New Technology : Dolby Digital, DTS, THX: Surround Sound Standards Explained

surround-systems

When asked to explain the difference between 5.1 and 6.1 surround sound, most of us wouldn’t blink an eye. Ask that same crowd the difference between Dolby and DTX and you’re likely to get a blank stare. I intend to fix that today. Although there are only three main players in the surround sound industry, each has their own subsets of technology as it relates to surround. While there is rather significant overlap between each, the technologies themselves have enough differences that it’s worth exploring what makes each unique before settling on a home theater system that features just one...

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New Technology : The Advanced Chrome Settings You Should Be Using

chrome-settings

How much do you really know about your privacy, autofill, and history settings in Chrome? You may not use these settings often, but they have options that can help improve your browsing experience. Here are some of these useful sections and their features. Advanced Settings To access your Chrome Privacy and Autofill Settings navigate to your browser settings and then click the link labeled Show Advanced Settings at the bottom of the page. Once the page expands you will see a whole new host of options that you may not have known were there. Privacy The Content Settings button displays...

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New Technology : The 10 Best #ClickbaitBooks On Twitter. Number 7 Is Amazing.

twitter-clickbaits

Twitter users recently turned the plots of their favorite books into clickbait, and you won’t believe what happened next… Actually, you probably will. As with all clickbait ever created anywhere across the Web, this story won’t live up to the headline’s hype.  What actually happened was someone, somewhere started the #Clickbaitbooks hashtag, and as more and more people got involved, it eventually started trending. What do you mean, that’s dull?! Of course it is, but it’s also the truth. Hell, number 7 isn’t even all that amazing. You just wait and see. Clickbait Lives! I think it’s safe to assume everybody...

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New Technology : How Facebook Is Changing News Journalism – For The Better

Facebook Journalism

News outlets are considering publishing stories straight to Facebook. It’s easy to be cynical. But this change could be a good thing – for readers and journalists. At least half a dozen news agencies, including the New York Times, have been in talks with the social networking giant, which currently has over 1.4 billion global users. We’ve already looked at Facebook’s Internet monopoly in countries like Brazil, Africa, and the Philippines, and how much Facebook knows about their members. With further concerns over censorship, conflicts of interest, and mood manipulation, this could be awful. But let’s look at another very real...

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New Technology : Microsoft Shows Off New HoloLens Demos at Build Conference

microsoft-hololens

Microsoft’s upcoming HoloLens headset is the first high-end augmented reality device that’s been shown to the public. Unfortunately, Microsoft has been so tight-lipped that we don’t really know much about it. Today, at Microsoft’s Build Developer Conference in San Francisco, we got another tantalizing peek at the technology. The demo itself is shiny but not very informative. However, we can pick out some important details by reading between the lines. In this case, what Microsoft chose not to show is more informative than what they did. The Demo Several of the HoloLens engineers came onstage to show off some of...

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New Technology : The Best Social Media Apps for Working Out with Friends

social-apps-excercising

Over and over again, research has shown that one of the best ways to help you want to stick to your workout plan or new diet is involving other people in your plans. Social media fitness apps may be one of the best ways to do this, but you need to find the app that works best for you! Some of the most oft-repeated pieces of advice include “tell everyone you’re watching what you eat!“, “join a fitness class!“, or “make plans with a friend to go for a run in the mornings!” While there certainly isn’t anything wrong with these...

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New Technology : Improve Your Communication Skills with These 7 Websites

be a better communicator featured

It’s true that the pen is mightier than the sword, and the same could be said of communication skills. Listening well is more powerful than speaking loudly. Known as a “soft skill,” good communication is a subtle force that will open doors professionally, improve your relationships and increase your personal happiness. These 7 online resources will help you become better at this all-important skill. SkillsYouNeed SkillsYouNeed’s Communication Skills page is a comprehensive resource, covering communication in all aspects of life. It’s well-organized, beginning with general headings such as “Interpersonal Skills” and quickly linking to specific topics on everything from “Active Listening”...

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New Technology : Mount Your Smartphone to Almost Any Car for Just $19.99

exomount-touch

Can you think of a reason you might want mount a smartphone in your car? Perhaps you want to use it for GPS, or you want an easier way to change songs. Maybe you want to use a dashcam application. There are tons of reasons that a car mount is an awesome thing to have, and we have a fantastic one available on MakeUseOf Deals for just $19.99. It’s normally $30, so you’ll be saving 33% off for a limited time! Buy: ExoMount Touch Universal Car Mount ExoMount Touch Universal Car Mount Features This car mount is really cool because it...

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New Technology : New 3DS Your First 3DS? 8 Must-Buy Games

3ds-games

So you just got your hands on a New Nintendo 3DS? Now you need games to play. Trust me; you don’t want to be stuck with Pokémon Shuffle and Face Raiders. Still, it can be intimidating trying to figure out what games to buy, considering the amount that are available for the handheld and the fact that you can play most releases for the original DS on it as well. Super Smash Bros If you’ve been in cryostasis since President Clinton’s second term, Super Smash Bros is Nintendo’s wildly popular in-house fighting game. We’re talking professional tourney-level of popularity. The latest...

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New Technology : Okidokeys Smart-Lock Review and Giveaway

okidokeys-featured

If you’re living in rented accommodation or just uncomfortable drilling holes in your door to fit a smart lock, Okidokeys might be the solution you’re looking for. It’s a retrofitting universal smart lock designed to work with standard deadbolts common across the US. Read on for the full review, then scroll down to the end for your chance to win one for yourself. What You Get We tested the Okidokeys Access-Pack, which includes the following: Smart-lock Smart-reader Three keys: wristband, card, and keychain tag Three plastic covers: chrome, satin brass, antique brass Tools for setup including screwdrivers, and batteries   The fact that it...

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New Technology : How to Disable Microsoft OneDrive in Windows 8.1

You should be free to choose where your data is being stored. While having an automatic cloud syncing solution is a great idea, maybe you don't like OneDrive. Here's how to disable it.

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