Do You Use BitTorrent? [MakeUseOf Poll]

BitTorrent is a protocol, and as such, is not necessarily illegal. It can be used to download all types of things, from pirated movies to completely legal Linux distributions. With that in mind, do you use BitTorrent in your everyday life? You don't have to tell us what you use it for!

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3 Ways to Backup Evernote (and Do You Need To?)

Unlike, say, Dropbox, Evernote does not offer a revision history, your content all syncs as-is. This means you could potentially lose any note you accidentally delete from the trash, or any content you accidentally delete from a specific note. If you share a particular notebook other users might make changes you don't like. You get the idea: information goes away sometimes. As with any software, backups are the only real answer for that. Take matters into your own hands: back up the notes, notebooks and other information you store in Evernote.

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Read full article: 3 Ways to Backup Evernote (and Do You Need To?)

3 Ways to Backup Evernote (and Do You Need To?)

Unlike, say, Dropbox, Evernote does not offer a revision history, your content all syncs as-is. This means you could potentially lose any note you accidentally delete from the trash, or any content you accidentally delete from a specific note. If you share a particular notebook other users might make changes you don't like. You get the idea: information goes away sometimes. As with any software, backups are the only real answer for that. Take matters into your own hands: back up the notes, notebooks and other information you store in Evernote.

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Read full article: 3 Ways to Backup Evernote (and Do You Need To?)

KMyMoney vs. GnuCash: The Battle Of Linux Desktop Money Management Apps

It's really important to keep track of your financial position. Online banking can keep you up to date about your account activity and balance, but not every bank offers more tools than that in order to better track your finances. Although there are online tools such as Mint.com, the service isn't available worldwide and it requires that you trust a third-party with your sensitive financial data while you use their online service.

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Read full article: KMyMoney vs. GnuCash: The Battle Of Linux Desktop Money Management Apps

Bing Makes Search Easier With Smarter Auto Suggest Features [Updates]

Bing Search just got a big improvement with the introduction of seven new autosuggest categories. The seven new categories to help you complete your search queries cover brands, movies, albums, places, software, sport teams, animal species and more. The new categories arrive on top of the already existing People Autosuggest which was introduced in May. The autosuggest cues are powered by an underlying technology Microsoft calls Satori.

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Interview With J.Dash – This Hip Hop Tech Geek Will Teach You To WOP

If you know the name J.Dash, then you know what I mean when I say that it's time to WOP. I admit, I never would have considered interviewing J.Dash for MakeUseOf - I mean, we're not exactly an entertainment blog. Curious about someone cool enough to break out of such stereotypes, I had to jump on this interview opportunity and see if it was just a marketing gimmick, or whether J.Dash could really tech talk with us.

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Chrome's App Launcher, Ready for Windows

Google has yet to officially launch the Chrome app launcher, but there's a simple way to get the launcher right now if you use Windows: go to this page and click "Get the launcher". If you're not signed in to Chrome, you'll need to do that. Probably Google uses Chrome's sync feature to enable the launcher.



Chrome adds a new icon to the taskbar and a new desktop shortcut, at least in Windows. The launcher shows all the apps that are also displayed in Chrome's new tab page. It also shows a search box that lets you quickly launch an app.

Chrome's launcher is connected to the new-style Chrome apps. Google wants to move from the old apps that were mostly bookmarks to some new apps that work offline, use powerful APIs that integrate with web services and devices like USB drives and Bluetooth speakers.



Some examples of new-style Chrome apps: Google Keep and Google+ Photos. Both apps work offline, while Google+ Photos automatically uploads the photos from an SD card.



{ via Engadget. Thanks, Florian K. }

3 Uncommon Ways to Use Your Laptop Touchpad

Your laptop's touchpad seems like a simple, boring piece of technology, used only when no mouse is available. But touchpads can be fast and efficient. They have shortcuts for everything from easily scrolling to gestures for quickly getting around in Windows 8. Spend a moment learning your touchpad's tricks and configuring actions that work well for you. It will pay off when you can use your touchpad to get things done faster. For Windows 8 users, touchpads are a great way to add touch gestures to PCs without touch.

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Try the New Google Maps (No Invitation Required)

You can now use the new Google Maps interface without requesting an invite. That's a great news, even though invitations weren't hard to get.



You first need to go to maps.google.com/preview and click "Try Now". Google explains that "the new Google Maps draws you a tailored map for every search and click you make. So whatever you're trying to find or wherever you're trying to go, you'll always have a map highlighting the things that matter most."



So what happens after clicking "Try Now"? You see this message: "Sign in with your Google Account to try the new Google Maps."

While search results are better if you are signed in and you also use Google+, it's strange to see that you need to sign in. After all, the mobile apps for Google Maps work even when you're not signed in.



After signing in, Google shows another message: "Almost there... During this preview, we may email you with product updates or to request your feedback. Please let us know what you think!"

Then you can finally use the new Google Maps.

You can sign out and Google Maps will continue to work.



I hope that the new Google Maps won't require a Google Account (or Google+) when it will replace the existing interface. Just like Google Search, Google Maps works well even when it doesn't return personalized results. Google found a way to personalize search results when you're not logged in, maybe Google Maps will do the same.

Feedly, Reviewed: What Makes It Such A Popular Google Reader Replacement?

Now that Google Reader is but a distant memory, the fight for the future of RSS is truly on. One of the most notable products fighting the good fight is Feedly. Google Reader wasn't an app or an add-on: It lived purely on the Web, so today I'll be looking at Feedly Cloud, a browser-based RSS reader that requires no external tools to use. We first reported about it as it went live on June 19, but now's the time to take a good, long look at it.

