackers, but the actual target could be the servers on which they are housed. At this point, we are not sure what the ultimate goal of the botnet is. 90,000 compromised machines could certainly be useful in denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks, but only time will tell what comes of this. If you’re still using “admin” as your username on WordPress, you should change it immediately. Come up with a more secure username, a secure password, and use two-step authentication to keep your blog as safe as possible. Did your WordPress blog get attacked? Source: Mashable The post Hackers Compromise Over 90,000 WordPress Blogs – Keep Yours Safe! [Updates] appeared first on MakeUseOf.

8 Ways To Identify Unknown File Types Posted: 16 Apr 2013 01:01 PM PDT The problem with unknown file types is not their obscurity. The concern is that they may be dangerous. The threat comes from email attachments, unsecured flash drives, and the old one – rash downloads. Downloading an unknown file type is just as dangerous as downloading from an unknown source. Unknown file types can be benign of course, but what if they are potential landmines? Identification before action should be the way to go for the nimble witted. Identifying unknown file types is always a recommended security precaution. Finding out the right file type also helps you fix broken file associations. Once you know the nature of a specific file, you can pair it with the right program. There are free tools which help to change or remove file type associations for you. Then there are software like Free Opener which are like universal file viewers. But a word to the wise – always go back to the basics when you come across a file type which is new to you. Find out more about it. There is no shortage of methods to identify unknown file types. Here are eight of them… Go Online…Start With The Good Old Google Search Google knows everything. I think it does know about all file types too as it sources the details from a few sites we will discuss here. So, using Google to find out all about a file type is a no-brainer. You can also dive into the other sites on the result page to find out more about the file. Pretty much any search engine can handle these queries. Don't forget to put a dot before the file type. Wolfram Alpha Even after writing about 10 Search Terms To Put Wolfram Alpha To Good Use Everyday, I am still trying to fathom the power of this computational knowledge engine. Well, Wolfram Alpha is one resource you should always tap to dig out arcane statistics. Finding out about a mysterious file type is one of its more dull uses. Enter the file extension and click on compute. Wolfram Alpha does its data juggling and gives you brief but sufficient information like the type of file and compatible applications that can open it. There were some really rare file formats which Wolfram Alpha couldn't fully describe. FILExt Eight times out of ten, this is the reference website that will crop up on a Google search for a file type. FILExt is a file extension reference library for a mindboggling variety of file types. The site has an alphabetical index of nearly 1526 extensions. The total database is far more extensive – 26,024 records in the main database; 51,537 registered file type records; and 16,344 records in the Program/MIME type database. So, a better idea would be to use the Google Custom Search box on top. Each file type gets its own page where the extension is detailed. The pages also may contain a link to scan your PC for invalid entries, but I would suggest that you ignore that and just use the site for its information. As it is, programs which claim to speed up your PC should be thoroughly vetted before use. Filesuffix Filesuffix.com is another online database for searching file extensions. The database is kept updated by the site developers and also through user contributions. You can scroll down and see the latest file types that have been added. You can also navigate to the browser page and drill down to an extension by category. The page that details the extension also gives you related extensions of that type. The same page also links you directly to the specific application needed to open the file type. File Info File Info is a comprehensive site that gives you quite a few tools to grab file type information from its database. You have the neatly categorized directory of different file extensions. File Info also gives you browser plug-ins for Chrome and Firefox. You can also download a File Extension Lookup Desktop Gadget for Windows and a File Extension Lookup Dashboard Widget for Mac. I think its bit of an overkill for normal users, but File Info covers the bases quite well. File Info also helps to identify unknown file types with the File Identifier. File Identifier is a 468 KB download that basically acts like a search shortcut when Windows fails to identify an unknown file type. File-Extensions.org File-Extensions is a similar site but not as extensive as Filesuffix. But I feel it's better organized. File types are also indicated with their icons. One of the enriching features on the site is the availability of articles concerning day to day file operations. Opening unknown file types under Windows or Why I can’t send or receive some files via email, are some of the common queries answered here with the help of descriptive articles. OpenWith You might solve the mystery of the unknown file extension, but then comes the second part – how to open that particular file without spending a dime. OpenWith.org takes care of the dilemma by giving you a neatly categorized list of file types and the relevant free software programs that can open them. As the homepage says – There are plenty of great programs out there that will cost you hundreds of dollars to do what you need. What you probably don’t know is that there is usually free software that is just as good. You just don’t know about it. Other online databases you can look into: Wotsit.org dotWhat.net File Extension Seeker (A meta-search engine) FileHelp.org Wikipedia A Free Utility - TrID  It's one thing to decipher an unknown extension. It's another thing altogether to have a completely unknown file in your hands (without even a clue of an extension). In such extreme cases, you can turn to a little freeware utility called TrID. TrID uses a file's binary signature to identify its type. Binary signature bytes are unique to file types and can be used to identify or verify a file. TrID has a library of file type definitions that can be matched against any unidentified file. The program and the definition package have to be downloaded separately, but both are lightweight. You need .NET framework installed for it to run. TrID is a command line utility but it also comes with a GUI version called TrIDNet and an online tool – TrID Online. You can choose one depending on your comfort level. But the command line tool is more flexible as it allows you to use wildcards and know the probability score for a file type. Wildcards can also be used to scan an entire folder or a group of files. This comes handy when a bunch of files are recovered using some file recovery tools and you need to ascertain their unknown file types. The program hasn't changed much since we last reviewed it except for the database which keeps on expanding with new inclusions of file type definitions. The latest one has 5041 file types indexed. . Our archived post Identify Unknown Files with TrID shows you how to use TrID. It is as simple as pointing to the unknown file, then allowing the program to scan it. Have You Been Stumped By A Strange File Extension? Identifying unknown file types is one of those little needs that can strike us in the middle of a normal computing day. It helps to know that there are so many resources you can depend on to understand what a file does and which is the application needed to handle it. Have you been befuddled by a strange file type? Which one was it? Do you know of any other resource to add to this list? Image Credit: 3D Rendering via Shutterstock The post 8 Ways To Identify Unknown File Types appeared first on MakeUseOf.

