MakeUseOf.com |  |
- Cool Websites and Tools [July 14]
- Top 5 Tools To Make A Home Movie Online For Free
- 10 Websites For Free Mobile Phone Ringtones & Other Mobile Downloads
- Multi-protocol Downloader KCeasy Handles Gnutella, Ares and OpenFT File Sharing
- Use Microsoft Office As An Offline Google Docs Editor with Offisync [Windows]
- Hide & Protect Your Files with Easy File Locker [Windows]
| Cool Websites and Tools [July 14] Posted: 14 Jul 2009 04:00 PM PDT
(1) HousingMaps - Craigslist and Google Maps mashup that lets you search and find places for rent and sale in major US cities. The application pulls housing listings from Craiglist and presents them on clean map interface. You can browse listings by a city name or simply use a map to zoom in on a particular location. Read more: HousingMaps: Find Places For Rent & Sale in US (2) Legistalker – Web service that lets you track the latest online activity of US legislators (congressmen, senators) in one place. You can view what they have voted on (motions, amendments, resolutions etc.), browse news mentions in online media sources (newspapers, blogs, magazines, YouTube videos) and follow their Twitter updates. Read more: Legistalker: Track Activity of US Congressmen & Senators (3) midi2mp3 – Free online MIDI to MP3 or WAV converter provided at HamieNET.com. Here you can convert MIDI files to MP3/WAV audio files, which you can then burn onto a CD, import into a flash movie and for other uses where MIDI files are restricted. No need to sign up or download anything. Read more: midi2mp3: Free Online MIDI to MP3/WAV Converter (4) SugarStats - Website that allows anyone with diabetes to manage, share and track blood sugar levels online. It has a simple interface to enter and access data from anywhere. Users can keep a record of foods, medications and activities, create graphs and trends to better understand diabetes development, view and add entries from cellphone, and exchange messages with family and diabetic support squad. Read more: SugarStats: Track Blood Sugar Online (5) Talon – New online screen capture tool form Aviary. Using it you can instantly capture screenshots of almost any web page you want. It is simple to use and has a bunch of cool additional features. Read more: Talon: Online Screen Capture Tool
These are just half of the websites that we discovered in the last couple of days. If you want us to send you daily round-ups of all cool websites we come across, leave your email here. Or follow us via RSS feed. Did you like the post? Please do share your thoughts in the comments section! New on MakeUseOf ? Get cheat sheets and cool PDF guides @ www.makeuseof.com/makeuseof-downloads/ Related posts
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| Top 5 Tools To Make A Home Movie Online For Free Posted: 14 Jul 2009 02:00 PM PDT
However, renting an editing room or buying propriety software might be just out of your price range. Free desktop software might not do because it might seem a little “too technical” for some of us or simply doesn’t have the feature you’re looking for. Thankfully, there are a lot of simple online tools to help you make a movie online for free. Here are 5 of the best I’ve found so far. One True MediaOne True media is a popular online application for creating videos, montages, and slideshows. Users can upload their own clips or use the One True Media's video resource library and compile them while adding audio effects and video transitions. One True Media has a seamless tabbed interface so that you can easily complete your video editing tasks such as adding transitions and captions, rearranging clips, and cutting unnecessary scenes.
One True Media has a wide selection of video transitions and themes that users can use with great effect. You can instantly share your completed videos on YouTube, MySpace, Facebook and other video sharing sites – you can even place the videos in your own TiVo channel. One True Media also has a nifty feature that allows you to choose your own DVD cover for your video. JaycutJaycut is not just an ordinary flash-based “upload-edit-share” tool since it has the core features that you will find in simple video editing software like Windows Movie Maker. You can upload clips from your camera, mobile phone or webcam then compile them into a nice video by adding captions and music. Jaycut has a two-track timeline interface called “Mix It” where users can drag and rearrange their uploaded clips and time the transition between clips. Jaycut’s editing interface is fairly powerful for casual users who want to stitch-up clips while experimenting with its growing library of transition effects.
When you are done with the mix, you can embed the videos or you can download them to your PC/PMP. AnimotoAnimoto is a straightforward application for creating what we call “glorified slideshows” using your photos in just minutes – thanks to its “Cinematic Artificial Intelligence” that analyzes the nuances of a song to create the right effect and transitions for your photos. Upload your own pictures or get your images from image sharing sites like Picasa and Flickr, then choose or upload your own music for your video.
