It seems that every year a promising new video service emerges (most recently, perhaps Vevo) and another hits the dust (most recently, MegaUpload/MegaVideo). As the trend continues, we storage junkies must adapt. We’ve talked a lot on this subject in the past, but I’m confident that you’ll find my ways to be the easiest and most effective. Storing remote video content locally is a challenge no more, and I’ve got three tried and true methods to tip you on to.

If you’ve ever been to a website, watched a hilarious clip, and thought to yourself, “Wow, I wish I could keep that one forever. What if it gets deleted?”, you’re now looking at the correct article.

Downloading Flash Files Using Your Browser

Saikat wrote an awesome article nearly three years ago that still works like a charm. This method is still my favorite as it can be performed in every browser available. Although the method still works like a charm, exactly as it’s described in Saikat’s article, let’s go back over the process for Firefox.

Start by going to a page with a Flash video on it. YouTube is a good example. You can tell if a website is using Flash to power their video front-end by right clicking on the video itself and looking at the context menu. If Flash is mentioned, there you go.

After you’ve found your video, right click on the page (not the video) and select “View Page Info“.

Now, click the “Media” tab across the top. Scroll through the list until you find the content with the “Type” matching “Embed“. Click on it, and then “Save As…“. A download prompt will come up and you’ll be saving the SWF file right to your drive.

Using Offliberty

Offliberty is my best-kept secret when it comes to pulling video content off of the web. I’m not sure if it can get any more easier than this solution.

There are a lot of ad-filled websites that extract videos from YouTube for you. There’s also a lot of sticky, bad adware that you can download to get it done. With Offliberty, you just paste the URL and then wait for it to crunch some numbers, then download.

It’ll take a few seconds and then your results are in. You can actually rip the MP3 or the entire video from YouTube with this service, but for the sake of this article, let’s go with the video.

Offliberty supports a lot of the most popular video and music websites. Just plug a URL in and give it a shot, pretty good chance that it’ll be able to instantly convert and spit out what you’re looking for.

Just a little warning: Offliberty uses a script to randomize their page background. I refreshed anywhere between 10 and 15 times and one of the backgrounds was set to a very faint image of a male and a female, the female being topless. It was nothing explicit or hardcore and I’d classify it as “artsy,” but don’t use this at work. You shouldn’t be, anyway!

NetVideoHunter for Firefox

NetVideoHunter Video Downloader is one of my favorite Firefox add-ons. This page explains the usage of the add-on better than any, but let me give you a quick rundown.

Download and install the plugin. Restart Firefox. Go to any website that streams video. Start the video. Look at your Add-ons Bar for the NVH icon and click on it.

Here, you’ll see a list of every video that you’ve loaded this browser session. From this menu, you can watch the videos or download them. If using a site like YouTube where many formats are supported, every format should be available in the menu (as you can see it is in the screenshot). Can’t be much simpler than clicking “Download” and saving the video locally.

If these three are less than what you want, check out some of our other related posts:

• Capture Streaming Video From Any Website With These 5 Tools
• How To Download Videos From Hulu The Easy Way
• 4 Quick Ways To Download YouTube Videos Off The Net

What are your preferred ways of downloading videos off the web? Let us know in the comments below.

View full post on MakeUseOf

It seems that every year a promising new video service emerges (most recently, perhaps Vevo) and another hits the dust (most recently, MegaUpload/MegaVideo). As the trend continues, we storage junkies must adapt. We’ve talked a lot on this subject in the past, but I’m confident that you’ll find my ways to be the easiest and most effective. Storing remote video content locally is a challenge no more, and I’ve got three tried and true methods to tip you on to.

If you’ve ever been to a website, watched a hilarious clip, and thought to yourself, “Wow, I wish I could keep that one forever. What if it gets deleted?”, you’re now looking at the correct article.

Downloading Flash Files Using Your Browser

Saikat wrote an awesome article nearly three years ago that still works like a charm. This method is still my favorite as it can be performed in every browser available. Although the method still works like a charm, exactly as it’s described in Saikat’s article, let’s go back over the process for Firefox.

