Continue reading the article

Read full article: Bored of Angry Birds? 5 Unconventional iOS Games That Do Things Differently

Lifehacker Lifehacker Pack for Android 2013: Our List of the Best Android Apps | Gawker Taking the Stairs Will Not Get You in Shape | Gizmodo Here's What a Developer's PS4 Looks Like | io9 20 Great Insults from Science Fiction and Fantasy Books

Read more...

Many people were scurrying around the past few months exporting all their feeds from Google Reader to add them to an alternative. With Reader closing down July 1, most likely you have already decided which service will be earning your business. Let us know in the poll below – without Google Reader, which alternative RSS reader are you using?

Here are the results of last week’s poll:

Your thoughts are clear on this issue. More than three-quarters of those answering the poll feel that yes, we should be concerned with the NSA and our privacy. They don’t want anyone tracking what they are doing online. Fifteen percent are unbothered, while the small remainder chose Other.

Image Source: Landscape image, Thumbnail

The post Without Google Reader, What Will You Use as an Alternative? [Poll] appeared first on Make Tech Easier.

1. GGReader

Feedly comes with its own interface and design. However, if you are too used to the Google Reader experience, this GGReader extension can turn your Feedly page into a Google Reader look-alike.

Once installed, you just have to reload your Feedly page for the changes to take effect.

This is how Feedly originally looked like:

And this is how Feedly looks after the installation of GGReader:

Did you notice that even the Feedly logo has been styled to look like Google?

The bad thing about this extension is that it doesn’t allow you to change the color scheme, nor does it show a distinction between read and unread articles. It will be great if all these issue are fixed.

2. Feedly Background Tab

When you are reading an article in Feedly, you can press the shortcut key “v” to load the article in a new tab and switch to this new tab immediately. What if you want to open it in a background tab and read it later? The Feedly Background Tab extension allows you to do just that.

Once installed, you can assign a shortcut key (the default is “;”) to the extension. While reading a feed in Feedly, you just have to press the shortcut key (;) and the article will load in a background tab. You can then continue to read other feed in Feedly.

3. Feedly Pooqer

If you are always crazy about the number of new items in your RSS reader, then this extension will be handy to you. Feedly Pooqer add an icon to your Chrome’s system tray and shows the number of unread count in your Feedly account.

You can set the interval that Feedly Pooqer polls Feedly for the unread count, but you need to be constantly logged on to Feedly (or Google).

4. Add to Feedly

Google Chrome doesn’t come with any RSS subscription feature by default. This extension not only adds a RSS subscription feature to Google Chrome, it also allows you to add the RSS feeds directly to Feedly.

Once installed, you will see a new Feedly icon on the system bar. At any website, you just have to click this icon and it will add the RSS feed of that website to Feedly.

5. Feedly Readable

For those who prefer to read their feeds in a distraction free environment, the Feedly Readable extension can transform the current Feedly design into a minimal distraction free interface so you can focus purely on the readability of your articles.

When this extension is active, the Feedly’s navigation pane will be missing from the interface. You just have to hover your mouse over the empty area and the navigation pane will appear.

Conclusion

With Feedly replacing Google Reader as the most popular RSS reader, there is no doubt that more and more extensions will appear to give Feedly a better user experience. The above mentioned extensions are some of the more useful extensions for Feedly. If you come across, or are using any extension that are not mentioned above, do let us know in the comments.

The post Make Feedly a Better RSS Reader With These Google Chrome Extensions appeared first on Make Tech Easier.

We have shown you some of the popular alternatives, and I previously gave you the low-down on CommaFeed, but this time around it is Rolio that looks to grab your attention and become your new RSS friend.

Using Rollo

What do you want in your next feed reader? Honestly, I believe most Google Reader refugees simply want that experience back, and there are services that mimic the tried and true product from the search giant.

Like any of these services, Rolio will require you to set up an account and, as most, this is free. The service also prompts you to subscribe to at least one of its promoted feeds – you can delete it later if you are not interested.

Then you are off to import your feeds via an XML file – no OPML allowed. If you are coming from Feedly then you are in luck, as the service has at long last implemented an Export option, something it claimed “A FEW people have been asking about.” I suspect that the number was much greater than a few. You will need to make the conversion from OPML to XML though.

With these details out of the way, you can get started importing your feeds for use in Rolio. The length of the process will, of course, depend on the size of your file. Click “My Rolio” to begin setup.

The Interface

When it comes to RSS, many services do things in a similar manner, only making slight changes to interface and options, with perhaps a few extras thrown in. In that regard, Rolio does not stray far from the course.

Basic options are aligned along the top of the screen, including the aforementioned “My Rolio”, which is not only a place to import the file from your former service, but also the home of “Settings.” Beyond this, you can peruse social options and add individual feeds through the appropriate, but perhaps uninspiringly named, options of “Add Feed” and a “Social” dropdown list.

While “Add Feeds” is self-explanatory, Social actually has options, but there are only two of them, so unless you wish to connect with your Facebook or Twitter account then I am afraid there will be little to see here.

The most noticeable feature missing from the interface is the left column that displays a list of feeds contained within most services. Different users will react to this loss in various ways, but the lack of this display will likely be a polarizing one.

Settings are also less than inspiring, simply giving you basic options for changing the password and closing or deleting your account.

What Is the Bottom Line?

There are numerous services just waiting for the chance to dance on the grave of Google Reader. Rolio is in an increasingly crowded market, and may appeal to some users, as this always boils down to personal tastes. The interface is more modern, as opposed to attempting to mimic the Google Reader look. While adding my OPML file was a bit slow, the interface worked flawlessly once the service was up and running.

