21 June 2013

The Gadgets And Games Of Kickstarter: June 21st 2013 Edition



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Each Kickstarter is its own drama representing the hopes and dreams of at least one person. Will it succeed? Will it fail? Will it become a media sensation? It’s impossible to know before the money starts flooding in – or doesn’t. So pop some popcorn and grab your mouse. We’ve got some Kickstarters to watch.

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Read full post: The Gadgets And Games Of Kickstarter: June 21st 2013 Edition



10 Common PC Maintenance Errors That You Can Avoid



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PCs still require maintenance, as much as we wish they were magic boxes that did all the work for us. Unfortunately, many people make mistakes when it comes to maintaining their PC. These mistakes could result in hardware damage, security breaches, data loss, and general system instability. We generally cover lists of things you should do, but knowing what not to do can be even more important. Here we cover some of the most common mistakes so you can avoid them and keep your PC running like new.

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Facebook Now Offering Users The Ability To Comment Using Images [Updates]



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Facebook is pulling out all the stops these days to stay one step ahead of Google Plus, with new features such as threaded replies (excellent) and hashtags (not so excellent). The new development this time around is the ability to respond to status updates with images.

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Read full post: Facebook Now Offering Users The Ability To Comment Using Images [Updates]



Google Mine



Google prepares a new service that's called Google Mine. It's integrated with Google+ and it's a way to keep track of the items you own and share some of them with your circles. Right now, the service is tested internally at Google.



"Google Mine lets you share your belongings with your friends and keep up to date with what your friends are sharing. It enables you to control which of your Google+ Circles you share an item with. It also lets you rate and review the items, upload photos of them and share updates on the Google+ Stream where your friends get to see and comment on them."






Google Mine lets you organize the things you own, use, wish for, and more: gadgets, clothing, electronics, DVDs, cars, bikes or anything!



It also enables social interactions around them with your Circles using Google+:



* Catalog your belongings, track what you have

* Review your belongings for your friends to see

* Control who sees what, track conversations

* Send requests to borrow or try out friends' stuff

* Share stuff you wish for, get recommendations

* Share stuff you are giving away, find takers

* Follow, browse, search stuff that friends share



There's also an Android app, currently available on Bazaar, Google's internal Play Store.






Here are some messages used by Google Mine. As you can see, the service lets you enter a lot of information about your objects. For example, you can change the status of an object to "lent", "given away", "got it back", "lost it", "had in the past". You can post videos about the object, write reviews, add it to a wishlist and maybe others can buy it using Google Shopping. You can also check popular items and the items others have shared.












After adding an object, Google shows this message: "You have just started using Google Mine and have added some items to your collections. Now, you can let your friends know by posting to your Google+ Stream."



You can ask other people to send you their objects: "You are starting a request for an item. Google Mine will enable you to communicate on this request with the receiver by creating a post to your Google+ Stream, visible only to you and the receiver."



{ Thanks, Florian K. }


A Google Reader Puzzle From 2007



Back in 2007, Google accidentally made public an internal video about Google Reader. The video included a lot of useful information about Google Reader, the kind of details you'll never find in a Google post or presentation.



I'm trying to solve the puzzle and find the number of Google Reader users from 2007. Here are the hints:



1. At that time, Google Reader crawled 8 million feeds.



2. Two thirds of the feeds had only one subscriber, one third of the feeds had more than one subscriber.



3. Google Reader used 10TB for storing all the raw data.



4. The rate of user growth = the rate of growth for the number of feeds.



5. The index size grew 4% every week.



6. 70% of the Google Reader traffic came from Firefox (at that time, Firefox's market share was about 15%).



7. Gmail and orkut were the only Google applications that had a bigger number of pageviews/user than Google Reader.



So, at that time, only 2.6 million feeds indexed by Google Reader had more than one subscriber. Probably many of the feeds that had only one subscriber were used by other Google services powered by Google Reader's backend (orkut, Blogger widgets, Google Spreadsheets, Ajax API). It makes sense to assume that the number of Google Reader users was lower than the number of feeds with more than one subscriber.



