Orangeinks

TheTop13: When Top 10 Just isn’t Enough

TheTop13 is a website geared towards providing us with the top 13 list of everything. If top 10 sites just doesn’t cut it, and you want to see the list further stretched, then this site might be the one that you’re looking for.

The site is not just an ordinary site that simply lists the Top 13 of their choice. It is also a community powered site where the rest can change the outcome of the list by voting on them. Comments are of course accepted to make the list more engaging to visitors.

The majority of the Top 13 lists will represent the collective view of those who are working behind the scenes at The Top 13 website. When a Top 13 list is posted, the team sometimes opens up the topic for submission from the members. You can also expect a Top 13 list prepared by a special guest chosen by the team.

A little trivia on the history of The Top 13 website

Finally, you’re probably wondering why we’re always counting down The Top 13, as opposed to the top 10 or any other number. Well, The Top 13’s creator was born on the 13th, wore 13 as his uniform number for as long as he played team sports, and hopes to rid the world of triskaidekaphobia.

* triskaidekaphobia is fear of the number 13

Tags: 13 Lists, The Top 13, Top 10

Download YouTube Videos in Just Two Clicks

Downloading YouTube videos is easy. There are tons of browser plugins, web apps and websites that are offering the same service. If you’re having trouble choosing from the long list of YouTube video downloaders, here’s a couple of recommended tools that you can use in order to download YouTube videos quickly:

The Get YouTube Video Bookmarklet

HowToGeek is hosting a bookmarklet that you can grab which will allow you to download any YouTube video in just a couple of clicks. The bookmarklet used to be posted at the Google Operating System blog. Since it has been removed, HowToGeek was kind enough to provide us with the bookmarklet.

All you need to do is grab the bookmarklet from HowToGeek and place it on the bookmarks toolbar of your browser. Whenever you come across a YouTube video that you want to download, simply click the bookmarklet while you’re on the YouTube video page and you’ll see the download link appear on the YouTube page near the embed codes. (See Image Below)

You can choose to download a Standard MP4 file or the High Quality HD 720p version if it’s available.

KickYouTube

For those of you who are not a fan of bookmarklets and want to keep your browser clean and free of the bookmark toolbar, you can use an alternative method. You can simply add the word kick on front of the video URL of the YouTube video that you want to download. It will read as kickyoutube.com/videourl. Using this method will redirect you to the KickYouTube page where you can choose which format to download. You can choose from MP4, FLV, HD, AVI, MPG, 3GP, iPhone, PSP, MP3, OGG or GIF.

The Get YouTube Video Bookmarklet is faster easier to use than KickYouTube. You do not need to transfer to another website in order to begin your download. The download happens right on the YouTube page. KickYouTube however supports more format than the bookmarklet. Whichever you choose to use is up to you. It’s just a matter of which of the two suits your need.

Tags: Download Youtube, Get YouTube, Kick YouTube, youtube

MakeMKV : Simple DVD/Bluray to MKV Converter

MakeMKV is a desktop application that makes your DVD/Bluray ripping/backup task a breeze. The application is a format converter, otherwise called “transcoder”. It converts the video clips from proprietary (and usually encrypted) disc into a set of MKV files, preserving most information but not changing it in any way.The backup process will only take you a couple of clicks when using the software. MakeMKV works on Windows, Linux and MacOS-X.

What is MKV?

For those of you who don’t know, MKV stands for “Matroska Video”. Matroska is a container file format, capable of holding unlimited number of video, audio and subtitile tracks, along with any metadata. Practically this means that it is possible to put entire movie with multiple sound and subtitle tracks, chapters information and movie thumbnail into single file. Being open and patent-free Matroska gained broad support recently and quickly becomes de-facto standard for storing movies.

Advantages of MKV

• MKV is open and free. No one holds patents or licenses and anyone can implement it freely. As a result nearly every software player and many hardware devices support it. The    best software players out there ( VLC, MPlayer ) have full MKV support and are absolutely free.

