A little of this a little of that

A little of this a little of that

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Games: Had a lot of things on my plate this weekend, so just a quick check in tonight�  here are some brief impressions on what Ive been playing lately.



Chibi-Robo! Photo Finder - 3DS

I was absolutely stoked to see another Chibi-Robo title pop up out of nowhere. I had no idea it was coming, but I absolutely adore this little robot and another installment is more than welcome. His original title was hands-down one of the best things on the GameCube, and Ive always thought that Nintendo should have done more with him.

I havent put a lot of time into it (about 2 hours so far) but it seems solidly scaled-down. Chibi still goes around doing small household tasks to help people, but this time hes also trying to build a museum by taking photos of things.

This photo slant is kind of a cool idea because it uses the 3DS camera to insert Chibi into the photos for sort of an augmented reality effect. The problem is that the camera is incredibly finicky, and its quite difficult to use in certain situations. In rooms that are even slightly dark it often fails, and the game has templates of objects that you need to take pictures of, so finding something that is the exact correct size and shape to fit a template is really hard. for example, one template is obviously a t-shirt, but I did not own one that fit the dimensions perfectly. The game granted me a "its close enough, 60% match" pass, but still...

Im going to jump back into it tonight. It seems like a win so far, but I am definitely a fan of this series, and Im really hoping that the camera function wont be too much of a problem.



Silent Hill: Shattered Memories - PS2

Ive had a copy of Shattered Memories in my backlog for a long, long time and I only just now got around to it after being nudged by several friends, Matt Kaplan and Scott Nichols primary among them.

I have to say, although I thought the idea of the game was pretty cool (its kind of a re-imagining of the original Silent Hill, my favorite in the series) it has a lot of problems and I got bored with it a little past the halfway point. Although I liked the removal of combat, that game was clearly designed for the Wii (its original platform) and as such, it really lacks a lot of depth since its obvious the developers were working with the Wii remote interface in mind.

The structure consists mostly of running a lot and using a virtual cursor to manipulate objects in the environment (which Im sure was absolutely riveting with a wiimote...) Its not very juicy. Worse, the story just didnt catch my attention. I never felt immersed or interested in what was going on, and it felt too long for what it was, even with a relatively short running time. I bailed maybe two thirds of the way through because it felt like a waste of time. After YouTubing the ending, Im glad I didnt stick around.



Assassins Creed: Liberation HD - 360

Speaking of boredom, I ponied up for a copy of AssCreed: LibHDagainst my better judgment. Im claiming temporary insanity. 

Honestly, Im not a fan of the series at all, but I was intrigued by the idea of the main character being a mixed-race woman in slavery times, and how that would play into the story. Sadly,  I should have punched myself in the face rather than spending a dime on it. The story was scattered and felt like an afterthought, and the action was the same old AssCreed stuff that bored me three games ago. 

I knew there was no hope when the main character was told to go buy a house. I thought property ownership would be an interesting story moment given her racial/gender status, but it was nothing more than walking up to a door and pushing B. I dont know why I thought the developers would actually do something with that, but I did� Shame on me.   

Anyway, I think I got halfway through the second chapter and just couldnt take it anymore. AssCreed has a few good ideas buried in it, but its mostly garbage and Im just done with it.



Call of Juarez: Gunslinger - 360

To end things on a high note, I dipped into my virtual backlog and started playing call CoJ: Gunslinger. Ive heard it come strongly recommended from people I respect, and they werent wrong. 

Although the other Juarez games have been shaky at best and terrible at worst, the developers have really nailed this one. Its essentially a corridor-y arcade-y shooter at heart, but it looks sharp, the action is fast, and it has a lot of charm thanks to the narrator who has no problems changing his version of events at the drop of a hat. When he does, the level youre in will change accordingly. 

In one instance he says he went into a mine through one shortcut, and the shortcut appears out of thin air. Once that proves to be a dead end, he says "No, thats not what happened" and the level shifts another way. Its a clever gimmick, the project is focused, and it doesnt try to be more than it is. Ive been playing a couple levels at a time and having a lot of fun, but Im glad its a small project and not something that goes on for 20 hours. 

********************PR/NEWS/INFO********************

GungHo Online Entertainment America announced its PlayStation�Vita handheld entertainment system puzzle-platform hybrid game, Dokuro, is now available at a reduced price of $2.99 across North America, and will soon be �2.99 in Europe.

Having received accolades and "Best of 2012" awards, Dokuro is a one-of-a-kind action-puzzle game that utilizes the PlayStation Vitas front Touchscreen and Rear Touch Pad to enable players to manipulate the environment, and transform the games diminutive protagonist between two forms - a nimble skeleton and a dashing prince - in order to solve a variety of puzzles in his quest to help an innocent princess escape the Dark Lords fortress. 

Dokuro is also available for $2.99 on iOS devices through the App Store and Android devices through Google Play in North America. Featuring no in-app purchases, the smartphone/tablet edition of Dokuro adds virtual controls that deliver an intuitive and optimized experience while keeping the console-style ease of play. For devices running iOS 7 or later, Dokuro is also compatible with mobile game controllers (sold separately), offering even more direct control of the action onscreen. While boasting all the content of the original PS Vita version, the smartphone editions difficulty and level structure have been newly tuned for touchscreens, resulting in an even more intuitive game.

