MakeUseOf.com: “Cool Websites and Tools [June 25th]” plus 7 more |  |
- Cool Websites and Tools [June 25th]
- The 5 Best Questions From You [MakeUseOf Answers]
- Showdown: The Wikipedia Dictionary (Wiktionary) vs Urban Dictionary
- 4 New Features of HootSuite That Will Make Your Head Turn
- The Basics Of Syncing Your iPad With iTunes [Part One]
- 3 Ways To Filter Vuvuzela Noise From The World Cup
- Yummly – A Recipe Search Engine to Spice up Your Cooking
- The Ultimate Guide To Gmail [PDF]
| Cool Websites and Tools [June 25th] Posted: 25 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. Got Questions? Ask Them Now FREE on MakeUseOf Answers! Similar MakeUseOf Articles
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| The 5 Best Questions From You [MakeUseOf Answers] Posted: 25 Jun 2010 06:31 PM PDT
A good answer can be worth $50. The only condition is that you provide a valid email address or log in with your Facebook account. For a challenge, have a look at some of our Unanswered Questions.
You can find many more questions at MakeUseOf Answers. Browse by Latest Questions, Unanswered Questions or Most Popular Questions. For regular updates subscribe to the Answers RSS Feed. Need help? Ask us at MakeUseOf Answers! It’s free and you do not have to sign up. Got Questions? Ask Them Now FREE on MakeUseOf Answers! Similar MakeUseOf Articles
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| Showdown: The Wikipedia Dictionary (Wiktionary) vs Urban Dictionary Posted: 25 Jun 2010 04:30 PM PDT
As usual, there’s a simple solution for this. There happens to be two great dictionaries online and they’re both wikis (another Internet word). If you aren’t aware, a wiki is a collaborative website which can be directly edited using only a web browser, often by anyone with access to it. But, why would there be two? In this article, I’m going to cover the Wikipedia Dictionary and Urban Dictionary. I’ll discuss the pros and cons of each and offer a comparison of the two. You’ll soon see just how different two collaborative websites can become.
Wiktionary – The Wikipedia Dictionary
Wiktionary is an online dictionary similar to the very popular Wikipedia encyclopedia. In fact, it is one of the 8 Sister Wikis from Wikipedia We Should Be Aware About. Wiktionary is home to hundred of thousands of articles/entries and is completely editable by the online community. Entries can be viewed in dozens of different languages. What makes the Wikipedia Dictionary – or Wiktionary (and Wikipedia for that matter) – so unique is how precise it is. You would think that a website in which anyone could alter content would be pretty crazy and entertaining at best, but that isn’t the case here.
Wiktionary, part of Wikimedia, has a strong-willed core group of users known as Wikipedians monitoring the site at all times. These are volunteers that willingly monitor the site to ensure its integrity. Anytime a page is altered with slanderous or inaccurate material it is immediately fixed within seconds or minutes.
With the Wikipedia Dictionary, you can find a definition for most any Internet terminology and slang in Wiktionary, but it isn’t necessarily for that purpose. Definitions are very precise and the appearance of the site is that of an ordinary dictionary. Being able to alter it on-the-fly, however, keeps it up-do-date and extremely accurate. Urban Dictionary
“Urban Dictionary is the dictionary you wrote.” It is similar to Wiktionary in that it can technically be edited by anyone, but it has one colossal difference. Urban Dictionary isn’t monitored for accuracy or vulgarity by anyone, at least it seems. In fact, a lot of the content on Urban Dictionary is NSFW (not safe for work). I call it the Freedom of Speech Dictionary.
What’s great about the site is how amazingly accurate it still is. Any word, slang, or term you could think of is probably there, and if it isn’t you’re free to add a definition yourself. The site gives its viewers the opportunity to vote definitions up or down, which helps the most useful/helpful definitions rise to the top. You can have a lot of fun while viewing Urban Dictionary but still find what you’re looking for.
Looking to start a new saying or meme? Add it to Urban Dictionary. Wiktionary vs. Urban DictionaryWhile both sites generally serve the same purpose, it is amazing how different their governance is. The Wikipedia Dictionary is popular because it is a credible source and the information is kept neat and accurate. Urban Dictionary is popular because its words/phrases are creatively put together and managed by the community only in the form of votes. Do both systems work even though they’re different? Yes, they each serve a purpose and should be used as such. You can find the definition of almost any word or phrase in existence by using these sites in conjunction with one another. They are a reflection of Internet culture and collaborative tools whose reach cannot be measured. What do you think of the Wikipedia Dictionary and the Urban Dictionary? Can they even really be compared to one another? Hit me with your thoughts and ideas in the comment section below! 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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| 4 New Features of HootSuite That Will Make Your Head Turn Posted: 25 Jun 2010 02:30 PM PDT
Well, HootSuite’s at it again! Who knew what kind of changes they had up there proverbial sleeves this time? The word is out and the gig is up because the news about their HTML 5 interface has hit the street. What’s the big deal? Now that they are using HTML 5, the new features will most definitely turn your head. Let’s go through the 4 new features that got my attention and will probably do the same for you.
