10 Timers And Clocks For iDevices You Can Download [iPhone, iPad, iPod]

All versions of the iOS for the iPhone include Apple’s default clock app that features alarm settings, a timer, a world clock, and a stop watch. The clock app works well, but there are several pages of other free and inexpensive timer apps in the iTunes Store for both the iPhone and the iPad, the latter of which does not include a timer by default.

These timer and clock apps range from the very simple timer displays to more unique functions, such as interval timers, a few apps for timing meetings and presentations, and even a couple for clocking labor contractions.

I went through the pickings and selected ten representative apps, but you will find many more that might fit your needs. If you have a favorite timer app, please let us know about it in the comment section.

The ad-based version of Interval Timer is a nifty fitness and workout app in which you can keep track of your work and rest periods during workouts.

The customizable sets for high/low intensity intervals is easy to configure, and it comes with a variety of alarm sounds (Bell, Boing, HipHop, Tiger, etc.) The app integrates with the iTunes library in your iPhone so you can listen to music when the timer is running. The ads are not too obtrusive, but if you rather not see them, you can get the Pro version for .99 cents.

You may only use this labor contraction timer app a few times in life, but according to user comments in iTunes, it really is handy.

The user interface is simple, and it includes a feature for emailing a log history of contractions. Specifying the intensity of each contraction, and adding notes to or deleting a specific contraction entry are features included in the most recent version.

The design of this multiple timer with alarms is not as attractive as it could be, but I keep Nag in my iPhone’s main utility folder because it a simple way to set a specified time without having to perform several taps to do so.

Nag (.99 cents) is useful for the kitchen, meetings, parking meter reminders, etc.

Alarm Clock 4 Free allows you to showcase the time on your iPhone or iPad. It’s an ad supported app  (the pro version is .99 cents), but when you turn your device in landscape mode, the ads disappear.

The app also includes a sleep timer, notification alarms, battery level indicator, and much more.

Timer with Sections ($1.99) is another handy app I sometimes use in meetings and workshops I conduct. It allows you set up various times for parts of a meeting, presentation, workout, etc.

You can leave open the visual display and glance at it when needed. During the timing, you can adjust the times, pause and skip sections, or reset it all together. The timer even continues the count when you leave the app. When you return to it the performance assistant view will recover its previous state, including elapsed time.

Your individual performance setups can be saved, edited, and used again. It would be nice however if you could customize the color scheme. I would prefer a simple black and white.

The ad supported lite version of LED Photo Timer is seriously easy to use. Launch it, tap one of the time presets for activating the shutter of your iPhone camera, start the timer, and you’re good to go.

This is app is useful for when you want to include yourself in a group photo, or you when you need to steady your shot.

Seconds Free is another interval setting timer with a more stylish interface than Interval Timer described above. The free version of this app however does not allow you to save your settings. The pro version is $2.99.

Seconds Free also looks great on the iPad with a large display and color coding–great for glancing over at it from a distance when you’re doing a workout.

iStandard Clock for the iPad (.99 cents) is the only app I came across that mirrors the design of Apple’s default clock app featured in the iPhone. It includes a World Clock, Stopwatch, and of course a Timer.

Unlike with the iPhone, iStandard Clock supports landscape as well as portrait view.

If you’re looking to prop up your iPad and display the time and weather, you might want to download the free, ad supported version of Night Stand for the iPad. The developers held back a lot of features found in the pro version (.99 cents), but it will give you idea for the look and feel of this app before you decide to purchase the full version.

The time display app might useful for when you’re charging your app and you want a useful way to view the time at night or even in the morning as you’re getting ready for work.

The free version does not provide support for Twitter and Facebook timeline displays. But it does include weather and a non-customizable RSS news feed with built-in web browser.

If you need a fat, can’t-miss-it count down or count up display timer, Easy Timer might just do the trick. Easy Timer includes three presets and alarms, and can be displayed in landscape or portrait mode.

The changing bar of ads at the top of the display may be a little distracting, but maybe not from a distance.

There are over a hundred more timer apps to choose from. Let us know what you have found and favor. For other timer related applications, check out 6 Useful Desktop Time Tracking Software, 10 Different Types of Online Timers for Everyday Stuff, and 10 Powerful & Useful iPhone Camera Apps to Help You Take Better Pictures.

