MakeUseOf.com: “What Is Crowdsourcing & How It’s Used [INFOGRAPHIC]” plus 8 more |  |
- What Is Crowdsourcing & How It’s Used [INFOGRAPHIC]
- Latest Hilarious Picks [MakeUseOf Geeky Fun]
- Cool Websites and Tools [May 8th]
- How Many Email Addresses Do You Have? [MakeUseOf Poll]
- Ensoul Giveaway Winners
- 20+ Apps To Bring Your Favorite Websites To Your Mac Desktop
- Hot Tech Deals – Panasonic DMC-FH25 16MP digicam + more
- 10 Free MP3 Albums To Download [Sound Sunday]
- Optimize, Sterilize, & Harmonize Your System With ioBit Advanced System Care [Windows]
| What Is Crowdsourcing & How It’s Used [INFOGRAPHIC] Posted: 09 May 2011 07:31 AM PDT Have you ever wondered what crowdsourcing is, what sites on the Internet take advantage of it and its influence online? Well now all your questions will hopefully be answered with this infographic, designed and produced byOBizMedia.
What do YOU think about crowdsourcing? Let us know your opinions in the comments. Need Assistance? Ask questions to MakeUseOf staff and thousands of other readers on MakeUseOf Answers! Read comments: Loved it? Hated it? Join discussion here ...
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| Latest Hilarious Picks [MakeUseOf Geeky Fun] Posted: 09 May 2011 12:06 AM PDT
If you would like to keep up with all latest Geeky Fun additions, please subscribe to the Geeky Fun feed here. You can also subscribe and get the latest additions via email.
SuperTinTin – Skype Video Call Recorder Record and save your audio and video conversations on Skype or MSN. Easy to use. Read comments: Loved it? Hated it? Join discussion here ...
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| Cool Websites and Tools [May 8th] Posted: 08 May 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! Read comments: Loved it? Hated it? Join discussion here ...
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| How Many Email Addresses Do You Have? [MakeUseOf Poll] Posted: 08 May 2011 06:30 PM PDT
We collected 217 votes divided like this: 39% hate location data collection and are looking for a hack or law to stop it; 24% don’t like it much, but can see merit in collecting the data; 22% realise that it doesn’t matter whether they like it or not as they’re never going to do anything about it; 10% love the data collection and are glad someone is keeping tabs on them; while 6% hate it and will ditch their phones, vowing to never trust Apple or Google ever again. Full results and this week’s poll after the jump. As you can see, the bulk of respondents dislike the phone location data collection and are looking for a way to stop it.
This week’s poll question is: How Many Email Addresses Do You Have? Most of us have been collecting email addresses for a while. But how many does the average geek have? There’s the personal email, your work email, the old email address you got when Hotmail was still cool, the aliases you set up for your domain (including all the ways people misspell your name), etc. Just how many email addresses exist today that would get a message to you? So, why so many email addresses? Or why so few? Especially if you’re hovering around the extremes of this poll, please let us know why! Read comments: Loved it? Hated it? Join discussion here ...
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| Posted: 08 May 2011 05:00 PM PDT
And the winners are…
Congratulations! We’ve just sent you an email from @makeuseof.com confirming your prize. If you haven’t received it, please contact Jackson. Enjoy! Follow MakeUseOf on Twitter. Includes cool extras. Read comments: Loved it? Hated it? Join discussion here ...
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| 20+ Apps To Bring Your Favorite Websites To Your Mac Desktop Posted: 08 May 2011 03:30 PM PDT
We’ve put together a list of some of the best apps available for Mac users, some of which have already been reviewed extensively on MakeUseOf, while also highlighting some new apps you may not have heard of yet. GmailMailTab for Gmail gives you quick access to your primary Gmail account from the comfort of your status bar. Facebox Pro for Facebook is similar to MailTab for Gmail in that puts pretty much every Facebook feature within easy reach in your status bar. You can view friends’ profiles, update your status, check your Facebook inbox and even get on Facebook chat. One of the few things that you can’t do using Facebox Pro is upload photos to your Facebook profile. YouTubeTubbler is a sleek little desktop app for watching YouTube videos on your Mac. The feature list isn’t very long, but if all you’re looking for is an app to watch a playlist of YouTube videos on – Tubbler is sufficient. The list of free Twitter apps for Mac users is pretty much endless. With the official Twitter App definitely winning as far as popularity is concerned, there is a whole slew of other apps that have been reviewed by MakeUseOf before including Echofon, YoruFukurou and much, much, more. FlickrIf you’re looking for a convenient app to upload images to Flickr, Flickr Uploadr is the best option. If you want to browse Flickr on your desktop, download Flickroom. Also be sure to check out this list of 5 Mac apps that you can use with Flickr.
What Mac desktop apps do you use for your favorite websites? Let us know in the comments. Need Assistance? Ask questions to MakeUseOf staff and thousands of other readers on MakeUseOf Answers! Read comments: Loved it? Hated it? Join discussion here ...
