About Tim Brookes
Tim is a freelance writer who lives in Melbourne, Australia. You can follow him on Twitter.
Firefox 9 Released, Up To 30% Faster JavaScript Rendering [News]
Mozilla has released the latest version of its popular Firefox web browser, with improvements to the JavaScript rendering engine that could yield speed bumps of 30% over the previous release. According to Mozilla, the new Type Interface feature in the browser’s SpiderMoney JavaScript engine integrates with the existing compiler to deliver more efficient code in less time.
5 Reasons to Spend $5 on GarageBand for iOS [iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch]
Apple’s popular home music production suite GarageBand has been iOS-friendly on the iPad for a while now, and thanks to last month’s update iPhone and iPod Touch users can finally jam along too. This article is for anyone who has never used GarageBand before, and is not sure what to expect. It’s also for anyone still considering whether the app is worth the token $5 Apple are asking (hint: it is).
Help the Environment: Places Where You Can Donate Old Computers
Electronic waste, or e-waste as it is more commonly known, is a huge problem facing both the developed and undeveloped world. Many old computer parts contain materials that are hazardous to the environment and burying your old Dell in a landfill is not helping the situation. Instead of throwing your old computer out why not donate it?
8 Hilariously Bad Movie Trailers [Stuff to Watch]
Movie trailers are designed to tantalize an audience into wanting to spend their hard earned cash in the cinema. Now there are a few terrible movie trailers of bad films, but generally speaking many are entertaining enough to endure. The following trailers though, will probably not have the desired effect of making you want to part with your cash or your spare time.
Xbox LIVE Apps Now Available For Windows Phone 7 & iOS [News]
After yesterday's new Xbox 360 dashboard launch, Microsoft has now released two mobile apps that each provide differing levels of Xbox LIVE and console interactivity. By far the more advanced of the two is the Xbox Companion for Windows Phone 7, which offers more features than its iOS counterpart.
Music Lovers: Why Aren't You Using SoundCloud?
Discovering a new artist, album or record label that corresponds with your tastes and expectations can be a rewarding experience. These golden discoveries can be few and far between and that’s where I turn to using a few extra tools to help hone in on the music I love. We first featured SoundCloud on MakeUseOf initially back in 2008, and while the core service largely remains the same; much has changed.
Discover Chiptune: The Best Resources & Tools For Video Game Music
Chiptune is a fairly broad term used to describe music that has been programmed to play on old, often 8bit sound chips from days of yore. The term can also refer to modern examples of video game inspired music, with artists like Anamanaguchi rocketing to fame complete with Game Boys in hand.
These URLs Will Make You Dumb: The Big List Of Single Serving Websites
Single serving websites are those pointless, often one-page sites that mostly exist for laughs with very little real-world value. If you’ve ever visited YTMND (You’re The Man Now Dog) then you’ve already experienced this flavour of Internet humour, and people are more than willing to spend their own money on proper domain names in the pursuit of comedy.
The 7 Best Storm Tracking Apps [iPhone]
Storm chasing might be considered a strange way to spend your weekends, but if it’s isobars and radar images that get you hot under the collar then this line-up of apps for your iOS device is bound to help scratch the itch. The benefits of using an iPhone or 3G iPad whilst out chasing bad weather are fairly obvious. Apple’s devices both provide GPS functionality and access to mapping information in a flash
Retro Games: Grab A Classic For Free With These 6 GOG Downloads
Good Old Games, or GOG for short, is a service that specialises in charming games of years gone by. If you’re a Windows user then you’ve pretty much got complete access to the entire catalogue, from old-school shooters to those resource management RTS games they just don’t make any more.
Why Linux Isn't As Good As Everyone Makes It Out To Be [Opinion]
Linux is a highly developed, stable and advanced operating system - this, I will never question. It comes in every conceivable flavour - from server solutions that simply work (again, this cannot be argued with) to desktop releases with more software than anyone could possibly ever need. So what’s the problem?
Geeky Documentaries: 6 Fascinating Films About Hardware, Software & Space [Stuff to Watch]
This week’s Stuff to Watch is all about sitting back, letting the power of a well-produced documentary wash over you and engaging your grey matter without even leaving the sofa. What’s more each of these films have a geeky twist, be it the story of the modern computer, innovative technology and even the big bad world of file sharing.
iOS 5 Battery Drain: Save Some Juice With These Top Tips [iPhone, iPad & iPod Touch]
By now you’re either in love with iOS 5, Notification Centre and vastly improved page rendering times - or you’re banging your head against a brick wall wondering why your device no longer lasts a day without a charge. Apple has acknowledged that some (particularly iPhone 4S owners) are experiencing issues, and for severe battery drain you might want to try re-installing iOS 5 again.
$5 App Review: iMaschine, A Powerful, Portable Groove Sketchpad [iOS]
iMaschine is a new app for your iPhone from the clever chaps over at Native Instruments who are responsible for all manner of professional-level music software and hardware - Traktor and Maschine, to name but two. So you’d expect this app to be pretty good right? If you like to groove on the go, read on to find out if iMaschine is set to become your next App Store purchase.
What’s The Deal With EA's Origin & Is It Really That Bad?
There’s been a plenty of uproar, whinging and general dismay at EA’s decision to combine their online store and download client into one “Steam-beating” package: Origin. Since its announcement the software has been on the receiving end of bad press, much of it from disgruntled gamers on forums, message boards and social networks. Is it time to shut up, or put up?
Stay On Top Of The Latest Online Fraud Alerts With These 6 Websites
Online fraud, scams and phishing emails are bound to instill a sense of dread in all of us, so when it comes to protecting yourself online it’s important not to simply rely on software to keep everything in check. The more prepared you are, the easier you’ll be able to spot a scam and steer clear - so without further ado here are some resources to keep you, your friends and family wise to online fraud.
The Minimalist Approach To Security Tools On Your Computer [Windows]
A few years ago when Windows Vista was the OS of choice, I chose not to use an antivirus. Instead I relied on a couple of anti-spyware solutions, my router’s firewall and good old common sense. This decision was partly due to my reluctance to pay for overpriced subscription-based security software (despite plenty of decent free alternatives) and concern over resources and boot time.
Top 10 Largest File Sharing Websites On The Net Right Now
According to Google’s search engine rankings, only 2 of the top 10 most visited file sharing websites are related to BitTorrent. This isn’t to say that torrents aren’t still popular, but five years ago the situation would have been quite different. Cyberlockers are to blame for this shift in file-sharing habits.
A Selection Of The Best Free-To-Play Steam Games
Content delivery service Steam is a real money-spinner for Valve, prompting publishers like EA to shy away from it in pursuit of their own system. That doesn’t mean there aren’t a couple of free gems in the service, and all you need is a Steam account in order to play. The service is free to use and no credit card or other payment information is required.