New Technology : The Hottest Live-Streaming Social Apps You Need To Try

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Recent years have seen an explosion in social media video sharing services, along with plenty of interesting novelty apps like Dubsmash to make your posts more fun. There has also been a rise in popularity in podcasts, suggesting that these more personal forms of communication are preferred by audiences and broadcasters alike. Instead of merely blogging, people are now sharing their expertise on YouTube, doing Q&As on Periscope and getting creative on Vine. And the audiences love it, because they can tune in while they get on with their work or mess about on Facebook. But the scope of each video...

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New Technology : ABB Now Offers Voice-Activated Home Automation With Free@Home

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For those who aren’t aware, ABB is one of the largest engineering companies in the world, and are considered global leaders in the fields of power and automation. At the recent IFA consumer electronics show in Berlin they unveiled a voice-activated home automation system to accompany their year-old “Free@Home” smart home offering. The company claims it’s one of the most advanced voice-activated systems in the world. We take a look at what it is and what it can do for you. What is Free@Home? Free@Home was launched last year and was the company’s attempt to bring their automation expertise to the...

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New Technology : The Best Mac-Only Open Source Software

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When most people think open source, they think Linux. That’s fair: Linux is the operating system built from the ground-up with open source software. But Mac OS X, as a UNIX-like brother to Linux, has its share of quality open source programs as well – and a bunch of them aren’t available for Linux or Windows. Let’s look at the best open source Mac exclusives, so you know which programs to install and show off in front of your Linux friends. They’ll be jealous, I promise (though they’ll have a few great apps to show you right back, so don’t get...

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New Technology : Learning Maya 2016: Where To Get Started

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Maya is a popular 3D animation tool, published by Autodesk. But it’s got a brutally steep learning curve, and can be intimidating for beginners. This week, a reader writes in to see if we could recommend some learning material. Ask The Experts contributor Bruce Epper has him covered. A Reader Asks: I really want to get into 3D animation with Maya, but I have no idea where to start. Can you recommend any courses or books? Bruce’s Reply: Whether you want to get into 3D art, modeling, and/or animation for your own amusement or as a step toward getting your...

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New Technology : Learn How to Dress Better with the Fashion You Love

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Do you often find yourself stuck in front of your closet completely unsure of what to wear? Do you need new clothes, but are not sure what to buy? Are you completely mystified by the difference between “business casual” and “smart casual”?  Thankfully, the Internet has resources for those of us who are fashion challenged. A number of professional fields, schools of thought, and public opinions would have us consider investing time and effort in fashion to be a waste of time or frivolous. However, this assumption is actually quite far from the truth — and no one explains this better...

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New Technology : Intellinote: Put Your Tasks, Files, Messages & Online Meetings In One Place

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The right software behind your project, group or organization can make all the difference. Intellinote makes it easier to manage, collaborate and better communicate with your team, colleagues and clients. Intellinote blends real-time text, audio and video messaging, easy file and screen sharing and project management features with a unique workspace approach that makes managing large teams of people a simple affair. Better still, it’s completely free for personal use and comes with a feature-filled 30-day free trial so you can try it with your team before you buy. Everything Under One Roof Intellinote is available as both a browser-based web application or as standalone...

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New Technology : 5 Things I Hate About Chrome

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Chrome, the operating system, is apparently pretty great – but Chrome, the operating system, is the worst thing that ever happened to Chrome, the browser. Since the beginning of ChromeOS, Chrome on other platforms has increasingly been bogged down by additions that only make sense for ChromeOS users. Things like app launchers, notification systems, and user profiles simply don’t add much if you’re running a web browser on Windows, Mac or Linux – all of those operating systems have their own, better-integrated tools for doing the same thing. Yet Chrome bundles all this and more. Chrome, the operating system, is...

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New Technology : Free eBook: ‘Effective Goal Setting – Developing Your Productivity Skills’

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It’s easy to say you want to get more done. What’s hard is setting attainable goals to actually move you in the direction of achieving something. You can you say want to get more work done every day, but what does that really mean? Now, saying you want to spend an extra hour a day working on a particular project is a real goal that you can get. Setting goals like this will allow you to make huge gains in your productivity, and that’s exactly what the free eBook we have today is all about. It’s called “Effective Goal Setting...

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New Technology : White Noise vs. Noise Isolation vs. Playlists: The Best Sound for Focus

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When you want to be focused and productive, what is the best thing to listen to? It’s one of those questions where you can’t get an answer that applies to everyone. So MakeUseOf talked to a few people who actively put on their headphones when they want to focus on work, to find out what’s playing, why it’s helpful, and who it’s helpful for. The Internet has a lot of advice on the best music to boost your productivity, but if you have tried some of these suggestions, you know that it’s not as simple as the article makes it...

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New Technology : D-Link AC3200 ULTRA Wireless Router Review and Giveaway

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Ever wrestled with getting a router working right? I did. For years my AC1200 router wouldn’t transfer files faster than 2-3 megabytes per second (MB/s) to devices separated by a wall. I tried everything from changing the antenna several times to redoing all my wiring with the fastest, shielded CAT7 cabling. After weeks of research and tinkering, my internal network speeds improved to 6-7 MB/s. Until D-Link sent me their newest AC3200 router, the ULTRA. And then my speeds went through the roof – and into outer space. Here’s my review of the ULTRA, along with some tips on how...

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