Tagged: clock • time management • timer • tracking tools

3 Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Buy A Cheap IPS Monitor

Computer monitor technology has long had a champion, and it’s called In-Plane Switching, or IPS. This display panel technology has often been praised because it is capable of fixing many issues found in cheaper TN panel monitors.

Yet IPS also comes at a price, and as the technology has filtered down to less expensive monitors, some disadvantages have been exaggerated. The decision to buy an IPS monitor for your next display is no longer as clear.

A common problem among LCD displays of every type, ghosting or blurring is essentially what it sounds like. It’s an image defect that causes objects moving on-screen to leave a unwanted trail behind. Both terms refer to the same problem.

Ghosting is a possible issue on almost all modern monitors and HDTVs, but it’s particularly prevalent on IPS panels. High-end displays usually do a good job of taming the problem through the use of high-quality panels and through the use of firmware features that compensate for blur.

In cheaper monitors these features may not be available, or are of much lower quality. Reviews mention this frequently, but you can see it yourself by visiting your local electronics retailer. Your sensitivity to this effect may vary, so it’s a good idea to check it out for yourself.

Not every cheap IPS monitor suffers from this effect equally. For example, the LG Flatron IPS226V has received some praise for its particularly good response times and lack of ghosting. It’s currently an exception, however – many other options, including other LG monitors, have been cited as having moderate to major ghosting issues.

To most geeks, IPS panel means awesome. End of story. That’s not really the case though.

There is no disputing that a display using IPS will have some advantages over TN. A wider color gamut is usually available, and display angles are almost always significantly better. However, these two benefits are all you can count on. Everything else is up in the air. Backlight quality depends on the types of lighting elements used and their location. Colors are impacted by the display’s finish, the backlight, and other factors.

The details are where cheap IPS displays from companies like LG and ASUS tend to fall short. Take the LG Flatron D2342P as an example. Though equipped with an IPS panel, it falls short of the best TN monitors in image quality. LG made a big deal of its new IPS monitors at CES 2011, and I’m sure the first round of geeks who bought them thought they were getting an awesome deal – but it turns out it actually is possible to make IPS look inferior to TN.

When you stuff an expensive panel into a display that is supposed to sell for between $200 and $300, something has to give. And usually that something is connectivity, build quality, or both.

Take the ASUS ML239H as an example. For about $189.99 you can have IPS, but you can’t have DVI (you’ll need to use an adapter). You also only receive swivel and tilt adjustments, there’s no VESA mount support, and there are no built-in speakers.

There’s also a lot of backlight bleed. Remember what I was saying about quality?

To be fair, you don’t usually find height adjustment on cheap TN monitors, either. It is common to find at least three video inputs for that price, however. Speakers are also common. By going cheap in your quest for IPS, you’re sacrificing features that you may need more than you think.

When the latest wave of inexpensive monitors boasting IPS became available in 2011, I was hopeful that we were beginning to see a new revolution in inexpensive monitors. Instead, buyers received what they paid for – cheap displays. Sure, viewing angles were better, but that was the only consistent benefit. These inexpensive displays were often lacking in other areas.

If you want to buy IPS, you should do it right the first time. Remember, monitors tend to be a durable purchase. Usually they’ll last at least five years, and some kick around for ten or more. In addition, they are not quickly made obsolete. Save your pennies and buy a high-quality, expensive monitor instead of a budget model. You’ll thank yourself over the coming years.

Tagged: buying guide • buying tips • monitor screens

Read-Only Extension Clearly Comes to Firefox [News]

The popular digital notebook development company Evernote, released last week a handy little browser extension called Clearly for Firefox. The extension was first released for Google Chrome users back in November. Similar to the Reader feature in Apple’s Safari, Clearly, when enabled, strips away webpage ads and other obtrusive content that surrounds downloaded articles. This read-only feature is also great for saving articles as PDFs.

Since this is an Evernote extension, Clearly includes additional features for copying selected articles to your Evernote account, as well as three types of reading formats, including small, medium and large font sizes, and a Night Owl view that changes the background of the page to black, and the font color to white.

You can access Clearly in the Firefox menu bar (Tools > Clearly) or its extension button in the browser’s toolbar.

When you use Clearly to clip an article to your Evernote account, it sends the read-only version to your default notebook. This means you no longer have to manually strip away clutter from clippings in your Evernote account and notebook. To use the Clearly clipping feature, you will of course need a free Evernote account.