Write & Preview Markdown In Style With LightPaper [Android] Posted: 16 Apr 2013 12:00 PM PDT A text editor should not get in your face. The more you notice it, the worse it is. The best ones are nearly invisible, staying out of the way and letting you become one with your prose. For an application as simple as Notepad, that’s easy. But it becomes a trickier proposition if you’re trying for this level of simplicity while still offering advanced features like Dropbox sync and instant Markdown preview. LightPaper is a $2 text editor for Android that rises to the challenge, and does a pretty good job of it. Fresh & New I don’t like chasing after the latest hot apps, and I often wait until an app has established itself a reputation and earned at least 10,000 downloads before reviewing it. This is what I’ve done with NFC Task Launcher (over 100,000 downloads), SwitchApps, Notif, and the list goes on. But with LightPaper, I’m making an exception: At the time of this writing, LightPaper has less than 500  downloads, and a scant eleven ratings on Google Play. But you know what? It’s really, really good, especially for an app that’s so young. As you launch it, this is what you get: The left sidebar takes up most of the screen, showing your list of notes. Naturally, the app ships with an extensive README file, which you can see above. Peeking from the right is the editing panel. Hold it and drag it into the screen to begin editing the current note: Monospaced text is an acquired taste, but I happen to like it. If the document above seems odd at first, that’s because it’s formatted with Markdown (the same format Dillinger and TextDown use). Markdown syntax is meant to look simple and readable, and you can read all about it on developer John Gruber’s site, Daring Fireball. For now, what you should know is that it renders into HTML. In other words, swipe left yet again, and LightPaper shows you this: What’s nice about this HTML preview is that it’s smart enough to automatically scroll to wherever you were in the source document. So if you’re editing a long document and want to make sure a key part of it renders correctly, just scroll down to it and swipe to the preview. Unfortunately, at this point, this is the only intelligent twist the preview pane has to offer. You can’t resize the font, and you can’t change the colors. If your document links to any images, those will be shown inline, which is nice. Connecting To Dropbox Documents confined to your phone can be useful, but they become far more useful when they’re accessible anywhere. LightPaper lets you get there by integrating with Dropbox: Unlike less considerate apps, LightPaper doesn’t require access to your entire Dropbox folder: It merely wants to use a subfolder of its own. Once you allow the connection, it lets you save documents to that subfolder. Unfortunately, sync is one-way only: There is no way to load any changes you make on other devices back into LightPaper. This is a major shortcoming that I hope would be addressed in future versions. Moving Around Navigating text on Android can be a frustrating experience. Yes, you can a little gripper you can hold onto and move your cursor around. But it’s also quite easy to miss your target and end up futzing around trying to aim for a specific word. LightPaper introduces four buttons that let you accurately move the cursor: The screenshot above was taken while I was pressing the “one character back” button (second from the left on the toolbar). The first button takes you back one whole word, and there are two buttons for moving forward, too. These simple buttons make a big difference: Now, when you want to get to a specific letter, you just have to tap the word (quite easy) and move the cursor using the buttons. Entering Markdown Syntax Markdown is simple, but it was created with full-fledged hardware keyboards in mind. Try typing a square bracket on your Android keyboard to see what I mean: This usually involves pressing and holding a key, and with some keyboards you actually have to flip to a different page on the keyboard such as a numeric layout. LightPaper addresses this by offering a simple Markdown toolbar: You can see the toolbar at the top of the window. After selecting the word “best” and I tapped the first button, for surrounding it with asterisks, denoting bold text, and it worked as promised. What LightPaper Can’t Do Yet Still being wet behind the ears, there are a few things LightPaper can’t really do. First and foremost is automatic saving and versioning: The editor includes undo/redo features, but it would have been nice if it autosaved your text in intervals and let you browse older versions and revert as needed. Then there’s the aforementioned two-way Dropbox sync – being able to save to Dropbox is nice, but loading would make it truly useful. Caveats aside, for a very recent arrival to Google Play, LightPaper delivers impressive features wrapped in a compelling and simple interface. Would you try it on as a text editor, or do you use a different one already? Let us know in the comments! The post Write & Preview Markdown In Style With LightPaper [Android] appeared first on MakeUseOf.

SEQ Is A Puzzle Game That Will Push Your Brain To The Limit [iOS] Posted: 16 Apr 2013 11:00 AM PDT Who said a puzzle game has to consist of matching three or more blocks of the same color? Who said an iOS puzzle game should involve geometric shapes falling from the ceiling? Thomas Castel, the mind behind the iOS game called SEQ is certainly not one of these people, as he has created a minimalist puzzle game that involves linking sequences of numbers. Think of it as connect the dots but for grown ups. SEQ is one of those games that will push your brain to its limit. If you are the kind of gamer who enjoys a puzzle game that actually gets those brain juices flowing, SEQ will serve you well. Just don’t expect this to be a cake walk because after the first few levels, this game will test the minds of even the most intelligent gamers. If you’re ready for a challenge download SEQ and you will get a good chunk of the levels free. If you find that you love it, even more levels are available via in-app purchase. Gameplay In SEQ, the board starts off with a number, or multiple numbers, and the number zero. The aim of the game is to count backward from the starting number to zero by drawing a line on the grid. There will always be exactly enough spaces to make the line in question, which is where much of the challenge comes from. As you progress through the game, there will be more than one starting number, more than one zero, and certain points on the board will be locked to a certain number forcing the path to travel through that point. The controls are simple, and they serve the gameplay well. Simply tap on the number you wish to start with, and drag it to the point at which you want to finish. If you make a mistake and need to go back, simply start at the end point and slide your finger back to the start. If things really go wrong, you can click the circle on the top of the screen to reset the whole board and begin from scratch. Chances are that at some point the plausible solution will be way off, and you will need to use this button. The gameplay difficulty ramps up at a good pace. The first few levels make you feel empowered, as you will be finding the solutions rather quickly. Once you get level 15 or so, things get complicated, and you brain will be tested. That being said the game never feels so hard that it makes you want to give up, and it strikes a nice balance in terms of overall difficulty. Audio and Visuals There is not a lot to say about the graphics, there is not much going on. Each of the starting numbers is a different color, the zeroes are gray, the background is a solid white and the spaces through which you can pass are surrounded by a simple gray border. The game has succeeded in achieving a very minimalist look which might not be your cup of tea, but I find it quite effective in a game such as this. Instead of making your eyes focus on the visuals, it emphasises the gameplay, and that’s a good thing. There is no music of which to speak in SEQ, instead the sound effects serve as the music as each drag of a line plays a note. As you start progressing through the puzzles, it feels like you are making your own soundtrack to the game. The audio is well crafted, and the lack of background music serves the purpose of keeping the minimalist feel of the game. Game Life The iOS puzzle game promises 220 unique levels, and while this true, only 40 of them are available with the free game. Depending on your skill level, this could take anywhere from an hour and up to beat. Each of the level packs costs $.99, and add another 60 levels to the game. There are three packs in total, and each one gets progressively harder than the last. $3 in total for another 180 levels is certainly not a bad deal, but it’s a little misleading when the app description claims there are 220. Still, the free levels included are fun and it’s hard to complain when you get at least an hour or two of addictive and challenging gameplay without opening up your wallet. It’s well worth a try for anyone who enjoys games designed to get their mind working, and that’s why you’ll find it on our Best iPhone Games page. Download: SEQ from the App Store The post SEQ Is A Puzzle Game That Will Push Your Brain To The Limit [iOS] appeared first on MakeUseOf.

