MakeUseOf.com: “Avast! 6.0 Free Antivirus For Windows Released, Adds AutoSandbox [News]” plus 12 more |  |
- Avast! 6.0 Free Antivirus For Windows Released, Adds AutoSandbox [News]
- The History Of Operating Systems [INFOGRAPHIC]
- Cool Websites and Tools [February 28th]
- How To Visualize Your Browser Bookmarks In Firefox & Google Chrome
- The Best 2 Channels To Seriously Help You Visually Learn Complicated Math Concepts
- Share More Than Just Photos With Zenphoto & The Zenpage CMS Plugin
- Hot Tech Deals [Feb 28th]
- 5 Methods To Find Inspiration For Your Photography
- How To Remotely Control Your Mac Using Simple AppleScripts
- 7 Websites For Desktop Customization That Give You Free Themes & Skin Downloads
- The Top 6 Alternative Firmwares For Your Router
- Windows 7 Service Pack 1 Released – But What’s Inside? [News]
- Speck Fitted Case for iPad Review and Giveaway
| Avast! 6.0 Free Antivirus For Windows Released, Adds AutoSandbox [News] Posted: 01 Mar 2011 06:31 AM PST
For extra piece of mind the team have introduced AutoSandbox, a feature that automatically executes suspicious-looking files in a safe virtual environment. Ondrej Vlcek, CTO of AVAST Software explained “If the item is dangerous, the virtual computer is shut down and the user's real machine remains safe. And, if the item is safe, there is no hassle from a false positive”.
Amongst them are WebRep, the first “reputation guide” for malware to be integrated into a free antivirus package. There are also several new Internet security features, including Web and Script Shields as well as Site Blocking providing additional security at HTTP and browser-level. Avast! users enjoy regular definition updates, a top-performing detection engine and don’t pay a penny. Such a rich set of features from a free antivirus tool may leave many asking whether commercial security software is really worth the expense. Do you use a free antivirus? Do you pay? What are your reasons? Talk about it in the comments below. Follow MakeUseOf on Twitter. Includes cool extras.
    
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| The History Of Operating Systems [INFOGRAPHIC] Posted: 01 Mar 2011 05:21 AM PST Have you ever wondered how your favourite operating system got started? Well wonder no more as the following infographic gives you all the necessary facts, going all the way back to the very first OS back in the 1950′s. Whether it’s Windows, Mac or Linux, you’ll find some fun, cool and interesting facts below that maybe you didn’t know about before.
Created for MakeUseOf by Wix Add this infographic to your website: Got Questions? Ask Them Now FREE on MakeUseOf Answers!
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| Cool Websites and Tools [February 28th] Posted: 28 Feb 2011 07:31 PM PST
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? Don’t forget to share our articles with others! It’s really important to us.
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| How To Visualize Your Browser Bookmarks In Firefox & Google Chrome Posted: 28 Feb 2011 05:31 PM PST
Hopefully, the following two browser extensions, for Firefox and Google Chrome, will partially solve the issue. They will capture the page preview for each of your bookmark entries to let you easier recognize it and have more fun browsing through them. Visualize Bookmarks In FirefoxViewMarks (see our review of ViewMarks here) offers an alternative way to organize and use your bookmarks. Immediately after installing it, you’ll see default thumbnails around the place and you’ll have to click through to your pages to capture the thumbnail. But for all new bookmarks, the preview images will be automatically captured and saved. The thumbnails in any folder can be rearranged using simple drag-and-drop functionality. The page interface also allows you to:
Besides the thumbnail, the tool saves other information about the page such as its meta description, meta keywords, when it was saved and how many times you have accessed the page. This information is visible on hover-over:
The great thing about ViewMarks search is that it includes all this additionally captured information and therefore allows you to search not only within your bookmark titles but also within the page description and keywords. This enhances your search capabilities quite a bit and helps a lot if you have accumulated hundreds of bookmarks already. Both the thumbnail image and the additional information can be edited: just right-click on any image and select “Edit“:
The little handy “Save” icon below the image allows you to upload any image and create the thumbnail using the local file.