After choosing your pictures and music, Animoto’s One-Click Remix will analyze the images and the music to render the completed video. The result? A compelling photo montage that almost rivals the work of a professional video editor. My quick take from compiling the pictures to completing the video only took me 3-4 minutes for a 30-second clip. MotionBoxMotionbox is primarily a video sharing site that has a more personal touch than the big names out there. Its hidden gem is the video mixer that allows you to make new videos from existing videos. The mixer function can combine videos or break them in short-sweet bunches.
You can also trim unwanted clips, and set the start and end points to create your own highlight reel of your best moments. Motionbox supports a wide range of formats like AVI, MOV, and MPG, and MP4. Once completed, you can share your video or reedit them through the mixer. ShwupShwup rolled out with a new and improved layout, cleaner design and third-party integration with various photo sharing sites. But Shwup shines with its simple video editor taken from the popular Muvee video editing software. Shwup captures the essence of Muvee with simple drag and drop storyboard interface, preset themes, and music.
Most of these tools are designed for casual snapshot editing so that you can share your videos seamlessly. Although it might take a few more years before we see a free online video editor that packs the power of offline video editing software, most of these online editors are good enough for quick outtakes of your favorite clips. What do you think? Would you use an online video editor for quick and easy video editing and sharing? What is your favorite? Show off in the comments! Image Credits: Travis Hornung Did you like the post? Please do share your thoughts in the comments section! New on MakeUseOf ? Get cheat sheets and cool PDF guides @ www.makeuseof.com/makeuseof-downloads/ Related posts
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| 10 Websites For Free Mobile Phone Ringtones & Other Mobile Downloads Posted: 14 Jul 2009 12:00 PM PDT
Is there a better way of making a cool statement than with a device that's now a part of our anatomy? I guess not. So without further ado, let's take a look at ten websites which let us browse, select and download the choicest free mobile phone ringtones – without pinching a penny. In mentioning these free websites, I have gone for the ten which lets us download free mobile ringtones to the PC rather than send it through the data carrier (in most countries for downloading data, carrier charges apply). So you can download the ringtone to your PC and then transfer it to your mobile phone – 100% free. Some of these sites are inclusive of other nice things (themes, wallpapers, games, etc.) too, for your mobiles. 1. Zedge
14 million users sharing their stuff through a slick interface. The site is powered by the community of users who make and upload the ringtones. The ringtone collection, 300,000 strong can be downloaded to the PC or the phone without the free signup. Check out the site's Phone Specifications and Zedge Content Compatibility Index (it's a huge list) if you are not sure about the downloads not working with your mobile. The site also supports iPhone ringtones. An added plus are the online tools to make ringtones, themes, wallpapers and screensavers. 2. Mobile9
Another site with the community behind it. Get all the goodies – free downloads of themes, wallpapers, ringtones, screensavers, software, games, videos and logos. With 100,000 MP3 ringtones, it's a wide collection. A free signup entails you to download without a 10 second wait. As in any web community, members can have their own profile pages, can comment and share. You can check the compatibility of your model in the Phone section of the site though a cross-section of makes are supported including the iPhone. 3. TonesAll
TonesAll.com is a MP3 ringtone user-sharing community where all content is licensed with the Creative Commons Public Domain license. The site mentions the following supported brands – Nokia, Motorola, Sony Ericsson, Samsung, LG, BlackBerry and iPhone. The ringtones are pigeonholed into categories; some like Pets & Animals, Sayings or News & Politics you may not find anywhere else. The free signup makes you a community member and gives you instant download without the 20 seconds of wait. Members can also create groups which is an assortment of ringtones. 4. MadRingtones
This web service is slanted as an online ringtone creator. You can create a personalized ringtone from your favorite MP3 song or YouTube video in just 3 clicks. But to avoid even that labor, you can download a ringtone from the over 300,000 already available. The ringtones work with almost all the phones and gives you the option of four formats – mp3, amr, ogg and m4r (for the iPhone). Embed and share on your blog or on social networks like Facebook. 5. Mobango
A mobile sharing community with the same flavor as the earlier mentioned sites. It's a click worthy destination for all types of mobile content especially applications and games. The other unique social aspect is that you can search for users by age, sex, country and make and model of phone. Connect to them through the site and share your media. Mobango also offers 2GB of free storage for your mobile content. You can also flag you uploaded files as public or private. 6. CellMind
