15 August 2017

10 Operating Systems You Can Run With Raspberry Pi


At just $40 for the main version (and a lot less for the Pi Zero), there’s no point arguing with the Raspberry Pi. Versatile in a way its competitors are not, most projects and uses can be achieved with Raspbian, the Debian Linux fork. Raspbian is maintained by the Raspberry Pi Foundation, so you can be confident that it offers the best functionality. But you don’t have to stick with Raspbian. So many other operating systems can run on a Raspberry Pi. Just make sure you’ve got a monitor, mouse and keyboard to hand before you boot it up! 1....

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Try It Free for 6 Months! 10 Key Perks of Amazon Prime for Students


Have you taken advantage of Amazon Prime Student? Why not? Here are 10 fantastic perks you should consider for significant savings and benefits.

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Opera Kills Its Data-Saving App, Opera Max


Opera is discontinuing Opera Max, its standalone app designed to save data across your mobile applications. Opera Max has been delisted from the Google Play Store, and won’t be getting any new updates. Existing users can carry on using Opera Max, but only for “a period of time”. Mobile data plans can be expensive, and you don’t get much for your money. This leaves most of us acutely aware of how much data we use when not on Wi-Fi. Opera Max offered a reprieve from the constant monitoring, compressing your mobile data. Unfortunately, Opera Max is now toast. Opera’s Data-Saving...

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The 5 Best Free Mobile VPN Solutions


The eyes are the window to the soul. Or, at least they used to be. Now, the smartphone is the doorway to the soul… and your heart, your brain, and your wallet. Given how much we entrust to our portable pocket computers, it is amazing how little we focus on security and privacy. Of course, I’m generalizing. Most of the MakeUseOf team use VPNs at home and on mobile devices. It is a given: why protect your data in the house but flaunt it when you’re in public? Let’s look at some of the best free mobile VPN solutions on...

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These Are Amazon’s 15 Best Deal of the Day Bargains Today


Today, Amazon has tons of PC gaming and general PC usage accessories on sale, and we've gone through and found the can't-miss bargains so you don't have to.

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14 August 2017

How to Set Up a Raspberry Pi in Linux


It can be used as a media center, the brain of a robot, as a web server, even a digital picture frame. The little Raspberry Pi appears to know very few limits… you can even run old Windows games on it without emulation! Setting up a Raspberry Pi opens a gateway to an exciting world of compact, portable computing. It seems like almost all of the instructions online are for Windows computers, however, if you’re running Linux, you may not know how to successfully set up your Raspberry Pi. We’ve already addressed this problem for Apple macOS users, so now...

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We Need to Talk About the iPad Pro’s App Problem


The new 10.5″ iPad Pro is Apple’s best tablet yet, offering clear advantages over the larger model and plain old iPad. But that doesn’t necessarily mean you should buy one. As a platform, the iPad Pro has a big problem. If you’re a professional, and you’re thinking of picking up a “Pro” tablet, this might be enough to put you off. Shock horror: you might even want to buy a Surface Pro instead. Nice Tablet, Shame About the Apps A lack of software availability is a problem that has sunk so many platforms in the past. Be they fledgling mobile...

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7 Google Habits You Must Adopt for a Lifetime


Google continues to wow us and make our online lives better — despite its detractors. Whether you’re using Google’s latest features or learning productivity tips from the company, you interact with Google dozens of times per day. If you use Google a lot, you should cultivate some useful habits to make your experience more pleasant. Here are some of the little Google tricks you can follow to improve your personal and professional experiences. 1. Make Time for Your Goals With Google Calendar Are you struggling to meet goals you’ve set for yourself? Maybe you’re trying to work on your book...

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This Smart Gadget Is Helping People Lose Weight and Keep It Off


Who wouldn’t love to lose a few extra pounds? Shedding fat can help both our physical and mental health. And with so many people stuck behind a desk all day, keeping ourselves in prime condition is more important than ever if we want to stay healthy well into our later years. Of course, losing weight is easier said than done. Adverse weather conditions, the temptation of tasty food, and the cost of paying for a gym membership all chip away at our motivation. We need some help. Luckily, thanks to smart technology, you don’t need to pay out for an...

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How to Secure Linux Ubuntu With Two-Factor Authentication


The ever present war between malevolent hackers and information security professionals wages on. According to a study conducted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the projected rate of growth for jobs in information security is much higher than all other occupations. As innocent bystanders, there are a few measures we can undertake to discourage the bad guys. Image Credit: designer491 via Shutterstock Two-factor authentication (2FA) has been around for some time now. It requires that two methods of authentication be used in order to verify a user’s identity. This usually is comprised of the regular username and password, along with...