7 Tools That Will Revolutionize Your Music Listening Habits On The Web Posted: 16 Apr 2013 10:31 AM PDT Listing to music online has been around for some time, but only in the past little while, has it really become mainstream with so many options to choose from. It really is quite incredible – we have the opportunity to find music like never before, and listen to copious amounts of it! But there are still some gaps to fill. For instance, audio files can be embedded into webpages, but those webpages have no way to listen to all the music. Or what about controlling the playing and pausing of songs on websites that don’t respond to your keyboard controls? These are just two of the several problems that still exist, despite the great conveniences of music on the Internet. In this article we’ll talk about seven tools that will change how you listen and interact with your online tunes. Songdrop (Chrome & Bookmarklet) You probably don’t only listen to music in one location on the web. You might find about an artist through a song embedded in a blog post, then read about them on a website, which contains a YouTube video of them performing live. How do you take these two audio clips, from different sources, and save them (and future songs) in one place for easy listening? Songdrop is your solution. How does Songdrop collect these songs? Through its Dropit button, which comes in the form of a Chrome extension and bookmarklet. We’ve actually covered Songdrop in more depth previously on MakeUseOf. Anesidora (Chrome) Anesidora is a Chrome extension that allows you to listen to your Pandora stations without having a tab open at all. You can simply log in with your Pandora account credentials and it will load all your stations for listening directly in your Chrome browser. It has created some controversy since there aren’t any ads that play through the extension, however according to the developer, he doesn’t support the lack of ads in the extension: Unfortunately due to Pandora using a closed API I have no choice in the matter. I offered to give Pandora ownership of my extension and they declined. They do this to themselves. To find out more about Anesidora, refer to the MakeUseOf article. Exfm (Chrome, Firefox, Safari) Exfm, a website and browser extension, is a tool that collects displays any audio files from the webpage you’re visiting. For example, let’s say you visit one of Tina’s Sound Sunday articles. With Exfm installed, it will automatically pull the embedded audio files and allow you to play them, even after navigating away from the page. Below is an image of what Exfm looks like on a webpage, notice the controls, queue and options to “favorite”, share and shuffle. Want to close that page? No worries – the tracks have already been saved in your queue. However, you now are able to control them through the Exfm button in the Chrome browser. For more info, check out our full review. Last.fm Scrobbler (Facebook App) The Last.fm Scrobbler Facebook app has been mentioned a couple different times. Probably the one you might remember the most was in the slightly sarcastic, but educational article from Craig about apps you can use to help Facebook invade your life. As you might have guessed, the Last.fm Scrobbler app was one of them. If you’re playing with a program or service that doesn’t have the ability to post to Facebook, but does scrobble to Last.fm, you can use this as a workaround. Sway.fm Unified Music Media Keys (Chrome) Have you ever been frustrated by the lack of compatibility that websites have with your media keys on your keyboard? Instead of being able to just hit the Play/Pause, Previous or Next buttons, you have to go to the webpage and manually click the controls. Sway.fm Unified Music Media Keys takes care of that problem. Previously, Justin has covered it here and did an excellent job with a thorough review. One thing to note is that if you’re unable to install this in Chrome on Windows 8, it’s because there is a compatibility issue. To get around this, put Chrome in Windows 7 compatibility mode and the you’ll be able to install and use the extension. Flutter (Windows, Mac, Chrome) Would you believe me if I told you that you can control your media player with your hand? Yep, just like the Xbox Kinect. But this time, all you need is your webcam and three steady hand gestures. Flutter works with iTunes, Spotify, Winamp, VLC and Windows Media Player on Windows and Mac. However, in addition to those local apps, Flutter can also control YouTube, Netflix, Grooveshark and Pandora via the Chrome extension. Flutter has actually been covered on MakeUseOf before, once by Simon and another time by Dave, who went more in depth, gearing it towards Mac users (but the same applies to Windows users). I recommend you look into both of those articles for more information – it’s been an excellent app for me to use. I now use it more than ever since owning my new, almost perfect laptop, which has one slight imperfection – no media keys (play/pause, forward, back). Plus Music (Chrome) Plus Music is a Chrome extension that focuses on discovering music and instantly playing it from anywhere on the web. For instance, if you’re reading about a new artist, you can simply click the icon, type in the artists name and listen to their music right in the extension. Plus Music has four standout features that integrate into Facebook: Artist Recognition: it knows when you’re on an official band page and lets you listen with a single click. Similar Artists: Suggests similar artists on Facebook. Universal Remote: Control playback in the Facebook interface. Easy Sharing: You can find and attach songs to share directly in Facebook without ever leaving. Outside of the Facebook integration, Plus Music also has great searching capabilities, instant play through right clicking an artist’s name, and smart suggestions. It also can scrobble to Last.fm, share complete tracks – not just a clip and create a mix in the queue. Conclusion Now should you use all of these music listening tools together? Technically, none of them should interfere with each other, but I’m definitely an advocate of keeping extensions and apps down to a minimum. So let me ask you: which ones are your favorites? Have you used any of these before? If not, which ones do you feel would fit best into your own lifestyle? If you have any other recommendations that I missed, feel free to share those in the comments below as well! The post 7 Tools That Will Revolutionize Your Music Listening Habits On The Web appeared first on MakeUseOf.

Thou Shalt Consume: The Story of Consumer Electronics [Feature] Posted: 16 Apr 2013 10:00 AM PDT I freeze as I see the screen. A panic rises in my head. This can’t be! Immediately, control kicks in. Breathe. Think. Act. Still in denial of what I see, I hard reboot the laptop. I’m surprised by how calm I am as the display lights up and the lines are still flickering across the screen. I locate a crack on the side of the LCD. In my head I go through my packing routine. Yes, this end usually sits at the bottom of my backpack. So I did damage the laptop when I slipped on the ice earlier that morning. Why now? I take a deep breath. Beautiful Full HD display, barely a year old; now it is toast. Calm, but gutted I reach for my phone and hack in an email to Mark. I won’t make my deadline today. Ironically, this episode happened during final revisions of the article you are now reading. Introduction Every year, consumer electronics exhibitions around the world present new high tech devices; expensive toys that come with many promises. They aim to make our lives easier, more fun, super connected, and of course they are status symbols. Moreover, they are an electronic manifestation of the ideals that drive our society: bigger, better, faster, more. On the bright side, high-end electronics demonstrate advanced engineering and stunning design solutions. However, novelty tends to fade quickly. Only a few months later the hardware is outdated, the design is stale, and the shelves are stocked with fresh models. Nothing ages as quickly and permanently as consumer electronics. Gadgets get discarded at ever faster rates and account for millions of tons of consumer electronic waste every year. To feed production, more and more resources are claimed and we are beginning to suffer from the immense burden on the natural and social environment. What is the purpose of driving the technological advancement? Does it help us create something that will last? Where are we going so fast? We don’t know. Or do we? The Bonding Jane* carefully places the laptop on her living room table. It’s a used HP that a friend gave to her. Jane is excited about the prospect of using the Internet from her wing chair, rather than having to crunch in front of the old desktop in her bedroom. Jane has family all over the country and many friends around the world. She loves to stay in touch with them and finds that the Internet is a blessing. One of her grandchildren set her up on Facebook, but she found it too confusing. However, she happily uses Skype, email, browses the Internet, plays games, and does online banking. Now she curiously watches as I try to connect the laptop to her WiFi. Image credits: Woman with Laptop via Shutterstock For its owner, a new gadget is not just a financial investment; it also is a major time and not least an emotional commitment. Something new enters your life, you let it in, spend hours setting it up, trust it with personal data, dress it up with accessories, and share your most intimate experiences with it. It becomes an essential part of your daily routine and a bearer of secrets. Just imagine the horror if you lost your smartphone! We deeply depend on our tools and, even more so, we become emotionally attached. The more we depend on our gadgets and the less we actually understand them, the more attached we tend to become. Jane for example uses her computer only for the most basic tasks. She is not well versed in technology and