MakeUseOf.com: “Cool Websites and Tools [November 4th]” plus 10 more |  |
- Cool Websites and Tools [November 4th]
- Blender – A Powerful Free Cross-Platform 3D Content Creation Suite
- The 5 Funniest Amateur Blogs On The Web
- Storyful – Fancy News Site Based on Most BUZZing Stories on Twitter
- Hot Tech Deals [Nov 4th]
- SeaMonkey: The Overlooked All-In-One Mozilla Web Suite
- A Guide To Facebook Symbols & What They All Mean
- How To Build A Linux Web Server With An Old Computer [Part 1]
- How To Trim The Bloat Out Of Your iTunes Installation [Windows]
- Nero’s Latest All-In-One Multimedia Suite [Giveaway]
- Read Free Books From Google On Your PC With Blio eBook Reader
| Cool Websites and Tools [November 4th] Posted: 04 Nov 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!
    
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| Blender – A Powerful Free Cross-Platform 3D Content Creation Suite Posted: 04 Nov 2010 06:31 PM PDT
Then again if you’re passionate enough about something you want to achieve, there’s very little standing in your way. That’s where Blender comes in. It’s free. Completely free, and a tool that has dozens of applications allowing you to try your hand at the challenging world of computer-generated artwork. Did I mention it’s free? Why Should I Choose Blender?Because you’re curious. Curious enough to try something new without dropping a couple of thousand dollars (pounds, Euros, whatever) on the latest and greatest commercial packages available. Programs like 3D Studio Max (the industry-standard for most CGI ventures) and Cinema4D (most often used for fancy TV graphics) which often cost more than the PC you’re using right now. Blender packs a punch too, with the potential for some beautiful creations.
You’re an average Joe who just wants a go. You can be running Windows, Mac OS or Linux. That’s why Blender is perfect for you. Can My PC Handle It?The minimum specifications for Blender are pretty achievable by today’s standards: 300MHz processor, 128MB of RAM, 20MB of free space and an OpenGL graphics card. You’re also going to need a 3-button mouse for manipulating the 3D workspace. A machine of that calibre will do, but render times will be through the roof so the Blender foundation recommend the following for decent performance: 2GHz dual-core, 2GB of RAM and an OpenGL graphics card with 128MB of RAM. For a production-standard machine you’ll want a 64bit quad-core processor, 8GB of RAM and a graphics card with 768MB of RAM. That’s a tall order, but thankfully not a necessity. What Can I Do With It?One heck of a lot, that’s what. Jessica recently produced an article showing off some great short 3D films and animations made with completely free software. The top-billed video was a production called Sintel which was created with Blender and also rendered using Linux – which is a double-dose of freeware right there. You’re probably not going to be creating feature-length masterpieces right away, but everyone has to start somewhere. With enough time spent inside the program, reading tutorials and generally playing around you will eventually exceed your own expectations and make momma proud. As well as 3D stills and animation (like Elephants Dream and Big Buck Bunny), Blender can also be used to create interactive 3D elements such as games (like Yo Frankie!). Within the suite itself there are an exhastive list of technical features. 3D modelling, texturing, particle effects (like smoke) and water simulation, skinning, animating, compositing and non-linear editing (including a very capable video editor for 3D non-3D projects alike) are all on the cards. There’s also support for compositing, so you can merge your creations in the third dimension with your own footage and get down and dirty with a green screen. You’ve Convinced Me, How Do I Get It?Head over to the official Blender download page and grab your version. As I’ve mentioned previously, the suite is compatible with all 3 major operating systems. I installed Blender on Ubuntu, and found that installing via the command line was the quickest and easiest way.
If you find yourself in this situation open up a Terminal window (Applications, Accessories then Terminal) and paste the following:
Input your password and hit "y" then Enter. All done, now you can launch the program for the first time. This Looks Hard – What’s Next?First of all I recommend you familiarise yourself with the interface – have a play around. Next download BlenderGuru’s cheat-sheet and get acquainted with all the keyboard shortcuts and make your life that little bit easier. It’s a handy PDF that you can print out and stick to the wall.
