5 Best Extensions To Manage Chrome Tabs & Memory

One of Chrome’s many strengths include syncing of all your bookmarks and Chrome extensions with a Google account, it also opens tabs in separate memory process so that you won’t have to shut it down entirely if one tab crashes.

However, the implementation of separate memory processes means it uses lots of memory when you open many tabs. This can cause performance hiccups for users who don’t have enough RAM on their computers.

Here are 5 tools to help you manage tabs and release memory for use on Chrome. If you surf the web a lot and open a lot of content in multiple tabs, these Chome extensions will be great in giving you a smoother web surfing experience without slowing down your computer too much, ultimately allowing you to multitask with other programs.

Recommended Reading: 8 Chrome Extensions To Supercharge Your Omnibox Searches

1. TooManyTabs

TooManyTabs is a great tab and memory manager with an easy to use and understand interface. Once installed, you will see this popup window where you can get a glance of all the opened tabs in that particular Chrome window. You can then choose to suspend tabs that you want to keep for later reading, freeing up some memory from Chrome so it runs faster and smoother.

2. Tab Hibernation

Tab Hibernation is a one-button tool that instantly puts all other tabs except the one you are currently vieweing into hibernation. Once installed, a button in the shape of a crescent moon will appear at the end of your address bar. Clicking on it will hibernate all your other tabs, freeing up Chrome’s memory for a smoother web surfing experience. To wake up a hibernated tab, just click anywhere.

3. OneTab

If you’re someone who surfs the web using lots of tabs and browser windows, OneTab compresses all the opened tabs in that particular window into one tab, so you can see the content of all opened tabs. Doing this also frees memory from Chrome. You can then choose to close tabs, open them one at a time or restore them all. You can also group these tabs into a special category, enabling you to open it at a later time.

4. TabMemFree

Don’t have time to manually manage the tons of tabs opened on your Chrome browser? You can try TabMemFree that automatically helps you "park" inactive tabs. Parking a tab frees up the memory of that particular tab. It does this automatically if you have not accessed that particular tab for more than 15 minutes; you can set a longer tab timeout period too. When you go back to that particular tab, it’ll automatically reload letting you return to where you left off.

5. The Great Suspender

The Great Suspender helps you suspend tabs to free up some of Chrome’s memory. Clicking on the Great Suspender button lets you choose from suspending the current tab, suspending all other tabs or restoring all your tabs. The tool allows for automatic and manual suspending, configurable in the settings. The settings also allow you to set a whitelist of sites that won’t get suspended.

10 Most Expensive Acquisitions In Recent Tech History

There are many reasons why tech acquisitions happen: to acquire talent, to shut down a rising competitor, to gain access and ownership to patents, equipment, technologies etc, and at the very least, it is great fodder for the media. These acquisitions usually come with a hefty price tag, but the truth is that not all of them have good ROI.

(Image Source: smh)

Despite the mind-boggling sum of $19 billion, Facebook buying WhatsApp may not exactly be the biggest acquisition in known history (see here for some of the biggest numbers in a variety of relatable categories).

In today’s post, we’re counting down the biggest billion-dollar acquisitions that has happened in recent years. Just for fun, we’re throwing in what else you could buy for the same price tag (just to put things into perspective).

Recommended Reading: 40 Classic Photos Of Tech Companies You’ve Got To See

1. Facebook Buys WhatsApp ($19 billion)

For the ridiculous price of $19bil, Facebook is buying more than just an app. Facebook is getting access to WhatsApp’s 450 million users, minus the 500,000 that have migrated to Telegram, and the 200,000 to Threema, and countless other migrations that nonetheless aren’t even touching the grand bulk of users sticking to WhatsApp.

(Image Source: scmp)

If anything killed SMS, it was WhatsApp with its handy, dependable and professional approach to mobile messaging, so much so that SingTel CEO is considering charging the likes of WhatsApp and Skype for the use of their networks. WhatsApp also spurred a motherload of alternatives, and many new ones are recently coming out from China to take a chunk of the mobile messaging market.

Alternative purchase: The UN’s aid budget for a year ($13bil)

2. Google Buys Motorola Mobility ($12.5 billion)

Before Facebook made the deal of the decade though, Google held that crown with an acquisition of Motorola Mobility in 2011 (finalised in 2012) for $12.5 billion. From the deal, Google secured a bargaining chip against Apple in the form of 17,000 patents including patents for wireless communication technologies.

(Image Source: Yahoo! Finance)

Earlier in mid-2011, Google had also acquired 1000 IBM patents mostly related to hardware but lost out on 6,000 patents in telecommunication and networking patents from Nortel. Nortel had sold out to a group of tech companies including Apple and Microsoft, instead of only to Google, raking in $4.5 billion in the process.

