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Articles by Adrian Try
The art of combining instruments and sounds
Finding the right combination of instruments and sounds is an art form, and takes the same creative energy as choosing the right chord, creating a beautiful melody or writing engaging lyrics. A lot of time should be spent in choosing the sounds and instruments you use in a recording. And careful attention should be paid to how those sounds relate to one another. After all, the instruments you use can define your sound.
The Best Mechanical Keyboards for Developers
Like the weight of a good pen or the balance of a chef’s knife, you can appreciate the quality of a mechanical keyboard just by using it. The stability of the metal casing, the confident click of the keys, and the playful ambience of the RGB backlighting invite you to type. A keyboard is one of a developer’s primary tools, so get a good one. You need one that’s reliable, feels comfortable, and makes you productive. It’s a choice that deserves the investment of some time and money.
The Best Markdown Plugins for WordPress
Markdown is a fast and efficient way to write content for the Web. It’s easy to write, easy to read, and easily converted to HTML. It empowers writers and bloggers to write without the use of overcomplicated and visually exhausting code. The syntax was created by John Gruber in 2004 and became popular in blogs and forums. It’s used on Reddit, Trello, GitHub, Stack Overflow, SourceForge, and Stack Exchange. Chances are, you’re familiar with it already.
4 Trends for Modernizing An Online Booking System in 2021
This sponsored article was created by our content partner, BAW Media. Thank you for supporting the partners who make SitePoint possible. Consumers expect modern, intuitive, and convenient solutions to everyday problems and situations. Like making appointments, booking reservations, and signing up for events. As antiquated solutions like phone-based reservation systems and basic contact forms grow more and more out of favor, what exactly do consumers want in 2021?
The Best Markdown Editors for iOS
Markdown is a fast and efficient way to write for the Web. It uses easy-to-read markup and plain text files. It comes with a low learning curve, no lock-in, and fits well with the simplicity of iOS and iPadOS. The syntax was created by John Gruber in 2004 and offers a number of benefits to writers and bloggers. To use it, you just need a plain-text editor, but an app designed for writing in Markdown offers significant benefits.
Learn Markdown: Structure, Syntax, and Conventions
Content on the Web needs to be presented in HTML format. Many web publishing tools (such as blogging software and CMSs) convert your content (text, images and so on) into HTML for you. But there are many situations where you want to write HTML content yourself … and marking up content with HTML tags manually is laborious and not really viable. Enter Markdown. Markdown is an easy, frictionless way of writing content for the Web and the perfect way for developers to create documentation.
Mailbird vs. Outlook
An estimated 98.4% of computer users check their email every day. That means everyone needs a good email application—one that helps you manage, find, and respond to your email with little effort. Not all of the email we receive is wanted, so we also need help sorting important messages from newsletters, junk mail, and phishing schemes. So which email client is best for you? Let’s take a look at two popular options: Mailbird and Outlook.
eM Client vs. Thunderbird
If you’re a typical computer user, you check your email every day. That’s a lot of time to spend in your email app, so choose a good one. You need an email client that helps you keep on top of your growing inbox while keeping you safe from dangerous or unwanted messages. eM Client is a modern, attractive program for Mac and Windows with an unimaginative name. It offers tons of features that will speed your workflow and help you organize your email.
Mailbird vs. Thunderbird
Although the number of social media platforms and chat apps is always growing, email seems here to stay. Just about everyone has an email address. It’s easy to use, freely available, and doesn’t belong to a single company. What’s the best email software? You need an app that sets up simply, communicates effectively, and helps us manage the ever-growing amount of wanted and unwanted email we receive. Mailbird and Thunderbird are two popular email management programs. How do they compare?
eM Client vs Outlook
Do you suffer from email overload? The right email client will keep you on top of things. Email clients help you find and organize your messages—and remove unwanted, dangerous emails from view. They’ll even let you create rules so your email will start to organize itself. eM Client and Outlook are two popular and worthwhile choices. eM Client is a sleek, modern email client for Windows and Mac. It helps you to quickly work through your inbox and organize your messages.
myViewBoard Review
Effectiveness 4.5 out of 5 Teach online or in a class price 5 out of 5 Free till mid-2021 ease of use 4.5 out of 5 Simple to use and share support 4.5 out of 5 Ticketing system, video tutorials, knowledgebase Quick Summary The Covid-19 pandemic has disrupted many areas of life, including education. If you’re a teacher or educator, you’ve most likely found yourself suddenly having to conduct classes online and were scrambling for tools and ideas to make it work.