Here's a chart from 2010 that shows Google Reader's user growth:







And something else from 2010: "the average Reader user reads about 105 items a day".


Cool Websites and Tools [June 20th 2013]



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Check out some of the latest MakeUseOf discoveries. Most of the listed websites are FREE or come with a decent free account option. If you want to have similar cool websites round-ups delivered to your email daily email subscribe here....

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Read full post: Cool Websites and Tools [June 20th 2013]



Chrome’s Evernote Web Clipper Gets Gmail Clipping Ability [Updates]



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Evernote has just become even more useful if you are a user of both Chrome and Gmail, for you can now use Evernote's Web Clipper Chrome extension to store Gmail conversation threads in your account. If there is an important email that you need stored in Evernote, you no longer have to copy and paste everything. All it takes now is one click of the web clipper button and you're done.

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Read full post: Chrome’s Evernote Web Clipper Gets Gmail Clipping Ability [Updates]



Build A Beautiful Website Without Any Coding Skills Or Design Know-How With Breezi



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Not being a coder, I’m always on the lookout for easy ways to build beautiful websites that require no coding skills , and just over a year ago I discovered Breezi . A new service at the time, Breezi caught my attention for both its ease of use and abundance of features, and proved itself a reliable and stable solution for building websites.

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Read full post: Build A Beautiful Website Without Any Coding Skills Or Design Know-How With Breezi



5 NBA Players To Follow On Twitter During The 2013 Offseason



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If you're an NBA fan, the offseason is torture for you. It's weeks and weeks of chatter and speculation with nothing interesting to offer, aside from the draft. What can you do to hold yourself over until next season? One of the things that kept me interested in the happenings around the league last season was staying informed via Twitter.

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Read full post: 5 NBA Players To Follow On Twitter During The 2013 Offseason



Facebook introduces Video on Instagram

RedReader: A Better Way To Browse Reddit [Android]



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Reddit's the best time sink on the web, with a community surrounding just about any topic (including some hilarious specific things) and a culture that helps spread and spawn some of the web's best humor. Its interface, however, is famously terrible – especially on finicky phones. Try a fast Reddit Android client that looks great, doesn't include ads and is open source to boot. RedReader is an up-and-coming app that's quickly adding features, and it just might be the best Reddit experience out there for Android users.

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Read full post: RedReader: A Better Way To Browse Reddit [Android]



The Most Well-Connected Google Service



Many people think that Google Reader could've been more successful if Google promoted it more. The truth is that Google Reader has been the service that connected to the biggest number of Google services. No other Google benefited from so many service integrations.



Here's an incomplete list. Start counting:



1. a link to Reader was displayed in Gmail's inbox when there was no mail



2. for many years, Google Reader could be found in the main navigation bar, next to Gmail, Calendar and Google Docs



3. Google Reader was the first Google service that worked offline and the first Google service that used Google Gears, back in 2007







4. Google Reader integrated with Google Social Search, a feature that allowed you to restrict results to the pages written by your friends or people you follow.







5. iGoogle integrated with Google Reader when it started to add support for canvas view. Maximize a feed gadget and you get the Google Reader interface.







6. Blogger's Following feature was powered by Google Reader. "The blogs you follow in Blogger have been added as subscriptions in Google Reader. Subscriptions can be managed in Reader without affecting your following list in Blogger."







7. Listen, Google's podcast manager app for Android, used Google Reader to store subscriptions.



8. Google Alerts integrated with Google Reader, so you could subscribe to feeds instead of receiving email notofcations.



9. Back in 2008, Google's mobile transcoder displayed the site's feeds at the top of the page and linked to Google Reader.



10. Google Reader was the only Google product with an interface optimized for Nintendo Wii.



11. Google Currents, launched in 2011, allowed you to import your Google Reader subscriptions.



12. Google Buzz's commenting feature was integrated with Google Reader.







13. When Bloglines was discontinued in 2010, Google Reader's team encouraged users to switch to Reader. The blog post includes a graph of Reader users over time.






