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6 Handy Sites To Learn New Ubuntu Tweaks & Tricks

Posted on 25 March 2011. Tags: Handy, Learn, Sites, Tricks, TWEAKS, UBUNTU

class="align-right" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/intro9.jpg" alt="ubuntu tweaks">Here at MakeUseOf, we strive to bring you the very best tutorials, reviews and articles to make your daily tech life that little bit easier. We’re not alone (of course!) and occasionally it’s only right to highlight some of our own favourite resources elsewhere on the web.

href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/ubuntu-1010-maverick-meerkat-linux/">Ubuntu has grown in popularity immensely over the last few years ““ and for good reason. The operating system is accessible (both in a software and hardware sense), compatible with a lot of software and won’t cost you a penny.

If you’re looking to expand your Ubuntu knowledge, have a burning question about some missing feature or are a newcomer to the world of href="http://www.makeuseof.com/service/linux/">Linux then these 5 sites are a great source of information.

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href="http://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/">OMG! Ubuntu!

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/omgubuntu.jpg" alt="ubuntu tweaks" width="580" height="394" />

My personal favourite source for Ubuntu-related news and developments, interspersed with timely href="http://www.makeuseof.com/service/how-to">how-to posts and tutorials. Due to the beautifully designed site layout, you’ll be forgiven for spending a while stumbling from article to article, and learning plenty in the process.

As well as instructional pieces, there’s plenty of news about upcoming software, updates and unreleased versions to gawp at, as well as editorial pieces, interviews and software reviews.

OMG! Ubuntu! is updated with a good cluster of posts each day, and should be your one-stop website for unofficial Ubuntu news, tips and speculation.

href="http://www.ubuntugeek.com/">Ubuntu Geek

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/ubuntugeek.jpg" alt="ubuntu tips and tricks" width="580" height="427" />

A repository (mind the pun) of tutorials and instructionals, purely aimed at the Ubuntu Linux distribution makes this a cracking resource for users old and new. Whilst the site itself could use a bit of a redesign, the information is what really matters ““ and handy information it is too!

Tutorials are split up into 9 different categories, ranging from href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/3-backup-tools/">backup and networking techniques to security and package management information. The site is especially useful for newbies as there are a number of tutorials aimed at the very basics.

href="http://ubuntuforums.org/forumdisplay.php?f=100">UbuntuForums.org ““ Tutorials & Tips

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/forums.jpg" alt="" width="580" height="414" />

When journalism and official documentation fails “ubuntu tips and tricks” why not href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/3-forum-search-engines-to-search-40-000-message-boards/">ask the community? The official Ubuntu forums play host to a message board dedicated entirely to tips and tutorials. Being a message board, it’s updated far more often than any news or tutorial site.

Outdated tutorials for older versions of Ubuntu are kept separate from how-to posts which are applicable for the current version. The best thing about the forum format is the ability to address the poster directly and ask questions if you don’t understand or get stuck.

Registration is of course free, though you won’t need to register if you simply want to browse.

href="http://ubuntuguide.net/">UbuntuGuide.net

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/ubuntuguide.jpg" alt="ubuntu tips and tricks" width="580" height="410" />

Much like Ubuntu Geek, UbuntuGuide.net is a fairly exhaustive collection of tutorials on anything and everything Ubuntu-related. From installing Ubuntu onto a Macbook Air to the many uses for the Windows “Super” key in Ubuntu, it’s a resource for users old and new.

There’s a whole section dedicated to Compiz, the current Ubuntu compositing & window manager. If you’re looking to href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/5-tools-tips-sexier-ubuntu-interface/">beautify your desktop or resolve sluggish video issues then the Compiz category is a good place to start.

There are regular updates, with a new tutorial published pretty much every day.

href="http://www.unixmen.com/">UNIX Men

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/unixmen.jpg" alt="" width="580" height="453" />

UNIX Men, whilst not specifically dedicated to Ubuntu, is a general Linux news and tutorial resource with plenty to offer. The website caters for a whole variety of users and href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/6-lightweight-linux-distributions-give-pc-lease-life/">distributions, but hovering your mouse over the Linux Tutorials button will reveal a section dedicated just to Ubuntu.

There is also decent coverage of the world of Linux software and gaming, though beware there’s a chance you’ll need to compile some downloads from source.

href="http://www.makeuseof.com/answers/category/linux">MakeUseOf Answers

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/muoanswerslinux.png" alt="ubuntu tweaks" width="581" height="216" />

Have you got a burning question? You’ve looked all over the web and are wondering if there’s anybody out there who can help? Our very own Answers section was designed with your predicament in mind.

Simply click Ask A Question, fill in the details and both the MakeUseOf team and community will attempt to answer your dilemma. You can always return the favour by helping someone else out!

Conclusion

There are plenty of resources here to answer a variety of questions related to the Ubuntu operating system. Once the upcoming Ubuntu 11.04 lands there is bound to be another surge of documentation and tutorials, as everyone gets up to speed with the changes. With the aid of these few sites, you should be covered for a good few releases yet!

Do you use Ubuntu? Any favourite Ubuntu tweaks, tips and tricks? Trying to find out how to do something? Let us know in the comments below.

Image credit: rel="nofollow" href="http://www.ubuntu-wallpapers.com/Ubuntu-Logos/crystal-z-ubuntu-logo/">Ubuntu Wallpapers

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More articles about: href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tags/operating-system/" title="operating system" rel="tag">operating system, href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tags/tweaks/" title="tweaks" rel="tag">tweaks, href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tags/ubuntu/" title="ubuntu" rel="tag">ubuntu />

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Orbit Downloader & Recipester: Keep Your Applications Updated & Learn More About Them [Windows]

Posted on 25 January 2011. Tags: about, Applications, downloader, Keep, Learn, More, Orbit, Recipester, them, UPDATED, Windows

class="align-left" style="border: 0px none; margin-left: 20px; margin-top: 5px; float: right;" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/00-Orbit-Logo.jpg" border="0" alt="orbit downloader" width="220" height="220" />Apple has released class="vt-p" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/apples-mac-app-store-live-news">the Mac App Store – a place where Mac users can find and download great Mac applications. This iOS App Store little brother has a similar behavior to its sibling: it will help users to keep their apps updated. When an updated version of any installed apps are available, users will be notified and they can easily download the updates from within the App Store.

Windows users who wish that this convenience could also be made available to them should keep their fingers crossed, because Microsoft is currently trying to persuade the court that the term “App Store” is too generic to be granted protection. The court may or may not approve Microsoft’s dispute, but while waiting for the verdict, why not try a combination of tools that are already available for Windows: class="vt-p" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/dir/orbitdownloader/">Orbit Downloader and class="vt-p" href="http://www.recipester.org/">Recipester. These tools can help Windows users keep their applications updated, while helping users learn more about the apps.

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The Software Updater

I found this feature by accident after I upgraded Orbit Downloader to version 4. There’s a new item in the left pane called “Software Updater” with a pair of numbers written after it.

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/05a_Orbit_-_Software_Update.jpg" border="0" alt="orbit downloader" width="580" height="350" />

After clicking on it, the main area of the app showed me a list of updateable software on my computer. The pair of numbers represented the number of installed software and how many of them had updates waiting. Orbit gets this data by scanning the hard drive for the version number of installed software, then comparing the result with the list of the latest software releases on their database.

Clicking on any item on the list will open up more information about that software, such as the developer, the number of users, how many reviews it has, questions, tutorials, votes related to the app; and also buttons to “Write a Review“, “Ask a Question“, and “Visit Software Page“.

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/05b_More_Info.jpg" border="0" alt="orbit downloader review" width="580" height="260" />

Most of the information is related to the data about that software on class="vt-p" href="http://www.recipester.org">Recipester. This is the site that dubbed itself as “Wiki Answers for all things about (your favorite) software“. The site is created by the maker of Orbit Downloader as a software database to support Orbit Downloader’s “Software Updater” feature.