Google had since sold off Motorola Home for $2.35 billion and Motorola’s smartphone division (plus 2,000 patents) to Lenovo for $2.91 billion but in return had triggered and aided in the fascinating growth of Android at an unprecedented scale.

Alternative purchase: Finding The Higgs Boson ($13.25 bil)

3. HP Buys Autonomy ($10.3 billion)

After having bought Compaq for $17.6 billion in 2002, HP was on course to make another $10-billion sale with Autonomy, an enterprise software company, in 2011. Later, near the end of 2012, HP admitted that they had overpaid for the company, citing the reason being Autonomy had been cooking their books (which they denied).

A writedown of $8.8 billion was reported, $5 billion of which they said was caused by the accounting discrepancies. HP executives reportedly knew about the British software maker’s inappropriate accounting activities yet did not inform the board, allowing the deal to slip through.

(Image Source: LA Times)

The CEO in charge, of the deal, Leo Apotheker, had since been sacked, and when Autonomy failed to reach revenue targets, its founder and CEO, Mike Lynch was fired as well. Lynch who had built Autonomy for 10 years, denied the allegations and instead puts the blame on petty infighting in HP. With everyone pointing fingers at everyone, the fight is far from over.

Alternative purchase: Clean water and sanitation for the for the world â€" ALL of it ($10 bil)

4. Microsoft Buys Skype ($8.5 billion)

Before Microsoft bought Skype in mid-2011, Skype was briefly owned by eBay in 2005 for $3.1 billion. EBay sold it off to a private investor at a 40% loss but when Google and Facebook came a-knocking, Microsoft swooped and welcomed Skype into the family for $8.56 billion. Although it had a smaller user base than Windows’s own Live Messenger (roughly a third at the time of the acquisition), Skype had 8 million paying customers.

(Image Source: The Guardian)

Since then, Skype is pre-installed on every Windows device and is the channel one-third of the world’s video calls are on. It also brought in close to $800 million in 2012, which hardly contributed to Microsoft’s overall earnings, but it is still a lot better than Microsoft’s acquisition of online advertising company, aQuantive in a 2007 $6.3 billion deal. Let’s just say online advertising is still out of Microsoft’s grasp.

Alternative purchase: Cost to build 2 World Trade Centers ($8 bil)

5. Oracle Buys Sun Microsystems ($7.4 billion)

Upon buying Sun Microsystems, Oracle took over ownership for Java, the Solaris Operating System and MySQL (considered a threat to Oracle’s business), which Sun had bought two years prior for $1 billion. The move effectively kept Java away from IBM’s clutches but saw the loss of key engineers in Sun, including creator of Java, James Gosling, creator of XML, Tim Bray, CEO Jonathan Schwartz and Sun’s Chief Open Source Officer, Simon Phipps.

(Image Source: Investors.com)

In August 2010, Oracle, locked and loaded, sued Google for "copyright and patent infringement" over the use of Java in its Android platform. It was looking for $6.1 billion in damages but when a jury found that Google was not guilty of infringement, only "a small amount of literal code copying", Oracle agreed to "zero" damages, saying it wants to focus on filing for an appeal instead.

Alternative purchase: Relief for the Phillipines ($6 bil)

6. Microsoft Buys Nokia ($7.2 billion)

Once the no.1 cellphone manufacturer in the world, Nokia sold its mobile phone unit to Microsoft for more than $7 billion in mid-2013. Also included are Nokia’s patent portfolio, mapping services, around 32,000 employees and a chance for Microsoft to break into the mobile device and services market via the Lumia and Asha brands.

(Image Source: The Verge)

Conspiracy theorists quickly noted the involvement of Stephen Elop in the decision to merge Nokia’s hardware and distribution channels with Microsoft’s Windows Phone platform. Previously an executive of Microsoft, Elop was CEO at Nokia during the acquisition and will become the head of Microsoft’s devices team upon completion of the deal.

Another theory was that Nokia was at the verge of dumping Windows Phone and Microsoft had no other choice but to buy the one last vessel that carry Windows Phone.

Alternative Purchases: A colony on Mars ($6 billion)

7. Google Buys Nest Labs ($3.2 billion)

What in the world could Google possibly want with thermostats and smoke detectors when it could already is the world’s biggest search engine, and has an array of news-generating products â€" Chromecast, Chromebook, Android OS, Google Nexus and Google Glass â€" to its name? Possibly the next big thing to change the world.

(Image Source: Business Insider)

The co-founder of Nest is none other than Tony Fadell, creator of the iPod and he is set to change your home into a "conscious home". Google believes that technology should be working hard for people, while people should be getting on with their lives. Nest’s products aims to make that a reality, by creating smart products that can make decisions by learning your behaviour and interacting with you, inside your home. Creepy… yet exciting!