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| Hot Tech Deals – Panasonic DMC-FH25 16MP digicam + more Posted: 08 May 2011 01:30 PM PDT
For more fresh hot deals, visit our Hot Tech Deals page, which is constantly updated.
Hey Facebookers, make sure to join MakeUseOf on Facebook and get access to some exclusve stuff. Over 70,000 fans already! Read comments: Loved it? Hated it? Join discussion here ...
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| 10 Free MP3 Albums To Download [Sound Sunday] Posted: 08 May 2011 12:31 PM PDT
Every week is a new experience, learning new things, meeting new people, and growing beyond yourself. You compile the soundtrack of your life. Take it on the road and let it help you see things in a new light. Hopefully, you will find elements you would like to take along in this edition of Sound Sunday. If you want to push Sound Sunday in a different direction, post your feedback in the comments or send your suggestions to tina at makeuseof dot com. Donnie Walden III – As Simple as it GetsGenre: acoustic, alternative, pop, folk, reggae From his Bio: “i have been passionate about music and performing since i was a boy. as i grew my love for the art and creativity in all aspects of the industry i began to understand where i ultimately wanted to be. on stage. on records. i live to create and share my music and it’s message with anyone who will listen. i try to envision melodies intertwining with new and old genres. trying to merge different cultures because in all reality, the more we differentiate ourselves without accepting each other, the farther we grow apart. music can change a person’s reason to live, or reason to die. it can impose ideas, and generate conception. it is a reason to live in this reality. it is what keeps me alive. i am here to share my journey of creating, sharing, believing, and ultimately learning to love through a shared feeling. the feeling of music.” As Simple as it Gets is a name your price download from Bandcamp. The Black Bullet Promise – The Truth, My DearGenre: indie, americana, country, folk From their Bandcamp profile: “So…. As the story goes….a few years ago we were recording a Tom Waits tune…I was drinking…..somehow we both ended up with guitars and spent the next few hours recording one song after another…..having no lyrics…..increasing this idea of some great American tale of lust and murder…..as the day went on it became more defined as some moral play about a train riding serial killer who really only wanted to fill his heart with the love of one who was lost….. For a few years this idea churned and burned in our heads as William continued onward and I continued downward….until this spring with the help of our mutual love of Zimmerman we decided to finally make this story whole…one that had a beginning and no ending…or was it the opposite?” The Truth, My Dear is a free download from Bandcamp. Elias – E – SidezGenre: alternative, indie, melodic, rock, electronic This E – Sidez album features three exclusive remixes by Shawn Penner from the album Lasting Distraction of the Vancouver, British Columbia based rock band Elias. E – Sidez is a free download from Bandcamp. The Skinny Minnies – Remote.Genre: indie, pop The Skinny Minnies is an indie pop band from Toulouse, France. Mikael, Clement, Tom, and Camille have recently released their first EP, which contains four fast paced pop songs with a lot of positive energy. Remote. is a free download from Bandcamp. Nouveau Vélo – Courgette DemoGenre: healing, pop Unlike the band and album name suggest, Nouveau Vélo are not a french band. They are in fact Dutch. Free translation from their Facebook bio: Not cool, not fast, not smooth, they bring you authentic tunes, sunny and ragged. Courgette Demo is a free download from Bandcamp. Spiral – The Capital in RuinsGenre: progressive, rock, psychedelic, concept album After Citizen and Machine, this is Spiral’s third concept album featured on Sound Sunday. This this album they are heading to the future. As they have revealed on their Facebook page, it the album is a sci-fi re-telling of Irving’s ‘Rip Van Winkle’. The Capital in Ruins is a free download from Bandcamp. Lamplight Forest – The Flag MakerGenre: ambient, electronic, experimental, sound art, collage Lamplight Forest is the musical project of Al Thumm. From the project’s homepage: “This is an organically growing, ever changing online public exhibition of my work – music, design, art, poetry, all the things I love to create, together in one place – to share with people, because that’s what I live for.” The Flag Maker is a free download from Bandcamp. Kannon and Monk – Chillin Like A Villain Vol. 8Genre: hip hop, jazz, rhythm & blues, soul Bandcamp intro: “Chillin Like A Villain Vol. 8 features 26 tracks by some of the up and coming names in hip hop, as well as some veterans to the game. You’re going to be tempted to download a song here, and a song there, but I would encourage you to download the mixtape as a whole, to get the full Chillin Like A Villain experience.” Chillin Like A Villain Vol. 8 is a free download from Bandcamp. chill-40-11 – chill.04Genre: ambient, electronic
You can preview chill.04 on Grooveshark and download the album free from the Chill label hompepage. Brian James Kapler – Young and eagerGenre: electronic, pop, rock From his Reverbnation profile: “After fronting acclaimed New York rock band Permanent Me singer/songwriter Brian James Kapler blends the snarl of punk with the catchy hooks of electro/pop in this giant dance party for the ages.” Young and eager is a free download from Bandcamp. New to Sound Sunday? Past editions of Sound Sunday are available here. Feel free to get in touch with me [tina at makeuseof dot com] to share free material, suggestions, and feedback or simply add your comments below. Follow MakeUseOf on Twitter. Includes cool extras. Read comments: Loved it? Hated it? Join discussion here ...
