13 New Articles on MakeUseOf

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• 5 More Tools for the Movie & TV Fanatic
• Understanding Why Google Spends Billions on Acquisitions
• What Video Games Are You Keen To Play In 2015? [We Ask You]
• How to Use Your Smartphone As a Webcam for Your Computer
• Diamonds Are Obsolete: How Technology Makes a Better Gift
• Create Attractive Graphics Without A Design Background On Canva
• Looking For A DIY Home Security System Solution? Try One Of These
• Spice Up Your Windows Sound Effects With Amazing Resources
• Open Source Software and Forking: The Good, The Great and The Ugly
• The Right Way To Grow A New Online Community: 3 Examples
• Apple Tax: Why Do Macs Hold Their Resale Value?
• How The Robotic Air Force Is Changing Warfare
• Apple Makes Biggest Profit Ever, The Pirate Bay Rises from the Ashes [Tech News Digest]

5 More Tools for the Movie & TV Fanatic Posted: 28 Jan 2015 08:40 PM PST With all the depressing stuff going on in the world right now — wars, economic depression, poverty, the weather — it’s good to indulge in a bit of escapism from time to time. The quality of movies right now is terrific, and we seem to be going through a period of great TV making. “Game of Thrones” is a series which instantly comes to mind. But how do you discover the good stuff from the bad? How do you connect with like-minded individuals? How do you keep track of what you’ve seen and haven’t seen? We have discussed many movie... Read the full article: 5 More Tools for the Movie & TV Fanatic

Understanding Why Google Spends Billions on Acquisitions Posted: 28 Jan 2015 06:30 PM PST Google has not been shy about spending billions of dollars to acquire companies in which it sees value. Whether its a hot app that’s making waves or a cell phone company that holds some incredibly valuable patents, Google is willing to take some risks. But why did Google choose the companies it has purchased? What was the strategy? Which firms might Google have its eyes on next? Check out this fascinating infographic and you’ll get a look at just what Google was thinking with each one, and why it might choose to buy some other companies in the future. If... Read the full article: Understanding Why Google Spends Billions on Acquisitions

What Video Games Are You Keen To Play In 2015? [We Ask You] Posted: 28 Jan 2015 05:30 PM PST While gamers are as happy as pigs in mud playing whatever title currently has their attention, they always tend to have one eye on the future. Because the nature of the gaming industry is that there’s always something bigger and better being released somewhere down the line. This year is no exception, with plenty of amazing games penciled in for release during 2015. Your mission, if you choose to accept it, is sorting the wheat from the chaff and telling us which game or games you’re especially looking forward to playing in the coming months. Anticipation Overload We want to... Read the full article: What Video Games Are You Keen To Play In 2015? [We Ask You]

How to Use Your Smartphone As a Webcam for Your Computer Posted: 28 Jan 2015 12:00 PM PST Don’t have a webcam, but need to make an urgent video call on Skype or some other video conferencing service? Perhaps you already have a webcam and want to add a second camera to your setup? All you need is your Android phone and a suitable app. Why Use Your Phone As A Webcam? You’re caught short. Your children want to chat with their grandparents over Skype. Or perhaps it’s your boss, wanting a teleconference to discuss that report you submitted. But you don’t have a webcam. Although they come built into many monitors and all-in-one PCs, not everyone has... Read the full article: How to Use Your Smartphone As a Webcam for Your Computer

Diamonds Are Obsolete: How Technology Makes a Better Gift Posted: 28 Jan 2015 11:00 AM PST What was the last romantic gift you gave? Did it have a diamond? If not, you’re not alone. Diamond gifts as well are falling out of favour with many, particularly younger people. Perhaps it’s because of a suspicion of diamond marketing, and a rejection of the idea that love can be measured in cut, clarity, colour, and carat. Perhaps it’s because of growing awareness of blood diamonds fueling war in countries like Angola, Sierra Leone, and Côte d’Ivoire. But maybe it’s just that diamond jewelry isn’t very useful, and it’s tough to find extra cash to spend on fancy rocks. “Even... Read the full article: Diamonds Are Obsolete: How Technology Makes a Better Gift

Create Attractive Graphics Without A Design Background On Canva Posted: 28 Jan 2015 10:00 AM PST When it comes to giving your website and social network content an attractive edge, Canva is the online graphic design application and resource that can make it happen. I started a new blog site this year, and nearly all my designs for the site originate from Canva. I use Canva because it allows me, a novice graphic designer with a basic understanding of the principles of graphic design, to start with professionally designed templates, graphics, and font styles to make my site and social networks more appealing. Since we last reviewed Canva a few years ago, several useful tools and... Read the full article: Create Attractive Graphics Without A Design Background On Canva

