A Brief History

Ubuntu currently ships with the Unity shell by default, a relatively touch-friendly interface first introduced for netbooks in 2010. It became Ubuntu’s default environment starting with version 11.04. Its most distinctive characteristics are the large icons situated along a launcher docked to the left side of the screen and a dash that serves to as the primary means of launching undocked apps and files.

By the time Unity appeared on computers, the GNOME Project had already detailed plans for the upcoming GNOME 3, which eventually debuted in 2011. It removed its traditional taskbar along with “minimize” and “maximize” buttons. In their place came a new way of managing windows oriented around creating and switching between virtual workspaces. When the Linux Action Show reviewed GNOME 3, its hosts argued that it would offer a better experience on a tablet than either Android or iOS, but it was a flawed desktop environment.

Since most users did not have access to compatible hardware with touchscreens, they reviewed both desktop environments purely on their usability with keyboards and mice. The result was a large swath of users who felt that they were being left behind.

The Problem

At the time GNOME 3 and Unity first debuted, the most common devices with touchscreens were smartphones and tablets. Smartphones, given the degree of control carriers exercise over them, are generally notoriously locked down affairs. While neither GNOME 3 nor Unity targeted smartphones, there were and are open source projects such as Plasma Active, Meego, and Ubuntu Touch that users would be able to install were smartphones as open and standardized as PCs. Instead, smartphones ship with locked down bootloaders that have to be cracked, jailbroken, or rooted before users can boot anything other than a phone’s default set of software.

Tablets are essentially large smartphones with their cell radios stripped out. They run the same operating system on the same hardware as their smaller, more agile siblings. Even though most are not distributed by carriers, their bootloaders are just as locked down. Our guide to installing Ubuntu on an Asus Transformer shows just how much work goes into installing Ubuntu onto one of these tablets. And since each tablet ships with different bootloaders and hardware, there aren’t enough skilled hackers available and interested to get Linux onto all of the hardware currently available.

Aaron Siego of the KDE community has served as the primary spokesperson for the Vivaldi tablet, a 7-inch device expected to ship with KDE Plasma Active available by default but with open hardware allowing users to swap it out for their software of choice. The device was announced in January of 2012, but it has yet to see release. It turns out that manufacturers have built their model of production and distribution around the practices of their largest customers, and it’s hard for smaller players to jump in. When the majority of OEMs want mobile CPUs running off of proprietary code, manufacturers see little incentive to create and provide open kernel code and drivers for the small community that cares. Even when open source advocates try to band together to ship open hardware, they simply don’t have control over the internal components that ship inside it.

What’s A User To Do?

Long before the iPad took the world by storm, Windows tablets had made their way into the homes of a niche selection of users. These tablets were generally laptops with screens that could spin around and lie flat on top of the bottom half of the device. This hardware was typically pricey, but installing Linux on it was roughly the same experience as installing Linux on any other PC.

The Lenovo S10-3t is by no means a powerful device by today’s standards, but it can run Linux handedly and gives users the opportunity to live in Unity or GNOME 3 using a touch display. In addition to the Lenovo Ideapad series, Asus has also produced convertible EeePCs capable of running Linux. Both ship with Windows 7 by default.

The onslaught of Windows 8 hardware over the past year has altered the hardware landscape as manufacturers seek to produce devices that take advantage of the new interface. In a way, this is great for Linux. Ubuntu can be installed on the Surface Pro. Linux has also appeared on traditional clamshell laptops with touch displays like the Asus Vivobook:

While Windows 8′s secure boot makes it harder to install Linux on some new laptops than before, it’s not impossible. There’s also the Chromebook Pixel running Google’s Chrome OS that, despite its small SSD drive, supports running Linux just fine.

As for tablets shipping with Linux already installed, they’re starting to trinkle in. The PengPod ships with Android installed but comes with a microSD card that can boot up Linux. Ekoore, an Italian company, sells a selection of touch screen tablets and convertibles that ship with Ubuntu. And while the Vivaldi tablet may be down, it’s not out and is still expected to start shipping in the yet-to-be-announced future. Also keep your eyes peeled for the eventual smartphones and tablets shipping Ubuntu Touch in the years ahead.

Final Thoughts

There are many Linux desktop environments that would be killer on a smartphone or tablet, but for years there have been very few pieces of hardware that could run them. That has changed, and touch displays are steadily becoming more available than ever. If you are running a Linux distribution on a computer, tablet, or smartphone, share with us your hardware and experience below.

Image credit: Tablet use 2

The post A Brief History And Guide To Linux’s Touch Experience appeared first on Make Tech Easier.

Adding Content to the “New Tab Page”

First, grab Humble New Tab from the Chrome Web Store. The confirmation dialog that pops up may look intimidating, but the long list of permissions are necessary to give Humble New Tab the ability to manage your new tab page as thoroughly as it does.

After this, you are presented with a clean new tab page offering you quick access to all of your bookmarks. You could probably stop here and be content, but you would be missing out on much of what Humble New Tab has to offer. First, lets address that pesky notification at the top of the window. If you don’t mind the extension tracking your location, just grant it access.

If you deny the extension permission to track your location, it’s no biggie. Your location can be set manually. Just scroll up to the top right corner and click on the subtle wrench icon. This will open the options menu.

You can enter any location of your choice at the bottom of the options menu and choose between Celsius and Fahrenheit. Hit Enter after your location is typed and your weather forecast should appear immediately. Clicking on this forecast will give you the weather for the next five days. It’s not the main purpose of Humble New Tab, but it’s quite a nifty feature.

Back to bookmarks. Clicking on any of the visible folders will expand to reveal their contents. Any folder can also be dragged up or down to re-arrange them into any order you desire. Dragging a folder left or right will create a sidebar listing all of the websites contained within.

Multiple sidebars can be created, giving you the freedom to arrange websites across your new tab page largely how you wish. If you don’t want certain bookmarks to appear on your new tab page, entire folders can also be hidden. Humble New Tab is a fully customizable means of handling your bookmarks. You can fully tweak the size of the text, change the font, and alter the background color. Just go back up to the wrench to open the options menu and bring up the appearance tab.

The appearance tab provides granular options for changing every aspect of your new tab’s appearance. General themes are provided, but it’s easy to create custom ones. Sliders are also present for manually altering spacing, alignment, shadows, and animations. If this still is not enough, open the advanced tab to edit the CSS directly.

You’re Done!

Google Chrome’s default new tab pages encourages users to place their bookmarks in the bookmarks bar and tucks the remaining bookmarks into a folder in the corner, but it’s very limited in its accessibility. Humble New Tab puts you in control of your bookmarks and places your favorite websites right before your eyes. Any questions? Let us hear them in the comments.

