Dow Jones said that Google was buying Apple, and the algos bought it

 There you have it. Steve Jobs’ will + Dow Jones + Apple Park = Google’s buying Apple. I think we finally have algorithmic transparency. This morning Dow Jones shot some fake news out over the wires announcing that Google was acquiring Apple for $9 billion. For a brief second, the news sent Apple’s stock up about $2 to $158 per share. To the benefit of everyone’s… Read More
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These Fantastic Printable Halloween Stencils Are Spookily Creative

When Halloween rolls around, many people are picking out pumpkins to carve. And, over the years, the carvings seem to have gotten more elaborate. You do not see as many plain old pumpkins as before. Many stores sell complete kits and you can even find online tutorials. But using a printable stencil for your pumpkin is just like using a template for your document. They each help you create exactly what you want without doing it from scratch. If you are ready to make the coolest, most amazing jack-o-lanterns this year, here the stencils for you. Movie Pumpkins Bring the...

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Twitterrific returns to Mac as a customizable Twitter client, but at twice the price of Tweetbot

 After raising upwards of $100,000 via a Kickstarter campaign earlier this year, the team at Iconfactory has brought back one of the more popular third-party Twitter clients, Twitterrific for Mac. Effectively abandoned years ago when Iconfactory shifted its focus to mobile, the Kickstarter was meant to establish demand for a Mac app ahead of devoting developer resources to building it. Today… Read More

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Twitterrific returns to Mac as a customizable Twitter client, but at twice the price of Tweetbot

 After raising upwards of $100,000 via a Kickstarter campaign earlier this year, the team at Iconfactory has brought back one of the more popular third-party Twitter clients, Twitterrific for Mac. Effectively abandoned years ago when Iconfactory shifted its focus to mobile, the Kickstarter was meant to establish demand for a Mac app ahead of devoting developer resources to building it. Today… Read More
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Ex-TechCruncher Billy Gallagher announces book on Snapchat’s origin

 “So much of it is stranger than fiction. It’s a great story, I knew that if I didn’t write the book, someone else would and I’d regret it” says Billy Gallagher, author of “How To Turn Down A Billion Dollars: The Snapchat Story”. The book, which starts pre-sales today and debuts on February 13th, follows CEO Evan Spiegel from the Stanford dorms where… Read More
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Ex-TechCruncher Billy Gallagher announces book on Snapchat’s origin

 “So much of it is stranger than fiction. It’s a great story, I knew that if I didn’t write the book, someone else would and I’d regret it” says Billy Gallagher, author of “How To Turn Down A Billion Dollars: The Snapchat Story”. The book, which starts pre-sales today and debuts on February 13th, follows CEO Evan Spiegel from the Stanford dorms where… Read More

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Install Linux to Save Space! These Tiny Linux Distros Are Super Small

Do you have an old PC lying around gathering dust? Would you like to make use of the old small-capacity USB flash drives sitting in your drawer? You can reuse your old computer and USB drives by installing a super small Linux operating system (also known as a “distribution” or “distro”) on them. There are Linux distros ideal for the Intel Atom Processor PC, others that will give your old PC a new lease on life. You’ll even find a few that to install on a USB flash drive. Are you strapped for hard disk space? One solution is to...

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Retro Gaming on the Raspberry Pi: Everything You Need to Know

Virtual reality gaming is on the rise. Mobile gaming is increasingly popular. Engaging in MMOs with headsets for a bit of voice chat over Discord, and streaming the experience to Twitch or YouTube continues to entertain. Experts predicted all of this years ago. But who could have foreseen the rise of retro gaming? What sane person could have guessed that a credit card-sized PC and hobby device would become instrumental in the rise of retro gaming? The Raspberry Pi is hugely versatile — much like a desktop computer, but a lot lighter — and can emulate a vast collection of...

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Have You Installed a Fake Version of AdBlock Plus?