Orbit Downloader could also be set to remind users about the availability of software updates on a regular basis. You can set how often you want to be reminded from the “Preferences – Software Updates” menu.

When you click on the update notification, you will be brought to the software update list on Recipester.

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/02a_Update_List.jpg" border="0" alt="orbit downloader review" width="580" height="210" />

Even though Recipester has promised that our data is not accessible by anybody but us, it’s advisable to check the “make the list of your programs private” box just to make sure. The box is located at the top right area of the software update list.

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/02b_Make_List_Private.jpg" border="0" alt="orbit downloader review" width="580" height="200" />

Clicking the download button of any item on the list will bring you to the software’s download page. Along with it you will see two small information links above: Reviews and Tutorials.

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/03c_Recipester_-_Download.jpg" border="0" alt="what is orbit downloader" width="580" height="260" />

Let’s Learn More

It turns out that Recipester is more than a database to support Orbit Downloader. It’s also a source of information on software. For example, clicking “Tutorials “on the download page will bring you to the software’s tutorial page. You can see several available tutorials related to that software.

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/04a_Recipester_Tutorials.jpg" border="0" alt="what is orbit downloader" width="580" height="200" />

The other link that you can follow from the download page is the “Reviews” link.

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/04b_Recipester_-_Review.jpg" border="0" alt="what is orbit downloader" width="580" height="260" />

Basically, Recipester wants to be a one stop place for people who want to know everything about their software. All that users need to do is search for available information, or ask. Your questions will be answered by one of their 200-something experts.

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/01a_Recipester_Main.jpg" border="0" alt="01a_Recipester_Main.jpg" width="580" height="280" />

Even though there are already many tutorials and Q&As in their database, I felt that Recipester is far from complete. Maybe it’s because the site is still in the early stages and still in the process of building their database.

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/01f-First-Page-Guide-Activities.jpg" border="0" alt="orbit downloader" width="580" height="290" />

In general, I think that the combination of Orbit Downloader and Recipester provides Windows users with a convenient way to keep their software updated. But we still have to wait and see how everything will turn out in the future.

What do you think about this “Software Updater” feature? Do you know other alternatives? If so, please share using the comments below. Meanwhile, if you have any technology-related questions of your own, why not try class="vt-p" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/answers/">MakeUseOf Answers? Our technology-savvy authors and readers are ready and able. />
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Try Signal & Learn How To REALLY Use LinkedIn

Posted on 30 December 2010. Tags: Learn, LinkedIn, Really, Signal

class="align-left" style="border: 0px none; margin-left: 20px; margin-top: 5px; float: right;" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/shutterstock_65786779.jpg" alt="linkedin signal" width="240" height="186" />Have you been thinking ahead and building a class="vt-p" href="http://www.linkedin.com">LinkedIn network so that someday in the future you can help yourself or your friends to get the perfect job? Do you sometimes wonder if it’s worth the effort? Have you even really used LinkedIn yet? Well, that’s all about to change.

LinkedIn has recently opened a beta service to everyone called Signal, which amounts to an entirely new social network based on your LinkedIn network and Twitter. So, even if you have never used any of the previously available LinkedIn features, now there’s a brand new way to use LinkedIn which might just pique your interest.

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How To Get Started With Signal

Anyone can join the Signal LinkedIn Beta – just head over to class="vt-p" href="http://www.linkedin.com/signal/">Signal and log into LinkedIn.

To get your tweets to appear in Signal, you’ll need to add Twitter to your LinkedIn profile. If your Twitter account isn’t professional enough, maybe consider starting a new one to add to your LinkedIn profile. If you don’t want your tweets showing up in Signal then disconnect your Twitter account from LinkedIn entirely. You can still view other people’s updates even if you’re not sharing yours.

Now at this stage Signal seems to be limited to Twitter and LinkedIn status updates. However, the main bulk of LinkedIn currently offers an “Activity Stream”. What appears in the LinkedIn activity stream is based on your LinkedIn activity, including your LinkedIn connections and your applications, such as your imported tweets, Amazon books and your imported blog posts. It’s quite probable that the next step for Signal is to incorporate all of your activity stream and allow people to filter exactly what they want to see.

I would therefore advise you to update your class="vt-p" href="http://www.linkedin.com/mfsettings?displaySettings= ">LinkedIn activity feed visibility to whatever you’re comfortable with. Keep in mind, this is probably going to get quite public.

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/LinkedIn-Member-Feed-Visibility.png" alt="linkedin signal" />

Using Signal Filters

class="align-left" style="border: 0px none; margin-right: 20px; margin-top: 5px; float: left;" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/LinkedIn-Signal-News.png" alt="linkedin signal beta" />The beauty of Signal over using Twitter directly is the many filters it offers, especially those based on the people you know already in LinkedIn. It allows you to expand your business network with one click, rather than searching for people one by one.

Signal also shows a preview of some URLs in-stream, and a summary of popular URLs from your chosen collection of people on the right, in a similar style to the Twitter newspaper services. You can also click on these and see who shared them.

To begin with, you’re given a Signal stream made up from all of your direct LinkedIn connections. That is, ONLY your LinkedIn connections. This is likely to be a collection of people you have actually met or worked with in some way, so that’s already filtered your network’s updates into something manageable and professional compared to viewing Twitter normally.

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/1st-Connections.png" alt="linkedin signal beta" />

If you want to network a little, you can click on the “2nd Connections” option and see all your LinkedIn “Friends of Friends“. It’s a lot of people, but it could quickly open your eyes to people you want to be introduced to — in one click!

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/Signal-Choices.png" alt="linkedin signal beta" />

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/2nd-Connections.png" alt="linkedin signal api" />

For narrowing down the Signal stream, try out the other checkboxes. There’s plenty of choices, including company, school, industry, location, hashtag topics and how recent the update was. If you filter by a sub-category, Signal will let you add your 3rd-level connections too. You can also add a search term in, filtering results by whatever checkboxes you like. The icing on the cake is that you can save your searches for later!

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/LinkedIn-Internet-Filter.png" alt="linkedin signal api" />

Just think how useful your favourite Twitter hashtags will be when they’re filtered down to just the people you and your friends trust! Or simply filtering by the general industry people have listed themselves in on LinkedIn. Not every tweet will be on topic, but a general picture will emerge which could be good for news-gathering or networking.

Pros & Cons

Signal has opened up the possibilities for Twitter, so if another Twitter client, Twitter itself or Facebook were to do the same thing there’d be a little bit of competition. However, LinkedIn’s Signal has a few things going for it that most other Twitter clients can’t get just yet. The LinkedIn network provides regularly updated industry, education and location information, plus a tiered network of people built on two-way authenticated connections. So the only downside I can see is that not everyone has linked their Twitter accounts and blogs to their LinkedIn account yet. Time to spread the word!

LinkedIn’s Signal is an incredibly powerful way to access Twitter and LinkedIn statuses, plus has the potential for much more. With just a few clicks I had filtered to one industry-filtered corner of a wide network and could see updates I was interested in and people offering relevant jobs to their network. Signal is very powerful, simple and well worth a look.

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/LinkedIn-Hiring.png" alt="linkedin signal" />

If you’re looking for work or just looking to make Twitter more organised, you might like these articles:

class="vt-p" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/8-sites-for-beating-the-job-hunting-blues/">8 Sites For Beating The Job Hunting Blues
class="vt-p" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/how-to-maintain-a-professional-reputation-online/">How To Maintain a Professional Reputation Online
class="vt-p" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/3-great-twitter-tools-simplify-twitter-reading/">3 Great Twitter Tools To Simplify Your Twitter Reading
class="vt-p" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/8-top-twitter-track-tools-organize-people-follow/">8 Top Twitter Track Tools to Organize the People You Follow

If you’ve decided to give Signal a go, let us know your best tips and tricks for filtering your network. Have you used it to find work? Let us know in the comments!

