MakeUseOf.com: “Cool Websites and Tools [June 6th]” plus 5 more

Cool Websites and Tools [June 6th]
Thank You To MakeUseOf Friends!
How Long Does Your Computer Take To Boot Up? [MakeUseOf Poll]
10 Free MP3 Album Downloads [Sound Sunday]
Hot Tech Deals [June 6th]
3 Cool Tips To Get More Out of Your Bookmarks in Chrome

Posted: 06 Jun 2010 08:31 PM PDT

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.

List Your Website Here!

SafeBox – is a mobile java-based app that protects your phone from unauthorized access. This app lets you encrypt SMS messages to send out privately, create a secondary secret phonebook for your trusted contacts, and store confidential notes like passwords and credit card numbers. Read more: SafeBox: Encrypt Your SMS Messages & Contacts on Mobile.

		Ringdroid – Why bother downloading a ringtone from the web when you can create one right on your phone? RingDroid is a free Android ringtone creator that lets you create custom ringtones, alarm and notification sounds from any audio clip. Read more: RingDroid: Android Phone Ringtone Creator.

		TweetyMail – Many people use their Twitter accounts a little too frequently. As a result, Twitter is often blocked on the internet network of workplaces. We can get email notifications from Twitter but they are of no practical use because we cannot control our Twitter account from them. TweetyMail provides a brilliant solution to all of that. Read more: TweetyMail: Use Twitter Through Email.

		Fear.less – Reading inspirational stories on how people get through impossible obstacles can help us overcome our own fears. Fear.less is a free online magazine that compiles various stories from individuals who have survived extreme situations to encourage people going through tough times. Read more: Fear.less: Magazine With Inspirational Stories Online.

		ArticleAlley – Web service that provides free content for your website or blog. The website boasts of over 90,000 active authors and more than half a million of articles, coming from new and experienced writers. The core idea of Article Alley is article marketing, an internet marketing lingo where authors submit their articles to free directories that link back to their website. Read more: ArticleAlley: Free Content For Your Website Or Blog.

List Your Website Here!

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.

Do you like MakeUseOf articles? Do share our articles with others! It’s really important to us.

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Thank You To MakeUseOf Friends!

Posted: 06 Jun 2010 07:30 PM PDT

It's time to say thanks to MakeUseOf’s friends who, once in a while, tip us great story ideas, help out on different projects and in some cases offer their services at discounted prices. Thank you, guys!

ShrinkTheWeb – Website Screenshot Thumbnail Service

Ever wanted to add website screenshots to your website? In my professional opinion ShrinkTheWeb is one of the best services for that, both in terms of performance and pricing. The free account gets you a whopping 250,000 impressions with nearly no delay. See it in action in our daily Cool Websites and Tools series.

Walyou – Cool Gadgets for Geeks

Walyou is a fun blog covering all sorts of new cool gadgets and other stuff every geek is likely to find entertaining. Everything from world’s largest Gunny Bears to E-hookah gadgets. Make sure to check them out.

PXLEyes – Photoshop Contests and Tutorials

The place for graphical artists! An awesome community with one common interest: a big passion for computer graphics! There are contests, prizes, tutorials, forums and an active community!

Pair – Reliable Web Hosting

Pair.com - Affordable and Reliable We Hosting

Finding the right hosting provider is VERY important. Along with choosing the right domain name it's the most important decision you have to make at the beginning. Here at MakeUseOf when someone asks for hosting advice we always recommend Pair. Speedy servers, excellent tech support, over 99.95% guaranteed uptime.

rade | eccles – iPhone Application Development

The perfect iPhone development team, rade | eccles managed to put our iPhone app together in record time yet exude professionalism and dedication every step of the way. Our collaboration wasn’t happenstance. We would make the same decision all over again. Our only recommendation for an iPhone developer – rade | eccles.

Thank you, guys!

NEW: Download MakeUseOf iPhone App. FREE!

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How Long Does Your Computer Take To Boot Up? [MakeUseOf Poll]

Posted: 06 Jun 2010 06:31 PM PDT

Last week we asked you if you are going to quit Facebook due to privacy concerns.

The top response was ‘Yes, Facebook has gone too far’ with 39.6%. That means almost 40% of respondents are going to quit Facebook or might have already! 24.6% did not care about Facebook privacy and 23.2% do not use Facebook.

So after deleting my Facebook account, I have moved on to tackling my system’s boot time. I am personally using a little application called Soluto. Stay tuned for my review of it. I learned that I had close to a 1 and a half minute boot time on my 32bit Windows XP SP3 machine. This made me wonder how fast other people's machines are at start up and here we are with today’s poll:

How long does your main computer take to boot up?survey software

Let us know what OS you are using in the comments. However, we are looking to see how long it takes for most modern computers to start up on average. By start up, I mean to get to a workable interface where you can launch applications or documents. What do you think is an acceptable boot time?

Got Questions? Ask Them Now FREE on MakeUseOf Answers!