Alternative purchase: MMR vaccine for every child in the world ($3 bil)

8. Dell Buys Quest Software ($2.4 billion)

Quest Software is a leader in enterprise software solutions comprising of database management, data protection, Windows server management as well as identity and access management. In light of the decline in hardware and personal computer sales, Dell outbid rivals with a $2.4 billion offer to acquire Quest.

(Image Source: John Anthony Signs)

It hopes to push its software business sales to up to $1.2 billion per annum with the help of Quest, which has 3850 employees and 60 offices in 23 countries. Dell is also reported to have made 19 acquisitions in the past 4 years including for a storage protection solution company, Credant Technologies (undisclosed), and a network and data security provider, SonicWall for $1.2 billion.

Alternative purchase: Burj Khalifa ($1.5 bil)

9. Yahoo! Buys Tumblr ($1.1 billion)

Marissa Mayer joined Yahoo! in July, 2012 and began a shopping spree that involved a variety of startups including Rockmelt, Aviate and the one with the biggest price tag, Tumblr. So far, it has shown no signs of slowing down. It is home to 173.4 million blogs and already has 78 billion posts. Tumblr is essentially Yahoo’s lifeline to young adults, and while Tumblr has yet to show any returns, Mayer could change all that with ads in 2014.

(Image Source: Business Insider)

Aside from trying to figure out how to monetize ads in a way that doesn’t take away from the Tumblr user experience, Yahoo has to deal with Tumblr pages that are not safe for work (NSFW). For the former, it is possible that another startup company, Swoop, may be called in to deliver. Using data provided by the users themselves, Swoop engages in contextual advertising to ensure you are served ads of things you are interested in. Check this post for more details.

Alternative purchase: 3 Airbus A380-800 ($1.2 bil)

10. Facebook Buys Instagram ($1 billion)

After all that, Facebook buying Instagram, a photo-sharing app for a billion dollars (pfft) sounds like child’s play (perspective, right?). In any case, Facebook has been buy startups left, right and center mostly to acquire new talent, and like how Google does it, a lot of these acquired startups are bought then shut down (Snapchat knew what was coming).

(Image Source: Bloomberg)

One of the exceptions, however, was Instagram. Since the acquisition in April 2012, Instagram has a marked growth of 23% in 2013 and has announced that it would be introducing advertising to the platform. Possibly the most influential app to popularize selfies and hashtags, Instagram’s fame had also spurred many third-party apps that allow users to extend Instagram beyond its use of photographic filters.

Alternative purchase: 4 trips to space on Virgin Galactic ($1 bil)

A Look Into: Biometric Technology

With increasingly more sensitive and personal information being stored on devices nowadays, biometric technology has become more and more important for security, and to ensure that this information doesn’t fall into the wrong hands. The popularity of Apple’s iPhone 5s, with its Touch ID fingerprint scanning technology, should tell you that biometrics is definitely on the rise.

(Image Source: channelpro)

And it’s not just the iPhone 5s either: there were a lot of new tech devices featuring biometric technology at the recent Consumer Electronics Show (CES). And there’s definitely more to come. From smartphones to video game consoles to biometric wristbands, biometric technology is definitely going to make its way to more and more devices over the next few years. Here’s a quick look into the present, and future, of biometric technology.

Recommended Reading: Golden Rule To Internet Security: Change Your Passwords

What Is Biometric Technology?

Biometrics is a form of user identification and access control that uses physiological attributes such as a person’s fingerprints, face and retina in order to identify users. Biometrics can also identify users based on certain behavioral tendencies such as speech patterns and typing rhythm.

(Image Source: lockheedmartin)

Unlike normal forms of access control such as identity cards or PIN numbers, these physiological characteristics are difficult to fake, leading to increased security. These physiological characteristics are also pretty much impossible to misplace, unlike an access card.

Physiological attributes such as fingerprints and retina patterns aren’t just picked at random, though; each of these attributes has to fulfill a number of requirements to ensure that they’re suitable to be used in biometric identification. There are 3 particularly important requirements:

• Inimitable: The attribute must not be reproducible.
• Singularity: The attribrute must be singular and unique enough to diffrentiate one person from another.
• Convenience: The attribute must be convenient to measure and capture.

As far as security is concerned, there are few reasons to prefer traditional password or access card systems over biometrics, except for one problem. With current password systems, it’s easy to provide a new password if the old one is compromised.

However, if a user’s fingerprint or other biometric identifier is somehow compromised, there’s currently no way to "cancel" or "reset" biometrics; after all, there’s no way for a service to issue a user with a new face if their facial recognition data is somehow compromised.

Biometric Technology Today

The most appealing thing about biometrics has to be the way that they might one day replace passwords. Here’s a quick look into some of the ways biometrics are being implemented in consumer devices right now, plus the positives and negatives of each technology when it comes to replacing passwords.