Image Credit: class="vt-p" href="http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-65786779/stock-photo-business-man-pressing-a-quot-apply-here-quot-button.html">ShutterStock />
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Learn To Automate Your Mac MORE With 2 More AppleScripts

Posted on 30 October 2010. Tags: AppleScripts, Automate, Learn, More

class="align-left" style="border: 0px none; margin-left: 20px; margin-top: 5px; float: right;" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/applescript11.png" alt="applescript automator" width="216" height="216" />In class="vt-p" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/learn-automate-mac-applescript-part-1-introduction">part one of my introductory article about Apple‘s automation program, AppleScript, I explained how to basically access this application and use a few of the default scripts that come with every version of Mac OS X. In part two of this article I will explain how to use a few cool and practical automation scripts that you might find useful.

With the following instructions, I assume that you have read the overview in part one of this series.

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Move To Folder

The following script, when activated, will put all the files on your desktop into a folder and name that folder “screenshots”, or whatever name you designate. I use this script because I take several screenshots a day for articles like this one.

Launch AppleScript and copy and paste the following code in the editor. />

style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Lucida Grande'; margin: 0px;"> style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Verdana;">set style="color: #539206;">folder_name style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Verdana;">to “screenshots”
style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 14px; margin: 0px;"> style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Lucida Grande'; margin: 0px;"> style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Verdana;">tell style="color: #2c12fe;">application “Finder”
style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Lucida Grande'; margin: 0px;"> style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica;"> style="white-space: pre;"> style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Verdana;">set style="color: #539206;">archive_folder style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Verdana;">to style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Verdana; color: #2c12fe;">make style="color: #2c12fe;">new style="color: #2c12fe;">folder style="color: #2c12fe;">at style="color: #8110db;">desktop ¬
style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Lucida Grande'; color: #2c12fe; margin: 0px;"> style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; color: #000000;"> style="white-space: pre;"> with properties style="color: #000000;"> { style="color: #8110db;">name style="color: #000000;">: style="color: #539206;">folder_name style="color: #000000;">}
style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Lucida Grande'; margin: 0px;"> style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica;"> style="white-space: pre;"> style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Verdana; color: #2c12fe;">move style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Verdana;">every style="color: #2c12fe;">file style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Verdana;">of style="color: #8110db;">desktop style="color: #2c12fe;">to style="color: #539206;">archive_folder
style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Verdana; margin: 0px;">end style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Lucida Grande';"> tell
Click the Compile button in the AppleScript toolbar. It should look similar to the script above. You can of course customize the label “screenshots”.
To test this script, put some files (not folders) on your desktop, and then click the Run button in AppleScript. It should move those files into a folder and label it.
Finally, save the script as an application and put it both in your Application’s folder and in your dock and run as needed. This script saves you a few steps and clicks when you’re working at your computer.

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/saveasapplicatioin.png" border="0" alt="applescript automator" width="525" height="166" />

Folder Action Script

One of the best kind of automations is class="vt-p" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/2-useful-tips-for-organizing-electronic-files-mac-only/">folder actions because since we typically move stuff into folders anyway we might as well use a few to automate a redundant task or two.

This automation will open your Shared folder when one or more items are dropped into it.

Copy and paste the following code in the AppleScript editor: />

style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 41.6px; text-indent: -41.6px; font: 12.0px Verdana; color: #1e21bd;"> style="color: #000000;">on adding folder items to style="color: #000000;"> style="color: #539206;">theFolder style="color: #000000;"> after receiving style="color: #000000;"> style="color: #539206;">theItems
style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 83.2px; text-indent: -83.2px; font: 12.0px Verdana;"> style="white-space: pre;"> tell style="color: #2c12fe;">application “Finder”
style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 124.8px; text-indent: -124.9px; font: 12.0px Verdana; color: #2c12fe;"> style="color: #000000;"> style="white-space: pre;"> make style="color: #000000;"> new style="color: #000000;"> Finder window style="color: #000000;"> to style="color: #000000;"> folder style="color: #000000;"> “Shared” of folder style="color: #000000;"> “Users” of style="color: #8110db;">startup disk
style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 124.8px; text-indent: -124.9px; font: 12.0px Verdana;"> style="white-space: pre;"> set style="color: #8110db;">position of style="color: #2c12fe;">Finder window 1 to {500, 236}
style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 83.2px; text-indent: -83.2px; font: 12.0px Verdana;"> style="white-space: pre;"> end tell
style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 41.6px; text-indent: -41.6px; font: 12.0px Verdana; color: #1e21bd;"> style="color: #000000;">end adding folder items to
Compile the script to make sure it’s OK. Save it in your User Library > Scripts > Folder Actions folder. If this folder doesn’t exist, you can simply create one. You can title it something like, “OpenShareFolder“.
Now click on the AppleScript icon in your menu bar (this was covered in part one of the article) and select the Folders Action folder.

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/folderactionscript.png" border="0" alt="applescript automator" width="488" height="302" />

Select and run the Enable Folder Actions script so that folder actions will work on your Mac.

Now go back to that same folder and select and run Attach Script to Folder.

It will open a list of Folder Actions on your computer. Find and select the folder action script you just saved. Click OK.

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/folderactions1.png" border="0" alt="folderactions.png" width="292" height="295" />

Next you will be prompted to choose a folder to attach the selected script to. In this case, select your Shared folder on your Mac. Click Choose.

Now whenever an item is dropped into your shared folder, the attached AppleScript will open your folder for you.

These are just a few examples of what can be done with AppleScript. Let us know how they work for you. In the final part of this series, I will share some free resources for learning more about AppleScript. />
/>Follow href="http://twitter.com/MakeUseOf" target="_blank" >MakeUseOf on Twitter. Includes cool extras. />
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Learn to Automate Your Mac with AppleScript [Part 1: Introduction]

Posted on 23 October 2010. Tags: applescript, Automate, Introduction, Learn, Part

style="border: 0px none;margin-left:20px;float:right;" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/applescript1.png" alt="applescript tutorial"/>Most computer users know how tedious it can be to perform menial and repetitive tasks like launching applications and web pages, inserting data into text fields, resizing image files, and typing out frequently used words.

Many of us perform larger and more intensive tasks involving two or more applications and several clicks or keyboard shortcuts. That’s why applications like Apple‘s classic AppleScript application has been a favorite among many users because of it’s almost English-like programming language.

id="more-56126"> /> AppleScript is an automation program which though it’s not as user-friendly as Apple‘s drag-and-drop href="http://makeuseof.com/tags/automator">Automator program, it is much faster and it allows you to build complex automations.

AppleScript comes installed by default in all version Apple‘s OS X software, and there are many resourceful websites which can help you learn how to use the program.

If you’re new to AppleScript and are curious about it, let’s take a few minutes to see what it has to offer.

AppleScript In Action

AppleScript can be found the Utilities folder, which is in the Applications folder of your Mac. Launch AppleScript so that you can get started with some pre-installed scripts. (By the way, you might want to drag AppleScript to your dock so that you can easily access it during and after this tutorial. You can also just drag the application out of the utilities folder and put it in the list of other applications.)

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" style="border: 0pt none;" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/preferences2.png" alt="applescript tutorial"/>

After you launch AppleScript, open its Preferences and click the “Show Script menu in menu bar” and “Show Computer scripts” boxes.

In your Finder’s menu bar, you’ll see the AppleScript folder icon. Click on it and then select Default Actions > Info Scripts folder. (Notice also that there’s a menu item titled, Open AppleScript Editor, which is another way you can launch AppleScript.)

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" style="border: 0pt none;" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/currentdatetime.jpg" alt="how to applescript"/>

Now click on the Current Date & Time script, and it should display that information with an option to copy that data to your clipboard. That is just one very small example of what AppleScript can do.

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" style="border: 0pt none;" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/datetimes.png" alt="how to applescript"/>

Now go back and click on the Info Scripts folder again, but this time just click and release on the folder itself so that it will open.