Then you’re going to want to take a look at some tutorials. Depending on what you want to build, you’ll find life a lot easier with a bit of help from this lot: Wikibooks – Blender 3D: From Noob to ProThe early chapters in this book will teach you the very basics of modelling, exactly what Blender does and how it all works together. An absolute essential if you’ve not done this before, and pretty useful even if you have. BlenderGuru – Tutorials | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The 5 Funniest Amateur Blogs On The Web Posted: 04 Nov 2010 04:31 PM PDT
Seriously though, whether you’re entering winter on the Northern Hemisphere or looking forward to summer on the other side, we all need a good laugh now and then. And what’s easier to laugh at than people like you and me? So if you’re in the mood for some amateurish entertainment, look no further.
1. Slightly Drunk
These are the tales of a slightly obnoxious guy from Canada, who has a tendency to get himself into miserable situations. The plot usually involves his family, most of all his stubborn father of Scottish origin. SD publishes every Friday afternoon and his posts are quite addictive. Unfortunately, he often takes breaks of several months at a time and now is such a time. However, this gives you a chance to catch up on his previous adventures, including how he lost the love of his life or his time spent working in the UK. Highly entertaining and definitely funny! 2. Ugly Outfits New York
A photoblog dedicated to bad fashion spotted in New York. Almost makes you feel better with your own wardrobe choices, doesn’t it? On the other hand, you really don’t want to see some of these pictures. Really. What makes people choose these outfits and who are their friends? 3. Awkward Family Photos
Family photos are a very rich source of entertainment. Every family has at least one fake ‘we all love each other so much’ photo or worse, a shot where everyone looks miserable. If you no longer want to feel bad about your own family’s group shots gone bad, browse this collection of truly questionable pictures. 4. The Hot Librarian
You don’t often come across a blogger who has been around more or less since 2003. And here we have a hot one, too. The hot librarian’s articles are amusing and witty. She rambles on about her life and the things she gets to observe, sometimes in her position as a librarian, but mostly as a rather naughty and merciless woman. Entertaining for sure! 5. The Peevery
Meet Michelle, the peeved one, and thank her for this blog. Read about other peoples’ pet peeves or submit your own and help make all of us smile (or hide in shame). This is for those of you who hate to read long articles and just need a quick fix of reality (read: Schadenfreude). Your own life feels so much better now, doesn’t it? Don’t have enough, yet? If your belly doesn’t hurt by now, you should also have a look at these MakeUseOf articles:
Where do you get your smile fix from? Image credits: Ayla87
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| Storyful – Fancy News Site Based on Most BUZZing Stories on Twitter Posted: 04 Nov 2010 02:31 PM PDT
Well, Storyful is making sense of it. At Storyful, curators are busy linking Tweets, Flickr pictures, news stories and YouTube clips to make a coherent story out of the news people are talking about. Plus, anyone can become a curator or submit relevant news to a story – it’s news from the people for the people.
Storyful only recently moved to a beta testing stage, but this beta test has opened the doors for anyone to join as a reader and contributor. If you want to help create the news then jump right in – just remember to be kind and leave productive feedback for the creators of the site. Eventually, I hope there will be no need to sign up if you just want to read the news. What Is Storyful?At first glance, Storyful looks much like any visually-geared news site: It has bright pictures, well spaced articles and bold headlines to catch your attention. A closer glance made me realise that I actually cared about most of the headlines here. These stories are exactly what is being passed around by the humans on Twitter – only someone had collected all the best stories, pictures and clips and turned it into something that made sense. If you look closely at the stories, you can see that it’s easy to follow how the story evolved. Storyful doesn’t remove old related news: it just stays in the thread as the backstory. This is great if you’ve just come across the story, since you can easily get a sense of how it got to this point. Simply click on the headlines further down the page and it will show you a snapshot of the story as it stood when that update was released. For ongoing stories this can be a month or so ago, whereas for breaking news there are updates released every few hours.
Contribute To News StoriesAs a contributor, you can easily add information. Just look for the contribute link to the right or underneath any story. If you want credit for the tip, just make sure you let them know. Easy!
Reading Storyful NewsThe front page clearly lets you know the major stories of the day. The headlining story is much larger than any other. Breaking news stories are the next largest and easy to scroll through. After this is the discovery section, with all sorts of weird and wonderful news.
From the front page you can also easily click through to viral headlines. This gives you a great overview of what is making noise on Twitter and Facebook right now.
