New Technology : Does Your Mac Really Need A Firewall?

♠ Posted by channel-top-news in ,,,,,,
mac-firewall

Dig through your Mac’s settings and you’ll find a firewall, turned off by default. Isn’t that insecure? Why would Apple be so irresponsible? Don’t panic: this doesn’t mean your machine isn’t secure. The firewall in question lets you block incoming traffic to particular programs, meaning it’s only useful if there are programs on your computer that you’d like to restrict in terms of incoming information. If that’s not the case, and if you use the Internet primarily behind a secure router, you probably don’t need to enable a firewall at all. What Do The Experts Say? A lot of general tech...

Read the full article: Does Your Mac Really Need A Firewall?



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

New Technology : Will Amazon Drones Really Be Arriving at a Backyard Near You?

♠ Posted by channel-top-news in ,,,,,,
amazon-drone

For Amazon and many other retailers, the holy grail of logistics is same-day delivery; The ability to be able to process, pack, ship and deliver an order, all within the same day. But the problem is, this has proven to be fiendishly difficult. Humans are slow. Supply chains are spread out. Trucks can only travel so fast. It’s hard. Don’t get me wrong. Many have tried it, and many have failed; like Kozmo.com, which in 1998 promised one-hour delivery on a range of products – from groceries to electronics, DVDs and even Starbucks. But they collapsed not long after, having...

Read the full article: Will Amazon Drones Really Be Arriving at a Backyard Near You?



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

New Technology : 7 Places To Find Free Movie Rentals Online

♠ Posted by channel-top-news in ,,,,,,
free-movie-rentals

Going to the movies is expensive. I often have a massive coronary when I find out the price of the tickets, and by the time the nachos and drinks have been bought, that’s our entire monthly entertainment budget spent. Then the film sucks, which really twists the knife. I should never have gone to see Mad Max. So be a tight-fisted Scotsman like me, and save money on the cinema by renting for free at home. Make your popcorn in the microwave, and avoid all the commercials, movie trailers, people talking on cellphones, and the guy in the corner with...

Read the full article: 7 Places To Find Free Movie Rentals Online



from MakeUseOf http://ift.tt/1LfmT9A
Read More

New Technology : What the MakeUseOf Team Thinks of Windows 10

♠ Posted by channel-top-news in ,,,,,,
muo-windows-10-opinion

Windows 10 arrived on July 29 and has received rave reviews across much of the tech-sphere. And it is understandably so because Microsoft did two basic things well: a serious period of soul searching following Windows 8, and an extended, inclusive testing period. Oh, and they changed their management structure, and have a new(ish) company ethos based on universal productivity. Windows 10 is a big deal. It is the latest and greatest in the long running Microsoft operating system line, and Redmond has actively touted this to be their last large OS release. It is a chance for Microsoft to regain some...

Read the full article: What the MakeUseOf Team Thinks of Windows 10



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

New Technology : Smart Home Furnishings That’ll Charge Your Devices and More

♠ Posted by channel-top-news in ,,,,,,
smart-home-furnishing

Despite advances in materials and fabrics, furniture has remained relatively unchanged for decades; but a new trend sees companies packing a variety of technologies into desks, tables, and shelves. The market is still young, but you could see some of these devices in your house very soon. Built-In Wireless Charging If you’ve been to IKEA lately, you’ve probably noticed that a few of their pieces of furniture have plastic discs with a cross on them embedded in the wood; these are wireless charging pads that will charge any of your compatible devices. Just put your phone on top of the...

Read the full article: Smart Home Furnishings That’ll Charge Your Devices and More



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

New Technology : How to Improve the Copy & Paste Functionality on Android

♠ Posted by channel-top-news in ,,,,,,
copy-paste-android

Copy and paste functionality on Android is pretty basic, just as it is on most operating systems. Cutting and copying single items for pasting once is fine, but cut or copy anything else and it’s gone forever. That’s sufficient for some, but many of us want more. For Windows, you can easily use a clipboard application to expand your functionality and do things like strip the formatting of whatever you’re pasting (you can even share your Windows clipboard with Android). But how can you improve the behavior of copy and paste on Android? We’ve combed through dozens of apps on Google Play to...

Read the full article: How to Improve the Copy & Paste Functionality on Android



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

New Technology : 15 Cool Puzzle Games You Can Play Free in Your Browser

♠ Posted by channel-top-news in ,,,,,,
puzzle-games

Browser-based games are perfect for a quick casual game. You can play without worrying about payments, downloads, or hardware requirements. And a quick puzzle game is the best way to make your distractions and breaks more productive. I took it upon myself to sacrifice hours of my life in playing online Flash games. For this list, I’m sticking to puzzle games specifically—not puzzle games that also require some skills. This is all about the brain. There are other Flash games to improve your reflexes, if that’s what you want. Crush The Castle Crush The Castle (CTC) isn’t just a game...

Read the full article: 15 Cool Puzzle Games You Can Play Free in Your Browser



from MakeUseOf http://ift.tt/1DZSmN2
Read More

New Technology : 7 Terms You Need to Know When Buying a New SSD

♠ Posted by channel-top-news in ,,,,,,
ssd-terms-know

Buying a new device is never easy the first time around, especially if it requires you to know all kinds of jargon to even have an idea of what you’re purchasing. As awesome as they are, solid state drives suffer from this issue. Fortunately, while SSD specifications may seem overly daunting at first, the truth is that these terms are quite simple to understand. If the only reason you haven’t gotten an SSD yet is due to confusing jargon, please reconsider! Everyone can benefit from an SSD. Let us help you with that. Here are some important terms that you...

Read the full article: 7 Terms You Need to Know When Buying a New SSD



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

New Technology : Net Neutrality Helps Terrorists, Siri Saves Lives… [Tech News Digest]

♠ Posted by channel-top-news in ,,,,,,
net-neutrality-now-lights

Net neutrality is still causing confusion, Siri saves lives, Amazon is soulless, Microsoft works on news-reading app, Darth Vader is a PS4 fan, and a father makes the best baby rocker of all time. Senator Confuses Net Neutrality There remains a significant portion of the population either unwilling or unable to understand the issue the net neutrality. Unfortunately, U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein is one of these poor saps. However, that may be because she has been fed misinformation by the Internet service providers (ISPs) who hate net neutrality with a passion. According to The Daily Dot, Feinstein sent a letter...

Read the full article: Net Neutrality Helps Terrorists, Siri Saves Lives… [Tech News Digest]



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

New Technology : How Often Do You Take Photos With Your Smartphone? [MakeUseOf Poll]

♠ Posted by channel-top-news in ,,,,,,
smartphone-photography

Smartphones are extremely versatile beasts, as they can be used for all manner of different tasks. Some people use their phone mostly to communicate with friends and family, while others will spend hours beavering away at mobile games. However, taking photographs on a smartphone is an unusually universal activity… isn’t it? Actually, we’re not sure, but we do want to find out. Welcome to this week’s MakeUseOf Poll. Malware Malady 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...

Read the full article: How Often Do You Take Photos With Your Smartphone? [MakeUseOf Poll]



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

New Technology : How to Upgrade to Windows 10 Now & Why You Should Wait

♠ Posted by channel-top-news in ,,,,,,
Have you been waiting patiently since July 29 for your Windows 10 upgrade? You should probably wait until you receive an official notification, but if you are determined, you can force the Windows 10 upgrade.

Read the full article: How to Upgrade to Windows 10 Now & Why You Should Wait



from MakeUseOf http://ift.tt/1DXDC1b
Read More