01 September 2017

MATE Explained: A Look at One of Linux’s Most Enduring Desktops


mate-explained

Linux isn’t like commercial operating systems. You aren’t limited to one interface. Some options offer imaginative new layouts, while others maintain a more established approach. If you want an experience that has been around the block for a decade or two, then MATE may just be the one for you. MATE is a Desktop Environment A desktop environment contains everything you see on your computer screen. It’s the panels that launch applications, display notifications, and show the time. It’s what manages your windows and allows you to easily switch between them. When you look at a screenshot, it’s all the...

Read the full article: MATE Explained: A Look at One of Linux’s Most Enduring Desktops


5 Reasons Your Next Phone Should Run Stock Android


stock-android

Custom versions of Android have been around for as long as the operating system has existed. While many have been toned down over the years, hardware manufacturers like Samsung, LG, and Xiaomi still like to take the base Android code and customize it for their devices. However, stock Android is still the best version of Android. Here are a few reasons that you should make sure your next smartphone runs stock Android. 1. Security One of the biggest criticisms facing Android, especially from iOS fans, is the potential for security issues and malware. Multiple security flaws have been found in...

Read the full article: 5 Reasons Your Next Phone Should Run Stock Android


Today’s Best Deals Feature Some Incredible All-Time Lows


Right now, you can get a QHD monitor for $150, a mechanical keyboard for $30, slim Bluetooth earbuds for $20, and much more! Rather than just list the deals (Amazon already does that), we analyze the value of the discount and the quality of the product. Here’s how we rate the deals to make it quick and easy for you to decide if they’re worth getting: Must-Buy: The lowest price ever and a deal that hasn’t been seen often. Good: At or close to the all-time low, but has been available at that price other times. Decent: If you need...

Read the full article: Today’s Best Deals Feature Some Incredible All-Time Lows


How to Set Up Bluetooth on Windows 10


setup-bluetooth-windows

Bluetooth is no longer a niche technology that’s only for geeks. These days, you’ll find it in everything from your phone to your car. As such, enabling Bluetooth in Windows is more useful than ever. The operating system offers some cool native features that rely on the technology. Moreover, pairing devices with your computer can streamline your productivity and help save time. But how do you set up Bluetooth on Windows 10? The process has changed drastically from the Windows 7 days. Here’s all you need to know about enabling Bluetooth on Windows 10. Enable Bluetooth on Windows 10 Before...

Read the full article: How to Set Up Bluetooth on Windows 10


Finished Game of Thrones? The 11 Best Shows to Fill the Void


got-shows-like

The penultimate season of Game of Thrones (GoT) has finished, setting things up nicely for the final season. Unfortunately, you’ll have to wait a while for that season to arrive on your TV screen. But don’t worry, as there are a few other shows to fill that GoT-shaped hole in your life. We have listed shows based on their availability in the U.S. on different platforms. If you’re not in the United States, you can either use a VPN or Proxy DNS or check how to stream them in your country with JustWatch. 1. Spartacus (2010-2013) Seasons: 4 Average Episode...

Read the full article: Finished Game of Thrones? The 11 Best Shows to Fill the Void


Why the Apple AirPods May Not Be for You


airpods-not-for-you

On my 30th birthday, I was gifted a pair of Apple AirPods. Despite being an Android user, they had caught my fancy after I tried a friend’s pair several weeks ago. As anticipated, I absolutely love using them. There are tiny conveniences to truly wireless earphones, like not having a wire dangling on one of your shoulders and even your neck. AirPods also finally let me sit cross-legged with my laptop and listen to music (it’s awkward with wired headphones that connect to the 3.5mm jack on the side). But having said those nice things about the AirPods, they definitely...

Read the full article: Why the Apple AirPods May Not Be for You


How to Make the Perfect YouTube Video Thumbnail


create-thumbnail-youtube

It can be tough finding your audience on YouTube. Even when you know what the most popular YouTube video types are, you still have to stand out above the rest. That’s key to being successful in the video world. One simple trick to making your videos stand out can help: custom video thumbnails. Here’s how you make them. What Is a Video Thumbnail? You’ve no doubt seen video thumbnails. They’re the images that accompany lists of YouTube videos when you visit the site. Video thumbnails also appear as the first thing you see when visiting a video page before clicking...

Read the full article: How to Make the Perfect YouTube Video Thumbnail


The 10 Best Foreign-Language Films on Netflix


best-foreign-films-netflix

Are you tired of formulaic movies that keep hitting the same exact plot points and exhibiting the same exact character arcs? Are you sick and tired of seeing the same exact tropes, like the so-called “Protagonist Throw” that’s been ruining action films for years now? Maybe it’s time to take a break from Hollywood and explore the cinematic efforts of other countries. One thing I love about Netflix is its commitment to showcasing films from around the world — and foreign films are great because they tend to explore styles, tones, and themes that you’d never see in mainstream Hollywood....