The Future Of StoryfulThere’s still room for a little improvement at Storyful, but that’s what being in beta is all about. Personally, I’d love to see an RSS feed of headlining stories, plus the ability to sign up for an RSS feed or email updates of a story I wanted to follow. I would also like to see a Storyful Twitter feed for just the news headlines. A smartphone app wouldn’t hurt, either. I personally can’t wait to see how Storyful stories evolve over time. For instance, coverage of warzone conflict or slow-moving political debates. It would be great to be able to click in to these stories and get a snapshot of what the picture was six months ago.
Basically, there’s professional journalists working at Storyful as well as many everyday people contributing news and updates. Soon they will open up curating to everyday people as well — this will add an entirely new dimension to the experience at Storyful. I’m sure that it will involve a lot more human editing to ensure the right stories get seen by the most eyes.
Head over to Storyful and take a look for yourself — I’m sure the staff would love to get some sensible feedback from you all. Need More News?If you’re keen to find out more about cool ways to get your news online, check out these articles:
Let us know what you think of Storyful or tell us your favourite way to get the news. Do you like MakeUseOf articles? Don’t forget to share our articles with others! It’s really important to us.
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| Posted: 04 Nov 2010 01:15 PM PDT
For more fresh hot deals, visit our Hot Tech Deals page, which is constantly updated. Keep reading to find out today’s Hot Tech Deals.
Image credit: Modified from Svengraph’s icon set Follow MakeUseOf on Twitter. Includes cool extras.
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| SeaMonkey: The Overlooked All-In-One Mozilla Web Suite Posted: 04 Nov 2010 12:31 PM PDT
Based on code from projects including Firefox, Thunderbird, Chatzilla and more, SeaMonkey is inspired by the all-in-one internet application suites popular early last decade. Think Opera, but open source and compatible with Firefox plugins.
The Seamonkey Browser
Start up Seamonkey and the first thing you’ll notice is the browser. Used Firefox before? You’ll feel right at home with this browser, then. Based on the world-famous Mozilla engine, the SeaMonkey browser is reliable and decently quick. You can even use most of the Firefox plugins with this browser; keep reading for more information on that. Email Client
Again, if you’re familiar with Thunderbird you’ll feel at home with SeaMonkey’s email client. I had to manually configure my Gmail in order for my mail to work, but once I did SeaMonkey provided me with a nice IMAP client. A series of buttons along the bottom of the browser gives me quick access to this and all of SeaMonkey's additional features. The email interface is, for the most part, comparable to older versions of Mozilla Thunderbird. You have access to POP and IMAP email accounts along with the usual features: email signatures, formatting and more. HTML Editor
Also included is a great WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) HTML editor, perfect for making quick changes to HTML files. The tabbed interface gives you access to a preview mode, as well as to the raw HTML code that makes up any given page. If you’re looking for a quick way to tweak an existing page I highly recommend this tool, although I must admit I'm not sure I'd make use of it to build a website from scratch. If you disagree, though, I'd love to hear from you.
And More!If you're an IRC addict, you should know that SeaMonkey has this capability built in as well. IRC is probably in decline in our age of social networking gone mad, but it still has a number of core fans so this is a notable feature. If all of this isn't enough for you, don't worry: like any Mozilla-based project there are a lot of plugins to be found. Mozilla hosts an official collection of SeaMonkey plugins which you can find here. Be sure to point out any particularly good ones in the comments below. Get SeaMonkeyYou’ll find your Mac and Windows downloads over at Seamonkey Project. Linux users are best served by checking out their package managers, and Ubuntu users can click here to install Seamonkey. Do you like this suite of software, or do you prefer to keep your various applications separate? Let us know in the comments below, and also feel free to share your favorite SeaMonkey tips and tricks. Got Questions? Ask Them Now FREE on MakeUseOf Answers!
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| A Guide To Facebook Symbols & What They All Mean Posted: 04 Nov 2010 11:31 AM PDT
Whatever the reason for so many little images, the one thing it can do is cause a bit of confusion for newcomers. While many of the tiny icons are self-explanatory, for many people that are not only new to Facebook, but new to computers overall – some of these images are a real mystery.
Simple Facebook SymbolsI’ve separated all of these Facebook Symbols into two groups – the common icons most people recognize, and then the obscure ones. Most of you should recognize the first one, especially if you’re a fan on MUO’s Facebook fan page.
The following icons are well known by most Facebook users, so I won’t waste much time on them. Basically, from left to right you’ve got photos, videos, events and links.