Source: Techcrunch

Tagged: cleaning • clipper • evernote • firefox addons • notebook

4 Things You Should Stop Joking About Online [Opinion]

No longer must we use smoke signals to communicate. Long gone are the days in which we used cave walls to document events. It’s an age of technology, a time in which we are supposed to be advanced. However, even in such an advanced age, it seems as though Internet society has become incredibly lenient about a variety of very important social issues.

I’m not a fan of making light of stuff that actually hurts people, and it’s not even a matter of being offended – I’m not. However, I do worry about how desensitized we have become to these issues.

I really don’t know when pedophilia became funny. Why is it okay to casually reference participation in sexual acts with children? Sure, I get it. You know that pedophilia is wrong, and for some odd reason, this is why you joke about it – a possible way of coping. However, I believe that the more we joke about it, the more laid-back we will become around it. We don’t take it as seriously anymore.

Do I think this joking will lead to common acceptance of pedophilia? Nah. I’m not a conspiracist like that. However, I wish that just for once we can let the fact that there are people out there who want to have their way with children break our hearts a little bit. These folks want to rob the innocence of young boys and girls, and we make light of it by posting a picture of Chris Hansen or Pedobear. That’s kind of ridiculous.

Rape isn’t cool, and joking about it isn’t either. I’ve never been a rape victim, and I can’t say I plan on it. However, the word “rape” is thrown around too casually on the Internet these days. (Just to clarify, I don’t believe usages of the phrase such as “raped my childhood” or “raped my memories” would fall under this category, but that’s really up to your discretion.)

Once again, this isn’t an issue of me being offended, because being offended does nothing in this world. However, I do worry that seeing rape jokes on the Internet may bring up some harsh memories or feelings for actual rape victims. If you’re heartless, you may believe that these folks need to get over it and stop living in the past. However, until you’ve actually had such an experience, I don’t want to hear that kind of opinion.

Ladies and gentlemen, why must you insist on saying you wish someone would die? I don’t care if you wouldn’t actually do it, but have we gotten to a point where such hateful thoughts are acceptable? Behind the wall of the Faceless Username, cowardly individuals will come out saying that they wish that other individuals should die or, even worse, that they would kill them if they could. We’re talking about the removal of a life, here.

I’m not referring to the casual, all-in-fun, “I will kill you if you do that one more time!” Of course not, for people tend to rag on each other all the time and say this. However, what I am referring to are words that are obviously fueled by hate and anger. If the intention of this (non-fruitful) death threat is to emotionally hurt the person on the other side of the computer screen, then something needs to change.

Right up there with death threats, we have issues concerning suicide. I’ve seen a few instances where someone posts online about their thoughts of committing suicide, and then people will swoop in saying things such as “do it” or “if killing yourself will make you happy, then go for it”. It’s akin to a person standing on top of a skyscraper with a crowd of people below, screaming for him to jump.

How disgusting is this? I understand that many folks have varying views on euthanasia, but here’s what I believe when it comes to the Internet. You are not a professional, you don’t know the context of the person’s situation, and you have no clue what their life is like. If anything, I would say report the post and provide them with words of encouragement. However, if you know that your words will seem condescending in any form or fashion… shut up. Please. You’re dealing with a life that has so much potential, and the slightest thing could ruin it.

Many of you may comment on here that folks that post these things are only seeking attention and won’t actually do anything. To that I say that you should treat every hint of suicide as if the person will actually do it. If you decide to make the call that they won’t, and then they do, there’s a high chance that you will live with blood on your hands forever.

These are just four things that I believe the Internet makes too much light of. Is it a perfect post? Of course not. However, I hope it made you think a little bit.

What other things should people stop joking about on the Internet? Do you disagree with any of the items mentioned here?

Tagged: etiquette • Opinion & Polls • social • social trends

 

 

Download Top Seven Apple iPhone Apps

We have previously mentioned some fantastic free iPhone applications in the past but here are some more Apple iPhone apps to choose from.

You can download iphone apps for creating and sending an iCard, editing HD movie, reading or writing a novel, sharing your idea, etc. The designers of iPhone design the improved and enhanced Apple applications that keep on improvising with every new day. They allow the users to experience the power of cell phones with flexibility and uncontrolled boundaries. You can do anything you think of with iPhone.

