15 New Articles on MakeUseOf

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• 5 Websites to Listen to the Radio
• Is There a Best Time of Day to Be Creative?
• 8 Eye-Popping Ultra HD Videos To Watch On Your New 4K TV [Stuff to Watch]
• 10 Things You Need to Know About Yik Yak
• Top 20 Platformer Games Of All Time
• Windows 10 January Build Includes Many Exciting Changes & Some Bugs
• 7 Fun & Weird Things You Can Create With Microsoft Excel
• Anatomy of a Scam: The “Windows Tech Support” Con Examined
• How a Battery Works and 3 Ways You Can Ruin It
• This is What Technology In North Korea Looks Like
• Is Apple Maps a Reliable Navigator Yet?
• 3 Early Access Games That Were Actually Released (And Successful!)
• The Ultimate Guide to Watching Online TV with Private Internet Access
• Is Registry Mechanic a Virus, And How Can You Remove It?
• How to Start Multiple Windows Programs in a Batch

5 Websites to Listen to the Radio Posted: 26 Jan 2015 08:30 PM PST To anyone born after the Internet went mainstream, I would like to introduce to you an amazing invention that we PreNets (Pre-Internets — what I call anyone born before the Internet age) used when listening to music or the news. It is an amazing device but it had its limitations though. You couldn’t decide the music — it decided for you. And the radio decided what news was the most important. Yes, I know. Medieval concepts. But the radio stations have thrived online, there are portable radio apps, radio smartphone apps, and there are sites which bring you radio from... Read the full article: 5 Websites to Listen to the Radio

Is There a Best Time of Day to Be Creative? Posted: 26 Jan 2015 06:30 PM PST Creativity while writing is a fleeting thing. Sometimes, your mind is just firing on all cylinders, and it feels like you can do no wrong. Other times, it feels like you have a million things to do and you just can’t get the words flowing. When faced with a deadline, this can be a terrifying situation. Is there anything you can do? As it turns out, there are certain points throughout the day when creativity flows better, and there’s actually some science behind it, as this infographic shows. Check it out, and see if following this schedule helps you be... Read the full article: Is There a Best Time of Day to Be Creative?

8 Eye-Popping Ultra HD Videos To Watch On Your New 4K TV [Stuff to Watch] Posted: 26 Jan 2015 05:30 PM PST Wander down to your local electronics boutique and you’re sure to find a selection of commanding 4K TVs, just begging to take over your living room. If TV doesn’t cut it, a new breed of computer monitor, newer iMacs and even virtual reality headsets are all going 4K – but there’s just one problem. Content is sparse. The latest games consoles only output a 1080p image, and you’ll need to spend serious money on a couple of high-end graphics cards if you’re hoping to enjoy the upcoming GTA V in 4K. But that doesn’t mean there’s nothing in 4K to watch. We’ve trawled high and... Read the full article: 8 Eye-Popping Ultra HD Videos To Watch On Your New 4K TV [Stuff to Watch]

10 Things You Need to Know About Yik Yak Posted: 26 Jan 2015 11:00 AM PST Even if you’ve never heard of Yik Yak, you probably know someone who uses it. The app, which lets anyone post anonymous messages visible only to others nearby, has a massive following in university towns – enough to be valued between $300 to $400 million by investors, despite not being monetized right now. Meanwhile, college administrations across American have tried to ban the app without much success (though it is completely blocked at middle and high schools). You might have heard all this and more, but what does Yik Yak actually do? The best way to find out is to install the... Read the full article: 10 Things You Need to Know About Yik Yak

Top 20 Platformer Games Of All Time Posted: 26 Jan 2015 10:00 AM PST Though they don’t come around often, there are video games that changed the world. Whether they introduced gaming to the masses, brought revolutionary new gameplay or concepts to the medium, or were simply must-play titles, video games clearly aren’t a fringe hobby any longer. Desiring to experience these games for yourself makes a lot of sense, but deciding which ones are the best from the list of thousands can prove daunting. Sure, you could use websites to find out which games are king, but today I’m here to give you personal recommendations about a specific genre. Perhaps you’re a new... Read the full article: Top 20 Platformer Games Of All Time

Windows 10 January Build Includes Many Exciting Changes & Some Bugs Posted: 26 Jan 2015 09:30 AM PST Windows 10 Build 9926 is a big leap forward. It comes with new apps and features, most notably Cortana, Continuum, and an overhauled Start menu, Action Center, and Settings app. As Microsoft’s Joe Belfiore said, it’s an early build, which means we have a number of known bugs in this build, but fixes are imminent. The consumer preview was rolled out on Friday, both to the fast and slow ring of Windows Insiders. Before you upgrade, make sure all updates were installed and you have around 4 GB of free space. If you’re installing from scratch, you can get the... Read the full article: Windows 10 January Build Includes Many Exciting Changes & Some Bugs

7 Fun & Weird Things You Can Create With Microsoft Excel Posted: 26 Jan 2015 09:00 AM PST Think Excel is just for spreadsheets? Think again — there are plenty of fun and interesting things to do with the program that are sure to change your mind. If you’ve ever used Excel in the classroom or the office, you will already be familiar with its ability to create charts and organize data. However, delving a little deeper into its capabilities will reveal just how powerful a program it really is. With a surprisingly broad range of graphical options, as well as the flexibility that its implementation of VBA and macros offers up, there’s plenty of scope to use Excel... Read the full article: 7 Fun & Weird Things You Can Create With Microsoft Excel