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11 Best Gmail Extensions on Firefox


Gmail has given way to Google Inbox, and Google Chrome has been winning the battle against Mozilla Firefox. But this one’s for the loyalists who hold on to two of the internet’s most memorable brands. If you heart Firefox and Gmail, you’ll love these extensions. Recently, I explored Chrome’s best Gmail extensions, and as luck would have it, five of those are on Firefox too: ActiveInbox, Notifus, Checker Plus for Gmail, MailTrack, and Simple Gmail Notes. Naturally, the best is the best, regardless of which browser you use. Nonetheless, Firefox has plenty of exclusive extensions that Chrome users would kill...

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If You Love Open Source, You Have to Try These Video Games


Tired of spending $60 on every new game release? Think spending money on commercial games is immoral and want to vote with your wallet? Or do you simply want to take a peek at a game’s internal code? Enter the world of open source games. Why Open Source Games? First of all, there are varying degrees of open source software. For this post, we’ll use a simplified definition: any game that allows the public to download its source code is an “open source game.” Open source sticklers will disagree, but we’re going to run with it. Of the many reasons...

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What’s the Difference Between the Roku Express and Roku Streaming Stick?


If you’re looking to buy a streaming device, there are a lot of things you need to consider: Do you need one? Which features are important to you? How much will it cost? If you’ve worked through everything and decided on a Roku, you’ve made a smart choice. There are lots of hidden tricks and private channels to explore. But now you have another choice to make: Which model should you buy? Unlike Chromecasts, Nvidia Shields, and Apple TVs, there are a dizzying array of options. In fact, at the time of writing, there are six models! For an entry-level product, focus on these three:...

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How to Reset Data Usage Readings in Windows 10


While worrying about data usage isn’t as prevalent on PCs as it is on mobile, you may still have concerns about it — especially if you tether to your phone. In those cases, you want to make sure you’re only using the data you need, and not letting Windows waste it. Unfortunately, Windows 10 features plenty of ways to waste your bandwidth. You can view how much data Windows has used with its built-in meter, but there’s no obvious way to clear it. Here’s what to do. Open Settings and go to Network & Internet. Click the Data Usage tab...

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How to Unzip ZIP Files in Google Drive Without Downloading Them First


Wherever you are, you need a tool that can unzip compressed files. ZIP files are, after all, the digital couriers of the web — second only to PDFs when it comes to sharing files. On the desktop, you have utilities like WinZip and 7-Zip. But what if the ZIP is on Google Drive? Working With ZIP Files in the Cloud Imagine someone sent you an archived set of documents or photos in an email. Or shared a compressed ZIP file from a cloud folder. You can take the “normal” route and download it to your desktop, decompress the file, and...

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How to Unlock the New Beta of Outlook.com


Outlook is rolling out a bunch of new features in a new beta version that was recently announced. If you’re interested in test driving them now, it’s a simple as using a different URL to log in. Using the Beta Version of Outlook.com While Outlook announced that you have to wait for a toggle button to appear in your account to try out the new features, you can actually gain access to the beta right now by using this URL: http://ift.tt/2wuQ9aS This will give you immediate access to the beta, without having to wait for it to show up as an option in your...

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12 August 2017

5 Places to Find Fascinating Real Stories Behind WWE and Pro Wrestling


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Let’s get ready to go behind the rumble! The world of wrestling entertainment captures everyone’s attention at some point of your life. But once you grow up, the world behind the scenes can be far more interesting. It doesn’t matter whether you used to watch when you were a kid, or still watch wrestling online. The best wrestlers like Hulk Hogan and John Cena acted out their stories in the ring, but their real-life stories are far more fascinating. A few websites and podcasts specialize in this dose of nostalgia, giving you a glimpse into what happens behind the scenes....

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Google Camera Now Comes With a Selfie Flash


Google’s native camera app, inventively named Google Camera, has some new tricks up its sleeve. Google has added a selfie flash, the option to double-tap to zoom, and the ability to switch between shooting photos and video. Unfortunately, you’ll need a new phone to take advantage of these improvements. Android is the most popular mobile operating system in the world, powering 9 out of 10 smartphones. It is better than iOS in a multitude of ways, but one thing the iPhone has always excelled at is photography. Google Camera is evening things up though, one update at a time. And...

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JSON Python Parsing: A Simple Guide


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JSON (stands for “JavaScript Object Notation”) is a text-based format which facilitates data interchange between diverse applications. For example, an application written in C++ running on Windows can easily exchange JSON data with an application written in python and running on Linux. Its simplicity and flexibility has led to widespread usage in recent years, especially in preference to earlier XML-based formats. There are libraries and toolkits available for parsing and generating JSON from almost any language and environment. This article concentrates on methods and issues arising from processing JSON using python. Some JSON Samples The most common JSON entity that...

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Remote Control Your Home: 5 Easy DIY Arduino Projects


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With the advent of affordable smart home technology, it has never been easier to transform your home. There are many useful gadgets available off the shelf to do this, and the prices of many of these items have dropped as more competitors join the market. Still, a much cheaper and more rewarding option is to make your own custom smart home system. In this article we will cover the basics of how a Smart Home system works, and give a few examples of simple DIY Arduino projects anyone can make. DIY Smart Home: An Overview There are several ways to...

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