MakeUseOf.com: “Cool Websites and Tools [April 17th]” plus 6 more |  |
- Cool Websites and Tools [April 17th]
- Join MakeUseOf on Twitter!
- Manage All Of Your Personal Information Easily With myPortablePIM
- Hot Tech Deals [April 17th]
- How To Remove Computer Viruses At Home For Free
- Why Are There So Many Versions of Ubuntu? [Technology Explained]
- DaisyDisk Giveaway Winners: Final Round
| Cool Websites and Tools [April 17th] Posted: 17 Apr 2010 08:31 PM PDT
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. Hey Facebookers, make sure to check out MakeUseOf fan page on Facebook. Over 17,000 fans already!
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| Posted: 17 Apr 2010 07:30 PM PDT
You’ll be notified everytime there is a new post on the MakeUseOf Blog, a web app review on the MakeUseOf Directory or something new on Geeky Fun. Plus, we would love it if you would re-tweet the posts and discuss them, so more people get to know about us and join our community. Follow MakeUseOf on Twitter Now Thank you! Got Questions? Ask Them Now FREE on MakeUseOf Answers! Similar MakeUseOf Articles | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Manage All Of Your Personal Information Easily With myPortablePIM Posted: 17 Apr 2010 03:31 PM PDT
Personal Information Managers or PIMs (as they are frequently known as) help you manage everything from appointments to emails to notes to reminders. If you use a computer for keeping track of all such things or if you spend a major part of your day on a computer you must try a Personal Information Manager. It is so much better and streamlined than using different software to manage different aspects or trying to squeeze everything inside post it notes!
Let’s have a look at all the features that myPortablePIM has to offer and how it can help you manage your personal information. A Calendar
myPortablePIM offers an excellent calendar functionality. You can easily create and manage events, tasks and reminders using the calendar view. In addition to that, the calendar also offers the usual monthly, weekly, daily and yearly views and supports the iCal format as well. Reminders & TasksAlthough the line between a calendar and tasks and reminders is a little blurred and you might be able to use either of these to serve your purpose, it is nice to have them all available, allowing you to work with them the way you like. Notes
You can create notes from within myPortablePIM. You can format and customize the text to your liking. Notes can be exported in Rich Text Format, if you need to use them elsewhere. In addition to that you can also create quick notes for smaller texts. The quick notes appear as a list that you can refer to again later. Address BookAddress Book is your contacts manager inside myPortablePIM. It supports import/export in vCard format. Password ManagermyPortablePIM lets you manage your passwords as well. You can store your passwords for different sites and accounts so that you don’t have to remember them or just in case you forget them. The stored passwords are protected by a master password. Entering the master password correctly would give you access to all your passwords.
In addition to the features mentioned above, myPortablePIM can also check your Gmail account for new mails. It also features an RSS reader allowing you to keep tabs on your favorite sites and resources from within your Personal Information Manager. The software also allows you to password protect the information it manages. Moreover you can create custom launchers and make use of the 2 desktop view to view more information with a single click. You can also customize date/time format and language using the configuration dialog.
Since the software is portable you can use it equally well on a USB drive. All the information that myPortablePIM manages is stored inside the myPortablePIM folder, so you can easily carry it along with all the required information on a USB drive. Fire off the application, make necessary edits and the data is stored back within the same folder. You can even sync the folder with your computer using an external sync tool if you so desire. Overall myPortablePIM is a very good option to manage the variety of personal information that we have to keep track of these days. It would have been great if it could sync with the web or a mobile device like the iPhone. If you don’t rely heavily on such synchronization then you should definitely look into myPortablePIM and see if it suits your needs. How do you manage all your personal information? Do you use a PIM? Do you like MakeUseOf articles? Do share our articles with others! It’s really important to us. Similar MakeUseOf Articles | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Posted: 17 Apr 2010 01:30 PM PDT
For more fresh hot deals, visit our Hot Tech Deals page, which is constantly updated.
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| How To Remove Computer Viruses At Home For Free Posted: 17 Apr 2010 12:31 PM PDT
After the dreaded infection, removal procedures usually include taking the computer to a service center, where technicians charge hundreds of dollars to remove the virus. But what many users don't know is that viruses are actually not very difficult to deal with. In fact, there are hoards of free tools on the internet that make it simple enough to remove viruses for free, for anyone with even a bit of technical savvy. These tools render spending ridiculous sums of money for a virus removal a thing of the past.