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1. Connect Wireless Keyboards And Mice

A keyboard and mouse each require their own dongle, taking up two of a computer’s USB ports. Bluetooth keyboards and mice connect to computers without the need for a dongle, freeing up USB ports for more printers, portable DVD burners, flash drives, and many other devices. Mini keyboards are also available that connect to smartphones and smart TVs whenever a touch screen or standard remote just won’t do.

2. Transfer Files Between Devices

This works whether it’s from PC to PC, PC to phone, or even phone to phone. Bluetooth isn’t the best choice for transferring large files, but it’s great for getting your favorite wallpaper over from your computer to your handset. It’s also a useful fallback if you need to exchange files when an internet connection is not available, and it makes for a speedy way to share a photo you just snapped.

3. Connect A Smartphone To Your Car Dashboard

This allows you to talk to other people hands-free through the car’s speakers instead of your phone. Likewise, you can stream music to your car, enabling you to listen to your personal connection, podcasts, or online radio wherever you are. Newer vehicles can even connect automatically, removing most of the effort from the process. Cheap adapters are available for older vehicles that do not have this functionality built it.

4. Stream Audio To A Sound System

There is an abundance of Bluetooth speakers available, portable or otherwise, that you can stream audio to from either your smartphone or computer. Turning to one of these products compensates for the weaker speakers that tend to ship inside of our portable devices. Newer Bluetooth devices produce a higher quality signal with sound quality as clear as a physical cable.

5. Game Wirelessly

PC and mobile gamers alike can purchase Bluetooth controllers that give them all the enjoyment of a traditional button layout without the hassle of wires. The connection is so reliable that console manufacturers have already turned to the standard as a way of cutting the wires from their controllers. The Wii and PlayStation 3 both use Bluetooth to connect to Wiimotes and Dual Shock 3 controllers respectively.

6. Unlock Doors

If you’re prone to forgetting your keys but always have your phone, try using Bluetooth to unlock your doors instead. First Watch Security offers a lock that disengages when authorized users request access. It can even open your garage door, saving you from having to step outside of your vehicle on a rainy day.

7. Control Your Power Outlets

The BeeWi Mobot was unveiled at this year’s Mobile World Congress and is expected to debut later this year. Plug it into your power outlet and control whether power proceeds to appliances by using your smartphone. A master Mobot will pick up your phone’s commands and relay them to all the other Mobots in your house via Bluetooth. A built-in motion detector can also text you if it picks up on someone moving around. It’s similar to Belkin’s WeMo Automation Switch, which uses WiFi to accomplish the same task.

8. Scan Barcodes

Some portable barcode scanners send information wirelessly to either a computer or smartphone using Bluetooth. Baracuda ships a range of products available for salespeople and inquisitive shoppers alike. These serve as alternatives to the USB connected barcode scanners that leave long cables coiled up nearby.

9. Communicate Via VOIP

There are a range of handsets available that connect to a computer via Bluetooth, helping users put down their smartphones and cut down on the minutes they’re using. Some also connect to smartphones, providing what may be a comfortable device to talk through over long stretches of time. Options come in the form of portable handsets and small speakerphones.

10. Track Items And People

Since Bluetooth operates over a short range, it’s perfect for keeping track of pets, children, or valuable electronics that you may momentarily walk away from in a public place. Stick-N-Find offers a sticker or dongle that you can place on anything you desire and track using your smartphone.

Final Thoughts

Many people still hear Bluetooth and think only of headsets that people talk through, but its usefulness extends far beyond hands-free talking. Bluetooth now connects cars, game controllers, and sound systems. This wireless standard may not be as well understood as WiFi, 3G, or LTE, but you might want to re-evaluate your usage patterns to see if Bluetooth can scratch an itch you’ve ignored for far too long.

If you know of other ways to make use of Bluetooth, share it with us below.

The post 10 Different Ways Of Utilitzing Bluetooth to Make Your Life Easier appeared first on Make Tech Easier.

What Is Google AdSense?

Google administers the AdSense program as a means for publishers to distribute text, image, and video ads aimed at specific audiences. People who are browsing a blog about home improvement may be more likely to buy a new lawnmower than someone reading about celebrity gossip, so Google AdSense delivers targeted ads on the most receptive webpages. Advertisers don’t have to manually search out the best locations on the Internet to purchase ad space; they can just trust Google to do so for them.

How Does AdSense Work?

People who commit to the program insert AdSense JavaScript code provided by Google into their webpage. Whenever that page is visited, the code fetches content from Google’s servers. For contextual ads, Google searches the webpage for keywords and displays relevant text or images. For ads targeting specific sites, advertisers get to choose which pages to display their ads on. Search ads appear in search results whenever visitors search a site for content. Online games are also capable of displaying ads through the program.

Who Makes Money From AdSense?

First, Google. Publishers can buy ads on a per-click (pay Google every time someone clicks on their ad) or per-impression (pay Google based on the traffic of the page the ad is placed on) basis. In 2011, Google earned nearly 30 percent of its total revenue from this program, just under $10 billion.

But the people at Google are far from the only ones drawing money from the program. Bloggers turn to AdSense as a means of turning what could be just a hobby into a professional endeavor, as Google shares a portion of its revenue with the owners of websites hosting their ads. YouTube partners also draw their earnings via this program.

Advertisers obviously find success, which is why the program continues to exist. That said, there is no such thing as a sure thing. Many bloggers make mere pennies from the program, and some advertisers find that it’s more trouble than it’s worth.

How Do People Join The AdSense Program?

Google has a sign-up page for anyone interested in joining the AdSense program. Applicants must be at least 18 years old, have a website or content that can be monetized, and a mailing address to receive bank statements. Your AdSense account will be tied to your pre-existing Google Account unless you choose to create a new one. AdSense users will be given control over the types of ads that appear on their pages and offered metrics on how much traffic their ads are receiving. Also, signing up is free. The only cost to using AdSense is the addition of what some consider to be unsightly ads that don’t always integrate nicely into web layouts.

Final Thoughts

Google AdSense can be a decent way to make a living, and it can be a waste of time. Either way, it could take months, even years, to find out. If you’ve had experience using Google AdSense, please share your experience with others in the comments below.

The post MTE Explains: What Is Google AdSense, and Who Profits From It? appeared first on Make Tech Easier.

What Is A Packaged App?

Packaged apps are web apps with the look and feel of native apps. They are programmed using the same tools as web applications such as HTML5, Javascript, and CSS, but they run natively off of a user’s Chromebook. They still run using Chrome, but they have access to Chrome APIs that traditional web apps do not. These APIs provide apps with access to system functions such as Bluetooth that web apps cannot touch. Google provides a brief explanation below that is geared towards developers.