All in all, the tool makes a great job helping to figure out your bookmarks, especially if you’ve been bookmarking for several years and have a hard time remembering most of your bookmarks. Visualize Bookmarks In ChromeAs compared to the above addon, Visual Bookmarks is somewhat limited and sometimes slow but that’s the only option so far for Google Chrome users. The extension visualizes your browser bookmark folder structure, captures the thumbnail image and shows the page title in the foreground. It also supports Delicious bookmarks and has a built-in search option.
It doesn’t have drag and drop functionality that could help re-arrange the bookmarks. Besides, per my observations, it only generates the page preview image if you click through the link right from the extension window (if you just bookmark the page, it will appear as a gray box with the title):
To conclude, the tool does a good job creating a good visual structure of your bookmarks as well as giving you quick access to them, but it will give no help in organizing and re-arranging your bookmarks (unlike the similar Firefox addon we have seen above). Are you aware of any other useful browser extensions to visualize and organize your bookmarks? Please share them in the comments. Do you like MakeUseOf articles? Don’t forget to share our articles with others! It’s really important to us.
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| The Best 2 Channels To Seriously Help You Visually Learn Complicated Math Concepts Posted: 28 Feb 2011 03:31 PM PST
I've recently had this happen to me many times in a multi-variable calculus class, and while I headed to tutoring and office hours, there were still times that I saw and understood what the tutor or professor did, but when I tried the problem by myself, I wouldn't know how to continue the problem or get to the right answer. I've found the following resources incredibly helpful as they can really show you the snippets of information you need and will always be available on-site for you to go back to. PatrickJMT (“Just Math Tutorials”)'s YouTube ChannelPatrick, the author behind all these math videos, holds a Masters in math, and more than 900 videos on math topics, ranging from pre-Calculus to Algebra and Calculus. PatrickJMT's videos contain thorough explanations of even the hardest topics using nothing but plain marker and paper. Then, rather than throwing them at you with mathematical jargon, he tells you (in a soothing voice) what and how you'll need to solve the problem in layman's terms. Simple and straight-to-the-point, he usually goes over a topic's definition, then illustrates it with plenty of problems, guiding you through each step and also telling you how he simplified it by skipping a step. Some of his videos can up close to 10 minutes long, but that’s a very short time compared to the 50 or 60 minutes you spent in class trying to comprehend your professor. Here is a video where he explains the basic concept of limits. The concept of recording the process of solving a math problem is absolute genius, but the value of these videos really depends on whether the tutor guides you through the steps and whether the tutor can help you regularly. Well, Patrick not only goes through an entire problem for all topics without skipping and making leaps between steps, he also posts videos regularly, which he has been doing since 2008. Even the author's website has playlists for all topics in Algebra, Trigonometry, Calculus and Statistics. For fun, he also posts interesting puzzles to be solved mathematically. Here’s his latest one, talking about the Monty Hall problem. MathTV's Youtube ChannelCompared to PatrickJMT's videos where you can only hear the instructor while he does the problem, MathTV’s videos feature a very clear, smiling (makes you enjoy videos more!) and patient professor who goes through math concepts and various problems. The style of teaching is basically the same: He goes through the concept with easy-to-understand terms and solves problems by applying the concept. Not only does the professor excel at teaching with clear explanations, but what's cool is that he also provides motivational and study skills videos to encourage students to not give up when they face difficult math problems or feel like they can't do math. Here’s one of Mr McKeague, the instructor in the videos, with a study skills tip. Then, here’s Mr McKeague in another math video online, explaining the concepts of limits. Although the channel hasn’t been updated in a year, the website looks active with playlists and links to online textbooks for anyone to purchase and receive the premium content. The YouTube channel itself contains more than 50 free videos with topics in high school and college-level math. Overall, these two great resources are helpful for anyone in college-level math classes, with topics such as multi-variable Calculus and can be of assistance when you want someone to simply tell you what exactly you're trying to achieve without the jargon. For additional help resolving problems, you should check out the web-based Mathway. Would you rather go to traditional tutoring or are open to multimedia lessons to aid your learning? Let us know what you think in the comments. Image Credit: d3 Dan Do you like MakeUseOf articles? Don’t forget to share our articles with others! It’s really important to us.