14. The Google Groups redesign from 2010 was inspired by Google Reader.



15. Google bought FeedBurner to monetize Google Reader and launched AdSense for Feeds.



16. Back in 2007, Google Reader made shared items available to Google Talk contacts and many people complained about this.



17. Google's Power Readers feature from 2008 allowed you to "track the news sites and blogs Barack Obama and John McCain read" using Google Reader. It was a clever way to promote Google Reader.



18. Google Toolbar for IE allowed you to subscribe to feeds using iGoogle or Google Reader.



19. Google Blog Search still has this link below the list of search results page: "Subscribe to a blog search feed for [query] in Google Reader". Google News had a similar link.






20. Google Reader was Google's infrastructure for feeds and the technology was used by iGoogle, orkut, Gmail's web clips, Blogger widgets, Google Spreadsheets and the Ajax API.


The Quickest, Easiest Way To Record Skype Calls For Mac And Windows




These days, almost everyone has a Skype account. It has quickly become the default communication method for long-distance calls and video chats as it is free and easy to use. Once you're in the habit of using Skype regularly, though, you start finding other neat things you can do with it. Like, for instance, recording calls. There are so many great reasons you may have for recording calls on Skype, so whatever it is you need to record; here's how you do it.

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Read full post: The Quickest, Easiest Way To Record Skype Calls For Mac And Windows



20 June 2013

5 Reasons You Should Have Registered A Personal Domain By Now




These days I think it’s important for everyone to at least register (if not use) a domain that is personal to them. Not only are domain names under current top-level domains running out , but it’s often near-impossible to reclaim a domain once it has been taken. This means you should act fast and grab your domain now.

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Read full post: 5 Reasons You Should Have Registered A Personal Domain By Now



5 Reasons You Should Have Registered A Personal Domain By Now




These days I think it’s important for everyone to at least register (if not use) a domain that is personal to them. Not only are domain names under current top-level domains running out , but it’s often near-impossible to reclaim a domain once it has been taken. This means you should act fast and grab your domain now.

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Read full post: 5 Reasons You Should Have Registered A Personal Domain By Now



Feedly’s IFTTT Channel Is Now Live [Updates]



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Feedly's quest to completely replace Google Reader continues, with another key piece of the puzzle: a fully operational channel on IFTTT. The change allows users to create recipes that combine Feedly with Evernote, Twitter, Facebook and just about any web app.

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Read full post: Feedly’s IFTTT Channel Is Now Live [Updates]



After the glasses, Google began talking to smart shoes



"I like the feeling of wind in my shoes", "call the fire, you're on fire", "you made your shoes very proud," "you're a statue or something? "Being developed in the laboratories of Mountain View, Google shoes are shoes of the chattering. More effective than a personal trainer, they will not hesitate to make fun of you when you hanging round too feet and you denounce even your friends.


After the glasses, Google began talking to smart shoes


Speaking of shoes. Presented this weekend on the sidelines of South by South West (SXSW), a famous cultural and American high-tech festival, these shoes are able to speak 250 different phrases, "funny and challenging," says Google. They even record the wearer's movements and send them on a dedicated page on the social networking mobile application. For example, in this video, "Google shoes" are comments to sports via loudspeakers and publish them on Google+. Some athletic shoes. Made in collaboration with Adidas, these courts have a small geek computer present on the top part. This small computer is equipped with an accelerometer, meteorological sensors, a gyroscope and a Bluetooth chip. He can record the movements of the athlete, give him consist, encouragement ("You're on fire!") Or mock him ("What is being bored!").


VIDEO . The "Talking shoes" Google.