Developed in Japan by GungHo Online Entertainment, Inc, Dokuro is published in North America by GungHo Online Entertainment America. For more information, visitwww.gunghoonline.com. Fans can also follow on Facebook  and Twitter.

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The latest trailer for Daylight, the first person psychological horror game from indie developer Zombie Studios, is testament to the isolated feeling that permeates the derelict Mid Island Hospital and beyond.

Powered by Unreal Engine 4, Daylights procedurally generated levels ensure that no door, hallway, life-saving flare or clue to the main characters past are ever in the same place twice. Oh, and just as the trailer warns, sometimes its best not to look behind you.

Daylight will release in early 2014 for a global audience on both PC and as a console exclusive for the PlayStation�4 computer entertainment system.

View the new Daylight trailer here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSYdvUaOsQs

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The start to the New Year signals bright horizons. For MonkeyPaw Games, Inc. the start to 2014 will bring six new Japanese import titles to the PlayStation�Network Store. This rapid-fire release campaign, dubbed �Retro Rush� will deliver some hidden gems along with the much-anticipated sequel to Tomba, Tomba! 2.

Starting January 14, 2014, MonkeyPaw Games will be releasing one PSone� import game a week, for six weeks. The Retro Rush titles are some of the most exciting games MonkeyPaw has uncovered to date and run the gamut of genres including Fighting, Action, Platforming and Fire Fighting RPG.

The Retro Rush culminates in the release of one of the most requested, most anticipated, and most pink-haired of PSone� classics - Tomba! 2: The Evil Swine Return.

For the full schedule of Retro Rush events, check out the release list below:

? Jan. 14 - Double Dragon

? Jan. 21 - Lucifer Ring

? Jan. 28 - The Firemen 2: Pete and Danny

? Feb. 4 - Hyper Crazy Climber

? Feb 11 - Wolf Fang

? Feb 18 - Tomba! 2: The Evil Swine Return

More information about each individual game will arrive weekly and all of the Retro Rush titles will appear via the PlayStation�Network for the PlayStation�3, PSP� and PlayStation�Vita. All titles will retail for $5.99, except Tomba! 2, retailing for $9.99.

Stay tuned for more information from MonkeyPaw Games in 2014. 

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Stoic, an independent game development company and Versus Evil, an independent game publisher, today announced the release of the highly anticipated Strategy RPG The Banner Saga on PC and Mac.  The game, a huge funding success on Kickstarter, was recently announced as an Independent Games Festival (IGF) finalist for Excellence in Visual Arts, with honorable mentions for Excellence in Audio and Design. To mark the occasion, a launch trailer has also been released on the official YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/StoicStudio.

The Banner Saga is a single-player driven Viking saga, where a player�s choice in travel, conversation and combat determines the outcome of their own personal story as well as the survival of an entire civilization. The game also features stunning 2D animation and art, a unique tactical combat system, and a cast of unforgettable characters that drive this epic journey forward. Players will also enjoy a beautiful and haunting original score by Grammy nominated, and two-time BAFTA winner, composer Austin Wintory conducting The Dallas Winds orchestra, as well as a powerhouse trio of acclaimed YouTube sensations: Peter Hollens, Malukah and Taylor Davis.

The Banner Saga is available now for $24.99 through Steam, Uplay, GameFly, GameStop and GamersGate for PC and Mac. A digital Deluxe Edition is also available through select retailers for $29.99 and includes the game and complete soundtrack.
 

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Renren Games, a subsidiary of Renren Inc. (NYSE: RENN), has unveiled NBA Rush, the first NBA endless runner mobile game.  The new game, available free to download on iOS, features NBA players competing against alien invaders.

In NBA Rush, gamers assemble their own all-star team by choosing select NBA players from 30 NBA teams.  To win, NBA players must weave through city streets, parks, tunnels, buses, cars and alien ships, while throwing down massive dunks on aliens.

NBA Rush incorporates all of the fun gameplay elements that define the endless runner genre with a basketball spin.  To change directions, NBA players execute crossover, behind-the-back and through-the-legs dribble moves.  When juking left and right doesn�t get a player through the alien defense, the NBA players� hops will save the day. 

NBA Rush will be free to download on the Apple App Store and will have in-game purchases to enhance gameplay.

For more details visit: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/nba-rush/id733017679?ls=1&mt=8

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8 Killer Tips To Get That Perfect Selfie

8 Killer Tips To Get That Perfect Selfie

You must have seen flooding pictures of people on Internet called selfies. Selfies has caught the trend recently. Everyone prefers to express himsel via selfies. People keep uploading their selfies to social media networks like Facebook , Twitter, Instagram etc. Selfie is one of the best ways to show your expression, feeling right away from the camera of your smartphone to the world.

Now people feel comfortable while watching and thinking about themselves. Are you the one who always wonder how to click that perfect selfie? Well clicking selfie is not an easy task, it is an art. All you need is some patience and some tricks.

If are interested in talking pictures of your own without the help of third person for holding camera or clicking picture while you are posing then this article really going to help you. We are providing you the best selfie taking tips that you would love and will rock your world.

8 Great tips for Perfect Selfie

1. Find the perfect Light

Light plays a very important role in any image. The perfect light in your image is nothing more than the sole of that image. The right lightning not only make your skin looks amazing but also add a beauty to the surrounding. Your hair also looks shiny.

You can try capturing selfie either by standing next to window or going outside so that you could capture the nature light in your image.