Start by going to a page with a Flash video on it. YouTube is a good example. You can tell if a website is using Flash to power their video front-end by right clicking on the video itself and looking at the context menu. If Flash is mentioned, there you go.

After you’ve found your video, right click on the page (not the video) and select “View Page Info“.

Now, click the “Media” tab across the top. Scroll through the list until you find the content with the “Type” matching “Embed“. Click on it, and then “Save As…“. A download prompt will come up and you’ll be saving the SWF file right to your drive.

Using Offliberty

Offliberty is my best-kept secret when it comes to pulling video content off of the web. I’m not sure if it can get any more easier than this solution.

There are a lot of ad-filled websites that extract videos from YouTube for you. There’s also a lot of sticky, bad adware that you can download to get it done. With Offliberty, you just paste the URL and then wait for it to crunch some numbers, then download.

It’ll take a few seconds and then your results are in. You can actually rip the MP3 or the entire video from YouTube with this service, but for the sake of this article, let’s go with the video.

Offliberty supports a lot of the most popular video and music websites. Just plug a URL in and give it a shot, pretty good chance that it’ll be able to instantly convert and spit out what you’re looking for.

Just a little warning: Offliberty uses a script to randomize their page background. I refreshed anywhere between 10 and 15 times and one of the backgrounds was set to a very faint image of a male and a female, the female being topless. It was nothing explicit or hardcore and I’d classify it as “artsy,” but don’t use this at work. You shouldn’t be, anyway!

NetVideoHunter for Firefox

NetVideoHunter Video Downloader is one of my favorite Firefox add-ons. This page explains the usage of the add-on better than any, but let me give you a quick rundown.

Download and install the plugin. Restart Firefox. Go to any website that streams video. Start the video. Look at your Add-ons Bar for the NVH icon and click on it.

Here, you’ll see a list of every video that you’ve loaded this browser session. From this menu, you can watch the videos or download them. If using a site like YouTube where many formats are supported, every format should be available in the menu (as you can see it is in the screenshot). Can’t be much simpler than clicking “Download” and saving the video locally.

If these three are less than what you want, check out some of our other related posts:

• Capture Streaming Video From Any Website With These 5 Tools
• How To Download Videos From Hulu The Easy Way
• 4 Quick Ways To Download YouTube Videos Off The Net

What are your preferred ways of downloading videos off the web? Let us know in the comments below.

View full post on MakeUseOf

Do you have a USB stick? How about a Dropbox account, or a shared folder of some sort? If so, I want you to pause for a moment and take a peek inside. What software do you carry with you wherever you go? What applications that don’t require installation, but that are essential to your workflow? We are compiling another list of The Best Of, this time featuring exclusively portable software. If it has an installer, it doesn’t go on the list. Only stuff you can unzip, drop in a folder, and run. Oh, and it has to be for Windows – sorry, Linux and Mac fans.

Help us build the list! All you need to do is leave a comment below, with your favorite portable apps (and links), as well as why you love them. Make sure these apps are not in the list below, which our staff compiled. The five commenters we deem most helpful will win a free MakeUseOf T-shirt! It’s our way of saying thanks.

What are you waiting for? Check out this list and leave your suggestions below!

Security/Privacy

• ToddlerTrap
• ClamWin
• LicenseCrawler
• Magical Jellybean Finder
• KeePass

Productivity

• OpenOffice
• CorruptOffice2txt
• WriteMonkey
• FocusWriter
• Notepad2
• Abiword

Communication

• Pidgin
• Miranda IM
• Skype
• Email Stripper

Web/FTP

• Google Chrome
• Firefox
• Filezilla

System Tools

• 7-Zip
• Zip2Fix
• CCleaner
• GetFolderSize
• SpaceSniffer
• Recuva
• TeraCopy
• Zscreen

Multimedia

• CoolPlayer
• Easy Image Modifier
• SharePod
• Audacity
• CDex
• GIMP
• VirtualDub
• VLC Player
• AndreaMosaic
• Avidemux
• Camstudio
• Fotografix
• Snaptimer
• Splayer

So voice out in the comments with your suggestions and you could win a free MakeUseOf t-shirt!