The first step to remove viruses for free is backing up your data. At work, I usually take the hard drive out of the computer and use a hard drive dock (pictured above) to back data up on our servers. This is the safest method of backing up files, since the traditional method of backing up your files to an external hard drive yields a higher chance of the viruses copying themselves onto your external. However, not many people own a hard drive dock, so in a pinch, you could try uploading your files to a cloud based storage system, like Dropbox. If you do want to invest in a dock, though, the cheapest one I found online was $20. Once you have your data backed up, you can begin running virus scans on your computer. First, boot your computer into safe mode. Each manufacturer has a different F-key for boot up options, but the most common one is F8. A quick Google search should tell you which F-key is the one your computer uses to boot into safe mode. Make sure, when you are selecting which mode to boot into, that you pick the safe mode with networking, since we will be running both online and software scans. From here on out, I will simply list tried and true scanners that I use on a daily basis (also check out Justin’s recent article on the best anti-virus apps). The procedure for each is the same: download the installer, install it onto your computer, make sure you update the definitions, and then let it run (always select FULL scan). Once you've completed the scan, make sure you uninstall the program before you install and run the next one.
Anti-Virus Softwares1. Malwarebytes 2. A Squared 3. Microsoft Security Essentials 4. AVG Free The procedure for running online scanners is exactly the same as running software scanners, except that instead of downloading an installer, you will simply be downloading a plug-in.
Online Scanners2. Bitdefender 3. ESET Usually, by the time you've made your way through the above list, you should be receiving clean reports from your anti-virus scans. Sometimes, you will encounter a virus that is particularly difficult to remove, but if you have already identified it, Bitdefender hosts a bevy of free removal tools for specific viruses. Otherwise, there are dozens of other, equally effective anti-virus tools on the internet: for example, Avast and Avira. Just follow the same process as above, and you should be good to go. The last resort, if all else fails, would be to reformat your computer. However, if you must settle for this option, rest assured knowing that your data is already backed up, and, since the procedure you just went through is the same as the one many computer repair shops use, that you probably would have been told to reformat anyways. Do you have any trusted virus removal tools, or any pro tips for other users wishing to keep their computers infection-free? Let us know in the comments! Image Credit : Nils Geylen Got Questions? Ask Them Now FREE on MakeUseOf Answers! Similar MakeUseOf Articles | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Why Are There So Many Versions of Ubuntu? [Technology Explained] Posted: 17 Apr 2010 10:31 AM PDT
We talk about Ubuntu quite a bit here at MakeUseOf; most recently I discussed 7 things easier to do in Ubuntu than in Windows. And I stick to the claims made in that article: in many ways Ubuntu is easier to use than Windows. But in some ways Ubuntu can be downright confusing; particularly when you’re first getting started. There are many different numbered Ubuntu versions, such at 9.04, 9.10, and 10.04. And there are many downloads that play off Ubuntu, including Xubuntu and Kubuntu.
What The Numbers MeanThe first thing that might seem confusing is numbered Ubuntu versions. The most recent version of Ubuntu is 9.10, but at the end of this month comes 10.04. Many people see these seemingly random numbers and question why “9.10″ and “10.04″ aren’t simply numbered version “9″ and “10.” There’s a very simple reason, actually: these aren’t version numbers, they’re dates. “10.04,” the Ubuntu version to be released this month, is so named because it is the fourth month of 2010 – 10.04. New versions of Ubuntu come out every six months, and the number structure always refers to the year and month of release. In October of this year, for example, will come 10.10. And the alliterative animal names attached to the releases? Don’t let these names confuse you. They are kind of fun, so community members use them, but they’re largely intended to be used internally so don’t panic if you’re not sure what name goes with what number. FlavorsSo that’s what the numbers behind every version of Ubuntu mean, but why are there seemingly so many different names for the operating system? Ubuntu, Kubuntu, Xubuntu…the list goes on and on. Well, Ubuntu’s not alone in this regard. Windows 7, for example, has many different versions: Home Basic, Home Premium and Ultimate, to name a few. Ubuntu being a free operating system, however, its different versions aren’t set apart by arbitrary inclusions of features on a tiered pay scale; rather, the different versions are essentially different bundles of free software built around the Ubuntu core. They are akin to different flavors of the same ice cream; all are delicious, but some people prefer one to another. Ubuntu seeks to cater to all those preferences, so they offer several flavors. “Normal” Ubuntu
When people talk about Ubuntu, they are probably referring to the project consistently released as “Ubuntu.” This operating system uses the Gnome Desktop, which is considered the most popular desktop today.