None of this means that I recommend you avoid the service – it may be exactly what you are wishing for. After all, personal tastes vary.

The post Can Rolio Be the Next Google Reader Alternative? appeared first on Make Tech Easier.

When you're feeling cranky or upset, it might feel like the worst time to tackle a problem or do something creative. A study by the British Psychological Society implies that may not be the case.

Read more...

دکتری که میرم منشی نداره. فکر می کنم به دلایل اعتقادی منشی نداره. بلی. ما از منتقدین درون نظامیم که همچین دکترهای خانوادگیی داریم. به مریض های خانومش هم میگه آبجی. به همین دلیله که وقتی میرم این دکتره میبینم ملت نشستن پشت در اتاقش منتظر دکتر که بیاد. ولی گاهی هیچ کس نمیدونه که دکتر امروز میاد یا نه. چون منشی ای نیست که ازش بپرسیم. بله دقیقا همینقدر تخمی. چه جوری نوبتمونو تشخیص میدیم؟ خوب اولین نفری که میرسه یه کاغذ برمیداره اسم خودشو اولش مینویسه و بقیه هم به همین منوال.

تو مطبی که نشستم کنار من یه پیرزن پیرمرده دارن لاس بالای 70 میزنن با هم که اگر لاس نمیزدند وسطش پیرمرده نمیپرسید که بچه هات نمیذارن ازدواج کنی؟ که پیرزنه آستینشو بگیره بگه هییییییییسسسسسسس! یواش تر!. ازونجایی که جدا جدا اومدن و من شاهد تمام مراحل آشناییشون بودم احتمال زن و شوهر بودنشون صفره. بلی عزیزان. ما با فساد مخالف نیستیم. اتفاقا با یه مینیمومی از فساد موافقیم. با این چیزا مخالفیم.

قراره چک آپ  کامل کنم. یعنی برم زیر ذره بین و از پروستات تا هپاتیتم رو در معرض قضاوت جامعه پزشکی قرار بدم. چرا؟ خوب شما از همین الان تا یه هفته کونتو نشور. الان فرض کن یه هفته شد. چه حسی داری؟ نمیخوای بری آزمایش بدی؟ من تقریبا هشت ماهه نشستم. پس کارم منطقیه. ارتباط بین نشستن کون و پروستات رو هم شما نمیخواد تشخیص بدی دکتر تشخیص میده.
دکتر ازم میپرسه که در شش ماهه اخیر رفتار پرخطر داشتم یا نه و من یاد پست دیفال مستراح میافتم که (- در 6 ماهه اخیر رفتار پرخطر جنسی داشتید؟ + بله  آقای دکتر هفته پیش گودزیلا رو گاییدم). دکتر که لبخند منو که میبینه توضیح میده که پسرم سلمونی و دندون پزشکی هم جزوشه و نهایتا به این نتیجه میرسه که بد نیست آزمایش هپاتیت هم بدم.

-          از دکتر که میام بیرون میرم فلکه صادقیه. یه سری کارها و مرسولات پستی دارم که باید ارسال کنم. جلوی گلدیس مقادیری آدم  ایستادن که محل درآمدشون از سایز مانتو و شال نوامیس مردمه. ما ازین برادرها متشکریم که باعث میشن ما صبح تا شب که در خیابان ها قدم میزنیم کمتر جهاد اکبر کنیم. به صورت کاملا تصادفی به دو عدد ناموس گیر میدن. دو عدد ناموسی که به هیچ عنوان فرق ظاهری با سایر عابرین ندارند جز اینکه بد شانسند. من چه کار می کنم؟

من یه خارج نشینی هستم که مدت هاست از کشور دور بودم و از بافت فرهنگی جامعه فاصله گرفتم. لذا باید مدت زمانی رو اختصاص بدم که ببینم زیر پوست شهر چه خبره. والا اونقدرها هم بیکار و منتظر مراسلات پستیم نیستم که وایستم جلوی گشت ارشاد به تماشا.
دوران دبیرستان یکی از آیتم های حرص درآوردن معلم ها این بود که نگاهشون میکردم. بعد وقتی دقیقا چشم تو چشم میشدیم یه جای دیگه رو نگاه میکردم و همزمان زیر لب فحش میدادم. طرف خیلی باس احمق بود که نتونه فحش منو لب خونی کنه. اینکه چند بار اخراج شدم بابت این حرکت مجال این بحث نیست. ولی آدم جوونه گاهی همین کارو با اون سروان خپله ی گشت ارشادی میکنه. طرف هم میفهمه که به مادرش اشاره شده. (بلی من یه جاهله مرد فحش مادر بده ای هستم وقتی عصبانی ام) آیا مرا هم میگیرند؟ نخیر. من مورد رافت نظام قرار میگیرم. سروانه ازم میخواد که کمی جلوتر بایستم. و من نیز چنین میکنم.

-          ماشین و اوقات فراغت. دو شرط کافی هستن که با داشتنشون من خود به خود سر از بام تهران در میارم. اگر دقت کنین تو شرایط کافی ام خبری از آب و هوا نیست. همین هم هست که وقتی به بام میرسم هوا ابری است و بارانی. اما ان مع العسر یسرا.  ادامه میدهیم. و به بالای بام میرسیم و میشینیم. باران شدت بیشتری میگیرد و اکثرا ملت جمع می کنندو میروند اما ما نشسته ایم. بالاخره باران بیخیال ما میشود. ما میتوانیم روی یک نیمکت بشینیم و پایمان را دراز کنیم و به تهران زیر پایمان خیره شویم.