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" style="border: 0pt none;" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/datetimescript.jpg" alt="how to applescript"/>

Double-click on the Current Date & Time script to open it in the AppleScript Editor. Underneath some copyright language, you’ll see the lines of script that caused the data to display. As you read each line of the script, you’ll see that many parts of it read almost like a regular English sentence (e.g., “display dialog the date_stamp buttons {“Clipboard”, “OK”) default button 2“).

For an AppleScript beginner, this code may appear a little too complex, but it’s certainly easier to understand than many other programming languages, such as Objective-C.

Opening Web Sites

Okay, let’s run an easier script. Go back to the AppleScript folders in the menu bar and select Default Actions > URLs. Open the folder and then click on one of the scripts, such as “Apple Store.scpt“.

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" style="border: 0pt none;" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/openapplesite.png" alt="how to write applescript"/>

Click the Run button in the toolbar and AppleScript should launch the targeted URL.

There’s another way to write that script so that it makes a little more sense. Let’s learn how. Select File > New in AppleScript and type, or copy and paste, the following lines of script exactly:

style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 41.6px; text-indent: -41.6px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Verdana; text-align: center;">tell style="color: #2c12fe;">application “Safari”

style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 83.2px; text-indent: -83.2px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Verdana; color: #2c12fe; text-align: center;"> style="color: #000000;"> style="white-space: pre;"> activate

style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 83.2px; text-indent: -83.2px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Verdana; text-align: center;"> style="white-space: pre;"> style="color: #1e21bd;">open location “http://www.apple.com/”

style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 41.6px; text-indent: -41.6px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Verdana; text-align: center;">end tell

If you want, you can add several more URLs using the same line of instructions, (e.g. “open location “http://www.makeuseof.com”) and then save the script as an application in order to launch all your targeted URLs at once.

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" style="border: 0pt none;" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/saveasapp.png" alt="applescript tutorial"/>

Okay, let’s stop for now. In part 2 of this article, I will present some really cool, simple, and practical AppleScripts, and also tell you where you can find more information to start learning the language.

If you use AppleScript, let us know about a few of your favorite automations.

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Top 10 YouTube Dance Lessons To Learn Cool Dance Moves

Posted on 18 October 2010. Tags: Cool, Dance, Learn, Lessons, Moves, YouTube

style="border: 0px none;margin-left:20px;float:right;" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/Dance.png" alt="free dance lessons online"/>This post is written by a guy with two left feet. With a yearning to learn some cool dance moves, but too shy to go for a dance class. Sound familiar? I bet there are many of my kind with a similar social phobia when it comes to a bit of hop, shimmy, and jig.

The good news is that closet dancers now can hold on to their dreams of becoming the next Astaire. Me, I would love to move like John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever.

YouTube is the dance class we can ‘enroll’ in. We have seen how href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tags/youtube/ ">YouTube videos can be tapped as a great source for learning skills like href="http://makeuseof.com/tag/top-10-youtube-videos-easy-learn-card-tricks/">card tricks, href="http://makeuseof.com/tag/youtube-channels-learn-speak-english/">speak English, href="http://makeuseof.com/tag/top-10-interactive-youtube-games/">play games, and href="http://makeuseof.com/tag/5-youtube-channels-how-to-throw-a-punch/">throw a knockout punch.

id="more-55879"> /> So, there should be something on dancing too… and there is. Here are ten free YouTube dance lessons you can sample. There are of course, so many dance forms than you can shake a leg with. If you find that your favorite jive isn’t here, a simple YouTube search should do it.

In the meantime, cut the rug with these ten YouTube videos and learn some cool dance moves.

href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_FzgtLVzbI">Moonwalk Like Michael Jackson

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" style="border: 0pt none;" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/Dance01.png" alt="free dance lessons online"/>

If this one of a kind dance move has been in your wish list, learn how to moonwalk from this 2 minute long clip. Also, check out the video suggestions on the side for more cool Michael Jackson signature dance moves.

href="http://www.youtube.com/user/ElasticIllusion">Breakdance

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" style="border: 0pt none;" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/Dance02.jpg" alt="dance lessons videos"/>

If someone remembers the early years when Thriller hit us, this is what we have been trying and more often failing to do. Now, it has got back its original term of ‘B-Boying’ but the basics remain the same. To check what they are, go and click on any of the 107 uploads in this dance channel on YouTube. You can start off by learning how to do the robot dance but it’s more difficult than it looks. Most of the videos are taken from the channel author’s official DVD.

href="http://www.youtube.com/user/apersaud">Addicted to Salsa

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" style="border: 0pt none;" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/Dance03.jpg" alt="dance lessons videos"/>

The YouTube channel teaches you the basic of salsa with the help of nearly 100 videos. You can start with the lessons for beginners and then graduate upwards. Though salsa has a few solo moves, it is mostly a dance form which requires a partner. So, motivate someone to join you and fall into the rhythm of this electric dance style.

href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_MV3xHf9JQ&p=6D1A32DCB947D3F8&playnext=1">Step Up with Hip Hop

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" style="border: 0pt none;" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/Dance04.jpg" alt="dance lessons videos"/>

I borrowed the title from a movie that showcased the hip-hop style superbly. The videos that teach you how to hip-hop are showcased by Expert Village (now, eHow). The playlist strip at the bottom of the screen will take you to other videos too that teach you at least 13 moves of this freestyle street dancing form. Even if you don’t get all the moves right, it’s a fun way to lose the flab.

href="http://www.youtube.com/user/emilianodelau">Do the Tango

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" style="border: 0pt none;" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/Dance05.jpg" alt="youtube dance lessons"/>

Tango is one of the most passionate dance forms out there. Argentine Tango is its most original form. Get some of the basics from the 21 videos hosted on this channel. The videos haven’t been updated for quite some time, but the video guides that are available serve as an introduction to this dance form.

href="http://www.youtube.com/user/ClubDanceLessons">Club Dance Moves

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" style="border: 0pt none;" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/Dance06.jpg" alt="youtube dance lessons"/>

Clubs are the ultimate frontier for guys or gals who are petrified of dancing. You can either park yourself on the barstools or jump under the strobe lights with some of the lessons here. Most of the lessons follow the hip-hop style.

href="http://www.youtube.com/user/pickupdance">Pick Up Dance

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" style="border: 0pt none;" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/Dance07.jpg" alt="youtube dance lessons"/>

If the above videos seem too challenging, check out a few simpler ones here. This channel seems to have stuttered and stopped, but the videos on sidesteps and how to turn a girl should stand in you in good stead.

href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3cQg4XOkC5Y&feature=related">Cheerleading Jumps and Kicks

classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" width="580" height="460" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"> name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /> name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /> name="src" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/3cQg4XOkC5Y?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0" /> name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /> type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="580" height="460" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/3cQg4XOkC5Y?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true">

There are some who may scoff at cheerleading as a serious dance form and take it more as a sport. But you need a dancer’s grace to do it just right. The basic cheerleading video from Expert Village introduces you to some of the simpler toe touching stuff. Then you can move on to handsprings, tumbles, and more href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5yX3w8MW_0Y&feature=related">advanced stunts.

href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tv_ljx90R_A&p=0A4A4E735D9B43FF&playnext=1">Ballroom Dancing for Beginners

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" style="border: 0pt none;" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/Dance10.jpg" />

Ballroom dancing skills will come real handy when you have to do a jig at your wedding. The 30 odd videos in the playlist from Expert Village cover the basics well. The dance steps are demonstrated by professional dance coaches.

href="http://www.youtube.com/user/dancing?feature=chclk">Dancing

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" style="border: 0pt none;" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/Dance08.jpg" alt="free dance lessons online"/>

The 378 videos should keep you occupied for at least a year. This is one of the more comprehensive dancing channels on YouTube. You get to work on hip-hop, salsa, waltz, ballet, belly dancing, pole dancing, and even dirty ‘n sexy dancing among others. There are some videos that teach kids simple dance steps. And I learnt about a dance form called the Bachata dance, I didn’t know anything about earlier.

Check out the videos, add your own favorite ones in the comments, and don’t forget to dance like no one’s watching.