A well designed mobile social site on the growth path. Though it has an infinitesimally small ringtone collection, it is well structured and worth a look see. You need to register (free) to download wallpaper, themes and ringtones. The site also features online wallpaper, ringtone and screensaver makers. The other plus is the online storage provided by the site for your uploader/created files. 7. MyTinyPhone
With over 125,000 ringtones in its database, the site is not tiny. All ringtones are free to download on your mobile or PC. A feature is the Flash based ringtone maker which lets you upload a MP3 file (max size of 8MB) to create your own tones. With a free signup, you can store the tunes and share it with your friends. The only irritant is the popup ad which keeps opening up in a window. 8. MobileToones
Not very different from the other mobile social network communities except in its interface. It comes with a mobile discussion forum, a mobile review section and a blog. To download the MP3, Polyphonic or AMR ringtones one has to go through a short free registration. The collection is limited (approx 400+). 9. Brinked
A free online ringtone sharing community which is very similar to MadRingtones, though with a sober interface. You can create ringtone from a song or a YouTube video. Though the collection is not as vast, it is a neat site on the growth curve. Browse for ringtones among the Reggaeton, Raggae, Techno, Rock, Rap, R&b, Pop, Original, Country and TV & Movies genres. Download in MP3 / WAV / OGG / M4R format or share it in the social networks. 10. Tonzr
If you still haven't got the ringtone you want then why not do a simple search. Use Google, Yahoo or a specialized ringtone search engine like Tonzr. Presently it has indexed nearly 10,000,000 ringtones. Search with a keyword and on the results page you can select the mode of download. The nice little tidbit are the suggested like tones just below your selection.
The supported carriers are – Sprint, Nextel, AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon, Alltel, US Cellular, Cellular South, and Cricket. The SMS and MMS features are also for these selected US only carriers. Tonzr is presently testing for compatibility with iPhones. It is true that mobile downloads is a world within the world of the web. For every paid site, there are a clutch of free options. The 10 websites for free ringtones I have put down here just add to the previous ones we have brought for you at MakeUseOf.com. You can check out a few like MyxterTones, ToneShared and the really unique Ultrasonic-Ringtones. Or if you feel like making your own ringtones, Mark shows you how to do it with Audacity. Our ringtone section features a lot of online tools and apps if you want to make your own ringtones. Which website or mobile social network is your most frequented? Do you like to make your own music or are you happy with a download? Let us know! Image: Geek and Poke Did you like the post? Please do share your thoughts in the comments section! New on Twitter ? Now you can follow MakeUseOf on Twitter too. Related posts
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| Multi-protocol Downloader KCeasy Handles Gnutella, Ares and OpenFT File Sharing Posted: 14 Jul 2009 10:00 AM PDT
After Karl’s latest article about Rapidshare123, I was stunned with the number of comments that claimed BitTorrent as the ‘now‘. True as that might be, a statement like that closes more doors than it opens. Although torrents are indeed great, the presence of other worthy protocols can’t be ignored. Free file sharing networks such as FastTrack, Ares and Gnutella still cover millions of files and are – in my honest opinion – still the easier way to search for, and download some types of files. KCeasyKCeasy is an application that does its utter best not to let this form of file sharing die. It’s based on the giFT protocol, which allows it to connect to several file sharing networks such as Ares, Gnutella and OpenFT – developed by the guys behind the giFT engine.
Back in the old days – which is actually just a few years ago – KCeasy also worked out FastTrack compatibility through reverse engineering. This is the network used by Kazaa. Unfortunately, Sharman Networks weren’t all too happy about it, and threatened with court and the takedown of KCeasy. This doesn’t much hurt KCeasy as a viable file sharing application, though. Even with the current decrease in popularity, Ares and Gnutella protocol still serve hundreds of thousands of people, and passively host a good petabyte (a full million gigabytes) of files and information. Read on for some of the best KCeasy features. The Web, IntegratedKCeasy has an integrated web browser, based on Internet Explorer. It probably won’t replace your current web browser, but it does allow you to go for a quick stroll on the net, or look things up.
From the application’s start page, you can instantly perform some of the more popular searches, such as regular Google queries, IMDB movie lookups, file information with Bitzi – inluding specific dimensions, qualities and reviews – and Lets Sing It music lookups. Media Playbacks and PreviewsWith the KCeasy media player, you can listen to, or watch downloaded music and videos. You can use this to check the quality of your files, even when they haven’t finished downloading yet – or, when you haven’t even started.
You can keep controlling playback, even when you’re navigating other sections of the application. The little console at the bottom does for KCeasy what FoxyTunes does for FireFox. This one can also be accessed while you’re browsing through the results of a file search.
