10 Ways To Use Your Cloud Storage That You May Not Have Thought Of

One would think that by now we would have covered all the different ways to put free cloud storage to use. We here at MakeUseOf.com have done our little bit. I put my own brain cells on overdrive and came up with some uses of cloud storage that are creative a few months back. But we all need a constant source of inspiration, and it usually comes from the stories of others all around us. When we talk about cloud storage, it usually comes down to a showdown between the big three – Dropbox, SkyDrive, and Google Drive. You can...

Read the full article: 10 Ways To Use Your Cloud Storage That You May Not Have Thought Of

Google Wallet App for iPhone

When Google released a new version of the Wallet app for Android, it was clear that the features that were available to every Android device in the US didn't require NFC or carriers' approval. The new features are now available for iPhone users.



"The response from users has been great, and we want iOS users to enjoy all of the benefits too. So, today we're introducing the first Google Wallet app for iPhone (iOS v6.0+), which means even more people can easily send money to friends and store all of their loyalty cards and offers in one place," informs Google.

I assume that Google will try to move beyond NFC and find other ways to make Google Wallet useful and widely available. It's not enough to have a good product if most of the people can't use it. Somewhere between security issues, NFC's adoption, carriers' competing services, Google Wallet couldn't find a way to flourish.



Another thing that suggests that Google will move beyond NFC is the Bump acquisition. "Our mission at Bump has always been to build the simplest tools for sharing the information you care about with other people and devices," informed Bump's blog. Bump lets you share photos, videos, contacts without using NFC and it works on Android and iOS. Bump uses your Internet connection to share data with the people nearby.

{ Thanks, Michael. }

Google Tests New Interface for Music Video Results

Google tests a new interface for top search results, but only for music videos. The experimental interface adds a huge thumbnail and shows the name of the artist, the album and the year when it was released.

Here's the regular version:

I think the thumbnail is way too big and the top result shouldn't dominate the entire page, especially when it comes to videos.



{ Thanks, Yvo. }

Building A PC? How To Get The Best Deals On Parts

Building your own computer and want to get the best deals? You need a strategy that can score red-hot sales before they sell out. My preferred method uses a multi-spectrum approach, focusing on price-alert apps within a tight 14-30 day window. Here’s how it works: First, you set up a purchasing schedule inside a 30-day period. Second, you then track the prices of the parts you need using IFTTT or Yahoo Pipes. Third, you use browser plug-ins and web apps to get an understanding of your target’s historical price. When prices get cheap, you pull the trigger. Here are the...

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Try Google's New Flat Logo

So many iOS developers had to change app icons and make them flat for iOS7. Flat is now fashionable, so you should expect to see some changes even if you don't use Apple's devices.



I've mentioned in a previous post that Google tested a new logo that's flat, minimalist and reduced to its essence, but someone from Google denied that this will replace the traditional logo. This is obviously not true: it's a Google experiment, the logo is hosted on Google's servers and even Chrome starts to include it.

Here's how you can enable the new logo. If you use Chrome, Firefox, Opera, Safari or Internet Explorer 8+:



1. open google.com in a new tab



2. load your browser's developer console:



* Chrome or Opera 15+ - press Ctrl+Shift+J for Windows/Linux/ChromeOS or Command-Option-J for Mac



* Firefox - press Ctrl+Shift+K for Windows/Linux or Command-Option-K for Mac



* Opera 12 - press Ctrl+Shift+I for Windows/Linux or Command-Option-I for Mac, then click "Console"



* Safari - check this article



* Internet Explorer - press F12 and select the "Console" tab.



3. paste the following code which changes a Google cookie:



document.cookie="PREF=ID=e66a207a51ceefd8:U=936bafc98b2a9121:FF=0:LD=en:NR=10:CR=2:TM=1378808351:LM=1379592992:SG=1:S=OXyq0fqClYB66VuV ; path=/; domain=google.com";window.location.reload();



4. press Enter and close the console.