1. HootSuite now has themesWho doesn’t like customization? Well, sometimes my lazy side hinders me from getting off my backside to customize something but even I would customize something if it were easy enough. Well, HootSuite makes changing the color theme so simple that even I gave ‘er a whirl. Sure, there’s only three choices now, but who knows, maybe the future will bring us a HootSuite where we can choose our own colors.
2. “Baked in” Google Analytics to keep an eye on those trendsA few months ago, I sat through a free webinar that HootSuite organized and one of their announcements was about Google Analytics integration. As it turns out, I missed a few minutes of the training and the whole Google Analytics thing was kind of cryptic to me. Now, it seems that the “baked in” nature of it all seems like it has made the integration a whole lot simpler. All I really had to do was click a button to connect HootSuite to my Google Analytics account, approve the interaction…
…and viola! Now I can analyze clicks made on links tweeted and even view my own website analytics from within HootSuite.
HootSuite did have Twitter analytics before but the new part is how well integrate Google Analytics is. 3. GeoSearch for tweets in your areaHave you ever wondered who’s tweeting in your area? Now Hootsuite can know your location (if you let it) and it will let you search the tweets in your locale. Basically, type a search word into the search box in the upper right hand corner of the site. Now if you hit “enter” it will run the search Twitter-wide. If instead you choose to search tweets near you, just click on the circular-shaped “Geo” icon in the right side of the box.
Then you can scroll through the results:
The first time you run a “Geo” search, HootSuite will ask permission to use your location. Knowing that it is only a general location, permission granted. 4. New and improved retweetingNow not only is retweeting in HootSuite integrated with Twitters retweeting tool, but you can also set up stream in order to follow retweets to you, by you and by your followers. Let me explain. Retweeting in HootSuite used to be that it would add the old school “RT” before the message being retweeted. Even while Twitter moved into a new way of doing it, HootSuite still got things done old school. Now retweeting in HootSuite is actually utilizing Twitter’s retweeting tool.
My only beef is that I haven’t figured out how to add my “two cents worth” at the end of the new retweets. Hey, HootSuite, am I missing something? You can also keep an eye on the retweeting action by following retweets sent to you, by you and your followers. All I did in order to do this was added a tab and added the three columns containing the retweeting streams.
HootSuite has also improved overall and has added a few more features I have not mentioned. I am impressed with the better response time of the site in general brought on by the HTML 5 enhancement. If you haven’t tried HootSuite in a while, giver another try. Maybe some of the new implementations will change your mind. Two questions for the comments: What’s your favorite HootSuite enhancement? And do you think the changes will bring people to begin using HootSuite? Hey Facebookers, make sure to check out MakeUseOf fan page on Facebook. Over 20,000 fans already!
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| The Basics Of Syncing Your iPad With iTunes [Part One] Posted: 25 Jun 2010 01:31 PM PDT
When you first connect the device to your computer, Apple guides you through the setup, but at some point you will want to be familiar with the options available to you when syncing iTunes on iPad, which is basically the only way you manage most of your iPad’s contents, including music, contacts, photos, apps, and ebooks, and keeping it updated. This article will give you an overview for syncing your iPad with iTunes. More detailed information can be found in Apple's own free iPad User Guide and similar books. You might also want to check out my MUO article about the general settings of your iPad.
First off, I assume that you have already synced your iPad with iTunes at least once in order to get signed up. That process is required for you to own and use the iPad. If you're like me, you probably won’t be syncing your iTunes on your iPad on a regular basis. It's much better when you can sync and update content wirelessly than having to plug and connect the USB cord between your iPad and your computer. Syncing your iPad to your iTunes is mainly useful for adding songs, TV shows, podcasts, photos and other related content to your device. Some content like purchased iTunes songs, apps, and ebooks for iBook Reader can easily be downloaded wirelessly, via Wi-Fi and 3G connections from the iTunes App Store. When connecting your iPad to your iTunes, here are some of the basics features you need to know about: Summary Overview
By connecting your iPad to iTunes you get to see all your media content – apps, music files, movies, TV shows, podcasts, etc. One of the first things you can learn, if you have forgotten, is the memory capacity of your iPad. In other words, how much stuff it can hold. The above screenshot shows that my iPad can hold up to 14 gigabytes of content. 64GB is the largest capacity iPad model you can purchase right now. At the bottom of the information panel is a bar that illustrates a breakdown of content on your iPad. This is very important to know especially if your iPad is filled to capacity. If you're new to the iPad, I'll assume you haven't added a lot of apps to your device. But basically, you will want to keep in mind that songs and videos will take up most of the space on your iPad. Photos, apps, ebooks, and other documents (e.g. PDFs, iWorks documents, other graphic files) tend to take up less space.