SurfShark VPN Review
Effectiveness 4.5 out of 5 Private and secure price 4.5 out of 5 $12.95/month or $59.76 yearly ease of use 4.5 out of 5 Simple to set up and use support 4.5 out of 5 Chat support and web form Quick Summary Do you feel vulnerable when you’re online? Do you wonder if someone’s looking over your shoulder? Have you ever done a quick product search on your computer, then see a series of ads about it on your phone later in the day? That’s creepy! A VPN keeps your surfing private and secure.
Best Novel Writing Software
A novelist is a weaver who skillfully intertwines storylines into an object of beauty. The reader is surprised and delighted: challenges are overcome, relationships develop, conflicts are worked through. The novelist creates believable characters who change and grow; they design compelling worlds to explore. Writing a novel is a big job. According to Manuscript Agency, they’re typically 60,000 to 100,000 words in length, maybe longer.
Best Book Writing Software
Writing a book is a long-term project made up of many different tasks. Using the right software tool can help you stay motivated, keep you on track, and streamline the process. Which app is the best? That depends on what you need the most help with. Do you already have one you’re comfortable writing in? Are you working as an individual or a team? Do you need help selling and distributing the final product? There are a lot of applications to choose from in the writing category.
The Best Markdown Editor for Linux
Using Markdown syntax is my preferred way of writing. I use it to create content for the Web and to jot down simple notes. It’s a simple, minimalistic method of writing formatted text that works well and doesn’t lock you into a proprietary system. That sits well with the Linux philosophy. And it’s catching on. Since John Gruber created it in 2004, it has become increasingly used online and in apps of various types. It’s worth learning.
VPNs: What They Are, and Why You Need One
Are you concerned about your online privacy and security? The first thing you should do is use a VPN service. They’re effective, affordable, and easy to use. There are plenty of effective options that cost between $3 and $10 per month. If you’ve been thinking about using one, now’s the time. Privacy is an important issue that we become more aware of as it’s taken away. You’re losing more of it day by day, and today you can do something to take it back.
6 Best Alternatives to Windows Mail
Just about everyone has an email address. You may prefer sending and receiving mail using a computer program rather than logging into a website in a browser. Windows Mail is the app many PC users get started with. While it’s simple, it’s all that most casual users need. But not everyone is a “casual” email user. Some of us receive dozens of messages a day and manage a growing archive of thousands. Does that sound like you? Most pack-in email tools aren’t up to sorting through that kind of volume.
How to Recover Files from External Hard Drive Not Detected
It’s time to work on some important files you have stored on an external drive. You plug it into your computer and… nothing. No windows open, and no hard drive icon appears. You feel a sense of dread. “Have I lost everything?” What do you do next? Whether your drive is a USB stick, an external spinning hard drive, or an external SSD, there are several reasons your computer might not detect it. Some are serious, and some are not-so-serious. It’s not time to panic yet. The not-so-serious case?
3 Quick Ways to Turn Off a VPN on Your iPhone (with Screenshots)
BY Adrian Try Updated Jun 3, 2021 • Using a VPN service on your iPhone is an excellent first step to making your online activities more private and secure. Without one, your telecommunications provider keeps a full log of your browsing history and may even sell it to advertisers, who already track your every online move to serve you more relevant ads. Governments and hackers also keep a close eye on you. All of that goes away with a VPN. There may be times you want to turn your VPN off.
How to Recover Permanently Deleted Photos from iPhone
I take more photos with my phone than I make phone calls. Chances are you’re the same. iPhones include incredible cameras and create convenient photo albums. But that convenience can lead to trouble. It’s too easy to accidentally tap the trash can icon or delete the wrong photo. Photos hold precious memories, and losing them can be upsetting. Many of us are willing to pay money to get our most valued photos back.