هدفونی همراهمان نیست. اصن در این فضا هدفون نمیچسبد. لذا ما کاور جوونای بی ملاحظه بیکار را بر تن کرده و بی توجه و احترام به حریم شخصی افراد گوشی مان را پلی می کنیم. این رفتار درست نیست. اما چه میشه کرد؟. ما بام را خریده ایم. از کجا شروع می کنیم؟ طبیعتا از ستاره دنباله دار ابی. گوشی ام اسپیکرش ضعیفه. پس شروع میکنیم باهاش میخوانیم.

دو قدم اونطرف تر یه کفتره با جفتش نشسته تو گوش هم بغ بغ می کنن. کفتر نره از من میخواد که صداشو زیاد کنم. ولی صداش آخرشه. یه خرده میگذره از جام بلند میشم میرم بالاسرشون. و طبیعتا مجبور میشن که سر از شونه هم بردارن. اگر بر نمیداشتن آمادگی داشتم که خودم دختره رو از حالت اریب به حالت عمودی درآرم. عزیزان من! اینی که میگن به شونه مردت تکیه کن این استعاره است. نه اینکه ولو شی رو شونه اش که. ما با یه مینیمومی از فساد مشکل نداریم با این چیزا مشکل داریم.

این لاله و لادن ناهمجنس رو که از هم جدا میکنم. گوشیمو میذارم رو نیمکت وسطشون و میگم بیا حاجی! ابی بزن!. میگه نه آقا نمیخواد. میگم یعنی چی نمیخواد؟ هوس کردی فاز گرفتی باید بزنی دیگه! تو دلت میمونه گوش نکنی! و اونم در برابر منطق من تسلیم میشه. من کجا وای میسم؟ طبیعتا باس همونجا بالاسرشون وایمیسادم که گوشیمو ندزده. ولی من آدم از خارج اومده ای هستم که حس میکنم همه آدم ها مهربان و پاک هستند. پس اعتماد می کنم و برمیگردم به نیمکت خودم.

روی نیمکت من جا هست به عدد آدمای دنیا. همین میشه که دو تا جوون دیگه ای میان از من اجازه میگیرن که بشینن کنارم. شرط من هم طبیعتا دی جی بودنم هست. که میپذیرند. (کفتر نر ماجرا بعد از تموم شدن ستاره  دنباله دار گوشیمو برگردونده.) پس مشکلی نیست.
سه نفریم. پاهامونو دراز کردیم و تهران کم کم چراغاشو روشن کرده. از تاک سیاوش قمیشی تا دنیای این روزهای من آقا داریوش تا دیوار فرامرز اصلانی تا باران امید …. اونام فاز میگیرند. یه جاهایی با هم میخونیم. آهنگ از من. دود سیگار ازونا. و این سکوت و داریوش و سیگار واسه حدود 45 دقیقه ادامه پیدا میکنه. باس برگشت.

-          شب شام نمیخورم. فردا باس ناشتا باشم. صبح که میرم آزمایشگاه زن داییم میگه خیلی ناشتایی. میگم یعنی چی؟ میگه 12 تا 14 ساعت. تو الان 17 ساعته هیچ چی نخوردی. زن دایی من مسول آزمایشگاه نیست ولی مسول پذیرش آزمایشگاه منو یاد زن داییم میندازه. اگر قرار باشه میانگین زمانی که هر فرد صبح ها در برابر آینه صرف می کند 5 دقیقه باشد.وجود امثال این مسول آزمایشگاه های زن دایی شکل هستند که باعث میشه ماها بتونیم صبح ها اصلا در آینه به خودمان نگاه نکنیم. مگر اینکه …… مگر اینکه این خط چشم ها که مسول های پذیرش میکشن به صورت آماده و قابل نصب در اطراف چشم به فروش برسد والا کشیدن چنین خط چشم با چنین ظرافت و بصیرتی زیر 15 دقیقه امکان پذیر نیست. تازه 15 دقیقه با تمرین و ممارست حاصل میشه. دولت باس به اینا کمک کنه. اینا زیبایی های بصری شهر هستند. باس زیر پر و بالشونو گرفت.

بیماشینی سخته. 8 صبح از آزمایشگاه که میزنم بیرون شروع میکنم به پیاده روی. از روبروی برق آلستوم میام پایین. هدفون گوشیم همراهم نیست و این اذیتم میکنه. در طول راه سعی میکنم با استفاده از 118 شماره یه مرکزی که ام آر آی انجام میده رو پیدا کنم. تلاش مذبوهیه. هر درمانگاهی درمانگاه دیگه ای رو معرفی می کنه و وقتی از 118 شماره اشو گیرمیارم و تماس میگیرم میگه گوه خورده هرکسی گفته ما اینجا ام آر آی داریم. البته درمونگاهی ها مودبند اما آدمی که تو خونش خوابیده و هشت صبح با تلفن من از خواب بیدار شده الزاما مودب نیست.
پیاده میام تا سر بهبودی. از تو سایه میام. ولی خورشید در طول این نیمساعت بیکار نیست و حرکت میکنه. منو یاد یه داستان قدیمی میندازه  که طوفان و خورشید وایساده بودن سرکوچه. یه دختره میاد رد میشه. طوفن و خورشید هم کل میندازن ببینن کدومشون زودتر میتونه کاری کنه که این دختره مانتوشو (فقط مانتوشو)‌ درآره.

