How We Watch Movies [INFOGRAPHIC]
It was only a mere 15 years ago when I was working at Blockbuster Video in Scotland, raising money for my numerous overseas travels. Back then, the VHS videotape ruled supreme, and DVD's were something that had just been introduced (and were a bit of a passing fad, not expected to last). Now, 15 years on, Blockbuster is gone, the videotape is becoming extinct, and we have moved on from DVD's to Blu-Rays and 3-D television. Isn't technology wonderful?
35 Top Restaurant Apps [INFOGRAPHIC]
While dining in our favourite restaurant a couple of weeks back, my wife and I couldn't help but notice that a lot of the customers were on their mobile phones. The woman on the table next to us was on Yelp, leaving a review - moments after putting her fork down. She was having a rather loud conversation with her partner about what rating to give, all the time while the waiters - and the owner - looked on nervously.
The Hottest Tech Jobs [INFOGRAPHIC]
When I was little, I wanted to be a trash collector. Then a postman. Then I decide to up the ante and become an astronaut, while most of my classmates were more concerned about becoming soldiers, doctors and professional layabouts. But these days, with advances in computers and technology, kids are more likely to want to go into other careers, jobs that were just pure fantasy when I was at school (I'm really showing my age here aren't I?).
Is The Console Dying? [INFOGRAPHIC]
If I take a quick glance at my iPhone or iPad right now, I can see right away that a majority of the apps are games. That's because as time goes on, more and more high quality games are being brought out for tablets and mobiles. We all know the Angry Birds phenomenon but how about Tetris? Or Diamond Mine? Or a nice soccer game? With addictive games like these, it's no wonder that my Nintendo Wii games console is dusty and unloved.
The History Of Microsoft Technology [INFOGRAPHIC]
We all like to bash Microsoft and Windows, but the truth is that they have been around for so long and given us so much software and technology, that we couldn't possibly imagine a computing world without them. Their software is installed by default onto every new PC (whether we like it or not) and who do you know that doesn't know Word or Powerpoint? Or how many young people don't know what an XBox is?
Why It Sucks Being The IT Guy [INFOGRAPHIC]
One of my favourite comedy shows has to be, without a doubt, The IT Crowd. Before, the IT department in a company had this image of being the fun killers that stopped you from browsing Facebook on the company computers during your lunch break. Post-IT Crowd, suddenly the IT departments were hip, cool and fun people to be around. What a difference a TV show makes (and it's set to return next year).
The Advertisers Guide To Mobile [INFOGRAPHIC]
We've had Web 1.0 and 2.0. Now we're into the era of the Smartphone Web, the time when every man and his dog has a smartphone in their pocket, playing Angry Birds on the bus, and doing price comparison shopping in the middle of a store. My wife and I are extremely guilty of that. We've been thrown out of many shops because we've stood there with our phones and compared prices with online stores to see who is cheaper.
7 Online Resources To Help Those Who Are Depressed & Suicidal
Even though I am the Managing Editor of MakeUseOf, I have a huge disability in my life which is clinical depression. It started back in 2002, as a depression related to stress in my job, and it exploded in 2003 resulting in a huge mental breakdown and full blown suicidal clinical depression. It was a very dark period in my life back then, and I wouldn't have wished those symptoms and feelings on my worst enemies.
Smartphone - Smarter Healthcare? [INFOGRAPHIC]
Whoever said that a smartphone is the extension of someone's hand was spot-on. For it seems that everytime someone gets an ache or a pain, the first thing they do is consult their phone or tablet, not their doctor. Take that Doogie Howser. Move over Doctor House. Doctor iPhone is in the room and is taking charge. And I have to admit to doing it myself on occasion, using sites like WebMD or even just Google.
Stumble Through 2012 [INFOGRAPHIC]
One of the greatest inventions ever made on the Internet, has to be without a doubt, Stumbleupon. Stumbleupon is responsible for people finding websites they wouldn't normally find, as well as destroying an entire day in front of the computer. You begin stumbling through a few sites and 6 hours later, you're sitting in a zombie-like state, glazed eyes, finger clicking automatically on the mouse key, droning "just one more site, just one more...."
Android App Distribution - Best Practices To Achieve Maximum Exposure [INFOGRAPHIC]
Did you get an Android smartphone for Christmas? You can bet that the number of Android phones sold during the holiday period has skyrocketed and all those new phone owners will be looking for some nice new shiny apps to install, to get the most out of their new device. If you are an Android app developer, this is the golden moment to get your app out there in front of all those eyeballs.
Is Photography Dead? The Mobile Photo Explosion [INFOGRAPHIC]
It seems like only yesterday that I was taking my camera film to the store to be developed. Then I would return a few days later to discover that I had messed up a lot of the photos with heads missing, people cut in half, badly lit rooms, red eyes making people look like vampires....and I would end up cursing the amount of money I had just spent getting the roll of film developed. But then digital cameras came along.......
The 11 Years Of The iPod [INFOGRAPHIC]
I can fondly remember my first iPod. I was a late entrant to the whole Apple craze, and after years of owning crappy MP3 players that broke down constantly and had bad sound, I decided to take the plunge and buy an iPod. At the time, it was one of those big white chunky ones with the spinning wheel in the middle and to me, this thing was revolutionary. I ended up listening to more music than I had ever listened to in my entire life.
The Idiot's Guide To Adding Website Bookmarks On Your Google Chrome New Tab Page
For the past couple of years now, I have more or less been exclusively using Google Chrome as my day-to-day work browser. It is simply one of the best products that Google has ever produced. But saying that, there are some irritating things about Chrome that really bother me. One of them was not being able to bookmark any site I wanted to on my New Tab page. But now I have found the solution and I want to share it with all of you.
Email - Friend Or Foe? [INFOGRAPHIC]
One of the first things I do in the morning, when I sit down at my desk, is check my email. And my job involves so much email that I can pretty much guarantee that I will spend at least the first hour of my working day getting through all of the new stuff and following up on older emails. It is a tedious part of the job, but unfortunately it's also a fact of life. Every office-based job these days involves sending and receiving email.
Best iOS Apps For Mobile Learning [INFOGRAPHIC]
The "problem" with having a smartphone is that there are simply too many apps to try out. Just as you've found 10 good apps to try, another 20 come along, demanding your time and attention. Suddenly, everything else in your life is put on hold, as you try out the latest new iOS game or the latest Android productivity app (ironic, I know). But which ones are the best in their respective categories?
The Health Hazards Of Tablet Use [INFOGRAPHIC]
I've never really thought about this until now, but if you use a tablet extensively, you have to watch how you're seated when you're using it. Just like how you sit in front of a normal computer matters to your back and neck posture, the same rules equally apply to when you're using your iPad, Android tablet or Kindle Fire.
Paywall Trend On The Internet [INFOGRAPHIC]
Being a former newspaper journalist, I can sympathise to a very large extent with the plight of print media. With the relentless onslaught of the Internet, and peoples expectations that "information should be free", print media is caught between a rock and a very hard place. If they modernise and make their news sites open and free to all, they start to hemorrhage money right away, the quality of investigative journalism goes down and soon that same staff are laid off.
The Anatomy of Nerds & Geeks [INFOGRAPHIC]
If you are a regular reader of MakeUseOf, and you like computers & technology, then there's a good chance you fall into one of two camps - the Nerd or the Geek. Both have their own interests and identifying marks, but on the other hand, there is also a lot that they have in common. The question is, which camp do you fall into?