If you have installed AdBlock Plus recently, you should check to make sure it’s the real thing. This is because a phony version which is almost identical to the legitimate version made it to the Chrome Web Store. And it was available long enough for more than 37,000 people to download it. We’re not fans of adblockers here at MakeUseOf, because they prevent us from being able to pay the bills associated with running a popular website. However, we’re even less enamored by scammers tricking innocent internet users into installing an illegitimate version of a popular program… SwiftOnSecurity Calls Out...

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Beyond Star Trek: Discovery: Is CBS All Access Worth It?

The new show in the Star Trek franchise has landed. And for now, at least in the U.S., Star Trek: Discovery is available on only one streaming service—the all new CBS All Access. This streaming service also throws in live TV and other movies and shows into the mix. So, is CBS All Access worth subscribing to just for Discovery alone? Is it a good deal overall? Or a waste of money? What Does CBS All Access Cost? First, you should know that you can try out CBS All Access for free, as there is a seven-day trial available for...

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What’s the Difference Between HD Ready & Full HD?

Every television or set-top box you buy today will support high-definition (HD) video. But even then, there’s a bit of jargon to wade through. Particularly, you’ll need to know the difference between HD Ready and Full HD. In the most basic terms, HD Ready TVs and set top boxes can show you 720p images at 1280×720 pixels. Full HD TVs and set top boxes show 1080p images at 1920×1080 pixels. The higher the resolution, the sharper the images look. But if only it was that simple… HD Ready vs. HD Ready vs. Full HD Wait, what’s HD Ready doing twice...

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Over 5,000 Wells Fargo ATMs now support card-free access via Apple Pay and other mobile wallets

 Wells Fargo’s ATMs are getting an upgrade. The bank announced today that more than 40 percent – or over 5,000 of its ATMs – will now allow customers to perform transactions without having to pull out their bank card. Instead, users can take advantage of NFC – aka the “tap and pay” technology that powers mobile wallet systems like Apple Pay, Android Pay,… Read More

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Snapchat’s new Context Cards use Snaps for spontaneous discovery

 Snapchat is introducing a new feature that will transform the experience of using the apps at a fundamental level. They’re called ‘Context Cards,’ and they’re new ways to find out more info about any Snap shared by users, providing access to things like restaurant reviews, reservations, Uber and Lyft ride hailing, contact information and more. This is where Snapchat has… Read More
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Snapchat’s new Context Cards use Snaps for spontaneous discovery

 Snapchat is introducing a new feature that will transform the experience of using the apps at a fundamental level. They’re called ‘Context Cards,’ and they’re new ways to find out more info about any Snap shared by users, providing access to things like restaurant reviews, reservations, Uber and Lyft ride hailing, contact information and ore. This is where Snapchat has… Read More

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f.lux vs. Windows 10 Night Light: Which One Should You Use?

Do you use your computer late in the day? Do you find it hard to go to sleep or suffer eye strain? If so, you might benefit from changing the color temperature of your screen to match the sun. We’re going to look at how to do this natively in Windows 10 and an alternative program called f.lux. Windows 10’s Night Light feature is relatively new, while f.lux has been around for a while and is very popular. We’ll walk you through how to use each utility, describe their features, and help you figure out which is best for you....

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Cortana will now interrupt your Skype chats

 Microsoft’s virtual assistant Cortana has finally arrived in Skype. Announced at last year’s Microsoft Build 2016 event, the assistant’s integration was also previewed when the company released an overhauled, Snapchat-inspired version of its mobile messaging app this summer. But Cortana for Skype wasn’t ready at that time. Now, the feature is live, offering users… Read More

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Cortana will now interrupt your Skype chats

 Microsoft’s virtual assistant Cortana has finally arrived in Skype. Announced at last year’s Microsoft Build 2016 event, the assistant’s integration was also previewed when the company released an overhauled, Snapchat-inspired version of its mobile messaging app this summer. But Cortana for Skype wasn’t ready at that time. Now, the feature is live, offering users… Read More
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Schedule a Phone Call to Yourself and Politely Escape any Boring Situation

You have been invited to a meeting that would last really long. You cannot say “no” but secretly wish that someone calls your phone in the middle of that never-ending meeting and rescue you from the boring situation.