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10 Free MP3 Album Downloads [Sound Sunday]

Posted: 06 Jun 2010 03:31 PM PDT

where i can download free mp3s Why download single songs when you can have an entire album?

It’s been ages since I created mixtapes or playlists. I’ve been listening to entire albums for years. It’s how I most enjoy music. I can really get to know an artist or band and dive into their sound before I see them play live.

So if you’re already through last week’s selection, it’s time to refresh your ears with something new. Here are 10 more free mp3 albums for you to enjoy. If you can, please donate and support the artists or their cause. Thank you!

Tangram – Tepidarium

Genres: ambient, electronica, new age, new wave, space music

If you love lounge-type music to chill, look not further. Tangram from Hungary deliver! It’s the perfect music to relax and pass out on the couch.

You can download the album Tepidarium from their Bandcamp page. Name the price or share your email address for a free download. The download comes in many different formats and qualities.

Tangram MySpace and Homepage.

Floods – Album

Genres: indie, rock, instrumental

Their website is almost painfully minimalistic, but the music speaks for itself. Great indie rock with strong guitars and no lyrics to disturb the sounds.

Get the album from their homepage by clicking on Album in the top right, then download one track at a time with no strings attached.

Floods MySpace and Homepage.

This Twilight City – Just Breathe

Genres: pop, rock, emo

One of the 5 most downloaded tracks at PureVolume is Vegas In Lights, the title track of This Twilight City’s new album of the same name. By the time this article is published, the album will have been released and I will be in Vegas (two entirely unrelated events). Either way, you can download the previous album Just Breathe for free.

Download the album from PureVolume one track at a time, but with not strings attached. Visit their PureVolume page to download the song Vegas In Lights.

This Twilight City MySpace and Homepage.

Friends Or Whatever – Selftitled

Genres: indie, pop, rock, electronica

Friends or Whatever is the band of Mark Herbkersman from Richmond, Virginia, USA. As the varied genres suggest, his music is a wild mix. Maybe that’s the reason why the band’s second album is a 17 track epic.

You can preview the tracks or download the selftitled album as FLAC, OGG, or MP3 with no strings attached from blocSonic. The debut album The Burns We Earn is also available for free at blocSonic.

Friends or Whatever blogSonic artist profile.

Arch Hill Recordings – 10th Anniversary Album

Genres: alternative, indie, alt-country, pop, folktronica

New Zealand’s Arch Hill Recordings has released a 18 track sampler to celebrate their 10th anniversary. The album features artists The Clean, Surf City, Don McGlashan, Street Chant, David Kilgour, The Bats, Luke Buda, Pine, The Haints of Dean Hall, White Swan Black Swan, Jay Clarkson, Fang, Landy, Family Cactus, Grand Prix, Ghostplane, David Mulcahy, and Mestar. Lots of new sounds in there for sure!

Download the sampler from Bandcamp.

Arch Hill Recordings MySpace and Homepage.

Ghostpoet – The Sound Of Strangers

Genres: alternative, experimental, pop, rap

As he states himself, music is his pacemaker, his conscience, and his compass. In June and July Ghostpoet is playing shows in London, UK and Lisbon, Portugal. If you have a chance, attend and watch him musically touching people.

Get the 4 track EP free and no strings attached from Bandcamp.

Ghostpoet MySpace.

The Ventura Project – TVP

Genres: pop, rock

Described by Tom Robinson of BBC Radio as a transatlantic version of The Postal Service, The Ventura Project are indeed a UK US duo. Matthew Milligan from New York is better known as Wheatus’ bass player. Joey Slater hails from Gloucestershire. In March this year, they released their debut album TVP.

Download the album from their homepage. You can choose between a donation or sharing your eMail address.

The Ventura Project MySpace and Homepage.

Chalie Boy – The Grind Pays Off

Genres: rap, hip hop, soul

In 2009 rapper Chalie Boy reached public fame with his single I Look Good. At the end of the year he released the street album I’m Here for free. You can now obtain a copy of his second street album The Grind Pays Off.

Download the album from his homepage, no strings attached.

Chalie Boy MySpace and Homepage.

Omar Rodriguez López Quartet – Sepulcros De Miel

Genres: alternative, instrumental

This is not déjà-vu, no! Between the research for last week’s post and now, Omar Rodriguez López has released another free album, in collaboration with artists John Frusciante, Juan Alderete De La Peña, and Marcel Rodriguez López.

If you enjoyed last week’s album, go ahead and download the new one. It’s your choice of free or a donation to “Keep Music In Schools”. The source is Omar’s homepage.

Omar Rodriguez López MySpace and Homepage.

How To Destroy Angels – Selftitled

Genres: alternative, indie, electronics

In 2009 Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor announced he felt it was time to make NIN disappear for a while. It wasn’t long until he started working on a new project. How To Destroy Angels is the new band of Trent Reznor, his wife Mariqueen Maandig, and Atticus Ross.

