New Technology : How Audio Compression Works, and Can You Really Tell the Difference?

♠ Posted by channel-top-news in ,,,,,,
audio-compression

The way we listen to music has changed considerably over the years. The age of physical formats is over, and digital files now dominate. Whether you stream or download your music, it’s almost certainly in formats like MP3 or AAC. These are compressed into small and convenient file sizes, and to achieve that they remove sound from the original recording. In this article, we’ll take a look at how music compression works, and whether it has any real effect on how your music actually sounds. How Compression Works Digital music is most often served to us — through media stores...

Read the full article: How Audio Compression Works, and Can You Really Tell the Difference?



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

New Technology : FBI Backdoors Won’t Help Anybody – Not Even the FBI

♠ Posted by channel-top-news in ,,,,,,
backdoor-dont-help

The FBI has been in the news recently with its campaign to force technology companies to modify their encryption methods to make it easier to snoop on users’ messages. According to the FBI, this is a commonsense change: after all, criminals rely on these encrypted services to communicate secretly, and the constitution grants them the right to seize information (like letters and documents) when a lawful warrant is presented. So why not give the FBI the ability to read encrypted documents? If we fail to take these steps, the FBI warns, criminals and terrorists will continue to ‘go dark’ –...

Read the full article: FBI Backdoors Won’t Help Anybody – Not Even the FBI



from MakeUseOf http://ift.tt/1WioO2i
Read More

New Technology : Get a proXPN VPN: Premium Lifetime Subscription for $39

♠ Posted by channel-top-news in ,,,,,,
proXPN-deal

Do you worry about people keeping track of what you’re doing on the Internet? If you do, you need a VPN. But you don’t want any virtual private network, you want to VPN that’s packed with all the features that you need To make the most of your Internet connection. Well today we have a lifetime subscription to proXPN VPN that offers top-flight Internet security and superfast connections 24/7. Normally selling for $375, you can get this deal for only $39 for a limited time. Don’t let this one slip by! Grab it while you still can. Buy: proXPN VPN: Premium Lifetime...

Read the full article: Get a proXPN VPN: Premium Lifetime Subscription for $39



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

New Technology : How to Save Data When You Tether and Get Online from Anywhere

♠ Posted by channel-top-news in ,,,,,,
save-data-tether-online

In the modern age, how useful is any computer when it’s disconnected from the Internet? Unless you use a specialist professional program, most of your typical day-to-day computing will need a connection. Unfortunately, Internet connectivity can sometimes be elusive. For example, if you’re on a train, in a hotel with poor Wi-Fi, or your home connection isn’t available, then the only Internet access point you might have available is your phone’s or tablet’s. It is possible to use the connection from your phone or tablet to provide connectivity to other devices – but until now it’s not always been a...

Read the full article: How to Save Data When You Tether and Get Online from Anywhere



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

New Technology : How to Learn Anything New with 5 Sure-Fire Tips

♠ Posted by channel-top-news in ,,,,,,
learn-new

Not everyone is a fast learner. Some people can swallow new topics in mere hours, but for the rest of us, learning can be a painful and arduous task — so much so that it makes us not want to try anymore. It can happen to the best of us. But here’s the good news: it’s not too late for you to become a fast learner! This isn’t a new topic for us. In the past we’ve explored using technology to improve study habits, building the right kind of online study skills, and even how technology will transform future classrooms....

Read the full article: How to Learn Anything New with 5 Sure-Fire Tips



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

New Technology : Gmail Adds a Block Button, Groupon Still Exists…[Tech News Digest]

♠ Posted by channel-top-news in ,,,,,,
gmail-block

Google now lets you block people on Gmail, Groupon is struggling, Netflix thinks TV as we know it will disappear, Samsung hopes you’ll pay more for a designer television, and the single hardest Mario level ever created. Gmail Adds a Block Button Social networks have long offered a way to block annoying users, but there’s nothing quite like that for email…until now. Gmail announced yesterday the addition of two new buttons, one of which lets you “block” any email address from reaching you. Email from “Blocked” users end up in the spam folder, so you don’t have to see it....

Read the full article: Gmail Adds a Block Button, Groupon Still Exists…[Tech News Digest]



from MakeUseOf http://ift.tt/1L5sQcE
Read More

New Technology : Hollywood’s Best Gangster Portrayals

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

Some of the best movies ever made are gangster films. The Godfather, American Gangster, Goodfellas, and plenty of others are all considered classics. Generally, these movies are anchored by the person playing the main gangster. This person needs to walk a delicate line, being as bad as the person they are portraying, but they also need to put on a performance that makes the audience sympathetic towards them. So, who delivered the best performance as gangsters in the history of film? Check out the infographic below for a quick look! Via Fandango Click to Enlarge

Read the full article: Hollywood’s Best Gangster Portrayals



from MakeUseOf http://ift.tt/1NS7dgi
Read More

New Technology : 10 Common Misconceptions About Wireless Networks

♠ Posted by channel-top-news in ,,,,,,
wireless-misconceptions

Most of us don’t know our AES from our MIMO. In a world so technical, so jargon-rich, it’s easy to see how networking myths start. Networking isn’t the simplest of things to discuss, and for the average Internet user it’s probably not on their mind at all until their network goes down, or they experience an intrusion. Today, we’re going to bring networking to the forefront, and discuss 10 of the most widespread misconceptions about your home Wi-Fi network. This assumes some knowledge with networking, so if you need a networking primer, we’ve got you covered. Wireless Networks Aren’t Secure What...

Read the full article: 10 Common Misconceptions About Wireless Networks



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

New Technology : How to Print an Excel Spreadsheet on One Single Page

♠ Posted by channel-top-news in ,,,,,,
one-page-excel

Excel is a fantastically useful spreadsheet program, but there’s nothing worse than creating a perfect spreadsheet and printing it only to see it come out on nine sheets of paper, including a single row on the last one. What good is a beautifully crafted spreadsheet if it looks terrible on paper? Fortunately, you can tweak your spreadsheet and the program settings to get everything on one page, and to make that page look as good as possible. If your spreadsheet is just too big for a single page, you can use these settings to distribute it over a number of pages...

Read the full article: How to Print an Excel Spreadsheet on One Single Page



from MakeUseOf http://ift.tt/1WgJd8a
Read More

New Technology : Should You Leave Your Laptop Plugged in All the Time?

♠ Posted by channel-top-news in ,,,,,,
laptop-leave-plugged

[Alt titles: Will keeping your laptop plugged in kill its battery? Is it better to use your laptop plugged in or on battery power?] There are many things you can do to improve your laptop’s battery life. But is there anything you can do to extend the actual lifespan of the battery? One often discussed question is whether it’s better to keep your laptop plugged in, or if you should use it on battery power. Turns out, the answer isn’t entirely straightforward. Let’s take a look. Know Your Laptop Battery There are two main types of battery used in laptops: lithium-ion...

Read the full article: Should You Leave Your Laptop Plugged in All the Time?



from MakeUseOf http://ift.tt/1j7557z
Read More