Read the full article: The 10 Best Foreign-Language Films on Netflix


Microsoft Mixer Create App Arrives to Rival Amazon Twitch


Game streaming is massive. So, it is no surprise that Microsoft is bolstering its efforts to take on Amazon Twitch and YouTube Gaming. The recently rebranded Mixer streaming service is launching official iOS and Android apps so players can stream their mobile gaming exploits — Mixer Create. Mixer Create The new app hit the market on the eve of the annual PAX West gaming convention, held in Seattle. The Android application allows users to stream any game. However, iOS users will find certain restrictions. Mixer Create will only work with games that have iOS ReplayKit functionality. So now you can...

Read the full article: Microsoft Mixer Create App Arrives to Rival Amazon Twitch


Leagoo T5 Review (and Giveaway!)


Our verdict of the Leagoo T5:The Leagoo T5 is a solid budget phone with only a few drawbacks. it's definitely worth $130, but if you can spend a little more, there are better options. 610 We're giving away a Leagoo T5. Keep reading to find out how to win!Most high-end flagship smartphones now ship with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage, but Leagoo has taken those specs and squished them down into a $130 package with the Leagoo T5. This budget Android phone is surprisingly good in many ways, despite its negatives. Let’s take a closer look. Specifications Color: Champagne Gold...

Read the full article: Leagoo T5 Review (and Giveaway!)


The Best Virtual Reality Games for Your Smartphone


best-vr-games-smartphone

Virtual reality (VR) is a hot topic in the entertainment space. Notably, the most popular manifestations of VR arrive in the gaming space. With powerful VR headsets such as the Oculus Rift (our review), HTC Vive (which we also reviewed), and PlayStation VR (yes, we reviewed it), consumers benefit from tons of VR gaming choices. Unfortunately, these virtual reality gaming headsets are pretty expensive. Even when discounted, headsets like the Oculus Rift clock in at $400 or more. But for VR gaming on a budget, there’s a fantastic option: mobile VR games. With the Google Cardboard, Samsung Gear, Daydream, and...

Read the full article: The Best Virtual Reality Games for Your Smartphone


Free Games for PS Plus & Xbox Live in September 2017


As summer draws to a close, you can still celebrate new games for PlayStation Plus and Xbox Live Gold subscribers. Here are September’s games you can download for free. PlayStation Plus First up on PS4 is inFAMOUS Second Son, an open-world action-adventure game where you play as a superhero who can become good or evil based on choices you make. It was one of the first popular PS4 games. The PS4’s second title is Strike Vector Ex, a first-person game where you partake in aerial combat. Wage war against your enemies in awesome dogfights. On the PS3 you’ll receive Truck...

Read the full article: Free Games for PS Plus & Xbox Live in September 2017


How to Mute Sites With Autoplaying Videos


Browsers have made it easy to mute sites on individual tabs that autoplay video or audio content the minute you load the page. If you find yourself visiting a lot of pages with intrusive autoplaying videos and simply want to put a stop to it, these tools can lend a helping hand. Chrome Silent Site Sound Blocker gives you complete control over what sounds come out of your Chrome browser. Once you install the extension, all tabs are automatically muted. Right-click the extension’s button in your browser to bring up a context menu. From this menu you can whitelist and blacklist sites, and you...

Read the full article: How to Mute Sites With Autoplaying Videos


7 Hidden Middle-Click Tricks to Use When Browsing the Web


The middle mouse button (which is the scroll wheel on most mice today) is basically used for two purposes on the web: first, open links in new tabs, and second, close open tabs. But the middle mouse button can be used for so much more. Try these seven shortcuts in Chrome and Firefox: Middle-click on the back button: Open the previous page in a new tab. Middle-click on the forward button: Open any subsequent page in a new tab. Middle-click on the refresh button: Open a refreshed version of this page in a new tab. Middle-click on the home button: Open homepage in a new...

Read the full article: 7 Hidden Middle-Click Tricks to Use When Browsing the Web


How to Use Excel to Calculate Between Dates


excel-powerful-charts

Why is calculating dates in your head so difficult? It feels like one of those things that should be easy, but seven-day weeks, months with uneven numbers of days, and occasional leap years all conspire to wreak havoc with your math ability. Don’t believe me? How many days are there between January 9, 2015 and June 12, 2017? If you can figure it out in under five seconds, then okay, you’re clearly a genius. But if it takes you longer than that, then count yourself normal — and stop struggling when Excel can do the hard work for you. Calculating...