Fingerprint Scanning

Fingerprint scanning is currently the most common form of biometric technology and, according to Frost & Sullivan, should remain the leading biometric technology for at least the next few years. Fingerprint scanning works by scanning the ridges and valleys on a finger’s surface.

Notable uses of fingerprint scanning in consumer electronics are the fingerprint sensors on the iPhone 5S, HTC One Max and FingerQ’s Q-Case series of smartphone cases. In most of these cases, fingerprint scanning is used to unlock the phone.

Fingerprint scanning definitely fits the criteria for convenience and singularity, but it’s not as inimitable as other forms of biometrics. A perfect example is, of course, how Germany’s Chaos Computer Club managed to beat Apple’s Touch ID.

As the Club pointed out, it’s entirely possible to create a fake fingerprint, as long as a clean fingerprint can be lifted off of a surface. Since we leave hundreds, if not thousands of fingerprints a day, obtaining a fingerprint for this purpose probably isn’t as hard as most of us would like to think.

Iris And Retina Scanning

Retina and iris scanning work on roughly the same principle; iris and retina patterns are unique and this makes them suitable for biometric identification. But where a retinal scan goes deep into the eye to identify users based on their retina pattern, iris scanning identifies users based on their iris pattern, which is visible without deep scanning.

Eyelock’s Myris is an upcoming device that will let you log in to sites and apps simply through iris scanning. Apple also seems to have an interest in iris scanning; if a couple of recent hires are anything to go by, so we may just see iris scanning in an upcoming Apple device.

(Image Source: bluesheepdog)

Both the iris and retina are very much inimitable and singular, with very low false positives and negatives. For instance, Eyelock claims that the chances of a false match with Myris are 1 in 2 trillion. Retina scanning is not particularly convenient, as it requires users to have their eyes extremely close to a dedicated scanning device. This, plus the high cost of retina scanners, makes retinal scanning less desirable for consumer electronics devices.

Iris scanning is a lot more convenient, since it only requires a much more common infra-red camera and can be performed at a distance. One potential issue, though, with both of these methods that the identification accuracy can be effected by medical conditions, eye surgery and alcohol consumption (in the case of iris scanning).

Facial Recognition

Facial recognition software identifies individuals based on nodal points such as the distance between a person’s eyes, the width of the nose and the shape of cheekbones. Facial recognition is already being used on Facebook, where it’s used to automatically identify people in photos.

It’s also recently made an appearance in both Microsoft’s Xbox One and Sony’s PlayStation 4, both of which use facial recognition to automatically sign users in. Android versions 4.0 and above also come with a Face Unlock feature, which allows users to unlock devices using their face.

One of the biggest issues with facial recognition is that it’s not 100% inimitable. Certain systems are reasonably easy to spoof by simply using a photo of the target. Not all systems suffer from this same weakness though: Google, for example, have patented a liveness test for facial recognition.

Singularity and convenience aren’t huge problems for facial recognition, but the important thing with facial recognition is the recognition software itself. More specifically, it’s important that the software is able to recognise faces under various lighting conditions and when wearing accessories such as glasses or hats.

Voice Recognition

Voice-based biometric identification isn’t widespread at the moment, but the market is expected to grow within the next few years. Voice recognition, not to be confused with speech recognition, works by identifying characteristics of a person’s voice.

Last year, Authentify launched a mobile security app called Authentify xFA, which links digital credentials with a biometric voice print. In addition, GEO Semiconductor, SpeechFX and VoiceVault launched Granta, a home automation system with voice recognition capabilities.

Voice recognition is certainly a very convenient and low cost form of biometric identification, since the technology to collect speech data is readily available in the devices we use daily, such as smartphones. In addition, the voice is indeed inimitable and singular enough to be used for user identification purposes.

There are a few weaknesses to voice recognition, though. Firstly, background noise can affect the accuracy of the analysis. In addition, illnesses such as a cold or sore throat may affect a person’s voice enough to make recognition less accurate.

Heartbeat Biometrics

Using vital signs, specifically the heartbeat, to identify individuals is not an entirely new idea. An individual’s heartbeat, or electrocardiogram (EGC) wave, is unique and remains constant even when heart rate increases as a result of excitement or exercise.

Bionym’s Nymi armband is one of the few consumer devices to implement this form of biometric identification to identify users. When the Nymi identifies you, it lets you take control of all the devices linked to your Nymi, which can include your smartphone, computer and even your car.

The heartbeat might be one of the most secure physiological attributes that can be used for biometric identification. A person’s ECG wave is unique, not to mention inimitable and hard to reproduce. ECG scanning is quite convenient, too, as it doesn’t require any invasive scanning procedures or bulky specialised hardware.

The Nymi, after all, is a compact armband, and if future heartbeat scanning devices follow the Nymi’s lead, then heartbeat scanning will probably be one of the more convenient forms of biometric identification.