Click on any one of these icons to add that type of content to your wall.
Obscure Facebook SymbolsThe next batch of Facebook symbols are well known to regular Facebook users, but may not be quite as recognizable to brand new users. How many of these do you recognize? The “lock” icon is a relatively new one. It basically allows you to customize the privacy of specific Facebook content on a case by case basis.
All you do is select the lock before you post an update, and identify what group of friends (or everyone) may have permission to see the update. I offered more details on how to use this feature on an MUO Facebook privacy article.
Did this guide help you identify any new Facebook icons that you never knew about? Do you know of any other strange or obscure icons that aren’t on this list? Share your insight in the comments section below. Hey Facebookers, make sure to check out MakeUseOf page on Facebook. Over 24,000 fans already!
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| How To Build A Linux Web Server With An Old Computer [Part 1] Posted: 04 Nov 2010 10:30 AM PDT
This how-to article is broken down into 4 major steps: 1. Acquire an old computer, 2. Install Operating system, 3. Set up the application web server software (Apache, PHP, MySQL), and 4. Reaching the computer from the internet. Acquire an Old ComputerLinux is a versatile operating system in that it can be run on the slowest of PCs, at least in command line mode. For simplicity’s sake, we are going to be running Ubuntu 10.10 “Maverick Meercat” which was just released and reviewed by Justin. System RequirementsThe Ubuntu 10.10 lists 256MB of RAM as the minimum amount it will work on. The installation itself takes up 3.3GB and then you want to leave space for the additional software and any files you need to work with, so I would peg that minimum at 10GB. Ubuntu supports a wide variety of video cards, hard drives and other hardware; if you want to check before downloading the install disk, look at the Linux hardware compatibility list for both complete systems and individual components in your system to see if it will work. Before getting too caught up in this though, it is pretty quick and simple to test things out with a Live CD to make sure everything will work on your system. If you plan on running the server 24/7, make sure it is in a well-ventilated area. It is better to place it in an air-conditioned room during the summer as heat will be your system’s main enemy. Install Ubuntu
Installing Ubuntu is a cinch with the latest 10.10 installer. My favorite feature of the installer is that while you are still making choices about the installation, it is working to format and copy files over to your hard drive. Head on over to the Ubuntu Desktop CD Download site to get the ISO file. These disk images have the latest versions of software so you should only have to do a minimum of upgrading after the install. Use the 64-bit version if your computer supports it or the 32-bit version otherwise. Burn the ISO to a CD or DVD, plug it into the drive of the computer and boot up. If you need to change the BIOS settings to boot off of a CD then do so, or sometimes you need to press a key to select an alternative boot media. Boot off of the CD drive and select the “Install Ubuntu.” Generally speaking, we will be installing the least amount of software as possible for two reasons: the first is that the more software you install and services you run in the background, the slower your system will be. The second is that it also opens your system up to more potential security holes in the future. Select “Download updates while installing” and “Install 3rd Party Software” and then “Erase and Use The Entire Disk”. Note that this will erase any other operating systems you have on this computer. Follow through the other options per your desired settings. I do not recommend encrypting your home folder. Reboot after the installation is complete.
Upon reboot, your install is essentially complete! The first thing you need to do after an install, similar to a Windows machine, is to apply any updates. Go to System->Administration->Update Manager and “Install Updates”. You may need to reboot after installing any updates it has found. You now have a fully-functional Ubuntu install. Set Up Application ServicesYou have a number of options here, but since most websites run on a combination of Apache, MySQL and PHP, we are going to install those. This is similar to what we recommended installing on Windows. These applications are installed via the Ubuntu Software Center. Launch the software center via System->Administration->Synaptic Package Manager. This is where we install the software we need. Search for and install the following package names, each of which will include a number of prerequisites: apache2, php5, php5-mysql, and mysql-server. Apply the changes to install the packages.
The packages will download and install shortly. The installer will prompt you for the MySQL “root” password. No reboot is necessary. Test Your Web Server!You can test your web server by opening the Firefox web browser on your server and heading to the URL http://127.0.0.1/.
