Pimp Your Windows Desktop With Custom Rainmeter Icons and Effects

You think the default Windows icons are underwhelming and you long for something more unique? Rainmeter, arguably the best customization tool for Windows, is great for creating custom icons. Rainmeter icons range from immersive to regular. What you can do with these icons is really only limited by your imagination and experience with the software. The best part about Rainmeter icons? Whether you’d like to use the fantastic fan-made icons already at your disposal or want to create custom icons yourself, everyone can experience the satisfaction of custom desktop icons with Rainmeter. Here’s how! Creating Rainmeter Icons Rainmeter icons are...

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9 Deals On Amazon That Are Too Good To Pass Up

Today, you can get big discounts on home networking equipment, portable memory, a comfy office chair, and much more! ASUS Dual-Band 2×2 AC1300 Wifi 4-port Gigabit Router ($49.99, 29% Off) ASUS RT-ACRH13 Dual-Band 2x2 AC1300 Wifi 4-port Gigabit Router with USB 3.0 ASUS RT-ACRH13 Dual-Band 2x2 AC1300 Wifi 4-port Gigabit Router with USB 3.0 Dual-band AC1300 with the latest 2x2 MU-MIMO technology for combined speeds of up to 1267 Mbps Buy Now At Amazon $49.99 This is the lowest price for which this router has ever been on sale, so now is definitely the perfect time to jump in and snag...

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Make Windows 10 Feel Faster in 12 Easy Steps

Windows 10 runs pretty fast — but you can make it even faster with a handful of tips and tricks! There are three basic categories of speed and performance hacks: operating system (OS) tweaks, software enhancements, and app replacement or removal. You can also make all kinds of hardware upgrades, like buying more RAM or investing in an SSD, but those cost money, so I’m going to skip them. Let’s start with the most effective ways to speed up Windows 10 and then move onto the slower options out there. Windows 10 Operating System Speed Tweaks 1. Turn On Game...

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Your Windows 10 Lock Screen Could Be Better If You Did This

Back in mid-2016, we introduced you to five cool things you can do with the Windows 10 lock screen. We covered everything from voting on spotlight images to using your favorite subreddit as a wallpaper feed. However, as Microsoft has continued to update the operating system, the number of ways you can tweak the screen have grown. There are now enough new features that it’s time to revisit the topic. So what are the best ways to customize the Windows 10 lock screen in 2017? Keep reading to find out. 1. Bypass the Lock Screen In our previous edition of...

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Get Polaroid-Like Photos With the Fujifilm Instax Mini Instant Print Camera

An inexpensive camera system with a retro flair has been making waves and it’s more than just a fad: the Fujifilm Instax Mini camera. What’s an Instant Print Camera? Anyone old enough to remember probably has fond memories of the Polaroid Instant camera. If you’ve never seen one in action, the camera was pretty much magical in a time before the internet, smartphones, and other modern technology. Just like with the Polaroid Instant Camera, capturing and printing a physical photo takes minutes using an Instant Print camera. After lining up the shot in the viewfinder and hitting the capture button,...

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Keep A Portable Ubuntu Installation With You Wherever You Go

Having a PC in your pocket is a massive advantage. But how can it be done easily? The answer, of course, is via a USB stick (although there are three smartphone options offering their own take on the PC in a pocket dynamic). With a version of Ubuntu (or most other Linux distros) installed on your USB stick, you’ll have access to the web, to your favorite files and folders… all without the pain of lagging a laptop around. Better still, there are several reasons why doing this will improve life so much you’ll never forget to take it with...

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Are Online DNA Testing Services Safe and Secure?

DNA testing has become a big business. Companies like 23andMe, Ancestry DNA, Family Tree DNA, and many others are now offering their services at large. All you need to do is send in a sample and they’ll tell you about potential health issues, information about your ancestry, and all sorts of other “facts”. (How accurate they are is, of course, up for debate.) But is it a good idea to send your DNA off to a corporation? What do they do with it? Is this a potential privacy concern? Let’s take a look. What These Services Offer 23andMe, one of...

