Free Anti-Virus Comparison: 5 Popular Choices Go Toe-To-Toe
What is the best free antivirus? This is among the most common questions we receive at MakeUseOf. People want to be protected, but they don’t want to have to pay a yearly fee or use bloated security suites with unwanted features. I myself am a free antivirus user for these very reasons. Discovering the best anti-virus isn’t easy, however.
5 Reasons To Go Back To SimCity 4 [Opinion]
The city builder is a genre that’s nearly disappeared over the last decade. It’s a victim of the market. City builders aren’t the kind of flash-bang titles that big publishers usually love, but they’re also too complex for most small studios to tackle. Electronic Arts will finally revive the SimCity franchise next year, but if you haven’t played the game recently – or *gasp* at all – here are five reasons to fire it up.
The 5 Best Android Devices You Can Buy This Fall
Android devices have always struggled with a stigma of being a bit low-class compared to Apple’s lofty products. This may have been deserved when the first products hit the market years ago, but manufacturers have been working harder to catch up. Today, there are many options for the enthusiast that can go toe-to-toe with the best products running any other operating system.
The Gadgets And Games Of Kickstarter: September 18th 2012 Edition
Welcome to the inaugural edition of What’s Happening On Kickstarter. Perhaps you haven’t heard, but there is this nifty little website where people can pledge to support projects that they’re interested in. Just little things such as Android game consoles, eInk watches and high-budget video games. Each Kickstarter is its own drama representing the hopes and dreams of at least one person. Will it succeed? Will it fail?
How To Upgrade Your Laptop In a Flash: Add a New Hard Drive & Increase RAM
Laptops are not as easy to upgrade as desktops. Many components are simply soldered on to the motherboard and others, though technically replaceable, are restricted by technical skill and cost. There are, however, two upgrades you can perform that will improve your laptop. One is beefing up the RAM, and the second is replacing the hard drive – preferably with a solid state drive.
5 New Video Card Features You Should Know About [MakeUseOf Explains]
Computer games are not difficult for most modern video cards to handle, but that hasn’t stopped the performance war between AMD and NVIDIA. It’s only raised the bar. 1080p is now a mundane resolution. To really push the hardware you need a 2560x1440 display – or more. The red and green teams are also firing at each other with new features designed to give each an edge.
Is A USB 3.0 Thumb Drive Worth The Premium?
USB 3.0 has been around for awhile, but its introduction to the world has been slow. It’s only now common among new desktop and laptops, most of which ship with at least two USB 3.0 ports. Flash drive manufacturers have responded by producing a wide range of USB 3.0 drives sold under exciting names like SuperSonic XT and Voyager. You might be staring at your old USB 2.0 drive and wondering if an upgrade is worthwhile. What’s the advantage?
How To Set Up Email On Your Own Domain With Google Apps
If you run your own website or self-hosted blog it’s a good idea to have an email that shares its domain. This will lend additional credibility to your website and make it clear that people are communicating with you in your capacity as webmaster instead of communicating with you personally. You can bypass all the fuss by setting up an email with your domain on Google Apps.
The 5 Best Places to Watch Competitive Gaming Online
Competitive gaming seems to be hitting its stride. Finding out where to watch professionals compete can still be a problem, however. For all their effort, a lot of the sites dedicated to pro gaming are tragically confusing, poorly updated or simply abandoned. Discovering decent sources can take a little time with Google if you’re not familiar, so I’ve done the legwork for you.
The 10 Best PC Platformers Under 10 Bucks
The PC probably is not the average gamer’s first choice when it comes to platforming, but this is only because other genres overshadow the robust selection of platformers that are available for computers. In fact, some recent platform games started on PC or are best when played on the PC. All you need to do is grab a controller (I recommend the Xbox 360 controller) and then stock up on games. There are many out there, and some of the best ever released are available at affordable prices. Let’s take a gander at the ten best under ten bucks.