You should see an “It works!” message meaning that your web server is running! Both Apache and MySQL will be running in the background and will start on bootup. Your web server is now essentially working and you can edit the files in /var/www and see the changes live on your website. Part two of this series, to be published shortly, will go over how to upload files to your Linux web server; and how to access your web server both over your local network and via the internet. Check back to see how to complete your setup. The setup is pretty straight forward but there are always hiccups along the way. Questions from new system administrators? Ask away in the comments and I’ll be sure to get back to you! Got Questions? Ask Them Now FREE on MakeUseOf Answers!
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| How To Trim The Bloat Out Of Your iTunes Installation [Windows] Posted: 04 Nov 2010 09:31 AM PDT
Those with limited system resources on their computer will appreciate all the additional resource power and storage space that they can get, and customizing the iTunes installation is one of the ways to achieve that. While the application itself can’t be altered, users can dispose of some fat to reduce the bloat. Here are some tricks that you can use to trim your iTunes installation on your Windows system. Some Background InformationBefore we start, let’s look at some background information. The iTunes installation file actually contains several smaller application installers inside it. Not many people knows that you can break it down and install only the items that you need. You will need an archive utility to disassemble the big chunk into smaller pieces. A good and free alternative like 7-Zip will work just fine. All you have to do is just right click on the installer and open/extract the content.
You will then get several “.msi” (Windows Installer Package) files. Here’s the list of the gang members and some background information to help you decide whether you’ll need them or not:
Uninstall Or Re-Install & Tweaking The SystemYou can just use a software uninstaller such as our beloved Revo Uninstaller or the alternative Iobit Uninstaller to get rid of the components that you don’t need. But it’s better for you to uninstall everything and re-install the ones that you need. Use the list above for your reference. If you want the installation process to go faster, you can do a “silent” install where the process works without the need for you to intervene. Just open “Run” (Windows + R), empty the field, drag and drop the file that you want to install, add a space and type “/passive” (sans quote).
Click “OK” or hit “Enter” and the process will go from start to finish without the “Next” buttons routine.
After you have finished installing the components that you need, you can disable “iTunesHelper.exe “and “QTTask.exe” from your StartUp list. You can edit the registry in the System Configuration Utility (by typing MSConfig in the Run window), or go the easier way by using a free utility like AutoRuns or WinPatrol. This step is not obligatory but will shed several seconds from your computer startup time and free up some processing power. If you need iTunes but don’t want to have all the extras, you can use the tricks above to slim down your iTunes installation. I’ve tried it on my system without any problem, but it’s better for you to apply it yourself and tell us the result in the comments below. Follow MakeUseOf on Twitter. Includes cool extras.
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| Nero’s Latest All-In-One Multimedia Suite [Giveaway] Posted: 04 Nov 2010 09:00 AM PDT
Thanks to Nero’s latest solution, editing all those memories together, burning them onto a shiny new BluRay disc and transferring them to your portable devices just got easier – and you won’t need to buy three separate products either. We’re giving away 25 copies of Nero Multimedia Suite Platinum HD worth a staggering $2750 in total, read on to find out how to be in with the chance. FeaturesThe Platinum suite offers everything you’d find in Nero’s standard Multimedia Suite 10 as well as some very attractive extras. First, let’s take a look at what you get in the standard package. Video editing is covered thanks to Nero’s Vision Xtra package, which provides a sleek and intuitive interface to get your work done. The multitrack display is commonplace in pretty much any video editor, and comes coupled with a powerful search engine which makes constructing a sequence a fairly straightforward process.
There are plenty of effects and transitions available to you as well as advanced features like picture-in-picture, complete keyframe control and a master effect track. Nero’s SmartEncoding also provides a quicker way to get your videos onto BluRay disc in true 24p cinematic style. Nero’s classic Burning ROM is also included in the package, which features an easy-to-use drag and drop interface, the splitting of large files over multiple discs and you can even encrypt or password-protect your media.
If you find backing up a drag then the one-click approach taken in Nero’s Backitup & Burn package will bring a smile to your face. The program is compatible with the usual optical media (CD/DVD/BluRay) as well as hard drives, FTP, removable storage and web-based services. You can even backup to multiple destinations (the more the merrier) at the same time.
Recovering the data you’ve backed up is also covered with RescueAgent, provided as part of the backup suite. Both Burning ROM and Backitup & Burn use SecurDisc technology to improve the readability of your discs over time, regardless of scratches or detereoration. The Platinum package contains three extra features which make it that little bit more enticing for media monkeys everywhere. There’s a BluRay player for watching your favourite HD flicks on your PC (or maybe you’d prefer to hook your machine up to your TV, or even projector if you’re lucky) – something that’s not included with a vanilla Windows install.