1. Cards: Download it at http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/cards/id464957209

With the new Card application from Apple on iPhone, you can now create cards with your ideas, text, and photos you want and mail them from your iPhone or iPod touch. You just need to make whatever you wish and your beautiful personal card will be sent in any corner of the world. This card only cost $2.99 if sending it within U.S. and $4.99 if sent anywhere else in the world, which is worth to convey your feelings.

2. iMovie: Download it at http://itunes.apple.com/app/id377298193

iMovie is a wonder app for touch screens especially of Apple. iMovie apps helps you to convert any video quality to HD in iWorld that is on your iPad, iPhone or iPod. This app is fast, easy and enjoyable. Why not try once?

3. GarageBand: Download it at http://itunes.apple.com/app/id408709785

Do you love creating music or just want to give it a try, then this app of Apple can help you out. GarageBand for iPhone, iPad, iPhone, and iPod allows you to become a composer and record music anywhere you feel.

4. iBooks: Download it at http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/ibooks/id364709193

If you are an avid reader, using your iPad for business, or just hate carrying thick books with you all the time, then your problem is solved. Apple offers an enhanced feature of reading and shopping of books of your choice anytime you need. Just click on the iBook icon on your iPhone and select any book from the list that appears on your screen. Enjoy reading with vibrant colors, affluent illustrations, and clear words adjusted with the Retina simplifying to read and having fun. You just cannot read books but at the same time buy your favorite book for your bookshelf from iBookstore. Click on any book you want to read, strike on the authors name and get book list of that author. As you keep on adding your favorite books from iBook, the new books directly gets downloaded as the PDF’s to your iPad and iPod touch when the list elongates and this way you can never miss readings. iBook is an angel to readers granting all the reading wishes.

5. Keynote: Download it at http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/keynote/id361285480

Keynote app of Apple allows you to create quickly, present innovatively, and share smartly on iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch. Keynote is currently working with iCloud so that you can keep your presentations, thoughts, and ideas updated automatically across all your iOS devices. Hence, you can create, edit, and update wherever you want and receive instant appreciation.

6. Pages: Download it at http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/pages/id361309726

Splash your creativity across and create stunning pages, invitation cards, reports, letters, visiting cards, projects, etc on your iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch. With the help of iCloud now, keep your documents updated automatically across all your iOS devices. So whenever and wherever you want, start the project from the same point you left. Words are now fun for all. Try experiencing it. There is no doubt that Apple has some great features but I am still buying an Android Tablet for Christmas.

7. Numbers: Download it at http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/numbers/id361304891

Numbers on iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch are simply fun as you can plan, prepare and analyze anything that comes to your mind. With this app of Apple, you can experience and explore the world of splendor making your data unimaginable. iCloud anyways helps you to keep your worksheet or any data updated automatically on all your iOS devices.
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Tagged as: download iphone apps

Can You Recover Deleted Files From the Recycle Bin?

I get many people contacting me in a desperate situation asking if they can recover deleted files from the recycle bin. Firstly, if you have simply deleted your files and they have gone to the recycle bin then you can easily recover the files with the press of a button. However it is a different story if you have gone to the recycle bin, and then deleted all the files in there. Therefore if you simply want to recover files from your recycle bin then this is very easy. This article is about using software to recover deleted files that have also been deleted from the recycle bin.

The Recycle Bin offers a kind of protection for the data on our computers. When we delete some files, they will be stored in the Recycle Bin, and when you need them back, you just need to turn to Recycle Bin to restore them. Of course, this is only available when you delete your files by hitting Delete key or dray them into the Recycle Bin. If you deleted files with Shift + Delete or you emptied the Recycle Bin, you can’t directly recover deleted files from the Recycle Bin. However, it’s not impossible to recover deleted files from the Recycle Bin, even though the Windows displayed you a warning that the file would be deleted permanently.

Actually when a file is deleted from your Recycle Bin, its content still remains and isn’t destroyed immediately. The Windows simply marks the hard drive space as being available for re-use. So there is a way to retrieve files deleted from the Recycle Bin, only when you adopt a right Recycle Bin recovery. Spotmau PowerSuite Golden is such a program, which can recover your Recycle Bin.

Please note: You should never install any software at all on the drive that you want to recover the files from. The only reason you can recover files that have been deleted is because they have not been overwritten yet.