Image: href="http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-62659549.html?src=57d5c03058b76d06ec602d3b859d89a0-1-15">Shutterstock />
/>NEW: href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/makeuseof/id366921965?mt=8" target="_blank">Download MakeUseOf iPhone App. FREE!

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GIMP Basics

This is a video walkthrough of the installation and user interface of GIMP, made by a university instructional design staff member, so you can expect a very easy-to-follow and informative narrative. In the video, he goes over how to perform 7 basic image editing tasks: scaling, cropping, cutting (with transparency), flipping, rotating, reducing and saving.

By watching these, you’re basically going over the first text tutorial on GIMP.org, class="vt-p" href="http://www.gimp.org/tutorials/Lite_Quickies/">GIMP Lite Quickies.

classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" width="580" height="465" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"> name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /> name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /> name="src" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/i9up3Je0hyc?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0&color1=0x006699&color2=0x54abd6&border=1" /> name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /> type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="580" height="465" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/i9up3Je0hyc?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0&color1=0x006699&color2=0x54abd6&border=1" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true">

classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" width="580" height="465" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"> name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /> name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /> name="src" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/GWHAbY7mllY?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0&color1=0x006699&color2=0x54abd6&border=1" /> name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /> type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="580" height="465" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/GWHAbY7mllY?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0&color1=0x006699&color2=0x54abd6&border=1" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true">

Optimizing Images For Web Use

The following video shows how to export a file to JPEG and monitor the file size of the new image. There’s a small hiccup from 1:10-1:30 in the video, but it’s definitely helpful to know that you can select and preview the quality of the new image before you save it especially now that lots of sites have restrictions on maximum file size.

In the video, the user tries to save a JPEG with the highest quality while keeping her image under 256KB which is the YouTube limit for channel background images.

classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" width="580" height="465" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"> name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /> name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /> name="src" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/x-3fp4ksoRc?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0&color1=0x006699&color2=0x54abd6&border=1" /> name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /> type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="580" height="465" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/x-3fp4ksoRc?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0&color1=0x006699&color2=0x54abd6&border=1" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true">

Feathering

This technique creates a fuzzy frame (this “frame” has an adjustable radius, of course) around a spot in the picture you may want to focus on or copy and paste somewhere else, in which case, the pasted image will blend “unobtrusively with its surroundings.”

classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" width="580" height="465" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"> name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /> name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /> name="src" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/RxVNWg5kESI?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0&color1=0x006699&color2=0x54abd6&border=1" /> name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /> type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="580" height="465" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/RxVNWg5kESI?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0&color1=0x006699&color2=0x54abd6&border=1" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true">

Paths

The Paths (aka, Bezier curves) tool can help you create more defined shapes by making anchor points. The following GIMP tutorial shows how to cut a piece from image 1 to paste as a layer into another image, using the Paths tool to complete the outline around the piece. Using this tool will allow more control over the outlines or shapes.

classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" width="580" height="360" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"> name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /> name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /> name="src" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/-0Ddw4G8-e8?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0&color1=0x006699&color2=0x54abd6&border=1" /> name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /> type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="580" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/-0Ddw4G8-e8?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0&color1=0x006699&color2=0x54abd6&border=1" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true">

Brushes

According to the user manual, brushes are pixmaps from the paint tools (except for the ink tool) used for painting, erasing, copying, smudging, lightening or darkening, etc. GIMP has a set of basic brushes, but if you don’t find what you are looking for, check out the following video to see where and how to find and install brushes.

classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" width="580" height="360" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"> name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /> name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /> name="src" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/w5eHzqWA2wY?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0&color1=0x006699&color2=0x54abd6&border=1" /> name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /> type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="580" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/w5eHzqWA2wY?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0&color1=0x006699&color2=0x54abd6&border=1" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true">

QuickMask Mode

QuickMask mode is basically a more intuitive way to fully visualize your selection, so you can do more precise work and effectively adjust your selection when the marching ants just aren’t enough, as according to the official GIMP user manual, “what the marching ants show you as either inside or outside the boundary is really just a slice through a continuum.” For more information, watch the video below.

classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" width="580" height="465" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"> name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /> name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /> name="src" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/utRMHJDdBO8?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0&color1=0x006699&color2=0x54abd6&border=1" /> name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /> type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="580" height="465" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/utRMHJDdBO8?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0&color1=0x006699&color2=0x54abd6&border=1" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true">

Filters

Red Eye Removal: If you’re ready to play around and get familiar with the simplest of the filters, try following this really simple GIMP tutorial, which you’ll be able to complete very quickly. This is useful if your camera doesn’t have settings to optimize lighting (and thus, prevent red eye) or you have older pictures lying around that could use some red eye removal.

classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" width="580" height="360" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"> name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /> name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /> name="src" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/q-5K_fzxzOo?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0&color1=0x006699&color2=0x54abd6&border=1" /> name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /> type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="580" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/q-5K_fzxzOo?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0&color1=0x006699&color2=0x54abd6&border=1" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true">

Drop Shadows: To create more depth to text and objects, consider adding a drop shadow by selecting an image (in a specific layer) and going to Filter > Light and Shadow > Drop Shadow.

classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" width="580" height="360" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"> name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /> name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /> name="src" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/b1qrYaHO-vM?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0&color1=0x006699&color2=0x54abd6&border=1" /> name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /> type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="580" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/b1qrYaHO-vM?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0&color1=0x006699&color2=0x54abd6&border=1" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true">

Layers

Layers are individual transparencies on top of an image that can add easily removable effects to specific parts. The following video will also go over layer modes, transparencies, and layer visibility.

classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" width="580" height="360" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"> name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /> name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /> name="src" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/j9bp9bsmJRY?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0&color1=0x006699&color2=0x54abd6&border=1" /> name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /> type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="580" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/j9bp9bsmJRY?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0&color1=0x006699&color2=0x54abd6&border=1" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true">

This should get you pumped up enough to dabble in GIMP. After this, you should be able to follow those more advanced tutorials, whether they’re class="vt-p" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/dir/vunkysearch-gimp-and-photoshop-tutuorials/">text or in class="vt-p" href="http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=tutorial+gimp&aq=f">video.

What beginners’ video tutorials did we miss? Please help the GIMP-learning author and let us know in the comments!

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The Top 10 YouTube Videos With Easy To Learn Card Tricks

Posted on 14 September 2010. Tags: Card, Easy, Learn, Tricks, Videos, YouTube

class="align-left" style="border: 0px none; margin-left: 20px; margin-top: 5px; float: right;" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Cards.jpg" alt="easy to learn card tricks" width="175" height="234" />YouTube is the grand melting pot of all that you can think up and put on video; from cats chasing lasers to 4,000 people having a balloon fight. But apart from the weird, wacky, and the wonderful, YouTube is also a weighty place for some free DIY video lessons.

We will let YouTube be our Hogwarts School and teach ourselves some easy to learn card tricks. Card tricks are not only fun and cool, but they are a social skill too.

No you don’t have to become Mandrake the Magician, and you don’t have to pull out a rabbit. You just need a deck of cards, gather a bunch of friends around the table, and with a sleight of the hand impress the hell out of them.

id="more-53278"> /> The thing with card tricks is that the befuddling effect in the eyes of the beholder is greater than the trick itself. So let’s try for that look with these ten simple and easy to learn card tricks on YouTube.

