MakeUseOf.com: “Cool Websites and Tools [April 9th]” plus 4 more |  |
- Cool Websites and Tools [April 9th]
- Discover More Relevant Content As You Browse With Kikin [Firefox]
- Hot Tech Deals [Apr 9th]
- Reddit TV – The Web’s Best Videos All In One Place
- Verbally Turns the iPad Into A Useful Speech Impediment Aid For The Disabled
| Cool Websites and Tools [April 9th] Posted: 09 Apr 2011 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. Hey Facebookers, make sure to join MakeUseOf on Facebook and get access to some exclusve stuff. Over 70,000 fans already!
     More articles about: cool web apps
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| Discover More Relevant Content As You Browse With Kikin [Firefox] Posted: 09 Apr 2011 06:31 PM PDT
Kikin is a Firefox addon that “makes the web more enjoyable, bringing all of your favorite social networks, search providers, websites and services to you, no matter where you are.” When you have it installed you will see tiny buttons to the right of your browser screen. The buttons are broken up into two sections: permanent and dynamic. 1. Permanent ButtonsThese buttons allow you to easily access the chosen websites at any time (view it as your browser bookmarks on steroids). While you can’t add as many buttons as you want (you are limited by the screen size), you can add your most favorite pages here.
You can also connect it to your Google Reader, Facebook and Twitter accounts to easily access your social media timelines and post updates.
The + icon allows you to easily add buttons by choosing one from the available sources or providing your own URL:
2. Dynamic (Search Helpers)These buttons will dynamically change based on searches you perform, webpages you visit, etc. Page-Relevant ResultsThe addon will try and find more relevant pages similar to the one you are currently viewing. For example, for the “Hold It Against Me” song Wikipedia page the built-in search algorithm suggested that I:
Any result will open in a handy pop-up in a foreground, where you can view video, browse through related products or copy-paste the lyrics without ever leaving the current page.
Search-Relevant ResultsFor searches you perform on any site, the addon will suggest top results:
It is unclear which sources exactly the addon is using but my guess is that it might be using its built-in index of domains per category as well as your connected social media and Google Reader accounts. The good thing is that for many queries, the addon will suggest alternative results. For example, if you search Google for [amazon], Google will only find anything related to “Amazon” whereas Kikin will suggest checking out “eBay” as well.
The above feature makes me think Kikin would work well for finding inspiration as well as a discovery tool. My Personal Issues With The Tool
All in all, it’s a very interesting tool that definitely deserves a test drive. Let me know what you think! Note: I have just found that they are running a charity initiative to help Japan, so you may want to check that out as well: Support Japan With Kikin. Need Assistance? Ask questions to MakeUseOf staff and thousands of other readers on MakeUseOf Answers!
 More articles about: browsing, browsing tools, firefox, firefox addons, firefox tips, Metasearch, search
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| Posted: 09 Apr 2011 01:30 PM PDT
For more fresh hot deals, visit our Hot Tech Deals page, which is constantly updated.
Image credit: Modified from Svengraph’s icon set Need Assistance? Ask questions to MakeUseOf staff and thousands of other readers on MakeUseOf Answers!