There are other features that characterize KCeasy, like access to the oldschool IRC, but that isn’t how we should remember this application. KCeasy is simply a wonderful and easy to use file sharing application that shows us there’s still some life in this niche of the internet – that although torrents are absolutely great, they shouldn’t be considered both beginning and end of the availabilities. So, what do you think? Let us know your thoughts, remarks or questions in the comments below. Did you like the post? Please do share your thoughts in the comments section! New on Twitter ? Now you can follow MakeUseOf on Twitter too. Related posts
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| Use Microsoft Office As An Offline Google Docs Editor with Offisync [Windows] Posted: 14 Jul 2009 08:00 AM PDT
Well not anymore, thanks to Offisync which allows you to use, update and synchronize your Google Docs onto Microsoft Office – as well as offering the ability to search on Google from the Office interface and insert images into your Office documents from Google Images. This is one of those services that will prove to be insanely useful if you are in the habit of switching between them both all the time. For it to work though, you need :
To open a document from Google Docs, just press the small yellow folder icon on the far left and a box will appear asking you to enter your Google account name and password. I was initially a bit concerned about entering my Google account password so I emailed OffiSync and asked them if they store the account details on their servers. Their answer is an emphatic no.
That reassured me somewhat so I proceeded with entering my password. When your details have been accepted, your list of Google Docs files will come up (I don’t normally use Google Docs so I created a test document for this article).
Just double-click on the Google Docs file that you want to work on in Microsoft Office and it will immediately open in Word. If you have lots of documents and you can’t find the one you want, just click the black binoculars in the Offisync toolbar and you can filter out the file you want by entering keywords.
Now this is the file that I created with a simple short sentence. All you basically need to do now is just work on your document and periodically save the changes using the Offisync toolbar. Say, I want to add “Now I’m updating it” to the document -
When you’re finished with the document and you want to synchronize your changes with the copy in your Google Docs account — all you need to do is click the black disk icon on your Offisync toolbar and you will see this -
After a few seconds, that box will disappear and the updated version of the document will now be in your Google Docs account. Let’s check on that.
Yup, there it is! There are other features to Offisync too. Basically the app gives you all the power of Google Docs but inside Microsoft Office instead. Offisync allows you to do the following :
But the best part of Offisync (in my opinion) is the ability to insert images from Google Images into your Word document. Everything opens in Offisync’s custom-made mini browser. Since I’ve just been to see Transformers 2 at the cinema, let’s see what pictures there are of Optimus Prime on Google Images.
As you can see, you can filter the images down to size, type and also by creative commons. When you have found one you want to use, click “Insert” and you will receive a box notifying you where it has come from :
If you accept it, click “Accept” and the image will then be embedded into the Word document.
Offisync doesn’t only support Word though. You can also use the feature in Microsoft’s Excel and Powerpoint to keep those documents synchronized as well. And that’s it! This one is going into my “keeper” pile of software apps as it has already motivated me to use Google Docs more and so far I haven’t found any bugs or really irritating features. I really hope Offisync continues to be developed and I can’t wait to see what other features they come up with next. Let us know what you think. Is this something you would use? What features do you like the best and what new features would you like Offisync to introduce? Did you like the post? Please do share your thoughts in the comments section! New on MakeUseOf ? Get cheat sheets and cool PDF guides @ www.makeuseof.com/makeuseof-downloads/ Related posts
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| Hide & Protect Your Files with Easy File Locker [Windows] Posted: 14 Jul 2009 06:00 AM PDT
Easy File Locker is a pretty small file at 224KB and will do exactly what it says. It will let you protect a file or folder from being seen or accessed by anyone on your system. This is a light-weight program that does not slow down your system and even continues working if the machine is booted in safe mode. It does not require the application to be running for the security to work and it can be password-protected as well. Let's take a look at how it works.
Now to protect a file or folder, the method is almost the same. All you have to do is hit Edit – Add File or Add Folder to either protect a file or folder. Talk about straightforward!
Next up, you will have to pick your file or folder as well as choose from the following options. You can:
Click the Browse button represented by the box with three dots next to the path to select your target file/folder like so:
You will see a window like this when you are done.
Next, you can set a password for the application by hitting System – Set password
My favorite ability is making a folder visible and not accessible.
When the user tries to open the folder whamo – Access is denied!
Do you have another easy solution to keep unwanted grubby little fingers off of your stuff? Let's hear about it in the comments! Related posts
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