2. Find your Signature Pose

Everyone holds a signature style in any sense while talking, dressing and more. It works in selfies too. Find a signature pose that will make you feel amazing, hot or yourself whatever be the situation is. You always feel better in that pose.

As when you feel good only then you look great. So find your pose and get ready to rock.

3. Selfie with an App

For every problem you can find a solution in terms of app. In case of images also you can find a million of app available on Internet. These apps will help you to make your selfies look better. You can find the perfect image according to your needs.

These apps allow you to personalize your images with stickers, whiten your teeth and remove blemishes and a lot more. Photo Wonder is all-in-one photo editing app that will help you to make your selfie look perfect.

4. Find the perfect angle

Taking selfie is nothing more than an art. For perfect selfie you must ensure the perfect angle while clicking a picture. You can hold the camera above the head. This angle allows you to show off your cute outfit and this will also give your selfie an artsy feel.  So just try to find the best side and best angle.

5. Check Background

While taking picture you must take care of your surrounding and clear background. Many selfies fail because of their dirty background like tiles of washroom, bedroom with piles of clothes. It puts a negative impact on selfies. Clean surrounding gives a clear-cut selfie.

6. Hold the camera with both hands

When taking selfie you can hold the camera with one hand or with both the hands. Holding phone with both hands makes easier to click selfie as while holding with one hand you can easily press capture button without much disturbing the angle.

But take care you may not cover the lens while capturing. Just pull camera away from your body and your arms will acts as a frame.

7. Full Body Shot

For perfect selfie you can also try full length mirror image. This will capture you from toe to head. But angle your body left or right so try which suits you more.

8. Express Yourself

Just smile and get ready for selfie. Smile adds positivity in image and makes you beautiful no matter how you look. You can make silly faces or can do anything crazy. Try something new all time.

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7 Apps That Prove You Don’t Need Adobe Creative Suite on Linux

7 Apps That Prove You Don’t Need Adobe Creative Suite on Linux

People have been asking Adobe to make Creative Suite available on Linux for several years now, but Adobe has been adamant about its answer: no. Why not? Most likely because the market share is too small to be worth the effort.
But the demographic is there. The overlap between �Linux users� and �creative users� is larger than many of us would expect, and many of them have been dying for a Linux Creative Suite for years.
The good news is that now, in 2016, viable options do exist.
Between all of the Adobe Creative products currently available, most of them have usable Linux alternatives. And while you won�t be able to use the Creative Cloud mobile apps with them, they�re still worth checking.

For Photoshop: GIMP or Krita

�Photoshop alternatives for Linux� is unsurprisingly one of the most common search queries among first-time Linux users. And while GIMP was the go-to answer for many years, that�s kind of changing now.





Not that there�s anything wrong with GIMP. In fact, as far as needing a �Photoshop clone� on Linux, there�s nothing better. GIMP is powerful and feature-rich straight out of the box, and can be improved with third-party plugins.
So yes, even though GIMP has its flaws � such as the fact that it isn�t as intuitive or polished � it�s definitely the closest thing to Photoshop right now.





But there�s another program out there that�s been turning heads over the past few years. It�s called Krita and users are slowly abandoning GIMP and flocking over to it instead.
Krita is primarily a tool for digital painters and artists, so it�s only a good alternative to Photoshop if that�s the kind of work you do. But for things like logos, drawings, and artwork, Krita is more user-friendly.

For Lightroom: Darktable or RawTherapee

If you�re a photographer, Photoshop may not actually be the best application for your needs � you might want to use Lightroom instead. Unfortunately, neither are available for Linux, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel.
There are two free alternatives to Lightroom that are actually quite good. Neither is objectively better than the other, so we�ll recommend both and leave it up to you to decide which one you like more.





The first is Darktable, which is the most oft-recommended program among Linux photographers. The interface is complex but it turns out good results. It�s also relatively light on resource usage, so better for older computers and weaker hardware.





The second is RawTherapee. The interface is simpler to learn and navigate, but lacks some features that you may need (such as selective editing with masks). RawTherapee is also slightly worse at managing large libraries with lots of photos.
Compare the feature set for Darktable with the feature set for RawTherapee to help make your decision a bit easier.

For Illustrator: Inkscape

Not many free applications can be considered as good as their paid counterparts, but Inkscape is one of them. In fact, it�s one of the best free alternatives to paid software out there. No need to spend money here.





Inkscape is what you should use if you want to create or edit vector graphics. Vector graphics are mathematical rather than pixel-based, so they can be printed at any resolution. They�re great for creating infographics, for example.
Although Inkscape suffers from a sub-par interface and lack of professional polish, it�s feature complete and certainly usable in a professional environment if needed.

For Premiere Pro: Lightworks or Kdenlive

Professional video editing has often been seen as an activity best suited for Macs, and only in the past decade have viable options come to light on Windows. But for Linux? Video editing can be a pain.





So if you can, we recommend paying for quality Linux software. Lightworks is very good � it was used to edit The Wolf of Wall Street, Pulp Fiction, Hugo, and more � but it�s also a bit costly at $438 (or $25 per month). However, you do get what you pay for.
Sure, Lightworks can be used for free, but there are restrictions. You can only export up to 720p and you lose a lot of quality-of-life features, such as timeline rendering, advanced project management, and Boris FX packages.
The paid version unlocks everything and can export up to 4K.





If you want a video editor that�s completely free but still as professional as possible, Kdenlive is your best option. It�s open source, actively developed, and packed full of advanced features.