View full post on MakeUseOf

class="align-right" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/gaming.jpg?323f2c" alt="video game antagonists" /> href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/3-favorite-video-game-protagonists-time-muo-gaming/">Last week on MUO Gaming, I talked about my favorite video game protagonists. After all, everyone loves the guy. Still, there is something to be said for a great villain in a game. They give the good guy a reason to be good. A well done villain can make you hate them so much that it gives you a reason to want to keep playing the game. Sometime you don’t hate the villain, but their character is so well portrayed that you want to find out what happens to them just as much as the protagonist.

Some games have an antagonist that is so good that it actually overshadows the protagonist. Some are so powerful they rival the villains in any movie out there today. A good villain is so important in a game. Games can be hard, and as gamers, sometimes we need a little motivation to push us through and make us want to beat the game. A strong antagonist can do just that. These are, in my opinion, the three best bad guys from any video (if you have not played these games, there will most likely be spoilers ahead).

The Joker From Arkham Asylum

The Joker is crazy. I think at this point that is well-known, and I can say that without spoiling anything. Joker has been played by all kinds of people including Heath Ledger and Jack Nicholson. In this game, Mark Hamill, who you may know as Luke Skywalker and the voice of The Joker in Batman the animated series absolutely kills this role.

class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Joker1-e1323966062999.jpg?323f2c" alt="video game antagonists" width="580" height="325" />

While playing through Arkham Asylum there is a real sense of insanity that The Joker emits. Throughout the whole game, you get the feeling that this man is absolutely sick. The scenes with The Joker and Harley Quinn are truly something to behold.

class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/joker2-e1323966091629.jpg?323f2c" alt="best video game antagonists" width="580" height="348" />

Honestly, it is hard to say that Joker is not one of the best villains ever, regardless of medium. I will go on record here and say that the portrayal of The Joker in this game is the second best Joker in history, right behind Heath Ledger’s in The Dark Knight. If you have not played Arkham Asylum, than you need to. Seriously, go play it right this minute.

GlaDOS from Portal

GlaDOS is without question one of the best villains in video games. She may only be an artificial intelligence, but that does not stop her from being positively awesome as an antagonist. In Portal, GlaDOS is the only thing with which you interact. There are no supporting characters, so she literally has to carry the entire narrative of the game herself. That is no small feat, and she handles it masterfully.

class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/glados1-e1323966245312.jpg?323f2c" alt="best video game antagonists" width="580" height="361" />

She starts the game as your friendly AI companion, but as the game progresses, you start to realize that something a little more malicious is taking place here. It starts to seem that your cheery companion might be up to something, and obviously, this is a correct assumption.

class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Glados2-e1323966292104.jpg?323f2c" alt="best video game antagonists" width="580" height="464" />

The song at the end of the Portal is one of the best songs ever recorded in video games. Honestly, if you played through Portal, there is no way you could ever forget just how amazing GlaDOS is.

Saren from Mass Effect

This might seem like an odd choice, with characters like Bowser, Revolver Ocelot and Gannon out there, but Saren feels downright evil. The very first encounter with Saren in Mass Effect has him shooting his old friend in the back of the head, awakening an ancient Prothean power, trying to blow up an entire colony of people and flying off in one of the most evil-looking spaceships I have ever seen. If that is not the early makings of a bad person, then I do not know what is.

class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/saren2.jpg?323f2c" alt="game antagonist" width="500" height="281" />

As the game progresses, we come to find that the ship Saren is using is not actually a ship at all. It is actually a Reaper, an alien being with the power to destroy the universe. Saren takes a twist at this point. The Reaper has actually taken control of Saren’s mind. This gives gamers the impression that Saren might not be that bad a person. This is what makes him such a solid character. His actions in the game are positively reprehensible. However, if he isn’t in control of his actions, can we really blame him?

class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/saren1-e1323966373706.jpeg?323f2c" alt="video game antagonists" width="580" height="326" />

Saren brings Mass Effect to a higher level. His evilness is something to behold, and when we find out that he is not in control of himself, it elevates the plot of Mass Effect higher than it already was. He is a great villain, and one of the reasons Mass Effect is such a highly regarded franchise.

