MakeUseOf.com: “Cool Websites and Tools [February 21st]” plus 6 more |  |
- Cool Websites and Tools [February 21st]
- Geeky Fun: Latest Hilarious Picks
- Poll: Microsoft Office vs. Open Office?
- How To Create A Good Password That You Will Not Forget
- Mafia Wars On Facebook – Tips & Cheats
- Record and Publish Your Next Hit with GarageBand [PDF]
- How To Move Your Contacts From Windows Mobile To Android
| Cool Websites and Tools [February 21st] Posted: 21 Feb 2010 07:31 PM PST Check out some of the latest MakeUseOf discoveries. All listed websites are FREE (or come with a decent free account option). No trials or buy-to-use craplets. For more cool websites and web app reviews subscribe to MakeUseOf Directory.
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 Twitter ? Now you can follow MakeUseOf on Twitter too. Related posts
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| Geeky Fun: Latest Hilarious Picks Posted: 21 Feb 2010 07:00 PM PST
Check out the top picks from MakeUseOf Geeky Fun during the last week.
If you would like to keep up with all latest Geeky Fun additions, please subscribe to the Geeky Fun feed here. You can also subscribe and get the latest additions via email.
Did you like the post? Please do share your thoughts in the comments section!
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| Poll: Microsoft Office vs. Open Office? Posted: 21 Feb 2010 06:01 PM PST
Last week we discussed do you buy software or prefer to use a “cracked” version? We only received 729 responses which was about half the amount of responses we got on our previous poll. I will chalk the poor results up to the fact people that do pirate software are scared of getting caught. So today's poll will be a little tamer and you open source lovers will love it! But let's take a look at last week’s results now:
It seems that the majority of you that answered are pirates! Arrrr! Only 10% of responders said that they would NEVER ever download pirated software. Good to know! So without further ado here is today’s poll: Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.As always if there is not an answer to suit your response, leave it in the comments. We want to see how many people are still using Microsoft Office. A lot of companies are embracing Open Office so where do you stand? Related posts
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| How To Create A Good Password That You Will Not Forget Posted: 21 Feb 2010 04:31 PM PST
So do you know how to create a good password? And how can you remember more than one of them? Here are some tips and tricks to maintain individual strong passwords for all of your online accounts.
Know The Characteristics Of A Safe Password
Create An Easy To Remember Base PasswordYou can use several techniques how to create a good password that you will not forget. Here are some suggestions.
These examples are not very safe. While none of the words can be found in a dictionary, they are still failing other characteristics of a safe password. Try to find a combination that allows you to incorporate all characteristics. The base password I’m going to use for this password is “E1d_1D!4Y:)“. Note that my base password meets all of the above criteria. It cannot be found in a dictionary, it contains special characters, a mix of upper and lower case letters, it is 11 characters long, and cannot be guessed based on my personal information (unless you suspect that I like Bryan Adams). Be Creative & Think Out Of The Box!A computer may calculate faster than you can recognize patterns a lot quicker than any human brain, but one thing it cannot do is be creative. That is your great advantage over hacker tools! As you see, in my password I replaced some letters with numbers or special characters. However, I didn’t use a stiff set of rules. I replaced the “I” with a “1″ or a “!”. Using rules for replacing characters, i.e. always replacing an “a” with the “@” symbol will weaken your password. Here are some ideas how you can make it even harder for a hacker to crack your password:
Test Your PasswordDo you want to make sure your password is indeed safe? The Password Meter will reveal details about the strengths and weaknesses of your password. However, if your password is too long, i.e. too safe, this test will actually fail.
Create Individual Passwords For Every AccountOnce you have a strong base password, you can use it to create individual passwords for each of your online accounts. Simply add the first three letters of the service, e.g. “E1d_1D!4Y:)GMa” for your GMail account or “E1d_1D!4Y:)eBa” for eBay. Be Super SafeTo be super safe, you should have TWO base passwords. They will be used to keep important and not so important accounts separate. You would use one password for sites which hold personal information or credit card details, such PayPal or GMail. The second password would be used for forums and similar sites that would not be of great harm if hacked. However, the passwords should be equally strong. Update Passwords RegularlyThis is the toughest part. To maintain safety with a strong password, you have to update your password every few weeks or months. The more often, the better. You can do this in several different ways. Here are some ideas that will keep it simple. Change your base password only:
Change entire password:
In other words, use your human advantage: be creative and think out of the box. If you don’t feel safe with “easy to remember” passwords, you will enjoy Stefan’s article on 5 Free Password Generators For Nearly Unhackable Passwords. Do you have any additional tips on how to create a strong password? Image credit: railking Did you like the post? Please do share your thoughts in the comments section!
