Google+ Easter Egg for Christmas

Mr. Jingles has a special Christmas costume. You can find it in the Google+ notification box: in Google+ and most Google services and in the Google+ app for iOS and Android.

Here's the animation that's displayed when you click the icon. This is the "retina" double-sized version:

There's also a "reindeer" version:

{ Thanks, Mukil. }

More Holiday Decorations in Google Search

Google's mobile search interface shows some special decorations when you search for [Christmas], [Kwanzaa] or some queries that include them.

They're not animated like the desktop decorations, but they fill the entire search results page.

{ Thanks, Sterling. }

Goodbye, Skype: 4 Alternative VOIP Services You Can Record Calls With

New changes to Skype and the support of third party apps have left many users frustrated, particularly where call recording is concerned. With suggestions that the service isn’t as secure as once thought, could now be the time to start looking for an alternative VoIP call recording service? Quit Skype? Are You Mad?! Had you told me 12 months ago that Microsoft was going to disable the Skype desktop API, thus rendering many third-party call recorders useless, I’d have suspected you (or they) were mad. Although a temporary delay has been announced, the writing is clearly on the wall. Like...

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5 Things We Learned About Online Security in 2013

The days of newscasters fretting the entire Internet might be shut down by a simple (but effective) computer worm are over, but that doesn’t mean that online security is no longer a worry. Threats have become more complex and, worse, are now coming from places that most would never expect – like the government. Here are 5 hard lessons we learned about online security in 2013. The Government Is Watching You… The biggest computer security talking point of 2013 was, of course, the revelation that portions of the United States government (primarily the National Security Agency) have been spying on...

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Teach Yourself Anything: 3 Ways To Create Your Own Learning Playlists

The Internet is a fire hose. Whether it’s a casual browse or a conscious one, getting “drenched” is almost given. Fortunately, the same fire hose of information can quench your thirst for learning a new skill. Learning playlists are nothing but an organized way to collect the right resources in the form of articles, videos, links, images etc. in a semblance of order. Think of it as tying together all the information you find into a thread that helps you grasp it from the beginning to the end. Learning playlists are just as useful for flipped teaching as they are...

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Make Windows 8.1 Apps Without Breaking A Sweat With Microsoft’s Project Siena

Being an “app designer” is a trend that’s on the upswing. Microsoft is stoking the creative fire with Project Siena. Project Siena is designed to be a user-friendly way for everyone to build their own Windows 8.1 programs with the same knowhow that goes into using Microsoft PowerPoint or Microsoft Excel. Project Siena is also a “Metro” app, so you can just as easily use it on your Windows touch-enabled tablet. It is a 3.4 MB sized free download for Windows 8.1. Siena apps are all HTML5 and JavaScript, so they are easily extensible to any kind of use you...

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Mobo Live - Fully Featured Android Launcher from Moborobo

Android is trending today of-course its going crazy because of wide range of features it offers. Android apps are one main thing and only reason that made to out rank it's competitors. From the millions of apps the most like is Android Launchers. Using android launchers we can customize your device the way you want. Here in this article we are introducing one best and fully featured Android launcher developed by Moborobo Team.

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Android and Google's Shifting Priorities

I've been reading Fred Vogelstein's book "Dogfight: How Apple and Google Went to War and Started a Revolution" (Amazon, Google Play) and realized that Android wasn't that important for Google until 2009-2010. It was an operating system designed to compete with Microsoft's Windows Mobile that ended up competing with Apple's iOS. Back in 2007 and 2008, Google's partnership with Apple was more important than Android, a project that was understaffed. Android only became important when Google realized that Apple's dominance in the mobile space could spell trouble for Google.

Here are some quotes:



1. "Gundotra was putting the Android team on the spot. “I said, 'Convince me that this [Android] is something we [Google] should believe in,' and I know they had never had anyone ask those questions, and it was tough for them. 'Who are you to ask these questions again?' they wondered.” A former senior member of the Android team echoed this feeling: “In the early days, Google Mobile [the team working with Apple on the iPhone] hated us. I mean, they thought we were the biggest pain in the ass in the world. I know Vic Gundotra [who now runs Google's competitor to Facebook, Google Plus] has come around and been a great advocate of Android, but he really hated it at first. He thought [Android] would be a distraction that would upset his relationship with Steve Jobs. There was a lot of butting of heads and arguments internally about strategy and things like that."