Conclusion

I realize these villains are all in newer games. Simply, if you compare apples to apples, it’s really impossible for villains in older games to have the same depth as one in a new game. I’m not looking at what is best for their time. I’m looking for which villains had the greatest effect on me.

As you can see from these villains, they are bad, and I want to hate them, but it is hard to. The characters are so well acted and written that it is impossible to hate them, no matter how many terrible things they do.

Without bad guys, there would be no reason to have good guys. Without good guys, there would be no reason to have video games. Therefore, I nominate today Villain Appreciation Day. Your job is to let us know in the comments what video game villains you love to hate.

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href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/3-free-scifi-strategy-games-pc-gaming/" rel="bookmark"> width="125" height="125" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/battleshipthumb-150x150.jpg?323f2c" class="with-border wp-post-image" alt="battleshipthumb" title="battleshipthumb" style="width:125px;height:125px;" /> class="title">3 Free Sci-Fi Strategy Games For PC [Gaming]

View full post on MakeUseOf

class="align-right" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/choice_of_year.jpg?323f2c" alt="" />As a devout Mac geek, I think there should be a People’s Magazine devoted solely to app developers. Let’s be honest, computer apps are what make our lives easier, not celebrities and cheating spouses. So with that said, I’m honored to release my personal list of my top 10 most used inexpensive and free iOS apps of 2011.

Some of these apps have been reviewed in MUO, while a few others may not have received the attention they deserve.

NewsRack

After checking email, the iOS and OS X RSS reader href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/newsrack/id288815275?mt=8">NewsRack ($4.99) is the app I start off with every morning. I tried several other RSS readers, but none provided the synchronization features I get with NewsRack. Talk about a time saver. I use NewsRack to synchronize with href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/6-desktop-ebook-readers-reading-home-work/">Google Reader, so that when I check and read feeds on my Mac, iPhone, or iPad, they automatically get updated on all those devices. The app also allows you to share articles on social network sites and services including href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/instapaper-huge-update-ios-devices-news/">Instapaper.

class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/newsrack.jpg?323f2c" alt="Newsrack" width="485" height="358" border="0" />

Instacast

When I finally go to bed at night, href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/instacast/id420368235?mt=8">Instacast ($1.99) is the app I use to download and check the handful of podcasts I choose from to listen to as I fall asleep. Instacast makes it easy to discover, subscribe, and listen to audio and video podcasts over Wi-Fi and 3G.

The latest iOS 5 version synchronizes podcasts between devices via iCloud. In terms of podcast downloads, Instacast makes iTunes obsolete for end users.

class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/instacast.jpg?323f2c" alt="Instacast" width="580" height="433" border="0" />

Handoff

For some odd reason Apple has yet to make it easy to simply send documents from your Mac or iOS device to another Apple device. So I use href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/handoff/id407771575?mt=8">Handoff ($1.99) nearly every day to wirelessly send articles over my local network, using the Handoff Safari extension, to my iPhone and iPad. Handoff should be a built-in feature in Apple devices using iCloud.

class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/handoff.jpg?323f2c" alt="Handoff" width="489" height="365" border="0" />

Photosync

Nearly every iOS screenshot you see in my MUO articles gets sent to my Mac desktop using href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/photosync-wirelessly-transfers/id415850124?mt=8">PhotoSync ($1.99). I simply launch the app, select screenshots in my Camera Roll, and push and hold my finger on a button that automatically sends selected shots, via wireless transfer, to my computer. PhotoSync also works with href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tags/dropbox/">Dropbox, href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tags/facebook/">Facebook, href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tags/flickr/">Flickr, and other photo sharing sites.

class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/photosync.jpg?323f2c" alt="Photosync" width="580" height="380" border="0" />