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| Share More Than Just Photos With Zenphoto & The Zenpage CMS Plugin Posted: 28 Feb 2011 01:31 PM PST
Whilst Zenphoto at first appears to be an amazing tool for sharing photos, it can also take on a bit more responsibility than your run-of-the-mill gallery solution. The ability to theme and customize your gallery provides excellent scope for anyone requiring a media-oriented content management system (CMS). Zenpage CMSIn order to make your Zenphoto a little more WordPress, you’re going to need a Zenphoto plugin called Zenpage CMS. It is an officially supported extension for the Zenphoto platform, and as you’d expect, it works well.
You’ll find the Zenpage plugin (amongst others) on the Plugins tab of your main admin panel. Scroll down to the bottom and find Zenpage, select it and hit Apply at the top of the page. It’ll take a few seconds for Zenpage to be installed, then you’re set.
The first thing you’ll probably notice are the two extra tabs now on your main navigation panel, Pages and News.
You’ll be pleased to know that there are now Pages and News shortcuts in the admin toolbox visible on your site’s front end. News posts are split into categories, whereas Pages are simply used as static pages (e.g. contact or about).
Adding a news post is a fairly simple task, compose an SEO-friendly title, some content, pick a category and hit Apply. Hit the Published checkbox whilst composing to publish straight away, or visit the articles page at a later date.
Before you’ll notice the difference on the frontend you’re going to need to enable a Zenpage CMS compatible theme. The default theme is just called Zenpage and provides a good starting place with a fairly blank layout for you to use and abuse.
Head over to the Themes tab and choose the default Zenpage theme, hit Apply and wait for your changes to take effect. You can change each theme’s options once it has been applied with the Set theme options link next to each offering.
If you intend on using the default theme then there’s a few options on the theme options page you might want to tweak. News on index page will replace the default gallery list view with your latest news stories, whilst Use custom menu requires the menu_manager plugin but gives you the ability to construct your own personal menus.
The image view page is fairly standard, with a few nice touches. Clicking on the image will open it in a larger lightbox and there’s an Image info button that opens EXIF data in a lightbox too.
After installing Zenpage CMS, the default theme and playing around with the options you’ll have yourself a great little gallery-cum-CMS that can handle all types of media.
ThemesAll that Zenpage really does is add news and page elements to your website. There’s a couple of good compatible themes, but you’ve also got the option of building or converting your own if you’re the patient type. As Zenphoto is written in PHP, the Zenpage CMS uses PHP functions to call the desired elements. If you really are interested in how to go about this then you’ll need this handy list of supported functions. An easy way of customizing the default Zenpage theme is by tweaking the style.css file in your /themes/zenpage directory. If the very thought of this terrifies you, there’s a couple of themes you can install and use right now. Download, extract and upload the folder to the /themes directory of your Zenphoto install, then choose your theme on the Themes admin tab. zpFocus
A light, airy and newspaper-esque theme that still places plenty of emphasis on your photography. The menu is attractively located atop the main page, with both latest news and latest albums featured on the index. Even if you don’t like the colours (change them), there’s no denying it’s a well-designed and easy to follow layout. zpArdoise
A dark theme that subtly integrates news and pages into the main menu without displacing your photos or dumbing down their impact. An excellent photo-oriented layout makes for a fantastic theme, you should probably give this one a go! zpEnlighten
A perfect example of expanding upon the default theme, Enlighten doesn’t change an awful lot but the colour scheme. If you find light blues and pale greys more inviting than the default greens and blacks then it might suit out of the box. For the rest of you it’s inspiration to rip up the CSS file and stamp your own mark on your site. ConclusionThe Zenpage CMS plugin demonstrates what a powerful tool Zenphoto is. Adding news and pages to your site retains all the media goodness of Zenphoto whilst delivering a quality integrated blog and multimedia showcase website. If you’re not too sure about Zenphoto but are looking for a good photo blog then Pixelpost might be just what you’re looking for. Have you tried Zenphoto? How about Zenpage CMS? Share your creations, photos and comments below. 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: 28 Feb 2011 12:30 PM PST
For more fresh hot deals, visit our Hot Tech Deals page, which is constantly updated.