اول طوفان شروع میکنه هر چی میوزه و داد و بیداد و رعد و برق راه میندازه دختره شال و روسری و مانتوشو سفت
ترمیچسبه. خلاصه طوفانه نمیتونه کاری کنه. بعدش خورشید میاد یه کوچولو میتابه دختره گره شال رو باز میکنه باز میتابه دختره شال رو میبره عقب یه کوچولو دیگه میتابه دختره دکمه مانتو رو باز میکنه و یه کوچولو دیگه دختره اینورو نگاه اونورو نگا میبینه گشت ارشادی چیزی نیست مانتوشم درمیاره. آیا خورشید باز هم میتابه؟ نخیر تو نسخه ای که من خوندم داستان همینجا تموم میشه. شما میتونین نسخه های هیجان انگیزتری ازین داستان رو در وبلاگ های مربوطه بدنبال کنین.

البته بماند که تو نسخه ای که من خوندم اصن دختری در کار نبود و جاش یه پیرمرد با کت و شلوار و کلاه شاپو بود. چقدر واقعا یه نویسنده میتونه کج سلیقه باشه تو انتخاب کاراکترهای داستان؟ نمیدونم.

دور شدیم از بحث. نهایتا گرمکن به دست از بهبودی سرازیرمیشم و گوشی به دست همچنان صحبت میکنم. میپیچم تو یه کوچه بن بست وهمچنان ادامه میدم.

هیچ میدونستید که آزمایشگاه هاشمی نزاد تو فیاض بخش تست ازدواج رو برای زوج و زوجه ای که زوجه بار اولشه ازدواج میکنه با 34500 تومان و همین تست رو برای زوج و زوجه ای که زوجه بار دوم یا چندمشه ازدواج می کنه با نرخ 35200 تومان انجام میده. من هم نمی دونستم. به هر حال یه سری تکنیکالیتی هایی است که باعث میشه دومی 700 تومن دومی گرون تر بشه. اینه که میگن آدم تا دستش تو کار نباشه این تکنیکالیتی ها رو نمیدونه حرف درستیه.

البته نهایتا رزرو میکنم ام آر آی رو.  حالا چرا ام آر آی؟ چون ما آدم های مریض وسواسی هستیم که اگر تمام پزشکای دنیام جمع شن بگن چون حالت به هم نخورده پس از ضربه به سرت پس ضربه مغزی نشدی. باز ما میگیم پس دلیل سردردهای گاه و بیگاهی که ازون روز شروع شده چیه؟ پس ام آر آی میدیم. (کدوم ضربه به سر؟ رجوع کنین به پست افتادن زمین هنگام پاتیناژم)

نهایتا سوار بر مترو بازمیگردم. متروی تهران کرج خلوته. تو مترو که نشستم دارم تلفن حرف میزنم. تلفنم که تموم میشه یه مرد 35 40 ساله ای که روبروم نشسته داره میگه:
- میدونی آقا؟
+ جونسک دلم (جونسک به سکون نون و سین و کاف نسخه صمیمانه تری از جون است)
-          آدم جنس حروم که استفاده  کنه دچار مشکل میشه پس فردا ضربه اشم میخوره …
+جانم؟ حالا الان کی جنس حروم استفاده کردش؟
-          همین دختر پسره که الان پیاده شدن خوب؟
+خوب حشیشی چیزی زدن؟
-          نه آقا! همش داره دختره رو میماله. خوب تو میخوای کاری کنی ورش دار ببر یه جایی خلوتی! چرا میای تو ملا عام میکنی این کارو؟
+خوب کجا ببره بماله؟
-          ببره یه جایی که کسی نبینه! به خدا من الان میخواستم پاشم بخوابونم در گوش پسره! مملکت اسلامیه! ما معتقدیم به قرآن!
+ خوب ببره خونه پدرمادرش جلو ننه باباش؟
-          نه خو …
+الان سعادت آباد متری 10 تومن ستارخان 5.5 شهرک اندیشه 2.5 این چیزای مملکت اسلامیه الان؟
-          نه به هر حال مشکلات اقتصادی همه جا است …
+ثانیا به شما چه ارتباطی داره؟ به من چه ارتباطی داره؟ زنشه دوست دخترشه اصن هیچ کارشه اومده بغلش کرده شما میخوای بخوابونی در گوشش؟ خداروشکر کاره ای نیستی تو این مملکت.
-          یعنی چی دیگه این چیزا تو قرآن اومده …
+ اعتقادت به قرآن واسه خودت و ما محترم .خودت اعتقاد داری زنتو آوردی تو مترو نمالش! به بقیه چیکار داری؟
-          شما مثکه خیلی عصبانی هستیا این چه طرزه صحبته؟
+آخه برگشتی میگی میخوام بخوابونم در گوشش شما چی کاره ای که همچین حرفی رو میزنی ….

تو دریای فساد غرب که بودیم گاهی اوقات تو اتوبوس میشد که شرایط امر به منکر و نهی از معروف پیش بیاد. البته من اونجا رویکرد تشویقی پی میگرفتم. دورشون جمع میشدیم دست میزدیم و تشویق میکردیم. حتی گاهی بوق استادیومی هم میزدیم واسشون. گاهی اوقاتم با دستمال کاغذی عرق های پیشونیشونو پاک میکردیم که با فراغ بال ادامه بدن به کارشون. تازه اونجا گاها (خیلی کم البته) میشد که کارشون بالا میگرفت که اون دو سه باری هم که من دیدم تو اتوبوس هایی بود آخر هفته از مرکز شهر برمیگشتن و مسافراش مست بودن.

