MakeUseOf.com: “Cool Websites & Tools [June 4th]” plus 4 more

Cool Websites & Tools [June 4th]
3 Browser-Based Tools To Block Any Domains from Google Search Results
Hot Tech Deals – ASUS Eee PC 1001PX Intel Atom N450 10.1in Netbook $229.97 + more
Re-Add Functionality To Ubuntu’s Tray With Indicator Applets
YouTube Creative Commons Library Is Re-Mix Heaven [News]

Posted: 04 Jun 2011 08:31 PM PDT

Check out some of the latest MakeUseOf discoveries. Most of the listed websites are FREE or come with a decent free account option. If you want to have similar cool website round-ups delivered to your daily email, subscribe here.

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GuideGuide – Unlike some of Adobe's other products, Photoshop does not come with a feature to automatically draw grids. This can be a pain especially if you have to create custom grids over and over again. GuideGuide is a neat little tool that helps you with setting Grids in Photoshop. Read more: GuideGuide: Easily Set Up Grids In Photoshop

		Translate Twitter Tweets – Some of your tweets may be targeted at people whose native language is not English. For those tweets, it would be convenient to post the translation of your tweet into your stream. With “Translate Twitter Tweets” you can do this easily. After you authorize the app access to your Twitter account, you start posting the language tags next to your tweets. Read more: Translate Twitter Tweets: Post Translations Of Your Tweets & Reach Out To Wider Audience

		Extragram – Instagram is a popular iOS application that people use to take pictures, upload and share them with others online. A helpful way to manage all your Instagram photos, browse, share and comment on them is provided by Extragram, a free to use web service. It lets you do a number of fun things with photos on Instagram. Read more: Extragram: Cool Way To Browse, Manage & View Your Instagram Photos

		Pdfy – With lines being shown in a certain code, somebody can easily refer to a particular code section while explaining or asking a question. This 'lined' form of code is what you see on most websites. One easy way to get this view is through using a tool called Pdfy, a web tool that adds lines to your C++ code. Read more: Pdfy: Add Lines To Your Code & Convert Into PDF File

		iDoneThis – Here is another distraction-free app that also helps you become more productive. iDoneThis is an email-based tool that lets you log your productivity by simply asking what you did today. This tool records your answer in a month-view calendar so you can easily check your progress and motivate you to do better. Read more: iDoneThis: Online Calendar To Log Your Productivity & Track Progress

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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.

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1. Google Hit Hider By Domain

Search engines supported: Google

Works in: Firefox 4 (via Greasemonkey).

Google Hit Hider by Domain lets you block domains from Google search results via the “Block” button:

block domains from google search results

The button lets you:

Block sites and domains (you can still see them within the results in gray);
“Perma-ban” (block domains completely without any trace);
See the list of your blocked domains:

Google Hit Hider by Domain

If you choose the first option (just block the domain), the result will still be there but without any clutter:

Google Hit Hider by Domain

The script help section, blocked domain list and the options are accessible via a tiny badge to the right:

Block domains

2. Search Noise Reduction

Search engines supported: Google and Bing

Works in: The script is advertised to work only in Opera but it does also work in Firefox 4 (via Greasemonkey).

Search Noise Reduction is a little userscript that adds a tiny scissors icon next to each search result.

Search Noise Reduction

Clicking the icon lets you specify how much from the domain you want to block: a subdirectory, a subdomain or all the domain results:

Search Noice Reduction

Note: The script will only work for your first search or for all your searches if you always use your browser search box. If you continue searching using the Google search box, the Google search results URL will look like this:

http://www.google.com/search?q=YOUR+FIRST+SEARCH#sclient=psy&hl=en&source=hp&q=YOUR+SECOND+SEARCH&fp=c8774eba70bd538

- which for some reason disables the script. So if you want the script to always work, you will have to initiate a new search session each time by searching from your browser search box (or from Google Toolbar).

You can access your block list as well as save it locally by using the tiny icon at the top-right:

block domains from google search results

3. Personal Blocklist (by Google)

Search engines supported: Google

Works in: Google Chrome

Personal Blocklist (see our review of the extension here: Personal Blocklist: Block Unwanted Search Results In Google [Chrome]) is the official Google extension for Google Chrome. According to the description, Google analyzes your blocking patterns to make conclusions about its search engine results page usefulness:

When you choose to block or unblock a pattern, the extension will also transmit to Google the URL of the web page on which the blocked or unblocked search results are displayed. You agree that Google may freely use this information to improve our products and services.

Some Features To Play With

Hide the browser button by right-clicking on it and selecting “Hide button”.
Import and export a list of patterns.
Block host of currently active tab.

block domains from google search results

Any other fun addons to block domains from Google search results to remove noise? Please let us know your thoughts!

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More articles about: browser tips, browsers, browsing tools, domain, google search, greasemonkey, search, search results, search tips

Check The Weather

ubuntu indicator applets

Sometimes you just want to know the weather. This isn’t included in Unity by default, but there is a way to re-add this functionality. We pointed out how to install the weather indicator a couple of weeks ago, along with some more screenshots explaining how it works. In summary, you can add multiple locations, see the current temperature in the tray and even check out a short forecast.

Manage Your Clipboard Items

If you’re anything like me you’ve done this more than once: copy something to the clipboard only to copy something else a little later, overwriting your clipboard and losing the thing you’ve copied. It sucks.

With Glipper you don’t have to worry about that; a record of your clipboard is kept in an indicator applet :

ubuntu applets

Click one of your old clipboard items to put it back on the clipboard, so you can paste it somewhere. You’ll never lose a vital URL again!

Click here to install Glipper. You can start it from the menu once you’ve launched it.

Turn Off Your Touch Pad

Whether you love or hate your laptop’s touchpad, many admit that it can get in the way from time to time. Accidentally hit it with the bottom of your hand while typing and your cursor can jump all over the screen, causing your text to make no sense at all.

Luckily, there’s Touchpad Indicator:

ubuntu applets

With this, you can turn off your touchpad when it’s time to do some writing. You can set up a keyboard shortcut for doing this, which is recommended because it gives you an easy way to turn the touchpad back on. If that’s too much work, you can also set the indicator to turn off the touchpad anytime a USB mouse is plugged into your system.

Ready to install? You’re going to need to run the following commands in the terminal:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:atareao/atareao

sudo apt-get update

sudo apt-get install touchpad-indicator

Red Tint Your Screen To Reduce Eyestrain At Night

ubuntu indicator applets

Looking at your computer screen at night isn’t great for your eyes, because it’s usually much brighter than the lights around you. Happily, there are programs that can help and both feature useful panel applets.

Check out our articles on f.lux for Linux or Redshift to find out more.

Re-Add Missing Icons

Wish you could re-enable the system tray? That’s understandable; not every program supports indicator applets yet. Happily, there is a way to re-add the system tray. Just install the Unity configuration app Confiity and you’ll be able to turn the tray on and off in two clicks.

Looking for more indicator applets? I highly recommend you check out this list of indicators over at Ask Ubuntu. Feel free to point out anything particularly cool in the comments below.

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