MakeUseOf.com: “Cool Websites and Tools [February 26th]” plus 5 more |  |
- Cool Websites and Tools [February 26th]
- 4 Browser Extensions To Dim The Lights & Move The Focus To Any YouTube Video
- ibVPN Giveaway Winners
- Hot Tech Deals [Feb 26th]
- 4 Chrome Tools Every Ubuntu User Should Check Out
- 3 Of The Best Free Pomodoro Productivity Apps
| Cool Websites and Tools [February 26th] Posted: 26 Feb 2011 07:31 PM PST
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| 4 Browser Extensions To Dim The Lights & Move The Focus To Any YouTube Video Posted: 26 Feb 2011 05:31 PM PST
With “lights” off you don’t feel yourself distracted by “related videos” to the right or users’ comments (which are usually a mess by the way). Full-screen mode could be a good solution to see the video only, but sometimes the video resolution doesn’t allow that. Besides, as you’ll see from the screenshots below, videos on the black background just look somehow nicer. I was able to find 4 different browser extensions that allow you to dim the light for any YouTube video. Here they are : 1. YouTube CinemaYouTube Cinema hides everything on the page except for the video and lets you easily select the background color (as well as the video size) from the handy bar on the right:
With this extension, the videos will open in YouTube Cinema mode by default. You will need to hold the CTRL key down while clicking to open a video in the usual mode. YouTube Cinema’s options allow you to:
Supported Browsers:Firefox 3.5b4 – 3.6.* 2. YouTube EnhancerYouTube Enhancer is a feature-rich user script (I already mentioned it in my post on getting rid of popular YouTube annoyances) that lets you dim the lights for any YouTube video once you click the “light” icon.
The icon dims everything except for the YouTube Enhancer player controls:
Clicking anywhere outside the video will bring the light back on. Supported Browsers:Firefox (via Greasemonkey), Opera, Google Chrome (the latest version), Flock, Safari, SeaMonkey (with a patch). 3. Turn Off The LightsTurn Off the Lights is another cross-browser extension that adds some fun to YouTube video viewing. Similar to the one above, it works via a little lamp icon (but this one is located in your bookmarks toolbar) that fades the page to dark and brings focus to the video. Clicking the icon again brings the light back on.
If you see no Lamp button after the installation, go to View > Toolbars > Customize in the menu and drag the “Turn Off the Lights” addon onto your toolbar. A few fun features of this extension:
Supported Browsers:Firefox, Google Chrome, Opera, Internet Explorer, Safari 4. Lights OutLights Out is another user script that does only that: dims the light on YouTube videos. So if you don’t want to mess around with other options and features, this could be a good choice. It works via an icon:
Supported Browsers:Firefox (not tested on other browsers) Do you think dimming the lights could improve your watching experience? Which of the addons above are you willing to give a try? Do you know of any others? Share your thoughts! Follow MakeUseOf on Twitter. Includes cool extras.
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| Posted: 26 Feb 2011 02:30 PM PST
Today, we’ll be announcing 25 lucky MakeUseOf readers who will each receive a free 6-month subscription. Will you be one of them?
Congratulations! Your new account details will be sent to you via email next week. In the meantime, check this giveaway out: Teams and Collaborations Made Easy with TeamSnap [Giveaway]
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| Posted: 26 Feb 2011 12:30 PM PST
For more fresh hot deals, visit our Hot Tech Deals page, which is constantly updated.
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| 4 Chrome Tools Every Ubuntu User Should Check Out Posted: 26 Feb 2011 11:31 AM PST
So many Ubuntu users love Chrome that a variety of great Ubuntu-specific tools for Chrome are popping up. From beautiful notifications to quick installation of software, some Chrome plugins should simply be used by every Ubuntu user. Here are just four such Google Chrome browser tools worth checking out. Chromify OSDChrome’s new notification system is convenient, but not exactly beautiful. On Ubuntu, which has had an attractive notification system for years now, these notifications stick out like a sore thumb. Don’t worry; help is on the way. With a little bit of tweaking you can turn this:
Into this:
This works perfectly with Streamie, an awesome real-time Twitter client and many other web apps. Gmail integration isn’t working yet, but it’s on the to-do list. Check out Chromify OSD if you’re interested, and be sure to check out the discussion happening over at OMG Ubuntu to find out more. Apt-LinkerIf you’re a Ubuntu user who regularly checks blogs and forums for cool new software, you’re probably pretty good at copying “sudo apt-get install” lines from your browser into the command line. That’s cool, but unnecessary if you use Chrome. Apt-linker, a brilliant Chrome plugin for Ubuntu and Debian users, transforms any “sudo apt-get install” line into a clickable link:
The plugin’s not that complicated; it simply turns such lines into an AptURL link for single-click installation. Still, this little plugin could make any application enthusiast’s life a lot simpler! Check out Apt-linker, you won’t regret it. Ambiance ThemeIt’s only on the Mac that Chrome tries, at all, to fit in with the operating system around it. If you love Chrome, but wish it felt more native on Ubuntu, you should check out the Ambiance theme for Chrome. This skin allows Chrome to fit in perfectly with Ubuntu’s default theme:
Or if you like your current theme but wish the scrollbars looked consistent with the rest of the OS, try this extension. Apt-WebUbuntu’s repositories are great if you’ve got high-speed Internet, but it leaves a lot to be desired for dial-up users. These unlucky people need to wait hours for a program and its dependencies to download. It is possible to download all these files on a fast connection, then take them to your computer on a disk, but you need to know what dependencies applications need in order to install them. Enter Apt-web. This website, also available as a Chrome app, informs you of all the dependencies you’ll need to install a given program and offers direct download links for all of them:
While this isn’t always going to be quick, it’s easier than diving into the dependencies yourself and manually downloading each file. Check out Apt-web, or install Apt-web as a Chrome app for quick access. ConclusionUbuntu is great; so is Chrome. It’s no wonder there are tools for making the two work better together. Can you think of any more useful Chrome extensions for Ubuntu? Share them in the comments below, along with any questions. Follow MakeUseOf on Twitter. Includes cool extras.
