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You can actually get more out of a photograph with a cheap homemade reflector than an expensive lens when you are on the learning curve with your camera. The good thing is that the photography community is a friendly bunch. So, here’s a roundup of some useful digital camera hacks that don’t cost the Earth and the moon.
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Up until recently, touchscreens were mainly seen on smartphones and tablets. The launch of Windows 8, coupled with the advent of ultra-light Ultrabooks, made it more logical for laptops to come with touchscreen. But is the touchscreen on laptops really useful? Is it a feature you’d want on your new laptop? Would you tolerate it, or does it seem completely unnecessary?
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Two years ago, I told you about 5 easy ways to download and convert online videos. Recently, we also told you about ways to download YouTube videos to your Mac, and some ways you can download all videos from a YouTube playlist. All the tools we recommend are good ones, and we usually give you more than one option, so how do you go about choosing one? Which one is really the best?
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The advent of cell phones and smartphones made us all very used to being able to call, send messages and emails from everywhere, and being available no matter where we are. This is undoubtedly useful, but it can also be overwhelming at times. Would you consider shutting off your phone for an entire day, or would that be too much to bear?
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Cloud-based file sync services are easy to use and work well, but your privacy may or may not be your first priority. Not to mention the fact that these services always come with a storage quota, which you can work to maximize maximize, but a quota is a quota. If you're longing for an alternative, you should check out BitTorrent Sync.
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If you’re like me and you spend a huge portion of your day browsing the web then you understand how frustrating it is to have a slow, bloated browser that seems to be on its last leg. While some of that slowness can stem from issues unrelated to the browser, like ISP and computer hardware, there are some steps you can take to maximize browser speeds.
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I’m coming to the end of my trial period with Microsoft Office 2013. Over the weeks it has been a reasonably solid experience with one or two quirks causing me no end of frustration. But do I want to upgrade? Do I want to pay for a subscription or full purchase or would I prefer to stick with Microsoft Office 2010, a suite that I've been using successfully for several years now? Indeed, should I even think of abandoning Microsoft in favour of an open source alternative?
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Last week we asked if you would consider shutting off your cell phone for a whole day. I must say, I was surprised at the outcome of this poll. In an era so dominated by technology and Internet, you'd think people would be more attached to their phones. Let's take a look at how the vote turned out.
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Have you ever considered having a personal website? You know – a place where people can go to read about who you are, what you do, your goals and aspirations, and of course to contact you. This is the first article of a two-part series where we will explore the benefits of creating a personal website. Today, we'll cover the common misconceptions that are keeping you from creating an awesome personal website.
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The SupaBoy is a $80 handheld version of Nintendo's console made by a company called Hyperkin. For any classic game collector, the ability to play their games on the go is an incredible proposition, and the SupaBoy delivers that and more. So should you buy one? Read on to find out! Oh, and did I mention that we are giving one away to a lucky reader as part of Gaming Month?
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Smartphones can be important tools in an emergency. Besides providing the chance to call for help, a phone can act as a flashlight, compass and GPS. But all of a phone’s functions rely on the battery and the features most useful in a pinch are the ones that consume the most charge. Once the battery is flat, the phone becomes nothing more than a lump of plastic and metal.
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Various magazines and TV shows have been dedicated to the finer things in life, or at the very least the more expensive things in life. Are these things really worth that much, or is that just the price they put on them because they know rich people do stupid things too? Who knows. But here at MakeUseOf we'll keep our extravagant spending somewhat useful. Let's take a look at the Most Expensive iOS Apps available to those with caviar dreams and champagne wishes.
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Whether your goal is to maintain a healthy weight or lose those extra pounds, keeping track of your weight changes is an essential part of the process. Any obstacle to doing so will eventually halt your efforts. With the Fitbit Aria Wi-Fi Smart Scale, you needn't waste those extra moments - it'll sync your stats and store them for you. Now all you need to do is concentrate on actually exercising. We're giving away a Fitbit Aria, so read on to find out more about it, then join the contest!
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Google announced on Thursday that Gmail's new compose window feature will become the default option for users, and that it will do away with the old compose option soon thereafter. With the recent termination of Reader, Google has already been in the doghouse for some technology users, and if you're not a fan of the new compose, this is yet another feature you're going to have to give up on.
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Whenever I travel, I always make sure that I have some way of charging my iPhone and iPad on the go. Looking for a wall socket to charge up whilst remaining there for the entire duration is not an option in my book. Recently, I've been using the HyperJuice Plug 15,600 mAh external battery pack, and even though it isn't a battery case per se, I've found that it suits me perfectly for longer trips. Let's take a look at it. And yes, we're giving it away to one of you!
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