I have mentioned a free program to recover your files, however if it does not work you run the risk of losing your data. If your files are not that important to you I suggest you go and give it a go as it is good software. However if your files are irreplaceable then I am suggesting you take a look at this software, because they guarantee that you will recover your files. Also by buying the software, you are entitled to free instant chat support.

Install and launch this Recycle Bin recovery on your computer. To recover deleted files from Recycle Bin, you should select the “Deleted Recovery” from “Data Recovery Kit”, which can help you find back all files you deleted before.

To recover the accurate deleted files that you want, you can select the partition at the beginning. From the Properties of the Recycle Bin on your desktop, you can get the information that each local disk has its own recycle bin here. So if you still remember the place that the file located before you deleted them, you just need to select to scan that partition.
To save more time, you also can set the content that you are going to scan, such as the file type, the time you deleted the files, and even the file name, which will save you lots of time and recover your files more accurately.

After the scanning is finished, click to save files that the PowerSuite Golden has found. If there are not only the files you want in the scanning result, you can check the one you want for recovery only. Or you can recover all of them, and then pick out your desired one among them.

OK. Your deleted files from the Recycle Bin have been back now! What’s more, if the file is deleted directly with Shift + Delete, skipping the Recycle Bin, you also can retrieve them with this way.

The World Leader in Data Recovery Software! No Recovery, No Charge!

If you decide to recover deleted files from the recycle bin as soon as you realize they are gone, then you have a good chance of recovery. However if you have been using the computer and saving files and installing programs, your chances are close to 0. if this is the case I suggest you go to the PowerSuite Golden website and talk to an online consultant.

Tagged as: a recycle bin, accidentally deleted files, deleted files, recover deleted files

LCD vs Plasma Screen TVs – Which is the Best For You?

There are a number of opinions surrounding the debate between plasma or LCD as the screen type of choice. Constant advancements in both types of technology make this decision even harder.

Today we’ll run through the strengths and weaknesses of the two display types and then help you to decide which is the best for you.

If you are looking at a screen of about 40-46inches, then the plasma and LCD screens are around the same price. However, as you go larger the price differences start to show. Plasma screens become cheaper than LCDs as we go size. Also plasma screens can be built larger than LCD screens, due the the manufacturing process. For a home cinema setup, if you are looking for something around 50-60 inches, then a plasma screen is the choice for you in terms of price.

One of the long standing advantages that Plasmas have held over LCD screens is the ability to show true blacks. LCD screens, due to their backlighting tend to display blacks as greys. This means that plasma screens will typically show a deeper and more vivid image. The untrue black colours of an LCD are most evident in a dark room, so a plasma is better in home cinema environments. There is some argument that LCDs perform better in lit environments because plasma glass is more reflective but this is less of a factor. Both LCDs and plasmas have recently evolved new features that change these arguments. LCDs have developed LED Backlighting, which improves the quality of blacks with improved backlighting technology. Some plasmas now have glass with anti-reflective coatings for better performance in bright rooms. The wider viewing angle of plasma screens still puts them at a small advantage in this area though.

Most Large LCD and Plasma TVs will show the high-definition 1080p modes with ease. LCD screens do have a slight advantage in their ability to run higher resolutions. This is one of the reasons they dominate the computer screen market. The larger screen sizes will require a scaler processor to fit the image of your DVD or Blu-ray to the size of your screen. The cheaper brands may not have the best processors and can look a bit strange when put side by side with the better names in TVs. This is something to be mindful of when purchasing either an LCD or plasma.

The main thing people are talking about now is 3D screens. So far, plasmas seem to have the best track record in producing reliable 3D images. As 3D becomes more widespread, we should see more and more improvements in it.

While there have been some improvements and fixes, plasma screens still can suffer from some burn-in. Screensavers and the nature of TV and movies make this fine, but this does tend to make plasma screens less suitable for computer applications. If you intend to have the screen connected to a computer a lot, then LCD is the winner. Burn-in is not permanent now like it used to be, but can be annoying.

Overall, for home entertainment systems, plasma is still the winner. The main reason to opt for LCD is if you intend to use the screen a lot of computer applications as well. Plasmas will generally provide the best performance and value for money in the 50inch and over market.