Image credit: Modified from Svengraph’s icon set Got Questions? Ask Them Now FREE on MakeUseOf Answers!
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| 5 Methods To Find Inspiration For Your Photography Posted: 28 Feb 2011 11:31 AM PST
Since practice makes perfect, this is a great way to not only have a bit of fun with your photography, it will also improve your photographic skills, and you could very well end up with some of your best work yet. Online communities, competitions and tutorials are just a few of the ways you can find the inspiration that has been eluding you, and find images where you wouldn’t have normally. Online CommunitiesOnline communities are the most obvious place to start when you’re looking for inspiration for your photography. With such a huge variety of styles of photography, techniques, and ideas, you’re bound to find something that will spark your creativity. There are two ways to browse the most popular work on Flickr. If you want to see the most recent work that has left its mark on the community, you can check out 7 days worth of interesting photos. If you want to go back even further, Flickr’s explore page features popular photos, sets and groups.
DeviantArt is another site with a strong photography community. Two ways you can look at the best work on DeviantArt is to check out the handpicked photos, selected by moderators, or, like Flickr, you can just take a look at the most popular photos based on comments and favourites.
Stock photography communities such as Stock.Xchng, Shutterstock and iStockphoto are also great sources of inspiration. Entertainment ArtThe entertainment industry is full of artistic inspiration. Whether it’s in movie posters, album covers, a few lines in a song, or a scene in a movie, there is no limit to the ways in which one form of art can inspire another. A great source for just about any movie poster is MoviePosterDB. The database is searchable by movie title, artist, actor or tag. If you just want to browse randomly you can do so by decade, popularity or just browse random posters one by one.
If you’d rather be selective, the best movie posters are posted on the database site, IMP Awards. The database can be browsed by actor, director, designer, or year.
Album covers can be just as if not even more inspirational than movie posters. Sleavage features some of the more interesting album covers from the past decades, which you can browse by cover artist, music artist, genre and more.
For a wider selection, Album Art is a great choice where you can search for your favourite artists, and see how their album covers can inspire you.
Another way in which you can use these images is to mimic them, creating images that are identical to the album cover or movie poster, adding your own personal twist. Professional & Classic ArtWhile your peers can be a source of inspiration, so can professional photographers who you look up to or aspire to be like. If you have a favourite photographer, keep up with their website to see what they’re doing artistically. If you don’t want to look up someone specific, a photography or art database is a great way to get inspired. Like with movie posters and album covers, you can emulate photos taken by professional photographers, or even create photos based on famous paintings. The ideal database of photography, fine art and vintage art is the aptly named art.com. Searchable by style, subject, artist, or collection, there is no limit to the kinds of inspiration you’ll find here.
TutorialsNo photographer can ever say they know all there is to be known about photography. There is always something new to learn. Tutorials can be a great source of inspiration, encouraging you to try new techniques and tricks. There’s no limit to online photography tutorials, one of the best and most popular is the website, Digital Photography School, with tips on photography techniques, equipment and processing.
PhotoRadar is another popular site packed with tips, tricks and techniques.
PixelTango has a great list of 20 useful photography techniques which are bound to give you some ideas for new photos, as well as a long list of inspirational ideas and styles. Smashing Magazine also put together a stellar list of 50 photography tips and tutorials that will keep you busy, and inspired, for quite a while.
Lighting Diagrams Creator might not provide tutorials, but is a great resource for better understanding how lighting affects your photography. Photographers share their photos, accompanied by a lighting diagram displaying how they set up the photo.
A simple Google search will reveal the wealth of knowledge and inspiration that is to be found online in the form of photography tutorials and tips. CompetitionsOnline photography competitions and magazines are another great source for inspiration, even if you don’t want to enter). The World Photography Organisation is a great source of inspiration both for its competitions and the incredible community photography on the site.
Also be sure to check out the article, 5 Websites With Free Photo Contests To Improve Your Photography Skills. Where do you get your photography inspiration? Let us know in the comments? Image credit: Shutterstock Do you like MakeUseOf articles? Don’t forget to share our articles with others! It’s really important to us.
