MakeUseOf.com: “Cool Websites and Tools [June 5th]” plus 6 more |  |
- Cool Websites and Tools [June 5th]
- Latest Hilarious Picks [MakeUseOf Geeky Fun]
- Super Mario Crossover- Play SMB As Link, MegaMan, Samus …
- How To Convert A Movie Into An Animated GIF
- Hot Tech Deals [June 5th]
- 8 Unique & Creative Uses for The iPhone
- Flickery Giveaway Winners
| Cool Websites and Tools [June 5th] Posted: 05 Jun 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. Our latest mega giveaway: zozi is sponsoring a FREE 7-day, wine-tasting trip in New Zealand for two. Here’s how you can sign up. Contest ends June 25th.
Similar MakeUseOf Articles
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Latest Hilarious Picks [MakeUseOf Geeky Fun] Posted: 05 Jun 2010 07:31 PM PDT
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. Got Questions? Ask Them Now for FREE on MakeUseOf Answers! Similar MakeUseOf Articles
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Super Mario Crossover- Play SMB As Link, MegaMan, Samus … Posted: 05 Jun 2010 06:31 PM PDT
Of course I was wrong, and I have enjoyed many classic games since them. But I've always wondered: what would it be like if characters from other video games could make their way into Super Mario Bros?
Playing
To get started playing this game all you need to do is head over to this site. The flash-based game will load up for you automatically (assuming, of course, you've got flash). You'll quickly realize what the game is: an exact reconstruction of the original Super Mario Bros. There's one key difference here, though: you can choose from one of six classic video game characters to play the game as. CharactersThere are six characters: Mario (of course), Link (from the Legend of Zelda series), Bill (from Contra), Simon (from Castlevania), Mega Man, and Samus (from Metroid).
Each character has moves distinct from Mario's. Link, for example, has a sword that breaks bricks (even from above!) Bill has a gun, and with a fire flower can even use the famous spread gun to mow down goombas. It should be noted that playing as Simon is extremely frustrating. His jump is terrible and he is generally useless. The other characters, however, fit surprisingly well into the Mario universe.
It's also worth noting that every character comes with their own distinct music from their respective series. Playing as Link filled me with nostalgia as I witnessed the Mushroom Kingdom accompanied by the Hyrule theme. If you've played Mario Bros before, and at least one of the games these characters come from, I guarantee you will enjoy this experience. JoystickYou might find yourself wishing you could play with a joystick instead of a keyboard, however. That's not a problem: there are instructions to do so on the creator's website. These instructions basically inform you that, while flash does not support joysticks, you can trick flash by mapping the buttons on your joystick to emulate certain keys. You'll find links to Linux, Mac and Windows tools for this on that site. Legal Stuff
So, is this legal? Not exactly. It's pretty clear that Exploding Rabbit stole the concept, characters and music for the game direct from Nintendo. He may not have stolen the source code but he did replicate every aspect of the original Super Mario Bros. and characters from a variety of series. It's also pretty clear, however, that this game is made with love not only for Super Mario Bros. but for every game borrowed from. It's probably for this reason that, despite the game being on the web for months, Nintendo has seemingly taken no legal action to take it down. The Internet breads many mashups, and whether they constitute an original creation is a complex question. It seems Nintendo either isn't aware this one exists or has decided not to do anything about it. I'd say it's in their best interest not to do anything. People who play and enjoy Super Mario Crossover do so because of a love for Nintendo – and that's something the company should encourage. Other Mario GamesWondering what other Mario games might be out there on the World Wide Web? Check out Super Mario War, a game I wrote up recently. Also be sure to check out Steven's article entitled "Super Mario: The 10 Best Free Online Games" for even more Mario madness. ConclusionWhat do you think? Is it fun playing Super Mario Bros. as characters from other classic Nintendo games? Do you think Exploding Rabbit overstepped legal and moral bounds in creating this game, or should such a loving tribute get a pass? Discussion is the essence of the Internet, so do speak up! Hey Facebookers, make sure to check out MakeUseOf fan page on Facebook. Over 20,000 fans already!
Similar MakeUseOf Articles
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| How To Convert A Movie Into An Animated GIF Posted: 05 Jun 2010 03:31 PM PDT
Creating your own animated .GIF from a movie can be a lot of fun. Animated .GIF images can be used as an avatar on a website or can be distributed among your friends. And while there are many animated .GIF images already made, creating your own will give you a distinct, unique image.
Step 1: Loading The MovieFirst, we need to load the movie file. In this example I am going to use an episode of Top Gear, the famous British car show. In this episode Jeremy Clarkson tests the Ford Fiesta by driving it through a shopping mall with a Corvette in hot pursuit.