For Animate: Synfig

Animate is the program formerly known as Flash Pro, the vector animation program that was used in the past to create Flash animations. Now that the web has moved from Flash to HTML5, Adobe rebranded as Animate.





Synfig has been the open source alternative to Adobe�s program since 2005, and is still the best choice for those who want to pursue 2D vector animation without handing over cash to Adobe. It�s free and in active development.
Synfig uses its own animation file format, but can export to AVI, MPG, GIF, SVG, PNG, and more. Despite the learning curve, you�ll be able to pick up the ropes quickly enough thanks to the user-contributed documentation and tutorials.

For Audition: Ardour or LMMS

Audition doesn�t get as much time in the limelight as Photoshop or Premiere Pro, but it�s a nifty piece of software that�s worthy of recognition. Formerly known as Cool Edit Pro, Audition is what you�d use to edit digital audio.
Audition is a digital audio workstation in the same line as Logic Pro on OS X. From what I know, Audition is used mainly by professional podcasters, but can be used for so much more, like recording and mixing your own music.





Audacity is the go-to audio editor for most Linux users, but when Audacity isn�t enough, you should think about either Ardour or LMMS.
Ardour is the best DAW available on Linux right now. Not only does it have a clean and usable interface, but it�s packed full of advanced features. Very good and highly recommended.
It�s available for free but only produces audio up to 10 minutes long. You can unlock the full feature set by buying the full version, which has a �pay what you want� price tag. Seriously, you can buy it for as low as $1.





LMMS, formerly known as Linux MultiMedia Studio, is another good option. This one is completely free but slightly inferior to Ardour. The interface is a bit harder to grasp and the learning curve is a bit steeper, but it�s still useful.
Check out the LMMS Showcase to see examples of tracks that have been made with LMMS.

For InDesign: Scribus

I don�t know of many people who do desktop publishing on Linux, but if you need an alternative to Adobe InDesign, rest assured that such an alternative does exist. It�s called Scribus.
Scribus can be used to create brochures, newsletters, posters, and even book layouts. It can also be used to create animated and interactive PDFs � the kind of stuff you�d expect from any desktop publishing program worth its salt.
It does have a few downsides though, such as the fact it can�t import or export InDesign files. Also, it�s not entirely polished and free of bugs, which can prove frustrating for heavy users. Fortunately, the Scribus documentation is pretty good.

The Ultimate Linux Creative Suite

If you absolutely need programs that are on par with Adobe, then save yourself the headache. Run a copy of Windows alongside Linux (either in a virtual machine or in a dual-boot setup) and get the Creative Cloud applications.
But if you�re okay with a bit of sacrifice here and there, these programs make for a passable Linux Creative Suite:

• GIMP
• Darktable
• Inkscape
• Lightworks
• Synfig
• Ardour
• Scribus

Source: http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/7-apps-prove-dont-need-adobe-creative-suite-linux/

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8 Gifts you can get the computer enthusiasts in your life that theyll appreciate

8 Gifts you can get the computer enthusiasts in your life that theyll appreciate

If you have someone in your life whose life revolves around their computer and you don�t know what to give them�this is Uncle Tom�s list of 8 non-computer items a computer enthusiast will find helpful.�

�

I�ve used computers personally for close to 30 years now. This is what I�d find useful as a gift:

�

1. Brother P-Touch labeler and extra batteries and label tape. The enthusiast will have lots of items that look identical and they�ll need to know which one is which. Your gift helps distinguish them at a glance.

2. Power strip. You can never have enough outlets. Get one with a long cord, too.

3. A shredder that can handle DVDs and CDs.�

4. A $50 Amazon gift card. They�ll need to order something after the holidays.

5. Stand alone physical kitchen timer with a loud annoying bell. This is for when they�re engrossed on-line, yet doing laundry or cooking at the same time.

6. Ream of copy paper. Occasionally they�ll need to print something. Sometimes they�ll even need to print it on nice paper for someone else to look at.

7. A box of Zip-Loc style bags and a box of snap-top containers. This goes well with Present #1.The enthusiast will have lots of small items they need to keep separate from each other.�

8. A box of personalized Post-It or Sticky type notes. The P-Touch is for permanent labeling situations. Your enthusiasts will need to make quick temporary notes on many occasions.��

�

Feel free to add your suggestions in the comments.

�

Tom Briant

Editor, MacValley Blog

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50 Sites that Pay You to Blog

50 Sites that Pay You to Blog

Do you want to earn money? Is your job is not sufficient to fulfill your dreams or you have the hobby of writing? Well in any case, blogging would help you. Blogging has been increasing day by day. A lot of people are earning a good amount of money be contributing articles to different blogs. If you don�t have enough time to start the blog, still blogging gives you an opportunity to earn a handsome amount of money by contributing articles.

It is not like writing books, newspaper or magazine but blogging is prevalent on the Internet because it is all about sharing, reading new experiences. You don�t have to manage the whole blog to actually make money. You can write as per your priority even at your home. This also helps you in improving writing skills.

TRICKY TECH providing you the list of 50 websites that will pay you for your content. This would surely help you to earn good money. Let�s have a look at the websites

50 Sites that pay you to blog for them.

1. Income Diary

Income Diary is one of the largest website with almost 100,000 visitors per month. Here you can write articles and get them published by your own name and bio that will be sent to thousands of readers via mailing list and social media accounts.