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| How To Remotely Control Your Mac Using Simple AppleScripts Posted: 28 Feb 2011 10:31 AM PST
If you have never worked with AppleScript before, don’t fret. The following Mac remote control scripts are very short and easy to use. Settings For Remote ControlIn order to remotely control a Mac, say your desktop machine, you must first set it up for commands to be sent to it. To do this, launch System Preferences > Sharing on the Mac you want to control. Click the box next to Remote Apple Events, and set user restrictions if you need to.
Next, you will need the IP address. In System Preferences, switch to Network and locate your machine’s IP address. It should be something like, 192.168.2.3.4.. Copy that address to proceed to the next step. You can also use the machine’s Bonjour name which can be found at the top of the Sharing pane in System Preferences. Its address will be spelled similar to this one: “smith-nancy-computer.local.” Create A Script CommandNow, on another Mac, say your laptop, launch the AppleScript Editor, which can be found in Applications Folder > Utilities Folder. Our first command will be one that puts the remote Mac to sleep. In AppleScript, go to File > New. Copy and paste the following simple script in the editor:
Replace the sample IP address with the address of the Mac you’re going to send the command to. Be sure the address comes after “eppc://.
Now click the Compile icon. If you don’t get an error message, you should be good to go.
Now make sure the remote is awake and running. Click the Run button in AppleScript. You will probably be asked for authentication. Type the username and password of the Mac you’re sending the command to. If it works, then you have successfully sent your first remote command to another Mac. Saving Your ScriptsThere are a couple of ways you can save and access your scripts. You can save them to the Scripts Menu that can be put into the menu bar of your desktop. It looks like this:
If it is not there, go to the AppleScript Editor, open its Preferences and click the box, “Show Script menu in menu bar” in the General Pane. If that doesn’t bring it up, look for the AppleScript’s folder in the Applications folder. Inside that folder, find and click on “Install Script Menu.”
Save your script in your Home Library > Scripts folder. It then should show up in you Scripts Menu. From there, you can run the script whenever you need it without having the AppleScript Editor open.
If you think you’re going to run the script on a regular basis, you can save it as an application and put it in your Dock. Other Command ScriptsHere are a few other commands that you might want to send to your Mac. Start iTunes
Stop iTunes
Increase Volume
Open The Safari Browser
Close The Safari Browser
Let me know if this tutorial works out for you. If you know of other AppleScript commands that our readers might find useful, please share them here. For some more AppleScript automation ideas, check out this article, and if you looking for Mac automation tips, download my free MUO Guide to Mac Automation. Do you like MakeUseOf articles? Don’t forget to share our articles with others! It’s really important to us.
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| 7 Websites For Desktop Customization That Give You Free Themes & Skin Downloads Posted: 28 Feb 2011 09:30 AM PST
Thanks to the different themes and theme managers available, desktop customization is a select and apply job. The more adventurous go for a more system wide change with shell replacement and transformation packs. Generally, of the three Windows OS, it's Windows XP which gets the most love. So, are you yearning to wield the scalpel and give your computer a new look? As a newbie perhaps you don't know where to start? Well, you can start here with some of the resources I will be mentioning at the end.