Since packaged apps run directly on computers, they effectively *are* native apps. A user can still open them without a web connection, and they are not dependent on a web server to continue to be used. By introducing packaged apps, Google is backing away from the argument that everything can be done in the cloud.

So Was Google Wrong?

Yes and no. It’s true that there are just certain functions that we shouldn’t need a web connection to perform. Using a calculator and a webcam are two of them. In fact, these apps are already packaged apps that ship with Chromebooks, even though Google has yet to formally introduce packaged apps into the Chrome Web Store.

But at the same time, these apps could be web apps. They are built using the same languages, and with the exception of those that access specific Chrome APIs, they could theoretically be placed on a server and accessed remotely. Google’s current argument doesn’t seem to be that everything can be done using the web, but that everything can be done using web technologies. The apps that we run natively can be programmed in the same language as the apps that we run online. We can remove the difference between applications that must be accessed inside a web browser and those that aren’t. At the end of the day, both web and native apps have always run off computers; it’s just a matter of how we choose to access them. Chrome blurs the difference between them.

How Will This Affect You?

Google is planning to revise the Chrome Web Store so that new packaged apps will be categorized as “Apps” and the current shortcut-style web apps will be labeled “Websites.” If this happens, apps should feel more like what people have come to expect. All of those people who complain that there is no reason to install most previous Chrome apps will have less trouble finding what they want, and future Chrome OS users will find that Google’s quaint little operating system really isn’t as different as it seems.

The post What Are Packaged Apps And How Can They Affect You? appeared first on Make Tech Easier.

Android Is Open Source

The Android operating system is not the first open source mobile operating system, but it has found the most mainstream success. Google releases the Android source code under an Apache license, allowing the software to be freely manipulated by phone manufacturers, wireless carriers, and anyone else who can make use of it. Android has appeared in everything from refrigerators to watches.

This is both a blessing and a curse. Android’s OS has been able to spread so quickly because it is open source, providing manufacturers with an operating system they can use without having to pay licensing fees. At the same time, freedom to manipulate means the freedom to lock things down. Manufacturers can both add and restrict features as they wish. The more changes they make to the code, the more work they have to do to implement any updates that Google releases. Each device is also physically different from one another, further complicating matters. Most of the time, manufacturers do not feel compelled to expend the resources necessary to support any particular device for long.

The Mobile Marketplace

Wireless carriers simply have different priorities than their consumers. While users would prefer to use their new smartphones for as long as possible, carriers want to entice them back into the store. In the United States, where the majority of smartphones are sold with two-year contracts, wireless carriers are compelled to draw people to renew their contracts however possible. If the market hasn’t changed quickly enough for a particular phone to look or feel glaringly outdated, then outdated software is their best bet for getting a consumer to commit to a new contract. Few people like contracts, but once they find updating an Android isn’t possible, they’ll resign to getting another contract. A carrier likes the thought of a new operating system update drawing consumers to buy their new flagship phones. Why give that up for free?

Google Does Not Control The Hardware

With the vast majority of Android devices, Google does not control the hardware. While it may bother Google when people are frustrated with their Android experience, Samsung or HTC only care about people’s experience with their phones in particular. Google benefits from someone using Android, regardless of what phone they have, but manufacturers could care less if someone uses Android on someone else’s device. They want people to love their phones enough to be loyal, but not so much that they won’t feel compelled to buy the next release. The Nexus devices are the only ones that Google exercises a large degree of control over, even though the company still hasn’t supported any of its devices for as long as Apple has.

Looking Ahead

While updating an Android tends to be a hassle, the majority of software is still compatible with most Android phones out there. This is because Google is able to update Google Play and several key background services. Going forward, Google is shifting more features to these separate services that previously would have been saved for updates to the operating system itself. In this way, Android users can still enjoy the latest features without having to make a full upgrade. It doesn’t solve the problem, but unless Google starts attaching more strings when it shares the Android source code with manufacturers, it’s the best we can expect for now.

The post MTE Explains: Why Is Updating an Android Such a Mess? appeared first on Make Tech Easier.

Google Chrome

Google Chrome is Google’s attempt to deliver the best browser for navigating an open web. It is the only entry in our web browsers comparison that has spun off into its own desktop operating system, Chrome OS.

Pros: 

• fast and stable
• It has a great number of extensions in the Chrome store
• Users can also install themes, altering much of Chrome’s appearance.
• Chrome is available for all of the major desktop operating systems as well as Android and iOS. Users who sign into their Google accounts can sync their tabs, bookmarks, browsing history, and passwords across all of their devices running Chrome
• It offers the best compatibility with Google’s range of products and services

Cons: 

• Chrome ships with proprietary bits. This will not bother most people, but open source advocates may wish to install Chromium, the open source version of Chrome
• The browser has become relatively bloated since its initial release

Who It’s For: Googlers, People who love extensions and a fast browser.

Internet Explorer

Internet Explorer ships as the default browser for Windows and Windows Phone. The older versions of Internet Explorer (IE 6, 7 and 8) are disastrous and their refusals to die have caused many problems for the Web developers and users. IE 9 and 10 have improved greatly though.

Pros: 

• The browser integrated nicely with Windows 7 and 8. It is the only browser that is fully integrated with the Windows 8′s new tiled interface.
• The recent version is running faster and is more compatible with open web standards, making it much easier to use

Cons: 

• The available toolbars and add-ons pale in comparison to those offered by other web browsers such as Chrome and Firefox.
• Limited syncing feature. If you’re using Windows 8, you can’t even sync between the Metro and desktop versions of the browser. Don’t expect to do much cloud syncing, either. Only version 10 can sync between multiple computers, but not mobile devices, and it doesn’t sync as much data as either Chrome or Firefox.

Who It’s For: Windows users, Corporate employees (where the system administrator refuse to upgrade their computer OS or browser)

Mozilla Firefox

Firefox is an open source browser that has garnered a massive following since its release a decade ago, but it never managed to attract more users than Internet Explorer. It is also the only entry in this web browser comparison that has spawned a mobile operating system, Firefox OS.

Pros: 

• Firefox is more openly developed than Chrome is, and it is used as the default browser for most of the major Linux distributions.
• Firefox is the most extensible of all the browsers and it can be customized in ways other browsers can’t, with personas and add-ons
• Firefox is also available for Android. Users can make use of Firefox Sync to replicate tabs, bookmarks, history, add-ons, etc. across multiple computers and mobile devices, making it a good option to use on mobile device as well.

Cons:

• Firefox has put on a few pounds over the years. Sometimes the increased file size and memory requirements result in a sluggish, and perhaps less stable, experience on older systems.

Who It’s For: Open Source advocates, people who love extensions

Safari

Safari is Apple’s default web browser for Mac OS X and iOS.