You can easily earn $50 � $200 per post by the PayPal payment method. Income Diary accepts articles related to making online money or building an online business. You can write about social media, getting traffic, web design, conversion optimization or anything related to it.

2. Funny Times

Funny Times is blessed with more than 65,000 loyal subscribers. It is 100% independent and not controlled by any corporation. You can submit articles about the topics which pokes fun at many major topics as long as it is humor including articles on business, religion or politics. You can easily earn $60 for each post submitted.

3. Bird Channel.com

Bird Channel is one of the top website for bird lovers. It is one of the largest bird�s websites. Bird Channel has hundreds of thousands visitors every month. This is just the best place to get the information about latest fashion, news, information about birds.

This website accepts submission of post from freelance writers. You can easily earn $100 -$400 for each post.

4. A Fine Parent

A Fine Parent is an online community for parents which pays around $100 � $300 for each post. The payment method is PayPal. You can write articles about parenting and earn $100. If your article gains popularity  then you will get a bonus of around $200.

5. YourOnline.biz

This is one of the most websites that allow you to contribute articles on business related topics. You will get the payment via PayPal at the end of month. You can earn up to $100 for each article once they accept it for their publiction YourOnline.biz

6. InstantShift

InstantShift allows you to write articles associated to programming and design. The amount of money for each article is decided by the quality and volume of your content. You can earn handsome amount of money for a top-quality article.

7. iWriter

iWriter is one of the best websites that invites thousands of writer for content writing. This website allows you to select the topics that you want to write and number of articles that you are able to write on daily basis. This website allows you to write as per your schedule. You can easily earn up to $16 for each article.

8. HubPages

HubPages is a quiet popular website that gains a lot of traffic.  You can write articles in order to get the audience attention. You can write articles with words 700+. Your article must be well written and free from grammatical and spelling errors in order to get approved by HubPages.

9. International Living

International Living is one of the most popular websites that uncovers the most desirable and cheapest retirement heavens on earth. You can earn $400 for each post on the living and saving when retiring in a country except U.S.A. You will get paid upon publication.

10. American College of Health Care Sciences Blog

This blog allows you to write articles regarding healthcare. You can earn $50 per post by contributing 600 to 1000 words article on different health care topics. This blog also gives full credit to your posts.

11. Back to College

Back to College is one of the best news and informative resource for adult re-entry students pursuing professional development or advanced degree. You can write articles for older students about education.

You can earn $65 � $125 for article approximately 1,000 � 1,500 in words. You will get the payment after 30 days via PayPal or Check.

12. Developer Tutorials

Developer Tutorials is one of the most popular programming and web design blog. You can make $30 � $50 for each article and $50 � $100 for each tutorial. This website gives you a chance to expose your work to thousands of people by building your portfolio. You can write anything related to programming and web design.

13. WritersWeekly

WritersWeekly is an online publication that pays you around $40 � $60 for each article. You must submit article of word length 600. This is all about how to make money online by doing things that you love. This is distributed to paying subscribers.

14. Be a Freelance Blogger

This is one of the most popular blogs that share useful resources, valuable tips and guests posting opportunities for bloggers in order to earn a high living from writing. You can submit article with word limit 500 words and you will be paid $50 for each post. This website also allows you to have a link about your bio.

A contest is held six times in a year that gives a chance to guest blogger to win $100 for their post. This contest is judged on outlines.

15. Travel + Leisure

Travel + Leisure accepts articles from freelance writers. It is one of the most visited websites with a huge amount of traffic. You can write articles about travelling. You can earn up to $1000 per article. Payment will be agreed only after assigning of an article.

16. Transition Abroad

Transition Abroad is one of the top ranked websites. Transition Abroad allows you to write articles about travel, living, study and work. You can earn $50 � $ 150 per article depending on the quality of content of your submitted article. Payment is done via PayPal or Check. After the acceptance of your article, you will get paid.

17. Budget Travel

Budget Travel is one of the best websites that pay you to write articles for them. It is one of the ultimate resources of world�s sawiest travellers. Budget Travels allows submission from freelance writers. You can write anything related to travelling. You can earn good money for $0.50 � $1 per word. It depends upon the length of your article.

18. Crazy Leaf

Crazy Leaf is one of the best websites which helps you to show your skills among thousands of people. This website accepts articles on design including Tutorials, graphic design, web design, print design, programming, vectorial photography, design inspiration. Once your article is published, you will get paid through PayPal.

19. Metro Parent

Metro Parent is a parent magazine that allows you to contribute article related to parenting. You can earn up to $30 � $50 for short articles and up to $350 for the accepted and published article. The payment will be made via Check upon publication.

20. Change Agent

The Change Agent is a popular Adult Education publication which pays $50 for each contributed article. Your article must have word limit from 250 to 1000 words and you will earn the same amount as long as your article is accepted.

21. Dollar Stretcher

The Dollar Stretcher will pay you $0.10 for each word of your submitted article after acceptance. You can write anything including interviews and reviews. The payment will be made via check in US dollar.

22. Drop Zone

Drop Zone is one of the most visited skydiving blogs with the millions of visitors per month. You will get $50 for each accepted article and $100 for each featured article. You can write with minimum word count of 720 with no maximum word limit.

23. eCommerce Insiders

This website accepts articles on retail and online commerce. You can submit article with high quality, original content and you can earn $75 for each article from 400-600 words and $125 for each article from more than 600 words. Your bio will also be show at the end of article submitted by you.