Tagged as: lcd screen tvs, lcd tv, plasma screen tvs, plasma tv, tech advice

How to Spy on a Computer

Computer spy software programs are applications developed to monitor and record the activities of users on targeted computers, including all the internet usage. These spying software programs are specifically designed to record all types of activities, which can be conducted on the computer.

Computer spy software is ideal for those individuals who want to effectively monitor what is happening on their computers, especially when there are more than one user as in case of roommates, college students, and employees.  Computer spy program can be used by the parents who want to keep an eye on the activities of their children, especially with regard to internet access. Such spy computer software enables parents to filter different content, block nefarious websites and gain access to log of chat conversations. In addition to this, computer spying software also helps parents to protect their children from internet predators and stalkers. Furthermore, it can also be used by the suspecting spouse who believes that his or her partner is cheating or having an illicit affair with someone else. Similarly, companies can also use it to monitor the usage of computers in their offices. Companies can use computer spy software to effectively monitor the activities of their employees and to determine whether their computers are being used for professional purposes or not.

Using computer software spy program gives multitude benefits to the user. It allows customers to know the exact purpose of the usage of other users. Once installed successfully, computer spy software becomes a spyware. Therefore, legally a person who owns the computer can only install this computer spy software in order to monitor the activities of other users. After installation, the user can gain access to data such as internet history, conversations log, software installed and files accessed.

There are number of computer spy applications available in the market which provide different services. Certain computer spy software programs have the capability to record the data entered through the keyboard. When the computer user types certain type of keyword, computer spy software creates an email alert which notifies the owner about that activity. This is especially helpful for parents who want to keep checks on the internet activities of their children. Keywords usually consist of phrases relating to sex, profanity and violence. In this way, parents and other users can prevent their computers from being used in an abusive manner. This is especially the case when it comes to Facebook chat monitoring.

Computer spy software is a wonderful program that enables you to monitor all the activities performed on a computer every time it is turned on. Computer spy program is highly effective, simple to use and easy to install. The best thing is that computer spy software works secretly and your targeted computer users will never come to know that their activities are being monitored

by any spying software.

Today, the usage of computers and the internet is increasing rapidly in almost all areas of life. Even a school going child is also in need to have a computer to do his home work. However, the usage of computer and the internet has some draw backs as well. Your kid can access the websites which you have not allowed him to visit or can waste his study time on chatting and other unproductive activities. Your employees may use computers for entertainment or for other persona motives during office hours, which can badly affect your business.

You can’t monitor someone’s computer all the time physically because it is absolutely impossible, however, the invention of computer spy program has made it possible for you. Whether you are an employer, parent or worried because of your spouse, a computer spying software is the right solution for you.

 Computer spy software takes the actual screen shot of the computer, at given tome intervals, you are tracking. You can also see the keystrokes and whatever else is going on your computer as it happens.The computer software spy can provide you the record of all documents opened and worked on by the users.It makes a list of all websites visited by the users along with the URLs and page titles.With the help of spy computer software all the keystrokes typed by the users even the keys typed for entering user name and password can be seen by the administrator.By using computer spy software you can view the emails typed or viewed on your targeted computer.It enables you to view the list of windows opened on the monitored computer.All the chats done through your targeted computer are visible to you through computer spy software.It enables you to see the whole list of applications executed on the computer, installed or uninstalled on the targeted computer.

When you use computer spy software, it automatically sends all the recorded stuff to your email id enabling you to monitor the activities of your targeted computer even if you are away from your home or office. This means that you can get access to all updates while working in your office or on the way during a business trip or vacation.

Cool Websites and Tools [December 25th 2011]

Add Your Website Here!

Bfxr – is a feature-rich online tool that lets you create sound effects for video games. The tool has a lot of pre-set sound effects that can be used as-is including actions such as jump, explosion, coin drop, hit, blip, select, randomize and more. You can also create a totally new sound effect by playing with the various parameters. Read more: Bfxr: Create Game Sound Effects Online

dotEPUB – ePub is a format commonly used for eBooks. These files get an actual .epub extension and can be used on any eBook reader, tablet and most smartphones and computers. dotEPUB is a web tool that lets you convert webpages into ePub documents so you can read them on your favorite device. Read more: dotEPUB: Save Any Webpage As ePub Document

LiveMinutes – Online collaboration services are becoming increasingly popular with numerous websites offering particular types of collaborative tools. Here to offer you a suite of such tools is the website LiveMinutes. It is a web service that offers its users various online collaboration tools. Read more: LiveMinutes: Live Document Sharing & Collaboration Service

