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1. Smartr Contacts Smartr integrated with several social networks such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and automatically (with my consent of course) adds contacts and their information to your contacts list. It records almost every interaction, which resulted in me having close to 3000 contacts. I’m not that popular guys! However, despite that small inconvenience, the analytics, how socially aware it is, and how integrated it is with the run of things (want to see the message your friend just sent about a Facebook post, why not also see the post in the same place you received her message, that’s possible all in one app!...

Ad blockers function by routinely checking the domain names of elements loading on a website with extensive blocklists. If any site component has been identified as containing advertising, your ad blocker will prevent it from loading. 1. uBlock Origin uBlock Origin resists being labeled as an ad blocker and calls itself a “wide-spectrum content blocker.” It is an open-source browser extension for filtering content across platforms. Since it is very lightweight on CPU memory, it does not slow down your computer....

1. ShellExView ShellExView is a very small, simple and portable tool from Nirsoft which can be used to view and alter the shell extensions installed in the context menu of Windows. It also lists down the type of the shell extension. The type determines where the shell extension will appear in the context menu. For example, if registered, you will find “Set as Desktop Background” option in the context menu options if you right click an image in Windows 7....

In this tutorial, you will learn how to protect your system from an untrusted software. 1. Use your Antivirus This may sound pretty obvious, but it is surprising that many people are not fully utilizing it. Some malware are known to prevent antivirus from running properly, so before you install anything, it is best to scan the file before running it. This check is not going to take more than 1 minute and it is definitely worth your effort....

For instance, I always have dozens, if not hundreds, of tabs open – for my own projects, for clients’ projects, personal research, etc., and all this in one browser becomes way too much. Also, when I upload files, the browser (usually) remembers the last directory used and opens it directly. This way the next time I upload files from the same directory, I don’t have to search for the directory....

1. Kobo Aura Edition 2 An alternative to the Kindle Paperwhite is the Kobo Aura Edition 2. This ebook reader has a 6-inch Carta E Ink touchscreen with a 212 ppi display. It has a 4GB internal storage that holds over 3000 ebooks. It has an adjustable ComfortLight backlight to make reading in different light conditions more comfortable. This device boasts weeks of battery life, which is a great feature. However, the Aura Edition 2 does not have access to cellular data....

1. Forest: Stay Focused If resorting to blocking websites or shutting down your access to the Web seems like a bridge too far, but you still want to keep your wandering eyes in check, try Forest: Stay Focused (Android, iOS). This app takes a somewhat novel approach to keeping you on task by guilt-tripping you into it. Forest: Stay Focused is kind of like a Tamagotchi for getting things done. For those of you who are scratching your heads wondering what the heck a Tamagotchi is, basically, they were little virtual pets that you had to take of....

1. Reeder 5 Having always been at the forefront of RSS reader apps for macOS, Reeder 5 is a standout option for RSS reading on the Mac. Designed with a minimal interface in mind, Reeder incorporates a wide variety of services such as Feedbin, Feedly, Feed Wrangler and The Old Reader. Reeder also integrates with Instapaper and Pocket for offline reading. One welcome addition over previous versions of Reeder is the option to mark as read as you scroll....

Of course, there are throngs of people who scoff at the sight of kids with their eyes glued to a tablet or a smartphone. However, these devices can be important developmental tools, portals to educational material, and the source of hours of entertainment. The fact of the matter is that a tablet can be an indispensable parenting tool – just ask anyone who has had to endure a long plane, train or car ride with a youngster....

1. Calendar: Digical Digical is a calendar that might surprise you with the amount of options it offers. You can preview your schedule in six view types (day, week, week agenda, month, text month, agenda). Double-tapping on a day in Month view opens the Day view with a list of all tasks on the left. This looks especially good on tablets. It’s possible to manage multiple calendars, filter displayed events, and sync them with Google Calendar, Outlook....

1. Jetpack Jetpack by Automattic (the company that created and maintains WordPress) is a very good multipurpose plugin. It’s not a stats plugin, per se, but it has a lot of reporting features you can use to gather stats and analyze them. In fact, if you already have Jetpack installed for some of its other functionality, you might not need anything else. Jetpack has a free and paid version, but even the free one offers quite a lot....

1. WolFram Alpha If you don’t have Wolfram Alpha, you’re definitely missing out. It’s an app that can solve difficult math problems and even show you how to work out the answer for yourself. You also get access to expert knowledge on a wide range of topics such as Statistics, Engineering, Science, Astronomy, Physics, and Chemistry. Price: $2.99 2. Timetable Timetable is a fully-featured app for organizing your school or university life....

FileZilla continues to be one of the most trusted FTP agents in providing no-frills transfer between a server and clients. Most of its features are absolutely free, though recently there have been important upgrades in FileZilla Pro (only for Windows and Mac), a paid version. If you are looking for a highly functional FTP application, here are seven reasons why you should consider, or get the best out of, FileZilla....

Tip: those with a PC running an AMD Ryzen CPU can easily overclock their RAM using AMD Ryzen Master. 1. Budget How much are you willing to invest in this endeavor? They say that you can never spend too much when building a PC. But fortunately, there’s always a way to maximize value for money with any budget. Provided you have set aside at least $700 to $800 for your build, you can put together a decent mid-range 1080p gaming PC that can last you for years to come....

By default, Grooveshark is only accessible via a browser. To use it, the usual way is to open your browser (or open a new tab), go to the Grooveshark site and start listening to your music. This isn’t really the most user-friendly way. What if, with the help of some tools, you can have a better Grooveshark experience? Let’s check them out. 1. Control Grooveshark from browser tool bar Looking to control your Grooveshark without having to switch to the Grooveshark tab everytime?...

In this article you will learn how to make a basic shell script under Linux. First, you’ll learn about the basic requirements and do’s and don’ts of a shell script, then how to take user input via the script and print it out on the terminal screen. You will learn how easy it is to get started (and the best practices) scripting in Linux. Tip: check out our regular expressions cheatsheet....

Brightside is an application that adds reactivity to the corners and edges of your GNOME desktop. It is small in size, but brings great dynamism to your desktop. In your terminal, type: sudo apt-get install brightside Alternatively, go to Synaptic Package Manager, search for brightside and marked it for installation. Then click Apply. Once installed, go to System -> Preferences -> Screens Action. By default, none of the corners are checked....

Hidden Ports and Waterproofing Apple has an outstanding patent for waterproofed iPhone ports according to paperwork filed in June 2014 and made publicly available just this month. Other smartphone manufacturers are already doing this, but this could mean that future generations of the iPhone will have waterproofing solutions. Curiously, Apple also has a patent for devices with hidden, self-healing connectors meant to be penetrated only by the cord and not environmental elements, perhaps including water....

When it comes to websites owned by entities, encryption becomes something more than just some algorithm used to secure online processes. It is a more complicated matter, with certificate authorities (CAs) and different levels of authorization. Now, with the appearance of free CAs like Let’s Encrypt, people are asking themselves why commercial alternatives even exist. Are they “better?” Or is there more to the story? Understanding CAs and Their Importance To use HTTPS and have your website recognized as “secure” (meaning the URL bar turns green when a user visits your site) requires some form of authorization....

The promise of game emulators and ROMs is so seductive that it’s easy to bury your head in the sand regarding their legality. Here’s everything you need to know. Emulators Themselves Are Legal First, it’s important to clarify that the emulator is just the software that replicates the hardware of a given console. So Project 64 is an N64 emulator, PCSX 2 is a PS2 one, and Dolphin is the name of the GameCube emulator....