24. Matador

Matador Network provides topics that you need to submit articles on. It includes environment, gear, events, music, food, drink, language, sports, adventure, writing and many more. You will get $40 for each article depending on the type of article and its length. Payment will be made via PayPal in the first week of every month.

25. Vector Diary

Vector Diary is one of the best websites that allow you to contribute articles related to vector design. You will get $150 for each accepted tutorials via the payment mode PayPal. You can also add bio and link to website in your article.

26. Write Naked

Write Naked is interested in posting blog posts like interviews, publishing trends, writing essentials, freelance writing success stories and self-publishing tips. You can earn $50 � $ 200 for each accepted articles that must be in range of 450-650 words.

27. Digital Ocean

Digital Ocean is all about articles on Linux. You can publish your own tech tutorials based on Linux and FreeBSD cloud computing. If you have the technical knowledge and knack of explaining thinks then you are most welcomed here.  You can make up to $200 per article after it has been accepted. You will get the payment via PayPal or Digital Ocean credit.

28. Global Comment

Global Comment is one of the leading websites that allow you to contribute articles of your own choice. You can earn $50 for each article.

29. Sitepoint

Sitepoint is looking for articles about HTML, CSS, SASS and other related topics on web development. You can earn $150 for articles and $200 for tutorials. You can also get $300 for those articles which would do well as traffic wise.

30. Listverse

Listverse is not looking for any expert writer. If you are good in English and have great sense of humor and love for unusual things, you are most welcomed here. You can choose any topic you like. You will get paid $100 for each article with 1,500 words. You will get the payment via PayPal.

31. IntenseBlog

You can contribute blogging articles and tutorials on IntenseBlog and can earn up to $50 for each article via payment method PayPal.

32. LabMice.net

LabMice gives definitive guide to online resources for IT Professionals who deploy, manage and support Microsoft products and services. You can write articles about technology and can earn $60 � $100 for each submitted article.

33. ThemeForest

ThemeForest is one of the most leading authorities in the field of web design and web development. You can easily earn up to $150 for each accepted article. You will get the payment via PayPal or Moneybookers.

34. Funds for Writers

Funds for Writers is one of the top ranked blog with more than 40,000 subscribers. It focuses on writing, articles on success stories that are aimed to help writers to get paid for their writing. You can submit the article with length 500 � 600 words. You will get the payment via PayPal or Check.

35. Audio Tuts+

Audio Tuts+ is one of the best blogs that provides writing opportunities to people. You can easily earn $50 for Quick Tip which is around 500 words or any screencast of less than 5 minutes in length. Once your article is published, you will get the payment through PayPal or Moneybookers. You can easily earn good money by writing small articles.

36. PSD Tuts+

PSD Tuts+ is all about Photoshop. If you are good and Photoshop and have some tips or tricks that you can explain through tutorials that people would like, then you can contribute an article here. Whether you are an expert in code, design, illustration, photography, web design or any other related subject, you would be paid around $50 � $150 for sharing your idea and experience and payment method is PayPal or Moneybookers.

37. WorldStart

WorldStart is one of the best blogs for tech tips and daily deals newsletter on the Internet. This site has more than 300,000 readers. You can submit the article about computer tips and all other aspects of computing.

Payment varies depending on the usefulness of topic, length and quality of submission. You can easily earn $25 for 250 words, $40 for 400 words, $45 for 600 words and $50 for 800 words. The mode of payment is PayPal and check for writers who live in USA.

38. Make A Living Writing

This website focuses on how to make money by writing. You can make $50 for each submitted articles after it gets published. The aim of this site is to provide the practical help to hungry writers. The payment method is PayPal.

39. The TechLabs

The TechLabs looks for tutorials of on Adobe flash, Adobe Air, Adobe Flex, Adobe Flash Lite and ActionScript3. You can submit a complete practical tutorial $50 � $70 per article submitted. The payment method is PayPal.

40. Photoshop Tutorials

Photoshop Tutorials is one of the leading websites on Photoshop. You can write articles related to Photoshop like the quick review or complete tutorial. You can earn $50 � $300 per article that you submit after acceptance via PayPal.

41. Smithsonian

This website invites you to write articles on general topics including innovation, science, art, culture, travel history and more. You can earn $0.50 � $0.60 per word in your article that has been accepted.

42. Krazy Coupon Lady

The Krazy Coupon Lady talks about finance and you can contribute by submitting articles on topics like style, fashion, home, family, finance and more.  Once you submit the article, you will get the response in 7 days. Upon acceptance of your article, you will get up to $50 via PayPal. The post must be in between 200-800 words.

43. Belt Magazine

You can write article related to Rust Belt region and your article can be of any form like long essay, long form reporting and you will get paid $50 � $500 depending on the quality of your content.

Click here to visit Belt Magazine.

44. Cracked

Cracked allows you to contribute articles of your own choice. You can take ideas from the discussion on the website. You will be paid from $50 � $200 for each submitted article. You will get the payment via PayPal.

45. Consumer Search

This website focuses on reviews of all products that consumers would love to buy. You can write review on anything related to cell phones, LCD TVs, laptops, exercise bikes, fitness trackers and many more. You can easily make up to $350 for per submitted article.