How to Check If Your VPN Is Working
VPN services are popular because they make surfing the internet safer. Without them, your geographic location, system information, and internet activity are visible, which leaves you vulnerable. Your ISP and employer can log every website you visit, advertisers can track the products you’re interested in, and hackers can gather information to steal your identity. How do VPNs help? In two ways: 1.
6 Cloud Backup Alternatives to Carbonite
Computer backups are essential. One human error, computer problem, or accident could permanently erase your valuable photos, media files, and documents. Offsite backup should be part of your strategy. Why? Learn from my mistake. On the day our second child was born, our house was broken into, and our computers were stolen. I’d just done a full backup of my machine, but I left the disks on my desk right next to my laptop. You can guess what happened—the thieves took them, too.
What Is Onion Over VPN?
Do you feel safe online? You’ve read the stories about hacked bank accounts, stolen identities, online stalkers, and leaked photos. You may wonder who’s listening in on your conversations when you start seeing Facebook ads for a product you were just talking about. It’s creepy. Can you protect yourself? Yes, there are tools out there. VPNs and TOR are two similar solutions to the problem—one offered commercially by companies, the other a decentralized community project.
10 Alternatives to Mozilla Thunderbird
Email was created by Ray Tomlinson way back in 1971 and continues to be a popular form of electronic communication today, especially for businesses. Forty years later, an estimated 269 billion emails are sent every day. Most of us check our inbox daily. Inspired by the growing use of the internet in the 90s, Netscape Navigator—a combined web browser and email client—was released in 1994. It was succeeded by the improved Netscape Communicator in 1997.
14 File Recovery Alternatives to Recuva
Have you ever deleted the wrong file or lost important information after a computer crash? You can’t go back in time, but data recovery software gives you an excellent chance at retrieving your lost files. Piriform Recuva Professional, from the people who originally developed CCleaner, will do just that. Unlike similar apps, Recuva is very affordable. In fact, we found it to be the “most affordable” data recovery app for Windows.
11 Alternatives to Acronis True Image
Disk imaging is a method of backing up your computer. It creates an exact copy of your hard drive and everything on it—your operating system, drivers, application software, and data. Often this backup will be bootable. If your hard drive dies, you can start up from the backup and keep working until you get the problem sorted. Acronis True Image can back up your Windows and Mac computer in several ways, including creating a disk image.
10 Alternatives to Microsoft Outlook
Social networks and instant messaging apps rise and fall in popularity. In the midst of all of that activity, one computer-based communication tool remains supreme: email. With an estimated 269 billion emails being sent every day, it’s by far the most-used way we speak to each other on the web. How many do you receive? Microsoft Outlook is a popular email client.
How to Recover Deleted Photos from iCloud
iPhones include quality cameras capable of storing and displaying every photo you take. They’re incredibly convenient and easy to take for granted—until it’s too late. What happens when you accidentally delete valuable photos from your phone? Fortunately, if you realize your mistake fairly quickly—within a month or so—you can often get them back. At the very bottom of your Albums screen, you’ll find your Recently Deleted photos. View the photo you want to get back and tap on the Recover button.
8 Alternatives to HideMyAss
HMA VPN (“HideMyAss”) promises to enhance your anonymity and security while online. It also lets you access blocked sites and bypass censorship. These are standard features of a VPN (Virtual Private Network) service. How does HMA compare with the competition? It compares well. It’s affordable, fast, and reliably accesses streaming media. It’s available on Mac, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android, routers, Apple TV, and more. But some alternatives may suit you better.
9 Alternatives to Apple Mac Mail (Which One You Should Choose)
Digital communications continue to evolve—but email seems here to stay. Most of us check our mail daily, have an incoming load of dozens of messages, and hold on to tens of thousands of old ones. Apple Mail is the app many Mac users get started with, and it’s great. From the first time you power it up, the envelope icon is available in the Dock. It’s easy to set up, easy to use, and does just about everything we need. Why change?