حالا این دو تا دختر پسره تو مترو فوقش یخده چسبیده بودن به هم که البته مورد رافت نظام قرارگرفتند.
باقی این 24 ساعت صرف قانع کردن یه لطیفه آندرگرد شد که اگر بیخیال عشق اول زندگیت بشی هیچ اتفاق عجیب غریبی نمیافته. احساسم نکن که به لحاظ  زنتیکی اونقدر گونه تکی هستی که فقط یه نفر تو  دنیا هست که میتونه خوشبختت کنه. نخیر! من چقدر خوب تو رو درک نمیکنم اتفاقا. نخیر من اونقدری هم که تو فکر میکنی پسر فهمیده ای نیستم. البته خوب معلومه که احساساتت وقتی داری رابطه اتو کات میکنی دقیقا همینجوریه که من واست توصیفش کردم. خوب معلومه که من انقدر خوب میفهممت. همه مردم دنیا وقتی کات میکنن چنین حسی دارن. ایتز تکست بوک. به هر حال اون موقعی که تو داشتی واسه کنکور میخوندی. من داشتم با عشق اول زندگیم کنار میومدم.

این هم از شوخی های روزگاره که من بشم مورد مشاوره واسه قطع رابطه. شما همینو بگیر برو بالا ببین چه شایسته سالاری تو مملکت هست. همینه که وضعمون اینه آقا.

درواقع تنها نکته مثبت 24 ساعت اخیر این بود که فیلم پذیرایی ساده بانو/ بی بی هم این عالم هم اون عالم/ صدیقه کبری/ یاس سینمای ایران/ سرکار خانوم ترانه علیدوستی (ارواحنا فداهی) رو از سوپرمارکت خریدم و دیدم. اتفاقا برخلاف تعریف های بقیه چقدر از فیلم لذت بردم. البته دقیقا داستانشو نفهمیدم. البته توجهی هم به داستانش نکردم. من فقط هر کلوزآپی که ازیشون میومد  پاز میکردم یه دو رکعتی نماز آیات میخوندم برمیگشتم دوباره پلی میکردم.

تو یه دنیای موازی دیگه حاج آقا رسول صدرعاملی جا خانوم علیدوستی این سلیطه الناز شاکردوست رو انتخاب میکنه واسه من ترانه 15 سال دارم. تو همین دنیای موازی دیگه است که من موقعی که واسه کنکور میرم کتابخونه میبینم ایشون نشستن مشغول ترجمه کتابند. تو همین دنیاست که ایشون میشن بانوی ما.

بعله عزیزان. به قول امام خمینی عزیزمون ما با فساد مخالف نیستیم ما با سینما مخالفیم. دلیلشم همین فرصت سوزی هاییه که هنرپیشه شدن یه لطیفه ایجاد میکنه.

یک نکته آخر هم بگم. گفته بودم قبلا که مرد از آغوش زن به معراج میره دیگه؟ خوب به آغوش زن مشخصا آغوش خانوم هایده و خانوم ابرو (اینجا) رو هم اضافه کنین. نکته یکی مونده به آخر بود این.
نکته آخر هم اینکه چه تازه به جمع خواننده های این وبلاگ پیوستین (سلامتیتون صلوات بذار دستتو ببوسم اصن هر جاتو که گفتی بذار ببوسم) و چه از خواننده های قدیمی هستین (ایضا پیشنهاد بوسه واسه شمام رو میزه) اینجا (صفحه منو میگی؟ وبلاگو) رو ببینین دوباره.

If you think you have a good eye for photography but you still want an easy way to improve your skills, award winning photographer Simon Ellingsworth has a tip: Sign up for competitions and participate in challenges. You'll learn a lot, meet other talented photographers, and see amazing work all at the same time.

Read more...

Google Chrome

Google Chrome is Google’s attempt to deliver the best browser for navigating an open web. It is the only entry in our web browsers comparison that has spun off into its own desktop operating system, Chrome OS.

Pros: 

• fast and stable
• It has a great number of extensions in the Chrome store
• Users can also install themes, altering much of Chrome’s appearance.
• Chrome is available for all of the major desktop operating systems as well as Android and iOS. Users who sign into their Google accounts can sync their tabs, bookmarks, browsing history, and passwords across all of their devices running Chrome
• It offers the best compatibility with Google’s range of products and services

Cons: 

• Chrome ships with proprietary bits. This will not bother most people, but open source advocates may wish to install Chromium, the open source version of Chrome
• The browser has become relatively bloated since its initial release

Who It’s For: Googlers, People who love extensions and a fast browser.

Internet Explorer

Internet Explorer ships as the default browser for Windows and Windows Phone. The older versions of Internet Explorer (IE 6, 7 and 8) are disastrous and their refusals to die have caused many problems for the Web developers and users. IE 9 and 10 have improved greatly though.

Pros: 

• The browser integrated nicely with Windows 7 and 8. It is the only browser that is fully integrated with the Windows 8′s new tiled interface.
• The recent version is running faster and is more compatible with open web standards, making it much easier to use

Cons: 

• The available toolbars and add-ons pale in comparison to those offered by other web browsers such as Chrome and Firefox.
• Limited syncing feature. If you’re using Windows 8, you can’t even sync between the Metro and desktop versions of the browser. Don’t expect to do much cloud syncing, either. Only version 10 can sync between multiple computers, but not mobile devices, and it doesn’t sync as much data as either Chrome or Firefox.

Who It’s For: Windows users, Corporate employees (where the system administrator refuse to upgrade their computer OS or browser)

Mozilla Firefox

Firefox is an open source browser that has garnered a massive following since its release a decade ago, but it never managed to attract more users than Internet Explorer. It is also the only entry in this web browser comparison that has spawned a mobile operating system, Firefox OS.

Pros: 

• Firefox is more openly developed than Chrome is, and it is used as the default browser for most of the major Linux distributions.
• Firefox is the most extensible of all the browsers and it can be customized in ways other browsers can’t, with personas and add-ons
• Firefox is also available for Android. Users can make use of Firefox Sync to replicate tabs, bookmarks, history, add-ons, etc. across multiple computers and mobile devices, making it a good option to use on mobile device as well.

