New Technology : Take Your Selfie Snapping Skills to the Next Level

SelfieFeat

If you’re going to take a selfie, you might as well do it right. Just because you’re taking a photo of yourself doesn’t mean photography principles like composition, exposure, and depth of field don’t apply! With a little bit of skill and practice, you can shed the negative stigma and take selfies that can be appreciated as quality photos. The infographic below gives you some tips that will help you move beyond the realm of blurry, poorly shot selfies and into pictures that showcase you in the best way possible! Via On.com Click to Enlarge

Read the full article: Take Your Selfie Snapping Skills to the Next Level



from MakeUseOf http://ift.tt/1QhhMZR

New Technology : Can Virtual Reality Cut the Cord?

virtual-reality

Let’s not mince words: I am visibly aroused by Valve’s new Virtual Reality headset. The Vive, created in partnership with HTC, boasts perfect tracking of your head and two controllers, a comfortable 2160 x 1200 resolution, and a ultra-sharp 90hz OLED display. It’s coming out this year, and it offers interactive VR experiences that provide a sustained sense of physical presence in the virtual scene. To get a sense of just how good the tracking is, check out this video of “The Gallery,” a VR game being played on the Vive. The Challenge of Free-Roaming Virtual Reality The Vive is fantastic. However,...

Read the full article: Can Virtual Reality Cut the Cord?



from MakeUseOf http://ift.tt/1PcQBO4

New Technology : Russia Proposes Highway from New York to London

london-ny-highway

A record-breaking global infrastructure project could bring The Big Smoke closer to The Big Apple – via The Third Rome. It is a speculative plan, but alluring. Who hasn’t dreamed of taking a car trip around the entire world? In short, the plan is to build  a single highway that runs from London, all the way across Russia, crosses over into Alaska, and then crosses the USA, finally landing in New York City. The project would cost trillions of dollars, millions of man hours, and would cause untold bickering among its stakeholders. Would the outcome be worth it? And how would...

Read the full article: Russia Proposes Highway from New York to London



from MakeUseOf http://ift.tt/1aPIasA

New Technology : Learn to Play an Instrument with 7 Free Online Music Lessons

learn-instrument-free-online

Learning a to play an instrument is a great experience — not only is it a lot of fun, but science shows that it’s good for your brain, too. But getting music lessons can be expensive. So why not try out some of these free online music lesson courses? You can learn at your own pace, go through each lesson as many times as you want, and not pay a dime. Guitar: JustinGuitar.com Justin Sandercoe is a Tasmanian guitarist and songwriter who’s been offering free guitar lessons on his website since 2003. In the past 12 years, the site has exploded...

Read the full article: Learn to Play an Instrument with 7 Free Online Music Lessons



from MakeUseOf http://ift.tt/1E7CW7j

New Technology : How to Change Your Password on Any Desktop or Mobile Device

change-password

For most of your accounts, your password is the only thing standing between a stranger and your most private data. It had better be a strong password, otherwise your privacy and integrity may be at risk. When was the last time you updated the password on your computer, phone, or tablet? It may be time to do it right now –  we explain how. Windows 7, 8, 8.1, and 10 The following instructions are for Windows 7. They will work almost the same in Windows 8, 8.1, and 10, if you’re using a local account. If you’re using a Microsoft...

Read the full article: How to Change Your Password on Any Desktop or Mobile Device



from MakeUseOf http://ift.tt/1DJxFBA

New Technology : 7 Apps to Help Anyone Improve Their English Grammar

improve your grammar

In a world of spellcheck and texting abbreviations, few people want to take the time to learn about subjects, objects, and dangling modifiers. Besides, computers can fix our sentences for us. However, as anyone who’s suffered an autocorrect embarrassment knows, computers don’t always get it right. Language is a human tool and requires the insight of human minds. Plus, employers still care about this stuff. From emails to reports, business involves plenty of written communication. Businesses want to hire employees with strong writing skills who will represent their company well to clients. So what’s the best way to improve your grammar...

Read the full article: 7 Apps to Help Anyone Improve Their English Grammar



from MakeUseOf http://ift.tt/1E73p4X

New Technology : Can Bing Surpass Google Search Through Windows 10 Integration?

bing-data

In terms of search volume, Google eats Bing for breakfast. And the widespread use of the Android operating system contributes its part to Google’s dominance. But Bing and Microsoft are a Phoenix in full-rebirth mode. As Google faces antitrust allegations and Cortana meets the Windows 10 Taskbar, Microsoft may soon turn the tables. Bing is Capturing Markets Microsoft’s Bing search engine has captured more than 20% of the US search market for the first time since launching in 2009. This is a significant milestone and signals Microsoft intentions moving forward: we are here, we are involved in search, and people are valuing our service. Bing’s rise...

Read the full article: Can Bing Surpass Google Search Through Windows 10 Integration?



from MakeUseOf http://ift.tt/1cW0guI

New Technology : Should You Turn Your Screensaver Off? History & Modern Use of a Bug Fix

screensaver-off-old

Screensavers have long been a part of Windows, but they don’t play such a big role nowadays. Once an important feature to help prevent screen burn on CRT monitors, screensavers are mostly used now to look pretty. Let’s take a look at how screensavers came to be, remember some famous examples, and discuss whether it’s still worth using one in this day and age, considering the power usage implications. Don’t forget to head into the comments section afterwards to let us know your screensaver memories and whether you still use one. Screensaver History Screensavers originally came into existence to solve...

Read the full article: Should You Turn Your Screensaver Off? History & Modern Use of a Bug Fix



from MakeUseOf http://ift.tt/1aOTTru

New Technology : A Cleaner, Faster iPhoto: Upgrade to Photos for OS X Yosemite

Photos_Lead_Image

Photos for OS X has finally arrived, replacing the dusty and worn-out iPhoto with an image management application that Mac users will actually want to use — but is there enough here to satisfy Aperture users? Last year Apple announced that they would be discontinuing iPhoto and its more powerful cousin Aperture, and replace them with a revamped photo program that better fits a climate of iPhones and iCloud. Though the replacement app shares nearly all the features of iPhoto, Photos is more streamlined, cleaner, and faster. In short, there’s a lot of reasons to upgrade OS X and admire Apple’s hard work. Downloading Photos Photos is a free upgrade...

Read the full article: A Cleaner, Faster iPhoto: Upgrade to Photos for OS X Yosemite



from MakeUseOf http://ift.tt/1PbtGD2

New Technology : How to Sync iTunes Music with an Android Phone or Tablet

itunes-android

Your iTunes collection is perhaps a vast, lumbering collection of tracks that might go back to your first iPod or a compact selection of favorites. Either way, you want those songs on your Android smartphone or tablet. We’ve seen several ways of syncing an iTunes library with your Android device in the past, but now there is a far simpler method. By employing free-to-use sync software on your Windows, Mac, or Linux PC and a companion app on Android syncing tracks from iTunes to your mobile device has suddenly become effortless. Even the setup is relatively simple. Software You’ll Need...

Read the full article: How to Sync iTunes Music with an Android Phone or Tablet



from MakeUseOf http://ift.tt/1Ob8G1W