6 Ways to Open MSG Files on Mac (Tools and Tips)
When someone who uses Microsoft Outlook for Windows shares information with you, you’re likely to receive an MSG file (“message” file). That’s true whether they’re sharing an email, reminder, contact, appointment, or any other type of data stored in Outlook. The trouble is, Mac users don’t have any obvious way to open the file. Not even Outlook for Mac can do it—frustrating! You may have received the MSG file as an attachment in an email.
8 Paid Alternatives to Hotspot Shield (Why Avoid Free Services)
Hotspot Shield advertises itself as the “world’s fastest VPN.” A Virtual Private Network significantly improves your privacy and security when online, and Hotspot Shield bundles several other security products. It’s available for Mac, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android, smart TVs, and routers. But it’s not the only VPN on the market. In this article, we’ll show how Hotspot Shield compares with the competition, who would benefit from an alternative, and what those alternatives are.
14 Alternatives to EaseUS Data Recovery
Have you ever experienced those feelings of dread and helplessness when you realized you deleted the wrong file? Or maybe your computer died the day before a critical assignment was due—and all your hard work was suddenly gone. EaseUS Data Recovery is a popular and reliable Data Recovery Software application that offers welcome hope of getting those files back. It’s available for Windows and Mac and was thoroughly reviewed and tested on SoftwareHow by Victor Corda.
17 Alternatives to dupeGuru
Duplicate files are a pain. They eat up disk space and cause confusion. It’s hard to know where they came from—maybe you downloaded the same file more than once, maybe an app duplicated it when syncing your documents with the cloud, maybe you have misplaced backups. You shouldn’t go blindly deleting duplicates—you need specialized software. dupeGuru is a free, cross-platform application designed to find duplicate files. The price is right, and it’s quite popular.
Best Tablet for Writers
Portable writing tablets aren’t new. Clay writing tablets were used five thousand years ago in ancient Mesopotamia, wax tablets in Roman schools, and slate-and-chalk tablets in American schoolhouses until the twentieth century. Portable writing devices have always been valued. Today’s modern digital tablets? They’re more useful than ever. Electronic tablets fill the gap between the portability of a smartphone and the power of a laptop.
The Best VPNs for Developers
Does online privacy exist? Am I safe working on a coffee shop’s public Wi-Fi? How concerned should I be about ad tracking? Is my private code safe? If you feel like you’re being watched, you are. This article will explain how using a VPN service makes you more secure and less visible online, and we’ll identify the best VPNs for developers by comparing leading services. You probably already realize how vulnerable you are on an open internet connection. But let me spell it out for you anyway.
A Guide to Obsidian: Local, Markdown-Powered Networked Notes
Obsidian is a note-taking and knowledge management app by the people who created Dynalist, a popular online outliner and one of my favorite tools. They think of it as “an IDE for your notes.” It lets you turn a collection of plain text files into a rich network of linked thought. Obsidian’s data is stored in a local folder of Markdown files. The app’s powerful linking and backlinking features turn these separate files into a knowledge base that operates as your second brain.
Bibisco vs. Scrivener: Which is Better for Writing Novels?
Many novels have been written with Microsoft Word. Or a typewriter. Or even a fountain pen. However, novelists have unique needs that are better met with software designed for the job. Writing software is a growing market. Writing a novel is a lot of work. What does that mean? If you’re putting a book together, you need to take some time beforehand to choose the tool that will best support you. In this article, we’ll compare two apps made specifically for novel writers.
Scrivener vs. Word: Which is Best for Writers?
“I don’t need a special program for book writing; I just need Word.” I’ve heard countless writers say that, and it’s true. Using a familiar tool is one less hurdle to contend with when tackling a writing project. But what about specialized writing software? Will it actually make the job any easier? Scrivener is a favorite among serious writers. It’s a feature-rich application with a focus on long-form writing. It empowers you to write, research, restructure, track, and publish your work.
Scrivener vs. Evernote: Comparing Two Very Different Apps
We write to create, remember, plan, research, collaborate. In short, we need to be productive. When it comes to our computing life, one key to productivity is to choose apps with features and workflow that match your needs. In this article, we’ll compare two very different apps and explore what they’re best at. Scrivener is a popular app among serious writers, especially those who write long-form projects such as books, novels, and screenplays.