Looking For A DIY Home Security System Solution? Try One Of These Posted: 28 Jan 2015 09:00 AM PST In the age of digital technology and always connected hardware, setting up a home security system should transcend the art of putting an alarm-shaped box on the wall. Securing your home in the 21st century should instead utilise all affordable technology to create a system that not only detects, but also alerts, as well as doing its best to identify. Such security systems can prove expensive to buy as a packaged option, as well as being a little inflexible. DIY security systems offer us a better degree of versatility, as well as having the added bonus of being less costly.... Read the full article: Looking For A DIY Home Security System Solution? Try One Of These

Spice Up Your Windows Sound Effects With Amazing Resources Posted: 28 Jan 2015 08:00 AM PST Windows will play a sound when you log on, if your battery is running low and if you encounter an error. But what if you want to mix things up a bit and change the sound scheme for your computer? Most people will customise their wallpaper or screensaver, but let's take it one step further by altering sound. A lightsaber swoosh when you receive an email? A famous movie quote when you shut down? The sky is the limit! This guide will briefly walk you through how to change your sound scheme and point you to some of the best... Read the full article: Spice Up Your Windows Sound Effects With Amazing Resources

Open Source Software and Forking: The Good, The Great and The Ugly Posted: 28 Jan 2015 07:00 AM PST There’s a grave misconception about the open source world. Far too many people think that it consists entirely of people working together for a common goal. That those who choose to write code, and give it away for free, are Digital Hippies; bearded, bespectacled, sandal-wearing folks who, if they had never discovered computers, would be sitting around a camp fire, strumming a guitar and singing Kumbaya. False. Totally, utterly false. There have been times when serious rifts have emerged in the open source community, which produced bitter feuds, schisms, and bad blood not seen since the heady days of Oasis and the... Read the full article: Open Source Software and Forking: The Good, The Great and The Ugly

The Right Way To Grow A New Online Community: 3 Examples Posted: 28 Jan 2015 06:00 AM PST Why do some communities thrive while others struggle to survive? Thousands of online communities sprout up every day but few of them ever take root. Among those that do, even fewer last longer than a couple of years. What’s the secret here? Unfortunately, there’s no surefire answer to that question yet. The best we can do is to look at the online communities of today, study what worked and didn’t work for them, and apply that knowledge when forming our own community building strategies. So what’s the right way to grow an online community? Let’s look at a few stories. Focus Activity... Read the full article: The Right Way To Grow A New Online Community: 3 Examples

Apple Tax: Why Do Macs Hold Their Resale Value? Posted: 28 Jan 2015 05:00 AM PST You’ve probably heard it before: Macs may cost more, but they hold their value. You get more of the up-front cost back by selling your Mac. Is this true, and if so why? Jeff Trachsel, the CMO of electronics reseller NextWorth, says Mac fans aren’t just crazy: the trend is real. “Apple products are generally worth about twice as much as other devices at the same period in their lifecycle,” he said in a Gizmodo article published back in 2013. Some Quick, Unscientific Research This intrigued me, so I quickly did some research. I turned to eBay, looking only at recently completed auctions. First... Read the full article: Apple Tax: Why Do Macs Hold Their Resale Value?

How The Robotic Air Force Is Changing Warfare Posted: 28 Jan 2015 04:00 AM PST It’s no secret that militaries around the world are increasingly turning to robots and drones to replace and augment traditional soldiers. We’ve shown you some of the military drones of the future and looked into some pretty creepy underwater eel drones. But there’s a lot more going on above our heads. Moving Beyond Unmanned Flight At the moment, drones are primarily a tool of warfare and intelligence gathering that keep operators out of danger. Many of the things that they do could easily be done by a more traditional aircraft, but risking an extremely expensive craft and highly trained pilot isn’t... Read the full article: How The Robotic Air Force Is Changing Warfare

Apple Makes Biggest Profit Ever, The Pirate Bay Rises from the Ashes [Tech News Digest] Posted: 28 Jan 2015 03:30 AM PST Everything is awesome for Apple, The Pirate Bay returns, hotels told not to block WiFi, YouTube dumps Flash, Grim Fandango Remastered arrives, and Budweiser transforms guy into Pac-Man. Apple Is Doing Rather Well, Thank You However did Apple manage to make those profits when all they charge for a power cable is £65? — Tony Hawks (@thefridgeman) January 28, 2015 Apple wants you to know it’s doing rather well financially, thanks for asking. In this case, “rather well” means making the most profit in a quarter of all time. And not just for Apple either, but out of every single... Read the full article: Apple Makes Biggest Profit Ever, The Pirate Bay Rises from the Ashes [Tech News Digest]

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