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| Mafia Wars On Facebook – Tips & Cheats Posted: 21 Feb 2010 02:31 PM PST
As a frequent MW player, I often come across people who have ridiculous stats on their accounts (e.g. 1 quadrillion dollars and on level 600+). When I see stats like that I ask, "How are these people doing this?" Surely they couldn't be playing the game 24 hours a day, at least not all of them anyway. But if they aren't playing non-stop then how are they doing so well? It's simple, they cheat.
Note: MakeUseOf does not condone cheating and is not responsible if (for some reason) Zynga decides to ban your account. As far as I know, there are no legitimate "cheat codes" for Mafia Wars, so some of those provided are—for lack of a better word—hacks. In my opinion, as long as you aren't greedy you are at low risk. General Facebook Mafia Wars Tips & StrategiesFirst, before playing any game I feel it is pertinent to study up and become familiar with the game's settings, gameplay, and terminology. In Mafia Wars' case, there exists a wiki. The Mafia Wars Wiki is a large site consisting of all the knowledge one could wish to gain in MW. Quite simply, if it isn't listed in the wiki, it probably doesn't exist in the game.
Use the wiki to learn what the strongest weapons are, where to find them, what you need to complete certain jobs, etc. Grow Your Mafia
Mafia Wars currently limits your mafia to a maximum of 500. In the game, the more members you have the easier it is to win fights, so it is important that you grow your mafia. Since your mafia is mostly made up of your Facebook friends, it's best to try to get more of them to participate. If not, you can always find people to add or you can purchase extra mafia members with your reward points. Energy Is KeyOne stat you want to make sure to upgrade more than anything else is Energy. The more Energy you have the more jobs you can complete. The more jobs you can complete the faster you will gain Experience (Exp). The faster you gain Experience the quicker you can level up. Fight SomebodyTo fight people you need Stamina. Stamina is probably the second most important stat to level up, at least in the beginning. While most jobs require several Energy to complete, you only need 1 Stamina to fight somebody. After you use up all of your Energy and are waiting for it to refill you may as well fight to gain Exp. You can also find some cool items and weapons this way.
When fighting, however, you are more likely to get attacked back in retaliation or even killed, so when you aren't leveling up Energy you should be increasing your Stamina, Health, Attack, and Defense sparingly. Prey On The WeakJust like in real life, when fighting, it is easiest to fight somebody way weaker than you. After all, you are using a Stamina to fight, so why risk losing? The easiest way to accomplish this is to fight someone whose mafia size is half that of yours. For example, my mafia size is currently 48, so I stick to fighting people with a mafia size of 20 or less. I win 99% of my fights this way.
If you level up your Attack more often you don't need to follow this technique, but why would you be doing that when I already told you Energy is the way to go? Take Your Money To The BankWhen you're first starting out in Mafia Wars money is crucial. I keep in the habit of depositing my money every time I have more than $50,000. I do this because when you get attacked by somebody you can lose up to $65,000 each time they win a fight against you. Keeping your on-hand cash to a minimum helps keep robbery to a minimum. Control MW Like A BossHere comes the fun stuff—the not-so-general tips and tricks. If you want to put the above advice into motion effectively (and mostly automatically) then you can check out userscripts. Note: In order to use scripts from userscripts.org you must have Greasemonkey installed. Greasemonkey is an add-on for Firefox and can be found here. Mafia Wars Autoplayer
Once installed, you will see MWAP (and the version number) at the top right of your MW screen, along with Pause/Resume, Settings, and Log buttons. On the Settings screen there are a lot of options for you to toy around with. Here are some tips for optimizing your settings: Settings: Autostat TabCheck the box to enable auto-stat. Now this page might look a bit confusing, but it's really quite simple. The way I use it is whatever I want to upgrade (like Energy) I set that field to a number other than zero (e.g. Energy = 5 x Level + 0). This will make the MWAP use skill points automatically to upgrade the areas you choose.
You can play around with the ratios to get everything perfect if you like, but I find this method easiest because I generally change the settings manually every day or so anyway. Most of the time I just leave it on Energy. Settings: Energy TabCheck the box at the top that says 'Spend energy to perform any combination of jobs'. Also check 'Optimize at end level'. Then set your 'Master tier' to whatever tier you are currently working on. MWAP will use your Energy to do jobs in the selected tier.
I like to set my tier to one that is higher than what I am currently working on. The jobs in the upper tiers give you more Exp upon completion, allowing you to level up more quickly. When MWAP is paused I use an Energy Pack and complete the lower tiers I was working on. Settings: Stamina TabCheck the box 'Spend stamina to fight random opponents'. Set 'Maximum level' to 2 and check 'Add my level'. This means you won't fight anyone that is more than 2 levels ahead of you (you can't in most versions of the game anyway). Also check the 'Add my mafia size' box and list a negative number for 'Maximum mafia'. In my case I have 48 mafia so I set the box to -28. That way MWAP will only fight those that have 1-20 mafia members (see Prey on the Weak section above).