Their selftitled album How To Destroy Angels was released on June 1st. You can download it from the band’s homepage after sharing your email address.

How To Destroy Angels MySpace and Homepage.

Want your music to be heard? Share your links in the comment or get in touch with me (tina at makeuseof dot com).

MakeUseOf has teamed up with zozi to provide you (and a friend) a FREE 7-day, trip to New Zealand. Sign up now!

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Hot Tech Deals [June 6th]

Posted: 06 Jun 2010 01:30 PM PDT

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.

For more fresh hot deals, visit our Hot Tech Deals page, which is constantly updated.

Compaq Presario Intel Celeron 2.2GHz 16″ Laptop for $330 + $15 shipping
Toshiba Satellite AMD Dual Core 2GHz 16″ Laptop for $400
Dell Latitude E6510 Core i5 Dual 2.4GHz 16″ LED Laptop for $711 with coupon code “$PCHL71DS40?VH”
Toshiba Satellite Pro Core 2 Duo 2.1GHz 16″ Laptop for $485 with coupon code “GRAD15″
Refurbished Sony NWZ-E345 16GB MP3 Player for $50
Refurb Sony HandyCam 60GB HDD Digital Camcorder for $200 with coupon code “SONY47L530″
Belkin 3-Outlet Wall Mount Surge Protector for $8
Refurb Epson WorkForce 315 AIO Network Inkjet Printer for $39
Refurbished Linksys 802.11n Wireless 4-Port Router for $30 pay via Google Checkout
Body Glove Viper Snap-On Case for iPhone 3G / 3GS for $7

Image credit: Modified from Svengraph’s icon set

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3 Cool Tips To Get More Out of Your Bookmarks in Chrome

Posted: 06 Jun 2010 10:30 AM PDT

bookmarks in chrome Bookmarks are definitely one of the most widely used features of the modern browsers. You can use them to remember a page you just found, or to create a list of pages that you might want to read later or simply create bookmarks for easy access to pages that you visit often.

Whatever be the case, here are some tips and tricks that you can use for being more productive with bookmarks in the Chrome web browser. As you might be aware, Google Chrome updates automatically without your permission or intervention. This ensures that you have the latest version of Google Chrome on your computer, which is good. The thing though, is that Chrome doesn’t display a ‘What’s new’ page like the one you see when you update Firefox.

So a lot of things go unnoticed. Chrome Bookmark Manager is now a part of Google Chrome as a result of one such update. Not many people know about it or use it, unless they have been exploring the Tools menu lately.

bookmarks in chrome

Click the Wrench icon and then Bookmark Manager to bring it up. The Bookmark Manager will allow you to Add, Edit, Delete and Organize your bookmarks into folders. You can also export or import bookmarks in Chrome using the Bookmark Manager. There are no tags or keywords as you would find in Firefox’s Bookmark Manager, but we will address this shortcoming in a moment.

Add keywords to bookmarks

This has to be one of the greatest time savers and coolest feature of modern browsers. Type ‘mail’ and you are taken to your preferred email service, type ‘muo’ followed by a phrase and you are able to search MakeUseOf for that phrase. Awesome! The bookmark manager lets you do that in Firefox, in Chrome things are a little different. We use the Manage search engines functionality to achieve what we want. Intended for customizing search engines that Chrome knows of, you can use it to create keywords for bookmarks, just as well. The only caveat is that you need to copy and paste the URL yourself if you decide to create one from scratch which you have to if not using one of the already known search engines.

Click on Tools menu and then Options, within the Basic tab click on Manage next to Search Engines.
Click on the Add button and key in the necessary details (I use Gmail as an example, obviously this makes more sense for longer URLs)

bookmarks in chrome

Now you can simply enter the keyword in the address bar to open the URL.

Use folders to create quick launch sets in the bookmarks bar

I like to open up a couple of news site in the morning, the first time I am at a computer. Then in my spare time, it’s Facebook, Twitter and Orkut, then there is another set when I am researching stories. Instead of keying in the URLs day in day out, or clicking on multiple bookmarks to open them, I group them into folders on the bookmarks bar and then I can open them all at once or access any one individually.

You can create folders using the Bookmark Manager or right-click on the bookmarks bar and then drag the relevant bookmarks into the folder. Once organized, you can right-click on the folder to launch all the bookmarks it houses with a single click.

Sync your bookmarks

Bookmarks sync is almost rudimentary and a must have these days. Chrome offers build in synchronization for your bookmarks, preferences, themes and/or passwords and form autofill information. All you need is a Google account. Click on the Tools icon and then click Set Up Sync. Choose what you would like to sync, hook up your Google account and you are good to go. If you happen to use Chrome on any other computer, just hook up that instance of chrome to sync with the same Google account and you should be able to use your bookmarks, themes and preferences from the other instance.

Do you know of any other cool tricks or extensions that you can use with bookmarks in Chrome? We would love to hear about them in comments.