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What Is the Difference Between Ubuntu Desktop and Ubuntu Server?

Ubuntu ranks as arguably the most popular Linux operating system. It’s certainly one of the best known. It’s one of those distributions that keeps users coming back. However, Ubuntu varies quite a bit. Within Ubuntu, there are two distinct flavors: a stable release and long term service (LTS) iteration. Further, Ubuntu splits into Ubuntu Cloud, Ubuntu Core, Ubuntu Kylin, Ubuntu Desktop, and Ubuntu Server. In this article, you’ll learn all about the differences between Ubuntu Server and Ubuntu Desktop. Servers vs. Desktops Image Credit: NeuPaddy via Pixabay Let’s consider a desktop versus a server before diving into differences in Ubuntu...

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10 Free Adobe Photoshop Plugins You Should be Using

Photoshop plugins and extensions are an easy way to add functionality to the leading image processing app and to improve your workflow. You can find plugins for almost anything. Some will simplify the professional skin retouching you’d expect to see on the cover of a glossy magazine, and cost hundreds of dollars. Others take care of boring, repetitive tasks. All will make your life a whole lot easier. In this guide, we’ll take a look at 10 essential free Photoshop plugins that you should start using right away. 1. Nik Collection The best free Photoshop plugin is actually a set of seven...

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Windows 10 Has a Secret UWP Version of File Explorer

With the arrival of the Windows Store in Windows 8 and its refreshing in Windows 10, users of Microsoft’s OS have had two sources for downloading programs. You can either download standard desktop software from various websites, or grab Store apps for a streamlined experience. While most people are used to normal programs, tablet and touch users might prefer Store apps thanks to their simpler interfaces. Even if you you don’t consider the File Explorer as an app that needs a replacement, you might want to check out the hidden Universal Windows Platform (UWP) version of the File Explorer. While...

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How to Ask Alexa Questions in Your Browser (Even If You Don’t Have an Echo)

Having Alexa handy around the house is great for asking about the weather, adding items to your to-do and shopping lists, controlling your TV, and even for following recipes in the kitchen. But you don’t even have to be within range of Alexa (or even own an Echo) to ask her questions. Do it from your browser! The official Alexa Skill Testing Tool, intended for people who are building skills that you can use with the Echo, can be used by anyone. You don’t have to be a developer working on an app. All you need is an Amazon account. After logging...

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How to Search for Text in Any Mobile Browser

While text search on a web page is easy on desktop, it’s a bit more “invisible” on mobile. On desktop, you just need to hit Ctrl + F or go to the menu and click on Find, then type in your keyword in the box. But mobile operating systems differ in two key ways from their desktop counterparts: lack of interface space and lack of a keyboard. This forces them to burrow a few features out of sight. The Find feature (or in this case, Search on this page feature) is one of those that are tucked away. Chrome (Android and iOS) The method...

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Your Most Popular Deals – May Edition [UK]

Well, I don’t know about you, but I feel as though I only just put together the most popular deals from April. Yet here we are at the end of May rounding up your favourite deals from the last month. This month we had a returning item in the RFID blocking sleeves, as well as new entries including gaming headsets, electric toothbrushes, and electronics accessories. Sades A60 Over Ear Stereo Headphones With Microphone [67% Off] SADES WCG 3.5mm Stereo Gaming Headset Headphone with Mic for PC(Blue) SADES WCG 3.5mm Stereo Gaming Headset Headphone with Mic for PC(Blue) Buy Now At...

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You Can Now Filter DMs From Strangers on Twitter

Twitter now lets you filter direct messages from strangers into a separate inbox. Which means you can open up your DMs to everyone without running the risk of getting overwhelmed with abuse. Not that Twitter users would do such a thing, of course. They’re all lovely really. /sarcasm A surprising number of people still don’t know how Twitter works. So much so that I still get messages from people who read “7 Reasons Why You Should Be Using Twitter” and then ask me what they’re actually meant to do now that they’re on Twitter. And yet Twitter keeps adding new...