Biometrics in The Future

There’s always a lot of research and development going on in biometrics, be it looking into new physiological attributes to be used for biometric identification or research focused on improving currently-available forms of biometric identification. There’s a lot to look forward to when it comes to new forms of biometric identification.

Gait Analysis

Gait analysis, the analysis of how a person walks, is quite an interesting prospective method of biometric identification. There are two general methods used in gait biometrics. The first method uses camera footage which is then analyzed and processed by computers using a variety of different algorithms.

The second method, discovered by researchers from Carnegie Mellon University, uses a smartphone’s accelerometers to identify a person according to their gait with up to 99.4% accuracy. This method is particularly interesting, as it could conceivably be used to automatically shut a smartphone down if it detects a gait that’s different from that of the owner.

(Image Source: Ordnance Survey)

Body Odor

Quite recently, researchers from the Universidad Politecnica de Madrid announced that they were making progress on the use of body odor as a biometric identifier. According to the researchers, certain characteristics of a person’s body odor are consistent throughout their lives, which would allow body odor-based biometrics to identify individuals with up to an 85% accuracy rating. It remains to be seen how this might be integrated into consumer electronics, but the high accuracy rating is promising.

DNA

The next frontier in biometrics, however, has to be DNA, which is possibly the most accurate way to identify an individual. Admittedly, testing for DNA is nothing new and has been used in law enforcement for a while, but DNA testing in everyday biometrics is still a ways away.

The problem is that DNA testing doesn’t return instant results, and anyone who’s seen episodes of CSI will know that it requires specialised equipment. Even a "rapid" DNA testing machine such as the IntegenX RapidHIT cost $245,000 in 2012, and is definitely too inconvenient for use outside of law enforcement.

(Image Source: NIST)

While DNA-based biometrics will probably never be cheap or convenient enough for use in portable consumer electronics, researchers are constantly looking for ways to make DNA testing quicker and cheaper. It’s not impossible that, one day, the technology currently being used in law enforcement will make its way into the home, allowing home owners to secure their homes with DNA-testing biometric security.

Conclusion

There’s no denying the fact that biometric technology is here to stay. The variety of methods and implementations that are currently available and coming soon is proof enough of this, but the fact that research is still ongoing, looking for new and improved methods of biometric identification, definitely reinforces that fact.

Biometrics aren’t perfect, and there will definitely be teething problems, notably the aforementioned issue with biometrics being uncancellable, but a future where we won’t have to remember a myriad of different passwords for all the devices and accounts in our ever-connected lives is definitely on the horizon.

9 Sites For Free Online Courses And Open Courseware

Nowadays, education is not limited to the classroom anymore. The advancements of technology and the Internet have granted us access to a wide range of digital learning materials as well as online forums and communities.

There are now many organizations or individuals that offer free online courses and learning materials, and today I would like to bring your attention to a list of websites that offer free online courses and open courseware content for different streams of higher education.

These websites are all part of the MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) movement. All you have to do to is sign up and you’ll be able to join your favorite courses for free. Online courses, if taken seriously, can indeed provide you knowledge in ways that are no less effective than learning in the classroom. Learning online is wonderful and fun. Give it a try!

Recommended Reading: Major Tech In Education Trends In 2013 [Infographic]

1. Coursera

Coursera is the biggest source of online courses, which are based on pedagogical foundations. It currently offers 621 courses in 25 categories from 108 providers â€" all free to join! The courses span various categories such as Arts, Computer Science, Education, Engineering, Food & Nutrition, Humanities, Law, Mathematics, Medicine, Social Sciences, and many more.

Course materials can be downloaded in the form of lecture videos, presentations, and notes. Your marks for weekly assignments and final exam determine your eligibility for the Certificate of Completion. Coursera has also started a paid Signature Track program to provide verified certificates.

Links: About Coursera â€" More courses

2. Udacity

Udacity is a website that offers professional online courses with a focus on practical and active learning. It currently offers 36 courses spanning 5 categories: Business, Computer Science, Mathematics, Physics, and Psychology. The courses are also grouped according to different levels: Beginner, Intermediate, and Advance.

Short quizzes, and assignments are provided after each lesson to test your understanding. You can watch the course videos online or download the archived lessons and assignments in compressed zip format. All the courses are self-paced, which means you can complete particular lectures or assignments at your own pace.

Links: About Udacity â€" More courses

3. MIT OpenCourseWare

MIT OCW is the top source of OpenCourseWare on the web. The site offers more course materials than any other website or organization, with reading materials from over 2100 courses in more than 10 top categories (with sub-categories) from over 30 departments. The categories include Business, Energy, Engineering, Health & Medicine, Humanities, Science, Society, and more.