although she is careful, she often needs help fixing small bugs. Jane is a confirmed optimist and has many hobbies that keep her busy away from the computer, but she does get slightly frustrated when she is cut off from her far away friends. Jane grew up in a small isolated town. Goods and the mail were delivered only once a week, the phone line that eventually came was precious. Being one of the younger siblings, she received a lot of hand-me-downs. Although she now can afford a more luxurious lifestyle, she still treats all her belongings with great care and believes in using things until they break. When things do perish, Jane wonders why it is so much cheaper to replace them with something new. And especially with consumer electronics, repairing is rarely an option. Jane shrugs it off as “that’s the way things are.” From an engineer who learned his profession in the former German Democratic Republic (GDR), I learn his peers prided themselves in producing only the best quality and they built devices that would last for decades. In principle, that is not different from engineers elsewhere. However, material resources were scarce and what these people did have was time; endless amounts of time. “We worked on the first computer-operated tuner of the GDR. A microprocessor that converted the signal from analog to digital produced a 50 KHz error. The device was examined in detail and eventually someone identified the component that caused the error. A different type of plastic had changed the inductance of a coil. Changing back to the original plastic corrected the error.” – Norbert Storch Image credits: Computer Engineer via Shutterstock Things are different today. Companies cannot afford to track down defects all the time; where possible quick fixes are applied. And the tools are different, too. A hardware loss today is often equal to an irreversible loss of personal data, including emotional pieces like photos and private messages. Devices like laptops or smartphones are much more integral parts of our lives than the electronics of the past. We are in an intimate relationship with technology. Recall the last time you were saving up for and finally bought a new gadget. Wasn’t it a little like this: You fell in love with a sexy design and promising features. Once you held it in your hands it was the most exciting thing you ever had. You got to know the new one through rose-colored glasses, you interacted with it every day, constantly trusting it with more private information, thereby bonding and deepening your relationship. And maybe you are still in the honeymoon phase with that latest acquisition of yours. But consider this: should serious issues surface, you are now committed. Replacing a laptop or a phone then is a lot like breaking up. As issues deepen, you hold on and try to fix them. However, no counseling in the world can mend broken hardware or bridge serious software or hardware incompatibilities. There comes a time when you must part with your gadget. You know that migrating data will be a painful process. But once you get excited about the new one in your life, it’s all forgotten. You’re in love and everything comes easily. The tendency to bond, even with lifeless objects, is very human and has served us well. Jane for example has had her desktop computer for many years. It’s a piece of her home and part of her daily routine. If everything kept working reliably, she would never see the need to replace it. Such loyalty to a piece of hardware, however, can be a problem, both for the user and for companies that must sell to stay in business. Built to Break? What keeps our economy going is the perpetual transfer of money. Companies inherently depend on customers to buy their products. One questionable technique that has been said to sustain consumption is designing products to break prematurely. The technical term for this approach is planned obsolescence. It describes an approach to consciously limit product lifetime through the use of weak spots or inferior material. The concept can also be extended to new software no longer running on older hardware or vice versa. Planned obsolescence guarantees lasting consumption and a growing economy at the expense of consumers. Countless stories of products designed to break have been circulating. In fact, there is a prominent and well documented case: the light bulb. It is the first known victim of planned obsolescence, as well as the subject of the world’s first cartel agreement. If you want to explore this topic more deeply, nothing will tell the story better than the documentary Pyramids of Waste: The Lightbulb Conspiracy. The idea of planned obsolescence made me curious. Sure enough, I have a friend whose printer had stopped working out of the blue after three years of faithful service. Neil earns a living in IT and has been fixing people’s computers for years. His device had been printing flawlessly until it suddenly quit. “I couldn’t find anything wrong with it, so I called customer support.” Neil is redirected to a repair center in Berlin. He explains what the issue is and when mentioning the printer model, the lady on the other end quickly tells him that they are not able to fix the device. Neil is stunned. Had he not been sent to the repair center by the manufacturer itself? Neil remains persistent: “Why is it not possible to repair the device? You haven’t even seen it!” “This model is not meant to be repaired. The manufacturer does not produce any spare parts for it” the voice on the other end responds. She recommends Neil to take the printer to a recycling station and buy a new one. Neil challenges her: “So which current printer model would be repairable?” Slightly unsettled, the support lady admits “I am not authorized to tell you.” And then she offers a surprisingly simple explanation. Image credits: E-Waste via Shutterstock When Neil subsequently called the printer company to confirm this information and complain, they were surprised that the repair center had provided him with such forthright explanation and advice. Eventually, Neil received the following email, which confirmed the information given by the repair center: It is indeed true that for some of our products we do not produce spare parts or keep them in stock. The production of spare parts, their storage, and repair costs are equal to the costs of producing a new unit. Therefore the provision of spare parts is not economical compared to the procurement of a new product. Presently, all products of the segment A4 inkjet printer (…) will not be repaired, but will be exchanged in case of a defect. – global  producer of inkjet printers We don’t know why the printer broke and chances are it died of natural causes. However, the fact that high-end consumer electronics are not designed to be repaired, further reveals the troubled mindset at the core of the issue. The Role of Industrial Design I began wondering whether there was method to the madness and turned to a few of the people responsible for product design: industrial designers. Sijme Geurts is a young industrial designer from the Netherlands. I meet him on Skype and, since I have known him for some time, am direct in asking him what he knows about planned obsolescence. “It was not a topic during my studies” he says. But Sijme explains that industrial designers routinely estimate how long an item will be used. Not surprisingly, they can design a product to last for a long time or break much sooner. Sijme pulls out a demonstration object. “I bought this when I forgot the original one at home while traveling.” It’s a third party iPhone cable that was used for only a few days. “You can clearly see how crooked it is.” Visible through the plastic mantle are little bends, which indicate sites where the cable might potentially break. Sijme later sends me a photo which shows the original cable next to the cheap third-party one. “They probably used cheap material, for example low-grade copper” Sijme explains and adds: “The quality users perceive can be different than the actual quality they receive.” This example also highlights a point that most of us understand intuitively, but it’s worth remembering: durability can be influenced by the choice of material. And the material is decided during the design stage. However, poor product quality usually isn’t intentional. Poor designs, use of poor material, or poor manufacturing are consequences of enormous financial pressure. Manufacturers must lower prices to remain competitive within the market and the quality is what suffers first. In the end, it’s the consumer’s choice, whether the cheaper or the better quality products prevail. Meanwhile, most consumers don’t know much about the actual material composition of a product. Especially when it comes to electronic devices, most consumers are not able to distinguish between high and low quality material. Moreover, most of the key components are hidden inside the product’s body. How could Sijme have known that the cable was made with poor material? The price might have been an indication, but how do you know whether something is just adequately priced or hopelessly overpriced, as some brands are? What makes the situation even trickier is that designers are able to influence the user’s perception of the product’s quality without actually using material of a higher quality. Sijme reflects on a project he and fellow students did together with a Dutch company. They prepared a life cycle assessment of an alarm clock. For this purpose they completely disassembled the device and examined its interior. What they found were metal coil transformers which accounted for much of the item’s weight. Sijme knows from experience that much lighter transformers exist. However, in the case of this device, the weight might also contribute to a user’s perception of quality. Sijme explains that when you pick up one of those alarm clocks, you will perceive it as a quality product, even when all you feel is excess weight. Altering perceptions