PriceCheck

I feel a little guilty every time I use href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/price-check-by-amazon/id398434750?mt=8">PriceCheck, because now whenever I go shopping at say BestBuy, the local Apple Store, or Borders, I pull out href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/smartphone-personal-wallet/">PriceCheck and see how much I would save by ordering online, particularly from Amazon. As much as I would like to buy locally, 20% to 30% savings is something I can’t ignore. PriceCheck makes the process way easy with its built-in barcode scanner.

class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/pricecheck.jpg?323f2c" alt="Pricecheck" width="580" height="411" border="0" />

Mint.com

I’ve written several articles about href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/mint-budget-spending-online/">Mint.com, the free online personal finance tracking and budget management service. Each iOS href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/mintcom-releases-newly-designed-ios-5-ipad-app-news/">version of this href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/mint.com-personal-finance/id300238550?mt=8">Mint app (free) has gotten increasingly better. I can easily launch this app and get balances on my financial accounts and see if I’m staying within budget. If you want to save money, use Mint.

class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/mint.jpg?323f2c" alt="Mint" width="580" height="412" border="0" />

JotNot

href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/jotnot-scanner-pro/id307868751?mt=8">JotNot Scanner Pro ($1.99, free version also available) is one of href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/paperless-scanning-important-documents-lemon-jotnot-web-smartphone/">several apps that enabled me to use my href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/smartphone-personal-wallet/">iPhone as my wallet. When I need to keep track of receipts or other documents, I simply launch JotNot, snap a photo, tag it, and toss the paper receipt in the trash or a desk drawer. The iPhone camera shots are nearly the same, if not better, as traditional scanners.

class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/jotnot.jpg?323f2c" alt="Jotnot" width="580" height="427" border="0" />

iMovie for iPhone

href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/imovie/id377298193?mt=8">iMovie for the iPhone ($4.99) makes it totally easy to href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/edit-video-iphone-imovie/">edit family and event videos I shoot with my iPhone. After using iMovie for over a decade on my Mac, I thought it would be cumbersome to do so on an iPhone, but it’s not. iMovie is a fun, practical, creative, and easy-to-use video editor for your iPhone or iPad.

class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/imovie_iphone.jpg?323f2c" alt="Imovie iphone" width="482" height="323" border="0" />

Dragon Mic

This year, I finally learned how to effectively use the speech to text application Dragon Dictate. On days I don’t feel like typing, I can simply dictate text, and the typing gets done three times faster with about 95% accuracy. Dragon Dictate for the Mac is expensive, but its developer Nuance has released href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/stop-tapping-start-talking-voice-control-iphone/">free voice to text apps for the iPhone and other iOS devices. It also produced href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/dragon-remote-microphone/id436624808?mt=8">Dragon Remote Mic (Free) for the iPhone, which turns out to be very good for dictation.

So when I want to get my butt off my office chair and still type, I launch Dragon Mic, increase the font size of the document I’m writing, and dictate text as I walk around my office. Dragon Mic and Dragon Dictate prove that voice technology will only get better over time.

class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/dragon_mic1.jpg?323f2c" alt="" width="386" height="580" />

Zite

I’m a huge fan and href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/features-magazine-style-apps-ipad/">reviewer of magazine style apps for the iPad – the device I use now to do most of all my extended reading, including ebooks, PDFs, and articles. I have and use href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/flipboard-optimized-iphone-news/">Flipboard, href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/pulse-free-visual-display-rss-news-reader-ipad/">Pulse, and href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/google-currents-google-releases-magazine-style-app-ios-android/">Google Currents on my iPad, but href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/zite-ipad-rss-feed-contender/">Zite (Free) is the app I browse the most.

Why is that? Well, because Zite offers less, not more to read. It delivers articles based on my reading interests. The content of Zite is based on chosen topics, not direct RSS feeds. I discovered that this is a good thing because it prevents me from adding lots of RSS feeds, as I have done in my Google Reader account. It also means that I get content from sites other than the ones I regularly visit.

class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/zite_magazine.png?323f2c" alt="Zite magazine" width="484" height="367" border="0" />

Well, that’s it for my top 10 iOS apps of the year. If I had more space I would href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/ia-writer/id392502056?mt=8">iA Writer, href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/evernote-hello/id484359282?mt=8">Hello, href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/apple-picks-instagram-iphone-app-year-news/">Instagram, and href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/iannotate-pdf/id363998953?mt=8">iAnnotate. Which apps that came out in 2011 would you add to the list?