Update MWAPIt is very important that you check for updates to MWAP frequently as there is usually at least one update every day. If you fail to update the script, chances are it will not work after a little while. ConclusionIf you weren't a Mafia Wars expert before reading this post I suspect you will be one quite soon. One of the things that make a game like MW so fun is that it's a numbers game, and when you start to see high numbers you feel as though you have accomplished a great deal because you know how long it took to get to that point. Use these tips and you will achieve your goals in the game. Did I forget to mention any great tips, tricks, or cheats? If you have any awesome secrets to share, along with your thoughts, ideas, praises, etc. please leave a comment below! em>Got Tech Questions? Ask Them on MakeUseOf Answers! Related posts
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| Record and Publish Your Next Hit with GarageBand [PDF] Posted: 21 Feb 2010 11:30 AM PST
But it’s the indie era, and musicians no longer need to be backed by the music industry to play for the masses. It’s a time when anyone with a great idea can leap for nirvana. With Apple’s GarageBand, you don’t need a recording studio anymore. And although it’s certainly advised, you don’t even need to know how to play any instruments! Having a Mac and a feel for the music suffices to launch your own project. We’re proud to be able to present our next eBook, Recording Your Next Hit with GarageBand, a forty-odd paged free PDF, written by our very own Jeffry Thurana (supersubconscious).
Start off by conceptualizing the song, and take your first steps with the GarageBand application. Learn how to use MIDI instruments, or add digital loops. Take notice of the different indie publishing ‘plans’, and get ready to create your first song, from idea to release. A melody shouldn’t be kept waiting. Download The GarageBand eBook now in PDF, or read it online on Scribd – completely free, with no strings attached. A highly recommended guide for aspiring musicians. If you enjoyed this release, you should also check out other available MakeUseOf manuals. Did you like the post? Please do share your thoughts in the comments section!
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| How To Move Your Contacts From Windows Mobile To Android Posted: 21 Feb 2010 09:30 AM PST
Most problematic in this big telephone switch, is having to move contacts from Windows Mobile to Android. Calendars expire and pictures can be copied, but contacts often hide away in a very phone-specific corner. Using your SIM card to transfer contacts is one option but with large address books and SIM-locked phones, it’s just not possible. Below, we’ll show you a ridiculously simple and OS-independent method to move contacts from Windows Mobile to Android.
What You’ll Need
Ironically, the Gmail address might be most tricky for some people. If you haven’t got one already (shame on you), create one now, and set it up in your phone. It’s as easy as adding your credentials in the Android options. Step One – Exporting Contacts with TBexport ContactsWhat we want to do first is export our contacts to a format that’s easy to work with — CSV. Most other sites will tell you to sync with Outlook to do this but let’s be honest, not everyone uses the application. Instead, we’re going to use TBexport Contacts, short for ThunderBird Export Contacts. This nifty Pocket PC application will allow us to export all contacts (phone numbers and email addresses) with a tick of the stylus. Download the software archive, and drag its contents to an easy-to-reach location on your Windows Mobile device.
Use the file explorer on your Windows Mobile phone to browse to the TBExport file, and open it. Next, specify a location to export your contacts and hit the Export button.
You’ve now got your contacts exported somewhere on your phone. Either copy it to your computer or leave your phone plugged in, but don’t forget the location — you’re going to need it in the second step. Step Two – Importing Contacts to GmailOpen the Gmail account linked to your phone. Head to the Contacts tab, and select Import module in the top-right corner. Browse to the CSV file you’ve exported in the first step, and press Import. You’ll be shown an overview of all the imported contacts.
And that’s all you need to do. Find a wireless hub to connect your cellphone to the internet, or use your mobile carrier. Your Android will automatically syncronize its address book with that in your Gmail account. Twiddle with your thumbs for a while, and your old mobile contacts will magically start to appear.
While you’re still in Gmail, it’ll definitely prove worthy to check for duplicate contacts. This feature is also located in the Contacts tab. Gmail will search your contact list for duplicates, also giving you the option to merge several email addresses, phone numbers and even profile URLs under one name. You might still have some cleaning up to do, but this will take care of the biggest mess. Are you aware of another better way to move contacts to your Android – perhaps eliminating the need for a Gmail address? Be sure to let us know in the comments section below! em>Got Tech Questions? Ask Them on MakeUseOf Answers! Related posts
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Passwords can be a key to many things, for example your emails, your Facebook profile, or your bank account. Did you know that some people still use passwords like “password” or “123456″? Needless to say, it’s dangerous to use one and the same simple password for all of your online accounts. Imagine a hacker cracked that one password? To be safe, you should create unique and difficult to crack passwords.
Own a Facebook account? If you do, then I'm sure you've heard of 
The infamous 
Music is a part of everyday life. And although not everyone pursues it professionally, a lot of people have dreamt of a time playing on stage in a world famous band.
Let’s face it, Windows Mobile is losing control of the mobile market. More and more people find themselves with an Android or iPhone.
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