WinCustomize
The computer skinning community based website is a one-stop resource for downloading skins, themes, icons, and wallpapers that will let you play with the look of your Windows. It is also designed as an entry point for new users into the exciting world of skinning with how-tos, forums, and a wiki. You can also download many free customization programs like Stardock's LogonStudio and BootSkin. Some commercial programs like WindowBlinds are also listed. The site has a large wallpaper collection that you can explore by browsing through almost 1600+ pages. DeviantART
DeviantART is one of the largest digital art communities on the net. Though at first you might think that it's all about illustrations and graphics, go a bit deeper and you will find loads of downloads on Windows themes, visual styles, icons, desktop screenshots, cell phone themes etc. You can browse two categories in particular – Customization and Design & Interfaces. Customize
Being one of the oldest skinning websites on the web has given it a stock of resources you can dip into for free. The site lays claim to a community of 100,000 members. You can sign up and upload your own files, save your favorites, and take part in discussion groups. It's not only about downloading Windows themes and skins, but also of its applications like WinAmp, Foobar, Trillian, Yahoo Messenger etc. Skinnalicious
The skinning community has 1905 downloads listed in 37 categories. The most populated categories are those for wallpapers, Rainlendar skins, XP logon skins, and Windowblinds. The forum is small but you can check out the Featured Works section for some original uploads by members. CrystalXP
The forum lists 300,000 members. While some of them may not be active, the active members of this Windows customization community are definitely contributing with uploads. The range of downloads cover customization graphics like icons, skins, and screensavers. Quite a few shell packs, Windows Explorer skinners, and launchers are available for free download. Check out the forums for free tutorials on graphics and skinning. SkinBase
The best way to navigate this wallpapers and skinning portal is from the left sidebar. The site includes category rich downloads for a range of skinnable applications. You will even find skins of applications like ICQ, RadLight and CoolPlayer multimedia players. Graphic Styles
Graphic Styles gives you free access to XP styles, Windows 7 themes, WindowBlinds, icons, boot and logon screens, Rainlendar skins, wallpapers, Winamp skins and more. Temporarily, new registrations are disabled but the site allows you to download the files without a sign in. The forum is relatively small with around 7000 members. These seven web communities are meeting grounds for those who hate the humdrum. Why stick to the common path when the web gives us so many free resources to be offbeat. Like the following resources we have covered in the past – 12 Great Ways of Spicing Up Your Windows Desktop – T.J These are just a few random picks from our desktop enhancement posts. But they go to show that when it comes to flaunting your own personal style, the pixel-width of a screen is more than enough. Let us know if you like to experiment with the look of your OS and the resources you follow. Image Credit: Shutterstock Do you like MakeUseOf articles? Don’t forget to share our articles with others! It’s really important to us.
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| The Top 6 Alternative Firmwares For Your Router Posted: 28 Feb 2011 08:31 AM PST
Let’s run over this list of alternative firmware for routers (firmware is just another name for software that runs on specific hardware) to see if you would benefit from the extra features it provides. Why Use Alternative Firmware?First of all, if you are not comfortable with voiding warranties, this article is not for you. Installing custom firmware can and will cancel that warranty, so if you have sunk all of your money into a new $150 router then it might be safer just to keep your manufacturer’s firmware on the device. Do not pass go, do not collect $200. There is also a chance you might brick your router. If you are still reading this, I’ll assume you are cool with that and are willing to roll up your sleeves. Turn A Regular Old Router Into An Enterprise Class DeviceThe first and main reason you might want to install alternative firmware is that you are adding features that although are possible on the consumer-grade hardware you purchased, the manufacturer decided not to add for a variety of reasons. They want to keep it simple and easy for Joe-consumer to configure and also because they sell much more expensive hardware to people who want those features. Luckily for you, people have been working on ways to get the fancy software on this plain hardware! Some features that these alternative firmwares offer are:
Which Routers Will Work With Alternative Firmware?This question greatly depends on the make and model of your router. By and far the largest consumer manufacturer of wireless routers is Cisco (formerly Linksys). Most of the alternative firmwares are made for these models since there are simply more of them out in the wild than any other kind. But, that being said, the chipsets which are the brains behind the routers are also used in other models, so sometimes you will see a crossover even to some brands that hardly anyone uses. But you are safest with one of the tried and true models that have been tested with each particular alternative firmware. Bottom line is that you should check with each firmware to see which models it supports. Let’s continue on to the different firmwares that are available: DD-WRT
DD-WRT is by and far the most well known, distributed and tested of the alternative firmwares. It has been in development for a number of years now and is very stable. It is easy to install from your firmware upgrade page and include all of the features listed above. It is free and available for a number of routers – in fact probably the widest number of routers compared to other firmwares. You can check to see if your router is supported by visiting their router database. Tomato Firmware