Image Credit: href="http://www.shutterstock.com/pic.mhtml?id=88806292" rel="nofollow">Shutterstock

View full post on MakeUseOf

class="align-right" src="http://www.makeuseof.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/cryingremote.png" alt="tv text message alerts" />Almost everyone enjoys watching some TV at one time or another. It is a terrific way to take your mind off the world around you and relax. The problem for me is that I always seem to forget when the shows I want to watch are on. I will be sitting around playing some Call of Duty or Skyrim, and the next thing I know, the show I was waiting for has come and gone.

Having a DVR certainly helps rectify the situation, but there is something to be said for watching the show live, as it happens. There is nothing worse than forgetting the show is on, then having a friend text you and utterly spoiling the end of the episode for you. I want to be mad at them, but it is my own fault for forgetting to watch the show in the first place. Thankfully, through the magic of href="http://ifttt.com">IFTTT, my poor memory problems are solved. If you are unfamiliar with IFTTT, you should check out href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/connect-automate-web-apps">this delightful MakeUseOf article to learn the basics.

Setting Up A TV Show RSS

IFTTT does not have a native app in place for TV show reminders, but it does have the ability to alert you of the latest changes to an RSS feed. This is where href="http://www.mytvrss.com/feed.do">mytvrss comes in to play. With href="http://www.mytvrss.com/feed.do">mytvrss, you can set up an RSS feed for all your favorite TV shows simply by checking their name off a list.

class="aligncenter" src="http://www.makeuseof.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/mytvrssdexter.png" alt="tv text message alerts" width="541" height="163" />

After you finish choosing the shows, scroll down to the bottom of the page and click “create feed.” This will bring to a screen where you can choose to enter your email address to be emailed when a new show is on, and where you will be given the URL for your new RSS feed.

class="aligncenter" src="http://www.makeuseof.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/feedcreated-e1321976445715.png" alt="tv show text message" width="580" height="232" />

By default, mytvrss can email you reminders about your favorite TV shows, and if that is good enough, than read no further. However, for me an email is not enough, as I do not always check it. I need the text message to get my attention. This is where IFTTT comes through, and where the next step in the process begins.

Setting IFTTT To Send Text Message Alerts

Make sure to copy the URL from step one, and then go to href="ifttt.com">IFTTT to set up text alerts for the RSS. For the basics of IFTTT make sure to check out href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/connect-automate-web-apps/">this article from Justin. It breaks down all the basics of using the app.

class="aligncenter" src="http://www.makeuseof.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/iftttnew.png" alt="tv show text message" width="472" height="143" />

Register for an IFTTT account if you do not already have one, and click the “Create Task” button on the top right of the page. Next, click the “This” link. Click on the button called “Feed” with the big orange RSS symbol.

class="aligncenter" src="http://www.makeuseof.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/iftttfeeds.png" alt="tv show text message" width="304" height="370" />

Next, paste the feed that you copied from mytvrss and click “Create Trigger.”

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Next, click the “That” link. Scroll down and click on “SMS.” Enter your phone number in the box that pops up and IFTTT will send you a four-digit pin number. Enter the number provided to confirm that you wish to set up IFTTT texting.

class="aligncenter" src="http://www.makeuseof.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/iftttsms.png" alt="tv text message alerts" width="531" height="605" />

Click on the “Create Action” button. The last step is simply to enter a description for the task. Click on “Create Task” and you will be all set to receive text message reminders for your favorite TV shows.

Conclusion

It seems as if every day there is a new and creative use for IFTTT. It seems poised to become one of the single most useful web apps ever created, and as they add more and more channels, it will only get better. Try it out for television shows, or whatever cool use you can think of, and I promise it will make your life a little easier.