Fastest Card Trick

This one is an amazing but simple color changing card trick. And you can learn it in a ‘snap’. With deft fingers, you should be able to learn it in around ten minutes or so.

classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" width="580" height="460" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"> value="http://www.youtube.com/v/LOjzdF_HCGY?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0" /> name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /> name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /> name="src" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/LOjzdF_HCGY?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0" /> name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /> type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="580" height="460" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/LOjzdF_HCGY?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true">

Choose A Card From The Deck

The first video was to show you how an easy trick can be impressive. This one here is for the rank beginners and one of the most common card tricks. What’s more, a kid is doing the demo.

classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" width="580" height="460" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"> name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /> name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /> name="src" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/UBHtXaoEhFM?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0" /> name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /> type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="580" height="460" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/UBHtXaoEhFM?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true">

Predict The Card

A very simple trick that appears damn complicated, but as the instructions reveal, it’s all about counting your cards right.

classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" width="580" height="460" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"> name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /> name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /> name="src" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/-PTvtt6Rw_Q?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0" /> name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /> type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="580" height="460" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/-PTvtt6Rw_Q?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true">

The Rising Card

A card trick which relies on a bit of misdirection to achieve the magic effect. But you have to be slick in the first move when you lift the top two cards. This card trick is an class="vt-p" href="http://www.expertvillage.com">Expertvillage how-to, and you can catch this entire class="vt-p" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKSACXyN9Jw&p=F17A04EDEC9645DC&playnext=1">series (by Brandon Nowasky) which takes you from the basic techniques to the more advanced ones.

classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" width="580" height="460" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"> name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /> name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /> name="src" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/jQ9iGGE-9zo?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0" /> name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /> type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="580" height="460" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/jQ9iGGE-9zo?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true">

Coin Through A Card

If you aren’t too good with sleight of hand tricks or fanning cards with one hand, this one is for you. Drop a coin through an impossibly small hole. I won’t spoil the secret, check out the video.

classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" width="580" height="460" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"> name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /> name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /> name="src" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ax6V_Zk4Huc?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0" /> name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /> type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="580" height="460" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ax6V_Zk4Huc?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true">

The Card Lift

This simple card trick again illustrates that when a trick is explained, it seems so humdrum. Try guessing the secret as to how the card rises out from the box before it is actually revealed.

classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" width="580" height="460" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"> name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /> name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /> name="src" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/n9y2loMCD48?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0" /> name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /> type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="580" height="460" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/n9y2loMCD48?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true">

The 18 Cards

This is a very simple beginner’s card trick that calls for a lengthy performance, but is a neat spectator trick all the same.

classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" width="580" height="460" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"> name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /> name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /> name="src" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/LOuRV-ZFDxU?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0" /> name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /> type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="580" height="460" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/LOuRV-ZFDxU?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true">

Flip Flop Color Change

This card trick can be demonstrated in a few seconds, but you have to put a lot more in practicing for it. The impact is slick ‘n smooth.

classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" width="580" height="460" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"> name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /> value="always" /> name="src" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/nfHVZmsqmqg?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0" /> name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /> type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="580" height="460" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/nfHVZmsqmqg?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0" allowfullscreen="true">

Mind Control Card Trick

A pair of scissors is mandatory. This card trick is a bit on the chancy side because it relies on psychology. But follow the tips and you may just walk away with the applause.

classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" width="580" height="460" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"> name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /> name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /> name="src" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/a3xeFxuv-Fw?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0" /> name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /> type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="580" height="460" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/a3xeFxuv-Fw?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true">

Fan Your Cards & Make Some Disappear

This one is a cool card trick from Expertvillage again that shows how you can ‘fan’ your cards to make them vanish from plain view. It is a dead simple card trick, but do it when you can fan a deck with one hand. It just looks more polished.

classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" width="580" height="460" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"> name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /> name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /> name="src" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/2Tx6yA0fpjI?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0" /> name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /> type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="580" height="460" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/2Tx6yA0fpjI?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true">

Even though these tricks may appear simple, you still need to practice. Magic is about simple logic, confidence, and performance. Let the first one remain hidden while putting on a show with the other two. And as a wannabe card magician, follow the age old ‘magicians never tell’ credo. Even though you learnt it all on YouTube.

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Registry Fix – Learn How to Fix Your Computer’s Registry Today

Posted on 29 August 2010. Tags: Computers, Learn, Registry, Today

Your computer’s registry is one of the most important databases in your computer. Simply put, the registry handles how your computer runs. If you experience a drastic slow down of your system speed or if you’re getting system errors such as the following:

Windows XP could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt: WINDOWSSYSTEM32CONFIGSYSTEM
Windows XP could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt: WINDOWSSYSTEM32CONFIGSOFTWARE
Windows XP could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt: WINDOWSSYSTEM32CONFIGSOFTWARE
System error: Lsass.exe
Then the problem is happening within your Windows Registry and should be fixed.

How to Fix your Computer’s Registry
Windows 98 used to have a program called the Registry Checker that automatically scans the registry for errors and also automatically fixes the problem by replacing a corrupted registry with a new one every time a user boots up the computer. However, Windows XP does not do this automatically. The program should be run by the user manually. Here’s how:

1. Click the START button and then select Run. Or Click the START button and press the letter ‘R’ on the keyboard if you cannot find ‘Run’.

2. In the Run box and in the field that says, Open, type scanreg then press ENTER on your keyboard or Click OK

3. The Registry checker will now run and will also automatically fix errors and corrupted files

4. After fixing the errors, Click Yes to make another backup of the registry.

If you start having the error messages, you can also try to go on SAFE MODE. To do this, continuously press F8 on your computer just seconds after you reboot the computer until you find another screen that gives an option to boot in SAFE MODE. If it doesn’t work in safe mode, repeat the process of pressing F8 and when the options come up, choose ‘Restore last known good configuration’.

You can do these instructions on your own but it is highly recommended that you let a computer expert do it for you especially if you’re not familiar with these processes. Do not attempt to do it on your own if you are not confident of your computer troubleshooting skills.

Registry Fix Software

Computer non-experts do not need to worry about finding an expert or being one. There is also an easier solution to fix your registry by using a registry fix software or what is more commonly called as registry cleaner.

A registry cleaner is a software that you can run to fix corrupt registry and to help make your computer system run faster. There are several cleaners that you can find on the Web although only a handful is most helpful so choose the best one.

Make sure that you choose a trusted software. Look for reviews for a software that you’ve been eyeing to get the opinion of existing users. Truly, a registry cleaner software is a big help for beginners to get your registry fixed right away without all the fuss.

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Learn an Easy Youtube Videos Error Solution to fix your PC problem instantly

Posted on 24 August 2010. Tags: Easy, Error, Instantly, Learn, problem, Solution, Videos, YouTube

If you are wondering what could be the reasons behind some particular Youtube video error that you get a lot of time whenever you want to play some video online? If your videos crash too often and also cause your browser to stop working? Do you also notice that some videos display an error message especially when you access them through an embedded location? All these questions and similar others are rising these days.

To fix a Youtube video error start from repairing your Windows registry which contains all the keys/codes for all the programs and applications such as flash, browsers and other softwares. You should choose a best tool which is able to fix the active-x and file association errors to solve your problem. A recommended software to fix such PC errors is listed at the end which you should try after following all the guidelines given here.

Also clear your internet history and cache before installing the newer version of Adobe Flash Player.

Have you tried playing the videos on other browsers? If the you get the Youtube videos error on other browsers as well then most probably it is the problem related to the flash. However, if only one of your browser is making trouble then also try to fix your browser. For fixing browser especially for the file association errors which prevent programs from opening properly repair the registry in your Windows.

Also do these steps to smoothly play the videos without any kind of Youtube video error:

* Disable firewall
* Disable pop up blocker
* Clear cookies, browsing data and history
* Restart your computer

The above guidelines allow you to fix your Youtube Videos error. If you are looking for a quick fix and want to try a solution that can do it almost itself then use a high performance registry cleaner and PC optimizer software.

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Learn How To Make Money with Automatic Forex Trading Software

Posted on 21 August 2010. Tags: Automatic, Forex, Learn, Money, Software, Trading

” We here at Only-Top-Rated Forex Product Reviews have personally tried and tested several Forex Products on the market and after filtering out all the Rubbish, have found 3 genunine Forex Trading Systems that actually work and give some outstanding results ”

Money is used everyday. You use it to buy all the things necessary to make it possible to live your everyday life. You use money to purchase food, purchase gas for your car, pay for your utility bills and you use money to get your children the best education you can possibly give them.

It is a fact that money is one of the most important things in life. This is why there are trading systems available that trade world currency.