First we need to drop the movie file into Windows Movie Maker so that we can begin editing. You can do this by dragging and dropping the movie file into Windows Movie Maker. Alternative, you can go to File > Import Into Collections. Once you find the file you can select it to import the file. It will appear in the Collection area.
Now that we have the file in the Collection area, we also need to place it into the timeline below so that we can edit the file. Simpy drag-and-drop the file from the Collection area to the timeline at the bottom of the Windows Movie Maker window. This will allow us to begin editing the file down.
Step 2: Editing The MovieAn animated .GIF is only a tiny fraction of a movie. The loop on an animated .GIF usually lasts from a couple seconds to ten seconds. The reason for this is that animated movie .GIF files actually can become very large very quickly. Each frame is like a separate image. Animated .GIF images above twenty or thirty frames in size can exceed one megabyte in file size. This isn’t ideal, so you’ll need to trim down the movie to the specific part you want to make an animation of. To do this you’ll need to crop the movie file. First, you’ll probably need to zoom out on the timeline. You can do this using the magnifying glass icons just above the timeline. Now, click on left edge of the timeline and drag to just before the part of the film you want to turn into an animated .GIF. You will know that you are cropping the image when the cursor turn into a red double-sided arrow. Now go to the right side of the timeline and do the same thing, cropping the movie file until just after the part of the film you want to animate.
Now that we have this smaller clip, we’ll want to use the magnifying tool to zoom in. Now you simply need to start cropping the movie further until you’ve found the exact part of the movie that you want to animate. Remember, if you crop too much you can just undo your crop by pressing Ctrl+Z. Your finished, cropped video shouldn’t be much more than ten seconds in length in order to keep the file size down. Step 3: Exporting The File & Making The Animated .GIFNow that we have the video cropped down to a manageable size we need to export it. On the left of Windows Movie Maker you will see the Save to my computer option under the Finish Movie section. Click on that option. You will be asked to name your file on the first screen – do so and click Next. Now you need to decide what type of movie you want to create. In order to keep file size down our animated movie .GIF can’t be a very large image. To achieve this I recommend using the Video for Pocket PC setting. This creates a video file with a size of 208 x 160 pixels, which is small enough to work as an animated .GIF.
Now that we have the video, we need to convert the file into a .GIF. This is one thing which Windows Movie Maker doesn’t do for us, but there are websites which will. Using the instruction in the Makeuseof GIF Ninja tutorial, you’ll easily be able to convert the video file into an animated .GIF. The results? Well, here is what I ended up with.
Cool? Now you can make your own animated .GIF from any movie you want! Share your productions in the comments. NEW: Download MakeUseOf iPhone App. FREE! Similar MakeUseOf Articles
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Posted: 05 Jun 2010 01:30 PM PDT
For more fresh hot deals, visit our Hot Tech Deals page, which is constantly updated.
Image credit: Modified from Svengraph’s icon set Do you like MakeUseOf articles? Do share our articles with others! It’s really important to us. Similar MakeUseOf Articles
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 8 Unique & Creative Uses for The iPhone Posted: 05 Jun 2010 10:31 AM PDT
What are the potential uses of the iPhone? There is just so much that the iPhone can do for you, that we couldn't fit all of it into one article. In this first part, we're going to take a look how you can use your phone to stay fit, to avoid a speeding ticket or even how to turn your phone into your very own personal shopper.
Radar DetectorTrapster [iTunes link] is an app that depends entirely on user contributions. When a user spots a speed trap, they report it by tapping the map as they pass by. Other users are alerted as they approach it, and can confirm the trap's location by tapping the map as well. It could be anything from a red light camera to a live police trap. The app also alerts users to road hazards including construction zones, flooded roads and more. To avoid inaccurate information, all traps are voted on by other users, and if they are not voted on, they will automatically be removed. You can also configure Trapster to receive push notifications, so you don't always need to keep the app open to benefit from the alerts. The app is incredibly feature rich, allowing you to check for speed traps nearby, choose from a wide variety of sound themes and languages, listen to your iPod music while the app is open, and can even be used as an alternative to the native Maps application to get directions. A variety of added useful locations can be displayed on your Trapster map including parking lots, gas stations and ATM machines.
Sports TrainerWe wouldn't recommend cancelling your gym subscription, but the iPhone can sometimes come in handy when you need to get a workout, and with 321Run Free [iTunes link] you can turn your iPhone into your own personal trainer. You can use the app to log all of the details about your runs, including how far you've run, how long it took you, and using the iPhone's GPS feature, the exact place where you were running. But 321Run Free does more than just log your progress. The app features a variety of suggested programs tailored to suit various goals such as burning a certain number of calories, reaching the ability to run for 30 minutes straight, or if you're training for a marathon to run for up to 2 hours straight. You can listen to the music on your iPhone while using the app, connect to your Twitter account if you want to share your progress, and have the option of your 'Coach' alerting you as you reach your milestones, or when you tap the screen, to let you know how far along you've come.