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| Reddit TV – The Web’s Best Videos All In One Place Posted: 09 Apr 2011 12:31 PM PDT
If there’s been one clear winner from the decline of Digg, it’s Reddit. This aggregator is probably the web’s premier place to discover what’s hot on the web, because its users vote up the best content quickly. Sure, it’s got the quirks you’ll find in any such site, but for now it’s among the best aggregators out there for finding out what’s cool, including the videos your friends will be talking about next week. It’s perfectly possible to simply head over to the Reddit site and find videos, but if you want to see nothing but videos you’re also in luck. There’s a handy web interface for doing just that, and it works beautifully. You’ll be entertained quite quickly, but beware: browsing videos with this tool can be extremely habit forming. Do not proceed if you’ve a deadline to meet. On The WebHead over to Reddit.tv to get started. By default a video will start up on its own:
There are a number of categories you can choose to view from, as well as currently trending topics. Browse to your heart’s content. Thumbnails at the bottom of the screen give you access to lots of content. You’ll also notice, at the top of the screen, a few controls:
If you want to sit back and watch the web’s hottest videos in succession, this is how to do it. It won’t take long to figure everything out, so get experimenting. Alternative UsesOf course, you don’t have to use this from your desk. Your game consoles, assuming they have browsers, should work wonderfully for this. So should any device with Google TV, if you have one. If not, but you’ve got a console hooked up to your computer, install Kylo. Bookmark Reddit TV and you’ve got yourself a pretty great way to browse videos from your couch. BoxeeAlready have a Boxee setup? You don’t need to use the web app. There’s a fantastic Boxee app waiting for you in the repos:
As before, everything is broken down into categories for easy browsing. Headlines provide hilarious context, so be sure to read them before watching. The controls are a little different than most apps, but work quite well once you get used to them. Hint: “Up” makes a video full screen. This is one of the best apps you can get for Boxee, so install it now. ConclusionThe web is fast becoming an alternative to television for me, and Reddit’s TV service is a big part of that. I can find funny, cute or political videos very quickly. The speed at which new content is added to these services means you’ll usually find something good to watch. Do you have another source for finding videos? Twitter, perhaps, or our very own Geeky fun? Share your sources below, and also feel free to comment on the quality of Reddit’s TV service. Follow MakeUseOf on Twitter. Includes cool extras.
 More articles about: aggregator, entertainment, online videos, streaming video
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| Verbally Turns the iPad Into A Useful Speech Impediment Aid For The Disabled Posted: 09 Apr 2011 10:31 AM PDT
The iPad speech aid software is easy to use and while there are certainly some features that we would love to see added to its small but already strong arsenal of features, it has made an impressive start. Not only can it be used as a speech impediment aid, the app can also prove useful for those who are learning English and can use the app as a pronunciation guide. On first launching the app, a small guide on how to use it will be displayed. There isn't much to using the application itself, and there is definitely something to be said for its simplicity and ease of use. There are also several ways in which it can be used.
There are two tabs in the app, one for words and one for phrases. On the words tab, you'll find a grid of over 50 commonly used words which you can tap to add to the sentence or phrase you wish to hear.
On the phrases tab, you'll find a grid of 16 commonly used phrases which, like the words, you can tap to speak immediately.
One main gripe with the app so far is the fact that you cannot add or delete words or phrases from the grid, which would really make the app even more useful when it comes to using it as a speech impediment aid. Each person may have personal phrases or words that they use more commonly than others, and personalising the application will make it even more useful. After you've chosen your words, phrase or typed out the sentence yourself, hit the green speak button to hear the phrase. You have a choice between two different voices which you can change in the app's settings – Dave or Rosie. Of course the robotic voice does leave something to be desired, but is a limitation to be expected with an app like this.
As you're typing or entering words in the text box, you can clear it by hitting the 'x' button and delete one word at a time using the backspace button.
Other settings you can change are choosing between a horizontal and vertical keyboard, with the latter having two options for right and left handed users. The horizontal keyboard does seem like the more comfortable option to use, particularly if you are accustomed to using the iPad's native keyboard.
You can also import your contacts to the app. The benefit of doing this is to improve the app's prediction settings. As you are typing, four buttons above the keyboard will feature words that the app predicts you may need next in your sentence, a feature which should improve the more you use the app.
In addition to the regular buttons found on the iPad's native keyboard, there are three additional buttons. The repeat button allows you to repeat the last phrase or word that was spoken.
When the 'speak each word' button is toggled on, any phrases or words that are typed into the app will be automatically spoken without having to hit the 'Speak' button first.
The bell button plays a chime sound which can prove useful in getting people's attention.
Verbally is available as a free download from the iTunes app store. Let us know what you think of it in the comments. NEW: Download MakeUseOf App for Android. FREE!
 More articles about: ipad, ipad apps, speech
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If you’re in the market for a new computer, laptop, mobile phone, games and other accessories; don’t waste your time searching online. We’ve taken the liberty of locating the best tech deals and unifying them into a single post for your convenience.
Watch the newest, coolest videos the web has to offer in one place. The name really says it all: 
The iPad has earned itself a new useful function with the launch of the free app, 
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