Well, you can take the help of a human friend or use IFTTT, the versatile automation app available for both iPhone and Android. With IFTTT, you can easily create a workflow (applet) that would simulate a fake phone call to yourself at the scheduled time and help you smoothly exit that meeting.

What’s new then? The phone calling service has been part of IFTTT for some time now but it was earlier limited to the U.S. region only. The latest version of the IFTTT app brings phone calling to everyone outside the U.S. as well. Let’s get started.

Schedule an Automated Phone Call to Yourself

Create a free account at IFTTT and enable the Date Time service and the VoIP Call service.

Next, create a new applet and choose Date Time for the “this” condition. The trigger should be set to “Every day” and then choose the time when you want your phone to ring. If you wish to receive multiple calls, you’ll need to setup multiple applets, one per call.

For the “that” action, choose the VoIP call service and specify any text message. The calling service will speak the message when you receive the call. That’s it. Make sure your phone is connected to the Internet else the IFTTT applet won’t run.

Also see: How to Schedule Emails in Gmail

Ring your Mobile Phone on Demand

If you forgot to set the scheduled phone call, IFTTT offers another good option to help exit a situation. You can tap the IFTTT widget on your phone screen and it will simulate a phone call. Here’s how:

Install the IFTTT widget on your phone screen. Next, create a new applet like before but set the “this” condition to IFTTT’s own Button widget. For the “that” action, choose the “Call my Phone” action and specify the text that will play out during the call.

That’s it. Tap the widget on the phone, it fakes a call and you can politely excuse yourself.

10 Power User Tips and Tricks for Nova Launcher Prime on Android

Nova has been the go-to app launcher for Android power users for the past couple of years. When it first hit the scene, Nova was famous for the sheer amount of customization options it offered. Even in the past few updates, Nova has consistently added new features to the launcher — and it offers a lot for free. But if you’re looking for power user features like swipe gestures, custom drawer groups, hidden apps, and more, you’ll want to upgrade to Nova Launcher Prime for $4.99. Today we’re talking about these powerful features that make Nova Prime the best overall...

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Andela, a tech training and development outsourcer for African coders, raises $40M

 Andela, a startup that trains developers in Africa and hires them out to global tech companies, has raised $40 million in Series C funding. Read More
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Standard Cognition gets $5M to build a machine vision-powered checkout

 While image recognition in photos and video has become increasingly sophisticated at an incredible rate, Standard Cognition co-founder Jordan Fisher says everyone is chasing autonomous driving — or, the “shiny object,” as he calls it. That’s not the aim of Fisher and his team, who set out to start a company that’s focused on streamlining the checkout experience. Read More

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The Best Free PDF Tools for Offices Running Windows or Mac

While all-in-one PDF suites that can do everything exist, they can cost quite a bit. For example, Nitro Pro is $160, PDF Studio is $90, and Adobe Acrobat Pro DC will set you back $15 per month. If you’d rather not pay a single cent, then we have some good and bad news for you. The good news? Free PDF tools abound and many of them deliver acceptable results. The bad news? You’ll have to collect several different tools and assemble your own “PDF suite” a la carte (if you want the very best results). In this article, you’ll find Windows...

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What Is League of Legends?

League of Legends has been the world’s most-played video game since 2012. That’s over half a decade of absolute dominance. If you play any video games at all, you’ve almost certainly heard of it. But what is League of Legends? If you’re not familiar with multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) games, it’s a little difficult to explain — so we’ll walk you through the basics. Real-Time Strategy Action Unlike the many popular first-person shooter (FPS) online multiplayer games, MOBAs have some real-time strategy (RTS) elements to them. Tactical shooters require planning and skillful play, but MOBAs have more similarities to...

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Flipboard opens up to more publishers by embracing the mobile web

 Flipboard is changing the way it works with online publishers, thanks to two connected announcements. First, publishers no longer need to work directly with Flipboard in order to get their stories into the app. Instead, there’s a new self-serve signup option, allowing Flipboard to automatically pull in stories from publishers’ RSS feeds. To be clear, CEO Mike McCue said… Read More

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