Pros:

• It is a speedy browser.
• There is support for syncing using iCloud.
• In Mac OS X, Safari will give you the most integrated experience.

Cons:

• While Safari used to be available for Windows, it is now only available on Apple platforms.
• While syncing is supported, you’re out of luck if you want to move to a Windows computer or grow tired of using the iPhone.

Who It’s For: Mac/iOS users and fans

Opera

Relative to the web browsers in our comparison, Opera largely walks to the beat of its own drum. It’s an adventurous browser, though some of its pros could also be considered cons.

Pros: 

• The browser is known for innovation, such as debuting the speed dial feature that most browsers have since adopted.
• It comes bundled with more functionality than other browsers, such as built-in email and IRC clients
• It also has options for reducing bandwidth on slower connections
• Its mobile version is speedy and is great for mobile surfing
• You can sync your data across all Opera browsers with Opera Link

Cons: 

• Opera is not open source. While Internet Explorer and Safari aren’t either, they ship as the default browsers for their respective operating systems. In Opera’s case, not being open source has probably hindered its adoption somewhat
• That built-in email and IRC client that comes with the desktop version might also be considered unnecessary bloat.
• Its extension library is not as extensive as Firefox or Chrome

Who It’s For: Tinkerers, People with low bandwidth

Conclusion

Our web browsers comparison cannot pinpoint a single browser that’s better than all others. Some people remain loyal to Firefox because there is a particular extension that is not available on Chrome, while some stay true to Safari because all their electronic devices are Apple-branded. For those who are not drawn into any of these browsers, there are still small players like Midori, Rekonq, Epiphany, Camino and many others. They might not be as well developed as Chrome or Firefox, but they are often speedier and lightweight enough without taking up much of your PC’s resources.

If you have any suggestions, let us hear them in the comments below.

The post The Web Browsers Comparison Guide: Which One is the Best Browser For You? appeared first on Make Tech Easier.

What Is A YouTube Partner?

YouTube partners are users who choose to monetize their accounts. They agree to allow YouTube to place ads inside or near their videos. They then make money depending on how many times people view their videos. Google will pay partners through an Adsense account, and how much money a partner makes varies according to a wide range of factors.

While most Youtube partners use the money they receive as supplementary income, some are able to make a living from producing videos. If you’ve uploaded a video that went viral, but you haven’t yet monetized your account, you’re kind of out of luck. Becoming a partner makes sure no future views go to waste. You can then place ads on previously uploaded videos so that they can begin generating revenue as well.

How Do I Become A Partner?

YouTube users who are curious about taking the step towards monetization can check their eligibility by heading over to YouTube’s Account Monetization page. There is an “Enable My Account” button that will, assuming you’re accepted, enable you to monetize your account. Eligibility depends largely upon which country you live in and whether you own the worldwide rights to the videos that you upload, including all of the sound effects and music that may be contained inside them. If you did not create all of the content yourself, you must be able to show written permission to distribute it. You must also abide by both YouTube’s Terms of Service and Community Guidelines. The latter bars you from uploading content that is sexually explicit, depicting real-world abuse, or is otherwise harmful. If any of your videos break these guidelines, they will be taken down. YouTube’s partnership criteria are available for anyone to see.

What Then?

YouTube provides creators with a set of tools, guides, and general information they can use to get themselves off the ground and generate publicity. YouTube partners can upload banner art to give their channels unique looks, custom thumbnails, and longer videos. A newer perk is the ability to host a live hangout session. Other features are reserved for channels with more subscribers. Some can insert merch annotations, shows, rentals, and more live streaming. Not all features are available upon request. YouTube also provides all partners with a dashboard providing them with analytical data about their viewers and whether their ads are getting clicked.

Conclusion

YouTube partners were originally surrounded by mystery, as Google only invited select producers to be participants. The process has since opened up, and anyone with a following and complete rights to their content can become one. If you have a camera, the dedication needed to produce a show, and the perseverance necessary to gain a following, you can become a YouTube partner. If you already produce YouTube videos, do you think of it as a hobby or a job?

The post MTE Explains: How To Become a YouTube Partner appeared first on Make Tech Easier.

Creating Printable QR Codes and Barcode Labels

When you first launch QR Code and Barcode Label Generator, you are presented with a window prompting you to begin building from one of many available templates.

A template is available that will place a single QR Code on your page. If you are familiar with any traditional office suite or desktop publishing software, you should be able to find your way around this tool. You can copy and paste the code around the page as you wish.

When you are ready to tie your QR Code to a report, select the code and select “Data.” QR Code and Barcode Label Generator lets you import reports from Google Drive directly, your local hard drive, web addresses, and your clipboard.

The application supports the Microsoft Excel Spreadsheet, Google Drive Spreadsheet, CSV and JSON file formats. These files choices will be presented regardless of which import method you choose.

Before you print out your label, be sure that you have selected the correct paper type and orientation. Hit the “View” tab. You will find that “Design” is selected by default, but paper, canvas, and data are other choices. Select “Paper” to choose your paper type and “canvas” to specify your dimensions.

If you wish to print out more than one thing at once, head over to the “Insert” tab. You’ll notice that you can insert much of what you were prompted to create back in the first window.

I have selected a barcode and inserted it into my document adjacent to my QR code. I can then edit it in much the same way. When it’s done, the creations can be duplicated until the page is filled up, making sure as little paper as necessary goes to waste.

When you think that you are done and are ready to preview your work, going to File & Preview will produce a PDF. File & Download & PDF will also present you with a PDF that you can print out and apply to your products. Note that if you have left the tab unattended for too long, the session may time out. You can save you work and refresh the page in order to complete the download.

Conclusion.

Creating barcodes used to require dedicated hardware or bulky software, but now the functionality of creating printable QR codes and barcode labels can be delivered remotely via a web browser. If you have long dreamed of getting your own business off the ground, don’t let this new wave of convenient software go to waste.

The post Create Printable QR Codes and Barcode Labels In Your Chrome Browser appeared first on Make Tech Easier.

1. Play Books

Google finally introduced the ability to upload EPUBs into Google Books during Google I/O this year. Its now allows readers to read any EPUB books online, either on your browser or Android device. For people already invested in Google’s ecosystem, this is a great way to accumulate books from a wide range of sources and access them on any device. I recently bought the Video Game Bundle from StoryBundle, and they imported into the service just fine.

Uploading is simple. Just head over to your personal collection inside Play Books and find “Uploads” in the sidebar. A window will pop up prompting you to select or drag in the ebooks you’re interested in.

You can import either EPUBs or PDFs that aren’t burdened with DRM. You can try exporting your Nook library, for example, and uploading to Google Books, but it’s up in the air which books are DRM-free.