To go back to the regular interface, use the same instructions, but replace the code from step 3 with this one:



document.cookie="PREF= ; path=/; domain=google.com";window.location.reload();



{ Thanks, André Zlatin. }

Technophilia 81 Live From MakeUseOf

This week: Google knows every WiFi password in the world. Why not share, Google? A Toronto family bans all pre-1986 technology. Did they ban games from before then too? Because Super Mario Bros 3 is going to blow those kid’s minds. James argues the iPhone announcement was more significant than I think, which isn’t saying much because I didn’t think it was significant at all. Obama’s speech on Syria: significant. For-profit company announcing a new product: not significant. This week’s show is brought to you by the new Bitdefender One for All and All for You! Get The New Bitdefender...

Read the full article: Technophilia 81 Live From MakeUseOf

Google Rolls Out New Navigation Interface

After so many posts about Google's new navigation menu, it looks like this feature will roll out to everyone in the coming weeks. It's time to say goodbye to the black navigation bar, which didn't look that great, but it was always at the top of almost any Google service, so you could quickly navigate to other Google sites.



"We'll be rolling out this new feature in the next few weeks...stay tuned," says Justine Rivero, from Google. "The new design has been under testing for over half a year, with reports coming in as early as February 2013 regarding the new grid menu," informs Google+ Daily.

The new grid icon shows a list of 9 popular Google services (Google+, Web Search, YouTube, Maps, Play, News, Gmail, Drive, Calendar) and you can click "more" to see 8 other services (Translate, Books, Offers, Wallet, Shopping, Blogger, Finance and Google+ Photos). The services that are missing: Google Image Search, Google Mobile and Google Video Search (they are available in the black navigation bar).



The new navigation menu looks just like the Chrome app launcher or the apps section of the Google Search app for iOS. It includes icons for each Google service, so that they look more like real apps.



For the first time, YouTube will have a Google navigation menu and the interface will be more consistent.

Hostgator Hosting Pirate Day Super Discount Sale 44.44% Off on WebHosting

Hostgator is running a special sale today on all their Web Hosting Plans.Today on the occassion of Pirate Day Hostgator is offering 44.44% OFF on all Webhosting Plans with a new Top Level domain for just $5/Year

If you are planning to buy a new hosting package then I strongly recommend you to buy this hosting plan.Hostgator is one of the best hostings in the Industry with awesome support.

Coupon code for this discounted offer is “ARRRSNAP” which will be added automatically while billing. Do remember, this discount is on your first bill, so I suggest you to grab 2 or 3 year deal, if you want to save money on hosting renewals..

Check Out Pirate Day Deal on Hostgator.

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Internet Explorer 11 Release Preview For Windows 7 SP1 Released

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Microsoft has just released the Release Preview version of Internet Explorer 11 for Windows 7 and is now available for download. PC users running Windows 7 with SP1 or Server 2008 R2 (x64) can now download and test drive the newest version of Microsoft’s web browser. As with the case of IE11 Developer Preview, which […]

YouTube's Mobile Apps to Add Download Feature

The YouTube Creator blog announced that YouTube's mobile apps will add a feature that lets you download videos so you can watch them offline.



"Later this year we'll launch a new feature on YouTube's mobile apps that will help you reach fans -- even when they're not connected to the Internet. This upcoming feature will allow people to add videos to their device to watch for a short period when an Internet connection is unavailable."



AllThingsD reports that this feature will be available next month and that the downloaded videos will be available for 48 hours. "Next month, Google's video site will let viewers save clips on their phones and other mobile devices for up to 48 hours, so they can watch them when they're not online. The videos will still be free, and Google will run ads on the clips, which will be available via its mobile apps."



YouTube's Android app already has a preloading feature for subscriptions and the "watch later" playlist, but this feature has a catch: you need to be online when starting to play a video. This makes the feature less useful.

A few years ago, YouTube experimented with downloads for some partner channels. Now it only lets you download your videos. There are a lot of third-party applications and extensions for downloading YouTube videos, but you won't find them in the Play Store or the Chrome Web Store because they break YouTube's terms of use.