The ‘Move it’ plug-in will save you time transferring between devices, including support for shifting your pictures, music and video between multiple devices. The plug-in supports Apple’s iPod and iPhone (so no iTunes required!) as well as Android devices to name but a few. This makes showing off all that video you edited with Xtra Vision that little bit easier, and all within the same suite. Finally, Nero has thrown in an extra 50 picture-in-picture templates (with 30 high res backgrounds), 50 additional pro transitions for use with Xtra Vision, 25 movie themes and 25 menu templates. That’s enough to keep you busy for a while.
All this plus Multimedia Tools to streamline the whole experience, as well as more features than I could fit into this review. Phew, they have been busy. And you can win it all! How do I win a copy?It’s simple, just follow the instructions.
Giveaway eligibility You must be a fan of our Facebook page to enter; Individuals who are over the age of 18. If you are under 18, get your parents to participate on your behalf; Individuals who reside in a country embargoed by the United States; Belgium, Norway, Sweden, or India are not permitted to enter. This giveaway begins now and ends Friday, November 12th at 2100hrs PST. The winners will be selected at random and announced via email. Stay in the loop and get Nero’s news updates via their Twitter and Facebook feeds. Spread the word to your friends and have fun! MakeUseOf would like to thank Nero AG for their 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!
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| Read Free Books From Google On Your PC With Blio eBook Reader Posted: 04 Nov 2010 08:31 AM PDT
These disadvantages are the reason why eBooks have enjoyed a relatively quick rise to popularity. One of the most recent eBook readers to come about is the Blio eReader, an underdog rising to challenge the Kindle Store, iBooks and others. Does Blio have anything interesting to offer? Kind Of Like iBooks – For Your PC?
If you've used iBooks before, or even glanced at it, you'll probably find some interface elements of Blio familiar. Opening the program dumps you into the My Library section, which arranges all of the books you own on shelves with their covers out. If you'd like, however, you can arrange the books as a simple list. Books can be arranged alphabetically by title, by author or by the date they were last read. A search function is also included, and this is by far the easiest way to find a book in a large library. Free Books! – Oh & A Few Books for SaleBlio includes a store from which Blio will gladly sell you a wide variety of titles for prices that are often not particularly attractive compared to what you'll pay for the real, physical book. The Blio store is also noticeably thin on titles. That's fine however, because the paid store isn't the cool part of Blio. What is cool is the Free Books section, which is tied to Google Books. Using Blio you can search through the huge number of publicly available works listed on Google. This includes many classic titles in various genres of literature, science and philosophy.
Do you need to read Shakespeare for a class? You can download any number of his plays from Google Books via Blio. You could do this independently by doing a Google Books search, but you'd be giving up this eBook reader's slick interface. The Reading ExperienceAs nice as the ability to download free eBooks from Google is, it'd be pointless if the reading experience of Blio was no good. Fortunately, Blio has executed this critical element well. Double-clicking on a book in your library will open it, revealing the front cover or, in the case of most free eBooks, a title page. If you'd like to turn the page the old fashioned way you can click on, and then drag the bottom right hand corner of the eBook. This results in a very slick page-turning animation. You also have the option of clicking the arrow buttons, which will send you to the next page as well.
The books rendered by Blio are large and clear, and the experience seems to move along at lightspeed compared to a PDF file. The default Blio view shows you two pages at a time, side-by-side. There are other options that display single pages, thumbnails, etc. The eBook reader also includes an expandable note section on the left side of the interface that lets you add comments about the book. You can even highlight specific parts of the text and make notes referring to them directly. This is handy if you're reading a book for research or critical analysis. ConclusionThere isn't much to dislike about the Blio eBook reader. Is this a replacement for the Kindle Store? Uh, no. There aren't enough books and there isn't much reason to buy books through Blio, since there is no specific reader device associated with this store. The ability to download free books from Google is the main reason to download and use this software. It's a super cool feature that, when combined with Blio's smooth operation, is hard to resist. Why buy older books when you can download them for free and read them on your laptop using Blio? Do you like MakeUseOf articles? Don’t forget to share our articles with others! It’s really important to us.
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