Video on “Google Talking Shoes – www.technologyflow.in



Advertising shoes. Presented through Art & Copy Code lab marketing and Google advertising, these "Talking Shoes" should not be marketed, at least for now. By creating these shoes, Google want to show manufacturers interest and wealth of connected objects, including "wearable computer", these marvels of technology that can be worn, like the "Google Glass" or the "iWatch".Shoes for the sake of technology, therefore, but also marketing. A few hours after the presentation Users shared their crush on these very original shoes while others asked on Twitter: "When will Google slip?". VIDEO. A demonstration of Talking shoes by high-tech website "The Verge"



The Nokia Lumia EOS be Presented on July 11 with a 41 MP Camera



The Nokia Lumia EOS could benefit from a 41 megapixel sensor. The manufacturer announced the presentation of a product for July 11.


The Nokia Lumia EOS be Presented on July 11 with a 41 MP Camera


On July 11 in New York City, Nokia organized a specific event. The invitation has been sent and the manufacturer intends to reinvent the zoom. According to much speculation circulating on the Internet, this new device could be the Nokia Lumia EOS and it would have a 41 megapixel sensor. The manufacturer promises improvements toward the Pure View technology and performance of the new terminal will be larger than the Nokia 808, which also featured a 41 megapixel sensor. This technology has been integrated into many mobile manufacturer and the newest is called Lumia 925.


Possible features of Lumia EOS


This innovative technology optimizes the user in terms of shooting experience. Some rumors announce Nokia Lumia EOS which approximates the Lumia 920. It would provide a polycarbonate shell. A photo released by Vizileaks show the EOS Nokia Lumia 920 and Lumia. We must look at both devices in detail to discover the differences. Apart from this PureView sensor 41 megapixels, the new terminal could offer an OLED screen, a 1280 x 768 resolution, a Xenon flash, a dual-core processor and have 32 GB of storage space.


Event July 11


The Nokia Lumia EOS also have the ability to always take two pictures, one of five megapixels and the other 35 megapixels. The new terminal could therefore stand out from the competition thanks to the number of megapixels.It will have to wait until July 11 to see the new product introduced by Nokia in New York City.



iPhone 5S: A photo of the motherboard of the next iPhone?



Japanese retailer Moumantai which is already causing a large number of leaks parts supposed by designed to equip the iPhone 5S or at least a new model of Apple's smartphone has published photos of a card mother may well be that a future iPhone.


iPhone 5S: A photo of the motherboard of the next iPhone?


The general format of this motherboard is similar to the motherboard of the current iPhone 5 effect. That said and as was already the case for multiple components that leaked in recent months, some small design differences such as the location of the attachment points of the component show that it is indeed a card different mother.



Read More: Let’s Take a Look to the New Features of iPhone 5



You may have noticed the absence of the processor and various chips that will eventually be attached to this spare part. too bad. Remains to be seen whether this motherboards which has obviously been produced on behalf of Apple is designed to equip the iPhone 5S, iPhone 6 or iPhone plastic hypothetical input-end.



Google launches inactive account manager to manage your data after you die



Have you ever wondered what would happen to your precious emails and all of your account data Google after your death? Probably not, but the question nevertheless worth to be asked and you imagine that the Mountain View giant offers just a post-mortem solution


Google launches inactive account manager to manage your data after you die


With the Inactive Account Manager , Google has indeed many users of its services to decide what happens to their personal data (private and public) once they are no longer of this world. Thus, two options are now available to you.


The simplest is to radical and simply delete your Google Account , and by extension, your Gmail, Youtube, Google and others as well as all the data they contain accounts (Emails, Videos, Publications, etc ...).


The second option allows you to transfer all the data to one or more people that you have previously designated. Note that in this second case you can select up to 10 heirs .


Google launches inactive account manager to manage your data after you die


Whatever your choice, Google is obviously not able to know if you're still alive actually trigger the process after a period of inactivity that you yourself determined. 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, 9 months or 1 year, for you to choose after how many times Google will feel that you are dead and buried and thus carry out your wishes.


In practice, if you do not log in once to your Google Account in the selected time period,Google will first send you an alert by email and / or SMS to ensure that you do not have just begun prolonged and deliberate digital break.


No response from you, your data will be sent to the people of your choice, unless you have chosen to delete your account and all associated data.


The funeral convention digital by Google, because it's never too providing