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| 3 Of The Best Free Pomodoro Productivity Apps Posted: 26 Feb 2011 09:30 AM PST
If you’re like me, the Pomodoro Technique may appeal to you more. It’s deceptively simple, to the point where it may make you wonder if it will work, but for people with a short attention span, it can be the perfect antidote. The first step before using the Pomodoro Technique is familiarizing yourself with it. While the technique is simple, reading Francesco Cirillo’s book, provided as a free download on the site, is a great way to understand how it works and discover the ways in which you can use it to its full potential.
The basis of Cirillo’s concept is that all tasks should be done in increments of 25 minutes, followed by a 3 to 5 minute break. Each 25 minute time period is called a Pomodoro. After 4 Pomodoros, you can take a 15 to 30 minute break. When planning your day, you need to estimate how many Pomodoros each task will take, although this is something you might not be able to do until you get a hang of the technique and understand exactly how you use your time. In order to find the method that works best for you, there are several free apps that you can use to boost your productivity. While you can order the book and kit from their online store there are many free online and offline apps that are just as useful. Pomodairo (Windows/Mac/Linux)The Adobe Air app Pomodairo takes all of the essential elements of the Pomodoro technique and rolls them up into one tidy little package, and is the best choice for someone who wants the full Pomodoro experience.
You can use the app to create a task list, adding a short description and the estimated number of Pomodoros needed for the task.
Once you start the task, begin your timer. If you’re interrupted, hit the interruption button, after which you will have to re-set the timer for another 25 minutes to work on the task at hand.
Once the 25 minutes are up, the app’s alarm will go off (with a less than appealing buzz) after which it will start timing your break automatically, but rather than a 5 minute countdown, it will count up how long you take a break, with the buzzer going off at 5 minutes.
Right clicking a task allows you to mark it done/undone, edit it or remove it from the list.
Pomodairo is not only a great app to use to keep you on track, it also keeps a searchable log of your work and statistics, making it easy to analyse your work patterns and use of time.
Tomato Timer (Web)If you’d rather not download an app, Tomato Timer is useful webapp for keeping track of your time. Unlike Pomodairo, the app does not account for your task list or log, so if you want to keep a task list or a log of your work you will have to use a separate app. Something as simple as a combination of Google Tasks and an Excel sheet would be sufficient.
As far as the online timer is concerned, you can start, stop and reset the timer for your Pomodoro, short and long break, and in the settings you can alter the lengths of each time period.
Tomato Timer is compatible with Chrome 4.0+, Firefox 3.5+, Internet Explorer 8.0+, Safari 4.0+, Opera 10.5+, and the iPhone & Android’s mobile browsers. Chrome users have the added benefit of desktop notifications and an alarm.
Focus Booster (Windows/Mac/Web)Focus Booster is available as a desktop version, either as a free Adobe Air download or as a free Windows download, as well as as a free web-based version. Both the desktop and web versions don’t have any bells and whistles. A timer counts down your 25 minute Pomodoro.
A small alarm will sound and your 5 minute break will automatically begin.
Settings in the web version include toggling the alarm sound on and off, as well as toggling a clock ticking sound on and off.
Settings in the desktop version are identical, with the exception of having the choice to keep the Focus Booster window on top of other apps, and to bounce the dock icon when the time period is finished.
If keeping track of your work or visualising your use of time is important to you, Focus Booster isn’t the app for you. If on the other hand, you simply want to use the timed method of working without the analytical aspect of the Pomodoro Technique, it will be sufficient. Have you used the Pomodoro Technique? Do you prefer it to the GTD Technique? Whatever be your productivity mantra, download MakeUseOf’s Smart Productivity Guide for more tips. Also, let us know about your favorite Pomodro app. Follow MakeUseOf on Twitter. Includes cool extras.
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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. You can make use of them without spending a dime. If you want to have similar cool websites round-ups delivered to your email daily email subscribe 
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David Allen’s 
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