Marker.To – When we are studying a book or preparing for exams, we tend to highlight important points to remember about different topics. Think of a situation when you’re reading something on the Internet and you want to jot down points. You can save them in Notepad or write it by hand which many of you may not like. Read more: Marker.To: Highlight Any Text On A Webpage & Share

IconWanted – With all the innovations in designing graphics, a huge number of high quality icons are now available on the web for free. However, finding the right one at the right time is a whole different story. IconWanted solves this problem by letting you search through a collection of close to 20,000 icons and almost 500 icon sets. Read more: IconWanted: Search Through Thousands Of Icons & Icon Sets

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.

Tagged: cool web apps

Listen To Your Music In Spotify For Free Without Wine [Linux]

Do you love Spotify’s free version, but tired of needing Wine just to listen to the music? Good news – Spotify now offers a free version specifically for Linux users. Or at least, users of Debian, Ubuntu and their variants. Sorry Fedora fans.

Spotify gives you access to millions of songs, for free. Unlike Pandora or Last FM though, you can listen to entire albums on demand. Be warned, there are some obnoxiously genre-defying ads involved. It’s totally worth it overall, though – you’ll discover new music and generally be a happier person.

The Linux version of Spotify used to only work with paid accounts. That’s why I showed you back in July, how to get Spotify’s free version working in Linux using PlayOn, a tool that makes using Wine simple. That worked, but it wasn’t perfect. Neither is the new, official version of Spotify. There are some interface bugs, and local playback can be tricky. If you just want to stream on Linux though, Spotify’s developers just did you a big favor – the official version runs much better than Wine could ever deliver, and it integrates well into Ubuntu’s Unity as well.

Spotify’s native Linux version starts up quickly, meaning it won’t take you long to realize how much better this is than Wine.

You’ll need to register for an account at Spotify.com before you can do anything, and sadly registering requires a Facebook account (unless you were lucky enough to register before that became mandatory).

Once it does start up, it still feels a little out of place in Linux – a silver theme will do that. Still, find what you’re looking for and you’ll be listening very quickly:

Spotify starts playing music faster than some local-based players. You’ll quickly find something you like, because there are millions of songs here. Close the program and it will run in the background. You’ll find an indicator applet in the tray, though, meaning it’s easy to bring the program back to the front.

Ubuntu integration is fantastic with this version. The menu bar integrates with Unity, and you can use the volume button in Ubuntu to control the player:

Are you ready to install the new Linux Spotify? Find installation instructions for Debian and Ubuntu here. But if you prefer to not add the repositories directly, you can download Spotify for Linux directly here. I can’t find a release for other distributions. Presumably they’re coming,  but I suppose for now the Wine method still works. Please correct me if there’s another version, and link to it below.

It’s great to see Spotify recognize us Linux users, but they’re hardly alone in doing so. Native Linux versions of software are becoming common. Dropbox loves us, and so does The Ubuntu Software Center’s selection of games is growing all the time, and the cloud means there’s not much left we can’t do with our Linux machines. It’s great news for Linux enthusiasts, and I can’t wait to see this trend grow in 2012.

Adobe: bring us the Creative Suite!

Let’s celebrate in the comments below. I’ll be around.

Tagged: debian • music • spotify • streaming music • ubuntu • wine

Facebook To Show Sponsored Ads In News Feeds [News]

Facebook is looking to ramp up their advertising efforts. Starting next month, they will be displaying sponsored news stories in your regular news feed. These ads are based on things you and your friends have liked. These ads generally show the product and display the name of the friend who liked it. Previously, these ads have appeared on the right side of the screen where they are easy to ignore. With this change, they will be more in your face, and harder to miss.

Facebook promises that any stories that appear in your news feed will be something you or a friend like. You will never see stories from random companies that are not in some way affiliated with your network. That’s all well and good, but my friends like some pretty dumb things, and I would certainly prefer to keep them out of my newsfeed (or maybe I should find better friends).

Facebook also promises to clearly label the sponsored stories and try to show users no more than one sponsored story per day. This doesn’t sound terribly intrusive, but I think we can agree that we would prefer to keep the ads relegated to the side of the screen.

Source: Cnet
Image Credit: Cnet

Tagged: advertising • Facebook • social media • sponsors