Image Credit: href="http://image.shutterstock.com/display_pic_with_logo/2700/2700,1274355303,5/stock-photo-closeup-of-a-young-blond-woman-with-remote-control-watching-tv-and-crying-54171010.jpg" rel="nofollow">ShutterStock

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class="align-right" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/0_decide.jpg" alt="iphone game recommendations" />Do you play a lot of href="http://www.makeuseof.com/service/games/">games? Are you a gamer? If you are, then you probably like playing new games. You might even be the person that everyone else comes to for recommendations, because let’s face it, as much as we’d all like to be able to keep up with the gaming industry, it’s a near impossibility. Aside from the commercials I see on TV and random comments I read on href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tags/twitter/">Twitter and href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tags/facebook/">Facebook, I don’t have much of a chance when it comes to keeping up with the latest games. Since deciding on a game to spend your time (and money) on can take a long time, a good recommendation can go a long way.

What if there was an easy way to get personalized game recommendations not unlike what Netflix does for movies? Better yet, what if it was fun? In this article, I’m going to show you an iPhone app that you can use to get game recommendations for all your favorite consoles and devices. It’s called Decide-o-Tron and it’s pretty entertaining, not to mention useful.

What Is Decide-o-Tron?

href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/decide-o-tron/id456494777?mt=8">Decide-o-Tron ( href="http://www.makeuseof.com/dir/decideotron-which-game-to-play/">directory app) might be the most fun way for you to discover new games you’d be interested in playing. It is “game discovery for the 22nd century“. Essentially, it’s an iOS app that recommends games for you based on a variety of criteria that you set. Get recommendations by Genre (e.g. Sports), Platform (PS3), ESRB Rating, Review Score, Release Date, and based on your game Library and Wishlist.

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Decide-o-Tron guides you through all of its options, customization processes, and other features via a very creative and easy to follow tutorial that helps familiarize you with the app and its capabilities.

After your introduction tutorial, the app will ask you about the gaming platforms you currently use or own. All of the popular consoles are listed here as well, including PSP, Wii, Xbox 360, Xbox Live Marketplace, Windows PC, etc. Then, if you elect to search for games for a particular platform you can do so.

class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/2_decide.jpg" alt="iphone game recommendations free" width="320" height="480" />

Searching for a game with Decide-o-Tron is pretty cool. By adding games you’ve owned to your library and games you enjoyed playing to your wishlist they will be taken into account when generating future results. You can also search for a game by scanning a barcode, which is especially helpful if you’re at the store looking for a game you might like to buy.

class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/3_decide.jpg" alt="iphone game recommendations free" width="318" height="479" />

Criteria fields for generating game recommendations include filters regarding genre, platform, rating, review score, and timeline. Decide-o-Tron also connects with Ultramind’s massive library of 45 million regularly updated data points from more than 10,000 games to help find titles you would like to play, so no, it doesn’t run on magic alone (in case you were wondering).

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You’ll also get regular recommendations from gaming greats along with updates on new game releases with this app.

Conclusion

I feel like this app makes good use of both creativity and functionality. The dialog you get from the Decide-o-Tron robot is pretty funny and the game recommendations are pretty thorough. If you’re used to reading reviews on games or searching for them with your phone’s browser while you’re at the store you need this app. Hell, even if you aren’t that kind of person you should find it useful, or at least know of someone who would.

If you’re on the lookout for game recommendations, also don’t forget to read Dave’s MUO Gaming column every week.  The next one will be out soon!

How do you find gaming recommendations?

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class="align-right" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/hbo_go.png" alt="" />HBO is probably the hottest premium TV channel running right now. They have hit shows like Curb Your Enthusiasm, Entourage, True Blood and Game of Thrones. They also run lots of hit movies and sports programming. When it comes to boxing, there is really nothing better than HBO. class="vt-p" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/top-5-coolest-free-iphone-apps-watch-shows-online/">Watching TV on the go is very popular, so why not merge the two?

