5 Vital System Tools Every Windows User Should Know About
Not sure why your computer keeps crashing? If you've been afraid to poke around your system and figure out how to maintain it, don't fear: it's simpler than you think. There are plenty of articles on this very site pointing out third-party tools for maintaining your Windows system. What we occasionally overlook, however, are the tools Windows provides out of the box for doing the same things. Knowing where to find tools for scanning your hard drive and memory can't hurt – and neither can some basic diagnostic tools.
Hate YouTube's New Layout? Try Out YouTube TV Instead
Enjoy a streamlined version of YouTube that's usable from your couch and lets you follow the channels you love, easily. YouTube's TV version just might be the best way to use the web's best video site, and most people aren't aware it even exists. It's controllable with just a few buttons, visible far from the TV screen and generally much cleaner than the standard site. And you don't need to be using a TV to use it – YouTube TV works great in your HTML5 compliant browser of choice.
3 Ways to Backup Evernote (and Do You Need To?)
Unlike, say, Dropbox, Evernote does not offer a revision history, your content all syncs as-is. This means you could potentially lose any note you accidentally delete from the trash, or any content you accidentally delete from a specific note. If you share a particular notebook other users might make changes you don't like. You get the idea: information goes away sometimes. As with any software, backups are the only real answer for that. Take matters into your own hands: back up the notes, notebooks and other information you store in Evernote.
Startup Disk Nearly Full? 6 Space-Saving Tips For Critically Encumbered Macs
Whether you're wondering if your full drive is affecting performance or just want some extra room, a few simple steps can free up a lot of space. It's a good idea to leave between five and 10 per cent free on your Mac. This is because your Mac uses that space for virtual memory, caches and more. If your drive is too full, and you're not sure what to do, here are some steps to consider.
Points For Everything: How I Tried to Win At Life With Gamification
My brain is stupid. It thinks I can get done tomorrow what I need to do today, and that I can do this afternoon what I need to do this morning. It puts everything off. It's why present me always resents past me – even as present me dumps work on future me. Like I said: stupid. But motivation is a curious thing.
4 Things You Didn't Know About BitTorrent
What do you think of when you hear the word “BitTorrent”? It probably depends on who you are. If you're an average Internet user, you think of free stuff. If you’re the president of a large multimedia corporation you think of pirates, grabbing your goodies without paying. And if you’re not technically inclined, you think of the magical way in which your tech-savvy friends find all that great stuff they didn’t pay for.
Pomodoro Web App Tomato.es Is Time Management Made Simple
Can't focus? Get to work, now. Tomato.es is a free Pomodoro timer you can use directly in your browser – and it's possibly the best such app I've ever used. The Pomodoro technique is simple: work for 25 minutes, non-stop, then take a five minute break. Repeat three times, then take a 15 minute break. Continue repeating until all of your daily tasks are complete – or it's time to sleep.
Curious About Linux? 5 Easy & No Risk Ways To Try Linux On Your Windows PC
Want to check out Linux, but fear you might wreck your existing Windows installation? Don't. There are plenty of risk-free ways to try Linux, from live CDs to USB keys to virtual machines. Whether you're thinking of ditching Windows or simply want to tinker with some tech, Linux is worth looking into. If you want to see how user friendly Linux can be, I recommend starting with Ubuntu, though others will tell you Linux Mint is a better first experience. If you consider yourself a geek, at least try it out.
Superpower Your MacBook Trackpad
Whether you want to use your trackpad as an improvised drawing tablet or control every aspect of your Mac using gestures, you can - if you know the right tools to use. Multi-touch means your trackpad knows precisely how many fingers are on its surface, and what they're doing. A few default gestures take advantage of this – two-finger scrolling and pinch-to-zoom, for example – but there's a lot more potential here. Let's go over the many ways to get the most out of your Mac's trackpad, shall we?
How Do I Record a Call With Skype On A Mac?
Sometimes you just might want to record your Skype conversations. Skype itself does not provide a way to do this, but Mac users can find a variety of tools for the job on the web. How hard is the process? Well, as the old adage goes: you can find a simple, high-quality tool but it won't be free; you can find a free, simple tool but it won't be high quality; and you can find a free, high-quality tool, but it won't be simple. Confused? Don't be. Let's outline your options.
So You Think You Own The Books and Games You Paid For? [Opinion]
I've got a shelf full of books. I love them. I read them. I even use them as a backdrop for my wife's science videos. And sometimes, I lend them to friends. It's not complicated, lending out books – you just hand your friend the book. If you're lucky, your friend brings it back (and you get to share a great conversation). If not, your friend has a book – and you no longer do. Since the dawn of human civilization, this is how lending worked.
Play Practically Any Interactive Fiction Game With Spatterlight for Mac
Text-based adventures aren't exactly top sellers today. They haven't disappeared, however - a massive online community creates, plays and discusses these games. Unfortunately, when you download a game, it's not immediately obvious what you're supposed to do with it. Spatterlight is an attractive app that opens Inform, TADS and almost any other format of interactive fiction – all with the sort of typography the '80s didn't offer and that makes it an app that every interactive fiction fan should install.
RedReader: A Better Way To Browse Reddit [Android]
Reddit's the best time sink on the web, with a community surrounding just about any topic (including some hilarious specific things) and a culture that helps spread and spawn some of the web's best humor. Its interface, however, is famously terrible – especially on finicky phones. Try a fast Reddit Android client that looks great, doesn't include ads and is open source to boot. RedReader is an up-and-coming app that's quickly adding features, and it just might be the best Reddit experience out there for Android users.
CleanMyDrive Cleans Up After Your Mac So You Don't Have To
Macs leave all sorts of files on your drives that could potentially annoy Windows and Linux users. Some of these files – like the contents of the Trash – can take up a lot of space. Others – like DS_Store and Spotlight's various markers – are just plain annoying. Whether it's deleted files or the random crap like "DS_Store" OS X loves to leave behind, CleanMyDrive automates the removal of junk. Put simply: it's a free, automated way to remove crap files.
GNote: Take Notes & Create Your Own Personal Wiki [Linux]
Organize your life with your own private wiki. GNotes is a simple Linux note-taking app that allows you to quickly link one thought to another, turning your research or journaling into an inter-weaving database that's easy to reference. It's your own personal desktop wiki. Wish you were better organized? Start writing things down. GNote is an application you can use to outline and store your thoughts.
Churnalism: Find Out When Reporters Re-Print Press Releases
Find out when journalists are copying paragraphs from press releases, or using Wikipedia in place of research. Churnalism is a website – and a browser extension – that allows you to find out when reporters were lazy about a particular story. Churnalism compares the news you're reading with a database of press releases.
Secret Maryo Chronicles - Open Source Remake Of Golden Age Mario
Try a new spin on a platform classic. With Mario-style sidescrolling, cartoon-style graphics and music any gamer should find familiar, the open source Secret Maryo Chronicles is a worthwhile diversion for any computer owner. Even better, you can easily create your own Maryo levels. The name "Secret Maryo Chronicles" isn't subtle, but neither is the game itself. Everything about this project screams "fan-made Mario clone".
Clipping Magic: Remove The Background From Any Photo In Just A Few Clicks
Removing the background from a photo is something Photoshop pros can do in their sleep, but if you find the process hard – and Photoshop expensive – you can be forgiven. Thanks to Clipping Magic, however, you’re also perfectly capable of removing backgrounds yourself.