What Is A RAM Disk, And How You Can Set One Up
Solid state hard drives aren’t the first non-mechanical storage to appear in consumer PCs. RAM has been used for decades, but primarily as a short-term storage solution. The fast access times of RAM makes it perfect for storing data related to programs that are currently running on a system. Enthusiasts have long tried to harness the advantages of short-term storage by creating what is known as a RAM disk.
6 Places To Buy DRM-Free Games [MUO Gaming]
Since I’ve decided not to buy games from Steam, I need to find other sources. Many of them are actually worse than Steam itself. Ubisoft’s store is baffling and full of annoying DRM. Electronic Art’s Origin service is more functional and less distracting, but worse than Steam overall. And Gamestop has done an excellent job of ruining the Impulse service since it bought it from Stardock. What’s a gamer to do?
Which Tablet Is The Best For Gaming?
Mobile gaming is kind of a big deal. Most games available for tablets aren’t as long as the best titles for handheld consoles, but some are just as deep in both story and mechanics. As for selection, well, there’s just no way Nintendo or Sony can compete with the iOS and Android app stores. Even some hardcore gamers are now turning to tablets as an alternative to handheld consoles. Which begs the question - if you care about gaming, what tablet is the best?
Why I’m No Longer Buying Games On Steam [Opinion]
Steam is now approaching 10 years old. Its impact has been undeniable. Millions of gamers enjoy the service’s seamless community services, low prices and excellent selection. I have been one of them – until now. While I will be keeping my current Steam games (of course) I will no longer be buying products there. If a game is released only through Steam, I will not play it. Here’s why.
What You Need To Know Before Buying A Tablet
Tablets are starting to mature. Android’s new 4.1 release includes tweaks that dramatically improve the user experience. Apple’s iPad is now on its third iteration and continues to dominate the market. And Microsoft is about to enter the scene with Windows 8 RT, which is likely to inspire a range of new options. If you’re thinking of buying a tablet you are not alone. The market has been growing and looks set for further expansion.
Samsung 830 Solid State Drive (SSD) 512 GB Review and Giveaway
Now we're reviewing one of the most well-known entries into the solid state drive market – the Samsung 830 SSD (Series MZ-7PC512N/AM 2.5" SATA III MLC). And we're not just reviewing any small, inexpensive version. Instead we're taking a look at the 512 GB variant, which we purchased. This is the largest capacity available and also one of the largest solid state drives available on the market today. We're also giving away a brand new unit. That's right! One very lucky reader will be receiving a 512 GB Samsung 830 SSD for free! Read on and join the contest to win it!
5 Reasons You Should Play Orcs Must Die! 2
Sometimes an indie game comes out of seemingly nowhere and blows up on the scene, gaining significant attention and much praise. Orcs Must Die! was a perfect example. The game, which was largely unknown until just before its release, gained numerous positive reviews and did so well that its developer has released a sequel just nine months later.
Hardcore Hardware Upgrades: How To Install Or Replace Your Own CPU
The processor remains one of the most important components in a modern computer. Upgrading it can provide significant benefits in certain games and applications, particularly if you are switching from a dual-core or quad-core model, or upgrading from some older processor architecture. It’s also not that complicated a project for a geek to tackle, but it can seem daunting.
The Fading Games Of Yesterday, And How We Preserve Them [Feature]
What is your favorite video game of all time? If you’re in your twenties, or older, there’s a good chance that you answer to this question isn’t a recent title. It may be a classic RPG like Baldur’s Gate. Perhaps it’s Halo, a benchmark against which all other console shooters are compared. It could be X-Com, a brilliant strategy that is now repeatedly ruined by spin-offs. Or maybe you’re a fan of Elite, a founding game in the space trading genre, which today is nearly extinct. We did a thorough investigation into the afterlife of gaming, and where it's headed.
A Brief History of Computers That Changed the World
You can spend years delving into the history of the computer. There are tons of inventions, tons of books about them – and that’s before you start getting into the finger-pointing that inevitably occurs when a team of engineers creates something wonderful and only a few are given credit. With that said, I’ve tried to sum up computer history by highlighting thirteen particularly influential computers.