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How To Fix Write Protection Errors On a USB Stick

You’ve finished work for the day. The only thing left to do is stick the files onto a USB flash drive. Then you get this message: “The disk is write protected. Remove the write protection or use another disk.” You immediately pull your hair out. This is your USB stick; you should be able to read, write, and do whatever you want with it! Okay, you didn’t pull your hair out. You stayed nice and calm. But you definitely need to get your USB drive fixed. Luckily, we’ve got a few simple steps to fix write protection on a USB...

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How to Easily Transfer All Your Data to a New Android Device

When the time comes to move to a new phone, you’ll probably feel an inevitable sense of trepidation. Sure, you’ll be excited to get your hands on a shiny new device, but how on earth are you going to move all your data over? There’s so much to consider. You’ll have apps, customized settings, photos, contacts, backgrounds, downloads — it’s daunting. Even if you’re efficient, it can take a whole weekend to get yourself set up on a new handset. But it doesn’t have to be so complicated. With a bit of planning, you can make the transfer a seamless...

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Make a Fillable Form in Word 2016 & Collect Data the Easy Way

Have you ever seen a beautiful form in your life? I don’t think I have. The bland paper form just wants your damned information and then head towards a dusty file somewhere. That’s where an electronic fillable form can shine. First, you can create and broadcast one at the speed of a few clicks. Second, you can make them pop out from the screen with imaginative design. Third, you don’t need a dusty file. Fillable forms aren’t Adobe Acrobat’s turf anymore. Several tools can help you make intelligent forms on the fly. Google Forms is the first popular tool that...

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How to Master Default Apps and Deep Linking on Android

Android and iOS have become similar in the past ten years, but there are still some fundamental differences that set them apart. A big advantage of Android is the ability to set default apps — and this feature has been available for a long time now. This allows you to seamlessly use third-party apps for email, SMS, web browsing, etc. The same thing isn’t possible on an iPhone. However, this can also make the Android system a little more confusing for those not familiar with settings default apps. So let’s run through some of the common issues people encounter. Default Apps on...

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The Father of Android Launches the Essential Phone

Andy Rubin, the man who oversaw the development of Android, has a new product to show off. It’s a smartphone, it runs on Android (naturally), and it’s set to cost $699. Beyond that, details are sketchy, because right now the Essential Phone is nothing but a collection of specs and renders. Rubin has been teasing a new product for some time now. Today, after much speculation from the tech press, Essential revealed the Essential Phone. The Verge got the exclusive, which essentially reads like a press release. And everyone else was then directed to the Essential website. The Probably-Not-All-That-Essential Phone...

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Make Your First Mobile App With These Discounted Course Bundles

Do you have what it takes to develop the next big iOS or Android app? These heavily discounted course bundles will teach you how it’s done! The 2017 iOS 10 Complete App Builder Bundle If you’ve always thought about creating an iOS application, this bundle of courses is perfect for you. It features eight classes, templates, and apps that’ll see you actually building applications that people will want to use. iOS 10 & Swift 3: From Beginner to Paid Professional This behemoth of a course features 250 hours of content that’ll take you from iOS development newbie to experienced professional....

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The Best Audiobooks to Listen to During Your Free Audible Trial

If you’re thinking of getting into audiobooks, you already know that they’re not cheap. An Audible subscription costs $14.95 per month, and you only get one free book every 30 days. Thankfully, if you’re still not sure if audiobooks are right for you, you can sign up for a 30-day Audible trial — and get two free audiobooks to try before you buy. You can pick your two free audiobooks from Audible’s list of bestsellers or the New York Times bestsellers list. Or you can heed our recommendations of 10 popular books on Audible, all of which are available to listen to for free during your Audible...

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Could Your Emoji Use Land You in Court?