and seduction aren’t concepts invented by humans. They are at play everywhere in nature. Flowers, for example, attract insects and birds with alluring smells and bright colors. While consuming the nectar of different specimen, these animals pollinate the flowers and contribute to the plant’s survival. It’s a give and take. Our economy works much the same symbiotic way. Companies offer attractive products, consumers spend money, and the revenue is invested into producing new products. Production creates employment, i.e. an opportunity for consumers to earn a living and purchase the next generation of products. The problem with this complex cycle is that it has many appendages that are dead ends and the resulting problems are accumulating. Designing to Meet Human Needs A few days after interviewing Sijme, I get to speak with Karl* an Industrial Designer who teaches at a small university in the US. Karl has had a moving career, which took him overseas to study design and begin working for a foreign company. He remembers that everything he learned from his favorite professors was focused on quality. “Fashion and design seduction were frowned upon.” He still believes that quality never goes out of style. “People might pursue quality because things can continue being useful for a longer time with obvious reductions in ecological impact.” Karl refuses to believe in planned obsolescence, but he notes: “Humans can be fickle and defining 'quality’ is definitely a more complex challenge now.” In the early 1980s Karl began working for a small design company that had earned international recognition throughout the 1970s. When Karl joined them, they had just been signed to do exclusive work for an influential electronic manufacturer. Karl fondly remembers this time: “When coming to work, it was like there was a big piece of design cake waiting on my desk every day. It was the most exciting, engaging, and demanding time of my professional career. I truly treasure those design experiences.” But after five years of designing the latest and fanciest products, Karl had growing questions. He started wondering who was using all the products he was designing, how they were being used, where the materials came from, and where they eventually ended up. He calls these critical insights his golden steps towards beginning to understand the concept of sustainability. Several “Aha!” moments contributed to his mind shift. Back then, Karl enjoyed visiting thrift stores for fun and research as a young designer. He shares that on one such visit, he spotted a big cardboard box in the electronics section; it was labeled '10 for $1′. Curious what might be sold off this cheaply, he peeked in. To his horror, he discovered a collection of keyboards that he had designed just a year and a half earlier. Karl chuckles. “Those were the lucky ones. The not-so-lucky ones probably ended up in the landfill.” Image Credits: Greenpeace Filled with deepening questions about industrial design, Karl went in search of answers. He found that the majority of designers back then didn’t think often about recycling. Their main design priorities were solving questions of material performance, function, and aesthetics. Karl says he truly believes that everyone was just trying to create the best product possible, thinking it would be there forever and like him, they were shocked when it wasn’t so. Many discussions revolve around the motives of companies. Is there anyone we can blame for waste and bad products? Are companies taking advantage of everything in the name of profit? Is this all a big conspiracy? Karl has come to the conclusion that companies are not inherently evil: “No, I don’t think they are trying to steal from or hurt people or the planet. They are just trying to meet their own and others’ human needs.” Their purpose is to create products that customers want and secure the jobs of their employees. And after all, it’s the consumers who keep the wheels in this complex system spinning. Today Karl teaches at a university that focuses on user-centered design. Students are taught to think about the user first, to research users’ needs extensively, observe them respectfully, (attempt to) understand their behavior, and then try to satisfy the needs of that behavior through various design options, including products, services, and systems. Thoughts about creating desire or looking only at profits are discouraged. The promise is that focusing on the user and all their needs (social, economic, environmental) will generate more than enough business, while other approaches are more risky, especially for society and the planet as a whole. The Changing Consumer Electronics Market The pressure for economic survival and the desire to succeed in the market, fuel the creativity of all industries. Companies vigorously compete for customer shares and try to appeal to consumers with ever new features. Knowing that in the end consumption decides what products prevail, engineers and designers are aiming to meet consumer demands. Steve Jobs was right when he said people don’t necessarily know what they want. However, we – the people – do know what we struggle with! We adopt certain behaviors or put up with something because that’s the only way we know. But it doesn’t mean that it is the only way to solve the task. The role of designers should be to observe what people do, find a smarter solution, and hope that it catches on. Image credits: Boy with Apple via Shutterstock Let’s take smartphones and laptops for example. Switching from one device to the next is a big obstacle for most people, much due to the difficulty of migrating personal preferences and data. What has partially solved this challenge is the rise of Cloud-based services and improved synchronization tools, aided by the availability of cheap server space and Internet bandwidth. It’s a creative solution for a simple challenge. Over the past few years, consumers have been entering a paradigm shift. We are slowly migrating from owning and managing original copies of software and data, to merely using or renting a service that provides all the features we need. Who needs Office, when they can use Google Drive? Who wants to buy a CD, when they can listen to the band’s entire music collection on Spotify? Why use a thumb drive, if you can seamlessly share data with Dropbox? Who will bother with backups to an external hard drive, if data can be stored in the Cloud? Besides, Cloud-based software updates automatically. Moreover, the Cloud won’t break and lose your data; at least that’s the promise. When switching to a new device today, you hardly notice the transition. All your data are already there, magically synced from the Cloud. Instead of breaking your head over old software registration keys or restoring backups, you can instantly enjoy the new hardware and learn to use novel features. Image credits: Cloud Computing via Shutterstock As we get used to having access to personal data anywhere and no longer fear losing precious information if our device breaks, we slowly weaken the emotional attachment to the physical devices through which we access our data. What previously worked a little like a technological Stockholm Syndrome – devices took hostage of our data and forced us to take good care of them, creating this intimate and unhealthy relationship – is now evolving into a throw-away mentality. Oh damn, my phone has a scratch. Next! Norbert Storch, manager of a recycling company in Berlin, is extremely critical of these developments. In his view, electronic devices have turned from useful tools into toys. “Gadgets are designed for consumption with no regard to quality.” You might wonder though whether this is a conscious development steered by manufacturers or whether they are merely following the market, i.e. a changing user behavior. “People just want to rid themselves of their trash. They have lost their sense of ownership.” This loss goes hand in hand with no longer feeling responsible for possessions. “Why do we still find TVs trashed in the forest?” Storch wonders and points out the many publicly available and free recycling systems. There will always be reckless individuals. However, if the majority of people act irresponsibly, it raises the question whether the respective systems were developed with the end user or even the whole system in mind. Image credits: Discarded Television via Shutterstock Challenges of a Throw-Away Mentality Fully synced Cloud-based services have made it a breeze to switch between devices, but also to let a new toy into your life. New hardware promises to be faster, offers more features, and happens to be in fashion. What’s not to like? As long as all our information and memories are easily transferred, we feel comfortable and safe. What could make a device more familiar and personal than our own data? In a way, this is a positive development since we become more independent of physical objects. It makes life easier, more flexible, and with data being available anywhere also creates a sense of safety. On the other hand it causes a host of other issues in the short term. We desire better and faster devices that can do more: consumerist behavior continues its steep rise electronic devices are replaced more quickly devices are retired before they break turnover rates force manufacturers to focus on fast and cheap production quality is no longer a priority Electronics aren’t produced from thin air: resource extraction takes its toll on the environment natural resources are being depleted Discarded devices are eventually trashed: old consumer electronics amount to mountains of waste every year electronics generally contain poisonous materials that could leak into the environment electronics also contain a lot of rare and precious metals that are more economic to recapture than to extract from their extremely limited virgin sources electronic waste is difficult to recycle Let me give you a taste of what the consequences of our behavior are. End of