Although MIT OCW doesn’t offer online courses, it’s still the best source of free course materials for students as well as teachers. You can find recorded lectures and other study materials about various topics for free.

Links: About MIT â€" More courses

4. edX

edX brings the best online courses from top universities, including MIT, Harvard University, Berkeley University of California, University of Washington, and more. It currently offers 146 courses in over 20 subjects from more than 30 universities. The courses span various categories such as Business, Computer Science, Environmental Science, Ethics, Food & Nutrition, History, Law, Literature, Philosophy, Science, and Statistics.

It is a not-for-profit open source platform for students and institutions who want to transform learning through technology and pedagogical courses. edX offers self-paced courses, which means you can take the courses at your own pace. You can watch the lecture videos online. You are required to complete all homework and assignments to get the Certificate of Mastery.

Links: About EdX â€" More courses

5. NovoEd

NovoEd is a website that currently offers 24 free courses and 7 paid courses. The courses span 7 categories: Entrepreneurship, Finance, Business Strategy, Education, Design & Creativity, Math & Science, and Humanities. The courses focus on adopting a practical approach to learning, and encourage team work and group activities.

The courses come with lecture videos and other course materials. You are required to watch the videos and complete the assignments (including group activities) in order to obtain the Certificate of Completion.

Links: About NovoEd â€" More courses

6. Canvas Network

Canvas Network is an open online course network that offers more than 30 courses spanning various categories such as Arts, Business, Environmental Studies, History, Mathematics, Medicine, and Writing. Course materials, assignments, final grades, and certificate availability vary according to the course and the instructor.

Links: About Canvas Network

7. Open2Study

Open2Study offers close to 50 free courses spanning various categories such as Arts & Humanities, Business, Education, Finance, Health & Medicine, Management, Marketing, and Science & Technology. The courses come with good study materials. And most of these courses only take 4 weeks to complete, which would suit most busy learners.

Links: More courses

8. Course Builder

Course Builder is Google’s experiment in building online courses. It’s a software package that is freely available to anyone interested in creating his/her online course, which can be made available to any number of students on the web. Feel free to browse through the list of existing courses. Course materials, prerequisites, workload, and certification rules will differ from course to course.

Links: Course Builder courses

9. OpenCourseWare Consortium

OpenCourseWare Consortium has various open course content offered by many universities. As of 24 February 2014, it has 24298 courses from 77 providers. Just use the search funtion to look up any course that you’re interested in. You can browse courses by provider, language, and category.

Links: OpenCourseWare courses

10 Things We Want To See In Windows 9

Let’s face reality, there’s just no way Microsoft is going back to the old ‘classic’ Windows look that we’ve grown so accustomed to. The Metro UI is here to stay and is probably going to be improved upon when Windows 9 gets released in 2015.

Of course we’re looking forward to more new features, and in this post we’re naming 10 things we want to see in Windows 9.

Much like how groan-inducing Windows Vista was quickly replaced by a relatively successful Windows 7, Windows 9 is set to be the peacekeeper for Windows 8. There weren’t many ground-breaking changes in Windows 7, just lots and lots of improvements. Let’s see some of the things that could help make or break the newest OS for Windows.

Recommended Reading: 20 Useful Microsoft Windows 8.1 Tips & Tricks

1. Separate OS For Desktop & Tablets

Windows 8 had a 2-in-1 thing going on, in an effort to try to work for both Touch and Click. In trying to be a Jack of all trades, it became master of none and Windows 8 merely irked users because it basically didn’t and couldn’t work properly for either. Although laptop hybrids are hot in the market today, the idea to combine a desktop OS and a mobile OS into one may be alluring but impractical.

Read Also: Getting Around (And About) The New Windows 8 UI

You would never catch Apple packaging iOS and Mac OS into one; they are both two totally different environments. Apple however, does make them work extremely well with one another.

Microsoft should probably separate the hybrid OS they have come up with and allow users to easily switch from a desktop mode to a tablet mode. This will be great for laptops with touchscreens giving them the choice of both worlds without one getting in the way of the other and also good for desktop users who would probably never use the tablet features.

Read Also: A Guide To Windows 8 Metro Start Page Navigation

2. More Metro Apps

One obvious reason why app developers are paying less attention to Windows apps is because its market share is very weak as compared to Android and iOS. Right now, the Microsoft Store doesn’t have the quantity to even talk about the quality of the apps. It’s unfortunate that the growth of Metro apps, which wasn’t that strong to begin with, is actually slowing down over time.

(Image Source: Computerworld)

Microsoft can afford to have fewer mobile apps because thanks to its hybrid OS, users can use full-fledged desktop programs instead of slimmed down apps. Then again, these programs were built for Click, not for Touch: the buttons are too small for fingers, and navigation that isn’t intuitive is just downright horrible. Perhaps in Windows 9, Microsoft can make a clean break between desktop and mobile and revive developer interests on Metro apps.