Ubuntu is probably the best operating system for new Ubuntu users to explore, as it is the most polished and complete. If you’re not sure what you want, get this. Perhaps in time you’ll want to try another version of Ubuntu, perhaps not. Either way, Ubuntu is the place to start. Kubuntu
Ubuntu is based on Gnome; Kubuntu is based on KDE. It’s a rough analogy, but KDE is Windows-like while Gnome has more in common with OSX; that is, Gnome is designed to be user friendly by limiting the number of (largely useless) configuration options, while KDE is designed to be as configurable as possible. Which philosophy you prefer is ultimately a matter of preference, but if you’re confused by the difference just stick with Ubuntu for now.
Otherwise, you can get Kubuntu here. Xubuntu
Based on the lightweight XFCE desktop, Xubuntu is intended for use with computers too old to run Ubuntu or Kubuntu competently. In many ways you’ll find it similar to Ubuntu, just with fewer of the bells and whistles that come along with Gnome. This lack of bells and whistles can be a feature if you’re using an older computer, however, which is why you might want to try out Xubuntu.
Edubuntu
It’s Ubuntu, but with a number of tools intended to make education easier. You’ll find educational games as well as tools for tracking progress in the classroom. Like the rest of Ubuntu, this is completely free to use on as many computers as you like, so if you work at a school, look into Edubuntu to find out how it can help your school. Netbook Remix
It’s like “normal” Ubuntu, but tweaked for Netbooks. Ubuntu Netbook Remix features many of the programs you’re used to in Ubuntu, but made easier to use on the small screen. This is achieved by the user interface you see here and a few other tweaks (the most useful of which ensures every program opens maximized in order to best make use of the limited screen space.) Download Ubuntu Netbook Remix here. Server EditionLike the name implies, this is the Ubuntu version for servers. You’ll get no GUI but you will have access to the vast Ubuntu repositories, which will give advanced users more than enough to build a killer server operating system. Consider this as for advanced users only. Other Official VersionsThis list isn't exhausting, of course; there are a number of other Ubuntu versions, official and unofficial alike. For information about other official distributions check here, and an exhaustive list of unofficial distributions can be found here. All are legal, of course, because Ubuntu is completely open source, meaning anyone can create their own Ubuntu version. ConclusionI fear this article may have added to the confusion about the different Ubuntu versions, but I hope that it’s been helpful. Like any open source project, Ubuntu can be altered to serve any purpose. Ubuntu’s been altered more than most, but that only means it’s known as a product easier adapted to any purpose. That Ubuntu itself is an adapted version of Debian only goes to further show how amazing the open souce ecosystem is. What about you? Which Ubuntu flavor do you prefer? Are you excited about the impending release of Ubuntu 10.04? Or are you just angry because I used the words “open source” instead of the ambiguous “free software”? Whatever your reason, if you comment I’m happy. We NEED Your Comments!!! Please do share your thoughts in article comments. Similar MakeUseOf Articles | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| DaisyDisk Giveaway Winners: Final Round Posted: 17 Apr 2010 10:02 AM PDT
Congratulations! Watch your email inbox for more information on how to claim your prizes. This marks the very end of the DaisyDisk giveaway. Thank you for joining! Watch out for our next giveaway starting Monday! MakeUseOf would like to thank Oleg from DaisyDisk for his generosity while participating in this giveaway. Interesting in sponsoring? We’d love to hear from you. Get in touch with us via email. Hey Facebookers, make sure to check out MakeUseOf fan page on Facebook. Over 17,000 fans already!
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Keeping track of how things are going, whom to contact, who your friends are, not forgetting important dates, all of this is part of modern life. Naturally managing such personal information is critical and having a helping hand doesn’t hurt.
If you’re in the market for a new computer, laptop, mobile phone, games and other accessories; don’t waste your time searching online. We’ve taken the liberty of locating the best deals tech deals and unifying them into a single post for your convenience.
To the average computer user, contracting a virus is like contracting a rare disease – it brings life to a halt, it is expensive to remove, and worst of all, the probability of catching a virus is much higher than that of catching a serious disease. 
It’s coming. On April 29, 2010, the latest version of Ubuntu will be ready for the public.
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