In the early 2000s, many people despaired at the use of text speak — replacing “you’re” with “ur”, changing “to” into “2”, and dropping punctuation entirely to speed up typing and save precious space. Thankfully capacitive touchscreens, cheap data and autocorrect helped us break this bad habit. And soon another form of self-expression unveiled itself: emoticons, which have now evolved into emoji. Today, most of us use them haphazardly without knowing what some of them mean. It turns out that picking the wrong emoji might land you a date in court, at least if we take a recent case in Israel as an example. What Happened? An...

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10 Best Deals You Can Get On Amazon Right Now – Don’t Miss Out [US/CA]

Right now, you can get an incredibly rare sale on Overwatch, discounted Bluetooth speakers, a cheap hard drive, and much more! US Deals VicTsing Shower Speaker ($18.99, 24% Off) VicTsing Shower Speaker, Wireless Waterproof Speaker with 5W Driver, Suction Cup, Buit-in Mic, Hands-Free Speakerphone - Army Green VicTsing Shower Speaker, Wireless Waterproof Speaker with 5W Driver, Suction Cup, Buit-in Mic, Hands-Free Speakerphone - Army Green Great for Outdoors and Shower.The silicone cases and interface design ensure Shockproof, Dustproof Waterproof,level up to IPX4, can be used under harsh environment (such as, outdoor and shower) Buy Now At Amazon $18.99 A few...

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YouTube Has Become Better! 9 New Features You Need to Know

YouTube isn’t the kind of website that needs many features. If you have adequate control over basics like playback, resolution, speed, subtitles, and playlists, you’re pretty much good to go. But YouTube is so much better once you discover some of its hidden tricks and features. I’m positive that you’ll find at least one of the following features useful, whether you’re a video creator or just a viewer. And these are mostly features that were added in the past year or two, so you may not even be aware that YouTube can do these things. If so, you’re in for a...

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Get More Out of Your Fitbit: 10 Android Apps You Should Be Using

The simplicity of a Fitbit is one of its biggest selling points. Put it on your wrist, load up the app, and you’re good to go. But there’s a lot more you can do with a Fitbit than you might have realized. You aren’t restricted to using just the official app either. The Google Play Store is full of Android apps that will work with your fitness tracker. From gaming to Weight Watchers, there are some great options to choose from. And they’ll all help you be more active. 1. Wokamon – Monster Walk Quest Any task that requires motivation can...

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13 Alternative Search Engines That Find What Google Can’t

R.I.P Google. What would be your first reaction if you saw this? Scared, because your life is completely enslaved to Google. Or, hopeful because this suggests that something better has already arrived? Well, no one is chipping on that digital tombstone yet. But right now, go ahead and feel both those above emotions for a moment. Yes, Google has fenced us in and completely tethered us. And, let’s be hopeful because that better search engine is going to arrive. From all signs, it is going to Google armed with Frankesteinian artificial intelligence. But it does not mean that there is...

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These Could Be the Happiest Sites on the Web for You

No matter the time of the year, life can be overwhelming. With the rhythm of life nowadays, it almost seems like there’s no time (or space) to rest anymore. While juggling a thousand things may be a necessity, sometimes you just need to take a minute for yourself. Reading, painting, playing games — all of these may help you deal with daily stress, but they will also take up a lot of your time. Thankfully, there’s an alternative. We scraped the web for the best platforms that will instantly cheer you up, help fight the stress, or kill a few...

Read the full article: These Could Be the Happiest Sites on the Web for You

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How to Try macOS on Windows 10 With a Virtual Hackintosh

Windows 10 is a great operating system. Sure, it has its quirks and annoyances, but what OS doesn’t? But even if you’re beholden to Microsoft and Windows, that doesn’t mean you cannot shop around. And what better way to do that than from the safe confines of your existing OS and a virtual machine. In this tutorial, I’m going to show you how run macOS in a virtual machine, making a virtual Hackintosh. “Hackintosh” is the name given to an unsupported system running any Mac operating system. Unsure if you’d get along with a Mac? Give this a try and see. You...

