All posts in techaccino

Techaccino Tuesdays: Tech brownies

By: / May 1, 2012 / 1 Comment /

Follow @techaccino for tech updates, and get rid of all your dozens of tabs, for Chrome’s sake.

It’s a poorly kept secret that we can cut through hundreds of online paywalls by simply browsing the interwebs through the myriad of wi-fi networks around. (And for the nth time, if Brown-Secure isn’t working but it was up one second ago, just restart your AirPort and/or your computer.) But a hidden advantage of being on a college campus with a sick CS department is that we get free access to all kinds of online services — all you need to do is find them. Or we can find them for you!

STUDY BREAK: Google Images >"angry computer"

The first hidden gem is the trove of free software that is available to download. Although Photoshop and InDesign are no longer accessible, some household names such as Matlab and Sibelius effectively upgrade your computer to a programming/music writing beast. If you’re able to steal find a faculty login, then the newest versions of Adobe’s Creative Suite and Microsoft Office are all yours. And because no one wants to leave your iPhones/iPads hanging, there’s also a couple of apps that configure your iDevice to always stay connected to Brown-Secure, no matter where you go. Continue Reading


Techaccino Tuesdays: Chrome extensions

By: / April 24, 2012 / 1 Comment /

Follow @techaccino for semi-instant updates, and check out last week’s column that you probably missed.

If you hear “Chrome extensions” and you don’t think about hair modifications, then you know what we’re talking about. With power users — people like ourselves who know how to use computers more than the average person — flocking to Google Chrome (soon to be the world’s most popular Internet browser), people have been looking for ways to tweak their online experience beyond just a new background. And thus, extensions were born (find them in the Window menu). Whether you already have 200 or you’ve just found out they existed, we reviewed the best ones for Brunonians below — pick and choose your faves, then check out the Web Store for some more.

FB Photo Zoom / Hover Zoom
Ever wish you didn’t have to click on a picture in your News Feed to see what it was? (Yes, this is the power of being a lazy college student). With FB Photo Zoom, you can rectify that and more. By passing your mouse over any picture on Facebook (be it a tiny profile thumbnail or a photo in a link), the image appears over the page next to your mouse in its original size. Hover Zoom adds the same functionality to other sites, including Twitter, Reddit and eBay. Continue Reading


Techaccino Tuesdays: iSwag for your iPad

By: / April 17, 2012 / 2 Comments /

HHH iPad

Follow @techaccino for semi-instant updates, and check out our Spring Weekend playlist.

By now, you’ve already either received/purchased an iPad or heard about it from your friends enough to know that there are a million and a half things to do with it. (If not, check this out!) (By the way, I’m talking here about Apple’s tablet, unlike the AP…) From note taking to airplane crashing to star gazing, there really isn’t a lot more out there we could ask it to do. But let’s think outside the box…What about that 30-pin connector at the bottom or the Bluetooth capability? Sure you can connect it to your computer, a wireless keyboard, or (if you’re lazy and have money to waste) your digital camera, but imagine all the possibilities…So stop shopping at censoring Apple Stores, and let’s take a gander inside the intertubes to find how you should actually be using your iPad. Continue Reading


Techaccino Tuesdays: Instagram bought by Facebook

By: / April 10, 2012 / No Comments /

Follow @techaccino for semi-instant updates, and check out last week’s column for a Spring Weekend playlist.

In a relatively surprising move, Mark Zuckerberg announced yesterday that Facebook plans to buy photo-sharing site Instagram for $1 billion. (Did you really think they would go public just to make some cash?) Since it went live in October 2010, Instagram has garnered over 30 million users (most of whom are already on Facebook) and multiple “App of the Year” awards thanks to its ease of use and hamster stylized photos. By joining forces with the largest social networking (and photo sharing!) website, it hopes to expand its user base and bask in share Facebook’s revenue.

So what’s in it for you? Continue Reading


Techaccino Tuesdays: Streaming Spring Weekend

By: / April 3, 2012 / 6 Comments /


Follow @techaccino for semi-instant updates, and, for all of you still mentally on Spring Break, a list of necessary apps to spend even more time procrastinating.

In case you haven’t already gone through all your news sites and blogs since you got back, don’t worry: you really didn’t miss anything. One thing you may remember from before break is that SPRING WEEK(END) is upon us is only 2 weeks away, and the lineup is about as good as it could have been. So before you set your alarm for 7:55 a.m. tomorrow morning and start posting angry comments all over Facebook about how the system is down, consider listening to the lineups. To aid you, here’s a comprehensive review of all the online options you have to stream the (now 7) artists for free — pick one and stick to it! Continue Reading


Techaccino Tuesdays: Gimme a break

By: / March 20, 2012 / 1 Comment /

Three. More. Days.

Follow @techaccino for semi-instant updates, and advice on whether to buy a “new” iPad.

In case you haven’t noticed, it’s over 70 degrees outside, which means most college students are either already on Spring Break or have mentally checked out in preparation for break (or both?). The point is, when the time comes to pack for your week off, you should make sure you have as few things on your plate as possible because (1) your flight/train/car ride will likely be very early in the morning and (2) you will likely be hungover from partying the night before. So, before you forget, just scroll down to your Spring Break destination below and follow the instructions to download the most important app you will need for your trip.

Florida
Mixology: iTunes / Android / Bartender Pro: Blackberry

Aaah, the sandy, fratty beaches, and the loud, pumping house music. If only there were something other than Natty Light to drink around here… Enter Mixology! It’s the best, cheapest, most complete drink recipe app out there; with the ‘Liquor Cabinet’ option, you can enter the liquor and mixer types you have, and it spits out all the possible cocktails you can make.

Continue Reading


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