In the left panel of the iTunes interface, when you click on the triangle of the iPad folder under Devices, it will reveal all the media files, except for your apps and photos, currently added to your iPad. Software Update & BackupsTypically when the operating system (OS) of the iPad needs to be updated, it will be checked and done automatically by iTunes via a Wi-Fi connection. But if you have missed an update or you want to make sure that your device has the most recent update, just click the Check for Update button and you will get a report back. A recently released iOS4 for the iPhone is scheduled for the iPad next Fall. But there may be minor updates for the iPad before then. Each time you sync your iPad with iTunes, it will back up new content, such as new apps and documents, added to your iPad since the previous backup. It will not back up your songs and videos that already stored in your iTunes library. Depending on the size of the content, backing up and syncing the content of your iPad can take several minutes. If you need to know the last time your content was backed up, you can click Apple>Preferences>Devices.
If you want to keep iTunes from automatically syncing your content when you connect it to iTunes, you can disable it on the Preference box. When disabled you will need to manually sync it by clicking the Sync on the bottom-right of iTunes.
If you want to sync your device to add or delete content without backing up, you can cancel the process by simply clicking the little x in the progress bar at the top of iTunes.
The same can be done if you want to cancel a sync before it's completed.
RestoreIf you ever need to restore your iPad to its original state, you simply click the restore button. Official how-to details about restoring your iPad can be found here on the Apple site. The important thing to remember is to periodically allow iTunes to backup the content of your device just in case something happens.
Other Options For Syncing
The six other options on the Summary panel include the following:
In part 2 of this article I will cover the other syncing features found in the other panels of iTunes. These panels include more about syncing music, books, podcasts, and the like. Feel free to ask any questions you have about syncing your iPad to iTunes. If there are issues that you run into with the syncing process, feel free to share them as well. Similar MakeUseOf Articles
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| 3 Ways To Filter Vuvuzela Noise From The World Cup Posted: 25 Jun 2010 12:30 PM PDT
Most people agree that a vuvuzela noise mildly irritating – as if there were a mosquito stuck in your ear. Multiplied by the thousands, it produces a deep, hypnotic rumble, straight from the gates of hell. While not everyone may hold as big a grudge against it, the sound is testing the nerves of many a soccer fan worldwide. FIFA might still decide to ban the instrument in future endeavors, but until then, here’s how to get rid of the vuvuzela noise yourself.
(Optional) Rerouting The Broadcast AudioFor the first and second (and optionally third) method, you’ll need to find a way to route your broadcast audio through your computer. If you’re watching the game on your PC, all the better. Otherwise, look around for one of these: a stereo RCA to a 3.5 mm TRS jack. These can be found in most houses, and go over the counter for a few bucks.
If you’ve got another method of routing your audio through your computer, have at it. The most important part here is that we turn the TV audio output into a computer input. 1. DevuvuzelatorThis little tool was cooked up by Jeff Bargmann from Stardocks, the same guy who was behind Fences. If you manage to run your broadcast audio through your computer, this is probably the simplest tool to remove vuvuzela noise. Simply download and run the app, without a required installation.
You can experiment with certain levels of strength (too weak, and you’re left with vuvuzela ; too strong, and the other audio gets distorted) until you’ve got the most favorable setting.
To hear the filtered audio, double-click on the speaker icon in your taskbar (or use right-click) to open the volume control mixer panel. Look for Microphone or Line In and turn the volume up. It might even be muted to avoid feedback with ‘real’ microphones. 2. LabVIEW Vuvuzela FilterIf the Devuvuzelator doesn’t work (or you want more advanced settings), you can use this alternative Vuvuzela Filter, designed with LabView. On the page, you’ll find a Windows installation that’ll take care of both the runtime environment and the filter. There are also (two) separate downloads available for Mac OS X.
If you know what you’re doing, you can adjust the number (and frequency) of harmonics. More harmonics can do a better job of removing the Vuvuzela noise, if your system can handle the strain. If you don’t hear anything, again make sure that the microphone volume is turned on, as described above. 3. Using EQ FiltersThe german site Surfpoeten first figured out the frequencies that need to be ducked in order to surpress the vuvuzela noise. Both of the above are pre-made EQ filters that make use of this technique. You can, however, simply use a manual EQ filter to make your own. The application you use doesn’t matter. That’s why, although the set-up is easier, you don’t (always) need a computer. A lot of TV’s come packed with EQ options as well! On Windows, one option is to install VSTHost with the ReaEQ filter. On Mac OS X, Garageband will suffice.