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Samsung Gear 360 (2017) Review & Giveaway

With the birth of consumer VR, 360 degree photography and videography has gained a new lease of life. Yet it’s only recently that good quality 360 degree cameras have become affordable to all. The latest of those is the 2017 edition of the Samsung Gear 360. Let’s take a closer look, and at the end of this review, we’re giving away our test model to one lucky reader! Specifications It’s important to distinguish between the original Gear 360, and the new 2017 model Gear 360, which we’re reviewing here. Apart from specification differences, the new 2017 model has grown a...

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Why 2017 Is the Year of Android, Not Apple

Forget Apple. Forget iOS. Forget Tim Cook. Don’t fall for the marketing ploys. Don’t listen to the fanboy platitudes. In 2017, there’s only one mobile operating system that’s innovating, growing, and developing: Android. This assertion isn’t based on personal preferences or online rumors. It’s not borne out of a dislike for Apple or a loathing of iOS. It’s grounded in cold, hard facts. Don’t believe me? Keep reading to find out why 2017 is the year of Android. App Stores Projections Technology lives or dies by its popularity. There’s a reason VHS beat Betamax in the first battle for your...

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If Microsoft Word Crashes, Do This Right Away to Recover Unsaved Work

Is there anything worse than having to re-do work you’ve already done? Spending hours on a paper only to have Microsoft Word crash when you’re about to finish is crushing. While you should get into the habit of pressing the Ctrl + S shortcut regularly, thankfully Word automatically saves backups in case of crashes. Next time Microsoft Word crashes, try this method to recover unsaved documents. Open a File Explorer window, then navigate to This PC. In the search box in the upper-right, type .asd. This is the file extension for Microsoft Word backups. Give your computer a minute to...

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How to Peek at Shortened URLs Without Clicking on Them

Shortened URLs are everywhere today. While they might be convenient and tidy on social media, it’s often impossible to know what’s behind those links. A few online services make it easy to find out what might be lurking behind a shortened URL. Browser Extension: UnshortenIt For a safer browsing experience, copy and paste a shortened link into UnshortenIt and you’ll find out the original URL, a summary or description of the page (if available), and its safety rating provided by Web of Trust. With UnshortenIt, if you’d rather not have to open up the website every time you want to check a link, Chrome and Firefox...

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This Interactive Map Shows When to Travel for Ideal Weather

Planning a trip? You will always have two basic questions on your mind — where and when to go — and both of these are wrapped in the most important quirk of all: weather. Most of us want to go when the skies are clear, the sun is warm, and the risk of a storm is as close to zero as possible. How do you decide when and where, apart from blindly trusting your travel agent? Next time, try this interactive map. This map, made by data wizard Ryan Whitaker, will help you find the best times to visit anywhere in...

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5 Apps and Tools to Organize Your Job Search

There is a palpable fear among working professionals. Artificial intelligence is getting better every day, and smart technology is making human jobs redundant. What happens when robots can do all jobs? Even if you are already employed, it’s a good idea to have a backup — organize a job search before it’s too late. You need a system to collect the job openings and positions you come across. You need a system to know where you have applied. You need a system to track all your interviews, pending follow-ups, and other appointments. The bottom line is, you need a system...

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10+ Places to Get Cool Media Clips for PowerPoint Presentations

Microsoft PowerPoint will soon get the ability to translate presentations in real time. It already has the ability to suggest design ideas through Designer and draw up an outline for your content with QuickStarter. What else do you need? Well, you still need to create a memorable presentation. And that still takes some doing. Communication expert Garr Reynolds who is also the author of the best seller Presentation Zen has a three-step advice. Prepare, Design, and Deliver. In the design phase, he nudges presenters to use video and audio when appropriate. Using video clips to show concrete examples promotes active...

Read the full article: 10+ Places to Get Cool Media Clips for PowerPoint Presentations

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Use Google Earth to Learn More About The Beatles

Google Earth is celebrating the life and times of The Beatles with a virtual tour showcasing the highlights of their career. This virtual tour makes use of Voyager, Google Earth’s storytelling platform. The result is a whistlestop tour of the most important locations The Beatles visited. Some albums are so iconic they live on after the musicians who created them have passed. So it is with Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band by The Beatles. Which has already outlived John Lennon and George Harrison (and possibly Paul McCartney too), and is likely to keep gaining new fans for many more...