Life – Yesterday’s Treasure is Tomorrow’s Trash Gadgets die, become obsolete, or simply outdated. Worldwide, an estimated 50 million metric tons of electronic waste are generated every year. The US alone contributes over 3 million tons and Europe, with more than two times the population of the US, chips in up to 7 million tons. The trend for these numbers points up steeply. In Europe, an additional 3-5% of electronic waste is generated every year and countries in South America, Asia, and Africa are rapidly catching up. The Digital Dump Infographic via GOOD Mobile phones have the highest turnover rate among consumer electronic devices, with the average user obtaining a new phone approximately every 18 months. If not given to someone else, the discarded phones often land in a drawer until they are eventually tossed out and go to the landfill. This is a huge loss to the economy as 100,000 cell phones contain approximately 2.4 kilograms of gold, more than 900 kilograms of copper, and 25 kilograms of silver, among other valuable materials. This amounts to over a quarter million US Dollars worth of metals. Scarcity of Resources Finite resources are only half the problem, but at this point they are at the center of all our problems. Electronics in particular are made up of a host of rare and precious materials. A mobile phone for example contains up to 60 different elements and is made up of roughly 40 percent metals, 40 percent plastics, and 20 percent ceramics and trace materials. A cell phone’s circuit board contains aluminum, beryllium, copper, gold, lead, mercury, nickel, and zinc. All of these materials are more or less difficult to mine, some are hazardous, and most are valuable. Indium, for example, is used to create transparent electrodes in LCDs and touch screens. It is extracted as a side product mainly during zinc production. Between 2002 and today its price has risen from US$94 per kg to almost US$1,000 per kg. Indium supplies are dwindling away rapidly. Based on current rates of extraction, resources will last for about 20 years. In 2010, the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) estimated that the recycling rate for Indium was only around 1%. Imagine a smartphone without a touch screen or a laptop without a flat screen. All high-tech gadgets depend on rare metals. And although a set of 17 key elements of the modern electronics industry are called rare earth metals, almost all of them are found in abundance. However, they are rarely found in concentrated ores and are thus difficult to extract. This limits the speed at which they can be extracted. Subsequently, the growing demand is predicted to exceed the limited supply in a few years from now. Supply shortages and reduced exports from China are pushing up the prices, not even taking into account the long-term environmental costs caused by mining. The extraction of rare earth metals for example creates radioactive slurry tailings and the refining process depends on the addition of toxic acids. This hazardous waste poses not only an environmental, but also a significant health risk for workers and the community. Unfortunately, the past has proven Murphy’s Law to be highly accurate: “Anything that can go wrong will go wrong.” While China is the main supplier of rare earth elements, 13 million metric tons of this natural resource can be found in the US. Meanwhile, China is addressing the serious environmental consequences and is closing illegal mines. To serve the increasing demand, new sources are being developed worldwide. Even sites of production that were abandoned years ago are re-opened. The Mountain Pass Mine in California for example closed its gates in 2002 but resumed its operations in August 2012. Mining in the US has become profitable again. Image credits: Open Pit Mine via Shutterstock Toxic Waste With the source materials and how they are produced in mind, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that end products such as electronic devices themselves contain highly hazardous substances. Plastic casings for example are treated with chemicals that prevent the material from catching fire (i.e. brominated flame retardants). Many more substances contained in electronic devices are known to be persistent and toxic. Moreover, many accumulate in organisms, including humans, leading to serious health issues. This includes lead, mercury, cadmium, beryllium, phthalates, and hexavalent chromium. All of them are released over time and pose a significant threat to the environment and human health in particular. Waste is a concept only known to humans. And we yet have to find ways to deal with waste responsibly. Until a few years ago, developed countries routinely exported electronic trash to countries in Asia and Africa. These countries still lack proper waste treatment and recycling plants; the waste goes to landfills and slowly pollutes the local environment. Moreover, children and adults scout the mountains of trash for valuables, such as scrap metal, which they can sell for a meager income. To extract the last bits of precious materials, plastics and other materials are burned off, releasing toxic fumes and poisoning the air, water, soil, and thus the entire community. Image credits: Dmitry Berkut / Shutterstock.com An international treaty known as the Basel Convention attempted to prevent the export of hazardous waste from developed to less developed countries. Later, regional laws were passed, including the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive in Europe or the Recycling Standard R2 in the US, which force manufacturers to ensure the collection and recycling of their products. As a result, recycling rates have slowly been increasing. However, recycling is still lagging behind and meanwhile electronic waste is still sent to Asia and Africa. European exports are falsely labeled as second hand and since the US never ratified the Basel Convention, their exports of electronic waste are in fact legal. Regulations and laws are powerful tools to direct change and development. However, they often lag behind or fail to address the full scope of reality. Developing countries are rapidly adopting the Western lifestyle. Within this decade they will produce more electronic waste than their role models and twice as much by 2025. Policy makers need to act quickly to direct both product design and recycling practices in the right direction. Recycling of Electronic Waste As a Business Given the scarcity of resources and the legal implications, recycling of electronic waste has the potential to be a profitable business. Improving access and availability of rare materials through recycling is potentially easier than exploiting virgin resources. Moreover, harmful substances can be kept in a closed loop, thus preventing them from leaking into the environment. I gain my first insights into recycling at a recycling plant in southern Sweden. It’s a bleak November afternoon as we arrive at the plant. Following a friendly welcome, we are guided into the workshop. We pass dozens of large containers, filled with any type of consumer electronic you can imagine. They originate from households in the region. We observe workers with face masks who take apart computers and TVs. At one of the stops we see a pile of old hard drives next to desktop computers waiting to be disassembled. Conveyor belts transport separated parts to the outside, where they land on mountains of trash or in containers, lined up to be transported to another plant for further processing. After a few stops, we gather around some smaller containers, filled with discarded mobile phones. We are allowed to rummage through the piles and inspect the devices. Many look perfectly fine, hardly used, and without visible damage. The most common fault seems to be a smashed screen and with some of the more expensive models you can only imagine the owner’s frustration. Our guide takes an old fashioned folding phone and breaks it apart. We are shocked. Laughingly he encourages us to find one and try it. “It’s stress relief” he says. I can barely bring myself to do it. Image credits: Trashed Phones via Shutterstock Recycling is a very complicated and crude process. Since electronic devices are made up of dozens of different materials, all with unique chemical properties and environmental or health hazards, it is almost impossible to recycle them without first disassembling them into their components and separate fractions of more or less known materials. To get a better understanding of what the challenges are, I visit another recycling company in Berlin, Germany. The website reveals they draw inspiration from Agenda 21, the United Nation’s action plan for sustainable development. The original idea was to match refurbished electronics with users who are satisfied with the performance those devices offer. The business assumption was that costs for disposal would drop since devices would yield a profit when sold to a consumer. From the start, however, the company was also concerned with actually recycling electronic waste and developing technologies to do so. This earned them the 1st European Recycling Award in 1995. I meet with Dr. Hendrik Böhme, founder of the company. Today they recycle electronic waste from industrial sources, predominantly computing devices and office technology, but also medical technology. Image credits: Dr. Hendrik Böhme, Electronic Waste as Carrier of Values and Resources, TU Berlin, 1999 When I ask Dr. Böhme about the business with used electronics, he states it is no longer of interest. He says most of his previous customers can no longer afford refurbished devices. However, I suspect the decline in prices has also contributed to a decline in value of used electronics. Later he explains about the risk associated with dealing in second-hand goods. The company has to extend warranty, but particularly with computers many parts are fragile, prone to damage, and you don’t know how they were treated by previous owners. Warranty-related