Note: Play Books is available for selected countries only, including USA.

2. EPUBReader

EPUBReader began as a Firefox extension that let people read ebooks inside Firefox. This extension is still available if Firefox is your browser of choice, but there is also an EPUBReader web app that is available for Firefox, Chrome, and Internet Explorer. This is a great resource for people who want to read EPUB books online but don’t want to trust their ebook collection to a particular company.

You don’t need to create an account to use EPUBReader. When you first open up the web app, there is nothing visible except for a plain white page with an upload button at the top.

Support is iffy, but ideally your book’s cover will immediately appear. Even if it doesn’t, the text may still import properly. Just click the arrows on each side of the window to turn pages left and right. There are no animations or flare of any kind. This tool is great for people who just want to read an ebook they have on file without having to jump through too many hoops.

3. EMS Epub Reader

EMS Epub Reader is a web app within the Chrome Web Store that also supports uploading ebooks without the creation of an account. It offers a sleeker interface than EPUBReader and a broader range of features. It’s easy to figure out, but as you can see below, it is ad-supported.

EMS Epub Reader can open EPUB files from URLs or your local hard drive. If you have an EPUB file that isn’t packaged yet, it can open that too.

EMS EPUB Reader will present your files in a clean, visual manner. Just click on a book to begin reading.

The interface is more polished than EPUBReader. It comes with options, so you can read the book in full screen or change the color of the screen.

Readium is another web app that looks largely the same as EMS Epub Reader, but it might have better support for your files if the latter gives you trouble.

4. MagicScroll eBook reader

MagicScroll eBook Reader will let you read ebooks, but it won’t look pretty while it does it. While EMS EPUB Reader had one ad on its library page, MagicScroll has three. The interface also isn’t nearly as clean, but it works.

MagicScroll does have a striking means of presenting pages. The page view keeps text narrow and easily readable, while the faded black background keeps eyes focused on the page. The presentation here stands in stark contrast to the rest of the web app.

Conclusion

It says a lot when a losing competitor in the ebook market is valued more highly than the largest physical book retailer in the United States. The Nook brand of ebooks and ereaders is currently worth vastly more than the remainder of the company that spawned it. At this point, it’s been proven that ebooks are more than a passing fad. Hold on to your collection of EPUBs. Electronic books are here to stay.

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Background

Simple is a company out of Portland, Oregon offering an alternative to traditional banking. They don’t view themselves as a bank, even though they partner with Bankcorp Bank to store your money. Anyone who uses Simple, even though they may never step inside a bank, is still storing their money inside one.

The difference lies in the experience. Simple removes bank tellers out of the equation. While many people probably never set foot inside their local banks already, they have the choice. Simple erases that choice and replaces it with an online and mobile experience that is more straightforward and, well, simple than most of what the competition has to offer. The service frees people from being tied to banks that may only serve certain regions.

The Experience

In the past couple of years, banks rolled out support for depositing checks by taking pictures of them using smartphones. This extra option for most banks is the norm for Simple. This limits people who can use the service to those who have a smartphone. Technically you can use an iPod to use the required mobile app instead, but that isn’t exactly opening the service up to more people.

Simple’s mobile and web apps offer a clean layout for managing money. Users can sign in to view their balances, pay bills, make budgets, and set goals. One nice feature is how Simple removes money set aside for goals from the balance available for spending, even though the money is still present in the account. While my current bank has this feature, my previous two didn’t. Simple opens up these tools to anyone living within the United States.

Users are given a Simple Visa Debit Card that can still be used wherever VISA cards are accepted. You won’t be given a checkbook, but you can still pay people using the web interface. Simple will write the check on your behalf, as long as it isn’t tax-related.

It is still possible to talk to a real-life person. While it won’t happen face-to-face, Simple does have help hotlines and online support available for those times when you just need answers. Quite frankly, much of the communication that goes on with bank tellers can take place over the phone anyway. It may be nice to put a friendly face on the person at the other end looking at your funds, it isn’t a fundamental necessity.

Conclusion

A sizable number of people still do all of their banking without ever signing into an online account, and Simple won’t get them to change their ways any time soon. For others, Simple offers what they like most about banking and gets rid of the cruft. It’s more evolutionary than revolutionary, but it’s still a breath of fresh air.

The post MTE Explains: How Is Simple Different From Traditional Banking? appeared first on Make Tech Easier.

What Is All Access?

All Access is an expansion of Google Music that introduces streaming radio. Subscribers can select any song in their music collection and start a radio station. Google will pull in songs from outside of a user’s personal collection, effectively replicating what people have come to expect from services like Pandora. Listeners can then add any song or album that they like to their personal collection. In this way, All Access is a great means of both discovering new music and artificially inflating the size of your music collection. Anyone who cancels their subscription loses access to all of the songs they added to their library through the service.

All Access exists alongside the Google Play music store, which people can still buy music from. With the addition of All Access, music aficionados can listen to or acquire music in whatever manner they prefer. People can upload music to Google Music simply as a means of backing up their songs without ever buying music through the service. Others can use the service as a way to carry their music with them on their phones and occasionally buy new albums through the store yet have zero interest in paying for access to music that they don’t own. Then there are those who have grown accustomed to streaming music services and aren’t concerned about owning music, but like the convenience that comes with using Play Music on their Android devices.

A Changing Landscape

The music industry has changed substantially over the past decade. People first transitioned from using portable CD players to lightweight MP3 players. They started ripping songs off their physical collection of albums and storing them digitally on their PCs. Then consumers began to purchase digital tracks directly. The iPod and iTunes dominated the industry until smartphones entered the market in mass. People began to leave their MP3 players at home and carried music on their phones.

At this time, music still had to be transferred by plugging smartphones into PCs. Services like Pandora debuted and curbed many people off building and managing their own music collections. Spotify popped up and gave streamers even more control, allowing them to take any song they heard and add it to their own personal collection. All Access goes even further by replicating the look and feel of a personal library of music. Google is aware of the changing musical landscape and has created a product for both owners and streamers alike.

Device Empowerment

Consumers now own desktops, laptops, tablets, and smartphones. Their homes are increasingly filled with devices, and they no longer want to bother copying files across to each new device. For many, managing digital files has just become too much of a hassle. That is why Play Music is accessible across all of these devices. Someone who has uploaded music to Google Music or has paid for All Access can stream music through their browser on any computer. They can listen to music on their tablets and smartphones, even choosing to have offline access to songs so they can listen to music on to go without incurring excess data charges. All Access is like having access to your favorite albums and favorite stations wherever you are and on whatever device you have nearby.