Forex is the most liquid and largest financial market in the world. This market literally operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week in the whole world with trillions of dollars being exchanged everyday.

If you are a trader, you would really want to consider trading in Forex. Besides, who wouldn’t want to trade in the largest financial market in the world? It is a fact that Forex can create the possibility for you to earn high amounts of income.

There is even Forex trading softwares available to help you with your Forex trades. This type of software can really help you make money in Forex by automatically buying and selling currencies for you.

If you are a speculator, Forex automatic trading software is the best software for you. You can choose which kind of software you want. In fact, when you sign up in an online Forex trading website, some of these websites can offer you free automatic trading software as a part of their promo by opening a Forex account with them.

However, this free software that websites offer you can just be a demo package with limited features. The website will usually require you to make an extra payment for the use of the full version of the software.

There are also different Forex trading softwares available in the internet for use or for download. You might want to try out the demo version first before you buy the full version. By doing this, you can try out different Forex trading software for free and determine which software you are most comfortable using. You should consider that as a Forex trader, getting an automatic Forex trading system is essential in today’s world of Forex trading.

There are mainly two types of automatic trading software available. One is the web based programs and the other is the desktop based programs. It is up to you to choose which program you want and is also up to you to determine which program is much easier to use in assisting you with your Forex trades.

Whether you choose an online-based or desktop-based Forex trading software, you have to know that the most important factor in using this software is the internet speed. It is recommended that you should have a high speed internet connection as a simple delay in information can cause losses.

In desktop-based software, the trading data is stored in your hard drive. However, you will be responsible for the security issues like hacking, viruses, and crashing hard drives. Therefore, it is essential to devote a single personal computer for trading Forex or using computers that are especially made for trading Forex, which can be expensive.

In web-based software, security issues are a problem the provider should take care of. Since there is no required software for you to download, it is much more convenient to trade. And, web-based Forex trading software is also much more convenient for Forex traders who travel a lot. This is because you can access your Forex account anytime and anywhere you are in the world as long as there is an active internet connection.

However, in web-based software, you have to pay a minimum monthly or annual fee for maintenance unlike in desktop-based software, you usually only have to pay a one time fee for download.

Both types of software has its own advantages and disadvantages, it is up to you to determine which kind of Forex trading software can benefit you most. Try to consider your lifestyle when it comes to choosing which software you need. For example, if you travel a lot and you need to access your Forex account frequently, then the web-based software is the right software for you.

These are the things you should consider when choosing Forex trading software. As much as possible, you should choose automatic Forex trading software to really get the benefits you want. Also, choose software that will include real time data streaming to keep you up to date with the different changes in the Forex market.

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Teach & Learn On The Nuvvo Online Learning Community

Posted on 03 August 2010. Tags: Community, Learn, Learning, Nuvvo, Online, Teach

online learning Many people have a real knack for teaching even the most complicated concepts to people. Other people are avid learners who are always looking for new information to read about, or new skills to acquire.

Here at MakeUseOf, we’ve covered a variety of choices for when you want to find resources for online learning, like Einztein online study courses, Justin’s review of free online college courseware, and of course there’s FreeVideoLectures, where you can watch videos on over 700 course topics.

However, there is one online learning resource that goes beyond all of those sites, by providing not only online course materials – such as lessons and tests – but you’ll also find an entire community of like-minded students with a thirst for knowledge. Nuvvo is an online learning community that offers all of those things and more. Whether you’re a student or a teacher, you’ll want to check out this creative learning resource.

Creating Your Account & Profile

Signing up at Nuvvo is free and easy to set up – all you need is a valid email address. Nuvvo combines online learning tools with the look and feel of a social network, however it is primarily for creating online learning areas where students can read lessons, take tests, and participate in discussions about the subject with other students.

online learning

You can judge the credibility of an instructor, or the activity level of a student, by their “authority” level. Authority is broken down into both teaching activity and student activity. To improve your curriculum and teaching authority, simply get active in the many areas of Nuvvo.

free online learning

Finding Topics To Learn About

Just about everyone has a subject that they are very interested in learning more about. For me, those include blogging and web design, computer programming and investigative journalism. Brainstorm the subjects that you’d love to learn more about, and start typing in keywords into the search bar on Nuvvo’s “Learning Communities” page.

free online learning

I’ve always wanted to learn more about the Java programming language, so I decided to searching for Java learning communities, and discovered several. The “Java/J2EE Development” learning community had 70 other students participating and looked pretty interesting.

free online learning

Joining a learning community, you’ll discover lessons, tests, trivia, discussions and more. These communities are created and run by experts who love the topic so much that they offer free lessons and other learning tools, so you’ll discover that there’s a lot of very useful information embedded into each of the lessons. For example, the lesson on basic Java concepts was detailed and provided a decent background on Java basics.

online learning courses

Once you’re done studying the lessons, you can take the tests that instructors created for the material, try your hand at answering some of the trivia questions, or discuss specific questions you have with the instructor and students in the discussion areas.

Becoming A Nuvvo Instructor

Now, if you have an area of expertise that you’d love to share with interested students, you can create your own learning community. I decided that I would create a learning community about how to blog, so clicking on “Start a Community” in your workspace takes you to the area where you can set up your learning area and associated subdomain.

online learning courses

Creating your first lesson is as simple as using any WYSIWYG web page editor or blogging platform. You can format headers, add bullet lists, include pictures and more.

online learning courses

When you create a lesson, you have the option to offer it as part of your overall learning community, or you can attach it to a “course” as part of specific courseware. You can do this in the right menu bar by selecting to publish the lesson privately in your courses.

Creating a course is an excellent way to offer a targeted lesson plan following a structured outline of lessons. If you plan to put a lot of effort in creating high-value courseware with instruction videos, lessons and more – you can opt to charge students for the course. Students pay (and you receive payment) through Paypal. Or, if you simply want to include free courses as part of your Nuvvo learning community, then leave the cost at $0 and select the community you want to attach it to under “Course Material.”

In the course area that students gain access to, they will see you as the instructor, as well as the curriculum you’ve created and a discussion area for students to ask you (or eachother) questions. Courses are similar to learning communities, except they are more focused on a particular sub-topic, and they include an outlined curriculum students can follow to learn new skills.

online learning

Whether you decide that you want to be a teacher or a student, Nuvvo is a very cool online community devoted to people with an interest in education and a thirst for information and new skills.

Have you ever tried taking lessons on Nuvvo? Do you know of similar online learning communities? Share your insight in the comments section below.

Image Credit: Harrison Keely

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Are Mp3 Audio Books Beneficial for Children to Learn About Literature?

Posted on 03 August 2010. Tags: about, Audio, Beneficial, Books, Children, Learn, Literature

Technology has changed the way children are learning throughout the world. Computers are used in classrooms and teachers are using software programs to custom design a curriculum based on the needs of each particular child. One issue that is often overlooked until it is too late is whether or not mp3 audiobooks are a beneficial way for children to become knowledgeable in literature. r

Reading is a skill that everyone must have in order to survive in today’s world. Classrooms throughout the world teach children the basics of reading and help introduce the children to a world of literature designed to broaden their minds. But are mp3 audiobooks the way to proceed? Are these audio books for children really helping children learn or are they an unnecessary crutch that can later hurt the child?

Mp3 audiobooks are sets of literature recorded onto a digital medium and then downloaded onto an mp3 player. These audio books can range from popular fiction to “how to” guides. The convenience is undeniable. Adults often lead very busy lives and want to stay abreast of current literature but find themselves without the time to sit down and read a book cover to cover. Mp3 audiobooks bridge this gap quite well.

The issue at hand is whether or not it is acceptable for children and teenagers to rely on this medium. Granted it is a great alternative to the portable DVD player but does it actually have any benefits?

The answer is yes and no. Mp3 audiobooks have several plusses. The first is for children just learning to read. All children will find themselves, at one point or another, struggling with a particular word in a story. By following the words while the voice reads them aloud, the child can identify what a particular word or phrase is. It is very much akin to the stories parents read to their children at night. Parents are another version of mp3 audiobooks.