Cons:

• Firefox has put on a few pounds over the years. Sometimes the increased file size and memory requirements result in a sluggish, and perhaps less stable, experience on older systems.

Who It’s For: Open Source advocates, people who love extensions

Safari

Safari is Apple’s default web browser for Mac OS X and iOS.

Pros:

• It is a speedy browser.
• There is support for syncing using iCloud.
• In Mac OS X, Safari will give you the most integrated experience.

Cons:

• While Safari used to be available for Windows, it is now only available on Apple platforms.
• While syncing is supported, you’re out of luck if you want to move to a Windows computer or grow tired of using the iPhone.

Who It’s For: Mac/iOS users and fans

Opera

Relative to the web browsers in our comparison, Opera largely walks to the beat of its own drum. It’s an adventurous browser, though some of its pros could also be considered cons.

Pros: 

• The browser is known for innovation, such as debuting the speed dial feature that most browsers have since adopted.
• It comes bundled with more functionality than other browsers, such as built-in email and IRC clients
• It also has options for reducing bandwidth on slower connections
• Its mobile version is speedy and is great for mobile surfing
• You can sync your data across all Opera browsers with Opera Link

Cons: 

• Opera is not open source. While Internet Explorer and Safari aren’t either, they ship as the default browsers for their respective operating systems. In Opera’s case, not being open source has probably hindered its adoption somewhat
• That built-in email and IRC client that comes with the desktop version might also be considered unnecessary bloat.
• Its extension library is not as extensive as Firefox or Chrome

Who It’s For: Tinkerers, People with low bandwidth

Conclusion

Our web browsers comparison cannot pinpoint a single browser that’s better than all others. Some people remain loyal to Firefox because there is a particular extension that is not available on Chrome, while some stay true to Safari because all their electronic devices are Apple-branded. For those who are not drawn into any of these browsers, there are still small players like Midori, Rekonq, Epiphany, Camino and many others. They might not be as well developed as Chrome or Firefox, but they are often speedier and lightweight enough without taking up much of your PC’s resources.

If you have any suggestions, let us hear them in the comments below.

The post The Web Browsers Comparison Guide: Which One is the Best Browser For You? appeared first on Make Tech Easier.

lolzpicx:

Windows version of Google’s Project Glass

4gifs:

Making chains

girlgoesgrrr:

 

TODAY IN TURKEY

National Protest: Istanbul: 01-02JUNE2013

ACAB Worldwide

WAKE UP — SIGNAL BOOST

We all know our health is important, but we often neglect some of the little stuff that comes back to bite us later. Here are four of the simplest and cheapest things you can do now to make your future self happier and healthier.

Read more...

We get knocked out.

It’s always a good idea to learn shortcut key combinations to functions you use on a regular basis. But before you start memorizing this Gmail shortcuts cheat sheet, make sure you have enabled Gmail shortcuts in your email settings. If you haven’t, follow the steps below.

Click on the wheel icon and go to Settings.

Under the General tab, locate Keyboard shortcuts and turn them on.

Note: the following keyboard shorcuts are not case-sensitive

It might take some time to get used to all the shortcuts, but I suggest that you try to remember the ones you can use on a regular basis first. Then over time, this Gmail shortcuts cheat sheet will end up saving you a considerable amount of time while checking emails.

Download Gmail Shortcuts Cheatsheet

Can’t get enough of this? We have prepared a downloadable cheat sheet for you so you can access to it when you need it.

Download it here!

The post Gmail Shortcuts Cheat Sheet to Boost Your Productivity appeared first on Make Tech Easier.

Most people know that rolling t-shirts is the most efficient way to pack them into a suitcase, but not all shirt rolls are created equal. For a truly tight suitcase, you should master the military-style roll.

Read more...

Community is the heart of university. Students mix with other similarly aged people in an environment ripe with social activity, friendship, ideation, and discussion. It's the most powerful element of college or graduate school — and also the most jarring to leave behind.

Social isolation often follows graduation. I know firsthand. After college, I moved to Washington, D.C., and ended up living in the suburbs near work for a year, struggling to connect with others in a new city where few friends lived nearby. And after graduate school, I moved to Atlanta, but had to commute for one year back and forth to Boston where my wife was finishing grad school — a schedule that made it nearly impossible to get involved with friends or organizations in the city I called home. During those times, I found myself unfulfilled, lonely, and restless — struggling to rediscover the community and connection I'd taken for granted the year before.

My experience is reasonably typical. The New York Times recently lamented the difficulties in making new friends as a person enters their 30s (the age at which many are leaving graduate school), largely because the three essential ingredients to forging friendship are lacking or harder to find post-university — "proximity; repeated, unplanned interactions; and a setting that encourages people to let their guard down and confide in each other." And this is exacerbated when young professionals take jobs that find them on the road three to four days per week. I've heard this time and again from my friends who are working hard but finding it difficult to forge new friendships or romantic partnerships, connect with old friends or the families they have, and give back to the communities in which they live.

This is tragic because community is so important — perhaps even more important than career. Numerous studies have shown the link between health and community or friendship — prolonging life, promoting brain health, and even influencing your weight. One study even found that only smoking is as deleterious to men's heart health as lack of social support. Research has also shown that friendship and community are key elements to happiness. And the importance of these friendships only increases with age. Family relationships are similarly important. Researchers have found a much stronger relationship between happiness and family relationships over time than between happiness and income; and 75 percent of adults consider their families to be the most important and satisfying element of their lives. Voluteering and community service also lead to happier individuals and communities alike. But all of these — family, friendship, community service — are connected to our ability to limit our working schedules and firmly plant ourselves in a place for a period of time.