expenditures quickly exceed the value of the devices, rendering the business unprofitable. One viable alternative Dr. Böhme offers in order to utilize the full lifetime of used electronics is to donate them, for example to schools in developing countries. I want to learn more about the recycling process. Dr. Böhme explains that recycling requires separation of material fractions, to avoid mixtures that later cannot be separated. This involves a lot of manual labor. Manpower is expensive and many companies work with handicapped people. The advantage is that nearly the entire material of a device is fed into the recycling loop and almost nothing is discarded. The material fractions are handed off to other companies that further separate the fractions and recapture materials in specialized plants. “Manufacturers consciously undermine the ability to service and retrofit devices. Many devices are deliberately constructed to break after a few years. In the process of recycling, one often notices this when for an entire series, one knows exactly what needs to be done, to bring this device back to life.” – Dr. Hendrik Böhme As an example Dr. Böhme offers a computer terminal they have been repairing. The power button sits at the tip of a thinly elongated conductor board. Every time the button is pressed, the board bends slightly. After around three years of regular use, the button breaks off. Whenever the company received this terminal, this was the only fault, rendering the machine useless for the end user. Dr. Böhme speculates that a simple plastic strip could have stiffened the conductor board, stabilized the button, and prevented the damage. Moreover, the manufacturer used screws with flat heads to prevent opening of the device. “They don’t want devices to be repaired. When faulty, then discard and buy new. It gets ever worse.” I ask whether he can foresee a change in the future. He negates. “There was an euphoria in the 90s to think with recycling in mind. But somehow they passed the buck to the recycling industry, saying 'figure out how to recapture the stuff’.” – Dr. Hendrik Böhme He takes a partly disassembled tablet from one of the piles and points to the screen. He complains about the glues that make it almost impossible to strip the piece down and process it for recycling. He also objects to the mix of black and white plastics, that can’t even be seen when the device is fully assembled. The result of this design is that recycling becomes more energy intensive and expensive. Image credits: Broken Tablet via Shutterstock Presently, manufacturers are slow to use recycled materials in their products. While quality, purity, and thus reliability of these materials may be one issue, price still is a deciding factor. Despite increased demand and a steep rise in prices for natural resources, the mining and production of copper, for example, remains cheaper than the recycling alternative. Dr. Böhme says recycling could be a lot cheaper, if manufacturers designed their product with recycling in mind. He bemoans that the WEEE Directive’s take-back-system didn’t encourage manufacturers to work more economic and ecologic. He says the regulations failed because manufacturers are not forced to address the end-of-life of their products. Instead the recycling industry gets funded to clear mountains of trash, which is the most economic approach for manufacturers. Recycling of mass-produced consumer electronic devices is a relatively new field. Recyclers are faced with a multitude of materials. On the one hand, the challenge is to develop processes for extracting raw materials from an unknown and complex mixture. In many countries this is complicated by complex regulations and laws. On the other hand, they are working with components whose effects on humans and the environment are not well understood. Recycling companies carry a huge responsibility which should lie with the manufacturers. Dr. Böhme wishes policy makers would influence manufacturers to accept their responsibility. However, he remains pessimistic. From his perspective, economic concerns continue to trump social and ecological consequences. He states that companies and countries go to any length to obtain cheap natural resources, be it the exploitation of poorer countries or war. In this light it seems like a blessing that resources are declining and recycling becomes profitable. Conclusions The Future of Recycling The rapid turnover of electronics and the expansion of markets in developing countries lead to ever more waste and growing demands for resources. Thus prices for raw materials will continue their steep rise. Consequently, the recycling of electronic waste will gain importance as it becomes increasingly profitable. And it will be indispensable once natural resources have been depleted or their exploitation becomes economically less viable than recycling. Ecologically, it’s a nightmare that we are not yet able to feed our increasing hunger for resources by means other than mining. The damages we are causing to the environment and human society are huge and largely irreversible for many generations to come. Economically, we are in the semi-comfortable situation that the recycling industry is maturing during a time when we don’t yet depend on it as a resource. Unless our consumption habits change, however, the industry will proceed not only to recycle everyday waste, but will also recycle waste from over 200 years of industrialization. The landfills of today are the mines of the future. Urban Mining Infographic via Mining.com Urban mining may sound like science fiction, but it’s not. This industry is driven by massive shortages in natural resources. Landfills in Japan, for example, contain more than double the gold, silver, indium, and platinum the entire world consumes per year. Moreover, many countries are running out of landfill space. At current rates, the UK will have to look for alternatives by 2018. Meanwhile, the first landfill mine is being established in Belgium by 2014. Mother Nature forces us to deal with our trash, one way and the other. The Future of Consumption There are many signs that our behavior is changing. The Internet has helped the sharing mentality to go mainstream and turn into what is now called The Sharing Economy. Services like Napster or Kazaa made peer-to-peer file sharing famous. Although this kind of sharing violates copyrights, the industry eventually caught on and provided their customers with many other ways of sharing online, not least via social networks. As mentioned earlier, the desire to own original copies of music or software is declining . With services like Spotify we are trading the luxury of buying music for the comfort of having any music we like available to us anytime. As we learn that it is not necessary to own a particular item, we are progressively losing our attachment to physical objects. These changes do cause many issues in the short term, but they also offer hope. We are transitioning through a phase of rapid technological evolution. Today, we are producing technological devices that are infinitely more powerful and produced with only a fraction of the material, compared to comparable devices from a few years ago. A smartphone for example unites what used to take three or more devices: telephone, camera, text messaging, Internet browsing, watching TV, and more. This progress of packing more functions into ever more compact gadgets continues. The hope is that in the future we will be able to produce more devices and serve the growing market with much less resources. Image credits: TopCultured Doing more with less alone won’t solve our problems. As discussed previously, our consumption habits are shifting from owning towards using. We do desire to have the latest of every device and service, but we are no longer focused on calling it our own. We rent apartments, lease cars, pay for mobile contracts that offer a new phone every two years, and buy monthly music subscriptions. These examples are only the beginning. A trend is manifesting: we are slowly letting go of physical status symbols. Instead of defining who we are by what we own, we are transitioning to other types of status. We are beginning to define ourselves by how we interact (social networks), what we know (self education), and what we can do (entrepreneurship). We are in the middle of the social-technological revolution. This, however, is a story of its own. The drivers behind this phenomenon are service design and product service systems (PSS). The primary aim when designing a new product is to meet the user’s needs, as opposed to stimulating new needs and consumption with the aim to make profit (e.g. soft drinks). In addition, companies design flexible services that revolve around this product. Xerox was one of the first companies to succeed with this model. Instead of selling copy machines, they started selling the copies, meaning they provided the devices and charged users for the service of using them. Likewise, many car companies no longer just manufacture automobiles, but also develop car sharing systems. The user’s advantage with these service systems is that they are guaranteed a fully functional device. The company on the other hand is responsible for keeping it up to date and running. Subsequently, companies will also be responsible for recycling products or parts at their end-of-life, naturally encouraging them to make this as efficient as possible. The Future of Waste Right now, we are learning to make the most of resources, including our waste. The goal is to not let anything be thought of as waste, but to re-use and recycle everything, just like it’s done in nature. Many companies have started to mimic nature in their product design. One approach to guide these designs is called 'Cradle to Cradle’. [Cradle to Cradle] models human industry on nature’s processes viewing materials as nutrients circulating in healthy, safe metabolisms. It suggests that industry must protect and