Conclusion

All Access has different origins than its competitors. Google Music began as a means of uploading a personal collection and streaming it anywhere. The Play Store came later, hoping to replicate the ease-of-use for Android users that iOS users have buying music through iTunes. All Access is an extension to a pre-existing service, not a new product all its own. It integrates deeply both with Google Music and the Play Store, which is why it’s nigh impossible to talk about it on its own. A subscription to All Access will cost $9.99 a month, but people who commit before June 30 can get the service for just $7.99. I suspect that there are many people who hadn’t been tempted by the streaming music bandwagon before but are about to jump on board now. I’m one of them.

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Free Software

Free software is by no means a new term. The phrase was coined by Richard Stallman in the 1980s when he started the GNU Project (to create a free operating system) and founded the Free Software Foundation (to advocate on behalf of free software). The phrase refers to software that users can safely run, adapt, and redistribute without legal restraint. The Free Software Foundation provides these “four essential freedoms” that software must respect in order to be considered free:

• The freedom to run the program, for any purpose (freedom 0).
• The freedom to study how the program works, and change it so it does your computing as you wish (freedom 1).
• The freedom to redistribute copies so you can help your neighbor (freedom 2).
• The freedom to distribute copies of your modified versions to others (freedom 3).

The foundation created the GNU General Public License, commonly referred to as the GPL, as a copyleft license that developers can distribute their software under to qualify it as free and ensure that it stays that way.

Open Source Software

Open source software is software with source code that is publicly available under a license that gives users the right to study, change, and distribute the software as they wish. The term was coined in 1998 when a group of individuals pushed for title that was less ambiguous than free software. They changed the emphasis from freedom to security, cost savings, transparency, and other pragmatic benefits. The term is more palatable for the corporate world, even though it refers largely to the same software. While the GPL isn’t the only supported license, it remains one of the most prominent. Like free software, open source software can be distributed for free, but it doesn’t have to be.

So Open Source Software Is Free Software?

Yes and no. Software available under the GPL generally qualifies both as free software and open source software. If you use a Linux distribution, most of what you get through your package manager satisfies both sets of requirements.

But I currently use Chrome OS. It, like Android, are open source projects, but they don’t satisfy the four freedoms necessary to be considered free software. The growth of these two platforms lend weight to the argument that changes were needed to make free software acceptable within the corporate world. Android is now the most popular mobile operating system and can be found in everything from refrigerators to watches. Yet underpinning all of this is the Linux kernel, a piece of software that satisfies the four freedoms necessary to be considered free software. No other operating system has been ported to more devices.

“Free and open source software” refers, unsurprisingly, to software that is both free and open source. The term is the closest thing to a compromise between the two models. It’s worth noting, however, that any software that qualifies as free software could also be considered free and open source software, so the situation remains a tad ambiguous.

Freeware

Unlike free software and open source software, freeware does not refer to or emphasize freedom in any way, nor does it have a clear definition. In general, freeware is software that is available at no cost. Such software is still generally closed source or proprietary, such as Adobe Reader and Skype. Sometimes game developers will re-release old games as freeware, meaning they’re still keeping the code under wraps, but the game is now free to play.

Conclusion

Why does this all matter? Anyone could produce code and release it to the public without a license, but such a model is not sustainable on a wider scale. Adopting a free or open source license applies legal protection to code, preventing others from taking free code and repackaging it as their own, restricting others from using it again. And for those of us who care about software freedom on either a philosophical or pragmatic level, it is important that we understand the progress that has been made by the giants who got it all started.

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Google’s Messaging Problem

Google has a messaging problem. No, the problem isn’t that they don’t know how to communicate (though with so many computer scientists working behind the scenes, I wouldn’t be surprised if it was). The company has simply created too many messaging services over the years. There’s “Google Talk” for instant messaging, “Google Voice” for voice calls (and instant messaging), “Messaging” for sending SMS messages on an Android phone (with an interface almost identical to Google Talk), and Google+ Messenger for – you guessed it – instant messaging. On computers, these services are spread out enough not to seem like an issue. But on smartphones, users may find themselves staring at four icons in their app drawer that roughly do the same thing.

Google’s Solution

Leading up to Google I/O, tech pundits expected Google to unveil a product, known as “Babel,” that would unify all of Google’s communication services. It turns that Google was working on a new messaging service, but Hangouts is not the product people were expecting, at least not out of the gate. Right now, the service only replaces Google Talk, and it has started to do so both on smartphones and within Gmail. Yet Google does have much larger ambitions in store for their new product.

Hangouts will eventually replace Google+ Messenger once the company finds a way to import Messenger’s conversation history into Hangouts. Hangouts is also the future of Google Voice, and it will start integrating more seamlessly with the service in future updates. Hangouts hasn’t solved the bulk of Google’s messaging problems yet, but it will.

Using Google Hangouts

If you own an Android device, you should have already received an update that replaces Google Talk with Google Hangouts. The logo is different, and the app undergoes some changes, but the usage is largely the same. The app is also now available for iOS devices, bringing an official Google instant messaging client to Apple’s mobile operating system for the first time.

Hangouts automatically replaced Talk inside of Google+ on the web, but Gmail has not yet made the transition. Fortunately for those of you who want to make the transition immediately, it’s easy to activate. Just click on your profile picture above your Talk contact list and select the “Try the new Hangouts” option. You can switch back to Talk using the same steps if you’re disappointed, at least for the time being.

Conclusion

Google Hangouts will eventually grow to become more than Google Talk ever was, but right now the service is simply Talk with a refined interface. It makes it easier to engage in chats with multiple contacts, and you can finally communicate with friends who use iOS, but there isn’t much else different for now. What’s special about Hangouts is its promise. With enough time, communicating via Google will be a less confusing affair, and your Android app drawer might not have as many apps all sharing roughly the same name.

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What Does Cydia Do?

Cydia was developed by Jay Freeman, who is also known as saurik, and millions have since installed his software on iOS. Like Cydia, Cydia Substrate for Android doesn’t do anything special on its own, but it allows developers to modify Android software without needing access to the source code. They can then use Cydia Substrate to distribute these extensions and modifications to users.

Last month, IGN ran a piece highlighting what they consider to be the best apps available from the Cydia store: Dreamboard makes it easy for iOS users to change themes, Stride increases an iPhone’s security by improving upon its lock screen, Intelliscreen X ads widgets and other controls to the iOS lock screen, and CameraTweak gives the iOS camera more options.

Can’t I Already Do This On Android?

Yes, much of this functionality is already available for Android. Users who don’t like the default experience can radically alter their phones simply by switching the stock launcher out for one that is more extensible, such as Nova, Apex, or Action Launcher. The Play Store is filled with camera apps that can replace the camera that comes with most Android phones. Widgets are supported by default, and the vast majority can be installed without having to first root a device. Even the ability to modify apps without flashing new ROMs can be done using the Xposed Framework.