The downside to mp3 audiobooks comes when they are used solely. It is important for a child or teenager to learn how to read and process the information properly. This is an acquired skill that comes from practice. If the child is listening to an audio book cd, cassette, or mp3 version exclusively then they are not acquiring this much needed life skill. They can find themselves knowledgeable about literature but ignorant of how to read it by themselves.

The effectiveness of mp3 audiobooks comes into question when a student is using the file as their sole means of learning. They may know what the story is about but they are not learning how the words come together. They may know what a word sounds like but would not recognize it. Studies have shown that seeing the words helps imprint them into the memory and hearing them may not.

Too much of one thing, even mp3 audiobooks, is not good for anyone. Students have to learn to read and understand literature. Some things, while great to hear, lose their effectiveness if they are not read. Take for example some forms of poetry. A person reads them on a sound file but the listener misses the physical impact of seeing the words take shape in stanzas or shapes. So you wind up with a student who can recite a poem but cannot read it properly.

Mp3 audiobooks have to be used in conjunction with physical reading. Without doing so then great harm is being done to a child. They are great tools to use on road trips but are not what is needed when studying for a class. The goal is to combine the two mediums in a way that increases understanding but also allows for the person to have to use their mind to process written information. As our technology increases, there will be other ways for books to be discovered. Some will be great and some might interfere with the natural learning order. As with anything, moderation is the key.

The answer, when it comes to mp3 audiobooks being used, is through moderation. There must be a balance. It is perfectly fine to listen to a book when you do not have the time to sit down and read it but you must not rely on this method alone. A perfect balance is one where the child can listen to a book when time does not permit actually reading it and actually knowing how to process the information.

Anything in done in excess can be harmful. This includes utilizing mp3 audiobooks as the sole means of acquiring new literature. If used properly audio books for children can get the child interested in the realms of literature and reading. It can make learning a fun experience. The child can listen to the book and still knows the importance of reading for themselves.

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Learn How You Can Do Just That With the Best Winning Roulette System Tool Online

Posted on 28 July 2010. Tags: Best, Just, Learn, Online, Roulette, System, Tool, Winning

Would you like to win $500 or more every week playing roulette?

Money Maker Machine Roulette System Tool Software – Win at Roulette – Free strategy, tips and rules.

Why roulette is so popular? Is it because of promotion in various films about cool agents and rich people, or because this game is really so interesting? Everyone has his own opinion concerning this subject. But how someone can form opinion about this game if he has never played it? Well, someone may raise an objection that it is unnecessary to try all things in order to understand what it’s all about. But perhaps, it is desirable to play some game in order to find out all its drawbacks and advantages. And of course, don’t forget about roulette system tool which are the first things to consider before starting the game.

Money Maker Machine-Roulette System Tool is an online roulette system tool software which will enable you to win at the online roulette.

If you’re searching for some more information on the Money Maker Machine- Roulette System Tool then you’ve definitely come to the right place! In this Money Maker Machine- Roulette System Tool review I’m going to be talking about how the roulette system exactly works, how much money you can expect to win by using it and finally, if it’s all worth your hard-earned cash at the end of the day!

In our opinion MMM Team has clearly developed the best Money Maker Machine-Roulette Sytem Tool Software available on the net and customers seem to agree too.

We been receiving lots of good reports about Money Maker Machine-Roulette System Tool Software and we were every bit as impressed when we tested it.

As soon as you land on the website you know that it is a professional operation. Once you have purchased the software you will find the member’s area is even more.

There are detailed step-by-step instructions on how to download and use the software. It really is so simple that anyone can use it.

The member’s area is also packed with lots of information and quality guides for other casino games such as blackjack and poker.

What makes Money Maker Machine-Roulette System Tool Software so good is that it’s not an e-book or guide but an eactual software and it is totally automated meaning that you don’t have to do any complex calculations or remember hundreds of sequences. The software does it all for you all you have to do.

The Money Maker Maschine- Roulette System Tool Software proved to us time and time again that it could make a substantial profit at the roulette table. We were actually that impressed with how well Money Maker Machine-Roulette System Tool Software worked that we made a video of the software in action.

Money Maker Machine-Roulette System is the Tool for gaining an advantage in your roulette game. It has an inbuilt automatic stake and bet selection system whilst also incorporating a greed and money management warning system to help you keep more of your winnings.

You could visit web site youtube and you see more videos about Money Maker Machine. The keywords in youtube are: roulette tool and money maker machine.Also you could find our web site in more big search engine like: Google, Yahoo, MSN,Altavista…

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An Id Scanning Solution – Learn How To Scan Id Cards Fast!

Posted on 26 July 2010. Tags: Cards, Fast, Learn, Scan, Scanning, Solution

If it happens that you’re currently looking into getting an id scanning solution but you feel a bit overloaded with all the options out there, then you just have to listen to some good advice on the subject that should greatly simplify your search for the best scanner for you. Using a portable scanner can significantly improve your system of managing digital input, primarily when the storing of critical material is a factor. Prior to committing to a particular scanner, we encourage you to hear what the experts have to say.

Comparable to any current and sophisticated hardware device, transportable scanners have been developed to be less complex and simpler to use. They can answer most of your day-to-day scanning requirements, like business contacts, expenses, travel claims, financial records, and on and on. In just a few short moments they yield exceptional pixel resolution in formats ranging from images to text. At the moment, the retail price of an id scanning solution is well within financial reach both for companies and individuals.

Among the many benefits you’ll find with these compact scanners is the great convenience of them no matter where you are. Included with the scanners is tailored scanning software that enables you to obtain impressive results from pictures and text and easily save them as images or text or in a database. Let’s say you need to scan an id card. the scanner extracts the full card image, face image, signature image and full text data of the card and set it all up in convenient data and image fields that can be saved to your choice of software.

Before committing to an id scanning solution take the time to go through these important procedures: (1) decide what you need a scanner for; (2) search the internet for scanners you think might fit your needs; (3) take a close look at the scanners’ capabilities; (4) verify that the company has a good reputation and check out feedback from past scanner customers; (5) find out about freight charges and returns.

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Windows XP Registry Repair — Learn how to Optimize Your Computer’s Performance

Posted on 26 July 2010. Tags: Computers, Learn, Optimize, Performance, Registry, Repair, Windows

It is inevitable that your computer’s performance should reduce over time and after you have used it for a while. This rule stands even if you use a more advanced operating platform like Microsoft XP or Vista that should logically make your computer work better. You can improve the situation by cleaning out your registry. You can install good Winxp registry repair software to enjoy better performance of your computer.

Windows XP registry repair software is great at repairing and optimizing your registry. Windows Registry is the central warehouse of all data concerning your computer’s operation. You computer accesses registry every time you open your computer or when you download a music file. Similarly, every time you use a new hardware device, an entry is created in the registry.

Just imagine how much data is stored in your Registry if your computer is used frequently. A strange thing that you will encounter is that every time you install or uninstall a program, the registry makes entries for it as well. You will even find entries made by viruses and other malware long after the original malware have been cleaned out of your computer.

Cleaning out the Windows registry manually is not an option at all because it is too time consuming. Besides, you can easily do more damage than you were originally trying to rectify if you delete some crucial files. Going to a computer professional is also not a good idea because it will cost you quite a bit over time.

You will realize that the best way to optimize your computer’s performance is by using Windows XP registry repair software. There are many programs available, and you now have the difficult task of choosing one. The best one to optimize your computer’s performance needs to have various features. For starters, it needs to be able to do the scan very fast so that too much time is not wasted. Secondly, it needs to be able to identify the corrupt software so that it can delete it.

Look for a good option that manages to give you these features without being too expensive. It also needs to have good customer service that is available 24 / 7. Most people don’t realize how important this is until there is a problem and they have to wait to hear from customer service. You also need a Windows XP registry repair tool that is easy to use so that you have no problem optimizing your computer’s performance.

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