2. "The Jobs meeting was particularly difficult for Rubin, friends say. He was indeed as furious as Jobs described, and he almost quit Google over it. He understood what his bosses were saying intellectually. But Jobs had bullied him in front of his bosses, and they hadn't backed him up. For a while thereafter he had a sign on his office whiteboard that read STEVE JOBS STOLE MY LUNCH MONEY."



3. "Schmidt says today that not only had he and Jobs talked about Android, he'd made it clear to Jobs that in terms of Google priorities, iPhone came first. 'I think maybe Andy [Rubin] understood the importance of Android back then, but certainly the rest of Google did not. We were busy doing other things,' Schmidt said to me in 2011."



4. Eric Schmidt in 2011: "Larry and Sergey and I understood the strategic value of Android, but none of us I think foresaw how strategic it would become. Every once in a while a perfect storm occurs. Your competitors make some mistakes. You end up with the right product at the right time. There are really no other good choices of products. It all sort of happens in a moment. That's what happened with Android."

Google Shows Missing Keywords

If you use a long query, Google might ignore some of your keywords. Maybe there aren't many results that match all your keywords or maybe some of them are redundant.



Google now shows a list of missing keywords below search results. Those words aren't included by the pages returned by Google, but the search results should still be relevant and useful.

To force Google to always match a keyword, use quotes. For example, when you search for [igzo mva "srgb"], "srgb" is always matched.

Chromecast Screensaver

If you don't cast music, videos or photos, Google's Chromecast starts to display a slideshow with some beautiful photos. It's a screensaver you can't customize, but the photos are constantly updated by Google.



The Chromecast screensaver is actually a web page you can access from any device, just in case you want to see some great photos or to save them. It's interesting that Google doesn't use Media RSS feeds and the image URLs are hardcoded.

{ via Chromebook Central }

Which Major Company Is The Best Of 2013? [MakeUseOf Poll]

What is the best and most significant gadget of 2013? We have our own opinions, but we wanted to know what you guys think about it. Turns out it was a bit hard to decide, but out of the 12 options we gave you, one gadget managed to pull through with over 20% of the votes. Can you guess which one it is? We gave you 12 gadgets to choose from. Each voter could choose 3. 660 people voted in this poll, and the results are interesting: In 12th place, with 2.5% of the votes, we have the Kindle Fire...

Read the full article: Which Major Company Is The Best Of 2013? [MakeUseOf Poll]

15 Awesome Websites And Online Services That Were Born In 2013

While developers are definitely preferring to make apps for mobile platforms like iOS and Android, the Web isn’t going anywhere for a while, so you will still have some cool Internet services and apps being made. And while you might think 2013 didn’t see much innovation on the web, you’d be surprised at what developers were up to when you really look back at the year that has nearly gone by. In no particular order, here are the best web apps and services that were launched in 2013: Postach.io While it’s not difficult to launch your own blog with WordPress...

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God of the Air Gaps: How Malware Can Be Spread By Microphone

There is an accepted wisdom when it comes to avoiding getting infected with malware. Don’t install software from websites you don’t trust. Make sure your computer is up to date, patched and all software installed is running the latest updates. Don’t open any suspicious-looking attachments, no matter who sends them to you. Ensure you have a current anti-virus system in place. That sort of thing. As Internet access, email and wireless technologies have progressively became more widespread, we have had to adjust to keep ourselves secure from malicious software and from hackers. With each new threat that emerges, our accepted...

Read the full article: God of the Air Gaps: How Malware Can Be Spread By Microphone

God of the Air Gaps: How Malware Can Be Spread By Microphone

There is an accepted wisdom when it comes to avoiding getting infected with malware. Don’t install software from websites you don’t trust. Make sure your computer is up to date, patched and all software installed is running the latest updates. Don’t open any suspicious-looking attachments, no matter who sends them to you. Ensure you have a current anti-virus system in place. That sort of thing. As Internet access, email and wireless technologies have progressively became more widespread, we have had to adjust to keep ourselves secure from malicious software and from hackers. With each new threat that emerges, our accepted...