Nevertheless, Cydia Substrate for Android brings with it a welcome community and the potential for even more innovation. It can be downloaded directly from the Play Store, but your device must be rooted before you can take advantage of any of its features. Right now WinterBoard is the only Cydia app available for Android. WinterBoard, which went on to become Dreamboard on iOS, allows Android users to change their themes from the ones shipped on their devices. Themes can change backgrounds, icons, animations, and nearly every aspect of an Android phone’s visual experience.

What’s Cydia Substrate’s advantage?

Android users have long had the ability to customize any part of their experience that they dislike, but doing so generally requires flashing new ROMs to replace those that manufacturers ship. This process requires users to back up their apps and data each time, because flashing wipes a phone clean. The process can be daunting for first-timers, and even regulars can occasionally slip and lose priceless files. Using Cydia Substrate is easier than firing up the ClockworkMod ROM Manager, especially for those who just want to change a few icons or alter a lock screen.

In Summary

Cydia Substrate allows tinkerers to use their devices as they wish without having to take extensive risks. Once a community develops around the Android version and more software becomes available, users who aren’t that technical but still want to modify their devices will be able to do so with a significantly lower chance of bricking their phones. Cydia already has a sizable collection of software available for iOS, and just porting those apps over would make for a welcome addition to the Android ecosystem.

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1. Install a Linux distribution

Most Linux distributions can be booted from live CDs as a means of trying them out before giving them a full install. In recent years, the trend has shifted towards creating live USBs instead. You can download the appropriate software for your distro of choice and burn an image to your flash drive, creating a means of testing out and installing Linux that is more durable than a CD-ROM. USB drives can hold more data than CDs, allowing you to boot up distros that are too large to fit on a disk.

2. Boot a Persistent OS

If you want something more permanent than a live USB, which do not save any changes you make, you can install several distributions directly to your flash drive. This way you can boot up your own personal operating system on other peoples’ computers and still have access to the files you’ve created and the programs you’ve installed. Pendrivelinux is one option, but at this point in time, even the major distributions such as Ubuntu supported persistent booting.

3. Run Portable Apps

PortableApps.com allows Windows users to bring their favorite programs and files with them on a flash drive without having to boot into a new operating system. When you plug in your flash drive, you can open what amounts to a separate, portable “Start” menu. Not every application is supported, and you may still have to transition to using open source applications to fully take advantage of Portable Apps. If you would prefer an alternative, there’s also LiberKey and winPenPack.

4. Use as RAM

In a case where you have a computer that’s slowing down and a flash drive with extra space, you can use the latter to give the former a speed boost. Using a flash drive to provide your computer with extra memory helps it to manage applications better, giving you a faster experience. Microsoft provides ReadyBoost as a means of speeding up your computer using your flash drive as RAM under Windows.

5. Partition hard drives

Installing Parted Magic to a flash drive helps you more easily re-partition your computer’s hard drive. Partitioning is difficult and dangerous to do when an operating system is running from the hard drive in question, but booting from a flash drive removes some of risk and makes the entire process much more straight forward.

6. Gaming

While it’s not exactly portable gaming, you can install certain games to flash drives, allowing you to get your gaming fix regardless of whose machine you’re using (granted they’re using the same operating system). Not every game supports this functionality, but Minecraft does. Considering how expansive that game is, it might be all you need.

7. Keep Files Private

You can turn your entire flash drive into an encrypted partition as a means of keeping private files safe from prying eyes. You also have the option to have your flash drive boot normally but containing a separate partition that encrypts any file placed in it. For an extra layer of security, you can also password protect your encrypted partition. Bitlocker To-Go makes this easy to do.

8. Unlock Your Computer

If you don’t feel that using a password alone is secure enough, and your computer doesn’t have a biometric scanner, you still have alternative options for securing your computer. Just turn your flash drive into a key and set your computer to only unlock when the drive is plugged in. If you use Windows, Predator is a popular tool for making this happen, but it’s not the only one out there.

9. Rescue An Infected PC

You have the ability to install virus scanners onto your flash drive driver to search for malware on infected computers. You can find offerings to restore your computer after a malware-related crash from well-known companies such as AVG and Kaspersky.

10. Automatically Sync Files

You probably manually drag and drop files onto your flash drive, but there is a simpler means of transporting files. By automatically syncing files between your computer and your flash drive, you can make a it nearly as convenient to use as Dropbox or Google Drive. SyncToy and SyncBack SE are two Windows tools that can make this happen. GoodSync2Go is a solution that works with Mac OS X.

Conclusion

USB flash drives are immensely useful tools capable of fixing computers and booting operating systems. They drop in price each year at the same time that their storage capacity continues to double, making them great for any tech enthusiast on the go. And if all else fails, they’re still good for storing files, too.

What other uses do you use USB drives for?

The post 10 Things You Never Knew You Could Do With A USB Flash Drive appeared first on Make Tech Easier.

Scribble

Scribble is an attractive web app with contrasting colors and a manageable grid layout. This program doesn’t try to replicate the chaos of using real-life sticky notes, but it does capture the convenience. Notes can be as long as you want, but only the beginnings are visible from the home page. Notes can be color-coordinated and re-ordered as desired, and they’re all accessible even when you’re offline. The editing page removes most of the extra text from the interface, leaving you alone with nothing except a virtual notepad and your thoughts.

Stickeez

Stickeez models itself after that old cork board hanging over your desk. Just create a sticky note, fill it with text, pick a color, and pin away. The interface isn’t as clean as Scribble, but it’s definitely brighter and more vibrant. In terms of design, it might even be more familiar. Yet despite the appearance, notes are still arranged in a grid. They can’t be dragged around, nor can they even be re-ordered.

Stickeez also offers various themes for those of you who never dug the look of cork boards. Available backgrounds include a fridge, a whiteboard, and … skulls.

Sticky Notes

Sticky Notes doesn’t have the most original name, but its interface offers quite a few surprises. This web app defaults to free-floating notes, letting you drag them around to form your own organizational pattern, and they’re all accessible offline. You can still have notes arranged into a grid if that is your preference, and there is a single-note view intended for smaller screens. Sticky Notes lets you pop out notes to save yourself the hassle of switching back and forth between tabs. You are also given more options than the other apps on this list, with the ability to choose your font, create your own color, and resize notes.

Sticky Notes

While the name may be the same, this Sticky Notes for Chrome extension has no connection to the previous Sticky Notes web app. This option is for those of you who really want a no-fuss, no-flare note-taking solution. Once installed, a button will appear in your toolbar. Clicking on this button drops down a menu allowing you to take notes. That’s it. You get one note, and there are no options. Sometimes, that’s more than enough.