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This Is Why You Should Stop Using Google Search

Google is a byword for search. Indeed, “to Google” is a recognized verb, boasting the kind of global brand awareness that startups can only dream about. But Google isn’t just powering your insomnia-driven searches for obscure song lyrics at 3 AM. No. It’s in your smartphone, your car, your smartwatch, and maybe even powering your internet search from a mobile Wi-Fi balloon floating in the skies. Does Google have too much power? As of January 2017, Google was powering over 63 percent of U.S. searches, giving it unrivaled access to our browsing habits, and more. Furthermore, Google tracks your every...

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Google Assistant vs. Siri: Which iPhone Voice Assistant Is Best?

Google Assistant began life as an exclusive feature for Google Pixel phones. But now it’s slowly starting to spread its wings. First, modern Android devices running Marshmallow and Nougat got it, and now it’s available as a standalone app for the iPhone (in the U.S.). It’s no secret that when it comes to online services, Google is much better at it than Apple. And when MKBHD compared Siri on iOS vs Google Assistant on Android, Google Assistant threw quite a lot of punches. But how does Google Assistant work on the iPhone? What exactly does it do? And is it worth your time?...

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How to Stream Video From Your Smartphone or PC With Facebook Live

Facebook is everywhere: on your PC, phone, tablet, and perhaps even your games console. But rather than resent this, the time has come to embrace it. After all, with so many people using Facebook, it has potential as a medium of mass communication. Leaving a status isn’t enough, however, even if it’s the most compelling thought ever expressed. Fortunately, Facebook has another way for you to communicate with the world: via your webcam. (Keep your webcam covered while it’s not in use!) Regardless of whether you’re accessing your Facebook account via mobile or desktop, as long as there is a camera...

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Move Over GarageBand: Making Music With Auxy for iPhone and iPad

Apple might have made GarageBand free for all Mac and iOS users, but there’s another free app eating up my spare time called Auxy. Winner of a 2016 Apple Design Award, the app treads a fine line between accessibility and power that makes it one of the best self-contained iOS music creation tools to date. If you’ve never tried making music on your iPhone before, Auxy is the perfect introduction. No Musical Knowledge Required The creative iOS music app scene is a crowded one. There are drum machines like DM-1 ($5) and Funkbox ($5) alongside faithful analog synth recreations like the Korg iMS-20 ($30) and Animoog ($30). There are grooveboxes...

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Good News! We Found the News Sites You Can Trust

Fake news is a big issue right now. News companies are in the pockets of mega-billionaires. Media bias, inaccurate reporting, and sensationalism are on everyone’s mind. We are in an age where we don’t trust the people reporting the news. Despite all this, there are some trustworthy news sources out there. You just have to know where to look. What We Mean When We Say “Trustworthy” Okay, let’s be candid here. This is going to be a controversial article, no matter which news sites we suggest. Some people will disagree with the ones we choose. Others will be offended that I...

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3 Steps to an Organized Desktop With Rainmeter

Desktop organization ranges from exceptionally beautiful to a visual pox. While some avoid desktop clutter like the plague, others are completely comfortable downloading files and letting them fall where they may. That’s fine… until you lose an important file to the rubble. For this reason, I’m a huge fan of Rainmeter, and you should be too. Not only does Rainmeter provide a fantastic, free outlet for customization aficionados, it can also be used as an impressive organization tool as well. Read on to get your desktop in order using Rainmeter! 1. Pick a Clean, Orderly Wallpaper While Rainmeter is an impressive tool...

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PDFfiller Is the Complete PDF Solution for Editing, Signing, and Filing

Are you sick of managing the forms required for your freelancing work or small business? Anytime you need a client to sign a form or have a new hire fill out standard paperwork, you have to use resources to print and store those documents. And when you have to make changes to a PDF, software like Adobe Acrobat costs a fortune. There’s a better way to manage your businesses’ documents. Meet PDFfiller, the all-in-one document management platform. It allows you to edit PDFs online without any extra software, store all your documents in the cloud, and send them out for...