Personal ShopperThe free iPhone Amazon app [iTunes link] offers users a unique timesaving feature called Amazon Remembers. As if it couldn't get any easier making purchases on the go using your iPhone, Amazon aims to make it even easier for you. If you can't find an item that you're looking for, snap a picture of it using your iPhone camera, and the photo will automatically be sent to Amazon for them to search for a similar product. Within a few minutes Amazon will send you a suggested listing closest to your image, notifying you by email when they do.
You can also turn your phone into a comparison shopper, using SnapTell. Take a photo of a CD, book or video game, and SnapTell will display all the online prices available for that product. NewsstandYou can turn your iPhone into a newsstand with Zinio [iTunes link]. While the app itself is free – of course not all the magazines available are free, but you can snag a couple of issues and samples here and there for free, including the Reader's Digest Humor Issue. Magazines can be browsed by category, by top sellers, and new arrivals. You can then choose to purchase a year's subscription, or purchase just one issue.
FlashlightThe free Flashlight [iTunes link] app turns your iPhone into a torch by opening up to a bright white screen. You can customise the appearance of the flashlight, choosing between a variety of colours, and can switch between them by swiping your finger across the screen. You can even create your own custom colours. Double-tapping anywhere on the screen takes you into the settings where you can choose which colour to automatically open the app on, and how long to wait before turning off the display – starting at 5 minutes.
Spirit LeveliHandy Level [iTunes link] is a free Spirit Level app that can indicate whether a surface is level. The app can be used when you're hanging up pictures and want to make sure they're hung on the wall straight. The app is very straightforward to use – simply lay it against the flat surface, in either landscape or portrait mode, and the app will let you know if it's level or not.
FTP ServerYou can turn your iPhone into a small portable FTP server using the free version of Wifi FTP [iTunes link]. After installing the app on your phone, open it up, making sure that you're connected to a WiFi connection. Turning the server on allows you to access the iPhone FTP server using any FTP client of your choice. Simply connect anonymously using the IP address provided in the app, using the FTP client of your choice, such as the popular Filezilla. If you’re a Mac user, check out this list of 8 choices for a few alternatives.
Not only can you use an FTP server to save your files, you can also edit .txt and .csv files on your iPhone, and upload them to Google Documents or email them as attachments.
Tip CalculatorIt might not be particularly difficult to use your iPhone's calculator to figure out how much you should leave for a tip when you're done at a restaurant. But when you have an app like Tip and Split [iTunes link] to make life easier, why not use it? Tip and Split allows you to calculate a tip anywhere up to 30% of the amount of your bill. Unlike other free tip calculators, it also allows you to split the total, tip included, between you and up to 19 other people. The app works only in landscape mode.
A few other potential uses of the iPhone that have already been covered on MakeUseOf include turning your iPhone into a remote, into the ultimate radio, the perfect GPS unit, and a Walkie-Talkie. In the next part of this article, we’ll show you how to turn your iPhone into a security monitor, an e-reader, and your own personal tutor. Follow MakeUseOf on Twitter. Includes cool extras. Similar MakeUseOf Articles
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Posted: 05 Jun 2010 10:00 AM PDT
Congratulations, winners! Your licenses will be sent via email. MakeUseOf would like to thank Matthias from Eternal Storms Software 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. Got Questions? Ask Them Now FREE on MakeUseOf Answers! Similar MakeUseOf Articles
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 
Check out the top picks from MakeUseOf 
Like many, my first experience with video games was Super Mario Bros – the game that came bundled with the original Nintendo Entertainment system. I never would have dreamed that someday that entire game could be downloaded in seconds; partially because the Internet didn't exist at the time, and partially because it seemed like the most complicated game that could ever be made.
The animated .GIF is a strange form of expression. It is only twenty or thirty frames, completely devoid of sound, repeating in an endless loop. Yet there is something intoxicating about an animated .GIF, like staring into the eyes of a hypnotist.
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 tech deals and unifying them into a single post for your convenience.
All phones double as cameras, stop watches, voice recorders, calendars, radios and much more, but the iPhone takes alternative uses to another level, stopping short of making your morning coffee. Thanks to the ever-growing app store, there is no limit to the potential uses of the iPhone, depending on your own personal needs.
Here are the 10 fortunate winners who will each receive a free copy of | You are subscribed to email updates from MakeUseOf.com To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
| Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610 | |
No comments:
Post a Comment