Conclusion

If you like virtual sticky notes, you’re quite the lucky individual. The Chrome Web Store is filled with such web apps. While some are good, some are pretty bad. These four apps are some of the best that don’t require you to create an account in order to use them. Simply install them and start taking notes right away. If you have any favorite Sticky Notes for Chrome web apps already, share them with us in the comments below.

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Developing a search engine is complicated and requires a demanding amount of resources. Long before Google started hosting vast amounts of data in Gmail and Google Drive, the company needed to invest heavily in infrastructure just to sustain their initial search service. Suffice to say, most people cannot design and maintain their own web search engines, and there is a reason only a few key players dominate the arena. Yet regardless of which search provider you turn to, the process for how search engines work is largely the same.

1. Crawling

First, developers create Internet bots capable of reading hyperlinks and HTML. These web crawlers browse the Internet looking for web sites in order to index them. They are provided with a list of URLs to start with, and the bot scans all of the hyperlinks on each of these pages and adds them to the list of URLs to visit next. Crawlers can only download a certain number of pages within a given time period, which is why search results sometimes suggest websites that have since been deleted or removed. The websites these web crawlers visit are indexed according to the information the bots can gather by reading each site’s HTML.

2. Indexing

Indexing speeds up the process of retrieving relevant webpages. Searching an index is a substantially less intensive and time-consuming task than searching all of the possible websites. Imagine having to send out new web crawlers to discover the answers to every search inquiry. It would be akin to sending explorers out into the wilderness blind rather than using a map.

Indexes must be stored, and considerable time and effort goes into keeping indexes up-to-date, but the trade-off in speed makes the effort worth it.

3. Searching

Searching is the most visible step of the process. When you type a term into Google, Bing, Yahoo, Duck Duck Go, or any number of search engines, they search their respective indexes for the best results. This information is then displayed on search engine results pages (SERPs).

4. Making Money

Since search engines are free, how were some able to grow into such massive companies? Like much of the Internet, search engines make money by selling ad space. Some advertisers pay to have their products or services ranked higher in search results. Some engines, such as Google, run search-related ads alongside their general search results. As search engines became the most popular way of finding information on the internet, they also became the most popular way of advertising online. Potential consumers may not read the same websites, but they do turn to the same search engines.

Final Thoughts

The process is immensely complex, and there is a great demand out there for people who understand the intricacies of how search engines work. This guide just scratches the surface, but there’s a wealth of information out there. Thanks to search engines, finding that information is easier than ever.

The post MTE Explains: How Search Engines Work appeared first on Make Tech Easier.

Let’s Get Started

Lets say I want to share a video about intelligent malware with a friend. They don’t exactly practice safe computer, and I want them to be aware of the risks. The first thing I need to do is find the video on YouTube and copy its URL.

You will then need a screenshot to insert into your email. For some reason, you cannot use just any image for this to work. Instead, do a YouTube search for the video you want to link to. Then take a screenshot of the correct search result.

There are many ways to create the image you need, such as using a screenshot capturing program that lets you select just a portion of the screen. While I tried opening a full screenshot inside an image editor and cropping it down, I found that this technique no longer worked with certain images that were edited. The less tampering you have to do to create the image, the better. Here is the image I will insert into Gmail.

Next, load up your Gmail account and start composing an email. Insert your cropped image into the email the way you would any other picture.

Now, select the image, and insert the hyperlink. You can do this by clicking on the image and clicking on the pop-up that appears. Alternatively, you can highlight the image and click “Insert link” in the toolbar at the bottom.

Your recipient should receive a video with a YouTube video still inserted at the bottom of the page. This bottom video can be expanded and viewed without having to open a separate page.

Yet if this were a longer email, you may not want someone to have to scroll all the way to the bottom before realizing there is a video available. Also, clicking on the video you personally embedded will provide for a better viewing experience than clicking on the video at the bottom. The screen will dim, and your recipient will be offered a near full-screen viewing experience that’s arguably better than watching the video on the YouTube site itself.

You’re Done!

Gmail has long embed YouTube videos into the bottom of emails containing links to YouTube videos. While this option is convenient, it isn’t the most attractive. By manually embedding your video, you take control of your email’s appearance and provide a better experience for your recipient. Go ahead, surprise someone with a video clip, and let us hear about your experience in the comments below.

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Getting Started

Using the Wikipedia example, the first step is to create a folder and name it “Wikipedia.”

You then need to find an image to use as your web app’s icon. The file must be named “icon_128.png” and resized to 128 by 128 pixels. Pixlr Editor is a Chrome Web App you can use to resize .png files and preserve their transparency. When you’re done, save the image into the folder you just created.

Before getting started, you will need to have a text editor installed that can export to a .txt file. Scratchpad won’t cut it, as it cannot export a .txt file, but you can create a .txt file inside any browser using EditPad.

Copy and paste the following text into your text editor. If you want to create a web app for another website, change the references to Wikipedia to your website of choice.

{
"name": "Wikipedia",
"description": "App description (132 characters or less, no HTML)",
"version": "1.0.0",
"manifest_version": 2,
"icons": {
"128": "icon_128.png"
},
"app": {
"urls": [
"http://www.wikipedia.org/"
],
"launch": {
"web_url": "http://www.wikipedia.org/"
}
}
}

Save your text file inside your Wikipedia folder and rename it “manifest.json”. Your Wikipedia web app is now complete and needs to be imported into Chrome. Go to the extensions page and enable “Developer Mode.”

Click “Load unpacked extension…” and select the folder you just created. Your completed app should appear in both your list of extensions and your app drawer.

What About The Browser?

If you don’t use Chrome OS, the same process will work for creating custom web apps inside Google Chrome. You can stop here, and as long as you don’t delete the folder containing your app, it will continue to work.

If you want a more convenient solution, you can package your app. Return to the extensions page and click on the “Pack extension…” button. You will be prompted to select the folder containing the extension you want to package. Select the folder you just created and click “Pack Extension” when you’re done.

A .crx file should appear on your desktop. Drag this file into the folder containing your web app. Uninstall the version you previously installed so that it doesn’t conflict with the new version, then drag the .crx file into the Chrome browser to reinstall your application.

Notes on Creating Web Apps.

If you create a web app that happens to point to your own website, you are free to submit it to the Chrome Web Store. Be sure to back up all of your custom web apps afterwards, just in case you accidentally delete the folders containing them. Web apps may cease to work as desired if they can no longer find their target folders.

Conclusion

Creating custom web apps may not be as easy as creating a bookmark, but it saves time having your favorite websites placed front and center. If you have any questions about creating custom web apps for either Chrome OS or the Chrome browser, feel free to ask them in the comments below.

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