Read Also: Top 20 Metro Apps For Windows 8

3. Windowed Metro Apps

Multitasking on mobile is still a few steps away from effective and practical use but in terms of environment, Windows 8 already has the real estate required â€" they just need windowed Metro apps. When established in windows, the situation effectively allows several Metro apps to run simultaneously, letting you multitask like you would on desktop.

There’s already a paid third party program to that now, but it should come as an option to begin with. A full screen Metro app isn’t only overkill as it underutilizes screen space, it also reduces productivity. Time to break the rules, Metro.

Read Also: Develop Your Windows 8 App â€" Resources, Tools And Tips

4. Metro That’s Out Of The Way

On Mac, the Launchpad can be "summoned" with a simple gesture when it is needed. It doesn’t get in your face when you start up your machine but if you need it, it is still there. Metro could work like that rather than being a constant pain, forcing you to navigate through it to get to desktop mode.

If Microsoft is not down with the idea of splitting the desktop from the tablet in their OS, they should at least allow users to hide the Metro mode, particularly for those who are there to use the device as a laptop, not as a tablet. Let users choose to start their Windows in desktop mode instead of forcing them to face Metro everytime they start up the computer.

Read Also: Bringing Back Windows 8 Start Menu With Pokki

5. Customizable Metro

Metro’s live tiles give you plenty of information without having to run the app to get it. The idea is brilliant; its interface however, leaves a lot to be desired. It lacks customizability as it is stuck on a strict grid that can turn otu to be messy because of different-sized Metro tiles.

Although there are tweaks like OblyTile to change the tiles of installed programs, it’ll be nice if Microsoft had a native way to customize the look of individual tiles. Not only does it look way better than the small program icons, the tile space gives Metro a way better experience.

Read Also: 10 Tips & Tricks To Setup And Customize Microsoft Surface RT

6. Reduced OS Size

Windows tablets in the market today suffer from lack of storage space because Windows 8 takes up about 16GB. This means when you buy a 32GB tablet you are left with only 16GB free space for all your other apps.

Although Surface tablet storage can be extended with external hard drives, USB flash drives or microSD card, selling a 32GB tablet when only half of it is free is simply a bad sales pitch. If this cannot be fixed by reducing the OS size, then perhaps a revised marketing strategy is at hand.

7. Return Of Vertical Scrolling

Intuitive navigation is black or white, there is no in between. When Metro UI was first shown to the world, everyone was stumped by the scrolling of the mouse wheel up and down to see the screen move horizontally. Despite Metro being built for tablets, even in that environment, horizontal scrolling is pretty alien compared to what we are used to.

The good news is that horizontal scrolling is limited to just Metro and its apps, and while it probably takes only a while for users to get used to it, perhaps developers can put a bit more thought on the navigation and not try to go against the grain so much.

Read Also: Enable Slide To Shutdown UI For Windows 8.1 [Quicktip]

8. Organized Search & App Management

The Windows 8 search is quite powerful, allowing you to search for keywords (within apps) and indexed files stored in your computer. Although powerful, it is also quite messy and disorganized. Installed desktop programs are hard to find because it’s existing in an interface made for tablets, not desktops.

It would be nice for the search results to be a little more organized. A great example would be Apple’s Spotlight search that gives you a ‘Top Hit’ which is the app or file you’re most likely looking for, followed by a clean list for files, apps or folders that have the keyword you’re searching for.

Read Also: Organize Installed Programs On Windows 8 Modern UI Apps Menu Search

9. Integration With More Services

Since Microsoft has their own email provider, it doesn’t play nice with other services like Gmail. Gmail users who want to use the live tiles on the Calendar app within Metro couldn’t do that because there isn’t the option to add a Gmail account calendar.

The Mail app also does not support POP email although IMAP is superior, and yet something this basic should be supported for the benefit of users. If Microsoft can solve these little issues and support a wider user base, chances are more people would be interested.

Read Also: How To Enable Built-In Administrator Account On Windows 8 [Quicktip]

10. Better Notification Delivery

Windows 8 now supports notifications for its apps but unlike Mac OS it doesn’t have a notification center â€" a norm on platforms like Android and iOS. On Windows, the notifications you will see will only be on the app tiles, and you only see them if you are looking. A centralized notification center would deliver the message more efficiently.

Windows 8 in Microsoft’s most powerful OS yet, but these improvements on top of others will probably encourage more users to upgrade to Windows 9 and hopefully still keep Microsoft in the running in both the tablet and desktop platforms, for the long run.