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Is a Chatbot About to Replace Your Favorite Smartphone App?

Chatbots have been around for years. You’re probably most familiar with the bots roaming Twitter, Facebook, Reddit, and Slack. Lately, the aforementioned social networks and communication tools, as well as other big communication-focused companies, have started building hundreds and thousands of them. But why? What’s the value of this software? Who’s building it and what for? With bots getting more advanced, there’s talk of chatbots replacing or merging with apps and websites in the near future. How likely is that to happen though? Let’s break it down and get to the bottom of this. What Are Bots For? Image Credit: Iryna Sunrise via...

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You Can Now Play Crazy Taxi Free on Your Smartphone

Crazy Taxi is now free on Android and on iOS. The game should be familiar to anyone who either spent time in arcades around the turn of the century or who owned a Dreamcast. The simple gameplay coupled with a demanding difficulty level make Crazy Taxi perfect for smartphones. Most gamers will have certain games which they’ll never forget playing. These may be games from their childhoods, or games which just resonated for whatever reason. For me, Crazy Taxi is one of those games. I wasn’t very good at it, but it still provided me with hours of mindless fun....

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16 Android Apps for Saving Money on (Almost) Everything

Very few of us save enough money. According to research by the Economic Policy Institute, almost half of American families have no long-term savings, and the national median is just $5,000. Given experts agree you should be saving at least 20 percent of your household income every month, most of us clearly have a long way to go. Of course, saving isn’t easy. The burden of mortgages, student loans, and credit cards can quickly eat into your salary. It seems like we could all do with a little assistance. And that’s where your smartphone comes in. There are lots of...

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How to Stop Your HP Computer From Logging Your Keys

How would you feel if your computer was keeping a log of everything you type in an insecure text file sitting on your hard drive? Someone (or some piece of malware) who knew where to look could unearth every password and credit card number you’ve typed, along with your recent browsing history and more. If you’re using an HP computer to read this article, I’ve got bad news for you. Security researchers have discovered that a problem with a driver in some HP computers recording everything you type. Everything you’ve recently typed on your computer could be neatly sat in...

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Windows 10 Tablet Users: Enable This Nifty New Feature Right Now

While the mouse was the dominant form of cursor control on a computer for years, it’s not the only option anymore. Laptops include touchpads in lieu of a mouse, and many Windows devices ship with touchscreens as well. If you’re using Windows 10 on a tablet device, you can get the best of both methods of control using the new Virtual Touchpad option in the Creators Update. To enable this, right-click any empty space on your Taskbar and click Show touchpad button. Note that if you’re not using a touchscreen, you won’t see this entry. Then, you’ll see a new...

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PowerPoint QuickStarter Instantly Outlines Any New Presentation and Starts You Off Right

Blank pages can be scary. Blank slides too when it comes to creating PowerPoint presentations. Microsoft Office has decided to lend a hand with a bit of help from the intelligent cloud services that run behind Microsoft Office 365. If your presentation needs a deal of research to get started, then this ought to help you jump right in: PowerPoint QuickStarter builds an outline for you! The 3-Step Process to Slide Productivity PowerPoint QuickStarter works like a template. But unlike other design-centered templates, it is intelligent and serves up both: a design with an outline. And it takes just three steps. Open...

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This Easy Trick Makes Windows 10 Start Up Faster

There are plenty of ways you can fix slow boot times on a Windows 10 computer, but one of the simplest things you can do is reduce the number of programs that load at startup. Open up your task manager. You can do this by typing it in the Cortana search bar, or hitting Ctrl + Alt + Delete and clicking Task Manager in the menu that shows up, or right-clicking anywhere on the Task Bar and clicking Task Manager. The Task Manager will open in a simplified view. Click More Details to open up the advanced view. Click on the Startup tab to see a list of...

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