Now, with HBO Go, subscribers can take all of their favorite HBO programming with them on the go for free. Currently, HBO Go is available on class="vt-p" href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/hbo-go/id429775439?mt=8#">Apple iPhone, class="vt-p" href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/hbo/id343753047?mt=8">iPad, class="vt-p" href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/hbo-go/id429775439?mt=8#">iPod Touch and class="vt-p" href="https://market.android.com/details?id=com.HBO">Android smartphones. You can also watch all of the HBO programming from a class="vt-p" href="http://www.hbogo.com/">computer, if you are looking to watch from a bigger screen. Of course, you have to be an HBO subscriber to take advantage of HBO Go’s programming, but it seems like at this point, most people who still have cable have HBO. For those that don’t, having the ability to watch content for free on the go might just put them over the edge.

Setting Up HBO Go

You can set up HBO from your mobile device, or from class="vt-p" href="http://www.hbogo.com/#home/">HBOGo.com. Either way set up is a breeze. As long as you are an HBO subscriber, simply choose your cable provider and log in with the same email address and password you use with them. HBO Go will check to verify the information entered, and in a few short moments you will be up and running and ready to watch all the HBO programming you want, wherever you are.

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If you do not have an online account with your provider, you will need to create one using your account number. This process will vary depending on your provider. I have Xfinity from Comcast, and for me it was as simple as entering my home phone, account number and choosing a username and password. Your results may vary depending on where you get your cable.

Features of HBO Go

As I mentioned before, HBO Go features all of HBO’s popular programming available on your smartphone or your computer. They also offer the shows immediately as they air on HBO. This way you do not have to wait; the content will be available when you want.

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HBO Go also features parental controls. If you are familiar with some of the content on HBO, this is a must-have feature for anyone with children. I don’t think most parents would be too keen on their children watching a bunch of vampires doing dirty things with each other on True Blood. Since HBO is a premium channel they don’t have to limit their content like a regular channel, so having parental controls is necessary.

There are also custom watchlists which allow you to quickly save the shows you regularly watch. Simply search for a show, click on it and click the little “plus” icon to save it in your watch list.

The app also allows you to browse by genre. For example, if you want to see a list of all movies now available on the service, it is as easy as couple of clicks.

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The video quality is very good, but depending on your data speed you may encounter some buffering. If you are connected to WiFi, or are in an area with strong 3G, you should not experience any problems.

Conclusion

For HBO subscribers this is a must use program. If you are someone who loves watching HBO, but just don’t have the time to sit around at home and watch TV, having the ability to take the content with you can be incredibly valuable.

class="vt-p" href="https://market.android.com/details?id=com.HBO">Android Link /> class="vt-p" href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/hbo/id343753047?mt=8">iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad Link 

Do you use HBO Go? Has it changed your life for the better? Did your kids pick up your iPhone and see True Blood and now they are scarred for life? Let us know in the comments!

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class="align-right" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/polls.jpg"/>Last week we asked you all to tell us href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/hard-drive-space-makeuseof-poll/">how much hard drive space you have. While a few people shocked us with figures of around 40 TB for their household, most people seem to have less than 1 TB.

We collected 761 votes split up as follows: 30% voters have between 1-3 TB hard drive space in their house; 16% have 3-5 TB; 15% have between 500 GB and 1 TB; 15% have more than 5 TB; 14% have 250-500 GB; 6% have 100-250 GB; and 5% have less than 100 GB.

Full results and this week’s poll after the jump.

If you consider all the voters with less than 1 TB storage it comes to around 40% of people.

class="aligncenter" style="border: 0pt none;" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/Hard-Drive-Space.png"/>

This week’s href="http://www.makeuseof.com/service/polls/">poll question is: What’s Your Favourite Font For Standard Web Text?

This is mainly for the web designers out there, because we know you’ll have a favourite font up your sleeve. But I’m sure there are other designers and aficionados of good fonts who have clear preferences as to what they like to see on websites. So, what are they?

The poll has been made so that you can list any and all fonts you love. This means you can also give your preference for Serif versus Sans Serif while you tell us your favourite fonts.