The frequencies you’ll want to duck are 465Hz and 235Hz, both reduced by at least 40dB. You’ll need to see what your computer can handle though. Using most applications, you’ll have to create multiple EQ filters, each with part of the offset (as can be seen in the screenshot above). Do you think the noise of those vuvuzela’s is motivation enough to hook up your TV to your computer? Let us know what you think, and how these filter tricks fared you! 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.
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| Yummly – A Recipe Search Engine to Spice up Your Cooking Posted: 25 Jun 2010 11:30 AM PDT
Apart from the last, Yummly covers almost all the angles you can cook up for a foodie's website. Yes, Yummly goes the same way by indexing recipes from across the web. The number of recipes it is attempting to index is astounding – 500,000 recipes from sources like Allrecipes, Epicurious, Food Network, Chow, Food & Wine, Martha Stewart, My Recipes, Real Simple, and Recipezaar.
Let's uncover Yummly and see what's brewing. You can use the recipe search engine without a log-in, but creating your own free account helps socially. Is Yummly Just a Recipe Search Engine?
Yummly is a semantic search engine. Traditional search engines search on the basis of keywords, often ignoring the sense of the specific word or the context in which it is used. A semantic search is meant to bridge that gap. Semantic search may be web gobbledygook; in simple terms Yummly gives you so many filters to play around with, that finding the right recipe becomes easy. Here's a working example with a search for a pasta recipe.
The Yummly recipe search engine reaches into its database and returns 21,915 recipes. But I want to be more specific. So, I take the help of the FoodFinder. The FoodFinder is a set of seven filters which you can use to pinpoint the specific nature of recipe you want.
For example, I prefer my pasta to be a bit on the spicy side. I can move the slider from No Preference to Really Like. The results immediately update to my choice for the Taste Match. A filter like Courses helps to narrow it down to the exact time of my meal. Cooking time and cost are also great for a bachelor like me who needs to cook it fast and inexpensively. All text entry fields come with dropdown suggestions and they are comprehensive.
Nutrition, Diets, and Allergies should appeal to pound watchers. The Allergies part is really helpful to watch out for potential landmines.
Check out the trusted sources that go into these calculations. It's listed under Nutrition, Allergy, Diet & Price section of the FAQ. Tweak Recipes to Your TasteIf the option rich FoodFinder was a help, then the individual recipe page takes the guesswork out of cooking. You can tweak any recipe by changing the number of servings and modifying the ingredients. Changing the ingredients as per servings is usually where things go wrong. This is where the web application recalculates the optimum quantities that should go into the recipe.
The preparation steps stay the same though. You can also substitute one ingredient with another. The web app includes the substitutions via a dropdown.
You can check the nutrition facts and other details on the right. The recipe page also gives you the option to upload your own photo of the dish. Make the modified recipe your own with a click on Save. That's not the only way you can build your recipe collection. Yummly allows you to import your recipes from food sites like All Recipes and Food Network. But the feature to upload your own recipe is still missing. The Good Word from the Curry Crowd
Cooking tips from the social community on Yummly is a great way to discover likeminded souls. Yummly calls them TasteBuds. Think of them as your 'taste buddies' with whom you may want to share similar tastes with, or recipes and ideas. You can invite them over from Facebook or check out the Leaderboard. The easiest place could be the homepage itself which gives a fair inkling of what's going on in the site. Once you start frequenting the site, getting a gathering of foodies isn't going to be a chore. So, polish the pan and hop over to Yummly and let us know if this fresh web service is done just right. Image: Wikimedia Commons Got Questions? Ask Them Now for FREE on MakeUseOf Answers! Similar MakeUseOf Articles
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| The Ultimate Guide To Gmail [PDF] Posted: 25 Jun 2010 10:16 AM PDT
Today, we will be focusing on Gmail or sometimes called Google Mail, and present MakeUseOf's Ultimate Guide To Gmail written by Taty Sena from SimplyTatyDesigns. Inside the 34 page eBook you will learn:
This guide will help you to switch from your current email provider to Gmail and shows you how to make most of it. That being said, if you already use Gmail, why not have a quick look of last few chapters that have a few handy tips even for advanced users. So get your Gmail game on and download MakeUseOf's Ultimate Guide To Gmail now or read it online at Scribd. Follow MakeUseOf on Twitter. Includes cool extras. Similar MakeUseOf Articles
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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 
Those of us who spend a lot of time online have a slightly different vocabulary than the rest of the world. We use words like blog, webinar, and meme on a daily basis (and actually know what they mean). There is no need to use a standard dictionary because a lot of the definitions we’re looking for simply won’t be there.
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