46. iWorkwell

iWorkwell allows you to contribute article on any subject as a subject matter expert. These topics include social media, staffing, employees� relationship, HR admin, labor relations and more. You can earn $200 for each post.

47. Writers.ph

This website offers great writing opportunities on the daily basis. You can earn well by using your writing skills. You will get the payment via PayPal after the acceptance of your submitted article.

48. Freelancer Career

You can easily find writing jobs as per your interest at Freelancer Writer. You can earn $7 � $31 per page of your article depending on the quality of content. This website will provide you a constant work flow.

49. The Progressive

The Progressive majorly focuses on politics. It is a politics magazine that accepts articles from freelance writers only. If any one of your articles accepted by this, you will get $50 � $1,300 per post depending on the quality and length of the content.

50. Review Me

This site pays you to review products and services and you will be paid around $20 � $200 for each completed review that you will post on the website. You can begin by creating a free account.

YOUR COMMENTS ARE HIGHLY APPRECIABLE. IF YOU KNOW OTHER SITES THAN THESE SO COMMENT BELOW AND SHARE IT. DONT FORGET TO HIT +1 ON GOOGLE PLUS.

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9 website trends that need to disappear

9 website trends that need to disappear

With over 150 million blogs online, becoming the next Verge, Elite Daily, or Gizmodo is more challenging as each day progresses. As a result, site owners are getting thirstier for as many likes, follows, and subscriptions as possible so that they can get to push their way through the muck of start-up blogs.

Unfortunately, this has resulted in the implementation of disruptive design techniques. Whether it is trying to get more likes, more page views or just trying to be �different�, most times they just end up annoying readers even more and discouraging them from visiting again.

Here are some of the most common trends on today�s websites that we hope will fade away quickly enough.

1) Pop-up boxes before you start reading

Imagine this. You�re scrolling through the news on your RSS Reader or Reddit and click through to a story. A few seconds after you start reading, the page goes dark and a pop-up box takes center stage asking for a Facebook like.

I didn�t come to your site to like your page; but rather, I came to actually read the article. If I decide to like your page, it�s going to be after I read the story, not before.

The same applies for those sites that black out the whole screen with an overlay in an attempt to get you to download their mobile app when you�re browsing on your phone. No, I just want to read the story.

2) Horizontal scroll website

We are all accustomed to sites that scroll vertically, but there are those few that have chosen to break away from this tradition with a more horizontal approach. This is a somewhat cool idea (for instance when showing a space distance timeline), but generally most horizontal sites are not properly coded and may look wonky when you�re on a tablet.

Horizontal sites work well with brands that showcase products for sale, but not so much for regularly updated blogs such as what was recently done over at  Wired.co.uk.

3) Infinite scroll with a footer

More and more sites are adopting infinite scrolling home pages (i.e. sites that load similar to Facebook�s home page feed). I haven�t been a fan of this as finding old posts can sometimes be a pain, but it�s a thing. However, there are those designers that were smart enough to include their footer links at the bottom instead of to the top or the side. *sarcasm*

Whenever you try to scroll to the bottom, it�s impossible to click the link as new content keeps loading up and pushing those links further down. This is definitely not good news for those trying to get in contact with the site�s manager.

4) �Slideshows�

Ah yes, the infamous slideshow. The idea behind them is to encapsulate a number of related images into one viewing frame with back/forward viewing buttons versus having to click individual images and reloading the page. The problem is that 99% of these galleries are CRAP.

First, there are those JavaScript based galleries which take forever to load, and when they do, they break the website�s design 50% of the time and just stop working. As for mobile users, you guys are screwed because these galleries never seem to function correctly most of the time.

Then there are those �galleries� a.k.a. posts split up into several pages with the intent of garnering more page views and more ad revenue. The whole concept stemmed from the days when extremely long articles were split into two pages to make it easier for readers to digest stories. Unfortunately a lot of sites today are splitting articles into multiple pages with just one point per page.

Whenever I come across these sites, I browse away immediately because I really don�t have the time to reload an entire webpage just to read two lines of text. BuzzFeed has always succeeded with their lists by including all their points on one page versus splitting them into multiple pages.

5) Interstitials

Interstitials are those ads that load up before you visit the actual website. You may have seen them on Business Insider, Gearburn or Forbes. Thankfully less and less sites are using this technique, as this method of advertising is pretty disruptive (just like modal pop ups), even if it�s just a random quote of the day.

Unfortunately interstitials are becoming even more popular on free mobile apps as developers are trying to show more and more ads to profit of the booming mobile market.

6) Every share button possible

Having a Facebook, Twitter, and Google Plus button is fine, but there are those sites that insist of having every share button on the planet. While it may sound good in theory to have more options, there have been a few tests that prove that too many options may actually lead to decreased interactions.

If you�ve never heard of sites like Taboola, Outbrain, or Zergnet, maybe you�ve seen more prominent sites recommending articles such as �5 ways to lose belly fat� on a site that has nothing to do with health and fitness. These native advertising recommendation engines are the new thing as traditional banner advertising has taken a slight stab over the last few years.

I actually have no problem with recommendations from other sites, but most of the times I see crap like �How to make $5000 in 10 minutes� or �How to be a master at making love�. Ugh.

8) Autoplay videos

You�re on a site reading an article about what to get your mother for Christmas and out of nowhere you hear music or someone talking. Where is it coming from?! After panicking and trying to turn the volume down, eventually you discover that there�s an autoplay video somewhere in the sidebar (looking at you IB Times).