Top 10 Online Services To Sell Digital Products Effortlessly

These days, everyone can be a creator. Technology has democratized the creative process, and almost anyone can now sell creative products such as music, photography, videos, eBooks and artwork online. But while online marketplaces will guarantee you a lot of visibility, there’s a lot you have to give up in return: marketplaces often take a significant cut of your sales, you’re not in control of the look and branding of the site and sometimes you don’t even have control over the pricing of your products.

This is where digital sales services come in handy. They connect you and your customers directly but, at the same time, handle the sales and digital distribution, cutting out the hassle and letting you focus solely on the products. With these services, you’re in complete control of the pricing of your products and the branding on the site, not to mention the fact that these services won’t take a 70% cut of your sales. Here are 10 such services that you may just want to take a closer look at.

Recommended Reading: 7 Free E-Commerce WordPress Plugins

1. Gumroad

Gumroad is one of the newest services designed to help you sell digital downloads of your eBooks, videos, photographs and software. One of the most interesting things about Gumroad is that it deals with credit card companies directly, bypassing PayPal’s 2.9% surcharge. Another benefit of this is that sales on Gumroad will work in countries that are not supported by PayPal. Gumroad also lets you sell physical products.

Fees: 5% + $0.25 commission per sale. No monthly fee.

2. FetchApp

FetchApp started as a Shopify app, so it offers easy integration with Shopify, which is handy if you also have a Shopify account and wish to link the two. It also has an API if you wish to integrate it with your existing webiste. FetchApp plans have no limit on the number of eBooks, music files, videos or digital artworks you can upload. Bandwidth is also unlimited.

Fees: Free â€" $500/month. No commission.

3. Intubus

Intubus is a great crowd-centric solution for selling digital products such as eBooks, movies, music, photography and artwork. Intubus lets you create shopping widgets to sell your products that can be embedded on any website you choose. The best thing about these widgets is that they also feature content from other Intubus users; so, your products won’t just be appearing in your widget, but also on other users’ widgets all across the Internet.

Fees: 5% commission per sale. No monthly fee.

4. Sellfy

Sellfy claims to provide the simplest way to sell your eBooks, photographs, music, themes and other digital downloads. One of the most interesting features of Sellfy is that you can offer discounts to customers who share your products via Twitter and Facebook. You can track the effectiveness of these discounts and see what effect discount offers will have on sales. Sellfy gives you unlimited storage and bandwidth for your digital art, eBooks, programs and digital content.

Fees: 5% commission per sale. No monthly fee.

5. Pulley

Pulley is a spinoff from BigCartel, offering a simple shopping cart system for selling your music, videos, eBooks, fonts and other digital downloads. You can embed Buy Now buttons onto any websites, and can even track your sales with Pulley’s statistics view. Pulley operates on a monthly subscription model, but also offers a free 14-day trial so you can see whether Pulley is right for your eBooks, fonts and digital products.

Fees: $6/month â€" $49/month. No commisison.

6. Simple Goods

Simple Goods is another one of the few services for selling digital content such as eBooks, music and design work that accept credit card payments directly, with low fees. Aside from the low fees, Simplegoods features MailChimp integration, mobile readiness, in-depth analytics and insights as well as the ability to embed a checkout button directly into your site. Simplegoods also has unlimited file storage and bandwith.

Fees: 2.9% + $0.45 commission per sale. No monthly fee.

7. SendOwl

SendOwl will appeal to anyone looking to sell digital content, but it has a couple of features that will make it particulalry appealing to those who want to sell software, eBooks and PDF files. For one, SendOwl has a PDF protection feature that will stamp each PDF download with the customer’s name and e-mail. You can also inform customers of product updates and let them download the update for free.

Fees: $9/month â€" $39/month. No commission.

8. Selz

Selz is a feature-rich service for anyone looking to sell artwork, eBooks, music, software and other digital content. Selz will be of interest to moviemakers, since it supports files up to 4GB in size. Selz has a WordPress plugin, and each account comes with a free Facebook store account. Each store also has a built-in direct messaging feature. Selz provides audio and video previews, PDF stamping and the ability to set "pay what you want" pricing. Selz also has no bandwidth or storage limits.

Fees: 5% + $0.25 commission per sale. No monthly fee.

9. Digital Goods Store

Digital Goods Store is quite a comprehensive solution if you’re looking to sell digital content such as movies, music, eBooks and themes. Digital Goods Store offers both PDF stamping and download protection to protect you from piracy. In addition, Digital Goods Store supports landing pages and integrates with email marketing services MailChimp and GetResponse.

Fees: 5% commission per sale for free account. $39.99/month for pro account.

10. DPD

DPD offers one of the more customizable services for selling your digital art, eBooks, movies, music and so on. It lets you customize your cart, checkout, delivery pages and emails using a simple WYSIWYG editor. It also supports selling keycodes, subscriptions and even physical products. Bandwidth and sales are unlimited for all subscription plans.

Fees: $10/month â€" $130/month. No commission.