What Is Your Favorite Section of MakeUseOf? [Poll]

The time has come to say goodbye to the MakeUseOf Poll. It may return in some form in the future, but for now we want to focus on reading and responding to your comments on all of our articles. Your opinions are important to us, more now than ever before. We have chosen, in a final show of vanity, to make the last poll all about ourselves. Therefore, we’re asking you to vote for your favorite section at MakeUseOf. There are 20 to choose from, making this the most epic poll we have ever run. Or at least it will...

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5 Sites That Help You Understand The US Primary Elections

Have you ever wondered why the United States Presidential primaries are in the news for so long, even in other countries? After all, you rarely hear about political parties in other nations picking their leaders. Part of the answer is obvious: the US is the most powerful country on the planet, and as such their election results matter almost everywhere. But another reason is that the US primary system seems designed to maximize drama. Instead of picking party leadership at a national convention, or even with a single-day vote, the process is drawn out in state-by-state elections than begin in...

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The Evolution of the iPhone Camera

Over the years, the iPhone has seen a very iterative evolution, with each model featuring upgrades over the previous one. Even though the changes might seem small from year-to-year, when you look at the evolution of the device over a long period of time, it’s come a long way. No where is this more evident than in the camera. If you compare photos taken on the first iPhone to 6S, the differences are truly noticeable. The infographic below looks at all the ways the iPhone camera has changed. It’s quite impressive. Via Lynda Click To Enlarge

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35 Most Popular Facebook Pages in the Geek World

Facebook is primarily about connecting people, but it’s also more than that. The world’s largest social network is also a way to find out what’s happening around the world, get a dose of daily entertainment, and even learn a thing or two. Following certain Facebook Pages based on interests or individuals will populate your news feed with things that matter to you. Plus, it’s a healthier way to use the network because otherwise, Facebook makes you sad. For the geeks among us, Facebook is full of some fantastic Pages. From famous personalities to informational resources, this is how Likes on...

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Huge Deals On Tablets, Smartphones, and Waterproof Devices

Whether you’re looking for a new smartphone or tablet, we’ve found some deals that will be perfect for you. We’ve also found some discussions on waterproof devices that will work out perfectly for hanging out in the snow or getting some beach time, depending in which hemisphere you reside! Big Savings on Smartphones Samsung Galaxy S6 Factory Unlocked 32GB Smartphone ($499.00, 17% Off) Samsung Galaxy S6 Factory Unlocked 32GB Smartphone (U.S. Warranty Version) International 4G LTE Capable with 32GB storagePrice: $499.00 Buy Now at Amazon.com The Galaxy S6 is one of the most popular Android smartphones on the market, and with good reason....

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10 Clever Productivity Hacks Anyone Can Use

The clever thing about the best productivity hacks is that they are easy to start. The difficult thing is to keep them going. Day after day. Like a well-oiled cog of a perpetual machine. Consider the alternative to this image. Productivity has a cost and you can calculate it simply by tracking the time you spend on useful tasks and the minutes you waste. The eSignature brand SignNow put together a few shocking figures two years back. Here’s a reality check for all of us: Time spent searching for misplaced items in the office combined with searching for lost files on the...

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How Residential Solar Power Kits Can Keep You Online During Outages

The existence of global warming is debated endlessly. But no matter where you stand on the matter, you have to accept that we’ve seen some extreme weather events over the past ten years. The United States has been witness to many of them. Hurricane Sandy, for example, caused over $70 billion of damage, and resulted in over eight million people losing power. People like my New Jersey native fiancé who, along with everyone else in her neighborhood, lost power for an entire week. With that in mind, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that sales of residential power generation equipment...

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How to Disable the Microsoft Office Upload Center

Microsoft Office continues to add new features with every edition, with Office 2016 offering plenty of reasons to upgrade. However, some people see these new features as bloat and thus stick with older versions, even going so far as to still use Office 2003 today. One feature that may puzzle you is the Microsoft Office Upload Center, introduced in Office 2010 and living on through 2013 and 2016. Let’s examine what this feature actually does, and see how you can disable it if you find it annoying. What Does the Upload Center Do? Older versions of Office were designed to...

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4 Creative Hobbies That Can Improve Your Life Today

It’s never too late to take up a new hobby. Life offers so much choice, it’s difficult to know which chances to take. New hobbies can come from the most unexpected of places – even playing video games can jump-start a new fascination. Sure, it can be expensive: courses can teach you expertly, but they still cost. Others are completely free and will increase your cognitive and non-cognitive health. All in all, hobbies make you a happier person: they’re low-risk, so if you’re not very good, the only thing that’s harmed is your dignity – there’s no pressure. That care-free...

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7 Skype Bugs That Microsoft Could Have Avoided

When Microsoft bought Skype back in 2011, a collective groan could be heard around the Internet. A beautifully made product, constructed by a dedicated team from Sweden, Denmark, and Estonia, was now being taken over by the Redmond giant; the same beast that tried to force the worst browser ever on us. The seeds for the total meltdown of Skype were born. The transition has been bumpy, but certainly smoother than expected. With the latest Skype update, it looked as if the world’s most well-known VOIP was stuttering once again. What Was the Problem? 1. Chat Messages Out of Order After the Skype update to version 7.17.0.105, when two...

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