Read the full article: How to Use Excel to Calculate Between Dates


FotoJet - Create collages, cards, posters and edit images with FotoJet

It seems like every person armed with a smartphone has become a shutterbug! Smartphones not only make it easy to capture great moments on the go, but also allow you to cherish those wonderful moments whenever you want. 

But, what if you want, to turn those beautifully captured photos into a splendid work of art, especially when these memories and moments of those photos will never come back to your life. Do not worry, you can do it using a photo collage app, which gives you the power to gather multiple images of an event or day in a single snapshot that captures the overall mood and allows you to showcase anywhere.

While there are dozens of photo editing solutions out there, both online and offline, in this article, let's talk about FotoJet, a free online photo creator that allows you to quickly create amazing photo cards, collages and posters, without the hassle of downloading or installing the application. The all-in-one graphic tool not only lets you make your favorite photos and transform them into stunning artwork quickly and easily, but also makes you look like a professional graphic artist.



FotoJet’s impressive editing tools let you apply filters, focus, noise and so on, adjust effects and dimensions in your photograph and turn it into a work of art. The online application also allows you to add effects, overlays and frames to your photo and make it more artistic.


Basically, creating a collage or poster with FotoJet is a simple and easy in 3 steps. To get started, visit his website www.fotojet.com. There you will find 3 options, which are: make a collage, create a design, and edit a photo.

Step 1: Choose a template

FotoJet offers several templates and designs to make collages, photo cards, posters, etc.
Choose the one that you like and start.

Step 2: Add your photos to make it fun

Now you can upload your photos by selecting from your computer's hard drive or from Facebook to FotoJet.

Step 3: Share and save 

You can save your work once it is made as a JPG / PNG image file on your hard drive, or share it with your friends and family on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Tumblr.

Conclusion

By testing FotoJet and the results were impressive. You can also use FotoJet to design your YouTube banners, Facebook or Instagram posts so that they look completely professional. There are more things you can do with FotoJet and each one is a true work of art.

Instagram Stories Makes Its Way to the Mobile Web


Instagram Stories are finally coming to your desktop and the mobile web — without the aid of a browser extension. The Snapchat feature-clone, now used more frequently that Snapchat itself, will initially allow users to view simply view Stories. You’ll have to grab your smartphone and head back to the main Instagram app to actually update your feed. In-Browser Insta-Stories “Stories” formats have sprung up across social media platforms in response to the success of Snapchat. Facebook tried several incarnations, Skype has had a go, and even dating apps have attempted to recreate the somewhat addictive and highly entertaining Snapchat...

Read the full article: Instagram Stories Makes Its Way to the Mobile Web


How Useful Is the Touch Bar on the MacBook Pro?


macbook-pro-touchbar

Apple’s refreshed MacBook Pros from last year received a fair share of flak from Mac loyalists. Major complaints included removal of the SD card slot, using futuristic-but-mostly-incompatible-today USB Type-C ports, and flaky real-world battery life. Power users sighed at Apple’s focus on a thinner design instead of drastically better performance (the maximum RAM capacity is limited to 16GB and the new models aren’t considerably faster than their predecessors). But the biggest question looms over the Touch Bar — a touchscreen strip that replaces the traditional function keys above the keyboard of the new MacBook Pros. Does it improve productivity or...

Read the full article: How Useful Is the Touch Bar on the MacBook Pro?


5 Things Windows Can Clear Automatically on Shutdown


windows-clear-shutdown

Your system can get bogged down over time, often with unnecessary data. Although you can clear this out manually, we’re going to show you how to automate these tasks to run every time you shut down the computer. From your browser’s cache to your temporary files, you’re sure to discover a new tip within this article — perhaps even for something that you didn’t know could be cleared out! If you have your own advice to share for something to automatically clear on shutdown, let us know in the comments below. 1. Recently Opened Documents For some programs, Windows will...

Read the full article: 5 Things Windows Can Clear Automatically on Shutdown


5 Best VPNs for Online Gamers


vpn-for-gamers

Your VPN introduces much needed privacy to your internet connection. It makes you feel safer online and gives you the opportunity to circumvent certain controls. But do you need it for gaming? Well, actually, yes you do. The question is, does your VPN cut it when it comes to support for online gaming? Why You Need a VPN for Gaming Various arguments in favor of a gaming-friendly VPN spring to mind. Console gamers on Xbox Live and PSN can, for example, access exclusive content from anywhere. Sometimes exclusive content is region blocked. That’s not going to stop you now! From...

Read the full article: 5 Best VPNs for Online Gamers