• MKV files do not have evil features attached.

• You can play them on any capable hardware. No need for HDCP-certified video card or any “trusted” environment.

• You can copy them to your laptop and watch anytime, even if your laptop lacks DVD or Blu-ray drive, or any drive whatsoever.

• One file is one title. If you don’t want to watch dozen trailers before the movie, you don’t have to. And fast forward button always works, too.

• There are no restrictions where to play the file. There are no region-based restrictions. You have control over the content you’ve paid for.

• MKV files are easy to change. Want to remove unneeded audio track from the file? Thought about converting MPEG-2 video into H264 to make the file 5 times smaller? All of it can be easily done with free software.

• MKV files are compact. For exactly the same content MKV files are about 10% smaller than DVD files and roughly 40% smaller than Blu-ray files.

MakeMKV Features

• Reads DVD and Blu-ray discs

• Reads Blu-ray discs protected with latest versions of AACS and BD+

• Preserves all video and audio tracks, including HD audio

• Preserves chapters information

• Preserves all meta-information (track language, audio type)

• Fast conversion – converts as fast as your drive can read data.

• No additional software is required for conversion or decryption.

MakeMKV’s DVD to MKV feature is free and will always remain free. Other features which include Blu-ray decryption and processing are only free during the BETA period. If you’re looking for an easy way of making Blu-Ray/DVD backups, better check out MakeMKV. It’s by far the simplest and easiest to use.

Tags: Bluray, Bluray to MKV, DVD, HD-DVD, MakeMKV, Ripper

Photoshop: CS5′s Content Aware Fill

Here’s a sneak peak video of what Photoshop CS5 is capable of. This video shows us the power of Content-Aware Fill. It makes adding, removing, moving or repairing items faster and more seamless.

Tags: Content-Aware Fill, CS5, Photoshop

FontSelf: Custom Fonts for your Blog and Social Networking Posts

FontSelf is a font service that allows you to express yourself online in a creative way through font customization. You’ll be able to send messages and write text using the font that suits your mood. The service does not require you to install anything. All the fonts and tools in FontSelf are online and can be available to your whenever and wherever you need them.

Using FontSelf is as easy as typing your message in their editor and choosing which font you’d like to use. You can embed the message or text content by grabbing the generated codes from FontSelf and place it on your blog or favorite social network (if they allow embeds).

All the fonts in FontSelf are free to use and everything is usable online. You can choose from an array of fonts designed by a community of international designers. You can also expect to see new fonts added regularly in FontSelf. If you want to become more creative, you can check out their creation tool. With it, you can create your own smileys and illustrated words. It allows you to import pictures, drawings and webcam captures to make it more personalized.

Fontself is an original platform for all the people who want to send unique messages and add some visual spice to their online communications. It’s easy to use and works anywhere online that allows html embedding. And the best thing about the service is that it’s all free.

Tags: Blogs, Embed Fonts, Font Creator, FontSelf, Smiley Creator

HeadMagnet: A Smart Flash Card Generator

Headmagnet is an online tool that lets you generate flash cards. What makes it more interesting than current flash card generators and study aid sites is that it quizzes you in the most efficient way possible. Unlike other sites that just repeats the flash cards over and over again, Headmagnet records what you remember and tracks what you’re recalling and what you’re not.

Headmagnet creates a model of what’s going on in your head and predicts what memories are still inside. This will allow you to quickly get things in your head and keep them there. You’ll also be able to share your study lists with others and benefit from what they shared. The stat page will allow you to see up-to-the-moment stats on what’s in your head and how well you know it. Predict the effects of memory decay.

If you’re looking for a more efficient online tool that will help you remember stuff and keep them in your head or your student’s head, check out HeadMagnet. Watch the video to get a more graphic explanation on how it works.

Tags: Flash Cards, Headmagnet, Learning Tool, Online Flash Cards