New Technology : Microsoft Kills Windows Media Center, Periscope Beats Pay-Per-View, & More… [Tech News Digest]

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Microsoft kills fan favorite, Periscope fights for streaming, WikiLeaks wants to know your secrets, Instagram loves emoji, Samsung gives Apple the Edge, and Jar Jar Binks ruins Star Wars… again. Windows Media Center Is No More I used to love Windows Media Center. Microsoft didn’t properly trademark its interface and features and then gave up on it :( — Tom Warren (@tomwarren) May 2, 2015 Microsoft is killing Windows Media Center, with no Media Center functionality in Windows 10. This means anyone still passionate about Windows Media Center should avoid upgrading from their current operating system. Windows 7, Windows 8,...

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New Technology : 10 Geeky Ways to Celebrate Star Wars Day

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I would like you to know that under my sizzling macho manly exterior lies the heart of a total Star Wars geek. Not a week goes by without me watching something Star Wars-related, and one of the high points in my life was meeting Kenny Baker, who plays R2-D2, at the premiere of Revenge of the Sith in 2005. Unfortunately, I’m not in the picture, as I was the one taking it, but trust me, I was there to shake his hand, and get my Star Wars novel signed. So, as you can imagine, May 4th is highlighted prominently on my...

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New Technology : Did Elon Musk Just Save Us from Fossil Fuels?

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A few days ago, Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced a new home battery system. Not the sexiest product at first blush – but a closer look shows that this battery has the potential to disrupt the glacial progress of the energy industry. Check out the keynote below to see what I mean. In other words, this is huge. According to CBC, “Musk is trying to steer his electric car company’s battery technology into homes and businesses as part of an elaborate plan to reshape the power grid with millions of small power plants made of solar panels”. TechCrunch described the move as...

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New Technology : Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin Launches First Suborbital Rocket

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What is it with tech billionaires and space? Something about making a pile of cash in Silicon Valley seems to inspire a pressing urge to get off the planet. Elon Musk’s SpaceX is changing the economics of orbital payloads, and Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic has opened up space tourism to anyone with $250,000 and a dream. Now, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos wants to get in on the action. Bezos’ company is called Blue Origin, and yesterday they semi-successfully ran the first test of their flagship craft, the “New Shepard”. What is a Suborbital Rocket? The New Shepard, like Virgin Galactic’s...

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New Technology : How Often Do You Check Your Smartphone? [MakeUseOf Poll]

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Some people seem to be permanently glued to their smartphone, checking it constantly and consistently throughout the day. Other people barely even bother with their smartphone, only checking it when they absolutely have to do so. Which of these camps do you belong to? Or are you somewhere between the two. Welcome to this week’s MakeUseOf Poll, all about your personal level of smartphone usage. Arrr, Me Hearties! To answer this week’s question please scroll down the page until you see the Poll staring back at you. But first, we need to look at the results from last week, when...

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New Technology : Use Your Computer the Right Way to Increase Productivity

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Many of us spend more time with our computer , than we spend in bed every night. You’d think we’d all be pros at handling a computer, especially at work, where it’s one of our most essential tools. The problem is, most of us never learned how to use computers that way. The beauty is, productivity is a mindset and you can teach yourself. You can identify sub-optimal habits, find better ways of doing things, and improve. Bit by bit you reduce friction, which conserves energy and time for the things that really matter. This process can be tough. Maybe...

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New Technology : Can You Use Your Controller With A Game That Does Not Recognize It?

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Gaming with a controller is considered by many to be the ideal method. In different forms they have been the primary input device in the console world, and they now feature prominently in computer games. So, you have just purchased a new PC game that has glowing reviews from a number of places, you plug in your controller in eager anticipation and … oh, no, not recognized! Don’t despair there is a way to solve the problem. Read on to discover how. The Software Solution As is often the case when one thing does not play happily with another in...

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New Technology : The Day the Music Died: A Grooveshark Retrospective

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Grooveshark is dead. Killed after 10 years by record labels baying for blood. The music streaming service famously offered free streaming of seemingly every song, and infamously did so without licenses. It’s kind of surprising the site stayed online as long as it did – it took until April 30, 2015 for the site to be taken offline entirely, after nearly a decade of controversy. As of now, would-be users are treated to a message instead of music: We failed to secure licenses from rights holders for the vast amount of music on the service. That was wrong. We apologize. Without reservation. –...

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New Technology : May the 4th Be With You: Get Huge Deals on Star Wars Games Right Now

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May the 4th—a day for celebration of everything Star Wars—is quickly approaching, and with it come some great deals on Star Wars video games. Whether you’re looking for the classics from twenty years ago or the latest and greatest, here’s where you’ll find good deals on some of the best Star Wars games out there. The Classics on PC If you’re looking for some of the earlier Star Wars games (at least in the post-Atari age), GOG.com—a great alternative to Steam—is having a sale that will help you stock your computer with a bunch of good options. From now until May...

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New Technology : Watch Artists Work In Real-Time on These 4 Twitch Channels

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Digital art can be intimidating. If you’re used to using paper and pencil, or inking and painting, making the switch to a mouse or stylus can be an experience fraught with challenges. But it doesn’t have to be. Digital creativity is a skill where online tutorials can prove tremendously helpful. Whether in text or video form, guides are essential for getting your head (and your hands!) around staring at a monitor instead of a piece of paper, selecting the right digital tools, etc. But what’s even more helpful is watching live experts draw and teach in real time. Where can you...

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