New Technology : What Video Games Desperately Need Sequels? [We Ask You]

♠ Posted by channel-top-news in ,,,,,,
we-ask-you-logo

The video game industry has come of age in recent years, evolving from the dorky kid no one wanted to hang around with to the most popular kid in school. Unfortunately, while this evolution has had many positive effects, it’s also brought its fair share of negatives. One of which is the same games (Call of Duty!) getting sequels year after year, whether they deserve to or not. Because, just like the movie industry, only titles guaranteed to make money get given the green light. Which leaves many quality games awaiting sequels that never arrive. Desperately Seeking Sequels We want...

Read the full article: What Video Games Desperately Need Sequels? [We Ask You]



from MakeUseOf http://ift.tt/1Jaoxr1
Read More

New Technology : When to Throw Away Your Fraying Cables & Phone Chargers

♠ Posted by channel-top-news in ,,,,,,
old-cables

We’ve all sneakily continued to use damaged phone chargers telling ourselves soothingly that, “oh, one more day won’t do any harm“. Before we know it, we’ve been using that death-trap of a wire for weeks, if not months. But when should we really say goodbye to those damaged phone chargers? Let’s cut to the chase here. In a benevolent ploy we only really want you to read this article for one reason: to throw away those shredded, damaged chargers NOW. Not tomorrow or next week, but today. This dangerously hot, sparking wire is just one of the reasons why: According to an...

Read the full article: When to Throw Away Your Fraying Cables & Phone Chargers



from MakeUseOf http://ift.tt/1ES0oIc
Read More

New Technology : Which Smart Hub for Home Automation Is Best for You?

♠ Posted by channel-top-news in ,,,,,,
smart-home-hubs-intro

Smart homes are on the up and up. For a while, people thought of the idea as nothing more than a gimmick – some people still think that way – but recent product releases have shown that smart home automation is starting to live up to its promises. There are smart devices that can reduce electricity usage, increase home security, automate home lighting, replace your doorbell, manage your garden, and even feed pets while you’re away. And as it turns out, smart home automation is cheap when compared to the cost of other home renovation projects. While there are several...

Read the full article: Which Smart Hub for Home Automation Is Best for You?



from MakeUseOf http://ift.tt/1JBnlAn
Read More

New Technology : Are App Stores Really Safe? How Smartphone Malware Is Filtered Out

♠ Posted by channel-top-news in ,,,,,,
android-iphone-sick

Do you have malware on your phone? Unless you’ve rooted or jailbroken your device, the answer is probably no. Smartphone viruses are real, but app stores do a pretty good job of filtering them out. Of course, no process is perfect. Stuff has gotten through, which we’ll get to. But assuming you stick to your phone’s official software store – the App Store for iOS and Google Play on Android – the odds of infection are extremely low, thanks to approval processes on both platforms. Let’s talk about how these systems work, what kinds of malware have gotten through, and how...

Read the full article: Are App Stores Really Safe? How Smartphone Malware Is Filtered Out



from MakeUseOf http://ift.tt/1InZfYd
Read More

New Technology : Can Shared Graphics Finally Compete with a Dedicated Graphics Card?

♠ Posted by channel-top-news in ,,,,,,
graphics card

There are two kinds of graphics cards for PCs: dedicated and shared. The former brings its own hardware to the party, and has always been regarded as the serious choice. The latter borrows resources from the rest of the PC, and is often seen as the compromise solution. But does that still hold true? Or have advanced in shared graphics made a viable option for anyone? Let’s take a look. Shared Versus Dedicated Graphics As its name suggests, a dedicated graphics card — often also called discrete graphics — is a piece of specialist hardware dedicated solely to managing the...

Read the full article: Can Shared Graphics Finally Compete with a Dedicated Graphics Card?



from MakeUseOf http://ift.tt/1Epj4eW
Read More

New Technology : Getting Started with Audiobooks: How to Finally Finish Your “Reading List”

♠ Posted by channel-top-news in ,,,,,,
Audiobooks-beginner-guide-header

Yes, you want to read more books, but you just don’t have the time for it, right? Audiobooks are a good way to tackle your reading list, but it can be difficult to get started with them. Let’s make it simple. You might think there is nothing more to an audiobook than just downloading a title you want to listen to and get going. But several other things matter, especially to a beginner. We already instinctively know what to do with a book because of schooling, but you still need to learn tips to read more books. Similarly, it’s not...

Read the full article: Getting Started with Audiobooks: How to Finally Finish Your “Reading List”



from MakeUseOf http://ift.tt/1JASwMj
Read More

New Technology : Download Free Comics With the Dynamite BitTorrent Bundle

♠ Posted by channel-top-news in ,,,,,,
bittorrent-bundle-comics

Hot on the heels of the Doctor Who BitTorrent Bundle comes another great release that may be of interest to MakeUseOf readers. BitTorrent has teamed up with comic book publisher Dynamite Entertainment to release The Dynamite Mega Bundle: a collection of over 200 issues from 30 different titles. Amazingly, for all comic book fans who like a freebie or two, you can download the first issue of almost every title featured for free. The complete collection of all 200 issues is available as a pay-what-you-want (as long as it’s more than the minimum $6). So let’s take an in-depth look...

Read the full article: Download Free Comics With the Dynamite BitTorrent Bundle



from MakeUseOf http://ift.tt/1EoURFE
Read More

New Technology : What’s an IP Conflict, and How Do You Resolve It?

♠ Posted by channel-top-news in ,,,,,,
ip-conflict

Have any of your devices ever displayed an error message pertaining to an IP address conflict? If so, you probably found yourself unable to connect to the Internet, either because you simply don’t have access or the connection has just been rendered unusable. Although it’s not something that commonly occurs, IP address conflicts are a very real issue and can very much inconvenience the user. When two or more IP addresses conflict, the result can be one or more computers or devices that have been rendered completely useless in terms of network connectivity. Fortunately, there are ways to resolve the...

Read the full article: What’s an IP Conflict, and How Do You Resolve It?



from MakeUseOf http://ift.tt/1GHFnjF
Read More

New Technology : An Introduction to Office 365 — Should You Buy Into the New Office Business Model?

♠ Posted by channel-top-news in ,,,,,,
office-365

Office 365 is a subscription based package that buys you time limited access to a number of Microsoft services and software packages, including the latest desktop Office suite, an online version of Office, cloud storage, and premium mobile apps. Office 365 follows a business model known as Software as a Service (SaaS), which has commonly been used for deploying enterprise software. With subscription-based services like Spotify, Napster, or Amazon Prime, it has found its way into the consumer software market some time ago. Does Office 365 provide enough value to be worth the money? Can You Still Use It on Your Desktop? Yes,...

Read the full article: An Introduction to Office 365 — Should You Buy Into the New Office Business Model?



from MakeUseOf http://ift.tt/1bTSH7u
Read More

New Technology : Lifetime VPN for $39, Office Course Bundle for $49, and More Huge Savings

♠ Posted by channel-top-news in ,,,,,,
deals

We’ve been featuring some of the best deals we can find at MakeUseOf, and there have been quite a few that you, our readers, have really enjoyed. Did you miss any of them? Well, don’t worry, because we are going to round up some of the best selling offers from MakeUseOf Deals in one handy place. Whether you’re looking for a VPN subscription for just $39 or an awesome pair of Bluetooth earbuds for $49, we have you covered. So without further ado, let’s take a look at some of the best deals from April that you might have missed. They’re all...

Read the full article: Lifetime VPN for $39, Office Course Bundle for $49, and More Huge Savings



from MakeUseOf http://ift.tt/1GHl2uR
Read More