Read the full article: God of the Air Gaps: How Malware Can Be Spread By Microphone

5 Easy Ways To Have A Frugal Christmas And Not Be Called A Scrooge

Christmas is expensive. The tradition of exchanging gifts with friends, family members, and acquaintances can put a real dent in your wallet and leave you feeling bitter, especially since most gifts tend to be given out of obligation rather than actual joy. This Christmas season, why not give your wallet a break? Depending on whom you ask, frugality can be seen as a negative. The immediate assumption is that frugal implies poor, as if frugality were an insane decision that people would only make when no other options are available. I tend to see it from the opposite angle —...

Read the full article: 5 Easy Ways To Have A Frugal Christmas And Not Be Called A Scrooge

Feel Like Living Dangerously? Then Try Out The New Valve Steam OS

Are you a reckless brave Linux user who wants to live dangerously during the holidays? If so, Valve, the company behind the Steam gaming marketplace, has just the experiment for you. The company has released their Linux-based gaming operating system for anyone with a spare hard-drive, an NVIDIA graphics card, and nerves of pure steel. Step forward Linux commandos! The new SteamOS was designed for the specially-made hardware – the “Steam Machines” – which are now in the hands of 300 lucky people. Eventually the company wants everyone to have the operating system set up in their homes (the company...

Read the full article: Feel Like Living Dangerously? Then Try Out The New Valve Steam OS

What Is The Best Way To Find New Podcasts?

There’s a good chance that you are reading this article on your own time and at your own pace. Great; but there’s just one slight “hitch”. You are somewhat tied to your screen from the start to the end (I don’t mind, by the way!). That’s where a podcast shows its merit. Listening as against reading, is a more immersive experience. That’s why anyone who loves podcasts would recommend it for all the idle minutes you have…or for simply relaxing while commuting or after. Podcasting followed blogging into the mainstream. A podcast combines the liveliness of a radio show with...

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Windows 8 Refresh Not Working? Try These Tips

Windows 8′s Refresh feature allows you to quickly revert your Windows system back to a clean, freshly installed state. It’s like reinstalling Windows, but it’s easier, faster, and preserves your personal files. If Refresh fails or doesn’t solve your problems, these troubleshooting tips should help you fix things. Bear in mind that refreshing your PC will remove all your installed desktop software. This gives you a clean, fresh Windows desktop and eliminates problems caused by third-party software, but means that you’ll have to reinstall your software later. Resetting your PC instead of refreshing it will erase everything, including any personal...

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Mac Pro Sale, Hacking Target, Porn Filters Include Sex Ed, Google Tips [Tech News Digest]

Today in Tech News Digest, the Mac Pro 2013 is here, Target becomes a target, Yahoo brings tabs back, Google launches a tips service, porn filters in the U.K. are shown to not work, and Microsoft sets off on a search for E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. No, really. Mac Pro 2013 Now On Sale We have begun manufacturing the Mac Pro in Austin. It’s the most powerful Mac ever. Orders start tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/Jrd1Gic3Ya — Tim Cook (@tim_cook) December 18, 2013 Apple has started selling the new Mac Pro 2013, but people who want one will need serious amounts of both cash...

Read the full article: Mac Pro Sale, Hacking Target, Porn Filters Include Sex Ed, Google Tips [Tech News Digest]

Everything You Need To Know About Switching To A Chromebook

Chromebooks are Google’s take on the laptop. They run a slimmed-down operating system optimized for getting on the web with just the Chrome browser and Chrome apps. If you can do everything in your browser with web-based services and online storage, you can switch to a Chromebook. Many Chromebook users haven’t actually “switched” to a Chromebook — they’ve purchased a Chromebook as an additional device, not one that replaces their current computer entirely. A Chromebook is the simple laptop you pick up when you need to browse the web, watch videos, type emails, write documents, and do other things you...

Read the full article: Everything You Need To Know About Switching To A Chromebook