So why do so many of us so consistently deprioritize these things after graduation? We simply fail to focus on it. Career success is visible and easy to define. We can measure it in raises and promotions. And it has urgency because it's what allows us to pay our bills. Community, meanwhile, is something soft and seemingly without urgency — we tell ourselves there will always be time for friendship, family, and community service just after we've mounted the next hill of career success. But this skewed prioritization — done with the best of intentions — can lead us to sadly kick important relationships, civic service, and our own happiness and well-being further and further down the road.

Author Bronnie Ware spent many years as a nurse caring for others in the last few weeks of their lives. Based on that experience, she wrote a now famous essay (and book) on her dying patients' top five regrets. All are worth a read, but two relate directly to community. Bronnie's dying patients claimed, "I wish I hadn't worked so hard" — expressing a longing to have spent more time with their spouses and children. And they coupled that with the desire to have "stayed in touch with my friends." Their sentiments were summed up perhaps even more concisely in the conclusions of a study started in 1938 which followed 267 Harvard graduates, many of whom were ambitious and professionally successful (including future president John F. Kennedy), for seventy years after college. The primary conclusion of that study? "Happiness is love. Full stop." Career is important. But community conquers all.

So, for all the new graduates out there, I won't spend time reciting the ways in which to make community — through romantic partnerships, involvement in religious or civic organizations, dedication to existing friends or carving out time to make new ones. At some level, we social human beings all know how to do those things. I'll simply offer this advice: Remember that the most powerful part of your educational experience was social. And use that knowledge to build a life after graduation that's happy, balanced, and fulfilled.

Even before I released the disc, I knew it was a long shot. And, unfortunately, it was a clumsy one too.

We were playing Ultimate Frisbee, a game similar to U.S. football, and we were tied 14-14 with a time cap. The next point would win the game.

I watched the disc fly over the heads of both teams. Everyone but me ran down the field. I cringed, helplessly, as the disc wobbled and listed left. Still, I had hope it could go our way.

Sam was on my team.

Sam broke free from the other runners and bolted to the end zone. But the disc was too far ahead of him. He would never make it.

At the very last moment, he leapt. Completely horizontal, Sam moved through the air, his arms outstretched. Time slowed as he closed in on the disc.

The field was silent as he slid across the end zone, shrouded in a cloud of dust. A second later he rose, Frisbee in hand. Our team erupted in cheer.

Sam's catch won us the tournament.

It also taught me a great lesson: Never underestimate the value of a talented receiver.

I was reminded of Sam's catch recently after broaching a sensitive topic with Alma*, a client. The conversation was about some concerns I had about an upcoming meeting she was leading as well as my own insecurity about how I could help.

Before I spoke with her, I was hesitant and worried. Was I overstepping my bounds? Was I exposing myself? Would she reject my thoughts? Would she reject me?

I entered the conversation awkwardly, apologizing, and offering too much context. Even once I broached the issue, I felt tentative, unclear. I cringed as I felt my words hang in the air.

Thankfully, though, Alma turned out to be a Sam-level receiver.

Alma listened without a trace of annoyance. She asked questions — not to defend herself or refute my thoughts — but to understand my perspective more clearly. She was gracious, skilled, and accepting.

Her ability to receive me, and my opinions, led to a deep and valuable conversation about her performance, my role, and the needs of her team. A few weeks later, she showed up powerfully and led a remarkable meeting.

Typically, we choose our leaders for their skill at conveying messages clearly and powerfully. But, in my experience, it's their ability to receive messages that distinguishes the best leaders from the rest.

That's because the better you are at receiving, the more likely people will talk to you. And that's precisely what every one of us needs: to be surrounded by people who are willing to speak the unspoken.

So how do you become a great receiver?

1. Be courageous. We often attribute courage to the speaker, but what about the receiver? 
I may have been scared broaching topics with Alma, but I had the advantage of time and preparation. I could control what I said and how I said it. I was able to think about it beforehand, write down a few notes, and test my thoughts with someone else. 
The receiver has no such advantage. Like Sam, he has to receive my throw, however, whenever, and wherever it lands. He has to be willing to listen to something that might make him feel afraid or insecure or defensive. And if he is a great receiver, he will take in the information or message thoughtfully, even if the delivery is awkward or the message jarring. That takes tremendous courage.


2. Don't judge. Receiving is as much about what you don't do as it is about what you do. 

Resist the temptation — blatantly or subtly — to be critical of the speaker or what the speaker is saying. Don't argue with her, poke fun at her, shame her, act aggressively, turn on her, become defensive, or act cold toward her. 


3. Be open. In order to receive a pass in any sport — and at work and in life — you need to be free, open, and unguarded. 
Yet we often guard ourselves. Powerful feelings like fear, anger, sadness, and insecurity do their best to block our ability to receive a pass. If you want to be a talented receiver, your task is to feel your feelings without letting them block or control you or your response. Breathe. Acknowledge what you're feeling to yourself — maybe even to the other person — without dwelling on it. 

Reiterate what you're hearing, ask questions, be curious. Not curious in an "I-will-find-out-enough-information-so-I-can-prove-you-wrong" way. Curious to understand what the person is saying and to understand what's underneath what they're saying.

If you can be courageous, avoid judging, and stay open — even if the toss is awkward and the message unsettling — then, like Sam, like Alba, you'll be able to catch pretty much anything.

And when you're skilled at that, you'll be a most valuable player of any team you're on.

*Names and some details changed

The volume of data in our age is so vast that whole new research fields have blossomed to develop better and more efficient ways of presenting and organizing information. One such field is data visualization, which can be translated in plain English as visual representations of information.