What Would You Give Up Before The Internet? [We Ask You]

The fact that you’re reading these words at this very moment means you’re connected to the rest of the world via the Internet. It’s easy to forget how epic the Internet is, and how much it has grown since it first hit the mainstream in the 1990s. But it pays to remember on occasion what a phenomenal resource we have at our fingertips. Obviously not everybody in the world has access to the pleasures of the online world, with millions of people yet to have experienced the Internet and everything it has to offer. Which is a crying shame for...

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3 Ways to Download All Videos in a YouTube Channel

YouTube is great to check out videos on the fly. It’s fast, dynamic and incredibly easy to find other related videos. However, if you have to go offline, that won’t do you much good. Why not download those videos to your computer instead? Not only does this let your enjoy your videos offline, you can also use them in presentations or your own projects. Downloading a single YouTube video is simple, but it’s a bit harder to download all the videos from a particular YouTube channel in one go. Today we’ll be offering you three ways to tackle this problem....

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How To Find Someone’s Real Email Address With Gmail

Need to email someone but don’t have their address? Whether you’re a disgruntled customer looking to lodge a complaint with someone in charge, a reporter trying to get in touch with the right person, or just attempting to get in touch with a long-lost friend, you may not have the recipient’s email id. We have told you how to verify if an email address exists, but to find one you don’t know requires a little ingenuity. Guy has previously suggested a few ways to find someone’s email address, but I have some more solutions. All you need is a Gmail...

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Missing Media Tools in Windows 8? Easily Burn Audio and View DVDs

Windows 8 makes it hard to burn audio and watch video DVDs thanks to hidden apps and missing licences. This is all part of the move away from optical media – fortunately, we can show you how to work around this. Times are changing, and not all Windows 8 computers ship with a DVD drive. But even if you have an external optical drive or have upgraded an old PC, burning an audio disc or watching a video DVD can be tough (data DVDs can be read regardless). Finding the software you need to perform these tasks is relatively simple,...

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From the New Tab Page to the Google Homepage

Chrome will replace the new tab page with a simplified version of the Google homepage. Sure, it doesn't have the search button and the footer, but it's the Google homepage. You'll see the app launcher grid, which replaces the black bar, you'll see the Google+ notification and share buttons, you'll see Google doodles.



Most of the features of the new tab page have been removed and replaced by a huge Google logo. Chrome apps are in the app launcher, recent tabs are in the Chrome menu.



I've never liked browser homepages, but Chrome's new tab page was really useful. It loaded quickly and had a lot of links to pages you were likely to open. Now it only shows 8 of your frequently visited pages and a fake search box that sends you to the omnibox.

When Google shows an animated doodle, the new tab page shows same the animation and you're forced to see it each and every time you open a new tab. Sometimes the doodle uses a lot of resources:

There are some great extensions that replace the new tab page, but you shouldn't have to use an extension for this. The new tab page should be fast, simple and useful.



Here's a quote from Chromium's site:



"The new tab page is the default starting point for all tabs - it is designed to get the user where they want to go, and is not meant to be an information resource like the user's home page; that is, the new tab page is not intended to be a destination, but rather a jumping-off point to other destinations - we strongly want to avoid cognitive load and distractions for the user, especially those creating new tabs for other purposes."



So it shouldn't include distractions. That's exactly what the Google homepage does and the new tab shouldn't do. Animated doodles, Google+ notifications - all of them are distractions that don't belong in a page you open so often.



For now, I'll switch to the empty new tab page.

YouTube Tests Improved Center-Aligned Interface

Now that many of the YouTube experiments are publicly available, it's time for something new. YouTube tests a new version of the center-aligned layout. The sidebar looks better, but it's still hidden by default. The YouTube homepage has two tabs for "What to watch" and "My subscriptions", while the header is now persistent.