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Read full article: Feedly, Reviewed: What Makes It Such A Popular Google Reader Replacement?

Full-screen Gmail Compose Box

There are plenty of shortcuts for opening Gmail's compose box in a new tab or a new window. Not many people use keyboard shortcuts and opening the box in a new page is awkward, so Google decided to add an inline full-screen option.

It's not exactly full-screen, it's more like a maximized box that still lets you see your labels and your chat contacts. You can manually enable the "full-screen" mode every time you want to use it or set is as the default option.



"When this option is enabled, the compose window is centered in your inbox and expands to fit on your screen. In addition, the formatting toolbar is on by default. You can click on the expand button in the top right to switch to full-screen or set full-screen as the default by selecting Default to full-screen in the more options menu in the bottom right," informs Google.



As usual, this feature is gradually rolling out to all Gmail accounts, so check back later if you don't see it right away. Obviously, this only works in the new compose interface.

8 Essential Tools For The Digital Hoarder

Yes - I'm a digital hoarder - and my hard drive was so full I had to buy a 4TB NAS. Movies, music, photos, eBooks, stock footage -- I just know I'll get around to watching, listening, reading or making use of them someday. Without the proper tools (or counselling, probably) a collection like that can quickly grow out of hand. But I'm not here to judge - no, I'm going to enable you. These tools should help, at least until you realise it's time to purge yourself of these meaningly virtual things.

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Is Amazon Prime A Good Deal?

Amazon’s Prime membership has been around for several years now and has, over the years, gained some notable upgrades. Once no more than a free shipping offer, Prime is now a streaming media service on par with Netflix and a digital library, too. Many people will find themselves staring at the $79 fee and wondering - is this really worth it? Or will I be flushing 80 bucks down the drain? Let’s take a closer look.

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Read full article: Is Amazon Prime A Good Deal?

Change Chrome's Search Engine to Google.com

Two years ago, I wrote a post about changing the domain used by Chrome when performing a search from the address bar. Chrome has changed since then and the trick no longer works.



Here's a simple way to change the Google domain from google.tld (your local Google domain) to google.com. The nice thing is that it works in the desktop Chrome, in Chrome for Android and Chrome for iOS.



1. Type google.com/ncr in the address bar and enter a query in Google's search box (don't use the browser's search box).



2. Close Chrome. If you're using the desktop Chrome, close all Chrome windows or click Exit in the menu. If you're using the mobile Chrome, press the home button and use your operating system's multitasking feature to force close Chrome Here are the instructions for iOS. Android instructions are different depending on the device you use: some Android devices have a button that shows a list of recent apps, while others require to press and hold the home button or double-tap it. Swipe Chrome's thumbnail to force close it.



3. Launch Chrome again, open a new tab and search for something using Chrome's built-in search box (omnibox).



4. You should see an infobar that asks you: "would you like to search with google.com instead of [your local Google domain]?". Click or tap "switch to google.com" and that's all.

The screenshot is from a Nexus 7, but this should work in Windows, Mac OS, Linux, Android and iOS.



{ Thanks, Sushubh Mittal and Jérôme Flipo. }

Make Facebook Work For You, Not the Other Way Around

I'm a Facebook addict. Up until recently, if I had a browser tab with Facebook open and it showed a notification that there was something new to see, I had to check it out immediately. Sounds familiar? It can be solved. I tested a long list of browser-based and desktop-based Facebook apps, and finally settled on three solutions that I felt performed this task best. These three solutions let you keep using Facebook, without Facebook taking over your life.

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3 Competitive League Of Legends Matches To Turn You Into A Fan

Just in the past two weeks, we've learned of huge developments in the League of Legends eSports community. Professional League of Legends players are now being given visas, just like players from the NFL, NBA, and MLB. It's a big move to recognize these players in that same type of field. We've also learned that the 2013 World Finals will be hosted at the Staples Center in LA, an arena where some of the world's biggest events have been held.

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Visit An HTML5 Playground With The Movi Kanti Revo Chrome Extension

If you're chilling online and looking for something creative to enjoy, you should check out this awesome little animation by Cirque de Soleil. It's a lot like watching a DVD of Cirque de Soleil - except it's not the same at all. This time, the whole act is shown on the Web and the plot is controlled by you.

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Read full article: Visit An HTML5 Playground With The Movi Kanti Revo Chrome Extension

Visit An HTML5 Playground With The Movi Kanti Revo Chrome Extension

If you're chilling online and looking for something creative to enjoy, you should check out this awesome little animation by Cirque de Soleil. It's a lot like watching a DVD of Cirque de Soleil - except it's not the same at all. This time, the whole act is shown on the Web and the plot is controlled by you.

Continue reading the article

Read full article: Visit An HTML5 Playground With The Movi Kanti Revo Chrome Extension

Yahoo Preps Username Recycle Program With Facebook Verification [Updates]

Yahoo recently set out to recycle usernames that have not been accessed in over a year and will utilize Facebook verification to confirm ownership. The new program will allow existing users to claim these names while still retaining their data.

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Read full article: Yahoo Preps Username Recycle Program With Facebook Verification [Updates]

Lost Your Windows Administrator Password? Here’s How to Fix It

You've lost control. All the accounts you can access on your Windows computer aren't Administrator accounts, meaning you're helpless to install software, update drivers or do any kind of administration whatsoever. Don't panic. There are several tools for recovering a lost Windows Administrator password. Some methods are legit, but required you to have thought ahead (unlikely). Others are legit but only work for Windows 8. Two more methods are sort of hacking, but perfectly legal to use on your own computer.

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Read full article: Lost Your Windows Administrator Password? Here’s How to Fix It