Tomato works just like DD-WRT, is easy to install, and is under active development. Tomato isn’t quite as feature-rich as DD-WRT but makes up for it by being very user friendly while at the same time giving you advanced features like QoS and a shell. Tomato is also not available on as many routers as DD-WRT. Check their homepage to see if your router (and version number, that is important as well) is listed as being compatible. OpenWRT
OpenWRT is billed as the open router platform. Rather than trying to be everything to everyone, they have built a platform that others can then build packages onto. OpenWRT has a package management system that allows you to expand your router in any way you can think of, should you have enough knowledge and time to program it. OpenWRT itself does not have a GUI (Graphical User Interface) built in. X-WRT is the extension which adds this functionality, and includes the ability to monitor your router as well as perform maintenance tasks over the web interface. FreeWRTFreeWRT is a fork of OpenWRT. It focuses more on having an open platform that experienced developers can build upon. It only has a command line, so it is not really geared for consumers. However if you have a need for a cheap remote access point, this might work for you. ChilifireIf you want to run a Hotspot, Chilifire is the firmware of choice. This professional firmware allows you to offer for-pay or free hotspot access from your consumer router. The downside? They have a free version which supports limited methods of access and up to 10 users per month. If you want to offer more than that, or a pay version of a hotspot, they take a percentage of your revenue. In return, you get a very professional firmware which will take the headache out of managing such an enterprise. Their firmware is available on many different routers, check their website for full compatibility information. Gargoyle
Gargoyle is another firmware which adds bandwidth management quotas and network access rules to WRT54G and other routers. The web interface looks a bit dated, but the functionality is all there. It is a good alternative if you are looking for something different. Whatever Works For YouEach package has its pros and cons. Obviously you are limited to what hardware you have or are willing to buy, but beyond that the choice is yours. If you are looking for firmware that is easy to use, check out Tomato. DD-WRT definitely has the most features and the most community support so is a great choice as well. Do you have another alternative firmware for routers that you think would be good to share with our users? Let us know below! Image credit: jaygooby Do you like MakeUseOf articles? Don’t forget to share our articles with others! It’s really important to us.
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| Windows 7 Service Pack 1 Released – But What’s Inside? [News] Posted: 28 Feb 2011 08:00 AM PST
Provided you’ve got automatic updates turned on, you’ll probably have most of the fixes already. You’re free to jump straight in and install it right now, but some of you will at least be a bit curious about what’s inside.
How-To Geek have gone to the trouble of demystifying the contents of Microsoft’s latest update for you, with plenty of screenshots and juicy info about exactly what you’re downloading.
Read: Windows 7 Service Pack 1 is Released: But Should You Install It? Got Questions? Ask Them Now FREE on MakeUseOf Answers!
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| Speck Fitted Case for iPad Review and Giveaway Posted: 28 Feb 2011 07:30 AM PST
This week, we’ll be taking a look at another Speck iPad case, specifically the Fitted case for iPad. Admittedly, it’s not one of their newest cases but like a classic, it withstood the test of time and still a great accessory for your iPad. We’ll also be giving 5 cases away so stick around and participate in our giveaway.
The Fitted series is known for their unique fabric-wrapped back shell. They feature some of the more attractive plaid-theme designs like Houndstooth Gray, Fadeaway Gray, Classic Plaid Pink and Grey.
The iPad is fitted into the larger shell and the second part of the case forms a bevel around the iPad’s screen and clips solidly into place.
With both pieces attached, the Fitted case still provides easy access to all of the iPad’s buttons, speakers and connectors.
And as you can see, the headphone jack and the sleep button are both unobstructed.
The Speck Fitted case for iPad goes for $49.95 and is a solid, well-built, casual case that offers great rear-end protection for the device. If you’re looking for something that also provides front surface protection, take a look at Speck’s latest offering — the CandyShell Wrap for iPad. We’re giving 5 of these cases away this week (iPad not included) and here’s how you can win one for yourself. How do I win one?It’s simple, just follow the instructions. Step 1: Fill in the giveaway formPlease fill in the form with your real name and email address so that we can get in touch if you are chosen as a winner. Click here if you can’t view the form. The giveaway code required to activate the form is available from last Friday’s newsletter or on our Facebook page. Step 2: Share!You’re almost done. Now, all that’s left to do is to share the post. There are 2 options to choose from or you can do both!
Giveaway eligibility In accordance with Facebook’s Promotional Guidelines 2.4.2 and 2.4.3: 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, March 4th at 2100hrs PST. The winners will be selected at random and informed via email. Spread the word to your friends and have fun! MakeUseOf would like to thank Speck 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. Hey Facebookers, make sure to check out MakeUseOf page on Facebook. Over 24,000 fans already!
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