The PBS “Off Book” series turned its attention to data visualization in a short video featuring Edward Tufte, a statistician and professor emeritus at Yale, along with three young designers on the frontiers of data visualization. Titled “The Art of Data Visualization,” the video does a good job of demonstrating how good design—from scientific visualization to pop infographics—is more important than ever.

In much the same way that Marshall McLuhan spoke about principles of communication, Tufte talks in the video about what makes for elegant and effective design. One of his main points: Look after truth and goodness, and beauty will look after herself.

What does Tufte mean by this? That design is only as good as the information at its core.

For those of us who aren’t designers, it’s refreshing to consider the elements of good visual story-telling. And that’s what the best design is, according to the experts in this video. Every data set, or big bunch of information, has its own core concept, just as every story has a main character. The designer’s job is to find the hero in the data and then tell the visual story.

So much of the information we encounter every day is hard to conceptualize. It’s so big and complicated that a visual rendering represents it the best. That’s because human brains are wired to take in a lot of information at once. Good designers know that decision-making isn’t linear. It’s a super-fast process of recognizing patterns and making sense of them.

Information may be more abundant but it isn’t new, and neither is data visualization. In the video, Tufte talks about stone maps carved by early humans and how those ancient graphics form the template for Google maps.

What comes across in PBS’s video is that data visualization is an art, and the simpler the better. Tufte seems to argue that good data guides the designer to do good work, which leads to the question: Is the medium no longer, as McLuhan famously commented, the message?

Related Content:

In Under Three Minutes, Hans Rosling Visualizes the Incredible Progress of the “Developing World”

An Animated Visualization of Every Observed Meteorite That Has Hit Earth Since 861 AD

Watch a Cool and Creepy Visualization of U.S. Births & Deaths in Real-Time

Kate Rix writes about digital media and education. Visit her website. Follow her on Twitter @mskaterix

0 comment(s)

Tags: tips quality time lifehack Brain time off balance

Alain de Botton, the writer who “has always tried to get ideas to impact on the way we actually live,” started The School of Life in order to offer an education crafted “according to things we all tend to care about: careers, relationships, politics, travels, families.” At its central London location, you can enroll in courses like “How to Have Better Conversations,” “How to Balance Work with Life,” and, perhaps most critically important of all,  “How to Be Cool.” This seems like just the sort of institution which won’t confront you with the sort of numerically rigorous, seemingly abstract math and science classes that gave us grief in our regular educations. Yet de Botton and his School of Life co-founders understand that just because a subject assigns aggravating homework doesn’t mark it out as irrelevant. According to Lawrence Krauss, Foundation Professor in the School of Earth and Space Exploration and Physics Departments at Arizona State University and director of the Origins Initiative, physics could hardly have more to do with your daily experiences.

The School of Life brought Krauss to London’s Conway Hall to deliver one of their signature “Secular Sermons.” (De Botton, you may know, recently published a manifesto calling for a religion for atheists.) You can watch his 45-minute presentation free online and learn how science, as he tells it, both describes and offers an escape from reality. Using examples from his field of physics, Krauss demonstrates how science, by zooming in as close as possible or zooming out as far as possible, puts our everyday concerns and quibbles in proper context. What’s more, he notes,physics has it that we’re all made up of the same bits and pieces as everything, and thus everyone, else. Have you ever heard a more elegant argument for the notion of universal connectedness? But this isn’t to say that Krauss marshals the fruits of such rigorous study in the name of warm-and-fuzzy pronouncements. When you hear him declare how physics will make you understand that “you’re even more insignificant than you thought,” you’ll know just how far his sensibility lays from either warmth or fuzziness. The life of a physicist, so I’ve heard, benefits from a little gallows humor.

Related content:

Lawrence Krauss: Every Atom in Your Body Comes From a Star

Lawrence Krauss Explains How You Get ‘A Universe From Nothing’

Lawrence Krauss on the Mysterious Allure of Extra Dimensions

Life-Affirming Talks by Cultural Mavericks Presented at The School of Life

Alain de Botton Wants a Religion for Atheists: Introducing Atheism 2.0

Colin Marshall hosts and produces Notebook on Cities and Culture. Follow him on Twitter at @colinmarshall.

Lawrence Krauss Presents “Secular Sermon” on Theoretical Physics and the Meaning of Life is a post from: Open Culture. You can follow Open Culture on Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus and by Email.

A quick heads up: Several weeks back, we rolled out a handy list of Free Courses Granting Certificates from Great Universities. We started with 60 courses, and we’ve now added another 50. They all start in the near future (between November and January), and they mostly come from the two biggest providers of Massive Open Online Courses — Coursera and Udacity (which just landed $15 million in funding last week).

Above we’re featuring a clip promoting a course called Introduction to Philosophy. It comes courtesy of the University of Edinburgh, an institution first founded in 1583, that hopes to teach a timeless discipline in a new way. So far, Coursera and Udacity have only offered courses in science and technology  – in disciplines that yield rather quantifiable answers. Now it’s time to see how they can handle subjects where the questions and answers are more subtle. The free course begins on January 28, and any student who successfully completes the interactive course will receive “a certificate signed by the instructors.” Sign up here, and find a complete list of online certificate courses here.

Related Content:

The Big List of 530 Free Online Courses from Top Universities (New Additions)

55 Free Philosophy Courses

A Big List of 375 Free eBooks for Your iPad, Kindle, Nook and Other Devices

50 Free Online Certificate Courses Starting Soon (Including Intro to Philosophy) is a post from: Open Culture. You can follow Open Culture on Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus and by Email.