Grammarly vs. Word: Grammar Checker Shootout
We all make spelling and grammar mistakes. The trick is picking them up before it’s too late. How do you do that? You might ask someone else to check your work before you send or publish it, use Word’s spell check, or better still, use an app that specializes in proofreading. Grammarly is one of the most popular of these. It’ll check your spelling and grammar for free. The Premium version will also help you improve your document’s readability and check for potential copyright violations.
Dabble vs. Scrivener: Which is the Best Writing Tool?
Writing a book is like running a marathon—and the vast majority of writers never finish. It takes time, planning, and preparation. You’ll need to persevere when you feel like giving up, type tens of thousands of words, and meet deadlines. Some tools can help: specialized writing software helps in ways that a word processor can’t. In this article, we’ll focus on two: Dabble is a cloud-based writing tool designed to help you plan and write your novel.
Grammarly vs. Turnitin: Best Grammar and Plagiarism Checker
Writers and students know they need to check their work before submitting it. Spelling and grammar errors must be found and corrected. What is written should be clear and accurate. Sources need to be correctly cited. Accidental plagiarism should be checked for. In this article, we’ll compare two leading software solutions that do all of this and more. Grammarly is a popular and helpful program that will check your spelling and grammar for free.
17 Free and Paid Plagiarism-Checking Alternatives to Turnitin
Turnitin is the best-in-class plagiarism checker for students and teachers, as well as businesses that create online content. The consequences of infringing copyright can be severe, so it’s a useful tool. The company offers several online services that are trusted by academic institutions and enterprises around the world. They’re not cheap, but they do a lot more than test for plagiarism, such as proofreading and classroom management.
Why is Internet Safety Important (12 Tips to Be Secured)?
The internet as we know it is almost thirty years old–thirty years! Maybe that’s a small portion of your life; Maybe you’ve never known life without the web. Whatever the case, we all still need to take safety precautions when we’re on the internet. Just because you feel comfortable with your knowledge of social media, online shopping, and online banking doesn’t make you immune to the dangers that are lurking out there.
How to Speed Up iCloud Backup
iCloud backup is built into every iPhone and iPad. It’s a convenient, effective way to protect photos, documents, and other data. Even better, it’s a set-and-forget system that securely copies new or modified files from your phone to Apple’s servers. Backup occurs while you sleep. Once you set it up, you won’t even be aware that it’s happening. If anything unfortunate happens to your phone or you purchase a new one, getting that data back is easy.
How to Back Up iPhone to Google Drive
Your smartphone is probably your most-used computing device. It stores contacts, communications, appointments, to-do lists, and our memories in the form of photos and videos. Yet they are vulnerable to theft and damage, which places your valuable data at risk. How do you safeguard your data? By creating a backup. Apple has provided its own tightly integrated backup solution in the form of iCloud Backup, but you may want to consider backing up to Google Drive as well.
How to Back Up Android Phone Before Factory Reset
A factory reset will put your Android phone back to the same state it was in when you bought it. You always want to perform a factory reset before you sell your phone, and resets can solve a range of problems. But look before you jump! Resetting your phone deletes all your personal information. Make sure you back up your data first! We keep a ton of valuable information on our phones, including contacts, appointments, photos, notes, and more. Regularly backing up your phone is a good idea.
How to Speed Up Time Machine Backup
Time Machine is Apple’s computer backup system. It’s built into every Mac. The app’s purpose is to make backup easy: you set it up, and then it works without you thinking about it. After the initial backup, Time Machine only has to deal with the files you created and edited. It’s designed to work quietly in the background; you’ll probably never notice that it’s working. The app keeps your files safe, allows you to restore them one at a time or in bulk, and can be used to set up a new computer.
How to Back Up Data on SD Card-A Comprehensive Guide
SD cards are popular. They’re small, convenient, and are used by a wide variety of devices. My wife uses them in her DSLR camera. I use one in my action cam and another in a synthesizer. They’re used in MP3 players, some smartphones, and laptops. Why are they so ubiquitous? They’re an inexpensive way of storing data and moving it between devices. But like any computer storage gadget, things can go wrong. Data can become corrupted. They can stop working. They can be lost or stolen. What does that mean?
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