Here's a video:

Here's how you can enable the experimental feature. If you use Chrome, Firefox, Opera, Safari or Internet Explorer 8+:



1. open youtube.com in a new tab



2. load your browser's developer console:



* Chrome or Opera 15+ - press Ctrl+Shift+J for Windows/Linux/ChromeOS or Command-Option-J for Mac



* Firefox - press Ctrl+Shift+K for Windows/Linux or Command-Option-K for Mac



* Opera 12 - press Ctrl+Shift+I for Windows/Linux or Command-Option-I for Mac, then click "Console"



* Safari - check this article



* Internet Explorer - press F12 and select the "Console" tab.



3. paste the following code which changes a YouTube cookie:



document.cookie="VISITOR_INFO1_LIVE=Gapj9bz_H8M; path=/; domain=.youtube.com";window.location.reload();



4. press Enter and close the console.



To go back to the regular interface, use the same instructions, but replace the code from step 3 with this one:



document.cookie="VISITOR_INFO1_LIVE=; path=/; domain=.youtube.com";window.location.reload();



{ Thanks, Sushubh and Rubén. }

Fargo Makes Outlining On The Web Clean And Easy

One of the best ways to get started with any type of project is to either brainstorm and outline ideas, or use some sort of mapping technique. For outlining, a new HTML5 web application written in JavaScript called Fargo, just might be one of the best tools for creating, storing, and collaborating on outline documents. Saikat has shared five outlining tools for writers and artists, and while they are very good, Fargo offers a few unique features that users may find useful. As an online application there’s no need to install the application on your computer. As a user, the...

Read the full article: Fargo Makes Outlining On The Web Clean And Easy

Google Wallet for Android - Widely Available, Still Limited

Google Wallet's Android app was available in the Play Store, but not many people could install it. The app was limited to Sprint and a few small US carriers, Nexus devices and a few other phones. Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile blocked the app because they work on a competing payment system called Isis.



Google announced that the app is now available for any Android device in the US running Gingerbread or a more recent Android version. "The updated app helps you easily send money on the go, store all your loyalty cards, save money through offers, and view all your Google Wallet activity - all in one place."



The Google Wallet added the feature that was available in Gmail: sending money to other people in the US using their email addresses. The Gmail feature is gradually rolling out, but you can manually enable it by using the Wallet app to send money. You can also add your loyalty cards by scanning the barcode or by entering the card number.

While you can install the app on any Android 2.3+ device in the US, you need an eligible device that supports NFC to tap and pay in of the many Wallet-enabled US stores. There are only 29 devices that support this feature and they're still limited to Sprint and small carriers like MetroPCS, US Cellular, Virgin Mobile and Boost Mobile.



So not much has changed: the main functionality of the app is not available if you use 3 of the biggest US carriers, but there are some new features that don't require NFC and work on any device.



This will probably increase Google Wallet's adoption. Until now, the app has been installed less than 10 million times.

In A Nutshell, How Would You Describe MakeUseOf To A Friend? [You Told Us]

MakeUseOf is changing, as you may have noticed from the recent redesign. We’re still offering content covering the Internet, Windows, iOS, Hardware, and Social Media, to name just a few of the topics in our remit, but we’re evolving to better serve you, the loyal MakeUseOf readership. As part of this process of trying to understand what you want from the site and what we can do better as a result, we thought it would be fun to find out how you (would) recommend us to your friends. We obviously hope you have already told your friends and family of...

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YouTube Music Cards

A few weeks ago, I posted about a YouTube experiment that adds bigger cards for music artists. Search for Röyksopp, Daft Punk or any other popular artist and you'll see a Knowledge Graph-like sidebar with a list of top tracks, albums and related artists. Click any track and you'll start a playlist with a lot of other songs from the same artist. Click an album and you'll be able to listen to all the songs from the album.

What else is there? You can also click "top tracks" to start the playlist automatically generated by YouTube. Click the artist's name to visit the topic channel created by YouTube (there's no topic channel for Röyksopp, but there's one for Daft Punk).