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| Optimize, Sterilize, & Harmonize Your System With ioBit Advanced System Care [Windows] Posted: 08 May 2011 10:30 AM PDT
Having given ioBit Advanced System Care a test run, I can confidently say it’s a great free solution for – indeed – many of your Windows problems. The app makes a thorough effort at both cleaning and optimization, though it did seem a little alarmist during the scan, insisting there were thousands of things that needed fixing with my perfectly operational gaming PC. Despite its tendencies to overreact, it’s more than capable and certainly worthy of the MakeUseOf seal of approval. Read on to find exactly what Advanced System Care (free version) can do for you. Don’t forget, we have a Best of Windows software page with tons of other great system utilities and apps, and Tina’s fantastic Windows on Speed Guide that you can download for free if you’re looking to optimise your system. Before you do all of this, you might want to run some benchmarking apps too so you can see what a difference it makes. Main Functions:The app promises to speed up, clean your registry, fix your Windows problems, perform a full privacy sweep and paint your nails. Okay, not that last one – but it does promise a lot. Thankfully, the interface is very tidy and unintimidating:
Quick Care:Performs:
The Quick Care check-up ran through in about 5 minutes and immediately showed me a huge list of possible problems. I’ll be honest and say that the majority of “problems” it reports are akin to saying there’s a pencil on your desk when it should be in the pencil holder, and aren’t likely to cause you any problems really. However, it did unearth a number of old registry entries for programs I could’ve sworn I uninstalled. If you’ve been using the same Windows installation for a while now, constantly installing and uninstalling apps – then I suspect it really could have a benefit to your system to cut down on all the unwanted bits left lying around. The shortcut fix just removes broken shortcuts for old apps, and the cleanup of junk files for me consisted of 500mb of internet explorer caches, which is quite surprising because I rarely use the internet on that PC at all. Just goes to show, I guess.
Deep Care:On top of the quick care functions, Deep Care adds a selection of optimizations, vulnerability fixes and a disk defragment. Optimization basically means disabling services that the majority of users won’t need to be running, so I was pleasantly surprised by that option. The “passive defenses” option sounded a little suspect to me, but it does secure your system from a variety of known malware and viruses – so if you’re type of computer user who insists on running an anti-virus, you should really appreciate this section. It certainly offers peace of mind for those of us with family who aren’t quite as selective in their choice of internet destinations. Just so you know, each time you run the quick or Deep Care routine, the program creates a rollback in case some of the changes had a less than desirable effect. Given how the app actually does slash and burn through your registry and list of running services, this is a welcome feature.
Turbo Boost:Finally is the Turbo Boost mode, a quick set of optimizations that disables a whole load more core Windows services. I do suggest you run through the wizard and read each item carefully though, as it does disable quite a lot. For giving your system a quick boost for the latest game though, it performs well. In fact, to test it I ran 3DMark Vantage before and after – though bear in mind I had already ran a complete deep care of the system prior to testing speed boost mode, so it was already already performing fairly optimally. I’m pleased say that my 3DMark score jumped from 5654 to 5710 – definitely some gains in there, and I suspect even more so on aging systems.
Conclusion:I was pleasantly surprised at how well the free ioBit Advanced System Care actually performed, and it’s going straight on my list of “here, install that” app for relatives with computer pains. While some of the optimizations and fixes are somewhat suspect artificial solutions, the majority are based on logical techniques of disabling bits of Windows that most people never need. The software also recommends switching your Windows theme to the “basic”, as all those pretty colors and backgrounds really does eat a significant portion of memory – which impressed me as it’s the first thing I ever do with a sluggish PC. If you get a chance, why not download the 3DMark Vantage benchmarking tool before and after running a deep care / speed boost and post your results in the comments – we’d love to hear how it works out for you. Follow MakeUseOf on Twitter. Includes cool extras. Read comments: Loved it? Hated it? Join discussion here ...
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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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The giveaway is over. So now let’s find out who will have complete control over their iPhone wallpapers.
There are certain websites you access on almost a daily basis, and you can often find yourself with dozens of tabs open, and have to check each tab in your browser to find your favorites. Due to their popularity, some websites like Gmail, Facebook, Twitter, Flickr and YouTube can be accessed using third party desktop applications. These applications, more often than not, are developed by avid fans of these services themselves, and so you find them hitting on all the key features that you need.
We’ve got several random deals for you folks today. First off, we got the Panasonic DMC-FH25 16MP digicam at just $130 with free shipping. And for our audiophile readers, Shure is offering a discount of up to 30% on selected professional headphones.
Have a great Sound Sunday!
I must admit I’m skeptical when I hear about any application that will solve all my Windows problems – especially if it mentions “optimizing the registry” – since most of those that you see online are actually just scams designed to infect your computer with malware.
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