enrich ecosystems and nature’s biological metabolism while also maintaining a safe, productive technical metabolism for the high-quality use and circulation of organic and technical nutrients. Put simply, it is a holistic economic, industrial and social framework that seeks to create systems that are not only efficient but also essentially waste free. – Wikipedia, 2012 In a Forbes interview the co-founder of the 'Cradle to Cradle’ approach said: “We see all materials as nutrients and eliminate the concept of waste. We’re saying, “Don’t even think about waste; waste doesn’t exist.” How can we make everything a beneficial nutrient to either biology or technology?” – William McDonough In other words, waste will be recognized as a resource, meaning the concept of waste has no future. Our Future Our future hasn’t yet been decided; we are creating it every day. Nobody has figured this world out; neither nature nor humans are predictable and hence they are uncontrollable. In a sense, we are blindfolded and oblivious to the consequences of our actions. And like Karl, I believe that deep inside, everyone just wants to live a better life and contribute to a better world. In other words, not a single person is to blame for the mess we’re in. “I’m optimistic that everyone is trying to create a better tomorrow, maybe without full understanding of how. We have to create tomorrow without jeopardizing the day after tomorrow.” – Karl, Industrial Designer I don’t mean to say that there isn’t a value in exposing the wrong-doings of individuals or organizations. After all, where would we be today without the tireless efforts from organizations like Greenpeace, WWF, or Amnesty International? Think of their methods what you want, but you will have to agree with me in one point: They have done groundbreaking work with putting deep social and environmental issues into the center of public attention. Broad public awareness is a key to building sufficient leverage, lay pressure on decision makers, and move something. Image credits: Greenpeace International However, while creating awareness is extremely important in creating a better world, I believe we also have to approach issues with empathy. Instead of simply pointing a finger, creating frustration, and shifting the responsibility onto someone else, we need to contribute to the solution; all of us. Companies depend on us as customers. When we vote with our Dollars, they are forced to listen. So try to make conscious decisions when you consume. Buy local, spend money on quality, get informed and support companies that are socially and ecologically aware and produce accordingly, recycle your waste, and most of all, raise tough questions. Not only will it help you to reflect and learn, it will force others to think, and it might just inspire them to re-think their behavior. Buckminster Fuller, an American architect and systems theorist of the 20th century, liked to call this planet Spaceship Earth. You could also call it an over-sized Noah’s Ark; a big boat floating in the universe, and we’re all in it together. What happens in another part of the world affects all of us, the bad and the good. Let’s focus on the good and steer the ship into calmer waters. What are your optimistic and hopeful visions for the future? “You may say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one.” – John Lennon Image credits: Planet Earth Sunrise via Shutterstock Epilogue My own broken laptop will not be replaced, yet. I have completed this article on it. First, I attached the body to an external monitor, eventually removed the broken display, and meanwhile ordered a replacement LCD and repaired the laptop myself. Fortunately, the manufacturer has decided to use screws and plastic clips, rather than glue for the bezel. The design of the device makes it very easy to replace broken hardware and the replacement LCD was affordable. Thank you Sony! * name changed Image credits: Green Earth Recycle via Shutterstock The post Thou Shalt Consume: The Story of Consumer Electronics [Feature] appeared first on MakeUseOf.

5 Must-Have Strategy Games For iPad [iOS] Posted: 16 Apr 2013 09:30 AM PDT Touch controls are great for games that require thought rather than quick, twitch movement. You can plot moves, activate abilities and direct units all with the touch of…well, your touch. You'd expect that to mean excellent strategy games dominate the platform but, in fact, the most popular titles tend to be lighter fare or free-to-play games defeated with cash more quickly than skill. Here are a few strategy games for iPad that stand out for their quality rather than price. Anomaly Warzone Earth / Anomaly Korea ($3.99) The Anomaly series is an unconventional twist on the popular tower defense genre. Instead of playing the defenders, you play the attackers – a squadron of human troops infiltrating territory held by powerful invading aliens. This small band of heroes is led by the commander (that's you!), a super-trooper with various support abilities. Though the core gameplay is simple, Anomaly keeps the experience fresh by constantly throwing new challenges at the player. These come in the form of special objectives, new enemy types, new support abilities and new units. Even veteran strategists will feel the heat in the game's later levels. Anomaly Warzone Earth is the original title while Anomaly Korea offers additional levels and both are $3.99 on the App Store. The game is also available for Android, Blackberry, Mac OS X, Windows, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, though the mobile versions are cheaper than the rest. Battleheart ($2.99) This golden-oldie, which also earned honors from MakeUseOf as one of the best Android strategy games, combines real-time strategy with RPG elements to create a fun tactical combat game. Most of the game revolves around the battles themselves, which are akin to boss battles in role-playing games. Different enemies have different attacks and vulnerabilities that must be properly avoided or exploited. You can also field a variety of characters with their own abilities and equipment. Though the choices are simple at first, you're quickly given a significant cast and crew with many options. Your choices will decide the tactics you can use in battle and guide you through the game's campaign, which will occasionally let you choose which opponent you'd like to fight. Battleheart is $2.99 on the App Store and can also be purchased for Android. Battle of the Bulge ($9.99) Ten years from now we may look back on Battle of the Bulge as one of the iPad's most important games. While most other titles take a bite-sized approach, offering small battles with limited mechanics, this game has crafted a full war-gaming experience for your tablet. As the title implies, gamers can command Allied or Axis forces during one of World War II's most famous battles. This is an operational war game, which you'll be commanding from far above the terrain and overseeing grand strategy rather than unit-level tactics. Force allocation, positioning and unit composition make the difference between victory and defeat. All of this may sound intimidating, but don't fret – Battle Of The Bulge is reasonably intuitive. Just don't expect to win your first game. Or second. Or third. An iPad exclusive, Battle of the Bulge costs $9.99 on the App Store. Crimson: Steam Pirates (Free, In-App Purchases) Crimson is a turn-based pirate game made by Bungie. Yes, that Bungie. The game follows the story of an intrepid pirate who, like all pirates, seeks to earn fame, fortune and the love of a gorgeous woman. Cheesy? You bet, but the game owns it with its slick presentation and cartoonish in-game graphics. Combat involves the difficult task of piloting a huge hunk of metal effectively through narrow straights and past intimidating islands. Different ships have different characteristics like range, firing arcs and speed, all of which must be noted to emerge victorious. There’s no indication of how enemy ships will move, so you must act preemptively to make sure you're not flanked, out-ranged or divided. Despite the game's quality, you can download and play the first chapter of the campaign (two to three hours of content) for free. The second and third chapters are $1.99 and $2.99, respectively. Crimson can also be played on a PC via the Chrome web store. Eufloria HD ($4.99) This strange little strategy game for iPad has a long history. It was originally released in 2009 under the name Dyson and then re-released as Eufloria for both PC and PlayStation. The iPad version, named Eufloria HD, has been further modified and is the only version of the game that still receives updates. At its core the game is about force disposition. You command seedlings which colonize asteroids in the ether by planting trees within them, thus producing even more seedlings. Sometimes the asteroids are free to take, but often they're defended by other enemy seedlings none too happy about your incursion. Sound simple? It is, but strategy can be found in the details. Asteroids have their own unique properties, and attacks can only be launched at others within a certain range. The layout of a map can completely change how the game is played and maps are randomly generated, so they're always unique. You generally won't have an overwhelming force, so cracking an opponent while resisting counter-attacks is tricky. Eufloria HD is $4.99 on the App Store. It can also be purchased for Android. Bottom Line These five games represent the very best of strategy gaming on the iPad. They are all challenging, yet also intuitive, and are defeated by skill rather than micro-transactions. Don’t forget to check out more must-have iPad apps on our Best iPad Apps page, as well as our pick of iOS games on the Best iPhone Games page. Did we miss your favorite game? Let us know about it in the comments. The post 5 Must-Have Strategy Games For iPad [iOS] appeared first on MakeUseOf.

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