Videos are fine, but give us the choice to play them as we may sometimes be a in a situation where our speakers may be set to loud.

9) Ads everywhere

Ads are the bread and butter of most blogs but there are those few that insist on including 3-5 ads within the post�s content itself, making it almost impossible to distinguish the article�s content from the ad itself.

Yes, we all want to make a bit of extra money, but not at the cost of making the reading experience difficult.

Tell us what peeves you the most when visiting a website in the comments below. It would be great if GradeAUnderA could do a video about this!

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5 Best Gaming Laptops That Don’t Break The Bank

5 Best Gaming Laptops That Don’t Break The Bank

Laptop is one of the best inventions in human history. It has made our life more easy and convenient. Because of its light weight and portability, anyone can take it easily from one place to another. Laptop helps in many ways both professionally or personally. Almost everyone uses it for some or the other purpose including watching movies, playing game, online shows, documentation, accounting and much more.

Every gamer wants to purchase a gaming laptop but their sky high prices demotivates them. If you are crazy for computer games and looking for gaming laptops that will fit in your pocket then this article is definitely going to help you out in finding the best gaming laptop for you according to the type of game that you want to play.

Gaming laptop and Desktops differ in terms of process, processing speed and graphics. We are providing you a list of best gaming laptops that will fit in your budget easily. Check it out.

5 Best Gaming laptop that don�t break the bank

1. Optimus V X15-860 Gaming Laptop

The PC Specialist Optimus V is a good laptop with 15.6 inch full HD screen and pretty specification that can impress anyone. Its Intel Core i-7 Processor give the high processing speed of 2.4GHZ that allows you to play ant game that you want to fast and efficiently.

Its powerful graphics delivers the true gaming experience. Optimus V X15-860 offers the outstanding performance without too much spending. Its 8 Cell Lithium-ion battery offers maximum battery life of 6 hours.

Specs

• Operating system: Windows 8.1 64 bit
• Processor: Intel i7 4710MQ 2.50GHz
• Graphics: NVIDIA GetForce GT 860M
• RAM: 8GB
• Storage: 1TB

2.  MSI GP70 2PE-278UK Leopard gaming Laptop

MSI GP70 2PE Leopard gaming laptop is one of the affordable large screen gaming laptop that is equipped with powerful 4th Generation Intel Core i7 processor that offers high processing speed. It�s advanced NVIDIA GetForce GTX dedicated graphics makes it ultimate gaming laptop.

The laptop has 17.3 inch Full HD Led display that features matrix display which extends vision for extreme gaming experience. It is equipped with an integrated DVD super layer and 2GB dedicated graphics ensure you to get the maximum gaming images best full HD compatibility. Its better graphics and faster gaming and great features will take your heart away.

The laptop has super speed E2200 Gaming LAN based on Advanced Game Detect technology that easily recognize online game data processing and accelerate them in process.

Specs

• Operating System: Windows 8
• Processor: Intel Core i7 processor
• Graphics: NVIDIA GetForce 840M 2GB
• RAM: 8GB
• Storage: 1TB

3. Lenovo Z-40 70

Lenovo Z-40 70 is one of the best laptops for general user who want a laptop in their small budget with sophisticated and dedicated graphics. You can use this laptop for casual gaming by customizing the setting from medium to low as per your convenience.

Lenovo Z-40 70 has full HD resolution of 1920 x 1080 so that you get the perfect picture quality while playing games. Its strong performance and discrete NVIDIA graphics enables you to play games with high-efficiency. This laptop is capable of handling all your daily computation including image editing, browsing, playing games or video streaming. Lenovo Z-40 70 gives the battery life of 3.5hr. With this you will get the high gaming performance in good budget.

Specs

• Operating system: Windows 8.1 64 bit
• Processor: 4th Generation Intel Core i-3 4030 Processor
• Graphics: NVIDIA Genforce GT820M
• RAM: 4GB
• Storage: 500GB + 8GB SSHD

4. Acer Aspire E5-551-T374

The Acer Aspire E5-551-T374 is 15.6 inch laptop that features Quad Core AMD Processor. This processor is fast yet affordable that is capable of running most applications and low �end games. It has high quality display of 1366 x 768 for full HD clearance.

If you are just looking for entertainment that too in low-budget then this is just the right laptop for you. Its large 1TB hard drive and 8GB RAM allows you to store heavy games that you can play fast and efficiently.

Specs

• Operating system: Windows 8.1
• Processor: AMD A-Series A10-7300 with processing speed 1.90 GHz
• Graphics: AMD Radeon R6 Series
• RAM: 8GB
• Storage: 1TB

5. HP ENVY TouchSmart

HP ENVY TouchSmart is one of the budget touch screen laptop in the series of HP. Its light weight, seek design will definitely make you feel good. If you want to utilize touch gestures in the latest Windows then this is just the right option for you.

HP ENVY TouchSmart s powered by AMD Radeon HD 8650G for those who want to play something better. Ts 6GB Ram makes it suitable for any heavy game.

Its 15.6 inch display screen offers the display resolution of 1366 x 768 with LED-backlit touch screen. You can play games for hours without hiccups as it gives the battery life of up to 6 hours.

Specs

• Operating system: Windows 8.1
• Processor: AMD Quad-Core A10-5750M
• Graphics: AMD Radeon HD 8650G
• RAM: 6GB
• Storage: 750GB

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