Anatomy of a Scam: The “Windows Tech Support” Con Examined Posted: 26 Jan 2015 08:30 AM PST They’re constantly on the prowl: cold calling scammers claiming to be from “Windows Tech Support”, who in reality have the nefarious aim of downloading spyware and/or charging you for their assistance while they are remotely connected (or, worse still, both). It’s one of the biggest scams on the web, and it still goes on. The fact that it persists strongly suggests that the scam still works, and with VOIP offering a low cost overhead for endless cold calling, these characters have the means to call as many people as they can fit into a working day. But let’s not be... Read the full article: Anatomy of a Scam: The “Windows Tech Support” Con Examined

How a Battery Works and 3 Ways You Can Ruin It Posted: 26 Jan 2015 08:00 AM PST One of the most useful electronic devices available to us is also one of the most common. The modern battery is featured in so many of our favourite technologies that you could almost be forgiven for not spending time learning about their workings. But the time has now come for you to expand your knowledge base by understanding just how the smartphone in your pocket is powered, what are the common battery varieties and what you can do to prolong their lifespan. A Brief History of Batteries Alessandro Volta demonstrated the first functioning electromagnetic battery in 1800. His stack of... Read the full article: How a Battery Works and 3 Ways You Can Ruin It

This is What Technology In North Korea Looks Like Posted: 26 Jan 2015 07:30 AM PST North Korea is an enigma. Since the end of the Korean war in 1953, it has existed as an isolated hermit kingdom, cut off from the rest of the world. Few tourists visit. It only recently normalized diplomatic relations with the Western World, and still isn’t on speaking terms with the United States. The buildings are faded and exist in a perpetual state of decay. Propaganda posters line the streets, and patriotic music constantly blares from sirens. It exists as a time capsule to a forgotten era. A Neo-Soviet playground. But inside, there are people just like you and I.... Read the full article: This is What Technology In North Korea Looks Like

Is Apple Maps a Reliable Navigator Yet? Posted: 26 Jan 2015 07:00 AM PST If you’re a frequent traveler, one of the biggest returns on your investment in an iPhone is Apple’s navigation aid, Maps. After dropping Google Maps from iOS devices in 2012, Apple patched up some of the initial problems with Maps, and in 2013 announced that Maps would also be included in OS X Mavericks. If you need GPS navigation on a regular basis, you’ll find that Maps can save you time, money and sanity when planning your next trip. Maps includes a flyover view of tourist areas,  3-D navigation view of buildings, local traffic search, links to business reviews and photos and access to map information in Messages. The availability of these... Read the full article: Is Apple Maps a Reliable Navigator Yet?

3 Early Access Games That Were Actually Released (And Successful!) Posted: 26 Jan 2015 06:00 AM PST Steam’s Early Access program is a mixed bag. Boiled down to its essence, Early Access is little more than a paid beta test — except the one doing the paying is the tester rather than the developer. It’s a strange concept that has been increasingly criticized since it debuted in March 2013. In theory, Early Access isn’t so bad. You get to play the game now instead of waiting for it to release, and you can provide feedback that helps guide the development process. In reality, it’s an extremely risky move. A report by GamesIndustry claims that only 25% of... Read the full article: 3 Early Access Games That Were Actually Released (And Successful!)

The Ultimate Guide to Watching Online TV with Private Internet Access Posted: 26 Jan 2015 05:30 AM PST Open the door to a world of video-streaming and entertainment through Private Internet Access. Virtual private networks (VPNs) allow you to push your network traffic through an encrypted tunnel, making it easy to hide your identity, and to browse the Internet securely when using public access points. Traditionally, they were one of the tricks of the trade for business travelers — VPNs were used primarily for weary, far-flung employees to to access their company’s internal network from public WiFi networks provided hotels and cafes. Other more privacy-concerned organizations used VPNs as a way for remote workers to send privileged communications... Read the full article: The Ultimate Guide to Watching Online TV with Private Internet Access

Is Registry Mechanic a Virus, And How Can You Remove It? Posted: 26 Jan 2015 05:00 AM PST Often slow PCs can be repaired using a registry fixing tool, designed to repair errors in the Windows registry. We’ve covered many such tools on MakeUseOf in the past, and have even recommended some tools to monitor the registry for errors. The problem is, not all of these tools work. Some are just rubbish; others promise more than they can deliver. The rest are malware. There’s one registry fixer that promises much while being rubbish, and ransomware, at the same time: PC Tools Registry Mechanic. Fortunately, it can be removed with relative ease. What Is PC Tools Registry Mechanic? Initially formed... Read the full article: Is Registry Mechanic a Virus, And How Can You Remove It?

How to Start Multiple Windows Programs in a Batch Posted: 26 Jan 2015 04:00 AM PST You often open certain programs, files and folders to perform a task, like launching Chrome, a Pomodoro timer, Irfanview and Microsoft Word to start your work day. Wouldn’t it be easier to do that with just one click? If your programs and files often change, then you can look at an app like MadAppLauncher to assign hotkeys to different programs. It’s quick, but you’ll have to remember all those keyboard shortcuts, not to mention it’ll take more time. To launch programs in a batch, you have plenty of other options. Create Your Own Shortcut To Launch Programs In A Batch... Read the full article: How to Start Multiple Windows Programs in a Batch

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